WFMW-Recipe Organization

I love trying new recipes! And why not? I love eating. I love cooking (when I'm not ridiculously busy). The rest of the M house loves to try new food and thinks that Mommy is a pretty decent cook. I love going online to get inspired, or to borrow other people's fabulous ideas for tasty treats. There's just one problem-I could never keep track of my recipes!

I tried hard to be organized. I really, really did. It's just that sometimes (most times) I got busy. So instead of writing my recipes down in an organized manner I had a tendency to scribble them on, oh I don't know, the back of a receipt. Or-true story-the cardboard insert from light bulb packaging (until recently, that was the home of my Quiche Florentine recipe). You know, whatever was handy.

In a real pinch I have been known to schlep all the way upstairs (to where Franken-puter the desk top lives), re-google a favorite recipe, re-write it on yet another piece of scrap paper, and then immediately lose it after I complete the meal.

This is not an effective way to be spending my time.

Someday, when the kids are older, I want to create an actual recipe book for each of them with all of our favorite family recipes and pictures of them cooking with me-you know, something for them to take with them when they leave the nest and have little birds of their own to feed. For now though, that's not really a practical solution. I am still in the process of collecting said "favorite recipes" and two of the three kids are far too little to cook yet.

Still, I desperately needed some organization. So I ran to Freddy's (Fred Meyer, or Kroger if you don't live in the Pacific Northwest) to see what they've got and I find THE PERFECT SOLUTION!

(Sorry for the blurry pictures, it's hard to stay stable taking a picture one handed!)

How fantastic is that? They are lined index cards, hole punched at the top and kept together with little metal clip rings. The index cards have colored edges in four different colors (which I have organized into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sides/snacks/baked goods) and are protected by a perfect little blue plastic cards on the front and back. It is small enough to be portable (unlike Frank), big enough not to get lost, and easy to organize. Now when I look up recipes I just pull out my little note cards and write the recipe directly on them.

Voila! Magic organization.

And it only cost $2!

This definitely works for me! If you'd like to get more Works for Me Wednesday ideas check out We Are THAT Family....happy Wednesday everyone!

(I also did a Wordless Wednesday post today~don't miss it!)

Tell All Tuesday:Honesty Threshhold

I am a very straightforward person, and I expect people to be the same with me. No need to "break it to me gently", if you've got something to say just say it. I think it is actually rather irritating when people try to sugar coat things because that so often leads down the road of Little White Lies into a multiple lie pileup. My feelings aren't invulnerable-I don't like hearing negative critiques any more than the next person-but I'd rather hear something 100% true and entirely unpleasant than something 60% true that spared my feelings.

At least if you know the whole truth-however unpleasant-I know exactly where I stand and can react accordingly.

The older I get the more I realize there are not very many people like that. The only people I've ever discovered that can truly take an honest criticism for what it is are my Dad and Step Mom-my parents from whom I got this demand and tolerance for brutal honesty-and Hubby, who couldn't have married me if he didn't have the same quality and tolerance level for it.

I believe this is a large part of why, in real life, I have very few close friends. I am able to answer a casual acquaintance with a polite smile because as far as I'm concerned what they do is none of my business-but if you are someone I care about I will refuse to give you anything less than 100% honesty. I'll heap praise on you when you honestly do well, and you'll never have to worry that I'm blowing smoke. However, I will also call you on your bull in a New York minute so that you can get back on track doing the right thing. I think that's the only way to have a good relationship.

I mean, I would rather know I'm wrong so I can fix whatever it is I'm doing than walk around screwing everything up like a clueless wonder-and I would never expect or feel comfortable with people giving me kudos for doing something I have no business doing. So I try to give others the same courtesy of honesty.....but boy do some people have low honesty thresholds! Having grown up like I did (in a house of point-and-shoot honesty) and married who I married (Mr. Call It Like It Is) I am surprised by how many people freak out when given a completely honest opinion. I have lost many friends over it. Still, I can't bring myself to lie.

I am fast approaching another friend who is going to ask me my opinion about something that she is doing, and I know I'm going to have to tell her that she's in the wrong. And I know I'm going to lose another friend over it...but I have to tell her. Hopefully she'll take it for what it's worth and it will help her snap out of it a little and do what's right someday, even if we're not friends anymore for me to see it. Even though I wish her the best, it still sucks to lose a friend over it. She's a good friend, and a good person-I just know her well enough to know that she's just not going to take this well.

Tell me guys, how do you tell someone something they don't want to hear?

To participate in Tell All Tuesday
*Write a post answering the Tell All Tuesday question.
*Include a link to my original post.
*Don't forget to put yourself in the Mr. Linky below, and to read other people's post on giving the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but.

Mondays Our Way:Project-ing

Who doesn't love projects? Well, unless the project is going through the attic. Or cycling summer clothes and winter clothes. Or fixing leaky toilets. Fortunately, I'm not talking about (or doing) any projects like that-I mean fun projects. Think scrap booking or quilting....or learning about world culture and history!

What? That can be a fun project too!

Oh yes it can.

Don't believe me? I'll show you.

The first thing we did was go to Fry's Electronics and get ourselves a gigantic world map and hang it above the dining room table. Of course Monkey immediately began inspecting it and asking questions about it, and we've had a lot of fun talking about directions again and finding our town on the map (we live near (but not in) a big enough city that it's on the world map). Now all we had to do was take it one little step further onto the world stage.

So I had Monkey choose a country to learn more about. The winner is.......

Australia!

So how do we incorporate the culture and history of Australia into our unschooling experience? We're going to start where we nearly always start.....with food! This week we are going to make Lamingtons-which besides being a positively delicious looking sponge cake with chocolate and coconut, were also conveniently (for unschooling purposes) named after a historical person (Lord Lamington, a late 19th century Governor of Queensland).

We also plan on learning some Australian songs and the history behind them (including of course the infamous Waltzing Matilda) as well as using the internet to learn about different animals native to Australia.

We'll practice reading, writing, logic, math (with cooking), as well as Internet navigation and research and we will gradually learn more about Australia, it's history, and it's inhabitants....there are so many fabulous directions to go with this, and so much to be learned! I am very excited to keep moving on this project, to learn more about Australia-and of course the rest of the world! This is a long term project though, so I'll have to be patient.

I'll keep you guys updated on how it's going!

Quotable Sunday Strikes Again

Perhaps it's because today (since 630am yesterday) the kids have been shrieking-non-stop, maybe because my "days" last 21-22 hours, and maybe it's because I blog with a little one whining in my ear I don't know-but I just want to read (and share) a little Mommy/Housewife humor this week.

