From this point forward, all new post will be on my new blog: Dash of Evans. Originally, I was going to import all old posts to the new blog, but it ended up messing up my Pinterest links. SO, I'm going to leave this blog alone for the time being.

So why change?
When I started this blog FIVE years ago, I wanted to share coupon tips and how to save money. I will always be thrifty and cheap, but I wanted my name to show more than simply my frugality. Since my website is now more food based, it was time to switch.  

Don't worry, I'll still share budget tips for you! Feel free to email me with any questions you might have about coupons!

Let me know what you think and expect some awesome new recipes and video series ahead...when I find the time. Anyone else ready for back-to-school?!

Ashleigh

Our First Year of School: What We've Learned

The school year FLEW by and my twins are officially be FIRST GRADERS. What?! Where did time go? I am not gonna lie: this summer is going to be a rough one...but I'm ready!  Library here we come!

Keepin' it Real After 10 Years {Date Night at Home Ideas!} #TheMoodStrikes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TheMoodStrikes #CollectiveBias

This post is a little step out of my normal cooking/family friendly topic.  Although it is a bit out of my comfort zone, I thought I would face my fears make a fun date-night inspired post.  Here goes nothin! As Murray says in Clueless "I'm keepin' it real"...

Do you ever stop to think about how much your life can change in a matter of years? In the past decade, I have gone through quite a few life changing moments: moving, marriage, babies, turning 30, traveling...to name a few.  Ricky and I are coming up on our 10 year anniversary and it's so funny to think of how different our lives are, the three little ladies being the biggest change!  Keeping the spark alive isn't always easy when we are both so busy...but it's something we are trying to put more emphasis on with fun date nights at home. With K-Y® Liquibeads, you can have the freedom to be spontaneous without worry! 

When we first started dating, we were both serving at Smokey Bones BBQ and didn't have too many responsibilities.  If we wanted a date night, we would just plan one!  Now, we are averaging about 4-5 dates a year...and it's a HUGE pain to try to schedule one.  Between finding a babysitter, having the budget for one and finding a free night, we almost always give up!

One thing I like to emphasize is that date nights can be AT HOME.  Why waste money when you can cook and have fun at home!  Make sure you still keep it special, though.  We are huge fans of game nights, especially trivia or pop culture ones.  It's fun to simply play cards, too.  Instead of going out to a movie, rent one you've both been dying to see (or On Demand is a lifesaver) and cook up a meal.  You'll save at least $50!

We love to try new micro-brews, especially local ones.  Instead of buying 6-packs of one type of beer, take advantage of the MYO 6-Pack at Walmart!  For $9, you can get a variety that you both will love.  I tend to lean towards IPAs or dark beer, whereas Ricky likes ciders or new seasonal brews.  If you think about how much a single micro-brew can be at a restaurant, you're saving SO much.  Many other stores have this option, but I love that Walmart has a set price.  

If beer isn't your thing, there are many inexpensive bottles of wine out there.  Walmart has a HUGE selection ranging from as low as $2.97 to $15 that are all decent.  For our date night at home, I always pick out a red blend or a sweet white we can chill.  Bubbly is always special too!

When it comes to making dinner, the slow cooker can be your lifesaver.  Start the meal in the morning and by the time the kiddos are in bed, you can both finish up the meal together.  For the date night at home nights, I recommend letting the kiddos have a simple meal--mac n cheese and smoked sausage in our house!  Clean up the dishes so you'll have a nice clean kitchen for your date night.  

Another idea is to look on Pinterest for your favorite restaurant meal and try to make it at home.  There are many simple copycat recipes out there.  If you haven't noticed, I added a recipe list above to help you find some tasty recipes right on here!  It doesn't matter what you're making, the quality time together is what's important, even if you have to eat a little later than normal! 

