Diaper Cake Gift Certificate GIVEAWAY!!

eDiaperCake.com Gift Card Giveaway!!

EEEEK!! I am so excited. I have another sponsored giveaway! This time it is a wonderful company called eDiaperCakes.com, ran by a woman named Liz. She wanted the opportunity to stay at home with her baby, and still have an income. Thus, ediapercakes.com was born. She is extremely talented. These are just a few of the diaper cakes she has available on her site!
I am so proud to have to opportunity to host this on my blog.


About The Company

eDiaperCakes wants to make any baby shower as memorable as possible. Our high-quality diapers and handcrafted designs ensure that any mother-to-be is happy with our work, and we strive for perfection in every single gift we create.

Our Diaper Cakes offer the best value on the market today. Each piece includes approximately 75 Pampers Swaddlers diapers as well as a number of other practical gifts for parents. We include socks, mittens, teethers, books, toys, bibs, and so much more on our cakes, and everything is arranged as beautifully as possible.

Our team creates every Diaper Cake by hand. We painstakingly craft all four tiers of the cake to ensure that it looks its best. Next, we accessorize the cake and then ship it out to you in two days or less. Our cakes are ideal for baby showers, where they can form the centerpiece of the celebration.

Our accessories and gifts are of the highest level of quality. We don’t include any products that we wouldn’t use on our own children, and we want you to be proud to present our Diaper Cakes at baby showers. Our cakes include practical gifts for parents as well as cuddly toys that newborn babies will treasure as they grow older.

Some of our designs feature flower arrangements, making them a perfect way to celebrate the birth of a baby girl. Others feature cuddly stuffed dinosaurs for baby boys. We also feature neutral cakes,do-it-yourself cakes, and so much more. Whether you want to give a cake that includes a book or you want to assemble a cake yourself, we have everything you need to make a positive impact at your next baby shower.


Now head over and enter the giveaway!! You only have a week to enter. So don't wait. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Filler Holiday.

It's that time of the year again.  Halloween.  Oh how annoying this "holiday" can be.  It seems like it is more of a filler holiday than anything.  It is simply, an exhausting holiday.  Parties, and costumes, candy, and baking, costumes, walking all over town like little beggars, and carving pumpkins.  Oh, I despise you Halloween!

Like a good Mommy, I took the kids to the pumpkin patch though.  Actually...it wasn't much of a pumpkin "patch".  It was more of a dried up grassy area with pumpkins that actually needed patched.  Okay, let's move on from the bad joke.  The pumpkins were damaged beyond repair, and there is no way we could have made them look good.  The kids were disappointed, but before we left they wanted to go on the advertised hayride.  Sounded like fun.  We got in line.  Here it comes. Turns out there was no hay...and no trailer.  It was just a truck with benches in the back.  So, essentially, we took a truck ride....(It's okay, I'm still confused too.)

The "hayride"

Another reason, I agree to the madness of the pumpkin patch, is that it is an awesome photo opportunity.  Well, unless you have my kids.  Neither would crack a smile, and one of them looks as though he is pooping a pumpkin.  I'm convinced my kids hate me.

Pumpkin pooper

No smile

Oh and because this crap isn't frustrating enough, we actually have to go somewhere else to purchase pumpkins.  So that means a second trip on another day.  We ended up having to go to Garden World the next day.  You know what else sucks?  After you finally buy all of these pumpkins you have to be crafty with them.  

On a typical year, the pumpkins get painted by the kids and I carve an awesome pumpkin.  This year was different though.  The little one wanted to paint his pumpkin but the big one wanted to get one of those pumpkin carving kits and carve one himself.  The results?  See for yourself.

He started out strong and then...

saw some of his friends playing outside.  He then disappeared
Which led too....

Me carving his stupid bird pumpkin.  

Yep, I got stuck doing all of the work.  I didn't even want to carve the bird.  There was one that said "WICKED" and I wanted to do that one, BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!  I did all of the work for some evil bird thing.  

On a bright note, here is the middle child.  He had a decent painting experience.  It only involved a minimal mess.  OH and FYI: If you don't want to ruin your good makeup brushes, double check to make sure you have paint brushes at home.  

Thing 2 painting his little pumpkins

He actually had a beautiful end result with NO help from me!



HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL!!

Semi-Homemade Saturday: Cheater's Chicken and Dumplings

The is my first ever post in "Semi-Homemade Saturday".  My name is Tia AKA Story of a Girl and I will be your Semi-Homemade Chef!

The dish I have made is for this post is, what I like to call, 

CHEATER'S CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

This is a super fast and amazingly easy spin on the real deal.  I just know every true southern woman is pulling her hair and yelling "NOOOOO!!"  

