Lil-Kid-Things

It's Blog Moving Day!

2010-05-10T14:49:00.000-04:00

Hey Friends! I am still unpacking over at the new website, but it's time to take the plunge! PLEASE subscribe to my new feed to make sure you don't miss any SUPER important Oscar updates ;-)

And for those of you who just want a link, it's as easy as www.lilkidthings.com! See you there!

Mother's Day Winners!

2010-05-10T10:22:00.000-04:00

Congrats to the winners of our Mother's Day Giveaways!

The Jessica Rae Jewelry winner was #12, Kayla! Kayla, I didn't see an email address for you so please contact me to claim your prize at andrea [at] lilkidthings [dot] com.

And the winner for10 free classes at Midtown Stroller Strides is #21, Summer! Summer, I sent you an email! Please respond to claim your prize!

Moms of little girls, stay tuned! There is something coming your way tomorrow!

The Perfect Day

2010-05-08T22:34:00.002-04:00

Today was a perfect day. I don't know that I have been able to say that about any day in the past several months. But today? Today was absolutely perfect. It was the day I had a million times in my dreams of what having a family would be like as a little girl. It was the day that my spirit ached for all those lonely years of waiting for Jerry to come along. It was that good.

This morning I woke up before anyone else. I yawned, I stretched and seeing that it was light out I knew it was day. Yet, no one was making any noise. Each day this week I woke up thinking it was Monday. So I had to do a mental check to remember it was indeed Saturday. I lay there quietly for a few minutes and finally decided to check the time. It was 9:04am! NINE OH FOUR. That is like 1pm in parent time! I mean that right there would have made my day. It definitely made my morning! I got up and got my contacts in and started coffee, tasks that are usually done with a hungry and impatient toddler in tow. But not today. Today I took my time.

Oscar woke up a few minutes later and we started our morning routine. He nursed for a bit and quickly ran to the kitchen to EAT EAT EAT, his mealtime mantra. We did animal sounds and ate cheerios. He laughed and I giggled. Jerry came out and started music. We enjoyed each other.

We'd heard of a local yard sale at a church downtown so we piled in the van (Krusty dog too) and headed over to see what we could find. I filled a bag with books and toys and a few sets of PJs for Oscar for $5 total. Then it was time to play at the park. It was a warm and sunny day but so refreshing and breezy in the shade. Oscar played with his newly thrifted golf clubs and dug in the sand.We talked, we smiled. We had family time.

Lunch was more of the same and Oscar went right down for his nap. He slept a glorious 3 hours while we had some downtime of our own. When he woke up we decided to go downtown for dinner at Tir Na Nog. It's an Irish Pub and Oscar has never been so I was interested to see how he would do. We had the best time just hanging out. There was a small wedding reception in the back room and it reminded us of our own wedding rehearsal dinner we'd had in the same space. Our lives are here. Our life together is throughout these streets and parks and restaurants. It's a beautiful thing! What we didn't know was that it was Kilt Night and Pipers came through toward the end of our meal! There were two bagpipers and a drummer. Oscar LOVED watching them play and burst into applause at the end of each song. It was adorable.

After dinner I went to a baby celebration for a friend who is having her second child in a few weeks. I spent two hours laughing, talking and commiserating with some of the most beautiful and hilarious people in the world. I know tomorrow is Mother's Day. But honestly, today was my gift. Jerry has been asking me all week what I wanted for Mother's Day and all I could think to say was I just want a day where I feel special and cared for all day long. And today I got it. Without even trying. I don't deserve this life, but I am so thankful for it!

Follow Friday: Heather of The EO!

2010-05-07T09:30:00.006-04:00

Do you ever find a blog by accident and start reading because maybe you liked the picture or the banner was really nice or you thought hmmmm..this could be interesting? And then out of nowhere you are completely enthralled reading post after post and wondering how this person could have been writing for so long without your knowledge? Yeah, me too.

