Long time...no see!

Hello all. Sorry to have not been updating. I stopped due to some rather painful Carpel Tunnel issues. I was barely sleeping, let alone being able to write. I have a Dr.s appt in a week to test for it, altho the Dr. is sure I do.
I also was dealing with swollen hands, legs...you name it! Marshmallow girl!!!
I am now on high blood pressure meds and surpringly, my hands have started to get back to normal. So although I still have issues, it is bearable.

I miss my bloggy friends, hope you all are well! Be catching up more soon.
Promise!

Ecostore $25.000 Gift Cert winner!

Congrats to CCakaJapan #25
I have e-mailed you!

Be back soon

Sorry to be such a bad blogger. I have been a tad bit depressed and anxious lately and just this week my Carpal Tunnel (or whatever it is) is acting up, my hands get tingly and numb and I cant type too long without having to shake my hands out. I am hoping a week or so of taking it easy will get me back into shape. Please excuse my many absences lately. I will announce the ecostore winner tomorrow~

Whose fault is it?

The US mails... always. and mine of course.


Chase pisses me off. They took over Washington Mutual whom I have a credit card with. Payment is always due on the 16th of the month. So, I log in and Lo and Behold!!! Its now the 13th! I pay and it processes on the 15th and I am charged a late fee of $39.00. Picture me upset.


Well, perhaps not that upset, but you can thank me now for the gratuitous Hugh Jackman picture. Yummy!!!

Moving on... I call, I explain it was not on my on-line statement that it would change and I am told that a Change in terms was mailed to me In January and it was not their fault but it was the "US mails" fault so I still have to pay. So I tell them I did not receive this notice, so why it it now not the US mails fault, but mine? Why can they use that excuse but not me? My answer:



Well, it was Silence...not this creepy guy...but you get the point.

So I now wrote to the company and I am hoping for a better outcome. I guess they would rather lose my business (I also have a bank account) rather than refund me $39.00
They sound like a bunch of

Wordless Wednesday

The first cousins at Easter...I am large and in center! LOL

Toni's Quotable Sunday!

Time for Toni's Quoteable Sundays! I love this and participate every week. If you want to participate then do your own, head to Toni's site and sign her Mr. Linky and visit as many others as you can!

Dont forget to enter my Giveaway for a $25.00 ecostore Gift Cert HERE

My quotes today are on warm weather... or heat! Cause its almost 90 degrees today and I am remembering how much I do not like Summer... but I am taking what I can from this day... its not as hot as it could be!

"At the entrance, my bare feet on the dirt floor, Here, gusts of heat; at my back, white clouds. I stare and stare. It seems I was called for this: To glorify things just because they are."
~ Czeslaw Milosz

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."
~ Sam Keen

"Summer is a promissory note signed in June, its long days spent and gone before you know it, and due to be repaid next January."
~ Hal Borland

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."
~ John Lubbock

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." ~Author unknown, commonly misattributed to Mark Twain

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world." ~Ada Louise Huxtable

ecostore USA Review and Giveaway!

I had the chance to review products from ecostore USA where all of the products are made from Plant or Mineral products.
Here is what the site has to say:

"Our eco friendly, plant-based household cleaning products are as effective as the leading supermarket brands, and our body and baby care ranges are gentle on your skin and are simply beautiful to use. Our pet care products let you spoil your pets with our nourishing, rich blends of ingredients and show them how much you care by reducing their exposure to unhealthy chemicals.

All of our products are made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients, free of toxic chemicals that bring people closer to nature with non-toxic, environmentally safe solutions that also help to reduce our carbon footprint."

I was sent a few items to try out. First was the Lemon grass soap WOW, the smell was so fresh, fragrant and clean, and pleasant. My skin was left soft and wonderfully scented.



The site had this to say:

"All ecostore USA soaps are created from pure vegetable oils and natural fragrances. They are gentle on the skin and perfect for the kids too. Our cleansing Lemongrass soap is the perfect soap for the whole family. Lemongrass oil is soothing and leaves a pleasant, light lemon scent."

I also reviewed the Manuka sandalwood Shampoo. This shampoo is helpful to people who suffer from Dandruff. Now instead of people asking me when I went to the mountains and why do I still have snow on my shoulders... people just tell me my hair looks shiny and healthy! LOL
It works, and its good for the environment. It is a win/win!

