The Aftermath

I cannot be the only one...who thinks the corporations that thought it was a good idea to make the day after Thanksgiving, the one day of the year that is synonymous with eating and drinking too much, the same day as the biggest shopping day of the year, are a group of evil masterminds. While thinking about these wicked geniuses I envisioned the consumer prepping for their Black Friday, I imagined it went something like this:

I pictured the deal seekers, getting out of their beds like bloated ninjas, passing the half eaten pumpkin pie still on the kitchen counter with a lonely fork leaning off the edge of the tin from last night, on their way out the back door. These go-getter shoppers double checking their list in the car, making sure their credit cards are in their wallets, and finally taking a deep breath before putting on their seat belts. I imagined these penny pincher's making their way to the shopping malls, department stores, and big box stores wishing they remembered the Alka seltzer and Advil, all the while trying to not be pushed or have their toes trampled on. These masters of bargain hunting finally reaching the blue ribbon at the end of the race, a half price flat screen or a deeply discounted video game system, and sighing in relief that the whole fiasco was worth it.

To these shopper I wish you successful shopping and fantastic deals, but for me I am going to sit, think about the creative ways I will use those leftovers to over-stuff myself again today, and watch holiday movies on t.v (that I will ruin for everyone else by saying my favorite lines out loud). That is how I will be spending my Thanksgiving aftermath; stuffed, using minimal brain waves, and never putting on a pair of shoes.

The Obligatory Thankful List

I cannot be the only one...who feels obligated to have a list that shows all my gratitude ready at a moments notice to share with those around me on Thanksgiving.  Please don't misinterpret my sense of obligation with being ungrateful, I am very, very thankful for the many people and the things in my life, I am just not fond of an on the spot listing of those things (sometimes in front of a decent sized audience). To prepare myself for this spotlight on Thanksgiving I decided to put together a quick reference (see how professionally I am handling this very personal moment) of the more fantastic moments of my life.

I am thankful for my son and my husband, who make my life worth living with their laughter, and who only drive me up the wall once or twice a week (for this I am thankful because it could definitely be worse).

Obviously, I am beyond thankful to my family who step it up and pitch in when we really need them (and only slightly make me a little crazier for having to have asked for their help), and I appreciate them greatly.

I am thankful that we were able to find a place to call our own this past year, even with an incredibly inflated realty market that made me want to forget the whole thing at times and just move back in with my parents, but now that we are here in our new home and town it was worth the agitation.

Okay, enough with the sarcasm, I am thankful for all of the gifts in my life, the friends, the family, and the comforts that make my life what it is (look, Thanksgiving isn't really my type of sentimental holiday, wait for New Year's Eve then I'll bring the sentimentalism).

Happy Thanksgiving to you all...I hope you all get a chance to be with the one's you are thankful for this Thanksgiving (sans the speech giving of course).

Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Color: Polished Thumbs Up?

I cannot be the only one...who is inspired by the colors associated with the holidays; rich oranges, sparkling reds, and many a hue of green. In an attempt to show a little of that cheer, I decided to use my finger nails to express my love of the holiday color palette.  I am not talking about creating small versions of the infamous Christmas sweater on my nails, no small wreaths or hanging jingle bells here, but simple, tasteful colors and this is where my latest nail polish purchase comes into the equation.

I was browsing the toothpaste aisle at the local Wal-Mart (definitely picking up a tube of Crest 3-D white, the best...read about it here) and low and behold the end of the exciting dental health aisle shot me right out to the brightly back lit cosmetic aisle. Feeling drawn into the the shining light and colors like a moth to a flame, I browsed my way to the Rimmel section and decided my finger nails could use a little pick me up.  All the Rimmel nail polishes are fairly priced (starting at a dollar and half up to about three dollars), so the choice I made was purely based on color alone.  The Rimmel 60 Seconds polish in Sage is where my eye gravitated to, I know you are probably thinking, "green?" but it is a demure green heavy on the grey (literally imagine the fresh sage you are going to use during your Thanksgiving cooking this week). I purchased my wares, including the Rimmel polish, and made my way home, excited to give the new polish a try.

