Winklepots and Random Thoughts

"Sorry We're Full" Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

Since most of us will be spending time with family and turkey tomorrow, I thought I would post a fun Thanksgiving sketch today to help set the mood. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend and don't forget to save room for pie!

PS- I'm "salad" in case you didn't catch it. ;o)

Free-me Music

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Since I've discovered a TON of great free music on Amazon, I have been addicted to finding and snagging some new tunes to add to my iPod. I literally spend hours scouring the latest new artists to find that diamond in the rough. I realize that musical taste is completely subjective, but you might find something you like in this list of songs or peruse online to find someone else who inspires you. All I know is, these artists are worth a listen and what a great way to be ahead of the musical curve. Just think, when your friends say, "Omigosh, you have to listen to this great new artist!!" you can say, "Oh yeah, I've had them on my iPod for months. They're pretty good." :o)

Happy Monday!!

Ludicrous by Frankmusik (download if you like Enrique Iglesias)
Halfway by The Silent Game (if you like Garbage and/or Radiohead)
Vessel by Zola Jesus (if you like Florence and the Machine and/or Massive Attack)
Long Walk Back by The Rifles (if you like an updated Beatles)
Tangled Up In Love by The Rifles (if you like Jimmy Eat World ala Lucky Denver Mint)
Keep You by Class Actress (if you like synth-pop)
Fascinated by Ivy (if you like 80's new wave, alt-pop)
Still Alive by Three Mile Pilot (if you like moody with a beat)
Old Black by Earth (if you like Pink Floyd)
Why Even Try (Feat. Sara Quin) by Theophilus London (80's hip hop, easy groove)
Amor Fati by Washed Out (if you like Erasure or Thompson Twins, 80's synth pop)
Little War by K Serå (if you like a ballad style Fall Out Boy)
Cassie (Won't You Be My Doll) by Part Time (if you like 80's pop, Bananarama)
Next To Me by Civil Twilight (if you like Coldplay or U2)
God's Not Dead (Like A Lion) by Newsboys (if you like Jars of Clay)

Enjoy!!

Have a Happy. Period.

2011-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I don't have regular television and thus, only see the commercials on Hulu or in my magazines. As I was flipping through one of my fave mags the other day, I came across an ad that made me think, "What the hell?!" There were so many thoughts going through my head, that I just had to share them.

I realize this ad has been out for a while, but since this is the first time I've seen it, I'm weighing in.
Neon colored tampons and patterned pads, are you serious, Kotex?! First of all, you know what this stuff is for right? And second, who the hell is going to see it? I'm sure every teenage girl is dying to compare tampon colors during polite conversation. "Gee Morganthenia, what color are you wearing today?"

I love that Kotex is advertising this as, "new colors and designs to banish boredom." Really? Boredom? I don't know about you, but when I'm writhing in pain, the last thing I'm feeling is bored, let alone bemoaning my boring white tampon. "OMG, this would be so much better if I had a freakin' blue colored tampon!! Curse you Tampax for your lack of vision!!!"

Am I the only one wondering who the hell thought up this genius idea? Since absurd is the new tampon, I have a couple of ideas too. Might I suggest a glow-in-the-dark tampon? How fun would that be to tell someone, "You wouldn't know this to look at me, but I'm totally glowing on the inside." Or days-of-the-week labeled tampons. "Damn it, I'm all out of Tuesday tampons, I hope no one notices I'm wearing a Friday." Or my personal fave, fortune cookie tampons! Look forward to your period while you look to your future and maybe include lucky lotto numbers too. Have a truly "happy period" with inspirational sayings like, "You will have a bloody good day" and "You will experience relief, in about 5-7 days" or my new favorite, "Congratulations, you're not pregnant!!" Now I'm just waiting for a phone call from the Kotex product development team.

PS, don't even get me started on the new Summer's Eve ad "Power to the V."

Land of the Free... and the MP3

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are a TON of free tunes available from Amazon for your listening pleasure? Ninety-five percent of the offerings are new and upcoming artists, which is kind of fun, because then you can say, "Yeah, I was a fan before they were famous." Some of the songs are fabulous, others are so-so and many I regret having bothered listening to the sample. That's 30 seconds my poor assailed ears will never forgive me for.

So, I have scoured literally hundreds of free MP3's on Amazon and found these hidden gems. I realize that our tastes will differ, but if you happen to like any of my choices, you may be inspired to go on an MP3 Scavenger Hunt of your own. And PS, I was searching for new tunes to add to my workout list on my iPod, so these first few songs are in order from warm-up to cool down for a 1 hour workout. It's a mix of alternative, rock and pop. Enjoy and Happy 4th of July!

Morning Thought by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Coyote by The Lonely Forest
Always Spring by I'm From Barcelona **
Alive by Avalon
When It Won't Save You by Conditions
Up Up Up by Givers
Chapters by Kyoto Drive
The Last Ride by Soldout
Gimme Sympathy by Metric
Eliza by Viper Creek Club
Quake by Balance and Composure
The End of Progression by Conditions
Hannah by Freelance Whales
God and Girl by Red Goodbye
Second Bird of Paradise by The Rosebuds
Forever My Father by Go Radio

Other New Favorites

Wolf & I by Oh Land ** (for The Twilight Fan)
Traveling by Brian Olive
Rebound (Remastered) by Sebadoh
Endless Summer by Still Corners
Built to Last by Redlight King (Inspiring Rock Fan)
Hunt Hunt Hunt by There for Tomorrow (Fall Out Boy Fan)
Please Ask for Help by Telekinesis (for The Cure Fan)

Sometimes a song is just so fabulous that not long after it's available for free, Amazon starts charging for it. I just downloaded all of these songs in the last week, but in providing the links, I have found a couple that are no longer free, but still worth checking out. They're marked with a **. Oh the pains of popularity. So hurry and snag the ones you like because they might not be free tomorrow!

It's On!!

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know you've heard it before, but this time, it's going to happen! It has to. I'm on a deadline!

I have struuuuuuggled with losing weight for the last two years and since finding out last August that I'm gluten intolerant (though I'm inclined to think Celiac due to the other health issues I've had) my body is finally on board with losing weight too. Woot! I never thought we'd agree.

So, I've been going to the gym 4-5 times a week taking Zumba, spinning and weight classes. Why the sudden motivation? Well, Jim and I finally set the date and we're going to Puerto Vallarta for our 10-year anniversary in August. I've never been to Mexico and so we're both really excited. We're staying in a 5 start all inclusive resort and planning to do a couple of excursions while we're there. I'm really excited for the Outdoor Adventure and Dolphin Experience.

Anyway, on top of eating really well and working out at the gym, I was reading Fitness magazine the other day and they did a write up on great 90 day workout plans. Of course, most people have heard of P90X but most of us can't afford it. As a budget buy, Fitness recommended trying out the Supreme 90 Day System, which is similar to P90X. Not willing to just take their word for it, I looked it up on Amazon for reviews. I was impressed. Ten people gave it 5 stars and one person gave it 4 stars, and that's as low as it went. For $20, I figured it was worth checking out.

So, I stopped by Target the other day and picked up my own dvd set. Granted, I don't have 90 days, only 60, but hey, every little bit helps right? I'll let you know how I like it in case you're interested in trying it out. I'll keep you posted. Afterall, my super cute new bikini needs to be seen and not covered up with a parka.

My Interview with a Stanley Cup Winner

2011-06-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

The Stanley Cup winners have been announced and while I wasn't rooting for either team in particular (well, maybe the Canucks a little, but only so I wouldn't have to listen to Hubs bitch about his team losing), I am happy for one player: Andrew Ference.

Andrew plays defense for the Boston Bruins and is a former Winter Hawk (our local team). Back in high school, I was introduced to the game of hockey and loved it. I had a writing assignment to do for my English class, and we were asked to pick any topic and interview someone about it and my friend Kara Neary jokingly said I should interview a Winter Hawk. We laughed it off, but I kept dwelling on it and really wanted to do it. In all honesty, I chose Andrew because he was a rookie, a good player and the same age as me. And let's face it, he's pretty damn cute. Even back then.

I was surprised to get a call from him saying he'd be willing to meet with me. So I wrote up some questions, grabbed a friend to video tape it and met him on the bleachers at Sunset High School. Wow, so cute. Very gracious and fun to interview. I have no idea what ever happened to the video, which kind of sucks; I'm sure it was taped over by my parents, but I have the transcript of the interview. Here are some of the highlights...

Q: How long have you been playing?
A: Since I was three. I lived on an acreage and we had a rink out by the farms, so I started there.

Q: Did you always want to play hockey?
A: (Shakes head yes) Always have played hockey. There's never been anything bad about it.

Q: What's it like being a local celebrity? (Andrew laughs) You don't consider yourself a celebrity?
A: No, I don't think I'd put it that way, it's just normal. We're just leading a normal life except for playing hockey. There's not too much difference from a normal life.

Q: What's the weirdest thing you ever had to autograph?
A: (Thinking) Let's see... probably a leg, a leg or a dollar bill. You get lots of dollar bills to sign, but a leg was weird. She had the whole teams' autographs all over her leg. (Laughs) You kind of think, 'whoa!'

Q: How does your mom feel about you fighting?
A: (Laughing) She doesn't like it. She hates it when I fight, but she knows why I do it. She knows that because I'm smaller I need to demand more respect. So she understands why I do, but she rather me not. I've never fought in front of her because she'd get all mad. When she's at a game, I won't fight.

Q: How many teeth have you lost?
A: None. My dad's a dentist. No, I haven't lost any. I've lucked out so far.

Q: What are your other interests?
A: Other interests? Um... there's gotta be something. I don't know. Hockey's a big interest. It takes up all my time. Other than that... let's see, I used to snowboard. I did that for seven years, up until this year. There's nowhere to snowboard here. During the summer I play rugby and lacrosse. So everything's kind of sports related.

Q: Do you want to continue with hockey or eventually do something else?
A: I'll go with hockey as far as it takes me. I'd like to go pro. There's so much money and so much involved in hockey. If you can play it and live off it, then that could be your life. Yeah, it'd be perfect.

Q: Did you ever think you'd make it this far?
A: Yeah. It's been the plan.

Q: What advice would you give someone who's striving for a dream?
A: Don't let people tell you that you can't do it. Lots of people told me that I couldn't play hockey because I'm small. Listen to yourself instead of others. Control your own destiny.

And there you have it. Who knew I would be interviewing a Stanley Cup winner at 16? Pretty cool huh?

The Good, The Bad and The WTF?

2011-05-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Because random is fun...

The Good...
So, I've been taking my film acting class for 3 weeks now and lovin' it. I have a great teacher and I'm "finding my motivation." We did monologues last week (I hate monologues), but it went well and yesterday we started scene work, which I prefer. It's so much easier to play off of somebody than to prattle on about yourself (um, unless you're blogging). Every week we are filmed, which is a little hard to watch at the end of class. Whenever my teacher asks how I felt about my performance, all I can think of is "Double chin, double chin, double chin." Ugh. I hit the gym today and did four miles on the treadmill before I had to leave to meet Peri's bus.
In any event, I've been getting great feedback on my scenes which makes me feel that I'm not wasting my time and that maybe there's something to this.

The Bad...
All right, I just have to come out and say it, drivers of German made cars are BAD! I don't know why it is, but 9 out of 10 German car drivers are road Nazis. The irony might be amusing if it weren't so damn annoying. This conclusion is based on years of driving and observation. Seriously, the next time someone cuts you off, tailgates, weaves, speeds, etc, check out the make of the car. Maybe it's just around here but when someone does something rude, inconsiderate or just plain dumb, it's always a Beemer or a VW.
If you happen to be one of these car owners, consider that I might be talking about you. If you're adamant that I couldn't possibly be referring to you, you're a fabulous driver, then maybe I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and you can consider yourself the 1 in 10 that knows how to drive. But I'll be watching you, so don't ride my ass or cut me off because you're only proving me right. :oP

and The WTF...
I'm always checking my online Netflix for new releases or suggestions based on previously watched movies/shows. Imagine my wtf moment when I found this suggestion based on my kids having recently watched the movie Muppets from Space...

"New Suggestions, because you enjoyed Muppets From Space, we recommend you watch Crazy Sexy Cancer! Check it out: Just weeks after being diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of cancer, 31-year-old actress Kris Carr turned the camera on herself as she embarked on the fight of her life. The result is this moving and funny inspirational documentary. In need of experimental treatment, Carr travels the country seeking experts on alternative medicine and, along the way, meets other cancer-stricken women driven to survive. "

I'm not quite sure what the connection is there, but I'll be sure to pass along your recommendation to my kids. But seriously, Netflix, it's like you don't even know me at all.

That's My Lolita

2011-04-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

As a frequent Hulu watcher, I've seen my fair share of 30 second commercials, and every once in a while, one will catch my attention. Though, there is no actor dialogue, I know exactly what message Tide was trying to convey.

Original Commercial Dialogue:

Father: Hmm, there's my daughter's hooch skirt which leaves little to the imagination. It would make the perfect oil rag.

Daughter: Argh! This is so frustrating! I need to be to work in an hour! I have to wear my hooch skirt which leaves little to the imagination. OMG, did I forget to wash it after my last john? Mom, look! Is that... or was it...?

Mother: Oh don't worry dear, we'll have it clean before your shift. New Tide with Acti-Lift takes care of protein stains and grease monkey fathers. Mwahahaha.

(Rinse, spin, dry)

Daughter: Look Mama, I'm a whore! Thank you for saving my assets.

Mother: That's my Lolita. I put some condoms in your back pocket, just to be safe.

