Leggo my Eggo.......

My son is 19 months old and at the moment has all 4 of his bicuspid's poking through (it's like God is playing a massive joke on me) and is absolutely miserable. We recently took the binky away so don't want to offer it back up for the soothing sensation he'd get when he chewed on said binky. Also I cannot absolutely cannot give this child a normal teething ring as he 1. Doesn't like how cold his hands get as he's holding it after coming out of the freezer and @. He's bitten through most of the ones we had. In an effort to soothe him I ventured deep into the recesses of my brain to vaguely recall an episode of the 90's sitcom "Roseanne" and remembered an episode where Becky was babysitting and the baby was teething and MISERABLE. She called her Dad (Dan) who told her to give him a frozen waffle to chew on and , bonus, built in drool cups. I use this option for the really bad days when nothing is soothing him and he gets a mini snack as well as a quick fix for teething pain. And that's what works for me.....

What works for you? Check out Kristen here for more Works for Me Wednesday

Yowza!!!

Holy blogging break Batman!!! I just realized that when this posts tomorrow (hopefully) that it will be exactly 2 months since I last posted anything. I would like to blame it on being on summer vacation. But summer and the word vacation going together ended a LONG time ago for me. I could blame it on work. And that would be totally legit as I just started a new job on the 9th of August (8-9-10 how cool is that?!?!?) but mainly it has been that I decided that this summer I wanted to more time offline than online. And that I wanted to really revel in my children's childhood. They are 4 and almost 2 now and when I talk with my daughter I realize how quickly she is growing up. But now that school is going to be getting underway again and we will be on a more consistent schedule I am making a comeback. So without further ado...........stay tuned for part 2.

Uh Uh I didn't just do that......

I have taken what I'd call a Blogging Sabbatical for the past two months and now have decided to come back with a vengeance and was stoked that I decided to do it on a Monday so I could participate in Not Me Mondays at Mckmama's place. I love this carnival. It makes every Monday worth it so why don't you head over there when you're done here and check it out but first things first:

I absolutely do NOT call and leave myself voicemails when I get ideas for what I want to blog about. I have such a better memory that I can remember for 20-30 minutes what I want to write down.

It is so not me who looks forward to Sunday nights because that means there is a new episode of Hannah Montana Forever or Good Luck Charlie on and I've got a 50/50 chance that it's the latter. Because I have SO many more pertinent things to do than watch a tv show that is about a great family and has great family values but whose demographic is the tween girl and not the 30-something year old that I am.

It also was not me who in an attempt to not break my daughters heart decided to spell that we could not go on a picnic on Saturday and then said picnic and spelled Wednesday, don't ask why I'm not sure what the mix up was there.

It is not me who every single day when I come home say to my 4 year old who is waiting by the door for me, "Where are your pants?"

What did you NOT do this week?

Snapfish works for me

As far as photo storing sites go they are bountiful. There is Shutterfly, photobucket, flickr, Kodak Gallery, etc. But the one I use and trust the most is Snapfish. I have been a loyal user of Snapfish since about 2004 when I really started taking pictures with a digital camera. I loved that I could order prints for $.09, that I could make gifts using my photos, and the best part was that as long as I purchased one thing every year (even if it was only a $.09 print) they would continue storing all my digital photos on their site so I didn't have to store them on my poor battered pc's hard drive). But one of the other things I love the most about Snapfish is their customer service. I recently ordered a batch of prints that encompassed Easter, a first Communion, Memorial Day and various other shots of my kids and when I received my order of 79 prints, 6 of them had the heads of the person in the picture cut off. I immediately emailed Snapfish's customer service and was ecstatic to find out the next day, when I got the reply, that they were going to credit my account not only for the 6 pictures that were headless but the entire 79 prints I had ordered and the shipping costs for future use.

Wordless Wednesday...Ice cream brings us together

Head here for more Wordless Wednesday Posts.

Money, money, money......

...there's just never enough of it. After paying all the bills and putting some away into savings it seems as though there's really not that much left for discretionary purposes. But there probably is, if you budget right. I work in the financial sector so a budget is nothing new to me and neither is writing one. But I want to have a budget that shows me exactly how much money I have for discretionary purposes ever week and that is where Gail Vaz-Oxlade and Til Debt do us part comes in. Til Debt Do Us Part is a show that is filmed in Canada that I stumbled upon one night while channel surfing. It is a show that is hosted by Gail Vaz-Oxlade that shows as she goes into people's homes and makes them get serious about their finances. She shows them exactly what they're spending (most of it frivolously) and has them fill out budgets. Then she introduces them to the budget binder and the money jars. She essentially takes away all credit and debit cards and makes them live on cash alone. This is where the jars and budget binder come in and where my ramblings are leading you. Here you can find the interactive budget for how much cash is needed in a given week for discretionary purposes, hence the jars (the money has to be placed somewhere) and to track it you need the budget binder. My husband and I have used this system before and now it is just second nature to update it every month. It has saved us a lot of money in the long run and really showed us where we were spending out money. It allows us to put into perspective how much we're actually making and where all our money is going. The interactive budget works for me, how about you? Head over to see Kristen at wearethatfamily.com for more Works for me Wednesday posts.

I am not 25.....

....and I seriously need to remember that.. To help me with this is my what I learned this week post....

I learned that if you go out on a Friday night and drink like you are still 25 and DID NOT just celebrate the 6th anniversary of your 25th birthday your 4 year old will joyously serenade you with "You are my Sunshine" at the top of her lungs at 5:03 am.




I learned that one smile from a 17 month old can make a day all worth it.



What did you learn this week? Head over to see Julie here for more What I Learned This Week

Ugh, this makes me sick

This article is all about what is wrong with today's society. This woman is striving to become the world's HEAVIEST!! She is a woman who is the mother to two children ages 3 and 14 and is in my opinion eating herself into an early grave. What kind of an example is she setting for her children? I will freely admit that I struggle with body image issues every single day. But when I gave birth to my daughter I decided that I wanted to be around for her WHOLE life and made a pact with myself to eat better, exercise and do everything in my power to make sure I was setting a good example for my children and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Within this article it states (near the bottom) that she suffers from Type 2 diabetes (which most of the time can be controlled by diet and exercise) and has difficulty with basic tasks such as cooking and showering. I don't want to be at the point where I can't take a shower because that would mean I also couldn't do things like push my kids on a swing or go down a slide with them. I think that she's doing this for all the wrong reasons. She also says that after a friend died of complications from gastric bypass surgery she decided to quit dieting and weight pills and eat what she wanted. It's fine to indulge every once in a while but charging people to watch you chow down on greasy food and walk to your car is a seriously impaired person's desperation for attention. If her fiancee truly loved her and she truly loved her children, she would take care of herself to ensure that she was there for all the monumental moments of their lives.