April is Earth month and orders of $25.00 or over at ecostore USA will have FREE SHIPPING! YAY

Overall I was impressed by ecostore USA and its products and its commitment to doing right by our beautiful planet! This company is dedicated to providing you with safe, natural and economical products that do not harm our Mother Earth. Thanks ecostore USA for this opportunity!

Now for the Giveaway...ecostore USA is offering one of my readers a $25.00 Gift Certificate to spend as they will!

How do you win? All you have to do is head over to ecostore USA and tell me what you might spend the gift certificate on, BUT, it must be something other than the items I reviewed, or your entry will be invalid. For extra entries you can: 1. Subscribe to my blog and/or 2. Put my button on your sidebar (Button and code is on the top right of my blog) 3. Follow me on Twitter (Click on icon on my left sidebar) AND tweet this contest and show me where ya did it. Make sure you make a separate comment when you do those things.
IF YOU DO NOT GO TO ecostore USA AND PICK AN ITEM FIRST, THESE WILL NOT COUNT. USA ONLY AND CONTEST WILL END ON APRIL 27, 2009 AT 6:00 PM PST

So get to it! Thanks again ecostore USA for this opportunity!

There's a sucker born every minute

And I don't really care if its me.

I was heading out to lunch after I went to the bank to deposit my work check... I saw a man on the corner with a sign saying "Will work for food" Typical... you see it often. What got me was he looked "normal", Lucid and he had a dog. Animals always get to me. I am sure they get others too.

Yes, I have heard the stories about how some of these people have nice cars, nice homes and their job is to stand outside and act homeless. I know this, and being in a hurry I just thought "how sad" and went by... but in a few minutes I turned the car around and went back and handed him $5.00... because I thought "what if this was me and my dog (or cats)" "What if he really is hungry?" So, I handed him the money and told him to please feed his dog too. He thanked me, said he was having a hard time right now.. he acted and spoke just like anyone else you would meet in the store, in a line, on the street. And I felt like I did the right thing.

But I know... he could have been scamming me. But I also know that that is on him if it is so. I did my part to brighten up someones day...to make their load a little easier. And I hope that the spirit moves him when he gets back on his feet, and I hope he does.

Doing good things doesn't require going to another country... doesn't require your life savings... doesn't require your life.
It requires your compassion, your caring, your empathy. It could be holding a door, helping in a soup kitchen, donating food and clothes... or handing $5.00 to a homeless guy and his dog. And hoping that your good deed will go full circle and come back to you if you need it.

So today... I felt good, I felt sad, I felt glad. I hope he feels the same way, but I hope I helped eased some of the sadness I saw in his eyes and his dogs eyes. If only I could ease it for the many others out there in the same situation. I can only try my best to do so. I will do my best. I can make a difference, even if its only a small one. Will you?

Wordless Wednesday

This is one of the best from Easter... sad.
I am awaiting pics for a family member...

Tuesday tidbits!

First of all, let me assure you. I am not in the "Crazy House" AKA Mental Hospital. I did not need a straitjacket... nor did my kids freak out, scream, cry, fight ect... on the 2.5 hour trip to and from my cousin's house for Easter. In fact, I think someone cloned my kids and left in their place those impostors. Because they were sweet, well behaved and quiet in the car. and out of it too. Too bad the next day they took the clones away and brought back the originals. They probably couldn't handle it. I barely can, and I am "The Mother" LOL

I do have to apologize for my lack of posting and visiting lately. I promise I will be back to normal soon. We have been thinking of moving, so I have been focusing on that. We are planning to move into a cheaper rental and they are hard to find and those damn applications take about 10 hours to fill out and a PHD. UGH

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!!! I will be checking on you all out as soon as my boss starts working again!!! LOL

Quotable Sunday!

Time for Toni's Quoteable Sundays! I love this and participate every week. If you want to participate then do your own, head to Toni's site and sign her Mr. Linky and visit as many others as you can!

Today my quotes are on Childhood... since *to me* Easter is about Spring, joy, and the innocence of childhood. Its so hard to believe that we all used to believe in the Easter Bunny!

"There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again." ~Elizabeth Lawrence

"Sweet childish days, that were as long
As twenty days are now."
~William Wordsworth, "To a Butterfly"

"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in." ~Deepak Chopra

"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older." ~Tom Stoppard

"Old age lives minutes slowly, hours quickly; childhood chews hours and swallows minutes." ~Malcolm de Chazal

"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life."

