Tell All Tuesday: An Attitude of Gratitude

Yesterday I read Kirsty's post about the things she is thankful for, and about her decision to continue giving thanks for five things each day. I immediately felt convicted-lately it has been very hard for me to be thankful. Our budget is so tight it squeaks, and we juggle our bills with a precariousness that is usually reserved for circus side shows. Hubby's hours are being cut, and I'm spending more than twice the amount we usually spend just to buy the same groceries we always have-and yet I know that there is so much for me to be grateful for....I just need to refocus myself and remember to keep an attitude of gratitude....


I am thankful for my husband. He breaks his back working graveyards to support our family the very best he can. He does it with love and out of love and is never bitter. He is calm when I am panicking. He is strong when I am weak. He is my very best friend. I can't imagine my life without him.

I am thankful for our children. They are such good natured little creatures-generally speaking of course. They can raise hell with the best of them, but in their hearts they are all so kind and well mannered. They are a constant reminder to me of what it is like to love with your whole heart, and live every day in a positive way.

I am thankful for my independent contractor work. It is far from steady, but somehow whenever we are so financially cornered that there seems to be no out a project comes along in time to ease the burden a little.

I am thankful for beating the odds. I have beat so many odds in the last eight years that it is definitely something worth being grateful for. For instance, only two percent of high school sweethearts ever get married and only twenty percent of teen parents stay together (with sixty percent of them ending up separated before their child turns four). Hubby and I fall into both categories and celebrate 7 years this Saturday.

You know, I feel better. No matter how tough things may get sometimes I think I just have to remember that I have been through worse, and many people are still living through worse. I really do have a lot to be grateful for...I think that everyone does. What are you thankful for?

Tell All Tuesday: Throw Down (Some Apple Pie)

I'm still participating in the 30 Day Throwdown that my friend Robynn is hosting, and so far it's working well. I haven't noticed a significant weight loss, or change in appearance, but I DO have a lot more energy. Well, for me.....which basically means that even after a night when I only got one hour of sleep I was still able to pee without falling asleep on the toilet. [Ta-da!]

I love being vegetarian again. I'm having fun revisiting all of my old foods and recipes (Ni Hao, vegetable dumplings!), and I enjoy feeling healthier even if it doesn't have super dramatic outward effects.

Still, I have to tell you, I LOVE dessert. Love it love it love it. I want to be as loyal as possible to my ideal of nixing all junk and eating super healthy, but I can't go without a sweet every now and again.

Time to look into some sweet but healthy options. Fruit, sure. Jello, sure. But what about warm bakery items? I found this recipe from Eating Well (photo taken from that same site) for Apple Pie-which has all the yummy stuff with only half the fat and I tried it out. Verdict? Delicious. So delicious that I could not get a picture of it before it was swarmed upon and devoured by the ravenous hordes.

Just try to keep this away from your family until you get a slice!

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled McIntosh apples, (about 2 pounds)
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples, (about 2 pounds)
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground allspice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing

Preparation

1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and, with your fingers, quickly rub them into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine with the dry ingredients. Sprinkle water over the mixture. Toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times"the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch-wide disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make filling: Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Reserving 4 cups, transfer the rest of the apple mixture to a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the apples are tender and beginning to break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved apples and 2 tablespoons flour; let cool for about 30 minutes.
3. To assemble & bake pie: Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll one portion between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Scrape the filling into the crust. Roll the remaining portion of dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into another 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of paper and invert the dough onto the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust so it overhangs evenly. Tuck the top crust under the bottom crust, sealing the two together and making a plump edge. Flute the edge with your fingers. Combine 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Cut 6 steam vents in the top crust.
5. Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours before serving.

How do you stay in shape? What healthy recipes do you enjoy? Tell me all about it!

Tell All Tuesday:Throw Down!

