Friday Random Five

Happy Friday, hope you've had a fabulous week! I sure did, & to top it off we are finally having spring like temps! No, not 40 (I know most of you think that is what spring is usually like in Wisconsin) but upper 60's & 70's. We even hit 80 yesterday! 

Here are my 5 random thoughts/ comments/ events for the week:

1: After months of agonizing over which to get, I finally got a new laptop!! It's pretty & fast & current - but a little TOO current. It has Windows 8 which I'm struggling with. I would have preferred Windows 7, but I can adapt to pretty much anything computer-wise so it will be fine. Just takes me a little longer to find what I need. I'm just glad my pages no longer freeze or take 10 minutes to load. AND I can watch an hour show in less than 2 hours! 

2: I got to go on a field trip with Michael yesterday with his class. We went to the Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee. Doesn't seem like it had been that long, but the last time I was there was when Matthew was in 5th grade, 4 years ago. Time sure flies! I'm going to write a separate post about the trip, with lots of photos (consider this your warning). And yes, for anyone not familiar with the Domes, they do look like giant boobs. 

3: I had taken the day off work to go to the Domes, so came home right after. This was jut after lunch. Clearly, I disturbed Elwood's nap. Doesn't it look like he's yelling at me? 

4: Starbucks has Happy Hour this week - 1/2 price Frappucinos. I may have had one or two. Or six. But who's counting. 

5: As I said, spring is finally here in Wisconsin. We've earned this one. And while the robins have been here for a while now, it's nice to be able to go outside to take the pictures, instead of taking them from in the house because it's too cold out. Oh, & did you notice there is NO SNOW on the ground?? Ahhhhh .... I think everyone will enjoy this spring & summer just a little more than usual. 

 ~ linking up with Lauren Elizabeth ~

How was your week? 

Weekly random 5

Ok, I usually do this on Friday but the day got away from me. Here are my Saturday random thoughts about this week: 

1: A new Hobby Lobby opened near us a few weeks ago. I wish it had opened a few years ago when I was into paper crafting. I'm so glad they waited to build one until I no longer participated in crafts. Saving me lots of moola! Well, except for the home decor. My son & I went the other night (yes, my 15 year old son *willingly* went with me to Hobby Lobby. What a trooper!) & I bought this for my kitchen wall:

Adorable, no? It will look even better if I ever get around to painting my walls, right now they are white & definitely need some color!

2: What's up with American Idol? They are totally sending the wrong people home! I know, it's up to the voters. I've been voting like crazy, yet Sam is still there :(  I really wanted Caleb to win the whole thing, but I really wanted Dexter to stick around a bit longer. He's WAY better than Sam. And yes, I did vote for Dexter! 

3: What a crazy spring we (& everyone else) are having. I was not happy with the temps this week - 40's, after a few days of 60's the week before. HOWEVER - my in laws, who live about 4 hours north of us, received about 16" of snow the other day. That would be on top of the 12" that was already on the ground. Yeah, 40's aren't so bad ....

4: I bought my son a new amp this week. It. Totally. Rocks! We were at my cousin's house a couple of weeks ago, & he has this one. Matthew loved playing around with it, & it just so happens his old amp died so he HAD to have this one. It's got dozens of effects right on the amp, but it also has software that you can download for even more effect using your computer. Totally fun! Here he is rocking out ....

5: Tomorrow is Easter, the first major holiday without my grandma. There are going to be lots of tears. I edited my pictures from Christmas the other night so I could get them ordered & be able to give them to my uncle & cousin. I was bawling. It's not going to be a fun day. I will need chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. So glad the Easter Bunny is visiting, I'm sure he'll leave me lots!

Hope you all had a good week, & that you have a great Easter Sunday.  ~~ linking up with Lauren Elizabeth ~~

Random Five

I've been a huge slacker. I haven't participated in the last few Friday randoms. Heck, I haven't posted at ALL. Life is busy. Busy is good though :)

1: First & foremost, spring. This week has been in the 60's. My tulips & hyacinths are coming up. The grass is starting to turn green. I've even had my windows open for a short time a few days. Nice to air out our stuffy house!

2: Next week we will be back in the 40's. We do live in Wisconsin, after all.

