A good day (and a laundry detergent review!)

Today was the kind of day that makes me feel like I actually know how to do my job. After feeling completely frazzled by the end of the day yesterday, today was a very welcome alternative. We woke up to snow, which completely thrilled the kids, and to a clean house, which completely thrilled me (even though it meant that Cory and I spent last night cleaning it.) After the boys were at school, Addie and I got a new, delicious recipe for dinner in the crockpot, (tortellini in a tomato alfredo sauce, yum!) put the dough for these awesome Olive Garden knock off breadsticks, and mixed up this yummy Amish baked oatmeal to throw in the oven during dinner to have for dessert. When Harry got home from school, I implemented the new screen time ticket system I've been meaning to start for awhile. (All I did was make tickets out of construction paper. Why did I not get that done sooner???) He only used two tickets, and we read High Five, played counting games, and built Disney World out of Blocks. When Jack got home, all three kids played together nicely, and he did his homework without complaining. While the kids cleaned the happily cleaned the playroom, (I know, right?) I got started on making Creature Power Suits for Harry's birthday party. Then, after Addie was in bed, Jack, Harry and I played TWO board games, (The Cat in the Hat, I Can do That! and Hi Ho Cherry-O,) Jack started his third chapter book, (the first without pictures, he was quick to point out,) and we read some Harry Potter before bed. Then they went to bed without any complaints! It was the kind of day that makes it feel like I'm pretty darn good at what I do compared to most of the other days when the house is a mess, the kids are whining, I'm seriously considering serving cereal for dinner, and nobody has any intention of going to sleep! I'm going to remember this day next time I'm having a "the kids are driving me crazy!!!! day. I kinda felt like SuperMom today ;) This probably sounds braggy, but I assure you, most days are not like this!

My little Wild Kratts!

In a totally blatent change of subject, that I am going to attempt a clever tie in with, during some of my extra time today (I really had extra time! Awesome!!!) I made a (small) dent in the ever present mountain of laundry in the laundry room. It is a constant battle, that, admittedly, I am usually losing. Recently, Purex gave me a bunch of really great new products to try! Anything that helps make the job I hate most easier is a winner in my book. The first thing I got to try was Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent. I tried the free and clear version, which I really liked. It was safe for regular or HE machines. I thought that was pretty convenient. It got the clothes really clean, and I didn't have to worry about the kids having any reactions to dye or perfumes. The next product I tried was the new Purex Ultra Packs. These are pretty cool. They are little packets (like the kind I use for my dishwasher.) You just toss the packet into the machine, put the clothes in, and start the machine. No measuring at all! And it got the clothes really clean. The plastic cover dissolves and releases the detergent into the wash. (I got the free and clear version of this too.) And the last awesome product I tried was Purex Crystals Fabric Softener. I got the Tropicla Splash scent and used it on the boys' bedding. It's been about a week since I used it, and it still smells yummy and fresh every time I tuck them in!
Why am I telling you all of this, you ask? Well... *hopefully* I will get a chance to do giveaways for one or all of these products for you, lovely readers. I really hope I get to share some laundry cleaning awesomeness with you!!!

The Boys' First Christmas Pagent!

Last Sunday, Jack and Harry were in their first Christmas pagent, organized by Clarice, the awesome children's minister at our church. Much like t-ball in the summer, few things are more nostalgia invoking than a children's Christmas pagent. (Erica and Kurt Adam: Do you remember being the three wiseman in the DANK Christmas plays? Erica and I wore the green and blue velvet gown things, and Kurt wore a purple tunic. Then one year they decided everyone would be shepherds. We wore the same costumes and were the best dressed shepherd's Bethlehem had ever seen. And the whole thing was a poem we recited in German; we were never really sure what we were saying! Wasn't everyone a member of a German-American cultural organization?)

Jack was a wiseman, and Harry was a shepherd. The whole thing was completely adorable. All the kids walked somberly down the aisle toward the amazing set, except, of course, for Harry, who ran the whole way. As everyone laughed at him, Jack started towards the set, and thought everyone was laughing about his belt that he was suddenly self conscious about :( But other than that it was perfect. The kids sang songs like "Take Me Out to the Stable" to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and "Mary had a Baby Boy" to the tune of "Mary had a Little Lamb." All the kids did a great job, and Jack and Harry proved what little hams they are once again!

