Printable Super Bowl 50 Pool

Oh, hello there! I know it's been a while... Like 1/2 a year, but we're just going to carry on like nothing's happened.

Basically, I love football. It is definitely my favorite sport to watch. I grew up rooting for the 49ers, and have been slowly molded into a Bills fan since marrying my Bills-fanatic husband 11 years ago. Actually, we just had a Buffalo Bills themed first birthday party for Braxton. Maybe I'll write a blog post in my spare time...

 

I am SUPER competitive. Whether it's Scrabble or Fantasy Football- I'm in it to win it! If you've spent anytime with my four-year-old, Grace, you will quickly realize she gets her competitive spirit from her mama! (Last year I was the Fantasy Football champion, and this year I ended up the runner up to my brother in law. GRRRR! You're going down next year, Brandon!)

In preparation for the big game, I'm putting on my Younique game face! If you want to join in on the fun (and score some big deals), message me to be added to my VIP Younique Boutique Facebook Group. 

Sadly, neither the Bills nor the 49ers are in this year's Super Bowl showdown, but I'll still be watching. In fact, we recently moved to Charlotte, so it's fun to be in a city with a winning team! #KeepPounding!

One tradition my family has is a friendly Super Bowl Pool. (We play for money, but you don't have to!) This keeps things interesting if the game is a dud...plus there's always the commercials to keep us entertained and nachos to be eaten.

Here's a blank printable for you to engage in some friendly competition with your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, strangers at the bar...

SUPER BOWL 50

Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers

Stay safe, don't drink and drive! It's nice to be back. Hopefully I can find some time to post a few more times this year! 

Figuring Out How To Be a Family of Four

Christmas is over, new years has come and gone and we're already well on our way through February!

Baby Braxton isn't quite so brand new anymore, but we are still working on figuring out our new routine. The lack of sleep wasn't quite as shockingly painful the second time around and my learning curve for breast feeding/diaper changes/bathes/teeny-tiny onsies wasn't as steep. Next week is his 2 month doctor appointment, and I can't wait to see how much he's grown! Grace is still a fantastic big sister, and has only had brief moments of jealousy. She runs to our room every morning to see her baby brother and asks him how he slept.

1 month old: loves sleeping, eating and baths.
Tolerates diaper changes and his sister coughing in his face.
Really hates getting put in his car seat and sleeping at 4am.

Fairy Tale Ballet- she only agreed to pose next to Little Bea

Ha! She loves her #littlebrudder 👶👸

A photo posted by allisonandersonland (@allisonandersonland) on Feb 9, 2015 at 11:31am PST

Last week Grace and I were sick with flu-like symptoms that knocked us out for a good 5 days. We spent lots of time laying on the couch, drinking juice and hot lemon and honey and watching Tinkerbell. Braxton escaped the sickness unscathed and continued his habits of eating, pooping and sleeping unconcerned about the hacking germ boxes he was living with. He really is a pretty easygoing baby.

Yay for surviving the plague on our house, some sun and time with Daddy! #cheapdate #justchocolatemilk #blingedoutthreeyearold 💕

A photo posted by allisonandersonland (@allisonandersonland) on Feb 8, 2015 at 6:56pm PST

Sometimes when I'm holding Braxton and Grace is nestled up next to me with her head on my shoulder, I can't even believe I am this lucky. Life can be hard, but Cole and I have the privilege of watching and guiding our sweet babies as they grow up. I am making an extra conscious effort this time around to enjoy the little moments, as I know all too well how quickly the days (and years) flew by with Grace.

Lilacs: 
Valentine's Day is this Saturday, so Grace's class is having a party. I love any excuse to get crafty, so I was pretty excited that she had to bring in Valentines for her class and decorate a box for Valentines cards. I will readily admit that I hijacked her project, BUT, I did let her help put on the stickers (her favorite part) and she decorated cards for her teachers.

