Are Muffins Ugly Cupcakes?

November, 24, 2011

2011-11-24T12:21:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!
Today I am thankful for turkey, and pie, and all the yummy sides as well as my family, and wonderful friends, including you, and you, and you too! ( but not you in the corner, I don't like you one bit.)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

November 23, 2011

2011-11-23T12:18:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful for a beautiful house to cook beautiful pies in, today!
I am still in that delightful stage where occasionally I find myself smiling "This is MINE" about our home.
Last night I sat on the porch at midnight & saw every single star in the milky way with nothing but my eyes. There is no light pollution here, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I have seen some good stars from our balcony in the last 3 months, but these topped them ALL. I couldn't believe how much I could see, it looked like a fake sky you'd see in a movie, or planetarium, the amount of visibility was amazing.
I'm pretty damn thankful for this beautiful home to raise our family in!

November 22, 2011

2011-11-22T09:50:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful that Ryan & I are going to a Thanksgiving feast at Andys school...and that means the next 2 days are NO school!!
Heeeyyyy sleeping in!!!

November 21, 2011

2011-11-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for peppermint patties.
Life would be sad with out the delightful combo of fresh mint & chocolate!

The end.

November 20, 2011

2011-11-20T18:04:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for DATE NIGHT! The Man & I haven't had once since before he graduated in MAY!
Much over due. The Man was even sweet enough to let me drag him to the salon store to pour over hair color & hair treatment masques & even bought me a new curling iron, "..if we can leave RIGHT now" was I believe how he put it...

Love him.
Then we tried an Indian restaurant which we both liked quite a bit though neither of us could tell you what anything was we ate but the naan bread & did a few more errands that ended in buying stamps at the grocery store while I got a few items I need for cooking this week.
I know, such a sexy date right??
But, seeing as how this was the first day in the whole month of November that I have gotten to spend with him, I'll take it!

November 19, 2011

2011-11-19T17:55:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for lazy days. Weekends with no plans, hanging out in a sort of mildly gloomy yet sort of nice for this time of year weather, outside, with the boys, just enjoying life with no where to be!

November 18, 2011

2011-11-18T17:52:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful for my kids playing so nice this morning & eating cereal & watching cartoons so I could get some extra dozing in this morning. I needed it!!!!!

November 17, 2011

2011-11-17T17:52:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for Andys school. Parent teacher conferences today & I really love it there, he does too!

November 16, 2011

2011-11-16T16:28:00.000-05:00

Blankies.
Yep.
Torn, ragged, lost all color, patched, wonderful perfect just right for you blankies.
Baby blankies, specifically.
I am nearly 28 years old & every night, I admittedly lay down, roll over & smush my face in my nearly 28 year old baby blankies.
They even have a name.
I will not share the name. Go away.
Anyway, mine have a long history.
I hoped Andy would have one. I hunted down an identical & tried to force it on him at times or 2 when he was a baby, he wasn't having it.
Ryan, when he was about 6 months old got a pack of muslin swaddling blankies & has been hooked ever since.
He, at age 3 & a half totes his "key key" around, uses it for dress up & of course has to have it at night.
He has alternates & a few thicker warmth versions he isn't a fan of & recently began protesting "no a SOFT key key!!!" when all the regular keykeys were still wet in the dryer.
I used a blow dryer to get one dry enough he could have it.
I speak blankie.
I have felt his pain & have my own life mission to make him have the best key key experience a child could ask for.
So, today I am thankful for baby blankies.
It's fun to be a mom.

November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T18:49:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful that there are only 2 more days until Friday. The Man works 6-7 days a week but Thursday nights, after Andy has a soccer class, then baths, then they are all in bed..... It is MY time!!!
I'll take a long bath, or stay up watching DVRd girlie shows & eat popcorn,phone chats with friends, whatever, in the quiet with no one awake!!!

AHHHHHH I look forward to it every week!! No school the next day, hopefully no appointments, I can sleep in as long as they will let me & not have to even get dressed the next day if I'm lucky.

I totally like those days.

A lot.
A LOT a lot.

November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T13:46:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for weather & seasons.
Quite frankly, one year living in South West Florida was more than enough for me.
When October hits I need yellow trees & leaves & the smell of Fall in the air. I even LIKE raking, I like leaf blowing too, but I actually LIKE to rake through all the leaves, making paths on the ground & piles to jump into!
I like pumpkin patches & apple cider. I like most everything that comes with Fall. Boots, hats, still enjoying the outside with out it being bitter cold yet it feeling good to get in a warm house!
It is a windy day today & we are almost done losing the leaves from our huge trees for the first Fall in our new house. I am delighted to just stay home on a rainy day & secretly enjoy the inside day the weather is giving us, with the wind blowing wind chimes I can hear through the door & deep breathes of the crisp air when I step outside.
Yep. I'm thankful for seasons, especially Fall!

November 13, 2011

2011-11-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for good food.
I decided to make a turkey. What goes with turkey? Clearly Thanksgiving sides.
And I never eat much on Thanksgiving , Mike will be working this year & we're never home anyway so..

Early Thanksgiving it was. And it was good. I love left overs. Turkey sandwiches & stuff..
Yay for food!

November 12, 2011

2011-11-12T22:12:00.004-05:00

I am thankful for crafts today.
Quiet projects, little time taker uppers that end in a pretty packaged result of craftiness.

November 11, 2011

2011-11-11T17:29:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for my husband. It is also Veterans day, and he is veteran of the USAF & Iraq war.
We've been crazily together for 7ish years now & I love him more now than ever! I am thankful that because of him we have two beautiful little boys. We have a beautiful new home to call our own. He puts food in our bellies & works hard to buy us everything we want!
I love you so so so so so much Mike.

And thank you to all the Veterans, past & present, today!

November 10, 2011

2011-11-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for the gift of creativity & organization skills.
I have been loving coming up with crafts & ideas for the new house.
Super fun, especially with rainy & as of today, SNOWY late Fall/early Winter afternoons.

November 9, 2011

2011-11-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Andy! My first born. Age 5 is such an awesome age! I absolutely adore & am thankful for my buddy.

Love him!

November 8, 2011

2011-11-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for Ryan.

We had our first class for him at the Y today.
(sigh)
Oh Ryan..you are my sweet, special, lucky you're so cute, little man.
I love you tremendously & am so thankful for you!

November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T12:45:00.003-05:00

Today I am thankful for Theraflu, pie & Motrin. But mostly pie.

November, 6, 2011

2011-11-06T17:40:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for my MOM.
My mother, my mommy, my friend.
Today is her birthday. Happy birthday mom!!! I won't share your age. But you don't look it!!!
My sister flew in & we surprised her at my house.
We made a big scrapbook from family & friends to surprise her with ( a family tradition at big events) and all had dinner at my new house as a family.
My mom is amazing.
I love you mama.I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
xoxo

November 5, 2011

2011-11-05T11:41:00.000-04:00

Today I am thankful for family!

My family ROCKS. They are all smart, and funny & caring & compassionate & I am thankful to have not only had a super family of my parents & sister & extended relatives but to have started a new super fabulous family with The Man , our children & BOTH of our extended families!

November 4, 2011

2011-11-04T11:39:00.000-04:00

I am thankful for tea. Because I feel like crap & want to sleep all day but tea is helping me get through it all!!!!!

November 3, 2011

2011-11-03T11:47:00.000-04:00

Today I am thankful for microfiber, side sleeping pillows.
Thank you for always being just enough neck support while I sleep flat on my back, and holding my head at such a nice angle when I roll to the side.
I like your soft silk pillow case, even though I am not sure it is REALLY ion infused for silky smooth hair while I sleep, it feels nice anyway.
I like your punchiness, you always spring back despite taking the worst, and you never complain about morning breath.
I am very thankful for you, Mr. Pillow no matter how much or how little I see you on a nightly basis, you are always happy to see ME.

November 2, 2011

2011-11-02T13:13:00.000-04:00

Today I am thankful for my families health.

Andy had a school physical yesterday & a booster shot. He sobbed in such a dramatic way, I can not lie. I laughed. Don't worry, it was short & I was holding & kissing him while doing it.
Poor guy. It was pretty awful.I had promised no shots. Oops.

I just got off the phone with the Childrens Hospital, we set up a speech evaluation for Ryan.

The Man went to a routine check up yesterday & switched to my amazing family doctor that I use for myself & I had a visit with her the day before.

Our insurance finally covered more than half (Their $36 to my $32!) of a prescription for the first time EVER since we've switched to it. Talk about a mile stone, their $26 to my $88 every damn month....

If these are our biggest medical & health problems, we're pretty freaking lucky.

I'm thankful for that.

November 1, 2011

2011-11-01T17:39:00.000-04:00

Day 1 of November Thankfulness,

I am thankful for a safe family! We had a small fire/electrical fire scare last night & shew, no matter how small things turn out to be, that is scary!

I am thankful for a fast, smart husband & 2 little boys who listen very well when it comes to it!

This little piggie went to Market

2011-09-12T20:50:00.000-04:00

Since we have moved we have a delightful Market to shop at. I could rave about it for hours. 3 lbs of fresh green beans for $2, $8 for 30+ peaches, fresh meats for well below grocery store shopping straight from the farm. Oh, it is delightfulness in a yummy smelling bunch!

After I bought 8 lbs of peaches I decided to try a peach crisp. I mangled together my own recipe & since no one else ate I am admit, I ate it ALL myself. No shame here!

This week I bought a basket of pears for $2 and while bulk fresh buying is great, because the produce lacks preservatives & waxy sprays things DO go bad quicker.

I was tipped off to Giadas poached pears tonight & am fairly sure I will be making this in the next day or so for either desert,breakfast, or quite frankly, my own gluttonous delight.

What is your favorite baked fruit desert, or baked item???

I am a home owner.

2011-09-10T20:10:00.000-04:00

We bought a house! And we even have a home phone,which means I'm a REAL adult now.
A real adult with a mortgage and sales phone calls at odd hours.

Check ME out.

After renting for nearly 5 years in a too small for 4 family members house we decided, lets just look. With the bad economy here in Ohio it is a buyers market, and now the The Man has a "professional" career plus a VA loan, getting a home loan was easy for us. Luckily, my in laws are also real estate agents, so we decided to start looking just a month after The Man began his job ( totally another post for another time, my friends!)

After seeing some nice options, some small options, misleading photos & some sad face foreclosures with Always Kiss me Goodnight & disney princesses left to mold in once beautiful homes I admit, I felt discouraged.

Where was this "feeling" everyone talked about???

We decided to see the last house, which I'd been very hopeful about, but was prepared for the worst after several others we drove up a hill & parked. When we got out of the car i smiled, as I spotted some blueberry bushes.

Ever read the book Blueberries for Sal??

It was one of my childhood books. The story goes, my dad would hold me in one arm with a colander in the hand & pick berries with the other hand. For each he put in, I ate.

When we left that house my mom says the first thing I asked of the new house was "Where are the blueberry bushes???"

I've been sort of a blueberry girl ever since.

I joked to The Man it was a sign as we walked up the front steps.

Peeking in the window I saw they had the same Ikea lamp as us. I laughed again they left the light on for us.

We walked in & I smelled something familiar.

Lemon zest cake. Another family familiar. My sister makes citrus zest cakes like no other. The owners left us a lemon zest pound cake with a note to enjoy.

I smiled, and saw they had the couch I'd been pricing on line just last week.

Totally coincidence?

With in 5 minutes I grabbed The Man & said "THIS IS IT. Do EVERYTHING in your power to make SURE your dad gets this house for us." He agreed, we hugged, then we began to look it over & discuss details of the contract we'd write up.

I would say "And that was that!" but of course, it wasn't. 2 delayed weeks on closing, a new furnace & a new oven later, we were moving in, stupidly, on my part, by ourselves.

"Oh honey, we don't need to hire movers, lets just get a U-Haul."
STUPIDEST WORDS EVER!!!
I now know I'm not NEARLY as strong as I like to think I am, and dropping a 300 lb entertainment stand is never a good thing. Neither is using your head to help move a king sized mattress. Your forehead WILL bruise.

If we ever sell this house? The furniture stays. ..Or we'll just get movers, details schmetails.

My mom watched the boys over night since we moved our selves & we spent the first night in our new home just the 2 of us. First time in over 5 years. Bruised, battered & exhausted in a small village ( no joke, it is a village people!) with pizza & a mattress on the floor.

We've been here about 3 weeks now & I can't WAIT to share the progress with you guys!! I'm slowly building up posts in between painting & the kids starting school & am eager to share my happiness!

Welcome home!

May many muffins AND cupcakes be made here for many years to come!!!

Slatkin Candles team with Bath & Body Works

2011-08-14T19:44:00.001-04:00

I am a huge candle fanatic, anything to make my house smell unlike dog & crumbs is peachy with me considering I have 2 little boys & a host of crazy pets!

Slatkin candles, the delightful bunch from Bath & Body works ran a contest to turn a prized dessert recipes into fragrance expert Harry Slatkin's newest Holiday Gourmand Candles for this 2011 Holiday Season.

Three finalists, out of over 3,000 were selected with their cooking creations which were

Tim Ong of Houston, Texas with Strawberry Pistachio Delight
Mary Shivers of Ada, Oklahoma with Tropical Tangerine Cake
Naylet La Rochelle of Miami, Florida with Maple Sticky Toffee Pudding

The grand prize winner will be flown to NYC to witness their dessert being transformed into the candle & actually watch the process happen before their eyes. Totally awesome.

You can vote for your favorite MyCandleRecipe.com to help decide the winner. Personally, I voted for the tangerine cake, myself. It just sounds fresh & delightful, and like something I'd actually eat, and enjoy in a candle as well.

Plus, when you vote, you are entered to win candles for an entire year! ((Swoon))

I was graciously sent a mint chocolate chip candle to check out myself & I believe Andy's comments (((sniff)) "Yuuhhhhmm.. that smells like CHOCOLATE!!!!" best sum it up! Over 2 rooms were filled with scent from one small candle, which lets face it, had me craving some green mint chocolate chip ice cream! (Be honest, you know the white kind doesn't taste as good as the green, it's just a fact!!!)

Ahhhhhh. It is like a window into my soul of favorites, because anyone who knows me knows not only do I love house smell goods, but I LOVE green mint chocolate chip ice cream!!!
Do you think I could lose a few pounds by huffing the candle instead of eating the real thing??

..Something to consider...

So GO! What are you waiting for?? Vote for your favorite with just a few clicks & be entered to win your own massive candle supply. I know I am crossing fingers & toes hoping to be a winner, so wait, maybe I shouldn't tell you to enter after all.. ;-)

I kid I kid, go vote for one of these yummy recipes, and maybe even try out the real deal in your kitchen!! Then head on over to Bath & Body Works & grab yourself a drool worthy candle to soothe your candle needs until the contest is drawn, and keep those fingers crossed in the mean time!!

Which of the three finalists will you be voting for??

Big thank you to the wonderful PR girls who sent me over this drool worthy candle, and their delightful voice in their cheerful phone calls to inform me of this great contest that is going on.

I can taste smells.

2011-06-26T16:07:00.000-04:00

No really. And I'm not crazy either ( though for some that subject can be debatable)
I can actually taste smells & vice versa!
I will attempt to blame this on my sister who when I was little played the "Ok, close your mouth & guess what this is by taste" game & gave me dish soap bubbles ( which taste different from hand soap bubbles, mind you) and launched a life long odd pica-ish craving for dish soap. I've yet to indulge in these cravings, though during my anemic pregnancy with Andy I came damn close.
My whole life I've had odd occurances, like, I know I am getting sick because I get the taste of those tongue depressors from the doctors office in my mouth.
In high school to curb my Whopper cravings I could just drive by Burger King & huff the air outside of my window & be satisfied.
I often comment to Mike that something I taste smells like ___ or in reverse, than I smell comething that tastes like __.
He gives me a squinty eyed look & just believes me.... now.

Synesthesia-
Synesthesia (also spelled synæsthesia or synaesthesia, plural synesthesiae or synaesthesiae), from the ancient Greek σύν (syn), "together," and αἴσθησις (aisthēsis), "sensation," is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] People who report such experiences are known as synesthetes.

I just lit a oil burner with Bath & Body Works with Kitchen Spice. I usually really like this scent, but for some reason today it is giving me this odd taste in my mouth & a head feeling of vanilla.

Like I said..NOT CRAZY. Seriously. I can taste it, but it.. it doesn't taste good. It tastes kind of icky, in fact. I'd blow it out but the whole house already smells like it so it's rather a moot point.

Moot,what a word..I imagine moot would taste like...poot.Agree??

So I'm just curious, can any of you taste smells? Taste colors? Numbers?
Any synesthetes out there who can attest to my malfunction of senses here?

Anyone? Anyone?

Now, excuse me while I go huff laundry detergent & lick soap now.

Kidding.

I hope.

Sew buttons on your underwear.

2011-05-24T16:10:00.000-04:00

Right.
So, yes, the domain is currently down. I'm in transition & hoping it will be ready & switched over soon, I'm just waiting on someone & then I should be back up & running on my usual URL just with a new design & layout from the Wordpress one.
Wordpress? I'm over you.

So whats new? You ask? Well lets see.

The Man graduated with his bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering earlier this month.

The Man walking the stage!

All went well, except for the fact that no one told him he could get a Veterans rope. To say he was upset might be an understatement. Seating was first come first serve & we spent a good 3 hours on the third level of a very steep seating arrangement which gave me some nasty vertigo. It was all worth it to see him walk across the stage. I teared up, his best friend flew in & was grinning from ear to ear, and The Mans mother was there too! She sighed & said "Shew, I just realized I wasn't breathing, and I was sweating! Now I feel like I could take a nap!" as every ones emotions & adrenaline rushed out once he resumed his seat.

