Who Is The Superstar?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE. All opinions are 100% mine.
Let me set the scene for you.

WHO: me, Junior, Ryan, Kasi, and Brandi

WHAT: family game night

WHERE: the living room

WHEN: at least once a month

WHY: because it's FUN!

Family game night is kind of a tradition around here.  It started a few years ago when we taught the kids how to play Rummy.  I would bake up all kinds of junk food and we would gather around the table and play and eat.  It was nice spending time with the kids, and they had a lot of fun beating Junior and I.  We have gotten tired of playing cards, so we recently started playing board games.  As much fun as this is, I want to start doing something a little more physical.  I want us to get up and move.

There is no better way to do that than with the PlayStation®Move. The Move is a special controller and sensor system that you can add to your PlayStation3 for only $99, and it adds the ability to be interactive with video games.  (think Wii)  I was searching for a game online that we could all play together, and I found one called TV Superstars, and I think it has something for each of us.

 In "Let's Get Physical", you can shoot paint cannons and perform stunts.  I can see Ryan playing this game, and doing really well with it.  I mean, what boy doesn't like performing stunts?

In "Frock Star", you can take center stage and model your way to stardom.  If you have met my children, you know this is right up Brandi's alley.  She already has the diva attitude down pat.

In "DIY Raw", you can paint, saw, hammer...does anyone else think this would be perfect for my husband?

In "Big Beat Kitchen", you can make over celebrity homes.  Yup, this one is totally me.

And finally, for Kasi, we have "Super Television Acting Agency".  She can perform and record her own TV commercials.

As you can see, there is a game within a game for every member of my family.  I am looking forward to getting both the PS3 and the Move so that we can enjoy this game in the future.

Lylah

Here's the one I made for my niece Lylah.  It's pink and brown, and I am going to try and find a pink and brown gingham ribbon to hang it with.  Maybe do a bow on each end instead of curly ribbon...I'm not sure yet.  I guess it depends on the size of the ribbon I can find.  (I love the dark shadows around the edges of the letters, but that's not really there...it's the sunlight playing tricks.  I wish it was, though.  It looks cool.)

Online Games

 I read online yesterday about this woman who killed her three month old son because he was interrupting her time on the computer.  Apparently she was playing Farmville, and the baby wouldn't stop crying, so she shook him to quiet him down.  I think the article said she hit the baby's head on something and he died.

Seriously, what is wrong with people?  I love my computer games, but there is no way I would put them ahead of my family.  I think there is a point when gaming becomes an addiction, and that is when you need to walk away. 

That said, there are some games on tower defence that look like they might be fun to play.  I limit myself to the games on Facebook and my personal cd's, but I am always willing to try a new game if someone recommends it.  You see, I am one of those people who become addicted, though never to the point of killing my family.  If I were to search out games to play on the internet, I might not ever get up from this computer.  It's all about limits and self control.

I know I need to work on that last one.

The Importance Of Halloween Safety

Guest post written by Julia Benton

Even though I love all the fake monsters and spooks that come out on Halloween, I'm kind of scarred for life because of Michael Myers in the Halloween movies. I know that it's just a story, but stuff like that does make you worry about crazy people like that in real life. So I'm a stickler for Halloween safety when it comes to my family.

I can't tell you how many times my kids have been mad at me for ruining their costumes by putting reflective paint and tape on them so that drivers can see them out in neighborhoods. So I was online this year trying to come up with a better solution to increase my kids' visibility when trick or treating and I happened to come across the site http://www.clear-internet.com and read through it. After doing that I decided that this was our solution to our problem with the bad internet connection we were having and switched over to it.

I finally did come up with a great idea for Halloween safety without making my kids' outfits less scary. So I painted their jack o lantern treat bags with glow in the dark paint so people will see their glowing bags.

