Ultimate Meatballs - YUM!

There is seriously nothing I like better than party food!! I could honestly eat nothing but munchies and appetizers at every meal. My favorite things to eat are little smokies or little meatballs in the crock pot!! Everyone seems to make these, but everyone has a different variation on what kind of sauce to put over them. Some people just dump them in with barbecue sauce, but I like to be a little more creative than that.

When Mom Central announced the Ultimate Meatball Blog Tour, I was very excited! A new way to make little meatballs?! Oh yeah, baby! Bring it!! Heinz and Ocean Spray provided me with Heinz Chili Sauce and Ocean Spray Jelled Cranberry Sauce so I could make my own party meatballs. I first thought “Cranberry sauce? Really?” I have made something similar with cocktail sauce and grape jelly, but this was a little twist on it.

Now, instead of trying the meatballs, I bought little smokies. I LOVE little smokies, and those are also one of the few things my son will gobble up! All I did was dump two packages of little smokies in the crock pot, and I added the Chili Sauce and Cranberry Sauce. I let it simmer on low for about 3 hours, and voila!!! AWESOME!!! Oh yeah! Sweet and tangy! They were great! And my husband (Mr. Picky) thought it was much better than the way I usually made them with the grape jelly!

In addition to this great recipe, Heinz and Ocean Spray have created an Ultimate Party Meatballs Website! Woo hoo! Visit www.ultimatepartymeatballs.com. They have the recipe for the ultimate meatballs, as well as other great recipes that are perfect for parties, snacks or emergency yummies when you have unexpected guests. For example, they have a recipe for ultimate baked brie! Sweet Lord, that is some goooood stuff!! Yum!!!

Check out their Website and enter their contest to win their sweepstakes with a $3000 grand prize to throw the ultimate party!!

Spiderman!

I was going to do this as a Wordless Wednesday, but I really thought this photo needed an explanation. Eli went to a birthday party last weekend where the entertainment was a face painter. As you can see, the lady did an awesome job. The only problem was that the party was in the morning, and we had errands to run afterward. Needless to say, we got a hell of a lot of attention at Wal-Mart, Costco and Red Robin!

Clorox 2 Coupons!

With two kids in addition to being a klutz myself, I have become used to stains on most . . . okay, ALL of my shirts. I have tried several different stain fighters with no results except to watch my bright colors fade. So I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when I was asked to participate in Mom Central’s Clorox 2 blog tour.

Clorox 2 launched a new stain fighter with an advanced formula that works better on tough stains and keeps clothes bright! Whether you’re fighting grass stains, food stains, arts and craft spills, or Starbucks espresso truffle spills (like me), Clorox 2 will work for you! All you need to do is add Clorox 2 to every load with your detergent for cleaner and brighter clothes.

Now for the test. Does it REALLY work? I received my coupon in the mail for my free bottle of Clorox 2 and went to the store and got it. I made my morning Starbucks run, and as if on cue, I dribbled my espresso truffle down my bright blue shirt. (I have never been able to multi-task and drive.) Anyway, when I started the laundry, I put a little bit of Clorox 2 in the laundry. Guess what? The stain came out! Woo hoo! I was thrilled! (You have no idea how many coffee stains I have on my shirts!)

If you want to learn more about how Clorox 2 removes stains and gets your laundry clean and bright, visit their Web site at www.daretobecolorful.com. If you are interested in trying a bottle of it for free, you are in luck. I have three coupons to give away for a free bottle of Clorox 2. Be one of the first three to leave me a comment below complete with your mailing address, and I will send you a coupon so you can try a bottle of this great new stain remover for free!

It's Santa Time!

Yesterday, we took the kids to see Santa, and for the first time EVER (!!) Georgia did not scream or cry!! I was thrilled! Now, she didn't smile either, and in fact, she has a weird look on her face in the picture, but this is progress, right? Right?

Keep your child safer with SeatSnug!

I was very pleased to be asked to participate in Mom Central’s SeatSnug blog tour. If you are a parent, you know there is nothing more important than your child’s safety. SeatSnug helps you keep your child safer in the car, and that is something we all need.

My son is 6 years old, and currently rides in a booster seat. I remember when we switched him to a booster seat, and I was surprised to discover that it wasn’t more secure. The booster seat is not attached to the car at all. It just sits in the car, and the seat belt goes around the seat and your child. This makes me nervous because my son does not like his seatbelt tight against him. It is a constant battle for me because I have to keep telling him to leave his seatbelt alone so it fits against him securely and doesn’t leave any slack.

Even if you are not in a car accident, when you quickly maneuver your car or swerve, the seatbelt is not locked, so your child can be easily jostled around resulting in injury.

SeatSnug attaches to your child’s safety belt and can be gently tightened at the child’s hips, diminishing any seatbelt slack, and keeping the seatbelt snugly fit against your child. SeatSnug dramatically reduces bouncing, rocking and tipping, and helps your child avoid injury or death when involved in a car accident.

This is one of the best products I have written about for Mom Central. I was very impressed with how easy it was to adjust, and the secure fit gave me peace of mind that I was lacking. SeatSnug retails for $34.95, which is a very small price to pay for your child’s safety.

I hope you will check out the SeatSnug Website where you can learn more about the product and how SeatSnug can make your child’s car rides safer. On the SeatSnug Website, you can also watch a video to see SeatSnug in action. Seatsnug is all about preventing injuries and saving children’s lives!

Manic Monday - Season

Happy Manic Monday! This week’s word is Season. That reminds me, it is the season for Christmas shopping, so if you still have a job and have money to spend, head over to The Wren’s Nest for some kick-ass holiday gifts!!!!

I really do love the holiday season. I always have Thanksgiving at my house and both sets of parents come up for the holiday. I think I’m beginning to perfect it. I no longer serve turkey because there are way too many leftovers. This season, we are doing pork loins, cream cheese & chive mashed potatoes, dressing, noodles, rolls, and green bean casserole. For dessert, I’m doing pumpkin pie and pecan pie, and I’m trying to decide on that all important third pie. I found a great recipe at Pillsbury.com that I was thinking of trying for a pumpkin-ginger pie with marshmallow topping. It sounds orgasmic. Let me know what you think.

Oh! And lots of wine! I can’t forget that. Because who could resist an entire day of my mom calling me a wino.

The thing that screws me up this year is that Thanksgiving is so late. I’m one of these people that doesn’t start shopping for the Christmas season until after Thanksgiving, even though the Christmas season apparently starts now in October. I swear, it just gets earlier and earlier every year. At least this year, the kids are getting a Wii for Christmas, which we already have, so there shouldn’t be too much more shopping to do. That’s good because I’m heading to New York for work the second week in December. I’ll have the “ohmygodihavetogetonaplane” anxiety leading up to that, and by the time I get back, well hell – it’s almost Christmas! This season is flying by!!

