Life with Three

Kiss My Face Kids GIVEAWAY

2009-07-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

I've got a great giveway up and running over at Chic Critique today. It features the new Kiss My Face Kids line of bath and body care products -- all of which totally rock. Be sure to head on over and check it out! :)

Relief for Tender Tootsies

2009-06-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and sandal season is in full swing.

Since moving to Georgia 10 years ago, I’ve amassed a sizable collection of adorable sandals and peep-toe shoes.

This time of year, a stroll through the shoe department at a place like Target, for example, leaves me swooning. So, many trendy, chic summer shoes at uber-affordable prices.

Problem is – some of these shoes, while I swear they were the “most comfortable shoes I’ve ever tried on” before I left the store, turn out to be not-so-comfortable once I get them home and wear them in real life. (read more at Chic Critique)

Hey, Jane Did it Again!

2009-05-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I reviewed Jane Iredale’s PurePressed Base mineral foundation.

And, I pretty much fell in love with it. I still stand by that review. The PurePressed Base is foundation perfection.

As I mentioned at that time, the reason I ended up trying the PurePressed Base was because the product I was originally looking for — Jane Iredale’s Liquid Minerals Foundation — was being discontinued.

But, turns out, I was misinformed.

Shortly after my post went live, I was contacted by Jane Iredale marketing and assured that Jane has never had any intention of discontinuing her Liquid Minerals Foundation.

And, can I just say? Thank goodness.

Because y’all, I’ve been using Liquid Minerals for the past few months and I LOVE it. (read more at Chic Critique)

More Thrifty Finds

2009-05-24T11:50:00.001-07:00

So, I fall off the face of the earth for a while and come back only to have another post about yard sales.

I'm sorry.

I just couldn't help myself.

I'm addicted.

Check out what I found this week:

I have been pining for a yellow purse for a long while now. It just seemed like such a frivolous investment. But, at $5, this Nine West purse fits the bill perfectly. I love it!

I found this little table lamp for $2. I'm on the fence about whether or not to paint it. It's perfect at night, though. It lights up a dark part of our hallway with the warmest glow.

While this bird cage isn't as elaborate as the one she found last week (which I fell in love with, btw), it's still adorable. And for $1, how could you go wrong?

This little canister set me back 50 cents. I'm using it on the counter in my revamped bathroom. Later that day I stumbled across a set of three of these canisters that retailed for $42!

But, my top find of the day was more wicker for my porch.

Y'all remember the wicker settee that I picked up and repainted for one side of the porch? Well, the other side of the porch needed some seating, as well. Imagine my delight when I walk up to this yard sale and spot this (sans cushion).

It even had a match, but another woman was laying claim to that one. So, I asked how much the seller wanted for one. When she said $5, I nearly choked. The wicker is sturdy and substantial. It was a steal at $5. I would have loved two of them, though.

So, I walked around the sale a little more and guess what comes out of the house -- another one of the wicker chairs! The seller sees me staring in disbelief and asks if I want it. Are you kidding?! $10 for the pair. The steal of the century.

I don't even think I need to paint these. I love the rustic finish.

Two matching cushions from Home Depot made them good to go.

Now, go see the treasures everyone else discovered this week over at Southern Hospitality.

Yard Sale Finds

2009-04-30T03:07:00.001-07:00

So, I finally got around to taking a few pictures of my yard sale finds as of late -- including the famed $15 wicker settee for the front porch.

Naturally, I forgot to take a full shot of the settee before I painted it (that would have required too much advance planning), but this close-up should give you an idea of the color it was before -- kind of a light taupe:

After I cleaned it up and removed as much of the old paint as possible, I primed it and repainted it a chocolate brown. I also went ahead and added a new cushion:

And this little side table? Another yard sale find -- $7 -- which I painted to match:

Spray paint, my love for you knows no bounds.

I also mentioned that I've found some decorative accessories for my great room bookshelves. Here's a closer look:

Woven box -- 50 cents:

Cool wood tray -- $1:

Set of decorative plates -- $5:

Adorable little vase -- I love the bird detailing -- $5:

And, I bought four jars full of wine corks for 25 cents each. It probably seems like a bizarre purchase, but I saw someone do a flower arrangement with corks instead of pebbles in the vase. I might use these for that, or I might just stick them in an apothocary jar. Either way, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying all that wine and saving the corks myself. :) (That's my youngest playing Vanna White in the back, btw.)

Finally, one of the most unexpected finds. Now, I really had no intention of purchasing shoes at a yard sale. But y'all. These were brand new BCBG Girls ballet flats. For $3. And, I must say, I pink puffy heart them:

I know. I probably crossed the line with the shoes.

But they were so cute.

And, did I mention, they were only $3?

How to Choose a Sunscreen

2009-04-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make.

I only began applying sunscreen daily within the last couple of years.

I have olive skin, which means I tan without even trying. Burning has never been an issue for me. And, for years, I never gave sun damage a second thought.

Until I turned 30 and looked in the mirror.

Ah. There it was. All my hours of sun worship taking up residence on my face in the form of hyper-pigmentation and even a few wrinkles.

All that to say, I’ve been on a bit of a mission to preserve what’s left of my skin. Which brings me to the point of this post: not all sunscreens are created equal. (read more at Chic Critique)

Organizational Help for Moms

2009-04-28T19:24:00.001-07:00

Organization has never been my strong suit.

In fact, I've spent most of my adult life in search of an organizational system that will allow me to manage all of the random details of daily life. I've tried everything from the Franklin Planner to the Palm Pilot. Each new system was met with only short-lived success.

When I became a mother, things on the organizational front went from bad to worse. I had trouble managing the details of one life -- now I'm faced with trying to juggle the details of four. My most recent attempt of tracking it all was a large wall calendar, but even that became cluttered and was impossible to carry around (making it difficult to schedule appointments when I was away from home).

But then I read about the momAgenda.

The momAgenda was created for moms by a mom. Creator Nina Restieri put over a year of research into creating an organizational tool for mothers everywhere.

I've been using the momAgenda for a few months now, and I can tell you it's the best format I've ever used. I keep it open on my desk to the week at a view layout.

Not only is there space to record the my own daily appointments, but there are blank spaces below for each child. So, I can track Jilly's school program, Josh's playdate and Grace's doctor appointment, without the day looking like a scribbled mess. (I even have a box left over and, if I'm feeling particularly spry, I can fill in blog post ideas for the week.) At the bottom of the page, there's room to write the dinner menu for each day.

The momAgenda also gives a month at a view, has space for addresses and phone numbers, even sections for party and vacation planning.

See? All the important info in one central place -- that I can also take with me if the need arises.

Organizational perfection. It's what works for me.

For more great ideas to make your life easier, head on over to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.

What I Learned This Week: How to Shop a Yard Sale

2009-04-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

It all started with this post.

In an effort to "spruce up" my front porch entryway, I went on a mission to find some wicker seating.

But, I'm cheap.

So, inspired by the likes of her and her, I started looking for front porch wicker in other places, which eventually led me to a yard sale.

Now, I'd never really been to a yard sale. I always figured it was someone else's junk -- why would I want to buy that? But, turns out that a wicker settee was being advertised as part of a local upcoming sale.

I went. I bought the settee for $15 (which I've since repainted and re-cushioned -- it looks awesome). And my eyes were opened.

You can uncover quite a few "treasures" at yard sales.

I'm in the process of re-doing the shelves in my great room. I needed some decorative accessories, and I've found a handful for literally pennies. It's kind of like a big ol' treasure hunt.

And, it's kind of addictive.

Even though I'm a yard sale neophyte, I have learned a thing or two over the past few weeks that might be helpful for the yard sale beginner.

1. Don't drive around looking for signs. Unless you want to waste a lot of time. The best way to find out about yard sales in your area is to check out the classified section of your local paper and also Craig's list.

2. The early bird gets the worm. The old adage holds true. While it doesn't leave you a lot of room for price negotiation, it does guarantee the best selection.

3. Yard sale shopping is NOT like mall shopping. When you see something at the mall that you're not completely sure you're going to buy, you can walk away and think about it. I learned the hard way that that is not the approach you want to take at a yard sale.

I saw two beautiful decorative wall accessories, but I wasn't sure where I would put them. I walked away to "think about it." And, you guessed it. When I came back five minutes later they were gone. Since then, I've thought of, oh, 50 million places I could have hung those.

If you see an item that you may be interested in, pick it up and hold onto it until you make your final decision.

4. Bring small bills. Particularly if you're into price negotiation (which, honestly, I'm not). But, if you're going to negotiate someone down from $10 to $6, don't go ahead and pay the $6 with a $10 bill. That's just tacky.

I'm sure there are some more experienced yard sale shoppers out there. What are your best tips?

And, to find out what other people have learned this week, be sure to head over to Musings of a Housewife!

Lacura Skincare: Fountain of Youth at a Bargain Price

2009-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I always figured I’d be the kind of woman who would happily embrace the aging process.

You know, the type who insists “age is just a number” and who celebrates every single laugh line as the sign of a life well lived.

But then, I hit my 30s.

That was when Father Time began marching across my face in the form of age spots, fine lines and laugh lines that stick around long after I stop smiling.

And I’ve got to admit, it kind of freaked me out. (read more at Chic Critique)

Spring Wardrobe Essential: The White Button-Down Shirt

2009-04-01T04:19:00.001-07:00

Read any list of the “must-have” pieces every woman should have in her wardrobe and you’ll always find the white button-down shirt near the top.

But until recently, I never owned one.

The reason for this is two-fold.

First, I have young children. Wearing a crisp, white shirt is akin to wearing a sandwich board that screams, “Please, use me as your human hand towel for the day.”

Secondly, I’ve always considered buying a white shirt (and wearing one, for that matter), well…kind of boring. It’s so much more fun to buy a trendy peasant top or a spring sweater in a candy-colored hue. White shirt? Dull in comparison.

But a couple weeks ago, I finally picked one up. (read more at Chic Critique)

WFMW Backwards Edition: Laundry Staining

2009-03-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to learn that this week's edition of Works for Me Wednesday is the "backwards edition," where I ask y'all for help with a problem.

Because I desperately need help with this little laundry issue I'm having.

Every now and then, I'll pull some clothes out of the wash only to discover they have blue stains on them.

The stains are impossible to remove. Nothing I've tried (even my beloved Carbona Color Run Remover) has touched them. I'm pretty confident the stains are not the result of another piece of clothing "running" because I don't think a color run would spot stain like that.

At first, I thought it was the laundry detergent. So, I switched to a clear-colored liquid detergent and made a point to add the detergent only after all the clothing was completely submerged in water (so the detergent wouldn't hit dry clothing and spot stain). But, that hasn't fixed the problem.

I'm completely stumped -- and a little irritated. It always seems my favorite items of clothing -- or even worse, my daughter's school uniform -- fall victim to the blue spots.

Does anyone know what is going on here and how I can stop it from happening?

Thanks in advance for trying to help a sista out.

And, after you solve my little issue -- be sure and head over to We are THAT Family and check out the dilemmas other people are having this Wednesday. They need some input from smart peeps like you! :)

The Dogwood Tree

2009-03-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe just a few short weeks ago a freak storm system blanketed our backyard in white fluffy snow:

Now, the tree branches are covered in white again.

Only this time, the white is of the springtime variety:

There's nothing quite as beautiful as when the dogwoods bloom in Georgia. They bloom around Easter each year, which always makes me think of the following story. It's a great visual reminder of all we celebrate this time of year.

The Legend Of The Dogwood Tree

As a child I heard this tale.

Long ago during the days that Jesus

was here on earth in the form of man

there were many dogwood trees.

The dogwood was comparable in

size to the oak tree and other

monarchs of the forest. Because of its

firmness and strength it was

selected as the timber for the cross,

but to be put to such a cruel use

greatly distressed the tree.

Sensing this, the crucified Jesus in his gentle

pity for the sorrow and suffering of all said to it:

"Because of your sorrow and pity for My sufferings,

never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough

to be used as a cross. Henceforth it will be slender,

bent and twisted and its blossoms will be in the

form of a cross two long and two short petals.

In the center of the outer edge of each petal

there will be nail prints brown with rust and stained with red

and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns,

and all who see this will remember."

~ Author Unknown

Designer Duds for a Song

2009-03-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Every year my husband and I attend a black tie charity gala. And every year I find myself asking the same agonizing question:

“What am I going to wear?”

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it before — I’m cheap. It causes me great physical pain and emotional anguish to drop $200 on a cocktail dress I’ll only wear — at best — a handful of times. And, with the economic situation being what it is, it was pretty much a given I’d spend zippo on a new frock this year.

But, turns out, I did snag a new dress for the gala. It was a black, long-sleeved number that hit right about the knee and had a great plunging neckline. I love its versatility — I easily dressed it up for this event, but can also wear it more casually on a day-to-day basis.

Here, see for yourself. This is my husband and I before heading to the gala:

So…wanna know where I got it? Wanna know how much I spent?

Okay. Lean in a little.

Closer.

Seriously — this is top secret. (read more at Chic Critique)

$200 Bathroom Makeover

2009-03-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

It's the big reveal.

I mentioned last week that I've been hard at work redecorating my master bathroom on a shoestring -- $200 to be exact. So, it's time to share some before and afters. Here's the view before I started the redo:

And after:

One of the main components of the "redo" involved adding some fabric to the room. Normally, I'd try to find some remnant fabric, but I absolutely fell in love with a fabric shower curtain from Kohl's. I managed to get it on sale and proceeded to get the most mileage out of it that I could.

First, I made a "skirt" for under the vanity. I ended up sewing it, as it involved the kind of sewing I tend to be fairly decent at -- straight lines.

Here's what it looked like before:

And after:

Isn't that candle centerpiece on top cool? I picked that up on sale at Kohl's, too.

Next, I took part of the shower curtain and did a "mistreatment" on the window:

The weird thing about our house is that we have a ton of switches and outlets. A ton. There are some light switches that I still have no clue what they turn on. Anyway, we had a very odd grouping of outlets on the facing wall when you walked into the bathroom. I'm not sure if you can see so well in this picture. They're above the obnoxious looking radio and half camouflaged by the calendar my husband stuck up there.

My mom had the great idea of taking some shower curtain and making a hanging tapestry to hide the outlets. (Again, just my kind of project -- straight sewing lines.) I also got rid of the super-cheap shelving unit and moved in a wicker piece that I had in my daughter's room. And, remember those cheap pictures I made? You can see them in the next couple shots, as well:

I also made some other "cheap" artwork by taking a Japanese fan that my father-in-law acquired on a trip around the world years ago. The fan was sitting on a shelf in my great room, but was kind of lost up there. I got a shadowbox frame for 50% off at Hobby Lobby ($17) and pinned the fan open inside:

Here is a picture of the unfinished bathroom shelving unit:

And, a few shelves later:

The great thing about these shelves is that I managed to fill them by pretty much "shopping the house." I bought the bamboo boxes on the bottom shelf (clearance $8.99 each). Other than that, everything else was something I already had. The shelves aren't perfect -- but they'll do for now.

On the opposite side of the tub, I had this odd little alcove. Here's what it looked like before:

(That's the baby tub sitting inside the big garden tub, btw. Klassy, no?)

I shopped the house for a few accessories to replace the weird towel basket below and replaced the flowers in the hanging basket with some faux foilage I also had laying around:

Three supa-fab new bathroom rugs finished it off.

Here's the final cost breakdown:

(3) Bathroom rugs @ $20 each
(1) Bathroom centerpiece @ $30
(1) Shower curtain @ $35.90
(2) Bamboo boxes @ $8.99 each
(1) Shadowbox frame @ $17
(2) Framed art prints @ $3.50 each
(1) Wooden dowel for hanging tapestry @ $1
(1) Pressure rod for vanity skirt @ $10
(4) New shelves for unit $32
(1) piece of faux greenery @ $2.50
(1) Turquoise vase @ $10.49

GRAND TOTAL: $223.87

Even though I went a little over budget, I realized I could totally transform a room for a lot less than I would have thought possible. Which really, is quite a revelation for me.

So that's what I learned this week (actually, what I learned over the last few weeks). To see what everyone else learned, head on over to Jo-Lynne's place for the What I Learned This Week carnival!

TLC for Dry Winter Hands

2009-03-04T05:55:00.001-08:00

I don’t know about you, but at this point in the winter season, my hands have pretty much had it.

Cooler temperatures, windy conditions, indoor heating and a lot of contact with dishwater is the perfect recipe for dry, cracked and inflamed hands. So today, I’m sharing two of my all-time favorite products for giving those weary winter hands a little TLC. (read more at Chic Critique)

What I Learned This Week: You Can Make Artwork on the Cheap

2009-03-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

I've been watching too much HGTV.

That happens every now and then.

I can always tell when my watching gets a little out of hand because that's when I start dreaming up all sorts of "home decorating" projects -- as if I'm some sort of female David Bromstad. All of a sudden I'll walk into a room and the fact that we don't have say, window treatments, will really start to bug me. So, I begin figuring out how I can get the job done with minimal money spent.

The latest victim of my unbridled creativity: our master bathroom. It's pitiful. It has looked pretty much the same way it has looked since we moved in eight years ago. There's no decor theme -- it's pretty much a mish mash of whatever I happened to throw in there. It's bland and pretty boring.

But, over the last week, I have worked diligently to transform it! I'm thrilled with the results, which I promise to share later in the week (I just need to finish a few last minute things before I post the after pictures). Long story made short: I gave myself a budget of $200.

Now, that might seem like a lot, but the bathroom had a shelving project that had been incomplete for eight years, so I knew a fair portion of my budget would go toward finishing that.

Once I got the major things done, I found I had little left over for finishing touches like artwork. So, I figured out how to make some artwork on the cheap. It's not rocket science (I'm no Nester), but here's what I did -- and I bet it's something you could do, too!

