PAY IT FORWARD CRAFTY STYLE!

Carrie from Me and My 2 kids posted this and I just had to get in on it!

Here are the official rules:
I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who leave a comment on this post requesting to join the PIF exchange. All the gifts will be made and sent out (sometime within the next year). How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive! What you need to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. This exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ONTO YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO THREE PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG.
Recap:1. The first three people who comment commit to the PIF thing. The gifts are supposed to be hand made. I know a lot of you are probably thinking that you can't get in on it because your aren't "crafty" enough. Hopefully the Pay It Forward Giveaway creator won't be mad at me but I'm thinking we can bend the official rules a tiny bit. If you really want in on it but don't feel like you can come up with a handmade gift on your own then you should just support someone you know that has a handmade crafty kind of business. Buy a gift from them...just don't head out to Target for your gifts...got it?

Friday Fill In

1. I'm cleaning, I'm organizing, I need a break.
2. Why do I have three children and not admit myself to a mental instituion?
3. How does this electronic equipment work, anyway?
4. Every morning, I put my son on the potty.
5. I consider myself lucky because I am loved.
6. One day we’ll see where this life will lead me to.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking the kids to the school carnival, tomorrow my plans include getting my eye brows waxed & a haircut and Sunday, I want to go to Tucson for church & see my sister!

B-A-G to the T-A-G

Tiff from The Music of our Lives bag tagged me! So here we go...I know you were all wondering what is inside my bag. It's like a buried treasure in there, right? no...not really.
So, this is the Vera Bradley purse my lovely parents gave me for Christmas and have been carrying it around ever since! It goes with EVERYTHING! Totally Awesome!

Now for the inside contents...
*my wallet (i need a new one BAD)
*daily planner (that i rarely look at)
*josiah's immunization record (been too lazy to put it away)
*2 Valentines Lily recieved
*my car keys
*house key
*2 pens
*compact
*1 piece of candy
*1 earring (where'd the other one go??)
*Lily's necklace
*Alexis' hairbrush
*and couple receipts/trash
& i actually had a pair of shorts for jojo but he took them out this morning.
& i had lipstck & chapstick...better go search Lily for those!
I'm gonna bag tag these lucky ladies:
Mrs.D.Lightful
Jill
Adie
Cassie
Ang
Alicia

Lovely, Sneaky, New & D.Lightful!!

Thank you Mrs. D.Lightful for the Cute Blog Award! I have to say yours is quite cute itself! Go check her out! She also has some great recipes!

......And the award goes to......

Sneaky Mama- She has shared wonderful stories & every Tuesday gives great beginner blogging tips!

Two of a Kind-Such a cute blog with great giveaways & of course "Totally Talented Tuesday"!

Peace, Love & Applesauce- Cute Cuteness beaming from this blog! My good friend Terri has something up her sleeve, so keep an eye out!

New State-New Journey- Cute..is anybody else getting tired of this word?? Well it is CUTE! So go check her out, all about her new adventures since moving across country!

Ramblings of My Life- How could this get any cuter, since I did make her blog background ;)

Time Capsule Tuesday #1

I thought it would be fun to make up my own meme. I am not sure if this has been done yet.
I know I am not the only one out there who loves to look at old photos and watch old videos. Thus Time Capsule Tuesday was born! Join in on the fun, & share your memories in photo form, video form or just write a story about it...

Take the button:

<center><a href="http://danita-thegoodthebadandthebeautiful.blogspot.com/2009/02/time-capsule-tuesday-1.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="TimeCapsuleTuesday" src="http://i44.tinypic.com/120rvkl.jpg" /></a></center>

Open my time capsule:

We were looking at old photos and watching old videos when I came across these below. What a wonderful discovery! I recorded them back in June of 2007. Alexis was 5 (almost 6) and Lily had just turned 3. They are absolutely adorable and I do not think I am being biased at all! I wish I video taped more often. I always love to look back and remember my babies' earlier years & hear their cute little voices! note to self*record the kids today*

Please share some of your time capsuled memories & link up!

Who can resist a freebie??

