No Tricks...Just Treats for you!

I'm back with a list of blog giveaways for y'all! Adults deserve some treats today right?!!!? Here goes:

The Giveaway is having a giveaway for 2 adult crocheted beanies HERE They are super cute & don't forget that you lose most of the heat out of your head! If you win you can look great while keeping warm!

The next five giveaways are from A Ordinary Life - she has some great giveaways!

My little Pony Holiday movie HERE

An expresso Machine & Starbucks card giveaway HERE (can you imagine if I won this? I'd NEVER sleep!)

Tinkerbell movie & Magic Wings giveaway HERE Princess Bear would go bonkers for this! She loves Tink & her wings are so stretched out they don't stay on anymore :(

A Build A Bear giftcard HERE

A Step2 LifeStyle Kitchen giveaway HERE

Holiday Card give away at Cool Kid Christmas blog HERE

Ohana Mama is also having a Holiday card giveaway HERE

Jamie's Precious Peas is having a couple of cute giveaways Check them out!
To win a couponizer go HERE

1-2-3 Let's Get Orgazined HERE

A few of these ebooks are actually on my Christmas list as is the couponizer so I would LOVE to win either of these!

Have fun & good luck!

So the motivation bug has bitten me! I lined 30 clippies today. I'm going to go do some more as soon as I finish this post. I feel like I'm a bow making machine! Its kind of nice! I feel as though I'm accomplishing something and I'm excited about the prospect of earning some money! I'm going to finally start listing things on etsy and my beautician is going to carry them in her store! That way I can come up with money for next semester, Christmas and maybe even pay my parents back some of the money I owe them! All is all its just a nice feeling! I'm spending time every evening and then the time that is now free since I'm not in Chem anymore.

Princess Bear is alternating between being excited about Halloween and wanting to stay home and forgo all things Halloween. Is this normal for a 5 year old? Last year she was Goliath from JoJo's Circus. It took a few hours to convince her to even costume up and then she was more interested in socializing with the other trick or treaters. This year she is kicking it old school. During one of our attic cleaning sessions my sister & I found our old costumes my mom made. It saves money and frankly decision making! My friend Maria took her daughter to I kid you not over a dozen stores & Emily couldn't find anything that worked for her. UGH! I'd go crazy!!! I'm looking forward to seeing my nephew in his first costume. So what plans to you have for Halloween?

Another milestone for PB

I have forgotten to mention what happened this past weekend! Princess Bear lost her first 2 (yes 2!) teeth! On Friday night she was eating a frozen fruit bar and kept on saying something about her tooth. I thought that the cold had gotten to her. A little while later she was standing in our family room near the den messing around in her mouth. I see her spitting and looking in her hand and then a hear a "blink" on the floor. I asked her what that was and she just looked at me. I don't know if she thought she was in trouble or what but she just stood there. I asked her again if it was her tooth and she nodded yes. I went over there and picked it up and started explaining losing teeth to her. I also being a first time mom had to jump online to see if 5 is a "normal" age to be losing teeth or if it part of her accelerated growth problem. IT IS NORMAL!!!!! So after being filled in about the tooth fairy and whatnot I showed her in the mirror where the tooth used to be. She was very upset and kept on wanting me to pull up the new one. Ummm, sorry can't do that! The next morning she was asking me to pull up a tooth again & I said no and then she started wiggling the other front tooth! UGH! It wasn't ready to come out so I took her to her swimming lessons. That afternoon after fiddling with the loose tooth enough it was loose enough to come out. She looks like the cutest little jack-o-lantern! I started singing "All I want for Halloween is My 2 Front Teeth". She didn't like that too much even when I explained that it was taken from a real song. My baby isn't a baby anymore! :( I will say that she looks incredibly darn cute right now! I'll post a pic soon!

To Ink or not to Ink

I saw that & it just gave me a little chuckle. Princess Bear is very used to my tattoos (I have 3 but want a few more). The joke when I was pregnant with her was that she would be born with tattoos. As I mentioned I have 3 and would love more (unfortunately my father HATES them & has laid down the law...I get any while I'm living in their house I'm outta here) and her sperm donor is very inked. Sleeves and other misc. pieces. I wanted a tattoo from the time I was a freshman in high school and saw Nikki Sixx's blue rose tattoo (I don't even think you can see it anymore!). My parents did everything in their power to dissuade me. I had a HUGE variety of temporary tattoos. It doesn't work folks!

So you may be asking yourself...what the heck is this post about? Well, I'm curious about a few things.
-what are your views on tattoos/body art (ie scarification, piercings, etc)
-do you have or want any body art
-what do you think of your child getting a tattoo when they're older
-if you have tattoos is there a story or meaning behind it?

-I have a sun on the inside of my right ankle. I want to add to this & turn it into an ankle wrap. I want the moon on the outside and shooting stars going up the back of my Achilles and a few more stars in the front. I love the whole sun, moon and stars idea. Its also the first thing I usually see in the morning and there is a face in the sun so its like a reminder to have a nice day.
-My second tattoo is a Celtic symbol for love and friendship between people who are separated. One of my closest friends and I got this when I went to visit her in FL several years ago. Mine is filled in purple and hers is teal. I LOVE Celtic knot work and the symbolism worked for what we were looking for. Its on the small of my back and was the least painful. Actually pretty much was a walk in the park until I got on a plane 2 days later to come back to IL...that was not a fun plane ride!
-My third tattoo is a frog holding a rose on my right shoulder blade. My nickname from my father since birth is Rosefrog. I was having a very hard time when Wayne was leaving Great Lakes for California and decided to go get a tattoo. I got my first one when I was 24 then I waited 3 years before I got the second. The turnaround between 2 and 3 was all of a couple of months. It was also by far the most painful. I almost had to have the guy stop and I have a HUGE tolerance threshold. I finally made it through the tattoo and got home. Then the fun begins. I had an allergic reaction to the green soap they use to wipe the area. Thinking about it is enough to make me itch now!

