Loquacious Lady

A couple of days ago, I posted some great sites to find coupons. Today I wanted to do a short post about some rewards sites, just in case you aren’t using them. If you are shopping online anyway, or you already drink Coke’s soft drinks, bottled water (Dasani), Powerade, or if you drink Tropicana orange juice or other Tropicana products, well then, you are all set to reap rewards for what you’re already doing..

1. My Points – This is a system that basically allows you to go through them to whatever site you need to go to so you can  do your online shopping. If you go to My Points first, you will end up earning points when you shop. And those points can turn into free gift cards.

2. My Coke Rewards – Do you drink coke products? Do your friends? Your family members? Then you can earn points. If you save the code from caps of bottled coke products (including Dasani and other non-soft drink drinks by Coke) or from the boxes the canned products are packaged in, and if you enter those codes online, you will get points. You can save up your points (like me; I’ve never spent any) for bigger prizes, or you can use them to get smaller prizes. You can also use them to enter sweepstakes, but I’m not a gamblin’ gal. I would rather know my points are going to get me something than hope they will. Different strokes for different folks, though.

3. Tropicana Juicy Rewards – This is something I found out about earlier this week and joined right away. I actually think I like it better than the Coke Rewards.  Each Tropicana carton is worth about $15 in rewards. You can put in your area code and see rewards specific to your area. You can choose tickets to museums, aquariums, amusement parks, and more. You can get discounts at local stores, spas, and restaurants. You can donate your points to a cause. You can enter sweepstakes. But the best part about it to me is that you can see local places to use your points. I could get a bogo ticket to Dad’s Garage or get a discount at a paint store in Lawrenceville. I like that I can see the local places so there’s no guesswork and that it supports local places instead of ONLY online or chain stores (though those are included as well).

Bonus Site: Swagbucks. I don’t really know what it is yet, but it’s popular on coupon sites. It looks like it might be similar to mypoints. I’m going to check it out.

Alrighty, friends. Continue with your online shopping, orange juice sipping, soft drink consuming ways, and don’t forget to let those companies reward you for choosing them.

~Meghan

One of our dogs enjoys eating poop. It’s disgusting. I mean, you think REGULAR dog breath is awful. The breath of this dog after eating poop….Tom and I like to say it’s like “hot death.” While it’s not us saying “eat poop and die,” it’s us who feel that we might keel over from the dog eating poop. Not only is it gross, but it’s unsanitary. If they lick stuff in the house after eating poop, they could be bringing in all kinds of stuff that will make us sick. It must end. So, I’ve been looking into stopping this.

There are basically 3 reasons dogs eat poop, so if your dog is like ours, here ya go:

1. They aren’t getting enough nutrition. That’s not to say you aren’t feeding them enough. But all dog foods are not created equal. If their dog food isn’t giving them enough nutrition, they will eat their poop to try getting more nutrients out of it the second time around.

2. It’s instinct. This is what mother dogs do to clean up their dens. This is what baby dogs grow up and know to do. And for the record, it is our girl dog who is doing this, though boy dogs can just as easily learn that behavior from seeing the dogs they live with do this.

3. It’s pleasing to them. I know, how is eating poop pleasing to them? Gross. Well, to many dogs, their poop smells like their food. I mean, think about it. Dogs smell each others rears to get info. Booties and poop aren’t gross to them. So if something in the backyard smells like food, why shouldn’t they eat it?

With Sam, we doubt it’s nutrition. They are on a really healthy diet with food that came recommended to us by people who work with dogs. They are healthy and have beautiful, shiny coats. It could be instinct, but since Liam is not participating, I am going to guess it’s just pleasing to Sam. She tried it once and decided she liked it, I guess.

Then, I learned a couple of different ways to tackle this problem from Victoria Stillwell via It’s Me Or The Dog. Love that show.  Here they are:

1. Clicker training with flags. Basically you get those little flags you  see at construction sites or in landscaping. You clicker train the dog to “leave it” with the flags so they won’t want to go near them. Then, every time the dogs poop, you stick a flag in the poop. And you also have to clean your yard every day to make sure no poop remains at the end of the day.

2. Feed them pineapple. That’s right people. Apparently, pineapple, when digested, tastes nasty. So if you give the dogs some pineapple, they might not want to eat their now-yucky poop when it comes out.