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." ~ Rachel Carson

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." ~
~ John W. Whitehead

Have a wonderful Easter!

Fantastic Friday!

Well, lets hope so!

Ive been a bit lax on writing and visiting blogs this week... I am sorry to all the people who visit me and whom I usually visit. Work (How dare they!) takes up time lately and my mommy forum too. Throw in a dash of drama and things just need my attention.

It is a fantastic Friday because of it being Friday at last!!! YAY!!!
Even though the market is closed I still have to work which is a bummer. But I feel good because I got something done at work that I was putting off. Its easy for me to "talk" here... to make a remark, be witty (in my mind at least...hahahaha) but its hard for me to be like that with people I do not know in "real life" But I was able to call someone and get what I needed with minimal embarrassment and/or stumbling over my words. I hate that I do that.

Easter is the time we spend with my cousins... so in essence we drive 100 miles in order to feast, visit, egg hunt and enjoy being together. The visiting is awesome (except for my posturing and snobbish cousin-in-law) but the drive is not so fantastic... fights in the first 5 minutes followed by this:




AHHHHH, the joys of having children.


What more could I ask for?




HAHAHAHA
Totally kidding... right now. Ask me again on Sunday night.

Have an awesome Easter my bloggy friends!

Wordless Wednesday

Rocks in the Monterey Bay

Not me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. do yours and head on over to sign the Mr Linky!

Ahhh, Monday again...

Just a little list of things I did NOT do this lovely weekend.

1. I did not eat entirely too much, and eat all the Pringles, Peanut butter Easter Eggs ( I also did not hide them from my kids) Popcorn, Ice Cream and crackers. I would not do that since I am watching my figure... watching it expand!

2. I did not take those Pringles and instead of throwing away the crumbs, I did not... I would not put my mouth to the can and pour them into my mouth. How uncouth!!! That's something *I* would never do. Maybe those other ghetto people would. Not me.

3. I did not obsess on my fluff friends Easter Hunt... I am so not an obsessive person. Just ask Olivia Newton-John, who does NOT have me on her list of potential stalkers... (just kidding)





4. I did not dye my hair using 2 different brands and colors of dyes cause I was too lazy and cheap to go to the store and get a matching pair. (I use 2 since I have thick hair) I did not get the dye all over my ears, my cheek, my elbow or my cleavage cause I was in a hurry and annoyed that I have to cover my grey hair and I am not that old. Well... maybe 41 IS old. My hair does not look like this:




5. I did not wear the MuuMuu my mom gave me around the house and outside. I would not do that. I mean, MuuMuu's are very flattering and all... I would not wear it for the simple fact that I might get attacked for being so hott... and so fashionable. Jealousy sucks. Just ask Kristina and her Snuggie...

Quotable Sunday!

Time for Toni's Quoteable Sundays! I love this and participate every week. If you want to participate then do your own, head to Toni's site and sign her Mr. Linky and visit as many others as you can!

My quotes today will be on intelligence.

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson (1958 - ), cartoonist, "Calvin and Hobbes"

"Readers are plentiful; thinkers are rare." ~ Harriet Martineau (1802 - 1876)

"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge it, requires brains." ~ Mary Pettibone Poole, A Glass Eye at a Keyhole, 1938

"Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun." ~George Scialabra

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." ~ Albert Einstein

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." ~ Bertrand Russell

"Intelligence appears to be the thing that enables a man to get along without education. Education enables a man to get along without the use of his intelligence." ~ Albert Edward Wiggin

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." ~ Albert Einstein

"Wit is educated insolence." ~ Aristotle

Industrial Joe coffee review

First of all a big thanks for the wonderful girls over at Extraordinary Moms for hooking me up with this opportunity. Check them out!

I had the chance to review Industrial Joe coffee and despite my hesitation to give up my bland and boring store brand coffee (bought for budget purposes) I decided to give the Bold Roast Ethiopia a try!



Ahhh.... my nose was the first one to perk up and take notice...it smelled DIVINE! I was hoping that the taste could live up to the smell. I was not disappointed! This is what Industrial Joe had to say about this blend:

One of our favorite coffees, it is grown at an altitude of over 5000 feet, hence, the beans are quite small and the flavors and aroma very concentrated. You will notice the Blueberry and sweet, citrus-like acidity. Ethiopia is the land where wild coffee was originally cultivated, fertilized naturally with bananas and other fruit shade trees.