Daughter: Gee, thanks Mom. Better luck next time, Dad. If you'd grow a pair, maybe you'd make me quit my skeezy job or at least realize that being passive aggressive about my wardrobe is so lame. Well, I'm off to work my corner yo!

End Scene.

Anyone else stocking up on Tide? Yeah I know, me too! One should never show up to work a street corner in an already stained mini. Who wants to buy used goods? Thank you, Tide, for allowing me to continue hooking in style.

Are You There Readers? It's Me, Holly

2011-04-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Alright, I admit it, I'm a horrible blogger and I'm okay with that. The way I see it, if I wrote every single day, you'd get tired of me and I'd run out of things to say. At least this way, I have time to reflect and you don't end up reading about the red sock that found its way into the whites or that I'm having a fat day... again. No, this way definitely works out better for us all. So what could I have possibly been reflecting on for the last six freakin' months!? Must be earth shattering!!

Earth shattering, no, revealing, maybe. I don't have many deep thoughts. Mostly because my memory is so bad that I'll forget the reason I was contemplating before I even get to the good part. I miss my memory. In any event, one of the last times I blogged was on The Mama Dramalogues and I wrote about how I wanted to finally get back into acting and start doing something just for me.

Well, I applied three times to one agent and once to my old agent, and alas, no call backs. Part of me is a little bummed, but a bigger part of me is just relieved. Yes, I am absolutely terrified of success. Which is weird, because most people are afraid of failing. I'm confident I can succeed, but success... now that scares the shit out of me.

Rather than take the agent rejection in a comfy fetal position, I'm enrolling in some film acting classes, something I've never done before. Most of my experience is in community theatre with only one industrial film under my belt. But you know what? I only had 4 auditions with my previous agent; I landed the first one, was first runner up for the second and didn't make the cut for the other two. Not a terrible track record, so I should probably give it another go.

It's been years since I've even done theatre, so I thought taking this acting class would be a great way to update my resume and give me some formal training. Our first class is this Sunday, and while I keep trying to talk myself out of going (there's that fear again), I'm going to suck it up and go. I'll keep you posted! And not just six months from now.

The Spanish Inquisition

2010-11-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

"No one expects the
Spanish Inquisition!"

Tee hee, just had to throw that one in there. :o)
"How do you say 'thank you' in French? What is 'you're welcome' in German? How do you say 'happy' in Spanish?" My 6-year-old is very curious about other languages and loves to learn new words. "Wow, mom, 'hellifino' means three different things. Amazing!" Let's just say, it's a good thing I'm not teaching her.

Learning a new language was never my forte'. I took a class in 9th grade and then French in 10th, but I ended up dropping the French class after two weeks. Mostly because half the class was repeating it from flunking the previous term and frankly, the teacher scared me.

I love that Peri wants to learn new languages, and being so young, it'll be easier for her to pick them up. Spanish seems to be the most interesting to her. She has a couple of friends in her class, that wait at the bus stop with her, who come from a bilingual household. Every morning, the two girls wait at the bus stop with their mom/aunt, grandfather and their dog, Cosita. As soon as Peri learned the dogs' name, she couldn't stop saying it. She loves the way it sounds. Whenever she sees the girls she always exclaims, "Hola! Hola, girls! Hola means hello in Spanish."

The other day, we were all waiting at the bus stop and Peri was petting Cosita and repeating her name over and over. Then she stopped, looked at Jasmine's mom and said, "Does Cosita bark in Spanish?" We all laughed and I just thought it was so cute. I guess you never know. After all, Cosita understands Spanish, so I guess she could bark in Spanish.

In any case, as soon as a class is offered, I think I'll enroll Peri. Perhaps she can teach me a new language. I mean, if a dog can understand Spanish, there's hope for me yet.

Mama Drama Mondays!

2010-11-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

As the smoke machine fog begins to dissipate and the jack-o-lantern smiles start to wane as they slowly turn into pies, there is a collective sigh of relief and a somewhat anti-climatic feeling. It's over, we survived... and we'll do it all again next year.

When I think of all the preparation that goes into holidays in general, it's a little overwhelming. And during this time of year, as soon as you've finished one, it's immediately on to the next. Which is why I think it's especially important to celebrate... YOU! Remember you? I say it's high time for some me time because it's going to be in short supply for the next couple of months.

In attempting to plan my weekly girls night out, I've heard a lot of reasons why some of my girlfriends couldn't make it. I'm guessing that a lot of you have the same reasons and while they may be completely legit, I'm telling you, YOU are more important than that last batch of laundry and the cleaning can wait until tomorrow. And really, how will little Timmy ever learn to manage his time if you're finishing his science project? Don't deprive him of a valuable life lesson. He earned that C, let him own it.

Perhaps you're just downright tired, and I hear ya there! I also know that when I have a night out to look forward to, it doesn't matter what else is going on, I can't wait to go have some me time! It's like dessert, there's always room.

So, now that you know you are more important and deserve some time with your friends, I thought I'd give some tips for some of the other common reasons you might be missing out.

"Sorry, I'm broke!"
Broke schmoke, who said you even had to leave the house? Put the kiddos to bed and invite the ladies over. Keep in mind that the idea isn't to throw some rockin' party, but to enjoy the company of friends.

Potluck and a movie - pizza, snacks, drinks, popcorn and even the movie. Make a list and let your friends pick what they'd like to bring. Or theme the food around the movie. Watch Avatar and eat nothing but blue food or Fried Green Tomatoes with well, fried green tomatoes and baby back ribs ("secret's in the sauce.") Get creative.
Soup Kitchen - I read about this a couple of weeks ago in our local paper. Now that the weather has gotten colder and we'll all be a little busier, how about hosting a soup exchange. Everyone brings 6 containers of soup (make sure they're labeled) and trades with everyone else. The best part? With the exception of cream soups, soup freezes beautifully and you have ready made meals for you and the family.
Game on ladies! - throw some chips and dips on the table and break out the Monopoly. Invite your friends to bring their favorite games, choose a couple and have fun. I've personally done this one at someone else's house and it was a blast. The sillier the game, the more fun.
Come on and get crafty - put on a movie or some music and everyone can bring a project their working on or someone can teach their craft to the group. Either way, crafting with friends is way more fun that crafting solo.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?"
We could play this game for a few rounds, but let's save ourselves the time and assign a date. If you have a few friends interested in a ladies night, rotate the planning duties every week (or however often you'd like to get together). In addition to the ideas above, and the traditional dinner and a movie out, don't miss out on these gems:

The classic mani/pedi - seriously, what's more fun that being pampered and spending time with your friends? Plus, newly painted toes are just cute.
Mini Golf - an oldie but a goodie.
Museums - Yeah, sometimes these are just more fun without the kids. You don't have to scream at anyone to stop running or don't touch that $2,500 painting.
Happy Hour - whether you drink or not, it's not called Happy Hour for nothing. Cheap eats and good times.
Shopping - this is definitely way more fun without the kids.
Karaoke! - what's an off-key note among friends; they'll still love ya.
Community Service - You don't even have to wear the orange jumpsuits. Find a cause you and your friends support then sign up as a group to volunteer.
Take a Class - If you have a parks and recreation, they're bound to offer classes for adults. And if you and your friends sign up for one, the weekly night out is already planned for you.

"I'd love to go, but I don't have a ride."
With friends scattered all over, there's bound to be one of us along your route. We'll pick you up and we might even take you home afterward. :o)

And there you have it. No excuses ladies, Me Time is now! You'll thank me later.

PS, I posted a pic of the girls' costumes on the Facebook Fan page, in case you wanted to check out my cute little Veruca Salt and Oompa Loompa. :o)

Mama Drama Mondays: Sew Frustrating

2010-10-25T09:06:00.001-07:00

It was decided. Back in April or May, I can't remember which. Peri knew what she was going to be for Halloween. I thought for sure she'd want to revert to her Alice in Wonderland costume for the second year in a row, but to my surprise (and likely due to the movie being watched daily) she announced, "I'm going to be Veruca for Halloween!" We're talking about the original Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from the 70's. (Pssst, she's the bratty, I want it now, child, in case it's been a while).

Ever since we started watching the movie, Peri has been acting out all of Verucas' lines and even singing and dancing to her song, then pretending to fall down the garbage chute. Yup, Veruca's her favorite and she just had to be her for Halloween. I wasn't worried about her changing her mind, that is one thing I can always count on with Peri. Stubborn girl. :oP Knowing this much in advance, I took to Ebay to see what I could find. While I could have spent $60 on a custom made costume, that was a bit out of my price range, and instead, I made an offer on a red velour Christmas dress for $5 and called it good. I knew some modifications would need to be made, but hey, there's a first time for everything.

Anyone that knows me, knows that my sewing machine and I are not on a first name basis. We have a mutual respect for each other, but we don't tend to work well together. So I was resigned to the fact that any modifications would need to be done by hand. I'm happy to say, that after a few hours, I finished Peri's costume and it turned out pretty cute.

Since I try to have my kids sorta match, I originally thought of making Ryah into a giant blueberry so she could go as Violet but thought it would be a little awkward for a 3 year old to walk around in. Now if you ask her what she's going to be for Halloween, she says," I'm gonna be a Oompa Loompa." You should hear her say it, it's so cute. It was such a great idea, in theory, until I realized that costume would need to be made from scratch. :oP

After many many many hours of sewing by hand (and a little help from my friend Mandi and her sewing machine - seriously, she cut about 5 hours of my time in just 15 minutes) the Oompa Loompa costume is done. Woo hoo!

I love Halloween, and all the traditions; pumpkin carving, decorations, candy corn cookies... but I won't be adding "making costumes" to the list. I can say I've done it, conquered it, but won't be going there again. Well, not unless my sewing machine and I can come to some sort of agreement, like, sew for me and I won't melt you down into scrap metal to be used in some hideous yard art project. Now there's a thought...

PS. I'll post pics of the girls on the Mama Drama Facebook Fan Page next week.

Happy Halloween!!!!

Originally written for The Mama Dramalogues

2010-10-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey! I'm hosting a giveaway over at The Mama Dramalogues! Win a super cute set of Falling for You hair bows. Don't miss out! Contest ends 10/25 and multiple entries welcome. Click on the Mama Drama link or the image above.

Ooooo Scary... Read it Again!

2010-10-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

Since the first hint of pumpkins, goulies and witches hit the stores weeks ago, my girls have been begging me to break out the Halloween goodness. I have a hard time doing anything before October 1st, so now that we're officially past that, I could no longer procrastinate and Jim and I were forced to venture under the house and dust off the Halloween bin.

After a fun filled evening of spooky inspirational music and candy corn treats, we've put everything out and the girls are super excited. I dug out all the Halloween/scary movies (Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Corpse Bride, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown) and pulled all the Halloween books from the shelf so we have a month of spooky reads. Yup, we're all set!

Alyssa's book post got me thinking about all the Halloween books we like to read around here. They've become even more special since we only read them this time of year. So I thought I'd share our faves and hopefully, you'll share yours because we're always looking for more! Plus, it's early enough in the month, that there's still time to check them out!

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

This is probably my favorite one. The girls and I just read it tonight. It's about a witch who grows a pumpkin so large, she can't manage to pull it off the vine and she's got quite the hankering for pumpkin pie!
Lots of fun to read and cute repetition for the kiddos.

I give it 5 out of 5 pumpkins

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

The story of a witch out for a nice leisurely flight. She meets some friends along the way, each one hoping that there's "room on the broom" so they can come too. Super fun rhyming tale (I love cute rhyming stories) and there's definitely room on the broom so don't miss out!

I give it 4.5 out of 5 pumpkins

In the Haunted House by Eve Bunting

Not a whole lot of story to this one, but the girls love it, so I have to include it in the list. Cute story about a little girl and her dad who venture into a haunted house, but who's the one who's really scared? Like I said, not the most fun to read, but the kids enjoy it.

I give it 3 out of 5 pumpkins

Spooky Hour by Tony Mitton

Another fun rhyming tale as the "midnight spooks" countdown to their Halloween party. Cute story with lots of different ghoulies and fun to say sound words like "clickety clack."

I give it 4 out of 5 pumpkins

Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long

Technically not a Halloween book, but with the pirates, I'm sneaking it in here. I was reluctant to read this originally, but found out that it's a really cute story and it's made even better if you use your best piratey voice when you read it. Argh, matey, don't pass this one up!

I give it 5 out of 5 pumpkins

Happy spooktacular reading! :o)

Written for The Mama Dramalogues.

Boo!

2010-10-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Is it taunting you too?

Thought I'd change it up a bit and succumb to the dark side; just in time for Halloween. Thank you Millstream Cottage for providing these super cool scrap page elements! You're so talented.

What's new with you? I hope you're peachy keen. What's new with me? Well, in my quest for becoming the much hotter, thinner version of myself, I've recently turned to a Naturopath for help. I wouldn't consider myself "granola" by any stretch of the imagination, but I definitely lean more towards a natural way of doing things rather than pharmacuticals. After all, I have a feeling some of them might be to blame for my current woes. So, I figured it was worth a shot.

After meeting with my Naturopath, and ordering up some bloodwork, she informed me that she wanted me to cut out milk and gluten. Cold turkey for the gluten. Yikes! What would I ever do without my beloved carbs?!! We suspect that I may have a gluten allergy (I've had a hunch for a long time), and we'll see if bloodwork confirms that, but for now, no wheat products for this chica. I have to admit that after being gluten free for a couple of weeks, I do notice a difference. On the one hand, my cravings and gluteny goodies, hope that it's all in my head, but we're resigned to the fact that this may be where we part ways.

