Confessions of a Domestic Delinquent

Hitting the skids

2010-09-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I've decided to move to new digs. I'm going to focus on the foodie in me at my NEW BLOG called Foodie mamma. Please come by and check me out!

Squatter in our Garage

2010-08-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Found hiding behind the freezer

Getting a little too comfortable.

Finally captured and ready for transport to the wildlife rehabilitator!

Good Night

2010-08-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Market Day

2010-08-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

First Steps

2010-08-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

Chics dig vamps

2010-06-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

I watched Twilight last night. It wasn't spectacularly great, but it got me thinking. The popularity of twilight combined with my recent obsession with the Buffy/Angel franchise has lead me to the conclusion that women love vampires. What exactly is the allure of the undead? I have a few theories.

1. Vampires are old. Generally women aren't into naive men. We like men who are experienced, worldly and wise. Vampires, for the most part, have had time to travel, experience the world. Chances are good that you aren't going to have to deal with a vamp buying a red convertible trying to regain his youth. The clincher here is that unlike old living men, vampires remain crazy sexy.

2. The undead seem to mate for ~~life~~ ever. If Buffy and Twilight are any indication once you've snagged the unstaked heart of a vamp he's yours forever. They always seem to find their ~~soulmate~~ love of their ~~life~~ ummmmm.... Perfect partner. There is some sort of immediate connection that really takes the guesswork out of the whole dating thing. It also plays into my next point.

3. The tortured soul. Vampires always come off as having a tortured soul. No one understands them. No one except their chosen lady that is. She is the only one who really gets him. She's the only person he can open up to and be his charming self. It's cliched, but we like that. It makes us feel special...deal with it guys.

4. Vampires are romantic. It's like they've got a whole team of scriptwriters feeding them lines like "You're my life now" and "all I did was watch you sleep, but it was the best night of my life". I mean how is a regular unscripted guy supposed to compete with that?

5. Last, but not least is that vampires are dead sexy. So long as you don't need a guy with a tan, you can't get much hotter than the living dead.

The stupid psychic and why I don't go to McDonalds

2010-06-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

I have amazing psychic powers. Unfortunatly, I am also amazingly stupid. I know full well that things I do will turn out badly, yet I still do them. I believe that that may be the definition of insanity.

Let me illustrate my point with the story of a recent road trip I took with my 3 boys.

This story actualyl takes place during the 5 hour drive home. It starts, as all good stories should, with a giant cup of coffee. When I purchased this enormous beverage I knew full well that consuming it would mean that I would need to pee as soon as the baby fell asleep. I still drank it. And, as predicted, the very moment my little one drifted peacefully to sleep I had to drag him (and my other two boys) into the joy that is a turnpike rest stop.

In order to stop the resulting whining, I agreed to allow each of them to pick out a bottle of pop. The both picked purple grape soda. Oh yes....the alarm bells went off in my head as well. But something, sleep deprivation, insanity, plain old stupidity, told me that it would be fine. Stop laughing..... Of course, I now have a big purple stain on the carpet in my car. Fortunatly the good people at Toyota are as smart as I am psychic and have made those carpets crazy stain resistant.

Roughly 47 seconds after leavin the rest stop, the 4 year old boy, who only 6 seconds ago refused to even consider going to the bathroom, had to go....NOW! I told him that he would have to hold it as the next rest stop about 30 minutes away. I knew that I should have stopped on the side of the road and let him go...I knew he wouldn't make it. Did I stop...nope. He was a trooper, he held on all the way to the rear stop but the combination of holding and walking proove to be too much for him. Poor kid peed his pants just outside the rest stop. The fact that he DIDN'T wet his carseat was an enormous blessing.

And then there was McDonald's. I am not a fan of McDonalds, but the kids needed a break and I was getting desperate. Frankly, I knew it was a bad idea. We pulled off the road and found McD's with a play area. My boys ran into the tunnel thing and immedietly ran out yelling "ewwww!".

What, you ask, could gross out a 7 year old boy? Poop. Right there in the play area. We immedietly vacated the area and I attempted to stearilize my children with purell. Being the good citizen that I am, I went back inside to inform the manager.

I pulled her aside, and said "I think that someone had an accident in the play area." She said "oh...okay".

Um....excuse me? No rush to shut the play area? No offer to comp my coffee? Not even an appology??? Flumoxed, I loaded my kids back into the car, applied another 3 gallons of purell and pulled out of the parking lot. As we were leaving, I looked in my rear view mirror only to see two unsuspecting children clammoring into the play area.

I vowed that we would not leave the car again until we arrived safely home...once again, I was, of course, correct.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

You gotta eat

2010-06-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about boobs. Breasts. Knockers. Boobies. Tatas. You get the idea (and my hit count from search engines probably just increased 10 fold).

Disclaimer: I breastfed my kids, of you didn't I still think that you are a perfectly good mother who loves her children. I don't think that you are poisoning them by feeding them formula. This isn't that sort of breastfeeding post...just so you know.

My boobs have been professionally employed for the last 8 years. I have nursed two boy children well into toddlerhood and plan to do the same with the third. I have nursed them pretty much everywhere from the mall to The Mall. (Hee hee, see what I did there? The second Mall is the area of our nations capital.) Recently a facebook friend mentioned some of the rediclous things people have said to her while nursing. Here is a small collection of the bizarre things that I personally have heard.

"Breastfeeding is SO hard.". - This is SO not true. I'm not one to subject myself to extra work. If something is hard, I'm probably not going to do it. Breastfeeding is a little hard to get started with, but once you and your baby get the hang of it, you can do it in your sleep - literally. Breastfeeding is, quite frankly, ideal for lazy moms like me. There is no mixing of formula, nothing ever needs to be heated up and there are no bottles to wash.

"You'll have to stop once he gets teeth". - Not really. Babies learn pretty quickly not to bite the boob that feeds them. I'm pretty sure that the screaming is a big deterent.

"It must be hard to have to feed every two hours". - Mind you, someone said this when my son was 10 months old. Breastmilk isn't some magical elixier of youth (I'd be rich I'd it were!). Breastfed babies grow up and eat solid food just like formula fed babies. You don't have to formula feed every 2 hours, so why wpuld you have to breastfeeding every two hours?

"The nurse could tell just by looking at that I wouldn't be able to nurse". - Uhhhh. What? I don't even understand this one. Boobs aren't like a motor vehicle. You don't need to move from the two seater sports car to the minivan when you have kids.

I can't be the only person subjected to crazy, inane comments while nursing! Go on...post your favorite in the comments section! And I'm sure that it's not only nursing moms who get criticism. (Ever notice how EVERYONE knows how your baby should be raised and isn't afraid to tell you how wrong you are?) Post you favorite/most bizarre feeding comment!

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Flying solo

2010-06-10T04:59:00.000-07:00

So we have all arrived back in NoVa and things are getting back to normal.

Haa haa haa... That is a blatant lie. My husband has embarked in a 30 day ~~vacation~~ business trip overseas. I am officially a solo parent of three boys for one month...and summer vacation is only 2 weeks away.

They say that you never really appreciate something until it's gone. Let me just say that my husband only had to be gone for about 8 hours before I began to do some major appreciating.

For example, we went to the pool on Monday night. My family Is KNOWN for being at the pool after dinner. It is totally our thing and I wasn't going to give it up just because 1/5 of us were gone. As it turns out that 1/5 is a vital component of successful pooling. One of my boys is a great swimmer and is fine in his own in the pool. The other two think that they are.

With two adults we can each take one kid. With only one adult, one kid is pretty much left to drown. Fortunatly the middle kid is a good enough swimmer not to actually drown...but not by very much.

Then there are the logistics of getting everything done. Who will hang up the wet towels while I get the kids out of their bathing suits? Who will mow the lawn? I'm going to need to hire a manservant for the next month. Either that or invite my in-laws down. *Shudder*

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Food is love?

2010-06-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this post by saying that I come from a large Italian family, so the following may not be true for everyone.

Very shortly after my father died food began arriving at our home. First, 2 dozen bagles, a box of paistries and a bunch of cream cheese. Shortly after, an enormouse sub type sandwich with potato salad. I had just managed to jam it all in the fridge when my cousin arrived with an entire ham dinner, complete with three side dishes, a pecan pie and a loaf of rye bread.

I won't even go into the food left over after the post memorial service luncheon.

All this food presents a whole new opportunity for guilt. As you may have heard, wasting food is a sin. Oddly, providing 2 average sized women and a 4 year old kid with more perishable food than they can possibly manage to consume in a month is not only NOT a sin, but a blessing. Someone should rethink that. I'm just saying.

Over

2010-06-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Before the process of removing life support has actually begun the patient is given several drugs. Morphine, presumably for pain, something to dry up "secretions" (more on that later) and finally an anti-anxity drug. It's the final one that gives me pause.

I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I associate anxiety with, I dunno, brain functioning. Isn't the premise here that that sort of thing is no longer taking place? Or is the anti-anxiety drug really to alleviate the anxiety that we may feel regarding any anxiety that HE may feel....It seems that some of these drugs are really more for the comfort of the family members than the patient.

This brings me back to the "dry up" medication. That is so that once the tubes are removed he doesn't have to breath through any sort of liquids, again....seems more for us than for him.

Also, when you are discussing the removal of life support with the doctors and nurses they start to watch their words very carefully. Noone says anything about removal or pulling plugs (by the way...all the machines have off switches, you don't need to actually pull the plugs out of the wall). They says things like "Focusing on comfort" or "Easing the transition". This is all well and good...I suppose I'm a little more direct than a lot of folks.

Finally, in my ongoing series "Life ain't like TV", once everything is removed things don't just gradually slow down. You don't watch the heart rate monitor dip to 80 and then 64 and then 42 and then 12, followed by a long beep. The doctors warn you that it may take "a while". Well, let me tell you, "a while" is a relative term. The nursing staff puts a laminated picture of a cartooney star on the door to the patient's room once the whole process has begin....that star sat on my dad's door for nearly 20 hours. Fact is, eventually, it is a relief for it all to be over.

So this is where we are now. For me, it is really just the body that is gone now. As far as I am concerned, as soon as his brain stopped working my dad was gone. I'm a lot like my father that way....practical. My mother is more spiritual and I'm pretty sure that she was holding out hope till close to the end.

The memorial service is planned for Saturday, after which, I promise to be less morbid and disturbing. Until then, thank you all for your kind words and thoughts.

Neurotrauma

2010-06-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

The first thing that you notice when you enter the neurotrauma ward is just how quiet it is. My only other experience in a hospital has been the three times that I gave birth to my kids. The labor and maternity wards are always pretty noisy. Be it babies crying, laboring women screaming for epidurals or proud fathers and siblings bringing flowers and balloons...there was always some sort of commotion. In the neurotrauma ward, nothing goes on. There are no balloons or flowers...there isn't even any meal service.

There are 12 rooms, each containing their own personal little tragidies. 12 ventilators hissing and the occasional mysterious clicking, but that is just about all.

While I can't speek to the 11 other tragidies on the ward, I know that ours will soon come to an end. As to my fathers wishes, we have decided to remove the hissing ventilator and the odd clicking machine and let nature take it's inevitable course.

It's not like in the movies where you tell the nurse that you are ready and it all happens. There is waiting...a lot of waiting.

We're still waiting.....

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

2010-05-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that I'm not particularly fond of public displays of emotion. Or at least my own public displays. I'm just not really the type of person who talks about "feelings", especially bad feelings. I really hate to look that people give you when you tell them that something awful has happened to you.

So what I'm about to write is difficult for me on several levels, but I'm going to post it, if only to avoid future awkwardness.

Right now, my father is in the hospital. He fell down and hit his head. The doctors did surgery to relieve pressure and all that. It's been a long time since my father was really healthy and it seems that this was really the final straw. He is hooked up to a ventilator and feeding tubes and what the hell ever else they hook you up to now a days. It was his wishes, however, that these sorts of things not be used to prolong his life, so it will all be removed in the next day or two. There is little to no chance that he will ever improve, so we are honoring his desires. I don't mean to sound callous, but please do not offer prayers that he will get well, because, quite frankly, I can't hold on to that sort of thing. I may not talk about my feelings, but I am the sort of person who needs to deal with them.

So, that is what it is. There will be a memorial service held on Saturday and then on Sunday my husband has to leave for a month long business trip. Just dealing with the physical logistics of getting everyone where they need to be at the right time is overwhelming.

So I'm offering fair warning that things will likely be a bit morose here for a few days. But I'm not one to dwell, I will muddle through this. I will take comfort in the life that my father led and the support of my family.

