With Just a Bit of Magic

Yes... it's really me!

2010-10-14T08:20:00.000-04:00

Today for Mama Kat's Writers Workshop I'm going to share something with you. Something old, something young, something that I look at and wonder, "What the hell happened!"

Today I'm sharing a photo that represents how you see yourself.

This was my high school senior picture and I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember getting up and planning what I was going to wear for pictures that day, and being glad that it was a Friday and that I didn't have to work. And the best part about that day was how incredibly awesome my hair turned out! I mean look at it! Everything went well... the curls.... my huge bangs.... everything! Perfect!

That night my friends and I went out ~~partying~~ to a movie and dinner. We had a blast.

So you're wondering why that picture? Why do you see yourself that way? And the answer to that question is, I'm not sure. It's me. A much younger version of me that's for sure.

When I look in the mirror I often times see that person. I see the person that had all these grand hopes and dreams for the future but still had no idea what they were going to do. Living day to day, having fun with friends and with barely a care in the world.

Some people loved high school, some hated it, and some were just indifferent about it. I loved it. If you asked me if I liked it back then I'm sure I would have told you no. It was a good time in my life. A time that I look back on often and wonder where did all the years go? How has it been almost 20 years since I've graduated!

I've changed a lot since then. I've learned a lot. Made mistakes. I've gone to college. Gotten married. Gotten divorced. Married again. I've traveled. I've had children. I've seen the world change around me at a very fast pace.

But that's me.

Wordless Wednesday - A baby & red velvet cake

2010-10-13T08:02:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when your parents come over for a birthday dinner and share red velvet cake with your 8 month old son.

Ten Things I Believe

2010-10-12T21:53:00.000-04:00

Recently I was ~~obsessing over~~ checking out some of my Twitter stats from the links that Gigi over at Kludgy Mom blogged about and found out that I lost some Twitter followers and 3 of them pertained to my most recent post and it got me wondering what in the hell that I did wrong (I'm still pondering this too). Was it because I tweeted to many times about it? Was it really an awful post? Was it just the point at which they decided that they didn't want to follow me anymore? Who knows. To be honest I was bothered by it for a bit and then after chatting with Gigi and Maria from 1000 Reasons I'm a Bad Mom I felt better. Things like that happen all the time.

I decided that since there wasn't a writing assignment for Back to School, Back to Blogging that I'd pick something from the Idea Bank.

There are many things in life that I believe and some you may agree with and some you may not. And hopefully I won't lose more followers because if it!

10 things that believe...

1. I believe that my kids are the most important things in the world.
2. I believe that there is a higher power(s) but I don't believe in the Christian God.
3. I believe that education is very important.
4. I believe that you can do anything you want.. anything. You just need to put your mind to it.
5. I believe in equality.
6. I believe in freedom of choice.
7. I believe in freewill.
8. I believe that hard work pays off.
9. I believe that love is important.
10. I believe Glee is awesome!

I'm sure that because of this I'll lose followers. It's possible that I may even gain some. But this is who I am and I'm being honest.

So, tell me. What do you believe? What makes us different or the same?

My week in a nutshell

2010-10-11T11:02:00.004-04:00

Here's your warning. This is just me rambling about nothing all that important or interesting. If you stick around to read it all thank you.. but you must have nothing else to do or are really bored. And if not, then no problem. I probably wouldn't either!
And today starts another week! Oh joy... can't wait to see what fun and excitement it will bring!
This past week was one busy day after another, but then again that's really nothing to new around here. There's always something going on!
Monday started out with an incredible migraine headache that forced me to stay home and because the gods were smiling down upon me I got to sleep in till 10:30am! Can you believe it?!?! Of course I still had the headache when I got up and it stuck with me all day. Eventually, I made it to the chiropractor and he made it all go away. I was happy. I could stand, sit, turn my head, and even blink with out major pain!
Nothing exciting must have happened Tuesday since I can't remember it! So, let's move on to Wednesday.
Wednesday is usually pretty busy because that's piano night. And I normally stick around in town after work until my daughter's lesson. But this time I couldn't. She had left her notebook at home so we had to run all the way home and back to get it. So, I dropped her off and went home (again) and I swear within 30 minutes the phone was ringing.... she was done. Ready to come home! I should mention here that the lessons are supposed to be an hour long.
Friday was a trip! Aside from work the rest of the afternoon was running to get things for my daughters birthday party that night. I know... I know... I should have gotten the stuff sooner. I didn't though.
We had a plan and were ready to get in and out of the store quickly. And then we tried to get the balloons. wow. Let me tell ya... it shouldn't take 20 minutes to blow up 5 balloons and tie a damn string to them! Especially when you don't blow them up all the way! Seriously, these were the most pathetic looking balloons I have ever seen in my entire life. They were small and the strings were all the same color and the exact same length. If the person doing the balloons were a woman then I know they would have looked a lot better!
Now as a bit of advice. Do not go to a corn maze at night with a bunch of kids. We've been to the maze before and it was great, but it was daytime. We spent more time lost and walking in circles than anyone else in that maze. The kids were all excited when they found one of the stops. It was #9. Somehow we missed the first 8! No big deal. We moved on and walked... and walked... and walked. And then there was another stop. It was #9. This happened one more time too!
I swear these kids had me totally bamboozled! They assured me they knew what they were doing. But I was pretty sure that we were never getting out of there! We were going to be spending the night in the corn maze!
Eventually, we found stops #10 & 12. And by that time I was over the whole maze thing. One of the workers was out there in the maze and helped us find our way out. My 8 yr old was very happy! She was done too and didn't want to keep walking anymore!
There was one hell of a game of Marco Polo going on too! Although I'm not sure that it was a game as opposed to all the kids in the maze just yelling Marco Polo as they ran around. But all in all the kids had a great time and that's all that matters right!
Saturday brought my husbands class reunion and Sunday was dinner with my parents. And as a warning.... do not give a baby red velvet cake. They will make a huge mess with it and turn everything in a 3 foot radius red.
And now that I write about it ... I guess my week wasn't that bad.

Blog Boycott Day

2010-10-08T08:32:00.000-04:00

Ahh.... Time to relax! Why not come join us!!

Today I am going to ignore the blogosphere! I'm hanging out on Twitter and going to spam the hell out of it with all my Follow Friday Tweets!

Come find me on Twitter to chat!

Nostalgia ~ My Dishes Revisted

2010-10-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

Recently, I got this really great new dining room set! It's amazing. And the best part is that my dining room now looks like a real "adult" dining room. Ya know, the ones with the nice furniture that isn't old and crappy.

Anyway, that's not what this is all about. But it is what started it because I emptied the old hutch to make room for the new one.

I have this set of dishes that my husband bought for me and they're very special to me because they're the exact same set of dishes that my grandparents had when I was younger. And I love them.

They're the blue and white Currier & Ives set and they're the dishes that my grandparents used as their daily dishes. I have so many fond memories of my grandparents and using those exact dishes for big family dinners, for simple things like a bowl of cereal, desserts, and just about everything in between.

Every time we visited my grandparents my grandma would make this soup, it was the instant type out of a box but it was really good. Eventually I learned that it was Mrs. Grass' chicken noodle soup, you know the kind with the little egg and skinny noodles. As kids we loved this soup and I still do and so do my kids, but we always used those bowls. They weren't deep though, more big, round and shallow. And then for a snack after that she'd give us fruit with cream cheese. Have you tried it? It's really good!

Those dishes have always reminded me of my grandparents and those times so when I happened to find some at a local antique store I was so excited. I knew that I had to have them! But here's the thing, it wasn't the complete set and they were selling them by the piece which came out to a rather big total price. Sadly, I passed and didn't get them.

About a year later I was looking through some local classifieds online and happened to find the set of dishes again! This time though it was a complete set for at least 10 - 12 people. There were serving pieces, salt & pepper shakers, gravy bowl, cups, saucers, dessert plates, and even an ash tray! The best part was that they were practically giving it away! I think that we paid like maybe $100 - 150 for all of it. I couldn't believe it!

My husband went and picked up the dishes for me and from what he said the people just wanted to get rid of them. I felt like a little kid at Christmas! There were boxes and boxes of dishes and I had to go through all of them even though it was late in the evening.

I've only used these dishes a few times since getting them and it's usually when we have a large family meal. I don't use them mostly because I'm afraid of something happening to them. They hold such great memories for me that it would kill me to have one of them broken, but then again my grandma used them everyday and they survived through 9 grand kids. Maybe I should get them out and use them more often, be a bit more trusting (but watchful!), and enjoy them.

Do you have something special like that? Maybe it was handed down to you through your family or just something that you picked up along the way. Maybe it's dishes, a trinket, or a piece of jewelry. I'm not talking about a picture though because I believe that those are something different all together.

Love & Kisses to all of my Followers

2010-10-06T15:26:00.005-04:00

This weeks writing task for Back to School, Back to Blogging has been taunting me all week. I mean how do I do this? Who do I focus on? And what if I offend someone that I should have chosen but didn't? Ugg.... decisions, decisions. So, here's the task that I'm stressing about.

Writing Task: feature a few of your loyal followers in a post this week. Act as if you’re their media agent and you’re trying to get them a job. Sell them to your community – talk about how fabulous they are. Or maybe just say thank you to specific followers for their support.

Now, do you see my dilemma? All of my followers are important and special to me! Without them my blog would be nothing. Nothing. It'd be just be talking to myself... I do that enough because, duh... I have kids!

I thought about it for a bit and looked through all the people who follow my blog and all that jazz. I decided that I wanted to thank everyone. Because they have all taken the time to read my blog when often the only thing I post is something from a challenge or a meme.

I was looking at my blog yesterday for a really good post to share with Kris over at Pretty All True and realized that my blog sucked! Holy shit! How did this happen! It was totally not what I had intended! Nothing special or original there so I didn't leave a post for her. And being all pitiful feeling and what not I tweeted about it and Ashley from Just Another Mom of 2 pointed out that's how she got started and the challenges & meme's are a good way to start when you're trying to figure things out. I hadn't thought about it that way and it made sense so after that I didn't feel so bad. Besides with hard work it'll get better, right?

Today I looked again and decided to focus on two followers in particular.

