13 Things I've Posted To My Facebook Status

I know I haven't been blogging much lately. Aside from being busy with work, I am horribly addicted to Facebook. Where else can you post all the random shit that you're doing and have everyone you've ever met before comment on it? I love it!!! I can post that I'm making dinner, and I may get a comment from a relative, a blog friend, and someone I went to high school with 20 years ago. It's awesome!!

Last night, I was merging questions on WikiAnswers, and happen to be going through a slew of questions about Selena Gomez and the Jonas Brothers. For some reason, this led to an in depth discussion with Eric regarding which Jonas Brother was the cutest. Eric says Nick. He's on crack. It's Joe. Anyway, I put this on my Facebook status. This got me thinking about some of the bizarre things I post from day to day. So, here we go - the first Thursday Thirteen I have done in months. And it is 13 things I have posted to my Facebook status!!

1. Neila wrote a check for fall preschool enrollment this morning. It was painful.

2. Neila can't believe she's having a disagreement with her husband over who is the cutest Jonas Brother. They have agreed to disagree.

3. Neila found the sharpener for her eyeliner buried in Eli's crayon box. "But Mama! It looked like a crayon sharpener!"

4. Neila needs to spend 12 more cents on Amazon to get free shipping. WTF can I buy for 12 cents?!

5. Neila is wondering why she goes to the grocery store for one thing and comes out with ten.

6. Neila is hoping I'm not too tired after this busy day to celebrate romantically with my hubby.

7. Neila has been to Chuck E. Cheese and Eli's basketball game, and it's not even 2:00 yet.

8. Neila would love to be in San Antonio seeing Goo tonight!!

9. Neila can't wait to see the Friday the 13th remake.

10. Neila just bought cupcakes for Eli's V-day party tomorrow. When did cupcakes get so expensive?!!!

11. Neila is heading to Starbucks for a quad-shot latte.

12. Neila left her sunroof open all night. And it rained. A lot.

13. Neila is drinking.

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.)

13 Yo Mama Jokes

1. Yo mama's mouth so big, she speaks in surround sound!

2. Yo mama's so short you can see her feet on her drivers licence!

3. Yo mama's so poor she can't afford to pay attention!

4. Yo mama's so bald that she took a shower and got brain-washed!

5. Yo mama's so fat she fell in love and broke it!

6. Yo mama's so stupid it took her 2 hours to watch 60 Minutes!

7. Yo mama's so old she was a waitress at the Last Supper!

8. Your Mamma is so ugly, she went to the bathroom and scared the sh!t out of the toilet.

9. Your momma's so dirty that when she went swimming at the beach, she left a ring around the ocean!

10. Your momma's like a hockey puck everyone gets a whack!

11. Yo Mama's so dumb she got hit by a parked car.

12. Yo Mama's so fat she took her chin as carry on

13. Yo mama's so lazy she thinks a two-income family is where yo daddy has two jobs!

13 Interesting Tidbits About My Week

1. Everyone in our house is now wearing regular underwear. Holla!!

2. When I tell my daughter to be sure and wipe after she goes potty, I really need to specify that she do it with toilet paper and not the kitchen towel.

3. After four years of using a flashlight when I went up in the attic, my husband today informed me that there was a light in the attic. It took him four freaking years to tell me that.

4. Don’t leave a library book sitting on the same desk as a pen. At least don’t do it when you have a 3-year-old in the house.

5. When you lose the library’s copy of the Meet Blue’s Baby Brother, you have to pay them $16.99.

6. A 16-count box of crayons is damn near impossible to find. I’ve decided that teachers are f*cking with us when they make the supply lists.

7. My husband sending me to the store to buy any garage item is the same as me sending him to the store to buy maxi pads. It shouldn’t be done.

8. When PMSing, I can justify eating a tub of cookie dough.

9. Eli and I had a long conversation about how the toothfairy knows she has a tooth to pick up. We decided she is either notified by email or she has a watch that beeps.

10. I’m looking for business attire to wear on my New York trip next month, and I realized that things have changed a little bit in the last six years (the last time I needed business attire).

11. I discovered that it doesn't matter if you haven't seen someone for two years - they're still going to invite you to their Mary Kay party.

12. I have realized that the more my daughter’s little attitude increases, the more I start channeling my mother. I can’t tell you how many times I have recently said, “Watch your tone, young lady!”

