6 things that make me happy!

I've been tagged by fellow blogger Chris at What's in Sissy's Head? I have to list 6 things that make me happy! Luckily, today is a good day so I can do this with some ease...

1. My children and everything about them. No matter what my mood might be, without a doubt one of them will do SOMETHING in a day that will make me smile.

2. Diet Coke. It's the way I get my day started, and without it, my whole day seems to be off course.

3. Being productive. I love the feeling at the end of a day when I can reflect back on the events of that day and truly feel like I've accomplished a lot.

4. My friends. I don't really have what I would consider an "abundance" of them, but the ones I do have, I absolutely treasure.

5. Christmas. I love everything about the holiday. The giving, the music, the lights and decorations, the parades, just every little thing about it.

6. Church. It seems like even on days that I don't feel like going, I'm always glad that I did.

Now, I shall tag a few :)

I wish I could write the rules sometimes...

I'm in a very irritable mood today, and the way the day is playing out certainly isn't helping. My middle daughter has a birthday coming up, so we've been planning. Last year the school district's policy was that you must send an invitation to either ALL students, ALL of the girls, or ALL of the boys, in the class. Ok, no big deal. You assume that not all will show anyway. I was wrong there! Still, that was ok, I was prepared for a large number, just in case. So in preparation for the party this year, I send the teacher an email to obtain a list of names for all of the girls in daughter's class. She responds informing me that we can't pass out invitations at all at school. I took that as she meant that "WE", meaning myself or daughter, could not pass them out, which I was already aware of that. Then I proceeded to email her back and informed her that I was aware of that, but I would send them with daughter for her, the teacher, to pass out. Her next response confused me even more. I'm beginning to get frustrated at this point so decided to just call the school and ask. I spoke to someone in the office who told me that the district policy had changed entirely and that absolutely NO invitations were permitted to be passed out on school grounds at all now, BUT, she said kids do anyway, and that if daughter wanted to pass them out after school, she would not get reprimanded. This phone call took place in between email responses back and forth with me and the teacher. I then emailed the teacher and told her what I was told by one of the office staffers, not realizing that could possibly make her feel that I was overriding her at the time. I merely called out of confusion, but I had a feeling that's what she might've been feeling when I received her response to what I was told. Her response just oozed with "how dare you!"
Her response: k.... well then I guess it is okay.
Probably an hour or so later, I received another email from the teacher informing me that she contacted the principal and confirmed that absolutely NO invitations are allowed to be given on school property, and that she was sorry for any miscommunication.
Now, first of all... what a silly policy! How on earth are parents supposed to allow their children to invite other children to their parties? I, for one, would never send my child to someone's home on a verbal invite alone without talking first to parents and wanting details.
Second, who makes these rules anyway? This is a real dumb one, if you ask me. I always thought it was a bit much to have to invite ALL of the girls before, but I get that they required that to avoid bruised feelings. I'd take that policy over the new No Invitations At All policy any day.
I guess our only option is to get the individual students to give daughter their addresses and/or phone numbers in order to mail invitations out. I just hope they give reliable information, they are only 7, after all.
Like things aren't complicated enough sometimes, ya know? Then, every now and then, someone thinks they get a bright idea, and start changing rules. And seriously, when I was growing up, I was invited to some parties, others, I was not. I lived. We all survived that. To me, that's just life. I teach my children that there will be times that one of them will be invited to something that the others can't go to, and it's the same for all of them. That's just LIFE. I wonder sometimes how much damage rather than good we are doing their generation by always trying to cushion their feelings?...

Black Friday deals and steals! -- Part I

I LOVE Black Friday, it gives me the ultimate adrenaline rush! I start planning and mapping out my shopping schedule a couple of weeks in advance every year. View some of the awesome deals of the day at the following links and get your BF shopping game face on! Have fun, use caution(especially if shopping alone), and land some awesome deals!

Walmart: http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/wal-mart-black-friday-ad.html

Walmart also has pre - black friday online sales going on, check out their site for some great deals.