Ang is having another giveaway for Freeie Tuesday & all you gotta do to enter is comment! Go check it out!

A little addicted to ETSY...

If you havent heard of Etsy yet, I suggest you get out from under the rock your hiding under! It is THE place to buy & sell all your handmade items. Last week I kinda went on a shopping spree...I went to see what I could find for Jojo for his birthday. I have gotten him an embroidered shirt every year for his birthday...so I went just to see what I could purchase down the line, since his birthday is in April. Well a few HOURS later I had purchased 3 new outfits for my little man! oops..shhhh...it's our little secret...

& to my surprise I recieved all the packages today courtesy USPS! I love opening up mail, especially new clothing items! These are my purchases:

From The Polka Dot Tot Spot, the applique was hand cut, applied with fusable webbing and machine sewn onto a soft 100% cotton tshirt. the number 3 for my BIG THREE YEAR OLD!

From Kiddy Up, I got this adorable Executive construction outfit! He'll be stylin while playing with his tools ;)

& I could not pass up this Amy Butler Oxford Stripe Lime Outfit, with his initial on it. I love this store Trendy Sisters!

And to top it all off, I recieved a 4th package today! Remember the giveaway I won?? this is it: a sign that says All My Love...All My Life

I love it & cannot wait to hang it in my house. Thank you Ang for hosting such a great giveaway!

Manic Monday

What's one of the simple pleasures in your life? If I have to pick just one simple pleasure I would choose laughing. I love to laugh..and I love the people who make me laugh!

What do you like to snack on when you watch a movie? Depends where I am watching the movie...if I am at the theater I love the nachos with jalapeno, maybe a bit of popcorn that I can dip in the cheese YUM! When I was pregnant with my first daughter I craved the theater hot dogs. If I am home watching a movie, I like popcorn and sweet tea =]

If you were a Survivor contestant, what would be your luxury item? I dont think I would EVER be a Survivor contestant! I am not real outdoorsy & wouldnt survive long! I think I'd pick an outhouse & toilet paper for a luxury item LOL is that luxury? i dont watch this show??

I Never Grew Up GIVEAWAY!!

I Never Grew Up is having an awesome HUGE giveaway for their 1 year birthday! Go check it out and maybe you can win something! I sure hope I do!! =]

Just click on the picture above!

Friday Fill In!!

1. Give me comments and I'll return the favor.

2. Whenever I need to concentrate my mind starts to wander.

3. I wish I was finished with my homework for the week.

4. My In N Out Burger was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious.

5. To live in this world you have got to be crazy.

6. Other than this one, Holy Mackerel is the last blog I commented on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting the kids to bed so I can have my quiet time, tomorrow my plans include finishing laundry and keeping things simple while my nephew is staying with me and Sunday, I want to go to Tucson!

Wordless Wednesday

This was right before Lily turned 2yo...at Outback..eatin a lemon!

For more Wordless Wednesday check out 5 Minutes for Mom

And what JOY, I have won my FIRST giveaway!!! Thank you Ang from Angie's Blog, go check her out!!

My Little Picasso

I think I have a little artist on my hands! Jojo has surprised me with his eagerness to draw and color at his young age of 2 and a half. Here he is intently drawing a masterpiece on a magna-doodle.

And here is is explaining to us all his drawing of the eyes and nose and mouth! I am in AWE!

Look at his self portrait- "The Jojo"
It even has hands and fingers! How talented my son is =]

Friday Fill-In

1. It seems like only yesterday they were babies.

2. Wash your hands when you're done, please?

3. If I thought you hurt someone I love I'd knock you out!

4. All the good times is what I think of most when I think of you.

5. To me, Valentine's Day means celebrating love.

6. God gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to sleep, tomorrow my plans include babysitting my niece & 5 nephews so my sister can go on a date with her husband and Sunday, I want to go to church!

UPdate TimE!

