The Mom Blog

Settling In

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:27:00 +0000

Well, finally starting to settle in the new house - between moving, the new puppy, keeping the kids busy and dealing with the other "parents"- it has been quite stressful .
Little by little I suppose. Sometimes it gets to me- I need some adult time- this weekend will be time for that- the first one where we don't have to move furniture, dust, clean, adjust, paint etc etc etc! I hate painting- I mean, it looks cool when it's done, but the whole arduous process, sans sprayer, is really annoying. Of course we didn't use a sprayer, because we only painted one room- so why bother? As you can tell this wasn't my idea. Things break, stuff doesn't work, and I am slowly learning that home ownership is a whole new realm that I never knew about. Can't call the landlord anymore lol-
This in of itself is a mixed blessing- no one to tell us we can't have pets or paint the rooms- but when something busts- it's all on you- I guess I will be attending more Home Depot workshops lol

New Home

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:54:00 +0000

It's been a long time since I have been able to write- we have been moving into our new home- better neighborhood- nicer neighbors- and we got a good deal on it considering the bad market.
It's been mostly me and hubbo doing a majority of the work- due to the fact that my son was in NY on a class trip ( Napoleon Dynamite: Lucky!) and baby was with her mother meeting Christie Yamaguchi at Cheryl Burkes studio opening. ( She is on Dancing with the Stars)
So, while these children were enjoying themselves and having a great time meeting famous folks and seeing Broadway musicals- me and hubbo were toiling and tarrying away- trying to get the damn house empitied!
Now, I will admit, I am not the tidiest person in the world-yes, you heard it here first, I am not really a pack rat or anything like that- hubbo, on the other hand, not only has enough crapola for god knows how many people- his ex kept dropping off more crap to add to the already monumental amount of crap that was in the garage! I am not kidding, it has taken us 6 days to move out of the old house- this should have been over long before that- I am so sick of moving! I will be glad when it is all over- then we have the new house to tackle- ee gad!
I am happy here though, don;t get me wrong- it is a cute house- and we don't have to move again because it was bought- so that's a good thing!
So here it is, noon on Father's Day, and I actually slept in and am having coffee still-unbelievable!
Well, it should be over and done with soon- let's all hope!

Police and Military Gear

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Sat, 31 May 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Are you in the security, law enforcement, or military field? If so, this site may be for you! Go and take a look at www.lapolicegear.com
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Starbucks

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:51:00 +0000

Hello all,
It's been a while, I know- buying a house and getting things together is a daunting yet rewarding task!
I was Starbucks today, thinking about how in my 20's I refused to patronize any Starbucks- it was my personal rebellion against the corporate machine. I managed to stay out of Starbuck's until 2000- when I was introduced to the Frappuccino- NOT COOL! One taste of the delectable Caramel Frappuccino and it was all over for me! I still miss the beatnik look of the urbane coffee houses I haunted back in the day that were second homes to film and art students, street urchins and trippy folk in general. Where I could see god forsaken terrible art for sale on the walls, and buy a chainmail bracelet to support the local artist who made it-
Back to Starbucks- this is also where I get my whole bean coffee- if you read back, you will see that I am a coffee snob lol
I buy Columbian, good stuff, by the pound. And I always get my small house coffee with it- if you are not aware of this deal, they are supposed to give you a small house coffee with every pound you buy. You must mention this lol- otherwise they won't give you one- I always get one for hubbo- because he is not one for the frou frou drinks that they make- he likes his coffee,plain and tall, dammit. Me, on the other hand, I like the frothy delectable kinds- these are also the ones that contain like, 2000 calories!
But, needless to say, I have crossed over the dark side. LOL!

Happy Mother's Day to All

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:27:00 +0000

Hey everyone- I hope all of you had a wonderful Mother's Day- I got a Snicker's Cheesecake, a pedicure gift certificate, chocolate and a lovely card. How blessed and loved I feel to be appreciated for the things I do. I love being a mother, and I know no other way to be- it is what defines me in my life- it is what makes me real and whole-I am MOTHER :)
I hope all of you have had a special day today as well-

I found some beautiful quotes about mothers and children I wanted to share with all of you below.

# Mother is the name of God in the lips and hearts of children.
- William Makepeace Thackeray

Children are a bridge to Heaven. - Persian Proverb
There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.
- Chinese Proverb

Used Cars Online

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:04:00 +0000

Are you one of the many people thinking about buying a used car? Not wanting to spend a lot? Well who does? In this day and age, we all want to save a buck and get a relaible car. Stop by BuyYourCar.co.uk and check out their Used Car section. You will be amazed at what is available. There is an enormous selection of used cars offered at the best prices by both private sellers and used car dealerships.

