Pookie and the Boys

It's Manual

2012-01-24T22:11:00.000-05:00

It's check up time again. Time to get the boys teeth cleaned and check for cavities. Of course I use the biggest threat I can think of if cavities are found. I tell them they had better take care of their teeth or their Christmas will be slim. Anything I have to spend on fixing teeth will be less under the tree for them. I am guessing they are believing me to be serious. We had their six month cleaning and neither one of them had cavities. Thank you!

Included in the "goody" bag is a new toothbrush. Being the good mom that I am, they already had nice toothbrushes. I had gotten them some battery powered ones to help clean a little better. Said son was playing with his the other morning and it died. Go figure. I hear, "mom, it won't turn on. How do I make it work?" Hmmm, can't work a toothbrush. I tell him back, "son, you're going to have to do it the old fashion way. Move your arm around." He kind of looked at me funny, but I'm sure he got it.

So now that we know how to use a toothbrush the "old fashion" way, we need to learn that dental floss is not climbing rope for G.I. Joes or mummy wrap for stuffed animals. All in due time.

Got Beer?

2012-01-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

My baby brother came to visit over the holidays. He and one of my other brothers have become aficionados of beer. They like to go different places and try the beers that are local to that area.

Well, they had recently opened a large shop in the area I like to call the Sam's club of beer and wine. It is absolutely huge! I think if there is anything you want to drink, they will have it. He spent a good hour in there, like a kid in a candy store. So many choices to try. He picked up several to bring to my house and some to take home.

He gave me some that I had never tasted, including IPAs. I don't know the difference on any of them except the cute stickers on the bottle with the company name. Some of them are pretty plain, a fish? Some of them are pretty elaborate. I like to pride myself on being able to drink strong stouts, so when he gave me one to sample I was ready. Or so I thought. I took a chug and my knees literally buckled. That drink just about knocked me on my booty! It is so strong, it was like consuming a steak dinner, mashed potatoes included, in one tiny sip.

I have enjoyed trying the new beers and tasting the flavors that I would have never experienced before. He has a blog that he also uses to review the beer that he and another brother of mine sample. They give their personal opinions and say what type of flavor it is, how strong it is, and whether or not they recommend it. If you need some ideas on a good beer stop by their blog Cosmo's Beer Blog for some prime choices and some to avoid.

Montagne Jenuesse Review

2011-12-23T21:43:00.001-05:00

As I am getting older I have noticed my skin on my face is not standing up to weather changes as well as it used to. Now with not only colder weather, but the Florida sun too, I am facing a lot of aging factors. I needed something to perk up my skin and make me look a little healthier and was blessed with the chance to try a wonderful face peel by Montagne Jeunesse. I got to use the pomegranate peel and was absolutely amazed at how glowing my skin was. It held that glow for three days!

I have to admit though, there was a lot of fun playing with the kids that I was "shedding" skin. It was kind of fun peeling it off and watching as I knew I was removing the dead skin. My skin was so soft. I received a sample courtesy of my Influenster Holiday Voxbox. That box was chock full of wonderful things and this was on the top of my list to try.

Whether you enjoy looking after your skin, being pampered, or indulging in some me-time, be it alone or with friends, you will absolutely enjoy one of these 'Life's Little Pleasures'... With a huge array to choose from, their face masques are packed with the most delicious natural ingredients and are bursting with luscious fragrances. They can be used on all different skin types. There is one to suit every mood and everybody!

Montagne Jeunesse is free of parabens and is never tested on animals. It will leave your skin hydrated, nourished and your skin cleansed, smooth and glowing. It is available in many places including ULTA Beauty, Walgreen's, Claire's, Walmart, Kroger and CVS.

The flavors include:

Cucumber Peel Off
Passion Peel Off
Dead Sea Mud
Fruit Smoothie
Strawberry Souffle
Chocolate Mud
And many more!

Montagne Jeunesse… good for your skin, your wallet and the earth!

I received a sample courtesy of Influenster in my VoxBox. All opinions are mine. I was not monetarily compensated.

Sister Schubert's Review and Giveaway

2011-12-21T13:52:00.000-05:00

I love bread. It's a simple treat that can be used to create some of the best tasting sandwiches or just add some butter and jelly. I love to eat it by itself and with a meal. My kids love bread too, so when we had the chance to try out the new Sister Schubert's Mini Baguettes and Soft Pretzel Rolls we were excited. I made the baguettes to go with my homemade lasagna. You always need bread with Italian food.

It was so simple. You just open the bag and put them on a baking sheet and in 7-9 minutes you have warm bread that tastes just baked. I was worried the outside would be extremely hard, but amazingly it held onto some softness which made it easy to eat. The inside was soft and oh so good with butter. These actually tasted better than some of the rolls I have had at restaurants. My husband and I agreed they would be perfect for use as an oil dipper.

We also got to try the soft pretzel rolls. They were large and shaped more like a roll, but they were reminiscent of a mall style pretzel. The kids loved them, I was lucky to get one! They took only took about 7 minutes to warm up. Nice chewy outside and soft inside. We dipped them in mustard just like a warm pretzel should be.

There are no preservatives or artificial flavors and they have 0 grams trans fat. These are not available everywhere so please visit Sister Schubert's site to see if you have them local. They are available in the frozen bread section for about $3.79, depending on your store.

GIVEAWAY: Sister Schubert's is generously offering to send you a coupon to try these for yourself. Please visit Sister Schubert's site to make sure you have them in your area. To enter just leave a comment on your favorite meal to eat bread with. Be warned though, if I find the meal to look extra yummy I may be asking for the recipe. Contest will end December 28, 2011.

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Family Review Network to host a Sister Schubert's Homemade Rolls giveaway. I was provided with a product to test, as well as prizes for my readers. All opinions are my own and I did not receive monetary compensation.

NYC New York Color Review

2011-12-19T17:25:00.000-05:00

I recently received my VoxBox from Influenster. They sent me their holiday box this time around. It was absolutely chocked full of goodies. One of the products that I got to test out is New York Color liquid lipshine. I figured it would be one of those sticky glosses that lasted only long enough for me to lick my lips once and it would be gone. Not this one!

Straight from the city that never sleeps, NYC New York Color offers products with uptown style at down-to-earth prices, from $.99 - $4.99. The energy, style and color of New York City shines through the wide range of shades, textures and innovative products. NYC always delivers the most on-trend products & shades hot off the runway!

A beauty-editor favorite is Liquid Lipshine. It is even a reasonable price of $2.49. It has pure pigments that create a 3-D gloss effect. Vitamin E provides shine and a moisturizing feel. The formula is non-sticky, super shiny & soft. It comes in 10 on-trend shades from neutral nudes, to berries & fuchsias. It is available at these stores nearest you: Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, CVS, Family Dollar, Duane Reade, Kmart, HEB, and others. Visit newyorkcolor.com to check out all shades and fun products from New York Color!

I was sent the Nude York City to sample. I liked using it over my lipstick to add a little pout to the center of my pucker. I definitely will be looking to try some of the other wonderful colors that they offer.

I received a full size product from Influenster for review.

It's Turkey Day!

2011-11-24T12:27:00.002-05:00

The kids enjoy this holiday just as much as any other. I figured out that is because they get to eat. Any day they get too eat a lot is good for them. Having two growing boys I am about ready to take on a part time job just to keep the refrigerator full. I know if I want anything for myself I literally have to hide it.

We have several guests coming to the house and my son who is creative and artistic wanted to entertain with a puppet show. Yeah, not going to happen. We don't need finger puppets dancing around everyone making funny voice noises. I also didn't think dingy gray socks with holes in positions where there should be the head and drawn on eyes would look too great either.

He put on his thinking cap because I had shot down every idea of his to entertain our company that was coming. Well, this morning when I got up I was greeted by this lovely creation. It his own version of a turkey made out of legos. It is nice to see that the legos that haven't been vacuumed up can still create a functional product. I absolutely love his creativity and the use of his own little brain to design it.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Brownies for Breakast

2011-11-16T21:18:00.001-05:00

As a parent we try to teach our children proper eating habits and skills. Things like using utensils instead of fingers, cutting our meat instead of picking the whole thing up and chewing off of it. Even how to use a napkin for our face instead of a shirt sleeve.

Nutrition is also an important part of eating habits. The reprehensible "eat your vegetables," or "finish your food. There are children starving in foreign countries." Yes, we try all of those tactics that were tossed at us as children in hopes that it might actually work this time. Yeah right. Did we really listen then?

Well nutrition is very important and I want my kids to make sure they are starting their days the right way. A nice big bowl of cereal, some toast, maybe a piece of fruit. You know all five basic food groups shoved into their first meal of the day. As a mom though, my priorities are anything that goes well with coffee. Let's just say there was a few pieces of brownie left on the counter in the morning. I opened the foil and quickly tossed a piece in my mouth. Said son was glancing my way unbeknownst to me. I thought I got it in fast enough, but I guess not. He looked at me and put his hands on his hips.

"Brownies mom? Really?"

Busted.

The turkey hasn't died

2011-11-12T08:59:00.000-05:00

It seems like every year we are slammed with Christmas stuff even before the poor turkey has had a chance to get his peace. I am already hearing holiday music on my radio and commercials are advertising for the newest fads in toys. In October I was shopping for Halloween stuff and they already had an aisle of glittery and shiny things for trees.

Yesterday I saw this music box that you hook up to your Christmas lights. Yeah, nothing new and exciting. You can sync your lights to flash with the music playing, blah, blah. But, and that's a big but, it also had four Halloween songs on it. Oh! I was getting ideas. I want a Nightmare Before Christmas yard. I was imagining how it would look out loud and my husband stood there staring at me with his mouth open.

I was excited. "Yes! We can hook up the music box to the lights, and have the Halloween music playing. Put up trees in the front yard and find Jack. He has to be standing behind one of the trees, peering out! Then we have to get fog machines and have it swirling around the bottom of the trees, while some of the other ghostly characters can "pop" out from behind some of the other decorations!"

Oh the excitement! I kept ranting and going on and on, and then I stopped. I looked at my husband waiting for the dismay and disagreement for wanting to butcher his favorite holiday. I held my breath, and turned to look at him. I watched as his mouth began to form words, "where do you think we could find Jack?" I nearly fell over from shock.

Torani's Authentic Coffeehouse Flavor Review

2011-11-05T19:21:00.002-04:00

With the warm weather heading out and the cooler weather moving in, I am upping my intake of coffee. I love my coffee warm, iced, and flavored. Thanks to SheSpeaks I get the chance to try two flavors of Torani's flavored syrups. I received the Pumpkin Pie and Sugar Free Vanilla. I am not too crazy about pumpkin, but thought I would give it a try. It is more of a mild pumpkin flavor. It was slightly reminiscent of a pie, but not as spicy. I loved the vanilla. Not only for the fact it is sugar free, which is total awesomeness since I will be consuming mass quantities of it in my drinks. The vanilla is mild and adds a slight sweetness to my coffee, which is perfect. There are plenty of others who agree and have also written rave reviews.

You ask, so what is Torani? Torani is regular or sugar free flavored syrups that you can add to drinks to enhance flavors. Torani has been in business for 25 years and is a family owned company which makes it even better. There is no boredom with Torani. They have 122 varities to choose from which include sugar free choices as well. They can be used for more than just coffee too. They mix well in flavored teas, mocktails, cocktails, etc. Here is a recipe I found that looks totally yummy.

RED RASPBERRY ITALIAN SODA

1 oz. Torani Red Raspberry syrup

8 oz. sparkling water

Ice

Pour sparkling water into tall glass filled with ice. Add Torani and stir well.

How easy is that? Wondering where to get all of this deliciousness? Walmart, most major grocery stores, and for those of you who don't go out, Amazon.com. Get a couple of bottles for yourself and let the tasting begin.

I received the Pumpkin Pie and Sugar Free Vanilla to sample. All opinions are mine.

Kite Fishing

2011-11-05T18:21:00.000-04:00

The weather was a lot cooler than it has been for a while down here. We aren't used to it yet, so yes, 75 degrees feels cool. I'm sure some of you that live further up north would be happy to have that temp, especially the ones who have been without power for a while. Hang in there!

The wind was really busy blowing today so the boys hung out with the neighbor boy and flew kites. I tried, but the sudden stopping of wind makes it difficult to keep the kite up. Major fail. Well, not only are my sons genius', but they are creative. My one son figured that if the kite was going to keep falling and he would have to keep getting it, he wanted to do less work. Such is the invention. Kite fishing. Yes, he asked me if he could use his fishing rod to fly his kite. I didn't quite understand that at first, but after watching him for a few minutes it looked pretty good. Hooray for little brains that work.

Konsyl Review and Giveaway

2011-10-24T22:09:00.000-04:00

As holidays come upon us, our eating habits become a little less healthy as we consume chocolates, cakes, and cookies. Those things can lead to making us irregular and causing stomach upset. I recently had the opportunity to try Konsyl, a psyllium fiber product. I was surprised at how well it tasted. You usually associate fiber mix in drinks with gritty and tasteless, but this one was pretty smooth and had a nice orange taste.

There are many benefits to using Konsyl:
- Enhance weight loss.
- Lower risk of heart disease.
- Decrease blood cholesterol levels and help maintain healthy blood glucose and insulin levels.

More good news is that it is safe for celiac patients, diabetics, and pregnant and nursing women. It is gluten free as well as sugar free. For those who like choices it comes in either powder, capsule and single serve packets.

So many options and safe for everyone. Healthier just got easier. The makers of Konsyl would love for you to have a chance to try their products and have offered to give a winner a chance to try it.

GIVEAWAY: Please go their site and come back and let me know which product you would like to try in the comments section. EXTRA ENTRY: Follow me on twitter and leave me your twitter name. Contest ends October 31, 2011.

Choices are:
- Konsyl original forumla
- Konsyl Psyllium Caps
- Konsyl Orange sugar free packets
- Konsyl Balance Orange

In return for my review I received samples of Konsyl

Keri Winner

2011-10-20T17:17:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all of you that stopped by to enter the Keri Lotion giveaway. Here is the winner:

Congratulations #7 Donna who said, "drink lots of water and use lotion." Now you will have a great lotion to use to help with the dry winter.

