We got eggs!

A lot has been going on around here, so much so that I feel like I have not posted much lately.  School is in full swing with my daughter who just turned 8 (last Friday) in third grade and my baby in Pre-K.  Pre-K is only two and a half hours a day, and we live out of town a little bit, so I feel like I spend my days going back and forth into town dropping off and picking op the kids.  But anyways, I have to admit, I let the garden get out of control and now its more like a jungle, but we did find our very first pumpkin, planted by my son.

As far as other veggies, we got tons of radishes and peas earlier, lots and lots of tomatos, but my cucumbers did not do so well this year....oh well looks like I will not be pickling this year.

If you have been following the renegade chicken saga, I have an update for you.  Due to continuously setting a bad example for my other hens, and constantly flying up to the top of the pen and jumping down on the neighbors side of the fence, I had to clip her wings.  This is not painful or inhumane, consider it a little haircut.  I trimmed the long feathers on her wings so she can no longer fly.  Since then the coop has been a peaceful place.

I was pleasantly surprised to find eggs in my coop the other day.  I was expecting the hens to start laying anytime now since they are 6 months old, and one has, one of my Rhode Island Reds.  I can't wait until the Auracanas follow suit, they lay bluish greenish colored eggs.  What I was not expecting yet was eggs from my ducks, but at least one has started laying.  I thought I read that they start at 9 months, so now I have to do some more research.  And just to clear up any confusion, duck eggs taste just like chicken eggs.

Labor Day weekend is just around the corner and I am super excited because we are taking a mini vacation to Wisconsin Dells.  This will be a much needed break and family time for all of us.  Due to my husbands long hours at work (we are not complaining at all) we just did not have a chance to do too much over the summer so we are going to have one last hurrah before the nice weather is gone.

Awesome freebies!!

10 Free Note Cards= 10 Free Thank you Cards = 10 Free Cards to Practice Hand Writing and more!! The cards are free, just pay shipping and processing! Shipping starts at $4.43. They also have a free calendar.

 

Winners!

Hello my dearies, I have winners to announce once again but first I need some feedback from you all.  I have been using rafflecopter for the past few giveaways and on my end it makes organizing giveaways much, much easier, but I don't know how it is for you guys that are entering?  Do you love it?  Do you hate it?  Leave me a comment and let me know.

Ok now for some winners...

Winner of the Evora Pet giveaway is Alice Lee, Congrats Alice!

Winner of the Duckle Dance/ Capezio giveaway is number 38 Stephanie, congrats Stephanie!

Emails are being sent out shortly, thanks everyone for entering and if you didn't win this time try your luck at another giveaway.

Giveaway Extravaganza: Carmex Prize Pack

As part of the Carmex Blog Squad, I get to sample some new and exciting products.  According to my husband I am a lip-stuff addict, and this very well might be true.  I like scented lip products but I like when they really smell like what they are supposed to smell like.  Carmex has just introduced some exciting new "flavors" to their line, the Carmex Lime Twist click stick and the Carmex Vanilla click stick.

Carmex VANILLA Stick


"This soft, subtle new flavor is unlike anything you've tried from Carmex before. Ultra moisturizing!Smooth new flavor"

-Ultra moisturizing lip balm
-Non-addictive and not tested on animals
-Contains SPF 15 sunscreen
-Available in .15 oz. stick
I'm totally a  vanilla girl and I love this new scent.  I like that its not too overpowering and has all the wonderul qualities all Carmex products have, oh and that its non-addictive :)

Carmex LIME TWIST Stick


"Discover how this new ultra smooth, ultra moisturizing formula makes your lips feel incredible.Fun, fresh new flavor"

-Ultra moisturizing lip balm
-Non-addictive and not tested on animals
-Contains SPF 15 sunscreen
-Available in .15 oz. stick

This to me is a total summer flavor, so if you are having a hard time letting go of summer, hold on to it just a little longer with this yummy lime stick!

One of my readers will win a super fabulous prize pack from Carmex, woo-hoo!
Included in the prize pack is the following:

1 Carmex Lime Twist click stick

1 Carmex Vanilla click stick
1 Certified Awesome Picnic blanket* (it's really cute)
1 Carmex Moisture Plus® clear satin gloss finish

So hurry up and enter below!




I received a prize pack from Carmex for review purposes, all opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review

Saturday Social Blog Hop

Welcome to Saturday Social, hoping to get more blogs linked up this week, so let's spread the word!  Lets make this the best week ever.