No Dining Out challenge for June

Do you like to cook? That's great if you do, I hate to cook. Seriously hate to cook. And I'm all about convenience which all too much falls under the umbrella of eating out or a drive thru meal even if it is a salad. I simply do not enjoy the preparations or physical aspect of cooking. What I do like though is for my children to eat their meals and saving money. That's why I'm jumping on the bandwagon for the No Dining Out challenge for the month of June and will hopefully continue it throughout the summer. You can read more about the guidelines here. I am going to track how much I will save by NOT dining out. If you think about it I paid $4 for a salad and I could have bought 2 bags of prewashed and precut salad mix that would have made lunches for me for the week and a salad to add to one of our dinners this week. When you attach a dollar amount to it it seems so stupid to do that doesn't it? In order to help with the No dining challenge I have committed myself to also writing a menu plan for the week and sticking to it so at the last minute I'm not racking my brain trying to think of what to make for dinner. Are you up for the challenge?

What was I NOT thinking?!?!?!

It's Monday. Which means it's time for yet another installment of Not Me Monday brought to you by Mckmama.

This is a great link up that grew out of Mckmama's desire to post some of her imperfections if you will. I swear I lose 5lbs by reading the blogs that link up every Monday, so here we go:

That was absolutely not me who dropped off my daughter for a overnight trip that would take her (and my in-laws) over the river and through the woods (literally) to visit her Aunt and Uncle then drop off my son at daycare and drove all the way to work (30 minutes away!!) before I realized I still had the car seat in my car. That was needed. To go over the river and through the woods. For an overnight trip.

That was not me who totally debated about just letting my 4 year old eat herself sick on frosting in a can to prove a point.

That was so not me who had a full on conversation with myself while sitting on my butt while landscaping. So much so that my neighbor asked if I knew my "conversation partner" had apparently walked away.

That was also not me who in order to save face told my neighbor that my "friend" must have gone in to grab a beer. Because I am seriously so not lacking adult conversation that I need to create my own.

What did you NOT do this week? Head here to see more on Not Me Monday

Hungry, hungry hippo

That's what my 4 year old told me this evening when scavenging the fridge for something to eat. I guess I should probably make my menu plan for this week. And dinner.




Sunday ~ Tuna noodle casserole, mixed veggies

Monday ~ Meatloaf, mashed potatos, fresh broccoli

Tuesday ~ Pasta fagioli, salad

Wednesday ~ Chicken tacos, black beans, spanish rice

Thursday ~ Burgers on the grill, grilled veggies, campfire potatos

Friday ~ Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup

Saturday ~ Family reunion cookout....

What's on your menu? Check out here for more menu plans

Thank you for being a friend,

traveled down the road and back again, Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant. I know that I am totally late to the party (again) in honoring the unbelievable Rue McClanahan. I can't say that I know of anyone who didn't watch the Golden Girls either growing up or in college. Or now when it's rerun in syndication. I watch it every single time it is on. And some of the best lines of that show were from or directed towards Rue McClanahan's Blanch Devereaux. Rest in peace Rue and enjoy the cheesecake in heaven.

Bring on the FUN!

Having kids means there is always fun to be had. Whether it be on the jumpoline or playing in the dirt. I was thrilled when I saw Beth's "assignment" for this week's You Capture because in complete honesty it made it so much easier for me :)

Here's what we do for fun around here:

 

 

 

 

What did you capture for FUN? Head over the Beth's here for more You Capture moments.

Procrastination Nation.....

That totally describes me. If I have an hour to do something I will wait until the last 5 minutes to actually take the time to work on it. If I have an hour to be somewhere, I will leave with the least amount of time given to traffic delays and what not. Due to this, I am just about horrible in every aspect of time management in my life. Except for really my life. Every thing has a time and date to be done. I have to make myself a "To Do" list for my life. But it ensures that household chores get done, bathrooms get cleaned, clothes get washed and bills get paid. I then plaster these lists around my house. I also leave sticky notes where I can (my favorite is the note in the bathroom on the mirror from my bathroom asking me to please clean it). If I don't write it down I won't do it. And that's what works for me, have other suggestions or something that you do that works for you? Head over to Kristen's for more Works for me Wednesday tidbits....

Mama said what?

Mckmama is hosting a new link up called out of the Mouths of Babes Moms allowing us mama's the ability to put to paper so to speak the things we say to our children. Here's what came out of my mouth this week:

"Because it's not a good idea to teach Daniel to blow bubbles in bubble bath"

"No you don't need to have a different color for each finger and toe. Because all together you have 20 of them combined and I'm just not into painting that much"

"Leave her belly button alone"

"No it's not the real Beast. I promise you it's not the real Beast that lives with Belle. Because it's steak that's why now please eat your dinner"

"There's no way you're hungry. Because you just inhaled your lunch. No you cannot have a new lunch. Because you just had lunch. No you may not have a snack. No you may not have a treat. Just because you asked nicely does not mean that I will say yes. Yes maybe I am mean and nasty but I am not old and don't call me Mother. Because I said so."

What's to eat?!?!?

It's the beginning of yet another week (seriously where does the weekend go?) and that means it time for another edition of menu planning. You can check out some more menu plans here and possibly add to your menu as well :)

Sunday ~ Steakumm burgers (these are incredibly delicious hamburgers that Stop and Shop has on sale B1G1 free until 6/24) and salad

Monday ~ Crock pot pulled BBQ chicken from a guest post on Erin's site at 5 Dollar Mom. Potato salad and green beans.

Tuesday ~ Beef Stroganoff and mixed veggies

Wednesday ~ Pasta and salad

Thursday ~ Egg Sandwiches on english muffins, fruit, fried potatoes

Friday ~ Grilled pizza

Saturday ~ Chili dogs and oven fries with corn on the cob.

What are you eating this week?

One shot......

Beth over at I Should Be Folding Laundry (shouldn't we all?) hosts an awesome link up each week called You Capture. It's all about the photographs that a person "captures" in a week's time, each week with a different theme or challenge. This week it was ONE SHOT. The challenge was to take pics all week like usual but to only submit the favorite of the week. Here is mine:




What did you capture this week?

Calorie Counters

Wow have I ever been slacking in the Works For Me Wednesday posts....what can I say Wednesday is a busy day for me but that's really no excuse so alas here is a post about what works for me....

