Playing with My Friends (and my first giveaway)

We generally keep Elizabeth out of the kitchen (we put up a baby gate).  We don't like her playing in there because the oven is hot, the drawers are not toddler-proof, and she tends to leave a trail of toys in her wake (which I don't want to step on in the kitchen).

So... the other day I was making banana muffins and had the gate down.  Elizabeth was playing in the living room and I noticed that it had gotten very quiet.  I moved around the corner of the kitchen to see her and ask her watch she was doing and this is what I found:

 Elizabeth playing at the space where I usually have a gate up.

Our conversation:

Me: "Elizabeth, what are you doing?"

Elizabeth: "Playing with my friends, Mommy."

 

 She then proceeded to lay down and roll back and forth between her friends

I love this little nugget!

Now... for my FIRST GIVEAWAY!!! 

We do a lot of game nights in our house, a lot.  

We play a lot of cards, but for each holiday or birthday, we buy each other a new 'board' game (not card games).  We have a lot of the old favorites like Monopoly, Clue, and even Connect Four.  Recently, we have been putting a fun new spin on our old favorites: Yahtzee and Scrabble.  

Hasbro has two new editions of the game that are electronic: Yahtzee Flash and Scrabble Flash!

Yahtzee Flash is for players eight years and older.  You can play up to four different games with the electronic dice!

Scrabble Flash is for players eight years and older.  It offers three different games that you can play solo or with a group.

Now for the good stuff...I am beyond thrilled to be able to offer one lucky reader the chance to win both games!  There are TWO quick and easy ways to enter and the giveaway is open to US addresses only.  Post a separate comment for any/all of the following...

1. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know.
2. Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite "game night" game is.

The winner will be announced July 21st!

 Happy Saturday!

Clinique Makeup and My First Giveaway!

Today on Kelly's Korner "Show Us Your Life" Fridays we are discussing skin care and makeup.

I have used Clinique since I was 14 and I still love the way my skin looks and feels after cleaning my face with the 3-step skin care and then using Clinique makeup.

I start my day with the rinse-off foaming cleanser.  

I follow that with the 3-step skin care

3-Step Skin Care:

I use the liquid soap, the clarifying lotion #3, 

and the dramatically different moisturizing lotion

For makeup I use:

Redness Solutions Makeup 

Broad Spectrum SPF 15

(I have just started using this while pregnant. 

 I noticed my skin tone changed and my face appeared more red)

I put this on before my powder most mornings.

Superpowder Double Face Makeup

(my color varies depending on my skin tone)

Fresh Bloom Allover Colour in Peony Blend

(I love this color and this product!)

Quickliner for Eyes in Slate

(I feel like slate works best with my eye color)

 All About Shadow Quad.

I use a grey/silver one that came in a gift almost every day.

(They gift a lot of quads so I rarely pay for eyeshadow)

I don't use a lot on my lips.  Just chapstick sometimes.

During the spring/summer/any time I know I will be outside a lot, I use the Clinique sunscreen for my face.  I love the way it goes on (it's not greasy) and I have used it for years. 

Now... for my FIRST GIVEAWAY!!! 

We do a lot of game nights in our house, a lot.  

We play a lot of cards, but for each holiday or birthday, we buy each other a new 'board' game (not card games).  We have a lot of the old favorites like Monopoly, Clue, and even Connect Four.  Recently, we have been putting a fun new spin on our old favorites: Yahtzee and Scrabble.  

Hasbro has two new editions of the game that are electronic: Yahtzee Flash and Scrabble Flash!

Yahtzee Flash is for players eight years and older.  You can play up to four different games with the electronic dice!

Scrabble Flash is for players eight years and older.  It offers three different games that you can play solo or with a group.

Now for the good stuff...I am beyond thrilled to be able to offer one lucky reader the chance to win both games!  There are TWO quick and easy ways to enter and the giveaway is open to US addresses only.  Post a separate comment for any/all of the following...

1. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know.
2. Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite "game night" game is.

The winner will be announced July 21st!

 Happy Friday!

Jet Planes and MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!

Elizabeth and I went to the mall the other day to play around and escape the heat.  After our stop-off at Auntie Anne Pretzels, we stopped by the little kid rides so Elizabeth could fly a jet for a few minutes.  She. Loved. It.

Doesn't she make a cute pilot?