We had a nice visit with friends & family & then 2 days later he started his new job. He is loving it so far, which makes me happy to see him happy. We've been adjusting ourselves into a new routine, having been spoiled by the last 4 years of him being home much of the time, but it's going well for all four of us, thankfully!

Andy is wrapping up his first year of preschool in a few short weeks & then it's on to Summer vacation!

We are in the process of preparing ourselves to buy our first house. Very exciting stuff.

Ryan is potty training himself, very impressive if I do say so myself.

I'm just bumbling around making up for the lack of husband with things like chores, which quite frankly, doesn't rock, but needs to be done.

So, that's that. I have some reviews & giveaways coming up once the site is done, hopefully you guys will tune in for them, if anyone is still out there!

Until then..

Sleepy Sunday

2011-05-15T12:09:00.002-04:00

I'll be switching back to Blogger this week. The URL AreMuffinsUglyCupcakes.com will redirect you HERE instead of my Wordpress site.
I've got some reviews, giveaways & babbles coming up once the site is redone, re organized & redirected.
Hope you see you there!!!

Check me out!!!

2011-04-22T14:37:00.000-04:00

Back on Blogger!!!

Just incase any of this is popping up in your feeds, I'm considering switching back to Blogger, but keeping my URL. Don't worry, I'll do all the work for you, just sit back & wait for the writing to begin!! I'll make sure you get where you need to be

It's been awhile since I've messed with html & all those fun < >'s and crap, so bare ( bear?) with me!!
Mamas on her way back, bitches!!!!!

Three Years Ago RIGHT now.(a birth story)

2011-04-14T21:32:00.000-04:00

In a few short hours my second child will be three years old. I'm re living the moment,because lets face it, what mommy doesn't like remembering one of the most important days of her life, also for all my "birth y friends" who missed it the first time, and all the others who enjoy reading birth stories.

I know a good 1/2th of my followers & friends on here aren't into this sorta' thing, so please,pass on by & leave it for those who are, if need be.I'll be back with something more your style soon. Pinky swear.

Three years ago tonight I was 42 weeks pregnant, had been dilated to 4 cm (10 in complete. And yes, really & no, clearly he wasn't just falling out!) for close to 3 weeks & was THISCLOSE to finally cracking & scheduling a repeat c-section.

My poor friends & family. I'd agonize over my decision for a VBAC daily the whole pregnancy. I think knew I wanted to do it but clearly, it scared the begeezus out of me.

It's like being pregnant for the first time all over again.I never went into labor with Andy, you see, and a (((cough PRESSURED))) induction at 42 weeks, with a very long intense labor that ended in a very unexpected to me, c-section had been quite an ordeal for me just a short year before.

All those first time worries "Will I know it's happening?? " were even worse than any anxiety or worries I ever had with my first pregnancy.What if this time I "failed" again? Could I really handle that? I was still so emotionally torn up from my first birth experience that the thought of doing the same thing again, failing again, the hormonal, traumatic, emotional let down. Did I want to subject my already dealing with PPD ( post partum depression) self to that AGAIN??

But could I live with NOT trying??

So there I was. 42 weeks AGAIN, just 21 months after doing it for the first time.

5 minute apart contractions?

Psh. Those had been happening for WEEKS. I truly began to believe I might be pregnant forever.

Exhausted, I nursed my 21 month old Andy (oh, by the way, all you poor blog readers who are used to reading about pig balls on my blog, I'm an extended nurser too!) to sleep & laid down with my husband for what had become "Claires Nightly Foot Rub" for my swollen ankles & tired toes.

I had a new foot lotion to try out, from my wonderful friend Pamelas ♥ body shop & Mike worked his magic. Exasperated I decided to just head to bed.

I remember it was still a bit light outside.

I told Mike to follow shortly, as I had been the last week because you know" Just in case this happens, we should be well rested" ..same thing I'd said for the last few weeks.

An hour later I woke from my light sleep & walked to the bathroom.

. I had worried for close to 10 months I wouldn't know when I was in labor, so I sat there in the dark for maybe 5 minutes.

I decided maybe this was labor, so I went to Mike, poked him & said "I think I'm in labor.. Okay.. go back to sleep" and went back to sitting in the dark bathroom alone.

That small dark bathroom seemed to calm me.

He walked out saying 'Well, I definitely can't sleep now!" but I was wrapped up in my head & asked to be left alone. I decided to hop online, Google,update my ladies ♥ and start timing my contractions.

With in 8 minutes they increased intensely & I picked up the phone to call the midwives I was using at a local practice that I'd found to be very VBAC friendly for this area.

Once the on call midwife heard I'd been at a 4 for weeks & I was a VBAC'er she told me to head on in.

I paced for 15 minutes until my mom showed up & we headed to the hospital. With in 5 minutes they checked & upon realizing I was already 8cm they hurried me into a room.

After 15 minutes of a very nice, but very incompetent with a needle nurse stabbing me to death & a bruise the size of Texas starting to form on my hand I agreed to an IV as they ran my blood work & I settled into bed to relax a bit.

That short hour of sleep clearly wasn't enough.

The midwife got there, she was one I hadn't met before but she instantly calmed me.In fact, she wasn't supposed to be there with me. The one I'd spoken to, who I remember thinking seemed a bit brash, ended up having the patient she was with at the other local hospital just peak her labor so she couldnt run over to meet me for admittance. They had to call another midwife to come be with me.

I will never forget her as long as I live. ♥

After an hour my blood work came back & I decided hell yes, I did want an epidural. Yeah, I talked about the no drugs natural birth plan the first time around. I'd totally whatever kinda drugs I could get once those pitocin contractions kicked in! I was prepared to get that epidural whenever I wanted it & to not feel bad, but to this time have the knowledge to know they CAN "turn it down" do you can do things like, ya know.. have use of your whole lower body when trying to expel a baby from it.

By the time that was taking effect of she checked me only to find out I was approaching 10 cm.

We decided trying to rest a little bit was a good idea.We were all pretty tired.When your 42 weeks pregnant "really late night" starts at 9:30pm. I was beyond tired.

I urged Mike to lay down for a bit & I tried to do the same. After 30 minutes the vomiting started. Something I didn't have with Andys labor.

Barf. Literally.

Midwife kept asking how I felt,and sure enough, I was fully dilated but really had no desire or urges to push.I let her break my water.

POP! Guuusshhh..

Interesting sensation, for you men out there dying to know ;-)

She & the nurse walked to the corner & whispered before coming back to tell me there was meconium (baby poop) in my water.

However, all signs showed Ryan was stress free & she felt that it wasn't enough leaking into the water to be of concern since I was already so far progressed, clearly he was on his way & fast.

So we waited.

We talked.

She soothed me through contractions when I'd say "Oh man..Oh man..Fuck this, I want a c-section!!" and reminded me how far I had already come. The contraction would stop & I'd breathe "Yeah..you're right.. I totally got this. That wasn't so bad!" only to repeat the same sentences over & over as labor progressed.

By 12am I had been fully dilated for some time & she asked if I was willing to try some pushing.

Why not? He had to come out eventually, right?

I had a good first 40 minutes, then everything started feeling exactly like it did with Andy, except this time I could actually feel. My pushes just weren't "right." I could tell they wern't right, but for the love of crap & moving & shifting & trying.. I just couldn't get it right. I never really got the massive urge to push that women always talk about.

We took a break while I regrouped myself & began again.

After some time I got a sharp pain in my right side that I knew all too well. I'd been in the hospital 3 times in the prior 4 years for scar tissue damage from a previous abdominal surgery I had had & the searing pain completely over rid the labor pains. No epidural could cover this pain.

I began to get upset. It HURTS.I feel nauseated just thinking about it. I have scar damage deep inside my lower abdomen that has brought me to me knees several times over the years, and into the ER a few as well.

It made me nervous, for medical reasons related to the prior surgery itself and quite frankly? I am OK with admitting that I was feeling a bit burnt out on all my crappy pushing.

After several calm moments with a clear head in between contractions I decided I did in fact want to go ahead & head to the OR. I'd labored on my own, I gave an A+ effort & I felt peaceful with where I was at. I got what I needed out of my labor & birth experience. I truly felt healed from the pain that Andys birth caused me emotionally. I was OK with this decision.It was MY decision this time.

They quickly prepped me for surgery, my midwife held my hand & wiped my tears & nose as I started to get scared & sad & the drugs began to seep in.

Mike scrubbed in & joined us & with in minutes Ryan was born.

April 15, 2008

10 pounds, 23 inches

7:41am.

Lets face it, people don't see 10 pound babies every day, so the whole operating room was sort of gawking at my child while I began to reach through the curtain towards my open stomach. Mike & a nurse noticed, thankfully & distracted me by beginning to bring Ryan to show me.

This is where it gets a little bit foggy. I heard a whisper " Do you see the blood in the.." and then they popped the GOOD drugs into my IV.

I turned my head to look at my new baby & burst into tears when I saw someone had placed a golden ring on his sweet little finger.

"Oh how sweet!!! Look at the ring!!! WOW!! He IS big!!!" I exclaimed.

..I was looking at my husbands hand...

Like I said. Good drugs.

Mike & Ryan went to recovery and I drifted in & out as they tried to fix me up & get me stitched back together.

I have no idea how long it was but suddenly I was lovingly holding Ryan, trying not to fall asleep as I nursed him for the first time & stared at him.

My big beautiful boy.

After the first hour they needed to move me to my room so I let them take him for the newborn exam ( something I never let them do with Andy!) while they wheeled me to my room half delirious.

I remember starting to regain consciousness, and realized that as I was waiting for Ryan, it hadn't just been 10 minutes. It crept into an hour.

Demanding my baby they headed off to bring him to me.Once he was with me they told me he had spiked a fever, likely from the meconium & they had been addressing that issue.

Thankfully, that was the only issue he had & nothing else ever came of it.Thanks God.

I was a different story.

One of my practices OBs came in & asked if I was ready for the blood transfusion.

Ummaasaywhat?!?!?!

Apparently I'd lost so much blood that my iron level bottomed out at close to a FIVE!!!

I asked if it would be a bad idea to decline(other peoples blood, unless it's life or death just freaks me out, call me crazy if you must) ,they tsked a bit but told me they would give me until the next shift to see if it improved on its own.

By the next test I was up to a 7, so they decided I could continue to recover on my own, for the time being.However, I was confined to the bed because I was a liability to stand & walk.

That night the nightmare nurse of my life neglected me for a 6 hour shift. I shouldn't need to elaborate to any one on what happens if you let a postpartum woman sit in bed for 6 hours "un checked." it wasn't nice of her.. we'll say that.

After Mike woke up he saw my catheter was beginning to back up & rushed to get a nurse.

I'll say this, for the next 3 days I was under CLOSE watch & special attentive care from a very pissed off head nurse, who made it her #1 job to make sure I was closely watched & taken care of.The nurse who neglected me did not return for the remainder of my stay & I was told was reprimanded.

A full day later I was allowed to attempt to get out of bed. The minute both feet hit the floor blood flowed into my catheter & back to bed it was for another 24 hours.

I declined visitors, I was so weak, ghost white & bloody I truly didn't want anyone to see me, not even my sweet Andy, I looked SCARY. I was quite a sight, very uncomfortable & just wanted to be left with my new baby & to work to get the heck out of there.

However, I was really missing my Andy back home, so I became determined to get myself home.

The next attempt to get out of bed I took slow, and it was a success!

I pushed through the pain & began walking the first chance they gave me. I was allowed to shower for the first time & was able to get up & walk to help decrease the chance of blood clots in my legs. I would circle the nurses station, smiling & waving to make sure they saw me.

My plan, and a hormone fueled tearful begging from the head nurse later & finally I was discharged & we headed home!!

After Andy met his new brother we all settled in for our first tandem nursing session & the rest is sweet, maddening brotherly history!!!

♥♥♥

No nose blows.

2011-01-07T11:05:00.000-05:00

Literally & figuratively, that is.

Today I had my first appointment with an ENT surgeon. It turns out the left side of my nose has developed scar tissue which has adhered to another part of my nose. In the process it has closed off part of the nasal passage. Coincidentally, the left side is the one I have the most trouble with,ya know, breathing & all that crazy stuff.

My septum is in fact deviated, however it is rather high up, and I am scheduled for a cat scan to show the areas an in office camera couldn't reach.

Yeah,totally got to see the inside of my nose. It's super pink.

I'll have a cat scan & a full allergy panel run with in the next 2 weeks & then return to discuss the results & the course of treatment and or surgical options.

I'm excited. Two hours of itchy little needles poking into my arms sounds FABULOUS. Haven't had that one done since I was a kid. Yay for irritating unscratchable pain!

I'm glad we at least have a handle on whats going on. Feeling like crap from sinuses for an entire year hasn't been fun, so knowing a bit more about what is causing my side effects & that we are working to fix them is a bit of a relief.

However, the most informative part of the consult was a question I had to ask for my good friend, Cheeseboy.

I asked "for a friend" of course, if there are any reasons why one should not wax their nose.

Cheeseboy, are you listening?

The real concern with nasal waxing would be infection.(if your nose bleeds afterwords, or any bacteria gets up there in the healing process, etc)

If an infection starts in your nasal cavity it would travel directly back, to your brain. The veins in your nasal/brain area are valve less, so there is no way for your body/system to stop that infection from passing direction through your blood to your brain.

In fact, popping zits on your nose, he said can have the same effect, infection travels through the nasal cavity right to the brain.

How big of a bitch would it be to die because of a zit?

Geeze..

But there you have it!

Cheeseboy, I assume there will be no more nasal waxing from you.

I also assure you, if any sort of chisel is taken to my nose, that I will fully document it in all its bloody painful glory for my blog.

You are welcome ahead of time.

Cherry pez, cold crush, rock boogie.

2010-09-09T11:07:00.000-04:00

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="226" caption="Rich Cronin of LFO"][/caption]

I was so sad to see yesterday that Rich Cronin from LFO passed away.

I ((cough)) was actually his friend on MySpace (yeah..well..ya know...ok..I got nothing..)

I knew that he had been strongly battling Acute Myelogenous Leukemia since 2005.

I loved Rich as a teen & was... well...I liked him a lot....

I am so sad to see he has passed away.35 is too young, as it is loss at any age to a disease like this.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and also Lymphoma Awareness month.

Cancer, in several sorts has affected loved ones in my life.

Please consider sponsoring someone in their Light the Night walk, like my friend Dani.

She is literally about to pop with baby #4, but she has done the walk with her babies & a very pregnant self before in honor of her brother Josh, who she lost to Hodgkin's Lymphoma on October 4, 2008.

The page for her walk is right HERE.

Even just a couple bucks helps fight the good fight against these nasty diseases.

Rich.. I'm sorry I never got to see LFO in concert, so I could throw my bra at you & scream like crazy about how I wanted to have your babies..You will be missed by many, I am sure.

My thoughts are with his friends & family & I leave you with this, in memory of my beloved teen crush.

Rest in Peace Rich!

You can also learn more about:

The Rich Cronin Hope Foundation

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Lymphoma Awareness month

Good By eSUmmer, Hello County Fair!

2010-09-07T11:08:00.000-04:00

After a long week of school for both of my big boys, we all needed a bit of a break this weekend. Instead of just The Man & I going out, we decided to take Andy with us & go to the Canfield Fair. It is the 2nd biggest fair in the state of Ohio.

What color ribbon is that? Second place.

We love the fair. We have hopes & aspirations of having animals ourselves one day, so I love walking around stroking horses noses, stepping over cow poop,holding baby chicks & ducklings, being startled by crowing birds, counting mullets..You know, the whole Fair experience.

Ryan isn't thrilled with farm animals, so he stayed with Grandma so we could all relax & enjoy ourselves a bit & we headed off on our weekend adventure.

Sunday was around 75 degrees with a nice breeze. It is definitely getting to be Fall here, Saturday was actually cold. I had to shut windows it was that chilly!

It was a pretty nice day for a fair.

Andy had told us the night before that "All I really want to do at the Fair is hold a chick, and ride a horse" so we headed straight for Old McDonalds Barn, where you can push other adults in a line to hold a 24 hour old chick before another person is clamoring to take it out of your hand & pass it to their child.

..I feel a little bad about this actually, poor things.. I hope they rotate them or something...

Here are some of the interesting things we saw.

A Lemon Lime SUV. Slice, or Sprite?

A TON OF MEAT! I mean.. I have never seen this much meat in my life. Lots of people walking around eating giant meat... legs. I guess. Legs? Wrapped in foil, just straight up meat on a stick, well, a bone.. but whatever.

A crab stand.(hermit crabs) I just liked the sign.. clearly.

A 1,244 pound pumpkin.

A pig named Sausage.

A goat in drag.

A sleeping chicken.

A duck with a 'do.

Both my boys found themselves horses with the same name!

(The Mans horse was into S&M)

Andy was enjoying petting the smaller horses, until we walked through a large horse barn & one got a little loud ( he just wanted Andys attention, actually!). My poor child literally jumped in the air & shook, it was so close to him & SO loud. He DID pet a horse.. he likely never will again after that however.

I saw the biggest horse ever. He was up there with the Budweiser horses.(last picture on the right, he was at least 8 feet. )

I like horses. I really do. I even got my finger nearly bit off by a horse as a teen, but I still like em.

I think.

I haven't ridden one since I, like Andy was traumatized on one as a child, but I still really like them, and would like to have a mini horse some day. This place near us is a mini horse farm.. I've driven by it daily for years..

Someday I WILL stop there & buy myself a miniature horse. Mark my words.

Ok, so maybe SOMEDAY I will have a horse of some sorts, but we have been discussing chickens for a year or so. When we move next ( after graduation) chickens are on our agenda.I can handle chickens & we'll talk about horses when we move to that dream house.

We decided to check them out to see what they had for sale this year & for me to pretend shop & see what we're working with.

Did you know chickens are like, $10?

This guy was $15!

