The green eyed monster

No, not THAT guy.  He's way adorable though!  And who doesn't love Monsters, Inc?

This kind of green eyed monster...

Envy.

Jealousy.

Let me just start by saying that I am so very thankful for the many things that I have in my life.  From an amazing family, to wonderful friends, an pretty much everything you could imagine in between.  I like to think I almost have it all.

But the internet is a dangerous tool.  Dangerous because it can make you sometimes think that what you have is not quite enough.  Or make you feel inadequate.  Or make you want more.

And I hate that!

But I'm no stranger to this.  And reading blogs sometimes turns *me* into a green eyed monster.  For example, when I see certain blogs where the moms have a bunch of kids and they all seem so well behaved and they do chores and the mom looks like she has it all together, it makes me want that life.  Or when I've stumbled across a fashion blogger I sometimes wish that I was as skinny as her or that I had her fashion sense {and clothing budget!}  And I've been known to long to have the gorgeous crafts and home decor as some of the blogs that I've seen.  Then there is the most ridiculous- the blogs I read where the women engage in avid exercise and I wish that I had the desire and determination to do that myself.

All these wishes then turn into insecurities.  My family isn't good enough, my sense of style is terrible, my house isn't cute, and certainly my body is awful and I could never work out like those girls do. 

Then I remember that because I only have my two kiddos there's only two people to pick up after and they might not always do chores but at least I know they still need me.  And while I may not be dressing like I stepped off the pages of a magazine, I also don't stick out when I go someplace like Walmart and I can shop at a resale shop and not only save my wallet but the Earth.    And I'll take a look at my house and realize it's not a museum and shouldn't be decorated as such but at least it's cute to me and a home for kids.  And the last thing I don't have a bright side to other than maybe I won't develop an eating disorder from feeling like I need to be thin?

So for today I'll hug my kiddos, in my old clothes, on my stained couch, in my creaking house because I have it pretty good... and you do too! 

F.O.O.D

It's a holiday I know.  And what do most people base their holidays around?  Family?  Yes, ok.  But coming in a close second is the four letter word that's closest to my heart... FOOD! {Oh, even better is mixing the two!  But I digress...}

Granted we all love different food items but I can't help but want to share a few things I've discovered recently that I love and aren't too bad for you!  First of all, do you guys like Pop Tarts?  I like the strawberry ones well enough but I mainly like the edges with a bit of the filling.  At Costco the other day I came across these little guys and was sooooooo stoked because they were delicious- and prepackaged in little 100 calorie packs.  SCORE!!

Also, another food I really like are the real fruit roll up type things.  But they're really expensive and I haven't found any in years that I love.  I came across these recently and they are super tasty and low in fat and sugar {so I feel better about eating them}.

Speaking of 100 calorie snack packs, how do you guys feel about those?  I like the idea of someone doing all the work for me and I love feeling like I've "cheated" by eating something bad but in a smaller amount.  But I suppose I could ration things out for myself.

Happy Memorial Day- thank you to all those who served and gave their lives for the freedoms we live!

Boob Tube Babble!

Oh yeah!  This time of year usually makes me sad as all the shows are winding down for the season but thankfully networks finally caught on and now offer summer programming that's just as exciting {hello The Gates anyone?}

~Real Housewives
This week I'm still thanking my lucky stars and Bravo for allowing us the greatness of having 3 RH series going on at once!!  Who could ask for more?  Although I guess I could be greedy and ask for one every night of the week?  OC, it's hard to watch Vicki and Donn's marriage going down the tubes but I really hate that they did a montage of all the bad things he said to her because I remember those clips and she was a b*tch the whole time leading up to every single one of them!  And she works all day- which she reminds us all of every chance she gets- so she has not time to devote to making it work so you can't fault him there.  NJ, I think I really am on Melissa's side in this debate.  Granted Melissa and Joe Gorga were in the wrong for lashing out at Teresa at the Christening but Teresa was being fake and didn't have to choose to incite them.  Also, I thought we got rid of both Kim G and Kim D with Danielle!!  Why the heck are they back?  You know how Slade sticks around the OC like a bad cold?  Same with these two! NY, I guess the ladies are probably contractually obligated to go on these outlandish trips otherwise I can't imagine why they all go.  I could tell from the get-go it was going to be a disaster.  I don't know what the heck is wrong with Sonya but she's gone crazy.  One funny thing was Kelly talking about Sonya's house because I was thinking the same thing!  Can't wait to see how the next few episodes play out...