What are all your plans for the holiday season. Online shopping – plan #1! The further away I can stay from the mall, the better!

I'm Still Here!

I know it may have seemed like I have dropped off the face of the earth lately, but I haven’t. I am still here, and I wanted to share with you why I have been so busy lately.

Many of you may know that I have done freelance work for WikiAnswers for the last four years. Last week, I started work with the company as a full-time employee. Woo hoo! That’s right, I am fully employed, in addition to my full-time job as a mom. I am really enjoying my job, but it hasn’t left me a lot of full time to blog.

Hopefully, once I get into my normal routine, I will have more time to keep up on my blog. I have so much going on that I want to share, including all of the cute things that my kids are up to. Eli is doing awesome in kindergarten, and already received his first report card. Dude! They grade things so much differently than they used to. Instead of A,B,C,D,F, now there are a bunch of S’s and N’s. Well, Eli only got one N (Needs Improvement) in Art. That sent me straight to the school to meet with the Art teacher. Yeah, I’m still crazy. Some things never change!

Georgia is going full steam ahead at preschool, and she is doing great. We had her first parent-teacher conference last week. I was extremely pleased to discover that she never screams or throws fits at school. Okay, I was pleased and a little surprised when they told me how well she was doing. I said, “Really, she doesn’t scream ‘I need my drink’ and then yell at the top of her lungs? Or she doesn't wiggle the zipper on her coat and scream because she wants you to zip it?” They just looked at me like I was crazy and said no, she doesn’t.

Her teachers informed me that meant I was doing things right. She knows to act like a decent, well-behaved child when she’s in front of other people. Now if I could just get her to act like that all the time, I would be in business!

Barbie and the Diamond Castle

Oh, how I wish they had all these great DVDs when I was a kid. Oh, who am I kidding? They didn’t even have VCRs yet when I was a kid!

These days, children’s programming is very educational. It’s not just the violent cartoons we had as children. I don’t mind when my children watch TV because the shows and DVDs available today teach them important lessons.

My 3-year-old daughter, Georgia has really been getting into her Barbies lately. She has two that are her favorites – one with purple hair, and one with pink hair. When she started seeing the commercials for Barbie and The Diamond Castle, she stared, hypnotically transfixed at the television. When the commercial was over, she would say, “Mommy! I really like that one!!” That is her usual mantra when she sees something she really wants.

When Mom Central sent us the new DVD for Barbie and The Diamond Castle, I was absolutely thrilled because I knew how much Georgia really wanted to see it.

Barbie and The Diamond Castle is a great musical story that teaches children about the importance of friendship. If Barbie and her friends want to preserve music for the entire world, they have to save their friend Melody who is trapped inside of a magic mirror. Melody holds the key to the Diamond Castle. The girls must journey to the Diamond Castle and overcome obstacles in order to save music for everyone. This is a great story to teach children about friendship and how important it is to believe in yourself.

My daughter Georgia not only loved the DVD, which she has now watched several times, but she also is going crazy to get the new Barbie Dolls from Barbie and The Diamond Castle, with the very pretty dresses. Every time she sees them on TV, she says, “Mommy! I really like that one!!”

To learn more about this fun and educational DVD that your children will love, visit the Barbie and The Diamond Castle Web site! And if you loved Barbie as a kid as much as I did, you will love it just as much as your child.

Manic Monday - Colorful

Happy Halloween a little late! I know I haven't been blogging a lot lately, and I do have a good excuse, which I will (hopefully) blog about this week. In the meantime, I wanted to share some Halloween pictures of my little goblins, and this week's Manic Monday theme gave me the perfect word - colorful.

Eli was the new Speed Racer, Georgia was Stephanie from LazyTown, Daddy was classic Speed Racer, and me? Well, I went as Speed Racer's girlfriend. The comment we received the most from people was about Georgia's colorful hair! Her costume did come with a wig, but she refused to leave it on. Rather than fight with her, I just bought pink hairspray, which she loved. The only problem is that the hairspray rubs off on EVERYTHING!

Now, having been a blonde my whole life, there have been times when I have made my hair very colorful. I learned that the colorful hairspray comes out easily (unless you use black). Other people, apparently have never used colorful hairspray because everyone who looked at Georgia's hair would say things like, "I can't believe you dyed her hair pink. I hope it comes out," or they would just flat out say, "You've ruined her hair. That's not going to come out."

Dude! First of all, I get really sick of everyone and their opinions. But instead of offering them a great big cup of shut the fuck up, I just smiled and said, "It will come out. I've done this before." And guess what? It came out just fine. If anything, Georgia is upset because we no longer have a reason to color her hair pink. Maybe I should just do it every Friday for fun. What do you think? (see slide show in next post)

Trick or Treat!!

Manic Monday - Ghost

This week’s Manic Monday word is Ghost! Oh, how I absolutely LOVE Halloween – when all the ghosts and goblins come out! Halloween is great fun now that we have kids, but even before kids, we always had a great time this time of year! Eric and I actually had our first date on Halloween weekend 1992.

The year we got married, 1994, we went to Boston in October to visit some friends. They took us to Salem, where they were having the Witches’ Festival. Now, THAT is a freaking AWESOME place to be at Halloween! Salem is full of ghosts and witches – one of which read my palm. Thank God her reading didn’t come true. She told me I was going to have twins.

A few years ago – 7 to be exact – Eric and I visited San Antonio in October. This was our last vacation before we had kids. I remember thinking how much fun it would be to stay in a haunted hotel. We stayed at the Emily Morgan, which is right across the street from the Alamo. This hotel is really haunted because it is an old hospital that was converted into a hotel. In fact, when you make a reservation and tell them you’re a ghost hunter, they’ll give you a discount.

It was all fun until I got the bright idea for us to take a ghost tour of downtown San Antonio. We learned all about the ghosts that frequent the Alamo, which was very cool. The freaky part was when the guy focused on our hotel and we heard about how haunted it really was. There was one room that they didn’t even rent out to people unless it was specifically requested because there were too many people who left the hotel screaming in the middle of the night due to the ghostly happenings in that room.

Now let me tell you, as cool as it is to stay in a haunted hotel, it certainly does not seem cool in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep and have to get up to go to the bathroom at 2 am. I actually woke my husband up to walk me to the bathroom in the middle of the night because I was that terrified. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll be staying in anymore haunted hotels. They are awfully fun to visit, but not spend the night in.

