Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!

Wishing a hauntingly fun Halloween to you and yours!

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. Yes, it is Friday, but I'm currently still up baking cookies that I started Thursday night ;)
2. I've actually finally run into a situation where I need more plastic storage containers than I have. Over the years I've picked up a ton of them (since I'm sort of addicted to organizational aids), but I now don't have one to hold most of the cookies I'm baking til I need them next week. I think Maggie's Little People are about to be moved into a bag for the week so I can swipe their plastic storage container. Sorry, peeps!
3. Facebook has been hating on me, and only me. I know it's personal because I keep getting the email updates about everyone else's posts, but I can't access the site. Or play Farkle, thank-you-very-much.
4. Speaking of which, cousin J? Tell your husband to stop beating my top scores at Farkle. Especially my really good scores, early in the week. For real.
5. I just went down in our scary, scary basement. By myself. Well after dark. And lived. I had to get my Dove parchment paper to line the container formerly known as the home of Maggie's Little People. Now I have somewhere to store the cookies.
6. I'm kind of disappointed in myself for not being more into Halloween anymore. Don't get me wrong - all the decorations are up and we've got plans, but they're all 'Maggie' plans. Aw, heck. Everything around here is and I honestly don't mind. But every once in a while this month I've sort of missed dressing all slutty and going to a crazy bar party for Halloween. Which I only did like twice in my life before anyway.
7. My grammar tonight? Is totally atrocious. Sorry to let you down, Shannon ;)
8. I somehow just remembered with everything else we've got planned that tomorrow is our mom and tot play group, and Maggie gets to wear her costume! Yay! Er..I mean, MOO!! (Which reminds me I should put the camera battery on the charger when I go to take more cookies out of the oven.)
9. Oh, one more note for cousin J - if your husband does stop beating me in Farkle, I'll just assume that he doesn't really have mad skillz, not that he's letting me win. Just so you know.
10. It's so hard choosing the tenth 'thing' for this list. I frequently have a hard time coming up with the other nine, but then I don't want to waste the tenth. Or I've come up with so many more while working on the other nine that I have to choose one. Or I'm afraid as soon as I write something, I'll think of something better. Maybe I should start writing all ten when I'm awake and lucid from now on? Huh. There's a thought.
    

It's Disney Live! Time!

Only a few more days til we get to go to Disney Live! Rockin Road Show. Poor Maggie needs a good time right about now! She's been having a rough couple of days. I can tell because she passes it on to me ;) I'm not sure if the humidifier is doing more harm than good in her room anymore, as her cough now sounds like it's returning, but mostly when she's in her crib trying to sleep. So we're turning that off for the night. I know she'll be excited to see Mickey Mouse again, though.

I almost (but not really...) wish she was a little bit older so I could tell her it's coming up. At two, she has no concept of 'a few days from now,' so I'm keeping the secret til Sunday morning. I'm sure she'll love it as much as she loved Disney on Ice, not to mention we get to spend the afternoon with Grandpama-ma-ma.

If you're still firming up your plans to go, don't forget you get $3 off tickets from ticketmaster with the code LIVE. We'll be picking up our free tickets for promoting/reviewing the show on our way in :) That's it for full disclosure and a YAY!!

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Random Thoughts

Did I just almost miss my easiest post of the week?? Whoa! I'm busy browsing through business card templates. I need to order some more business cards, but can never decide on a design.... There are so many factors to consider - my website address is about 290 characters long (okay, but it feels like it!) and of course I'd prefer to have it on one line, I don't want a squirrely font that's barely legible (duh!), I can't pick anything too funky that wouldn't reflect my business at all (although the adorable pink skulls would reflect my personality pretty well!)...

Maggie has been wearing her purple tutu for two days (and nights) now. She actually got it for her birthday last year (or maybe Christmas?), but it was sitting in the closet forgotten. As she woke up from her nap yesterday, she was trying to wrap a quilt around her waist and say she was Cinderella. I told her I'd get out her Cinderella skirt. I would say the rest is history, but I need to mention that she calls it her Cinderella skirt. If I call it a tutu, she gets sidetracked and starts telling me how loud choo-choo trains are.

