Print Your coupons before they reset

Now's the time to check at Coupons.com and print out any coupons you want before they reset in December. This month there were some great coupons for pasta, cheese, and crackers.

Save Money and Stress Less this Christmas

Christmas is supposed to be joyful - not spendy and stressful. If you are lucky enough to escape family drama, then there are really only 3 major areas that might cost you time, money, and sanity. Those are shopping, decorating, and cooking.

Let me share with you how I will be saving money and stress this holiday season

1. Shopping - I shop for most of my holiday gifts before Christmas. Just like with birthday gifts, I am always on the lookout for things my family might like. When I see it on sale (and sometimes not on sale - oops!), I pick it up and take it home. This saves so much time and money.

I always have my kids with me when I go shopping, so one less trip to the store, especially during the frazzled and rushed holidays, is extremely welcome. I don't enjoy shopping during the

Christmas rush. People are mean and pushy. It's not a great time to be out and about. Plus, most of the greatest deals come after Christmas. ;)

Take a look at how we operate our kid's Christmas present shopping. In the past, I've brought my children to the dollar store with $3 each (of their own money.) They selected a gift for mom, dad and sibling. Then they went to the register and purchased them. They loved it, but there's only so much available at the dollar store. Do you know what I mean?

So this year we are starting something new. For the first time, our children have access to my clearance shopping finds. This year, they will have the same $3 to spend, but they will get to shop from mom's stash of gift goodies. This is just the start. I'll have the "store" ready a few weeks before Christmas.

I hope somebody "buys" me the Wii Fit Plus. lol

My children are still very little, so the math is simple and the prices are low. This year, most of the things I bought were either 75% (or more) or FREE. I did buy a few things on Amazon using Swagbucks, so they were technically free, but not always at 75% off.

You may also want to consider how much you really want to buy. Our generation seems overly concerned with how many gifts we buy our children. Kids can have a great time with very little.

Just make it fun and special. That's what they'll remember, not the gazillions of gifts that get shoved aside as soon as the hoopla is over.

2. Decorating -The weeks following Christmas are the best times to pick up decorations. Target clearances out their holiday items very quickly and people all over are looking to get rid of their decorations. Right after Christmas is a great time to check Craigslist and Ebay for outdoor decorations, trees, and other big items.

Just the act of decorating can be stressful. Try to remember that it's supposed to be fun and enjoyable. And if all else fails....do what we've done.

To the right is a picture of our Christmas tree - in our basement - fully standing and filled with lights. It's like this 365 days a year.

What in the world? Yep. We could not stop fighting during the tree lighting and dismantling so we agreed to store it in the basement fully decorated every year rather than fight each season. It's a marriage saver - believe me!

We take the time and slowly put up each of our ornaments each season. It's calm. It's enjoyable. It's Christmas. :)

Make the good traditions last, and ditch the yucky ones (for us that was detangling lights).

3. Cooking/Baking - To save money on cooking during the holidays, stock up on essentials when the deals are hot. Luckily, for most stores that means right before Thanksgiving. That's not too far ahead to plan for Christmas. And not to long to have to store extra ingredients either.

Try not to stress over everything being perfect. Let your kids frost the cookies. Is it really that big of a deal if they aren't picture perfect? Make your favorite foods. And your families favorites too.

If you don't like them, then don't eat them or have a polite "no thank you" portion. Then move on.

If at the last minute you realize you are missing an ingredient to make Grandma Lilly's cranberry relish, let it go. Make it next year. What's the big deal? Life is way to short to worry about crazy stuff like this.

Above all, have fun this holiday season. Enjoy your family. Eat some great food. And don't forget to get out and do something active.

Link & Win Mondays: Stop in to List and Win Tons of Giveaways!

Link up your giveaways here! Then come back and check out some of these great giveaways! Lots of fun opportunities to win!

Don't forget to enter my new giveaways:

EcoSMART - Safe Home Bundle

IBW - Interactive Books

$100 Blog Design

Blush Topless Undershirt

Chuck E Cheese Pizza Maker and ICEE Maker

We're ALL Shredding!