I got all the evening chores put to bed, bath time with Sonny Boy, taking Barko the wonder dog for a walk, and finding the hidden t.v. remote for the Hubby, and set off to manicure up my nails.  The Rimmel 60 Second polish bottle boast it is a "one-coat" nail polish that dries in "60 seconds," those are tall orders to fill in my mind, but I am an adventurer so I shook the bottle, dipped the brush, and got to painting.  The polish did not cover enough for my taste in one coat and truthfully after 60 seconds it was a bit sticky to the touch, BUT the color is amazing, it is shiny, and has not chipped after three days of mom chores (you know dishes, zipping up zippers, scrubbing the tub, etc.).  Considering the toughness of the polish and the accuracy of the color from bottle to nails, I would definitely recommend the Rimmel 60 Second nail polish in any color, but especially in sage, why not try something a little different? I give the polish two beautifully painted thumbs up.

Juggling the School Holiday's

I cannot be the only one...who, as a working mama, associates school holidays with a mad scramble to find someone to watch their child; making phone calls calling in favors, while dropping discreet reminders of something you did for that person in the recent past. Harboring hopes that the person you decide to ask will offer their assistance before you have to resort to begging and making future promises of your services when needed.

As I sat down at the kitchen counter, iPhone nearby on the ready to put those contacts to the test, I

threw together a mental list of those most likely willing to chip in during this holiday week.  Scrolling through the smiling faces in my contact list, I can almost hear the echoes of my friends and family in the past letting me know, "what a joy," my Sonny Boy has been to watch, and I start feeling optimistic that I will get this figured out quicker than I expect.  Luckily, I nailed down a schedule with only a few promises made to be no longer than a couple of hours at a stretch, after all, it is the week of Thanksgiving, many an errand must be ran in order to prepare, and managing a kindergartner at the super market during the biggest week for groceries is less than desirable (don't I know it).

The need for extra child care is one of the many woes of being a parent. Those of you lucky enough to have amazing people in your lives, people who happily offer to watch your little ones while their school is boarded up for a week (or two come Christmas time), are fortunate, fortunate people and have something to be very thankful for this Thanksgiving.  For the rest of you in the same boat as I am, out in the open seas all alone, I hope you are able to work out a plan that makes your child happy, keeps you employed, and gives you all peace of mind until school starts back up.

A Wild Week in the Wind (11/24/13)

I cannot be the only one...who can imagine the pages of the 2013 calendar blowing and tearing off quickly racing us to the end of the year.  We are on the last stretch of the year, it is time to eat too much, imbibe more than usual, and get gifty with the ones we love.

This past week flew by just like those calendar pages I was imagining, the hubby had a minor procedure and has been couch bound making my life a tiny bit more difficult than usual (well maybe a lot more difficult), but hopefully will be back at work on Monday, fingers crossed.

Sonny Boy's school had their Thanksgiving extravaganza, every student was asked to donate a specific food item, for us it was King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, and of course Sonny Boy ate...nothing.  Picky eaters and Thanksgiving is not a great mix, I can already see myself making him a grilled cheese this coming Thanksgiving.

my little Indian chief

Lastly, we have been hiding in the house from ridiculous winds, the type of winds that are knocking down our outdoor furniture, ripping all the leaves off my plants, and causing sneezing in conjunction with a delightful running nose (this is a Southern California fall weather charm).

Here are the household trends for this last week:
#husbandathome
#schoolthanksgiving
#wildwinds

Here we go folks, Thanksgiving is next week and as much as we all enjoy the turkey and the literally stuffing of the turkey and ourselves, this means that the race to the holidays is officially on.  Get ready to add more shopping to your already busy weekly to-do list...

Putting Myself Out There

I cannot be the only one...who sometimes gets lost in her daily routines, so lost that when the frenzy finally calms down for the day, and she thinks about the world outside of her harmonious home life, she isn't really sure where she fits in anymore. I dream big about the ways I am going to put myself out there for the world, let my talents shine, but then something happens. I pull back at the last minute telling myself I am still trying to put my thoughts in order and I should wait to offer my brilliance until I can launch my boat in tip top shape.

If your life has been anything like mine, your biological clock gave it's first loud tick right around the same time your career was hitting it's stride, needless to say the timing was not the best.  I decided to answer the call of my biological clock and was lucky enough to have the fantastic Sonny Boy, but my ability to give my career the attention it needed, combined with the bad economy, equaled unemployment for the first time in ten years.  This gave me a chance to put all that work ethic into making the best home life I could for my little family of three....but then something else happened, that Sonny Boy kept growing and growing, and now he doesn't need me quite as much.  Which brings us back to where I sit today, pondering over the type of things I want to do, my doubts of what I can do, and wondering how thin is the line between growing a new career but still being totally available to my family.