Have you gone gluten free? Please feel free to share your tips and tricks and any gluten free brands you love. I've tried a couple of gluten free bread products and haven't been impressed yet. I had no idea those evil little gluten bits were in so many things! I now know that there is such a thing as gluten free fries at Red Robin. You have to order them without their "special seasoning," which contains gluten. Who knew? I think this may all be a weight loss trick because there aren't as many edible food options out there now, so I'm definitely eating less. :oP

I'm going back Monday for a follow-up appointment and to go over my test results. Hopefully we can get a routine going and be on the fast track to the more fabulous me! Wish me luck.

Have a great weekend!

Mama Drama Mondays: The Kindergarten 15

2010-09-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to say "no" to a face like that.

This is the year I finally have a kindergartner. She's almost as excited about it as I am. Almost. I'm pretty darned exited about it. Especially since her younger sister started preschool and I have 4 whole hours to myself each week! I know the mind boggles with what to do with all that "free time."

There have been a few hiccups with the new routines; the bus drops Peri off at 11:25 and Ryah's preschool is over at 11:30, so I've had to find work arounds for being in two places at once. Fortunately, I have great friends that help me out. But for the most part, things have been running smoothly and we've all adjusted. Imagine my surprise when I got a phone message the other day, from Peri's kindergarten teacher...

"Hi Holly, this is Amber X, Peri's teacher, and I just wanted you to know that Peri has been eating breakfast in the cafeteria in the mornings. I only just found out today and when I talked to her about it, she said it was her second breakfast and she was able to tell me what she'd already eaten at home. I thought "Oh no" and I'd better check with you about that. Sorry I didn't catch it sooner, but she's been charging her breakfasts. I'll send her account balance home with her next week."

I didn't know whether to laugh or groan. I mean, it's pretty funny that a 5-year-old can just walk in there, get breakfast and have it added to her non existent account. But I was also a little annoyed that I was footing the bill for such an obvious oversight on the school's part. After I called her teacher back, to let her know that Peri should not be eating at school and that I would pay the balance next week, I was baffled as to how that could even happen. I remember as a kid that you either had to pay cash for your school food or have a prepaid card from your parents, there was no "tab."

So, for the last two weeks, Peri has been running up a cafeteria bill, unbeknownst to me and her teachers. I know she did it because it was there and she saw other kids eating and thought it was okay. But I wonder how long it would have gone on? Maybe until her next well check up visit, when the nurse would inform me that Peri had managed to gain 15 lbs since her last visit and that it's a little excessive. Or those brand new school clothes start fitting a lot snugger than they should.

In any case, there is now such a thing as the Kindergarten 15 and you heard it here first. This will be one of those things I tease her about in the future and we'll just laugh it off, but for now, I have to go pay the bill. Then again, today is her birthday (Happy 6th Birthday Periwinkle!); perhaps we'll just write it off as a gift and not add it to her tab. :oP

Wonderland Party Recap

2010-09-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a year since our trip down the rabbit hole, but with the CSI theme being parties this week, I thought I would compile some of the best bits to share again. This party was a blast to plan and I'm looking forward to doing an unbirthday one. Enjoy!

The invitations to Wonderland...

Greetings from Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum. Online images on cardstock and foam wood sign from the dollar tree, cut up, and sharpied.
Used online image and cut out the middle for the knob. Both sides of the door.
Wonderland Tea Party

Thrift store finds! Perfect table decor.
Made using card stock, online images and birdcage from thrift store.
Made using regular playing cards, card stock and heart topiary from thrift store.
Played Pin the Grin on the Cheshire Cat. Printed online image and cut out smiles. Homemade shortbread cookies with pink "Eat Me" icing. Also had heart shaped pink cupcakes with "Eat Me" icing. And of course tea!

Tea bag favors made with white paper sacks, string, card stock and "Drink me" sticker labels on the tags. Filled with mini tea sets and goodies.
Everyone posing for "I'm a Little Teapot"

I wrote several posts regarding planning and tips for the party (it wouldn't all fit into one). You can view them here, here and party photos here. Have a great day!

2010-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, the perfect setting, sometimes you wait weeks for this night, but in the end, it's all worth it to spend some quality one on one time with your sweetheart. No, not that sweetheart. I'm talking about date night with your kids. Wait, what? Isn't the point to spend time with your hubby without the kids? Well, yes, you should go on dates with the hubs, he kinda likes spending time with you too, but if you have kids (especially more than one), it's nice to go out on dates with them individually as well.

We've started a new tradition in our house and every other Friday, Jim and I each go out on a date with one of our girls. Then the next time, we switch. Now that the girls are old enough, we thought it would be a fun way for them to get to spend some one on one time with us.

Our first night out, Jim took Peri and I had Ryah. We went to different restaurants for dinner then different stores so that each of the girls could pick out a gift for her sister. Peri chose some new jammies for Ryah and Ryah picked out a princess frog shirt for Peri. The girls had a blast and it was nice getting to spend some alone time together.

This past weekend was round two. I had Peri this time around. We had a lovely dinner at Panera Bread then off to Barnes and Noble where she picked out a new book about the Tooth Fairy. Food and books, two of Peri's favorite things. I could have spent more time at the bookstore, but when your child starts complaining to wandering sales people that it's time to go, it's time to go. She had fun though and loves her new book.

The kids are so different in what interests them, so it's going to be fun coming up with different things to do. Peris' dates will likely be creative with crafts, books, movies and going to the theatre while Ryah is more active and will enjoy things like skating, parks and sports. It'll be nice to change things up for myself too and I know Jim's having fun as well. Having it regularly scheduled is great too because we all know it's coming and we look forward to it.

We're redefining date night in our house and having fun with the possibilities. Not to mention, we don't even need to find a sitter. :o)

Written for The Mama Dramalogues

YouTube Tuesday!!

2010-09-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I did one of these, but thought this was too cute not to post. I like the song, and my girls love the counting part, but the video is just too fun! I love that it's all one camera shot, the various angles, the simplicity (no fancy effects) and how the dancers appear and disappear, seemingly out of nowhere. Very clever.

I Want to Care-a-lot, But Just Can't

2010-09-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

You know what I love? All those 80's cartoons, toys and games I enjoyed as a child. What do I love even more? Watching my kids fall in love with those same things. In our house, we're enjoying She-ra, Jem, Alvin & the Chipmunks and Care Bears, and thank goodness that these former VHS classics have been upgraded to DVD. The only problem with going vintage is now it's almost impossible to buy dolls, playsets and action figures without taking a second mortgage out on your house. The fact that my childhood is considered "vintage" is kind of depressing too.

We've been on a huge Care Bear kick lately; watching the original cartoons and movies, playing with the two stuffed bears we have and acting out the girls' favorite scenes. With all of the lame new toys and cartoons out now, it's nice that we can rely somewhat on the cooler classics. Since the girls are having so much fun, I've taken to surfing Ebay (trying to outbid, Alyssa *wink*) and scouring thrift stores looking for some characters and playsets for them to enjoy. Ohmygoodness, reclaiming your childhood is spendy! Makes me wish I'd kept something other than my old Barbie dolls.

The whole thing is a bummer because I'm not a collector and will end up getting rid of them once the girls have found a new favorite, but I can't imagine any parent investing in their kids' toys, knowing how quickly those fickle little minds move on. There should be a discarded toy co-op for vintage toy "emergencies" such as these. I'd buy into that. :o) We'll call it "What's Mine is Yours....Again!" I've got some Barbies to add.

******

Me Time Follow-up: I think I've decided on a headshot and will be printing and submitting to local agencies this week. Wish me luck!

What will you do this week?

Reposted from The Mama Dramalogues

The iPhone Widow

2010-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of this newfangled technology called the iPhone. If you haven't, you should come out from under that rock every once in a while; if for nothing else because you're missing out on the one week of sunshine we've had. Now, some of you may have one of your own or you know someone who does and if you're the latter, you'll know exactly where I'm coming from. If you're the former, you're not reading this anyway because you're too busy playing Bejeweled or searching for a new app that will feed your dog while you're out of town.

We've had this new technology in our house for a while now, since last year when my husband upgraded from his Crackberry (er, Blackberry, whatever, same difference). But when Apple decided to come out with their latest and greatest, he got online and ordered immediately. In fact, none of his co-workers could get onto the Apple website because it was so bogged down, but Jim managed to find a way in, so his computer became iPhone ordering central. He was a superhero (like iPhone Man ---->). I think he was more of an enabler, but that's because the only addiction I support is chocolate.

Then came the waiting game. Since the phone was being delivered to the house, Jim would call for updates. "Did it come yet? Did it come yet?" Like a giddy child waiting for Christmas. He told me to call him the moment it got there. I should note that I've asked him to join the kids and me for lunch on several occasions, but I'm usually met with, "I have a lot of work to do," but once I made that call...

"Hey, guess what I have and you don't?"
*GASP* "I'll be home in 15 minutes!!"
And he was. More like 10 minutes, I think he ran a couple reds.

*Sigh*
I'm somewhat amused and appalled at the number of applications available for that thing. "Look Babe, a Lightsaber!" "This one is like Restaurant Roulette and picks a place for you." "Haha, now our childs face is on a monkey."
Personally, I'm a little irritated with Apple because if they're going to steal my husband away, the least they can do is send me a replacement model too. Preferably, Taye Diggs, or his twin. Just sayin.

Hello gorgeous. :o)

Mama Drama Mondays

2010-06-28T07:55:00.001-07:00

It's all about the drama! I'm over at The Mama Dramalogues today. I had to share the news that my 5-year-old apparently went and got married!

Read about it here.

More Goonie Pics!!

2010-06-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

More pics from The Goonies weekend in Astoria on Sunday!

The fabulous couple (Shelly and Jim) who had the extra ticket.

Posing with another fan; pretty cool Sloth mask.

Intros at the beginning of the Q&A. Um yeah, we all know who you are! :o)

Jeff Cohen, Richard Donner, Sean Astin and Corey Feldman

We were told the actors wouldn't pose for pics (due to time) but Hell yes, I wanted a pic with both of us in it anyway. Jeff was super nice, kinda shy, but really nice.

Ah, Sean Astin. He wasn't supposed to be there, but was talked into showing up to this last Meet & Greet. Thank you Sean!

And yeah, I look horrible in this pic, but Sean actually posed for this one (though I didn't know it at the time). Oh Sean, I luv ya. :o)

And finally the last of The Coreys. Who was in a hurry to get out to perform with his band that night and refused to sign my second item. :oP Oh well.

What a day!

Happy Gooniversary!

2010-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, today, June 7th, marks the 25th anniversary of The Goonies. So make sure to commemorate the occasion and re-watch this 80's favorite.

To celebrate, the town of Astoria had a weekend full of events including all day showings of the movie at a local theatre, bus tours to various filming locations, a tour of the Goonies house and even a meet and greet with some of the cast. I had no idea any of this was going on until Saturday night when Jim mentioned that he'd heard something on the radio. The festivities had started Friday. We toyed with the idea of going on Sunday but nixed the idea. Then Sunday morning, I woke up and felt inspired to make the trip. I couldn't find anyone to go with me so I headed out on my own. It's about 80 miles to Astoria and I wasn't even sure if they'd have tickets for the final meet and greet, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't try.

Sure enough, when I got there, the lady informed me that they were all sold out. I was so bummed that I had driven all that way for nothing. A couple overheard me and offered to sell me their third ticket. Score!!! So the three of us headed over to the theater to get in line. Two hours later, I was front row center and one of the first in line to get autographs from Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Jeff "Chunk" Cohen, Curtis Hanson (Troy's dad) and Richard Donner (the director). Joe Pantoliano ducked out after questions, so he wasn't around for autographs. Honestly, he seemed more interested in photographing the event than being in it.

I was probably one of the few people who brought my VHS copy for them to sign and I mentioned it to Sean Astin who turned to the director and said, "Look, VHS, that's classic." Richard responded with, "Priceless" and Sean agreed to which I responded, "Well, it is now." So much for selling all of my VHS; I think I need to buy a display case.

Afterward, I went up to the Goonies house and took a few pics. Turned out to be a pretty cool, albeit surreal, day. Gas for trip $37, ticket $20, pictures and autographs with The Goonies, priceless. :o)

How was your weekend?

Is Vegas the New Sex Ed?

2010-06-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

When I heard that Flight of the Conchords was performing in Vegas I thought, "Cool, two birds with one stone. I've never been to Vegas and I'd love to see the Conchords live." Jim hadn't been to Vegas since he was 15, so it was like both of us were Vegas virgins. We booked the ticket, booked the flight and headed out for Memorial weekend, which certainly wasn't an ideal time to visit, but when the Conchords call, you go.

I had a whole list of things to do, and while I didn't get to do them all, it gives us a good excuse to go again. On the list of free things to do was the Show in the Sky at the Rio. I kept reading about how it had all new costumes, songs, choreography and was more exciting than the last one and since our friends were staying at the Rio, we thought we'd catch the 7 o'clock show.

If you haven't seen it, there's a main stage on the floor and floats that run along a ceiling track with additional dancers who throw beads at the crowd towards the end of the show, which is only about 15 minutes. We decided to stand on the second floor balcony for the best chance at beads and to see everything. Oh boy, did we see everything!

There were about four families standing in front of us with 7 kids all ranging from 4-10 years in age. When the show started, the performers looked like this...

Pretty tame, for Vegas. But it took less than a minute before those dresses came off and the dancers looked more like this...

What you don't see, is that at least one of the dancers is wearing assless panties. This show wouldn't normally bother me, but all I could think was, "Why in the Hell are you letting your kids watch this?" And I'm not even referring to the skank wear. Everyone is dancing and gyrating to "Loosen Up My Buttons" by the Pussycat dolls; I'm talking lap dance style and simulated sex scenes. At one point, a giant bed came up from the stage and all of the dancers climbed in. They were all straddling each other and essentially dry humping. One of the parents in front of me, shielded her sons eyes for this scene, but she was the only one and it took this long for any of the parents to be offended on behalf of their kids. The guy next to me had his 4 year old up on his shoulders because his son couldn't see. "Here's a better look at the porn son." In fact, I'm now referring to the show as Baby's First Porn.

