Holy cow...it's been a month!

Holy cow people, it's been a month since I have posted on my blog! I'm sorry....time just flies by these days! So, what's been going on in this household? Same stuff different day!

I am 19 weeks pregnant and so far, everything looks good. Baby's heartbeat was 150 bpm yesterday. Feeling the baby move, which is totally awesome, although I'm starting to think baby never sleeps. My next ultrasounds is scheduled for November 6th. This is when some people would find out what they are having, but we have decided, as we did with Caiden, that we will not be finding out what we are having. Our toughest mission of course will be the baby's name...I have lots of likes for girls this time, but not really anything for a boy. Maybe it's a sign :)

Caiden seems pretty excited about the baby coming...he gives it hugs and kisses and tells me he loves my baby. Depending on the day he sometimes wants a brother, sometimes a sister. Last time I asked him, he told me he wants a sister because he loves girls!



Speaking of Caiden, you may be wondering how he is doing in school. He is doing great!! In the last couple of weeks, I have noticed that there is not a speck of sadness in him anymore when I drop him off in the morning. He still wants to waive bye everyday, but he is not sad anymore! He has made a lot of friends and he is learning tons of new things :)

Other than that, it is same old same old around here. I'm in an accounting class, and will be for the next 9 weeks....4 hours every Monday until December 7th. If you could actually hear me speaking this, you would hear the excitement dread in my voice. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. This will be my last class until I am ready to go back after the baby is born!! YIPPEE!!!

Some Great Giveaways in Bloggy Land

Here are some giveaways I have entered that I wanted to share with all of my readers. Not that I want you to enter them...that just takes away from my chances to win...guess I just wanted to tell you about all the awesome stuff I'm trying to win LOL. (Really, just kidding..make sure to check them out!)

First I start with Our Ordinary Life's giveaway of the Tike Tech Stroller. Yes, you could win a FREE stroller. Click here to check it out and enter for your chance to win.

Next we go over to Monkey Mayhem where she is giving away a Free Jeep Play Yard. I've been wanting a new play yard, so keep your fingers crossed for me on this one!! For your chance to win, click here.

Jump Start Pet Rescue Review

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you may remember my review of the Jump Start computer and online games. If not, you can find it here.

I'm here to tell you about the newest Jump Start games I have had the opportunity to review. It is Pet Rescue for the Wii! Yes, you read it right, Jump Start now has a Wii game! And I my son, was lucky enough to be able to get a copy of the game before you could even find it in stores to test it out.

This game has all of the wonderful qualities as the Computer games, plus you get to play it on the TV. Jump Start's Pet Rescue game lets the children design their characters, which they can change at any time. My son absolutely LOVES to make silly characters. You also can have pets in this game which follow you everywhere. You can play fetch, feed your pet, and with different movements of the Wii remote, you can also make your pet do tricks!

Of course, this is a Jump Start game, so there is plenty education packed into the game as well. When my son asks if he can play this game, it is much easier to say yes when I know he is learning while he is playing.

As you can see, there are many different "worlds" that the kids can explore while playing this game. My son really enjoys hunting out the slides in each place.

My son absolutely loves playing his Jump Start Pet Rescue game. I and love that he is learning while he is playing it. Jump Start has again created a wonderful game that will keep my son entertained for a long time to come!

I Did It!!!

I did it, I did it!!! I hemmed my new pair of maternity pants. Now, since I'm am all of 5'1" tall on a good day, you would think that I do this all of the time. But, for years my mom did it for me. A couple of years ago, she decided I was old enough to do it myself, so she taught me how. Since then, I have been hemming away, right? Yeah, um NO. I have been mostly just rolling up my pants or just waking on them. Terrible I know...moving on. This pair of pants I bought were 5 inches too long, a little bit too long to just roll up (trust me, I tried last Thursday).

A few phone calls to my mom to refresh my memory, then I started pinning my pants. Next the hard part...I had to cut them. This I have never done before...I have always been able to just fold and sew. Who would have known cutting away a little fabric would cause such problems???

After many trials and errors (3 to be exact) I finally got it right! Now I have to go press the hem and they will be done.

Are they even? Who knows... Do I care? Not so much. Who's going to be looking at my feet anyway? They are maternity pants. Everyone will be looking at my growing tummy!!

School - Week 2

Week 2 of school is now done. How did the week go you ask?

Monday was just as I expected...or maybe even worse. It was worse than any day last week when I dropped him off. He cried which I was expecting. I wasn't really expecting him to latch on to my leg and beg me not to go or take him with me. And when the teacher finally took him, I really didn't expect him to yell for mommy. Good thing he didn't do that last week, or I would have lost it...bawling with him. But this week, I'm better...I'm over the crying. I still feel bad for him, but I know he enjoys himself once he warms up.

Tuesday and Wednesday were much better. He still wasn't real excited to be there...told me he didn't want to go. But he put a brave face on (possibly for Mommy) and didn't cry. Although Tuesday he told me that all the Mommies were staying at school with the kids that day...as we are staring at an almost empty parking lot.

Thursday for some reason unknown to me, he went back to crying and yelling for Mommy. I told him this morning that it was because we forgot his Mommy's kisses sticker. This morning went really well...I would say the best morning so far :) He was running to the classroom, pretty happy to be there. Got just a little bit sad when I said it was time to go, but after a final kiss and hug, he said "bye mom" waived and I left.

The teacher said he is starting to come out of his shell and talk more...even if for now it is mostly to her. He did tell me that Cole is a boy and he is funny...and that he laughed 5 times today. I think a little girl there might have a crush on him. She came and told me and Caiden that she liked the sharks on his shirt this morning.

So, all in all, it was a better week, but again, Monday will be interesting.