Save time and money! BuyYourCar.co.uk has a real easy to use search feature.Just enter in the make and model of the car you’re looking for - be sure to choose a color and price range too. Location and who you would prefer to buy from are also important search criteria- a private owner or a dealer (or both!). You can also select how you want the results to be sorted, which really narrows your search and saves you time. Click the Search button and you’re on your way to finding the perfect ride- how easy is that? BuyYourCar.co.uk is able to guarantee that they offer very competitive rates.

Have no idea what car you want? Go to their Buying Advice Page. Click thelink on the left side of the main menu and.The Buying Advice section offers great advice on questions to ask the seller (i.e., Why are you selling the vehicle? Are you the original owner? How many miles does it have? Has it ever been in an accident?), nine points on pre-test drive and seven or more points post- test drive.The best advice is to look at the car during the daytime ( nighttime viewing can be tricky, hard to see flaws etc.!)and to also listen for any unusual noises or knocking,as well as seeing if you notice any weird smells!), and they are also thorough enough to provide you with an 18 points buyer’s checklist! Pretty cool if you ask me!

Caveat Emptor :Buyer Beware! What out for scams- this site give advice on how to avoid them!
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Tootin Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:52:00 +0000

I can't believe it's Tuesday again! Well, I have something GREAT to toot about this Tuesday! We got our house! YAAAAY! And it is the best house we could ever ask for- so we all are so happy. We shocked the kids on Sunday ( we found out our offer had been accepted on Saturday when the kids were at their other parents' house.) We took them for a ride and didn't say where we were going- and then we pulled up in front of the house. My son asks me " Uh, Mom? Why are we pulled up in front of a house with a For Sale sign?" I just looked at him. And then it sunk in, " This is ours?" Both kids were ecstatic- especially stepbaby- she wants to paint her room designer colors, and put in shelves, and get new posters, and get an area rug, and, and, and, LOL! Such a decorator! I look forward to doing all of that and more in our new home- I have been a renter for so long- it will take some time for me to realize that this is mine forever~!

1st NFL PIcks

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:45:00 +0000

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Friday Fave

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:03:00 +0000

Today is all about one of the best, most delectable thing in the known world- The Cookie-
How does one pick just a single favorite, when there are so many wonderful varieties out there? Hmmmm, decisions decisions.
Thinking about this has taken me back in time to when I was a little girl- my Great Aunt used to make Italian Wedding Cake Cookies every year for Christmas and they were my ABSOLUTE FAVE! So much so, she made me a special tin of them to have ALL TO MYSELF!!!!! Now mind you, this was a tin for me as well as however many I could swipe from the various tabletops and buffet platters-
We have a lot of family, so this would make for a lot of these wonderful cookies! I don't have my Great Aunt's recipe handy, but I searched and found one that is very similar- these are also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes.

Ingredients

1-1/3 C. Butter Flavor Shortening

2/3 C. confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2-1/4 C. All-Purpose Flour

1/8 tsp.salt

1 C. finely chopped pecans

Additional confectioners' sugar

Directions

In a bowl combine shortening, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and almond extracts; beat until light and fluffy.

Add flour, salt and pecans; mix well.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Shape dough into 1- to 11⁄2-inch balls.

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 25 minutes or until edges of cookies are light brown.

Roll warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar.

Remove to cooling rack.

Still on the house hunt !

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Yeah, you heard it right- still searching! The one house we really really really (did I say REALLY?) liked, the other people made an ALL CASH offer- What??????????? Now, those of you that live and love in Cali know an all cash offer on a house in pretty crazy- so, needless to say- we didn't get in a bidding war over it lol
We are making other offers, and have found another house that we like even more- gulp!
This will be the third offer we have made- hope third time is the charm!
Oh, and I get to go see our new Rottweiler puppy this weekend- he will be coming home in about 4 weeks!!!!! yay!

Tuesday Tootin

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:26:00 +0000

It's Tuesday again, sadly, I missed last weeks toot, sometimes life can get in the way of blogging. Let's see - I think I will toot about my son this week- he has been taking drum lessons for about a year ( he's 13 ) and is getting pretty good.
Anyways, hubbo is a guitar player- and has been playing for 25 years. He is very talented and has written and recorded several demos over the years- he also sings like a cross between Glenn Danzig and Ronnie James Dio. So, the 2 of them decided to jam the other night.
Now, I know some of you moms might find a drumset and a guitar playing in the garage to be a painful experience, but I personally thought it was GREAT! Loud music and kids laughing don't bother me- because I'm a rocker myself. I tried to get my son into guitar playing when he was 8 or so, but he wasn't having it. He started going to this teen club and gets drum lessons there, and he is hooked. I am impressed he has stuck to it for a year, and has no plans of stopping.
He went to a rock concert with a friend and his dad and was mesmerized by the drumsets and professional drummers there- totally starstruck!
My son held his own with the rythyms and did an awesome job. I didn't realize how good he is getting until I heard him playing with another instrument.
I think music is a great way for parents and kids to spend one on one time.
Don't you?

