Dating Revised

With age comes wisdom. This a phrase I am beginning to understand and not simply think of as a shiny lure for life in my 30's. Looking at my life ten years ago in comparison to the here and now, I gladly notice some pretty huge changes. Specifically, one of these changes is in the form of a four letter word. Yes, I am going to say it, you may need to brace yourself... D-A-T-E. The word 'date' brings on various, colorful  feelings for most of us lovely ladies. When you hear the word date, do you get nervous, excited, anxious, joyful or scared? For the old me, a date meant wining and dining, sometimes until the sun came back around shining, the next day. Money was tossed around like confetti and time was of no consideration. Honestly, it was really great! Although a date does not look the same these days, with my oh so hunky husband, they are sometimes exceedingly better. Approaching 30, some of my younger insecurities have fallen away. We can now sink into the sofa's embrace, disheveled and exhausted,  side by side in front of the television's glow. Sigh. I do not need to meticulously line my eyes and hide my pimples with makeup. I do not need to shop for a new pair of shoes that will have me working overtime to pay them off, or eat less the day before to fit in my newest, sexiest dress. I do not need to do anything except be myself and be with him. Don't get me wrong, it is nice to be taken out and treated once in a while. But as crazy as it may sound, a date in our living room can sometimes be far more exciting, and much less taxing, than my date nights of old. Can anyone relate?

Get Paid to Purge

I have one cabinet dedicated to chaotic baby bottle madness. Lids, nipples and cups fall out of the door when it is even slightly cracked open. Yes, I need to purge through what we no longer use-which is most of it! Sound familiar? Well, there is a really cool website called Ecomom that wants to pay us for getting rid of the bottles and sippy cups we no longer use. Now through August 31st, ecomom Bottle Buy Back gets you $50 to spend on their site. This is exciting because they have some really cool products and are all of course eco friendly. Food, diapers, toiletries-you name it they've got it. Visit ecomom  for yourself and join in on getting paid to clean out a cabinet!

FREE Shutterfly 8x8 Photo Book

Have you heard of Zulily? It is a super cute daily deals for mom's, kids & babies. If you check it out and sign up today, you get a FREE 8x8 Shutterfly photo book in return! Once you sign up, the offer code immediately appears for redemption. Not sure when this deal disappears, so get it quick here: http://www.zulily.com/invite/sbennett2980

Amazon Warehouse Saves BIG

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I just discovered the awesome and amazing Amazon Warehouse. Why didn't anyone tell me about this before now?!? For me, it is comparable to going to TJ MAXX  and digging around for that steal of a deal, never knowing what I will find; except all online. So, I can treasure hunt in my PJ's with my beverage of choice in hand, depending on the time of day. I like the Last Chance section because the discounts are insanely awesome. There is everything from diapers and baby gear to organic coffee and bulk spices. The box may be damaged (as seen here from my order) or product obscure (hence the huge discount) but if it fits your need at a fraction of the price, mission accomplished. Being a coffee lover, my favorite find was this 3 pack of Cameron's Organic Coffee for less than $5 a bag. I also found this beautiful 3 piece Mocha, Organic Porta Crib Set for only $24.99! Last but not least, get Huggies Snug & Dry for .17 a diaper which is WAY LESS than going to the store with a coupon. All is of course FREE SHIPPING with Amazon Prime. You should definitely check it out for yourself and report back your savings!

A Real FriEND Loves to the END

When reading Luke chapter 1, we learn that Mary and Elizabeth are relatives. They both have become pregnant by the Grace of God and Elizabeth is about 6 months further along than Mary. When Mary is told of Elizabeth's pregnancy she quickly goes into the hill country to visit Elizabeth and stays with her for about 3 months. After reading this, I let it sink in for a moment. The scripture leads me to believe that Mary was in her 1st trimester when she made the trek into the hills to see Elizabeth. Ok, Mary did not simply book her online ticket through Southwest, catch a cab to the airport and then have a friend pick her up upon arrival. I imagine she walked into those hills, probably very tired at times, with crazy food cravings and maybe even fighting morning sickness. Who knows what she wore and how much she packed! All so that she could be with her friend. Yes, I think they were friends. Scripture tells us that Mary and Elizabeth were relatives, but in my opinion, they had to have had a friendship within their blood linked relations. I mean seriously, would you walk from one town to another up hill while you were pregnant to see someone that was just a relative? On top of that, to stay with another pregnant woman for the last 3 months of her pregnancy while you are pregnant yourself, is dedication and love. They must have had a very close, genuine, friendship and relationship. This got me thinking about the women in my life. If I want to be a better friend, cousin, daughter- you fill in the blank, Mary sets a pretty high standard of selflessness. I suppose that is why she was chosen to birth Jesus. To be honest, some days it seems too difficult to send a text much less a phone call to a sweet lady in my life. Some days I have got it quite backwards. Too often I let life get busy and relationships lie wasting when they should be freshly loved upon and given to. Does this ring a bell with anyone or am I alone in this? If it sounds familiar, let's go the extra mile today (and maybe a little uphill) to let that person know you love them and God does too. More times than not, words do not even need to be spoken, just the action of selfless Love itself.

Coloring with Class

Publix gets the prize this week for best deals in my book. I got all that is pictured here for only .50, yes- two quarters! Publix has Crayola Crayons (24 Ct) 3 for $1, combined with the Target printable coupon of .50 off $1 Crayola = .50. Also, the Papermate pens shown are 2 for $1, combined with Target prinatble coupon $1 off Papermate = FREE. If you do not need them personally, give them to someone who does. The crayons deal happened to be perfect timing for the new Preschool Pals coloring book we got in the mail from Publix. If you have a baby or toddler you totally should sign up (for free) with their clubs for awesome exclusive coupons & fun stuff for the kiddos through the mail. In addition, Publix has an entire flyer this week featuring their Greenwise products on sale. You can get their organic store brands for less than the big shots! Thank you Publix for helping me prove that it doesn't have to be expensive to eat organic! Oh, and for allowing me to afford the higher echelon of crayons. Yep, rollin' with Crayola class.

Zucchini Muffin Madness

Sometimes nature overdoes itself, as you can see from this 'larger than a baby' zucchini. I have the perfect Zucchini Muffin recipe that will help use up your garden's bounty as well as sneak vegetables into a delicious treat without your kids or husband ever knowing!

1 1/2 C all purpose flour   1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp baking soda           1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder      1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 large overripe banana    1/2 C sugar

1/4 C maple syrup            1 C pureed zucchini

1/4 C cooking oil         ** nuts/chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 & spray muffin tin (mini or regular size) with nonstick spray. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Puree zucchini, uncooked & unpeeled. (It is a water packed veggie, so purees easily) Combine wet ingredients to mixed dry ingredient bowl. If desired, add a handful of chocolate chips or chopped nuts for a twist. Fill muffin cups & bake about 15-20 minutes, until golden on edges. Filled with flavor, super moist muffins for kids, adults & vegans alike!