So, I clicked over to The Extraordinary Ordinary one day and I am not even sure how I got there. But something intrigued me so I started reading. At first she was talking about laundry and the smells of motherhood, how intoxicating they can be. And I completely identified. And I read about about her adorable sons, and having a son of my own, I identified. She talks about her faith and being a Christian, I identified.

And suddenly I was in her struggle. Me. A complete stranger, welcomed with open arms into her fresh wounds of Alcoholism. As I read about her bravery I found myself identifying. Not with alcoholism per say, but with an inner struggle to beat something that seems to take over. I found myself rooting for her. And for myself. Heather is now more than 3 months sober and during this time, I have been utterly moved by her willingness to share this personal journey with the world. And even in the midst of struggle, she is every mom. She is kind, funny and taking each day as it comes. Heather was kind enough to agree to an interview with me and I am so glad! Please read, enjoy and meet a woman who has truly been an inspiration to me!

**photo courtesy of The Extraordinary Ordinary

First of all, I want to thank you for agreeing to do this interview! I am a huge fan of The EO. Since some of my readers might not be familiar with your blog, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your family?

I'm the mother of two small boys named Miles and Asher and I'm married to Ryan. We have a dog and she drives me nuts. I don't really like playing cars or Star Wars or other boy things but I LOVE playing Hide-n-Seek and Guess Who. My blog is a random sampling of photos (because I pretend I'm a photographer), some free writing, some poem-like things, and posts in which I wax philosophical on all things motherhood, life, and sobriety. I am just over 3 months sober, I'm an alcoholic, and so that's kind of a big deal right now. I often say that I write to find out what I'm thinking, and I do a whole lot of that these days.

One of the most refreshing things about your blog is your willingness to discuss incredibly personal topics like faith and alcoholism. Do you struggle with writing so honestly?

I don't, actually. I've always been quite a transparent person. Of course, I wasn't transparent about my addiction for a very long time, but I would elude to my struggles and was honest about depression, doubt, fears, insecurity, etc. I feel pretty passionate about people being real. I'm not always sure that a blog is the place to be so real, but for the most part I'm comfortable with it because of the gifts I've received as a result. The friendships, the emails in which people say that I've helped them with my honesty, that sort of thing. If I can help even one person, it makes the risks worth it, you know?

Are there any topics that are off limits?

Yeah, I'm getting kind of tired of people wanting to know about my hair-less armpit. Oh, I'm sorry. That's not what you meant? OK, then. No, I don't think there's anything that's totally off limits. If someone asked me to write about something personal, I probably would because I try to do that in a tasteful way. I don't write about a lot of personal things but I do write about other personal things. I guess I just kind of roll with whatever I'm comfortable with at the time. It's possible that I'm just simply overly impulsive, but I prefer to call all of that sharing honesty.

Blogging is such a great outlet for Moms. But it can take over sometimes! How do you find balance?

Sometimes I don't find balance. Sometimes I'm online for far too much of a day, and then I usually try to lay off the webtastic sauce for a couple of days. I actually, quite geekily, use a timer a lot. I set it for fifteen minutes or whatever and I read a bunch of blogs or work on a post or say random stuff on Twitter and when the timer goes DING! I move on. It actually works pretty well on the days I'm too scattered and lazy to control myself. When he's not traveling for work, my husband loves for me to go write on my own for a few hours every few days. I'm much easier to be around when I've gotten some writing in.

Is there one piece of advice you would give to a Mom that blogs or is interested about starting a blog?

ONE? Oh my...well, I guess I would encourage moms to believe whole-heartedly that what they have to say matters. That their voice counts to many many someones out there and to write from that confidence.

You will be speaking at the upcoming Casual Blogger Conference and also attending BlogHer in August. What do you find beneficial about blogging conferences? Do you have a favorite?

