Christmas Card

Okay, some of you may not be too happy about this...

We regret to inform you that we won't be doing a Christmas card this year... :/ The pressure got to us, the ideas never came together, and time slipped away! I decided that instead of throwing something together of low quality "creativeness"...I would rather just skip it. We'll call it the first of our budget cuts for the year to come. ;)

So don't think you got "axed" from the list. We'll catch you next year!!

You may rant in the comments section if you feel compelled. :-D

One more thing...MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Top 10 Pregnancy Questions

First of all, I want to apologize to all of you that continue to visit my blog, only to be dissapointed that there has been no update. 1) I guess I'm getting lazy and 2) there hasn't been anything to say! I'm sure that will be changing very soon. ;)

So here is my first pregnancy topic. I have been getting the same questions from everyone I talk to...so here is everything you want to know (or could care less about). :)

1) When is your due date? June 19th. I am officially 13 weeks (and 2 days) :)

2) Are you and Josh SO EXCITED? Okay, this seems like an easy one to answer. But, right now, it's still so surreal that I haven't even allowed myself to be excited. I still can't grasp that this is happening to me. very strange.

3) Will you find out the sex of the baby? Yes, I believe we are going to. I have my first sonogram at 18 weeks, hopefully we can find out then. If not, it might not be until 30 weeks. Yikes! I'm excited to decorate and plan :)

4) Are you hoping for a boy or a girl? Here goes the old cliche, "either one is fine with me." :) But, really I would love to have a either! However, I will say this...If I never had a boy, I wouldn't be upset...but if I never had a girl, that would be a different story. ;)

5) What do you THINK the baby might be...boy or girl? I honestly don't get how anyone can "know" that. As of now, I have no thoughts on that :) I'm getting mixed reviews from people about boy/girl. Most people are saying boy (mostly b/c of Josh's 7 brothers)...with the exception of three :)

6) Have you been sick? Yes, I was mildly nautious. Thank the LORD that is over! I had to eat about every 1-2 hours in the morning. All of my speech kids were jealous of the food. "Did you bring mini donuts for us?!?!" Uh...no. sorry. Life isn't fair; you should learn that now ;)

7) Have you had any cravings? Nothing overwhelming. I would say I have had more food aversions, than cravings. So far the only cravings have been: warm tortillas with cheese from Chevy's (which Josh won't give in to. he hates Chevy's for some reason) and a chocolate shake from Steak & Shake. Oh! and a chili dog from Dairy Queen. haha, I THINK that's all ;)

8) Do you have any names picked out? Are you sharing them? Yes, J.J. Junior if it's a boy.

...(yes we have some names we like, and NO we won't be sharing them with you!)

9) Are you showing yet? If that means...do your pants fit? Then, yes I'm showing. But to most people, I'm sure they just think I need to lose a few ;)

10) Well...I can't think of a good #10. Top 9 just doesn't have the same ring to it. :) So this is where you can ask anything that is still on your mind... ;)

Stranger Danger

We had a very bizarre happening in our house last night. Amy, Josh and I were down in the basement watching TV. All of a sudden, we hear someone come in through the garage door (quite loudly). We all look at eachother, and think...could it be JD? Who IS that?! We hear nothing...hmm...strange. who else would it be? So Josh heads upstairs to scope it out. He walks upstairs to find a STRANGER eating CHIPS & SALSA in our KITCHEN!!! (it was left out on the counter) WHAT?!?! The conversation is as follows:

Josh: Dude, you're in the wrong house.

"Dude": What? No, this is Joe Harper's house.

Josh: Nnnno, this is my house.

"Dude": You're F****ing kidding me.

Josh: Nope, I'm not, you're in my house

"Dude" (proceeds to put a chip BACK in the bag) Oh man, I'm so sorry. I can't F****ing believe this. I feel like such a ***. etc. etc.

