No Phone Zone

We're all guilty of it, I know I am. Talking or texting while driving has become second nature to all of us. We seem to think that we have to do everything at once these days. It wasn't that long ago that we didn't have the luxury of phones in our cars, so why is it we feel that we cannot live without them?
Over the last month I have made it a point to leave my phone in my purse in the backseat while driving but I cannot tell you how many times I reached into the passenger's seat trying to grab my phone...and I didn't even have anyone to call or text! It's just a habit! I refuse to endanger the lives of my children or anyone else just because I am bored in traffic or whatever the excuse may be. Because it is just that, an excuse! Unless I am lying in a ditch somewhere...it's not needed!
I honestly feel that this habit is worse than drinking and driving! Because it is something we do all day every day we feel it something we have control of and can do. When we are drinking and driving we are at least conscious of the fact that we are taking a major risk and at least try to be a bit more careful. And no, I am not condoning drinking and driving.
I know today is No Phone Zone day, but let's make everyday a NO PHONE ZONE day when we are driving!
Text  NPZ to 30644 to sign the pledge!

Tackle It Tuesday- The Grotesque Pink Bathroom

When my husband and I were looking at houses over the winter the rooms I would pay closest attention to not want to budge on were the kitchen and the bathrooms.  So why is it that the house we chose had the worst kitchen and bathrooms of them all?  The yard! I have a beautiful back yard with a huge pond in the back and all the wildlife I could hope for.  I love it!   Sitting on my patio with a cup of coffee every morning is the best feeling in the world when I am here. 

But back to my ridiculously hideous bathroom.  It is horrible.  The  cabinet and fixtures are outdated and not only are the walls bubble gum pink, but so is the ceiling!  I hate it.  And it's not just any bathroom, it's the downstairs powder room.   What were they thinking?   I don't even like using it!   I couldn't even think of how to decorate it till I was able to paint it.  I mean, what can make pink look sophisticated... in a bathroom?

So this week's project is to at least start prepping the bathroom so that I can paint it this weekend.  I wish I could paint it during the week but Little Ms. Bella won't let that happen.  I'm thinking a nice neutral grey or tan.  It's a small bathroom so nothing too dark. 

Baby Cereal?

Bella will be 5 months old next week and I believe she is ready to start eating baby cereal.  She is up to 30 ounces a day and is getting to be just as bad as our dog when it comes to eyeballing every bite we take.  The other day she snatched my protein bar right out of my hand.  ha ha ha   Whenever I'm eating in front of her she squeals and reaches for my plate as she makes chomping movements with her mouth.  It's quite amusing. 

The question is, when is the right time.  My best friend is her pediatrician and she tells me that anytime between now and six months is just fine.  The earlier you start them the less likely they are to suffer from food allergies later.  She recommends we try out it out for a short amount of time just once a day in a bowl with a small amount of formula and then gradually increase.   After she has gotten used to the cereal we should begin introducing her to actual baby food.  I am really interested in making my own baby food, especially now that I am a SAHM.  That is something I should start looking into asap.

Does anyone have any stories about when they started their babies on cereals or pureed foods?  I'd love to know what you think.

Final ECLIPSE trailer!

For all you die hard Twilight fans out there who missed Oprah this morning, here is the final Eclipse trailer from the Twilight Saga.

Click here for complete happiness :)

Facebook Madness

So last night I saw that my 11 year old daughter became a fan of "Petitioning to add F*cktard to the Webster's Dictionary".  Now, while I would like to sign that petition as well, lol, I had to explain to her how that is completely inappropriate for someone her age.  Facebook was not meant for children but over the last year it has become a bit more pre-teen friendly so her father allowed her to have access as long as she is responsible.  Strike 1.

What Makes You Happy?

Thanks, Jessica for passing this on to me.  For this award I must tell you 10 things that make me happy and then I will pick 10 sites that make me happy!  Will you be on my list? 

Things that make me happy are as follows:

1. My Children - Each one of them is so very different and so very special to me in their own way.

 

2. My Husband - I feel like I won the jackpot with this man! Nobody has ever made me happier... and we have an amazing connection.

3. My Family - I sincerely feel like I have the best family ever. 

4. My brothers - It's true when they say you don't realize how much you love something till it's gone. I was so miserable when my brother's were in Iraq.  I am so happy to have them back!  They are so funny and such good guys. 

