All American Moments!

Yesterday after reading a post on Sweets by Sarah I found out about Operation Baking Gals.

Now, I'm not exactly a baker extraordinaire, but I am always interested in finding new ways to show my support to the troops. So I was inspired to do some digging, and came across Soldier's Angels and decided to step up and start by sending cards to those wounded during service.

I am participating in their Wounded TLC program, and hope to do a bit more as the summer rolls along. I just know that if I'm going to be traveling at all to visit family I don't want to commit to mailing packages just yet, but I hope to take that on in the fall!

Anyway, I'm very excited about this opportunity, and wanted to share these sites with you all, should you be inspired, as well.

Oh, and oddly enough ... today I check my Google Reader and find that 4 Nuts in a Nutshell has created some patriotic blinkies, so I chose one for today's post! Thanks, Cat!





And THANKS to all the men and women across the world serving our great country. May each day find you as safe and protected as you allow us to feel.

Is it that hard?

If you're frugal like me, you use your beauty items to the very last drop (kind of like Maxwell House, but more along the lines of Colgate and Head & Shoulders!)

So, my question is, is it that difficult to squeeze the tube of toothpaste up from the bottom? It's so helpful in my quest to get every inch of toothpaste out of there, and makes my life so much easier in the long run. And yet, no matter what, my hubby tends to squeeze it from the middle!

I remember hearing these stories. I remember hearing about wives who harassed their husbands about such simple, little things. Mind you, I'm NOT one of them. I've never griped to hubby about it. I may have asked him once or twice, so yes, defending myself before you ask, he does KNOW that I'd prefer he use it that way! And yet, he still squeezes from the middle. Argh! Why? WHy? WHY?

OK, so it's not going to solve international relations or anything if he made the change, and it's sure as heck not going to keep our wireless from fritzing out, or our AC from running, so on a greater scale it really doesn't matter much. But for me, penny-pinching, coupon-cutting, money-saving ME, it'd make things easier when we're at the end of the tube and I'm trying to get a few more brushing sessions in!

Ah, well. I love him, anyway, so I'll let it slide. But about those socks he left downstairs ...

So sad tonight.

I'm so terribly sad tonight. A friend of mine lost her husband today. He hadn't been ill for very long, but cancer travels fast and doesn't mess around. It's terribly tragic and horribly sad, and I wish peace and strength for her and her family. Most especially for her and her two little boys.

When I heard the news I started to well up. A little over a year ago we spent the day with their family, grilling, drinking, enjoying the summer-y weather. They found out in April that he was sick, the doctors gave him a year. What do the doctors know?

It's horrible to even consider their loss. He was only 32.

Please throw some thoughts of strength and love into the universe tonight for their family. And extra prayers if you have some. And hold your own family a little tighter tonight. I know I already have.

O's Summer Reading List

I just thought I'd share this link from Oprah's website with a Summer Reading list of the Top 25 books you can't put down.

A few of them actually look interesting. Here are some I'll be adding to my list:

* Dreaming in Hindi, by Katherine Russell Rich
* What I Thought I Knew, by Alice Eve Cohen
* Plan Bee, by Susan Brackney
* Eye of My Heart, edited by Barbara Graham
* Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange, by Amanda Smyth

I feel better ...

I feel better now because:

1. We are inside (hooray!)
2. A few minutes after my last post I turned on the hose and SOAKED my hair. Completely soaked it. And man, that felt good.

I'm still cool now because of it.

Oh, how I love water!

Whew, it's hot out here!

We're in the backyard, and it's friggin' hot out! Whew!

I just got my allergy-related update e-mail saying we're hitting 94 in Durham today. Goodness. It's not even the thick of the summer yet.

We're splashing in our mini-baby pool, and we're under the canopy, but man, I'm about to hop in there completely dressed. Whew. It's H-O-T = HOT!

I mean, there is only so much this can do to hide me from the heat!


I'm more than ready to kick-start the AC and hide out inside, but she's not ready yet.

Hey, maybe I'll melt some pounds away while sitting out here? A girl can dream, right?

An Angel and a King ...

How horribly tragic. How terribly sad.

First, this morning I read that Farrah Fawcett passed away. She finally succumbed to her battle with anal cancer.

And then tonight my SIL calls me and tells me that Michael Jackson is either in a coma or dead. What? Michael Jackson is dead?

I'm sitting here watching the 20/20 special about Farrah, and I'm so sad. She suffered so much, but was so beautiful.

And the King of Pop. Gone? As crazy as he was in the later years, he was and will always remain a legend. There will never be another like him. So tragically sad.

Rest in Peace, Farrah. Rest in Peace, MJ.

