Rehab?

I must say that our family has been through it's course of drug rehab treatment centers. When Margot's dad was alive he went to one a few times.

It was so hard on the family .. and him. When all was said and done he got the help that he needed and really turned his life around.

It is really too bad that he ended up getting cancer and passing away. It almost seems like such a cruel thing because I really do think he could have lived drug free for the rest of his healthy life.

Sick kid.

Tonight we think Grammy might have had something bad to eat. This afternoon I got sick at the icecream store and we got home and Graem got sick! No fun in that. Today's her birthday and we were suppose ot do spaghetti and meatballs and then cake afterwards. She fell asleep on the couch and didn't want to eat anything.

She didn't even want to do cake.

You know she's sick when she's not up for cake!

One bathroom down...

One to go.

We are hoping that we can wait it out because we still have to finish the playroom and then the kitchen.

I've found a great website in www.betterbathrooms.com. Not only do they have some great pictures which have given me many different ideas but their prices are amazing. They have a shower enclosure for 89 euros! I know that our shower surround was almost $1,000 and it isn't as contemporary and stylish as this one!

They have actual showrooms in Wigan, Warrington, and Manchester. I would be in absolute heaven to find a single store that has everything you need to remodel your bathroom. In the states you typically have to go to one store to get good tile, one store to get hardware, and then another to get the lumber and green board.

BetterBathrooms has a stock clearance of up to 55% off too! My favorite spot to shop is always the clearance rack! Not only do they have low prices on their regular items but I can't imagine how inexpensive their clearance items are!

For our second bathroom I think we will probably go with double sinks and we will go with a contemporary flair. I'd like to do nice glass bowl sinks, however, I'm not sure how ideal those will be when it comes to cleaning!

We will be getting a new bathtub for that bathroom and I would really love to avoid doing tile again, but I think it is probably inevitable since we hate tub surrounds!

Although, this is not a project in the near future I'm hoping that we can at least put it off for a year or so.

It's almost over!

I think Graem is on the mend. She has been acting fine today and drank soup and rested. She was able to finish one book and she's half way through the other one I got her! We're not talking baby books anymore. We're talking chapter books! Damn, that kid is smart.

Tomorrow is Emmy day and she's home with me. I don't have any plans right now but thinking that it might be a good day for a Sciencenter hangout with J, O, and E.

Have you seen my sleep?

Some nights I have the hardest time falling asleep and sleeping through the night. Truth be told I probably take NyQuil a little too often!

I've thought about natural sleeping aids and I've heard good things about them.

Years ago I was put on a prescription medication to help with sleep. It was great but it made it hard to go to sleep without the medication.

At least if I took a natural sleeping agent it wouldn't be so bad for me!

SICK.

Today we're doing an in day becuase the kids are sick. Graem woke up last night barfing and pooping. Emmy has a runny nose and I think she's starting to get a cold. Poor kids!

I just hope everyone is better by the time Christmas rolls around. I want to do some fun stuff with the kids!

Only the best.

This weekend I plan on painting the entry way. I have all the hardware including door handles and faceplates for the switches. I've looked at varier and I really like the style.

I picked a nice dark gray for the color and figure it will compliment the color of the new kitchen as well as the color we are going to paint the playroom.

I wish we could do the flooring in both rooms. Maybe if we get some tax money back we can do it!

Not much longer...

til Christmas! I think I"m totally set and just have to get one pair of pajamas. MY OWN!

I went to Target today and was able to find matching pajamas but of course they didn't have my size. Ugh. Gotta love being the fat kid, right?

I figure I'll hit up k-mart or wal-mart this afternoon and look at their fat section for pajamas. Hopefully, they won't have cupcakes or milkshakes on them.

Just what a fat girl needs.

Singapore?

Maybe.

We've been invited to go to Singapore to visit Margot's brother. As much as I want to go I'm just not sure what to think of a 27 hour flight. I know what it was like to go 8 hours to Canada and let's just say I wanted to slit my wrists.

This is more than a day of travel AND the seats are tiny. And I'm big.

So.not.fun.

Maybe we can meet up for the family reunion and go on a cruise.

Luxury.

The last time we flew I saw tons of travelers with cordless headphones. I must admit. I was jealous.

Not just because they had a sweet set of headphones to listen to the airline movie. But I also wanted the peace and quiet to be able to watch a movie without hearing my kids crying, screaming, and complaining about how bored they are!

I know that this age is just temporary but I can't wait for the day when the kids sit by themselves on the plane and Margot and I can actually read a magazine or a book!

Biting.

Just a few minutes ago Emmy bit Graem. It's been a while since that happened and she's been trying to bite a lot lately. I talked to the OT today and she gave us more rubber tubes. I think I'm going to try to talk to the social worker and see if she has any more suggestions.

I feel like right when we feel like we're over with a stage we come right back to it.

She's such a complicated kid and half of the time I just don't know where she's coming from. I'm glad that there's support though and it's really been helpful.

Dear Santa,

Just bring me gold.

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold coins! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold coins with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

Animals...

Well, we're up to three animals this year! Good ole' Murphy who was thought would have surely been ran over by a car or eaten by a raccoon or died in the furnace....she's still here!

We've also become the not-so-proud grandparents of two goldfish. They were fun at first but now they just exist. Every once in a while we throw them some smelly balls and look in the tank to make sure we haven't killed them.

I know I've said this a few times...BUT....once these animals are gone....we're done!

Lighter and lighter..

These past few days (since Monday) I've been trying to eat healthier! The honest truth is that I'm trying to get in shape so when I go for baby #3 - I'll feel good about the attempt and be in a good place if/when I get pregnant.

I've even looked into an hgh supplement because so many people swear by it.

I figure at this point I'm just going to stick with my prenatal meds and keep eating healthy. At some point I might even decide to add exercise to my daily routine!

Grown ups.

Last night we watched the movie "Grown ups" with Adam Sandler. I was laughing my ass off during the whole movie and LOVED IT. It has some great stars and together they were pretty funny.

THe beginning started out pretty slow and I kept thinking that everyone was really overacting - especially Rob Schneider, who is not one of my favorite actors anyway!

The end of the movie was quite predictable and I really didn't want the belly giggles to stop!

Built for comfort...

I must say that some of the most comfortable clothing that I own are nursing scrubs. They make perfect pajamas and stay-at-home clothes!

At some point I need to get rid of my old pajamas and I'm guessing that I will more than likely buy more scrubs! I especially like the pants because they are draw string and after a big Christmas or Thanksgiving meal there's nothing like making them a little looser when dessert comes around!

Indian food!

I'm pretty excited because as I write this I am marinating chicken for a yummy indian Tikka Masala dish that I'm working on! Emmy and I went to Wegmans this morning and picked up all of the goodies. Now I just hope and pray that it tastes yummy for dinner.

If it sucks then to hell with this and I'm going to pick up Mehak or Sangams.

Dropping!

So my big appointment is 2/28. I'm going back to the doctor to try and get pregnant. There. I said it.

Now I've been trying to lose weight. I really want to be down to the weight that I was when I got pregnant with Emmy. I'm only trying twice and if it doesn't work - it doesn't work and we move on.

However, I figure if I lose weight then I'll have the best of both worlds because I'll look good in a swimsuit for the summer and I'll be healthier!

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is my day home with Emm. We don't have big plans. I think she has OT in the morning and then we're doing lunch home, and when Emmy's asleep I plan on working on the house.

We're going to L&L's parent's house for dinner. They're doing baked potato night. YUMMY.

I'm pretty packed Wednesday with work and I'm going to the next county to finish up reports. HOpefully, I'll be back in town by pick up.

Zits? Why me?

My face has been breaking out terrible lately. It seems like when it's that time of the month I get the worst acne ever. I wish I knew how to get rid of blackheads because my nose is infested!

Even when I do not have a big outbreak I always have blackheads on my nose. I wash my face daily with cleanser and I think it cuts down on the oil but I am not sure it's touching the zits.

You'd think I was 12 with this skin!

Home.

Today was much busier than I thought it would be. I dropped off the girls and then I went to Home Depot to get some electrical outlets. Then I went over to my friend's house. She has triplet babies and I helped her with a feeding or two!

