Time to relax.

Whoever thought that being a SAHM was all soap operas and bon bons should think again! I can't believe how much the days just run together and each day seems strangely the same. Don't get me wrong, I would not trade being at home with the little one for anything. I would still make the same choice to leave my job and be at home. I think that my biggest problem, is that I don't really want G to help me when he gets home from work. I feel like, he gets up early and goes out there to do his job so that I can have the luxury of staying home with the little one, so he should be able to relax when he gets home and not have to worry about the housework, the little one, or anything. It makes me so crazy, that I feel guilty when he does help....which is all the time. He always wants to feed the little one when he gets home, or he's vacuuming, or doing dishes, or something. When I tell him he doesn't have to do it, he tell me he does, because I need a break too. What a guy! Nonetheless, I still feel guilty and sometimes.....inadequate. Like, I should have had all that crap done, so it wasn't there for him to even do. I know this is crazy, but that's how I feel. Anyway, I'll have to give this some more thought, and figure out how to make myself, a) more productive so I get more done while G is at work. b) not feel so guilty when he does help. c) find a way to go to bed earlier -I'm such a night owl. d) find more time to scrap!

So, I figured out how to add a video, and this song always makes me think about a relaxing vacation....I thought I'd share!

Run out and get your Airborne today!

Everyone I know seems to be getting the sickies lately. In our house, both the little one and I have been suffering with lots of congestion. The only one who seems to have avoided the ickies is G. He's been taking his Airborne everyday. This stuff really works. I wish I had taken it, when I first noticed the little one getting the sniffles. So here is your PSA for the day. Go out and get your Airborne, and when you feel the slightest inkling of the ickies, take it! If your planning to travel on an airplane, or know your going to be cooped up with a large crowd where their might be people with the ickies, take it! You won't regret it!

So, what do you do when your horn starts going off at 5am?

Friday night, I'm all snug as a bug in my comfy bed with an icky headcold coming on. I took some medince and slept like a dream! At 5 am, I hear this noise, and can't quite place it. I was sitting up on the side of the bed, just listening. I was trying to figure out what it was. Was it a smoke alarm? Then G woke up, and asked me what that noise was. In a foggy haze, I said I didn't know, I was trying to figure it out. I got up and went towards the little ones room, but the noise faded as I got closer to his room. I went back to our room, and could still hear it, G told me to check the bathroom....so, I opened the bathroom door, and nothing. Then in dawned on us! It's a car horn. I open the garage door...nope, it's not my car. Now mind you, this wasn't a horn like someone was pressing the horn and going beep beep beep, this was beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep constantly. Well, both G and I go to the front door and look outside, and we don't see anyone, just hear this obnoxious horn blaring. We were trying to figure out which car it was, when I asked G, why a horn would be blaring like that with no one out there. That's when he freaked me out! He said, well, it could be some drunk passed out on their horn, or it could be someone is dead in their car! WHAAAAT? S0, we come back in the house, G puts on a pair of sweats and grabs the flashlight. He's going to investigate. Me, I grab the phone. I'm ready to call 911 when he figures out what it is. As I get to the door, G is coming back inside, and what do I see? One of our neighbors driving the offending car off horn blaring. So, G and I climb back into our warm cozy bed, which isn't quite as toasty as it was before. We get all nice and comfy, when.....the horn is back! I don't know what this guy thought when he was driving it off. Did he think, that as he drove (through the entire neighborhood, waking up even more people) that the horn would stop? I get up, to see what the heck he's doing now, and I see him walking around the car, looking all over the engine trying to figure out what to do. Finally! He figured it out! When your car horn starts blaring at 5 am, you don't drive the car off, you disconnect the battery! Just a little Public Service Announcement in case it ever happens to you!

A little more about my spending challenge.....