I would SO pay $15 to see that weird creepy blue purple face ALL the time.

Andy actually made friends with one chicken. This guy really liked Andy, and Andy really seemed to like him. It was an odd, special connection.

We saw tons of stuff. Andy was all ready to ride a pony, but when the "big pony" came up for his turn, he declined.

We walked, we ate a bit. We looked at the 60k Tractors & all the big machines, tools & antique machinery. The Man loved that section. Notice how there are no pictures???

I love the garden displays & seeing the giant squashes.

Everyone was tired after a long day.

It was a good day.

A good day at the Fair, a good day to say good bye to Summer, and Hello to Fall!!

Dierks Bentley & Gretchen Wilson performed that night, but we were all tired after all that sun, walking & all around madness with crowds.Maybe next year The Man & I will see who performs & take a date night to the fair, complete with riding scary unsafe rides, which is what Fairs are all about, of course.

After reading about Salts experience at the Fair, I am just glad to be writing a happy post about a Fair!

So tell me..

Do you have a Fair you attend? What is it like?

PS. For Salt ;-)

13 to a dream house.

2010-09-02T11:06:00.000-04:00

If you were building your own home, money was not an issue & you had the best builders in the World to create exactly what you have in mind..

What are 1 things you would want that would make that home perfect, for you?

Here are my 10 15 13 perfect dream home necessities.

1. A wrap around porch. A la old Southern style.

2. A room that is completely built in book shelves.

No bare wall space.

This room will house my millions of books.

I am a 're-reader." Nuff said.

3. No neighbors!!

4. Room for a HUGE garden, or two, or four!

They shall look like this..

5. A great fireplace of some sort.

6. A fabulous attic for tons of easy storage, and just because.

7. A perfect spot for a big fabulous gorgeous old piano in which I can put neat things, and picture on top.

Like so.

8. A breakfast nook, with lots of windows, overlooking the backyard.

9.Great windows.

10.A fabulous bathroom between my bedroom & my closet .Just for me.No boys allowed.

11. BIG closets!

12. A window seat. Somewhere in the house, at least one.

13. An amazing kitchen. Large yet easy to navigate in size. Lots of storage. All the bells & whistles.

Ok. So, I've got 13. I started with 10 & then was like "Oooh..." but couldn't make it to 15 with out this post taking a week to write.

So, you know, 13 is flexible.

These are all definitely things on my list for my ideal dream home. I doubt I will be checking them all off, with our first home, but maybe someday we will have a house with all of them, plus more. Maybe not. Who knows, but it is fun to dream, isn't it?

Are any of the things on my list things you would pick?

Are any of them complete opposites?

Leave me a couple, off the top of your head in a comment. If you make your own list, please come back & let me know so I can read it too!! I LOVE hearing about other peoples personal business.. what can I say?

Note.Photos are all taken from sites as linked, or found via Google Images with words like "cool windows." None of these photos are mine nor do I possess any claim to them.

Novica

2010-08-26T11:09:00.000-04:00

[caption id="attachment_1348" align="alignleft" width="219" caption=" "][/caption]

My dad is a poet, so to say I grew up in the "art world" is an understatement. I often joke that I grew up in bookstores instead of playgrounds & attended food tasting sit down dinners instead of BBQs. It's actually the truth, and because of it I've always had a thing for art,cultural artwork, unique gifts & what I like to refer to as all around "artsy fartsy stuff."

When NOVICA contacted me to ask if I was interested in a review I was like "Um.. hello. I think I have just been waiting for you my WHOLE life!'

You see, NOVICA is in association with National Geographic, it is a site that has everything from sculptures, to jewelry, clothing, green gifts, and unique hand crafted pieces of every art form from all over the globe & are all around amazing items.

Sitting down to browse the NOVICA fair trade corporate gift selection I was basically in heaven. I spent hours browsing the site, as I am sure you will too.

One artist I was really drawn to. This piece in particular kept reeling me in.

Then I read the artist bio:

"My name is Luh Mas Sri Pertamiari and I was born on December 13, 1973. My village has been renowned as a woodcarving center in Bali for many years. We may be familiar because of the men carvers, however the fantastic thing is that almost 90 percent of the women know how to carve. From a young age, boys and girls are introduced to carving.

"When I was a child, together with my two brothers, we learned wood carving, painting and sanding.

"When I graduated from senior high school I worked in tourism, however, after I married Made Sanjaya he asked me to quit my job and take care of our children at home. I'm an active kind of woman, and totally stopping my activities to stay home was driving me crazy! For that reason I started to do some carvings at home, and opened a small workshop near my house for people to see and appreciate my carvings."

This right here, is all the proof I need that stay at home moms, all over the World equally get bored & tired of doing nothing but taking care of kids, husbands & the house.

Am I right ladies??

I ultimately chose this ring because I have a thing for citrine, and I have been meaning to spoil myself with a cocktail ring, this Summer.

It showed up in a beautiful little box:

And I think it looks quite fabulous, if I do say so myself.

(I can't take normal pictures of myself. Sorry.)

I think it is stunning. The gemstones are large & nicely cut. The ring is smooth, so while the petals are larger, it doesnt catch on hair or clothing like some large rings tend to. It is truly gorgeous & will be a treasured piece in my collection.

One of the coolest things is that my item came with a handwritten(and translated) postcard directly from the artist. That's kinda cool.

An artist bio comes included with your items, which is pretty neat. I will be using NOVICA for holiday & birthday gifts for years to come.

There is nothing like unique gifts, I think, and to receive a gift handcrafted from an artist complete with their information, about their location & to find out more about their culture all in one is pretty unique, and spectacular, if I do say so myself.

If you are looking for gifts, or starting holiday shopping early, or just want to buy yourself something awesome, check out NOVICA.

You can also follow them on Facebook, I do & they post some awesome links & information as well as being a great way to keep up on sales & good deals going on.

What do you see on the NOVICA site that you like?

My interview with Candace Cameron Bure, and the 30th birthday of the Juice Box!

2010-08-04T11:10:00.000-04:00

As some of you, who have been following me on Facebook, Twitter, or who are just friends & know my personal life because you love me in general know.. I got the opportunity to interview mother, actress, hockey wife & of course, DJ Tanner from Full House, currently on the ABC drama Make it or Break It, Candace Cameron Bure.

I know right.. Awesome.

Unfortunately, we have been battling some illnesses here (poor Andy, made it all the way to age four before ever needing an antibiotic, on the plus side!) and I should have gotten more than 3 hours of sleep and taken a Claritin before the interview. I also had no idea that it was video, I thought it was just audio!! Ha!That was kind of a neat surprise!

It was a fun experience & I hope you guys enjoy watching!

To learn more about Candace, you can check out her website here and to learn more about the Juice Box Birthday and those awesome contests she told me about, go here.

Enjoy! (and go easy on me, kay?)

Thanks for watching, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the video.

If you could have asked Candace anything, what would you have wanted to know?

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

2010-08-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

[caption id="attachment_1315" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" "][/caption]

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!!!

Although my site has gotten away from all the mama stuff that makes me, me. I am actually a very strong advocate of breastfeeding, as some may know.

In celebration I'm going to be doing a bit of my own sharing,be it stories, favorite links or unedited thoughts on what Breastfeeding means in my life!

If you have a post of your own you would like to share in relation to breastfeeding, this weeks celebration, or anything on topic to share with me, and other readers, please use the link up at the end up this post so we can read your stories as well!

How I Became the "Crazy Nursing Chick" that I am now & What I Have Learned a Long the Way.

Crunchy was something that 5 years ago, I only related to chips. Crunchy, chips.. food..hhmmm.

When I was pregnant with Andy, I remember Mike saying "Well, he'll sleep in our room." And me looking at him like he was crazy. The first time I was asked if I'd breastfeed, or formula feed, I thought for a second, remembered my mom breastfed me & said "Breastfeed.I'm sure"

I thought all of about 5 seconds about these things before I jumped into the world of Mom forums, book reading & information gathering. I just assumed I'd do something, I just didn't know what.

I, like many of you, have been reading so many breastfeeding stories & articles lately. I read a blog entry written by a dad, about his breastfeeding thoughts & decided I'd jump on board & write my own for World Breastfeeding Week.

This is the story of how I went from just a young pregnant mom who had no idea , to an "crunchy mom" in the midst of a 4 year nursing streak. Something that I never saw coming.

I remember living in Florida, as I told you all about before in my How I met my Husband series (start with part one, if you're so inclined) I found myself pregnant, living 1300 miles from anyone I knew & pretty alone. So, I found a world that I was quite sure had died out when I turned 14. The Internet. I found myself on AOL parenting boards & suddenly was immersed in a world of mothers, both prior & soon to be first, sharing thoughts, our pregnancies & so much information swirling around I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Somehow I found myself taken in & grouped with some of the "crunchy" mom's, as they were called. I learned that car seats shouldn't be chosen based on the print, or which is cutest(who knew?!). I also found myself reading as many books& articles as I could. Inevitably, I decided that yes, I would be breastfeeding. I knew my mom did it, in fact, she was a LLL leader in her town & extended nursed both my sister & I into toddlerhood. I learned that my mother in law nursed Mike into toddler hood as well. I read dozens of breastfeeding books.

So That's What They're For! was the top recommended book by every mom, or breastfeeding advocate that I "met."
However, the book that gave me the most knowledge, factual information & inevitably was my most helpful breastfeeding book is Nursing Your Baby by Karen Pryor & Gale Pryor

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn to have a successful nursing relationship that they feel informed & supported by. I got some amazing facts & information from that book while pregnant with Andy. If I had to say one reading material helped me most in my nursing relationship, I would say that book is it. Hands down.

It's funny, I don't consider myself Green, or Crunchy,or Granola which are often words you hear associated with mothers like myself, who do things like cloth diaper, co-sleep & extended breastfeeding. I've recycled my whole life, had a garden in my back yard as long as I can remember & my own parents cloth diapered me, nursed me & I took up space in their bed for plenty of years. To me, these things ARE "normal." So, for me, the choice to breastfeed was pretty simple.

Also..We were/are young & kinda poor, still. Breastmilk is free. That is always a perk. I looked once at what formula cost & about died. holy crap man! I never checked again. I am still in sticker shock.

This is my favorite list, of 101 reasons to breastfeed.. Here are some of the reasons I chose breastfeeding for us:
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding:In addition, human milk-fed premature infants receive significant benefits with respect to host protection and improved developmental outcomes compared with formula-fed premature infants…Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child."

Breast milk is always ready and comes in a nicer package than formula does

Breast milk provides perfect infant nutrition
"Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific; all substitute feeding options differ markedly from it. The breastfed infant is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short and long-term benefits."

Breast milk acts like a natural tranquilizer for baby Mother's milk contains chemicals that seem to work like "knock-out drops" for tired babies. Even if baby doesn't fall asleep, he/she will certainly calm down and become more agreeable. If you choose to breastfeed into toddlerhood, you may find that the "terrible twos" never materialize.

Breast milk is a treatment for many common "illnesses" Have pink eye? A shot of breast milk clears it up (and other eye irritants, however, I personally don't recommend doing this if you are nursing while pregnant, as the saltiness of the milk from the hormonal change makes eye balls BURN!!!) Dry skin from eczema? Give it a shot of boob juice! Baby got some diaper rash? Mama milk oughta clear that right up a long with a little diaper free air time.

Breastfeeding acts like a natural tranquilizer for mom..I am down with this part, especially.

Breastfeeding also helps to prevent so many illnesses & diseases in both mother AND child that I could go on for days.. But instead, you should read the full 101 reasons for yourself, some of them are pretty interesting. The list of reasons why breast milk is awesome is endless!

Here are some famous breastfeeding mothers:

Madeline Albright, Secretary of State
Anita Baker, singer
Kim Basinger (actress)
Valerie Bertinelli, actress
Christie Brinkley, model
Hillary Clinton
Katie Couric, host Today
Diana, Princess of Wales
Celine Dion, singer
Jennie Garth
Tipper Gore, Al Gore's wife
Linda Hamilton, actress
Hannah, Mother of Samuel
Faith Hill, singer
Michael Jordan's Mom bf him for 3 years and said "I feel this is why he is the athlete he is."
Lucy Lawless, actress
Sophia Lauren, actress
Pamela Anderson Lee (with implants)
Madonna, singer and actress
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Elle MacPherson, model
Miss Lillian bf President Jimmy Carter, but bottlefed Billy
Demi Moore, actress
Deborah Norville
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Pele's Mom bf him
Kelly Preston (actress)
Princess Grace of Monaco, LLLI conference speaker
Queen Elizabeth II of England breastfed Prince Charles
Queen Sirikit of Thailand breastfed her 4 children
Mary Lou Retton, gymnast, Olympic gold medalist
Patricia Richardson, actress (twins)
Cathy Rigby, gymnast, Olympic gold medalist
Joan Rivers, talk show host and comedienne
Eleanor Roosevelt
Connie Selleca, actress*
Jane Seymour, actress (of Dr. Quinn fame), twins*
Cybil Shepard, actress (twins)
Maria Shriver, actress/news correspondant
Nicole Brown Simpson
Carly Simon, singer*
Susan St. James, actress
Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Britain
Lindsay Wagner*

* These women are or did breastfeed for an extended (normal) period of time. These were known for certain.

I think that is an impressive list! Then again I find it a little sad that is has to be so impressive, when, if you think about it.. and strip away well, everything!! Breastfeeding is sort of how well..life continues as nature intended.Mate,feed young from self.Child grows.It mates. Feeds Young from self. If you walk into nature,be it a barn where animals are being born, or the jungle.. I mean..we are mammals. Right?

A dolphin nurses about 4 times an hour, for between 1.5-3 ( even more depending on the specific case) years with their young. I mean.If you were a dolphin mom you would be kinda like.. .swim swim.. damnit, Wally is on me again!!

If you wanted the breast milk of an mammal that would be a closest genetic match to the needs or your child ( because milk changes to be specific, for the intended drinkers genetic makeup & it's needs) to your own, you would not use cow, or goat milk, you would need to get some boob juice from a gorilla or chimpanzee. Good luck chasing one of those around with a Pump in Style!!

Of course, no..it isn't for everyone & I as a mother know that what works for one mother doesn't always work for another so.. I'll say this. As a mother, I also know how easily it is to feel judged, or even second guess yourself with you compare your parenting methods to others, or they compare them for you. I think that as long as you feed your baby ( this doesnt mean chips & Pepsi, though, ok?) be it breast milk, or formula, and YOU are happy with that decision and it works for you AND your child, than that is really all that matters! :-)

For me, once I decided I'd be breastfeeding that was the end of the subject. I had no bottles or formula in our house, all the free samples that showed up were promptly donated.

I believe that the key to my breastfeeding success lies in the fact that I didn't give it an option not to be. I never second guessed myself, or worried about it, I just knew it was what would happen.

That doesn't mean I didn't hear things to deter me! As many mothers know, when you are pregnant the world seems to lose its filter.

"Suuureee strange old person in Walmart..pat my belly!! I'm sure if I randomly patted your beer belly that would go over well."

"Why thank you! I AM huge! And you are shockingly ugly.Yes, You enjoy your day now too!!"

I mean really.. what is the deal people? So when I had mothers whom I'd just met coming up to me at cook outs asking if I'd breastfeed I was getting used for these type of encounters.

me- "Yes"

them-"Oh ggawwddd.. it's AWFUL. Don't even do it, I'm telling you!"

me- "Oh!! Yikes, how long did you do it for?"

them- "Chhhaa.. like.. 6 whole days!! I'm telling you..it's AWFUL. And it hurts, and who wants saggy boobs anyway, right?"

Well, luckily, after I had Andy, in 2007 it was proven , that saggy breasts after having children are actually not from breastfeeding, but from the actual pregnancy it self. So, you nay sayers out there can check that one right off your "scare" list.

It's not to say that sometimes, hearing these things didn't give me pause, but somehow, just knowing it was what was going to happen,because it just needed to & that was that, worked for me! I just never gave myself an opportunity to doubt myself, and somehow, it worked out great for me!!

I know..lucky me right?

I met Andy when he was over an hour old. I had laid shaking on an ER table staring at the clock while a nurse made sure to listen to none of my prior requests & my in shock husband stood by. I remember, my mom had to ask them to finally give me Andy when they wheeled me into recovery where he was being cleaned up. She was gruff, and unhelpful. Luckily, Andy latched on & off we went, down the hall to our room where he latched on again...And again...

And again & again & again. I just offered him to nurse whenever he seemed like he might want to. I mean, right? You have a baby with only about 2-3 instincts, eat, sleep, poop. So, I can give him the eat & if he doesn't want it, he can stop, right?

Well, no. I was supposed to be switching him to the other side after 10 minutes, then writing it down & all sorts of crap. I was a bit confused.

After three very very very long days of being told what to do & quite frankly? Being too cracked out from oh ya know..major surgery, drugs & oh yeah..three days of no sleep.. I lost it.

I mean..pure hormonal after birth lost it.

Yeah..some of you mamas are nodding with me. You know.

A nurse walked in to check on me, she had been on her shift when I first came in with Andy, she'd told me to get some sleep, as I'd been really tired.

She stopped & looked at me... "Have you slept yet???"

Nope.

"Holy cr..er.. Wait, why are you stopping him?" she watched as I switched Andy to the other breast.

I explained how nope, we hadn't slept & they keep telling me to switch him. That one doctor even scolded me for refusing to give him a pacifier "Your just going to be sore then."

Thanks,asshole.

"Ohh..honey. You're just taking him off when he's only half way filled up! No wonder,let HIM tell you when he's done. He'll pull off when he has had enough & will likely zonk out for hours, all my boys did!"

I am fairly sure I just blinked at her. She smiled & sat down as Andy nursed for about 20 more minutes. Sure enough, suddenly his little lips unlocked with a smack & he lolled off into his first solid period of sleep.

