New Years Resolutions

It's that time of year again and although I am always extremely ambitious and have high and unattainable expectations, it really is a good time to review the things that I need to improve on and any change, no matter how small, is moving in the right direction!

My resolutions in no particular order are:

Get moving!
I'm changing it up a bit this year and instead of setting my sights on weight loss, I'm just going to focus on a symptom I have that causes the actual weight gain. I'm vowing to work out in the mornings and even Mall Walk after taking the kids to school. The side effects of this SHOULD be a healthier me, including NOT going back to sleep with Cutecumber in the mornings. I hope this fixes a couple of issues as well, like late night snacking and putting off errands until midday when I have to rush before picking up the kids, but I'm not focusing on all of the side effects of this resolution, I'm just going to focus on one thing. Get up and get moving!

Good Bye Potty Mouth!
That is such an appropriate word for it isn't it. Potty Mouth! I don't know what happened to me this past year but the profanity has really gotten out of control. I used to have a problem with tossing the "SH" word around frequently amongst adults (we all know this means My Honey and that's it lol) but lately I find myself using stronger words with adults and letting the minor ones slip in front of the children, even...*blush* making a joke of it here and there with my oldest. Eek! I've always thought it was a trashy habit, especially when women do it, and I don't know why I thought I could pull it off with more class than everyone else. I can't, and I want to be done with it. So get ready for a lot of "Shhhoot!" and "Ffffunny bone!" and "Goosh darnit!" in the near future.

God!
Self explanatory, and there isn't a person alive that couldn't focus a bit more time on Him, but let me elaborate and be a bit more specific about what I mean for me. Honey and I have really grown a lot together this past year when it comes to religious maturity. We are at a point where we really need to find a church and have used a million excuses not to pick one, like Honey never having a Sunday off, and trying to agree on what type of church since we come from different backgrounds. But the time has come and we need to skip the excuses and actually start testing a few out. I'm nervous to go without Honey and entrusting my children with people I've never met, but I need to have faith because I feel Him telling me to do this. Trust in Him..isn't that what it's all about?

Organization!
I've been getting the house in tip-top shape for the new year. I'm hoping to have the house completely clean before the 1st as a gift to myself and then it's all about maintaining! I've let chores with the kids slip through the holidays and I need to get them back on track with that. Sometimes I find myself wanting to do it all myself or feeling guilty for making them do anything when their plates are full with school, homework, and just plain ol' being a kid, but I have to remember that teaching them how to do these things is my job and learning to balance everyday life and everyday chores will give them the tools they need to be great adults.

I've got plenty of areas in my life that could use improvement and the list could be a mile long, but these are 4 things I KNOW will make me happier and like I said before, even if I only take a few baby steps in the right direction through this next year, I will be a better me. I remember how many times I "quit" smoking for New Years. I remember how many times that I picked them back up. I know each time I smoked a little less frequently and it weighed on my mind and heart a little more. Finally, almost exactly 3 years ago today, I quit for good, after years of baby steps. I used to feel such guilt and shame when I smoked. Subjecting my children to the smell, and the risks I took with my health each time I picked one up. Embarrassed that my kids knew it was wrong and yet I continued on, no will power to quit and set a good example, even for them. Today, Cutecumber will never know a mother that smokes, the Scientist has long forgotten, and I've turned something so negative into a positive, proving to Ms. Thang that you CAN change if you really want to. Keep chipping away at your problems and eventually nothing will be left. Good Luck!

Oh yeah and...

This was the best dollar I ever spent.



None of the clothing.

No, not the purse either.

The hook! (I actually got 4 for a dollar in the dollar section of Target.) I put it on the inside of my closet door.

Now, you're about to learn a bit of an embarrassing fact about me so that I can tell you why this is the best dollar I ever spent. The story is...

I'm a gum consumer. I actually EAT (and swallow) gum. All the time, everyday. I should probably be on one of those new crazy obsession shows but hey, it's gum! It's not like I eat toilet paper or laundry detergent (these are actual episodes) because gum is meant for consumption. Don't tell me it sits in my stomach for 7 years either. It doesn't, K?
Anyway, that brings me to my point. I have an array of different gum brands (up to 5 packs) in my purse at all times and the kids are aware of this. Anytime we smell something sweet or fruity one of the kids says "It smells like mom's purse!" And ya know, a purse could smell worse!

Lately, a certain toddler has become Little Ms. Grabby Gum McGrabberson and I've found my purse dumped over and a wrapper trail leading to her bedroom. So this is the best dollar I ever spent because little hands can't reach my purse and my gum is mine ALL mine!

and..I'm totally showing off my organized closet.

Bedroom makeover in the works

I got a new corner desk from Target for Christmas.


It's this one, but was actually down to $77 for a short time and I hinted..er...begged..ok ok I bought it myself! lol

This is currently our corner desk area:



It's small but it has to be. It has really worked out great in this spot, but when we (by we I mean Honey) put it up, we did it fast out of necessity and really neglected a few things.

-badly placed middle shelf ran right into the light switch so I couldn't put moulding on it and Honey had to cut the corner off. (We have a lift-top printer..oops)

- Quick sanding job made for an uneven surface. I can't write anything on it or it looks like an 80yr old filled out my checks.

-No surface area. I do everything on those two little end corners. It's sad really.

-Cords..still working on a way to hide those better this time around.

-See through storage- hate it. Didn't think that through.

-yoga ball chair, fun for awhile but now I want something with a back on it!

So this area is getting the most TLC during the mini make over.

I found these drawers at Goodwill for $5.


Brand spankin new, hadn't even been labeled yet. I'm still reeling over this find. I first saw similar storage on the Pottery Barn website WAY out of my price range. **funny thing, the cashier mentioned something about the manager overpricing stuff as she rung it up and I was like "shh! They might hear you and change the price..PUT IT IN THE BAG!"lol

Another major part of this bedroom makeover is PAINT! It needs it so badly. I have dings and scrapes all over, not to mention the area that the kids have started peeling under the desk area. I'm going with a similar color to what we have already, but toning it down a bit and going a tad more gray so it isn't as "baby blue". The colors are called Teton Sky and Stone blue.

