The race is here!

I still cannot believe how fast the last three months have flown by! Just three months ago, we started to train for this 5k. You can read about some of my adventures along the way by going here, here, here, here, here, or here. I'm a little nervous but also excited. I hope everything goes well for my friends and I. I will post an update later tomorrow!

Saturday - ETA: I feel awful this morning. My girls have been sick the last few days and I have been hoping and hoping I wouldn't get sick until after the race. Ugh. My throat hurts, my head feels like it's going to explode, and I feel like throwing up. Great. Well I hope the photographers at the race get some nice pictures of me throwing up at the finish line as I come in dead last. lol

Read my previous PPP

I know a lot of people skip over my PPP ads, but I really encourage everyone to check out the one just prior to this post. I am in love with this book already and I've only read the first chapter! This book sounds like something I need to read, especially right now. When you read the first chapter, tell me what you think. :)

Inside Every Woman - PPP

I just found the next book I'm going to buy. Author Vickie Milazzo has me captivated after only reading the first chapter in her book titled Inside Every Woman: Using the 10 Strengths You Didn't Know You Had to Get the Career and Life You Want Now. Her first chapter was on the 5 Promises she made to herself years ago and how they have changed her life. You can read this chapter for free by going here. I'm sure you're going to love it as much as I did and want to run out and buy this book. One part that hit home was Promise #2, "I Will Go For It Or Reject It Outright." I loved this because I've been struggling with two things; my chosen career and my run this weekend. Both of which I really want to do, but I am fearful. Milazzo talks about fear too and how many women allow fear to hold them back. In just a few minutes, I'm going to see if my local library has this book, because I need to read it. Inside Every Woman is a book that every woman should have. I'm inspired already!

Monday's Muse on Thursday

I know most of you have been waiting by computer for weeks now waiting for more pictures. I had some extra time this morning to post some so I hope you enjoy them. All of them are from emails I've received and they made me laugh. :)

This one took me a second. lol The caption says "I think there's a spy among us."


The sign reads "do not touch any of these wires." Can I touch just one? Please?


Cats really can sleep anywhere!


Maybe they're low on gas?


I loved this one. At the bottom it reads "yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." lol


I think the horse is going to win.


Well at least he's trying right?


Now here's someone who loves shoes.

GameQuestDirect

When I was really young, around the age of seven or maybe eight, I started to get into video games. I think the main reason was some of my brothers were really into the games and the only time I could spend with them was to play along too. So that’s where my video gaming adventures started. I loved Mario, Tetris, and Othello. As I have grown up, I’m into more complex games like Kingdom Hearts I and II. I love that playing games is a release for me when I get the rare chance to play these days. My husband and I enjoy playing together and our kids get in on some games too. There are a lot of games that are no longer made and are hard to find. Rare video games can be tricky to come by unless you know where to look. At Game Quest Direct, you can find rare and new games alike. Plus you can pre-order games to make sure you get a copy when it first comes out, which is something I love doing when it’s a game I really want. With the wide selection and great prices, they are hard to beat in the gaming world. Plus if you're wanting to pre-order the game Halo and get a special savings of $10!

A quick quack

Don't let your husband give you vitamins without first telling you to expect a neon yellow color while in the bathroom. Unaware, you will immediately freak out and run to the kitchen sink and drink 3 glasses of water.

Photosmart Printer

You may recall that recently we bought a new digital camera. I love it despite I don't have a clue about half of its functions. Now as the days and weeks go by we are falling into the same category as other digital camera owners. The download-but-never-print-pictures group. *sigh*

I intend to, but have yet to. I do make sure we at least get them on our computer, so that counts for something right? That's why I would love to win this new Photosmart Printer from 5 Minutes for Mom. I can print pictures at the touch of a button. Call it an early Christmas gift; if I win of course. :)

