Parr For The Course

Anybody still with me?

2013-05-02T00:58:00.007-05:00

My poor blog! :( It's been severely neglected for the past 9 months or more. I've really missed blogging lately so I thought I'd give a quick update and let everybody know I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth - we've just kept plenty busy! I do plan to hop back on the bloggin' bandwagon - hopefully I haven't lost all my regular readers, ha!

Piper's first day of preschool - homeschool style!

2012-09-04T13:49:00.001-05:00

I should preface this by saying I am using the term "preschool" very loosely here. It is no secret that Mitchell and I are seriously considering homeschooling Piper (and any future children, should we decide to have more). That said, several people have been asking me about preschool lately. Where we're going to send her, if I've begun looking in to it, etc. The answer is no, not really. I've checked out a few websites for local preschools, read what they had to offer, and noticed the price (ouch!) but haven't seriously considered it.

Today, we are starting a very loosely structured preschool curriculum that I have been hearing about for a few years now. I didn't want anything too intense and I wanted it to be primarily literature and play-based. That's exactly why I chose to start with the Letter of the Week Preparatory Curriculum. It is such an amazing resource - it has everything completely laid out for you ... for free!

I finished up my "learning poster" that we will be using each day this weekend. It's nothing fancy but it cost exactly $.69 + printer paper to make, so I'm good with the imperfections. ;) The theme changes each week as do the letters/numbers/vocab words/etc. Here's Piper pointing out the cow on the poster:

I also checked out five cow books from our local library and we will be reading those each day to supplement the daily activity and learning poster review. I was disappointed to learn that our local library will only issue five books at a time so I may have to check in to surrounding libraries and their limits. Piper loves to read books so I would prefer to be able to check out more than five per week!

I found a cow coloring page for her to color with her new markers:

And when she was finished coloring the cow very, VERY well, she rushed to the fridge to display it proudly. It's a little hard to tell, but there IS a cow under all that marker! :) She loves to color, and she colors pictures every day - but this is the first time I've brought out the markers so that was exciting for her.

I have a couple of short videos for her to watch, a couple of fun little craft projects, and a trip to see the cattle drive in Fort Worth one day this week also (in addition to the daily review and reading). She really had fun with our first day/lesson and I look forward to continuing this for the next 26 weeks! :) I will probably take a few weeks "off" of the curriculum to make up my own themes - for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, etc. but the beauty of something like this is that it's flexible! I can mix it up however we prefer and it doesn't matter a bit.

Piper loves to learn and absorbs things like a sponge so I figured introducing a little more structure to our day-to-day routine would be a good thing. I'll be sure to update on how things are going in the coming weeks and months!

Introducing the newest member of our family : Jasmine!

2012-08-27T14:03:00.000-05:00

I apologize for being so inconsistent with blogging the past few months. I have so much to update you all on but when I sit down to do so, I get overwhelmed and end up posting nothing at all! It's hard to catch back up when you fall so far behind but I'll do my best to start blogging again consistently. :)

Our biggest news around here lately is that we have a new addition to our family. And no, not a human addition, but a furbaby instead! We rescued her from Harbored Souls Rescue here in DFW who were absolutely wonderful to work with. She is approximately two years old and she is an Anatolian Shepherd. And if the pictures don't give you a frame of reference for her size, she is HUGE. Well, huge compared to my pug anyway. ;) We weighed her when we brought her home last Wednesday and she is 55lbs and will probably put some more weight on in the coming weeks/months. She eats like a horse so I won't be surprised if she gains another ten or more pounds.

If you know me well at all, you know I have never really planned to be a two-dog family. We were perfectly content with our pug, Rio, and didn't put much thought in to it. My sister has been nagging me for a couple of years to get Rio a little friend but I just wasn't interested. Truthfully, my dog is just a bum - most dogs are much too rowdy and energetic for her and I didn't want to overwhelm her.

And then I laid eyes on Jasmine via the Harbored Souls Facebook page. That was my undoing, right then and there. I knew in my heart the moment I saw her picture that she was meant to be in my family. Does that sound crazy? Of course it does. But it's true. And then I read her description and it was like fate had stepped in and led us to sweet, sweet Jasmine. If I could have custom ordered a dog, Jasmine is it. She is an adult, fully potty trained, extremely smart, non-aggressive, very laid back, and loves affection. She puts up with all of Piper's toddler antics like a champ and loves her to pieces. Any time Piper hollers or cries, Jasmine comes to investigate and follows her around like a lost puppy. She is a once-in-a-lifetime dog and I'm so glad she made her way to me! Jasmine and Rio get along very well - their temperaments complement each other very well which is what we were hoping for. There has been absolutely no aggression between them whatsoever.

I am forever grateful to her foster mama, Karie, for stepping in and saving her life at the last minute. My sweet, precious Jasmine was minutes away from being euthanized for being "too shy". Have you ever heard of such a thing? She is the perfect dog and I'm so happy Karie saved her! Thank God for wonderfully selfless people who are willing to foster homeless dogs until they find their forever home.

On the ride home! :)


Big...and little. :)


Us on Jasmine's adoption day - 8/22! If I'd known we were taking pictures, I would have made an effort to look a little nicer. ;) Lol.

So, that's our biggest news most recently! Jasmine fits right in to our family - it's already hard to imagine what life without her was like. :0) I look forward to spending many years spoiling her rotten!

RUN, don't walk, to Target...NOW!!! Mega toy clearance!

2012-07-26T10:11:00.000-05:00

Target is notorious for doing major toy clearances in both January and July. I have been hearing rumors that today, Thursday, they were supposed to be doing their big 50-70% off clearance. I wasn't sure if it was true but I figured it was worth checking out! No great loss if it wasn't true.