Camera Critters 8/22

For this week's Camera Critters I'm asking a question.

Am I the only one that has a dog that insists on not only laying next to you, but in between your legs? Seriously...he will jump up on the couch, bed, or where ever you are at and nose and paw your legs until you let him lay between your legs.

Thursday Thunks 8/20

Thursday Thunks - stupid questions that you love to answer
Welcome to the August 20th version of Thursday Thunks!(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen, the number ziltch and the color of spider webs.

1. Your thoughts on hunting? Not for me, but I'm not opposed to it for the most part...lots of my family goes hunting.
2. Swine Flu vaccine... will you get it? I don't think so.
3. What is one job/profession that you think there are just too many of? Ummm...telemarketers
4. I want to go on a diet, what advice will you offer me? Don't come to my house.
5. You are going out on a date with someone for the very first time. When you get into their car, you see a box of condoms on the floor. What do you do? Check to see if there are any unused ones in the box. If there are, put them in my purse (they are expensive you know ;) )
6. Name something in your bathroom that shouldn't be there. Probably a book or magazine
7. What was your Kindergarten teacher like? I want to say grumpy, but I don't really remember
8. What kind of oil do you use when you cook? EVOO
9. If someone takes an unflattering picture of you and posts it online, do you beg them to take it down or do you laugh at yourself with everyone else? Depends on what the picture is.
10. What brand of dishwashing soap do you use? Cascade complete...the off brand stuff just doesn't work as well.

First Days of School

Monday was Caiden's first day of Preschool/Daycare Center. Before Monday he has been at an in-home daycare all of this life. I can remember my first day of Preschool and how much I HATED not knowing anyone, so I was really dreading Caiden's first day...but I had been talking up going to school and how much fun it would be to Caiden for a while.

So Monday came and off to school we went. As soon as he got there, he declared to the teacher that he was 4 and that he got new shoes that can make him jump! He stuck close to me, until we found a cool train track/road thing that he could build. Once he started playing with that, I told him it was time for Mommy to go to work...and with a waive he said "Bye Mommy!" Wow, that was pretty easy! I spent all day at work on Monday wondering what he was doing, how he was doing and hoping he was having fun and making friends. When I picked him up, the teacher said he had a pretty good day. Cried once that he missed Mommy, but then was better and went to play. Caiden told me about some of the fun stuff he did that day and he seemed like he had a pretty good time.

Tuesday came and it was time for school again. Drop off was a little tougher, he wanted me to hold him and didn't want me to go. I told him I had to go to work, and the teacher took his hand and they went to find the toy animals. I could tell he was on the verge of tears, but I didn't see any before I left. When I picked him up, he was not playing and running like the day before, but was sitting in the chair outside next to the teacher. We was thrilled to see me and told me about the picture he colored and that he got to paint. He took me inside to show me his art work.

Wednesday, Day 3. I told my mom last night, I think it was going to get worse before it gets better. I hit the nail on the head. This morning he wanted Mommy to hold him and he cried on my shoulder, which of course made me cry. He didn't want me to go, but I promised him he would have fun. I took him to the table and asked him to color me another picture. He wanted a hug, which of course I gave him, but then I found myself stuck in a headlock with my 4 year old's arm around my neck...not letting go. After a few more hugs and kisses (and a raspberry or two on his cheek) and walked out...tears rolling down my cheeks. He was still sniffling when I left. I gave him a star sticker at home, which I kissed before I put it on his shirt. I told him that sticker would be my kisses for him and he could wear it all day. I "recharged" it a couple of times before I left...I hope it helped.

Miss me?

Did everyone miss me? Sorry I've been MIA, but I have a good reason I swear....well a few reasons actually. I have been in a math class all summer long that just finished last week. I now have a couple of weeks off before my next class starts. When I haven't been in class or attempting to do my homework, I have been resting. Yeah, I've been pretty lazy lately, but again I have a good reason...I swear!!!

The reason I have been neglecting my blog among other things is because....

I'm pregnant!!!

I have known since right after the 4th of July, but because of my PCOS, I had no idea how far along I was. I finally got to see the Dr. and get an ultrasound last Friday and they gave me a due date of March 6, 2010. Which puts me at 11 weeks tomorrow. We were totally surprised when we found out because the Dr. had told me we probably wouldn't be able to get pregnant without fertility medication....2 months later, WHAM....I have a little baby growing inside of me.

Can you see it? It looks like a little gummy bear. Really...have you seen a cuter gummy bear?

So, now that the word is out...I'm going to be on the lookout for all things baby for a while. It seems like forever ago since I have been pregnant...I feel like I forgot everything! Did you know I'm not supposed to eat hot dogs? Really??? Nuts!

So that's the big news in my little corner of the world!

Thursday Thunks 7/16

Heterochromia, A Haunted Earth and The Dungeon
Welcome to the July 16th version of Thursday Thunks!
(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)

Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!
This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Kimber,

the number 15 and the color of windows.

1. Do you know anyone with heterochromia? Nope. Does it freak you out or do you think it's interesting? I think I would just find it interesting

2. Should a 5th face be added to Mount Rushmore? I would like to see the ones that are already there before they go adding more people...If so, who? but if they really feel they need to add another face, they could add me :)

3. If you could live on any planet other than earth, which one would you choose and why? I'm good with earth, thanks.

4. We're going to spend the night at a reportedly haunted location, are you going with us? No freaking way!!!! If so, which reportedly haunted place are we going? none for me.

5. Did you play The Queen's Meme this week? Nope. If so, was it fair of The Queen to put Berleen in the dungeon by association with Kimber? (We all know Kimber deserved it, but Berleen?!)