13. If promised sexual favors, my husband can put up an entire wallpaper boarder in one hour.

13 Things I'm Addicted to on Facebook

Okay, dammit, Facebook is about the biggest distraction I have when I’m trying to work. They’re evil, I tell you! Evil! Here are a few of the things that suck me in.

1. Scrabble – Scrabulous is gone, so now it’s just Scrabble. And Morgen continuously kicks my ass, but I’ll sit there and look at that damn board for 20 minutes when I should be working.

2. WordTwist – It’s some bad ju ju, baby! This is the most addictive thing I have found since coffee. I have one friend with a higher score than me in ladder mode, and I just can’t let it go! I must beat her!

3. Food Fling – It took one damn person to fling chocolate mousse at me, and now I can’t stop.

4. Scramble – I’m not as addicted to this as WordTwist, but it’s right up there.

5. Name it! – This one really tests your knowledge. And it's addictive. Damn my friends for inviting me to play these games.

6. The Quizzes – Because I kick ass on anything related to 80’s movies!

7. Flair – I spent about 30 minutes yesterday organizing my flair board. It’s pathetic.

8. Greenpatch – I swear to God, sending and receiving Greenpatch plants is about half of what I do. And I’ve still only saved like 4 feet of rain forest.

9. Send Coffee – I don’t really Superpoke anymore, I just send people fun coffee. It’s much more satisfying.

10. Music – I recently discovered you could add music to your page. If you want to listen to some classic Goo, check my page out!

11. Groups – I love the groups that I am in – you can find something for whatever you’re interested in. My favorite group is entitled, “I judge you when you use poor grammar.”

12. Friend Updates – I really enjoy the friends who update this every day. Either I’m really a voyeur, or I’m just really freaking nosy!

13. Bumper Stickers – Oh, dude! It’s almost as bad as the flair.

13 Things About My Day

1. Georgia had a major meltdown today in Micro Center. I don’t think they ever want me to return again if the children are with me. I could tell from their looks.

2. I wondered how long it would take someone to call 911 when I was dragging a crying girl to the car who was screaming, “NO! LET ME GOOOOO! I DON’T WANT TO GET IN THE CAR!!!”

3. Should a power adaptor for a laptop really take a visit to five different stores to locate?

4. Eli has a new expression that he picked up from me today – a very exasperated “Jesus Christ!” . . . Lovely.

5. If you drink Chlorophyll water, it makes your pee glow.

6. Three weeks until school starts. Can I get an Amen?!

7. Best Buy apparently has one adaptor for a Laptop, and a different one for a Notebook. I’m convinced they’re just trying to f*ck with me.

8. I discovered that I am out of vodka.

9. Why the hell does every store have a picture or even empty boxes of Wii Fits even thought they don’t actually have any Wii Fits?

10. Georgia only had one potty accident today, which would have been fine except she used my decorative palm tree towels to clean it up.

11. I found out that my husband will come close to hyperventilating if you tell him that I spent $30 for Georgia to get her hair cut.

12. I am still addicted to ebay. I just need to flat out block myself from the site.

13. I realized today that Eli has worn the same shirt for the last five days. This really has to change when kindergarten starts.

Neila's Random Thursday 13

You could say I got creative this week, or stole a page out of Mo’s book, or just flat out couldn’t think of 13 things to write about.

1. Eli desperately needs a haircut and I refuse to spend $20 when I can do it myself. The problem is – he HATES having his hair cut. I asked him today what it would take for him to sit still while I cut his hair. He looked me square in the eye and said, “75 cents.” It’s nice to know he has a price.

2. Today is my last “Mom’s Day Out” for the summer. I can’t decide if I should do something productive or just say ‘screw it’ and go see The Dark Knight.

3. I could also get a pedicure – that falls under “productive,” right?

4. Is there anyone who actually likes the show Little Bear on Noggin?

5. You would think that since I work from home, there wouldn’t be a time when I feel the urge to smack a co-worker, right? Wrong.

6. Less than one month until The Goo Goo Dolls, Volume 2 comes out on August 19th. I have already pre-ordered my copy. I am so excited!

7. I never believed my stylist when she said I needed a $100 flat iron to get my hair straight. Then I finally broke down and bought one. She was right. The Croc iron is a freaking miracle!

