There are a couple of great retirement sales going on at My Life and Scrap. To make her deal even sweeter Mama Mia, is offering her "What A Deal" special. Her retiring items are already marked 50% off. With her "What a Deal" you can get $10 worth of her retiring kits for only $5. That is an additional savings of 50% above and beyond the already reduced price. What A Deal!

Finally Friday

Thank goodness it is Friday. It has been a crazy week. Work has been super busy and I was working on a critical project that meant bring work home every night. H1N1 hit our household and took my oldest two sons captive. My youngest had a doctor appointment and his medication was to change this week-end but the prescription was written wrong so the pharmacy can't fill it. Yikes, I feel like I have been living a country song!

Kate Designs is retiring some of her photomasks and templates. But before she does she is putting them on sale - Yeah. My creative mojo has been low lately so her templates have been a life saver and keep me scrapping. You have to hurry though because after October 31st they will be gone.

Are you ready for Trick or Treating? Let me help with this great Halloween quick page freebie. It was created with the Sweet and Scary Halloween collab Bundle at My Life and Scrap.

Time is running out for October's challenges

Can you believe that this is the last week of October already? That means time is running out to get your layouts done for the October Challenges. Remember you can earn free kits by participating in the challenges at My Life and Scrap.

And of course I also have a freebie for you...
It was created with the Sweet and Scary Halloween Collab Bundle at MLAS

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We are currently in the two week break period between fall and outdoor soccer. Which is good because Layne has the flu like much of the world. It was strange to be home for the week-end. I wish I could say I got a lot done but that is not the case. But I did manage to scrap two whole layouts. Sir Scrapalot has a new kit, A Spoonful of Sugar available at Polka Dot Plum. I love the kit. Actually, I love all of his kits because they are always so colorful and he creates great patterned paper.

Credits: A Spoonful of Sugar and I've got a Date vol. 1 both by Sir Scrapalot.

My sweet niece is the star of the first layout. I am always thrilled when new pictures of her pop into my inbox. But she is growing so fast. It has been about three months since I've seen her. To fill the void, I keep buying her clothes. I have enough clothes to keep her well dressed for over a week. After buying clothes for all boys for years it make me light headed every time I buy something pink.

Credits: A Spoonful of Sugar and I've got a Date vol. 2 both by Sir Scrapalot.

This one is a layout with my youngest son. He has some behavioral challenges and the quote reminds to stay focused on the moments that he brings me happiness. If I don't take time to recognize the happy moments, the challenging times can become overwhelming. I need to make sure to remember the "I love Mom" picture hanging on the wall when he is in a rage yelling that he hates me. It is all about which moments we choose to focus on.

Birthday Boys

Yikes- My baby boy became a teenager today. I am officially the mother of two teenage boys and a kindergartner. I really can't believe it. I swear he seriously looked older this evening than what he did just this morning. If that wasn't bad enough but his older brother turns 15 in four days. 15!!! The almost 15 year old informed me that he will be half way to 30 and thought he may be having a mid-mid-life crisis. Oh how I love my boys - they keep life interesting.

I am not the only one celebrating a son's birthday - Malou is celebrating her son's birthday too. To celebrate she is having a coupon sale at My Life and Scrap. Happy birthday to Malou's and my sons!

And I have one more birthday gift for you - another Halloween Quick Page Freebie created with the Sweet and Scary Halloween Collab.

Artisan Notebook

You can now get the Artisan Notebook at My Life and Scrap. And to celebrate this great partnership both past and present editions of the Artisan Notebook will be 30% off for a limited time only at MLAS. This month's edition will have you digi scrapping mosaics. Pretty cool stuff.

While you are over at MLAS be sure to pick up this great Halloween Quick Page Freebie. But hurry it will only be available for a short time.

Pretty Pixels joins My Life and Scrap

My Life and Scrap is continuing to grow. Pretty Pixels has just joined MLAS and to celebrate her store will be 40% off this week. It is a great time to check out her kits and templates.

Giving away Artist in Training Kit

I tried to keep my sense of humor as I put together the above layout about Cody's first week of kindergarten but at the time I was in tears more than laughing. I was really questioning our decision to send Cody to a mainstream school on day 2 when I had to hand my screaming baby over to his teacher and she told me to go and that she'd take it from there. Now that he has gotten used to the routine, things are going much better. I love his special needs teacher and he is learning. So yes, we did make the right decision but the first month was tough.

I used one of My Life and Scraps Mega Collab kits, Artist in Training. To celebrate Cody's success, MLAS is letting me give away one of these great kits. Just send me (My3sons) a private message at My Life and Scrap and remind me to keep laughing. At the end of October I will pick a random winner to get this great kit.

