I'm in so much pain!

I've been working out with a trainer for a few weeks now. She's gotten good at "beating me up" so to speak. I'm so sore right now. I don't know what I'd do if I had that painful foot condition in the heel and arch area called Plantar Fasciitis. It would be the straw that would break the camel's back. I'd be officially sore everywhere. Sigh...I love the pain though, not in some sadistic way, but I love that it means I'm getting stronger.

More about being out of town

I was talking to my dad while we were visiting and he's been thinking about trying a new type of law. He's a lawyer and has done a bunch of different kinds of law. He's never been part of a group of cerebral palsy lawyers or anything. But he's done bankruptcies, divorces, will, criminal stuff, mining stuff and probably a bunch of other stuff too.

Speaking of lawyers...my husband has court tomorrow. A semi driver drove him off the road awhile back. So of course he gave the guy a ticket. Now the guy is fighting it in court with a lawyer. Hmmm...you drive a state trooper off the road then fight it. I have a feeling this guy will be disappointed. At least I hope he will.

Wow, it's been a week

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted here. Sometimes time flies. This last week sure has. We went out of town. We were having so much fun that before we knew it, it was time to come home. Sigh...vacations always end too soon. We ended up getting a "new" car while on vacation. Very cool! So while we won't be needing to check out new life insurance rates anytime soon, it looks like we'll be needing to check out new car insurance rates. We're excited. It's 3 years newer with fewer miles. I'll miss some of the features of our old car, but dang it...this one is nice!

Too many times

I think we went to Car Toys too many times. For awhile there we were going every time we went into the Springs. My daughter would have a blast playing in the room with all the speakers and stereos. I spent my time chasing after her while my husband discussed cell phones with the salesmen who wanted a sale and would try to get him to buy anything and everything having to do with cell phones. They probably even tried to sell him cell phone amplifiers. We haven't been back since we bought our phones, but when we were in the Springs a few days ago our daughter started begging to go there. She wanted to play in that "magical" room again. Poor girl, we have no plans to go there again anytime soon.

I did a stupid, stupid thing today

I washed a diaper. It was a clean diaper...I think. But when I went to switch the laundry over there were these weird little gel things all over, then I saw the bloated diaper. Oh my! I had the laundry sitting next to the changing pad and I had some diapers there. One must've gotten stuck in the pile and ended up in the wash. It was a mess cleaning up those gel bits. Lesson learned, I will never, never do that again...I hope.

Heading out of town

We'll be heading out of town soon to visit family that we haven't seen in forever. But one thing we're lacking is good luggage, like Delsey luggage. Seriously, you should see the sad state our mismatched luggage is in. Suitcases fraying and falling apart. Bags with missing handles. Oh my...we look so poor when we travel, it's a miracle we don't have people tossing us quarters and singles out of pity. Hahaha!

The sad thing is, I don't see us getting nice luggage anytime soon. It's just so low on our priority list, which is sad. I also want nice pillows and sheets. They're low on our priority list. Stinkin' debt!

Women's Halloween Costumes Question

I just have a little rant/question here...

Why are almost all women's Halloween costumes sexy? I don't want to wear a sexy costume, no one besides my husband would even want to see me in a sexy costume. But anytime I look for costumes they're all sexy. Gah!!!

That is all.

I hurt!

Ok, so I started meeting with a trainer a couple times a week. I'm really trying to get in shape. It's a huge struggle for me. I suppose I could get some diet aids like Stacker or something, but I'm trying it the good ol' fashioned way. I was just diagnosed with a thyroid problem though, so I do have medication for that. But that's not a diet aid, that's more of a "my body is betraying me and I'm fixing it" kind of aid, you know?

But right now I am in agony!!! We worked legs yesterday and now every single time I move it hurts. Sitting hurts worse than standing, go figure that one out. Gah! But hey, I'll be stronger if nothing else, right?

Gift ideas

The holidays are right around the corner and that means it's time to get shopping for all kinds of gifts. I always worry that the person I'm shopping for won't like what I'm giving them. I love getting gift baskets though, so sometimes it's fun to give those because I already know that at least one person likes them. Is that wrong that I choose things that I'd like too?

Homemade Teething Sticks

My little one is teething right now and is beyond miserable. I'm tempted to try this recipe for homemade teething sticks that I found online. I feel so bad for her. It's her molars that are coming in and they look so huge next to her other little teeth.

Oops!

Whoops! I haven't posted here in a few weeks. I've been really busy with my other two blogs. But really, I need to find a direction for this one. I need to work on HTML to make it look different. I need to figure things out with it.

Memory?

Ok, I'm going to admit something here. I don't know a thing about computer memory or backups or any of that stuff. When my main blog was upgraded recently I was so happy to find that it was being backed up. I would hate to think what would happen if I lost it all...I shudder! But how do you know if you need a memory upgrade? Is this something everyone needs? Is it just something business computers need? I'm such a novice at so many computer related things.

Banks fail...

Gah! Our bank failed this week. Sure, it was bought up by another bigger bank. But who's to say it will be safer? I hate that feeling! We don't have a lot of money at all. In fact, we have so much debt that there are times I feel like the sky is falling in on us. I don't know what I would do if our assets were frozen because our bank failed. I'd worry that we'd have debt collection agencies after us, we'd lose our car, we'd lose our house, we'd lose it all. Gah! The US economy sucks!

The bats are still swinging

I can't believe baseball season is almost over. The off season is so dang depressing, I need my daily baseball fix. No more Baseball Tonight on ESPN for months. But not just yet, baseball bats are still swinging for another month or so. I'm shocked by some things this season, like the Tampa Bay Rays...what the heck, they're supposed to stink, no lead the AL East. I shake my head in disbelief...

So dang tempting

I'm struggling so badly to lose weight. It's so tempting to just get some diet pills and use those. But, I'll persevere and hope that what I'm doing will pay off. I mean seriously, all this exercise every day has got to start showing at some point, right? I'm eating healthy too, I don't get why nothing is happening. Gah! At least The Biggest Loser is about to be back on t.v., that's always motivating.