Then I went to work - one job. Came home and did computer work and by the time I was done it was time to pick up Graem.

Then we went to pick up our new light and came home for piano lessons. The teacher was great and I think Graem really is going to enjoy lessons.

Gold!

my best friends!

One thing that never loses it’s value is to buy gold coins! I love the new American Gold Eagle Coins too.

Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold with her tax refund money!

United States Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

From one to another...

It's pretty fun passing on toys from Graem to Emmy. I'm going to try and fix the Leap Frog and ipod shuffle for Emmy. I figure if I give her some good entertainment for the ride Tuesday I might be able to buy myself some peaceful time driving and won't have to listen to "Single Wady" 500 times.

Here's hoping...

The drive.

This weekend we're going to try to clean out the cars. We have a big ass car ride ahead for us when we head to North Carolina Tuesday! I don't know what to think of a 12 hour ride with two kids. I'm sure by the third hour and half way out of NY I will want to go home and sleep in my own bed!

Night night.

Lately, I've been able to go to sleep pretty easily. But that's because I've been so tired. Most times I toss and turn and have to watch television before going to bed.

At one point I was on a sleep aid that really helped but I stopped it after a month because I was afraid of getting hooked!

Desperate times call for desperate measures though and there is absolutely NOTHING worse than not sleeping.

At least I know that the meds work and if I need help I can always go to the doctor and get more!

8:56pm.

Did I mention that it's 8:56pm and we're still waiting for the plumber that's cancelled on us twice? I have faith in the guy because he's super nice.

I just wish he were more reliable and we weren't coming upon a holiday where we are leaving out of town!

The sump pump stopped working and so the best thing to do is to buy a new pump and replace all of the piping going out of the house.

OKAY>..the real reason why I put up with this shit?? The guy is cheap. And I'm a cheap bastard.

What ever you do...

don't click here.

Seriously. You don't want to see what's behind that link.

I know you think it's probably good stuff and since I am full of knowledge you probably think I have something great to pass along.

Maybe you are right. Maybe the click above tells all of my deep dark secrets. Or maybe it takes you to an addictive website that you'll waste way too much time on.

I dare you...

Greys.

Feeling good. Friday night. Weekend hasn't started and I'm watching good television with the kids sleeping.

Did I mention I have a fire crackling and I'm on my comfy couch with my soft blanket?

HEAVEN.

My new best friends are...

gold and silver!

I think it might be a good time to buy gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

WEEKEND!

Work.Sickkid.DayOff.Work.

It's been crazy this week. However, I'm glad work is slow and I was able to take a sick day with Graem and have fun with Emm Tues and Thurs.

Now for a great weekend of wine club, car cleaning, and bouncehouse awaits.

Another bathroom remodel?

We just finished the master bedroom remodel and it looks incredible. At some point we're going to start up the kitchen remodel and I think we're probably going to go with undermount sinks. They looks so clean and with granite counter tops it's just the look we want!


The undermount sink I want is a 70/30. Which means that it offers a bigger side and a smaller side. The one I want costs around $400. EEK. I was able to find one on mrdirectint.com for around $100 though!

Now we just have to save the $10,000 or so it's going to take to be able to afford the kitchen remodel!

TO heat?

We're trying to figure out if we're going to get a new furnace. Our existing furnace works but it's 60 years old AND we're afraid it's going to break and we're not going to be able to get some of the great tax credits and rebates that are currently available.

SOoooooooooooo...I think we're going for it. I have to talk to the wife of the heater guy and make sure that they can at least make sure that the heat works in the playroom. It's friggin' freezing in there now!

Oh brother! Toner?

In my job I am contracted per job. The amount I am paid is dependant on the actual job ordered. The expenses sometimes are quite a bit. I have to pay for toner, paper, gas, cell phone, and my home office. What’s really been killing me is the cost of printer toner! Each one of the cartridges costs around $45.00 and I go through a color and a black cartridge ever month and a half.

The job is perfect because I really get to work on my own schedule and when the kids are out of school I get to spend time with them and make up my time on the weekend. Plus, I can do reports in the evenings when they are tucked in bed and sleeping.

I’ve thought about switching printers to find something that might print faster but I actually priced it out and it makes sense to keep my old printer because it averages around 1,000 sheets per cartridge. WHereas, the other printers do half of that amount and the toner costs a fortune. Plus, I really don’t need a high quality printer for these basic reports.

Brother toner seems to be discounted pretty good and was one of my options. In fact, the-toner.com has an awesome website that has just about every toner out there - at a fraction of the cost!! They have printer and fax cartridges too!

Since I go through so much toner I am glad that I came across a website that offers great prices and free shipping on orders over $50!

Most of their prices are up to 15% off. I looked at my HP cartridges and they are about $10 cheaper PER cartridge!

Now, if I could just figure out how to get a better deal on gas and my phone bill I would be in really good shape!

Hell's Kitchen!

I've been out of the loop for a few weeks but I was so relieved to see that I had actually been taping them this whole time. Now I get to sit in front of the tube, blog, and watch my show.

Hells yes.

I love

gold and diamonds!


One thing that never loses it’s value is a gold coin. Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold with her tax refund money!

The United States Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

All work - no play.

This weekend was a waste for me. I feel like I pissed it away working. I had to work because I was so far behind and I felt like in order to at least catch up I needed to put in my time.

Now it's Sunday afternoon and I feel like I haven't done a thing!

Darn.

Smasher city.

So at some point I really have to potty train Emmy. Her craps are monsterous and disgusting! Then there's the pee pee diapers that start to leak out and contaminate the whole house.

The kid is so stubborn so I've tried to go with the flow and not push too much...but damn...2 1/2 years old? REALLY?

Doors.

Next week Margot has to do the doors. They are pretty intense since our house isn't square and so she has to make cuts on each door side. We have brushed nickel door hardware and I think it really makes the room have a nice, warm, feel.

We have also purchased brushed nickel outlet plates and light switch covers. It's surprising what an extra $75 can do for a boring room!

Happy Halloween!

The kids ate way too much candy and to say the least...they have crashed! Friends left at 8pm and everyone was pretty wired.

The good thing is the candy didn't keep them awake and by 8:15pm they were in their pajamas, teeth brushed, and sleeping!

Now it's mama time on the couch.

Merry Christmas!

The other day the boyscouts came to my door. I try to sponsor all of the kids and so far we have 3 boxes of cookies coming, soccer popcorn, and carmel corn popcorn.

They were offering a pretty expensive christmas wreath but I just couldn't justify spending $35 for an organization that I really don't want to support in the first place!!

We purchased a wreath last year and it's in the basement. Margot hated it and thought it was tacky so I'm not even sure that it made the move!

3 more pumpkins...

to go!

We have four pumpkins that need to get cut. Tonight we did the smallest pumpkin that we're calling Emmy's pumpkin. Tomorrow we'll do Graem's pumpkin. Then it's on to the mamas. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for mine. Maybe I'll just do a big hole. I really like the ones I've seen that have the pumpkin barfing up smaller pumpkins.

Owwie.

Margot has awful skin. Today the heater guy came out and tried to sell us on getting a dehumidifier for our new furnace. The last time we got a furnace we got the dehumidifier.

I wash shocked that the heater guy said that by having one you have better skin and it even reduces eczema. I've always looked for eczema treatment. Currently, Margot is using a cortisone cream that isn't very good for her and many times it really doesn't help with the itching and dry skin.

DAMN.

We just got our first DVD from Netflix and I think it's the wrong edition. I wanted Clash of the Titans and I think we got the 1950 version.

SHIT.

Once again, Netflix gone bad! Most of the time we just don't watch the movie at all. Now we actually have the movie, are sitting here, and it's the wrong damn one!

So tired.

It doesn't matter how much sleep I get...I'm exhausted. When I wake up in the morning it looks like I have been up all night and I have bags under my eyes!

I took at a look at www.removedarkcirclesundereyes.net and I'm quite impressed! Not only does it give great ideas on how to get rid of these circles but it also offers a solution!

I'm so there. Plus, I need more sleep. Maybe these kids will sleep on this weekend.

Clash of the Titans.

We are doing Netflix again. Margot signed up for it thinking that we might have some awesome options to watch on the watch instantly option.