I got a new Longaberger catalog in the mail today and became much more motivated to clean up my office (please note that doesn't mean anything has actually been accomplished). They have such adorable little shelves and baskets and such. I crave organizational accessories, but loathe de-cluttering and organizing. Go figure.

There is still a nagging thought at the back of my mind that I'm totally forgetting something I should be doing this week... Maybe it's just the two phone calls I should have made today that I SWEAR I'll make tomorrow. But that doesn't feel like it. If I have plans with you, remind me, okay?

Really? Circus Trivia!

Did you know there have been fewer ringmasters of 'The Greatest Show on Earth' (Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus) than there have been Presidents of the United States? I just read this on their website here while I was looking at our plans for next month! As a Feld Family Activator, I've received tickets to the circus for next month - yay!

The performance coming through our town is called 'Over the Top.' I'm sure hubby will be thrilled that part of the featured performers are a family of stunt motorcross riders - you know - where they ride their motorcycles inside the giant metal ball? He always stops to see anything like that.

Don't worry - there are discounts available for you too! If you're in the Southeast Michigan area, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be at the Palace of Auburn Hills from November 18 - November 22. You can get four tickets for $44 by entering MOM in the 'MC Promotion' box when purchasing through Ticketmaster.

Be sure to get there early so you don't miss the All Access Preshow! You'll be able to go right to the circus floor to meet performers, try on costumes, get autographs and just generally 'clown' around ;) It's free for all ticket holders.

Here's the discount details summarized for you:

Ringling Bros. Coupon Code Details

* The coupon code will be MOM to get four tickets for $44 for ALL performances!
* The tickets can be purchased from http://www.ticketmaster.com and by entering the MOM code in the “MC promotion” box when purchasing tickets.
* Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.
* Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity, Front Row, or VIP seating.
* Cannot be combined with other offers. Service charges, facility & handling fees will apply.

A GREAT Direct Sales Resource

If you've been to my blog more than once, you've probably heard me mention my chocolate business (or if you stumbled across it years ago, you'd have heard about my PartyLite candle business!). I've always been a 'do-er,' and if you're in direct/home-show sales, you probably are too. One of the sites that has been truly priceless to me in any of my home show ventures is BestofBoards.com. I joined this great community in September of 2002 and have enjoyed it so much I never really even left when I was out of direct sales for a few years!

BestofBoards.com is a resource for consultants of various businesses, built by consultants of various businesses. You'll find people from Partylite, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, Jordan Essentials (formerly known as Country Bunny Bath & Body), Avon, Tupperware, some 'adult' companies and more. And if your company isn't represented yet? No worries - we all tend to operate a business with similar sales/booking/recruiting techniques. What works for another business can usually be altered and tried to test your success with it as well!

If you're interested in checking out 'BoB' (as we so affectionately call Best of Boards), be sure to register and introduce yourself to get two weeks free trial premium membership! Tell them Becki sent you, and be sure to tell me hi once you get there :)

Does Mama's Baby Need New Shoes?

Red Sox Mom is on a roll! Plenty of giveaways around her site lately - it would definitely be worth your time to check em out! I've posted a couple over here from her site, but I generally only post the ones I'm interested in winning (for the extra entries, dontcha know). You may not have all the same tastes as me, so go check out the others on your own :)

Today I'm excited to pass on the information about the Eleven Collection shoe giveaway. I have to admit I hadn't heard of these particular shoes before reading her post, but Maggie and I aren't really shoe snobs. Actually Maggie usually likes my shoes best, but it's not like she can leave the house in shoes that are more than twice as long as her foot, so her vote doesn't count too much ;)
My favorites, shown here, are the Kasota. They look like quite the little tennis shoe, don't you think? To enter to win your favorite, head over to Red Sox Mom before November 1 to enter.

