OOTZ

Recently, I posted on my facebook page that I would be stepping out of my comfort zone and entering a few photos in a photo contest at a local gallery. I am not a professional photographer. I take my pictures using my iPhone and various photo apps. I like to take pictures. I'm a picture hoarder. Do I think my photos are the cats meow? No. I think I like them and honestly, when it comes to my photos that's all that matters. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am beholding my photos. (Yeah. I don't know what that's suppose to mean, if anything. I just felt like saying it)

SO, let's recap. I've shared the fact that I am not comfortable with putting myself out there, which is strange since I put myself out there on facebook and on here. I've stepped outside of my comfort zone, something that I promised to do more of in the new year.

Side note... when will 2013 stop being the NEW YEAR? Can I stop saying "New Year" yet? Ok. Moving along.

My wonderful cousin, who has been such a great role model to me... mother of the year, best friend of the year and wife of the year... You name it and I think she's won the award or deserves it...well, anyway she suggested that we form a group and support each other as we tackle things that are out of our comfort zone, hence the title of this post Out Of The Zone...OOTZ.

Are you the type of person that stays within your safe compartment, afraid to step out for whatever reason? Maybe there's something you've been dying to do but just can't find the courage. Well, this is the group for you. From time to time throughout the year I will post a new challenge. I want you to take part even if it's something you think you're comfortable with because you may think that you're alright with something until you do it. I thought I was alright with sharing my writing projects with someone and then found out that it scared me to the point where I couldn't sleep.

OK. So, our first task is going to be a baby step. Or at least to me. We're going to try a food that we haven't had but want to have but haven't had the courage to try. That was too many buts, but... if you've already tried lamb then find something that you haven't tried and try it because LAMB is our food to try. I don't care if you cook it or order it at a restaurant. I am cooking my lamb. It will probably be one of those things that I do while the kids are in school. A lunch for one. I'll share my recipe if that's the case. I'll be checking in with a progress report and please feel free to chime in and share your thoughts. I do look forward to hearing from you. If you would like to add a task to tackle then please share that too!

Let's do this!

In time we heal

There are things that happen in our lives that can scar us forever if we let it. I am ashamed of some of the things that I let get to me or allowed to get in my way. But once I learned to get over it and get on with my life I began to heal. I didn't want to just get over it though. I wanted to grow, become someone my kids would be proud of. I am trying to follow my dreams and cross some things off of my list. It's never too late to start living. When I got this tattoo last night someone asked me "why" and I didn't really know how to explain it without going into great detail.

So why this tattoo? Well, because I wanted a reminder of what I am capable of. I have overcome a few things and I'm flourishing. There's not a universal symbol for that so I kept it pretty straight forward. Overcome & Flourish. The font symbolizes my love of writing since it looks handwritten.

Am I done getting tattoos? Nope. Will I be happy with this tattoo in 20 years? You bet!

Get a Theme Song

Do you suffer from severe negativity? Do your facebook status updates read like a broken record, reporting over and over that your life sucks and you're tired of being used and unhappy? Well, YOU my friend need to get a theme song!

I have a theme song!

And when I'm out and about, picking the kids up, grocery shopping or at home doing my thing I'm imagining that this song is playing! If they made a movie of my life this song would definitely be playing at some point in the movie!

I think a song can set the mood. If you watch the Ultimate Fighter competitions you'll notice that the fighters make their way to the octagon while a song blasts over the PA system. The fighter or his manager or whoever picks a song that will set the mood or simply say "I'm a bad ass MO FO! And I'm going to put my knee in your eye socket!".

So, do you see what I'm saying? If you have a theme song to keep you motivated or positive you might be happier. Stop letting other people influence your mood and take your happiness into your own hands by choosing your own theme song. Heck, I have an entire soundtrack! I listen to it all the time. Sometimes I have to change it up a bit and add new songs as they come out but, I keep a positive stream of music playing to keep my mood out of the ditch!

You are the master of your own universe! You can choose to do the things that make you happy or you can depend on others to make you happy. But, I'll tell you this........That person can take off in a heartbeat and then you're left not knowing how to make yourself happy!

What's your THEME SONG?

Lovin' from the Oven

Let me start by saying I am so sorry! Because if you're like me and you love cinnamon buns you're going to try these tasty rolls and not be able to stop eating them! But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

First off........Let me tell you a little something about my Mom.

One of the smaller rolls.......It's not small at all!

She makes the best bread! I can't make bread. There's something about the kneading and rising and yeast and all that that doesn't agree with me. It never rises and it's just too much like chemistry. I failed chemistry!  So I stay away from it. But as I was killing time in the frozen food section of our local grocery store I ran across these frozen cinnamon rolls. It could just be coincidence but I was just thinking of how much I missed my Moms home made cinnamon buns! [exhale] Sooooooo goooooood! She would start with all of the ingredients she needed, mix it all together, throw in a pinch of love, let it rise, roll it out, add some Cinnamon and brown sugar.....or whatever it is that makes them ooey and gooey and in the end we would have these beautiful cinnamon buns that melt in your mouth. You could go get a can of cinnamon rolls and make those but it's just not the same. They aren't soft and chewy and it seems like they get hard if you let them set out for a while. Anyway.