She smiled & left. I woke from a nap to hear she had recommended that I was ready to be discharged, and had gone ahead & seen what she could do to speed that up for us.

I don't remember her name. But I will never ever forget her.

The only problems Andy & I encountered were engorgement ( not as cool as you might think, men!) and thrush, which we battled for 6 months until we resolved it. With each issue, instead of looking at it as a reason to stop, I reminded myself that for every problem there is a solution.

I became familiar with websites like KellyMom as well as referred to my books. I used the nurse & practitioner forum for Dr. Thomas Hale, who writes the yearly publication Medication and Mothers Milk.

I keep the yearly edition on hand to take with me to doctors appointments to use for my own referral. As we all know, I'm a-ok with never working a day again in my life, and luckily, we manage to make that work for us, however, when my children are grown, my plan is to become an IBCLC. I don't necessarily want to work for a hospital,hell, I might even do it on a donated time basis but I'd like to establish sort of a working program with my local doctors to help as an informant so that other mothers who are breastfeeding & have doctors tell them things like "...Uhhh.. well. Just wean then." when they seek medical attention for an reason know that they have other options, that their doctor is just a breastfeeding moron.

((This is where I give you a nice blink & a grin))

It sucks. And can be preventable.I feel strongly enough about this cause, profession & the need for it that I would like to help minimize this dilemma.

When I became pregnant with Ryan, Andy was 12 months and one week old. I didn't know what would happen, but he nursed through my pregnancy & continued to nurse until he was 3.5.

Ryan is still nursing, at 28 months old & was solely breastfed as well, while also tandem nursing with his brother from the day he came home from the hospital.

Believe me. I have plenty to say about nursing. But I'll keep it short.

What works for me, might not work for you.

But for me, I'm pretty proud of myself. I mean. I'm basically awesome. I grew AND nourished two babies with out a drop of formula, and two of them at the same time.

I am kind of a big deal.

So cheers to my fellow nursing mamas. Be it a week, 6 months or 5 years. Every ounce counts.

To those who aren't sure it is for them, I say..I have never met anyone who regrets nursing their baby. You have nothing to lose from trying, and a lot to gain. You never know if it is right for you until you try, and that is often half the battle.

So, ask for help, surround yourself with people who want you to succeed in your nursing relationship, ignore the nay sayers & give it a whirl.

Happy Breastfeeding Week, everyone!!

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Made in America

2010-07-29T18:55:00.000-04:00

I'll be publishing this on both blogs, as it's something I feel pretty strongly about.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've mentioned before that I do technically live in a town full of history. From the Kent State Shootings
down to the historic landmark that was my neighbors home, growing up.

It's odd, that I got the chance to talk about this today, because I was thinking about homes today, how they just "don't build em like they used to." Since I was a child, I've not been a fan of what I call "cookie cutter homes" the subdivisions where quite literally, I'd be worried to live for fear of coming home after a drink out with friends & not being able to distinguish which house is mine.

I've wanted an old home since I began planning my "dream home check list" and sadly, all my "must have" items aren't typical on construction anymore.

I think that it goes beyond homes, to the fact that construction & buildings just are not as unique or architecturally important to many as they once were. Buildings that are "art" are so expensive no one can even afford to walk near them, much less buy them for their business & historic buildings are knocked down to make way for more cookie cutter developments, from homes to gas stations ever day.

My own town recently bulldozed a building I walked by daily for much of my teenage life. The "1920" engraving in the stone, with the presidents name was crumbled before our very eyes to make way for a ... Sheetz!
Nevermind that we already got a Sheetz in town, approximately 10 blocks away several years ago.

Sure, the building looked less than sound but it was only one of the several memorable buildings in the area to be knocked down in the blink of an eye, with out consideration. This made me sad.

Our downtown still has roads that are old red brick ( and quite bumpy!) and I just am not sure they would have the same charm with freshly paved roads. Call me sentimental, but I think that the charm, the quaintness of things like this are what make a town rich with history. I find it sad that by the time my children are old enough to understand & make memories of the town I grew up in, most of what I remember as being so pretty, or special, or a landmark I secretly wished I could live in, might be gone!

Every small town in America has seen their main street shops suffer from the effects of urban sprawl. Quaint mom &a pop shops and department stores used to anchor the business districts of downtown areas, yet sadly over the past few decades businesses left the downtown's and headed to the strip malls of the suburbs. Companies are outsourcing for cheaper labor leaving once robust factories to close down. Entire communities have suffered, leaving the fabric of America shattered.

Ramblers Way Farm is changing the way American business is done. The Company sources, grows, and produces their fine woolen apparel using 100% domestic resources. They have brought manufacturing facilities into distressed small towns and are helping to revitalize the communities.

The Ramblers Way Corporate Office is a fully refurbished building that was originally built in 1792 and is located in downtown Kennebunk, Maine. The building has been restored to its original condition, while being modernized to meet today's environmental standards. They have even achieved the coveted Gold Lead Certification level!

I personally, love that Ramblers Way believes in their products being Made in America (and how beautiful their clothing is, I NEED that gorgeous camisole!!) but that they also go above & beyond just caring about their own company, they have a passion for preservation that extends beyond just their own benefit.

The coffee shop I remember sitting in as a teen, where the mama with a baby slung to her chest in a sling nagged me "Are you SURE I cant fix you something to eat?" and who didn't close up until the last chess natch between friends was over is now a Starbucks ( which I boycot, for the record)

If more companies don't take notice of the initiative that Ramblers Way is setting & follow in their example, I have worried that the memories I have of my town will be something that is mystical to my children, that they will no that places to experience & sights to see that leave them with their own memories.

Do you have any experiences with your own town that are similar, or do you hopefully, have encoraging stories like Ramblers Way does?

I'd love to hear them!

Wordless Wednesday: Andys sunflower

2010-07-29T18:36:00.002-04:00

I missed WW on the new site this week due to sickness, business & tiredness, so I thought I'd sneak it in here ;)

10 Products to Always buy Generic

2010-07-24T14:42:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.
Today I get to talk to you guys about this article 10 Products to Always Buy Generic

I am all for buying generic when I can,however I can't lie, there are things that I routinely do prefer to be certian Brand names, but I do have my own favorite generics.

Here are the 10 that the article recommends that you always buy generic.

1. Over-the-counter medications.
2. Cereal.
3. Pantry staples.
4. Soda.
5. Gasoline.
6. Electronic cables.
7. Makeup and other beauty products.
8. Batteries.
9. Salad mix and produce.
10. Baby formula

Do you guy any of these generic? Or will you after reading this?

I buy Target brand over the counter medications like Aspirin,Acetaminophen, vitamins & have been pleased with that choice, as over the last 4 years since having children, Tylonal has recalled childrens medication several times, I've been lucky to check my medicaine cabinet each time to find that buying generic saved me from the hassle & safety measures involved in a medication recall. That's a perk!

I do buy generic pantry staples, like flour & sugar for the basics, but I also prefer a broader selection ( bread flour, whole wheat flour, etc) which often leads me to brands names.

I don't drink soda, do no on that one.

Makeup, heck yes. I am a makeup snob but some of my favorites staples over the years have been cheapie drug store brands.

I'm not exactly sure where I can go to buy generic gas,I occasionally fill up at BJs, but since our grocery stores all do fuel rewards it's benificial for me to buy their generic brand & then save on gas that way. I need to look a bit more into that one, but if I could, heck yes I would go all sorts of generic on gas!

I personally do disagree with several items on this list, for me, they do make a noticeable difference, like batteries ( My grandfather is the former VP of Duracell, sorry) and bagged lettuce. I'm pretty picky about that one as I'm a salad freak.

Although I didn't use infant forumla,, there are perks tobuying that generic as well, check out the comparison to store brand formula and see what you think, could buying generic be a better choice for you, or your baby in terms of formula?

Are there any items on this list you disagree with?

What brand name do you prefer to the generic on the list?

Blueberries..

2010-07-23T16:53:00.000-04:00

We picked blueberries last weekend, on Andys birthday.

What are your favorite blueberry recipes?
Head over to my site & let me know!

Ohh Skinamax!

2010-07-10T11:11:00.000-04:00

Cinamax. I remember it being called Skinamax, as a kid, the channel the kids whispered about, did you get it?

Did your parents?

Could you see it?

Kids are nosy.

I was.

Hell,have you met me?? I still am.

You know, those weeks when you'd get it for free & watch all the cool shows, like Disney in the morning, & the movies..yeaahh Skinamax baby.
The Man & I have been bitching about our cable bill as they ass rape us every month, but we love our HBO Package.

HBO, Showtime, Cinamax & on demand of all for $12 a month. Considering we see a movie in a theater about 2 times a year, it's a good deal for us, because once the kids go to bed we sit down & watch a movie, or a TV show, or whatever together.

We finished "Yes Man" tonight & I got up to go to the kitchen to cut up some strawberries for a snack. When I came back the TV was on something or other Marky Mark looking all 80's with long hair, which means it could either be from the 80's or from now, and either way, I am just not feeling all funky bunch tonight, aight? so I was like "Oh fuck this, you're not serious!"

Then I was like "..wait.. is this the one where they show his cock at the end???"

The Man- "..I don't know.. do they???"

Me- ((squinty eye)) "Maybe...Are we watching this??"

So the Man gives over RockStar, or something I think it was & I'm like "Wait, is this on Cinamax?"...as I figure out where I am on the TV guide..

"Yeah..." he kind of hangs his head.

Me- ((cocky eyebrow raise)) Skinamax, eh? ((eyebrow wiggle)) What the fuck??

The Man-"What is that??? I just feel guilty for even having been on the channel! Fucking Skinamax"

I'm telling you. It's like,things like Cinamax, Taco Bell, LOL Catz & Bret Michaels all just radiate in a brilliant group of things to make you feel guilty, dirty or gross even participating in liking or thinking about ...... no matter how much you truly love those dirty bad things.

Rawr. Sorry bandanna man, but I hope Bret never finds love, and will agree to come back year after year after year...

This montage is for the birds.

2010-07-08T11:12:00.000-04:00

Like my little play on words?

Really. This montage is for the birds.. you know, those cute little baby birds I posted pictures of before? It's for them. Where ever they are.. this one is for you babies!!!

I saw Scary Mommy had a post about her crazy far better than my bird experience, this morning & remembered I hadn't finished up putting together the footage I got of the baby birds from our apple tree.

We all know I love a good montage. Its been far too long.

You're welcome ahead of time for my music choice.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Now, I'm going to go back to gagging & coughing while trying to attempt to take the kids out side. Because they both seem to be fine, but now I'm sick.

You know, that stage of feeling like crap, but also having just had a long week,where you might get sick, or you might not.. my throat hurts, my ear feels a little weird, my sinuses are acting up, damn allergies & I'm mostly just tired from staying up too late being a mother, the sick kids, etc. This happens every so often & if I get a good big sleep in ( we're talking noon here.. hint hint!) this weekend, I'll be fine, until then I just feel like crap.

Or maybe I am just actually sick. That makes more sense, and explains some stuff.

How the hell do people get sick in the Summer?

It drives me bonkers.

Chain of Friends Contest, from Hampton

2010-06-18T17:35:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

Speaking of "me time." Right now, well, after you finish reading this.. you should go check out the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes

One really lucky grand prize winner will receive a free stay for themselves and 100 of their friends at a Hampton for one weekend. The winner will also receive $5000 to help pay the tax for the weekend!

Holy crap. That could be one bad ass bloggy meet up, right? I'd be sending out invites left and right. My BFF's of course, but I'd love to have a hotel filled with all my blog friends, how hilarious & post worthy would those nights be?! No conferences to attend, just a hotel & our imaginations fueled by what I could image to be a large amount of booze, seeing as how most of us would be like "Holy shit, a weekend away from our kids???"

If I won the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes I imagine the hotel would be shutting down, for myself & these 100 people, right? Because when you take the kids away from parents, like us, something is bound to be disruptive. Like, fence hopping, and all. I can only imagine the laughs & jokes that could take place between all of us united in one place!

The sweepstakes is open to everyone, not just those that are Hilton Honors members or those that have previously stayed at a Hampton. Check it out, enter & then invite me as one of your guests when you win, please?

The Official Jersey Shore parody/porn review, as only I, and Eden Fantasys can bring you.

2010-06-18T11:14:00.000-04:00

This is my disclaimer:

If you are under the age of 18, related to me either by blood, marriage, or are a friend of my families. If you are easily offended, or have no desire to read about pornography..

DO NOT ENTER THIS PAGE. It contains adult content and awkward honesty that I prefer my relatives or adult friends of relatives just not read.

If you feel you will not be offended, or swear to never mention your reading this to me ( family, this means you) then please, by all means, continue on.

[caption id="attachment_931" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="The Official Jersey Shore Parody"][/caption]

I have to be honest. I am just laughing as I write this. Oh man, this could go in so many directions it's unbearable.

I got to work with Eden Fantasys when I very first began blogging & have been lucky enough to be able to begin to work with them again! I was browsing the site, thinking what to review for my first time & I saw The Official Jersey Shore Porn Parody. I read celebrity gossip daily, so I'd already hea

rd about it. I thought, this could be hilarious, and lets face it, probably less uncomfortable than my writing my thoughts on a dildo, am I right?

I remember once, when I was just a kid sneaking my sisters magazines, like YM, Seventeen, Glamour, etc reading an article that said you should always be able to laugh in bed, with your partner.

For some reason, that's always stuck with me & I thought, what better to bring about some laughs, in a bit of a different way! I loved the Jersey Shore, I admit. The Man of course was like "No, I absolutely do not want you to bring any porn into this house & force me to watch it."

Haha. No, he's a man, he was like "Totally."

I just don't think I realized what I was getting myself into until this big double disc set showed up on my door step!

I personally would not call myself a porn advocate. I took a womens studies class & watched a movie about women who were in the porn industry that I kid you not, scarred me for life. I mean, people actually walked out of the class & never returned. It was that disturbing.

However, the porn industry is a HUGE business & it is a very "used" industry, and like any business, if run correctly, can be a lucrative business.Some couples enjoy watching together, some prefer it alone with Rosie Palm, some like the humor in DVD's like the Jersey Shore & some just all around like porn. To each their own.

There are levels of porn, from the soft stuff on HBO under "late night" to some seriously wacked out things that people do, on film. I'd say that the Jersey Shore Parody is definitely not "soft core."

It is category hilarious.

They introduce all the characters & they do get right to business. It features sex in all three holes. I'll say that much. There is no girl on girl action, or boy on boy either. There is a LOT of partner swapping, spitting & catch phrases like "Ooh, your so juicy, you big juice head! You make my pussy sweat" (Sweat? I mean..sweat? Sweaty crotch? Swchwety balls? This is good?) and the popular "You're a Jersey Whore" phrase.

The girls are hilarious, from the Snooki character who constantly says "Fuck my life" and throws herself all over every man she meets, only to be called Frodo & pushed aside, to the gum cracking, gold chain sweatin' girls who can't stop talking about how hawt these juiceheads get them.

I haven't actually watched a lot of porn. I wouldn't consider myself a conniseur. But on the other hand,I've seen some fucked up shit that other people have not & will not ever watch. What can I say....I'm curious! There were parties, or college events/social settings where other comedic proformances were on, for laughs. I was a bit surprised that don't use condoms. I know that STD testing is huge in the porn world, but man.. There is one scene with about 4-5 guys and 2 girls that I literally couldn't think of anything but how many "juices" were being swapped!

It has Lisa Ann, better known as the Sarah Palin lookalike in "Who's Nailin' Paylin" doing what she, uh, does best, as Snooki's mom who eventually ends the movie by demanding her daughter get the fucking she deserves, which inevitably leads up to the large sex scene with several Jersey Shore boys as well as the random men who, in great porn style, just show up at the door.

Perks: It actually was hilarious. Both Mike & I laughed, a lot. Mostly when they were talking. Seeing wigs being tugged back into place after being pulled in the heat of the moment is kind of silly anyway you look at it, not to mention the "acting" is extreme, dramatic & giggleworthy.

Cons: Snooki was pretty annoying, and I will call her ... a boner killer. There I said it. I think that if a couple were watching this to use to get into the mood, well, when Snooki comes on, that mood is going to go away. Seriously. She's really annoying, to sum it up in one word.

I know that the movie is supposed to be over the top & a parody, which is really is, but in the attempt to be outrageous & hilarious some of the sexiness really really really gets lost. Maybe it's just me, seeing loogies spit onto boners for more lube really doesn't get me in the mood, in fact, it makes me gag. I have a thing with people hocking loogies, it makes me get all bile-y in the back of my throat & uuhh I have to stop talking before I barf.

Yeah. They should have invested in a pump tube of lube to carry around. I don't know, like I said, I don't watch much porn, so maybe loogies for lube is the way they like it, but it really grossed me out, personally.

I give it a B-

Why a B minus? Because this is a parody,and they parodies the hell out of it, believe me. I feel a bit like it's more of a parody than a porn, and they did a really good job with it, on that angle. I can't give an A because the porn side of it actually turned both Mike & I off... a bit.

I think this is a perfect DVD for someone who has a porn appreciation to begin with, or really is into porn parodies, as there are so many out there. I'd say age range from 18-26 single males is the target category here. Just because it didn't do the trick for me, doesn't mean it won't for you! That's what makes shopping for sex toys and bedroom accessories so much fun, and Eden Fantasys has something for everyone, be it a beginner just looking into trying something new, or an old pro looking for something completely kinky.

$19.99Official Jersey Shore Parody DVD by Zero Tolerance Cast: Sara Sloane, Mick Blue, Ann Marie Rios, Kagney Linn Karter Director: Brian Bangs Buy from EdenFantasys
This product was provided free of charge to the reviewer.

One reader will win a $25 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys to pick out some goodies for themselves!!

