I know I said no resolutions, but I changed my mind.

So this was my post 1 year ago, with all my resolutions. *Sigh* I didn't fully keep one, but most were with good cause.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

I know I said no resolutions, but I changed my mind.

I've been giving it some thought and I decided to do resolutions this year. I don't remember what I did last year.

#1~ Spend more quality time with my kids. I want to find some fun activities to do with them. I'm so tired of being the one who has school, homework, housework and general "mean mom" stuff. We get about 3 hours a night together and I want to make the most of it. *** We did work on this. I'm the scout leader for the girls and I tried to find a cub scout troop for my little guy. This one is carrying over into the new year. I actually have a plan this time!***

#2~ I have to start going to gym again. No just for the usual I need to lose weight spcheel. I need to exercise to help control my diabetes. I've been feeling like crap and I know its due to out of control blood sugars. So, its time to do something about it. Besides, I don't actually have to pay for it, since my apartments have a gym. :)***Well, I did not do anything about this one. Nada. I did walk with the girls at work on our breaks, but that was it. We moved out of the apartment and I never joined a gym. This is still on my list.***

#3~ It's time to take control of my diabetes. I need to take my meds as prescribed, check my blood sugars 3X a day like I'm supposed to, and I need to research diabetic cooking and change my eating habits. I know I can do better than I have been. ***I did change my cooking and eating habits a little. And I do take my meds like I'm supposed to. I don't check my sugars like I should because I don't have insurance to pay for the testing supplies. ***

#4~ Organize and Prioritize. There are a lot of things going on in my life and I need to start keeping a schedule. I don't want or need anymore surprise dentist visits, missed birth control appointments, or things like that. Being organized will help with that too, because I won't waste as much time searching for the things I need. ***I did really well with this one. I made my own planner with space for what I needed, no cookie cutter planners for this girl! And I've really tweaked the planner pages for the upcoming year. ***

#5~ Stay in control of my finances. I filed bankruptcy for a reason. Now I need to keep it under control. I'm going to develop a budget, start a savings account, pay my bills on time and keep my debt low (like just my car payment and ONE credit card). Savings goal: $1200 for the year. More would be even better. *** Well, losing my job put a real crimp in this plan. I was doing great before I was laid off. I've still managed to keep my payments on my bills on time (for the most part) and budget my meger income. I have some tweaks on this one this year, and I think it's gonna work. ***

#6~ Scrapbook more. I have tons and tons of stuff. And I just don't. I see so many inspirations and I forget them as soon as they're out of sight. My first project is going to be an idea journal. I gotta start somewhere, right? And I'm going to work on some of the challenges I see on the MB's. There is so much inspiration there it's unreal. Goal: 6 projects per month with only $20 spending per month. ***Didn't get to far with this one. I managed to buy more stuff, but I didn't really make too much.***

#7- Spend less time on the computer. And spend more time reading. I made a list of authors about 4 months ago, and I haven't even started looking up their books at the library yet. And I need to find a place to look for new authors. My goal is one book every two weeks, so about 26 over the year. *** I read a bunch of books, but I don't think there were quite 26. At least 10. I'm still spending way too much time on the computer, but again.... I have a plan, lol. ***

So there you have it. My so-called resolutions for 2008, lol. Let's see what sticks.

Well, that's where I stand on 12/31/08, lol. I didn't do too bad, but it wasn't all that good either. Oh well, next year I'll be better. I swear! :)

.

Christmas, Christmas time is herrreee.......

Okay, so my family didn't appreciate my singing either, lol. Nor did they like my recital of the Night Before Christmas. But that's alright.:) I liked it.

I managed to make Christmas pretty good for the spawn this year. Well, good in the sense that they got many small, inexpensive gifts so it looked like a lot. Walmarts $4 hoodies and track sets went pretty far. I managed to get those great deals I mentioned earlier, and my mom had gone to Mervyn's right before it closed and got coats, and other stuff for like $2.99. And I utilized my brother's employee discount at Best Buy to get some video games for like $8 and a really nice bluetooth for $20.