"My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint."
-Erma Bombeck-

"I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on."
-Roseanne Barr-

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once."
-Jennifer Unlimited-

"A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after."
-Peter De Vries-

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class."
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh-

"Son, I will literally give you money for two minutes of peace."
-ME! Today around 5pm (hour 11 of 21 hour shift) -

I Stand Corrected

Some of you may remember that there has been a lot of complaining from me about how getting a digital camera was too expensive. I have been using one that the very generous Kirsty let me borrow to record the end of my pregnancy with The Bean, but I have been longing for a digital camera of my very own to love and to snuggle and to blind my children with...but alas-they were much too expensive.

At least I thought so-but luckily for me I am very often wrong! Just yesterday Hubby came home with the very best surprise ever-an 8.2MP Samsung L-100. It turns out that they were finally selling the display model, which the store always discounts at 50%. AND it just so happened that they were also running a 20% off coupon. NOT TO MENTION that Hubby gets a 10% discount in electronics. As a result, we got this fabulous little camera for a freakin' song-less than $40.

It might have been inexpensive, but it certainly isn't cheap! This camera is cute, lightweight, compact, and has a huge display screen. Of course it also takes gorgeous pictures with different color options right on the camera, shutter speed controls, and digital image stabilization you really can't take a bad picture. This camera is the definition of point and shoot fabulousness...and it also takes FABULOUS video, which is why I am able to show you the second time that day that I was (adorably) shown just how very wrong I was.....


The very best part (well, besides being able to keep as much picture and video of my friends and family as any pack rat could ever desire) is that Hubby got it for me just because. No holiday. No anniversary. He just saw it, and knew I would love it, and got it for me out of the money he earned working overtime.

I know, I know. I have the best husband ever-and I know I'm not wrong about that.

8 Days A Week

The job of Mommy never ends, and with three kids 5 and under the process of keeping them all alive, (relatively) clean, and (moderately) happy can be a Herculean task. In the last two weeks I have added even more to my plate and have consequently become a headless chicken.

My major project has been designing a professional business site for a local salon. In payment I get to go and have my hair permed and colored later today. This is definitely a good trade, because I have hair down to my butt and the retail cost of a perm alone for hair as long as mine is nearly $300! On top of that, they are considering me (based on my design) for their web master position. This would be an amazing opportunity to make a very decent salary from home doing something I love to do, so I'm giving it my very best shot and praying really hard that it works out.

I have also been a busy little bee with behind-the-scenes blog work........unfortunately I'm not quite ready to announce anything, but I promise you will be excited when you hear about it! I'm totally excited just thinking about it!

Speaking of blog work, I have fallen a little behind because of everything I've been doing lately....so let's catch up!

I already drew for this week's Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday's featured follower and the winner is.......



Melissa from The Jensen's Crazee Life



She is a small town girl and has three kids (one boy and two girls just like I do!). This week I'm going to be trying out a different interview format---I'm going to sit down and chat live with Melissa Yahoo! style, and then share it all with you. I can't wait to get to know more about her-you all stop back in on Friday to check out her interview!! (And don't forget, if you want a chance to do an interview and be featured on my blog, just follow my page and you're automatically entered! [If you follow via email be sure to leave a comment to let me know.])

Also in blog news, I have received an award! Which I have been horribly horribly neglecting since it was awarded to me on June 11th. My sincere thanks (and apologies for my tardiness) to Kris from Hands, House, and Heart Full for the Honest Scrap Award!

The rules are:
* Tell everyone 10 things about you they may not know, but are true
*Tag 5 bloggers with the award

Hmmmmm...10 things....This is kind of hard. I think I've just discovered how boring I actually am! Oh well, I guess it didn't say they had to be 10 interesting things.

1. I haven't slept more than 5 hours in a row in over two years. (On average I sleep 3 1/2 hours a night.) True story! I had morning sickness during the first half of my pregnancy with Baby Bug, then gallstones for the last half of my pregnancy, then she was born and didn't sleep through the night until she was 14 months old...at which point I was already 9 months pregnant with The Bean and couldn't sleep because, well, I was 9 months pregnant. Now I am up at night with The Bean. So yeah-it's been literally more than two years since I slept a full night's sleep.

2. I miss sleep so much that I have actually dreamed about sleeping.

3. I had reoccurring nightmares as a kid about the Wicked Witch of the West (from Wizard of Oz). I had them every so often starting when I was about 4 all the way up until I was 15.

4. I have a social network account which I use pretty much for the sole purpose of being in heated political debate groups. I'm not rude or anything, I just love to debate things and other people in real life usually get tired of it before I do....so I go online and debate with 300 people at a time. For fun.

5. I have a very strange sense of fun. Besides debating minutia of law and government with hundreds of people at a time I also enjoy watching CSPAN, reading out of print non fiction (my currently reigning favorite is Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville), and writing new HTML/CSS code to try and create new functionalities for my blog widgets. In short, I am a giant Geek.

6. I was almost born at a gas station because my parents didn't have enough gas to get to the hospital but the gas station on the way didn't take cheques...but when the attendant figured out my mother was in labor, suddenly the gas was on him!

7. I love old fashioned names. All of our children have old fashioned names (though one of them came into extreme popularity shortly after our baby was born) and if I had gotten to pick The Bean's first name I would have picked Temperance.

8. Hubby and I have so many children that we actually have a child naming system. Not that three is that many, but it's enough to make a system out of it. We switch off picking the first name for each gender, and whoever doesn't pick the first picks the middle. For example, with our son I had first name boy and Hubby had first name girl and I had middle name girl and he had middle name boy. Then we switched with our second-I had first name girl and Hubby had first name boy and vice versa for middle names. Needless to say this means I ended up picking both Monkey and Baby Bug's first names. However, with The Bean it was Hubby's turn for first name girl...it was so adorable how excited he was that he would finally get to decide our new baby's first name!

9. I do not like tomato sauce on anything-only "white" sauce like Alfredo or garlic sauce. My perfect pizza is spinach, artichoke, feta cheese, mozzarella, and tomato with a white garlic sauce base. Yummmmmmmmmmm. However, despite not liking tomato sauce, I actually love fresh tomatoes-especially on gyros or BLTs!

10. Speaking of random things I love.....I LOVE the show How I Met Your Mother. It is only the coolest show.....wait for it.....EVER. Who doesn't love seeing Neil Patrick Harris and Alison Hannigan in the same place? Willow meets Doogie? With voiceover from Bob Saget? Seriously-if you have not seen this show you need to rectify that situation immediately.

