Wordless Wednesday

March Madras Madness - Freebie

Oooooh, you cannot know how happy I am to see madras making a comeback this Spring!

I'm mad for plaid... especially madras plaid. And with March Madness underway... I couldn't think of a better time to offer up a freebie madras paper pack!

Click here to download the entire paper pack! Enjoy!

Blog Brain Dump Friday Edition

I'm so proud of me! I made it to the gym 5 times this week! That's darn near impossible these days, what with my busy lifestyle and all. I also wanted to share an exercise that is rocking my world... at least it's rocking my quads, calves, buttocks, back and core! I love all in one exercises.

It's called the hip supine extension with leg curl. All you need is a stability ball to do this exercise. Rather than have me demonstrate for y'all, I found this nifty little video on Youtube that will show you how to do it. Or, you can just look at this picture and get the gist. Please do not hold me accountable if you perform this exercise and you cannot move your legs/butt the next day. I'm not a trainer and I do not pretend to be. I do know that with this exercise I can only do about 15 reps at a time because my backside is burning so bad I need to rest.

Speaking of the gym... on my WAY to the gym today, I got rear-ended at a red light. There was no damage and the girl was nice enough to pull over and at least speak to me about it. Ironically, she was employed with Progressive Insurance.

As a former claims adjuster with Farmer's Insurance, I can tell you with certainty that I saw many (many, many) "claims" of rear-ending accidents where the car had no damage, but the claimant insisted they were injured with whip-lash which required chiropractic care in addition to the "pain & suffering" settlement dollars needed to get back to 100%. (Rolling eyes... WHATEVER!) I can imagine if this accident had occurred in Beaumont by a claims shyster and they saw "Progressive Insurance" on the side of that vehicle, they would've thought they had hit the jackpot! If only I were kidding.... (sigh)

Here's a new blog to love: "My Favorite Paint Colors"
I love it because it shows the color of the paint, in a normal everyday room, with the paint color name and store where it was purchased. Okay, I just scanned this blog... SOME pictures are not normal everyday pictures. Some are clearly professionally taken, but still, I love the concept.

So, last night I served broccoli for dinner. We're not broccoli people. Never have been, never will be. But, Randy's been asking me to prepare a wider selection of fresh vegetables at dinnertime, so who am I to deny him broccoli? By the way, he loathes broccoli, yet he must be tired of green beans and corn... who knew? I can eat broccoli just fine, but I don't prefer it, unless it is boiled and covered with velvetta.

But, back to the story. We placed one SMALL piece of broccoli on each girls' plate. Elisan ate it first because she's like me... get the painful stuff out of the way first. She's no procrastinator when it comes to offensive food on her plate. Kyla on the other hand, waited to see if it would disappear on it's own. It did not.

So, she took her broccoli bite, chewed it up a bit, began crying and then spit it out into her water glass. Nice.

Broccoli. Never again. It's just not worth the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

We're in the market for a new microwave. Our current microwave is only 3 years old, but is nearly rusted completely through the bottom. And for the record.... It's a GE PROFILE model. Don't buy GE PROFILE! (Public service announcement.) So, Randy wants to buy a rust proof microwave with a stainless steel cavity. Just go ahead and tack on another couple hundred bucks for that feature.

Truth be told, we're kind of at that place where several of our appliances will be needing to be replaced soon. We're just waiting for our refrigerator to go out any day now. And our dishwasher... well, it's horrible (Maytag) and it's only 4 years old. Apparently we don't have good luck with appliances that take a beating around here.

Well, that's all for today's installment of blog brain dump. Y'all have a good weekend and wear sunscreen for goodness sakes if you're going to be outside this weekend!

Sometimes, it's good to ask

A few days ago, I popped into Kinko's to have some things printed. The young lady helping me was wearing a scarf over her head, as if to cover her head from hair loss. I've seen this particular lady in Kinko's many, many times, but never with a head wrap. I was curious, but didn't say anything.

Yesterday, I walked into Kinko's and there she was. The same young lady, but yesterday she was wearing a newsboy cap. There was no one else in the store but the two of us.