He continued to drop F-bombs and their many friends, as he walked out the door. We're pretty sure he was high. It was a very surreal moment, and I was sure glad Josh was home! Not sure WHAT I would've done if I was home alone!! Yikes! Lesson learned: Always keep garage door shut!!...and don't leave the chips and salsa out??? :)

SCARY SPIDER

This is the scariest thing I've done in a while. I had the nerve to capture him (my heart was racing!), but could not bring myself to kill him. He was too big to squish (the thought of it makes me shudder)! Josh thinks I'm rediculous, but I know some of you out there can relate. (Amy H!) So here he waits for Josh to come home and dispose of him. :)

Prize Redeemed!

This post is for all of you doubters...or for those of you who need a lot of convincing. ;) With all of my previously earned swagbucks, I got 5 $5.00 Amazon.com gift cards. I made my first purchase and redeemed all of the gift cards. I got these three books at Amazon for only $1.11 out of my pocket! What a steal! I love brand new books :) And, since recieving these books, I already have $10.00 more waiting for me to spend!

A few tips about using Swagbucks:

1) It's a fairly slow process (especially without referrals) so you have to be patient. Don't expect to win a 5.00 gift card overnight!

2) The search engine, I agree, is not quite as good as google. That's why I typically don't use the engine for new searches. I use it for things I already know the address to, or go to regularly. For example, I most commonly search the following and get swagbucks: "facebook, twitter, gmail, unit5, weather.com, coupon cravings, brads deals" etc...These are websites/blogs I visit daily, so I use the search engine. You are more often rewarded when you go to things on a regular basis anyway!

3) I only have about 2-3 friends that used my referral link, that actively use swagbucks. But they have still earned me many swagbucks! So get some friends under you and you'll be raking in the bucks :)

4) It's best to add/install the swagbucks engine to your toolbar at the top of your browser. If you don't, you'll probably forget all about it, and won't search as often. Just go to their website to install and/or learn more about it.

want to know more? read my first post about swagbucks. Are you convinced yet? :) Sign up with the link below, and start earning free money! You're crazy not to!!! Seriously... :)

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/ErinFabish

Sneak Peak

Concert

Tomorrow we're heading up to Chicago for the American Idol Live Tour!! I'm getting really excited! ... it is always a blast, especially when you are in good company! :)

The only rough part will be waking up at 6:00 a.m. the next morning :-/

Our crew: Amy B, Amy H, Christine D, Katie B, Mom, possibly Dad and me!

Pictures to come. Party Harty.

Last of the Summer Projects

Before summer officially came to an end, we added two more home improvements (again, Josh did all the work). The first was our back sliding glass door. We were seriously in need of that one! I didn't take a before picture, but lets just say it was a piece of junk! :) My favorite thing about this door is that it cost us $0.00!! Some dear friends of ours gave us this door and even helped Josh put it in! Looks great doesn't it? Now we just need to paint it ;)

The last of our projects was much needed! Josh built new shelves for the garage. Now we are very organized! Here is the before picture...this is the only shelf we had, and it collapsed shortly after this picture was taken :)

...and the after...

I'm so glad I have a handy, WILLING husband! :)

Our First Few Days

We are truly enjoying our time here in Tobago. This picture is our first breakfast, cooked by our "maid" Vernette. (kind of weird to have someone serving you, other than your mom...ha) The first day we rented a car and went grocery shopping. That was quite an experience--trying to find what you need, and then trying to figure out how much US Dollars it converts to. :) Anyway, we made it, and have everything we need for a week of breakfast, lunch and some dinners at home.

Later that day we frolicked in the pool and then went out to dinner at the Sea horse Inn. We had a great day. The next day we traveled by car, to the Tree House Inn. Great place for lunch, however, we discovered that the roads are pretty much NEVER and i mean NEVER straight! We drove for about an hour and a half along curvy (by that i mean like, 90 degree angle turns!) roads to get to the other side of the island. Unfortunately Amy and I couldn't stomach it, and were very "carsick." This is a picture at lunch, that kind of sums it up. I recovered faster than Amy did...haha...

