Am I a BAD Mom??

Am I a BAD Mom??

My Children's school has a Trick-or-Treat Character Walk tomorrow. When LuvBug was in Pre-K I went with her...it was the WORST day of my life!! There were kids everywhere!! There were crazy parents and stressed out teachers. I hated every minute of it!!

Last year, LuvBug had to stay home from the Character Walk field trip. She had just had her tonsils out...Ohhhhh, I was sooooo happy!!!

Okay, now I have TWO kids and two Character Walks to go-on. I really do not want to!!! I will go on each and every other field trip. I will hold up stinky fish, I will walk through the same boring exhibits at the museum, and I will participate in the Fall Festival. I will purchase the highly overpriced fundraiser chocolate. I will donate my last two cents to the PTO. I will send both teachers the most awesome Christmas presents ever.....BUT PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ME GO ON THE Character Walk!!!!

How bad of a stay at home mom am I???

Hopefully it will rain all day tomorrow and then HA!! the kids wont be able to walk all over down town??!!

I will let you know if I chickened out of my Stand on NOT GOING.....

Ohhhh, and also.....LuvBug was invited to participate in the UIL Competition!! What a proud Mama I am!!!

[ Read More... ]

I'm TIRED!!!

I'm TIRED!!!

I am sooooo tired!!!

I have been steadily purging, organizing, and cleaning my entire house. I started with the Kitchen, Dining, and Living Room (one huge great room). That was a good three maybe four days, but I still do not feel like it is finished. I still have a few piles. Those piles are so annoying!! I was trying to move the piles to my bedroom, but I do not have anymore room in there...That room needs a major purge!!

I really have a new appreciation for minimalists. I am not sure how the hell they do it...or even professional organizers. I find it absolutely exhausting trying to decide where to put what or if I will ever need/use an item again.

I think one of my main problems is that we do not have adequate closet/storage space. When we bought our house, we were DIRT poor and our house was plenty big enough for the two of us...We always thought that we would build a garage. Our yard is huge...we could build another house back there. But we are still not rolling in the dough. We have money...do not get me wrong...just not enough to start major renovations.

Yesterday I emptied my sons room and threw away 3 lawn sized garbage bags away full of crap!! I HATE McDonald's...CuddleBug is a 'collector' and ohhhh, he had all of those freaking toys!!! With LuvBug, I can throw that stuff away quickly and she could care less...Ohhhhh, but not with CuddleBug. He knows exactly what he has at all times!! He is a lot like his Dad....They could do an entire episode of Hoarders on those two!!! I am the shopper and they are the HOARDERS!!! Not a good combination!!

So now I am trying to eliminate those last few piles and find more storage spaces....

Do any of you use those space safer vacuum bags??? Do they really work? Where do you find secret storage places in your house??

Thanks!!

[ Read More... ]

Kitchen Help: Pumpkin Rolls

Kitchen Help: Pumpkin Rolls

Every year, during the Holidays, my sister-in-law makes the MOST wonderful desserts...They are soooo good, I just want to hit her!! How can she produce such great desserts, keep her house spotless, never raise her voice, and still have time raise 3 kids?? REALLY I WANNA KNOW the secret!!!

Last year she made Pumpkin Rolls. They were to die for YUMMY!!

I want to attempt baking them this year! (She never makes the same dessert)

Here is the recipe that she uses. I would like to pick YOUR brains for any tips and tricks that I could use to make these flawlessly.

Thank you VERY MUCH!!

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in white sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add pumpkin and lemon juice.

In another bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; fold into the pumpkin mixture.

Grease a 15×10×1 inch baking pan; line with waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper. Spread batter into pan; sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.

Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

Body Snatchers

Body Snatchers

Who is this Boy??

My son has come out of his shell and is completely different than who he was before school started.

In some aspects I am EXTREMELY happy, however...I am a little sad

For the last two years I have worked with him daily on Counting and doing his Alphabet. He would NEVER 'perform' for me. He was never a ham or a show off. I use to think that he was very reserved and kinda shy.

Ooooh, But Not Now!!! Since starting Kindergarten, he has broken out of his shell and he has turned into a BIG HAM!!!

I am amazed at this new big bold personality. Everyday he shows me something new and can not wait to 'perform'.

I have always had a big soft spot for my CuddleBug. And now I fall in love him more and more everyday....

[ Read More... ]

Do you Picnik??

Do you Picnik??

Have you ever used the website Picnik??

It is a lot of fun....I have found myself uploading silly pictures and creating even sillier/stranger projects.

Here are a few of my late night creations....

Go have some fun....







**This post is not sponsored...I just wanted to share a cool website....

[ Read More... ]

Do you RSVP?

Do you RSVP?

