#LatteLove Twitter Party

I had my first latte 15 yrs ago at a little place that I won't mention, but starts with an "S". It was a "single tall skinny with almond". It quickly became my favorite and that year, my mom gave me my one and only espresso maker. And yes I still have it and yes, it still works!

What: A Twitter party to talk about making your breakfast better with an at-home latte! Americans love their lattes, and with one serving of fat free milk adding nine essential nutrients but only 80 calories and no fat, lattes love you back. Join us to chat about how you can get a nutritious and delicious start to your day.

When: Thursday, October 4, at 1 p.m. ET. It will last one hour.

Where: The party will take place on Twitter, using the #LatteLove hashtag.

Who: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann will be hosting.

Prizes: We will give away five Latte Lovers Essentials prize packs throughout the Twitter party! Each one will include a Bodum milk frother, Latte Love mug, 8 oz. Lavazza coffee, Torani syrup, McCormick spices, recipe card & coupon. 

Twtvite: For more details, and to RSVP, click here! http://www.twtvite.com/lattelove

Want a sneak peek? Enter the Latte Love Sweepstakes on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MilkMustache/app_374172189320016 - now through October 9, for a chance to win a Latte Lovers Essentials kit or Keurig brewing system! You can also find easy tips, recipes & ideas for making lattes, cappuccinos or other coffee drinks at home on The Breakfast Project, https://www.facebook.com/MilkMustache or http://www.milkmustache.com.

For at-home latte recipe ideas and inspiration, check out these links:
Nine-Nutrient Boost: http://www.milkmustache.com/recipes/nine-nutrient-boost/
Morning Pick-Me-Up: http://www.milkmustache.com/recipes/morning-pick-me-up/
Ooh La Latte: http://www.milkmustache.com/recipes/ooh-la-latte/

Are you a latte lover? If so, what's your favorite kind?

Top 10 Things I Love About Fall

Ok, some weeks I look at Mama Kat’s writing prompts and I think to myself, “Pass, not a single thing on here I could even begin to write about” and then there are weeks like this where I could do a couple of them.

Today I’ll write about the things of fall that I love!

1. I love the changing of the leaves. Might seem funny, but I don’t remember the leaves changing all the years I lived in Washington. It’s the Evergreen State so, yah, it pretty much stays green all year long.

2. School is back in session. YES, my Wednesdays are mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine again and my boys get to do some learnin’ so they can support me when I’m old!

3. I love taking the kids to the pumpkin patch. Here in Minnesota we have an apple that’s called the Honeycrisp. It was created by the U of M I believe. Well, this apple is over $3/lb at the grocery store so I’m hoping it’ll be cheaper at the patch!

4. Ok, now I like getting my sweaters out and other cold weather apparel. I just dislike doing it in August! It gets cold very quickly here and I’m just NOT a fan of it! I have a coworker getting married next month and his invitation reads “flip flops and lawn chairs welcome”. I’m thinking there’s no way we’ll be wearing flip flops! Maybe a parka and snow pants!

5. I’m already thinking about my first batch of chili. I haven’t made it since the last time it was cold, maybe back in April/May. I’ll be making some tonight for a family from church, but the stuff for home won’t be made until this weekend. I can already imagine the smells!!

6. Are you ready for some football? This was the first year the boys and I had ever been to a Vikings football game. Yes, it was pre-season. Ask me if I care. We won, that’s all that matters to me. We had a great time (so that’s actually what mattered) I also loved playing Fantasy Football last year for the first time. I actually won my league (yep tooting my own horn), but they didn’t do another one this year. =/

7. The new Community Ed catalog comes out with the boys favorite sport to play…basketball. But guess what? They didn’t send it to me. For the first time in 14 yrs I didn’t receive mine and guess what? By the time Doodle started bringing home slips of paper from school talking about all the fun activities available, his grade for basketball was filled up. =(

8. Dead grass. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love green grass and I do enjoy mowing it, for the most part. I’ve got a very large lawn and it takes me either an entire day or a couple hours spread over a few days to get it all done. Now that Fall has arrived, no more mowing until next spring.

9. New kids tv shows. I remember growing up that with the fall came the start of a whole new series of my favorite tv shows. Now I get to ask my boys every Friday night if they’re excited about their new shows!