Don't worry your pretty little heads though!  It's not so bad.  It may not be from scratch or true southern cookin' BUT it is quick, easy, and will warm you up super fast on a crisp, cool fall day!  

This is a photo of the ingredients I used:

I can make enough to feed 4 of us with left overs by using
12oz Reames Noodles (found in the freezer section)
2 cans of premium chunk white chicken chopped up a bit
6 chicken bouillon cubes
2-3 tsp cornstarch mixed with enough cold water to liquify the starch
salt to taste

Follow directions on noodle package for the Reames noodles.
Add 1 bouillon cube to water and let melt before adding the noodles.
When noodles are done (about 20 minutes) add the other 5 bouillon cubes and the white chunk chicken.
Let simmer for about 5 minutes
Then you want to make the liquid starch mix and pour it into the pot and stir.
Let it simmer for a few more minutes until you have reached your desired thickness.
For me, this is about a 30-35 minute meal.  Can't beat that!!
I throw green beans and corn on the side but you can easily dump these darlin' little dumplins' over a heaping pile of mashed potatoes, too.  I hope you love these as much as my family and I do!
This is comfort food at its easiest.  Maybe not at its finest BUT still easy and delish!

CHEATER'S CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

While you are here visiting me please head over to my Giveaway and enter for a chance to win a $25 Starbucks Gift Card!! Click Me For the Giveaway!!

Starbucks Giveaway!!!!!

The wonderful, fabulous, and OH SO GENEROUS, Funny Postpartum Lady has come over to my little blog to sponsor an awesome giveaway!! A $25 gift card to my favorite coffee joint! That's right! STARBUCKS!! All you have to do is enter by using the Rafflecopter below. I am so excited she is doing this! She is an awesome mother of four who is hilarious and writes some really fantastic blogs! I know you will all love her as much as I do! Thank you so much for doing this FPL!! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mess with the Bull, You get the Horns!

Or in this case "Mess with a tired Mamma, You get her sarcastic comments"


Well, I decided to Vlog again. I had some other things lined up but I had an irritating trip to the store today and I needed to vent so you get this first!
 I really wish I had someone to drive me places and take care of the kids because every time I shop I want to take a shot or 10 of anything! HA!

I'm drinking now 

So, Without further adieu.....

 Story of a Girl takes on Video blogging for a 3rd time.  This time, I just need an outlet to vent!  After you're done listening to me whine about my day, go to a happier place.  A place where I want to give you money!  A place where I can thank you for putting up with me!  Go to this awesome GIVEAWAY!!! link and enter!!

Thankful Giving Blogger Roundup GIVEAWAY!!

I am honored to say that I have teamed up with some of the best bloggers out there to give back to our readers with this awesome GIVEAWAY! We wanted to give back to all of our wonderful readers with the Thankful Giving Blogger Roundup Giveaway. We want all of you to know how important you are to us. Without our readers and fans, we wouldn't have an audience. Without an audience, our writing would be in vain (**dramatically places palm on forehead***).   Being November, we decided to give back to all of you and the best way we know how is a GIVEAWAY!!! There are 3 amazing prizes for 1 of our awesome readers. All you have to do is follow the Rafflecopter at the bottom, cross your fingers, and wait for the winner to be announced on November 12, 2012. What are the prizes? Well I am so glad you asked!!! With the holiday season approaching quickly, we thought you guys could use some cash. Yes, you read that right. CASH!!! $200 in cash sent via PayPal. But that isn't it! We are also including and signed copy of an AWESOME brand spanking new cookbook (Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals) that won't even hit Amazon or Barnes & Nobles until December!!! Last, but not least, we thought you may need a new apron for this year's festivities. You don't cook? Perfect. You can regift this apron to someone who does. Now that you know what the prizes are, what are you waiting for???  Oh, and before we forget.....THANK YOU!!! ENTER TO WIN BELOW!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am.....

I have been away from my computer all day and when I sat down I found a challenge issued to the blogging community by a very talented and inspiring blogger/writer You Know It Happens At Your House Too.  If you know me you know I can't turn down a challenge.  So Challenge Accepted YKIHAYHT!!

The Rules:::

"Set a timer for five minutes and write.  Write using the prompt I AM ______________________. Don't edit, don't proofread, don't change it.  You are not required to share it with anyone, even though I hope you do, but keep it close by so that on those days when you are feeling really horrible about yourself (we all know that we have those days), you can look back and remember all the things that make you wonderful." 


And here we go.....