I found this cute idea on Pinterest, and it was really inexpensive and easy to assemble (I also liked that it didn't involve candy!):

Envelope Valentine's box and watercolor Valentines for the class

The box is just an empty Cheerios box, cut in half and taped with white duct tape. The Valentines are watercolors from the Dollar Tree with this cute printable. 

Lemons: 

That time I thought I was super on top of things and sent a thank you note that looked like this:

Sorry, Christina!!!

My Lemonade: I loved laughing at myself. I'm pretty ridiculous and do something silly/embarrassing basically everyday. Oh well. Secret's out- I'm not perfect! ;)

Lilacs and Lemons: Bills Look for Win # 3 and Struggles to Become Street Legal in TN

Welcome to my second Lilacs and Lemons write up- brimming with the good and the bad from the week!

Lilacs: 
My husband is a big fan of the Buffalo Bills. He has been since he was a child, and he can remember crying when they lost the Super Bowl four years in a row in the early '90s. Year after year he continues to cheer for his team despite the fact that they have not made the playoffs in 14 seasons.

As his wife for the last 10 years, I've borne witness to the hope at the beginning of each season that is quickly replaced with disappointment and heartbreak as the loses stack up. Cole tells me, "If we don't root for them, who will?"That's true. I have to cheer for them.

This year the Bills started the season 2-0. TWO WINS, ZERO LOSSES! It's a start... At least they're giving the fans hope. Tomorrow they face the Chargers and hope to keep their winning streak alive.

Daddy and Grace, 2013. 

Also, Grace seems to be getting excited about her baby brother.

        -She wants to call him Baby Market.

        -He can sleep in her bed, but he can't use her bath tub. 

        -He'll probably be hungry for Lucky Charms. 

        -He'll share all of his things with her. 

Becoming such a big girl. 

Lemons: 

It took FOUR visits to the County Clerks office plus a trip to the emissions to get our car legally registered in Tennessee. I'm not saying TN is wrong, but maybe they could take note from other states and find a way to expedite and simplify the process. Not to mention, our leasing company failed to put MY NAME on a Power of Attorney that I REQUESTED. Enough said. It was annoying.

I know, I know, "wah, wah, wah!" Complaining about the DMV is nothing new, but to make things even more fun, our other car's registration is due next month. See you soon, Linda at the County Clerks office!

I'll also mention there was a diarrhea incident at the park. I'll spare you the details and the photos (just kidding, there aren't any photos), but it wasn't me... 

My Lemonade: I'm thankful that I have so many blessings, that complaining about the everyday annoyances of life are a reality in my life. Of course there are many more serious, frustrating, frightening and heartbreaking things happening in my tiny world and the great big world around me.

#23weeks

Cravings: Nachos

Feeling: Like I miss sleeping on my stomach

Baby Anderson...

...is due to arrive in January 2015!

3 + 1 = 4

We are excited for our newest addition to join the family, and we hope know Grace is going to make a great big sister!

#14weeks

Cravings: Anything spicy + decaf iced mochas

Feeling: Sleepy and nauseous, but pretty good most of the time. 

Our Love: Blooming for Ten Years

"Forever" ago, Cole and I decided to get married fresh out of high school. Afterwards I decided I would plan a big "wedding" vow renewal ceremony for our ten year anniversary. It would be everything our little wedding wasn't; it would be a big party with all of our friends, open bar (because we could actually drink), a DJ and a sexy dress. I would plan it in my head most nights before I fell asleep. It wasn't that I didn't love our wedding-I did. I just had it stuck in my head that it was supposed to be something grander, like the pictures in the bridal magazines.

Ten years ago our wedding was a small get together in my husband's grandparent's garden. It was a hot July day in northern California. Our closest family were there. My dad walked me down the grassy aisle in a slick black vest. My bridesmaids consisted of my 2 best girlfriends from high school and my twin sister, Jennifer. We bought my garter from a little boutique in a strip mall on the way to the wedding.  Our cake was decorated with tiny pink polka dots and my bouquet held pink roses and big yellow sunflowers. We toasted with sparkling cider. My papa was the officiant and witness as I kissed my handsome soldier husband for the first time.

