Free 8x10 Canvas Offer!

The nice people over at Canvas People have a fabulous offer going on right now--- you can upload any hi-res. photo and get a FREE (normally $50.00) 8x10 Canvas! You will have to pay shipping, but it's still a great deal! In fact, if you want to order a larger size, you can get $55.00 off any other size.

I did a photo of Mr. S and I from our wedding reception and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the finished product. Here's a photo of our canvas:

By the way, that is frosting on his face, not a blemish on the canvas! :)

Get your Free 8x10 Canvas Here!

Do you hear what I hear?

8 months old today!

Happy 8 month Birthday, Little Girl!

My sweet girl,

I cannot believe you are 8 months old today! Before I can turn around again, we will be celebrating your first birthday. You are growing so fast and becoming more of a joy each day.

Your favorite song to hear Mommy sing is the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and you love going on walks with your Daddy. You are chattering all the time now, making adorable little sounds.

You are eating very well these days and have really begun to enjoy your fruits and veggies! Your favorite breakfast is Rice Cereal with Cinnamon and Apples and you love peaches and pears!

You are not crawling just yet but you have started to pull up on things-- especially in your crib!

You are such a blessing to your Daddy and me and we are hopeful that you will remain healthy as you grow. We pray that you will have a tender heart towards the things of God and that you will love Him and love others. We pray that you will come to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior at a relatively young age and that you will serve Him all of your life. We love you, princess!!

SUYL: Shopping Madness!

Kelly from Kelly's Korner is having a fun "Show Us Your Life Friday" today featuring... SHOPPING!

I am definitely someone who loves to shop but I am always on the lookout for great new stores to visit!

I have been all about Old Navy these days for  Lucy and also myself occasionally. IMO, they really know what they are doing these days as they tend to have pretty low prices and they offer killer coupons! If you haven't checked out Old Navy Weekly, you must before you go shopping again! Every Thursday Night at Midnight, the coupon site is updated and you can try for the weekly coupons, once you find one, you can have it emailed to yourself or print it out on the spot! The coupons work even work on sale merchandise. Pair that with a usual sale and you've just scored yourself a deal. They seem to have adorable clothes for my little Lu lately when our budget cannot afford Gymboree!

Speaking of, I love Gymboree when they have a sale! Their clothes seem to really last through multiple washes and really keep their color, softness and shape. And, if you sign up for Gymboree Rewards, (no cost) then those Gymbucks really come in handy!

One of my favorite outfits of Lu's came from here from the Kitty Cat Line pictured here from her first carousel ride at the fair last year:

You may not be able to tell, but everything just coordinates so well. Love them. 

I must chime in with every single other person alive and say that I LOVE Target! We happen to have a Super Target here in town, and it is so convenient to do our Grocery Shopping and simultaneously browse the kids clearance rack at the same time...Add to that the Starbucks inside, and voila! Mommy's night out! Not to mention that Target now has printable grocery coupons!

 

 For those of you local to the ole' Wake Forest, there are several new shopping haunts that you must visit! 

Sprig is a great little shop for any gifts or garden items you make be looking for! They have lovely unique items-- try them next time you are in downtown Wake Forest! Next door to Sprig, is The Lemon Tree, where you are sure to find something special and possibly even handmade! I have found several little hats, headbands and bows for Lu and have been quite pleased with them.

I understand they will soon be opening a small cafe as well. Fun!

 

 

 

Soooooo..... Where do you shop?

Healthier Oatmeal Banana Bread

Makes 2 Loaves

3/4 cup of Unsweetened Applesauce

3/4 cup of Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

2 2/3 Cup of AP Flour (I mix about 60-40 Regular to Whole Wheat)

1 1/3 cup of Regular Rolled Oats

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 cup of Low-Fat Buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

4 Large ripe bananas, mashed.

Heat oven to 325' and grease and flour 2 loaf pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together applesauce, sugar and eggs. Beat well. Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and oatmeal to applesauce mixture. Add vanilla and bananas. Sometimes, when I want to make it a little less healthy, I add about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Bake in loaf pans for 60-75 minutes.  Cool.

**This recipe has been adapted from a friend of a friend.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

All played out...

Pure Sweetness

Joyner Park

So, instead of continuing the job search, Lance and I have decided to stay here.

