11 in 2011 Blog Challenge

I am going to link up with Kit from A Step into my Life and 

MJ from teach in heels for 11 in 2011.  

For the first 11 days of 2011 share a little about yourself, your favorite things, accomplishments in 2010 and exciting plans for 2011.  

First link up is New Year's Day!

Here are the topics, so go ahead and start planning your posts!

Day 1:  New Years Resolutions
Day 2:  Favorite Holiday Memory
Day 3:  Favorite Work-Out Tips
Day 4:  Best Leftover Recipe

Day 5:  Places You Hope to go this Year

Day 6:  Best Organization Tricks

Day 7:  Favorite Memory of 2010

Day 8:  Favorite Healthy Snacks

Day 9:   Favorite Things to Do on a Cold Winter Day

Day 10:  Favorite Girls Night Out Events
Day 11:  What are you Looking Forward to in 2011

 

Make sure to head over to Kit or MJ's blog and link up!

I won!

I finally won a giveaway! I'm so stinkin' excited! Stephanie from Houghton Happenings hosted a ton of giveaways over the last couple of weeks and I won! I won the Cuddles From Home giveaway which I am really excited for KR to get her pillow and blanket! With all the traveling we do I'm sure she is going to love it! Now I just need to pick one pillow/blanket combo that I want for her. My top four as of now are the Pink & Chocolate Daisies, the Pike & Chocolate Zoo, Raspberry Garden, Black & White Silhouette. Thanks to Cuddles From Home and Stephanie!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I have never linked up with What I'm Loving Wednesday before but I feel like there are so many things I am loving right now that how could I not list them for you all! So here we go...

I'm Loving that Christmas is only three days away! Since Jason and I got married we alternate spending actual Christmas day with his mom and in KS with his dad and my parents. This year is our year to be in KS on Christmas morning! I'm super excited to be at my parents house just like when I was a kid!

I'm Loving my mom got great news yesterday! In her exact words "I got the best Christmas gift I could get today. I got good news from the eye surgeon and my cancer Dr.. Spent most of the day between two offices. Tumor shrunk again this time. Not in diameter but in thickness. Good either way. Cancer seems to be staying in eye, don't see signs of it elsewhere. Merry Christmas to all!!!!" 


I'm Loving this video that Caroline over at Simply Smithwick posted on her WILW list

I'm Loving the family pictures we had taken yesterday! Here is just a sneak peak:

The whole family

Miss Little KR

One quick one with KR and mommy!

Even though KR still is not feeling the best, she did an awesome job! I will post more of the pictures on a later post!


I'm Loving that KR is finally starting to feel a little bit better! I now understand what people mean when they say they wish it was them that was sick instead of their child.

I'm Loving everything right now! Tis the Season to give thanks for the wonderful things in life!

Top 2 Favorite Christmas Memories

Taylor over at The Undomestic Momma is one of my favorite blogs to read.

She is absolutely adorable and so is her sassy little girl!

She is currently undergoing chemo and decided to sell candles to help with the number of medical bills in result of her health issues.

If you are addicted to candles, you should visit her Etsy site.

She is also the host Top 2 Tuesday! 

I try to participate every Tuesday but sometimes I'm a slacker but not this week!

Top 2 Favorite Christmas Memories

1)  At my house everyone has to wait in their bedroom until my parents would come get us and tell us Santa had been there to visit. When I say every year I mean even now when I am 28 and my youngest brother is 21! It is a fun tradition and my parents have video of us coming down our hallway every year so it is kind of cool to go back and look at how we have changed in the last 20 years!

2) One year we saw an actual deer in my grandma's back yard. She lives in the middle of my town so it is really usual for a deer to be that far into town but it was kind of a funny story. We always go to my dad's mom's house on Christmas eve. She lived with my great grandma so my grandma's four siblings and their families would always come over and we would enjoy snacks and open gifts. Well once we had opened gifts one of my great aunts we out to put some stuff in her car when she came back inside exclaiming that there was a deer in the back yard. We all thought she was trying to be funny and didn't really think much about it. Well it turns out she was not being funny and there had actually been a deer in the back yard! We determined there had been a deer due to the tracks that were left in the back yard! From then on the kids wanted to head home because we thought it had been Santa checking on us!

