Phone Tree

Now usually people have a phone tree set up in case of emergency so everyone finds out the information quickly without having to call 857 people.  Well today there WAS an emergency...a Target emergency :)  Toys have been finally marked down to 75% off!!!!  This needed immediate action!  I had to call all my Target friends.  

I love this sale as well as the after Xmas toy sale!  I get toys for all my nieces and nephews as well as Little Lion for birthdays and Christmas.  Mr. E always has a heart attack when I come home with bags and bags of toys.  But I pleasantly remind him that I am SAVING him money by shopping sales.  Today I got 33 toys for $100.  I mean really when else can you get such deals???  

So I suggest you RUN not walk to you nearest Target to get some toy deals!

Breaking Dawn!

Since I am a stay at home mom, I get a little break in the afternoon while Little Lion snoozes.  During this time is when I blog, surf the net, and read....notice I didn't mention cleaning :)  Well my new favorite young adult series Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is coming out with the 4th and final book on Saturday, Breaking Dawn.

For the past week, I have been rereading the first 3 books, Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse.  I remembered how much I enjoyed these books.  Granted it is a young adult series, but it is a true love story between a girl and vampire with a werewolf thrown in.  As cheesy as it sounds, you fall in love with all the characters.  Bella is a teenager who falls in love with Edward a vampire and wants to become one so she can be with him forever.  Of course they have many problems with other vampires trying to kill her and jealousy issues with Jacob the werewolf who is Bella's best friend and in love with her.  To not give away too many spoilers, I recommend reading the series.  Love, Action, and Happy Endings...what more could you ask for???

Also the 1st book Twilight is coming to the theaters in December. The actors wouldn't be my first choice of who I pictured in my head, and hopefully the movie does the book justice. Nonetheless, I will definitely be there!

I am anxiously awaiting Saturday to get the final installment.  They are even having midnight release parties at all the major bookstores....very Harry Potteresque!  Do you think I should go at midnight???????  I want to, but then I'd be up all night reading which would make me be a crabby mommy on Saturday.  Hurry Up Saturday!!!  BUT it needs to slow down after that since my birthday will be on the following Friday...EEEEKKKKKKKK   30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Wisconsin!

Little Lion and I are about to embark on an adventure to Wisconsin!  It'll be an adventure since Mr. E will not be joining us since he has to save his vacation days for Hawaii, and I'll have to fly ALONE with Little Lion.  I booked tickets today to visit my family there.  I haven't been back since 2002.  So I think it's about time to visit.  Now that sounds like I'm an awful family member, but I've seen pretty much everyone since then because as you know Florida is a popular destination.  And more importantly, WARMER :)  However, most of my family hasn't met Little Lion.  It is time to visit. 

Our plans include going to Milwaukee.  We'll probably visit the Brookfield Zoo.  Little Lion has never been to a zoo and this one is one of the best.  We are also going to Marinette which is where I grew up.  Not too much going on there for entertainment, but that is were most of my family lives.  We may check out the beach.....haha....Lake Michigan :)  

I think this is a sign that we MUST go to the zoo!!!! :)

2 months minus 1 day...

Until Paradise!!!!  I thought today I'd share where we are staying for our 2 glorious weeks in Kauai.   We are staying at Pu'u Po'a condos on the northside in Princeville.  Here is the view from our lanai.

Here is our beach outside the condo.  This is the view from the movie South Pacific too;)

Are you jealous yet????

Mission MARATHON!

Bare with me this will be long...

I am the shopping queen!  I never pay retail which allows me to stay home...or so I tell Mr. E :)  Last year at the end of July, Target had a TON of toys 75% off.  I bought all of Little Lion's Xmas, birthday presents as well as for our nieces and nephew.  I bought $300 worth of toys for $66 dollars :)  I know Target is in the process of getting ready for this big markdown again this year and I plan to do the same buying as last year.  So I've been frequenting Target on a weekly basis as well as reading slickdeals.com. 

 I found that Target also marked down their Britax carseats.  If you don't know anything about Britax, they are the best in safety ratings for carseats and run in the $200 range.  Little Lion rides in a Roundabout Britax which I got at 75% off at Target the year before he was born ;)  Yes I like to shop ahead...hey I save big bucks this way ;)  However, that deal was before the craziness of everyone reading deals online and getting them quick.  So I knew I didn't have much time to waste in my search for a Britax deal.  