TODAY!

Today is the day. I'm trying to become a loser again.

I woke up during the night last night with horrible stomach pains (TMI, I know!) and I made up my mind then and there (in pain, and slightly sad) that today would be the day I start again at trying to lose weight. I mean really dedicating myself to it.

We'll see what happens. I know I won't be flawless. I know I won't never cheat. I have that milkshake I mentioned yesterday in my freezer, and I won't throw it out, I KNOW that. Once I admit that, well, I take the time to recognize that it's okay, and that I can have some of it over the course of a few days, and that's not so bad. (OK, so maybe I'm tricking myself here, but I've never been one to truly deprive myself of things, because I know that would just ultimately lead to a binge, ya know?)

Anyway, today is the day. I weighed myself this morning, and I figure Wednesdays aren't a bad day to continue doing that. This way whether I do it weekly or every other week, I'll at least have an idea of where my numbers are headed, ya know?

So ... WHO IS WITH ME?

I could live off of Chik-fil-a!

You know I'm officially a Southern Girl when I make this announcement. I could seriously LIVE off of Chik-fil-a. For those who know me and know I don't eat hamburgers (or any beef) this is my absolute favorite fast food restaurant EVER! Seriously, a fast food joint that ONLY serves chicken? What more could a girl like me ask for?

The first time I tried their nuggets I was like, well, what's the big deal? And then I ate one. And several more. For a while there I think I had it for dinner at least once a week.

And the milkshakes. Uhm. I had a bunch of those, too.

So I hadn't been there for a little while. Until this past weekend. We went to the food court at Triangle Town Center (mall) and I got myself and the lil miss some nuggets for lunch. And so the relationship begins again! We went with some friends today for our own little play date, and I am bringing the lil miss to a birthday party there this weekend. It's quite possible that third time will have me reach my fill. Or maybe not ...

After all, they make a smaller sized milkshake now. So I can have less guilt. Right?

Busy weekend ... again!

We were on the go this past weekend! Lunch w. friends on Saturday, then a birthday party for a 2-year-old, and then a drive in the JEEP. Our little one zonked out immediately from the breeze and motion, so hubby and I were able to run some errands. Yesterday for Dad's Day we got up and left the house early. Took a long drive out to Wilmington and went to the Fort Fisher Aquarium for the day, including a pop over to the beach right down the road.

Our first trip to the "coast," and her first trip EVER to a beach! So we saw the fishies and sharks, left the waves lap at our feet, took a bunch of pictures and then fell asleep on the ride home. Hubby enjoyed Father's Day and we were zonked out before 11PM. How OLD are we?!?

Hope you and your loved ones enjoyed Father's Day this year. May there be many more celebrations of Daddies in the world in the years to come!

Too funny not to share ...

If you have a minute, check out this link:

Bringing home Baby #2

It's freakin' hilarious!!!

I'm a reading machine!

For some reason right now I'm tearing through books. I enjoy reading, it's not a secret, and when I find the right kind of light and fluffy book, I'm all set.

So far I have touched my summer reading list and read the following books:
* A Summer Affair, by Elin Hilderbrand

* Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

* True Love and Other Lies, by Whitney Gaskell
* She, Myself & I, by Whitney Gaskell

I'm not finished with the last one, as I just started it last night, but it's a quick chick-lit read, so I should be done by the end of today or tomorrow at the very latest.

I'd love to fill you in but my daughter is in the kitchen screaming her head off saying "THIS ONE! I NEED THIS ONE!" about a bubble wand. I mean, seriously? Is it THAT important that you can't wait 30 seconds? Oy. Motherhood is great. It realllllly, reallllllly is.

"Peggy Boing!"

Wonder what that means? That's how my daughter repeats "piggy bank." Or something like that. It varies ... now and then it sounds like piggy ... and other times it sounds like bank ... but for the most part I hear Peggy Boing (maybe w. a K thrown in at the end!)

We made one last week. Then we made another one the next day. She enjoyed it so much we had to do it again.

I got the idea from one of the cool and crafty books I got recently. It's so simple, all you have to do is take a coffee can (the first one we used was entirely plastic, the next one was a chai tea can, so the bottom is metal) and clean it out really well. Then let your child put loads of stickers on it, or if you can't get the label off, wrap a piece of printer paper or construction paper around it and tape it down.

So it goes like this:
1. Clean out coffee can
2. cover w. paper to hide label
3. stickers all around can
4. use clear packing tape to cover entire can
5. cut slit in cover
6. Tah dah! Piggy Bank!