I don't like blog hops that have tons rules that you have to follow so I will make this super easy. The only rule I have is that you follow this blog in order to participate.....that is it. The rest is up to you, link up your blog and follow whoever you want to follow. Ok I lied here is another rule: NO ADULT CONTENT....FAMILY FRIENDLY SITES ONLY.



I will be in the first spot and will follow you back (it might take me a little while to get to everyone so bear with me), so please leave me a comment after linking up so I can make sure I follow you back.

If you would like to grab a button please feel free to do so, this will only make the blog hop a bigger success because it will let others know to come here and link up. The button will stay on my left sidebar or you can get the code below:




<center><a href="http://agnesrhodes.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/cynicangel2/Cup_of_Coffee-thumb-400x328-27.jpg"/></a></center>

Chair Redo

I realize that I have not showed you all an after picture of the desk I refinished but I have not bought new harware for it yet so that will have to wait.....BUT I did redo a chair for it for my son.  So here is the before ($3 chair from Goodwill)

Pretty ugly huh?  Well here it is after a little TLC....

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens Review and Giveaway

"101 Stories of Inspiration and Support for Tweens"
Being a teenager maybe hard but being a preteen is also harder than it looks! School becomes way more challenging, bodies are growing and changing, relationships with parents are much different, and even friendships go through some changes.  Preteens need lots of guidance and support through all of this, and they can find encouragement and inspiration in this brand new book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.  This collection of stories by other preteens, just like them, address the problems and issues they face every day. Chicken Soup for the Soul Just for Preteens will help help them as they get through those tough preteen years from ages 9 to 12. 

What a great way to introduce the Chicken Soup series to a young person, with its stories from others just like them, about the highs and lows of life as a preteen. Sometimes this is the age when kids stop talking to their parents about issues and and rely more on their friends, and reading this book is like talking with friends.  There is a story in there that will connect with each and every preteen in some way.  This book would make an awesome back to school gift for your child or grandchild, especially if they are crossing a big milestone such as starting middle school.  Changes like that are hard for some kids and this book will be there to help them along the way. 

One of my readers will win a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just for Preteens, here is how to enter:

Winner of Pocket Purifier

Let's start this Wednesday with a winner.  The winner of the Pocket Purifier is number 13 Claudia N!  Congrats Claudia, I will be emailing you shortly.

This is how moms go crazy, I tell ya!

Here is a little update on what has been going on lately since you all are probably wondering if I am still alive, well of course I am.  It all started at the end of last school year with me trying to get my son into this pre-school program this fall.  To give you some background on the pre-k itself, its just a regular ole preschool, nothing super fancy, not an ivy league or anything like that.  The only thing that separates this pre-school from the other ones in town is that it is free, oh and 5 days a week as opposed to 3 (at the other pre-schools)  It's free because its funded by government grants and it is through our school district as opposed to one of the churches in town.  Ok so there are always limited openings into the program and 4 year olds have priority BUT they also base it by situation giving more priority to kids who's parents may be unemployed, going through a divorce, are behind on the learning curve and so on.  I have been waiting all summer to see if Bubby got in and got no phone calls or letters, as a matter of fact their phone was also disconnected until recently.  I was in a state of panic since I only sort of had a back up plan, which was to sign him up at one of the two church pre-k's, and their registration was well under way.  After not being able to get a hold of anyone I called the director of curriculum (yes because I will work my way up the dang ladder til I get some answers) who assured me I would get a call.  And now let me tell you how my next day went...ready???

6 a.m. Woke up
7:30 a.m. 2 girls I was babysitting (until 4) got dropped off
8 a.m. dropped of daughter at piano
8:05 a.m. took the other 3 kids and ran to Wal Mart
8:30 a.m. picked up daughter from piano and went home
10:45 a.m. dropped off daughter at violin
10:50 a.m. took other 3 kids and went to grocery store
11:15 a.m. Picked up daughter from violin
11:25 got a call from pre-k program telling me the following "We have a spot for your son and you can register him tomorrow at 10:30 IF you bring in all of the following: Birth certificate, S.S. card, shot record, and physical...oh and its first come first serve"
11:26 jumped for joy until I realized that my Dr. would probably not take me in right away for the physical so I proceeded to call walk in clinic to see if they would....then I realized that in about 30 minutes I would have 6 kids in my care and would have no way of fitting them all in my car to go to the clinic...UGH!
11:27 got a miracle text from the two girls dad saying he got off work early and would be picking them up...
12:00 p.m. 2 boys I babysit got dropped off
12:01 I called the health dept. to let them know I would be coming to get a copy of my son's shot records only to find out that he needed his 4-6 year old shots now rather than in Kindergarten or he would not be accepted into pre-k....asked if they could do it...they said not until October.....
12:02 screamed! then proceeded to call all health departments, clinics and so on in the surrounding towns only to get 1 maybe...depending on what he needed
12:30 drove like a mad woman, with all 4 kids to the health dept. to pick up shot records so I could call back my 1 maybe....walked in to see my friend working who informed me they had 1 person not show up for shots and they had 1 minute to get there.  If they didn't, my son could take their place....jumped for joy again.
1:00 shots were done and on to the clinic for physical
5:00 boys got picked up
6-7 daughter's soccer practice
Now after reading this you are probably thinking "dang, you have your daughter in way too many activities, well actually it was just scheduled like that in the summer, piano and violin were every two weeks and just happened to be on the same day.