I chose an Asian-inspired theme for the master bath. The color palate was going to include a lot of earth tones and neutrals, with some green and turquoise mixed in. So, I was thrilled when I stumbled upon this set of six notecards in the Target $1 section:

I loved the design and started to think about how I could use the notecard as the basis for some artwork. I went to Walmart and bought two 8x10" frames for $3 each.

Next, I opened the card and cut the front from the back. I made sure to keep the dark brown piece close by -- I was going to use that later.

Then, I cut the front of the card into two pieces. I liked the gold bird better, so that was the part I wanted to use.

Then I grabbed some scrapbook paper that featured the colors I was using in the bathroom. Because I was making two pictures, I used two 12x12" sheets of paper, which cost a whopping 33 cents each at Hobby Lobby.

I cut the paper to fit the frame. I then used the dark brown part of the card to frame the gold bird piece:

Then, I just stuck it in the frame. Piece of cake.

I actually made two of these pictures, one for each side of our bathroom counter. They work perfectly.

Oh, and one last thing. If you do decide to do a similar project, be sure and remove the picture stand from the back of the frame. This will make it lay flatter when you hang it on the wall. All you need to do is wiggle a flat-head screwdriver under the hinge that attaches the stand. It pops right off:

So, that's what I learned this week. How to create great looking artwork for a song. These pictures cost me about $3.50 each.

Now, go visit Musings of a Housewife to see what everyone else learned this week!

Back from the Break

2009-03-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

And so, I'm back.

What I had feared would be a difficult week away from the computer actually turned out to be exactly what my weary soul needed.

As my good pal Soliloquy pointed out, "I know you will hear from the Lord. We always do when we just shut up for a pair of minutes!"

Amen to that.

Blogging has blessed me in so many ways. It's a fantastic creative outlet for me. I love and cherish the relationships I've built with all of you. I've learned so many things that have enhanced my life in one way or another.

But.

There's the other side of blogging. Kimba wrote about it beautifully last week when I was on blog break. I stumbled upon her post tonight and what she said sums it up perfectly:

"But, to paraphrase something written by a friend, there is a great danger in blogging especially for anyone who thrives on success and creativity. The danger is that we cannot differentiate between the good that comes from creating, connecting and providing and the evil that comes from being pulled away from the family and into a cycle of NEEDING to succeed for our own egos.

There is a powerful push and pull between the good and bad. I believe that applies to anything that has the power to pull us away from what should be our primary priorities, whatever those happen to be."

That, I'm ashamed to say, is where I was. Stuck in the middle of that push and pull. And -- don't misunderstand -- it's not like I have it all settled now. It's a constant struggle for me to keep my priorities in check. One week off has not set me on the right path forever. But, I'm going to make a few changes to try and keep life in check, because -- if nothing else -- this past week has reminded me that I'm a wife and mother first and foremost.

Unplugging...

2009-02-22T18:42:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm taking a little break.

I seem to have lost my "blog mojo" over the past couple of weeks. My "real life" priorities feel a little askew. I'm distracted. I'm not focusing on what I need to be focusing on. My soul just hasn't been at peace. And, I can't seem to figure out where this blog should fit in.

I've been thinking a lot about this verse lately:

I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.

If only you followed my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Is. 48:17-18

I need a little peace and direction. So, in order for me to hear God's voice, I'm going to need to unplug for the week. I won't be blogging, and I won't be reading (though I will be checking email every few days.) It's going to be really difficult for me because I love to see what y'all are up to, but I really need to use this time to get back on track.

Have a great week y'all and I can't wait to catch up with you next week!

Why Jane Iredale is my new BFF

2009-02-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a little slow to jump on the mineral makeup bandwagon. The reason is two-fold:

1. I’m super self-conscious of the hyperpigmentation/sun damage on my face. I prefer a liquid foundation with significant coverage — allowing me to pretty much paint myself a perfect complexion each morning. Despite the claims, loose powder mineral foundations don’t seem to provide the kind of coverage I need.

2. On the few occasions when I have given mineral powder foundation a whirl, it never seems to last very long and — even worse — I see the makeup “settling” into fine lines.

But, I do love the concept of mineral makeup. After all, I apply foundation all over my face and it sits on my skin all day long. I’d much prefer to use a formulation that is free of preservatives and synthetic ingredients.

So, I did a little research and discovered that Jane Iredale made a liquid mineral foundation. Hooray! The best of both worlds! I went to the Jane Iredale website, searched for a local retailer and headed in to get color matched. (read more at Chic Critique)

How to Make Cute Hair Clips With Giveaway

2009-02-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

***Congratulations to commenter #7 mah-meee from Raising A&C! You're the lucky winner! Be sure and check your email so I can get the hair clips out to you asap. Thanks to everyone for playing along! ***

I'm updating this post to link up to Works for Me Wednesday. After you finish reading it, be sure and check out all the other great tips at Shannon's place!

So, earlier this week I confessed that when it comes to styling my daughters' hair, I'm pretty much all thumbs.

But, after re-reading that post, I realized that I neglected to fill you in on the one secret weapon in my hairstyling arsenal. I mentioned it, but I didn't elaborate.

So, I'd like to introduce you to the flower clippie:

I like to call it the "smoke and mirrors approach" to styling hair. You see, my daughters' fine hair may never boast impressive volume or curl -- but any ol' style can be dramatically improved with a flower clipped on top. I present Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B:

See? You don't notice the hair, only the flower. Sneaky, huh? And here's the best part, you don't even have to spend $10 a clip. I made these for literally pennies. Here's what you need:

faux flowers, ribbon, brads, alligator clips (available at beauty supply stores), and a hot glue gun. I pick my flowers up at the dollar store. They don't have to be silk. They don't have to be expensive. Cheap will work just fine.

The first thing you want to do is pull the flowers off the plastic stems. Then, remove the center portion of the flower. If the flower petals are just one or two "ply," so to speak, remove a few extra flowers. We'll stack them, one on top of the other, to make them look fuller.

Then, go get yourself some brads:

You can pick brads up at a craft store. There are a ton of different styles. Choose whatever you like. I happen to be partial to the silver rhinestone variety.

Next, stack your petals. I used four single-ply flowers below. Then, run your brad through the center and secure.

Now, set that aside and forget about it for a second.

This is an alligator clip. Notice that there is a definite top and a bottom. The bottom is the straight side.

Hold the clip upside down (so the bottom edge is now facing the ceiling) and open the clip. Apply hot glue to the inside of the top of the clip (which is now functioning as the bottom). Then, take some ribbon and set it on top of the glued part like so:

Now, flip the clip back over so the bottom of the clip is back on the bottom. Apply more hot glue to the outside of the top of the clip, and fold the ribbon around the top of the clip to stick.

By the way, be very careful when you do this. You can get a pretty decent burn from getting hot glue on your fingers. (That's the voice of experience speaking.) Now, apply some hot glue to the bottom of the clip (the solid silver part only):

And wrap the ribbon around like so:

Trim off any extra ribbon. Now you're home free. All that's left to do is hot glue the flower onto the top of the clip. Viola!

You can do the same thing with larger flowers, by the way. Remove the center and stack a few layers of petals. The only difference here is you're going to hot glue the layers together, instead of using a brad:

Then, cut the "peg" end off the the flower center (so it will lay flat) and hot glue that puppy right onto the center of the petals.

Then, just hot glue the flower to your ribbon-covered alligator clip. Piece of cake.

Hey, how 'bout a giveaway? I'll make two sets of small flower clips and three larger gerber daisy clips for one lucky winner. Let's keep it nice and simple. Just leave a comment below. I'll close comments a week from today (Friday, February 20th at 11:59 p.m.) and use the random number generator to select a winner.

Good luck and happy clip making!

What I Learned This Week: The Anatomy of a Blizzard

2009-02-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

"Cleaning up after children is like shoveling in a blizzard."

-- Anonymous

Ever feel that way? That's where I've been lately. Toys are strewn everywhere. Laundry is piled up to the ceiling. There seems to be no end to the dishes. No matter how much I manage to clean up, there's always another mess waiting for me.

Last Saturday, hubs took the kids out to play, and I spent two hours cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom. It was sparkling-beautiful by the time I was finished.

And then, the family returned for lunch.

In 10 minutes, I watched as a whirlwind tore through my beautiful kitchen. Coats were shed, food taken out, dishes piled up. When it was all said and done, I felt like crying.

Sometimes it's hard to shake the feeling that I'm losing the battle and the war.

So, I've been giving a lot of thought to blizzards this week. And, I've come to a few realizations that have made coping with these small "life blizzards" a little easier.

1. Blizzards last only for a season. Unless you live in Antarctica, blizzards happen in winter. Then, they disappear for the rest of the year. In much the same way, the blizzards of chaos overtaking my home these days are also temporary. With three kids age 6 and under, I happen to be receiving a lot of snowfall right now. But, it helps to remember it won't last forever.

2. When the weather is extreme, accept the fact that life won't be perfect. Blizzards bring sub-zero temps, wicked wind, messy roads and slow travel time. That's the nature of a blizzard. When I'm facing a "life blizzard," there are going to be uncomfortable moments. There are going to be moments of inconvenience. I'm not going to be able to accomplish all I want/need to do. It's the nature of the beast. I need to stop fighting it and temporarily lower my standards. Then, go back and review #1.

3. Before you roll up your sleeves, wait for a break in the storm. This might be obvious but, overwhelmed with the chaos, I find myself breaking this rule. I wouldn't try to clear the driveway at the exact moment snow is falling the hardest. That would be counter-productive. In the same way, when chaos is the order of the day at my house, that is not the time to be tackling a big organizational project (unless I want a one-way trip to insanity.) It's best to have my husband take the kids for the day, hire a babysitter, or schedule a play date at someone else's house. Then, use that quiet time to get things cleared away.

4. Sometimes, you just have to set aside your shovel and jump in. We don't get a lot of snow in Georgia. So, on the odd occasion when a storm does come our way, the last thing we think about is clearing the driveway. Instead, we head out to play. Remember #1? Blizzards don't last forever. There are times when, really, it just pays to embrace the chaos. My kids won't always be this young. They won't always want to play with me. When I scan my family room and see 500 toys strewn across the floor, I can bemoan the mess, or I can take the opportunity to temporarily "give up," jump in and play with my kids. I can't let my need to "fix the chaos" overwhelm me to the point where I can't occasionally cut loose and have fun.

So, that's what I've learned this week. Interested in what other folks learned? Head over to Musings of a Housewife for the What I Learned This Week Carnival.

Tales of the Folicly Challenged

2009-02-09T04:47:00.000-08:00

When God was giving out fantastic hair genes, I somehow ended up at the end of the line.

My hair is fine and stick straight. Any "bend" or body I might have in my hair is the direct result of sleeping on it wrong.

It's taken me 30 years to come to terms with my hair. I've finally managed to find a cut that works pretty well, and I've accepted that I'm never going to have a mane like Julianne Moore's (as depressing as that fact may be).

But, this post isn't about my hair woes. It's about my children's.

You see, my husband's hair is the exact same texture as mine. That means, genetically speaking, our kids never stood a chance. Great hair just wasn't going to be in their future.

For Josh, this isn't really a big deal. A little gel, a small tousle, and he's good to go.

But, my poor daughters.

They're stuck with straight, fine hair and a mother who doesn't know what to do with it. To top it off, Jilly's hair has so many cowlicks, it's impossible to find a straight part.

Thus, my hairstyle repertoire consists of the following:

* Ponytail
* Pigtails
* Headband
* Braids

That's not too shabby, but here's the problem -- we live in the South. And Southern mothers take little girl hair very seriously. Glance around any holiday gathering or school function and you'll spot a sea of adorable curls, loops and bows.

How do I cope with the hair pressure?

Well, I pretty much resigned myself to defeat.

My hairstyle apathy reached its lowest point last year, when Hubs and Jilly were attending the annual Sweetheart Ball.

None of the styles in my repertoire exactly scream "special occasion." I didn't know what to do. So, I did nothing. Nada. I ran a comb through her hair and sent her out the door with nary a bow, headband or curl.

I'm still not sure what I was thinking.

So, this year I committed to do better. I did a little online research on hairstyles for little girls. Do you know there are blogs dedicated solely to showcasing new hairstyles for your little princess?

Styles like this, this, and -- oh my stars -- this.

I must have spent 2 hours reading those blogs in awestruck amazement. Who knew there were so many style options? Who knew there were so many little girls who would sit still that long?

So, I set my sights high. I began a full hour and half before Saturday's party. We washed, combed, added product, heated up the curling iron, and by 45 minutes into it, I was in a full-fledged panic. My "woven heart design" didn't turn out (despite a practice run the day before). My Plan B -- a head full of curls -- wasn't even an option. Jilly's hair stubbornly refused all but the slightest bend.

So, I had to do some quick thinking. Thankfully, I had made 2 sets of flower clippies (to "dress up" my tried and true pigtails) the day before. Here's what we did:

It's a little "flower girl-ish," but it's light years better than last year.

And, for the record, I'm not giving up. I even took my standard braids to new levels for church yesterday:

With a good deal of practice, I just might be able to come to terms with that girl's mane.

And, with a little luck, it won't take anywhere close to 30 years.

iPosture: Your Personal Posture Coach

2009-02-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm over at Chic Critique today offering help to the slouchers of the world!

Chic Critique is coming up on it's one-year blogoversasry, btw, and we want to know if we're on the right track. If you've been a regular reader of Chic Critique, or pop over there on occassion, would you be willing to help some sisters out? We've set up a super-brief survey. Your answers will help us figure out where we take Chic Critique next. And it will only take a few minutes. Muchos gracias!

Today, I’m going to share a simple beauty tip that will make you instantly look five pounds thinner, while also helping you to appear more confident and self-assured.

Are you ready?

Here it is: Stand up straight.

Good posture can cover a multitude of sins. It’s one of the first things people notice about you. When we slouch, we not only reduce our height, but our chest appears smaller, our belly “pooches,” and we can even experience lower back pain.

Standing up straight should be simple. But, it’s not.

I should know. I am, like many women, a habitual sloucher.

For the sake of illustrating a point, I managed to dig out a couple of candid shots of myself taken at my daughter’s birthday party. (read more at Chic Critique)

What I Learned This Week -- A Random Sampling

2009-02-03T06:15:00.000-08:00

Once again, Musings of a Housewife is hosting the What I Learned This Week carnival. No big revelation for me this week -- randomness is the order of the day:

1. It's a lot harder to be a Kindergartner nowadays. Jilly (6) came home from school the other day, a proud member of the "100 Club." That means she can write to 100, can count to 100 by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s, and can read 100 site words. Add that to the fact that they were studying sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks last week. Huh? My education feels so inadequate. I'm pretty sure I was just working on telling left from right when I was in Kindergarten (something I still manage to mix up, btw). I can't wait to see the type of work she'll be bringing home in 3rd grade. I'm sure the math alone will make me break out in hives.

2. Gun laws just don't make sense. Did you know that if you want to apply for a Concealed Weapons Permit in Georgia all you have to do is fill out the paperwork and undergo a background check? No firearms safety class required. Put another way: You don't have to have fired a gun before to carry one on your person. If you're hunting deer, however, you are required to take a firearms safety course. Does anyone else find this deeply disturbing?

3. I'm an Internet addict. The computer is a huge distraction for me. Somehow, even when I'm just "checking my email" I manage to waste 30 minutes. :) I've discovered that I can accomplish quite a bit when I turn the computer off. So, I've made a decision to join Meredith in unplugging at least once a week.

4. And I've got another addiction. Despite all my efforts to start "going green," I can't give up the paper towels. I'm killing trees right and left around here. I'm not proud. I. Just. Can't. Stop.

5. Conquering kid boredom is as easy as making a list. A lot of times, when the kids are looking for something to do, I find myself suggesting the same things over and over. (Kind of like I seem to make the same recipes over and over.) But, while cleaning out the craft/activity closet the other day, I realized we have a ton of different activity options. I made a list of every single one. Now, when the kids are bored, I reference the list for something new and exciting to entertain them. Hmmm. Maybe I need to do that with the recipes, too.

That's pretty much it. Now, go find out what everyone else learned this week over at Musings of a Housewife.

Breakfast Battles Begone

2009-02-01T17:56:00.000-08:00

My kids have never been big breakfast eaters.

Really, they're not big eaters in general.

While my oldest has come a long way from where she was, the other two still tend to be picky. They eschew meat, they turn their noses up at vegetables. And then, I start to worry. Because really, what kind of nutrition are they getting?

So, I've been known to resort to drastic measures.

That's right. I'm one of those mothers who has hidden spinach in her Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and sweet potatoes in her Spaghetti Bolognaise.

What can I say?

A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.

The cookbook that taught me everything I know about increasing the nutritional value of everyday recipes is The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine. It came out several months before that "other" hide-the-vegetables-in-the-food book -- and really, I think Lapine's is far superior. I've made dozens of her recipes and nearly all of them have been hits.

Which brings me back to breakfast.

Any nutritionist will tell you that a high-protein breakfast is the best bet for your little one. But, the day my kids eat eggs for breakfast will be the day pigs begin to fly.

So, I give them cookies and milk instead.

These Breakfast Cookies are my kids' all-time favorite. I make a double batch and they're gone within two days (partly because I can't stop eating them either). They're whole grain, high protein (thanks to ricotta cheese) and contain half the sugar of kids' breakfast cereals.

They're easy to make, a hit with the kids and don't have one trace of spinach. Promise.

Breakfast Cookies
Recipe courtesy of The Sneaky Chef by Missy Lapine

2 cups whole grain cereal flakes (such as Wheaties or Total)
3/4 c. Flour Blend (1/4 c. each of white flour, whole wheat flour and wheat germ)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. canola oil
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 c. low-fat ricotta cheese
Cinnamon sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with oil).