It was, actually, perfect. The flowers were blooming, just like our love. Flawed, simple and true.

Since that kiss, we've shared our life together in Nevada, North Carolina, Arizona, and Tennessee. We've graduated college, been through good times and tough times, survived deployments and life with a newborn. Ten years feels like just the first chapter in our story. I couldn't be prouder of the man I'm married to. He is strong, loving, funny, faithful and determined. I love seeing his features in our daughter and knowing that he will be by my side as we watch her grow up.

I no longer feel the need to plan an elaborate vow renewal ceremony for our 10 year anniversary. (Good thing, because it's here, and I didn't plan one!) I guess I've learned over the years that love is something that should be celebrated and lived each day. Kisses goodbye each day and splitting a bottle of wine on a Friday night are just as important (maybe even more) as a fancy dress and a big party. Instead, I'm happy to spend the day (after) with my sweetheart just enjoying each other's company-kid-free to boot! We are also lucky enough our anniversary will always fall the day before the 4th of July holiday, so we can celebrate with fireworks as our love continues to bloom.

Happy 10 years to my love! 

 Write a blog post inspired by the word: blooming

7 Kitchen Tips That I Learned the Hard Way

I will be the first to admit that my prowess in the kitchen is sadly lacking. 

My husband would be the second. (He has never once complained and gladly eats what I cook and helps with the dishes.) Good man!

Unfortunately he seems to have married a wife without many talents in the kitchen. I think over the past 10 years my cooking has actually improved a little bit, but I will never be anywhere close to a culinary genius. 

If I had to give myself a grade in the kitchen, it would be a C-. Just barely passing. The underachiever in the back of the class.

Grace thinks I'm an excellent cook!

Luckily, I've learned some important lessons in the kitchen over the years, and I'm happy to share them! Hopefully you can avoid some of the mistakes I've made:

1. Don't cook microwavable rice without adding water

It will burn, melt the dish and smell really bad.

2. Saving leftovers you don't really intend to eat is a bad idea
You will find them weeks later in the back of the fridge and have to call the Hazmat team for proper and safe disposal. 

3. Always keep fresh garlic and wine on hand

They can turn any dinner into something mostly edible.

Pasta Making Class- Let's be honest, I was there for the wine!

4. Cereal or PBJ are perfectly acceptable meals
Unless you don't have cereal, milk, peanut butter, jelly or bread. Then take-out is perfectly acceptable, too. 

5. Clean your sink

Grimy dried up food stuck in your sink is gross. 

6. Assume that your creation will never look like the one on Pinterest

Pinterest fails are basically the story of my life, but I still love Pinterest and have found many delicious and easy recipes and craft ideas. 

7. Master some go-to recipes that you're not afraid to feed guests or take to parties

I don't have many dinner parties, because I have a two-year old with the table manners of a gorilla, but when we do have people over, I always cook something that I've made successfully in the past. There's nothing worse than a failed new recipe and hungry guests! My favorites are Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Taco Chicken Bowls. I also feel like a really scrumptious dessert makes up for a so-so dinner. Can you say Chocolate Molten Lava Cake!? That will make me forget about a nasty dinner. 

BONUS
8. Put a piece of bread in a tupperware with your brown sugar to keep it soft
My mom taught me this one.

Well, there you have it. 8 Kitchen tips from yours truly. You can tell 'em you learned from one of the worst.

What are you best kitchen tips? I'd love to hear them.

...no seriously, tell me how you do it!

7 kitchen tips based on mistakes you have made in the past.

8 Valentines I'll Never Send

I love sending and receiving mail, so, of course, Valentine's Day is great in my book. Grace has been working on some Valentine's Day crafts for her grandparents, so I thought I would write some Valentines for some people/places/things that might not get showered with love come February 14th...