Donate to Toys for Tots with Growing Tree

2011-10-14T16:03:00.000-04:00

Growing Tree has teamed up with Toys for Tots this year. They are working together to help the less fortunate kids. If you want to help out, go to their facebook page and "like" them . For every new "like" their page receives between now and November 30, they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots! Yes, it's about time to start thinking about Christmas and a great site to check out for educational toys for your kids that promote fun and learning is Growing Tree Toys. Help support a great cause and stay up on everything that Growing Tree Toys has to offer on facebook!

I will receive a gift certificate for this post. All opinions are my own.

Keri Lotion Review/Giveaway

2011-10-13T16:57:00.000-04:00

As we head into winter, we get dry skin. I can't stand dry, flaky skin. So when I had the chance to try Keri's new lotion I jumped on it. They have been moisturizing skin for 50 years so I figured they knew a little about healthy skin. I opted to try the Shea Butter with conditioning therapy. It says it deeply nourishes skin, which being in the sunshine state where everything is baked dry, I need as much nourishment as possible.

This lotion definitely left my skin healthier looking. The scent is subtle and clean. My neighbor even noticed how much healthier my skin looked after just one use. Keri Lotion is available in five different varieties, ranging in price from $5.99 to $7.99, tailored to meet the needs of individual womens’ skin. Each lotion is formulated with the Keri Hydro-Deep technology, which penetrates the skin with a unique blend of moisturizers to lock in long lasting moisture protection, helping to keep your skin looking – and feeling – its best all day long.

Keri^® Original – Enhanced with five essential moisturizers, this product is daily dry skin therapy for smooth, healthy looking skin.
Keri^® Advanced – This non-greasy, lightweight formula is fast absorbing for silky, soft skin.
Keri^® Shea Butter Conditioning Therapy – Provides a conditioning therapy that penetrates deep into skin to nourish with naturally rich Shea Butter.
Keri^® Basic Essentials – Made with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E for a lightweight formula that provides optimal hydration.
Keri^® Luxurious – A total indulgence for the skin, with a light apple scent and Vitamins A, C and E.

Which Keri^® Lotion is best for you?

To learn more about the line of Keri^® Lotion products, visit the website at http://www.kerilotion.com for special offers.

Keri Lotion and Pookie and the Boys have teamed up for one awesome giveaway! One lucky winner will receive ONE FULL-SIZED Keri Lotion.

WIN IT: Mandatory - Just leave a comment below letting me know how you keep your skin healthy during the winter months.

EXTRA ENTRY: For an extra entry follow me on twitter. Contest will end 10/19/11. US addresses only please. Good luck!

*I received a free full size bottle of Keri lotion for me to review.

Boys And Their Creativity

2011-10-08T15:31:00.000-04:00

I love the creativity of a young mind. You never know what they are thinking, or if they are thinking at all sometimes. I recently had to leave my boys with my friend while I attended one of my classes. She has gotten into jewelry making and has been showing me her beautiful creations. The boys also saw her works of art and decided they wanted to get creative too.

I went to my class and sat through my lecture, all the while unknowing that the boys were using their creativity to create pieces of art themselves. They anxiously waited for me to arrive at home to give their surprises to me. I was truly surprised by how well they put things together. Their color combinations were amazing and they even had explanations for them. One created a color scheme based on the "chairs at church." Yes, he says, "mom, you can wear these to church and you will match the chairs nicely." Whatever the reason for his color choice, he did a pretty good job.

I put on the bracelets and had to choose one pair of earrings. I was instructed by one son to wear one of each earring in each ear. Well, maybe not today. After putting on my "pretties" they looked at me in awe and said, "mom, you look beautiful." My day started out perfectly.

Pinktober at Hard Rock Tampa Giveaway

2011-10-08T15:06:00.000-04:00

I'm working to help spread awareness about a really great Breast Cancer event coming up in October and I thought I would share it with you.

It's called Pinktober, and for the fourth year in a row, Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino Tampa will help raise funds and public awareness for the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) during October. Hard Rock Tampa
will donate 25 percent of the proceeds from its Pinktober “Pink Sheets”
guest room bookings, 75 percent of the retail price of limited edition
collectible Pinktober Hard Rock pins, and 15 percent from the sales of
collectible Hard Rock Pinktober charm bracelets, t-shirts, leather vests,
sleepwear, travel mugs, bandanas, and pink-hued guitar-embossed “Sleep Like A Rock” bedding.

You can request to stay in the limited availability “Pink Sheets Rooms”
at no additional cost. In addition to having 25 percent of their room rate
donated to BCRF, the guest will also receive a complimentary commemorative
Hard Rock pin. The select guestrooms will also be supplied with special
collectible Pinktober bathrobes that can be purchased in the Body Rock Spa
and Seminole Hard Rock Retail Store, with a portion of the proceeds donated
to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

This sounds like a great way to help out for a great cause. The Hard Rock cafe has even offered to help get you started out in a great t-shirt.

If you are interested in winning this shirt, leave a comment telling me another way you or someone you know helps support Breast Cancer awareness.

For an additional entry you can also follow me on twitter. Please make sure I can contact you. If you follow on twitter, please leave your name. This drawing will be open until October 14, 2011.

Strike it Rich with Pocket Change book review

2011-09-18T16:51:00.000-04:00

Everyone wants to make money somehow. But who knew you could make money with your own money? I love collecting odd shaped coins, and my collection of $2 dollar bills grows at every chance I can. I love the unusual.

I recently read a book called "Strike it Rich with Pocket Change", and was amazed at the many things we never notice on our coins. Some things are simple, but most are not visible without some magnification. Those little mistakes can be worth hundreds of dollars. If you don't know the value of a coin with a defect, you could have just spend $50 on a $5 scoop of ice cream!

I know that I am going to continue to use this book for future reference whenever I find something that I think might be more than just "2 cents". It is an easy read and set up to easily navigate. They cover the coins value and what to look for in depth, which makes it easy for anyone to use the book. No funny terminology to confuse you! I definitely recommend purchasing this book if you are serious about starting a coin collection and looking for money in money.

I received a copy of this book for review.

When Big Brother Visits

2011-07-07T15:14:00.003-04:00

Amongst the warm and extra humid days here in Florida, we got a visitor. My stepson came down and brought a friend with him. It makes my boys so excited to see their big brother. He was there the day they were born and loves them a lot. Except of course when it comes to going to the beach and looking for girls. Then it gets a little complicated. He wanted to take the boys with him, but I reminded him of the responsibilities of having "little" brothers. They may be 10 but they come with a long list of things they need.

Asked of older son, "What are you going to do when they are hungry? What if they want a drink? What if they get bored? What if they have to pee? What if they get tired? Etc..."

"Ok, mom. I got it."

Besides I was actually a little more apprehensive since they were going to be an hour and half away. I guess I need to be the one to let go, but they are still my babies.

IPad Giveaway Mommy's Reviews

2011-07-07T15:03:00.006-04:00

Who doesn't like a good giveaway for a good cause? Mommy's Reviews and Giveaways is giving you the chance to win an Apple IPad 2. This giveaway is to promote a charity that is very near and dear to her heart, Matthew 25: Ministries! She is working to promote their Facebook page and to help spread the word about this awesome organization that does Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief around the world and throughout the United States. They have recently responded to the devastating tornadoes. Forbes.com lists Matthew 25:Ministries as the 6th most efficient charity out of the top 200 largest charities in the United States. You can learn more about them by visiting their webpage HERE.

Please stop by her page and sign up for the chance to win while reading about a wonderful group!

Thank Goodness for VBS

2011-06-15T10:24:00.003-04:00

Summer is here! The kids are driving me crazy, the humidity is up, and it is 81 degrees at 8 am. The sad part, it is only day three of summer vacation. What to do with the kiddos over the summer....

I have them in vacation bible school this week for three hours of sanity, which has been great for doing homework and just enjoying the quiet. The insanity begins after I pick them up. "Mom, he farted on me!" "Mom, he won't play stuffed animals with me!" "Mom, he gave me a super wedgie, look!"

I think I am changing my name and moving to a country outside of the "mom" district. Thankfully there is another church having a program for the next two months that will allow me to have three hours a day of peace and quiet, and they feed them lunch. What more can I ask for?

Charity begins at home

2011-06-11T15:35:00.003-04:00

Today was a lot of fun. We got up this morning and went to help prepare 1,000 bags of food for the summer program for needy children. It was great to see how everyone worked together and the abundance of food that was offered for the kids.

My boys were big helpers and pushed the water carts around as well as helped fill the bags. I love how much they wanted to help for a great cause. I was actually amazed at how much they wanted to do considering I can't even get them to pick up the towel in the bathroom after their showers.

This is just the beginning though. They plan to try to assemble 4,000 bags total over the summer for distribution, so we will get lots more chances to help out.

Zippies Review

2011-06-11T15:24:00.010-04:00

What is a Zippies you ask? They are the cutest little faces you could ever see. There are five of them. There is Chip, Faina, Flops, Kayla, and Tazmo. They are information tags that you can put on your backpack, bags or even bottled water to save from sharing drinks. Zippies are made of rubber so they won't get ruined if they get wet. Some of the girls are even using Zippies as jewelry and clipping them to their necklaces.

Zippies give kids a fun and easy way to keep track of their stuff while parents rest assured that emergency contact information (last name and parent’s phone number) is with them at all times. Use the rubber loop - or detach it to clip the pal on a key ring. They can even help prevent the spread of germs by identifying water bottles and teach children the importance of being responsible for personal belongings. These kid collectibles can also prevent constant arguments over their belongings.

Available in 10 different characters, such as a walrus, Wally, or frog, Faina, Zippies sell for $4.98 each or $39.99 for the entire limited-edition first series. They can be ordered online at www.zippiesfun.com and found at select retailers.

I know that my kids were excited to get a hold of these and wanted to put them on everything. I told them they could have one, but they were having too much trouble limiting themselves to just one. They said they "needed" more than that. I guess the new craze will be wearing Zippies and not those crazy rubber bands. I love the whole concept of these and definitely think that everyone can use them.

I received a set of Zippies in for my review. All opinions are mine and are not influenced by receiving the product.

Almost Summer

2011-05-31T21:38:00.002-04:00

It has been getting a little crazier around here. The scent of summer is in the air and the kids are already checking out for summer vacation. My boys keep wanting to sleep in the same room which is a mistake in itself. I do have bunkbeds in the room, but nope, they want to sleep together! That means one has his head at one end, and the other has his head at the other end. I suppose that wouldn't be too bad except for the fact that one is a really busy sleeper.

Ever since D was a little baby he has rocked. I used to hear him on all fours rocking his crib around the room. I felt sorry for the poor family that lived downstairs in the apartment we were in. I can only imagine the insane sound that was coming from their ceiling. Well, he is a little bigger now, and his sleeping habits have only changed a little.

He now kicks his leg and rocks side to side. I don't know how K can sleep with him being kicked and rolled on, but he says he does. Only thing is, mom knows better. How can I tell? Cranky little boys that pass out on the couch in the early evening from lack of sleep.

10 going on 16

2011-05-16T19:28:00.003-04:00

Maybe it's the full moon coming, or just too many late nights, but wow! My 10 year old son has been nothing but determined to drive me nuts today. How can you do a favor for them and they still don't get it? Simple thing, not too complicated. Just keep the room clean for the week and you will earn the money you want for carnival. I will clean it to my standards and it has to be kept that way for the week. You would think I have condemned him to hard labor! I am so tired of kids thinking they should just be handed things. Whatever happened to actually having to work for it? My kids want cell phones, so get a job! "I can't, I'm not old enough." Well then, you aren't old enough for a cell phone.

If this is how he is at the age of 10, I can hardly wait for 16 when the big "entitlement" kicks in. Going to be some long years for me.

Mother's Day Goodies

2011-05-06T21:30:00.003-04:00

I am loving this Mother's Day! I have already received two awesome poetry books from the boys here, and my other son up in Ohio sent me some beautiful flowers. Of course I was so happy and surprised to see the flowers for me that I started doing a "happy" dance. The boys here got a little jealous. "Mom loves his present more!" Well, no, not really. I love them all the same, but the dance kind of threw them.

I called the son who sent me the flowers and realized I was still doing the "happy" dance, only now I was in the driveway in front of my house. As I spoke to him on the phone I wondered how many people were watching me pace and dance up and down my driveway. I was feeling a little (notice, little) silly about it. I told him what I was doing and he started laughing.

It is amazing how you can feel alone and not wanted for more than a good hot meal or clean underwear and then you receive wonderful gestures like these. I love my kids (all three of them) even on days when it just seems like total madness.

To all other wonderful Moms out there, remember it isn't how the child turns out, it is knowing you loved them with all of your heart and did more than the best you could.

Happy Mother's Day!

Reality TV Addictions

2011-05-02T21:09:00.002-04:00

Up for discussion! Reality shows are the "it" of the moment. I find myself totally addicted to the latest such as Operation Repo (Ronnie has some quick comebacks and quips), Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and American Pickers. Who doesn't love a little true drama?

I find myself sitting on the edge of the seat waiting to see who is going to get smacked, or who is going to come in with a piece of something only to find out it's worth a lot of money, or the guys are going to make a major discovery of an antique worth thousands of dollars.

Off the cuff acting is so much more exciting than scripted stuff! Can't wait for the next episodes. What are your "reality" addictions?

Lessons of Today

2011-04-24T09:15:00.006-04:00

Had a wonderful sermon last night. Pastor Justin was on the ball with the reason that they celebrate today. He stated how we came to celebrate Easter with a basket of chocolate rabbits and peeps. He even gave us a "pose" in all of the commercialism of today. He is sad that we have neglected the true reason is that we are celebrating the rise of Christ from the grave.

If we don't believe that he rose for us, then we are wasting our time sitting in church trying to follow his laws and live the "christian" life. If that one miracle didn't happen, than we are all living in vain, trying to attempt eternity for something that doesn't exist. The truth is that he did rise for us, and gave his life for our sins.