6. What color is the towel(s) hanging in your bathroom? Multi-colored...red white and green I think.

7. Tell us something funny that happened to you recently. Hmmmm....can't think of anything at the moment.

8. We just bought you a cow. Do you kill it & grill it, feed it & milk it, or sell it? Well technically, it depends on the cow. There are the kill it and grill it kind, or there is the milk it kind....but since I live in the middle of the city, I'd probably sell it.

9. It's 115 degrees outside (46 degrees Celsius), are you able to go without Air Conditioning? Are you insane??

10. When you visit the zoo do you wonder which animal tastes better with a bit of butter & spices? No.

11. Dog ate your homework/work papers. Does it crap out Shakespeare, quantum physics, or just crap? If I'm lucky, it just craps. If I'm not so lucky, it pukes it up on my bedroom floor later that night.

12. We are taking you to a broadway show, what are we going to see? I'd be open for about anything. Do they do The Full Monty on Broadway?

13. Gunshots in your neighborhood. Pop, pop, pop. Do you go out to take a look, or hide? I would go hide...after I made sure all my doors were locked. What if the shooter wasn't finished yet!

Vinyl Lettering Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Vinyl Lettering giveaway is....(drum roll please...)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

19

Timestamp: 2009-07-07 22:38:10 UTC

Anonymous said...

19

subscribed to blog via google reader

smtracyt at hotmail dot com

Congrats!!! I will be contacting you shortly :)

Happy Birthday Mommy

With my post #102, I am going to take a minute to wish my mother a

Happy 50th Birthday!!

(She's the bunny on your right)

Unfortunetly, she doesn't have the internet right now, so she won't see this post for at least a month :(

So, in honor of my mom's birthday, I decided to take a trip back in history to see what happend 50 years ago today...other than my mother, my grandma and grandpa's oldest's child, being born.

Prince Albert of Belgium marries Italian princess Paola Ruffo di Calabria.

Number one song: "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton

The time magazine cover from the week of June 29th, 1959 was Queen Elizabeth II. (Image courtesy of www.kakophone.com)


Love ya mom!!!

~Mickala

Thursday Thunks 7/2

Hold The Knob, Wear Clean Shoes And Enjoy The Insanity!
Welcome to the July 2nd version of Thursday Thunks!
(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!
This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by
Kimber, the number 14 and the color of your mother's hair dye.

1. When you close a door, do you close it quick and just let it slam or do you hold the knob and slowly shut it tight? Depends on what kind of mood I'm in and what door I am shutting.
2.Train A is moving at 60 miles an hour. Train B is moving at 22 miles an hour. They will pass each other at X time. Now what color shoes are you wearing when train A derails? Depends on what season it is.
3. What if M&M's grew on trees? What color M&M tree would you have? Blue
4. How many petals on a flower does it take to make it the perfect bloom? 7
5. I took you to spend $421.67 on you, what did we spend that money on? Purses and shoes...or maybe you helped me buy a new SLR camera.
6. If you were a squash, what type of squash would you be? I wouldn't be...I don't like squash.
7. Have you ever gotten a wrong number call and ended up talking to the person for longer than 5 minutes? Um, no.
8. Why haven't you joined Berleen & Kimber at Insanity Cafe yet? Do we stink? You might stink, I can't smell you over the computer.
9. Now for one of Ber's questions back when TT was brand new... Shampoo bottles say lather, rinse, repeat... do you? Nope, once is enough for me.
10. It's July, the year is half over. Do you see it as "whew that part is over" or best is yet to come? I see it as, I wish it was always July....winter is getting closer...yuck.
11. Why do you do the Thursday Thunks meme? This is only the second time I've done this, but why not? It gives me something to do in class when people can't figure out how to run their calculators!

Do you thunk on Thursdays? If you do, be sure to join the fun at Thursday Thunks!

Quick and Fun Activity

I sometimes struggle to find things for Caiden to do outside that will keep him moving. One of the things he loves to do is ride his bike, but we can't really go anywhere but our driveway because one way is a big hill and the other way is next to a busy road. But I get bored standing at the end of the driveway telling him to turn around all of the time. So last night, I decided to make a road for him to drive on since he is always pretending he is playing Super Mario Kart when he rides his bike.

So I took some sidewalk chalk and drew a road with a few curves in it. Then I put the center line in and added a few "side roads," and gave him stop and go directions at the end of the road. Finally I drew a few arrows in the road to let him know which way he should go. Caiden absolutely loves the road and it kept him going all night long...and tonight too.

Here's a little video of him driving (don't mind hubby working in the background).

Call me crazy, nuts, whatever you want

But 24 hours from now my best friend and I will be traveling to Chicago to see the New Kids on the Block. Ok, stop laughing, seriously, stop...NOW! Cuz, there's more. This will be the third, yes I said third, time we have gone to see them.

This concert will be outside, which should be interesting. I can see myself getting burned to a crisp!

We will be in the 24th row!!! Closer than ever before!!

Come on now, I know you are jealous. Just admit it.

I'll report back next week...if you are lucky, I'll even post some pictures :)

Thursday Thunks

Found this meme over at A Giveaway Addicted Mommy and it sounded like something fun to do while I'm in a Excel class all day long. If you would like to participate, please visit Thursday Thunks.

1. Someone knocks at your door. You answer it. It's a kid from the local school selling candy bars for a fundraiser. Do you buy one? Me depends on what they are sellling. My hubby, I'm sure he would.

2. The end of the world is tomorrow and you are out of milk - do you go buy some? Nope, I have enough milk to last me that long.

3. Have you ever picked up the phone and called someone that you hadn't talked to in years? Yep, my friend Tracy.

4. Whats on your computer desktop background? The one I'm no now, the Windows sky/grass picture. At home, a wallpaper I made of Josh Groban.