Maybe take a little break from reading my blog for a few days if you don't want to hear the depressing crap....but come back, because I promise to have some fun stuff soon.....if not for you then for myself.

My Imaginary Friends

2010-05-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

I have the tenancy to quickly form deep, meaningful relationships with people....wha- No! Not real people, ugh. They are so unpredictable and complicated..no way. I'm talking about fictional people. You know, the kind who are infinitely entertaining, yet require absolutely no input on my part.

Some of my more intimate fictional relationships have involved Harry Potter, SpeedRacer and Theth Dr. Who. I have watched all of their stories evolve and have wished for only one thing. I just wanted them to be happy. To settle down, have a few kids and lead a nice quiet life.

I haven't finished with Buffy yet, but I find myself hoping beyond all hope that she and Angel will find a way to be happy together. Of course if that doesn't pan out I will do the same thong I did at the end of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, make up my own, more acceptable ending and substitute that one for the "published" ending. That's the beauty of having fictional friends, if they disappoint you can just rewrite their stories.

Post it note Tuesday!

2010-05-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Monkey Minute

2010-05-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

5 questions.....Here we go...

Have you ever peed in the shower/bath/pool?
Yes, with the exception of the bath....though in retrospect, I probably peed in the bath as a child. I just don't have time to take baths anymore.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
Self important idiots

What's the story behind your blog title?
I'm a housewife, but frankly I'm really crappy at it....for example, my bathrooms are a mess (3 little boys level of mess) but am I cleaning them right now...nope, blogging....

What is your definition of success?
What?? I thought that these were supposed to be easy....okay. Success is doing your best at something you love.

If you were famous, what would you want to be famous for?
I am a scientist (by education only, I haven't worked outside of the house for almost 4 years) so, naturally, I want to win the Nobel Prize. Currently I'm working on a bacterium that digests oil and can be used to safely and inexpensively clean up oil spills. And by working on, I mean that I think it would be cool to do, not that I'm actually performing any sort of science to make it happen.

Hey Yinz, don't forget to check out my design site for $5 buttons and $12 summary homepages....all proceeds go to the monkey fund!!

Just a quick thought...

2010-05-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today, on the day after my Penguins have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup finals I have a thought.

When I was pregnant with my second child the Steelers won the Superbowl.

When I was pregnant with my third child the Steelers won the Superbowl and the Penguins won the Stanley cup.

If I were to get pregnant again, it is possible that the Pirates could actually take the World Series??

Just a thought.....

Supah Busy and a Supah Challenge....

2010-05-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is a post from my design blog, but it's important enough to be said twice....

Whewww!!! I have been BUSY. In case you haven't heard, I have been working on redesigning Supah Mommy's web site.

I realize that I may be a bit biased, but I absolutely LOVE IT!!! So much, in fact, that I almost changed my name and kept it for myself. Unfortunatly, Supah knows my name and where I live, so I gave up the goods. Here is a preview, but you really have to visit the web site to see it in all of it's glory...

I had such a great time developing this site and I learned a ton of new tricks that I'm just itching to put to good use. I'm offering TWO great specials for the rest of the month....

But first, a story. Some of you may have heard of Little Monkey:

Is she not the cutest thing you have ever seen? Sadly cancer is a cold hearted bitch and doesn't care how adorable you are. Last week Monkey was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. As you can image this is a horribly emotionally trying for her mom and dad. The financial strain of caring for a child with cancer doesn't end with medical bills...there is additional time off of work for the parents, the cost of travel and hotel accommodations for treatments, the cost of additional childcare for Monkey's two amazing sisters....the list goes on. To add financial turmoil to the situation would be untenable.

Since we in the blogosphere are NOT all about talk we are banding together to help Monkey and her family through this difficult time. If you would like to donate independently Ian will have the details up soon. If not, here are some special offers to sweeten the deal.....

#1. Half off the price of a Summary Homepage. One of the coolest things about Supah's page is the summary Homepage.....a little snippet of her last few blog posts in one convenient location. Normally I would charge $12 to add the code for this upgrade, but until June 25th I will do it for only $6.....AND if you choose to pay the full amount ($12) I will donate the WHOLE amount (all $12) to the Monkey Fund.

#2. $5 buttons!!! Okay...that's not a discount, but if you purchase a static (not animated) button before June 25 I will donate the $5 to Monkey.

I am officially issuing the following CHALLENGE TO SUPAH......

Whoever raises the MOST MONEY FOR MONKEY will have the privilege of posting a FULL SIZE photo of the other IN FULL HIGH SCHOOL FIELD HOCKEY GARB on their blog. **Throwing down the gauntlet...**

What I didn't mean to say

2010-05-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

I am not a particularly socially savvy person. My internal speech monitor lacks the ability to formulate socially acceptable speech, and as a result I usually say exactly what I'm thinking. As a result I often try not to open my mouth since that is the only way that I can be sure not to stick my foot in it.

This affliction is a double edged sword. On one hand I say exactly what mean, even if it is a socially questionable statement. On the other hand, I mean what I say, so you can be pretty sure that I'm not lying to you.

Sometimes I worry that when I do speak up people think that being insulting or snarky. Really, I'm just not smart enough to pull that sort of thing off.

So in an attempt to disspell the rumor that I'm a snarky bitch I'm going to tell you what I DIDN'T mean to say.

When I asked a Twitter friend "Can Mormons use alcohol based hand sanitizer?".

what I DIDN'T mean to say was "You Mormons are so crazy that I bet you don't even use alcohol hand sanitizer."
what I DID mean to say was "I heard on NPR that some Muslims don't use alcohol based hand sanitizer and because I always need to know everything about everyone I'm wondering if Mormons can use it."

When I told my neighbors friend, who had just told me that he works for the Heritage Foundation, "I know what that is, I listen to NPR."

what I DIDN'T mean to say was "Oh....lookie me...I'm so smart because I listen to NPR."

what I DID mean to say was "I've heard of the Heritage Foundation and how cool is it that you work someplace mentioned on NPR?"

So, Next time we have a little chat remember that I'm totally transparent...I have no deeper meaning.

By the way... Down there where it says posted from my iPhone. I'm NOT saying "I have an iPhone nee ner nee ner nee ner".

What I AM saying is "I wrote this using my thumbs on the tiny screen of my iPhone because I have three kids and rarely have use of both hands."

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

10 random things

2010-05-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

1. My cat caught a bird and brought it into the house. I was both awed and horrified.
2. My son was one of two kids in his class to have his art exhibited at the pyramid art show. I was both awed and horrified.
3. At the art show I saw a neighborhood woman who has 6 kids and is apparently expecting a 7th. I was both awed and horrified.
4. On a related note, my hubby got a vasectomy on Wednesday. He is doing remarkably well.
5. I'm beginning to worry that I have a serious coffee addiction. When i get my first hit in the morning I look like a junkie from intervention who has just shot up.
6. I've really got to get it together for boy2's birthday party.
7. Summers coming, that means that it's time to start thinking about hair removal. Shudder.
8. My oldest son's head my explode if my husband doesn't bring home an ipad tonight. It's not looking good...I'm getting the mop.
9. I'm glad I can't remember when I was teething cause itvreally seems to suck.
10. ** UPDATE** No need for the mop, my husband got the Ipad.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

One of THOSE days

2010-04-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

I'm having one if those days. You know. The kind of day where everyone bugs the crap out of you. My husband is bugging me. My kids are bugging me. The guy driving in front of me is bugging me. The lady at starbucks who had to have her coffee remade not once but twice. I'm just saying that if you are going to be an anal retentave whore the drive through isn't for you. She was bugging me.

I want to DO something. I want to be productive. But the presence of 3 boys in my life just makes that an exercise in frustration.

And that is bugging me.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Spiff it up Sunday - Eyes....yes again

2010-04-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

I've always been a pretty average person. I'm fairly smart, but not so intelligent that someone will pay me lots of money to think all day. I'm a little odd looking, but not freely enough for a lucrative career as a circus performer. I'm kind of short, but not miniature enough to be a jockey, a coxswain or a buggy driver. One thing that I've always had going for me was my eagle eye vision. I've had better that 20/20 vision for as long as I could remember. Sadly, as I have gotten older my eyes haven't maintained their stellar status. So I got myself to the eye doctor for my first ever complete eye exam.

I thought that the procedure went well as a whole. The whole eye dilation thing was a bit disturbing and when I was told that I needed glasses to correct a slight bit of far sightedness I was not entirely surprised. But the surprises were yet to come. It seems that my nearly perfect eyes had turned on me and I hadn't even known.

First I was told that I had chronic dry eye...no biggie I thought until my doctor told me that it had resulted in cellular damage. WHA!!!! Just like your skin can get all dry and cracked, your eyes can become dry and the cells can be damaged. I got a prescription for an eye lubricant, and two over the counter eye lubes. They are like aloe for the eyeballs. You use then for a few weeks and your back to nice supple smooth ocular lenses.

On to top of all that I apparently have a freckle in my eye...seriously who does that happen to?? It's right on the ocular nerve and "Something we should keep an eye on". No pun intended. They took a picture (If you have never seen a picture of the inside of your eyeball....consider yourself lucky, it is not particularly flattering.) and will take another in about 3 months.

The conclusion to my little story here is that A) I now have more product for my eyeballs than I do for my hair or skin and B) Don't slack off on your eye exams. I never would have know about either problem had I not taken the time to get my check-up. Spiffing up is about taking care of the WHOLE package!! C) Now that I have reading glasses I think I need to get one of those chains to keep my glasses on....any suggestions?

And finally, the winners of the toothsoap give away!! Thanks to random.org, Nalamienea and jo.attalife will be receiving a toothsoap sample (I don't have any BBQ so don't worry.)

HEY!! Don't forget to enter to win the spa kit below!!

Greek Yogurt trips over toga

2010-04-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I was contacted by MyBlogSpark to try out some Greek yogurt and to receive a kicking "pamper the goddess within" kit. I think that we all know that I'm not one to turn my nose up at some pampering.

My kit arrived a few weeks later containing slippers, a loofah, an awesome towel and some other stuff...that frankly I can't really identify. Here is a photo...maybe you know what the other stuff is.

There were also two coupons for me to sample Yoplait's new Greek Yogurt. I looked for the stuff everytime I went to the grocery store, but to no avail. It seems that my beloved Wegman's does not stock the Yoplait Greek yogurt. (Though I bet if I asked they would...they love me there like that.) I would have to go to Giant Food to get this stuff. Stike one - I hate shopping anywhere other than Wegman's......as a result it took me several weeks to actually get the stuff.

Once I finally did get to Giant, I picked up a container of the Honey Vanilla

and a container of the Strawberry.

So in review...I got this stuff for free, as well as a very nice gift. This is the part where I tell you how much I loved it..but fact is, I'm not going to lie. I didn't much like it. It wasn't repulsive or anything, but it just didn't do it for me. It was bland and sort of gritty.

That being said...I feel like I should give the nice people at Yoplait something so I'm going to tell you that I got the chance to test a different Yoplait product that was being given out as a sample at my local commissary. It was a granola covered yogurt parfait. These don't appear on their website, so I'm not sure what it up with them, but if you see them BUY THEM. They are delicious!!! They more than make up for the lack luster Greek stuff.

Now that I've totally dissed Yoplait.....I'm still gonna give away their stuff!! HAA HAA HAA.....comment below and tell me what your fave yogurt flavor is for a chance to win that faboo Pampering kit above!! My fave flavor...Key Lime Pie!!

Tweet about your deep desire to win for two extra entries.

Leave me a comment with you total. Later taterz, I'm off to the spa. Or pee wee gymnastics...whatever.

PS Don't forget to enter to win toothsoap!!

note-My crack team of corporate lawyers insist that I tell you that I’ve received the “VIP coupons, prize pack, and giveaway from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.”

Spiff it up Sunday - The Pearly Whites

2010-04-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

This week for spiff it up Sunday I'm all about the teeth.

Most of you probably don't know that I am a bit of a toothpaste connoisseur. Even as a child I was never really satisfied with the toothpaste that my parents bought. The taste was wrong or they didn't bubble correctly or they were a weird color....You get the picture. Of course back in the day there were only about 3 types of toothpaste to choose from, not the cornucopia of dental hygiene products that we have today. This week's topic took me to the toothpaste isle at Target where I counted more than 35 different types of toothpaste. (The world's largest collection of toothpaste contains more than 1800 different tubes and is available for public viewing in Saginaw, Michigan.) So clearly your toothpaste options are petty wide open.

Since my gums can only take a limited amount of cleansing I limited my testing to three different types of toothpaste, Arm & Hammer Peroxi-care, Tom's of Maine Natural total care, and Citrus flavored Toothsoap. (Disclaimer - the Toothsoap was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer.) I judged each product on a number of factors including flavor, bubbles, grit, cleaning and other.

