Wednesday, May 07, 2014

May 11, 2007 - Flashback post


Visiting Jackson & Birthday stuff & other stuff


Current mood:happy
I'll start with my visit with Jackson, on Wednesday, since that was first!!  It was a great visit!  He was very calm and relaxed, wide awake when I got there.  They had a mirror propped up against the side of his crib, and he was just staring at it.  Shortly after I got there the nurse came in and I asked how he's doing, she said he had a really good day.  That's always good to hear!  He's still a little congested, but he coughs once in a while and it clears up some.  (But damn does he get upset when he coughs, sounds like one of this big coughs that hurts a little but feels good afterwards!)  He has a new obsession with his hands, which is pretty funny to watch!  He'll grab one, with the other hand, play with it for a while, pull on his fingers, wave them in front of his face, all with this complete look of fascination on his face!  So cute.  He can't hold his head up yet, even though he'll be 8 months old tomorrow.  (wow- he's getting big!)  When he gets home they'll continue with his therapy to get him caught up in his skills.  It's all instinct, but since he's been laying down for the majority of his life, he just hasn't had a chance to get to use that instinct yet.  Hopefully he'll catch up quick!  I got to hold him for almost an hour!  It was very nice cuddle time!  I had him laying down in my arms for a little while, but since he was so awake and just looking around, I sat him up against me (see pictures!) so he could have a different view of the room!  I was taking the pictures myself, that's why my head is cut off in some of them  LOL  And we both don't look really good in any picture, in a couple I look better and he has a funny look on his face, and in a couple it's the other way around!  I still like them though.  I got a great one of Jackson laying down right when I got there, love the look on his face!  I uploaded a couple to my MySpace profile, and the rest are in Jackson's photo album.  I didn't get any smiles out of him this time, a couple smirks, but just the calm content look on his face, which was good enough for me.  Other than what Jackson decided to do in his diaper while I was holding him, it was a great visit!  (But he seems to do that a lot when I come visit, is that a sign?  LOL)  I talked to the night nurse, Becky, before I left, for a little while, how good Jackson is doing, how they hope to get him home very soon but they are all going to miss him!  Turns out Jackson has quite a few girlfriends in PICU    Everyone likes to take care of Jackson!!
Now on to the birthday stuff!!  Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!!    Hard to believe it, 26.  8 years since high school.  crazy!!!  (And even crazier, my little brother is graduating from college on Saturday!!)  wow, time flies.  When I got home from work, Scott was out getting my birthday present, and he got me what I wanted!  All I wanted this year was a couple new chains for my necklaces.  I have a habit of breaking them somehow.  (I went through all my jewelry I have here - 5 broken chains!)  So I wanted a really good one that hopefully won't break.  That's what I got, a yellow gold one and a white gold one.  A simple gift I guess, but it's what I wanted.  I like the necklaces I have so I didn't really want another one, just the chain so I can wear what I have again.  We went out to eat last night, at a friend's diner that we go to a lot, Scott pointed out that it's my birthday (because they were out of what I wanted for dinner!  ha ha), so they gave me my meal for free including a piece of pie with a candle in it, and they even sang for me    Yummy!  A simple birthday, but still so good.  I get my DQ ice cream cake tomorrow, yay!!
I also wanted to say something about Porter.  Thank you to everyone that has prayed for Porter and his family this week, I can't even imagine what they have been going through.  His funeral was yesterday, and I thought about them a lot.  I talked to Jackson a little on Wednesday, told him that he will live for all of the heart babies who can't, and that Porter will help him out with anything he needs.
I think that's about all for now, I have to pay some bills before we leave, and then go pack!  Have a good weekend everyone, I'll be enjoying the outdoors and probably taking a ton of pictures!!  (surprise surprise, right??  ha ha)

Friday, March 07, 2014

Try Graze for Free


about us

our story - a new way to snack

Graze was started by seven friends sick of chips and candy, who wanted a better way to snack.
We quit our jobs and camped out in a friend’s spare room for months and after a lot of hard work, graze.com was born - snacks that show off the tasty side of health and are delivered directly to you.
moving to the graze kitchen
the graze founders
Fast forward a few years and we have developed a range of over 90 delicious snacks and designed an intelligent algorithm, that we call DaRWIN, to customise each and every box specially for you.