Since I leave them outside when I am gone during nice days, I won’t be there to plant flags if they are pooping. So, before trying clicker training for this issue, I’m trying pineapple. I bought some cups filled with pineapple bits, and I put some in their food this morning. At first, they didn’t know what to think of it. But Sam, at least, ended up eating all of hers, and maybe Liam’s too. (I saw her hanging out by his bowl after he decided he was done eating.) Hopefully he got some so she won’t eat his poop either. Anyway. I’m going to give it a week or two, then I’ll let you know if it works.

I’m sure you’re just dying to find out what happens in the next chapter of Sam’s Dietary Delinquency.

~Meghan

Are you a savvy shopper? I’m trying to be. I marvel at women who can go to Target with a fistful of coupons and walk out with three bags of clothes, toys, and food after paying $10. I want to be in the know. So I’ve made it my mission to shop smart. It’s okay that it takes work to be frugal. I’ve been on a hunt for coupons.  I want deals. And I want freebies.

Here’s my plan. I’m going to use a coupon to get a good deal on the AJC so that I can subscribe to the Sunday paper only. It’s the one that’s packed with great coupons. At regular price, the AJC Sunday subscription is almost $12/month. I’ll save WAY more money in coupons than $12, but I still want a deal. Why not?

Then, I’m going to start shopping in different places. I will go where the deals are. It seems like most of the deals are at Target. I’ve found SO many shoppers who combine their coupons for Target with regular coupons and go when there’s a sale. They walk out with stuff FREE. Free is my best friend.

Here are my current Top Ten for frugal assistance:

1. Free Sample Freak – My sister-in-law, Sarah, turned me onto this site. I love it. I follow it on twitter, so I am always updated when freebies and great deals become available. It’s awesome.

2. Coupon Goddess - This lady blogs about her great finds AND posts links to all the coupons.

3. Totally Target – Need Target Coupons? Want to know how to stack them so you can get stuff for as little as possible? This is the site for you.

4. Be Centsable – So you move to a new state and don’t know the shops. You don’t know where the deals are. You need the coupons. This site will let you pick the state, check out what stores it hosts, and find bloggers who blog about coupons and deals at those stores. Can’t beat that.

5. Organic Grocery Deals- This site lists coupons you can print at home. It’s great.

6. Hot Coupon World- It’s all about the deals. At least that’s what it says on their site. They list coupons and freebies for groceries, babies, pets, travel, and more.

7. Vocal Point- This site lists deals, but it also has “test and tell” for products. Basically, you get to test it for free and then post what you think. It’s a great way to see what other people think of a product as well, in case the test products run out before you get them. The test products are good too. Full-size bottles of Pantene Pro-V or boxes of cereal, for example.

8. $30 Weekly Grocery Challenge- This lady tries to get all her family groceries for $30 or less per week. Wow. I can’t even imagine that.

9. Groupon- This is a great way to check out deals in your city. You can have them email you the deal of the day for your city, and it will be something cut WAY down in price. I’ve seen massages, car detailing, restaurants, and more, all for half off  the regular price or even more discounted than that.

10. Southern Savers- This might not be as helpful if you aren’t in the South. But it lists deals and coupons, even freebies, for stores located and items sold in the South.

Try them out! Thank me later. =)

If you have a favorite money saver that I’m missing, I’d love for you to link me to it in the comments section!
~Meghan

Sunday night, we got a thunderstorm. Our dogs aren’t big fans of that. Rain-no problem. Thunder-scary to them. Lightening-terrifying to them. Annoying to me.

Sam woke me out of a deep sleep at about 12:40AM to take her out to potty. She had an upset stomach, so that was that. It was still dry out, and, having checked the weather forecast before bed, I was grateful for the rain holding off until after her midnight potty break.

But then, not much later, the rain fell. And the thunder rumbled. And the lightening lit up our room. We really need curtains in this house. And Sam decided that she was getting into bed to sleep in between us.

She first appealed to her mama. Now, we don’t let our dogs onto our bed or our couches. We just don’t. I don’t care if they get on the guest bed. I have time to clean that before guests use it. But we decided having two dogs sleeping on the bed with us would be too crowded. So then Sam wants up. I felt bad; I mean, I knew she was scared. I tried to compromise. I put a decorative pillow on the ground beside me and got out of bed. I picked her up and laid her on the pillow and pet her. Then I got back in bed. Then she was right back on her back two feet, front paws on the bed, trying to get me to pull her up and whimpering under her breath. Some of you might think I should have given in, but you don’t know Sam. You let her do ANYTHING once, and she thinks it’s okay forever. And I’m about to redeem myself later down.

