Let's Be Friends

This is what the "Let's Be Friends" Award represents:

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement (? big word, lol). Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Kat gave me this award, and I just love her to pieces! She is a fellow Twilight freak, and all around wonderful friend. I am always honored when she thinks of me when handing out awards.

I pass this to:

jenn from crazy magic
missy from herd it here first
carrie from rantings of a woman
tammy from mom knows everything
diana from forgetfulone
kristin from my art and the mom in me
donna at made in heaven
tammy at crazy mom

I have to pat myself on the back here, as I was able to link everyone's blog from memory! I rock!

Get Your Punk On

We all have our stories about how we met our significant others. I will not bore you again with my story. I have told it plenty of times before. Today I am interested in your story. How did you and your boyfriend or husband meet? Was it a chance meeting? Were you set up on a blind date? Did you meet online?

Meeting people online had never been easier. You can join a dating site, which I did a few days ago. I only did it to check out the process. Junior helped me fill out the questionnaires. I am not sure if I am a true believer in these sites, but it does not hurt to try new things. I think the most difficult thing is finding someone who shares your interests. This is where chat rooms come into the picture. You can find a chat room dedicated to almost anything. There are religious chat rooms, chat rooms for animal lovers or tattoo lovers, and even Punk Chat Rooms, where you can meet someone who shares your interest in all things punk related. This punk chat room is free to join, and sign up is easy. You really have nothing to lose checking it out.

My New Storage Unit

I got this on clearance at wal-mart to hold all my paints and painting supplies.
The only bad thing is that I have no where to put it, so it is standing beside my desk in the living room.

The top drawer...brushes and shiny paints...plates and little paintables

Another drawer...tubes of paint...poster paint...glues.

The paint drawer.

Wood paintables.

Nothing feels better than being organized.
Now it's just a question of how long it will stay this way! lol!

My Signs

I love working with wood. I love making my little signs, and I love to see the joy they bring other people. It takes a lot of work to make a blank piece of wood look beautiful, and I use a lot of different tools. My favorite, or course, is my rotozip. Junior bought it for me years ago as a gift, and I think it is the best present I have ever gotten. I also use a router to make the edges of the signs ornate. I go through quite a few router bits making my signs. I like having a variety, so that the edges of my signs all look different. I use Juniors drill to put the wire holes in them, and I have been known to break a few metal drill bits, especially the ones I use in the rotozip. Even though they are metal, they do break if you put too much pressure on them. They will also come flying out of the rotozip if you don't tighten it good enough. I know this because it has happened to me more than once. Luckily, I always have glasses on, so my eyes are protected. I can't say the same thing about my palms.

I have never tried composite milling but Junior thinks it might be something to look into. He knows how much I enjoy working with wood and tools, so this might be something I'll enjoy as well. I don't know, though. I'm pretty happy doing what I do.

Love

This is what I painted yesterday.

It's a cute little note holder.

The hearts has a clothes pin between them, so you can hold little notes or whatever with it.

I have another heart, and two flower ones, but I'm not sure how I want to paint them.

Not red...because that's too normal, you know?

Comfort

Are you guys tired of hearing me talk about how much I want a fire pit? I hope not, because I found this beautiful one, and fell in love. I love the chairs that come with it. They look so comfortable. I can see Junior, the kids and I hanging out, roasting hot dogs, and just enjoying being outside. I wish our front porch was big enough for some outdoor furniture. We are going to have to put some brick down in part of the yard to make a patio for outdoor furniture and our grill. Brandi and I have been discussing making some flower boxes, and they would look great surrounding the brick patio. We used to have some wicker furniture when we lived at the old house, but we left it when we moved. We just didn't have room for it. Now I wish we had put it in storage or something. I have been finding great deals on patio furniture and am excited to get some. Comfort is just as important to me as price, so finding comfortable chairs at a great price is a must.

So tell me, what is your one must have outdoor item? Is it a fire pit, or a lounge chair? Maybe a big grill? Maybe even some wicker furniture? I'm sure whatever your must have item is, you will find comfort in it, and that is what is most important.

Brandi's Monkeys

These are Brandi's creations from the other day. I love the green/pink/orange monkey. It's more her personality. She had fun painting them, and I love letting her be creative. I bought some magnets we're going to do next...