Since school started, we have had 1 to 2 Birthday Parties a week. Yep!! That is a lot!!!

For each one I have respectfully RSVP'ed. I have purchased the $10.00 toy and dragged my butt to Chuck-e-Cheese, the Bowling Alley, or McDonald's.
Not a lot of choices here.

Now, it is time for my daughter's party. Have any of these parents RSVP'ed?? NOPE!! Today at the Bowling Alley Party, I went around to the parents and asked..."So are you coming to LuvBug's Halloween Party?" Do you know how silly I felt?? Pretty Silly!! One parent said, "Oh, Yeah...I told my daughter to tell your daughter that we would not be able to attend." REALLY!! Your 6 yr. old is gonna relay the message to my 6 year old?? LuvBug can not even remember what she ate for breakfast, but you expect her to remember so & so would not be coming!!

And on the same topic...

At the beginning of the Birthday planning...I asked Dear Hubby what we should do...He said whatever you want...YOU decide.

So I flip-flopped on having the party at the house or at a room rental place. I decided the room rental place, because I am BUSTING my hump to get the house clean and orderly...I do not want it to get all messed up, and the room rental place has chairs and tables.

Last night Dear Hubby starts asking questions about the party. I tell him a few details and he asks why, why there, why not here or at the park. Then he says there is nothing to do at the room rental place. REALLY...Thought this was up to me!!!! I was soooooooooooo PISSED!!!!
So, I say.."FINE, we will have it at the house!" Then today he sends a text and says...it's okay at the room rental place!! Well, Thanks Buddy, but it is too late!! I had to pay the deposit by noon!!!!

CuddleBug is gonna have a simple Cake and Ice cream Bowling Party!! Boom-Boom, in and out, 2 hours and we are done!!

I would have done that for LuvBug, but she BEGGED for a Halloween party!! Damned October Birthdays!!

[ Read More... ]

Glenn Close and Bi-Polar

Glenn Close and Bi-Polar

Please watch this video. It is the BEST Public Awareness video I have ever seen. Also, for more information on Glenn Close's family and history with mental illness, PLEASE read this Yahoo Health article. It is very good!!

Thanks!!!







Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

Making a MESS!!!!

Making a MESS!!!!

Why is it when you are trying to clean...You make a BIG HUGE mess first???

I have piles all over my living room and dining room. I have thrown away two "lawn & garden" sized bags full of crap. Coloring books that have been colored, broken crayons, dried out markers, old magazines, junk mail, and LOTS of other CRAP. How do we accumulate so much crap?? I have a basket full of notecards....I barely mail my bills, let alone get a note in the mail. I send birthday invites over the internet. What do I do with at least $30-40 worth of note cards?? Do I continue to save them, thinking that one day I will use them?? Or do I purge them??

My sister came over again today...she is keeping me motivated. She sat on her butt and read magazines. She did help occasionally. It was fun though, whenever I started to fade, she would say "Come on!! Get to that pile next!" She ended up taking a bag full of goodies.

Tomorrow I am taking her to breakfast, and then I am trapping her in a corner with HUGE baskets of unfolded laundry!!! Hahahaha

The strangest thing about cleaning out EVERY nook and cranny...I have found tons of repeat purchases and never used presents, gifts, and such...

Here are some STRANGE Stats
-3 Brand New Photo Albums
-3 Computer Mice
-14 Packs of Crayons
-2 5 subject Notebooks
-3 crates of picture frames--I full of used and 2 of never used!!

Really Bad Find...
Luv Bug's Kinder Portaraits....Never even opened them!! No one got one!!

To fill the 3 crates of picture frames, I have at least 4 HUGE totes of pictures. I guess I could also fill up those 3 photo albums!!

To justify the crayons...They were only 25 cents at Wal-Mart. I just HAD to stock up!!

Do you have an embarrassing pile of unused goodies??

[ Read More... ]

Driving me crazy!!!

Driving me crazy!!!

How am I suppose to get rid of the clutter, if my sweet husband doesn't stop taking stuff out of the trash?? He is driving me crazy!!

Apparently, I threw away his $1.99 Thesaurus...In the 11 years that we have been married, I have never seen him use it!!
He is driving me crazy!!

9 years ago, I purchased a HUGE computer desk from Wal-Mart for $100.00. It was particle-board, and tons of strange shaped cubbyholes and lots of unusable space. I had moved it around so many times that there was TONS of Monkey Glue and metal straps holding it together. Today my sister and I threw it outside. DH came home from work and was asking why???? Really!!! WHY???
He is driving me crazy!!!