I pet her and told her it was okay, but that wasn’t cutting it. So she went to Tom’s side of the bed. He woke up, got out of bed, picked her up, put her in her doggy bed, and pet her for a minute before getting back in bed. Then she started to beg me again. I then remembered how much she loves to make little dens out of blanket that fall over the side of the bed. And I saw that the brown feather comforter-filled duvet cover folded at the foot of our bed had been kicked to the floor (Tom and his long legs). So I crawled to the edge of the bed to call Sam over. And I got a bit of a shock. It moved. It was dark in our room, and our chocolate brown duvet cover was looking back at me. Then I could make out the shape of Liam, who was one step ahead of me. He’d already decided to make use of a feather comforter that was readily available on the floor. I tried to get Sam to join him.

Success! ….. for about 1 minute. Then the dang lightening went off again. Finally, I gave up. Neither Tom nor I would sleep as long as Sam was totally gripped with fear during this storm, which was only getting stronger by the sounds of it. So I got out of bed. I made a T shape on the floor  with a couple of decorative pillows and my pillows at the top. I laid down on them on my side with a blanket, and I was immediately swamped with puppies, which I expected. Sam curled into me so that we were spooning. I covered her in the blanket so she couldn’t see the lightening. Liam laid in the crook of my legs with his head resting on the side of my knees. And they finally fell asleep.

I had a horrible night’s sleep. I was actually pretty excited about sleeping in a bed last night after having slept on the floor the night before.

But here’s the thing, and I’ve said it before: They are our babies. They act just like scared little kids when something startles them. Mom and Dad have to make it better. If they can sleep next to one of us, they feel safe again. It’s okay that the storm got worse. Mom was right there to hold them. And they could sleep, even if, now, I couldn’t.

I love my babies.

~Meghan

Raise your hand if you like Mushrooms!

Now raise your hand if you don’t like mushrooms!

Hmm…I see we’re about half and half. Actually, I don’t see. This is the internet people. Put your hand down, silly.

Growing up, mushrooms were neither here nor there for me. I didn’t care if they were in my spaghetti sauce, but I didn’t really want to eat them sauteed and on my steak, exactly. The older I’ve gotten, the more I appreciate them. They’re pretty darn yummy sauteed, stuffed, in soups, or in sauces. But it wasn’t until about a year ago that I began to wonder if they have any nutritional value. I looked it up and learned that they did, in fact, have benefits.

“Mushrooms are brimming with protein, B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic), and minerals (selenium, potassium,and copper). They’re low in calories and may have antibacterial substances to help the body. Cooked fresh mushrooms offer the most nutritional benefit versus the canned version that may have more sodium.” (This is in quotes because I found it here. But you could google “Mushroom Benefits” and find scores of pages on it. The interwebs are full of info on ‘shrooms.)

I mention this because of lunch yesterday. But first, let me give you some background info. Tom doesn’t like mushrooms. He just doesn’t. They don’t appeal to him, and I’m ok with that. I always would sautee mushrooms and put them aside for those who like them when making a dish that they go well with. Then, in early January, we threw a party for our friends Jenn and Justin, who were moving away. And I made these foods. The dish behind the candles is full of stuffed mushrooms, a recipe I gleaned from The Pioneer Woman’s site. (ps, I love her. ) They were SO good. And the stuffing uses the stems from the mushrooms you stuff. When putting together the stuffing, I remember that they smelled excellent. SO delicious.

And I said to Tom, “Next time I make spaghetti, I’m going to make something like this to go in the sauce.” Tom said, “Okay.”  Tom’s not really concerned with what I do in the kitchen so long as it tastes good when I dish it up. So, not surprisingly, he forgot about it.

This Sunday, I decided we were having spaghetti. I love spaghetti. It’s so adaptable, making it pleasing for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. It can be made in huge quantities, making it perfect for large groups. It’s not that expensive to get the ingredients. It freezes well. And it’s delicious. It’s one of my “go-to” meals. I always (ALWAYS) use Prego for the sauce. I like the fresh mushroom version. And I always (unless there are vegetarians) brown up at least a pound of ground beef to put in the sauce. I always add garlic salt and Italian seasonings to taste. I always serve garlic bread. I always grate sharp cheddar cheese to go with it. I prefer angel hair pasta to spaghetti noodles. And I always have done mushrooms on the side. Until yesterday.

