Happy Halloween!

Some cartoons to tickle your funny bone today. The real halloween post- with obligatory pics of the girl in her costume and details on how we fared on her first trick-or-treat, will hopefully be up sometime this weekend :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! Don't get sick off that candy, now...

An AWARD!?! For me?? YAY!!!

This must be my week, because (a) I won a contest; (b) it's my birthday; (c) I got my new camera- connected with b, I suppose; and (d) now I won a bloggy award! w00t-w00t for me! Maybe I should go and buy a lottery ticket. You never know, right?

Judi from over at Where The Road Takes Us bestowed this upon me... Thanks again Judi!

"The requirements for this award are to list six things that make me happy, then tag six more bloggers."

Six things that make me happy:

1. Kisses from Bendy Ruggles
2. Spending time with my family
3. Shopping
4. My job- I like what I do, I like the people I work with, I love the University I work for, and it provides my family with not only income (duh) but also good BENEFITS, which were a godsend for us. We needed them badly!
5. Photography & Blogging (I think they sort of go together)
6. Yummy home-cooked food... I'm looking forward to some right now!

The final requirement for this award is to tag 6 more bloggers that are Kreativ.

1. The Stuff I Live For
2. Jewel Street Designs
3. Ginger Louise Clothing
4. Dr. Cason
5. Two Dogs Running
6. A Year Of Crockpotting

Voila! My first award. I feel so warm and fuzzy inside now. :D

Friday Fill-Ins #8

1. My favorite food seasoning is Goya Adobo- we use it on almost everything! (Especially good on fries... yum yum!)
2. When Bendy says "I love you, too" it's music to my ears.
3. Lucky is my babysitter's dog.
4. This election is something I take very seriously.
5. Many people will be wearing costumes today/tonight. (Bendy ruggs included!)
6. Gas was the last thing I bought at the store.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to making dinner and hanging with my peeps **edited to add** AND trick or treating, I almost forgot!, tomorrow my plans include hanging at home, then heading to Nashua in the evening to pick up my new cell phone, have a birthday dinner with my family, and be halfway to Mass and Sunday, I want to go visit Will's family in Mass for a yummy meal and set the clocks back- yikes, winter's coming!

High School Meme

I've been tagged by the wonderful, talented grandmother to Peanut (aka Judi) over at Where The Road Takes Us for another meme... This one is all about high school. I have to list seven facts about me in high school, and then tag a few others to pass along the meme-ish joy :D Here goes:

(1) I went to three. Different. High schools. Started out in York, ME for freshman year, moved to Dover, NH for sophomore and junior years, then moved to Nashua, NH. My favorite of the three was Dover High. I actually made a few good friends there that I hung onto.

(2) I was an honor student.

(3) My favorite subjects were Pottery (I'd still love to get a wheel someday and be able to do it as a hobby! but then you need a kiln, and glaze, and yeah... it gets expensive quick), Graphic Design, and Poetry.

(4) My least favorite subject was... gym. I wasn't what you'd call an athlete by any stretch. And I didn't like getting sweaty and having to get back in my clothes afterwards... I mean, who really dares to use those gym showers, anyway?

(5) I drove a 1995 ford escort station wagon.

(6) I skipped about 1/3 (at least?) of the last semester of Senior year and still pulled A's. Nashua high was not very challenging for me. But then again, I chose not to take AP classes, so I guess I wasn't trying to be challenged.

(7) I became instantly cool at Nashua High because (a) I never hung out with the kids from my classes. I didn't care to make that many friends, since I would only be there for a year, and I had an older boyfriend who I hung out with most of the time anyway. This meant that kids in my classes thought I was just too badass for them. Worked fine for me, I liked being mysterious! :D and (b) one of the most popular guys in school, for some random reason, started crushing on me after passing by me in the hall one day, and then we became friends for a short while. So this also boosted my status. :P

Okay, so nowww.... I tag...

*Kia, at Good Enough Mama

*Lori, at Mommy's Take On Things

*Elizabeth, at Three Channels

*Neptunebaby at Neptunebaby.com

AND

*Nikki at LovingDanger

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesdays #8- I Dun Wanna Wake Uppppp....