Thank you for giving your life for us!

School's Almost Out

2011-04-20T21:54:00.002-04:00

I haven't been too excited about the upcoming next week. Finals are at the door. I am happy that I knocked another four classes out though. The summer will be a little less busy since I won't be taking any classes.

I have started looking for a summer job. I habits to support you know. The boys will just have to deal with not being able to sit around and be lazy. I am hoping to be employed by the school system and be able to take them with me for the summer programs.

Guess I will keep my chin up, or rather my eyes on the book. Big math final this next week and I hope to pass it with flying colors!

The kids grades were awesome this grading period and D got elected to be on safety patrol. They are so happy that school is almost over for them too. I can't believe they will be in the fifth grade next year!

RELAXZEN Product Review Giveaway

2011-04-10T17:46:00.013-04:00

I received the opportunity to try out a new product to help me sleep at night, and be at the top of my game during the day. Wow, who can't use help sleeping? I have been under so much stress lately, between working, household stuff, and going to school. Numbers from Algebra class continue to roll through my mind, and I go through the list of things to do when I get home from work. I don't think I ever really hit a deep sleep.

When I am awake, I just don't ever feel fully with it and can use the extra boost to get me through the day focused. I need to learn to relax more on my own, but in the meantime I will try the Relaxzen to help me out. Working with kids all day takes a lot of patience.

I tried the night time and didn't really feel complete relaxation immediately, but I drank it before I went to bed. I guess it must have helped me sleep, and the vitamins in it sure didn't hurt me. Relaxzen's products help to relax you in the morning and evening so that you can rest naturally. It has natural herbs, vitamins, and amino acids. It was created to help you live a healthier life by reducing stress.

WIN IT: I received "extras" to share with you. If you would like to win one of the morning and one of the evening to try for yourself, just leave a comment telling me what stresses you the most. I will draw for a winner May 1, 2011.

Relaxzen sent me a sample of the product to try.

We Be Big - Rick & Bubba Book Review

2011-04-10T17:03:00.003-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to read "We Be Big The Mostly True Story of How Two Kids from Calhoun County, Alabama Became Rick & Bubba". Yeah, once you can get past the title of the book, you are on to an easy read.

It was a definite comedy with lots of reality thrown in. I truly enjoyed the ride with the "guys" from being a nobody to finding the Lord and proclaiming such. They suffered at the hand of evil and had terrible losses including one of their own children.

I enjoyed reading how they could take a disaster and use it for the good and to bring God into the situation to help pull more people into believing. They had a large following and love their listeners while giving up prayers for them. In their time of need the listeners would also give back and let them know that they were in their prayers as well.

I recommend this book if your are looking for some entertaining by entertainers. They bring a peace where ever they go and always seem to keep their chin up through trials and tribulations.

I received a copy of this book from BookSneeze for my review. All opinions are solely mine.

Hunt's Tomatoes Health Benefits

2011-04-07T21:04:00.028-04:00

My twin boys are an important part of my life. I try to ensure they receive balanced meals each and every night. I want them to grow up healthy and with an open mind to trying new foods. I do a lot of cooking, and I like using fresh vegetables whenever possible, but I recently found out that canned vegetables are just as nutritionally packed. I love using Hunt's Basil, Garlic & Oregano in my green beans because they add a "Greek" touch to the flavor and remind me of my grandmother's recipe from when I was a child.

I created an easy recipe for my boys to enjoy, and to learn a little bit about their Greek heritage. Another awesome thing is that if you are watching your sodium intake, Hunt's has a no salt added variety available as well. Here is the recipe:

1 lb fresh green beans, cleaned
2 cans Hunts Basil Garlic & Oregano
3 TB olive oil

Heat olive oil in pan. Add fresh green beans, beware of spitting (oil hopping out) if there is still a lot of water from the green beans being cleaned. Cover and cook about 15 minutes until the beans begin to soften. Pour in the two cans of Hunts and cover. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about another 20 minutes.

I have teamed up with Hunt's and The Motherhood to help improve eating habits, and tomatoes are a great way to start. It has been shown that tomatoes contain more than twice the potassium of a banana! Who would have known? I was so intrigued by the nutritional information I checked out the requirements at the Health Government Dietary Guideline. It states we need to consume more vegetables as part of a balanced diet. In fact because tomatoes are so nutritious, the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans say people should try to eat one more serving of them a day. I was amazed at how much we don't consume that the government states is part of a healthy diet.

In an article titled "Tomato Consumption and Health: Emerging Benefits", I read a lot about tomatoes I never knew. For instance, lycopene in canned tomatoes, like Hunt's, is easier for your body to use than from raw tomatoes, and you get seven times more lycopene from canned tomatoes than from the raw version. Of course I wasn't surprised by the graph chart to see that the majority of consumption of tomato products was in canned sauces. Hunt's tomatoes come in many styles and varieties and is easy to use in lots of recipes. I know we eat spaghetti for dinner at least once a week.

ConAgra Foods recently published a news release kicking off "National Nutrition Month." They stated,

"Eating more tomatoes and tomato products can make people healthier and help decrease the risk of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, according to a review article published in the March issue of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. The article was co-authored by ConAgra Foods’ Nutrition Manager Kristin Reimers, Ph.D. and R.D."

How can you work to ensure your family is receiving the nutrition that they need? Maybe you can create a recipe with tomatoes and dedicate it to the most special people in your life. Help them advocate a healthier lifestyle. Share your dedications and let me know who you would like to dedicate a Hunt's tomatoes heart-healthy recipe to. Let's spread the information of tomatoes and all they can do for us.

I am being compensated for this post which did not influence my decisions or opinions.

Back to Normal, Or Not

2011-04-02T22:33:00.003-04:00

My son D recently had his tonsils out. Yes, I was a nervous wreck, but he surpassed even my expectations of a child having surgery. There was NO tears, NO complaining. None. I felt so bad for him having to go through this surgery and he came through like a champ. Here I was rubbing his head and holding his little hand in the recovery room, and what did he do? "Can I go home now?" They told him he had to eat something first and walk a few minutes with them before they would let him go.

Fine. "Can I have a popsicle?" Sure, they gave him three and a cup of gatorade. He only got sick once, ate another popsicle, walked for three minutes and got back in bed. "Can I go home now?"

It has been almost two weeks and I think his energy level has doubled (which was exceptionally high to begin with) and he is sleeping much better. I had to wean him off of popsicles because his "throat doesn't agree with anything else." I explained that sugar water would not sustain his little body much longer than two days, and it was time for real food. I mixed up mashed potatoes for him to eat, but of course they were too hot. "Can I have a popsicle instead?" Nice try.

We go for the post op check up Wednesday, and I know he will come through it with flying colors. Brother K has been jealous with all of the extra attention D received so I told him when we took D to the doctor we could ask about getting his tonsils out too. That way he could get "extra" attention. He didn't go for it. Hmm, I wonder why?

The "O" In TosillectOMY & AdenoidectOMY Book Review

2011-03-16T06:55:00.005-04:00

As a mom you never want your child to be sick or to feel bad, or even to have to go through a surgery. Then one day you realize that they are suffering more days being sick than they need to and the cost of missing work is getting to be almost as much as the medical bills.

My son has finally surpassed the amount of "needed" bouts with strep and has been set up for a tonsillectomy. I was a little nervous about what to expect and how to explain it to him. Thankfully I was blessed with the opportunity to review the book The O, My in TonsillectOMY & AdenoidectOMY for Surgery by Laurie Zelinger. I jumped at the chance to get my briefing on the ups and downs of the surgery pre and post operatively.

She keeps it very basic with steps on how to explain it to the child without causing immediate panic. I wasn't worried about my son panicking, I was worried about me! I got ideas on how to approach the subject with him, pep talks for use prior to the surgery , all the way up to days before and the day of surgery. She gave me the "right" words to say so as to help my son understand what will be happening on his level. There is even a wonderful checklist in the back of the book to help with remembering what to bring to the surgery. Her "ultimate preparation list" looks like it has everything covered!

Her post-operative care was detailed and very helpful. I am thankful to have something I can refer to just in case I might forget what to do. Things like propping extra pillows under him while he sleeps, keeping him on his side to help with breathing. There also signs she lists to watch for just in case you're not sure. Things like fevers, dehydration, and infection.

I love this book and definitely recommend it to any moms who may be on the path of their child having this surgery. The book was easy to read, laid out wonderfully, and everything was explained in simple terms for you to understand. Thumbs up to Dr. Zelinger and her wonderful book.

I received a copy of this book to review. All comments are reflections based solely on my opinions.

Entertain Like A Gentleman Book Review

2010-12-16T19:19:00.008-05:00

I remember the day when I met my husband and he had the wow factor going by preparing me meals. It was wonderful to come home from work and find that dinner had been prepared and I didn't have to do anything but sit down and enjoy it. I also had a 45 minute drive home and he only had to drive two blocks.

Most men wish they had the ability to cook for their woman and give her the wow factor. Entertain Like a Gentleman by David Harap tries to give a little boost in the kitchen department for men. The thing is to remember this is for a gentleman, not a man. There are no recipes including a bottle of beer, and some of the recipes require up to a week of prep. The recipes have easy to read measurements and it seems that most ingredient choices are conveniently found in your local grocery. Instructions are detailed letting you know the "do ahead" and the actual "night of the dinner" steps for preparation.

I was a little less than impressed by some of the food choices because of the flavor combinations. For example, there is a recipe for lamb sliders with mint yogurt sauce and homemade pickle onions, but if you want to set a pretty plate for your gal this book would be the choice. It did actually have some "kid" friendly recipes such as the macaroni and cheese, but once again, it was an interesting recipe that more than set out to impress the visual appearance than the palate.

If you have time and want to impress by just saying the name of the recipe you prepared, then go for the syrah braised and grilled short ribs on a bed of mascarpone jalapeno polenta. Myself, I prefer things a little more simpler. Maybe if I had a gentleman prepare the dishes I would be a little more willing to experiment with the flavors.

Disclosure: In return for my review I received a copy of the book. All opinions are solely mine.

Cash for Teeth

2010-11-10T17:41:00.003-05:00

It is inevitable. Kids want stuff, they want money, they try to find ways to earn money. Sometimes it is as easy as helping mom wash the cars, maybe put the dishes away, or even sweep the walkway. A few pennies here or there.

That is the easy way to do it. Let's just say a son of mine has found a get rich quick scheme. He has started losing an abundant amount of teeth. With the rates of inflation we now pay two dollars per tooth. Wow, I think the tooth fairy passed me up when I was a kiddo, I don't remember even a copper penny!

Well, he had one tooth fall out, and then claimed another one was loose. Ok, fine. First one fell out. He got is two dollars. The other one that was loose was wiggled and jiggled and played with more than his favorite toy. Yup, it came out. Then, surprise, surprise, another tooth was loose. I was like "your kidding right?". Nope. It was loose.

The time lapse of said three teeth? One week. He made an immediate six dollars by "helping" his teeth along. I told him at this rate he was either going to be totally toothless or I was going to be broke.

Why Hunger Charity Event Giveaway

2010-11-03T16:13:00.007-04:00

I am so glad that Halloween is over. If I have to see another candy bar or piece of candy I think I will be ill. I am glad to move onto a little more nutritious holiday full of healthy vegetables, breads and turkey (for those that like it).

As we move into the Thanksgiving season we sometimes forget how blessed we really are. Our family gathers together and quickly consumes a meal that took hours to fix. This year I look forward to donating to my local church pantry for other families to have an enjoyable meal as well.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has a feed the children charity event in November that I would love your help on gaining some awareness around.

Why Hunger Charity event - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa will collect food for the local Metropolitan Ministries this holiday season as part of a Hard Rock International partnership initiative with the New York-based WhyHunger organization. SHRHC will also raise money through the sales of limited-edition John Lennon Imagine There’s No Hunger

Beginning on Nov. 1, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will donate through its Seminole Hard Rock Retail Store special limited-edition John Lennon IMAGINE signature and likeness items in support of the two-month fundraising campaign, including the new IMAGINE There’s No Hunger pins, as well as an artist spotlight t-shirt which will be sold at the Hard Rock Retail Store inside the casino.

Additionally, the employees of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino announced that they will hold their own food drive for Tampa’s Metropolitan Ministries and volunteer at the Ministries’ Holiday Tent at 2002 North Florida Avenue during the holiday season.

The hotel and casino will also collect non-perishable food items from the public for the holidays in designated bins that will be conveniently located in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel lobby.

For more information please visit signature items Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.

GIVEAWAY - I have been given some of the Hard Rock Tampa branded pocket umbrellas survival kits and stuffed animals to giveaway to some of my readers. Just leave a comment telling me about your favorite Thanksgiving holiday tradition by November 16th.

Notice: I am in no way affiliated with, nor do I work with Seminole Hard Rock or Tampa's Metropolitan Ministries. I have not been compensated for this project.

It Too Shall Pass

2010-08-16T18:42:00.004-04:00

Being a mom I understand there are going to be instances where you just stand there and go "really?" Times when you just can't seriously comprehend that the kids you gave life to just really did what they did.

I had one of those moments not too long ago. Yes, I figured certain stages of childhood had been passed through successfully and as a mom I was proud to have made it through without much incidence. Or so I thought. My boys will be 10 in six months. I had hoped they had achieved a little common sense in certain areas, such as we don't put things in our mouths off the floor. Well, apparently they didn't.

I came back from a walk and my son K came running out to me, "mom, D swallowed a Lego!!!" Seriously? How old is he again? No I didn't panic initially. Obviously he didn't choke to death on it and he was still able to verbally communicate so I figured he was ok.

"Am I going to die?" he asked. No son. "What is going to happen?" It will pass. "What?" You will poop it out son. It went in a lego and will come out a lincoln log.

If you feed them, they will grow

2010-07-31T11:40:00.003-04:00

In preparation of the upcoming school year I always go through the boys clothes to see what they will need. Even though they are twins one is smaller than the other so that helps in the "hand me down" department. Yes, I have even been known to "share" underwear that one has outgrown. Well of course, only if the elastic still shows some semblance of holding the underwear up, and there are no recognizable markings.

