Happy Halloween! I Like Candy!

Happy Halloween!

The kids are aching to start Trick or Treating. Too bad they have to wait until 6.

Tommy is Mario:






(No mustache now because I was worried it wouldn’t stick again for Trick or Treating..)

He’s been obsessed with the Mario games. Granted, he lost all the Mario games for his DS so if anyone ever sells theirs please let me know. I think he lost them when we went to the beach. They must’ve fallen out of his backpack.

That’s Tommy doing Mario moves. He’s attacking Bowser.






Natalie is…

…well, see, she changed her mind a lot. First, she wanted to be a princess. Then it was Spiderman. She’s been obsessed with Spiderman. She still wants a Spiderman mask. Then she thought it would be fun to be a bee, a horse, Princess Peach (which I thought would be adorable going with Tommy's Mario costume but apparently the Princess Peach costume "was not good enough" and "smelled funny,), a doctor, a teacher, and finally when we were at Target she saw an Ariel costume and said she “loved it so much!”

So yeah.

She’s Ariel.











Complete with matching shoes. She had to show off the shoes. They even light up.




Oh, she was being a vampire mermaid here. I said she could be a vampire so long as she’s not that pansy Edward from Twilight.

So what are your kids being for Halloween? Do you dress up?

(Do you take all your favorite candy from their buckets as you go through it all?)

Glued To My Crafts Cards Winner!

I did a review for two cards from Glued To My Crafts here.

I used random.org to pick a winner and it picked number 1 which was C…

Congrats!!

Looking For Great Workouts? Check Out Beachbody.com!

I do not like working out.

I am working out because I’d like to be able to fit into my pants.

And also, I like my junk food.

So I make sure to get to the gym at least twice per week.

I was contacted by someone from BeachBody.com to mention some fabulous ways to get a fit figure. They have some awesome DVDs coming out.

For starters, they have the Tai Cheng preorder. If you check out the site it’ll list things for you to figure out if the workout is right for you.

I wouldn’t be coordinated for that.

Although I do like to pretend I’m a Ninja at times.

And then I get that Kung Foo fighting song on my head.

But anyway. I digress.

I know some people would love this workout.

Then, there is the Les Mills Pump Workout.

This is good for people who love listening to upbeat music. I like listening to upbeat music so I think I could this.

It’s also great for people who like to set their own times for workout. That’s another plus for me.

This workout consists of high-repetition and low weighted barbell moves. Low weighted makes me happy.

Finally, there is the P90X2. I know several people who do the P90X. I’d die. I wouldn’t even attempt it.

From the site, this is about P90X2:

"Based on P90X® Muscle Confusion™, P90X2™ ups the ante by adding a training technique developed by professional sports trainers for the world's elite athletes. 12 groundbreaking workouts give you mind-blowing visible results, while building balance, agility, core strength, and athleticism."

For those who aren’t scared by that, the P90X2 is available for preorder. You can watch a video on the workout on the webpage and if you pre-order, you can get free shipping (a $19.95 value.) Plus, if you preorder you can be entered for some prizes!


Happy workouts to you all!

Now, where did I set that Twinkie?


I was not compensated by BeachBody. I was asked to post some links from the site. All opinions are my own.

Two Places At Once

Natalie’s teacher had sent home a letter early October stating that on the 28th, the parents ought to stay and help the kids with some pumpkin craft.

I admit, I was like, “Ugh, a craft?” Because I am not crafty. In the least. I imagined myself standing there while all the Perfect Mother’s effortlessly glued buttons and sprinkled on glitter like it was no big deal. And then there I’d be with a button accidentally glued to my cheek and glitter down my shirt.

But, obviously I was going to stay. I might hate crafts but I wasn’t about to let Natalie stand there all alone while everyone else had someone. So I said I’d be there and told Natalie, “Please don’t get upset if our project doesn’t turn out. It’s how much fun you’re having making it that counts. Not the outcome.”

Natalie was like, “I want it to be pretty.”

And I said, “Well. If not, we’ll cover the thing with sparkles.”

So yeah. I planned to be there.

But then two days ago Tommy comes home with a paper saying that he made the Teacher’s Honor Roll.

And that the ceremony was on the 28th

At 3.

The same time I’d be struggling at craft time with Natalie.