Much to my delight, it was. I was there within minutes of the store opening and I was one of the only people there. At first, as I casually browsed the toy aisles, I didn't see much except for a few clearance summer toys. When I doubled back and walked down the opposite end of the aisles, that's when I hit the jackpot. Every single end cap, for probably 7-8 aisles, was full of clearance toys.

Now, I've never been secretive about my frugal, thrifty nature. So, when I see a sale like this, I stock up. Not only did I get gifts for Piper for her birthday and Christmas, but I stocked up for all the birthday parties we attend for our friends' children, too! (So, sweet friends, don't be surprised if you see one of these toys in your child's room in the near future...ha!!)

Ready to see my haul?

....this is what we looked like at the store. I don't think the cashier was too excited to see me pull up! Haha. :)

Now, I did not intend to buy quite this many toys, but the sales were too great to pass up. What's impressive is the fact that despite how many toys I bought, the shelves are still chock full of toys! They put a lot of stuff on clearance!

Here's a group picture of all 19 toys:

19 toys in all.

I'm sure you're all waiting for what you're REALLY wanting to know, right? How much did I really save?

I tallied up the original price of each of these toys, and at regular price, this haul would have cost $365.15

How much did *I* spend?

..... *drum roll please* .....

$125.90 ... for 19 toys. Not too shabby if you ask me! Every toy I purchased was between 50-70% off. Sure, it hurts to buy that much up front, but it will sure save us a lot of money in the long run between Christmas, Pip's birthday, and all the birthday parties we attend! :) This is also an excellent way to stock up on Project Christmas or Angel Tree toys at affordable prices, too.

The rest of my day will be spent trying to squirrel away these toys so Piper forgets about them! I think my closets are going to be pretty full for the next few months, what do you think?

Introducing ... Pip Pip Hooray! And a give away, too!

2012-07-19T13:48:00.000-05:00

I have an exciting announcement to make! After months of planning and preparation, I have finally decided to launch my new business! :) It is called Pip Pip Hooray and I specialize in denim bibs! I do plan to expand to other items soon, but for now, the focus is bibs.

A sneak peak of a few ready-to-ship bibs..

Cherries w/ eyelet lace

Red Bandana

Owls.

A lot of people have asked me about the business name. We refer to my daughter as "Pip" from time to time. While I was trying to think of a business name, a sweet friend of mine threw out the suggestion of Pip Pip Hooray ... and a business was born! I love it!

The reason I decided to begin creating and selling these bibs is because my mother in law made a whole bunch for me when I was pregnant with our daughter, Piper. I fell in love with them immediately - they are the cutest bibs I've ever seen! Not only that, but they are practical - they are crafted from two layers of upcycled denim and embellished with fabric/bandanas, belt loops, watch pockets, and eyelet lace. They fasten with a heavy duty snap - no velcro to get fine baby hair caught in! They fit a wide variety of ages, from about 4 months to 3 years old and up!

Here is my daughter at 2.5 wearing a denim bib with lots of room to spare:

Bibs offer full coverage to protect nice clothes!

I have used these bibs exclusively for two years and I absolutely LOVE them. I would not sell them if I didn't adore them myself. They are sturdy, offer GREAT coverage, and launder so, so well. They're just like blue jeans, of course they hold up! Every time I whip one out in public and put it on Piper, people go bananas and ask me where I bought them. They wanted them, too. After two years of hearing how badly other people wanted them, I decided to start making them myself! I gave away a few as gifts and my friends went wild for them. Finally, after much deliberation, I asked my mother-in-law if it was okay if I sold them and she encouraged me to do so. And...here I am now! :)

I plan to stock many of these on my Etsy site soon, but for now, I am primarily selling from my Facebook business page. Bibs are $12 each or combine and save, 3/$30 (subsequent bibs after the third are also ten dollars each). For non-local customers, I charge exact shipping from me to you. Shipping prices are quite nominal as I can ship these first class inexpensively, typically between $2-3, depending on the weight of the bib(s).

These are great for anyone with children - they will last through multiple children because these are so durable. They also make fantastic baby shower gifts - the reaction from the mother-to-be and all of the attendees is priceless!

So, why am I blogging about this? To get the word out about Pip Pip Hooray, of course! If I reach 300 fans on my Facebook business page by Friday, July 27th at 11:59pm Central time, I will be giving away TWO bibs (one bib each for two lucky fans). I already gave away one bib once I hit 100 fans ... are you going to be the next winner? Go "like" Pip Pip Hooray on Facebook and if/when I hit 300 fans by next Friday, you may be one of two people who will win! [Shipping to U.S. addresses only, please]

I will be frequently updating the page with new bibs in various fabrics and designs. If you don't see anything you like, please contact me and we can figure something out! I am open to custom designs and ideas! Just let me know. :)

Camo

Red, White, and Blue stars

Cow print.

Birthday Recap

2012-06-29T23:30:00.000-05:00

I have had such a wonderful birthday! Yesterday, my actual birthday, we didn't do a whole lot, but it was still a really nice day. We ran a few errands and went to a new restaurant that was *amazing* (more on that at a later date). My hubby did surprise me earlier in the day over his lunch hour and brought me lunch and cupcakes he had special-ordered, so that was a sweet gesture!

He also got me a card that I just had to share with you, it is too funny!

Just in case you couldn't hear it (or see it dancing around), here are the lyrics to the little jingle:

"The Present Song"

I'm a present

Yeah, I'm a gift.

I got nothin' inside me

but this birthday wish!

I'm your birthday present

in and of myself, yeah

Well, I hope you like me,

'cuz you ain't gettin' nothin' else

It cracked me up! Mitchell did get me two presents that I really wanted but he found that card and couldn't pass it up. Another thing I just had to laugh at was the fact that he spent eight bucks on the card. Eight dollars. Only a man...! :)

This morning, I invited Ashley and Toby to meet us at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Mitchell and I have a family pass and it's a good place to beat the heat and have some fun and burn off some toddler energy before nap time! Ashley and Toby had never been so I think they enjoyed themselves! They were impressed by how big it was and how kid-friendly.