Here are a few suggestions:

• Stuffed Lasagna Shells - serve with red wine & toasty bread
• Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore - All you'll need to do is make up some pasta and a veggie/salad! The slow cooker does the work for you during the day!  
• Slow-Cooker Carnitas- Have a fiesta night with some guacamole and frosty strawberry margs! 
• If you're both craving some Chinese take-out, this Beef + Broccoli w/ Fried Quinoa will hit the spot.  
• Just looking for a dessert?  These Spiked Frozen Hot Chocolates are perfect! Cuddle up on the couch with a blanket together. 

With three kids at home 5 and under, I'll admit it's difficult to find some time alone...if you know what I'm saying. Also, it's hard for me to turn off my mind and relax when I know the girls could barge in the room at any moment (like, how many times can a little one go potty each night?!).  K-Y® liquibeads help us ladies be ready at any moment with a super convenient bead that is inserted every few days so that when the mood strikes, your body is ready to go without needing any extra messy lubrication. Now that I'm over the 30 mark, I can already tell my body is changing!  Case in point: during wedding season this summer, hangovers are BRUTAL.  

At first, shopping for these made me a bit nervous...especially since they were like RIGHT THERE in the cart, but I sucked it up.  I used to be the same way buying tampons as a teenager.  Why is that?  If you are interested in trying these K-Y® Liquibeads out, there is $1 off coupon available now!  Note: if you are pregnant or nursing, please consult your doctor to be sure this is the right product for you!

So no more excuses...let's reignite the flame with date nights at home! Save money AND get some QT in with your loved one. 

Don't be shy!  What tips do you have for keeping the sparks alive?  What's your favorite date night at home activity?

One Month Into Kindergarten! {Plus: Our Simple Homework Station}

Well, we've made it through the first month of kindergarten with the twins!  The girls are enjoying their experience so far and our routine is pretty established.  Are they exhausted after a full day of school? YES!  Do they wake up like beams of sunshine every day? NO!  But all in all, we're doing pretty well.

One of my biggest concerns was the twins being in the same class.  I was afraid they would cling to each other and not branch out.  I was SO wrong!  They (somehow) barely spend time together!  Maddie has a new best friend that she talks about non-stop.  When we walk up to the school, I hear kids calling "Maddie! Olivia!".  It makes me feel so much better that they are liked...isn't that every parent's fear?  Olivia has quite a few friends she talks about and quite a few BOYS she seems to like.  She had to wear her Ninja Turtle shirt to soccer last Sunday to show a certain boy.  Uh-oh....

It is shocking how much they are learning already.  They are already reading many popcorn words (common sight words) and they are spelling like crazy. I'm sure by Christmas time they will be asking for many books to read! Part of their homework is to read for 20 minutes a day.  I like to have them look at their take-home books for about 10 minutes and the rest of the time is when I read out loud to them at night.  

One thing I HIGHLY recommend is setting up a homework station basket to stay organized.  At first, we tried composition notebooks to practice numbers, letters and words, but I found some great dry erase boards at Walmart for 75 cents.  They are working out MUCH better!  While you can buy number and letter flash cards, I just made my own with index cards to quiz the girls.  Since they are in school until almost 4, I really don't want them to spend the rest of their day doing homework and sitting down, so we just quickly go through their take-home folders after snack time to see what needs to be worked on.  

To wind down at night, I've introduced chapter books.  I'm so excited to start sharing some of my childhood favorites with the girls!  Gabby does get a bit restless, so I usually start off with a picture book. We started off with Junie B. Jones, which the girls seem to love. After two books, I've grown a bit tired of Junie, so we've moved on to others.  One new find we're loving (thanks to an Instagram recommendation!) are the Magic Tree House books.  We're halfway through Dinosaurs Before Dark and they are a perfect introduction to adventure books for kindergarten age and up. Final series we've jumped into are the Ramona books, I'm hoping to show them the movie when we're done! I love getting the e-books from the library so we can read them on the iPad/Kindle on the go! 