Not so much. They had horrible movies and I was shocked to see that they had NO movies that had a rating over three stars.

Bust.

Christmas ideas?

I have absolutely no idea what I'm getting ANYONE for Christmas. The kids have made no requests. Margot's easy. It's like christmas gift ideas for boyfriend!

I got her a pressure assisted toilet for her birthday and I might just do the same and get her one for Christmas too.

She's a lucky girl!

That's what she gets for getting me a vacuum cleaner for my housewife gift when I resigned from work!

Potty training?

Well, it's not going so good. Emmy is so strong willed that she has no desire to go potty and it doesn't matter what I offer up. She doesn't mind peeing or making poo in a diaper.

Today I got so desperate I told her that Santa wouldn't come if she still went in her diaper.

Damn, that's horrible.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Tomorrow I'm going to stop by the local reuse store and drop off blinds, a toilet, and two doors. Since, we're redoing our house we have tons of stuff that is still in good shape, just not our preference!

We figure we can get the tax write off and someone out there would love to have these working items.

Move it, move it!

My friend, L, got a new elliptical. It's in her basement and I think she has yet to actually use it. Even though she spent a fortune on it. I know it's really all about ambition and motivation. I do not know if I am quite there yet. When I do things I do them with everything I have and I truly commit. I must say that my interest is peaked though and I have been looking around! I came across the Brazilian Butt Lift and it looks like a pretty good gig. Not to mention, the results really speak for themselves. Margot looked at the local gym the other night and right now they are running a special on the membership. However, we really have to ask ourselves if after we pay the membership fee and a year of workout fee - are we really going to go? Working out at home sounds ideal. Not only could we hang out in comfortable clothing and do our own thing at our own pace but we can listen to our own music and the added benefit is that we could do it when the kids are sleeping in the evening! Never would there be a time when we could/would both leave to go to the gym and pay a babysitter! If we are going to go then it is money well spent. I would go out tomorrow and sign up. BUT...I know it is not that easy. More than likely we'd drop the $500 and then make excuses, set false deadlines, and then feel like a real loser when January 1st comes around and we have gained 10 pounds.

When I read the reviews I couldn't get over the comments from all body types and sizes. Not only did they have these skinny girls who just had 10 pounds to lose. They also had larger people and even some older people who often struggle to lose unwanted weight. Brazillian Butt lift sounds incredible. Not only does it use awesome Brazillian music but it also has different mixes of exercise such as cardio, ballet, and traditional cardio.

You should really check out what they are saying in the brazilian butt-lift workout reviews!

If you're looking for a long term program that really works your body check out the PX90 Reviews! 90 hardcore days of workout that your body wants!

Nervous.

Tomorrow I have a cardiologist appointment. I'm not so nervous about it because I'm guessing everything is fine or else I would have heard about it by now!

I am more nervous about going to the public school and seeing what it's like. What if it's a bust? WHat if the teachers suck and the kids are crazy and out of control? I know there's always one kid and god knows, at some point we might have to deal with that one kid being Emmy.

BUT...I just hope that everything works out. We love the school and the principal and we can feel good about where our kid goes to school!

Feeling WIRED.

TOnight I drank way too much soda and to say the least I think I have a few hours left! Which is good because I'm loaded with tons of blogging. YAY!

I was quite productive this afternoon and mowed the yard and moved the leaves to the back of the yard (and neighbor's yard) with the riding mower. TG RIDING MOWER!

Then we started up on the bedroom. We patched all of the holes and took apart the windows.

Tomorrow we'll sand and wash down the walls. We might even start to do trim and ceiling if we feel really motivated.

Gold and silver are ...

my best friends!

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold coins! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

We have a second bathroom!

Margot finished the bathroom TODAY! We're up and running and it's pure heaven! The shower works great and it's totally perfect. The heated flooring feels really nice, and my favorite part is the cushy rug I got.

It's so nice to have a second bathroom! I feel like we're just not getting to reap the benefits!

I'm OK.

I went for my cardiologist appointment Friday and I think I'm going to live. They did and ECHO of my heart and didn't see any red flags. THANK GOD. I was totally stressed out and of course, the thing that kept racing through my mind was either I was going to have clogged arteries OR congestive heart failure.

I should really stop watching Grey's Anatomy. I always think the worse.

Maybe beauty school?

Of course, that is not my style. To drop out...that is.

One of my friends is a Cosmetologist and I am constantly amazed at how well she does financially! She also works as an airline attendant for American Airlines. When she doesn't have assignments she goes right back to her Cosmetology background and ALWAYS has a job waiting for her!

I think she might have gone to a cosmetology school in Phoenix where she was raised.

These days I have been looking at going back to work. I wrestled with the idea of doing real estate and getting my license but maybe I should look for a back up plan in case that does not work.

RegencyBeauty.com offers Cosmetology school in many different areas and they are an industry leader.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 10217 North Metro Parkway West – Phoenix, AZ 85051

Worker bee.

Tomorrow I'm helping a friend out and then I have some work in the afternoon. It's Wednesday and so Emmy's in preschool and then I'll pick up Graem after I finish up.

For some reason I have a feeling that I'll end up doing my reports in the evening because the days just aren't long enough!

Maybe I should just take some Nyquil and go to bed early tonight!

Too much crying.

Right now Graem is in her room crying.

Supposedly, Emmy was looking at her cross eyed and Graem was hyper sensitive about it. So we took Emmy out of the room.

Now Graem is screaming at the top of her lungs and doesn't want to be alone.

I think it's the combination of Graem being super tired and...she's getting older. And bitchy.

Gold!

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking for a good time to buy bullion with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but the United States Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment

A little help...

I've been looking to different supplements that might help me feel better. I read up about l-dopa and it has such great benefits that a lot of people don't even realize.

I've been thinking about going to the local Y and getting a membership. I figure I'm going to go the natural route to try and lose weight. GOd knows with the winter coming it's going to be nearly impossible to stay in and lose these unwanted pounds!

SO TIRED.

I have been sleeping horrible the past few nights.

At least I was able to sleep in today. But it's 8:43 and I'm exhausted.

Maybe I'll hook up with some Nyquil tonight so that I can sleep good.

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold bullion with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

That was fun!

We had a really good vacation in Canada. In fact, it was perfect.

We met up with cousins and aunts and uncles and the kids LOVED it. They played for hours and didn't want to go to sleep!

OF course, reentry has been a total bizotch. Both kids want to stay up late and can't seem to go to bed. Then morning hits and it's hell!

Hopefully, over the next week or so we'll get situated and the kids can get back to a regular schedule.

Running?

Me?

So I've thought about getting in shape and very honestly if we're thinking about having another baby then it's a MUST.

I looked online for some running shorts and haven't been able to find the perfect pair. I figure I want something light and airy BUT...I can't have everything hanging out!

Maybe I'll just stick with swimming.

Death.

One of my first memories of death was when I was in high school and got a call in the summer that my friend, Rob, was in the hospital with liver failure. Rob was on acne medication and supposedly over the course of a few months it had damaged his liver and caused major damage.

I went to visit Rob in the hospital and he was orange. He was on the transplant list but he was 16 and, unfortunately, the transplant didn't happen. Rob died. He was 16.

I've read recent reports of the Accutane Lawsuit and although I'm not sure this is the medication it was on...it could have been.

At 18 it was hard losing a dear friend and I can only imagine what his parents and sister felt.

I feel like the only way that these pharmaceutical companies are going to make better and safer drugs is if we demand it as a consumer.

Rain sucks.

So I'm stuck at home now and it's raining. I was going to head out and do my surveys but it's frigging pouring and I have an appointment at 2:30 for survey and then I have a hair appointment at 4:30. SO...

I told Margot that I would stay home with kids until 2:30 and then I'm off.

So sleep deprived and I think I could be coming down with the kid's sickness.

Sickies.

Poor me.

I have two sick kids home with me today and they're bouncing off the walls. BUT...Graem has a fever and they've got to get better by Friday since we're traveling.

I've been trying to do some prepping stuff for our trip like booking rental car but it's hard when you have a kid that's screaming and hitting her big sister.

*ahem*

Diamonds and gold are...

my best friends!