Teagan

I have made name signs for all my nieces and nephews, but I have been a little behind.  So for Christmas this year, three of my nieces are getting them.  I sat and routed them all last night, and then painted two one them.  I still have one more to do tonight.  This one is for my niece Teagan (duh...obviously).  The letters are actually a deep purple, even though they look a little blue.  I am going to get some kind of ribbon to hang it with, and will probably curl some for the corners, too.  I'll post it again when it is finished.

Buying Quality Cosmetics

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of BH Cosmetics. All opinions are 100% mine.
My first date with Junior was almost 16 years ago.  In fact, on December 22 it will be exactly 16 years.  It was a blind date, so when he picked me up, it was the first time we ever saw each other.  I was wearing only mascara (makeup wise) and that was okay with him.  I know some guys like girls who cake on the makeup, but I have never been that kind of girl. 

That said, I got a lot of compliments on the makeup I wore the other night at Ryan's party, which got me thinking that maybe a little makeup every now and then wouldn't be such a bad thing. This prompted a little shopping trip, which quickly turned annoying.  I could not believe how expensive makeup has gotten, even at Walmart.  There was no way I was going to pay five dollars for one shade of eyeshadow.  So, I came home, and did a little browsing online.

I found a site called bhcosmetics.com, and I found some pretty good deals on eyeshadow.  They have these compacts full of different shades of eyeshadow at very reasonable prices.  I found the one in the picture for only $24.95, and it has 88 different colors in it that are "highly pigmented" with strong staying power.  I am not sure I will ever wear the yellow or green shades, but I like the rest of them. 

They also sell blush and lip palettes, which are also reasonably priced.  I would much rather spend my money on quality products that will work well than on cheap products that don't.

Office Warming Gift

Ever since Junior started going to therapy over two years ago, every six months he would get a new therapist.  The place he goes to is a teaching facility, so as students graduated the program, he would be shifted to new therapists.  I felt this was counter-productive,  because it seemed to me that as soon as he got comfortable with one therapist, and that therapist was familiar with his situation, we would have to start all over again.

Our current therapist, Elizabeth, has been with us for about eight months now, I think.  A couple of months ago, she told Junior that we needed to start talking more about his childhood, to see where his current issues have come from, but he was reluctant, because he knew our time with her was almost over.  I expresses this to her, and she said that she had already graduated the program, but was staying on as a fellow for the next two years, so as long as we felt we needed her, she would be our therapist.  I was so happy, because I honestly think she is the best we've had so far.

So, for the past few sessions, she has been telling us that she was getting her own office, and the things she was doing to make it feel "homey".  Last session, she finally had it all set up, so we did our session in there.  It was decorated in blacks and reds, which I love.  After we left, I told Junior that I wanted to get her a "office warming" gift, but I wasn't sure if that was appropriate or not.  I put a call out on one of my blogs and Facebook, and everyone agreed that it would be a nice gesture, so I went yesterday and got her a plant.  A cactus, because I think they are easy to care for and hard to kill.  I bought a clay pot and painted it black and white with some red thrown in.

What do you think?  Will she like it?

Movies

 Do you watch movies online?  I don't, but only because I pay good money every month for all the cable movie channels.  Plus, I never know which online sites are legal, and I am afraid of getting into trouble.  I know that sounds a little nuts, but that's me.  If you do watch movies online, using Rapidshare Search can make it easier to find the movies you are looking for. You can also use them to search for games and apps. 

I think I am going to go watch a movie.  I guess I am easily influenced, because writing about Rapidshare has put me in the mood to watch a good scary movie.  Or maybe it's Halloween that's doing it.  Either way, I am going to go scare myself a little while.

Are You A Dropper?

I have been using entrecard for a wile now, probably a couple of years.  Right now they are running a contest where you can win some serious credits for writing about the things you love (or don't love) about them.

I can honestly say that I have never really had a problem with them.  I find a lot of awesome blogs dropping every day, and many of those bloggers have become my "friends".  The basic concept is that you put a widget on your blog, and other bloggers stop by and drop their cards on your blog with the hope that you will drop on their blog in return.  Signing up is free, and you can drop as little or as many (up to 300) cards as you want each day.  The more you drop, though, the bigger the benefits.