We did a little happy dance for the smaller twin. He will be 10 in February and finally has outgrown his 5T clothes. Yes, he has now graduated into his 7/8s. It was funny to pull out the tiny clothes and realize that just less than six months ago his little body was actually smaller!

Bigger twin just got, well, bigger. He has moved up to 12's and 14's. He has always been about a year ahead in sizes, but this is just crazy. He has done nothing but eat all summer long. For those of you with boys you know exactly what I mean. We could finish a complete meal and less than an hour later he would be complaining his stomach is growling. How is that physically possible? I would LOVE to have that metabolism, or even part of it. Then I wouldn't feel like I need to run circles around the house while consuming a donut hole.

Rustic Crust and American Flatbread Review

2010-07-24T14:35:00.012-04:00

It seems today that more people are looking to eat healthier with more organic flavors and varieties, but still looking to keep the taste that isn't bland. Rustic Crust has taken upon itself to create a wonderful variety of pizza crust in the organic variety. They allow the dough to slowly ferment and bake it in their custom ovens for a rich flavor.

They source fresh, local and organic foods from small New England farms and

choose healthy all natural ingredients such as whole grain wheat flour, and fresh herbs. They do not add sugar, preservatives, trans fats, or hydrogenated oils. They currently have to choices - Organic Great Grains and Organic Pizza Originale. Both contain whole wheat and grains as well as flax seed. Don't let the whole wheat trick you into thinking it will taste heavy because they bake up light and airy while continuing to be healthy for you.

There is also a wonderful pizza that I am sure you have heard of. It won the “Best Overall” Every Day with Rachael Ray frozen pizza taste test, March, 2008. It is the American Flatbread all natural pizza. Each pizza is crafted from scratch and par-baked in their wood fired earthen oven. Just stick it in your oven for about 7 minutes and enjoy the fire baked flavor of a healthy pizza. They have magnificent flavor options:

Revolution - Their first recipe we made with tomato sauce. Then they add caramelized onions, domestic mushrooms, our blend of fine cheeses, and herbs.

Sundried Tomato and Mushroom - Sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, domestic mushrooms, their cheeses, and herbs create a beautifully balanced recipe the gourmet in your house will adore.

Tomato Sauce and Three Cheese - This bread was inspired by the variety they regularly donate to the pediatric ward of their regional hospital. Offered in both individual and family sizes, with organic homemade tomato sauce, a blend of three cheeses, and herbs, it's sure to please everybody.

Ionian Awakening - With homemade tomato sauce, four cheeses, red onion, Kalamata olive, garlic, and fresh rosemary, the Ionian Awakening showcases Mediterranian flavors.

*In return for my review of these products I received a "free" coupon for each item.

Just One Piece

2010-06-25T22:13:00.002-04:00

Summer break is in full swing and the kids are doing their best to entertain themselves without driving me crazy. Some days yes, some days no. Today was no exception. What is it about Legos that kids find so attractive? I just see little pieces of plastic that are everywhere and have the ability to plug my vacuum cleaner when I suck one (or two) up. Well, one son has an obsession with them and loves to invent rides and monsters, and even movie theaters with them. The other one, not so interested, unless of course he feels the urge to play with them. Then it seems that one "piece" becomes the primary focus for both of them.

"Hey, you can't take that! I am using it!"

"Well, I need it!"

Hence the above sentences will be repeated until I either just go crazy and yell to stop it, or they finally end up wrestling on the floor for it. The one confusing thing about this is that there is a tub, a very large one, FULL of legos. I bet there are 20 different things that have been disassembled after being completely built. We buy specific sets to create what is on the front of the box because we want that one in particular. It usually only lasts two days, then it goes to the "lego graveyard", or the tub.

So the screaming and yelling is always for the "one" piece that the other has, even though I am sure there are 10 more of them in the tub. Or perhaps in the vacuum bag, hmmmm...

It's Almost Over

2010-05-24T21:32:00.003-04:00

School that is. Being a teacher assistant, I have been exposed to a lot of stuff the past few weeks. The kids continue to get crazy as we have started counting down the end of the year, almost to the last second. Some of the stuff coming out of their mouths is just as crazy too.

I finally met one of my son's "girlfriends" the other day. As a mother I am already pretty judgmental of who I feel they should be interested in. Well, as is typical, my son denied it was his girlfriend, so I had to lay a trap for him. "I think you need a different girlfriend," I said. "Why?," he said. Oops! "I thought she wasn't your girlfriend," I said. "You tricked me!!" That was so funny. So of course we had to sing the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" song. Every once in a while it feels kind of good to embarrass your kids after all of the stuff they do to us. Especially when they fall out of a clothing rack in front of another person in a store. That is soooo embarrassing!

Win It - CSN $60 Gift Certificate

2010-05-22T06:50:00.002-04:00

I recently was perusing through a blog that I absolutely love, Beth & Cory's Mom, when I came across a great giveaway for CSN's online store. One of the requirements for entry was to go to the site and find something you would like to get with the money. Let me just say that I was absolutely amazed at all of the stuff you can buy! I searched coffee makers, and they had them priced from $17.95 all the way up to $800.00. Of course I don't need one that has 6 pots I can brew at once, but it was interesting I could purchase one if I did.

Just stop by Beth & Cory's Mom for your chance to win too!

5 things on my 'Honey-do' list that never get done

2010-05-06T21:10:00.004-04:00

Wow, so summer is almost here and I still seem to have a million things to do. I have the inevitable "honey-do" list, but it is starting to fade while continually hanging on the fridge, and yet has to have one thing crossed off as accomplished. TwitterMoms and ServiceLine asked me what are the 5 things on my Honey-Do list. Here are the top five "honey-dos" that just seem to elude everyone or anyone in our household from being finished:

1. Hang the towel racks in the bathroom. That would be nice. They are still sitting in their original boxes under the sink.

2. Buy paint to paint the bathroom to hang the towel racks that are waiting to be hung. Um, yup, gotta do one before the other.

3. Buy new plants for the front yard. Well, what was there last year is looking like it is trying to recover, but I don't think it will no matter how much we "love" it.

4. Get a contractor to put in "knock down" ceilings. Well, the popcorn has got to go. We started removing the popcorn in two rooms, but they have sat bare bones for over a year now.

5. Clean the car - inside and out. I have begun to wonder if my kids are truly in the backseat when I go some place. The only acknowledgement would be I hear them fight every once in a while. The dirt on the outside of the car, well I am afraid if I wash it the car will fall apart.

I know we all think we are going to make time to get things done on the weekends, but there just never seems to be a weekend that agrees.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and ServiceLive blogging program to be eligible to receive $100 in ServiceLive Bucks. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Please Don't Drink The Syrup

2010-03-24T20:36:00.003-04:00

Being in a school all day, I have come to understand the insanity that leads to reasoning on why a school day is only 6.5 hours a day and 9 months a year. It is amazing the things that kids do or don't do.

I am exposed to the kiddos at breakfast and wonder in amazement at how, first of all, they can ingest some of the stuff they serve in the morning. Breakfast pizza? Please, just say pizza with sausage and be done with it. Oh wait, they claim it is "breakfast" sausage. Cinnastick? No, no. That is a breadstick with cinnamon and butter on top. You know, the breadsticks leftover from lunch. Another note, anything served with syrup in those little peel back tops can be a disaster waiting to happen. Sure, it starts out simple enough. Peel the foil top back to expose the sweet syrup inside for the "baked" pancakes. Easy? No. After successfully applying what wasn't spilled on themselves, the table and the nearest neighbor, they tip the little plastic tub up to their mouths and proceed to drink the syrup. For the really smart ones, they takes those little plastic straws and put it in the syrup and drink it that way. Either way, they will finish the syrup. Oh, and for the not so handy, they just lick the syrup puddle from the table.

You may think your child doesn't do it, but I am telling you, I am wondering what mine are up to in a "normal" school day. I now understand how the beginning of a school day can be so frustrating. Serve a child a syrup coated breakfast along with a carton of chocolate milk and a carton of fruit juice and - TA DA - instant energy.

"Book Review" Catty Wompus

2010-02-15T21:10:00.004-05:00

I was given the opportunity to review the book “Catty Wompus” by Julie Howe. It is the story of a young girl named “Catty” whose life is filled with lots of material things and not many friends. She is a lonely girl who finds it is easier to make fun of others rather than find anything nice to say.

One day she confronts another girl named Lucy Hope and tells her that her dress is ugly. Lucy is devastated and doesn't understand why the girl who has everything is being so mean to her. She goes home to her mom and is absolutely upset by the comment and looks for an explanation of why someone who had the finest of everything would not be a nice person. Her mother explains to her that even though Catty may have everything her heart is not in the right place.

Lucy goes to school the next day and speaks to Catty. She tells her that she wants to be her friend. Catty is surprised by what is said and is dumbfounded for a minute. When she realizes that Lucy is serious about wanting to be her friend, a true friendship begins.

I found this story to be a life lesson for many of us today. Just because someone may have the best of everything, they may be very lonely. It shows how we can try to make good friends by being one. It is somewhat written with rhyming endings in every other sentence, but it has a little trouble flowing smoothly while reading it.

*In return for the review of this book, I received a copy to read.

"Book Review" Snow Takes the Checker

2010-02-15T20:54:00.004-05:00

I was given the opportunity to review a book that is great for younger readers. It teaches about teamwork and friends. “Snow Takes the Checker” by Demi Knight Clark, tells about dreams and how you have to work to achieve them. Snow is a horse that comes from a long line of racers, including his grammie. He tells of how he trains and works to be ready for the race. His friend “Tuga” the turtle trains by his side to race with him.

They go to compete in a race and are confronted by the raccoon “Robbie”. He is a bad sportsman and will try anything to win the race. Snow shows how you can stay polite while dealing with people that may want to cause trouble.

In the end Snow uses teamwork and honesty, and both he and Tuga win the race together. It is a cute book with lots of great ideas to help children cope with basic competitions and helping your friends. I enjoyed the short story and the details that were added to help the story along. I would recommend it to children in the ages of 6-8 and who love the idea of racing.

*In return for reviewing the book I was given a copy to read.

"I did my homework"

2010-02-10T21:32:00.003-05:00

Yes, that is the response we have been receiving with regards to the statement "do your homework." Unfortunately I have discovered that those nice new book bags they have now are filled with little zippered pouches in which folded papers can be crammed. Not good.

I received notes back from the teacher for BOTH of my boys that they need to do their homework. Believe the surprise I had at that one. We had been told the work was done and they were allowed to proceed outside to play with the neighbor kids, which one of whom I swear doesn't even stop at home before coming over. We have since banned him from coming this week since the boys have been lying about doing their work. Nothing against the kid, but he is a major distraction from my boys getting anything done, and he is really mean.

So, we check the work physically each evening. No more relying on "I did my homework." We must touch and feel the actual papers they have been given to authenticate work being done. This is really important with them having FCAT tests coming up soon. They are smart kids, but mom and dad know better.

Giveaway, Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk

2010-02-05T16:28:00.004-05:00

I love chocolate milk, but don't drink it very often. I try to watch some of my caloric intake in extras like sodas and other drinks since they are considered "empty" calories. I was surprised to see though that people who drank flavored milk did not have higher total fat or calorie intake than those who did not. Also, in a study it showed that low fat milk was as effective at post-exercise rehydration as sports drinks. Who would have known? Well a new favorite I am going to turn to for a treat that has a nutritional boost is the new Horizon Organic Lowfat chocolate milk.

Horizon Organic Lowfat Chocolate Milk contains DHA Omega-3 and provides a great tasting and easy way to add calcium and DHA to your family’s diet. The other wonderful thing is that it is organic!

You ask what is DHA Omega-3? DHA Omega-3 is an important nutrient for the whole family that helps support heart, brain and eye health. DHA provides a nutritional boost for children's growing minds and bodies, which is very helpful since their brains grow incredibly fast. More information on the benefits of DHA and Omega-3 can be found here.

Horizon Dairy has many products including milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs and more. I found the milk at my local Target Superstore, but just in case you don't have one, find a store near you that carries the healthy products you’re looking for.

Be sure to also register for money saving coupons and another favorite, fan Horizon on Facebook.

The Giveaway

Horizon Organic has sweetly offered to give 2 lucky winners two coupons each. Both winners will receive two coupons for a free half gallon of milk.

To enter simply leave a comment on this post.

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents. Winner will be notified by email. If he/she does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be selected.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 at midnight PST

As a thank you for sharing this information with my readers, Horizon is also sending me two free product coupons.

Sick of the Sick

2010-01-28T18:54:00.003-05:00

I have dealt with more sickies in the past two weeks than I have in quite a while. My one son has had the flu twice in a week, and the other one joyfully got sick on the bus and ended up having strep throat. I had considered the flu shot for them this year, but I was kind of afraid of side effects and such. I polled friends and family on Facebook, and they all felt that it would be better to NOT get the shot. So far what I have seen of that for them is - the flu. My husband had the flu a couple of days ago, and he had the shot. Thankfully it was a mild case only stopping him for a day. My Florida mom has been sick for four weeks and I had to finally drag her to get checked out. I kept telling her that she had a sinus infection, she denied it. When the ruling was in from the doctor - she had a sinus infection.

I have been "knocking" on a lot of wood lately hoping that I will be lucky enough to only be a caregiver and not needing care. It has been a rough year for sickies, and being a substitute teacher I have been exposed to quite a bit of them.

O-ma-haaaa

2009-12-17T21:41:00.002-05:00

It has to be the most wonderful feeling to open your door and find boxes with your name on them and surprises inside. Not only did I receive one, but I got two! They were the most beautiful white boxes I had seen in a while. Someone really loved me, a lot.

Of course be a consumer of fine dining I knew exactly where they came from. My most favorite place, Omaha Steaks. They were filled to the top with little boxes containing tasty tidbits that will be consumed joyfully by my family (although the apple dumplings and tiramisu cake may be eaten in secret whilst no one else is aware).