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. Yay! We're going to Red Lobster with Mimi tonight!!
2. (Oops...I just got totally distracted by the menu and almost forgot to come back!)
3. It's been rainy and miserable all day here. I've wanted nothing as much as to crawl back under the covers and try to keep cozy!
4. We've still got a phantom pooper. If you ask Maggie (when she's obviously smelly) if she's pooped, she says, "No, thank you." That doesn't explain the mess in her diaper...just sayin...
5. I've got the munchies now, but I want to be hungry for dinner!
6. There. I now remembered to call hubby and tell him we are probably leaving for dinner before he gets home, so he won't wonder where we are when he stops by here on his way out for the night.
7. There are like 11 bricks on the floor by the door of my office. I'm not sure why. They used to be used on top of filing cabinets to hold up an extra counter. The filing cabinets and the counter made it to the basement. The bricks? Are still here.
8. Tomorrow morning Maggie and I are going to see Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. It's another free matinee. What does this really mean to me? Popcorn for breakfast - yum!!
9. I fixed the grandfather clock this week, and I'm quite proud of myself. It started chiming any old number of times on each hour (twice at eight o'clock, or four times at midnight...). I finally dug out the books at the bottom of the clock and read through til I found how to fix it. And I did - and it worked! Go, me :)
10. I think I'm going to get something with shrimp scampi, and definitely enjoy the cheddar bay biscuits.
    

What's the Cost?

Have you seen all the tv commercials about term life insurance rates? I usually flip right past them - I don't have any extra money, and didn't really see the need for life insurance for myself. Term life insurance is a pure death benefit - its primary use is to provide coverage of financial responsibilities for the insured. Some of the expenses that could be covered by this insurance may include consumer debt, dependent care, college education for dependents, funeral costs, and mortgages. Yeah - it's even going to cost us to die! Since I don't actually contribute any measurable income to our household, I've held off on getting any insurance, but it sounds like I'll want to be sure there's some in place in case anything ever happened to hubby!

A 'Business' Giveaway

I started to just say this was a business giveaway, but it could be for just about anything if you use your imagination. One lucky My Loonyverse reader is going to win 100 postcards from UPrinting.com.

As I said, I first thought of these cards in terms of my business - I usually send out postcards periodically to see if they might need anymore Dove chocolate products from me, or if they'd like to get them free for having a party. If you're not trying to promote a business, you could easily get these printed for holiday cards, or to promote an item at your child's school or your church. The possibilities are endless!

For your chance to win 100 postcards from UPrinting.com, head on over to My Loonyverse before October 28. Good luck!

Dear Disney Movie Club:

Dear Disney Movie Club:

Thanks for saving me even more money than your 'Welcome Back' offer would have saved me! I received your mailing (including free stickers!) last week inviting me to re-join the Disney Movie Club and select FIVE movies for only $1 with my credit card, and then purchase two BONUS movies (still with free shipping) for only $11.95 and $8.95, respectively. Even better? The first bonus movie would count toward my club obligation, so I'd only have to purchase three movies (instead of four) in the next two years.

Sounds like a great deal, and I was sold. Unfortunately, when I tried to enter my promo code and make my selections at the website, it told me the email address I was providing was already in the system. Duh! I'm a previous member who left last year, and you invited me back! Of course my information is still in the system, that's how you knew to re-invite me, right?

I still figured the deal may be worth a little extra effort on my part (and really give me a jump on my holiday shopping) so I called the phone number on the bottom of the application page. That number? Is totally and irrevocably automated. There is no way to get to a person unless you provide a 'membership number.' Which I don't have, since I'm calling from the application page. There was an option listed that provided yet another phone number to call if you didn't have a membership number, but I'm tired of working for this deal.

If you were actually trying to 'welcome' me back, you might consider making it convenient for me to re-join. But whatever. Thanks for the free stickers!

Wordless Wednesday

How Fun are These?!?

Momspective Reviews recently posted a giveaway of a gift set from Rhino Toys! Momspective says, "Recognized in both TD Monthly and DesignKloud for it’s innovation in creating a toy that younger children and children with disabilities can grasp, the toys at Rhino Toys are designed to be fun for kids of all ages. It’s just as much fun for my four year old to grab and throw as it is for my 18 month old, and now my boys get to enjoy an activity together."
The toys look like lots of fun! Balls are of course enjoyed by children of all ages, and the plastic mesh balls shown in the picture as well as on the website are fun for chewing by smaller fans.
For your chance to win, head over to Momspective Reviews before November 3, 2009.

Tuesday Random Thoughts

Poor Maggie took over an hour to actually fall asleep for her nap - that's assuming she's actually asleep right now. She wasn't even upset, just passing time....

I got TWO surprise chocolate orders today - yay, me!

It's a good thing those orders showed up, because my other online job is done for now. Which means no more internet exploder (biggest YAY today), but no more income from that job either...