Barb from Second Chance Moon and I started blogging around the same time and became blogging buddies during the #31DBBB Challenge and since then I've followed her blog and she's followed mine and I make sure that I read her blog on a regular basis. She has a great blog and is a wonderful writer! Go check it out... now!

Okay, next in line is my friend who has a name but I don't know it because I'm silly like that at times I guess over at One Girl Ideas. She has a teen just like me. Enough said! No, really... she takes the time to actually visit my blog and I know this because she has mentioned me on her blog! Cool, huh!! She will send me tweets asking how things are going and things like that. Like a real friend! I love it.

Both of these ladies are new to blogging and are putting in a lot of time in effort in their blogs trying to grow & promote them. Take a few minutes to check out their blogs, leave a comment or two, and follow them. They are really great ladies!

Wordless Wednesday - Washington D.C.

2010-10-06T06:34:00.000-04:00

In April of this year my daughter took a trip to Washington D.C. with her 8th grade class and after participating in an essay writing contest she was chosen as one of the student to take part in the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

To take part in this is a once in a lifetime event and as parents we were extremely proud of her. My only wish was that we were able to go and see it.

10 reasons I'm glad that it's fall

2010-09-30T15:52:00.000-04:00

This is gonna be short and sweet! And it's because this is an easy prompt and I just love fall! As a matter of fact I haven't found a single person that doesn't! And if you happen to be one of them that dislikes fall share with me the reason you don't. I'm curious!

This list is in no specific order.

1. Apple cider. Especially if it's fresh from the orchard. The stuff from the store is alright but it just isn't the same.

2. Fresh picked apples from the orchard. The smell, the colors, the taste. Mmmm..

3. Things made from those apples. I really love apple pie.

4. Cooler weather. After hot, humid Michigan summers I'm ready for a change.

5. High school football games. I love to go and support my kids school. It's fun, we see a lot of people we know, and we have an awesome band!

6. Fall colors in Michigan are amazing! Especially if you take a trip up north. It's beautiful. Trust me.

7. Pumpkin. Another thing I love! Pumpkin is great in oatmeal, mixed in with a cake mix, and so many other things! And pumpkin pie is my favorite. And you know the worst thing happened last year.... there was a pumpkin shortage! Can you believe it?!?! I almost didn't have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. I'm stocking up this year.

8. The smell of fall. You can smell it in the crisp air on a sunny day when the leaves have changed colors and are starting to fall to the ground.

9. Raking huge leaf piles for the kids to jump into.

10. Corn mazes. We don't get to do it often but they're a ton of fun!

Actually, now that I think about just baking in the fall with apples, cranberries, pumpkin, and all that is great!

What's your favorite thing about fall?

Networking Tips - Review

2010-09-30T14:02:00.001-04:00

I'm not going to lie. This is hard. A lot harder than I had expected. There is so much to blogging if you want to make it successful and honestly it's almost like a full time job. And I already have two full time job, one as a mom and two, my job that I go to daily that helps pay the bills.

My goal would be to not have the second one some day too. But that's another story.

I was reading the top 10 networking tips for new bloggers that was for my size blog and should help me grow my blog. And that's when I realized how much work it all actually is. I don't think that I'm going to ever close that tab in my browser! That way I always have it open to refer to so I can make sure that I'm doing all I can to grow my blog. For now I think I need that kind of constant reminder.

Instead of picking just one item from the list and talking about how I put it to use I'd like to touch on each item briefly. It helps me solidify where I'm at and in a way makes me accountable to all of you for what I say I'm going to do.

1. Join and be active in several established blog networks.
This I have done and have been part of 2 or 3 of them for a while now. Blog Frog has to be my favorite my far though as there are so many communities to join, people to meet, and great information to be found. It's been helpful to me when I was looking for a guest blogger too! I really would like to be more active though! In all of the networks. I need to figure out a good schedule for everything and stick to it!

2. Comment, comment, comment on blogs you love.
Done. I comment and I try to make sure that what I say in meaningful. Sometimes I get new visitors out of commenting and sometimes not. I keep at it though!

3. Participate in a Twitter hop.
This I haven't done. I have taken part in a Twitter party & have found new blogs and new friends! I need to look into this more.

4. Search your favorite bloggers' blogrolls
This has to be the easiest way to find great blogs to read! It also points out how interconnected we all our! This is something that I do often and especially on a new blog.

5. Get a badge
Funny thing... I just created one about a week or so ago! I also created a page with other people's links & buttons to help keep things organized on the main page.

6. Develop a tribe
This is a great idea and I think that this just happens naturally. I've already found that a lot of the people that I follow & follow me have similar blogs. As in content, size, and feel of them. We're all the same but different too!

7. Aim equal, not high with your networking
I have to admit that before they were mentioned in the post I had never heard of The Bloggess, Dooce, or The Pioneer Woman. Most of my networking started with the #31DBBB challenge and went from there. I usually try to keep within my own realm! I have the best luck there.

8. Dedicate time each day to networking
I need to work on this. I usually have Tweetdeck open most of the day, but aside from that there isn't much that I do especially when I'm at work. And on the weekends I'm usually busy and disconnected from it all. I think that 15 - 30 minutes total each day is the minimum that I'd like to put forward and will be including more than Twitter into my routine.

9. Don't obsess over guest posting just yet
I admit. I did this. For a while it was all I was seeing on Twitter and on blogs! I put myself out there and I did it. I've had two guest bloggers and I love it! Maybe it's something that I'd do once a month. This would add a bit for freshness to the blog and bring myself and my guest new readers.

10. Put yourself out there
This sounds like such a simple thing but it really isn't. This is one of those things that takes a while to do. And admitting when you're wrong... whew... that's a hard pill for some to swallow! It's a constant work in progress, but it will pay off I'm sure! For me, one of the hardest parts is just jumping in. I don't want to sound like an idiot or something. I don't want to say the wrong thing and be shunned. It's something that I need to work on by just doing it. Right?

There is a lot that I have to work on and it will take me time and effort to do it. I'm willing to do it to! I know that someday my blog will be in a much better place, but right now I think it's pretty good for having just started in May!

Post It Note Tuesday - Random Thoughts

2010-09-28T09:26:00.000-04:00

The Best Vacation We Ever Took

2010-09-24T15:34:00.000-04:00

First of all I have to apologize for my homework being late. Yesterday was totally craptastic just read my post about it and you'll totally agree. And because of that I had a lot to get off my chest so I did that instead of my homework. Sorry.

Week two for Back to School, Back to Blogging has given me some trouble. I was able to quickly do the reading and come up with my list of 10 ideas. Then I started reading the 500 + ideas and could not figure out what one I should write about! There were so many good ones! I finally decided to tell you about the best vacation my family and I took.

In the spring of 2009 my family and I took the vacation of a lifetime! We all went to Disney World, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom for a week. It was the first time that I had ever been there as well!
Now, some wouldn't say that Disney is the vacation of a lifetime, some visit there on a regular basis, and then there are others who would agree with me and have never been there. And to those who haven't been there it's a damn expensive trip! But worth every last penny and I'd do it again.

Us & our ride for the week

Upon arrival in Orlando we gathered our luggage and quickly made our way to where our car was waiting to take us to the Sheraton Vistana Resort where we were staying for the week.

As you can see we had a limo for the entire week! We had the same car & driver while we were there to take us where ever we wanted.

View of the resort from our patio

The resort was huge and we had something close to an apartment with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, living room, dining, kitchen, and laundry. Of course there was all the regular stuff there like a pool & activities, but we didn't hang out there to much!

Our entire week was planned with various parks, dinner shows, and all the fun stuff that the Disney parks have to offer.

To say that I was just as excited as the kids is probably a very true statement! And for a few reasons I suppose. Like I said before I had never been there and neither had my kids and being able to share that with them was great. To see the awe & wonder, the excitement, their eyes and expressions on their face as we made our way to the Magic Kingdom for the first time was the best thing ever. It's just so hard to describe it.

I wanted to see every inch of the park, meet all the characters, and ride all of the rides! I mean it was incredible and a once in a life time thing... I think that maybe the kids felt the same way! For my husband this wasn't the first time that he'd been here. He and his family had been several times before this.

The first characters that we met while there were the wicked step-mother and sisters from Cinderella. The costumes, they way they looked, and the way that they acted was EXACTLY like in the movie! They were in full character too!

One of the best things that we did while there was taking a boat out on the lake around the Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks over Cinderella's Castle. The evening was cool, the sky was clear, and we had the absolute best view of the fireworks available. The boat floated around until it was close to the time the fireworks were to start and then parked in full view of the castle which was lit up with ever changing colors.

It was a fantastic week! I'll finish up with some highlight for fear that this could on for ever!

Dinner at Capones
Visted Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney Studios, and Downtown Disney
Went to see the Hoop De Do Review dinner show

Here are a few of the pics from our trip.

Bugs, Walmart, & My Rant!

2010-09-23T12:08:00.000-04:00

Okay, kids! The word of the day is "Craptastic"! That's the best way to describe my day yesterday. Craptastic.

To start the day I had a meeting at work that was totally pointless and a waste of my time. The outcome for priorities was exactly as it was before we went into the meeting. I just don't understand why we had to go through that meeting that was more than an hour (scheduled for 30 min) to come to something we agreed upon a mere 3 months ago! Craptastic!

Fast forward to the afternoon. Looking at Twitter I found out that there is a recall on Similac formula due to insect parts and larvae being in the formula. Craptastic! My son drinks that brand. So, after work I went home and pulled up the site. It was slow. Terribly slow. I got the phone number and called and of course I got the automated system which went on about this and that and finally told me that due to weather they weren't available to take calls. Really?!?! Craptastic!

Back to the incredible slow website. I entered the lot number of the first container that I had. Recalled. Entered the second one. Recalled. Craptastic! What was even better was that the second one was EMPTY! Yes. I fed my son bugs. Way to go mom!

Here's where my level annoyance went from 1 to 2, maybe 3. I called the husband to let him know what was going on. And he tells me that if I breastfed we wouldn't have this issue. Really!?!?! Don't. Judge. Me. I went on to inform him that I could if I was able to stay home. But I can't. I have to work...full time. I'm gone from 7am until almost 5pm. He told me that I could just pump in the bathroom and store it in the fridge. I barely have time to go pee while at work let alone take the time to pump as often as would be required!