Let's start with the Arm & Hammer Peroxi-care. Frankly, this is pretty much your standard toothpaste. There were no real surprises here since I've been using similar products for the past 35 years. The taste was extremely minty, take your breath away minty. I have to admit that I, personally, am not a fan of the over the top mint....it's just too much for me. The bubbling factor was fair, the bubble were sort of loose and dribbly, not exactly what I prefer, but at least there were some bubbles. It was not particularly gritty, but as the whole point of toothpaste is to be somewhat gritty, there was a minor grit factor which was enhance by the presence of baking soda. This toothpaste did a fine job of cleaning my teeth, nothing spectacular, but pretty much your standard job. Other things to consider with this produce include the fact that it is sweetened using saccharin. This product also contains fluoride, which can be a double edged sword. Fluoride is poisonous and can be fatal at high concentrations, but is also reduces cavities at lower (non fatal) concentrations. Depending upon your feelings about fluoride this may be a pro or a con.

The second produce is the Tom's of Maine Natural Whole Care anti-cavity and tartar control plus whitening fluoride toothpaste....did they miss any thing in that product name? The flavor of the Tom's of Maine was much much milder than that of the first product. This is probably because it is sweetened with Xylitol (A natural sugar substitute) insted of Saccharin. Where this product really lost me was in the bubbles - or lack there of. There were absolutly NO bubbles when using this product...call me old fashioned, but I like the bubbles. Tom's of Maine was not at all gritty, and seemed to clean as well as the regular toothpaste. I like that this product is all natural and actually wasn't as expensive as I had expected. While I couldn't get past the no bubbling thing I will say that we ave use the kid's strawberry stuff for our kids and they absolutely LOVE it.

Finally we have the toothsoap. This product was not really what I expected. First off, it's not a toothpaste it is a soap. It comes as a liquid that you drip onto your toothbrush. I got the citrus flavor, but this product comes is a load of flavors, everything from your standard spearmint all the way out to honey BBQ. The flavor was not at all overwhelming, it was probably the mildest of all three products that I tried. To be honest, the soapy taste does take a little getting used to, but I found that eventually I sort of enjoyed it. One of the big selling points for me was the bubble action. The Toothsoap sprang into action creating thick, dense bubbles....just the kind I prefer. It was not at all gritty as it is a soap and not a paste. But the final straw was the cleaning power. I came out of brushing my teeth with this stuff feeling that I had just left the dentist...without all the scraping. It was really quite lovely.

So in conclusion I have to go with superior bubbling and cleaning of the Toothsoap. Second place it a toss up as the non-bubbling Toms and too minty A&H are pretty much tied in my book. If you are interested in trying some toothsoap for yourself, you're in luck! I'm giving a bottle of toothsoap to two lucky readers. Leave a comment below telling me what your most important factor in tooth cleaning products is for entry. I'll announce the winners on next week's Spiff it up Sunday post!

Follow Friday

2010-04-16T05:53:00.001-07:00

I'm a little slow on the uptake. Last Friday (and frankly every Friday) I have seen a bunch of posts with the ff hashtag. I finally figured out that this is for "follow Friday".

I realize that this is a Twitter thing, but I'm going to make it into a blog post cause im a rebel like that.

I've decided to spotlight one of my very favorite blogs. A blog that you may not have had the good luck to read lately.

The blog is Lazy Kate Creates. Kate lives a charmed life in New England. (I'm of the opinion that New England is the ONLY place to live a charmed life.) She knits, crafts, works at a totally groovy antique shop and takes fabulous photographs. On top of all that she is planning her wedding to a super cute young man.

So go check Kate out and leave her some lovin'

Post it note Tuesday!

2010-04-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Monday Menu Plan - back on the wagon edition

2010-04-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've planned my weekly meals. What with launching the design site, trying to spiff myself up, getting ready for summer and wrangling my kids I let it slide. This was, quite frankly, a stoopid thing to do. Planning my meals is one of the easiest ways for me to save time and sanity throughout the week....what was I thinking??

So here we go...Monday Menu Plan - back on the wagon edition

Monday - Left-over Vegetable Curry

Tuesday - Beef Lo Mein - I will probably double this so that there are left-overs for Wednesday

Wednesday - Left-over beef lo Mein

Thursday - Kebabs - These can be made the day before and just thrown on the grill for about 10 min....yummers!!

Friday - Left-over kebabs

Saturday- Coconut Shrimp with Mango Chutney

Sunday- Baked Ziti

Spiff it up Sunday - The window to the Soul

2010-04-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first installment of Spiff it up Sunday. Today we are talking about the eyes because they ARE the window to your soul...or some other crap that someone made up.

Before that, however, I want to tell Nalamienea, who totally (and rightfully) called me out for not wearing sunscreen that I bought some from Olay and have been wearing it religiously for the past week. It's not as bad as I thought it would be.

If you recall, my main issues were under eye puffiness and general make-up stupidity.

This week I tried out three products. The first was recommended by MommaPebz Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew anti-puff eye roller. First off...this product took less time to use than to type so there is a plus right there. From the box:
results
Instantly: eyes look renewed and refreshed
in 1 week: uner-eye puffiness is reduced and women saw dark circles diminished
With continued use: the severity of puffiness is further reduced and dark circles stay minimized.

Okay....Three photos:

Pre-Treatment

Immedietly post-treatment

~1 week of treatment

The lighting is a little different and factors such as amount of sleep and general craziness of me day were not mitigated, but I think that the puffiness may have been a bit less in the last photo. My conclusion is that the bit about instant results is crap...I think that my eyes look worse in the immediately post treatment photo. But, the bit about continued use may be right. I think that there is less puffiness and less dark circles. Well see if this product can keep up when the kids are out of school.....it will be harder to apply because my eyes will be twitching.

I also tried out two make-uppy products this week. The first was recommended by Supahmommy and is Clinique's Cream Eyeliner in deep brown. The other one is Cover Girl Eye Brightening Shadow Pallet that I got because I thought I looked a little stoopid with eyeliner and no shadow. Here is some before and after action for you.

Before

After

And because I don't walk around with my eyes closed (usually)

I put this on myself...when the lady at the Clinique counter put the eyeliner on I looked like a painted whore (or at least I thought I did). Just a little tip, Clinique Lady, when someone comes to you and says "I was told to buy this eyeliner, but I don't know how to use it." It's probably best to have a bit of a light hand. Rome wasn't built in a day ...or painted for that matter.

I don't hate it....though I think that I look a little like a half made up drag queen in that last shot. Maybe it's the lighting. Or the goofy half smile. I think it may take some getting used to.

I learned a few lessons this week:

1. Eye make-up is really hard to get off.
2. Some Clinique employees don't understand moderation. Or the natural look.
3. it's hard to get a good photo of your own eyes.

4. You CAN still buy blue eyeshadow (and liner if you are so moved) but that doesn't make it right.

Next week we are talking teeth. And the week after I'm going to tackle the rest of the make-up issue with lips and blush...any and all suggestions are ~~welcome~~ ~~requested~~ OH DEAR GOD...just PLEASE help me!!

Post it note Tuesday....back on the wagon

2010-04-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

I'm been off of the post it note wagon for a while. But I'm back baby!!

Write it, post it, link it....all the cool cats are doing it!

A note to the Fashion Industry

2010-04-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Dear fashion designer,
As part of my spiff it up goal I recently purchased a pair of shorts. These shorts claim to be made for "women" but bear very little resembelence to the form of a real human woman.

Let me explain.

I realize that, as you work in the fashion industry, you probably have little contact with real women so I will provide some visual assistance. Real women do not, typically, look like this:

More frequently they look like this:

It's okay, we all feel betrayed by cosmo at one time or another. I'll wait while you pull yourself back together.

Ok? Good.

This body structure is due to a number of factors. For example, many woman have actually produced new, very small, people in their bodies! In order to facilitate the removal of these small people, often refered to as children, nature has kindly provided women with an anatomical structure known as "hips". These hips are located below the waist and protrude from the body.

Additionally, many real women enjoy engaging in the consumption of what is known as "food". Some of us indulge in this activity more than others resuling in what is commonly refered to as a "butt", "heiny", "ass", "rear", or even "junk in the trunk". This anatomical addition is not abnormal and is, in fact, thought to be a valuable asset by some parties. (Mix-a-lot, S. 1992)

Now you are a smart person and can probably see where I'm going with this, but let me continue. When you try to put shorts made for a (fictional) woman like this:

Onto a real woman shaped like this:

What results is a gap in the back of the shorts. This gap is irresistable to children (remember them?) and husbands who think that it is hillarious to throw raisins, coins or any other small object down there everytime the woman bends over. This activity is, in fact, NOT hillarious.

So, as you are preparing your new line or entry for project runway or whatever it is that you do, please remember:

NOT

The one where I reinvent myself

2010-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned that Friday is my birthday. (I have?? Oh, just saying). After 35 years of life I think that it is time to completely reinvent myself. I'm going to become a sexy brunette ski instructor. Wha? Kids? Husband? Mortgage?? Okay....instead I'm going to completely reinvent my design site.

When I initially started delinquent designs it seemed like a good idea. Domestic designs was already taken, so delinquent design seemed like the next logical choice. In retrospect perhaps a bit short sighted. The name "Delinquent Designs" may not convey the professional attitude I'm trying to develop. After much soul and web searching I'm changing my professional name to Rocky Run Design. I'm also going to extend my free favicon offer. So please stop on by and get a free favicon. If you already have one, stop by anyway. For the next few weeks I'll be hosting fun contests and giveaways to help spiff up your blog! Don't miss out!!

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Goal Number 2

2010-03-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, my birthday is fast approaching and I'm setting up some long term goals to strive for. My first goal is to get my act together and spiff myself up. My second goal was inspired by this photograph:

This my dears is La Meridien Hotel in Bora Bora. And I WILL be going here for vacation. Someday. Three years from now my youngest child we be almost 4. Old enough for mommy and daddy to leave him and his brothers with the grandparents and have a little vacay. 3 years....I told you these were long term goals.

In that time I should be able to sock away enough cash to pay for this trip...if not, we are going anyway. I'll mortgage the house if I have to. (Okay..I wouldn't do that). I'm figuring about $4000 for the airfare (did you know that it takes 25 hours to fly to Bora Bora and there is no first class service??? WTF??) and another $7000 for a week's stay. My goal is to save up $13,000 just to be safe .... money well spent to walk directly from my bed into the ocean.

Here are a few more photos, just to get you in the mood

Let the count down begin!!

Birthday and Goal Setting

2010-03-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

On Friday I will finally meet all the requirements to become president of the United States of America. (I'm expecting your vote in November.) As a newly minted potential presidential candidate I felt that it would be prudent to set some long term goals. Truth be told I am a very goals oriented person. I need to have something to strive for or else I feel like I'm just treading water.

I have identified two long term goals.

1. Get my act together. I realize that this seems a little vague, but let me explain. I have never been the kind of person who took care of herself. I don't put on make-up, I don't wear moisturizer with SPF50, I don't even shave my legs on a regular basis (especially in the winter). I'm going to change that. I'm going to endeavor to spiff myself up. Problem is, I have NO IDEA how to do that. I don't wear make-up because I don't know how to put it on. I don't use the SPF stuff because I can't find one that doesn't feel like I'm spreading motor oil on my face. I don't wear nice cloths because I have no style and don't know what to buy. Any my hair...let's not even go there...I'm a disaster. I need help people. Let me show you what I'm talking about. This first picture is me on my wedding day:

Look at me, I'm practically translucent. You'd think someone would have held me down and put a little blush on me or something....eyeliner?? Anyone?? Where WERE my bridesmaids??

Frankly, things have not improved much over the intervening 13 years. Here is me just a few months ago:

Sad really. So I'm looking to you blogosphere. Recommend a moisturizer....tell me how to fix my hair...send me a t-shirt that wasn't produced during the Bush Administration (I'm talking the first Bush here!!) I will share my discoveries with any fellow ascetically disinclined readers out there.

I realize that this all seems very superficial....but fact is, I have been working on the "inner" me for 35 years now. I have a Masters Degree in Molecular Biology, I have birthed and (partially) raised 3 kids, I like to think that I am a reasonably kind and giving person. I'm done developing character....its time to develop a sense of style.

Goal number 2.....oh yeah..you know you want to know. Check back tomorrow, it'll be worth it!!

Monday MEME - My favorite part of my house

2010-03-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

With Supahmommy and Mommybrain.

