My first 2 Valentines day crafts!!

I finished one of my Pineterst little craft project!  I love it!  I will probably have to add more names to it in a few years.  LOL  

And here is a little project I found in Family Fun magazine.  Every family with little kids should subscribe to this magazine.  I can not tell you how many great ideas I have gotten from it! 



 Nana putting glue on the back of the doily.

After you glue it onto the shirt you dab the paint in the holes.  Remember to only use a small amount of glue to glue it on and to use a washable glue stick.  I had to wash the shirt because we used too much glue and some of the glue and paper were left stuck to it.  But it came off clean in the wash!  After you paint all the holes you slowly lift the doily off the shirt and viola you have a doily valentine shirt!

Kristiana loved making this!!  

I will have to post a picture of it tomorrow I forgot to take a final pic! 

Both of these projects took me a total of 10 min! 

  

And the Flu season begins.

At least once a year our house gets hit with the stomach flu.  This year I have to thank the man that brought his grandson to the pinewood derby race our Cub Scout Pack had this past Sat.  Even tho his first grader clearly had the stomach bug he still sat by, played with and breathed on all of us there.  He even got sick at the concession table at one point and the grandfather just walked away.  No big deal right!  Some people, arrrgg.
Allen and Antonio have had fevers the past 2 days and today around 3pm Kristiana started crying.  I looked at her and said "Whats wrong?" She just looked at me with a strange face.  I said "Whats the matter?!?"  I knew what was going to happen.  After having 4 kids you know that look.  I took her over to the sink and she yelled "No Mommy!"  And then it began. 
I'm sure I will get no sleep tonight.  I will sleep right next to her bed on the floor.  I think it's funny how mothers immediately jump into survival mode when our babies get sick.  I put her hair up in a ponytail, a towel under her head and one by the side of her bed a trash can not to far from her.  She has her koolaide, her sprite and a Popsicle to make her feel better.
Cruz says "Mom that stinks, your gonna get sick now. You have to clean up her mess and help her so now your going to get it." 
I told him "Well it's kind of funny Cruz, mommys don't always get the flu when their kids get it."  I can't remember a single time I got the flu from my kids.  Maybe a little stomach yuckiness but not the full on flu.  I told him "I think when God makes mommy's he puts a little something extra in them so they don't get the flu from their little ones."  Watch this being the time I get it from them.  ;0)
I am making a public announcement right here on my blog, PARENTS please, please, please, if you r child is sick or has any type of fever, stomach bug or anything else going on keep them home!    I know we probably would have gotten it somewhere else but kind of aggravating this could have been avoided.

I'm ready for the other 3 to start next!  Fridge stocked with Sprite & Popsicles.  Plenty of towels washed & on hand to help clean up the mess!  I am prepared!

xoxoxoxo

My Kids

I want to start writing about each one.  Then his never  of my kids each week.  I was going to write about Kristiana tonight since she is my only little princess.  BUT I caught Allen playing Barbies with Kristiana tonight and thought I need to start with my oldest that is my big helper.
Allen was just about 2 when I met Tony.  Allen was my little Pikachu "My pocket monster".  He has always been the out going, funny man of the group.   
He loves his little sister and brothers with all his heart and he has a big heart.  He loves everyone and everything his heart is open to everything.  He really enjoys Boy Scouts and doing the whole outdoors thing.  I found him out side trying to start a fire with a magnifying glass and sticks.  He did every step his leader taught him and he was almost there.  There was smoke but no fire, he tried for over an hour. 
He is the only one who will play "girlie" things with his sister.  e has no problems playing Barbies, House or Kitchen with her. 
He will probably get really mad at me for posting this.  ;0)
I am very proud of him.    Last year he had straight A's in school this year it has gotten a little harder for him but he is going to get through it just fine. 
He tells me all the time he is going to live with us until he is 30.  He even told me he wants to go to college in St. Louis so he never has to leave us.  ;0)  I told him the only college out here by us is Jefferson College.  He's response was what about mama's are there any by her?  I said nope bud there isn't.  Then his next response was what about Aunt Lulu's (Gaby, Tony's sister)?  I said yep there sure are some out in the city by her. He said OK, I'll live there trough out college and then when I graduate I will move back home with you and dad.  I just laughed!!!  This is coming from a boy who wanted to either be a Rock Star or a Mail Man. 
Tonight he was playnig barbies with Kristiana because I was cleaning the kitchen from dinner and Nana wanted to play barbies with me.  I told her I couldn't so she went to her dad and asked him.  Of course he wasn't feeling it so I said can someone please play with her.  Allen was the first one to say I will come on Nana and he was in the room before she was.  She gets so excited when they come home from school because she knows Allen will play with her and do what she wants him to. 

;0)

Free Hasbro Games w/ Coupons!!!!

I follow A TON of coupon blogs and facebook pages.  I just saw this one and had to share. 
I have 6 little guys (2 little gals) birthdays between Jan - March So I know these will save me a ton!

The blog I found this on is http://www.cuckooforcoupondeals.com/

FREE Hasbro, Inc. games at Target!


If you are going to Target soon you will want to print these coupons!  You can get $8/1 Kre-O Transformers Optimus Prime Construction set AND $5/1 Hungry Hungry Hippos game
Here are the deals:
Kre-O Transformers Optimus Prime, 90 piece, $7.99
Use $8/1 Kre-O Transformers Optimus Prime Construction set printable
Final Price:  FREE!!!



Just click on this link http://hasbro.promo.eprize.com/deals/coupon.html and click on the "Clip Coupon" And then print them. 
There are 24 coupon on here for all sorts of Hasbro toys !!!! 