I don't believe the boys had a serious concern about the desserts though. They were more impressed with the dry ice. That would include DH who decided it would be fun to open one of the bags and add a little water to create a fog effect in my kitchen. It looked like a theatrical stage prop with all of the white smokey air swirling around the floor. They had lots of fun.

I am truly thankful to my mom who so graciously sent this wonderment of tasty treats. Not only is my freezer full, but my belly will be soon too.

Holiday Family Favorites Top 5

2009-11-24T07:51:00.005-05:00

As we near the holiday season, I start planning out what we can do as a family that involves the kids too. Most of us have favorites that we stick to and soon they become family traditions. TwitterMoms and Nickelodeon has a fun new blogging question as part of the Dora Christmas Carol Contest. They would like to know what your top 5 favorite things to do with the family are. I thought I would share my top 5 with you to give you an idea of how busy the holiday really is when the whole family is involved.

1. Baking our Favorite Cookies - I let the boys pick out four or five cookie recipes they enjoy, and then let them add ingredients to mix them. Then we pack them into the gift baskets for our neighbors and friends.

2. Shop for gifts for family - I let the boys pick out small gifts for grandma, grandpa, and dad, as well as their best friends.

3. Decorate the tree & house - The boys help dad put up the tree and hold the lights while dad strings them on the house. They also help put up the yard decorations.

4. Make cards for family - The boys are very artistic and like to send their own handmade holiday greetings. I pull out the scrapbooking supplies and let them go at it.

5. Watch Holiday DVD's and TV Specials - My husband has fond memories of particular holiday programs and loves to share them with the boys. We have Rudolph the Reindeer, which needless to say gets played multiple times this year.

Visit TwitterMoms to see more great ideas and enter for yourself here: Dora Christmas Carol Contest.

Trident Layers Giveaway CLOSED

2009-11-04T12:49:00.007-05:00

I love to chew gum, a lot. I use it to keep from eating too many snacks and I enjoy the wonderful popping sound I can make if I chew it just right. The flavors though, not so exciting. You have the basic grape, cherry, and strawberry, which can get boring after a while.

Well Trident has put an end to the "boring" gum and upped it a notch with their new Trident Layers gum. You can chew on wild strawberry and tangy citrus or their other wonderful flavor of green apple and pineapple. How sweet do those sound?

The wonderful folks at Trident would love for you to have a chance to try their gum and are offering a nice coupon for 75 cents off a pack. Just click here and fill out the short little form to print your coupon. Just remember, do not open around friends, family, and the neighbors down the street. They’ll all want a piece.

WIN IT: Trident has given two readers the chance to try both flavors. Just leave a comment which flavor you would like to try the most. Please make sure to leave your email address so that I can contact you if you are the winner! Contest ends November 8, 2009.

Disclosure: All information and materials as part of this giveaway were provided by Trident. I did receive samples of each flavor of the gum to try.

Read ALL Instructions

2009-11-03T21:44:00.003-05:00

I come from a family of talented women. They can crochet, tat, and sew. Myself, not so much. I have recently tried taking on the task of the cute little stick with the hook on the end. Yes, crocheting.

It seems easy enough. Learn to read the hidden messages between the lines of morse code, and ta-da, you have a project! Nope, not quite. You learn the basic stitches, single crochet, double crochet, even a treble! Ah, but there is one important step. I have learned that you must not be so full of yourself as to get ahead and "assume" the instructions you are reading are basic. Well why should I have to read them? I know how to double crochet, and it says - double crochet. So I did. After a repeated tear out (not even going to mention how many times, but the yarn was starting to fray) I finally read those cute little words in italics. But wait, it is only telling me how to double crochet reduce, and I already know how to do that, and then there it is. The morse code is broken. It is the basic double crochet, but now a new little step has been snuck in for this pattern. Now I am not only doing the step I know how to do, but I am adding the mystery step to the pattern so as to manipulate the project to its actual appearance of the photo I have been viewing in the book. Amazing.

I am on my way to figuring it out. The project is similar to the photo now and my rows look uniform. Now, if I can only figure out how to get those lovely edges even I will be a master!

Giveaway: Silk Heart Health Soymilk

2009-11-03T20:44:00.006-05:00

We all try to eat right, but sometimes making sure we get the right nutrition is difficult. With more and more people finding they have allergies to different food products, it is hard to find alternatives. A new choice for a healthy alternative to milk is Silk's new Silk Heart Health Soymilk.

Silk Heart Health contains two proven heart-health ingredients, soy protein and phytosterols. Now you can get heart healthy with something that actually tastes good.

Silk Soymilk would like you to get to know Silk Heart Health. Become a fan of Silk Heart Health on Facebook and you can find out how to save $.75 off Silk Soymilk or you can also print a coupon for $.55 off any Silk Soymilk.

When you visit Silk on Facebook, don't forget to enter to win a Silk Million Hearts Weekend Getaway. Please make sure to tell your friends about the Silk Million Hearts Challenge on Facebook. Silk will donate 5 cents to the Larry King Cardiac Foundation for each of your friends that you refer.

Speaking of winning, I have 10 awesome gifts to giveaway. Silk has given me the opportunity to allow you the chance of trying their milk by giving you a coupon for a FREE half gallon of their Heart Health Soymilk. You will also receive a Silk branded pedometer to track the steps from the front of the store to the back when you pick up your milk. How healthy is that!

TO WIN: Just leave a comment with your name and email address. It is important I have a way to contact you if you are the lucky one! I will draw the 10 winners November 6, 2009. Good Luck!

Disclosure: Silk Soymilk has provided me with the prizes for this giveaway in exchange for posting about Silk Heart Health on my blog and Facebook. I am not being compensated in any other way for promotion of this or any other Silk products.

"The Suburban Outlaw" book review

2009-09-15T13:08:00.004-04:00

I recently reviewed a book called "The Suburban Outlaw" by Pam Sherman. It is a compilation of short stories filled with realizations, openness, feelings and just outright humor at times. I was a little leary at first about the whole thing, but once I started it, I just couldn't put it down.

While you are reading, you live vicariously through Pam's daily challenges and dilemmas while sharing the feelings that she has at the time of the event. She has the ability to be able to make you feel that each story is relevant to you as she ventures from New York to a new home out of her comfort zone that has a "picket fence" and snow. You are shown how her life changes in a flash with friends she meets as well as the new physical changes that are as simple as making sure she can reach her hairstylist because they are the only one capable of that perfect haircut.

I loved how I was drawn to each and every story. I laughed out loud and may have even shed a tear or two in a story of a friend whom she held dear until the end. The book is enlightening and warm and filled with quick wit and charm. I recommend it to anyone woman who may feel her life has been completely uprooted and she now feels out of place in her new community.

Ice cream and podcasts

2009-08-31T13:44:00.006-04:00

I had a great visit with my brother who came out to see me for the first time in a long time. Of course the boys took to him immediately and my brother became the local jungle gym. Everytime I turned around one of them was wrapped around his neck and riding high. It was cute, but I know that even though they are twins, one of them has about 12 pounds on the other. I am sure my brother went home a sore neck.

It worked out great because my brother helped me with the ice cream party that I won from Edy's. A while back I had entered and won an ice cream party for 100 people in the neighborhood. It was crazy when the ice cream arrived, but I was happy it fit in the freezer. My kids were peaking in the freezer the whole time because they were worried about how much we would have leftover. It was great watching the kids eat the ice cream and not having to worry about taking pictures. My brother worked his camera magic and took a few great photos for me. I was so happy about that.

We talked and caught up on the past years that we missed out on seeing each and I found out he has a new hobby that he told me about. He is into these new things called podcasts. I had know idea what that was. Little did I know I would get the "technical" low down on it. It was great to learn about it, but I am not as smart as my brother. He is a technical writer for NASA, so let us just say his laymen's terms are not always on my level. He made me laugh a few times as I had to have him repeat some of the stuff so I could actually understand it. Apparently he works with a friend to do reviews on movies that are out and prepare you for the new upcoming stuff. I figure with my time being so tight, it might help to figure out if I really want to go to see a new movie by hearing a nice review or just go take the chance and blow an easy $10 on a ticket. He calls his site "MacGuffin Brothers". You can see upcoming movies and reviews, hear news on the movies and soon they will have products. I look forward to each podcast and the quick wit of my brother and his friend.

Boys being boys

2009-08-13T10:08:00.005-04:00

As a mom of boys and having grown up with three brothers there is not really too much that I don't already know. I climbed trees with the best of them, walked the creeks catching snakes, and rode bikes. Sometimes they thought having a sister along was a damper, but hey, I needed something to do out in the vast farm area we lived in too.

Boys like to talk nasty and their favorite thing is to upset the mother with how nasty they can be. Talking about things like butt wedgies, boogers and farts seem to top the charts lately. Of course I am not phased by such things, but try to remind them to use manners. Silently I am laughing and may even have to turn my head once in a while to hide a huge smile that I have. What can I say, I think boys who try to out stink the other while watching their faces is hilarious, but I can't let them know that.

D and K were discussing if moms fart. Well, we already know dads do because we are acutely aware of when they do it. No motion to silence it or even sneak it. Nope, all man. As a lady (ok, maybe I try) I have tried to evolve from that "tomboy" mentality and mature a little, so a conversation I overheard was quite funny. D decided to argue with K and tell him that moms don't fart. K was very sure that moms do (who me?). D told him, "no they don't. Moms fluff." Fluff? Maybe that is in reference to the "fluff" around my middle? I thought it was funny how he tried to make it sound so delicate when it comes from a mom.

In the meantime I will await whatever boyisms will come my way, and remember that I too was once the same way. People ask if I want a girl and I always tell them I would have no idea what to do with it.

Purex 3 in 1 Sheets Giveaway

2009-08-11T09:21:00.003-04:00

I am excited to enter to try these. It would be great to have everything in one easy sheet!

Take a Healthy Bite Giveaway

2009-08-10T12:41:00.013-04:00

The Celestial Group is offering a giveaway filled with healthy snacks and free coupons to help spread the word about the “Take a Healthy Bite out of Reading” back to school promotion. Hain Celestial has teamed up with Barnes & Noble to help inspire reading through healthy eating. The “Take a Healthy Bite” promotion is a receipt redemption program, where you can send your receipts for any products from Garden of Eatin’, MaraNatha, West Soy, Earth’s Best and Health Valley in exchange for gift cards from Barnes & Noble - $5.00 card for $15 worth of product and $10 for $25 worth of product.

There is also a sweepstakes running that gives one lucky parent the chance to win $500 worth of free books from Barnes and Noble for their local school library. I am sure with the way school finances are right now, this would really help out. The $500 book sweepstakes on takeahealthybite.com can be entered either automatically through redeeming coupons, or through their sweepstakes entry page.

You can get healthy snack tips and kid friendly recipes from Keri Glassman, R.D. and sign up for the "Healthy Way of Life" newsletter to receive valuable coupons by visiting www.takeahealthybite.com.

The Giveaway: Hain is also providing a nice prize package for one of my readers! The prize will include an assortment of natural and organic products from Hain Celestial Group, including Garden of Eatin’ blue corn chips, Health Valley granola bars, Earth’s Best Tots juice boxes and coupons for free jar of MaraNatha nut butter, free 32 ounce West Soymilk and free Earth’s Best Sesame Street frozen pizza. (Total Value $25)

Required Entry: Visit Take A Healthy Bite and then come back and leave a comment telling me something interesting or helpful you found on their site. I will draw a winner on August 17. Good luck!

YoBaby 3in1 Meals Review

2009-08-02T21:27:00.003-04:00

We sampled YoBaby's organic yogurt a while back, and have also received the chance to taste their 3 in 1 meals. What an awesome idea! You get your yogurt, fruit and veggies in a smooth and creamy combination. The kiddos did not suspect there was sweet potatoes in their yogurt! They ate it just as quickly as the regular yogurt. No complaints on texture or taste.

Once again I found another way to sneak those veggies into their daily meals without them even realizing that they are eating healthy! They offer three great choices:

Pear & Green Bean
Peach & Squash
Apple & Sweet Potato

Each cup provides more than a 1/3rd of their daily protein & calcium needs, plus other essential nutrients like Zinc, Vitamin A and Vitamin D. How great is that!

Edy's Ice Cream Coupon Giveaway Winner

2009-07-24T16:15:00.005-04:00

I got the first box of many that will be coming for the Neighborhood Ice Cream party that I won from Edy's. It is full of the supplies needed to set everyone up with some ice cream. Lots of little ice cream cups, scoops, napkins, and even a fancy apron for me to wear while serving it.

I even received some coupons to giveaway to some of the neighbors and thought I would share one with my "blogger" neighbors. It is good for two 6oz. cups of any Edy's slow churned light ice cream. It won't be as much as you can eat from the boxes I am waiting for, but I figure get them and hide them in the freezer for a midnight snack! Just leave a comment on your favorite flavor of ice cream. I will draw for a winner July 29th. Good Luck!

Just wanted to say congratulations to Anna H. who won this. I will be sending the coupon in the mail!

Hubby's Birthday

2009-07-21T12:00:00.003-04:00

The week has been kind of crazy with my stepson visiting us. We have had a few adventures which have included the police in one incident, so let's just say that where my stepson is, there is excitement.

We took my husband out for his birthday yesterday and had a total blast. I got to watch him be launched in the air at 100 mph all the way up 365 feet. I never saw a grown man so scared. It was hilarious. They suck them down in this volcano looking thing and then shoot them up with a rubber band effect. I know I couldn't do it, especially after the dinner we ate right before it! My stepson bought the video which is not PG needless to say.

We took the smaller boys on the go karts which was fun too. I didn't remember how fast you could get going on those. I think I screamed more than "D" did. The track was rough which added a little more excitement since it was wooden. You were bounced all over the place.

So all in all, my hubby had a great birthday. My stepson is here for another week, so I am sure there will be more adventure to come!