5. What was the very first movie you saw in a movie theater? I'm told it was ET, and that I fell asleep on my cousin's lap. I don't remember this though.

6. If you had to take a 10th grade science test, do you think you would pass? Possibly, I've actually taken a few science classes recently.

7. Describe heaven. Huh...I picture clouds in the sky, nice and warm, always sunny with all of my loved ones who have passed before me there (which luckily there aren't many).

8. Has a place that you lived ever been infested with some sort of insect or rodent? Rumor has it that we had some cockroaches in the heating vent of my first apartment when I came to college. I never saw one though.

9. When you were a youngin', did you hide in the clothes racks at department stores? Yes. I also plopped my little butt down wherever I felt like it when I was tired and sick of shopping.

10. Is there anything in your vehicle that is broken? Probably, but nothing I know of at the moment.

11. What is something in your house that people would be surprise to find? A plant that is still alive.

12. Do you agree with the death penalty? In some cases.

13. Whats your favorite type of bear? A teddy bear. I collected them for years!

14. Where was the last place you went? Work

15. What if that person knocking at your door earlier was an adult selling candy bars... would you buy one? What's the difference between adult candy bars and regular candy bars?

Vinyl Lettering Review and Giveaway

If you are like me, you absolutely love that vinyl lettering you see on everyone's walls, and you've wanted some for yourself. If you are like me you've wondered what you would put on your wall. And finally, if you are like me, you've wondered where the heck they get those letters. Well, I finally found the answers to my questions when I stumbled upon the VinylLettering Etsy Shop. I have found many sites online for vinyl lettering, but when I found VinylLettering on esty.com I knew that I had found a company who makes original, unique items. When I found their shop, I instantly fell in love with their monogram items.

I was super lucky to receive not one, but TWO of the monogram designs to review. As soon as I got them in the mail, I ripped open the packaging, read the pointers on how to apply the letters to your wall and started scouting for the perfect place to display them.
Luckily I have two living rooms to display my newest treasures. This one on the left I hung in my basement living room. The walls in my basement have just a little texture, which helps the vinyl stick to the walls better. Now, I just wish I had a bar in my basement...this would be the perfect decor for a bar. Of course, after I had it hung on the wall, hubby suggested hanging it on a mirror to complete the bar look...maybe next time LOL.

The other item I received was the one I spotted on the VinylLettering website that I fell in love with. The letter 'A' matches my 2 non-white walls perfectly in my main living room. It is such a classy look. This wall has a lot more texture than my basement wall, so getting it to stick was a little trickier here. But a week later, it is still in the exact place I put it.
Finally I have to say the people at VinylLettering are an absolute pleasure to deal with and they were super quick on getting my order to me. And let me tell you, great customer service is something I really appreciate.

WIN IT!!!!
So now that you have seen some of the awesome things you can get at VinylLettering, I bet you are wondering how you can win. For your chance to win, all I need you to do is head over to VinylLettering, check out their excellent quotes, monograms, decals and other fun items, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which one is your favorite. Be careful what you pick, because if you are the winner, that is the item you will receive!! How exciting is that? You get to choose your own prize! (You must do this step. If you skip it, any other entries from the list below will not count)

For additional entries you can:

1. Add my button to your side bar and leave me a link to your blog in your comment;
2. follow me on Blogger or Twitter;
3. subscribe to my blog;
4. send an email to all of your friends (at least 5) and copy me,
5. blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post,
6. Tweet about this giveaway. You can do this once a day for the duration of the giveaway. Be sure to leave me your Twitter name.

*Please leave me a separate comment for each item you do on this list*

This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers. If your blog profile is private, or you’re a non-blogger, please leave an email address in your comment or your entry will be disqualified. The winner will be chosen randomly on July 6th at 10:00 pm CST.

This contest is open to US residents only.

If you have any questions, please email me.

Good luck!

Camera Critters 6/14

I took this picture out of my kitchen window, so the quality isn't the best, but the bird is beautiful.

To show off your critters make sure to visit the Camera Critters meme every Saturday.

A moment to celebrate

Dear Greg:

How do you like them apples tomatoes?

Lots of Love (don't hate me)

Mickala

To everyone else....hubby and I planted some "patio" tomatoes in some pots this year to see what we would get...this is our first tomato!!

Wii EA Sports Active

Hubby and I are on a mission to lose weight. We started by watching what we eat and taking the dog for a walk every day. It was a good start, but it didn't take us long to figure out that we needed to do more than that…we needed some type of strength training. So my hubby started searching on line. He came across a game that was coming out soon called EA Sports Active. We looked at it, thought it looked cool and put it out of our minds. A couple of weeks later I saw Allison Sweeney, on the Ellen show talking about EA Sports Active. Listening to her and her love for it, we decided to order it.

In addition to the game we got a leg strap that hold the nun chuck for some of the exercises and a resistance band with handles. (If you have a Wii balance board, you can use it with some of the Active exercises.) We ordered an additional accessory pack with another leg strap and resistance band so we could work out together. The day after we received it, I decided to take it for a test run. I set up my user profile and then I was ready to exercise.

One of the great things about this game is that it has full exercise routines already set up for you, with easy, medium and hard intensity levels. I selected one of the easier routines since I was pretty out of shape. Not more than 5 minutes into the exercise routine and I was already sweating. The next day I went to work with an embarrassing announcement. A video game had completely kicked by butt. I was sore for 2 days! I have tried other exercise games on the Wii and nothing compares to this game.