So for Christmas from my Hunny, I got {drumroll, please} - SNOW TIRES!!!! That is the single most romantic gift I've ever received! Seriously. It tells me that I'm loved and it matters to him that I'm safe. Plus I whined after Monday's mishap. A LOT. (**eta** He ended up paying for them so I didn't have to. He's so cool like that.)

I also got the software for my wishblade to make it compatiable with Vista. From my mom, I got my Crop O Dile Big Bite and a Dronkey. He's so cute! I also got two very nice tennis bracelets, one from my grandma with pink stones and one from my daughter with CZ's. And stop my beating heart..... my brother got me headphones that match my mp3 player that Santa got me. My neice gave me a box of chocolate. *sigh* I've been staring at those since 3pm.

We didn't have Christmas dinner or anything, but I think that's okay. My little ones are at their dad's until next week, so my holiday was really over around 2 o'clock. If there's one thing I can't stand about divorce, it's sharing the holiday's with my ex. Of course, my kiddos have already called me wanting to come home. I feel sorry for them, but I can't really do anything about it. Perhaps he'll bring them home early.

Anyway, I'm going to go play with my new software. I'd go into my scrap room, but I can't get in there. It's a MESS. That is tomorrow's project, cleaning that disaster area. I've decided that I am getting a new desk next month. I cannot stand it. Something about that desk I got last year just kills my mojo. I can do stuff, but I feel forced. It's not the relaxing experience it's supposed to be, lol.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Stay safe and warm!

I was a slippin' and slidin'.....

So this morning turned out to be interesting. I got up around 4:30, made coffee, took a shower, got the kids up and dressed, ate breakfast, warmed up the car, and left the house. Then I proceeded to fishtail when I turned off my street, correct myself and continue on. I made it to the round-about and my car didn't go round, it went sideways. Up on the sidewalk, into the rocks and into a pole. Yeah me. After missing a day of work, a new set of snow tires and an alignment, my day ended up costing me about $800. Sweet!!!! *sigh* But I now have supposedly awesome snow tires, Bridgeston Blizzaks. We'll see how well they actually do.

I'm all ready for Christmas. Everything is bought, everything is wrapped and I am not cooking dinner, lol. The kids' will be happy. My hunny will be happy. And I'll be resting over the weekend. It's all good. :)

Right now I am burning a recording of my niece's Christmas dance recital to DVD for my mom. I love being the technogeek of the family. I get all the cool gifts and I get all the requests for assistance. I was thinking about changing my major from accounting to computers/IT. I know I could do it. We'll see, I have to finish my core requirements anyway.

Crappy Birthday to me.....

This has to be the worst birthday in my entire life. How's that for an opening line? Well, it's sad, but true. I didn't get a birthday card. Not one. Well, scratch that, I got some virtual cards on Facebook, so I guess technically those are cards. My boyfriend is out of town on work. Sure he called me and texted me and such, but he's not here to hold me or tickle me or whatever. So that in itself stinks. My kids were well, my kids. Obnoxious. I love the little boogers, but for just one day, I'd like to have peace in my home. *sigh* My mom called me today and said happy birthday, then without taking a breath, asked me to do things for my brother. My dad didn't even call. I got a chance to have a drink with Jaima, but that was cut short because of the kids.
And now, I'm sitting here trying to go to sleep and I realized that I haven't gotten a phone call from one of the sixteen kids invited to my son & daughter's birthday party. Today was the RSVP date. :( So now I'm sad and mad all rolled up into one. I'm sad because we've made the effort to attend parties for other classmates. Even when the weather was bad, we still did it. But for some reason my kids are social lepers. When we first moved in, they were friends with the neighbor kids. They played a lot over there. Then out of nowhere, the kids were always sick. They were at school, but afterwards, they were too sick to play. And the mom goes out of her way to avoid me. I've tried to say hello when I see her and she literally side steps me. I don't know what I did. Personally, if it was just about me I wouldn't care. But it's about my kids and the momma bear in me is starting to growl. So, anyway, not one parent called to confirm for the party. And I'm left without the $88 that I really had to scrape together to pay for said party. That's what makes me mad. I wasn't going to worry about a party. But I wanted to have one just because we've been to so many, I didn't want anyone judging the kiddos because they weren't invited to the party we didn't have. (Does that make sense?) Unless I get some late calls, it's going to be just the 6 of us, plus my mom, brother and nephew. We could have done that at home.
Hey, anybody reading this want to bring your kids to an indoor pool party? Jan. 3rd. I have 12 open spots. **BIG SIGH**
I guess now would be a good time to end my crappy birthday. I'm going to bed.