I absolutely love getting together with fellow bloggers. I had a great time at BlogHer last year, even though I felt lost in a sea of online journalists. There were so many people!!! What's beneficial about blogging events is the face-to-face connections. To see someone you blog-know come alive in 3-D is just such an honor and so much FUN. These connections solidify meaningful relationships because real-life connection just simply does that extra something. Once you've made those connections, you find a lot of support in the relationships, online and off. Sometimes that means that you have more of a cheering section when you need it and sometimes it's the little things, like linky love and other blogging encouragement and networking.

What types of blogs do you like to read?

I love reading mommy blogs, writery writer blogs, and humor blogs. I love reading people who share their hearts and pour words on the page that make magic. Is that a bit much? Make magic? Well, I think they do, so there.

I love going through the archives of my blog, but most of us have been blogging only a few years of our adult lives. What is something that happened in your pre-blogging days that you would love to go back and blog about?

I have so many stories from my social work years. A lot of crazy things happened with my clients and I grew a lot through those experiences. I'd like to blog about those experiences and now that I think about it, I suppose I could!

I could have asked so many more questions! But that will have to be enough for now. Read more at Heather's blog or catch her on Twitter! It was an honor to interview you Heather! Thank you again for chatting with me and thank you for sharing your Extraordinary Ordinary!

My poor brain...

2010-05-05T15:59:00.002-04:00

I am neck deep in a big move from Blogger to Wordpress. It's a blogging thing, and I think when all is said and done it will be really great. And I will let you know so hopefully no one gets lost in the shuffle. But if I am honest, it is making my brain explode. Well between that and last night's episode of LOST, I am pretty much fried.

Oscar and I had a lovely lunch with friends today and then went to the gym where I was able to burn off some of this techno-anxiety. I just don't understand why some tech things are so simple for me and others make me want to bang my head against a wall.

Can't we all just get along?

*image via the incomparable

Giveaway: Jessica Rae Jewelry!

2010-05-04T17:30:00.001-04:00

I hope if you are located in or around Raleigh, NC you had the chance to enter our Stroller Strides Class Giveaway! You still have time so check it out! And for all the moms who aren't local, here is a treat for you! Don't worry local moms, you can enter this one as well!

Today's giveaway is something sweet for the Mamas! Jessica Rae Jewelry is offering one Lil-Kid-Things reader this adorable pair of Baby Footprint Earrings!

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A visit with the Fam

2010-05-03T10:15:00.001-04:00

Sunday was a HOT day. I am not sure what the actual high was, but it was supposed to be somewhere in the 90s. I am sure it was. We had a great morning at church and then went to a LONG overdue lunch with my family. Even though my folks live only 30 minutes away, they are on the go and it's hard to get our schedules matched up. They have been in New England for the past 5 weeks so it was definitely time for Oscar to see his Grampa, Grammy, and Aunt Amy!

We went to lunch and decided, sure it's the hottest day of the year. Let's sit outside! I kid. It was actually quite pleasant when the wind was blowing. Oscar has my trait of turning pink when he gets warm so he is a lovely shade of sweaty in these pics. But we had a great time! He tried a lemon and loved it. He ate his chicken and dipped his hands in ranch AND honey mustard. Both recieiving the requisite, mmmMMMmmm. And he does the funniest thing now. Every time he is asked, Oscar do you want some chicken? He says, BOOCK bock BOOOOOOCK! I feel for the poor kid who doesn't quite get that he is eating an animal. Oscar seems to have no problem with it.

Surprise Giveaway! Stroller Strides Classes for Raleigh Moms!

2010-05-02T21:21:00.002-04:00

Calling all Raleigh Moms! I have something really exciting to share! A couple weeks ago I went to the inaugural class for the new Midtown Raleigh Chapter of Stroller Strides. This is a national company that helps moms get back into shape and spend time with their babies! A win win for new moms on the go.

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Mama Got a Haircut

2010-05-02T08:56:00.000-04:00

Silly how a new haircut makes me feel. Maybe because I always go way.too.long. in between cuts, or maybe because I get to sit in a chair for an hour while someone messes with me. I love being messed with!