YoBaby Yogurt Review and Giveaway

2009-07-06T19:17:00.006-04:00

I had the opportunity to try out the Stonyfield Farm Organic YoBaby yogurt. I was truly excited to see that it was certified organic and 100% natural. My boys are always eating the other brands, but they seem to be full of sugars and artificial flavors. I decided to sneak in something healthy for them and see if they noticed. I bought the fruit and cream flavor for them to try, and sampled it myself. It was actually pretty good for being good for you!

I also am happy with knowing that they are getting a help with their daily calcium intake as well as helping with their fiber intake. They get 50% of their daily calcium, which is twice as much as other leading yogurts.

The texture was great, not gritty. It was smooth and creamy. In the end I give it a thumbs up, and will find myself eating it just as much as the kids.

The YoBaby friends have given me the chance to share this great yogurt expereience with you and have offered the opportunity for you to receive a nice little package for yourself. It includes a Yobaby bowl with lid, an organic YoBaby bib, and a bundle of 5 Free YoBaby coupons. Just leave me a comment making sure you have a valid email address for me to contact. I will do a random drawing on July 10th for a winner.

Book Review/Giveaway "I'm Having Twins"

2009-07-05T21:20:00.001-04:00

Actually, I already had twins and they are eight now. Thankfully the trauma of adjusting is way over. At the time though, I had my stepson who had been an only child for all 14 years of his life. It was going to be a big change to have not only one, but two new little people in the house.

I recently had the opportunity to review a book by Paris Morris titled "I'm Having Twins". This book is geared toward younger siblings getting ready to welcome home the twins. It shows how the sister is still involved with her parents while preparing for the babies. The day to day stuff like mom being tired, or helping to pick out names for the babies. Also shows how other changes may come from the babies, such as having to buy a bigger car for everyone.

It was a simple reading book that covered basics for the child's mom being pregnant as well as the family dealing with all the preparations and changes about to come. The illustrations are full page color which makes it nice to study the page while you are reading to see the details. It isn't too elaborate so it does keep your attention without being long and drawn out. I would recommend it to chidren who are at least 7 or older, younger children would like the pictures only.

You can view more books by Paris Morris at her site My Friend Paris. She offers several other books as well. As a parent of twins myself, I am happy to have a copy of this book to giveaway to another potential mom of twins. If you or someone you know is in this situation it would be a nice gift for the younger brother or sister. Just leave me a comment, anything is fine, and I will have a drawing by one of my twins on July 10th.

Found Money

2009-07-01T14:02:00.002-04:00

My husband is a frequent user of the public library system. He orders new release movies so that we don't have to pay to rent them or pay to see them in the theater. Of course, once in a while, there is just a movie that has to be seen in the theater to get the whole body shaking, noise blasting, popcorn eating, effects.

While he reserves all of those videos, the boys also like to get books to read. I love the fact that they like books and never discourage it. My son "K" went with dad this last trip to the library to pick out some books. He is more into the science fiction and scientist type books. Normal boys stuff.

He came in the door and was screaming and running around totally crazy. I couldn't see what he had in his hand except that it was green like money. What? I finally got him calmed down and he showed me what he had. I couldn't believe my eyes. That little boy had found a $100 dollar bill in one of the books. Now who uses money for bookmarks? He was soooo excited. I can't blame him. That is quite a bit of money for an 8 year old to have. Of course it was burning a huge hole in his pocket so we had to go to the store. He had his eye on some new Lego sets and was determined that the money would go for those. He ended up purchasing two sets. When all was said and done, that money was GONE. He was hoping for some leftover, but no such luck.

So we have our faith restored in reading books and the public library. You really do get a whole new experience with books.

How much ice cream?

2009-06-26T11:18:00.003-04:00

I play around in the contests online and once in a while I actually get lucky. A while back I signed up for the Edy's block party. They send enough ice cream for 100 people. That would seem like a lot, but most of us like two or three servings. They will be sending some of the new flavors along with the light ice cream. I am thinking maybe a couple of the cups of ice cream will have to "magically" disappear and sneak into my freezer for later consumption.

So I was casually checking my emails, going through the trash and junk mail. I came across one from Edy's and mistakenly read the title as being the list of winners. I opened it just to see who the lucky ducks were and realized I was a winner! Congratulations Winner! Oh wow. I couldn't even remember what I had written that was the magical comment out of thousands to give me such a great surprise. Must have been pretty good.

This may sound great, but where do I store all of the ice cream until the day I can give it away? I have a few neighbors who have offered to put some in their freezers, but now really, who do you trust with cartons of ice cream? The fun part will be that is the weekend before school starts, so I will hype all the kiddos up on ice cream and then send them back for the new school year! I can hardly wait.

What Summer...

2009-06-10T21:38:00.002-04:00

School was out last week and we are on our first week of summer break. Let me just say the "I'm bored" sentence is already flying with vengeance. I have learned to tune most of it out, but by the fiftieth time I kind of go nuts.

"K" has been on a feeding frenzy. I didn't know he could eat so much. A box of this a box of that, then lunch, then another box of something else. I asked, "are you bored or are you really hungry?" Of course he tells me that he is really hungry. With his intake he must have been seriously miserable at school. I can't imagine needing this much food in one day. "D" on the other hand has been like a puppet following "K" around. That is ok for a while then they start to fight. "He is following me, stop copying me, you're touching me, you broke it!" No, not necessarily in one rampant sentence, but as many times as I have heard them, they just kind of run together.

They will be starting the third grade in the fall. It is amazing how fast time really does go. Seems like we just started the new school year. I will be looking forward to going to the bus stop on August 24th to see the changes in all of the neighborhood kids as well as my own. It is interesting how you see subtle changes when your kids are standing next to other ones.

Theme Parks Aren't For Moms

2009-05-21T16:28:00.003-04:00

Our two year season passes for Universal Studios are coming up on their expiration date so we have been trying to squeeze a couple more visits in around my husband's crazy work schedule. We were able to get out this past weekend, which turned out to be a nice day. It wasn't really humid yet and the heat wasn't that high.

My son "K' decided he was big enough for the Mummy ride so that was where we headed first before he lost his nerve. My husband has been trying to convince him to get on that ride since he was tall enough to go on. I've ridden it myself and wasn't too sure whether he would fair too well.

We got to the line which was showing only a 30 minute wait time, which is a low amount of time for this particular ride. We went inside and wound our way up to the top to get on the ride. Then the nerves set in. Sweaty palms, palpitating heart, severe stomach squeamishness. I didn't know if we were going to make it. Total fear had set it. Anxiety was way above and beyond it's normal high.

Oh, you thought that was "K"'s feelings. Wrong, they were the mother's. I was so scared of him riding that ride. I had a horrible fear he would have a panic attack on the ride. Granted his dad would be with him, but still. I stood outside the gate where the parent swap was and waited breathing shallowly and my heart racing. Finally they returned. He looked cooler than a cucumber and my husband said he did awesome. He didn't even scream. Isn't it crazy how we have such fears and then they have none?

Next stop was the Jaws ride. Simple little boat trip. We have ridden it at least 20 times. We come upon the "fried" shark where it comes up out of the water and "D" goes ballistic. Screaming and trying to run off the boat like the plastic floatie shark was actually going to eat him. I don't get it. How many times have we been on this ride? "D" also cried for 20 minutes before he rode ET the first time. The bicycles scared him. I don't see him being the adventurous type and riding the Hulk or the Mummy too soon.

So after scaring myself to death for my children and enjoying a seriously wet butt from a plastic shark I got to do my favorite, Twister!!! Yahoo!!! I don't think we will get another chance because the tickets expire in a couple of weeks and the weather will be bad, plus all of those lovelies from up north will be down hogging all of the rides. I did learn that I have to let go and let my kiddos experience the rides for themselves and to just not show that I have jello legs and heart palpitations for them. It is amazing how fast they continue to grow up. I still see them as little diaper wearing, drooling, rugrats that I can pick up and squeeze and kiss on.

Things Kids Say

2009-05-14T13:46:00.002-04:00

We all love our children and some of the best things can come out of their little mouths that absolutely make us melt. Everything from, "I love you mom," to "that was the best dinner ever!"

And there are times when we just don't want to hear it, but it comes out any way. My son "D" was complaining of a sore throat and an earache, so of course we had to take a trip to the doctor. For some reason it just seems this year has been full of the "yuckies" for both boys and I have had my fill of caring for it.

The trip to the doctor was uneventful, we waited for the prescription and were preparing to head home. I hadn't fixed dinner and it was late from the waiting time in the pharmacy so I decided to stop at the McD's next door to grab a couple of burgers to take home and eat. I myself indulged in one of the new Iced Mochas, but was not that impressed by its overrated commercialism. I will stick to my Starbucks Fraps.

It was only a few miles to be home, and I was happy at how it seemed to work out. "D" didn't have to miss school, the doctor appointment was over, and we had dinner and smiles. The boys were playing their video games and actually being quite well behaved when I hear, "mom, I think I am going to throw up." WHAT? Oh geez, not in the car. That smell will never get out. I panic. What, what, what, where? Found it! The cheeseburgers flew across the passenger seat as I dumped them faster than lightening and handed said son the bag. Mind you it is a paper bag. Other son, "ewwww, he is barfing!" This son had not had the courtesy of telling us of his impending demise at a restaurant a month ago while he so nicely spewed everywhere while the poor people were trying to eat their dinner. I gently reminded "K", "yes, but at least HE told me he was going to get sick so I could do something about." Then sanity set back in and I realized that the paper bag that would suck up a greasy burger's residue would not be so gracious for its new contents and would give out in a jiffy. I dumped my items from the pharmacy and pulled off the road to quickly "re-bag" before we finished out trip home.

I have had my visual fill of up-chuck to last me quite a time. Hopefully this sick season will be over and I can enjoy more of the "I love you".

Macaroni Grill Giveaway

2009-05-14T13:09:00.002-04:00

Who doesn't love Italian food? I for one am a big fan of lasagna and all things yummy. Well, Just A Mom's Take on Things tested out some of those new Macaroni Grill box dinners you can buy at the store now. She even put together a great video showing how kids can actually what is for dinner.

Out of the kindness of her heart she is giving away a nice little package she put together which includes a sample of the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken Pasta variety, three coupons so you can try the other varieties, a colander, serving spoon and cheese grater.

I know I was happy to see this and signed up for a chance, and now you need to slide on over and sign up too!

Pepsi Throwback Giveaway

2009-05-13T18:55:00.003-04:00

Everyone who knows me, knows that I will bleed Diet Mountain Dew. I drink way too much of the stuff and really should cut back, but I have a serious addiction. I guess you could say it would be no different than those who use coffee to pump themselves up.

Well Pepsi has a new way of bringing back the old way. For 8 weeks only, starting April 20th, Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback will be available nationwide. These products, inspired by the 60's and 70's, are sweetened with natural sugar (instead of the usual high fructose corn syrup) and come in 20-oz retro designed single-serve bottles and 12-pack cans. My loving cousin is giving the chance to win a nice little package of goodies including the chance to taste some of the soda. You can stop by her awesome blog Beth and Cory's Mom, and fill out the chance to win. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping some of my relative love will add a little luck!

Got Hot Dogs?

2009-05-12T12:53:00.002-04:00

I received my gift card from Oscar Mayer for their hot dogs the other day and finally decided to pick up the goods. I bought two packs of beef hot dogs, a bag of buns, some chili for the hot dogs, and some beans!

I am excited to set everything up and tape the video for their youtube site. Not sure what I will do, but I am sure the boys will help me in deciding how to eat them. Yum!

Won Again

2009-05-12T12:49:00.003-04:00

I was randomly searching through blogs a while back since I like to read other people's stories, when I stumbled on JaeMi's Jive. She has a blog with giveaways, samples and product reviews. Sometimes it is kind of nice to get someone else's opinion on a product before you try it.

Well, she just so happened to be giving away a nice little collection of office goodies including a nice set with scissors and a stapler as well as a couple of cute journals. I went ahead and signed up for a chance to win by leaving a simple comment.

Wouldn't you know I won? I was excited to have stumbled on her site, now I won something from her! Hooray!

Get To Try Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs!

2009-05-04T11:40:00.007-04:00

Well with the Domino's house party over, I am going to get to try Oscar Mayer's all beef franks plus my choice of trimmings. I was one of the lucky first 100 to sign up to get to try them.

They are sending me a gift card to get the hot dogs and some extras, and in return I will post a video to their youtube site regarding how everyone enjoyed them. I have a feeling a few extra neighbor kids will be in on this one! I am sure my boys will have no trouble inviting a few friends over to have one of the great beef hot dogs.

Domino's House Party

2009-04-29T20:40:00.003-04:00

Domino's has given me the opportunity to have a "house party" to share their new pasta bowls. I haven't tried them yet, so this will be a great chance to have some friends over and explore the new bowls. New Domino’s BreadBowl Pasta™. It’s five great varieties of pasta — Chicken Alfredo, Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese, Pasta Primavera, Chicken Carbonara, and Italian Sausage Marinara — all baked-fresh in a seasoned bread bowl that rises up and deliciously surrounds the pasta. Now if that doesn't sound good, I don't know what does!

I am excited to have some friends over for a good time of pizza, a good movie and good company. Thanks Domino's!

Oscar Meyer Feedback

2009-04-29T20:28:00.004-04:00

Oscar Mayer is giving 100 Mom Bloggers Club members a gift card to buy Oscar Mayer all beef hot dogs + your choice of trimmings in return for posting a short video review to their YouTube group by May 25, Memorial Day. If you'd like free Oscar Mayer hot dogs, click here to enter your information. Only the first 100 members who sign up will receive gift cards. You will be notified if you are within the top 100.

Sounds pretty interesting to me! Who doesn't want free food!! I put my chance in, so we shall see!!

Too Busy

2009-04-26T17:28:00.003-04:00

I haven't been in here for a while because I have been so busy. I have been dealing with my day job and dealing with a neighbor kid who has been bullying not only my son, but myself as well. Yes, I know I am an adult and can do something about it, but I was hoping the kids would work it out themselves and it would go away. It didn't.