My curiosity got the best of me and I asked her what type of treatment she was receiving to make her lose her hair. She began to tell me about her cancer.

Y'all. This girl has had three different types of cancer throughout the last 7 years. Her first battle was leukemia. Her second battle was with breast cancer, which required a radical mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Her current battle is with the residual effects of breast cancer - cancer found in her chest, liver and spine.

She is 29.

My heart broke for her and I could not hold back my tears... standing right there in Kinko's. It definitely makes you stop and realize that all of the crap we worry about, really pales in comparison to what this young lady is facing.

We spoke about God and she told me she is a Christian and that she thanks God everyday for his grace and provision. She was excited because the new treatments she is receiving (that was recently approved by the FDA in 2010) is working!

I touched her hand as I was leaving and we said our goodbyes. I know I'll see Amy again and I can't wait to hear an update from her.

I was glad I asked Amy a question that I was reluctant to ask.

Because now I can... Pray for Amy and her husband. And, pray that God do a work in her that is so amazing...because she has a testimony that is powerful.

I must be slow

I must be slow because I just realized over the weekend that Easter is on April 24th this year. That's late people!

I kept thinking I needed to get ready for Easter (i.e. dresses for the girls, plastic grass, Bunny candy... the works!) until I researched it and discovered that Easter is still a month away.

In my "research" I discovered a few fun facts:

• March 22nd is the earliest date that Easter can occur
• April 25th is the latest date that Easter can occur
• The next Easter to fall on April 24th will be in the year 2095

Here's a table that shows some interesting Easter dates. Notice that in 428 years, Easter has occurred on March 24th only 2 times!

Okay, that's enough nerdiness for one day. Have a good one!

I'm having fun! Another Digital Design Freebie!

One of my new year's resolutions was to "cultivate my digital design work style" and what better way to do this, than to offer up another digital design scrapbooking freebie.

Again, with the label frames! I love ornate label frames. I love them even better when they are free! Click here to download the entire set (or to download individually, click here.)

Also, still up for grabs is the Simple Label Frames (set 1) from last week!
Click here to download the entire set.

Another successful outing

Iif we're "friends" on Facebook, you've probably already seen this little nugget of fun.

Randy and I took the girls out for soccer practice/"fun time with daddy" down at the local university. It's a great outlet for the girls (and for the mommy and daddy as well!) plus, the grass is lush green and the fields are immaculate.

About 45 minutes into our fun, Randy took Elisan down to the ground in an attempt to allow Kyla Mae to score a goal. Oh sure, Elisan is rough and tumble on HER terms, but when daddy does it... that's a whole 'nuther ballgame. (In other words... she can dish it, but she can't take it!)

Here's the blow-by-blow:

As we were loading up in the van (shortly thereafter, I might add) Randy and I chuckled a bit and I said, "You know you've had a successful day at the soccer fields when someone ends up crying." Ah, such is (our) life.

And finally, here are a few pictures that I took when everyone was in a good mood. I just love, love, love my camera!!

Waking up to this...

Waking up to this...

...makes me smile.

Coming home to this...
...makes me want to contact the animal shelter.

Spring Break and we have a winner...

Y'all, I'll admit... I'm the mom that *sometimes* sucks the joy out of fun. I don't intentionally do so, but when I was making dental appointments 6 months ago, little did I know that those appointments would fall on Spring Break week. So, yesterday, we all had a nice little visit to the dentist. I'm happy to report "NO CAVITIES!" But, a trip to the orthodontist is in order... For both girls. Sigh...

Then, we headed to my favorite hairstylist, Jaclyn, for a haircut. Elisan has been growing out her bangs and decided she wanted to get her hair cut to meet her bangs. She's not quite there yet, but very close. So, she settled for a short bob instead. Kyla, seeing Elisan's hair transformation, decided she wanted the exact same haircut as her big sister.

Don't they look cute? And older? Sniff.

So, I'm loving my new camera. I still haven't cracked open the manual... or the informational DVD. Yes, I'm that person. I never read the manual... that is, until I'm desperate. I'm not desperate yet. I'm just enjoying using a nice camera for a change.

Here are a few pictures I took during an impromptu soccer practice with daddy.

