Valentine Swap

This year I participated in a Valentine Swap hosted by An Island Life. It was so much fun to buy goodies for my Valentine someone I did not know that lives in Wisconsin and even more fun and exciting to receive a gift.

My gift arrived last Friday a little box filled with sweet things and the cutest handmade card. My box contained vanilla shower gel and bubble bath, dove chocolates, the oh so cute Hersey's Valentine bar and my new favorite Pampered Chef Sweet Mocha Hazelnut Sprinkle YUM! I sprinkled some of these on our Valentine morning heart shaped pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream sooo good!
Thank you Maria for my Valentine!

daily pipi

This is Euro-Tech Pipi, mine and Ella's personal favorite

Daily dose of Pipi

For those of you who know me know Gilmore Girls was a favorite of mine so imagine my surprise when I discovered the episode when I found the girls singing the Pipi theme song

Life according to Pipi

One of the first big books I remember reading was Pipi Longstockings in fact I remember reading it several times. When I saw the movie set at the library all those fond memories came flooding back and I decided my kids needed to meet Pipi, Mr man was not sure if he would like this "girl" movie and litttle princess well it was not about princesses.

None the less I convinced them to watch it, little did I know they would become Pipi crazed. They have watched all the movies several times, they play Pipi, and everything in our life is related to Pipi. For example the other night when we were eating spaghetti Ella said Pipi wrapps her spaghetti around her fingers and cuts it with sissors then eats it. For just about everything we do I get a Pipi does it like this.

Now if you have fond memories of Pipi and think you want to see the movies just let me warn you they are cheesie, made in Sweden in the 1970's with bad English dubbing. The Pipi theme song comes with a warning too, it is very catchy Caleb walks around singing or humming it all the time and the other night I just about lost my mind I could not get it out of my head and anythime I woke up or rolled over "I am Pipi Longstocking if you say it fast it's funny, Pipi Longstocking how I love my happy name" Oh the madness!


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In Sweden Pipi is a part of their culture, children learn the song in school and there are many versions of the song from the classic to the techno dance version.
Stop by everyday this week for your daily Pipi... I am sharing the insanity!

Bedroom Bliss

The SITS have another great give away...bedroom bliss that's right for this the month of romance they are heating it up with this give away. 500 thread count sheets, memory foam pillows, spa towles, candles, lotions and a Target gift card for any bedroom extras. I am hoping this is the month for me want a chance to win go to the SITS and sign up there

Make a pizza make a pizza

ready set....go


This past weekend we went to North Carolina in honor of Dan's birthday...I decided he just needed a break. It was the first time the kids saw any amount of snow and of course the first time on skis. The first day all went well Dan worked with Caleb and helped him learn how to snow plow aka make a pizza. And he went down the "real" mountain with Dan a couple of times and all went well.
Then came my turn, Dan took Ella and I put on the skis...wow had it really been 10 years well not quite it was 2000 when I last tried skiing. Got on the skis and it did all come back to me, in fact it was fun! I took Caleb down and we did great in fact he said "you go faster than dad" score one for mom

Day 2 we decided Ella was going to join in and she was ready so we rented skis for everyone and after a little practice Dan decided we were ready to go as a family. He was going to take Ella down and I would take Caleb, fine I thought since it went so well the day before. We get off the lift all is well we start down Caleb is trailing behind holding a pole and he swings out wide goes off to the side and ends up near the trees. He struggles to get up, it's slick, he slips, he gets scared "I don't want to die" are his exact words. After about 5 minutes which seemed like 30 during which I threaten to leave him and he ends up pulling me down I finally make him take his skis off and walk down to Dan who is waiting with Ella.
Dan convinces me I can take Ella down and he will get Caleb down, I was scared but determined to do it and I did. So that was how we skied for the rest of the day me with Ella and Dan with Caleb.
So how do you take a 3yr old non-skier down? Squatting down with her in front holding on to your poles plowing the whole way. Let me tell you my body hurt all over that night



sometimes you just need a little push

Day 1 Dan helping Caleb down