I am Tia.
I am broken.  I have struggled in my life to make the right choices in the past.
I am alive and healthy!
I am piecing life together, one story at a time.  One laugh at a time.  One day at a time and one struggle at a time.
I am hurt easily.  I don't like pain but I always find myself setting my heart up for disappointment,
I am a mother.  I smell like spit up and I speak baby and yell and punish and threaten.
I am a whiner.
I am me. I love who I am.  I love me.
I am shy and awkward in person in the beginning when I meet people.
I am a fighter.  I like to win and will do what I have to in order to survive.
I am sarcastic.  I can't help it.  It flows naturally out of my mouth and I can't turn it off.
I am excited.  For my future. For what life has in store for me next.
I am happy.  I have never felt just happy but I do now and it feels good.
I am conservative.  I have my own strong views and beliefs but don't have a problem with others having their own ideals.
I am honest.
I am in love.  With my kids, my man, and my life.  It is ridiculous and frustrating and filled with drama and fights and chaos and I love it all!
I am buzzing.  Guess that means my 5 minutes are up.

October, There is More To is Than Feeling Boobies!!

October is here.  That means everyone's lives will start revolving around the wonderful, glorious, remarkably sought after Boob.  While, I agree that saving the boobies are very important there is something else I have to bring awareness too.  Something that is very close to my heart.  Something that is just not advocated for enough.

Not only is October "Breast Cancer Awareness" month it is also "Domestic Violence Awareness" month.  Sure, I know, it is WAY more fun to run around in shirts that are pretty and pink and in bold letters say "SAVE THE TA TA'S".  I know that men love running around offering to feel our boobies for us in an effort to "check" for breast cancer.  I know this specific cancer involves pretty colored jewelry, ribbons, stickers, shirts, and lots of fun variations of the word "breast".  However, there are other lives at stake and these people need help too.

Awareness needs to be brought to the violence that families all over the world suffer.  Yeah, yeah, I know what you probably want to say, "Why don't these people leave their situation?"  and "Well, cancer can't be controlled, you can't leave cancer but you don't have to stay with an abuser!"  What if I told you, you were wrong.  That's right! W-R-O-N-G!

How do I know?  I was married to a psychotic, drunken loser who tried pushing me out windows, punched me when things didn't go his way, chased me around the house with knives, tried to keep me locked up in my home, threatened my life constantly, all while our child watched.  He told me if he left he didn't know what he would do.  He told me once he'd hunt me down and hurt me and once he told me he'd kill himself.

"Oh is that all?" you ask.

I know it doesn't sound like much but it hurts.  It hurts physically and mentally.  That's not the only way I know you would be wrong by saying that it is easier to leave though.  If you are new to my life you may be unaware that my Aunt Julie (my mom's sister) and her boyfriend, Tom were murdered 1 year, 8 months, and 22 days ago.  It was a double murder, suicide.  It was the worst, most horrifying call of my life.  A call nobody wants.  A call that literally put me into shock and dropped me to my knees.  I had to double check to make sure I was awake.  The voice on the other end didn't seem real.  I could barely understand it.  It was my mother.  The first words from her mouth were "Tia, the bastard shot her!  He shot her in the head!  That bastard killed my sister"  then is was sobbing.  Sobbing on both ends of the phone.  To make matters worse I was 888 miles away and there were no flights out that day.

You can read an article about it by clicking
-----> HERE

Why did the bastard shoot her, you ask?  Oh, it's simple.  She left.  She left him to get away from the hell she had been living.

So, please, please, please do not make snap judgments about people who are stuck in these relationships.  Be supportive.  Be there.  Be a listening ear.  Be a crying shoulder.  Be an escape.  Be a friend.  Don't be an "I told ya so".  Don't be a judge.  If you are a true friend, just be there.  When an abused family member or friend is ready, they will come to you for help.  They know their situation is bad.  They know what they should do.  They know they need to get away.  Do you think they WANT to be there?   My Aunt stuck around for 12 years!  She lived through and endured 12 years of pure hell!  Why didn't she leave sooner?  Well, do we really need to ask now?

Are you a Domestic Violence Sufferer in need of support?
Do you need more information on Domestic Violence and understanding what it is?
Please call this number::

Domestic Violence Hotline::1−800−799−SAFE(7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224.

You can also visit their website by clicking
-----> HERE

You can go back to many of my other blogs and read about this horror story and how I dealt with it by clicking any of these links::

Part 1. Just a few thoughts from the week...

Part III. Anybody know where I went?

How much are our thoughts really worth?

Does forgiving someone mean I also have to forget?

Pass the purple thread please....  (this was the one year anniversary)

I truly hope that everyone will take some time this month to get the word out about Domestic Violence!!

Thanks for reading!