Story Land Contest Winners!!!

Winners: Please send me a message via Annie's Traverse Travels Facebook with your name and address so that we can get your tickets to you in the mail! If you are a winner who needs to forfeit for any reason, please let us know so that we can pick a replacement winner! Congratulations to all the winners!

Stay tuned! More fun to come!

Maybe I CAN Cook!

Today I went crazy in the kitchen.  Seeing how we're out of of Dream Dinners, I had to have a plan!

So I stole from smittenkitchen.

Check out my Beef Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits!!!

WOW.  I've impressed myself.  Super YUM!

Onions, Garlic, Carrots

Beef!

Dough!

My biscuits!

I did it!

Retail Therapy

Michelle, our super sitter, came over this morning so I could escape.  I had plans of doing my 4.6 mile walk, until I took Emily to preschool and realized just how muggy and humid it was outside.  ICK!  So instead, I hit up Wrentham Outlets ALL BY MYSELF!  Heavenly!  Gymboree, Stride Rite, Williams -Sonoma, Ann Taylor Loft.  ♥

NOTE:  I am missing a BIG BROTHER shirt.  They had some at Gymboree that were cute, but they said "BIG BRO 09"  I want 10!  But they did give me a coupon for an additional 25% off your total purchase, good for this weekend.  So I might have to go back!  But I just LOVE their leggings and dresses and tunics for Miss Emily.

Speaking of tunics and leggings, I'm going to TRY.  I just don't know if I will be able to go out in public wearing them.  Super cute purchases for super cute people.  I just don't think I have a super cute mid-section right now.  MOTIVATIONAL purchases to keep me walking fast!

How 'Bout Them Apples?

Wondering what to do with your leftover apples from apple picking?  I used the majority of ours up today in the crock pot!  Boy, does it smell good in here!

GLAZED CINNAMON APPLES

6 large Granny Smith Apples (or whatever you've got laying around)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons melted butter

Place the cored and sliced apples in slow cooker and drizzle with lemon juice.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over apples.  Stir gently to coat.  Drizzle with melted butter.
Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 hours.  Serve over vanilla ice cream!  YUM!

Emily Climbs In!

The PARK

Took the boys to the park today.

Came back to the lot and saw this.  Kinda cute.

Great moms think alike.  

Car Seat Safety

I'll admit, I've NEVER had my car seats inspected.  BAD MOM!  I always knew I could pull into the State Police Barracks, but just never did it.   I just assume that they're safe back there...NG!   So here's my chance for some peace of mind.  Did you know 85% of car seats inspected during car seat clinics are found to be incorrectly installed?

This Friday, September 24th, Muzi Chevrolet is holding a Car Seat Safety and Installation Seminar.  It promises to be well worth the trip!  Magic Beans will be there, showing off some of their latest and greatest car seats, as well as 15 certified car seat technicians from the Needham Police Department.  You'll also receive a coupon for a FREE CAR WASH just for showing up!  Not to mention beverages, donuts and balloons!  So come join us at the Muzi Chevrolet parking lot, located near WCVB, channel 5, from 10am-2pm!  If you're a new mom, expecting your first, or have been a mom for years, please stop in!  You'll be glad you did!

For more information on this event, visit Annie's Traverse Travels on Facebook. Look under "EVENTS." See you there!

Splurge

We did it.  We chose the Canon Rebel T1i.  We have had it less than 24 hours and have been having way too much fun.  So easy to use, captures amazing moments. We wish we bought it five years ago!  Highly recommended!!!!!

Skype!

Never Ending Drool

Just us girls!

Bedtime!

Got Milk?

Love him!

Precious

Em looking SO grown up

Swings!

Higher!

Swings!

Beautiful

Wheeling and Dealing at Mohegan Sun

Arrival at Mohegan Sun

A bit excited at check-in!

Our swanky suite on the 19th floor

Two bathrooms!?

Silly Annie

In the tub???

Ahhhhh, what a night. We had so much fun! And you probably won't believe me, but I am telling the absolute truth when I tell you that BLACK 2 was the first number that came up on the roulette wheel the second I headed into the casino. First game we played, first spin, no joke! The sad thing is that I only had one dollar down on 2 and 5 dollars on black. So we WERE up, but then we were down. If only I put $100 on 2. But today, I learned a little about craps and had QUITE THEEEE roll! We broke even, had fun playing and won thousands for the guy sitting next to us.

Pumping Headquarters

Can't thank the LMA enough for such a wonderful traverse travel! Amazing stay, wonderful food, a couple's massage...THANK YOU! We had a blast. It was so great to be part of it and meet so many wonderful people. The pictures say it all.

En Route to Michael Jordan's Steakhouse

Annie & Dale - Owner of Muzi Chevrolet

Lunch at Margaritaville

Holy Guacamole!

And lots of hugs and kisses to Nana and Pat for taking such good care of the Stow clan while we were away.  Nana's still got it going on - the little guy slept straight though from 8pm until 7am!!!!  Good work, mom!