8. I would really like to know why healthy foods are so freaking expensive! I just paid almost $6.00 a pound for Rainier cherries. This annoys me because they jack up the prices so high that no one buys it. Then it goes rotten, and they have to throw it out. Does this make sense to anyone?

9. If you can’t afford to spend $6.00 a pound for cherries, you could always go buy some bulk Brach’s candy. That’s only $3.00 a pound.

10. I am so excited that Project Runway is back on. This has nothing to do with the massive girl crush I have on Heidi Klum.

11. Georgia’s quote of the day was when she stomped up to me in her princess shoes and loudly stated, “Excuse me! But I am NOT a monster!” And stomped away. . . oooookay.

12. I learned that you can add fiber to your diet easily by crushing up Mini-Wheats and using them in recipes!

13. I had a hypnotherapy appointment last night, and my therapist is awesome. This is just one of the reasons I love her. She showed up in tight jeans, a bullet belt, a sheer black shirt and black bra, and dark make-up. She had a “gig” right after our appointment (her husband is in a band), and she knew I wouldn’t mind if she was herself. I love her!

13 Photos We Took At Eli's Chuck E. Cheese Party

1. Eli with his friend Jack and mechanical Chuck E. Cheese.


2. Georgia was happy before she got near the scary ass Chuck E. Cheese.

3. Then she had a melt down.

4. Eli loves playing the games.

5. Here is one of his favorites - the roller coaster game.

6. Eli and his girlfriend Savannah. This gives me a visual of what things will be like in 10 years!
7. Yay! Time for cake!

8. More mechanical Chuck E. Cheese fun until . . .

9. The real Chuck E. Cheese came out.

10. In this shot, you can see our bored hostess.11. Eli was just happy that Chuck E. Cheese gave him a medal.12. Then it was time for presents!

13. Woo hoo!

13 Things We Looked At Today With Eli's New EyeClops

Eli just received a new EyeClops for his birthday. It magnifies items up to 200 times, so it has been all kinds of fun finding things to look at. Here are just a few things we have looked at so far.

1. A piece of pizza (food doesn’t look very appetizing under this thing)

2. My face. (which I discovered is desperately in need of moisturizer)

3. The bottom of my husband’s shoe. (Ewwww!)

4. Eli’s hair – naturally blonde.

5. My hair – not naturally blonde.

6. My bedspread (which, apparently, I need to wash)

7. Bugs (Ewww again)

8. The cat (who did not appreciate being magnified)

9. Georgia’s owie (aka – the rug burn on her knee)

10. Pennies from daddy’s pocket (the dirt on those coins made me want to get out the hand sanitizer.)

11. My toothbrush.

12. The yogurt stain on Eli’s shirt.

13. Our ears.

Luckily, I managed to stop Eli before he peed in a cup and stuck the magnifier in it. . . but I’m sure that’s coming.

13 Things I Could Do With My Husband When The Kids Aren’t Home

I have really been enjoying the summer because each and every Thursday, the kids are in Moms Day Out. Woo hoo! It’s like Christmas once a week! Tomorrow, Eric is taking off work so we can spend a day alone together without the kids – something that has never been done before. We have been completely overwhelmed when trying to decide what to do. These are a few things we have come up with.

1. Drop the kids off, come home and enjoy the peace and quiet.

2. Talk to each other without having to scream over the noise of the children.

3. Go to a movie that is not animated.

4. Go to lunch at an adult-type restaurant.

5. Go to an art exhibit. (I think this is the winner!)

6. Go sit in a coffee shop and not have to chase kids around.

7. Shop for Eli’s birthday present.

8. Enjoy an entire day without having to watch Nicktoons.

9. Hang out at a book store (not an easy task with the kids)

10. Go to an adult arcade.

11. Clean out the kids’ old toys since they won’t be here to scream “NOOOOO!”

12. Go grocery shopping without having anybody cry because we won’t buy them candy.

13. Come home and make wild passionate monkey love.

13 Things That Wore Me Out This Week

1. My first mammogram. (Oh, don’t you worry. There’s a whole blog post coming about that one.)

2. Continuously making dinner for children who refuse to eat. In the words of Eli, “Do you honestly expect me to eat this?”

3. Three trips to Costco – One to order cake, one to get stuff for Georgia’s party, one to pick up the cake.

4. Staining the deck. Okay, Eric actually did the staining part, but I assisted.

5. Getting the kids’ pictures taken. Yes, the yearly photos were today. The photographer and I went to the park and she started snapping pictures. Hopefully she got some decent shots since Eli refused to smile or look at the camera.

