Works For Me Wednesday - Getting Through The Checkout at Super Wal-Mart

When Dan and I were first married we had lots of money. We both had good jobs, we didn't have kids and we lived in a small condo.

I only bought my groceries at Harris Teeter. I turned up my nose at any other supermarket.

I only bought my sundries at Target. I turned up my nose at Wal-mart.

Then life happened. We bought a house. I had a baby. I started staying at home. And we didn't have as much money as before.

So my attitude had to change and I had to begin shopping at Super Wal-Mart.

And after 5 years of shopping at Super Wal-Mart, I must admit, I can't imagine paying those outrageous Harris Teeter prices ever again. But I will always hold a special place in my heart for Target and if I just need a couple of things and happen to be nearby, I will always choose Target over Wal-Mart. (Hey, a girl has got to splurge every now and then!)

During my years of Super Wal-Mart shopping, I have learned a little trick and I'm going to share it here today.

I always park on the non-grocery side of the store. I head in and pick up all of my non-grocery items and then head over to the grocery section to finish my shopping.

After I'm done shopping, I head back over to the non-grocery side to checkout. There are usually never any lines over there and if there are, the people ahead of me usually only have a couple of non-grocery items.

All the people with their baskets loaded down are piled up in the checkouts on the grocery side. I can quickly checkout and head to my car which is already parked on the non-grocery side of the store.

I know this sounds like a simple thing but you will be surprised at how quickly you can checkout of the Super Wal-mart - even on a busy Sunday afternoon. It may be simple, but it Works For Me!

For more tips and tricks, head on over to Rocks In My Dryer.

Where is Michael Jackson when you need him?

Do you ever hear your voice on the answering machine and think, "I don't sound like that! Do I sound like that? That can't be how I sound."

I still cringe when I hear my recorded voice. My voice sounds so much more lyrical in my head than when I am confronted with the way it really sounds, the way other people must hear it.

The other day I was downloading some pictures from my camera and I came across this one...

"Whose ugly,veiny looking hand is that", you are probably wondering.

I wondered the same thing until I got a closer look.

It was my ugly,veiny looking hand!

I've always known that I had big veins on my hands but until I saw this photo (that was clearly accidentally taken, unless my husband has an odd sense of humor) I didn't realize just how large they appear.

Based on things I've been seeing in stores lately, I think 80's fashions are making a comeback.

Is there any chance that Madonna or Michael Jackson will be bringing gloves back into style this year?

Miracle Monday

Miracle Monday is on vacation today! So come back next Monday to link your miracles.

In the meantime, if you are looking for a little inspiration, feel free to visit past editions of Miracle Monday which can be accessed on the sidebar on the left side of the screen.

It rained here recently (finally!) and after the shower, we were left with a beautiful full rainbow. I love the promise God has left in the rainbow and I love how excited everyone, young and old, gets when a rainbow appears in the sky.

Enjoy my wonderful photography skills and please come back next Monday!

What About All The Lasts?

A Mom's Life Leftovers - So yummy you don't mind having them again and again!

Originally Posted on July 26, 2007

What About All The Lasts?

All of the baby books go on and on about when to expect the first smile, the first step, the first word. They go on in great detail about what milestones your baby should be reaching and when they should be reaching them.

We made sure to get as many of these firsts as we could on film. We got Sarah rolling over for the first time and Peter taking his first step. I

I have journal entries about their first words, where we were, how we felt, how they looked. All of this care was taken so that I would be able to look back and fondly recall all of the important firsts in my babies’ lives. So that I could remember everything exactly as it was.

But no one warned me to be on the look out for the lasts. No one told me to pay attention so that I would notice and remember the last time my son twirled his hair the way he had done a thousand times before. I used to think it was an adorable little nervous habit and at the same time I worried that he might be sitting in his very first job interview nervously twirling his hair between his right thumb and forefinger trying to figure out the best way to answer the question “Which piece of fruit would you be in the fruit bowl?” He used to do it all the time but he doesn't do it any more. I wish I could see him do it again. How did I miss the very last time?

No one told me to pay attention so that I would recall the last night, the exact last moment my little girl would fall asleep with her pacifier plunged firmly between her lips sucking like she was Maggie Simpson. She always looked so calm and peaceful sleeping with her paci but I was too busy worrying that she would be the only kid in kindergarten toting a pacifier, an assortment of blankets, doll babies and other lovies with her on her first day that I forgot to notice the last time she used it.

And what about all the other lasts I have missed. When exactly was

the last time Peter said “oh-goo” when he meant yogurt or “nambies” when he meant bananas? When exactly was the last time I carried a sleepy Sarah to her room and whispered “lay your head on my shoulder” and she did?

How did my babies look as they drifted off to sleep the very last time I held them after giving them their very last bottle? Why don’t I have a picture of that sweet sleepy expression?

How did they look the very last time they splashed happily around in their little baby bathtub?