My vacuum doesn't suck

I wish that were a good thing. But really, a vacuum is the one thing that's supposed to suck and mine barely does. I was looking at different vacuums at the store today and was happy to see that there were a lot that we might be able to afford. But I don't want to jump right in and buy one just because it's cheap. If I do that I'll likely get a vacuum that doesn't suck again. I'm going to have to research all kinds of vacuums, like Miele vacuums, before I choose one.

Shopping Around All Night

I've spent a lot of tonight looking for cool online shops for all kinds of presents from mommy gifts to unique baby gifts. There are a lot of awesome shops out there! I wonder how they do it? Do they get a lot of business? How do people know about them? They can't all survive can they? I guess a lot can since there are so dang many of them.

Speaking of things changing...

Over the past few years I've most definitely changed in appearance. I used to be slim and trim and now I'm wearing the extra padding of a mother. But, I don't want that darn extra padding. I'm losing right now...yay! But it's such a slow, slow, slow process. I suppose I could invest in some Fentraphen to help. We'll have to see, I am desperate to get this weight off.

Looking Back

My husband and I celebrated our 4th anniversary recently. Looking back at four years ago things have changed a lot. There are some obvious things like the fact that we have 2 kids, we live in a totally different state, he's not in school anymore, I'm no longer employed, we no longer have cats which means no more changing a litter box...stuff like that. But a lot is the same. We're still living somewhere way too small. Back then it was a basement apartment, now it's a small duplex. We're still very much in love and neither of us have plans of changing that. Our core ethics and values are the same. While I'd love to live in a place with more room, I'm pretty glad the most important stuff is the same now as it was then.

Oh and one more thing...

I've been busy doing a Biggest Loser style competition with some other moms online. I'm doing it purely through diet and exercise, no weight loss pill for me. Although it's mighty tempting. I may give in. But for now I'm working my rear off, I hope literally. Even with my current cold I've been exercising. Oh yeah, I'm that dedicated it to. This time the "baby" weight will come off, no ifs, ands or buts.

Hi there!

So yeah, I haven't posted here in awhile. It's hard to maintain three blogs. But here I am tonight. I'm sick, I'm tired and I could use a good blemish acne cream at the moment, but here I am. It's been nuts here, my oldest is about to start school for the first time...yikes! My baby and I are both sick, which we caught from my husband. I'm just hoping my oldest doesn't catch it, I would hate for her to miss the start of school, she's been looking so forward to it.

Future Career?

I am a stay-at-home-mom right now. I love it, I really do. But someday I'm going to have to do something else. Before I quit the workforce to stay home I was a contract coordinator for a fiscal intermediary company. That was really just a fancy way of saying I did data entry for a payroll company along with doing the customer service aspect too. I totally don't want to do that again, there are actually a lot of things I'd never want to do. But what do I want to do? Be a futures broker? Be a personal trainer? An ultrasound tech? Hmmmm...time will tell.

We lucked out!

We lucked out this week. I have a friend who was selling a bunch of new electronic stuff for really great prices. We spent over $70 of cool stuff, too bad she didn't have a Canon Powershot to sell, that would've been awesome! But anyway, we're pretty excited! My husband will finally have a blue tooth headset which he's been wanting for a long time and we'll have a new flash drive and some other stuff. Yay for good bargains!

Kitchen Sinks?

I haven't put a lot of thought into kitchen sinks, have you? I know I prefer them to have two tubs rather than one. Our first apartment only had one and it was a huge pain when it came to doing the dishes...we also didn't have a dishwasher. I can honestly say I don't miss that place one bit. Our sink right now is basic stainless steal, but at least it has two tubs and is easy to clean.

Too much face washing?

Have you ever wondered if washing your face too much causes acne? I have wondered, although I haven't checked with any acne experts or anything. I'm also thinking summertime is a culprit for random ugly zits. I'd consider moving to Siberia or somewhere where summer never comes, but really I like the warmer weather. So I'll keep on washing and hope that that's not what causes those ugly red bumps.

I Need to Move!

Our town smells like a pig farm. It stinks! I asked someone about it today, because seriously, for the past few days it has smelled so dang bad! Do you know what it is? It's grain! Who knew grain could smell so bad. But it's harvest and all the grain is being loaded up and shipped off. Gah! As if I needed one more reason to hate this place. Seriously, I need some moving services to get me the heck out of here...pronto!

Do you...

Do you watch Jon & Kate Plus 8? My 3 year old loves it and we generally watch it whenever I notice it's on. Well, today they went shopping for furniture and such. I swear they bought everything but a wine rack! I guess you'd have to when you have that many little ones. I don't know how they do it, I'd go bananas. Well, I am already bananas, but I'd be way more nuts than I am.

Stupid Summertime Acne

Yeah, yeah...another reminder, besides the awful heat, that it's summer is a slew of acne. I swear, it happens every single time it gets hot. I really need to find the best acne product and just use it all the time to combat this happening. Seriously, isn't it bad enough that it's too stinking hot to do anything outside? Why...why??? Gah! Anyway...back to your, I'm sure, much more exciting lives.

I've been winning books

It's been crazy. I enter about a million blog giveaways a week. Ok, well not a million but I enter a lot. It seems I usually only win books. I've won a ton of books. Now I just need to start reading them, which is starting to be doable now that the little one goes to bed around 9pm. Anyway, just about the only book I haven't won lately is A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, which I've heard is actually pretty good. Maybe I'll just have to buy it...once I finish all those books I won.

Back in Elementary School

I swear back in elementary school I knew a whole lot more about computers than I do now. And the computers back then were pretty ghetto compared to the high speed, smaller, colored screen computers we have now. I used to know about rom and ram, you know Random Access Memory. All I know now is that those things are probably still important but I don't know much else. My kids are going to be smarter than me before too long. Sigh...

What's the last thing you want right now?