So what are you waiting for?  Go join and get dropping!

I Forgot

 Have you ever had those moments when you think that you have done something, only to find out that you didn't?  I had that happen today when I received a letter in the mail informing me that they were going to turn off my cable.  I could have sworn that I paid that bill a couple of weeks ago, but when I called and had them look into my account, it showed that my last payment was in September.

Oops. 

Thankfully they are going to hold off the disconnection and let me pay the bill when Junior gets paid next Friday.  I am the worst when it comes to money.  I get phone calls from people asking me about Consolidating My Credit Cards, and I just laugh, because we don't have any credit cards. The last one we had i paid off years ago, and I really don't want anymore.  We have been living by the motto "pay cash or do without", and that seems to be working for us.   

Except when I forget to pay the bills.

My Little Witch

Look at those eyes!  Brandi was a cute little witch tonight at Ryan's party.  All the kids had a ball.  In fact, I was told by my friends grandson that it was the best party he had ever been to.  He's only 6, but I still took it as a compliment.  All I know is that I am exhausted, so it's time for bed.

The last little bit

Guest post written by Patrick Dennis

We've been working on fixing up the pool house so it will look a lot better next summer and it's kind of a been a huge pain in the you know where. We just haven't really taken care of it over the years like we should and now we're definitely paying for it.

Now, it's not a very pool house and a lot of times we just mainly use it to store stuff in but it's also an eyesore in a place where we like to entertain people by our pool, so after we closed down the pool this year we decided to fix it up some. We've gutted a lot of the stuff inside of it and are re-doing it but we also wanted to work on the outside before it got too cold. Plus, we also want to be through with it by the holidays. So we got the people from homeproimprovement.com to put up some new siding on it, some that matches what's on our house now, so that it looks less out of place and like it belongs in our back yard.

They're almost through with it and I think it looks really great already.

Save Money On Clothes

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Liz Claiborne New York Outlets. All opinions are 100% mine.
 It's Fall.  Or at least I think it is.  I am not sure that Mother Nature got the memo, because we still have temperatures in the 80's here in South Carolina.  I am really looking forward to it cooling down, though, because I want to start wearing my cold weather clothes.  I used to be a sweatpants and t-shirt kind of girl, but ever since my breast reduction and weight loss, I have been trying to dress nicer.  And you know what?  The nicer I dress, the better I feel about myself.  Who knew?

I wish I could afford to shop at those really expensive boutiques, but I am on a strict budget, and that budget doesn't always include money for new clothes.  When I find I do have some extra money, I need to make it stretch as much as possible.  I have heard great things about Liz Claiborne New York Outlets, and decided to check out their website. Turns out they have an outlet store about four hours away from where I live.  The store is in Myrtle Beach, and we are planning a trip there after the first of the year.  Unfortunately, the store will be closing soon.  That means I won't get to visit, but you should find a store near you so that you can take advantage of the awesome sales they are having.  Everything must go, so everything is marked down 50-80%.  They even have their Fall fashions marked down.  I may have to talk Junior into driving to the beach a little earlier than planned so I can get in on those good deals.  I found these camis on their website, and I really want some.

 I have small enough boobs now that I could get away with wearing these under my tops as bras.  Or I could sleep in them, which would be even better.  If it ever does cool off around here, Junior will turn the heat on, and I am always get hot no matter how low it is.  I really do hate electric heat.

I also want to check out their selection of sweaters.  I don't have very many long sleeved shirts, and I don't think I have any sweaters.  I was never comfortable in them when I was heavier.  Now that I am a little thinner, I think sweaters would look nice on me.

All I have to do now is convince Junior to drive the four hours to get to the outlet store. 

