Neither here nor there...

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!

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.

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!

Here's where I start to feel old...

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

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...

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...

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!

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!")