Right after I had my daughter I continued to eat like I was still pregnant and put on more weight than I did when I was pregnant. It wasn't until I saw a picture of myself that I realized I had to do something. I am so not one for starving myself on a lettuce diet or even really one for paying attention to or exerting myself for exercise however I found the one thing that I could do is make a conscious effort to see what I was putting into my body every day. I decided to become a calorie counter. There are several sites out there that will track your calories for you but my two favorite are fitday.com and 411fit.com. I love that they have calorie counts for fast food restaurants and major chains. I especially love that 411fit.com will give you a grade every day based on what you consumed for that particular day. With the help of these sites and making the effort to see what I was inhaling eating I was able to lose all my after baby weight and then some and get to a weight that I was happy with. And that's what works for me. How about you, have something to share? If so head over to Kristen's to do so and while you're there take the time to see what works for others!!

What I Learned this week....

Welcome to yet another edition of What I Learned this week hosted by Julie. You can check out her site here to see more WILTW posts. Without further ado here we go.....

I learned that if you spend all week hitting the snooze button on your alarm when it goes off at 4:45am you will wake up all on your own at 4:45am on SATURDAY!! However you will also really enjoy the serenity of drinking coffee in peace before any little people wake up.

I also learned that if you are going to buy your husband a Father's Day gift and use the credit card to do it, you may want to warn him otherwise he will definetely find out what you got him since he decided to look at the statement.


What did you learn this week?

Dandelions are a girls best friend.......

Hey there!! Not not you, you over there, the lurker.....come on in and join the fun of what I learned this week.....

I learned that dandelions will keep a 4 year old busy for roughly an hour or until there are none left....

 

I learned that when a sample pack comes from Kotex my 4 year old will INSIST on opening it due to the pretty colors and then Mama will have to figure out a way to tell her exactly what that thing is she opened (tampon)

I learned that just giving a 16 month old the yogurt and letting him feed himself will make him insanely happy.....and very messy

 

I learned that everyone wants to snuggle with someone...

 

And the last thing I learned is who needs toys when you have a fire hydrant in your front yard???

 

What have you learned this week?

Pop over to see Julie at From Inmates to Play dates for more What I Learned this week

Wasn't me..........

Welcome back to the glorious day that is Monday, ugh, just the word is enough to make me want to crawl back into bed. It's not that I have a vendetta against Monday or even really that I think Monday is out to get me it's just that where it happens to fall in the week is not a good place, too close to Sunday and way too far away from Friday....but at least I have the laughter that comes with Not Me Monday to get my week started right. You can read along and even enter your own over here at Mckmama's place

It was so NOT me that woke up panicked in the middle of the night and ran to the car (which is not housed in my garage)in my pajamas in search of my Nikon, nope not me because I am SO much more responsible than that....

Totally NOT me who bribed my 4 year old with the prospect of listening to Radio Disney because I just couldn't take listening to Sugarland anymore, and they're one of my FAVES!!!!!

I DID NOT contemplate ordering MORE food at Uno's to allow my 4 year old to continue her napping there because I knew full well that the minute I woke her up she would not go back to sleep (and she didn't)

It was absolutely NOT me who totally crashed and crashed hard on eating all the WRONG foods today because I would NEVER do that (suffice to say the healthiest thing was a veggie quesadilla)

What things did you NOT do this week?

If only I knew now EVERYTHING I thought I knew then..........

How many times have you heard the phrase or a variation on it of: If only I knew then what I know now? Well it got me thinking the other night as I was having a lively discussion with my 4 year old about how she knew everything and of course I as her mother knew nothing. It made me realize how many times I thought in my head that I was going to do things so much differently with my children than my parents were doing with me. How I was going to be their friend as well as their parent. Well I have to say it's a lot harder to have to be their parent than I thought. In terms of children we all want our children to like us as their parents and not want them to die of embarrasment at the prospect of being seen in public with them, but at the end of the day what we really want is for them to become productive members of society, to be happy and to feel loved. I hope that I've instilled in my children just how very much I love them. I tell them as many times as I possibly can and yet somehow I know that in just a few short precious years my ears may be burning with the infamous "I hate you, Mom." I think back to the times I said this to my parents for their utter lack of coolness refusing to let me do something that was probably stupid but that I wanted to do because everyone else was doing it and I wish I could go back in time and take it all back. Take back every mean, vile, nasty thing I ever did, said, or thought when I was younger. I remember thinking that my child would never say anything hurtful to me because I'd raise them better than my parents were raising me. If only to be able to go back to a time when I knew EVERYTHING........

Mothers Day Edition

Welcome back for yet another edition of What I learned this week hosted by Julie (who I seriously think you should follow her blog as she is hilarious!!!)anyhoo......here we go:

I learned that it is extremely hard to find someone I trust as much as family to watch over my two children while I go to work for the summer. Luckily for me there is a wonderful young woman that has been working with my daughter in her Sunday school class all year that I trust completely.

Nothing will make a 4 year old happier than to be told she gets to go on a date with Mommy. To Stewarts. For ice cream. Hey it was her choice.

I learned that my son loves to have his sister blow on his belly but nobody else.

I also learned that while I love the pearls the hubby and kids got me for Mother's Day, the best gift I got was a flower made out of old seed packets, a pipe cleaner, and a button......

I hope all you Moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!!!!

Being a Mother.......

The reasons I get up every single day.....

 

 

 

The Girl I Used to Be

Author Unknown



She came tonight as I sat alone,

the girl I used to be,

And she gazed at me with her earnest eyes,

and questioned reproachfully,

Have you forgotten the many plans,

and hopes I had for you?

The great career,

the splendid fame

all the wonderful things to do?

Where is the mansion of stately height,

with all of its gardens rare

The silken robes that I dreamed for you,

and the shining jewels in your hair?

And as she spoke,

I was very sad,

for I wanted her pleased with me,

This slender girl from the shadowy past,

the girl I used to be.



So gently rising,

I took her hand and guided her up the stairs,

Where peacefully sleeping,

my babies lay, innocent, sweet and fair,

And I told her that these are my only gems,

and precious they are to me,

That silken robe is my motherhood,

of costly simplicity,

And my mansion of stately height is love,

and the only career I know,

Is serving each day in these sheltered walls,

for the dear ones who come and go,

And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,

she smiled through her tears at me,

And I saw the woman that I am now,

pleased the girl that I used to be!

Happy Mothers Day to all........

Double Standards.......

Last night I got home and flipped on FoxNews like I do occassionally. It was around 8pm when the boob tube was turned on so Bill O'Reilly was on. Now I am not in any way a big O'Reilly fan but the story that he had absolutely floored me. It was the story of how teenagers at a California school were asked to turn their shirts inside out and take off their bandanas because they all depicted the American flag. That's right the school's that wave the American flag asked students to remove their clothing that did the same. The reasoning behind this? The school officials were afraid that it might incite something due to it being Cinco de Mayo. I very rarely discuss political situations on my blog because I like to stay away from the controversy it can create but this I have a problem with. The other issue I have with this is that the administration of this school removed the flag of the United States of America and displayed the flag for Mexico. Here's the video if you care to check it out. And again I'm not doing this to start any fires I just have an issue with students being told that they cannot wear clothing that depicts the American flag.

