Father/Daughter Dance X Two--February 20th & 21st, 2015

This weekend, Chris took Lily to a Father/Daughter dance at her elementary school.   She was really excited, and we had her hair cut and blown out on Friday afternoon.

                                                                     Gorgeous!!

On Saturday, during a snowstorm, Chris got to do the whole thing over again at our church, Immaculate!!!

                                                                     
                                                                            Limbo!

Tired, and missing her friend, Maura, who just moved to Florida--last year, they played together!

She wore the same dress both nights...she was happy with it, and I wasn't able to tamper with perfection!!  

Target Valentine's Day Clearance 2015

There's a funny thing about this Valentine's Day clearance at Target...I just don't care about it.  I think because we really want to get rid of stuff, or because I did so well at Christmas,  and got great things to use for the house, but I don't really care about this one.  It could also be because while I will give those little toy things away to a variety of charities, I already have a box of them, and my own children don't really want too many of those things anymore...sad!!

Anyway, I did run over to Target at 5 pm yesterday, in between picking up and dropping off children. I didn't hear/read much about the stuff had gone 70% off, so when I got there, I was surprised to see signs for 70% off.   This is what I got:

This was last year's cup, which I got for 90% off, so 79 cents.  The problem is, the cap is loose, and the little plastic thing which is supposed to insulate the cup doesn't work, so you burn your body when the hot stuff dribbles out, and you burn your hand when you drink out of it.

I saw these, not in the Valentine's Day area, for 70% off, or 2.39 each.  They have a wool-ish sleeve, that you can take off to clean it, or the cup, which I think might work better.  It is worth it to me, if I don't burn my hands.    I haven't had to use it yet, but I will let you know.  These were in a display near the households section, so look for them if they aren't brought around to the Valentine's Day area.

My kids love Pirate's booty.  It is like air, but they like it.  This was originally 4.99, down to 2.49.   They don't expire until April.   The identical bag, in the regular section, is "on sale" this week down to 5.51.  This is a good deal for me.

That was it.   I think my favorite store will be 90% tomorrow, and I will go early, but I don't need/want to get much--I have lots of candy from Christmas, and I am going to make smaller Easter baskets (so I say...I give so much stuff because my Easter baskets stunk growing up....spiced eggs, and one coconut cream egg--really, they could have done so much more, even with 8 kids!!)    I limit my buying to things that I can use at other times of the year--like bowls, etc.    Happy shopping if you are a Target shopper!!

Snow Day! February 17, 2015

Yesterday was the first full day off because of snow...there have been a few two hour late days, but yesterday, we got the call at 5:15..no school.  Especially nice since they had just had off for Presidents' weekend, and no one wanted to go to school.   I woke them all up to tell them--Timmy's response was "union."  We are still trying to figure out what that meant!


We slept in until 9--9 o'clock!!  It was amazing.   I went outside, and shoveled all the snow--the sun was up, and before I got back into the house, some of the pavement was clear...I always say to use the sun to help you with snow removal!

We left to get donuts for Donut Day...the day before Ash Wednesday we celebrate as Donut Day.   We celebrate Donut day (kind of simplifying here) because it is the last day before Lent begins to indulge in various foods, like donuts.

I thought it was Pancake day at IHOP, but it isn't...this year it is March 3rd.  It is usually the day before Ash Wednesday, but not this year...so instead, they went sledding!!  It was a great sledding day--

Such a good picture, I am showing it again...slight difference.

And this is Anna and Lily, with Grace, when they were done.  Exhausted, and happy.   

 No one had basketball, volleyball, or crew practice...we just hung out, except for Timmy, who went to see Spongebob.  Whoever thought of Spongebob is making a fortune...even six 15 year olds wanted to go see it~!!  

Valentine's Day 2015

This year, Valentine's Day was on a Saturday, which was nice, because we really got to celebrate as a family, all day.  First thing, Anna went to City Champs downtown for crew...it is really hard, and I would say she really doesn't like it, but it is a yearly crew thing that you have to do.

Chris took Anna, so I took Lily to her last Saturday morning basketball clinic.   It is run by a great group of parents, and despite the fact that she claims she doesn't want to do it, she always goes, and
                                                  
                                                         she always has fun!!

Every year for at least the last 7 or 8 years,  for Valentine's Day, we go to Tacconelli's, a Port Richmond pizza place, with our children.   It is really nice to celebrate with our children.  You have to reserve your pizza balls in advance.  They only serve pizza, nothing else.   You can bring your own salads.  It is pretty basic, but delicious.  This year, Chris couldn't get reservations for the Port Richmond location,  but they told him they have a Maple Shade location, for which we didn't need a reservation.    We left at 4, and headed over to Maple Shade.

     I'm not sure why Chris is leaning so heaving on his hand...I think he may be falling asleep.   And Timmy is trying to keep his eyes wide, because it seems like he is always closing his eyes in photos!!

