Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

Christmas is just around the corner, and in semi-Oprah fashion, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things with you. Semi-Oprah in that I'll tell you all about them and how great they are, but I won't be giving anything away.

First off - Two months ago I was contacted by Amanda from RocketXL. For the most part, I ignore marketing requests, but this one caught my eye. Sensa - Lose weight by sprinkling something on your food. Far-fetched? Sure, but I'm willing to give about anything a shot. The premise is that Sensa is a product that uses your sense of smell and taste to help control your appetite. Simply sprinkle it on every meal and snack. In the last month and a half I have lost 6 pounds by doing next to nothing. The average user reports a 30 pound weight loss in six months. I haven't really gone to the gym and the only real modification I've made to my food is to stop when I'm hungry. And using the product, I do seem to fill up faster. If you're interested, they're offering 15% off on orders by following this link and using the code ROCKETXL at the checkout. I have four months and a couple weeks left on the trial. I'll do my best to update my progress monthly from here on out. Next time I'll include some pictures.

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Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products. From their website: There are no solvents, no petroleum distillates, no bleach, no phosphates and no ingredients that could cause harsh fumes. In addition, most of our products have a near neutral pH that makes them safe for skin contact.
Plus - they smell great. Lemon Verbena is my favorite. I love the fact that on the bottle of the Countertop Spray they say to refill add two tablespoons of the All-Purpose Cleaner and fill with water. Reduce. Reuse. They are strong advocates of recycling as well. And yes, there really is a Mrs. Meyer.

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The other day I was bemoaning the fact that I should probably wear at least a little bit of makeup outside of the house. I picked up some Maybelline Superstay Silky Foundation and have been delighted with the results. It's not too heavy, lasts all day and contains an SPF12 sunscreen. I look like me, only better.

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There are more, but for now - share with me some of your favorite products.

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Mommy is a...

I logged in to check my email, and found a link to this: a book titled "Why Mommy is a Democrat."

I'm thinking of ordering it, just to torture my husband. And my parents. And my in-laws.

Rolo Treats

Very simple and easy. The kids can help unroll the Rolos. I'd get two bags though, so if they eat one (or six) you'll still have plenty of candies.

Bag pretzels (not the sticks - the traditional twist or the holiday shapes)
Bag or two Rolo candies
Bag pecan halves

Place parchment (or wax) paper on a cookie sheet. Line up pretzels and place an unwrapped Rolo on top. Bake at 350 for 4 - 5 minutes - just enough to soften them, not melt them. Remove from oven and squish Rolo with pecan. Allow to cool in fridge (or outside) until firm. Remove from paper and store in the fridge.

Tastes like a "Turtle" candy...

Hump Day

Stuffing
Monday, I did the Old Mother Hubbard shopping trip. You know, the one that ends with a big receipt and someone to walk the second cart out to the car? I noticed a couple things that both shocked and amazed me. You can buy Cinnamon Sugar and Honey Butter. Each "recipe" uses exactly two ingredients, yet someone has figured out that it's marketable. Most notibly, after Mitzi's point out that she used Stove Top, I grabbed a bag of Pepperidge Farms Seasoned Breadcrumbs. Last night, after the kids were in bed, I realized that I hadn't eaten dinner. Yes, I had remembered to feed the kids - they wouldn't let me forget. Tuesday is dance night, so frequently I'm wrapped up in getting ready for that. I decided on a big bowl of stuffing for dinner. There's a recipe on the back for amount of broth, butter, and breadcrumbs, but that's just a starting point... Here's what I like to do :

In a small skillet, melt a little butter.
Sautee chopped onion and celery until almost soft.
Add chopped pecans
Sautee a little while longer.
Add remaining butter and broth.
When boiling, pour over breadcrumbs and gently toss.
Bake until crispy on top (15-20 minutes at 350).
Serve with gravy.

It was so good.

Grab the Kleenex
Part of the stuffing craving is that I'm a bit under the weather. Have been for about a week. I'm to the point it hurts my stomach to blow my nose. I didn't know nose blowing could be like doing crunches. Plus, we ran out of tissues, so I've been carrying around a roll of toilet paper. Classy. My husband will be back home tonight, so I'll crack open the Ny-Quil. I can't decided if I want to go to the gym today - after traveling half of last week and being sick this week, I just haven't been up to it. Plus, I need to get my training underway. Crap. I'd better go. I'll take it easy though.

