got my hair did

How do you like the new "do?" I wanted a stacked bob but it's more of a soft shag. Jo, who has cut my hair for many years, usually does her thing and I always end up happy with the results. Sometimes at first, I am a little unsure, especially the first few days of a new cut. She has fine hair like mine so I feel like she knows how to manage it.

Parker took this picture of me, I look slightly crazed (and in dire need of some lipstick) but I guess that's how I look most of the time. I am second guessing my new haircut. Remembering how much effort shorter hair can be, straightener, product, rooster hair in the morning, etc. long hair is so much easier, hello ponytails! Anyway, it will be good to have shorter hair since Tanner pulls big chunks out at least 8 times a day. If nothing else, it was good to have an evening at the spa, I was in desperate need of some "me" time. I'm off to do my Friday stuff... grocery, dry cleaners, library, etc. Have a great weekend!

Shining Stars- Tiny Team

dress rehearsal
getting ready for tap- "Calendar Girls"- forgot to take a ballet pic- oops

It's been a couple weeks but Zoe's dance season is finished. We completed this year with a fabulous recital (her team performed 4 times in one day!). I cannot believe how much she (and the other team members) improved over the course of a year. All those rehearsals and competitions seem like a blur now that they are complete. Wow, these girls (and one boy) are like pros out there on stage. Totally "on" when they step out there under the lights. I am so proud of Zoe, she shines on stage and she is becoming quite confident in her dance. She told me she wants to take lessons every day. She will have to settle for her summer camp this July until next fall. I love watching her do something she is really good at, sometimes I have to remind myself that she is only 6, she's pretty awesome, not that I'm braggin' or anything!

boo boo kit

I got teased for this yesterday so I thought I'd share with you. Our gymnastics teacher had to get a bandaid for Parker yesterday while I was in the ladies' room and she thought this was pretty silly. I was actually impressed that he knew where to find a bandaid in all my stuff. It's just an ordinary first aid kit that the cashier at CVS talked me into buying last week when I was getting $40 worth of stuff for $3.80 (!). Since I was couponing her to death, I thought I'd oblige her, and the profits benefited some charity, sorry I can't remember which one. Anyway, it was pretty ugly. It said, "CVS first aid kit" on the front so I just pulled off the sticker and used some of my old scrapbooking stickers to enhance it. Voila! I thought it was cute and hey, that's what matters right?! It holds a few bandaids so it isn't very practical but it is nice for the old diaper bag. Zoe (my biggest fan) thought it was "awesome" and proclaims she wants one for her backpack.

gifts for our preschool buddies

the supplies: mini bubbles, stamps, ink, message printed on paper, ribbon
I like to utilize slave labor whenever possible...
the finished product: cute little gifts for our friend in our "mom and me" class


just a note: this was a free project because I got the bubbles using CVS Extra Care Bucks and the other supplies I had at home. I just love free!

busy busy busy

You really can't see it in this photo but there is about 8 loads of laundry here. It was so much the kids thought it was fun to jump into, like a pile of leaves in the fall. I am standing on a chair to take this picture, maybe I should have laid on the floor so you could really appreciate its enormosity (did I just make that up?). Anyway, I have been trying to catch up on laundry for a week now after our latest bout with stomach flu (I'll never let Parker have a blue slushie ever again!) and a slew of late night receptions and school events it's just about all I have been doing.

No Weight Watchers news to share since my meeting won't be held today (Happy Memorial Day!). I did try on a pair of shorts from my prebaby days (dating-my-husband days as a matter of fact) and they fit! I put them in the Goodwill pile since now I have ferocious broken veins that keep me from wearing cute short shorts from my prebaby days, urgh! It's always sumthin' .

I am hoping it rains today so I can talk the kids into staying inside, I really have to get some stuff done around here! Hoping to finish some sewing projects and get some graduation cards made... and put away all that dang laundry!

go be nice to a stranger

Today I was at the health department picking up Tanner's birth certificate when the cashier there made my day. She saw my Weight Watchers 10% key chain and said, "I do Weight Watchers too." We spoke for a few moments about how much we like it and how much it has helped both of us and then she said, "oh but you don't need it, look at you, you look great!" I smiled and said thanks. It's amazing how one thing someone says can boost your spirits. It made me feel so good and it made it easier to finish all my errands and do so with a smile on my face. Thank you so much kind lady at the health department!

-1.2 pounds last night! Woo hoo! I am hoping to lose 9 more...

sharing an organizing tip- finally!