Investing in Real Estate - PPP

For years I have seen the TV specials about earning a lot of money through buying and selling real estate. For years I didn’t think anything of it, until now. Recently my husband and I have been gathering more information on this particular subject because it is something we would like to invest in. Money has always been tight for us and this has been the case with our parents. We don’t always want to live paycheck to paycheck and barely survive. We don’t even need a ton of money, just enough so we don’t have to worry about our financial future or our children’s. Originally we were planning on being involved with real estate investing along some friends, but one friend has jumped ship. The thing about investing is that it takes a lot of work and dedication and some people are not cut out for it. Money doesn’t just fall into your lap, you have to work for it and know what to do. With help from the REIClub Newsletter, you will be able to receive the newest and latest information on real estate trends, seminars, and other great tips. This is not worth pursuing with a blindfold on, you want all the help you can get.

Let your backpacks rejoice

Hi there, Michelle's backpack here. I thought I would update everyone on how our first day back to college went. I should start off by saying that the books I lug around are heavy! Don't colleges know that it's not easy being a backpack? It's hard work! But I digress...

Anyway, our first day went pretty well. Michelle has classes far apart so we do a great deal of walking. I have learned a lot from just today. (Yes, backpacks listen in on lectures too.) We dissected a fetal pig today and that was sad and gross. Other than that, a normal school day. I will give kudos to anyone that can tell me which subject taught us things like: psuedostratified columnar, stratified squamous - keratized, and transitional epithelium. Anyone?

Needless to say, I think we have some mounds of homework this semester. Many of which I'm sure will...

BACKPACK!
What?
What are you doing on my blog?
I was just letting the good blog people...
You know we're supposed to be doing homework right now!
But, but...
Backpack...we need to study.
But backpacks need friends too!
*sigh* Bye good blogging people! I shall return!

Save Money This Holiday Season - PPP

My husband’s family has always been really big on shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Everyone probably knows all too well about Black Friday. The first time I heard about this and all the crazy shoppers you would probably run into on this day, I had zero desire to participate. But one year my husband and I decided to join in and we loved it! We had so much fun and the rush you get while trying to get the best deals was great. By shopping on Black Friday we have saved so much money! Buying presents for Christmas isn’t as hard on our budget when you can find great bargains. The Wal-Mart specials are some of my favorite because I can find things on sale for both our children and my husband and I. If you have never shopped on Black Friday, you may want to consider it this year. If you’d rather not be a part of the huge rush, consider getting help from bfads. There, you can sign up and shop for BF ads online without worrying about long lines and crazy people like me. lol This website can also email you when new BF ads have posted so you can be sure to find even more deals. You can’t argue when you save money. :)

I mean seriously

Just the other day while I was in the store, I passed by the wonderful underwear section. Now at first I didn't think twice about. People wear underwear (or at least they should) and such is life. But this time, something really caught my eye.

Now all us women know that we are given many choices when it comes to underwear. Oh no, just picking colors was so 80's (or sooner, but I wasn't born lol). No no, now we can choose from a huge selection of bikinis, hi-cuts, briefs, low cuts, mid-rise, stretch, hipsters, boy-leg, thongs, boy-shorts and a million others. For crying out loud I do not need this much stress when it comes to choosing underwear!

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is this. I happen to notice that the "smaller" the underwear was, the happier the girl on the front. I was appalled! I know that the message, subtle or not, comes across as "less is more and it will make you happier!" but this is just sick! No woman should feel like she has to wear an uncomfortable thong (I've never actually worn one so I don't know if it would be uncomfortable, but it sure looks like it!) to be happier.

The "less is more" attitude when it comes to clothes in our society is really out of hand. I can only pray that through teaching my girls to be happy with "more is more" that they listen to me and not get caught up in this unrealistic happiness the world seems so fond of flaunting. Women have enough to worry about.