Best Buy: http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/best-buy-black-friday-ad.html

Word has it that they've added an awesome door buster deal, a HP G50-104NR Laptop with Canon 3-in-1 Printer for $349.98 ... so be there early!

Bath & Body Works: $100 Limited Edition VIP Gift Bag w/$40 Purchase - $15.00

Kohls: http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/kohls-black-friday-ad.html
Opens at 4am for doorbuster deals!


When shopping this season, remember handmade and handcrafted items make awesome gifts! Check out etsy @ http://www.etsy.com/ and support a crafter while snagging great gifts!

Hair Transformation Anxiety...

Over the weekend I decided that I needed a hair transformation. I suffer from "Hair Transformation Anxiety". For most of my life I have had medium to long length hair. Change is incredibly scary for me, it's almost like my hair has offered some sort of security over the years. But as most anyone, I get tired of the same thing.

The anxiety always heightens upon entry of the salon. You start to second guess this decision you've made. Thoughts start swirling inside your head, "highlights/no highlights, layers/no layers, short/keep long?!" AHHHHH! It's just so overwhelming!

Then you start to realize that it's only hair, and, so what IF you don't like it, it WILL grow back, but that anxiety creeps back in. The stylist begins to detect your worry, so she tries to offer some suggestions to help ease you in your decision making process, which, in fact, only leads to this strange feeling of anxiety, now intertwined with a bit of pressure.

Finally, after feeling a bit silly when you realize you're reacting to the thought of a hair cut as if you were making a life or death decision, you take a deep breath and say, "let's just do it!"

The feeling now switches over to a little bit of ease, as you think of you and your stylist as being a team, almost as one. You've placed all of your faith into this person with what you consider to be one of your best physical assets. Thinking the entire time, "man, I hope she knows what she's doing..."

Several inches, red and blonde highlights, mixed with some faith, several hours later... this is what I got...

I was SO pleased with the outcome! Maybe change isn't so bad after all. Do you suffer from "Hair Transformation Anxiety," too? If so, take a deep breath, and just go for it! You'll likely be glad you did.

Am I that easily replaced?!

Monday I was a participant of a court hearing(not criminal, by the way) so daddy had to pick up the kids from school. Later that evening, he tells me their conversation:

Daddy: "Well kids, I guess Mommy will be going to jail for a couple of years. Should we find a new Mommy, now?" "What do you think, a blonde one, one with brown hair?"

Middle daughter: "Noooo, I love MY Mommy!"

Youngest daughter: "A blonde one, a blonde one!!"

Hmmm....

Feeling lazy? -- light a candle

I've been making candles for over a year now in hopes of starting my own business very soon. In the process of researching, I've come to realize that fragrances can do way more than just scent our homes, they can affect our moods! For instance, if you have fond memories of certain things from childhood, i.e. fresh baked pies, cookies, or certain floral aromas, the scents of those particular things can bring on a comforting feeling.
Certain scents are considered to be energizing, such as citrus lemony scents, mint, eucalyptus, and ginger. Others can be more calming and help you to unwind, such as lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, and clary sage. Peppermint and Eucalyptus have also been known to aid in clearing the sinuses due to colds. There are some scents that are thought to bring on a sense of confidence and sensuality (which my DH probably thinks I could use more of) like Ylang Ylang and Patchouli.
Most of us like for our homes to smell nice, but most of us probably do not realize the real effects that those scents might play in our overall moods and activity level. So if you have a really crabby aunt, or a mean neighbor, you might consider a lavender candle for Christmas gift giving!

At home laser hair removal!!

Ok, some might not be nearly as excited as I am over this, but I am WAY excited! I seriously have to shave my legs every day(or should anyway) and as I'm sure most of you know, that can be a big pain in the you know what! Now they've made a personal use product that you can use right at home as opposed to spending major $$$ for repetitive treatments at an esthetician's office. Check it out! : TRIA Personal Laser Hair Removal System

What’s in it for me? • No more constant shaving. • No more painful waxing. • No more inconvenient office appointments. • Lasting results with just one treatment every 4 weeks for 6-8 treatments. • Skin so smooth, it’s as if the hair was never there.