Yes, two colors because on the wall behind the bed I'm doing horizontal stripes! I think it's going to look so awesome! The whole room will be the lightest shade, and the stripes on the accent wall will be in the other shade, one shade darker. Here is my inspiration. LOVE IT!


Click HERE to see the difference the stripes made. My furniture is similar to this room actually.

And one last thing I'm doing is a fake-out chunky baseboard which I'm copying from HERE.



I can't wait to show you the true before and afters! Hope the weekend goes smoothly and I can post the new room on Monday!

Christmas-New Year- Family

Finally the Christmas bug has bitten me. I've been feeling a little blue for no particular reason, just more of a sadness that I wasn't super happy about Christmas like I usually am.

I'm not sure what put me in the mood, but a good start was that my Honey was off yesterday and we had a particularly great time. We've been very much in love lately. I'm actually writing a short little love story based on "us" and needing a few details about his life to fill in blanks has really brought us closer.

I also finally got around to watching The Gospel of John and the prayer Jesus says right before they come to take him just resounded in my heart, and looking over at my Honey with a tear in his eye at that same time just sealed the Christmas deal for me.

My son has really been a joy and blessing lately. With Cutecumber demanding so much attention, and Ms. Thang in the throws of puberty, her sudden and dramatic changes shadow a few of the subtle ones that the Scientist has been going through. One of his top teeth is about to go. I'm excited but sad. He will look so different once he gets those top two teeth! The baby in him is almost completely gone. I've been holding him a lot more, his legs hanging over the arm of the recliner, looking extremely awkward, but I can't help myself. I know by the end of this next year I won't be able to do it anymore and I'm just taking it all in. The bond with a son is so different isn't it? I've been trying to freeze a few of these moments in my mind forever, like his odd collections I posted before. I really love this 6yr old boy and how perfectly 6 he is.

The new year is here. 2010 held a lot of ups and downs for us but we weathered well. Honey losing his job seems like a minor little trip up now that we can look back on it.

I'm thankful that I can buy cookie dough to bake with the kids, hot chocolate to drink by the fire, gas to go looking at Christmas lights, and I do enjoy all those things, but this year those are not the things that gave me the Christmas spirit. This time it was just taking a moment to be thankful for this gift of life, a chance at salvation, and the blessing of a wonderful family to make my life here so much more fulfilling.

Merry Christmas!

Collections or hoarding

You be the judge...











..and these are just the Scientist's ORGANIZED collections. lol

Misunderstood Lyrics

Ms Thang was praising the Lord in Jersey Shore fashion today.
She was listening to Newsboys- Born Again (below) and instead of singing the correct lyrics which are:

"..giving him the best of, everything that's left of the life inside this man..."

She was singing:

"..giving him the fist pump, and everything that's left of..."

:)

Newsboys- Born Again

Marker Tales

Marker story #1

My mom made a mixed CD for Ms. Thang featuring songs from the 70s and it was adored for years until her granddaughter discovered Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers.

The scientist inherits a portable CD player and scours the house in search of discarded music. I gave him a CD of "soothing sounds" that came free with Honey's hotel room on his last business trip. I also let him have the Similac Lullaby disc that came home from the hospital when Cutecumber was born. But then, he discovered a stash of forgotten CDs under his sisters bed.

He was drawn to the 70s CD over all others in his stolen stash. After hearing it played and sung over 500 times in a 2 day period, I realize he favors one song in particular.
That's the way I like it by KC and the Sunshine band.

Today I was picking up a few things (2 weeks worth of socks and a banana peel) in his room and decided to look through his stack of CDs making sure he wasn't ruining anything of great importance when I saw the 70s cd. Scrawled across the face of it was "Scientists Favrit songs" (the r was backwards) in big bold black marker.
Wonder how long until Ms thang notices and retaliates?

Marker story #2

The other day we finally wrapped some presents while the children were away and put them under the tree. The scientist came home, slid on his stomach across the floor and dove head first into the pile and started counting.

"Dad, tell me some of the stuff I got. PLEASE!!!" He begged.

"You got a box of Capri Sun! You are going to love it. It will be just for you. Well...until someone gets thirsty but they have to ASK you first. "

"Ha!" he said, "I KNOW you're lying DAD! Juice is NOT a gift you give for Christmas. I bet there isn't even a present with that shape under the tree. I'm going to look right now!"

Subsequently there WAS a present shaped just like a Capri sun box.

He is still really mad about it. I'm sure of it because today as I was giggling over his name claim on the 70s CD, I went looking for the marker before he did anymore damage and found it laying on the desk, right next to a fresh new message written directly on the desk top.

I HATE JUICE!

Marker story #3
(No this is not another from today. He'll never see another marker for the next 10 years. This one is a bit older but still cracks me up.)

The scientist was about 4yrs old and my grandfather was visiting, doing what he does best, TEASING the crap outta my kids. (my grandchildren are doomed, just like my children, as the teasing is a favored past time on both sides of my family) A few days before, at his birthday party, the Scientist had received a robot shaped pillow that made noises and lit up. He was showing it to my grandpa and the convo went something like this...

"Look at my new pillow Grandpa!"

"Oh that isn't your pillow. It's MY pillow. You can hold it for now, but I'll be taking that with me when I leave."

"NO! It's not yours! I got it for my birthday!"

"That's right, I got it for my birthday. I guess I left it here. I'll be sure and bring it home to my house today."

This goes on for some time until the scientist runs to his room screaming "IT IS NOT YOURS! IT'S MINE!"

Grandpa has a victorious fit of laughter.

Soon the scientist is back, (they can never stay away for long can they?) with the robot behind his back and HUGE smile across his face.

