Life with my sister

It’s Friday and that means food!! Back in the day every Friday was Food Friday over here at Life With My Sister . It's time to bring it back! Food is one of my favorite subjects. I wake up thinking about my next three meals, the good thing is, I'm not picky. Fast food, nice restaurants, eating out, eating in, as long as it involves eating i’m IN! Especially when it is eating with my sister...she's my fave. I lied a little just then. Eating in really isn’t my favorite thing to do ( sorry, sis!). The cooking, cleaning up, planning, shopping stink. None of those are things I enjoy. Although, I do love a bargain and our grocery store has a little clearance section in the back refrigerated section, and I love it! Yesterday I got a gallon of milk for $1.00 and eggnog (I have drunk my weight in eggnog this Christmas season) for 25 cents. A quarter? Are you kidding me?  Grocery shopping is really at the bottom of my list of fun things to do. To do it w...

Grocery shopping sometimes becomes a necessary evil for me on the weekends. Lately it has become an outing for us because of Henry's love for the red car. Our Kroger has red, blue and green car carts. He only likes red. My fear of arriving to only blue car carts haunts me, so sometimes I leave him with his Daddy during nap time and champion the shopping trip alone. Kroger is our place. He begs for Kroger. I took him to Harp's one week recently and they only had green car carts and he refused to get in one and instead laid down in the regular cart on top of the groceries out of protest. We quickly returned to Kroger. It is frustrating and cute. Last week I ran into a sweet friend and she shared a little cookie and balloon secret. Thanks to her, this past weekend's Kroger trip was an event. We scored a red car cart, so it started out super. It got even better when we got to the bakery and got Henry's complimentary iced sugar cookie. He was sweet and told the lady "...

I just love this song. It makes me cry when I listen to it. Always has, always will. It reminds me of my bestest friend in the whole wide world and the bond we share. We were inseparable growing up and in college. Where she was, I was and vice versa. We were rarely apart. I love that girl with a fierce love that cannot be explained with words. She is the truest friend I have on this earth and I could never thank God enough for the meaningful and funny memories we share. Moving away from her 10 years ago to start a new direction in life was tough stuff. I love that our bond has not changed through the course of time and I trust it never will. We are stuck like crazy glue! Melissa and I met in Little Rock this past weekend and had a fun sleepover, eating frenzy and shopping fest. We never do anything like this anymore and I thought it was high time to kick the fun into gear. She is a mama to 3 precious boys and with me having Henry and living in a different town we don't make time f...

Henry and I headed to Memphis this week to see the fam and for me to shop my friend's fall/winter consignment sale at the Agricenter. She is such a peach and lets me in for the first preview sale each season. It is so good to know sweet people...I am blessed by her. I get the first pick with a handful of other parents and it is so much fun! Lots of my old work buddies/friends are there each time and it is like a social outing and a bargain hunt all at once. SCORE! Randall usually goes with me but he was in Indiana this week, so I ventured out alone....while Henry played and ate at the Piccadilly with the fam (I know Wilma ate her veggie plate in heaven smiling down on that meal. Sweet memories at that place). Preparing for this sale is like an all out mission. close family and friends are all wishing me luck...like I am competing in a championship or something. It is serious stuff. I get siked up for days, checking online for costs on things I will be looking for so I can compare...

"How does my turkey look?" We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my Aunt Babs house in Memphis. It was Henry's first Thanksgiving. Last year I sat in my chair in my den, wearing pajamas, and Randall brought me food on a TV tray that my dear mother-in-law had brought to us. I was on bed rest, days away from meeting my baby boy for the first time. So crazy to think that sweet baby is already a big ole turkey boy on our hip! Spending the holiday with my fraternal side of the family was so much fun. Our cousin Hollye is more like a sister to us than a cousin. We are a tight little group. She and I carved the fried turkey and insisted that a photo be taken with the best cut of meat being placed on the platter. I love being with people wired like me. It is so nice to not have to explain yourself, excuse yourself or hide yourself with the ole kin folk...I love that! I am so thankful for a healthy, happy, active and handsome little boy who lets me dress him up in crazy outfits fo...