The real instructions say to tape the cover down, but I know my child and she would have been working to tear that thing apart to get that money out, if only to put it back in again. We've already done that a zillion times since last week, so I made the right call and didn't tape it shut permanently. You make the choice that's right for you and your little one.

Either way it's fun, and they have something that they can use when it's time to teach them about money. We've got quarters down already, but nickels are a bit tougher. Pennies are easy to spot, and dimes are kind of so-so.

She'll get them eventually, I'm sure. Or by the time she needs to there will be new and funkier versions out there in the world. Or something like that!

Note to self ...

Do NOT use Fiber One yogurt if you're going to give your 2-year-old daughter a yogurt-juice-shake. :( We're paying for that today (after she had her second serving this morning.) Probably TMI, but hey, if not here ... where? 

Juicy-yogurt shake!

So today I made a *shake* for us, and got the recipe from another kid-friendly book. 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat: Fun, Nutritious and Kid-Tested! (Thanks to a friend for turning me onto this book, and another one in the series!) It was SO simple, and my little one had fun pushing the buttons on the blender and drinking HER special drink!

1 c. vanilla yogurt
1 c. apple juice
1 c. ice cubes

Mix (in the blender) and serve. Yum!

I have some left over in the fridge for tomorrow, and you know what? Even I enjoyed it, I kind of liked the taste! Give it a shot with any flavored yogurt you might have, and any kind of juice. It's pretty good, and it is truly kid-friendly!

Yesterday's Cookies!

Yesterday my daughter and I made cookies using a simple recipe from The Toddler's Busy Book. I have made them before, and seriously, a toddler COULD make them!

* 1 box cake mix (we used devil's food cake)
* 1 egg
* 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Mix together. Batter will be thick, so you may have to use your hands. Roll batter into cookie-shaped balls. Cook at 350-degrees for 10 minutes.

This time we put white chocolate chips in them, so yummy, so yummy! {Yo Gabba Gabba, anyone?} But they're just as great without anything added. My plan is to try with a yellow cake mix next, maybe it'll be less messy!

Enjoy!

Double Qs up to $1.98!!!

I think I am in heaven! I just read on my mommies' board that Harris Teeter will be doubling coupons up to $1.98 from 6-24 through 6-30! Can you even imagine that? I know I can't!

It's so sad that this is the highlight of my day, but I am honestly so excited I'm about ready to start sorting through my Qs right now.

Yes, it's 9:38pm, on a Tuesday night, and how lame is that? But hey, my hubby is watching Discovery or some science channel, there is not that much TV for us to watch together these days, so I catch my shows when he's not home, and so I'll be happy in my domestic goddess-coupon-land!

Come and join me! Start clipping and organizing NOW! And then you can tell me all about your great deals after you get 'em.

So You Think You Can Dance ... dance ... dance ...

Does anyone else just love this show? I'm seriously addicted to it. I might love it as much as, or more than (GASP!) American Idol! Not that I could ever love any judge more than Simon, but still, it is really great.

I haven't been watching it since the very first episode ever. I'm pretty sure I even made fun of it when I first saw the ads. But I got sucked in, kind of like what happened with AI when the first episode I watched was the finale of the first season. But a little bit later!

So I started by watching Season 2, and absolutely loving crazy and quirky Benji. And even Travis. And anyone else who danced with them (sort of) or as well as them.

And then Season 3 came along and I LOVED Sabra. But she fell off the face of the earth after winning. Or so it seems. She and Dominic were too cute together. He's doing pretty well, and, again, I have no idea what she's doing. But still, I'm glad she won.

And last season, Oh how I loved me some Joshua. What a man. What a dancer. What a man and a dancer. The music kept getting better and better, the dances were better and better (although I missed Shane Sparks, but I'm glad he did the first group routine of this [current!] season (Yay!)

So I look forward to my addiction returning. I'm into it already, but get even more so as the season progresses. And, major bonus, it'll be back again in the fall! What more could a fan want?

So sit back, get yourself a pair of earplugs or have your hand on the mute button, cause it's about ready to start ... enjoy!

I survived ...

Yesterday I participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. We walked 3 miles, and it was hotter than heck out there. But I made it!

The group of over 20,000 women, men and children from across the Triangle continue to raise towards our goal of $2 million to help find a cure for breast cancer.

It was an absolutely amazing experience. As I crossed the finish line I turned to watch a Survivor behind me, a woman who had been in a wheelchair for the entire race. I missed the moment that she stood up, but I did see her cross the finish line. My friend and I had chills. We both turned to each other and we were crying.

What a beautiful moment to witness, what a beautiful day to be a part of.

It's not too late to donate, Click here to do it NOW!