The going rate is right under $1,000. Not exactly cheap, but in the long run, I'd think way worth it!

What a week!...

What a week this has been! For me, it has been emotional, for more reasons than one. The election is behind us, we have a new president. This, for me, stirs up much fear and emotion. Not for any other reason than I do not agree with his proposed agenda. I wish I could say the same for others... On election night, I was very disappointed at the fact McCain lost, as he was my candidiate of choice, but, there was no denying the historical aspect of the evening. That being said, I'm ready to move on from that historical moment, and watch Obama get down to business. I will be glad when people start calling him President Obama(kinda) instead of labeling him by his race as the "first black President Obama." I will continue to pray for my country as I always have, and for guidance and direction for the newly elected president.

On a lighter note, we've had a great week outside of that. Halloween was great and, of course, the girls got WAY too much candy. They had a great time though.

Kenna was selected this week by her school to be a part of the UIL Creative Writing. I couldn't be prouder! I feel kind of bad because I did not encourage her to try out, her teacher did. Now I'm fully aware of the fact that Kenna is artistic, and often expresses her creativity through that outlet, but I had no idea she had a knack for writing! Madison is, at this moment, on a trip for a jump rope workshop down in South Texas. I haven't spoken to her yet this morning, but I hope she's having a great time. I'm sure she is. I have been working with Morgie on her handwriting and motor skills. She is improving every day! Sometimes she is very difficult to keep focused and interested, but most of the time she really has the desire to get it right.

November and December are always incredibly busy months for me, as I'm sure they are for most people. But I absolutely LOVE this time of year! I'm SO ready for Black Friday, Christmas music, and all of the other aspects of this great time.

The day has arrived... what kind of change do you want?

Well it's here, November 4th. I've had a bit of anxiety leading up to this day, as sad as that might sound, I'm not alone. As I walked my husband and daughter out this morning when they were leaving for their day, a group of children, probably in their early teens, were talking about the election. My own children have had a great interest in this election and the process of the way it works. They are aware of my concerns, though I try not to impose them onto their young little minds. Granted I'm only 30, so I haven't had the experience of many elections under my belt as of yet, I know that this particular one holds so much value not only for me, but for my children and their children. I hope people have truly informed and educated themselves before going out to cast their vote today. I hope that people do not forget about issues such as Homeland Security, and Immigration. I hope that people realize that even though the platform sounds dreamy, that it may be just that -- a dream. That is MY HOPE. Do we need a change? -- sure, but not a 4.3 TRILLION dollar change. Not that kind of change at this time in our country. I pray that people go, get out and vote. The lines will be long but in the end, YOU can make a difference in how this day turns out. God Bless America!

Last minute Halloween ideas!

Halloween is tomorrow, are you finding yourself scrambling around trying to come up with some last minute ideas? Try utilizing some of what you might already have! Try dressing the little one up as a farmer using already purchased overalls with a button down collared shirt. Top it all off with a straw hat, and you're good to go! Do the kids have any sweatsuits? You can make a bunny costume in no time using a white sweatsuit by attaching a ball of cotton or fuzz by safety pin to the bottoms. Then make ears out of stiff paper or cardboard and attach to a headband! Use face paint to complete the look. One year, my daughter went as a black cat. We used a black leotard, a feather boa pinned to the bottom for a tail, and completed the look with a store purchased cat ears headpiece. I painted on some whiskers and a nose, and she was so cute! You'd be surprised with what you can come up with last minute just by utilizing old clothing items and things around your house. Look around and see what you come up with!

Ughhh... kids...

This has been a heck of a day! My little one decided to stick a jingle bell in her ear! She is the youngest of three, and somehow, I managed to escape this type thing with the older two. Now, I could see the bell, and it was positioned in the ear in a way that I knew would make it easy to remove, but, I was just too afraid to do it myself. SOooo, to the ER we went. We were literally there all of 30 minutes, and $610.00 later, we were on our way out the door. The nurse removed it in under 2 seconds. Thank goodness it didn't make its way any deeper in the ear canal. Don't think I'll have to worry about her sticking anything in orifices again! I hope anyway...