Landscaping Rocks - PPP

My little family and I still live in an apartment and probably will for a few more years. Even though we don’t have the money for a home yet, we can still dream about what kind of home we want. Just recently I found a home that I fell in love with. The home was beautiful and the landscaping was immaculate! The one thing I particularly liked was that this home had many large rocks incorporated into its landscaping. When I have my own home, I’m going to have some big rocks to fill in around my yard because I love the way it looks. The only downside to my dream is that rocks are expensive and heavy and a pain to have to move around. But at the Artificial Rocks Factory they can help solve my problem. They have created fake landscape rocks that look very real! Seriously, take a look for yourself! With twenty different models and three different colors to choose from, I know I could use these kinds of rocks. One of the address boulders would be really neat to have in my front yard too. So take a moment and look at the website, I sure enjoyed it.

This ad sponsored by www.ArtificialRocksFactory.com

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?

*I would because no one knows me better than me.

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)

*Macadamia - Monkeys all cartwheel about dancing around my intriguing apartment.

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose?

*The 80's, before my parent's divorced.

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.

*"It's My Life" by Bon Jovi reminds me of my high school years and the good times with friends in my car.

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water?

*Warm water; it's more effective. :)

To join in Friday's Feast, go here.

Alzheimer's Memory Walk - PPP

At 14 years old, I didn’t know my paternal grandmother very well before she passed away. She lived far away and I rarely had the opportunity to see her. The times I do remember, she wasn’t herself. She had Alzheimer’s and it made everyone in my family feel sad. Her memory of her life was pretty scrambled and half of the time she didn’t know what was going on. I know when the disease hit, we all wished there was a cure so we could have her back to her normal self.

Now all across the country you can participate in a Memory Walk which helps to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support, and further research. There are hundreds of areas where you can participate. It would be great if you started a walk in your hometown and sign up to be a team captain. The Alzheimer Association holds this event nationwide so be sure to sign up early! This is such an important cause and I hope that you take part in this. I would have given anything to see my grandpa not so sad every time he saw his wife and the condition she was in. I hope that through more public awareness of how serious this disease is and the more money put towards research, that hopefully very soon a cure can be found. No one should watch a loved one go through this. No one.

What goes around comes around

Some people call it karma, some people call it luck. I say what goes around comes around. If you're nice to others, they will be nice to you. Yesterday was the perfect example of this. Since we bought our new bed we tried to find someone who needed our old one. We ended up giving it to Kara since they needed it. In the process, Kara gave us her old entertainment center, which was something we needed. Thanks to that, we were finally able to pull all of our movies out of our room and put them in the entertainment center. This freed up the bookcase we were using in our room and our neighbors downstairs needed a bookcase, so we gave ours to them.

Everything was free and three people benefited. What goes around comes around so pass it on. :)

Credit Cards From Mint - PPP

Within the last few months my husband and I paid off all of our credit cards. What a great feeling that was! Now we are planning on looking for a great credit card deal just so we have one card for emergencies. The kind of card we’re looking for would have 0% interest on purchases through 2008. Mint credit cards have just that along with low interest. They are worth looking into.

This ad sponsored by credit-cards.mint.co.uk/

A proud moment

Yesterday, for the first time since I started running almost three months ago, my friends and I ran our 5k without stopping. It has taken us almost three months and getting through some rough spots but we did it. I DID IT! I'm so proud of myself for reaching my goal! In the beginning, it was hard to run 60 seconds and I wasn't too sure if I'd ever be able to run the 3.11 miles. But now I can and I did it in 32 minutes and 30 seconds. I'm blessed to have two great friends to run with, Kara and Melissa. They have helped to keep me motivated and I owe them my deepest thanks. You can go here to read more about Kara and her success! Be sure to congratulate her too!

News For You - PPP

Have you ever searched on the internet for a particular news story and had a hard time finding it? Or have you looked for something interesting to read that is in the news? I have and at times I have found it to be difficult. I’ve seen many biased news stories and often thought that hey, I can write that better than they did! Well, now there is a place online for me to do that when ever I want to. Finally there is a place for personalized news that you and I can benefit from! Do you have a topic you’ve been dying to talk about and inform people of? Then register at Thoof.com and post it! After you post, take a look at what others have written about and read the articles you like. Keep that up and Thoof will customize their page for you to keep on reading what you enjoy. Also with the help from the ThoofRank Badge, you can see what people like and what they don’t. I’ve read some really good articles myself and have talked about them with my husband. There’s some really good information and good reads for you look at. It’s all made easy over at Thoof.com so pop on over.