Dating Site

Have you ever tried out a dating site? You know the ones where you describe yourself, and what you're looking for, and the site tells you who you are compatible with? I've never used one, but decided I wanted to see what they were all about. I used passion search, and was surprised at all the things they asked. I had Junior help me fill out the questions, and it only took a few minutes. They first ask your sex, the age group you are looking to find a friend in, and then the sex of the friend you want to meet. Then they ask your country, state, and county. This makes sense because you would want to date local men. Then I had to put in my age, and my birthday. It was at this point they ask for a screen name, and we got creative with that. I am not going to tell you what it is, cause I don't want you looking me up! Then I had to describe myself, and answer questions about my height, body type, language I speak, and ethnicity. Once I completed all this, they sent a password to my email, and I could sign in. I haven't done this step, though, because I am not looking for a relationship. I just wanted to check out the process. I was impressed with the questions they asked, and think it could be a great place to meet someone. It is free to sign up, so you have nothing to lose by simply checking it out.

Art

Instead of school work, we did crafts. She painted a jewelry box, and two monkeys. I will post completed pictures when they are all done. I painted a little, too, and will post pictures of what I did as well. I know, you just can't wait, right?

Faith, Family, And Friends

How beautiful is that candle tray? I love it. The three most important things in life are not money, success, or power. They are faith, family, and friends. It's inspirational, and would make a great present. I know my mom would love this. My sister's probably would, too. I found this and other Christian Gifts at greatisthelord.net. If you are looking for a special gift for someone close to you, check out all the things this website offers. They have picture frames, candles, clocks, and so many other things to choose from. You are sure to find something perfect for that someone special. Keep them in mind for Easter gifts, or Mother's Day.

Our Doctor's Visit

Brandi is fine. Just a bad, lingering, hard to get rid off, keep passing between us all, stubborn cold. He tested for strep (negative) and drew some blood (you'd think brandi was being murdered by the way she was SCREAMING). The blood came back normal, so it's just a cold. He did give her some medicine to help control the cough so she can sleep better and not cough so much during school. He also gave me a prescription for an antibiotic that I can fill if she isn't doing any better in a week. I woke up this morning with the sniffles...again...

I Need New Clothes

How cute is this top? Not only is it my two favorite colors, black and purple, but it is made for big girls. That's right, it's not a "regular" sized shirt that I would try and squeeze into. It's specifically made for plus size girls. I found it at plussizefix.com.

If you are a big girl like me, you know how hard it is to find pretty plus size clothes. Most stores offer a limited selection, and it's mostly clothes that are out of fashion, or that aren't shaped right. I don't think most people realize how hard it is to find the right style, or fit of clothing for us big girls.

Plussizefix.com has a huge variety of plus sized clothes. They have everything from casual to dressy, jeans to coats. I personally loves their selection of coats. They are fitted, so they will show off your curves, and not just hang there. They are trendy, and most importantly, they are something I would wear. I have got to go order some things. I am in desperate need of a new wardrobe since my surgery last year. I am so used to dressing my body the way it used to look. I need to learn how to dress the new me.

My New Mother's Ring

I finally had a little extra money to buy myself some pretty things...so I headed to the etsy shops. I got a bunch of ear rings, and this incredible mother's ring. I love it!

I got it at Firefallstudios. You can see the ring here. Even with shipping, it was under $30. It looks absolutely beautiful next to my mom's diamond. Firefallstudios were a pleasure to do business with. I told them exactly what I wanted...I confused myself with my instructions about the stones...and within a week or so I had my beautiful ring. They also have an elephant ring I'm keeping my eyes on...I just need more spending money! lol!

Tattoo Me?

Do you have any tattoos? Junior does. He has my name, and two roses on his right upper arm. I don't have any, because it looks too painful. And it's permanent. But I do know there are many people who love tattoos. They love getting them, and they love people who have them. There are even Tattoo Chat Rooms you can go to if you want to meet other people who feel this way. I love looking in magazines about tattoos. Some of them are over the top, but some are beautiful works of art. I really like the tasteful tributes to loved ones, especially when they are done by a real artist. If I ever got up the nerve to get a tattoo, I would have to research the process, and find the most talented tattoo artist around. I would probably get something on my ankle, like a little rose or heart. I bet you guys thought I was going to say I would get an elephant!