This entire game was developed with the help of Bob Greene, and if you watch Oprah, you know who Bob Greene is. He is the person behind the www.thebestlife.com. Right now I'm half way through the 30 day challenge on this game. Just when I was thinking that the exercises were getting a little bit easier, Mr. Greene comes on the screen and says congrats on making it half way through the challenge. For the second half of the challenge, we are going to change up the exercises bump up the intensity. Great…(insert sarcasm here).

But if you are looking for a new exercise routine to firm up or lose weight, I highly recommend you check out Wii's EA Sports Active. Their website also has more information on how to get fit and healthy, including a modivation center. This game is well worth the money. It's like having a personal trainer right in your home, for a fraction of the cost.

EA SPORTS Active

Blogging in Word

I have Microsoft's Office 2007 and every time I open a new Word document, I notice that there is a new blog post option. I have always wondered what it does, so now I'm trying it out. So this is basically a testing blog. What do I like about it so far…automatic spell check Woo hoo!!

I've changed the font, so we'll see if that works.

Now, let's try to insert a picture.

I call this one "shopping at Lowe's"

 
 

Well, I'm going to click on publish now…let's cross our fingers and see how this works.

~~~~~~~~

HHHmmmm…the picture didn't work. I think I need to upload it to photobucket first. Darn it.

 

So the picture never did work, but this is pretty cool…I now have many more font options at least! And now all my posts can be backed up J

Camera Critters 6/6

Holy cow, it has been a while since I have posted my camera critters, but I'm hoping to do this more often. Since it's been a while, I thought I would post a few new pictures of my cat dog Sully!

This is why I sometimes mistake my dog for a cat...


All tucked in bed...


And finally, look at those paws...I swear we did not pose him like that


Thanks for visiting. Make sure to visit camera critters every week for some wonderful animal pictures!

Congrats hubby!!

Congrats to my hubby who has officially graduated from his Electrical Apprenticeship program this weekend! He was even nominated by his teacher as the outstanding graduate of his class. What it means for him...he is now a journeymen. What it means for me...no more trips once a month to Des Moines for class (woo hoo!)

Giveaways around the bloggy world

It's been a while, but below are some wonderful giveaways going on right now.

First, Paige over at Nurse Mommy is giving away a Time Out pad. If you have a toddler, you must check this out! Click here to enter to win. Ends 6/18.

Next, Kristin over at An Ordinary Life has an awesome giveaway for a 2 Step Nature Station Playhouse, retail value $249.99!! Don't miss your chance to win...click here. Also at An Ordinary Life, you must check out the giveaway for the free Vado pocket video camera. Click here to enter.

Win some Vinyl Lettering for your kitchen, bathroom, living room or any of the bedrooms in your home from Gina at A Wrestling Addicted Mommy. Click here to enter to win.

Ryann over at A Working Blogging Mommy is giving away the most awesome clock on the planet for your little ones called My Tot clock. If you want a chance to win, go here.

JumpStart Winner

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this. The winner of the free 3 month membership to JumpStart is:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp:
2009-06-01 23:39:28 UTC

taysmommy said... i follow ya mama

May 18, 2009 8:46 PM

Congrats!!! I'll be in contact with you shortly!!

Mickala

Father's Day Craft

For anyone who has a father in their family that loves DIY stuff...this is perfect for them!


Car Nut Frame
By: Amanda Formaro
Difficulty: Very Easy
Age: 5 and up
Parental supervision is recommended







What you'll need:
Small wooden frame
Black acrylic paint
Washers and bolts
Permanent adhesive glue (recommended: GemTac jewel glue)
Photograph of you

How to make it:
Remove glass from frame.
Paint frame black and let dry.
Use permanent adhesive glue to decorate outside of frame with nuts and washers. Let dry completely.
Insert a family photo and the glass into the frame.

Tips:
Get nuts and washers from Dad’s toolbox with his permission or have Mom buy them at a local hardware store.
Try to find a photograph that shows you riding your toy car or helping Dad in the driveway.
GemTac is glue that is specially made for attaching jewels and glass to other surfaces. You can also use Super Glue

http://crafts.kaboose.com/car-nut-frame.html

Feel free to post a comment with a picture if you try this one!!

Infertility

Infertility. Really....me? Huh...infertility is one thing I never thought I would have to deal with. I have one child, and it only took 5 months to get pregnant with him. This time around, it has been 5 months since I have had a period. So I went to the Doctor to try to figure out why.

May 13, 2009
I talked to my Dr.'s office today to get the results from my ultrasound from last week. I had already received the results of the blood test and everything was normal. The nurse told me that he has dictated a letter, but it hasn't been transcribed yet, so she can only tell me what he has written in the notes. His notes say that the results of the ultrasound are consistent with PCOS, Polycystic ovary syndrome, which is the reason I have stopped getting a period recently.

I have a disease - a syndrome technically. I have always hoped that I had been dealt all of my major health issues early in life being born with a cleft lip & palate. Apparently, I will get to deal with at least one other thing in my life.

I have PCOS. My first thought when I heard the news...thank God for an answer. I can deal with this. It isn't cancer...it isn't life threatening...it's just a pain in the butt. I felt major relief. Then, all of the questions...the unknowns hit me:

*Is this something I'm going to deal with my whole life?
*Clomid - really, do we want to temp fate when twins run in my family anyway?
*What does insurance cover?
*Clomid - are we really ready?
*How much does it cost?
*Clomid - really? How am I going to talk my Hubby into that one anyway?
*When did this happen?
*What can I do to make it go away? (does it ever go away?)
*Clomid - really? What if it doesn't work?

I'm still waiting for that letter from the Doctor's office, almost a week later. Wish they'd hurry up and send it out. I'd like to know what all it said...but no hurry, it's just my health we are talking about.

While doing some looking online it looks like the best way to stay on top of this is to eat healthy, lose weight and exercise...all things that hubby and I have been really working at recently. I guess now I have more motivation than ever to stick with it.