Yesterday, Tom came in the kitchen and said, “What is that? In the bowl?” Darn it. I hate when he walks into the kitchen and catches me right before I add something to the food I wasn’t going to tell him about until later. (Steaming veggies, pureeing them,  and adding them to dishes is one way I get healthy stuff into our diet.) What I had done was washed a package of sliced mushrooms, thrown them in the food processor, and pulsed it until they were chopped to itty-bitty pieces. Then I put some I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter in a big pan, gotten it hot, and thrown in the mushrooms. After they cooked up a bit, I added in about 3/4ths cup of grated parmesan cheese and some white wine. I let that all cook up and then put it aside in a bowl until I was ready for it.

Then Tom spied it.

I told him what it was, and he came over and smelled it. (Let me just take a minute to say that half of Tom’s family is weird like this. His dad, his sister, him, our niece….they sniff everything. On one of our first dates, I caught him sniffing my hair. Thankfully, my shampoo smelled great. And I got teasing rights for quite some time. They also have this thing I  don’t quite get about “little and big” stuff. I’m curious to know if our kids will inherit this phenomenon.) SO, he sniffed it, and then I about died of shock. Because he straightened up and said, “Mmmmm..” I stared at him. Then I said, “It smells good?” (I got a “that’s what ‘Mmmm..’ means” look for this, and a “yep.”) I just never expected him to say “mmMmm” about mushrooms. So then I sniffed it. I smelled nothing. But then, I’ve been stuffed up a bit lately.

Eventually, I added this goodness to the sauce. I was a little worried…I mean, after tasting it, the mushroom flavor was infused throughout the sauce. It tasted great, but I wasn’t sure Tom would eat it. But I was in for another shock. After the spaghetti was served, Tom took a bite and said, “Good Gosh! SOOO good!” I continued to watch him for signs that the body snatchers had come. But I’m fairly sure it was really my husband. And he ate every last bite. It would appear that mushrooms, when the texture is removed due to the food processor, are something he enjoys. It was a hit in our household, so when it’s just our family, that’s how I’m making it from now on. Don’t worry, mushroom haters. If you eat here, I won’t do this to you.

If you don’t think you like mushrooms (or you have a friend or family member who doesn’t), but you do like spaghetti, try this. Let me know if you like it this way, please. I’m curious if the idea or the texture of a mushroom is more what drives people away than the flavor itself.

Here’s an equation I came up with to demonstrate my discovery:

{[(Mushrooms - Texture) + Butter Substitute] + Grated Parmesan Cheese + Wine}/Heat = Deliciousness

I hate math, but I love food. This is way better than Calculus. Trust me. Or find out for yourself.

~Meghan

You’ve heard the expressions for what boys and girls are made of. Little boys are made of “Snips and Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails” while little girls are made of “Sugar and Spice, and Everything Nice.” Well, to a degree, I guess that’s about right.

But I think you should know that Southern girls are also made of Fried Chicken, Sweet Tea, Magnolias and Beauty. =) Ok…I tried to make it rhyme. But really, there are just some things that I love about the South. A slow southern drawl. Yes Ma’am, and Yes Sir. The way the heat can last all the way through October. The big Magnolia trees in the square of my hometown. The fact that my hometown has a square. The way you’re always welcome in a friend’s house. The fact that we actually say, “Y’all come back, now!” And the way that it doesn’t take long for most non-southerners to pick up the word “Y’all.” People just smile and wave at everyone they see, at least in the small towns. “Bless his heart” comes before an insult, just so we sound genteel and softened when we need to be frank. Sweet tea is the best liquid on earth on a hot day. Or on a cold day. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits are a signature dish of the south. The way that food brings families and friends together. Everything’s better with peach cobbler, pecan pie, or homemade ice cream. Babies are still seen as the blessings they were intended to be, even if they’re a surprise. Hospitality is as important as church. It’s even as important as football, unless you’re cheering for the other team. And everyone knows football is the south’s other religion. It’s so big that weddings are planned around it and groom’s cakes often feature the favorite team. Lord pity the bride that gets married on a Saturday in the fall. Bless her heart, she should’ve known better.