Moving on. I gathered my son, the formula, the receipt (yes, I had one!) and we were off to Walmart to get something new and bug free. I wasn't concerned Walmart always has the recalls posted and I even called ahead of time stating that I had a recall about formula. They just told me to go to the service desk and they'd take care of it no problem. Do you have any sense of where this could be going?

I made my way to the service desk and waited. And waited. Because they only have one person there to help the long line of people. My first warning was that I didn't see the recall notice on the board with the rest of them, but I could've missed it.... it was sort of far away. I was very happy that my son was happy and not yet starving.

Once it was my turn I explained in complete detail everything that I read on the website about the recall and that both containers were recalled, showed them my receipt, and from here things went down hill. Fast. The guy at the service desk needed to call up a manager and luckily for us she was walking up there! He then explained that there was a recall and she proceeded to tell me that they know nothing of a recall basically telling me that I was a liar. I told her that I didn't know when the recall was released but that I had just heard about it earlier. She wasn't nice. She did check the computer and came back to tell me that there was nothing that they could/would do. Annoyance level had now reached at least a 7 on a scale of 10. Double Craptastic!

Here was the deal. They were doing nothing to help me. Nothing about the bug infested formula that was on the shelves. Nothing. At. All. I guess they don't have the internet on the computers at Walmart. Jerks. I left.

I left and went to another store down the road. Kroger. Kroger is AWESOME. But wait.... I'll get to that in a minute. I was annoyed so I called Walmart and asked to speak with the store manager. I then explained the situation to him and then he put me on hold for close to 5 minutes. When he finally came back he let me know that if I went home, printed off the page(s) with the recall info on it (actually he wanted a list of all the affected lot numbers), brought it back to the store he would then take my bug formula and exchange it for the exact damn thing. Why you ask. Because that's their policy. I explained that the site has a form, you enter the lot number and it'll tell you if it's recalled or not. There's not a list of all the lot numbers and that if they give me the exact thing I'll go home, look to see if it's recalled and have to return it too. He told me that's their policy. Annoyance level 9.

Okay, on to the Good Guys at Kroger. I needed formula. I went in and out of curiosity I went to the service desk to ask if they knew about it and they didn't, but guess what? They have the internet on the computers there at Kroger! Amazing!

To make a really long story short, they looked up the recall, looked up the lot numbers on my containers, gave me money back even though I didn't buy it there, and they pulled off all of the powered formula from the shelves!

I won't shop at Walmart anymore and I will shop at Kroger more than I did before. They exceeded every expectation that I had. They were polite, courteous, and willing to look into it. I left there with my annoyance level lowered back down to a mere 2.

Moving on.... I went home and fed my now hungry son some bug free formula and the girls some pizza rolls because that little field trip too an hour and a half.

Hour and half after that... we lost power. No storm. No wind. No rain. As a matter of fact there wasn't a cloud in the sky, just the beautiful, large full moon. I was thankful we have a generator.

Wordless Wednesday - September 21st

2010-09-22T08:19:00.000-04:00

Niagara Falls - September 2010

View from our hotel room

The girls after the Maid of the Mist boat ride

Probably the best shot of the falls I got!

My kids!

I Finally Get It

2010-09-21T07:48:00.001-04:00

Recently I was looking for someone to do a guest post for me, found someone, and it went really well! So well that I sent out a tweet and was able to get another person to do a guest blog post! It's great! It helps me in growing my blog but it also lets others write about something different, grow their blog, and best of all it helps build friendships!

This week Jessica from The Unemployed Mom is my guest blogger! Her blog is one the first ones that I started reading and from there I went on to finally start my own blog. I guess you could say she helped inspire me!

Family stuff, our mom's being right, and teaching our kids something valuable! Read on!!

I remember hearing my mom say things like "this is what life is all about" and I used to scratch my head thinking she was crazy. Was life really about sitting around with family doing nothing? I could have thought of a million things that seemed like more fun, instead I was dragged along to family
functions. To me, those things were boring and I never understood why she got so excited about them. Why did we always have to do family stuff?

There were a lot of things that my mom thrived on that I just didn't get. She was always about being in her comfort zone and never thought about stepping outside of it. She worried about my brother and me all the time, something that drove me nuts! She used to always say "someday you'll understand" or "just wait until you have kids".

Fast forward 20 years later and I am blown away at how smart my mom was! I finally get it! Life is all about those precious moments shared with loved ones. I never quite comprehended that until having a child of my own. In our child free years, my husband and I enjoyed a non-stop lifestyle. We were
always on the go, whether it was traveling, going shopping or walking around Disney to get out of the house. We hated just sitting around doing "nothing".

Don't get me wrong, we still enjoy getting out and about but it is much more difficult with a kid. Even a quick trip to the market takes planning (diapers, snacks, toys, extra clothing, etc.). I keep reminding my husband how our life is more enriched with our little one, but sometimes he has a hard time seeing it (he'd prefer to be sipping Mai Tai's in Hawaii or shopping in the Big Apple without worrying about a tantrum). Our son brings us so much joy, he is truly a blessing. Even on days when he shows his true
2-year old spirit, I can envision my mom telling me to savor the moments because "you'll miss these days when they are gone".

I just find it amazing that she was right on all accounts! NEVER would I admit that to her of course, but wow! It seem like yesterday my son was this helpless little bundle that needed me for everything. Now, he's so independent and growing up right before my eyes! I hope I can teach him the same valuable lessons and morals that my mom taught me!

Chelsea J. Handler and I are tops on Google!

2010-09-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

Google like me! Ya know what this mean?? My John C. Mayer prank has succeeded and I may have to continue with it on a weekly basis! Or until I get bored with it.

Take a look at the Google search I just did.

Yea, that's right... #2 baby!

See that! I'm at number 2 AND 4! It's absolutely freakin' amazing! What's even better.... I'm higher than that douche bag Perez Hilton and Chelsea J. Handler's wikipedia page!

Okay, that's all for now. Just had to share that bit of exciting information!

Why Chelsea J. Handler is Awesome & Needs to be my BFF!

2010-09-16T14:01:00.001-04:00

Okay, so for a bit of fun and excitement I got on the bandwagon with the rest of Merry Band of Pranksters that follow the incredible Aunt Becky over at Mommy Wants Vodka.

The goal: pick a person preferably a celebrity (Chelsea J. Handler for me), mention them again and again, and then mention them so more in a post or two on your blog to get to the top of a Google search.

Aunt Becky targeted John C. Mayer firstly because she hates his song; “Your Body is a Wonderland”. And then the curse began…. Read her blog for all the John C. Mayer entertainment!

Why Chelsea J. Handler would want to be my BFF! Why the hell not!! I mean really let’s take a look at some stuff here.

Chelsea J. Handler and I are almost the same age! We grew up in the same era, the awesome 80’s! So we listened to the same music, watched the same TV shows & movies, and wore the same acid washed jeans!

Chelsea J. Handler is freakin’ hilarious! Have you ever watched her? You should. I like entertaining friends and they’re way better than the ones that do nothing or the imaginary ones we all had as kids (don’t lie… we all had ‘em!).

She has her own Wikipedia page that’s full of great info! And we all know that the information on Wikipedia is the truth! Check out Chelsea J. Handler’s page and I bet some day soon there will be a picture of her and I there! I may have to update Chelsea J. Handler's page soon. I want to make sure people know how awesome my BFF is!

Did ya watch the VMA’s? Yea, I know. I said on Twitter that they’re crap. And they still are. BUT Chelsea J. Handler was the host this year and that was awesome and the best part about it…. She told off that piece of crap, douche bag Perez Hilton when he said her performance was crap.

Here are a few other tidbits as to why we’d be the best friends:

1. Chelsea J. Handler likes vodka. So do I!

2. Chelsea J. Handler supports LGBT. So do I!

3. Chelsea J. Handler got a DUI and had to attend a class. I had to go to a class because of a speeding ticket.

4. Chelsea J. Handler wrote 3 pretty cool books and I LOVE to read.

5. Chelsea J. Handler is #4 on The Twitter 20 (HA! Better than you Perez Hilton!). I’m on The Twitter too…. Just not as high up on the list.

6. Chelsea J. Handler likes Tom’s Shoes. I love ‘em! It’s a great idea so go buy some.

Look! Here's a great pic of the two of us!

My BFF, Chelsea J. Handler, and I!

Aren't Chelsea J. Handler and I full of total awesomeness!!

What blogging means to me & why I do it.

2010-09-15T15:59:00.000-04:00

It's that time of week again! That's right it's my post for Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop!

The topic that I chose was one that I've written about before, but it was in response to a post over at Mommy Wants Vodka about why I blog. So, I answered.

I thought about simply linking back to my old post for the workshop but thought I'd do a part two and elaborate upon it a bit more. Something short and sweet. This is it.

This weeks prompt....
Write about what blogging means to you. Why do you blog? What purpose does it serve you and how have you benefited from sharing a piece of yourself online this way?

I've been blogging since May of this year and have found that be successful at it you have to put forth a lot of work. Probably a lot more than I thought and I'm working on how to balance building a successful blog, working full time, and being a mom. I won't lie, it's damn hard. Really hard.

I like blogging. I like meeting new people even if they're only online friends for now. I like knowing that I'm not the only one in this crazy place called motherhood. I like that most everyone out there is similar to me in many ways. I like that I have a hobby that I can do whenever, where ever, and it doesn't require a costly trip to JoAnn's for scrapbooking or sewing supplies!

I know that there is so much to learn about blogging, SEO, increasing readership/followers, coding, and simple maintenance of my blog. And I know that with time I'll get it! And with the great circle of bloggers out there I have found an endless supply of help that I appreciate!

One thing that I do like is that my kids read my blog. They follow me too! The often ask, 'have you updated your blog recently?' and then they go off to read it! Great kids, huh!

The husband follows me too.... just not sure if he actually reads it though!

But at the end of the day, when all is said and done I do it for me. I blog simply because I want to. It's for me to rant, rave, ramble, or just share a few thoughts.

I hope that this answers the question.

On cookies and frustration.

2010-09-15T07:50:00.002-04:00

Not that long ago I set out to find someone who was interested in doing a guest post for me. I posed the question to all the great people who are part of the Crayon Wrangler's Blog Frog community as well as on Twitter and was able to get an immediate response from my new friend, Maryline, from Franco-American Dream! Needless to say I was excited... and still am!