Toby and Piper in the Grossology exhibit (yes, that is a GIANT nose behind them)

Hissssss!

A rare picture of Piper w/ mommy (I am not a fan of having my pic taken)!! :)

After we left the museum, we grabbed a bite to eat at a local favorite pizzeria, Nizza Pizza. It was delicious, as usual! Then, we headed back to my casa while Piper took a nap and we hung out and visited while she slept. Once Mitchell got home, Ashley helped me hang a few pictures up that I've been meaning to hang and then we headed out for a low-key supper at Which-Wich sandwich shop.

We came back to our house again, exchanged bday gifts, and visited some more. Ashley helped me with the arduous task of ordering window treatments - that's something I could stand to never do again in my life! Gosh, I hope the ones we chose work, because that was a serious pain in the butt.

All in all, I had a fabulous 24th birthday. Two great days in a row, what more could a girl ask for? :)

A tale of two twins : Happy Birthday, Ashley!

2012-06-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all, even just a tiny bit, you know I have a twin sister, Ashley. You may or may not know how awesome she is, and you may or may not know that is my best friend. Let me remedy that for you. :)

Today is our 24th birthday. For once, I can finally say my age is catching up to where I am in life. I still feel a lot older than I am most days, but that's okay, the years are starting to speed up, so I'll just choose to be content with being a youngin'! My 24th year has big shoes to fill, for sure. I was engaged at 18, married and moved to Salina at 19, moved back to GC and got pregnant at 20, became a mother at 21, moved to Texas as 22, and became a homeowner at 23. I'm not sure what this coming year has in store for me, but I'm sure it will be great and I'm looking forward to it!

That said, I just wanted to take a minute to say Happy Birthday to my sister, Ashley. Almost exactly 24 years ago, we were born via c-section, smack dab in the middle of wheat harvest. Talk about bad timing! Everyone in my family remembers how hot it was that day, too. It was a scorcher!

The first question we are always asked is "Who's oldest?". I tend to avoid that question, but the truth of the matter is, she is. By one whopping minute! What a turd.

My sister is the most generous person you could ever hope to have in your life. From a young age, she was always willing to spend her last dollar if it meant she could buy something for you, too. She's the most honest, up-front person I know - if you want her to tell it to you straight, she will. She is kind, tender-hearted, and compassionate beyond belief. She has big feelings and loves bigger and more openly than anyone I know. She is fiercely loyal to her family and doesn't tolerate any riffraff when someone makes a slight against any us. I'm lucky to call her my sister.

We have an unbreakable bond and I like to think a lot of it is because we have navigated this crazy thing called life together every step of the way, from the moment we were born (and even before then!). We were never apart and we chose to spend all our time together. Sure, as kids, we fought like cats and dogs on a regular basis, but we could never stay mad. Within minutes, we were back to being best friends and it was like nothing had ever happened. There were few milestones we ever had to do alone - we always knew we had our support system, our built-in lifeline.

She is an amazing aunt to my sweet little girl. Piper loves aunt "Ashee" so, so much. Their relationship is so special and I can't wait to be an aunt to her children some day. I have no doubt that our kids will be the best of friends.

Here's a quick stroll down memory lane..


Newborn aliens! (Ash on left)

I told you we were inseparable. LOL.

I've always insisted she was the sinister one! :P (Ash left)

80s kids! Ha. Ash left, me right.

Me left, Ash right.

Senior Prom

My wedding day!

Happy Birthday, Ashee Booger! I love you bunches.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-06-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

--I love the fact that for the first time in two years, Piper fell asleep in her car seat while we were out and about! We went to the mall this morning and she shopped 'til she dropped. She does not EVER fall asleep in the car, but she was out within five minutes of leaving the mall to head home. I couldn't believe my eyes when I turned around and she was conked out!

--I LOVE China Glaze's new Summer 2012 line of Neon Nail polish. I have four shades so far and I love them all.

--Speaking of nail polish, I also love a new brand of top-coat I have recently discovered. A lot of friends recommended it to me after asking for suggestions, and it really IS awesome. It's called Seche Vite. Quick tip : you can order it on Amazon with free shipping for half of the price you can buy it at the beauty supply. It also helps expedite the drying process. It's a miracle in a bottle!

--Turns out, I also love Chick-Fil-A. I had tried it once before and didn't really care for it too much, despite rave reviews from everyone I know. I met up with a new friend so our kids could eat/play and we ate at Chick-Fil-A and it was actually really good! I still don't like their fries, though. Those could use some improvement. :P I highly recommend the deluxe spicy chicken sandwich, however!

Tomatoes, cucumbers, and compost, oh my!

2012-06-22T13:16:00.000-05:00

We have been so busy lately - sorry for not updating as much as I should be! I'll get back into the swing of things soon. :)

Just posting a quick update on our garden! Things are going really well and our plants are producing lots! We've had a problem with the mockingbirds eating at least half of our ripe tomatoes but we're told that's a common problem in TX! We also live near two grocery stores and a bunch of fast food restaurants so there are a lot of birds in our area.

Here was last night's haul for the tomatoes (we've been picking them a little early in order to keep the mockingbirds from getting to them first).

please excuse the dusty patio table :)

I have NO idea what type of cucumber plant we purchased but it produces the biggest dang cucumbers I've ever seen in my life!We also added a new batch of compost to the garden again last night! :) It is so dark and nutrient dense - it's so neat to toss all of our compostable table scraps into the bin and just see it disappear. I have no doubt this a huge reason our plants have been doing so well!

We've definitely been enjoying the "fruit of our labor"! :)

A Lifetime Supply of .. Toilet Seat Covers?

