A whole lotta stuff!

I've got a lot to say today . . . I'm gonna squeeze it into one post - hope that doesn't bug anyone!!!

First news, Gabe is WALKING (and has been for a good week!!!)!!!!!! It's so exciting!!! So to be perfectly honest, I'm so totally okay it took almost 14 months for him to walk. And I'm even more excited though because he's doing super well despite the burns/scars/etc. He's a trooper - still totally toddling, but my GOSH it's so cute!!! You know, arms outstretched, jerky movements, big grins when he walks far. You all know how it is - they start toddling a few steps and within a few days, they are walking champs!!! I'm just in love with the walking - so stinkin' CUTE! I grabbed a few pictures of him walking today :) He is currently prancing around the house, finding random things and then hiding them anywhere he thinks to. It's hilarious!

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how much I love to bake. It is a panacea for ALL kinds of things (for me of course lol). I found a really yummy chocolate chip cookie recipe. I took some more artsy fartsy pictures and then a few of Emily after eating them!! Does it not look like she's rolling her eyes at me?! The secret to these cookies is the pudding. They are so awesomely fluffy, but doughy and dense still. Yummmmmmmy!

Award Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter (I never bake/cook w/ margarine, so all my recipes will have butter in them) softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package of instant vanilla pudding (keep in powder form)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease cookie sheets
• In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar
• Beat in the instant pudding until well blended
• Stir in the eggs and vanilla
• Blend in flour/baking soda mixture
• Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips
• Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes
• Form rounded balls of cookie dough onto sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes

Enjoy the yumminess!!!!!

Lots of people have been asking me how I organize my coupons. I use a zip up binder filled with baseball card holders. Just so everyone gets a basic idea, I took some pictures. I have a pencil pouch filled with envelopes - I use this to organize myself before shopping (I have envelopes labeled with my stores - ie Albertsons, Walmart, etc that I put in coupons I'm planning on using that day). I also have scissors and a pen in there. I bring my binder with me anytime I am going to the store or might be going to the store. Who knows what deals I'll find?! I also keep my menu plan in my binder just so I know when I'm shopping any extras I need to add that I forgot to add onto my store list (garlic bread for a side w/ spaghetti for example).

As for the baseball card holder sleeves . . . I put one type of coupon per sleeve. For example, if I have 10 $1/1 Ken's Dressing coupons, they all go in one slot. But if I have 5 $2/2 coupons for Ken's Dressing, they go in a different slot than the first example. Make sense? Hope the pictures help out!

Hope you all had a great weekend!!! Thanks for keeping up with us Ghans :D