~Glee
This is one of those shows that somehow I missed out in the beginning and then it got so popular I was boycotting it by not watching it.  But the kiddos and I started watching it on Netflix {what did we do before Instant on Netflix??} and we are loving it- especially me because Lord knows I have been known to belt out showtunes on a whim!  But as we're watching it I am getting more and more uneasy at the story lines.  I'm not trying to be judgemental or preachy because I certainly am no stranger to shows that are BAD *coughDexter/Weeds/Borgiascough* but those are not shows I expose my kiddos to, especially my 9 year old.  I could use it as a teaching tool but then I run the risk of being a nag and I really like to save my speeches for the important stuff.  What to do?!

~Real World
The family drama on this show really has me wondering- coincidence?  It seems about 3/4 of these kids came from broken homes... not just divorced but parents in jail, or on crack, or just flat out abandoned and look what their kids are doing? Selling their souls to MTV for 15 minutes of fame {a little longer if they can go on to the challenges, which I love even more than RR}, drinking until they pass out every night, and hooking up with any and everything they can.  It's really disturbing.  Not enough for me to not watch of course but you know :)

~24
Just finished watching season 3 again and guess what?!  You'll never guess so I'll just tell you... Jack Bauer saves the day.  Seriously!! <3 And I forgot how annoying his daughter is- I like Elisha Cuthbert in real life but her character was on my last nerves.

What did you watch this week?

It's Tuesday, Tuesday, everyone's shopping at Target

You know the Friday song?  Sing the title to that and it makes it fun... I promise!

Ok, so we went to Target yesterday because we needed a few groceries and ended up with only a few things we didn't need.  In the words of the famous and oh so smart London Tipton "YAY ME!"

Since it's thisclose to summer the kiddos need some summer shoes so we bought J2 these adorable sandals.  Also right now Target is having what looked to be like a kid only sale on shoes- buy one get one half off.  We did not buy a second pair because they didn't have any in her size that she liked and I wasn't going to spend more money just to get half off if she didn't really like them to begin with!

We also got J1 these since his were recently broken {if you care to know how they were broken feel free to email me and I'll tell ya all about it}.

And some groceries.  Boring huh?  I went on Saturday to Target with a friend {love ya JP!} and got all the goodies for the blog swap I'm participating in so those were the goodies I'm getting for now. 

What about you guys?  What's in your cart?

I did a bad bad thing...

and I'm ashamed of myself!

I neglected my blog. 

It's still a work in progress, developing every day, every week, and I neglected it these last two weeks.  EEK!  If this blog were my garden it would be DOA {the garden by the way, is doing amazing!}.

Hopefully you all can forgive me.  I'm getting back in the swing of things and will be enlightening you all with my words from here on out...

Oh and I had a friend make this sign for me recently and I still need to finish it but it's such a good reminder!

To be {a mom} or not to be {a mom}...

...that was never a question for me.  If I could have had my way, I'd be halfway to Michelle Duggar by now.  But I'm thankful for my own kids and the ones I've been able to bring into this world for others.

Today is mother's day.  The day we celebrate our mothers and what they mean to us.  Those of us who aren't mothers can cherish in their mothering roles whether it be in their church, school, or extended family.

I'm so proud to have helped make this sweet lady a mom:

And this one too:

And I'm glad to be mothered {is that a word?} by this great lady:

Finally I'm eternally grateful to be a mother to these two... even when I'm cranky and just want to be alone, even when they dirty up my just cleaned house, even when I have to yell raise my voice to get their attention, but ESPECIALLY when they do good to others, stand up for what's right, take care of one another, and just overall make me proud.  I love my J's!