10. The cooler temps, shorter days and blankets of leaves. Ok, I’m totally lying because I couldn’t think of one more thing. Cooler temps mean winter is just around the corner and shorter days mean the sun is going to bed waaaay too early for my liking. I have a very good friend who’s husband and son (and last year her too) who have come the last two years to clean my lawn of a gazillion leaves. Pretty much every single tree in my yard has leaves that fall off. It takes forrrrever to get them raked so I’m ALWAYS thankful when they come over and blow them into piles so they can be dragged into the woods.

How about you? What are some of your favorite signs of fall?

1.) Describe a smell that brings back memories. (inspired by Darlingist Dr. Momsie)

2.) Tell a story (based on truth or fiction) where someone is playing with fire–literally or metaphorically–and probably shouldn’t be. (inspired bywritingfix.com)

3.) Draw, label, and share the layout of your childhood home.

4.) Write a blog post inspired by the word: leaves

5.) Fall is here! List your top 10 favorite things about this Fall season.

Wordless Wednesday: Signs of Fall

Be sure to visit Full Time Mama!

Taste of Home Tuesday: Sesame Pork Tenderloin

I have to admit, making a tenderloin was a little nerve wracking for me. The thing is, I have a gift of making meat dry when I cook it. Yah, I realize not everyone has that gift, but I do!

So, the point of trying out this recipe was to see if I could make a tenderloin that didn’t make us drink a gallon of milk with dinner trying to have SOME moisture in our mouths.

Seriously loving fresh garlic lately!!

HA! Gotta love following a recipe because they work!
Now, with this recipe, even though it’s a “sesame” one, I didn’t include them. My boys would probably snub their noses at them and I figured, meh, why bother? I wasn’t going to need any again.


Funny thing is, this week was the week I was preparing a meal for a family in church and guess what it called for? mmhmm sesame! That’ll teach me, won’t it?


Try it out and tell me what you think! Recipes are from the Taste of Home Best Loved Recipes cookbook!


I think next week I’m going to try a side dish or maybe a dessert!!
Be sure to link up with Delicious Dish Tuesdays or just check out all the yummy recipes!

I'm the Most Horrible Mom In the World

(sing that title to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year")

I dig Jen from Life with Levi. We're kind of like Country Mouse and City Mouse. We do things differently, but it's all good. She loves her son, I love my 4 kids. Or DO I?

Jen started a Facebook thread about how moms need to band together. We all do it differently, but different doesn't mean wrong. So, let me tell you how I parent my kids and you can decide for yourself.

Natural birth with 3 kids, my oldest (and smallest) I had an epidural

Both boys are circumcised. 2nd son on the 8th day.

I breast fed all 4 of my kids, my last for over 2 yrs

I used Huggies disposable diapers

I used baby wipes instead of making my own from scratch

I let my boys sleep with me and my ex for a couple years if they wanted

My kids have a bedtime

They have chores

I taught my daughters to do laundry at about 12 yrs old

I let my kids all have their own Nintendo DS's

My kids drink pop

I make my boys brush their teeth twice a day

When my kids hurt someone, I make them apologize

I forget to do laundry and my son will wear his shorts/pants twice

I'm teaching my children about my faith which I pray will become theirs

At bedtime I pray individually with each of my boys

My kids got a phone when they were around 13 because of activities

I expect my kids to be considerate of others

The boys have to do their homework before tv, computer or handheld games

I make my boys go outside and play after school

I haven't let my 13 yr old have a Facebook account

I am very cautious about what my kids read, watch and listen to

I've allowed all 4 of my kids to sit on my lap when we're up North, in the country where no cars are around and let them steer the van for about a mile

If my boys don't eat dinner, they don't get a snack

If they don't like my dinner, they are welcome to get their own substitution

I buy processed snacks like Little Debbies

I made all 4 of my kids read

I went to the Sex Ed class to learn what my kids were learning and pulled my oldest daughter, but didn't with my second daughter and haven't with my son

I don't view dating as a right, but a privilege. There's no magical age, it's about responsibility and maturity

Driving isn't a right, it's a privilege. Just because you're 16 doesn't mean you should be driving

I use proper terms with my kids for their body parts. I used to use other words, but they're old enough that we use proper terminology

I don't spell words for my kids, I make them at least try and will give a letter here or there, but I want them to put forth the effort

If my kids get a bad grade in school, but tried their hardest, I'm ok with that! If they tell me they forgot to do assignments or didn't finish projects and got a bad grade, I'm NOT ok with that.