Number one thing I've learned so far about full day kindergarten is that rest is important.  Your child is going through a LOT at once and they will need extra snuggles and rest to cope.  Our bedtime is between 7:15-7:30 and the twins crash!  On weekends, as hard as it is, I try to keep the errand running to a minimum.  I let them play to their hearts desire all weekend and even attempt to squeeze in naps, if possible.  

Another lesson learned: keep lunches simple.  At our school, they have 20 minutes to eat...which really isn't much for little ones.  Maddie is a super slow eater, so I've had to play around with the perfect amount of food to send so she'll actually eat. Hot lunch is something we only do occasionally, especially since Maddie seems to not enjoy it.  

How's school going for you so far? Any books you can recommend?

Update: The Twins are FIVE!

A few days ago, the girls were sitting on my lap going through some old posts.  Olivia couldn't believe she got into permanent markers and Gabby loved her 1st birthday photos.  I really love that I have this website to help preserve memories!

I am still in disbelief that my little ladies are turned 5 on the 1st.  They are growing into such fun girls.  Very, very different in many ways, but they are always best friends.

Olivia loves to color.  She can sit at the table and create artwork for hours.  She also loves to dance and make people laugh.  Some nights we sit on the couch and look at magazines together and she is obsessed with looking at movie stars in their "beautiful dresses".  Her preschool teacher told us that she has a dominant personality in school--the kids tend to listen to her.  I cannot wait for the day when she meets her match!

Maddie is very into fashion.  I should say, she's into what SHE thinks in fashionable.  It's so funny to see what she can come up with.  She likes to hike up her pants, tuck in her shirt and accessorize with headbands, a purse and numerous hair bows.  Also, her main hair request is a "side pony".  Maddie is my main cuddler, too.  The other girls don't want to spend much time snuggling with me anymore, but I can always count on her to get comfy on the couch with me.  Not going to lie, Maddie and I butt heads all day long, but Ricky thinks it is because we are so alike. 

One of my favorite things to watch with them is how they interact with Gabby.  Although she is only 2.5, she is basically the same size of them, minus the height.  She is in 4Ts and they are barely out of 4Ts!  Gabby doesn't take any crap from them and is very opinionated.  It's funny to watch them try to be big sisters to her.  Olivia and Gabby can play with the doll house for an hour without an argument.  Maddie and Gabby tend to butt heads more.

As a birthday treat, we decided to take the girls to get a hair cut.  We've tried a few places now and the Douglas J Aveda Institute is by far our favorite place.  Haircuts are $16 each (actually $11 after a text coupon!) and they get the full treatment: wash, scalp massage and cut.  They feel like complete princesses there! Since it's a student school, it does take about an hour...but totally worth it! 

On Saturday, their actual big day, it was snowing (a tradition for their birthday so far!), but we still went bowling and had a nice little family gathering! 

They are loving being 5 and are ready for more responsibilities.  Olivia loves to help me in the kitchen and Maddie likes to "clean" for me.  It's too cute!  Our big decision for this year is whether or not to put them in the same class for kindergarten.  Their preschool teacher thinks they will thrive apart, but I also get concerned that separating them too early could be harmful as well. 
We have the kindergarten registration in April (tear!) and we will get more info then.

Any tips for raising 5 year olds without losing your mind?! I'm going to need them!

My (Belated) BlogHer Food 2013 Recap

I have over 100 pictures of food.  It was CRAZY!

Remember when I was talking about BlogHer Food 2013 all.of.the.time?  I cannot believe it was over six months ago!  Right after I got back (in June!) my computer crashed and I temporarily lost all of my pics.  Then, I kind of forgot that I didn't share them yet.

In some ways, maybe it's better that I'm sharing my input now since some people are starting to consider the trip to Miami in May for BlogHer 2014.  My advice: if you can, DO IT.  I had an amazing time, met fun people and connected with awesome brands.  As part of my "Countdown to 30" mentality, I found a roommate through the volunteer board (Hi, Singrit!) and headed to Austin, Texas alone without knowing anyone.  Of course, I was super nervous at first, but once I got of the plane I was excited!