There are so many times I think, "That's the last thing I want right now." But that's not always true. Sure, the thing I'm referring to when I think that is surely something undesirable. But there's a huge list of worse things. Like, I totally don't need a colon cleanser right now. That doesn't sound like fun. Getting a chemical peel? Nope, that doesn't sound fun either. A root canal? Oh please no! Not again ever if possible. So really...when I think that I need to remember there are a whole lot of worse things.

Do You Need a Vacation?

I know I sure do. I know, I know. We just went on vacation 2 months ago. But seriously that feels like a millennium ago. What I'd love is to take the kids on some big vacation like Orlando vacations or even regular old Disneyland. But it looks like we're going to have to settle for a weekend away here in state. Oh well...at least it gets me out of here for awhile.

Free Coloring Pages

I was looking around online tonight and I stumbled onto the Crayola website. Did you know you can get free coloring pages there? Very cool!

Not Getting Any Younger

So, I'll be thirty this year and I won't keep this young skin much longer. One thing my generation needs to start looking into are the best wrinkle creams available. I don't want to look too old. I mean, come on, I'm older than my husband. I never want to look like I am though. Most people tell me we look the same age, so yay for that!

Jumping back into reading

I've spent a lot of time online over the last year or so. When I was pregnant I read a lot of books, but since my daughter was born I've done most of my reading online. I know, that's bad. So lately I've really been trying to get back into reading actual, honest to goodness, books. I still like being online, but really good old fashion paper and ink is what I need right now.

Fatty, fat, Fat, Fat

Don't mind me, I'm just feeling a lot little fat right now. I was doing well with my exercise and then I got sick. Now I'm back to feeling like a big old blob again. I should check out a list of best diet pills and pick one out. Is there really a magic diet pill that works? Hmmm...I really need to give this some thought.

Gas Prices

With gas prices reaching record highs and driving up the cost of many goods and services it's time to start figuring out where we can save money. One thing we can do is do car insurance comparisons, you want to make sure you're not paying too much. Times change, rates change and so we need to make sure we're on top of things so we can save as much money as possible.

His Job Make Me Nervous

I won't lie, my husband's job makes me seriously nervous. I'm grateful for law enforcement. They keep us safe...despite all the grumbling people do when they get caught speeding. They're giving you a ticket to keep the rest of us safe. Speeding may be fun...but not when an accident happens and that's something they see all too often. My husband's troop has had far too many fatals lately...at least in my opinion. I wish he had a job that didn't scare me so much, but he loves what he does. I wish I could talk him into looking for jobs in San Francisco or really anywhere else as long as it wasn't a job that scared me. But you know what? If he did that, he wouldn't be nearly as happy. He loves his job and because I love him I support him in it. But good gosh, it sure does scare me.

We're Going Out

My husband and I are going on a date tonight. I'm so excited!!! We're going to a movie, it's been nearly a year since I last went to a movie...seriously, I even remember the date of the last movie I went to. It was June 2, 2007...I can't believe it's been so long. I suppose there are a lot of other fun things we could do, some people get gps tracking devices and find hidden object things. At least I know I have a cousin who's into doing that. But I'm so much more simple. Dinner and a movie, or even just a movie is my idea of a good night out with my husband.

I need to escape

I'm so stressed out. Our finances were looking up, we were going to be able to pay off all our medical debt. Then our trip back east cost more than expected, but with the economic stimulus check we were still going to be ok. But now, our medical debt is going higher up because of my stupid teeth. I'm so sad. :( I really just need to escape somewhere far away, like the Outer Banks or something. But no, gas is too expensive so I couldn't do that even if I was irresponsible enough to run away. So here I sit in my own private Hell...I hate where we live and now I'm bummed about our finances yet again...plus I'm in pain. Oh joy! Lol!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

I'm desperate to lose this baby weight once and for all. I've been so good this past week. I've been to the gym several times and have been using their ellipticals. I love those darn things! Right now I'd gladly trade my treadmill in for an elliptical trainer. Our gym doesn't have much else to offer. There are a few exercise bikes, the two elliptical machines and a bunch of weights. The weights are ones I'm not familiar with, so it's hard for me to know what to do there. No one actually works at the gym, so I can't ask anyone either. You just go, type in a code on the door, do whatever you want and turn the lights out if no one else is there when you leave. Kind of strange, huh?

I'm Sick of Daylight Savings Time

My kids were conspiring against me last night. I swear I was up so many times during the night. A little after 5am I was up yet again and this time it was harder to get back to sleep afterwards. The sun was already up and it was light enough in our room that I was sure the lights were on. Gah! I guess that's what we get for living on the far east edge of the time zone, but still...that's way too early for the sun to be up!!!

Is there anything that isn't overpriced these days?

Good gosh! I swear everything is overpriced these days. And if you live in the boonies like us you get it even worse. Like our gas is 25 cents or so more than in Denver, which is about 2 1/2 hours away. Eggs...$4-something a dozen, Milk...nearly $5 a gallon and our store just stopped carrying skim milk (gah! now I have to go 40 miles for my milk!) and the list goes on. I guess you can always get a best buy online at buy.com or something. Too bad they don't sell gas, milk and eggs, huh? LOL!

What am I going to be when I "grow up?"

Yes, I'm almost 30, I'm a wife and a mother of 2. So you'd think I was grown up, huh? But what am I going to do when I'm done having kids and they're all in school? I get bored of being at home, plus I really miss making money. I didn't make a ton before I quit to stay home, I was in the mid-20Ks is all, but if I made that now it would sure help. I'm not looking to be a futures broker or anything. But I want something I can do part time so I'm home when my kids leave for school and I'm back home when they get home. They're more important to me than any amount of money so I want to be there for them, but good gosh I need something to keep me from being too bored once they're out of the house.

Where is all the fun stuff?

I swear, I'm struggling to find fun stuff online. I used to find stuff all the time. Sigh...