There are so many little things about this region that I love. It’s just got a charm all its own. What are your favorite things about where you’re from and/or where you’re living now?

~Meghan

Remember a while back when I said that I was going to interview with some of Jessica‘s friends from her small group for a nannying position? Well, I went. And it went well.  Audrey and Ben are a nice, laid back couple with a cutie-pie of a son named Asher. Asher and I are gonna be buds in August when I start watching him Monday-Thursday.

But then, guess what happened? Another couple from her small group needed a nanny on Fridays. Immediately. Well. Thank you, Lord for work. =) So last Friday, I started working for Austin and Elizabeth (another sweet couple), watching their adorable baby boy-Will. He is a cutie.  I’m actually typing this while he takes his nap. I know he’s napping because I’m over at his house today. They needed me to work Thursday and Friday this week.

So why the title of this blog post? Welllll…..I have, up until now, mostly been with dogs during the day. And I love them. But I’d like to try some different subjects. And now I’m going to be with babies during the week. Babies= new subjects. I can’t wait to start snappin’ away at their cute, chubby little faces.

Today, when I arrived at Will’s house, I had my laptop bag holding my laptop, external hard drives, and a book. I had a camera bag. I had a purse. And I had my lunch. I looked like I was moving in. In fact, I probably looked a little nuts. Oh well. Hopefully all the practice will help me out with improving photography skills. These babies will know me as the camera lady.

~Meghan, the Photographin’ Fool

******Update*******

Here’s Will. I took this today, no editing…and I’m still at his house, so I gotta run.

Just an update on P90X. When Tom and I first started this program, I was at a point where I could only do a few regular push-ups, maybe 6, and NO pull-ups. The program allows for you to use a chair if you need somewhere to rest your leg to hold some of your body-weight for pull-ups, so I’ve been doing that lately.

In the last work out (which lasts an hour) that we did with pull-ups and push-ups, I was encouraged to see some improvement. We did 12 different things, maxing out. Then we did them again, maxing out again. So I did all the push-ups the regular way  the first time through and with knees the second time through, while I was fatiguing.

Here’s what happened. In an hour, I did 97 regular push-ups, and I did 62 push-ups on my knees. I did 20 pull-ups.  We also did some weight lifting.

Here’s the variety of push-ups:

*Standard-hands out the width of the standard push-up.

*Military- hands by chest, arms squeeze your side, elbows don’t flare out.

*Wide Fly- hands far apart

*Decline- feet on something higher than the rest of your body

*Diamond (or Heart-to-Heart)- you make a diamond or heart with your hands and place them on the floor under your chest. Try to touch chest to hands while doing push-ups.

*Dive-Bomber-Start in downward dog position, bring head, then chest, then body down to ground until in upward dog position, then go in reverse. Here’s a video demonstrating it, but they’re selling the grips he’s using. Tom and I don’t have those. We just use the floor.

The Pull-Ups in this work-out are:

*Wide-Front Pull-Ups - hands wide apart on pull-up bar

*Reverse Grip Chin-Ups- Hands hold the bar in such a way that the insides of the wrists face you

*Closed Grip Overhand Pull-Ups- Put hands close enough together that spread thumbs could touch. Back of the wrist faces you.

Weight-lifting in this work-out:

*Heavy Pants- This name makes me laugh. But what you do is have one leg in front of the other, both legs bent. Back should be leaning forward and flat. Weights are down by your side, then you pull them up like you were putting on some pants. Then you put them down like you’re pulling those pants down. But it’s just weights. Heavy pants. Get it? I’m doing about 8 lbs with this right now. I did 35 of these the last time we did this work-out.

* Lawnmowers- You do a side lunge to the left, place left forearm on left leg above knee. Reach right hand down to weight in front of your left foot, pick up weight, and pull it like you’re trying to start a lawnmower. After you finish that set,you do the same thing with the right side. I’ve been doing 15lbs on this one, but that’s gotten to be too light, so I’m going to try 20 lbs next time.  I did 40 of these per side (or 80 total) last time we did this work out.