As I write this I haven't come any closer to the answer of what I will be to the rest of the world now that I am Sonny Boy's mama, I think next week I will put myself out there and see what bites...then again maybe I need to spend a day or two more making a game plan...here I go again.

I Used to Have Style...Now I Have a Child

I cannot be the only one....who used to have style, I'm talking up on the trends, shopped at fashionable stores, and thought of my wardrobe as something of an investment. Now, as a mom, all of that knowledge of what was haute has disappeared and has been replaced with a mastery of all the latest Lego sets, which doesn't quite compliment my outward appearance in the same way.

I remember the days, pre-Sonny Boy, that I would dress for work, and by dress I mean an outfit, accessories, and shoes (not practical shoes, but shoes that were uncomfortable and looked great). I loved going out on the weekend because it was an excuse to wear the clothes that were too fancy for work, even though I knew Sunday morning my feet would be killing me from being out and about in heels all evening.  Now, post Sonny Boy, I would say my style is...utilitarian, I dress for the occasion and most of those occasions are picking up and dropping off at school, playing in the park, and unfortunately a wealth of cleaning up.  I stay away from those fancy duds in my closet in fear of ruining those fabulous blouses with chocolate covered hands or sloppy faced hugs and then I would have no reason to keep all those fancy rags with memories embedded in their threads.

Please do not get me wrong, I know there are mama's out there that are bringing it with the fashion and climbing trees with their children (well, maybe not climbing trees per se, but you get my gist).  I see some of the mom's at Sonny Boy's school in full fashion regalia: dresses, coats, tights and boots looking fantastic, so maybe it's not the mom in me that moved my flair for fashion to the back seat but just a natural change in what I am passionate about....which is now my family (and that passion takes a lot of work).

The Flu Shot Doesn't Make You Invincible?

I cannot be the only one....who after receiving their flu shot had an inflated sense of invincibility to germs, after all, wasn't I injected with a live active super version of the flu? Even though the pamphlet that accompanies the inoculation doesn't actually say it protects against the common cold...it has to make you at least a little stronger to fight those pesky germs, right?

I dislike you common cold!

It was just a week ago, while standing in the morning kindergarten line up that I was boasting about the flu shot. Sure I had never actually got a flu shot in the past, but something about my initiative against this seasons flu made me feel like I could take on the world of germs.  A boy in line behind Sonny Boy was coughing without covering his mouth, I wasn't worried, a girl in his class vomited on the Share rug, I didn't start to break out in a cold sweat, why...because we got flu shots.  Yet, here I sit, pockets stuffed with tissue, rosy nosed, with a hoarse throat attempting to pretend that this is just a side effect of my allergies.  Last night was the second night I took cold medicine and had to sleep with the noisy humidifier steaming up our bedroom, my husband was one sniffle away from moving to the couch to escape my restless bacteria filled coughing, but I still resisted throwing in the towel and admitting I had yet another cold.

I guess the good news is that my immune system is going to be impermeable to germs, with the succession of colds in addition to my super flu shot, I should be able to make it through Thanksgiving, into Christmas, and past New Years without one sick day.  Wait...maybe my over confidence is kicking in again.  I should set my sights lower, I should be able to make it to Thanksgiving without another cold, that is unless Sonny Boys picks up something at the school wide Thanksgiving feast, in which case we will be back to square one.

The Award For Greatest Goofball Goes To...

I cannot be the only one....whose child is incapable of completing any task without a healthy dose of goofball antics. My attempts to teach Sonny Boy how to judge when fooling around is okay and when it is not, has only landed him in and out of time-out (over and over again, to the point he is about to wear out the kitchen timer). To help illustrate my level of frustration at the goofing off that is plaguing my once peaceful existence, I offer you these three examples:

1. Running late for school: I implore Sonny Boy to please put on his very easy velcro shoes, which he starts to do, until he decides to put his shoes on his hands and chase after the dog.