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold coins! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

TONIGHT...

I am so excited about my shows coming back on television. However, I'm friggin exhausted.

Desperate Housewives is on in a few minutes and I have no idea what happened last season. More than likely I fell asleep during ever episode.

Killer Monday.

Tomorrow I have a good day of work ahead. As much as I wanted to go to the field trip I have two appointments in the morning and I'm working three days this week but I have TONS to do before we leave for Canada Friday.

Here's hoping I can do it all!

My new best friend.

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's going to buy gold coins with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment

Are we there yet??

I know that's going to be the sentence of the day Friday when we're on the long plane trip to Victoria! It's going to be a blast traveling with two small kids cross country!

Maybe Margot will take Emmy and Graem and I can sit in the corner of the plane and read and play gameboy.

Too much television.

Home with a kid today and I swear I'm going to go nuts if I hear the kids cry again! It seems like every time we have a vacation the kids end up getting sick. I have both of them home now in hopes that they'll kick this bug and feel better for the trip.

I just had to yell at Graem for falling off the couch onto a floor full of pillows.

You'd never know she had a 102 fever and a broken leg.

My best friend...

is gold and diamonds!


One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold with her tax refund money!

United States Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

A little supplement goes a long way!

I've thought about doing supplement and especially getting some fat burners at the nutritional store.

I've heard that many people are using human growth hormone these days.

I figure I might actually start to work out at the gym and it's good that they opened a new gym at the mall. It's easy to get there and the cost of the membership is reasonable.

Now the hard part....going.

The paint...

Well, I feel good that we painted the outside of the house this summer. When I got it quoted they said it would cost $3,000 to paint our house. So it's nice knowing that we got the job done for around $400. Thanks to our friends too!

We still need to do the second coat and we also need to touch up. Today I was able to get most of the paint off of the windows with the razor blade.

Now we just have to finish it up!

Work it!

When I was younger I used to gain muscle so easily. Since I've gotten older I don't think my body works as well and builds muscle as fast.

I've looked at www.increasemusclemass.org and it offers a great website with tons of useful information.

Of course, I think we all know that it's about moving less and eating better! But sometimes it helps to have tips from professionals that know exactly how muscle is formed.

It's almost time for Canada!

We have just a few weeks before we're heading out to Canada. Of course, we have so much to do in that time!

I will be working for three days a week up until that time and next Friday I have to head to the next county in order to do some of the survey's that have been neglected since they haven't had a field rep for that area.

I can't wait for Canada! We're going to have such a good time.

I didn't care.

When I was younger I used to go to the local neighborhood pool and spend all day in the sun. Never in a million years would I have thought to put on sunscreen.

In the afternoon I would sit on the couch and watch my skin bubble from the sunburn.

Now that I'm older I realize the need for skin products and especially sun protection for my skin and my kid's skin!

I've been looking at the best wrinkle cream and think that over the next few years I might need to buy some!

This weekend...

It seems like every weekend we pack it full of friends and errands.

This weekend we are devoting to finish painting the house (2nd coat) and putting away everything in our backyard and preparing for the winter. I know once we get back from Canada it's going to be cold and we won't be able to do much outside.

Then of course, within a few weeks we'll probably see some cold weather and snow!

Already, it's starting to get cold at night and today I had to move the herbs that were on the front porch into the living room.

Supplemented!

I have been prescribed prenatal vitamins but I have done a pretty bad job at taking them. They taste horrible and I have never been good at doing things consistently!

I might think about doing vitamins and supplements this winter though. I know that I need more vitamin D and with new studies I've read it seems like people that live in Ithaca really need to supplement their vitamin D.

I've heard hiding supplements in shakes work great and you can't taste or smell them.

School next year...

We're still discussing what's going to happen with G's school next year. Her school now is private and costs a fortune. We've been able to afford it but Emmy's at the age where she could start next week and I really don't think that we could afford for both kids to go.

I think we're going to check out the local elementary school because it's suppose to be really good and I think it would be really nice for Emmy to be in the pre-k and Graem to go to the same school.

Not to mention, it's 2 minutes from her and I could even walk the girls to school!

Chunky monkey.

I have decided that I will stop buying icecream because we go through it so fast! Plus, we're all getting a little too chunky!

I've thought about trying Belly fat diet pills but figure that with the winter approaching that I should probably eat better now and think about joining a health and fitness club.

They actually opened up a new gym in the mall and I don't think that the monthly rate is too bad. I'll just have to figure the childcare situation...

A little "Thintervention" goes a long way!

So I loved the old Jackie Werner show that was on a few years ago. Now I'm watching her new show and it's pretty good. It has a lot of drama queens and a housewife. But I think it's going to be interesting to see how she manages the different people and attitudes and I have a feeling she's really going to bust their balls and get them to lose some serious weight.

I just saw the first episode and they lost a combined weight of 53 pounds.

The basement...

We are still working on our basement. We have some tiles to put up, I need to touch up the floor with paint. Touch up the bookcase and I'd really like to buy a set of modern sofas .

The area looks great right now and it serves as both an office and play space for the kids. Plus, when it's really hot outside we all sleep in the basement on the old futon mattress.

Work.

So work has been going pretty good. Some days I have so much work I can't even think straight. Sometimes I actually have free time and it's nice to be able to take it easy and do stuff around the house.

Tomorrow I have some commercial reports to do and they will probably keep me pretty busy.

I think it's been a good thing for Emmy to be able to go to daycare because she's really making great friendships and learning to spend time "away from mom".

I've got to start shopping!

We have been talking about what to do for Christmas. We figured we might make a weekend in New York City and do a radio city show and nice hotel. We figured we would get the girls one big present and one small present.

Graem is into arts and crafts and so I have been looking at arts and craft kits for christmas.

I have no idea what to get Emmy. She plays with a few select toys and she thinks she is into Dora but when I buy her Dora items she doesn't play with them!

Jeff Lewis.

Seriously, I love "Flipping Out". He is so charismatic and hilarious. Given last episode he was a total dick to Jenny and at the end he made her apologize to him to make himself feel better...but I still love him and hope this show stays on forever!

Got meds?

The past few nights I have been trying to get to bed early. We have all been sick and I figure the one way to kick the cold/sinus infection that is brewing is to get some good sleep. Last night I hooked up with some Nyquil.

I had a friend who actually enlisted the help of tramadol no prescription . I'm too scared to go that route and figure if my cold gets bad enough I can always go to the doctor and get antibiotics and cough medicine with codine!

Rainy Thursday.

So right now is absolutely perfect. I'm sitting on the couch, have the television going on in the background and I'm workin on some blogging and trying to catch up!

The only thing that could be better is knowing that I have a massage scheduled later this afternoon and a baby that takes a longer nap!

Toshiba down.

My Toshiba laptop is just a few months old and already I got a notification that it was recalled because it gets so hot and burns people. I've experienced this first hand and the only way I can type with it on my lap is by using a lapbuddy!

I should have followed the Consumer Reports and looked at getting the Sony VAIO. It's ranked much better and although it cost a little bit more would have probably been the better investment.

Bachelor Pad.

Yes, I'm watching.

Yes, it's trashy.

No, I don't think I have a favorite character.

Yes, I vomit in my mouth everytime I hear Tinsley speak.

Lesson learned.

When I was looking for a laptop I went to a local retail store and at the end of the day I really didn't get that great of a deal. Then the other night I get an email that my laptop has been recalled for overheating.

I wish I would have had access to wholesale laptops because I probably could have saved money AND it would have been a much better quality laptop! One that doesn't burn your leg or set your house on fire.

Bathroom....

We really don't have much left. We finished the tile this weekend.

After I finish blogging I'm going to sand and finish touch up painting in the bathroom.

Then I figure tonight Margot can caulk, put the quarter round down, moldings up, and attach the shower head.

Then we'll just need to install the shower fixture, the walls in the shower, sink, and toilet and we're all done!!!

My best friend...

One thing that never loses it’s value is bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to buy gold bullion with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

So.Busy.

I almost said busty...which would also be the truth.

This weekend went by so fast. We actually accomplished a lot and I love it when Monday rolls around and I feel like I got something done.