PS: This is the first pic taken with my new camera!! If you click on the image, you can see it blown up, and that really shows the better quality of these photos. YAY new camera!

I won! I really WON!

I am soooo super excited!

I won my first blog contest from over at Ginger Louise Clothing's Blog and I am stoked. You should really check her out, she makes BEAUTIFUL children's clothing. She also has an Etsy Shop where you can buy things directly if you'd like. I, personally, would LOVE to have that Autumn Gypsy dress for my Bendy ruggles... it just may go on the wishlist. :D

So. What did I win?? I won TWO of the lycra/ cotton blend shirts in any color we pick for my little girl, pictured below (photo snatched from her blog, hope she doesn't mind!)



They used to be one of her bestsellers when she had two stores in NYC, she says. I cannot WAIT to get these in the mail! I love mail, and I love winning, and I LOVE getting things for my girl... So, overall, YAY!

Birthday Lovins'...

It's mah birrrrrf-day on Sunday.

Happy Birthday to me:

I'm gonna be 25. I feel sorta grown-up about that. Don't know why 25 feels like the milestone into "true" adulthood, but it does for some reason. Maybe because now I have a little girl, and a *real* job, and benefits, and responsibilities above and beyond just watching out for myself. Maybe after Sunday happens, I'll change my mind and say I don't really feel like a grown-up. That's probably the case. But right now, I feel as if the adulthood is looming over my head like a big gray storm cloud.

I don't know why I describe it that way. It's not that I don't want to be a grownup. I guess I just don't want to lose all those things you get to have when you're a teenager. For instance, I liked having friends that I could actually see. I don't really get to have that anymore. Most of the old friends I had either moved, have busy lives of their own so we never connect in person, or our friendships have drifted, as some things do. The closest contact I have with friends now is usually the net, since I am not a big fan of the phone. I also liked being able to spend my money on things I didn't need but at the time that I bought them thought I did, rather than spending money on *yawn* bills and necessities. Bills are such a bad idea. I think we should just scrap them and start over with a bartering system. Wait, maybe not. I don't know what I have that I could barter. This could take some contemplation...

Back to the topic at hand- I am having a birthday! WoooOOoooOO :D

So, anyway, my Mom already gave me my present from her and my stepdad- she took me out shopping on Columbus day weekend. I know, it was way early, but all the good sales were that weekend and I was having a crappy day, so we decided to go out. I got so much stuff, I was psyched! I love shopping with my mom, it's one of the great fun things in life. We will both happily walk until the soles of our shoes wear out, carrying five bags and our purses and our leftover drinks from the food court as long as the sales are worth it. We are the ultimate bargain-shoppers. Sometimes I think it's unnatural. Will was saying to me the other day that he thinks I have an addiction to shopping. Pfffffffffffffft. (Notice that is a super long pfft.) As if. I just love it. And can't stop. And won't... erm... lol. No addiction there.

I told him that at least my *addiction* saves us money. I am very scrupulous about what I buy, when, and what price I pay for it. I usually get way more for our money than most people would. Lately this includes clipping coupons- I have found some sites online that I love for coupons, and our grocery store doubles manufacturer ones, so between shopping there for the little things we need, and shopping at BJ's for necessities that would cost way more if you bought them in small batches (i.e., toilet paper, paper towels, gatorades, etc etc) we save tons.

Whoops, this is turning into another tangent.

So, my point is this. I really wanted this camera for my birthday:

It's a Fuji Finepix s700, and it's MUCH MUCH nicer than the point-and-shoot I've been using for years. I've wanted to get more into photography, now that I am on a constant Bendy Ruggle pic hunt and am more into blogging... and my old camera just wouldn't cut it. But I thought no way would I get this. It's generally between $175- $275 at stores or online to buy, which is very moderately priced for how nice it is, but is still too much for us to be able to spend on me for my birthday.

BUT!

