It was -39 with windchill this morning. (This is not a post about the weather. Honest!) I mention it only, because it makes the fact that Georgia wore her swimsuit all day, that much more odd. I shivered every time I looked at her. I wore polar fleece and decided to this wasn’t a battle I needed to fight (or win). Goosebumps never killed anyone right?!

Here is my oddball in colour. This is also my 365Project photo for the day.

Here she is again in black and white.

I keep trying to ‘do’ black and white, but I always end up liking the colour versions better. How about you, do you prefer colour, or black and white?

I’ll be announcing the ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series winner shortly’ make sure and check to see if you are the winner.

MK xo
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Comments Closed – the winner is: Madeline – email me Madeline @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 5 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember way back in December, I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

the gatecrasher (by Madeleine Wickham)

I know you think you’ve never heard of Madeleine Wickham, but you have. Her pen name is Sophie Kinsella author of the best selling Shopaholic series.

Here’s the author synopsis of ‘the gatecrasher’:

Everything’s coming up roses for Fleur Daxeny, as she goes through more rich men than she does designer hats….if that’s humanly possible. Beautiful, charming, and utterly irresistible, her success at crashing funerals to find wealthy men is remarkable. But behind Fleur’s Harvey Nichols wardrobe, is a woman with a mysterious past. Fleur wastes no time in seducing her latest conquest, the handsome and rich widower Richard Favour, and she swoops into his life like a designer-clad tornado. His children are caught up in a whirlwind as their father’s new girlfriend descends on the family estate leaving chaos and excitement in her perfume-scented wake. Soon, more than one family member is suspicious of Fleur’s true intentions. Fleur is not one to wear her heart on her Chanel sleeves, but she soon finds herself embracing Richard and his lovable family. But just as Fleur contemplates jumping off the gold-digger train for good and enjoying the ride of true love, a long-buried secret from her past threatens to destroy her new family.

I haven’t finished this book yet, so I can’t tell you what I think! I’ll have it done by Thursday, just in time to end the contest and choose a winner (randomly).

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 26th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

What book do you have on the go right now? Would you recommend it?

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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My very own drama queen. Maybe drama princess, as I am still the reigning queen!

After a extremely LOUD and verbal argument with her sister, Georgia ended up on my bed. She was hot, sobbing and very distraught. Mr. MK informed me that she was being horrible and needed to go to bed. I’d missed the ‘horrible’ part and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for my sobbing toddler.

Me: What can I get you? What will make you feel better?

Georgia: An apple (hiccup) and an ice pack (sob).

This is definitely a girl who knows what she wants (needs). It worked like a hot-damn!

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I never should have picked ‘hope’ as my inspirational word for ‘one word February’ after the first day I ran out hopeful images.

Here is an example:

I let my kids watch Oprah last week. There was an episode about ‘the worlds most talented kids’. One of the acts were contortionists (maybe from a circus?). They’ve been practicing ever since; in the livingroom next to the glass/metal coffee table. I ‘hope’ they don’t need stitches.

(note to readers: I accidentally deleted every photo but this from my camera for this particular day. The horror when I discovered that this was day 16 whether I liked it or not).

I guess I can ‘hope’ that I am more diligent in the future, when it comes to photo deletions.

Here’s a few more ‘hope’fuls:

About nine p.m. EVERY night I get all freaked-out, because I don’t have a picture and start taking photos of my nineteen year old’s valentine bouquet (don’t ask)! “GO GET YOUR FLOWERS! AND MY CAMERA CARD!” She’s ‘hope’ing that at some point in her lifetime I stop hollering orders down the basement stairs. (I know I can, I know I can)

Or my nine year old still wet out of the tub. She’s thrilled (I ‘hope’).

I think you’re supposed to see ‘hope’, then photograph it, NOT take a photograph and then try and see ‘hope’.

Can you see ‘hope’? (psst … if you can tell me!)

MK xo
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Comments Closed – the winner is: Cindi – email me Cindi @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 4 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember in December I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

Marshmallows for Breakfast (by Dorothy Koomson)

I love British chick-lit and Dorothy Koomson didn’t disappoint. This is a book about hope, redemption and finding love in unexpected places. You can click on the authors (above) name to go to her blog OR you can click HERE to a short blurb about the book. This one made me cry.

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 19th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

What book do you have on the go right now? Would you recommend it?

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Me: GASP — Georgia, YOUR room is sooo tidy! It looks perfect!

Georgia: Thank You!

Me: I’m so proud. You’re such a BIG, GOOD girl. You cleaned-up ALL of your toys.

Georiga: I didn’t clean them, I hided them.

I am going to post the ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway later today, but right now there are some dishes and laundry that hiding. * wink *

MK xo
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Georgia: (whining) … I want gum too!

MK: I don’t have any gum.

Georgia: Yes, you do.

MK: I DON’T!

Georgia: Daddy does.

MK: Daddy isn’t here.

Georgia: It’s on him’s bed table.

MK: Go get it and show me.

Oops!

Note to Daddy –> please THROW OUT your gum wrappers!

I’m thinking he might forgive me for this, if I point out to you that ‘gum wrapper’ says, “LARGE”.