I am LOVING chewing ice lately. Not ice tray ice, just store-bought bagged ice.

Now that the other job is done, I can spend part of nap time working on organizing the office (not today, today I was doing chocolate stuff, but starting tomorrow!).

I'm stuck at #2 on my list of friends playing Farkle. That makes me the first place loser. Grrrr.....

I love expecting stuff in the mail. Right now I'm waiting for a sweatshirt I ordered that was on backorder (but has shipped now...), a pair of Docs that I bought for hubby off eBay, and two new bras I just ordered yesterday. Yesterday I received the Scor-Pal I won from The Crafting Pot. Watching for the mail or delivery trucks can be fun!

Want a free Snuggie? Check it out! Freebie bloggers, feel free to add this to your list - it's free with no shipping and handling or anything, and you get to pick the color! Not sure how long it lasts - act quickly!

Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show

As much as Maggie LOVED Disney on Ice a couple weeks ago, we're not going to miss Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show on Halloween weekend!

If you're in the SE Michigan area, the show is at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on October 31, or at the Palace of Auburn Hills on November 1. Get your tickets through ticketmaster.com and save $3 with the code LIVE.

e.l.f. Cosmetics Giveaway!

e.l.f. is going to give a reader of Theta Mom blog the chance to win their very own 27 piece mini makeup collection!



The collection includes:
9 eyeshadow shades
1 cream eyeshadow shade
1 blush
1 bronzer
10 lip gloss shades
1 brow powder
1 eye liner pencil
1 dual ended eyeshadow applicator and brush
1 face brush
1 lip brush

For your chance to win, head over the Theta Mom before October 29!

Good luck!

You're Where?

I heard something interesting a couple weeks ago. Did you know that when you place your fast food order at the drive-thru, the person you're talking to may not be in the building you're driving around? True story. I read somewhere (I wish I remember where, now) that some of these are routed as actual 'calls' where people process the orders (and ask you to super-size or add a sundae, of course). Who'd a thunk, eh?

I've worked in various types of call center services more than once. With the right company and decent co-workers, it can be a relatively pleasant job. Usually if it's the sort of job you're good at, you could do it for just about any company. I'm glad to see there are still companies willing to utilize folks in call centers in U.S. places like South Dakota. It's one of those jobs that is admittedly easier to outsource, but outsource doesn't have to mean out of the country. ;)

Need a Rug?

No, not a toupee, a rug for any room in your home! These are better than traditional rugs, because they're actually tiles of carpet that you use to build your own rug. And what else makes them better? You could get one FREE! Head over to Red Sox Mom for more information on ways to enter through October 23rd. Check out the FLOR website. They are giving one of Red Sox Mom's readers a 5 X 7 rug or set of 12 tiles to build a rug. The pictures on the company's website can give lots of ideas for what to do with the tiles or rug.

Red Sox Mom got a rug to review, but she said they'd already owned one before that. If that's not a glowing endorsement, I don't know what is! She likes how she can move the tiles around and give the rug an entirely different look. How would that work for a cheap remodel a couple times a year? Sounds great to me! To enter, you must have a U.S. mailing address.

KettleWorx Works!

I was recently provided with the KettleWorx DVDs and Kettlebell to offer my review of their program. In a nutshell, it's great!

The package I received consisted of an e-book that primarily outlined an eating plan for the six-week workout and stressed the importance of the garbage-in/garbage-out philosophy. Another thing that stood out to me in the book was the recommendation that in order to transform your body, you'd need an attitude shift. No more going around talking about your inability to lose weight or get in shape - that's 'Fatitude'! For the six weeks of the workout, at least, you'd need a 'Ripitude' - the attitude that you could accomplish your fitness goals, and you would!

The DVD workouts were great! Each of the three main DVDs (Cardio, Core and Resistance) has six different 20-minute workouts. The whole six-week program will be completed without doing the same workout twice! I've been rotating the DVDs so that on Mondays I do Cardio, Wednesdays I do Core and Fridays I do Resistance. When I pop in the DVD, there are six workouts to choose from - I just pick the number of the week I'm on. I've finished two weeks so far, and I feel great!

If you're looking for a workout that is easy enough to keep up with, doesn't take much time (just 20 minutes three times a week), but leaves you feeling like you're accomplishing your fitness goals, I'd recommend the KettleWorx program!