So if you have a tattoo, let me know. Post a picture of it so we can all see. I am interested in knowing a little more about who you are, or who you were when you got "inked".

Brandi

I am keeping Brandi home from school tomorrow. She has had a cold/cough for about two weeks now, and it's not getting any better. I made a doctor's appointment for 10am, and hopefully they can give her something to make her feel better. She coughs all night, and I know she's not getting the rest she needs. I just hope it's only a cold, and not something more.

Beauty

I was talking about how I painted the girls shelves different colors to brighten up their room, which got me thinking that maybe they need some paintings for the walls. I found this artist, Glen Tarnowski, and his paintings are beyond beautiful. The one on the left is really cool, even though I don't understand it. I am sure there is all kinds of meaning to the flower and the fish, and the guy on the tightrope, if that is even supposed to be a guy. Either way, I love the colors in this one.

He also does sculptures that are amazing. He has one of an apple cut in half, and made into a butterfly. You definitely need to go check out his site, especially if you are looking for some art for your home.

New Shelves

These are the new shelves I bought at Michaels. They are three different sizes, and I painted them different colors to brighten up a completely white room. The girls still haven't finished putting their stuff on them, because they are not a sturdy as I would have liked. I think it is the brackets that they are hung with. I'm thinking about removing the ones that came on them and replacing them with picture hangers, so they are snugger to the wall. We'll see.

Fish

I grew up with a fish tank in our house. It was a big one, and it had lake fish in it. That's right. My dad caught some fish, and they would jump out of the water if you held food above the water for them. It was pretty neat to watch.

I want to get a fish tank for my house. I don't want lake fish, though, I want saltwater fish. I want some of those colorful, pretty fish that always look so graceful when they swim. I find it extremely relaxing to watch fish swim. They never seem to be in a rush to get from one end of the tank to the other, and they come in so many different colors and styles. I need to find some coral for sale to make the tank itself pretty. I have seen some beautiful coral. It comes in different colors and styles just like the fish do. I have so many ideas running around in my head, and I know the kids would love to help pick out everything. They would have names for every fish, I'm sure. I hope I can find a marine fish sale because these fish can be expensive. I am all about saving money, even on my home aquarium needs.

Tired

Here's Boo. Sound asleep in my clean towels. I don't know why she climbed into my laundry, but she was all snuggled up. They just came out of the dryer, so they were nice and warm. I did , eventually, make her get in her bed though. I can't imagine the neck pain she's have if I left her there.

I Want Candy!

Do you remember that song? For some reason, it popped right into my head this morning. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I have decided to start dieting today. I am sure in a couple of days I will be craving candy. It was so much easier when I didn't have kids to resist the sweets.

Lately, their favorite has been gum. Junior and I usually let them pick out a little something if we go to the store over the weekend, but only if they have been mostly good all week. For the past few weeks, they have all been picking out gum. When I asked Brandi why, she said it's because gum lasts the longest. She's a pretty smart kid.

My favorite candy has always been Haribo gummy bears. When we went out to eat with my mom and Colleen on Saturday night, they had a dessert bar at the restaurant. Colleen saw that Brandi had gotten some bears for her ice cream, and was going up to get herself some. I asked her to get me some, but only the white and red ones, because those are my absolute favorites. She rolled her eyes, and said she was not standing up there, picking through the gummy bears. However, when she returned, she had a bowl of red and white gummies just for me. Do I have the sweetest sister, or what?

Another Day, Another Headache

My head is killing me! I hate waking up with a head ache, because those are the hardest to get rid of. I wish I didn't have so much to do today, or I would go sleep it off. I'm blaming the fact that it has been cold at night, so our heat has been on, and working pretty hard. I think that gives me these head aches. I took some advil, and hopefully it will kick in soon.

Van Insurance

We just bought a new van. Not a mini-van, but a full sized van, complete with television and VCR. Yes, I said VCR. I told Junior we need to replace that with a DVD player, because most of our movies are on DVD's now. We did face a problem when we tried to switch over our car insurance. It seems that insurance agencies are refusing to insure vans because too many people are living in them. We should have looked into Amica Insurance. Our agent finally found us insurance, but warned us not to be surprised if the insurance company sends someone out to take pictures of the van in a few months. They want to make sure we're not living in it.