I'm still going strong on my 30 Day Shred goals. I feel stronger and I'm finding ways to make time to exercise every day! But something even better has been happening!

Other people are joining in! One of my sisters is shredding! Two of my neighbors are now shredding! Lots of bloggers are shredding! Wahoo!

I love to spread the exercise love! If you are shredding, please keep me updated - it's so motivating to hear your successes. One of my neighbors even cancelled her $200 a month personal trainer -she's loving the easy 20 minute shred so much! Saving money and working out - Now we're speaking my language!!

**Just so you know....I'm not affiliated with The Biggest Loser or Jillian Michaels in any way. I just think the 30 Day shred is great, fast, and effective exercise.

EcoSMART natural pesticide - Giveaway

{This giveaway has ended: Congratulations to #101, Priscilla} I need to be 100% honest when I say that I do NOT like to kill bugs. I love them and think they are an incredibly valuable part of our ecosystem. That being said....when they come into my garden or into my house....something must be done.

When I must use pesticides, fertilizers, or cleaners; I want to use something that's non-toxic, natural, and biodegradable. EcoSMART provides a safe, natural pesticide that I'd feel comfortable using.

EcoSMART would like to offer one Suburban Jungle reader their Safe Home Value Bundle:

The Safe Home Value Bundle includes:

-- Ant and Roach Killer (14 oz can)

-- Home Pest Control (24 oz spray bottle)

-- Flying Insect Killer (14 oz can)

-- Insect Repellent (6 oz bottle)

To Enter:

Visit EcoSMART and leave a comment with one other product you'd like to try.

Extra Entries:

3 extra entries - Blog about this giveaway. Include a link to this page, and leave 3 comments (1 with your link)

2 extra entries - Tweet about this giveaway. Please copy this into your tweet: { Keep the bugs out this winter! Win EcoSMART bundle @suburbanjung http://bit.ly/6BbN5s } come back and leave 2 comments

1 extra entry - Follow @suburbanjung on twitter

1 extra entry - Follow on google friend connect

1 extra entry - Subscribe via feedburner (email or rss)

This giveaway will end on December 12, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST. The Winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email by Dec 13th. This contest is open to US resident only.

**No compensation or products were supplied for this giveaway. I have not personally tried the products mentioned but have had a chance to view information on their website.**

Prepare Your Berries for Winter

It's cooling down, so it's time to start preparing your berries for winter. I'm not a gardening expert, but here is how I prep my berries:

Raspberries - By now, you may have already pruned out your dead canes. If not, you can either do it now or wait until spring. I have multiple varieties and each of them have their own pruning recommendations, so be sure to search which canes to cut for your variety. Other than that - leave raspberries alone until spring. Then you can fertilize them right before they leaf out.

Black Raspberries - This is a great time to prune out any

dead canes (those that produced fruit this year) and also prune the 1st year canes to maximize fruit next season. Here is a great link about pruning black raspberries. Since I tip-layered my 1st year canes this year, I won't be pruning until spring.

Strawberries - Most people regenerate (mow down) and cover their strawberries with straw in the fall. That's a great idea. But I'm a lazy gardener. In early autumn, I un-net my strawberries and allow the deer to regenerate for me (lol - they do a great job) and then allow the forest to cover my berries. Every year the trees throw down their leaves on our yard and garden. I just let the leaves stay on my berries. It's a great mulch layer.

But what about mold? I go out in the very early spring and remove all the leaves. We have such long winters that I am itching for gardening way before it's time. So I'm out there as soon as it's above 40 degrees. So far so good on the mold issue.

Blueberries - My blueberries are only 4 years old, so they don't require heavy pruning. That being said, I still cut out any broken or damaged canes. Once they hit about 7 years old, I'll need to thin out some of the older growth.

We live right near a forest, so rabbits and deer (among other things) are drawn to our garden. A few years ago, rabbits devoured all of my blueberry bushes....down to the roots. I was so sad. But I'm hoping that will never happen again!

Every winter, I cover my blueberries with burlap. It still allows the plant to breathe and obtain moisture, but keeps the deer and bunnies from chewing on the bark.