Using a rolling pin, gently crush the cereal (in a sealed plastic bag) into coarsely crushed flakes. Alternatively, you can quickly pulse the cereal in a food processor.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Flour Blend, crushed cereal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, oil, vanilla and ricotta cheese. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Drop single tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch between cookies. Flatten cookies with the back of a fork and then sprinkle tops generously with cinnamon sugar (or just sugar if your kids don't like cinnamon flavor). Bake about 18 to 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy around the edges.

Serve with milk or hot cocoa.
Makes 16 to 18 large cookies.

Chasing Away the Gray

2009-01-30T01:32:00.000-08:00

It's January. The holidays are over and for the next several weeks, I'll be trying to survive the remainder of winter.

Now, before you go rolling your eyes -- because I know what you're saying ("She lives down South, for crying out loud!"), it's true that we don't have the bitterly cold temperatures to deal with. But, this is also the part of the year where we get our highest percentage of cloudy days.

And it's the clouds.

They get me every time.

I can withstand the coldest of temperatures (I did once live in Michigan) if the sun is shining. But the gray days. Ick. My mom and sister will vouch for me on this one -- a gray day can turn me into the biggest grump on the face of the earth.

I may have a touch of that whole Seasonal Affective Disorder thing.

I even may have considered purchasing a light box at one point (for the sake of my loved ones).

I can't help it. The gray. It gets to me.

So, while I was at the beach the other weekend, my sister and I managed to squeeze a trip in to my most favorite place on earth -- the Tanger Outlets -- for a little retail therapy. I was already kind of crabby, because not only was it raining when we woke up (the weatherman had predicted sun!), but it was pretty cold, too.

Yet, I managed to drag myself to the outlets anyway. (It's a tough life I lead.)

While browsing through the stores, I noticed a certain color that must be "hot" for spring. It was this super-bright electric yellow.

It made me think of this:

And this:

This:

And most importantly, this:

I'm telling you, just looking at it lifted my spirits on that miserable day.

Now, while I don't think I'd be bold enough to buy a jacket, dress or pair of slacks in that particular color, an accessory is a different story.

I snapped up one of those faux pashmina scarves in the brightest yellow I could find.

I've been wearing it on the grayest of days, and can I just say, it takes me to my happy place.

It really is the little things, isn't it?

And at ten bucks, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a light box.

Do you dislike winter? What helps you get through the bleak winter months?

What I Learned This Week: Change the Game Plan

2009-01-27T02:45:00.000-08:00

After I agreed to play along in Jo-Lynne's "What I Learned This Week" carnival, I kind of broke out in a cold sweat.

Part of the reason had to do with the fact that I was in the midst of the stomach virus that has now plagued each and every member of our family. But the other reason was, I wasn't sure I really had much to share.

I mean, what had I learned this week? That Clorox wipes are a gift from the gods?

But, just when my concern began to blossom into full-scale panic, I was hit between the eyes with the biggest lesson of the week.

It was Sunday night and four of us were laid out in the great room suffering through said stomach virus. Josh (4), who had recovered from his bout a day earlier, was the only one back to fighting form. He comes in the great room and asks if he can go over to my parents' house to play because he was bored.

Earlier that day (before my other two kids got sick), my parents had generously offered to take the kids to Walmart. On the way home, Grace (19 months) began puking in the car. So, I kind of felt like my parents had had their fill of us for one day.

"No, Josh." I said.

"But, why. I'm --"

"Josh. No. I said no. Mimi and Papa have already done enough today."

That's when my husband piped up, "You don't have to holler at him."

"I didn't holler," I protested.

"Yes you did. You just don't notice it because you're always in holler mode with him lately."

Ouch.

Was that really true?

I thought about my husband's comment for the rest of the evening.

Of all three of my children, Josh is the most challenging. He is a debater by nature. He can be stubborn. He has an answer for everything. Something as simple as asking him to put on his shoes can turn into a 15-minute, "But why can't I wear my flip flops when it's 40 degrees and raining?" episode.

Josh's personality is diametrically opposite to mine. I don't like conflict. I don't enjoy debates. I was the type of child who tended to do as she was told, without question. A lot of times I find myself wondering, "Why can't he just take my answer and leave it at that. Why is there always an argument?"

In short, the constant drama exhausts me.

While I still don't agree that I was "hollering" at Josh the other night, I can't deny the fact that my communication with him did have a certain "edge" to it. The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that every time I talk to Josh lately, I tend to have my boxing gloves on and ready. I'm almost anticipating the fight. Doing so practically ensures an argument every time, while encouraging the same petulant behavior in him (what am I modeling, after all?).

And as a result, I fall far short of the mother I'd like to be.

What I learned this week is that sometimes you need to change up the game plan. Parenting from a defensive position -- particularly when dealing with a strong-willed child -- will not get the job done. The answer doesn't lie in "winning the fight" and forcing Josh to succumb to my will. More often than not, the answer lies in more patience and focus on my part, not more vocal volume. (This post from Simple Kids sums it up perfectly.)

Ultimately, I've got to remain mindful of my own behavior and response. Because, in the end, the only behavior I can control is my own.

If I can master that, I stand a much better chance at influencing the behavior of those around me, especially my children.

To learn what other people learned this week, head on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Bloggy Giveaway: Superhero/Princess Cape and Mask Set

2009-01-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

***UPDATE: We have a winner! Congratulations to Stephanie, who blogs at My True Loves! And, thanks to everyone who took the time to play along! ***

I live with a pint-sized superhero.

In practical terms, that means I often trip over rubber boots left in the hallway. My pot lids do double-time as shields. And my hand towels go missing when my hero needs a new cape.

That's why I fell in love with babypop Designs -- a one-stop shop for the superhero or princess in your life.

Sherry, a 15-year apparel industry veteran, designs and hand-stitches all babypop garments using quality satin and felt made from recycled materials.

My son Josh received a cape, mask and glove set for Christmas, custom-made in his favorite colors -- orange and green. To say it was a "hit" would be putting it lightly. He adores it.

And, I've finally reclaimed my hand towels.

Here's the best part: babypop has generously donated one custom cape and mask set (featuring one initial in the colors of your choosing) to a lucky winner!

To enter:

1) Head over to babypop's Etsy shop and let me know what your favorite item is. (Comments that don't answer that question will be deleted.)

2) OPTIONAL: Get a second entry for twittering the contest. Just be sure to leave a second comment so you get your second entry.

3) OPTIONAL: You can get a third entry by subscribing to Life with Three. Again, just leave a second comment saying you did so.

This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern (8:59 p.m. Pacific) on Saturday, January 31st, 2009. Winner will be determined by the good ol' random number generator.

So get commenting -- and don't forget to go and check out the hundreds of other fantabulous giveaways going on this week as part of the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival!

Good luck y'all!

Bloggy Giveaway: One Free Year of Menu Planning

2009-01-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

***UPDATE: Congratulations to Angela who blogs at Nine More Months! And, thanks to everyone who took the time to play along! ***

Each week, I sit down and create a plan for our weekly dinners.

It has never been my favorite chore. It takes a good deal of time and involves me shuffling through a lot of recipes.

But I do it.

Because you know what's worse than planning weekly meals?

Walking into a grocery store at 5 p.m. on a weeknight with three kids in tow and asking, "What should I make for dinner tonight?"

That's pretty much my definition of hell on earth.

So, I choose to menu plan. I used to do it begrudgingly (and with a fair amount of complaining), until a couple months ago when I discovered Relish!.

Relish! is a menu planning service. Each week, they email me a new list of 10 dinners I can choose to prepare. I choose five meals from the Relish! list, then print out my ready-made grocery list and recipes.

It. Is. The. Bomb.

Meal planning now takes all of 10 minutes.

The delicious recipes are super-simple and are labeled with tags like "kid friendly," "vegetarian," and "lower calorie" for convenience. This week we're enjoying Chicken Stir Fry Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Rice, Spinach Pie with Pine Nuts and Apple Salad, and Pacific Flat Iron Steaks with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears.

What's more, Relish! even offers customized menus for family movie nights (think Kung Pao Chicken for a screening of Kung Fu Panda), theme parties, lunches and monthly freezer menus.

Now, here's the great news: The ladies over at Relish! have generously donated a one-year subscription to their service to one lucky winner.

That's one-year of having someone plan your weekly dinners! The only thing better than that is a personal chef , and unfortunately, I couldn't find one of those to give away. ;-)

So, here's how to enter:

1) Leave a comment telling me whether or not you sit down and make a weekly meal plan. (Comments that don't answer that question will be deleted!)

2) OPTIONAL: Get a second entry for twittering the contest. Just be sure to leave a second comment so you get your second entry.

3) OPTIONAL: You can get a third entry by subscribing to Life with Three. Again, just leave a second comment saying you did so.

This giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern (8:59 p.m. Pacific) on Friday, January 30th, 2009. Winner will be determined by the good ol' random number generator.

So get commenting -- and don't forget to go and check out the hundreds of other fantabulous giveaways going on this week as part of the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival!

And...don't forget to check out my other giveaway for a custom-made cape and mask set -- perfect for the pint-sized superhero or princess in your life!

Good luck y'all!

Because I'm sure y'all are waiting for my words of wisdom...

2009-01-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

My bloggy pal Jo-Lynne over at Musings of a Housewife is hosting a brand-spanking new weekly carnival called, "What I Learned This Week."

Isn't she too clever? I can't wait to play along -- not because I have weekly earth-shattering epiphanies, but perhaps writing such a post will help me be able to recognize the beauty in the small moments, yanno?

The idea is for the carnival to be fun and easy. Just write a post on what you've been learning over the past week -- it can be serious, funny, heartwarming, you name it. (Seeing as how I've been ankle-deep in vomit for the past three days, you can bet my post is going to be PRO-FOUND. I'm sure y'all will be on pins and needles all weekend wondering what words of wisdom I will espouse. Ha!)

All you've got to do is put your post up sometime on Tuesday, January 27th. Then, link up the post's permalink over at the Mr. Linky on Jo-Lynne's site. And, be sure and link back to her in your post so people know what's going on.

Then, go read some of the other participating posts and leave lots of comments. Everyone loves comments, y'all. Seriously. It can make or break a blogger's day. :)

That's it. Easy peasy. See ya next week! Have a great weekend!

Just so you know how we're holding up around here...

2009-01-21T18:34:00.000-08:00

So, today was quite the day. Poor Josh felt horrible for most of it, with his lifeless little 4-year-old body sprawled out on the couch in the great room, watching TV. I spent a good part of the day running back and forth from room to room in response to Josh's frantic pleas for help. It would go something like this:

"I'm gonna throw up! I'm gonna throw up!! I'M GONNA THROW UP!!!"

Josh would end this announcement with a scream that could shatter glass.

At this point, I would immediately drop whatever I was doing and sprint for the great room, calling, "Get your bowl! Get your bowl!"

This little scenario played out about 20 times. He only ended up tossing his cookies four times, but that didn't make the other 16 calls for help any less nerve-wracking.

When my husband came home at 6:15 and asked if I was going to karate tonight, my answer was: "Uh, yeah."

I needed a little break.

Josh is bunking next to our bed tonight. I figure this will prevent my having to run at full-tilt down the hall to his room when I hear him screaming, "I'm gonna throw up!" over the monitor. There's nothing quite like being startled out of a sound sleep and immediately forced to sprint. So, I'm trying to make life easier. We'll see what happens.

Ah, stomach virus season.

There truly is no end to the joys you bring.

Hey there! Remember me?

2009-01-21T05:37:00.000-08:00

I'm a little "off" this week. Over the weekend I headed to Myrtle Beach with my sister for a scrapbooking retreat. It was the first time I picked up my scrapbooking supplies in months. It felt so good to catch up on our albums. But somehow, even though I was gone for only two days, I feel like I've been gone a week. It's been hard to get back in the swing of things -- and this poor little blog has been sorely neglected.

To top it all off, Josh came down with a stomach bug early this morning, and I'm starting to feel a little woozy myself. But, before things really go downhill, I wanted to share a couple neat things with y'all.

It's been cold in Georgia, but not nearly as cold as up north. If you're looking for the perfect winter comfort food recipe, try this Creamy Chipotle Chicken Tortellini with White Beans and Cilantro that Jenny posted. I could eat the entire pot in one sitting. Unbelieveably good.

Jo-Lynne gave me the heads up on this next one. Audrey's tip on how to fit pants without trying them on is amazing and really works! It will forever change my shopping excursions with kids in tow. Where was this information two kids ago? :)

Finally, I recently discovered a pure, organic "magic soap." It's now a staple in our family. Curious? Go check it out.

With that, I'm off to be nurse for the day. Stay warm and healthy, y'all!

Simplifying Mealtimes

2009-01-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to share a tip that has the power to literally transform mealtimes with little ones.

In our house, at each meal, I have three plates worth of food to cut up. One plate requires small, "non-chokable" bites for Grace. Another requires medium-sized 4-year-old bites for Josh. And then there's a plate of regular-sized bites for Jilly.

Y'all -- that's a lot of cutting. It's rather tedious and, if you happen to be eating something like pizza, the cutting can get a little messy.

The solution?

A humble pair of Kitchen Shears:

Many of you probably already have a pair in your kitchen utensil drawer, but, if you're like me, you had no idea what to do with them.

With the kitchen shears, I can cut up three kiddie dinners in about 1/3 of the time with the precision of a samurai chef. Seriously -- it's such a time saver. And for pizza? It's golden. You actually manage to keep the cheese on the crust, instead of tearing all the cheese off the pieces you try to cut with a fork and knife.

I've also been known to tuck my shears into the diaper bag for birthday parties and the like, because the only thing worse than cutting food into small bites with a fork and knife is having to do it with a plastic fork and knife.

For more great ideas and tips, head on over to Works for Me Wednesday!

And -- it's the last day to enter the book and beauty makeover at Chic Critique. Be sure to check it out!

2008: The Year in Books

2009-01-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

One of the best things to happen to me in 2008 was the Hollywood Writers' Strike. It provided the motivation for me to finally break away from the T.V. and get back to reading for pleasure (something I love, but hadn't done in a good, long while). So, with the help of Paperback Swap (which, by the way, if you haven't looked into, you really should), I compiled a reading list for the year. Here's what I ended up reading:

The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir: Now, I realize British history isn't for everyone, but Weir writes non-fiction in such a way that you would swear you're reading a novel. I was also captivated by the life of Elizabeth I -- daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she rises above incredible adversity (even imprisonment in the Tower of London) to become one of England's most-beloved queens -- all during a time when men dominated the political landscape. I found her life incredibly inspiring.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: After all of the English history I had been reading, the Kite Runner's stark language was a welcome reprieve. Touching, but painful in parts, this story of friendship is well worth the read.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger: While I found the story somewhat bizarre (I kept feeling like I was missing some big, profound symbolism), the writing is stunning. I'm a girl who loves language, and the way Enger strings words together left me awestruck.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: I loved this one. The writing is vivid. The story is engaging, full of action and sticks with you.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield: Gothic literature at its best. In much the same vein as Jane Eyre and Rebecca (two of my favorites), I was sad to see it end.

For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men by Shaunti Feldhahn: This book has the power to transform relationships. Honestly. I learned so much from this one, that I plan to re-read it at least once a year. The conversational style makes it a super-fast read.

The Shack by William P. Young: This is another one that goes in the "to be re-read" pile. There's so much to gain from this book, it's hard to get it all in one reading. It's not easy to read -- it forces you to re-live a parent's worst nightmare -- but if you've ever wondered why God lets bad things happen to good people, this is food for thought.

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Dr. Robert Sears: It's hard to find unbiased information on vaccinations, namely because most of the literature out there is either written by vaccine advocates or detractors. This book is a refreshing change of pace. Dr. Sears does a great job of walking you through the various required childhood vaccinations and outlining the pros and cons of each. It's the closest to "unbiased" that I've found and gave me the information I needed to make informed choices.

The Twilight Saga (Books 1-4) by Stephenie Meyer: Yes, it's young adult fiction. Yes, I fell in love with a fictional vampire. Yes, it's borderline hokey. But I relished every page. It's a guilty pleasure to the "nth" degree. By far, my favorite read of the year. (And -- just for the record -- despite the fact that every 12-year-old girl in my niece's class has read the books, I would NOT suggest it for anyone under the age of 16. Just my two cents.)

Uncharted by Angela Elwell Hunt: This is Christian literature -- and super thought-provoking. I finished it about a month ago, and find myself still thinking about it. It's been described as "Lost meets St. Elmo's Fire." That's a pretty accurate depiction -- with a little bit of eternity thrown in to boot.

The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart: Brin recommended this one, which is set in northern England. It started out kind of slow, but the twists and turns the story takes makes it worth the effort in the end.

So, there you have it. My 2008 Reading List. Did you discover any great (or not-so-great) books last year? If so, let us know in the comments!

The Green Beauty Guide

2009-01-07T06:04:00.003-08:00

Be sure to check out the super-fantastic giveaway at the end!

When I was first offered an opportunity to review The Green Beauty Guide, I’ve got to admit, I was initially skeptical.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for healthful eating (I don’t do high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, and I buy organic when I can), but when it comes to “green” beauty products my knee-jerk reaction was something along the lines of, “C’mon. That is such a ploy to get you to spend more money. Does it really matter if my moisturizer is ‘certified organic’?”

Well turns out, it actually may. (Read more at Chic Critique)

Checking in...

2009-01-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little post to let you know that we are all alive and well at the Life with Three household. We returned from a week-long trip visiting family in sunny Florida on Saturday.

I discovered over vacation that, this post notwithstanding, my morning cup of coffee is like liquid gold. My brother-in-law and his wife don't drink coffee, and by Wednesday, hubs and I were stumbling around in a decaffeinated haze. We finally hit the local Dunkin' Donuts in search of caffeine. At the first sip of that coffee, I can assure you the heavens did open and the angels did sing. It was a beautiful thing. Oh, morning caffeine. How I have missed you.