The not so Happy meal.....

In complete honesty I was somewhat shocked when I read this article about banning toys from kids meals. I am all for kids eating healthy and what not but I also think the responsibility for an obese child should fall directly on that child's parents. Taking away a toy is not going to stop lazy parents from feeding their kids fatty meals morning, noon and night. I am a full time working mother who probably once a month stops by the drive thru of the golden arches and gets my kids a happy meal because I'm either too exhausted to cook or I don't have anything defrosted. My kids are perfectly proportioned due to the fact that I do make sure they eat healthy meals but once in a while I think I deserve a break and they deserve a treat. Most fast food places have choices in terms of drinks and sides that can be substituted for fries and soda. My children typically get one Happy Meal to share (my youngest is only 1) that is one hamburger, a chocolate or regular milk (depending on my oldest's mood) and whatever the fruit selection is. They are both extremely active children who eat well every other meal. Taking away a toy is not going to make for less obese children it's just going to upset some that they can't have a toy.

Sticky sticker situations

If you, like me, are the parent of a little girl age 3-6 chances are you most likely have an abundance of stickers in your house. Not because I buy them because that would just be dumb but because she gets them as gifts, samples in mailings I get, or there were several in her Easter Eggs from the church Egg hunt. She has developed a tendency to put stickers everywhere but on paper, they are covering her step stool, plastered on her walls and even made an appearance on the toilet seat. So in my OCD state I HAD to get the stickers off of the walls and at least the toilet seat but how to do it? I found myself thinking back to when I worked the Customer Service counter at our local Menards in high school and many times had to get a sticker off without ripping the packaging the item was in and it hit me to use the blow dryer. To remove stickers from places you don't want them simply take your blow dryer and turn it on the lowest setting and hold far enough away from the surface that you don't ruin the paint or start some peeling wallpaper if you have that and gently use a butter knife or your nails (if they're long enough, mine aren't!) to peel the sticker off. And that's what works for me in sticker situations. Head on over to Kristen's to read more What Works for me Wednesday and learn some tips you may not have thought about!!

I am not indestructible.......

....as I once thought I was. There was a time where I could do cartwheels for ages and not feel a single muscle crying out in pain, there was a time when I could play on a swing set for hours and not feel any different, there was a time when I could spend eight hours sitting in the dirt pulling up weeds from their roots and not feel sore three days after the facts, oh wait no there wasn't. That's what I did all day on Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm and I'm still feeling the effects of said activity on Tuesday morning.

Welcome to yet another edition of What I learned this week hosted by Julie at Inmates here

I learned that after weeding out the front area of my house for the above mentioned 8 hours I was having a hard time following along to the sit and stand instructions at church

I learned that when pulling weeds I should not position myself directly below my son's room since he can see me from the window and will shrilly screech "MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" in the hopes of getting my attention to come and get him up from the no nap he's taken

I learned that my two children will have a pushing and pulling hair fight over the shovel (of which we own 4 identical ones) until one of them gives up.

I learned that my 4 year old will find the soap and water mixture in the spray bottle that I've been using to spray my buds to keep ants off of them and will promptly decide the porch needs cleaning and spray down the grill then proceed to attempt to wipe it up with toilet paper....it just makes a mess.

Finally I learned that my 4 year old will kiss the top of my head and say "I'm a big girl momma I'll put myself to bed" when I'm so sore I literally can't get up....

What did you learn this week?

Etiquette in a world where there is very little.......

I have an etiquette question. Last Saturday (April 17) my daughter turned 4. She had several gifts shipped to her seeing as how the givers were unable to travel to our house for her actual birthday. Should I have had her immediately call the givers to thank them for the gifts or should I have painstakingly sat with a newly christened 4 year old and helped her "write" out thank you notes? Any insight would be appreciated as I always thought that receiving thank you notes was the proper thing to do as long as they were sent out within a week of receiving the gift but maybe with the way modern technology is I'm wrong.....

31 going on 85

Welcome to my first edition of Not Me Monday hosted by mckmama where we total perfectionast mama's can admit to non-perfectionist moments.....

It was totally NOT ME who walked all over the parking lot for 45 minutes looking for my car and was getting ready to call the hubby to tell him it had been stolen before it dawned on me that no kids were around and that meant that the sedan was what should have been looked for not the mini van. Nope I totally didn't do that.

It was absolutely NOT ME who cruised through the DD drive thru to purchase two dozen donuts for snack for Sunday school because I forgot to make cupcakes the night before for Em's birthday.

And it is definetely NOT me who is walking around like I'm 85 after spending some quality time clearing out weeds because I am in so much better shape than that.....

So what did you NOT do this week? Head on over to Mckmama's for some more Not Me Monday quips here....

Comfort from a 4 year old

Welcome to yet another edition of WILTW hosted by Julie over at Inmates to Playdates, I am posting this seriously late but I have totally a good reason for it. On Saturday we celebrate Em's birthday, on Sunday we learned that our neighbor was mourning the loss of her husband the very same day. What I learned is one very simple thing: Children are the most empathetic breed out there. My darling adorable 4 year old walked out our front door and walked over next door and simply hugged the grieving widow. Nothing more than just that simple act. The simplicity of knowing that something wasn't right but not knowing exactly what to do about it and letting her actions speak so much louder than her words.

Head over here for more What I Learned This Week

What wonders a belly button can do.......

Seriously belly buttons are an enigma to kids. An exploration to how far they can push their little fingers in there in hopes of finding hidden treasure or an amusement for a 15 month old for 20 minutes plunging his finger into his sister's belly button and making her laugh like the Pillsbury dough boy and making him giggle in return.....

And some more of what I learned this week

I learned that playing outside never gets old....it makes you want to forget that you are an adult and ignore the chores that need to be done to go outside and play catch with your kids

I learned that being a parent is great in so many ways but mainly in the fact that it allows you to be a child again.

No matter how many times I ask my kids what they want for dinner the answer is always "chicken, french fries, and ketchup" but what I learned is that they enjoy it so much more having a home cooked meal and reliving their day for me play by play (I have an almost 4 year old who LOVES to talk)

I learned that having a 15 month old who is having serious teething pain is enough to rip my heart out but I secretly love that he wants to cuddle up with his mama and no one else because it won't be long until I'm going to have to tackle him to get a hug.