So that's my ink story...do you have one?

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas....

Ok folks...I'm in a GREAT mood! The upcoming Christmas holiday is starting to descend upon us & I LOVE IT! I am the Queen of Christmas! Princess Bear has truly become the Princess of Christmas. We get this from my dad who is a Christmas freak. Honestly we have so many Christmas decorations we can't even get near displaying everything. I love everything about the season. Now don't get me wrong I'm not ready to put up any of our trees (yes that is a multiple as in 1 live in the living room, 1 in the kitchen, 1 in the family room, 1 in each bathroom, 1 in my room and 1 in PB's room) and I'm not ready to dig out the Christmas music but I am ready to start planning. I think it started when my dad brought home the first of many containers of egg nog last night. Today I used my favorite coffee mate flavor...Peppermint Mocha! Since I don't do coffee often and I slept for 8 hours...yep...me+8 Hours of sleep...woohoo! I feel great! My folks are driving back to Chicago for a family party and I'm fully caffeinated, having a lazy day with Princess Bear and watching the Fox Pregame show on TV. Honestly does it get any better? (the correct answer is NO! & I really do love me some Howie Long!) So in honor of my great mood and my love of hanging out online randomly wasting time I decided to check out etsy and share with you some random Christmas findings. Truly this are random findings. I don't know any of these sellers, have never bought any of their things but thought "Hey this is cute/cool/a good idea" or something along those lines and decided to share with you. As a person who used and is going to set up an online store I can tell you that the holidays are a great time to support the little seller. You get more attention, often a better made product and what isn't to like about that? So without further ado here is a list of some things I think are cool!

Great Sculpted bows This are so cute for any little princess & frankly I'm jealous of her talent! I see these in PB's future!
Handmade Holiday Cards Very cute!
Another cute Hair Clippy
Gift Tags These have a very vintage feel
Snowman Brooch just darling!
Girls Embroidered shirt Great for showing some Christmas spirit
Christmas Candles a set of 6 Christmas scented votives
Santa Centerpiece
Gift tags very whimsical
Bloomer Panties ok its good to know that I'm the only mom who wants her daughter decked out from the top of her head to the tips of her toes!
Gingerbread DIY PDF file this is so cool! Print it and put it together! I love this concept!
Wood Cut Ornament This is very cool & there are many to choose from
Printable tags another concept I love. Print & you're good to go!
Felt tree ornaments Darling & I'm always looking for ornaments that are PB, cat & dog safe!
Snowman crochet pattern this is so cute & makes me wish I could crochet much better than I do!
Handpainted ornaments These are so pretty & she has many different designs
Ho Ho Ho garland so cute! She has different says and different holidays
Santa Hat & Bloomers Ok, I would have given my eyeteeth for this when PB was a baby & my bil would have a fit if I put my nephew in this for pics. If I thought there was a chance of my having more kids I honestly would buy this and store it for the perfect photo op!
Snowflake dog dress I am one of those people that is crazy enough to dress her pets. Unfortunately our current pets are too big (and the cat would shred me alive if I tried to put this on her) but this is darling!
Holiday Candy wrappers I love doing this for PB to share with her friends and these are cute!
Santa & Snowman painted shovel very cute and has many other designs too
Christmas whipped body butter I'm a lotion junkie! I also love her scent descriptions!

WOOHOO & an update!

Ok...I'm so excited! I won a blog contest!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!! It was one of the contests I shared with y'all in one of my listings this week! I won Mommy Calling Cards from Cutie Pie Custom Creations. The blog having the contest was Frugal Mommy of 2 girls - if you get the chance check out her blog as she has some other great giveaways going on right now! Thanks for the great contest Karen!

Today has been one of those insanely weird days...you know the kind that you look back on and can't decide whether its been a good day or a bad day?!!!? I was talking with my mom last night about calling the Dr's office today to get the results of Princess Bears (PB) CT scan or if I should wait until next week. This morning I was eating breakfast, browsing through the newest Current catalogue (man do I love that catalogue!) and the phone rang. My dad was playing hooky from work (actually took a vacation day) and we both answered at the same time. I hear the voice say "This is Dr. X and I'm looking for the family of PB" I take the call and start to worry. I NEVER get calls this quickly on tests results. The Dr. then goes into the whole report on how PB has slight to moderate thickening of the sinus cavities. Not a surprise since my entire family has evil sinus problems but considering she's only 5 a bit early. Then the Dr says that PB has cysts in both of her maxillary sinuses. WHOA! I start to go into panic mode and thankfully the Dr. picked up on that. She explained that this kind of cyst is not at all uncommon for those who have sinus problems. I felt much better after hearing that. PB's adenoids are not huge but enlarged. Based on the CT results the Dr wants us to go to the ENT and see about getting the adenoids, tonsils and cysts removed. Now my big concern is finding a competent Dr to do this surgery. I know that its a pretty easy all things considered surgery but since PB's issues are craniofacial I'm still worried. I'll keep you guys posted as we progress with this.

Today is my big cleaning day so it was time to vacuum the house and hit the bathrooms full force. I've got to confess since I've been making my own cleaning solutions I'm enjoying cleaning a lot more! I also had to make new batches of soft scrub cleanser & toilet bowl cleaner today. I LOVE the recipe I have for the soft scrub! It works so well and smells great! Its awesome all the way around and I can chuck it under the sink and not worry if PB gets into it...win win win! The toilet cleaner on the other hand while working very well just STANK to the high heavens. It has a ton of tea tree oil in it...not one of my favorite scents.