Make sure to head over and link up with Taylor!

Miscellany Monday

OnE We are celebrating Christmas number 2 today! We celebrated at our house the Sunday before we left and now today we are celebrating in Reno with Jason's mom, Garth and his sister.

TwO Kinley did GREAT on our two flights to Reno! She didn't sleep a lick because there were so many people giving her attention but she wasn't fussy either.

ThReE I am loving the weather right now in Reno. It is cold for everyone who lives here but for us it is 40 degrees warmer than it is at home in Iowa right now!

FoUr My mom goes back to the doctor tomorrow for her regular three month check up so please send up an extra prayer tonight that we get good results. The last two check ups we have got good news/resutls in that the tumor had shrunk and there was no cancer anywhere else. These appointment alwasy make me a little nervous but once we get good news it is such a relief.

FiVe Only five more days until actual Christmas day and 10 more days until K-State plays in their bowl game!

SiX I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE VACATION! 13 days until I have to go back to work! Yeah!

I Hope everyone has a wonderful last five days before the BIG Holiday!

Top 2 Favorite games!

This week at Taylor blog The Undomestic Momma it is time once again for Top 2 Tuesday!

This weeks topic is Top Two Favorite Games

Number one: 10 point Pitch

I learned to play pitch when I stated dating my now husband. His family is crazy about pitch and it is always a huge competition in his family.

Number two: Mexican Train Dominoes

Jason and I just learned this game last year at Thanksgiving from some of our friends and we have been introducing it to everyone we know since then. It is a lot of fun but can be very frustrating also!

Miscellany Monday

OnE. HAPPY MONDAY!! Today is actually my Thursday...hurray! I am working today and tomorrow then having a "pamper me" day on Wednesday before our big holiday travel begins on Thursday. We will be driving to KS on Thursday to fly to Reno on Friday!

tWo. Excited, nervous, scared, worried...basically you name it I'm feeling it about flying with KR on Friday! I have been fretting for a couple of weeks now about what to bring, how much to bring, what can I take in my carry on, etc for KR. Jason and I fly all the time, we are good at it, we have it down to a science but now add a six month old....yeah I have no clue what I'm doing!

ThReE.We celebrated Christmas at our house yesterday since we will be gone for the next three weeks and it was wonderful! Jason and I decided that we would pretend that yesterday was Christmas morning so when we woke up we got KR up and headed downstairs. We then opened our gifts, had chocolate chip pancakes and spent the morning playing with all the sweet thing we opened!

fOuR.My wonderful husband is the best gift buyer ever! He totally surprised me with a new flat screen TV for my closet and an iPod touch! I had mentioned a while ago that I would like to have both but didn't need them right now well anyway, I had totally forgot I had said anything until I opened my gifts! AMAZING!

FiVe. Have I told you yet how excited I am to have 13 days off work?!? I am so ready for a break and ready to be rejuvenated before beginning the spring semester!

Have a wonderful Monday!

On the fourteenth day of Christmas

I can't believe today is already day 14 of the Christmas Blog Challenge! Which also means:
7 more days of work before we leave for our holiday travle
11 days until we are in Reno
17 days until we are in Kansas
19 days unitil Christmas
24 days until K-State plays in their Bowl game!

Seriously what a great month!

Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience?

*iPad from Apple

*Le Creuset Cookware

*Miraclebody Jeans by Miraclesuit

*Baker's Edge Baking Pans and Ghiradelli Brownie Mix

*Breville Panini Press

*Elfa Customizable Closet System from Conainer Store

But most of all.....


*Nikon D31-- Digital SLR Camera!!

On the thirteenth day of Christmas

Favorite Cookie Recipe

My favorite cookie recipe comes from my great grandma  Petersen. She use to make these peanut butter balls covered in chocolate...OMGoodness were they yummy! I swear I would eat a million of them if I could. Well I have tried to make the recipe a few different times and no go. They aren't the right size or the peanut butter doesn't stick together or the chocolate doesn't set up right...bottom line, they never turn out as good as her peanut butter balls!

Seriously...how yummy do these look!