I learned that almost 4 year olds keep NOTHING to themselves. Like when said almost 4 year old gulps down her oatmeal in under two minutes and then rides in the car to church it will decide to come back up. In the church parking lot. And then she will tell her teacher all about it. Luckily she doesn't know the difference between a parking lot and a driveway. I didn't correct her.

I also learned that little girls will change their mind on a daily basis on which Disney Princess they want their birthday cake to look like and will choose the one that we haven't seen yet (Princess Tiana from the Princess and the Frog). Mommy is trying to persuade her to want Snow White since Mommy thinks it would look cool.

Well that's about all I learned this week, how about you?

Head on over to visit Julie at From Inmates to Playdates to check out what other people learned....

Menu Plan Monday (on a Tuesday......again)

I swear I don't know where all the hours in the day go. I think if I just had a few more hours or if I could clone myself like the movie "Multiplicity" I would totally be ahead of the game. But before I digress much more here is my menu plan for this week:

Monday: Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed veggies. I LOVE this meal because it's relatively simple and easy and gets a fair amount of nutrition into my children't bellies.

Tuesday ~ Daddy's cooking since he's home all day and he better not be cooking leftovers or take out

Wednesday ~ Baseball stadium food night!!! I love this night and I love baseball so the two go hand in hand....Beer Brats sauteed to perfection in a bottle of Killians then finished off on the grill to get those cool grill marks on them, french fries or tater tots (whichever I have more of or we may make some homemade oven fries YUMMY!!!) and carrots.

Thursday ~ Chicken tacos, fixin's, and rice and beans. My almost 4 year old (GASP!!!) loves taco night.

Friday ~ Veggie Tart Experiment night (I really hope this works) Pillsbury.com has a great recipe for a vegetable tart that sounds delicious. It's puff pastry, ranch dip mix spread across it and your favorite vegetables spread around. I'm thinking of making a Mediterranean one with olives, tomatos, artichoke hearts, and feta cheese and an "American" one for the kiddos with their fave veggies....I'll let you know how it turns out.

Saturday ~ ALL ABOUT EMILY DAY!!! My daughter Emily is turning 4 on Saturday so it will be her choice in every meal and then of course we will top it off with cake and ice cream....

Sunday ~ Pasta night. My kids are simple they like pasta and tomato sauce. We'll have the sauce simmer all day so it's awesome by dinner time.

What are you eating this week?

Head over to An Organizing Junkie to find more Menu Plans and get some great ideas and link yours up too!!

Happy Eating!!!

What I learned this week.....

Julie from Inmates to Playdates is now hosting the fabulous What I Learned This Week, I love this because it makes me reflect back on the previous week and see what I may have missed when taking life too quickly....so without further ado here we go:

1. I learned that as much as I try to explain the spiritual aspect of the cleansing of the feet on Maundy Thursday service that my 3 year old WILL FLAT OUT REFUSE.....

2. I learned that at 31 while I am still physically able to climb the dogwood tree in my in-laws front yard to retrieve the 6 year old neighbor who climbed up too far and could not get down, I will feel the after effects still on Tuesday.....

3. I am the worlds worst person at keeping caught up on pictures and it will take one of my sister in law's to nag point out that I have been back from NYC for almost weeks and still have not shared my pictures (it's now been done)

4. I learned that Easter Egg dyeing NEVER gets old. At 31 it's still one of my favorite things to do....

5. I learned that I have a very respectful 3 year old. When the Easter Egg hunt started at church and there were eggs a plenty clustered all together she only took one from each "station" so that other kids could according to her "get some too"....LOVE HER!!!

6. I learned that my mother in law runs faster than anyone I've ever seen when a baby (mine, of course) decides that he needs to me outside and opens the porch door and starts walking down the steps......Thank goodness for her speed as she got to him when he was only down one step since it ends in concrete.

7. I learned that HUNDREDS of people go to church on Easter Sunday but if you go to the Easter Egg hunt first you don't have to wrestle with someone to get your regular seat....

8. I learned that sometimes there is nothing better than sitting outside on a BEAUTIFUL day sipping beer and spending time with family.....

What did you learn this week???

Head over here to check out more

NY's "Fat Tax"

Absolutely unbelievable. NY State is in a deficit. In trying to keep the state in the black, David Patterson (our governor) has instituted the "fat tax". He is taxing sugary sodas and now is going to tax people who the state deems are overweight. According to the state that means the average weight of a man should be 185 pounds and the average weight of a woman should be 140 pounds. For every pound that a person is over they would have to pay $10 per month per pound. I am 5'8 and I weigh 147 pounds, but according to Patterson I am technically 7 pounds overweight, that means I would have to pay an additional $840 in state taxes for the fat tax. This is ludicrous. Especially coming from a governor who has a probe going on for spending $600K on Yankees World Series tickets that came from state fiscal funds. Get your head out of your you know what and do your job. Stop taxing me because all it's going to do is put more of a burden on the state when I have to work solely to pay my taxes and then have to go on welfare.

Menu Plan Monday

Again my late Tuesday edition to Menu Plan Monday but since I wasn't home this weekend I decided that I get a break on this (although I'm not sure what excuse I'll be able to use next week)

Monday ~ was Mommy and Daddy are drained night and we splurged and had Chinese

Tuesday ~ Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday ~ Chicken parmigiana (we have a ton of chicken thighs in the freezer so we'll use that and I found some mozzarella too so perfect dinner), with spaghetti and salad

Thursday ~ Breakfast for dinner (pancakes, sausage, toast, and eggs for mommy)

Friday ~ Homemade pizza

Saturday ~ Daddy's home on a Saturday night (that rarely happens) and he likes to cook so I'll let him decide on dinner

Sunday ~ Crock Pot chili

Head on over here for more Menu Plans

What I learned this week

Ok so I'm so totally late again with my WILTW but whatever.......


The NYC What I learned this week edition:

I learned that unless you want to be run over by a taxi that you pay attention at crosswalks

I learned that the Empire State Building is magical even during the day with the tourist groups and student groups it's still awe inspiring to get the view of Manhattan and to remember what the original workers finished in just over a year and WAAAAAYYY under budget

I learned that Grand Central Station is just what Marty from Madagascar said "It's Grand and it's Central". It was beautiful to see Jackie O's vision put to canvas per se

I learned that it is entirely possible to walk off all the bad food you eat and the alcohol you consume while in NYC since you walk EVERYWHERE, I think I dropped 7 pounds this weekend

I learned that even if you are not Catholic you cannot NOT see the beauty and love and spirituality within St. Patricks Cathedral

I learned that nothing I cook will ever come close to the food I had at Umberto's in Little Italy

I learned that 5 women can still giggle like school girls when out and about for dinner

I learned that my sisters in law (those women above) are amazing and I had a wonderful weekend with them in NYC.

