Adventures in Life

We got up this morning and had breakfast on the cruise ship. Once we disembarked (Alex saved us around 1.5 hours of standing in line) we headed to our hotel (Fairmont Waterfront) in Vancouver. Our room was not ready (we were given the option to upgrade and get into a room immediately...we declined), so we decided to go to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Then we realized that we only had two bottles and they were both dirty. Gabe walked outside to see if he could find the Taxi driver (the bottles were left in the taxi). Unfortunately he could not be found. The bottles were in a pocket on the stroller. Gabe told the driver to put the stroller in the front seat, but he insisted on putting it in the trunk. So, the bottles must have fallen out in his trunk. Well, it was time for Alex to eat and I needed to clean him some bottles. I asked if there was somewhere that I could clean bottles and explained to them that the ones that were left on the taxi were the only clean bottles that I had. They were very nice and put us in a room right away (the upgrade that we declined to pay for earlier). So, we ended up with another hotel upgrade for free. I washed Alex's bottles and we headed off to the bridge.

We explored the bridge and the surrounding park. It was a lot of fun.

Totem Poles at the park.

Gabe & Alex on the Capilano Suspension Bridge. You can't tell from a still picture, but the bridge sways quite a bit.

We returned back to Vancouver and went on a city tour. We would have liked to went to the art museum (there was a special exhibit on Rembrandt) and the Chinese Garden, but we just didn't have the time.

Steam Clock

We had dinner at Steamworks. At a little shop, I had a very yummy gelato, Strawberry, Mint, and Basil. It sounds gross, but it was really good. After walking around the town for a little while we headed back up to our room. We have to get up around 5:30 a.m. to catch our 8:45 a.m. flight.

Gabe & Alex at Steamworks

Our hotel's herb garden. They use the herbs in the hotel restaurant.

Posted by at 9:13 PM | Permalink

Happy Birthday Julie!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

Posted by at 8:02 AM | Permalink

Today was a day at sea. This was the final art auction. I won a $500 bid credit but I did not buy anything during the auction. Instead we went to dinner and after eating we went to look at the art again to choose something to purchase. I always like having a day at sea to unwind before returning back to the home port. Tomorrow morning we will be back in Vancouver.

Alex really wanted his dad's water glass.

Posted by at 11:07 PM | Permalink

Today we were in Ketchikan. Before getting off of the boat, we went on a tour of the galley and played some trivia (and we won!). As the person in charge of the trivia said, we won a fantastic plastic prize. We ended up with some lip balm, a luggage tag, and a pen. It would not be a day on the cruise ship without attending an art auction. We won a free piece of art in a raffle. Even though I have already spent my art budget, I still like going to the auctions.

Galley Tour

This is not the best picture of me, but I love the expression on Alex's face.

In Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world, we went to The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. At one point they used very loud chainsaws, so they brought Alex a pair of ear muffs to protects his ears. He is not fond of loud noises, so every time the crowd clapped, he screamed. After the show we walked around Ketchikan.

Alex and his hearing protection during the lumberjack show.

Ketchikan

Posted by at 11:58 PM | Permalink

Today we spent the day in Juneau. We went up Mt. Roberts and hiked around. We also walked to the state capital and the Governor's house.

This eagle lives on Mt. Roberts. She was shot through the wing by a hunter and fell to the ground. The impact caused a retinal detachment in her left eye.

Hard Rock Miner statue.

Alaska State Capitol

Governor's/Governess's Mansion

Tlinget story of creation painted on City Hall.

Afterward, we took a bus to Mendenhall Glacier.

Path from parking lot. You don't have to ask me twice to yield the right of way to a bear!

Mendenhall Glacier.

Pretty scenery.

We came back to town and walked around some more. This time instead of venturing out into Juneau, we stayed near the cruise ship area. I miscalculated the number of diapers that we would need for the trip and we were running out. I brought 200. We would be gone for 10 days (really 9 if you consider that the first and last day of our trip we would only be away from home for about half of the day). Alex goes through 20 to 30 diapers a day. I budgeted 20 per day...big mistake! I am not sure what I was thinking. So, we purchased 56 diapers in Juneau for $30!!!! I pay $2.00 for a 40 pack here (I watch the sales, use coupons, and stock up when the price is right). So, instead of paying my normal 5 cents per diaper, we had to pay almost 50 cents! I was not happy with myself.

We were back on the cruise ship in time to get ready for dinner. Tonight was another formal ninght. Gabe had lobster and I had a very yummy beef wellington. We both had Baked Alaska for dessert. Tomorrow we will be visiting Ketchikan.