Now, I'm back to being relieved, and grateful...grateful for the health I do have...so happy that my family is healthy.

So for now, we just wait. Wait for the letter, wait to see what happens when I lose some more weight, wait to see what the insurance company says...just wait.


I hate waiting!

Lessons Learned

A few weeks ago I posted about a co-worker of mine and our Campaign against Squatting (if you missed it, click here). Later that week I received another email with her lessons learned for the week. I have told this person she needs to wear a helmet cam every day of her life...I'm pretty sure she could have some pretty interesting footage.

Life is just a big series of learning events, isn't it? And to think that I, at
age 31, am still learning some pretty big lessons. Below are 3 lessons that I
have learned this week, that I thought I'd pass along.

1. Look on the bathroom stall floor to make sure nobody has peed on it.

2. Police officers cannot slim jim into your car to remove a toddler who is locked inside. Also interesting, they don't like to be referred to as "Captain Obvious" when
they tell you that leaving your keys in the ignition was probably not the best idea.

3. Never, ever, under any circumstance, try to envelop a tow truck driver in a loving embrace, no matter how elated and relieved you may be to get your 2-year old out of a locked van. Apparently, tow truck drivers do not = huggers. Just say "thank you" and give them your insurance card.

I hope you have learned something here today!

Mickala

Iowa's Car Seat Laws

My 3 year old child still rides in a car seat with a 5 point harness, of course in the back of the vehicle. I know some other children that are my child's age that are currently in booster seats. I don't think there is any way my son is big enough to ride in a booster seat, so I decided to take a look at the laws in Iowa. I found a very helpful document that shows the laws in Iowa as well as the national standards for car seats. Click here to view the document.

Hope you find this as helpful as I did!

*EDIT I just realized this link no longer works, but I was able to find this website from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that gives some very helpful guidelines.

Scrap Page - Baby Boy

I traveled back in time almost 4 years for this one.

Campaign against Squatting

Have you ever received one of those emails that says, in case you are having a bad day, this person's has been worse and here's the story? Then they go into a bunch of stories about other people's bad day on the job...and you usually find yourself wondering if the stories are really true. I received one of those emails today from a co-worker. As I'm thinking to myself, I don't have time for one of "those" emails right now, I continue reading because I know this person tends to email out some funny things. A few sentences into the email, I realized that not only is this story true, but the person that sent the email is actually telling a story about how her day was going today.



This is the email I received (re-printed with permission)

What you are about to read is real. The name has not been changed to protect my identity - this seriously happened to me just one hour ago. Why am I choosing to share it? I guess I'm hoping that if somebody else reads this, they can be armed with knowledge and may not have to suffer this humiliating incident themselves. Also, if you felt your day was going a little south, read this, laugh, forward it on to share with your friends to poke fun at if you like - at least this experience will not have happened to me in
vain!

I had to pee. Badly. I walk quickly into the bathroom closest to my cubicle, pick an empty stall, lock the door, drop trow and breathe a sigh of relief. In the first 25 seconds or so that I'm in there, I notice that my ankles feel wet. Confused, I look down, only to discover that my pants have become a sponge for a puddle of liquid on the floor. The back of my pants and pants legs are completely wet. My mind is racing - WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? Was this toilet one of the power flushing variety that had sprayed water all over the stall? I stand up, not wanting to pull my pants all the way up, I hold them about hip high and grab a wad of toilet paper. It's at this point I realize the front of the toilet is ALSO wet. I wipe that off, too. Then, it happened. I glanced down at the wad of paper and it's YELLOW!!!!!! My pants have just absorbed somebody's (some WOMAN'S!!!) pee! What is wrong with people that they just can't sit their a$$es on the seat and go? Don't squat and hope your aim is right, people. SIT and go. And if you MUST squat, notice when you miss, okay? Then clean it up. Promptly.

But it gets better. Oh yes, just when you think it can't get worse, it does. I have to pull the stranger-pee soaked pants up and fasten them, haul a$$ to my desk, and grab my jacket and keys. Luckily my workout clothes are in my car. So I get to walk, pee-soaked clothes (yes, because now the bottom of my shirt is soaking it up from the waistband of my pants) and all, to my car which is seriously a long walk. Then I haul it back into the building to change and - guess what? My security badge that says I work here and am not some random sniper is at my DESK. The guards know me but I don't have a badge to scan, so they cut me a break and let me use the phone to call somebody to bring it down. But now, it's lunch time and everybody I work with is at lunch or away from their desks!

They must have noticed the distress on my face as I stand there, (hoping not to reek of pee), and bestowed pity on me - they gave me a visitor badge so I can get back upstairs.

So here I sit, at my desk, in my black dress sandals, black capri spandex/lycra pants with white stripes down the side, and an oversized baby blue T-shirt. What a sight I must be. I'm sure turning heads, and NOT in the best way possible. Now I'm just waiting to be turned into HR for not having business attire on. That would really cap off my day.

Now, ladies - it is time for some action. I know this isn't the first time this has happened and it probably won't be the last. So, please, I beg you, for your fellow women, please join me in my campaing against squatting. Together we can stop the humiliation of walking around in clothing soaked in another person's urine. Let's not let one more person fall victim to the female germaphobic people of our society.

For those of you who squat while at work, don't. Please sit like the rest of us do. Use the paper protectors if your that worried about it. If there are not paper protectors...DEMAND them. If you must squat, please practice at your own home before you do it in public. Other women should not have to be victim of such humiliation because of your fear of germs.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, Mickala

