Weekend Wind Down {Memorial Day Edition}

  For this Weekend Wind Down and in honor of Memorial Day, I'm going to keep the linky list open an extra day, from Sat- Mon.  The theme for this weekend is simple, link up with a post of your Memorial Day weekend plans- do you honor someone special, do you get together with family & friends, etc?The gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery are graced by U.S. flags on Memorial Day weekend.Photo from Wikipedia

Thank you to those that have served and given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom!  And thank you to those that are currently protecting that freedom!!

We generally head out to my Dad's house for a cookout, but this year we invited everyone over here to grill.  My hubby LOVES his grill, really he does!  So we'll be putting hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill and topping 'em with all the fixin's.  And probably have the classics like potato salad & baked beans too.  We have the swingset for the kids to play on and we're thinking of setting up a horse shoe lane.  And if the weather stays warm we'll set up the sprinkler for the kids too.  Or after we eat, we may head to a nearby park or beach for some more wind down time.  Should be a fun day no matter what... as long as it doesn't rain!!

            

     

Have a safe & happy weekend,

Social Parade- Follower Friday!

I'm linking up with Smart & Trendy Mom's for this week's Social Parade... head over and join in the fun! 

If this is your first time visiting... WELCOME, thanks for stopping by!!  :)  A couple of posts to check out:

• Chocbite Gourmet Custom Chocolate Bar Giveaway {ends 5/31}
• Post It Note Tuesday (aren't toddlers great?)

And starting on Saturday and going thru Monday I'll be hosting my own blog hop called the Weekend Wind Down.  You can come back and link up with your Memorial Day weekend plans and then visit other blogs, leave comments.... you know the drill!  ;)  Hope to see you there!

Bean & Rice Fajita Wrap

These are quick and easy... and my 5 yr. old loves them!!

And she's a very picky eater!

Refried Beans

Instant Rice

Shredded Lettuce

Shredded Cheese

Salsa (I mix right in w/ the rice)

Sour Cream

Whole Wheat Tortilla (Fajita size)

Optional topping idea- Guacamole

Wordless Wednesday

Post It Note Tuesday

 Join in and Link up!! 

 

I'm on a Rampage...

...a Robot Rampage, that is!

Robot Rampage is the newest episode of The Backyardigans that aired Friday (5/21) on Nick Jr.  My girls watched it that morning and I also recorded it to the DVR (it was set just in case they slept in).  Well since Friday, my 5 year old has asked to watch it EVERY SINGLE DAY!  And even right after she watches it, she asks to watch it again- thank goodness for technology (love our DVR).  So my kids have seen Robot Rampage at lease 5 times now (they watched it twice on Friday) , and today my daughter was singing along to all the songs... and even repeating some dialouge!  Here's a small snippet of the show and one of the songs, it is really cute if you haven't seen it: 

Twitter & Facebook

Just wanted to announce that Susie B. Homemaker is now on Twitter and Facebook!  I know, I know- I've been in the dark ages!  I'm doing my best to keep up with technology... I'm just not that cool yet!!

FREE Samples from Walmart

I frequently check Walmart.com for newly updated free sample products.  Right now they have samples from:

Playtex Gentle Glide

John Frieda Root Awakening

Crest 3D White 

Weekend Wind Down... Music Theme (sorry so late!!)

I so blew it this weekend, and just completely forgot about getting this post up... so sorry!!  It won't happen again (well, more than likely not anyway).  My reminder- Marvelous Mommy, yes she really is marvelous... thank you Amy!  Ok, now on to this weekends questions, I decided to go with a music theme (not really sure why, just did).  Copy and paste, then link up:

1.  Do you play, or have you ever played, a musical instrument (what is it)?

2.  Who is your fave group or what is your fave song?

3.  Do you sing in the shower or hum/sing while driving?

4.  What is you and your significant other's "song"?

1.  Do you play, or have you ever played, a musical instrument (what is it)?

I played the piano when I was in Kindergarten, & maybe into 1st grade, but never stuck with it.  My hubby is the musician in the family and plays a rockin' guitar!

 2.  Who is your fave group or what is your fave song?

This is a tough one since I like so many different artists and songs.  My playlist over on Cafemom is pretty much all top pop hits (if you're not a cm member you won't be able to view my profile, sorry).  I also love the oldies- Creedence Clearwater Revival is awesome and The White Stripes are up there as one of my top faves too!!

3.  Do you sing in the shower or hum/sing while driving?
Sing in the shower- NO!  Sing while driving- OH YEAH!!  I usually do this if I'm driving all by myself and sometimes with the girls in the van.  My 5 yr. old is always asking me to turn up the music!

4.  What is you and your significant other's "song"?
Oh gosh, waaay back in the day: K-Ci & JoJo - "All My Life" & the other is All 4 One- "I Swear".  Sweet reminiscent thoughts...