The good part during that trip, was our stop at Englishman's bay. It was a BEAUTIFUL beach, and we thoroughly enjoyed it! It brightened our experience :) (until JD lost his wedding ring that is...ooops!) :/ We ended our day by coming back to the villa (after traveling almost literally, ever road in Tobago) and having a fabulous steak dinner and potatoes, cooked by our chefs, JD and Josh. It was a great way to end the day...an American meal made at home :)

Our plan for today (Saturday): chill out at our pool and head to a NEARBY beach! We had to cancel our trip to the rainforest, out of fear for carsickness :( Oh well, it's nice to just relax!!

Four Years

Tomorrow, Josh and I will be celebrating our four year anniversary. It's truly hard to believe that it's been that long!!

We will be celebrating in new york this year by getting up before the crack of dawn, traveling by plane and by truck :), and unloading many, many (many) heavy boxes. But! maybe we'll get to have a nice dinner somewhere in the city???

Summer Project--#2

Our second summer project came to us via the "Jane Riber Antique giveaway". My mom was able to part with an old dresser, and let us make it our own. We decided, instead of painting it black, to do a colored stain. This was our first time using a colored stain. Josh was a little unsure of how it was going to turn out, but we both love it! Thanks mom for a cute piece, and thanks Josh for doing all the work ;) hehe. Here are the before and after pictures.

Before...

After...

Weekend Trip to Wisconsin

Sneak Peak:

I don't have all of the pictures from our trip, however I do have this one...which is quite possibly my favorite. It was taken after our sand volleyball game. We got some good laughs from this one.

First Summer Project

Since Josh and I basically have the summer off, we have a lot of time to do little home improvement projects. (and yes, I DID HELP!!...a little) Our first project of the summer was a new patio set!! Or should I say, "new to us."

My mom & dad's neighbor, from Dwight, allowed us to take her old patio set for free. (Thanks Kate!!) It was green and a little rusty before...we sanded it (this is where I came in) and painted it (mostly Josh, that really hurts your finger!!) a bronze color. I was really happy with the way it turned out. Looks brand new! :) We topped it off, literally, with a cute umbrella, and we were all set. I'm so thankful for a handy and WILLING...with some persuading... husband ;)

As "we speak", Josh is outside stripping a hand-me-down piece of furniture from my mom. ...guess I should go help? :)

O.A.R. Concert

Well, it was quite a night, to say the least! Here's how it all went down... :)

We left around 1:00 with Megan and Andy. Had a fun ride up to Chicago, parked their neon "Chicago-style" (should have gotten a picture of that!...nice work Andy) and headed into their hotel.

From there, we headed to a "Trip-Advisor-Approved restaurant", Exchequer, where we had a great lunch. We were getting pumped for the concert and hoping the rain would stay away.

From there we took a nice long stroll toward Northerly Island. We (*excluding the guys) couldn't resist taking some pictures by the fountain and the lake.

(Picture posted above, courtesy of Megan Andrews Bowman Photography)

When we finally arrived at the concert venue, we saw the sign below. Concert Delayed Until 9 P.M. ...Lovely...

Luckily Amy & JD were JUST pulling in, so we hopped in with them and went to Plan B--seek shelter, food for Amy & JD, and something to do for 2 more hours.

So, we headed back to the "Trip-advisor-approved restaurant" :) for round two.

After taking shelter at Exchequer, we had no choice but to proclaim "poncho time" and run to the parking garage.

...ran with flip flops in hand for what seemed like 500 blocks and arrived safely to the parking garage. ...memories...

Made it to Northerly Island to discover the concert was still ON, hallelujah. We had a great time and O.A.R. was fun to see. It rained a couple more times throughout the concert, but no more "storms"--it's a good thing we all had multi-colored ponchos. Who's idea was that anyway??...oh yeah, mine ;)

Thanks to the Bowmans & the Bridges for a fun-filled, memorable evening. Great friends, Great times :)

Tonight!

We are going to see an O.A.R concert tonight with the Bowmans and Bridges at Northerly Island in Chicago. It's our first big event of the summer and we are so excited! I'll try and take some good pictures of our night! Here's hoping the storms stay away!!

...now, off to find some rain ponchos...

