HouseParty.com

Today I got an AWESOME package in the mail, and this is what it had in it:

Why is this so awesome you ask?? Well, because it was FREE!!!  Twister Mania is a $50 xbox kinnect game that's not going to be released until the 1st, and I just got it totally free!  The catch?  Well, I've got to share all this awesome stuff with my friends by having a "Twister Mania House Party"!  Not a bad stipulation if you ask me!  And all this is made possible by HouseParty.com.  

Now, I'm not trying to sell anybody on anything here, I just think it's a superly awesome site and I wish I had known about it sooner!  You go to the site, sign up for an account, answer some questions about your household/what kinds of parties you'd be interested in, and then you can apply to host a party!  I will admit that right at this moment there aren't a lot of good parties open for application, but you just gotta keep checking back!  Recently they've had a couple of different video game parties--Zumba Fitness for the Wii (we don't have a Wii, so didn't qualify, darn it!!), Everybody Dance for the Playstation, etc.-- and they've also a couple of Shutterfly parties for those who like pictures and making cards and things!  They have all kinds of categories from food to games to crafts to kids!  Another downside is that it can be hard to get a spot hosting a party, so it may take a while before you get in on one, but I feel like it's worth it to keep trying!  Once you get selected to host a party, they send you a "Party Pack" that has stuff for your party!  They usually include the product that they are trying to promote (i.e. the Twister Mania game), coupons, and party favors for your guests (in my pack I got balloons, twisty straws, and twister coasters)!  After the party, post pictures and/or video, and you're more likely to get selected for more parties!

Anyway, I just thought it was super cool I needed to share!!  I feel like this is an especially good opportunity for those who have a few friends, like to host social gatherings, and want some free stuff!

I'm having my Twister Mania party next Friday (November 4th) at 7:00 at my house, so if you want to come try out the game and hang out, let me know! (you can also RSVP by clicking this link: RSVP which will help me to get host spots next time I apply, though it has the wrong date and time!)

Also, if you want to try the house party thing, go here:

 http://houseparty.com/

Hobby Lobby Adventures ;)

Let me just start by saying that I love Hobby Lobby... It is an extremely dangerous place for me to wander into when I have my wallet with me, haha.  That being said, the other day I found out that my 11:30 class had been canceled (after driving all the way to school), and seeing as my next class wasn't until 1:00 and Hobby Lobby was juuuust up the street, I decided to go waste some time there.  It seemed like a really good plan.  

I spent some time wandering, and wishing I could buy all the Fall/Halloween decor (and wishing that I had a cute house for it all to go in!), and then I decided it was time to get down to business.  I really wanted to buy some wooden letters for Evie's room--all the crafty mom's make them for THEIR kids, so I decided I needed some too (darn you Etsy and Pinterest!!).

I found some superly cute curly letters and I was just about to start looking at cute scrapbook paper to decorate them with, when I realized I wasn't feeling the greatest.  My arms were feeling really fatigued just from holding the letters and my purse and I just wasn't feeling "right".  So I thought, "ok, I'll just go check out and I can go sit in the car til I feel better."  Bad plan, but I REALLY wanted to buy my letters.  I got to the checkout line and I knew I was in trouble.  My vision was starting to get a little bit blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out.  Normally at this point I would sit down, but I was in the middle of the check out line and wearing my nice slacks, so I thought I'd just tough it out a few more minutes, buy my things, and run out to my car.  

Yeah, I'm brilliant. 

There were only two people ahead of me in line, but I swear they took FOREVER!!  Finally it was my turn, and as the girl started ringing me up, I congratulated myself on making it.  That's is, until I realized that I couldn't hear anything, my vision was almost completely black, I had lost all concept of time, and I could feel my head going down towards the checkout counter...  Luckily, through some miracle, I "came to" enough to catch myself before I face planted (my face was inches from the counter at this point).  I could see and think just well enough to fumble through sliding my card, grabbing my receipt, and running out to the car... 

I must have looked absolutely crazy. 

After I sat down for a couple minutes I felt fine, embarrassed and stupid for staying in line when I knew what was coming, but fine none the less...

Seems that Hobby Lobby may be dangerous to more than just my wallet!

Well, now that you know how much sacrifice and effort went into purchasing the darn letters, I am now pleased to present...

The craftiest thing I've done in a long time!!

Bad lighting, but you get the picture!

 

This picture shows the patterns much better :)

We now cannot under any circumstances decide on a different name, because these letters took SO much work!!!  I'm just glad that "Evie" is only four letters long, because I probably would have given up and screamed if I had to make any more!!