Be sure to secure the burlap completely on the bottom so nobody can get in. It may also help protect the branches from breaking from the heavy snow, but it can be risky if the burlap is too tight. The plants aren't growing in the winter, but the soft buds and young shoots can freeze to the burlap and get damaged.

So be careful, try to keep it loose around the plant, but tight enough on bottom to keep critters out. And take them off as soon as you can see the ground. By that time, the animals should be able to find other food sources and your bushes need the sun to start setting blossoms.

Make Grilled Cheese Sandwiches without butter (paninis too!)

News Flash! You do not need butter (or any buttery spread) to make grilled cheese sandwiches, or paninis, or any other grilled sandwich. All you need are bread, non-stick cooking spray (I like the olive oil kind) and some cheese (and/or other ingredients).

In the example to the right, I used our george foreman grill. Best $8 I ever spent (garage sale...brand new.) But it works just as well on a pan or griddle. Just spray the pan, put down your bread, layer on your sandwich insides of choice, top it with another piece of bread, spray the top lightly and cook.

I can only imagine the amount of saturated fat and extra calories (for anyone keeping track of calories) this saves. And they taste great. I personally, do not miss the greasiness.

How to Cook for Crohn's and Colitis

How to Cook for Crohn's and Colitis: More Than 200 Healthy, Delicious Recipes the Whole Family Will Love

I received this cookbook and and initially thought, "eh...I don't have Chrohn's or colitis...boring!" But then I opened it up, and it was engaging from the beginning to the end. The opening story was both heart warming and motivating.

And the recipes! This cookbook is full of great recipes that are low in saturated fat, and high in natural goodness. There are no artificial ingredients and no gimmicks. Since it is geared toward IBD, they do emphasize less whole grains, but for the rest of us, it's an easy substitution.

I was very happy to find this book full of tasty, healthy recipes. It isn't often you find a cookbook with wholesome, real recipes that is dedicated to lowering inflammation.

As a side note, inflammation is a key contributor to many diseases, not just Crohn's and colitis. It's involved with MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, arthritis, and even cardiovascular disease. We could all benefit from a diet lower in saturated fat and increased exercise. :)

No compensation or products were received for this review. All views and opinions are my own.

Weekly Grocery shopping - Under $50 - Saved 40%

This week we spent $46.24 on groceries. The price before coupons was $76.02, so a savings of 40%. Not my best week, but the sales were low. Why so many chips? With two adult males (GRrrrrr!) in the house, chips and crackers are popular.

Our local sales haven't been very exciting lately. I hope they pick up after the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving!

Crust-Free Pumpkin Pie

I'm just going to put it out there...I hate crust! I can't stand the flakiness and texture. It also happens to be unhealthiest part of the pie (usually). I've seen plenty of recipes for no-crust pumpkin pie but they usually include bisquick or some other ingredient that basically bakes the crust into the filling.

I'm not a fan. I can still sense the crust and I don't like the extra ingredients. So what's a crust-hater to do! Guess what? You can make a pumpkin pie without any crust!

Here's how I do it. I make the recipe on the back of a can of Libby's pumpkin pie. I only use half the sugar (did you really think I'd use it all?) and I pour it in an ungreased pie pan. Then I bake it according to the can directions. And wallah...a crust-free pumpkin pie.

There is only one drawback here: The pie doesn't always leave the pan perfectly. Sometimes, when you are scooping it out, the tip will wrinkle. But it still tastes great. It's lower in calories this way too, especially if you decrease the sugar. It's pure pumpkin goodness!

You can do this with other pies too. Apple pie is great without any crust (it's just baked cinnamon apples). Cheesecake works fine without a crust. Lemon meringue can go crust free, but has a similar wrinkly tip problem. :)

Have you made any other crust-free pies? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Global Influence Holiday Guide - & Big #Giveaway!

Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products. Featured Reviews Pouchees -

Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. The Pouchee is the perfect solution to keeping all those little things together, putting everything you need, right at your fingertips.

Duck Hunter -

Duck Hunter turns the excitement of the hunt into an activity the whole family can enjoy. Launch the duck in the air and try to hunt it down with the toy shooter as it flies freely in the air. A fun choice for those who love outdoor sporting.

