Teaser: great winter hats!

Hello there!

I have a post up on my giveaways and reviews site that I want you to be aware of. Are you a mom with little kids? Live in a snowy climate like me? Well then, you MUST take a look at these hats!

Go here to read more and to get a 10% discount promo code!

Not Me Monday!

Today is Monday and since I’ve been a complete angel all week, I thought I’d take part in MckMama’s Not Me Monday blog carnival again. Time for all of us angels to talk about what we did, err didn’t do, this past week.So, let's get started...

• I totally did NOT have the best time at work at a 2 day seminar on something that really doesn’t have a lot to do with my job. I did NOT enjoy learning all about another part of what my company does and secretly NOT wish I could work in that area someday. Nope.
  
• I did NOT witness my 3 year old daughter MOON ME out our sliding glass door as I was pulling out of our garage last night. Seriously, what 3 year old would do THAT!? OMG Chloe.
  
• I did NOT spend Saturday night at the Mall of America with my girls and Jason and ride rides and get treats as part of their “Nick or Treat” Halloween festivities. I also did NOT see multiple Michael Jackson costumed children. Don’t you think that’s a bit early?
  
• I did NOT receive my coveted Google Wave invite and after a few weeks of playing with it, still NOT have any idea what it’s supposed to do. GRRR.
  
• I did NOT let my 3 year old play with my iPod the other day and she absolutely did NOT set a lock combination on it. I also wouldn’t be THAT stupid to NOT figure out how to unlock it. Nice.

So, that’s it in a nutshell. Emphasis on nut! What did you NOT do this week? Come on, fess up. I won’t judge. (much)

Noises and Things

I feel like there is a lot of "noise" around me lately. Noises that are meant to distract us. Noises that have nothing to do with anything important. Noises that keep us focused on the wrong things.

You can't turn on the TV or check the internet without hearing about Jon or Kate Plus 8, minus 8, minus Jon. I am SO SICK of hearing about them. What I thought would happen, TOTALLY DID. It's time for them to go off in to the reality sunset. Buhbye. Raise your kids in privacy now. But seriously, it's sad when their saga becomes national headlines news. Or the Balloon Boy and his family. I don't know about you, but I wasted a good hour or two watching that damn balloon float off over Colorado fearing that that little boy was in there. I was relieved that he wasn't in the balloon but then became immediately skeptical of the whole thing. Everyone wants to be famous--even if its for being colossally stupid.

I am sick of hearing about H1N1 from EVERYONE ELSE but the people I WANT to hear it from: the medical profession. I feel like everyone has to voice their opinion on whether or not we should get the H1N1 vaccinations for our children but no one has come out to definitively say yes we should or no we shouldn't. Perhaps they don't really know. So, if they don't really know do we err on the side of caution and NOT get the vaccination or do we err on the side of caution and DO get the vaccination? Anyone?

I am frustrated with President Obama. Well, sort of. I am frustrated that people are quick to judge ANY president within their first year of office. I feel like he's an easy target. He either does too much or too little. The guy has a ton of problems to deal with and I am not sure people are letting him and his administration focus on the top priorities--they all want their issues fixed NOW. So, I feel like our economy is improving, but are we headed for another stimulus round? Is that the way to go? How about the bank bailouts? Now I am hearing that the banks that took the bailouts are giving out bonuses? WTF. There are so many problems to face, so many hands stretched out to make a deal, so many talk show or radio show hosts that feel they know the answers and that everyone else is wrong, so many politicians that SUCK (ahem, Pancy Nelosi). I hate it all and wish our country could just STFU and let things work itself out and let our president make the right, even painful, decisions.

I know I am not alone in feeling like we surround ourselves with noises and things to take our minds off of what really matters--the soldiers that are fighting for us, the families that lose their homes or can't afford to feed their kids, the elderly who are losing everything they've saved for, the kids who don't get the best education and will be left behind, the looming inflation and how the prices will rise dramatically, the fact that I can't decide between an iPhone or the new Droid, the ever-expanding Christmas List from the girls. Ah, ya, those last two kind of crept in there...

I wish I had a mute button for all of that.

Not Me Monday!

Today is Monday and since I’ve been a complete angel all week, I thought I’d take part in MckMama’s Not Me Monday blog carnival again. Time for all of us angels to talk about what we did, err didn’t do, this past week.So, let's get started...

• I did NOT take a much needed mental health vacation day on Friday so I could give my brain the day off. Luckily, the TV gods cooperated because I got to watch Grey Gardens on HBO and then Legends of the Fall. Sigh...that movie gets me every single time.
  
• I did NOT worry all Saturday morning about our first Girl Scout outing only to have a super fun time with the other moms and girls. I think we have a great group of girls and moms and couldn't be happier or more excited!
  
• I did NOT encourage Jason to buy and install shelving for our storage room in the basement. I certainly did NOT ask him to spend hundreds of dollars on it either. It turned out great by the way. :)
• I did NOT blow off the Ohio State-Purdue game on Saturday because I figured OSU had it in the bag. Um, not so much. Yikes. Well, hopefully they'll pull it together for next week...
• I also did NOT jump for joy at the news that we are finally getting a neighbor! The lot next to ours was staked out this weekend in preparation for groundbreaking of a new house. FINALLY, after 3+ years of dirt and dust, we'll have a house on either side of ours! Huzzah!
  