On a side note, tonight after dinner a lady thought that Gabe had a Scottish accent. I am not sure where that one came from.

Posted by at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today we saw Hubbard Glacier. All of the icebergs were pretty neat too. I have a lot of pictures of ice. I guess the good thing about a digital camera is I don't have to print them. The cruise ship navigated through some pretty icy waters so we could get as close as possible to the glacier.

Stephanie on the way to Hubbard Glacier.

Hubbard Glacier. The picture does not give an accurate idea of the size. If I remember correctly we were still at least two miles away (I think it was four miles).

Ice our cruise ship went through to get us even closer to the glacier. I am glad we didn't relive Titanic at this point. There were some pretty big icebergs in the water.

One of my many iceberg pictures.

Posted by at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I forgot to take into account the hour time change and I was ready for my spa appointment at 6:50 a.m. As I was leaving, Gabe reminded me of the time difference. So, I got back into bed for an hour. The massage was relaxing and I really liked the hot stones. After my massage, we went to breakfast and managed to get some decent pictures of the Alaskan scenery.

I love Alaska!

Gabe & Alex on our balcony at Sitka.

We arrived in Sitka and walked around the town. Totem Square was neat. St. Michael's Cathedral had some interesting art work. One of my favorite places in Sitka was Castle Hill. It was the location where Russia turned control of Alaska over to the United States.

Stephanie & Alex with totem pole in Sitka.

Prospector statue

Castle Hill

Sitka scenery

After dinner, we purchased another piece of art.

Posted by at 11:45 PM | Permalink

I went to a port talk and then we had a late breakfast at the buffet. I had some bacon...yummy! I don't normally eat bacon, but when we are on vacation I do. I think I will be having fruit and yogurt the rest of my trip (I want my jeans to fit). Because we ate so late (around 10:30 p.m.) we skipped lunch.

Around 11:00 a.m. we went to the Captain's Celebration for individuals celebrating anniversaries or honeymoons.

Captain's Celebration

We went to the art auction and purchased some art. Art auctions are one of my favorite things about a cruise ship.

Ready for dinner.

Tonight was formal night, so we dressed up and went to dinner. Afterward, I went to the gym and when I returned, Alex was sleeping. I have an appointment at the spa tomorrow for a hot stone full body massage at 8:00 a.m. (Thanks to Gabe for booking the appointment!)

Posted by at 11:32 PM | Permalink

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

Posted by at 8:16 AM | Permalink

Today we were up and ready to leave our hotel (River Rock Resort) by 11:00 a.m.. After check out, we took a taxi to the superstore (A.K.A. Safeway) to buy some bottled water for Alex's bottles. There was a slight issue when we went to pay for our purchase with our bank/credit card. It can be used as either a debit or a credit card. They were really confused that it had both VISA and debit printed on it. The cashier talked to the manager and came back and told us that they would not take the card. Basically, they decided it was not a debit card because VISA was printed on it and it was not a VISA because the word debit was printed on it. So, we just used our American Express.

The taxi took us to the pier. Getting on the cruise ship was made a lot easier because of Alex. We were given priority treatment and we did not have to wait in any lines. Once we boarded the ship we had lunch at the pizza/pasta buffet.

Gabe & Alex relaxing on our balcony.

The emergency drill wasn't too bad with Alex. Gabe carried him so they let both of them finish the drill without a bulky life vest (I had to carry both of theirs while wearing mine).

Stephanie & Alex hanging out on the cruise ship.

Dinner was nice and we had our own table. All of the workers seem to love Alex and they all volunteer to watch him. We watched a little bit of the show tonight (it was a preview of all of the acts for the week). Now we are back in our room. Tomorrow is a day at sea. We might swing by the art auction.

Posted by at 10:52 PM | Permalink

Saturday wasn't too bad. We left for Canada around 3:00 p.m. Flying first class was awesome with Alex. The additional space was great! The flight did not have a full meal, but it did have a snack of bacon wrapped beef tenderloin and a salad. I discovered that I really like Jones' Cream Soda.

Alex & Gabe sleeping on the plane.

Alex was pretty good with flying. We arrived at our hotel around 1:00 a.m. We were upgraded to the two bedroom/three bathroom penthouse. There was also a living room, dining room, and kitchen area. The balcony overlooked a bird sanctuary. If we had more time in the room, we could have enjoyed the fireplace.