I'm not a prude by any means, but seriously, I would NEVER take my kids to see something like that and can't understand why any parent would. Then the beads came and that was the answer. Yes, I can see how exposing your kids to porn would be worth some cheap plastic Mardi Gras beads. Really, the only explanation has to be that one of the kids asked where babies came from and Mom and Dad just looked at the each other and said, "We're going to Vegas" as a way to avoid the talk. "Um, honey, just watch this show, and if you have any questions, I'll answer them afterward. Don't forget to grab some souvenir sex ed beads so you'll always remember where babies come from." Oi vey. I'd love to be in that school room in September when the teacher says, "And what did you do this summer, Timmy?"

The Diagnosis

2010-05-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

So, after all the tests, the official diagnosis is in and the diagnosis is that there is no diagnosis. My doctor is "stumped" (her words); she even asked the other doctors in her office if any of them had heard of a patient with my symptoms/test results and none of them had. So, loss of taste, SSB positive only bloodwork, and 1 out of 4 glands tested positive with enough lymphocytes (guess the other 3 didn't get the memo). All in all, a weird case. So, I am diagnosing myself as officially having HDM (Holly Danelle Medell - yes, my married name rhymes) Autoimmune Disorder. :oP

My doctor did prescribe me drugs, Paquenil, and said that I needed to get annual eye exams while using it. Apparently, in "rare" cases, vision loss can happen. She kept reiterating that it was a very rare side effect and I wanted to say, "Do you remember who you're talking to?"

In addition to the symptoms listed above, those suffering from HDM will have decreased patience (especially with children and bad drivers), an uncontrollable craving for ice cream and peanut butter M&Ms, hearing loss (though some call it ignoring annoying people), the ability to stump the medical community, and an over abundance of snarkiness. So until a cure can be found, take two Paquenil and invite Ben & Jerry over for lunch.

This 'n That

2010-05-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Alright, I admit it, I'm a bit of a reality tv whore, but I swear, I only watch the good ones! :oP Okay, good may be subjective, but sometimes bad is entertaining too. Lately, I've been tuning into Dancing With the Stars (a first for me), Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and Jessica Simpson's The Price of Beauty. I'm honestly surprised by that last one too, but stay with me.

While I'm not a fan of Jessica Simpson, I don't have anything against her either. When I first heard about the show on VH1, I wasn't really interested, but then I thought, "Hey, let's see what defines beauty in Thailand," and you know what, it really was interesting. Jessica jet sets with her two BFFs, traveling around the world to find out each culture's definition of beauty and meeting people who may have taken it too far. We learn about the fashion, social stigmas, diets and spa treatments that are used by the locals and Jessica and her friends try them all out. Kind of a cool way to immerse yourself in culture while learning that what it all ultimately boils down to is inner beauty and self confidence. I swear, if you're not ready to don your bikini, rolls and all, by the end of the Rio episode, you need to keep playing it on repeat.
If you want to check it out, all of the episodes are on VH1. And yes, you will get some interesting commentary from Jessica, but hey, did you expect anything less? At least she didn't think Chicken of the Sea was canned mermaid.

I'm planning a whole other post on Jamie's show, so to touch briefly on Dancing With the Stars can I just say THANK GOD Jake and Kate are gone! Those two media whores make my skin crawl and I'm thrilled that I don't have to see Vienna cheering from the sidelines anymore. What is it with these reality tv stars that think they're such hot s&@! (Speidi anyone)? Seriously, what are you famous for, bad choices, bad parenting and acting like a dumbass? Congratulations. You should be proud. Now hurry and write a book before your 15 minutes are over. :oP

On to something fun, a giveaway and a Cookie Jar! I'm so excited because the Cookie Jar has gone non-profit and now the majority of proceeds are being donated to a charity of your choice. There was one Cookie Jar left from last month, so now is your chance to win those goodies, in case you missed it! To enter, visit The Mama Dramalogues post and leave a comment. So far there aren't many entries, so your chances of winning are pretty good! Also, be sure to check out this month's Cookie Jar; all kinds of new goodies.

Have a great day!

Mama Drama Mondays

2010-04-26T13:01:00.001-07:00

It's my day at The Mama Dramalogues! Come join me over there. :o)

Becoming fully aware of ASD.

It's a Mystery

2010-04-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

Photography by Elle Moss

Over a month ago, I wrote about the possibility of having Sjogrens due to some abnormal bloodwork and a couple of other symptoms, since then, I've been to a Rhuematologist, Neurologist and an Otolaryngologist (ear, nose throat - I know, who knew?). I've stumped all three.

I think the only thing worse than having these symptoms is not having any answers. The Rhuematologist can't figure out why my SSB antibody bloodwork came back positive but not my SSA. Normally, people with Sjogrens test positive for SSA and sometimes, not always for SSB, but it's very rare for an individual to only test positive for SSB. The same bloodtest is also used to determine Lupus, but I know I don't have that. So, she's stumped and sent me to a Neurologist.

My Neurologist asked about symptoms and did a once over to see if there were any red flags. Nope and he said it was really unusual for someone my age to be complaining about dry mouth, normally it's older people. He was stumped and sent me in for an MRI. Can I just say that I've never felt so claustrophobic as when I was getting the MRI. I lied through my teeth when they asked if I was, just to get it over and done with. I almost had a panic attack when I felt my upper body slide far enough into the machine that it it was practically touching my elbows. "Just close your eyes, breathe, breathe, breathe...." The results were normal.

So I was sent to see the Otolaryngologist last Friday and had a lip biopsy done. When it was described to me, it sounded far less invasive that it really was. I was told they would cut a small section from inside my lower lip and that I wouldn't even need stitches. When I got there, I was numbed up and had 4 or 5 glands cut out and definitely had stitches. This meant a liquid diet for the next few days, which I hadn't planned on. Crappy. Imagine the looks I got when I checked out at the grocery with my arms full of Slim Fast drinks and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. "What can I say, I want my ice cream without the guilt." Or I'm on a liquid/soft diet. :oP

Now I'm just sore and only have Ben & Jerry to comfort me. Love those guys. Plus they just came out with my new favorite flavor, Milk and Cookies. Yum! I should have results by the end of the week (they're looking for lymphocytes in the glands). We shall see. Oh and I did I mention that hubby has been gone for the last week and won't be home until Friday? Uh yeah, this past week has been super swell.

Mama Drama Mondays!

2010-04-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

She sure looks cute doesn't she? It's all an act and I had no idea how to punish this little stinker... until now. :o)

Mama Drama Monday: Ah-ha!

My Boobs, My Choice... Kind of...

2010-04-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

With a catchy title like that, this is sure to be a fun read. Actually, I'm literally shaking because I'm so fuming mad at a Facebook post on my sisters page.

Apparently, CNN posted an article regarding a study about breastfeeding. A couple of authors argued that approximately 911 infant deaths could be avoided each year, if women would breastfeed exclusively, and that $13 billion dollars are spent in excessive costs. The article alone didn't annoy me, it was the interpretation by someone else (sisters friend), who decided to accuse bottle feeding mommas of driving up her insurance premiums and killing innocent children.

First of all, not all bottle feeding moms do it by choice. Personally, I tried to breastfeed both of my children, but unfortunately, I'm simply unable to produce enough milk. I had plenty of resources, lactation consultants, breast pumps, pills and even beer (the yeast in micro brews helps some women), but alas, it wasn't meant to be. My boobs are purely decorative and it took me a while to come to grips with that. In fact, I cried the first time I bought formula. But it is what it is and making me feel guilty, because you have no idea what I've been through, is wrong on so many levels. Throwing "breast is best" statistics in my face, doesn't make my boobs suddenly work. Though you're welcome to tell them directly, but I doubt they'll listen to you either.

Secondly, there isn't a study on Earth that can conclusively determine that any of those children died because they weren't breastfed. It's utterly appalling that anyone would throw statistics like that in the face of grieving parents. "Your child died because you didn't breastfeed. Yup, if you'd just whipped out your boob, like a good mom, your child would still be alive." What kind of monster are you? For every reason those children died (SIDS, etc) there is a breastfed child who has died of the same.

Thirdly, me bottle feeding did not drive up your insurance premiums. I'm willing to bet, I paid far more for formula than you ever did in any potential increases (if you believe that bs). Those "extra costs" they're talking about weren't yours, they're referring to the parents and their costs. And in the grand scheme of things, the number of deaths by "lack of breastfeeding" doesn't even compare to the number of cancer deaths, so why not go after all the smokers who are supposedly driving up your insurance costs?

When it comes to breastfeeding, it's generally a choice (in some cases, like mine, it's not, but for arguments sake, we'll say it's a choice). For those who choose to breastfeed, good for you and for those that don't, good for you. It's highly hypocritical of anyone to say that the other is the wrong, because if you want people to respect your choice, you need to do the same.

Oh, and PS, how do you know that baby bottle isn't filled with breastmilk? Just sayin'.

A Moment of Silence

2010-04-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

I love my blog followers, I really do. So when I lose one, I automatically have to assume the worst; they died. What other reason could there be for not wanting to read my skillful repartee? And thus, I feel we need to take a moment of silence to mourn the loss of a follower.

Rest in peace, dear friend, rest in peace.

I'm actually a little weird about numbers. Right now I have 99 followers. I did have 100 and when I had 100, it was perfect. 99 just doesn't have the same ring, or the same number of followers (teehee). But it's an odd number. Can someone else follow me just so I don't have an odd number? It's giving me a complex. :oP

Seriously though, a big thank you to those who follow this blog, you rock! And I appreciate it. Makes me feel much less alone in the blog-o-sphere. And I shall reward you loyalists with a giveaway....coming soon! Who doesn't love free stuff?! Some new blog backgrounds coming soon too. Stay tuned!

YouTube Tuesday

2010-04-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

I LOVED watching The Chipmunks as a kid and I loved the movie Chipmunk Adventure even more. I always had to play Brittney, especially during the Girls of Rock 'n Roll song. Ah, those were the days of cartoons, none of that Digi-whatever-crap.
Imagine my surprise and joy when I borrowed the movie from the library and both of my girls loved it. In fact, my oldest always has to play Brittney, especially during the Girls of Rock 'n Roll song. She does the singing, dancing, everything. It's a hoot to watch. She makes me so proud. :o)
Enjoy this trip down memory lane.

Mama Drama Mondays

2010-04-05T10:34:00.001-07:00

I'm participating in Mama Drama Monday over at The Mama Dramalogues. Come on over and share your own blog link.

Happy Easter!

Friday Flashback: Fooled You

2010-04-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd participate in this week's Friday Flashback because yesterday has me reminiscing about the worst April Fool joke I ever pulled. I don't like April Fool's Day, and I don't normally participate, but a few years ago, I was talked into pulling the worst prank.

Jim and I were visiting his family and I was out running errands with his mom Pat and sister-in-law Jennifer. We got to talking about April Fool's pranks (it was April 1st) and Jennifer said she should tell her husband she was pregnant (they already had 4, so he would have freaked). Then Pat joked that she should tell Bill she was pregnant, which I personally thought would have been a hoot. Totally unbelievable, but funny nonetheless. Then they both looked at me and said, "Holly should do it!"

At the time, Peri was only 18 months old, so the thought of having another one was scary. However, I agreed and since Jim's twin sister was pregnant at the time, we had her pee on the stick (just in case I needed proof to pull off the prank).

I am NOT a good liar, in fact, I hate lying. My conscience won't let me do it and it literally makes me sick. I actually cried when I told Jim, which only played into the lie, and I felt even worse when he was so supportive. We had all planned on eating out at a restaurant where his cousin worked, and we were going to send out his dessert with a big April Fool's sign in it.

Once we got there, I just couldn't do it anymore. My stomach was in knots and I couldn't even eat. I had to tell him before I exploded. I leaned over and whispered, "April Fools." He just looked at me and didn't know what I was talking about. Then it dawned on him and his family just laughed. He laughed too (I think it was a relief laugh), but seriously, no one was more relieved than me. :oP Pretty sure that prank was worse on me than him.

Then 3 months later we got pregnant with our second and she was born April 7th of the following year. April Fools!!!! Serves me right. :oP

*****

Have a flashback of your own? Go on over to Tia's blog at www.christopherandtia.blogspot.com and join in the fun.

Got Milk? 'Cause We've Got Cookies!

2010-04-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

Don't deny yourself the fabulous "cookies" in this month's TMD Cookie Jar. Seriously, you'll regret it. For $15, you'll receive ten of the samples listed with a retail value of $60! What's better than that? Okay, you're right, but Johnny Depp was busy, maybe next month.

There are only 10 jars being offered for the entire month of April and once they're gone, they're gone until next month when new cookies will be up for grabs. So don't miss out on this fantabulous deal. Yes, I said fantabulous, what of it? :oP

TMD Cookie Jar

And for those who LOVE giveaways, The Mama Dramalogues has one of those too. :o)

The Mama Dramalogues Giveaway

YouTube Tuesday

2010-03-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

I don't now, nor do I ever think I shall Twitter. Honestly, I think it's a little overkill. TMI is an understatement. That anyone actually cares what you're doing every second of every day seems a bit stalkerish to me and that perhaps the interested person needs therapy or a life of their own. I don't have a life so I shall vicariously live yours, "Mmmm, waffles for breakfast again?! Good choice!"
In any event, I thought this was completely appropriate. :o)

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Mama Drama Mondays

2010-03-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Oops, forgot to post this yesterday. But in case you wanted to read my post, here it is. :o)

Is It Over Yet?