I picked up PB from school and knew immediately things hadn't gone well. She only got 1 of 3 stars and was in a BAD mood. She was just awful on the way home. We get to the house and she decides she wants cuddle time in the car and then screams "PEEPEE IS COMING!". I get her in the house and to the bathroom and the phone rings. I grab the phone and talk to my sister for a few minutes. PB comes into the kitchen and starts foraging for food. Seems pretty low key and you wouldn't think anything was amiss would you? Oh, I forgot to mention that PB was sans pants and underwear. Not odd but still.... A few minutes later PB goes back to the bathroom so I follow her. What sight greets me? PB laying loooooooooooooong sheets to TP on the floor. A floor that happens to be very very very wet. She had an accident & thought she'd just clean it up by herself & I'd be none the wiser. Ok...don't think so! Oh did I forget to mention that one of the dogs pooped in the house earlier today? Another rarity in our house. Let me tell you that when a 85 lb lab/ pit bull mix poops in your house its not a wee little pile!!!!!!!! Think hazmat suit and big pooper scooper. Honestly, are the stars not lined up right today?!!!!?

PB and I went to pick up my mom from work and came home. Now one of my treats for today was my very first issue of Mother Earth News arrived today. I'd never heard of this magazine before. Heather from over at Wanting What You Have mentioned it and am I glad she did!!! I'm so completely in love with this magazine already!!! If you've never read a copy I would encourage you to check it out! My other favorite magazine is the Economist. Another great read with wonderful global views and opinions!

My mom isn't feeling well so tonight has been one of those pins and needles kind of nights. In between that and PB being in a snit I'm truly ready for a glass of wine! I did call my best friend tonight and we talked for an hour and a half.... something we haven't had the opportunity to do it years! It was really nice! A lot is changing in my best friends life and she's really out of sorts so I'm a bit worried about her but she's another tough one and I know that everything will end well...its just the journey that does you in sometimes isn't it?

As for me I'm hanging in. I don't know if I've mentioned the health issues I've been having. I have some permanent nerve problems that result in muscular problems in my back since I was pregnant with PB. When she was about 2 it got to the point that I went to my Dr one day and he gave me a shot of Demerol in the office and told me to take the back roads home. After that I was in physical therapy for 9 months. After I got out of therapy the PT said this isn't a permanent fix...when it gets to bad again come back and we'll start over again. Well my back has been acting up more and more with less downtime between each episode. As of 2 weekends ago I couldn't even stand up straight! A pretty obvious sign that something just isn't right! I made an appointment with my GP because I needed more tramadol and muscle relaxers. My Dr. is great about managing issues with non narcotics (my grandfather became addicted to morphine after his stroke and the thought scares me). I really thought the Dr. would start me on PT right away...nope he wants to try medication first. Ummm, ok if I have no other choice. That was the reason I couldn't attend my uncles funeral. My dad didn't want me and PB making a 3+ hour drive with my back being like this and then driving home again in the same day. I still wish I could have been with my family. Since then I've been taking the meds and I am able to walk upright most of the time! A definite plus! Now today just because I'm me and if its odd and it can happen it will happen to me I've pulled the muscle in the back of my skull/ neck...honestly...how did I do this?!!!!?!!!!?

Now on the school front I did wind up dropping the chemistry class. I took the test the day that my uncle was taken off life support and I just couldn't concentrate. That was the deciding factor. Time to regroup, reorganize and start again next semester. I am also at a crossroads with what I'd like to do when I grow up. I thought I'd decided on dental hygienist but lately I've been giving some serious thought into becoming a sign language interpreter. Any pros or cons that you guys know of for either job? I'm going to set up a meeting with the head of the sign language program and get more details from him. I know some sign language because that is what we used with PB since she was basically non verbal until she was 3.

I've decided that I'm going to take the time that I would have been in class or lab and concentrate on making bows, bracelets and other goodies. That way I can stock an etsy store and sell that at a salon here in town that has expressed some interest.

So that is the long drawn out version what has been going on with me. Lots of "stuff" and transitioning to get through. So what have y'all been up to?

Ok I really haven't been doing a good job....

A good job of really talking about what is going on in my life. So I bet you think I'm going to remedy that right now, right?!!? NOPE! Actually I only have a few minutes right now but I do promise a full disclosure tomorrow!

So what do you think of the giveaways I posted this week? I'm so in love with Calico Critters! They're also somewhat safer on a green scale so I really am going to put those on Princess Bears Christmas list. I know my sister will add to it. They are just so stinkin' cute! I've also started to do some major cleaning in my room. I had a few miscellaneous boxes that I felt the need to take care of NOW! My room is looking like a bomb hit it but I have gotten rid of some more "stuff". Now this all started because I need to find my buttons to cover some for a salon here in town. Well, I can't find the darn buttons but I'm still holding out hope!

I'm going to call the Dr's tomorrow to get the results of Princess Bears CT scan. I'm so nervous because even though kids get their adenoids out all the time since PB's main issue is a craniofacial birth defect it makes it a bigger risk and more of a challenge to even find a Dr. to do the surgery. I hate the idea of another surgery no matter how minor but my poor baby is STILL sick! She has a few really good days and then she gets clobbered! Poor kiddo!

One last little note before I wrap this up- if you are looking for a relatively easy pumpkin bar recipe grab Paula Deens...super moist & oh my goodness good cream cheese frosting! Princess Bear is still missing her Pre-K teacher and aides so we baked a double batch yesterday. One for them and one for us... good stuff I tell you! Ok now I'm off to make a cup of tea and then fall into a book for awhile!

The kid is a trooper! & more giveaways!