New Shelves

I went to Michaels yesterday to spend my gift card. They didn't have any cross stitch that I liked, so I got some wood crafts to paint. I bought three shelves, all different sizes, to hang in the "girls" room. I also got some cute note holders. They are hard to describe, so I'll post pictures once I make them all pretty.

Web Hosting Reviews

I know I have been talking a lot lately about becoming a dot com. I have looked into it, and found that this blog can not use it's current name as a dot com, because it is already taken. That doesn't bother me too much, because I can come up with something similar. The things that I find daunting is picking webhosting. There are so many web hosts out there, and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which offers the best fit for me. I found webhostingrating.com, where they list the top web hosts, and compare the features of each one. It's almost everything I need to know in one place. They also have a section where you can vote on your favorites, and every month it is updated. I like this feature because it is actual users offering their opinion. If you are like me and looking for web hosting, check out this site. I found it very helpful.

I Only Thought...

I thought I was feeling better yesterday. I could breathe better, and my chest didn't hurt as much. Then today I woke up, and I can't take a deep breath without coughing, and my voice is going in and out. Junior, Brandi and Ryan have been sick with this for a couple of weeks, and I hope mine doesn't last that long.

Mommies don't get sick days!

Sex Offenders

When my kids started school years ago, I was extremely over protective. Ryan was five years old, and Kasi was only four. I was pregnant with Brandi, and was concerned about walking the kids to the bus stop early in the mornings once I had the baby. I didn't like the idea of my little ones standing on the corner by themselves, so I battled the transportation department, trying to get them to pick the kids up at my house. I didn't get very far, however, until I told the bus supervisor that there were two sex offenders living in my neighborhood, and I feared for my kids safety. The next day the bus stopped in my driveway to pick the kids up.

I was able to Track Sex Offenders in my area using this simple website. You just put in the zip code of your town, and it shows you a map of where all the sex offenders live in your town. It's scary to see how close they are to you, and should make you think twice about letting your kids out of your sight, especially when they are little. I was very glad that this information was available to me, and helped me to protect my kids.

Cross Sticthing

It has been a while since I have worked on a cross stitch project. I got a gift card to Michaels from my dad and his wife for my birthday, and I've been thinking about what I want to get. I finally decided that I'm going to see if they have any new elephant cross stitch projects. I have done two different ones already, so hopefully I can find a new pattern. If not, I don't know what I'll do.

Rocking At 90

What do you see yourself doing in fifty years? If you are like most people, you are just hoping to be alive. Me? I hope I am still able to enjoy the things I love doing today. That would of course include fishing, and my wood work. I would love to still be able to crochet, and hopefully make things for my Great Grandchildren. Maybe even my Great Great Grandchildren.

If you want to be inspired, you have got to watch the video above produced by Allee Willis. It shows a 91 year old woman playing the drums. I think that is awesome! She is all hooked up to her oxygen, keeping the beat the whole time. It goes to show that if you enjoy doing something, and you continue to do it, when you are 91 years old you can show off. And show off this woman does! She not only plays the drums, she sings, too. I think she is an inspiration to people everywhere. I hope when I am in my nineties, I can show off my talents just as well.

How about you? What will you be doing at ninety? Rocking out in the nursing home, or watching your friends rock out? I hope I'm the one doing the rocking!

Random Blahs

As the day goes on, I am feeling worse and worse. I can't take a deep breathe without feeling like my chest is on fire. All I want to do is curl up in bed and take a nap. Unfortunately, Junior is working until 10 tonight, which means I have to feed the kids. Although, right now, it's looking like a cereal night. Good things the kids like that.

Lose Weight?

Are you one of the millions of people, including myself, who want to lose weight? If you are, check out freelife taislim. They offer a money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.

Another Bad Mom Moment

Brandi takes her lunch to school every day. EVERY day. I usually make her lunch. Ryan and Kasi like to make her lunch for her sometimes, usually packing a little surprise in her lunchbox for her to find.