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. We girls have made it through most of the week without hubby/daddy! (He's returning over the weekend.)
2. My hands are getting so dry already - what will I do when winter actually gets here??
3. Funny story? Hubby may end up with a bunch of free skivvies, when I'm the one who needs them! I ordered him a pack to come with my new t-shirts and stuff, and his one measly pack was sliced open with a pair missing. Seriously, how does this happen? They must be floating around a warehouse somewhere, but the customer service lady laughed along with me and said she'll get a new pack sent out right away. So instead of four pair, he'll end up with seven - and he didn't really need ANY! Hahahaha...
4. I'm finally running low on chocolate supplies...I think I've been munching on too much of my inventory ;)
5. Maggie saw her first Yo Gabba Gabba ever this week. She enjoyed it, but wouldn't get up and dance with them all just yet. I? Was sort of freaked out by Jack Black in the stretchy orange jumpsuit thing...
6. I'm having a decent Farkle week. We'll see what next week holds.
7. It's supposed to warm up next week too. I suppose I should be happy, since I've been chronically cold for weeks already, but I worry about all the weather changes kicking off a headache for me or hubby. Headaches suck.
8. My friends and I were doing a pretty good job doing regular play dates for a while, but now it's all sort of faded away. Other than school each week and a trip to the library every couple of weeks, we're not getting out enough. I blame it on the cold, and my cold that has been hanging on for weeks. I don't want everyone thinking I'm contaminating them and their kids!
9. I miss free chocolate Fridays :( No point in explaining them now - you missed em and you may not even know it. Very sad indeed.
10. Since we've seen The Little Mermaid way too many times this week, I have to ask - where is her mother? (And the rest of the Disney cartoon mothers, for that matter?...) Poor Maggie hasn't noticed she's missing, but at the end when Triton the sea king goes back to the sea, she wails, "Daddy! Daddy!" in much the same manner as when she talks about Nemo. Weird.
    

A Giveaway!

Head on over to The Frugal Kennedys for your chance to win this fabulous Harmony Mom Chocolate Long-Sleeved Burnout Tee (according to the review, in addition to being cute, these shirts are comfy and wash up well! Yay!).

You've got more than a month (the giveaway is November 16), but she's got so many ways to win, it may take you that long to do them all :) The contest is open to continental U.S. residents age 18 or older.

Mommy Kennedy has a great blog that used to be more mommy/family stuff, but now focuses on deals! She has a gift for finding discounts, freebies and coupons to help everyone stretch their dollars a little further. Her blog is one I visit regularly - she'd be great to add to your reader!

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Random Thoughts

I think I'm getting a sinus infection for the first time in like a decade :( On my list of things to do is calling the doctor, which I wanted to do about my cough that hasn't gone away for like a month anyway...

I can't stop eating Charleston Chews. I've only had the vanilla ones so far. The nougat is almost like marshmallow. Super yummy.

I'm really looking forward to trick-or-treating this weekend with Maggie. We're hoping to get a spot at a campground near my parents' house. This is their last weekend for trick or treating, and they're booked solid except the spots they won't reserve in advance...that's where we're trying to get in :)

I am so not ready for winter. I've been freezing for days already. I think I'm the only mom ever who doesn't put another layer on her child when the mom's cold...because I know I'm usually unreasonably cold!

Anybody have any clout with AT&T? We ported my number from one family plan with them to another with Verizon without realizing my contract had just been renewed last November. We'd love to get out of the cancellation fee! Anyone willing to be paid in Entrecard credits? Or just want to do a good deed that would really make me happy?

Since it rained last Friday (when Maggie and I were supposed to go on our cider mill field trip with our mom and tot playgroup), we still haven't been to a cider mill yet this fall! I'm looking forward to some fresh donuts and cider soon!

A Drop Makes a Ripple

If you were a drop of liquid, as you hit the surface of another liquid that was smooth and unmoving, would you make a ripple or a splash? I apparently have made a splash and I am really happy about it! I feel very special, humble and grateful.

Thank you so much to Tammy for this award!

Now it is my turn to pass on the award. It is given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring blogs. The rules for this award are:

Put the logo on your blog/post
Nominate and link up to nine blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
Remember to link the person from whom you received your Splash Award.