Friday Craziness

I’m sorry my blog has been lacking lately. I have been so busy with kids and work that I haven’t had time to keep up. I certainly don’t have a shortage of things to write about! I wanted to do a TT yesterday of weird things my kids have done lately, but I ran out of time.

I swear, the kids are definitely getting more interesting each day. Yesterday, Georgia was dancing around with her green Brobee doll. You’ve all seen Brobee, right?


After awhile, I noticed she was holding her doll around the neck (in the same affectionate way she does the cats) and saying “you want a piece of me?” Seriously. I don’t know what the Brobee doll did, but for a second I thought she was going to kick his ass.

Then there’s Eli. After we read stories and put him to bed last night, I went in to check on him after he had fallen asleep. He was lying on top of the covers with no pants on and a jean jacket. I took a picture, but Eric refused to let me put it on the blog.

The kids continue to crack me up each and every day. This weekend, we are really going to hit the Halloween activities hard. Tonight is Freaky Fall Fest, tomorrow is Boo at the Zoo, and Sunday is Trunk or Treat at Georgia’s preschool. Dude! I get tired just thinking about it!

I can’t wait to get pictures of the kids in their costumes. Georgia decided that she was going to be Stephanie from LazyTown. I only hope she’ll keep her wig on this year.


Eli decided he was going to be Speed Racer.


They wanted me to be Hannah Montana for Halloween.


Sorry, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Fighting Allergies with Clorox

I can’t believe it is the end of October already. With that, comes the cold weather, and you may begin to notice that your kids are spending a lot more time indoors. My allergies tend to be worse in the fall and winter because I’m not able to spend as much time outside. Indoor allergies flourish when you’re cooped up in the house.

Apparently, I am not the only one. Fifteen percent of people suffer from indoor allergies whether it’s dog and cat allergies or dust mites.

I was very pleased when I found out that Mom Central teamed up with Clorox to promote their new Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray, to help us fight those miserable indoor allergies!

Clorox is helping you battle those indoor allergies with the new Clorox Anywhere Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray. It’s easy to keep those countertops and hard surfaces clean, but what about that easy chair you can’t keep your cat out of, or the comforter on the bed where your dog hangs out all day? That’s why I was thrilled when I learned of Clorox’s new Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray. I have used it to spray bedspreads, chairs, ottomans and carpet, just to name a few things.

It is safe to use on any soft surface in your home, and when used correctly, it deactivates cat dander, dog dander and dust mite matter by up to 90 percent! On top of that, it smells great, giving your home a nice fresh scent!

To learn more about the new Clorox Anywhere Anti-Allergen Fabric Spray, visit Clorox’s Web site today, and look for Clorox Anti-Allergen Spray in a store near you!!

Wordless Wednesday - Dancing Queen

Manic Monday - Bite

This week’s Manic Monday word is Bite! As some of you may know, I am a huge Buffy fan just like Mo!! That is the first place my mind went to – those lovely vampires. Oh, there will never be another Angel, will there?

Anyway, I got to thinking about some of the vampire movies that I absolutely love, and one of my favorites is Love At First Bite! Have you all seen this? This 1979 movie stars George Hamilton as Count Dracula, who moves to New York to find his bride, and he falls in love with Cindy, played by Susan Saint James. This movie is flipping hilarious! It’s worth watching just to see Arte Johnson play Renfield. I love this movie! It is a great laugh, and this is the perfect time of the year to cuddle in and watch it. Here are a few great lines from the movie:

Dracula: “I’m going out for a bite to drink.”

Dr. Rosenberg: “You know what Freud said: if you don't pay for it, you don't get better.”

Dracula: “Without me, Transylvania will be as exciting as Bucharest... on a Monday night.”

Dracula: “Ah, Cindy Sondheim, you should have lived in an earlier age. Things were simpler, less complicated. Do you know how many women had nervous breakdowns in the fourteenth century? Two.”

What are some of your favorite vampire shows or movies? Many people have directed me to the HBO show . . . is it Torchwood? I still want to watch that. And I know Twilight is really big. I bought the book, but I haven’t read it yet, and I know there is a movie coming out soon. I have so much to catch up on!!

Have a great Manic Monday! And if you don’t, you can just Bite me!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Manic Monday - Moon

This week’s Manic Monday word is Moon, and as I write this, I looked over to see my daughter’s bare bottom. Originally, I was going to write about something with the full moon for Halloween. I had a whole thing going on in my head about Friday the 13th and the “sh sh sh sh fu fu fu fu” music. Then I thought about my friend Andrea, the nurse, who cringes every month when there is a full moon because she gets all the crazies.

However, when I am constantly faced with my daughter mooning me, I feel that I need to write about that. She has been potty trained now for going on three months, but we have yet to get her to pull her pants up afterward. In the summer, she did okay because we put her in dresses all the time. But now that the weather is cooler, she is wearing pants, and apparently she deems them way to difficult to yank back up after using the bathroom. So what does she do? She pulls her pants down and kicks them completely off, uses the potty, and then runs around the house half-naked. I guess that’s not a huge problem when we’re at home, except for the fact that she sits like a guy with her legs spread wide open.

I would just prefer not to be mooned by my 3-year-old every five seconds. So I try to keep pants on her – a difficult task. I can’t wait until parent-teacher conference at preschool because I am really curious to see if she does the same thing there. Although, I have a feeling if she was running around, airing out her vajayjay, they would have told me by now . . . wouldn’t they?

Share your turkey tales!

Mom Central teamed up with Electrolux in a quest for the perfect turkey! I have made Thanksgiving dinner at my house every year now for the last 14 years, so I have tried making turkey many different ways. For me, it seems like something always goes awry. (Last year, I gave up completely and just served pork loin.) It seems like the turkey is either too dry, too dark, or still frozen in the middle (yes, that actually happened to me).

Everyone has a great turkey story to share, whether it’s horrifying, funny or triumphant. This year, Electrolux and Kelly Ripa invite you to share your turkey tale. What is your memorable story in your quest for the perfect turkey?

Simply log on to electroluxappliances.com and click on Kelly Confidential. You can submit a photo, story and/or video showcasing your turkey tale. Everyone who submits a turkey tale will be automatically entered for a chance to win a stylish new Electrolux wall oven or range with the Perfect Turkey button – just in time for the holidays!!

The perfect turkey quest runs from October 1 through November 14, so don’t waste time! Submit your tale today. I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s memorable holiday cooking experiences!