CardStore cards

-Personalized holiday cards are an important item on everyone's to-do list and often a hassle to create and print. Cardstore.com has everything from family photo cards to invitations for your big holiday party, simplifying your holiday season.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry Just Elfin' Around Card Cubby Harumika By Bandai Harumika Runway Showstopper Harumika Style Starter Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo Strawberry Shortcake Playset Kota Monty Rex Wall to Wall Basketball Nerf Pocket Vortex Busy Ball Popper Talking Chuck Truck Leapfrog My Pal Scout Leapfrog Tag Jr Leapfrog Scribble and Write Animal Planet Polar Land Playset Animal Planet Dinosaur Playmat Onionhead Adult/Teen Feelings Pack OnionHead Children's Feelings Pack Onionhead A-Z Feelings Magnet Set FotoboxPlus MeTime Tees

Fun Holiday Giveaway! For this holiday guide, we want to share the love with the blogosphere! Some of our generous sponsors have donated prizes to be given away to lucky readers! To enter to win one of the following fabulous prizes, simply fill out the form here: http://tinyurl.com/y8t92rw

Prizes include: Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry Pouchee Elfing Around Harumika Onionhead Feelings Pack Nerf Wall to Wall Basketball Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo MeTime T-shirt

Entries will close on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email after the close of the contest.

Global Influence Member Guides Need more ideas for this holiday season? Check out the guides that some of our Global Influence members have put together on their own sites! Thrifty Jinxy, Happy Healthy Hip , And Twins Make Five , Because Two People Fell In Love, Mommy Musings , Lipstick to Crayons , Bargain Briana , Mommy PR , Shop With Me Mama, Santa Picks, Rave and Review, Connected 2 Christ , 3 Boys and a Dog, The Classy Closet , Contest Corner, Lisa Reviews , A Giveaway Every Day, HulaHoopinMom, Spalibrations, High Impact Mom, From Cribs to Car Keys

All reviews listed in the Global Influence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Global Influence.

Free Earrings from Urban Original - While supplies last - Hurry!

{ALREADY GONE -SORRY}

Hurry over to Urban Original to snag a free pair of earrings. Use promo code "earrings". This was listed in Seventeen magazine...which yes, in my 30's, I do read. Hurry - offer is good while supplies last.

ReboundTAG Microchip - Review

Does the airport ever lose your luggage? LOL - what a stupid question, right? My husband travels a lot and I can not tell you how many times his luggage has went MIA. We even lost our luggage in Spain and had to spend a few days trying to track it down....in spanish.

FuelMyBlog offered me the chance to review the ReboundTAG as part of one of their product campaigns. I was so excited to give this a shot.

How it works:
1. Register your Microchip

2. Attach the Microchip to your luggage - it's just like an address tag
3. Receive an SMS message and email when your bag is lost

Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to formally try it. The ReboundTAG arrived just after my flight to the savings.com event, and while my husband was gone on a trip. We just missed it both times. And we won't be travelling by air again for a few weeks.

Next time we travel, I'll attach our microchip....and hope we never need to really use it.

*This was an uncompensated review. I did receive one ReboundTAG to review.*

Pet sitting

More than anything, my children would love to have a pet. They felt so lucky when a neighbor went out of town this week and asked if we could watch her fish.

The first morning, my daughter woke up early and I could hear her singing to the fish. They have both excitedly fed it every morning and have been careful not to yell or fight - in case it hurts the fish's ears. Score one for mom!

It's been cute watching my kids with the fish, but the newness has worn off and except for feeding time, the fish has mostly been ignored. So sad.

IBW Books - Review & Giveaway

{This giveaway has now closed. Congratulations to #56 kngmckellar} IBW-Books recently sent us two of it's webscene interactive books to review. I love reading to my kids and since we read a lot of the same books over and over again, I was happy to mix-it-up a little.

We were sent 2 books. One was a KA Reader book - a web interactive story for beginning readers. Most of the words were one's that my son could read or sound out. The story rhymed and repeated words often, important for beginning readers.