I just love a good haircut! And yesterday I got just that.

I did a little shopping, wandered around downtown and got my hair done. Jerry stayed home with Oscar and held down the fort. I missed them. While I was out getting primped, they were home playing lets see if this cheese sticks to my face.

To answer your question, yes. It does. And yes, I have video.

I love my boys.

Losing weight isn't ALWAYS about the scale...

2010-05-01T10:13:00.000-04:00

I weigh myself every day. I know I know, the first rule of weightloss is whatEVER you do, DON'T weigh yourself everyday! It's right up there with don't eat a cheeseburger and avoid muffin-tops like the plague. But I can't help it. I need that daily check in to be sure I am not going all crazy. And maybe I am crazy! What of it?

So I have been going to the YMCA for over a month. And I have only heard the song YMCA while there once. I think that's pretty good. What is frustrating is that in that time I have lost but one wee little pound. ONE. As in UNO. A tad frustrating as you can imagine. I feel great though (except for this week's mini-migraine) and I am sticking with it. I have also been cutting back on the ol portion sizes and eating out of smaller bowls (it works!). And the good news is my clothes are starting to fit differently. I think I am even dropping a pant-size. Not dropping my pants to be clear. It's not THAT kind of Y.

So even though that pesky scale isn't telling me what I want to hear, things are happening in my body. And the more I treat it right, the more it will respond. That said, feel free to shower me with encouragement :-)

Squash Blooms in April!

2010-04-30T14:48:00.000-04:00

Well I can't believe it but we already have at least TEN squash blooms in our vegetable garden! I mean actual squash! That is growing! And will be ready to eat in a matter of weeks! OR LESS!

I really didn't think we would be getting fruit this soon, but I am not complaining! I just need to watch them to be sure our soil is balanced so we don't get blossom end rot, the sworn enemy of squash and a variety of other garden veggies. I did however, stumble upon several little green mama bugs with babies. I am still trying to figure out who they are so I can get rid of them. NO VACANCY in this garden.

In the meantime, we'll continue to eat our lettuce and monitor the status of the other tenants. The front beds are doing great this year and we just added 4 hydrangea to the mix! I'll post pictures of that soon. The weather has been so perfect for working outside. It's hard to believe it will be hot and muggy soon. I'll just try and enjoy it while I can!

Becoming Mom: What I love about Staying at Home

2010-04-29T07:00:00.007-04:00

I bent over to unload the dryer after starting the dishwasher, loading/starting the washing machine and carting our dirty clothes out to the kitchen, again. I started to think, man I can't believe it's time to do this again already. And immediately heard a friend's voice echo in my mind, you won't believe how much laundry you do when you have kids....and as I watched my virtual self start to take the path of complaint I decided to back that train up and remind myself of just how much I love this job. And why.

And because I love lists, I decided to write it down. So here is my incomplete list of why I love being a Stay at home Mom (in no particular order)

The Schedule is MINE to make - sure sometimes there are appointments, but even I scheduled those. I am the only one to blame for poor scheduling, which means, I don't get mad as often.
I love watching my son grow (and grow and grow) - This one is a luxury that I don't take for granted. I feel so blessed that I get to enjoy these moments and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world.
We get to enjoy our City. I can't tell you how many times I would drive by places and see people out in the middle of the day and just dream of what it might be like to do your grocery shopping during daylight. Now I know what it's like. And I likes what I knows.
Maybe today I don't want to wear pants? No further explanation necessary.
Knowing what we will have for dinner before 6pm. - This part takes some planning, but is SO worth it!
Sitting on the back steps drinking my morning coffee. MMM
Taking care of my family! I DO treat it like a job, simply because it is my calling. There is no higher purpose for me than to be the best wife and mama I can be. Others will surely do it better. But this family is all mine and I love em.