A few years back I walked into our Aunt Janet and Uncle Mike's house and saw spinning ornaments on their always beautiful Christmas tree. I was so impressed that Randall and I left their house and headed straight to Hobby Lobby on Christmas Eve and bought all the spinners they had left. I have had spinning ornaments since then and I heart them so very, very much. I have had them for three years now. I hang my finer ornaments from them. Last year all of Henry's firsts hung from them. It was so special. The spinning ornaments always gather lots of attention from our holiday house guests. It is pretty unusual, I reckon. This year I am having spinning dilemmas. I know there are bigger issues in this world like war, starving babies, drought, etc., but if you know me, you know my Christmas tree is just about as important...well, to me at least. This will be my first year to have fully decorated trees in both sitting rooms. I say this will all humility, of course. My mother-in-law ga...

I went to my local consignment shop the other day and SCORED!! I have been a few times recently and have come back empty handed. Sad, really. Well, we did buy a bed for Samuel there, but I don't count that. It was a bargain, but it was way more money than I normally spend at a consignment store. I had some time to waste before I had to be somewhere so we stopped in at A&E's to shop around. And I'm so glad I did! I got a beautiful plaid Bonnie Jean Christmas dress for Anna, a Tiara Christmas sweater for Anna (that is so very cute. It has reindeer on the front and back. Oh my goodness, cute!), and two pair of leggings and one pair of purple velour pants (because who doesn't need a pair of those for winter!) for her. And a Blue Angels t-shirt for D&D to share. Are you ready for my total? $9.53! 6 items=$9.53! I hit the jackpot that day! I was so excited. I bet you're excited for me, aren't you?! Come on down and I'll take you shopping! It's great fu...

This boy makes me happy! After 7 months I think I finally realize that being truly happy and focused on Jesus, this sweet boy and his daddy is all I am asked to do in this life. Everything after that is just the cherry on top. We are making a personal commitment in our home to cut out unneeded stress and drama, and focus on the real deal. It is a challenge for me at times, but one that is refreshing and most honorable. I am blessed and it is time I act like it! This is when I want to stress but have to stop and laugh...silly boy! He pushed the sweet potato jar out of my hand and there you have it...all over the floor, cabinet and me. It even made it to the laundry doors behind me in this picture. It was everywhere. He just had that look of wonder and confusion on his face and could not understand why the feeding stopped and he kept barking for more. I must say that it was a cute mess! This clean, happy face is what it is all about. When you look at this face you can tell he knows he...

We spent the first day of Spring with family. We went to eat sushi and to the mall with Diana, Tabby and Caden. Diana is married to Randall's Uncle Rick and Tabby is her daughter-in-law. Caden is Tab's son. He was born 1 year earlier than Henry. I am so glad we are family. We have a fun time together. It was a beautiful day and so fun to have our boys together. They are going to be a match here real soon, I just know it. Lunch was nice with just us chatting without the men folk dominating the conversation. A rarity for us. Henry was SO over the shopping trip as soon as it started. I took this picture of him as the sales lady at Dillards was telling him what a strong and nice name he had. I love it. It is though he is looking at her and saying, "Get out of my face lady!" Henry P. was a bear during our shopping trip. He will go back to the mall to see the Easter Bunny this week and will not return to shop for a while. We left our mark and need not return for a shopping...

Jules and I love to go to consignment sales and have planned for months to meet up in LR this weekend to attend our most favorite sale of the year. The photo above is of us after 1.5 hours of steady shopping and a quick dinner at Jason's Deli. It was most fun being together without any distractions, laughing, and driving away with a haul of goodies. We really do share a soul and I love having her all to myself sometimes. I don't think that is too selfish of me. Part of our plan was to meet up and spend the night at our Aunt Suzy's house. She is our Mawmaw's sister and our Mother's travel buddy. She has the house that every child loves to visit. I remember as a child being gitty in the backseat on the way to LR thinking about the fun I would have in her basement and such. It overlooks the Arkansas River, with the back of her house being all glass windows. I love this view. The night time view is actually my favorite. Anna is no exception...in fact, all 4 of Julie...