I have a newer picture of all of us but I love them and I love Maine!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Boob tube babble week 2

Ah yes, another week of incessant rambling about television.  Yes, we watch too much of it.  Ok maybe YOU don't but I sure do.  But look I'm not married, sometimes my kids are with their dad, and I have two cats so I'm desperately trying to not become the old single cat lady by involving myself in the world of TV OK?!

Anyway, this week some pretty interesting things happened on my shows....

~Celebrity Apprentice
Ok so I would like to have enjoyed the final 20 minutes of the show and the suspense leading up to the firing {Hope was the only choice- let's be real no one is watching the show for her} however some random news flunkie so very rudely interrupted to talk for forever before someone else {POTUS} regaled us with the same knowledge we'd been getting fed the 20 minutes prior.  Best Stephanie Tanner impression, "How rude!"

~Real Housewives
Sorry y'all I just can't get enough of them.  Any of them.  Shoot I'd take RH of any town- even a small little podunk one.  Let's see on OC this week we had Alexis being a drama queen, Donn being really funny and charming and making me even madder a Vicki for being stupid and divorcing him, and Peggy still being scary.  On NY ....

~Real World
I didn't want to talk about all the same shows as last week but for real this episode deserved to be here.  So last week Heather was all put out because Dustin did some bad things with another guy.  What does she do?  Go and mess around with another girl!  Hello?!  These two are now officially even and can be together.  Although I'm all about him being with Cooke just because I think Heather is stupid.  Speaking of stupid, Naomi much?  I'd be embarrassed to admit half the stuff she was saying and certainly wouldn't be running around the house all giddy because I was STD free {but I am, that didn't sound right!}  I want to shake these kids!

~24
Technically this isn't on the air, however I did watch it this week and I just can't get over how awesome it all is.  Jack Bauer makes me swoon.  Don't believe me? Check this out :)

~Teen Mom
Yeah I know, I really do know.  But it's amazing entertainment.  This week I was super proud of the girl because she was nursing her baby in the hospital {a lot of them do} but she was also nursing when she got home.  Then she went back to school {with it's on site daycare- let's not go there} and she got called out of class to nurse which I thought was AWESOME!  Not saying you're bad if you don't breastfeed but it's seriously the best thing you can do and especially for a teenager to do it, that's wonderful.  I don't think homegirl was making a lot of great decisions but that was one!  And can we talk about the mom.. was she single?  Did you see her house?  It looked pretty nice.  And she sure was driving a Mercedes.  Must be nice ;)

Of course there's a ton more that I could go on about but what about you?  What did you watch this week?  {Not you Jenni P..... I know you don't have time to watch TV! LOL}

The "thing" is...

Do you have a "thing"?

You know like a quirk?

A tic?

I do.

So does my sister.  Hers is that she can't stand straws.  Seriously.  So when we're gathered around the table playing a card game or chickenfoot we have to put our cups on the floor {leading to many a drink being spilled but I digress} because the straws "hurt" her eyes.  She also can't do forks or large fields of green but we won't go there today.

My other sister can't go in the bathroom without pulling the shower curtain back.  Ok, well maybe that's not so different.  Do you do that?

Mine is I don't like things touching my feet!  Random I know.  {One exception- pedicures! Love 'em, want 'em everyday please and thank you.} But please please please do not put a scratchy couch under my bare feet or I'll lose it.  Or concrete.  And most carpets.  Oh and bedspreads too.  I wear socks most of the time.  I hate summer and sandals are one of the reasons.  How I love socks.
What about you?  Do you have a "thing"?

Jack Bauer you make heart sour...

No.  Not really. 

I was trying to make a rhyme a la "Wild thing, you make my heart sing..." but the name Bauer doesn't make it easy.  Because my feelings for Jack Bauer are strong.  I love the man.  A lot.

Almost as much as I love these two.

Yeah, these two are so cute I HAD to work them in somehow :)

You see I've started watching the series 24 all over again {thank you very much much Netflix instant on the Wii!} and I forgot how awesome he is. 