Thanks. And maybe sometime soon we won't have to Race for a Cure, we'll already have one.

Still Alice

I finished reading Still Alice the other day. It took some time for it to sink in before I decided to write about it, it was a really touching story that hit a little close to home. Lisa Genova did an incredible job at portraying a woman with early-onset Alzheimer's.

My grandmother suffered for many years with Alzheimer's. She was not young when it started, not that we knew, anyway. Sadly, and honestly, I couldn't say how old she was when it began. I can, however, tell you that I was about 10. Or was it 13? I think it was 10, and that she suffered for 13 years. Or we all did.

This story was incredible in that somehow she was able to create the mind of a woman dealing with changes in her mind, and put it all on paper. I turned page after page, reeling with emotions, felt my stomach tied up in knots. I was frustrated, over-joyed, angry and sad. I watched as her husband was shocked, supportive, shut down and pulled away over the course of time.

I listened as she, herself, tried to remember dates and places, names and faces, and basically fell into an underwater world, where conversations floated around her and she fell behind, often completely lost. Sometimes not even knowing it.

The nice man took her home. That man was her husband.

The actress in the play. She asked, 'Will we see you in anything else this summer?' How quickly she forgot rehearsing lines with her daughter.

The mother. Her own daughter. Who tested positive for the gene of some sort. The gene that would possibly lead, could possibly lead to her own memory loss and dementia as time moved on.

How many lives are touched by this horrible disease? I'm sure that we can never truly know. But for anyone curious, just interested in a taste of the way that lives are completely changed, pick up a copy of this book. It's a well written story. You'll be touched.

My MIL's Play-Dough recipe

Forgive the double post if you happen to read my daughter's blog, as well as this one. Just figured I'd post for the "masses." (Ha ha HA!)

A little more advanced than the oatmeal+flour+water one I did a while back, here is my MIL's Play-Dough recipe:

2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 pkgs Kool-Aid
3 T. Vegetable Oil
2 c. water (boiling)

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil and water. Stir well.

Add more flour (a little at a time) if dough is too sticky. Knead until smooth. Continue to add flour if needed if dough remains sticky.

Keep in a Ziplock bag in your fridge.

Viola! Instant Play-Dough!

It's a more natural version of the sticky icky stuff you can buy at the store, so if they eat it it's definitely safe and non-toxic, and easy to make at home with pretty simple and mostly natural ingredients! Uhm, minus the Kool-Aid, but hey, I SAID MOSTLY!

Cookies in the morning?

Come on, tell me I'm not alone?

Yes, it's after noon now, but this morning, at about 10:30, I made it my business to enjoy several Chips A'Hoy chocolate chip cookies. You know, the regular, crunchy ones (there should not be any other kind!)

So yeah, I'm still trying to eat healthy. I'm still trying to lose weight. But I'm also still trying to not lose my mind before the end of the day.

So, how about you? What's your sneaky way of making it through another day?

Check it out!

I'm "published" on another blog!

See here: The Mommies Network Blog!

They took my submission and it's up there! Hooray!

A fantastic idea!

Leave it to my friend Gabriele to find a fantastic list of children's books for us to peruse and use to work with our kids. Apparently there is a Top 100 Picture Books list out there, and she's encouraged us to look into getting our kids into it.

I'm kind of anal, so I won't follow her link to the Top 30 because if I don't get through them all I'll be frustrated, but I might skim the Top 100 to see which ones we have that I can check off the list.

If you know me at all, you'll know I'm a book addict, and that applies for my daughter, as well!

So thanks, G! I am so glad I saw your post about this and I hope that I can get through some of these with *I* this spring and summer!

I'm writing a book.

It's going to be called The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning Your College Student.

You think I'm kidding?

I'm SO not.

I never thought I'd be nursing my daughter for very long. I had no clue what the heck I was doing, so how would I even begin to imagine that I'd make it to a year, let alone past two? Seriously. It's amazing. And yes, it's a precious and remarkable experience. And I'm proud. But I swore I would not be one of those mothers whose children asked for the breast. I had a caveat, I meant with actual sentences, so perhaps I'm not really there yet. After all, her favorite request is "boobie!" That can't count, can it?

Anyway, I'm trying various ways of weaning her, but she is pretty attached. Other kids have binkies and loveys, my daughter has me.

We've drastically reduced the number of nursing sessions per day. We pretty much nurse in the mornings, at night and sometimes once in the afternoon (for naps) but there are days I'll turn around and suddenly realize it's early afternoon and we haven't nursed once. The nighttime sessions are not a bother, they're time for us to unwind, calm down before bed, and often I'm even able to move her into her crib without having her fall asleep first. She's growing up, she's becoming a big girl. I am amazed by her every single day.