Do you have kids? If so, you can totally sympathize with Maryline! I know I went through it with my girls and am going to be going through it with my son! Wonder what we're talking about? Keep reading!

This past month has reached new heights in dinnertime struggles with my now 17-month old.

Two nights ago was the perfect example of the doomed 6pm disaster…

And I mean it. Food everywhere except in his mouth. Constant screaming, crying, and kicking, with some head-throwing back against the high chair – just to spice it up. Me? Starting to scream back and lose my mind. Oh yes.

To the untrained eye, this baby is in excruciating pain from teething, it's so obvious. He's shoving his fingers all the way in the back of his mouth and literally screaming bloody murder. I was surprised none of the neighbors knocked on the door to check in on us.

But in reality, set him down, and all is fine again. So, now I know better.

Except this past night? Much worse. Screaming at the pasta which he normally loves, screaming at the applesauce... Come on, who screams and rejects applesauce, at 17 months old?

Do I really make food for him to just decide he will not eat? Hell no!

Food, I swear, is everywhere. He first spits it out, slowly so that the food slides down his chin and neck. He then rubs his face with his fists, slowly painting his cheeks, eyelids, and forehead with the edible body paint of the day...

Bibs at that point are WAY useless. In fact, I don't even put them on. Why add to the laundry? The clothes were going to get washed anyway!

In the past moments, I've been fuming and cursing inside; at my husband, who should give it a try once in a while to give me a break; after my son who's clearly not understanding I am feeding him THE very best; at the dog for not being able keep up with the nutritious projectiles covering the hardwood floor, the legs of the high-chair, and the tip of my toes.

By the way? Don't wait for your kids to beg you to get a dog, get one the day you start solids with your first-born. It's a win-win, trust me! (Actually, make that happen from day one if you can, as it turns out, dogs also crave wet burps. Gross? Not really, just convenient.)

And so that night, I felt like my son was going to bed on a nearly empty stomach. But soon after, realized I did not have a choice. Let me confess, just between you and I, I briefly attempted the force feeding thing (yes, the one thing all parenting books will tell you not do), it did not work well at all. The screaming was getting louder, the mess just bigger and my sanity was NOT saved.

And so tonight, I changed my approach, I filled a few small bowls with different foods he likes – Goldfish crackers, cantaloupe, raspberries – on the ottoman, and let him play/eat for a bit. Then I sat him in the chair, with a bowl of food (pasta, red sauce, beef – homemade!), and two spoons. With the dog in stand-by to clean up after him, always.

And I? Stepped away. Still there, just not by his side holding the fork or trying to entertain him as I always have done.

He actually ate at least as much as he would have with my intervention, not necessarily much more. However I’ll admit it was far less hectic.

I would not say quiet. But sustainable. And that is good news, because I have about 18 more years of dinners to go.

And this is how I realized my son is making his way through life, learning independence. Just like I've learned to let him play with the front door until he gets tired of it. Because a tantrum over a door isn't worth it.

Conveniently, my son just learned a new word over the past few days: cookie, and with the French accent, please! It's so cute, it actually sounds like ka-ki.

Tonight when he was pointing at the pantry chanting ka-ki, ka-ki, I did let him have a little piece so I could strategize on the dinner plan. At least I knew he would not go to bed on an empty stomach!

Sometimes cookies are better than nothing. No doubt the next lesson my son needs to learn is simply “no”. I will wait for my husband to come back from his business trip to get started!

When it comes to our children, don’t we all lose our mind over battles not worth fighting?

"Testing mommy's boundaries, one meal at a time."

Some Great Plugins for Blogger!

2010-09-14T10:36:00.000-04:00

This week started the Back to School, Back to Blogging challenge that is being hosted by Gigi over at Kludgy Mom and our reading and assignment was to find a plugin or widget and share what we've found about it.

When I first started looking around I didn't realize that there were so many choices for Blogger! There are a lot that are pretty useful ones depending on what you want to do with your blog and the information that you're writing about. There are also some pretty silly/odd ones that I wouldn't use. I don't need glittery, flashy content on my blog. Although my 8 year old daughter would love it!

I decided to share a couple of the plugins/widgets that I use and one that I'm considering using. These are probably pretty well known to many, but for me they weren't. And they're ones that I like and use daily.

The first plugin that I love to use is Zemanta. This tool helps with finding images, it finds articles related to the post that you're writing, it suggests labels, and they suggest your posts to others where appropriate. It was really easy to install and even easier to use! Also, you don't have to worry about copyright issues when using the images that they suggest.

Disqus is the next plugin that I just found and started using. This came about because when someone comments on my blog posts I have yet to figure out how to comment back directly instead of 3 or 4 comments below. It's hard to respond to each of the comments that people leave and because of this I went in search of something else to use and this is where Disqus came in. Now I can do exactly what I want and all I had to do was sign up and then click a couple of buttons to install. It was super easy! I was even able to import the comments already on my blog!

The last plugin/widget is one that I am pondering and it's for using different fonts with your posts. Blogger doesn't come with very many choices and I like more options even though I may not use them all the time. This site shows you how to add custom fonts to your blog, they recommend the Google API but there are 3 choices from which you can choose. It does appear that there are more steps to get this working, but nothing all that complicated from what I can tell. Hopefully this will do what I want!

Have you used any of these or have you found one similar that's better? Share your thoughts with me!

The Breakfast Club - a memorable movie

2010-09-09T14:12:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaThe prompt from Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop that I has to write on last minute is.... What was it about that movie? Describe A movie you once had memorized.

Yeah, I know. It's late in the day but I had to do it. I love movies. And more importantly I love the John Hughes movies from the 80's.

"They were five total strangers, with nothing in common, meeting for the first time. A brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel and a recluse. Before the day was over, they broke the rules. Bared their souls. And touched each other in a way they never dreamed possible."

So if you don't know The Breakfast Club is about 5 high school kids who get stuck in detention on a Saturday. These kids are as different as night and day but at the end of the day walk out knowing more about each other, understanding each others social group a bit more, and even friends.

I watch this movie any chance that I get no matter how far along the movie is! I think I may even own it (I know that I have Pretty in Pink & Sixteen Candles).

Some of my favorites scenes from The Breakfast Club are when they're all running around the library dancing, sneaking through the hallways avoiding Vernon, Allison putting cereal and Pixie Stix on her sandwich, Brian reading the essay that he had written for all of them, Allison's transformation, and of course the end where they all walk out together.

If you haven't seen it go out and rent it now! Along with all the other iconic movies from the 80's by John Hughes. They are amazing!

Buzz on By Thursday!

2010-09-09T10:58:00.000-04:00

Normally I do a post for Mama Kat's Writers Workshop but I thought that I'd do something a little different today!

Elizabeth over at Sunny Bug World as well as the ladies from Emmy's Closet, Two Savvy Sisters, and Fashionably Organized are hosting a blog hop and a giveaway!

It's a great way to meet new people and increase your blogs readership! I know that I could use a few new readers & friends... how about you?

This week they're giving away these super cute Bee Line magnets from Sunny Bug opening later this month on Esty. Bee Line is all about: Making a Bee Line toward Positivity & Empowerment.

Stop by their blogs, check it out, and enter in the drawing!

First Day of School - Not So Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T21:12:00.000-04:00

First of all I have to say that I can't take a decent picture! I'm so annoyed that all of the pics that I took for the first day of school are blurry!

From the left is Lauren who started the third grade, Caitlin whose a freshman, and then Natalie who started middle school this fall as a 6th grader. Yes, I have kids in three different schools and driving them to school daily can be a challenge especially when the two oldest start at the same time!

Tag! 8 questions for you!

2010-09-07T15:24:00.000-04:00

In going through all updates for the blogs I follow I was reading one from Multiple Mama about 8 questions about me.

Here's the game. I'll answer them and then you do the same! Think of it as an updated version of Tag! And it's an easy post to do!

1. Why did you start blogging?
Why not? It was something that I pondered for a long time and finally took the plunge into the pool! And now that I've done it I love it! I've met a lot of wonderful people that are in similar boats as I am! Best of all I'm not alone in this great big pool! There are so many people out there that are willing to help and it's great.
I like being able to rant, rave, tell my side of the story, or just ramble on. I like that I'm not the only one out there that won't be winning the mom of the year award. I like that I have an outlet and one that doesn't take a lot of time!

2. If you could travel any where in the world with no restriction of costs, where would it be and why?
Hmm... so many choices. Well, I'm going to go with that there's not a restriction on the length of the trip either. I think, after some research, I'd start my trip out here in the U.S. because there's a lot I'd like to see here. Like the Grand Teton's, Yosemite, Grand Canyon (again), Salem, and a few other places. From there I'd move on to Ireland & Scotland and stay there for about a month. After that I'd warm up on the Greek islands and take a cruise over to Italy. Of course I'd take my family and a nanny to help out with the kids because I'm sure that there are times they'd want to hang back at the posh house we're staying in while the husband and I go out.

3. Did you have a teacher in school that had a great influence on your life? If so, what?
I probably did or not. I really can't remember. There are teachers that stick out in my mind but none that did something that greatly influenced me and my life.

4. If you could spend the day with a famous person, who would it be, and what would you do?
Just one?!!? Geesh... that kinda limits me. Well, the first person that comes to my mind (Don't Laugh) is Rachael Ray! I love her shows! She seems to be such a down to earth person and I would love to just spend the day cooking and hanging out!

5. Toilet paper — over or under?
I really don't care as long as we have some in the bathroom when I need it!

6. Name one thing in your life that you would do over if possible.
I would have stayed in college after graduating high school. I stopped for a while because of a stupid boy. And that was a HUGE mistake. One of epic proportions. Stupid. But I knew everything at the time. Nope. Wrong. Shh... the parents were right. Now, I did finish college but I think that I'd be in a better place with my career had I stayed on track when I was younger.

7. Tell about your pets — if any.
4 kids ( 3 girls - 14, 11, 8 & 1 boy - 7m), 1 dog, and my husband. I have plenty!

8. Do you live in a small town or a large town. (You don’t have to name the town.)
Actually, I think it's somewhere in the middle and I'm situated in a really good area. I live between the capital city of Lansing and the failing city of Flint. But I'm also only about 2 hours from northern Michigan or the Detroit area. So finding something to do is fairly simple!