YouTube Tuesday

2010-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't really tuned into any of David Blaine's specials, but from what little I've seen, he's kind of weird. It also makes you wonder who thinks up his stunts? Is it just him or does he have a freak show team? In any event, it's some crazy shiznit.
I found this and thought it was freakin' hilarious! All of the actors are a hoot and I love how "David" keeps giving the camera "the look." Enjoy!

Mama Drama Mondays

2010-03-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

Forgetting about the Flickr drama for a moment and moving on to the Mama Drama. I'm participating in Mama Drama Monday, feel free to do the same! Visit The Mama Dramalogues and add your link at the bottom so we can share the "joys" of parenthood with you. :o)

Cranberry Juice

2010-03-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's todays flavor, bitter and sweet and leaves a yucky feeling in your mouth (like juice residue). Ew.

After the whole Flickr fiasco, I decided to contact the BBB and filed a complaint against Yahoo!, who owns Flickr. Do I really think anything will come of it? No. But did something need to be said? Hell yes. If anything, to hopefully remedy their poor customer service so this doesn't happen to someone else. I had heard of others losing their accounts without warning and I do hope they filed complaints as well. Especially if it was due to lack of customer support.

Oddly, I did get a similar warning email about a year ago against my Winklepots account. I wrote them back with the same, "What are you talking about, please clarify," and they wrote me again stating that they didn't see anything wrong either and that they would remove the flag on my account. Needless to say, I will not open any new accounts in the future with Flickr. This is such bad business practice and they should be ashamed.

Yes, it all just tastes like cranberry juice. Obviously bitter, really bitter (like there might be a hint of cyanide in there) and a little sweet because it was good while it lasted and I think it helped to inspire other venues to offer searchable screenshots as well. *sigh* I'll betcha a bit of vodka would make that juice a little more palatable. Cosmos anyone?

Are You Kidding Me?!!!

2010-03-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

Some people know, most don't, but I was the Admin for the Etsy Front Pagers Flickr group. A few weeks ago, I received an email telling me that some of my images were against the Flickr Terms of Service and that I needed to remove any urls or sales lingo from them. I had no idea what they were talking about, because they were only screenshots and nothing more. I asked them to clarify and never received a response. A few days later, I got another email asking me to remove the urls etc that were against the TOS and again, I wrote back asking them to tell me which images, because I had no idea what they were talking about.

Well, today, I went to log in and *poof* everything was gone; the account, the Flickr group and all images. Am I pissed?! You'd better believe it! There were over 13,000 images in that group. There is no excuse for what the Flickr staff did. Absolutely ridiculous! Who the Hell says you need to fix this and when asked "what?" they turn around and delete everything? OMG, I am so incredibly livid right now.

What does this mean? It means someone reported the Front Pagers as not being in compliance with the TOS so Flickr sent warnings but rather than follow up, they just deleted the account. Not sure who would do this (I have a small idea), but karma's a bitch, and may it bite you in the ass like a pitbull with rabies.

All the group was ever supposed to be was a way for people to find themselves on the front page. I thought this was a good thing. I know I've missed being on the front page and I know how important it is to have a screenshot to save of your 15 minutes of glory. This feels like a slap in the face. All of the hardwork over the past year and a half is completely gone. I love the Etsy community and I'm so happy that I was able to help them out. Just know that it wasn't deleted on my part and I'm so sorry that someone had to ruin it for everyone else.

Thanks for the support and best of luck to you in your sales and the future!

YouTube Tuesday

2010-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

OMG, this is the BEST prank ever! You'll have to click to see part two. To see the prank done before this one, click here. It's pretty good too. :o)

Got Clones?

2010-03-15T10:14:00.001-07:00

Boy do I ever! I'm over at the Mama Dramalogues today, participating in Mama Drama Monday. Please feel free to join us. You're welcome to post about anything and everything, just make sure to add your link to the blog list so we can read all about it. :o)

Come on over!

FYI

2010-03-13T12:42:00.001-08:00

Very excited about this; it's coming soon!!!
Click here for more info.

Goodbye Betty!

2010-03-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

*Sigh* Long ago, in a dealership lot not too far away, there lived a cute little mint green Honda Civic named Betty. Though, it would have been a more appropriate name had she been a Ford, but I digress. Her name was Betty, Betty Civic and she was perfect!

I was 18 and looking to buy my first car. I had brought my mechanic (brother) and my negotiator (father) and I was pretty sure I'd found the perfect first car for me. Not too dumpy, not too flashy and just within my price range. And she was mine, all mine.

Betty hailed from Pleasantville, NJ, which I thought was just awesome; how cool to have a car from a town called Pleasantville! Only the best cars are "born" there. Yes, Betty and I were perfect together. We road tripped several times and even survived some rough patches together, "I'm so sorry, Betty, I didn't understand the concept of coolant and learned an expensive lesson in engine replacement." But you stood by me anyway and we had some good times.

Then came the inevitable, marriage, kids and the need for a new, bigger car. Something that would allow more distance between the front and backseats and perhaps a nice soundproof barrier between them. I found that car, but she doesn't compare to you, Betty. No one could ever really replace you. In fact, it took me 5 months to finally come to terms with the fact that it was time to let you go find a new home. And a couple of weekends ago, you did. *sniff*

On the bright side, your new owner already loves you. You are her first car also and I'm thrilled that she's going to become attached to you the same way I did. The circle of auto-life, so to speak. I'll miss you, thanks for being fabulous, and may you enjoy your new home!

My friend Sherise posing with Betty on our first road trip.

How I Love Thee.......

2010-03-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

I'm over at The Mama Dramalogues today. My two year old is having a strange love affair. I suppose it could be worse. Her new favorite toy could have been the can opener or saran wrap. Kids are weird. Unfortunately, the saran wrap may have been a little less destructive. :oP

YouTube Tuesday

2010-03-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

If you haven't checked out Modern Family, you really should. It's a hoot! And besides, maybe your husband could take cues from Phil and "listen with his mind" to what you really want because you're "rudderless.". :oP

When I Grow Up

2010-03-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

"Hallelujah, I've been saved!"

I'm participating in The Mama Dramalogue Meme this week (check out the site for more participating blogs, or to participate yourself, hey, the more the merrier). Ever since sharing this little tidbit about my daughter to fellow Mama Drama'er Marisa, she thought I just had to share with everyone else. Mostly because she thinks it's weird and gross. :oP

So, up until now, I've been absolutely convinced that my oldest daughter, Peri (who's 5) was going to grow up and follow in my dramatic footsteps. I LOVE doing theatre, in fact, I really miss it, but watching Peri act out ALL of her favorite movies had me convinced she was going the theatrical route too. Until recently.

On several occasions, in recent weeks, I would be picking up toys and kept coming across stuffed animals that were soaking wet. Ew, gross. I would end up tossing them in the kitchen sink to dry and figured my girls were playing with them in the bathroom sink. That was until I found one such stuffed animal lying on the bathroom floor next to a splashy mess around the toilet. Are you freakin' kidding me?! That's just nasty!! Fortunately, a "clean" toilet, but still, ew.

Peri is apparently going to become a priest since she seems to enjoy baptizing all of her stuffed animals; which wouldn't be so bad if her baptismal font of choice weren't the freakin' toilet! Now whenever I come across a stuffed soul that has been saved, I toss them in the trash. I figured, they're going to heaven now anyway; we can't do much else for them. The last time Peri "saved" a furry friend, I made her dispose of him, and since then, she's curbed her baptizing pastime, at least for now. On top of that, we've also threatened to baptize her in the toilet if she does it again. We'll see how long this lasts. :oP And don't worry about the souls of any remaining furry friends, we'll just "pray for them." That should be good enough.

Mr. Rabbit, wait! I'm coming too!

2010-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

The movie opens today and I'm excited! In case you've been living under a rock, I'm talking about Alice in Wonderland. The cast looks amazing, I really love Tim Burton movies and now throw in 3D and it's heaven in a theatre. Since I've been sick the last couple of weeks, I've been living on my laptop and playing around in Paint. So, if anyone else wants to fall down the rabbit hole with me, go for it! Some fun backgrounds to add a little whimsy to your blog; just click on the one you'd like. :o) If you do use any of them, be sure to copy the information below the one you use (and put it on your blog somewhere) so that credit is given to that talented digital scrapper.

Elements from Designs by Sarah Bryan

Elements from Dark Moon's Dream

Elements from Grunge & Glitter

Elements from PolkaDot Scraps by Chassity

Timeout!!

2010-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm over at the Dramalogues today and I'm putting myself in timeout, because damn it, I've earned it. :op

YouTube Tuesday

2010-03-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for this movie to come out! Of course, I'll probably wait at least a month because the 3D crowd is going to be intense, but this is definitely a must see 3D. :o)

The Update

2010-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

So, I went to see the Rheumatologist last Wednesday. Still haven't figured it out. It could be Sjogren's, but more tests need to be done. And let me tell ya, I was practically a blood donor. Oi vey, I've never seen so many vials! I had a chest x-ray done (not sure what that's for), a bunch of blood drawn for about 16 tests and I'm going to see a Neurologist in a couple of weeks ("just in case"). Signs point to an autoimmune disorder and the sad thing is that whatever it is might be too early to detect. That is to say, that once I have more symptoms, it'll be easier to diagnose. Kinda crappy, but it is what it is.

I just want my sense of taste back. I really miss it. Oh Ben & Jerry, how I've missed you too.
I don't know if I'll ever get my taste back, but here's hoping, because damn it, Half Baked is awesome! The ice cream, silly. :oP

What's New With You?

2010-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm just going to forewarn you that this posting is more of an informative post than anything else. It's something I'm personally dealing with, so I just thought I'd share. You never know who might stumble across this blog looking for answers; same as me.

It all started in Fall of 2008 and over dinner I realized I couldn't taste much of anything. Like I was eating with a burnt tongue. I'm one of those people that constantly burns their tongue on hot food because dang it, I'm hungry now and can't wait for it to cool off. So, I just thought it was one too many burnt tongues and I'd have to wait for my taste buds to come back. They never did.

I went to a couple different doctors who just looked at me funny; they didn't see anything physically wrong. But come on, it's not in my head, quit putting me off! One of them sent me in for a ton of bloodwork, about 15 tests. Everything came back normal except for my SSB Sjogren antibody. It should be below 1.0 and mine was 3.1. Neither of us really knew what that meant except that I needed to see an expert, in this case, a Rheumatologist. This could potentially be Sjogren's Syndrome (pronounced SHOW-grins).

What is Sjogren's Syndrome? It's an autoimmune disease that normally manifests itself as dry eyes, nose and mouth but can lead to other problems, such as nerve and kidney problems and sometimes Lymphoma. There are two types of Sjogren's, primary and secondary, mine would be primary which means it's not caused by another disorder, but exists on its own. And in doing my research, I've found that my Trigeminal Nerve (taste) has been affected and I've always had Raynaud's Phenomenon. Raynaud's isn't tied to Sjogrens, but those with primary can also have Raynaud's. This is a circulation thing and when my fingers are exposed to extreme cold, the top portion of all of my fingers turn white until I warm them up again and get the blood flowing. Honestly, I always thought that happened to everyone's fingers, but hey, you learn something new everyday.

So, I'm seeing a Rheumatologist next Wednesday and we'll see what she says. It's an appointment I've been putting off, mostly because I have to drive out to BFE to go (seriously, HMOs suck). But hopefully, if it is Sjogren's my regular doctor can help with treatment. I can't imagine making the drive out there on a regular basis.

So that's that. Sorry for the novel, but hey, maybe someone with similar symptoms will read this and find an answer. One in 70 people has Sjogren's and 95% of them are women.

"We're Sorry..."

2010-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

"...the number you have dialed is no longer in service. But we hope you enjoyed it while it lasted. You are now being disconnected." (click)

Tonight, Jim and I watched the movie "Julie & Julia." A little bit on the long side, but completely relatable. Julie is nearing 30, stuck in a thankless job and wondering what she's done with her life. Well, I've already hit 30, I'm stuck in a thankless job and I too am wondering what I've done thus far. And then I want to smack her upside the head and say, "Well, Julie, I've one-upped you because try doing anything productive once you have kids." I can't even imagine the lobster fiasco with children in the room. "Mommy, what are you doing?" "Oh, I'm just stabbing this lobster in the head and throwing him into that boiling pot of hot water. Then we're going to eat him. Yum!"

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but I really really really miss my freedom. It wasn't until a few years ago that I even figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up, but by then, we'd already had Peri, and dreams fell by the wayside. And oddly, with all of the technology we currently have to stay in touch, does anyone else feel busier and less connected? It seems like the easier we try to make things, the more we add to our plates and it's no wonder we feel overwhelmed. Now that everyone can get a hold of me anytime and anywhere, they do!

So that's where I am now. Feeling completely disconnected... from myself. I've piled enough on my plate that I'm too exhausted to do anything just for me. I keep thinking that perhaps with those few extra child free hours coming in the Fall, I'll finally be able to do something fun, but knowing me, it just means laundry will actually get folded instead of sitting in the basket for days.

Anyone else feeling a bit disconnected? What aren't you doing that you really wish you were? Do you still have dreams or have you given up? I just don't want to wake up in ten years, with a few more grays to keep my wrinkles company, and think "Damn, I missed the boat." *sigh* I truly am one of those people that believes I can do anything I want to do, but it would really help me out if someone wanted to donate any hours they aren't using and perhaps your extra energy too. Anything to help the cause would be much appreciated!