Are you buying new spring clothes? If your new shirts, shorts or capris come with extra buttons here is a way to keep them ready in case you need to use them. I always tape (or staple) the tag from a new clothing purchase to the extra buttons (buttons usually come in tiny baggies or attached to another tag). That way, I can find the buttons faster. If my Loft capris lost a button in the wash then I know to look for the Loft tag in my button stash. I usually write a note on the tag if there is room (like: pink checked skirt, etc.) A lot of times, the clothing tags have descriptions on them which make it even easier, for instance, they might say, "yellow flower pattern, size __". Wow, instant organization. This has proven to be helpful to me so many times, especially for my husband's dress shirts. Those buttons get broken all the time at the dry cleaners and I have to replace them often. It is so easy to look through my button stash and find the tag that corresponds to the shirt, thus making it very easy to find the perfect matching button (you'd be surprised how many different kinds of white buttons they put on men's dress shirts!). I just went shopping for the fam a week or so ago at Kohl's so I have been doing this as we are wearing new clothes... just wanted to share.

P.S. I did finish all my laundry (see "woe is me") and got everything ready for the showing, I was only up until 1:30! Let's hope they want to buy the house :)

woe is me

This is not a joke, I swear!

I am in the process of doing 9 loads of laundry today: clothes and linens are everywhere, on my kitchen island, the bathroom, the floor, everywhere.

I have punished the kids for the day, they are not allowed to watch any tv for the whole day. So, the rest of the house is trashed with toys/kid stuff.

I have three organizational projects going on: two cabinets being done as well as toy sorting/purging.

My phone rings with the news that we are going to have our first house showing tomorrow (24 hours from now).

I hear Zoe screaming from the upstairs bathroom, "mom!" That can only mean one thing, stomach flu, again.

I am not kidding. Oh, woe is me.

a couple things

Look at these cheeks! I love them, they get red from being kissed all the time!
Parker says, "Happy Mother's Day" to me, so I am sharing with you (a little late.)

Dance recital is coming this weekend so I'm very busy getting stuff ready for that as well as getting end of the year gifts ready for Parker's mom and me teacher and dance teachers.

Weight Watchers weigh-in report: -1.2 pounds this week, not a big loss but at least it is a pound, the past few weeks I have had measly losses so I was thrilled to at least lose a solid pound. (total lost is 20.2!) I am thanking Gilad and FitTV. I have taped a bunch of his shows and as always, he kicks my butt. Zoe likes to do the workouts with me, saying, "look at me mommy, I am not even breathing hard!" All the while, I am swearing under my breath. I have also checked out some workout dvds from the library in the hopes of speeding up this process. I did The Biggest Loser 2 one last night and it was really good, you can personalize your workout which I liked. I am hoping to lose another 10 pounds, but I don't know if I can... right now it seems like a pretty lofty goal.

just braggin'

Warning! Cute baby photos up ahead!
piggies
cheeks
wide-eyed-wonder
giggleswith big brother
Yep, I thought you might like those.

random stuff

Thump thump, "oh man!" Thump, thump, "yes!"
This is what I heard at 5:15 AM! Parker had woken up and decided to play basketball in his room with his new Nerf net. He just got the net yesterday and he loves it. This is a replacement for the one he got for his 2nd birthday, he literally wore it out! It was just hanging there, "not working" as Parker described. How many kids wear out a basketball hoop? He is obsessed I tell you.

Walgreens is giving away free 8x10 prints, enter the code "mother" for the coupon online. I always get these, they are great for dramatic scrapbook pages... now if I only had the time to scrap.

And, I just have to tell you to check out the US Weekly blog, Jon Gosselin is really making me mad! Last week they (Jon and Kate) were on the cover and it looks like they are again for his alleged philandering, urgh! I don't know if I will be able to watch the new episodes that air this month if he is a cheating scum. Do you believe their sources? All I can say to him is, how are you going to pay for child support for all those kids?!

Weight watchers update: only lost .4 this week, Ergh!!!

teacher appreciation

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week so if you're out shopping this weekend, you might want to pick up a little sumpin' for those guys and gals who take care of your youngin's every day. I am totally copying my friend, Kristin's, idea of giving a box of Girl Scout cookies with a nice note. She was smart and ordered the "Thanks a lot" cookies (you know, being thankful and all), I wasn't thinking and got "Thin Mints." Anyway, I plan on also getting Zoe's teacher a flower bouquet. I was a teacher and I can tell you that gift cards, flowers, chocolate and hand written notes expressing gratitude are the most appreciated gifts. Please no cutesy wooden "best teacher" apples or ornaments, you have no idea how many of those a teacher receives over the course of his/her career, I mean how many of these can one woman display on her desk?! Just FYI.