Grandpa says "Oh! I see you've brought my robot back to me."

"No, it's MY robot and I can prove it."

Thank goodness the next few moments happened in slow motion so I can remember every detail for as long as I live.

The scientist slowly pulls the robot from behind his back with his name written in GIANT letters across the pillow, The first letter starting at the eye and the last ending on the robots foot. Black. Permanent. Marker.

"See my name right there? TOLD YOU it was mine!"

The horror on my grandfather's face, knowing full well that he was responsible for this ... PRICELESS!

One more quickie..
Marker story #4

The scientist is constantly asking to use a little electric trimmer to shave his arms or legs.

"Please can I do it. I just want to see if it hurts."

"NO! Don't ask me again. If I EVER find out you were playing with it, you'll be in so much trouble you'll beg me to ground you for life instead cause it would be so much BETTER than the punishment you'll get!"

The threat wasn't harsh enough to keep him from using the trimmer to shave most of the hair off one arm, but it was threatening enough that he used a marker to draw hair back on.

Sharpie- creating so many messes and so many memories.

Mad.. not the angry kind.

These are things that are ridiculously over priced so I'll pretend to buy them for myself for Christmas here in a shameless display of greed and lunacy...

How beautiful! Just look at this soap dispenser! Shining like a diamond with it's classy clean and modern lines and even the soap in that shade of blue.. stunning! Oh to finally have a dispenser that isn't shaped like an animal or plastered with a tacky fish covered aquarium label.


I'll place it in my children's guest bathroom where it will never have a soap encrusted pump or dirty bubbly finger prints on the beautiful glass orb, embarrassing me and accusing me of waiting weeks..maybe months before I actually clean it off. And no, MY children would never abandon it while still turned upside down leaving a ooey-gooey soapy mess for mommy to clean.

And what is THIS?! A deep chocolate striped faux mink throw! It looks and feels just like the real thing!

I can't wait to place this at the foot of my bed where it would add a luxurious and elegant upscale feel to the master bedroom. It will class up the cheap simplistic comforter and tie together all my plastic white baskets filled with unfolded laundry expensive accessories. It wouldn't look out of place like Roman sculptures in a trailer park. Not at all.

Oh I do believe I've died and gone to heaven!

A 7 inch pumpkin cheese cake that no one else in the house knows about! Of course it will never be found by any of children and won't add a single inch to my waistline. I'll eat to my hearts content, one richly sweet sliver at a time.

Bleh... am I dripping with sarcasm today or what?

Sorry, Honey has been working extremely long hours and I'm in need of an escape. Lately, I've adopted my children's mentality rather than influencing them to take on my more mature characteristics.

Just today I almost had my son convinced that girls never poop. When he insisted that they did, I told him that boys pooped stinky smelly poop and girls went poops, which was completely different from boys poop because poops were cute and scented like cotton candy. He was so close to believing me it... then Cutecumber blew out her diaper.

Maybe no post would have been better than this...lol

Snakes and snails and candle pears

I bought a shadow box at The Salvation Army the other day. They have a new Target section, which is a room in the back filled with discontinued or damaged Target merchandise. I LOVE IT! I got the shadow box for $4 and they had a ton more. I should have bought more. Anyway, I used the shadow box frame and a few plastic "creepy crawlers" to make a cute little wall art project for the Scientist last night. It turned out so cute!



I just painted the back board grey, glued on the bugs (which are only a small portion of the critters the kids got trick or treating) and made little scientific name tags on the printer and glued those in place. SO EASY! I used silly names rather than real scientific names, which include things like Smurfity Coilus (blue snake) and Nosferatu for the bat. :)



I know this picture is not the best (so hard to photo the kids rooms with the window there) but I thought my little minpin Wednesday looked so cute posing there.


She's been sick lately, poor girl. I bought a can of Gravy Train food at the Dollar Tree because... well because I remembered the commercial from when I was a kid and impulse bought it and now my poor puppy is paying the price :(

Speaking of eating until you are sick, Katie sent me a present loaded with candy and a pear candle! It looks so good in my little autumn display don't ya think?



This is the one and only time it will be lit so I'm glad I got a picture lol. I would have taken a picture of the candy, but if you recall, I segued into this with "Speaking of eating until you are sick..."
Check out Katie and her wonderful quips, and words of wisdom @ Not so Much.

Mean mom

I've been called a mean mom more than once in my life. Doesn't phase me a bit. As a matter of fact I sort of take pride in it because usually when I'm hearing it mumbled under breath, I'm making my kids mind and that's my job! Of course, proud of the title or not, I always give a quick turn, narrow my eyes and look deep into my child's soul and say "What was that?" to which they deny saying anything and quickly do as they are told, only thinking about how evil I am, like good little children should.

It's 2:30 and I'm already drooling over dinner plans. Spaghetti (actually rotini because I have issues with noodles that are not spiraled. I even have to buy the spiraled mac and cheese which is getting hard to find. What's up with that?) Anyway, meat balls, salad, and giant slabs of garlic bread. YUMMY! How does this tie into me being a mean mom? Because no one in this house likes pasta, some actually HATE this meal, (Ms. Thang once got sick after eating spaghetti, and now, almost 2yrs later, she still refuses to eat it) but I'm making it anyway!

Ramblings...

Ok, If you have me as a friend on Facebook then you know I'm supposed to be deep cleaning my son's bedroom and you may be thinking that I am ditching my duties and procrastinating. If that's what you're thinking.. You're right! :P

I have done a lot and needed a break and some fresh air. Oh, you thought fresh air meant outside air? Not when you've been on your knees, waist deep, sorting a 6yr old boy's toys and treasures. ANY air, away from there, is now considered fresh air.