2. Dinner time: I beg Sonny Boy to please take a bite of food between his incessant talk concerning the latest episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, instead he uses his fork as a sword and his spoon as a mac and cheese catapult.

3. Bedtime: I plead with Sonny Boy to please stop making faces at himself in the mirror and pay better attention to brushing his teeth, after which he uses the potty inspiring a ten minute comedy set on all things potty related (I'll save you the details, as I am sure you've heard them many a time in your own home).

I had a difficult time editing these examples from an endless list I could have shared to make my point, but after hearing them I am sure your blood has heated up just a bit thinking of your own household goofball. There is much to be said for goofing off, blowing off steam, or simply having a jolly good time, but for the love of all that is sacred in this world I can't take it ALL day.

Ah Monday Monday

I cannot be the only one....whose family has an allergic reaction to Monday mornings, although our allergies aren't sniffy noses or red eyes, rather they manifest themselves as moans, groans, and stomach aches that appear mysteriously.  In the midst of all this Monday morning agony there are shoes and socks to find, lunch boxes and juice boxes to pack, and car keys forgotten on the hook by the door all keeping us from getting a move on.

The dreaded substitute (thru Sonny Boy's eyes)

This particular Monday was going as rough as any in the past, but between yawns and rubbing of sleepy eyes, I managed to get us to the elementary school with three minutes to spare before the morning bell rang.  We pledged our allegiance to the flag while doing our best to keep ourselves warm in the brisk 60 degree fall weather of Southern California, when a new terror struck: the substitute teacher.  My Sonny Boy, and many of his kindergartner classmates, have not yet learned the joy of a substitute teacher and their apprehension was palpable.  I told my boy to do his best to go with the flow, but going with the flow is not always easy for a kid who can be wound tightly at times, and I saw the worry growing in his eyes when we entered the classroom from the front instead of the back door (can you imagine the terror).

I am not the biggest fan of change, who is really?  I know there are those "thrill seekers" out there that try to take a different route to work just to shake it up or try to order something different every time they eat out, but I think that sounds annoying (sorry daredevils who are sitting at a different red light than usual...does it really feel invigorating?). We are creatures of habit who create other little creatures of habit, I guess how we face change makes up part of who we are...and right now it looks like my son is going to be a very worried adult when there is road construction or detours on his way to his office.

A Week in Review (11/17/13)

I cannot be the only one....whose week flies by quicker than they can believe, trust me I am not

photo credit: index.com

complaining, the faster we get to the weekend the better, but the tide of weekday activities leave me worn out. This week Sonny Boy's school had their character awards, of which he was not a recipient, and I had to explain the joys of how "not everyone can be a winner." Thanks school! 

A coyote made an appearance on the kindergarten playground on our way to class on Friday, us moms rounded up our little ones in the face of wild animal. Granted this wild animal was most likely looking for rabbits, not children, but I guess you can never be too safe (side note: it looked nothing like the picture, but would have been much more exciting if it did). 

We were shown exactly what it means to be neighborly when ours came over this weekend, with their two daughters in tow, to help us fix the leaky kitchen sink. Thanks neighbors (this thank you includes NO sarcasm)!

These are the main topics spinning around in our household atmosphere this week:
#coyoteonplayground
#characterawards
#neighborly

We are heading into the last week of school before the Thanksgiving week of vacation (how did this happen?) and are going to make it another good one....even if we find ourselves fighting off wild animals to get an education....look out coyotes these kids need to learn!

Fair or Homogenized Holidays?

I cannot be the only one...who wonders if removing any real discussions of religious holidays from our children's public schools, in an attempt to not push religion and/or not create an uncomfortable learning environment (I'm not really sure that either of these are the reasons), is limiting our children's cultural awareness of this great melting pot of a country.

I come from a family who believed in the religion of Christmas, we didn't attend church or ever say a prayer, but celebrated holidays with fun subject matter (an Easter bunny or a fat man in a red suit). All of the rest of my knowledge of real religions came from the holidays my friends at school celebrated with their families, and growing up in Southern California there were many different cultures to learn from. I remember my public school teachers teaching us Christmas carols and the Dreidel song. I knew my Mexican American friends had tamales on Christmas and my Jewish American friends ate latkes on Hanukkah.  Currently, my kindergartner has no clue what Hanukkah is, his school sent home a flyer asking for donations to create their Thanksgiving feast, but there is no mention of Hanukkah happening that same week.