We're in the middle of 10 projects and I hope that by next weekend we will have at least completed the outside projects because fall is on the way!

Plus, I just ordered the new toilet for the bathroom and tonight we're going to touch up paint, put in moldings, shower head, and sink and maybe...just maybe by this weekend our house will be back to a 3 bedroom - 2 bath!

The test of time...

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking to bullion with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

MY DS Lite.

So I got Graem a Nintendo DS Lite for the summer. We promised one for her once she started reading. She liked it for the first few minutes and grew tired of it pretty soon after that.

SOOOOO, I've taken it as my own and each night I play for a little while.

So far I've been able to conquer Super Mario Brothers --- It was so much fun!

Now I've moved on to Bowser's Revenge.

Can't move.

My body feels so achy. I've been painting this damn house for the past four days and I can honestly say that I'm whipped. I'm going to hook up with some good drugs tonight and hopefully, I can get into bed before 10pm.

Of course, I might just lay there and play Super Mario brothers!

Project yourself!

Margot is constantly buying new things for work. The other night I saw her reading projector reviews online and trying to find the top rated projector.

It seems like there are thousands of projectors out there and really you could spend anywhere from $200 - $10,000 on a good projector! However, for work she is going with a middle of the road projector and I think she got a good deal on a Panasonic projector for around $800 or so.

I must say that it would be pretty cool to have a home projector - it sure would bring a new meaning to movie night!

A new computer...

So I have had my new computer for over a month now and I think Margot just finished changing all of the settings yesterday to the way I like it!

Now I just have to hope and pray that it lasts me a good five years or so!

School shopping!

I looked in Graem's closet and I'm pretty happy at what I see! I might need to get her some new rocawear jeans and I'm guessing she wears a 6x or even 7! The kid's got some legs on her!

I just got her backpack for school andshe loves it and is already using it for her camp stuff.

She also wanted the unicorn lunch box. I had to give in and figure I'll give in to the innocent stuff now so that when she gets older and wants the trashy stuff I can say "no!"

All work and no play.

So this summer has been challenging. Maybe it's been because we're in a new house and we've been trying to get everything nice and neat. Or because I started a new job, or put Emmy in daycare for the first time!!

Either way I'm waiting for things to calm down and for school to start so that we can get a nice routine and used to a schedule.

I am also looking forward to a nice 7:30 bedtime for the kids! WE all know that's when real housework gets done and when the kids stay up til 10pm that just puts a damper on everything!

A little gambling ...

goes a long way!

Years ago when I was in college I was involved in some casino games. In fact, I became quite the professional at playing online blackjack.

It was so easy and all you needed was a paypal account or a credit card. Considering that my credit card limit was only $100 I couldn't go too far!

One day Margot noticed that I was playing and got pretty upset. Then she realized that I was making some good money! Within a few days I had tripled my money and with that money we went to the store and purchased a new PlayStation 2!

I've heard that online casinos for USA players are hard to come by these days. Many of the websites don't run out of the USA and so not only do they have different rules and regulations but it's harder to work with websites with different languages and personalities!

In fact, recently I did a search for online gambling websites and there are thousands. Never in a million years would I know which ones are the best or most reputable. I am guessing there are probably a handful that are scamming and then there are a handful of honest websites that have some decent payouts.

CasinoGamblingIndex.com offers a great website that actually reviews the websites! Not only is it an easy-to-use website but with the thousands of websites out there it can really point you in the right direction!

Just a few words...

* I got a new job.
* Sometimes it kicks my ass and I'm overwhelmed.
* Still trying to balance mom and work.
* Fortunate that it has flexible hours.
* I want to do a good job.
* I find myself being bitchy to my kids too often.


I'm going to work harder at being a better mom.

Enough said.

Not another ticket!

I got a speeding ticket back in October. It was horrible. I was going up a hill to pick Graem up from school. Emmy was in the back seat screaming and I was in a hurry. Sure enough...busted.

I've always been a fan of radar detectors! We have had ours for about eight years now and it has saved me thousands of dollars in speeding tickets.

Most of the time I put the radar detector up if we're on long trips. Lately, it's been making a weird beeping noise and then cutting off.

My next paycheck will more than likely go towards buying a new radar detector considering that over Thanksgiving break we're driving to North Carolina!

A two year old and a lost tooth.

So much has happened over the past few months.

Emmy turned two. We had a nice little birthday party. She's still getting therapy and she's doing quite well. She has the vocabulary of a three year old and she's so strong willed at times we really don't know what to do with her!

Graem lost her first tooth the other day and the tooth fairy left her a shiny half dollar. IT was so fun seeing her wake up in the morning and finding her tooth box with a coin!

My poor skin.

Saturday when we went to the swimming pool I kept applying sunscreen. It didn't matter though - it kept coming off in the water and the sun was so strong I ended up getting burned.

The good thing about a sunburn is that it keeps the acne. THe bad thing is that not only do I look like a lobster but I also run the risk of geting skin cancer.

Maybe I'll stick with the acne and just look at the pronexin review for acne relief!

I'm a fair weathered fan.

I'll be the first to admit. I like cheering for the winner. I'm not an underdog kind of person! If I hear that my hometown baseball/basketball team is on a winning streak then I'm all about that team!

I guess you could say that goes for the World Cup too. I was totally into it...then the US started sucking. THey got some pretty bad calls too and before long they were out of it.

Today I'm going to try and find another team to root for. I think there's a game at 2:30 and I plan on watching it!

It's that time of year again...

the time that my body has to fit into a swimsuit!

Unfortunately, I'm able to wear the same fat suit as last summer when I had a baby. Darn.

I've thought about looking at the best weight loss supplement available.

Years ago I was on weight loss pills and they worked great. Plus, it provided me with that little boost of energy that I needed to lose quite a bit of weight. Once I got started and motivated my body took over and I weaned off of the medication.

Now, I feel like I'm right back to that point and I just need a little jump start to get me going.

CAN't STAND IT..

it's so goddamn hot I feel like I'm melting!

We're hanging out in the living room now and the a/c is trying to keep up but after being on all morning the thermostat still reads 78 degrees. UGH.

On a good note...I was able to pick up my car today and it looks good. All repairs have been made to the bumper and it's up and running again.

Plus they washed and waxed it!

So many papers! So little time!

Since starting this new job you would not even believe how many papers I have lying around the basement floor. At this point I don't know what to keep and what to throw away.

I figure once training is over I will figure out what is good information and what is trash.

I might look into getting a document management system to help with all of the paperwork.

For some reason I have a feeling this is just the beginning!

Swing batta batta.

Every Tuesday and Thursday I'm playing softball with the girl's league. I'm having a great time and it's been nice to rekindle some of my old relationships with good softball friends. I wish I could find something to carry it over to the fall and winter.

Something must have clicked because I have to admit...I kick ass. Most of the time. My batting has gotten so good that I am nailing the ball all the way to left field. MOst of the time I end up getting to at least first if not second base.

However, sometimes I have some unlucky moment and it goes right to the left fielder!

Printer cartridges.

We have a dinosaur of a printer. Margot keeps wanting to get a new one. However, I don't want to drop the money. Plus, I see nothing wrong with our existing printer! It just needs a color refill.

I've heard that a lot of the stores are using tm-t88iv and now more than ever it's a good way to save money on printers, receipts, and software!

If we could find a good deal on a printer that doesn't cost a lot of money to maintain I'd be game...

But until then...NO!

Playdate today!

Today is our hangout at home day and we might head up to the new park that everyone's been raving about.

One of Graem's friends is coming over and I figure we can do lunch, put Emmy to bed and the girls can play.

Then we'll head out and play!

I *heart* big box.

So years ago I was so frustrated by living in Ithaca. We didn't have any big box stores and we had to go an hour away just to get door handles. Now we don't have that problem and I can honestly say I don't know how long I could have lived without a Target or Walmart.

It's stores like these that have and use a merchant account reseller!

So much to do...

so little time.

It seems like we have so many house projects to do and so little time. Plus, I'm friggin exhausted. I don't know if my steam has officially run out (it was a good run!). Or if I've just given up!

I still have to put the celing tiles in on the basement, patch up walls, and bookcases, install sliding doors.

Bathroom is down to studs and needs walls and tile.

