Girls Weekend

It was the Men's Retreat this weekend at our church. What do mom's do when their hubbies are gone?? Have a sleepover!!

The kids and I spent Friday night with my friend L. and her two kids. This is one of my favorite people because she's so fun and there's never a lull in the conversation. L. , knowing my hubby is not a drinker, got us wine coolers for the evening. And (because our guys always do it without us) we made nargila. Nargila is a Turkish water pipe that uses coals and flavoured tobacco. The tobacco comes in great flavours like mint, apple and cappucino!! After we got the munchkins to sleep we sipped Pomegranate Raspberry wine coolers, smoked apple tobacco, at cheddar popcorn and watched "Grey's Anatomy". What a great night of guilty pleasures!

Free Stuff and a contest

I think I've mentioned before how addicted I am to contesting...that also extends to free things. The Free Stuff Times ( http://www.freestufftimes.com/ ) is one of those sites that consolidates it all for you. It touts itself as having the most updated free stuff on the internet. I was impressed with the site and I know how much moms like free stuff. Also they're having a contest in connection with their site, you can find that here: http://www.freestufftimes.com/29/the-first-free-stuff-times-contest/

Bratz and Barbie...uh, Tanks and Bob the Builder?!

When I was a child my mom didn't allow us to have Barbies. She thought they led to an unhealthy view of body image. Luckily my tomboy self could've cared less...I just cared that she was denying the freedom of getting it.

Now as a mother I find myself coming up against a wall of my own. I love Barbie dolls!! This is only because Barbie has turned into a princess, mermaid, and fairy. If she were still just a Malibu girl, I'm not sure I'd like her or let my 5 yr old girl play with them.

I have told my daughter from the first day she walked into a toy aisle that she wasn't allowed to buy Bratz dolls. Here are the reasons I give her for this:
-Bratz implies a certain attitude by their name and I think everyone will attribute personality based on that word. I know the movies don't portray them this way, but the commercials portray a sassiness that makes me wary.
-The clothing is not good. If my daughter decides the majority of their clothing is "cool" and is okay I might have a problem with that. This is the same reason why I don't endorse the buying of My Scene Barbies.
-Bratz are teenagers and Barbie is college age or older. I'd like to think by playing with Barbie girls are living out the possible adults they'd like to be (vet Barbie, mermaid Barbie *see my dream list*). With Bratz they may be projecting what kind of teenagers they want to be.

Thoughts anyones??? I told my daughter we could revisit the Bratz discussion when she's 9 and I don't deny her the ability to play with them at a friend's house.

My other question is: Why are there no debates like this about boy toys?! Has anyone run into a bad influence toy for boys? Maybe my 3 yr old just hasn't gotten there yet.

House, M.D.

I watched the premiere of House tonight and was a little stumped. They can't continue to have House without a team, but why are the old actors still in the credits??? I'm pretty sure Omar Epps jumped to a different TV series.
Also, why would they throw such a big change into a show that's done so well?? If they don't do something soon they may just crash and burn as a show.

Just informed by hubby that our wheezing, skinless desktop doesn't have Microsoft Word on it. What?!!! I didn't even know that was possible. That means I get to make an extra trip today to the church...all to type up Bible study stuff for tonight.
Have I told you how excited I am about this Bible study that I'm facilitating. With as much prayer as went into this group I have high hopes.

PJ Mommy http://pjmommy.com/?p=360 is giving away a ring and a surprise necklace over on her site. Contest ends Oct. 3rd.

TV Roundup

I'm so excited for this week...new shows have begun!!! Watched "Heroes" last night and was shocked to realized I'd forgotten a lot of what happened in the finale. I'm excited for the possibility of Claire having a friend with powers. Really curious to see what happens with Nathan and Peter.
Stuck around to watch "Journeyman" and was pleasantly surprised. I love anything with a taste of sci-fi to it. It asks some interesting questions and I'd like to see if they take any of those big questions anywhere meaningful. Kept flipping over to "13 Going On 30" mainly because I think Mark Ruffalo is so cute. Reminds me a lot of my hubby. :0)

In other news, my daughter is singing, "...and the chicken played ballet, and the chicken played ballet, and the chicken played ballet..." you get the picture!

Contests of the Day

Bling on a Shoestring http://blingonashoestringjewelry.com/blog/ is giving away a great ring and wants to know one reason humanity doesn't suck. We don't suck because we occasionally do exactly what we ought to be doing.