So I hearby bestow and forward The Splash Award to:
Don't Take the Repeats
magnifcent megan (a tale of one girl)
Staying Sane with 4 boys...or At Least Trying To
Confessions of a Psychotic Housewife
Momma Made It Look Easy
Theta Mom
Lenox Knits
The Frugal Kennedys
Rudstrom Family Blog

Thanks, Stacey!

Saw this over at All Stace, All the Time...enjoy! Let me know if you post it too so I can see your answers :)

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? an ice cube
2. Where was your profile picture taken? in my living room
3. Can you play Guitar Hero? of course...but not well! I think I've only tried once.
4. Name someone who made you laugh today. Maggie - probably a dozen times!
5. How late did you stay up last night and why? I got in bed around midnight. I was sort of waiting for hubby to get home, but was too tired and cold to keep bumming around on the computer.
6. If you could move somewhere else where would you and why? Somewhere warmer. I'm tired of always being cold.
7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? Yeah.
8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? Hubby! Outside of my house, probably Tami.
9. Do you believe exes can be friends? With benefits? Friends - possibly (but I don't really have any exes who are friends). With benefits - certainly not when they're with other people - that's just skanky.
10. Do you like Dr. Pepper? Yes
11. When was the last time you cried really hard? Really hard as opposed to just sniveling? Over the summer during lots of personal stuff.
12. Who took your profile picture? Colette
13. Who was the last person you took a picture of? Maggie
14. Was yesterday better than today? Why? They were pretty similar. There was fun stuff both days :)
15. Can you live a day without TV? Yes. Although DVDs sure are nice with Maggie - can I keep them?
16. Are you upset about anything now? Not really
17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? Yes
18. Are you a bad influence? define bad...
19. Night out or night in? usually in.
20. What items could you not go without during the day? Maggie, hubby and Cherry Coke (well, I would prefer not to go without them anyway...)
21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? hmm...Maybe SIL when my niece was born? I can't really remember...
22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? It was setting up plans for Ryan's birthday party!
23. How do you feel about your life right now? Right now I'm feeling pretty mellow and content.
24. Do you hate anyone? Nah.
25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find? Ummm..messages to me?
26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? Yep.
27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? Not seriously.
28. What song is stuck in your head? There was one there a minute ago, but as soon as I read the question my mind went blank...
29. Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., whom do you want it to be? Ed McMahon with my check?
30. Do you (or did you) want to have grandkids before you’re 50? No. That would involve my daughter having a child at 15.
31. Tell us your Saturday night. We had a late lunch, so a light dinner, then went shopping and out for ice cream.
32. Do you think too much or too little? Too much. But I honestly think that may be better than too little. I'm probably over-thinking it ;)
33. Do you smile a lot? Yes.

Got Bling?

As I'm cruising around the interwebs til I start 'working' online again next week, I had a great site with jewelry pointed out to me. There's not only great jewelry, but tips for guys considering buying jewelry for a woman for nearly any occasion. It was the 'Special Days' listing of occasions that jumped out at me.

We all know about the biggies - Christmas and birthdays come to mind. And we all know which ones we may or may not acknowledge (aren't the 'hallmark holidays' like Sweetest Day - less than a week away - celebrated mainly in the midwest?). But what about the events that are celebrated for way longer than one day. Being a mother, for example. You may or may not celebrate Mothers' Day, but how touching is it to see a mothers' ring on your finger, or a pendant around your neck, and know that the special man in your life appreciates all you do to keep the home and family you share running smoothly? Or glancing at the earrings or bracelet you got from someone close to you to celebrate your hard-earned graduation? To me, these are the events that alter our lives forever, and deserve recognition.

The next time one of you guys doesn't know what to get for the special woman in your life who 'has everything,' or even if there's plenty she 'needs' but you want to get her something she really wants, think about a little extra bling. Let her know what you might not always say by giving her something as sparkly as the smile she saves just for you - pick some special thoughtful jewelry out just for her.