WOW! I feel very high class and very Cosmopolitan now. Thank you Industrial Joe!

There are may other blends and strengths. Wanna try a few? Then get the mild/medium/bold Sample Pack



All in all, I was impressed by the aroma and the flavour. It was bold, but not bitter. I enjoyed every drop and I think you should head on over and try Industrial Joe coffee yourself!

Wordless Wednesday

Friends... I hope they always are.

The joys of motherhood

How true these words ring:

"So when the great word 'Mother!' rang once more,
I saw at last its meaning and its place;
Not the blind passion of the brooding past,
But Mother -- the World's Mother -- come at last,
To love as she had never loved before --
To feed and guard and teach the human race." -- Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Except of course when you have kids like mine. This is based on a True Story.



Sweet? Innocent? Adorable?
Adorable... I think yes. The rest, I think not!

Unless of course the Little People cow and farmer like residing in the toilet with the refuse of the humans who own them. I mean, they could perhaps. Personally I doubt it. Good thing my husband has patience and kindness coursing through his veins. and a good wrench. Because he had to take that toilet apart to rescue those poor toys. Now they are resting in the landfill. RIP

And I guess the baby powder was just asking to be "set free" from the shackles of its plastic prison. My boys answered the call to action and freed the oppressed mass (of powder) Mommy, however is more of a tyrant. I put the newly released powder in another prison... a vacuum bag. Except for the escapees that managed to elude the vacuum. I just rubbed them into oblivion. I feel like Saddam. But I am cuter. and I don't live in a hole. At least not at the moment. I may do so to escape my kids. As long as I have wireless, I will be OK!

Ahhh, the joys of motherhood... Yes, even with all the naughtiness, mouthiness and fighting my kids do I still love them. What mother wouldn't? Because being a mother is an enormous responsibility, a wonderful and scary gift. A blessing, a curse. All of those wrapped into a little body full of energy, sweetness, brattiness, rebellion, and immense love. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. do yours and head on over to sign the Mr Linky!

I did not: D0 1,000 loads of laundry... nope! More like 10,000. How can two small boys make more dirty clothes than they actually own? Do the clothes just migrate over to my dirty clothes pile???

Thank goodness I live in Modern Times and don't have to use this contraption:



I did not: Spend hours on Mafia Wars offing other mafia members... feel free to join my mafia. We can terrorizer together!

I did not: Eat another 1,000 tortilla chips at the Mexican Restaurant...



Not me, I have the appetite of a bird. This bird:



I did not: Do three chores all at the same time and not finish one of them... I am so much more organized. not!

I did not: Let me cat lick my spoon while I was eating cottage cheese... I would not do something so gross.... would I? Only Rudy knows for sure....

Quotable Sunday!

Time for Toni's Quoteable Sundays! I love this and participate every week. If you want to participate then do your own, head to Toni's site and sign her Mr. Linky and visit as many others as you can!



Mine are on Spring... since its been almost 80 degrees and sunny here!

"Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer." ~Geoffrey B. Charlesworth

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade." ~Charles Dickens

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~Mark Twain

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." ~Anne Bradstreet

"And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

"Is it so small a thing To have enjoy'd the sun, To have lived light in the spring, To have loved, to have thought, to have done..."
-- Matthew Arnold

"Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart."
-- Victor Hugo

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems." ~Rainer Maria Rilke

My life, my sorrows...

Well, my life. I have not had that much sorrow lately. Thank goodness!
But I have had frustration and anger and ups and downs... kinda like a Katy Perry song!

Its been lovely here, the weather has been good, my boss was out of town and it was relaxing.
My boys have been angels and Devils all in a span of 5 minutes. How is it possible that children (is it just mine?) can be so loving one minute and such utter PITA's next.

Jack is sweet, he is four and has FINALLY gotten potty training. OMG!! I thought I was going to be changing poopie nappies until he was 10 and I was 50! Not cool.

Max is 2.5 and he is also doing well on the potty training...which makes me happy since he smells worse than the port-a-potty's on my dad's farm in the 105 degree weather. Max can stink up a room and break up a party... as well as turn a stomach!

But these two sweeties decided that the GIANT container of baby powder was a cool new toy. The cats did not think so, they hid under the bed...smart cats! But mommy who left them playing in the back bedrooms for 5 minutes while she finished up General Hospital left Sonny Corinthos and walked into an even bigger mess. A roomful of powder and 2 boys who looked like this (but without the glitter and make-up) But OH< what mother doesn't want a powdered wig wearing drag queen for a son... I cant think of any.