I splurged... and a funny!

So I had to go out grocery shopping today (hiss, boo- not one of my fave things to do) and decided to take my 2 year old daughter with me.  After feeding everyone else lunch, somehow missing myself, we left to head to Meijer, leaving daddy home with the other 2 girls.  On the way I realized I wasn't going to make it if I didn't stop to eat, so I pulled into the McDonald's drive-thru (I know, NOT the best choice).  I ordered a McDouble (only $1) and my splurge item... a Caramel Frappe!!

These things are DI-VINE!!  Just one tiny little negative- it has 24g of fat, 15 of which are from saturated fat (ok, not so tiny)... YIKES!  Definitely not something you want to indulge in on a daily basis, but every once in awhile when you want a little taste of heaven- sure, why not!  So after paying for my order we continued on to Meijer.  I ate my McDouble in the parking lot, then took my 2 yr. old and my frappe into the store.  Meijer has those cool shopping carts with the built in cup holders so I put my drink there while putting things into the cart.
  So while I'm busy grabbing baby food for the 8 month old at home, my 2 yr. old decides she wants to try out my caramel frappe.  I look up just in time to see her take a sip from the straw... and immediately spit it back out!  I tried to stop it by putting my hand under her chin (uh yeah, that didn't work).  It went all down her shirt, on her pants... and it was all over my hand, dripping on the floor.  It was so comical, I had to laugh!  And of course, I had opted not to bring a diaper bag so didn't have a thing to clean her up with.  But I did what any mother would do- headed over to the next aisle and opened up a baby wipes pack from off the shelf.  I had to buy it after that, but we use 'em like crazy in my house anyway, so it wasn't a waste!

Five Question Friday

I'm linking up with Mama M. over at My Little Life for 5Q Friday.  You can add your link here or there... it's a blog hop so it'll show up on all the lists no matter where you add your link. 

1. Do you have an iPhone and, if so, how do you get apps and what are your favorites?
My hubby has one that I share when I need to.  We basically only use free apps and we download 'em right from the Iphone.  I love playing card games- Cribbage, Spades, Euchre... I also like being able to check my email from the Iphone.

2. What is your fondest memory of K-3rd grade?
I really don't have too many memories from when I was that young, but it'd probably be from Kindergarten when I used to take piano lessons & I had a crush on a little boy who also played piano (Antonio I think?).  He played much better than I did and my piano playing days didn't last long.

3. What makes you cringe at the thought of touching?
Um, well I guess a dead body, or a live one that's been cut open for a surgery... like the insides (*cringe*).  I have to look away during some of the graphic scenes of Grey's Anatomy.

4. If you could have any celebrity show up on your doorstep who would it be and why?
I really like Jennifer Aniston, she seems down to earth and friendly, like someone you could just hang out with.  And also the cast from any of my fave shows- Grey's Anatomy, Smallville, & Supernatural (the Winchester boy's are HOT).

5. What would you say is your best physical feature?
Well according to my hubby, it's my backside (ahem, the junk in my trunk).  Since having 3 kids it has seemed to expand!

Family Camping Trip

So my hubby and I have been talking about taking the girls camping, or rather I should say when we think we'll be able to take them camping.  The oldest is 5 years old and the youngest is 8 months old... so yeah, I'm not sure if there's a camping trip in the very near future or not.  But still, it’s something we think the girls would enjoy (our oldest has been fishing with her daddy and loved it), and though I'm not a very outdoorsy gal (I like being able to use an actual toilet and not have massive amounts of bugs trying to eat me alive), it could be a fun time.  So while this is still probably a ways off for us, until all the girls are potty trained at least, there is an alternative.

Instead of actual outdoorsy in-the-woods camping, we could put up a tent in our backyard!  It’s not as 'real' but definitely easier on mommy & daddy.  We could still roast marshmallows, tell ghost stories (nothing too scary), play shadow puppets, look at the stars, and then fall asleep all snuggled up in our sleeping bags.  Ok well we probably wouldn’t be able to do this in our backyard since we live in the city, but maybe out at the grandparent’s house in the country.  Then it’d feel like we were actually in the great outdoors, but we’d still have the luxuries of a toilet!

This idea is actually starting to appeal more and more to me.  I think I’ll have to bring this up to dear old grandpa the next time we talk.  I’m sure he wouldn’t mind us camping out in his backyard sometime this summer.  And as long as I have plenty of bug spray, and don’t forget the S’mores (though if I do, I‘m sure the ingredients would be in the house that would be conveniently located very close to us), I think I’ll be able to tough it out!  First ever sort-of camping trip with kids… here we come!!


This was a sponsored post written on behalf of Start Ranking Now