Her first cookbook!

In the last few months my daughter has been looking at my cookbooks and mentioning the fact that she wished she had her own cookbook. So for christmas that was my gift to her this year. A couple nights ago she made her first meal using her new cookbook. (her brother and I helped out!)


We had pizza pockets! Yumm-O
She was very proud of herself! I totally remember my first cookbook as a kid. It was the BHG kids cookbook. The only thing I remember from it was flattening out bread to make PBJ sandwich rolls. I thought those were pretty cool! I aso remember when my mom tried out this idea of having my sister and I make dinner once a week. (that didn't last very long) I was obsessed with this recipe that was titled "chile relleno." I just HAD TO make it, so I did. I hated it! I don't like spicy things! So I have NO idea why I thought I would like that. I realize now that green chiles are not spicy, so I wonder if I would like it now? I LOVE green chiles now!

Do you remember your first cookbook, or the first dinner you ever cooked?

AND THE WINNER IS.........

DRUMROLL PLEASE......(PLEASE DO NOT HOLD LITTLE CHILDREN RESPONSIBLE IF YOU LOSE)

JENNIFER P!! You are the lucky winner of the beautiful bracelet from Gems by George! Please email me at eightcrazy8@gmail.com to claim your prize!!

Thanks to everyone who entered and made the giveaway so much fun! I know many of you are dissappointed that you lost, so this picture is for you...
(I took this yesterday when the truck came to pump our septic system)

More Giveaway Picture Entries!

These came courtesy of Eryn. Eryn actually made me a slideshow of several "eight" themed pics. If you want to check it out click here. Thanks Eryn...I LOVED IT!





This one is courtesy of Kim

This one came from the Pace Posse

Thanks girls. I've got all your entries in!

Giveaway - Final Post - #8

This is it! My final post for the Eightcraziness giveaway. You have until midnight on the 27th (pacific time) to get your entries in.
For all the details on the different ways to enter click here.

To pay yet another tribute to the eightcraziness I wanted to share these pics with you that I came across...

The above photo is credited to: Claudecfs


The +8 pic was sent in by Erica. She saw this on the back of a magazine and decided to forward it on to me!


I will post the giveaway winner, of the beautiful bracelet from Gems by George, by 8pm (pacific time) on the 28th!! Can't wait to see who wins!

Giveaway - Post #7

I hope that ya'll had a blessed Christmas. We did. My sis, Kim, lives in Vegas and we don't usually get to be together on Christmas. This year we used skype to have a video chat. We had each kid sit in front of the web cam and open their gifts so that we could actually see their reacations! It was fun and it made me feel like we actually got to spend a part of our day with them!

Not much time left to get those picture entries in. I received a new one from Michele D. She was driving down the road and saw this and so the next day when she drove by it again she made sure to have her camera ready! (they were driving so it's a bit blurry!) What I love about this pic is that it has truly proven to me that ya'll have gotten into the eightcraziness! I have ya'll noticing the number 8 everywhere! I love it!

Don't forget that the giveaway ends on the 27th at midnight!

Happy Birthday Jesus! - Giveaway - Post #6

I know I just posted this pic from my mom's house two posts ago, but it just seemed like the perfect picture for Christmas Day!

My family went downtown to a street church to help feed the homeless lunch and to provide them with clothes, toiletries, hats, gloves, etc. For awhile I sat at a table where people were able to come and use my cell phone to make a call to a loved one. I watched one man desperately try to come up with someone to call. We tried 411 with a few names and towns, but we were not able to locate anyone for him. He did leave a message somewhere, but who knows if it was actually his family or not. You could see the desperation in his face to simply connect with someone who was family. I was truly saddened for him, and I am truly humbled by how blessed I am to have so much family around. He is looking for ANYONE, while I'm trying to figure out how much time I will spend with the different sides of the family. It's humbling.

On this day, the birth of Christ, God gave us all the most amazing gift! The gift of His Son. Through that gift he offers many others....salvation, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, the blessing to be a part of the family of God, and many others. It's a gift He offers to ANYONE. He offers it to YOU infact! When I was in second grade I accepted that gift by saying my "C,B,A's" I Confessed that I am a sinner. I proclaimed that I Believed that Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross to forgive us for our sins. I Asked Jesus to come into my heart, be my savior and help me to live a life according to His Holy word.