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a review/advertisement — just some ‘gum wrapper’ goodness from me to you! — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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Normally, I don’t ‘blow my own horn’. I’m not a bragger mom. I’m just NOT, any of you that come here on a regular basis know that Georgia is NOT EASY to please, so when she says, “You’re the best mom in the WHOLE world!” It’s just has to be true. It has to be!

I’ve heard it before, from Sam and Liz, but they ARE EASY to please! A 15 minute bedtime extension, a Kit Kat in the grocery check-out … and I’ve topped the ‘best mom’ list. Georgia’s not quite so easy. In fact, I spend much of my time avoiding this:

This is a daily occurrence, and I was only trying to keep her from suffering frostbite.

In addition to being A.) ‘the best mom in the WHOLE world’, and B.) ‘not a bragger mom’ … I am also a ‘sharing mom’ (OK, so maybe I do brag just a wee bit!). I share my old books with you … the odd cuppa coffee. You get the idea right?

I, therefore, feel impelled to share my secret of HOW TO BE ‘the best mom in the WHOLE world’ (tongue in cheek!!). This is a tried and true method (REALLY), it’s worked several days in a row.

Are you ready for it?

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES –> baked at home by YOU!

You’re thinking it can’t be that easy! Well it is and it isn’t.

I don’t just blob the cookies on the cookie sheet. I lovingly roll each cookie into a uniformly sized little ball and carefully place them on the cookie sheet.

If I were just any old mom, and not ‘the best mom in the WHOLE world’ I’d just pop them in the oven just like that.

NOT I! I press them firmly with a fork!

NOT just once, but twice! EVERY single cookie — TWICE! It’s becoming clearer to you now, just how ‘BEST’ I actually am, isn’t it?

I cook them at 350f for 10minutes. I’m vigilant, about this part. I don’t run and do other errands while they’re baking. No … not me, I sit in the kitchen waiting for the timer to go. Wandering off to do other chores like laundry is how burning accidents happen.

Just look at these perfectly baked (not burnt, because you’re always multi-tasking) cookies. If I were just a great mom, I’d quit there.

I’m not just great! I’m ‘the best mom in the WHOLE world!’ and so I sprinkle them with sugar while they’re still hot.

I serve them to her on a pretty little side plate!

She loves them! She loves me! I get additional points for letting her get to mid-day without brushing her hair!

Here is the recipe:

REALLY!

If you’re really smart like me — (OK, OK — I’m a bragger), you’ll only cook 1/2 the roll and then you can be ‘the best mom in the WHOLE world!’ again tomorrow.

What little things, make your little people happy?

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a review/advertisement — just some DIY goodness from me to you! — because I am nice like that and Pillsbury FREAKIN’ ROCKS– just saying!**

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Comments Closed – the winner is: Laurie – email me Laurie @ kim (at) mommyknows (dot) com

Welcome to week 3 of —> Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series

Do you remember in December I held a Happy Book Day Giveaway on my birthday? Well I enjoyed it so much (because books are my favorite thing), I thought I’d make it a weekly occurrence. For the next several weeks you can count on a ‘Happy Book Day to You ~ the Series’ giveaway every Tuesday.

larger than life by Adele Parks

More British chick lit (yes, I do read a lot of it, thank you very much). Here’s a little excerpt from the author’s site:

Georgina fell in love with Hugh the first moment she saw him. She was eighteen. She’s now thirty-two. In all that time she never loved another man. People are always bowled over with the concept of love at first sight and the idea of such constancy. Faces tend to fall when she mentions that at the time he was seeing a friend of hers, whom he subsequently married and had two children with.

(SiLLy WOMAN!! … the author’s site didn’t say that, I DID!)

Learn more about larger than life

Some simple rules and things to remember:

1. This book is second hand. I’ve read it, I liked it and I am giving it to you. It may possibly have coffee rings or warped pages from sitting on my night stand. Call me cheap, or call me environmentally friendly, I’m not bothered either way.

2. Consider passing it forward when you are done, you could even have a giveaway! Remember, what goes around comes around.

3. You must come back here to see if you are the winner. I won’t track you down, if you wait to long … I might lend it to a friend or a neighbor and then YOU are out of luck. You need to email me with your address, once I receive it I will pop it in the mail to you at my convenience.

4. To be eligible to win, you need to leave a comment on this post. I’ll pick a winner sometime on Thursday, February 12th, 2009.

5. Tell a friend—> this isn’t really a rule, but it would be really nice. wink

MK xo
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**NOTE: this is not a paid advertisement — they’re my books and I am giving one of them away — because I am nice like that — just saying!**

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After all my whining and complaining about sewing, I thought I’d share with you the results.

Ta-da!

Ignore the model, in her world camera = scowl! I made the skirt from a thrift-shop lambswool sweater that I felted. I used the same felted wool to applique the puppy on to an inexpensive white tee from Old Navy.

I didn’t use a pattern, but I did loosely follow the instructions for this skirt here: Oliver + S lazy daze skirt. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. As long as you don’t take a close look at the seams, it is quite presentable.

Here is one where she is actually smiling. Surprisingly enough, she actually quite liked the outfit. She was a wee bit miffed that I sewed the dog onto her shirt. I think she thought she was getting a stuffy. OOPS!

Any other ideas for the recycled wool? I’d love any links, tips and/or ideas.

MK xo
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