For all of you non-bloggers out there, you may wonder "Why do bloggers need conferences?".  Before I started this site, I had no clue there were such conferences.  The biggest reason I try to go to at least one conference a year? The connections.  It's a great way to get your name out there!!

There are different BlogHer conferences each year.  The main event is regular BlogHer, which was in Chicago last July.  Although I would love to maybe go someday, it is HUGE.  People everywhere and I've heard it's crazy.  Not quite my cup of tea.  I had an opportunity to volunteer for BlogHer Food in Austin and I jumped at the chance (and free ticket!).  The food conference is MUCH smaller and intimate.  Yes, there are still over 500 people, but it's small potatoes compared to the THOUSANDS at the larger conference.  I felt like I had many opportunities to actually get to know some brands and since the conference I've had many great offers come my way.  Plus the chances of winning prizes is much better...I walked away with quite a few goodies, including an iPad Mini!

One of my favorite stops: Gourdoughs. I don't even LIKE doughnuts and I was drooling!

One thing you need to prepare for if you're attending BlogHer Food: the amount of food you are given.  From samples from brands, jaw dropping displays for lunches and off-site events, you are ALWAYS eating.  I felt like I got to fall in love with Austin while I was there too!  Since it was super hot while we were there, I didn't feel so bad stuffing my face with every little morsel that was handed to me.  (True story: I was doing Weight Watchers and my weigh-in the next week I actually lost 3 pounds!  It had to be all of the walking and sweating!)

Bring an extra bag for swag.  A lot of companies offered to ship larger swag, which was so generous.  I still had to try to fly home with a hotel bed worth of goodies. While my bag was being scanned at the airport, the guy just kinda looked at me like "She must really like to eat!".

The parties are crazy.  The first night we had a rooftop event at the most beautiful Whole Foods I've ever seen.  They had music and at least 20 tables of local samples for us...plus a swag bag.  BlogHer knows how to make you feel special, that's for sure!  The next night we had excursions around Austin to check out the town.  Each group had 4 stops.  I picked the taco & tequila one, go figure.  The final night we had a huge closing party at the famous Franklin's BBQ.  So basically you eat, learn and meet great people.  The 3 days seem like a week!  I love how they made sure we got out of the conference rooms.

I am going to do whatever I can do make it to Miami this May for the 2014 conference. (Email me if you would like to sponsor me!) I still talk to many of the people I met and I have great connections with brands still to this day.  I felt like it was worth every penny I spent!  I am kind of in the middle...I wouldn't call myself a food blogger, but I post mostly food.  I'm a food & family blogger, I would say.  If you are considering going to the conference, but aren't sure you aren't foodie enough, I wouldn't worry.  Yes, there are some hardcore foodies (hello, Pioneer Woman), but there are regular people like me there also. It's a learning experience for everyone!

Have you been to a BlogHer? 

Check out Recipe4Living & Savvy Fork! {New chili recipe up!}

Sorry I've been a little quiet lately.  Between my new part-time weekend job and the girls' new schedule, I am TIRED!  I am working at a local grocery stores as a demo lady...soon I will be actually performing cooking demos.  This is perfect because the hours fit in with our schedule and I get to talk to people (probably more than they would like!).  I am so nosy, I always check out what people are buying and I help people find items.  Not quite in my job description, but sometimes the store doesn't have much traffic and I get bored.  SNL totally needs to do a demo lady skit...you should see some of the people I encounter.  It cracks me up.  No joke, I've seen 2 people take out their teeth to taste a sample.  I also love the people who go out of their way to not walk by me so they don't have to interact.  So funny.

Don't be scared of lentils in the chili...or in anything!  I'm loving lentils in breads too.

I also have a new side writing job working for group of awesome websites.  My first recipe for Beef & Lentil Chili went up last week on Recipe4Living.  I will have two new recipes posted on there monthly.  I will also have a few of my recipes on their sister site Savvy Fork, which just launched.  Starting next month, I will have a weekly column as Budget Mom on another sister site Work It Mom.  Whew!