Tom couldn’t help. He had work. Unfortunately even though the Air Force is like, “Yeah, we’re family oriented!” they frown upon the only dog handler on shift going, “Can I see my kid get the Honor Roll?” Because suppose some crazy guy tries to come on the base with a bomb and Tom isn’t there to stop it?

*Le Sigh*

So it was just me.

I told Tommy, “I already promised your sister so I might not be there.”

He said it was fine but he looked sad and I immediately felt like crap and ate 3 Reeses Peanut Butter Cups to feel better.

Then I thought, “How can I be in two places at once?” I pictured an episode of Full House where Danny had to be at DJ and Stephanie’s thing and he ran from one school to the other. Granted, I don’t think it ended well. Didn’t he pass out and miss them both?

I’d probably pass out if I did that. They are in two separate schools, 10 minutes apart by CAR. I might be working out in the gym but I’m not THAT in shape. I wish I had Captain America’s powers. I watched it last night and after he got his injections he could suddenly run incredibly fast. If I had his powers, I COULD run from one school to the other with my buff chest and awesome circular shield. (Wait. There wouldn’t be a shield, would there?)

Anyway, I decided to tell Natalie’s teacher that we’d be leaving early. She seemed okay with it but I have a feeling Natalie will be miffed if we leave before finishing her pumpkin and this is more likely if I have to follow steps to make the thing. I’m awful with making ANYTHING. Even basic stuff. So I’ll probably leave with Natalie screaming in my arms while I say, “We have to get to your brother’s school. Pipe down!” and she’ll be all, “But my pumpkin IS NOT DONE YET and you wouldn’t buy me the SINGING RAPUNZEL DOLL!” Granted, that last part has nothing to do with anything but she’s been harboring anger over that one for quite some time even though I’ve explained if she behaves that Santa might bring it to her.

I haven’t promised Tommy that we’d be there just in case. I’d feel worse if I absolutely vowed that I’d be there and something happened. I told him I’d try very hard.

Wish me luck.

Have you ever had to be in two places at once?

The Shed Pal Sucks

You see the ads on television for all sorts of strange things.


--Wash cloths that can apparently hold 15 gallons of water.

--Pans that can make the perfect brownie.

--Some thing that looks like a torture device that can make awesome spaghetti

--A kitchen that can clean itself. (Well. I haven’t seen this yet. But I’d like one.)



My husband and I were intrigued by something called a Shed Pal.

Confused? (I swear, it’s not a sex toy. I posted this picture on Facebook and people were like, “Um, why are you sharing a photo of your private toys?”)

A Shed Pal is supposed to help clean up the fur your pet sheds. The commercial (I'll share the link here and you'll see how misleading it is) shows the thing suctioning up fur effortlessly while the animal sits there with a baffled what-the-hell is going on expression. (I’d wonder the same. Especially if I was sitting there minding my own business and suddenly there’s a camera in my face and some chick is suctioning up my hair. It’s like, excuse me, shouldn’t we exchange numbers first?)

Anyway.

Tom and I found the Shed Pal at Wal-Mart. We plunked down 19.95 and eagerly took it home to try on our cat Max. Who sheds a lot. And by a lot I mean our brown couch will turn orange after he sits down on it for awhile.

So we find Max and he’s in the middle of giving himself a bath. He sees Tom taking the Shed Pal out of its packaging and pauses mid-lick. He gives us a look like, “WTF?”

“We’re going to vacuum up your fur,” Tom told him. And honestly, that statement would have scared me, too. That’s like someone saying, “Hey. I’m going to vacuum your leg hair.” Or, “It’s time to have a bikini wax.”

Max, because he’s a cat, just blinked at us as Tom started brushing his fur to loosen it. He likes this. His eyes started to close in ecstasy and he got the same expression I get whenever I consume chocolate. Mmm, chocolate. You know what sounds good? A Boston Cream donut from Dunkin Donuts.

But back to the story.

After Max’s fur was brushed Tom brought over the Shed Pal. He switched it on and this small whirling sound filled the room. Actually, it didn’t even fill the room. Maybe a couple of inches of it. And then Tom brought the thing towards Max because it’s supposed to vacuum all the loose fur so it doesn’t wind up on your furniture, floors, you, and other places where cat fur should not be.