I have to say I was really happy, with the exception that this was our first year without Jack.  This location seems to have the same great pizza, but it also serves really delicious salads, and we got seated right away, so we got out by around 6:30, and home at 7:15.   We exchanged our Valentine's to each other, and we were all ready, done, and ready to settle down to watch a movie, but Anna and I needed to leave because she needed to be driven to a friend's house for a big group sleepover, and this friend lives on the border of New Jersey!!   All in all, a nice Valentine's Day!!

Getting ready for the Target Valentine's Day Clearance Sale--begins on 2/15/15

I have written before about preparing for the Target after holiday (Halloween and Christmas) before...those posts are very thorough about what to look for at Target's Valentine's Day clearance to get great deals to use all year long.

First, I wanted to show you one of my favorite Christmas clearance items....this was only 50% off at Target after Christmas, or $7.50, but I knew I would use this for Valentine's Day.  I wish it were a little bigger, but it looks great hanging outside on the front of our home.   It is one of those big illuminated hearts

       This is an example of something you might not be shopping for, but if the opportunity presents itself, you have to look beyond the obvious use.   These heart wreaths were 1.99 each last year (originally 19.99).   I got several, including one for my house, and I just gave one today to my friend who moved into a new home--she said it was her first Valentine's Day decoration!   My friend Theresa has a Valentine's Day birthday, and I will be giving one to her on Saturday with a special bag of candy

Here are some photos of my favorite Target a few weeks ago...I doubt much of this will be left, but there is always great stuff!! 

Happy Birthday to Me!! February 4, 2015

So, along with really not liking winter (I try really hard to not say "hate"), I really don't like my birthday, which is today.  I love the fact that I am here another year, but there is nothing good about a February birthday...at least not the beginning of February birthday.   The weather today is surprisingly nice...42 degrees!  Shoved between two days where the wind chills were 25 degrees yesterday, and are supposed to be 25 degrees tomorrow,  today seems balmy.   Still, it isn't 82 degrees, like it usually is for Matthew's birthday, or Anna's birthday...in fact, it could be 82 degrees for all 5 of my children's birthdays.

With the exception of Jack, where we didn't give it much thought, it was a pretty conscious decision to have all 5 of our children in nice, warm months, largely because I can't stand my birthday.   My five children are all born between May 7th, and November 9th--the nicest 6 months of the year.   The year Lily was born, I think it went up to 80 degrees for the four days around her birth on November 9th...the whole time I was in the hospital.  Matthew's birthday on May 7th is always warm, Anna is in August, so it is usually downright hot, and Jack and Timmy are born in the beginning of October...always gorgeous!!

Jack texted me this morning at 2:30 am to tell me Happy Birthday.  He has a Physics test today, and had another one yesterday, so he hasn't slept.   It was very nice of him, but I heard the phone ding, and I really didn't go back to sleep.    I heard from my sister, Lisa, my friend from 3rd grade, Sima, and Missy, and Leslie, and Ellen....really, really nice to hear from these old friends.

I spent most of my day at McKinley selling candy for Kiss the Cast for the play--really fun, and I was surrounded by candy, and Lily, who came to help.  Tonight, Timmy has a basketball game...another fun way to spend an evening.   We will be celebrating on Sunday...a dinner at Iron Hill Brewery in Chesnut Hill, which is my new favorite restaurant!!    A great birthday on a not so nice day!!

Yogurtland--Free Yogurt today 4-7 for National Frozen Yogurt Day!

Today is National Frozen Yogurt day, and to celebrate, Yogurtland is giving away a big cup of yogurt with as many toppings as you want between 4 and 7 pm.   It is cold, and windy now, and the wind chill is going to be 0 degrees tonight, but I let Lily miss Lego club, and we all went up to the mall at 4 to get our free cups--it was great!!  Even Anna could go because the Mount cancelled all after school activities...I think people are concerned it is going to be really slick tonight on the roads.   Anyway, we were home by 4:50, which made it a great, fast, and fun trip!!

Groundhog saw his shadow...Groundhog Day--February 2, 2015

February 2nd is always one of my favorite days of the year.  Not only is it Groundhog's Day,   but it means winter is half over.    Well, today is a miserable snow/rain day for us around Philadelphia, although I can't complain, because it is even worse further north, and they already got a ton of snow out of the storm which fizzled around here.

Anyway, the Groundhog apparently saw his shadow this morning, which seems odd, because I thought we were all in this terrible snow storm, and to see his shadow, I think it means there has to be sun.  That means that there will be 6 more weeks of winter.

It took me a long time to realize that saying there is 6 more weeks of winter is really the same as saying it is 6 more weeks until Spring, but the great thing about today, is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel....the days are beginning to get closer to March 21st, and we will maybe feel a touch of warm weather soon!