Campaign Manager for WASP (Women Against Squatting Peeing)

Jump Start Review and Giveaway

I confess...my son is a computer game and video game addict. Yes, at 3 years old. He loves playing Mario Kart Wii, he has a V-smile, a mini laptop of his own, a digital camera that also plays games, an old game boy from the sitter, and he also plays games on my laptop on a few websites that are for his age.

So, when I was contacted by the JumpStart company to test out and review their website and computer games....I wondered how the heck they knew!! I feel much better about my son playing all of these games when he is actually getting something out of it. JumpStart is an award-winning adventure-based 3D virtual world that is super-personalized, wildly imaginative and really fun, but don't let that fool you - it also teaches math, reading, and critical thinking skills so kids get a real jump start in life.

We started by logging onto JumpStart's web page. After you log in for the first time, you will need to install JumpStart's active X control. After this was downloaded, my son took over.

First he got to design his person on the game. He absolutely loved this. He got to pick the clothes, the hair...everything. Caiden got the biggest kick out of seeing what happened when he picked something new. After he finally decided what he wanted to look like on JumpStart, he was ready to play some educational games.

Along with our membership to JumpStart, we also received the JumpStart 3-D Virtual World - The Legend of Grizzley McGuffin game to try, which is a computer game you install on your computer. You can play it as a stand alone game, or you can use your membership at JumpStart to expand the game online. This has all of the great benefits that the online version does. They work together hand in hand.

Since Caiden is only 3 years old, some of the learning games are a little too advanced for him, but some of them are just great. Right now he loves playing a game that teaches rhyming. I have been trying to explain to him how to know if two words rhyme for I don't know how long and he just wasn't getting it. After playing this game for the last week or so, I think he is finally getting it!

JumpStart also has a section on their website just for us parents. There is a discussion board as well as a blog that is full of wonderful information for Parents. Also, there an added bonus to this site for parents. JumpStart sends out periodic progress reports by email, with information on what Caiden has been working on. It will tell me what type of games he has played, like math, reading, etc. and how well he did with the games he played. Proof that he is learning while playing :)

About the only drawback to JumpStart's online game is that is can be a little slow at times, so you may have to wait for some things to load.

WIN IT!!! - this contest has ended

Now that you've heard about this wonderful product, I bet you want to find out what you can win and how!

All I need you to do is head over to JumpStart, and then come back here and leave me a comment with a fact from the website that I did not post here. The winner will receive a free 3 month membership to JumpStart.com. It's that simple!

For additional entries you can:

1-Add my button to your side bar and leave me a link to your blog in your comment;

2-follow me on blogger or twitter;

3-subscribe to my blog;

4-send an email to all of your friends (at least 5) and copy me;

5- Tweat about this giveaway; and

6-blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post.

*Please leave me a separate comment for each item you do on this list*

This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers. If your blog profile is private, or you’re a non-blogger, please leave an email address in your comment or your entry will be disqualified.The winner will be chosen randomly on May 19th at 10:00 pm CST.

Sorry, this contest is open to US residents only.

Good luck!

This contest has ended

Family Activity - Tumblebugs

I love going to Family Fun's website to find new craft ideas. I'm not a very crafty person, but many of the ideas on this website and in their magazine are easy enough for even me!

This week we are going to make some Tumblebugs.

Set these little critters on an incline and watch them cartwheel a beeline to the bottom. The secret to their antics is a marble rolling around inside.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Scissors
Card stock
2 nickels
Tacky glue
Toothpick
Marble (1 for each bug)
Black marker
Colored tissue paper
Glue stick
Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. For each bug, cut a 5-1/2- by 3/4-inch strip of card stock and two 1 3/4- by 7/8-inch card stock ovals.
2. To make an oval, lay 2 nickels side by side on the card stock and trace around them, connecting the top and bottom.
3. Glue the strip into a loop, overlapping the ends by an inch. Pinch it or use a paper clip to hold it together while the glue dries. Next, use a toothpick to line one edge of the loop with glue, then set the loop on top of an oval.
4. When the glue dries, place a marble inside. Line the edge of the loop with glue and press the other oval on top.
5. Once all the glue is dry, use a marker to add a face and other features. Cut out a couple of 2-inch-long wings from tissue paper and use the glue stick to attach them to the top of your bug.

Instructions can also be found on the Family Fun website here.

Have fun and feel free to leave a comment with a picture of your tumblebugs. If you have any thoughts on what you would like to see posted for a family craft or idea, feel free to drop me an email!

Best Friends

credit: Stardom by Misty Cato Designs

WINNER - Rechargable Batteries

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I'm sure everyone is dying to find out who won those wonderful batteries. Well, wait no longer :)

The winner is:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:46
Timestamp: 2009-04-24 19:31:46 UTC



Rajee said...

It saves costs, high performance, low self discharge, easy to use one for all applications like tv remote control, camera, video camera, hearing imparied etc. Love to have mailto:itrajikarthik@hotmail.com



Congrats :) I'll be in contact with you soon!



Mickala

Family Activity 4/4/09

As a contributor with Sited and Blogged, I am going to start a twice monthly posting (every other Saturday) about a family activity or craft. To start this off, I'm going to post a great idea from the Family Fun website.

A Herd of Eggimals

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Plastic Easter eggs
Tiny pom-poms
Felt
Crafter's Pick The Ultimate glue or hot glue
Black permanent marker
Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. To make the felt features for your critters, you can download our template. We used Crafter's Pick The Ultimate glue (hot glue also works well) to attach the pieces to the eggs and a black permanent marker to draw the face details.