I've been thinking a lot lately about my lack of creativity, and my mound of supplies. I've also been thinking a lot about all the supplies that I am still wanting to buy. So, as I've said before, I've challenged myself to a spending freeze until I do 10 projects. Well, I already know that tomorrow, I am going to fall of the wagon. I'm headed for the the garage tomorrow to scrap my little heart out with some old friends and some new ones. I know once I get there, that there will be something that I just have to have. With this being said, I was catching up on my blog reading and went to read Jen's blog. She brought up my spending challenge, and found something on Kristina's blog who is the owner of 2 peas which was very insightful. Here is the blog from 2peas if your interested in reading the whole thing and her response to a comment someone made. I have thought about this so often, it seems like every week, there is some new latest and greatest product release. Something new that I am just salivating to get my hands on. I cannot for the life of me think of another industry that turns over it's new product so fast. It seems like every other industry has a "season change". For example, clothing, you know your going to get Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall. There doesn't though seem to be this same buzz about the newest stuff every season though. It seems more like every season we buy a few of the pieces being offered and move on. We're not banging on Macy's door, just yelling "I MUST HAVE ALL THE NEW CLOTHES YOU HAVE!" Eyeglasses, seem to have a season too, new styles tend to come out at the beginning of the year....just when your vision insurance has kicked in again and your ready for that new pair of glasses. It seems like this hobby of ours has continuous new seasons, every day, we are scoping our Target, Wal-Mart, Michaels, and especially our Local Scrapbook Stores, just wanting to be the first one to get all the new stuff. We can't just buy a few of the new things either, we all seem to be on the must have it all list! No wonder the LSS's can't survive. What kind of a cash flow must you have to always be ordering new stuff. With this type of industry, you certainly can't stock much inventory that will sit around for awhile. No wonder, there is never enough of all the new stuff. Not everyone is getting it, because the LSS can't take a chance on having too much leftover after the hype has passed. This is why people are making a killing on ebay! Since you can't find the item you want anymore at the LSS, you head over to ebay and get in a bidding war for the latest and greatest with your fellow scrapbooker. It just seems so crazy! There has got to be a way to slow this cycle down. I think the industry as a whole is going to have to figure something out.

So, back to my challenge. After reading Jen's blog, I certainly feel more inspired to use my stash. I'm sticking to my challenge, (even if I'm falling off the wagon tomorrow for a bit) but I'm adding a new twist. Not only am I going to have a spending freeze challenge (after my break tomorrow), but I'm giving myself 2 weeks to get 10 projects done. Goodness knows I have quite a few projects waiting for me to finish up, and plenty of sketches of layouts I've done to get made.

I am proud of myself though, I have not bought a scrapbook related item in 2 weeks! Thankfully, I did have a few items on order that were placed before the challenge, so I still had stuff coming in the mail! All of those have been received, so after tomorrow, it's cold turkey!
YIKES!!!!

$34.95!

Hey everyone! We're back from Vegas! What a whirlwind trip that was. I'll have to fill you all in on the fun of the trip after I get some of my pictures back. I just wanted to check in and share a little story from our trip.

So, it's Sunday night, our last night in Vegas. We are headed out to have a nice buffet dinner with two other couples. One of the couples and G and I decide to head over to the Rio casino early to watch a little bit of the Raider game (my poor Raiders). Anyway, we were supposed to meet two other couples at the buffet, but somehow we missed them and they started without us about 45 minutes before we got there. Since one of the guys called someone from the other group, they asked their waitress if she could hold a table a few tables away from theirs for us. They were a group of four and we were a group of six. Their waitress said no problem! So the six of us get in the plentiful buffet line, pay our $22.95 each, and wait in another plentiful line to be seated. As we get to the front, one of G's friend tells the hostess, who come to find out is also the manager, that our friends are seated over in that area, and the waitress was holding a table for us. She tells us, that if we want to sit in the same section as our friends, the dinner is going to cost us $34.95 more! Now mind you, we are not sitting at their table, we are not sitting right next to them, we are just asking to be in the same section! They tell us, that even if we are not at the same table or even next to each other, if we are seated in the same waitresses section, then we have to pay the extra gratuity! I couldn't believe this! I was flabbergasted! I guess the waitress had already warned our friends who were already there, that it might happen like that, but that she would talk to the seating hostess to try to accomodate us without the gratuity. So nice of her.....she was heading for a huge tip for being nice.

Now, I completely understand the concept of large parties at tables and then the wait person gets stiffed for having to work very hard to serve a large party. This however was a buffet......except for non-alcoholic drinks, I had to serve myself! Where's my tip? As G's friend R said, I fully expected that once I crossed the line to be seated, that the manager was going to grab me by my ankles and shake me out for any coins or money I might have left in my pockets! Okay, just a little vent, I promise something more substantial tomorrow!

