I love thunderstorms but last night it was so loud I thought the sky was gonna break.  At least we are finally getting some rain though.

Don’t you just love the smell of rain?

We are going on three months of our debt diet.  I printed out our spending reports (yes I track everything on Money) and we have already spent $8,000 less this year then we did for the first six months last year.  Yee Haw!

Speaking of saving money.  Sunday night I went to the grocery store with about a million coupons and my total savings ended up being $150!  That’s a new record for me.

We’ve been watching a lot of old movies lately.  I love watching the really old ones, like from the 1930’s because the there are zero special effects.   We just watched the original Dracula last night and for the still shots of a house or a hillside the camera would just focus in on an actual picture.

My favorite part about old movies is the melodrama.  The actors or soooo over dramatic, I love the expressions on their faces.

Eva’s favorite new book is Princess Baby by Karen Katz.  She knows all the words and has to dress up like a princess every time we read it.  So cute.  Then she calls me Princess Mommy and I’m all like “Ahhhhh”.”

I absolutely LOVE the CD I won from Michele over at the The Integrated Mother.  It’s Ziggy Marley’s new Family Time CD.  The very last track is Jamie Lee Curtis reading her book Is There Really a Human Race? I highly recommend buying the book for your little one.  Check it out.

PSA – Please please please don’t talk on the phone while your kids are in the pool.  I know it’s  a little late in the summer for this but better late then never right?

I’m getting a shiny new website design soon!  My husband is working on it and it will be up shortly.  I can’t wait!

One last thing…If your kids are looking forward to seeing the new Disney G-Force movie this Thursday Ask.com will have a special promo for the movie.  You can go to there sight with your kids and ask silly questions about Guinea Pigs and stuff.  Anyway here is the spiel.

A preview of the homepage is available below and will include interactive ‘rollover’ components that prompt parents and their kids to experience Ask’s ‘Smart Answers’ [allowing users to obtain answers to their questions without clicking on additional links] first hand for two days to help kick off the opening weekend.  From encouraging children to ask ‘Where did guinea pigs get their name?’ to ‘How is a 3-D movie created?’ the homepage encourages online education, discovery and exploration.   These types of exercises are a great way for kids to learn and for parents to encourage safe searching habits along the way.

So there are your random thoughts for the day some more random than others.  If you’d like to join in jog on over to Keely’s blog at TheUnMom.

Have you heard of Karen Katz? She is a fairly new children’s book author and illustrator. I was first introduced to her when I bought the book Over The Moon for my daugther. It is a wonderful book about a couple who fly to Guatemala to adopt their baby girl. The illustrations are bright and fun, little E just loves looking at all the pretty colors while I read her this sweet adoption story.
After dd came home I started to notice that there was quite a large selection of Karen Katz in the book store. So far I have picked up Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?, Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book, The Colors of Us, and In Grandma’s Arms. Eva loves all of them and I love reading them to her. I also would like to get her Princess Baby, Can You Say Peace?, I Can Share and Twinkle Toes . Oh heck I want them all! My favorite thing about Karen Katz books (besides the illustrations) is that she ties in all different cultures and ethnicity’s. She has written books such as My First Ramadan, Counting Christmas, My First Kwanzaa, and Where is baby’s Driedel. The book The Color’s of Us is about a little girl and her mother exploring all the different wonderful colors that people come in. They try to associate each color with a yummy food. I think this is perfect for kids who are trying to make sense of the differences in the world around them.
Soooo…if you haven’t yet heard of this author go check her out she is great!

On another note I am so touched and thrilled to have received THREE new awards! From Bhing at
Your Daily Dose of Anything, from Amy over at 1 girl + 4 Boys = Paradise, and Andrea at No Time for a Haircut.

The Triple Award:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude
3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received this award

The Lemonade Award – (Which I think is super cute!):

And the Noblese oblige award:
1. The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.
2. The Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.
3. There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4. The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5. The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

I would like to share all three of these awards with these wonderful bloggers…

Nicole @ MomsHomeRun
Lori @ Soccermomsays
Felicia @ collegesahm
Dadofdivas
Mandy @ adventuresofamillenniumom
Michelle @ mycrazylifewithatoddler
Tabitha @ fromsingletomarried
Danielle @ extraordinarymommy