My other favorite holiday recipe is candy cane cookies. A very simple sugar cookie recipe but you divide the dough into two then add red food coloring to half (some people also add peppermint flavor to the red half) then you  twist 2 strips (one of each color - red and plain) together like a candy cane. Hook over one edge and place on an ungreased cookie sheet bake for 9 minutes...AH Mazing!

I am so ready for all the yummy food this holiday season...my waist is not so we will have to exercise self control and not over indulge!

I can't wait to read about all the other wonderful holiday recipes!

On the twelfth day of Christmas

Show us your decorations (indoor/outdoor)

Christmas is the only holiday I decorate our house for and trust me I go all out. I don't like a lot of little things that look like clutter but I do love trees! My husband feels like one big nice tree in the living room is the only tree you need, well you see I disagree. I feel every room in the house needs a tree.*insert: we are a fake tree family so you can have lots of trees* I grew up in a house where we had our family tree in the living room but then each of us had our own tree in our bedroom and this is a tradition I fully intend of continuing as KR grows up.

Here are pictures of the big decoration I have up so far: 

Living room tree

(minus the decoration, I have been waiting for
the hubs to get home so we could do it as a family)

Hubs K-State wreath I made him

The K-State tree

The stocking are hung...

KR's tree

(we plan to buy her an ordainment each year to put on her tree)

Willow Tree Nativity set

I would love to put up decoration outside but it always seems to get too cold before we get the up so we will just have to go with the inside decoration again this year!

Arbonne's Pampermint Gift Set

Amy over at Life Follows Faith is having her first giveaway  and the best part...it is just in time for Christmas!

Amy is giving away Arbonne's Pampermint Gift Set!  What better way to treat yourself after hours of shopping for everyone else than to come home & pamper your feet!  This stuff is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Nourishing cream and gentle scrub pamper your soles and your soul — a gift of cozy comfort right down to the tips of your plushy socks. Set includes FootWork Foot Scrub (Net wt. 12 oz.), SoleMate Foot Cream (Net wt. 9 oz.) and Signature Socks in a holiday gift box.

Now what are you waiting for...head over to Life Follows Faith and enter Amy's giveaway!

On the eleventh day of Christmas and a sweet giveaway!

New Year Resolutions

I don't think I have ever made a "New Years Resolution" par say but each year around the holiday season I start thinking about about things I would like to do better or ways to make me a better person. Here is my list for this year:

*Be a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend

Not that I am necessarily doing a bad job now but I know I could be doing better 

*Grow my faith
We have found a church that we love and now I would like us to

become more involved in the church fellowship

*Learn to say NO

I have a really hard time with this so I am going to work on it if it kills me!

*Be healther

In food, life and exercise

*Wish everyone of my friends Happy Birthday on Facebook

Ok, yes I know this sounds silly but this is going to be my way of narrowing down my friends on Facebook. Seriously, I almost 900 "friends" on Facebook, I think it is high time to cut some strings! If I feel like I can't wish you a Happy Birthday because I don't know you well enough or we haven't spoken to each other in the last year...your getting the ax!

*Enjoy life

I have a very hard time relaxing enough to enjoy life sometimes. I'm always worried about he details and making sure everything is just right, well if I would give that up sometimes then I think I would be a happier, healthier and more fun person to be around!

 **********************************************************************************

Also, I found this awesome giveaway today! I have been a follower of Design Dazzle for awhile now, I love, love, love all their super cute things they have and the great ideas they blog about! Well....today they posted a giveaway like none that I have seen before, get this...The Design Dazzle giveaway is for 3 miche purses, yes that's correct 3 miche purses!!! The winner can choose the bag set option #1 or option #2.

Option #1 - retail value $170.00

Option #2 - retail value $116.00

 

I think if I win...which I never win anything but a girl can hope right?!?, I will choose option 2! Make sure to head over to enter this fabulous giveaway!

On the tenth day of Christmas

Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all Christmas music! However, I am a strong believer that you are not allowed to play Christmas music until 12:01am the day after Thanksgiving!

Happy Thursday everyone!

On the ninth day of Christmas

Favorite Holiday recipe

I don't have one favorite Holiday recipe that is my favorite. I would say my favorite thing to eat is white chocolate covered Ritz crackers! Very taking simple! Take two Ritz crackers then put peanut butter in the middle then dip them in white chocolate...yummy!!!