Last night, for the first time in ages, I went to bed before midnight. It was actually closer to 10, and I just didn't feel good. Well, when Brandi got up this morning, she got ready for school, like usual, and went to get her freezer pack to put in her lunch. When she opened the fridge, I heard her ask..."who made my lunch?"

Well, crap. I was feeling so yucky last night I forgot to make her lunch. Luckily she had enough time to make it herself this morning.

Yup, definitely a bad mom this morning...

A Friend In Trouble

My husband has this friend. I won't mention names, but lets just say that he is the sweetest guy, who has a tendency to do some things I do not agree with. He has been stopped for drunk driving one too many times, and has done time for it. He also likes to smoke more than cigarettes, if you know what I mean. I think it's kind of sad, because he has some kids, and they notice the example he is setting. They have all started getting into trouble themselves. I thank God every night that Junior and I are good parents. I don't claim to be the best, because I know there are mistakes we are making, because everyone does. I am just happy that so far we have good kids, too.

My husbands friend had the misfortune of getting pulled over in North Carolina, and he had been drinking. He is now very familiar with the laws about DWI in Raleigh. Luckily he is not in need of Immigration Law in NC, because that could complicate his case. Junior is worried that his friend might be facing more jail time, because this is not his first offense. Heck, I don't even think this is his fifth offense. Hopefully this brush with DWI in NC will be the one that opens his eyes to the dangers of what he is doing.

Back To Bed

I think I am going to spend the day in bed. I know I have been a horrible blogger the past few days. I just don't feel like doing it. Maybe once I feel better. Hopefully taking it easy today will help.

Make New Friends

I have recently discovered instant messaging. I like that I can talk to people from all over the country. Heck, I could talk to someone from halfway around the world if I wanted too. I have always been curious about the lure of chat rooms, but have never felt comfortable actually checking one out. They are usually places where single people are looking to hook up, and that doesn't interest me in the least. I am very happily married.

Now that I have found out that there is a Married Chat Room I am excited to give it a try. These aren't people trying to hook up, like most of the singles chat rooms are. This is a place where you can connect with other married people, who are just looking to discuss life as a husband or wife. I think that takes some of the pressure off. You don't have to try and impress some strangers. You can be yourself. It might even be fun to see if there are people from my town on there. Everyone keeps telling me I need more friends. And truth be told, I already met an amazing family online who have become awesome "real life" friends, so I know it's possible to connect with awesome people this way.

Sick, Again

I feel like poop this morning. Yesterday my chest started hurting, and this morning it hurts to breathe. I don't have a cough or anything. I kinda wish I did. At least then I would be getting rid of some of the gunk. Yeah, I know that's gross...

Fire Pits

I am looking forward to warmer weather. Granted, we have been unseasonable warm for this time of year lately, but it is supposed to start getting colder again. I want Spring to be here. I want to be able to sit outside and watch the kids play. I want to have a fire going in a pit, where they can roast marshmallows for s'mores. The only problem with this is that our pit was home made at the other place, and when we moved, we left it behind.

I guess this could be a kinda good thing, because now we need a new pit. I was looking online at Max Furniture and they have an awesome outdoor set. It's a round fire pit, with four matching chairs that circle it. I love the design of the pit, and the chairs look so comfy. Perfect for relaxing and hanging out with the family. You all know how important that is for me. I love when Junior and the kids are home with me, and we have nothing else to do but spend time together as a family.

Max Furniture has other things besides outdoor furniture. They have bedroom sets and dining sets, all for amazing prices. If you are looking for new furniture for your home, start looking here. You may not need to look anywhere else.

What Time Is It? ~ HSM2 Soundtrack

The Rules for the MEME are:

1. Put your Music Player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag your friends


HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Found A Way ~ Drake Bell (maybe finding my way is a better answer)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A BOY?
Getting Ready ~ Miranda Lambert (to do what?)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Tennessee ~ Sugarland (UM......)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad ~ Meatloaf (2 out of 3 what?)