Here is how to win it, this is going to be different than I've done before, so.. Yay for something fun, easy & new.

MAKE SURE You leave your email. I HAVE to be able to find it to contact you.

ENTER:You can enter as many times as you'd like, all you have to do is comment. You can talk amongst yourselves in replies to other comments, or leave your own just talking,the key is, it has to stay ON TOPIC. What is the topic? Anything in relation to Eden Fantasys & this blog entry.

Examples:

1.)Link up to what you'd spend your $25 on.Don't be shy. I won't judge.

2.) "One time I saw this porn..." Tell a story that reading this make you think of,a joke it made you think of, etc.

Basically, just keep your comments in relation to sex toys, porn & Edens Fantasys. That should be ridiculously easy for all the perverts that I know read this blog. Yes YOU. I'm not going to say names, but seriously? Moms are SUCH pervs.. I never met a bigger group of awesome fucking perverts until I made all the mom friends who are reading this very blog, right now. I love you bitches.

Have fun!!! I'll draw a winner July 14th, 2010 using Random.org.

Why I am still here.

2010-06-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

If you are here reading this, you likely wonder why I am still posting here & my redirect is down.

Unfortunately, yet fortunately..ironically... for me, some of the networking & opportunities that I get are unable to be approved & taken advantage of unless they are posted from a specific domain name.

In order for me to keep doing what I need to do, if yaknowhati$saying, eh.. I am opeing the site back up for this & fbreif fillers in between as required.

So, yeah. That's the story, morning glory. Feel free to comment, should the urge strike you, but of course, I prefer you just head over to the domain HERE, and tell me something sweet about something going on over there, since that is where the real action is at!

Swiss Army & Fathers Day

2010-06-16T20:17:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.

Fathers Day is coming up this weekend, as hopefully we all know. In honor of Fathers Day, Swiss Army is asking for father stories. I in fact, have a very special one that involves a Victorinox Swiss Army knife, if you believe it or not. Here is my sweet story, hopefully you will share your own after you read mine &check out the great products that Swiss Army has to offer!

Before Andy was born, I wanted to get a "birth" gift for Mike. You've heard of push gifts, well, his was a "go eat Taco Bell & watch SUV on the couch while I'm in pain" gift. I guess.
I chose a Victorinox Swiss Army knife, I picked through the dozens of them to find the perfect one. I had it engraved & suprised Mike with it after Andy was born.

Why did I pick a Victorinox Swiss Army knife? Mike has several very old ones that are special to him. He recalled the stories of them every time he saw the knife & I hoped, that with the birth of his own first son, that maybe someday he'd look at that knife & remember when it was given to him. Then when Andy gets old enough, Mike can tell Andy "the story" of how he received it & pass it to Andy, so that he too has a pocketknife that he remembers being given to him. Sort of a cycle. Mike uses it all the time, and it's still as good as new, 4 years later. I did the same with Ryan, only a different type of gift, as it was a different child & stage of our life.

Mike would love the new Dual Pro X

I believe it has a different tools than the one I got him, and pocket knives are never too handy!

If you still need a Fathers Day idea that is timeless, classic & most of all, useful, definately check out the Dual Pro X for this, or others fathers day gifts.

Also, you can head over to Facebook and heck out the Share the Adventure Facebook Page where you can enter win in the Share the Adventure contest currently going on, for a chance to win great products and compete for a $25,000 Ultimate Adventure. Awesome, and perfect for the dad in anyones life!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T19:20:00.000-04:00

Be sure, if you find yourself here, that you switch yourself over to THERE.
But here is a peek at the WW I posted over THERE, today!

Glidden

2010-06-15T18:37:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Glidden. All opinions are 100% mine.

Painting can be such a hassle. You have to pick the color, prep walls, cover furniture, then if the color isnt right you have to find the one that is, which often leads to buying multiple cans of paint which you cant even use. It's all really a big pain. Now, Glidden is offering an awesome way to cut the hassle that painting projects can be.

Right now, you can head over to Glidden to Test Drive Your Favorite Color with Glidden TM Ready-to-Go Paint Testers: If you are not fortunate enough to win testers in the “Glidden Paint, Get Color, Give Color Giveaway” beginning just after midnight on June 1st, 2010, on www.Glidden.com, then you can always find Glidden’s inexpensive paint testers in any Home Depot location.

Glidden’s paint testers are unique from other brands because they have a handy brush included in the lid, and our testers allow you to try out the actual paint color before you commit to buying all the paint necessary for your project.
Glidden testers are also easier to store than large, messy, half-used cans of paint. The testers are also great for households with children because they can be used to quickly touch up scrapes and stains. I love this, because there is no more trying to store little samples of paint when inevitabely, you'll need a touch up, likely in a childs room ((cough cough!!))

Find Ideas Quickly with Glidden’s Top 10 Color Palettes and XL Paint Chips. Get inspired to paint with colors that reflect who you are! Glidden’s Top 10 Color Palettes are assembled by color experts to express your personality. Glidden also makes it easy to select the perfect combination of colors.

Glidden's large paint chips help you experience your favorite color in your room’s unique lighting. Plus, all of the chips have two coordinating color options right on the back. I like that they have team color paints, because so many people have teams that they coordinate into bedrooms, this takes the matching guesswork right out of the equation.

I will definately be checking out Glidden myself, as we're hoping to move in the next year or so. I love picking out paint colors & designs, just not the actual painting hassle, but I think, with Glidden it just might be a bit easier next time.

If you, yourself are looking to start a painting project this summer, head over to Glidden & get started!

The A Team

2010-06-13T17:12:00.001-04:00

[caption id="attachment_951" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" "][/caption]

You can all relax. I got a bit of a break this weekend ( plus, I slept til NOON, yes, 12 in the afternoon, on Saturday!!!) It was much needed, as I think the world knew.

The Man & I stopped at my favorite local deli, Franklin Square Deli for lunch then went to see the A Team.

I remember watching it, vaguely, with my dad & my sister. My sister is the big A Team fan of the family. We are all owners of the original dolls, in fact. I believe my sis has them, which is probably good for their value considering my boys.

I figured, even if the movie sucked, it'd be an enjoyable hour plus of Bradley Cooper, who lets face is, is fucking fiiine. ..Well, he was hotter before he got with Squishy Zellwiger,but maybe she has a ...nice heart. Er something.

Anyway, I'm a pretty tough movie critic. Not a lot makes me laugh.. Well..actually I laugh really easily, but I'm not easily moved to laughter by movies. I never have been. I remember going to see Little Women as a kid, I mean, I was maybe 4th grade, and Beth( Claire Danes) died. The theater was racked with sobbing women & I remember looking around with wide eyes, trying not to laugh thinking "I am so going to hell..wtf?"

[caption id="attachment_953" align="alignleft" width="252" caption=" "][/caption]

That was fourth grade, I assure you my inappropriate laughter has gotten MUCH worse since then.

If you planed on, or even remotely thought about seeing the movie, I'd definitely recommend doing so. I really enjoyed it. The Man even said that he loved it, it was so outrageous & unbelievable yet still enjoyable. Not like those movies where you're like "Really? Come on" This was just A for AWESOME & ACTION. And Alpha..technically, so the outrageousness was A-Ok!

I know that the original B.A, Mr. T wasn't thrilled about a remake, and I know I had my skeptic shoes on, so for those of you who are all "OMG how can they remake the A Team?? I refuse to see it!" Get over yourselves & enjoy the summer flick.

I did. And I'd see it again, which is rare for me.

Plus, like I said, what's the worst that can happen, you waste $8 & dislike it?

Not a total loss.. you still get to look at this for over an hour.

[caption id="attachment_954" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Bradley Cooper looking ab'alicious! "][/caption]

That's worth $10 alone. I'm just saying.

..Oh yeah..so worth it...

'Stangs and douchebags.What better for a Tuesday!

2010-06-08T17:10:00.000-04:00

I wonder if Mustangs are the official car for douchebags. I shared this thought earlier, on Facebook & about 95% of comments agreed. To make up for the other 5% I amended my statement to be

"Mustangs(specifically the 90's models,red) are the UN Official car of douchebags."

Why UN official you ask? Because, there are perfectly good people who drive Mustangs. I know several myself.

If the car were the OFFICIAL car of Douchebags. In order to get a 'Stang you'd have to apply.

It would go something like this:

Mustang Salesman, henceforth known as MS

MS- NEXT!

Man steps to desk.

MS -"So, you want a Mustang, do you? Do you think you're douchey enough to handle one of these babies?"

Man- "Well, I think I qualify."

MS- "Name me one good reason.."

Man- ((thinks..smiles)) Well, I cheated on my wife."

MS- "Get in line buddy.You gotta do better than that to qualify, this is the OFFICIAL car of douchebags, we're talking big titles."

You see, Tiger Woods douchebaggio ways also happened at the same time I thought up the Mustang & DB Officialness was set up. So, he left Buick & is the official Douche Bag of the Mustang.

I mean, dude's would be lining up in waves to qualify. Jon Gosslin would be in his Ed Hardy pleading that he's a big enough celebrity to get an Official Douchebag car.

Man- ((thinky face)) "Well I cheated on my wife, with her mom."

MS- "You got it. Upgrade this guy to leather seats! Next!!"

For other peoples random thoughts, on this lovely Tuesday, check out The Un Mom

Car Seat Preachy Stuff

2010-06-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

I am a self proclaimed safety nut. Especially when it comes to car seats. I remember being pregnant with Andy & learning that you aren't supposed to choose car seats just by the print they come in. I had no idea.

Evenflo and JuiceBoxJungle sponsored this post, and gave me an opening to talk about what child safety means to me and my family & I am grateful for the opportunity to do. I love sharing information that I am passionate about & I hope I don't sound preachy. I'd be crazy not to jump on this opportunity because it's something I'm passionate about, but this is also the type of thing that I don't go shouting from the roof tops here on my blog because I definately don't like reading, or writing preachy things, unless it's really good & I'm sure I'm 100% right..which I usually am. Chhaa!

I hope that you come away from this post with more information than you had coming in, which you can use in your daily life to protect the children in your life.

In the past 4 years, I've become a slight car seat geek. I've poked & prodded & tested, had a bunch of our own & discussed with car seat techs more car seats than I should with only 2 kids! I know the importance of keeping my children rear facing as long as possible, I am an advocate of car seat safety & the importance of a 5 point harness, and I also advocate extended rear facing. So many people are so excited to turn their child forward facing when they hit age one. Why?

"So they can see the world!" Is a common response.

I don't see how they can see the world, if God forbid, an accident happened and being rear facing could have saved their life. Brutal. I know. But it is truer than many people realize.

I always direct people to this video, when I discuss car seat safety with friends, or people who have prior asked my thoughts & opinions. It's a simple video that isn't graphic yet supplies basic facts that many actually do not know, and shows the benefits of rear facing.

And for those people who still don't get the message. This video really ought to do the trick.

I don't think anything speaks more clearly that the proof in those videos & the facts that anyone can inform themselves of.

Andy was rear facing until a little before he was three years old. Ryan was until he was about 15-ish months.. He was a tricky one, due to his massive size. The boys pediatrician always starts to ask about car seats & says "I have no idea what you'll do with them.." before she says "Oh thats right, you're the one with the great car seats & information! I wish more parents knew this stuff.." I know the facts & I am not afraid to speak up about them. This isn't some radical parenting choice, it is a life of death decision. You may feel confident in your own driving skills, but every time your on the road, everyone elses driving skills & judgment is a risk you take. I mean, simply driving a car, a daily action IS dangerous. Well, it CAN be. Hopefully it isn't, but it isn't something to take lightly when it comes to the protection you choose to give your children with car seats, booster seats & seat belt laws.

Know the laws. Check your states facts HERE.

Both boys are forward facing, in 5 point harnesses. How? With a good, quality, safe seat.

I bought the Evenflo Triumph, which I recommend to dozens of people, for our first car seat. It help both boys from the first time they rode in it til the day they grew out of it. It is a top safety rated car seat, the height & weight limitations are greater than many other seats on the market, which means one seat lasts longer, no buying 2 or more seats.

Evenflo has just released the Momentum 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat, with features that help make safety, installation and use as easy as possible for parents.

This post is sponsored by Evenflo and JuiceBoxJungle,written 100% by myself, in my own words. All opinions & statements are my own.

Shark embryo? I can show you that.

2010-05-30T17:04:00.000-04:00

The pet store we shop at, is a small locally owned store (Yay). However, they seem to have branched into exotic animals, which I'm not really cool with.(Boo)

An American alligator?($299) Sure, we live in Ohio, so, when it gets too big, it will surely be fine in the natural habitat that people inevitabely let the animals into..right?

Oh wait, no.I'd really like to meet the person who eventually buys it ( or the pet store, who finds themselves with a giant alligator!) and ask "What the fuck do you plan to do with it?" Because I'm sure, they're intelligent answer will pacify my questions.

Riigghht.

However, they have a banded shark egg, ($49.99, fyi) that I have to say, is pretty awesome. I saw when we stopped in the other day, that you can actually see the shark moving around, in it's egg so I had to go back & get a video. I mean, do you have any past experiences that let YOU see, share & video a shark embryo?

Didn't think so. Pretty unique opportunity, right?

So per several requests, here is it!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pretty awesome, huh?

On a similar note, the apple tree in our yard has baby birds, for a second year in a row! I admit, I'm a bit fearful of the parents. I worry they might peck my eyes out, or something equally as horrifying, so I snapped off a few pictures, at arms length and ran. Like I said.. me & birds..eh.

There is something pretty magical, especially for mothers, I think, about seeing baby animals. I don't know if it's the magic of seeing it (with out doing it!) or the delicateness of the see through skin, on baby animals, or what that is so precious and miraculous to see, but I never come away from seeing baby animals with out that warm fuzzy feeling.

Have you ever seen any amazing animal experiences? Share them! I love stories!!

I couldnt make this up if I tried.

2010-05-28T17:02:00.002-04:00

I realized this week, that my entire life, I've thought I was graceful. I just thought really stupid, awkward, embarrassing shit happened to me, a lot..
Turns out, I'm a klutz, and a walking fucking disaster.
I can only imagine how many people from my past are secretly reading this thinking "she just NOW realized this?"

First day at college, mini skirt, from lawn, walking down the steps , I rode the steps, with my ass.One rainy day, I woke up early & decided to do my hair, cute shoes, skirt, etc for morning classes. Anyone who has ever been to Ohio University should know, the wooden steps, leading down to the West Green. Like.. 50 ish steps? I took atleast 20 of them, on my ass, again. in the rain. I laughed & went to class, where I announced it, as I walked in & checked out my stained self, once inside.

I swear to you, this is what just happened, outside in my back yard.

I was being stupid, and lighting those fucking cotton things on fire. I TOLD you not to do this & THIS is why. Yes, I know, stupid me, right? You should never never never play with fire.

But, I did, and suddenly I found myself jumping, at a shockingly fast speed ( of which I will gloat over, when my heart stops screaming) over the rusty metal fence that separates my yard, from my neighbors to roll out the ground before the car, which yes, was on fire.

However, in the process of using my bad ass lightening fast fence jumping skills, the crotch of my shorts caught on the top of the fence, while my body went over.

AWKWARD.

I managed to basically hang from the fence, by my pants crotch for what felt like a minute, before scrambling off to stamp out the ground.

I got it out.Then I crouched, looked & ran as fast as I could around the fence to my own yard, again (yes, for a second I considered scaling back over, then I was like" ouch, my crotch hurts!") and will never ever ever play with fire again. Totally fucking stupid, I'm such a fucktard.

I will also now be wearing underwear when I leave the house, even if it's just the back yard.

PS- I get tetanus on my vagina & have to go to a doctor & explain this, I am going to be so fucking pissed at my life.

The Farm. And more pig nipples.

2010-05-28T17:00:00.001-04:00

OK, I'd like to start by saying, holy fuck. It took me like, 4 days to write this effing post. I dont know if it's me, or Wordpress, or my lack of Wordpress fast skills. Yes, thats likely it, but geeze!

So,like I've been mentioning, we've been doing more "adventures" as we call them, in our house.

We've been trying to pick out destinations that are around here, with things to do for day trips. We're starting only going as far as an hour and a half to two hours away, but as it gets warmer outside we have some trips planned, a bit father from home, still in Ohio, but just fun stuff, we enjoy, like hiking, the outdoors,etc.

So, we went to Lake FarmPark. It was their 20th anniversary, the day before & I haven't been there since I was probably 9 years old. Last time I was there, I got cornered by a CRAZY turkey & a cow bit me.

For some reason, I wanted to go back! Me & farm animals have a leery relationship,you see..

I don't get how some people have sex with them ( what?! It happens, read the news!!!!) These things hate me.

I swear, ALL animals that are of "farm" classification seem to have something against me. Not in a mean intentional way, but I have been nipped, bit & scared shitless by so many of these animals, I can't even tell you. I'm like "all I want to do is pet you, cripes!"

Lucky for me, the farm seemed a bit more "contained" now. The turkeys "on display" were actually in coops. I am assuming they bit the wrong person at some point..just saying, it's a possibility!

First we saw the pigs. There were 10 cute little babies & I have to admit, I got kinda in "baby" mode & wanted to coo over them & their chunky little pork chop butts. I think that they almost look like little human baby butts, don't you? If you look closely, on one, it has a nipple, on its butt cheek. Seriously.

I bet he'll get teased a LOT for that shit.

"Haha, there goes little Peter Piggie, did you hear? He has a THIRTEENTH nipple! That's not even the best part, guess where it is... On his left upper Ham!!"

Cuuttee huh? Those were some massive nipples, on that pig too, but no. Nothing compared to the fucked up pig nipples,I posted earlier, in this weeks RTT.

We saw a goat, who I am convinced is crazy. He just had that look in his eyes...

