Let's Dress Up

When I think of dressing up in a costume, I immediately think of Halloween Costumes. However, there are many other reasons to purchase a costume. With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to try and find some Cupid costumes. I was able to find one, and it is pretty funny looking. I could just see my husband putting it on and prancing around the house. Okay, maybe not, but that would be funny to see.

Costumehub.com has a large variety of kids costumes as well as adult costumes. I know when we had the kids birthday party in October, we tried hard to find them the costumes they wanted. We looked locally in the stores, but every store carried the same costumes. There was nothing different for them to wear so they could stand out from their friends. This site has just about everything you could be looking for. I would love to be able to shop early for next Halloween. I know we'll throw another party, and maybe this year I'll dress up. For the past two years I have thrown on a pair of ears and called myself a mouse or a cat. I need something different and fun this year. I know it's only January, but if I could find the perfect costume now, that would be one less thing I have to worry about in October. Besides, right now I have the extra money to spend. Who knows if I'll have anything extra come Halloween.

Study Habits

Ryan just got home from school, and my blood is boiling!

Report cards come home next week, and he has his first "F".

I am very frustrated because this is in the class where the teacher wanted to do a conference, and when hubby went, he was out sick, and never rescheduled. Okay, maybe I can take the blame for that, because I listened to my son when he told me that he was making up work, and his grade was improving. I am sure as hell going to request a conference now, because obviously something isn't working. I am in no way blaming the teacher, because I know Ryan can be lazy when it comes to getting his work done. I am just very frustrated that he is failing.

I never failed a class in school....ever.

My husband failed all the time.

I do not want my kids failing. And neither does Junior. He is as mad as I am.

So I told Ryan no computer/playstation/gameboy/television/portable DVD player/electronics of any kind for the next 5 weeks, until I see a progress report with at least a "B".

Am I being unreasonable?

A New Television

A few weeks ago, the television in the kids bedroom broke. I say broke, but it was more like it became possessed. It would turn on and off all by itself, and the volume would go up and down all on it's own. The first time it happened in the middle of the night it woke up the whole house. I insist that it be unplugged now when the kids aren't in their room.

I am not sure if I want to buy them a new one, or if I want to give them the one out of the living room, and invest in a new family television. There are so many new LCD and high definition TVs
out there, but I think an HD is the way we should go. We are not big sports watchers, but Junior and Ryan are big race fans. The girls and I are big movie watchers, so I think maybe a big screen HD would be perfect. My dad has one, and the picture is so clear and beautiful.

Have any of you invested in a new television lately? Which would you recommend? I want to get the best product I can for the money I spend. Is there a specific brand you would suggest I look into? I know there are comparison sites out there. I just need a heads up before I start looking.

Creepy

There is this new craze sweeping cemeteries in my area. I find it extremely disturbing. My kids enjoy making fun of me, because it freaks me out so bad.

Do you want to know what I am talking about?

Glow in the dark crosses.

That's right...glow in the dark crosses.

So when you drive by at night, there is a sea of shining crosses, and it totally creeps me out. It makes me think of low budget horror movies.

Who thinks of these things?

XML Challenge

Are you an XML Superstar? If you think you are, you should enter the XML Challenge.
There are different contests going on, with lots of great prizes.

The video contest consists of recording yourself talking about, singing about, or just working with XMl or DB2. The highest rated monthly video creator will receive an 8GB iPod nano.

The gadget contest consists of submitting a gadget you created that simplifies database work. The winner of this competition wins a 80GB Zune.

The ported app contest offers great prizes! You could win a laptop, a Wii, or iPod nanos.

Then there is the XML challenge. This contest consists of using IBM's DB2 technology to build an application. There are many ways to do this, and to be honest, they are all over my head. If you are interested in winning some great prizes, and just want to be recognized for your work in the XML field, check out this contest. A simple quiz is all it takes to get the ball rolling. You get participation points for each entry, and a special prize is awarded to the person with the most points, so enter often.