Here are some pictures!

I had to throw in one picture of Addie in her pretty dress!

A Catastrophe of Elfin Proportions...

As we were rushing around the house on Friday to try and get out the door for our annual pilgrimmage to see Santa and eat at the Walnut Room, disaster struck our elf, Fred. Fred was perched on to of the chalkboard in the kitchen, where he had left a message: "Fred was here." Jack decided he wanted to write a message back to him. Half way through the "F," the chalkboard wobbled, and Fred plunged to the floor, but not before bouncing off Jack's shoulder first. Jack was devastated. Amidst his sobbing and giant tears, I learned what happened. As I tried to calm him down by explaining that it was just an accident, and that I was certain that Fred had not lost his magic when Jack accidentally touched him, Cory was giving me the signal to not say anymore. It turns out that Fred's leg had broken off and was m.i.a. As Fred was quickly hidden before the kids noticed the missing limb, I swept the kitchen floor hoping to catch the leg. While I was doing that, having told the kids that Fred was probably hiding because he was shaken up from his fall, Jack went and got a jingle bell ornament. He shook the bells saying, through sniffles, "Maybe if he hears a Christmas sound, he'll want to come back." It was simultaneously adorable and heart breaking. I was starting to panic internally about the leg when Harry piped up, "Hey! I found Fred's foot!" (Or, if you know Harry: "Hey! I thound Thred's thoot!) As he didn't seem upset at all, I thanked him for the leg and hid it in the palm of my hand. In the meantime, the bells not working, Jack remembered that in the Elf on the Shelf movie, the elf got hot chocolate as medicine to make him better. When I reached into the cabinet for a mug, Jack was concerned that it was way to big for Fred. Knowing that Addie had a little porcelain tea set in her closet, (Cory got it for her birthday,) I used that opportunity to sneak Fred and the glue gun upstairs while I looked for a suitably sized mug. The hot chocolate (and me hiding in the upstairs bathroom with a hot glue gun) worked its magic, and soon Fred was "drawn to the scent of the hot chocolate," according to Cory, and was sitting on the window sill waiting for his mug of chocolatey goodness. Jack left a few cookie crumbs, and when we got home the next night, Fred was sitting at a different window with an empty mug. And all was well with the world.

The much anticipated arrival of our elf!

For the past couple years, I have heard people talking about starting their "Elf on the Shelf" traditions. While I thought it completely charming, I thought Jack was probably too old to start a new tradition, and that he probably wouldn't believe. Happily, it turns out I was wrong.

Jack came home from school the other day with big news he was VERY excited about. When the kids got into the classroom, Santa had sent an elf! It was sitting on the clock, waiting for everyone to get there. He told me all about how the magic doesn't start until you name the elf. He wanted to name him My Best Friend, but Benny was the name that got the most votes. In an awed voice, he explained that if you touch the elf, the magic will go away. He spent about ten minutes, with Harry and Addie paying rapt attention, telling me every detail about the elf, and shared his conclusion that, "The North Pole is the only on Earth that still has real magic." It was the most perfect moment of childhood wonder and enchantment. I hope my kids can hold on to that for a long time.

He concluded by telling me that, to his amazement, Santa had actually sent elves to two kids in his class already. He said that he really hoped that Santa would decide to send one to our house. It turns out, that he needn't have worried, because, in the midst of his story, I decided we had to have an elf. He didn't notice, while he was talking, that I had flipped open the laptop and ordered this little guy. However, in true mom style, I told him that I thought that an elf would probably want to come to a house that was all decorated for Christmas. I then added that we couldn't finish decorating until the house was clean. He decided that he would work hard over the weekend helping me get everything ready so that, hopefully, an elf would come. I'm sneaky like that, and I think this situation is a win/win ;) (And, according to my tracking number, he would actually have until Tuesday. Way to go Amazon for getting it here a day early!)