I wish this was a lazy Saturday, lol

So this past week has been hectic to say the least. A little re-cap:

*I lost my children. Yep! Just pass me the mother of the year award. On Wednesday, their normal after school activity was canceled, and I was unaware of that fact. And guess who was unavailable by phone? (That would be me) So my poor chitlin's were stranded at school for two hours. Ugh! Thank heaven for the school staff. They stayed with my kids until I got there. And that was feat in and of itself. I broke a lot of speed limits and common courtesy rules of the road.

*I finished my semester of school. I got all A's! Man, I forgot how hard school was. And my dumb butt is gonna do it all again next semester. Thank God for winter break.

*I got my first paycheck yesterday. And it's already spent. How does that happen? Oh yeah, planning birthday parties for the chitlins, buying Xmas presents, paying my car payment and all the other "little" expenses that added up fast.

*Today we have two birthday parties to attend. Yippee! 4 hours of cake and screaming children. I couldn't be happier. :)

*The chitlin's set up the tree last night. Tonight, we have to decorate it. :)

*The temp job is going well. I've moved from copy/paste monkey to research/copy/paste monkey. *giggle* But they're paying me well. I shouldn't complain. I do have one thing to say though. Staying awake for 8 hour stretches at a time is a bitch, lol. There is not enough low-carb Monster on the planet.

*And last and most importantly, my little man won an award for improving his reading. I am so proud! He's overcoming his speech issues and he's improving by leaps and bounds. I took a picture but it didn't come out. So here's a video (isn't he cute?):

Alright, well, I need to shower and wrap birthday presents. And decorate for Christmas. And clean house. And do laundry. And make Christmas cards. Where's my Monster??

I'm still alive... I think....

I survived a week of employment. I cannot believe how hard it was to get back into it. But I did it. :) Of course, everything else suffered because of it. My house looks like a bomb hit it and several projects have been tossed to the wind. But I'll be getting a paycheck. It's all about compromise.

On my last post I forgot to tell where I got my fantastic deal on a guitar. I found it here. And this is the only style they have left: lightning

It is a fantastic deal, but hurry, they are running out!

So this weekend is busy. I have a final in Economics tomorrow morning and the Christmas parade in the afternoon. Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep in on Sunday. And make those Christmas cards, lol.

Black Friday Deals (and I didn't need to leave the house!)

I am so proud of my deals I got online on Black Friday. :) My oldest daughter, Spawn#1, wanted an "ipod" and a guitar. Of course with my very limited resources I had my doubts that I would be purchasing either of the items. I went to Walmart at 5am and fought that crowd only to get 4 things before I was frustrated beyond repair. I came home and went back to bed. When I got up, I decided to jump online to see what was happening with online sales. Somehow I ended up at www.creative.com, makers of the Creative Zen mp3 player. I was not expecting to find such ginormous deals! I ended up getting a 1GB mp3 with a 1.5" screen that can hold songs and pictures for $22.99:

Then, I scored a 2GB mp3 that plays video for $24.99. (this is going in MY stocking):

Both of these also came with free shipping and no sales tax. I was so excited! Then in my moment of bliss, I remembered that I had seen an ad for student guitars and I googled them. The result is this 30" acoustic flame guitar:

You'll never believe how much I paid.......

A mere $19. It was 62% off its normal price. With shipping I paid $25.00. Yeah, I'm a happy mommy! And I'll have a happy kiddo come Christmas morning. I've been tormenting her by dragging her to the stores with me to try on her "Christmas" presents, telling her she has to act surprised when she opens them, lol. I even had her pick out a couple of toys. She has no idea that Santa heard her wishes and will be delivering EXACTLY what she wants. :)