13 Things I Did Today When I Should Have Been Working

1. Went to Whole Foods to buy truffles.

2. Made hummus.

3. Went to Starbucks.

4. Listened to some vintage Goo Goo Dolls interviews.

5. Cleaned the bathrooms. (Woo hoo – something productive)

6. Cut Georgia’s hair somewhat evenly.

7. Went to the hypnotherapist.

8. Had lunch with Andrea – yum Mexican food!

9. Helped the kids make aliens with the Monster Matter Alien Maker.

10. Spent too much time on MySpace.

11. Backed up my pictures on a flash drive.

12. Cleaned up cat gak – damn leaves.

13. Played Trouble with Eli.

Wordless Wednesday - The Grasshopper

Manic Monday - Leaf

This week’s Manic Monday word is Leaf. Thank you to Janna from Jannaverse for today's Manic Monday graphic!

When most people think of Leaves, they probably think of beautiful fall foliage. I, however, think of an increase in cat gak.

Yes, I’m a realist. I have a cat – Marcel – who loves to eat plants and leaves. It’s like chocolate mousse to him – I don’t get it. His favorite treat is dried up fall leaves. We have a lot of trees around our house, so there is never a shortage of leaves blowing around our house. I’m not quite sure why, but every time one of the kids runs through the door, they create enough of a wind gust that my living room looks like someone dumped out a bag of leaves on the floor.

That’s when Marcel pounces. No matter how much I sweep, there are always leaves on my floor from October through December (at least). I wouldn’t care so much that he ate them if he didn’t puke them all up in strategic places. Yes, Marcel likes the leaves, but they don’t like him. I dread the “crunch crunch crunch” chewing sound because I know that tasty leaf is going to end up as cat gak between my toes at 4 am the next morning when I’m walking to the bathroom.

And that’s another thing – why do cats have to gak it up in high-traffic areas? Why can’t they sidle over to the side of the room, or under the dining room table? Why do they have to throw up in the middle of the family room or kitchen, or (my personal favorite) in doorways? And usually in the middle of the night?

So, that is my curse. Yes, those fall leaves sure are pretty. Until they actually fall and then get hacked up by my cat.

Spot Shot Works

As a mom with two young children, my carpet often looks like a heard of muddy farm animals has trampled through my family room. I have tried several different spot removers to try to get rid of the various stains on my carpet. It doesn’t help that the breakfast bar in our kitchen/family room is also over a carpeted area.

I have tried so many different spot removers, and many of them do nothing but give me a sore arm from scrubbing. When Mom Central and WD-40 teamed up to do a blog tour on the new Non-Toxic Spot Shot® Instant Carpet Stain & Odor Eliminator and Spot Shot Pet, I was more than happy to try it out.

I read about Spot Shot before I received it in the mail and was pleased to see that it was supposed to remove old and new stains as well as neutralize odors and incorporate anti-resoiling agents into the carpet to keep stains from returning. Spot Shot Pet is formulated to permanently remove the most difficult pet stains and odors, and can treat every type of carpet.

When I received the Spot Shot in the mail, I pulled it out and ran to the family. I was faced with probably hundreds of stains, so I jumped right in. I sprayed it on a dirt stain right in front of the sliding glass door, and some sort of food stain by the breakfast bar area. I sprayed a little of the Spot Shot on, let it set for a little bit and then rubbed using a cloth. And guess what? It worked! I was extremely pleased to see that the Spot Shot removed several tough stains from my carpet, including a cat gak stain. (I have a lot of those.)

One thing that concerns me about all of my household cleaners is how they will affect my children. I have found some cleaners that work well, but many of them contain chemicals that I don’t want near my children. Spot Shot is very appealing because not only does it work, but it is non-toxic. It is safe to use around children and pets, and it is bio-degradable so it is environmentally friendly for those of us moms who are concerned about going green!

Check out Spot Shot’s Web site for more information about this effective, non-toxic stain and odor eliminator.

13 Things I LOVED About Last Night's Tina Turner Concert!

1. Tina’s legs! That woman is almost 70 years old, and I would KILL for legs like that!

2. Proud Mary – There is no better song to get you pumped up! And she saved it to the end! Love it!

3. The Dancing – Tina’s dancing is really freaking impressive! Did I mention her awesome legs?!

4. The Dresses – We counted seven outfit changes. Seven!! Soooo cool!

5. The Ninjas – When Tina had outfit changes, there were really hot guys, called the Ninjas, who came out to perform on stage. Wow!

6. The Back-up Dancers – The dancers were awesome, but I think Eric got way more out of them than I did. He has a favorite dancer, named Claire.

7. Tina Over the Crowd – There was a big arm that came up out of the stage and swung Tina out into the crowd. That was COOL! I think I just stood there with my mouth hanging open!

8. The Entrances – WOW! She had a cool entrance every time there was a costume change. You never knew where she was going to pop up, but all her entrances were very dramatic!

9. The Pedestal – There was a pedestal in the middle of the stage that would raise her way way up at times. When the show started, the curtain opened to the pedestal all the way up with her on it.

10. The Fireworks – Oh yeah, it’s a good show when fireworks are shooting

11. Tina’s Amazing Voice – WOW again! She’s the best!

12. Did I mention the really hot Ninjas?

13. Her hair! – Dude, I need a Tina wig!!

Wordless Wednesday - Poser

Eli knew I was taking a picture of him, so this is the pose he struck:

Manic Monday - Nuts

I am so excited that Morgen – our Manic Monday leader – has started a Manic Monday Blog!! (You know, because he wasn’t busy enough already!) I hope you will all check out his new Manic Monday Blog here.

This week’s Manic Monday word is Nuts. I thought of a couple of things for this one, so I am going to post both of them. Some of you know that I have a problem at times controlling my cussing. Before I had kids, I never really thought about it. However, that all changed very quickly. I tend to yell at people when I am driving, and one day, a 2-year-old Eli came home after a trip out with mommy, and asked his dad, “What’s a fuckwad?”

After that, I tried really hard to replace the “F” word and the “S” word in my vocabulary. One of the terms I tried was, “Oh, nuts!” Dude! I’m sorry, but that’s just not the same. I also tried “Oh, fudge!” That one seems to have stuck with Eric. I just can’t do it. Sometimes you just need to use the “F” word. Now, I just say the letter in front of the kids, such as “I can’t believe that effing jerk cut me off!” That seems to work okay. For now.

The other thing that came to mind with nuts is all of the yummy fall recipes it’s time to make. Oh, I love fall baking – the pumpkin, the cinnamon, the cloves, the nuts. YUM! Tomorrow, I am making a new recipe for pumpkin loaf. I haven’t tried it before, but it sounds really good. Here it is:

Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup cinnamon chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.