Ah, Valentine's Day...um...yeah

2010-02-14T11:00:00.001-08:00

I couldn't have said it better myself. :oP

Valentine's Day is about remembering important people....
(inside) "Like Saint Valentine, who was arrested for marrying Christian couples in Rome. He was beaten with clubs, stoned, then beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate."
Card by NeatThings
Favorite Meal Greeting Card by howfab

(Inside) "This isn't working out."
Card by goatcards

"Love... is like a booger. You keep picking at it until you get it, then wonder what to do with it. - unknown"
Card by Earmark

Card by goodgosh
Sometimes the direct approach is best.

All Kinds of Cool Stuff

2010-02-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

Lots of fun stuff going on!

I was recently featured in The Modern Handmade Child magazine with an interview and photos. Be cure to check it out! I'm fascinating. :oP

Winklepots was also lucky enough to be featured in an Etsy Storque article and email of featured finds over the weekend. That was pretty cool!

And since it's Monday, I'm over at The Mama Dramalogues doling out punishments to my 5 year old. Trust me, it's worth a visit. :o)
A Sign of Punishment

Mama Drama Mondays

2010-01-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Did your cleaning fairies go on strike too? Yeah, I had to get a book to help me out until they return. I hope they return. In the meantime, check out my post over at The Mama Dramalogues, today.

A Clean Sweep

YouTube Tuesday - Give Me an I

2010-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Brings new meaning to the phrase "An eye for an I." Leave it to those College Humor folks. :o)

Sold Out

2010-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our local hockey team is the Portland Winterhawks. I became a fan about 14 years ago (wow, really?) and back then there was no mascot, prize dropping blimp and the zamboni was still white instead of covered with a hideous truck decal.

It's been a couple of years since we went to a game, mostly because the coach at the time was really really bad, and the games were more frustrating than fun. I'm a little disappointed with how things have evolved over the years, with the so called added entertainment, but I was downright livid when we went to the game tonight.

Yes, it's the first game I've gone to that was completely sold out, and not in a full house kind of way. Tonight, I was introduced to the Portland Bimbettes, er, Rosettes, I mean Rosebuds. Portland's first hockey dance team. Apparently, it didn't cross their minds why it never existed in the past; because it's a dumb idea. I guess the lure of the game, beer and brawls wasn't enough, they had to add bimbos to bring in the guys. Really?

If you've ever seen the movie Mean Girls and their hoochie dance to Jingle Bell Rock, it's like that, only imagine 20 of them doing it. I missed the first Ho's on Ice dance routine; I just couldn't bring myself to stoop that low. And during the second, I found my wallet more fascinating and missed watching that one too.

During the second intermission, we had the chance to "get to know" a couple of the bimbettes. One of them had to plug her Etsy shop, which was really tacky (seriously, they had it scrolled on the bottom of the screen), and the other is from Tanasbourne, Oregon. For those who don't live here, there's no such town. It's the name of a shopping district. My friend who was with me, kept saying I could be part of the team, but I assured her I wouldn't pass the IQ test. "I'm sorry, your IQ is above 75, you don't qualify."

Grrrr, seriously, disappointed in the franchise for coming up with this crap. I looked at the website and apparently there's a schedule for when they perform. At least I'll know which games to go to pending their absence.

Feature Friday - Got Calendars?

2010-01-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Printable mini calendar by littlebrownpen

For the last two years in a row, I've forgotten to buy a wall calendar for my kitchen (the only one I really refer to) and I've been lost! By the time I would remember to get a new calendar, they were all sold out in the store and I'd have to pay too much for them online. Fortunately, when I was out purchasing other things in November, I found a 2010 calendar that I liked. So yay, I'll know what day of the week it is now and be able to schedule appointments accordingly. No more sticky notes and pulling out my cell phone or computer to check the date. I feel so connected.

And in case you procrastinate too, here are some really cool calendars to keep you organized in 2010!

Cute Kawaii day planner by Maluhia

For the desk set by Saratams

Fun and colorful wall calendar by StephanieFizer

Very cool dry erase rewritable wall calendar by SimpleShapes

Thought this was neat and colorful; a calendar poster that displays the entire year and spaces large enough to make notes by TheSketchedBook

Ta da!

2010-01-05T11:50:00.001-08:00

Well, here is the new and improved Winklepots and Random Thoughts! I think so anyway. I guess if I start losing readers, I'll know they preferred the old look.

I wanted something not too cutesy so that my snarky posts didn't feel so out of place and unloved. I've downsized a few things and added some new. I feel a bit more liberated which could be a good or bad thing in terms of my posts. More fun for me and hopefully more fun for you too. Good times for all!

So, tell me what you like and I suppose you can tell me what you don't like too. It's hard to hurt my feelings, so I'll send you a medal if you manage it. :oP

New features include the buttons in the righthand column. The Winklepots and Random Thoughts buttons will pull up all posts tagged with things pertaining to my shop or my random posts, respectively. Photos will take you to my Flickr photostream and The Shop will take you to, um, my shop. Yeah. There is also an email link in the lefthand column, in case you are a little higher maintenance and need some one on one time with moi. And I wouldn't blame you, I'm fascinating. :o)

Anyway, here's to the start of a new year and more Random Thoughts!

Playing With Paint

2009-12-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

So I want to revamp my blog, but this time around, I want to create the background myself. The one I have now I did myself, but in a really round about time consuming way. I recently discovered Paint.net. It's a free software that works like Photoshop. I've been reading up on tutorials and playing around with various scrapbook elements, these are all from A Scrap in the Bush.
Look what I've been up to! :o)

This is my 1st attempt: Vintage Brick

I managed to mess up the sizing on my 2nd attempt: Beige Garden

My 3rd, to which I refer to as Marisa. :o) Can't imagine why this reminds me of an elegant snob I know.

And my most recent: Vintage Decay.... See, I'm getting better! Shadows and everything.

I haven't quite figured out my blog's new background yet. So many elements, so little time. But when I've got it, you'll know. :o)

Happy New Year!!!!

YouTube Tuesday

2009-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, technically, it's not YouTube (because they're not allowed to show it there) but it's on Hulu and I had to share because I thought it was pretty funny. I also realize it's been about a month since I posted last; I have lots to share, but I've been bogged down with the holidays and I'll have to fill you in when I get a chance.

PS, Personally, I'm Team Volturi, let's put an end to this nonsense. :oP

YouTube Tuesday

2009-11-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

I love these Target Women videos. And since one of the items on my "Thankful For" list is birth control, I thought this one was especially fitting to post. Not only do I not have to worry about getting pregnant, but I don't have to leave the family and sit in a hut for a week. Yay!

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-11-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

Head on over to The Mama Dramalogues. I posted a few things I'm thankful for. You won't want to miss this warm fuzzy post, because I don't post many of them. :oP

Click here for: Thank Goodness

Also, Santa has made another stop, this time in the Central US. Check out the sales in these Etsykids Shops!

Santa's Sleigh Ride Team Holiday Sale - Fifth Stop

2009-11-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

Graphic by Twinkle Star Art

This holiday season, join the Etsykids Team for a ride in Santa's Sleigh! Starting November 1st through Christmas Eve, participating shops will be sharing the holiday cheer with a shop sale of their choice. Santa will be traveling to each shop to take advantage of these great savings and you can come along and perhaps snag a deal of your own! To help Santa, and so he doesn't get lost, we'll be tracking his journey with a new blog post at each regional stop and highlighting the stores he's visiting.

Santa just finished shopping and working on his tan in the Southern United States, now he's moved north into the Mountain West Region. He's stopping in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. Whew!

Click here to check out the shops.

Remember, Winklepots is having a sale too, 10% off and hairbows are 2/$12!

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-11-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Join me over at The Mama Dramalogues today where I'm delving into The Survival of the Cutest. Because sometimes, it's the only thing keeping our kids alive. :oP

Just one of the many "documented examples" of my youngest employing her cute factor.

Before Naptime

After Naptime

The Original Hot Vamp

2009-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

There's no denying it, vampires are hot right now. And I don't know about you, but it's a trend that can't end soon enough. How many sexy vamp/swooning human girl/doomed romances do we really need? Between The Vampire Diaries, Twilight Saga, True Blood and whatever other show is trying to capitalize on this "beaten to death" plot, none of them can even hold a stake to the original sexy vamp/swooning human girl/doomed romance.

Ah yes, remember Buffy and Angel? The couple who not only started it all, but really knew how the roles should have been played. Vampires are evil, blood sucking demons of the undead and Buffy was chosen to slay them all. And she did it well, for several seasons, in fact. You go girl! None of this damsel in distress crap that those other vamp lovers cling to. Seriously, if Buffy could see how pathetic you all really are, she'd stake all your boyfriends and enlist you in her slayer academy. Except maybe Bella, because clearly, the girl has klutz issues.

Enter the vampire with a soul, Angel, and though there are centuries of angst and broodiness, he's a vamp who's been around long enough that he's not going to waste his time repeating high school for the umpteenth time or play the "woe is me card" either. In fact, he'd rather spend his time helping others fight their demons, so he ends up with his own show, doing just that. Sexy, strong and clearly not hung up on himself, Angel can bite me anytime. No really, Angel, if you're reading this, my address is.... And as far as a duel between Angel and twinkly Edward? Really, is it even up for debate? Hands down Angel/Angeles would kick Edwards sparkly @$$ any day of the week. Because it's really hard to fight when you're pre-occupied with which broody face is less stalkerish looking or which hair gel will give just the right "I feel out of bed" look.

Those other shows and movies can certainly try, but it's already been done, and it was already done really well. So please, can't we just stick the wannabes in a coffin, nail it shut and call it a night? Or at least bring Buffy back armed with lots of pointy sticks.

Santa's Sleigh Ride Team Holiday Sale - Third Stop

2009-11-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Graphic by Twinkle Star Art

This holiday season, join the Etsykids Team for a ride in Santa's Sleigh! Starting November 1st through Christmas Eve, participating shops will be sharing the holiday cheer with a shop sale of their choice. Santa will be traveling to each shop to take advantage of these great savings and you can come along and perhaps snag a deal of your own! To help Santa, and so he doesn't get lost, we'll be tracking his journey with a new blog post at each regional stop and highlighting the stores he's visiting.

Santa's last stop was the Pacific Northwest and now he's made his way to the Pacific Southwest. He'll be stopping in California and Hawaii. Don those sunglasses and check out these shops....

View Here

Don't miss it, Winklepots is having a sale, 10% off any order and 2/$12 hairbow sets (cannot be combined with 10% off).

How Was Your Day?

2009-11-04T17:27:00.001-08:00

If it hadn't actually just happened, I wouldn't have believed it. Today started out like any other day, just me and the girls and a trip to the grocery store. Peri didn't have any school today, but shopping had to get done, so I reluctantly took both girls. As we put on our coats, before we left the house, I reminded the girls that they had to be good in the store. They assured me they would so that they could stop by the bakery and get a free cookie.

Before we even got through the automatic door, they started acting up. I'm one of "those" moms who gets the ginormous shopping cart with the car attached to the front that the kids can sit in. But I'm doing it to save your sanity and mine. And it usually works. But not today. After getting them in it, they almost immediately start whining with the whole "she's touching me" bit. Okay, girls, knock it off or no cookies.

We zig-zag through the aisles and the girls get increasingly more annoying and no longer want to stay in the cart. Every time I stop to get something, one of them climbs out. Why don't they install 5 point harnesses with a freakin' lock on these things? "Mommmmmeeeeeeeee, I want a cookie." "That's nice Peri, you have to be good or you won't get one." "Mommmmmeeeeeee, I don't like this. Mommmmmeeeeee, I want a cookie. "And I want you to stop whining and be a good girl." "But Mommmmmmeeeeee..." "Words cannot express how much I don't care right now. Sit down, be good, or no cookies." We have this conversation at least five times.

I eventually have to separate the two and put Ryah in the front of the cart with me. Once we get to the bakery, I have every intention of not giving either of them a cookie. I just want a loaf of French Bread and I will be on my way. Unfortunately, once I get it, the gal working in the bakery says the C word to the girls. Damn.

As if shopping with them isn't bad enough, they keep at it. As soon as we get home, both girls go to timeout. Peri to her bed and Ryah on the stool with her nose in the corner. There's no talking in timeout, but Ryah keeps repeating, "Mommmmmeeeeeee!" I move the stool to four different locations, so she won't open doors, bang on walls or whine at me. She ends up in my bedroom and proceeds to dump all of the dirty clothes out of the hampers while I'm gone. Um, apparently you never want to get out of timeout.

My girls are lucky to survive long enough to have lunch. Then I hear it, a bus out front. Wait, what? I look at my calendar, so sure it's Veterans Day. OMG, are you kidding me? You mean I could have sent Peri to preschool this morning and only dealt with one child?!!!! ARGH! "Hurry, Peri get out of your leotard and put your clothes back on, you're going to school." I apologize profusely to the bus driver, for not being prepared, and send Peri on her way. Well, at least I only have one child left. One who has just locked me out of the house! Is there a kick me sign on my back? "Open the door Ryah.... Ryah!" Grrrr. I have to go through the maze in the garage to get back inside. "Straight to bed with you, child!"

About a half hour later I get a phone call, "Peri isn't feeling well. You need to come and get her." Ah man. I go get Ryah, who not only hasn't stayed in her bed for naps, but she's under Peri's bed and has pulled out all of the storage items underneath it. Don't have time to scold her now. Gotta go get Peri.

She has a headache and moans and groans on the couch, but only when I look at her.
Let's turn on a movie, The Nightmare Before Sanity, er, Christmas.

And here we are. I'm counting down the minutes 'til bedtime and I may have to send them to bed early. Jim has school tonight, so it's just me and the girls, no breaks. Someone please pass me some alcohol stat!!!! I need a timeout. How was your day?