I miss my Mom. I'd have to drive 12 hours to get a taste of her cooking. So, when I ran across these buns I said, maybe this is the next best thing. So, I bought a bag and made them. It was so easy! You just pop them on a sprayed pan, cover with plastic wrap (sprayed with cooking spray) and let them sit on your counter for 4-6 hours to rise. That was the fun part......watching them get enormous! The hardest part of the process was spraying the plastic wrap. For some reason my common sense shut down when it came time to do that part and I tried to spray the cooking spray on the plastic wrap before I even ripped it off the roll.....anyway, it was a mess. So, I threw that disaster in the trash and started over, ripping a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the pan off, layed it on top of the pan like I was covering it, then I sprayed the plastic wrap with spray and flipped it over to fit on top......etc. etc. You know what I mean right?



The smaller rolls, frozen, ready to rise!



You might be asking, "What's the difference in the blue bag and the red bag?" Well, I'll tell you.....The red bag has 12 small rolls and when I say small rolls, I mean bigger than your fist! The blue bag has 6 rolls that are bigger than a tea saucer! The things are HUGE! I should also mention they come with a couple packets of icing. You just thaw it on the counter while the rolls are rising.

So, here you see 9 rolls, fresh from the freezer, placed in a cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and then covered with the plastic wrap that I had a hard time spraying.....I'm not perfect remember!

smaller rolls ready for the oven! mmmm

I placed the pan of rolls on my kitchen counter and left them there all day to thaw and rise. I didn't think they would get much bigger but it turns out I was wrong! -----------> Pre-oven!

I think it's safe to say there will be enough to feed my 2 teenage boys, my husband and my appetite for homemade cinnamon rolls!

Over all, these rolls, are perfect. The price was right. (Under 4 bucks) They were very easy to make! Smelled great! Tasted almost as good as my Moms rolls and put a smile on my face. If you love a fresh baked cinnamon roll but lack the talent, like me, you have to try these! And no! The company is not paying me to give this product 2 thumbs up! But I wouldn't turn down a couple bags of these rolls if they wanted to send them to me!

Yes GOD, you were right!

Every once in a while I have to be reminded that life is not as bad as it could be and that I need to embrace it as it is. This is my theory. God sends me messages........please don't think I'm nuts.....well, actually I do tend to fall of my rocker occasionally. But this time, it's a legit belief! I've messed up my back, need physical therapy. But let's rewind a bit to the beginning of December. I was stressed beyond belief over finances, not being able to find a job that will work around my MOM schedule (driving the kids to and from school, taking care of the toddler without employing a daycare) and feeling FAT (I've gained a bit of weight in the past few months, about 20 lbs!!!) So, I was feeling like life was not where I needed it to be. I started doing a little walking with the toddler, dancing around the house more, ignored the fact that we couldn't even afford the everyday essentials and focused on the reasons that employers might find to not hire me and tried to improve on them. I was looking at a half full glass. No more half emptiness for me! Then I woke up one day and thought "Hmmmm, my back is a little stiff!" As the days went by the stiffness turned to pain. And by christmas I was miserable and ironically as I type this I'm listening to the acoustic version of Marroon 5 singing Misery..."I am in Misery, ain't nobody who can comfort me"...........bahaha!, not being able to move for fear that my back would spasm. I was eating advil like they were skittles (taste the rainbow.....sorry, I can't say skittles without saying that.....doh! Taste the rainbow!) Anyhooo, So, to GOD I say, Yes, I realize my life could be worse, thank you for reminding me. But is there any chance I could possibly get the use of my legs back anytime soon? If that's asking too much could I just be able to put on my own pants without crying? I have a kitchen full of pots and pans, food that hasn't been put back in it's place for a month. I'd love to be able to do that without asking for help. Or maybe that's the point of all of this. You want me to ask for help.............this could be a problem. I don't want help. I want to do it myself. I guess sometimes you just have to welcome help when it's offered. I don't have to like it though. But I am grateful. And a special thanks goes out to Adam Levine for singing me to sleep last night! You totally relaxed me.........ahhhh! The husband seemed to sleep better too!

You are my Sunshine

My Aunt & Sister

I've been lucky enough in my lifetime to know some truly amazing women. Two of which, I call my sisters even though we do not share the same parents. We have a sisterly bond that has been tried and tested over the years. We don't always see eye to eye but we support each other. I can always count on my sisters to hear my gripe and bring a new light to the situation. I thank God for them each and every day.