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Animal ~ Def Leppard (that's interesting...lol)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Maria ~ Chris Cagle (this one makes no sense)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Don't Ask Me Why ~ Billy Joel (okay...)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Everyday Love ~ Rascal Flatts (yup, sure do)

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Lookin' For A Good Time ~ Lady Antebellum (hehehe...)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Gone ~ Daughtry (nope, he's sitting on the couch)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Breaking Free ~ HSM Soundtrack (from what, I wonder?)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
When I Get There ~ Chris Cagle (The whole line in the song is "I'll know where I'm going when I get there", so that's about right!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Thank You For Loving Me ~ Bon Jovi (well, sooner of later one was bound to make sense...lol)

WHAT WILL/DID YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Life's What You Make It ~ Hannah Montana (this is just wrong!)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
These Are The Days ~ Sugarland (yeah, the final days!)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Old Blue Jeans ~ Hannah Montana (um....okay)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Wishing ~ Sugarland (I gotta think about this one)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
You Might Want To Think About It ~ Chris Cagle (cause I'm not telling!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Something More ~ Sugarland (YES!!!!! MORE MONEY!!!!!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ~ Miranda Lambert (well now...I don't have one of those)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
What Time Is It? ~ HSM2 Soundtrack

I'm tagging....

frigga, cause this is right up her alley

jenn, cause I wanna know what's on her MP3

tammy, cause she likes to play along
and whoever else wants to steal it!

Blood Pressure Issues

The last time I went to the clinic, they said my blood pressure was high. This was unusual for me, because I have always has low blood pressure. I remember when I was pregnant, the nurse told me several times that I had enviable blood pressure, especially for a big girl. I think that was her nice way of saying that because I was, and still am, fat, that my blood pressure should have been worse. The clinic sent me for blood work because of the high blood pressure, and everything came back fine. Since then, I have been checking it myself whenever I go into the pharmacy to pick up Ryan's medicines. Sometimes it is high, and sometimes it is low. I really need to get a blood pressure monitor to keep at home, so I can check it at the same time every day. I hear that's the best way to get true readings.

It concerns me, too, that Junior's has been high. His dad has had heart problems for years, and it worries me that Junior is headed down the same road. This is one of the main reasons I'm wanting us both to lose weight. We did go for a walk today while the kids were in school, and even though it wasn't nearly as long as I would have liked, it is a step in the right direction.

How Cute!

Check out these adorable little guys!

I bought them from Debbie's Clay Babies.

You can check out her etsy shop here.

I really want her elephant cake topper, too.

But first I have to make more money, so I can spend more money!

Kitchen's Up Next

Now that my bathroom is complete, I am going to start focusing on my kitchen. The previous tenants put up a hideous border on the top cabinets. Yes, I said ON the cabinets. It looks horrible. A couple of weeks ago Ryan and I tried to rip it down, only to find out that they put their hideous border on top of an even more hideous border. That's right. I now get to rip down layers of borders, and I can tell you, it's not fun. At all.

Once I get it all down, I am going to repaint the cabinets. Right now they are off-white, with brown cedar shingles above. I know that sounds weird, and it took me a while to get used to it. My plan is to try and get brown paint to match the singles, so I can paint the cabinets to match them. The counter top is brown fake wood stuff, so I hope it doesn't look bad with all brown. The walls will still be the off-white color, so it won't be too dark. When it's all done, I may end up needing the landlord to replace the kitchen sink so that it matches the newly painted cabinets. We'll just have to wait and see.

PSP

I gave in and got Ryan a PSP. I wasn't going to, because his ganeboy still works fine. It's an XP. He said he wanted the PSP so he could "upgrade". I told him if he wanted to "upgrade", he should get a DS, that way all his games would still work on it.

We went to wal-mart, and even though the DS was almost $75 cheaper, I gave in and let him get the PSP. It was his money from his birthday, but I was worried that he wouldn't have money left to buy a game for it. We were lucky enough to find a package deal that had the system, two games, a movie (National Treasure 2) and a memory stick. He hasn't stop playing it yet!

Re-Hydrate Your Skin

I learned something today.

I learned that Emu Oil can re-hydrate your skin. I have been having dry skin issues with my right hand because of a reaction I had to some soap, and so far have not been able to find a product to help. I think I might have today. Not only can Emu Oil re-hydrate skin, it is high in Omega 6, which gives it anti-inflammatory properties. It is also a great moisturizer. Just reading everything this oil can do makes me want some to try on my hand.