I finally confronted the mother yesterday after about being ran over by her son on his bike. I guess he was getting pretty ballsy because I wasn't saying anything to him. I have been taking ridicule, been yelled and watched for the last month and a half and I just was getting weary of the whole situation. How does it come down to the fact an adult becomes afraid to say anything to an 8 year old kid?

So the bike incident just sent me over the edge. He not only nearly hit me, but a little 2 year old girl that was standing near her dad while we were talking. There was no reason for him to do what he did except for the fact that he was trying to intimidate me.

I confronted his mom and found she is just as tired of all of this as I was. We both have been dealing with a kid coming home and doing the "he said this, and he said that". Apparently she was told that I had called her son fat because my son told her son that. I had already explained that to her son that was not true and apologized for him feeling that I did that. I guess he didn't believe me, even though he was standing right in front of me. I told her that I had a conversation with him to that fact and thought this misunderstanding was taken care of a few weeks ago. Not so.

So like an "adult", I tolerated the misery of being taunted and yelled at for quite some time. It ended for me though when it became physical. That was just a little too much for me. So we both have the same understanding our boys are not even to breathe in each other's direction, though I don't know how well that will go since they are in the same class at school. I told her that hopefully we will be able to get through this last month without incident. She told him to stay off our street, which will help me tremendously.

Crazy Drivers

2009-02-27T14:15:00.002-05:00

I usually don't let idiots on the road get to me, but once in a while they do. It is bike week down here again and all of the motorcycle fanatics will be around. Of course we receive the warnings of being aware of the riders and such, but what about us in our cars? I have no respect for motorcycle riders anymore. Granted I have my license and enjoy a ride once in a while, but for the most part, no respect.

We are warned to watch for the riders and make ourselves aware of them on the road. Ok, I can understand that. They are smaller and harder to see. But (a big but) I also am aware of how idiotic they ride. To weave in and out of traffic and change lanes by going between two vehicles is just stupid. For those that don't wear helmets, you deserve a bump on the noggin!

I will continue to be "aware" of motorcyclists, but I will also be "aware" of their lack for drivers in cars. If you cut us off in traffic by zipping around, how can we not hit you?

Chili's Guiltless Grill Giveaway

2009-02-17T23:06:00.009-05:00

Contrats to Andreah who won the free lunch. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did!

As the year rolls on, those of us that made resolutions to watch our weight may be having a little trouble following through. I, for one, am a total junk food-aholic. The other downfall, I like to eat out. It is so hard to eat out and find something that tastes good without actually costing you a weeks worth of calories. That is until now.

Chili's now offers six new Guiltless Grill options with less than 750 calories each. I know, you think how can you feel satisfied after eating such a low number of calories? Well, let me tell you what they have and you will see that there is more than just a few bites. They are offering everything from Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon to a Carne Asada Steak. I am having such a hard time in figuring out which one I actually want to try.

Courtesy of a group I am signed up with called Buzz Agent, I am going to give you the chance to try one for yourself. I received a coupon for a FREE Guiltless Grill entree. I want to share this with you so I am just asking one tiny thing. Go to the Chili's website and come back and tell me which entree you would choose. I will draw from the name on Friday, February 27th! Make sure you leave an email address where I can reach you, or else someone else will get your free lunch.

Randy's Bragging

2009-01-23T15:35:00.004-05:00

As a blogger, nothing is more exciting than receiving comments or knowing that someone has stopped by. You look for ways to attract visitors so that you can up your score or just feel good. I use Entrecard to draw a little traffic. Entrecard has other bloggers looking to do the same thing. You receive points to advertise on other people's blogs.

While reviewing my potential advertisers I came across a blog that offered services to help with blogging and getting potential traffic to your site. Voice of Bragg offers suggestions that seem to be feasible and easy to do, as well as to help gain readers. The site is run by Randy, who likes to offer up advice on how to get prime exposure to your site. He has a directory that you can use to submit your site to a search engine without even being penalized by Google.

Randy also has information on some pretty interesting gadgets that you can use. I, for one, am interested in the BOB. It is a pretty cool product you use to set the timer on your television. No more sneaky kids watching tv when you don't want them too.

Another useful piece of information Randy posted about is one we all may need at one time or another. Having not had this occur for myself yet, it is nice to know that there is a way to get into your computer if you lock yourself out. He tells about a software that is free to download that will help you gain access to your computer after having an absent minded moment. Believe me, being a parent to twins causes a lot of absent minded moments.

Randy is looking to become the link king and receive as much traffic as possible. The best part of it is he is willing to pay you to help him achieve this. All he asks is that you "brag" a little about his blog. He is going to have a drawing for $50 for the blog that he believes has given him the biggest brag.

Happy Unbirthday

2009-01-16T20:45:00.003-05:00

That is what I am celebrating. An Unbirthday. Yes, on the 15th I celebrated being born, but I am no longer going to acknowledge the numbers as they roll by. I am at that point in life when I am old enough to know better, but not ready to give in.

My boys will be turning 8 next month and that only reminds me of how another year has flown by. They continue to grow like weeds and have become too smart for their own good. I can't believe the mouths on kids at this age and what my boys have picked up already. So much disrespect and they are so demanding. I think the word "want" should be removed from the English language, and all commercials offering up new products for only $19.99 and shipping and handling should be banned. "But mom, it's only $19.99 plus shipping and handling."

I believe parents age more than a year at a time. If you have children it is different. One child add an extra 2 years to your birthday. It is kind of like dog years. Two kids add 5 years. And so it goes. I am prematurely grey and I know it is from the insanity of the boys, and maybe a little bit of my hubby.

The only great thing about your birthday is you are kind of famous for a day. Everyone acknowledges you, even people whom you don't have regular contact with. I know why, because they get to laugh at you now that you have added another year. They say "happy birthday" as they inspect you up close to see how you look. They check for new wrinkles and things that just don't sit like they used to and deep inside a big chuckle is brewing because they know the inevitable is coming. Yup, old age.

Prize Not Needed

2009-01-12T07:29:00.003-05:00

Admit it, we have all signed up for a contest one time or another thinking we would like the prize and then we actually win it. It arrives and we think it is cool at first. Wow, I won something! Then we inspect it further and realize, ok it is only going to take valuable space in the house. I will never use it. What am I going to do with it now?

Well, I have actually resorted to selling them on ebay. Is that wrong? I can use the funds raised from the sale of the prize I won to purchase something bigger and better that I really want. I have thought of gifting the item, but sometimes you just aren't too sure they would want it either. Why chance it.

I had recently won an item I thought would be something I might actually use. When it arrived, the box was as big as a small fridge. I got to looking at it and realized there was never going to be a real need for it and it was taking up a sizable amount of space. What to do? I listed it on ebay and made a few extra bucks.

Those lackluster prizes we may have had eyes for, but then become eye sores, can become profitable in so many more ways.

Look Down

2009-01-10T20:51:00.003-05:00

In the past, when I was walking my husband use to pick on me. He would always ask me why I would walk with my head hanging down. Was I sad or something? He told me I looked funny because I never looked up. Well, today I reminded him why I look down.

We were at Universal to kill some time and ride a few rides today. Simple stuff, stand in line like animals, be herded into the next seat, blah, blah. Well, we were standing in line for a ride when I saw a lady kicking something as she moved. Apparently she didn't see it. I waited, then I dove! Grabbed at the paper and came back up. MONEY! I slowly unfolded it to see if it was one of those trick money papers. I have been taken by those, sad to say. Nope, real US currency. I peaked into my hands and low and behold, not one but TWO twenty dollar bills. I quickly shoved it in my pocket and told my husband. I reminded him of how he made fun of me, and this is just a small reminder why I watch people's feet and the ground. Now, if I had seen who had dropped this I would have definitely returned it, but no one seemed to be hunting around so... We had plans to go out to dinner anyways, so with the $40 cash, our dinner bill with tip out of pocket came out to $10.41 for 4 people. Yes, my hubby did thank me for my head dropped walk. So did his tummy!

Couponing and B1G1

2009-01-08T19:46:00.003-05:00

Although many people consider the use of a coupon a waste of time, I find it a valuable tool in planning ways to save money. A few cents add up to dollars over time and allow that money to be put back in your pocket. My cousin Anna and I are rebellions to full price items and look to find the best way to save money.

Things have tightened up a little more for us since my DH took another job. He took a pay cut to start this job because it offers quick promotion, but in the meantime we have to make do with what we have. I have always incorporated coupons and sale items as well as budget friendly meals into my meal time. I am not a "stocker" of sorts because I find that stuff tends to expire before I use it. I don't buy 20 boxes of something just because it is a good deal. Meat on the other hand, can be frozen and will be used within the proper time.

I recently took a shopping trip to pick up some things for my DH's lunches, as well as a good deal on a few other items that necessarily would not have been purchased due to their high price. In all I got 20 containers of yogurt, 2 bags of Lays chips, 4 cases of soda, 4 packages of chicken breasts, 2 packages of Nabisco cookies, 6 boxes of Special K cereal, and 1 large box of chicken broth for $50. You might think that is a lot, but I saved 57.00 with sale and coupon discounts.

If you take a small amount of time and read the grocery sales ads, and clip a couple of coupons, you can save a lot more than you think.

Christmas Is Finally OVER

2009-01-03T19:41:00.003-05:00

I have lived with the Christmas tree and decorations a lot longer than usual. We celebrated it and then we had to wait another week to celebrate another one. My MIL came up to bring the boys some stuff and visit with us. That put things in a little bit of a delay. I being the type of a person that I am, can not stand having all of that stuff completely cluttering the house. The insanity of it all. I mean really. I have to dust it, wipe it down, and for what? To put it away in a few days.

I have had neighbor kids traipsing in and out of my house and asking me to feed them when they visit. I don't go for feeding the neighborhood kids when I did not invite them over. The kids now a days seem to be a little more able to ask for things that I would never have thought of doing when I was a kid.

The baby I watch has started crawling so I now have to prepare the house for a mobile little person. Let's just say it has been a while. Thankfully the tree will come down before he comes back on Monday. Now I have to get on my hands and knees and crawl around to see what other trouble he can get into. Amazingly I found places I didn't know that dust bunnies could hide. How do they get that far back under the furniture? And, they look like they have families!! The joy of a tile floor. Everything just sort of migrates to one corner and grows and grows. I suppose I will be sitting on the sofa one day and feel this nibbling feeling on my ankles and look down to see an overgrown dust bunny sampling me for a snack.

So, we get to wrap up (get it wrap, hahahah) the holiday for this year and move on. Unfortunately my birthday is this month so goes another "holiday" I truly don't enjoy celebrating. Who wants to celebrate getting older? That became not so much fun when I hit 20, and I won't say how long ago that was!

Facebook Sucked Me In

2008-12-23T21:19:00.002-05:00

Wow, time has flown by. Our dear Wallie had to leave the family as about as quickly as he came into it. We thought he would be a wonderful addition to the family, but he just didn't fit in. My two boys loved him to death too. Wallie had a little stronger personality than we thought though. My son went to pick him and received a bite. Thankfully we didn't need stitches, but it was a lot deeper than I wanted. Wallie had just shortened his stay. I placed an ad, and thankfully he found a new home the next day. I was sad to see him go, but with all of the kids that come and go in the house I couldn't take the chance of one of them getting bit. My niece had been bitten when she was younger and had to have cosmetic surgery to correct it. I did not want the scenario.

I also got sucked into Facebook. I believe that it has received a majority of my life for the past few weeks. I have been playing word games that have I have become addicted to. The ultimate challenge of beating everyone else's high score. I have sunk too much time into it. I also have enjoyed keeping up to date with friends and family. Their daily habits and feelings, placed in a convenient place to visit. The best part is leaving a loving comment, or a note of sorts just letting them know that you stopped by. I love knowing that someone has been thinking about me.

In order to cure myself of this disease, I am going to have to try to go cold turkey. You know, maybe stop by for a game or two consisting of 30 minutes or more. Yeah right.

Wallie The Ruler

2008-12-07T18:46:00.003-05:00

We recently adopted a chihuahua. They had graced him with the name "Wallie", so to keep from mass confusion for the little guy we kept the name. Wallie is all of three pounds. I believe that is all that he will ever be. Wallie is rotten. He is more high maintenance than my two kids. He is extremely needy. According to my mom this is normal for this breed. Great. I am going to have to put a bell around his neck because I have just about broken mine several times tripping over him. He has stealth radar and manages to go right under my feet while I am walking and wind his way between my legs. I have received a yelp or two when I have accidentally squished him between my ankles.

Wallie thinks he is a major monster dog and can rule the world. He treats all of the neighbor kids like they are play things and chases them around the yard. It is amazing how scared a kid can be when three pounds of skin and bones is chasing them.

Wallie also has terrible aim. We are still working on the housebreaking issue, which is so far coming along nicely. The only thing with Wallie is that his aim is really off. He is the only dog I know that pee's on his own leg when he goes to the bathroom. I have to watch to make sure that I clean his leg off before we come in. He likes to run in and jump on the furniture and rub and roll on it. I can't stand that. He also has terrible balance. He is the only dog I have ever seen that looks like a drunken sailor when seeking a place to poop. Fifteen circles later he finally finds a spot. While squatting to do the doo he wobbles. He rocks back and forth as if he is buzzing from to much alcohol. Every once in a while he loses his balance completely and falls backwards. I am hoping this is a "puppy" stage and he will outgrow it soon. I am sure the neighbors think I am doping up my dog because of the way he walks and wobbles.

Dust Devil

2008-11-26T14:09:00.003-05:00

This is not in reference to a vacuum cleaner or those funny little dirt tornadoes that blow the dirt in your eyes. That would be too easy. This is about the incessant dust that seems to lurk on the table after you have just wiped. It comes up and plants itself happily back on the piece of furniture you just wiped it off of.

I hate dust. I have glass table tops (yes, I know, mistake) that my husband decided would be great to buy when we bought our new furniture. I hate glass furniture. I hate glass anything that sits around. It requires more maintenance to keep it clean than what I care to spend on it. My husband thinks it is fun to give me snowglobes which are balls of glass. After the fifth one I told him he had better not get anymore unless he wanted them upside his head. I hate cleaning those dumb things off.