Trying to pick out my favorite part of my house is like trying to pick my favorite child....There is really no contest. My favorite part of my house is, without question, the backyard.

It was the backyard that sold us on this house. We live in a very dense area and to have a large backyard is an enormous bonus. Not only that, but our backyard abuts a wooded area with a small stream. I can't tell you how often and for how long my boys have poked around in that stupid little creek.

Finally, our backyard is home to many other outdoor friends. We have a whole herd of deer that live back there as well as foxes, turtles, snakes, skunks, possums, squirrels, frogs, owls and probably a ton of other stuff we have never been lucky enough to see.

The backyard is like a giant extra room on our house and I wouldn't even trade it for a bigger kitchen.

The One Tough Cookie Award

2010-03-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since anyone has earned the coveted One Tough Cookie award. This award is handed out only when the need arises. Recently the need has reared it's ugly head.

A blog is, in essence, an online home. We like to sit back and write about our day. Maybe have a few friends over for comments. Like visitors to someone's home, blog visitors are expected to be respectful, not spill red wine on the couch, and leave when you have overstayed your welcome. Sadly, some folks just don't play nice. There are those out there who will stop by and leave rude comments, call you names and leave muddy footprints all over the place. So, for keeping cool in the face of rudeness and bigotry I award the second One Tough Cookie Award to........Meeko Fabulous. So let us all raise a cold glass of milk in Meeko's honor!

And lest you forget---Like any good cookie, this should be enjoyed with a cold beverage and kept only as a fond memory. There is no need to keep this hanging around on your blog. Enjoy it while it's fresh!

The In Crowd

2010-03-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

There is some sort of elusive popularity trait which I must admit, I do not posses. I wasn't popular in school. I'm not saying that I was unpopular. I had plenty of friends, and could even be seen carrying on actual conversations with members of the popular crowd. But I was never really a member of that crowd.

I had a very short stint as a probationary member when I was in the 7th grade. Up until 7th grade I went to a Catholic school. (I wasn't popular there either). When I transfered into the enormous local public school it took me about four seconds to determine who the popular group was and to begin

campaigning for admission. Using my newness as the ace in my pocket, I managed to start dating a boy who was firmly entrenched with the cool kids. My catholic school education did nothing to prepare me for what was ahead of me.

There were parties. Prior to my first public school party the only other parties I had been to had been to were birthday and first communion parties. These parties were either girls only or included a priest on the guest list. I was woefully unprepared. I had never heard any of the music they played. (Beastie Boys?? What page of the hymnal were they on?) I didn't know how to do the "dancing". (Those weeks of square dancing practice we had done in gym were clearly useless.) And I was uncomfortable putting my tongue inside someone elses mouth, much less doing it as part of a group.

It didn't take long for me, and everyone else there, to realize that I did not belong.

As junior high school turned into high school I retained my unpopular status, eventually firmly securing it by joining the matching band. I wasn't popular, but I had plenty of friends. I went out on the weekends and I nearly always had a date for important social events.

Eventually I went off to college and Grad school where there either wasn't a popular crowd or I was too busy to notice. I thought that I was done with the popularity contest. Then I went back to elementary school.

Or at least my oldest son did. I was thrown back into the pressure cooker that is the pursuit of the alpha mom. And again I am not popular. At first I tried to get in with the cool moms (and the occasional stay at home dad). I drank red wine, I gossiped about the neighbors and I volunteered to help out the HOA. And then it hot me. I didn't even like these women. They were boring and shallow. So I quit.

I stopped drinking in the late afternoon, I resumed not caring what my neighbors were doing and I called the HOA a bunch of fascists. And guess what. Nothing changed. (except that I got a notice from the HOA indicating that I needed mow my lawn, that was probably just a coincidence.) I was never really going to fit in with those women anyway.

I'm still not a popular mom, but freeing myself from the pursuit of popularity has given me more time for things that I think are worthwhile. Things like hanging out with my kids and husband, hitting the gym a few times a week, and even the occasional nap. I may not be an alpha mom, but my family and my liver, are probably better off for it.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

We're all screwing them up!!

2010-03-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

I ran into my neighbor the other day. She looked rather frazzled. Since she is the mother if a 6 month old baby this isn't completely unexpected. The following conversation ensued:

Me - hey how's it going?

Her - Oh good.

Me - (peeking into the stroller to see a bissfully sleeping baby). Oh look at her sleeping in there.

Her - well she's got to sleep sometime. Heaven knows she not sleeping at night.

Me - (chuckles good naturedly.)

Her - Seriously...I think I'm doing something wrong.

Me - Yeah probably.

Okay....I realize that on the surface this probably wan't a very helpful statement. But the fact is, that we're all doing something wrong.

Raising a kid isn't a math problem. It's not like putting together Ikea furniture. There is no multilingual instruction pamphlet and there is no "right" solution. We're all screwing our kids up. In my opinion, if whatever you do to mess them up can be corrected with intensive psychotherapy later on in life then you are okay. In fact, if we were all perfect parents we would only be making things worse. I mean who would they blame their issues in later life on if their mothers had been perfect? Themselves?? I hardly think so.

Any while we're at it....let's give each other a little bit of slack. I'm on my third trip around with this kid raising thing and I'm still flying by te seat of my pants. In fact, if I have learned anything, it's that my way isn't the right way. It may be working for me (or maybe not.....) but that doesn't mean that it's going to work for the mom up the street. We need to back off of each other and back off of ourselves and just enjoy the ride. This whole working mom vs stay at home mom, homeschooling mom vs public school mom, mom of one vs mom of many crap is ridiculous. WE'RE ALL SCREWING IT UP!!!

Pour yourself another glass of wine and start saving for therapy. (Unless you're one of those sober moms...you guys are totally f'd up!)

PS Don't forget free pastries tomorrow at Starbucks. It ends at 10:30. How many cups of coffee and free pastries do you think I can get between 9:30 and 10:30??

Cotton Eye Joe

2010-03-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

It's Just Dance Your Bloggy Off time again.

Since I was crowned Queen of the Dance last week I felt that it was only right that I attempt to defend the crown this week. I didn't practice as much as I would have liked. This week involved two children with fevers over 104 degrees, one child who broke out in a full body rash because he was allergic to an antibiotic and one child who ran over his own lip with a scooter and needed to get 3 stitches. I only have 3 kids....you do the math.

Anyway - here is the video.

Note to self - get more supportive brassiere.

BTW - Scroll down for a coupon for a FREE Starbucks pastry!!

Free pastry day at Starbucks.

2010-03-19T05:27:00.001-07:00

I love Starbucks, and now, Starbucks is loving me back.

Starbucks is giving out free pastries on March 21 with the purchase of a drink. Didn't get the coupon? Drop me a comment with your email and I'll send you one!!

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

SLACKER!!

2010-03-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Okay...I've been a total posting slacker. I'm a bad person, let's move on. I have a good(ish) excuse though. I have been seeing another blog. I know...I know. We have something special her, but frankly I feel like I need something a little more. It's not you it's me.

I launched my new design site this week over at Delinquent Designs. Stop by to get a FREE favicon and while your there look around. You just might decide that your blog needs a little makeover. Nothing drastic...but really...your eyebrows...well, let's just say wax is your friend.

opps...sorry I was channeling my mother there.

Stop by, get a free favicon...no big whoop.

Prom

2010-03-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

I had always thought that prom would be a big fat hairy deal. I liked to believe that my life was a John Hughes movie in which I was the witty, but misunderstood high school girl. I just knew that going to prom would clue all the popular folks in on how totally friggin' cool I was.

I was asked to the prom all 3 years of my high school career, but only actually went my senior year. Sophmore year a senior asked me, but he wasn't really my type so I said no. Junior year my date dumped me a week before the dance. In retrospect I can hardly blame him since I kept calling him by the name of another boy I was also dating at the time.

I had a steady boyfriend all of senior year. He was a college guy, which made him cool, but he also brought me flowers every week which made him sweet. As far as a high school boyfried goes, this guy was pretty much the total package. Did I mention that he was handome, had his own car and could buy beer?? Like I said, total package. Can you really blame me for being crazy about him??

Prom turned out to be a bust. My date wasn't into dancing, but didn't want me to dance with anyone else. Turns out he was a bit possesive. In fact, he didn't even want to sit next to another guy. This was problematic because my dress, like every other girl at the table's dress, was covered in sequence and we kept getting tangled together.

We didn't dance, we didn't go to any of the after parties, I wasn't elected prom queen. (Truth be told, I don't think that we had a prom queen).

Prom cane and went and my life was pretty much unchanged.

I glad I went, but i'm also glad that it's over. I'm glad that high school in general is over. I'm also glad that high school WASN'T the best time of my life. I'm glad that the best was yet to come!

Yo Tweeps!!

2010-03-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

I love twitter. Mostly because I like to say things like

"I'm checking my twitter feed."
or
"Yo, gotta check in with my tweeps!"
or
"This is twitterific!" (I've never actually said that, but I plan to now.)

Pretty much everything sounds more fun with a tw- at the beginning.

so follow me. I promise to say fun stuff like:

my kids are twidiots!!
or
I'm twiping my kids nose now.
or
Hey! I'll tweak your blog layout for you

okay...I'll come up with better material..just for you.

Just Dance Yer Bloggy Off - Round 2

2010-03-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

I was unprepared for the high level of competition last week. Messy mommy sauntered away with the title of Dance Queen Supreme....a well deserved victory I must say since she SMOKED the competition. This week I put in some serious practice time and I'm hoping that it pays off.

Don't forget, even if I don't get the highest score (Who are we kidding I totally rocked it!!) you can still vote for me as FAN FAVORITE by leaving a comment for either Supahmommy or Shell and telling them how fabulous I am and that you will be devastated if I'm not FAN FAVORITE.

Social Media

2010-03-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

Let me begin by saying that I'm no Luddite. I have all sorts of modern conveniences in my home. Multiple computers, routers, iPhones....you get the idea. Technology is generally great, but sometimes things can go a little awry, especially in the minefield that is social networking.

Let's start with Facebook. For a while I was totally into Facebook. I reconnected with several old friends. I stalked a few old boyfriends and was reminded of why these relationships didn't work out in the first place. Things were good for a few weeks. Then I realized that there are primarily two types of people on Facebook. The type who post every bit of minutiae going on in their lives and the type who only post the fabulousness that is their amazing existence. Frankly I don't care to know about either of these things. While I still check out Facebook occasionally, I no longer maintain the neural up-link that some seem to find indispensable.

Then there is Twitter. I was a little late to Twitter. I have only been tweeting for about 4 months now. I am still a fan of Twitter, and check it somewhat obsessively. I have, however; recently found some flaws in our relationship. For starters, there is the whole following thing. As of the writing of this post, I follow 34 people. If I follow your tweets it's because I'm interested in what you have to say, I will actually read what you have written. I will occasionally get follow notices from people I don't know. At first I was somewhat flattered by this. I thought that someone must have found me interesting enough to read what I had to say. Then I checked these strangers accounts. When you discover that your new best friend is already following 12,000 other people it kinda puts a damper on that whole feeling special thing. Really, once you're following more than, say, 600 tweeters there's no way you can keep up.

Finally, there is blogging. This is not actually my first blog. I started my first blog about 6 years ago because one of my cool friends had one. No one read it. NO. ONE. It was pretty much my own fault. I didn't know how to gain any exposure for myself and frankly wasn't really sure that I wanted anyone to read what I had to say anyway. Since then I have either gained some confidence or lost some modesty. Either way, I'm so glad to have you all here reading my thoughts.

Blogs are great because you can be picky about what you read. If someone is constantly writing about how fabulous their job/kid/hamster or about their botched plastic surgery or their strange potato fetish you can just stop reading. But you are just as likely to become interested in someone who you would never meet in your real life like a cool struggling artist, or a German Geology student. And whatever you ARE into chances are there is a blog for you. like haiku? Into woodworking? can't get enough knitting?
Blogs have got you covered.

Blogs can be well written or cn b ritten n txt spk. Blogs can be fascinating, or mundane - though the best are usually both. At any rate, I think/hope that blogging is here to stay 'cause I'm in it for the long haul!!

Tough Cookie Award

2010-03-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

I have made an award. This will be my first award and I have to tell you that I will only hand it out very judiciously. It is the One Tough Cookie Award.

Blogging can be tough. You are putting yourself out there. You are airing out your dirty laundry for all the world to see. For all those bloggers out there who are putting it on the line and not always reaping the rewards they deserve I present

The first winner is....drum roll......Supahmommy. And not just because we were BFFs in high school <---total lie. Supah blogs from the heart and don't take no guff from anyone, including multinational corporations. (Ebay is multinational right?) So Supah, here's to you because you are One Tough Cookie!!