OMG...I was so upset, angry and I wanted to just lick them all the way into next week! Needless to say, they now know powder is NOT a toy that mommy approves of!

Ive been suffering from some mysterious disease.... my tongue has been swollen and had painful bumps on it. OUCH. I seem to finally be feeling better. But that's a quick update on me and mine.

Wordless Wednesday

Me... not yesterday!!!
LOL, I think I was about 9 months or a year!

Review of Udderly Smooth

First of all a big thanks for the wonderful girls over at Extraordinary Moms for hooking me up with this opportunity. Check them out!

I was lucky enough to be able to review Udderly Smooth Udder cream for dry skin! First of all the full sized products came in the cutest cow patterned box, and when opened up contained four full sized products for me to try and enjoy. I cannot say how impressed I was with Udderly Smooth



A few facts from their wonderful site!

"Made in the USA for over thirty years, Udderly Smooth® products contain rich moisturizing ingredients. Not your average moisturizing lotion- Udderly Smooth® can be used on Dry Skin, Cracked Skin, for Diabetes Foot Care, as a Facial Moisturizer, as a General Moisturizing Lotion and many other uses.

Pioneered by a Pharmacist, reasonably priced and made in America’s heartland. Use Udderly Smooth® daily for smooth, soft skin head to toe."

My husband who is a type 1 diabetic was excited to try the Foot Cream with Shea Butter for Dry Feet, we all know diabetic people need to take special care of their feet in order to avoid infection. My husband tried it out, and was very pleased with the results. After three days use, his feet looked and felt softer and smelled better too! LOL
I was impressed by the results and here is what the site has to say:

"Udderly SMOOth® Foot Cream with Shea Butter for Dry Feet was the winner of Woman's Day Magazine's Best in Beauty for 2005.

Udderly SMOOth® Foot Cream with Shea Butter for Dry Feet was improved by adding Shea butter to make a more intensive moisturizer. Udderly Smooth® Foot Cream with Shea butter, smooths extremely dry skin and feet. Member tested and recommended by Today's Health and Wellness Magazine and Creative Home Arts Magazine."



I tried the Original Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream
and I loved the light fragrance and amazingly enough my udders Ummm... my hands and legs were transformed from dry and painful, to refreshed and moisturized. YAY!!!
I cannot recommend Udderly Smooth enough!


What is even better is that it is available at many stores and for a reasonable price. Udderly Smooth is available at These Fine Retailers
They include: Safeway, Amazon.com. Walmart, Albertson's, Target, Menard's, Walgreens and many others!
So, try out the cool, original and awesome Udderly Smooth creams and lotions!

Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. do yours and head on over to sign the Mr Linky!

1. I did not forget my mom was visiting me until Thursday night... Not me! Its not like I wanted to forget...not me. (Just kidding Mom)

2. I did not forget (that's the wording I use) to clean the kitchen floor, and the kitchen itself because I knew she wouldn't care and I was feeling lazy... Not me!

3. I did not just rub the powder that my sons spilled all over the floor into the rug because I didn't feel like vacuuming, not myself, no way. I am such a neat freak... well... not me.

4. I did not eat a whole Panettone (or Papa Tony as my sons called it) almost by myself on Saturday cause it was so yummy with melted butter... not me yet again!

5. I did not sit here blog hopping while my husband cooked dinner and did the dishes. Not me!!! I am a much more submissive and dutiful wife. umm.... who wants to take a bet that's not me? LOL

Quotable Sunday!

Time for Toni's Quoteable Sundays! I love this and participate every week. If you want to participate then do your own, head to Toni's site and sign her Mr. Linky and visit as many others as you can!

Mine are on Motherhood... since my mom is visiting me this weekend!


"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." ~Rajneesh

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." ~Abraham Lincoln

"Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together." ~Pearl S. Buck

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~Honoré de Balzac

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his." ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895

"She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along." ~Margaret Culkin Banning

"Every beetle is a gazelle in the eyes of its mother." ~Moorish Proverb

"A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest." ~Irish Proverb

"A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother." ~Author Unknown

Finish the Sentence

Finish the sentence...found this on facebook!
Feel free to steal and do your own!

