Target.. Will you please be my Valentine?

We were invited to a Super Bowl Party this weekend (as I am sure most of us are either having a party or have been invited to one).. with that said, I have my list of things that I was assigned to bring.. so no surprise I start looking for new recipes to try.. But in my inbox I have the Target weekly ad email so I get side tracked a bit and end up on Target's website.. shocker.. Anyways..

I accidentally hit the See All button underneath the Weekly Ad button and it brings me to a whole list of categories I never even knew existed on their site.. and then Grocery caught my eye..

I click on it and would you believe they have a recipe section!Seriously...It is super cool too, because they have some really great recipe categories.. and to boot you can even print out coupons...but the feature that made me the giddiest.. a little button that you can select under a recipe to add those ingredients in the recipe to your shopping list, and then you can print that out!!!!

I mean are you kidding me... Awesome..

Contemplated dropping our monkeys off at the zoo..

So we decided to take the hour drive out to the new zoo and aquarium that just opened...

The kids really seemed to enjoy themselves..Luke was pretty excited about seeing the alligator this close..he was so cute telling me to take a picture of him..(please disregard grainy photo..don't get me started on my dang camera again..I seriously had a tantrum in the aquarium about it..)

It was pretty cool how they even had it so when you looked up there was things going on..

They even allowed you to touch the ray thingys.. I didn't particularly like the idea of the kids doing that but daddy helped them while mommy stood far away cringing as she took pictures..

Then one huge part of the park is this flume ride..which the kids went CRAZY over..

You get in this log and it takes you through all of these exhibits.. here are the monkeys.. you were seriously so close to the animals I was scared they were going to jump in the log with us..and yes in the back of that photo you can see the part of the ride where you go up and then free fall into the water and get splashed.. We don't need to worry about taking the kids to Disneyland they LOVED that part and were begging us to ride it again...

Here the ride takes us through the aquarium ...

And pass the Macaw's..

Then we decided to take the "African Safari Train" which takes you through "Africa"..

There was an open field that the train traveled through and you could see birds..antelopes..zebra..ostriches.. and other things they said could potentially come up to the train.. we weren't that impressed..

By far though the most exciting part of the whole trip was getting to feed the giraffe's!!

It was amazing!! The kids and I were so excited and I couldn't stop laughing and smiling..

The way their tongues feel when they wrap around your hand to take the food tickles and it was just so neat being able to pet them and feed them..

I have a serious crush on giraffe's now..

It ended up being a very relaxing fun family day..

The Perfect Valentine's Day Card....

Not your Grandma's Buttons...

Love! Love! Love! this absolutely adorable store...
You have to go check it out http://bakeitpretty.com/
I am not even close to being called a baker, but I sure do enjoy attempting to make fun and yummy treats for family and friends.. and this amazingly talented woman has definitely provided the means to have the fun part with this fantastic website.

I just look at these candy buttons and can't help but smile.. they are so darn cute...

I think these would be perfect for the kids and I to make for them to give out as valentine's treats..

Get yours here... and don't just stop at those.. wait till you look around.. I am sure your cart will be just as filled to the brim as mine is!

Handy Dandy...

That title is soo cheesy but whatever..

I haven't done any sewing in awhile due to the craziness of the holidays and I am getting that itch to get back to my machine... anyways I found this pattern for this pin cushion caddy and it intrigued me.. it comes from the book Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing by Anna Maria Horner

I already had printed out the pdf for Heather Bailey's pear pincushion that I was going to do because my tomato pin cushion needs a serious upgrade..but now seeing this one.. I think I will try it instead..

I always have odds and ends laying around on my table so it might come in handy ( hence the title) to have this as my pin cushion...

I will post pictures when I have completed and tell you how following the directions went.. Let me know if you decided to try it as well...

My horoscope today said I was in for a major do over in my life...

This will do......

The 2009 HGTV Dream Home located in Sonoma, California, and a new 2009 GMC® Acadia.

Worth more than $2 million dollars...

I guess I will give you the info so you can enter once a day through February 19, 2009 as well... but if you win and I don't I am coming to live with you...

Resemblance???

Hailie always reminds my family of someone, but we all couldn't put our finger on it..

Then my sister nailed it....

The Party...

A little late, but oh well...

New Years Eve and Mom and Geoff's wedding celebration..The Spread...Also, Mel and I spent hours working on a dessert bar that was breathtaking and nobody took a picture... humph Mike obviously approved of it though..

Just a glimpse of the "liquids"...
What was in that water GB?
The cousins... it has been a long time since we have all been together... The guests were getting a little "rowdy" before the countdown...

Shh, it is almost midnight and the champagne boy is coming around.....Wouldn't be New Year's without watching Dick Clark and the countdown...

Happy 2009!

Luke and Hailie tested.....

Mommy approved...
Remember this post I did about Crazy Forts ....
Well as I predicted this Christmas present has been a hit..
The only downfall is now I have to go to Target and buy more sheets to accomodate all of the crazy forts they are building!

We are so Happy and Thankful for a New Year and a Fresh Start..

Luke Story....

Last night.. Luke came in the middle of the night and woke me up..scared me half to death, and then he said "mommy, my hand is broken.." I sat up straight and was like what..what did you say..what happened.. and he said, " my hand isn't working" I took one look at him and laughed to myself a bit as he was holding out his limp hand.. and I said.. oh baby your hand just fell asleep.. and I started rubbing it and moving his fingers around telling him it would feel better in a minute.. he looked right up at me and said.."okay, but if it doesn't feel better soon I am just going to have it replaced with a robot hand..."

Can you tell my son is a little obsessed with STARWARS....

so funny.. they make me smile..

Wowzer!!

I don't drool over many "techi" things.. we all know that I am a fashion kind of gal... (put a pair of shoes in front of me and get the drool cup out) but MY GOODNESS... I don't just want this laptop... I NEED this laptop....
Seriously have you ever seen anything so extrordinary...
This HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam edition series makes my heart skip a beat...