Ok, once again my child as amazed me! She made it through the CT scan like a trooper! Once the tech told her that she could hold my hand everything was all good...ok almost all good. It actually took a few tries because Princess Bear couldn't keep still long enough. She wanted to watch the spinning or check to see that I was right there. I could tell the techs were getting a bit frustrated & they decided to use the straps to secure PB's head. I asked for them to put a washclothe over her eyes. That did the trick...they were able to run the whole thing and PB held still like a champ! I'm so proud of the kid!

So more giveaways to tell y'all about! I've happened about a few blogs that just have AMAZING giveways! So without further ado here they are!

Common Sense Reviews is giving away a Girls Gourmet Cupcake Maker HERE
This is so cute! PB would have a ball with this! Anyone with a little domestic diva needs to head here!

Jaime's Precious Peas is having SEVERAL omg amazing giveaways today! They are:
Milestone Parenting Routine giveaway HERE
Oopsie Dazie Clippie giveaway HERE
Ciao Bella giveaway HERE
Ok EVERYBODY needs to run over to Ciao Bella...one of the coolest sites for natural care I've seen in awhile. Stuff of moms & kids....love it!

Red Sox Mommy is giving away a pair of Eleven brand shoes HERE

Momma Findings is giving away a Memories Wrapped Up Book HERE

The Present Professor is giving away some cute hair clippies HERE

Peony Paperie is a BEYOND COOL stationary etsy store. For their giveaway click HERE Really go check out her stuff!

Momma Trends Calico Critter giveaway HERE
I've never heard of Calico Critters before...so now I get sucked in right before the holidays...guess what Princess Bear is getting!!!

This one I'm not even getting an extra entry for passing it along but I saw this & knew that Jenontheedge would love this & thought I should pass it along! This is Common"Cents"ical giveaway for Little MissMatched Socks HERE

dkMommy Stop is giving away a copy of Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life HERE

A Virtuous Woman is giving away a Walgreens Card HERE

The Frugal Momma is giving away a copy of Green Christmas book HERE

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is having a giveaway from Prints Charming HERE
I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO in love with this etsy store! I would give my eyeteeth for the Mommy and Me Christmas Purses - Snowflakes, Polka Dots, and Jolly Snowmen. Seriously....how stinkin' cute is that?!!!? Princess Bear would get such a kick out of us having matching purses!

Oh happy day....

Well I kept Princess Bear home from school today. The child had NO desire to stir until 9:30...I'm awful I know but she has to have a CT scan today and I want to baby her. I've been mentioning a test but not in great detail. I just hope she'll lie still long enough for the test to get done so we don't have to go back and have it down under sedation. I'm about to hop in the shower and then drag her off to the hospital...wish me luck!

P.S. Have another big listing of giveaways I'll post later!

Look what I found for you guys!

Ok, so I've decided its time to step off of my political soap box and have something fun on here! So when checking some of my favorite blogs and finding a few new ones I found a TON of blog giveaways for y'all to enter! Have fun!!!


Frugal Mommy of 2 girls is having a giveaway for a Fall rag tote (this is SO pretty!) Check it out here

This one isn't a giveaway but does have an awesome way of making some money! Take a peek! Swagbucks.

Another Frugal Mommy of 2 girls. This is for Cutie Pie Custom Creations here

The Giveaway is having a Lulu*s.com $25 giveaway. AWESOME accessories! Check it out here

Designs by Vanessa is giving away 3 pairs of earrings right here

Nurse Mommy is giving away a shirt from tottiebean here

A Working Blogging Mommy is giving away $25 at LaBella Vita. I haven't heard of LaBella Vita before but I'm so glad that I stumbled upon this! They have California Baby (the Overtired & Cranky bubble bath is magic!) and a few lines that I'd love to try. Check it out here

Great dad is giving away a copy of Alvin & the Chipmunks Thanksgiving DVD here

SisterlySavings is giving away an apron. These are so cool. Very vintage & they even have plus size aprons! Go here to check it out!

Crunchy Mom is giving away a onesie or lap t from Happy Panda (specializing in big & tall baby stuff...I so need to get some of this for my nephew). Go here to check it out!

Maria's Space is giving away a $25 Apple Card if you go to Ciao and do a product review here


The next three giveaways are for the scrapbookers out there!

Poppets Place giveaway here

Jill's Cards is celebrating 10000 hits with a giveaway here

Maxine's Arts & Crafts is doing a scrap giveaway here

Modbe style is having a hat & scarf giveaway here

Happy Housewifey is having a Kmart card giveaway here

Sage & Savvy is having an AWESOME giveaway from SkinnySkinny here and you can check out SkinnySkinny here I so want to try some of their soaps!

A Wrestling Addicted Mommy is having a Clean w/ UV light giveaway here

So ladies, have a blast! Sign up and keep your fingers crossed that you win!

More on Politics

In a few moments I'm going to embed a video that I think every adult (please note I said adult- do not have your children around while viewing this please) should see. There are a few things I love about being a citizen of the US. The biggies are freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Religion is an especially big issue for me. I was raised in a bi-religious household and understand the need for tolerance. You don't need to agree with what I believe in and the same holds true for you and the next person and so on. The right to disagree is a wonderful thing. My dad is Roman Catholic. A very, extremely devout Roman Catholic. My mom is Jewish. My parents have been married for 40 years as of next month. At times I consider that quite a feat considering the times. My parents made the decision to raise me and my sister Catholic. We went to parochial school from kindergarten through our senior year of high school (actually my sister also attended an all girls Catholic university...I couldn't even think about handling another 4 years). I don't know why my parents decided to raise us Catholic....it really doesn't matter. If you want to get technical about it by Jewish law I'm a Jew because my mother is. In some ways my parents covered all their bases in that if we ever wanted to follow my moms religion we didn't need to convert. My parents did celebrate the Jewish holidays with us. When we were each respectively 18 we were told that we were free to pursue what we wanted as far as religion went but if we were living in their house we had to follow an organized religion (a bit overbearing but did you expect more from my parents?). Now I can say that growing up being around 2 very different religions made me have a lot of understanding for those of other religions. 2 of my closest friends are Wiccan. Now the reason I'm sharing all of this is because I think that everyone has the right to what they feel is the correct religion for them. You have the right to practice that religion as you see fit. Within that though you do not have the right to hurt someone because your religion dictates it. In a very round about way I'm trying to say that radical Islamics scare the heck out of me. Do I think Islam is a religion that is fine? Sure as long as you don't think its the only religion that can be on this earth. I will NEVER EVER for as long as I live be able to understand people who think like this:




Something else touched on in this video is Honor killings. Another thing I will never be able to make sense of. If you want to read a very good account of an Honor Killing please read Burned Alive by Souad. I read this book several years ago. It is one of those books that will stay with you forever. A very difficult but good read and is well worth your time.

I'm bringing this up because as the election approaches I think that we really need to pay attention to the policies each candidate as on Israel and Iran. Israel because they are staunch allies and we have always been theirs. I see no reason for that to change. Iran because it seems as though they are a country that has more than its fair share of radical Islamists and they want to go nuclear. Could be a problem.

A Political Question

Ok a few things before I start out. I want to thank everyone who left a comment or emailed me about my uncle. Thank you so much, it really does mean a lot. I'm hoping that the family gets through the next few days well. As I'm watching my parents pack I'm getting more and more upset that I can't go up there and be with my family.

On a totally different note I went to my sisters house today & spent several hours with her & my nephew. I usually see my nephew at least once a week but between him and Princess Bear being sick its been almost a month. I was in withdrawal! My sister and I have a very complicated relationship but since we've both become moms its gotten much better. So it was really nice to spend time with them. My sister took me to a store where she lives called Hissy Fits. OH MY GOSH! I was in heaven! If I had money I would have had so much fun!!!! They carried lots of Biscotti & Bebemonde if that gives you any idea. We got my nephew his first pair of squeeker soles!!!

Now on to what I really decided I wanted to post about today. PLEASE PLEASE feel free to comment! If you want to do it anonymously that's ok too. I understand that politics is "one of those" subjects. That said I've always been one that LOVES a great debate. Religion and politics being some of my favorite subjects. I'm also known among my friends for being a bit radical and irreverent in my beliefs (IE Palestine can be blown off the face of the map or any country that knowingly harbors terrorists cannot complain when their country is then attacked (so quit complaining Lebanon) are a few comments I've been known to make in the past). I'm sharing these thoughts not to incite but let you know that I'm not one that is typically shy about what I feel.

That said I must say that this is the first election I've voted in since being of age to exercise that right that I honestly feel its a lose/lose situation. In all honesty I think both McCain & Obama have good points and policies as well as bad. I don't think there is a clear cut "this is the right person for the good of the country". Something else I think that has to be considered is the vice presidential candidates. In all honesty I think we have a better than good chance of that person filling in. The fact is that John McCain is an older man, and Barak Obama if elected can quite possibly become a martyr.

So I'll list a few things I like or don't like about the candidates. What do you think?
-John McCain has experience
-John McCain is a man that deserves respect for his service
-John McCain seems a bit "hot" can be good or bad. You don't want a cool as ice president but you also don't want one that has to be reigned in all the time
-McCains taxation plan is worrisome
-McCains medical coverage plan is not a good fix (neither candidates is)
-Palin...who is she? Another political newbie
-Palin- just busted for abuse of power
-Palin is a hunter. I hate it. I hate that she has killed wolves from a helicopter. Can't respect it at all.
-Palin a mom, not only a mom but a mom to a special needs child. Her journey is new but it will affect everything in her life
-Obama- is an Illinois boy...we take pride in our own! (even if they're a transplant!)
-Obama is a brilliantly dynamic speaker (then again as it was pointed out to me so was Hitler)
-Obama has passion
-Obama has limited experience
-Obama in my opinion needs to decide where he stands as far as race (would not have been an issue but unfortunately his former Reverend made it one)
-Obamas medical plan isn't good. As an Illinois citizen I can tell you horror stories of things happening in this state.
-Biden...honestly I know next to nothing about him...nada so feel free to fill me in.

These are just a few things I've got bouncing around in my brain. There are still a few weeks left for me to ponder this. I do know that no matter what I will vote. I could go off on a tangent about people who don't vote but I'll save that for another day. Although I'll share this with you. In the Bush vs Kerry election I made a sign and pinned it on the front of Princess Bear that said "Mommy says that I'm a Democrat...Go Kerry- Edwards! But whatever you are you need to go vote!" The little old ladies at the voting site loved it!

How's it going?

Man can I tell you that the last couple of days have been surreal and its not going to get better soon? My dad is taking his brothers death very hard. My dad had kind of made it a mission since my uncle got sick to call him and check in on him every few days and they grew a lot closer. My dad was there when my uncle passed. He arrived at the hospital and my uncle died about 3 minutes later. My Aunt had a lot of support which is great but honestly what do you tell a woman who was just widowed at 44 and left with 3 boys 12 and under who are very hurt and confused?

My moms boss offered mass for my uncle today which is so nice. Then someone who works at the hospital who went to High school with my uncle and knows my mom came by to talk to her. He was telling my mom some stories of my uncle in H.S. My dad got a real kick out of the funny ones and really liked hearing that my uncle was very nice to everyone. The guy did say if you were having a party and needed to get beer that all you had to do was tell my uncle! I guess I came by some of my traits rightfully! My dad was a bit of a brawler and a pool shark. I'm not a shark and haven't played pool in years but I LOVED playing pool when I was living up North working for the Navy. Its kind of weird because my dad is the oldest of 6 and my mom is one of 4. I've always had lots of aunts and uncles around growing up. It almost makes me feel bad for my daughter and nephew.