Progressive Emu also offers creams and lotions, so I might just have to stock up. With my sensitive skin, I am probably going to have more reactions in the future. Hopefully these products will help me avoid the dry skin and irritation that comes with each reaction. Or maybe I'll just use their products, and avoid the reactions altogether.

What Happened Next...

As most of you know, I painted my bathroom Friday night. I stayed up all night to do it, that way the kids wouldn't be bothering me to get in there. This meant that I slept most of the day on Saturday.

Sunday morning when I got up, I could not move. My lower back hurt sooooo bad! I know it was from all the reaching and back and forth motion. I took some Advil, and luckily that worked. I am feeling much less pain today.

I Need A Makeover

I haven't been blogging very long, only about eighteen months. In that time I have learned a little about web design, and how important it is to have a user friendly site. I know there are bloggers out there who do their own sites, but I am not one of them. Even the simplest of changes confuses me. And you can forget about HTML and flash. It's like speaking a foreign language to me.

Luckily for me, and many others I'm sure, there are companies that specialize in Creative web design. You can work together with them to design the look you want, with the functionality you desire. This web design company can help you market your company, or blog, with banner ads, widgets, and even animation tools. There are so many sites out there on the internet, that if you want to be successful, you need to have a site that is easy to use, and attractive. I can tell you from personal experience, that if I go to a website and find it too bold or that has too many things going on, I will not stay to look around. I prefer a simple color scheme, and easy navigation. I hope to someday soon be able to have my sites done up by professionals. I know I am in need of a makeover, and I also know enough not to try it myself.

Birthday-less Party

We had a birthday party for my SIL today, but she wasn't there. That didn't stop us from enjoying grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixin's, and of course some cake. We didn't sing happy birthday, but we were thinking about her. And the sick kids. I guess we'll try again in a couple of weeks...

Paintball Party

Ryan has been invited to a birthday party. It's Timmy's birthday, and for those of you who were at Ryan's birthday party, you know how much I love this whiny little kid. Ryan really wants to go to his party, though, because it is a paintball party. But, his parents are doing it themselves in their back yard. This means we will have to buy some gear for Ryan. I am the first to admit that I know very little about paintball, so I did a little research. I know he will need some type of face shield and some padded clothes. He will also need a spyder paintball gun, and even though they are a little pricey, I know he will enjoy this, so I look at it as more of an investment. I am more than happy to spend money on something he will use over and over again, and all the running around while playing will be great exercise for him. Who knows. I may end up buying gear for the whole family. It really does sound like fun, especially if I get to shoot Junior a couple of times! You know, take out some of my frustrations.

Three About Me

Three's About Me!

Three Names I Have Been Called...
1. jennifer
2. jenn
3. b*tch

Three Jobs I Have Had In My Life...
1. McDonald's
2. Supermarket
3. pharmacy...briefly...I hated it!

Three Places I Have Lived..
1. New York
2. North Carolina
3. South Carolina

Three Hobbies...
1. crochet
2. woodworking
3. blogging :)

Three things most people do not know about me...
1. I can solve the rubik's cube
2. I never had a boyfriend until I was out of high school
3. I have only had two serious boyfriends...one broke my heart, and I married the other.

Three TV Shows That I Watch...
1. ER...I don't know what I'm going to do April 9th...
2. Survivor
3. Big Bang

Three places I Have Been...
1. disney
2. um....
3. that's about it! lol! How sad am I?

Three places I want to go...
1. Hawaii...as soon as they build a bridge
2. Australia..as soon as they build an even bigger bridge
3. Oklahoma, to see where I was born

That's three about me, now three's about you too?

Halloween Costume Ideas

I have mentioned this before, many times, but we just love Halloween around here. We love buying Halloween costumes, and having a huge party. It just so happens that Ryan's birthday is right around that time, so we just combine the two, and have a Halloween Birthday Party. Most years, I slap on a pair of animal ears and call it a costume. Junior never dresses up. I think this year, though, I might talk him into wearing a doctor coat with the scrubs in the picture. He can be the doctor, and I'll be the patient. I love the costume with the butt hanging out of the hospital gown. That's too funny!