Are we doing our children a disservice by taking the talk of religious holidays out of schools, isn't religion part of the many cultures of our world, and doesn't  cultural awareness makes a well rounded person? I need the school to help me teach my Sonny boy about these things....I know my experience of candy canes and Easter egg hunts is not going to cut it. Is it possible we have gone too far in the name of fairness?

Mr. Fix It Does Not Live Here

I cannot be the only one....whose household is not well equipped for home repairs, short of painting or hanging a picture, we are lost among the tools we have accumulated but don't use (or know how to use).  Thanks to a home warranty this lack of skills for fixing a household problem usually only means waiting it out for a day or two until a repair man can stomp through our house in his work boots, avoiding all the spoken niceties the rest of us feel are necessary, and grumble their way through repairing the problem.  That is, unless the hubby gets into an industrious mood, grabs the red Craftsman tool box and sets to work, in which case trouble generally ensues.

This particular afternoon, I grabbed Sonny Boy and sat down at the dining room table to assist him with his homework, while my husband ducked his head under the kitchen sink to replace a leaky gasket (this gasket quit doing its job about four months ago, why the sudden interest in fixing it, I know not).  Soon the sounds of clanging tools against pipes, under the breath cursing, and strenuous grunts began arising from under the kitchen counter. Sonny Boy and I looked at each other, acknowledging our understanding that Daddy is not having an easy time fixing the ghastly gasket, and knew based on past experience this was not going to end well.

An hour later the Hubby popped up his head, threw in the towel (both figuratively and literally), and grudgingly told me the sink is now no longer usable and we need to call a plumber.  The rest of the evening involved practicing cooking and washing up the dishes in the small garbage disposal part of our sink.  At least I can never complain that everyday is just like the last, things change on a rapid basis in this little family, and we try to make it work (even if sometimes it takes someone else to actually make it work).

Kissing Kindergartners?

I cannot be the only one....who is shocked by some of the things my son tells me that is going on amongst his group of kindergarten friends. Usually it is age appropriate, breaking crayons in half to prove their strength or collecting broken pencils found of the playground, but last night he told me something I found kind of annoying (I would like to use a word like shocking or worrisome, but that's truly not how I feel about this...although maybe I should).

While eating dinner yesterday evening, between my begging my son to take a bite of something on his plate, he asked if I wanted to hear a secret.  Obviously the answer was yes, so I stopped browsing through the news on my iPad to give him my full attention, and this is what he had to say (I've changed the names to protect the innocent and the story is sort-of more fun this way):

Sonny Boy: "Chandler told me that Ross told him that Joey kissed a girl....(wait for it) ON THE LIPS!"

Me: "What? Where did this happen?"

Sonny Boy: "At school, on the playground, while the teacher was getting food."

Now, you should know that I take pride in trying to put myself back into my shoes as a five year old in an attempt to remember how I felt in certain situations before judging or reprimanding, but I definitely was NOT kissing boys (on the lips no less) as a Kindergartner.  I had to gently explain to my gossip monger of a son a few things about girls and kissing: first, there is plenty of time to talk about kissing girls and kindergarten is too soon, secondly, it is not polite to talk about other people, and thirdly, there is supposed to be no touching each other on the playground and this includes another person's lips.

This is already happening, I know people talk about our children maturing early because of GMO's and obesity, but come on! Yesterday I was especially thankful that I have a son because if I was the mother of a girl (and particularly that girl, the Kissing Kindergartner) I would be even more of a motherly mess than I am now.

Wet and Wild Tames My Brows

I cannot be the only one....who sometimes questions their judgement while purchasing beauty items from the big chain stores, you know the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world, because how could products with such low prices work comparably to those that cost three to five times more? But the holidays are on their way and I can't waste an extra ten dollars on an eyebrow pencil, no matter how desperately my eyebrows are screaming for help, and this leads me to picking up these beauty essentials on a Cool Whip and dental floss run.

This particular time I chose a very low priced eye brow pencil by the brand Wet and Wild, it was less than two dollars, if that's not low priced I don't know what is. I had an especially difficult time making this purchase specifically because of the brand, Wet and Wild, is such a big part of my unskilled adolescent days of learning to do my own make up that buying this eyebrow pencil felt like a form of regression, as in haven't I matured past this brand of makeup?  So here's how I rationalized it to myself, Wet and Wild is still in business, they have updated their packaging, and have unheard of low prices, so I thought I'd give it a chance, besides my old eyebrow pencil was had been sharpened down so small that it was almost necessary to use tweezers to hold it.