3: With the nice weather, I've been able to go for some great walks. We live in a very hilly area, which equals a great workout. I walk 2.2 miles in about 20 minutes. I try to run for a few minutes, but I'm definitely a walker, not a runner. 

4: The first couple of times I walked, I got serious shin splints. My son pointed out that perhaps my 10 year old Target tennis shoes weren't cutting it anymore. So I went to Kohl's & used my Kohl's cash, a $10 off coupon & a 20% off to get a nice pair of New Balance shoes for just $24! 

5:We've been discussing possibly joining the Y. I'm all about getting in shape. I don't have a weight problem, but I am completely out of shape. Matthew is loving his weight training class at the high school. The other members of the family NEED to get some exercise. $80 a month for a family membership though. Ouch. We'll have to think about that one some more. 

 ~Linking up with A Rural Journal & Lauren Elizabeth~

Random Five Friday

Gahhhh these are the only posts I seem to get to these days! Sorry - but I do like recapping my week. Especially GOOD weeks :)

1: DST this weekend! Woohooooo ready to spring forward!! I've been ready since we went OFF DST lol. It's supposed to be 46 degrees on Monday!! That's right - it will be shorts weather here in Wisconsin & I can't wait! Pretty soon I'll be back to taking photos of my flowers:

2: I'm going to the high school tonight to see the musical "Lil Abner". I don't know much about it but I do love musicals, & I love seeing kids I know performing. And the best part? My musical-hating son is going with me! I'm pretty sure he just feels sorry for me, but it wouldn't be the first pity date I've ever had.

3: Tomorrow night my son is performing at a bar with his guitar-mates. Every year his guitar teacher puts together a student rock concert, where the kids pick out a song to learn, he provides the backing track (minus guitar), & they get up on stage & perform. Super fun. His teacher is also in a band, which happens to be playing after the concert, & he cleared it with management to allow the kids to stay until 10 to hear them. It will be a blast! 

In case you're interested in last year's performance - he performed a Slash song - ignore the clicks, I was taking stills during recording & didn't realize it would be so loud LOL. I'm such an amateur!

The Godfather Theme

4: I won a blog giveaway! Dawn at Because I Said So (you should really read her blog, she's a hoot!) was giving away some new products from Suave & I won! I  never win! And ... my goodies arrived today already! Can't wait to try them. I'm sure I'll enjoy them extra much JUST because I won them :)

5: The only downside to the week - my younger one is sick :(  Actually my hubby & older son have been sick all week too, but neither missed any school/ work. Michael did - he spent the day at grandma's yesterday, & he made it just past lunchtime today. So ... he's in his pj's & curled up with his apple juice & Elwood, watching Disney. It could be worse :)

~~ As always, I'm linking up with A Rural Journal & Lauren Elizabeth ~~ 

Random Five

Hey, I made it! I'm sorry for the lack of posts but my computer is sooooooo sloowwwwww. It's about 6 years old so I know in laptop years it a senior citizen. Some days it's fine, most days not, so I find myself doing just the necessary things. And unfortunately paying bills & answering emails comes before blogging! 

Anyhoo, here are my five tidbits for this week:

1: Needless to say, we are ALL ready for spring. Tomorrow is March 1st & we are still experiencing sub-zero temperatures & lots of snow. More to come this weekend. I've posted so many photos of snow - so this time I'm posting something different, more cheerful.

This was the view from my bedroom window the other night. I didn't do a very good job of capturing the beauty that was this sunset, but it was setting FAST so I just click click clicked & hoped for the best :)

2: Chocolate Covered Strawberry Frappe from McDonald's. Nuff said!



3: I came across this channel on YouTube the other day: 

2Cellos

Pick a song, any of their songs. They are phenomonal. I love them all. I think this one is my favorite. 

My Favorite

Someone said they had performed on Glee. In fact, on the only episode I've ever watched - the Michael Jackson tribute episode. But I don't remember the cellos. Guess I'll have to search for it & watch it again.

4: My fur-baby Elwood, enjoying the sun. He's still as sweet as the day we brought him home. He's 18 1/2, but he doesn't look a day over 18 :)

5: We signed up for Netflix last weekend. I had no idea it was so cheap! A lot of people complain that they aren't "current" but I'm so behind on tv shows & movies I'm good with it. I just watched the first episode of Breaking Bad. I hear once you start watching ..... there's no going back & you will use every free minute to watch. We'll see, I don't have a ton of free time plus I'm pretty sure I have adult ADD so I'm not sure how well I'll do with it! 