I was listening to a talk radio show caller...

And she mentioned doing online searches and coming across P.U.M.A sites and how the "once upon a time" Hillary supporters were really trumpeting all Republicans to keep up the good fight against Obama. I thought I'd share a letter written by a PUMA pundit. It's kinda long...

Dear Members of the Republican Party,
Like millions of other PUMAs, the only thing I’ve decided about this election is that under no circumstances would I be voting for Barack Obama. However, like millions of other PUMAs I have also realized that the only way to ensure that Barack Obama is not elected President is if John McCain wins on November 4th.
In the last few months, I have watched with amazement as you have worked hard to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the Presidential election. In your public and private utterances you have been pessimistic, downcast, fatalistic and have shown signs of being mentally out of the game.
How easily you forget that compared to Barack Obama, in John McCain you not only have a candidate who was legitimately elected by your party, but you have a better candidate, a better message, and a better connection to Main Street, USA. Despite all this you carry on like the election is over and Barack Obama has already won.
It is sad that compared to the rank and file of the GOP, PUMAs are more steadfast in their belief that an Obama presidency is not inevitable. All over the MSM, in the blogosphere and in conversations with people everywhere, members of the GOP who should still be fighting the good fight are talking like a party that has already lost. Why should this be so?
As PUMAs, during the primaries we took the Obama machine on and won, we kept our faith and acted from the realization that no matter what our contributions were, doing something was infinitely better than doing nothing. Either way we knew that sink or swim, till it was over, it iwas not over. The GOP needs to come to this same realization in regards to this election immediately.
The reason Hillary prevailed till she chose to give it all up for the sake of party unity (my a..) is because those of us in her corner supported her candidacy against all odds. Despite all of Hillary’s flaws, and believe you me, there are many, when it came to supporting her candidacy we never showed hurt, never showed fear, never backed down, and never gave up. You can do the same.
As PUMAs we worked our butt off to ensure Hillary Clinton won the Democratic Party’s Primary, against all odds, including being outspent 4 : 1, the MSM being in Obama’s corner, charges of racism and blatant displays of sexism by Obama and his surrogates, and last but not least, electoral fraud perpetuated by ACORN. Folks, indeed the more things change the more they stay the same, nothing has changed, except John McCain has taken the place of Hillary Clinton.
How dare you back down, how dare you give up on John McCain and Sarah Palin? Right now they are the only two people in the world standing between the America we love and cherish and a society remade in the image of Barack Obama. Obama is a man whose political ideology is more in line with that of Daniel Arap Moi, a founding father of Kenya who thrived on the cult of personality, than it is in line with that of our founding father, George Washington, a man who put it all on the line so that our country would truly be greater than any one man.
Is it going to be hard to do this, but you must fight. You must stop griping, complaining and talking about how the deck is stacked against your candidate and your party, yes, life isn’t fair, but it has never been. Instead get in the trenches to fight for McCain/Palin. There must be no retreat, there must be no surrender, till it is midnight in Hawaii and the election is over in all parts of the United States, the election is not over.
Go out and talk to people, educate people on McCain and Palin’s strengths, also educate people on Obama and Biden’s extremely obvious character deficiencies. Nobody who truly loves America and the American way of life can compare the candidates and give any sort of edge to Obama/Biden.
Not everybody is going to listen to you, but who cares? If people don’t want to listen to you, go talk to someone else, if they don’t want to listen to you, go talk to yet another person, eventually, you’ll find someone who has been waiting just to hear your message, and that person will at the minimum NOT vote for Obama, even if s/he does not vote for McCain/Palin. Every single not cast for Obama is a vote that keeps Obama out of the White House, it is that simple.
None of this is going to be easy, pleasant or maybe even enjoyable, because hard work is required, but guess what? The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Lastly, Republicans, you can count on PUMAs to work till the bell is rung to prevent Obama from being elected, you must do the same!
Posted by PUMA Pundit

If that's not great motivation, I don't know what it!!
http://www.puma08.com/about-puma/

When did Christianity become such a dirty word?