Tag! It's your turn now!

Another Bad Mom Moment....

2010-09-02T22:04:00.000-04:00

So, needless to say I won't be getting the Mom of the Year Award anytime soon! I seem to have these moments every now and again. And they're more often than I'd like them.

Here's the story....

I work full time and my day starts at 5:30 am and usually ends around 9pm when I finally get to sit down and relax. That's a long damn day! This past week at work has been one challenge after another and more meetings then necessary! There were interruptions, changes to priorities, and confusion added to my projects. Honestly it sucked.

Today wasn't the best day. With the holiday weekend coming up we're planning on going camping for the weekend which adds a bit more work for me which isn't to bad since the camper doesn't get fully unpacked till the end of the season. This was supposed to be a family thing. Today my daughter calls and says she wants to go up north with her friend and that she really wants to go because she hasn't been able to do anything with this friend all summer. I understand. Really I do. When I was her age I would have rather gone with a friend instead of my parents too. But it kind of upset me because I was hoping for a nice weekend with the whole family.

With all the frustration I ended up taking it out on my daughter. I snapped at her and wasn't very nice. And it all came up before I knew it and then it was to late. I feel horrible. I tried to talk to her. I tried to apologize. But she was mad/upset with me and didn't want much to do with me.

I have to get better at not taking my frustrations out on my kids. They don't deserve it. They didn't do anything wrong (ok... sometimes they do) and it isn't fair to them.

The question is how do I do this? What can I do to change things so I don't take my frustration out on them? I suppose that like any change that you make in your life it takes time and effort.

Wish me luck! And maybe someday I will get that Mom of the Year Award!!

I'm Falling....

2010-09-02T08:56:00.001-04:00

I wasn't going to do the Writer's Workshop today because I have a lot going on at work but then decided I to do it anyway. It's the only thing that I've been able to do with some regularity.

The options this week were sort of difficult. I wasn't sure what one to pick or how to go about writing about one of them. I thought about them a while and finally settled on a childhood fear that I've taken into my adult life.

So, how is fear defined? Dictionary.com describes it as a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

A fear can be anything and sometimes so real that it can be debilitating to a person. To children, something they fear can be so strong they actually think it's real.

When I was a child, probably 8 years old or younger I had a dream that to this day (almost 30 yrs later) I remember vividly. It was so real to me and to this day I hold that fear.

It was a dark, gloomy day like just before a bad storm hits. There were dark clouds in the sky, but the wind was calm as I walked down the driveway towards the mail box. I don't know why I was going out to get the mail since it was something that I didn't normally do.

The next scene of my dream was me standing at the mailbox and the little boy who lived across the street was there with me and a little girl, a friend I assume. We talked for a bit and I was afraid, but I can't remember why or of what.

I finally opened the mailbox and as I opened it I fell into the earth. It was a huge hole and I just fell, and fell, and fell. Fast. Like a free fall.

To this day I do not like free falling rides and even sometimes roller coasters that go down at a steep angle bother me. They scare the living hell out of me. I hate the feeling of falling as we go down a hill on the roller coaster as your body is lifted off the seat. I hold on as tight as I can and keep my eyes closed even tighter. There are those who love the rush and will do it again and again. Not me.

It's possible that it's totally an irrational fear or maybe not. But for me it's none the less a fear. One based on a childhood dream and one that I can't seem to let go.

Wordless Wednesday - September 1st

2010-09-01T10:25:00.000-04:00

Sunset over the Mackinac Bridge & Island

Complete & Total Blog Neglect

2010-08-31T11:26:00.000-04:00

I had such high hopes for the past couple of weeks... really I did! I even had a plan written out on what I was going to post each day. It was thought out and thorough. But something happened and I didn't even get half of them done.

And now my blog is so sad. It knows that I've been neglecting it. And I'm pretty sure that this is no way to get new readers or even keep the handful that I have now! Geesh.

Okay, so I'm totally blaming my job, all the meetings that I have to attend, and the endless housework that I have at home (note to self - look into getting a maid). Oh, yea. Also sleep. I really like my rest and it seems to be playing a major part in how much free time I have each day.

So once again I will make a plan! And maybe instead of daily I aim for every other day or every two day. How does that sound?

Now, my question for all you moms out there who work, take care of a family, and blog is how do you manage it all? How do you keep up with everything and still manage to have simply amazing blogs?

Let's discuss this! Does anyone have the same issues that I do? If so, let's come up with a plan that will help us become better bloggers!

I was holding on tight but....

2010-08-26T09:42:00.001-04:00

For the past few weeks I've been participating in Mama Kat's Writers Workshop and it's been a lot of fun. It's easy because it's only once a week and I have almost 4 days to think about and write on one (or more) of the assignments that she emails out to everyone.

This week there were several choices that I pondered and it was finally today that I chose one. It just came to me! I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.

I was holding on tight but... eventually you have to let go. You can't hold on forever although you can try. I know I have been doing exactly that.

Yesterday I took #1 daughter (Caitlin) to registration for her freshman year of high school. It was hard and even harder is today I'm taking #2 daughter (Natalie) for registration at the middle school.

Somewhere along the way I missed about 10 years of my kids life. It just slipped by so quickly that I have no idea where the time went. I know I was there! I have pictures, memories, and keepsakes. But they grew up no matter how hard I held on or how much I wanted them to stay little.

All to soon they're be going to college and moving out of the house forever. I know I won't be able to handle it! Seriously.... Caitlin went away for two weeks this summer and I didn't know what to do!

People always say that taking their kids to their first day of kindergarten is hard, sad, or difficult for them. Well, I'll tell ya what... taking your child to their first day of middle school is much worse. Dropping them off and then watching them walk away to talk & laugh with their friends without a care in the world is hard to watch. They've grown up. Reached a point in their lives where they're not little kids anymore and you're not the most important thing in the world to them. The second day, third day, and there after get better. Trust me they do!

I still try to hold on tight and they often fight it, but they're always going to be my babies. And I will always be here for them no matter what.

On the other side I still have one in elementary school who still thinks I'm the greatest and of course there's my little man who's 7 months old and I am the world to him! I still have time to hold on tight to the little ones.

I will always hold them tightly to me in my heart even though I have to let them grow and learn and become who they want to be as adults. And someday (hopefully not soon!!) they'll be in my shoes and I'll have cuddly cute grandbabies to hold tight.

Hold tight while you can and cherish the time that you have because it goes by so fast and one day you wake up and they're teenagers and you don't even realize where the time went.

Enjoy the time with your kids. Hold tight...

Wordless Wednesday - August 25th

2010-08-25T18:20:00.000-04:00

I know it's called Wordless Wednesday for a reason, but I have just a few to explain the situation.

So, the kids were starving and Andrew wanted my undivided attention and of course my super mommy powers had dwindled for the day so I couldn't deal with him and make dinner. I asked the girls to keep an eye on him and entertain him.

When I came out to check on them this is what I found......

They told me that he wasn't happy doing anything until they put him in the basket. Uh huh....

This for That McKlinky - Get Help by Helping Others!

2010-08-24T13:35:00.000-04:00

What is This for That? You help someone out with a "need" on their blog and in turn they help YOU out! Here's how it works:

Post your "need" in the McKLinky below and link it to where others can help fulfill that need. Then, meet the need of the 3 people directly above you, then you are done! If you want more than 3 people to help you out, then wait a bit and come back. Enter your need again, and then again YOU will help the 3 people out directly above your link. The idea is that you help 3 people out and then 3 other people will help you out. You may come back and link up as many times as you want!

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT IN ORDER TO LINK UP, YOU NEED TO FULFILL THE REQUESTS OF THE THREE PEOPLE ABOVE YOU. IF YOU CANNOT MEET THE NEED, PLEASE EMAIL ME. OTHERWISE, I WILL BE DELETING REQUESTS OF THOSE WHO AREN'T FULFILLING THE REQUESTS OF OTHERS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO HELP OTHERS OUT AT THE MOMENT, THEN PLEASE WAIT TO LINK UP UNTIL YOU DO. THANK YOU!

**Note** If someone asks that you follow via GFC and you already do, I'm sure they would appreciate it if you find another way to follow or help them. Or you could comment and let them know you already do and ask if there is anything else you can do to help them.

Why I blog! Because I work full time...have 4 kids... and still have some sanity.

2010-08-19T21:35:00.005-04:00

In reading one of my favorite blogs I stumbled upon Mommy Want's Vodka post about why she blogs and she asked why we blog so of course I had to answer. But only after thinking about it for a couple days.

I've really been trying to get better at this blog thing. It's hard. It's a lot of work. It takes a lot of time if you want to actually grow your blog into something. And is it worth it? I don't know yet since I've only been doing it since May.

I spent a lot of time reading blogs on various topics and pondered starting one of my own. And you know what got me hung up... a witty name. What in the hell was I going to call my blog? I mean without a cool name to catch your attention why read it? So I thought about for some time before finally settling on something. And that was the beginning of With Just a Bit of Magic. Is it the best choice? Eh... who knows. But I like it and that's all that really matters!

But why blog... well why not! I have a lot to say and a lot to share. It's a way to meet new people and so far that's been the best part! Connecting with other moms out there has been amazing and the only thing that could make it better is getting to actually meet them!

Like so many mommy bloggers I have kids (duh...). And to me they're entertaining and I need to share all the things that they do. I know you want to know what they do on a daily basis too! Because what else would you do! A side effect of that is that it's an easy way to keep family updated on things that are going on in my life.

I like blogging. Maybe because it's new, maybe not. But only time will tell I guess. Right now I just ramble on and on about things that aren't all that important or even interesting. But someday I'd like to have guest posts, host a giveaway, do a review or two but it's not the most important thing.

I will tell you all that I am a terrible writer. I am the queen of run on sentences and if it weren't for spell check this blog would be even more atrocious! I'm not all that witty. Things don't come to me that quick! It's always later I think, 'dammit! I could've said this... or that...' and of course it's to late then. And the worst part is sometimes things sound good in my head and on the blog it's not the same.... you can't hear my tone of voice and the sarcasm. Hope you get my odd sense of humor!!!

My guess is that it'll be hard to keep up with a post every other day or so. I mean I work full time and have 4 kids! geesh... but sleep isn't that important is it?