I think they're cute, not even close to perfect (this is seriously my first time trying anything like this!), but good enough :)

Halloween!

I love Halloween!  It's probably my favorite holiday ever.  Maybe it's because I've always loved dressing up (still do, but have no energy or time for something so childish, lol...), or maybe it's because I love all things creepy and supernatural (ok, I like to be freaked out).  Or maybe because it's the first real holiday of the fall season, and it's a good excuse for eating candy.  I don't know what it is, but I love Halloween.  

Unfortunately, the last couple of years haven't been so good for me and my festiveness.  I haven't even had a costume for three, maybe four years now (Karl's been working on Halloween for the last few years and I just have no place to go!), and last year I didn't even get to indulge in my favorite Halloween tradition, Thriller.  If you haven't been to Thriller (not the MJ video, though that's a great Halloween tradition too!) then you're missing out!  It's a superly awesome Halloween dance production put on by a professional company, it's perfect Halloween fun for those who are too old to go trick or treating, but still want to get into the spirit of the holiday.  Seriously though, you should check it out:

 

Anyway, back on topic...  I don't think I'm going to get to go to Thriller or any Halloween parties this year, and our newest apartment doesn't lend itself to any major decorating unfortunately... So, I need ideas!!  I'm looking for any awesome ideas for having an exciting, fun, festive Halloween.  How do you celebrate Halloween?  Any fun traditions??  Good scary (but not TOO scary) movies to watch??  Cool places to go??  Help me out here!!

And while you're thinking about that, here's what Halloween looked like for us last year :)

I love this wreath!! And I'm proud to say I made it myself!

This is Mr. Ghoulie, he's pretty frightening... He scared me more than a few times and I'M the one who put him there!!

Christer's, Karl's, and my jack-o-lanterns :)

Oh!  Another creepy Halloween tradition I like is having a Ghost Adventures (my favorite ghost hunting show!) marathon with my little sisters. It's on netflix so you can check it out there.  It's kind of silly sometimes, but some pretty creepy stuff!  I don't know if this clip is any good, but I wanted to put up something :)

Labor & Delivery

Got to make my first visit to labor and deliver last night!  It was superly fun and exciting, kinda like Disney Land!  Ok, that's a lie, I really dislike doctors and hospitals, but since I love my baby and my hubby (who was stressing) I went any way. 

I've been feeling my Braxton Hicks since the end of my first trimester, so they're not really that huge of a deal anymore (although I admit they're getting way more uncomfortable!), but on Saturday night I started having a lot, pretty regularly.  I think at one point they were less than 5 minutes apart, which made me nervous, but I ended up just drinking a bunch of water and falling asleep.  Sunday morning and afternoon I was having a lot, but they were pretty random, so I again, drank a ton and tried to stay in bed as much as possible.  By Sunday night they were getting really regular and close together again--despite all my efforts--so when Karl got home he made me call my midwife and she told me to go to labor and delivery, yay!

We got there, had to answer a million questions, I got to be examined in all sorts of uncomfortable ways, and got all hooked up to the monitors, and as soon as I laid down in that bed, my contractions stopped!  I was having them up until the minute I walked into the hospital room, and then, nothing!!  I must say I was more than a tiny bit frustrated with my silly body (thanks for making me look like a crazy person-_-)!! Oh, and can I also mention that I started having them again as I walked out to the parking lot... *sigh*

On the bright side, we got to hear baby, and she seems to be doing wonderfully!  My cervix is still closed and everything seems to still be going well, which relieves a lot of anxiety for me!  Still don't know why I've been having so many contractions lately, I guess my uterus is just really excited about getting ready for the big day?  I wish I had as much motivation to work out as my uterus seems to!

Anyway, that's what Karl and I got to do last night, and as much as we enjoyed it, I'm hoping to not have to do it again for about 6 or 7 weeks!

"A" for Attendence

I would just like to officially and publicly pat myself on the back for making it through the entire first month of school without missing a single class.  This may not seem like a huge accomplishment to anyone else, but it's a big deal for me!  Taking into consideration that I've had "senioritis" since last semester, sitting through my hour and 15 minute classes is literally painful, I'm sleepy, and that all I want to do is focus on all things "baby", I'm very proud of myself for getting out the door and to my classes everyday!!  I have a feeling that things are only going to get harder the closer I get to the end, but I can do it!! ...Or so I have to keep telling myself, anyway!!