Feeling Down

I found out late last night that my close friend's father has been in the hospital since Monday. He has a history of seizures, and they thought this was another one, but it turned out it was a brain aneurysm.

On top of the initial diagnosis, his heart has been working overtime, causing more stress, and at this point he may possibly have pneumonia.

My friend and I grew up together, and sadly have been distanced over the past year, only to find ourselves connecting and reaching out to one another at times of loss or fear. Our families are very close, she and I met in 2nd grade, her brother was my brother's best man, our parents live two blocks away from each other, etc. Of course this is a terribly devastating situation for her entire family, and it is really difficult for me and my family to even begin to comprehend. At this point all I can do is send positive vibes out into the universe, with hopes that they stick and he regains his strength in order to return home, healthy once again.

Thanks for listening, dear readers, and squeeze your loved ones a little bit tighter when you next can.

Wordless Wednesday!

I desperately needed a laugh this morning, so the following picture is my choice for today's Wordless Wednesday:

In Case You Haven't Noticed ...

I love to read. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm addicted to reading about kids, parenting, entertaining them, cooking for them, and whatever else I can get my hands on.

Right now I am reading the following "kid-related" books:

* 365 Games Toddlers Play, by Sheila Ellison (just arrived today, so I haven't read much of it yet!)
* Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
* 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12, by Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D. (also arrived today, but I'm looking forward to getting into it!)
* I'm Three Years Old, by "me" as told to Jerri Wolfe [just finished, so that's book #33!]
* Healing The New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders, by Kenneth Bock, Cameron Stauth (been working my way through this one for a while ... it's pretty intense!)

I don't know if it's just the fact that I'm a parent, or my social work background, or what, exactly, but these books fascinate me and are so much fun, so educational and sometimes even a bit inspirational. Anyway, I was at a bit of a loss for what I felt like writing about, so I decided to update you on my book list.

Next list needs to be the kid-friendly books I enjoy reading with my little girl. Maybe I'll sort through some of those later, but I will say that swapping with someone whose child(ren) has outgrown them can save you a LOAD of money on books. Which is a great thing for someone like me, who is pretty addicted to book shopping, buying, reading and keeping!

Muffin Tin Monday!

No theme this week, which worked perfectly, since we weren't prepared for much. We started off with yogurt and sprinkles (from our swap!) and Fruit Loops to add to the yogurt, which was a new concept and she really liked it. Then I tossed in some orange slices.


We had just made some butterfly shaped crescent rolls (next Simply Made Sunday I'll share pics!) so I added them to the meal/snack, and she had to have two to make it "even!"



Check out more Muffin Tin Monday adventures at Her Cup Overfloweth!

Simply Made Sunday!

This week our Simply Made Sunday "recipe" is really super simple. I may have even posted it before, but not actually for SMS, or with pictures!

Anyway, here we go, an easy and Toddler-Proof cookie recipe from The Toddler's Busy Book!

* box of cake mix of your choice (we used spice cake this time, but my other fave has been Devil's Food Cake mix)
* 1 egg
* 1/2 c butter or margarine

Mix ingredients, or have your toddler do it for you:

(Don't worry, she isn't actually tasting it!)

Create cookie shaped balls.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes!

Tah dah! You have yummy cookies!

For more Simply Made Sunday posts, check out SMS's new location, over at IttyBittyBookworms.

My new favorite show!

If you have not caught an episode of GLEE yet, you really need to. Honestly, without a doubt, the best new show of the season.


It is hilarious, entertaining, serious, emotional, real. And did I mention hilarious and entertaining? I love the music performances so much I have already downloaded (yes, actually PURCHASED) some of them on iTunes! I can't help myself. They're amazing covers of some great songs, so why not enjoy them?

The characters are my new favorites on television, and while the girls are entertaining powerhouse performers, and absolutely adorable, the guys are just so cute and have become my new "TV boyfriends!" Honestly, even the high school characters that I find myself *hating* I am truly enjoying.


So for those of you who have been missing out, you can catch their full episodes on FOX.com by clicking HERE.

Let's not let Glee become the Best Show You're NOT Watching, OK? Because if they take it off the air and you didn't tune in I am totally going to have to blame you. There. I said it. And I meant it. So DVR it, check out the website, log onto iTunes, whatever it takes. And enjoy yourself! It's about time there was a show like this out there to take us away from all the crime scene dramas that we all love SO much. Except for CSI, they jumped the shark last season, if you ask me ... but I know, you didn't. But when has that stopped me before?

Note: Images in this post were found while searching Yahoo.com, located on Flickr, and ©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co.

Flashback Friday

I thought I'd take a moment and remember my childhood ...

Can you guess which one is me?

My Winnings!

I started blogging in March. So far I have actually won several giveaways, and it shocks me each time it happens, AND makes me smile!