I just sold his train table and accessories in less than 3 hours. I *heart* craigslist. I really do. I was sad to see it go, but the girl that came and picked it up for her son was so cute and excited and sweet.. I feel like it's really going to a good home. I'm feeling particularly attached to toys and their futures thanks to Toy Story 3 LOL..but seriously.

Loving the time change. I still can't believe it's only lunch time right now.

I've really been in the mood to craft, but I feel like I can't do anything until I get the house in "Holiday" mode. I'm not talking about seasonal decorations, I'm talking about everything else.

1. Out with the old and in with the new- Gotta make some room for those shiney new christmas toys!

2. Organization- put everything in it's place, and if it doesnt have a place, buy a storage solution with Christmas money! Last year the kids got a gift card from my dad and then another gift card from my Grandparents. Put it all together and I got this:

Well, I already had the doll-house shelf, but I bought the two flanking shelves and baskets. (I also lined the backs with Dollar Tree wrapping paper.) You might think it's a lame "gift" but the shelves are housing, almost soley, Christmas gifts from last year which I would have had to make room for by weeding out more of what they already had. It also really helps Ms. Thang out because she shares a room with Cutecumber and all these toys would have been cluttering their small room. Oddly Ms. Thang complains though, because SHE doesn't get to keep anything in the play room like the other two. Weird child I tell ya...

How did I get this side tracked? A few other holiday "Honey-Dos":

Get the fireplace clean and ready. I really want to spray the inside black with heat resistant paint and get a pretty fireplace screen. (That's another present hint Honey..)

Bring the long sleeves and sweaters to the fronts of the closets and make a mental note of what clothing items the kids need. That helps me with more gift ideas, because yes, I am the kind of mom that wraps up underwear and socks and puts it under the tree and in stockings. I do TRY and package them with something fun though so it takes some of the evil out of the evil genius I am.

Clean out the fridge (need room for that turkey!) I should do a post on how I clean out a fridge, but I haven't decided if I'm too embarrassed about the lack of greens and multitude of soda...

I guess I've wasted enough time. That's all folks!

Etsy

I can literally spend hours (and probably just did) looking at vintage jewelry on Etsy. Oddly, I don't really wear jewelry often. I rarely even wear my wedding ring. I wear things in spurts. Usually if I pick up a simple necklace, I'll wear it until I forget about it. I usually don't change it for weeks, sometimes months, and then I may not wear anything again for a long while. I do tend to wear seasonal or holiday items. I have a really great snowflake pin I wear during the winter season, and a pair of Avon pumpkin earrings that I recently sported while visiting Fiddlesticks Farm. But for special occasions, I love a fun vintage signature piece.

Here are a two that have caught my eye recently and would love to own:

This vintage Peruvian hot air balloon from Freshly Fig brings up colorful feelings of youth, and having a slight phobia of the big balloons themselves, wearing the tiny giant would also put a little *oomph* in my step for attempting to conquer my fears, even if it is in it's miniature form. lol


Freshly Fig also has this little bird piece. It's no secret that I absolutely adore birds, but even someone without a love for the creatures would fall in love with this sweet little necklace. The branch is so dainty and delicate. You'd have no choice but to feel pretty wearing it, and have nothing but good luck from the little hand carved turquoise bird.

Etsy is such a fun place to shop and get ideas. About a month ago I ordered a few things from the site and have been meaning to do a review on one of the items purchased. So while I have your attention...

Athena Creates makes a paper towel alternative called Bird-E Towels and they are fantastic! They come in an array of different colors, and are packaged up like a special little present just for you. I ordered 30 in yellow (pictured), and I love how I can leave them out on the counter and it still matches my decor.


I actually have a peeve with any print on my paper towels. I've yet to see a pretty print and only ever buy white. Sometimes, by accident (sent Honey to the store) I end up with an ugly printed pack and have to hide them inconveniently under the sink. I know, it's almost sick, but I don't have to worry about it with these! I really like them, and although I admit I still have a roll of Viva (all white!) paper towels on my counter, they last a lot longer with the Bird-E towels right there as an alternative. The biggest bonus? Every time you use one, you feel good about saving the earth! My kids feel proud using them too and the Scientist even asked for some for Christmas in blue to keep in his room. lol He may be onto something there. Not only is his room constantly needing "spill" assistance, but the gift idea...yeah, that might be something I'll keep in mind.

ps Gwen, if you are reading... open an Etsy store already! :)

Financial message from God

Yes, really! I got a financial message from God. lol

I think even the thriftiest of thrifies and the richest of the richies have had to re-evaluate their finances recently.

I hate to brag, (ok, ok, I'm just saying that to sound humble) but I'm pretty good with money. For one, I don't care very much about it. I don't need the most expensive frills to feel good, and I actually feel more enjoyment when I spend less for an item than the proverbial Jones. My husband jokingly said "Angel was doing the Dave Ramsey plan before she knew who Dave Ramsey was!" and it's true. I'm blessed with the ability to be logical when it comes to financial planning.

Do I always stick with the plan? Ugh.. you had to ask?

No, I do not. Although I am blessed to know what would be BEST to do with our money and which priorities SHOULD come first, I'm cursed with being a human, and giving in to this stupid thing I refer to as "self". I love to order an over priced pizza a few times a month to avoid cooking, and I won't even go into how many groc. meals I could buy for the same price. I opt to buy decor for my home over new windshield wipers for the van, and ignore a payment on an old medical bill so I can put a little more in savings for a future vacation. I KNOW! But I'm not going to hang my head about it for long before you because guess what? You give into "self" too. We ALL do!

So what exactly is my point here? Sometimes I'm so infatuated with self, and her ability to rationalize bad decisions that I don't even know I'm doing anything wrong.( IE: But the vase was only $3 and the wiper blades can wait cause it probably won't even rain until next pay day )
I've tuned out "conscience" (which I believe = Holy Spirit) and let "self" (whom has proven many times in the past to be A LIAR) take the best seat in the house of my mind! This realization happened to me the other day as I read a piece in Amy's blog. Imagine me, reading along happily until...