If you haven't opened this gift from God yet, I encourage you to peel back the wrapping and take a peek (start by reading the book of Luke). Ask God to reveal Himself to. God will meet you where you are. You don't have to be "good enough" for God. Just go to Him, open His Gift and He will love and accept you ALWAYS! Then just watch as He transforms your heart by the renewing of your mind!

Giveaway - Post #5

For details on all the ways to enter the giveaway click here.

Big news in my household today....WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!! Papers have been signed and we'll be moving in a couple of months. CRAZY! Even more crazy is where we will be moving to....our 5th Wheel! No, that is not a typo! We will live in the 5th wheel while we build the new house! (Yes, start praying for me now!) I can't believe I actually have to pack EVERYTHING in my house. Last time I had to pack a house I was pregnant and so my family and friends did much of the packing for me. Although at this point in my life I'm happy to be packing rather than to be pregnant!! =)

Ok, onto more fun stuff! I received another picture entry for the eightcraziness giveaway. This one is from Julie D. She submitted more than 2, but I MUST follow my own rules, so only 2 entries will be given. (she already knows that!) Honestly, I know it's some kind of sickness or something, but when I see ALL those 8's I just get a little giddy inside! Thanks for making me smile Julie! =)

Giveaway - Post #4

To see the details on all the ways to enter the giveaway click here!

Every year at Christmas time when I go to my mom's house I'm always very envious of her Christmas decor. She does such a beautiful job and seems to have a little display for all the nooks and crannies. AND SINCE MY HUBBY GAVE ME MY CHRISTMAS GIFT EARLY....I CAN SHOW YOU HER HOME COURTESY OF MY BRAND NEW NIKON D40x!!!! (I have a TON to learn!!!)









Don't forget that when you leave comments at Gems By George it enters you into the giveaway as well!

Giveaway - Post #3

If you are trying to figure out how to enter the giveaway click here.

When I originally posted this I forgot to include this picture entry by Jennifer P. I don't believe she took the pic, she just found it on this website about Pennsylvania. Check out how the tire swing makes an 8 when it reflects on the water! This pic is GREAT! I almost want it to frame and put in my house!


I went into this really cute boutique today. It's right near the coffee stand I go to every Friday to get my son a hot chocolate after soccer. I knew that my MIL's jewelry was being sold in there, so I thought I'd check it out! Well LOOKIE LOOKIE WHAT I GOT!
A yummy sparkly 8! My plan is to hang it from a ribbon in my office, but when I walked in and saw the christmas tree I just couldn't resist!

My kids are both off school now for Christmas Break. However.....all they seem to be doing is playing school. My daughter has become the little school teacher and my son is the student like it or not! They seem to both be enjoying themselves. I TORE them away from their "schoolwork" to decorate some christmas cookies today.
My son just couldn't wait for me to open the christmas gift he made for me at school (real school). It was this precious plate. You know the kind that will still be in my drawers when I have grandkids.


It was just what I needed for their fabulously decorated cookies!

Giveaway - Post #2

I received the first "eightcrazy" picture. It is from Kim. She LOVES m&m's so she decided to use that as the inspiration for her pic. (this is my sister so I can feel free to say this...."c'mon ya'll you can get more creative than that!) LOL!

So, I gotta tell you something that I think is really funny. Since I have posted the details for the giveaway I've had nearly 100 more visits. YET....only like 8 people have entered the giveaway. Why would you not enter? Is anonymity really that important to people!!!??? From my sitemeter I know that there are those out there in Texas, Georgia, Mass., Indiana, Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, Oregon, North Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, UK, Canada, California, West Virginia, Colorado, Idaho.....I even know the cities you are in. So don't hide. I know you are out there anyway! Have fun, enter the giveaway....YOU JUST MAY WIN!

Ok, enough of that. Here are some pics of some ornaments that the hubby and I made with the kids this year. It was pretty simple. I just bought the stars at the craft store and we modge podged the paper on to the individual sides of the star.


You gotta love a man who will get crafty with you!!

Don't forget to leave a comment so that you get entered into the giveaway!

EIGHTCRAZINESS IS HERE - Giveaway Post #1

I DIDNT' MISS IT!

8,8888 and counting! EIGHTCRAZINESS IS HERE!!! Let the giveaway begin!!