So there you have it, 10 things about me. Boring? Yeah. But honestly boring. That's why I got this so very generous award. I would like to know about all of you, so please anyone who'd like it just take this award with my blessing. Say it was from me (and let me know so I can read what you write)!

And, with that, The Bean has officially fallen asleep on my shoulder so I'm off to sneak in an hour or two of sleep. Have a great day everyone!

Wordless Wednesday:Growing

How did these tiny little babies...

Become these two overnight?

I suspect it started out something like this...

My very first baby is more than 5 years old, my oldest daughter is 16 months old now, even my little Bean is 6 weeks old today.

All in the blink of an eye.

Tell All Tuesday:What Have You Done For Them Lately?

It's not just Jon and Kate who are getting divorced. Divorce, and marriage trouble in general, just seems to be in the water these days. As I watch my friends and family members struggle in their relationships-and watch some of them eventually part ways-I always end up thinking about what I can do to keep my marriage as happy and healthy as it is today.

Why do people struggle with their marriages? Why do people eventually get divorced? There are entire libraries worth of books on the subject, most written by psychologists and psychiatrists and anthropologists. I'm not a "gist" of any kind, but based on what I've seen through the people around me there's a lot of selfishness and dishonesty going on.

Take Jon and Kate as an example (since I'd not like to give web attention to anyone who didn't solicit it). From what I've seen, Kate treated Jon as a 'gimme' machine...requiring him to do and say what she wanted him to with no regard for him as a person. That's pretty selfish. However, Jon was not blameless-he was dishonest in his relationship (emotionally, I'm not addressing gossip here). Instead of saying "this is how I feel, let's talk about it" he shoved it down until he basically exploded in a rash of unacceptable behavior.

Every marriage has difficult moments-you can't live with someone forever without stepping on their toes at times-but I've come to the conclusion that a good, sound marriage is not related to the frequency (or infrequency) of your fights. To me it's about putting the other person in your marriage above everyone else-including yourself (and your kids, but that's another post)-and being completely honest about your actions, feelings, and intentions.

Well, that and an absolute dedication to work things out even when the other person is being selfish or dishonest as is bound to happen.

Hubby is fantastic about honesty and selflessness. He never hesitates to speak his mind to me-good, bad, or indifferent. The other day he actually said "thanks for vacuuming-you're so much better at it than I am"! Of course, sometimes what's on his mind is not so simple and sweet, but hey-a (clean) fight can be good honest communication too. He also goes out of his way to show me selfless kindness-the very best example of which is his willingness to come home after a graveyard shift and then stay up to help me with the kids. He does that all the time (I am so lucky!) out of the goodness of his heart.

So, I often think to myself, how can I show my husband selfless, honest love? I think it's in the little things-serving his plate first at dinner, picking up his favorite soda when I make a diaper run, listening carefully when he tells me about his day without simply waiting for my turn to speak-they might not look spectacular on paper but they are honest and show him that I love him.

What about you, lovely readers? Tell me-how do you show your other half selfless, honest love? How do they show you that kind of love in return? I'd love to hear about good, solid relationships for a change.

To participate in Tell All Tuesday
*Write a post answering the Tell All Tuesday question.
*Include a link to my original post.
*Don't forget to put yourself in the Mr. Linky below, and to read about how people show their significant others they love them!

Mondays Our Way:Celebrate Smart

Holidays, celebrations, and special occasions happen throughout the year, and they can be major disruptions to homeschooling. (They can also be major disruptions to healthy eating-does it still count as 'baby weight' if you gain it after the baby is born?) With family and friends coming over, it's easy to skip through the educational stuff in favor of late nights and to die for deviled eggs.

Still despite the holiday gorging festivities, I have found a great way to squeeze in some learning before busting out the party trays (and squeezing into something with an elastic waist). Having kids make holiday appropriate cards, decorations, and presents can really put the learning into party. (Hey, I claim creative license on that one.)

This Father's Day Monkey wanted to draw Hubby a picture as a present. Drawing in and of itself is of course a great creative educational outlet, but to take it one step further, I suggested that he draw Daddy a map to a special place that he wanted to go just him and Daddy.


He drew instructions with his map to the local riverside park. (Fun side note: if you look closely you may be able to see that our car is drawn as a taxi. Shows you where I stand! Ha ha ha.) Monkey was learning to create a map with recognizable landmarks, and how to give driving instructions-not to mention it was a great opportunity to discuss compasses and physical directions (what street is south of our house?).

Also? Adorable Father's Day gift. They did make a very special father/son trip to the park, which is another great educational opportunity, though I suspect they mostly just had fun throwing rocks in the water like they normally do.

There are a lot of great holiday/celebration educational activities. Writing letters to put into cards make gifts from the kids more personal and helps practice writing and spelling. Hand made gifts are also a big hit-like plaster hand molds, which besides being adorable keepsakes provide an opportunity to discuss science. Planning and decorating for a party provide a chance to talk math--for example, if we have four people come over, plus the five people in our family, and everyone eats two triple chocolate brownies how many brownies will we need? For bonus points: How much cumulative weight will we gain, and where can we buy bigger pants?

So remember, just because it's a special occasion doesn't mean you can't learn something...even if all Mommy learns is that the fat in a New York steak takes approximately 30 seconds to glob onto her hips.

I hope you all had a Happy Father's Day!

Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday-Angela from I Will Bloom!

Alright my bloggy friends, followers, and visitors-it's finally Friday! You know what that means....time for my fabulous find! And of course I am still featuring YOU, my darling blog followers-because you are all such fabulous finds!

In my quest to feature every single one of you I know I will make a lot of friends (and, hopefully, help you guys make a lot more friends too!), and this week it has been great getting to know the very busy but always lovely

Angela from I Will Bloom

She is so passionate about everything in her life-her family, her work, her team (more about them later!)-and it comes shining through on her blog. It's a very good read-but before you check it out, please get to know her a little better!

So Angela, tell us about yourself (Family/friends/pets? Career/hobbies? Fun facts? Hidden talents? Medical oddities?)...