"...I started out wanting to write about a financial journey it has become necessary for us to begin. I read and read and read about these wonderful women saving money, (me too!) cooking from scratch, (how do they do it?) garage sale shopping, (this is my speciality) and overall being good stewards of what God has blessed them with and respecting their husbands by not wasting the money they work so hard to earn..." (wait..what did she just say?)

"...being good stewards of what God has blessed them with and respecting their husbands by not wasting the money they work so hard to earn." (yeah, that's what I thought she said)

THE GUILT! As a SAHM, this really rings true for me, and I've never thought of it that way before. Suddenly I realized my excessive pizza ordering, ignoring bills, etc.. wasn't just fun little extra rewards for being thrifty in other areas (which is what "self" had been telling me. I told you she was a liar) but instead, I was wasting the rewards of my husbands hard work. I miss him so much. The thought that I am missing him for so many hours so we can eat pizza 3 times a month suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. "Self" can cover my eyes, but can't cover God's, and he was watching me the whole time.
EMBARRASSING!
But, then I realized he was helping me. Through Amy he highlighted something I needed to read. Something to help me change.
Now, don't get me wrong! We all need a little reward, day off, easy meal from time to time but I was doing it in excess to the point it was wasteful and wrong. So thank you Amy for your post and inspiration, and thank you God for your guidance. Message received. I hope to be a better steward to you and a more respectful wife. I can do so much better. Amen!

Cutecumber the Terrible.

I'm in desperate need of a vacation away from my children, namely my youngest.

Cutecumber is in the full throws of her terrible-twos stage. While I clean up one horrible disaster, she creates another. This is a daily occurrence and I'm having trouble staying on top of it because I'm a little under the weather lately and constantly a few hours behind in sleep

Just a few recent examples of this double disaster in action:

*She squeezes lotion onto the kitchen tile, which I find out by sliding across the floor and catching myself with an elbow to the center island. Asking me if she looks "piddy" (pretty) with her yummy cotton candy lotion coating her from head to toe, it was hard to be angry. That is, until I turn to get towels and she pulls a glass from the counter and shatters it amid the lotion creating one of the top 10 deadliest areas in the world.

*Watching TV alone around 10pm last night I hear a crash in my bathroom. I go running and apparently my two yr old can now open her bedroom door. She came running covered in blood-red "something" spattered across her legs and feet. It was frightening for a few moments until the smell of fingernail polish hit me because I was unsure if it was actually blood. It was still questionable after discovering the bottle had shattered into 4 pieces on the bathroom tile (flinging polish and glass in every direction of course) and she walked all over it with her bare feet. Fortunately, no cuts on her precious tootsies. Unfortunately, I have tiny red foot prints on my carpet, from my master bath to my bedroom door. I have not dealt with those yet, even now after noon the following day. Oh, and this disaster came in two's also. I immediately sat her in the computer chair, checking her feet for cuts and glass, paying no attention to her hands. Long story short, confiscated bubbles, an insane reward from my son's teacher, were soon running through my hair and down the front of my shirt.

and just earlier that day I had to deal with this permanent marker disaster...


where I was still hopeful enough to snap a picture and think I'd look back and laugh.

Now, if you are anything like me, I would look at pictures of marked kids, paint spills and make-up disasters and think, "Where was this mother while these things happened, and why did she have so many dangerous things within a two year old's reach?" especially before children, because back then I was a perfect mother. But to those of you wondering, as many of you with multiple children already know...

IT'S THE FAULT OF MY OTHER CHILDREN!


Mom, I left it out on an accident.
Mom, I forgot to shut the bathroom door.
Mom, I'll watch her while you pee.
Mom, help me with, watch this, where is my, can you please...let me distract you for every second of the day so my younger sister can try and kill us all!

I don't need an actual vacation. At this point, I'd settle for a few hours alone. Long enough that I could take a bath rather than a 5 minute shower where I only wash my hair and hit the important spots, and clean a room without out sacrificing another area to a half supervised toddler, a dinner where I don't get up once until I'm finished, and a few chapters of a book that doesn't rhyme or begin with "once upon a time...".

I just want a few hours to step away and appreciate that I'm busy with life and not alone in silence. A moment to myself to realize my husband still hugs me just as tight whether I've showered in minutes or taken the extra time to shave my legs. Enough time to back away from the edge and realize a messy house is not worth going over the cliff of sanity, when the mess makers are actually the only things that keep me sane and grounded in this world.

Or maybe I just needed a moment to write out my thoughts in a blog while my toddler naps. :)

Trick or Treat!

Is it just me, or is Halloween a dying holiday? Remember when your mom could drop you off at one end of the street and pick you up at the other end and you would already have 1/2 your bucket full? I really had to drive around and find houses that matched my requirement list.

1. Had to be decorated for the holiday
2. Had to have the porch light on

The kids had a really good time. I did too, despite sneezing in between each word of every sentence I said through the night. We actually set out a bit early and made it home in time to pass out candy to our few trick or treaters. Ms. Thang really enjoys that part. She makes me proud too with her exaggerated statements about the kids costumes:

"Wow superman! Let me see your big muscles!" and "AHHH! You are so scary! I don't know if I can get close enough to give you any candy!"

Nice touches that bring big smiles. :)

Anyone get any weird items this year? A friend's children got old beanie babies and other small stuffed animals in their buckets. I think I would have busted out the hand sanitizer and Lysol spray, clouding up the van until everyone of us were coughing and gasping (that is how you know you sprayed enough) and then pitched them into the nearest dumpster. I am so strange about stuff like that. Cause if one of the kids got a homemade caramel apple, I would have been suspicious of poison and razorblades hiding deep within, concluding I better eat it to keep the kids safe lol.