Baby Knitting

It has been too long since I have made anything with yarn. I really want to knit a baby layette, but need an easy/beginner pattern to follow. Anyone have any ideas where to look? I have only done one knit project, and that was Brandi's sweater. I think it came out really good, so I am excited to do something else. It's fun now that I have niece's to make things for.

My Home Office

Since I am doing more and more work from home, I have decided that I need my own little work area. Right now I just have my desk in the living room, with my computer and notebooks. This is fine when I am home alone, but when everyone is here, it gets loud quickly. When the television is on, I find it hard to concentrate on what I am writing. Add in three noisy kids and it's almost impossible to get anything done.

Unfortunately, the apartment is too small for me to put my desk anywhere else. But that doesn't mean that I can't make this little spot my own. I want to look into getting some recycled business cards and other eco-friendly office supplies. I have specific notebooks for each site I write for, but I have no system of filing or keeping track of the payments I get, except for a calender I write on. And it's handmade by me. Ryan even made me a handmade calender for Christmas, which I love, but I think I need something more task specific. Maybe a planner of some sort. I do know that I want to do my part to help our planet, so buying supplies made with recycled materials is important to me. Yes, they may be a tad more expensive, but it's a small price to pay to keep our planet healthy.

Marley and Me

I am supposed to take the kids to the movies tomorrow with my mom. We are going to see Marley and Me. The only thing is that I am worried about how Brandi will react to the end. Has anyone with kids seen this already? Is it really sad?

My Former Nudist

I found the coolest website that sells t-shirts. I was browsing, of course, for a tootsie roll shirt for Carson, my nephew. You see, when he was a newborn, Junior pretended to let him suck on a tootsie roll, and my sister Colleen, his mom, freaked. Ever since then, my husband has been wanting to find him a tootsie roll t-shirt. It's not exactly easy to find.

Even though I did not find any tootsie rolls shirts here, I did find a bunch of cool t shirts for kids, and thought the one pictured is pretty funny! Former nudist...that's so cute!

I also found a fresh t shirt for Ryan. Even though it is a man's t-shirt, he is big enough now to wear a small in mens. It has a picture of a Lamborghini, and says "Fresh Like That". That is certainly something he would like and wear.

And of course I had to find something for myself, and this green t-shirt that says "respect your mother" is perfect! I am constantly telling Ryan there are things I never want to hear come out of his mouth, like how he is into boobs now, and that he should respect me. If I wear this shirt, all I'll have to do is point!

Gone Already

Yesterday, around noon, the tree fell.

By 4, the tree was gone!

I love renting for this reason.

We called the management company, and they sent a man out with a chainsaw.

A couple of hours later the tree was all cut up and stacked in his trailer.

We didn't have to do a thing!

Forks

I have a confession to make. You may think I am weird, but that's okay. I have accepted the weirdness in myself. What makes me weird today, you ask? It's all about forks.

Yes, I said forks. And spoons. You see, over the years, I have bought several sets of silverware, mostly from wal-mart. I will usually buy the cheap sets, because lets face it, with young kids, forks and spoons tend to get lost. No one will ever admit to throwing them away, but they end up in the trash somehow. I'm okay with that.

A few years ago, a friend of the family gave us a nice set of cutlery and silverware for Christmas. I will be the first to admit, it was a beautiful set. Did you catch that I said was? Yes, that's right, there are only a few forks and spoons left. I was careless enough to let the kids use them, and they somehow disappeared. The remaining few are my favorites to eat with, because the tines are perfectly spaced, and the spoons have just the right dip in them. Now, when I say favorites, I mean that I will not use any of the other forks in the house. It has to be those, or I won't eat. I know, it sounds crazy.

But there is just something about eating with good silverware that makes me feel special. Not to mention that it makes a set table look more elegant. I think one day I will invest in a new set, one that is shiny and beautiful. But for now, until the kids are more responsible, I will eat with my special fork, and let them use the wal-mart stuff. That's just the kind of mom I am.