The kids are in school today -- all except Grace, who is happily playing at my feet. I'm so behind in my blog reading -- I've missed you all! Hopefully, I'll be tackling my reader in the next few days to see what y'all have been up to.

In the meantime, I've got to get the house sorted -- it looks like a bomb went off. There are bags to unpack, laundry to do and a Christmas tree that is STILL up (so much for my plans to take it down the day after Christmas!).

I am posting over at Chic Critique tomorrow -- and I'm giving you the heads up now -- it's going to feature a fantabulous giveaway. Really. You don't want to miss it.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T04:55:00.000-08:00

Shopping is done. Presents are wrapped. Christmas cards finally went out on Monday. Everything's ready for the big day -- so I'm signing off until the New Year.

2008 has been an amazing year of growth for our family -- and the friends I've made through blogging have been one of the highlights. Thank y'all for taking the time to read, to comment, and to contribute to my life through your blogs. :)

While 2009 might be full of uncertainty and change for our nation, in the midst of it all, it's comforting to remember that one thing never changes: God's love for His people. Christmas is the ultimate celebration of that love -- a love that came to Earth in the form of a man and died so that we might live.

May you rest in the certainty of God's unchanging love this Christmas and throughout the New Year!

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Heb. 13:8

Putting the "Oh!" Back in H2O

2008-12-24T04:41:00.000-08:00

Before I had kids, I was one of those ~~annoying~~ people who claimed caffeine had no effect on them. I would drink a cup of coffee and never notice the "burst of energy" everyone always claimed to get from that morning hit of caffeine.

Apparently, in my early years, I was the picture of well-rested, youthful exuberance.

But then, I had my first child -- the one who would wake up at 5:30 in the morning and refuse to go back to sleep.

It was during this dark period, I managed to rescue my coffeemaker from the depths of the pantry. I plugged it in and brewed myself a cup of warm, steaming goodness. And this time? You better believe I felt the difference. It was like an instant shot of energy. From that point on, I was hooked.

But lately, my coffee/caffeine consumption has gotten a wee-bit out of hand. When I took a moment to think about it, I realized caffeine was pretty much the ONLY liquid I was consuming, happily alternating between coffee and sweet tea from morning till night. (Read more at Chic Critique)

Christmas Meme

2008-12-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

I've seen this one on a few blogs -- so, I'm gonna give it whirl...

Wrapping paper or gift bags? I'm guilty of using the gift bag if I need to wrap something in a hurry, but really, it's a lot more fun when a present is wrapped up in paper.

Real tree or artificial? Artificial all the way. Although our artificial tree does look remarkably real. I am not a houseplant kind of gal, so the whole "watering the tree" business would never happen. If we had a real tree, it would probably lose all its needles by Christmas morning.

When do you put up the tree? This year, my husband and the kids put it up super early. Usually, we do it over Thanksgiving weekend.

When do you take the tree down? Growing up, we never took the tree down before the Epiphany (Jan. 6). It had to do with some old Italian tradition of not taking the tree down until the Magi saw Jesus, which I guess was on the Epiphany. This year, I'm hoping to get it down the day after Christmas.

Do you like eggnog? No. The very word makes me throw up a little in my mouth.

Favorite gift received as a child? My roller skates. I never took them off my feet for the next two weeks. I so wanted to be Olivia Newton John in Xanadu.

Hardest person to buy for? My in-laws.

Easiest person to buy for? My kids.

Do you have a Nativity scene? Two -- one is a Fontanini set that we got for our wedding and the other is Fisher Price.

Mail or email Christmas cards? I love to mail them. Although this year, I might be emailing a few of the international ones.

Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I'm coming up blank on this one.

Favorite Christmas movie? White Christmas. The. All. Time. Best.

When do you start shopping for Christmas? I'm one of those annoying people who shops for Christmas all year long.

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies!

Lights on the tree? Of course. They're white. Which the kids don't like. But I let them have colored lights in their rooms, because I'm not all Grinch. :)

Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

Travel at Christmas or stay home? We're home for Christmas and then we visit my husband's family the week after.

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning

Most annoying thing about this time of year? Shopping in stores. I did 95% of my shopping online this year. In my pajamas. With a cup of coffee in hand. Amazon.com LOVES me.

Favorite ornament theme or color? We do a mix -- and that's what makes me love our ornament collection all the more.

What do you want for Christmas this year? I'm finally breaking down and asking for a velour hoodie/pant set. It's going to be so comfy. I might never take it off.

Easy Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

We've done gingerbread houses for three years running now, and we've had some failures and some successes. So, I present to you all I've learned on how to do this holiday tradition right.

First, DO NOT buy one of those gingerbread house kits. The house itself will be petrified and inedible. The included icing will be like mortar and the 12 colored candies they include for "decoration" will (obviously) not be enough.

Now, you can also go the route of the homemade, from-scratch gingerbread house. And while the real deal smells absolutely divine, it requires a ton of time and energy (as well as the patience of a saint). I'd prefer to save my patience for the decorating part, rather than expend it all in the baking phase. It's all about making a memory, people. And a crabby, impatient mommy doesn't say holiday cheer. Just sayin'.

So, how do you decorate a gingerbread house so that fun is had by all? Well, to borrow a phrase from Sandra Lee, you do the "semi-homemade" version.

This year, we used graham crackers to build two small gingerbread houses. It was super easy. Check out this quick tutorial:

The best part about it is that each child gets a house. So, there's no arguing about the decorating scheme. That is holiday bliss, my friends. (Btw, I also like to use some icing to secure the house to some foil-covered cardboard. Nothing ruins the holiday mood faster than a smashed gingerbread house that when zinging off the table onto the floor.)

I'm including my recipe for royal icing, because the right icing makes all the difference. This recipe makes enough for two graham cracker houses and will stay soft if you seal it in a ziploc bag. When you're ready to pipe on the icing, just make a small cut to remove a corner of the bag.

Royal Icing

2 egg whites

1 pound sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. glycerin (you can get this at the drugstore)

Beat whites until frothy. Add sugar, 1 T. at a time. Add lemon juice and glycerin. If the icing begins to harden, add a small amount of hot water. Pour into a ziploc bag and seal. Cut corner of bag when ready to decorate.

There you have it. The Gingerbread House tradition, done with minimal fuss.

Now, for more tips that will make your life (and holidays) easier, go visit Works for Me Wednesday!

The Final Verdict

2008-12-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

Thank y'all so much for your help with my fashion crisis the other day. Here's what I ended up wearing to the par-tay last night -- it was the overall favorite, by a landslide:

It was super-comfy and very festive. I'm also going to count this outfit for Jane's Christmas Challenge: Wear an Outfit Inspired by a Song. My song "inspiration" was Back in Black, because I always seem to wear black every year for the Christmas party. :) But, hey. It works for me.

The Halls -- They are Decked

2008-12-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

It's time for BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes!

Come on in and make yourself at home -- let me show you around and share some of my favorite Christmas decorations this year.

When you the walk through the front door, this is the view into our great room.

(By the way, lest you think I have some kind of avant garde decorating sense, that crazy swatch of fabric hanging on the window is a "mock up" for my window mistreatment that is still a work in progress.)

Here is a close-up view of our tree. We've had it up since the middle of November, but (I'm embarrassed to say) it took BooMama's Home Tour to finally motivate me to put the angel on top:

Do you hear the music in the background? I'm playing one of my most favorite Christmas CDs:

It's such a jaunty set of tunes. I love it.

These are the Christmas elves that I inherited from my grandmother.

I know some of them look a little strange, but they mean a lot to me. As a little girl, I remember being fascinated by them.

Oh! I almost forgot to introduce you to Cherry. He's our "Elf on the Shelf." He arrives at our house each year on Dec. 1 and flies back each night to the North Pole to report to Santa on behavior at the Life with Three house. Each morning, we find him in a new hiding spot. The kids think he is just the best.

Here is our Christmas Countdown Calendar, which was made for us by a family friend. We hang an ornament on the tree for each day in December.

And, finally, a favorite sign, which hangs prominently above the door in the kitchen.

Before you leave, be sure and try a piece of this crockpot candy. I discovered it last year over at Brin's blog. It will blow your socks off -- I can't stop eating it. I've included the recipe for y'all below:

(1) 16 oz. jar unsalted peanuts

(1) 16 oz. jar salted peanuts

(1) 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

(1) 12 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips

(2) 12 oz. bags of peanut butter chips

(2) 1 lb. packages White Almond Bark (or Vanilla Candy Coating), broken in pieces

Layer ingredients, in order listed, into (4-quart or larger) crockpot. Cover and turn the crockpot on low for two hours. After two hours, stir to combine. Replace lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Check to see if almond bark is melted and, if so, stir and spoon mixture onto wax paper. (I like to decorate it with sprinkles.) Allow to harden for about an hour. Gym membership not included. :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Home Touring!

What to Wear? Advice Needed!

2008-12-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

Alright. I need some help. My husband's "work" Christmas party is coming up on Monday night. After following Jane for a few months, and buying a slew of Christmas gifts, I really don't want to spend more money on a dressy Christmas outfit that (truth is) will get worn once a year.

So, in the spirit of seasonal thriftiness, I went "shopping" in my closet and came up with three options for Monday night's par-tay. I'm looking for a little input from everyone. Help me decide which one.

Now before you go checking out the pictures, I do have to put in a few disclaimers. First of all, I didn't do my makeup. Secondly, it's been raining cats and dogs here for two days. So, that should explain the hair. I promise, it will look much better come Monday night. M'kay?

Here are the choices:

Option 1:

This is my standard holiday uniform. I'm pretty sure I wore it to the party last year. But, I love the beaded sweater and the velvet pants are super-comfy. I could wear it with or without the shawl.

Option 2:

The next two options feature a LBD that I have had in the closet for years and I think I've worn all of two times. (Lori, do you remember when I bought it with you?) In this option (yikes my hair!), I've topped the dress with an embellished black sweater. The sweater once belonged to my grandmother (it was my great-grandmother who added the sequins and all), so I guess this is kind of "vintage" inspired, if you will.

Option 3:

I'm pretty sure I've worn this blouse to a Christmas party before, as well. But, this time I've just layered it over the dress. Maybe with the right accessories (suggestions???) it would work. (Although, I'm not too sure about the Elvira sleeves.)

So there you have it. Three choices. Which one do you like best? Please, I'm all ears. Help a girlfriend out. :)

Last-Minute Gift Ideas

2008-12-10T06:09:00.001-08:00

What? Not done with your Christmas shopping yet?

You should be roasting chestnuts over an open fire by now, not racking your brain to come up with gifts for the hard-to-shop for people on your list.

Well, not to worry. I think I might be able to offer some gift guidance. Give me a few minutes and, I promise, we’ll have you kicking up your feet and sipping eggnog in no time. (read more at Chic Critique)

Happy Feet

2008-12-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

Check out my latest purchase from Tar-Jay.

Oh, I know it's the season of giving. But, I just happened to find myself with a $25 Target gift card. And, while I could have used it to buy Christmas presents for others, I'm obviously not that selfless. I know. I'm shameful.

And I was a little skeptical. I mean at $14.99 I was hardly expecting much.

But.

These are now the most comfortable shoes in my closet. They feel like slippers. Like two little slices of heaven for my tired tootsies. They make my feet oh-so-happy -- and chic, to boot!

Stylish relief for my barking dogs. All at a bargain price.

Just one more reason why I love Target.

Because I like to weigh in on the serious issues...

2008-12-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

I had every intention of clearing out my Bloglines reader Sunday night (which is now over 1000 posts -- I'm a little behind, in case you haven't noticed.) But, turns out Sunday night was a huge T.V. night.

First, on The Girls Next Door, we had the arrival of "the twins." I had to check that out -- I mean after Hef's breakup with Holly, I had to see who's ~~b00bs~~ arms he would turn to for comfort.

Then, we had the season finale of the Pickup Artist 2. You remember, with supa-star woman magnet, Mystery. Let me ask you something. If you saw this guy approach you at a bar, would you stick around and fall for his lines?

I just find him creepy. And, honestly, if guys want tips on what women find attractive, I have two words for them: Edward Cullen.

While flipping through channels, I also noticed Britney Spears' tell-all documentary, For the Record was on too. All of these shows were on at the same time, and I was forced to make a decision. Which one to watch? In the end, I went with my girl Brit. Because I needed to know what in the world has been going through her head for the last couple of years.

I've been rooting for Britney from the beginning. When she finally kicked K-Fed to the curb, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief. Finally, girlfriend could get her life back on track.

Then, I watched in horror as a trainwreck unfolded before my very eyes.

Partying (sans panties) with Paris.
Shaving her head.
Her horrific VMA appearance.

With each new episode, I grew more and more depressed. So much talent. So young. Throwing her life away. At one point I was convinced her story wouldn't have a happy ending.

But, with a little familial, medical and court-appointed guidance, Brit seems to slowly be pulling her life back together. For this documentary, she sits down with good ol' Martin Bashir to answer the "tough" questions and take us through several days of her life.

A life that she describes as "old and boring." (She tells Rolling Stone Magazine that she turns in around 9:30 each night and never goes out.) Well, as another article pointed out, "old and boring" is a heck of a lot better than "young and insane."

Honestly, I felt bad for Britney. She turns 27 today, yet she looks 10 years older than that. Her youthful beauty and exuberance are gone. It didn't appear she had any true friends. All she has are her kids and her career. She lives her life under a microscope of camera lenses. And while some will, no doubt, criticize her for not offering up real explanations for her walk off the deep end, what I found most revealing was just how empty she looks. You can see the pain behind her eyes. And the part that really broke my heart was when she said it herself, "I'm so sad."

I hope Britney eventually comes to the realization that the key to happiness is going to require more than an early bedtime and lackluster social life. She won't find contentment in a "comeback," another shopping spree or increased record sales.

As they say, sometimes life has a way of putting us on our backs to force us to look up.

Hopefully, that realization will come in time. The sooner the better.

In the meantime, I hope she sticks with the 9:30 bedtime and the whole "old and boring" routine.

Because for the first time in years, she finally seems kind of normal.

What do you think of Britney? Love her? Hate her? Pity her? Let me know in the comments -- I'm curious. :)

Capsule Wardrobe Challenge

2008-11-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite new blogs is Work that Wardrobe, written by Jane (all the way over the pond in the UK). Jane never ceases to inspire me -- she has committed to not buying any new clothes for an entire year. I can't fathom how challenging that would be. Yet, everyday, with a critical eye on her wardrobe and a little creativity, she comes up with some of the cutest outfits.

All of which cost her $0.

Well, Jane is having her first Capsule Wardrobe Challenge. The challenge was to take 10 articles of clothing from your wardrobe and up to five accessories, and create a Monday to Friday wardrobe. (As I'm re-reading Jane's rules, I realize I forgot to count my shoes as part of the challenge -- but, I've already taken my pictures. So, given that I'm a SAHM and accessories don't typically feature prominently in my wardrobe, I'm going to omit the light pink pashmina and red bead necklace I included in my accessories grouping and count my two pairs of shoes as part of my five accessories. You'll just have to use your imagination and pretend that the pashmina and the necklace aren't there. :) )

With me? Alright. Here's what I came up with...

Green Boucle Jacket -- Morgan
White Tank Top -- Old Navy
Orange Hooded Tee -- Victoria's Secret
Teal Cardigan -- Gap
Brown Turtleneck -- CW
Khaki Pants -- Ann Taylor Loft
Jeans -- Banana Republic
Pink V-Neck Sweater -- Tommy Hilfiger
Brown Pants -- Gap
Jean Jacket -- French Cuff

Brown pumps -- Naturalizer
Brown flats -- Target

For my accessories (remember, I'm omitting the pink pashmina and the red bead necklace):

Ivory knit scarf -- Target

Floating Bead Necklace -- Macy's

Turquoise Necklace -- Macy's

Here are some of the outfit choices for this week:

Remember, that pink pashmina -- NOT there. :) But, I could totally add that ivory scarf for warmth.

Again, pashmina. Not there. :)

This is what I'll wear to my son's Christmas program on Tuesday night. It will be warm, but dressy enough to work.

Jane's challenge took a little thinking, but in the end it reminded me that I have more than enough in my wardrobe to outfit me for not just one week -- but several. A good lesson as our family tries to cut expenses in a challenging economic environment.

Now, go check out what everyone else chose for their Wardrobe Capsule Challenge.

Posting everywhere but here...

2008-11-26T04:40:00.000-08:00

It seems like it's been a while since I've posted something over here. It's not that I've been twiddling my thumbs, though. I've actually been pulling together a couple posts for other blogs.

If you want the full scoop on the Twilight movie I saw last Saturday, check out Books on Screen at 5 Minutes for Books. I just posted a review over there.

And, of course, don't miss the latest review over at Chic Critique. I've elaborated on my love for Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer -- and explained why it's now a staple in my winter makeup bag.

With that, I'm off to grocery shop for tomorrow's feast, and I'm officially signing off until next week.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

What's Working for Me...

2008-11-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

by lifewiththree

This post was inspired by Sarah's over at whoorl. I call it "My Favorite Things" or "What's Totally Working for Me These Days."

1. Twilight movie -- As of this writing, there are 2 days, 1 hour, 1 minute and 38 seconds to the premiere. Not that I'm counting or anything. But, just so you know, my ticket for Saturday's 7:45 show was bought over a week and a half ago.

2. Twilight CD Soundtrack -- Just about as good as the book. Love. It.

3. Weleda Skin Food -- It's that time of year when my hands get dry and it feels like the tips of my fingers are snagging on everything I touch. Skin Food is the only cream I don't have to reapply 500 times in a day. One or two daily applications of this super thick (and great smelling) moisturizing cream makes my hands happy again.

4. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer -- They say the average woman ingests about 4 pounds of lipstick over the course of her lifetime. If that's really the case, I'd prefer my lip color to be made of beeswax, vitamins and citrus oils, as opposed to petrochemicals, parabens and questionable minerals. Burt's Bees has made a great cross between a lipstick and a chapstick that provides natural, pretty color for mere pennies.

5. Relish! Weekly Menu Planner -- (More credit goes to Sarah on this one.) I hate menu planning. But, even more, I hate showing up at the grocery store with three kids in tow at 5 o'clock wondering what I'm going to make for dinner. So, I spend about an hour a week planning our meals, and complain about it the whole time. Know how much time I spent menu planning this week? 10 minutes. I chose my meals from the Relish list, then printed out my ready-made grocery list and recipes. It. Is. The. Bomb. Just this week we've enjoyed Chicken Stir Fry Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Rice, and Basil Jack Meatloaf with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes. For $7 a month, it's worth every stinkin' penny.

6. Word Girl -- Know how hard it is to find a superhero-inspired show that's appropriate for my 4-year-old son? It's nearly impossible. That's why I love PBS's Word Girl. It's cleverly written, sticks with a great superhero theme and teaches my child new words, all within the span of 30 minutes. This show is the reason my son climbed in our sun-baked minivan not too long ago and announced, "Mom, it's sweltering in here."

7. Pashmina Scarf -- My blogging pal Jane is Queen of the Scarf. She's inspired me to wear mine more often -- it adds a stylish flair to my outfits, without breaking the bank. I'd really love one in every color...

8. Shop it to Me -- Hat tip to my friend Heather who emailed me an invite for this clever personal shopping site. Just click on your favorite brands, and each week (or day) Shop it to Me will send you an email with the latest markdowns on those items. It takes the exhausting footwork out of finding a great deal. A couple weeks ago I bought a Juicy Couture bathing suit for next summer at 60 percent off.

9. Iced Green Tea -- Everyone's always espousing the benefits of drinking green tea, but whenever I make it, it ends up tasting bitter. I finally discovered the secret -- steep for only 3 minutes in very hot (not boiling) water. It comes out perfect. Throw in a little honey and serve it over ice -- it's a healthier version of sweet tea, with antioxidants to boot.

So, there you have it -- the things I'm totally loving right now. For more tips and ideas, head over to Shannon's place!

A Toothy Dilemma

2008-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

My oldest, Jillian (6), lost her first tooth a couple months ago. (I wrote about it here.) It was a big moment -- she had been waiting to lose her first tooth for a while. For me, it was a just another reminder that her "babyhood" is fast becoming a distant memory.

That night, when I retrieved the tooth and replaced it with a dollar bill, I couldn't help thinking about that tooth. It happened to be the first tooth she got -- and I vividly remember the teething pain she endured because of it.

For nostalgic reasons, I kept the tooth, tucking it away in my jewelery box, perhaps for use on a future scrapbook page.

Well, last weekend, Jilly lost another tooth. And this time, I was faced with a conundrum. When I picked up this tooth and replaced it with the requisite dollar bill, I walked over to the trash can. I was just about to throw it out, when I stopped. Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to dispose of the tooth.

On the other hand, I had a hard time picturing me 20 years from now pulling Jilly aside at a Thanksgiving or Easter family gathering and telling her, "Sweetie, Mommy thinks you've finally reached the age where I can share this with you. Here are all 20 of your baby teeth."

That seems strange. I mean, would I want a collection featuring all 20 of my baby teeth?

Probably not.

(Although, I recently had a conversation with some good friends who actually kept their child's umbilical cord stump -- you know, the part that falls off? I think it's safe to say, I draw the line there.)

But, I'm curious. What do y'all do with your child's baby teeth? Do you throw them out? Do you save them? If you're a saver, what's your long term plan -- a scrapbook page, jewelery, what?

Be a pal and let me know in the comments.

Because, when it's all said and done, I could be keeping up to 60 baby teeth. And I need to figure out what to do with them.

The Big Reveal

2008-11-17T03:04:00.000-08:00

So, remember my little crafty episode where I was fashioning some "window mistreatments" ala The Nester for my kitchen and great room? Well, the kitchen is officially done -- and I've finally managed to get some halfway-decent pictures of what I did (there are so many windows in my kitchen that it was hard to find a good time of day when the lighting would work). Anywho, here's a "before picture" of my kitchen sink area (sorry, the lighting on this one isn't the greatest):

Here are the three windows over the kitchen sink now:

From another angle:

I have a huge bay of windows in the kitchen that, unfortunately, I don't have a before picture for. So, you'll just have to use your imagination to picture the area without the fabric. Here is the area all dressed up:

And a little closer...

Do you see why it would have cost me a fortune to have fancy drapery treatments made? There is no end to the windows.

All I did was folded the fabric, which I bought for a mere $7 a yard, and then used upholstery tacks to secure it the wall. (For full instructions, check out the Nester's site here.) Then, I happened to find these little flower clips:

Guess how much I paid for them?!? 50 cents each! It was the steal of the century, because just look at how it finishes off the mistreatment:

All told, I think I spent a total of $86 dollars to dress 13 windows in my kitchen. That comes out to about $6.50 a window. That is about as cheap as you can get, my friends.

The mistreatments did take a little getting used to -- after all there's now a lot more color than I had before. But, really, the fabric makes the whole kitchen so much warmer and inviting.

Great room is up next. That mistreatment is a little more involved, so it's going to take some time. But, I'll post the end result when it's finished.

Blog Party!

2008-11-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I ventured into the Big City for my very first blogger get-together. Whittaker Woman helped spearhead an effort to organize a "get-to-know-you" dinner for 40-some bloggers. And, while I thought most would be from the Atlanta area, turns out people came from all over -- South Carolina, Florida, even as far as California.

It felt a little weird going to an event where I was going to meet people "in person" who I had first "met" on the Internet. Very surreal. And a little scary. But within minutes of walking through the door, I fell into conversation with the most wonderful people.

To start, I finally got to meet fellow Georgia blogging pal Soliloquy. Love. Her. She's as down to earth in real life as she is on her blog.

I chatted about Twitter with Natalie, shared a few laughs with Erika and Vanessa, and found a kindred spirit in Cookie. Michelle and I commiserated over the trials and tribulations of raising picky eaters. I also met Jacinda -- who makes the most adorable flower hair clips (I happened to win one!) -- and Liege, who made the trip from Califorinia with her 7-week-old baby girl (absolutely precious, she was).

I've added so many new blogs to my reader and can't wait to read about the lives of these amazing women.

Hopefully, we'll all get a chance to meet up again.

Nail Strengthening: A Greener Option

2008-11-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

Back in the halcyon days of my youth -- when I was footloose and fancy free, and my biggest concern was an upcoming algebra test -- I sported perfectly manicured nails.

Seriously.

Each week, I would sit down and soak, file, massage, polish and dry my tips to a state of enameled perfection.

But several years, a husband and three kids later, my nails hardly receive the attention they once did. (I'm lucky if I pull out a nail file once a month, let alone once a week.)

And while, these days, I tend to skip polish all together (housework has a tendency to severely shorten the lifespan of your manicure), I have learned a little trick that manages to keep my tips in check. (read more at Chic Critique)

A Tale of Two Ta-Tas

2008-11-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I finally did something I've been promising myself I would do for a long time.

I had a professional br@ fitting.

See, I've nursed three babies, for over a year each. The "girls" have been working pretty much non-stop since 2002. And now, well -- they're a little worse for the wear.

I figured a professional br@ fitting might be just the thing to help me ~~gain a few more cup sizes sans surgery~~ make the most of what I've got. I scheduled an appointment at Intimacy -- home of the renowned Br@ Whisperer.

I had the highest of hopes.

Turns out, I was wearing the wrong size -- and my lovely Whisperer Stacy spent quite a bit of time enlightening me on the finer points of a well-fitting undergarment.

Yet, while my fitting was "complimentary," I can assure you that the supportive undergarments were not.

Br@ Whispering does not come without a price, my friends.

The price tag -- oh, I'm ashamed to share this with you -- was $65 and up. Per br@. One br@ I bought was over $100.

Let me type that again.

I bought one br@ for $104.

And no, it was not the one encrusted with diamonds that they show on the cover of that famous catalog of underpinnings.

(But it does convert into three different styles, so I kind of felt like I was getting a deal.)

All told, I spent WAY TOO MUCH in that store. Even my mother -- who is all about spending money on "important wardrobe staples" -- had to pick her jaw up off the floor when I told her what I spent.

I'm not proud.

And, it should come as no surprise that Intimacy doesn't offer refunds.

Store credits? Yes.

Refunds? No.

Obviously, I'm not the only woman who stumbled out of the store, teensy shopping bag in hand, and stood in horror as the lingerie-induced haze lifted from her brain and she came to grips with the reality of what she had just done.

For the rest of the day, not only did I find myself staring at people's chests wondering how much they paid for their underpinnings, but I also began viewing every potential purchase in terms of a br@.

For example, a supa-cute jacket in Nordstrom would cost me about one br@.

A sweater I loved in Ann Taylor -- just under one br@.

Some makeup I was considering in Sephora -- about half a br@.

Lunch? About a strap's worth.

But, perhaps most frustrating was the fact that I left my fitting a little depressed. My new purchases were eons better than what I had been wearing, but after such a significant investment, I was kind of hoping I'd have a little more to show for it.

Literally. As in an extra cup size or two.

Now, I know that's ridiculous, but part of me hoped that maybe there was some super-secret trick the Br@ Whisperer would share for making me look more endowed than I really am.

Well, I suppose there is a trick. It's called an implant and they just don't do those at Intimacy.

So, while I wrestled with what I spent, I also had to wrestle with the fact that a girl's gotta work with what she's got.

And for me, the fact of the matter is that in the ta-ta department, that's not much.

But, then I stop and realize that "what I have" is really a matter of perspective. I look at my three beautiful kids. I consider the fact that I'm healthy and have the energy I need to do what I do each day. I look at my husband who loves me no matter ~~how much money I manage to spend on undergarments~~ what happens.

While my physical cups might be a little on the sparse side, my metaphorical cups truly runneth over.

And in the end, I'll take that over a great rack any day of the week.

Are those sleigh bells I hear, or are we just a tad early?

2008-11-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas tree is up. Lights on. Ornaments hung.

And, I've got to say, it feels a little weird.

I mean, it's November 10th.

My husband needed a project to keep the kids busy this weekend while I was in Atlanta. Jilly (5) was dead-set on putting up the Christmas tree (she's been asking to do it since October).

So, put up the tree they did.

I thought we were the only crazy family -- but turns out, we're not.

When do y'all put your trees up?

Are we the only early birds out there?

And the winner is...

2008-11-06T19:07:00.001-08:00

Commenter #91 -- Nina! Congratulations, Nina. Your copy of Twilight is on its way to you!

For the rest of you who haven't read the book -- what are you waiting for? Get yourselves to the store and snag a copy! I'm telling you, it's well worth the read. And, thanks to everyone for playing along!

What's for Dinner plus Homemade Tomato Soup!

2008-11-02T13:25:00.001-08:00

My Menu Plan Monday posts have been few and far between because, for a while there, I felt like I was making the same things over and over again. And who wants to read the same menu each week? Well this week, I'm trying a few new recipes. Hopefully, I'll find a few keepers to throw into the mix.

I'm keeping my promise and sharing another soup recipe. This week's recipe is not nearly as heavy and filling as last week's. This Cream of Tomato Soup is a snap to make and the ingredients are simple and straightforward. It's almost as easy as opening a can. If you want to spare a few calories, you don't have to add the half and half.

Tuesday night's meal will be breakfast, as that was what won in our family's Election Day Dinner poll.

I did find a great new side dish item on the grocery shelf the other day -- Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf. It's absolutely delicious and cooks in the microwave in just 90 seconds. 8g of protein, 7g of fiber, and reasonably priced to boot!

Monday: Italian Meatloaf, Egg Noodles, Peas

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner

Wednesday: Asian Pork Tenderloin, Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf, Edamame

Thursday: Parmesean Chicken, Cream of Tomato Soup (recipe follows), Greek Salad, Fruit

Friday: Pizza Night! (Thai Chicken Pizza for adults; cheese pizza for kids)

Saturday: Ranchero Mexi-Chicken Crostada, Salad, Fruit

Cream of Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (2 medium) or onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups chopped or crushed canned tomatoes

1/2 cup half and half (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Parmesean cheese

1. Heat 1 Tbsp butter and the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, or until tomato mixture begins to thicken.

2. Remove from heat. Process in 2 batches in a blender until smooth. Return to pot and heat over medium heat until soup is warmed through. Stir in half-and-half (if using) and 1 Tbsp butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with parmesean cheese. Makes about 7 cups (serves 4-6 people)

Be sure to head on over to Menu Plan Monday for more ideas!

In case you wanted to know...

2008-10-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

I saw this one over on Meredith's blog and it looked like fun. So here goes:

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE: Remember the actress Michele Lee of Knot's Landing fame? That was my mom's inspiration to name me "Michelle Lee." What can I say? I'm a child of the '70s.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED:
I'm not sure -- I can't remember.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING:
Yes.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT:
Boar's Head Honey Maple Turkey. That's pretty much the only lunch meat I'll eat.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Three -- Jillian (5), Josh (3), Grace (1)

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yeah. I'd like to think so.

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
On occassion.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS:
Yes.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I almost did, but then I chickened out at the last minute. It was so high up!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Grape Nuts Trail Mix Crunch

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Only if I tied them too tight to begin with.

DO YOU THINK YOU'RE STRONG?
At times.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Rocky Road

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their eyes.

RED OR PINK?
I didn't think I liked pink, until I realized that I wear it quite a bit. So, I'll go with pink.

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My tendency to procrastinate.

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I'm wearing black yoga pants and tan suede, fur-lined slippers (cute, huh?)

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
A whole wheat english muffin with cream cheese.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Nothing! Two kids at school, the littlest one sleeping.

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Turquoise

FAVORITE SMELLS?
Chocolate, cinnamon, jasmine, honeysuckle, lilac

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My sister

FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
Tennis

HAIR COLOR:
Brown

EYE COLOR:
Brown

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope

FAVORITE FOOD?
Pizza

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings. My overactive imagination doesn't need any more fodder than it already has in the scary department. :)

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
I can't honestly remember. But I know the next movie I'll see will be Twilight, coming out Nov. 21st. (Yeah, still obsessed.)

SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer, hands down.

HUGS OR KISSES?
Both!

FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate chip cookies and milk.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Lady of Milkweed Manor

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't have a mouse pad.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LATE LAST NIGHT?
I didn't watch TV last night. I was reading blogs. :)

FAVORITE SOUND?
My kids playing happily together.

ROLLING STONES OR THE BEATLES?
Definitely the Beatles.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Thailand

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
New York

Makeup Application 101: Brushing up on the basics

2008-10-28T19:29:00.001-07:00

When I first got married, I could not cook to save my life.

My culinary repertoire consisted of cold cereal, boiling water and, on a good day, maybe a scrambled egg.

Despite my gastronomic deficiencies, my mother and grandmother insisted on outfitting my newlywed kitchen with every utensil, gadget and pan known to mankind. At the time, it seemed like overkill. I mean, it was highly unlikely I'd be reaching for a meat thermometer to check a turkey when I was still trying to master toast.

But, as my cooking skills slowly improved, I discovered a need for various kitchen tools. Time and again I would be thrilled to discover the perfect tool hiding out in my kitchen drawer (lovingly purchased by mom or grandmom) for use at just the right time.

What on earth does this have to do with beauty?

When you're trying to do a job well, it pays to have the right tools in your arsenal. Cooking is easier when you have the right utensils. When it comes to makeup, what you use to apply it makes all the difference in the world. (read more)

Bloggy Giveaway Time!

2008-10-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading one of the best book series I've read in a long time. It's one of those can't-put-it-down-for-one-second kind of reads.

I walked around depressed for a week when I finished because I didn't want it to end.

Seriously. It's that good.

So, to share the love, I'm giving away one brand-new, never-read copy of Twilight. It's just the first book, but it should be enough to get you ~~addicted~~ ~~hooked~~ started. (If you've already read it, enter anyway -- it would make a great Christmas gift.)

For a chance to win, leave a comment on this post by 11 p.m. on Friday, October 31st.

For a valid entry, you must include a good book recommendation -- because now that I'm done with Edward and Bella, I need something good to read. Help a girl out, would ya?

One comment per person please (duplicates will be deleted). You do NOT have to have a blog to play along, but please provide a valid email address where I can contact you. I'm willing to ship internationally, but I'm not sure how the duty and taxes will work on your end. (If you're willing to handle that part, please feel free to enter.) I will randomly draw a winner and notify you via email over the weekend.

Thanks for visiting and, if you're new here, feel free to stop back when you have time to look around. Don't forget to check out all the other fantastic prizes up for grabs this week as part of the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival. Good luck!

The Great Computer Meltdown and... Soup's On!

2008-10-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

***Recipe update below ***

Well, my little computer snafu will, from here on out, be referred to as "The Great Computer Meltdown of 2008." Really. It's worthy of its own Weather Channel graphic. If I was able to, I would have created a snappy little graphic myself, but I'm afraid to make one wrong move for fear that I'll screw something up.

My dear, sweet husband spent literally all weekend cleansing and rebuilding my laptop. Everything had to be wiped off the hard drive because this particular virus (or series of viruses -- I told you the virus scan discovered about 400) was ruthless. Fortunately, I did manage to back up our photos to an external hard drive before we left for vacation. And, for once my procrastination actually paid off -- I needed to download 1,145 pictures off my digital camera (I have a HUGE memory card), so I think the important stuff -- family photos -- was preserved.