On the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth day of Christmas...

Or in other words I got really behind on the twelve days of Christmas Blog Challenge!

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season
I always make a list of everyone we have to buy gifts for then assign an amount to each person and try my best to stick within that budget. I also try to keep everything fair, I get this from my grandma, if one parents get $50 then they all get $50 the same goes for siblings and others. I also keep a notebook of what gift ideas we have for each person and then on another page what we have actually bought them so when we are at the store and find a great gift I know if I have anything left to buy for that person.


I have read on a couple other blogs about putting money in envelopes. I have seen a couple of great ideas that go along with this concept:
1) put a little bit of money in the envelope each month so when it come to December you have your budget already in hand.
2) Make a budget like I already do for each person then put that amount in an envelope with their name and the amount you want to spend on them so you don't over spend on any one person.


The last tip I have is it is never too early to start buying gift! I have been known to buy gift as early as July! A deal is a deal!

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

HANDS DOWN! Elf is my favorite holiday movie!

"I love you, I love you, I loooooooooove you!"

Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)

This was the topic last Tuesday on my Top Two Tuesday post so feel free to jump over there and read that post.

Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY  (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)
 I love Christmas trees! There is nothing too special about the trees I have up but I fully believe that there should be a Christmas tree in every room of my house! Good thing the hubs is out of town so I can put up as many trees as I want! Ha!

However I do love when people have a mantel they can decorate! There are some beautiful ones that women have already posted pictures of! I wish I had a mantel for that reason!

Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays
GLITTER! GLITTER! GLITTER!
I can't stand how it is in the carpet, your close, the furniture and everywhere else for the next 365 days! I refuse to buy anything that has even one piece of glitter!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving!

On the third day of Christmas

Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received

I have received lots of wonderful gifts and many gifts that I love so since I can't pick just one best gift I will tell you about the two that are the most meaningful to me. I received both the Christmas of 2007. Anyway, each year by grandparents gave us two things for Christmas:

A money envelope with money

An ordainment from a craft show

Both were signed Love, Grandma and Grandpa. You see the reason they are so special to me is 2007 was the last year that these gifts were signed this way since my grandpa pass away in February 2008. I have written about my Grandpa on our family blog, and the special bond our family had with him. We still get the money envelope with money and the ordainment from my grandma but the ones from 2007 will always be the most special to me since it was the last year they were with Love, Grandma and Grandpa.

On the second day of Christmas

Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks

I LOVE BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING!

No I am not one of the crazies that stand outside all night and wait for an item but I do love the rush of getting to all the stores and finding exactly what I have on my list!

I don't know if I really have any Tips or Tricks for Black Friday shopping but I usually look through all the ads find the things that I really want and then head out shortly after the stores open. I learned a long time ago not to ever go for the "big ticket" items. For example if Best Buy has a computer for $200...well that is great and all but each store only gets a couple of those in stock so in my opinion it is not worth sleeping outside all night just to try to be one of a few people who get that item.

I like to arrive at the stores right as they open then I miss the pushing and shoving of everyone bull rushing as the doors open but I still get there early enough go to get what I want. I don't really have anything in particular I am looking for I just check the ads and find good deals. 

Here are some general tips:
*Make sure to eat something! Grap a granola bar on your way out or if you are like me stop and get a doughnut at the gas station on your way.
*While you are at the gas station make sure to pick up a bottle of water to keep you hydrated and a soda for the caffeine. Also, don't get a fountain soda get a bottle. You can put it in your purse and have something to drink while you are waiting in line
*Make sure to stop and eat lunch!
*Don't spend more than you have. Buy gifts is not worth going into debt!

Happy Black Friday shopping!

My Unique Shower Curtains

Yes, I usually get very excited about giveaways but this one I am truly in love with! Taylor at The Undomesic Momma is hosting My Unique Shower Curtains giveaway and it is awesome!

My favorite curtain would be the monogram curtain! I have been looking for something like this for a while now and when I saw it on Taylor's Blog I just had to have it! Lucky me she is hosting this give away!

Here are a couple of pictures just to give you an idea of what the monorgram curtain looks like:

This is the one from the website

This is from Taylor's bathroom/her blog!