But the most important thing I learned was that as much fun as I had and as much as I needed a break from my life nothing beats the smiles and hugs I got from my babies upon my return....

What did you learn this week?

Head on over to Musings of a Housewife for more What I Learned This Week

So EXCITED!!!!!!

This weekend I am embarking on a girls weekend. This is exciting for several parts; 1. I'm going with my four sisters-in-law and yes we do all actually really like each other, 2. As much as I LOVE my children and family I need a break from them that doesn't involve me going to work to obtain said break, 3. We're going to NYC, now I live in NY state but the last time I was in the city was in 2004 (before I moved here, got married and had babies)in January and during a blizzard when Mayor Bloomberg had no choice but to literally close the city down, and 4. this may be my very most exciting thing about girls weekend, I am going to find a way to eat here How COOL is that????? Pictures and stories to come later.

Menu Plan Monday (on a Tuesday)

I honestly don't know where the time goes as I always have ideas of grandeaur in making sure that I get my menu plan down and written out on Sunday night and then the day just gets away from me and all of a sudden it's Tuesday morning. So I'm a little late, sue me.

Monday ~ Chicken a la grandma (chicken breasts saturated in olive oil and covered in breadcrumbs)stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn. This is one of the easiest ways to make chicken IMHO and the kids LOVE it!!

Tuesday ~ Bad Mommy night, I have a ton of errands to run (I'll tell you about why later) and will probably be hitting a drive thru for the kids to eat in the car

Wednesday ~ Turkey loaf night!!! I love making meatloaf while using ground turkey as it isn't as greasy and my kids don't know the difference, we'll have green beans and au gratin potatoes with it

Thursday ~ Sandwiches, in the car (I know bad mommy again) but it is because we will be travelling to my SIL's house to drop my kids off for the weekend so all my Sisters-in-law and I (5 of us) can head to NYC for the weekend!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

I have no idea what they'll eat this weekend but seeing as how two of the brothers are chefs and the other one really likes to cook they'll be well taken care of.

Head on over here for more Menu Plan Monday

I need them....

It's true that every child needs someone to love them. That no child should ever have to endure not knowing what true unconditional love is. But I think for me, as a mother, I need my children more. I need them to point out the beauties that are in life amidst all the hardships and sorrows. I need them to love me unconditionally as only children can do. I need them to show me the beauty in despair, to show me the face of innocence in evil, to show me how to live and love fully.

Two bloggers that I regularly follow (Kristen and Mckmama) recently embarked on a trip to Kenya with Compassion Bloggers for two weeks to witness the despair, slums, and hope that their sponsored children live in. What these two women do and open their hearts to amazes me. But it also got me thinking as I do sponsor a child as well that as much as that child needs the money that I send to them, I think I need them more. I need to know the wealth that I live in that can be deemed not very much, but when compared to the slums that they live in and the hardships that they go through and are witness to every day I live like royalty. And maybe I do. In their eyes. I'm sure that my modest home, that is heated by the gigantic oil tank in my basement, that has electricity that I so frequently forget to turn off, the hot and more important running water that flows through my house that is clean that I wash my babies in, the hot meals that I can cook, the abundance of food in my home that allows for my 3 year old to "snack" all day long, would be viewed as a palace to these children that huddle together at night just to stay warm, whose families try to keep an impeccably clean living arrangement which can be difficult when the "floors" are made of dirt or even worse garbage. I implore you to read the stories here and here and if you are able sponsor a child through Compassion bloggers. It may not seem like a lot to you but to these children you'd be their hero.

And to my children who have the ability to open their hearts so freely and openly and willingly share everything that they have, you are my heroes.

Works for me Wednesday

I have two beautiful children who have a massive amount of clothes. To ensure that they wear all the clothes that are their size and are gifts and what not we hang up their daytime clothes in their closets and reserve the dressers for socks, underwear, and pajamas. This helps me see when they need to have their laundry done and to make sure that all the clothes that they own are worn before they're outgrown. To find more Works for me Wednesday head here.

Blessed

bless·ed
  –adjective
Divinely or supremely favored; fortunate: to be blessed with a strong, healthy body; blessed with an ability to find friends.

I am very, very blessed. I have two beautiful children who are in excellent health. I have really no worries in the world when it comes to my children. But I also know that for every child that is healthy there is also one that is not healthy.I have not had to experience the heartbreak that goes along with a child getting sick and there not being an easy cure to it. Today and tomorrow (March 5 and 6) the Hudson Valley radio station WRWD 107.3FM has joined up with N&S Supply for the 20th annual St. Jude Radiothon. This is a truly remarkable event for a truly remarkable and inspirational place that is taking place across the country. There is no child that is turned away due to their parents not being able to afford medical care. It was at St. Jude that they found a way for a 75% cure rate of Sickle cell in children. St. Jude was founded by Danny Thomas and his daughter Marlo Thomas is still very much involved in this hospital that deals with childhood cancers. This is a charity that is very near and dear to me as I lost a friend to Leukemia when she was just 13 and had spent much of her life battling this disease. You can become a partner in hope for less than it cost for a cup of coffee a day. For $25 a month you can make a difference. If you are able to donate please click here and make it just a little easier on the parents and children that have to go to St. Jude. If you want to read more about St. Jude click here

Works For Me Wednesday

I drink coffee. A lot of coffee. And I have to have creamer in my coffee. So the end result is that I have quite a few coffee creamer containers (primarily International Delight and Coffee-Mate) and while waiting for the recycling man to come one week when he didn't we decided to play a game using the containers. Now I can't take credit for this because it was really my nephew's kindergarten teacher's idea but they used them for bowling!!! Yes bowling! The creamer containers specifically the ones I mentioned are the perfect size for mini bowling pins!! I'm sorry to say I don't have a picture of this since my camera battery decided to die last night when I decided to upload at about midnight but the general idea is that you line up the containers the same way bowling pins are set up, find a small ball (we used a wiffle ball since it had holes for my 3 year olds fingers and no her fingers didn't get stuck) and roll it down the lane. That's what works for me when you're stuck inside for 7 days in a row and are having a major case of cabin fever. Head on over here for more Works for Me Wednesday this week and next as Kristen is headed to Kenya with Compassion Bloggers for the next two weeks. If you want to read about Kristen's journey click here, you can also read about Mckmama's journey of the same trip here. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they share their love in Kenya.