So needless to say I went to registration early, since it was first come first serve and I had no idea how many spots were left.  They did not open the doors until 30 minutes AFTER they said they would, and after another mom called the director of curriculum :)

So yes, he is in and I'm a happy momma....he starts next week and I'm going to cry my eyes out....that is a fact!

Oh yes, he started soccer this year also...

Farewell to summer and hello to fall...

It is still warm out but leaves have started to change color and my favorite season is beginning, oh yea its fall baby.  Don't get me wrong, I love summer, but I feel like I get into a slump.  I have no routine, I don't have to wake up early....its nice for a while and then I feel like loaf.  As soon as those school supplies hit the shelves my butt gets moving.  I start organizing the house, papers, schedules, and closets.  I go through all my kids clothes to see what still fits and what we need to get.  I start planning lunches, and snacks and plan-ahead dinners....oh its so great, I feel like I get my purpose back.  Oh and I do one more thing, start baking :)  Once the baking starts, it does not stop til about mid January when I am over winter and want spring back in my life.  Its nice to have all summer to spend with your kids but nearing the end I usually start pulling my hair out and counting the hours until the first day of school, which for my daughter is TOMORROW.  My little pre-schooler has until Monday, and I know the tears will roll, my baby starting school.

I should be in bed right now getting ready for an early morning, but I just finished up making some yummy blueberry-strawberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow.  Time flies, tomorrow 3rd grade, in the blink of an eye she'll be leaving home for college.

Tiny Prints has some spectacular back to school deals on things such as labels and stickers, allergy cards, lunchbox notes as well as teacher stationary, everything you need to get your school year started right.

Kidorable Rain Boots Winner!

I have the winner of the rain boots from Kidorable, winners choice of course.  Drumroll.....

And the winner is ColleenMarie82 with a daily tweet!  Congrats, going to email you right now

LYSOL Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System Review and Giveaway

Did I mention yet I am super excited that its back to school time?  Let me say is again, I am SUPER excited that its back to school time.  I already mentioned that to me its like Christmas, that I am the first of all of my friends, neighbors and acquaintances to buy school supplies.  There is another reason, besides the obvious ones, that I enjoy this time of year....it means fall is here....or almost here...  Fall is absolutely my favorite season, I love the leaves, campfires, hooded sweatshirts, apple orchards and BAKING.  Fall means it is finally cooler outside and I can use my oven again.  I love to bake and sometimes go on crazy baking sprees, but I am super messy in the kitchen.  To me, the bigger the mess, the better the product.  Just the other night I was baking blueberry muffins at 11 p.m.  So usually when I am baking my hands are a mess, so when I got a chance to review the Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System I got pretty excited. 

There is nothing worse than dried up dough on your hands, ok I lied, its worse when its all over your soap dispenser.  When I got this handy little guy in the mail, I decided the kitchen is the best place for it, not only for me but because when the kids come through that back door, they usually wash their hands right there in the kitchen.  If you ever get a chance to see my kids hands when they come in from playing outside, you would understand why I would not want them touching the soap dispenser.  So all you have to do is insert some batteries (INCLUDED in the starter kit YAY!) and the container of soap and you are ready to go.  Whenever you put your hand under the dispensing part, the right amount of soap comes out.  I'm also really glad that it stops....because if it just kept on squirting out soap we would be in trouble.

"LYSOL® Healthy Touch® No-Touch Hand Soap System helps eliminate the millions of germs that your hands can pick up each day! It automatically senses hands and dispenses just the right amount of soap. Handwashing is one of the most important steps you and your children can take to help you stay healthy and with the LYSOL® Healthy Touch® No-Touch Hand Soap System, you and your family will never have to touch a germy soap pump again. "

I really wished that schools had these, I'm sure they would help control some of the germ spreading that goes on there.  Its really no surprise that this No-Touch Hand Soap System, a recently-named 2011 Product of the Year.