Today my sister and I moved the living room furniture around.....I have a VERY strange shaped living room. It is VERY long and kinda narrow. There is a strange shaped alcove on a half wall that shares the kitchen...I have tried to put every piece of furniture I own in this alcove. Nothing has ever worked. So I put the TV in the alcove and made a horseshoe shape out of the couches. DH is not sure if he likes it because his spot on the couch is at a slight angle to the TV. OH MY GOD!! REALLY!!!
He is driving me crazy!!!

While moving all of the furniture around, I did not put stuff away. I want to throw most of it out and them find homes for the remaining crap. I really wanna purge!! DH was was asking one million questions about all of the piles, "What are you gonna do with that box of pictures?" "Where are you gonna put the photo albums?" I DO NOT KNOW!! I am gonna throw it all away!!
He is driving me crazy!!

What is your Husband doing to drive you crazy???









Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

REVIEW:Lights, Camera, Color!

REVIEW:Lights, Camera, Color!

Have you ever gone through your digital camera and thought, "What do I do with 5 pictures of Bubbs riding his bike?" Or those random pictures that do not really fit into a scrap book page? What about when your children hyjack your camera and take 15 pictures of their Barbie Dolls?

Well, Crayola has answered our pondering questions..


We all have Crayola Crayons...TONS of them!!! We also have billions of pictures of our kids. Crayola has brilliantly combined the two!! "Lights, Camera, Color" turns any photo into your child's masterpiece.

Here is some quick info about the program:

• The kid-friendly, easy-to-use online application at Crayola.com allows children to upload their digital photos and transform them into unique coloring pages, then add fun designs and pictures that turn them into totally customized creations.

How can YOU get it??

• Specially-marked Crayola crayon boxes ( 64, 96, 120-ct. as well as the 150-ct. Crayon Tower) will include a code that lets you print custom coloring pages for six months of unlimited prints. The 48-count box has a code that is good for three months of unlimited prints.

Because BlogSpark is sooooo wonderfully awesome, they have given us a ONE-Day Pass...

Go to Crayola.com to experience the "Lights, Camera, Color" for yourselves. Please use the following code:PRT77F3S

Here are a few simple instructions to get you started...

Upload a new or existing digital photo onto the "Lights, Camera, Color" application at Crayola.com/colorme.

Print out your coloring page or save and send it to Coloring Page Maker to customize with fun graphics.

Choose a background: you can choose from several including a desert, a beach, a haunted house and more.

Add props such as a hat, mustache, wings, etc.

Select words/phrases: "Best Friends," "Kids Only," "All Star" to name just a few.

Save and print.

Start coloring your one-of-a-kind creation.

Hope you enjoyed this REVIEW. This review opportunity was provided by BlogSpark.

Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

Discovered: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Discovered: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Remember when you were a kid and you had to clean your room.....Your mom would say "Okay, now all of the Barbies in the pink bucket!"

Wasn't that soooo easy!! Everything was laid out, you just had to follow directions.

Well, I may have found a BLOG to help me get over my house keeping slump....Have you visited I'm an Organizing Junkie?

I have been to her site in the past looking at the Menu Plan Monday Linky. But, I had never gone much deeper into her blog...Silly Me!!! I think she could put Martha Stewart to shame....I am really impressed with how she explains the organizational PROCESS. I have copied a little bit of it below...

Here are the PROCESS steps:

Plan of attack

Remove items

Organize into pile

Containerize

Evaluate plan

Solve/simplify anything that isn’t working for you

Smile, relax and enjoy your hard work!

Please visit her website for the FULL Process explanation and directions. I really think she will help those of us who have gotten in a rut!!

While you are there you can find some tasty recipes as well!!! YUMMMM!!!

I will keep you informed of my housekeeping tackles...May even include photos....wouldn't you just love to see how messy my house is!!!! (Insert Evil Laugh)

Today my goal is laundry...I have two baskets full of completely clean clothes that never got put away. I am going to get those put away and then I am going to completely finish two more loads.

Wish me luck....






Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

Chore List

Chore List

I NEED YOUR HELP!!

I would like to pick your minds....

Do you have a schedule of household chores??

What Chores do you have your 6 & 7 year old doing?? Do you pay them??

I am aware of FlyLady...I do not read the millions of emails I get from her a day. Yeah I know...Stupid...But she overwhelms me with all of her rules and challenges. I want to make up my own simplified version, but I do not know where to start.

I know there are daily chores like dishes...But how do you manage the rest of your chores?

Please leave me a comment or send me an email with your household cleaning agenda.

I have been out of sync with my household chores for so long, that now I am buried under piles and piles of clutter, toys, and laundry!! I am overwhelmed!!

Once I have a workable schedule created, I will post it for all of you who are in my boat. I know I am not the only one who can not remember the last time she dusted!!