My trip to Michael's

I went to Michaels for their evening sale tonight. I met my mom there and we looked around for Christmas ideas. Anyway, one of the hot items for sale was that Cricut machine and cartridges. My mom asked me if I wanted one for Christmas and I told her no, that I had a Wishblade. Of course, she didn't know what that was, so I explained it to her. Well, there was this guy standing guard over a cart of about 15 of the Cricut cartridges while his wife shopped for more. He overheard what I was saying to my mom and I could tell, I got his dander up. I didn't mean to upset anyone, but I can't understand why the Cricut is so popular. You have to buy the machine and all those cartridges. I don't get it. I felt the same way about Sizzix. By the time you buy the machine and a few of those cartridges, you've spent as much as you would on a wishblade and be limited to those fonts you own. It's not a smart investment IMO. So I was telling my mom all this and she agreed. So instead of a Cricut, I'm getting the Crop-a-dile Big Bite for Christmas, lol.

What am I thankful for? 2Peas Blogger Challenge

The challenge on 2Peas for today is asking what is one thing I'm thankful for. I'd love to answer that, but I'm afraid there is so much more than one thing.

I'm thankful for my children. I know that things could have turned out differently for us and I'm glad everything has turned out like it has.

I'm thankful for my boyfriend. He has helped me reach a place in my life where I am truly happy. He's helpful, caring and considerate. He helps me more than he knows and I appreciate that.

I'm thankful for my mother. She really is my hero and takes on much more than she should and does it without much complaint. When someone says angels walk the earth, I'm positive they've met her.

I'm thankful for whomever left the turkey and fixin's on my doorstep. I wasn't really getting into this holiday and your gift reminded me that this day is about family, even if we can't be together. I'm making to-go plates and making sure the people in my family know I thinking about them, no matter what's going on in their lives.

Lastly, I'm thankful for the resources that have assisted me through these hard times of no job, no money and no insurance. Without the help from each of these resources, things would be much worse for me. They've helped me keep a more positive outlook on life, even when I didn't think I would get through my trials.

I hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!

25 Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love giftbags. I really don't like to wrap presents because I cannot stand to watch the paper torn. It traumatizes me.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Most definitely artificial. I am not responsible enough for a live tree. Plus, I've had those little pine needles in my feet one too many times. I gladly pull that fako tree out every year and fluff away.

3. When do you put up the tree? When I get around to it. It will probably be early this year.

4. When do you take the tree down? February usually.

5. Do you like eggnog? I love eggnog, however it does not like me. It gives me a tummy ache every time. But I still drink it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I would have to say my barbie dream house when I was like 6 or 7. I had that (and played with it) until I was 14-15.

7. Hardest person to buy for? This year, it's everyone. I have the normal problem of just not knowing what they really want/need coupled with the serious lack of spending cash. This years shopping has sucked.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Myself. I know exactly what I want.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? I do, but I don't set it up.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I mail cards. Emails are so impersonal.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Honestly, I don't remember. But I tend to forget the bad.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I don't really get into Christmas movies. Maybe The Grinch. :)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? All year long. Seriously. I start picking up items at the after Christmas clearance sales and keep on trucking all year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I have. If I receive something that just isn't me, or that I already have, I'll give it a good home with someone else. I don't go begging for gift receipts to return them.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Those chocolate oranges. My mom gets me one every year. :)

16. Lights on the tree? I use the multi-colored lights and make sure they are set to blink. Nothing says Christmas like annoying thy neighbors. he he

17. Favorite Christmas song? Again, nada. They're catchy tunes, but I've already been hearing them for weeks and I'm over them already.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? I stay at home. I don't have anywhere to go.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers? Yep. Funny the stuff that is stuck in my head.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have both. It depends on what the kids want that year.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? The kids get one gift on Xmas eve, a pair of Pajamas. Then Christmas morning they get to open everything else. I don't know what we're doing this year since the little two will be at their dad's for Christmas eve/morning. :(

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The "gimmes" and "I wants".

23. What theme or color are you using? I do snowmen. I love them, they're so stinking cute.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I love ham, mac & cheese, rolls and pie. Everything else is just an added bonus.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Honestly, gift cards. But for good amounts so I can get good stuff. I want an OTT Light, a Crop-a-dile, a Purple Cow paper cutter, Wishblade software. I know, I have expensive taste.

Oh My Goodness.... a QUIET moment!!!