It can be all too easy to stare down at that dirty floor/laundry/dishes and get on the complain train. Today, we're skipping it. How about you?

***image via flickr commons

New Gig: Blissfully Domestic!

2010-04-28T12:03:00.003-04:00

YAH-ALL. I am super excited today! This week has been kind of a downer because I have felt so icky and yet had lots to do. Blech on top of blech. BUT I also got some really fun news! I am now a contributing writer to Blissfully Domestic! I'll let you know when my first article goes live, but I had to shout it out today because I feel like I can actually attach the word "writer" to my name. As if writing this blog didn't make me a writer already (it did), I now have a more official reason to say it with confidence! Maybe even jazz hands!

WRITER!

Yeah that felt good.

The other great thing about writing for Blissfully Domestic is that I really just love the site. It's one of my go-to places to look when I need encouragement. And it should be, because that is their mission. The site's creator, Alli Worthington is a force to be reckoned with and super awesome to boot! She is also the mastermind behind the Blissdom Blog Conference which has become one of THE conferences to attend each year.

All that to say, YAY! I am so excited to be joining this team! Let the writing begin!

Where did that Bus come from?

2010-04-27T10:29:00.001-04:00

So I was on the elliptical Sunday night having a great time despite the horrifying images being forced upon me by the massive plasma tv showing Sleepy Hollow in all it's Technicolor glory, feeling good and accomplished and whatnot. I come home to a nice tall drink of water named Jerry and oh yeah I was pretty thirsty too. All was well.

And then yesterday I got hit by a bus. Seriously feeling the yuk over here and not really sure where it came from. Oscar and I have been trading allergies back and forth but this time I am just blah. We had a nice day laying low and managed to make it for 4 whole meals (including today's breakfast for you math scholars) without going to the grocery store. Where did all this food come from? It's amazing what you can pull together when you don't want to shop.

Today I am back to it. Thankfully it's beautiful out because we seriously need food. And as much as I love my pjs, I guess it's time to get dressed.

Reader Response: How do you relieve Stress?

2010-04-24T09:07:00.001-04:00

Ahh such a great question. We all have stress coming at us from all sides. Some days are worse than others, but you have to have an outlet or big explosions of tears and expletives become all too frequent. Speaking of explosions, 3 nights in a row this week, I had terrible nightmares. The first night was about my husband cheating on me, the second night was about suicide (not my own, don't worry) and the third night I was living on a military base and we got bombed. As in hundreds of kamikaze flaming airplanes were nosediving from the sky and exploding on impact. I was left alone to get down in the bomb shelter.

Soooooo, about that stress?

The thing is, I haven't FELT particularly stressed out this week, but I also think I am getting better at avoidance and denial. two key virtues of being a mother. I kid! But really, that stress is in there and it has to get out, right?

Unfortunately for me, my destressers usually coincide with spending money, ie. going out to eat, getting a mani/pedi, shopping. All things that really super relax me. But when that isn't always possible, I try to improvise. Right now I am seriously loving the gym. Like never before. I can't believe I am saying this, but I am becoming a person who looks forward to exercise. Sometimes I will go in the evening when Jerry gets home and it's like a little mini vacation. I'll listen to music or an audio book while I tromp away on the elliptical. And my mind just stops. It's pretty rad.

And ok, I also look for good deals on pedicures. For real. Sometimes there is just no substitute! I use sites like Living Social and Groupon to get discounted gift certificates and then hang onto them like a hoarder until I am about to burst! I still have one that I plan on using right before my trip to Florida in June. And for those in the Raleigh area, you can check out Mom's Night Out, which is on May 6th. It will be a night of chocolate and pampering for Mamas! An early Mother's Day present, if you will. And I will.***edited to add - Mom's night out is a National Event so click the link to party with moms in your area!***

All that to say, I don't really know a right way to relieve stress. I do the best I can and take a lot of deep breaths. I blog and talk to friends and pray. What else should I be doing? What do you do?