2012-05-31T10:14:00.003-05:00

If you're anything like me, you really, really hate using public restrooms. We have been working with Piper, trying to get a little more serious about potty training (I am so over diapers) but my biggest hesitation has been using public restrooms. I don't like to use them myself, but the thought of my daughter in the ickiest place at any given restaurant/grocery store/etc? She likes to touch everything! *cringe* I've never even been the type to change her diaper in a public restroom - I always took her to the car and changed her in the back of the Trailblazer. So, you get the picture, I hate public restrooms.

My grandma-in-law also hates public restrooms. We were fortunate enough to see her this past Saturday while we were home over Memorial Day weekend, and I got quite the unexpected gift! It's too hilarious not to share.

The story she included with the seat covers:

I just have to share my story! We decided this week to take a 19-day bus tour back to the New England States and Maritime Provinces. We've talked about trying a bus tour and decided to do it!

I do NOT like public bathrooms. Gina (her daughter), always laughs and says her mother is the only person she knows who has been away from home for 30 days and didn't use a public restroom. When I thought of 19 days and all of those PUBLIC restrooms, I about changed my mind about taking the trip.

Many restrooms have those paper toilet seat covers but not all. So, why don't I buy some of those covers? On to eBay I went and found lots of choices. They even had small personal size containers of them to carry in your purse! The price was good but the postage was horrible! What should I do? Why couldn't I buy a box of them and package my own? I checked out several different stores online and then found Sam's Club. They listed a box of 250, the price was good, and the shipping was free, making them about the same price as the small personal size package. I whipped out the credit card and ordered a box of 250. I could surely use and give away that many covers.

Today, they arrived. Not only did I get a box of 250, I now have 20 boxes of 250, for a grand total of FIVE THOUSAND TOILET SEAT COVERS.

Lyle and I laughed until we nearly cried. Will I ever live long enough to use them? Oh my! I had simply misread, all 20 boxes were included in the price. I just wanted to share and give you a laugh. Could you use some seat covers? :)

This happened quite some time ago but she still has plenty of toilet seat covers to go around. I imagine 250 covers will be enough to last me a lifetime! I will definitely always keep a few stored in a ziploc baggy in my purse. I will surely giggle every time I whip out one of these covers!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-05-30T09:20:00.000-05:00

--I'm always loving Craigslist! I am in the midst of listing TONS of stuff for sale and it is so easy to do in this area. You get so much more out of things than you do in a garage sale!

--I'm loving going through our pictures from our weekend visit to Kansas for Memorial Day. It was SO good to go home and visit and see everyone. It's been way too long!

--Turkey Bacon Ranch pinwheels. I had them for the first time last night at Lindsey's house and they are the BOMB. I want to make more today! I normally don't like pinwheels but these were super yummy.

Saturday 9

2012-05-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

Somebody That I Used to Know

1. How do you feel when you realize that an impasse will cause a relationship (any type) to end? --Honestly, this didn't really happen because I was so young when I met Mitchell that the guys I dated before him weren't serious enough for there to be an impasse.

2. You’re planning a trip that would be an eight-hour car ride, a four-hour train ride, or a two-hour plane ride. With money and time being no object, which would you most likely choose and why? -I would reluctantly fly. I hate flying with every fiber of my being but if it would save me 6 hours of travel time with a toddler, I'd do it. Assuming my husband could be the pilot. I refuse to walk through a full-body scanner or let them grope me, so flying commercially is out.

3. What is your ideal past time on a lazy summers day? --Reading on the back porch while my daughter plays in the back yard. :)

4. Name a CD you own that no one else on your friends list does. --The Warren Brothers? I used to looooove the Warren Brothers and nobody knows who they are, ha.

5. What's a wish of yours? --Um, I unrealistically wish I could make Mitchell's tumor just magically disappear so it wasn't something we'd have to struggle with for the rest of forever. We try not to think about it.

6. What is something you're going to do a lot of this week? --Laundry. And driving.

7. Is there someone you wish would just fall off the face of this earth? --Of course! But I'm not gonna name names. ;-)

8. What did you do last night? --We went to IHop for supper, then ran to Home Depot, came home, put Piper to bed. Then we went through Piper's toy box and threw away junky toys and packed up toys she doesn't play with anymore. And then we went to bed at 11pm. What a happenin' Friday night. :P

9. Where is the next place you'd like to go vacation? --Realistically or in my dreams? Mitchell and I always wanted to go to Vegas, DC, or Hawaii before we had kids so in our dream-world, it would be one of those places. Realistically, I am hoping we can swing a 3 or 4 day weekend to the beach sometime this Fall. I would love to get some cute pictures of Piper on the beach for the first time! :0) All we'd have to do is pay for a hotel room and eat on the cheap - if we spent our days on the beach, the trip wouldn't be too expensive. We haven't had a vacation for several years so I really hope we can make it a reality at some point within the next year, even if it's just a small, simple trip.

Did you know that you can BAKE bacon?

2012-05-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

I sure didn't! This is another little Pinterest gem I've latched on to lately and I'm so glad I came across it.

Honestly, I was highly skeptical when I first heard of baking bacon. For me, bacon is the holy grail of meat. I always joke that I could never be a vegetarian because I love bacon way, way too much. And it's true! I'm a big fan of pan-fried bacon and it's the only way I've ever cooked it. I hate, hate, haaate microwaved bacon - it just doesn't taste as good and it's flobby. Ew!

So, I had my doubts. I really, really did. I'm happy to report, however, that it turns out great!

All you do is line a couple of baking sheets with aluminum foil (for ease of clean up), lay the bacon in a single layer, pop it in the oven at 400*, and let it bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. It is very important to keep a close eye on the bacon or you will overcook it and that would not be good! Keep a close eye on the bacon as it cooks and pull it out when it reaches your desired bacon consistency (I know some people prefer their bacon a little flobbier, some like it pretty crunchy).