New bed!

We have finally purchased a new bed and it feels great! We've needed a new one for the past two years but as we all know beds are not cheap. Thanks to a local newspaper we found a place nearby that had beds at wholesale prices. The bed we found is Simmons BeautyRest and it was almost half the price of what we would have paid for it in a regular store. Loved the price and love the bed! Now all we have to do is wait for the new sheets to arrive and we're all set. :)

JourneyLite - PPP

There are many people who are overweight and struggle to lose weight. Sometimes, their only option is to have some type of surgery done. One such procedure is called lap-band. Journey Lite is a company that specializes in laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding. This can help to lose excess weight and help you become one step closer to improving your health.

This ad sponsored by www.journeylite.com

Things you shouldn't say around...

I was tagged by Kara for this new meme. The rules are to fill in the [blank] to this: "things you shouldn't say around [blank]." Come up with 8 of those phrases then tag 5 people to do it too. So...

Things You Shouldn't Say Around a Potty-Training 2 Year Old:

1. "You have a little bum that's why you use the potty seat." Their response (usually in public) will be "oh, so I have a little bum for the little seat and YOU have a BIG bum for the BIG seat!"

2. "I don't want you to pee in your underwear." Their response (usually out in public), "mommy I don't want to pee in my underwear hurry!"

3. "Look you pooped like a big girl!" Their response will be to repeatedly check the toilet for poop and they will have to look at it before they flush.

4. "Are you sure you don't have to poop too?" Their response will be to yell (usually in a public restroom), "I POOPED!"

5. "Look at the cute new underwear I bought for you." Their response (usually in public), "I'm wearing my new BIG girl underwear!"

6. Don't change the lyrics to the potty song "I went pot-ty, I went pot-ty, like...a...Big...GIRL!" to something like "I went pot-ty, I went pot-ty, like...a...big...elephant right?" Their response to you while you're going potty, "you went pot-ty, you went pot-ty, like a big monkey!"

7. "Now after you go potty, you need to wipe your bum off, then flush the toilet, then wash your hands." Their response to you while going potty, "now wipe your bum off, flush the toilet, now wash your hands, good girl."

8. "Sometimes you have to push to get poop out." Their response (with a red face), "mommy I'm pushing really hard to poop!"

I tag:
Jen
Ginobobeano
Kate
Jenn
Lei

HE PASSED!

My husband just tested out of two math classes and is in the one we wanted!!! Yippee!!! I'm so proud of him! He's been working really hard the last few weeks trying to pass this test and he did it! GO HUBBY!!!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?

*I try to get my first set of laundry, 3 loads, done by Tuesday. Then another 3 loads done by Saturday. Thankfully we have a very kind friend who lets us use her washer and dryer so we don't have to pay to have it done. It's been a huge blessing!

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?

*The day I need someone to help me clean up myself in the bathroom I will be truly old. I'd better be over 100 though. ;)

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?

*One of my goals now is to finish college in the next 4 years. So it's short term but with long term benefits.

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.

*I had a friend just yesterday tell me about some of the awful things that are happening in Iraq that make my stomach curl. I won't repeat them but it was unbelievably sad. :( Our troops and the kind people over there needs some prayers.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?

*8.6381 Today has been so hectic! I've been on the phone practically all morning and I'm still not done making calls. Spouse is taking a test and applying for jobs. I need to work on pre-school stuff myself and bills and housework and shopping and a million other things. Speaking of which, I need to go!