I also took this of Kyla. She was tired. And hungry. And cranky. Our nickname for Kyla when she is cranky is "Cranky Baby" or "Kyla Cranky". So, the title of this photo is "Kyla Cranky". I put a little gothic touch to this picture. Looks eerie, huh?

Here's Elisan. She's not cranky. Just sweaty. I'm having fun experimenting with different editing techniques.

And so, without further ado... the winner of my 1000 Blog Entry Giveaway is...

Yay, Heidi!

That's all for now!

Simple Label Frames Freebie Download

I'm always on the lookout for cute (FREE!) label frames! Maybe you are too!

Available for download is a set of 9 Simple Label Frames in multiple colors. The frames are high resolution .png format.

Click this link to download. Enjoy!

1000

It's hard for me to believe I've been around for 1000 posts. The mere fact that I've stuck with something for so long is amazing.

I've poured my heart and soul into this blog, shared with you the good, the bad and the ugly... and hopefully along the way offered a little hope through my transparency.

As promised, I'm giving away something from my "talent". To enter to win this freebie, leave a comment on this post. I'll draw a winner on Wednesday!

Blog Brain Dump Friday Edition

Hello last day of school before Spring Break. Can you say, "I'm ready for a break?!" Because I know I am!

I'm also glad to say that indoor soccer and YMCA volleyball will be over this weekend! I'll be honest, we were over-achievers this winter break and because of that, we had some serious overlap with (spring) outdoor soccer games and practices. Speaking of outdoor soccer, Randy is coaching Kyla's team again this season. Which means... I'm team mom. Rah-Rah! If you didn't know already, being team mom is much like being a homeroom mom, but not as long. It's near torture getting people to respond, reply and sign up for (fill-in-the-blank). That's why I'll never be homeroom mom. Never. Ever. I can't handle it. Can I get a witness?

So running... sigh. Still not running. And, I just realized I've been nursing a hurt hip for like... a MONTH! That's just insane. Insane, because a month has zipped by in no time. Insane, because... c'mon... heal already! I'm ready to get back to running. I NEVER thought I'd utter those words. Never.

I've used the word "never" quite a bit in this post. You know what they say about saying never...

So, this is blog entry #999. Can you believe it? I've been writing on this blog since 2005. My girls were 4 and 2. They are now 9 and 7. Wow! I'm so glad I have a chronicle of their little lives. What a treasure it has been to take a look back into our lives... our ups and our downs. Our triumphs and our defeats.

Which brings me to my 1000 Blog Entry Giveaway! Don't get all excited... it's not anything huge, but something from my "gift and talent" that God blessed me with. So, be on the look out for it in the next day or two!

That's all for now!
Carry on!

I {heart} my new camera!

Good Cheap Fun!

That blog title ought to get some interesting hits!

So, the other day, the girls and I were at Hobby Lobby. And as usual, the girls wanted to check out the beads and pendants. They're crafty... what can I say? And I found this really cute pendant for me. It was $1.99. It was also marked 50% as a weekly special. I bought it for a buck.

Like I said... Good Cheap Fun.

P.S. - My camera arrives today! Whoohoo! I'm excited!

You never know what you'll find

I found this pack of adhesive backed scrapbook papers at Ross the other day. Can I just say... I {heart} them! What a clever idea. And for $2.99 (which as of last week is cheaper than a gallon of gasoline...sigh...) I couldn't resist!

Elisan is especially giddy because I have about 10 different shaped die cutters that she plans to use with these papers!

Good cheap fun.

Simple Logic

If you like these...

( 2 cookies = 140 calories & 7 fat grams)


Then, you will love these...

(1 bar = 120 calories & 4 fat grams)


...and, you're welcome!

Well, hello there!

I'll freely admit it. I'm a sucker for cute stuff. That... and my iPod wallpaper was no longer "wow-ing" me.

So, last night, I whipped up this little design and now, I'm sharing it with you.

It just makes me so happy. What's better than a yummy sweet cupcake greeting me with a friendly hello every time I use my iPod.