Last Train to Paris

Veronica Spriggs got together with Project B Designs to create Last Train to Paris. The colors in this kit are rich and gorgeous. Veronica's papers are always fabulous. Both of my layouts below were created using this kit.

Happier Time

My Fantasy Trip to Paris

Digi-Boudinette has joined MLAS

Digi -Boudinette has just joined My Life and Scrap and she is celebrating with a 30% off sale. This includes all of her fabulous commercial items too.

Tempus Fugit - new to MLAS

Don't forget there is going to be a Speed Scrap at My Life and Scrap today at 2:30 EST. I didn't think I was going to make it but I just might as I am home today with a sick son. I was able to get an appointment for him to see the doctor later today. Depending on how that goes I may be heading back to work or I may be scraping in between playing nurse. Life is all about multi-tasking.

I am so in love with Tempus Fugit, a new designer at My Life and Scrap. She has some super cool kits, my favorite photo mask kit and some great commerical use items as well. She is celebrating her store opening in style with a 50% off sale. You would think it can't get much better than that but it does. In addition to a great sale, this fabulous lady is giving away a great freebie kit Old Treasures as part of the celebration. Be sure to check out her store.

MLAS Speed Scrap

There is going to be a speed scrap at My Life and Scrap on Monday. Unfortunately I will be at work (got to support my scrapping habit) and can't make it but that doesn't mean you have to miss out. I will be checking out all of the great layouts in the gallery afterwards. I hope to see your layout.

Cross country

Yesterday my son had his final x-country meet of the season. The whole day was quite the experience. Layne was very excited to be running as he had made some great progress in practice and was bummed to wake up to rain. I was waiting to hear all day if it would be canceled or not. The cancelled call never came so I had planned to leave work early to make sure that I would get there in time. Of course that did not happen. Mapquest told me it was just over an hour drive and I left with just under an hour until the meet started. About a mile away from work I remember I forgot my umbrella at work. Oh well, no time to go back and besides the sun was finally coming out. It was very windy and I noticed the temperature dropping as I drove but the sky was blue. Or at-least it was until I pulled onto the off ramp of the town hosting the meet. Seriously it began to down poor - ugh! Ah, but I did see one bright spot, I had caught up with bus with my son and his team. Feeling a little overconfident with myself, I stopped at a gas station hoping to buy an overpriced umbrella and my sons celebration snack (Swiss Valley chocolate milk and Grandma's double chocolate cookie). They didn't have anything I wanted - stupid store. I made it to the meet and couldn't find Layne or his team. Runners were lined up at the starting line when Layne's bus pulled up (they had gotten lost). The kids literally were pulling off jackets and sweat pants as they were getting off the bus and heading for the starting line. Of course, I have no pictures because it was raining so hard. The interesting thing about x-country is the spectators end up running too in efforts to see the runners more than once during the race. Even in my misery of being freezing cold, I did see the comedy in this (let me add it was hilly, slippery and small ponds were forming from all of the rain).

Layne placed well and didn't question when I handed him A&E Chocolate milk and a Grandma's regular chocolate chip cookie. He is a good kid.

Onto a happier note: In the world of scrapping I want you to know there are two new designers over at My Life and Scrap. They are both fabulous. AND they are both having a SALE! My kind of ladies! Please welcome JennCK and 3 Dog design and check out their designs.

Template Challenge at My Life and Scrap

Here is my layout for the Oct 1-15 Template Challenge at MLAS. This is by far my favorite challenge out there. They always have such great templates that the layouts almost make themselves.

We normally plan some kind of get together at our house for the parade but we were just too busy this year to make plans. It ended up being just me and the boys in the front yard for the parade. It was one of those great days that you just can't plan. We had so much fun.

Credits:

Template by Kate Designs

Background paper by Kate Designs (part of MLAS Sept. Pixel Edition collab)

Elements from Suddenly kit by Totally D

White papers from Stark kit by RebeccaPSP

-all at My Life and Scrap

Our trip to Adventure Land was a test for all of us. Could Cody deal with the long car ride? Could Eric and Layne deal with Cody on the long car ride? And of course, could I deal with Eric and Layne dealing with Cody on the long car ride? It was challenging at times but in the end we all passed the test.

Credits:

I've got a Date Vol 1

Artistic Mess

Seaworthy

A Little Something

I've been Framed

all by SirScrapAlot at Polka Dot Plum

It is a new month so that means new challenges at MLAS. The template challenge is one of my favorites. It is a win, win , win situation. You get a great template, a fabulous layout and you earn credit towards free kits.