I opened the rather long Wet and Wild Coloricon Brow and Eyeliner pencil in dark brown (or #652) and commenced darkening my very light colored eyebrows.  After applying the brow pencil I used a brow brush to insure a good even application and....my brows looked fantastic.  The color, dark brown #652, is a little darker than I am used to but my brows looked even and manicured for the entire day.  I say why not give brands that you may otherwise pass over a chance, especially if the price is beyond fair, this way if you are not happy with the product you haven't broke the bank. The Wet and Wild Coloricon Brow and Eyeliner is a great addition to my morning routine and will be staying in my makeup bag permanently (until I have sharpened it down to the sad nub that my other pencil was and then it's off to the makeup graveyard, otherwise known as the bathroom trash can).

The School Drop Off Zone

photo credit:
 http://myparkingsign.com/student-drop-off-signs

I cannot be the only one....who is sometimes frightened by her own kind, as in mommy drivers.  Every weekday morning, as we enter my son's elementary school, there is an especially treacherous area of the parking lot: the drop off zone.  As I attempt to safely pass the drop off zone, my head on a swivel looking for an errant child, I have noticed a total lack of the use of turn signals and side view mirrors as the mommy drivers pull away from the curb after their school goer has disembarked.  Now, as a member of this species I can understand the distractions involved while dropping your child off at school, hoping you'll make it to work in time, trying to remember if you shut the garage door when you left home, and praying you didn't forget to pack your sweet little one a snack.  With all of these thoughts running through your mind, while your brain is simultaneously using it's muscle memory to tell your foot which is the brake and which is the gas pedal, it's no wonder your attention to driving details are not as sharp as normal, you've got a lot going on upstairs.

I also feel the rush of a school day morning, but I would like to remind all of us mommy drivers that the elementary school is where we are transporting our most precious cargo, let's use our mirrors for more than checking our teeth for left over breakfast and those turn signals for what they were intended, otherwise we run the risk of fulfilling that hideous "woman driver"  stereotype, and we all know we don't want to give them (as in most of our husbands) the satisfaction.

On To The Next (11/09)

I cannot be the only one....who notices the depressing pattern of one good week followed by a not-so-good week, into a bad week, and so on.  Unfortunately, we just had a not-so-good week with one too many time outs caused by horribly awful listening skills demonstrated by my son, take for example:

Mom: "Son, please remember your manners and ask for things politely."
Son: "Okay Mom. Give me a juice."
Mom: "Huh...didn't I just say...."

While picking up sonny boy from school his teacher let us parents know, with an expression of pure disgust, that one of the kids threw up on the rug, so we may want to wash their hands when we get home.

In an attempt to lighten the load a bit, the grandparents picked up our sonny to give us a day alone, of which we spent buying groceries, watching Homeland and Sons of Anarchy, and going to bed early (we have real wild streaks in us).

Here are the trends from the home front this week:
#dirtygerms
#Badlistener
#Grandparentsweekend
#bingewatchimg

As usual, I am looking forward to facing next week with an attitude of "it can only get better," and it better.

Dazzling Smile by Crest 3D White

I cannot be the only one....who has noticed that Southern California is the land of perfect and sparkling white teeth. The drop off at my son's school is full of moms carrying Starbucks coffee, stomping around in hundred dollar (or more) Ugg boots, and setting a fabulous dental standard. My hour glass of time is perpetually half empty leaving me unable to spend much time worrying about my own smile brightness, so I decided to find a great whitening toothpaste and the good news is, I found one.

I used to purchase whatever toothpaste I had a coupon for or the toothpaste that has a price that had been "rolled back," but the truth is my teeth were looking a little shabby. So on my very slow quest (it took awhile...I couldn't just throw away a half used tube of toothpaste), to find a toothpaste that would make a noticeable difference in the quality of my smile, I found Crest 3D White Toothpaste, and it has made a positive difference. The price of the Crest 3D White is a dollar or two more than any old regular tube, but I think it is worth the extra money and I have purchased it more than a few times since it's discovery.  Here I offer you two great reasons to give the Crest 3D White a try, first after less than a month of using it people asked me if I had had my teeth professionally whitened, and secondly, people have commented that I have nice teeth (this has never happened before, I mean never in my life).