I've tried to teach my kids to burp the alphabet cuz we all need skillz

Bodily functions are to be laughed about in our home (hopefully not in public)

I don't care how my toilet paper rolls as long as the last person puts a new one on

I feed my boys pop tarts and chicken nuggets

So that's me in a very small, or is that big, nutshell?

Having the 2nd Talk Thanks to #PoiseFab5 and #Cbias

I’ve heard it said a lady doesn’t share her age.

I’m 43.

With that in mind, when I found out September was Menopause Awareness Month, I realized, I had very little knowledge about Menopause. Here’s what I “do” know:

• You get hotflashes (I’ve had them off and on since a young girl)
• You can get really bad migraines (a past co-worker had them really bad)
• Some people get HRT
• I think some women get a hysterectomy around the time they’re menopausing

Other than that, I have no idea what to expect. My co-worker and friend, Cindy and I were actually talking about menopause because she’s going through it herself right now. One thing she told me I had no clue about was, once you don’t have your cycle for a year straight they consider you finished with menopause.

I know the past month has been tough for Cindy because she sent her only child off to college to another state. She also thought she was home free with her cycles when BAM! right on the cusp of 6 months it showed up again. I knew she needed some pampering.

Since I’ve had the same doctor for the past 13 yrs I thought it would be a good idea to get in touch with her to see what I could read up on before Cindy and I had the “2nd” talk. In case you’re wondering, the first talk would be before you start having your cycles as a young girl. Lo and behold, the clinic had nothing on menopause. No pamphlets, no brochures, no paper medical advice. The one nurse I talked to said they just don’t have anything and most people just look it up online. I was actually shocked!


That led me to the Walmart website where Poise has a brand page with a video and an introduction to 5 women (Poise Fab 5) who have different symptoms of menopause. It was so nice to watch each woman talk about what her experience has been going through menopause and their attitudes are so great! After watching the videos I downloaded their $1 off coupon that I wanted to put in her goodie bag!

I headed to Walmart to grab one of each of their 5 products but was shocked to find most of them gone. The store by my work only had 2 in stock the first time I went. I ran down the road to see if the other Walmart had them all and they had 4 of them, so I grabbed two more. The day before we were going to our spa appointments I had to run to the grocery store to grab some more items and there was the 5th one I wanted to get my hands on!




I really wanted to be ready to ask questions of Cindy about menopause, but since I didn't even know what to ask, I started searching online. I found menopause.org and the Mayo Clinic also had some good information. I downloaded a couple sheets with ideas and got ready for our spa day!

Cindy and I met up and I drove us to an Aveda salon I've been to before. They had actually remodeled the store since the last time I was there a couple years ago. It was SO nice. We were taken to the spa waiting room and that's where we started talking about menopause.


The first thing that came out of her mouth was that attitude is everything. Yes, you may have crappy days, you may wake up naked as a jaybird because you were having night sweats, but if you have a positive attitude, you've won more than half the battle!

I asked her how she deals with her hot flashes and night sweats, and she told me she fans herself and has a fan at home that gives her indirect air because she hates having it blowing right on her. I've had hot flashes before and I know to a degree what she's talking about, but apparently, she gets so hot her hair actually feels like it's on fire. She had a co-worker of ours feel her hair, NOT her head, her hair and she was SO surprised at how hot to the touch it was! I can't even imagine!

One thing I asked her about what bladder leakage. I told her that when I bounce on the trampoline outside it feels like I have to go to the bathroom all the time! lol She doesn't deal with that, and her advice was not to jump around! HA! I think from what I've heard, the more kids you have, the weaker your bladder can be. Well, that would certainly fit in my case having given birth to 4 babies!

I also asked her about HRT and it's another thing she hasn't really looked into as she hasn't needed it. If I ever come to that place, I'm hoping there will be something more natural I can use than something prescribed. I'll just have to see what happens with my body.


We were taken by our spa gals, Amanda and Sheri, to the pedicure station and started on our pampering! I haven't been pampered for a few years, so this was absolutely divine. Cindy's daughter headed off to college, she JUST had her "time of the month" start again and I knew this was going to be so great for her!