I want to know why do you blog? How long have you been doing it and what keeps you doing it?

They're alive! Really, they are!!

2010-08-18T21:29:00.001-04:00

Image via WikipediaIt's that time of week again! Mama Kat's Writers Workshop!! I really think that this is my favorite day of the week!

This week the choice was easy. I decided to write about the things you oddly obsessed about as a child.

When I was a child I had lots of dolls, stuffed animals, Barbies, and what not. But then again what child didn't! They were all in my room where I played with them day in and day out, sometimes alone and sometimes with my friends or my little sister.

At night things changed though. Everything was different. I truly believed that all of my toys came to life. And I'm pretty sure that Pixar mined my brain for the idea for the Toy Story movies! But that aside, the toys in my room were real, alive, and had a life their own. I would talk to them as if they were real people and cared for them in the same way. I was careful with them... okay, that part may be a bit of the truth being stretched. I was a kid after all!

Because the toys were alive I knew that I had to treat them nicely! They would get upset or I'd hurt their feelings. And then if that happened I'd be upset too.

The imagination of a child is incredibly amazing. We think of anything and everything, we believe almost anything. As a child we want to believe everything. As children we don't discount anything as impossible and why should it be? Given time anything is possible!

To this day I let my children believe what they want, because who am I to crush their dreams & hopes and tell them what they believe isn't real? They're only children once and I saw let them enjoy it while they can.

Just remember your toys can come alive at night too!

Wordless Wednesday - Mackinac Trip

2010-08-17T21:09:00.000-04:00

Here area a few pictures from our camping trip to Mackinac. We stayed right on the water and could see the bridge & island. It was amazing!

Day 19 #31DBBB - It's my opinion... deal with it!!

2010-08-17T14:34:00.001-04:00

Okay, first of all I am waayyy behind! But in my defense I was stuck. Seriously stuck! I had no idea what to write about for this task! What!?!? Really.. stuck on this one... I know, I know. The husband kind of laughed and said that it's be easy for me since I have an opinion. And he's mostly true, I do have a lot of opinions but what to write about was the issue. How do I pick something to talk about that'd be some what interesting. So, today I was reading a post by our own Aunt Becky about why she does what she does (I have a post for that too!) and she inspired me! I finally thought of something. It's nothing life changing and it won't help the world or anything like that. But it's something that bugs me and I have thoughts about it. So sit back and listen!

Reality television shows appear to be all the rage now and days. Every single channel on the T.V. has their own reality show.... or two... or three. And why? I have no frickin' idea! It really is truly annoying.

Now, if you can't tell I do not like reality T.V. shows at all. I don't see the point. Honestly, they're similar to wrestling. They're both fake. Totally 100%, without a doubt scripted. And you naysayers are sitting there saying, 'No, it's all true... come on!' Nope. Sorry to say it's not. There is no way that any of that could not be scripted because real life is nothing like that, not at all.

I avoid watching them at all costs. I watch T.V. to escape from reality and to be entertained by some 30 minute comedy that lacks the "reality" drama. I want to watch something that I don't need to follow on a daily basis, because some of them seem to be on every damn day! I have 4 kids and don't have that kind of time to devote to some silly "reality" show.

So there's my opinion like it or not.

Binder Park Zoo

2010-08-17T08:55:00.001-04:00

A couple of weekends ago we took the kids to Binder Park Zoo down in Battle Creek. We all had a great time there! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Lauren & Natalie with the Dodo Bird

Tree Climbing

Lauren didn't climb much.

The zoo has a lot of hands on type animals & employees available for all of my kids questions! This is a 60 year old tortoise that loved having his neck rubbed.

Even Andrew got to pet the animals. Although he wasn't to sure about them... they didn't sit still for him like the dog at home does!

I think my favorite part was the African Safari. They had this huge open area full of a giraffe herd and other animals that roamed freely. You could feed and pet the giraffes when they came up to the observation deck.

At the end of the day this is how we all felt!

Wordless Wednesday - Part 2

2010-08-11T21:21:00.000-04:00

My daughter took this picture of herself over the weekend while we were at the zoo and I had to share.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T10:15:00.000-04:00

And here's my first Wordless Wednesday post! Enjoy.

My Kids & their Baby Blues

2010-08-10T10:10:00.020-04:00

The most unbelievable blue eyes you've ever seen...

I think doing these writing workshops have to be my favorite thing to do! So setting aside all of the tasks that are building up for the #31DBBB I'm here writing from one of Mama Kat's prompts.

When I think of the prompt that I chose I think how many people are going to write about their kids, that one guy, their husband, or something else. For me the first thing that came to my mind was my kids. Honestly, I don't spend much time gazing at people's eyes! That'd be pretty damn creepy!

My children are amazing creatures. They can be funny, loving, intense, annoying, and challenging all at the same time. There are times I wonder if I'm totally screwing them up or if they'll be well adjusted adults. Guess time will tell!

There is one thing that my children all have in common, and that's the amazing large, blue eyes. And I love it. Each of them has a slightly different shade than the others too and in this respect a bit different.

My oldest, Caitlin, has always had these BIG blue eyes. They're a bright blue and really stand out in contrast to her dark hair and skin.

Natalie is my little blue eyed blond baby. She's the only one who has blond hair, although the jury is still out on what color Andrew's will be. Her's are a light, crisp blue.

Now, Lauren looks similar to her older sister Caitlin in that they have the same skin coloring and hair color. But her eyes are a blue-gray color that seem to change depending on the weather.

My youngest is Andrew and the baby of the family (really he is... he's only 6 months old). By now his eyes would have changed colors if they were going to and I'm happy to say that they stayed blue! He has such a serious look for someone so small.

Of course they got those amazing blue eyes from me!

Signature

2010-08-06T14:57:00.017-04:00

Nothing really special here.... I created a new signature for my posts. I got the idea from a post by The Pink Crab, 5 Surefire Ways to Trick Your Blog Posts and I wanted to test it out.

What do you think???

Andrew's Monumental Meltdown Moment

2010-08-05T17:25:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Andrew did not have a good afternoon. His nap was not long enough to make him a happy baby... instead he was frustrated with all the things he couldn't do and cried about it.

He had plenty of things to play with as you can tell by the mess all over the floor! But that didn't make him happy. Oh... sorry about how blurry the picture is, he wouldn't stop moving!

And then I tried to talk to him thinking it'd make it better and that there was really no reason for the fit that he was having.

Nope.

I was very wrong as this picture proves. He turned away and cried harder.

Needless to say this went on for barely a minute.

Because moments after the crying he found that toy he must have really wanted but didn't see in front of him.

And then he smiled. Life was good again!

Why I'm not going to BlogHer10

2010-08-04T15:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, so by now most everyone knows that the BlogHer conference is going to be in full swing starting tomorrow and it's going to be in the exciting, fun filled NYC.

And by now you also know that I won't be attending. Of course a lot of other people won't be attending either. And that's because we're all to awesome! Because I'm not going I thought that I'd join the BlogHer Pity Party that Life Without Pink (Tina) and Mommy Friend (Lori) are having. I'm positive that it'll be a lot more fun!

Here are a few reasons that I wish I was going....

1. An excuse to go shopping - before the conference and while there!
2. It's in NYC
3. My sister lives close in NJ so I could visit her
4. I'd get to meet a lot of bloggers that I love reading
5. Free Swag!
6. Doing something fun with adults instead of my kids
7. Networking

And few why I'm not going...

1. I just started my blog in May - nobody knows who the hell I am!
2. The husband would laugh - see my first reason
3. The kids - if you have some you know why
4. I actually have to go to work :(
5. Being scared that I won't know anyone and will just sit there alone and people watch
6. The trip isn't cheap!

I'm sure that I could go on and on and on, but you don't really want to read my lengthy lists, right?

So for now I'll be at home or at work watching the Tweets fly through the Twittersphere from those attending BlogHer and maybe next year I'll be more established and have a buddy to go with!

Are you going? Better yet... are you joining the Pity Party?

31 DBBB Blog Hop!

2010-08-03T21:27:00.001-04:00

If you hadn't noticed previously I'm participating in the SITS 31 Days to Building a Better Blog!

Add your link below, visit a new blog or two, and add the hop to your blog!

A Long Drive Through Scottish Countryside

2010-08-03T17:51:00.000-04:00

Well, it's that time again kiddies! It's my weekly Writer's Workshop post via Mama Kat and this week there are a few choices that I've been pondering since getting the email this morning. But eventually the decision was made and here it is.

A long drive...

It was an unusually warm, and sunny day as we set out early in the morning for a long drive through the Scottish countryside. It was our first day out and we wanted to make the most of the day and the wonderful weather. I was excited to say the least and it was like a dream come true to be there. We had our map, a general idea of the things we wanted to see, and a car with a tank full of gas.

It didn't take us long to see why people came to photograph the beautiful countryside. It was amazing! Rolling green hills, pastures dotted with cows, farms, and cottages with thatched roofs.

Occasionally, we would pass through a small village and stop to wander the streets and shops. People were very friendly, warm, and inviting. It left me wondering if I ever wanted to go back home. By the time we were in the second village we had found a pub to have lunch in and by far it was the best lunch I had in a while. Home cooked food is always the best! They had fresh, local vegetables, pies, and breads.

The day continued at a slow pace stopping when we felt like it, checking out villages, castles, and whatever caught our attention as we drove. By the time we returned to our hotel we had a camera full of pictures and memories to last a lifetime.

Okay, pretty good, huh? Now if it were only true! Yes....yes, I made it all up.

Someday I would love to travel to Scotland or even Ireland and spend a couple weeks traveling the countryside and enjoying all that they have to offer. They're beautiful countries, with rich history that's just waiting to be explored and discovered by someone new all the time.

Who knows... I may take that long drive one day and tell you all about it first hand and include all of those amazing photo's that I would take.

Thank you again, Mama Kat for the Writer's Workshops! They're a lot of fun and help me find new and interesting things to blog about!

Anadama Bread

2010-08-02T14:31:00.006-04:00

Image by haleysuzanne via Flickr

This weekend as I was going through the new posts on the blogs that I read there was one that I found very intriguing. It was a recipe for an easy, dark bread.