The other book was from the Busy Preschoolers Celebration of Letters set. We had letters G & H. Inside there are short poems that emphasize a specific letter and corresponding web activities

built around those letters.

Our thoughts on the KA Reader book:

-This was the most useful and captivating for my children. They enjoyed the story and looked forward to the weblink at the end of the page. When we opened the web page, they were excited that they already knew the characters names and had a sense about what would happen on the screen.

-It was fun to integrate the computer scene into the story. I think it would be a much appreciated and very deserved reward for any beginning reader who was reading the book on their own.

-At first my kids were turned off by the book based on looks (plain type, no pictures.) I think they could tell it was a "lesson" book, but the web links were so fun and interactive. They looked forward to each web link.

Our thoughts on the Busy Preschoolers book:

-My kids were a little bored with the book, but they've also been exposed to phonics in multiple forms over the last few years.

- They did LOVE the activities associated with each letter poem. The books contain craft ideas, games, and interactive webpages.

- My recommendation: use this type of book along with your preschool curriculum. A good free preschool curriculum to look into is, Letter of the week. These books would complement the lessons in this curriculum well and would give you a lot of great ideas for learning activities. We personally used the Letter of the Week and my kids did great with it. I would have liked the interactive books for them at that time. It would have aligned better with them when they were first starting out.

Some cool attributes of the IBW-books system:

- All the webpages are bright, enticing, and very user friendly

- The books (and weblinks) are bilingual - English and Spanish

- The weblinks pop up common words during the story to reinforce word recognition

The downsides:

-You need to be prepared (aren't all moms anyway) so you can smoothly transition from book to web and back again.

-The books are a little asthetically boring (but the weblinks are bright and cheery). The books scream "lesson book," and while that's okay, it may not initially set the right tone for your child...unless you are one of the lucky ones that have homework loving kids. :)

IBW-books is giving away one prize package to a Suburban Jungle reader. You have the choice of one of these two prizes (words taken from IBW-books' descriptions):

The Busy Preschooler's Guide to Learning - fun activities built around the 26 letters of the alphabet, with step-by-step help to guide parents in how to use everyday situations to teach 105 skills their kids need before they walk in the kindergarten door.

OR

THREE (3) KA Readers - beginning readers that use a new kind of storytelling where kids see an animation unfold at the close of every chapter! Dr. Seuss-like rhyming hooks kids on the fun of words. Online activities help parents assess a child's reading and comprehension.

To Enter this giveaway:

Leave a comment telling me which prize package you would like to receive

Extra Entries:

-Tweet this giveaway for 2 extra entries. Be sure to include a link to this post and @suburbanjung in your tweet. Then come back and leave 2 comments.

-Follow this blog (Twitter, google friend connect, feedburner) and leave 1 comment for each way you follow.

This giveaway will end on November 30, 2009 at 9:00 PM, EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email.

*No compensation was given for this review, but I did receive 2 books for review. This did not bias my opinion and all opinions are my own. *

Black Friday - Our plan of attack!

Target and Twittermoms are hosting another great contest....share your Black Friday plan of attack and have a shot at a $75 Target Gift card. If it involves Target, I'm there.

Here is our Black Friday Story

In the very distant past, my husband and I would get the paper on Thanksgiving and scour through the ads. We'd pick out the best deals, then wait outside the stores at horrible hours, maybe 4am.

Then we got internet savvy and started figuring out our must-have deals days in advance. And of course, we got crazier. Actually, my husband got crazier. Once I had kids, I valued sleep more than anything (still do) and bowed out of the Black Friday mayhem all together.

But my husband would hang out at 24 hour stores.....all night long! I think it was 4 years ago when Walmart had the super laptop computer deal. My husband was there all night. I think he went at 7pm, and he returned home, with 3 laptops at 7am. One for me, and two for his family members. As the years went by, we were less and less interested in the sales. Last year he only went out for a telescoping ladder that has served us well in many DIY projects.

But what about now? After years of deal hunting and really not needing anything....I think we're going to skip it! WHAT?!!!!!!! Sure we'll read the paper on Thanksgiving. That's just good fun. But I'd rather shop at home on Cyber Monday. Amazon just started their online deals today!