(Yes, I know there is a blog called "Hello Cupcake". No, I didn't consciously steal the tag-line from them. This cupcake just looks like he's saying hello, don'tcha think?)




To download this design, simply click on the image, right click to "save as". There ya have it.

Enjoy y'all and have a great weekend!

Oh, the suspense! ... And, a printable freebie!

Two things...

I'm closing in on 1000 posts! This will call for a celebration. I'm going to think on this for a few days and come up with something to give away on my blog for my 1000th entry! Stay tuned...

Thank you to those who commented regarding my camera purchase. The decision has been made. Randy made it for me. Probably because he was tired of my futzing around and NOT making a decision. So... I (or, rather he... or should I say "we"?) decided to go with the Nikon D3100 for several reasons.

First, the cost. I won't lie. I really wanted a Canon Rebel. But the "comparable" Canon T1i camera that closely matches the Nikon D3100 was nearly $100 more. Less money is always better in my book!

Second, the video. Randy was sold on the HD video factor. He's a guy, what can I say? And, to be perfectly honest, the Nikon gets better reviews regarding video. Go figure.

Third, the Nikon D3100 (and the comparable Canon Rebel T1i) both get excellent consumer ratings and reviews. I figured I couldn't go wrong.

Fourth, I ordered it online from B&H Photo Video and did not pay taxes or shipping. That alone saved me $50.00 if I had bought it in the store.

So, there ya have it. I'm soooo done with looking at camera stuff for a while.

Okay, so now... on to my promised freebie! Last week when my daughter was sick, I spend a little (okay, a lot!) of time on the computer and came up with this printable party pack!

Look, I'll be honest, I'm not a professional... I'm just a mom who is honing some skills here. So, with that said, be blessed by my little piece of creativeness!


This freebie printable party pack includes:

• Blank La-La Lady Bug cards 4x page .pdf format - Suggested Use: Great for thank you cards or digi scrappers DOWNLOAD HERE
• Fill-in La-La Lady Bug cards 4x page .pdf format DOWNLOAD HERE
• Full page of circle party tags 20xpage .pdf format - Suggested use: Print on 8.5x11 sticker paper and use them an envelope seals DOWNLOAD HERE
• Fold-over La-La Lady Bug Goodie Bag Toppers 3x page .pdf format DOWNLOAD HERE
• 4x6 photo print quality Blank La-La Lady Bug card .jpg format DOWNLOAD HERE
• 4x6 photo print quality Fill-In La-La Lady Bug card .jpg format DOWNLOAD HERE

Click here to get the details on the Robot Party pack for boys!

Befuddled

Yeah, I said it.

Befuddled.

Why does buying a camera (insert whiney voice here...) have to be soooo hard?

Okay, here's a little back story to get you invested in my story. Otherwise it just seems as if I'm a pretentious spoiled little housewife with nothing else to do but complain.

So, anyway...

For Christmas, Randy gave me some cash as my present and said, "Go forth and spend." But, being the spend-thrift that I am, I sat on the Christmas gift for a week tossing ideas around as to how I wanted to spend the money.

I finally decided that I wanted an upgraded camera from my trusty Canon point and shoot. I wanted to take my pictures and creativity a step beyond what I've been able to produce with my current camera. He agreed it was a great idea.

Only problem... I needed to scrap together a few more Benjamin's to get (at best) an entry level "prosumer" DSLR camera. (BTW, a prosumer is a "serious amatuer". Didn't know that until yesterday. Just passing on a little nugget of fun for y'all.)

So, after selling (all) my worldly possessions on Craigslist and eBay, including, but not limited to a very sought after pair of Frye Ankle Harness Boots that I acquired a few months back, I finally scraped... and I mean that in it's rawest form... SCRAPED enough cash together to be able to begin considering various models of cameras.

Now that you have the back story you will understand my plight.

See, I just don't want to willy-nilly toss money at the first camera that I see. I want to make a smart choice and not be drawn into bells and whistles of HD video capturing capabilities. Although, that seems like a nice whistle if you ask me.

And, I'm not opposed to buying used. If I can save some money by buying used, then heck ya, right? Then that extra cash could be used to buy an additional lens or something.