PS Like any good cookie, this should be enjoyed with a cold beverage and kept only as a fond memory. There is no need to keep this hanging around on your blog. Enjoy it while it's fresh!

post-it note Tuesday - wack job neighbor edition

2010-03-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

Ugh..I can't believe I'm still awake...but the post-it calls. These post-it's aren't up to my usual graphical standard, bite me.

Let's hope Scooter Dude doesn't read my blog...cause he knows where I live.

All about ME meme

2010-03-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy

It's been said that a picture is worth
a thousand words.

Well, prove it.

Turn the camera on yourself ... post a self-portrait ...

a portrait of yourself created by yourself

or write a thousand words* about yourself
and use Wordle to create a word picture - so cool!

*give or take a few hundred

Your choice.

____________________________________________________________

I am just loving this wordle thing. I may publish all of my posts in this manner from now on...though it may have ramification on my readership. Anyway, here is a Wordle about MOI!!

Dance Yer Bloggy Off

2010-03-05T05:47:00.000-08:00

As most of you probably don't know, I am a dancing queen. Don't confuse my royal status with competancy however. In a moment if what I can only assume was ~~drug~~ ~~alcohol~~ sleep deprived dimentia I agreed be a part of Supahmommy and Shell's Just Dance yer bloggy off contest and to film myself dancing and post it here on my blog. Since I an a woman of my word. I'm actually going to do it. Without further ado, here it is.....

My kids and I have been having a BLAST with this game. The three year old, 7 year old and I can all play together. We haven't been able to get my hubby to play yet, but I think he plays in secret after everyone is in bed.

Universal Template

2010-03-04T04:57:00.001-08:00

I've posted another new template. This one is a bit more involved that Floralia. Please check it out here and let me know what you think.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

WIMTS Wednesday

2010-03-03T05:57:00.001-08:00

When my kid dumped a whole cup of red jello on the carpet and I said "oh...that's okay. Just be more careful." what I meant to say was "HaHa!! Do it again. Well show your daddy why we should get hardwood floors"

When found out that the Macaroni kids for Fairfax publisher mom job had been taken what i said was "oh, darn. I should have jumped on that earlier." what I meant to say was "g--dammit! I am kicking myself for missing out on that. I can't believe that I didn't snatch that up. I should have contacted Supahmommy and signed up as soon as I got the chance."

New Blogger Template

2010-03-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

I whipped up a new template. It's a little more subdued than my usual, but stranger things have happened. Check it out

All about MeMe:First Kiss

2010-02-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I am not making this up. This is how my first kiss went down. Not much in my life would seem as though it came from a schmaltzy motion picture, in fact I think that this is the only event.

What you are about to read is true to the best of my recollection.

It was the summer of 1987. I had gone away to summer camp for the first time. While there I met a nice young man named Alex. We both happened to be staying for two consecutive sessions, meaning that we were there during the time that most other campers had gone home.

Saturday evening we were sitting on a white bench watching the sunset. (The photo is of the actual location where the kiss took place.) I was lying on my back with my head on his lap. I closed my eyes for a moment and suddenly he was kissing me.

It was a very nice 12 year old kiss. Nothing creepy, no tongue, just sweet. Alex and I entered into a long term preteen relationship that lasted for 3 more days, until I met Hudson.

Alex and I actually remained friends for many years, long after I had forgotten Hudson (which isn't even his name because I can't remember it).

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Whaaaaaaa!!

2010-02-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

Think what you will of me (like I could stop you), but I think that crying babies are high comedy. So much fury contained in such a small package. It's as though all the frustration of crapping in your own pants and being unable to eat solid food finally bubbles to the surface and can not be contained.

For your viewing pleasure I have compile as small sampling of pictures of my kids letting loose. Enjoy.

Supah survivor - Challenge II - The Buff-on

2010-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh it is yet again time for another Supah Survivor challenge. --pause for applause-- This weeks challenge was to design a button to represent ourselves as blogvivors.

I have to tell you, folks, I was robbed last week. I mean what kind of person appeals to a man's most base instincts by showing him boobs?? And really, why didn't I think of that?

So anyway, I have pulled out my mad azz GIMP skillz and whipped up this button (enlarged for your viewing pleasure.)

I think that my button is pretty self explanatory. As a certified Domestic Delinquent...I will take pretty much any excuse I can get to avoid cleaning up after ~~myself~~ my kids resulting in a house that looks a little like that last room.

You know you want this awesomeness....so here you go....get a little something for yourself.

So there you have it....Come on heroes....bring it on!!!

Menu plan Monday - Tuesday edition

2010-02-23T04:18:00.001-08:00

My brain must have shorted out yesterday because I forgot to post my menu plan. Well here it is, just a day late

Sunday - chicken enchaladas

Tuesday - Stir-Fried Pork, Green Beans, and Red Bell Pepper with Gingery Oyster Sauce

Thursday - Red Beans and Rice

Saturday - bratwurst and saurkraut

Sunday - Chicken Paprikash

I think that last week was the very first week in which I completely followed my menu plan. The planets must have aligned somehow because that probably not going to happen again for a while.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

A FO and some bloggy love

2010-02-21T05:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have had any knit wear to show off. I have been hitting the needles a bit, but the 10 million other things that I want/need to do keep getting in the way.

That being said I have managed to finish a pair of ankle socks over the past ~~two~~ ~~four~~ six months. These are from the book Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. This book, along with Socks Soar on Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi have led me to a love affair with knitted socks.

I owe all of you wonderful folks who comment on/follow my blog a big old appology. I have been stingy with the ~~blight~~ (stupid iPod auto correct) bloggy love recently. I hereby promise that everyone who comments on the post will get a heartfelt comment in return. I will also comment on every one of my followers blogs. If you don't have a blog I stil love you!! So I'm not posting here tomorrow because I'll be posting at your place.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Friday confessions

2010-02-19T05:07:00.001-08:00

I ate the last cookie. Somewhere between boy2 dumping a gallon of red jello on the carpet and boy3 puking on me for the fourth time I decided that I deserved it.

I don't actually watch the olympics. I catch the curling online and the highlights on the news, but otherwise it's more trouble than it's worth.

I'm tempted to look at the survivor spoilers-but I won't. Although----

I did look at the bachelor spoilers. But only because I hate the show and font want to waste my time watching the finale if my chosen bachelorette doesn't win.

I will NEVER get sucked into watching the bachelor again. It is mind numbing. And Jake has the personality of damp bread.

I don't care what Tiger Woods has to say. Though I would like to see his wife pimp slap him.

Supahvillains are gonna whoop some supahhero tushie. And we ain't sorry. (We're villainous like that.)

I am stupid excited about getting Just Dance today. Stay tuned for hillariously embarassing video.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

The skew on the olympics

2010-02-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I like curling. In fact curling is really the only winter olympic sport I really like. Okay, there's hockey, but really I'd rather watch the NHL.

I generally enjoy sports. I particularly enjoy football. There is something beautiful about watching a perfectly executed play. It's like a ballet, except someone gets to win.

I know what you're thinking, what about figure skating? That like ballet where someone wins. True. The problem with figure skating is that is too subjective. I mean the German judge can think that you totally blew it while the French judge judge thinks you totally rocked. Who's to say which one is right.

I've given it some thought and here's how i think we can improve figure skating. Each heat twenty skaters take the ice and begin skating in a circle. At random intervals a bell rings and the umpire calls out a jump. Each skater has 10 seconds to complete the jump. If you fall you're out. Wrong jump? You're out. Took too long? OUT!!! This continues until only one skater remains. Pink feather boas are optional.

Okay, now that we have taken care of that, let's get back to curling. There is something really intriguing about the pushing of the stone and the frantic, but precise, sweeping. I also appreciate that curling is an every man sort of sport. I'm not saying that there is no skill involved, but I bet you don't see a lot of curling doping scandals. Finally, there is the team work. 3 people moving one stone to an exact location. Try getting 3 men to agree on anything and you'll understand the enormity of this task. I like to believe that curling is the thinking ~~man's~~ woman's winter Olympic sport.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Post-it note Tuesday

2010-02-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

Supah survivor - the first challenge

2010-02-16T04:11:00.001-08:00

This week the supah survivor competition kicks off with the first immunity challenge.

This week we need to make a valentine for this sexy hunk of felt.

The valentines must be handmade and must include a poem. I gotta tell you people I'm totally going to rock this challenge.

First off, I am one crafty ass bitch. (Martha Stewart?? Who dat?) Second my sonnet writing skill are rivaled only by the bard himself. And finally, I know the way to a mans heart, even if it's made of cloth and polyfil. So without further ado, I present my (almost certainly winning) valentine.

Each of those hearts is filled with a tasty chocolate treat to tempt my furry valentine. The poem is located down at the bottom. It reads:

Roses are red and pink
Harv is orangy-yellow
All those flowers do is stink
But Spitenstein is one sexy fellow

That studly poly-blend suit
Ohh and the way he holds that mike
The species difference is moot
Cause Harv there ain't nothin' 'bout you I don't like.

You've got a hot slicked back doo
And some rockin' orange fluff
Harv I'd do anything for you
even shave my ... legs

I don't know if Harv is anatomically complete
He is just a felty orange puppet.
But let's face it, this guy is elite
Oh yeah, I'd totally schtupp it!!

I just hope that Harv doesn't have some psycho girlfriend. The last thing I need is to see this coming at me from a dark alley.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Menu plan Monday - big dig edition

2010-02-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

Well, we are finally free of the snow (although my kids may never see the inside of a classroom due to 10 foot ice piles on every sidewalk). We did some serious grocery shopping yesterday, so I am stocked up for the rest of the month. So here is a hearty menu fit for post shoveling fuel ups.

Sunday & Monday - tamale pie - I love this stuff. We make an extra one and freeze it for another day.

Tuesday - Steaks with blue cheese butter - yum! Fabulous dry aged steaks were on sale at Wegman's

Wednesday & Thursday - Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Ricotta, and Peas - this is something a little on the logger side.

Friday & Saturday - Pan-Fried Fresh Salmon Cakes - I love these! I make them with a creamy lemon dill sauce. On nom nom nom.

Added due to popular demand - blue cheese butter

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
1 1/2 ounces blue cheese (mild), room temperature
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons minced fresh chive
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine butter, cheese, and salt in medium bowl and mix with stiff rubber spatula until smooth. Fold in chives. While steaks are resting, spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons butter on each one.

Enjoy you week. I'm off to shovel the 4-6 inches of snow were expecting to land on top of the 3 feet already in my driveway.

BTW. Don't forget to check in tomorrow to see my entry into the first supah survivor challenge.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Family Friday

2010-02-12T06:06:00.000-08:00

The family Friday topic this week I how you met your significant other. I LOVE telling the story of how I met my husband because I think that it is very telling of our future relatioship.

It was right after my junior year in college. I was working for the housing department over the summer which meant that I go to stay in one of the dorms. (At the time this was a bi perk because the alternative was staying at my parents house where my drinking and partying would have been secerly curtailed.)

I was staying in the morewood gardens dorm. I picked up my key and found my room. It is importan to note tha all the unoccupied rooms are left open and are only locked once someone is living there. So anyway, I dumped a bunch of stuff in there, took a quick look around, and headed our since I had a meeting in just a few minutes.

This was when I realized the I didn't know how to lock the door. I know what younare thinking, you're nearly a senior at one of the nations top technical colleges and you can't lock the door?? Isn't this a skill you should have aquired by now?? I could tell you that CMU employs some sort of super fancy robotic lock or something, but fact was I just couldn't get my key out of the lock.

I started to panic a little. I couldn't leave my stuff here, but I couldn't miss the first meeting of my new job. It was time to find some help.

I took a quick walk down the hall and saw someones feet propped up on a table. I poked my head in to find a young man eating ramen noodles. The following conversation ensued:

Me: uh..hey. Can you help me a little?

Him: ok

Me: (as we are walking down the hall) I got my key stuck onthe door. I can't believe that incant get it ou I mean how inept must I be. You'd think I would have figured this sort of thing out my now you know? (we have reached the room) Look at how big that room here is. My room is like a fraction of the size of that room blah blah blah blah blah.

Him: (Turns the keynsideways and pulls it out.) Here.

Me: (turning red) oh wow... I can't believe that j didn't figure that out blah blah blah blah

Him: (walking back to him room). See ya.

I went about my day and didn't really see him for a week or so.

Friday rolled around and I thought that I would enjoy an adult beverage. Sadly I couldn't find my bottle opener. So I went for a little walk. There were those feet again.