 Make sure to head over to Taylor's blog and enter the giveaway!

Top 2 Things on Your Christmas Wish List

Happy Tuesday of Turkey Break! And since it is Tuesday that means it is time for Top 2!

Top 2 Things on Your Christmas Wish List

I struggled to make a Christmas list this year...there are plenty of things that I want but one of two things ends up happening; one, I go buy it for myself or two, I forget that it is on my wish list. I did end up coming up with a few things that I wanted and here would be the top two things on my list:

*ONE*

A new watch...

Ok, actually this is the same watch as I had for three years and it just broke last month. I really want this same watch again but I can't find it at any Target! I even tried looking online and it says they are all sold out! Really?!? How can you be all sold out of this simple purple $10 watch! I have a hard time believeing that it would be THAT popular!

Just in case that watch really is sold out everywhere I would take this one as a back up!

*TWO*

Money, Money, Money

Ok, really what I mean is money to get my nails done

I love, love, love to get my nails done! When I was working a second  job the money I earned was my money. I could spend that money on whatever I wanted and I didn't have to feel guilty. I would buy Starbucks every morning, get my nails done ever other week, and treat myself to fun things. Well, once I got pregnant I quit my second job so the money went away and so did the nails. I really don't think Jason cares if I use our money to get my nails done but I feel guilty spending our money on a treat for me. Thus, I'm asking for money for Christmas so I can put it away in a savings account I started with my birthday money for "my" stuff like getting my nails done.

Ok...one more thing just in case my lovely husband is reading this...

VERA BRADLEY!

Here are my Top Two Vera Bradley bags that I REALLY want!

Vera

in Baroque or Buttercup

 Get Carried Away Tote

in Baroque or Buttercup

Just thought I would leave a little extra hint!

Meet Me On Monday

Ok, really one last post for the day! I was reading some post by others that I follow and I found a new way to meet people! Java over at Never Growing Old host Meet Me On Monday ever Monday where you answer 5 questions so other bloggers can get to know you. So here we go...

 

Questions:

1.  How many pillows do you sleep with?

2: one I sleep on, one between my legs

2.  Where will you eat on Thanksgiving?

My House!!
We stopped going home last year and started celebrating in IA 

with our friends or like we say our second family

3.  Would you rather go to a party or host a party?

I could go either way, more and more I would rather host!

4.  How many purses (for the guys..wallets) do you own?

I just gave a big trash bag full to a friend (who doesn't love free purses?!?) so I would say I have about 10 right now. However, since little Miss K was born I only ever carry her diaper bag or my wallet if she is not with me!

5.  What is your favorite kind of seafood?

NONE!  I hate seafood, well unless Long John Silvers counts?!?

Miscellany Monday

1. Today is the first day of Turkey break at work...ok, well I have to work but the students get the whole week off so it is going to be super quite around here!

2. Today is "floofing" day at work. 

Some people would call this tree decorating but here at good ol' Maucker Union we call it "floofing" and it doesn't get any better than this! This year I instated "tacky" sweater day to accompany "floofing" and it was amazing!

Here is a quick snapshot of the final product:

 

3.  Turkey day is THIS Thursday!!!

We are having about 10 of our friends over to our house for a yummy smoked turkey dinner and then we are hoping to put out most of our Christmas decorations after everyone leaves.

4. Black Friday is THIS Friday!!!!

I LOVE BLACK FRIDAY! 

Even if I don't buy anything, I love the rush, the people, and the caffeine at 3am!

Happy Monday everyone!

On the first day of Christmas

Today is day one of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge that Aly and Molly are hosting ...which yes has 14 days but they just couldn't cut two topics! Now lets get started!