He found it! On newegg which is the best website for computer-related items and electronics. It's where all the techies we know get their gear and upgrading stuffs. Not only that, but he found it refurbished for $110! AND it comes with a 2 gb SD card and a carrying case/ bag for free. HOORAY for the bargain-shopping hubby! He has learned well. :)

So I am totally getting an awesome new camera for my birthday.

And it should be on my doorstep when I get home.

What-what!

I am so excited. A shopping spree, an AWESOME gift from my hubby... And my Dad promised to cook me an nice meal when I see him, too. If you knew my Dad and his cooking, you'd be jealous. Trust me.

What more could a girl want for a birthday? 'Cept maybe a kiss from her little girl, which I always need.

Can't wait to go home and get my package- er, packages. Although the diapers on the doorstep are not nearly as exciting as the camera. But still. More than one package awaits me.

Ten on Tuesday- My Top 10 Horror Movies

So this is a meme I came across today and thought was fitting for the week. The ten horror movies that I love the most! This will be hard... I've loved all things spooky since I was little. "The People Under The Stairs" was one of my favorite movies when I was about 12. If you've seen it, you'll know why this is dysfunctional. I'm surprised my parents didn't think I was a budding sociopath.

Anyway, these are ones I think everyone should see. I'm linking each movie title to its corresponding IMDB review so if you HAVEN'T seen any of them, you might take this Halloween opportunity to check them out. :D Oh and just FYI, I'm not including ones I consider to be "suspense" movies, just the SCARY ones- which is why you won't see Silence of the Lambs (a great movie, nonetheless)! I debated on The Sixth Sense, but in the end, even though I question its horror-ness, it was so good, it made the cut. I have tried to put them in order of which I like best, but the classics end up at the bottom- not because I think they're worse, simply because (a) I think most people have seen them; (b) I think they're "givens" which obviously make the top ten; and (c) I prefer to watch the newer movies. So, yeah, don't be all hater-ish on me if you're a fan of the oldies but goodies. At least they made the list. :P


1. 30 Days of Night I loved this movie! It came out last year and I just recently saw it. The basic plot is that vampires attack an Alaskan town during its dark season... That's all I'm gonna give you. It is hands down the best scary movie I have seen come out in probably the last five years, at least. It makes it to the top of my list for being the most believable, horrifying vampire flick EVER. Greatness, I tell you, greatness!

2. 28 Days Later and its sequel, 28 Weeks Later. They were both pretty good zombie-type flicks. I enjoyed them thoroughly (I stayed awake for the entirety of both of them, that says something right there!)

3. Saw the original one. It was great, even though I felt like the sequels kind of teetered off... My brother says the last one was really good, but I didn't even finish it. He thinks I should give it another try, so maybe I will this week!

4. The Others was original and scary and awesome. The first time I saw it, we were in the theater, and my cousin Bobby who had already seen it was with us. Just as the old lady creepy ghost turns around the face the camera (I mean at the EXACT right time) he turns to me, grabs my shoulder, and goes "AHH!" I swear to god I thought I was going to die! I jumped so high, my heart almost beat out of my chest, and I squealed like a two-year-old. I think I punched him in the arm, too. Serves him right, making me look like a pou-soi in front of everyone.

5. The Sixth Sense as noted above, I debated on this. But it was a REALLY good movie. I liked it a lot. And I think the scene with the bodies hanging in the doorway at the school qualifies it for horror, even though overall I'd call it suspense.

6. Dawn of the Dead 2004 Even though we already have some zombie movies on here, and even though this is a remake, I still think it was pretty good. Kudos to Zach Snyder for making an old classic modern and still interesting.

7. The Shining is another well-acted, truly terrifying movie.

8. The Exorcist is a classic that everyone should see. I personally didn't find it that terrifying, although in the unedited version, when she walks backwards down the stairs on her hands it is pretty frickin creepy.

9. Halloween. Duh. It set the standards for today's horror films, so I definitely say it deserves a spot in the top ten.

10. House of 1000 Corpses is creepy and weird and stylized and yuck, but it is a fun one to watch. Rob Zombie directed, so that gives you a faint idea if you haven't seen it.