I have a quiet moment. Shhhh..... don't tell anyone. I have to leave to go pick up the little spawn from their dad in about 20 minutes and the older spawn just left with the boyfriend to go watch wrestling. Yeah me!

Anyway, in all the craziness that is my life, I just got the packaging to mail my RAK's so that will happen tomorrow. :) I managed to finish my chipboard Halloween album. I listed it on 2Peas gallery: Halloween House

Here's a little sneak peek:

Anyway, my arms are tired because I spent two hours holding a brand new baby last night....Say it with me... "Aaawwwww, I want one!" LOL I jest. She was adorable, and she smelled like baby and got all those mommy hormones stirred up. But once she was out of my eyesight, I was able to come back to my senses. Or maybe it was once I argued with my almost pre-teen this morning. Whichever.

I only have one more week of unemployment. I start work on December 1st. I'm excited and nervous. I hate starting new jobs. I would be perfectly content to do the same job 4-ever. This one is only a temp job, so there's going to be more first days in my future. *sigh* But hey, I'll have money in time for Christmas, so it can't be all bad I guess.

Alright, I have to go now. Man, I need more quiet time in my life. Seriously.

RAK Winners!

I am under the weather, but I picked the winners of the RAK. Yep, I said winners. :) I got three comments on that thread, and one was from a family member, lol. But, I have 3 of these little sets so I will be sending one to each of the people who commented. Thanks ladies for dropping by and reading.

My tummy hurts :(

I have been dealing with a tummy issue all afternoon. I guess I shouldn't have eaten those nachos for lunch, lol. That or I am dreading tomorrow night. I get to give a speech in front of my Girl Scout parents. I hate public speaking. I cringe at the thought. But I've gotta do it.

Anyway, I'm still looking for comments. I'll do the random drawing tomorrow.

For now, it's cuddle time. :)

It's been a while.... (here's a little RAK)

Wow! It's been a bit since I was on blogger. I didn't realize that I was that busy, but I guess I was.

What have I been up to? Organizing, cleaning, Girl Scouts, school and oh yeah, I got a JOB! Yeah me! It's a temp job that will last about 3 months, but it'll pay me twice what I am making on unemployment every week and I'll have a little extra spending money for Christmas. I knew something would work itself out. :)

So on the organizing front, I tried something with my ribbon. I took it all and cut it into approximate 1 yard lengths and pinned them together by color and hung them on a wall. The idea is that I can see them, therefore I'll use them. The reality is that they are so much easier to pet and fondle. Take a look:

We'll see how it works out. I still can't find my mojo. *sigh* My BF told me I should just do something. I told him that art isn't something you "do"...you have to feel it. Something is off and I'm not feeling inspired. I think it's my work space. I haven't felt any inspiration since I bought this desk. Maybe I should try moving myself out into the living room, lol.

Anyway, I did watch a few movies over the last week. No Reservations, Shadowboxer, Nora's Hair Salon and Feel the Noise.

No Reservations is a total chick flick. :) I really liked this movie. Catherine Zeta-Jones is beautiful and funny throughout the movie. Aaron Eckhart plays a very likeable guy. There's a little bit of sadness, drama, funny and cuteness packed into this movie.

Shadowboxer is a really dark movie. I was surprised by the roles some more familiar actors and actresses played in this film. I liked the movie for the most part. It is definately off the beaten path. If you watch it, be prepared for violence, language and nudity/sexual content. Its not something that everyone will like, but I'd watch it again.

Nora's Hair Salon and Feel The Noise were two movies I played while I was working in my studio. They were both so-so movies aimed at the 28 and under crowd. They had good story premises and told them pretty well. Both of them would be a good choice if you had a couple of hours to kill.

Alright, so I know where some of my time went, lol. Anyway, I wanted to leave with a little gift to one of the people that read my blog. I know the holiday has passed, but you should have some very cute pictures to scrap of Halloween. So, I have this really neat little book, stickers, chipboard, ribbon & trim set to give away. This would make an awfully cute brag book, I think. :)

So in order for me to pick a reader, leave me a little comment if you're interested. I'll have a random generator pick a number for the winner. Make sure I can email you for your shipping info. I'll pick a winner on Thursday from the comments left on this post. (But be sure to read some of my others, lol) I have one of these planned for Christmas and I'll be getting on that one real soon! :)

Oh, and to answer the 2Peas challenge question: What kind of food would I bring to a crop....