1. I've come to realize that my last kiss...was given to me by two sloppy kissers... my sons!

2. I am listening to... my co-workers... LOL, naughty me!
3. I talk....often quite a bit, others times not so much!
4. My love......for my family is boundless.

5. My best friend......are my HP girls, Dani and my sister!
6. My first real kiss....is something I don't care to discuss! LOL
7. Love is......amazing and takes so many shapes and encompasses so many different elements and people. My husband, my family, my In-Laws, my animals, my friends. I love them all in so many different ways. I am truly lucky.


8. Marriage is...... a comfort. Its nice to know the person you love will be there for you, always.

9. Somewhere, someone is thinking....I wish she would just shut up!
10. I'll always be grateful for.....my Noni. I wish we would have had more time.
11. The last time I really cried was....a few weeks ago. I was overwhelmed.
12. My cell phone....is always waiting for Toni to call!
13. When I wake up in the morning...I rush to make coffee, and check my e-mail and Facebook! Mafia wars!!!!!!!!
14. Before I go to bed.....I go pee again, always.
15. Right now I am thinking about...how my son finally pooped on the potty. Hope I didn't gross ya out! LOL
16. Babies are....tougher than they look, irresistible and a lot of work!

17. I get on Myspace....Rarely. I am a Facebook girl
18. Today I...am working. Sorta!
19. Tomorrow I will be.....doing chores, and enjoying the perfect California weather.
20. I really want to be....home alone with my book.

Diamonds are forever

I hope I win these diamond earrings!
Scarymommy lost 700 followers when she transfered to wordpress. Now all you have to do to WIN Diamond Earrings is head over to her site and follow her
HERE
I hope we win!!!

Thank you all so much

For these crazy last 8 months of blogging. Ive passed the 200 post mark!!! YAY
I started this blog when I was a member of a mom forum/blog site. It was a whim. I started out slow and realized what a huge, yet small world it is out in bloggy land.

Ive been through many things with you all... depression, anxiety about kids, finances, friends... and whatever else was the Post Du Jour. Thank you for being there with me. Coming back, commenting. Even when I had nothing interesting to say.

Ive met many cool people here. I appreciate each of you. You've all done something for me, even if you didn't know it. Maybe a comment that saved my day from being one of the worst in my boring life! Maybe a recommendation for something I needed, maybe just a kind word of acknowledgment and support. Maybe just agreeing with me, or disagreeing with me so I could learn to see another side of an issue.

I have been contacted by a few companies to do a review or two and a giveaway. I DO NOT plan to become a review site. I plan on doing a review here and there between my regular posts, I hope you all do not mind. It gives me a chance to review and try some products I could not normally and a chance for you to read, or not and to maybe win something fun occasionally. This site is too personal and enjoyable for me to make it anything else.

In this upcoming year, I have no real plans for this blog... just my random thoughts, pet peeves, joys and tribulations. I hope you all stay with me on this journey, and I hope I can some way touch each of you, help you, comfort you and make you think. Just like you do for me. Thank you all so much!

Wordless Wednesday JLo edition

Notice the filthy lenses...not sure how he could see.
Note: These were broken 5 minutes later. GRRRRRRRR

Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. do yours and head on over to sign the Mr Linky!

Well, we had an eventful weekend (not me, really) I did not let the boys play in the mud again, no... not me! I would not give them baths twice a day just to keep them happy and in good spirits. Not me!

I did not set my TV to show General Hospital's Friday episode (Soapnet rocks) and I did not shed tears of anguish and joy when Maxie told Spinelli she loved him... My hubby did not look at me like I had two heads even though he was not standing there as engrossed as I was... not him!!! Or me! LOL


I just love dorks!

I did not forget to take a shower Sunday... not me!!! I am not so lazy that I would rather play on facebook than take a shower and beautify myself. Not me. My hair is not showing massive amounts of grey roots because I am just that lazy. Nope, its not me. (just in case I didn't mention that!)

I did not get up at 5 AM just to have a few minutes of free time, NOT ME! Nor do I have a 4 year old who seems to know this and appropriately wake up at 5:30 AM. No, not him.

I am not about to cut this post short so I can have coffee... no, not me. I would never do that. I would for this:


But not some random cup of coffee!!! Not me.

Quotable Sunday!

Time for Toni's Quoteable Sundays! I love this and participate every week. If you want to participate then do your own, head to Toni's site and sign her Mr. Linky and visit as many others as you can!