I have to tell you what I'm doing. It's fabulous, and you'll want to do it too. Okay, maybe not, but it's still fabulous! My friend Robynn is doing a healthy eating challenge blog called 30 Day Throw Down. The challenge is to toss out fast food, avoid highly processed food, and do your best to eat as healthy as possible.

I love this idea. It's so simple-no bells or whistles or eating only ice cubes, just avoid food crap and eat healthy. There's not even exercise involved (at least not this month) which works so well for me since I loathe exercise and hate doing it (even if I have time, which I totally don't). Still, even with out exercise, I think just tossing the crap will get me down the last 8lbs....what do you think?

I've taken it one step further, and decided that in addition to tossing the junk food and eating more naturally I will also be returning to vegetarianism. Yes, I was a veggie for six years and I loved it. It was probably just the 16 year old old, pre-three-babies thing but my body was totally rockin' back then...I'd like to see it go back to that. Plus I always felt so much lighter and more energetic. I started eating meat at the end of my pregnancy with Monkey and I just kept on going.

Now, I return to you oh lovely land of tofu and greens. Don't make that face-being a veggie can be awesome if you know the right recipes. Some recipes don't even include tofu....like the one I cooked tonight.

Vegetarian Gyros
Spinach
Hummas
Tzatziki Sauce
Tomatoes
Feta Cheese
Pita Bread

Spread hummas on bread. Spread Tzatziki on top of that. Layer spinach and feta, top with tomatoes, roll like a burrito. Voila! Yummy veggie eatings:

I've just passed the week mark and already I am feeling a little more energetic. I totally cleaned my house today without thinking "Please no, God why" first. I totally give credit to the vegetables (and to me for eating them). Also, it may have been my imagination, but I think my dress may be a little looser....

Stay tuned for regular Tell All Tuesday updates about my adventures in the 30 Day Throwdown-as bribery I promise to include a super yummy reciepe for your enjoyment! If you would like to participate (and, hello, why would you not-did I mention the $100 Amazon gift card?) stop by the 30 Day Throw Down and put your hat in the ring!

Tell All Tuesday:Homeschooling Works!

We've talked before about how to deal with homeschool critics, and it's still a very important topic because come on-no one homeschools unopposed. There's always the Buttinski that makes it their personal mission to deter, undermine, or attempt to entirely prevent you from homeschooling....such is life. Still no matter how much you want to go all Maury-Povich-DNA-Test-Baby-Mama on them, it's important to come up with a calm, intelligent response when dealing with a Mr/Ms Know-It-All. It helps if you have research studies to back yourself up with.

Too bad the last homeschooling research study was done more than ten years ago. Even though it was an excellent study, people tend to look at old information as if it were no information at all. Good thing the HSLDA (that's the Homeschooling Legal Defense Association) commissioned another research study! The study included 11,739 homeschooled students from all 50 states who took three well-known tests—California Achievement Test, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, and Stanford Achievement Test for the 2007–08 academic year. If you're anything like me, you're going to want to email these results to your personal Buttinski right away!

According to the Progress Report 2009: Homeschool Academic Achievement and Demographics homeschooled children tested far above their publicly schooled peers on achievement tests:

National Average Percentile Scores
Subtest	Homeschool	Public School
Reading	89	50
Language	84	50
Math	84	50
Science	86	50
Social Studies	84	50
Corea	88	50
Compositeb	86	50
a. Core is a combination of Reading, Language, and Math. b. Composite is a combination of all subtests that the student took on the test.

What's more, factors that usually "make or break" students in the public school arena showed little influence over homeschooled kids core scores-

Income
$34,999 or less—85th percentile
$35,000–$49,999—86th percentile
$50,000–$69,999—86th percentile
$70,000 or more—89th percentile

Parental Spending
Spent $600 or more on the student—89th percentile
Spent under $600 on the student—86th percentile

Even the education level of the childrens' parents, while more noticeable, still did not produce the huge gaps seen in publicly schooled children
Neither parent has a college degree—83rd percentile
One parent has a college degree—86th percentile
Both parents have a college degree—90th percentile

So basically-no matter how much or how little a homeschooling parent spends, no matter what the parent's income or education level, homeschooled kids will rock the socks off you.