How did it look the very last time they scooted across the floor on all fours before they learned how to walk? How did they look the very last time they threw Cheerios off their high chair tray?

How could I have missed all these lasts? Why didn’t I know to be looking for them, recording them, capturing them?

There are many days over the last 4 and a half years when I have thought things like "when will he be potty trained?", “will she ever learn to walk?", “if only they were older we could…” and now I look back and in my quest to hurry and grow them up, I’ve missed too many of the lasts.

I don’t want to miss any more. I want to remember the very last time Peter is small enough to be picked up or the last time Sarah gives me her hand as we are walking across the backyard.

I want to remember the last time they call me “Mommy” because it won’t be long until I am just plain old Mom.

I want to remember and enjoy it all. I don’t want to hurry things up because unfortunately things are moving way too fast on their own.

Saturday Link Love - The True Campaign

Kellie over at La Vida Dulce is giving away a book called Life Inside the Thin Cage: A Personal Look into the Hidden World of the Chronic Dieter by Constance Rhodes.

Kellie just met with the author of the book, who in addition to writing is also the founder of FindingBalance.com.

Constance has now launched a new website called The True Campaign. The folks at The True Campaign realized "that if women could embrace their true God given identity, it would change their perspective on beauty, and thus alter the kind of lives they lead, and the kind of impact they make in the world.”

Who among us couldn't use a different perspective on beauty? I know I sure could.

Head over to Kellie's blog to learn more about her book giveaway and read as she posts her thoughts each Sunday about the "True-isms" from the True Campaign and the Scriptures that goes along with it.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Dan and I were in the kitchen on Sunday evening cleaning up after dinner. Peter was stressed out about something. It was so minor that I don't even remember the details of what caused his worry.

Dan said, "I wish I could get him to understand that none of what he is worried about now is really that important. I was always stressed out about something as a little kid and looking back, I can now see that none of it really mattered. It seemed so big at the time and really it wasn't."

And my reply was, "The same could probably be said about all the things you worry about today. You really shouldn't be worried about any of it."

"Wow! That was really profound."

I know. But I guess I can't take credit for it.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7

A Mom's Life, Unplugged

Just like some of the really cool artists at MTV, I'm going Unplugged.

That's right. I'm going to spend some much needed time away from my computer and with my family.

But the thought of leaving A Mom's Life with no new posts for a week and a half had me twitching a little bit. Almost as much as the thought of having my stove and microwave clock unsynchronized.

Thanks to Blogger's magical Post Date and Time function and lots and lots of early morning coffee, I have quite of posts lined up and ready to go for you. You may not even notice that I'm unplugged.

This way, I can enjoy my family twitch free and you can still enjoy (I hope!) A Mom's Life.

And please, have a great 4th of July.

Go America. Freedom rocks. Fireworks and all that.

Works For Me Wednesday - Tomato Bacon Quesadillas

It's a Themed Edition today at Works For Me Wednesday. Shannon wants simple recipes using 5 ingredients or less.

So I thought I would give you my recipe for Tomato Bacon Quesadillas.

I know what you are thinking. Hmm....she's giving us this recipe...again? Hasn't she already posted this recipe?

O.k. you caught me! I have posted this recipe before but it was over 6 months ago and it is so easy and so yummy, it bears repeating.

I originally got this recipe from a can of Hunt's diced tomatoes but the second time I made it, I substituted Rotel for the Hunt's tomatoes and have been making it this way ever since.

My husband loves this recipe because it's tasty.

I love it because it's easy and quick and I normally have all the ingredients for it on hand. So without any further rambling, here's the recipe:

Tomato Bacon Quesadillas

8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can Rotel with lime (any flavor works but we prefer the kind with lime for this recipe)
10 pieces of cooked bacon (I always use the microwave bacon...so much easier than frying!)
2 T vegetable oil

Combine cheese, Rotel and bacon.

Spread 1/8 of the mixture on half of a tortilla and fold in half to make a semi-circle.

Cook each quesadilla over medium low heat until cheese has melted and tortillas are starting to turn brown...a couple minutes on each side.

Serve with sour cream and enjoy!

For more quick and easy recipes using 5 ingredients or less, head over to Rocks In My Dryer.

I'm not strange, I'm unusual.

I'm not strange, I just prefer to think of some of the things that I do as unusual.

Yesterday morning after I woke up, I realized that the power had gone off over night. So I had to reset some of the clocks in the house.

Like most people, I have a clock on my stove and a clock on my microwave. The microwave is above the stove so each time I glance in that direction, I can see both the clocks at the same time.

It makes me twitch if the time on these two clocks doesn't match exactly.

So each time I set them, I set them at the same time - meaning I set the time on both then simultaneously press the button on the stove and the microwave so that the time is exactly the same.

I don't set one and then set the other. I set them both at the exact same time. This way, when one clock changes, the other clock changes, at exactly the same time.

I prefer to think of myself as unusual, not strange. Unusual sounds so much more exotic, don't you think?