Sheri was funny, because she's our age and has older girls so we talked about being moms for almost the whole time we had the pedicures being done. Amanda is young enough to be our daughters and so it was probably hard for her to relate to us. I started talking to her about things that would be more up her alley. She was SO incredibly nice! And man, does she give an amazing pedicure!

Next Cindy and I headed to the manicure station. Sheri stayed with Cindy while I was able to meet Jayna. I was going to have Amanda once we headed to our facials. The four of us were just talking about daily life when the topic of menopause was brought up. Oh gosh, Jayna and Sheri were happy to talk about the topic. They both agreed that they are the hottest ladies in their spa! They want the air up and the rest of the people who work with them aren't in agreement! lol


I just want to say how refreshing it was to be able to talk about this with these ladies! It's not a taboo subject and I wasn't sure if it was one of those things you just don't discuss. Thankfully Jayna and Sheri weren't wallflowers about their thoughts on the subject. Sheri did mention that she likes to have her fan blowing directly on her, at full tilt!

When we were done with our manicures, Amanda came back with me and Cindy was introduced to Molly. Neither of us had had facials before so it was exciting to head into our private rooms to finish off our afternoon at the spa. All I can say is "wow". It was so amazingly relaxing. It was the only time that there wasn't a lot of chatter going on, but mellow music in the background and just being pampered.


We were both pretty much mush after our spa day, but, we were both ravenous. I had wanted to do a package at the spa that included a lunch, but it's such a popular place, I would've had to wait a month or so for us to be able to do it together. For lunch I wanted to go to a restaurant I had never been to, but also had to be relatively quick since we both needed to get home. Across the street was a Noodles & Co and the both of us like pasta!

We ordered our lunches and I gave Cindy her goodie bag. I had her pick out a product from the salon, but I also snuck in the nail polish she had put on her toes. Inside the bag was all 5 Poise Feminine Wellness products:

• Poise Roll-On Cooling Gel
• Poise Body Cooling Towelettes
• Poise Feminine Wash
• Poise Panty Freshener
• Poise Personal Lubricant

I also included a $1 off coupon that I downloaded and a travel mug for the iced tea she enjoys drinking.


Cindy opened each product, aside from the Feminine Wash so we could check out the scents and how they felt. I think by far our favorite was the Cooling Towelettes. They really cooled both of us off immediately and as we kept wiping it, it stayed cool. We kept talking about how nice it would be to have someone rub the towelette on us when we're having hot flashes! I liked the light fragrance.

I also talked to her about the video series on the Walmart website with the Fab 5 ladies. I explained how each lady shared about what symptoms she experiences most and what products they use to help with it. I loved their candor and how they acted like it wasn't a big deal, it's part of life and every woman will go through it. Their positive attitudes were lined up with Cindy!


I was SO thankful to be able to spend the day with Cindy. She exudes positivity and is such an encouragement to me! I also appreciate that she was willing to talk to me so openly and candidly about the topic of menopause and what she's been going through.

Check out Poise on Facebook, Twitter and the Pinterest page. You can also find more photos from my shopping and spa trip in my Google + story!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This
shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for
Collective Bias™ and Poise #CBias #SocialFabric all opinions are my own and
never influenced by the company!

I've Been Irrevocably Changed

When I decided to write on the topic of what once decision irrevocably changed my life, so many things went through my head including:

1. Getting married

2. Having kids

3. Deciding to stay in WA when my whole family moved to VA

4. Moving to MN

5. Not going to college

But here's the thing, aside from the last one, everything else was affected by the choice I made twenty-two years ago in the summer of 1990.

I had met my future ex husband at work. He was related to one of my co-workers. He in turn introduced me to a lady who gave me the greatest gift anyone could receive. She introduced me to the saving grace and mercy of Christ. Andrea was such an amazing woman.

The three of us were out to dinner one night at Denny's, or maybe it was Shari's, but we're sitting in the booth and she asked me if I wanted to know what Jesus did for me. In my head I think I was like, "pfffftht, be my guest", but by the time she was done talking I was a sobbing wreck of a sinner. All of a sudden my sin was before me and I saw my need for a Savior. It was a beautiful moment. The picture God gave me as she was talking will be forever with me.