I'm not sure I'll find anything I absolutely MUST have, but if I do, I plan to get it with a full night's sleep - online - in my jammies. Speaking of online deals...check the JuiceboxJungle widget (green box in the sidebar) on Friday for an online Black Friday Deal.

K'NEX toys - a Holiday Review

Just in time for the Holidays, my children were able to review some fun toys from K'NEX. Team Mom sent us the KNEX 400 piece tub and K'NEX Sesame Street Police Car Set.

As soon as my son saw that building toys were in the box, he went wild! You may have seen from previous posts, that he will build and build for hours. You've never seen a child eat carrots as fast as he did so he could leave the table and come see these new toys. ;)

Since my children are 3 and 5, they each chose the toy set that was appropriate for their ages and worked on them separately.

Here are my thoughts on the K'NEX 400 piece tub:

-This is a very fun toy that will likely provide hours of enjoyment.

-The set contains a booklet full of instructions on how to build all kinds of super neat

vehicles and objects (movable ferris wheels, trucks, boats, airplanes, and more!)

-If you buy a set like this, my recommendation is to organize the pieces. Yes, I said the "o" word, but it makes playing so

much easier and enjoyable.

-The box says ages 7+ and I thought since my son was such an avid builder he would be able to tackle it at 5....and he could, as long as I helped. I think the age rating is right on for this toy. Ages 7-80 would get a lot of use from a toy like this.

Here are my thoughts on the K'NEX Sesame Street Set:

-This toy is rated ages 2-5 and I think that range is mostly appropriate. My daughter was able to put together most of the pieces without any help and I'm sure most 3-5 year olds could.

-It's cute, but maybe not so great as a stand alone toy. You would need more pieces for this toy to provide long-term entertainment.

-It is fully compatible with our current lego toys - that's a huge bonus! These pieces would easily integrate with you current sets, adding to the value of the sets you have and this set. Who wouldn't like to add a police officer to their lego sets...and an Elmo at that.

-It drives well.

My children both built their sets with a little help from Mom and then lined up their vehicles to race. We took a video to enter into the K'Nexion video contest (offical rules at Knex.com), but will be reshooting it to make it better.

No compensation was giving for this review. We did receive both of these sets to review but like all of my reviews/giveaways have either donated the product after review or a similar cash value to the salvation army. The views expressed are my opinions. Thank you Team mom for providing the items for review.

Link & Win Mondays: Stop in to List and Win Tons of Giveaways!

Link up your giveaways here! Then come back and check out some of these great giveaways! Lots of fun opportunities to win!

Don't forget to enter my new giveaways:

$100 Blog Design

One FREE Year of Menu Planning - worth over $58Tropical Coconut Oil

Blush Topless Undershirt

Disney Musical Hand Wash Timer

Chuck E Cheese Pizza Maker and ICEE Maker

6 Moles Removed - 2 Weeks of Waiting

Earlier this week, I had 6 moles removed and sent off for biopsy. It was surprisingly pain-free, but still rather unpleasant. Who...what...biopsy? Yep, I had 2 suspicious moles and 4 that were removed for fun. Or at least that's how it seemed.

By the way, if you need to book a dermatology appointment...get to it! They book up quickly. I had waited months for this appointment. So when we decided to paint the house this week, and my husband was gone for a week long business trip, I kept the appointment!

I ran out as soon as the bus picked up my son and prayed the doctor's office would be running on time. I waited in the room for a long time before the nurse handed me a napkin and told me to undress.
No harrassment about sunscreen please...I've been addicted to it since I was 14, and all of moles were in places that see no sun....(NO, not there!) I still needed to remove all the clothing on my upper body and roll down my jeans. TMI!

The reason I tell you this is because after almost an hour in the doctor's office and lots of drawings on my skin, the doctor went to see another patient and my daughter informed me that she needed to use the bathroom. #2, and NO, it could not wait. I had less than 40 minutes before the bus dropped my son off at home and the doctor was no where in sight.

So I held on to the napkin as tight as I could and we ran to the nearest bathroom. The nearest bathroom....was several hallways away. I had to pass the waiting room, and two rather inquisitive old men on the way there.