~ Linking up with A Rural Journal & High Five for Friday ~

Random 5 Friday

Yes, it's Saturday. It took me forever to think of 5 things to post this week. Here are my 5 thoughts for today:

Friday Five


That's right, nothing has changed from last week to this week. It's still cold, it's still (or again?) snowing, I'm still behind on laundry & I still feel like crap. 

How's that for a sunny synopsis? 

I've started putting Bailey's in my hot chocolate just to get through these long winter days :)




~ linking up with A Rural Journal & Lauren Elizabeth ~

Friday Five

TGIF! Gotta say, not a fun week. Let's get right to my random 5 thoughts for the week:

1: It's cold. 


2: Too much snow. 

3: I'm sick. 



4: Because I'm sick, I'm way behind on laundry & cleaning. 


5: When will spring be here?



** disclaimer: I like winter, I really do. However, I also know when enough is enough. Who invented the phrase "polar vortex" anyway?


~ linking up with A Rural Journal & Lauren Elizabeth ~

Friday Five

I could NOT be happier that it's Friday! It's definitely been a rough 2 weeks for me & my family, & I'm trying very hard to get back to some kind of normal around here. A new normal. A life without my beloved grandma. 

Ok, this isn't supposed to be a sad post - it's supposed to be a happy Friday post! Here are my 5 randoms for the week:

(Sorry, for the so-so photos, these are my Instagram photos)

1: It's pretty much looked like this every day for the past 42 days. Winter in Wisconsin, I'm used to it. 

2: Oh wait, the sun came out for about 10 minutes the other day! I took this as I was leaving my subdivision on my way to work & I'm glad I stopped to take it - by the time I got to work it was gone. 

3: Target + Starbucks = HAPPY

4: Sunday I was cleaning the basement & found my Rubbermaid bin of school memories. I had fun posting a bunch of photos on Facebook & reminiscing with school friends. Here is one photo I posted:

How fun that I went to a Rush concert! I love Rush!! However, I have no recollection of this concert. I don't remember who I went with or anything about it. Nobody on Facebook owned up to going with me. I hope I had fun :)

5: Tonight is a dance at my son's grade school. Hmph. WE never had dances when I was in grade school. I'm happy to be going - it's always fun & let's face it, it's as close to a night on the town as I'll get these days. 

~ linking up with A Rural Journal & Lauren Elizabeth ~


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Friday Five

TGIF peeps! It's been a few weeks since I participated in the Friday Five party. I've missed it. Here are my randoms:

1: To say it's cold here in Wisconsin would be an understatement. On my way to work today, my car thermometer read -12. That's right, minus 12. That would be twelve BELOW ZERO. And today was balmy compared to what we are expecting on Monday. The high temp will be -3. They've already closed schools pretty much everywhere in our area. We even have a fire going in our fireplace. We rarely do, because I'm terrified of house/ chimney fires. As you can see above, Elwood is quite enjoying this thing called fire. 

2: My son bought a new Ipod Touch last weekend. Guess who got his old one? That's right :)  I'm one happy mama. I do need a new battery for it, & Apple charges $80! Yikes. So .... I'm doing some research. A friend recommended DigiExpress. Not thrilled about sending it away somewhere, possibly never to see it again. We'll see. Meanwhile, you can now find me on Instagram HERE. Needless to say I'm having lots of fun with it, & even more time is being sucked out of my life playing mindless games. 

3: I often go to Starbucks, but I usually get either coffee or a frappuccino. The other day I got a hot chocolate. Oh. My. Word. 

4: I can't remember if I'd mentioned this before, but before I started baking my Xmas cookies this past holiday, I came across this divine invention at Home Goods/ Marshalls:

I hadn't heard of it before, but figured it could only add wonderful things to the flavor of any cookie. Um .... I need more because this bottle is GONE!

5: My kids got a Blu Ray player for Christmas, & Tuesday night we curled up with our hot chocolate & watched the one Blu Ray movie we have ~ Despicable Me 2. Even though we'd seen it in the theater, we laughed like we were watching it for the first time. Those minions crack me UP!!!