Friday's Feast Home

New British Gas Energy Tariff - PPP

One of the many topics I see popping up on the internet these days is that of energy and the best way to use it. The below press release about green energy is yet another discussion about this. Green energy products are becoming more and more popular so many companies are trying to incorporate them into their business. Read the press release below about how British Gas is launching a new green energy tariff.

BRITISH GAS LAUNCHES GREENEST ENERGY TARIFF

9 August 2007: British Gas has announced it is launching two new green energy tariffs, Zero Carbon, which will be the greenest tariff available on the domestic market and Future Energy. British Gas has launched the tariffs, in response to the increasing demand for green energy products.

Householders signing up to the Zero Carbon tariff will:
• reduce their household energy carbon emissions to zero through Kyoto compliant offset schemes which will meet the new Defra requirements
• help fund a direct increase in investment in renewable energy generated in the UK
• contribute to the new British Gas green fund which will:
o invest in developing new renewable technologies such as wave power
o oversee a programme to help schools in the UK reduce their CO2 emissions

Gearóid Lane, Managing Director British Gas New Energy said,”Our new tariff responds to consumer demand for truly green energy solutions. It is essential that customers have confidence in green energy tariffs and that their credibility is not damaged by tariffs that claim to be green but in reality do not deliver any incremental environmental benefits. Green tariffs are moving from niche to mainstream products and we’re leading the industry by offering a tariff that will do more for the environment than any other product currently available.”

Under the government’s Renewables Obligation (RO), electricity suppliers in the UK are already required to produce an increasing percentage of their electricity through methods such as wind farms which, unlike traditional power plants, produce zero carbon emissions. For 2007/2008 this figure is set at 7.9%.

In a recent report, the National Consumer Council (NCC) raised concerns that some energy suppliers are packaging electricity which is produced under the RO scheme as “green”, yet it delivers no additional environmental benefits. The NCC called on energy suppliers to take steps beyond their legal requirements and offer green energy tariffs that provide genuine additional environmental benefits, in particular CO2 emissions reduction.

British Gas worked with Global Action Plan and The Climate Group’s “We’re in this Together” campaign to develop Zero Carbon which goes further than any other green tariff in meeting these requirements offering consumers the only zero carbon option on the market.

The tariff carries a premium of £84 per year, reflecting the higher cost of producing energy through lower carbon emission schemes.

Virginia Graham, Chair of Global Action Plan, said, “The British Gas Zero Carbon tariff delivers on all three of the essential requirements of a green tariff which are: additionality, transparency and verifiability. As such it is a very welcome new offering in the market. Consumers signing up to the tariff can be confident that they are getting 12 per cent more renewable energy than they would otherwise have got. The carbon emissions from their electricity and gas will also be offset with emissions reductions from projects accredited by the United Nations.”

Zero Carbon is one of the first initiatives launched through the ‘We’re in this Together’ campaign, which was launched in April 07 as an alliance of some of the UK’s biggest brands who are all working to help their customers reduce their impact on the climate.

Dr Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group and founder of ‘We’re in this Together’ said, “We’re committed to offering people ways to make a real impact on climate change through Together.com. We’ve worked with British Gas to ensure that Zero Carbon is a genuine step forward in delivering more environmental benefits than any other tariff currently available.”

British Gas’s second green energy tariff, Future Energy, offers an alternative green electricity tariff at a premium of just £20 per year. Customers signing up to this tariff will contribute to a green fund which will provide solar panels and other renewable energy technologies to UK schools. Money from the fund will also be invested in development of future renewable technologies and sources.