Our strangest "treats" were Little Debbie snacks. Ms. Thang turned around and had a horrified look on her face. I was worried and asked her what they got. She told me about the Little Debbie brownies and I didn't think it was strange enough for such a big reaction but she is a teen and is notorious for having the wrong reactions. I give her a strange look and she says, "It's not the snacks mom!"
"Well, what is it?"
"The scientist!"
"What?"
"He totally just embarrassed me!"
"What did he do?"

Apparently, my son told the lady it was a strange snack, and then proceeded to tell her that her house smelled like dog food.
OH EM GEE!

Ms. Thang's reaction was wrong again and totally understated! I told the scientist to get in the van and explained that it was not nice to say things like that, especially in front of someone that is going out of their way to give you a treat!

"Why? It DID smell like dog food."

"What if that was their dinner you were smelling and you just told her that her delicious dinner, that she worked hard to make for her family, smells like dog food. That would hurt her feelings."

"It wasn't dinner. I KNOW it was dog food."

"Well don't tell people their house smells like dog food even if it does."

"Ok."


..you and I both know this could happen again don't we?

Happy Halloween. :)

Fiddlesticks Farm

I just heard about Fiddlesticks Farms this year from a friend and we really enjoyed it!

In short, it's a pumpkin patch with a lot of fun family activities like:
Corn Mazes
Hay rides
Potato sack slides
Corn and Pumpkin cannons
Petting zoo etc...

I would have loved to share a bunch of awesome photos with you, but my stinking camera died after one picture. I was left to scrape together a few memory shots with my daughters iphone.

Pink camo tractor- raffle for breast cancer awareness



The scientist takes a ride in a barrel cow pulled by a tractor


A bunch of animals I tell ya! :P


If you are in the area, check it out. This will definitely be a yearly thing for us. I think they have other things going on throughout the year as well, even winning Best Light Display for their Christmas light parade last year.

I'll let you guys in on a little funny tidbit that I wouldn't tell just anyone. It could put us in a "lazy, don't get out much" type peg that may or may not be true. lol
There are a few options when it comes to the corn maze. There is a shorter (low corn stalk) maze that lasts about 15 minutes, a 30 minute maze with med height stalks, and then there is the hour long maze with stalks that tower over my head at times and I'm a couple inches shy of 6ft.
We've never done a corn maze before. I know, it seems sacrilegious because we live in the south doesn't it? Anyway, for some unknown reason, we opted for the hour long maze. It started out good, but halfway through, it was obvious that we are the opposite of the hike-happy-outdoor-sy family.
They have markers with hints you can receive by text and "helpers" standing at different intervals in the maze and I'm sure they were having a blast listening to my family's complaints.
Ms. Thang was wishing for a hand held fan and an icy drink (at 10 am..can you imagine how she would have been if we had gone late afternoon?)
The scientist was wishing for a car so he could just drive through the rows and get back to the slide.
Even my Honey was mumbling something about a machete and some sunglasses. It was like they equated our family outing to being deserted on an island and were wishing they had each brought a specific survival tool. We were all happy to make it out though and proud we finished. I'd like to say we lost a little weight on that trek, but the sausage on a stick and fried potato twists probably canceled that out.

Not equivalent to the one in my head.

Remember that big "R" that I was going to decoupage (first time) as part of a wedding gift? Well it didn't turn out the way I had envisioned. I mean..I did everything right, I just think I used the wrong paper maybe. It seems too busy. What do you think? It will look something like this, but prettier ribbon, and a stack of gray towels and hand towels. Hmm I wonder if the bride-to-be would ever read this...Well, Mrs. Future R, you're getting the gray towels on your registry lol. But really, I don't think she reads. (But she should!)


So what are you thoughts? I went with that style of paper because she put a lot of black scroll decorations on her registry and other black items. It already has a hole for hanging if she chooses, or she can always just set it on a shelf. I hope she likes it! :)

Oh and decoupaging = EASY!
I just painted the whole letter (front sides and back) black. Then traced it onto my paper and cut it out. I used an xacto knife because the middle hole was a bit tricky. Then just mod podged it on, let it dry, and mod podged over it with a little paint brush. Oh, I did have to trim up the paper a bit around the edges. I just laid it down (paper-side to the table) and used the xacto to trim off any over hang before I sealed it with mod podge. Super simple.

Here is the one "in progress" picture I took.


I cut out the paper "R" while I let the painted "R" dry. I think it looks more finished if you paint the entire thing, including the back. Notice how I laid newspaper around to protect my counters and worked just off to the side of it lol

The hardest part of this project was waiting for every thing to dry between each step. Total time to finish, including drying time..about 45 minutes. Less than an hour, it goes fast!

Now I just have to go buy the towels today. I better hurry since the shower is this Saturday. Eek! I hope they have enough in stock. :S

A quick Funny-4-U-but-not-4-me: As I typed this out, I was letting Cutecumber bush my hair with her doll brush. I just noticed my hair is a little wet and she's apparently been dipping the comb in the dog dish. Nice.

Brag blogging...

First of all, can I just say that I got up early, went with Honey to early vote, cleaned out and vacuumed the van, took 3 big trash bags full to Goodwill (cause I gave Ms. Thang a closet makeover and it looks fantabulous. I probably should have done a post on that. oops) worked out a bit (and talked to my mom on the phone without sounding too winded I hope) shampooed both the kids rooms and straighted up around the house ALL before noon!

I feel freakin great! I'm even going to tempt the kids with a trip to the park if they do their homework and chores fast enough.

Speaking of my kids, look at the spook-tacular wreath Ms. Thang made!


I provided the wreath and she just went to town with a few dollar tree items and a hot glue gun. Her first time believe it or not. Only one burn. ;) I kept trying to add in a few things but she was resisting my help the whole way. Honey was on her side too. I made these cool looking web/cacoon things that looked like wrapped up bugs or something to hang on the wreath. Ms. Thang refused to use them and Honey said they looked like web turds. Nice huh? But I have to admit, she didn't need my help. It looks great!