Academically speaking, of course.

I certainly think that's worth telling all and telling everybody about!

A big thank you to Jenny for bringing this study to my attention!

Tell All Tuesday:Inked

There you go, friends-my sister's math tattoo, inked right there between her shoulder blades. Apparently, it does solve itself on her back (so she says and I can kind of see since there is in fact an "equals" sign in it)...which is good because I don't know that anyone would take the time to solve a tattoo.

I am also supposed to inform you that the formula on her back was written by her, and is actually copyrighted. So, in case you were inclined to steal this math formula (!?), don't.

I really really like tattoos. I love to look at them, and see the artwork, and hear the stories behind them-but I don't have one myself. I'm kind of worried about getting one. When I get old, and I get wrinkly, it's not going to look pretty anymore. Then I'll have some weird looking ink blot on my body that I can't get rid of. My other fear is what would happen if I do okay with the needle at first, but then half way through it starts to hurt too bad...what am I going to do-get half a tattoo? Subject myself to it again so that I can finish the picture?

I have had a picture in my head of the tattoo I want for more than five years now. I love the idea, and it has special meaning to me, but honestly I'm just too chicken. So far. Here's what my (possible) future tattoo is going to look like:
Obviously, it's going to have our real names in it, there's going to be a different, more Celtic font that is actually going to curve as opposed to being written one letter at a time, and the love knots are going to look a little different, but that's the basic idea-a Celtic tree of life, with mine and Hubby's name on the bottom and the kidlet's names on the top, and Celtic love knots between our names and the kids'. I love this idea, and I love the symbolism, and I would love to have it on my upper back, in the middle, just above my shoulder blades. I just can't commit.

So, guys, help me out. Tell me-do you have a tattoo? Want to share a picture? A story? Was it super painful? Are you worried about how your tattoo will change as your body changes over time? In the end, why do you think it was worth it? Thanks for your input!

Tell All Tuesday:The Talk

*You should probably know that in this post I'm going to talk about S-E-X. There won't be pictures or anything (sorry if that disappoints you) and it's really about the topic of talking to your kids about "the horizontal hula", but I know that makes some people uncomfortable, so I thought I should let you know before you started reading.

**Also, I should let you know that I know that this topic is kind of a heated one sometimes. I generally don't do "controversial" on my blog, because I'm really not looking to pick a fight or experience the joy that is hate mail. Still, I will express my opinion about how we feel is the best way to have "The Talk". If you feel differently that's totally cool. If you want to comment and say as much, that's totally cool too. If you want to go on a crazy person diatribe, that's not cool-and anyway, comment moderation is enabled, so no one but me will see it anyway. Anyway...on to the post.

At about 7 I got "the talk" from my biological mother-which consisted mostly of diagrams of childbirth and euphemisms for sexual organs. And yes, her opening words actually WERE "When a Husband and a Wife love each other very much...." While that certainly held me over as a 7 year old, I am monumentally grateful for my dad. He was honest, open, and available about sex. For starters, he could actually say the word "sex".

As an adult I realize now how uncomfortable Dad must have been about this. We're talking about the man who didn't want to see ultrasounds of his grandchildren because (a) he'd have to accept the fact that his girls are women (b) he'd have to acknowledge the fact that someone DID THAT to his daughter...and she liked it... and (c) in his own words, seeing a blurry black and white two dimensional picture of a uterus with a baby in it is "gross".

Still, no matter what his personal feelings on the subject, my dad was always available to have real talks about sex. Sure he gave me the old "how babies are made" speech, but he also talked to me about WHY people have sex, how sex affects you as a person, and how it effects your relationship. There was never a sex question that my dad wouldn't answer. I think that's why I am the way I am about sex. Open. Honest. Practical.