To sign up customers can call British Gas on 0845 604 0055 or visit www.britishgas.co.uk

A tumbling we will go

Today I took my eldest daughter for a trial run in a tumbling class. She had a lot of fun and it was really cute to watch. Her favorite part was jumping on the big trampolines with her arms in the air. lol I don't think we'll put her in this particular class because it's $41 a month for once a week and that's more than we can budget for. Next week we'll try a dance and cheer class to see if either of those will work. Although she enjoys the tumbling, she keeps asking to dance so she will probably end up in a dance class. I'm excited for her. :)

Stone Hawk Can Help - PPP

There are some things in life where you will need help. Addiction is one of those things. You can try to do it alone, which can be really hard and painful, or you can get help to make your journey to recovery easier. It’s nice to talk to someone else who knows what you’re going through to offer suggestions and advice. Although I think the most important thing is that you don’t have to be alone when you’re trying to recover. For drug rehabilitation Stone Hawk wants to help you succeed! Their center is beautiful and the will customize a treatment that is right for you. No one should go through this alone, especially you.

This ad sponsored by www.narcononstonehawk.com

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday Home

Woman to Woman: Dealing With Aging Parents

There are many women who still have one or both parents living. As our parents age and move into their 80s and 90s, they often need a family member to care for them. Are you currently the caregiver for a parent? Perhaps you are the caregiver for a beloved grandparent. What have you observed through this process and how have you worked this caregiving into your family life? What difficulties have you encountered, and how have you resolved them? What has been successful for you?

I just recently had an experience that goes along with this topic. Last Sunday I received a call from my eldest brother telling me that my dad had been in the hospital. He had all the symptoms of a stroke (turned into Bell's Palsy) and he had "dead man walking" blood pressure. I was really rattled by the news. Of course I know my parents are getting older and my dad and I aren't even close, but it this made me really uneasy.

I'm not a caregiver for either of my parents, nor do I have any living grandparents. But there are small things I've tried to do to help my mom and dad in hopes that what I do is somewhat beneficial. Neither of my parents live by me but only a phone call away and I try to check in often. We do the same thing for my inlaws but with them, my husband's sister has already prepared for "that" occasion so we don't think about it often.

My parents are in their 60's and the signs of aging are becoming more frequent. I have this feeling that my brothers would instantly take care of my dad when and if the time came. At 24 I already know the responsibility of taking care of my mom will fall upon me. I've known this for a long time and I've accepted it. I don't know how exactly that will happen, but when the times comes everything will surely fall into place.

One of the hardest things I see as I watch my parents get older is to hear their loneliness. Oh that awful feeling! My dad does not feel this as much as my mom does, although the rest of my family live right by both parents. This breaks my heart. No one should feel alone especially our parents! So I feel the most important thing I can do right now is spend time with them. I see that that alone is the most valuable as they age. Whether it's time on the phone, time together, or letters in the mail. Time is equal to that of love.

I love you mom and dad.

Monday Movie Review

We watched some really good movies this past week. I hope you find one that you will like too. :)

"Hoodwinked" - This version of Little Red Riding Hood is so good! The squirrel that gets wired from coffee cracks me up. This is a must see if you haven't seen it already! 5 stars.

"The Seventh Stream" - This was strange. Not awful, but definitely strange. The story was about a seal that during the seventh stream could come on land and turn into a human. Well she does and someone finds her seal skin and she ends up trapped on land. It was an interesting story line of what the woman has to go through both good and bad. Not one I will watch again but it was ok this once. 2 stars.

"The World's Fastest Indian" - This movie is based on a true story about a man who came to the US from New Zealand to race his "Indian" motorcycle on the Salt Flats in Utah. What he goes through to get here and all the people that help him, it's an amazing story. The only part we didn't like was some of the language and the topics. 3 stars.

"Beauty & The Beast: A Latter Day Tale" - LOVED this movie and I had to buy it. Just like the title says, it's about a girl named Belle who ends up working for a man who everyone calls the beast due to his anger and temper. Some parts were a little cheesy because it was a low budget film, but I still enjoyed it. 5 stars.

Yay!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of pie?

*I don't have a favorite, but cocounut cream pie sounds really good right now.

Soup

Name something that made you smile this week.

*My husband tickling me. :)

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?

*Make a slushie. Mmmmm.

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?

*I would do our bedroom. In a perfect world, I would get a king size bed, matching dresser, new pictures to hang on the walls, and more bookshelves.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My _________ says __________, but I __________.