You are probably wondering why I would need another carseat when we have one for Little Lion.  Well we will probably have another baby sometime in the future....no I'm not pregnant, I'm going to Hawaii before any of that talk ;)  Anyway, the Roundabout is the smaller version of the carseat.  It goes to 40lbs which will last Little Lion for another year or so.  But by then maybe #2 will be on the way.  So I wanted to get the Britax Marathon which is the next size up.  It goes to 60lbs.  I check online to see what is available instore.  My Target states that they have NONE....Grrrrr Someone got there before me!!!!  I call anyway to double check.  Yup NONE.  However they have the roundabout for $153 from $229....30% off.  Still a great deal, but I have one.  So the good friend that I am I call my PG friends, R and T.  I only get ahold of T.  She says thanks and she'll talk it over with hubby.  

However, this doesn't help me!!!!  I proceed to call every Target within a 15 mile radius of my house.  I found 2 stores that have the Marathon.  One hasn't marked down any Britax yet....no deal.  The other was only marked down 15% $229...not a good enough deal for me.  GRRRR

I call my Mom and tell her that they are marking them down, but after checking her closest Target, they don't have any Marathons either.  GRRR  She says she is going to Target anyway and will look.  I tell her that I don't want anything unless it's under $200 mind you it's $279.  She calls 30 mins later and informs me she has a Marathon in her cart....FOR $139!!!!!!!!!!  SCORE!!!!!!  She tells me that the they are 50% which is the cheapest I've seen/heard for now.  The Roundabout is $109.  

I call R and T again.  I only talk to T.  She said WOW great deal.  Mr. T didn't want to get one yet, but for 50%.  Heck yeah ;)  I also decided to call Mr. E to let him know I'm spending $$$.  He says we should get one for the lady at his work who is PG as a group gift.  So I have to call my Mom and send her back to Target.

Guess what....NONE were left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OH NO I call T and she tells me she talked to them and they put one on hold for her...yeah for someone getting the deal....and they were on their way out there.  I call Mom back to tell her way they were gone and she tells me there was another Marathon there....WHAT and you didn't get it???  So I call T back to tell her to get that one and get the roundabout for the gift.  OK great....she gets there...NOT there!!!!  However there was 2 Roundabouts which she got :)  

WHEW what an exciting bargain day!  I love the thrill of it and of course sharing the wealth!!!

Merry Go Round

Sorry to not have posted in awhile.  We have been tourists for the past couple of weeks.  My nieces are here from Wisconsin for the summer.  And of course, they want to hit up Orlando's best ie... theme parks.  The down side to that is that is 850 degrees here and everyone and their mother is in Florida on summer vacation.  Today we went to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure.  We went to the Studios first since most people go to IOA.  It was nice to only have to wait 10-15 mins to get on rides.  We rode the Simpson Ride for the first time.  It was fun and WAY less jerky then Back to the Future.  I kinda thought thought that it was a little violent for a theme park.  Krusty the Klown's assistant wanted to kill all of the Simpson's including the baby and had his gun out.  Is that really necessary?????? 

We also went to Cypress Gardens.  We have never been before.  Why would we with all that Orlando has to offer in big name attractions.  CG is an old park that originally was just gardens and southern bells walking around.  They needed to boost attendance, so they added a few easy rollercoasters and a small water park.  The best part is that it is half the price of Disney or Universal.  We actually enjoyed it more than we thought.  The park was pretty dead except in the water area.  We got on everything right away and they let you ride twice if you wanted. CG has many kiddie rides so Little Lion got a taste of adventure.  Little Lion became obsessed with one ride.....the Merry Go Round.  He would ride all day if he could.  He is such a big guy.  He sits on it by himself and holds on.  He also pets the horse or Suess character for IOA.  He also enjoyed the flying rides.  I think we're going to have a little daredevil on our hands.  

Notice niece #2 is looking a little bit more scared then Little Lion.....haha

Our 4th of July Celebration

Our 4th of July is always spent with Mr. E's family since his Dad celebrates his birthday the same day. So we had a cookout with everyone. Here are some pictures from the day taken by Crazy Uncle Tommy...and maybe the first of me on my blog :)




   Awww aren't we cute????

Little Lion turns 1 and a 1/2!!!

I can't believe how fast time flies!!  Little Lion is 18 months today!  And our monthly tradition is to take a picture on his monthday to see how much he has grown.  However, since he has become mobile it's been harder to get a nice picture with the sign.  Nonetheless, here is a then and now picture from his last half birthday.

THEN July 3, 2007


NOW July 3, 2008

Ahhh look at those cute baby cheeks!!  Where has my baby gone?  Little Lion is turning into a Big Lion.  What difference a year makes!  Happy Half Birthday Little Lion!!