Well.

I guess Shed Pal forgot the promises that it had on the commercial because the suction SUCKED. Or, in this case, it didn’t suck. It had the tiniest suction known to man and struggled to inhale an itty bitty piece of Max’s fur. For awhile it spun around and around on the opening before finally entering the chamber. It took about five minutes for it to do so. It didn't groom at all.

At this point Tom was crushed because the commercial LIED to him. (He was seriously excited about the Shed Pal. He was like, “Wow, neat, now we won’t have to deal with Max’s fur everywhere!” And at that moment, he realized, crap, we WILL have to deal with Max’s fur everywhere.”)

So in the end, we made a vow to never purchase those Made for TV things ever again.

Unless it’s very cool, like a gun that shoots piranhas. (That’s from Tom. And yes, that gun was in Despicable Me and Tom thinks it’s one of the coolest things EVER..)

Or if it’s something that can shut the children up for an hour so we can have a conversation without being interrupted. (Yes. I get there is something called a television but that doesn’t always work. Maybe something like a virtual Mary Poppins will be invented and Mary will be like, “Feed the birds, lalala, and a spoon full of sugar..” I’d buy that.)

So have you ever bought a Made for TV item? If so, did it work?

Winnie The Pooh DVD Giveaway! **CLOSED

**CLOSED...winner posted here**

It’s true.

My favorite character in Winnie the Pooh is Eeyore. I think we can all relate to Eeyore. I know I’ve had days when I just want to mope around and be like, “Woe is me.”

Plus, Eeyore’s face cracks me up. It reminds me of my children’s face when I tell them no more television for the night because if I have to watch Spongebob fail another driver’s test, I might scream.

Do you like Winnie the Pooh?

If so, you’re in luck. DBA West/Partners Hub is giving away a DVD/Blu Ray Combo Pack!

Here’s some info about the movie from Amazon.com:


"Author A.A. Milne's beloved bear, Winnie the Pooh, joins forces with his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood to help two of their own in Disney's hand-drawn charmer. Though he describes himself as a "bear of very little brain," Pooh (Jim Cummings) proves he's all heart when sad-sack Eeyore's tail goes missing and a terrible creature called the "Backson" abducts Christopher Robin (Jack Boulter), their human protector (the schoolboy actually leaves a note saying he will be "back soon"). Granted, our hero spends the entire journey dreaming about glorious pots of "hunny," but when push comes to shove, he prioritizes his pals over his tummy, which rumbles and expands as his hunger pangs increase. Wisely, co-directors Don Hall and Stephen J. Anderson avoid the distraction of instantly recognizable actors in favor of animation veterans, like Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), who voices the resourceful Rabbit. While Sebastian Cabot narrated the Winnie featurettes of yore, comedian John Cleese, who sometimes speaks directly to Pooh, ably steps into his shoes, and talk-show host Craig Ferguson also makes a mark as the know-it-all Owl. At 68 minutes, not including short film "The Ballad of Nessie," this John Lasseter-produced feature should captivate most young viewers, even those accustomed to faster-paced, computer-animated features, like Lasseter's directorial efforts for Pixar. Musician M. Ward and singer/actress Zooey Deschanel of the band She & Him add to the old-fashioned charm with their retro-sounding songs. And be sure to stay through the closing credits for the funny surprise at the end."



Sounds awesome, right?

For added information, check out this widget!

Giveaway Rules

--Must be 18 or older

--Must live in the US

--No PO Boxes


Mandatory Entry: Who is your favorite Winnie the Pooh character and why?


Bonus Entries:

--Take the personality quiz in the widget and tell me what character it came up with!

--Become a fan for the Winnie the Pooh Facebook page


Please leave a separate comment for each entry and PLEASE have your e-mail linked up to your blog so I can contact you if you win. If not, please put your e-mail in your comment.

Winner will be announced November 1st and I MUST have your info then.


Thank you and good luck!

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. If you do it, make sure you link up! (And make sure when you link up, you actually have an Hey, It's Okay post up, please.)

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To hate when makeovers cut almost all the woman’s hair off. I can understand a little but most of the time it’s a dramatic haircut. It doesn’t always make things better because some of those cuts take a lot of time to style.



