Today...

I made a second pot of coffee, because I need it. It's decaf, but I'm hoping I can fool my body into thinking it's regular.

I put my son in time-out at 6 a.m.

I put my daughter in time-out at 7 a.m.

I put my son in time-out again at 8 a.m.

I put my daughter in time-out again at 9 a.m.

I put my daughter in bed at 10 a.m.

I am having people over for dinner. My house is a mess. I have no idea what we're eating.

I want to go back to bed.

...but on the plus side, my son has really cute feet. Fat, round, yummy baby feet. And everything is going to be okay.

Things I Love Thursday: Dora!

Wendy, being 3 1/2 years old, absolutely loves Dora the Explorer. She loves to watch the shows and she loves any Dora books or toys that she sees.

When I scheduled her first dental exam, I immediately went to my friend Amazon to look for a book about the dentist. When I saw this book, Show Me Your Smile! A Visit to the Dentist, I knew I had to get it! When the book arrived a few days later, I immediately read it to Wendy. Then she asked me to read it again...and again...and again. She loved the book, and she was very interested in the things that Dora saw and did in the dentist's office. We read the book at least twice a day until the day of her appointment.

Wendy was very excited about going to the dentist, "just like Dora did!" I was a little nervous, not knowing how she would handle a stranger poking around in her mouth. But she was amazing! When the hygienist first asked her to sit down, Wendy looked at me and asked, "Is it going to hurt?" When I told her, "No," she calmly sat down and was a star patient.

I mean, seriously.

She was amazing.

When we got home, she immediately asked if we could brush and floss her teeth. We did, and she said, "Oh, I don't think they're clean enough - we need to go back to the dentist!"

If you've got a child who is nervous about the dentist, or who will be having their first exam soon, read this book to them!

For more Things I Love Thursday, visit The Diaper Diaries!

WFMW: Chicken in the Crock-Pot

I love my Crock-Pot.

I love chicken.

I love saving time and money.

When I first heard people talking about cooking a whole chicken in a Crock-Pot, I was skeptical. As much as I love my slow-cooker, I couldn't imagine that a whole chicken would turn out right. Whenever I roasted a whole chicken in the oven, it was a hassle and the meat was a little dry, so it wasn't worth it. Wouldn't doing it in the Crock-Pot just make a long process longer?

Boy, was I wrong!

I gave it a try and was immediately hooked. It's easy! Cheap! And best of all, it's yummy and moist.

Here's what I do:

1. Buy a whole chicken.
2. Early the next morning, rinse the chicken & put it in the Crock-Pot, breast side down.
3. Top with whatever seasonings tickle your fancy. I've used garlic salt + Italian seasoning, Lawry's seasoned salt, oregano + lemon peel...it all turns out good!
4. Put the lid on, and turn the Crock-Pot on low.
5. Ignore it for 8-10 hours.

That's it! That's all there is to it. Rinse chicken, sprinkle w/ seasoning, turn on Crock-Pot. When the chicken is done, I pull it out & let it cool before removing the meat from the bones. Then I take all of the skin, bones, fat, etc. and return it to the cooking juices in the Crock-Pot. I add about 4 cups of water, put the lid on, and cook it on low overnight. In the morning, I've got the most beautiful chicken broth just waiting to be strained & put in the freezer!

An additional tip: I have this big oval Crock-Pot, which is a pretty common model. I usually get a two-pack of whole chickens at Sam's Club, and I can cook them at the same time, side by side. It doesn't take any more effort, but it doubles the result - and I can always use more cooked chicken & broth in the freezer!

Saving money & time...yummy & moist chicken...works for me!

For more great tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

TTT: Online Shopping

I do a lot of shopping online. While I enjoy shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, it's not always practical with two kids in tow. When the kids are with me, I can't leisurely peruse clearance racks or make multiple trips to a fitting room. And making multiple stops with the kids? Unbuckling from carseats, setting up stroller, buckling into stroller, shopping, unbuckling from stroller, buckling back into carseats, collapsing stroller again...just thinking about it wears me out.

Here's a list of my favorite sites for online shopping:

1) Amazon - this one is a given! I think Amazon is probably the world's most popular site for online shopping. You can get just about anything through Amazon, and you can usually get free shipping. We've done all of our Christmas shopping using Amazon several times.

2) Diapers.com - despite the name, they have much more than diapers! They have all kinds of baby essentials: formula, baby food, clothing, baby wash, toys, books...all kinds of stuff! I've been very pleased with how quickly orders are shipped, too.