How To Eat Vocabulary Worms

As most of you know, Brandi is in a gift/talented program at school.  They are reading the book How To Eat Fried Worms, and the kids were given several choices of projects to do related to the book.  Each kid has to do three projects over the course of the next few weeks.  Tomorrow, the first project is due.  Brandi chose to make a game based on the vocabulary words.  I did not help her in any way, except to find the definitions online for the words.  She came up with the concept, and the board, and the design.

She has three different colored spaces.  If you land on a pink space, you pick a pink card, and then you have to use whatever word is on that card in a sentence.  If you land on a red space, you pick a red card and you have to give the definition of the word on the card.  If you land on a green space, you can pick either a red or a pink card.  If you can not give the definition or use the word in a sentence, you have to go back to where you were on the board.  If you land on a yellow space, you have to do what it says. (they say "go back to start" and "lose a turn")  I am so proud of her, and I hope the teacher appreciates all the work she put into this.

I Am Chef Extraordinaire

Guest post written by Sam Grenwich

Ever since I retired, I have been trying to think of some different hobbies to keep me occupied for when I spend a lot of time in the house. I determined that after many years of ordering out and heating things up in the house I would finally learn how to do a little cooking of my own. My wife Donna is an artisan in the kitchen and I’ve enjoyed her cooking for years, but now I want to do a little cooking of my own.

One of my first concoctions was the result of a recipe I found online for an Italian ziti dish like my mother used to make for my father and I when I was a child. With internet instruction, it really wasn’t too bad. Donna was there to give me a few pointers along the way.

Since the ziti dish turned out so well, I was looking for new recipes for the next day—then I saw an ad for Miracle-Ear.com , which reminded me of my much-needed hearing test I had to make before too long—what luck? Afterwards, I found a great recipe for a Red Velvet Cake. I’ll think I’ll make that one for Donna tomorrow.

Beautiful Jewelry

I have been thinking about Christmas a lot lately.  I have a few gifts for the kids, but not enough to fill beneath the tree.  I have a few things for my nieces and nephews, but there are still other people to buy for.

I used to have a few Jewish friends when I lived in NY, and I always loved the jewelry they wore.  I found a site online that sells Jewish Jewelry and the pieces they have are so beautiful.  I am not sure what this pendent symbolizes, but I would wear it. 

I also found this Five Metals Ring, and even though I read the description of the ring, I don't really understand it's significance.   I think it is supposed to bring success to whomever wears it.

I also found this very pretty Star of David.   They have one that has a purple stone in the center, too, and you all know that one would be my favorite.

Do you think I could give Jewish jewelry to my family for Christmas, or is that bad?

I Made Chocolates!

Ryan's party is Friday night, so I have been trying to get things done early.  Yesterday I made some chocolate lolipops.  I know they aren't the best looking, but I am sure they will taste good!  I don't have the patience to brush the molds with chocolate to accent the features.  It was a miracle that I used two different colors on these.  I made some others, too, and I'll get those pictures up soon.  Check out how these look now that I wrapped them up:

Cottages

 For my mom's birthday last May, my sister's and I surprised her with a trip to Tennessee.  The four of us, and one of my aunts, paid to rent a little cottage for a long weekend.  It was the first time I have ever stayed in a house like that, and it was so much better than staying in a hotel.  We had full run of the place, using the kitchen to cook all our meals, and the kids had plenty of room to run around and play, without us parents worrying about how much noise they were making. 

One night, one of my sisters and I scared the snot out of my other two sisters and my aunt.  They were sitting on the front porch, and it was close to midnight.  My other sister and I sneaked around from the back of the house and made some scary noises.  They all jumped up screaming and ran in the house.  It was so funny.

I would love to be able to get all of my sisters to rent a holiday cottage this coming year so that we can all be together again.   Two of my sisters live pretty far away, and I usually only get to see them once a year.  I would love for us all to spend a weekend together, especially around the holidays. 

I guess that means I need to start saving my pennies.