I'm having a hard time feeling guilty all around because my uncle and I often butted heads (he also tortured me as a kid!) and just being angry because he had fought for his life so long and so hard that I really just thought he was going to make it. I feel so awful for my cousins. The twins are 9 and Joey is 12. The last 4 years of their life has been overshadowed by their dads illness and now he's gone. I also can't go to the funeral this Saturday and really not happy about that. I would like to be there for the family.

Well, once again this was one of those posts of my just needed to blog to get it out. Not too exciting to read I'm sure but hopefully it will help me put everything in a good perspective.

Wordless Wednesday

If praying is something you do...

They are taking my uncle off of all the medications and machines. My parents are on their way up there right now. Please send prayers to the family most especially my cousins.

And we came back home

Princess Bear & I have been housesitting/dogsitting for my uncle. It was lovely to have a break from my parents but coming back has been absolutely awful. My mother is once again on the I can't follow through with what they expect so I should "do the right thing" and start calling homeless shelters tomorrow. My parents have decided that I don't do enough around the house and that from now on I will be doing 2-3 hours of work that they detail for me. Now I suppose that's fair since I live here but the fact that they are setting up a schedule and don't care if there are any extenuating circumstances or not is a bit much. The fact that they're new thing is to have me clean the house is almost comical. As I've mentioned before my parents have never ever been the type to have a clean home. My sister and I never made our beds as youngsters because my parents didn't. We didn't know that you were supposed to. There was never any kind of cleaning schedule of dusting is this day, vacuuming is this day or anything of that sort. People knew (and still know) that they have to call a few hours ahead if they want to come by the house. You simply can't stop by our house on a whim. If you do you are liable to be entertained on the front porch. I suppose that's why I'm feeling so bitter about this. My parents are expecting something of me that they don't expect of themselves. And they're using it as a reason to kick me out. Now I know that I can really get into the routine of using my control journal and put of my downtime until I get done. It takes 21 days to make a habit right? So here's to me kicking butt in the next 21 days. Wish me luck!

P.S.- I wonder what my parents will come up with next to kick me out?!!!?

The Pay It Forward Winner is....

Ok...either my blogging really sucks or everyone has been very busy this week! I only had one person leaving comments all week! So Jen from jenontheedge is the PIF winner! Jen I need an address to send a package to you!!!

I'm running away...anyone want to join me?!!!?

Ok...I've had it! I'm done! I'm throwing in the towel! I'm too tired and I can't deal so I've decided that I'm going to run away. To someplace like this:



just to make it a bit more interesting the cabana boys/ native men will look like this:



and there are many, many, many of these:




So, who wants to join me?!!!?

Its the little things

Princess Bear had a very rough night last night because she is still not feeling well. Actually I think she's taken a tour for the worse and whatever this ick is in now buried in her chest. She was up at 1:30 am screaming about her nose hurting and trying to kick me out of bed. Man, I don't even need to have a partner to have bed sharing problems!!! I finally got her back to sleep but it was a pretty fitful sleep. This morning my mom was home...hmmm? I woke PB up and discovered she was running a low grade temp. I was going to keep her home but my mom axed that idea. I figured worse case scenario the school could call my mom (I had lab & class today) and my mom could pick her up. My child is such a little drama mama. She walked into my moms room wanting some grandma sympathy and goes "Poor Princess Bear" (ok she used her real name but you get the idea) and hangs her head all woe is me like. She then looks at my mom and tells her "its going to be a very hard day" Goodness where does the kid come up with this?!!!? We finally get going and I drop her off at school where she refuses to give me a kiss :( and I head for lab. We usually have a prelab quiz. I'd read over everything once but wasn't quite ready. Thankfully no prelab quiz today! YEAH!!!!!!!!! Oh, before I forget I also saw my professor on the way to lab and told him that I was making an appointment to take my test on Tuesday...another YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So this morning things were going fairly well. I like pleasant mornings. Especially since I'm not in any way, shape or form a morning person. If you want someone to talk to between 11pm and 2am...I'm your girl! You expect reasonable, rational and pleasant the hours of 6am to about 11am are exempt. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 and don't try to change it, ok?!!!? Back to lab, I have a really nice but not so intelligent lab partner so I tend to do all the work. Today we were doing radiation testing and plotting half life charts. I LOVE LAB! I wish I could just hang out in a lab all day running tests! I then went & hid in the computer lab at school which turned out to be a very good move. I just was trying to avoid my mom in all honesty!

I finally head home & call my mom to see if she's heard from the school. Nope but she is all in a rage. Huh? Yesterday I was uber productive. I did a few loads of clothes that I plan on listing on ebay and hung those on the line. 2 loads of my clothes and 4 of Princess Bears (since she's not feeling great she's taking multiple baths or showers per day....that really adds up on the laundry front!) Since I didn't know that my mom had taken the day off I left everything hanging on the line. The evidently was bad. Very, very, very bad. Dang... sometimes I feel like I really can't win with my mom! They say I don't do enough and want me to keep track of my time and then when I do two buttloads of work she isn't happy. My mom also decided that it was time to do some deep cleaning today. My plans were to come home and study chem for a few hours before picking up PB. Clearly not happening. Sensing my moms grand mood I call my sister on my way home. Nada. I wait about 10 minutes and call her again. I figure she can come over with Tyler and run some interference. What I didn't know is that she'd had her own run-in via phone with my mom (since my sister is the golden child this is very rare). I ask my sister to bring over little dude anyway and her response is NO WAY! I tried reminding her that she would need something someday but that one didn't work. UGH! After several joy filled cleaning hours with my mom we picked up PB and then headed downtown to get my dad from work.