Me: hey...do you have a bottle opener (I held ip my beer not even thinking that of may have been nice to bring one for the guy who saved my ass only a few days before.)

Him: here

This is when I realized what he was doing with his feet up on that table. He was watching tv. He had his own television - with cable - right there in his room. There was one other tv in the whole dorm. It was in the common room and there was nearly always someone watching star trek on it.

Long story short, to avoid the indignity of watching in the common room, I watched tv in my future husbands room.

I thought he found me annoying. I even came by one time when there was another girl watching his tv (little hussy). I tried to stay away, but he was right down the hall .... With cable.

We started xyphering while I was working late (xypher was an early CMU version on IM). Eventually I realized that I sorta liked him.

The reat is history. We dated all through our senior year, lived together for a year while he finished his masters degree and then got married.

Fast forward 12 years and here we are! Who would have thunk it?

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

The Skew on romance

2010-02-11T04:49:00.000-08:00

Ahhh romance...you know what I'm talking about. Flowers. Serenades. Kissing in the rain. You've all seen the movies. That's romance...or is it?

In high school I had what script writers would consider the worlds most romantic boyfriend. He bought me flowers every week. He played guitar and sang to me and made me mix tapes. He planned elaborate surprises for my birthday. Thing is flowers get old and sometimes you get surprised with things you don't like (a night at the circus for example). Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy and I wish him well, but it just wasn't for me.

Now that I am older and wiser romance is a whole different thing. Romance is the way my husband stepped up big time when I was put on bedrest with boy2. He took care of me, the house and boy1 pretty much all by himself.

It's the way that my hubby makes it clear that even though I don't recieve an actual paycheck as a stay at home mom he still respects the job I do.

It's the way that he brings me tea at night while I put boy3 to bed.

He doesn't sing to me, but he shares his iTunes library with me.

I don't get flowers very often, but I'd rather see that money go into our 401k so that we can have a long happy life together.

We don't kiss in the rain, but he did dig my van out from under 3 feet of snow.

Don't get me wrong, it's not all unicorns pooping rainbows at our house. We have our ups and downs. But I know that he loves me and our kids and that hes always going to come home to us, even if he isn't carrying flowers.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

We've had some Snow

2010-02-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

We've had a bit of snow over the past few days. I think that we are currently holding steady at about 30 inches.

This is my house. Notice the van in the driveway...that's not going anywhere for a while. We live at the bottom of this hill, which hasn't seen a plow yet. Notice the idiot stuck in the middle of the street so that even if a plow happened by it couldn't get down the street.

Boy1 and Boy2 went out to play in the snow last night - before round 2. I was afraid that Boy2 might fall into a snow drift and not be found until the spring thaw.

Boy3 prefers to stay inside where it is warm.

This is one of our other cars...probably not going to see that for a while.

Finally, this is Jim. Jim is a police officer. Jim has been called into work nearly EVERY day of the blizzard to cut down fallen trees so that firetruck and ambulances can reach emergencies. Somehow he has still found the time to snowblow nearly everyone in our cul-de-sac's driveways, offer to run to the store for anyone who had an emergency, and tow at least two stuck cars to the top of the hill (including one VERY ticked off pizza delivery guy). (He also taught me how to start my rental car a few months ago.) So thanks to Jim and all the hard working Fairfax County Police and other first responders out there who don't have the luxury of being trapped in their homes.

Outlast, outwit, outblog

2010-02-09T05:08:00.001-08:00

Let's talk about television. Now I realize that there are those amongst you who do not watch tv or who only watch shows like NOVA. While I appreciate your lifestyle choice, this post my not be for you. Perhaps you should go read a book or play chess or whatever it is that you do while I'm watching LOST.

I like television. There is no point in pretending otherwise. If youvlook at my netflix cue you will find that it is mostly filled with tv shows. What I like about tv is the ability to really get to know a character. Movies are all well and good, but once they're over the people in theme are gone as well.

Generally I prefer scripted shows. I like House, LOST and Numb3rs (though I don't watch numb3rs anymore because of the previously mentioned hulu situation.) I wil watch the occasional reality show. (Somehow I got sucked into "The Bachelor" which I hate, but can't stop watching.). While I haven't watched Survivor in years you can bet your butt that I will watching this season. The reason is that I am a blogvivor this time around. I will be scheaming, forming alliances and backstabbing my fellow blogvivors just like my colleagues on survivor (only I'll be doing it from the comfort of my couch and without eating any bugs). When I win, I will recieve a fabulous gift basket from Supahmomy and the wonderful sponsors you can see scrolling along in the sidebar over there.

So check back in starting Friday to root me on and see my, no doubt hilarious, entries for the weekly challenges.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Post-it note Tuesday - the OMG MORE snow??? Get these children out of my house edition

2010-02-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

La dee laa dee la...Post it note time.

I'll be in the corner twitching.

Meal plan Monday 2/8/10

2010-02-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

Monday already? Being snowed in sure messes with your sense of time. Sadly, the family still needs to eat so I still must cook....here's what we have planned for this week.

Monday - Crock pot veggie curry - this just keeps getting relocated

Tuesday - Curry Leftovers

Wednesday - Sloppy joes - This is assuming that I can get to the top of our hill and get to the store by then.

Thursday - Chicken stir-fry

Friday - Leftover stir-fry

Saturday - Chicago style deep dish pizza

Sunday - Chicken enchiladas. These are so yummy that I just have to share the recipe!

Sauce and Filling
1 1/2	tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1	medium onion ,chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3	tablespoons chili powder
2	teaspoons ground coriander
2	teaspoons ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2	teaspoons granulated sugar
12	ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 thighs), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
2	cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each)
1/2	cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
	1 can (4 ounces) pickled jalapeños , drained and chopped (about 1/4 cup)
8	ounces sharp cheddar cheese , grated (2 cups)
Tortillas and Toppings
10	corn tortillas (six-inch)
	Vegetable cooking spray
3	ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)
3/4	cup sour cream
1	avocado , diced medium
5	leaves romaine lettuce washed, dried, and shredded
2	limes , quartered

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE SAUCE AND FILLING: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and 3/4 cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes. Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with cilantro, jalapenos, and cheese in medium bowl and set aside.
2. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.
3. TO ASSEMBLE: Fill, roll, and sauce enchiladas. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and lime wedges separately.

This is from Cook's Illustrated

Owl design

2010-02-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Check out my latest blog design

See it in action and let me know what you think about the navigation bar here.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Poolside Photobooth

2010-02-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

In direct opposition to

the more than two feet of snow on my driveway, I present to you poolside photobooth.

This is my oldest son when he was about 3. He has always been a fish. He joined the swim team when he was 4 and is the fastest swimmer in his age group. Keep your fingers crossed for a full scholarship!

Skewed

2010-02-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Supah is hosting a(nother) blog carnival. (Yeah...I know....again!!)

So here are my thoughts on Mr. John Edwards.

First off, let me say that biologically men are set up to cheat on women while women are set up to find the most suitable male and hang onto him for dear life. Biologically, men can afford to spread their genetic material far and wide and hope that some of them survive to continue the cycle. Women, on the other hand, invest an enormous amount of time and energy into the "production" of offspring and therefore need to choose a mate wisely. That being said, we are also biologically programmed to eat as much high fat food as we can get our hands on, sleep 8 hours a night and smell bad. Just because it's biologically desirable doesn't mean it's morally, ethically or even physically desirable.

I personally think that JE is a lousy rat bastard. First he cheats on his wife. He tries to hide it so that the news doesn't come out while she is still alive. (Seriously?? It's like he's just waiting for her to die.) He puts another marriage in jeopardy by making them lie for him. Then he denies the child that results from the affaire. All the while holding himself up as some sort of golden boy. I'm mean if you're going to be a lying, conniving asshole who thinks with your penis at least admit to it!

I think that JE has to man up to what he has done. He needs to pay Elizabeth SCADS of alimony. He needs to accept his child and support her financially and emotionally. Finally, he needs to accept the fact that no one is going to forgive him for what he has done and he should just crawl into a hole and never be seen in the light of day again.

We also need to remember that it takes two to tango. Rielle Hunter (AKA Lisa Jo Druck) entered into this affair willingly and with the full knowledge that JE was a married man. Come on ladies, we girls need to stick together! Stop sleeping with other women's husbands!

In conclusion, JE = rat bastard. Lisa Jo Druck = bitch. Elizabeth Edwards = tough, classy woman who will move on with her life and be happy without him.

What I Meant To Say

2010-02-03T05:25:00.001-08:00

To the woman who tailgated me for three miles before cutting me off on the way into target only to park right next to me.

"congratulations!! You made it here 6 seconds before me!! You are amazing. I hope that endangering my life and the lives of my three children was worth it. You, my friend, are an American freaking hero because not only did you get here first, but you also managed to park 6 feet closer to the entrance!! You rock because it's important for you to be as close as possible to the door. Never mind the fact that I have to drag 3 kids with me while you, a young healthy woman can just stroll across the parking lot. In fact, I believe that there is a parapelegic pulling out of a handicapped spot up front. You should go and take that spot. Maybe you can run over a puppy on your way to get there."

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

post-it note Tuesday - better late than never

2010-02-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Free Template

2010-02-01T20:20:00.001-08:00

I had such fun remaking my blog that I just couldn't stop. I whipped up a new template with a cute nav bar. (If I do say so myself.)

If you like it please go ahead and grab it. I will happily edit the header for you and even put your links for the nav bar into the HTML code.

(Click the image for a bigger picture.)

Get the code here.

Please let me know what you think because I live for your approval. Love it? Hate it? A horrid memory your inner eye will never be able to erase?

BUSTED

2010-02-01T07:02:00.001-08:00

I'm not a very good driver. Im also not a dangerous driver. So while I may poke along at the speed limit in the fast lane and refuse to change lanes unless I have roughly 1/3 mile in every direction I don't get pulled over very often. Not that it has never happened....

I was driving home one day, only a few months after moving into our new house. Here in Virginia we have these HOV lanes. You must have two or more people in your car to use the HOV lane. The HOV even has some exits that are not available to the unaccompanied driver. As I was driving home I noticed that the exit that leads right on to my home was open. Keep in mind that we had just moved here and I was unfamiliar with the roads.

So I merge into the HOV to use the exit, not realizing that it was an HOV only exit. Once I did figure it out it was too late to merge back out of the lane. I proceed down the ramp to see a policeman pulling over cars left and right. I'm busted!

I pull over and roll the window down. I'm already getting a little misty eyed. (I don't know why, but getting pulled over sends me over the edge.) The following conversation ensues:

Officer: You're in the hov lane. You need to have a passenger to drive in this lane.

Me: I have my cat. (I was coming home from the vet.)

Officer: Sorry, it's no good if you're pregnant either. (Good to know I guess.)

Me: uhh okay. How much is this going to cost?

Officer: Well, have you done this before?

*At this point I should say that I was flustered and feeeking out a little. I THOUGHT he said "is this the first time you have done this?"

Me: yes

Officer: wel then it could be as much as $1000 dollars.

Me in complete freakout mode: oh my GAWD! My husband will kill me..* incompressible blubbering *

Officer: I'm sure that the officer who issued your last citation made this clear.

Me: *still blubbering* No. This is the first time I've done this.

Officer: oh, well then it will only be about $50.

I nearly got out of the car and kissed him.

At this point he sent me on my way with a $50 ticket and a near mental breakdown. I have NEVER used the HOV lane without a passenger since.

Consider me rehabilitated.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Menu Monday

2010-02-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

This weeks menu theme is eating less meat. I watched Food, Inc over the weekend and as a result I'm trying to be more selective about the foods I feed my family. I'm trying to move toward mor organic meats, but organic meat is about 3 times more expensive than regular meat. If we cut our meat consumption in half it will be easier to stomach the extra cost. I'm aiming for 4 meatless dinners this week.

Monday - chicken corn chowder

Tuesday - veggie curry. This got bumped last week.

Wednesday - leftover curry

Thursday - fajitas. These get loaded up with peppers and avacado so they don't use too much meat.

Friday - leftover fajitas

Saturday - falafal. Thanks to Kate for this one.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

2010-01-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

These are my boys.

All four of them at about the same age. They grow up way too fast!!

Confession Friday

2010-01-29T07:02:00.000-08:00

Back in the day, when I was a catholic school girl, I went to confession every week. Once I started going to the satanic stronghold that is public school my time in the confessional dropped dramatically. Now, thanks to blog technology and Glamazon I again have the opportunity to confess my wrongdoings.