Bedroom needs to be painting.

Playroom needs to be painted and recarpeted.

Kitchen needs remodel.

Dining room needs painting.

Outside needs to be spray washed and painted.

Then of course, there's the trash, lawn duties, gardening.

Swimming!

Yesterday was the first day that we went to the swimming pool. We decided that it really made sense for us to buy the summer pass since we have to pay for two kids and two adults every time we go. I think it cost around $16 each time. This way we pay the flat $120 and we can go whenever - even if it's for 30 minutes!

Of course, I remember last year when the pool pumps went out and it took them a week to get new ones...

Up and running...

so glad that Margot was able to get her dad's computer up and running! It's actually a nice HP desktop and seems to have all of the gadgets.

I might want to look for some good software for Graem too. She's just old enough to become interested in the computer and I'm sure that there are some good games out there that she might enjoy.

Suggestions?

No more tickets for me.

I just got finished paying for my last speeding ticket. It was brutal $185. Plus, it put 4 points on my license. Eek!

I might be in the market for a Bluetooth headset to use when driving. The hard part is that I feel like it would be more coordination to put that thing on my ear and try to deal with my phone than it would be to just put the phone up to my ear.

If I were serious about the whole cellphone while driving thing I would probably just pull over to talk!

So tired.

Last night I slept in the basement because it's so damn cool. Previous nights I've been sleeping in the living room with the a/c blasting and I'm still uncomfortable and sweaty.

The one thing about the basement is that the futon is pretty uncomfortable. Maybe what I'll try tonight is actually pulling it out and making it a bed. Or I could just put the mattress on the cold basement floor!

The dream...

Last night I had a dream that I was 26 weeks pregnant and I had not told anyone. Including Margot!

Of course, at that point I would probably be thinking of baby shower invitations and I can't imagine I would be able to hide the whole belly thing.

Then again, I did watch that show "Pregnant and didn't know it." Maybe I'm going to be one of those people....

Playdate!

Today one of Graem's friends came over for a playdate. She hung out, played, ate lunch, and then we went strawberry picking.

When I went to drop her off - Graem was invited to her house to play!

Totally a good gig. Emmy's upstairs sleeping and I'm hanging out in the cool basement waiting for my web conference for work to begin.

I kissed a girl and I liked it!

I know it's somewhat cliche for an older person like myself to like pop tunes including Katy Perry - but I do!

We do not have too many radio stations here and the ones that we do have consider themselves light rock. Ugh.

Being in Ithaca I feel like we are really on our own little planet. In fact, I can't say that I have heard of the group gucci mane.

Plus, I am really starting to feel old when it comes to my cell phone. My old phone used to have some pretty cool ringtones. I had Black Eyed Peas and Fergie.

Since I got the iPhone I have yet to really look into different ringtones and truth be told I am way too cheap!

That is why I'm glad that I came across Jamster.com. They have tons of great ringtones for really reasonable prices. Plus, their selection is amazing! It's a one-stop-shop and you do not have to go searching too long to find that special song!

If I had it my way I would probably give Margot's ring something nice and sassy. I am on a Michael Jackson kick these days so I might just find a "Billy Jean" tune.

Who knows, they might even have my all time favorite song "We are the World".

So proud.

Margot's out of town today for work. I was so tired this morning and just wanted to sleep in but I knew I had to actually get up and do the whole "mom thing".

Graem woke up and before I knew it we were getting breakfast ready and everyone was settled in.

Then I told them that I really needed their help because Mommy was out etc.

Sure enough...Graem had corralled Emmy and she had put her clothes on and Emmy's clothes on and EVEN CHANGED EMMY'S DIAPER.

Yes, that's right...my five year old changing her two year old sisters diaper.

Incredible kid.

So proud.

Canada, here we come!

In October we are going to Victoria, Canada for two weddings! Margot's cousin is getting married and then Alex and Dominic are getting married in Vancouver.

We're hoping that the wedding programs don't collide and that we'll be able to make the festivities at both weddings!

Between traveling to and from New York, Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria we will have taken planes, taxis, and ferrys!

Should be fun with two small kids!

Playdates are fun!

Today Emmy had a playdate with her buddy, Oscar. They are getting to such a fun age where they actually interact and play together instead of side by side.

Emmy did really great and shared toys. She even offers toys to him too!

The past six months she has gotten so much better with her interactions with other kids. She's still throwing things but her aggression, biting, and hitting have seemed to be something of the past.

At least I hope...

I love Mexican food!

I must say since I moved away from Texas we have yet to have good Mexican food. We've tried it all up here and it's horrible.

I wish I could find a wedding reception dallas that I could go to so that I can get the hook up!

Yummy chips, salsa, guacamole....Makes me think of Mattitos!

Free lunch.

Score.

My friend, Suzanne, just called and wants to take me out for lunch for taking her daughter to gymnastics.

Hell yes.

We're going to chili. Mama needs some good and greasy love.

So many options...

that's how I felt when I was looking at colleges. I looked at a few in state schools and at the end of the day I ended up going where one of my good friends had already enrolled.

Had I actually done my research college degrees I would have realized that I should have probably gone with a more credible school that actually had a good business program.

The school I went to had a great program for teachers - but not very good for much else.

CollegeDegreesToday.com is a great website for high school seniors or other people who are looking to go to college. They have a listing of different programs and it directs you right to the university/college that hosts the program.

A little direction is all that some of us need. It took me a while but I finally got on the right path!

TGI ...

therapy!

Emmy's therapy has been a true godsend! She's with her OT now and they play and then after that Emmy's ready for lunch and nap.

Emmy's been so much better at frustration and communicating since she started therapy and I'm glad that we were able to see the signs and get her the help she needed.

I think sometimes it's easy just to ignore the obvious and hope it goes away.

Pink eyes.

That's right.

I've got it.

Again.

I swear it's these filthy kids. I have an idea that I got it from not washing my hands after cleaning up Emmy's snotty nose.

Either way...I'm on drops and it still looks like I'm an avid drug user.

Bathing suit time.

Eek!

So it's been a rough winter. I've gained a little bit of weight and I realize that it's that time of year again where I have to squeeze into a bathing suit.

PLUS, I want to look good for the weddings in October.

So I'm going to look for diets for quick weight loss.

I figure if I can jump start the weight loss I'll be on the right track and be able to keep up the trend.

The last time I lost weight was because I lost a good amount from the flu!

That went fast.

I have a two year old.

How in the hell did that happen? I swear it was just a few months ago I was announcing that I was pregnant and wasn't sure that this pregnancy was going to make it?!?!

Now she's two.

She talks.

She bosses.

She hits.

And she's still crapping in her diaper.

We're working on that this coming week!

So tired.

I don't know if I am coming down with something or if it's just darn allergies. But my throat is super drippy and I even have a stuffy nose.

Last night I couldn't go to sleep and so I hooked up with some Nyquil. Unfortunately, this morning came way too early and I felt totally hungover.

I think I might want to look into sleep aid for future use.

Who knows? Maybe I can even sleep through Margot's snoring!

Happy Birthday, Emmy!

I can't believe you are going to be two years old! It seems like just yesterday I was going into labor.

In fact, tonight over dinner we talked about how this time two years ago I was in the hospital in labor.

Wow...so glad that I've been living in the minute. But it's still going too fast.

That time of year...

I go for my annual in another few weeks. I am quite overdo and between kids and house stuff I forgot about it! It seems like when I was doing the infertility stuff I went constantly and never had to think twice about scheduling an appointment.

Margot went a few weeks back and the midwife pointed out the importance of multivitamins and an extra dose of Vitamin D.

We picked both up this weekend and if I can remember to take them nightly I am going to start to!

Ikea!

When we were in Michigan Josh and Margot went Ikea. We ended up getting their cool relax chair and footstool. I was very happy with the purchase but dismayed when I got home to find that the wood on the stool and the chair didn't match.

When I called the Ikea customer support I was put off by the way I was treated and even more put off when the girl told me to send the step stool back OR DRIVE TO BROOKLYN TO RETURN IT.

That's right folks. My options were to either spend 4 1/2 hours on the road returning the stepstool that costs $29.99 OR spend $25.00 to ship the damn stool.