The recipe was for Anadama bread, which is a traditional New England bread that's made of corn meal, molasses, and bread flour. The recipe has been around for many years and even has a myth as to how it got it's name to go along with it.

"A fisherman, angry with his wife, Anna, for serving him nothing but cornmeal and molasses, one day adds flour and yeast to his porridge and eats the resultant bread, while cursing, 'Anna, damn her.'"

The bread is extremely easy to make and requires no kneading at all! Mix it, put it in the pan, and then let it rise! How much more simple can it get? The result is a sweet, slightly dense bread that is very good warm from the oven, toasted the next day or even the day after that. I served mine the day after it was baked, warmed up in the oven with butter and homemade strawberry jam.

My sister and brother in law came over for brunch on Sunday and I thought that this was the perfect time to make this bread since it makes two loaves. And we'd definitely go through at least one of the them and the rest would make it to the office (which it did). My family and co-workers all loved the bread. This is one that I will make again and again.

The recipe that I used came from a great blog that I read daily, Simply Recipes. She has many great recipes as I've mentioned before.

Try this recipe and comment on what you thought about it! I'd love to know!

The Worst Sunburn Ever!

2010-07-29T14:50:00.001-04:00

I really have to say first of all ... DO NOT DO THIS! You will get burnt and on top of that smell bad.

I think that it must have been the summer between my junior and senior year of high school and of course my parents were gone so I took the opportunity to have my girlfriends over. We went swimming, laid out in the sun, party at a friends house later than night, and all that fun summer stuff.

Now, to the good part. I couldn't find the sun tan oil... only sunblock. And I did not want sunblock I mean how was I to get a good tan if I had sunblock on. Since I couldn't find the sun tan oil we substituted vegetable oil. Yea... vegetable oil. This proves that kids are not always as smart as they think they are.

By the end of the day I thought I had a pretty nice tan. Went into shower and realized that I was actually burnt and that the hot water did not feel all that good and on top of that the damn vegetable oil did not wash off as well as I'd thought.

So, the evening progresses... I got the oil off but not the horrible smell. I'm sure that I smelled like a french fry or something! And of course I got more red as the night went on and it was not fun.

It was the kind of sunburn that no matter how hot it is outside you get the chills, radiate heat from your entire body, and are red for several days. Did I mention that it was not fun?

The vegetable oil smell didn't go away for almost a week and to this day when I smell it I think of that summer.

Okay... now you can laugh until your hearts content.

The Best Recipe Blogs

2010-07-28T11:52:00.001-04:00

I love cooking & baking. Even more than that I love eating and I swear it's amazing that I'm not as big as a house! I'm no twig by any means though and am constantly working on losing weight and eating healthy.

I've been pondering some of the blogs that I visit on a regular basis for recipes and cooking related things. And there are a few that really stand out in my mind.

The first one is 101 Cookbooks and it's all about Heidi Swanson and her travels, life, and the recipes that come from that. All of her recipes are vegetarian and tend to use all natural, fresh ingredients. They're amazing recipes and I've made so many of them! Now, I should mention that I'm not a vegetarian, but her recipes are easy to add fresh fish, shrimp, chicken, or other meat to.

The next one I'd recommend is Simply Recipes. This food & recipe blog is written by Elise Bauer and has some of the best recipes and some great comfort food! One of my favorites has to be the Banana Bread. It's made with one bowl, no mixer, and the simplest ingredients that you can almost memorize the recipe. My kids and I have made this at least a dozen times and have added different things (sour cream, cream cheese, applesauce, etc) or just made it the way the recipe as it's written. I often buy extra bananas just so we can make the bread!

My final blog is a favorite because it's all about baking. And if nothing else I LOVE to bake! If I could I'd open a bakery and have wonderful cakes, pies, cookies, breads, and everything in between. Not So Humble Pie is written by Ms. Humble and she creates some yummy looking baked goods! I haven't been following this blog all that long since I only recently learned about it from a co-worker. My kids have loved going through the blog to point out all the things we need to make and enjoying the cool science cookies and then planning on what kind we'll decorate and submit!

There are several more blogs that I read that are food related, but these are my favorites. I hope that you enjoy them!

Now tell me what food blogs do you read?

A note from my blog

2010-07-28T11:22:00.000-04:00

I got this little note today from my blog and I guess I should find some free time. What do you think?

Meijer Garden Trip

2010-07-22T22:08:00.000-04:00

Last weekend my family and I took a trip to Grand Rapids to Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. If you live here in Michigan I suggest you take a day and spend a few hours there just wandering around looking at everything that they have to offer.

Through the end of September they're having an exhibit of Dale Chihuly glass. And it's an amazing exhibit! Last year was the first time that I had ever seen the glass work that he does at the Flint Institute of Arts and was very impressed with it. If you ever have a chance I'd really recommend seeing it.

The collection was both inside and outside throughout the sculpture park, some in the water and some were stuck in the ground.

Here are a few pictures of some of the ones that are my favorites.

This one is just outside the doors as you go out to the sculpture gardens. It reminds me of amethysts.

This reminds me of so many things, a fluffy dandelion, a star, or a gigantic peice of dust! It's placed in a pond with several floating spheres that are in a rainbow of colors.

Here's the waterfall and koi pond, which also has these large, colorful spheres. Knowing how delicate glass can be it's incredible how they have all these pieces of art placed in the water and woods and are left out there.

For now, this is the final picture. This piece is in the Victorian Garden and stands well over 7 or 8 feet tall!

The glass work is truly amazing and like I said, if you ever get a chance to see it go do it. You won't be sorry that you did!

Crap!! Turn it off!!!

2010-07-22T08:40:00.001-04:00

I just stumbled upon Mama Kat's Writers Workshop and thought this would be fun! Especially with the topics that she chose! The tough part was deciding which one to write on. I finally decided to go with the "mom of the year moment"!

A movie you probably should have previewed before letting your kids watch.

Oh... where to start! I mean I've had this moment more times than is acceptable. But in my defense it's only been with my oldest daughter who is 14 (going on 23).

Let's start with the first 'incident' I had heard of this new show on HBO called True Blood and knew that it was a book series and sounded pretty good. So, we sat down to watch the first episode.... yea, if you've watched you know what happens in the first 5 minutes or so and you're either gasping in horror at me or laughing. Oops.

Moving on. The second incident. I'm at the video rental store and the husband told me to pick something out. I figured okay, I can do this. I got a movie that looked pretty funny based on the previews we'd seen on TV. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is rated R and we've seen R rated movies that weren't that bad. Again. Wrong. Holy Crap! Full frontal nudity!

Seriously, you can't move fast enough to get the remote and turn it off! And in those moments you fumble like an idiot!

My daughter says, "Good job, mom", the husband says, "Yea, good job mom".

Because I knew that these movies/tv shows were that .... what's the word.... adult oriented. And now I know and they tease me often about it and usually don't let me pick movies anymore.

It's a good thing that my daughter is well adjusted.

Oh... by the way... we preview a bit more before we let her watch movies now.

Are you on BlogFrog?

2010-07-21T15:47:00.000-04:00

I've added a widget for BlogFrog! I joined the community when I started the 31 Days to a Better Blog and have found a lot of support, help, and great ideas! Even better... I've found some great new blogs to follow!

Take a few minutes to check it out and sign up!

Day 2 - My List Post

2010-07-21T15:30:00.000-04:00

Today's task is to write a list post and I've spent half the day pondering what to write about. It's a lot harder when you're given a writing assignment for as opposed to writing about whatever pops into my head at the moment!

I've been pondering a post about a 'Bucket List'. You know, all the items that you want to do before you die, but I was thinking that mine would be more of the things I want to do before my kids move out or before I hit 50 type thing. A short term bucket list. This isn't going to be that post. I think I want to save that for another time.

I've been thinking about the things I want to do short term. The here and now. I have a list but now all I have to do is figure out how to accomplish them.

Spend more time with my kids
Figure out how to work part time and still keep my insurance and paycheck
Plan a weekend away with my husband - and go!
Clean and organize my office - I never get to it no matter how hard I try
Get better at this blogging thing
Brush up on my web programming skills - they're buried in the closet and kinda dusty!
Learn to take better pictures

So there it is, my short term to do list! Now that I have it written out and made public I'll have to really make an effort to follow through on it, won't I?

Day 1 - My Elevator Pitch

2010-07-20T20:18:00.001-04:00

So today is the first day of the Building a Better Blog Challenge for me and today's task is to develop a elevator pitch for my blog.

What is an elevator pitch you ask...
An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch should be possible to deliver in the time span of an elevator ride, meaning in a maximum of 30 seconds and in 130 words or fewer.
- Wikipedia

You could also think of it as a mission statement or the point of your blog. It gives readers something to think about and prompts them ask questions about your blog.

I've been pondering this all day, trying to figure out what I want it to be and how to best write it in as few words as possible. This should be easy for me since I write these often for the projects that I work on everyday at work. But for some reason the work elevator pitches seem so much easier than this one and I have no idea why.

So, here it is.

The short ride to the third floor:
My Kids. Work. New Recipes. My Life.

The ride to the penthouse suite:
Life is full of surprises, twists, and turns! You may as well enjoy the ride! I'm a mom to 4 (14, 10, 8, and 5 months), a wife (to my 5th child sometimes), and I work full time and it takes a bit of magic to keep my sanity & things running at my house. You may find things here about family, kids, work, cooking, or just about anything. It's my life.

31 Days to a Better Blog

2010-07-19T11:44:00.002-04:00

Recently (like today), I joined the ProBlogger's 31DBBB! You should too if you have a blog!

The first email that I got was a list of 4 things to do to get ready while waiting for the day 1 email with the daily task. So far I've got the first 3 things done and they were much easier than I expected!

1. Join the forum - super easy! I mean how hard could this be... fill in a simple form with your name & email address. Log in and post a note about yourself.
2. Install a metrics program - sorta easy.... I installed Google Analytics and there are many sites out there that tell you exactly how to do it. Some even with pictures! My first try didn't work and I'm not sure why, but the second time was a success! It also told me what I already know.... I have very few readers. I'm going to change that though!
3. Invite friends - Done! And the easiest task by far! I'm hoping that they join too so I have someone to work on this with.
4. SWOT analysis of my blog - this one is going to take some time. Maybe more time than I think and a great deal of thought. I may have to hide somewhere in the house tonight finish it!