Thank you so much,
MoodyMommy





Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

Self Image...Response

Self Image...Response

I absolutely LOVED the comments I got on the Self Image post.

I am gonna take it a bit farther....

I love watching Cougar Town because it is funny...It is not meant to be serious...
BUT...why is the friend Ellie (Christa Miller) who looks as though she has had a serious Botox/Facelift....continue to pick at her self about aging and looks. Like Shana said in her comment..."when this character is shown with cellulite, 50 extra lbs of baby weight, wrinkles, bad hair, and stretch marks then maybe I could relate! I just don't see what she's complaining about otherwise".....Every time she starts whining I want to throw something at the TV.

My Self Image Weakness is...

My weight has changed many times in my life. I have been thin-ish, I am overweight, and I have been average. In the last 4 years I have lost 100 lbs...kept it off...and then gained it all back...

Never in my life have I been the size of my peers...I am 6ft tall...I have always been two heads taller than everyone else...and I have NEVER been bone thin. I am a 'thick' girl, even at my thinnest, I could only get down to a 10.

At what point do I accept that I am always going to be plus sized? I am not saying I want to stay a size 22. I would be very happy in a 16-18. And when will the world accept that size 16 or even 22 is beautiful?

I have noticed on the days that I am dressed up, I get treated much better, than those days that I run to the store in my sweats. Why is that?? Skinny Minis run all over town in their jog bra and yoga pants, but Plus-Sized gets treated like slobs when they wear their equivalent outfit??
BUT, in that same thought...I seem to feel more confident in my 'dress-up' clothes than I do in my work-out gear. Maybe because I feel more put together, not so slobby...

I think that we all need to work on how we feel in our skin. If we feel good and great about who we are, whether size 2 or 22, it will spill out into our everyday interactions. When we feel good, we walk taller, smile bigger, and glow brighter.

My Goal...
From now on, whether I am in work out gear or Sunday Best, I am gonna feel confident in it. I will not allow myself to feel like a slob. I may not apply make-up everyday because I am out sweating and exercising, but I will style my hair.

What is your Self Image Weakness??
What is your goal...to feel better in your skin??

.




Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

Self Image

Self Image

This video came across my facebook page and I really wanted to share it with you all...

Why do you think we are so critical about ourselves??

Do you watch Cougar Town?? What did you think about Courtney Cox's open on that first episode????


It was the most honest opening I have ever seen...

Please let me know what you think....








Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

Bits & Pieces

Bits & Pieces

I have LOTS of stuff I would like to share with you all...I just do not know if all of it is worthy of a full post...

So here goes a few Bits & Pieces

Birthdays...We are invite to two on Saturday!! LuvBug's Birthday party would also have been this Saturday!! Thankfully we decided to have a Monster Bash on Halloween...

Cuddlebug...wont include the number thirteen when counting???? Why??? I have NO IDEA...he skips it and keeps on counting. He can count to 100, but will not include 13...what do I do about that??

Swine Flu...Texas is over run with the Swine epidemic. At first I thought..."Well, this wont hit us"...BOY, was I wrong!! We were out for about two weeks!! It was HELL!!! Cuddle ran a fever of 104-106 for about 6 days. Nothing would lower the fever. I was one frantic stressed out momma!! THEN...I got the damn thing!! Unfortunately, there was no one to rub me down with a cool wash cloth!!

The Host....Have you read Stephanie Meyers book The Host?? I read it last Christmas. It is really good. Very different from the uber-popular Twilight Saga. Well, it is gonna be a movie!! I am excited!!







Add to Technorati Favorites

[ Read More... ]

It's been a while...

It's been a while...

I have been gone.

I would really like to thank a couple of my readers....Badgermomma and Angela. Your kind thoughts meant a lot!!

As many of you may or may not know...I started this blog as a way to chronicle my depression. I have manic depression and some times it gets the best of me...

I do not have a specific reason I stopped blogging...and I do not have a specific reason I decided to start up again...

I do have a few things that I will be changing....

I can not devote hours upon hours to giveaways and prizes. I may occasionally post a review of a product that I like...but I am not gonna stress over time lines and returned emails...

I envisioned my blog to be a dialog of women who have issues that they would like to talk about...a safe place to vent or a safe place for me to vent and hopefully through my venting someone will read a post and think..."well, shit that happened to me yesterday..."

I found that I was censoring my posts because I did not want to offend a potential PR firm...and I found that I had no 'true' readers. I felt that none of the connections that I had made were true connections.

I would rather have 5 readers that TRULY want to read my posts than 600 that do not really care what I have to say.

I hope that whoever reads this is happy I am back and I hope that you continue to read...I have lots of new stories and a few issues to vent about...

Thank you,
MoodyMommy

[ Read More... ]