The moisturizing, antibacterial soap  kills 99.9% of bacteria on hands, and comes in some awesome scents such as :

•Refreshing Grapefruit Essence™ (Refill only)

•Soothing Cucumber Splash™
•Aloe Vera & Vitamin E with Moisturizers
•Antibacterial Total Care

Lysol has a great Sweepstakes going on right now, visit their Facebook page and enter to win a Grand Prize of a Whirlpool stainless steel kitchen set as well as a weekly prize of the No-Touch Dispenser. 
 
One of my readers will win their very own Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System, just enter below

Totino's Box Tops for Education amd Giveaway!!!

Let's start back to school with a bang this year!  This school year, Totino´s is giving away one million Bonus Box Tops (equivalent to $100,000) to help bring fun ideas to life both inside and outside of the classroom, through the "Learn a Ton when School is Fun" sweepstakes:


This school year, four participating schools in the Box Tops for Education (BTFE) program will each win 250,000 Bonus Box Tops, equivalent to $25,000, from Totino´s to help fund a fun project at their school. Visit www.BTFE.com/Totinos to view official sweepstakes rules.  I am pretty sure any school would love to win this prize and could probably use it for something amazing.  Wouldn't it be fun to take the whole school on a field trip somewhere?

You can start, or continue, to earn cash for your kid´s school by collecting Box Tops coupons from hundreds of products, including Totino´s.  I clip Box Tops from just about everything.  Actually, my daughter's school rewards them with things like cute little erasers or a piece of candy that people have donated, for turning in their box tops.

This back-to-school season, Totino´s Party Pizza and Pizza Rolls Snacks will feature double Box Tops on select varieties, to help you earn even more for your kid´s school!

Fun is an essential part of learning. Continue to help make your kid´s learning environment more fun and exciting by taking advantage of these simple opportunities from Totino´s - enter the "Learn a Ton when School is Fun" sweepstakes for your chance to win 250,000 Bonus Box Tops, and serve up a quick and delicious after-school snack with Totino´s Party Pizza and Pizza Rolls Snacks, while collecting double Box Tops from each. You can also check out these videos from a group of Totino´s Fun-Atics, Box Tops Coordinators who are bringing fun to their local schools.

There´s a special connection between having fun in school and academic performance. In fact, according to a recent survey, 93% of parents believe their kids perform better when having fun during the school day .
And now for the Giveaway.  One winner will receive One Totino´s "Learn a Ton when School is Fun" prize pack which includes a Brain Quest Smart! Game, Micro Rubik´s Cube Key Holder and draw string backpack, and coupons for a free package of Totino´s Pizza Rolls Snacks, Totino´s Party Pizza and new Totino´s Pizza Stuffers.

"Disclosure: The information and prize pack has been provided by Totino´s through MyBlogSpark."

EvoraPet Review and Giveaway

I really love my dog, and I love cuddling with her, but sometimes her breath makes me want to get as far away from her as I can.  I have tried to brush her teeth but that is really a chore, and she fights me tooth and nail.  I was pretty excited to try EvoraPet from Oragenics.  EvoraPet is an all natural, pro-biotic oral care product for pets.  It is an odorless and flavorless powder that is sprinkled on the animal's food, and with daily use helps naturally freshen breath and whiten teeth.

 EvoraPet contains an ingredient called ProBiora3 which was created by Oragenics to fight destructive bacteria.  Oragenics special blend of probiotics reduces the sulfur compounds that are responsible for bad breath.  You only need one scoop a day because it works around the clock.

I have been using the powder on Lucy's food daily (or almost daily) for about 30 days now.  I noticed that she did not seem to care that it was sprinkled on her food, she ate the same as without it.  I also think that there is a noticeable difference in her breath, and using EvoraPet is SO much easier than trying to hold her down and brush her teeth.  What I love about this product is that it is natural, is easy to use, and gives me a more permanent solution to her bad breath than just masking the odor.

"EvoraPet Care is 100% natural and made in the USA in a registered FDA facility, ensuring both the highest quality ingredients and complete integrity. EvoraPet Oral Care is also backed by 25 years of scientific research by Oragenics’ Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, D.M.D., Ph.D."

Right now if you purchase EvoraPet on the Oragenics website, you can get $5 off by entering the code
EPET811 during checkout, this code is good through August 31st.

If you want a chance to try out this great pet product, EvoraPet is giving one of my readers a 30 day supply, all you need to do is enter below (open to US only)

Did you watch Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimention?

We just love Phineas and Ferb and when we found out their first movie was going to be on the Disney Channel we knew we would HAVE to watch it.  In this movie, Perry's worst fear comes true when the boys find out that he is Secret Agent P.  Not only that, but in a trip to the 2nd dimention, he finds out that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has successfully taken over the tri-state area.