I also wanted to show off this eye chart I printed out for the Scientists room.


It reads "Gavin Reece Qualls is smart, rad, and awesome." cause he totally is. I embellished a bit on this idea: HERE. You can also see a cool light bulb candle I found a thrift shop (which he begs to burn almost daily and I won't let him) and a couple of the scientists collections. Bottle caps, and yes it's 90% beer caps but apparently alcoholics litter the streets with their caps more often. (I'm judging you with collected FACTS) And his other jar holds those colored size-rings off clothing hangers. Please tell me I'm not the only mom begging her child to get out from under the racks, and later making her son pull them all out of his pockets, forcing him to ask the cashier if he can have them. They always say yes, but it's stealing if you don't! He wants a giant ceramic animal to glue them all on someday. Preferably a standing dog. Budding artist or hoarder? What is your vote? lol

Also got these tiny tea cups (all three and a tiny pitcher) for a $1 at a garage sale and I'm thinking of stealing Cassanda's Idea and making them into pin cushions.

The letter "R" and pretty paper are going to be part of a wedding gift I hope. It's my first real decoupage craft so wish me luck on that. The tea cups are about the size of a quarter and the saucers about the size of..well imagine if the cup was quarter sized, then look at the saucer in relation to that lol. They really are cute though!


That's all folk, and I hope my good mood rubs off on ya! :)

Tar-jay Robots

I once heard a friend refer to Target as Tar-jay. She said it made the store sound french and fancy. I thought she was an idiot. Now I started saying it as a joke to make fun of her but it's so catchy that I am now one of those idiots that say Tar-jay. Even my Honey says it now, but he was an idiot before that. :P

I am so excited for Sat. to get here because Honey is off and I hope to get his help in the Scientists room. I want to find him a better desk, paint the inside of his TV cabinet doors with chalk board paint, and add another robot. Here is the one I have in mind.

The original that I stole somewhere off the internet:


And my modified version, I think I'll paint him green.

I think it looks better with the one he already has.

I rarely ever stick to the original draft cause of mistakes I end up working with, or whatever. We'll see how close I get :)

He has this bed spread from Tar-jay


And I am actually thinking of doing some peel and stick tile on his floor in light and dark gray stripes or checkers. Carpet is not working for a young boy and am betting it wont work out until well into his teens. I want something I can sanitize! Here is the look I am thinking of:





But all in peel and stick tile. It's cheap but easily covered with other floor options later down the road, so I can get a little wild with it to make it fun for him. I just want it to be something he will like as an older child as well. The wall can always be painted and the bedspread can easily change down the road. But where can I find a wide variety of peel and stick?

Anyway, those are a few ideas I had rolling around. Thoughts?

I sort of wanted to cut the each peel and stick and do a puzzle pattern like this:


But Honey said I was out of my mind crazy, so I guess that's a no. lol

YES!

For two days I can only last 10 minutes on the new exercise thing I got at Target and hated that I was so winded and stopping frequently in increments of 10minutes at a time. I knew I was out of shape but dang!

Today, my son pointed out that it was on the hardest setting (5) and I could have cried! I feel so much better! Maybe I should read the instructions and watch the dvd? lol

The grocery store

I left to pick up the kids in such a great mood. My daughter had just received her report card. It turned out to be straight A's and she gets paid $7 for every A (her grade level) just as my son did a few days ago and received $1 for all of his straight A's. He bought a giant Bakugon and he is still trying to teach me how to say that right. My kids are geniuses. Am I bragging? Yes! But give me a minute....

So like I said, I was in a great mood. Ms. Thang was receiving cash that I knew she was itching to blow since last week, and I needed to go to the grocery store. As I sat outside of her school, I imagined the conversation to go like this:

You got your report card today! ..I did? ...Yes! Open it!...Mom, I got straight A's!..Oh joy happy happy...Mom? Can we go to a store so I can buy some things (expecting me to say no)..Why YES we CAN!...hug hug love love!

And basically that is how it went. Beaming and proud, we pulled into Walmart. We have to pass Chic-fil-a on the way in and the kids love it. Being in a great mood, I announced, "We'll go through there for dinner after I get all the groceries.

"Yay" they all chant. Life is so perfect.

In the store just moments later:

"GO! Or I'll step on the back of your heels every time you go too slow!"

"thwip thwip thwip thwip thwip" --Stop hitting all the signs on the aisle! Hands IN

"Mom, Cutecumber just opened the ritz...Mom, Cutecumber just poked a hole in the pork chops, ...Mom, Cutecumber just ate a grape...."

"Can I have this cereal?"
"Can I have these chips?"
"Can I have a lunchable?"
"Can I get Big Red?"
repeat a bazillion times.....

"My legs hurt."

"I'm hungry."

"sigh...SIGH..SIGH LOUDER" .."What's wrong?"..."nooothhhinnng"

"You never let me look at the things I like to look at."

"Why does SHE get to buy stuff and I don't?"


But believe it or not, all three of them made it out alive. We pull into Chic-fil-a. Knowing we have a van full of groceries, I tell the kids they can either choose fries or a drink to go with their nuggets and I'm not buying meals. They could have a juice, apple, or salad from the house. I immediately realize how ungrateful my children are. I totally used the "There are millions of kids starving to death in Africa and you guys are crying cause you can't have a Sprite AND fries?" They were quiet for awhile, long enough for me to order while they listened closely and prayed I was only kidding about the limits, but when I showed I was true to my word, the van atmosphere grew thick with pouting and displeasure. I started plotting ways to make them more grateful. Most of them were illegal. I admit I was in a bad mood at this point. The lemonade helped. I swear to you, that is the best lemonade in town.