I watched the first season on regular TV and loved it.  I waited until the second season was on DVD and watched it all in a row.  You see this series is so good you can't really go a whole week waiting to find out what's going on.  Whoever thought of putting seasons of TV on DVD has my undying love MWAH!

Currently I'm only 39 episodes into the 202 total so I still have some time to bask in the goodness of all things JB.  My only solace in the sadness that I know will come when it's over is that I've heard many times that they will be doing a 24 movie.  Um, hello, talk about rocking my world!

This picture pretty much sums up his awesomeness...

ANY QUESTIONS?!

Target Tuesday

This week I bought 5 cards, 1 mothers day present, 1 graduation present, and a whole bunch of groceries... not one fun thing for me but that's ok!  So here's a list of what I would like if a fairy magically were to gift these to me....


I'm really feeling the new Calypso Line, it feels beachy and fresh and I just love it!

I love the look of tunics but I feel like they make you look big- especially if you are!

Love this clean white wrap dress!

Also loving this breezy white skirt!

Another tunic and in grey which I'm having a love affair with right now...

Soooo if you weren't being a responsible adult this week what would you want to buy at Target?

Quit BUG-ging me!

You guys I have a problem.

It's serious and causing me to lose sleep and be afraid of my own home!

I have a bug problem.  Ooooo I shudder even writing that!

Let me start by saying I love where our house is.  We have a field on one side of our house.  And it's nice that there's no neighbors over there and I enjoy the bunnies that I've seen over there.  It's also a great place for the kids to play- play football, play in the snow, just play!

But I think that field is contributing to all the little crawly things that I've seen recently.  J1 said he had a spider crawl on him the other day, there was a big something on the wall in my laundry room, I've seen a few little long thin somethings here and there, I saw a tiny spider in my bed (I can't tell you how much that freaked me out even though it was smaller than the eraser on a pencil), and just this morning there was a daddy long legs on the ceiling above my shower.  Oh yeah that was me you heard screaming. 

What can I do? Have the outside of my house sprayed?  Does that kill spiders and all the little random bugs?  I keep a pretty clean house I can't imagine it's that. I'm seriously so grossed out by the thought of bugs I shake my shoes every time I put them on and I can't go in my dang laundry room without freaking out.  My paranoia reached a new high when I went out to eat the other day and I flinched at a shadow that I thought was a bug. 

I hate them.  I really do.  QUIT BUGGING ME!!

Musings

A random collection of thoughts from the week-

I had to get my yearly TB test for the hospital this week.  Last time I remember it reacting ever so slightly- enough that I could tell where the test had been administered.  This time I don't even see anything... interesting.

Our garden is blooming like crazy this week.  I went and saw a friend's garden and was immediately put to shame.  Hers is AH-MAZING.  But she also spent a lot of time and money on it.  We'll see if we can be successful with our little one and go from there.  But I'm ever so hopeful because our seeds keep growing growing growing!

I watched probably 8 full hours of royal wedding stuff this week.  That's without commericals.  I was a little obsessed!  Did you not cry when they said their vows?  And what about the double kiss on the balcony?  Or how gorgeous her sister was?  In fact I have a ton of thoughts so I'm making a separate post on it :)

My sweet surrobabe will be 4 months old this week and his mom called to tell me he has 2 teeth budding on the bottom- can you believe it!?  I said he must be so advanced because of the great milk I've been providing *lol*

I'm not overly involved in world events but do have my ear to the ground about the gas price situation.  The other day I heard something on the radio about Exxon announcing an 11 billion dollar earning but I figured that couldn't be right so I dismissed it.  When I got home I googled it and sure enough they earned 11 BILLION dollars last quarter.  Something just doesn't seem right about that.  They're blaming it on the increased price per barrel of oil but I'm wondering if they're making so much money couldn't they lower the price of gas and save us all a little money?  I guess I just don't understand the logistics of it all...


Today is gloomy and cool- my favorite kind of weather.  I am back in my pj's ready for an uneventful rest of the night!