1. Sochi, Russia

I actually haven't seen any of the Olympics because we don't have TV right now, but from what I can gather, some things were overlooked by the Olympic preparation committee...

Sochi,
I hope you prepare more for Valentine's Day than you prepared for the Olympics. Don't take all the criticism too harshly, people just love to complain. 

XOXO,
Allison 
2. Greek Yogurt

Professing my love for yogurt-if that's wrong, then I don't want to be right.

The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt,
Dang! You are so delicious! I'm not even mad that one serving has 290 calories and over 45% of my daily saturated fat. You're worth it! 

Yours forever,
Allison
3. My amazing husband

He deserves more than my cheesy blog Valentine!

My Love,
Thank you for being patient, helpful, loving and funny. You make me a better person. Grace and I are so lucky to have you in our family! 

Love,
Allison
4. Deployed soldiers

Deployed Soldiers,
I'm sorry you can't be home right now to spend Valentine's Day with your loved ones. Stay safe and know that your sacrifices and service are very much appreciated. 

Best,
Allison
5. Families of deployed soldiers

Military Families,
Hang in there! You are so tough, and even though I know sometimes it feels thankless, you are doing an important job. Pour yourself a glass of something and indulge in some Girl Scout Cookies! I hope your family is reunited soon!

Hugs,
Allison
6. The Mellow Mushroom waiter

Good pizza and good service- he should be showered in Valentines!

Mellow Mushroom Waiter,
I know it can't be easy to wait on a table full of babies and toddlers, but I appreciate your friendly smile, positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile for our large group. 

See you soon,
Allison
7. The Post Office

They probably deliver a lot of Valentine's and don't receive many! 

United States Postal Service,
Happy Valentine's Day! I bet you love delivering all of those colorful greeting cards. We've been through some rough times-like when you let a complete stranger put our mail on hold and lied about trying to deliver packages. I forgive you, but pretty please don't let it happen again. I can see why people lose their faith in government... DMV, USPS... It's not pretty. 

Sincerely,
Allison
8. My neighbor

To My Neighbor,
You're the epitome of a sweet southern lady. We will miss you. Thanks for letting us borrow your ladder. Happiest Valentine's Day to you!

Warm regards,
Allison

8 people/places/or things you'd like to give a virtual Valentine to. 

Super cute free printable Valentine's from Mufn Inc.

I Am NOT a Hoarder

Yesterday I was unloading the dishwasher, and as I was wiping dry a garlic powder spice container, I thought to myself,

"When did I become the person who keeps this?" 

Seriously? 

The top shelf of one kitchen cabinet may be filled with jars and containers that I might use later.

Picture Credit

I decided to confess to my sister, and get her take on my escalating habit:

Me: So, I have this empty spice container that I kept...
Jennifer: Kept? What do you mean? Why?
Me: I don't know, for like a craft project or to hold glitter or something.
Jennifer: Glitter already comes in a container.
Me: True. 
Jennifer: Oh, no. You can't keep that. Throw it away.
Me: I guess you're right. Funny, the other day I was trying to decide whether I should keep the empty oatmeal container, too. I thought Grace could play with it, or we could make it into a drum or decorate it as a bow-holder or something. 
Jennifer: Decorate it? No! You're like a hoarder.
Me: What? That's rude! Don't call me that! 
Jennifer: You can't keep that stuff. It's trash. Throw it away.
Me: But we might need it...

So, apparently there is a line that you cross when you become a hoarder. Keeping an empty spice jar is that line for me.

However, I refuse to be a hoarder, and I take great offense to being called one. Did she really call me a hoarder???

I don't keep the cotton from inside prescription bottles, nor are there dead cats rotting beneath piles of my belongings unbeknownst to me.

I'm not there. You could hardly call my house cluttered. It was just some innocent jars...and an oatmeal can.