They tried us off & went to run errands. PB was exhausted and beyond a little moody. She loves our next door neighbor Mary Jean so we went to visit Mary for a bit. On the way there PB grabbed some stale bread crumbs to feed the birds. She then filled the bag with fallen leaves to do some art projects. I love, love, love the family fun website! Its awesome! I printed out a Halloween countdown calendar for PB and got some great fall and Halloween craft ideas. They also had some amazing Halloween costume ideas. Including a washing machine and bubble bather. Some need to keep those in mind for another year! PB spent about an hour gluing and re gluing leaves and grass on a piece of paper. I love that she loves creating so much! She finds such joy in little things!

So I've got to say, other than wanting to sleep my mom a sedative at one point, today was an ok day!

Hmmm, what to do, what to do?

Hey there! Four days in a row! I'm on a roll folks!!! I should be studying for tomorrow's chem test but that is actually what I'm contemplating right now. So far I have a C in the class. I can definitely do better but for some reason (mostly lack of motivation) I'm just not doing well this semester. I'm so tired and worn down its not even funny. The thing is I really don't want to drop this class and start over because I've already done that once. I was taking this chem class last spring but then I wound up dropping (without my families knowledge). My sister was having a lot of health problems related to the birth of my nephew and I was spending all my free time driving out there to take care of my nephew. I wasn't willing to bring down my GPA by getting a C in chem then. Now part of me says that I should study my butt off today and go to lab and then take the test tomorrow. See how I do. Maybe I'll do ok but I truly have no grasp of the info for this test. I really really don't want to take this class again but I honestly have no motivation. I truly drop Princess Bear off at school and then want to crawl into bed. Ugh! What to do, what to do!

All about my blog

I decided to keep things light but continue with my role of blogging. Therefore I decided to explain my blog and why I have what I have on here!

First of, the name- Sarah’s Soap Worthy Life. I’ve always felt that at different times in my life I would qualify for my own TV show; either a sitcom or a soap. I’ve actually mentioned this theory to my family a few times over the years at the holidays when we’re all together. You take my life and add more family & I’m just constantly amazed that NBC is knocking on our door!

Now on to the widgets on the right hand side!

Contest/ Giveaway Button
When I have a contest or giveaway going on I will link it here. (There's one going on now!) I will also try to link to other great contests as well!

Email Button
Please tell me I don’t have to explain this one to you!

The Animal Rescue Site link.
This is a great thing to do. You click on a button once a day (they’ll even send you a daily email with a reminder link if you want!) and it helps fund food for animal shelters and sanctuaries!

Mountain Rose Herbs link.
I am an affiliate for this site. They have great essential oils, bulk herbs and spices and organic teas! Check it out!

That Family Tree Society.
Click this and you’ll go to a very funny blog.
About Me Once again pretty self explanatory right?

Great Places to shop links.
These are all places that I’m an affiliate for. Check them out if you have a minute! (Yes this is a shameless plug on my part!)

Freebie Friday & Organization Junkie links.
More great blogs to check out!

Accuweather.com link.
More for me than you guys. I can click on this in the morning and do a quick weather check & see how to dress Princess Bear for the day! I’m not a big news watching person. First of all I don’t like for PB to see the news (seriously it’s a bit much for a 5 year old don’t you think?) so I tend to check news links a few times a day online which works except for a daily weather check!

My Blog list
This list is always changing. Sometimes I’m getting rid of some. Sometimes I’m adding. I’m going to add some of the holiday ones to the Christmas blog I want to start. Have any favorite blogs you think I should check out? Let me know! (Leave a comment or use that cute email button!- sorry I couldn’t resist!)

Blog archive
Again do I need to explain?

Daily Pet Quotes. I’m a big animal lover and this has some great quotes and adorable pics!

Daily Quote. Non animal but still occasionally really good!


Now on to the widgets at the bottom of the blog postings
- A growth line for how old Princess Bear is
- How many days until Halloween (my second favorite holiday)
- Two Christmas countdowns (because one is never enough!)
- My playlist jukebox. I went mostly old school with this one.
- My Virgo Horoscope. I love the Are you Compatible with Sarah part at the bottom. So far NO ONE IS COMPATIBLE with me…surprise, surprise! I’m not a total horoscope junkie but I am 50% Polish and superstitious so I like taking a peek at it when I remember!
- My blog counter
So there you have it! All about my blog! My friend Jeremy is working on a blog header for me so I can’t wait to share that. I also want to figure out how to update the blog for fall without losing all my info. Hmmm something to ponder after my chem test!

What has happened to kindergarten?