snacking reinvented

Amazing creations that above all taste great
We know the secret to great tasting healthy food is creativity so our specialized Taste Team, led by Eleanor (we call her "the Taste"), are always in the kitchen. Their sole mission is to discover exciting flavors and create delicious new combinations that will delight your taste buds.
It’s not just the unique combinations and flavors that make our snacks great, it's our dedication to find the highest quality ingredients. Some people think that an almond is just an almond, but once you’ve tried our Californian almonds with our sweet yet spicy salsa mesquite seasoning, you’ll never look at an almond in the same way again.

small suppliers, big passion

We pride ourselves on working with small suppliers who we feel give us unrivalled ingredients and products. We don’t compromise on quality and only work with suppliers who love food as much as we do.
One of our favourites is the White family - Lynne White's flapjack recipe has been passed down generations and we’re sure you’ll agree that the love and affection put into the baking really pays off.
White family bakers (1989)
White family bakers (1989)

variety - it's our hero

From pure fruit, to healthy treats and dips & dippers – our huge variety (90 snacks with millions of graze box combinations) means there's always something different to try so you’ll never be left standing at the vending machine feeling glum again!

healthy benefits in every snack

Our in-house nutritionist, Jess, works with the Taste Team to make sure that every single recipe has a healthy benefit - whether it be essential vitamins and minerals or a source of protein, you can always rely on our Jess.

perfect portions to the rescue

Jess is also a big advocate of portion controlled packaging which means that when you're feeling peckish you have just the right amount to make for a satisfying snack and you're not tempted to put your hand in the cookie jar.

just how you want it

Here at graze our service is designed to fit around you. Don't like an ingredient? Trash it using our rating system and you'll never receive it. Worried about waiting at home for your delivery? Don’t be, graze boxes are designed to fit into a standard mailbox. Need to stop your deliveries? No problem, easily stop and start your deliveries online at any time.
Whatever the issue you can always drop us a line and our friendly team will be happy to help.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Mended Little Hearts of Chicago on Amazon Smile

Visit Mended Little Hearts of Chicago on the web!
Shop Amazon Smile!

About AmazonSmile

Get started
What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to AmazonSmile to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.
Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?
Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.
Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation.
Can I change my charity?
Yes, you can change your charity any time. Your AmazonSmile purchases after the change count towards your newly selected charity. To change your charity, sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser and simply select “Change your Charity” in “Your Account.”
What charities can I choose from?
You can choose from almost one million eligible 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations.
What if my selected charity does not register to participate in the AmazonSmile program or becomes ineligible?
If an organization does not register to participate or becomes ineligible, you will have a chance to select a different organization or we will redistribute donations earned among other organizations receiving donations.
If I represent a charitable organization, how can I learn more about registering my organization for AmazonSmile?
Go to org.amazon.com to learn how to register your organization to receive donations.
How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details.
Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile?
Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.
How can I learn more about AmazonSmile?
Please see complete AmazonSmile program details.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Timeless Day Spa and Salt Cave #MLHCPayItForward

#MLHCPayItForward #CHD

Please comment on this post if you use it!



$50.00 off any facial service.

Code: Y7eZTNczJswBS
Print and bring with you on your next visit to the business. Screen_shot_2012-09-25_at_11.44.26_am@ Timeless Day Spa and Salt Cave 
http://www.timelessdayspa.com/ 
1324 E Ogden Ave, Suite 100, Naperville, IL 60563 (map)
Makes you feel good inside and out.

Rules & Restrictions: 
1 per person per month. Cannot be combined with any other discount. Gratuity not included.
Merchant: You may verify the authenticity of this unique reward certificate by scanning the QR code, or by visiting: https://partners.myenergy.com/verify

Friday, February 07, 2014

"Something the Lord Made" DVD Giveaway #MLHCPayItForward

#MLHCPayItForward #CHD

In honor of Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Week (February 7-14), I have decided to give away a brand new copy of "Something the Lord Made" on DVD!  The raffle ends on February 28, to give people plenty of time to enter!
If you already have this movie, I would appreciate it if you share this blog with your friends!
Friends with blogs: I would love it if you share this giveaway by going here and pasting the code in your blog!