My laptop is now like Fort Knox. Nothing should be getting through and we even updated the virus scan software to the "deluxe" auto scan version. I can assure you that was $70 well spent.

All that to offer you a friendly little reminder -- have you backed up your computer lately? How's your virus protection? Do yourself a favor and make sure it's up to date. Or buy a Mac. Either option would work.

Secondly, I did promise soup, right? I am so glad the temps are dropping because I can finally pull out all of my soup recipes. I love to make soup in the winter. And, while this is not a recipe blog, I'm going to try and share a soup recipe each Monday for a few weeks. If you have a recipe to share, leave a link in the comments. I'd love to try some new recipes.

This soup is a take on Panera's Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. So good! We had this the other night for dinner and my 5-year-old ate every bite. She'll be taking the leftovers for lunch this week.

Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Serves 8

**I originally got this recipe from my mom, who is notorious for changing the original recipe. True to form, she revamped this one as well. I have changed the measurements below to reflect her changes.**

1/2 cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms (I leave these out, because if my daughter spotted a mushroom, she'd refuse to eat the soup.)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (you can use a rotisserie chicken to save time)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds (optional)
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 cups half-and-half

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 more minutes. Then add the flour and stir well to create a roux. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly, until all has been added. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, chicken, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper, almonds and sherry. Allow to heat through, then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Be sure not to boil the soup, or your roux will break.

**Note: The longer this soup sits, the thicker it gets. When you reheat it, you'll need to add some water or chicken broth to thin it out slightly.

And, if you're looking for more great menu ideas, don't forget -- it's Monday! Laura's got a whole slew of menus up for your perusal at Menu Plan Monday!

Experiencing Technical Difficulties...

2008-10-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

I'm on a temporary blog hiatus, because my computer pretty much crashed last night. Hubs checked it out and discovered it had 400 viruses on it.

Yeah. You read that right.

400.

I didn't even know that was possible.

Turns out I was supposed to be scanning the computer regularly. I thought that the antivirus software was supposed to do that automatically. And that's when my husband informed me that we didn't pay for the "deluxe" auto-scan version.

Oh.

So, I've been officially "unplugged" until we can recitify the problem -- hopefully sometime this weekend.

With any luck, I'll have that soup recipe to share with you on Monday.

Have a good weekend!

Random Bits of Randomness

2008-10-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

A few items of note...

1. The crafting continues. I bought more fabric today because I simply cannot stop at one small bathroom window. No m'am. I've decided to do my entire kitchen and great room -- because the crafting bug will not leave me alone.

I've been running around here like HGTV's next Design Star. I even found myself in Michaels today buying the items needed to make a fall centerpiece. Oh, my creativity clearly knows no bounds these days. With any luck, all this "design exuberance" will pass in about a week or so. But, not before I do a "big reveal" for y'all sometime next week. Think of it as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Only, not nearly as exciting.

2. As I was driving back from dropping Jilly off at school the other morning, I noticed an animal crossing the street in front of our house. At first I thought it was a fox. But, I quickly realized this animal was too big to be a fox. Then I thought it might be a dog, but I was pretty sure I didn't see a collar and the tail was much too bushy. The animal sought cover in the woods across from our house, and I stalked him with the minivan until he ran right out in front of me. I could have sworn it was a coyote. Later that day, a neighbor confirmed my suspicions.

This kind of disturbs me. For a while, I walked around expecting the coyote to jump out of a shrub at any moment to attack me or the kids. I've calmed down a little, but not enough to let the kids play in the front yard unsupervised.

3. In other wildlife news, I think I have a new favorite show. Anyone seen Man vs. Wild? My husband was watching it when I came in from karate the other night. The show features Bear Grylls, a most appropriately named survivalist, who demonstates how to survive in some of the world's toughest terrain. It's kind of like Fear Factor on steroids. My husband and I watched the entire hour with our noses wrinkled and our mouths hung open in shock. If you're brave enough, here's an example of what I'm talking about (and, a word of warning, I wouldn't click on it if you have a weak stomach):

It's oddly fascinating in a "I can't ever imagine doing that" kind of way. We've ti-voed the next several episodes.

4. I was going to share a delicious new soup recipe with y'all. But, for those of you who chose to watch the clip I embedded above, I can see that doing so would be wildly inappropriate at this point. The recipe will be another post for another day.

And on that note, I'm off to bed. My husband and I have been doing P90X -- which has involved a lot of early morning workouts. It's a lot easier to get up at 5:15 a.m. when I get to bed before 11 p.m.

Go figure.

Lookout! I'm feeling crafty!

2008-10-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what it is about fall, but this time of year always seems to find me channeling my inner Martha Stewart.

I'm not really a terribly "crafty" person. I do a little scrapbooking. I do crafts with my kids. That's pretty much the extent of it.

But then the temperatures begin to drop, the leaves start changing colors, and I start dreaming up home decor projects that must be executed immediately. Last year, it was a charming pair of fall wreaths for our front door. Armed with a couple twig wreaths from Michael's, a handful of fake foliage and my trusty glue gun, I created this:

Last week as I was scrolling through Works for me Wednesday posts, I saw this post for "Window Coverings in Minutes -- No Sew!" When I clicked over, I was absolutely amazed at the gorgeous window treatment Lora Lynn created with scrap fabric, packing tape and upholstery tacks. She called it a window mistreatment, and credited the Nester for this flash of brilliance.

I headed over to the Nesting Place to get a few more details, and my fall craft obsession shifted into high gear.

Did I mention we have about 80 windows in our house, not counting the skylights? Yep. I went through and counted them myself. I love window treatments, but when you've got 80 windows, you quickly come to the realization that mini blinds are the cheapest and easiest answer.

Because, after all, you do have to send the kids to college.

But the Nester says these treatments are supposed to be done with remnants. Scraps. Whatever you've got lying around or can find on the cheap.

And I'm all about cheap.

So, I headed up to the attic and unearthed about a yard and half of leftover decorator fabric (from a few fall projects ago). I got out my packing tape, bought some upholstery tacks and just look at what I did to our bathroom window:

See the upholstery tacks? I hammered them right into the wall!

Here's what it looks like when you take a few steps back.

Isn't it pretty?!? It took me about 15 minutes and cost all of 99 cents (for the package of upholstery tacks).

I'm so psyched, I can't wait to go hunting for more remnant fabric, because I've got a few other windows to dress.

Yanno.

Only 79 more to go.

Confession. It's good for the soul.

2008-10-16T07:06:00.000-07:00

My husband was away on business earlier this week. Thankfully, this doesn't happen too often, but when it does, I find myself staying up way too late because I have trouble falling asleep when he's not around. My theory is that if I fall into bed completely exhausted, I won't be lying awake in the dark over-anaylzing every sound I hear.

I'm paranoid that way.

So, the other night, after I put the kids to bed, I sat down with my laptop and turned on the TV on for background noise.

But, I wasn't up for blogging that night. I was up for procrastinating. So, I started flipping through the channels and stumbled upon Rock of Love Charm School.

Klassy TV, I assure you.

As if watching Sharon Osbourne try to "class up" the women who were once vying for Bret Michaels' affections wasn't enough, I followed it up with the season premiere of The Pickup Artist 2. That's the show where "Mystery," the world's greatest pickup artist (don't ask me why, because really I don't get it -- they showed him "in action" and I wasn't impressed), shows socially backward men how to, well you know, get women.

You would think I surely would have hit my limit at that point, but no. I topped it all off with Paris Hilton is My New BFF.

Three hours later I peeled myself off the couch with a screaming headache and a nagging urge to shower.

There. I've confessed. I just had to get it out in the open.

Please tell me y'all have indulged in a little trashy TV every now and then.

I can't be the only one, right?

A bargain so good, it'll make you blush

2008-10-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

I don't exactly live in a "metropolitan" area.

Most of the time, that has its benefits.

Less traffic.

Less congestion.

Slower pace of life.

But, for the times I'd like to escape hide from my kids take a little break, living in the sticks has its limitations. (read more)

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried

2008-10-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Each fall I volunteer at a local baby consignment sale. The sale has grown dramatically over the last six years, and I can find tons of great deals on kids clothing and baby gear.

When you've got three kids, you're kind of all about the deal.

The reason I volunteer, is I get to shop first (before consigners and the general public), which is an even sweeter deal.

So, before I headed to the sale a few weeks ago, I called my sister to see if I could pick up anything for her kids. She had mentioned that 3-year-old Ashley was really into Barbie these days and that if I happened to stumble across a Barbie doll or two, that would be great.

I get to the sale and spot one Barbie. She's brand new, in the box, and comes with her dog. Ashley is a huge animal lover, so it's a win-win on two counts. I buy the doll and when we give it to my niece, my daughter pipes up, "Ash, when you feed the dog his food, he poops it out."

Um, what?

Jillian explains that she was looking at the back of the box and Barbie's dog most definitely goes poo poo.

I couldn't believe this would be the case -- but upon closer inspection, it appears this is, in fact, very much the case. Check it out: You lift the dog's tail to open its mouth and insert brown food pellet.

You push the tail down and the pellet comes out the other end.

And, to top it all off, Barbie uses the included pooper scooper to clean up the mess.

Because she's responsible like that.

I've gotta say, I was a little shocked.

I kept trying to picture the Mattel "idea meeting." A bunch of high-powered execs sitting around a table trying to dream up the next best-selling Barbie. Ideas are being thrown around and then someone says, "You know what girls today need to learn? Responsible pet management. How about a Barbie that picks up her dog's poop?"

The unanimous response seals the deal. The execs think it's a great idea, and Pooper Scooper Barbie is born.

Crazy, but probably true.

In Mattel's defense, Ashley thinks the whole feeding/pooping thing is just about the coolest thing in the world.

But really, I think I've pretty much seen it all now.

Best of the Beach

2008-10-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to downloading all the photos we snapped at the beach.

I'm particularly fond of Josh's "King of the World" photo below and, I even included the one vacation picture that has me in it! (I've had to make a concerted effort to take at least one of these "mom is really with us" pictures per vacation so that my kids will have proof that I actually existed. Otherwise, just a cursory look through the scrapbooks and you'd think they didn't have a mother. A father, yes. But, me? I'm always the one taking the pictures, not in them. :)

Laundry Lifesaver

2008-10-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

So, I grew up in a house where laundry was pretty much an art form.

When it came to doing the wash, there were rules that had to be followed. And the women in my family, well, they took laundry very seriously.

The cardinal rule: Always sort your loads according to color and/or type of fabric -- whites, pastel colors, primary colors and fragiles.

That rule has pretty much stuck with me.

Except that after a while, I get lazy.

That's when I start throwing everything in together. Just so I can finally be done with the laundry.

So, that's exactly what I was doing the other night when I threw my daughter's white school uniform blouse in with a pair of red shorts. The shorts had been washed a bazillion times before. I had never had a problem with the red color "running" over other articles of clothing.

Until that night.

In fact, I was in such a rush to finish laundry duty, that it was only after I took the blouse out of the dryer that I noticed the pink splotches.

Great. There goes $30, down the tubes.

But, a moment later I recalled a conversation I had with a friend about laundry mishaps and she heartily recommended this:

My friend had washed a pair of white pants with a rust colored shirt and claimed that Carbona Color Run Remover worked miracles. It contains no bleach, formaldehyde or phosphates -- but claims to be effective, even on previous color run accidents where the streaks or dyes were set in the dryer.

I dissolved the powder in a bucket of water and emersed the shirt. Within seconds, the stains were gone.

Whew! Now if I could only find a spot remover that was as instantly effective.

For more helpful tips, head on over to Works for Me Wednesday!

Finally back from the beach. I've returned as a swooning adolescent...

2008-10-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

So, I'm finally getting a moment to sit down and update y'all on our beach vacation.

We traveled to Myrtle Beach with our family, my parents, and my sister and her family.

Really, there's not too much to recap for you. I could sum it up in one word: Challenging.

Lots of sick kids (colds, ear infections, roseola).

Which made for lots of crying and whining.

And, of course, there was the nor'easter that blew in with 40 mph winds for a few days.

But, we did try and make the best of it. We managed a trip to the aquarium and enjoyed a few sunny days -- even if it was a little breezy.

The weather also provided a perfect excuse for me to dive into some new books.

Have you read them!?!?

Y'all. Y'all.

I'm a little obsessed. These books may just have eclipsed Jane Eyre as my favorite read. (And you have no idea how that pains a literary snob like myself to say that.) I've read a lot of good books this year, mind you, but none that I haven't been able to put down so I could go wash clothes and make dinner for my family.

Until I started reading these.

Total guilty pleasure, these are.

Now, initially I was a little gun-shy to pick the books up because they're young adult fiction and one of the main characters is a vampire.

I'm not really into that genre.

But, Rachel assured me that it wouldn't be what I was expecting. And when Shannon began raving about it right before I left for vacation, I finally got myself to Walmart and picked up the first two books, telling myself that if I didn't like them, I would return them.

Less than a week later I was at the Walmart in Myrtle Beach buying books three and four.

I wasn't done with book four when we returned home, so the derth in my blogging (while I'd love to tell you it was due to catching up on laundry and unpacking) was really due to my insatiable desire to finish this book. When I finally did, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I could finally go back to being a wife and mother to my children.

But, then I heard there was an exerpt of a follow up book on the Stephenie Meyer website. I figured I'd pop over and check it out. What it could be, a chapter or two?

264 pages of a Word document.

So, that pretty much shot the next day, because I had to read that as well.

Now that I've read every possible thing to do with the Twilight Series available, I'm trying to get back to life as usual (while also waiting for the Twilight movie to come out November 21 -- see, I told you I sound like an obsessed 13-year-old).

All I have to say is go get the books. Go get them now. Read them.

Just make sure you're caught up on laundry and you've pre-made a few dinners.

How do I love thee, Smashbox? O, let me count the ways...

2008-10-01T05:41:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be straight with y'all.

I'm cheap.

I'm the type of girl who would never spend $80 on a pair of sunglasses, when she can find a similar style for under 10 bucks. I love to shop the outlet stores. I'd buy a no-name purse over a designer bag any day of the week.

And, truth be told, I rarely spend an exorbitant amount of money on makeup.... (read more at chic-critique.com)

Clockin' Out

2008-09-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a little bloggy break to spend some time with my family. It's going to involve a lot of sand, surf and, hopefully, a trip to the Banana Republic Factory Outlet (oh, happy day!). I'll be back in about a week or so with plenty of fun things to share. Catch ya then!

A Makeover of a Different Sort

2008-09-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know about y'all, but organization has never been my strong suit.

I believe the reason is two-fold. First, I love to shop. So, I tend to acquire new things somewhat regularly. The other half of it is, I have a hard time parting with things. I am queen of the "I-should-really-keep-this-because-I'm-sure-I'll-need-it-at-some-point-and-it-would-really-save-me-a-ton-of-money" mentality.

I make mention of all this because my organizational dysfunction has had a disastrous effect on my makeup drawer. And, because a picture is worth a thousand words, here you go... (read more)

For the Pint-Sized Superhero

2008-09-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

My 3 1/2-year-old son is obsessed with superheroes. He proudly dons his cape and boots while I run errands. He runs around the playground hunting out "bad guys." He's constantly showing me how strong he is.

Here's the problem, though. It's hard to find superhero items -- books in particular -- that a) are not scary and b) have a shred of educational value. The superhero books that I have found usually involve a tad more violence than I'd like for a 3-year-old. So when it comes to superhero books, I usually skip them. Thus, my poor son is forced to stick with the likes of Dr. Seuss at bedtime.

But.

I recently found the best book for the pint-sized superhero lover. It's called SuperHero ABC.

Written by Bob McLeod, SuperHero ABC features one superhero for each letter of the alphabet. I love Goo Girl, who "shoots great gobs of goo at gangsters." My son loves "The Volcano" because he "vomits on villians."

The illustrations are colorful and engaging, while not being scary in the slightest. My son loves reading the book, and I like the fact that the book helps work on his letter recognition (without him even realizing it!). Amazon says the book is appropriate for Preschool age through Grade 2. I would have to agree. It's written in such a way as to be entertaining for a variety of age levels -- adults included.

So if you're looking for a great birthday or upcoming Christmas gift for the superhero at your house, definitely check this one out.

For more great children's book suggestions, head on over to 5 Minutes for Books and check out the monthly Kid's Picks Carnival.

Why I've Been a Little Busy Lately...

2008-09-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. This whole "parenting three kids" thing? It hasn't been that bad. At times, it's been pretty easy.

Why's that, you ask?

Well, my youngest is not in much of a rush to go anywhere. As we ticked off all the baby milestones -- first smile, first tooth, rolling over -- our "ticking" eventually came to a screeching halt. We hit nine and 10 months, and there was no sign of Grace wanting to crawl. We hit 11 and 12 months (ages at which my other two children were already walking), and there was still no sign of crawling. Grace was happy to just sit where you placed her -- and if there were no toys within reach, she'd happily play with the carpet lint, thankyouverymuch.

If this was my first child -- or even my second -- I would have panicked. I would have sought out referrals for physical therapists. But my doctor assured me nothing was wrong. So, I chose to view Grace's non-movement for what it really was: a gift. The hardest part of babyhood starts the moment your baby learns to crawl. For the next year, your full-time job is to watch them like a hawk. Hazzards abound and you cannot let your guard down for one second.

So, really, I wasn't too broken up that Grace wasn't going anywhere. I could set her in the middle of a room with her siblings, and I was assured she'd be in the same spot 30 minutes later. I could make dinner. I could throw on a load of wash. My job as "Mother of Three" was relatively manageable.

Well, that has changed, my friends.

Finally, at 14 months Grace has started to crawl. And, to make life even more complicated, she's apparently on the "accelerated movement plan." Where my other two kids happily crawled for a few months before tackling how to walk, Grace is already walking with assistance. She loves to take on the stairs, and she's also my first cabinet opener.