My husband and I have been married for almost 17 years and we still love hanging out with each other. We have 3 children (two teenage daughters, and a 9-year-old son) who are all three high spirited and keep us on our toes ­ALWAYS! My children fight, I try not to let them, but they enjoy it and it seems to bring them closer together ­I don't get it. My son is a math genius ­for real! I don't know where he gets it from either. We have moved 11 times in our married years, all work related and it is something that I DON'T enjoy doing. We have lived in Colorado, Utah, California, Minnesota, Idaho, and now Ohio. If anyone needs help staging a home for sale, I'm pretty good at it! Try Scentsy if you are struggling to sell your home. Real Estate Agents are some of my best customers. Did you know that you can leave on a Scentsy while you are having a showing and you don't have to worry about burning your house down while you are away! ;) (Just a little plug for my business!)

I was into the performing arts when I was a teenager. I earned a vocal scholarship when I was 18, taught dance for about 8 years, and was very involved in musical theater. I had to have bunion surgery when I was 19, and my big toe on my right foot didn't get put back right. Now I have a big gap between my toes and can only wear Chacos (see my post about that). I have scoliosis and was in a back brace (boston jacket) for about 3 years. It was a horrible time in my life socially (that's why I LOVED having an outlet on the stage). I remember hiding my brace in my closet sometimes because I didn't want to be different. I got teased a lot in Jr. High and back then, homeschooling wasn't the thing to do. Blessed are the homeschoolers!

I am a Scentsy Director and I LOVE that I get to do this full-time. We had a close call with tea lights a few years back (on Christmas Eve) and swore I would never "burn" candles again! Now, I am a huge fan of the safety factor of Scentsy candles. They are safe around children and pets, and have NO FLAME, NO SOOT, NO Wax Build up, and they have so many wonderful long-lasting scents. I have 56 people in my downline and they keep me going! I really do have a great team that continues to grow because I really believe that Scentsy is the best Direct Selling Company out there (I've tried quite a few) and I have just caught the "Scentsy Spirit" bug. There are times when I find it hard to sleep because I am thinking about my team, and ways that I can help them. Scentsy's core value: "Give more than you take". I try and incorporate this into every aspect of my life.

Wow, it sounds like you are a very busy lady! Three teenagers will keep you busy enough, but having a successful home business on top of that? That takes time and dedication...I'm so glad you have time to write on top of everything else! Where can we find your writing?

I have 3 blogs:
My personal blog
My business blog
My Team blog

I also have various "Mom Blogs" that I frequent.

All of that AND three blogs? That really is amazing! What inspires you to keep blogging through your busy life?

The fact that we have moved so many times! I have friends, family, and team members all over this country now, and blogging helps me stay in touch about our family happenings, share my Scentsy business with others, and train my team. I started blogging 2 ½ years ago as a way to keep my journal, and it was so much easier then scrapbooking (and cheaper!). I recently published my first blog book (www.blurb.com) and I am so happy with how it turned out!

A blog book-what a fantastic idea! When you're going through your book (or blog) what do you find are your favorite posts so far?

I have quite a few, but here are a couple:

Real Moms Are...
http://bloomswheresplanted.blogspot.com/2007/03/real-moms-are.html

Interview with Scentsy:
http://authenticwicklesscandles.blogspot.com/2009/06/interview-with-scentsy-direct-sales.html

Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C.
http://bloomswheresplanted.blogspot.com/2009/04/spring-break.html

How it Works:
http://authenticwicklesscandles.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-it-works.html

And now that you've published your blog book, what are your future plans for your writing/blog?

No future plans, just taking one day at a time. I'm not much of a TV watcher, so while my family is watching their daily dose in the evenings, I am on my laptop in the same room.

When you're not writing or doing one of the other hundred things you do, what writers (and/or bloggers) do you read regularly?

Pioneer Woman! Love her just Check out this post and you will understand:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/2009/06/a_hobby_of_mine.html

5 Minutes for Mom

Living in Strawberry Land

BlogRollers

Two Pretty Little Skirts

There are so many and it is hard to keep up with them all, but I get to them when I can.



And now, for something completely different.......
I want a Shi-Poo puppy for my 40th birthday in November!! My daughter thinks they are the ugliest dogs ever, but I think they are perfect!

My birthday is in November too! Though I have three kids under five, so I'm not in the market for another living creature, hee hee!

Would you rather go out on the town or spend a quiet night in?
A quiet night in!

Are you a cat person or a dog person?
I am 100% a dog person! See above!

If you had to eat one meal every single day for the rest of your life it would be:
BBQ Salmon, baked potatoes, salad and any flavor of Greater's Ice Cream!

YUM!

What is your favorite book of all time and why?
Okay, another one that has too many answers! The Bible, because it is historical and the stories are just as relevant for today; The Book of Mormon, because it is simple, historical, and just as relevant for today, Tuesdays with Morrie, because I love the life lessons taught; Angela's Ashes, because it I never understood my Irish background until I read this book; and just about anything by Jack Canfield because he is so motivating.

I love Chicken Soup for the Soul! Thank you so much Angela for doing this interview, and for following my little piece of the interwebs!

Alright now, my other lovely followers-go visit our new friend Angela's blogs to find out more about this very sweet lady, her family, and her home business...you'll be sooo glad you did!

[Remember, if you want a chance to be my featured follower on Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday all you have to do is be a follower! If you choose to subscribe in a reader or bookmark my page, you'll have to make sure to leave a comment so that I can include you in the drawing. Thanks everyone!]

An Day in the House of M: Mommy Style Vs Daddy Style

My Darling Kidlets,

Mommies and Daddies have different ways of doing things. This is, as far as I can tell, just another part of God's perfect plan.

Mommy makes nutritious (if easy and microwavable) meals, Daddy lets you eat Chocolate Mousse and left over french fries for lunch.

Mommy carefully plans and inserts as much educational stimulus as possible into your day, Daddy lets you color on yourself.

Mommy referees...Mommy sees all...Mommy is pretty much on your butt all day...with Daddy you have the opportunity to experience the philosophy of Anarchy first hand.

Mommy burns herself out supervising and executing the tiny minutia of 5 people's lives until she gets to the point where she is pretty much beyond repair and must take a break. Some days Mommy is on top of her game and some days Mommy lies on the couch with a wash rag on her head, but Daddy is the rock-he's the very same day in and day out...always a little more 'lenient' on the chore-list items, but stern when he needs to be, and always, always an involved and loving parent.

And that is why God knew you needed someone just like Mommy AND someone just like Daddy-someone to manage the menial tasks while the other person does the larger providing, and someone to push us through when the menial task lady has worked herself into hysterics.

This is how God made sure that you'd get the magic of having cake for breakfast, but still have teeth into adulthood....and how both of your parents would survive your childhoods.