To like the new McDonalds shake Sweet Autumn. It tastes like pumpkin. But nothing is as good as a pumpkin spice frappuccino from Starbucks. However, the shake at McDonalds is much cheaper…



To know Tom is excited to pick up his Battlefield 3 game at GameStop. It came with a free map. Or something.



To always add sugar to my cereal because I hate milk. It helps sweeten the milk so I can handle it.



To think Parenting magazine was a tad confused when they suggested adding mangos to quesadillas for added vitamins. That sounds disgusting. I’ll just stick to cheese.



To love diners. There’s a really good one by Tom’s grandparent’s house called Oh Boys in Ohio.



To still be upset with Angry Birds. I can’t beat it! Tom did and now he’s trying to go back and get 3 stars on each level. I’m lucky if I get one.



To be glad my kids don’t go to school in France. They’ve banned ketchup since it’s unhealthy. What the crap ever. It’s KETCHUP. Natalie loves the stuff and she’d be horrified if she couldn’t have any with her fries. (I'm kidding though, I'm sure the schools are fantastic...but my kids need their ketchup..)

Back From The 16 Hour Road Trip

I’m back from my 16 hour road trip.

We got in last night.

I’m still half asleep so I’ll recap how it went.



Number of times I thought my butt was going to fall asleep from sitting so long: 6


Number of times I ate junk food so I probably gained all the weight I’ve lost in the gym back: Errr...lost count...nothing is as good as a milkshake on a long car drive..hello expanding half asleep from sitting so long butt.


Number of times the kids fought: none. Shocking. It was because Tom was with me. Had I done the drive on my own, they’d have turned into mini ninjas and toys and food would have been flying back and forth and someone probably would have been tossed out the window. (Possibly me. I could see the kids revolting, throwing me out the window, and driving off with the car.)


Number of times I thought we’d get stranded on the side of the road and die from the hands of an insane murderer: once. We were close to running out of gas at 10 at night and the next station was 28 miles away. The light on Tom’s truck had come on and I was like, “Holy crap, we’ll have to pull over, Tom will go find gas and leave us here, a deranged man will pull up beside us, take us, kill us, and toss our remains in the woods." Luckily this didn’t happen and we could gas right in time. So phew. No deranged killer.


Number of times I watched GI Joe Therapy On YouTube: Many. I turned the volume up so Tom could hear. We cracked up. Seriously. Look up GI Joe Therapy on YouTube. The Army Ranger guy is the funniest. He rants about grown men who wear crocs. I'm a little concerned when a grown man wears crocs, too.


Number of times I cursed at other cars: er…lost count. But some people need to learn to drive. Pulling right in front of people with NO SIGNAL is rude. And dangerous. But mostly rude. And yes, that was my middle finger waving at you.


Number of times I drove: none. I was just sympathetic to the other assholes on the road that Tom had to deal with. I don’t drive because A) I don’t like driving the truck—it’s too big and B) I go the speed limit and Tom thinks this is too slow. He goes between 5-10 over and if I drive he’d be like, “Oh my GOD, it is okay to go a little above 70.” And then I’d have said, “I am making a good example for the kids and following the rules,” and TOM would have said, “YOU’LL MAKE THE 16 HOUR TRIP 18 HOURS IF YOU KEEP DRIVING LIKE THIS!” Then I’d cry, he’d sulk because I was crying, and one of the kids would probably throw up just because. So yeah. It’s better he just drives.


Number of times we were hugged by Tom’s family members who were shocked that we drove out for one day: lost count. It was nice to see everyone. Some people had never seen Natalie in person before. She wasn’t shy at all. She just climbed on available laps and showed off her toys. (“This is my Rapunzel doll. She has long hair. She wears a purple dress. I wish it were blue. She has a friend named Pascal. I bet he smells. Rapunzel loves Flynn Ryder but his real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. I like that name better. My brother’s middle name is Eugene.”


Number of times we said that we’d never make the 16 hour drive again: none. It was worth it. We'll do it again sometime.

The 16 Hour Drive

Hello.

We’re going to be driving 16 hours today.

No, it’s not really a joy trip.

One of Tom’s Uncles has passed away from cancer so we’re going to pay our respects. We weren’t terribly close but it’s still nice to honor family members so please keep his family in his thoughts and prayers.