I thought I would share an update on us! I haven't divulged much information on us in the last few weeks. We are just not very exciting people I guess! HAHA I will start of with Josiah (aka Jojo). Our little man will be three this coming April. He is such a momma's boy & I love every minute of it! I have been potty training him the last few weeks...not too intensely, but over the weekend we had a real break through! & today we had NO #1 accidents ALL day!!! I am so proud of him! #2 is another story and I shall not share details...to spare you. what I wish I would have been spared today! Here he is in his little boxer briefs that I think are the most adorable thing!!! He truly is not our "baby" anymore.

Liliana (aka Lily) has been enjoying her 3 day/wk preschool. She is super excited every morning when she gets to go to school! I can already tell a difference in her as far as wanting to learn and knowing her letters and numbers! She will surely be ready for Kindergarten this coming fall! She is still into everything. She needs to be kept busy at all times otherwise you will find her in my make-up, in the cupboards or finding ANYTHING to destroy! She is a challenge, & her

smile lets her get away with TOO much!

Alexis (aka Lexi) is in 2nd grade and enjoying being back at her "old" school. Although she says she is not as popular here as she was in TN. My, my..already with the POPULAR stuff in 2nd grade?! She does however spend her recess chasing a certain boy...hmmm? Thankfully she is not all about friends and is doing VERY well in academics. She came home with an Accelerated Reader Award today and she got a 90% on her Accelerated Math test. We are so proud of our smart girl (she takes after her mama)She has had straight A's since Kindergarten!!

Joseph (aka joey) is still in Tennessee. He is bored to tears with the family gone, but excited to be transferring back to San Diego this summer. (as we all are) He will finally, after 10 years, get to do what he joined the Navy for(welding). We sure do miss him!

I am plugging away..being a mom, a student, a woman (which i sometimes forget). I am very proud of myself. I am in my 2nd block of classes. The 1st block (2 classes/9weeks) I recieved 2 A's and so far this block I have a 97% in my critical thinking class and a 100% in my science class! I still cannot believe it! We are in week 6..so wish me luck cause I really want to keep that 100%! Of course I could go on and on about myself, but I have some homework to do and I have to get up early to get the girls to school! Thanks for reading if you got this far! God bless!

So Rewarding!

I've received a "Lemonade Award" from Robyn at Robyn's Chic Scraps. Go check her blog out, she has wonderfully awesome scrap kits!

Thank you Robyn!

The "rules" of this award are that I must:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post. (Right click on the logo and save to your own computer.)



2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!



3. Link to your nominees within your post.



4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.



5. Share the love and link to this post with the person from whom you received your award.

I nominate:
Jen @ New State-New Journey
Jessie Dawn @ Intense Blessings
Heather of the EO
Terri @ Peace,Love&Applesauce
Natalie @ It's a Wonderfully Crazy Life
Sara @ ...make musice from your heart...
Alicia @ My 2009 Weight Journey
Becky @ These Are the Times of My Life
Jessica @ Ramblings of My Life
Adie @ Chaotic But Beautiful Life

Our Tribute to Tuesday Whitt

Today we paid tribute to Tuesday Whitt by joining in on the virtual parade. We went to a nearby park and enjoyed the warm Arizona air. I enjoyed my children, their laughter, their smile and their health. I am so thankful to God that He has blessed me with these three beautiful healthy children. Tuesday Whitt has reminded us to really appreciate this and I thank her & I thank her mother for sharing her story, that we can all be touched by her sweet life. I will continue to pray for the Whitt family and I hope they were able to celebrate Tuesday's life today through their grief.

Look up in the sky!

They said this cloud looked like a moon =]

My silly kids.

There was a bday party at the park & they graciously offered my kids a cupcake!

Thank you to Lee & Em for putting this together, check out everyone who joined in on the Wagie Ride Parade for Tuesday here!

A "Wagie Ride" for Tuesday

If you are not familiar with Tuesday Whitt's story, check out her story here. I was struck with grief after coming across Jessica Kate's blog and just a few short days later Tuesday Whitt passed on to be with Jesus. As a tribute to her, the family is having a memorial celebration held at a local equestrian center. The family is encouraging everyone to come on bikes and in wagons because "wagie rides" were one of Tuesday's favorite things to do. Since we can not all be there MWOB and Em devised a plan of a virtual "Wagie Ride".