So, ye old wise internets and DSLR users... what's a gal to do?

Buy new, straight out of the box and slowly acquire all the other stuff and perhaps a new/used lens down the road, etc. (via birthdays/anniversaries, etc.)

or

Buy a used, slightly older model, with all the fixin's (extra memory cards, extra batteries, case, remote, etc.) and have the option to buy an additional lens?

Really at this point, I could go either way. That's why I'm befuddled. So, please impart some wisdom to me. I need some help!

Round and Round

Lately, Kyla Mae and I have been going round and round in little mini "battle-of-the-wills" contests. The score is about tied.

I'm not sure what is going on with her. With me. But, we're butting heads pretty regularly and it frustrates the dickens out of me.

Maybe we're a lot more alike than I give her credit for.

Sigh.

She's still pretty cute. I think we'll keep her around.

Shout it from the rooftops!

After 7 days of fever, my girl is finally fever free! PRAISE GOD and AMEN!

Did you read that correctly? SEVEN days. S-E-V-E-N.

I finally brought her to the doctor yesterday. Call me whatever you want... neglectful, irresponsible... but, honestly her main symptom was fever so I didn't feel it was necessary to drag her to the doctor and be exposed to countless other viruses.

But, on Tuesday, she began to develop a cough, and after noticing that her cough was getting worse on Wednesday, we decided to bring her to the doctor on Thursday. They tested her for strep and the flu and BOTH came back negative.

The doctor said, "Let it run it's course" which is what I had originally planned to do and then that pesky cough entered the picture.

Nonetheless... I guess the "course" was 7 days! Seven days and she missed:

• 4 days of school (Monday was a holiday.)
  
• 1 volleyball game
• 1 soccer game
• 2 soccer practices
• 1 volleyball practice

She probably needed the break... Now, it's back to work (and play) for my girl! Yay!

Sickness 2011, Day 6... Oh, and a printable freebie!

So, we're on day 6 of "Sickness 2011".

It's been real, y'all.

I've just given up and decided to join Elisan on the couch for most of today. So far, we've watched "America's Funniest Videos" and the "Behind the Music: Journey the Mystery" on YouTube. Have I mentioned I love Journey? I'm a die-hard Steve Perry fan(atic). It really is a crying shame those guys can't work it out!

The last coupla days have been kinda boring. We've been stuck at home. I've cleaned the house and washed mounds and mounds of laundry. We've watched an insane amount of television and movies. But honestly, there's only so much eBay surfing you can do on the iPod before you end up bidding on something you would not normally buy and/or spend that kind of money on something, no matter how much you think you will like it. I'm just sayin'...

So, I decided to put my time to good use.

I let my creative juices flow this week and put together a printable download freebie. Introducing the "Robot Party Pack." Clever name, right?

Having two girls, I NEVER get to create stuff just for boys. I'm not sure what boys are into these days, but everyone loves a nice Robot, right?

This freebie printable party pack includes:

• Blank Robot Party cards 4x page .pdf format - Suggested Use: Great for thank you cards or digi scrappers DOWNLOAD HERE
• Fill-in Robot Party cards 4x page .pdf format DOWNLOAD HERE
• Full page of circle party tags 20xpage .pdf format - Suggested use: Print on 8.5x11 sticker paper and use them an envelope seals DOWNLOAD HERE
• Fold-over Robot Party Goodie Bag Toppers 3x page .pdf format DOWNLOAD HERE
• 4x6 photo print quality Blank Robot Party card .jpg format DOWNLOAD HERE
• 4x6 photo print quality Fill-In Robot Party card .jpg format DOWNLOAD HERE

Enjoy! And stay tuned... I've got something for little girls too! I'll post another freebie printable party pack next week! Or this week. With my girl still sick, looks like I'll have even more time on my hands.

Stay healthy and for goodness sakes, wash your hands!

Happy President's Day

Sigh... Elisan is sick. She's been sick since Friday. I picked her up from school on Friday and she was complaining that her tummy was upset. Fast forward to Saturday, she began running a fever and is STILL running a fever. Thank goodness the meds have been bringing the temperature down and helping her to feel like her old self, but as soon as the medicine wears off... bam! Fever again.