First, I won a gift certificate to $100 off a cleaning from Bidmycleaning.com. I won this from Cat at 4 Nuts in a Nutshell. I have not used it yet, as I'm trying to figure out the best deal, along with how to make a reservation on the website and explain that more than anything what I need cleaned is my bathrooms and carpets!! I hope to use it soon, though!

Then I won a $30 GC to Skin Free Skin Care from Pat at Here and There. I ordered myself a soothing stick and their shower pack which included a shower gel and a sugar scrub. Ahh, delightful!

Next I won the It's a Girl Thing giveaway from Susana at Our Homeschool Fun and received a fun Crayon Roll for my daughter:

... and a beautiful heart bracelet for me!

Most recently I won a free header and blog button from Gabriele at The Work Of Childhood, and I look forward to seeing her creative talents at work.

I also recently won a free tube of Baby Bliss Nipple Cream, from Shelly over at Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother.

And lastly, today I received a new planner from Busy Body Books. I won this at ABC & 123 Learning and am SO excited. I'm so dorky, but nothing makes me happier than a fresh, clean, blank slate of a planner for the coming year!


So, if you think you'll NEVER win something when you read about the amazing giveaway someone is having, think of me, and GO FOR IT! What can it hurt to enter? Just leave a comment, that's usually all they ask for, and it's a great feeling to hear that you've won something! Even something small, like a tube of nipple cream. ;)

What do you think?

I changed up my blog a bit. I have been trying to decide if I wanted a new background, and started digging around on Aqua Poppy Designs to decide if I wanted to switch things up. I tried a handful of the brownish backgrounds she had for free on her site, and I decided to give this one a go.

It's definitely different. I almost opted for the polka-dots one, because I had been using Blogger's dotted background since Day 1, but the more I looked at it, the brighter it seemed, so I went back to a more neutral color scheme. I like the browns, I like the light blue with it, I may have to play with my fonts and colors, but for now I think my blue font for my posts still works, which was important to me.

Anyway, what do YOU think? Do you like it? Prefer the old style? Take a look at her site and let me know if you think there is a better background that seems to suit me. I'm open to suggestions!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday!

As football season is underway I pay homage
to her first Super Bowl.
GO BIG BLUE!!!

Welcome, Fall!

No, these pictures were not taken here in NC. Nor were they taken this particular fall (which, after all, has only just begun!) I did take them, they were taken in Abbot, Maine in October of 2004. They capture what fall means to me, and help me remember the beauty that is this wonderful season!

100 Books in 2009

Yes, I know I'm quite behind getting this list started, but I have definitely (as you readers can attest) been reading a lot this year, so I figured I'd combine my posts and see if I am even close to 100.

Thanks to J. Kaye's Book Blog I can participate with hundreds of readers and maintain my list for everyone to see! I just read about this on a blog that I follow, but now I can't seem to find the post, to make reference to that blogger, as well. I'll keep my eye out and try to find out who it was!

Thus far in 2009, I have read the following books (in no particular order, since I lost track while compiling!):

33. * Comfort Food, by Kate Jacobs
32. * Mothers Who Think: Tales of Real Life Parenthood
31. * Dakota Born, by Debbie Macomber
30. * Dakota Home, by Debbie Macomber
29. * The Manning Sisters, by Debbie Macomber
28. * Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell
27. * Without A Backward Glance, by Kate Veitch
26. * Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay
25. * I'll Have Who She's Having, by Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke
24. * The Next Thing On My List, by Jill Smolinski
23. * Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs
22. * Certain Girls, by Jennifer Weiner
21. * Firefly Lane, by Kristen Hannah
20. * The Senator's Wife, by Sue Miller
19. * Until the Real Thing Comes Along, by Elizabeth Berg
18. * The Three Willows, by Ann Brasheres
17. * The Summer Kitchen, by Lisa Wingate
16. * A Summer Affair, by Elin Hilderbrand
15. * Still Alice, by Lisa Genova
14. * True Love and Other Lies, by Whitney Gaskell
13. * She, Myself & I, by Whitney Gaskell
12. * Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank, by Celia Riverbank
11. * Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World, by Vicki Myron.
10. * Run, by Ann Patchett
9. * Toddler: Real-life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love, Edited by Jennifer Margulis
8. * Marley and Me, by John Grogan
7. * The Game, by Katherine Neville
6. * Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult
5. * Bright Lights, Big Ass, by Jen Lancaster
4. * Dishing with the Kitchen Virgin, by Susan Reinhardt
3. * Mommy Tracked, by Whitney Gaskell
2. * The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield
1. * I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper, by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile

Uhm, Wow. 33 is pretty good, but, well, if I want to hit 100 I'd better get a move on, since it is almost October already! Yikes! I think I'll take it if I make it to 50, but hey, I'll just see how it goes. Since I'm currently reading like 2-4 books I should be able to add more to this list soon!