Even though I have other side projects, I am still going to keep up with this blog.  I have some giveaways coming up and fun fall recipes.  Don't you love when the weather gets cooler and all of the fall flavors surround you? I love boots, sweaters, scarves and pumpkin!

Have a wonderful week everyone!  I'm going to kick up my feet and relax tonight!

Wordful Wednesday: Preschool time!

This month has been pretty busy in the Evans household so far!  I started my part-time job(s) and the twins are off to morning preschool!  After a long summer, I thought I was ready for them to be at school for the mornings, but it was so hard to say goodbye!  How are my twins in school already?! 

Cutest Bears babies EVER!

As hard as I was taking it, Gabby was even more devastated.  Her BFFs are gone for 3 hours a day now!  I have a stash of M&Ms to help bribe her after we drop them off...and she expects to go to Target like we did on the first day. 

If you follow my Instagram or FB page, I kind of already photobombed them with the preschool pics, but I wanted to share them on here.  On Saturday the twins also start soccer!  We decided to take a little break from dance...Maddie needs something more active.

When my alarm went off at 6:45 Monday morning, I heard the thunder outside.  I was so bummed because I wanted cute outside pics of the girls.  It was POURING out.  The first thing Olivia said was "We don't have to go to school in this rain, right?". Oh Olivia...just like her Mama.

Of course the ladies need a full belly for school, so I made monkey bread, fruit salad, eggs and smoky links...all of their favs. Since their morning preschool starts at 8:30, we had to bust a move to be able to leave by 8:15.  My girls are suuuper pokey in the morning!!  I was so glad Ricky was able to help me take them on the first day...our schedule is not quite perfect yet!

Gabby = Not Impressed

I saw them holding hands in the car and I had to hold back the tears.  How cute are they?

I hope everyone is enjoying their back-to-school season!  I am SO ready for fall weather!!

Spring is FINALLY here! {I'm back!}

The girls having their "morning coffee" outside.

Well HELLO again!

I am back and more excited than ever to be sharing recipes and money saving tips.

After working for a deal website for a few months, I have realized I LOVE saving money, but the deal site really isn't my thing.  I give major props to all of you bloggers out there who keep us updated on all of the great money saving deals happening...it's exhausting!

I have a fun spring-y giveaway coming up soon and some tasty recipes to share.  This is the first week we are working on our garden, so I'll have some great new tips I've learned over the winter.

How have you all been doing?  I've missed you all!  Any type of recipe you are looking for?  

Update! Check me out at Deals in the Mitten!

You may have noticed I've been a bit quiet lately!

I have decided to help Sarah out over at Deals in the Mitten  & Kitchen in the Mitten. I will be posting some recipes and deals daily.

Here are some recent posts:

• 2-Minute Cinnamon Roll Waffles
• How to Freeze Produce

Other than that news, things have been going well for us!  The twins turned 4 in February and they are in dance classes now.  They keep me busy, that is for sure!

Gabby is growing like crazy, she's directly taking the twins' hand-me-downs.  She's only 20 months and in a 3T already.  Where has my baby gone?

I have been chugging away on my 29 bucket list.  Since turning 29 in January, I have been trying to branch out and do new things before I turn the big 3-0 next year.  I have been trying new workout classes at the Y (I am addicted to willPower + Grace class) and getting out there more in the community.  In August I plan to do the color run (me? running? HA!).

So far 2013 is going well for us!  Although I am not regularly posting on here anymore, I will still update occasionally!

Holiday Hugs!

As the year comes to a close, I just wanted to stop and wish everyone a happy holiday season. I think, especially after recent events, it's very important to push pause on our crazy lives and enjoy the little things...such as baking cookies or even your little one saying "snow" for the first time.  The twins watched my favorites Home Alone and Elf with me for the first time and I am cannot believe they are almost 4! 

I'm going to take a little break to enjoy the season, but I'll be back soon!

Thanks for reading, I appreciate every one of you!

HUGS!

