It's Money Monday here on the blog, and I have a very special free treat for you just in time for Turkey Day from Shutterfly's newest greeting card brand- Treat!
With this site, you can create totally personalized photo greeting cards that Treat ships to your recipients for free- you can even include a giftcard to his/her favorite store. This is going to make Christmas shopping so easy this year!
Now for the treat...you can try out this service for FREE today and tomorrow with the coupon code TREATBLOGR. So have fun, go crazy, and let me know what you think!
As a Christian, wife, mother of a little girl and two fur-babies, Mississippi State Bulldog, and PhD, I lead a very busy life. If you add on top of that my obsession for organization and loves for couponing, sewing, knitting, cooking, reading, gardening, and a host of other random hobbies, you've got the recipe for...well...variety. And variety is the spice of life!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Veteran's Day Edition of Foto Friday
Happy Foto Friday, all! Today I'd like to share with you a great way to kick off your holiday weekend- by joining Shutterfly's "Thank the Troops" campaign!
Shutterfly is sending thank you cards made by Facebook users (with or without personal photos) to the 1.5 million troops currently serving our country. It's free to participate- simply go to their Facebook app here to design and send your card. There are four different cover designs available...here's the one I sent from the Poe family:
So join me, and take a few minutes and thank those men and women serving our country!
Shutterfly is sending thank you cards made by Facebook users (with or without personal photos) to the 1.5 million troops currently serving our country. It's free to participate- simply go to their Facebook app here to design and send your card. There are four different cover designs available...here's the one I sent from the Poe family:
So join me, and take a few minutes and thank those men and women serving our country!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Sarah's Key
It's time for another Reading Review- and this one's not a baby book! I present to you "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay:
"Sarah's Key" is actually two tales in one- the story of a modern-day American journalist (Julia Jarmond) who has made her home in France and that of a young Jewish girl (Sarah Starzynski) and the horrors she experienced living through the Vel' d'Hiv roundup of Jewish citizen in France in 1942. As Julia uncovers more about Sarah and her own family's connection to that dark time in history, she discovers herself and in turn changes her own life forever.
Overall, I enjoyed the story; although, it is very dark and definitely brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions. Even though the book is a work of fiction, I appreciated the bit of history I learned while reading- I had no prior knowledge of the roundup. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the growth and development of the relationship of Julia and her father-in-law because of (and perhaps in spite of) his family's past.
I will say that the book did have some language in it, and I didn't appreciate the focus on several of themes that were presented rather nonchalantly (adultery, abortion, cohabitation, etc.). So while the story itself was very moving, this book will not be sitting on my shelf at home, and I am not over zealous to recommend it.
"Sarah's Key" is actually two tales in one- the story of a modern-day American journalist (Julia Jarmond) who has made her home in France and that of a young Jewish girl (Sarah Starzynski) and the horrors she experienced living through the Vel' d'Hiv roundup of Jewish citizen in France in 1942. As Julia uncovers more about Sarah and her own family's connection to that dark time in history, she discovers herself and in turn changes her own life forever.
Overall, I enjoyed the story; although, it is very dark and definitely brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions. Even though the book is a work of fiction, I appreciated the bit of history I learned while reading- I had no prior knowledge of the roundup. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the growth and development of the relationship of Julia and her father-in-law because of (and perhaps in spite of) his family's past.
I will say that the book did have some language in it, and I didn't appreciate the focus on several of themes that were presented rather nonchalantly (adultery, abortion, cohabitation, etc.). So while the story itself was very moving, this book will not be sitting on my shelf at home, and I am not over zealous to recommend it.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Holiday Cards from Shutterfly
As you all know, I love, love, LOVE Christmas. In fact, I'm one of the few people in the world that gets excited about seeing Christmas decorations in stores before Halloween's even arrived.
Whether you think that makes me crazy or not, you have to admit that with still being in school and having our first baby due in less than a month, it only makes sense to start thinking about Christmas now- our gift list, the gift list for our family and friends, the Christmas party, our Christmas cards...
Although I'm still working on the rest of it, I know exactly where I'm getting my cards this year- Shutterfly. They have a huge selection of cards from traditional to retro to modern and everything in between. They even have cards that blend your Christmas card with your annual Christmas letter! AND to top it all off, they have some great special offers going on now and throughout the holiday season (and they're not just on cards!).
For this Foto Friday, I'd like to show you some of my favs:
Since this year's cards are doubling as birth announcements for us, I particularly love the ones with spaces for multiple pictures.