2. Put softened cheese, butter, and sugar in mixing bowl. Cream together well. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Mix in pumpkin.

3. In another bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, cinnamon chips and walnuts. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour all at once over batter. Stir just enough to moisten. Turn into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60-70 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove to rack to finish cooling.

13 Things I Thought About In The Shower This Morning

1. Oh crap! I forgot to post a Thursday Thirteen.

2. What the hell am I going to write about?

3. I am not going to go to Starbucks today. I am not going to go to Starbucks today.

4. I wonder if it’s going to be warm enough for me to wear shorts today.

5. Who used all my shampoo?

6. I wonder if Eric woke up the kids yet.

7. That’s probably why I hear screaming.

8. I remember that I needed something at the grocery store . . . now what was it?

9. I don’t know if I’ll have time to do my hair this morning.

10. Screw it. I’ll just wear a pony tail.

11. I sure hope Eric started laundry last night.

12. I wonder if hot water really kills all those bed mites like they said on the Discovery Channel.

13. I’ll bet I can come up with 13 things I thought about in the shower.

Thank you, ma'am

Okay, you all know how much it irks me when I get called ma’am. I know I should appreciate the politeness, but it just makes me feel old.

I went to the store over the weekend to buy beer for a get-together we were having Saturday night. I remember when I used to go buy beer in my early 20’s. I would bring it up to the counter and set it down. The guy would look at me, and immediately ask for my ID. When I gave it to him, he would look at the picture, and look at me, and look at the picture and look at me. I used to hate it because they always made me feel like a guilty teenager trying to buy beer even when I was 24 or 25.

I’ve decided that was better than the way it seems to go down now. This weekend when I went for beer, I got my Boulevard Wheat and set it on the counter. I started to reach for my wallet to take out my ID, but before I could even get to it, the guy rang up the beer and said, “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Ma’am? Are you freaking kidding me?” Dude! That was so depressing. I would really like to know when I turned that corner. When did it go from “May I see your ID?” to “Thank you, ma’am.” *sigh* Not. Cool.

Manic Monday - Formula

This week’s Manic Monday word is formula. When you’re a mom with young children, only one thing comes to mind – baby formula. Dude! No one ever told me how expensive that stuff is. When I had a baby and got to the point where I wasn’t breastfeeding (and let’s be honest, it wasn’t long), I about hyperventilated when I saw the price of formula.

Then after going through the emotional (and painful) hell of stopping the breastfeeding and switching to formula, you get the “looks” from all the other moms because you’re not breastfeeding. Or even better than the looks, the comments! Grrrr. . . I would get very annoyed with other women commenting on my breastfeeding, or lack thereof.

There are definite benefits to the formula – the biggest of which is that you don’t have to get up every single time in the middle of the night with the baby. Men can bottle feed babies with formula, too!!! Oh yeah!!

Eric and I were actually discussing this today. With the money we spent in formula and diapers, we could take a freaking cruise around Hawaii. I know some women who miss that baby phase. And okay, there is a part of me that does. However, now that everyone in my house eats regular food and wears regular underpants, I am jumping for freaking joy!!!

Friday Ramble

I went out with my friends last night for a girls' night. (Woo hoo!) Except I am beginning to notice that when we get together, we talk about kids way too much. We spent so much time talking about the discipline procedures at our elementary schools that we barely had time for anything else. Dude! Where's the fun talk? Where's the hot sex talk? *sigh*

I was just happy for a break, which was interrupted half way through dinner when Eric called to wearily inform me that Georgia had not stopped screaming since I had left the house. Okay, quick note to my husband - calling with that information is NOT going to make me want to come home any sooner!

I was mainly enjoying my time away because I was recovering from my minor surgery . . . okay, so I'm being dramatic. I had an inflamed cyst removed from my back, but it freaking hurt! And I think it's safe to say that my husband was not a doctor in a past life. He can't even change the dressing without making gagging noises. And when he does change the dressing, he presses down, so the bandage will stay on - like he's sealing a freaking envelope. Okay, OW!! I finally just had my friend Andrea, the hospice nurse come by each day to change the dressing. Thank God for good friends.

I've also been using that as an excuse not to do vigorous cleaning around the house. How long do you think I can get away with that excuse? Hmmmmm . . .

Qlubb - Get Organized!

If anyone has read my blog, you know that I am about the least organized person on the face of the earth. I try so hard to stay organized, so anytime there is a new tool out there to help me, I get very excited.

When I found out that Mom Central teamed up with Qlubb to take your organizational skills to a whole new level, I was thrilled!

Qlubb is a web-based service that helps organize your real-life groups online, providing all the functions needed to easily and actively participate within a group. Qlubb allows you to connect, plan meetings, assign responsibilities and share pictures with all of the members of your group at once. Features include an event calendar, sign-up sheets, member rosters, a task reminder service, and bulletin boards, which every member of your community can access and update from their home computers.

This could not have come at a better time for me because I went to a PTA meeting the other night and got roped into being Head Room Mother. (I’m still trying to figure out exactly how that happened.) At first, I wasn’t too concerned because I thought about what the room mothers did when I was in grade school. They brought cupcakes, passed them out, and then sat and talked to each other. I can do that. Well, apparently, things are different now. You have to organize which parents are helping with which party, what they’re bringing, and you have to plan games and activities. Dude! Seriously!

Anyway, Qlubb is the perfect way for me to keep all of this organized as Apache Elementary’s newest Head Room Mother!! The best part is that it is easy, and it’s FREE! Accessing and using the site is incredibly easy for even if you’re not computer savvy. Qlubb's secure sign-in protects group information, so only members of your group have access. However, participants don't have to individually register and can simply sign in using the group password.

Visit http://www.qlubb.com/ to try it out today. You will love it no matter what it is you’re trying to organize. I know you will find it as incredibly helpful as I did!

13 Valley Girl Words/Phrases I Miss

Yes, back in the 80’s I actually spoke like this. And some of these phrases I like totally still use, okay? :-)

1. To the max – Translation: To the extreme.

2. Barf me out – In response to someone who says something offensive.

3. Gag me with a spoon – A response to something you don’t like.

4. Tubular – something that is cool.

5. Totally – yes, I totally still say this all the time.

6. Rad/Radical – attractive

7. Gnarly – Great/cool

8. Have a cow – As in ‘Don’t have a cow, man.’

9. Grotesque – you’re making me sick.

10. Hoser – i.e. jerk/loser

11. For sure/fer sher – Used in exclamation, as “Fer sher, dude!”

12. Awesome – One of my all-time favorite words, still in high rotation in my vocabulary.

13. Bogus – Unfair.

Get back to the table

When you have children, moms seem to turn into the mom taxi! Children are so busy with activities – soccer, dance, cheerleading, etc. – that sometimes it seems almost impossible to find the time to sit down as a family and eat dinner.