After bath time, and before bedtime last night, our elf arrived! He was perched above Harry's bed waiting to meet everyone. (Upon retrospect, not a good move on my part, because they did NOT want to go to sleep after that. Every time I checked on them, they were both just staring up at the elf.) He is very little and has a book, so Jack has concluded that he is probably an elf-in-training. Since this is his first year, he needs the book to reference the elf rules, in case he forgets. We decided on the name Fred. Jack, again, wanted to name him My Best Friend, but as that was a little lengthy, I suggested Friendly. That made Jack think of Fred, which Harry agreed was a wonderful name! They have also determined that Santa sent him yesterday to help prepare for St. Nicholas Day. When they woke up this morning, they were delighted to find that St. Nicholas had also left a treat for Fred, and even more thrilled when they got home from school to find they Fred had eaten his chocolate :) Their excitement was contagious, and a new tradition is born!

Crunchmaster Winner!

The winner of the yummy case (twelve bags!) of White Cheddar Crunchmaster Crackers is... entry number 2, Erica K. Congrats, and enjoy your delicious prize. If you only eat a bag a month, this would be a year's supply, but they are pretty tasty, so they probably won't last you that long ;) I will get your address info to the company in the next week, and hopefully your prize will arrive soon!!! Thank you to everyone who entered!

Crunchmaster Cracker Giveaway!

Recently, thanks to the nice people at Moms Meet and Crunchmaster Crackers, I was given a chance to try some super yummy Crunchmaster crackers. They sent me three varieties to try: Sea Salt, Roasted Vegetable, and their newest flavor, White Cheddar. The crackers were not only yummy, but also a healthy snack that we all enjoyed. Not to sound too much like a commercial, but here is some info about the crackers!
*Oven baked with a unique, crunchy texture and multi-grain taste
*Wheat free and certified gluten free
*21+ grams of whole grain per serving and a good source of fiber
*All natural
*Cholesterol and saturated fat free

My family tried and loved all three varieties of the crackers. My favorite was the sea salt. Sea Salt Crunchmaster Crackers + shredded cheese = awesome nachos!!! The kids loved the white cheddar flavor. They thought it tasted just like cheddar cheese popcorn (This was my mom's favorite flavor too:).) I brought the veggie flavored crackers to a Mom's Night Out for playgroup. I served them with a pepper jelly and cream cheese dip. Everyone loved them! I think Cory ate at least three bags of the crackers himself! They have a light, crispy texture that is almost chip-like. They are seriously delicious, and they are a snack I feel good about giving to the kids, which is good since they loved them. They come in resealable bags, which made it easy to keep them fresh even after they were opened. Overall, thumbs up from the Yeager family (and all of our friends that we shared them with!)

Now comes the fun part for you! Crunchmaster has graciously sponsored a giveaway for my readers. One lucky winner will win a case (that's twelve bags!) of Crunchmaster White Cheddar Crackers! I will draw one winner a week from today (December 3rd) using random.org. To enter, follow the blog, and leave a comment on this post saying you want to win. (If Blogger is acting like it hates you, and won't let you comment, let me know. I will add a comment for you!) Crunchmaster will be sending the prize out, so after the drawing I will need to get the winner's address to them. Good luck!!!

Here is some legal stuff: Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.
This giveaway is open only to U.S. residents.

P.S. Be sure to check out Crunchmaster's Facebook page.

******Giveaway closed on December 3, 2011******

I remember Halloween

Halloween was almost TWO WEEKS AGO, and I haven't had time to share all of our fun yet! I really love Halloween, so we pretty much do every Halloween thing I hear about. This year my kiddos were all super heroes, (though I think this may have been the last year I could coerce them into a theme. Sigh.) We had lots of fun at two trunk or treats, a playgroup party, and school parties, and cousin fun at Boo at the Zoo with Elora. We also went to the Carlinville Halloween parade, (it's the longest night time parade in the state, people. Be impressed.) with the added bonus of getting to see Uncle Kurt :) And we trick or treated around town with friends! (A little side story about that: When I told Jack and Harry that they got to trick or treat with Aidan and Adrienne, Harry said, "Oh good. Adrienne is my best fwiend." When I commented that almost 11 year old Adrienne probably does not view three year old Harry as her bff, he scoffed saying, "I'm thwee and a HALF!) We had a really great Halloween week :) Now here are a bunch of pictures of my sweet babies!

One more thing!!!! I am going to do my best to get a super yummy giveaway posted by next week, so be on the lookout for that! The prize is pretty great!