One pound of bacon takes two baking sheets.

That's all there is to it! It is SO much easier than pan-frying the bacon! No more getting popped by the bacon grease, no more nasty clean-up (it doesn't make a mess in your oven!), and no more standing over a hot frying pan, flipping your bacon around.

It works! Give it a try. I'm sure glad I did! :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-05-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

--I love Allegra-D. My allergies have been horrible for the past couple of months and Allegra-D is the only thing that helps. The generic works just as well for a fraction of the price.

--Piper and I have been spending lots of time playing with Play-Doh lately and I get such a kick out of it. It's one of my favorite things to do with her. I also really dig the smell of Play-Doh. :)

--I am warming my favorite of all the awesome Scenty options, Cherry Limeade, and I love it. It's so summery and I never grow tired of this yummy smell.

The plants are growin'!

2012-05-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

I'm back and ready to jump back in to blogging again! Things have been pretty busy for our little family but it's time to get back in to the swing of things after all the excitement around parrforthecourse.com in the past couple of months. ;)

I just came in from tending to the garden and decided it was time to post a garden update! In seven weeks, we've gone from this:

To this:

Quite a difference in just a few weeks! :0) We are really excited about how well our first garden is doing! Each tomato plant is teeming with tomatoes and a couple of the cherry tomatoes are ready to pick already! Last night, we ate our first cucumber from our own garden and it was delicious. We need to add a wood post to the cucumber trellis to support it a little better - that's on the agenda for the coming weekend.

A few more garden pictures:

Our cucumber plant yields HUGE cucumbers - about three times this size!

Our first red tomatoes! :0)

Piper loves to dig in the garden. We have to keep a close eye on her. ;-)

All in all, I would say whatever we're doing is working quite well! It's such a rewarding feeling to see all the hard work pay off. Hopefully the garden continues to do well!

Re : the overwhelming response to the moldy tampon.

2012-03-27T22:42:00.003-05:00

I feel I need to clear a few things up because this thing has gotten way, way more exposure than I ever thought imaginable. When I discovered the tampon, I was disturbed. I showed my husband right away and emailed Kotex including the pictures posted here. I shared the picture with some friends online and they were horrified and encouraged me to post about it on Facebook. I decided to blog about it and share the link and did so shortly afterward.

Unbeknownst to me, this thing took off. Like wildfire. I have come under a lot of scrutiny this evening, people even going so far as to insinuate that it looks like Sharpie. Really? WHY would I do something like that? Of course I wanted people to read about this, but I did not fabricate the story just to do so. I shared what happened because it's gross. It concerns me. And it seems like it concerns a lot of you, too. Several people have messaged me and told me they have found similar Kotex tampons as well. This is not an isolated incident!

If I were going to do something of that nature, believe me, I would have chosen something other than a tampon. I'm the type of girl that checks out the cash registers and tries to find the one with a female cashier when I'm purchasing feminine hygiene products. It's not something I'm overly vocal about and I seriously hesitated to post about this at all. However, I was grossed out enough by my find that I decided it was worth it. For those asking where the tampons were stored, they were stored under my bathroom sink. We did not have a leak of any kind and I just purchased the tampons about 3-4 weeks ago so they are not a product I've had sitting in my home for months or years on end.

Why did I contact the news? Because everyone pleaded with me to do so! Never in a hundred million years did I expect to actually get a response. I wouldn't have even contacted the news if people hadn't mentioned it. Seriously! I only watch one news station here, so I decided to contact them. They responded fairly quickly and sent three guys to my house to do an interview. I almost declined because I am painfully shy and this is not something I would generally talk about at all, nonetheless the 10 o'clock news! Especially with three men conducting the interview! Yes, it's an embarrassing topic and I am definitely a little bashful that all of this has happened over a tampon. I'm just a simple little blogger and never would have imagined something like this would unfold in one day. I've had this blog for over two years, and until today, I had only 26,000 views total. Approximately 2-3k views per month. I couldn't have imagined it would take off like this. It's the power of social media and women everywhere are grossed out, myself included. I did email the link and pictures to Dr. Oz as well. I have not been contacted by him, nor do I expect to hear back from him. People kept throwing out tons of suggestions of who to contact and he seemed like the best suggestion of the 'big dogs'. EDITED TO ADD: I did send the tampon with the news station to have sent in for independent testing. They urged me to go this route, along with many friends and people commenting on my blog, in order to ensure it is properly tested and not done by Kotex themselves. I don't have a clue what the black-ish substance on that tampon is but I hope we find out. To me, it looks like mold. I have no way of knowing if that's what it is but based off the response Kotex provided me with earlier, it sounds plausible considering they've obviously addressed this issue with customers before.

I did go ahead and open the rest of the package that I had. They were all fine. I took a picture to verify that they were, in fact, mold-free. All but one :

I just checked my email and Kotex has finally contacted me again. It seems they are taking it a little more seriously now. This is their newest letter to me:

Dear Danielle,

I just read your message to us on Facebook and I wanted to tell you that we are so sorry you had this experience! In Betty’s eagerness to get back to your e-mail right away, she unfortunately sent you incorrect information concerning this issue.

Nothing is more important to us than consumer safety. Any discoloration or abnormality with our tampons is extremely rare, and we want to do a full investigation to determine the source and follow-up with our manufacturing facility. So if you still have the tampon, can you please return it to us by using the prepaid mailing envelope we’re sending you?

We’d also really like to get on the phone with you and find out more to help us in our investigation. Please give us a call at 1-800-789-4495 and ask for Shelley, or reply to this e-mail and give us your phone number and the best time to contact you.

Again, we are so sorry this happened and thank you so much for getting in touch with us and giving us the chance to help make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Shelley
Account Executive
Consumer Services, Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Lead the world in essentials for a better life.

