Monday, October 11, 2010

Long time coming...

Well, this blog has been in the "works" for a long time.  I love reading the blogs of others (its like a guilty pleasure...maybe because I like to read the blogs while enjoying a sweet treat.).  I have wanted to create my own blog for a few months now, but with the birth of my daughter in July I have hardly found any time to just sit and actually get it done.  Today has proven to be different.  Although, to be honest, I should be taking a nap while my sweet girl is snoozing (she got up at 4:45 am).  I'll probably regret this later.  Oh well.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to be blogging about.  Probably just things that interest me, what I'm learning, what's happening in our lives, etc.  It may not be that interesting, but I think writing can be a sort of outlet for me (I've always enjoyed keeping a journal and cataloging all the details of my life).  So here goes nothin'...

Fall is finally here; however, I'm still waiting for that fall-like weather to arrive and stay for a while.  Here in Arkansas, we have set a record for the most days over 90 degrees ever!  EVER!  I like summer, but that heat has got to go.  We have had enough.  Besides,  I can't really enjoy my sweaters, fall cooking/baking, fall decorating, etc while the temperatures keep screaming "SUMMER!"  I'm so ready to be enjoying the crisp cool air that fall brings.  Not to mention all those yummy goodies that tend to come around this time of year.  Yum!  Like this beautiful Sour Cream Coffee Cake I made recently...

Tom and I hosted his parents (all the way from Idaho) at our home for the past two weekends.  They have spent the rest of their time at his brothers in Northwest Arkansas.  We loved having them here and finally introducing them to our little Hannah.  Its their first granddaughter, so she definitely received some lovin'.  I've always enjoyed being a "hostess" to friends and family, so I loved cooking, baking and cleaning (yes, even cleaning) in preparation for their visits.  I made some yummy stuff while they were here, but my favorite was a Sour Cream Coffee Cake (pictured above) out of the Southern Living Christmas Cookbook (I actually got the cookbook for Christmas last year from Tom's parents. love it).  Makes a scrumptious breakfast with a good cup of black coffee...but I'm not gonna lie, I also ate a second piece for a sweet dessert later in the day. :)  Tom and I love breakfast breads, muffins, coffee cakes, so we enjoyed the leftovers for a few days, too.

Hannah is now 2 1/2 months old.  She is growing more and more every day.  We're loving watching her develop her own sweet personality.  She always wakes up so happy.  She makes every day so worth it...even when she does wake me up way too early.
Tom is working hard at his job as a financial analyst.  He is so good to us, and I will always be thankful for the opportunity I have to stay home with Hannah because he works so hard. Thanks, babe!  You're the best!

Here are a few pictures to enjoy of our time with family over the past two weekends.  And in two more weekends, my family will be here visiting! Yeah!





Love that little girl's smile.  :)

And lastly -

I have decided that I want to learn how to save money by being a better shopper (coupons, sales, clearance items, etc).  I've never had to worry too much about money, but I want to be a good steward with what we have and spend wisely.  So if any of you have ideas, tips, websites, etc that you use, feel free to share!  I am a lover of shopping, so this may prove to be hard, but its something I want to do for our family.  Besides, it might be kinda fun for the "accountant" side of me.  :)


PS - I haven't looked into how to make my blog look pretty yet.  Not a lot of time for that, but I would appreciate any help!

6 comments:

  1. Ashley... that is wonderful!! I can't believe all you girls are so grown up now. I can't wait for our first grandbaby! I can only imagine how your mom feels! You have a VERY beautiful family!!! You are a very lucky girl! Enjoy every moment you can, she won't stay little for long and then next thing you know she will be married and having babies.... :) Thanks so much for sharing. I loved it!!! Shirley

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  2. You have a blog! How fun! Little Hannah is getting so big! I love the big smiles she's giving. Isn't it just the best thing ever? I'll be sure to put you on my Reader so I can keep up with your blog. I'd love to get that sour cream cake recipe. Yum.
    As for the saving money part, we are all about doing that these days too. One blog that I follow is money saving mom. Here's her link: http://moneysavingmom.com/
    She has some good tips. She posts a LOT each day, but I've found some really valuable stuff in there also.
    My tips are to look for cheap baby/kid clothes. Always hit the sales, and always buy at the end of a season for the next season. I've also had good luck with a local goodwill store that has a really good selection of almost new clothes for the kids. They just keep on growing and you have to keep buying! (Consignment shops are also great!)
    Keep us posted on how you do! We'll be in Mena for Thanksgiving...will you be around? Would love to meet Miss Hannah!

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  3. Diapers.com, for the most part, has the best deals on diapers. You have to buy in bulk (to get a good deal) and will get free shipping if you spend more than $45.

    There are at least two nice consignment events in Little Rock: Duck Duck Goose and Rhea Lana. I've been to Duck Duck Goose there before, but not the other one. I get almost all of the "big stuff" (expensive toys, Christmas dresses, etc) from our local consignment sale. I'm very picky about what I'll buy used, and I've always had luck finding items that are good quality, unstained, barely used, etc. If you're not weirded out about it, you should check into it! The sales are in Spring and Fall. Even if you go and don't buy anything, it's worth the experience. (Good-Find-Example--I got a brand-new-in-the-box Bumbo chair last week at our consignment sale for $12. )

    Couponmom.com has good coupons, and they'll email them to you bi-weekly.

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  4. Love it Ashley! My friend just introduced me to Heritage Makers. She has a short video on her blog that shows all the cute things you can make through Heritage Makers.......seemed like something you would love, too! Here's the link:

    http://taketoheartourlegacy.blogspot.com/

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  5. another helpful money saving blog is www.moneysavingmom.com it's wonderful and has lots of "getting started" ideas for all ways she saves money, she references other blogs too that have good info

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  6. Thanks for all the input ladies! :)

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