I have no idea! The only crop I've ever been to was with myself, my sister in law and her friend. I brought Jack Daniels, but I don't think that counts as a food item. I wouldn't bring popcorn or chips because of the salty greasey butter factor. I might bring Hershey's kisses or M&M's, but I can't eat them, so that wouldn't be fun for me. Pretzels might be okay. If the food was going to be consumed away from the scrapping area, like a potluck, I'd bring pulled pork and sweet hawaiian rolls. That's my favorite food to share with others.

Brrr! Chilly Cold!

That's the only thought on my mind tonight. I am FREEZING! My hands are so cold I can hardly type. It's 68 degrees in the house, so I *should* be comfortable. Guess I'm gonna be cranking that heater up here shortly.

Anyway, I haven't done too much of anything over the last couple of days. My boyfriend was out of town for the weekend and my younger two were at their dad's house. You would think this would be prime opportunity for me to get some "me time" in, but alas, I cleaned and did laundry. I did homework and finished Twilight. Yep, you read that right. I finally finished it. And quite honestly, I don't know what all the hype is about. (putting up my bulletproof shield) It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that either. It was a good read, but I could put it down, you know what I mean? I don't know what I expected from it, but I was definitely left without a huge climax. I probably would have liked it better if I was in high school, not 15 years after. But, I'll watch the movie when it comes out on DVD, just to compare the book to film.

We had pizza and watched Kung Fu Panda tonight. My kids loved this movie. I thought parts were funny, but I was distracted so I didn't get too involved in it. I think that you should rent it if you've got a 10 & under crowd in your house. It was a cute movie and entertained the evil spawn. Come to think of it, they didn't get up once during the movie. That's like 5 stars in our house, lol. This might be a stocking stuffer. ;)

So, earlier today, I realized that my oldest daughter is twisted. Seriously. We had a Kirby Vacuume dealer demonstrating in my house (it was cold and rainy, I felt sorry for him). Anyway, he was showing me the crud the vacuume got up and putting the little discs on a box. My daughter was playing Playstation 2, and ignoring the demo. Or so I thought. There were about 6 of these dust discs on this box. DD got up from the couch and was walking into the kitchen. She stopped and exclaimed "Bob!!" and put one hand over her mouth and pointed the other at the dust discs. When I say exclaimed, it was like shocked horror. The Kirby guy stopped and looked at her, the dust discs, me, then her again. The looked on his face was quite possibly fear. Then she said "You killed Bob!" Now, both myself and the Kirby guy were confused. The she says "Look, there's my dust bunny Bob, and you killed him", faked a sniffle and went into the kitchen. Mr. Kirby was like "Umm.... WTF??" I was laughing so hard I had to pee. That damn kid. Once Mr. Kirby got it, he started laughing too. He said we were the best house he'd been to all day, even if we didn't buy the vacuume. (Which he knew when he came in the house - btw) That girl hangs out with her grandma too much. That's where I get it from anyway.

Alright, I have to go to the only warm place in my house... my bed. I'm gonna read some Core Humanitites until I pass out, which will take approximately 14 mins. I don't know how I'm gonna finish these classes this semester. I can't read the material without going into a coma.

A movie review =) "Reign Over Me"

A couple of nights ago I watch "Reign Over Me" with Adam Sandler, Liv Tyler and Don Cheadle. It's about a man who rekindles a friendship with an old friend who lost his entire family on 9/11. I thought it was a really good movie, and the character played by Adam Sandler was amazing. I honestly went into it expecting a lot less since it was AS, but he wowed me. The story itself was moving and kept my attention. This wasn't a "guy's movie" or a "chick flick", but I would say an everybody's movie. I wouldn't let my kids watch it, but then I couldn't make them sit through it if I tried. It's definately for grown ups. I would definately recommend it if you haven't seen it. I watched it on Netflix's Instant Movie feature (I am loving that!).

Another just for fun movie that I watched was "Mad Money" with Queen Latifiah, Diane Keaton, and Katie Holmes. This was another Netflix Instant Movie and I watched it while I cut ribbons into one yard lengths. The story was okay, and it was funny in places. I'd watch this with a date, hanging on the couch. Its a good comedy to pass a little time snuggled next to someone. :)

Cutest Monkey EVER!