I love you more than all the chocolate in the world,
even more than I "love" making you take baths,
Your Mommy

Wordless Wednesday:Handprints

Some houses try to hide the fact that children shelter there,
Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere,
For smears are on the windows, little smudges on the door,
I guess I should apologize for toys strewn on the floor,
But I sat down with the children and we played and laughed and read,
And if the windows do not shine, their eyes will shine instead,
And when at times I'm forced to choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife, but first I'll be a mother.
~Author Unknown
(Handprints: Monkey)

Tell All Tuesday:Mommy MacGyver

Being a mom is a full time job. In fact, it's several-Doctor, Nanny, Chef, Chauffeur, Therapist, Teacher, Housekeeper, Mediator/Referee...it's enough to keep Mommy busy 28 hours a day 380 days a year.

And that's not even attempting the mythical super mom idea. You know the one who keeps her house white glove spotless, whose children are always clean and quiet, who cooks three perfectly square all-organic meals and two snacks a day from scratch but still has time to teach her six month old how to read and her 2 year old to speak Latin while knitting socks for her husband.

That mom does not exist. Anywhere. She never has.

Because being a plain old Peanut Butter and Jelly makin', store brand sock buyin' mommy takes SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY there's just no way that any mom in recorded history has time to do all of those other things unless her children are imaginary.

Being a mom is very nearly a two person job-so how do we get it all (okay, most of it) done? We take short cuts! We use little "Mommy tricks" to make chores go faster, or appliances hold themselves together until we can get around to doing something about their broken parts. We are the creators of microwave meals on genuine dinnerware, and store bought brownies lovingly repackaged for class parties. We have a thousand and one tricks of the trade to help us get through the day with at least some of our goals accomplished.

Unfortunately, these tricks don't come to you through osmosis the day you bring your bundle of sunshine home. Many of them are learned simply through trial and error (sometimes a lot of error) during sleepless nights and crazy days. Sometimes however-if you're lucky-another Mom will pass on some of her hard earned wisdom to make your life just a little bit easier.

Here's my tip to make your lives a little easier (if you have newborns)-a baby with gas will often sleep better in a slightly relclined position than in a flat on their back position...so instead of laying the little bundle in their crib or bassenette on especially gassy nights, put them to sleep in their bouncy chair, swing, or carseat. I have absolutely NO idea why this works, and I doubt it will work for everyone (every kid is different, you know), but it has worked like a charm for all three of our kidlets and I hope that passing on that experience makes another Mommy's life a little easier.

So friends, just between us, what Mommy tips or tricks do you have to share? Come on-link up-and help a Mommy out.

To participate in Tell All Tuesday
*Write a post answering the Tell All Tuesday question.
*Include a link to my original post.
*Don't forget to put yourself in the Mr. Linky below, and to read other people's helpful tips and time saving tricks!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Mondays Our Way:Unschooling-The Chaos Theory

The biggest thing that gets in the way when you homeschool?

LIFE.

If the kids are in school 8 hours a day it leaves time open to run that emergency errand, take care of the unexpected family need, or tend to one sick child (or one sick mommy!) at home while the rest of the troupe is gone for the day. Homeschoolers have no such time. All of life's little emergencies must be solved, on the fly, with all children in tow.

This can get complicated.

More traditional homeschoolers may be able to sit the kids down with workbooks and squeeze in a spare minute-and of course, as unschoolers our family totally rocks the educational TV-but let's face it. Kids can only sit and watch/work for so long and the unexpected usually doesn't come at you on a schedule.

So what do you do as a homeschooling parent? I say go with it.

My theory is that chaos can be educational on a whole new level. Not that I recommend you give your home over to anarchy a-la Lord of the Flies...but a kid can learn a lot from some of life's little surprises.

Mommy is sick? Not to worry. Well, okay, worry a little. Things are bound to go undone, and kids are bound to go a little nuts when the cat is away...or sick as the case may be...but enlisting your kids in little ways can help them learn compassion and empathy (for poor sick Mommy), independence (as they do more things for themselves while you rest), and it's easy to add in some more of the 'educational' type knowledge as well. Have your kids help you brew some peppermint tea. Let the older ones organize a quiet educational game for the little ones. Discuss microbiology and pathology over a lozenge and some Kleenex.

Have an unexpected errand? Can you say 'Car Bingo'? Older kids can estimate the time it will take to complete the errand based on mileage and rate of travel. Or, as you're getting ready, have the kids make To Do lists of their very own which include both your daily errands and activities they want to do when you get home. That's good practice for writing and organization skills, as well as gives them something to do while you're out ("Alright kids, check off 'get toilet snake at Home Depot' ") and reminds them of what they have to look forward to when you get home.

The trick to stopping life's interruptions into homeschooling (in my experience) is not to try to stop life from happening, but rather to wrestle every educational moment and tidbit you can out of the unexpected.

If worst comes to worst they can always learn the fine art of "Heads Up 7-Up".

Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday-Robynn From Robynn's Ravings!

It is time once again for Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday. I am continuing to feature YOU, my wonderful blog readers. I have been having a great time browsing blogs and asking questions, getting to know you and your writing a little better. I am so excited to get a chance, at some point, to feature every one of you!

This week's fabulous follower is the lovely and talented

Robynn from Robynn's Ravings

I first found Robynn during The Ultimate Blog Party 2009 and I have been hooked ever since! She has an amazing sense of humor that keeps me cracking up and yet balances it with a more serious side that is always eloquently expressed. Just the quality of her writing is stunning-that's why I am one of her followers!

Let's get to know my bloggy friend a little more, shall we?

So Robynn, tell us about yourself...

I thank you so much for your kindness in featuring me! I hope I don't bore everyone to death. Life IS crazy right now with having just graduated my daughter after 13 years of homeschooling. I'm a little behind on my blog but I'll try to do justice to your questions and not cause everyone to lapse into comas.

Let's see, I am married and have served 23 years of this life sentence. My cellmate and I get along pretty well most days. We put up with each other which qualifies both of us to receive some sort of massive humanitarian award. We have been blessed with two children, one of whom is now an 18-year-old adult and done with high school! That blows my mind. My son is 14 and we all love to laugh and give each other a hard time. It's The Comedy Store around here at some point every day. We have two dogs, JoJo and Minky, and one cat who belongs to my daughter only. She loathes the rest of us.

I am SO not in a coma~I can't imagine a boring day with you! Tell me, on top of spending time with your family, what do you do career wise?

Homeschooling and writing after many years working for Corporate America.