Recently, in craft class, the teenagers and I were discussing women who inspire us. Over the last few weeks the girls have been exploring their options after graduation. It's hard to know at that age what you want to be when you grow up so I suggested that they look to someone who they are inspired by. A sister..... Maybe a friend who has made it through college, followed a dream and found a great job or someone who is going in the direction they could possibly see themselves going in.Or someone who has overcome major obstacles like my sisters. Ask a teenage girl to name a woman who inspires them and you will most likely hear something like "Beyonce or Oprah!" and that's great! Both women are strong, independent women who have made great strides. But I wanted  them to find someone a little closer to home who they could interview. Someone local. This got my wheels turning. I had to ask myself.......

Who inspires me?

Sisters

I'm inspired by the people who follow their dreams, overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. I'm inspired by people who don't stop, never give up! Live the dream! The single Mom who busted ass to raise a family and make it through college to get that degree and run with the big boys! The Mom who single handedly put her kids through college! The young artist who kept focused and followed a dream to be a photographer after she blew the boys out of the water with her tattoo skills. Yeah! I love these women. They are ROCK STARS! They jump lifes hurdles like Wonder Woman! When my day looks like it's turning to gloom these women bring out the sunshine and I can see clearly! They make me want to keep going. They are showing me everyday that it is possible! Dreams do come true. You just have to work for it! So, ladies and gentlemen......Don't give up!

Hazelnut Mocha Bundt Cake

I swore that the crinkle cookies I posted before Christmas would be the last sweet recipe I would post til at least February! Well, I guess I lied. Because here I am, posting this recipe and it's not even January yet!

I was blessed with 2 amazing sister-in-laws! Thank you God! And this Christmas they both helped make the holiday a little better for my children and one of them gave me a gift I've always wanted..........a fancy bundt pan! I'm serious. I have wanted a bundt pan for a very long time. I don't know what it is about a bundt cake. Maybe it's the fact that they don't need fancy frosting or decorative flowers. The shape alone is fancy enough (to me).

Look at that Hazelnut Chocolate Ganache topping! Mmmmm

So, anyway, I made this bundt cake today with the help of my son. I've hurt my back and actually couldn't lift the bowl of cake mix to pour into the pan let alone whisk the ingredients together. He's a life saver! But, this is an easy cake to make. I have been staying away from packaged cake mixes lately, devoting myself to made from scratch cakes and I'm finding that it's actually fun to measure things and follow a recipe. Speaking of recipe.....here it is!

1 (12 oz) bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nutella plus 3 tablespoons
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 lg egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 table spoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very strong coffee
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your fancy Bundt pan with non stick spray. I was generous with my spray.
2. In a small sauce pan, melt about 1/4 cup of your chocolate chips over low heat. Stir constantly! Adding your 3 tablespoons of nutella as you go. Once your chocolate is melted pour into a mixing bowl to cool slightly. Make sure you scrape the sides of the pan and get all of the tastey goodness out!
3. Meanwhile, sift your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a separate bowl. Or you can whisk it all together. I like to use my sifter.
4. Now, back to your melted chocolate......whisk in the oil and sugar into your chocolate mixture until smooth. Then add in your egg. Once you have that all mixed add half of your flour mixture and half of the buttermilk and coffee. Mix until smooth and add in the rest of the flour mixture and buttermilk and coffee.
5. Pour your beautiful batter into your bundt pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once the cake is done, place it on a wire rack to cool for about 8-10 minutes. Do not flip your pan yet!

6. While your cake is cooling enough to flip.......place the remainder of your chocolate chips in your saucepan, melt on low heat. Make sure to stir constantly! As it's melting add your 1/2 cup of Nutella. You can also add a tablespoon of canola oil to the chocolate mixture if you need to loosen it up a bit. When your chocolate is all melted, remove from heat and allow to thicken up a bit. While this is happening, you can flip your cake out of the pan onto your cake plate or whatever you plan on serving the cake on.

Now that you have your cake out of the pan you can pour your chocolate ganache onto your cake! There's no wrong way to do this! Just let it drizzle all over your cake! No need to smear it around. Just let it slide down the sides and look beautiful!

I used very strong coffee for my recipe! You don't have to use strong coffee if you don't want to! It will taste wonderful either way! And I would also like to say that if you're not a Nutella fan, you don't have to use the Nutella at all! You don't even have to substitute anything, just don't use it! But if you didn't know it was in there, you probably wouldn't be able to pick out the taste! The outer edges of this cake has a nice crunch to it while the inside was super moist! I am not ashamed to say that I ate 2 chunks of this cake! Tomorrow when I get up I'll have a small slab with a steaming hot cup of coffee! Breakfast of champions!

Best Pork Chops Ever!