*Back Flys- (That’s how they spell it on the P90X sheet, flys instead of flies.) You do the same stance as Heavy Pants, pretty much, if standing. If sitting, you sit on the edge of a chair and lean forward. Arms hang by your side, weights in hands. Bend arms, lifting elbows up and back, as if trying to get your shoulder blades to touch. Right now, I’m lifting 8lbs on this one. I did 35 of these last time. Check this woman out doing back flies to the P90X video. She is lifting a ton. Good gosh she is buff.

Anyway, it’s nice to see progress; I have gotten stronger. After we finish doing the lean program, Tom and I are going to start the regular P90X (Classic) program. I’ve also started a little chart to hold myself accountable. I can tell I’ve put on muscle and that I’ve leaned out in some areas. But I’m still carrying some fat. So this is a cardio chart. I have to do 30 minutes to an hour of cardio every day (except Fridays) for 30 days. Today is day 3. I’m hoping to see a difference at the end of 30 days. And it might turn into 60 days. I’d honestly love to build up a good habit of doing cardio every day, always. But I’m starting with baby steps. 30 days, one skip day a week, 30 minutes if I’m also doing P90X that day, one hour if we aren’t doing P90X that day. And a chart so that Tom can hold me accountable. I’ll let you know if I see a change. =)

~Meghan

You must go download this song. The title of the post is the title of the song:  ”Come On Up To The House.” I’m in love. Please make my day-go listen to Sarah Jarosz sing that song right now. It’s a bluesy bluegrass song, and it’s delightful.

Yesterday, I was reading a blog, and the lady posted a video of her daughter and her husband singing this song at a “pickin’ party.” Basically, all these people in the community were getting together, setting up microphones in front of their instruments, and playing. Guitars, banjos, upright bass, dobro, fiddle, and vocals. They sat around in a circle and played. Everyone got a chance to lead a song, while everyone else in the circle would join in. When it was her husband’s turn, the blogger’s 14-year-old (whose awesome pipes sounded like Sarah Jarosz’s vocals) daughter joined him for this song.

By the time they finished, I was doing two things:

1.) I was looking up “Pickin’ Parties” in the Suwanee Area. Then anywhere in North Georgia. I found none. If you have heard of events like this, please tell me where. I’m married to a guitarist, and we would have a blast at something like this.

2.) I was using a gift card to buy “Come On Up To The House” on ITunes. It is so good.

I KNEW Tom would love that song, and I knew I could sing it. When he got home, I had him listen to it, and he agreed to its awesomeness, so we’re gonna learn it sometime. We love to make music in this hiz-ouse. We actually have a microphone we hook up to his amp…that’s how much I love to sing and Tom loves to play guitar. Only….yeah, I freak out singing on my own in front of most people…so you’ll probably never hear that. Stage fright owns me. But when I picture us doing this song, I really picture us sitting around a fire, camping somewhere. Which is odd considering we don’t camp. We don’t want to. I like having showers and toilets and somewhere to put my contacts at night. I like soft beds and no bugs. I like to be outside. But I don’t want to sleep outside. In the woods. With the critters. Ick.

Anyway…The point is, this song begs to be played and sung. Especially if you have friends who can pick up a guitar/banjo/fiddle/what-have-you and jump in. Especially if you won’t get so nervous in front of those friends that you  no longer sound remotely like someone who enjoys singing.

My secret ambition for this song is to get my daddy to sing it with me. He has a nice voice, and I know he would like this song. I gained an appreciation for bluegrass from him. Maybe if I get him a cd with the song on it, he’ll learn it. Then at the beach this May, Tom can bring his guitar, and we can get him to join in with us. Hmm…my plan is forming.

But really, go listen to this song. Let me know what you think. Bluegrass isn’t for everyone. But if you like it, you will thank me.

~Meghan

Friday, it began snowing in our area of Georgia at about 2:15  in the afternoon.  For those of you who are not from Georgia, this is huge because: A. It rarely snows in Georgia, B. It has already snowed once this winter, and C. We got 5 inches of snow. That’s  a TON of snow for us. We MIGHT get 2 inches of snow in a year. We got our 2-inch snowfall earlier this winter, so I was surprised to see so much snow in February.  I had to drive in it at about 4. There were already about 2 or three inches of snow on the ground and sticking to the roads. Again for those of you who aren’t from GA, this is bad because: A. No one here knows how to drive in the snow, B. No one here is going to pay for things to make their tires do better in the snow or ice, C. The Roads were already coated in ice, and D. I am one of those people who doesn’t do well driving in the snow. I was so freaked out by the time that I got home that I begged Tom to cancel our plans for the night so we wouldn’t die on our way to a cocktail party with friends. Well, begged is a strong word. I really said, “I really don’t think we should go out on the roads again. It was pretty bad. I saw some accidents that I would be foolish to think couldn’t happen to us.” And he said, “It’s bad? Okay.”

