Because I Know I’m Not The Only One

May 14, 2009 15 comments »

Have you ever felt someone lose respect for you.  Like physically?  What about a room full of people?   Well it happened to me several weeks ago when I, in a total whatintheheckwereyouthinking moment, announced to my Sunday School class that I had just finished the Twilight series and was currently watching the movie every stinkin’ night while I rocketh the Bug-girl to sleep.  And that I thought the vampires were hot.  And that I painted my nails black for three months after watching The Craft back in college.

Yeah, once I start, there’s really no way to stop the flow of randomness from my mouth.

This also may explain why I don’t really have many friends.

All that to say, like a few other cool chicks I won’t name (but will certainly link to) I bigfatpuffyheart Twilight.  The books.  The movie (while not cinematic genius- the cast is spot-on and, well, hunky).  The soundtrack.  Love.  It.  All.

My new fave thing– TwiMamas.  It’s all you need to feed your Twilight addiction (what, I’m the only one addicted?) — pics, news, contests, even links to Etsy shops that sell Twilight themed stuff.  (Feel free to get me this for my birthday!)

My other fave — my new candy and my Sunday School bff who, while doesn’t have one iota of respect for my choice in literature, thinks I deserve cool candy.

sweethearts

Oh, and if anyone in my Sunday School class asks, I’m totally reading C.S. Lewis now.

Top Ten Drugstore Finds…So Far

May 12, 2009 12 comments »

toptentuesday

If you’re fairly new around here, you should know that when I worked full-time, I worked for a department store group.  My job was to keep the cosmetics counters of each store properly assorted and fully stocked.  And while the discount was sweet, the vendors were even sweeter.  They kept me swimming in the fanciest of eye cream, lip gloss, and fragrance.  They pretty much turned me into a cosmetic junkie. 

Of course, when you lose the discount and 50% of the family income, the COSMETICS line item of the budget is the first to go.  I dreaded the day that all my freebies ran out and I would have to , *gasp*, shop at the drugstore.  Slowly, but surely, I have started running out of my necessities.  And slowly, but surely, I am loving the drugstore. 

Yes,  L-O-V-I-N-G  it! 

So, I thought I’d share my Top Ten Drugstore Finds (so far anyway):
1.  Caress Exotic Oil Infusions Cream Oil Bodywash - Keeps my skin SOFT even in the dead of winter with gas heat blaring!  
caress
2.  L’oreal Sublime Glow in Fair  This has a very subtle color for pasty folks like me and very minimal self-tanning smell.  It’s there, mind you, but very minimal.
loreal-sublime-glow-fair1
3.  L’oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo  Sulfate-free, 100% vegan, preserves your hair color better…yay!  The best thing about it, though, is the smell.  Just like Aveda without the price tag! 
everpure-shampoo
4.  Clean & Clear Soft In-Shower Facial   OHMYGOSH!  My skin feels amazing after using this.  But it’s pretty scrubby and menthol-y, so if you don’t like that sort of thing, move along.  
steam1
5.  Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer – Fig  This is moisturizing, smells like peppermint and the fig color is a wonderful natural color!
fig
6. AcneFree Purifying Cleanser  I found this by Googling “Proactiv knock off”– seriously.  My skin was getting out of hand, but after two days of using this it was clear.  I kid you not.  It’s pretty strong and can be drying, so I use it for a week to 10 days and then switch back to a gentle cleanser for a few weeks.  What’s also great is that you don’t have to buy the whole system.  I found it at Ulta for $5.99 (plus I used a 20% coupon from the paper), but CVS and Walmart both carry the cleanser as a stand-alone purchase, too.
acne-free
7.  L’oreal Bare Naturale Concealer  This covers so much better than I was expecting it to.  After about a month or so I thought it started settling into the creases under my eyes a little, but I LOVE it for covering blemishes since it’s not at all cakey.
concealer
8.  Maybelline Define-A-Brow Eyebrow Pencil  I credit Moriah (via Chic Critique) with this find.  It’s awesome… even if you’re not an artist!
brow
9.  Curel Life’s Stages Comfort Moisture Cream – Pregnancy & Motherhood  To be honest, I think Curel has discontinued this product.  I saw it at Wag’s seriously marked down (and bought every last cotton-pickin’ bottle they had).  So, if you see this, buy it.  You don’t have to be pregnant.  Or a mother.  You just need skin that wants to be soft.
curel
10.   Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Cream  Don’t bother with fancy foot creams, just slather this on and throw on a pair of socks before bed.  The creamy formula is much less messy than the regular Vaseline.  It’s a must for elbows too! 
vaseline1

 For more fun Top Tens, head over to Oh Amanda!