During the course of this tiring election campaign, I've been saddened by the way people seem to freak out over the word, "Christianity." As a country we're told constantly to be a respector of persons, which seems like a good way to be, respector of others' religious beliefs, which, I've never had a problem with doing. But during the past few months, Christianity has been mocked in an unbelievable way. Whether it be by talking-heads in the media, SNL skits, cartoon illustrations, etc. Christianity has taken the brunt of many jokes. I don't know if others feel like Christians think they are perfect, judgemental people, but it's quite the contrary. Most Christians KNOW they're imperfect, that's the first stepping stone to becoming a Christian. When did it become such a bad thing to stand on your moral principles and values? When did it become acceptable to mock others' religious beliefs? This is just something that has been weighing on my mind, and I wanted to get some others' perspectives on this.

Vote for your presidential pumpkin pick!

You can vote for your top presidential pick at the Better Homes and Gardens site.

http://www.bhg.com/app/voting/index.jsp?id=/templatedata/bhg/voting/data/1222705728805.xml&sid=3

That one on the bottom is a tad bit scary! ;-)

Who says conservatives can't have fun?

Here's Sarah Palin on SNL -- drill baby drillah!

Just who were the Weather Underground and why should you care?

If you cared about 9/11, the Oklahoma City bombing, or the unabomber -- why would you NOT care about the despicable acts of the weathermen? I guess you might say they considered themselves to be "community organizers" of sorts, but they were a radical left organization founded in 1969 who took their name, "weathermen" from a Bob Dylan song. They bombed the United States Capitol, the Pentagon, Army recruitment centers, and Supreme Court Justice Murtagh's home(where his family was present and in bed at the time). They were also investigated in several other bombings, namely one detonated at a San Francisco police station, taking the life of a police sergeant.
William Ayers helped to cofound this despicable, radical organization in 1969. He and his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, who was also a prominent member of weather underground, both went on to become professors. Ayers, at the University of Illinois, and Dohrn at Northwestern. In an Interview given to the New York Times in 2001 Ayers was quoted saying:

''I don't regret setting bombs,'' Bill Ayers said. ''I feel we didn't do enough.'' Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago.

Yet, this man got away with his terroristic acts, and now teaches college -- just amazing?! Maybe people should ask the victims of the weather underground their feelings as to whether or not the WU is just no big deal. I can see why Obama would want to lie about these associations, who wouldn't? But, is this the type of person we want running our country? The kind of person that associates with terrorists? I think not!
Here is an excerpt from an article written by John M. Murtagh, who was 9 years old at the time, when the weather underground bombed his home while he lay in bed sleeping.
http://www.city-journal.org/2008/eon0430jm.html

Republicans need to take charge!

As you can tell, I've really been slacking at my blogging! The summer kept us super busy, but now with school starting again, things are getting back on track(as well as they do around here anyway)
With the fast approaching election there have been some things weighing on my mind -- like, the entire future stake of our country. I'm scared, scared to death, as I am sure many of you are as well. The economy -- you bet we're feeling it. In more ways than one. Who really is to blame for this unimaginable crisis? Some say the greedy lenders, some say the individuals who pursue loans. I'm not sure any one element can accept full blame. I think the better question in all of this is -- WHO are we going to trust to fix it? Many things have surfaced regarding ties between members of the Democratic party and FM/FM. We know about campaign contributions received by Barney Frank since 1989, not to mention his "oh so cozy" relationship with FM executive, Herb Moses. Now, you tell me, is that the party we want controlling vital economic areas of our government? I think not, at least I know that I don't! We NEED to, as Republicans, stand up and cheer louder, be more vocal, and put more information like this on display to help educate those undecided voters. I wish so badly that my party would get more fired up, we're about to hand over our White House! When I say hand it over, that's basically what we're doing. We need to stand up for our conservative values and principles. We need to support our ticket with passion. I'm afraid of what November may bring, and if it happens, it may just be MY fault...