Wanting While Poor

Have you ever felt so poor that you couldn't buy anything? I'm feeling like that right now after all we spent on vacation. We totally didn't keep to our budget. I swear we bought everything in sight. I'm surprised we didn't come home with a bag full of ostrich feathers, it would have made sense since we bought everything else under the sun. Or so it seems. LOL! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt this way, right?

Cell Service and Travel

As you know, if you read my last post, we just got home from vacation. While traveling across the country we came into many areas with poor cell phone coverage and reception. Some cell phone amplifiers may have helped us keep our reception or at least helped us hear better when we did have poor service. Have you ever had a problem with your cell phone reception?

Celebrities and Rehab

I just got home from vacation and I spent time in the car getting "caught up" on my celebrity gossip. Why the heck do so many of them end up in drug rehab? Seriously, just because you're young and have tons of money, that doesn't mean you have to be stupid too! Geez! I guess I should be happy and drug free, but more power to those who do go to rehab.

Snapfish Coupons

I used to get a lot of emails from an old coworker asking me to view her new photos. She sent the messages and got her pictures developed with Snapfish. I wonder how she found out about them? I really should look into that since there's nowhere here in town where I can get pictures developed. You can even find Snapfish coupons online to get discounts on your picture developing. How cool is that?!?!?

I Need to Get Away...

I'm getting sick of the daily grind. I need to get away to somewhere fun and relaxing. Maybe a Branson condo would be nice...but I'm thinking even bigger! In fact, we are getting away...soon! We'll be going all the way to New England. I'm so excited I can hardly wait! It's been way too long since we've been back there and it should be a lot of fun and definitely something different than the daily grind.

Still looking for gifts...

The quest for the perfect "guy gift" continues. Blancpain watches are wonderful, but my husband is really particular about what watches he'll wear. I wouldn't dare pick a watch out for him. He's that way with sunglasses too...but that I can understand. I mean you're wearing them right on your face and all. There is one thing I know though...if I get him anything having to do with his favorite baseball team he'll love it like crazy!

What to Buy for a Guy???

You'd think after nearly four years of marriage I'd have the whole "what should I buy for my husband?" thing all figured out. But do I? No, not really. There are so many things he might like, but what if he doesn't really like them? He's always gracious about gifts, but I've seen gifts he's been given just sit in our room and they never get touched. Or he's exchanged a gift without the giver ever knowing. The thing is, he can't do that with what I give him. I know he'd love a playstation 3. Or does he want a Wii or an X-Box? See...when it comes to something I know nothing about, like video games, I just don't know. Sure, I know he likes them, but which one does he like???

Sex and the City Quiz

I saw this quiz over at blogthings.com. I decided to take it since I've recently discovered this show. I know, I know...I'm years behind. But I wanted to see who I am most like, and apparently...

You Are Most Like Carrie!

You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky. Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You'll fall for someone this year... Totally different from any guy you've dated.

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

Money Saving Tip

I just thought I'd pass along a money saving tip that we've been doing. When we signed up for an account at Washington Mutual they automatically set us up for a savings account as well. It's set up so that every month on a certain date (of our choosing) $25 is transferred from our checking account to our savings account. We can transfer it at any time...and there are times we have. But right now we have over $200 in our savings account and we hope to keep letting it grow. $25 seems like so little, but it sure adds up over time.

Getting Dressed Up

I don't generally have a reason to get all dressed up. So I don't have a lot of designer jewelry or anything. But in a few weeks we'll be going to a wedding and I need to get dressed up. Wow, I wonder how that will be? It's sure going to feel strange. Lol! Do you ever have to get all dressed up? Do you wear fancy jewelry?

I'm So Insulted!

You're a Little Stupid

You got 9/10 questions right! Or at least careless. Better go back and recheck your answers!

Are You Stupid?

Hmmm...9/10 equals 90% Since when is an A- a little stupid??? Geez! ;)

¿¿¿sıɥʇ sı ʇɐǝu ʍoɥ

¡lol ˙sɹǝʇʇǝl ɟo ƃuıddılɟ ʎllıs sıɥʇ op uɐɔ noʎ ǝɹǝɥʍ ǝʇıs ɐ sn pǝʍoɥs ɹǝqɯǝɯ ɐ puɐ pɹɐoq ǝƃɐssǝɯ ʎɯɯoɯ ɐ oʇ ƃuolǝq ı

Do you want to know how to do that too? Go here. Have fun!

Not Spoiled :)

You Are 8% Spoiled

You are definitely not spoiled. You've worked hard for what you have. Down to earth and grounded, you don't need a lot to make you happy.

Are You Spoiled?

Acne Treatment

I've never had what you'd call terrible skin, but I've definitely had my share of breakouts over time. I've never needed a super fancy acne treatment, but after my recent out of town visit my skin is all messed up. It's amazing how just changing your environment for a few days can mess things up. Heck, maybe that's why I haven't had a lot of problems as of late. I moved from home and into a better environment for my skin. Maybe there is a bonus to living in the sticks.

Have You Noticed?

Have you noticed I've been posting a lot of recipes lately? I'm not a fancy cook, I don't have my house stocked with a plethora of ingredients or have fancy wine racks full of wines. I don't drink, so I guess that would be silly for me. But I do like simple, yummy recipes. So keep checking back. The majority of recipes you'll see on here are simple, with an occasional more difficult recipe thrown in to mix things up. Feel free to leave me a comment if you have a recipe you're dying to share, I'm always looking for new recipes.

Travel Insurance

We have a bunch of travel coming up over the next few months. I love to travel, but it stresses me out at the same time. I always worry about our house back home...will it be ok? Will someone know we're gone and break in? I worry about getting into an accident while we're traveling. Basically I just worry. Some stuff I can do something about. We'll have someone look after our house while we're gone, it helps that we're friends with a sheriff's deputy, he can check our house and scare anyone away. We'll just have to be careful while driving and pray that no one hits us. That's about all we can do there. But getting travel insurance probably couldn't hurt either. My brother-in-law sells insurance, I suppose we could check with him. Who knows? Right now I'm just worried about our car, we have a few things that need to be looked at and I can't handle the thought that we'll have to shell out more money we don't have to fix things. Sigh...will we ever get ahead?