Now... for my FIRST GIVEAWAY!!! 

We do a lot of game nights in our house, a lot.  

We play a lot of cards, but for each holiday or birthday, we buy each other a new 'board' game (not card games).  We have a lot of the old favorites like Monopoly, Clue, and even Connect Four.  Recently, we have been putting a fun new spin on our old favorites: Yahtzee and Scrabble.  

Hasbro has two new editions of the game that are electronic: Yahtzee Flash and Scrabble Flash! 

 

Yahtzee Flash is for players eight years and older.  You can play up to four different games with the electronic dice!

Scrabble Flash is for players eight years and older.  It offers three different games that you can play solo or with a group.

Now for the good stuff...I am beyond thrilled to be able to offer one lucky reader the chance to win both games!  There are TWO quick and easy ways to enter and the giveaway is open to US addresses only.  Post a separate comment for any/all of the following...

1. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know.
2. Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite "game night" game is.

The winner will be announced July 21st!

 Happy Friday!

Cupcakes and Party Hats

Last Saturday, Elizabeth and I attended the 2nd birthday party for her friend Emily.  It was at the Lee District Park and it was so much fun!

Emily's family had a table set-up with snacks and cupcakes and then the kids got to play all morning in the splash park.

After the splash park, all the kids came back to the table to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Emily and to enjoy some fabulous cupcakes.  The kids were also given party hats (and Elizabeth wore hers all day).

 Elizabeth enjoying her cupcake

 Back at home, wearing the party hat

(she wore it all day)

Happy Thursday!

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for my first giveaway!

Cow Appreciation Day

Chick-fil-A hosts an annual "Cow Appreciation Day" during the summer.  Last summer, I took a couple of Ben's old shirts and drew black circles all over them with permanent marker.  Well I saved those shirts and pulled them out of the closet last Friday, for Cow Appreciation Day!

Elizabeth and I took full advantage of FREE food from Chick-fil-A for dressing like cows.  In the morning, we went bright and early to the Chick-fil-A in Springfield and had a wonderful FREE breakfast.  I ordered the chicken minis meal and I ordered Elizabeth the yogurt parfait.  She has never been to CFA for breakfast, so I wasn't totally sure what to get her.

She enjoyed the yogurt once I ate the strawberries and cookie crumbs.  She did not want the strawberries because they were covered in cookie crumbs.  Oh my!
I also gave her a hash brown to try.  I am happy to say she enjoyed it!  Elizabeth doesn't like fries or tater tots (or any other version of potatoes) so I was happily surprised that she enjoyed the hash brown.

 Examining the yogurt parfait.

She did not want cookies on her yogurt.

 Trying to remove cookies from her yogurt.

They gave out balloons to all the kids dressed like cows.

 

 Chick-fil-A for breakfast.  Yum!!

 For dinner, we went over to the Chick-fil-A at Landmark Mall.

Elizabeth enjoyed a kids nugget meal and I enjoyed the traditional Chicken sandwich meal.

She loves her Chick-fil-A nuggets

(it's the only chicken we can get her to eat)

Happy Wednesday!

Don't forget to check back on Friday for my first giveaway!

Up, Up and Away!

Last week, Elizabeth and I went to Tysons Corner mall to get out of the house and have some fun.  They have an indoor playground that I have been wanting to take Elizabeth to. 

Well... she LOVED it and spent most of her time climbing this beehive. 

She has definitely become more adventurous and I loved seeing her climb to the top all by herself and then climb down the other side.  Even a month ago, I doubt she would have done this.  

We stayed for about 45 minutes and she loved every minute.  The entire playground is surrounded by benches for parents to sit on (and keep the kids in).  We had a great time and will be making this a regular trip.

Don't forget to check back on Friday for my first giveaway!

Happy Tuesday!

Carousel

On the last day in Texas, Elizabeth and I went to the mall for lunch.  After lunch Elizabeth said she wanted to ride the carousel.

I was super excited because she has been scared of carousels up to this point.

I figure, she saw the horses and thought it would be fun since she was in such a cowgirl state-of-mind being in Texas.

I took a long video, but I also grabbed a couple of photos of her on her very first carousel ride.

My girl is growing up so fast!  I am so proud of all that is she is willing to try and how much she has changed in five months since she turned two.  It goes so quick!

Happy Monday.  Check back later in the week for my first giveaway!