I miss the thrill of the deal, the rush to get to the stores, the occasional push in the rear from some rude non English speaking woman at Walmart with her shopping cart because she is trying to beat me to the toy section, and the long lines snaked around Kohl's that make my arms go numb because I failed to get that little cart, all before the light of day as I sit in my "lounge chair" (as the nurse refers to it at the hospital) on this Black Friday suffering from... sciatic nerve pain that is about to eat my lunch! Miserable doesn't describe it. My poor husband deserves a medal. I am not only confined to the house, but he is too because I cannot be left alone. I cannot take a shower alone, get to the bed alone, and often get stuck in mid step on the way back from the bathroom. Glorious times. Thank goodness for a computer chair with wheels. It has become a makeshift wheelchair when on the tile and laminate floors. It is times like these I wished we lived closer to ...

...The Christmas shopping, that is. Today I set my budget, got Randall's approval and hit the ground running. I have shaved about a fourth off what I spent last year. I think I can still make my loved ones smile with excitement, despite my recession. After all, it is not the amount of money you spend, it is the thought. I am a firm believer in the thought. I would rather someone give me a $5 thoughtful, meaningful, heart filled gift, than a $50 pity gift. Picking out gifts for people makes my heart smile...plus the thrill of a bargain. Those 2 things together almost give me the shakes, I get so excited. I love a gift and a sale about more than anything else. So, tell me...do you enjoy Christmas shopping or do you dread it? If you do enjoy it, what is your favorite part - sales, picking out things to make people smile, Christmas Spirit in the air, crowds, wrapping the gifts? Abby

Today is my Meemaw's birthday (Julie's Grandmother. We had our own little names for the g-parents) She died six years ago. She would have been 86 today. She was the epitome of a southern belle. She was prissy to the very end. She was the perfect example of a preachers wife and she was our god-fearing, loving and respected grandmother. She and I had a special bond. She was my girl. We were a crazy pair. She LOVED to shop...and mostly for and with me. I was the baby and spoiled rotten. Her excuse for spoiling me, "Hollye and Julie have husbands to take care of them, you have me!" When I was younger the excuse was always, "Y'all know Abby's the baby" (Oh, how I loved it and miss it so much). There for a long time after she died, I would not go in the Oak Court Mall in Memfrica because it would make me cry. In retrospect, it is actually pretty funny that the mall caused me great grief. I was sort of glad Macy's bought Goldsmith's so I could lay ...

I know that you log on your computer just to read what I did today. I know that it makes you smile and feel fulfilled that you can get a glimpse into the life of Julie. HA! Some days I am so bored that I can't even think of anything to write-but not today. You see, today I found a sale! You know how we Skutt girls love a sale! Saturday night when Stephen and I were on our double date, (Did I tell you about that?) Well, we ate at a restaurant that was new to us, and they had the best stuffed mushrooms. I mean it, they were the best mushrooms. You may think you make the best mushrooms, or have tasted the best mushrooms, but unless you have been to Q&Y in Monticello you haven't had them. And the best thing about these mushrooms is that they were on the buffet. We could (and did) load up as many as could fit on our plate. I mean GOOOOOOD ! OK, back to the story....So after we ate we stopped by Walmart and looked around, because without kids, Walmart is a totally different s...

It was Monday and you know what that means-WALMART!!!! But first, I had to take Daniel to the doctor. He has an inner AND outer ear infection. Poor thing, so he has to take ear drops and penicillin. And then we went to Walmart-fun!fun! We grocery shopped in 25 minutes-did you see that-25 minutes. Me and 4 kids grocery shopping in Walmart for 25 minutes, and I remembered everything. I don't mean to brag, but I am. I realize that next will it will probably take me 2 hours and 25 minutes, but this week it didn't! Abby started her job today. Well, she went to orientation and learned all about the hospital and how to clean up a spill. I told her the only spill she should be around is a Diet Coke spill, because any other spill will cause her to throw-up and that will just add to the spill problem that has already occured. She agreed, and will stay away from spills. Talk to you later, I must go watch Jon and Kate with Anna. Julie