016750187B

I am glad they have contacted me and I look forward to speaking with them about this issue tomorrow. I know that errors in manufacturing can happen and I understand that completely! I, like so many others, found their initial response a little concerning and dismissive. I am glad they intend to investigate the issue further. I am hoping they can come up with a way to prevent this from happening again. Perhaps a clear applicator? That seems like it would be a simple enough solution. I don't know, I'm not the tampon-professional, I'm just a concerned woman trying to let people know to pay better attention to these things. I know I'll pay a lot closer attention from now on!

And as for those questioning why I suddenly have turned on the comment moderation? "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." This is my own personal blog and I shouldn't have to allow excessive comments attacking my faith or my character. I was just trying to make women aware of what could be lurking under the applicator of their tampons. That's it. And I assure you, I am not a fly-by-night tampon decorator. I like Sharpies as much as the next guy, but I'm not gonna doodle on a tampon and pass it off as mold to get a few blog views.

The tale of the moldy tampon.

2012-03-27T10:08:00.006-05:00

Um. Holy...wow.

Has anyone else ever had this happen before?

I just found a MOLDY TAMPON in a brand new box of Kotex Tampons. Yeah, you read that right - moldy. Straight out of the box, in it's sealed little packaging ... moldy. Bad moldy.

See for yourself!

Can you even BELIEVE THAT??? I am horrified!

And to think, if I hadn't accidentally popped half the tampon out of the applicator while I was getting it out of the packaging, I would have NEVER KNOWN. I am freaked right out! Makes you wonder how many times things like this happen to tampons and we don't have a clue.

Needless to say, Kotex is about to get an earful. UGGGHHHHH! So freaking gross!

UPDATE :

I decided to email Kotex because I felt the pictures were an important part of my story. A phone call couldn't accurately describe what I found so I decided to email them. I didn't expect to hear back for at least a day or two, but lo and behold, they've already responded. Just wait to see what they have to say! =/

Dear Danielle,

Thanks for contacting us about your experience with KOTEX® SECURITY® tampons. We are very sorry that you were disappointed with your recent purchase of our product.

We understand how distressing it can be to find mold on a product that is used for personal hygiene and apologize for your concern. In instances where it has been found, we conducted tests on the product involved and have found the mold to be a common environmental species that carries no health risk. The vegetative mold is similar in nature to mold on vegetables or in baked goods.

You can be confident that we are diligently reviewing our manufacturing process to ensure this problem does not recur. Because our customers and their well-being are very important to us, we want to assure you that the quality and safety of our products are our top priorities. We apply very rigorous procedures to our products to ensure that they are safe for their intended use.

With the hope that you will continue to use SECURITY tampons with confidence, we are sending you some coupons through the mail for your use on future purchases.

Betty
Consumer Services, Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Lead the world in essentials for a better life.

016750187A

Yeah, that's real reassuring. I was grossed out in the first place and their response just makes it worse! Seems this is a fairly common problem ... and that is a cause for serious concern. I doubt most people get as lucky as I did - I just so happened to accidentally expose the mold and I am so glad that I did! Most people wouldn't be so fortunate.

Thanks for the coupons, Kotex, but I can confidently say I'll never be purchasing any of your products ever again.

Our DIY clothesline.

2012-03-26T16:19:00.000-05:00

As you already know, I am always looking for ways to save money. I have wanted a clothesline for well over two years now and I am proud to say that we finally have one! It's a little ridiculous how excited I am about this. :) Not only will it save us lots of money, it will keep our house cooler, preserve our dryer, and our clothes won't wear out as quickly, either! Quadruple plus! :)

We put it up about two weeks ago and have been putting it to good use already! I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a pre-made clothesline similar to those you would find at state park (the umbrella-y shaped metal ones) - they were in the $75-80 price range and that's not the style I had in mind anyway. A quick Google search provided me with what I needed : a simple set of DIY instructions. The only change we made is that we used larger cuts of wood than they did in order to make it more sturdy. I think the total lumber investment was about $13.

Mitchell built the clothesline in just a couple of hours one evening. I didn't do the best job of chronicling his progress. Oops!

Poor Mitchell doesn't have a bunch of power tools yet so he had to do all the sawing by hand!

He turned a stack of wood timbers in to this:

It's nothing fancy but it sure does the trick! We are able to fit 3 large loads of laundry on the clothesline all at once. It's not nearly as time consuming as I was expecting, either. I thought it was going to be a major hassle but I was willing to give it a try in order to save money. In some ways, it's actually easier! I don't have to wait for the dryer to get finished and constantly have to switch everything around. I wash a few loads of laundry, hang everything out to dry, and it's all done drying at the same time (and therefore gets put away at the same time!). I don't know about you, but I have a bad habit of procrastinating BIG TIME with the last load or two of laundry when I have a bunch to do in one day. I will do great with all the previous loads, but the last load always sits in the dryer or hamper getting neglected. That doesn't happen with the clothesline! It's all gotta come in before nightfall so it gets put up right away, all at the same time. We got six loads of laundry washed/dried yesterday in record time. I love it! :)

And last but not least, Piper's rainbow of cloth diapers drying in the warm Spring air this afternoon! :)

Weekend Recap

2012-03-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

Woo doggies, this lady is one tired mamacita! This has been another busy, busy weekend and I am ready for a siesta! :) We have been going, going, going all weekend so I'm going to catch you up on our weekend while supper finishes cooking! Rotisserie pork ribs and salad, yum, yum!

Friday night we decorated for Easter. Piper had never seen most of my Easter decorations before and she was so excited! She kept saying 'Rabbey! Rabbey!" to all the cute Easter bunnies. :0) I will have to take pictures of the decorations and share with you later. I have very fond memories of helping my mom decorate for all sorts of different holidays throughout the year and hope I will eventually have decorations for most of the holidays myself and that my children will enjoy that tradition as well.