We were also planning to house and cat sit for my parents this weekend, but they had cancelled their plans as well. So with our entire weekend turning into staying warm in the house, we settled in for a cozy Valentines Weekend. We worked our way through this fun to-do list: photograph the snow, play with the dogs outside, catch up on tv shows, order delicious pizza (our first time ordering any food from a restaurant together in about 2 months, making it extra scrumptious), make sugar cookies, watch The Ugly Truth, watch church online, read books we feel like reading, and hang out. It was awesome. I hate cold, but I guess I can appreciate the snow for the weekend we had. Of course it’s supposed to snow again today. I’m trying to convince Tom to work from home so he doesn’t have to drive on the ice.

Here are some pictures from our snowy weekend:

Our house in the snow. And our driveway with streaks made by neighborhood kids sliding down it. We have one of the best yards for sledding in the neighborhood due to its steepness.

The pups, wishing they were outside in the snow.

Five inches of snow on Saturday morning.

Almost five inches of snow on the fence. (There are two levels on the top of the fence, so we only counted the snow on the bottom level.)

Pretty, snowy tree in front of our house.

And here’s a shot of the mailbox…with the numbers (poorly) edited out per Tom’s request. Look at the pile of snow on it!

Staying warm and making cookies for Valentines Day. Yum! And, though you can’t tell, they are on a really cute plate Sarah and Jordan gave us for our wedding. It’s perfect for Valentines Day!

Isn’t it beautiful when it snows? This was Friday evening as it got dark.

Sam and Liam LOVE playing in the snow. This was when they first went out in the snow on Friday night. They look so happy, don’t they? And they are SO fast. Maybe they’re part greyhound…

Liam, modeling in the snow.

They were tearing through the yard. Sam and Liam are super fast-we can’t out run them. They were throwing up powdery snow behind them as they ran and slid all over the yard. Sam, as you can see, loves to antagonize Liam until he chases her, barking and hyper.

As much as they love running, they love wrestling more. They look so vicious when they wrestle around, but neither of them gets hurt. They have been rough-housing since they were 10 weeks old. Look how scary Sam’s mouth looks!

Shake it off, Sam, Shake it off.

On Saturday morning, it had stopped snowing. But Sam was ready to start the wrestling again. She may be smaller than Liam, but she has no fear of him.

What do you mean, I have something on my face?

Oh, look, the snow guarantees to turn the dogs’ favorite spot in the yard into a mudslide for at least a week. Lovely. My floors and I really hate that about precipitation.

I tried to add a layer of warmth to the pups by putting tees on them. They thought is was an awful idea, as Liam will demonstrate. First, he gave me the, “Moooom! You have GOT to be kidding” look.

Then he tired to shake his shirt off like an annoying fly or water after a bath.

After I gave in and took the shirt off, he rewarded me with this happy smile. I took that as him saying, “Thanks, Mom! I know you like clothes, but being naked is way better for dogs.”

One last shot. These are the icicles that formed on a gutter downspout in the back of the house.  Sam and Liam really enjoyed drinking this cold water before it froze. For some reason they preferred to stand in the snow drinking ice-cold water to being inside drinking from their water bowls.

As cold as it was Friday and on Saturday morning, most of the snow was gone by early afternoon. We could see grass all over the yard. It was warm enough that we could safely go pick up a pizza on Saturday night without worrying about the roads and on Sunday to church instead of doing online church. Thank you, sunshine.

Sunday, when I came downstairs to leave for church, Tom had filled a pitcher with a dozen red roses (a Valentines Day Classic) and a very sweet note. I love receiving flowers, so I was pleasantly surprised to see them. Aren’t they pretty? The note melted me.

I gave Tom a card, but it just wasn’t picture-worthy. So romantic, huh? The thing is, I love my husband. We just don’t do a big Valentine’s Day thing, usually. Maybe when we have kids…

How did you spend the weekend? Link me to your blog if you have a post. Otherwise, just tell me in the comments!

~Meghan