Create Your Own Logo

Do you like the above business card? I was able to make it with it's logo design and all in the matter of just a few minutes. It was super easy and I was able to choose from a huge assortment of logo designs. I had a lot of flexibility in the decisions on the card from colors used to placement of the logo and print. I really like it, it looks sharp. With such quality you'd never guess it was so quick and easy. I love how the logo and card complement each other so well, I could really brand my blogs out there and be known by this cute label.

Poppy Seed Bread

I've completely worn myself out today. It's a good thing we don't have a lot of stairs or I'd need a stair lift just to get through the house. But I'm not too tired to share another recipe with you. This time it's a yummy poppy seed bread recipe. For some reason I associate breads like this with Spring. And the weather this week has definitely been Springy. Give it a try, let me know if you like it.

Poppy Seed Bread

3 cups Flour
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
2 ½ cups Sugar
1 ½ cups Milk
1 1/8 cup Oil
1 ½ tsp Poppy Seeds
3 Eggs
1 ½ tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 tsp Almond

Mix above ingredients. Place in greased and floured bread pan. Bake at 350
degrees, 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven when bread springs back when
touched with finger. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Spoon glaze
over each loaf.

Glaze

2 tablespoons Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Orange Juice
½ tsp Vanilla
½ tsp Almond Flavor

John Adams Salsa Recipe

It's the weekend yet again. I can't think of a better weekend activity than cozying up under down comforters and watching movies while chowing down on some yummy munchies. This recipe came from a coworker at my old job. This stuff is seriously so good! So whip up a batch and get some tortilla chips and cozy up in front of the t.v. for some serious movie watching.

John Adams Salsa

1 can black beans, undrained
8 small tomatoes, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 can Green Giant white shoepeg corn, drained
1 small can diced green chiles, drained
2 ripe avocados, diced
1/2 c onion, diced
2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Serve with chips as a dip or serve over lettuce with chips, chicken, and
sour cream as a quick, easy taco salad.

Yummy Peanut Butter Bars

Ok, I may not know about a lot of things, like HDMI splitters, what the heck are those? But I do know a good peanut butter bar when I taste one. I tried this recipe for the first time at my baby shower that was thrown by my old job way back in 2005. My boss made them and they were awesome. I just had to get the recipe. If you like peanut butter these are great!

3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 (f). Mix all ingredients together and spread on large cookie sheet. Cook for 12 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter over the top.

Frosting (I just use the stuff you buy in a can at the store in the milk chocolate flavor, but this is the official kind. I suggest adding a little peanut butter or chopped peanuts to it if you use the store kind)

2 T butter
1 T vanilla
4 T cocoa
2 T peanut butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 T milk, continue to add milk until you get the consistency you want

Spread frosting over top. Cut into bars and eat. Have I told you how good they are yet????? They're yummy!!!

Wally World...a.k.a. Walmart

We went to Walmart yesterday. I feel like such a snob, we had to get our daughters' Easter dresses there because money is tight this month (thanks to the dentist, a crib and a car registration being due). I feel bad about it. I shouldn't, but I do. We didn't spend a ton while we were there, we even made it out of there without getting cheap glasses. Kenzie always wants a pair of cheap sunglasses. I can't believe we made it out of there without spending over $100...when does that ever happen? Last time it was over $400...yeah, yikes! But that's when we bought the crib and did our monthly grocery shopping and we bought Kenzie's Easter present (a dvd, a basket and a little candy).

I want to post a bunch of recipes so I have them on record so I don't lose them. I'll be posting those soon. I have to teach a youth group tonight at church, so it probably won't be tonight, but soon. :)

* Sticky Post* Changing Things a Bit

I started this blog as a place to put fun quizzes, stories and otherwise that I found online, but felt they were too much on my personal blog along with the regular posts over there. Eventually I started doing paid posts with Smorty and Blogsvertise. I am not doing those anymore. I have deleted my blogs from Smorty's system. I wanted to delete my whole profile, but I can't find anywhere to do that. But regardless, I'm not doing any more posts for them. As for Blogsvertise, I sent a not to their customer service asking to quit. So no more posts there either. I want to get this back to being a place where I put fun things I find.

Also, I'm going to start putting fun recipes I try here. That's all, I just thought I'd let anyone know who's reading this that I'm no longer working for those companies. I'm just showing you stuff I find and like.

Thanks!

I've Had a Rough Day

Hey! I've been struggling with this blog for awhile and I think I've figured out why. I haven't done any market research on it or anything. But I'm working to change things. I'll make an announcement about it. But I'm going to make this a better blog. I keep finding things and am too lazy to post. For one, that has got to stop. There are a few things I wish I had posted because now I can't find them anymore. Dang it!

Win Mary Kay Makeup!

The blogger over at Eternal Flux is giving away some Mary Kay makeup. She has some super fun eye pencils. This stuff is discontinued so you can't just go buy it. What woman couldn't use some new makeup? It's easy to enter her contest...go check it out!

Rest and Relaxation

I could totally use a little rest and relaxation. I'm so dang tired! Seven months of breast feeding a baby and counting means never a full night's sleep. When I do sleep I wish I had an adjustable bed or massage chair or something. The baby finally has a real crib instead of her portable crib so hopefully it will be more comfy and she'll sleep better. At least I can hope so, right?

Planning a Trip

So we're planning a trip back east for this Spring. I spent a lot of tonight trying to figure things out. I hate that finding motels and hotels along the way is so difficult. My favorite hotels are Comfort Inn, I'm not sure why, but I really like them. But for some reason they're not on most of the hotel reservation sites I know about. That leads me to wonder what other possibly great motels or hotels they're not telling me about. And we're not staying in big cities so that makes it even harder. Sure finding a cheap hotel Las Vegas style would be great. But I just want a basic, clean, non-smoking room for a night that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg. Geez! This night has been so frustrating!