5 Minutes For Mom is giving away 3 stylish backup drives for your computer. Check it out! www.5minutesformom.com

Cool Moms Rule http://coolmomsrule.blogspot.com/ is giving away some fantastic lotion today. Lotion is a big deal in a dry state like Colorado!

Prayer Request

My neighbor's are dealing with a lot this week. A movie called, "Into the Wild" is being released this week. It's about the death of my neighbor's brother. Pray for the whole family as they go through a lot of emotional rollercoasters this week.

They're So Sweet!

First things first, we finally ended the life of our dear laptop...may it RIP. We are relying on H.S. and our old computer (it's guts hang out all over for lack of a cover), so bear with me as I may/may not be sporadic in posting. On the plus side maybe hubby will have to tone down his computer hours a little.

Second things second, my visit to Minot (Dancer, do you know that bitty town?), ND went very well. I went to show my grandma love and she got the message loud and clear. Apparently at that point in one's life the things that mean the most are the company of loved ones. She has VERY swanky digs. It's a sweet assisted living facility that was built a scant 2 years ago. Opulent furnishings, pool, fitness center, coffee corner, dining room, chapel, pub, internet, library!! If getting old can be this nice now I can't wait for my turn as an oldie! Though, I'm sure, for my generation they'll have to add video games as an amenity.

I love hearing my grandma's stories over and over again...she's very frustrated with knowing that her brain is failing her. I can't imagine my sometimes forgetfulness turning into a permanent state.

Ruth is obsessed with "Littlest Pet Shop" toys and I fully endorse her obsession. But I've come to realize she's lost 1/3 of her animals!! Grrr...toys don't grow on trees! So, if you see a major discount on "Pet Shop" toys anywhere, let me know cause I'm starting the Christmas hunt for toys.

Mr. Fabulous from http://www.pointless-drivel.com/ is hosting a contest where the winner will have a choice of three prizes, from an Ipod Shuffle to a $75 Barnes and Noble giftcard (warning adult gift also an option). All you have to do to enter is vote for his blog as the best humor blog and urge your blog readers in a post to vote for him.

So a Blonde Walks in a Review ( http://blondereviews.blogspot.com/ ) is hosting a contest with a prize from Skimbaco ( http://www.skimbaco.com/ ) , a fabulous upscale boutique.

The Whole Family is have a giveaway for her 2nd blogoversaryhttp://thewholefamily1.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-2nd-blogaversary-give-away.html . Enter before Sept. 26th for a chance to win a $10 Target gift card.

Lastly, 5 Minutes for Mom http://www.5minutesformom.com/ is giving away a vacuum. I would love to win it as mine is the very cheapest model from Wally World and due to kick it any day now.

So Long, Farewell for Awhile.

I leave tomorrow for a quick trip to the state of North Dakota. My grandma has lived in the same ND city since my dad was a twinkle in God's eye. I love her because she was the "fun" grandma of my childhood. She would get us whatever we want and would give us the freedom to do or say whatever we wanted. She was my first access to the freedom of choice.
My goal on this visit is to continue to show her how much she's loved...I'm a little flummoxed on how to accomplish that, so pray that I'll be exactly what she needs the next 3 days.

Also, this will be one of the few times my hubby has the kids while I'm away. Usually he lucks out and the grandparents get the kids. I think lots of video games (mostly James Bond) and sleeping in my bed will be happening the next couple of days!

I love reusable bags and here's a contest where you can win a set! http://crunchydomesticgoddess.wordpress.com/

What I've Learned

It's been a very, VERY long three days for me. My super fun neighbor brought a 3-day cleanse to me and asked if I would do it with her. Between the less caffeine and the jogging I thought, "Hey, why not go all out." I'm on day three and I haven't never smelled so...er, herby and woody. I feel like birchbark tea is oozing out my pores.

So, here's a couple of things I've learned:

-I have stunk worse than I ever have after pork & beans.

-While drinking 3 cups of tea a day sounds good sometimes, reality is a bugger!

-Tofu is not nearly as scary as I think it is.

-Living w/o sugar added foods and dairy isn't as hard as I thought it was.

-When in pain, ad lib on the receipes.

-Shitake mushrooms are so good!!!

-Miso paste is the devil

I don't know how to say this delicately, but this whole thing is supposed to clean you out and produce a lot of waste. I haven't had that happen...other than being super stinky, my system has been normal. I can't decide if that means my system was already well-cleansed or if I'm having a system malfunction.