6. Cleaning the house for Georgia’s upcoming party on Saturday. (This is difficult considering my house doesn’t stay clean for more than 10 minutes at a time.)

7. Staying up too late – If I want “me time”, it has to be after 10 p.m. when the kids are in bed. Therefore, I stay up way too late and I’m exhausted the next day.

8. Taking Eli to swimming lessons – You’d be amazed at how emotionally draining this is. Eli has now taken the same swim class three times, and he still refuses to jump in the pool by himself.

9. Trying to make sure Eli doesn’t watch too much TV – Oh, you can’t imagine how well that kid can argue. He must get that from me.

10. Grocery shopping – Georgia refuses to sit in the cart, which makes my life much more difficult.

11. Potty training – If I let Georgia go pantless, she will use the potty every time. If I put underwear on her, she will not do it. I am at a loss on what to do next.

12. Cleaning up cat throw-up – Many times, this is at 4 a.m. The cats like to throw up in the door on the way to the bathroom so I step in it when I get up in the middle of the night. You really can’t get to sleep after that.

13. PMS – There’s nothing like bloating and back cramps to make everything else a little more fun.

13 Interesting Tourist Attractions on the Way to Western Kansas

1. Grandma Hoerner’s, Alma, KS – Natural and organic jams, jellies and wines.

2. Museum of Independent Telephony, Abilene, KS – Interactive exhibits in telephone history.

3. Eisenhower Presidential Center, Abiline, KS – Family home of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

4. Smoky Hills Winery, Salina, KS – They have good wine. I got drunk on it at the Kansas State Fair.

5. Sternberg Museum of Natural History – They have dinosaur bones.

6. Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, KS – Cool zoo and wildlife museum.

7. Giant Van Gogh painting of sunflowers, Goodland, KS – and it’s on an 80-foot easel.

8. World’s Largest Ball of Twine, Cawker City, KS – 17,320 pounds, to be exact.

9. Garden of Eden, Lucas, KS – This place is just downright creepy.

10. World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things, Lucas, KS – Traveling roadside attraction and museum.

11. C.W. Parker’s 100-year-old Carousel, Kinsley, KS – Part of the National Center for Carnival Heritage.

12. World’s Largest Prairie Dog, Oakley, KS – They’re cheating – it’s made of stone.

13. Gallery of Presidential Also-Rans, Norton, KS – Celebrates the people who have ran for president . . . and lost.

13 Random Things About My Week

1. We bought a new DVD player from Walmart, and when we got it home and opened it, there was someone’s old, used DVD player in the box.

2. Luckily Walmart easily lets you return things. Walmart employees do, however, treat you like a criminal when you go through the self check lane. Apparently, they were afraid I was trying to smuggle out popcorn chicken.

3. Today, Eli called me "Dude." It was bound to happen.

4. Eli has all of a sudden decided that it’s fun to try to scare me.

5. He’s annoyingly good at it.

6. I was supposed to review a Schlage lock for Mom Central. It arrived today. The only problem is that they didn’t send me one, they sent me 40. I’m still trying to get someone to come and take away all the boxes that are sitting on my front porch.

7. I don’t understand the universe. I was running late for a hair appointment, and on the way there, two buses stopped in front of me, one UPS truck, and a stalled car. Dude!

8. When I take the kids into a Hallmark store, they are not happy until they play every single musical card in the store.

9. I learned that people will practically shove me in front of them in line to get me and my kids out of the store faster.

10. The threat of losing all screen time and being grounded forever still won’t make Eli pick up his toys.

11. It will make him roll around on the floor (amidst all of the non-picked up toys) and whine, “I’m boooooored!”

12. Taking TV away from the kids is really more of a punishment for me.

13. Georgia can tell the difference between real milk and soy milk. When I tried to subtly switch her to soy milk, she loudly pronounced, “EWWWWW! That tastes yucky!”

13 Things I Learned This Week

1. My daughter Georgia’s head is big enough to get stuck in the stair banister.

2. Her head is small enough that I can get it out myself without having to apply butter or call 911.

3. Apparently it is easier for Georgia to pee in the middle of my bedroom floor than it is for her to go to the potty.

4. A 2-year-old girl can only hug a cat so many times before he reaches his limit.

5. My husband can sleep through a tornado, but the sound of a cat throwing up anywhere in the house will make him bolt upright in bed at 3 a.m.