A Vision

Last night I had a dream about 00.

Followed by more visions of black 2.

I hit them both. Numbers started flashing, I started jumping and screaming. I think it was about $27,000.

Chris and I are taking the Chevy Traverse down to Mohegan Sun tomorrow. Roulette wheel here I come!

But we're going for business. I'm going to teach some old ladies on the slots with oxygen tanks how to read. Ah no. Let's get serious, Annie.

We were invited to the Boston/Manchester Annual Chevrolet LMA Meeting. Chris and I are really looking forward to meeting everyone and being part of the group. Michael Jordan's Steakhouse here we come, and we won't be needing ANY high chairs or crayons! Ayyyyyyyyyyayyyyyyyayyyyyyii!

God, the Traverse will sure seem different on the drive down. Chris, do you want to sit in the back and watch something from NetFlix? Or maybe you should drive and I could watch Date Night? It's going to be a relaxing trip. Empty car seats, no strollers or burp cloths and nice clothes. WOW. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

After the meeting on Friday, we are having a couple's massage at Elimis Spa. Heavenly. I'll let you know if I hit it big!

Remember, you still have a chance to hit it big with a Family 4 Pack to Story Land. Just start following my blog OR join Annie's Traverse Travels on Facebook. We will post the 10 winners here in a couple of weeks. And such exciting things happening this fall-so be sure to keep reading and following us! It's BIG!

C'mon Now Oprah...

So I see this Chevy link on my Facebook Page.....

Chevy, Oprah.....what fun!

The Chevrolet Traverse has a starring role in today's Oprah. Hope Cathy and friends enjoyed their ride!

Cathy and her best friends embark on a road trip across the country to attend the season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show!

But the funniest part is that I KNOW CATHY!!!!! She is the best friend of a neighborhood friend in Norwood, MA! I jut had to call her up and confirm! That's no mistake - Cathy McCarthy it is! Oprah gives her the surprise of a lifetime on today's show! And doesn't that red jewel Chevy Traverse look awesome!? Love that color!

Small world!

The Traverse Took Us Apple Picking

Never Forget

Fantastic Friday

Emily (and the schleppers) survived the first week of preschool!  Exhausted, nonetheless, all of us!

On Wednesday afternoon, I took the "biggles" to the Hasbro open casting call.  Also exhausting.  We'll see if anything comes about.  Thanks to good ol' OnStar, we found our way.  My GPS couldn't call up the address-Newton Center, Newton Highlands, Newton Upper Falls, Newton Lower Falls.  Thank you OnStar!

Mommy had a playdate last night with two of her finest friends from her teaching days in Sudbury.  It was nice to finally catch up with "Teacher Amie" and "Teacher Melissa."  Oh, and the frozen margaritas and home-made guacamole made it even more fun.  I couldn't find any shot glasses, but I'm not telling what I used to measure the ratios!  A big thank you to Daddy for grilling for us!

Today, I ventured off to Dream Dinners for my first encounter.  WOW!  I survived; I made some yummy stuff and I cannot wait to try them all.  It feels unbelievable to have so many dinners already prepared and ready to be popped in the oven/grill.  I had FUN too.  No mess, no clean up, no browsing through cookbooks deciding what needs to go on the shopping list.  UNREAL.  Came home, fed the monster and took a walk by myself.  Quite a beautiful day.  Here's the list of what I concocted:

1. Hearty Back-to-School Beef Stew
2. Cornflake Crusted Chicken with Dipping Sauce
3. Savory Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Fries
4. Pesto Cheese Ravioli with Chicken and Walnuts
5. Buffalo Ranch Chicken
6. Nana's Lasagna
7. Classic Chicken and Dumplings
8. Arroz con Pollo
9. Orangey Asian Chicken
10. Salmon and Crab Pinwheels
11. Monte Cristo Chicken

So what's a girl to do with all her free time?  

Bake Cookies!

Did I forget to mention that my little monster SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT?  YUP!  He did it.  He went to bed around 9:30 and survived the night all the way until 6am.  I remember hearing Chris turning over around 5am and mumbling something like, "I guess he's not getting up to eat...."  WOW.  Let's hope he keeps it up!

And my dear friends Jenn and Will welcomed their first baby into the world last night at 8:05pm.  Welcome to the world Benjamin.  I'm looking forward to some snuggles.

Beautiful Benjamin!

We have nothing on the calendar this weekend - HOORAY!  I love that.  We are wondering where the Traverse should take us.  Perhaps apple picking?  Don't forget to start following my blog or join Annie's Traverse Travels on facebook for your chance to win a trip to Story Land!  Winners will be picked in just a few short weeks! Good luck!