I'm praying she's the only one who gets sick this week. And thanking God that today is a school holiday anyway! Perhaps she'll miss a nominal amount of school this week.

Meanwhile, Kyla misses her playmate. Elisan will feel well enough to play with her for about an hour, then she's ready to rest on the couch. Poor Kyla.

And me... ugh! I have a running injury! I could kick myself (if only I could raise my leg!) for it too. It all began when I thought I was ready to begin running intervals on the treadmill. An interval is a period of high intensity cardio and with a period of recovery. I was running 1 minute on the treadmill and walking a two minute recovery. I did this for about 45 minutes.

During the intervals I felt great! I was running a great pace and recovering quickly. Yet, as soon as I stepped off the treadmill and began my cool down with stretching, etc., I felt it. The pain in my hip. After doing MUCH research, it seems as if I've strained (hopefully, only a strain) my iliotibial band in my left hip.

So, I'm taking a break from running for now. I'm bummed about this, but hope that with adequate enough rest/recovery, I can get back into running in a couple of weeks.

And, I guess that's about all for now. I suppose I'll do a few things around here and play nurse-maid when needed.

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week our school celebrated our teachers with "Teacher Appreciation Week". To make this week extra fun, I created labels with a "theme" for each day. The picture below is pretty self explanatory.

This was such a fun and easy way to bless our teachers this week!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the Teacher Appreciation Labels freebie! I printed mine on white cardstock and used a circle punch to cut them out!

I stuffed the goodies into 6x9 clear cello bags (found on eBay). Which, by the way, has been one of the best purchases I've ever made. I use the clear cello bags for everything!

1.) Caution this Bag Contains Energy: I put a mini-diet soda (8 oz), a Caffeinated Crystal Light Drink Mix and a healthy-type bar, like Zone Bars.

2.) Sweets for the Sweet: I used Dark Chocolate Dove candy.  Of course, use your imagination or your teacher's favorite treat!

3.) Emergency Stash: For this bag, I have used multipacks of post-it notes, Sharpies, colored gel pens (red/green), binder clips, highlighters... stuff that teachers seem to always need.

4.) You Were MINT to Teach:  I fill this bag with chewing gum and peppermints.

5.) Orange You Glad You're The Apple of My Eye?:  I use a small mandarin orange and a small apple for this bag.

And there ya go... 5 treat bags for each day of the week.  Plus, this is an easy, cost effective way to bless MORE THAN ONE teacher/staff... especially the teachers/staff members that are often forgotten about - like Librarians, P.E. teachers, School Nurses, Lunchroom Helpers, Specials teachers, etc

Enjoy!

 

The ABSOLUTE easiest craft you will ever do!

One of my favorite craft items to work with is grosgrain ribbon. Since my girls are growing up (sniff) they practically refuse... REFUSE to wear hair bows anymore. It's been hard for me.

But, they still want to wear cute hair accessories... yay me... so, I've had to come up with ways to use cute grosgrain ribbon that is "acceptable" for growing girls.

Elisan loves to wear the non-slip headbands that I began making a while back. But, Kyla doesn't care for the non-slip headband. So, with soccer season coming up (and her bangs in the process of growing out) I decided to make her a headband that will stay in place, keep her bangs back and look cute all at the same time!

I bought 7/8 inch grosgrain ribbon, 7/8 inch "velvet" ribbon and sewed two strips together along the edges (creating a ribbon tube). I then slide a thin headband through the ribbon tube, sewed the edges down and trimmed the ends. I then heat-sealed the ends with a lighter (to prevent fraying). And, there ya go. Is that easy or what?! (Disregard the sloppy sewn ends! Sewing faux pas, I know!)

Hobby Lobby has their ribbon by the roll on sale for 1/2 off nearly every week. You can get some really cute and fun ribbon for super cheap! The headbands I used for the craft came from the dollar tree. 5 headbands for a dollar!

By the way, if anyone wishes to purchase a wide-band non-slip headband (for adults), contact me! They are perfect for exercise as they truly do not slip and they keep the sweat from your hair from running down your face! Ewww, I know!