Emma from It's Write Now is giving away an ipod nano w/ video. Go to this post if you want to enter: http://www.itswritenow.com/category/networking/contests/ .

Diamonds May Be Forever...Rings are Not

It's finally happened...I've been waiting for this moment for the last 5 years. Jason has lost his 3rd wedding band. I wish that were a typo, but the man is now 0 for 3. Now, the first two were lost by no (direct) fault of his own.
#1-He and his friends were rafting. The boat capsized and they were almost fish sticks, but found a log to hang onto. In the cold water, the ring (by far our favorite band) slipped away to be found by some gold prospector (oddly enough we have those here in CO still).
He and I still wonder why he didn't think to take it off before they started rafting
#2-My dad loaned Jason a ring my grandma had given him. At that time, J was delivering pizzas and on one hectic and bad night he got mad...and threw a receipt out the car window. Bye, bye ring! No way to find that one on the weedy mile where he threw the ring. My dad was a good sport about the loaner lost.
Let that be a lesson about temper and rings
And now the latest story where the blame falls squarely on my dear hubby's shoulders.
Since he got ring #3, hubby has an irritating habit of playing with said ring and has dropped it on a number of occasions. Friends always watch him do this in horror and we've all swore the man was going to lose it (He has the same problem of playing w/ fruit and dropping it).
While riding with a friend in his friend's van he was playing with the ring and, "Ping!" the ring fell under the seat. After 3 searches in 2 days the ring looks like a goner.
I'm a little pissed this time.
We are seriously considering getting him a tattoo ring band put on his finger. Thoughts
(Hubby just walked in and growled, "It's not lost, I just left it somewhere!")_

I'm a big fan of feeling sexy so I'm interested in this giveaway http://blondereviews.blogspot.com/
sponsored by http://www.lalalingerie.com/ .

Also, if you like being creative help them come up with a clothing line name and win a GC! http://www.lillepunkin.com/2007/09/naming-game.html

Lead and Toys

There's a contest being hosted that's doing more than handing out prizes. They are trying to get more government help on the lead content in toys. If you want to be a part of it click the button on the side of my page. The prize is being provided by Natural Pod http://www.naturalpod.com/ and they are doing their bit for the world. :0)

Mums the Wurd (http://www.mumsthewurd.com/ ) is doing another big giveaway, so check her site out! (Prize is a gift certificate to http://zutano.com/ for $150!)

Also, there's a scrapbooking contest going on that looks fabulous. Click the monkey button the side of my page if you're interested.

Enter to win the complete set of Terrestria Chronicleson the HSB Company Porch!
That's short and sweet don't you think? All winners will be chosen at random. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. You must live in the U.S. You can view official contest rules HERE. Contest ends September 24th.

Rhyme Khyme

Oh son, my son, has been on this kick of rhyme (khyme, phyme) time for a couple of weeks now. It's still cute (sort've) and it's left my hubby and I shaking our heads wondering where he got the idea. I haven't heard the phrase, "Cutie patootie" since way back when Rosie was still in TV's good graces. I don't know if this is a future Eminem in the making or what, but it's really funny.
The other advantage is that all the name calling he does makes no sense: "Mom, you're a snooker tatooker!"


This week the rhyming is overlapping a phase of my daughter's. Her response to every (and there are many) disappointment with, "Aw, barnacles!" Thanks, Spongebob.

Parkour Anyone???

Happened to see this bit on some lame 60 minutes type show about this new craze called Parkour. Ya know how you see people effortlessly jumping through urban landscapes and generally looking like the sweet scenes from action flicks? Yeah, that's Parkour. Watching how poetic and fluidly strong these people looked as they leaped from building to building I thought, "Man if I weren't me, that would be sweet!"

That got me thinking of a couple other things I wish I could be if I weren't me. Before you tell me that I could potentially do these: I know that, but God hasn't had these particular things be a part of Me...yet. Who knows, maybe I'll be the first 50 year old parkour!

Here's my list of dreamy existences:
-Parkour athelete
-Backup dancer/singer for a pop star
-Mermaid (seriously, I need just one unrealistic one)
-Park ranger/nun
-Surgeon
-Jeopardy contestant who lasted a solid month (yeah, baby!)

Any fun/funky dreams out there?

Woo Hoo!

So excited am I...Over the last couple of days I won a couple of contests! Thanks to Cee Cee over at http://www.booksplurge.blogspot.com/ for such a great contest!

There's a book giveaway over at http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/2007/09/first-best-of-giveawaychasing-fireflies.html a predominately Christian book review site.