Wordful Wednesday: enjoying a fall moment

I thought I would try to join in on the Wordful Wednesday fun this week! I figured a family update was a bit overdue and I have a lot of new readers who may not know about our crew!

Last week, we were able to have a fun (yet FREEZING) trip to Orchard Hill Farms.  If you are in the Grand Rapids area, I highly recommend checking it out.  It's a perfect size for little ones, a lot smaller scale than others we've been to.

It was 40 degrees that morning, we were COLD!

This fall has been so busy for us that it was really nice to stop and enjoy each other.  The twins are almost 4 and Gabby is quickly growing into a toddler.  I am trying to keep her a baby as long as possible, but it's just not working!

Early in the summer, I sent in the forms for the girls to enroll in preschool and they vanished in the mail.  Thinking they were signed up the whole time, I didn't worry about contacting the preschool until the end of the summer.  Since they never got our forms, we didn't have a spot!

At first I was super mad, but now I am very happy we waited until they are 4.  We have been doing play groups and fun trips as a family.  They have plenty of time to be in school!

Maddie, Olivia & Gabby. 

Olivia is all about funny faces.  Maddie is probably hiding something in her pocket.

As the twins grow older, it's so fun to just sit back and listen to them.  They have the funniest conversations while sitting in their bunk beds at night.  A lot of people ask me if they are identical and I really don't see how they look alike.  Especially since their personalities are night and day.

Olivia loves to color and do puzzles all day.  She can sit and read books for hours.  Olivia also thinks she is queen bee.  Poor Maddie just listens to her.  I think when she gets to school she is going to have a big reality check when kids don't actually listen to her.  I try to keep her attitude in line, but toddlers pretty much do what they want.

Maddie has completely different interests.  Out of the two, she is the most quiet...but also very silly.  If you tickle her once, get ready to do it all day long.  She is obsessed with princesses and jewelry.  Everyday she has her purse full of who knows what.  We have a little hoarder on our hands!  Maddie is the one who likes to sing and dance the most.  She can remember words to a song after hearing it just once or twice.  Her favorite line right now "OH OH OH! That's what makes you beautiful".

The funny thing is, even though they are so different, they insist on dressing alike most days.  We always pick out different outfits and they decide to dress identical. 

Gabby (or Gaga as she calls herself...) was on a mission to see some chickens.

It's really hard to believe Gabby is 15 months already.  Wasn't it just yesterday we brought her home? Now that she is walking, everyday is interesting, to say the least!  She cannot sit still and she is always running around with her car (pronounce Cah, like she's from Boston).   This week she hit 25 pounds and she is very close to being the same size as the twins.  I really didn't realize how small the twins were until we had this "little" lady.  She is quickly learning words and different ways to make us laugh.  It will be very interesting to see her interaction with the girls as they get older.  They always say "three is a crowd", I hope that's not the case!


Ricky is getting into the spirit of the season by decorating the house.  Every.Square.Inch.  Outside we have tombstones, boarded windows, spider webs and the whole works.  It's really cute how he gets so into Halloween and fall. 

As you may have noticed, I am rocking a new 'do.  I have a love/hate relationship with my short hair.  It's a big change!  At the end of the day, I have to remind myself it's just hair.  Things could be so much worse! 

I hope everyone else is enjoying this season!  I absolutely hate that I see Christmas trees lit up in every store already.  Let's slow down people!

See you in Cinncinati?

I found out a few weeks ago that I will be attending my first blogging conference in the end of September: Bloggy Con!  I am super excited.  I applied to be a volunteer and I just happened to be picked, thus earning a free ticket. 

For people in the non-blogging world, conferences are a great way to network and meet new brands.  Also, the seminars are going to be a great learning experience!  If I want to keep doing this blog, I would like to know as much as I can and hopefully turn this little old blog into something great! 

When I started this blog, it was mostly to share tips on how to use coupons and find deals.  Slowly, it has become more about fun recipes and finding great products for kids.  I am hoping to figure out exactly where I want to take my blog!