Posted by at 12:36 AM | Permalink

I have about seven entries that are almost ready, but not quite. So, I will post them when I get back from Alaska. We are leaving today. If I get a little extra time, I might be able to post one or two entries before I go.

Posted by at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Amy came over to watch the American Idol singing competition between Adam and Kris on Tuesday. It was a lot of fun. She had to work late on Wednesday, so she was unable to make it for the final episode of the season. I must say, though I like Kris, I still think that Adam should have won. I also wanted Gilles to win Dancing with the Stars. I guess Shawn was pretty good too.

Gabe's parents arrived on Wednesday. They are taking a vacation of their own while staying in our house while we are gone on vacation. It should work well for everyone.

Alex helping me pack. He had his own suitcase, half of mine, and part of Gabe's. All of this was in addition to a large diaper bag and half of the carry on.

Picture of a snake that was in the desert behind our house.

I managed to get my hair cut on Friday. Gabe had his hair cut as well. His didn't take quite as long as mine. We drove to Tucson and they dropped me off for my hair cut. While I was there, they went to Sam's, World Market, and Gabe managed to get his hair cut. They came back to pick me up and they were just starting to wash my hair (the girl was really running behind). It usually takes about an hour, but this time I think it took over two. We were all starving and went to Jason's Deli for dinner. Every time that Gabe and I go, I always say I am going to get the salad bar, but I never do. This time I did and it was yummy. Off to Canada tomorrow.

Posted by at 11:18 PM | Permalink

Happy Birthday Maddex!

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

Posted by at 8:03 AM | Permalink

A free redbox movie code is not available for today. The next code will be available on June 1st and they are going to a monthly system instead of weekly. If you haven't used them yet, the codes below may still apply.

The codes SHPNSVE2 or REDBOX are available for first-time redbox customers and these are ongoing codes that are available for use anytime, not just on Mondays.

The codes BREAKROOM or DVDONME are for a free rental and are also ongoing codes. They do not have to be used on Mondays.

SHPNSVE2, REDBOX, BREAKROOM, and DVDONME are limited to once per credit (or debit) card.

Posted by at 9:01 AM | Permalink

I am almost caught up! Yesterday Gabe and I caught up on some TV shows. We watched Ugly Betty and Scrubs. We also watched Mr. Rice's Secret and during the day I watched the Darjeeling Limited. I wouldn't really recommend either of the movies. Mr. Rice's Secret is about a man that passes away at the age of 395. He gives the secret to a young boy that is terminally ill. This is actually a children's movie, but it is pretty serious. The Darjeeling Limited is about an adventure through India for three men. Their father recently passed away and their mother abandoned them. It was listed as a comedy, but I didn't find it that funny.

Today we purchased some rocks to fill in areas of our front yard. Some areas were pretty sparse and down to the dirt. Gabe and I worked on it for a little while, but then Alex needed attention, so Gabe was left to do it alone. It looks much better.

We are getting ready to head out. I am not entirely sure what we are doing. I would like to post pictures of our house and yard sometime this weekend. Hopefully it will happen.

Posted by at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Aaron flew home on Sunday. We decided to have brunch at a buffet, but the line was way to long considering that one of our party needed to catch a flight. So, instead we ate at a McDonald's on the way to the airport. We all hoped that they were still serving breakfast, but we missed it by about 20 minutes or so. After dropping Aaron off we went to a few stores in Tucson and headed home. I worked on some more Christmas presents and finished a few.

Monday Alex had an appointment for his shots. He did really well this time. He cried a little when they gave them to him and once Gabe picked him up he started smiling at everyone again.

Wednesday Josh and Amy came over for dinner. Gabe grilled and after dinner we played some Wii. It was a lot of fun.

Wednesday my phone decided to give me a message from last Thursday saying that our picture was in from Alex's 6 month portraits. So, we headed up to pick it up and stopped off at Olive Garden for dinner. We also stopped at a couple of other stores. We don't head up that way very often, so we did everything that we needed to while we were up in that area. I also ordered the CD with the copyright for the pictures from the 6 month session. I should have the CD in a few weeks and be able to start printing pictures (and post them on my blog). I need to get my hair cut before we leave for our vacation. Hopefully I can find the time to get that done.

Posted by at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last Saturday morning Gabe took Aaron to his workplace to look around. It is a really cool facility. Alex and I stayed home for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is that Alex cannot go because he is too young. It isn't a big deal though, I have already been back in November.

When they returned we went to the copper mine. We watched a video and went through the museum. We didn't take him on the tour though. We were on a tight schedule to get a lot of things in that day.