Cheap Phone Cards

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:23:00 +0000

Cheap Phone Cards

Love to talk on the phone, but hate the long distance charges? Don't we all, well, there are ways you can avoid this problem- and that is through using phone cards- a cheap and efficient way to keep in touch with your friends, family, and loved ones. THERICHCOM.COM makes the buying and choosing of prepaid phone card easier for you. How? Well, you can search or the best rate phone card that works for you. You select the country and click the get phone cards link. This will give you options for calling and you then pick the one that is best for you. . All the phone cards they carry are delivered to you, online, instantly! You also earn 3% cash back on every purchase.

These cards also don't charge an annoying connection fee, so all the money you spend can be used to talk to your family, loved ones, and friends.

They also have some cool designs that you may be into-

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Long time no blog

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:32:00 +0000

Hi all- well, these things do happen, meaning, when I don't get a chance to write everyday- I do try, but sometimes domestic needs call- that and work and family etc etc- you know the drill...so anyways, working hard freelancing-
I never really went into what it is my hubbo and I do- he is a web developer and I am a graphic artist and marketing goddess lol
I was working a lot full time when he and I first met - and he was my inspiration to go back to school and pursue a dream....remember those?
I had my son at 19 years of age, and dropped out of college to work and raise him- something I NEVER regretted- don't get me wrong for one second, my son is a true blessing in every sense of the word-
But, now that he is older, and both children aren't toddler age anymore- I have had time to think of things I wanted to do to better myself.
And so, begins my journey, to be able to make more money, be around my family more and really feel like I have accomplished something great.
Like Frank McCourt's mother used to say... "that's your dream out now..."
'Tis, Angela, 'Tis......
until next time...

Tootin Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:41:00 +0000

Ok- I have laundry issues myself- I don't mind doing it- the kids know how to fold and put their stuff away- but I have to ask- how do they wind up using so many freakin towels? My 10 year old is the equivalant to half a person and she uses 2 towels per shower and showers daily- my son is no better, he puts the towels on the floor- (learned behavior from the man of the house ahem)
so I wind up washing loads and loads of towels. I tell them not to do it- but I caught the younger one yesterday going into the bathroom- where there were already 4 towels that were used one time- with two new towels- I was like, no, put them back. I' just sick of seeing nice towels on the floor and doing loads and loads and never seeming to get ahead. Am I obssessive? What should I do?

Police Gear Site

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:22:00 +0000

Are you a cop? Do you know a cop or just play on on TV? JK - anyways, go check out http://www.lapolicegear.com/
They have a cool site with everything a cop's heart would desire- so go and see it - and buy something nice for the cop in your life :)
5.11 gear

this lovely post was sponsored by the fabulous PAYPERPOST people- get paid to blog!

Hello All

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:49:00 +0000

I'm back- been typing my head off for what seems like days- doing the freelance fishing lol- so far so good- I am also looking for other ways to make a little extra on the side- so any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Other than that, let's see- searching for a new home - yes, you heard it here- we are buying in California! Anyways, I think we found the house- as long as they take the offer- THEY BETTER! LOL, just kidding human rights people- no violent tendencies here, just poetic license.
Anyways, it's a cool house, so if we get it, I may just have to post pics all about it-that and the new dog which should be arriving in about a month- haven't told the kids yet- we want it to be a surprise!

Bad Credit Offers

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:32:00 +0000

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Freelancing

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Hello all,
I am coming into my second week of being at home- so far so good- it's all a waiting game. I am optimistic - my hubbo is good for that- he is my biggest supporter-I am lucky to have him :)

Pay Per Post

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:20:00 +0000

well cool- my blog is finally old enough to be able to do pay per post- what a nifty opportunity! payperpost is a nice way to make a little extra cabbage, scrill, duckets, moolah, what have you- I will let people know how it goes! This site is actually the most reccommended for making money doing product reviews-and I have been doing a lot of research!

Our new baby puppy

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:38:00 +0000

Here is a pic of our newborn baby boy- born on 3/20- super tiny- but not for long- he is a rottweiler!

We will be able to bring him home in about 7 weeks- YAY!!!!!!!

