New White Cloud Toilet Paper Coupon!

White Cloud has just put out a new coupon to print! $1 off any White Cloud Bath Tissue. The print will end September 30, 2013 or while supplies last. They usually don't last as long as they say they do so better to print when you can! Limit 2 prints per computer. This toilet paper you can buy at Wal-Mart.

Follow this link to get your printable coupon!
$1 Off Any White Cloud Bath Tissue!

Happy 7 Years To My Geek!

It's so scary to think how fast 7 years has gone! I have been married to my husband for 7 years tomorrow. It was such a hot day! So strange to think of as the high the past few days has been 70s and rain! I also say the time goes fast when you married to your best friend! He is the best dad, husband, and friend you could ever have! Now to get a bit picture happy of the best guy in my life! I love you John!

My Strong Man

My Christian Man

My Family Man

My Best Friend

 I don't know what I would do without you, and I don't know what to do with you! You have made me grow as a better person, you have made me a mom, and you have helped me and the family grow in our relationship with God. I couldn't see myself doing this journey with anyone else. Happy 7th Anniversary! Here's to many, MANY more great years together!

Wow, STORM!

Living in Kansas, we have a lot of storms. A lot more than I would like to think of! I am VERY afraid of storms because of tornadoes. We have been fortunate enough not to have had any! Last night we were at a meeting and it was cut short. The clouds were pretty dark and they had called dispatch and they told them there was baseball size hail! So, we grabbed the kids and headed home. It rained hard and lots of wind. Half way home, the radio was saying the hail was more south of our house so had the hubby slow down just in case. We pulled into the drive and there was hail EVERYWHERE! We got lucky! I jumped out of the car, and this is what I found!

It melted a bit but this one was about tennis ball/baseball size. The news had pictures submitted and all over town they were like this! The kids collected their own hail balls and threw them into the freezer!

Please excuse the mess of the freezer! This goes to show all the different sizes from the storm! It is the worst I have seen anyways as far as hail. There is a lot of damage around the town. There was a car dealership that lost its roof. Our local Wal-Mart started to flood because the hail broke their sky lights. The hospital seems to have gotten the worst of it. The hail broke a lot of the windows on the north side. A lot of the cars in the parking lot were destroyed so bad. They were saying some of the hail they saw was dinner plate size! Just insane! Hopefully as clean up starts today, everything will be fine and there will still be no injuries.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!

So, I have been on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookies. I have tried many recipes. Unlike a lot of people, I don't like the fluffy light kind. I want nice and crispy! I think I found the best recipe and tweaked it a bit and sure enough, it worked pretty well!!!

They are still a bit fluffy but crispy too! The first batch was gone almost instantly! It will be a recipe that will NOT be made often! As you can tell, the hubby couldn't even wait long enough for me to take a picture before he was reaching for another one!

Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake 350 degrees for 8-10 mins or until golden brown

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 to 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray your cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

In stand mixer, combine butter and sugars. Beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and stir until combined. Add eggs and stir until combined. Add in the flour, soda, and salt and stir until combined. Take off the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips. 

Using spoons (or if you have a cookie scoop!), scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between because they are going to spread! You may flatten them a bit if you want but if you don't that's ok, that will just help them to be a bit more fluffy instead of crispy.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until a nice golden brown. I know people like their cookies differently too! For us, we like them baked but still a bit doughy!

Another Off The Bucket List

My husband helped me with my latest bucket list item. I said I would go to the dentist. Well, he had an appointment Monday and got me one for Wednesday........I went. I didn't want to. It was really not something I wanted to do. I haven't been to the dentist in 4 years. I hate dentists. All dentists. I went though. LOTS of X Rays and a cleaning later we set out a plan of what to do to fix my teeth.

So, first was to get 2 fillings done. When I last got my teeth worked on, I had a root canal and crown put on. When the last dentist did that, he either chipped or weakened my tooth behind it and it chipped. I have dealt with that for 4 years and it has just gotten worse. Well now its fine again after the fillings were done. They know me so well there already! Appointment was supposed to be July 31st, I went the next day on Thursday, the day AFTER I got my cleaning done. Next up is a root canal. NOT looking forward to that one at all. I can tell they know it too. THAT appointment was supposed to be July 30th.....its now Monday, July 22nd.

Yes, I know I am complaining. My poor husband is dealing with me moping around and being upset with him. I know I will get to a point where I will be happy and nice again. But right now, my mouth hurts. I have to start habits of brushing my teeth every day, more than once a day. I know, sounds gross, but I could go a while without brushing. I would brush before I went out of the house.....that's about it. Sometimes I wouldn't even do that. When you have kids, most things you do to keep yourself looking good and healthy goes out the window. I now am going to be making time for ME! I am going to make sure I don't get this bad again with my teeth. I have about 1-2 more years of torture from the dentist office before I will be able to just go for a cleaning and hope not to have a cavity!

So, from this experience, word of advice.........BRUSH YOUR TEETH!

What I Have Won Lately...

Since May 31st, 2013, I have won the following. Proof that you can win from giveaways and that someone has to win. It could be you! Someone that enters has to win so it doesn't hurt to try! Now crossing fingers to win a trip to Walt Disney World!! LOL

• Chicken Soup For The Soul - Inspiration for Writers Book
• Spy Pack - Backpack, key chain, Hidden Book, Spy Handbook, autographed The Craft We Chose: My Life in the CIA by Holm, 4 tickets to the International Spy Museum in Washington DC
• Minnie's Favorites CD
• BIC Mark It 36 pk permanent markers
• Saturday Night Widows Book
• Origami Owl $40 Gift Certificate
• Belle Toddler Doll

So Far My 30 Before 30 List....

So Far I have Done:

Do a 5K (5 of them so far!)
Second holes in ears
Run for school board
Run for Policy Council (I was on it!)
Learn to cook something new (have been enjoying this one!)
Dirty Girl Race ~ cancelled :(
Read a book a month (enjoying this one too!)
Slumber party with kids (done one, have another wonderful one set up for next weekend while daddy is at Men's Encounter!)
Wichita Grand Opera's "Don Pasquale"
Take a cooking class
Random Act of Kindness (I try to do this as often as possible!)

Left on list to do (I may be saying list to do before I'm 31 now since there's less than 3 months now!)
Go to Sea World
Go to Colorado
Be 200 lbs
Get a passport
Complete couch to 5k
Go ice skating
Go to a concert
Finish one of my storiesRead the whole Bible
Weekend away just John
Get professional pics takenWatch The Godfather
Learn to play chess
Learn Spanish
Date night at the Warren Balcony
Find all pineapples in Psych (working on it!)
Take a train ride
Go to the dentist
Have a 30th Bday party!!!