• I did NOT tear up at the sight of my Chloe getting sooo excited about Kaitlyn allowing her to sleep with her precious American Girl Doll. She was so happy Kaitlyn said she could have her for the night. Time to get Chloe her own AGD. Ugh.... $$$$$$$$$$$$. :)

That's it. I am sure I've NOT done anything else. What haven't YOU done this week? 

Not Me Monday!

Today is Monday and since I’ve been a complete angel all week, I thought I’d take part in MckMama’s Not Me Monday blog carnival again. Time for all of us angels to talk about what we did, err didn’t do, this past week.So, let's get started...

•  I totally did NOT follow the Twins game last Tuesday on my Blackberry while sitting in a Girl Scout Leaders meeting. Nope, I wouldn't do that. Ever.
• I also did NOT find the steal of the century at Once Upon a Child. A brand new Columbia winter jacket for Kaitlyn--$25. SCORE. I also would NEVER make her try on 1000 coats prior to that one. :) Still, $25 vs. $75 is worth it. 
• I would NOT be one of those women who obsess over their work wardrobe and want to burn it all in a fit of desperation hoping to collect on the insurance money to replenish it with new clothes from J. Crew, Boden, and Gap. Of course, in smaller sizes that fit would be good too. :) Sigh... 
• I am NOT that mom who can't remember what day of the week gym class is and "hopes for the best" that the day Kaitlyn wears her Nikes is the day she has gym. Sigh, need to update my Blackberry with her gym schedule. Or, simply just plan ahead. 
• I also did NOT spend hours one night updating my blog templates and spent HOURS trying to add a "Read More" feature only to take it out the next morning. 
• I also did NOT suggest we go to a local restaurant for dinner this weekend and insist the food was good the last time I went there. Ya, FAIL. Probably the worst food ever. 
• I did NOT obsess over the uppercase living catalog trying to decide what to order after I had a party a couple weeks ago. I LOVE this stuff and will be devoting a post to it soon! 
• And finally, I did NOT start my countdown until the premiere of "Where the Wild Things Are" movie. I am also not-so-secretly more excited to see it than Kaitlyn. :)
  

Well, I think that's all for this week. Phew--that's a lot. So, what didn't you do this week that you'd like to not confess to!? :)

The Office: best. episode. ever.

As the cold starts to set in...

Fall is the beginning of the golden time of the year for me. I love fall, I love the autumn colors, the smell of burning leaves, the pumpkins, the apples. It's just my time of year.

I've said it before here. Halloween and Thanksgiving are fast approaching. We are traveling to Philadelphia this year for Thanksgiving, something we've done every year for the past 12 or so years except for last year when we hosted Thanksgiving here in Minnesota. I missed going to Philly last year--that city is made for fall. It's lovely and I love going there. And then the Christmas season begins. December is when I am most alive. I love the anticipation of the holidays, of seeing my family, and the whole Christmas mood. I love seeing my kids get excited for Santa.

The cold has officially set in here in Minnesota with our first snow due to arrive on Friday night. I am ready. Bring it. Fall also is a time when I get focused on my life and what my priorities should be. I do this every year and I am convinced it's a leftover practice from my school days. Particularly college and grad school. I always did well the fall quarter/semester and felt like I was most in tune with what I needed to do. I get that way at work too. I feel like I am firing on all cylinders at this time of year which is good because my team is busy busy busy and I am trying to juggle about 1000 projects at once. Yet, I couldn't be happier. That's a good sign I think.

I love fall because I feel like I get more creative too. I love decorating for the holidays and now that we've settled into the house after 3 years, I am starting to figure out what I like and don't like about our house and decor and stuff. I think you need to really live in a place before you can get a clear idea of how you want it to look. What might look really cool when you first move in may turn inpractical or blah later on after you've lived with it a while. This is probably why we were slow to buy any new furniture or really invest in decorating our house. I didn't want to make any rash decisions. So, I feel like I am ready to change things up a bit now. Sorry Jason, it's gonna cost you. ha!

Fall is about focusing on the good, adjusting the not so good, and appreciating your friends and family as you prepare for the holidays, whatever your holidays may be.

What do you like best about Fall? Are you changing anything in your house? If so, what are you doing? 

PS: One of my favorite bloggers, Prior Fat Girl,  is hosting a great book giveaway here. Go check it out but don't enter cuz I want to win! :P

Excuses, excuses

Hey, so remember my last post where I promised to update more frequently? Ya? Well, um....

I have a good-ish excuse.

My dad had a heart attack while visiting me here in Minnesota.
See! Told you it was a good excuse. He's doing fine now, but boy-howdy did it scare the living sh*t out of everyone. He was a model patient from all accounts and he and my mom are back home and enjoying life again, but with less salt and more medication. ;) I am sure he'd prefer it if I didn't go into all of the details of his little cardiac adventure with you but suffice it to say he cheated death by about oh 8 hours or so? Had his eldest daughter not insisted we go to the ER that morning, he would've been a goner for sure. You're welcome Dad. :)

Anyway....

I am working on some new posts that I hope you'll find interesting. I hope you are still coming here! Are you? :) I still have a giveaway going on my Giveaways and Reviews section. It ends on Monday so hurry up and enter! I am also going to start introducing you to some of my favorite blogs out there. And, I am going to start my weight loss updates again. Not much to report, other than I am going to start my weight loss updates again. (She says with a sigh...)

So, my dear readers, thanks for hanging in there with my lack of updates. No more absences, excuses or not.