Ok, here are the details:

For the next EIGHT days I will do EIGHT consecutive posts (including this one). During that EIGHT days leave a comment once on each post and you will receive an entry for each comment you leave (up to 8 entries possible this way)

If you post on your blog about my giveaway and link to it, (let me know) and that will enter you into the drawing one more time as well. Link to Gems By George (let me know) and you will get entered yet again! You will also be entered again if you leave a comment at Gems By George between now and the next 8 days.

And there is one final way to enter. Take a picture that could represent EIGHTCRAZINESS (notice my pics on the lower left column) and email it to me at eightcrazy8@gmail.com I will post all the pics as they come in! Have fun with this and get creative!

Wow, there are so many chances to WIN!

So let’s review the ways to enter – You could have up to 20 entries!!

* Leave comments over the next eight days here at Eightcrazy (up to 8 entries this way)

* Leave comments over the next eight days at Gems By George (up to 8 entries this way)

* Post on your blog about the giveaway and link to Eightcrazy (let me know you did this – up to one entry this way)

* Link to Gems by George in a post on your blog (let me know you did this – up to 1 entry this way)

* Send a pic that defines or depicts EIGHTCRAZINESS to my email at eightcrazy8@gmail.com (up to 2 entries this way which means you can submit up to 2 pics)

Entries must be received by midnight (pacific coast time) on Thursday, December 27^th.

So WHAT do you win? A beautiful handmade bracelet by Gems By George (my MIL). The winner will be able to choose which series they would like their winning piece to be from (that means you get to choose the color basically). Also, please note that the winning piece will be from the Gems By George “Classic” line.

Here is an excerpt from my MIL’s blog about her jewelry:

“Every jewelry item I create is part of one of 12 different series. The series names come from the qualities represented by the dominant color in the piece, and some of the names are Strength, Restoration, Passion, Peace, Kindness, etc. It's a long story (I'll tell you one of these days) of how these came to be, but for now, I just want you to know that I pray over each jewelry item, asking God to touch the wearer and bless them in whatever way they need. I will never know, this side of heaven, how this works in individual lives, but I love being able to partner with God in such a manner.”

Gems By George recently created a one of a kind piece of jewelry for a local artist who designed one of the white house tree ornaments to wear to an evening at the WHITE HOUSE! How cool is that!

So now it’s up to you Blog Buddies! You can enter once or up to 20 times! Have fun and I can’t wait to see who wins! Again, entries must be received by midnight (pacific coast time) on Thursday, December 27^th. Let the comments and entries begin!

I hope I don't miss it!

I'm nervous....it is now 11:27 am and my count stands at 8,863! Only 25 more visitors to go until 8,888! I leave in a few minutes for my son's school christmas party. I don't get back until 3:00pm! I hope I don't miss seeing the actual 8,888! But if I do, I will post shortly after that. Giveaway day is HERE! All the details are just hours away!

Oh sooo good....but oh sooo BAD!

Last night was the finale of The Biggest Loser. Did you watch it? The transformations were AMAZING! Here is Bill who won...
















Here is Julie who took 2nd place...


So, anyway you'd think that as we watched we would be totally inspired. Almost to the point of jumping on the treadmill ourselves...RIGHT?

WRONG! As we watched my hubby and I literally made cinnamon rolls and each ate two of them. The new year is coming....Guess I know what my NY resolution needs to be =)

Lots of Gifts to Wrap!

There are so many gifts to wrap these days, so sometimes you gotta get creative with how to wrap them. I had a couple of gift cards that I was giving as gifts and wanted to have a little fun with the wrapping rather than just put them in a card. So I did one in an altered tin can and one in an altered crystal light tube. I love the crystal light tube idea. I saw it on Tip Junkie! There are so many options....pringles cans, bread crumb cans, altered frozen food containers, I even saw something the other day that made me think, "hey you could alter the happy meal box and use that as a gift box!" I just haven't done it yet because I'm too cheap to buy the happy meal. I just buy my kids a burger off the $1 menu and a fry of the $1 menu and we all order water. Anyhooo....happy wrapping!

Let me wet your appetite.....

I wanted to show you a couple of the pieces from Gems by George who will be providing the giveaway item. She does beautiful work and each piece is unique. Neither of these will be the item you could win, I just wanted to wet your appetite for the upcoming giveaway! Aren't they beautiful!