(Movie description from Amazon)
Something the Lord Made recounts the relationship between Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and Vivian Thomas (Mos Def). It begins in 1930s Nashville when imperious cardiac surgeon Blalock hires Thomas, an African American carpenter, as his janitor. When the latter reveals a passion for medicine and facility with surgical instruments, Blalock promotes him to lab tech. Thomas isn't given a raise, works side jobs to make ends meet, and is expected to be grateful. Along the way, he follows Blalock from Vanderbilt to Johns Hopkins, where they save thousands of lives through their pioneering work, but will Thomas ever get any credit? The film provides a satisfying answer to that question. Joseph Sargent (A Lesson Before Dying) directs with subtlety and intelligence, while Rickman and Mos Def are in top form, often underplaying where most actors would do otherwise. Something the Lord Made won the 2004 Emmy for outstanding made-for-TV movie. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description
(Drama) Something the Lord Made tells the emotional true story of two men who defied the rules of their time to launch a medical revolution, set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow south. Working in 1940s Baltimore on an unprecedented technique for performing heart surgery on "blue babies," Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and lab technician Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) form an impressive team. As Blalock and Thomas invent a new field of medicine, saving thousands of lives in the process, social pressures threaten to undermine their collaboration and tear their friendship apart.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, February 06, 2014

Shutterfly #MLHCPayItForward

#MLHCPayItForward #CHD

Please comment on this post if you use it!

Enter this code at Shutterfly.com to get $20 to spend at Shutterfly.
FREE SHUTTERFLY CODEKE27-5H1N-BA5J-34JSGT
Enter Code Now - †Shutterfly code expires 2/28/14. Valid for one entry. See Terms and Conditions below.

†Offer expires 2/28/2014 (11:59 P.M. PT). Offer is good for $20 off one qualifying merchandise order of $20 or more (after any other discounts and before taxes, shipping and handling) at shutterfly.com. Offer cannot be redeemed more than once per account and/or billing address. This particular offer code can be redeemed only once. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Not valid on prepaid plans, gift certificates, videograms, cards sent using mailing services, prior purchases, orders placed for in-store pick up, purchases made on the Shutterfly iPhone, iPad, Android and Photo Story apps or Shutterfly Pro Galleries. Valid for the intended recipient only. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Solsti Prophecy Series by Sharon Kay

Wicked Wind (Solsti Prophecy) (Volume 1)

Buy Wicked Wind Kindle Edition
Buy Wicked Wind Paperback Edition

Born with the ability to command the wind, Nicole Bonham dispenses her own brand of vigilante justice in Chicago’s worst neighborhoods. Stealth and surprise are always on her side.
Lash demon Gunnar prowls Earth and several supernatural realms to help maintain peace among the immortal species. His chance encounter with Nicole creates a hurricane of sparks between them, and he won’t rest until she is his.
They race to solve a series of supernatural attacks in the city. Nicole’s true identity brings the attention of the crazed demon behind them, even as her passion for Gunnar binds them together, body and soul.
Nicole has become the one thing Gunnar can’t live without. Yet facing their worst enemy may destroy her. Gunnar must put aside past tragedy and trust that through her ability and their bond, she has brought myth to life.


Wicked Waves (Solsti Prophecy) (Volume 2)

Buy Wicked Waves Kindle Edition
Buy Wicked Waves Paperback Edition

Making daggers out of raindrops is only the tip of the iceberg for Brooke Bonham. As one of four women who can control the elements, her ability to manipulate water packs a deluge of potential. Eager to learn more, she’s frustrated at the precautions she must take to avoid the wrong kind of attention on Earth.
Kai's duties as a Lash demon have kept him busy on Earth for nearly two hundred years. Fighting? He was born to do it. Females? They're drawn to him. And Earth? The perfect place for him to avoid supernatural bounty hunters.
Though the two of them mix like oil and water, Kai senses that beneath Brooke’s frosty exterior hides a vortex of simmering passion. He’s determined to thaw his ice princess.
Forced to work together in the immortal realm, they track a rogue Lash demon at the helm of a widespread kidnapping operation. All too soon, Kai’s dark past catches up to them. Time runs out as a second enemy, bent on revenge, vows to stop at nothing short of Brooke’s enslavement and Kai’s death. As they and their foes stalk each other in a demonic game of cat-and-mouse, will her evolving skills and their fledgling bond be enough to save them?