A Sharer of Words

May 7, 2009 10 comments »

Even back in college when I used to write short stories and poetry (the cool kind that didn’t rhyme), I never fancied myself a writer.  It was more of an emotion dump for me.  Fortunately (and yet, strangely enough, unfortunately), I haven’t been dumped in eons so I don’t really get the out the old notebook for a daily or even weekly dose of alliteration. 

These days find me with feelings of pride over a dinner that’s turned out to be both delicious and healthy, elation that Bug is walking all over the place, nervousness about potty-training Wog, frustration with not being able to find time to do a simple exercise DVD, ticked off ( -edness) because Wog woke Bug up from yet another nap, hope that maybe we’ll be homeowners soon,  and sadness that I missed One Tree Hill yet again. 

So, I blog. 

Because, really, who wants to hear a haiku about pee on my couch? 

**chirp chirp**

That’s what I thought.

Musings on the Swineflu

May 1, 2009 10 comments »

I certainly don’t want to make fun of the swineflu.  I imagine it’s a scary thing to have it or for your kids to have it.  What I am tempted to make fun of, though, is all the hype.

I was half amused and half angry yesterday when a caller on a morning radio show, who described himself as a “medical professional”,  proceeded to tell us the super duper how to keep yourself safe precautions to take:  wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, use a teaspoon of antibacterial gel several times throughout the day, and minimize your contact with sick people.

Ummm, hold on!  Let me get a pen so I can write that down.

Then, said “medical professional quoted his “reports” that this swineflu epidemic will end up affecting 90% of the population.  90%.  Seriously?

If 90% of the population are not washing their hands after they french-kiss as many sick folks as possible, we have some much deeper issues to deal with.

Of course, that’s only one side of it.  I have two little ones, one of whom hasn’t been vaccinated against the flu.  I don’t really want to treat the whole thing so casually.  To be honest, there’s a small part of me that wants to board my whole family inside the house until the whole thing passes.  But isn’t that how the whole thing starts anyway… a bunch of pigs wallerin’ in their dirty little spaces?

I digress…

The point of this whole swineflu post was really just a lame excuse to present you with the single best invention I’ve ever seen in my entire life.   Seriously.  The best.  Ever.

Ladies & Gentlemen….

THE BACONE

Anyone game for heading to the next Baconcamp.?   Or perhaps there’s a serious need for Baconcamp-Birmingham.

This Title Is Most Likely Longer Than The Post And, Sadly, Way More Interesting.

April 28, 2009 4 comments »

I have found that my quest for self-improvement is seriously cutting into my internet time.

Yeah, I could should have tweeted that instead.

But then what would I have posted here?

OMG! Is It That Time Again?

April 23, 2009 1 comment »

Mothers Day 2009 

Susan and Janice are hosting the 5 Minutes for Mom Mother’s Day Giveaway event again!  I can’t believe it’s already time for that again!  They’ve teased with a few great prizes.  I already have my eye on this Crock Pot (I can’t even begin to tell you how I’ve fantasized about having a Crock Pot big enough to cook a meal for my whole family!)

 

In Which I Get All Preachy About Money

April 21, 2009 12 comments »

wfmw

I hate credit cards.  I hate debt.

If you want to hit me where it hurts, you’ll mess with my finances.

Yesterday, my lone credit card company did just that.

I’m ticked.

I got a letter from them stating that they were lowering my credit limit… blah blah blah… based on information received from credit bureau blah blah blah…Whatever.

Translation - we see that you have your act together these days and it doesn’t appear that you are going to regress back to your carefree days of living beyond your means and you’re not going to carry a balance and when you do owe something you’ll pay it in full and on time and we won’t be able to charge you finance charges or late fees, so allow us to take this opportunity to attempt to lower your credit score.