Wow...Corporate America is hard, but homeschooling and writing? Out of the frying pan and into the fire! Do you have any hobbies? [Do you even have time for hobbies?]

Reading by flashlight in bed so my cellmate doesn't stab me with a sharpened plastic spoon from the dining hall.

Sounds like fun! Hee hee...any other fun facts you'd like to share about yourself? Come on, I'm sure there are lots!

I love shaved legs - mine, not my husband's, I started shooting firearms at four and still love it today, I am most content in the bosom of my family, I can't write without a dog laying on at least one foot, and I love to speak in front of a crowd and would like to try acting.

You seem like you'd be great at acting-especially in comedy! Any other hidden talents? Hobbies? Medical Oddities?

I spent 10 years playing guitar in different bands and singing lead vocals. I still sing for fun and occasionally work with an informal singing group - The Boms (Bunch of Moms) and am considering posting one of our performances on my blog. I love Allison Krause and the kids and I just worked out one of her songs yesterday and nailed down the three part harmonies for something we're doing next month. Both my kids play piano and my daughter also plays guitar.

I AM a medical oddity. I have something called Porhyria that few doctors know much about and it has caused me some damage. I have to avoid most medicines as I can't process them due to a missing blood factor. But I find talking about my health to be among the most BORING and TEDIOUS of subjects. It slows me down on some days and stops me on others but I like to blast ahead in between those times. However, when I melt down it's worse than the global warming effect. I cry and carry on and then get over myself.

With all of that on your plate, I'm so glad that you can still carve out time to write. Speaking of, where we can find your writing?

Most of it appears on my blog - Robynn's Ravings. I am working on a few books but have to quit blogging to do them justice and I can't seem to embrace that concept.

You'll definitely have to tell us when you end up publishing! The blog world would miss you terribly, but I'm sure everyone agrees we'd love to hear more from you-your writing is fantastic! What inspires you to write?

I think everyone is entitled to my opinion. And I have so many of them it seems wasteful not to share.

I'm so glad you share with us! Would you like to also share with us your favorite blog posts so far?

I loved writing about our encounter with a bear while camping - "A Bear Market" in three parts - it starts here.

My battle on the front lines of the weight wars was addressed through an article I wrote for a competition. It's called, "Cinderella Is Overrated" (oh! and I won which didn't hurt my feelings.)

A post about my ongoing technology nightmares concerning my blasted bluetooth device was very cleansing for my liver and spleen. It's called "Toothaches and Technology".

And if you like reading about how to make your next medical procedure gangs of fun, go here: "Let The Games Begin!"

Great posts! I love your writing style and humor-that's why I read your blog regularly! Of course, it also makes me curious-what writers (and/or bloggers) do you read regularly?

If you visit my sidebar you'll see them. I really do visit these people regularly and feel disconnected if I don't. Some of them have become true friends. My life is richer for them and I feel that has been the biggest blessing I have received through blogging. I only hang out with the best. Please check them out!

Absolutely! As far as your own blog goes, what are your future plans for your writing/blog?

I want to give people something worth coming for. If I can make them think, or laugh, or reflect, or say, "ME TOO!" then I feel I'm not wasting their time. There is much to see and read out here and when someone is willing to give you a portion of their limited time, that's huge to me. I want to grow the blog through followers so I have a presence in the market. I feel it will help when I hawk my articles or books. Publishers do look for what you've already done. Having more people say they want to keep coming back, by following, causes publishers to believe you are readable and marketable.

Oh, I have no doubt that anyone who reads your blog would know for a fact that you are marketable!

And now, for something completely different.......

Your significant other is going to buy you flowers-would you like dozen roses or a bouquet of wildflowers?

Oh, this is a tough one. I WANT the roses but know what they cost. And since I do the budget for our household, I wouldn't want them to come from a florist. I would immediately see the $60 price tag. Now Costco for $15.00? I could get over that. But wildflowers are free - if you're already driving by.......but if you have to DRIVE to go get them, then there is the cost of the gas.....you can see that my practical economics is a true nemesis. What I REALLY LONG FOR is romance without budgetary insider information!!

Finish this sentence: When I was 5 I wanted to grow up to be a(n) _____________.

Nurse - then I found out people threw up and that was out.


Best mythical creature-Unicorn or Loch Ness Monster?

Nessie because we are STILL looking for her! That fascinates me.

What famous figure (current or historical) do you most admire and why?

Obviously Christ would come to mind first because he is current AND historical. He is my reason and my hope. I am also greatly moved by anyone - famous or not - who willingly, and with a heart of grace and love, gives of themselves everyday, going forth and facing hard things, and yet does it with humility. I heard someone say once, and I love this, "Humility isn't thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less." I want to be that and I love those who are.

You ask incredible questions and seem to have a promising future as a Talk Show host - please replace Jimmy Fallon - hurry. Thank you for this great opportunity and I think my verbose and lengthy answers may QUALIFY for a book so, there you have it. My latest novel....coming to a Dollar Store near you!

Hey Robynn, if you were selling a book I'd buy it! Especially for a dollar-then I could even buy copies for friends! I would also be happy to replace Jimmy Fallon. I may have had a celeb-u-crush on him when I was 14, but I figure I've grown up to be at as least as funny as he is and I'm up at 2 am with The Bean anyway....so why not make a tidy paycheck. Hee hee.

To Robynn, Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview! And, of course, thank you for following my blog.

To everyone else, I sincerely hope you get a chance to visit Robynn and read more of what this hilarious lady has to say!

[Remember, if you want a chance to be my featured follower on Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday all you have to do is be a follower! If you choose to subscribe in a reader or bookmark my page, you'll have to make sure to leave a comment so that I can include you in the drawing. Thanks everyone!]

The Humorous Side of Identity Fraud

Let me start by saying that I hate giving my name and phone number out. If I am going to risk tripping and falling to my death on hot wheels, I want someone important to be on the phone when I answer it. There's something about picking a lego out of the arch of my foot while listening to someone butcher my name and then attempt to sell me a windshield replacement that makes me wish that phones still slammed down onto hooks...or that you could hang up on someone more than once.

No, I do not wish to spend 10 minutes of my time attempting to hear a perfect stranger over the shrieking of my children in order to describe to them exactly how satisfied I was when I shopped at their store/ate their candy bar/used their public bathroom. Obviously I'm satisfied-if I wasn't believe me...I would have gotten a hold of you on my own.