Next, we went to a Spanish mission, San Xavier del Bac. We walked around the area, but unfortunately we were unable to go into the church. There was a wedding going on while we were there. Gabe and I have been inside the church before and as expected, it looks like it was transported over from Spain.

Mission from the outside.

After the mission, we headed out to the Colossal Cave. This was the first time that Gabe and I had been as well. We went on the cave tour and headed back home to get ready for a party.

Colossal Cave Entrance

Here we are inside of the Colossal Cave.

Alex about half way through the cave tour.

We all went over to Kevin's house for his party. We decided to walk since he doesn't live too far away. The only problem was neither Gabe nor I printed out the address. We finally figured out where he lived and had a good time.

Alex, ready to go to the party!

Aside from eating and talking to everyone, I joined in on a game of Texas Hold 'em. We were going to leave in time to watch the movie Bolt, but that just didn't happen. Our community has free showings of movies outside. You bring a blanket or lawn chair and they supply the movie and popcorn. We basically tried to do the most things we could during the time that Aaron was out here.

Posted by at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is a fun idea that you can do when you have visitors. Go to your visitor center and pick up a bunch of brochures and maps. Place them in a binder with some additional information (non-emergency police number, grocery stores, favorite restaurants, etc.). I placed my information in plastic sleeve protectors. Keep the binder around and when guests come they can look through the binder the figure out what they would like to do. You can keep adding additional information to the binder for future guests to use. So, if you ever come out here to visit I will have a binder full of information for you to look through.

Check out my other fun visitor idea here. I recently added a mini lint brush.

Posted by at 11:38 AM | Permalink

Last Friday Aaron, Alex, and I all went to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. We walked around half of the zoo, but the temperature kept rising and we left. It was just too hot for Alex...even if it was a dry heat. The animals were all in hiding/sleeping.

Gray Fox

It has consistently been reaching around 105. The high is always listed as 99, but it gets about 104/105. It isn't too bad if you are in the shade, but Alex overheats easily, so we don't do a lot when it is really warm. The only problem is the temperature rises until around 5:00 p.m. So we do a lot in the evenings. Back to Friday.

We relaxed for a while and Gabe came back home. We drove up Mt. Lemmon and had a great time. It was nice outside and the sun was setting, so it wasn't beating down on us.

Hanging out on a rock at Mt. Lemmon. The pictures just don't do Mt. Lemmon justice. It was a lot of fun walking around.

We had plans to eat at the restaurant on the top of the mountain but this is the off season and they are only for breakfast from 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Moon rising over mountain.

We didn't make it. Instead, we drove back down the mountain and ate the Arizona Pizza Company. The pizza was pretty good.

Posted by at 9:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The original idea for football with tags came from Grace Violet. I changed it up just a bit. For some reason I did not take a lot of pictures, so visit Grace Violet for a tutorial with very helpful pictures.

1. Cut out four convex lenses from your choice of material. Mine were 7 inches long and 3 inches across. Two of the lenses had an animal print and there were one each of solid blue and solid yellow material.

2. Pin ribbon (4 inches in total length folded in half) between two of the lenses with the wrong side of the material facing each other and the edge of the ribbon lining up with the edge of the material. Sew along the side with the ribbon. Do this with the other two pieces.

3. Next, pin two of the unattached sides of the "lenses" wrong sides facing each other. Don't forget to place ribbon in between the material.

4. Repeat step three for the remaining two unattached sides, but leave a space without a ribbon so you can stuff the toy. I left my space the middle and then sewed a ribbon into the opening.

5. Stuff the football with your choice of filling. I also placed four jingle bells inside of the football.

I washed and ironed all of my fabric and ribbons before beginning.
I had 20 ribbon pieces for each football.
This idea could be used to make blocks, pyramids, circles, or other shapes.
This was also sent in the package for Maddex's birthday.

Posted by at 8:48 AM | Permalink

Alex and I did make it to the airport to pick up Aaron. We came back home and relaxed while we waited on Gabe to get home. He was actually late, but it was planned. He had a meeting at the local school (he is on a curriculum committee). We grilled for dinner and then walked around the neighborhood (even though it was still in the upper 90's after the sun went down). Thursday was pretty relaxing.

Alex & Aaron

Hanging out in front of a Saguaro.