If you are going, be sure to come up and introduce yourself!  I cannot wait to meet some new friends and get away for a few days...it will be weird to be kid-free for 2 days! 

Anyone who has been to a conference before, any newbie tips are welcome!  Also, if you are a brand looking to sponsor someone, email me!  I would love to represent someone at the conference in any way I can!

Garden update! Planning on canning

The drought was rough on our garden, but luckily it is still doing well!  Actually the squash and cucumbers are going crazy.  By next week we are going to be up to our ears in squash, cucumbers and jalapenos.  The tomatoes, green beans and bell peppers are moving a lot slower, but hopefully this month we will get some veggies!

Earlier, I tried to cage our tomatoes but they are just growing up and out of them.  Next year I will have to try a different technique.  We will have to build at least one more garden box, too.  It's a great learning experience! 

Our herbs are a sad sight.  I trimmed them and they pretty much look dead now.  So sad!  We only have mint left.

My main goal right now is to learn how to can.  My mom always canned tomatoes and peaches when I was growing up and I just remember it be a long process.  Hopefully she can teach me some short cuts! I am hoping to do salsa, pickles and pasta sauce.  The rest of the veggies I am going to blanch and freeze.  I am so happy we have a big freezer in the basement!  Next winter we will be set for quite some time!

I have a Ball canning book which has some great tips and recipes.  I am looking at jars right now, hopefully I can find some on Freecycle!

Does anyone can?  I would love some tips, or even a helper...I'll provide some wine!  

New to the blog?  Here's the story of the garden this year:

• Post 1: Garden time!
• Post 2:  Herbs are going crazy! 

Check out your Aldi ad this week!

Happy Sunday everyone!

As you know, I love Aldi.   I talk about it all of the time and I have been shopping there for years! Great prices and small stores make your shopping trip quick and easy.

If you check out their weekly flyer, I'm quoted on page 2!  It's paraphrased slightly, but I'll take it!

7/8/2012 Aldi ad, page 2!

If you haven't shopped there before, I have two great posts which help break down the store for you!  If you aren't sure where to find an Aldi, you can use the store locator here.

• Aldi for beginners
• Why I love Aldi

I am so honored to be quoted, I truly think that more people need to give this store a chance!  Thanks Aldi!

Don't forget your quarter and reusable bags!

Gabby update: My baby is one!

I am having a rough time dealing with my Gabriella turning one.  This past year flew by and I feel like she never really was a baby...it all was a blur!  Between moving into a new house, the wedding and everything else that happened, this year flew by! 

It seems like yesterday I was writing the post about her arrival. She is such an amazing part of our family, I don't know what we did without her.  She loves to make us laugh and smile everyday, I can tell she is going to be the family joker.

Happy Birthday Gabby Goose!  (Or Gaga, as she calls herself)

Peanut Butter for the first time.  She was a fan.

Obviously needed a bath after the PB mess.

On the way to the Y to play with her friends!  Tutu is necessary, of course!

Loving her new phone.  "Hellllo?"

Starting out with the coupons early!

Princess Gabby!

"Mama, you are embarrassing me!  Enough pictures!"

True pain.  This is why I don't wear jewelry.

Beautiful cake made by our friend Sophia.

Burned out birthday girl!

We can't wait to see what this next year brings! 

Meet Mrs.Evans!

I am officially a Mrs!!!  Not that life has really changed, but our marriage was an exciting day for us.  We have been together since 2005 and it was about time! We had a small ceremony in my hometown and the weather was absolutely perfect.  I have been frantically planning for the past 5 months and it turned out very well!

We went on a 5 night honeymoon to Mexico and it was just what we needed.  It was hard to leave the ladies though, but we knew they were in good hands.

Give me a beach book, sun and a margarita and I'm a happy girl!

My hubby!

Pool bar = best invention EVER. 

Now we can relax and enjoy our summer and Gabriella's first birthday this week.  Where did the time go?

Any words of wisdom for us?