Busy day yesterday...

I finally went and got my hair cut. I'm sporting my new doo today! It was nice to get a little break and I feel so much better!

We had our Court of Awards ceremony for Girl Scouts last night. I just love Girl Scouts. It was so cute watching the Daisys bridge to Brownies -- they were SO proud. It's a great organization for girls of all ages. I'll be an assistant leader next year, and I'm really looking forward to that. It will keep me busy though. This was Makenna's first year, and she enjoyed it very much. She experienced many things for the first time with the org. Not to mention, they have awesome cookies, what more could a person want?!

After the ceremony, I attended an Uppercase Living Party at a cafemom friend's house. It was nice to meet other moms and I look forward to playdates and such. Uppercase Living, in case you don't know, is a company that sells "decorative expressions." They have some really neat things. Check them out:
http://www.uppercaseliving.com/
I enjoyed the evening very much. I was too tired to download pics last night, so I will do that today and post some later of the ceremony.

Kennedy - whether you like him or not

I am not a fan of the Kennedy's, actually, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Ted Kennedy is one the strongest forces to be reckoned with in the Senate.

As the youngest of nine children, he has endured the death of 6 siblings. He's one of three remaining. He survived a plane crash in 1964 that killed an aide worker and the pilot. He's suffered from back ailments ever since. He's had bouts with alcoholism which only assisted in tarnishing his reputation after the Chippaquiddick incident. He has endured the tragic deaths of three nephews. Two of his own children are cancer survivors. It's no big secret that the Kennedy family seems to endure more trials and tribulations than your everyday, average, family.

I don't have to be a fan of Kennedy to admire him. He has devoted over 45 years of his life, serving our country, to stand for what HE feels is in the best interest of our citizens. That in itself, is very admirable. I may not agree with his politics, but one can definitely not take that away from him. I pray for him, and for his family. I pray that he will have many memorable last days, a decent quality of life to devote more time to doing what he does, and that he will be able to spend quality time with his family and friends. God bless Ted Kennedy!

The Little Ones that Make my World Go Round...

^Morgan, my youngest, after an exhausting day at Disney

This is Madison, my oldest, at the Dallas World Aquarium.

Madison and Makenna at Halloween. Madison informed me last year that she was too old to trick-or-treat (at the time she was 9)...who knew?

Makenna is "the middle child"
Makenna has the biggest heart, goes right along with her sweet smile...

Morgan monkeying around. We were on our way home from a neighborhood event. It was just the two of us that day, the olders were with grandparents. We had a blast!

Things aren't always as they may outwardly appear

I've been with my husband for 8 years now. Many things have changed during those 8 years, some good, some... not so good. Lately I feel as though we almost coexist. I love him, and I know he loves me, but somewhere along the way, it's almost as though we've lost "like" for each other. No two people on earth share all of the same likes and dislikes, nor can one expect that from a person. As of late, we barely communicate outside of the children. It's very hard on me at times, being home all day with kids, no adult interaction, just to be almost ignored when my adult counterpart enters the front door each night. I often wonder how we got to this point? More importantly, how do we get back to the point of "like" for each other. As with many other couples, we've just learned there are so many things that we do NOT like about one another. So why can't the things that we do appreciate about one another override those things that we don't? I would absolutely LOVE for us to be friends again. We can both be stubborn at times, so anytime the subject matter comes up, it's almost like a radioactive protective shield pops up and just deflects all of my efforts. I'm very honest and upfront about my feelings. I tell him the things I need and desire in my life. Things that are, in my opinion, the things that most people want and desire. I don't like that feeling of being viewed as an enemy everytime I open my mouth about something. I want the absolute best for my children, first and foremost. I keep hoping that with age and time, things will get better. I hope that someday we can work more together as a team, and not against each other. If I could only figure out a way to get us back to that point.....