I was going to do crafty-mom things with them. I swear. I'm more of a hopeful up-cycler, who never quite gets around to doing anything.

There's hope. Right?

I threw away the oatmeal can, but I kept the spice jar.

My own cinnamon & sugar shaker!

The last time someone called you a name.

My Birthday Wish: 28 Acts of Kindness

There are some awesome ideas posted on Pinterest for celebrating a birthday with random acts of kindness equal to your age. My 28th birthday was quickly approaching, so I figured, why not?  I thought it would be nice to share this experience with my 2-year-old daughter, Grace, while we give back and spread good cheer.

You're never too young or too old to be kind. 

I knew that my acts of kindness wouldn't be completely random, so I decided to make a list in advance to make sure I could get all 28 done.  Over the past week I've been working to complete all 28 acts of kindness. I also didn't want for them all to be centered around buying things or giving people money or gift cards. While giving money is a generous gesture, I wanted to also do things that were thoughtful and meaningful. True, nothing I did this week is life altering, but maybe I brightened someone's day. That's my only goal.

I hesitate to post here because I am not looking for recognition or praise. I am grateful for all that I have, and yet sometimes I get caught up on things that don't matter in the greater scheme of things. I am lucky to have good health, a loving family, supportive friends, plenty to eat and a warm house, so why not pass a little of that luck on to others in honor of my birthday.

1. Donate Blood
Cole had a long weekend, so I made an appointment for Columbus Day. I hadn't given blood since well before I was pregnant. The nurse was impressed when I pumped it out in 7 minutes. She asked me if I wanted to take a picture with my blood, so here I am...holding a bag of my blood.

2. Run in the 2013 Virtual Joggermom Cancer Run 
I have one month to log 26.2 miles and a portion of my entry fee goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

3. Return carts from the parking lot at Target
This one was easy, and I don't know if it had any real impact, but at least the carts were safely stowed in their cart corral. (I always find it annoying and lazy when people leave their carts in a parking space or prop them against a curb.)

4. Buy someone a cup of coffee
There was no one in line behind me at the Starbucks inside Target-shocking- so I bought a $5 gift card instead. I ended up giving it to a man who was helping some elderly people from Cape Fear Valley do their shopping. He asked me what it was for, and I told him, "just because." He seemed surprised and said he was going to give it to one of his patients. What a sweet guy.

5. Leave a dollar in the dollar deals toys section of Target
I thought it would be fun for a kid to find it, so I put it down low in the play dough.

6. Donate to the Hoke County Humane Society
Grace and I brought old throw pillows, a dog bed, some leashes and doggie bandanas to the Hoke County Humane Society. The lady we left them with was so appreciative. We went back and said hi to the dogs, but it really is heartbreaking to see them all shut in their cages. Please think about adopting, if you are considering getting a pet. There are so many who need loving homes.

7. Hide a surprise in a favorite book 
Grace loves the library, or "libaby" as she calls it. We spent some time reading and playing with the puzzles, and then snuck a surprise into one of our favorite books, The Giving Tree, by Shell Silverstein.

8. Donate to the Library Giving Tree
On our way out I noticed a tree with pumpkins ranging from $1-$50. We chose a $5 pumpkin to help support someone in need in the community. The tree is through the window, behind Grace.

9. Bring spare clothes to Grace's school
Grace's wonderful school was asking for some spare clothes to keep on hand in case the kids had accidents or a run-in with a mud puddle.

10. Buy locally
From now on we will be purchasing our eggs from Grace's teacher's son. Yay for fresh and local!

11. Buy a lotto ticket for someone
I never buy lotto tickets, but I thought it would be fun to surprise someone with the chance to hit the JACKPOT!

12. Donate to the Goodwill
In preparation for our move, I cleaned out some of Grace's baby toys and kitchen gadgets and dropped them off at the Goodwill.