In case you didn't know, my big sis and I LOVE a consignment sale...or any sale for that matter! Last night I went to the preview sale of a large consignment sale in Memphis. One of the girls at my work owns this consignment sale. It was amazing! I have done a few of these sales with Jules and love the hunt, the bargain and the fight for survival. Jules had given me a list of specific things she needed for each child. She was on the phone with me as I described the clothes I was flipping through on the rack. It was most fun and it was like she was right there. We are both so cheap, it is funny! I am so glad she trusts me to shop used clothes for her. Aunt Abby will not be buying any trash for her babies, that is for sure! I bought a lot of cute things and spent right under $30! Jules had done most of her shopping already and only needed a few more things to dress them for the Spring/Summer. I can't wait to take my laundry basket ( belt attached for pulling), my bag on wheels an...

Yesterday I went shopping in Little Rock. The original plan was for me to go by myself, but Stephen decided at the last minute to make a hospital visit, so we all went. And the update on the hospital visit is, she had been discharged!!! I looked at him with disbelief, I could have been on this trip alone!!! I think I will remind him to call before we all leave next time. So, after dropping off our clothes at the big consignment sale this weekend, we headed off to look for a dress for me. I found a great dress at Kohl's , it fit, it was priced right, and I loved it. Stephen, however, didn't. He suggested we keep looking. So I hid the dress on a different rack. (I know I'm not supposed to do that!). We then went to lunch at Shotgun Dan's pizza. Daniel got a kick out of the name and thought he should have brought his shotgun. It was really good, we will go back there. Well, back to shopping. We went to the mall, walked by every store, tried on many dresses and left empty-h...

Most of our days around here are pretty ho-hum. But the other day I had a hum-dinger kind of day. I got the chance to drive to Little Rock and meet my BFF Cindy for lunch. I got to go all by myself, so the drive there was exactly like I wanted it to be. I listened to any music I wanted to,(I love to scan!) and sang really loud, it was great! I then went to Olive Garden to meet Cindy and had a few minutes to kill so I went in to the neighborring Big Kmart to look for throw pillows for our couch. And did I find a few deals! I found 3 pillows that look really good on my couch($6 a piece), I found a comforter for Anna's bed for her birthday($1.50), a comforter for my bed(which is beautiful, and heavy, and soft!)($6.00), and another comforter just because it was cheap($2.00). Can you believe it? I got 3 pillows and 3 comforters for $29.50 tax and all! I couldn't believe it. I was so excited!!!! And then I got to spend time with Cindy. We ate and drank-did you know that a coke at Oli...

How is that Christmas shopping coming along? Let me help you with two fabulous suggestions. www.fawnscrown.com - Ashley, one of my bestest buds from college (we also share the same birthday!) has started her own jewelry business. It is amazing handcrafted jewelry and all made from wood and paper. Every time I wear the pieces she has made for me, I am flooded with compliments. If you are looking for unique jewelry for someone or yourself, this site is for you! www.busybsbowtique.com - our cousin Sarah is making adorable bows through her new bow business. If you have a special little princess in your life who needs a fun, pretty bow for her little head, this is your site! I hope this helps you with shopping ideas and boosts the business for some off my favorite girls. (We also might get free products if you buy bling & bows. We love some bling and Anna always needs a bow!) Abby

No tax weekend is insane! As you may know it is for school supplies, clothes and computers under a certain amount. Well, I needed some work clothes and thought I would go pick some up yesterday. Sugar! It was pure insanity all over the city. I went into New York and Company and stood in line for a dressing room for over ten minutes. Kids were crawling between dressing rooms and screaming like mad. People were everywhere and wearing the rude badge! Nothing I tried on was worth buying after all that time and wasted energy. My Christian witness was fading real fast. I went into a few more stores and said "Trick it" and headed home. Last year Jules came into town and we braved the crowd. I think it was calmer last year. It was the first year and I think most of our "Memfrican" citizens didn't grasp the concept. I will pay tax for my khaki pants before I brave that chaos again! Rand on the other hand scored real big in the clothes department yesterday. He went to Dil...