Libby’s has launched a Get Back To The Table campaign to remind families how important it is for families to sit down together at mealtime. Although 98 percent of moms think it is important that is important, only 61 percent of moms said their family actually sits down together every day at the dinner table.

I am thrilled to work with Libby’s and Mom Central on this blog tour to help spread the word about the Get Back To The Table campaign. The campaign highlights the benefits children receive from regular family meal times:

· Perform better in school
· Have a lower risk of smoking, drinking, and drug use
· Have higher self-esteem
· Develop stronger interpersonal relationships
· Eat healthier
· Teenage girls develop a healthier body image

For more information, visit Libby’s Get Back To The Table Web site at www.getbacktothetable.com. This Web site offers family dinner planning tools, time-saving tips, healthy recipes, and grocery-shopping and money-saving advice.

When's my next vacation?

One week after being home from New York, and I am ready for another trip. We had torrential rain over the weekend, which somehow resulted in our house being infested with large black ants. I hate ants. They’re almost as bad as spiders in that they like to pop up at the most inopportune moments. Like in the kids’ bedrooms right before bed. I went into the bedrooms tonight ti see Eli standing on the bed, yelling “Squish it, Georgia! Step on it!” And Georgia was running around after an ant. Dude! That is so wrong!

Then I have to deal with the children not eating each and every day. Tonight for dinner, we had chicken and polenta. The children refused to try dinner, and after a few moments of arguing, Eric had enough. He stabbed a forkful of polenta and held it up to Eli’s face. He informed Eli that he was not allowed to leave the table until he tried it. Eli reluctantly took the bite of polenta, turned to me, gagged twice – long enough for me to say “oh no” – and then he threw up everywhere. Luckily, I have fairly good reflexes, so I was able to back up enough so the flying vomit just hit my arm, and went mostly all over the floor.

I looked at Eric, who was shaking his head in a combination of disgust and disbelief, and I said, “I am soooo not cleaning that up.” Dude, seriously! If you are the one who decides to force feed the children, then you are the one who has to deal with the aftermath. That is all I have to say!

Somebody tell me, when is my next vacation? While you’re pondering that, I need to go stomp some more ants!

Manic Monday Carnival

Don't forget the

Manic Monday Carnival

this week, sponsored by

The Jannaverse!

Circus Trip

Okay, we took the kids to the circus on Wednesday night. It didn’t start off well because it was loud, and Georgia was scared to death. She sat on my lap and wrapped her arms in a death grip around my neck, burying her head in my chest. She warmed up when the animals came out, so it got better. She really seemed to enjoy the tigers and the elephants.

However, things took a serious downturn when it was time for the human cannon. That thing is loud. So loud that it scared Georgia, who then peed all over my lap. Dude! This is the second time this has happened. Luckily, that was toward the end of the show, so we left shortly after. But still.

My only other complaint about the circus is that it is so expensive. For a snowcone in a souvenir cup - $9. If it was a souvenir cup that lights up - $16. A box of popcorn? $7. So yes, I spent $32 on two snowcones and a box of popcorn. Dude! That is so wrong!

Hasbro Noodleboro teaches manners!

My whole life, I have been a board game freak! I love Hasbro and their classic games that I grew up with such as Clue (my favorite), Scrabble, Battleship, and Candy Land. I was thrilled when I discovered that Hasbro introduced a new line of children’s games – Noodleboro. The Noodleboro games focus on listening well, cooperating with others, sharing with friends, getting along in groups, and acting respectfully.

My children always love when we get a new board game, so when I can find a board game that actually teaches them something, I am thrilled. Mom Central and Hasbro sent me the new Noodleboro game to try out, and my children and I have had fun playing it. This newest Noodleboro game is the “Learning About Manners Picnic Basket Game.”

This came at a very appropriate time for my 3-year-old, who seems to be struggling with the concept of ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. The age on the box is 4+, but it was perfect for my 3-year-old.

The game comes with a game board, of which, each side has the pictures five tokens that you are trying to collect for your picnic. All the tokens go into the picnic basket. Each player then asks “May I please have a token?” “Thank you.” Before drawing a token. The first player to match all the tokens on his side of the board wins.

I did like this game. It’s great if you are trying to teach your child about manners. I would definitely say it’s perfect for children in the 3-4 age range. My 6-year-old son sat down to play the game with us, and after a few turns, he said, “Is this all we do? That’s it?” Apparently 6-year-olds need a little more action. But the Hasbro Noodleboro games are great because there are so many different game options, and they have specialty games for all aspects of learning. If your goal is to teach your child manners, and the importance of saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ this is a good game that is simple enough for younger children to comprehend – a great concept!

In addition, the game comes with a story book, ‘A Very Pleasing Picnic’, and an audio CD for the children to enjoy!

Look at the game aisle in your local store, or visit Noodleboro’s Website to learn more about the “Learning About Manners Picnic Basket Game” or other Noodleboro games.

If you are interested in receiving a free Noodleboro game, Mom Central is raffling off 200 Noodleboro games to moms who sign up through the following link: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2285CWRZFAU

Sign up today for your chance to win a great Noodleboro game to share with your child!

13 Things About My New York Trip

1. This was the first time I had met the people that I have worked with online (some of them for almost four years), and I was pleased to know that the friendships you make online translate very well to real life.

2. The drivers are extremely skilled in New York. Dude! When the car was taking me from the airport to the hotel, I had to close my eyes about three times while my driver weaved in and out of traffic.

3. The drivers REALLY like to use their horns.

4. The panhandlers are more expert than the ones here in Kansas City. New York panhandlers don’t just ask you for money. They come up to you with a long, detailed story. Then they ask for money.

5. Going through security at LaGuardia airport is not fun. They yell at you.

6. I’m shocked I didn’t get mugged, as I walked down 7th Avenue with my big “I Love New York” bag in one hand, and my camera in the other hand. Next time, I might just have “tourist” tattooed on my forehead.

7. I LOVE New Yorkers! I have never been much for quiet people – I always think they’re hiding something. New Yorkers are loud (like me) and say exactly what’s on their minds. I LOVE that!!

8. I got to experience one of those few times in life when you click with someone, and you know in moments that you have found a true friend. This is Nirel:

9. As cool as New York looks on TV, it is soooooo much cooler in person. In fact, I think my coolness factor has gone up just because I visited New York. Yippee!