Looking to the Future

Lately I've been thinking about the future a lot. I can't wait until we get to move, until we can finally buy a house, settle down, establish roots. I want the dream, you know? I don't have ginormous plans, I'm not looking looking to run a huge company or buy commercial real estate. I just want a decent home and to live in a place I like to live. Am I the only one that searches homes in areas I don't even live? I do this, really. I check listings in cities we like, even though I know we won't be buying for several years still. We've got to save up a down payment first.

This Cracked Me Up!

I was jumping around the internet and I came across this post about What A Girl Wants. It cracked me up! It's just way too true! LOL!

I'm Feeling Old

I was sitting in church today when I had a revelation. I'm a decade older than the missionaries, at least the new missionaries (these are LDS missionaries, they generally go on a mission at 19 until they're 21). A whole decade older...what the heck?!?!?! When did I get so old? Before you know it I'll be shopping for incontinence supplies at the rate I'm going. Please don't tell me I'll turn around and be officially old.

Pop-Up T.V.s

Ok, I just saw the coolest thing. It's a pop-up tv! This is a t.v. that can be hidden inside a dresser or console. What a cool way to hide the t.v. You can make a room look all sophisticated and within minutes it can also be used as an entertainment room. I've never seen these before, but dang they look cool! Now I want one, lol!

Medical ID Bracelets

Do you have a medical condition that requires you to wear a medical ID bracelet? I remember when I was 12 my best friend had diabetes so bad that she had to wear one. What I never realized was there are so many different styles of medical id bracelets. You can get them basic or fancy, in gold, silver or steel. Who knew? So if you have to wear them but think they're just not cute enough, start looking around. There are so many more styles available than I ever knew.

How fast do you type?

81 words

Touch Typing online

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Ok, so I'm a day late wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry about that! I hope everyone had a Happy Singles Awareness Valentine's Day! Did anyone get anything really cool? Did you give anything really cool? I got a couple of dvds and I gave Josh, or I should say I let Josh download a cd on iTunes. He's just not that into some of the traditional stuff and there's no point getting him golf balls or anything like that because he doesn't play golf. We were really low key about the whole thing. Josie was too young to care and we just got Kenzie a little stuffed frog. How was your holiday?

Weight Watchers Points at TONS of Restaurants

I wrote an article on Weight Watchers on another one of my blogs, BoSox Mommy. In the comments for that post Jen left this link to a website with the points value for items at tons of restaurants. Wow! So if you're looking for what you like while you're out but you're dieting check this out.

I'm a little brat

Ok, so I'm totally bored right now and decided to do another one of these blog things. And it turns out I'm a little brat! LOL!

You Are Bobby Brady

Ultra competitive, you will do almost anything to win. From pull ups to pool sharking, you're very talented. And while everyone is aware of your victories, they still (affectionately) consider you to be a little brat!

What Brady Are You?

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies

I have a weakness for Girl Scout cookies. They're all just so darn good! I especially like the Samoas (caramel de-lites). I was stumbling sites and came across this recipe for homemade Samoas. YUM! I can't wait to try them!

Blackjack Fever

Are you into online gaming? If so, what is your game? Are you a poker player, slots or what about blackjack? Is that your thing? Well, if you like blackjack you need to check out bobgambling.com. That is where you can find a list of the most competitive blackjack games around. These are the games with the highest sign-up bonuses and payouts. Isn't that what you are looking for, how to win the most? They have around the clock customer support to help you with whatever blackjack needs you have. While you are there checking out the games feel free to peruse the articles and see if they are writing about something interesting to you. Both casinos featured on the main page have been around since 2002, so that shows several years of successful business. They must be doing something right. So if you like blackjack check them out and have some fun!

Trike-A-Thon

I was just watching Noggin with my toddler and saw a commercial for a Trike-A-Thon to support St. Jude's. That sounds pretty fun to me. If you want to check it out click here.

Totally Addicting!

I just found this paint website and it could be totally addicting! I just keep picking colors and seeing how they look. Too much fun! LOL!

White Chocolate?

So I guess I'm white chocolate. Hmmm...who knew? I don't even like white chocolate. Make it dark or make it milk, but NOT white. LOL!

You are White Chocolate

You are White Chocolate You are sweet, caring, and truly very innocent. Whether your naive ways are a bit of act or not, people like to take care of you. You are a quiet flirt, and your power is often underestimated!

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

Cheerio Facts

I was reading my friend Amber's blog today and she has the funniest post all about Cheerios! Her blog is called Soggy Cheerios, so she gets a lot of hits from people looking for various Cheerio related facts and items. Who knew people wanted to know so much about Cheerios? Weird! Well, she decided to take some time and answer the questions these people had come looking for. Check it out, it's pretty funny. And she even made a Cheerio coloring page, yep, someone had been looking for one.

I am Vanilla

And my husband says he doesn't like vanilla. Guess what honey, you need to start liking it. LOL!

Yay! He's Out!

No offense to my in-laws who supported him, but Fred Thompson is out of the runnings for President! Yay, yay, yay! I didn't like him. I'm not a republican, I don't see myself ever becoming one. I know, Mormon and not a republican, who ever heard of such a thing?!?!?! LOL! Check history, we've had at least one prophet who was a democrat, so I'm in good company. ;) Anyway, if a republican becomes President again (oh please NO!!!!) I hope for Mit Romney. But, that being said, there are still a few fantastic democrats in the running and I'd pick any one of them over the republican choices. And I know a lot of you out there like Huckabee...but I may have to abandon all hope for the USA if he becomes President. From what I've heard -- isn't that what most political opinions are anyway just a bunch of stuff you're heard formed into an opinion -- he has spread a bunch of lies about my beloved religion in order to make Romney look bad. That ticks me off worse than just about anything. And the anti-Obama email going around about his religion...that one ticks me off too. I got it TWO TIMES from people who know I'm a democrat. But anyone who uses someone's religion that way should not be president. Oh and for those of you who hate Obama because his church is all African Americans...he's a distant cousin to the current VP. Gash! Oh my! The horror! LOL! Whatever! At least these men are religious, leave their relationship with God alone for Pete's sake! What issues do you follow, what do they follow? Who thinks like you? Who's trying to change things in a direction you like? That's how you decide your candidate? Enough said...this is the most political rant you'll ever see from me. I hate discussing politics with people. So yeah, I'm hiding behind my computer screen saying this. But...I did respond to one of those anti-Obama emails to say I still support him and don't appreciate religion being dragged into it. So there! :-P