We get home and I let the kids start eating as I unload the groceries alone. I only put away the cold stuff and left the rest for after dinner. The kids were being pleasant. We always ask "What was the best part of your day?" followed by the worst parts and it was unanimous that the worst part was Walmart for all of us. Ms Thang shared a sip of her Sprite for one of the Scientist's fries. I was feeling like my kids had hope after all, until Ms. Thang asked me for $1000 to go to New York with her drama class. I literally laughed in her face. I won't even shell out the cash for a complete meal at Chic-fil-a!

Halloween Owl

We had an odd day yesterday (by odd I mean the kids were driving me batty on their day home from school- Columbus Day) so the Halloween decor was actually brought out this morning. The kids made me promise to wait for them so I don't have many pictures to show you until then. However, I did want to do a small feature on this owl before/after in case Halloween comes and goes as quickly as it did last year so here he is.

Before:


Can you tell I craft on that old TV tray often? lol
I found this guy at Trade and Treasures (I hope I got that name right, local thrift shop) for less than a dollar. I believe it's ceramic. It's really heavy and a pretty good size. They had a whole flock of them in varying sizes. Did you know a "flock" of owls is actually called a pack? Makes them more creepy don't ya think?


After:


Isn't he sparklingly spooktacular? I just painted him with black paint, slopped on some glue with a paint brush and then sprinkled on the glitter. I had this big glitter container thinking it was going to take a ton. I used about 1/100 of the glitter. Seriously. That stuff goes far! I did it over a paper plate and then moved it to a clean plate and reused the loose glitter. I did it in sections: head, back, and front. It wasn't as messy as I thought it was going to be. The glitter I used was sort of heavy like sand. It was about a dollar at Hobby Lobby. Btw, during Halloween, you might want to get your black or orange glitter ahead of time because I got the last black glitter in the entire store. That's why I ended up with the fine sand type rather than the regular stuff but it was a good thing because I now prefer it. It doesnt blow around and you know how I feel about glitter! I wish it would have photographed a bit better. You can really see all the little details of the owl and I worried that it would get lost after the glitz was added but instead, it highlighted and brought the detail out.

Like I said earlier, I'm waiting for the kids to do most of the decorating, so I don't have much to show right now. I did this last night though, on the chalkboard in the kitchen...



I thought the kids would really love it, but they both had a few not-so-appreciative words to say about it. The Scientist said the bats were supposed to be black and that the Jolly Roger never appears on tombstones. I told him it was the sign for poison. He told me that is never used on tombstones either. Ms. Thang agreed and asked me what was up with the fat faced ghost. Um ghosts are floating free forms! They aren't supposed to be uniform. Gaw!
The kids decided this board will change daily or weekly with each of us taking turns, obviously thinking they can do better. I did like their idea for the week leading up to Halloween though. One will start by drawing something spooky and each day one of us will add to it. Sounds fun, but this doesn't mean that I agree with their views on my art. Everybody's a critic...


**I'm playing around with the header and background of my blog so there will probably be changes often until I find something I like best.

Checkers

Well Katie was right! The checkerboard was painted on my living room coffee table.



I taped it off and painted it with straight acrylic, knowing it would come right off if I hated it and thinking I would seal it to make it permanent if I liked it. After it was finished, it was too perfect and I ended up sanding it up a bit and liked that look much better for my room..I think. I also free-handed a thin border around it because I thought the blank squares looked too unfinished without the defining lines. There is no finish to the wood table except stain and now I worry that putting a sealant will add a sheen that I don't know if I want. So I'm leaving it for now and thinking I might just go over it in a more permanent paint. But then I may not be able to sand it as much so I'm still undecided.

What I DO love is that it will be a really fun table for family, sitting by the fire during the holidays. I can picture it now and I am SO ready! Now I just have to come up with checker pieces other than nickels and pennies that the kids have been using. I'm thinking I may just make some out of wooden disks and paint. I've been needing Xs and Os for this tic-tac-toe set also and I just need to get the pieces and do them all together.

Anyway, here is the table with a little context from the rest of the room.

I like that it's giving a layered look without the clutter.

Tomorrow we dig all the Halloween decor out of the garage. I'll show you what we come up with. :)

Living

Cutecumber had a birthday...







It needs a post of it's own, but I'm still reeling in the "It's finally over and I can relax" phase.
I also need to show you guys the checkerboard and owl I did. Yeah, not in the mood for that right now either, but I hope to at least have it posted before Halloween. :)

In the mean time, let me tell you about my late afternoons. Everyday The Scientist and I try to come up with exciting things to do while we wait for Ms. Thang to get out of school. It's a good 20-30 minutes. Lately I've been giving him a pink puppy poop bag (I have a bazillion cause my dog refuses to poop anywhere other than our own back yard..well, there and the laundry room *sigh*) so the Scientist uses them for a litter scavenger hunt. Ex: Find something red; Find something round etc.. and he's even made a friend or two that join in, including the crossing guard whom I absolutely love. I adore both of my kid's crossing guards. The one at my son's school goes out of her way to say hello and smile at my kids every morning and every afternoon. As a matter of fact, today she let both Cutecumber and The Scientist hold her stop sign for a moment before crossing. Made their day! The crossing guard at Ms. Thang's school is always fun. Just this week, she's sported pink star sunshades, pink hair, and even a pink cape. I've seen her hand out water on hot days to her crossing kids and she even brought a frisbee for the Scientist and his friends to play with the other day.

Lately this has been the scene outside my passenger side window for the past couple of days


and sadly it's because there is an epidemic of speeders/texters/cellphone users in the school zones. Just the other day, the crossing guard was hit by a car that failed to stop. :( She was very fortunate and was not hit very hard, but it really made me stop and think about how lucky we are that the crossing guards are there. If they don't step out first and enter the walk before the children, think of how much danger our kids would be in. So I have 2 favors to ask of my readers today.
1. Please please please save those phone conversations until you are out of the car.
2. Thank your crossing guards! <3
And now that you've had your saftey tips for the day, let me leave you with one last warning. If you spend half an hour trapped in the van with your children, they may rub off on you!