Costume Cauldron has a great variety of adult costumes, as well as kids costumes. After looking at the costumes available, I think this year I might make it a theme costume party. I think I'll write on the invitations that everyone has to dress up in something related to the medical field. I bet people can get really creative! I bet I'd have not only doctors and nurses show up, but accident victims from the emergency room, or maybe a patient in the middle of surgery, with their insides hanging out. I love when I come up with great ideas like this!

If you are on my invite list, you better start looking now to make sure your costume is awesome! When you check out costume cauldron, be sure to check out their Haunted House Backdoor, for additional savings. All you have to do is go to the homepage, look halfway down on the right for the brown comma in the line that reads “Our Store now has over 10,000 masquerade items for you to choose from!”, and click on it. Trust me, you'll be glad you did!

New Towels

I decided to go with purple for the hand towels. I just couldn't bring myself to buy white. Too many dirty little hands in my house.

I did, however, buy one white towel for the big bar, but it is just for decoration. I have threatened all the little, and big!, hands to not touch! We'll see how long that lasts.

Blog Traffic

Are you looking for a new way to get traffic to your blog? If so, you should list it on this blog directory. Every day, they highlight a different blog, based on the number of unique visitors sent by that blog. The blog of the day then gets that days traffic from Myblogdirectory.net. I am on my way to add mine.

Purple Bathroom

I thought I had a bunch more pictures of the bathroom for my before pictures, but I don't. Oh well. Just picture the blue and purple texture all over the walls. It was a little much.

I was planning on doing white walls with purple accessories, but hubby said it would be too much brightness. I told him if I couldn't have white, I wanted purple. So...this is how it looks now.

I am planning on buying new display towels, maybe white with a purple design or something, so don't mind the green. I just put it up for now.

The wall looks really purple in this next one, but it's really not. It looks more like the other pictures.

Happy Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day!!!! Enjoy today. Spend it with the ones you love. I will be spending it with my kids and hubby. He's sick, so it will be spent here at home, and that's perfectly okay with me.

Painting

We finally got the rest of our tax money today. Junior wasted no time going and getting the new van he has had his eye on. The one he's been driving has so many problems, it's just not worth fixing anymore. The kids love the new one because it has a television in it. I like it because it doesn't shake when we go over twenty miles per hour.

Tomorrow we are going to go so I can get the supplies to paint the bathroom. Junior thinks I may need to hire a general construction contractor to come in to scrape the paint off the ceiling and make some shelves, but I'm pretty sure I can do it myself. I won't be filling out any subcontractor forms in the near future, but I can paint a wall. I probably told you all that I decided to go with white walls and purple accessories. I think it will look great. I will definitely take some before and after shots. The bathroom is pretty small, so it shouldn't take me too long to get it done. I'm crossing my fingers that Saturday will be long enough, because I have plans on Sunday. I won't be doing any medical construction, but I will be hanging out at Colleen's. My brother will be there with his wife and kids, so it should be fun. My kids love hanging out with their cousins.

Sick

I spent the day in bed. I woke up feeling yucky, and never did get to feeling 100%. I kinda feel bad for thinking boo was faking yesterday, because if she felt anything like I did, well....

I am feeling a little better now. I need to get some sleep, but since i was in bed all day, I'm just not tired. I need to go find a movie to watch. Hopefully there is something good on.

Financial Emergency Help

Back in December, Junior and I realized that we didn't have enough money to get the kids the Christmas gifts they really wanted. We had some things, but we wanted to get them more. A simple solution to our problem was doing a quick, easy payday loan. We were able to borrow enough money to finish up our shopping, and it didn't interfere with our bill money. Paying it back was as easy as using Junior's first check in January. While I do not recommend doing this if you are in a financial crisis, because if you can not pay it out quickly, it becomes a vicious cycle. But for emergencies between paychecks, payday loans are a great solution.

Blast From The Past

Here is a picture of me and my then best friend. This was probably taken in 1989 or 1990, so I was maybe 17 or 18 years old. We worked at McDonald's, and this was taken in the back of the store.

No comments about my hair, but feel free to tell me how thin I was.

Oh, to be that young again...

Holy crap...I just realized I can say this was about 20 years ago. That's just wrong!