Sheets

All summer, I had a heavy sheet covering the windows in my living room.  I finally took it down a couple of weeks ago and have been enjoying the sunshine.  I get a lot of sunlight through those windows, which heats up the house quite a bit.  This was not a good thing when it was 100 degrees outside.  Now that it is getting cooler outside, the sunlight feels good.

Next summer, I want to find some Cheap Vertical Blinds to put on the windows.  I am hoping that they might keep out more of the sun.   As much as I loved the way the sheet worked, it looked ridiculous.  Whenever I took a picture of the kids inside the house, I always made sure the sheet didn't show. 

I spent years living with sheets hanging in doorways during the summer to keep certain rooms cool when we used window air conditioners.  When we moved here, I loved that we didn't have to do that anymore because we now have central air conditioning.  Then I had to hang the sheet on the window.  I don't want to have to do that anymore, either.

I want my house to only have sheets on the beds from now on.

A New Fall Treat

Guest post written by Stephanie Harper

One of my favorite hobbies is to cook and bake all kinds of different stuff. I'm kind of known in my circle of friends for it so when everyone comes over to my house for something there are some big expectations that I always try to meet.

I'm planning a little get together just before Halloween with lots of yummy treats and I think that we're also going to watch some scary movies while everyone's here too. We're all big horror movie buffs, so a zombie movie isn't going to ruin any of our appetites, thank goodness.

I've been looking up a bunch of recipes to try out with my Clear Wireless Internet Service and I know that I have to have at least one thing that is pumpkin flavored. It just wouldn't be right otherwise.

I did find a pumpkin whoopie pie recipe that has the cream sandwiched right in the middle of it. I've made other versions of it before, but never one with pumpkin. I think it's going to be really great and I can't wait for my party!

A Heart Made Of Leaves

Brandi was raking leaves at my moms house last weekend.  She made this pile just for me.  I outlined the heart so you wouldn't miss it.  Of course, it didn't last long.  eventually, she was jumping into the pile.  I posted video here if you want to see.

Benched

The kids have been in school for two months now, and we are finally settled into a routine.  Bedtimes are established once again, and I finally got the kids into the habit of laying out their clothes the night before so that they aren't running around in the mornings looking for socks or underwear.  My only issue is that I don't have a place for them to lay out their book bags, shoes, and coats.  Right now, they are thrown on a chair in my kitchen, and I really want to find a spot specifically for these items. 

I looked around a little online, and found some pretty awesome log furniture.  There was this one bench in particular that I love, and it looks perfect for what I need.  What do you think?

  It's long enough to hold all three book bags and coats, and their shoes can be placed underneath it. They could even sit there to get their shoes on in the mornings, instead of fighting over space on the couch.  I will never understand why one kid needs to sit exactly where another kid is already sitting.  This is a constant, everyday thing in our house, and it drives me crazy.

This bench might just save my sanity.

Career Fair

This coming Tuesday, my two oldest kids are going to a career fair through the school.  It is an after school field trip, which also includes supper at a local pizza place.  I am excited for them to speak to professionals who can give them details about the ups and downs of selecting certain careers.  I am sure they will come home with all kinds of information, from which courses to take for a particular career to and real estate business cards.   I would think that if any of these kids make an impression on one of the speakers, they might be able to line up a job for the future, or at least get a business card to keep in contact.

My problem is going to be picking the kids up.  They are both due to be back to their schools at the same time, and I can't be in two places at once.  One of them is going to have to wait, and I have a feeling it's going to be Ryan.  He's already suggesting that he walk to the public library to wait on us, and I may just let him.

I Made This For The Girls Bathroom Mirror

I found a sign that had this message in the bathroom at my youngest child's school.  It was taped to the mirror, and I loved it.  So, I came home and made my own version to go on the mirror in my girl's bathroom.  In this day and age, girls worry at such a young age about body image, and I don't want my daughters to go through that.  I make sure I tell them everyday that they are beautiful and loved. 