5. My Dog - Yeah, he annoys the crap out of me when he decides to click his long nails on the hardwood floors just as the baby is falling asleep and when he sheds all over my house, but he is the sweetest, most loving pit-bull there is!

6. My friends - They have always stood by my side even when we have lost touch for months or years they were always ready to pick up right where we left off. Love that!

7. A clean house

8. Venti Cinnamon Dolce - Soy, no whip!  :)

9. Luxuries - The things in life so many of take for granted, such as, cars, nice clothes, food on the table, heat.   I thank God everyday for these things. 

10.  My sense of humor - So many people go through life miserable cause they don't know how to laugh at themselves. I'm glad that isn't me.

The following blogs make me happy:

(if you're on this list you must re-post this on your blog)

1. Adventures of a Wife and Mommy

2. Bubba Bubbles

3. Mia Ma Miah's Diaries

4. Mommy Loves Stilettos

5.  My Life as Jane

6. Monkey Mommy

7. Sabby in Suburbia

8. Stepping on Cheerios

9. The Two Savvy Sisters

10.  Suburban Stereotype

Congratulations!

I'd like to send a special congratulations out to my new blogging mentor, Jessica @ Adventures of a Wife and Mom, who just received not 1, but 3 awards yesterday! Woo-Hoo!!! So proud of you! Keep up the good work!

Painted Toes

I love painted toes! My toes have needed to be repainted for the past 3 weeks! About a week and half ago I took out the nail polish remover. The next day I was able to take the paint off of one foot and just today I was finally able to finish! Grrr!!! When will I find the time to repaint them? Your guess is as good as mine! Ahhh...motherhood!

I guess I have plenty of time to decide on a color. Any suggestions?

It's a Social Parade!

Here's another great way to get followers- Social Parade. It is held every Wednesday at Smart and Trendy Moms. Every week will be a new link-up that will focus on one of the ways you connect with people through your blog! We will rotate through gaining followers, fans, Networked blogs and more. Link-up and focus on one thing at a time. Its about fun one follower,fan and reader at a time!
Click on the Social Parade block on the right --->>

INSANITY!

Today I kick my butt into gear by beginning the hardest workout on DVD... INSANITY! Let's just say that my breakfast was, umm... horrible! lol Plain oatmeal followed by a Chocolate protein shake with walnuts and skim milk. It doesn't sound bad, but trust me, it was!
Okay, so now I'm off to take my "before" pictures and do a little measuring...ugh! Last I will be popping the DVD in and doing my fit test. If you haven't seen or heard about this fit test, here is a clip I found on You Tube. Oh boy!

Insanity Day 1 Fit Test


Okay...I did the Fit Test. I cried! No joke! It was the hardest thing I've done next to giving birth! I was so emotional! I couldn't help but cry.
I need to stick with this! I know this can change my life in so many ways!

Ultimate Blog Party 2010 - The AFTER Party!

Wow! This was my first UBP and I can't wait till next years! I had such a blast jumping from blog to blog. I learned so much and met so many amazing people. Thanks to everyone that is supporting my two blogs. I'd like to give a special thanks to:
Jessica @ Adventures of a Wife & Mom
Nicole @ The Two Savvy Sisters
Jane @ My Life as Jane

I look forward to continuing to party till next year :)

Poop Finger

Loved this so much I had repost on my blog!

Melodramommy
No Poop Zone: On How to Get Poop Smell off Fingers

Dear Mr. Poopie,

Oh how I bet you are just sitting on your high chamber pot right now, looking down at me, laughing at how bad you got me today. Ok, I’ll admit since I had meticulously cleaned the diaper eruption and scrubbed and scrubbed my hands, I had NO idea where the lingering smell was coming from. It didn’t appear to be on Baby boy’s pants, Toddler-girl’s hands, the couch, the rug, the blanket, or the Barbie head, even though you had me sniffing crevices for poo like a Customs Labrador searching for cocaine.

I bet as I left the scene of the crime to get my mind off of you and refresh my palate with a cup of fresh fruit topped with cottage cheese, you were in hysterics: How long would it take me to discover that you were waiting for me, ever so patiently in a ruthless game of hide and seek? So I stood there eating, not sitting because I was determined to find you, when to my bewilderment I realized I was only detecting your ever-so-vile aroma as I lifted the spoon to my mouth. YES, it was then to my utter disgust and HORROR that I beheld a little preemie poopie—with its squinting little slitted eyes gazing at me from in between the cozy knuckle creases of all places—my middle finger!