2. Pig: Curl a 4-inch piece of pipe cleaner around a pen to make the tail, then glue it in place.

3. Mouse: For its tail, glue on a 3-inch length of yarn, knotted at the end.

4. Skunk: First glue the rear half of the stripe to the tail, then glue the tail and front of the stripe to the body.

Thanks to the Family Fun Magazine for this wonderful idea!

Sanyo Eneloop Rechargable Batteries Review & Giveaway

If you are like me, you have a bazillion things that require batteries, and you never seem to have enough, or the right size. It seems like everything my son has now days requires batteries to work. Between the rough and tough children's digital camera, the V-Smile and the Wii controllers, we needed new batteries for something every week. So, I began my mission of finding the best rechargeable batteries out there. That is when I found Sanyo's eneloop rechargeable batteries. When I received them in the mail, they were already charged and ready to be used. So, I put two AAs in my Wii remote and we were ready for the next round of Mario Kart. I would love to report back and tell you how long they lasted, but I can't....because they haven't died yet!


What's more is that you can get the neatest little case that a AA battery, to make bigger batteries. It only takes 1 AA eneloop battery, I can put it in the C cell adapter (or Spacer) in and now I have a C cell battery! How awesome is that? I also have an adapter for a D cell battery, which still only requires 1 A sized eneloop battery.

Are you striving to be more green in your everyday life? Then the eneloop batteries are right up your alley. Eneloop is not only rechargeable, but it is also recyclable.

Cost savings a goal for you in 2009? Since these batteries are rechargeable up to 1,000 times, you will save tons of money by the time you need to purchase new ones.

Win it!!!

What to try it out for yourself? Here's your chance.


All I need you to do is head over to Sanyo's eneloop website, and then come back here and leave me a comment with a fact from the website that I did not post here. The winner will receive a 4 pack of AA batteries and a rapid charger. It's that simple!

For additional entries you can:

1-Add my button to your side bar and leave me a link to your blog in your comment;

2-follow me;

3-subscribe to my blog;

4-send an email to all of your friends (at least 5) and copy me; and

5-blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post.


*Please leave me a separate comment for each item you do on this list*



This giveaway is open to bloggers and non-bloggers. If your blog profile is private, or you’re a non-blogger, please leave an email address in your comment or your entry will be disqualified.



The winner will be chosen randomly on April 22nd at 10:00 pm CST.


Sorry, this contest is open to US residents only.

Good luck!

New Scrap Page

Just a quick post to show my newest scrap page.

Credit: Dreaming In Color Page KitCreated by Nicole Young©2009 Nicole Young

Picture Day 3/6

Well, I thought I could accomplish two things at once...post for the Picture Day meme over at Sited and Blogged. And also to post one of my newest scrap pages (new hobby of mine...very addicting!)

(Credit: Adventure Awaits by Misty Cato - Sweet Shoppe Designs)

I think the journaling says it all. It says "For your third birthday, Aunt Courtney thought it would be a good idea to get you markers. You had a blast your first time drawing on paper and yourself. Even though the package says they are washable, your art was on your arms for days!"

Quick update

Hubby is doing much better today. Now he is just fighting the swelling in his face and mouth. He is still pretty tired, but I think that is to be expected. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and concern. I think we are in the clear...I may even sleep in my bed tonight instead of on the floor beside him in the living room (I know, I know...maybe a bit overprotective, but...well I'm going to be that way for a while!)

I'm pretty tired too...can't wait for bedtime tonight!

~M

Update to Stressed Post Below....

Ever heard the saying Hindsight is 20/20? At the end of my last post, I said I worry too much. Well...I don't worry too much; I worry for good reason. Probably about an hour after my post below, all h#$% broke out. My husband sat up and decided it was time to eat something and take his medicine. But before we could get that far, he said he didn't feel good...he felt a little sick and light headed. Next thing I know he fell over backwards and apparently fainted. I couldn't get him to wake up and he stopped breathing. He was rigid, he neck vessels were bulging, eyes were huge..pupils huge...I think he was trying to breathe.



I screamed and screamed at him to wake up...but got nothing.



That's when I called 911.



He started breathing, but it started as more of a gurgling sound. Then he finally came to and started breathing really fast...he had no idea what just happened. I made him stay still until help got here. 3 firemen and 2 paramedics showed up. They checked him out and said he was ok, a little pale and blood pressure was a little up, but otherwise ok. But just to be safe, they took him to the hospital.

While there they gave him an IV for fluids and morphine for the pain and just let him sleep. We got home about 4:30 today. Thankfully, his mom has come down to stay with us. I just couldn't bear the thought of being here alone again. She's going to stay with him tomorrow while I go to work just to be sure.

I think he's ok now. He eating Jello, drinking water, talking and feeling much better. I'm pretty sure we are on the way to complete recovery.

This was the scariest thing I have even been through. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have nightmares and maybe need some therapy. I told the paramedics that I thought they should treat me for a heart attack after they were done with my husband.

Stressed...

My husband got his wisdom teeth out today. And now, while he is blissfully snoring away, he has no idea how stressed I am. I had to listen to and remember all of the instructions we received form the oral surgeon. Next I had to go the pharmacy and pick up four different kinds of drugs and listen to their instructions....take pain killer with food, but don't take antibiotic with milk products...but somehow take them both at the same time....really...how's he supposed to do that...he can't feel a thing?!?!

Not to mention the gauze I have to change.

Did I mention, I'm not a nurse...I have no idea what I'm doing! I had mine out, but I also had a broken jaw, so I was in the hospital while recovering.

So, do I wake him to do all this or let him sleep? At some point I'm thinking he's going to wake up in some major pain!

Poor guy...I know it's going to hurt. But I'm STRESSED too!

I worry too much!