Sorry mine are a little on the down side... Ive been feeling a bit down and having a hard time with our problems lately. So Adversity quotes for me this week. I promise I will perk up soon!

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." ~M. Kathleen Casey

"If you're going through hell, keep going." ~Winston Churchill

"The healthy and strong individual is the one who asks for help when he needs it. Whether he's got an abscess on his knee or in his soul." ~Rona Barrett

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter." ~Author Unknown

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." ~ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (movie)

"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." ~Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

"Problems are only opportunities with thorns on them." ~Hugh Miller, Snow on the Wind

I need to remember this:

"Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes." ~Francis Bacon

People from California suck

Well, that's what I hear. Just like all New Yorkers are bad drivers, people from Oklahoma are "Okies" and countrified, people from Miami are drug dealers and have loose morals, people from Alaska are all Oil lovers/drunk Indians and people from the South are all friendly with good manners.

WRONG. I hear things from other bloggers, forums, on the web and it makes me mad to be honest... because...

I am from California, born and bred... 3rd generation. I am proud of where I come from, The unique and crazy people, the liberals (LOL) and the natural beauty of my state. We have it all. Desert, Beaches, Valleys, Mountains with snow. We grow the most luscious fruits and veggies. Yes, many of us are "tree huggers" but many are not. We are diverse, unique and we have good and bad people. Just like every other state.

I hear things like "California people are rude"
Sure, some are. But many are not. I am not. We all have different levels and ways of expressing ourselves. Maybe I don't smile at you on the street... but ask me to help find something in the store and I will do it. I will try to make your crying baby laugh, I will hold the door for you.

"California people are all flakes, hippies and Liberal Hollywood types"
Yes, a quite a bit of us are. Perhaps we care too much about things. We think too much. Maybe we want equality for all. We know its not possible, but we try. At least we have our passion.
I, however live in a very conservative, religious town. In California. Honestly, I dont fit in here... but I still like it here. Perhaps I like to shake things up.... LOL Thats the Hollywood liberal in me!

What I am trying to say is this: Dont judge us all by what you hear. Dont put us all into a box until you've met us all. We are all different, all unique. Just like everyone else in this great nation. I promise if you do this for me, I will do the same for you.

Mimi needs...

Kathy B over at The world according to me did this and I couldn't stop laughing at hers! So I did my own. Type your first name into google and then needs and use the first 7 things that come up!


1. To Lose the Attitude~
WOW, does Google have a bone to pick with me? Me, a frickin attitude??? COME ON!!
Well... maybe there is a grain of truth to that. I will work on the attitude ASAP. Better?

2.Prayers~ Hmmm.... odd one since I am not religious. Maybe I should be. Maybe Godoogle is trying to tell me something...

3.A tummy tuck Now that's just plain rude. No wonder I am afflicted with #1.

4.Love Obviously... Dont we all need a little love? Are you listening Google? Instead of going on an on about my attitude and needing tummy tucks, maybe you should just give me some love.

5.A home~ Google may me snotty but they have insight. Yes, I need a real home, not this rental. I miss being able to paint, to have curtains that are actually cute and I miss knowing the house you live in, is the home you own. Thanks Google for making me sad.

6. Needs a Thriller When She Goes to Bed~

Ummm.... I think not. Plus I believe that I am of the wrong sex and about 30 yrs too old for that thriller.

7.Antibiotics~ After having that thriller in my bed, this is probably Googles best idea!

4 things and more!

Found this one facebook. Copy if you wish!

4 things and then some........

FOUR THINGS:
This one is a bit different from the rest. Here are four things about me that you may or may not know, in no particular order... Some directions are at the end.

Four names that people call me
1. Michelle
2. Mimi
3. Shell
4. Mrs. Malfoy...LOL

Four jobs I have had:
1. Farm work (Dad is a farmer)
2. Nordstrom CAFE...COOK, DISHWASHER, CASHIER, BUSSER, SERVER. ALL THINGS!!!
3. Optical Lab Secretary/Admin
4. (Current job) Admin for a financial planner

Four movies I would watch more than once:
1. Grease
2. Zoolander
3. The Philadelphia Story Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart)
4. Any Harry Potter movie

Four places I have lived:
1. San Martin, CA
2. Lodi, CA
3. Woodbridge, CA
4. No four.