1. Try as I might, I just can't keep up with pop culture. Just today I discovered the phenomenon of pants on the ground thanks to Sean's Ramblings. While I do like the one on Sean's Blog, being a Neil Young fan I like this one better.

2. Speaking of pop culture. I recently started watching the new season of The Bachelor on Hulu. While I find it repulsive I just can't look away. It's like a trainwreck. Plus I'm waiting for the cra-zee girl to snap. (I'm only on episode 2 or so, so don't give it away.)

3. I feed my kids baby carrots when I don't feel like making them a "real" vegetable.

4. I have a crush on one of the dads on my kid's swim team. He has this sexy British accent....how can I resist that??

5. I let my kids watch too much TV.

6. I ate roughly 50 million peanut M&M's last night.

okay...off to say 10 Hail Marys and an Act of Contrition.

Nutters

2010-01-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Todays blog post is brought to you from the treadmill at my gym. I have been a member of this gym for about 2 years now and, since I'm here three or four times a week, I consider myself a regular. The other regulars (and I use the term very loosly) run the gamut from totally put together productive members of society to complete nut jobs. I like to think that I fall somewhere in the middle.

I'm fully aware that I'm not all that put together. It's a good day if I make it through without getting someone lunch spilled on me (more often or not it's my own lunch). I wear jeans every. Single. Day. I may have a pair of khakis jammed somewhere in the back of my closet, but they haven't seen the light of day since I stopped working four years ago. I don't know how to accessorize and I only have two pairs of shoes. But in my defense I'm not a total nut, I know because I see them every day st the gym.

The gym is full of people whom have made questionable personality choices. Most of these strange behaviors are fairly innocuous and pretty darn entertaining. For example, there is a woman who is ALWAYS dancing. On the treadmill, in the lockerroom, while talking to a trainer...always getting her groove on. If there isn't music she wil make her own by singing. Loudly. And badly. There is one guy who power walks back and forth across the gym floor, right past about 200 treadmills. I'm not entirely sure why he bothers to pat the membership dues. Finally there is the woman who takes a newspaper into the steam room. I don't even know where to go with that.
Other nuts at the gym are, while not strictly dangerous, a bit more insidious. For example, the woman who insists on giving herself a hot oil treatment in the shower. I mean are you kidding me? The shower floors are slippery enough without a reenactment if the Valdez oil spill.
My husband tells tales of men who use the gym provided hair driers to blow dry ..... Well let's just say not the hair on their heads. Would YOU want to use the hair drier after that? Furthermore, in order to gain greater access, they put one foot up on the sink counter. Uuugh! The mental image us bad enough (sorry about that by the way) I think if I had actually seen it I would have to gouge my eyes out.

My question is, is there something wrong with my gym or is every gym full of a bunch of nutters?

UNRELATED ASIDE
Mr. Jobs, I would gladly offer my services on reviewing the ipad. You need only provide me with a brand spanking new ipad with always on 3G technology and 64Gb of memory. In return I will publish a high quality review of your (most likely spectacular) product here on my blog where it will be viewed by literally dozens of people. I can be easily reached by clicking the contact me button in the nav bar. I will look forward to your email.

PS. You look great! Have you been working out?

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Post-it note Tuesday

2010-01-26T16:58:00.001-08:00

menu plan Monday - Home Alone edition

2010-01-24T20:31:00.001-08:00

This week my husband is traveling for work. When he is gone meal planning generally goes to hell. I take the kids out to eat, we buy pizza or we eat Cheetos for dinner (Okay...the last one isn't really true - the kids have to eat carrot with their Cheetos). I'm going to try to do better this time. I am sticking to kid friendly and easy to prepare meals.

Sunday - Leftover pork chops

Monday - Beef Stroganoff. The mushrooms can sometimes present a bit of a challenge, but the kids will generally eat this up.

Tuesday - Leftover Stroganoff

Wednesday - Slow cooker vegetable curry. My kids love this. They are rather adventurous eaters.

Thursday - Leftover curry

Friday - Chicken saltimbocca. This is chicken with sage and prosciutto. Hubby should be back by Friday so i'm planning something a little more grown up.

Saturday - talapia. My kids will inhale talapia.

Sunday - Chicken Corn Chowder. This is a personal favorite of mine. After a full week alone with the kids I think I deserve a little something special.

Well, there you have it. I'm keeping the faith that this plan is easy enough to make and to get my kids to eat that I will stick with it. Wish me luck!

My little echo

2010-01-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate it when you hear your words emerging from the mouth of your child? Nothing slaps me in the face harder than when one of my choice and often used phrases comes flying at me out of their lips. For example:

Boy2: I can't take this anymore.
Me: you can't take what anymore?
Boy2: all of this - making wide sweeping gesture around the room.

I couldn't immediatly determine exactly what was threatening to send him over the edge. Could it be the pepperidge farm goldfish ground into the carpet? Perhaps it was the fact the he had to dress himself from the laundry basket every morning. Was his steady diet of fruit roll-ups and baby carrots finally catching up with him? That's when I realized that he had misplaced one of his 2x2 duplo pieces and could not complete his masterpiece. I dig around under the couch for a few minutes (what? Where do you keep your legos?) and eventually emerged with a slightly yogurty red 2x2 duplo. Tragedy averted, until next time. Stay tuned for "I don't have time for this".

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Coffee

2010-01-23T18:16:00.001-08:00

I have a love/hate relationship with coffee. I love to drink coffee. I love the way coffee smells. I love the color or coffee be it black, as my hubby drinks it, or with cream and sugar, as I drink it. I love just about everything about coffee. I hate when there is no coffee.

Coffee making in the asylum I call a home is a complicated matter. I don't have a Mr. Coffee - well I do, I call him my husband. Coffee making involves the grinding of beans, heating of water, transfer of beans to a filter and finally the application of said water to the beans. The water must be the correct temperature. The beans must be ground correctly. You can't add the water too quickly. It's a process. I can not make my own coffee. I have tried and it never turns out well.

Coffee making is purely the domain of my husband. He has the perfect temperament for the fiddly task of coffee making. This is a man who, if a recipe calls for 1/4 inch dice, will pull out a ruler. Yes, we have a kitchen ruler. This is why it takes him 3 hours to make any kind of meal.

Coffee buying is my domain. Coffee buying is quick, easy and requires only a phone and a credit card (we have our coffee delivered from a roaster in Pittsburgh...don't ask). I can order coffee while I change a diaper and catch up on world events. I'm a free spirit. This is why I can whip up a meal in 20 minutes...though it will never taste the same twice.

(Aside: My husband is making tea right now....How do I know? The timer just went off. He steeps his tea for exactly 3 min in water that is 190 degrees F. I'm not kidding.)

Hubby and I complement each other well. He is methodical and precise. I am fly by the seat of my pants. If it were up to him nothing would ever get started around here because he weighs the pros and cons of every situation. If it were up to me nothing would ever get finished because I don't have the patience to deal with the little details. He doesn't deal well with people he does't know. I like most people more until I do get to know them.

I'm glad we found each other. We would make normal people miserable.

It's All About ME

2010-01-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to populate the navigation bar I present to you

~~100~~ 76 things about me

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pa.
I was adopted when I was 4 days old.
I have since learned the names and addresses of my biological parents.
I have exchanged e-mail with my biological father.
It wasn't the life altering experience made for tv movies would lead you to believe it is.
Despite not working very hard, I graduated near the top of my class in high school.
I was accepted to my top choice college
Due to not working very hard, I graduated near the bottom of my class in college
But I did graduate in four years, which was better than 50% of my peers
I met my husband in college
During my senior year, I basically lived with him in his dorm room
He lived in an all male dorm
I wasn't the only girl living there
I didnt know what I wanted to do with my life after college.
I got my teaching certification
I taught for one year
I hated it.
I eventually got my MS
I defended my thesis when my first son was 3 weeks old
My husband was in the military for four years
We have lived in 7 apartments/homes since we graduated from college
I am a compulsive knitter
I'm trying to break into crochet
My favorite thing to knit are socks
I can crank out a pair of socks in about 18 months
Motherhood has severely cut into my knitting time
I would like to write a novel
My favorite drink is Milk
I can drink 5 gallons in a week
I have three sons
I nursed the first two until they were nearly three
My mother found this appaling
I plan to nurse the third just as long
I have two cats
All of the creatures in my home are male - expect for me.
I went to a jewish preshcool
I went to a catholic elementary school
I went to a public high school
I went to a private college
I have a bachelors degree in biology.
I have a masters degree in molecular biology.
After more that 6 years of higher education I have only worked for 3 years.
I'm pretty sure that I will never work as a biologist ever again
I consider myself to be a little bit of a foodie.
Having 3 kids and eating good food can be difficult, but not impossible.
I go to the gym 4 days a week.
I run on 3 of those days.
I am not a runner.
I only run in hopes that it will give me a fabulous butt.
It's not working.
On Mondays I do yoga.
I have terrible balance.
I live in Virginia
I'd like to move back to Pittsburgh
I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan
I cried when they won the Super Bowl in 2006 because it meant that my second son would be born in a year when they were the world champions
I cried again when they won the super bowl in 2009 because it meant that my third son would also be born during a year when they were the world champions
I would gave another baby if it would clinch another Steelers super bowl ring.
I was in the marching band in high school
I have little to no musical talent
I am very liberal
My father is very republican
We don't talk politics in my parents house
I have a whole series of irrational fears
The least bizarre involves one of my children getting his finger stuck in the drain at the bottom of the pool
I could explain the rest but I would need charts and graphs and an easel.
I am a natural blond
I dyed my hair purple in college
I thought about getting a tattoo
I didn't because I couldn't think of anything to get
I have difficulty feigning interest in things I don't care about
This may be why I have very few friends
I am younger than most of my kids' friends parents
I act older than most of them
I love chocolate
Especially with peanut butter

Wrap it up

2010-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Just wrapping ip some loose ends here.

The blog redesign is pretty much finished off. Lots of thanks to the Princess of Sarcasm and Nalamienea for their spot on suggestions for tweeking the design. I think I totally love it. In fact I had such a good time doing it that I can't promise that there won't be another (smaller scale) redesign in the new future. Or maybe I'll start a another blog just so I can decorate it.

The navigation bar up there nearly sent me to the loony bin until I realized that bloggers preview feature doesn't do links. Anyway, the bar content is on the way. In the meantime Jane called me out so the contact button now works so you all can harass me over email if you desire.

Finally, look out in the next few weeks for supahmmmy's supah awsome blogvivor contest. I will be playing the part of Pavarti. I'm not sure exactly what this is going to entail, but quite frankly I'm a little scared.

I'm off to brush up on my fire starting and bug eating skills, laterz!

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

What I meant to say...

2010-01-20T09:51:00.001-08:00

I wasn't going to participate in what I meant to say wedsesday. As an act of sanity preservation I try not to remember the situations where I have not lived up to my full potential. (This us likely why most of college is a blur...or it could be because of the alcohol - either way.) But when I let the opportunity to speek my mind to someone I really don't like slip past with nary a bitchy eyebrow raise I knew what fate was telling me.

When the helicopter mom extraordinaire in my son's swimming class said "Maybe he'd be better in the toddlers class." and I said "well, he is a pretty good swimmer."

what I REALLY meant to say was "Listen bitch, my three year old can swim circles around your snot nosed 5 year old golden child. Yes, I realize that he doesn't always listen to direction and sometimes splashes around when he shouldn't. But at least he has some character, unlike your kid who has the personality of play-doh. And while I'm at it, would you let the kid blink once in a while without telling him how to do it?"
"oh yeah, and you can totally suck it!"

I'm going to print this blog post out and have it ready for next week.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Post-it note Tuesday

2010-01-19T14:55:00.001-08:00

Menu plan Monday - the chili intensive edition

2010-01-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note about how I plan my meals and how I ended up with 4 nights of chili in one week.

We do a BIG shopping trip every 3 weeks. I draw up a list for enough meals to feed my family for 21 days. We load all the kids in the car and head on down to the local army fort. We get haircuts for the boys, or at least the three of them with hair, we scout out the BX (that's the base exchange for you civilians), and we go to the commissary. The commissary is the military grocery store. In general, the commissary is cheeper that your standard grocery store. Things like meat and spices are a lot cheeper, fruits and veggies are a little cheeper, and pantry items are about the same ... Generally speeking. So, we do the bulk of our shopping every three weeks and sometimes that ends up with my family getting a healthy dose of chili.

So, here it is, a chili intensive Monday menu plan.

Monday - crunchy baked pork chops

Tuesday - white chicken chili

Wednesday - leftover chili

Thursday - vegetarian chili

Friday - leftover chili

Saturday - skillet carbonara

Sunday -Swiss steak

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Supah Book Club

2010-01-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

Looks like Supah is hosting a book club and I am so there.