~ linking up with A Rural Journal & Lauren Elizabeth ~

TGIF!

Wow, this week seemed long! My son said last night "I can't believe it's Friday tomorrow already. It seems like yesterday was Monday." And to that I said, "I can't believe it's finally Friday tomorrow. It seems like Monday was 3 weeks ago.". Hmph. I guess High School teenage life is more exciting than working mom life. Who knew?!?

Here are my 5 randoms for the week:

1: They are almost done with our roof. Maybe that's why it seems like the week was long. They were here early Monday morning to get started & they are still here. Really, our house isn't that big!

2: I was excited when I filled my gas tank yesterday for $2.99 a gallon! But, my excitement was short lived when I drove by that same gas station today & it was up to $3.06. It's going back up already? I hardly had time to enjoy it....

3: My hubby got two of these on his way home from hunting Up North on Sunday. There's a gas station about 45 minutes from our house that has an AMAZING bakery. A gas station! Crazy!

Yep, that's a regular size fork, folks. This sucker weights almost 2 pounds! And he bought TWO! What was he thinking? And are they gone? Well of course they are, do you not know me at all? 

4: I have a few friends that are DONE with their Christmas shopping! That annoys me. Even though Christmas music is playing in the stores, & the decorations are all out, I am NOT in the mood to Christmas shop. Can we at least wait until the turkey is stuffed? 

5: Our 18 year old cat still has some frisk left in him. Here he is enjoying his drugs catnip:

and one more, showing the end result of all that action:

Don't worry, Elwood - I can't party like I used to either. 

Hope you all had a fantastic week! If you blog about it, link up with High Five for Friday & Random 5 Friday! 

My Random Five

TGIF! There's one thought right there! I hope you all had a good week - mine was ..... well here is my week told in random thoughts. 

1: I feel like I missed fall. The above photo was taken 2 days ago. I swear a week ago the leaves were just starting to turn & I was patiently awaiting the color. Either the leaves fell off before they turned .... or I've been asleep all week! 

2: Also this week, my son has been sick. All. Week. I had to leave work early on Monday & I had to call in on Tuesday. I sent him to school on Wednesday (after all -- no fever, no puking) but got a call at 1:00 to pick him up. I feel horribly for him & if I were still a stay at home mom I would have kept him home all 3 days with no guilt. On the other hand, I am VERY lucky that I work for an amazing employer who never ever frowns upon moms (or dads) missing work for family reasons. 

3: Thankfully, he's starting to feel better - but we are faced with a weekend FULL of homework. That's no fun :(

4: My husband went up north to go hunting this week. Which is fine, except he installed a new bathroom faucet right before he left. I give him a D-. We have a bucket under the sink right now. 

5: I'm starting to think nothing good happened this week! Let's see ..... well .... I filled up my gas tank today for $3.04 a gallon! Yep, that's about the best thing happened this week. It was definitely one of those weeks. 

~linking up with A Rural Journal (even though technically she's not doing the linky thing anymore, she's still having everyone join her in Random 5 Friday. You just need to post your link in the comments) & High Five for Friday~

Friday Five

Happy Friday to all!! This week has been a coooooold one - in case you were confused, fall is here! 

I took this photo of my Burning Bush about 2 weeks ago - & now it's FIRE red! Must get out there with the camera before it's all gone, covered with snow!

Here are my Random 5 whoozits for the week:

1: I am not amused by the weather. Not only did I have to turn my heat on in the house last weekend, I had to cave & put my electric blanket on my bed AND dig out my flannel pj's. It's only October! It's going to be a loooong winter. 

2: My husband bought a new car. Well, not NEW new - new to us. This, after his car was totaled a few weeks ago. 3rd car of his totaled in 3 years. And surprisingly, it does NOT get easier with experience. 

3: Had my first High School Parent Teacher conferences on Monday. Of course, my son rocks. Genius. How cool is it to hear from the Computer Apps teacher that when she gets stuck with something she asks my son for help? I told her I do the same. I am grateful for my in-house Tech Support!