This Was A First

Our kitten, Ginger, is psychotic. I'm not kidding. She runs around the house, chasing invisible mice. She chases her tail. She has ruined more of my yarn than I care to admit. She is full of energy, and will playfully bite your toes as you walk by.

Well, when we left her alone this afternoon for all of twenty minutes to go get something for lunch, she decided to play with the toilet paper. She unrolled the whole thing, and had it dragged all over my house! I was laughing so hard, but hubby was not amused. I swear, I have heard of kittens doing the things she does, but have never seen it.

Until now.

Super Bowl Party

My sister is the ultimate sports freak. God knew what he was doing when he gave her three healthy boys who love to play all kinds of sports. Every year, she hosts the biggest Super Bowl Party around. She has at least a hundred people at her house, and every television is turned on, showing the game. She has a "man's" basement, with pool table and such, and a huge big screen television, where the guys hang out and watch. Tami is usually in the kitchen, preparing all the food. She definitely goes all out, making her dishes match the colors of the teams playing. She has a ton of super bowl recipes including these yummy pretzels. She special orders m&m's in the team colors, then melts a kiss on top of each mini pretzel, topping it with an m&m when it comes out of the oven. They are delicious. She also decorates her entire house. Like me, she is pretty crafty. One year she painted a glass bowl with the names of all the football teams, then painted little footballs and goalposts on it too. It came out amazing! She can use it every year since it has all the team names on it. She also buys team specific things to decorate with, like team flags and pom poms. I am going to tell her to check out celebrations.com, because they have a huge array of decorating and party ideas, like drinks and games. She can even print out a checklist to make sure nothing is overlooked.

Close Call

I mentioned on my other blog that my yard is one big mud puddle. Or maybe that was facebook. Either way, our yard is a soggy swampy mess. When we went out this afternoon, hubby decided to park on the other side of the fence and walk over to our house, because the van was getting stuck in the mud. Who knew that would be the best decision we would make today.

About an hour after getting home, I am sitting here blog hopping, and all of a sudden we heard an awful cracking, followed by a whoosh.

A huge pine tree in our yard toppled over!

And landed in the exact spot where we usually park our car!

Thank God we parked it on the other side, or we would be hurting right now.

And thank God it didn't land on the house.

As soon as I get my computer back I will post pictures.

My Surgery

I am not sure if I have discussed this here on this blog, but those of you who read my other two blogs know that in July, I had breast reduction surgery. It was the best decision I have made in my entire life.

It started in Junior High School, when all my friends were developing, and I was already wearing a size "D" cup. I am very shy, so the attention from boys was not something I welcomed. I learned early on that if I wore baggy clothes, or kept my jacket on all day, they would leave me alone. Of course, it didn't help that I was a little heavy as well. The rest of my school days were pretty much the same as Junior High.

After graduation, I got married and had three kids. With every pregnancy, my breasts got bigger. People told me they would go back to normal size, but they never did. At the beginning of this year, I was squeezing myself into a "DDD", and was never comfortable. I had dents in my shoulders where for so many years my bras were cutting into the skin. I had back pain all the time, and looking back, I think I let myself get so heavy to try and hide the fact that my breasts were huge. I can see now that that was not a smart thing to do, and that as I gained weight, they got even bigger. Now I am left with small breasts, and a tummy that looks like I am about to give birth.

The MYA breast reduction surgery itself was pretty simple. I was scared to death because I had never been put under before, but I was never concerned about the actual procedure. They simple removed my nipples, and after taking off the excess tissue, reattached them in a new position. In my case, I had so much breast tissue, they ended up cutting me from under one arm on one side, to the same place on my other side. He removed fifteen pounds of breast. I asked how many stitches I had, and the doctor said I had too many to count, but somewhere in the hundreds. I had a rough couple of weeks afterwards, because it was difficult to lay down because of the pain in my sides. I had to sleep in our recliner. But six weeks after my surgery I was good as new, and in love with my new breasts. There is no more back pain, or shoulder dips, and for the first time in my life I can go somewhere without a bra. I Have never left the house bra less before, and it is an awesome, freeing feeling!