I have recently started using my crock pot again. I bought a new one a few years ago when I was pregnant and craving bean soup, used it once and then hid it away in the cupboard, never to be seen again. Then I got busy.  Making a good meal was becoming difficult to squeeze in to the schedule. Plus, I have days where the little bit of motivation I have goes into laundry and straightening my hair. So, I don't want to cook. For some reason though I don't see cooking in the crock pot as putting out a lot of effort! Maybe it's just me.

I put the word out that I was looking for some tastey crock pot recipes. A friend of mine messaged me that she had the best pork chop recipe that I should try. She told me it was called Ranch house pork chops. I looked it up on pinterest and indeed.....the tastey pork chops were everywhere! It seems she isn't the only one that thinks the recipe is worth sharing. I changed her recipe up a bit though. Hers calls for real potatoes that you place in the crock pot with the chops. My family is more of a fake mashed tater family. So, I buy the pouches of mashed potatoes where you just add water! That's pretty simple.

I actually had 3 ingredients to throw in the crock pot:

Yes! I'm the frugal Mom who buys the clearance meat.....

Pork Chops.....I used 8! Boneless because I don't like the bones....Duh!  

1 10oz can Cream of CELERY soup

1 packet Ranch Dip mix

I tossed the pork chops in the crock pot, mixed the soup and Ranch mix together in a bowl. Then poured the soup mix over the chops. Place the lid on the pot, set at low and at my 4 hour mark I tested the chops. They were done. Practically falling apart! The gravy this made was absolutely wonderful! I turned the crock pot off and left the lid off while I made my cheater mashed potatoes and a side of broccoli. You won't see any broccoli on the plate in the picture because by the time I got around to making a plate to photograph the green trees were all gone! I'm considering growing my own next year! We go through a lot of broccoli!

I can tell you right now that I will be making this recipe often. Maybe playing around with it a little. I'm thinking that brussel sprouts would be darn tastey cooked in the soup and ranch mix! You could even make this with chicken instead of pork if you wanted! What is your favorite crock pot recipe!? Please share!

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

As always, my kids deserve whatever they asked for this year and more! They truly are awesome kids and I couldn't ask for better. There are times when my parenting interferes with their idea of a good time, but we agree to disagree on that and when they are parents we will discuss it further. Anyway, Santa, I would like to point out that this has definitely been my best year yet......as an adult! I know that I have been on the naughty list a time or two but this year I am really trying my hardest to be a good person. Not just because I want my name on the NICE list. I really want to be a better person for my kids. I can't give them laptops or iphones. So, I figure the best thing is to give them a fighting chance by setting a good example. This is really all I can give them this Christmas. But, if you do happen to come by my house this year and feel I am deserving, all I ask is that you put a little something in my stocking to help me keep my promise to my kids. Santa, please bring me duck tape!

                                                Sincerely, The Imperfectionist

Pizza Casserole

I would call it a success!

Pizza is a common meal in our house. Notice I don't say popular. We eat it more than anything else because it's quick and very easy since it's frozen and ready to pop in the oven..... and I'm sick of it! However, this Pizza Casserole looked very good! It's different! Noodles, sauce, meat, pepperoni and more importantly......Cheese! I found this recipe on a wonderful blog which I am going to share with you so you can check it out and get your own tastey inspiration!

 http://formamas.blogspot.com/2011/08/pizza-casserole.html

In the morning after breakfast I always have a little bit of quiet time on my hands. Yesterday  morning instead of hunkering down with a book while the toddler enjoyed her own quiet time I decided to brown the ground beef that I would be using. That way it would be less for me to do when dinner time rolled around. It seems like dinner time is the most chaotic hour in my house because everyone is trying to get into the kitchen and talk to me or look in the fridge for something to tide them over til it's time to dig in. One less pot to watch would certainly be helpful! So, I cooked the meat, drained it and put it in the fridge until I was ready to assemble the rest later that day.

I used 2 and a half cans of Hunt's spaghetti sauce (reserving the rest for a different meal), 1 bag of egg noodles (I could eat them cooked without sauce), 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, Pepperoni and  1 and a half lbs of ground beef.

Once the noodles were cooked and drained it was time to assemble. I poured a layer of sauce in the bottom of my 13x9 or 9x13 pan and added half of the noodles.......

Then half of the meat and topped that with cheese. Go ahead and Pour sauce on it........Then more noodles, more cheese. Then the rest of the meat......Then the rest of the sauce.......

Now the important part......A Generous amount of CHEESE and PEPPERONI!!!!

Before you pop this into your preheated oven (350) cover it with foil! Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15. For a thorough how-to head on over to the for mamas blog! She's absolutely right! It is very tastey! My Husband had 3 helpings! I think it's very filling. We had leftovers which I am sure will be even tastier tomorrow! Can't wait!