Goodbye Summer, Welcome Fall

Well, here we are September 7th, 2010.  Where did the summer go?  We took the Traverse down to Tiverton on Saturday.  It was a gorgeous day with warm winds blowing off the water after Earl passed through.  (Nothing much happened after all the hype!)  My brother-in-law and his wife (can I call her my sister-in-law?)  were also up visiting for the weekend for their one year anniversary!  We all went to Evelyn's for a yummy lunch.  Such a great spot on Nanaquaket Pond. Why it is called a pond, I don't know.  Looks like the ocean to me.  I had the clam strip plate and a couple of Blueberry Storms!  Yumminess.  The kids had ice cream for dessert and luckily, Emily couldn't finish hers, so I got to help :)

Aimee and Michael at Evelyn's

The rest of the weekend was uneventful.  We tried to buy a Canon Rebel SLR, but Best Buy wouldn't cooperate.  Boo hiss.  They gave us some run around about not being able to finance it the way we liked because we were short $3.00.  I'm really interested in trying my hand at photography, and there's no better time than when the 3 littles are running around the place, right?  So everyone tells me I can't go wrong with the Rebel.  Looking to see if I can get the XsI (older model, cheaper price) or if I should just get the latest and greatest T1I.  Someday soon I hope.  Any advice for beginners learning to use an SLR is much appreciated!

My cutie pie

So this morning was Em's first day at Oak Hill for the year.  She was up and at 'em! Awesome.  Since we were up and out early, I decided to take the boys over to Legacy Place for a walk around.  I've never really gone there to wander!  Started out at the Apple store (big sale going on, Daddy wants a MACpro), so I thought I would check things out.  Owen started crying and Aidan was fussing, and I got total 'tude from a salesperson.  NG.  I asked her about password issues with my Applecare disc and she was all up in my mix telling me I don't need the disc.  I told her that other Apple (aren't they called CARE people?) had told me to come in and they would help me out and fix it.  NO, she insisted that I don't need any usernames or passwords.  OK.  Thanks for caring.  We left and I fed Owen and we attempted the store again.  This time, more 'tude, but from someone else.  I asked about the sale and he was in no way ready to help me with my Barclaycard.  So out we went.  The only good thing about that Apple store was the kind customer who helped me with the doors to get in and out.  We both agreed that it was an intense atmosphere and it was best to get out!  Owen stoppped crying the minute we got outdoors and I wanted to walk around some more, but Aidan persisted that we go back in the Traverse to watch movies.  Hilarious.  Like I said, I've never gone there to wander. Will I ever get the chance?

Chillaxin' in the tub!

Came home, threw spaghetti bolognese in the crock pot in record time and then it was time to go get Emily again.  I'm so not used to all this schlepping.  And the schlepping will continue.  I hope I can get back into a groove soon.  Today was STRESSFUL.  Definitely would have been easier to go to work this morning.  This is a whole different ball of wax!  

It's quiet here.  All 3 are asleep.  Why am I still watching Sprout?  Because my 4 year old told me to, "LEAVE THE TV ON AND DON'T CHANGE IT!"  and I didn't want to chance her hearing me switch it off.  She thinks she'll wake up when she hears her favorite show come on.  Do I dare?

Beautiful

Wow, can't even believe August is gone.  What a summer.  Beautiful weather, a beautiful baby boy, out and about all over beautiful New England-we had a blast! Summer '10 goes down in the books as the best summer yet!  We'll probaby head down to Tiverton for the day on Sunday, once Earl moves on out.  One last Labor Day hurrah!  

Emily goes back to preschool on Tuesday and she is VERY excited as she is headed into the Oak Tree class.  We've been doing a lot of reading together and she's doing great.  I think she'll be reading on her own very soon.

Aidan is as chatty as ever, growing like a weed and constantly being mistaken for a 3 year old.  Gotta love that.  Bamboo Chutes, for real? 

And then there's little brother Owen, not so little whatsoever!  Look at those cheeks!

Autumn Wreath is one of my favorite things about fall.  Shhhh, don't tell anyone-I've been lighting it in secret since mid-August.  But my all time favorite still remains Sage & Citrus.  What's your favorite?  Time to head over to Patriot Place and stock up on candles AND soap!  I need to hit up Bath and Body Works for Kitchen Lemon, Warm Vanilla Sugar and Rainkissed Leaves!  Which ones do you buy?Looks like they have some new fragrances for fall!

Ahhh, fall.  Looking forward to digging out my non-maternity boxes and digging through the 6-9 month boy bins!  Sitting outside watching the kids play on the driveway while sipping a Pumpkinhead Ale. What are you looking forward to this fall?

Story Land 2010

Gassing up my Chevy Traverse!  

Gotta love the navigation system!  

(Hated the traffic from the air show!)

93 North Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge

Antique Cars!

Dr. Geyser's Remarkable Rapids Ride

Bamboo Chutes with Daddy!

And with Mommy!

Aidan's turn!  Yup, he did Bamboo Chutes at 25 months old!

Famous bench!

2 Stows baked in a pie!

Tea Cups!

Just the girls!

Splashing Daddy!

And an adorable keepsake!