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. I don't care what you say. There are Farkle gods, they can read my mind, and they hate me.
2. The Farkle gods may be in cahoots with internet explorer, because it definitely hates me too.
3. We're going to see Monsters vs Aliens tomorrow morning at the free movie - yay!
4. It took me less than an hour to get Maggie to bed tonight. This is a long time. She used to go down really easily, but now she always wants someone to 'sit in the chair' until she falls asleep. But then she usually doesn't even try to fall asleep, she keeps watching to make sure you're in the chair. Arrgghh!!
5. I won the Scor-Pal from The Crafting Pot blog last week. I can't wait to get it and play with it! I haven't been nearly crafty enough lately. If you like innovative crafts and showing them off, this is the blog for you! Check them out :)
6. Yeah - just going to get the links for the last random thing, I got totally sucked into their blog. It's dangerous!
7. I've had an annoying headache most of the day. My headaches are usually sinus related, but the drugs aren't helping. I hope a good night's sleep helps. Oh, and I hope I can get a good night's sleep!
8. I'm also hoping the new t-shirts I ordered come in tomorrow. It would be nice to not have to do more laundry before I can get dressed on Sunday...
9. Cute Maggie-ism of the day? After we got back into the car after going out for dinner, I prompter her to, "Say: Thank you for dinner, daddy." She did, quite nicely. Then she proceeded to say, "Thank you for dinner, lady." We don't know why. Maybe to the waitress?
10. Oh, more Maggie goodness...She got to have a sucker on the car ride home from school this morning, you know - right before lunch? Because we got in the car, and when she saw a tootsie pop in the cup holder, she said, "Mommy, may I please have a sucker?" How could I resist that?
    

Tuesday Random Thoughts

I think my blog is mostly random thoughts. Does this mean I should only be posting on Tuesdays?

I was planning to start working out this morning. But then I didn't sleep much (with Maggie's cooperation, of course). The workout calls for three times a week, so I can start tomorrow and still say I started this week anyway, right?

Wow. Maggie screamed and screamed and didn't want to go to sleep unless one of us was sitting in there. Now that she's asleep, the silence is deafening and I want to go check on her (but I don't dare!).

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Some relatives are in from out of town, and everyone is meeting up at my parent's house tomorrow. It'll be fun to see folks I haven't seen in years!

After dinner tonight, Maggie sat in her high chair and counted her chow mein noodles. Without any prompting from us, she got to ELEVEN! Go, Maggie :) I think we have Mimi to credit with most of her counting lately ;)

Well, I just found out that someone is coming by tomorrow morning to get our old couches. Yay! But that means I need to get up and dressed by the crack of 10:00 AM. Yes, it's good to have goals.

Whoa. Busy Day!

So I feel like we didn't do anything today, but yet was busy the whole time. I'm not real fond of this sort of day. I like to see what I've accomplished, instead of just treading water (hey, I had to tie the picture in somehow!)

Maggie woke up at 6:45 instead of 8:00 this morning. Bummer. I went and laid on the couch with her, thinking she'd doze a while longer, but no luck. I may have dozed a bit on my own while I was waiting for 9:00 AM to start making calls to the bank. We sold a car over the weekend and all of us just sort of glanced over the paperwork and didn't realize that the letter we had promised a release of lien, but was not actually a release of lien...until they got to Secretary of State to transfer the title to the new owners. Oops! I was able to get help this morning from Capital One on my third transfer. Unfortunately, she said they needed the VIN (vehicle identification number) and they needed to speak to the person actually on the title. I collected the last of the information and got the right person to call. It was supposed to be taken care of by the end of the day today. I'll call the new owner tomorrow and make sure. In the meantime, all this literally took less than an hour or so, but used up half my brain energy for the day!

So I was finally relaxing from the mental drain, when the phone rang again and I was afraid something had already gone wrong. Close. It was the guy I'd interviewed with two weeks ago...calling to offer me the job I decided I no longer wanted. Boy, did I feel like an ass telling him thanks, but I took another offer last week. I told him I hope he finds another fantastic candidate, and I meant it.

The next call to come in was as I was getting out of the shower. Hubby was dropping off the company car today and bringing his own car home from the office, but forgot his car key. Hey, at least this way I knew Maggie and I would make it out of the house...by necessity ;) And during this? Maggie had fallen asleep on the couch. I let her get in a short nap and figured we'd just pick up with lunch when she felt like getting up.

The pitiful highlight of my day was stopping at Walgreen's on our way back from bringing hubby the car key. I love all the Halloween stuff! We got a couple of the window decal things, and Maggie spent the next half hour at home moving them around on the window like stickers. I never would have thought we were getting that much entertainment for $3!