After a manner of cleaning and working hard to remove the dust from my home I made a serious mistake. I opened the blinds and let the sun shine in. Who would think that doing something so simple would cause such insanity? I was just looking to let the light in and enjoy the sun. Instead I had sheer panic set in. You see, the room that I had just dusted was not in fact dusted. I know I wiped the tables down, the counters down, everything. I even used wet wipes instead of dry so I wouldn't just be throwing the dust in the air to resettle. Well, I found out that dust doesn't really get dusted. It just sort of shifts from one space to another. I had to quickly close the blinds so that I could "pretend" that my house had been dusted. What causes that horrible fuzz that returns just moments after you have wiped it up? I believe it is the dust devils following behind me laughing at me because I think that I am doing a great job removing their tiny little particle bodies.

Seeing Spongebob

2008-11-23T21:35:00.003-05:00

Having boys has never been a problem with me. I grew up with three brothers and thought I knew it all. I figured it wouldn't be a problem to figure out what they were doing, why they did it, and what the end result would be. Experience. I was sure that I had it all. Who could know more than me? After all, I was changing boy diapers at the age of 7. I would watch how they interacted with each other and what made them tick. I thought I was ready for anything. So far, I have had so many surprises that I wonder if I was even there when my brothers were growing up.

I walked in on the boys in the bathroom the other day. One in the tub, the other on the toilet. I have to separate them or the one on the toilet will sit and play with the one in the tub, which creates a serious puddle of water on the floor. Well, I guess the one on the toilet was just finishing up when I walked in. No problem, just hurry it up a little before the playing ensues. As he was pulling up his underwear I noticed they were on backwards. Nothing new. This son has gone to school with a shirt on backwards, even shorts. This time was different though. There was a sane reason for this backward vision. At least he seemed to think so. As I pointed out that his underwear were on backwards his brother has to throw his two cents in. "He wants to see the pictures on his underwear." So the truth of the backward underwear was revealed. My son had a nice photo of Spongebob a la Patrick printed on the buttocks for which he thought should be in the front so that he could have a clear view at all times. I explained unless he was walking around with his pants down all of the time to see the picture there really was no point in wearing them that way.

No, I have a feeling this won't be the last time that Spongebob gets to see where he is going rather than where he has been.

Review: Bumkins Grinchmas

2008-11-18T14:16:00.013-05:00

Having kids in the house I have been exposed to my fair share of Dr. Seuss and his crazy story antics. I love the colorful characters and the rhyming stories full of adventure and thrills. Bumkins Finer Baby Products also has a great fascination with Dr. Seuss and his lovable friends and have signed up to showcase the characters on their products. Bumkins was founded by Jakki Liberman who originally created the company as a means to provide her own family with an alternative to disposable diapers. She created the All in One cloth diaper which rivaled disposables in convenience and became the foundation of Bumkins products.

In 2005 they acquired a license to use Dr. Seuss on their products. Thus began the Dr. Seuss diapers, bibs, and many more items to choose from. They pride themselves on their designs, quality, and family-oriented merchandise. They believe that products can be both practical and attractive, and strive to provide visually appealing, value-driven merchandise. They follow the strictest safety standards for their products in the industry. Their merchandise is only made from natural or non-toxic fabrics, such as organic cotton and BPA free waterproof material. Another great fact is that they are made in the USA.

Courtesy of The Mom Bloggers Club, I was able to receive the opportunity to review one of Bumkins' great products. I received the Dr. Seuss Coverall Suit to try out. It is made from 100% cotton with easy to fasten snaps imprinted with the memorable Dr. Seuss hat. It fit the baby comfortably and left ease of movement for his legs and arms. The stripes reminded me of a candy cane which would be perfect for a Christmas gift. Not to say the least that he looked absolutely adorable.

When you make a purchase from Bumkins, make sure to check out their Bumkins Grinchmas Gift and Contest! With any Bumkins Dr. Seuss Purchase receive a Free Grinch Superbib and automatically be entered to win a four pack of Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas Ornaments! Just enter grinch08 at checkout to receive your complimentary bib.

Helper Sans Hamburger

2008-11-17T22:02:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately my husband is not at home in the evenings due to his work schedule. I miss him, the kids miss him. I have found there is one side to the whole thing that makes me a little happy, no cooking dinner. Don't get me wrong. I love to cook, but once in a while it is nice not to have to. I feed the kids for sure, and have been guilty for claiming a bowl of cereal as a good dinner, but darn it, sometimes fruit loops taste better than anything else. My husband claims it isn't a fit meal for dinner, but hey, if you can start the day with it, shouldn't you be able to end the day with it?

Tonight I tried something a little different. I am not a big fan of Hambuger Helper, and the thought of eating it makes me nauseous. I had a box in the closet for "emergency" dinners, the kind where you hurry home from somewhere and realize you don't feel like cooking, but you have to feed everyone. I pulled it out and looked at it. Not very appetizing. I can't stand the stuff. For some reason it makes the hamburger taste rotten to me. I have trouble eating meat as it is, and that doesn't help. Well I decided to try it "sans" the hamburger. You know, make it without the hamburger. Kind of like a meatless noodle dish. I was a little surprised. It actually tasted better than I thought it would. I just followed the directions after cooking the hamburger and "tada" - dinner! Now if I can convince my husband it is still good without the meat I would actually maybe enjoy it - a little.

Outdoor Jammies

2008-11-16T15:36:00.002-05:00

My one son likes to walk around in his underwear. We have explained until our jaws are numb that he is getting too big to be walking around in underwear. Granted he is only 7, but it is a habit that needs broke now. Not a wonderful thought of a teenage boy traipsing around the house in is underwear "because it is comfortable." Mind you these are the tightie whiteys, not even boxer shorts, which may be a little more tolerable, but still too much for a poor mom's eyes.

The weather has cooled off a little here and the boys like to dig out their long jammies to wear. For me that is still a little too warm for sleeping in yet. Well, Kyle was trying the old "underwear only" look again today. I think I have told him fifty times to put some clothes on. At least a pair of shorts or something. Not good enough. Then he decides he wants to go outside. Duh, you have to get dressed for that, right? Not Kyle. I told him he needed to get dressed and put shoes on. I just looked out the window and see him playing. That is ok, I like it when they go outside. It gives me a bit of quiet in the house. Problem, he is in his pajamas. Long pajamas mind you, but still, pajamas. Of course no shoes. So, obviously he is not ashamed for the neighborhood to see him in his firetruck pj's.

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cheese Curls

2008-11-14T19:19:00.003-05:00

No, it isn't a recipe, it is my bad habit. I can consume these in mass quanitities. Then of course the guilt sets in, yada yada. Ok, they aren't the best things to eat. I know that, but when you have a craving for something seriously evil and diet crushing, go the full way. Who wants a reduced fat chocolate chip cookie? Who wants a "baked" cheese curl? Yuck. If I am going to screw up a diet, I do it right.

You would think that after all of those binges I would be a balloon now. I am positive I have gained more than ten pounds over the past year from loss of junk food control. I don't share, so, that means that I am eating them all by myself. Not at once mind you. I can drag it out over a couple of days. Having grown up worrying about my weight, I wasn't one to lose control often. I got made fun of plenty, believe me, I can still remember some of the names I was called. But for some reason when you get in a marriage of over 10 years and you have had kids, you just don't care as much. I mean I still excercise and all, have to, want to eat more cookies! But after having twins, things just don't sit the same.

So, I had a doctor appointment today. Not looking forward to seeing the numbers on the scale. Who does? Our scale at home and broken a while back so I had no idea how I was doing. I stepped up on the scale and held my breath. She moved the little thingie, and then moved it again. Guess what! I hadn't gained an ounce in a years time! How did that happen? All those regrets of the junk I had consumed. I have a serious sweet tooth and it does get the better of me. Needless to say, the doctor was even amazed at how my weight had stayed the same. So you know of course I probably just jinxed myself and will gain twenty pounds or something over the next year.

Hair Stylin' Tools Giveaway

2008-11-12T15:01:00.005-05:00

My Hair Styling Tools is giving away $1000 in cash and 15 hair irons! A total value of $2500!

They just love to give away FREE Stuff and they also want to make your Christmas gift giving a little easier this year!

On Dec. 10th they will randomly choose one Grand prize winner followed by 10 runner up winners.

Grand Prize Winner will get $1000 cash and 5 Karmin Professional Hair Straighteners will be given away as gifts to friends and family members for Christmas! A total prize value of over $1500!!

The 10 runner up winners will each receive a Karmin Professional Hair Iron to keep for themselves or to give as the perfect Holiday gift along with a special Holiday coupon code for $50 off and Free Shipping on any item on our entire site!

Stop by My Hairstylin' Tools to get the details of this great giveaway!

Country Cooking with Mexican

2008-11-11T20:27:00.003-05:00

Today was a little crazy with the kids home from school. At least they stayed outside and played most of the day, which made it a little quieter inside for me. Also, I had the car for the first time in months and thought about driving somewhere, but I was just too pooped and didn't want to spend the money. I only had the car today because I took my husband to work. While driving him to work I was taking in the sites. It was interesting looking at some of the stores and restaurants in the area. I am not too familiar with the area since I don't go over there for anything.

One thing that did catch my eye was a restaurant that had this on their sign, "Country Cooking and Mexican." Ok, it might just be me, but I don't know how the two would go together. Maybe they put pan gravy over their mexican rice, or have chicken fried steak burritos?

Green Science Windmill Generator

2008-11-08T13:26:00.006-05:00

Having a budding scientist in the home, I am constantly coming across things in the house that have been “tested” to see what they would do. We have had several remote control cars that have been dissected just to see if they can be put back together. So when I got the chance to try the Green Science Windmill Generator created by Kobold Toys at www.koboldtoys.com, I jumped on it. Something you actually put together instead of take apart.

We pulled the parts out and studied the instructions. Fairly simple assembly process. We followed the instructions thoroughly, my son putting the plastic pieces on, me adding the little screws. He couldn’t have done those, they are so tiny I could barely do it. The pieces went together simply without any forcing or budging which was nice. I was concerned if my son pushed too hard he would break something. We got the whole thing together in about 18 minutes between the two of us. He wanted to see it run right away, of course, so we went and got an empty soda bottle. I just used a regular size soda bottle and added some water to weight it down. The size of the green fan blade looked like it would pick up the slightest gust of wind. We tested it manually with our hands just to see the response we got. It took a lot of manpower to get the LED to light up.

Overall I was thrilled with the quick assembly. I am not one for patience when working with directions and impatient little ones. The pieces fit together like they were supposed to without any extra effort. We were a little sad it took so much wind to make the fan blade turn, but even the slightest glimpse of the LED turning red brought a smile to my son’s face.

A minute for change

2008-11-05T20:20:00.003-05:00

The Mom Salon is looking for ways that we can use a minute of our time for change with our children. They have teamed up with McDonald's for ways that children can be encouraged to move it. I discussed what the boys would like to do to "make their minute" as fun and as energetic as possible. They both chimed in to use their squirt guns. Mind you, these are not pitiful little squirt guns, these are major water blasters. I don't usually like water activity because of the mess they make when they come in, but if it would get them to bond and "move it", I am game for anything.

Stop by the Mom Salon for more blogs and ideas to see how other families and their children make the most of their minute.

Cupcake

2008-11-04T18:50:00.005-05:00

Every once in a while I bake cupcakes. I don't do it too often because I haven't really got any way to store them. Other than in my belly of course, but, the signs of aging have caught up so when I eat them, they stay a lot longer than I want. So other than the conventional way, I usually just stuck them in the tupperware containers where they stuck to each other.

Well, I stumbled across a blog called Peanut Butter and Pickle reviews. She was giving away a cupcake carrier. So I signed up. I didn't think I had a chance since she had over 200 entries. I got an email this morning telling me I won! It has three tiers, which means lots of cupcakes. I love how it will transport them too, without having to worry about any pretty decorations I put on the tops being destroyed from shifting in the car. I can't wait to get it! Of course I will have to try it out by baking cupcakes and decorating them. Any flavor suggestions? Yum.

The Red X

2008-10-30T17:47:00.003-04:00

I was spending my spare time doing what I normally do, stalking, I mean surfing other people's blogs when my son comes up to me. "Mom, there is a spider with a red X on its belly in the door." What? No, he is kidding right? I got up, played along and followed behind him. Surely that wouldn't be at my house. We spray for pests. In Florida you have to spray. Even when you spray you still get them. They own the country down here.

I casually walked to the sliding glass door and take a peak. I only see a fat black spider. "Where's the red X?" I asked. "It is on his tummy." I poked at the spider and sure enough, there it was. I about had a cow. I ran to the garage and got the poison bug spray and soaked that sucker. I was in total panic because the kids sit on the floor to watch television in that area. What if it had gotten to them!!

Well, it met its demise and has gone to a better place needless to say. They warned us when we moved down here to always check our shoes before we put them. People have gotten bit by spiders that have crawled into their shoes. Believe me, I shake those suckers like crazy every day.

My son is happy with "saving" the family from the ferocious spider and is going around patting himself on the back. Thankfully he was observant enough to see it though, so I guess he at least deserves a pat on the noggin.

Share the joy

2008-10-28T09:19:00.004-04:00

I recently had found a blog that was offering a giveaway for a $5 giftcard so that you could donate something to either a charity or church, etc. I chose to get some toothbrushes for my neighbor who just took in three foster kids. They need some serious dental care from so much neglect, that I thought I would help get them started in the right direction.

Erin from Coupon Cravings mailed the giftcard to me for Walmart. That was the store that I had chosen. So I joyfully set off to purchase the toothbrushes and some toothpaste.

As you can see, I got a little carried away and purchased more than $5 worth of stuff, but I enjoyed doing it. I know that it will help the kids in the long run as well as my friend. I believe Erin is having another charity giftcard giveaway if you want to stop by her blog. I know she sure finds lots of good deals as well. I have used some of her fantastic finds for myself!