Now I've escalated the call and should be hearing back from a supervisor within the next 24 hours.

Bitches.

That time of month...

It seems like every single month before I get my period I have tons of zits pop up on my face! (No pun intended).

I have thought about getting acne treatment, however, I don't know where to turn. It seems like there are so many different formulas and creams out there.

I was glad to see that there's now a website where I can go to find the latest reviews!

Exhausted.

and I have a drippy throat.

It seems like I've been trying to get something for the past few days. At night my throat hurts and in the daytime I feel fine.

I tried taking Airborne a few nights ago in hopes that it would help whatever was coming on.

Hopefully, my immune system will kick in and I won't get full on strep-throat.

We're back!

We had an amazing time in Michigan. I was able to see my cousin and her hubby, my nephews, my aunt and uncle, and my boy cousin and his wife.

The kids played together and the adults enjoyed each others company.

Of course, the sad thing about it was leaving and kjnowing that we live pretty far from each other. I hope that we're still able to keep in touch and I'd love to do another trip or have everyone visit us here!

The best friend ever...

Gold.

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value. Our friend, L, has had gold bullion in her portfolio for the past few years and we constantly compare. Despite the crashing economy - she's always in the black!

I'm sure she's looking for a good time to buy gold bullion with her tax refund money!

US Gold Bureau offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but US Gold Bureau is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

Maybe...just maybe...

we will have a finished bathroom within the next month or so!

Today the guys are working on the subflooring and plumbing and hoping that we might be able to put some walls up.

Then it's all me. Meet the tile-girl.

I've never done it before but I'll be damned if I'm going to pay someone $500 to do this work.

Call me a cheap bastard...or ... the tile girl.

A fortune...

the last time we were in California I was shocked at how much they wanted for California car insurance!

I had to decline it because it was almost double the cost of the car rental. That means that I drove super safe and took special care to avoid all bad situations. Including parking 10 miles away from the store and nowhere close to other cars!

Planes and ferries.

Well, we're booked and ready to go to Canada! We bought our tickets and it just so happens that Alex and Dom are getting married the exact same weekend that Margot's cousin's wedding is.

How crazy is that?

So we're taking a plan out to Victoria and then we'll take the ferry over to Vancouver for the boy's wedding.

I can't wait and I just hope that Emmy has gotten over the terrible twos and it wouldn't be so bad if she was potty trained either!

A bathing suit...

is in my near future. I know.

However, I'm not sure the world is ready for it! I've stayed the same weight for about two years now and I am looking for some quick weight loss.

I'd love to look like a new person by the time we went to Canada in October but not sure I'm going to be able to pull it off.

Maybe I'll actually go the exercise and eating better route...

Weedwhacker.

Our weedeater is a total bitch to start up. In fact, I haven't been able to get it up and running in a few years. I think I got frustrated at it and in the middle of trying to put string in it and getting it to go I threw it.

Oops, did I just admit that?

Well, I need it now.

And I'm hoping that it will forgive me because the grass is growing up into my flowerbeds and I'm starting to look like I'm crazy for mowing weekly and neglecting the edging.

Maybe I'll just go "borrow" one from Sears for 90 days and return it when the season is over.

I know you can't resist.

That is why I am daring you to click here.

That's right. I dare you.

Just do it.






*GOTCHA*

What were you thinking to trust me? You know how sneaky I am.

9:40pm

and I don't hear a peep! The girls were pretty tired and I'm guessing that they've decided to go to bed.

When I left them they were reading a book and giggling.

Maybe I'll go check on them.

Purging.

When we moved I was able to get rid of so much of our unused clothing, books, and baby stuff.

In fact, I had a hard time trying to sell used books! I ended up donating them to the local book sale. However, I didn't even get a receipt! Ugh.

I wish I would have known of a website where the books would have been sold quickly and I didn't have to pay tons of fees.

SellBackYourBook.com looks like a good place to go to find and sell books! Maybe next time....

TV

I really miss my television. For some reason it seems like I just don't have time nor the attention span to sit my fat ass in front of the television.

Then there's this little voice in the back of my head saying "if you have time to sit down then maybe you should go do laundry, paint, and clean the house..."

Shut the hell up, right?

Maybe I'll be able to catch up on television the next time I'm home sick with the flu and Margot has to take off to watch the kids.

Dressed for success!

The last time we went on a vacation we stayed at an amazing five star hotel in Cancun, Mexico. Graem was two years old, and when we walked in the door, we knew we were in heaven!

The staff greeted us in beautiful bright blue uniform polo shirts. The staff were courteous, seemed happy and comfortable in their clothes, and within minutes I had a nice beverage in my hand. You could tell they loved their uniforms and they weren't the typical and frumpy outfits that other hotel staff has to wear!

Typically when you go to hotels you will see all types of uniforms, often they are frumpy and look like ugly business uniforms, and often none of the employees' uniforms match, which often makes it hard to tell who is an employee and who is a guest!

Throughout our stay at this resort it was always easy to find the staff whenever we needed something, because their bright blue hotel uniforms were so easy to spot.

I was so impressed by the polo uniform shirts the employees were wearing, I asked about them. It turns out they were provided by iD by Landau.

iD by Landau's products are quite beautiful and their uniforms are not at all frumpy. They offer clothing for almost every industry. The polo uniform shirts seemed like a perfect and comfortable choice for a resort environment. If you are looking for top notch clothing and a professional way to market your business or organization - look no further than iD by Landau.

Identity apparel offers a great and very easy way to market your business and contribute to quality customer service!

Take it from me, when we walked in the hotel the first thing I noticed was professional look of the employees who rushed to greet us. They seemed happy and comfortable in what they were wearing, and they were dressed to impress which is exactly what they did! Plus, they kept the wonderful drinks coming!

Netflix!

We'll we've rejoined. We're going to try Netflix out again and try the streaming to live television thingy. Margot has it hooked up and ready to go.

First on our list is "Dexter". My friend is in love with it and I've heard other good things from other people.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Burn baby, burn.

These past few days I have been working my fingers to the bone. I sweat like crazy and I know I have been working off some serious calories.

Then I step on the scale.

Up two pounds.

Darn.

Maybe I should just cut to the chase and get some serious help from noxycut. I've heard that it works wonders and it might just need the jumpstart I need to help me lose all of the weight that I need to!

She's SO mad.

Emmy has yet to take a nap today. I'm watching a friend's little girl and Emmy has been pretty excited plus we're out of our routine. Either way...she's in her room throwing a complete fit.

I can't believe this drama is starting and she's not even two yet.

I'm screwed.

Oh man...

I just stepped on the scale after having way too much friend time and let me tell you...it's not good.

I was up.

I lost some good weight while I was having gall bladder issues and I'd love to keep that weight off.

Maybe I should just put out the white flag and look for the best weight loss pills out there.

Then again, I could just do a better diet and exercise.

Avatar...

maybe.

I just got the Avatar Blu-Ray and DVD set at Sam's today.

Let's just say that our Samsung Blu-Ray 1250 model SUCKS. It screws up constantly and I will NEVER EVER EVER buy anything Samsung again. Their tech support speaks little English and they have me resetting the thing 100 times and it never fixes the actual problem!

So unfashionable.

So I must admit that I went to the Flax sale Friday. I'm embarrassed to say it because God knows the clothes aren't the most stylish. However, I think I was able to get some things that were dressy enough for me to wear to work.

I also went to the shoe sale they had going on next door. Let's just say they didn't have prada shoes. No way. In fact, it was your typical Birkenstock, Prada, and Keen selections.

Exhausted.

I've been so tired lately. I really do not know what is going on. Aside from me busting balls on the house trying to get it painted and clean. Then there's Emmy...

It seems like each night when I lay down to go to bed it takes me a matter of five seconds and I'm GONE.

I guess it helps since Margot snores like a bear and typically keeps me awake if I fall asleep after her!

A little gambling...

goes a long way!

When I was in college I dabbled into a little online casinos for real money. Let's face it, we did not have a whole lot of money and a girl has got to get rich somehow! Of course, I could have gotten a part-time job but that would have been way too hard.

I started out with only $20 and before the day had ended I was up to close to $200. Margot told me that once I had the $200 mark that we could go get a Playstation 2 at the mall.