Anyway, I'm selling them for $6.00/each. Contact me if you would like to purchase one!

Blog Brain Dump

Another installment of "Blog Brain Dump" my favorite style of bloggin'!

Is it my imagination, or are grocery prices going up? I spent over $300 today at the grocery store. I haven't spent over $300 dollars on groceries/household essentials since the holidays! I did buy some extra fruit because Elisan is on a fruits and vegetables strike and I'm trying to get her to eat more produce. Maybe it was the produce I bought. And the mascara. And the three bags of Vday candy. Hmmmm....I wonder.

Sidenote: I know, some of you are choking on that lil' bit of knowledge that we spend that kind of cash at the grocery store, but you have to remember... we eat out ONCE a week. Once people. So, if you think about it... (really, really think about it)... you can see how we spend that kind of dough on food, etc.

• 4 people x 3 meals/day = 12 meals per day
• 12 meals per day x 7 days = 84 meals (or 21 meals/person/week)
• Subtract 4 meals (Saturday night "out to eat" meal)
• GRAND TOTAL of meals our entire family consumes (that have been prepared at home) each week = 80 meals per week

So, I love Craigslist. I think I've mentioned it before, but just in case you have forgotten... I love Craigslist. Since I'm currently in the market to buy a DSLR camera and leather furniture, I've been scouring the CL ads. Just so you know, I've not had much luck on either front, but I wanted to throw this little piece of advice out there for any potential Craiglisters out there.

If you are trying to sell a piece of furniture on Craigslist. It may or may not help to include a picture. Just saying.

Same goes for pretty much anything listed on Craigslist. And let me be clear... the picture of an iPod shuffle (I'm in the market for a backup shuffle) from the Apple website won't cut it. In fact, any website picture of (fill-in-the-blank) item just won't work. I dunno... something about trust. I just don't trust you Craigslist people. I love you... but I don't trust you.

I'll save the post "Attention Craigslist Scammers" for another day. It's lengthy.

But, I wanted to pass along this little nugget of fun, just in case you too are scouring Craigslist for something in particular.

Check this out. You can add CL search to your Google Reader subscriptions. Just type in what you want to search for on CL. Complete your search. Then copy the search results URL string and paste it into the Google Reader feed subscription. There ya go. Up to the minute (sort've) results on your CL searches. I have about 10 searches going at any given time. It's what I do. (Here's a screenshot of the CL search showing up in Google Reader.)


I'm running a 5K race this Saturday with my beautiful friend Kim from MOPS. (No, I don't have a preschooler that I've been keeping on the down-low. I'm a Mentor Mom in MOPS.) But, anyway, back to Kim. Y'all, she seriously is beautiful. I hate her. No, not really. I love her! She's darling and so sweet.

So, anyway, back in January, we started discussing running and she said, "Well, since I turned 30 this year, I wanted to set a goal to run my first 1/2 marathon!" I was like... "Really? That's my goal too. But, I'm not 30. I'm 38. I've got 8 years on your sista." Man, I felt really old at that very moment. But, Kim being the sweetheart that she is said, "You don't look 38! You look like you are in your early 30's." Bless her heart. That's why I love her. She thinks I'm young enough to be her equal... NOT her MENTOR MOM!

So, we're running a 5K this weekend. It's the "Vern's No Frills 5K Run." It's one dollar to register/run. I hope Kim's 30 year old body doesn't school my 38 year old body. Wish me luck that I can keep up! As I (literally) at this moment have an ice pack on my hip that hurts like the dickens from... what? Running. Argh!

Y'all carry on.

Happy Valentine's Day

Sigh...

Hello Blog! I don't think we've met. I'm Erica. I write on you... sometimes.

Sorry I've been MIA. I've been around, but haven't felt like writing.

Last Saturday a.m., we got an email that the girls' school elementary principal/school administrator had died. She passed away in her sleep early Saturday morning. She was 56. If that ain't a kick in the head, I'm not sure what is.

Because of that, I've been in kind of a funk.

We've been sending our girls to their school for 5 years, so I "knew" our principal, but luckily, never had to deal directly with her, since my girls never required principal intervention at school. But, her absence is truly felt at school.