[caption id="attachment_745" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Crazy Goat"][/caption]

I am still learning Wordpress, so until I get that down, here is a link, to watch the crazy goats, crazy eyes in a short video-

Goat Movie

Right.

So, then we saw horses, and I think a donkey, or maybe, it was a mule.

Are you digging Andy's hat? Its a Junior Explorer, from Wallaroo's. These are UPF 50, which is awesome, because Andy overheats & has very fair skin. It's completely machine washable, so you can fold it & tuck it in your pocket, cram it in a bag & it folds out wrinkle free. I love it. Check them out!

[caption id="attachment_753" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Less Pioneer Woman, more Fuzzy Terror."][/caption]

Mule?

Hailey? <--- Can you tell me?

On we went, to the next stage of the farm, the circle of animals, sort of. This is where I was cornered, by a crazy turkey as a kid!

They were doing a sheep sheering demonstration, every few hours & we saw the participant. He was so fucking pissed. These things were making hilarious LOUD noises, that terrified Ryan. Every time it'd start he's jump, and run.

They have an awesome Hydroponics section. A whole building with kids stuff to do & learn & most importantly, touch! Ryan mostly just threw balls across the room, but, we were the only ones there, so it was sort of OK.

Next we hustled in the hot sun completely across the farm only to stop for a sip of water, before entering to have a class room file in right before us! This ended up being good, because while Ryan freaked out & had to leave.( He was such a fucking mess that day, after the sheep scared him, he was just a terror the whole time until the very end, when we got away from all the animals & they played on little tykes play grounds. Similar to the ones in their own back yards...) Andy & I got to sit and watch the kids go before us. This gave me time to ask about 10 times " Are you SURE you want to milk the cow?" Andy was sure, and probably annoyed at my nagging.

Finally it was our turn, the cow chose this moment to shift, after all the 20 munckins before us yanked on her boob. This promptly scared Andy & he resorted to just touching the cows leg, then asking to get down from the step stool. So, we touched the cow & left.

Of course, once we left, Andy freaked out that he wanted to milk the cow. I tried to convince him he just did (he wasn't buying it) so he just kind of threw a small fit, nothing loud or obnoxious, but the trying to throw a fit, kinda tired crying whining thing kids are awesome at. I sat there, sipped a water , told Andy if he was going to cry, we would just go home & he couldnt see anything else on the farm. I asked if he wanted that. I smiled, as a mom got to use Andy as an example to her daughter " see, you were just doing that & you stopped..." as she walked in the door, and smiled back.

The best part of the day came next. We walked to a giant field, with a playground. I think that was the best part for everyone. Sadly. They played & Ryan, Mike sat & enjoyed the open skies & I walked around talking pictures of cow eyes & stuff.

I also found golden mushrooms. I mean, hello hippie heaven Alice in Wonderland shit!

We finally headed home, Ryan zonked out with in a minute of the car starting. Andy whined a bit about wanting to milk the cow.. It was a reasonable success.

Plus, I got to see this ( turn up your speakers!)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tell me about your own, farm experiences!

Have you been matched by a crazed turkey as well?

Seen anything gross/weird/hilarious/completely fucked up that you want to share?

Sort of a little bit wordless, definately Wednesday

2010-05-26T16:59:00.000-04:00

Every year, this tree 2 yards over grows, and then blows all this cotton crap all over our yard. For 2-5 days it looks like it is snowing, in the Summer. We had to pull food off the grill, this afternoon because of it, and we "swam" the day before, thankfully, because it covers everything!

On a not so wise note, it's also flammable. It curls up in little cotton ball bunches in corners & it may or may not be a quick flash of fire that quickly (and safely) burns out before your eyes. I don't recommend doing this,of course. I'm just saying.

RTT

2010-05-25T16:51:00.002-04:00

Dude.Who knows if anyone can even read this, because with my luck, by now, I didn't fix the giant comments I had, and all the font is too tiny.

((knock knock))

Is anyone out there??? Did I lose everyone?

I should NOT have ANY control to ANYTHING on the Internet.

Fuck it.

So random is where I have been lately.. last Tuesday I did,I forgot to link up, so all my randomness was lost & not shared. Read it HERE.

We went to Thomas the Train, this weekend. Hahahaha. That will be a fun blog post.

Sometimes I think, maybe I don't like kids after all. My whole life, since I was a kid, myself, everyone has praised how great I am with kids. My career path was to work with kids [Child Life Therapist] and I always wanted lots of kids.

Now, I'm not saying I don't like my kids, I LOVE them. It's other peoples, I don't like. Our neighbor? He's like.. 5, I think.

I MIGHT hate him. I'm not sure yet. I know, awful right?? I'm totally going to hell.

I think the melon plants are dying, or dead. I'm not sure which yet.

I should be going to bed. Instead, it's Monday night, 11pm, and I'm sitting here, picking my cuticles, writing this, because I don't know..why not? Should I sleep? Maybe. But, between all of you, and me.. This whole having Mike at home thing is AWWESSOOMME!

The last few summers he has been home ..eh.. well.. some of you know my personal life, and some of you don't, but I'll say, that the last six months of all of our lives, and our marriage, have been like a fresh start.

All relationships have troubles, be it financially, or emotionally, or cheating sexually, as we've all seen with Tiger & all these other not too hot to begin with guys who keep fucking that one ugly what is she.. a stripper? A hooker? That Jaime chick.. heelloo.. I know you guys who read Perez, or People, or any sort of celebrity gossip know who I am talking about.. Anyway!

Uh..yeah,so! No, we didn't have anything dramatic or drastic, thankfully!!!

We just decided to take our lives in a different direction & make some changes. Pretty basic things & a commitment to just all around enjoy each other more(because as we all know, life is too short, and can change in the blink of an eye), since that day our relationships & family life have all around really improved!

So, needless to say, this Summer for us, so far has been AWESOME! We have until June twenty-ish of Summer break time! How often do you, and your family get whole summers off, with a regular job? We've realized.. not often. It's just been nice.. I've been sleeping in :-)

We went to a farm.

Saw some really fucked up nipples on a pig.

And I KNOW you want to see them SO bad.

What IS the deal with cuticles anyway? And how DO pubic hairs know when to stop growing? And eye lashes & brows?? What makes them different from your head hair, which continually grows??

Random Tuesday Thoughts..

2010-05-25T12:03:00.000-04:00

For those of you, who are still viewing me, here on Blogger.
Here is a clip of my random Tuesday Thoughts, for the week. I've successfully switched my Google Friend Connect followers, over to my blog, so all of you should not even be reading this, if that is the way you connect to read my blog.
Today, I will be working on transferring my RSS feed over, for those of you who subscribe that way.
I really hope I don't lose you.
So, if your here, reading this, make sure you don't get lost, by accident and go to the NEW BLOG domain HERE.
Subscribe yourself there, incase I get a case of the web dumbz.

"Now, I'm not saying I don't like my kids, I LOVE them. It's other peoples, I don't like. Our neighbor? He's like.. 5, I think.

"I should be going to bed. Instead, it's Monday night, 11pm, and I'm sitting here, picking my cuticles, writing this, because I don't know..why not? Should I sleep? Maybe. But, between all of you, and me.. This whole having Mike at home thing is AWWESSOOMME!"

Saw some really fucked up nipples on a pig.

And I KNOW you want to see them SO bad.
(go, see the pictures on the blog!)

"What IS the deal with cuticles anyway? And how DO pubic hairs know when to stop growing? And eye lashes & brows?? What makes them different from your head hair, which continually grows??"

You can read the full blog entry, over on the new site, HERE

Monday Minute

2010-05-24T21:25:00.000-04:00

Hello my distant friends. I've been having a bit of a brain block, going on lately.By the time I'm done trying to navigate my way through the web & all its tutorials I need to do this website stuff by my lonesome ~~and feed my Fish, on Facebook,~~

Well...I just dont have much to say.

It happens to the best of us.

BUT!!!

The NEW SITE IS UP. Click HERE to be taken there.

I'm posting both here, and there, until I fully switch over.

Still adding the bells, whistles & lots of important html thingies.

So, read here, or there, but if you find yourself with a bit of time on your hands that you can throw my way, please head over there to check it out & leave your comment on Monday Minute, on the new site!

1– Do you *snort*?
Internet wise, I do *snort* when it’s appropriate.
In real life…….occasionally. When air & fluids & laughs cross paths, sometime my throat gets confused with my nose & just let’s out a snort. It’s pretty rare, but it has happened.

2 – Our friend, has a nickname and it’s Daffy. What’s your nickname?
Fuck. Don’t get me started. I’ve been asking for a nickname since I can remember, and if I had a nickle for everytime some moron new friend in my life has grabbed me, thinking they’re genius to tell me the nickname they made for me..WAIT FOR IT.WAIT FOR IT!!

CLAIREBEAR!
I’d have a lot of nickles.

Really?! Like I havent been called that since I was was effing birthed?! Come on. But yeah..I’d say Clairebear is my nickname. Yay.

3 – Do you know sign language?
Typically all the sign language I need can be found with the swift extension of one finger.

4 – What’s a sample convo from your hood?
Hmm.. I don’t have anything too good, but we were at a local FarmPark, this week & it must have been field trip day because there were about 6 buses there. When I leaned in, to pet some baby piglets with Andy, the vultures kids swooped in on me.
“Do you know how old they are? Do you know how many she had?? She had 10..OOoohhhh girl.. TEN babies?? She better hope she dont have no more babies!!! TEN? My mama would be like aww no!!!!”
I can honestly say, I was chuckling about that the rest of the day, this girl must have had siblings cause she was giving the mama pig a look that only a overwhelmed mother, or a child whose mother GETS overwhelmed with her kids, can create.

5 – Do you sleep with electronic devices – i.e. laptop, Blackberry, iPhone, etc?
My Blackberry is on “off” next to my bed. Because in “off” I’ll be sure to get any emergency calls and all. OR- I’ve had the same number since I was 16 (yep) and it took until I’d been married for a bit over 2 years for random people I knew when I was 18 to stop calling, drunk, at 3am to see if I was still single reminisce

You're the best.. you're the beeesssttt!!!

2010-05-20T23:44:00.000-04:00

I am:
a-stoopid
b- not web smart
c-grateful for Going Like Sixty & Beth. (who will teach you how to bake, or atleast to want to eat what she bakes, on her blog!)

d- all of the above, but only a little of a.

D!!!

I just needed to clear my cache...

((blush))

So, hopefully in the next 2 days I'll finish setting up, all the funky wonky sized fonts & graphics that aren't sized & in the right place..

Then I'll swap ya'll over.

Squuueee!!!

Am web dumb. Needz help.

2010-05-20T21:49:00.003-04:00

Where have I been?

Going to farms, to look at tiny little pork chop butts, chasing Ryan as he hops into line with a class of 20 second graders for their class photo.

Working hard not to pull out my own hair..
I'm doing all sorts of crap.
Playing Facebook games too.. ya'll got me addicted to those things, geeze..

I finally signed up with Bluehost. For all my hosting needs
((cheesy music))
Needless to say, I thought I was doing a REALLY good job. I got my domain there.(er, I think I did, my FIL might have done that actually..)
I got Wordpress installed( one click, thankyouverymuch)
I'm all working on my blog, making it pretty,(slowly doing well, shockingly!)
And most importantly,attempting to further the means of communication I have with all of you
(ie: comment system I can directly reply to, on said blog) and all sorts of other neat fucking stuff like DNSomethingSTFungus.
I have no idea, I mean literally, I might as well be reading Chinese.

I'm lost.

If you visit my domain www.aremuffinsuglycupcakes.com

You will see the message, my father in law, set up for me, when he so kindly bought me my domain name.

It's suposed to show you my Wordpress home.. Wordpress is all set up, it's like THERE.
Either I'm blind, which with out glasses, I'm fairly sure I technically am.. I mean, all joking aside, I could give a legally blind person a run for their money if I lose a contact.
Or I am really needing some serious web guru help.

I'm going to use like, a lot, and I'm motioning with my hands, a LOT.

So, when your on your Wordpress dashboard, and you click your blog title, that takes to TO your blog. Right? Yeah. Well, it just takes me to the damn message my father in law gave me.
In my Wordpress, I already copied all my blogger posts & comments, to my Wordpress account, so I can click "view" and see my prior posts, with comments, and I can see my page, to check out how it looks as I am editing it.

Then I go to the "home" icon, on my new Wordpress blog. It shows that it will direct me to my domain name www.aremuffinsuglycupcakes.com
Click. Back to the white page, black writing, from my Father in Law.

Did he like, build this page & I need to take it down?? Or am I missing something? Am I just gotz a case of the stoopidz? I mean, I feel like an LOL Cat over here for fucks sake!!

I put in a help card, or comment card, or something, to the support staff for my hosting, I even started it with "I'm sorry but I have NO idea what I am doing.. so.."
I hope I don't have to call the 24 hour 1-800 number.. I hate the phone & I sound like a moron, trying to ask questions. I mean, notice all the likes & hand gestures??
Add in a stutter as I try to find my words over some kids screaming, make me start sweating as I start to get flustered & it's all a ball of fun!

Go read this site.
This guy is doing 101 things with his ex wifes wedding dress.
She all up and left him, she's lucky he didnt poop on it, set it on fire & leave it on her door step.

PS- Don't worry, I've got switching all of you guys over in the bag..... or so I think..... Maybe you should make sure I'm bookmarked, somewhere. I know how to switch my RSS feed and Google Friend Connect pals over, so hopefully we'll be ok..but just in case.
Savvveeee me, somewhere, so we don't lose this sweet sweet thing we've got going on. Ok?

F&#k yes, I got my dog a Snuggi.

2010-05-19T14:07:00.000-04:00

It's been rainy.
And boring.
And the kids are driving me bonkers.
Mike has been home barely a full week before he's itching to get ~~away from us~~ out of the house on his own.

So, we decided to all go to the Pet Store and Target, to pick up some things we needed.
What would usually be "my" time, we'd all do as a family..~~Yay for me.~~
Grab some lunch out..
Mike would attempt to talk me into a fish tank.
I'd laugh in his face..
Good clean family fun!

So we're at PetSmart, Ryan is running, squealing, Andy is petting all the lonely kitties waiting for adoption ( I saw Chuck, reincarnated!) when I saw it.

Then the beautiful RED CLEARANCE sticker appeared.. Was: $9.99 Now: $3.00

((((angel singing)))

Fuck yeah. My dog was getting a Snuggi.

And so she did.

Monkey Minute.

2010-05-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

Have you ever peed in the shower/bath/pool?
Yes/Maybe when I was 2.. I SIT in that water, gross!/Yes

What is your biggest pet peeve?
Stupid people. Fuck, if we're being honest..People in general, I guess.
Be it ignorance or just dumbassness. You know, the people who pipe up with their "factual opinion" that is nothing more than something they got out of a waiting room magazine, or who always have to chime in to be part of the drama/conversation/goings on...
Basically people in general would sum it up...

What's the story behind your blog title?
I'd made one of those little picture phrases.. It was "I rock & roll" and the roll picture I used, looked like a muffin. I got teased by friends& joked around about it.. I think a joke about muffin tops, or 5 came out. I saw a cute icon someone made asking the question.. I needed to make a new blog & I couldnt think of anything, so I just typed in the first things on my mind. "Are Muffins just Ugly Cupcakes?? Where DO Squirrels Poop??"
100 followers later I thought it was a bit too late to change, so I shortened the name, 200 followers later I took a few parts off & wa'la.

What is your definition of success?
Happiness.If I'm happy, I can do anything I want to do!

If you were famous, what would you want to be famous for?
As long as it wasn't a leaked sex video, I don't really care.

You say anecdote, I sat Andydote

2010-05-17T12:02:00.000-04:00

Andy will be four years old this July. He, like Ryan now is, was a late talker. Both my boys practically walked out of the womb, they were so physical at such a young age, but I like to call them the strong, silent type.
I'm a talker, an absolute speed talking yap your ear off babbler. Some of the time.
The rest of the time, I'm pretty quiet. I'd prefer to say something good, or say nothing at all.

Now Andy is really molding into a "real human" as we say over here, "Wow,he's like a real little person, or something!" He can talk just as fast as I can. much to my mothers dismay, and believe me, he is giving me a real run for my talking skills money!

Like this weekend, for example.

Sunday morning, the kids had cereal & cartoons & we're absorbed in their own waking up..The Man & I close the door to have some "quiet time."

Seven minutes later ( atleast it wasnt two minutes...) Andy knock knock's at the bedroom door & calls
"Hey! Are you guys alright in there???"

Yeah buddy, we're ok.

"Well.... what are you doing in there???"

Folding laundry...

As I've said before, we've been potty training, which is basically complete, except for a few poo nuggets in the ol' underoos here & there of course. However, it's also meant that I get a crowd & some cheer-leading when I go to the bathroom as well.

One week a month, last week, Andy had several questions about my bathroom habits..

He's been full of questions lately, just full of them!

He snuggled up with me this weekend & told me "You know, I have yellow pee!"
I said "yes you do!!"
He then told me "Dad has yellow pee too.."
He does!
Then Andy looked at me & said "And YOU have PINK pee!"

I didn't know what to say, he was right! So I said.. "Yep.. I did have pink pee buddy.." to which Andy looked positively tickled he was right.

Then there is the "what color is my pee pee??" question, he asked a few weeks ago.. to which I shrugged, thinking & said "It's white..well..pink..I guess!" to which he promptly examined further & told me "Yes, it's pink, but it's purple,ooh..and blue.. too!!"

Awesome.

Ah.. he's going to be my fun, curious one, isn't he??

Nielson consumer panel heads up

2010-05-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

I know most of you know about Nielson, so I just wanted to give a heads up before I forgot, for those of you who have been wanting to try to get into their homescan program!!

If you do Pinecone, BzzAgent, or don't do any of them, but have heard of Nielson consumer panels, check it out, NOW!!! I love Nielson & have been on several of their panels over the years myself.