Traditions

My family has lots of traditions and I LOVE all of them! Since Jason and I have been married some of those traditions have been altered and/or changed but I have also gained some wonderful new traditions since becoming part of Jason's family. Since Jason and I have been married we started the tradition of spending Christmas with one family and New Years with our other family. It gets a little complicated when you have three families (Jason's mom & step-dad, Jason's dad & step-mom and my family) to split time with at the holidays. Luckily Jason's dad & step-mom, and my family live about 35 minutes apart so that helps when splitting time! Essentially it comes down to Reno (where his mom lives) or LA (where his sister lives) for one holiday with Jason's mom & step-dad and then Kansas for the other holiday where Jason's dad & step-mom and my family lives. Here is just a quick snapshot of our holiday traditions depending on where we are that year for which holiday:

If we are in Kansas for Christmas
*Christmas eve is spend at my grandma Joan's house (my dad's mom). We have "snacky" foods then we open gifts.
*Christmas morning is spent at my mom & dad's house. We get our gifts from Santa (yes, as long as we still believe we still get gifts). Our gifts from Santa are never wrapped they are just placed in piles under the tree. Typically each of us knows exactly which piles is ours and we dash right to our pile! Then we get to open our gifts from our parents (which are wrapped and we each get our own paper that all our gifts are wrapped in).
*Christmas afternoon is spent at Jason's dad & step-mom's house. We usually open gifts once Jason's brother can get there and have some yummy food!
*We have Christmas with my mom's family sometime around Christmas, there are almost 30 of us now so it takes some planning to make sure everyone can make it! The tradition with the Cook family is everyone brings a $10 gift and we do a white elephant gift exchange.
*Typically we fly to Reno/LA on the 26th and spend a week there

If we spend Christmas in Reno/LA
*Typically we will fly in sometime around the 23rd or 24th and spend a week with the Best family.
*Christmas morning always kicks off with opening gifts and our stockings! Typically we get one big gift and our stockings. Jason's mom loves filling our stockings with all kinds of goodies, actually I'm pretty sure it is her favorite part of the gift giving process!
*Once we have opened our gifts and stockings Jason's mom makes us chocolate chip pancakes! This is defiantly by far my favorite tradition I have gained from joining Jason's family!


Like I said before I love the holiday season and I love every tradition I have with all of my families! The best part of the holidays is simple...spending time with our family!

12 Days of Chirstmas Blog Challege

I wasn't planning on doing another challenge so quickly but I really did enjoy the 30 day blog challenge I just completed and I love the holidays....so why not! Aly and Molly are hosting 12 Days of Christmas Blog Challenge, which yes has 14 days but they just couldn't cut two topics! The challenge starts on MONDAY! I'm excited to meet more wonderful people and the topics they have selected are amazing!

So here is deal:

Start Date: Monday, November 22nd

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditions

Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks

Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)

Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY  (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)

Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays

Day 9: Favorite Holiday recipe

Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles

Day 11: New Year Resolutions

Day 12: Show us your decorations (indoor/outdoor)

Day 13: Favorite Cookie Recipe

Day 14: Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience?

I really enjoyed meeting the wonderful women I met during the 30 Day Blog Challenge so make sure to come back on Monday to link up! I hope you all join in!

Days 1 -3 are November 22 - 24

**** NO BLOG CHALLENGE ON Thanksgiving! ****

Day 4 will pick back up on November 26th!!

You do not want to miss out!!!!

I never thought I would be this mom...but...

So I posted yesterday about a wonderful giveaway that Stephanie was hosting at Houghton Happenings....well today there is even a better one! Like I said in the title, I never I thought I would be THAT mom but I guess I am! Stephanie is hosting a giveaway for Casanne's,  Cassandra (the owner) of  has so graciously agreed to give away an item of your choice!!

When I first saw the booties on Stephanie's blog I thought OHMYGOODNESS! they are so cute...but then I went to the Casanne's site and I'm not kidding they are all super cute!

Here are my top three favorites

And if you have a little boy...ties!

I hope to win the giveaway but just incase I don't I have added these to K's Christmas list! I will for sure be passing these on to all my friends who have babies or know someone who has a baby!

The best winter giveaway yet!

I am so excited about the giveaway that one of my favorite blogs Houghton Happenings is hosting! Thanks to Patti at Northern Lodge she is giving away your chance to either win your choice of scarf or a $25 to credit to apply to anything in her store! How cool is that?!?! I had never heard of Northern Lodge until this giveaway so I went over to check out everything she has to offer and boy was there a lot! Two of my favorites include:

The Two tone beige angle hat

Scarf Autumn afternoon-a blended yarn scarf

I think either would be perfect for winter in Iowa! Don't forget to go check out the Houghton Happenings blog and the Northern Lodge store!