*I am going to have a lot of short little entries until I manage to get caught up.*

Posted by at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

On Thursday, our friend Aaron flew in to see us. Before Alex and I headed out the airport, I started working on some decorated onesies for Alex. I have been meaning to snaz up his plain white onesies for a while, and what better inspiration than the need to pick someone up at the airport. You can check out the tie onesie here. I have also included a couple of t-shirts that I sent to Maddex for his first birthday. These are really easy to make. Basically, you just follow the directions on the heat and bond package. You can either purchase the type that you sew or the no sew variety. The first tie that I made for Alex required sewing. The rest of the onesies/shirts were made with the no sew variety. To find patterns I used coloring books or animals off of already existing clothes. The internet is a great resource too. For letters or numbers, find a font and size you like and print it out.

Whale Onesie

Train Onesie

French Bulldog Onesie

I added the bone to the back of the French Bulldog Onesie.

Dog chasing ball Onesie (front).

Dog chasing ball Onesie (back).

Alex modeling the State of Illinois Onesie.

Maddex's 1 t-shirt

Maddex's tie t-shirt

1. Pre-wash fabric and clothing item.
2. Iron fabric and clothing item.
3. Press a section of heat and bond onto the wrong side of the fabric for a couple of seconds.
4. Trace your pattern onto the heat and bond paper. Remember that you will need to flip your pattern horizontally. If you don't, then your letter or number will come out in a mirror image to the desired outcome.
5. Cut out your pattern and remove the backing.
6. Press the pattern onto your fabric (for about 10 seconds) and allow to cool.

I use an iron set on cotton with no water.
If the applique starts to come off after washing, press with a hot iron to reapply.
I wash the clothes in cold water on the delicate cycle and I hang to dry.

Posted by at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I am participating the Unbirthday Swap over at Miya's.

Posted by at 1:55 PM | Permalink

My partner for the Crisp & Clean White & Green Swap was Miya. She sent me an awesome package full of fun things to use to make some Christmas presents. I have already put some of the material to good use. She even sent me some yarn and knitting needles to encourage me to start knitting. The book is from a series that is one of her favorites. I am really looking forward to reading it. The bags are absolutely awesome. She made them herself! The package also included a wonderfully scented bar of handmade soap, some cute knitted items, a variety of buttons, and a really neat little zippered bag. The needle holder is both cute and very useful. Check out her Crisp & Clean White & Green Swap post here (It includes pictures of the items I sent to her).

Swap package from Miya.

Posted by at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Gabe and I celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having Mexican Beef and Bean Casserole. I meant to post this recipe on the fifth of May, but it doesn't have to be Cinco de Mayo to make it. Like always, my picture is terrible.

Mexican Beef and Bean Casserole (from Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics) (4 Large Servings)

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
2 cans (15 to 16 ounces each) pinto beans - I use black beans
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup mild chunky-style salsa - for more zip I use chipotle sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces) - I use white sharp or marbled cheddar

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the beef in the skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
3. Rinse and drain the beans in a strainer. Mix the beef, beans, tomato sauce, salsa and chili powder in the ungreased baking pan.
4. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake 40 to 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until hot and bubbly. Carefully remove the lid, and sprinkle cheese over the top. Continue baking uncovered about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Posted by at 6:16 PM | Permalink

I was about to write an entry saying that I am going to catch up on all of my delinquent blogging. I have a lot to write about, but we have been really busy lately. Well, I just received a phone call from Gabe and some of our friends our coming over for dinner tonight. So, I am off to the store to get some supplies. Maybe I can either catch up on blogging tomorrow (or tonight if I don't sleep). I will post again...I promise!

Posted by at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you have a redbox movie rental station and a credit card you can get a free movie today (Monday 05/11/09). If you aren't sure where your closest redbox station is you can look it up on the website. Go to the red box station and choose the option to rent with a promotional code. Enter your code, select your movie, swipe your credit card, and go home and watch your movie. Your credit card will not be charged as long as you return the movie by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday (05/12/09). You can either return the movie to the redbox it was rented from or to any other redbox location. Here is this weeks code 6A43JK. This code can be used once per credit (or debit) card.

If you are actually paying for the movie there is a neat option where you can reserve it and it will be there when you go to pick it up. This is particularly helpful if it is a new release. Unfortunately, this option does not work with the promotional codes.

The codes SHPNSVE2 or REDBOX are available for first-time redbox customers and these are ongoing codes that are available for use anytime, not just on Mondays.

The codes BREAKROOM or DVDONME are for a free rental and are also ongoing codes. They do not have to be used on Mondays.

SHPNSVE2, REDBOX, BREAKROOM, and DVDONME are limited to once per credit (or debit) card.

Posted by at 8:36 AM | Permalink

Graphic courtesy of Pat's Web Graphics.