Heartbreak

Who knew it would happen so soon? That my little girl, my princess would break my heart? Shatter is more likely. Into a million little pieces. But that's just what she did at the ripe old age of 3 and a half. She wants me to ask my boss if I can stay home everyday with her so I can watch her grow up (her words, not mine; I have a very mature 3 year old). She wants me to tell my boss that I'll keep working for her but that I won't be physically coming into work anymore. I never imagined a life where I wasn't working and now my child has me questioning it and questioning whether or not I'd be good as a stay at home mom. I've always been one of those mom's that would take a bullet for my children but who also wants a little bit of time away from them and work allows me that freedom. But as they are getting older I realize that I may be missing important milestones because I'm at work. I missed my daughters first step because I was at work (and it wasn't really a step seeing as how she walked clear across the kitchen to find her grandmother), I missed my son's first word because I was at work. And now I'm trying to figure out a way to get my daughter into a pre-K because she wants to go to one but I haven't found one yet conducive to my work schedule. How do you say no to that?

Christmas can be free.......

It is known about me that I can be a very frugal person. I don't like spending money I don't have to. That doesn't mean that I have a lot or a little of it. It means that I have enough to live a life I want to comfortably. One of my goals this year is to not spend a lot of money out of pocket on Christmas. My family is HUGE so this is a big deal (I have 5 nephews and a niece, a goddaughter and her brother and soon to be determined sibling, a best friend, my kids, my parents, my in-laws, and oh yeah did I mention that I also have 2 nephews, a niece, a Dad, and my son's birthday thrown into the month of December as well? 1st, 20th, 26th, 30th, and 31st.....whew.) I would love it if there really were trees made of money that I could just go and "borrow" from whenever I felt the need but since there isn't I look at alternate ways to avoid having to use those priceless pennies. A few of the ways that I "earn" cash (it's not even really cash but giftcards since they are so much more practical for me) is through a variety of rewards sites. Here are a few that I enjoy and have worked very well for me over the year. Be careful on a couple because there may be limitations to how much you can redeem in a month (make sure you read the terms and conditions if you're not sure)

Swagbucks- Swagbucks is a search engine like Google but this search engine allows you to get swagbucks when you search and accrue bucks. Then when you're ready you can redeem those for prizes such as $5 Amazon gift cards or $5 Paypal cards. There are other ways to win on swagbucks and the administrators do a great job of offering out random codes to earn more. Every Friday is Mega Swagbucks day where you have a chance to earn even more than usual. I would suggest signing up for all the possibilities for them as there are often codes lurking in the blog, newsletter, twitter, and their facebook page. Make sure you read the conditions on this one as there are certain things you are expressly prohibited from doing (such as tweeting an actual code or posting it on your fb page or blog) and they will cancel your account. Head on over here to see what new things are going on with Swagbucks 3.0

Mypoints--- I love mypoints. I've been a member since 2006 and have traded in points for numerous giftcards. Mypoints sends out emails (that you pick the amount you want) and just for looking at them you can earn 5 points. They also have the mypoints daily deal that allows you to shop from their site and earn points per dollars spent. This year I'm stockpiling my points until probably October when I'll start redeeming them so I can utilize the giftcards for birthday and Christmas gifts. If you are interested in this please leave me a comment with your email address so I can send you the invite.

Inbox Dollars - This is another one that I've been a member of for awhile. It is basically what it says. They send you emails you click through them and typically you'll earn a couple cents. There is a $5 sign up bonus and when you're ready you can cash in. You do have to have $30 in your account to request a check but still they will send you a $30 check. This works similar to mypoints in that they send you emails to read and you can also earn money by shopping through their site. If you are interested in this one check out the right hand side of the blog for the graphic that will take you to their site.

There are several others out there these are just a few of the ones that have worked very well for me. And who doesn't want something for nothing?

######################### FCC DISCLOSURE ########################

To the FCC dude who might be looking at this. No I didn't receive any compensation from anyone for posting this. These are all my own opinions and thoughts.

live like the pioneers

While watching Arthur with my daughter one morning, Francine had to write a book report on what it must have been like to be a pioneer and just then there was a massive blizzard and everyone had to work together. They had to get by without modern day conveniences and got to see how cool it was to NOT have all those conveniences. This is almost what I felt like this morning when I woke up at 5 am to no power in my house. The only reason that I knew it was 5am was because the power was intermittently unavailable last night and I brought my cell phone to bed with me for fear that I would oversleep and not have an alarm. And as I was emailing my boss from my cell phone it made me think of how dependent I am on conveniences such as the telephone, the television and the internet....Oh Lord the internet. I basically felt non functional yesterday without it. I couldn't tell you anything without it. Thank goodness for my internet enabled cell phone but still that didn't do justice when I was trying to write emails from a tiny touch pad. Maybe I need to get reacquainted with simple living where all these electronics aren't necessities. I think I'm longing for the simple way of life again where for fun you went to a person's house since that was the only way to get a hold of them, where you played cards against other people not computers, where you went to bed when the sun went down because there wasn't anything else to do without light, and where all you had to get by was your family. What do you do without power?

What did you learn?

Welcome to my super late edition of What I Learned This Week.

I learned that even though my 3 year old begged me to take her to Ash Wednesday, she will not be quiet or sit still for the whole service. She also will not know how to use her whispering voice and will say in her regular voice (which echoes throughout the Nave) "Why are you always yelling at me?"

I learned that working from home with a 1 and 3 year old is a million times harder than going into work in a blizzard.

I learned that giving up soda for Lent will lead to a major caffeine withdrawal headache but that after 3 days of not having soda I really don't miss it.

I learned that my husband will go out and buy me the things that I tend to put off. Like a new glasses prescription that I have been putting off for about 5 years.

I learned that said husband will do that because I can no longer read the info on the television without being right on top of it.

I learned that spice cake made with an apple filling and homemade cream cheese icing is the best cake ever, even though I don't particularly like cake.

I learned that if you take a 3 year old birthday shopping they will then spend all their time trying to tell you what was bought.

And the most important thing I learned this week is that after years of birthdays with friends that were a blast and most of the time held at a bar, the birthdays that I'll remember the most are the ones I spent with my family.

What did you learn this week?


You can head here to find more.

Mistaken Identity?