So that's what we did.

I continued to dabble here and there and never did as good.

We had friends that just got back from Vegas and all they play are sloth machines. They went for more of a vacation but they did end up winning some money. All of which they donated to charity!

Of course, they probably could have just stayed in Ithaca and done online slot machines for real money!

CasinoScandinavia.com offers an easy-to-use website where you can explore the world of online gambling and casinos. In fact, if my real estate gig does not make money I might go back to my days of a twenty-something online gambler. Minus the twenty something...

Saturday night!

Today was so busy. The first thing I had to do was to leave the house because Margot had house stuff that she needed to tackle. So as we're getting ready I get a call from my friend, Jen. She says she needs to get out and wanted to go to Sam's Club.

Of course, I absolutely love Sam's and within an hour we had taken the kids to the park and were on our way!

We bought tons of stuff at Sams and in the next few minutes we're going to watch Avatar on the Blu-ray and hopefully be able to listen to our newly hooked up home theatre system.

Mean and Green

My van is absolutely filthy! I have not washed it in about three months and it needs it. It has cat prints, bird poop, sand, and salt, and mud splattered everywhere.

When I had my van for under a week (it was purchased brand new) I took it to the big carwash in town and one time through - it scratched the heck out of the car. I was absolutely LIVID to say the least. I went back to the place, complained to the manager, and ended up fighting the claim in small claims court.

Now I am thinking about going elsewhere and doing something a little different!

For the past few years we have been trying to do things that are better for or family and the environment. For example, we eat organic food and meat. We also recycle and compost on a daily basis.

Considering my past I am thinking about going with greener car washing too! You never would have thought that a waterless car wash was possible - until now.

EZdetailer waterless car wash allows you to have a sparkling car, save the environment, and stay away from those horrible carwashes that will run the finishes on your car!

Seriously cute.

I know.

Why pay for expensive cable?

I have almost come to the conclusion that we should cut off our cable services. We pay over $100 a month and I think we probably on watch television an hour or two a week.

Lately, what we find enjoyable is to get the laptop, look up our favorite shows and watch them on the television in the bedroom!

Of course, you have to have a fast internet connection and a decent computer. But it is just as good if not better than subscribing to cable and DVR.

Not to mention...it's FREE!

When we lived in our old house I felt so isolated. We were in the middle of nowhere and years ago we couldn't even get cell phone reception in our house!

Our friends Aimee and Bill live in Newfield and they did not have access to high-speed internet or cell phone coverage!

For people that are unable to get high-speed there is now an answer: satellite internet service providers!

MYBlueDish.com offers a full range of high speed internet for just about any situation!

It's amazing to think that we have entered a time and place where you can have fast internet even in the most remote of places!

Lots of therapy awaits!

Today is our day of therapy. This morning I played birthday cake with Emmy for close to an hour. She absolutely loves the Melissa and Doug food stuff. She loves the cutting and decorating the birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday.

She had speech with the new lady and that went really good. I was able to work on some blogging and could tell that they were having a good time in the next room.

Now it's time for the OT to get here and Emmy will get her sensory fullfillment for the day.

Hopefully.

Our next house...

is going to be a new home.

Enough of this "buying a fifty year old house and thinking that we're going to put blood, sweat, and tears into it" idea!

I want to find the perfect piece of land, in the best school district, and choose the perfect house! I would love to be able to look at some open house floor plans.

Right now our house is pretty open and we plan on knocking down a wall or two to open it up even more.

However, it would have been nice to look at house plans and be able to select the one that is perfect for entertaining, playing with the kids, and also have with a nice sized dining area.

HousePlansandMore.com has a great website where you can look at tons of plans for your future house. They even offer cabin plans!

The website is so easy to use and you can search using your specifics in a database and come up with the PERFECT house!

Next time we get the idea of moving I am seriously going to look on this website and buy the plans. I know exactly what builder we will hire.

Now I have got to keep my eyes open for the perfect piece of land!

The never ending cold.

I swear I have been sick for months.

I have this hacking cold, terrible runny nose, and drippy throat. I keep thinking that it's allergies because I've been on antibiotics and I was on Claritin D and neither have touched it.

I don't want to go back to the doctor because at this point i feel like they're going to give me more medicine that I will forget to take.

When will spring be over and summer be here?!?!

Beauty school dropout!

Of course, that is not my style. To drop out...that is.

One of my friends is a Cosmetologist and I am constantly amazed at how well she does financially! She also works as an airline attendant for American Airlines. When she doesn't have assignments she goes right back to her Cosmetology background and ALWAYS has a job waiting for her!

I think she might have gone to a Cosmetology school in Kansas, where she was raised.

These days I have been looking at going back to work. I wrestled with the idea of doing real estate and getting my license but maybe I should look for a back up plan in case that does not work.

RegencyBeauty.com offers Cosmetology school in many different areas and they are an industry leader.

Damn washing machine and dryer.

So we purchased a new washing machine from Home Depot. It was a Maytag Bravos 750. Supposedly, one of the top of the line washing machines and was priced at around $1,000!

You'd think it'd be a nice one, right?

WRONG. Total piece of poo.

It broke within three days. I'm not joking. Serious error messages and when I tried to was our new comforter it totally ate shit and died forever.

I had to break the door just to get our comforter out!

Anyway, I put wet clothes in the dryer and that broke too.

Margot's downstairs fixing dryer now and Home Depot is letting us use the loaner until our new one comes in.

UGH....

Help on the blogfront!

I have been blogging for about five years now. Over that time I have documented three pregnancies, two babies, three cats, one dog, and two houses. I enjoy blogging and it has really been a good way to express myself and keep in touch with friends and family.

For a while our website was a means for us to share pictures of kids and it allowed our family to see pictures without them waiting hours to download them via email!

I remember before kids we had "pet pages" and posted photos of our animals.

These days I am always looking for ways to promote my websites. I am on quite a few link exchange boards and that really helps to get the word out. I also make sure to leave regular comments and I always try to write quality posts.

The one thing that could use a little help is finding a better service for my web hosting. I go through a service that is free and let's just say "you get what you pay for".

With that said, I have paid for web hosting in the past and I am not sure I see much difference and more and more often I realized that the page was offline and the support offered was poor.

That is why I am glad that I came across a website that offered web hosting reviews. It seems like these days there are so many different options and typically I just go with the web hoster that spends the most money advertising and not necessarily the best available!

The website WebHostingFan.com is an easy to use site that ranks the websites and can really help you figure out what web host works best for your website needs. Even if it means paying a monthly cost - if you are a big blogger like me - it is money well spent!

The colors!

So I'm pretty excited to be coming upon the fun rooms in the house where I can go a little crazy with the colors!

In the girls room I am going to go with a bright green for the room. It's called springtime and I hope that it will give them the brightness that the room needs! It has sliding closet doors and I've thought about painting one pink and one purple but not sure that I'm going to go that crazy. Plus, paint is expensive!

For our room I'm going to go with a nice blue accent wall where our bed is. The other walls will be a bone color.

Then for the bathroom I'm going with a light beige - almost brown color. I figure it will tie in the ugly blue/black shower together without us having to do a bathroom renovation!

I miss our old house.

There are times when I really miss our old house! I miss the fact that we had put so much time and effort into the house to make it the "perfect house."

I could sit down and watch a television show without having to focus on the two large holes on both sides of my tv!

Our house was also extremely energy efficient. We had a new Carrier furnace and new low-e windows that were beautiful.

I know that in the future we will be looking for Energy saving and plan on taking advantage of some of the tax credits that will be rolling out towards the end of the year.

I just took advantage of the NYS appliance swap out and purchased all new home appliances! I was able to get the $500 from NYS and an additional $300 rebate from Maytag.

If you're looking for a way to get an idea of how much home energy you use - check out microsoft-hohm.com. I signed up on the easy to use website and within minutes completed my home profile.

It confirmed exactly what I was anticipating - I should probably look into getting a new hot water heater and furnace. I also found out that over the course of a year I can save $629 by just getting a new furnace!

This summary was just what I needed to make that call and get some estimates! Plus, it's the perfect time to get a good deal on a furnace - in the spring!