One Delicious Meal

Kristiana and I made a meal this evening together!!! She had such a good time and did really well!

Walnut Asparagus Fettuccine (we added cut-up chicken to it as well)

1 16oz package of Fettuccine
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus cut into 1 inch lengths
1 Tbs of olive oil
1 /4 cup butter
1 cup fat-free half & half
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I put in 1 full cup ;0)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring Water to boil in covered pot. Add pasta and cook al dente (instead of 11 -12 min like the box says I cook it for 8min). Drain. While pasta cooks, place the asparagus in wide skillet with water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 min until crisp. Do not over cook. Drain. Combine pasta and asparagus and add oil. Toss gently and return to pot to keep warm.

In small saucepan, melt butter. Add cream. Heat until warm , do not boil. Add Parmesan cheese and walnuts. Pour cream mixture over pasta and asparagus. Add chicken if you wish. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently. Serve immediately. Makes 8 - 9 servings.

This is a Favorite Monkey Meal in our house even my picky 3year old loves it!!


Nutritional information:
Calories 373
Total fat 13 g
% fat 30
Sat. fat 4.2g
Cholesterol 15mg
Sodium 189mg

If you add Chicken you should add those calories into the mix as well..


Hope you Enjoy!!!

Kindle Fire Review

For Christmas this year my kiddos big gift from us was a Kindle Fire. At first I ordered a 7' Google Android Tablet online from 1saleaday.com. Well I received the tablet and was immediately upset! It was not new like the website said, it was refurbished and had scratches all over the screen. You could not use your finger on the screen you had to use the pen it came with. I was soo upset with this tablet! I paid $59.99 for something that was a P.O.S. and if I didn't like it I knew my kids wouldn't. So I decided to contact the company, return it and figure out what to do!!!! THats what I get for trying to go the cheap route.

After researching and looking at everything online I decided to fork out the extra $130.00 and go with a named brand item that a lot of people use. I went to Best Buy forked over the $200 and was really excited!
I love love love this thing.

All 4 of the kids and my husband, so I guess all 5 of them, love this thing as well. We let them download the free apps and books. There are plenty of them! Even my 23 month old has figured this thing out. We use it when out to eat and each kid gets 10 min. I told my boys for birthday gifts they should ask for Amazon gift cards for apps and books you have to purchase. I downloaded a free book on how to organize my life. I can't wait until this summer that is when I get to do a lot of my reading.

I give this item 2 thumbs up, 5 gold stars and a great big mom approval! My friend even told me about an app that keeps my littlest monkeys from wondering around on it and downloading things they shouldn't be. It's called Zoodles. it has a lot of the Nick Jr characters on it. And it's FREE!

Anyone concidering this item for their kids, do it, it is amazing. It even teaches them how to share if you have more then 1 kid. And it doesn't matter the age rang. Mine are 12, 8, 3 and 23months and they all love it.

Tammy

Shop n Save trip!

I have to share!!!!
I saved over $50 on my shopping trip today!!
Tony and I are trying to eat healthier so I was really worried what I racked my bill up to by the time I made it up to the cashier. But with all the sales going on and coupons I had I was super excited!
At http://www.coupons.com/ you can get coupons for certain General Mills cereals and snack bars. Well mix that in with the sale going on at Shop N Save and you could get Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a few others as low as $1.30 each!!! If you purchase 10 General Mills items (cereal, snack bars, anything General Mills) you get an automatic $5.00 off. Those new fiber bars some are made by General Mills and they are gonna go great with my diet!!!! Plus there is a $1.00 / 2 Cheerios coupons along with $.50 off Cinnamon Toast Crunch and lots more at http://www.coupons.com/. I was able to get a box of the new Honey Graham granola bars for Allen for only $1.00!!!
Plus for spending over $100.00 at the Shop N Save in Festus you receive a $.10 off per gallon gas coupon to use at their gas station. I got a whopping $.23 off per gallon with my $189.00 bill!!!

Expired Coupons

Going through my coupon binder this morning and many of them expired 12/31/11.
What do you do with expired coupons???
I mail them to Japan! That's right the Military bases all over the world are allowed to use expired coupons so I mail all mine to them.
I chose this base:

Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator
ACS - 10th ASG
Unit 35115
APO AP 96376-5115

A past co-worker of mine, his daughter is stationed in Japan so I chose this base.
Do you want to do the same?? You can either just mail the coupons straight to them or you can mail them to me and I can send them off.. If you do decide to mail them straight to that address please total up the $ amount of worth the coupons have and email me the total. Or comment right here on this post. To keep it fair the company that put this together keeps track of how much each base gets.

xoxox
Thank you!
Tammy

Happy New Year

Ringing in the New Year this year in the Valencia household was very relaxing and not much going on at all. 2 of my little monkeys fell asleep around 11:30. For those of you that know us try to guess which ones fell asleep....... Cruz of course he is my sleeper and Kristiana, I would've never thought her. My little drama queen.
Allen told me his New Years Resolution today. He wants to try something new and different everyday!!
Cruz said his is to not to do as many chores! Yea right, nice try!
I have quite a few on my list. All to better myself and my family tho.

Last week Cruz chose to go bowling as his reward for filling up his bead jar. When he completes his chores everyday he adds up the beads he just earned and puts them in the jar, when the jar is filled (usually once a month) he gets to chose his reward. So tonight we went bowling! Taking all 4 of my kids and hubby out can sometimes be a crazy ordeal. But tonight it was fun. No screaming kids, not to much money spent (we had coupons so it only costs $8, LOVE IT) it was a great night out with the family.

All the Christmas decorations are down and we moved around the furniture. Our New Year so far is off to a great start!

Happy New Year!!!