Separation Anxiety: An Update

2010-04-23T12:59:00.000-04:00

So Oscar has been doing a little better with the whole separation anxiety thing. I've been hanging on to 15 months because I hear that is the magic number for a lot of babies to grow out of it. Oscar will be 15 months on Monday (!!!) and it seems like each time we leave him he does better and better!

This week we decided to keep him up a little late on Monday night so we could all attend our community group together. Jerry and I had been taking turns staying home with Oscar and that worked for a while, but we missed being able to engage in the discussions together. So we decided to see what would happen. Oscar did great! He played with Jude and even went upstairs to play in a completely separate room from us with another parent. Honestly, I never thought he would go for it, but up he went and we had a great discussion! Score one for Community Group!

But if I am honest, I couldn't get TOO excited about that because we were with people we know and love. Oscar is definitely more anxious around strangers so I knew the true test would be the YMCA. The past few times I have taken him he has been BESIDE HIMSELF with anguish, so we kinda backed off for a while. But this week, I wanted to try Zumba and Jessica was going to bring Jude so I knew he would at least have a familiar face in the nursery. He still cried when I dropped him off but apparently stopped soon after because he was totally happy to see me when I picked him up and they said he did great! YAAAAAY!! This is so so SO huge for me. I really want him to enjoy his time there and the interaction with the other kids while I can get a workout in. Less guilt = better workout.

Other than Jude, there is one more common denominator in the success of these two trips. And that is the fact that I allowed him to bring blanket and paci. Normally, these are nap/bedtime only props but I decided to see what would happen if I let them come along. I think it really helped him feel grounded when I wasn't with him! I wish i had a smaller blanket because his drags everywhere, and let's face it, I should probably phase out the paci sooner than later. BUT these things are working and this is one area where I couldn't care less what the experts say! Blanket and paci for the win!

Follow Friday!

2010-04-23T09:08:00.001-04:00

I try to highlight some of my favorite blogs on Friday, but since I did a Tuesday Edition, I thought I would ask. What are YOUR favorite blogs? Let me know! And Happy Friday!

From my Kitchen to yours!

2010-04-22T07:00:00.048-04:00

Two food posts in as many days! Look at me go! The thing is, I do not create recipes. I just don't do it. I love reading them and getting them from other people. And following them to a T. I might sample one ingredient here or there or omit something because I don't have it on hand, but my mother always said, "if you can read, you can cook". And baby, I can read. So you can imagine my excitement when not only did I create something, I created something GOOD!

I should disclose that the idea of this recipe isn't even mine completely, but it is close enough. You see, I made this amazing meal last week and it was such a hit that I decided to experiment. And my creation was born!

I don't know what to call it. Maybe you could help me name it? My very first recipe! Yay!

Ingredients:

I didn't include amounts because I just sort of eyeballed it.This isn't spicy though it definitely could be!

Vegetable Broth
Black Beans
Fresh Cilantro
Chili Powder
Cheddar Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Chicken Breasts
Yellow Rice
Sweet Peppers (I used Orange and Red)
Sour Cream
Avocado

For the Chicken:
Lay chicken breasts in a crock pot and cover with vegetable broth. Add salt, pepper, and garlic. Cover on low until done (depends on quantity - usually a couple hours) - add peppers toward the end of cooking time.

For the Puree:
Combine black beans, fresh Cilantro, Chili Powder and Salt in a food processor with a bit of water and pulse until smooth. Add a bit of cheese and heat either on the stove on low or in a microwave.

Rice and Veggies:

About 30 minutes before chicken is done, begin cooking the rice as the package directs (usually takes about 25 min) and throw the peppers (now sliced) in the crock pot on top of the chicken. This will steam them and add flavor to the chicken!

Pile it Up!

It's no secret in my house that we love our food in a pile, This can be served in a bowl or on a plate. I went with plates because it looked nicer for the pictures. Start with the rice and spoon on the black bean puree, top with chicken and veggies and a dollop of sour cream! Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with avocado wedges! Seriously, so so yummy.