Over all, I thought this was easy to make! There's a lot of layering involved but it's not that difficult. It looks a little soupy in the photo at the top but it really wasn't!  I think the next time I make it, I will cook up some chopped onion with the ground beef because I do enjoy onions. I just won't tell the rest of the family since they don't love them.........I was also thinking that you could most certainly try this with chicken and alfredo sauce and still top it off with pepperoni.....Maybe add a little broccoli.....Ooooh! My wheels are turning. Well, hope you take the leap and try this for yourself! :)

Mothers & Daughters

My Mom was a single Mom with a wonderful
support group! She never gave up!

In my lifetime, so far anyway, I have known so many women who have grown up without a mother in their life.These women never had that bond between mother & daughter, whether it was an aunt who took on the role of mom or a step mom....It was never there.  Then recently when I took on the role of craft teacher/mentor to my lost girls I realized that it's an epidemic. I know so many people focus on absent fathers. But what about the mothers who walk out (figuratively & mentally). It happens. And for our young women it's a tragedy. You might not know anyone who has done it or lived with it. But it does happen. Why?

Well, I think one of the reasons is this...... Sometimes we, as women,  are lacking a few things. A support system. The ability to cope. And......The knowledge that we can do anything in the world if we set our minds to it. And do you know why I think we're missing these things? (Don't get upset with me! This is only my opinion).......We're not raising our SONS right!

If you're a mother who is raising a son, take a minute to think about how you're raising them. What are you teaching them? Will they respect their wife or life partner? Will they talk down to her? Will they honor the bond of marriage? Will they take responsibility for their actions? If you are married to a man who does not treat you with respect, is not accountable or maybe he constricts you and makes you feel inferior......well you're setting a bad example. You're raising a son that could very well grow up to marry a woman who can't withstand the treatment he throws at her. He cuts her off from her friends and family. Makes her feel inadequate, like a horrible mother. She will either leave or check out mentally. It happens. It is a vicious cycle. It has to stop!  

Don't get me wrong. I think fully functional men can come from unstable homes. But I also think that unstable homes can produce toxic relationships in the future. I haven't set a good example in the past for my boys. But I'm trying to make it right now. I have a 3 year old daughter that I want to have healthy relationships in the future.I want her to be a strong independant woman who is in a healthy relationship. And right now she has a wonderful example of how a man should treat a woman. I couldn't ask for a better husband. He doesn't always know how to fix things but he does everything in his power to try!  So, ladies, please don't ever feel like you deserve anything less than the best! Never let go of your support system!!! If your husband is your support system and he is truly supportive of your happiness as an individual.....hold on to him because he is a good man! But please for the love of Mothers and Daughters......teach your sons to be a better man! Sometimes that means walking away from the wrong one. Lead by example.  

The Hunger Games

So, you know that a while back I started volunteering with a group of girls, in their teens, teaching a craft class. The class has become a little more than crafts. I'm more of a mentor, as scary as that seems. When the class first started we had 8 girls between the ages of 13 and 18. All of them have been in and out of juvenile detention centers and all are currently in foster care. Most of them have had children of their own. How scary is that? But, 2 of the girls have moved on or found a forever home. I've grown to love these girls and respect them. They are teaching me as much as they say I'm teaching them. But recently we have started a little book club. (This could be a long post)

It all started when the girls arrived for class and I was reading my kindle. I was just finishing up "Persuasion" by Jane Austen. Teenagers are drawn to technology. So, of course they swarmed around me to check it out. I told them what I was reading and to my surprise every single one of them said that they have never read a book! I was flabbergasted! We spent the entire class discussing books I thought they might like. Then it was decided that I would bring a book and read to them. So, I brought the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I read the series and fell in love with it and figured they would love it too. And bonus! The movie will be in theatres in March!

The day of our next class came. I brought the book. I told the girls that I would start reading and then we would pass the kindle around for everyone to have a turn. They didn't like that idea! I remember how scared I was when I had to take a speech class in high school. But really, it's no different than standing up and speaking to a group of friends. Reading from a book is easier! You have the words right in front of you! You don't have to figure out what to say! I explained to the girls that nobody would judge them and that they should respect each others reading time by being quiet and most of all, pay attention to the story! I love to read aloud! Call me crazy but I use to read to the boys on long road trips! I read an entire Harry Potter book to them once and was hoarse when I was done! Good Times!

The reading went well. The girls payed attention and were very respectful and I could tell they were falling in love with this book! We read the first two chapters in class. Rose, my partner in this adventure surprised the girls by giving them the first book to take home. 

If you haven't heard of the book let me give you a little background..... The book takes place in the not too distant future. The US has been divided into 12 districts and has fallen to despair. People are starving! The Government has come up with a GAME where each district offers up 2 representatives between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate. It's like Survivor meets Gladiator! The reps are chosen via lottery. It's a horrible game where the players fight to the death! To me, this story is about bravery, honor, family and survival! It is amazing!