So how's your week rolling out?

And the Winner Is!!

Congratulations to Tammy over at Crazy Mom with 4 Boys! She won my first contest for the Cinderella DVD. I hope your friend's daughter really enjoys this classic!

Top Ten Entrecard Droppers for September

Thank you!!

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. How is it possible that I feel better again? Luckily I seem to have a pretty short memory of feeling crappy.
2. Have you entered my contest yet? C'mon - get on it!
3. I couldn't find anyone to go out for lunch today. The friend I was already seeing in the morning had plans by lunch time, and the other friend I tried to call, the call went straight to voicemail. Maggie and I went and got a pizza instead. Too bad I forgot her daddy's taking her out for pizza tonight. Sorry, kid. Hope you like it as much as Mimi (but I think you do ;) ).
4. I think the office really is going to get an overhaul soon. We want to have two desks and two work counters in here. Hope we don't need to knock out a wall too. Yeah. I can't really visualize that many work spaces in here yet...
5. Have you tried Dove's Sea-Salted Caramels yet? Omigoodness. To die for, I'm telling you. Hubby and I finished off a box already this week, but I'm craving them again.
6. It is such a weight off now that I won't be working an afternoon-shift job. There were so many things I was going to miss out on just in the next month or so. Now? I'm back in the loop - yay!!
7. Oh! I almost forgot to head over to the Walgreen's site to register for my practically free photo book (just $1.99 shipping). I need to point this out to hubby too.... Today is the last/only day to register for it, I believe!
8. I got our Halloween decorations up yesterday (except the ones that I'll impulse buy between now and the end of the month - those I'll put up as I get them - hahahaha). Halloween is my favorite!
9. Maggie has taken to doing the most adorable thing (for the moment). She'll say, "Mommy?" And then when I look, she'll put her finger on the side of her cheek and tap it like she's thinking for a minute before she 'remembers' what she wanted to tell me. Completely cracks me up every time, but I try to keep a straight face for her.
10. My Leona Naess station on Pandora is just perfect for this rainy fall day.
    

Disney on Ice recap!

Subtitled: My FIRST Giveaway - this weekend only!!


Disney on Ice was FANTASTIC!

We went last night, which was opening night at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The evening started out meeting other Feld Family Activators from MomCentral and getting goodie bags and snacks. This is also where we had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Mickey and Minnie. As you can see above, I was cooperative. As you can probably guess by our previous big-headed character experience, Maggie was still not impressed. Here's as close as she got to Mickey and Minnie. One of the ladies working at the event was kind enough (and talented enough!) to get this picture of Maggie high-fiving Minnie. I love it! I'll just skip right over all the ones with the terrified look on her face (Maggie, not the other lady).

The on-ice program also completely captivated Maggie for the whole two hours or so. I hadn't realized how many Disney movies she actually hasn't seen, but she loved watching both the characters she knew and those that she didn't. Even the man sitting next to us commented on how enthralled Maggie was the whole time. I don't recall getting as much joy from watching a performance ever as I did watching Maggie enjoy the performance.

And the best part yet? It's not too late! Disney on Ice is still at the Palace of Auburn Hills (outside Detroit, MI) through the 4th of October, and there are still discount tickets available!

Coupon Code Details
* The coupon code will be ‘MOM’— four tickets for $44 for weekday shows Monday-Friday and $4 off all tickets for weekend shows. Any additional tickets beyond the 4-pack for shows during the week are still priced at $11.
* The tickets can be purchased from http://www.ticketmaster.com and by entering the MOM code in the “MC promotion” box when purchasing tickets.
* Offer not valid on Rinkside or VIP seating.
* Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.

**Giveaway information starts here!!**

To make sure as many people as possible catch the show, I'm spreading the word and getting you to help too! I am giving away the Plantinum Edition, 2-Disc Special Edition DVD of Cinderella to one lucky USA reader! My rules are as follows:

1) Leave a comment telling who you want to win the DVD for and get one entry.
2) Post about the contest linking back to this post and leave me the link in your comment for a second entry.

The contest closes at midnight ET on October 3rd, so post quickly! Sorry, I can only ship the DVD package to a US address.