10. I discovered that I really miss the corporate world. Oh, did I really say that?! I think I miss the adult interaction. I can’t tell you how nice it was to have conversations about other adults that didn’t have anything to do with children.

11. Even though I loved having a break, I still can’t be away from my children for two days without crying. I know – I’m a big wuss.

12. I thought drinks were expensive in KC. I don’t think that anymore after drinking a $10 Cosmo in NYC. (and it was really little)

13. I love my company! I can’t wait to go to New York and see them all again.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday - New York

Hey all! I'm home from New York, and I am sooooo tired!! I had a fabulous time, which I will write all about after I've had some sleep and caffeine. In the meantime, here are a couple of my favorite pictures I took during my first New York trip!!

The Extra Table

I am finding out that kindergarten holds a lot of surprises. The first of which is lunch. Lunches at Eli’s school are $2.05 each day. That alone makes me cringe because the boy eats like a bird. But, I figured this would be cheaper overall than him taking his lunch.

Every day when Eli comes home from school, I ask him what he had that day for lunch. We get the menu a week in advance, so we can see the choices each day. They always have two hot lunch options (I think today you could choose either Nachos or a Hot Pocket) and a cold option - peanut butter sandwich. I started noticing that when I asked Eli what he had for lunch that day, he was telling me things that weren’t on the menu. For example, he told me he had a giant pretzel for lunch, or a big chocolate chip cookie. I wondered why these items weren’t listed on the food menu, so I asked one of the other moms.

She explained to me that there is an “Extra table” in the lunch room. It’s a table right before you get to the cash register that has lots of extra goodies on it. Uh-huh. These extra goodies are not included in the $2.05 school lunch. Dude! I would like to know who the hell came up with this brilliant idea. Who thought it would be a good idea to have a table with cookies on it in front of 5- and 6-year-old kids.

Plus, the kids have a lunch card that they just swipe, so they don’t even understand that they are actually spending any money. Eli told me yesterday that he got cookies off of the Extra Table. I asked him how much the cookies cost, and he said, “They don’t cost anything. You just ask them for the cookies, and they give them to you.” Grrrrrr!

When school started almost three weeks ago, I put $100 into Eli’s lunch account. You can go online to see how much money is left in the account. I haven’t done that yet. Because I’m scared. And in denial. And I’m jealous because things sure have changed since I was in grade school. We didn’t have any freaking Extra table!! WTF?!!

It's A Circus!!

I absolutely love the circus! It is truly a show for kids of all ages. When I found out the Ringling Bros Circus was coming to town, I immediately bought tickets for the whole family. I have not been to the circus since I was 8 years old! I can’t wait to go and take the kids. They are going to love it!

We go to the circus on Wednesday night, so I will still be tired from my out-of-town trip, but I know the circus (and the cotton candy) will pep me up! When I was a little girl, I thought the Ringling Bros Circus was a truly magical experience – the colorful clowns, the acrobats flying through the air, and the performers on elephants. It’s an experience that you never forget, and it’s a childhood experience that is not to be missed.

I had already bought my tickets when I found out that Mom Central was doing a blog tour on the Ringling Bros Circus. I wanted to participate so I could share my love of the circus with my readers, and so I could share the discount code!! Hopefully this will help you buy tickets to enjoy the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus in your area. I want all of the moms and dads out there to experience the pure joy on the faces of their children, their gasps of delight, huge grins and mesmerized stares.

When you buy your Ringling Bros tickets, be sure to use the code MCC for 20% off your purchase!! You can visit the Ringling Bros Website to learn more about the circus, and to purchase tickets online.

The code is valid for the circus shows in the following cities:

Indianapolis, IN - Sept. 4-7, 2008
Kansas City, MO - Sept. 10-14, 2008
Grand Rapids, MI - Sept. 18-21, 2008
Denver, CO - Oct. 2-13, 2008
Boston, MA - Oct. 8-13, 2008
Cleveland, OH - Oct. 24 - Nov. 2
Chicago, IL - Nov. 6 - 30, 2008
St. Louis, MO - Nov. 6-9, 2008
Auburn Hills, MI - Nov. 12 - 16, 2008
Highland Heights, KY - Feb 27 - Mar. 1, 2009
Cincinnati, OH - Mar. 4 - 8, 2009

Please take advantage of the MCC code, and spread the MCC code around to your friends and family. You can simply go on ringling.com and type in your zip code to find the shows and purchase tickets online with the MCC code.

13 Things About My Week

1. My baby started preschool on Tuesday, and she did very well! She was happy as a clam to be left with all her new friends and teacher. I, on the other hand, walked out crying.

2. This was a perfect excuse for me to head to Starbucks and drown my sorrows in a triple-shot latte.

3. Today, I spent the afternoon with Eli at the doctor’s office.

4. This is not a fun experience when you’re there for an hour and a half, and Eli and Georgia are fighting.

5. My son became a total drama queen when they had to prick his finger.

6. We found out that he was positive for strep, and negative for mono.

7. This means I have to leave town on Saturday, and leave a sick child.

8. I think the universe is trying to give me something more to worry about than the actual flight.
9. I hate to fly. Is a 9:30 am flight too early to drink?

10. I’m still trying to figure out my iPod.

11. And my camera.

12. After buying a bunch of new clothes for the conference this weekend., I found out that we are supposed to wear a company T-shirt and jeans.

13. I’m not taking back my new clothes.

Wordless Wednesday - First Day of Preschool

Mommy's a wreck!

I'm late in posting my blog today mostly for the fact that Georgia started preschool this morning, and I've just been an emotional wreck. She seemed fine, except it will be really anxious to see if she listens to her teachers better than she listens to mommy or if they have a problem with her tantrums like we do.

One thing I have noticed about both Eli's and Georgia's schools is that they waste no time requesting money. In Eli's second week of school, the kids are already selling stuff. We're selling the Entertainment Books for $20. Some of you may have received an email from me. I should point out that the Entertainment Books are specific to your area. So if anyone is interested in buying one, shoot me an email. So far, we've bought one, and Eric's parents have bought one. Yes, we've sold two. woo hoo.

When I dropped Georgia off this morning, they had a list of school supplies we needed to bring, along with $5 for a "processing fee". Dude, I don't even know what that means. I paid a $40 "registration fee" in the Spring when she enrolled. I don't know what that's for either. They should just start charging a "we can't think of any reason to charge you money, so we're just coming up with an inane fee" fee. That's probably coming next week.

Tomorrow, I will post pictures of Georgia's first day of preschool. *sniff*

Manic Monday - Iron

Okay, I’m anal as all hell. That shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone, should it? I mean, usually, I’m just crazy obsessive anal-retentive on a daily basis, and thank God, my husband has chosen to find it endearing. However, when I am in any sort of a stressful or unfamiliar situation, my OCD is taken to a whole new level.