To one of my girls in class, it hit a little too close to home. She comes from a seriously broken home. Meals were non-existent but abuse was a plenty. Her Mom checked out and left her to care for her siblings. It was not a pretty picture. I never realized how close to home this book would hit for her. What was I thinking? I felt so bad when she called me to say she couldn't read the book. I thought she meant that it was too difficult, maybe she wasn't the best reader. I told her she could get an audio book and read along....But what she meant was the book hits a little too close to home..........ohhh. I keep telling these girls to leave the past in the past, right? So, how do you deal with this?

You hear songs on the radio, watch movies that hit close to home, bring on bad memories. do you stop watching the movie? You can! Or you can keep watching it and remind yourself that you're a survivor and that is the past! You've learned your lesson and you're moving on. Be proud of that! I love this girl to death for her courage and her siblings are the luckiest kids in the world to have such a great big sister. She taught them to overcome and to never give up! NEVER STOP TRYING!

She kept reading the book. She finished it and moved on to the second. This book is so inspiring. It made me think.......We live in a society that takes everything for granted. Sorry, there are people who know the value of things. But for the most part we blow things out of proportion. The holidays are upon us and I bet we're going overboard! Don't over do it!

Another birthday

My cousin~ Big Al~ Putting the  "Happy" in Birthday!

It's not my birthday.

Don't panic. You didn't forget.

It's my Granny's birthday. I can't tell you how old she is. It's not a secret. I just quit counting at 60! She probably did too. When you get to be a certain age you just don't keep track.....well, at least I don't. I stopped counting my own years at 29. That was a few years ago.......or so. I think when you become as socially inactive as I am, you stop keeping track because you don't really go out and celebrate it anymore.You're not presented with a cake and a million candles to remind you of your age.  When is the last time you blew out a candle on your own birthday cake?

The last time I had my very own birthday cake is probably one of my fondest memories of my ex husband. I don't mean any disrespect to my husband now. But, It's true. There's this local bakery that makes a delicious cake. My ex knew how much I loved their cake. So he ordered a cake for my birthday. It was beautifully decorated with the prettiest icing flowers and swirly vines. It had my name on it. It meant a lot to me. It tasted as good as it looked. I think I might've gained a few pounds that year. Anyway, I think as parents we tend to overlook our own birthdays and hope that someone else will take the initiative to plan a celebration. The kids usually don't take it upon themselves to plan a party. Or maybe you're not the celebrating type. I for one, do not like to go to a resteraunt and have the waiters show up and sing happy birthday to me. I try to pretend that they are singing to someone else at the table. I find nothing wrong with a tastey birthday cake shared with family at home. NO candles. Let's just cut the darn thing and eat it! I don't need you to sing to me! Just a high five will do! Maybe a "Congrats on making it another year".

I guess when you get to be my Grannys age and you've outlived some of your kids, it might be hard to celebrate. But, let's try to celebrate the good times and our many accomplishments. Carry those with us. Let the bad things stay where they are. Close that book, learn that lesson and just keep trucking. So, to my Granny, Happy Birthday young lady! I love you so very much! Thank you for teaching me the right way to vaccum and do dishes, even though I still do it my way! I know we don't always agree but we can at least agree on that! If I was there I would plan a party for you and the toddler would sing happy birthday. She's practicing! Although, I think she has come up with a mix of Happy Birthday and Jingle Bells.......but it works! And here's a little advice. If you're faced with a cake full of birthday candles this year and can't muster the wind to blow them out, excuse yourself, grab the blow dryer, plug it in and blow those suckers out before they drip all over the cake! :)

Kids with Guns

When I was a young Mom I didn't let my sons play with toy guns.

I'll let you have a minute to take that tidbit of info in and let it slosh around in your head. You can decide where you stand on the issue.

Ok. Well, obviously, I no longer tell my children that they can't play with toy guns because as you can see from the picture to the left....the other left....I let them run around the back yard, re-enacting scenes from the popular television show COPS! Get the theme song out of your head and pay attention. 

Now, you wouldn't believe the amount of people who thought I was making a bad choice by letting my kids play with guns in the yard. I posted pics to facebook! And as you know, that invites a slew of opinions on your parenting choices. To avoid total mayhem, I deleted the comments.

I thought the pictures were funny. I mean, have you ever googled "cats with guns!" Hello FUNNY! Kids with FAKE guns in a controlled environment are equally as funny in my opinion. But, how do you approach the situation where someone tells you how they think you could improve as a parent? It's an awkward situation for me. I've come up with a cookie cutter phrase to use the next time I am faced with this issue. Here it goes.

I respect your opinions. I don't always or ever agree with your opinions but I realize you are entitled to them. I have a parenting style all my own as I am sure you do too. My kids are stable individuals who have never held anyone hostage! Let's agree to disagree but keep it to ourselves in order to avoid world war 3.