Can anyone tell me what in the world has happened to kindergarten?!!!? Today was Princess Bears (PB) first day back. She always has a hard time transitioning back when missing more than a day or two of school. My daughter was in tears I mean completely sobbing that she didn't want to go to school- she wanted to stay home with me. After a fair amount of bribery I finally got her to school. She was late but at that point I wasn't stressing that! I walked her to her room & explained to her teacher that PB wasn't a 100% yet and very tired. I said that I would pick her up after lunch so it wouldn't be too rough a first day back. I also said that if PB completely fizzled before that to call me (I live a block from the school...its not like its difficult to pick her up!). The teacher just kind of laughed at me. I wasn't a real happy camper but there wasn't a lot I could do. I ran some errands keeping my cell phone out the entire time. No calls so I picked up PB at the appointed time. I saw her class walking to the playground as I got there so I went into the office, signed her out and then walked out to the playground to get PB. Aidan, a little boy who has been with PB for 2 years and just adores her, is in a walker. He fell on the playground on his way over to the equipment. Bre another little girl went to help him up. The teacher got upset with Bre & shooed her away. I about blew my lid right there. One of the best things I can say PB has developed from being in special ed is a wonderful sense of empathy and caring for her friends. Its amazing how much these kids help each other out and to adapt. Its truly heartwarming. Why Bre got in trouble for trying to help Aidan is just crazy in my mind! I picked up PB who was sitting for some apparent reason (she isn't a sit while others play kind of kid). The teacher tells me that in the morning she tried really hard and did ok and then it was like she glazed over and no one was home. Ok I have a couple of issues with this. First off all if her eyes really did glaze over she was having a focal seizure folks! Secondly I said that she was tired & not herself yet so why didn't you just call me?!!? Thirdly don't say something like that and laugh about it in front of my child because you are taking life & limb in your hands. So am I overreacting here? Honestly let me know if I am....I know that I can be overprotective.

Tomorrow (or some other time this week) I'll get into the new kindergarten and star issue in her classroom. I'm too tired to think straight. I have to learn 4 chapters of chem by Thursday! Just shoot me know, ok?!!?

Color me excited!

Sorry I've been lacking in the posting department. Things have been a bit crazy here. Princess Bear (PB)is still not at 100% and was home from school all last week. The fact that I haven't pulled out all of my hair is truly a testament to the patience that a parent can muster up!!! PB is one of those kids who gets sick and stays sick. Once we determined that it wasn't the chicken pox I was really ready for things to calm down. Instead we were at the Dr's office again last week to check things out since she still had (has) welts and a temp. The temp is low grade enough that I'm going to attempt to send her for a half day tomorrow...this mama needs some downtime!!!

Not all was a total loss with PB being home though. She did actually start out 3 nights sleeping in her room. (She has been sleeping in my room since Feb). The first night it was a bit odd and I kept on waking up waiting for her to call me. By the third night I was just thrilled! It was so nice not having to fight for space! (I only have a twin size bed). Please note that I said it was nice...as in past tense...as in she has resumed going to sleep in my room! AAAAUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! This of course happened after my mom took her to Teddy Set ....Go and let her stuff her own animal of choice that can only go to bed with her when she's sleeping in her room. Evidently only a few nights of Elephant Sarah (yes my daughter named her new beloved stuffed elephant after me...don't know what to make of that!) was enough to keep her in her own room. I did set up the Princess canopy to go over Princess Bears bed. I won this great bedding set on ebay for Princess Bear after deciding we were going to go with a Princess theme for her room

Now, am I one of those people that KNOWS and willingly admits that I'm not good with putting things together, following written instructions or generally handy in any way. PB decided that she really wanted the canopy up so in a moment of sheer stupidity I decided "Sure! I can do this myself!" Now this canopy was bought used off of ebay and came with hand-drawn instructions. Flat, nondimensional, not very clear instructions. Can you see where I'm going with this?!!!? Swearing is one of those things that is generally accepted in my family. PB knows there are words that she isn't allowed to use. She heard each and every one of them when I was trying to put this &*@# (@*$$ canopy together!!! Some of them she heard multiple times!!! At one point I tried calling my best friend to have her come give me a hand. I also considered calling my friend Maria & asking her to send over her hubby to give a hand (she & her husband are wonderful to me about giving a hand when my family pulls the if you had a husband you wouldn't need our help card). Since it was going on 9pm I opted out of that. PB actually decided she was tired and threw her mattress down underneath the structure...that was falling apart every few minutes! After much trial I FINALLY DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the very best part is that it has stayed up without any problem! WOOHOO! I'm very proud of myself!

Other than that things have been relatively low key. My folks went to Chicago on Friday and stayed until Saturday afternoon. It was a welcomed break for my parents and I but PB didn't fare as well. My dad wanted to check in on his baby brother who is still listed in critical condition and was taken into emergency surgery on Tuesday morning. They removed 1 gallon of blood clots from around my uncles heart and lungs. Its really amazing how much my uncle has been through and keeps on going. My dad wanted to go there and spend some time with him. Unfortunately my uncle is completely sedated and therefore not responsive but my dad stayed in his room for about and hour and a half just talking to him. I think it did my dad a lot of good to be there and sit with him for awhile.

On there way home my parents stopped in Oak Brook to shop. One of our favorite malls in the Chicagoland area. They also brought home Malnati's pizza. This stuff is to die for good pizza. I'm not kidding folks....to die for good! So good that you can literally call a 800 number and have it sent to you anywhere in the USA. Its packed in dry ice and shipped. For my dad's 60th birthday one of his cousins sent him a few pizzas from there! As I said it was generally nice for all of us to have some down time from each other!

So that is the story here! Don't forget to leave a comment sometime this week to be entered in my PIF giveaway!!!

Pay It Forward Giveaway!!!

OK...I know I've said for a week I was going to do this but my life is a bit out of control right now (Princess Bear is STILL sick!!!) but this seems like a great way to kick off the weekend! I'm continuing with the Pay It Forward Giveaway that I won from Heather over at Wanting What You Have

First of all here is a peek of the great stuff I got in my PIF box from Heather!


I love getting stuff in the mail that isn't a bill! The candle smells absolutely divine!


So how does this giveaway work you ask?!!!? Its so easy! Leave a comment any time between today and next Friday (10/10) and for each comment you receive one chance at a PIF box. There will be 3 winners! Also if you blog about the PIF giveaway and let me know that counts as a chance! Now before you go and comment away you have to know that if you are one of the 3 winners you have to hold your own PIF giveaway. (Just didn't want to spring that one on you later!) so go ahead and comment away!!!