That ONE day, that ONE decision, to follow the ONE who laid His life down for me affected every decision I made after that. I literally was a new creation. The old was gone. Ask my mom. She'll vouch for me!
No, it wasn't instantaneous and I still have a lot of flaws and sin runs rampant sometimes, but I'm forgiven. THAT is something that no one can ever take away from me.

This affected how I decided to live my life. Instead of being a working mom, I made the choice to stay at home. No, you don't by any means have to be a Christian to be a SAHM, but my heart change helped make the decision easier. I was a SAHM for 15 wonderful years and it's the best decision I could've ever made.
To this day, who I am, who I've been for the last twenty-two years, is because of who I am in Christ. I'm definitely a cracked pot whom the Potter is trying to repair every day. I pray my future choices are led by him and that I walk in obedience. We each have decisions to make every single day we're given.

What choice have you made in your life that has changed it irrevocably?

Writing Prompts:

1.) I spent this past weekend in Dallas for Bloggy Boot Camp with SITS. As part of the Writer’s Workshop Francesca and I conducted we resurrected the Six Word Memoir. Add an image to your own Six Word Memoirbased on…well anything.
2.) What one memory from your childhood always makes you smile, no matter what? (inspired by Not Just Another Mom Blogger).
3.) in juxtaposition to the thank you (sarcastic) cards we wrote last week. Write real thank you cards to the things that REALLY do save our lives every day. (inspired by Multiple Mama)
4.) Share 5 Fictional Friends you’d want in real life. (Movie/Book/TV etc.) (inspired by Hooked and Happy)
5.) What is a decision that has irrevocably changed your life? (inspired by Our Marriage Adventure)

Talk Like A Pirate Day ~ September 19th

Ok, admit it, when you hear that September 19th is the official day to Talk Like A Pirate, doesn't it make you want to say something very "piratey"? Maybe, "shiver me timbers" or "Ahoy matey?" Have you considered looking up some awesome phrases through Swagbucks?

And avast ye land lubbers, Swagbucks is getting in on the action by having a Swag Code Treasure Hunt and Mega Swag Booty Day! I say you start off with the Swagbucks Talk Like a Pirate Limited Edition Eyepatch in the Swag Store! Every proper (and I use that term loosely) pirate needs an eyepatch!

Here are some important details to keep in mind as yer huntin':

• Their maps will help with clues to find all the Swag Codes. Pay close attention for clues on the website, blog, social media pages and more to find the treasure chest.
• The Swag Code Treasure Hunt starts Wednesday the 19th at 4 AM Pacific Time and give you the chance to win 60 SB.
• Check out the SB Originals channel on SBTV Wednesday for a pirate's guide to plundering on the site - and earn more towards your Swagbucks video earning meter at the same time.
• Miss the Treasure Hunt? Don't ye worry mate because Wednesday is also Mega Swag Booty Day so there are even more chances to haul in some loot.

Don't know how to search for swag codes? Make sure you check out this tutorial at Swagbucks to tell you how! Good luck everyone! I hope my searches will get me some great loot!

*I haven't been compensated in any way for this post

Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kmart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I realize it's only September, but I'm already looking ahead to purchasing holiday gifts for my kids. As a single mom, I have a very limited income and have to plan ahead for events and holidays such as Christmas. Thankfully, Kmart has a layaway program that I think would come in extremely handy.

Both of my boys are big Lego fans and it seems that's become their big ticket present each year. Kmart has a set each of the boys wants and I can't afford to drop $60 on a Lego set all at once. It's just not in my budget. But with free layaway I can get the item and by the time Christmas rolls around, it will have been paid for! The boys each have their favorite line. Buddy loves Star Wars and Doodle likes Ninjago.



What's even better is Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway! There's one layaway giveaway every week at each store! This goes 9/9/12 through 11/17/12 so that's plenty of time for me to maybe pick up one item for each of my family members and enter to win! Make sure to read the official rules at http://www.kmart.com/layaway/sbh?#tab5

I'm glad there's a Kmart that I can do these layaways with because then it means I've got the gifts secured and I don't have to be concerned about running from store to store as we near the holidays. I know that other stores like Walmart and Best Buy don't have any programs like this so that makes my choices much easier!

Have you even considered what you're going to get for friends and family yet for the holidays?

Taste of Home Tuesday: Grilled Orange Chicken Strips

I was pretty stoked (does anyone use that word anymore) to find out Reader’s Digest was ok with me sharing their recipes with my readers! So, if I can keep my act together and stay one step ahead, I’ll try to bring you a Taste of Home Best Loved Recipes every Tuesday.