But I wanna know what you think- what are your favorite holiday cards from Shutterfly??
While Shutterfly has sponsored this post, I must say that I have worked with them before and their service is fantastic, as is the quality of their cards and photobooks. My sister-in-law also recently used Shutterfly for her birth announcements and was quite pleased with her purchase, as well as the large selection of cards available.
Whether you think that makes me crazy or not, you have to admit that with still being in school and having our first baby due in less than a month, it only makes sense to start thinking about Christmas now- our gift list, the gift list for our family and friends, the Christmas party, our Christmas cards...
Although I'm still working on the rest of it, I know exactly where I'm getting my cards this year- Shutterfly. They have a huge selection of cards from traditional to retro to modern and everything in between. They even have cards that blend your Christmas card with your annual Christmas letter! AND to top it all off, they have some great special offers going on now and throughout the holiday season (and they're not just on cards!).
For this Foto Friday, I'd like to show you some of my favs:
Since this year's cards are doubling as birth announcements for us, I particularly love the ones with spaces for multiple pictures.
But I wanna know what you think- what are your favorite holiday cards from Shutterfly??
While Shutterfly has sponsored this post, I must say that I have worked with them before and their service is fantastic, as is the quality of their cards and photobooks. My sister-in-law also recently used Shutterfly for her birth announcements and was quite pleased with her purchase, as well as the large selection of cards available.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
MrsDrPoe: On Becoming Babywise
I have another parenting book for this week's Reading Review! Here's "On Becoming Babywise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep" by Gary Ezzo, M.A. and Robert Bucknam, M.D.
While I can't fully recommend it (yet), I can't WAIT to put the material presented in this book to use! The "parent directed feeding" (PDF) method seems to be a very logical 'best of both worlds' approach to feeding an infant that also has the benefit of getting the family on a schedule that allows plenty of sleep for all. You know Mr. Poe and I are all about our sleep.
The book is an easy read, full of tips, tricks, doable goals, and answers to questions and issues that frequently come up. As you can imagine, there is a LOT of material in this work; I would definitely recommend purchasing the book to keep as a reference (I found several copies at a local thrift store). A sample schedule outline and baby nourishment tracking charts are included.
I'm also looking forward to reading the second and third installments of the series, and I hope you are too!
While I can't fully recommend it (yet), I can't WAIT to put the material presented in this book to use! The "parent directed feeding" (PDF) method seems to be a very logical 'best of both worlds' approach to feeding an infant that also has the benefit of getting the family on a schedule that allows plenty of sleep for all. You know Mr. Poe and I are all about our sleep.
The book is an easy read, full of tips, tricks, doable goals, and answers to questions and issues that frequently come up. As you can imagine, there is a LOT of material in this work; I would definitely recommend purchasing the book to keep as a reference (I found several copies at a local thrift store). A sample schedule outline and baby nourishment tracking charts are included.
I'm also looking forward to reading the second and third installments of the series, and I hope you are too!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Why Is There Dew?
Since I've been spending all my time trying to finish my school work and doing baby things, I haven't had nearly the time I would like to blog faithfully...especially on Thesis Tuesdays! But I had a special request for today's post- (simply) addressing the question of why there's dew on the ground in the morning.
The answer lies in saturation- a concept that every southerner knows about, even if you don't think you do:
When Mr. Poe and I make sweet tea, we mix in a heaping two cups of sugar. If we stir in the sugar while the tea is still warm, all of the sugar dissolves in the liquid. If we wait until after we put ice in the tea to stir in the sugar, we end up with undissolved sugar at the bottom of the pitcher because the tea is saturated- it's full of sugar and won't hold any more at this cooler temperature.
The same is true with the air. Also as every southerner knows, the air contains water (in gas form); the amount of water in the air at any given time is what we know as humidity.
As the temperature of the air drops at night, the air becomes saturated (just like the tea at a cooler temp), and can't hold the same amount of water as it could before. This extra water condenses, returning to it's liquid form on the ground as dew. The next day, when the temperature of the air increases again, the dew evaporates back into the air.
And THAT is why we have dew.
The answer lies in saturation- a concept that every southerner knows about, even if you don't think you do:
When Mr. Poe and I make sweet tea, we mix in a heaping two cups of sugar. If we stir in the sugar while the tea is still warm, all of the sugar dissolves in the liquid. If we wait until after we put ice in the tea to stir in the sugar, we end up with undissolved sugar at the bottom of the pitcher because the tea is saturated- it's full of sugar and won't hold any more at this cooler temperature.