NKTOB made me giddy??

Just yesterday I wrote about how I was coming to terms with getting older. This morning, well for about 30 minutes anyway, I felt like a giddy little teenager watching New Kids on the Block on the Today Show. I mean afterall, they were the hottest boy band of MY young life, and I know I'm not alone in my thinking. Well, guess what? They're not quite new, and definitely not kids, anymore. Even still, it was so much fun watching them and singing along to the songs... yes, I even still remember the lyrics! I think I will try and see them in concert when they come to town and soak up the youthful feeling for an ENTIRE two hours! I can't wait....

Approaching 30... not so gracefully

I'll be 30 in just a few a weeks and I'm having somewhat of a hard time with it. My twenties will be history, and I will be beginning the start of a new decade. Several months ago I was sitting in the car, waiting for the kids to get out of school, when I noticed a grey hair. I plucked that sucker so fast and frantically began a search of what led to countless more. Needless to say it was an awakening moment.

I'm getting older.

Be forewarned -- it does NO good plucking them... I should buy stock in Clairol... Anyway, my hair is not the only thing that age is taking it's toll. I can't walk these days without something popping. It's so funny, because when I was younger, this was just something I didn't think would ever happen to me. Aches and pains for almost no reason at all. Getting tired easily. I know I certainly took my energy level that I once had SO for granted. If only to have the energy of a 4 year old again! I'm hoping that once the dreaded day of the 30th comes and goes, these feelings will pass with the day. I hope to reach a point where I'm ok with growing old gracefully... until then, thank God for great creams, hair dye, good bras, and support hose!

Stepping outside the box

Recently I havc been dealing with a few personal issues. I don't know if it's the upcoming 30th, too much time to think, or what, but my mind has been a constant battlefield.

My first battle ( that I happily won) was reconnecting spiritually. I had gotten so out of the routine of attending church, putting God first, that I had totally lost sight of some very important things. Sitting around, constantly worrying, wondering. Lately I've been giving all of my problems to God, and WOW! ...what a difference that makes!

The second battle that I'm working on, slowly but surely, is reconnecting socially. I'm not exactly sure what happened to my outgoing personality. I've been a SAHM for years now, and some days I feel so disconnected from the rest of the world. I'm sure this is a common issue for other SAHM's like myself. I belong to several groups that participate in playdates and MNO's... and I never attend. It's not that I don't want to, I just... don't. I start thinking things such as, "what if they don't like me?", "what if I say something wrong?." What is wrong with me?! Where does this way of thinking come from? I teach my girls to be the total opposite. To have confidence, believe in themselves, stay true to themselves, all the while I'm so negative about myself! I feel like I owe it to my children to be different, to change this flaw, that in all actuality, makes me lonely and sad. I HAVE to break out of my comfort zone. I think this blog is a stepping stone. I'm not one to openly discuss my feelings, much less put them into text. My next step is actually attending a playdate. So what if they don't like me?! So what if I say something wrong?! At least I did what I needed to for myself. Chances are, they'll like me just fine.

I think sometimes we over analyze things. We worry about things that haven't even happened yet instead of living in the moment. This is an area that I WILL improve in my life, no matter what happens, at least I know I stepped outside the box...

Menu Planning Monday...

Monday - Hamburger steaks w/ mashed taters, green

beans, and rolls...strawberry shortcake

Tuesday - Chicken soft tacos, refried beans, rice

Wednesday - Chicken salad sandwiches, pretzel chips,

dip, and fruit salad

Thursday - Stuffed green bell peppers, mac & cheese, corn, dinner rolls

Friday - Pizza night! Brownie fudge sundaes

Saturday - Teriyaki chicken breasts, broccoli, rice

Sunday - Spaghetti, salad, garlic toast

Mother's Day gift ideas

Say it With Suds!