Did you gasp with delight as I dropped my spoon, nearly gagging, and ran to the sink to scrub the skin off my fingers at temperatures so hot it nearly melted my bones for the second, then third, and forth time! It was then I realized your little bambino was attempting to take a permanent residence on my finger! Didn’t you get the memo: fingers are a NO POOP ZONE!—I wonder if Oprah would be willing to take up this cause in addition to the No Phone Zone. Perhaps he failed to consult with Mr. Gummy Bear who could have warned him of my eviction policy.

Well, guess what, I researched on Google how to get that poopie smell off the fingers: the nurses have already figured it out. Survey says lemon juice, toothpaste, a metal spoon, and shaving cream are your worst enemies. Guess what? My fingers are so minty I could brush my teeth with them. Bye Bye, Preemie poopie. Buh Bye.

Fighting you till the end,

Melodramommy


P.S. Tell your buddy Mr. Diarrhea to leave my friend Kate alone! I'm warning you, the lyrics of your favorite song: "When you're walking down the hall and you see it on the wall ..." are about to be rewritten!

Posted by Laura






sooooo funny!!!!

Groupon!

Just gotta say...I love Groupon! Really! If you haven't signed up to see their daily deals then you should definitely start now. You will be pleasantly surprised!
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1421963

Free Stuff To Do In Chicago...

I was born and raised in Chicago and looking back I don't think I fully appreciated all that my amazing city had to offer. Before moving to the suburbs a few months ago I was fortunate enough to live in on Michigan Avenue in Chicago's South Loop. I LOVED IT!! It was so amazing being able to walk out my door and walk a few blocks to the beautiful Millenium Park. I am missing the city so much but I look forward to day trips with my husband and kids over the summer!

If anyone has a chance to come to Chicago...DO IT! It is such an amazing city!! Visit this site for a list of free things to do in Chicago.

http://www.choosechicago.com/free_chicago/Pages/default.aspx

Wordless Wednesday

"Ha! I'm wearing shoes!"

I Love to Bake!!!!!!!

Baking has become one of my favorite thing to do in my "spare" time. ha! Unfortunately, I still haven't lost the "baby weight" so I have put baking on hold. BUT... there is no reason why you should! This is one of my favorite Banana Bread recipe's from Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:
1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Banana Bread Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

HELLO to all my new visitors from 5 Minutes For Mom. This is my FIRST blog party, and I am very excited to see what it is all about!!! 
My name is Jen, and I am a SAHM to my three monkeys...Ethan, Jaelyn and Bella.
Be sure to check out my other postings and follow me here and @ http://wicklessbizness.blogspot.com/ ! =)
There are so many cool prizes to be won at this year’s Ultimate Blog Party, but my top four picks would be:
$200 Apple gift certificate from CmomGo

Human Touch Foot and Calf Massager from Still Blonde After All These Years!

$200 gift certificate for any Wall Slicks Vinyl Wall Decal from Modern Wall Graphics the Makers of Wall Slicks

$50 gift certificate to Starbucks from Janice Yurek

…
And if my top three picks are already chosen, I’d love any of the following (in order of preference):
US 51…. US 92… US 104… USC 3.. USC 35.. USC 39.. US 83.. US 77.. USC 4.. USC 5.. US 106.. US56.. US 90.. USC 47 .. USC 45.. US 41


i’d be happy with any gift certificate!

Bella..

Bella is 4.5 months and has officially mastered the high-pitched giggle!  I love it but boy is my head pounding!!  Now if I could only get her to roll over!!!  I've tried everything!  She will do whatever it takes to scoot her body over to watch the TV when the news is on but she will NOT roll over!  Any suggestions??

A Letter to My Son

Ahh... 15! This kid is gonna make me crazy!  The attitude, the know-it-all remarks, the messy clothes and hair....and the grades!!!  I knew these times would be tough but Wow! He was such a sweet little boy!  He is still sweet when the hormones aren't at their peak! When will this start to come to an end?  Oh Lord, help us all!  
I came across this letter written by a mom about her son.  This is definitely something every mother should read.  This letter has taught me not to sweat the small stuff and to know that all of this madness will come to an end...eventually!   I love my son dearly and know that this is just something that all kids go through.  It is my job to help him through this time.  It's not just tough for the family and teachers, but it's also tough on him!