Muffin Tin Monday!

Well, we're a week behind because we skipped MTM last week. We were both not feeling too hot, so although I did take a picture or two of her eating applesauce in her teddy bear tin, that was the full extent of our approach to the apples theme!

This week's theme is Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. While we don't have that book yet (it's crazy, I have been planning to buy it for her, before I even knew about the movie!) I do figure on noodles and turkey meatballs for tonight's dinner, but I'll post that next week when we don't have a theme, or I'll post it tomorrow and have TWO MTM posts. ;)

Anyway, here's a shot of her with her applesauce, and a splash or two or more of the fun sprinkles we received from our MTM Swap partner!



As you can tell, last week was a "stay in our pajamas* kind of a week, so we were home and watched a lot of Noggin and Disney! (And I SO DO mean A LOT!)

For more on MTM, check out Michelle at Her Cup Overfloweth.

A sweet New Year to all!

This past weekend was Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.

Here in North Carolina my celebration of Rosh Hashana has been quite different than the way I celebrated for most of my life. I never missed holiday services, on both days, we walked to temple, never driving, spending the remainder of the days at home with family. Having fun, lots of laughs and great food.

While living in NC, my holidays have been vastly different. One year I did actually get to enjoy dinner with some friends. My daughter was about 7 months old, so it's been that long since I actually *celebrated.* We enjoyed ourselves, and I got to have a little taste of a Southern holiday. My hubby wasn't at dinner with us, he may have been away on business ..? So it was weird for me, celebrating with no family around.

I couldn't begin to remember what we did last year, but this year I decided that I wanted to go to services. Perhaps I was feeling somewhat spiritual, perhaps I just wanted to connect to my heritage? I don't know what it was, exactly, but I wanted to find a place to go to feel like I was observing the holiday, at least in some way.

So I went to the reform services at Duke University. And there they were, the Jews of NC! I would say that there were about 90 people attending, not counting those attending the conservative service upstairs in the sanctuary. It was quite unusual, and I felt kind of old, being that most of those in attendance were students at the school, but hey, I was there, and that was what mattered most.

Anyway, the service was pretty nice, I was able to follow along as most of it was in English, and I don't read Hebrew, so I felt comfortable and at ease. And then, uhm, there was a guitar. Now, if you're not familiar with temples in NYC, there are usually NOT guitars in the building, let alone played during the service. But there was one. The singer had a really pretty voice, and she sang the prayers beautifully, but I couldn't help but smile thinking of my father and brother. They would have been laughing. It was unusual to me, and yet, I tried to participate anyway, just to remain a part of the experience.

We were supposed to go to an apples, honey and challah play date on Saturday afternoon, but my daughter has been sick all week, and on Saturday she was still pretty goopy. So we missed out on that, but at least I had gone to service, and felt like I had been an observant Jew. But there was something missing ... something I NEEDED. Something to help me feel closer to home. And I kind of got that, but I'll write about it tomorrow! Sorry ... I almost NEVER tease, but I'm tired, so I've decided to stop for tonight. L'Shana Tova!

Note: I found this image on Photobucket and am trying to track down who to give credit to for creating it.

A budding photographer?

Is it possible that we have our very own budding photographer in our home? Check out some of these shots my little one has taken over the past month or so, completely (I mean it!) on her own:

Considering that for the most part I am her subject, I'm not loving all of these "perfect" shots, but I'll live ... and I'll share her talent with all of you anyway. Besides, there are only so many pictures the girl can take of her Muffin Tins each Monday!

I think we may have to either a) get her a kid-friendly camera, OR b) get me a new camera and give her my not-yet-old one! What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday!

Such a sad moment

I was giving my daughter a bath last night and my husband called out to me. His voice was muffled from the other room, but I could make out that someone had died.

"Who?" I asked, turning off the water.

"Patrick Swayze."

My heart stopped. How horribly sad. Patrick Swayze was one of my first loves. A man who I could watch over and over and over again. How sad that he should be taken from this world at the young age of 57. I didn't realize exactly how old he was until later in the evening. A few years older than my aunt, who we lost to pancreatic cancer this past March. What is it with this beast of an illness taking people so young? Horrible. Terrible. Tragic and sad.

I loved Patrick Swayze with all my pre-teen and teenage heart!

From The Outsiders:

To Dirty Dancing:

And Red Dawn (I saw it after Dirty Dancing, to this day I cry my eyes out every time I watch!):

Then Ghost:

Even after the not so wonderful Point Break, he stayed a favorite of mine.

Rest in Peace, Patrick. At least now you no longer feel any pain. We will miss you. May nobody ever put YOU in a corner.