6. My 5-year-old son knows how to get to Netflix on the computer and find movies to play instantly.

7. I should not watch When Harry Met Sally when I know there’s a chance my children might walk in the room. I thought the movie seemed fairly innocent until I had to explain the “faking an orgasm” scene to my son. (My explanation, BTW, was “She just really liked her salad.”)

8. Gluten-free bread is nasty unless it is homemade.

9. Gluten-free anything costs at least twice as much as products containing gluten.

10. Apparently, I am the only woman in America who didn’t watch Sex And The City. No less than 5 of my friends have asked me to go to the movie, and they all seem shocked when I tell them that I never watched the show.

11. Men can’t take hints.

12. Target has great acoustics. A child’s screams echo. Loudly.

13. A piñata is a dangerous thing.

13 Things I Almost Bought At Costco

I went to Costco tonight for milk, and that store is dangerous. Here are a few things I was tempted to pick up, but didn’t.

1. Strawberry Cheesecake – Damn! It looked REALLY good! Luckily, Eric was serving as my conscious.

2. A new DVD player – Eli broke ours last night, so we really need one, but we decided to shop around first.

3. Monster Energy Drink – The lady giving out samples claimed it would help wean me off of coffee. But who says I want to be weaned off coffee?

4. Croissants – It’s very dangerous when I go into the bakery section. I would have bought these, but I didn’t need 20.

5. Stuffed tilapia – I really shouldn’t be going grocery shopping when I’m hungry.

6. Town House Flipsides – I love these things, but you can’t buy just one box, you have to buy three boxes. If they also sold beer dip at Costco, I would have been really tempted.

7. Waffles – Eli begged for Eggo waffles, but I know him and he would be waaaay sick of them before he finished the box of 60.

8. A gallon of Hot Tamales – I think I’m PMSing.

9. Apple Pie – It’s 90 percent fruit, right? That’s a health food!

10. Two cases of pop – Umm . . . okay, we really bought that.

11. Pizza – The only thing that stopped me is that it was so big that I didn’t know if it would fit in my oven.

12. A new grill – We would have to remove car seats to get it in the SUV. We’re going back for that one.

13. A 25-pound bag of rice – Eric thought we should buy this before the price goes way up. But, seriously. 25 pounds?

13 Things I Have Erroneously Justified Buying Lately

1. A vat of hummus at Costco – I love hummus. So what, if it’s enough for an army and it expires next month and I will never be able to eat it all. It’s healthier than cheese dip.

2. More wine – Wine = antioxidants. It’s a health food.

3. Chocolate – See reasoning on #2. (You would be amazed at how much I can justify with this one.)

4. Going to Starbucks three times last week – I ran out of espresso pods for my machine. What am I supposed to do, go a week without a latte?! That’s just crazy talk!!

5. Four new pairs of shoes at Payless – BOGO sale! Buy one pair, get another pair half off. It’s not like I could only buy three!

6. $25 of new espresso pods for my machine – See #4. And yes, $25 worth. I order the pods on Amazon, so it’s not like I can just get a few at a time.

7. Necklace on ebay – I had a hard time justifying this one. The only thing that I could use was “At least it’s a helluva lot cheaper than the Tina Turner tickets my husband bought.”

8. Goo Goo Dolls fan club membership – See reasoning on #7. Plus, the GGD Web site has exclusive backstage videos. Where else can I see a video of Johnny Rzeznik washing his hair in the sink?! Worth every penny, I tell you!

9. Lunch from McDonald’s – It was either take both kids to the grocery store because we didn’t have food, or go through McDonald’s drive-thru and get lunch. That was an easy choice.

10. Dinner out with my friends – Okay, for a stay-at-home mom, this is a necessity at least once every two weeks. If I didn’t have that, they would be carting me off to the looney bin.

11. Two half gallons of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins – Have you noticed that the ice cream containers in the store are getting smaller (they’re down to 1.5 quarts), but the price doesn’t change. At least when you buy a half gallon of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins, you get a half gallon. And they have Jamoca Almond Fudge! Yum-o!

12. Hypnotherapy – See reasoning on #10.

13. Highlights – Okay, I don’t care how broke I get. I will never give up having my hair highlighted. I think my best friend Stacey said it best. “You can’t give that up! We’re not barbarians!”