Traditional old greeting cards are fine, but everybody exchanges them, same old thing year after year…sigh… Why be ordinary? Say—you’re the greatest, best, coolest, most wonderful…. mom, dad, sister, friend, dog… with a message on a bottle. Introducing Not Soap, Radio’s NEW line of GREETING CARD bubble bath/shower gels (its formulated as both!), SAY IT WITH SUDS

All natural products. Can be found at:

http://www.notsoapradio.com/products.html

For the gardening mom:

Gardenia Bonsai tree-

Garden Bonsai tree: The Gardenia's shiny, dark green foliage provides a striking contrast for its white blooms. The bonsai flowers appear intermittently throughout the year, perfuming your home with the gardenia's legendary fragrance. You can find this along with other blooming bonsai trees at ProFlowers.

http://products.proflowers.com/bonsai/GardeniaBonsai-2774?REF=fgvpffeed+giftscomfeed_2774&ssid=4

Scrapbook in a box kit - Aunt Gertie

This great kit includes: 8 X 8 preservation album, 1 sheet of label & frame stickers, 1 sheet of die-cut tags, 1 sheet of clear alphabet stickers, Ribbon & buttons, instructions & templates. 17 pages, easy to assemble, layouts, and all papers cut to size for fast assembly. Great kit for a scrappin' beginner. This can be found at JoAnn fabric and craft stores. Check the website for one near you!

http://www.joann.com/joann/index.jsp

Have a Happy Mother's Day!!!

Is it November yet?

I can't sleep and have been watching the coverage of the primaries in NC and Indiana. Once again, Obama walks away with more delegates. I still applaud Hillary for her efforts. I don't think I would back down if I were her either. Of course, I'm not a democrat(nothing against democrats) so I'm all for stretching it out for as long as they want -- hehehe ;) This is a very exciting election year, no doubt. As much as it holds my interest, it also tires me out... if that makes sense? I do think I'll be glad to see November finally get here so we can wrap this up!

Starting over...

Well I haven't blogged in quite a while, so thought I'd give it another go. In all honesty, I'm kind of a boring person that doesn't have cool, new, and exciting things to report each day, but maybe someone out there might find me interesting -- or at least might be able to relate! Over the past few weeks I have had, in a sense, a "starting over" outlook on life. Prior to that I had been dealing with what I guess could be considered... depression...I don't even like speaking the word. Mainly over things that I know many other people are experiencing at the moment. High on that list of worries was finances, which then tends to strain relationships, add that to just the regular everyday stresses in life, and well, it was overwhelming. Thank God for friends! A couple of weeks ago a dear friend of mine invited me to attend a Joyce Meyer conference here in Dallas. To be honest, I really started dreading the thought of going the closer the starting date approached so was relieved when the friend called to say she had to cancel (this is about a week prior to the date). So, even though I was happy in a way about not going, I was still kinda bummed that I wasn't going to see my friend, and my depression was just building, to the point where I had decided that I was going to see a doctor. Well that week comes and goes, and on a Thursday, which happened to fall on the opening date of the conference, I was now not planning to attend, I awoke with every intention of making it in to see the doc. I get a call... it's my friend calling to tell me her plans have changed she's coming down, figure something with the girls and let's go! I hung up the phone and kinda just sat there, thinking. An overwhelming feeling came over me. I knew I was meant to be at this conference. I knew that if I could somehow arrange things with the girls and it worked out, being so last minute, it was just meant to be. Things oddly just fell into place as far as arranging things for the kids and such... that NEVER happens. Man, am I so glad it did. I truly needed to go! It was such an eye opening thing, more like an intervention, if you will, a Devine intervention. One of the first things that hit me during Joyce's teaching was the fact that almost all of my thinking was sooooo negative and I had to change it! How could I possibly be anything but miserable when I'm spending most of my day wallowing in self-pity feeling sorry for myself all the time? I needed to get a grip! I have so much to be thankful for. I may not have my wants, but I certainly have all of my needs! Since the kick in the pants, I've been spending much more time in the Word, consistently praying, and just filling my day with more positive things. I know that with God's help, I can lead a happy, purposeful life!