3) Target - one of my favorite real-life stores is also a favorite online shopping site! Many things ship for free, and I've found great clearance items.

4) Alice - a relative newcomer to the online shopping realm, Alice is revolutionizing the way people shop! Alice carries all sorts of household items, and shipping is always free! There is a minimum of six items per order, but with the variety of products available, filling my cart is no problem!

5) Etsy - after browsing for months, I made my first Etsy purchase last week, and I'm thrilled! I'll share more about it on Thursday. Etsy is a great site for handmade and vintage items of all kinds.

6) Kohl's - another store that is great in real life! Kohl's is famous for their wonderful sales, and those prices are available online, as well.

7) Gymboree - I probably shouldn't browse on Gymboree, because I inevitably find something that would be perfect for Wendy. And then there are the matching hairbows...and tights...and sweater...and shoes... *sigh*

8) Crazy 8 - a less expensive store in the Gymboree family, Crazy 8 has a good variety of quality casual clothes for munchkins.

9) Old Navy - one of the best things about the Old Navy online store is the "Women's Plus" section. It's not available in stores, but the selection online is great! There are also great sale and clearance items throughout the site.

10) Retail Me Not - before I make any online purchase, I search for coupon codes through Retail Me Not. I can almost always get 15-20% off or free shipping - it's definitely worth clicking!

Do you shop online? What are your favorite sites?

For more Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

Easter...three weeks late

(Just pretend you're reading this about three weeks ago.)
I have always enjoyed the fun side of Easter. The Easter baskets, the egg hunts, and especially the pretty Easter dresses are always a welcome sign of spring.

This year was no exception. I started planning the kids' Easter attire back in February, and I think they looked wonderful!

Grandma (my Mom) made Wendy's dress. Who knew that $6 worth of fabric from Wal-Mart could look so cute?

I made David's vest. I chose a simple pattern, since I didn't start it until the end of March. It looked so cute on him; I definitely plan on making him a few more vests for the fall and winter!

Easter was especially fun this year, because Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa (my grandparents) were able to visit. Wendy really enjoyed spending time with them, and she keeps asking when we're going to see them again. David spent some quality snuggle-time with his Great-Grandma; she was able to rock him to sleep, something I can rarely accomplish! We had our family's "traditional" chili dogs for Easter dinner, and we all had a good day!

WFMW: Busy Mom's Pedicure

I like the idea of a pedicure, but I never get one. I almost always have two munchkins in tow wherever I go, so stopping for a pedicure isn't really practical. I'm also very ticklish and have a hard time relaxing to enjoy the pampering.

Here is what I do instead, about once a week:

1) Before showering, plug the tub & squirt a bit of your favorite body wash in the bottom. Run the water on HOT to fill the tub with about an inch of water, then adjust the shower as usual. Climb in & enjoy soaking while showering!

2) After showering, towel dry & file rough spots with implement of choice. I've heard great things about the PedEgg, but I just use an inexpensive file.

3) Smooth your favorite lotion over your feet, making sure to massage into the heel & any other rough spots. Put on thick cotton socks while you finish dressing, to allow the lotion time to absorb into your skin.

4) Optional - after steps 1-3 are done, put a quick coat of polish on those toes! I'm currently wearing this one in Racey Rouge. Polish isn't necessary, though; just doing steps 1-3 will keep your feet smooth & healthy-looking!

Quick, inexpensive, at-home pedicures work for me! For more Works-For-Me Wednesday, visit We Are THAT Family!

TTT: Things I Should Be Doing

I started two really great TTT posts, but I'm getting over being sick and don't have the energy to finish them today. I guess I have a head start for the next two weeks!

Instead, here's an easy list - the Top Ten Things I Should Be Doing Right Now.

1. Sleeping

2. Folding laundry

3. Vacuuming

4. Putting laundry away

5. Scrubbing the kitchen floor

6. Scrubbing the bathtub

7. Folding laundry (Did I say that already? Hmm.)

8. Decluttering my kitchen cupboards

9. Exercising.

10. Ironing

But instead of any of those things, I'm sitting on the couch, checking in with Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader. So much for productivity!

For more (real) Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

Some Saturday Smiles

Cute, aren't they? This was taken back in January.

TILT: My Laptop!!

I have my laptop back!

I HAVE MY LAPTOP BACK!

*ahem*

After more than two months of having to share a computer with James - which is a little complicated, since he works from home & uses his computer at least 12 hours a day - I now have my own computer back! I've felt so cut off without it.

It's definitely a thing I love.

For more (real) Things I Love Thursday posts, visit The Diaper Diaries!