Cozy Mystery Challenge: Book 3!

Yes, book 3 is another culinary mystery but I have two more books on tap that aren't culinary mysteries! With luck I will be able to read nad type them up for future posting before this baby is born!!

ANYWAY, today's book is Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells.

Description:  To help boost ratings for her show, Della Carmichael agrees to enter a televised cake competition sponsored by Reggi-Mixx, even though the company’s owner, Regina Davis, is an old college nemesis. When she finds someone drowned in a mixing bowl of batter, Della realizes solving this murder will be no cakewalk. (via Amazon)

Review: This is actually the second book in the Della Carmichael series. When I saw this book in the library, I realized that I had read the first one and liked it... then promptly forgot to read any others lol! The character of Della is just a "normal person" and the book is written very straightforward. While cooking is a huge part of Della's life, the book also deals with her love life, her pets and just the everyday. She gets put into this cake competition situation and of course literally stumbles into the mystery! The book introduces a bunch of new characters, but as unusual for me, I figured out "whodunit" fairly quickly. This is a fun, quick read.


Want to join the cozy mystery challenge? Just click the picture below!

Disneyland Days 5 and 6!

Wednesday was a very slow day. We were in and out of the parks, did laundry and rested. I only took pics from the Mark Twain lol There are a few new things along the river since our last trip!

I wanted to have Wednesday be a rest day since I knew that Thursday and Friday were going to be morning to night days (with a little bit of resting in the afternoon). We spent almost the entire day at Disneyland!!

Have to go to the tiki room... my new camera is awesome!!!

We did hop over to DCA on our way back to the room.

Back to Disneyland to the Gallery and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln...

My Favorite - the toot toot bear!

We had gotten a fast pass for World of Color that morning (Thank you Grand Californian!) but first had to get to our dinner reservations at Big Thunder Barbecue. For some reason I had been DYING to try it since it first opened - and I thought it was pricey but pretty good. Love the entertainment!

On our way out we got confused where to exit ;)

We managed to get a good spot for WOC, and here are a few pictures:

Hopefully whenever we make it out there again it will still be playing! LOVED IT!!!

One more Disney day left :(

Super Baby Event at Babies R Us Tomorrow

Participating Babies R Us Stores will be holding in-store Super Baby Showers for nmothers-to-be  on Saturday, March 12th from Noon – 3 PM.

You will can RSVP HERE!


"We’re hosting a baby shower for all expectant moms as well as their family and friends. Come learn about the must-have products for every mom’s Baby Registry, valuable tips and ideas for planning a baby shower, plus enjoy great savings and free giveaways.

Proud Sponsors: Huggies, Summer Infant and Baby Einstein"

TY to Sweeteis Sweeps for the info!I only wish I could go! :(

Win a $25 Target Gift Card!

I am always excited to find another blogger out here on "the island" since there really seems to be so few. And it's even better when they are having a giveaway! Karyn at The Trendy Mommy is a new blogger who is giving away a Target gift card! Awesome :D

Family Travel Tips!

As you might have noticed, Jeff and I are both really big travelers. Yes, we usually go to Disney World or Disneyland but we do go other places too! And now with a baby on the way, we have been trying to figure out how to still travel with just a few modifications to what we currently do. I LOVED taking trips when I was younger, and I want my children to have those same experiences.

Alamo wants to know my top 10 tips for getting away with great family travel deals.

1. Plan Early... but don't stop planning! You can get some really great deals if you book early. But sometimes you can get even BETTER deals if you wait. On some airlines, such as Southwest, if the flight you have booked goes on sale, you can rebook and get a credit to use on a future flight.

2. Sign up for hotel Web site and airline newsletters. They often will include special deals, sales and promos that can save you a lot of money. Sign up for another e-mail address if you don't want them cluttering up your main address.

3. Look at flight consolidators but also at the airlines themselves. I always start my flight search on the sites that show you a lot of flights at once - then I go to the airline's own Web site where a lot of the time the flight is cheaper. Don't forget that not all airlines are on the consolidators site either!

4. Do the math - gas vs airfare. Sometimes it does cost less to drive to your destination. That might not be as true these days! But the more family you have, the more the cost of airfare rises whiles the cost of gas remains the same.  And don't forget the family bonding experience you get being stuck in a car together all day!

5. Sign up for information from the area you are going to. Not only will you get information about what to do and see, but a lot of times they come with coupons for area attractions and restaurants. As in number 2, sign up for e-mail newsletters from those places as well. For instance, J and I LOVE Mimi's Cafe, and there is one right by Disneyland but not one near us. However, we get e-mails from them, and the e-mails always include a coupon, so we can save a little money when we go.