The same is true with the air. Also as every southerner knows, the air contains water (in gas form); the amount of water in the air at any given time is what we know as humidity.
As the temperature of the air drops at night, the air becomes saturated (just like the tea at a cooler temp), and can't hold the same amount of water as it could before. This extra water condenses, returning to it's liquid form on the ground as dew. The next day, when the temperature of the air increases again, the dew evaporates back into the air.
And THAT is why we have dew.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Sign with Your Baby
For the next Reading Review, I present to you "Sign with Your Baby: How to Communicate with Infants Before They Can Speak" by Joseph Garcia:
This book is relatively short and easy to read. The text portion of the book discusses the immediate and potential future benefits of teaching babies to sign, as well as providing helpful information on timing and techniques of instructing babies. There's also a very large index of sign vocabulary.
I liked this book so much that I put it on our registry. While Mr. Poe and I are trying not to get too worked up about the future development benefits of teaching our Poe-tte to sign (we really just want to try to help her communicate her needs/wants earlier), it was very interesting to see all the ways in which this technique has helped children.
Mr. Garcia is obviously very passionate about the subject and has written this book in such a way that seems like teaching babies to sign is very doable, even for people unfamiliar with the language. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, and I'll definitely be posting about our baby signing adventures during the next few years!
This book is relatively short and easy to read. The text portion of the book discusses the immediate and potential future benefits of teaching babies to sign, as well as providing helpful information on timing and techniques of instructing babies. There's also a very large index of sign vocabulary.
I liked this book so much that I put it on our registry. While Mr. Poe and I are trying not to get too worked up about the future development benefits of teaching our Poe-tte to sign (we really just want to try to help her communicate her needs/wants earlier), it was very interesting to see all the ways in which this technique has helped children.
Mr. Garcia is obviously very passionate about the subject and has written this book in such a way that seems like teaching babies to sign is very doable, even for people unfamiliar with the language. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, and I'll definitely be posting about our baby signing adventures during the next few years!
Friday, August 3, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Our Anniversary Week
Hello all, and happy Foto Friday! This week Mr. Poe and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. Since we were also at 26 weeks with our Poe-ette, I took a special baby bump picture:
yes...I can still fit in my wedding dress. Yay for empire waists! We also found a great deal on a small table to finish off our entryway decor:
I can't wait to see what the end of the week will bring!
yes...I can still fit in my wedding dress. Yay for empire waists! We also found a great deal on a small table to finish off our entryway decor:
I can't wait to see what the end of the week will bring!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
MrsDrPoe: The Fleet Street Murders
The most recent book club book I've had the pleasure of reading is "The Fleet Street Murders" by Charles Finch:
I love a good mystery, and since I haven't read a new one in years, this one took me right back to my childhood days of curling up in bed with a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys adventure.
"The Fleet Street Murders" did not disappoint; in fact, I couldn't put it down. While it's the third installment in Finch's series about the amateur sleuth, Charles Lenox, the book is very capable of standing alone. The late 1800's English setting was an interesting and enjoyable backdrop for the story; I appreciated that a few of the restaurants mentioned actually exist. The plot keeps you guessing, and at the end everything is resolved quickly.
There is a very small bit of language in the book (if I remember correctly), which it could've done without. Also not having read the previous two works in the series, I can't tell you if any of the information present in them would add more to the development of the characters in this book. Even so, I would definitely recommend "The Fleet Street Murders," and I am looking forward to being able to read more of the adventures of Charles Lenox.
I love a good mystery, and since I haven't read a new one in years, this one took me right back to my childhood days of curling up in bed with a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys adventure.
"The Fleet Street Murders" did not disappoint; in fact, I couldn't put it down. While it's the third installment in Finch's series about the amateur sleuth, Charles Lenox, the book is very capable of standing alone. The late 1800's English setting was an interesting and enjoyable backdrop for the story; I appreciated that a few of the restaurants mentioned actually exist. The plot keeps you guessing, and at the end everything is resolved quickly.
There is a very small bit of language in the book (if I remember correctly), which it could've done without. Also not having read the previous two works in the series, I can't tell you if any of the information present in them would add more to the development of the characters in this book. Even so, I would definitely recommend "The Fleet Street Murders," and I am looking forward to being able to read more of the adventures of Charles Lenox.