Pictures.
In an attempt to have a couple minutes of quiet time, I handed the kids (4 and 2) the camera. They've brought it back twice to show me the pictures. It is so funny to see their perspective of the house. Between that and the Christmas tree box, they're getting along, not fighting, and being quiet. They've take 93 pictures in 10 minutes - so that's what the 1 gig camera card is for...

Challenge.
I posted a challenge a while back. I'm extending the deadling until Dec 15, partly because I'm sick, and partly because there's too much good stuff out there... Keep those stores coming!

Lazy Friday.

No school today. That means, instead of one hour of peace and quiet while the toddler naps and the other two are at school - I have a full day of chaos.

Let me preface this by saying, I'm the kind of person that if I don't have to get dressed, I'll spend all day in my jammies. Hence, I'm in my jammies and should really put a bra on.

My plan for the day - go to the gym, go to Kohl's and see if they'll let me exchange the coat my MIL bought the Big Girl, and to the liquor store. That's it. To do those three things though, I'll have to get dressed. Oh, and my MIL is coming tonight, so that means I need to do a modicum of cleaning.

And I'll have to get the kids dressed if we want to leave the house. Right now, they're dancing around to The Backyardagians. In their underwear. Hey, if they have to dance to something, it might as well be the cartoon I voted as "Least Likely to Make My Ears Bleed."

Have a great Friday. Saturday this weekend means one thing - Bowling!

You know what's coming

But it's still funny...

Got nothing.

Nothing today.

Got nothing.

Unless you want to read about laundry.

It should be around four loads today.

We're leaving tonight after my husband gets home. Driving to my parents (around 3 hours) tonight. Tomorrow off to visit his Granny (around 3 hours) for the afternoon, then on to his parents (2 1/2 hours) until Sunday. Then we pile back in and hit it home in 6-ish hours.

Sound like fun?

Between Sunday and Wednesday morning, I get to unpack, do more laundry, and re-pack for our trip to Orlando.

Ok, the Orlando part sounds like fun.

But back to laundry...

My latest peeve? Tide's "Because evey mom was a woman first" campaign. Well no shit. Apparently they think by sticking Febreze in the product, women everywhere will re-define who she is by the laundry she does. You know - that shoulder - the one your kids pick to rub their nose on? It will now smell like lavender. Her husband will be all over her, sniffing her thinking, hey... she doesn't smell. Great.

Back to laundry, more laundry. Always laundry. Oh, and cleaning out the car, loading four suitcases, packing snacks and drinks, gathering DVD's and the player, making sure everyone has exactly what they need. Should be a great day.

Sometimes you just have to wonder...

Safe Banana? I didn't realize bananas were in such peril.

Apparently during transport, they may become bruised and blackened - therefore unedible. This saves the banana from such fate. Eaten verus thrown away.

I know there's a big, naughty post here... I know there is, but I'll keep it best to the imagination. Right now, I'm going to Target and I'm going to try to get these pictures out of my head.

I'll leave you with this...

They come in nine different colors - even... Glow in the Dark.

It must be that time of the month.

The last couple of days I've noticed a couple different posts that make me chuckle. This and this (scroll down to Extreme Tampons).

The idea of "High Performance Tampons" make me laugh. Really loud. Don't these people realize that many high performance athletes cease menstruation? That the average consumer isn't looking to run a marathon, play in Wimbledon, or kick Gabby Reese's ass on the volleyball court while she's having her period? Or not? Talk about a niche market. "I think I have my bag packed: sports bra, shoes, socks, my UnderArmor... oh yea - better grab the High Performance Tampons, never know what I'll be doing today!"

Ever since my monthly membership card at the age of twelve, about one day a month I just want to curl in a ball. More specifically, curl in a ball, eat mint chocolate chip ice cream, watch sappy movies, and have someone rub my feet. And whomever said, "It gets better after kids" is lying. Liar, liar pants on fire. Getting off track...

To make girls comfortable with it, to know that half the population has dealt with it directly - and the other half indirectly - is one thing. But, I don't understand the need to make having a period "cool" or "hip." Unless you're sixteen and it means you're not pregnant. That's another post for another day...

Evolution of Beauty

If you haven't seen this commercial...



I'm ok with the makeup, the hair, but it's the photoshopping that really, really bothers me.

Thanks Dan, for the technical help.