I remember when I was younger and I had a serious case of mistaken identity. Honestly it was really not knowing what identity I wanted to be mine. Was it the loyal follower, astute leader, easygoing laid back along for the ride, or something else? I got my answer on April 17, 2006 at 4:45am; I wanted to be MOM. My children have enriched my life so completely that I can't and don't want to remember a time without them. Everytime I have a conversation it inevitably turns to my children. I have elaborate hopes and dreams for them and aching fears for them. I know that in the end it's in God's hands but I want to know that I gave them everything they would need while here. I think that mother's as a whole are an entirely different breed; we ache for others children (of people that we have never met), our heart skips a beat when we hear that announcement in a store that a child is up at customer service even though you know you left your child at home, we pray that all the children in the world have parents who love them as much as we love our children, we would step in front of a speeding semi if it meant trading our life for that of our childs, and to me as a mother my greatest fear is that somethign will happen and I won't be there to see my children make the biggest decisions of their lives. Or the smallest for that matter. And for that reason I cherish every single day I have with them. Even when I'm arguing with my 3 year old (who I'm sure is already eyeing the top spot on a debate team) or feeling exhausted just by the weight of it all, there is no place I'd rather be than exactly where I am.

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

 

 

Works for me Wednesday

Kristen over at wearethatfamily has a great idea going called Works for Me Wednesday (WFMW for short) where all kinds or bloggers link up something they do that works for them and it turns into a learning experience. Here is my WFMW:

In our household there is an abundance of movies and little fingers don't always work when trying to open DVD cases (who am I kidding, sometimes big fingers don't work) and so that little girls (I mean you Emily) who can't make up their mind have the ability to flip through DVD's without Mommy having to open every single one, we took a CD carrier (one that's used to hold about 150 CD's) and put our DVD's in it. This way she can flip through until she finds that one movie that she's been waiting a week to see (words straight from my dramatic three year old)and Mommy doesn't have to open any DVD cases.

 

Divide and Conquer

I'll be totally honest and let you know that I hate housework. With a passion. A HUGE passion. Now it's not that I don't want my house to be clean, I just don't want to be the one to have to clean it. There are certain aspects in every marriage where spouses argue.. the one that stands out in my marriage? You guessed it HOUSEWORK!!! My husband and I both work full time and while he "technically" works more hours for which he is paid, I do more of the "mama" work. Case in point: I do almost all the laundry, when my husband needs clothes for work he does do a load of wash, but of ONLY his clothes. Last time I checked there were three other people in this house who need to wear clothes. Preferably clean ones. I take the kids to and from daycare so while my "real" job doesn't actually start until 8am and ends at 4pm, I'm up and out the door by 6:40am and home no sooner than 5:20pm. Did I mention that I also get those two little grumpy morning people (I mean RAYS OF SUNSHINE) dressed every morning? My husband has apparently an allergy to loading or unloading the dishwasher (that seems to be reserved for me since he will WASH the dishes by hand before he will unload the dishwasher). He doesn't empty the diaper genie, instead he will leave hints for me that it's full(the diapers on top of it) Well now that I've gone off and stepped up onto my soapbox of things my hubby doesn't do, I should point out that hubby does a majority of the cooking (because in all honesty I'm not very good at it and he likes his cooking more than mine), he painted my kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom all by himself (I went shopping), he's installing my lighting fixtures in my kitchen and dining room (I'm going shopping) and he's a wonderful father and I love the fact that my children's faces light up when they see him. I just want him to empty the dishwasher!!!!

Got Giftcards????

With Swagbucks you can. Swagbucks is a search engine where you can earn swagbucks and then in turn redeem those bucks for gift cards. This site lets you get "paid" for what you're already doing online.

SAG Awards honor Betty White

I am a huge fan of Betty White. Have been since I was about 7 years old and watched "The Golden Girls" for the first time. I immediately was drawn to the Betty White character of Rose Nyland for the simple reason that she spoke about St. Olaf and I knew where that was. It is still one of my favorite shows to watch in reruns on Lifetime and WE tv.I bought the "Mary Tyler Moore show" DVD set so I could see Betty White in it. I watched "Boston Legal" because she was in it. And now I am contemplating watching the "Bold and the Beautiful" because she has a stint on it. So I was ecstatic to read that the Screen Actors Guild was going to honor her with the Lifetime Achievement Award and even more delighted when I read that Sandra Bullock (my other favorite actor) was going to present it. I think Sandra Bullock was great in her introduction of Betty White and that the SAG did a great job showcasing Betty White's career. The only thing I don't understand is how it took 60 years for her to get this.

Text messages and social media raise $1.2 million for Haiti in a day

This is awe-inspiring


Text messages and social media raise $1.2 million for Haiti in a day

The Great Gallon Give

I love milk. My daughter loves milk. My son loves milk. So much so that I buy about 4-5 gallons of milk a week. There is a great promotion going on right now here where even if you don't win milk for a year you do get a coupon for a BOGO of milk....how COOL is that?!?!?!? Plus everytime you "Pass a gallon" on facebook $1 will go to Feeding America to help families in need. It may seem like a silly game to you and you can only "pass" 4 gallons a day but if you do that and get 4 of your friends to get 4 of their friends and so on it could really help out this great foundation. Thanks to Freebies4Mom for this heads up

Haitian Tragedy

On January 12, 2010, at 4:53 p.m. EST, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, the country's worst in over 202 years.[22] The epicenter of the quake was just off the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, sparking a tsunami watch for parts of the Caribbean, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.[23]

Widespread damage has been reported from the quake, with many buildings near the capital collapsing due to poor structural design. The capital city was largely destroyed. The Associated Press first reported that a hospital had collapsed. The Presidential palace was badly damaged, but the President unhurt. The quake had a reported magnitude of 7.1, with the focus being about 6 miles (10 km) underground


If you have any extra money lying around, I implore you to give to this small country that has dealt with enough strife to last a lifetime. Below are some of the ways you can donate:


UNICEF
Red Cross

Wyclef Jean's foundation

If you don't have the funds necessary to give money then give blood if you can, every little bit helps.

Keeping all of the victims, survivors, and those yet to be found in my family's thoughts and prayers and hugging my children a little bit tighter.

To nap or not to nap?

Dear 3 year old,

Please stop arguing with me when I tell you it's time to nap. Please don't tell me that you're not tired, that you just want to play for a bit more. Please don't start to whine and make the word please a much longer word than it is with the emphasis on the "a". Please just listen to me and take a nap. Otherwise you will be doing this when it's time to eat as you are doing now.

2010.......

2010 Resolutions

The year I finally shed my post baby weight (remember Daniel just turned 1)
The year I finally start cooking meals for my family instead of letting the friendly people of Mickey D's do that for me
The year I finally get caught up on my laundry (never mind that in almost 5 years of marriage, I have yet to be caught up on this)
The year I finally stop eating fast food.

Ok so maybe the last one will be attainable for me. I have a feeling that I would save so much money (and my body so much heartache) if I could just give up my junk food habit. So with that said I'm starting my resolution today that I'm going to (try, really really try) give up fast food.

There it's written down and therefore set in stone.

PS Is pizza considered fast food?