Well, wish me luck! I hope to have an amazing blog after this adventure!

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Experiment - Part 2

2010-07-13T14:32:00.000-04:00

This post is a bit overdue and for that I'm sorry. I went to the store and thought that I bought everything that I needed to make the cookies. And then I got home and started to gather my stuff and much to my surprise I didn't have flour! Well, that's a lie. I have cake flour, soy flour, and even bread flour but no all purpose flour. What the heck!! I always have flour. So, I had to go back to the store the next day.

After making these cookies I was amazed that they didn't totally flatten out while baking! And they tasted incredible! If you have no will power, love chocolate chip cookies, and are watching your weight these are NOT the cookies for you! These aren't the cookies for me because of the previous mentioned items... oh well! I ate them and I enjoyed them warm out of the oven and the next day (and the day after that).

I searched the internet for the recipe that Levian Bakery used to make their cookies. And of course it appears to be a well guarded secret because I couldn't find it anywhere. There were several recipes that tried to recreate them though. So I read through all the recipes, ingredients, the notes that the authors wrote on the recipe, and finally the comments from their readers. I pieced a few recipes together to make my own and the recipe is below.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup cold butter - cubed *
2 1/2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup light brown sugar **
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, cold
1 tsp vanilla
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips - I used Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet

* I used salted butter. You can also use unsalted just add 1/4 tsp of salt.
** Ok.. I was out of light brown sugar too. I used 1 cup white & 1 cup dark sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 and make sure the rack is in the middle. If it's to close to the bottom of the oven the cookies will be way to dark on the bottom.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and mix until well incorporated.
Add dry ingredients and mix till combined. Add chocolate chips.
I used the medium scoop from Pampered Chef which is about 2oz twice to make about a 4oz cookie.
Bake 10 - 15 min (up to 20 depending on how big your cookies are) and are lightly brown on the bottom.

Place on a rack to cool.

Now at this point we started eating the cookies as soon as they were cool enough to handle. They were thick, a bit crisp on the outside, and soft & gooey on the inside. My daughter and husband said they were the absolute best cookie I've ever made (I agree with them)!

They really were great cookies! Try them and let me know what you think.

Dinner & Dessert instead of Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-09T22:20:00.002-04:00

My plan today was to start on the chocolate chip cookies. So, I got the rest of the items I needed from the grocery store, came home, and started gathering the rest of the ingredients but I couldn't find the flour. I knew I had some but had no idea where in the world it went. Besides... who in the world would have used it besides me? Finally I found it. The bag had maybe 1 or 2 cups, if I was lucky, left in it. Not enough for cookies.

Instead I made dinner and dessert (which is in the oven... Yes, I know it's after 10pm and Andrew gets up at the crack of dawn).

Dinner was really good! Here's the basic recipe.

1 c Quinoa cooked in 2 c chicken stock
1 Red bell pepper chopped
1/2 English cucumber chopped
1/2 Onion - I used a sweet one. Use whatever you want
Shrimp

Dressed with olive oil & fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper, & garlic.
Garnished with sliced green onions

I think that you could add fresh herbs or other veggies if you wanted.

Now, dessert is a homemade peach cobbler via a Paula Deen recipe and I used baking mix instead of flour (why... b/c I'm out!). Let's hope that it turns out!

On a side note, the husband did not like dinner... to healthy, to many veggies, and he doesn't like lemon. Oh well, I can't win 'em all! I know that dessert will be a huge hit!

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Experiment - Part 1

2010-07-07T09:57:00.000-04:00

I should start out by saying that I LOVE chocolate chip cookies! All buttery, chocolately, crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. Even better when they're still a bit warm from the oven! Yum! And I don't know anyone who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies.

Recently I was watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay and he challenged Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, the owners of Levain Bakery in NYC. They make these amazing chocolate chip cookies that are huge, fluffy, and gooey on the inside! Now, considering that I live in Michigan I haven't had the time to run out and get a few (although I could order online).

Now, this is where the experimenting comes in. I bake... a lot. Probably to much sometimes really. I figure that I can come up with a recipe that's similar to theirs and almost as good. I'm going to start working on a recipe that will be the "one" this week!

Wish me luck! I'll post the results of my experiment soon.

My Kids

2010-06-29T13:29:00.001-04:00

These are my kids and they are the world to me. Caitlin is the oldest (14), then Natalie (10), Lauren (8), and finally Andrew, who in this picture was about 3 months old. I'm sure that Caitlin will complain about posting this picture because she doesn't like the way she looks or something, but look at them! They're all smiling, laughing, and looking at the camera (mostly). It's one of my favorites.

They're all unique and special to me in their own ways and there is nothing that could change how much I love them. Now, don't get me wrong they are not angels by any means and there are times I wonder if I was ever as annoying as they can be.

They're all mine, I love them, and wouldn't trade them for anything.

That's it for now... just a quick post.

I won... again!

2010-06-25T08:29:00.000-04:00

I have to say that this week I'm feeling pretty lucky! The week started out by winning a $150.00 gift certificate to CSN Stores from Ms. Humble over at Not So Humble Pie.
I was overwhelmed with all the things I could buy there! I looked at tons of things trying to decide what I wanted and then finally settled on a dutch oven, like I stated in my comment on Ms. Humble's blog. Now, I know what you're thinking... a dutch oven? Yup! I've been wanting one for a while and found one that I liked that wasn't super expensive. Ah... but there's more! I was able to also get a set (2) of baking dishes and a deep frying pan with a lid. Best part is that they're all the same color (blue) and from Rachael Ray. Needless to say I can't wait till they get here so I can use them all! The question now is... what do I make?
The week rounded out by with all the storms passing and taking the humidity with them leaving clear sunny skies and me being able to keep my job, but that's another story for another time.

Simple Green Giveaway Update

2010-06-18T17:57:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update because I'm super excited!!!! I WON!!! Woo hoo!!!!
I should state that I rarely (never) win anything and couldn't believe it when Jessica from The Unemployed Mom sent me a message on Twitter to tell me that I won. Needless to say it was the highlight of my day! The first thing I plan on doing is cleaning the back end of my SUV, it has dirt and marks all over the carpet from the stroller and the kids. Crazy to be excited about cleaning stuff... oh well!
I'll update you when I get everything and see how it works!

Great Simple Green Giveaway

2010-06-16T10:38:00.000-04:00

I found a new follower on Twitter today and as always I check them out. Usually it's marketers and such that are now following me, nothing of value or interest to me. But today was different!! It was a mommy blogger and her site is wonderful!
Today she has a giveaway for the Simple Green Naturals cleaning products. Now, I've used the harsh green colored Simple Green in the past and it was strong, but worked pretty well. Now that I'm a mom I like to use products that get my house clean, but are also safe for my family. I think that these new products may be the way to go.
Go take a look at her giveaway and enter!

Why blog...

2010-06-15T21:38:00.000-04:00

Why did I start a blog? Well, why not! I really did it for me, for something to do, and a way to document the things in my life. My husband asked where I was going to find the extra time for blogging when I don't have much free time for all my other hobbies. Good question! I don't have an answer right now.
Every day I learn something new about blogging and I'm grateful for all the information that's out there! It's amazing all the different things you can do to your blog, ways to increase readers, using Wordpress vs Blogger, and so many other things that could make your head spin!
For now I think I'm happy with what I have and my goal is to have one to two posts a week. If I manage to do more then kudos to me! And as I continue I'll increase my goals by adding social media buttons, more posts, and more readers. But one thing at a time.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

2010-06-14T17:00:00.004-04:00

All I have to say is thank you Martha Stewart! This all started with the thought that sugar cookies sounded really good. A soft, light golden cookie.... and then I thought, "Everything tastes better with chocolate!". And so began my search for a chocolate sugar cookie recipe so I didn't have the create one on my own, because I was to tired to do that and I just really wanted cookies.
There were a few results that looked pretty good, but I didn't want to have to chill the dough or want a spicy cookie. Then I found the recipe from Martha Stewart for Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies, and it's wonderful! I made mine smaller and was able to get about 2 dozen.
Now, I'm going to try adding different things to the recipe like peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, or maybe nuts. Who knows, but for now I'm just happy that I have cookies!

Photo Booth Fun

2010-05-20T13:46:00.002-04:00

My kids have found the fun and excitement of playing with Photo Booth on my Mac. Any time that I leave it unattended you can be sure that at least one of them will be playing with it.
For me it's a surprise to open it up and see all the new photos and videos that they've done, some are cute and others are just weird!
This is a really good one that Natalie took of her self.

And this is my oldest Caitlin, posing for the Mac camera! You can see that they always use one of the special effects that are available.

And here we have Super Baby! Or my youngest, and only son, Andrew. I was actually present for this 'photo shoot' and there were many pictures and videos taken that afternoon of Super Baby.

As I went through the pictures I realized that there wasn't one of my youngest daughter, Lauren. And then I figured it out.... she just takes long videos of herself riding a roller coaster or swimming in the ocean with the fish!

Woo Hoo!! No more blurry pictures!

2010-05-18T08:42:00.000-04:00

So, if you're like me you take a ton of pictures of your kids and everything in between and often those pictures look great except for the fact that they're a bit blurry. It annoys me to no end that I have this great pic of my kids (getting along and smiling at the same time, which is a miracle) and it's blurry.
In comes this great new tool! Big thanks to Twitter... you can find almost anything there!
It's called Unshake and it takes your blurry picture and attempts to make them better! The best part is that I can use it on my Mac and Windows systems!
Here's the link if you're interested. http://www.petapixel.com/2010/05/17/unshake-your-blurry-photographs/

Need a new layout

2010-05-18T08:35:00.000-04:00

I set up this blog rather quickly and choose one of the default backgrounds that they offer. It's okay... nothing special, but I think that I'd rather have one that spoke to me, popped out and said use me when I look at it.
So, now I start my search for something better. This may take some time.
Wish me luck! :)

It's Monday and the blogging begins!

2010-05-17T11:45:00.000-04:00

::sigh::
I did it. Finally. I started my own blog.
Really the only thing that was holding me back was finding a witty name that would encompass everything that I wanted to be able to touch on in my ramblings, rants, and every day thoughts. There will be more to come later!
Wish me luck!