If you are considering this type of surgery, do not hesitate. I did for years, and regret that decision. While it may not be the solution for everyone, at least look into it. I know firsthand how it can change your life. Let the MYA breast reduction specialists help you make an informed decision.

Puzzle

I love the after Christmas sales, when they put all the seasonal items on sale for 75% off. I went into Hobby Lobby and got a bunch of crafty things to paint. One of the things I got was a wooden puzzle. I have never seen anything like it before. It has about 16 pieces, and has a snowman/wintery scene on it. I plan on painting it as a gift for next year, for one of my nephews or something. I also got three wooden ornaments for my kids special ornaments with their names for next year. I have a year to get them done, so hopefully I can find the time. ;)

All About Taxes

Last week I got a call from the company we use to file our taxes. We have gone to them for the past four years, and they always do a great job. The call was about a new service, where you bring in the last paycheck stub of last year, and they estimate your taxes, then give you a certain portion of your refund on a Visa Debit Card. We went in this morning, and we started discussing the fact that I am now making money working online. This money is not taxed. I have to pay the taxes myself. Our agent told us that if Junior just payed a little more each week out of his check, at the end of next year it should all even out, because we file jointly.

I know there are people out there who may not have known this, and are finding themselves in need of IRS tax relief. Not necessarily bloggers, but anyone who owes money to the government.
There are people facing IRS tax audits who need someone on their side, who knows the laws. That is one of the things that scares me about doing my taxes myself. If a mistake is made, I have only myself to blame. This could lead to liens and penalties, and all kinds of scary things. There is such a thing as IRS lien subordination, which can help if you are needing to refinance your property. I do not understand all the technical stuff, so it's a good thing there are people out there who specialize in these things.

Today we walked out of our appointment with a couple of hundred dollars, and an estimate of our refund. Luckily, it is enough to pay off our yearly debts, and still have a little left over. That is always a good thing.

Sun Catchers ~ Finished

I let the sun catchers sit overnight, and sure enough, they dried out. They really did come out pretty. I wish this computer would let me download the pictures, but they will have to wait. The finished products are proudly being displayed on our front door. It was over seventy degrees today, so the sun was shining through them, making them sparkle even more. I even talked the girls into letting me do one! lol! It was fun!

Stay Warm

I live in South Carolina. For the most part, our winters are mild, and if we get storms, it is more likely to be ice than snow. The problem with ice storms is that our power usually goes out, because the power lines snap from the weight of the ice. Our last bad storm a couple of years ago left us without power for almost a week. Let me tell you, that was not fun, especially for the kids. My husband vowed that before the next storm he would buy a Power Generator so we could run the refrigerator and maybe the television.

We looked into a bunch of different types of generators, like Natural Gas Generators and diesel generators. My sister actually had one put in at her house, and she says it is comforting to know that she has that back up in case her power goes out. Bowers Generator Systems are longer lasting, because they do not use regular gas, which can burn hotter and shorten the life of a generator. You can utilize a Generator Transfer Switch to use power from your generator, instead of your power company, to help save some money on power costs.

If you live in an area where your power is interrupted frequently, you might want to look into getting a generator. They are a good investment, considering the amount of food you lose when the power is out for days at a time. If that's not enough incentive, think of how much the kids would enjoy being able to watch television, or staying warm. Quiet kids equal happy parents. That's all I'm saying.

Glitter Lava

Brandi got this kit for Christmas. It's called Glitter Lava, and the one she got is to make sun catchers. The glitter is almost like silly putty. It stretchable, and you mold it into the sun catchers, and it supposedly hardens overnight. The girls are doing them right now, and they love it. I wish my computer would let me download pictures so I could show off the finished product. I''ll let you know in the morning if they do harden.