So join in on the virtual parade!

The TRUTH...and nothing but the truth..

My bloggy buddy Simply-Mel tagged me today! & oh how I hate talking about myself... (I mean that is WHY I started a blog, right? HAHA) So here's the deal:

YOU are supposed to list ten honest things about yourself and then pass it on to five other bloggers so they can list their honest musings aswell.....

1. I am THE procrastinator of ALL time. I LOOK for things to do (ie.blogging) so I can procrastinate all the important things in my life. I mean seriously, did I really have time to start a blog and get completely addicted to one more thing??

2. I thrive off of having too much to do and not enough time. I guess that is why I procrastinate.

3. I'm a perfectionist, but if I cant do it right I do not want to do it....I'm starting to see a pattern here...

4. I HATE being told what to do...i am VERY stubborn when it comes to this. I will NOT do it, even if I want to or planned to JUST because someone told me to.

5. If someone says I WONT/CANT do something...I tend to do it just to prove them wrong LOL this can get me into trouble.

6. I'm the most disorganized organized person. I know where everything is amidst all my clutter.

7. I'm a list nazi. I love lists. I will list lists if I ..ya know..get around to it.

8. I trust too easily, but am learning not too as I get older.

9. As a child I was obsessed with having a pregnant belly and big boobs LOL I would always stuff my shirt with socks and put a pillow or blanket under my shirt to make me look pregnant. Of course my mother never let me leave the house like that. thank you mom. ( i do have pics tho)

10. I had my life planned out... live on my own, college, med school, marry at 26, start having kids by 28... nothing happened the way I planned and I wouldnt change it!

I am going to tag.... Jen, Adie, Jessica, Me and Carrie

Promotion!!

I am so honored! I have been working in Paint Shop Pro 9 off and on for the last 2 years and about a year ago I started making siggies, blinkies and graphics. I have been a designer in training for awhile at Chubby Cheeks Graphics and just got promoted to designer!!! Hopefully I can live up to the title! Go check em out and register at their site. We have some amazing designers. You can request me if you'd like me to make you something. & it is FREE!!!

Follow their blog and once they get up to 25 followers, 5 random followers will win a $5 coupon for a paid service (ie.myspace layouts, blog layouts, invitations, announcements). Nothing to lose!

Here are some of my samples:

I hope to see you all there!

I wanna be special...

I've never been much of a writer and I don't think I am very insightful. But I decided to start a blog anyways. Now you must endure the writings of a nonwriter.
I like to write and have even dabbled in writing poems for awhile. I've never shared them. I have never thought they were good enough. I never felt I was the best at anything. I always felt average. I graduated highschool with an average GPA and I never finished college. I always felt average looking, I am average height. I couldn't play the violin THAT well. I cannot sing like Whitney or Celine(no matter how hard I try). Nothing too special about me.
I went straight from being a young immature girl to being a Navy wife and mother, all in less than a year's time. I cannot say there weren't struggles but I have loved my life. I was blessed with three beautiful children on Earth and a baby in Heaven, that I lost at 12 weeks pregnant. Not many women get the privilege of staying home with their children, I have.
I really do know how fortunate I have been in my life, I have been shielded from so much pain and hurt many others have to deal with. I have to credit that to a praying mother.
I think as women we go through more inner struggles than anything. you're not good enough, someone will always do it better. But I have learned that I am special because I am a mother. No one can love or be a mother to my children better than I can. No matter how much you yell or tell them no, they want you there when they get a booboo or have a nightmare. Unconditional love is what you get from your babies. So I can proudly say I am special and so is each and every mother out there. No one is a better mother to your own children. No one. If you are unsure...just ask them.

Double Tagged!

Oh me, oh my! I have been tagged, not once, but twice!! Thanks girlies! My friends MC & Terri tagged me with the Tag Train. Here's the deal:

1. Sit down.

2. Take a picture of yourself right now. Don't primp.

3. Upload it to a new post.

4. Tag 5 people to do the same.

So here it goes...a bit hard for me NOT to primp, but I follwed the rules..



I tag... Sami, mandy, simplymel, jessica & adie