Yep, you heard me.

The Stuckeys are puttin' down roots. Deep tree roots.. like the ones under a pecan tree. Much like the trees in the beautiful Pecan GROVE--- right here in our own little town!!!

Our sweet little WF recently opened a beautiful little park full of paved walking trails and....

a PECAN GROVE.

Little known fact about me: I heart Pecan trees. When we take our seasonal pilgrimages to Eastman to visit the Fam, I spend much of the "drive around" time with my face pressed up against the car window, practically drooling over the beautiful Pecan Trees. Whether you say it Pee-Can or Pee-Cahn, they are fab-u-lous.

I mean, just look. Bea-U-tiful.

If you live anywhere around here, you should go. Preferably on a day when it's a bit warmer outside and you happen to have a pot of chili waiting on you when you get home... but still, go!

 

Oh yeah, by the way. We are still looking for a job. As much as I would love to put roots down (ha! ha!) just because of a pretty new park, it's probably not the right thing to do.

Sooooo... all that to say two things:

1. Go to the Park pictured here... or a park of your choosing.... or just find some wilderness nearby and take several deep breaths. You will be glad you did.

2. Please pray for us.We would appreciate it.

Wordless Wednesday

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11




*******

A glimpse of our little family Christmas

               Since we were traveling during Christmas, we had a little family Christmas celebration a couple of nights before we went out of town.
       Mr. S made this amazing, (literally-we thought about it for dayyyyys) Steak Au Poivre. I'm so mad at myself that I did not take a photo of the delicious dinner.Then we read the Christmas Story from Luke 2 around the tree and opened a few gifts. This year, we gave Lu the "Say please Tea Set" and a cute floppy dog which she all but fell in love with in the store. Both were a huge hit; although the paper and tissue proved to be where the real excitement was. Big Surprise.

It took us a few days to share our Christmas memories, but here they are!

Out for a walk...

We just discovered a beautiful new park in our very own Wake Forest and we are in love with it!

More pictures to come but I just had to post one of my two darlings!

Family Photos

Over Christmas Break, I was able to take a few family photos for my brother and his wife and their kids. Here are just a few of the kids that turned out.

So cute. They are both really fun and full of energy to be sure!

Quick Yummy Dinner for a Very Chilly Night!!!

This is truly one of the favorites here in our little nest.
Homemade Sloppy Joes.

Now, those of you who have already cringed and quickly vowed never to read this blog again for fear of compromising your good taste, hear me out: these are not, I repeat NOT your childhood Sloppy Joes. They taste nothing like the slightly foul product that rhymes with "Sanwich." Yuck. These do not come in a can and thus, they do not taste like the come in a can. However, they are still rather quick to prepare.

Try 'em. You like 'em!

Super Sloppy Joes (Adapted from Rachel Ray)

1.25 lb. of Ground Turkey or Beef (I like to mix half and half to cut the fat.)
¼ cup of minced onion (fresh) or a few tbs. of dried minced onion
¼ cup of Brown Sugar
Montreal Steak Seasoning (or other steak seasoning)
1 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs. Tomato Paste
2 Cups Tomato Sauce

      Brown the meat, seasoning to taste with steak seasoning and the onion.  As meat begins to be done, add brown sugar and allow it to caramelize. When meat is browned, add vinegar and Worcestershire and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add tomato paste and sauce and cook until reduced and thickened a bit. Taste Sloppy Joe Mixture and see if it needs extra seasoning. (sometimes extra brown sugar is needed.)
We like it on lightly toasted buns of some kind and roasted potato wedges (recipe below)

Roasted Potato Wedges
* Glass 9x13 Dish (you may need more than one); spray with Pam
* Several Large baking potatoes
* Olive Oil
* Seasoned Salt; a few tablespoons of Flour
Cut Potatoes in wedges, lay wedges in dish. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with flour, seasoned salt (to taste) breaking up any lumps of flour. (Also great to add sprinkled Parmesan cheese—in the green can—)
Cook on 425’ degrees until Potatoes are getting golden brown and crispy. If you use a glass dish, the potatoes will get brown on the bottom and you don’t have to flip them.

We serve all this with dill pickle slices and a stack of napkins!!! :)
(And of course, a nice tall glass of sweet tea!)