The thing is though, we’re in Oklahoma.

Tom’s family is in Ohio.

So yeah. 16 hours.

We’re leaving tonight so the kids will be sleeping through most of it. Or so we hope.

Otherwise it’s going to be a long trip.

Wish us luck.

You can follow our adventures on my Twitter where, if the kids work my nerves enough I'll leave directions on where I'll be dropping them off if anyone wanted a free child.

(No, but seriously, should I be investing in those earphones where you can't hear ANYTHING?)

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In other news, a few people were curious on what Natalie was wearing in my Corn Maze post. She had on this:

And yes, naturally, it's from Gymboree.

(Not Tommy's outfit. His is from the glorious Target.)

Finally. A Honeymoon.

Tom and I were married nearly 10 years ago.

We did not go on a honeymoon.

This was because we were 19.

Oh, and we were broke.

Did I mention I was seven months pregnant?

So yeah.

No honeymoon.

But we knew we always wanted one. Someday.

Well, that day has come.

In March 2012, we’re going here:

That would be Hawaii.

If you have any tips or places we should go, please let me know. We're staying at the military hotel the Hale Koa.


Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. If you do it, make sure you link up! (And make sure when you link up, you actually have an Hey, It's Okay post up, please.)

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To not like that Modern Family aged baby Lily. She was one last season. She’s 3 or 4 now.


To have not bought the new iPhone.


To have eaten most of the Halloween candy I’ve purchased for Trick or Treaters. I need to get more.


To want the new Philippa Gregory book.


To hope to find a great deal on a Playstation 3 for Tom. That’s what he really wants for Christmas.


To hope that the missing baby (I think it happened in Kentucky) is found. The mother admitted she was drunk when it happened so who knows what all went on in that case.


To hate when reality show stars whine about not getting enough time with their family. Um, you can afford a nanny. You can make time.


To have been bummed that the pumpkin patch we went to DID NOT have apple cider. I love fresh apple cider. And no, I won’t make it myself. I’m lazy.

Into The Corn Maze

Ahhh, Fall.

The time when the leaves change, when pumpkin flavored everything appears, and the weather becomes a little cooler.

Oh, and let’s not forget the corn mazes.

We went in one over the weekend.

Tom took it seriously and studied the map. I’m glad he did because have I mentioned I’m awful with directions? (Readers might recall how I would have gotten lost in New York had my best friend Jennifer not led the way.)

My plan for the corn maze? To just walk around and hope for the best.

Tom’s plan? To figure out exactly where we were at each point so we wouldn’t take the wrong way and have to start from the beginning.

(That would be Tom staring at the map seriously.)

Had I led us, we’d have gotten lost and would have had to call 911 like that one family who couldn’t find their way out of a corn maze.

Or I’d have just charged through the corn. I’d have raised my purse in the air, given a speech like William Wallace about freedom, and would have instructed my family to CHARGE THE CORN.

As it is, I didn’t lead the group.

Tom did.

So we were in and out in less than fifteen minutes.

“That was easy,” Tom said as we emerged. “All you had to do was study the landmarks.”

What landmarks? All I saw was corn.

I suppose that military folk are trained to remember ordinary things so they won’t get lost.

Thank goodness someone in this family has a good sense of direction.

A Four Year Old and Scissors

It’s never a good thing when you spot these by the television.

“Natalie?” I shouted. I had just finished folding laundry upstairs. She was downstairs. I thought Dora the Explorer was babysitting but I suppose not. Dora was busy lecturing Swiper the Fox and my kid was nowhere to be seen. AND THERE WERE SCISSORS BY THE TV!

What if she cut off all her hair? She has such beautiful long hair. What if it fell in different lengths now? She watches too much Tangled and thinks it’s awesome when Flynn Rider cuts off Rapunzel’s hair. No, really, she thinks it’s AWESOME. When that part comes on she claps and is like, “That’s a great job, Flynn Rider.” WHAT IF SHE WANTED TO COPY FLYNN RIDER?

“Natalie?” I tried again.

“I’m in the bathroom. Peeing,” Natalie called out.

“In what state are you in?” I replied.