Enjoy!

The other side of the tracks.

2010-05-15T20:14:00.002-04:00

Now that The Man is home, we've been trying to do more as a family, which inevitably means less blogging, for me. I've been reminded, that life can change in the blink of an eye, and I am trying to make sure that I count my blessings, our health & our happiness daily.

Mike took the kids on a walk, a few weeks ago & came back astonished.
"We crossed the tracks today.. there are nice houses over there, just through a field.. like.. literally.. we live on the other side of the tracks... and not the side you want to be on!!!"

I nearly choked.
I've lived in this town the majority of my life, and yeah.. I'd prefer to live on the other side of the tracks, too!
Our side is a bit........................ country.
Hm.. it's like.. 96% country, 2% crackhead, 2% normal..
I swear.. omg..this is going to be a whole different post isnt it!?! I better focus..

I like the "big back yard & nature" country part of it...... and that's about it. This post isn't to catch you up on my neighbors,and the wacky neighborhood we live in believe me, that is a whole different ball game & will be shared eventually, but to tell you about the fun we've been having exploring whats in our own back yard.

As most people know, tornadoes have been touching down & disasters happening all over, this Spring. We've had daily alerts & warnings & watches or whatever they call it, but mostly we've just had rain.
We headed out for a walk, the other day because the weather channel was showing rain for the next 4 days & we wanted to make sure we got out before it came because this house can not contain these kids, this Spring & if we HAVE to be stuck inside due to rain, we'd better take advantage of what we can, right?

We ended up taking close to a mile and a half walk ( maybe more, maybe less) on a bike & hike trail that is literally in our back yard.

Check us out!

There are tons of trains that go through the end of our road daily and these are parked & used by the corporations, business,etc that are back, off the street into the woods.
The Man & Andy ( much to my dismay) have a system worked out, of the 2 of them stopping, waiting, looking, listening & then.. and only then, if there is no train, The Man & Andy can go & touch the train ( where directed, he doesn't just get to molest this big random train, even The Man isn't that irresponsible!!)

Just looking at this picture gives me anxiety, so moving on....

We take the Radio Flyer, that I knew was a good purchase, 2 years ago & after lifting them over the tracks, we're on a paved walkway.

Ryan was in the best of moods, on this walking day (which today, on the same path, opposite direction, he was NOT in a good mood, and that walk sucked.. bad.)

About a half mile..or mile, or 5 miles, who knows, I didnt start thinking about how far we walked until we had to turn around, of course...There is a local apple orchard. We stopped there as they put a parking lot, for bikers & hiker's to stop & start from as well, we got out, sat on some rocks had some juice.

Then kids decided they wanted to walk the entire way back home.

I mean the whooollee way.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

So that, is where we have been.

What have you been doing, with your own Spring??

Well that was awkward

2010-05-13T19:05:00.000-04:00

I wish that I could say this story happened, while doing something awesome, like boozing while browsing WhyTheFuckdoYouHaveaKid.com but unfortunately, The Man & I were just in the kitchen cleaning up before bedtime.
Boo for boringness.
On what I thought was another routine evening, two things that should never ever EVER mix..Mixed..

Suddenly I hear Andy say "Ouch!!" and he starts to cry. I am a mom, so I know immediately what happened, I can hear it. He dropped something, or stubbed his toe. I can hear from the jumping sort of.. No, I cant hear..I just KNOW.. That whole "eyes in the back of my head" thing is a lie, it's all in the ears & soul baby.. a mama's just got that KNOW. You don't even need to be in the room & YOU KNOW what happened!! And if anyone tells the truth & admits it.. you were right on par, am I right moms???

So Andy comes to the door of the kitchen & I ask if daddy can kiss it, so I can finish what I'm doing.

"Babe..?... wanna see what Andy dropped on his toe???"

I was not prepared for what I found in his hand.

Yes, if you can't tell, those are vagina balls.
Ben wa-ish balls with little pink pricklies on a string.
And yes, they are mine.

You see, when I was 18, I had a lot of guy friends. I now know they all wanted to fuck me, but at the time, I thought we were all just really good friends & had a lot of fun together.
I had 2 male friends,who were best friends & lived together themselves who were purely that, friends. We hung out daily, we went dancing at night, crashed in the evening & always had a good time together.
I remember hanging out at their house one afternoon, while my boyfriend was working & a hilarious giggle fest occured due to my friends CRAZY dog. At some point, I must have butt dialed my boyfriend because next thing I know, my phone is ringing & he was screaming at me, what the fuck was I doing, at a guys house, giggling, OBVIOUSLY something was going on..
I got dumped, and he broke his fist punching a wall.
It was my senior year & we'd been together for quite some time, I bawled, sitting there on the couch where I had just butt dialed my teenage romance away & cried to my friends. I believe my two most upsetting parts of the break up were that I wouldnt have a prom date and that I really liked the sex we'd obviously no longer be having!

The solution to my problem? Going to a sex store "on them", and a guaranteed prom date by my ever helpful male friends. (And yes, one of them was my prom date, sweet guy that he was!!)

In retrospect, as I write this story.. well.. I'm a moron.. I'll just leave it at that.

Anyway, the sex store was filled with massive dongs & all sorts of fun stuff, including those little pink balls, above. I remember cracking up, what the were you supposed to do with them?? I mean, sex toys don't come with instructions, and many of them really need them!
So we got them, as a joke.

Now, they may or may not have been used, since I was 18, that isnt what this post is about.. It's about the fact that my not yet four year old is standing in the hallway, crying, holding my spiky pink vagina balls by their string.

Ryan, was in my bedroom, sitting amidst a pile of lube,.batteries, bullets & other sex toys that have been accumulated through the year squealing with joy. Thank gawd the good ol' purple dildo from that same shopping trip had fallen under the bed, where it was covered in hair, dust bunnies & most importantly, not being used as a sward to race through the house with, or to beat brothers with.

I quickly swept everything up I could in one swoop, making sure to get anything important, out of the way before it was spotted & wanted when Andy said "No, don't take those!!" as I told Mike to take the balls from Andy.

"WHY??" Which is his newest question, for everything..

What did I say?? What awesome choice of words did I have to use??

"Because they're dirty, Andy!!!"

To which he promptly said

"I want my dirty balls back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I love Spring!

2010-05-12T14:00:00.000-04:00

Spring is so fresh, and green, it's a nice change after Winter! My favorite part of spring is the flowers. All of my favorites grow in the spring. Hyacinths. Lilacs, Lily of the Valley & Peonies.

The lily of the valley are on their way out, and I've picked tons & filled the house with as many as I can & enjoyed their fragrance. Next is the peonies & I can't wait!

Here are a couple pictures I've taken recently, from around the yard, we have a couple cool flowers that come back, every year & this year I'm going to do more to keep a eye on them, know what they all are & enjoy them each!

The forget me nots, I told you guys about the other day, in my Garden post.

Some nifty flower, that everyone always tells us is really rare to find in this color, it's nearly black, the light shows the purple well, though.

The real fun, of course of Spring is running off your Spring FEVER! The boys flew a kite, for the first time, on Mothers Day & Andy LOVED it! Ryan mostly got tangled & then people got mad at each other ( did I mention it was FREEZING out too??? Whats up Ohio??)

What fun Spring stuff have you been doing???

Oh yes he did!

2010-05-11T21:42:00.000-04:00

My Ryan, DID just crawl into bed, pull up the covers & put himself to sleep. YES HE DID.

He's been doing this lately, sometimes just to rest, or snuggle, but tonight he did it, ALL BY HIMSELF.

<--- His cheese face. Iddent'hecute?

If you know anything about the last few weeks, you know this is so amazing. I tell ya, I was really having a lot of thoughts about not having any more kids, that Ryan will do that to ya from time to time!! (I'm his mom, I can say this, if anyone else does, I will hurt you)

My sweet boy, I stood there, after turning off the table light for a minute, just to .be sure. He twitched, made a few unsettled noises & then just was asleep.

If there is a God.. please, just make this reoccurring, and somehow switch him to Andy's room and I'll consider going to church,
once.
Fo real.
I NEED this for serious sanity reasons ok??

My sweet boy... he's a handful. He's pretty fearless.
He's wild & crazy.

I think the highlight of his ..life.. maybe, was a month or so ago ( my camera was having problems, who knows how long ago I took it.. I might think a month, it may be more like 3.. who knows with me)
Anyway, the highlight of his sweet little life was figuring he could actually drag the "kitchen table"
( they have to sit and eat at it f they eat in the living room) from the living room, across the room, through the hall & into Andy's room.
And do this.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Haha. He's a monkey, he started walking at 8 months & hasnt stopped since! He climbs on things to jump off, anything... baby gates are my friend.We have things massively bolted to the walls, just in case..
Ahh... my sweet boys are growing up.

Which of your kiddos is your troublemaker??
Do you have one??
If not.. well...lucky you then.

I've been waiting for you, Tuesday..

2010-05-11T14:21:00.001-04:00

I have been waiting for Tuesday, for a week now. I seriously need to express this most random thought that has been nagging me, since I saw a Secret deodorant ad with a pairs skater in it, while sitting on the shitter last week (fucking calamari)

How many pairs figure skaters out there, are missing appendages?? I'm dead serious. I need to know.I mean.. all that catching & tossing with skates close to fingers..I'm just saying..

The Man is officially done with Spring semester. If all goes as planned, one year from now, he will be walking across the stage to get his diploma. My friend Sam told me, when I complained how loonnggg it seems like we have to go, that in the grand scheme of the last 3 years, it's sorta nothing. I was of course like "damnit shh I want to complain!' haha, but it's true, one year left? That's basically nothing, of course, it took us 3 years to get in the swing of balancing our finances & our time & schedules while being in school and being an adult family, but isn't that how those things always work anyway?

The Man also has a bit over a month of being home, with us, until his next summer semester starts. I swear, when he's home it's like I clean, then he walks through a room & things throw themselves off shelves. The house is a disaster & I just keep doing the same things over & over again.

Of course, the Man is all "lets do as much as we can, together, since this could be our last summer "off." He has apparently tried to cram in a summers worth of "fun" in the last 4 days.. I'm tired, so is Ryan.

Ryan had his 2 year well check yesterday. 24 months, 30 pounds and 9.8576 ounces, 39.1748 inches and his dome is 19.6858 inches 'round(They give me a nice little print out, I'm copying from it, if not, I'd do what I did on Facebook yesterday & was like "Hes 20 pounds!!!" to which people are like "at 2?? wasn't he 10 lbs at birth?? do you feed him??" Oops.)He also screamed the entire time. Once, when the NP got out the little eye light, he got this face, which cracked both of us up, before turning into a new huge scream, it was one of those "ooohh.. I wanna smile..NO NO NONONO MUST SCREAM!!!!" faces that my son does SO well. It was pretty adorable..in a painfully loud way, that is.

I asked if she had any weaning tips, she kinda laughed, because lets face it, if you've nursed up til age 2, your opening of weaning with out difficulty has basically passed. I'm going to be stuck to this one for ever.I've been having serious boob issues, lately. I've been nursing since July 17th, 2006. I havent missed a day yet. Oh, wait.. I nursed Andy at 8pm on April 13th, then Ryan was born the early morning of April 15th..so, I didnt have to nurse anyone,w hile in labor for those hours.. That's it.

I kinda want my boobs back, man.

We watched Zack & Miri make a Porno, last night.. It was..... weird. It had some hilarious parts, because obviously I like offensive humor, but the bad-ness of the rest of the movie canceled the good lines. However, one of the actors told his wife, in the movie "I've seen em for 20 years.. No body wants to see your busted ass titties" and sort of flopped them, which is probably the funniest thing I saw in DAYS.. I feel a little like that.

Before kids I didnt even HAVE boobs, now I have boobs that have a kid stuck to them like an apendage. I was laying there, ticked last night nursing Ryan to sleep.
It's just nights that he has had a nap, he doesnt want to fall asleep, and he just wants to lay on me & hum & nurse & kick me when I moved.
Most nights this is ok..but on nap days, I'm all nursed out by 9pm.
At 8pm I'm putting him down & it's ok, and it's nice to have some down time, snuggle time, and to put my sweet boy to bed..but when its 9pm and I'm still looking at his eyes, open wide, I sit there & start to get ticked inside.
I mostly get mad at the man, because everything is his fault, of course.
Last night I was laying there pissed that he sleeps so soundly, and wasnt a helper when the boys were babies, because of course, that is the reason I am still nursing...
((head scratch))
Just go with it, ok??
So I was trying to think of a way to compare it to him..
I got nothing.
Short of asking if I can suck his nipple for 4 hours a day, just once, so he sees what it's like. That really isn't a rational idea...nor one I want to do, either!

Oh on boob-ward ho!!
I'll still be nursing for awhile, is my guess.That's ok..but it is nice to bitch sometimes.. I told Mike awhile back that we are not allowed to discuss another child until I have had my boobs back, all to myself, for one full year. Period.

I applied to be the Celebrity Headline writer, for the Examiner for my local edition. I just found out they accepted me!

This is going to be a long, busy next month or so.. really busy, really nuts, and I kind of want to just go back to bed & forget about it all.

Oh! Andy pooped on the potty!! Yep.. ON. I guess we should have said "poop IN the potty" not "lets go poop on the potty!" But uh.. yeah..better luck next time eh?

That's all I got for today!

Freschetta is bett'a!

2010-05-10T19:27:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Freschetta. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've made up this little song "Freschetta is bett'a" that I've been singing, since checking out the new
Freschetta FlatBread pizzas this last week. It's catchy, it's really too bad your not in my noggin to hear it!

I admit, we are pizza fans. Ryan especially. The kid loves it & with due right, pizza is great!! I'm a little picky, about my frozen pizzas, heck, about my made to order pizza, too! I'm mostly just picky about the sauce, and the sauce to cheese ratio. It's gotta be right.

I got to check out the new Freschetta FlatBread pizzas, and they pass my test! In fact, the two I got, passed my expectations & were a lot better than many of the store bought frozen pizzas I've had in the past!
They were also on sale, at the grocery store, so I only got to pick from a few varieties as I think the entire town was sampling the new varieties this week. We tried the 5 cheese,.the pepperoni & one more amp; it's really good pizza! Andy liked the pepperoni best, so did Ryan, and Andy can be sort of picky, about his pizza ( weirdo!)but he ate 2 slices.

We tried the 5 cheese, which I dont particularly care for the sauce on, but the portabella mushroom & spinach is to die for people, talk about a Yum-O pizza!!! I used to hate mushrooms, and I'm still picky about them, they have to be prepared properly, but the shrooms on this pizzas were rich & meaty, almost like a meat pizza, but veggie.
I also liked the texture of the crust on the flat bread pizzas, which I'm not always a fan of flat or thin pizzas, but Freschetta really nailed it this time

Are you a pizza fan? Believe it or not, some people aren't!
If you head over to the Freschetta website, you can get a $1 off coupon right now, here from Freschetta , check out the new varieties and let me know what your favorite pizza is!

Garden: 2010 in pictures

2010-05-10T15:30:00.001-04:00

This is our third year of planting a garden. It's been trial and error, and a lot of fun!
I've by now, got a few years of knowing our yard, the sun & what works well in our landscape, to venture into some new fun gardening.

It's finally fully planted & of course, in true Ohio style, has gone from 80 degrees to frosting, so we've had to cover plants & we shall see, what survives this years weather that is, like every year, bound to be something new!

We had SO much fun & I can't wait to see what pops up, (literally!) this year.

It looks like so little, when you're bringing home boxes of sprouts from the nursery, doesn't it? Every year I look at them, look at the plot, and think there is no way we got enough...This year we went back, just for 2 strawberry plants, mind you, and came home with 8 brussel sprout, sprouts, a basil bush, a new pepper plant ( they grow the size of your hand!) and "salsa" tomato...because salsa is what fresh tomatos are for, in my house!

Mr.Stripey. Because come on, I couldn't NOT buy a tomato named Mr. Stripey!!

The boys planted their seeds, in the cute little Sesame Street pots & green house, from Grandmas easter basket. One is beans, one is sunflowers & both have since grown & been transplanted! I'd also like to say, that these come with little wooden devices, for patting & mixing soil.. These look exactly like little ice cream spoons.

RYAN!! Don't you!!! Was all I had to say.. or so I thought. 5 minutes later Ryan is sitting next to me, as I pot another plant & I hear "Mmmmm"

Andy went with my mom & I, to pick out plants & had the whole place all to himself:

Then for the rest of the evening, he insisted on keeping "his plant" with him. His plant was coresian mint, and when he fell asleep & I kissed him, he smelled of little boy & mint.

It was positively delightful ((mommy sigh))

We planted, and then as I said we went back for more, so now the garden is positively packed!

I'd like to say, for those of you who like myself, didn't know, bruseel sprouts are very misleading. Eight 2 inch sprouts? Pshh. The picture looked like these little bags of brussel sprouts just grow in pockets.

I planted all 8 of them in about a 1x2ft space, and hahahahaha! These things grow to be about 2 feet EACH! Look at this picture I found, which shows size reference.. EEK!!

The strawberries have been planted, I grew cilantro from seed. I collected last years cilantro seeds

(coriander) and managed to sprout them, twice, this season. I hope they live!

Last Spring, I spent a half of a day digging up forget me nots that were scattered all over, so that this Spring, when they came up, they would look like this:

Of course, one escaped me, and popped up right in the corner of the garden, and what do you know? It's pink!

Do you garden??

Do you have an indoor plant & thats it?

Or do you plant a vegetable garden every year?

What extent does your green thumb, go to?

Monday, Monkey style!