Because of him I knew all about the risks of sex-the emotional (how attached it makes you feel, which can be misleading if you're not actually in a committed relationship), the physical (you know, crotch rot and other nasties), and the long term (ie would you be willing to co-parent with this person should you conceive). With the information I had I was able to rationally lay out the pros and cons of having sex, and make an educated decision about when and with whom to have sex...and I absolutely give my dad 100% credit for that.

So how, exactly, does one teach their kids about sex in a way that will help them have a healthy attitude about it?

Obviously whatever you do depends on your beliefs, your goals, and your parenting style. There are a million books to coach parents through this, and it's all about finding the one you feel most comfortable with. After much discussion Hubby and I came up with our own strategy (though I'm sure it's not an original thought)-it's an age-dependent three stage program for our kids. Stage One: Anatomy. Stage Two: Baby Making. Stage Three: The Sex Talk.

Monkey has already passed Stage One. It all began when he started telling us he was a cow. Right around the time he turned four he would insist to us over and over and over again that he WAS a cow. At first it was cute, but then he started drawing self portraits in which he was a cow. So we checked in with him. Explained that it's okay to pretend to be a cow, but FYI you're a person. He just insisted NO! I'm a COW! So we asked-what makes you think you're a cow?

Because Mommy, I have an udder.

Oh yes. It was time for the anatomy talk. You know-what you got, what the "opposition" has, and what's the difference. He actually took the news that he was not a cow very well, and while he still finds cows fascinating, he now knows the difference between an udder and a penis. Mission accomplished.

Now that he's 5 and a half and has experienced the miracle of baby sisters, he's cruising very steadily along to Stage Two. I can feel the rumblings. He talks a lot about where babies come from....at the moment he thinks he did it. He tells everyone "I went to grandma and grandpa's house, and that's how The Bean was born!" It's only a matter of time before he asks for details. And once he does, we're ready for him! We've got books. We've got DVDs. We've got pamphlets. You name it, we have it. We're totally ready-we know, we've practiced. That's right, Hubby and I have practiced the How Babies Are Made speech. I think that's helped us a lot.

Sooner than I'd probably hope (we estimate it to be around age 12 or 13, but we're not there yet, so we certainly can't say) it will be time for Stage Three. The Sex Talk. All about the whys and wherefores of sex and relationships. For us, that also means time to pull out the birth control. I'll tell you one thing-I'm kind of hoping they have a male pill by then. We plan on talking about the responsibility that comes with sex, the affect it has on you as an individual and you as a couple, how to keep yourself as safe as possible (but that there is no such thing as 100% safe). Then we plan on doing a lot of listening, and what will probably be a very long Q & A, for which Mommy will excuse herself and let the guys talk about Man Stuff (until the girls reach this stage, at which point Daddy is free to run for it when the Q & A portion arrives).

Our approach has worked so far, but if there is one thing I know about kids it's that they surprise you. They like to do that ONE THING that you never thought about just to freak you out. I'd like to hear from parents who have already blazed this trail-what was the sex talk like in your house? Any surprises? How'd it work out (if your kid has reached adulthood)? Of course I'd also love to hear the plans of parents with younger kids-it's always good to get new ideas!

So, if you've read this far and you're still interested, tell me-what did you do/do you plan to do about The Talk?

Tell All Tuesday:Growing Up

How do you deal when your baby's not a baby anymore? That's not a clever lead in, I really have no idea. True, Baby Bug is still pretty small and The Bean is literally an infant so it's not like I don't have my fair share of little ones anymore. And yes, 5 years old is no where near all grown up, but it still breaks my heart to think of how big he is.

This weekend it was only made worse by his devastatingly handsome, brand new, super cool grown up hair cut.