All that to say, my parenting job just got exponentially harder. I've been a little tied up lately trying to scoop up the Polly Pockets before she gets to them, or making a flying leap for the stairs before she attempts them head first. Again.

It's going to take a little juggling, a little more multi-tasking. But, slowly, I'm starting to get the hang of it.

And, truth be told, it's fun to see her so proud of her new-found independence.

Sheer Cover: A Missed Opportunity

2008-09-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone's over at Chic Critique today for "I Tried it Tuesday." That's where everyday readers get to write about beauty products they've tried and tested. Here's my contribution...

All of us have made the occassional beauty faux pas.

I may have mentioned my horrid perms (a few thousand times -- those scars run deep). Add to that a slew of makeup and fashion blunders and really, I'm left wondering why the gals over at Chic Critique allow me to regularly write reviews on beauty products.

But, I suppose that's neither here nor there.

At the risk of sounding like a public service announcement, the biggest beauty mistake I've ever made has been sun exposure. See, I grew up in a time when this was the norm.

What's more, I've had the good fortune of inheriting olive skin from my mother. That means that no matter how much time I spend in the sun, I never burn. I just get darker and darker. Throughout my teens and 20s, I happily sported that "healthy glow" each summer.

Then I turned 30. That's when all the sun damage began marching across my face in the form of brown spots. That look, I can assure you, is not so healthy.

So, for the last four years, it has become my mission in life to hide or -- better yet -- eliminate the sun damage. It's something much easier said than done.

But, when I read Leigh Ann's post on Sheer Cover, I figured I'd give it a shot. I ordered the "medium" shade kit through the website. I agonized over whether to order the medium or the tan shade. I asked everyone what they thought. My mom and my sister (c'mon that's "everyone," right?) said that tan was too dark. They assured me I was a medium.

So, I got my kit. I followed the directions and all looked good for about an hour. After that, I wasn't so crazy with the results. It wasn't providing the amount of coverage I had hoped for. And, it didn't feel like it was "staying on" throughout the day.

After a few more tries, I ended up calling Sheer Cover to ask how I could return it and cancel my "membership."

The Sheer Cover customer service is really good. She asked if I was sure I had the right color, as many customers have found that when the coverage wasn't good they were using the wrong shade. She'd be happy to send me the right shade free of charge. I was pretty sure I had chosen the right shade, but in hindsight, I obviously didn't. I should have had her send me the other one. Additionally, she offered to send me the Sheer Cover primer to try at no charge -- which is another thing I should have taken her up on. I felt like without a primer, the makeup settled into my, ahem, fine lines and pores.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I was in a funk that day. I didn't want to try more product, I just wanted to cross "Return Sheer Cover" off my to-do list. I've been kicking myself ever since.

So, long story short, I do think Sheer Cover is a good product (the mascara rocked, btw!). If I had given it more of a fair chance, I probably would have been quite pleased. (If you're going to try it, I would highly recommend getting them to send you the primer.)

Really, I consider it a missed opportunity. Would Sheer Cover have been able to hide the sun spots? I'll never know for sure.

Some New Family Favorites

2008-09-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

Darcie mentioned a few weeks ago that it's been a while since I've particpated in Menu Plan Monday. She's right. Part of that has been due to the allergy treatments that my daughter has been doing (when you've got to avoid say, sugar, for 30 hours, your menus lack a certain "excitement.") But the other half of it is that I've been in a recipe rut. I was getting to a point where it just felt like I was making the same ol' thing, over and over and over again. Anyone else ever feel that way?

Well, in the last few weeks, I've been on a new recipe search. I've found some great recipes and some not-so-great ones. This week, I thought I'd share some of our new family favorites:

Bruschetta Chicken: I tried this one at the suggestion of Laura and it was tasty. I used a few garden ripe tomatoes, which really made the whole recipe. The ingredients seem very simple, but the taste is great.

Thai Mango Chicken: I love Thai food, but I have never had much luck making it at home. It just never tastes quite like the real deal. Well, that all changed once I made this recipe. Oh my gosh -- this one is a home run! Make it now! It's so easy, and I could eat it every day. Really.

Mini Farfalle Chipotle Chicken Pasta in Fire Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce: Okay, this is so good, it will make your toes curl. To borrow a phrase from my blogging pal Heather, it's fan-flipping-tastic. It will look like it makes gallons -- trust me, you'll eat every last bite.

Southwest Black Bean Salad and Peach Torte: These are delicious -- hurry up and make the Peach Torte before peaches go out of season.

Open-Faced Chicken and Muenster Sandwiches with Apricot-Dijon Spread: This recipe is from the latest issue of Cooking Light. It's easy, tasty and great for a summer evening.

For more great menu ideas, head on over to Menu Plan Monday!

Did you try it? We want to know!

2008-09-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

Do you read Chic Critique? Have you tried any of the products spotlighted? Here's your chance to tell us what you thought!

This Tuesday, September 9th, Chic Critique will be hosting "I Tried it Tuesday." All you do is write a short post on your blog about a product you've tried as a result of reading about it on Chic Critique. Be sure to include the name of the product, a link back to the Chic Critique post about the product, and your thoughts on the product based on your own recent experience. Pictures are optional (but welcome!)

After you've done that, simply place the permalink to your "I Tried it Tuesday" post into the Mr. Linky over at Chic Critique. (Please only leave a link if you have written an "I Tried It Tuesday" post.) Also, if you could please mention "I Tried It Tuesday" in your post, that would be supa fab.

Can't wait to hear about the great (or not so great) products you found!

On Losses and Gains

2008-09-04T02:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Jilly,

This past Saturday you lost your first tooth. It was an event that was received with great excitement.

A few weeks ago when the dentist noticed your bottom tooth was loose, she told you. "It won't be long until the Tooth Fairy pays you a visit."

Your big brown eyes lit up like Christmas. In the weeks that followed, you would proudly wiggle your tooth for anyone willing to watch. By Saturday the tooth had become so loose, it only took Daddy a second to pull it out.

Standing in the kitchen with tooth in hand, you declared Saturday, "the best day of your life."

As you danced around proudly showing off your new jack o' lantern grin, I stood there trying to comprehend the moment.

Has it really been nearly six years?

It seems like just yesterday I noticed that very tooth -- its white pearly tip just peeking through your little pink gum (and causing you a whole lot of pain, in the process). I remember leaving the pediatrician's office and calling your daddy to tell him, "She's getting a tooth!"

Your first tooth.

And now, like so many other parts of your babyhood, you've lost it. It's gone the way of diaper changes and baby baths, chubby nursing cheeks and wobbly first steps. It's one more thing that we tick off the calendar -- another milestone achieved. Another sign that you're a baby no more.

And while part of me mourns the loss of these sweet things, a bigger part of me celebrates the gains you've made.

You've traded in a baby's uncertainty for a young girl's growing confidence.

You've swapped out an infant's clumsiness for a young girl's growing grace.

You're developing your own thoughts and opinions. Your own likes and dislikes. You're starting to create your own hopes and dreams. You're learning new things every single day.

In your 5-year-old world, Saturday was "the best day of your life." And that's how it should be. You should relish each milestone, each accomplishment, each step you take toward adulthood.

But from my perspective, as I watch all that you gain with each passing day, as I imagine your future and all it will hold, I know this is just the beginning.

The best, my child, is yet to come.

Love,
Mama

Over at Chic Critique...

2008-09-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Summer in Georgia is hot.

So are fall and spring, for that matter.

Step outside, and you're often overcome with the feeling of being wrapped up in a warm, wet towel.

And that's at 8 a.m.

Now, I do not consider myself someone who sweats profusely. But honestly, a walk to the mailbox can leave me feeling pretty sticky...(read more at chic-critique.com)

Labor Pains, or Lack Therof

2008-09-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

It's a holiday, so I'm taking it easy. Shannon posted a Labor Day Meme, and I thought I'd join in.

How long were your labors?
Kid #1: 0 hours
Kid #2: 0 hours
Kid #3: 0 hours

Each child was delivered within one hour via scheduled c-section.

How did you know you were in labor?
I never went into labor. I wouldn't know a contraction if it smacked me upside the head. (Although, I'm sure those of you who have had the pleasure of experiencing contractions would beg to differ.)

Really, I just checked my calendar and showed up for delivery day.

Where did you deliver?
In the hospital. Before I knew I was having a c-section, I toyed with the idea of a home birth. But, we live in a very rural area. If something went wrong, I was afraid we wouldn't be close enough to get to a hospital in time.

Drugs?
Uh, yeah. Wouldn't recommend a c-section without them. I had a spinal block all three times. I was nervous about getting it all three times due to horror stories about the block "taking" in the wrong direction (i.e. paralyzing me from the waist up, instead of the waist down). But, thankfully, that never happened.

C-section?
Doctors discovered my first daughter was breech at 38 weeks. Despite days of me laying upside down on an inclined ironing board (not fun when you're 38 weeks pregnant), shining a flashlight and having my husband try to talk the baby into turning, and even investigating moxibustion, she remained breech.

My other two were head down, but I felt there were too many risks with trying a vbac. And, I really wasn't on board with the pain involved in a regular birth. I'm a wimp when it comes to stuff like that. I'll just take my spinal block and meet y'all in recovery, thankyouverymuch. Oh, and please have my morophine ready. ;-)

Who delivered?
One doctor, usually with another doctor assisting. I don't remember much about my first daughter's birth, as I was scared out of my mind. The doctor who delivered child #2 and child #3 was a sketch. He insisted on listening to Jimmy Buffet during my son's delivery and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack for my daughter's.

So, not exactly exciting birth stories that would keep you on the edge of your seat, but that's how it all went down. For many more riveting labor stories, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer.

Happy Labor Day, y'all.

Spreading the Bloggy Love...

2008-08-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

I never cease to be amazed by this thing called the Blogosphere. It seems so bizarre to say it, but I've made so many great friends, most of whom I've never met in real life (that's the bizarre part).

A couple weeks ago, I won a contest over at Raising A & C -- the prize was my very most favorite new mascara -- Covergirl lashBlast. That was terrific enough -- but you know what else the fabulous "mah-meeee" threw in? Check it out:

That's Godiva chocolate and you'll notice TWO mascaras. And, because that girl understands my picky eater struggles -- a box of Mickey-a-roni and cheese. She's such a great bloggy friend. Isn't she the coolest?

Then, my pal Domestic Spaz sent an award my way!

Like mah-meeee, Spaz has been a blogging friend from the very beginning. I wanted to turn right around and bestow this award on her, because I do heart her blog. But, she obviously already received the award. So, I'm following the rules and passing on the love to seven other worthy recipients:

She Just Had to Say It -- for having the courage to spill the beans (the good, bad and engorged).

Finding Me in the Madness -- because there is no one more committed to health and well-being than Heather.

Domestic Accident -- because her baby steps toward green living are so inspiring, and she's got a wicked sense of humor.

Such the Spot -- because Darcie's writing is first rate and every post she writes is well worth the read.

Just Pure Lovely -- because Lori's photos inspire me to keep trying for just the right picture.

Style for the Stay at Home Mom -- for Leah's love of clothes, books and all things Banana Republic.

Gourmet Momma -- for always having an easy solution to the "What's for Dinner?" quandry.

And finally, one last bit of bloggy love. One of my closest college friends has finally started a blog. It took Lori a while to come over to the "Dark Side" (heck, it took me six months to convince her to create a Google profile so she could stop commenting as "Anonymous"), but she's finally jumped in with both feet. Go check out her new digs over at Barefoot in High Heels. And feel free to pass around some bloggy love -- leave her a comment!

Laptop Lunch Alternative or How Target Actually Saved Me $30

2008-08-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

I've been hemming and hawing about buying this Laptop Lunchbox. It's a great idea. It would allow me to pack my daughter a variety of foods for lunch. It would seriously reduce the amount of plastic bag waste. See?

But, it would also seriously dent the budget, because the cheapest I can purchase it for would be $40 shipped. A pricey lunchbox, no doubt. And, as I mentioned before, it's substantially bigger than my daughter's current lunch box and there is no clever Disney Princess marketing slapped on the front of it (that reduces the "cool" factor, you see).

So, I popped over to Target this weekend and look at what I was able to find -- a handy-dandy sectioned container that comes with its own reusable silverware:

It allowed me to pack this:

And it all fit neatly into this:

Here's the cost breakdown:

Lunchbox: $7.59

Sectioned Container: $2.99

A totally functional lunchbox that helps cut back on plastic bag trash: Priceless

For more great and useful tips, head on over to Shannon's place.

What's on Your Nightstand?

2008-08-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not much for the self-help genre. That's not to say that I haven't read more than my fair share of self-help books, but I always find the reading somewhat laborious and (truth be told) I never make changes in my life that last longer than two weeks.

I suppose that's more my problem than a problem with the self help books. But. Still.

Not too long ago, while reading Kristen's blog , I read about a book titled, For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men. Kristen credits this book with literally saving her marriage. I was intrigued. That's a pretty serious claim. And while I'm not experiencing much in way of marital difficulty (thankfully), every now and then communication will pass between my beloved and me, leaving me scratching my head and wondering if he experienced the conversation the same way I did. You know, the classic Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Communication Gap.

So, I picked up a copy.

Shaunti Feldhahn, the author, wrote this book as a result of research she conducted for a novel she was working on. One of the main characters of her novel was a man and, in an effort to accurately portray the thought life of that man, she conducted hundreds of interviews, as well as a professional survey. The results are compiled in this book and are truly enlightening. To use Feldhahn's words, "We all know, for example, that 'men are visual,' but, well...what exactly does that mean?"

I'll tell you, it doesn't mean what I thought it did.

One of the best things about this book is that it is written in a very easy, conversational style. You can cruise through this book in a matter of days. I've read relationship books in the past that have taken me literally years to slog through.

And the best part, is not only did the book help me understand my husband better, it also helped me understand my son and the struggles he is likely to encounter. It's a fantastic book -- well worth a read for the tremendous insight you'll gain.

If you're looking for more great reading recommendations, head on over to 5 Minutes for Books and check out the What's on Your Nightstand carnival!

Saving the Earth, One Lunch at a Time

2008-08-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Just to be clear, I was not setting out to Save the Earth. Selfish gal that I am, I really only wanted to make my own life easier. But ever since I bought those reusable Publix shopping bags, I've noticed that small things I never gave a second thought to before are starting to give me a little twinge of guilt.

Take lunch for example.

I pack lunch every day for my daughter and for my husband. You know what's bothering me about it? The number of Ziploc bags we seem to tear through in a week. I just can't get the idea of growing landfills out of my head.

Then, my September Parents Magazine comes in the mail and features lunch ideas packed in one of these.

Doesn't that look beautiful? I'm hungry just looking at it. Buying it would reduce the amount of lunch waste. It would also make it easier to offer my daughter a little more lunch variety (I could pack her favorite spinach salad, for example.)

But I'm still trying to get my head around the price. Shipped, it's going to cost me about $40. That's one pricey lunchbox -- not to mention the fact that there is not one trace of a Disney Princess on it (thus seriously diminishing the "cool" factor in my daughter's eyes). It's also a good deal bigger than the lunch box my daughter is using at the moment.

I've been debating the issue for about a week now. I'll probably debate a few days more, and then bite the bullet and give the thing the a try. Because the guilt will just not leave me alone.

But, for the time being, I'm still sticking with disposable diapers. I'm sorry. A girl's gotta draw the line somewhere.

Go Grab Yourself Some Free Stuff...

2008-08-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

I'm over at Chic Critique today talking about free beauty products available to you right now! Hurry! Run! Go grab your bad self some free beauty loot!

Things Finally Reached the Breaking Point

2008-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read the exhaustively titled Shel Silverstein poem, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out?

It's about, well, a little girl who wouldn't take the garbage out. Obviously.

Sarah's problem starts out innocently enough, with a little garbage strewn here or there. But, before she knows it, it starts piling up. Before she realizes it, it touches the ceiling. It touches the sky. And eventually, after all the neighbors move away and nobody comes over to play, poor Sarah exclaims, "Ok, I'll take the garbage out!"

Really, there is no better metaphor for my struggle with home organization.

I'm a perfectionist and a procrastinator. It sounds paradoxical, but that combination is the Perfect Storm for shoddy home maintenance. I procrastinate a job because I don't have enough time to do it perfectly. When I finally do decide to do it, it's usually long overdue. I reach a breaking point where I can't take it a minute longer -- something has to be done!

I'm ashamed to say, "neat and orderly" has never been my forte. I'm pretty distractable. A lot of times I make more messes in my attempt to clean up just one. In my head, the concept of "put away what you take out" seems simple. In reality, I can't seem to do it consistently.

And, if I had problems keeping things neat and orderly before kids, you can only imagine the struggle I have in doing so with kids. You've got the baby paraphenalia (exersaucer, swing, bouncy seat, baby toys), the boy paraphenalia (10,000 Matchbox cars, Rescue Heroes, superhero costumes), and the older girl paraphenalia (My Little Ponies, Polly Pockets, more books than you can count).

To make things more challenging, there's additional clutter coming home every day in the form of school papers. I did a little computing and figured that new papers are being dumped on my desk at a rate of about 30 sheets a week.

So, in the midst of my growing chaos, I had my Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout moment. I finally said, "Okay! I'll clean the house out!"

I've got to stop the madness, you see. (Does anyone else ever feel this way?!?) We don't really need 10,000 Matchbox cars. A handful would be more than sufficient.

So, I've been busy clearing out. And with every bag that heads to the trash, with every box that goes to Goodwill, I am feeling the pressure ease up just a little bit. Little by little I'm taking on the pantry, the clothes closets, the craft closet, the makeup drawer, and the like.

Less stuff = less work = a simpler life (hopefully)

Ahhhhh. I'm feeling better already.