Friday, July 27, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Noah's Ark
Since we painted virtually the entire house immediately after we bought it (and almost every room is a neutral color), we decided that we were tired of painting. Our new girl would have a tan room with a Noah's Ark theme because that would be easy, fun, and based on the Bible. To help decorate the walls, I asked my grandmother to paint some animals two-by-two for the room, and here's what she came up with:
camels, elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, and doves (they're out of the picture). How fun! And they look so real! The room is slowly coming together...yesterday I even put on the lovely Noah's Ark sheets that the Barclays gave us.
camels, elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, and doves (they're out of the picture). How fun! And they look so real! The room is slowly coming together...yesterday I even put on the lovely Noah's Ark sheets that the Barclays gave us.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Fried Rice
What's for dinner this Wednesday is a protein packed, meatless dish that is perfect for using up stuff you have around the house: friend rice.
Ingredients: 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cashews, 2 carrots, 1/4 cup green beans, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder.
While the rice is cooking in the water (and a splash of soy sauce), chop the veggies and nuts, and saute in a wok or skillet with the seasonings and soy sauce:
After they're slightly tender, push the veggies to the sides of the pan and scramble the eggs in the center:
Add the cooked rice, stir to combine, and serve:
Ingredients: 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cashews, 2 carrots, 1/4 cup green beans, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder.
While the rice is cooking in the water (and a splash of soy sauce), chop the veggies and nuts, and saute in a wok or skillet with the seasonings and soy sauce:
After they're slightly tender, push the veggies to the sides of the pan and scramble the eggs in the center:
Add the cooked rice, stir to combine, and serve:
Friday, June 29, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Hand-Me-Downs for My Baby Girl
This Foto Friday I'd like to share with you something very special to me. As you may or may not know, I'm a rather sentimental person. I love that our guests sleep in a bed that used to belong to Mr. Poe's grandmother and that our toddler(s) will sleep in a bed my granddad made for my dad that I slept in as a little girl. And now that we know we're having a little girl, I'm especially excited to be giving her:
a Raggedy Ann doll given to me by a very dear aunt, a bear given to me when I was born, the jewelry box I used for twenty-ish years, and the tea set and rocking chair I had as a little girl.
I hope she gets as much enjoyment out of these things as I have; I just can't wait to share them with her!
a Raggedy Ann doll given to me by a very dear aunt, a bear given to me when I was born, the jewelry box I used for twenty-ish years, and the tea set and rocking chair I had as a little girl.
I hope she gets as much enjoyment out of these things as I have; I just can't wait to share them with her!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
MrsDrPoe: To Kill a Mockingbird
For the next Reading Review, I present the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee:
I had read this book before in school, but it was nice to have the opportunity to read it again and get an adult perspective on the book.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" is well written and a great read. It captures the attitude of the time and the spirit of childhood perfectly. The unique plot holds the readers attention, and the grammar school aged narrator provides humor at times and a unique vantage point that makes people of all ages able to identify with various aspects of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was reminded again of why it is a timeless classic.
I had read this book before in school, but it was nice to have the opportunity to read it again and get an adult perspective on the book.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" is well written and a great read. It captures the attitude of the time and the spirit of childhood perfectly. The unique plot holds the readers attention, and the grammar school aged narrator provides humor at times and a unique vantage point that makes people of all ages able to identify with various aspects of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was reminded again of why it is a timeless classic.
Monday, June 25, 2012
MrsDrPoe: Deals, 6/24
Friday, June 22, 2012
MrsDrPoe: "If You're Worried and You Can't Sleep...
...just count your blessings instead of sheep, and you'll fall asleep counting your blessings." - Bing Crosby
Today's Foto Friday post is all about those blessings we've received recently. As you probably know, Mr. Poe and I are having a baby. Yesterday at 20 weeks, we found out we're having a little girl! From the ultrasound, it seems that everything is going well and growing as it should (praise God!):
This week we also got our new fridge and dishwasher installed:
It'll be so nice to not have to wonder about the food we're eating anymore, and I know I'll be extra thankful for a working dishwasher when the baby comes!
These recent blessings have been so wonderful, and we are so thankful!!
Today's Foto Friday post is all about those blessings we've received recently. As you probably know, Mr. Poe and I are having a baby. Yesterday at 20 weeks, we found out we're having a little girl! From the ultrasound, it seems that everything is going well and growing as it should (praise God!):
This week we also got our new fridge and dishwasher installed:
It'll be so nice to not have to wonder about the food we're eating anymore, and I know I'll be extra thankful for a working dishwasher when the baby comes!
These recent blessings have been so wonderful, and we are so thankful!!
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