This Is It

2009-11-01T19:28:00.001-08:00

I went to the movies today (I know right?) and saw the new Michael Jackson documentary This Is It. I didn't really have any expectations and I wanted to see it mostly because I was curious to see what MJ had been working on prior to his death. Let me tell you, if you get the chance, go see it. It's only out for two weeks, so hurry!

It really doesn't matter what you thought about him as a person, Michael Jackson was a performer. An amazing performer. The real tragedy is that all of the effort put into creating his final show was never fully realized. All of the costumers, pyro technicians, sound operators, dancers and singers put in so many hours to create the perfect show, and they never had the chance to perform it. And boy was it going to be one amazing show.

Saying Michael Jackson was talented is a gross understatement; the man was a visionary. His latest take on Thriller, 3D awesome; costume for Beat It, it was going to be incredible; and his army of dancers for "They Don't Care About Us", wow just wow. Visually stunning and to top it off, MJ was in top form. That was not some 50-year-old has been, he was singing and dancing like I always remembered him. I could only hope to be half as spry when I hit 50.

This would have been an incredible show and while the world won't get to see it the way it was originally intended, at least we are able to get a small glimpse of something that can only be described as greatness personified.

Santa's Sleigh Ride Team Holiday Sale

2009-11-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Graphic by Twinkle Star Art

Kick off the holiday shopping season with Santa's Sleigh Ride, a team wide sale hosted by the Etsykids Team. Starting November 1st through Christmas Eve, participating shops will be sharing the holiday cheer with a shop sale of their choice. Santa will be traveling to each shop to take advantage of these great savings and you can come along and perhaps snag a deal of your own! To help Santa, and so he doesn't get lost, they'll be tracking his journey with a new blog post at each regional stop and highlighting the stores he's visiting.

This week, he's starting his journey in Canada. And those Canucks know how to craft. See for yourself...

Stay tuned, Santa will be visiting a new region on Thursday!

Just a Little Crafty

2009-10-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

I didn't do a post on the Mama Dramalogues last Monday, so to make up for it, I did a crafty tutorial today. Check it out! :o)

PS. Happy Halloween!!!

YouTube Tuesday

2009-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I may very well be the last person on the planet to see this (based on the number of views) but I just found it yesterday and I thought it was pretty cool. One amazing singer (who better to harmonize with you than you, right?), some very cool video editing and voila', love it! If you're a fan of the show Glee, you'll really like this.

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-10-19T12:50:00.001-07:00

I'm over at the Mama Dramalogues today. I'm honestly surprised I was even able to post at all, seeing as how I was called to jury duty this morning. Federal jury duty. And I was found guilty.

Ugh.

Creating a Moment of Zen

2009-10-12T11:05:00.001-07:00

You may find this hard to believe, but I used to be one well put together cookie. Before kids, even before marriage, I was organized, sharp and well rested. Now I’m as organized as the city dump, as sharp as a spoon and I might as well blame it on the fact that I haven’t slept in five years. My life is chaotic and I feel like I’m grasping at something, anything, that will help keep it all in check. Or at the very least, give me a few moments of Zen.

Some may call me a control freak, but if I don’t have control over my life, then who has the reigns if I don’t? So, in an effort to get things back on track, I’m trying to lose weight to be in control of my body, sorting through the clutter to keep the house under control and get back into doing the things that I love so that the part that makes me me is not on the back burner. I’m more than a wife and a mother, I’m still me. And that person likes to be fit, organized and in control of her life.

I’ve started to sort through all of our belongings and have begun to purge. And I must say that once something leaves this house, never to return, it is incredibly satisfying and I feel like I’ve accomplished a great feat. Also, now it’s someone else’s clutter and not mine. Neener neener. :oP If you haven’t discovered it yet, you should check out Freecycle.org. It’s a Yahoo Group and you sign up for specific to your county. Members list items they are getting rid of, need or want. Just email the person and schedule a pick up. And since it’s free, you can always leave the items on your porch and not even be disturbed when someone comes to claim the item(s). I’ve found quite a few things I wanted/needed and have gotten rid of plenty. It’s a wonderful resource. One man’s trash is another’s treasure.

I’m also participating in a huge children’s consignment sale, starting next weekend. Take all of your old, good used condition baby items, tag them with a price and take them over. Do NOT hold onto baby items unless you’re planning to have another one in a year or two. Of course, keep the staples like the crib and primo stroller you love, but get rid of those baby clothes! If you do decide to have another child a few years from now, the odds are, the clothing you currently have you either won’t like or it’s out of style. So Freecycle the items that are stained or not worth selling and make a few dollars to add to your rainy day fund with the rest. Think of all of the extra storage space you’ll free up.

If you’re house looks anything like mine, you’ve “binged” on things for years and never purged and now it appears to be a daunting task. But it’s not hopeless, I promise. Pick something small, like the hall closet, the tote of baby things or the junk drawer in the kitchen. Spend an hour going through it and getting rid of the things you no longer use/need then organizing it so that the things you are keeping are easy to find. If you don’t remember the last time you used it, you don’t need it. Then don’t wait to get rid of the things you don’t need, just list them, take them to Salvation Army, whatever. You haven’t accomplished anything until they’re gone and you’re missing out on the gratifying Zen moment.

It doesn’t sound like much, but do the closet today, the bathroom tomorrow, the pantry the next day, etc. Eventually, you’ll have cleared out so much stuff, it will almost feel metaphoric. You’ll weed out the clutter from your life, so that all that’s left is the necessities, organization and maybe a hint of your former, put together, self. And that’s definitely worth the effort.

A Feature and a Smile

2009-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hello fabulous readers! I'm being featured over on Tic Tac Dough's blog (which is super cute, by the way). There's also a special sale for her readers, so if you love korker bows, check it out! :o)

A Mad Hatter of a Tea Party

2009-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've posted some photos over on The Mama Dramalogues today, but if you just couldn't get enough of this super cute party, take a look! And if you'd like ideas on throwing one yourself, you can read my how-to's in Part 1 and Part 2.

Super cute, super fun and really easy. No really! Have I ever lied to you? I mean on purpose. :oP

Welcome to Wonderland...

Running through the rabbit hole so she won't be late!

A tea party that's "Just the right size."

Alice enjoying the decor.

Painting the roses red.

"Eat me? Don't mind if I do."

"Hahahaha, eat me!" and repeat a few dozen times. Ryah took a liking to that saying.

"And always say, 'Yeessss, your Majesty!'"

How could you not follow a white rabbit as cute as this one? ;o)

One more thing to note, the next time we do this, I'd like to throw an official Unbirthday Party. Boys can even be invited to this one since there's no princess theme. Everyone brings a gift and since it's everyone's unbirthday, each child will exchange with someone else and take a gift home. We'll probably play croquet next time too. Just a fun afternoon in Wonderland. :o)

Son of a @#$%!

2009-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

We had just returned from Peri's ballet class and the girls insisted we get the mail before going inside. It's a daily ritual and each girl claims a colorful piece of junk mail that will soon be recycled.

Peri set hers on the table and as Jim and I sat down to eat, he glanced at it and said, "What's this?" Then he started to chuckle. It was addressed to me: United States District Court. GAH!! Dagnabit! Not just a County Court, oh no, Federal, this time around. I was summoned a couple of years ago to the County Court and fortunately, after calling the night before, my number was not included in the list of people who actually had to show up. Dodged that bullet, but it doesn't look like I'll be as lucky this time.

Yet again I'm kicking myself for registering to vote. The reason I hadn't registered in the past is because I never wanted to be called to jury duty (and let's face it, you're always voting for the lesser of two evils anyway), then I was misinformed that registering to vote had nothing to do with being called for jury duty. Um, yeah, not true because I've been called twice since then and in the first letter, it informed me that my name was chosen using DMV along with Voter Registration Records. Damn.

I'm not interested in politics and local government; it's the only class in college that I got a C in, and that was by the skin of my teeth. Thank goodness for essay homework to offset the F's from the quizzes. Yes, I understand it's my civic duty, but it doesn't mean that I have to like it. On the one hand, I've always been curious about what serving on an actual jury during a trial would be like, but the "I just want to congratulate you again on being selected" at the end of my letter, is going a little overboard and somehow mocks my pain.

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-09-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm over at the Mama Dramalogues today. It's part 2 of planning a Mad Hatter Tea Party. Don't miss the fun! Check out some of the super cool decor and ideas. :o)

Down the Rabbit Hole Part 2

m.i.a.

2009-09-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been m.i.a lately. Or maybe you didn't even notice; yikes! :oP Lots has been going on lately. Last weekend I did a craft booth at the local farmers market, last Monday we had to put our dear Lhasa Apso down and this weekend is my daughter's 5th birthday party. Just a tad overwhelmed.

The Good News....
The booth went pretty well. I only sold about half of my booth fee, but that's better than nothing and it was well received which gives me the confidence to do it again. I believe in the power of three: people see you the first time, recognize you the second and buy from you the third. I think people are leery of vendors that are here and gone but unfortunately, I was unable to do three weekends in a row. Hopefully this fall/winter I'll be able to do it. I was also approached about doing a bazaar at a local elementary school in November. Sounds perfect! We'll see how that pans out. But check out my booth, pretty cute. :o)

I wish you could see my banner a little better (too much glare from the sun/camera). It turned out really nice and I highly recommend the shop who made it for me: WilsonGraphics

Korker Bows and ElegantSnobbery Cards.

ElegantSnobbery Prints

The Bad News....
For some strange, flukey reason, our Lhasa Apso, Charlie, got a ruptured disc in his neck which occurred about two weeks ago. This ended up pinching his spinal cord and leaving all four of his legs paralyzed.
We adopted Charlie from the local humane society about 4 years ago. He was 2 years old at the time and we found out he had a grade 6 heart mumur. That's as bad as it gets and the vet was surprised that he was even still alive. We came to an arrangement with the humane society that we would keep Charlie for as long as he had so that they wouldn't have to put him down because they couldn't legally adopt him out. He continued to surprise us year after year with his puppy-like energy and you'd never have known he was even terminal.
Due to his heart condition, and the few thousand dollar non-guarantee surgery option, we made the painful choice to put him down, but not before spending the weekend showering him with love and affection. His body gave out, but his heart never did. We'll miss him.

The Sanity Saving News....
Two stressful things and I desperately needed an escape, enter my daughter's 5th birthday party. As I had mentioned on Monday, I'm throwing Peri a Mad Hatter Tea Party. All of her friends, from preschool, will come dressed in their favorite princess outfits and Peri will be dressed as Alice. I'm transforming my house into a Wonderland and it's been a fabulous distraction. I really needed something to take my mind off of everything else. It's been a lot of fun though and I'm anxious to share the final result once the party is over. I'll be posting on The Mama Dramalogues several how-to's and sharing my tips and ideas for throwing a really fun tea party on a budget. So stay tuned!

Down the Rabbit Hole (Part 1)

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

We're going Down the Rabbit Hole. You know you want to come, so just following the white rabbit. :o)

The Mama Dramalogues

YouTube Tuesday!!

2009-09-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I thought this was pretty funny. What if Tim Burton worked for Disney? Hm........

YouTube Tuesday!!

2009-09-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Such a cool song and a great message. Love the video too. Just a good mix of all things awesome. She also does a pretty good Facebook Song, you'll have to check out. :o)

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-09-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

You Know You're a Mom When....

Your baby coos/walks/talks for the first time and you tell EVERYONE that will listen, and you don't really notice when the postman rolls his eyes at you.

You no longer have to read the words to The Barnyard Dance; you have it memorized.

You have a hard time finishing a

You feel no shame by the fact that you know the words to the theme song from Clifford the Big Red Dog, you just don't freely offer up that information at cocktail parties.

You realize that the butt-sniff-check is sometimes necessary to determine a mess and sometimes other people have to witness you do it.

The word "late" was never in your vocabulary until Aunt Flo was and you've never been on time for anything since.

For the rest of the list, come see my post over at the Mama Dramalogues. :o)

YouTube Tuesday!!

2009-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jim loves playing this game and I had to laugh when I saw this clip. Definitely would make rush hour a little more interesting.

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-08-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from my usual snarkiness (it's okay, I'll be back); I just felt the need to share something very personal and heartbreaking over on the Mama Dramalogues. Please take a moment and join me over there....

"Take a Moment and Hug Your Kids a Little Tighter"

Feature Friday - Simply Sparkles

2009-08-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Q: Tell us a little about yourself; what makes you so special...
Wow, all of the answers I can come up with sound like I'm going to an AA meeting "Hi, my name is Alyssa and I'm weird". Is everyone clapping for me?? Anyone who knows me understands that I'm more than a little off, but that's...OK. At least that's what I tell myself. I'm originally from Hawaii, but have moved all over the US. Most recently I lived in Boston (and LOVED it) for 7 years, then got moved to Texas...where I'm trying to convince myself I can live without going completely insane. I'm a stay at home mom, with a 3 1/2 year old girl and a 1 1/2 year old boy who keep me on my toes and contribute to my need to be caffeinated at all times. I'm a lover of crafts o plenty and a part time Graduate certificate student at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston.

Q: What do you make/create?
I make some pretty funky jewelry. If you're looking for a theme in my store...you probably won't find it, except maybe that I like flowers and the color pink. You'll find a lot of stuff made with Swarovski crystals, polymer clay flowers and wire...lots and lots of wire of many colors. I like to create on a whim, so you never know what you're going to find in my store!

I also make sewn accessories...though I will admit, summer school and an unforeseen jewelry making frenzy sort of put my sewing on the back burner. I desperately need to bust out my sewing machine and get some things done before the Fall semester starts.