Wicked Flames (Solsti Prophecy) (Volume 3)

Buy Wicked Flames Kindle Edition
Buy Wicked Flames Paperback Edition

Gin Bonham lives with a dark secret. Born with an ability she never wanted, she builds her life around science and logic, running from the terror she is capable of causing. When sexy stranger Mathias spots her on a dance floor and cuts in, he leads Gin in a sensual rhythm that continues long after the music stops. But Mathias hides the fact that he knows exactly what she can do: in the deepest recesses of her mind lurks the power to manipulate fire. Destiny is coming for her and it doesn’t care if she’s ready or not.
Mathias possesses tracking and espionage skills so extraordinary that his fellow Lash demons call him The Hunter. Pursue and interrogate. He never fails. When he is tasked with coaxing Gin to work with the Lash demons against a common enemy, he relishes the challenge. But meeting her awakens a new, primal drive that pulls him toward her even as his tactics break her heart.
Failing to win Gin’s cooperation is not an option. But she is determined to flee, putting thousands of miles between her and any other supernatural creatures, including Mathias. Can she cool the charred embers of her emotions enough to forgive Mathias and embrace what she was meant to become? Or will her ability explode into something more than she can control?

Monday, February 03, 2014

Shutterfly #MLHCPayItForward

#MLHCPayItForward #CHD

Please comment on this post if you use it!

New Customers - 12 Free 4x5 Flat Valentine's Day Cards.  Coupon Code: UBEMINE (Ends 2/4/14)
Enter this code at Shutterfly.com to get $20 to spend at Shutterfly.
FREE SHUTTERFLY CODEKE27-2EX8-150V-3JU0UZ
Enter Code Now - †Shutterfly code expires 2/28/14. Valid for one entry. See Terms and Conditions below.

†Offer expires 2/28/2014 (11:59 P.M. PT). Offer is good for $20 off one qualifying merchandise order of $20 or more (after any other discounts and before taxes, shipping and handling) at shutterfly.com. Offer cannot be redeemed more than once per account and/or billing address. This particular offer code can be redeemed only once. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Not valid on prepaid plans, gift certificates, videograms, cards sent using mailing services, prior purchases, orders placed for in-store pick up, purchases made on the Shutterfly iPhone, iPad, Android and Photo Story apps or Shutterfly Pro Galleries. Valid for the intended recipient only. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

Sunday, February 02, 2014

Farmers and Fishers #MLHCPayItForward

#MLHCPayItForward #CHD

Please comment on this post if you use it!


Get a free $25 gift card

Code: NoFDvXK1QaTvd
Print and bring with you on your next visit to the business. Ms@ Farmers and Fishers 
http://farmersandfishers.com/ 
3000 K street NW , Washington, DC 20007 (map

Merchant: You may verify the authenticity of this unique reward certificate by scanning the QR code, or by visiting: https://partners.myenergy.com/verify


Saturday, February 01, 2014

Oceanique #MLHCPayItForward

#MLHCPayItForward #CHD

Please comment on this post if you use it!


$25.00 off your dinner bill.

Code: 75SbljNjnYf0i
Print and bring with you on your next visit to the business. Screen_shot_2012-10-15_at_11.12.04_am@ Oceanique 
http://oceanique.com 
505 Main Street, Evanston, IL 60202 (map)
We welcome the opportunity to provide you with an exceptional culinary experience in one of the Chicago area's finest restaurants.

Rules & Restrictions: 
One coupon per table. Not valid with Monday's "No Corkage" or Wednesday's $23.00 Lobster. Not valid New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day.
Merchant: You may verify the authenticity of this unique reward certificate by scanning the QR code, or by visiting: https://partners.myenergy.com/verify