6. Travel off peak. That is kind of a no-brainier I think. It's something that is harder for us to do since we are restricted by the school calendar. We do fly off peak - usually late at night and get some deals that way. Just be aware that some attractions might have shorter hours or be closed in the off season.

7. Sign up for loyalty reward programs. We have gotten free nights for being rewards club members. Many programs are good at a variety of hotels too.

8.  Ask for deals. There is a Howard Johnson that we like to stay at that always has great deals - but you have to ask. If you are a member of AAA, the military, the rewards program, certain groups such as alumni... Always check if they have any unadvertised deals.

9. Buy the Entertainment Book. This time of year, they are very cheap, and a lot of the hotel deals are nationwide. The same goes for the restaurant coupons.

10. Day and weekend trips. Don't forget that trips don't have to be extravagant week long affairs. There are probably tourist sites, museums and other attractions within a few hours of where you live. Even taking a Saturday to get away and try something new can be refreshing and energizing - and much less expensive!

Jeff and I already have our first trip with the new baby planned - we're going on a trip to Woodloch up in the Poconos with his family. It is going to be an entirely new experience, but I am so excited that we are going to plant the travel bug early in our son. And let's not forget that we are also planning his first Disney trip ;)

About Alamo
Founded in 1974, Alamo Rent A Car is a value-oriented, internationally recognized brand serving the rental needs of airport leisure travelers. Alamo offers low rental rates and a hassle-free customer experience at the most popular travel destinations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia. In addition, Alamo customers in the U.S. are able to conveniently choose their own vehicles, based upon their advance reservation and requested car class, and then simply drive away from the airport.

The Alamo membership club, Alamo Insiders, offers its members numerous perks including exclusive, member-only deals, quick and simple reservations, and frequent traveler miles with each rental.
 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

It's a WOOT OFF!!!

Today is one of the favorite days for Woot: One Day, One Deal. fans.... a Woot Off! It's the day when Woot tries to get rid of the items it has in limited quantities- all in one day! The deal of the day is constantly changing, so check back frequently!

And the best part... the day will end with a bag of crap!!

But until then, click here Woot: One Day, One Deal. to go to the Woot off and see what the deal is - right now it is a Vizio 37” 1080p LCD HDTV but when that gets sold out a new deal will be up!

Also, Kids.Woot is having a Woot off too! Great day to get kids stuff for cheap!

Keep checking back frequently!

FREE Bag of Beauty Samples from Target!

Sign up here, fill out a brief survey and sign up to get a Free Target Beauty Bag full of samples from Herbal Essence, Nivea, Revlon, Sally Hanson, Suave, Neutrogena and Olay. You also get up to $25 in coupons. Awesome!

This has been open awhile and quantities are limited so go now!

Dear Non-Pregnant Person.... (too true!)

The Mommy Diaries posted this, and I just HAD to repost! Thankfully not too much of this stuff has happened to me but man... it is all funny and true!!!

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Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn’t mean me – then you should probably read this twice.
1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is ‘Congratulations!’ with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.
2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father – not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase ‘my baby’.
3. On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it…
4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone’s stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight…ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is ‘You look fabulous!’.
6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don’t need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.
7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren’t invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won’t be invited to be there when it comes out either.
8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parent’s home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to ‘help out’. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
Sincerely,
All the Pregnant Women in the World

Disneyland Days 3 and 4!

Day 3 was President's day, so we decided to skip the park that day and head to San Diego. Of course, by the time we checked out of our one hotel and into the Grand Californian (Disney Vacation Club) then had breakfast, we were running behind, and we didn't make it to San Diego until after 1:00.

We were meeting my friend who works at the Birch Aquarium who was going to give us discount tickets to the museums at Balboa Park.... but since they closed at 4, we just decided to go to the aquarium instead!

After we went to Old Town then later on met with my friend and her fiance for real Mexican dinner. Yum!!!!

We got "home" in time to watch World of color from our balcony - I think we had the best studio in the entire resort. The views were fabulous, and we got to see all of the new construction. (Of course we got to hear it too lol!!)

working on Goofy's Sky school

Tuesday we actually spent all day in DCA, only going back for a few hours in the early afternoon.

Supposedly there is a Goofy dressed this way, but we only saw Minnie.

We did the World of color dining package at the Trattoria - very good food and great view of World of Color. It is a fantastic show, a must see if you go to DCA!