Posted by at 8:13 AM | Permalink

Sunday Gabe, Alex, and I headed up to Ikea. My parents want a piece of furniture from there so we went to buy it and we will be shipping it to them. It is less than a hundred dollars for shipping if we ship it, but it is around three hundred dollars if Ikea ships it for us. I had some returns to do anyway. We had lunch at Cracker Barrel. They were having a 70% off sale on some of the items in their shop, but I didn't buy anything.

I am a little surprised that Lil' Kim went home on Dancing with the Stars tonight. I was thinking that Ty would be going home. I like Ty (even though I don't think that he has a chance at winning) so I am glad that he is still around for another round.

I am not sure who is going to be sent home on American Idol. I am thinking it might be Kris. Slash still looks the same that he did 25 years ago. I think it might be the long in your face hair and the sunglasses. Now I want to play Guitar Hero. Too bad I am getting ready to go to bed.

I went to the grocery store today while Gabe was at work. We usually go together, but since he has been sick I am trying to get things done during the day so we can just stay home at night. Well, I had to change a diaper while we were shopping. I went to the family restroom and while I was in there someone knocked on the door. I said "just a minute." I guess they took the minute to be literal, because they knocked on the door again about a minute later. If they had a child, there is a changing station in the women's and men's restrooms, so they could have used it instead of knocking on the door repeatedly. How annoying! Another thing that bothers me is usually when I am waiting on a family restroom because the other restrooms don't have changing stations it will be a single adult that was occupying the facilities. I never used a family restroom before having a baby. Okay, I feel better now. It also helped that I left a very stinky diaper in the restroom. The impatient person that kept knocking had a nice surprise waiting on them.

Oh, I mailed out a few packages on Monday. These included a swap package, a birthday package, and a few others. I will post the contents of the birthday and swap package on here soon.

Posted by at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you have a redbox movie rental station and a credit card you can get a free movie today (Monday 05/04/09). If you aren't sure where your closest redbox station is you can look it up on the website. Go to the red box station and choose the option to rent with a promotional code. Enter your code, select your movie, swipe your credit card, and go home and watch your movie. Your credit card will not be charged as long as you return the movie by 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday (05/05/09). You can either return the movie to the redbox it was rented from or to any other redbox location. Here is this weeks code BT73H9. This code can be used once per credit (or debit) card.

If you are actually paying for the movie there is a neat option where you can reserve it and it will be there when you go to pick it up. This is particularly helpful if it is a new release. Unfortunately, this option does not work with the promotional codes.

The codes SHPNSVE2 or REDBOX are available for first-time redbox customers and these are ongoing codes that are available for use anytime, not just on Mondays.

The codes BREAKROOM or DVDONME are for a free rental and are also ongoing codes. They do not have to be used on Mondays.

SHPNSVE2, REDBOX, BREAKROOM, and DVDONME are limited to once per credit (or debit) card.

Posted by at 10:03 PM | Permalink

Gabe went to the doctor on Friday and found out that he has strep throat. Luckily, he has been taking his antibiotics and according to the doctor he is no longer contagious (starting today). So, Alex is happy that his dad can hold/feed/play with him again.

Yesterday we watched a lot of Grey's Anatomy (season 4). We are actually watching it right now too. Today we went to have Alex's pictures made. We skipped the pictures where we kiss him or put him too close to our faces. Even though Gabe is no longer contagious, there is no need to take a chance by sticking him up in Gabe's face right now.

We also went to Babies R Us and purchased a high chair.

Alex in his new high chair.

Recently, Gabe and I have watched several movies. Two of the movies were based off of books that we both read. The Last Templar book was very disappointing. I seem to remember Gabe mentioning that the book would make a good movie. He was right. The movie was pretty good and was better than the book. This is a pretty rare thing, but the movie was just better. The other movie was Marley and Me. The movie was good and funny. I was laughing out loud through some parts. I would have laughed more and even louder if I had not been holding a sleeping Alex. He always wakes up when I laugh. This movie followed the ordinary trend and I preferred the book, even though the movie was good.

I made the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta tonight and it was very good. We sat outside and ate our dinner. I should have taken a picture of both the food and of us eating outside, but I didn't. I could take a picture of the leftovers, but they just don't look as appetizing when they are crammed in a food storage container.

I have been working on getting all of my swap items together. The first one will be going out on Monday. The second one will be going out near the end of May. Hopefully everyone will like the things that I picked out. I will post pictures later (after they receive their packages).

Posted by at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)