Why do I even try?

I am so not good at no spending challenges. Now, that I have not been shopping for scrapbook supplies, my spending has just moved to the shoe spending category. I picked up these really cute BCBG shoes today. I'd been eyeing them on ebay for a few days, and when they were still under $40, I couldn't resist. Too bad they won't be here in time for my trip to Vegas.

Speaking of my no scrap spending challenge, how is everyone doing that decided to try? I'm not doing so well at it, I had ordered a sizzix die for the large album cover and insert, and paid for that today, so I'm not sure, that whether it counts or not, because I ordered it before I challenged myself. I'll let my fellow challengee's decide. Regardless, I'm still not doing so well at it, since I have not completed many projects. Getting ready for this trip, just has been a lot of work, so no time to scrap. I'm promising myself 4 hours tomorrow after G gets home from work.

The little one and I are going to take Rebecca to lunch tomorrow! I feel like I haven't seen her forever, and I know she's been crazy busy with work starting and with the boys and all their activities....especially that baseball.

Blog Challenge! 10 memories from my school years.

Wow! This is going to take me back. It's been so long since I've been in school! Let's see what I can come up with. These are definately not in any order of importance.

1. I remember in junior high, I was an 8th grade cheerleader. We were supposed to be at a tournament at the high school. I was the only one who showed up. I don't know how, but I was brave enough to sit with another group of cheerleaders from another school and cheer our team on!

2. I remember during my senior year of high school, I went to my first party with alcohol. (I have a strict Filipino father, so I didn't go much of anywhere unless my parents called and spoke to the adult who was going to be present) My friend bought me a 4 pack of wine coolers which I drank all of and would not share. I remember hiding in a closet when the sherrifs showed up. The sherriff who was also the coach for the boys basketball team (who knew me because I was a cheerleader still) recognized me and laughed and closed the door without getting my friends or I in trouble. I did get a lecture later and was told if he caught me again he was going to tell my parents.

3. I remember my friend Colin DeBre, who had to move under not so happy circumstances during our freshman year. I've missed her ever since....sure wish I could find her.

4. I remember being in the Sebastopol Apple Blossom queen competition with my friend Dawn Sirstad (wish I could find her too). We had so much fun doing all the events leading up to the crowning of the queen and the local parade and festival. I didn't win, but I was first runner-up, which was called the Apple Blossom princess....so you can call me princess! LOL

5. I remember my first crush that started in junior high school and carried through high school.

6. I remember being in a drama production where we lip synced to different music artists. I lip synced to Whitney Houston, and because I was such a good girl in school, one of my teachers asked me if I even knew what I was lip syncing about. (The song had something to do with sex).

7. I remember the first and last time I was a bully. I got into a fight with a girl who everyone picked on. I don't remember her last name, but I remember her first...Althea..if your out there, I'm sorry for being a bitch.

8. I remember the students we lost to drunk driving accidents.

9. I remember my favorite teacher...Mr. Miller. I still miss seeing him! During my senior year, I was a teachers assistant in his class for at least 3 periods of the day.

10. I remember my first french kiss. It happened after school, I was a freshman and he was a junior. It was near the gym and locker rooms, because he was going to football practice, and I was going to cross country running practice. It was the grossest thing ever, I had to wash my mouth out in the locker room right after.

I remember lots of friends! I remember wishing I could grow up and be an adult, but now that I am, I really miss those carefree fun days. If you know any of the following people, let me know, because they were my friends and since high school ended we have lost touch, and I miss them and would love to find them again.
Dawn Sirstad
Colin DeBre
Laura Pruitt
Brandy Lucas
Bob Geisinger
Josefina Villacana
and anyone else from El Molino H.S class of 1988

Cleaning out my closet!

