These are a few of my favorite things (this week):

1.  SIMPLY VERA PJ's.  Listen to me.  You need to have at least five pair of these in your pj drawer.  At the end of a long, stressful day I look forward to these. They are so flowy, soft, and comfy (and beautiful).  Do yourself a favor:  buy these!  Go to kohls.com, wait for the 30% off sale and then BAM..you get Vera Wang pj's for about $25ish-$30ish.  Most all of the styles have the same material and it is HEAVENLY.

2.  IPAD.  I cannot live without my ipad.  $600 from BestBuy and we chose the 18 month, no interest option.  Our payment is sooo low and now, I am so over laptops.  They are so heavy and cumbersome.  The battery life is awesome on the ipad and we have not had the first issue.  Our laptops were always so touchy and always shutting down and locking up.  My girls love it so much and they learned how to use it in a snap.  Seriously, we fight over this thing!  There are so many free, educational apps.  I use it for their homeschooling (and shopping) and they learn so much (and more shopping) and I think I may even buy another one (and facebook) because it would help them get the best possible education (and more facebook :).  

3.  DUNKIN DONUTS COFFEE.  So, I have just started drinking coffee since the having of the babies.  I never thought I would be a coffee drinker and I still have to have the cream and sugar but I could not survive without my morning coffee.  I have tried all of the brands and I really can't find any I like more than dunkin.  I buy the original and I think it is even better than....dare I say it......STARBUCKS.  It really is.  Their scones still have my heart, but for coffee---DD all the way!  Try it!

4.  KEURIG.  Speaking of coffee, I LOVE my Keurig coffee maker.  I am the only coffee drinker in the house and I found myself wasting so much.  I like the convenience of the K-Cups and there are some delicious varieties, however, I use the personal filter with my own DD coffee most of the time (much cheaper).  If you are going to do the K-cups, I do recommend Kohls.com during the 30% off sale.  Go to retailmenot.com every couple of weeks to check for codes.

5.  ROSEMARY & PARM TRISCUITS.  These things are so amazing!  I use them for lunch time when it's just me and the girls.  I top them with deli turkey and swiss (american for the girls)...microwave to melt the cheese...and then I stick an apple slice on top!  DELICIOUS.  I love the flavors together.  Try them.  They rock.

6.  WHONU COOKIES.  Ok, these things just came out and I was thinking there is no way those are edible.  One serving has as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal and tons of calcium and other vitamins.  Well, the girls LOVE them.  I found them at Walmart and they have chocolate chip and 'oreo'.  I feel so much better about letting them have cookies for a snack.  They are definitely a far cry from the real deal but it's something sweet for them, sweet AND healthy.  Wow.

7.  LEARNING RESOURCES.  This one is for the homeschool nerds (like me)  hehehe.  I love this stuff.  This website, learningresources.com, has tons of hands-on learning tools and games for the kids.  As I blog, Jillian is playing a money match game and this is her math lesson for today...such a nice break from the dreaded 'worksheet'.  Here's another tip:  Go to their clearance link and they have great bargains.  Web-Wednesday is the best day to shop because they have even more amazing deals.  To top that off, go to retailmenot.com for coupon codes and you get additional % off.  Two weeks ago, I scored 40% off clearance.  Needless to say, I stocked up.

8.  KNITTING!!!  A friend has taught me how to knit and I am loving it.  I was always intimidated by those long pointy needles...but little did I know, it is easy and so fun.  I can only do a basic stitch and fringes at this point but that is all is all you need to know to make a SCARF (everyone can expect a scarf at Christmas, btw).  So far I have made one for Jillian and am working on Josie's.  It is so easy to learn so if you want me to depart my vast knitting knowledge (joke) upon you, just HOLLER!  :)

9.  DOLPHIN TALE in 3D.  Sooo good.  Such a feel-good, CLEAN movie.  Enjoyable for kids AND parents (how often does that happen?)  Josie and I grabbed a friend and went to see it Sunday night.  Jillian wasn't feeling well so she stayed home with Chris and Hudbud.  I didn't understand that until I got home and she was running a fever of 103!  Josie is sick now too with high fever, btw.  I'm so ready for my kids to get better.  Sickness for the past week!  Anyway, back to the movie.  Go see it, you'll be glad you did.  I'm not even an animal lover and I fell in love with that dolphin.  Plus, I thought there was a good shout-out to hands-on, practical learning.  Sometimes books are so boring, you know?  I hope, as a homeschool teacher, I can see learning opportunities and not be so regimented with the books and worksheets.  B O R I N G.  Below is the only relevant pic for #9 here, Josie in her 3D glasses!

10.  And, last but not least, HUDSON IN HIS WOODY PJ's.  (Shout out to Parker for the 'HAMMY downs').....Of course, he is always a favorite thing!

I have realized while typing this blog that (a) I use too many comas,,,, and, (b) I ALL CAP WAY TOO MANY WORDS.  Please love me anyway and don't think I'm a bad punctuator, and, hence, a bad homeschool teacher.  Please.  I ,NEED, YOUR, APPROVAL!!!  ;0)

Love never fails.

Chris and I celebrate TEN years today!  I will take this opportunity to brag on my husband.  Here is a list of things I appreciate most about him:

He is the most humble person I have ever met.  He does not try to impress anyone. 

He puts our (mine and kids) needs and wants before his own.

His eyes light up when he sees his kids...he's the best dad I have ever seen.  He has made up silly songs about each of our babies and I still remember them. 

He loves my family and treats them like his own, which is very impressive to me and would impress anyone else who has met my brother...lol.

He doesn't talk bad about people.

He loves God and always thinks about what is right according to God's word.  He has integrity.  (should probably be the first item on the list)

He has never told me a lie and I have never told him a lie.  We trust each other.

He does my dishes every night after he gets off work.  I never have to do dishes.

He lets me take naps and never complains or makes me feel guilty if I need extra sleep.

He is always happy and content.  He is rarely in a bad mood and never complains.

He is calm and never gets upset about things, which helps me because I freak out over everything.

He is patient with me and all of my ailments...always sympathetic and caring.

He is handy and can do all of that manly stuff like change oil in a car and hang big mirrors on the wall. 

He thinks I'm beautiful even when I have no makeup on and my hair is sticking up like a turkey.

He doesn't try to 'fix' things/people the way I do sometimes, and this is a good thing.  He realizes when to leave things alone that he cannot control or correct.  I have realized that is a very good quality. 

He loves getting a package as much as I do.

He never expects me to cook.  He appreciates it when I do and we both love to enjoy a home-cooked meal together, but if I don't feel like cooking, he just gets out a can of Spaghetti-o's without complaint.  Where would we be today without Spaghetti-o's?  Don't want to think about it.  :)

Now, keep in mind I have a 'things that annoy me really bad' list also but that will be published at a later date....just kidding.  Happy Anniversary to the LOVE OF MY LIFE!  I am one happy girl and I thank God for you, Chris!