Finally, we were at the bathroom. Phew! But the door was locked. Someone was inside and taking a rather long time. I glanced at the guys in the waiting room. Still watching. Great. Why did she have to go NOW?

After 8 or 9 paper towels, the lady in the bathroom finally came out. I hurried my daughter in, cleaned her up, and we headed back to the room. Yep, the guys in the waiting room were still watching. Grab a magazine, sheesh!

When we got back to the room, I got back into position and waited. A few long minutes later, the doctor came in and said, "oh, there you are...I almost started another case." We had almost missed our chance and time was ticking on the school bus.

Such is the life of a mom, right? I watched as my moles were removed. A dermatology office is full of all kinds of full length mirrors. ;)

I couldn't feel any pain, but it did feel the same way it feels when I cut through frozen chicken. I could feel the same sort of resistance. Instantly, my mind raced back to the movie Alive. Did you see it? I'm dating myself, I know.

It was the movie I watched on my first date. Good choice, huh? I've never felt the same about eating meat since that movie, and I was thinking about it again as my moles were being sliced off one-by-one.

My vegan dreams were interrupted by my daughter laughing. She thought it was funny that the moles were being dropped in containers. Silly. She then showed me a mole brochure from the doctor's office and told me she saw a cancer mole on my back. Thanks!

She repeatedly told me, "you have a cancer mole, mom!" Once the moles were gone, the doctor quickly left the room and as the nurse was capping the containers she said "I'll be done in a minute and then you'll have some time to dress." But before she turned around, I was already fully dressed and ready to go.

She looked surprised, but when you're a mom, you get used to having 2 seconds to dress yourself. We headed out the door and got back in time to make lunch and get my son at the bus stop.

My moles are gone. Okay, some of them. Truth be told: if moles were really beauty marks, I'd be Gorgeous!

In 2 weeks, I'll have the biopsy report. I have holes all over the place where the moles used to be and they hurt. Here's hoping the results come back normal.

*By the way - check out picture for the horrible mole removal on my back. Ouch! I'm showing you this so you see what I'm shredding through. And this is only one of six! But this one is troublesome for all the ab work. Now forget the mole...and check out my towel animal in the corner. Love it!

2 Episodes of The Biggest Loser this Week!

Don't forget - There are 2 episodes of The Biggest Loser this week! The regular show will air on Tuesday and a special reunion show will air Wednesday!

I am so excited! I can't wait to see how the contestants did after they left the ranch. I have watched a few of the Biggest Loser workout videos on my cable's on demand, and I have to tell you, I've seen a few of them. My biggest heartbreak... Eric. Do you remember him?

He was a deli chef. He was huge and diabetic. He needed to be on the show so bad, and he made it to the end. He won! He was so cut it was crazy! But in all of the videos....I'm so sad to report that he's overweight. Seriously overweight. I really wanted him to win and stay healthy, and.... Well, let's just say - I can hardly wait for Wednesday night. And I won't even eat candy during the show this week. Maybe. :)

Amazon Black Friday Deals start at 12AM

Amazon's Black Friday Deals start on November 23rd at 12AM. They're promising to have some really great deals, so keep checking this Link to pick up something great.

This may be a way to spend some of the Amazon GCs you've been winning through Swagbucks. Not using Swagbucks yet? Sign up here to get 3 free swagbucks (it takes 45 to get a $5 Amazon GC.) They add up quickly. I win between 2-3 swagbucks each day...sometimes more. How do you win? By searching the same way you would with google or yahoo. It's easy, free money.

Never Underestimate what your kids can do

Today I learned that I shouldn't underestimate what my children can do. My son received this anatomy kit for his birthday. When I saw it, I instantly worried about how much work (and mess) it was going to make. So I hid it in the closet for a long time.

My son kept asking about it and I had so many good reasons why we had to wait. But today, all of my conditions had been met (nice day, no bugs, old bucket available...)

My children put this skeleton together almost entirely on their own. They mixed and poured the plaster, popped out the pieces, assembled it correctly, and painted it with fluorescent paint.

Then we hung it in his room where it glows all night long!