Four places I have been:
1. Italy
2. France
3. Florida
4. Nevada

Four People who e-mail/call/text me (regularly):
1. Jeannette
2. Moo
3. Toni
4. Bradd

Four Animals I have known or had in my lifetime
1. Ralph...Cat
2. Rudy....Cat
3. Perro....Dog
4. The Clintons AKA Percy and Polly...Cats

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cinabons!
2. Eggplant Parmesan
3. Thai food
4. Cheesecake!

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1. Italy, particularly Venice. I loved it there
2. The Louve. I could spend days there and not get bored.
3. The country. I want to live in the country..not in town
4. The Mountains. Somewhere with a lot of trees and space.


Four things I am looking forward to this year:
1. The new Harry Potter movie!!! YAY
2. The economy improving.
3. Easter with the family.
4. Jack going to Preschool

Four TV shows that I watch:
1. General Hospital
2. American Idol
3. The Daily Show
4. The Colbert Report!

Some of my favorite songs

Here are a few of my old time faves!
Enjoy and let me know yours!

This was the song we danced to at our wedding!
My hubby picked it.



Very dated and very cool (In my opinion)



Local boy makes good!



My current fave songs are Pink: So What and Katy Perry's Hot N Cold

Whats yours?

Not Me Monday!

My first time doing this!





Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. do yours and head on over to sign the Mr Linky!

1. I did not go to my sisters house and then I did not sneak off with my sister for a trip to the Thrift Store AND the Scandia bakery, where I did not get a piece of yummy lemon cake. That was not me. So if you thought you saw me, it was my evil twin.

2. I did not let the boys play in the mud all day yesterday because they were quiet.
I wouldn't do that!!!





Those children are not mine... they are the evil twin's children. Funny how we look so much alike, kids and all!

3. While my children were playing in the mud I did not play on Facebook with my fluff friends... NOT ME!



My evil twin gets around, doesn't she?

4. I did not, no, not me... make my kids watch The Aristocats last night... and they did not enjoy its almost campy and quaint old fashioned-ness!



5. I did not pretend it was 10:30 in order to get them to bed at 9:00 so I could sleep early. Not me.
I am glad that my evil twin did tho, she is very rested!

Quotable Sunday!

Time for another installment of Toni's Quoteable Sunday!
My quotes this Sunday are simply quotes reflecting the week that just passed.

"The shifts of Fortune test the reliability of friends."
Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), De Amicitia

"When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends."
Japanese Proverb

"The friendship that can cease has never been real."
Saint Jerome (374 AD - 419 AD), Letter

"Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves."
Walter Anderson

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

"There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness."
Josh Billings (1818 - 1885)


"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."
Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."
Marcel Proust (1871 - 1922)


"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana (1863 - 1952), The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905

Friendships shouldnt be so hard

What is it about some friendships? Why do some connections seem so tenuous and fragile? Why do some sneak up on you and amaze you with their elasticity, their compatibility, their endurance? But why is it that sometimes the effort you make, the allowances, the thought you put into it is for naught?

There has been a little shake-up in my online world... friendships that have come and gone, not for lack of trying. Sometimes I feel like I try too much, and in turn expect far too much. To be connected to people for years and then they drop you, they choose someone over you and they choose not to listen to you when you try to help. Because even the most hurtful person has some good inside of them and although it may be naive to hope (and we know its naive) that they will listen and choose to work on themselves and your friendship... a part of you still gets disappointed when they do not. And I am sorry to say, the immature person inside of me hopes they regret it, hopes they regret the loss. Hopes they realize what a good friend they let slip away.

But then there are the ones who stick around... the ones who put up with you. The ones who care, who tell you when you screw up, who tell you when you are wrong and they expect you to listen and you do. Because you know they love you, care for you and honor your friendship the same as you do for them. And those are the ones who matter most... those are the ones who make the others fade away, make the hurt bearable, make your life worth living. Because true and loyal friends accept you for who you are all the while trying to make you a better you. Those are the ones with whom you shares life's joys and sorrows and you wish you could take on those hardships and you know they would do the same for you.

But still...you wish the ones who you lost could experience it, you wish that for them...even though you could not be the one to share it with them. Perhaps that's what being a true friend is as well... to wish the best for someone even though they could not or will not reciprocate.

I leave you with a few friendship quotes:

“True friendship isn't about being there when it's convenient; it's about being there when it's not.”

"True friendship consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and value."

“Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends.”

Wordless Wednesday

Spring Edition. Our plum tree is flowering... even tho we have a ton of rain, Spring has arrived!