Disney Channel and Child's Play Party supplied us with some awesome Phineas and Ferb goodies to make our little viewing party extra special.  Here are some awesome P and F tattoos we put on.

"In this animated adventure -- based on Disney Channel's Emmy Award-winning comedy series "Phineas and Ferb" -- stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb go on their biggest journey yet, into another dimension! When the boys finally discover that their beloved pet platypus Perry is in fact a secret agent who battles the forces of evil daily, they join him on a grand adventure that blasts them to another dimension where a truly evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz has taken over an alternate Tri-state Area. When they uncover his ploy to travel back to their dimension to take over their Tri-state Area, the gang, as well as their alter-egos, must band together to stop him"

Hmmm....anyone recognize these kids?

Just like any episode of Phineas and Ferb, the movie was loaded with awesome songs that you end up singing for days.  My favorite character was the second dimention Candace, she was a bad mama-jamma (Sir!)

Secret Agents O, T and E were so secret that they did not even have any photos....or so we thought, until we caught secret agent E sitting at the table having a snack....

BUSTED!

Phineas and Ferb is a show I, as an adult, can still watch and really, really enjoy.  Not to mention the kids love it and I think it is really age appropriate.  I know that I don't have to worry about bad language or horrible content.  I love the fact that P and F encourage kids to use their imaginations and creativity to make every single day of their summer vacation count.  We actually DVR-ed this movie and the next morning found Secret Agent A watching it again. 

But wait, where's Perry?

Winner of Rock N Learn

I have a winner of the Rock N Learn Giveaway.  The winner is number 24 Candace.  Congrats Candace, an email has been sent!

Guess What? (No it's not Chicken Butt, but close)

So a few weeks back I found out that the Icehogs were looking to put together a fan advisory board to help them make decisions about improving the game experience for fans.  What the heck is an Icehog you ask?  Well the Rockford Icehogs are a hockey team.  They were a member of the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2007. The IceHogs played their home games at the MetroCentre. In 2007, the name and logo were purchased and applied to the current American Hockey League franchise. After the transfer of the name and logo to the AHL franchise was complete, the UHL IceHogs then ceased operations.   The team has also signed a 10-year player development contract with the Chicago Blackhawks (The dates and facts are from Wikipedia so if they're off, yell at them not me....I just enjoy the games)  So anyway here is how my Tuesday went....I went outside in the morning to let the chickens out, then came back later to give them some food and noticed that FOUR of them had gotten to the other side of the fence.  Their pen is about 7 feet high (again this is an estimate, I didn't actually measure the height), the pen goes along the neighbors old wire fence which also has some barbed wire at the top....here is an illustration

Ok so somehow the Renegade Chicken taught the other chickens to fly to the top of the pen and jump down on the other side.  Not only are there two fences blocking me from getting accross, but also a thick jungle of blackberry bushes, stinging nettles and trees....its crazy.  So the only way to get them back (as they pace back and forth along the fence and have no clue how to get home) is to stick your arm through the fence really fast and grab one by the tail, then adjust your grip with your other hand so that you are hoding under the wings.  Now here is the fun part, alternate putting your hands through the fences, passing the chicken from hand to hand til you get to the top and can pass her over.  Again let me illustrate...

Are you with me so far?  Now this in itself might seem easy, but to actually catch the chicken you have to get them to come to your hands, that is the hard part.  What I do is throw bread crumbs toward where my one hand is through the fence waiting then when they come near, try to get them.  Ok, this is a process, add to that the whole area is a mud pit from all the rain we got.

You are thinking right now that this has absolutley nothing to do with the Icehogs, or hockey whatsoever.  Well it does, while I was outside doing this, I got a call from the Icehogs.  I did not know this until I came in and found my cell phone on the couch.  In my home I have a secretary, he is 4 and answers the phone on the first ring.  Panicked I checked my call log and saw two mystery numbers and no voicemails.  One number had a kooky area code so I didn't call back but the other was familiar.  I called back and politely told the man that I had this number on my phone and was just returning the call.  He informed me that I was chosen as one of 12 fans to be on the Icehogs advisory board.  Well woo to the hoo, I was so excited I probably stumbled over my words and sounded like a fool on the phone, add to that, I don't have a clue what my 4 year old said to him earlier when he answered the phone so he probably is totally regretting calling me in the first place.  I should be getting an email this week with more details, but I am so super duper excited to have this opportunity.  We even went out for dinner. :)

You might be happy to know that 3 out of the 4 chickens have been safely recovered, the Renegade is giving me a hard time....