This week's reading questions are:

What are you currently reading?
When do you find the time to read?
Where do you do most of your reading?
How do you choose what you read?
From where do you get most of your books?
What do you do with a book after you've finished reading it?
What are your book (reading) quirks?

#1 I am currently reading Another Thing To Fall by Laura Lippman. I got it when I was in Pittsburgh, because I finished the book I brought with me and I needed something to read.

#2. I do not have nearly as much time to read as I would like. Back in the day (AKA before I had kids) I could easily read a book every few days. In fact, Sundays was designated as "reading day". It was a glorious time when we slept in late, stayed in our pajamas all day and did nothing but read....ahhh..the good old days.

#3. I like to read in bed or on the sofa or in my rocking chair (yes...I'm 80 years old, I read in a rocker). Just about anywhere soft, where I can put my feet up and snuggle under a blanket is a prime reading location.

#4. I will read just about anything that crosses my path. I generally prefer science fiction, but not weird science fiction...it's a fine line. I don't much like romance novels or anything mushy like those chicken soup books. The exception to my ban on romance books would be a series of historical romance books I read as a teen. They were each named after the lead female character (I remember Savannah and Roxy being two) and centered around her choosing between two boys during a significant historical event. I can't remember what the series was called. Does anyone remember those?

#5. I get my books from the library or from McKay's used books. I usually just grab a few books from the McKay's free bin whenever I stop by.

#6. After I have finished a book I almost always freecycle it. Unless it is a particularly fabulous book I don't see much reason is hogging it to myself.

#7. My reading quirks are many and varied. If I am reading a book from a series I MUST start at the beginning of the series. I will rarely abandon a series until I have finished all the books, even if they are terrible. If I have read more than 10% of a book I CAN NOT stop reading it. 10%....I count the pages.

I am currently reading the Harry Potter books to my sons. I love reading "real" books to them. I am sad that I won't be able to share some of my personal favorites with them. As the mother of three boys I will very much miss reading the Little House on the Prairie books or Little Woman (one of my all time favorites) with them.

By the way - in case you didn't notice, I have a new blog layout. I'm looking for feedback. Is it too bright? To distracting? Super fabulous?? Please let me know!

Blog Makeover!

2010-01-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

Check it!! I made the blog over!! I hope this works on other browsers, I have only tried it on Safari.

The blog has been looking a little boring for a while now and I was going to have a new design made for me, but I decided to do it myself. I'm totally glad that I did. It is rare now a days that I learn how to do anything new and this was a nice way to brush up on my html and my graphic design skills.

There is more excitement coming in the form of SupahMommy's Blogvivor contest!! So keep an eye out for that. As for now, I have spent so much time looking at the blog the past day that my eyes are blurry and I think I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome.

Team cupcake

2010-01-15T12:26:00.001-08:00

Tonight us PTA movie night. I'm on the baking squad.

Mad props to the first person who can guess the title of the movie.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Credit where credit is due

2010-01-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I mentioned that my cable connection was not so great. Since I believe in giving credit where credit is due I want to say that Cox Cable did come through for me. They sent out a team of (very nice and incredibly tidy) technicians to check every connection and wire and whatever else in the house. Turns out, a big part of our problem was that our router was something like 10 years old (oops, my bad).

So we got a new router. (It is a very sexy little apple number, much nicer than our old SMC router.) Cox ran a new cable line into our house. (You can barely tell where they dug up the yard.) And we now have a crazy fast, reliable like a Japanese car, Internet connection.

So thumbs up to Cox Cable.

(Note: I don't work for or receive money from Cox Cable. I just had a very nice experience. Of course if they wanted to donate some items for Walk To School Week they know where to contact me *wink wink nod nod*)

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Perspective

2010-01-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me you spend your time worrying about what you will make for dinner, whether or not the kids need new shoes or what color granite you want for your new countertops. There is, of course, nothing wrong with all this, it is what keeps your family running. The events of the past few days have led me to gain some much needed perspective.

I look at my children today, and find them safe and healthy with a roof over their heads and food in their bellys. They have easy and reliable access to clean drinking water and advanced medical care. We are infinately lucky.

The sort of disaster we have seen in Haiti brings out the best and the worst in people. Like me, you likely want to do something to help, but you probably don't posses the skill or ability. Ibdo urge you to give what you can monitarily. There are dozens of charities to choose from. I am sending my money to doctors without borders. I am also contacting whomever I can in hopes of helping the children at the BRESMA orphanage in Haiti. Decide how you can help and then do something.

Sadly, there are those who are not so generous in times of need. There are those who would use the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the suffering of millions more to attempt to further their own agendas. These sorts of acts are not only unchristian but inhuman. Children who have lost their homes, mothers who have no water for their babies and men who have watched helplessly as their families have been killed do not need your condemnation. They need your heartfelt prayers and perhaps a small percentage of the take from your donation boxes.

So please, give what you can and keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

To Do List Tuesday - January 12

2010-01-13T05:01:00.001-08:00

(Yes, I know it's Wednesday. It's been a busy week.)

Another Tuesday, another to do list. This weeks list is going to concentrate on getting the house together. Husband and I have been talking about getting the kitchen redone for a while. We have a tendency to make big plans and then let them languish. I'm going to try to buck that trend.

1. Look into cabinetry refacing. I want to completely gut the kitchen and get new cabinets, but hubby wants to see about just getting new cabinet fronts. I am humouring him.

2. Pick out cabinet doors and granite for counter top. Regardless of which way we go with the cabinets this needs to be done.

3. Continue decluttering.

4. Clean out the coat closet. This is a disaster. Think tv sitcom where someone opens the closet and is immedietly burried in a bunch or random junk. That my closet.

5. Make a walk to school week contact. I failed on this one last week.

6. Fix nursery closet. The whole thing fell down with a resounding crash on Sunday. Luckly no one was crushed.

7. Make cupcakes for PTA movie night. I'm on the PTA baking commitee, it's a great way to use up all the cake and brownie mixes I got for a quarter after Christmas.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Whoot!! Who doesn't Love a Post-it??

2010-01-12T18:55:00.001-08:00

We have a winner!!

2010-01-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Random.org commenter #8 has won the free cereal coupons!! Congrats to Amanda!!!

I'm sending you an email so you can give me your address!

congrats again!

Menu plan Monday 1/11

2010-01-11T05:15:00.001-08:00

Holy moly. It's Monday already? Where did last week go? Well, it must be meal planning time again. Some of last weeks meals were more productive than anticipated. By the time the ham was all gone my children were strongly considering a kosher lifestyle. This means that the short ribs got moved to Tuesday. This Friday is movie night at my kids school. Insted of buying pizza from the PTA I will bake my own pizza at home and bring it with us. Not only will this save us some money, but I make better pizza than Dominos. So without further ado, here it is:

Sunday - Thai chicken salad

Tuesday - short ribs

Thursday - white chicken chili

Friday - movie night pizza

Saturday - swedish meatballs

Sunday - crunchy baked pork chops

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Quitter

2010-01-07T15:34:00.001-08:00

For the past few weeks I have been trying to save money on groceries. As of today I officially quit. Here's why.

Harris Teeter is currently running a "super double" coupon promotion. For those of you out of the loop, this means that they will double any coupon up to $1.98 face value. HT is not my usual grocery store. (That would be Wegmans, which I love.) I figured that this was a good enough deal to drive a few miles out of my way for. So I loaded the two little ones into Lucille and drove about 10 miles to the nearest HT.

I got my little envelope of coupons together and hustled everyone into the store. It was almost immedietly apparent that this had been a wasted trip. The prices were all higher than at my beloved Wegmans. In fact, most of the prices were so high that the doubling of my coupons would only result on the shelf price at Wegmans. The few products that would have been a good deal were all completely sold out.

As I was driving home, frustrated and hungry, I thought about the whole process. I had spent over an hour driving around, wandering through the store and waiting on line to save something like $8. This was time I could have spent playing with my kids, cuddling with my baby or heck, even cleaning my house.

So I'm giving up the pursuit of savings ... Or at least the pursuit of extreme savings. I'll probably still clip coupons and I'll still scope out Target a week after the major holidays. Fact is, I'm never going to feed my family on $10 a week, so I'm done running all over Virginia trying to.

This will give me more time to clean the house....or not.

Hey-don't forget to leave your comment to win free cereal coupons.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

The Mommy Machine

2010-01-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

I'm totally in love with my new car. It is, in fact, not even a car, it is a VAN. I never really pictured myself as the minivan person, in fact I was sold in buying an SUV...this is until I saw Lucille. She is by far the most fabulous piece of engineering I have ever had the pleasure to spill coffee on. There are storage bins everywhere, plugs for Nintendos, a DVD player with wireless headphones (do I need to say it again....WIRELESS HEADPHONES!!), LATCH hook-ups galore and the backs of the seats are footprint friendly wipe-off-able plastic.

The biggest difference is how I feel driving the thing around. I feel like a serious mommy. No more pretending that I'm some hip single gal in my little sedan. No way...I'm driving a minivan. Look out!! I finally feel like I belong when I pull into the giant spaces at Target or expertly open my automatic sliding doors to unload kids in front of the elementary school.

Once upon a time I was the kind of woman who could confidently mix up complicated chemical solutions, clone organisms hell bent on killing me and statistically analyze mountains of data. I'm pretty sure that I could still do all of those things, but I really don't want to anymore. I have aquired a whole new set of skills. Mommy skills, like continuing to grocery shop as a 2 year old screams from the cart because he wants cookies NOW. I have learned how to successfully navigate the intricate social hierarchy of the elementary school pick-up lobby. I can dose a screaming toddler with 5 ml of Amoxicillin with my eyes closed. My diplomatic skills have been honed to a razor edge by tough negotiations involving the consumption of such things as cauliflower and pesto. I have changed diapers that would make war-hardened Marines weep.

That's right people....Look out! I'm a mommy of three boys. Nothing you do can scare me. I even have the vehicle to prove it.

To do list Tuesday 1/5

2010-01-05T10:39:00.001-08:00

Whew. Tuesday again already. The last two weeks have been insanity! Boy1 is back to school, hubby is back to work and I'm trying to get back on schedule.

This weeks list is going to finally finish up all the holiday crazyness.

1. Make one last sweep of the house to find and put away all the christmas stuff. This would include plates and dish towel that had to be washed as well as the new stuff I bought on clearance.
2. Declutter the hotspots that I previously cleaned. The buffet, tv thing, breakfast bar and dining room table have suffered under a barrage of food, cards, and other festive clutter. It's time for all if that to go.
3. Get rid of the cookies. With the possible exception of the biscotti, any cookies not consumed by Friday are destined for the compost bin.
4. Organize food containors. Any orphaned lids or bottoms or anything that has seen too many hours with spaghetti sauce is getting the boot.
5. ~~Paint outside woodwork.~~ Hahahaha! Who am I kidding? Hire someone to paint outside woodwork.
6. Figure out how to make blog layout 3 columns. I have some plans....
7. Photograph and blog about photo wall. I had totally forgotten about this during all the madness.
8. Make one contact for walk to school week. The event isn't until October, but some places need nine months notice.
9. Return library books. Seriously, the library police are going to be knocking on my door soon.
10. Make doctors appointments.

Yawn. Sort of a boring list after the fun of the holidays, but whadda ya gonna do?

Don't forget to submit your cereal memories to my free cereal contest!

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone

Dear resolutioners

2010-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Every year around this time my gym is innundated by resoulotioners. These folks show up on the first Monday after new years (aka today) to start their new work out routine. Great, good for you. Now get out of my way. We all know that 80% of you will be gone by March. And while you are here you will crowd up the showers, make me wait for a treadmill and arrive at yoga class late and think you can jam you mat into the 6 inch space between me and the mirror.

So that I don't have to kill you, here are some handy tips to follow for the next 3 months.

1. Treat the locker room as though it were your own bathroom. You don't leave wet towels on the floor in your bathroom, don't leave them on the floor in the lockerroom showers.
2. Wear a damn towel. I don't care how fabulous your butt looks, I don't want to see it.
3. Don't color or perm your hair in the lockerroom. You know all those reasons why you don't want to do it at home, well that is why I don't want you doing it in my lockerroom. If you just can't stomach the mess in your own bathroom, pony up and get it done professionally.
4. Don't chat on your cell phone while you are on the treadmill. This us just a personal pet peeve.
5. Yoga starts at 4. If you arrive late you screw with everyones chi.

Thank you for your time. Enjoy the next three months and I'll see you again in January.

- Posted by Krista from my iPhone