I am loving my brighter, whiter, and dazzling smile all thanks to the Crest 3D White, who knows, maybe give it a try and see if you feel more confident showing off those pearly whites.

Motherhood Stole the Old Me

photo credit: webmd.com

I cannot be the only one....who every now and again realizes just how much of themselves they have given up in the name of motherhood.  Sometimes this realization comes in subtle ways, for instance realizing you forgot to zip up your own jeans because of the mad rush to get your child's zippers up and ready to go.  Other times the recognition of the drastic change motherhood has made in your life is annoyingly clear, because you can't do anything without little eyes and hands getting in on the action. Such was the case last Friday when I attempted to paint my finger nails.

After a long week of Halloween, hosting a dinner for six hungry adults, and our general rigmarole of the week, I decided it had been a long time since I had dressed up my finger nails and I was in the mood for some self administered beauty. I gathered all the necessary accoutrements for the home manicure, nail file, polish, cotton balls, and sat myself down on the bathroom tile to get started. Before I even had the chance to put file to nail, the sounds of five year old feet stomping into the room interrupted my thoughts, and what happened next was rather predictable.  After blocking out the light, my son proceeded to ask me if I could move so he could sit where I was sitting, he upset the bottle of nail polish remover, and grabbed the cuticle pushers to use as swords in some sort of swashbuckling manicurist adventure.

I managed to finish painting my nails in the once peaceful oasis of the bathroom and marveled at the fact that I literally can not do anything in our house without the large interruptions caused by a rather small boy.  I am sure one day I will be begging my son for just a minute of his time away from his I-phone or video games....but right now I would just like to go to the bathroom...alone.

The Weekly Lowdown (11/03)

It has come and past, Halloween that is, and we enjoyed it to it's fullest.  Although, strangely my son's school did not do the traditional costume parade, instead the students wore their costumes on Nov. 1, yup the day after Halloween...I am still trying to figure out the thinking behind this.  I had a house full of Grandparents sipping margaritas while watching my little Power Ranger get treated to king sized candy bars from our very generous neighbors. Lastly, we had a great Saturday afternoon getting to know the other parents in our son's kindergarten class and eating hamburgers at a school pot luck picnic.

This is the list of the trends in our house from this past week:
#Halloween
#Toomuchcandy
#buzzedgrandparents
#schoolfamilypicnic

For the first time, in way too long of a time, I have to say we had a great week!  I am truly looking forward to keeping this positive outlook going into next week....

Does "Equate" Beauty Equal Good?

I cannot be the only one....who tries to make the distinction between being a penny pincher and buying what I need at a great price.  When it comes to personal grooming and beauty products the difference between economical and bargain can mean looking fabulous or like how I feel most of the time, harried, running late, and sleep deprived.  With this in mind, I carefully try to choose products that I need to keep myself presentable to the rest of the world while simultaneously buying my family's necessities.

On one of my weekly trips to the Wal-Mart, to pick up granola bars and macaroni and cheese (you know the usual), I remembered the sputtering and spitting my face wash had made that morning and thought I should replace it while I was out.  I took a right turn down one of the many soap aisles and came across the Equate Refreshing Apricot Facial Scrub, the Wal-Mart self labelled version of the St. Ives facial scrub, which is delightfully priced under $3.00.  I tossed the Equate scrub into my cart and continued on to purchase the rest of the mostly unnecessary items on my list.

I put the Equate Refreshing Apricot Facial Scrub to the test the following morning and was pleasantly surprised.  The texture of the scrub is well balanced between the cleanser and the ground walnut seeds (aka: the scrub), although there isn't much of an aroma what I could smell was nice, and the Equate scrub left my skin very smooth without loosing too much of my top layer of skin (always a plus). I think that the Equate Refreshing Apricot Scrub does a great job of mimicking the original, one of the best store branded products I have used, and is sulfate and paraben free, both great selling points to me. Do I think it is worth saving a dollar or less purchasing the Equate version versus the St. Ives....not necessarily, but I'll leave that penny pinching or bargain shopping decision up to you.