Oh boy! I'm so lucky! I got to clean out my closet today! WAHOOOO! It was that time. I share the walk in closet with G, and he is a neat freak! Our closet looks so neat and tidy on one side, and like a bomb exploded on the other. Needless to say, it was time to clear the debris. I packed up all my lovely maternity wear with all of the little one's clothes that are too small. I hope I get to wear it again in the next 12 to 18 months. This made room for all the clothes that I have been able to start wearing again, not to mention some of the new stuff I've collected. Everything is finally hung up and folded and put in some sensible order again. I tried on shoes that I haven't been able to wear in ages, first, because 3 inch heels and pregnancy don't go together, second, because carrying around an infant and 3 inch heels don't go together, and third, because I've had no place to wear them for ages. I had to get this done, because I need to start thinking of what I'm going to take to Las Vegas. Oh my land! I didn't even realize just how much stuff I have! Don't tell G I said that though! I love the stuff in my closet, from my cute little outfits, my adorable little shoes, like these in the coffee color by BCBG! I wanna look cute and sassy while DH and I are getting some R&R in Vegas. Yeah right....I thought I was gonna get some rest.....

Turns out, I might be playing softball with the team! I think they might be better off with Caspar the friendly ghost playing instead of me! I can't even remember the last time I played softball! I know I remember that I can catch a ball, but I don't think I'll be hitting any home runs (at least not on the softball field *wink*wink*). I hope I can have a designated hitter, because they can just count me as a strike before I even walk up to the plate! I'm gonna be so embarassed!

I've already scoped out wear the nearest Starbucks is in relation to our hotel! I wish I had thought of that before I booked our hotel....

Blah.....

I'm just feeling blah this week. There is nothing exciting going on at all. I hope all this blah wears off before I head for Las Vegas. I think I'm just feeling blah, because, I feel so uncreative right now and I miss some of my friends who I haven't seen for awhile. I think I'm also feeling a bit nervous about leaving my little man while we are in Vegas. I know he will be very well cared for, one of my friends whom I admire beyond words is going to stay with him while we are gone. I am so grateful to my amazing friend for this too. It's just, that this will be the first time I'll be away from him for more than just a few hours. I know I'm gonna cry. I can't imagine a day without him! I know though, that this will be good for my relationship with my G though. Things are fine, but we need to spend a little time focused on each other and nurturing our relationship. We definately have not been alone since the little one was conceived! LOL So, I have a lot to be thankful to this friend for. I have to thank her for caring for my little man, the most precious gift I have, I have to thank her for being my friend, she is amazing, and I have to thank her when 30 years from now I'm still happily married, that she helped!

Nothing Exciting....

So it was a holiday weekend, and we didn't do anything exciting. I always thought I was the only one not doing anything exciting before today though.

I did get to sleep in a bit today, since G was off. He got up with the little one fore the morning feeding! YAY! When I did finally get up, I took a nice relaxing shower, and decided that a holiday would probably be a great day to go to the laundromat!! You all know the story about my new found love for the laundromat. I figured, it's a holiday, nobody else will be at the laundromat. I was so wrong. My original thought, that I would not have to fight for a washer or a dryer was so wrong. The place was PACKED! I guess I wasn't the only loser with no great plans for the holiday.

After I got back from the laundromat and relaxed a bit, I got a bug to do some more cleaning.....so, I cleaned out the refrigerator. As you can tell, I didn't have any glamorous plans, but I was very productive! :)

Anyway, still working on our trip to Sin City. Hopefully we have a babysitter for the little one, otherwise, I am flying to Portland to have my sister-in-law watch him for the weekend, or we are taking him with us. I'm so torn with this trip now. I really want to go and enjoy a fun and hopefull somewhat romantic weekend with G. We haven't had that since before the little one came. Also, it would be very dificult to do much in Sin City with a little one. On the otherhand, I haven't been away from my baby for more than a few hours since he arrived. I think I'm going to be a wreck!

I wanna be a kid again!

I was reading Rebecca's blog last night and about her son's little problem with lunch and it donned on me, that I wanna be a kid again! Kids have such a way with logic, that it works in any situation! I love his idea, that because the sandwich was smashed, it was smaller, thus not as filling! This would do wonders for my diet! So, in the spirit of kids, I'm making my list for why I wanna be a kid again! These are in no particular order of course!

1.) Smashed food = less food = less me in terms of fat!

2.) No worries about money...that's what parents are for!

3.) Teachers are much easier to deal with than bosses!

4.) If I don't clean the house, someone else will do it, and the only thing I'll get is grounded!

5.) I'd have someone to cook good meals for me again!

6.) Daddy....Will you take me shopping? Please?

7.) Taxes? What are taxes?

8.) Nothing bad can happen, I'm a kid and I'm invincible!