Trinidad & Tobago

At the end of July, Josh and I, along with Amy & JD are heading to Trinidad & Tobago. We earned 2 free round trip tickets to anywhere in the Carribean, through our HSBC credit card points. So we decided now would be a perfect time to use them!! After some research, we discovered the islands of Trinidad & Tobago. Tobago is described as a natural, relaxing place untouched by tourism (aka big 5 star resorts lined up along the beaches).

We are staying in a private 3 bedroom villa in Tobago. Here are some pictures of the villas. :) We can't wait!!

Funny Friday

Okay, so a friend told me about this website that is filled with "awkward family photos." It is pretty hilarious, so I thought I would share some of my favorites on Fridays :) Enjoy. I will include the caption that they put under each picture.

The Pile On

This is for that close-knit group that is so close that they are literally on top of one another. Uncomfortable? Quite the opposite… for they ain’t heavy, they’re my brother and my mother.

Mommy The Pooh

This father was so relieved when he found out he was gonna be Eeyore.

The Lenscrafters...

She never stood a chance.

...hope you enjoyed a good laugh today. Happy Friday!!

History Lesson

Do you know the history of Father's Day?

Father's day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when "father's day" was first proposed there were no Father's Day cards!

Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across America, other people were beginning to celebrate "Father's Day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

...so now you know :) And now for a freebie!! Through 6/10, Shutterfly is offering a free personalized Father's Day Card when you enter coupon code CARD4U. These cards can feature as many as nine of your uploaded photos!! Pretty cool, right?! Click HERE to start creating your card!!

FREE MONTH TRIAL

Hey guys. I have a free offer for you. Josh and I "do" Netflix, and they sent me some "tell a friend" coupon cards. Each card has a priority code for a free ONE MONTH trial. Usually their trials are 2 weeks, so this is "special." You can watch movies, back to back--to back to back :) for free!

So, i thought i would post the codes here, if you would like to use them. I have four codes. If you plan on using one, go ahead and tell me which code you used (make a comment!), so no one else picks that one. Happy movie watching!

Ok, go to netflix.com/tellafriend and enter one of these priority codes:

M971929897415
M951959897705
M961919897465
M991999897435

P.S. The offer expires June 15, 2009.

Idol Top Three

Well...who is it going to be? Who do YOU want to go home?




I'm hoping for Adam & Danny in the top two. I like Chris, but I think it's his time. I did however, LOVE his version of Heartless by Kanye West. I believe I will be downloading that on iTunes. :) I bet Kanye is a little ticked about Randy saying it was better than the original. Ouch. They may not be friends anymore!


Anyway...here's hoping for Adam & Danny! We'll see!


P.S. Did I tell you I'm going to the American Idol's Live Tour in September? So excited!!

Swag Bucks

So I found a new website/search engine that allows you to earn prizes for FREE! I have read several reviews about this on my favorite money-saving blogs :) and this is what I've found out:

Swagbucks is an easy to use website that rewards you with "Swag Bucks" for simply completing searches on their search engine. You can log in and go to their search engine, or add a tool bar on your computer (that's what I did). On some of your searches you may be rewarded with a Swag Buck, in a $1, $2, or even $5 denomination. These Swag Bucks can add up fast! Keep in mind that only your first 20 searches each day can qualify you for Swag Bucks rewards. You can redeem your Swag Bucks for merchandise and gift certificates. The most popular rewards seem to be gift certificates to Amazon, Starbucks, and more. (I believe it's around 45 swag bucks for one 5.00 Amazon gift card).


So basically, you use the search engine, like you would any other search engine (like google). I use it even when I already know a site address, just for a chance to win some "bucks". They say one of the fastest ways to earn "bucks" is to invite friends to use it. Everytime a referred friend gets a buck--you (their referrER) also get a matching buck (up to 100 for each friend). So, check it out! Get rewarded for doing something you do everyday anyway! (or at least I do) :)

When you sign up, you'll get 3 Swag Bucks to get you started. And if you use my referral link, I'll earn a Swag Buck every time you do!! You can also click on the picture link above. :) Let me know what you think!

I'll let you know when I earn my first gift card!!