2010-05-10T12:05:00.000-04:00

1 - How old do you act?
Anywhere from 3, to 90. Probably. Some days I kick the wall & get pissed I can't have things I want ( well, this is an exaggerating, but I do cry to get what I want on occasion!) Some days I'm all wisdomy & crotchy crabby like an old fogey! I think 26 suits me, I'm not quite "young" anymore, and I'm beginning to realize it, yet I'm not old.
2 - As far back as you can remember, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Kelly from Saved by the Bell. I had high hopes.

3 - If you were to write a book based on your life, what would the title be?
Sheer Fuckery

4 - What's something that you do that's considered "childish" by most?
What DON'T I do that is considered childish, would be a better question! I think farts are HILARIOUS. I mean.. oh.. yeah.. I think farts are funny.

5 - The last question isn't a question. Write a story of a time of when you or someone you know overcame great adversity.
Ah, this question will take much longer to answer, than anticipated. Blog post soon, on it, perhaps. Ryan got a shot today, at his well check & needs a nap...

MyLikes

2010-05-09T22:03:00.001-04:00

Colorea - itunes.apple.com

Colorea is an educational coloring app for iph. A fun way for toddlers to learn while they color & scribble. Check this out mamas, cute!!!

sponsored like

Claire Hale's profile on MyLikes

Happy Mothers Day!!

2010-05-09T12:07:00.000-04:00

Some of the most amazing women & mothers I know, will read this..

So to you I say, Happy Mothers Day!! '
Thank you for the inspiration to be the best mother that I can be. I wouldn't be the mom I am, with out so much knowledge, advice & love passed to me from the Moms who were Moms, before I was.
Here is to the hard work that we do, that we think no one notices, the love we feel, even on our worst days, the bumps we kiss, the bums we change & the babies we bore, to makes us Moms!!!

Please take a minute today, to check out a special Mother in my life. Michelle, over at Mommas Pixie Dreams.On what should have been a happy day (5/5/10), Monkey turning 16 months, instead Michelle was faced with the news that Monkey has neuroblastoma. Head over & leave her a comment, letting her know your thinking of her, as a mother, today, on Mothers Day, let's support & lift up one of our own.

Grab her button, from Ian over at The Daily Dose of Reality, Get this button out there & support Monkey & Michelle.

Much, much love to all of you,

Who is going to win the Hoover giveaway??

2010-05-06T17:02:00.000-04:00

Let's find out right now!!
Drum roll please....

The winner of the Platinum Edition cordless LiNX vacuum, courtesy of Hoover is...

Ejoey01 said... 133
FB extra entry #2... :D

Her prior entries said:
I just became a fan of Hoover...I need this vacuum cleaner because we just moved and we have killer stairs now. Our current vacuum weighs about 9000 lbs and well, I'd like to vacuum the kid's rooms more than twice a year. :X Thanks a lot Claire!

Congratulations!! You'll be emailed shortly, and make sure you come back & let me know how much more you vacuum now! I'm telling you, I use it multiple times daily, it's so simple! You are going to love it!!

Thanks again, to everyone who entered & to Hoover for sponsoring this great review & giveaway to help celebrate Ryans second birthday.

Still looking for Mothers Day ideas?

2010-05-06T16:46:00.000-04:00

Mothers Day.
The one day a year we are officially celebrated. As every mom knows, EVERY day is Mothers Day, but I suppose its nice to have an official day, right?

I got the chance to check out a couple awesome products that I wanted to tell you guys about. Let's face it, for many, Mothers Day gifts are hand picked, told to our spouses & then we're "surprised!" with them later.

As you all know, I am a shampoo, conditioner & all this beauty obsessed! So when I got to check out the new shampoo & conditioner by Philip Pelusi I said yes please!! I got a hair cut yesterday,about 3 inches painfully chopped off. I love my long hair, and it's still long, but with the styling & color I do, it definitely needs a good cut every so often. I am always looking for the best products to keep my hair in tip top shape, to avoid cuts as much as possible. The age de phy shampoo is ahhmazing. It's a rejuvenating shampoo, to which my hair was like "more more more!!" Plus, it smells AWESOME. It's a light sweet-ish smell, and it left my hair tangle free & feeling pretty awesome.
I have to say, however, the Potion is my favorite. Its a sun guard & styling product, which is my favorite type of hair product. I love stuff you can leave on, and it also acts as a styling agent. With colored hair,the sun is your worst enemy.It fades reds to a brassy icky color, it dulls black to a reddish black color & it just dries out blondes. Potion can be used on wet OR dry hair, several times a day,a needed. It has pumpkin enzyme, multi-fruit acid, fennel seed and anti-oxidents in it and it's highly concentrated, which means a little goes a long way, which is great for those on a hair care budget!
I put it on after my shower, and then when my hair was dry today, before going out in the sun. It feels like your hair is super clean, not at all tacky, but with a slight hold. No sticky, hair stiff mess. It's AWESOME for people who dont like the textures of some other styling products.
If your looking for a new shampoo, or any variety of treatments, I strongly suggest you check out Philip Peluis products.

For keeping that hair perfect, once you've achieved the perfect blow out, I think every beauty expert knows that the pillow case you sleep on can be your best friend, or worst enemy. I've slept on an inexpensive satin pillowcase for about 2 years now & I do notice a difference in the tangles but I also have to wash them more often, as skin oil, etc will build up & thats just no good for your face. Branche has come out with a pillowcase, the Charmeuse Case, which is designed specifically to care for not only your hair, but your skin as well!!
Check out these details;

Sleeping on Charmeuse Case…
• Protects delicate facial skin.
• 18 amino acids & high copper content restore hair elasticity, luster and can even reduce fine facial lines.
• Smooths hair’s cuticle layer, adds body & shine.
• Diminishes frizz & keeps curls smooth.
• Ends tedious & damaging daily styling.
• Reduces hair loss & breakage, you won’t find as much hair on your pillow.
• Promotes a more restful & regenerative night's sleep.

Um, awesome!!! I'll be sleeping on one tonight ( I couldn't last night, because a piercing I've had for 10 years on my traegus is irritated & I needed to keep it clean, aka, keep the pretty new pillow clease clean..duh) and I am excited to go to bed!! This case is SO soft & I can't stop touching it, excited to sleep on 18 amino acids, I mean, thats pretty amazing for a pillow case, isn't it? It comes in seven colors, so for those of you who like your bedding to match, there is no worry because there is definitely a case in a perfect shade for you.

Finally, to keep that skin your pillowcase will be helping to perfect ( how awesome is that, a pillow case that enhances beauty!!) check out Relastin products.
I think that being a mom means your prone to wrinkles, because each kid is bound to give you a few each!

I checked out Relastins Ultra Emolient a zinc firming complex that promotes elastin formation. As we all know, elastin keeps the skin fresh, young & tight, which means no wrinkles!

Zinc Firming Complex™: helps your body to "kick start" elastin production. Read More
Vitamin C: helps brighten, moisturize and encourage collagen production
Vitamin A: encourages collagen production and reduces the appearance of wrinkles
Peptides: helps visibly reduce surface wrinkles and firm skin

I'll be giving this to my own mother, for Mothers Day this year. Because lets face it, I can say for a few more years that I don't need wrinkle cream ((hair flip)) As you all know from her prior contributions to my blog, she is just as big a beauty freak as I am, so I'll be posting her findings on Relastin, in a week or so after she's had time to give me some feedback, because what is a product review, with out taking the time to see how it actually works, right?

I hope this gave you some last minute tips, fathers & husbands out there.
Ladies? Throw the hint out there, I know some of you love beauty products as much as I do, and these have my guarantee behind them.

Field Trips for All

2010-05-06T15:53:00.000-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am willing to bet, that most everyone can remember the excitement of Field Trip day, at school. Be it in second grade, or your senior year, Field Trips were the best!
Before I tell you more, I want you to check out this video, it's absolutely worth it. Keep a close eye on these kids faces, it's priceless!

How adorable, hilarious & awesome was that??
I'd LOVE to have gone on a field trip like that as a kid. Hell, I'd like to go now!!

I remember the awe, of going to museums,walking hand in hand as kids on field trips.
I remember feeling cool, as we got older, going on field trips, able to venture on our own with a group of friends.
I remember being glad we wern't in class, as a teenager, when we had field trips.
I can't say I've ever met a field trip I didnt like.

Ooh, except for one.
My senior year, I took a glass making class. I had early release, so I got to drive to the glass blowing place we were visiting, it was just around the corner from my house & it would be easy fo rme to head home & then to work after,plus my art teacher was cool like that.
I walked in, the heat hit me & I turned around & walked out & nearly passed out.
I went home, and then throw up.
That field trip was no fun..
However, even at age 18, I was dissapointed that I missed that field trip, and obviously, I still remember it!
I still am ticked I had chicken pox, in first grade & had to miss an awesome trip to a local farm!

Hands-on experiences like field trips can help engage children in learning that can open their eyes to the world beyond the classroom. That’s why Lunchables Lunch Combinations wants to help deserving kids across the country go on an inspiring, educational experience with the launch of the program, Field Trips For All

“Field Trips For All” is the first effort from the Lunchables Team’s new initiative called Project Potential. Aimed at empowering kids with opportunities to help them reach their full potential, Project Potential will provide enriching experiences kids might otherwise not have.

According to a 2009 report from The American Association of School Administrators, it’s estimated that over the course of the current school year, the number of school districts eliminating field trips will increase by 56 percent. That’s more than 30,000 schools.
That's pretty sad.
While my children aren't in school right now, Andy will be starting preschool next year(ohgaawwdd kill me now, wasn't he just born??)
He will be driven to school by me, and I'll likely go with them, if they go on field trips, because I too, am paranoid & feel certain if I wasn't there, when my child left the home, or the school with out me, doom of some sort would occur.
However, I'd be pretty sad, for Andy, and myself., if there were no field trips to worry about!

Some of our local area schools have had major budget cuts, when I was out of high school,but not yet with Mike, I heard of one local district that no longer has sports, extracurricular activities, buses & I hear a rumor of even lunches.
That's ridiculous. I'm SURE they don;t have field trips, and that's just sad & pathetic, in my opinion, that our countries youth will be missing out of so much, education wise, not just from the lack of field trips, but the lack of funds no student should have to suffer, due to.

Field Trips For All is asking that anyone 6 years of age or older nominate a deserving classroom by going to http://www.lunchables.com/potential/ and submitting a nomination. From all nominations received, 50 classrooms will be selected to go on an inspiring, educational experience.

Since my kid's cant benefit from this, I want you guys to tell me about your kids class, or a class you'd like me to nominate, instead!

Field trips are such a fun, important part of a childs education experience, and I absolutely support Field Trips For Alland I hope that you too, will spread the word of this great program!

akjgd;aiugws;jk!!!

2010-05-06T13:02:00.000-04:00

I wrote, and removed a post. Never done that before.
It was meant to be a joke but I added humor that strayed my point & intent. So, truthfully, I should just shhhh.

I love Mike, and he can absolutely ask me not to tell stories of him, or his family. If he doesn't want them on the Internet.

Nuff said. I love him, mostly all of the time.

And check out GoingLikeSixty.com Because for an old dude, he's fucking awesome. And old people do know more than us whippersnappers, ya know.

Beautyfix.com Oops..I drooled!

2010-05-05T18:39:00.002-04:00

If you know me at all, you know I love beauty products.
From the time I was a younger teen, I've been this way.

If it's new, I ~~need~~want it.

Bath & Body Works & Sephora are like "your collection rivals mine..jealous!

It's an addiction I don't ever ever ever want help for.

So when I got the chance to check out Beautyfix.com I was thrilled, to say the least.

Each season, a panel of beauty experts separates the winners from the losers and then suggests the best product matches based on your profile. Your product matches are divided into 2 categories: Must-Haves and Panel Faves. Must-Haves are products the panel has picked specifically for you. Panel Faves are more of the panelists' favorites that you pick yourself!

After answering a few, simple questions about my hair & skin tone, color & textures, I was given a list of hot new personalized beauty products to select my sample of 8, products

I was drooling like a chunky kid who hasn't eaten for days would be, over a triple decker cake, ok? You get to pick 8 products, each season & yes, there are full sized products.

I've always wanted to try out Johnathan's IB remedy (since I watched his show, on Bravo!) & it was suggested for my color treated hair. I. Am. In. Love. This essential spray is a fine mist that you can leave it during the day before you shampoo, or over night for the best results. I've been bleaching my hair & I can honestly say that with this use, my hair is in better condition now, after bleaching, that it was before. That's pretty amazing.

I also picked some IQ Derma products, which my skin has been loving.
But I got to check out one of those new lash boosters,which I was most excited for, also from IQ Derma which is a $125 value. (dayum!!!)
I have some sparse spots on my eyebrows from letting a friend do my brows as a teen (bitch!) & I use pencils to fill them in. My eyebrows, AND lashes are already fuller, tickers & growing in new with just a few weeks use.
A gorgeous new purple polish, prime for Spring from SpaRitual, which might I add, hasnt chipped on my pedicure on over 2 weeks & some gorgeous other products, that you'll have to check out for yourself & I was set!

Names like Johnathan, IQ Derma, Trisha Sawyer, even Caress & Secret have been picked by top beauty products & are yours for the picking.

For anyone beauty obsessed, you already know that this is an AMAZING value. Eight products for $50. Most of these products are over $50 per item, to this is a MAJOR steal.

Member benefits include:
•   Personalized recommendations from a panel of experts
•   New products quarterly
•   By sharing your opinions you can get a $25 gift card to glow.com

BeautyFix generously offered my readers an AMAZING discount code that if none of you

ever listen to anything I say, you should listen to this.

You can use code BFIX5 to get $30 off the $49.99 price for the Beautyfix Spring 2010 season.

You can test these out, with me for only $19.99+FREE SHIPPING.

So, 4 times a year, you get to choose 8 amazing new products, hand selected by beauty experts,

just for you!

One of the best things is, with Beauty Fix's referral program, for every member you refer

who signs up & purchases, you get a $10 credit.

Refer 5 friends & your season is free!  If you'd like a referal from me, leave your e-mail address

 in the comments, or contact me, privately, and I'll shoot you a referral, so you can get started yourself

 with your own Beauty Fix ( don't forget to use the coupon code!) and you can start

referring friends yourself, to get next seasons kit for free!!

I'm fairly sure that BeautyFix has started what will be a life long addiction for me. This is

amazing & I know that each season my biggest excitement will be to see what's in store for me.

Truly, I'm that obsessed. I'll be sitting here with the tremors, going through withdrawls,

waiting for my next Beautyfix.

((twitch twitch))

KY Kissable Sensations Review & Giveaway CLOSED

2010-05-05T17:06:00.004-04:00

KY His & Her's is like liquid gold in this house, which sucks, because lubes makes for slippery fingers, which makes for spills. When I got the chance to check out the new KY Kissable Sensations and to tell you how much I already love KY His & Hers it was like I hit the lube lottery.

I love the original his & hers, the cooling sensation for her, the warming for his..those commercials aren't lying when they show the After pictures, after the two lubes unite! I love love LOVE it.

I was a bit hesitant, because the new Kissables are tasty lickable lubricants, and usually to me, tasting lube= sticky mess. I have to hop in the shower or I just feel gross, and lets face it, with 2 little boys, if we want any "private time" it tends to be something we have to do in quick, hidden moments while 2 certain little boys are zoned in front of the TV with a treat ( double precautions) or we hear what we heard last weekend.

((knock knock))

Andy: Hey guys? Are you ok in there??

Us: ((looks at eachother that face, the worry, will be be able to open the door? ohgod)) Yeah buddy. Thanks.

Andy: ...What are you doing in there????

Us: Folding laundry!!!!!!! Go sit down & watch your show!

Andy: Ok.

Yeah,strolling out for a shower isn't really ideal. However, despite my hesitations I decided I'd gave it a shot.

The chocolate is for her & the strawberry is for him.The chocolate doesn't have that gross scent, that some products when trying to recreate chocolate. It actually smells like real chocolate, maybe a darker chocolate syrup would smell, I'd say. It's just like regular KY lubricants, only yes. It does taste. And it tastes good.

Perk: I got to say that my crotch smelled chocolatey!

But in all honesty, I really like it! It doesn't have the usual "generic" taste that lubricants do, it tastes, smells & feels nice, which are all the things you should ask for in a lubricant of this category.

In my expertise* I definitely recommend every couple invest in several "regular" lubricants, and also a fun one, like KY Kissables!

FIVE really lucky readers will get to check out the new KY Kissable Sensations for themselves. I'm excited FOR you guys.Whose gonna make a chocolate strawberry scented baby with this, thanks to KY & this giveaway? Eh???

KY Kissable Sensations will be available in stores June 2010. Keep an eye out for them, they are worth it! You can also visit KY to check for special offers, and sign up to make sure you don't miss out on future deals as well.

Pay attention now guys. This is my first giveaway since switching to my own URL, so, please pay attention so that you can win!!

Remember, for each entry you complete you need to leave separate comment. Entry one = One comment stating the entry of completion. If you do not include your e-mail address in at least one comment, or it is not available on your website or profile you will not be able to receive notification of your prize. INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL.

Complete any, or all of these entries by June 21,2010. I will use Random.org to pull a winner. I will notify you by email & you will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail with full details or a new winner will be drawn.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

1-Follow me on Google Friend Connect.(in the box, on the left sidebar.)

2- Follow me on Twitter

3- Follow me on Facebook.

4-Follow me on Networked Blogs (a Facebook application)

5- Leave a comment, on any entry other than this one. Come back & leave your entry stating where you left your entry. This can be done unlimited times.

6- Tweet this Giveaway. Two per day.

7- Suggest my Facebook page to friends.

Good Luck!!

* By expertise I only mean, maybe the fact that I've had a lot of sex makes me an expert. I have no medical license to provide you with any factual knowledge. You really shouldn't take medical advice from people on the Internet, either.

**“This posting comments on product sent to me on behalf of K-Y® Brand to facilitate my review.”