9.) Everything is going to turn out exactly like my dreams. If I want it, I'm gonna get it.

10.) Brand new clothes and shoes for every season! School shopping rocks!

Well, here I am back in reality, and now my job is to foster this love for being a kid in my little one. Maybe I can find a way to make him appreciate the worry free life of a kid! Wish me luck!

There sure are a lot of pots and kettles in this world!

Everyone has heard the phrase about the pot calling the kettle black right? While I was reading my favorite message board, I’ve seen this phrase and other similar ones thrown around left and right. It got me to thinking. There sure are a lot of pots and kettles out there. It really seems that in every aspect of our lives, there is a ton of finger pointing going on.

What really got me started on this was a post about people of a certain religion not following the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Matthew 7:12) What really struck me is that this person is spouting off the golden rule, but I guess she forgot to read everything else in that chapter of the Bible. For example: Do not judge or you too will be judged? For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5) Then in private, when I called her on that point, she came back with….yep, you guessed it, more finger pointing.

It is always someone else’s fault! I didn’t really mean to pull this one person out and use her as the example, but it is a prime example of what’s going on in the world today. Nobody wants to accept responsibility for anything. If someone loses their job, it was because their boss was an arse, or they didn’t treat them fairly, it’s never because they were not doing their job. If someone is ordering something and they wait until the last minute before they need it, it’s still the provider’s fault that they didn’t get it in time, forget the fact that the provider clearly told them it was x number of days and they were leaving in x minus five days.

This is clearly going on with the horrible hurricane Katrina efforts. Everyone is pointing a finger at someone else about all the chaos and human and animal devastation. It’s the Presidents fault for not getting help there more quickly. It’s the residents fault for not evacuating when they were told to. Back and forth, it’s not helping anything. Clearly there have been plenty of mistakes on both sides of the coin, but is it really the time for political posturing? Should the democrats and republicans be spending all this time pointing fingers at one another? I think that at this point everyone just needs to pull together and take care of the people and the animals. G might be heading down to NO to help with the cleanup and rescue. I’m not real overjoyed by this, but if he can help and they need to send him, then so be it. The thing that scares me the most is all the lawlessness going on. I am totally behind them for going into abandoned stores and taking food, clothing, blankets, and the things they need to survive, but HELLO, what are you going to do with that television or laptop computer? I know that people are in desperate times and want help immediately, but with the magnitude of issues and people who need attention, it’s going to take time.

Anyway, back to my original topic, I am by no means the perfect little angel, when it comes to this pot and kettle business. I am truly trying to recognize though when I do my own finger pointing and make sure I am taking responsibility for what is mine. So, sometimes, I’m the pot, sometimes I’m the kettle, and I’d just like to say to all you other pots and kettles…..Hello!

I'm failing miserably!

Okay, so a few days ago, I posted that I was challenging myself to a spending freeze. Can you say.....COMPLETE FAILURE! I must start over! Of course, that won't be to hard, as I have yet to complete anything. I have however been shopping. I just can't stop buying all the pretty scrap stuff! I had to go to Target, for some supplies for J, so what must I go look for? Yep, the Crazy Life line by Heidi Swapp. I didn't go to hog wild over this stuff. I got a frame kit, a couple of the plastic letter sets and some chipboard letters. The tapes were really cute, but Thursday is now spelled Thrusday. I also picked up some Making Memories letter stickers to match a paper set I already have. Then today, I placed an order for some of the new Daisy D's French Market papers and some Fontwerks stuff from Scrapgal. So......I'm starting over again. NO MORE BUYING until I do 10 projects!

Can I use the fact that I'm giving up soda as an excuse for losing my mind and shopping?

I don't know what has gotten into me lately, but I just have this huge desire to go shop wild! I've been craving a trip to Ikea , I want some more new shoes, I want some more new clothes, I want some cute new lacey things, and I wanna go make-up shopping too! I must fight this urge to shop!! I'm hoping to go and get a few new things before we head off to Vegas -if we end up going. Hopefully tomorrow, I will be able to print boldly across the top of my blog that I am in fact headed for SIN CITY! Not much sinning will be going on with a 9 month old in tow though.

I can't believe my little J is 9 months old today!!! Where is all the time going? I look at him in his crib and just can't believe how big he is getting!