A Letter of Thanks to My Teenage Son for Teaching Me Perspective in Childrearing
 Dear Matt,
You are my oldest child. You have always been the "smart" one (not that your brothers and sisters aren't equally as smart). You are kind and truthful (almost to a fault). You have a big heart and a hard head. You are 17 and on your own now. And I have to thank you for making me a better parent.
When you were 12, we moved away from our home in Wisconsin and all of your friends to go live on my family's farm in a small town in Vermont. You hated your father and I for it. I thought it would be great fun. You thought it was a prison. Of course, you did well in school and played sports — and appeared to be having a good time with your new friends. But you were secretly plotting. You sought out friends who felt equally as trapped and did things at the age of 13 that I didn't even think of.


I caught you with beer for the first time at 13. I found out when you were 15 that you had been smoking pot since you were 13. I had never even seen pot until I was 29... That rich best friend of yours with the big house and the parents that were so "over-involved"? I had no idea that his older brothers were supplying you guys. It never occurred to me.


You started to get really angry by the time you were 14. We fought constantly. About stupid stuff — wearing a nice shirt to a school concert; whether or not you could go out with your friends; why didn't you call me; why didn't you come home when you said you would. At 14 you had your first run-in with the police. You and a friend got in trouble for bullying another kid — who was in on the joke, but whose mother didn't think it was funny. That was the first time you got sent to the court diversion program. I still have the paperwork.


That was also the year we decided you should homeschool for good. At least that way I wouldn't get so many phone calls from the school about your "attitude."
You were also 14 when you decided to go on vacation. You left us a note ("I just need a vacation, Mom"), took some money (but left us your bank account number so we could get it back) and rode a bike out of town. I was freaking out. I had everyone I knew looking for you. I was scared to death — shaking with fear. Finally, with some divine intervention, I found you myself. You were cool and we agreed that you were too young to go on "vacation."
It wouldn't be the last time you would take off. Meanwhile, your brothers and sister (you had just one then) would go to school, play sports, play with friends and promise me that they would never be like you.
I have sobbed my eyes out, kicked doors, smoked cigarettes and screamed more than I care to remember through your teenage years. My friends who have teens who are just starting to act out a bit, tell me their stories and I nod my head. Yes, I tell them, Matt did that too.

I tried putting my foot down; grounding; screaming; counselors and even considered a teen boot camp. But you my dear Matthew were not a spoiled child who thought he was entitled to everything. You never cared about the cable TV or the Internet access. You never once asked me for a cell phone. You just wanted to be free. To do what you wanted.


When I finally let you go at 16 to go and work on a farm, you started to become a "person" again. When I let you go at 17 to travel with friends, you became an adult. And I admire you. I wish I had had the courage to do what you do at your age — or at any age. And you inspire me to live my life to the fullest. I hope I have taught you as well.
I sit here and write this with baby number 7 — most likely my last baby (but never say never) sleeping on my chest. I wonder what challenges he will present. I now have two more teens and an almost teen in my midst. They don't drink or smoke the way you did. They do well in school on purpose! Maybe they learned from you. Perhaps they got tired of the yelling and don't want it directed at them.


Either way, even if they did, I don't think I'd handle it the same way. I used to curse you and all the crap you put your father and I through. We used to say to each other, "Please, can we just not talk about Matt for a little while?" I realize now, though, just how much you have taught us. And when I'm sitting in a playgroup with a young mom who complains about her two year old and tells me how she demands respect, I try hard not to laugh.


Enjoy this age, I tell her. You have no idea what you're in for. As far as demanding respect is concerned, if I've learned anything it's that you don't get the respect of your children until you act respectful of them.


If I could say anything to parents of young children, it would be to choose your battles wisely. Some stuff just doesn't matter. I let my four-year-old run and scream at the park, without embarrassment. I laugh when my two-year-old throws a tantrum in the store. I no longer feel the role of frantic mother of young children because I know that these are the best of times.


If I can thank you, Matt, for anything it's for teaching me how to enjoy all of my children and their various stages, much more.
I love you more than anything. I miss you and hope you'll be home for Thanksgiving.
Love,
Mom
                                                                                                                                        Ethan (4/2010)

It's amazing how powerful a bath and a warm bottle can be :)