TMI

I was recently in a conversation with an old friend who I keep up with on facebook. He caught me online yesterday and pulled me into chat. He asked what I've been up to. But before I could answer he said "Nevermind! All I need to do is look at your wall here on fb and see what you do every hour of the day!". Then he proceeded to give me sh!t about it.

First of all, I don't post every single hour of the day! And second, I do believe people care what I do. Otherwise I wouldn't have so many people reading my blog (granted I am my only follower......but people read it!). And let me tell you, if I don't post to my blog, I hear from people. If you don't want to see what I'm doing each day, there's a simple solution. You don't have to be my friend or you don't have to read it.

I post things about my children...... a lot! They are my life. I post about my craft class but not very often or in detail.  I post about things that irritate me. Because being easily irritated is one of my many traits. I post about music I like, movies I want to see, things that make me laugh, people who inspire me and occasionally I will share a recipe. These are things you share with your friends. I don't post anything I wouldn't say to a friend. I post often because I am a social person taking advantage of a social NETWORK. I don't have a job outside of the home that gives me social time. My outside social time consists of interacting with the cashier at the grocery store or the teenage girls I mentor at my craft class! I spend the majority of my time at home, alone, with a toddler. Please excuse me if I reach out to my friends on facebook to share a random thought. But, Thank you to those of you who do understand that I am a little nutty at times and do share a bit more often than most folks. I do appreciate all of you. You've helped me through some very hard times in my life.

An emotional week

I'm not sure if there are many women who would say that they haven't had an emotional week at one point in time. Maybe you wake up one day in a good mood but on the way to work a song on the radio sparks an old feeling and sets you in a downward spiral into the abyss of depression. No matter what you do, you just cannot shake the feeling. A commercial on TV or a movie playing on the TLC. Whatever it is, you get sucked in by it. You can tell yourself that you have no reason at all to be in this mood but it won't work. For some reason you are destined to break down and cry at least once a day. Count your blessings and you still can't look past whatever it is that haunts you!

Been there. Done that. I usually call my Mom or my best friend, whom I affectionately refer to as stripper. At least one of them has the right words. But sometimes, they have more reasons to be melancholy than I do. So I just call to hear their reasons. This week when I found myself crying over a diaper commercial I called Stripper.

Stripper has a lot on her plate right now. She has spent the last year reconnecting with her father who is battling cancer. She has a boat load of kids, most of them her own and a busy husband. I figured I would call and let her side track me from my silliness. But, she has that way of knowing when I've misplaced my muchness and she calls me out. I explain my problem to her and she says.......

"Throw it in the trash!"

Me: Ummmm? huh?

Her: (very matter of factly she says) Write your problem or complaint on a piece of paper and toss it in the trash.

Me: I don't think that will make me feel better.

Her: Ok! Then put the toddler in the car, drive to McDonalds, order a cone and when you give the lady your money, slip your piece of paper in with your money and drive away!

Me: [imagining the look on the cashiers face, Stripper in her giant SUV with 8 kids.......] Have you tried this before?

Her: No! I flush mine down the toilet!

Me: Won't that clog your toilet eventually?

Her: Hasn't so far! I look at it this way. There's always someone out there who has it way worse and just as soon as you stop believing that, you'll find it out the hard way. Don't waste your time on the things that don't matter. Stop reading from that chapter. It already happened. It's time for the next book already! And if Frank ever mentions that the toilet is acting up, you don't know squat!

Me: That's for sure!

The moral of the story is......if you happen to work at my local McDonalds and one day you get a piece of paper that says "My toilet is clogged up and I don't have 2 pennies to rub together!", well, sorry! I had to do something. And like Stripper says "focus on the things that matter!" If you keep focusing on the things that cause the grief you need a swift kick. Everybody line up behind me! I'm first in line!

The Zombie Plan

I don't know about you but I like to use the time I spend with family at the holidays productively! Cut the chit chat and get right on down to business! I know your job sucks! I know your kids are over achievers and haven't missed a day of school in EVER! Your wife birthed all of your children naturally unless you count the un-natural screaming coming from her contorted body! Sorry about calling the exorcist! I really thought I was helping! And yes, you have already told me that you went coyote hunting with Dick Cheney and lived to tell about it! Congrats! Now let's talk about something important!

YOUR ZOMBIE PLAN!!!

I am totally kidding!

You don't have a zombie plan? What? That is crazy talk! You really should be prepared! I have secretly been training my boys to fight zombies! They think it's just a cool video game but honestly it's just a top secret training device! I am certain that when zombies do attack and our Twinkie supplies are completely depleted, we will be forced to use our noggins to fight them off and my boys will lead the fight with stealth, intelligence and lots of ammo.....right after we hit up the gun store! I've began stock piling supplies! I have 4 jars of pickles, a can of instant coffee, a package of D batteries, flash lights, glow sticks, coloring books, crayons, all seasons of Sons of Anarchy, band aids, bug spray and 400 gallon jugs for water hidden in the shed. I still have to put water in the jugs but since we pay for our water I'm having a hard time with that! I will keep working on it. 