Nor I do not want any newsletters, coupons, special offers, incentives, or company updates that Monkey can shred into dime sized squares, throw like confetti on every flat surface in the house, and then encourage Baby Bug while she follows behind and consumes these tasty little advertisements.

NO THANKS.

That's why I never put my name or phone number on anything. This caused me to pause for a second a little over 6 years ago when I started living on my own and realized I needed special "member cards" to get discounted prices at certain grocery stores (*ahem*Safeway*ahem*Albertsons*ahem*)--until I realized that I could just punch in my parent's phone number. They signed up for all of those flyers and crap.

Problem solved!

More than 6 years later, I still punch in my parent's phone number when I go to the grocery store.....only it's not their phone number any more. This is where my grocery store alias comes in.

Yes, my parent's phone number is now registered with the grocery store under it's current owners name.....which the grocery store clerks in my small town (who see me approximately 6 times a week) call me by...and I don't correct them. I mean, come on, who am I harming? I don't have to bother filling out paperwork, and someone named Miss T. Grottam has reward points falling out of the sky as if from no where.

This is mutually beneficial, limited identify fraud.

Today when I went through the line and I was coming up to the check out I saw that there was a new cashier. He rang me up and he was very sweet, and we had a nice little chat. I gave "my" number and paid and then he pulled out the recipt. Everything happened smoothly.

Then the cashier said, "You saved $3. Thank you Mrs. Graham."

And do you know what I said?

"Oh, it's Mrs. Grottam."

Seriously.

Maybe it's time to just fill out the paperwork and get my own card.

Wordless Wednesday:Nests

Look Mommy! The Bean loves her nest!



Look Mommy! It's my very own nest!

........Baby Bug does not nest, she perches.

Tell All Tuesday: The Money Tree

With the economy being what it is these days and many people (me) being on budgets so tight they squeak, there are a lot of things that are being pushed from the "necessity" to "luxury" category....hence the birth of my now-favorite saying:

Someday when we're rich and famous we'll _______.

Money is so tight that the blank is getting easier to fill with smaller and smaller items and the saying has become sort of abused. I have been overheard saying,

"Someday when we're rich and famous we'll take the whole family to see a movie in theater."

and

"Someday when we're rich and famous I'm going to go buy lunch at Arby's."

Obviously we can eat at Arby's (once a month) or go to the theater (every 6 months) but the sentiment remains-everything these days is so freakin' EXPENSIVE! Seriously~when did a matinee start costing $14?! Why on earth is the grocery store trying to charge me $8 for a pack of soda?!

It's pretty easy to wish in the moment to not have to wince every time you part with a penny, but when Hubby and I were complaining brainstorming about our finances I started wondering....what would I do, really, if we suddenly came into money? [Forget the fame-I really don't like the idea of people following me around.]

What if I won the lottery?

The current estimated Powerball Jackpot is $45 Million. If I won that $45 million dollars my initial reaction would be shock considering that I don't play the lottery and-hello-it's $45 million. I would be especially appreciative in that moment that Hubby knows CPR. But after recovering from shock? Then what would I do?

Well, I can tell you what I wouldn't do-I wouldn't tell a single solitary soul. Besides Hubby of course (we do file taxes together and all, plus I love him and stuff), but no one beyond that. Money may not be the root of all evil, but it certainly has a way of coming between people and turning children into spoiled brats...so it would be my goal to be the first ever super-top-secret-millionaire.

After that I would start spending!

First and foremost, I would take $5 million and do something I have always wanted to be able to do-pay other people's rent/mortgage. I have always thought that it would be a fantastic idea to volunteer at soup kitchens, food banks, and shelters and meet as many people as possible-so that I (who is in this scenario the super-top-secret-millionaire) could then covertly look them up and pay their rent/mortgage for an entire year. Can you imagine the looks on their faces when their landlord/mortgage company calls them up and says they don't have to pay...for 12 whole months? What a huge burden lifted! What an amazing opportunity to take care of the other parts of their lives that have been struggling while they focused on their immediate housing needs. Especially if someone didn't have any home at all, to be able to give them the gift of free housing for a year would be the most helpful gift I could ever think to give someone-and with $5 million how many people could we help?

Next I would set aside money for Hubby to start a business building, fixing, designing, and selling classic cars. I would set aside $3 million to pay 6 employees a good wage for 5 years while the business built up and $5 million for business expenses. Nothing boosts the economy more (and helps individual families out more) than creating well paying jobs. Plus Hubby loves tooling around with old muscle cars anyway-if I didn't help him start a business he'd be doing it as a hobby anyway! So why not? We're super-top-secret-millionaires.

After that I would buy a home outright. Not just any home-I want a nice old farmhouse with a covered porch and lots of character. I want 6 rooms-one for me and Hubby, one for each kid, one as an office, and one for guests. I also want the classic red barn to convert into a shop for Hubby. I want lots of acrage for the kids to roam on. In our area (which we love and would never move from) that would cost about $600,000. And, because we're pretend stinking rich, I would give myself a hugely generous $400,000 decorating budget to round out our beautiful totally mortgage free $1 million farmhouse.

Of course, we would have to get to and from the farm....so I'd ditch the Taurus and buy a Chrysler Town and Country with Swivel N Go seats for me (yes, my dream car is a minivan-sue me) and a Barracuda for Hubby (because his dream car is NOT a minivan). That would cost us about $60,000 for both.

Let's see...what else? Oh, of course I would go nuts on the electronics! I'd buy cell phones-not just cell phones, but iPhones-for Hubby and I. I'd buy a couple big screen TVs, get Hubby that XBox 360 he's been wanting, buy myself a delicious delicious laptop and a state of the art digital camera, upgrade our MP3 players, get a surround sound system.....Oh yes. I can see myself splurging with insanity on gadgets. Let's say $40,000 worth of gadgetry.

Let's see....that brings the total up to $15 million. Huh. I guess it is more difficult to spend money than I thought. After that I suppose we would set aside $6 million for each of the kidlets and just use the other $12 million for vacations and every day stuff.

That's a whole lotta Arby's!

So Tell Me friends, followers, and visitors.......what would you do with $45 million?

To participate in Tell All Tuesday
*Write a post answering the Tell All Tuesday question.
*Include a link to my original post.
*Don't forget to put yourself in the Mr. Linky below, and to read other people's answers to this million dollar question!


Thanks everybody!

Mondays Our Way:I Heart Television

Do you want to know my dirty little unschooling secret? My kids watch TV.

I know.