TESTAMENT

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:24:00 +0000

No, this is not a biblical blog, sorry 700 club people- it's actually about a band I went to go see this weekend in San Francisco http://www.testament.com/ is a metal band that has been around for about 20 years, and is my favorite band of all time still lol

Yes, I am a metalhed mom- much to the dismay of some of you readers. This does not mean, though, that I am a devil worshipping lunatic, for those of you living in the less liberal parts of the US!

I am a rocker and roller- the music moves me and makes me happy- and I blew my voice out screaming on saturday night lol- it's my way to get things out in a positive way- my hubbo and I like to go to shows a lot- its a good thing seeing as both our ex spouses were total lamos in the music dept- and never wanted to indulge us in our musical tastes- but that's ok becuase they suck and we don't LOL! Anyways, I had an awesome time- here are some pics to show how close up I was! Pretty close huh- amazing what a camera phone can do- what a novelty!!!!!

Taking The Leap

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:09:00 +0000

Well, I have just left my full time job to pursue my schooling and freelance work. Wait, what, AM I CRAZY???? The hell you say! Yes, maybe I am- maybe all those years of being a cog in a corporate machine did something to my head- maybe I just couldn'[t take it anymore- and, like so many moms of this generation, I was sick of being out of the loop on absolutely everything going on with my kids, the house etc. I was sick of having to lay all the errands and activities on my spouse to handle because he works at home- it wasn't air to him with me out of the house 50 hours a week- he wasn't able to build on his business and take time to study because he was having to do domestic crap that I wasn't able to help with. Decisions decisions- when do we decide to take the leap? When do we decide enough is enough and roll the dice? Well, I'm dice rolling right now- and it's a scary feeling, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Lovely Saturday Morning

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:55:00 +0000

Ahhh, nothing like a clear day on a saturday with a wonderful cup of Starbucks coffee ( Yes, we over here are coffee snobs- we don't usually GO to the Starbucks, but we buy the coffee and make it here- same great experience without all those tempting scones- I swear those are the devil himself LOL!)
My son is at a friends, and baby is still sleeping- hubbo is at the tax man ( ahh, the joys of being self employed!) so I am here on my own. Nice and quiet, save for the fact that the house is a frigging mess!
I'll be honest here- I HATE housework, I mean, who doesn't? But, I think I hate it more than some-
My neighbor across the street- nice gal, with 2 kids - works 2 days a week and her house is like something out of Better Homes and Gardens! No, I mean seriously- have you ever seen a house that looks like a model to be shown to prospective buyers? This is the one! She had a bunch of neighbors over and I swear, I was araid to touch or sit on anything! How does a woman do this with 2 kids and a husband who works full time? SERIOUSLY< WHAT IS THE SECRET???? I WANT TO KNOW!!! My house is a wreck! We try and keep up - even have the kids clean their rooms and help with clearing the table and stuff,but still, the kitchen especially- GOOD LAWD!!!!
ANyone have any housekeeping secrets??? I would love to know-
I am deliberately procrastinating here- it's ok- there is more to life than having a spotless house!!!

Get Paid To Blog

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Yes, you heard it here- like you hear all over the web, but this site is actually legitimate! At Smorty you can make an account and start getting paid to blog . This is a great way to make some extra money doing something you really love. The idea is this, Smorty has a variety of different advertisers that want people to post opinions about them with a link to their site, you get paid to post an article about any advertiser you choose. They, in turn, pay you- sound good? Yeah it is!
http://www.smorty.com
Smorty- is one of the most known and best for getting paid to write opinion articles, which I think is pretty cool- well, who wouldn't think it was cool to get paid to write? I mean, all of us bloggers love to write or we wouldn't be here blogging, would we?
They offer services for advertisers as well- so go check them out
blog advertising
I am still new at this, so I will let people know how it's going for me, hopefully it goes well!
Maybe this will be the lauch you need to start working from home! That's one dream of mine, is to be able to work at least part time at home-
Thanks for listening!

More on the Dog

noreply@blogger.com (707Mia) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:41:00 +0000

THE ROTTWEILERS I SAW LAST NIGHT WERE ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!!!! We went to a great breeder and saw generations of these wonderful dogs- from 2 months to 11 years old! It was a fun experience- I am a total animal lover!
My hubby and I each have a child from a previous marriage, and are unable to have a child between us - so this dog will be like our new baby- I am very much looking forward to it-
I have always had that maternal instinct from a very young age- it started with my kitty that I had when I was 2- her name was Bumble ( go figure lol!) and I would dress her in doll clothes and push her around in a baby buggy- she was such a good tolerant cat!!!!!
Someday I would love to have a horse- but, they are VERY expensive! But one can dream~~~~~!!!!!!!