Let me know if you try it! I'd love to know what you think!

Reader Response: Sortof

2010-04-21T12:44:00.002-04:00

I have been neglecting this question for sometime because, quite frankly I don't know the answer! But with the help of a delicious recipe, I can at least come up with something now. The question posted via formspring (go ahead ask me anything!) was this:

What is your favorite meal to cook for guests?

And I still don't have an answer. We honestly haven't had a dinner guest in I don't KNOW how long. And it seems like each time we do, I make pizza. Which, while delicious in it's own right, isn't really all that spectacular. But I digress.

This week we went to Community Group and I decided to try a new recipe for carrots. I had some fresh carrots and wanted to try something other than my normal butter/salt regimen. And I now have fresh rosemary! So I had to put it to good use. And I can tell you that this side will be going in my arsenal of guest-worthy dishes.

I went to Taste of Home for a recipe and the rest is history! The recipe serves two so I doubled it. I also used minced garlic instead of powder and omitted the parsley. The result was wonderful! Try it! I think you will love it.

Slicing carrots on the diagonal is a nice touch

Mmmm Rosemary Butter....delicious!

Voila! I can almost taste them now!

Survey Says!

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

I am working on some Mother's Day posts and I would love to know,

"What is the best Mother's Day gift you've ever given OR received?"

If you don't have an answer to this question, then what would be your dream gift? Let me know in the sidebar to the right that says Ask Me Anything! It will be anonymous and you never know, you just might see it in an upcoming post!

Blog Love: Tuesday Edition

2010-04-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

I was recently awarded The Beautiful Blog Award by fellow bloggers Motherhood and Me and Adventuroo. This community never ceases to amaze me. We all have our reasons to blog, be it a creative outlet, writing practice, personal business or staying in touch with family. But one thing I love is when blogs promote others. Competition is everywhere so taking the high road doesn't go unnoticed! Thanks for noticing my blog ladies!

And now on with the show :-)

1. Thank the person who nominated me for this award and post a link to her blog...Doh did that already! Go check em out! They rock!

2. Pass the award onto 7 other bloggers who I believe have a Beautiful Blog: Yay! This is the fun part :-)

Pocket Smiles - Paige is a dear friend and one of the most thoughtful women I know. She is incredibly talented in many ways! Check her out!

Onward Hoe! - For a ho-larious look at life on the go, check out Beth's blog adventures! She will always put a smile on your face!

Tales from a Marketing Mama - If you are a blogger, then you want to know Erin. She is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and just plain fun! Somehow she manages her crazy marketing job AND being a mom. Mad props to you Erin!

Momo-Fali - Besides being one of my future roomies at BlogHer, Diane is just plain great! She has been in the trenches of Motherhood a lot longer than I have and I know I have much to learn from her!

Much Ado About Nothing - This blog belongs to my sister Angie. Maybe in the past she deserved this award, but her last post was in Februrary, so now I am not so sure. I pass on this award in the hopes that she will start writing again. Get to it Angie!

Th B Keeps Us Honest - Jessica has seen great success in a short amount of time over at her review/giveaway blog. There is always a fun contest or event going on and many chances to win cool stuff!

Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom - Lara's blog will crack you up. She has a lot of fun with life and it shows! I found her blog through the Seed Sponsorship contest and she was incredibly helpful through that whole process. Here's to you Lara!

3. Contact the other bloggers to let them  know they were given the award: You got it! 

4. Say 7 things about myself: 7 whole things that I haven't already said?! hmmm....

I really hate it when I am singing in church and there is a part that repeats and then everyone stops when I think you are supposed to keep singing and I'm all HAlllleelu.......cough cough 
I am still disappointed in myself that I never tried Chocolate covered bacon at the fair last year. 
I have terrible posture
I feel too guilty to go to the tanning bed anymore but not to lay in the sun with no sunscreen.
I kinda like sunburns
I really like margaritas after a sunburn
I am going to Disney World in June and I can't wait! 