But a little extra encouragement can't hurt. :)

Know Your Breasts!

In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I changed my profile picture on Facebook pink.  As someone who has had breast issues in the past, I know how scary it can be when something is wrong with your body.  Recently, I have been reading reports that say self breast exams are no longer encouraged because they haven't been shown to make a difference.  I completely disagree with that.  I think every woman should know her breasts, that way she can tell if there is something wrong.  And make sure you get your mammograms.  As much as I feared having one done, it really wasn't that bad.  If you are really afraid, take a friend with you.  Just make sure you get it done.  We all know that the best chance at beating Breast cancer is finding it early.

Is It Worth It?

 Yesterday, Ryan found a mobile home on Craigslist for $225 a month.  That's right, per month.  According to the add, the mobile home is "free" to live in, and the monthly rent is for the lot it sits on.  After 10 years of payments, the owner will sign over the deeds to both the land and the mobile home.  They were very clear when they said that it was a fixer upper, and that they would not do any repairs.  Our curiosity peaked, we just had to go look at it.

The lot itself was really nice.  Lots of trees providing shade, and a paved driveway.  It was on a dead end street, in what seemed like a quiet neighborhood.  All the kids would be able to stay in their current schools, which was a plus.There was plenty of room for the kids to run around in the yard, and our storage building would fit without a problem. 

That said, there is no way that I would let my kids live in the mobile home in it's current condition.  There is no A/C, several of the windows were cracked, and the carpet 9what there was of it) was beyond cleaning.  In the living room, the "carpet" consisted of several area rugs sewed together.  The kitchen was missing all the drawers, and most of the cabinet doors.  The walls were okay (no holes) but I am sure there are all kinds of bugs running around.  We only peeked in the windows.

Junior was thinking that for $225 a month (which is way less than the $650 we're paying now) we could put carpet down and fix the kitchen.  Maybe even put up an awning or two after putting in new windows.   We could probably paint the walls and fumigate, but I am hesitant.  I usually have gut feelings about things, and I don't have a good feeling about this place.

So we're going to pass, and stay where we are.  For now.

Top Droppers ~ September

This blogs top droppers for September:

Moonangelnay on Etsy ~ A contemporary handmade, fine art, photography, crafts, gifts, jewelry, fashion and Etsy focused blog, sharing weekly features, tutorials, original works and interviews of the new artists of Etsy.

 

my kids are my world ~ This is a blog about my life as a wife and mother of three kids, who are, obviously, my world.

 

 Momspective ~ Julie Maloney from Momspective is hilarious. Well, she thinks she is. She'll bring you into every facet of her sometimes dramatic life and no matter how bad things get, she is guaranteed to make you laugh. 

 

All About Computer ~ Technology Blog, Blog about linux, computer and Technology

 

Confessions Of A Fitness Diva ~  The Fitness Diva shows you how to be fit and fabulous while still indulging in some of the more "sinful" things in life. Tips on how to be decadent, but still smart enough to stay looking amazing!

 

ClupClup.com ~  Get your Healhty Lifestyle info only on ClupClup.com. You can get many information about disease, medicine, therapy, and many more.

 

Random Ramblings ~  Personal observations on a wide variety of subjects. Photographs of creatures and things that are taken on seeing the unusual as well as everyday things.

 

 Nesting Buddy ~ Nesting Buddy is a site for existing and aspiring franchisers and home-based entrepreneurs. Here you will find information and articles to inform, motivate and assist you in your endeavours.

 

Superficial Gallery ~  The Superficial Gallery has the funniest columns, the best videos, a great forum, free gum* games with great prizes and thousands of celebrity pics thrown in for good measure. *We are out of gum. Deal with it.

 

What You Always Wanted To Say But Didn't ~  The blogs key focus will be everyday encounters that annoy the hell out of you, but you never do anything about it. There’s no need to suffer in silence: together we rant our way through and learn something too.

 

Thanks to all of you!