Okay, so I am a little biased,but these pictures of my nephew I got from my mom today makes me think he is the cutest monkey ever! My mom made this suit for him so we've all decided that next Halloween we're going as the Wicked Witch of the West (that's me!) and her flying monkeys ( the kids). I can't wait! And there's a bonus pic of him being an angel. Man, this kid is c-u-t-e!!

Thursdays 2Peas Challenge

Why do I blog? Well, for me it helps to write things down. And it's always nice to hear that someone else has been there, done that when I get comments. I like expressing myself and being able to go back in time and see what I was thinking yesterday, last week, last year. Sometimes I blog about things that I may forget about later and I can go back and re-live that moment.

Anyway, I have a bunch of stuff to do today. I still have to post my new organization and my little tiny giveaway. I just need like 6 more hours in the day. :)

So, my son said the funniest thing this morning

We are getting dressed so that I can go to the school and cast my vote. My 6 year old son comes into the bathroom, that I'm using, to give me his opinion on the election. Since he realizes he has a captive audience, he proceeds to tell me he knows who is going to win the election. "I don't know his name mom, but the brown one is going to win" I asked him why he thought this and he said that he saw it on TV just now. My 6 year old son is watching AM news reports while I shower. Wowzers. I don't even watch the news. So I told him that the "brown one's" name was Barack Obama. Now he's running through the house chanting some contorted form of that......

I'm off to vote. When I come back I have some surprises in store (i.e. a small giveaway or two) and I did some reorganizing I'd like to share. Until then....

Do you regret?

I was talking to a friend of mine and she asked me if I ever felt regret for leaving and eventually divorcing my ex-husband. She asked if I ever thought about going back to him. So I told her this funny story of something that happened last weekend when I was picking my kids up after their weekend with him:

We were having a conversation, a decent conversation. I was looking at him and for a brief moment I thought about what it would be like to be with him again. Here was the man I'd pledged my love to in front of family and friends. This was the guy I'd married. In the middle of the conversation, he ran over to his car and came back with a bottle of Axe body spray, some chocolate something or other. Anyway, he wanted me to smell it, so he sprayed a little on my hand. It smelled good and I told him so. Then, he tells me "It's pretty strong too, I sprayed it on my shirt yesterday and it still smells" and he grabs at the t-shirt he had on and smelled it. And that my friends is the guy I divorced. So do I regret it? Never.

Good Afternoon! :)

I'm kind of posting late because I had technical difficulties with the computer, I had to go to the doctor to verify that indeed I am getting bronchitis, and then my mother insisted that we go scrapbook shopping since she spied my goodies that came in the mail. (Don't worry, I'm not contagious according to the doctor)

Anyway, last night was good. The kids went to my friend Crissy's house and did some trick or treating there:

Here's my Sharpay:

Here's my pirate:

And my black Spidey:

After Aunt Crissy's house we came home and went trick or treating in our neighborhood. The kids came home with a reasonable amount of loot this year, as opposed to the humongous pile they brought home last year. Maybe this year they'll get to eat their candy, 'cause I won't hide and forget about it this time.

Anyway, I've got to go cook dinner, and I'm watching the Shining. I'm supposed to be reading too, so I should probably schedule some time to do that.

Of course that's after I strangle the evil spawn for spraying each other with disinfectant. Geezzzz.... I can't turn my back for a minute.

My cool stuff from 2Peas....I'm so excited!!

I got the bestest surprise in the mailbox today! It was a priority box stuffed full of the cool Halloween line from Little Yellow Bicycle "Frightful"

This is what came out of the box:


Here are some of the stickers, chipboard, the haunted house chipboard book, ribbon, bling, glitter stickers, flocked stickers, flocked chipboard, rub-0ns and a set of stamps!:










Here are the front and back of the papers that were in the box and the diecut papers that were included:










This is totally super cool! I wasn't expecting the box to contain this much stuff! Thank you to MellyPea, 2Peas and Little Yellow Bicycle. I already told the kids that tomorrow, they have chores to do so Mommy can hide out in her scraproom all day.