This weekend it was absolutely gorgeous out so I knew it was the perfect time to grill. I had all the ingredients, I just needed to put my mind to it and get it done.



I love how easy the recipe is. Nine ingredients and the chicken, then two instructions! Can’t beat that! I can do ‘easy’! Depending on the recipes I will probably modify most of them to fit the pickyness of my boys. In this recipe I cut out the cumin because I knew that wouldn’t go over well with them. Plus I didn’t have it in the house. =/





I grabbed all the ingredients and got my counter cleaned off. Basically that means I moved everything to the dining room table so I could work! lol




Here’s the recipe:

And for the record, Doodle loved this. He asked me to save a piece of chicken to have the next day. THAT is a first!

I'm also linking up to Delicious Dish Tuesday!

*I have not been compensated in any way for this post

Back to School Fashion With Cookieskids.com #Cbias #CookiesKids

Ok, so the truth of the matter is this, I didn’t buy my boys a single article of clothing for back to school. I had a lot of school supplies and the weather has stayed pretty warm. But, and this is a big BUT, it’s already getting super chilly. When the boys headed out to the school bus this morning it was only 64 degrees! I’d say it’s high time for some fall fashion with my boys!



No, not freezing my any stretch of the Minnesota imagination, but I can tell there’s a nip in the air and we’re going to making a transition into colder weather clothing. The problem with that is, my youngest pretty much blew holes through all the jeans he had last year.



I was able to head to Cookies Kids and check out the fashions they have for boys. Wow, I didn’t realize how amazing their prices were. I mean, I knew they were affordable, I just didn’t understand the amazing discounts that were available on really nice boys fashions…NAME brands! Let’s just say my shopping bag filled up rather quickly.

One of the features I liked the most is how they show you the regular price you’d pay at a store and their price in comparison! I don’t have to wait for the checkout process to know how much I saved! Check out these American Hawk denim jeans! lol I just paid $9.99 for them! You can’t beat 75% off!



I went back and forth with this Beverly Hills Polo Club shirt. I couldn’t decide on whether I should get red or white. I know, should’ve gotten both, right? And BOOM, saved 63% off the regular price.

I kept running into this item after item. I tried limiting my purchases, because I’m on a pretty limited income, but one of the great things I like about CookiesKids.com is that there are always fantastic discounts, and they send out emails with deals that can’t be beat. While I was shopping today (9/5/12) I got an email with this deal in my email:



This was a no-brainer for me. I get $5 off my next purchase…incentive to keep shopping, I got $5 off this purchase and they will include the Restaurant.com gift card with my purchase. I know I’ll be going out to dinner later this month so that will definitely come in handy!

When you shop for your kids, do you get an entire wardrobe before school starts or do you just get a few pieces you think they might need as they head into the cooler season? I still have to go through all of their clothes from last year to get rid of what doesn’t fit and what’s just too worn.

I know it might seem a bit of an oxymoron to get him jeans with tears in them when he blew out the knees in his other jeans, but this is fashion. At least that’s working in my mind. Do your kids wear ripped out jeans? I know all 4 of mine do.


What I just recently learned is that CookiesKids.com is not only online, but there are 7 stores in the NYC area in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Jamaica http://www.cookieskids.com/locations.aspx! I could’ve gone to the stores when I was in NY for BlogHer!

In 1972, a young man named Cookie and his brother Marvin went into business together. They rented a 1600 square foot store in Jamaica, Queens, fixed it up, bought inventory and Summer andFall, and opened a day after Thanksgiving with a full stock of holiday toys. The toys were a success and they put the extra money toward buying children's clothing for the next season. When that did well, they bought more clothing. The business was on it's way.

As the brothers Cookie, Marvin and Sonny, who had come in as a third partner in the business, began to open new stores in new locations, inventory expanded. Besides the latest fashions, our customers wanted shoes, toys, backpacks and accessories and we were prepared to deliver.

By the late 1990's there were six superstores throughout the NYC area, and though they previously had different names, by that time they were all named Cookie's Kids. Also in the late '90s came an important addition to Cookie's Kids' inventory: school uniforms. It was the steady success in uniform sales that paved the way for founding CookiesKids.com in 2007, which originally sold uniforms and soon after the entire Cookie's Kids Inventory.