You may find yourself asking, “if you hate debt/credit cards so much, why do you have one?”  (If you’re here for Works For Me Wednesday, stay with me.  I’m getting there).  The answer is quite simple (though not the whole “in case of emergency” cop-out).  I feel that shopping online is much more secure when using a credit card rather than a debit card.  I know, I know, that is kind of an antiquated way to think.  I do believe they’ve made advances in the whole debit card thing where there is more security in case of identity theft and all.  I’m just stubborn, I guess.  So, we kept A credit card for use online.

I’m severly lacking in a proper transitional statement here, so, in light of my being extra extra anti-credit card today, let me just introduce what Works For Me:

paypal_logo

The Paypal Plug-In

I love paying with PayPal.  My PayPal account is tied directly to my checking account and it’s just like I’m spending cash.  I can only spend what I have.  There’s no temptation to spend a little extra with the intention of paying for it next month.  (There’s always going to be more money next month, right?!)  Unfortunately, not all online retailers accept PayPal.  Luckily, with the quick download of the PayPal Plug-In,  an icon is placed on your browser toolbar.  When you are ready to place an order online, you simply click it.  Up comes a pop-up box for you to log into PayPal and, SHAZAAM!, a random MasterCard number is generated for use on your purchase.  The number is tied only to your PayPal account, and in turn to your checking account.  Voila! No credit card needed.  Not on your home computer?  Simply log into your PayPal account as you normally would to check your balance or transaction history, follow the links to the Plug-In function, then request a random MC number.   Snazzy, huh?

Now, there’s really no reason to use that silly credit card anymore, is there?

I didn’t think so.

Thomas is Coming to the ‘Ham!

April 18, 2009 5 comments »

poster_72dpi

The Shoe house was very excited to find out that Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends (especially Percy) are coming to Birmingham!  Did you know?!  Have you gotten tickets yet?  A little birdie told me that opening night tickets may be 50% off.

Not in the ‘ham?  Well, he’s probably coming to your town too.  Click here for more details on the Thomas & Friends Live! Onstage:  A Circus Comes to Town event.

Eye Candy

April 16, 2009 5 comments »

Well, it’s official.  I should’ve delayed the Great Bloggy Revival of 2009 until I had the ok from my technical director (aka. HH).  My comments are still beyond jacked.  And, yet, here I am again posting, knowing full well that old comments are going to show up on this post in the next few days (if not immediately).  But a revival is a revival and I’m going to post, darn it to heck.  So, if you do stop by, don’t be too freaked out by the wierd comments to leave a comment yourself.  I’ll delete the stray comments soon enough!

Now that I got the uncomfortable bloggy business out of the way…

I am still eating my way through leftover pound cake, potato salad, jellybeans of the Starburst variety, and my mama’s Chocolate- Covered Matzah bread (no, we’re not Jewish, but I believe the love of a starch knows no religious boundary).  I do hope that you haven’t eaten through all of your Easter candy yet, but just in case you have, here’s a fix or two of Easter weekend sweetness for you.  Enjoy!

wogbasket

 

bugears

Amen

April 9, 2009 2 comments »

HH has been off-the-hook busy with work.  We’re talking I’m not even awake when he comes in busy.  While I’d rather saw off my elbows with a butter knife than get both kids to bed by myself, it’s given me some good snuggly time with Wog that I don’t usually get since he’s all about the Daddy these days.  We’ve started to teach him to say his prayers at night.  He tends to get shy when asked to perform on demand, so we just prompt him to say the things he’d like to thank God for.  Among the things he’s been most thankful for:

  • His movies & DVDs (every night, the top of his list– too much TV?)
  • His books, especially his Batman book (this one belongs to the library, so unless I can get B&N to deliver on the pronto, we are about 3 days away from one distraught little boy)
  • The numbers 1, 2, and 3 (not all numbers, mind you, just these three)
  • Boogers (??)
  • Two balls (his tee ball set came with 2 balls, but, seriously, try to keep a straight face for that one)

I am wildly entertained by the things he chooses and the thought that goes into picking each thing.  I’ve also found myself challenged to do the same.  Not saving my prayers up for the biggies (health, money, etc.), but thoughtfully choosing the things that make me happy– Bug’s laugh, Wog’s cheesy grin– no matter how silly or small–my pink Sharpie, my new eyebrow pencil–and voicing those daily. 

What a difference it’s made in my mood!

Any silly little thing you’re particularly thankful for today?