Now onto the really important questions...

Q: If you were an appliance, what kind of appliance would you be? Why?
My Oster blender. That's pretty much how my mind works...throw a bunch of random stuff in and hit "puree".

Q: Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
If you can believe it, my friend Gina in NYC...on Friday. What can I say, I don't talk on the phone that much!

Q: What's your most embarrassing moment?
Uh...life?
One of the MORE embarrassing moments was when I was in Grad School the first time. I was working full time and taking a summer school night class. The classroom was stadium seating style...you know, each row of tables and chairs were on a riser. I had a habit of sitting in the last chair in the row, towards the top tier. It was getting late (like 8:00 pm on a Friday) and I was exhausted after a long day. I nodded off in my seat and when I jerked awake I started to fall out of my seat and down the stair right next to my feet. My movement was so sudden that the professor stopped in his tracks...mid sentence...then asked if I was OK...which of course caused the ENTIRE class to turn around and look at me. I wanted to DIE.

Q: Movie star crush?
Gerard Butler, baby! I could listen to him talk all day. Oh yeah, and he's not to hard on the eyes either.

Q: Black and white or a hazy grey?
The haziest grey you can imagine. I live life in a fog :)

Q: Who's on your iPod/cd player?
If anyone needed proof of how schizo I am, just look at my iPod play list. I have some really embarrassing corny stuff like The Village People, The Monkees and Air Supply, I have some serious head banging metal stuff like Metallica and Corrosion of Conformity...some icky pop stuff like N'Sync (I know, please forgive me) and The Spice Girls...and a TON of nostalgic 80's and 90's dance music...from my high school dance and dance club days.

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?
I've said it before...and I'll say it again. Harry, I love you, but take away your wand and Mr. Skywalker will crush you with his Jedi mind tricks. Luke's lightsaber is far flashier than your holly and phoenix feather wand...and he has Han, Chewie and the Millennium Falcon backing him up. You never stood a chance.

Q: Best advice you ever received?
"Study hard so that you'll never have to rely on a man". My dad told me that when I was on my way to college...and what he meant was to learn all I could and make a life for myself so that I could stand on my own two feet, even if I ever found myself all alone. Of course, I've been married for 14 years, but the nice thing is, God forbid, if I ever found myself in the position where I had to take care of myself and the kids all by myself, I'd be able to do it.

Check out more of Alyssa's fun jewelry in her shop!

I Have a Dream

2009-08-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but I'm looking forward to turning 30. Why? Because not only will I be looking fabulous, as previously mentioned due to all the weight I shall be losing, but because it feels like a fresh start. I've already had one friend ask me if I was dreading it and how scary the big 3-0 must be, but I just had to smile and say, "Nope, my 30's are going to be so much better than my 20's." Besides, having the right attitude is half the battle right?

Yeah, getting older kinda sucks, but there will always be someone younger than you, thinner than you, prettier than you, and what are you going to do about it? Sulk or embrace what you have and make the most it. I'm doing the latter. I want to look great on the outside and feel fab on the inside. I'm taking it a step further and planning to document my fabulousness. Samantha did it in "Sex and the City" and I think I'm up for it. That would be an au naturel photo session, except, I think I'll be taking the pictures and I probably won't be putting them up on the wall in my living room.

On my journey to fab, I'm going to need all of the motivation I can get. You'd think having an upcoming photoshoot and a birthday would be enough, but if I don't document my progress somehow, so that I'm held accountable, it's going to be harder to reach my goal of being fab once I hit 30. Here's the deal, my birthday is November 27th, my goal size is a 6 so I'm guesstimating my weight at about 125 to fit that. I'm currently 145 and a size 10. I need to work out at least 5 days a week. I'm adding a Fab@30 section to my sidebar to document where I'm at. I may be the only one who pays attention to it, but the fact that it's there and that someone else might see it, will make me want to show some progress.

So here I go! Wish me luck! :o)

YouTube Tuesday!!

2009-08-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite songs. It's beautifully written and performed and I love the video's message about kissing being a general form of affection. I think the little girl dressed as a princess and the mother and baby are especially sweet.
Add this to your relaxation play list because this is a fabulous chill out song. It was also featured in the Sex and the City movie and is on the soundtrack. Ah, bliss. :o)

Mama Drama Mondays

2009-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's my day for Mama Drama-ing. So, join me over there for a post which bears repeating. And repeating. And repeating.

Not So Merry Maid

2009-08-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining, the cat is purring and the kids are right outside my bedroom door... screaming. Ah, and so begins another morning. As I drag myself out of bed, I mentally start going through my to-do list: make more korkers, take photos, paint some shirts, design a new business card, work-out.... I open the bathroom door and am met with a pool of water on the floor. Lovely. The kids' new favorite toy is the toilet. I somehow overlooked the appeal but apparently, it's the ideal place for rubber duckies, mermaids and bath toys to go swimming.

After cleaning up the water mess, I go to let the dogs out and find that one of them managed to get out of the kennel and pee not once, but twice on the hardwood floor. Argh! Two more messes to clean up. I start another load of laundry and finish up the dishes, while the girls play in the front room.

"Mommeeeeee, Ryah's being naughty!" I ask Peri what Ryah did and she points to the wall. How the heck did Ryah get a hold of a black crayon?! "Ryah, go sit in timeout." As I scrub the crayon off the wall, Ryah keeps repeating that she'll be a good girl. Nope, as long as I'm scrubbing, you'll be sitting.

After I finish folding laundry, I head upstairs and narrowly miss stepping in cat puke. Seriously!! It's not even 9 am and I'm so done cleaning! Before I can finish cleaning an existing mess, I have a new one to take its place. And so the day goes, then before I know it, it's 7:30 (FINALLY) and the kids go down for the evening. Now I can start on my to-do list! Hm, I can't take photos at night, it's too late to work out, I guess I could paint something but that would require cleaning up afterward. Cleaning? Um, no thanks, let's see what's on Hulu, I'm sure I'll have time tomorrow........

YouTube Tuesday!!

2009-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I need to start drinking Nestea. My best bowling score is 53. :o)

Bully Beatdown

2009-08-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

**Warning, I'm about to completely destroy my "super cute" blog image. If I haven't already. :oP

I don't have cable, so I have to catch up on the latest/greatest shows using the internet. I was surfing the MTV site and came across a show called Bully Beatdown. I wasn't going to click it, because it sounded kind of mean, but then I thought, hey, maybe these bullies really deserved it. *click*

The show is hosted by Mixed Martial Arts fighter Jason 'Mayhem' Miller and the premise is that the victims submit their stories to the show for review and hopefully get picked. Visions of high school nerds getting swirlies and wedgies came to mind, but most of the victims had far worse. Little brothers beating up big brothers, ex-boyfriends picking on the new boyfriends, even a deadbeat roommate who never paid rent and knocked around his roomies. Yeah, I kind of agreed that someone needed to step in and take these bullies down a notch.

Enter Mayhem. He calls out the bully and challenges him to a fight against an MMA fighter and if the bully wins, he'll get $10,000. If he loses, the money goes straight to the victim. Sounds fair to me. What's amazing is that these bullies actually think they can win against a professional fighter in a cage match! Seriously? Have they even seen those fighters? Jason tends to fan the flame by playing along with the bully; letting him believe that he even has a chance. Though, I don't think any amount of convicing could change their minds.

The show culminates into a final cage match between the bully and the MMA fighter. There are two rounds, each worth $5,000; every time the bully taps out, the victim gets $1,000. Sounds a bit barbaric and I'm normally against violence, however, after meeting these bullies, you're reading to take them down yourself. Talk about vindication and a dose of their own medicine. But will they reform?

So go ahead, get your cage match on and root for the underdog! In this case, the victim and his MMA avenger. :o)

Feature Friday - Just Charming

2009-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Q: Tell us a little about yourself; what makes you so special...
I'm Lisa Phillips-Riser; AKA SuperMom! My superpower used to be making milk, now it's making breakfast, lunch and dinner (most days) and keeping the house clean (mostly) while still finding time to ride bikes with my hubby, dance with our son, and make LOTS of jewelry!

Q: What do you make/create?
I design and create affordable jewelry for any occasion, to everyday!

Now onto the really important questions...

Q: Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
The last person I spoke to on the phone was my hubby, Glenn: "I'm almost home with the groceries -- How about a hand?"

Q: Movie star crush?
My movie star crush would have to be Johnny Depp (HOT, dirty pirate!)

Q: Who's on your iPod/cd player?
I'm wearing out the new Dave Matthews Band CD "Big Whiskey" -- Every song is GREAT!

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?
If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, Harry could just get naked like he did in Equus and Luke would be so distracted, he'd forget what he was doing......POOF! He's done for!

Q: Best advice you ever received?
The best advice I didn't always follow: Put your baby to bed BEFORE he falls asleep....!

Check out both of Lisa's stores at JustCharming and JustEarrings!

Because It's Funny

2009-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Fishbone black canvas belt by mymimi

It's been a while since I went "shopping" on Etsy and I just had to share some fun finds that I dug up!

Don't know about you, but I'm lovin' Fat Ninja by interrupt

This is perfect if you've always wanted a pet slug but didn't want to deal with the slime when you cuddled! Knit your own! Garden Slug Pattern by cheezombie

The perfect sentiment for twins. You ordered one and got the other for free! Bonus! Embroidered onesies by BabyBears

Take a note from Gollum and protect that turkey on rye with this convenient back-away-from-my-lunch-you-thieving-co-worker lunch bag! My Precious by sammo.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Birthday Card by howfab.

Feature Friday - Bad Cat Jewelry

2009-08-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Q: Tell us a little about yourself; what makes you so special...
I'm a SAHM now after working 10 years as a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist. I got burned out big time and felt that the job just wasn't fun or creative. Thankfully I got knocked up and my husband and I agreed that being at home with the baby (now 5) was the way to go.

Q: What do you make/create?
I create one of a kind jewelry using semiprecious stones, lampwork, swarovski crystals, and vintage beads with sterling silver. Its unique because I very rarely make the same exact thing twice, because I get bored. I often do variations on a theme. I also donate to Specially for Children in Austin, Texas. So I'm still helping kids and their families, just not directly.

Now onto the really important questions...

Q: If you were an appliance, what kind of appliance would you be? Why?
A food processer...it just pulverizes anything.

Q: Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
My friend, Libby.

Q: What's your most embarrassing moment?
There are so many I can't quite decide which one to pick out. It's all become a blur. I have a penchant for tripping and falling over my own two feet. So much so, that my husband no longer asks me if I'm okay. I have hit the pavement, literally, in almost every major city in Europe.

Q: Movie star crush?
Hugh Jackman. He appears to be a family man, which makes him soooo much more attractive.

Q: Black and white or a hazy grey?
A lovely hazy, pearly grey.

Q: Who's on your iPod/cd player?
Who isn't? I have music for meditation, to Gregorian Chants, to Classical, Pop, Punk, Classic R & R, Country, Alternative...its a musical mixed salad.

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?
Okay, two of my favorite characters up against each other, this is tough. I think it would have to be Luke Skywalker, because he's got some major Jedi stuff going on. I would like to think that Harry Potter would put up a damn good fight though.

Q: Best advice you ever received?
Be true to yourself.

To view more of Bad Cat's lovely jewelry, visit her store!

Just Press Zero

2009-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

That's totally what I look like from behind too! Crazy.

You know, I really hate it when there's something wrong with my account, any account, and I get the paper statement with the discrepancy staring me down. Like in one of those old Westerns, and the mistake and I are standing on a dusty road, littered with tumbleweeds, in a showdown. Our arms arched back, fingers poised above our holsters. Who's going to draw first?

It's not the discrepancy that's bothersome, rather it's the customer service 800 number. I find it ironic that they call it customer service. Hardly ever do I find it to be user friendly and rarer than that is being able to talk to a real person. Curse you automation and your condescending voice!! If companies are going to go this route, they always always ALWAYS need the zero option during the first menu spiel. Because 9 out of 10 times, I'm calling because I have an issue that can't be resolved by repeating all of my account information back to me.

Trying to get an answer to your problem sometimes seems like more of a hassle than the discrepancy is worth. Keep my $4, whatever, it's what I would have spent on Exedrin anyway. However, I had to call my mortgage company because they charged me $60 in weird fees, which was more than my monthly payment alone. There was really nothing else I could do... draw!!!

"Thank you for calling us. No really, most customers don't even bother. Please say your account number."

"123456789."

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Perhaps you don't speak English as well as I do. Please repeat."

"123456789."

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. For Espanol say ocho."

"Zero. Zero, zero, zero! Give me someone to talk to!!"

"I'm sorry, please select from the following menu options. Say 1 for account information. Say 2 for our mailing address. Say 3 to receive our complimentary brochure on why we're so wonderful. Say 4 if you'd like to be transferred to a completely unrelated department. Say 5 if you're ready to go postal and slam your phone into the wall."

"Five!!"

"Thank you. In order to complete your request, I will need further information as well as a kidney...."
Gaaaah! *SLAM*
You may have won this round Voice-automated-pain-in-my-@$$, but I will break through! I will find a way! I will speak to a human being! Because I'll need that $60 to pay for anger management meetings.

YouTube Tuesday!!

2009-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously, if you're not watching Burn Notice, you are sooooooo missing out. Action, comedy, suspense and a super hot spy, what could be better? Well, maybe if I was Gabrielle Anwar and acting opposite Jeffrey Donovan, but whatever, this is the next best thing. And remember Bruce Campbell from Army of Darkness? Yeah, he's in it too as the wise-cracking friend.
Don't have cable, no worries, Hulu uploads the episodes so you can watch them free online. Yay!

Nice little compilation this YouTuber has put together.