My little boy with his surfer wave hair

My little man with his hair cut just like Daddy's

Of course it didn't help that the entire time he was getting his hair cut he was flirting with the stylist. When he sat down in the chair he looked her right in the eye and said in his most lady killing voice, "Hi, My name is (Monkey) Mr. Fluffy-what's your name?" It was so adorable-and it definitely had the mark of childhood on it (Monkey likes to pretend to be different animals and people and the only way you know "who he is" on any particular day is by the character name that he tacks after his own)-but the fact that he was genuinely flirting with a girl he thought was "super pretty" made me realize once again that he's not going to stay little.

Then add the fact that his haircut makes him look (I think) like a mature 7 rather than a just-turned-5? Mommy's having a very very hard time with this. It reminds me that every day he is one year older, soon he'll be so old he'll be driving cars, and going on dates, and leaving the nest, and getting married, and having children, and just thinking about it makes me feel queasy.

So tell me, please, how do you cope with your babies getting older?

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
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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.
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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!

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!

Tell All Tuesdays: Linky and Loving It

As I have mentioned before, I am a giant nerd. I am the Lady Eccentric, Her Royal Highness of Dorkdom, Sovereign Ruler of Geektopia. I started my life as a tiny nerdling, and have many examples of my ever increasing geekness in these past decades, but there is one example that has been a shining nerd brand on my metaphorical forehead-when given the option I will always take an essay question over multiple choice.

Always.

No "Please indicate your answer by completely filling in the oval next to the corresponding letter" is not for me-I want to write you a detailed explanation of what I did/think/feel/believe/discovered and WHY-I want to follow everything from it's genesis to it's appropriate if long winded conclusion. I guess I have just always been-uh-"verbose". I'm sure that's why blogging is my preferred medium...

I've got a lot to say and it can't always (in fact rarely would) fit into a multiple choice bubble-and that is why, despite my love for my previous polls, Tell All Tuesday is going a different direction. No more check boxes for you my fellow bloggers! At least, not from me. I want to know what you're thinking, and I want to know it in long winded, overly effuse, nitty gritty detail! Bring me your posts (new or old) and link them together in a chain of wonderful wordiness!

Not that you have to. I do want to hear what you have to say, but I don't want you to feel pressured. I'm not trying to butt in. I guess what I'm saying is please feel free to share-I'd be happy to read what you have to say!

This week for Tell All Tuesday I want to know something I've already asked you. Redundant? Maybe. Fun? Heck yes! So tell me, lovely readers.....what is in your music collection? I really do believe that a person's music says a lot about them, so here's what I want to do-everyone take their music and pick 20 random songs to highlight! If you have an MP3 player it's pretty easy to be random-you can just do what I did and put it on shuffle and take the first 20 songs that pop up. If you are a CD/Tape/Eight Track kind of person, maybe you can put the names of your favorite songs in a hat and then draw for it...because nothing is better as a 'get to know you' game than sharing 20 random songs!

I look forward to getting to know all of you as you Tell All this Tuesday!
(*PS Mr. Linky is weird looking, but still functional...)

Drumroll Please...

The time has come for the Name These Weekly Blog Features contest to end. Thank you everyone for your suggestions!

Monday's posts about unschooling will be featured under the title:
Mondays Our Way
[Name contributed by darling Hubby]

Tuesday's weekly polls will now be titled:
Tell All Tuesdays
[Name contributed by my lovely friend Helene from I'm Living Proof That God Has A Sense Of Humor]

Friday's feature posts about things (and people!) I love will now be titled:
Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday
[Name contributed by my new friend Robin from Robins Blue Nest]

And now, on to the electronic drawing for the first ever Mommy's Fabulous Find Friday!

Using the True Random Number Generator from Random.org and listing my followers chronologically 1-24 (WOW! 24! Thanks you guys!) the very first featured follower for Fabulous Find Friday is......

Follower Number 1 (my very first follower gets my very first featured spot? I love randomly good things!)...the fabulous and fun~

Jen from The Spoiled Housewife!

Be on the lookout for your interview questions Jen-I look forward to posting all about you next Friday!

Don't forget my other great weekly features start next week as well. First up: Mondays Our Way, which this week will feature a recipe for quiche!