It took about a week for us to receive our package in the mail and of course we were all excited. What I learned very quickly was, the jeans I purchased weren’t adjustable and it doesn’t mention if they are or aren’t on the site.

Doodle wears a size 10, but he’s a scrawny kid around the waist. Same goes for Buddy. He’s a 14, but needs the adjustable denim on the tightest button. As you can see from the picture above, the size 10 we received is significantly bigger than the ones we already have. I understand sizes vary by company so we need to keep that in mind.

Thankfully, CookiesKids.com has an easy return/exchange policy. They’ll also exchange them for no additional shipping charges. So, my next step is to get in touch with them and find out which jeans have adjustable waist bands. The weather’s getting cool and the boys are starting to wear jeans again.

Be sure to check out my entire online shopping experience with my Google + Story! And be sure to follow CookiesKids.com on Twitter and Facebook! If you use Twitter, keep an eye on their #CookiesKids hashtag to keep up with all their latest activities!

Right now my readers can enjoy Free Shipping on all orders, no minimum! Excludes Furniture, Gear and Toys. Contiguous U.S. Only. Expires 11/30/12 Use the word "wovenbywords" at checkout.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. and CookiesKids.com #CBias #SocialFabric and all opinions are my own and never influenced by the company.

Welcome Back to Minnesota World Market! #WorldMarket_MN

Several years ago, the World Market that was by me closed and they left Minnesota. It was very disappointing because I had always enjoyed shopping there! When I found out they were coming back to Minnesota and opening two new stores I was SO thrilled!

I headed down to the pre-Grand Opening with Chrissy and as soon as we walked in, like I told my co-workers, I thought I heard angels singing. =) I felt like a kid in a candy shop. One of the best things I love about World Market is that you can find just about anything you want or need!

Right after we walked in we saw Amy signing up for their World Market Explorer Rewards Card. I introduced her to Chrissy and then we all went our separate ways. I had an idea when I walked in that I wanted to jazz up my dining room table, but as I walked through the store, my ADD kicked in and I literally wanted one of everything!

Actually, a couple of weeks ago I had gone to the World Market website and made a shopping cart of various things I wanted to get. Not that it would’ve been very helpful since it was pretty scattered as well! I know, I need to go with a rock solid plan if I really want to do my table up right!

I finally grabbed a cart and started filling it. I decided I was going to get things that were functional at home because after walking through the entire store, everything I looked at was “I need one of these, two of these, one of those…”

While I was meandering I saw Chrysa and finally had the chance to meet Tonia! I’ve seen her around the blogosphere and social media sites for quite a long time. I was thrilled to see Jen again, too. She was shopping like me, getting the things that were going to be put to use immediately.
One of the only things I’m bummed about is that World Market is an hour away from me. Thankfully I get down to the Cities often enough that I can make a side trip and do a bit of shopping! You know, pick up something here and there so I can get my “one of everything”! lol

Something I’ve always wanted was a serving tray and this wood one I bought is stunning! I can’t wait to put it to use with my “Good Morning” coffee cup and cereal bowl! Maybe I’ll leave it out as a hint to my boys next year for Mother’s Day! Breakfast in bed, what could be better?
Tonight I’ll be using my new skewers on the grill with a fabulous chicken recipe that I’ll be sharing on Tuesday! World Market has a whole selection of fun grilling and picnic products that I plan on stocking up on, especially with my new found love of grilling!

See the gorgeous kitchen towels I also got? Yes, the ones with a design and bright color? I’m hoping the next time I go down to Bloomington I’ll get a table runner, placemats and napkins to make a matching set! Look at me go! I’m trying to move away from drab colors in my wardrobe and in my household linens!
I’ve also always wanted a kitchen composter, but never found one I really liked…until World Market! They had a super cute Tomato one, but you’d have to have it fit the kitchen décor. This white crock is exactly what I was hoping for!

I’m seriously in heaven with everything I came home with and can’t wait to use them on a daily basis!! I actually used the knife today and Oh My Goodness, that thing was amazing. Cut through my fruit and chicken like it was butter!

Be sure to follow World Market on all their social media sites:

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Google +

Have you been to World Market lately? What’s your favorite thing to look at when you shop?
*This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own and are never influenced by the company!