4: I was looking for a popcorn popper & did NOT know which to buy. I've always made microwave popcorn. Well, the few times we have it. But my kids are eating more of it lately, & I'm worried about all the bad stuff I've heard about micro popcorn. I tried making it on the stove but failed miserably. I went to both Kohl's & Target, knowing I probably wanted the West Bend Stir Crazy. Lots of my Facebook friends said they loved it. Couldn't find it at either store. In fact, each store had just ONE popper on their shelves. Didn't want either. But at Target I did find this: 



It's the Nordic Ware Microwave Popper, & I had seen it online when I was researching others. Only $9 at Target, & I've read nothing but great reviews. Just put the popcorn in, with or without oil, & stick in the microwave. Easier to clean up than a big popper. Haven't tried it yet, but will this weekend. I have lots of plans for yummy flavored popcorn, thanks to THIS BLOG. If you love sweets & have never visited, go now. Run. You'll understand when you get there. 

5: Next Thursday is Halloween. Then starts the big run-on holiday season. Merry Thanksmas!!! 

~Linking up to High Five for Friday & Random 5 Friday~

Friday Five

TGIF!

I don't know about you but I'm ready to bid this week adieu ....

my lovely aster plant, already done for the season. Glad I took this photo a few weeks ago!

I really had to scrounge for 5 things that weren't awful about this week!

1) We got a yummy pizza lunch at work today. My co-worker was going to spring for pizza for the whole customer service department, because it's been a @*%&$ week for everyone. When the CEO got wind of it, he said lunch was on him. This, after our FUN FIELD TRIP last week - what a boss!

2) Had Michael's Parent-Teacher conference yesterday. He's doing pretty well, except he's getting a little sloppy with his penmanship, & kind of rushing through his essays, so we're going to work on those things. And .... can you believe this .... she said he's a bit on the chatty side. I can't even being to imagine WHO he gets that from! 

3) This song. I can't get enough of it. I listen to it about 50 times a day, because I can :)

4) We got a Keurig at work. I'd never used one before. After weeks of wandering the KCup aisle at various stores, I finally broke down & bought some. There are just so many flavors! I bought this one:




Uhhhh... YUM! It tastes more like French Vanilla hot chocolate than coffee, but usually by the time I get to work I've had half a pot of coffee, so I don't need anymore. This is perfect. I'll have to stock up!

5) Facebook. It's no secret I LOVE it. I'm on there every day. Even if I don't post, I love to catch up with what my friends are doing. This week, I reconnected with a woman I haven't seen since second grade. We were such good friends the first two years of grade school Then she moved away. Then I moved away. Then she came back, but I wasn't aware of it. She sent me a friend request this week. We have LOTS of catching up to do. It's been 40 years. Where do we start?

~linking up with Random Five Friday & High Five for Friday~

What a crazy week -my Random Five

What a week it was. I can't say there was too much good about it but I'll try. Maybe I'll make a list of "good five" & "not so good five". Yeah, that's what I'll do.

Good Five:

1) Our company closed early today, & our CEO took us bowling. Although, I didn't bowl, I didn't eat, I didn't drink any alcohol, & all I did was think of all the stuff I needed to be doing rather than being there. Wait, this is supposed to the GOOD five. Let me start over.

Our company closed early today, & our CEO took us bowling. Great way to spend a Friday afternoon!

2) My son's birthday is tomorrow. He'll be 15. I keep telling myself that's GOOD but I'm sad. I miss Blue's Clues, preschool & Candyland. I mean, YAY my son turns 15 tomorrow! 

3) I hate pumpkin. I hate the taste & I hate the smell. But you know what I DO like? Apple Pumpkin tarts from Yankee Candle! Bought one a month ago & just melted it for the first time last night. Mmmmmmm

4) Beautiful weather all week here in Wisconsin -- 70's & sunny, my very favorite! Makes for some beautiful skies {see photo above}

5) The Packers won on Sunday - yet ANOTHER win at home against the Lions. So sorry, Detroit :)

Not So Good Five:

1) My hubby got into a car accident last week Friday, his birthday, on his way home from work. 3rd accident in 3 years. He was sitting at a light, & someone slammed into him. Found out yesterday his car is totaled. So we get to go through the obnoxious process of dealing with the insurance company & looking for a car. Again.

2) Construction. I live 10 minutes away from work. It took me 25 to get to work this morning, so I went a different way home. Took me 40 minutes to get home. Yep, that's about right.