Ohhhhhhh! Seriously! I'm kidding! I was just getting tired of cousin Tom. Yak! Yak! Do you ever find yourself in the position where you're facing off with that family member that has to go on and on about how great his or her life is, or how great their spouse or kids are? Do you ever just want to say "Oh! Yeah!? Well, I saved $345 on my car insurance?" Really, we don't get together at the holidays to hear cousin TOM verbally pat himself on the back for being a douche bag! We get together to give thanks for our many blessings! Let us be humble this holiday season and give thanks that cousin TOM might be humble too! 

Success

Yesterday, I set up shop at a local fall bizarre.....I've mentioned it before. I was nervous. This was my first show, alone. I'm not good at selling. So, I worried that I wouldn't get a lot of sales. Basically, I wanted to minimize my stock. I have been working for a few months on various items and really didn't have anywhere to put it all. It had to go. So, I priced it to sell.

The show was small. I would say there were a dozen or so booths. When I got there most of the vendors had already set up and were just conversing with the other vendors. So, I felt like all eyes were on me. That made me feel uncomfortable. I love the things I make but sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who loves them. I lack confidence sometimes. But, I started setting up my booth, keeping in mind that I was just here to prove to myself that I could do this alone and  I shut everyone else out. I focused on getting things set up and pushed forward.

Once I was done I stood back and smiled. My booth looked good. (I apologize for not taking pictures. Taking pictures in situations like that make me feel awkward. Kind of like the time when I followed a guy around walmart because he reminded me of a character from a Stephanie Plum book and I wanted to get a picture for my cousin. His wife said NO! ) Then, I sat down and organized my bags for easy access. That's when the other vendors came over to check my booth out. I always feel nervous when people step up to my booth. I start to feel like the little train that could! "I know I can!" Just smile and pretend like you have total control over your bladder!  

Well, enough of the play by play. The moral of the story is.......

I put myself in a position that scared the bejeezus out of me and found that it wasn't really any different than posting to this blog! Just because the people I'm directing my words at can actually see me as I'm talking.... it shouldn't cause me to panic! It wasn't bad! I had fun! I sold some things! I made a friend! I got a lot of compliments! If I hadn't put myself out there I would never know that I can do it. Or that it wasn't really anything to freak out about! Don't be skurd!

Short Shorts & Showers

When I became a Mom I traded in my short shorts for short showers! And over the past decade....I have become quite skilled in the art of water conservation. Not just because we pay for our water but because kids left unattended tend to get into trouble.

You know what I'm saying! You get in the shower, wash your hair, shave your legs and arm pits, exfoliate your skin, let the warm water beat down on your back, let the 5 minute miracle conditioner work for an extra 5 minutes and just enjoy the peace and quiet......Ahhhhhhh! So relaxing. Then you get out of the shower to find that not only did your child empty out the brand new gallon of milk in the kitchen floor but now she is pouring flour and quick cooking oats into it. Glad she was paying attention when we made cookies! If only she remembered the bowl. Maybe next time!

Oh yes I have mastered the quick shower. Only shaving one leg a day, washing the hair then immediately plopping some conditioner on my hair and rinsing right away. Exfoliate? yeah right! Did I even use soap today? Please don't judge me! You don't know my daughter!

But, recently I have found that my short showers are not as short as usual and I will tell you why.

My sister-in-law! Yes! YOU!!! (lol)

She bought the toddler these foam letters and numbers for the bath tub! I told her that I was having issues with the toddler at bath time and that it might be a good idea to gift her some bath tub toys for her birthday! So, now, while I'm suppose to be showering with lightening speed.....I'm making words! I'm leaving messages for my husband.........and reminders for myself! I really need to clean the shower thoroughly. Maybe I'll do that the next time I take a shower. Multi-task!

Loop holes

 
I love to watch the toddler grow. I am in love with her curiosity and her problem solving skills. She finds loop holes in the rules already! Her big brothers introduced her to the wet willy months ago! (A wet willy is when you lick your finger and stick in someones ear....Eww! I know!) She's good at it! She slobbers that little finger up and rams it into the ear with such grace and stealth, you don't even know what hit you! But, as proud as I am of her Wet Willy ability....it also annoys me. Especially when I'm in the middle of something and she is manning an assault on my ear canal! So, recently when she thought assaulting me would pass the time nicely I let her know that I don't want her to do that anymore! I said "Please don't stick your finger in my ear anymore. I don't like it and I want you to stop!". I used my "I" statement! Proud of me! She says "Sorry MOM!" and walks away with a sad look. I almost felt bad for a second....then she returned with her doll, who has small arms! The next thing I know.....The dolls arm is in my ear! Loop hole!