Shoes, Glorious Shoes

2008-08-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

"The one thing children wear out faster than shoes is parents."

-- John J. Plomp

I've said it once and I'll say it again: I do not enjoy buying shoes.

This sentiment applies not only to buying my own shoes, but to buying those of my children as well.

My cyber-pal Darcie over at Such the Spot, also detests shoe buying. Thanks to her, I won the cutest pair of shoes for Jilly. (Thanks, Darcie!) But, they are way too cute to see the likes of a playground. So, for that reason, and also because I do have other children, we made a trip to the shoe store.

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like a trip to the children's shoe store is equivalent to running a 5K?

We spent well over an hour in the store.

And the decisions.

Josh wants light up shoes.

Jilly wants glitter.

This shoe hurts.

I don't like these.

Hey, can I try these?

Where is Jilly?

Jilly don't walk out of the store!

Josh, put that shoe down.

No, they don't have it in your size.

Would you be able to check his foot for a minute?

Josh, just walk to the mirror and back -- the mirror and back.

And, if I was exhausted at the end of it all, I can only guess what that poor saleswoman felt like. It was the beginning of the tax free weekend, Stride Rite was running its Buy One, Get One 50% off sale, and she made at least 15 separate trips to the back, each time emerging with a new tower of boxes. And that was just for us.

While I was busy making crucial shoe decisions, my mom was feeding Grace lunch in her stroller. (Of course I brought my mom -- I'm no glutton for punishment. Taking three kids shoe shopping would put me over the edge.)

You know what my mom found?

You know what she bought?

Oh, prepare yourselves!

Your ovaries might ache just a little after seeing this:

Can you even stand it?!?

Oh my goodness. Honestly. Those little white shoes are the cutest things I have ever seen. By the way, the size is for babies "6 weeks to 3 months old." Grace is 14 months. Perhaps that's the reason she's not walking yet -- who can balance on those teeny feet?

Or it could have something to do with genetics. In our pediatrician's words: "Well, I'm not too concerned. You and your husband are not exactly the Bull Mastiff variety. You're more the Terrier variety."

That's doctor speak for: "Y'all are some scrawny peeps."

Regardless, the little white shoes made the in-store chaos totally worth it.

Why I'll Be Rooting for Dara

2008-08-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret.

I'm thinking about setting a new goal for myself. A way over-the-top kind of goal.

I want to earn my black belt in Tang Soo Do by the time I'm 40.

Crazy, right? I'm 34 years old. That's retirement age in the sports world these days. When Andre Agassi retired from tennis a few years ago at the age of 35, he was considered practically ancient. For whatever reason, people just don't seem to pursue physically demanding sports past their mid-30s.

But then, I read about Dara Torres, the 41-year-old, five-time Olympian (and nine-time medalist) who will be swimming at the games in Beijing.

Here's a woman who took first place in the 100-meter freestyle at this year's U.S. Olympic Trials beating Natalie Coughlin by .05 seconds. Coughlin is 16 years her junior. Then, Torres went on to break a couple world records. She's swimming faster now than she did in her 20s.

Did I mention she's 41?

And mother of a 2-year-old?

She also has asthma.

And a body that could stop traffic.

She is the oldest Olympic swimmer in history, on a team with kids literally half her age.

Naturally, there's speculation about drugs. But Torres has repeatedly and voluntarily been tested over a dozen times since March, and her results have always been clean.

I hope she's telling the truth because, for me, Dara Torres embodies what I think each one of us secretly hopes is true: being a mom and getting older is not the end of life as we know it. Just because I've given birth doesn't mean I have to give up. I can take care of my children while also taking care of myself. I can be a mom and an athlete.

Here it is in Dara's own words: "It's like I always say, 'you don't put an age limit on your dreams.' I haven't and I think I've proved that age is just a number."

Rawk on, Dara. Rawk on.

And...we've got a winner!

2008-08-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Mary of International Freebies! You were lucky number 75, as chosen by random.org. I'll be getting your necklace out to you this week. Thanks to everyone for playing along!

Where I Finally Get a Little Hairapy

2008-08-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back over at Chic Critique today talking about my stick-straight hair. I've finally found a product that gives it a little "oomph." Curious? Click on over and check it out!

If you're a new visitor from Chic Critique, welcome! I hope you'll stay and have a look around. I just wrote my 100 things post and you can see some of my favorite posts here. If you like what you read, I hope you'll come back or you may even want to consider subscribing. Thanks so much for stopping by!

100 Things About Me

2008-08-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

1. I can be a huge procrastinator.
2. Particularly if I feel a task might be difficult.
3. Or I don’t have enough time to do it “perfectly.”
4. Which would also make me a perfectionist, I guess.
5. But back to the procrastination. Case in point: this post.
6. It was supposed to be my 100th. It’s actually my 109th.
7. My tendency to procrastinate is one reason I love deadlines.
8. I’ve worked as a magazine editor, feature writer, freelance writer and public relations manager.
9. Although I didn’t start off on that path.
10. My parents felt my creativity should be channeled into a career where I could earn – you know – a real paycheck.
11. I began my freshman year of college in an honors economics program.
12. I had never taken an economics class in my life.
13. It was my written essay that got me into the program.
14. After one semester of econ, I realized I’d rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable.
15. I switched my major to English/journalism.
16. I left college after my sophomore year to work as an editor and finish my degree at night.
17. It was a great experience that allowed me to see the practical application of my education.
18. I met my husband when I was 20.
19. He was 30.
20. He didn’t know I was underage when he asked me out.
21. After he found out, he would call ahead to bars and tell them that he was bringing his girlfriend, she was underage, and she would not drink.
22. They never said no and I never drank.
23. We were engaged within 6 months of meeting each other.
24. We were married 6 months after that.
25. We’ve been married for 13 years.
26. We have three kids.
27. No, I don’t know if we’re done yet.
28. Yes, I realize I’d have to change the name of my blog.
29. I have a very low tolerance for pain.
30. When I was pregnant with my first, I had a friend convince me that natural childbirth was the way to go.
31. I religiously attended Bradley Method classes and dragged my husband along with me.
32. I even had a doula lined up for the birth.
33. The doctor discovered she was breech at 38 weeks.
34. I had to have a c-section.
35. God so knew what He was doing there.
36. I could never have withstood contractions.
37. I cried when they put the IV in.
38. I’ve had all three of our kids by c-section.
39. I’ve nursed all three for over a year.
40. “The Girls” reflect that fact.
41. I toy with the idea of a boob job, but I’m too big of a chicken.
42. I’m pretty sure it would involve an IV.
43. I am terrified of bugs.
44. Spiders, in particular, seem to know this and descend on me whenever possible.
45. I hate swallowing pills.
46. I love scrapbooking.
47. But since I discovered blogging, I've fallen a little behind on my albums.
48. I’m a morning person.
49. I used to teach aerobics classes at 6 a.m.
50. After 8:30 p.m., I’m really not that much fun to talk to.
51. I hate talking on the phone.
52. I agonize over most decisions.
53. I’m probably the only woman on earth who does not enjoy buying shoes.
54. Clothes, on the other hand, are a totally different story.
55. I have a Banana Republic addiction that I’m seeking help for.
56. My favorite TV show: What Not to Wear
57. Followed closely by: The Next Food Network Star
58. I’ve always wanted to have a cooking show of my own.
59. But I don’t consider myself a good cook.
60. I’m a good recipe follower.
61. There is a difference.
62. I love to read.
63. I’ve started turning the TV off and reading more.
64. My all-time favorite book is Jane Eyre.
65. I also love Rebecca, Memoirs of a Geisha and Redeeming Love.
66. I learned to snow ski and water ski in my 20s.
67. My husband loves to do both, and you either keep up or get left behind.
68. So, I do my best to keep up.
69. I love playing tennis.
70. Although it’s been a while since I’ve picked up a racket.
71. We live near a lake.
72. But I'm not really a strong swimmer.
73. However, I’m making sure my kids are.
74. Before kids, my husband and I lived in England for a year.
75. London is my favorite city in the world.
76. Sometimes I dream of retiring to the English countryside.
77. We visited eight different countries in Europe and Asia while living overseas.
78. I was born in New York and lived there for the first nine years of my life.
79. At one time, I had a very thick New York accent.
80. It has since been replaced with a Midwestern accent that sports an occasional Southern twang.
81. I love sweet tea.
82. I can’t sing, but wish I could.
83. I once joined a group called “Voices Anonymous,” for people who find themselves in that very predicament.
84. I've held real estate licenses in Michigan and Georgia.
85. Truth be told, I’m not much for pets.
86. We had a dog and, while I loved her like crazy, I’m not really in favor of getting another one.
87. I went to the very first Lollapalooza.
88. I don’t have a favorite color. I like them all.
89. I can be pretty naïve.
90. I once stopped drinking milk because someone told me milk production makes cows “lose their moo.”
91. I’m also a sucker for beauty products that promise to “reverse the signs of aging.”
92. I always know when I’m getting sick because my teeth get itchy.
93. I love Thai food.
94. And a good glass of Chardonnay.
95. I’m not a red wine kind of gal.
96. I never thought I’d be the kind of mom to drive a mini van.
97. We upgraded to a Honda Odyssey last year.
98. I will happily drive it until I die.
99. I'm a “weak” extrovert. I love meeting new people, but after a few hours, I need time to myself.
100. It took me more time to procrastinate writing this list than to sit down and actually write it.

Neither here nor there...

2008-07-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Seems like I have a lot of little things to report. Nothing worthy of a full post. So, here's a random list of what's up these days...

1. I, like Linda, was a little surprised Aaron McCargo Jr. won the Next Food Network Star. I was kind of rooting for Adam. I liked his "Hungry in Philadelphia" idea. It was different from your average cooking show. Lisa seemed like a nice girl and all, but watching her made me a little nervous. She was a tad intense.

2. I know where I'm sending my son to preschool. I had waited too long to send in my paperwork for the program I was originally going to put him in and it filled up. My remaining options were all less than favorable. I prayed and felt confident God would find the perfect program for Josh this fall (even if that meant homeschooling him). Well, a brand new option was thrown on the table last week. Better teacher to student ratio. Closer to the house. Can do a three-day versus a five-day option. I'm sending the check in tomorrow. Amen.

3. Due to illness, I was forced to reschedule THE doctor's appointment for Jilly and Josh. You remember the one, right? The one that will involve a shot or two? That will happen on Friday. So, stay tuned. I'm sure there will be a good post resulting from that visit.

4. On the karate front, I earned my yellow belt last weekend. But I'm still the only adult in the adult class. Whatever. I actually had to "spar" in class last night -- I got to have a 19-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy punch and kick at me for two minutes each. It was nothin' I couldn't handle. I'm the mother of two preschoolers and a toddler for crying out loud. Ever have to drag a screaming child from Walmart with two others in tow? That is a much harder battle, I assure you.

5. I've been trying to train Josh to make his bed each morning. I used the House Fairy Program with Jilly and it worked beautifully. But, she's a first born. We tried the program with Josh, and I had to take him off the House Fairy's list. He really could care less about an old woman who comes in his room and leaves a prize for tidiness.

But, Josh discovered a Spiderman kickboard I had hidden in the back closet. I told him if he made his bed three days in a row, he could have the kickboard. You know, positive reinforcement. Well, he made it two days. Tomorrow will be day number three. Tonight, when I walked in to kiss him goodnight, he was laying on top of his bedspread with a blanket over the top of him.

Me: Josh, don't you want to get under the covers?
Josh: Do I earn my Spiderman kickboard tomorrow?
Me: If you make your bed one more time.
Josh: I want to sleep like this so I don't have to make my bed.

That child is always looking for the loophole. Honestly, I begin trembling when I imagine his teen years.

Shiny, Pretty and Sparkly...oh my!

2008-07-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

When it comes to favorite things, pretty and sparkly almost always tops my list.

Oh, you too?

Well, I have a sterling silver pendant on an 18" box chain, set with a blue topaz that I'm giving away to one lucky commenter this week. (I have a similar necklace that I wear almost daily.) It looks just as great with jeans as it does with dresses and would make a great gift for yourself or someone you love. Here's what it looks like:

For a chance to win this pendant, simply leave a comment on this post by 10 p.m. on Friday, August 1st. One comment per person please (duplicates will be deleted). You do NOT have to have a blog to play along, but please provide a valid email address where I can contact you. I'm willing to ship internationally, but I'm not sure how the duty and taxes will work on your end. (If you're willing to handle that part, please feel free to enter.) I will randomly draw a winner and notify you via email over the weekend.

Here's where I start to feel old...

2008-07-25T05:34:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember when this?

When Nirvana and Kurt Cobain first appeared on the music scene with their album Nevermind, I was in my sophomore year of high school and that album was IT. The cool music. The beginning of "grunge." Remember? Smells Like Teen Spirit. It felt so "rebellious." I loved it.

Well, today the baby on the cover? He turns 18. His name is Spencer Elden.

And me? Well, I'm feeling awfully old. Like someone who's thinking back on Woodstock (or Lollapalooza, in this case) thankyouverymuch.

And I'd like to thank...the little fish

2008-07-23T18:55:00.001-07:00

Have y'all met my pal Domestic Spaz? Can I just say, she is so cool.

Last week the two of us were talking about the vastness of the blogosphere.

There are just so many blogs.

Of course, there are "the big blogs" -- the blogs we all have in our feed readers. But for those of us with only a handful of subscribers, as opposed to hundreds, it's sometimes hard to shake the feeling that you're a very small fish in a very large pond.

So, you know what Spaz goes and does?

She creates an award. For the little fish.

See why I love her?

She is one smart (not to mention inclusive) cookie.

Each week she has decided to feature a "little fish" blog -- one you don't find all over other people's blogrolls.

And, you know who her first award recipient is? Me! **blush**

I'm so honored -- I don't know what to say! The Little Fish Society is a club that I am more than proud to join, my friend! Thanks so much for the terrific acknowledgement.

So, what "little fish" blogs do you read? What "lesser known" blogs continually have you coming back for more or crack you up with their content? Leave a comment and let me know, or even better, head over and let Spaz know. Because she wants to award the Little Fish to blogs recommended by y'all.

See. I told you she was cool.

I've Got a New Gig...

2008-07-22T18:52:00.001-07:00

If you've ever wondered about the best brand of mascara, how to keep your eyeliner from smearing or whether a particular beauty product lives up to all the hype, then you need to check out Chic Critique. It's a blog where "regular women review beauty products for regular women."

Pretty cool, huh?

Know what else is cool?

I'm now a regular contributor.

I've over there today dishing about the Ped Egg.

C'mon you know you're oddly fascinated by the commercials featuring all of the parmesean cheese-like foot filings being dumped in the trash. Want to know if it really works? Head on over and find out!

Oh, and don't forget to leave a comment over there to let me know y'all stopped by! :)

Apparently, she feels the need to make it official...

2008-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

My 5-year-old daughter Jillian is an event planner in training. Hardly a day goes by when she is not busying herself with the details of the next great celebration she's thought up.

A few weeks ago, when I found myself a little under the weather, I discovered Jilly at the kitchen table designing invitations for my Get Well Party. She had already created a guest list. And planned the food.

Make no mistake, Jilly takes parties very seriously.

Well, it's a new day, so that means a new party is already in the works. This one has had Jilly rushing around in a flurry of activity. You see, it's a very important event. It's a "Crowning Party" (we adults would refer to it as a coronation). Who's getting crowned, you ask? Why Jilly, naturally.

This is the first "Jilly party" we've actually had to rehearse for. Jilly sits on a pillow in the middle of the floor, draws a name from a hat and that lucky person is the one to place the crown on her head and declare her "Princess of the Family."

Her words, not mine.

Josh (3) was the most recent one to be chosen as "crown presenter" and he was practically giddy about it. He ran up excitedly to the make-shift throne where Jilly insisted he bow before placing the crown on her head. Ever the willing servant, Josh happily obliged.

Jilly doesn't think I've caught on, but I'm pretty sure I know what's inspiring this latest celebration. It's all about the "Race to the Throne." Grace (1) isn't old enough to realize what's happening and clearly Jilly's seizing the opportunity to lock in her position while she's got the chance.

That, my friends, is one smart princess.

I'm joining the Par-Tay!

2008-07-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hi, welcome to Life with Three! I'm Michelle. I've only been blogging for about four months so, truth be told, I probably haven't really earned the right to attend that big ol' blogging conference in San Francisco.

But, that doesn't change the fact that I still really wanted to go.

My husband says it's the first sign of addiction.

He's probably right.

But, if I can't be at BlogHer, at least I can still take a little tour of the blogosphere and make some new friends.

So, please excuse the mess. Come on in, make yourself comfy and let me grab you a big tall glass of sweet tea. Feel free to take a look around -- it's never a dull moment around here. I've been known to share some crazy moments, like when I was trying to get a lizard out of the house or the time I flashed everyone at Mother's Day brunch. But whether I'm learning more about raising boys or celebrating my baby's latest milestone, it's ultimately the small, quiet moments that bring me the biggest joy.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again, and I can't wait to visit all of you!

(And, if you're looking for another place to meet some great bloggers, go check out my pal Domestic Spaz -- she's hosting an "I'm Not Going to BlogHer Margarita Party!")

Man Cold

2008-07-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

Leah over at Style for the Stay at Home Mom (awesome blog -- so glad you're getting back to posting, Leah!) posted this on Monday. Because it has had me cracking up all week, I couldn't resist posting it over here.

Now, I'm not into man-bashing and I hardly ever complain about my husband because -- honestly -- he is as good as gold. But I'd be lying if I told you I couldn't relate to the glimmer of truth in this clip.

For those of us living on this side of the pond: 999 is like calling 911, Lem Sips is an over-the-counter cold remedy (like Thera Flu) and Cbeebies is like Playhouse Disney.