Saturday morning, we headed for our favorite nursery bright and early. We have been prepping the front and back yard for several weeks and we were excited to finally put our plans in motion! We bought three flats of flowers and six tomato plants and one cucumber plant. This is so exciting for us! Our first Spring in our first home - we are loving every moment! It has been a ton of work getting everything ready but hopefully it will be worth it.

I didn't get pictures of the front yard / flowers yet, but I did get pictures of the garden! Saturday afternoon was spent in the front yard. We planted sixty flowers, put in the flower bed bordering, laid out the weed block, and covered it with pine mulch. That was quite the project! Sounds a lot easier than it really was! :) I will post before and afters soon.

Today, we planted five regular tomato plants (three different varieties to see which we like best), one cherry tomato plant, and one cucumber plant. We thought about trying more things than just tomatoes and cucumbers but then decided it would be wise to keep it simple for our first garden and expand from there. We have a compost bin (more on that later), so we mixed some of our compost in, added some expanded shale, laid down some weed block, planted our tomatoes and cucumber, and then added some top soil to secure the weed block. Here's hoping we have a successful growing season!

It's hard to tell, but I spray painted the tomato cages K-State purple. :)

Not only will we have to worry about inclement weather and pests, but we will have to keep an eye on Piper. We're having a hard time keeping her out of the garden already. ;) LOL. She always wants her "shubble" (shovel) and wants to dig, dig, dig. Little turkey!

Wondering what that big, white container is in the background?

That's our rain barrel! It's not something that we'd ever really had a need for until we moved to Texas. It actually rains here. We purchased a 55 gallon barrel from our local car wash for ten dollars and thoroughly cleaned it out. Mitchell rigged up the faucet at the bottom, we routed the downspout from the guttering in to one of the openings up top, and the rain barrel was full within days of setting it up! Nothing like 55 gallons of free water every time it rains! With the downspout being on the corner of the house, the rain barrel fills up quick. Way, way faster than I ever would have imagined. We plan to water our garden with the rain barrel water as much as possible. It's still completely full so I suspect it will save us a fair amount of money on water if it continues to rain every so often! Just add that to our list of ways to save money and reduce our carbon footprint! :0)

We hook the hose up to the spout on the bottom.

And of course, Rio has been right at our feet all weekend!

And because I didn't get all of this typed out before the ribs were done, here is a picture of Miss Piper J chowin' down. Piper absolutely loves ribs. She cleans a rib bone better than I do!

Saturday Nine

2012-03-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

Come Dancing

Saturday 9: Come Dancing

1. When was the last time that you went out dancing? --My honeymoon. Way too long ago! Mitchell and I aren't exactly the type to go out dancing. Not without some liquid courage that is, LOL.

2. Have you ever had an argument with a teacher? -Yep. I was pretty relentless with my Current Events teacher in high school. He was a flaming liberal and he drove me up the wall. It made for some lively class discussions, haha. :)

3. Do you have a tough time remembering people’s names? --Not really. I have the world's worst memory but for some reason, I'm pretty good with names.

4. Would you rather change your past or know your future? -- Neither. The past made me who I am and I don't want to know the future.

5. What’s one thing you feel you must do in your life before it ends? -Grow old with my husband. I want to sit on the front porch in our wooden rocking chairs with a bunch of kids and grandkids surrounding us. Yeah, I know, sounds corny, but it's true.

6. How many credit cards do you have right now that have a zero balance? --We never carry a credit card balance. No siree bob. So, they all have a zero balance, we pay them off every month. My mama taught me better than that, son! ;)

7. What is the most expensive thing you purchased this year? --Our house, for sure. If you mean calendar year, probably the guttering for the side of the house that we put up a couple weeks ago. We still have more guttering to put up but we are doing a little at a time so it's a little easier on the pocketbook.

8 . If you're married, this probably doesn't apply to you, but: Are you mindful about getting tested for STDs/HIV at least semi-regularly? Why/why not? Married people: Were you mindful about this type of thing when you were single? Why/why not? --Holy wow, wasn't expecting that question. Thankfully, this isn't something either of us have ever had to worry about. Perk of marrying your first love at a young age! ;)

9. If you could ask the president of the United States one question, what would it be? --"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?" ... in regards to so, so many things.

I love this!

2012-03-23T13:26:00.000-05:00

So, so true! Live for the now. :0)

Brooke's

2012-03-22T19:51:00.004-05:00

Ohhhhh my goodness. RUN, don't walk, on over to Brooke's page. NOW!!

I've been admiring Brooke's adorable custom outfits for some time now. I'm pleased to say that Piper is the proud new owner of not one, but two adorable new outfits from Brooke's and I couldn't be more pleased.

Custom black tshirt tank dress. Triple stacked crosses with monogram.

Custom designed turtle outfit with ruffles and monogram.

Piper has never shown a huge interest in her clothes....until I showed her both of these outfits. She *flipped out* and willingly agreed to model for pictures. She was so proud of herself! As you can see, she was having a blast while showing off her new duds!


Look at that sass! ;-)

Pictures do NOT do these outfits justice. Believe me, you will not be disappointed. Better yet, her prices are very reasonable. I've never seen custom-made outfits that are also so affordable! You're typically looking at $50-$60 or more for most boutique outfits like this on Etsy or craft shows and that's simply not the case with Brooke's items.


Ladybug towels.

One of my favorite Brooke's creations - isn't this dress gorgeous?

Bloomers / diaper covers

She doesn't just specialize in children's clothing, either. She can customize or monogram all sorts of things. Pillows, blankets, towels, burp cloths, hand towels, backpacks, purses/totes, aprons, you name it, she does it! :)

A small sample of the dozens of appliques she has to choose from:

Not only are her creations fabulous, but the owner, Brooke, is one of the sweetest, friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You won't find better customer service anywhere!