Shake those Dice and Shuffle those Cards

It seems you can do just about anything online these days. You can shop, you can sell, you can view, you can listen, you can...well, you get the point. And one online past time that seems to be gaining in popularity it online gambling. And with it's popularity comes a slew of online gaming sites. It's daunting to know which ones are really good and which are really bad. So which online casino do you choose? That's where PRO360.com comes in. They have been reviewing online casinos since 1997. They can tell you how much your maximum bonus is, if you're allowed to play in the US, if users like the site, what certificates the online casino has and more.

You can even choose which kind of game you want to play from slots to craps to poker and more. So whatever your preference is you're sure to find a site that's perfect for you by just doing a little checking at PRO360.com. So what are you waiting for? If you're into online gambling this is one of the first places you should check out.

Most Depressing Day of the Year

I just heard on the news that today is the most depressing day of the year. It's the Monday of the last full week of January. I'll have to say, I'm not having the best day ever so they may just be on to something.

Dreaming of Travel...Again, Lol!

I dream of travel all the time. No seriously, I do! What do you expect, I live in a smaller than small town in the middle of the middle of the middle of nowhere...can I emphasize that enough? Lol! Basically, I live by very few people and am far from any signs of civilization. You get the idea. So my mind wanders and I dream of far away places. There are really very few places that I have no desire to visit someday, aside from the Middle East where there just seems to be too much conflict and hate toward Americans. Anyway, I digress..today I'm thinking about Portugal. Being in Western Europe it's high on my list of places I want to visit.

Something I hadn't realized before is that Portugal gets over 12.8 million visitors a year. Portgual hotels are definitely loving that! Heck, what hotel owner wouldn't love to have so many visitors filling up their establishment? Most of those visitors are from the UK, Spain, Germany, France and Italy, which I guess makes sense if you look at the whole proximity thing. Cheaperthanhotels.co.uk is aware of this and thus cater to these places with fantastic last minute deals to Lisbon hotels, Algarve hotels, Madeira hotels and more. There are so many areas of Portugal are being developed for tourism that it's sure to became a major destination for visitors from around the world.

Here's hoping I'll be lucky enough to go someday, and when I do maybe I can convince my uncle Mark to come along and translate for me. He's lucky enough to know Portuguese.

Nicole Richie's Baby

I have to say I'm impressed with the name Nicole Richie and Joel Madden gave their new daughter. Sure Harlow isn't common, but it's not made up or the name of a fruit or something weird like that. Plus I love Winter, not the season, but the name. My maiden name was Winters. So we've even thought if we have a third daughter we'll give her the middle name Winter...but spelled Wynter just for the heck of it. Why didn't I do this with either of my previous daughters? Because daughter #1 got my middle name and daughter #2 got my mom's name for her middle name. So there. LOL! And the last part of little Harlow's name is Kate. I love Kate! That's a fantastic name. So go them for not sticking their daughter with a name like Orange Radio Fanatic or something like that.

Ashop Commerce

One of the popular trends these days seems to be having your own online store. I'll admit, I've wanted to do this too. But I don't have the know-how to do it. But so many stay-at-home-mom's do and they're finding great success online.

When getting started with an online store you'll need to find some shopping cart software. You know, the software that lets your customers put their products into a virtual shopping cart. But where to look? A great source for that is Ashop Commerce. They even have a 10 day free trial so you can check them out to see if they have what you're looking for. In fact, Ashop Commerce even has the ecommerce software that can help bring your site to the top of the search engines.

They have live support as well as a support ticketing system so you're sure to get the answers to your questions or problems as soon as possible. So what are you waiting for? If you have a fantastic idea for an online store and are just stuck on how to get started check out Ashop Commerce and get your shopping cart software.

Easily Cut Calories

I was stumbling sites today and came across this one that talks about painless ways to cut calories. I know I need to learn to do this better as part of my New Year's resolution to lose weight. The suggestions on there are soooo easy!

Do You Know Your BMI?

Do you know your BMI? This is a measure that can help you determine if you're at a healthy weight or not. I'm on my way to a healthy BMI, mine has gone down by .1 since Wednesday. Good luck and get healthy!

Official RBS 6 Nations Rugby

Are you a rugby fan? I remember having a friend in high school who loved rugby, he was even on the tri-high school rugby team. While it's not as well known in the U.S., rugby is huge in Europe and now there's a website where you can check out Europe's premier international rugby tournament. It's the place to go to check out rugby news, history, matches and more. You can even check out a rugby podcast while you're there. They even have a section where they discuss the women's championship. I'm all for recognizing women in sports, I think it's part of that whole being a mom to daughters and wanting to empower them to do and be anything they want. They also have separate tabs for the different countries involved including England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Maybe you've wondered what rugby was but have never known where to look. If that describes you go check out the history section of the site. I just learned that the women's tournament was introduced in 2001 with Spain instead of Italy being involved, but that changed in 2007 when Italy replaced Spain. I found the site to be quite interesting and I learned things I never knew before.

Fun Facts

Do you want to know lots of fun facts? You know, the kind that no one knows but you might be able to bring up in casual conversation to break the lull in conversation. Well, click the link above for facts like:

There are more cars in Southern California than there are cows in India.

There are no venomous snakes in Maine. (Man...I should move there!)

or

North Dakota has never had an earthquake.

Check it out...it's also great if you're bored, you'll feel like you're learning something.