Well, not really. I wanted to ask though. And I would have barged in and had a look but Natalie is big on privacy. As in, if I walk in the bathroom, there are times when she’s all, “YOU’RE STEALING MY PRIVACY!” Granted, other times she’s like, “Please wipe my butt. I pooped.”

It seemed to take forever for Natalie to emerge. When she did I let out a breath of relief. Her hair was still there.

“What were you doing with the scissors?” I demanded. Even though her hair was still there, it didn't mean all was well. There are MANY things she could cut.

“Oh, I gave Max a haircut,” she answered sweetly.

Max is our cat.

And yes, he’s longhaired, but he would not appreciate a haircut.

“We don’t play with scissors,” I reminded her and started searching for Max. I found him glaring at me from under the table. His eyes said, “Great parenting.”

His missing patch of fur said, “Done by a four year old.”

“Don’t ever play with scissors again,” I lectured.

“Why? Max looks nice. You’re welcome, Max,” Natalie said with a wide grin.

I’m hiding all of the scissors from now on. It’s not like I left the scissors she used out in the open either. They were on top of the counter in the far corner where all the pens are kept. But the little monkey just climbs up and grabs what she wants.

Anyway, as I was cleaning the living room, I opened the cabinet and found this:

Yup.

She lied.

She DID cut a piece of her hair off.

“Natalie!” I shrieked.

She seemed irritated with ME (with ME!) as she stomped back in. Sometimes she behaves like a mini-teenager.

“Wh-at?” she said, stretching out the word as though I had interrupted something important.

“You cut your hair!” I waved the strand in her face.

Natalie didn’t even look guilty. “I did that,” she explained, “because those hairs hurt me. So I cut them off. And now I’m not hurting anymore.”

Nice. Four year old logic.

Needless to say, the scissors are being kept in a lock box now.

There Goes The Garden

It was ugly.

The garden in our front yard, that is.

It was covered with faded wood chips and there were weeds growing everywhere.

So Tom and I decided to re-do it all:

That's our garden. Naked. We plan on doing stuff with it. We got some red wood chips.

No plants. Because they'd probably die.

Wish us luck.


Are you good at doing your yard?

If so, are you for rent to do ours?

My Dear Letters

I decided to write letters I wish I could send.

Basically, nothing else is going on so you get My Dear Letters. Have any to add? Let me hear about it!

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Dear People Who Litter While Driving,

Why? There are many trash cans all around that you can pull by and dump out your garbage. Littering the street as you’re driving is tacky. And not to mention rude. I wish the trash would bounce back up from the road and smack you in the face.

Signed,
A-Can’t-Stand-People-Who-Are-Rude,
Amber

PS--It also grosses me out when people spit from their car. What if your saliva blows onto my vehicle? Or worse, me?! Spit in the bathroom. Thanks.

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Dear School Fundraisers,

Please just go away. I get you need to raise money and I happily donate. But I won’t go door to door and sell cookies. Or useless crap. And parents who do the fundraisers take note: if I wouldn’t buy from my own kid, why would I buy from yours? (Although I did buy some cookies from some kid last month. I only have so much willpower..but overpriced candles? Calenders with bizarre shapes all over them? No more.)

Signed,
A-Don’t-Want-More-Crap,
Amber

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Dear Blu Ray DVD Player,

Why didn’t I buy you earlier? I never knew how clear movies could be until we got you. I can see people’s PORES! Which is slightly disturbing, yet cool at the same time.

Signed,
A-Still-Marveling,
Amber

PS--Best Buy matches Amazon.com prices. Amazon had a fabulous price on a Panasonic Blu Ray and we got it for that price.

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Dear People Who Block The Grocery Store Aisles With Their Carts,

I’ve written you before and yet you’re still not moving. If you must stop, you push your cart off to the SIDE so people can pass. You do NOT leave your cart in the middle of an aisle and then stare intently at the soups. And then if someone says excuse me, you don’t give THEM dirty looks and act as though moving your cart is the hardest job in the world.

Signed,
A-Thinks-There-Should-Be-A-How-To-Grocery-Shop-101-Class,
Amber

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Dear Netflix,

Or is it Qwikster? No wait, it’s back to Netflix, right? You’re about as indecisive as George Clooney is with his women. I'll continue to use you (my Blu Ray streams Netflix! Actually, so does our Wii which we've had for years..I'm just learning how to do all this stuff now...) but stop charging more for Blu Ray movies. It's annoying.