*My sciatic nerve says ha ha ha, but I say cry cry cry.

Join me in Friday's Feast by going here.

Meme

Lei was kind enough to tag me for this 5 questions, 5 answers meme. I've done this one before but these are new questions so it will be fun to do again. :)

1) What has been your greatest accomplishment?

*This is a tough question for I feel I have many. One great accomplishment for me is when I had my last baby, I did it without an epidural. This was a great feat for me because I do not handle pain well. It was a proud moment.

2) Name one book that has had a profound impact on your thinking.

*"The Ten Virgins: Ten Women, Ten Stories, Ten Lessons For Our Day" by Emily Freeman. Kara gave me this book for my birthday and I've really enjoyed it. If you get minute, I highly recommend the read. It has helped me have a better perspective. I'll write a review on it another time.

3) Do you have any guilty pleasures?

*Ice cream. I love ice cream and could eat it all day if I wanted to gain 50 lbs. lol I finally found some sherbet that I love but doesn't have all the calories or any fat. Now I don't feel as guilty eating it. :D

4) What need does blogging fulfill in your life?

*Blogging for me is a release. My own little world to create and add to as I desire. I'm still trying to find my niche, but I love the adventure of getting there and then continuing on.

5) What is one thing people can appreciate about you?

*I'm kind and always will be. People don't have to worry about me blowing up at them or see me throw a huge fit. Even when I'm really upset, I will try to be kind and work through it.

Ok, my five questions for the five people I will tag:

1. What brings you the most joy in your life right now?
2. Where do you want to be in 3 years?
3. What's one attribute you want to improve?
4. Where is your ideal place to live and why?
5. Name one person that has had the biggest impact on your life.

I tag Nate, Richard, Rachel, Our Seven Qtpies, and Maren.

A quick quack

Why does my hair spray bottle have to look so much like my Lysol disinfecting spray? WHY??

Thoofing Along - PPP

Once upon a time, in a land far far away there lived a white rabbit with a pink nose. This little rabbit hopped along happy as can be like all of the other rabbits, except one thing. This rabbit sneezed, a lot. The other rabbits were accustomed to his sneezing but people were not. A man went walking in the forest one afternoon and he heard a funny noise. It was the rabbit sneezing but the man didn’t know this and thought the rabbit was in trouble. So he scooped up the rabbit and took him home. His two children fell in love instantly and took the rabbit off to play with them. Now like normal young children, they thought it would be fun to watch the rabbit hop through an obstacle course. The rabbit was not amused and tried to get away. The man heard the ruckus and went to see what was going on. As he walked into the playroom, he saw the rabbit hop, then trip, then stumble, and roll into a dresser where a book fell on top of its head. The rabbit started to sneeze but the sneeze sounded like a “THOOF!” A moment later another book fell on top of the man’s head and he cried out “genius! I’ll create a company online about personalized news and I’ll call it Thoof!” He gave the rabbit a badge to wear which he called the ThoofRank Badge, to thank him for the great idea. They all lived happily ever after and so will you when you check out Thoof.com.

It IS good enough!

What has happened to us? I think about this question often when I think of the world we live in. What has happened to us? People have changed and many not for the better. So many things on TV and the self proclaimed magazines and newspapers telling us we're not good enough. We have to do more. We're not quite there. I think it's become ridiculous.

"On a scale from 1 to 10, it's an 11!" On the news the other day I heard "on a scale from 0 to 100, it's a 200!" In some places you can earn a 5.0 instead of a 4.0. When did a perfect score become not so perfect? Are we so wrapped up in our lives that we feel everything is out of reach and we need more to be satisfied?

This reminds me of a Veggie Tales movie titled "Madame Blueberry." Madame Blueberry (and Larry in the beginning) felt they would never be truly happy unless they had a lot of stuff. People get that way too. "Oh wow, have you seen the neighbor's car?" So what, if you get a car like the neighbors is that your perfect 11? Or will it drop to a 4 when another neighbor gets a better car?