13. Pick up trash around the neighborhood
Grace really got the hang of this fast. Now I need to get her to STOP picking up random grossness!

14. Leave quarters at the laundry mat
The laundry mat attendant seemed suspicious of me, probably because I didn't have any laundry... So I left my quarters and darted out before he could say anything. I remember how annoying it was when we didn't have a washer and dryer. I hope some surprise change will bring a little cheer to this miserable chore.

15. Bring treats to my hardworking SS mamas
I seriously get to workout with some awesome women. They wake up and drag their babies and all of their gear out the door to attend Stroller Strides. They provide friendship and support to each other and can do burpees like it's nobody's business. I thought it would be fun to bring some cookies to share after class, since, you know, it is my birthday. :)

16. Call the electric company to report street light outages in the neighborhood
There are more than a couple street lights out in our hood. I kept meaning to call, but haven't, for months! I finally called today, and they said they would send someone out. They asked me to tie ribbons around the poles that were out and didn't have ID numbers.

17. Bring Ranger Gavin a thank-you treat
Ranger Gavin keeps the park we workout at clean and safe. He is always cheerful and friendly whether he's tidying up the restrooms or returning a lost turtle to the wild. I don't think he gets a lot of recognition for all he does, so we dropped off a jar of trail mix and a thank you note to let him know he is appreciated.

18. Buy "Gage's New Friend" a book to help Gage earn money to get an alert dog
Ten-year-old Gage was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He has written a book about his struggle and hopes to raise money to get a Diabetic Alert Dog to be his best friend and guardian angel.

19. Give a loan on Kiva.org
This is an amazing non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Through their website I am able to lend $25 to someone trying to create a better life for themselves. My loan will go to help a young man in Kenya mentor and educate the youth. Click here to learn more about John.

20. Visit our local fire station and thank them for keeping us safe
We are scheduled to visit our local station next Friday with Grace's classmates. If I must spend the afternoon with firefighters, than I must. It's tough being me. ;)

21. Send a surprise to a friend

Bows by Simply Pretty Bows

22. Pay for someone's movie at Redbox
I think Redbox movies are more than a dollar now, but I stealthily taped a buck to the screen anyways. Happy viewing!

23. Donate books to the library
Maybe one day I will have my own library wing in my house, but until that day, I can't keep every book I read. I hope they are enjoyed by others!

24. Visit a nursing home
I was nervous about this one. I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but I thought it might be nice to bring Grace to a nursing home to visit with anyone who wanted. I called the nursing home before hand to make sure it would be ok. They said we were welcome. We stopped by and spoke with a sweet lady named Leela. She seemed happy for some company, and said she has 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

25. Let someone go ahead of me in line
No one likes to wait, but sometimes people get extra impatient at the grocery store. Grace and I happily let the lady with 5 items go in front of us at Food Lion even though we didn't have a full basket.

26. Take the It Can Wait Pledge
Nothing on my phone is that important that I need to endanger my life, my daughter's life or anyone else on the road.

27. Pay for someone's order in the drive-thru
Panera was kind enough to give me a free Birthday pastry, so I decided to pay for the car behind me. I drove off as quickly as I could, but I hope the girl enjoyed her surprise gratis lunch!

28. Write an overdue thank you note
There are a lot of people that could use an extra note of thanks, so I chose someone who wouldn't have expected to hear from me. ;)

So there are my 28 acts of kindness. Nothing earth-shattering, but it was meaningful for me. It was fun and reminded me to be generous. You really never know how a little kindness can turn someone's tough day around. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift to give to myself...

...but, if you wanted to do something for me too... there is something. Maybe in honor of my birthday, I could recruit 28 of my friends and family to do something unexpectedly nice for someone else? Your random act of kindness can be anything you want. I promise it will make you feel good and you will brighten someone else's day! Take a risk and make the choice to do something kind. If you do, comment here or on Facebook. It will make my birthday even more super-duper extra special!