Signed,
A-Not-Liking-Change,
Amber

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. If you do it, make sure you link up! (And make sure when you link up, you actually have an Hey, It's Okay post up, please.)

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To hate when I’m outbid on eBay at the last second when I really want the item.


To be annoyed that it rained this weekend so we couldn’t go to a pumpkin farm. Hopefully it’s clear this weekend.


To enjoy the new show Pan Am.


To be sad that Steve Jobs passed away. Though I wish Apple products weren’t so expensive. And no, I don’t consider him any kind of hero. Heroes to me are the soldiers who risk their lives for the country. Not someone who created something cool.


To be happy Amanda Knox got to go home. With all the evidence, it didn’t seem like she did it and I hope not, because I do feel for the victim’s family the most.


To have liked the movie The Hurt Locker. I watched it with Tom the other day and was surprised by how much I did like it.


To want the new Nicholas Sparks book The Best of Me. I’ll review it on my blog, Mr. Sparks ;) Heck, I’ll review any book.


To not watch The X Factor. I like Simon but I’m over those kinds of competitions.


To love finding sweet notes like this from Tom:

(I'm trying a new Link site since Linky Tools went to paid subscriptions. I hope this one works!)

That's Not A Spot!

Dear Certain Lazy PreK Parents,

Stop making up your own parking spots. There are plenty of spots to choose from. Yes, unfortunately, it might be further away from the door. But aren’t we supposed to be teaching our children that it’s okay to walk?

Stop parking wherever you want. This is not a spot:

Nor is parking at the end of an aisle.

Park in a designated spot. You know, the area with lines around it?

If you do not, don’t be surprised if you find eggs all over your vehicle some day with a note that reads “I was egg-streamly annoyed that you did not park in a regular spot.”

Thank you,
An-irritated-parent-who-does-not-want-to-be-blocked-in-by-lazy-ass-you

Anyone else deal with people who don’t park in a spot?

Glued To My Crafts Cards Review and Giveaway**CLOSED

**CLOSED!! Winner was posted here**


I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: I wish I could do crafts. As it is, I tend to burst into tears the second I begin to make something and my fingers usually wind up glued together.

Stacey can do crafts.

She contacted me asking if I could review two of her cards and run a giveaway and naturally I said yes. I’m always amazed when other people can do crafts, after all.

Stacey has an Etsy site called Glued To My Crafts here and she has a variety of different cards to choose from.

Want a Halloween card? She has them:

I was given these to review:

I was impressed when how they were packaged and even more impressed on how well they were put together. There are no loose parts and everything looks professional. In short, it's definately a card I would love to receive and feel comfortable with sending to someone.

Stacey is giving two lucky readers the same cards.

If you don’t want to wait to win, you can order your own cards and save 10% with the code SAMPLE10.



Giveaway Rules

--Must be 18 or older

--Must live in the US


Mandatory Entry:

LIKE Stacey’s Facebook page



Extra Entries (Please make each entry separate)

--Go to Stacey’s ETSY page and tell me what card is your favorite

--FOLLOW Stacey’s Blog


Contest will run until October 31st.

Good luck!

Everything In My Car

She screamed.

I thought she was hurt so I rushed over. We were just about to leave for PreK and I thought, “Oh fun, instead of school, we get to go to the doctor.”

But, as I approached Natalie, she didn’t appear to be hurt. She was standing by the door gripping her Superman backpack and Snow White helmet. (She gets attached to weird things.)

“What?” I demanded.

She gave a big sigh. “My doggy wants to come too and I don’t have any free hands.”

Uh.

Really?

Are any other parents out there dealing with a kid who wants to take practically EVERY TOY THEY OWN whenever it’s time to leave the house?

Or is my kid just overly attached to things?

Should I save up for her therapy later? (I mean really, why take a HELMET?)

“That’s not an issue to scream about,” I reminded her. “I’ll carry the doggy out. Okay?”

I know I shouldn’t give in. But it seems like such a small thing. And okay, it keeps her quiet on the ten minute drive to her school. I prefer quiet. I hate when she’s whiney. Her complaints mixed with Oklahoma drivers who have seemed to forgotten how to operate a vehicle is not a nice mix.