For Your Gaming Fun Check out DEX Casino

Are you into online gaming? A lot of people are and there are so many online casinos out there. It is hard to know which ones are good and which ones are out there just to take your money and not give you what you are expecting and what you are paying for. A great place to look when you are searching for an online casino is DEX Casino. They have been playing in the online casinos since 2001 and know from experience which ones are good. And if poker is your thing than you are in luck because they review poker rooms as well as doing their casino reviews! You can find casino recommendations and read all about what is going on in the online casino world. So if online gaming is your thing check them out and see all that they have to offer. And as always...don't forget to have fun!

Political Views

I'm not posting this to discuss politics. I hate discussing politics. I'm too dang sensitive and take things too personally. But I saw this quiz on my friend Dawn's blog and decided to take it. Here are my results. They're pretty much what I expected. Barack Obama is my favorite and this shows it also.

84% Barack Obama
82% John Edwards
81% Bill Richardson
80% Dennis Kucinich
80% Hillary Clinton
80% Mike Gravel
79% Chris Dodd
78% Joe Biden
46% Rudy Giuliani
35% John McCain
33% Mitt Romney
29% Ron Paul
27% Mike Huckabee
25% Tom Tancredo
20% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Finding Care for Your Loved Ones

We all have people we care about in our lives. Many of those people are older and will require some sort of care beyond that which we can give them. That's where Bettercaring comes in. You can find care homes for those you love. Through Bettercaring you can search all the different kinds of care facilities and find the one that fits your loved ones needs. They even have a blog where you can read and discuss all kinds of issues dealing with care facilities. You can read tips on daily care and gets tips from experts. It's not easy deciding to put someone into a care facility, but it's nice to know there's a place you can go to really research places so you can feel right about the decision you ultimately make. I don't currently have someone close to me that needs this kind of care, but if you do you should do the research and find them a place they'll be comfortable with, both for your peace of mind and theirs.

Interesting Facts about the US $1 Bill

I got an email about the US $1 bill. I thought it was pretty interesting. I'm sure the $1 is the most common one I ever have in my wallet, but I never think much about it. Does anybody really think much about it? So here you are, interesting facts about the US $1 bill:

THE

UNITED STATES ONE DOLLAR BILL


Take
out a one dollar bill,
and look at it. The one dollar bill
you're


looking
at first came off the presses in 1957 in its present
design. This

so-called
paper money is in fact a
cotton and linen blend, with red
and


blue minute silk
fibers running through it. It is actually material. We've
all
washed
it without it falling apart. A special blend of ink is used,

the contents
we will never know. It is overprinted with symbols
and then it
is starched
to make it water resistant and pressed
to give it that nice crisp
look.

If you look on the front of
the bill, you will see the United States Treasury Seal.


On
the top you will see the scales for a
balanced budget.

In the center you have a carpenter's square, a
tool used for an even cut.

Underneath
is the Key to the
United States Treasury.

That's all pretty easy to figure out, but

what is on the back of that dollar bill is something we should all know.


If you turn the bill over, you will see two circles.


Both circles, together, comprise
the Great Seal of
the United States.

The

First Continental Congress
requested
that Benjamin Franklin and a
group of men come up with a Seal.

It took them four years
to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.


If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid.

Notice
the face is lighted, and the
western side is dark. This country
was just beginning. We had not
begun to explore the West or decided
what we could do for Western Civilization.

The
Pyramid
is uncapped, aga in signifying that we were not even close to

being finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an
ancient symbol for divinity.

It was Franklin 's belief that
one man
couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of
God, could do anything.

'IN GOD WE
TRUST' is on this
currency.

The Latin above the pyramid,

ANNUIT COEPTIS, means,

'God has favored our
undertaking.'

The Latin
below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM,
means,

'a new order has begun.'


At the
base of the pyramid
is the Roman Numeral for 1776.


(MDCCLXXVI)

If you look at the right-hand
circle, and
check it carefully,


you will learn

that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States .



It is also on the
Parade of Flags Walkway at the
Bushnell, Florida National Cemet ery ,
and is the centerpiece of
most hero's monuments.

Slightly modified, it is

the seal of the President of the United States ,


and
it is always visible
whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the
symbols mean.

The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for
two reasons:

First, he is not afraid of a storm;
he is
strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it.



Secondly, he wears no
material crown. We had just
broken from the King of England .& nbsp;


Also, notice the
shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its
own.


At the top of that shield
you have a white
bar signifying congress, a unifying factor.


We
were coming together as
one nation.

In the
Eagle's beak you will read, ' E PLURIBUS UNUM', meaning,

'one nation from many people'.
Above the
Eagle, you
have thirteen stars, representing the thirteen


original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding
rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one.



Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons.
He
holds an olive branch and arrows.

Suggestions for an Italian Getaway

Italy is yet another place I've never been but would really love to go. My mom's been there a few times and I've been jealous each time. In college I took some humanities classes that talked about the great artists of all time. One of those great artists is Michelangelo who painted the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. The only way to see this is to stay in Italy and soak in it's beauty. You'll need to find Italy hotels and should check out cheaperthanhotels.co.uk to find them. Say you find some Rome hotels you like, there are lots of attractions to visit while you stay there from The Colosseum to the Vatican and more.

But the Italian vacation fun doesn't have to end there. Go find yourself some Venice hotels and you can take a gondola ride through the famous Venice canals or visit St. Mark's Basilica.

If that still isn't enough for you book yourself some Milan hotels and visit the Leonardo da Vinci museum or see the Milan Duomo. I remember reading my old humanities book and falling in love with that building. I'd never seen anything that beautiful before in my life.

No matter what you're looking for in Italy, you're sure to find it and a whole lot more while traveling all over the country. Take some pictures while you're there so you never forget your adventures.

Fold a Dollar into a Shirt

Ever wanted to know how to fold a dollar into a t-shirt? It's a fun way to give a kid some money. Just click here for instructions on how to make dollars much more fun! :)