Why can't we be satisfied! Why can't we be happy with what we have and be grateful for having anything at all? It can all be taken away in a blink of an eye and then what? No one has to tell me the 8 steps to getting the perfect booty. Leave my booty alone, I'm glad to have one!

So to all the #11 people: I AM GOOD ENOUGH and 10 IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME! So there. lol

Monday Movie Review

It's been awhile since I've done my movie review, so there are many to browse through this time around. I love having a free subscription. :)

"If Only" - I liked this movie. Mainly it was about a guy and a girl who were dating, but the girl was more committed to the relationship. The girl gets into a car wreck and dies but the guy gets the chance to relive that day and make changes. I love the transformation that took place with this guy. I should warn you, the ending is not a "and they lived happily ever after" but it was still a good movie. I give it 4 stars.

"Rocky Balboa" - My first mistake with this movie was expecting it to be like the rest. It was good in it's own way. I like how it tied all of the other Rocky movies together and how it ended. I even liked this movie better than "Rocky V." 4 stars

"Bridge to Terabithia" - Spouse and I watched this movie in the theater, but we rented it again for our neighbors. Really good show but don't expect it to be like "Narnia." 4 stars

"Jane Eyre" - I found this movie to be a little dark and creepy. With child neglect and their harsh conditions, it makes you want to cry. But the girl Jane, does overcome and tries to make her life better. She works for a gentlemen whom she falls in love with but he has a dark past and she ends up leaving for awhile. It was an ok movie, but a little too "dark" for me. 2 stars

"The Italian Job" - I've seen this before but Spouse had not. We both really liked it minus the language. I love how it ended. 4 stars

"Stomp the Yard" - Did not like this movie mainly due to the language. We watched it with a friend and we turned it off not even 30 minutes into it. 1 star

"Sabrina" - This was SO good! I didn't like some of the side topics but the rest of the movie was really good. LOVED the ending. 5 stars

"Zathura" - This movie ended up being better than I thought. Many similarities to Jumanji but with it's own twists. 3 stars

"Brother Bear 2" - Another movie I need to add to my collection. This was really cute and the ending was perfect, although expected. :) 5 stars

"Zoom: Academy for Superhereos" - This movie started out well but by the time the end rolled around you were left hanging. What's the point of making a movie about superheroes who finally go into battle but the battle only lasts 5 minutes? In other words, the ending was lame. 2 stars

"Short Circuit" - I remember watching this movie when I was younger, but I didn't remember all the awful language. I love how clever Number Five is lol. 2 stars

"Buddy" - When I picked this movie I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not. A lady takes in all of these animals and gives them a home in her home. She ends up rescuing a gorilla and the rest of the movie goes through their story. What amazes me about this film is that it's based on a true story. It was a good watch. 3 stars

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you?

*9-10 I have friends that say I'm way too polite, but I'd rather be polite then not. lol

Soup
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

*This morning when I was trying to sick the kids on Spouse to get him up. He put on a smile and rolled over and covered his eyes with his arm. Made me laugh, even though he's a stinker for staying in bed longer than me. lol

Salad
Who is your favorite cartoon character?

*Minnie Mouse

Main Course
Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had.

*A teacher I had in high school always cracked me up. She was always in a cheerful mood and made me smile. Of course it was fun I could get her to laugh too. :)

Dessert
Complete this sentence: I strongly believe that ______________________.

*...you don't sweat the petty things and you don't pet the sweaty things.

Check out Friday's Feast Home.

Summer Reading

We've finished our summer reading program with both of our libraries. This was the first year we participated and now we're hooked. It was so much fun! Every week had a new set of books to browse through and the girls loved it. The library had some great prizes too. We received a total of eight new books (ones we picked ourselves!) and had some free ice cream and popcorn. Plus coupons for more free ice cream and dinners. My favorite part though was the free books. :D

Did you participate in summer reading with your library and get prizes too?