If you made it this far, thanks for indulging me! I hope you have a great Tuesday!

The In-Crowd

2010-04-19T07:00:00.004-04:00

I got a text from my sister the other day,

Do young people wear pantyhose anymore? What about with a nice dress and dress shoes?

And my immediate response:

Do I look young to you?!?!

The things is, her message hit me like a ton of bricks that accidentally fell off the back of a truck. Pantyhose? I don't KNOW if young people wear pantyhose! Wait a minute...why don't I know?! My finger used to be securely on the pulse of fashion! And now I can't even remember the last time I saw an US magazine! Much less Glamour! Or even got dressed up myself or *gasp* had a haircut! And then it hit me.

I am out of date.

Now wait just a minute, you say. And by you I mean those people who know and love me despite my caterpillar eyebrows. You're there telling me I'm fun! I'm great! That I love Gossip Girl!

And so I think. YES! You're right! Gossip Girl! Ok... what do they wear? Did I ever see pantyhose?? Hmmm... So I write back,

I know I see a lot of bright colored tights....

And she decides to go barelegged. Oh well. You win some you lose some. Just how did this happen anyway? I realized that most of my friends are married. Many of them have kids already or are well on their way, and my life just isn't as dressy as it once was. I don't go out dancing or even to an office where I need to 'dress to impress'. It's sad that I might just be out of weddings to attend for a good while and while it may be easy on my wallet, it sure would be nice to party with the grown ups.

It's just another one of those things that I didn't see coming. Most days I love my life exactly as I live it. And others I just feel plain left out. I think I need a makeover. Or maybe just a reason to wear pantyhose. Or not. I still don't know the answer.

Bloomin Spring

2010-04-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

This is my house:

And this is my back yard:

Pretty right?

I love Spring. It's such a beautiful transition from cold to warm. Old to new, stale to fresh. It's a new start. And I love some new beginnings. However, this year I am experiencing something new that I would rather skip.

ALLERGIES

I don't know if NC got a new breed of pollen this year or what, but I have never in my life felt so consistently crappy. It's not enough to lay me up completely. But I'm just miserable enough to make everything feel heavier and itchier and miserableier. You heard me.

Allergy sufferers, this one is for you. I don't know how you do it year after year. I'm in awe. I mean just look at my nose! I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be at least half this size...

Winner - P'Kolino Chalk Table!

2010-04-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

This was such a fun giveaway to do! Thanks to everyone who entered! The winner of the P'Kolino Chalk Table as chosen by random.org is comment #116, bison61!

The winner has been contacted via email and has 48 hours to claim their prize. Failure to do so will result in the choosing of another winner. And if you didn't win this time, keep checking back for more fun giveaways!

Happy Sunday!

Good Morning Little Robin

2010-04-16T09:35:00.002-04:00

This morning I had to venture across the ill-planned rock wall that segregates our house from our neighbor to collect Krusty's morning constitutional. I'm sorry but that's the nicest way I could think of saying I WAS PICKING UP POOP. In any other situation (ie. if it had been in our yard) I would have "forgotten" about it until Jerry got home (love you). However, we like Bob and Steph and I was compelled to do them a solid. Get it? Cmon Friday poop jokes! Yes!

Ok I'm sorry. This post is supposed to evoke sweet sighs and oohs and ahhhs.Not grimaces and groans.

So anyway, as a reward for doing my neighborly duty (hehe doodie - I can't help it, I'm on FIRE!) I found a wee little robin's nest and a newly hatched egg. Since the nest was on the ground, I suppose you could turn this into a sad story. However, I have decided that it is indeed a hatched egg and not a poached one. So let's just go with that. And I took pictures! Don't you just love robin's egg blue?

Happy Friday baby bird!