3) Went to the dentist, & for the first time in 4 years I need work done. I need a crown. And I'm not talking about the kind with rhinestones. Ouch in so many ways. On the bright side - Nitrous Oxide. 

4) We need a new roof & it's torture picking out the shingle & gutter colors. A lot of money for something so unfun. I think I'll have a party when it's done. You know, so everyone can come see .... my new roof. Woohoo.

5) I was putting groceries in the back of my minivan yesterday, & the handle snapped. Yep, completely broken. It could have been worse. I didn't think the door would shut. I was wondering how I was going to get home with my back hatch wide open. Luckily it did shut. It just doesn't open. I'm sure that one little latch will cost several hundred dollars to fix. 

So there ya go - the best & the worst of my week. Hoping you all had a week filled with only good things! 

Linking up with Random 5 Friday & High Five for Friday.

Friday five

Linking up to Random 5 Friday & High Five for Friday!

Happy Friday!! Here are my 5 randoms for the week:

1: I bought 10 cans of pumpkin puree this week. I am a pumpkin hoarder. For the record - I HATE pumpkin. The smell .... the taste .... yuck! But, all my friends & family love pumpkin & I love baking pumpkin goodies, so pumpkin goodies it is! I know, I rock!

2: Last week Friday when I woke up, I couldn't hear out of my left ear. I figured it would eventually pop, but it never did. I lasted 5 days, then went to the doctor. She unplugged me & I can hear again! Nothing like ear wax to make you realize you take hearing for granted!

3: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. *Loved* the first episode! I'm a huge Avengers fan (Iron Man is my favorite) so this will be a must-watch every week.

4: The Target near my work finally got a Starbucks! All the other stores had them, except "mine". I'm there at least once a week. This is good. Or it could be bad. Depends on how you look at it.

5: More coffee news: we got a Keurig at work. I've never used one before, ever. I could never have a single cup maker in my house, as I drink about 4-5 cups of coffee a day. But I am excited to try it, & am searching for just the right flavor. Gosh, there are so many choices! 

What's your favorite coffee flavor-in-a-pod?

Have a super weekend!

High Five for First Day of Summer Friday!

Boy did it STORM today - it looked like it was the middle of the night for most of the morning. And the thunder & lightning - yikes! That was a lovely welcome to the first day of summer!

Well, even if I don't have time to post anything else, I'll find the time for High Five for Friday each week - it's fun recapping the positive events of my week, no matter how minor :)

1: Watching my kids play baseball. I may have mentioned they each play 2 games a night. Sounds like a lot. It IS a lot. But I love it. So what if we have to eat hot dogs on the go 4 nights a week. 

2: My peonies are finally open! I was starting to think they were going to die without ever blooming.

3: Every year our small little town has the greatest parade - for Father's Day. Seriously? I think mothers deserve a parade WAY more than fathers! Whatever. We still had fun :)

4: Have you tried the Crystal Light liquid mix yet? My kids love the MIO, so I thought I'd give it a try. YUM! I have this at my desk at work, it definitely livens up the boring old ice water that I'm supposed to be drinking (my employer is VERY into wellness). My favorite CL flavor is the Raspberry Ice, but I didn't see that one in liquid form. So sometimes I mix the strawberry lemonade above, with this:

Soooooo good mixed together! Hey - I bet it would be good mixed with a little vodka!! You know - like Vodka Lemonade - big summer drink here in Wisconsin. I know what you're thinking! I swear, I would never drink vodka at work!

5: I was SO thrilled to find these flowers at a nursery last weekend! These are Pretty as Picasso Supertunias, & ever since Proven Winners posted a photo on Facebook I was on a mission. They didn't have it at the garden center I usually go to, which usually just has "the basics". So I found some time last Sunday to stop at a different one & there it was, in all its glory. The above picture is not mine - but once it's nice & full I will post some photos. It's so pretty :)

One more awesome thing happened just today, in fact. We are in the process of refinancing our mortgage - & just found out today that our house appraised at a LOT more than we originally thought it would - therefore allowing us an even lower rate than what we were going to get. We will be closing in the next week or so, with a rate of 3.875% - our mortgage payment will be HALF what it is now. So happy about that! I guess I have High Six for Friday this week!

I'm linking up with Lauren over at My Grey Desk - how about sharing your own 5 things from the week & linking it up?

Hope you all have a great weekend!