So..

We got the toys she wanted and…

…yeah. Where is my kid?

And let me tell you, sometimes she forgets to bring the item she wailed about in the first place back in so it sits in my car forever. I once found Darth Vader shoved underneath the passenger seat. (Yup, she loves Darth. Again. I’m saving up for her therapy.)

Is anyone else’s vehicle covered in toys?

(And food?)

That might be a future blog post. What’s in YOUR car?

It's Back!

This is the year I’m finally going to do it.

It’s going to happen.

I’m going to win more than fries at McDonalds Monopoly.


Have you won anything good at McDonalds Monopoly?

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. If you do it, make sure you link up! (And make sure when you link up, you actually have an Hey, It's Okay post up, please.)

----------------

To wish the group One Million Moms would chill out over matters. They claimed a JC Penney commercial was sexist because of a woman in a bikini.


To be excited over going to a pumpkin patch this weekend. There’s a corn maze!


To have wanted to slap the woman on Extreme Couponers who was like, “If the shelf is bare, you should have gotten there sooner. Hehe.” Kiss my ass, lady. You don’t need 40 tubes of toothpaste.


To not make my own Halloween costumes. I think it’s cool that some people do but the most I could do was cut two holes for eyes on a sheet so my kid could be a ghost. And odds are, the eyes would be wrong and uneven.


To wonder if people actually pay money for those Cube cars.


To love feel good sports movies. Tom and I watched Remember the Titans the other night. I also have a special place in my heart for the Mighty Duck movies.


To be officially DONE with my eye drops that I had to take after I did Lasik. Well, I do still have to take artificial tears for awhile but I can deal with one. And yup, my eyes are feeling great. No more glasses slipping down my nose!


To think the new Extra Dessert Delights Orange Creamcicle gum is delicious. I’d like to say it makes my sweet cravings go away but it really doesn’t. However, it is tasty to chew.

Top Ten Don'ts On What NOT To Do On Facebook

Facebook.

Everyone seems to have one.

Some people don’t seem to understand how to use one.

So I decided to make a Top Ten list of Facebook Don’ts.



10. Don’t like a sad status. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone post “Having an awful day,” and saw someone like it. Um? Or once I posted that I had a headache and someone liked it. Is anyone really reading Facebook or are they liking every status?


9. Don’t post half naked pics of yourself. Or anyone else you might know. It tends to scare other people.


8. Don’t constantly post what a genius your kid is. Some might be. But there have to be other average kids out there. My son gets a mainly B report card with one C sprinkled in. Where are all those kids? Or is everyone else getting As?


7. Don’t constantly vague book. (I'm talking to you Ashton and Demi..) Fine, if you want to do it once in awhile, great. A little mystery never killed anyone. Constant mystery does. If you aren’t going to spill your guts when someone asks what’s wrong on a daily basis, knock it off.


6. Don’t post a picture of something you cooked and then be like, “Can’t share the recipe, it’s secret!” Don’t tease! That’s mean!


5. Don’t whine if people spoil a show. Stay offline if you’re worried about finding out that Patrick Jane from The Mentalist shot Red John. (Or DID he?)


4. Don’t repeatedly post a countdown to the new Twilight movie if you’re over 25. It’s creepy.


3. Don’t constantly post political posts and be surprised when not everyone agrees. This also goes for parenting posts. I will say something if I see an anti-circumcision post most of the time and will write how I don’t feel guilty on making the decision for my son. And then of course that person TRIES to make me feel guilty and it’s like, “Can you just be accepting that my opinion differs from yours?” The world is an interesting place because we all think differently, people. I wish some folks got that.


2. Don’t allow your kids under 13 to join Facebook. I suppose I get it if they HAVE to play Farmville, but don’t let them post. They won’t have anything interesting to say. And plus, the rules sort of state to be over 13 to join. I might friend your kid to be polite if they request me, but don’t ask me to watch my language or my content. I won’t.


1. Don’t post about how broke you are and then have your next update be like, “We just bought a new puppy!” That’s annoying. Common sense shows that if you are broke, that buying a new pet might not be the brightest idea and yes, half your Facebook list is thinking this, too.