And it's bittersweet. Because while I love the nighttime nursing sessions I think we're closing in on the end. And I think it's time. But I can't figure out HOW to stop, and I don't know if it's more me or her. But I know that we'll get there. Because I will not be nursing her into her college years. At that point I'm going to want her out of the house anyway!

So what started off as a joke of a post ended up showing how the moments are so precious and I enjoy them, if only they were just at night. If only the minute I sat down on the couch wouldn't represent *boobie* for her. Having a new couch has helped. The butt groove from the old couch where I nursed her for the early days and months of her life is gone, and this couch is firm and strong. And different. It's harder to get comfortable, it's more of a struggle to sit and nurse, and I'm not bothered by that. So as you can see, I'm stuck in the middle. I know we'll get there, and along the way I'll try to figure out steps towards the end.

But if you have any tips for me on how to cut her off before her teen years I'm all ears!

D@mn, it's hot!

So my plan is to avoid turning on the AC until the official after-noon hours. It's 11:10AM right now and almost 80 degrees. INSIDE. What the heck? I'm not ready for this.

Yes, yes, I know summer has been creeping up on us for a while now. And yes, I know I live in the South. And believe me, I love it. I really do. But this heat. Come on, now. It's a bit ridiculous. It's barely June. Whew.

I want to take my daughter outside, but instead I'm sitting here listening as she's watching that annoying Special Agent Oso (Rudy!!!!) and I don't even mind.

Hubby bought a canopy for outside, so I have high hopes that once I learn how to get the thing together I'll be able to sit outside and play with her, with some shelter for us both. Or at least me. The heat doesn't seem to bother her tiny body. That's great and all, but I'm breaking out under my glasses from a few walks in the afternoon. Yeesh.

And so, for now, I have the fan running and I think I can make it another 48 minutes before clicking that button to Cool. The hose and baby pool (or even water table) are great ways to cool down. And today I'll stay off the phone so when she sprays me with the hose I won't mind one bit! Hang in there, everyone!

My Summer Reading List

OK, so having reviewed my reading list for 2009 thus far, I have decided to make a summer reading list. Several of the books I want to get into are from my 2009 master list, so I hope to finally read them!

I currently own the first batch, but hope to get my hands on the rest, as well:

* The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan

* A Summer Affair, by Elin Hilderbrand
* Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

* How to be Lost, by Amanda Eyre Ward
* True Love and Other Lies, by Whitney Gaskell
* She, Myself & I, by Whitney Gaskell

* Love Walked In, by Marisa de los Santos


* Second Chance, by Jane Green

* The Next Thing on My List, by Jill Smolinski

* The Beach House, by Jane Green
* Audition, by Barbara Walters

As you can tell I am trying to stick to lighter reads as the summer approaches. It's already hot enough to *fry an egg on the sidewalk,* so I don't need to fry my brain, as well!

The Biggest Loser

There are days that I feel like a loser. And others when I look in the mirror and say, where did that second chin come from?

Yes, I'm talking about weight. The F-word. Gasp. F-A-T.

I participated in a Biggest Loser contest with my fellow mommies that ran from January through April. I lost 10 lbs, but 5 of those suckers seem to find their way back home now and then. And seem to plant themselves on my face! Damn!

Anyway, I'm not in any contest, but I'd like to give myself some time to focus on how to get rid of the extra poundage, and for good. I mean, although my clothes fit (most of the time) and I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight (which wasn't that low to begin with) I still could afford to lose an entire person, so I'd like to try.

And no, I'm not one of those people who think losing 100 lbs is realistic, or who wishes she weighed in at 122 (WHAT?) but I'm thinking if I write down my dedication those 5 lbs will stay away for good, as will a few of their friends.

So, who is with me? Let's watch the numbers go down, on our scale, on our clothing, and on our faces ... ;)

I love to read ...

I have just reviewed the books I've read over the past months. 2009 has had me pretty busy reading and, well, reviewing what I've read for the TM blog! And that is what started me with blogging, so it's kind of cool that my love for reading reminded me of my love for writing that way.

And so I figure what better way to continue that than with including my love of reading here in this blog? Especially when it comes to a Southern woman and her stories.

I just finished reading Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank, by Celia Riverbank. I won't get into it too much right now except to say that she's pretty d@mned funny. And proud of her Southern self. And makes me proud of my relocated Southern self!

Anyway, if you keep peeking in I'll keep you informed on my up-to-date reading list, my planned summer reads and the like, and hope you'll chime in about what sorts of books interest you, too! So ... Happy Reading!