VIDEO from Brody's field trip

Brody mastered this game at Jumping Jack Sports.  He loved it and played it for about 20 minutes straight!  Something about boys bashing things with bats.......lol

VIDEO from gymnastics last night

Brody was moved up to the next level in gymnastics (Panda Bears) and last night was his first class in the group.  There were 6 kids in the class and most of the kids are much older and bigger than Brody.  The traditional age range for the class is 5-6.  Brody (just turned 4) and another little girl (that is 3.5) are the little ones.  So this video shows Brody in the black top and black shorts learning how to swing on the bar---the little girl in his class is on his right. 

Brody's Field Trip

Two weeks ago Brody's preschool class went on a field trip to Jumping Jack Sports.  We had never been there but it's a combination of a "Pump it up" type place and a sports gym.  For the 1st 30 minutes Brody refused to get into the bounce house or do the obstacle course.  He occupised himself on the other things:

He was hopping from one to the other like a little frog!

Then he finally tried the obstacle course and that is literally all he did for the last hour we were there.  Over and over and over again!  As you can see in the last picture he was hot and tired!

Brody, David and Lauren climbing up

FINALLY! Posting some Christmas pictures........

Almost a month later.......ugh.  I just need to get back on a better posting pattern.  Oh well---here are some of the Christmas Day highlights!

Excited about his VT hot cocoa

"helping" Brody--lol

He LOVED his trampoline!

His eyes were closed every time I attempted this pic---Poppy made him a balance beam like the one they use at gymnastics

Yikes

Just part of his new VT hockey gear

CHEESE

Travis got a TON of books---this is just two of them ;)

Um tonsils?  lol

He finally got the iPad he wanted!

Brody doesn't really know what this is but Travis was excited so Brody was excited too :)

Blurry but you can see they both have their video games

Eyes closed----so happy

This dino is HUGE

Playing

The look of shock

Overnight--NO COOK Oatmeal---does it work?

Over the last week a lot of friends have been posting the link on FB (and Pinterest) to a website with these overnight oatmeal ideas. You can find the website (with recipes) linked HERE.  I was intrigued by this idea since Travis loves oatmeal in the morning but it would be nice to have a healthier alternative than the kind out of a packet/from a box.  I had almost everything on hand so the other day I decided to try it (I didn't have chia seeds but I will get some and try that next time).  I made the cinnamon applesauce one she listed and here is the end result......

Ready to sit in the fridge overnight

The jars I had on hand were a little big but they definately worked.  The next moening we took them out, stirred them up and tried them.  Travis said it tasted weird.......this could be because it's made with greek yogurt OR because he usually has oatmeal that is hot.  ;)  I didn't push the subject with him since it was 7am.  lol  I will make him try it again and really try it.  I opened my jar and I LOVED it!  Yes you eat it cold which is a little odd at first and the consistency of mine was a little on the soupy side (maybe because I didn't have the chia seeds?) but the taste was awesome and it really filled me up!

Digging in!

I will try other recipes too.  The next step for me is to get more jars.  :)  So if you ask me......yes the concept does work.  Assuming you can get past the "not eating it hot" thing.  :)

Some Target coupon/cartwheel app deals

I look at a bunch of blogs about saving money and a few specifically about saving money at Target.  Let's just start with the basics---if you don't have the "Cartwheel" app for Target get it now.  It's free.  :)  Next go to the Hip2save website that is linked HERE.  From that link you can see all of the different items you can get this week PLUS she has any coupons available on the internet linked for you.  By using her page I did get the following deal:

The receipt says my "package total" for three LARGE bags of M&Ms was over $10 but I calculated everything up from my receipt and I did indeed pay less than $3 for three LARGE bags!  It looks like the total on the bottom doesn't include the three coupons for $2.50 off each but it IS included in my overall total.  Weird they way it looks on the receipt but who cares right?  That is a great deal!

I also got the Cheerios/Chocolate cinnamon toast crunch deal mentioned on her site.  The coupons are all linked and I got two of the chocolate crunch cheerios and one of the chocolate cinnamon toast crunch----there is an unadvertised $5 gift card when you buy all three.  (well it was unadvertised at my target this am---no sign or anything--- I was just hoping it would work and it did)  By itself $2 a box for these cereals is a decent deal but the $5 gift card definately sweetens the deal---no pun intended.  lol

I also found that it pays to ignore the "excludes clearance" info on Cartwheel.  I got two long sleeve shirts for Travis (for next year) for cheap!  You can see on the receipt which two had the added Cartwheel bonus---and they were definately clearance (70% off).

Also look on sites like the one linked above for coupon/Cartwheel combos on things you already get there.  You can see I got a box of the Simply Balanced fruit leathers for $1.17 today!  (my favorite is apricot)  I also got two jars of the Market Pantry pasta sauce for .50 each with the Target coupon that was linked in.  :)

Happy shopping!

Scrapbook retreat

Even though I still haven't posted Christmas day pictures........here is my recap of my scrapbook retreat that was this past weekend.  It's always a good time with friends.  I know it sounds strange to people who don't scrapbook but that is ALL we do ALL day for almost 3.5 days!  We didn't go to bed until 3 or 4am every day!  I finished 56 pages this year which spanned from Mid May 2013- early September 2013.  Now I need to keep this momentum going and get caught up to "real time".  Can I do it?  ;)

Here are a few of the pages I finished this weekend.  Thankfully the ones done at 3am don't look like they had been done at 3am.  LOL  That is always a possibility at that late hour.

Making cookies with Grammy

On the 23rd the boys got to make cut out cookies with Grammy.  She brought a TON of stuff to decorate with etc and the boys had a lot of fun cutting out and decorating cookies.  Brody was a HUGE fan of the whole process---especially the part where he got to decorate the cookies with a TON of sprinkles!  :)

Brody thought Travis was about to hit him apparently

SO EXCITED

"Mommy you have to push it down really hard----like THIS"

Look at all of those SPRINKLES