Call me a black sheep amongst homeschoolers, but our family loves TV-and while TV has been blamed for everything from childhood obesity to poor SAT scores and ADD, I see absolutely nothing wrong with letting our kidlets watch quality educational programming whenever the opportunity arises.

I know it is trendy these days to not own a TV, or to not allow kids to watch, but none of our kids have developed a twitch, and our experience with TV has actually been enriching.

Yesterday, Monkey came up to me and said, "Mommy-let's count these pennies! En español! Ready? Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez!" Thank you, Dora The Explorer. Thanks to School House Rock he knows what a noun is, and understands what bones are and what they do. Thanks to an idea he picked up from Little Einstiens he now understands the process of metamorphosis. Go Deigo Go taught him about the diet, habitat, and skills of sloths.

Most recently, Monkey (okay, all of us) has fallen in love with Ni-Hao Kai-Lan...and it is because of this obsession that Monkey is now speaking Mandarin...and quizzing me on it. Regularly.

"Look Mommy! This car is hóng sè (red)...can you say 'hóng sè'? And this car is lu sè(green)...can you say 'lu sè'? Good job Mommy! You can talk like Kai-Lan!"

Besides 'red' and 'green', Monkey has also learned:

Hi-ni hao
See you later-zài jiàn
Thank you-xiè xiè
Grandpa-yé yé
Slippers-tuō xié
Push-tuī
Pull-la
Jump-tiáo
Up-shàng
Down-xià
Fast-kuài
Snow- xué
Dinosaur-kǒng lóng
Listen-tīng
[If you want to hear the pronounciation, I recommend going to this site.]

This is just in the past two months. As if teaching Monkey over a dozen words of a foreign language in two months wasn't enough, Kai-Lan is doing a fantastic job curbing fits. By encouraging kids to explore the feelings of others (How does this person look? What did this person say? How do you think they feel?) and by showing and explaining good behavior (teaching kids to listen with step by step instructions for example) Kai-Lan encourages her friends on the show and in the audience to deal with their emotions in a healthy way rather than in outbursts.

And yes, it totally works.

I never cease to be amazed by all the things that Monkey has learned, including all of the great ideas we have discovered and explored further because of quality TV programming...I just couldn't imagine going without a TV!

Plus, I won't lie-if the kids can learn Mandarin for a half hour while I pick up without them under foot, that's truly a win-win situation!

Quotable Sunday!

Sometimes there is nothing you can say that hasn't already been said-as the saying goes "there is nothing new under the sun"...and that's what makes the right quote at the right time particularly satisfying. Not only can it bring a little wisdom and humor to a situation, but it can also reassure you. Someone, somewhere, has already done what you are doing and lived to be quoted about it.

A huge thank you to Toni for introducing me to the fabulous idea of Quotable Sunday! Here's the plan:

~ Post a post on your blog with one or more of your favorite quotes.
~ Grab the link and then go to A Daily Dose of Toni and post it in the Mr. Linky.
~ Check back through the day and visit all the other quotes!

I think the quotes I need to hear most at the moment are those about parenting. We have been having a fantastic time with The Bean. She really was just like the other two-more trouble on the inside than out-but simply being outnumbered requires a little reassurance and humor, even if you are outnumbered by truly gentle and fantastic children.

Here are some of my very favorite parenting quotes~Enjoy!

Everyone should have kids. They are the greatest joy in the world. But they are also terrorists. You’ll realize this as soon as they are born and they start using sleep deprivation to break you.
Ray Romano

There are only two things a child will share willingly - communicable diseases and his mother's age.
Dr. Spock

Most children threaten at times to run away from home. This is the only thing that keeps some parents going.
Phyllis Diller

People who say they sleep like babies usually don't have them.
Leo J. Burke

Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed.
Robert Gallagher

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.
Phyllis Diller

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.
John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester

The truth is that parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.
Bill Cosby

Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare.
Ed Asner

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong.
Charles Wadsworth

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?
Milton Berle

With kids, the days are long, but the years are short.
John Leguizamo

And, finally, one of my favorites:

I guess the real reason that my wife and I had children is the same reason that Napoleon had for invading Russia: it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Bill Cosby

Something to Look Forward To....

Okay, it's blog news time!

First of all, I have drawn for next week's Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday. The featured follower will be.........

[drum roll]

Robynn from Robynn's Ravings~she has been randomly selected by the Random.Org generator to be my featured follower next Friday June 12th! I am so excited to interview her-her blog is fabulous and she is such a neat lady-you all should definitely go check her out---but remember you have to come back here to read her interview. Congrats to Robynn!

Also-don't forget...if you would like a chance to be featured all you have to do is follow me. I don't care how you do it, but remember if you subscribe via reader or email you will need to comment and let me know you are following me so that you can be put into the pool. Every one of my followers is put in chronological order and then each Wednesday I get a randomly generated number, find the corresponding follower, and email them my questions to be featured the following Friday.

I am looking forward to eventually featuring every one of you!

Also in blog news, it's summer. Well, I guess that's kind of Northern Hemisphere news....but let's put it in a way that is all about me. It's summer and that means BLOG MAKEOVER!

Now don't fret longtime followers, I am not going to do a massive overhaul as I am ever so fond of doing, so put away the 12 step brochures. I'm actually still loving my little cartoon gal, so she's going to stay! I'm just going to do a few tweeks to make her seasonally appropriate. I have decided to do this every season-new colors, new post separators, nothing big, but something fun for spring/summer/fall/winter that will also appease my redesigning habit.

The summer layout will be making it's debut next Thursday (June 11th), so stop on by and see the wonder of it all!

Let's see, what else?

Oh yes, I wanted to get your opinions-should I or should I not start seeking/accepting ads for my site? I have been thinking of pros and cons, and I am still undecided.

In the pro category, I could possibly get money and/or products which could result in the ability to host fabulous giveaways like the ones I am always entering. Well, maybe not that good at first, but you know. Similar in that I would be giving things away for free. And money...well money has multiple purposes and I'm not going to pretend I don't like imagining having more of it.

In the con category though I worry that seeking/accepting ads for the blog will make me seem...er...sellouty. [Selloutish? How does one properly make up words?] Not that I am insulting anyone who has ads on their site (d'oh-insert foot into mouth, er, keyboard). I just don't know how I personally feel about putting ads on my page. I don't want anyone (especially me) to feel like my blog is a 'corporate' blog, or to feel like I am just doing it for the money (although again, I really have nothing against monetary gain). I want to be able to keep writing whatever I feel.

Hrumph.

I'm on the fence....bloggy friends? What say you?