Now through the entire month of April, Brooke has graciously offered a discount for those of you who wish to place an order! Just mention code "Spring10" when placing your order and she will give you 10% off any item. So do me a favor and go 'like' Brooke's on Facebook and go hog wild with your orders, would ya?

Weekend Recap

2012-03-20T14:25:00.001-05:00

The weekend's been over for two days now but I'm just now getting a chance to sit down at the computer to blog. Always a day late and a dollar short! There was some nasty weather in the DFW metroplex yesterday so the computer was off in case of power outages. We didn't get it too bad here but it did rain quite a bit so our already-wet yard now has lots of standing water.

We had a pretty fun and busy weekend, however! Saturday was St. Patrick's Day and we celebrated by having a picnic lunch with my sister and Toby at a local park! We ate a super yummy lunch and then played at the playground for a while before we had to head home for Piper's nap.


Cupcakes!

Trying to catch someone's kite.

Peeking over the top of the climbing wall (Mitchell was holding her up).


Trying to imitate the other girl. :)


My gorgeous girl! <3

We all had a great time at the park. Ash & Toby came back and visited while Piper took a nap, and then went our separate ways to run a few errands. We met back up later that night to do something we rarely get to do anymore : go out to eat! :)

We went to a restaurant called Carino's Italian restaurant and it was very yummy! We all sampled each other's food but my favorite was the Spicy Roma Chicken that my sister ordered. It was delicious. I found a copy-cat recipe online and I will have to give it a try and see how it turns out. We had a great time at the restaurant and Piper gorged herself on Italian food. Piper loves garlic bread and pasta, that's for sure!

Sunday was spent doing yard work and odd jobs around the house. Putting up additional guttering, turning over the garden soil before we got hammered with more rain, mow/weed eat/all that fun stuf. We also got our clothesline put up but I'll share more about that later. :) That evening, we grilled steaks for supper and ate on the back patio.

It was such a nice weekend! I hope this week is treating you all well!

Saturday Nine

2012-03-17T10:15:00.001-05:00

Saturday 9: Forget You

1. Have you ever felt that you needed to just forget an ex? --Not really. I dont have enough exes that this is a problem. I was very young when I started dating my husband!

2. Spring picnics and cookouts are here! What would you want to have on your plate as you head back to the table? --Funny you should mention that, we're going on a picnic with Ashley and Toby today! We're not doing anything fancy, just sandwiches and chips. Good enough for me!

3. It's St. Patrick's Day, March 17th! Do you celebrate? Drink Green Beer? Go out? --Nope, not in the traditional sense of the word. We're not exactly party people or big drinkers. I certainly wouldn't drink green beer, regular beer is disgusting enough, thankyouverymuch, LOL. I wear green and that's the extent of it for now. Starting next year, I plan to do more fun things for Piper. St. Patrick's Day themed meals, craft, etc. :) I've been pinning all sorts of ideas on Pinterest but didn't get enough of a head start on it this year to do it today. Oh well! Piper's still a little young to really 'get' that anyway so next year is probably better anyway.

4. Did you remember to wear green today? --I'm wearing green, barely. Lol. K-State plays today so I'm wearing my KSU stuff instead!

5. What phrase or saying do you over use? --There are plenty but I always have a hard time pinpointing them when asked. I asked Mitchell and he's got nothin' also.

6. If you could (or could have) change(d) something about your relationship with your parents, what would it be? --I wouldn't! I am very close to both of my parents and wouldn't have it any other way. The only thing I'd change is not being such a brat sometimes when I was a kid but.....I'd say most of us can probably say the same, lol.

7. If the NCAA Men's or Women's Final Four basketball tournament was played in your hometown arena or within easy driving distance from where you live, would you try to attend one of the games? --YES! Of course. Not that we could afford it but theoretically speaking, I'd love to go!

8. No matter what's going on in your life, what always makes you smile? --Piper! Of course.

9. We've asked this before: What else is on your mind? Go ahead and rant. --I am trying to do the C25K program again and it's not so easy when all it does here is rain, rain, rain in the Spring, lol. And my allergies are killing me lately so that's not helping matters any.

Outback Steakhouse Steak Seasoning

2012-03-15T13:09:00.002-05:00

I recently found a copy-cat Outback Steakhouse steak seasoning recipe and I knew right away that I wanted to try it. After countless trips to the grocery store and repeatedly forgetting the turmeric, I finally made it home with a bottle of it and we had steaks for supper that evening using this seasoning.

It was delicious. Really, really, reeeeeally good. I highly recommend it! If you're sensitive to heat, you might reduce the cayenne in half. Mitchell and I liked it as-is but we'll have to tone done the cayenne next time as Piper absolutely loves steak and we don't want to burn her little mouth up. :)

Outback Steakhouse steak seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 dash coriander

1 dash turmeric

That's it! Just sprinkle the seasoning generously over your steaks and slap 'em on the grill. You won't be disappointed!

Parr For The Course

Anybody still with me?

Piper's first day of preschool - homeschool style!

Introducing the newest member of our family : Jasmine!

**RUN**, don't walk, to Target...NOW!!! Mega toy clearance!

Introducing ... Pip Pip Hooray! And a give away, too!

Birthday Recap

A tale of two twins : Happy Birthday, Ashley!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Tomatoes, cucumbers, and compost, oh my!

A Lifetime Supply of .. Toilet Seat Covers?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Saturday 9

Somebody That I Used to Know

Did you know that you can BAKE bacon?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

The plants are growin'!

Re : the overwhelming response to the moldy tampon.

The tale of the moldy tampon.

Our DIY clothesline.

Weekend Recap

Saturday Nine

Come Dancing

I love this!

Brooke's

Weekend Recap

Saturday Nine

Outback Steakhouse Steak Seasoning

RUN, don't walk, to Target...NOW!!! Mega toy clearance!