Personally, I don’t think it’s a bad thing that I like to have all details ironed out. Apparently, this drives everyone else completely insane. I am leaving for New York on Saturday morning for a business trip. I am very excited because I have never been to New York City. I am also a little freaked out because I have never been to New York City. To top it all off, I am traveling by myself. You can imagine my stress level.

For the last two weeks, I have been ironing out every little detail I can possibly think of. I have lists upon lists – lists of what I’m packing, of what I’m carrying on, of what I’m going to do when I’m there – lists, lists, lists. I have a new book to take on the plane, as well as a new iPod, which I bought specifically for the trip (and, btw, I did figure out how to rip a dvd to the ipod, if I want to pay $30 for the software). I bought a huge new suitcase for the trip, and I’m hoping it’s going to fit everything for my 2 ½ day trip. Yes, I’m leaving Saturday morning, and returning Monday night. Eric just gawked at my suitcase, and said, “I could pack two weeks worth of stuff in that suitcase!” He obviously doesn’t understand that I need to pack options! Hello!!

The next set of details I needed to iron out was getting to and from the airport. Once I get to New York, I won’t know where the hell I am or where to go. My plane lands at 1:30 at LaGuardia, and I have to be at the hotel by 3:30 if I want to make our group bus tour. Everyone says, “Oh, that’s plenty of time!” Is it? Is it really? Because to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I have ever ever had a flight that has been on time. My flights always get delayed! I don’t mean to send out negative cosmic energy here, but I’m just saying.

Luckily, I found out on Friday, that my company is providing transfers, and there will be someone waiting for me when I get off the plane, holding a sign with my name on it. Just like in the movies!! Woo hoo!! I have my camera ready so I can snap pictures of whoever it is that is holding the sign. Eric rolled his eyes at that one, thanking the heavens that he wouldn’t be with me.

I just hope that after ironing out every detail I could possibly think of, I haven’t left anything that could go wrong. Cross your fingers for me.

I'm in sync!

I leave for New York a week from tomorrow, and I am trying to get everything in order that I need to take with me. There are a few things that I needed to buy – like a couple new dresses, a new suitcase, and an iPod Nano.

Yes, I think it’s a necessity for the trip. Dude! It’s a 3-hour plane ride. If I’m not busy doing something, I’m going to end up talking to the people next to me, and nobody wants that. Because yes, I’m a talker. When I flew to Chicago by myself a few years ago to meet up with Eric who was on a business trip, I think I got to know everyone on the plane. And it was only an hour and a half flight. I’ll never forget the look on Eric’s face when I got off the plane, and several people came up to say “Bye, Neila! It was so nice meeting you,” and gave me hugs. Eric said, “That must have been one hell of a flight.” I’m friendly, what can I say?

Anyway, I’ve been having fun the last couple of days loading songs onto my iPod. I think I have 336 songs on there right now – 100 of which are Goo Goo Dolls. Now, I am trying to figure out how to put video on there. So, here is my question to those of you who are more iPod savvy than I am. I know you can put video on your iPod, but can you rip DVDs to your iPod. I know you can load video that you buy from iTunes, but if I just have a DVD that has music videos on it, how can I get those videos on my iPod? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Eric was sweet enough not to complain (too much) when I bought the iPod. However, I don’t think he realized that with an iPod, you need iPod accessories! That opens up a whole new realm of ideas for Christmas present, right?

13 Reasons I'm Late Posting My TT

1. My computer and I have been having a love/hate relationship the last couple of days.

2. Yesterday afternoon was spent watching a hot British guy from Home Depot install my new front door.

3. He thought the fact that he was hot and British excused him from screwing up.

4. It didn’t.

5. I’m way too freaking good at procrastination.

6. I just downloaded AIM (big mistake). BTW, I’m WikiNeila.

7. I have been trying really hard to work more hours.

8. I keep getting interrupted because I have to stop Georgia from jumping on the cats.

9. I’m working on writing my new romance novel.

10. I couldn’t freaking think of anything to write about.

11. I was too busy helping Georgia make aliens in the Martian Matter Alien Maker.

12. I am downloading every song I have to my new iPod Nano.

13. I need to clean the house. I didn’t do it. I just sat here and thought about how I needed to do it. (See #5.)

Green Works Dish Soap Blog Tour

You would think with the majority of households having dishwashers, that dish soap wouldn’t be in such high demand, but it still is. At my household, it’s amazing how many dishes and pans I’ve collected that aren’t dishwasher safe, plus I use my dish soap daily to scrub down all the sticky messes off of my countertops.

With two kids who are constantly climbing up on the counters, it is important for me to have a dish soap that cleans effectively, as well as kills germs. Gone are the days when we could just buy any cleaner that was on sale, and not worry about where all those soap bubbles went when we washed them down the drain. Now, we are conscious enough to know that everything we put down the drain has a direct effect on the environment.

A few months ago, I did a blog tour on some of the new Green Works products including their all-purpose cleaner and glass cleaner. When I got the opportunity to try the new Green Works Natural Dishwashing Liquid, I was very excited. Mom Central teamed up with Clorox for a new blog tour and sent me a bottle of the new dish soap to try. As much as I loved my previous Green Works products (and have been buying them ever since), I was very excited to try the dish soap.

Green Works Natural Dishwashing Liquid uses all-natural plant-based ingredients such as coconuts and lemon oil, making it effective and biodegradable. Plus, it has an awesome smell! In fact, the EPA recently recognized Green Works Natural Dishwashing Liquid for its environmentally preferred chemistry.

I used it immediately when I got it in the mail. I filled up a sink full of sudsy water and was immediately struck by the scent. We received the original scent, which smells very clean and citrusy. Green Works Dish Soap also comes in Water Lily, Tangerine, Free & Clear, and Simply Lemon.

I began cleaning the dishes I had in the sink, and I was pleased at how well the dish soap cut through the grease in the pans. Overall, it was a success! The only complaint I had about the dish soap was that after washing a few pans, I looked down and saw that the bubbles had dissipated. When I wash dishes (or the car, or my hair for that matter), I really enjoy lots of suds and bubbles. Green Works Dish Soap is very effective, but it definitely is not big on the suds-o-meter.

So the main question here is – would I buy it again? Absolutely! I really do love all the Green Works products. They clean effectively, they smell great, and they are environmentally friendly. Look in a store near you today for Green Works Natural Dishwashing Liquid and the full line of all-natural Green Works cleaning products, and visit Clorox Green Works Website for more information.