Just last week, in the bitter cold, she was escorting kids to their vehicles. She escorted the girls to my van, said a few sweet words about staying warm and driving home safe. Her last school wide email to us was about canceling school on Friday due to the impending snow.

She said in regard to the decision to close school, "We would prefer you stay home and enjoy the snow with your children."

She wrapped up the email stating, "Thank you and enjoy your SNOW Day and your weekend. I love the way God answers the prayers of children!"

I have no doubt she spent her last day on earth enjoying the presence of her grandchildren and family on her snow day, as well.

Mrs. Owen was such a phenomenal woman, who loved God and children and whose greatest desire was to see children become the best the can be in Christ. In her 25 years of service to our school, her impact has been felt for generations. She will be missed.

Oh My!

TJ enjoyed the sun and warmer temps today (39 degrees)!
I think he'd prefer to be an outside dog.

Okay, seriously...

This "winter blast" 2011 has really cramped some plans!

First of all, school was canceled. I can get with that. A "down day" for all of us is just what the doctor ordered!

Second, Elisan's volleyball game was canceled. It was set for tonight.

Third, the Cupid's Chase 5k Run for Saturday has been canceled as well. I was really looking forward to it! Even with the below freezing early morning temps!

All of this, for about 1/2 inch of snow that is largely in part melted away already.

Really?

Winter Blast 2011 + Saturday 5k = No Bueno

To Whom it May Concern:

Dear Sports Bra Manufacturing Companies (i.e. Nike, Adidas, Athleta, Reebok, etc.)

I am writing this letter in reference to ill-fitting sports bras and/or built-in bra tops that offer no support. Please note... MOST women do NOT look like this. In fact, I'd venture to say, that in my nearly 4 years of working out at a gym that is predominately 85% female population, I have seen maybe 3-4 women who do look like this. I'd have to say, that most 'normal' women will never look like this, no matter how much time, effort, energy one puts into their workouts.

So, my question to you is this... why must you continue to make sports bras and built-in bra tanks for this fictional woman? That offer no support and are low cut?

I mean, honestly, I HATE sporting 3 inches of cleavage while I'm at the gym because my sports bra is too low cut. Why you ask? Well, because I'm there to work out. Working out requires bending, lifting, pushing, pulling and sweating. Whilst I'm working out, I don't want to be concerned with bending and sweating, thus spilling out cleavage everywhere. I just don't. It's not who I am.

And for those companies who do cater to the 'normal' woman... companies like Moving Comfort, etc... why must your high impact bras look like this? I mean, really? A zipper? A zipper at my cleavage? C'mon. Really?

So, mega size sporting gear companies hear me out! This is what I want. I want a sports bra or sports tank that is 'high-impact', cut high enough to not sport cleavage and look decent. I don't want it in a fabric that is floral, geometrical or in crazy colors. Just a plain gray or black... or hey, gray AND black is fine by me too.

Is that so hard?

Signed,
Still a DD

Dog Days

I thought it was time to devote a blog entry to our pup, TJ.

All in all, TJ is a very smart, friendly, fiesty, lovable dog. By day, he loves to play outside, dig in the dirt and chase birds...and nap a time or two. By night, he's 100% lap dog.

My attempts at "training" him to be a fabulous house pet have failed. Not because he isn't smart enough, but because I'm just lazy. So, we're all content to have him be a moderately well-behaved dog.

He doesn't bark, bite, nip clothes or yelp. You would hardly know he is here half the time.

He does however have an incessant paw licking issue that drives me crazy. I can't stand for him to lick his paws while he's sitting on my lap because the entire perimeter around his paw is licked as well. Ugh!

And did I mention digging? Ah, yes. He's a digger. Loves to dig. Loves to dig when the ground is muddy too. See where I'm going with this? He's a white fluffy dog. Mud and white fluffy don't go together... ever.

I definitely have my days when I wish I had listened to the legions of friends tell me to NOT get a dog. And if someone asked me if they should get a dog, I'd give them a resounding no. But, the girls love him and I love him 1/2 of the time... so, he stays.