The 30 Day Shred - My Before/After results

I've blogged a few times about how much I like The 30 Day Shred. I really do like it! In some ways it's too easy, and in other ways it's just right. The best part is that it's just 20 minutes a day.

To be honest with you, after I made it to level 3, I stopped running all together and just did the shed 2 or 3 days a week. That's all! I still felt healthy and I still maintained my weight. In fact, I felt stronger. Not the cheetah strength I feel from running, but a barbarian strength that I kinda like.

That being said, I wasn't really doing the shred the way it was intended. And I kinda wondered what would happen if I did. Because I'm not really obsessed with being thin or cut, I am cool with a maintenance schedule of twice a week. That way I can get some decent exercise and not have my whole life be exercise, kwim?

I also don't think shredding everyday is a good idea for most people. Why not? Your body needs to rest. Without it, you risk injury and burnout. But I want to know what would happen if I shredded everyday for 30 days. Would I see/feel a difference?

I'm warning you now, this is not going to be pretty. But it is going to be honest. With the help of my 3 year old (lol), I will post before and after shots and stats.

I started shredding everyday a few days ago, so my commitment is going to span the holiday baking season. If you are going to start a workout routine, start now! Don't wait until New Year's! Why put your life/goals on hold? Besides, when I work out I have less of an appetite (for junk that is!) and you may too.

Keep in mind that I have a lot of the same commitments as you. I have 2 children - and they are right beside me every time I exercise - EVERY time. We are currently replacing trim and painting our home. I recently had some minor surgery (okay I had 6 moles removed!) and that makes my skin rip and hurt when I'm exercising. My kids get sick. I get sick. Friends call. Playdates stop over. Bad stuff happens and issues come up. And some days I'm just too tired. But they are all excuses. It can be done. 20 minutes! Come on!

On a few of the days, I've had to shred at 9pm. That's not ideal, but there were other things I had to do during the day. No excuses. Just get up and do it (whatever IT is for you.)

Since I can complete all 3 levels, I am doing the shred like this: 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3.... for all thirty days. I'm hoping that will give me enough variety and lessen the chance of injury.

I am going to post my before/after pictures at the same time (about a month from now) with all my stats as well. That way it's easier to find all the info in one place and see a difference (or not) in a side by side photo.

I am also trying to figure out the best way to show changes (or lack of change.) My 3 year old may not be the best at taking my pictures (lol). That leaves me at the mercy of the auto timer and my own guessing.

I have taken my before shots already. And I am resisting the swimsuit shots with all my strength. They do show the best detail....but I'll keep you posted.

The goals of my 30-day shred experiment

-No weight change (or within 2-3 pounds up or down)

-I want to make it through all 30 days without skipping a workout

-I want to make it through without ever dropping my weights or dropping to my knees during a push-up (so far so good) :)

-I'd love to see more muscle definition

-I'm hoping to see an increase in stamina and energy level

-Remain injury free

**Amazon currently has The 30 Day Shred for under $10! I bought mine used on ebay for $7. If you'd like to shred along with me, I'd love to see/hear your progress.

The Snowman's Song - Review

I love to read my children themed books, especially around season and holiday changes. I was recently offered the chance to review the book The Snowman's Song, and I have to tell you that I loved this book!

Let me tell you what I loved about it:

Everything about this book was beautiful! The illustrations were beautiful, the snowman's gentle spirit and longing to share the Christmas story was beautiful, and the whole theme/attitude of the story was beautiful.

My kids enjoyed the story and I could see this being a book they look forward to bringing out with the holiday decorations. A story to welcome the first snow and anticipate the joy of Christmas.

I also love that for every book purchased on snowmanssong.com they will donate a book to an underprivileged family. It just fits the books message so well.

My concerns:

My only concern was that I hate to see this book get loved and worn. It really is a lovely hardcover book and the pages are so nice. It pains me to think of it with nubby corners and cookie prints on the pages. But I'll have to let that go so that my children can really enjoy this wonderful story.

The book does come with an audio CD, but we haven't utilized that part yet.

This was an uncompensated review. I did receive a copy of The Snowman's Song to review, but this did not sway my opinions.