Other notable mentions that are sweeeeeetttt but didn't make MY top ten?

*Pet Sematary- Another good Stephen King. He has a lot of good ones. Misery was pretty scary, also.

*The Happening- Pretty new, I liked it more than a lot of people who saw it that I talked to, but I felt it didn't climax that great and was also more on the suspense tip. The list has very strict rules, you know.

*Blair Witch Project- I loved it when it came out, but then there was all the hype about is it real? It's not real! They liiiiieeeeeddddd etc. so the novelty sort of wore off. Still a good movie, though.

*Strangeland- by Dee Snyder. I watched it alone when I was 16 and yeah, didn't want to get up and walk past the windows after. Kinda creepy, and you probably don't want to watch it if you are one of those parents who are freaked out by your kids going on the net. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

*Shadow of the Vampire was pretty good also. I saw this at a film festival before it got big and I was impressed.

I'm psyched now, because in my hunt for my own favorite horror flicks, I've come across a couple that are supposed to be great which I hadn't seen yet! Guess I'll have some for my viewing pleasure this week!

~Toodles~

Heat Update

Spoke with the town building inspector on Friday. He told me to mail a certified letter with a return receipt to my landlady with all of the information I had on the heat situation, and to send him a copy of it. He said give her a deadline of 10 days from the date I wrote it to fix the situation. I did, even though I thought 10 more days in this weather (it is supposed to SNOW on Wednesday!?!) is ridiculous.

Meanwhile, before she gets my letter, she calls me back, all apologetic-like and leaves. three. messages. Apologizing (did I say that already? Well, that's okay, she did it a bunch of times), bending over backwards, giving me three different options for how to fix the situation. I'm like... At this point? I don't give a $hit how you fix it. Just fix it. We want warmth! We want warmth! (I was thinking at this point that I would protest in front of the house with signs, chanting this if she didn't do something about it that night.)

Thank god she came over later that (Friday) night with TWO BIG space heaters. Not the best solution, because they are a fire hazard and they kept blowing our fuses so we had to strategically place them throughout the house to make sure this doesn't keep happening. Oh, and make sure not to use the microwave unless we shut the one in the living room off first. Cuz we learned the hard way (thrice, I tell you) that this will also blow a fuse. But I do have to say, they are pretty good for space heaters. They're keeping us at a comfortable temperature. So I can't complain.

But I still want my permanent heat. At least she's going to pay for all the electricity these space heaters are using up, because I'm afraid to even SEE that bill! Running 2 big space heaters all night long just doesn't seem to me to be too pocket-friendly. As long as it's coming off my rent, I won't say anything...

*w00t* for being warm :D

Hellooooo Quizzy! :D

I thought this quiz was pretty impressive, considering it only asks you two questions, and a lot of the stuff it says about me is pretty right-on! Let me know who you are if you decide to take it~ Have a great weekend all!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Katharine!

You are a Katharine -- "I am happy and open to new things"

Katharines are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.


• * Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.


• * Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.


• * Don't try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.


• * Be responsible for yourself. I dislike clingy or needy people.


• * Don't tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Katharine

• * being optimistic and not letting life's troubles get me down


• * being spontaneous and free-spirited


• * being outspoken and outrageous. It's part of the fun.


• * being generous and trying to make the world a better place


• * having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures


• * having such varied interests and abilities

What's Hard About Being a Katharine

• * not having enough time to do all the things I want


• * not completing things I start


• * not being able to profit from the benefits that come from specializing; not making a commitment to a career


• * having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies


• * feeling confined when I'm in a one-to-one relationship

Katharines as Children Often

• * are action oriented and adventuresome


• * drum up excitement


• * prefer being with other children to being alone


• * finesse their way around adults


• * dream of the freedom they'll have when they grow up

Katharines as Parents

• * are often enthusiastic and generous


• * want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life


• * may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Friday Fill-Ins #7

1. Right now, I'm feeling like I want to shop! (I pretty much always feel like that. Unless I am sick, or tired... Or sick and tired. But not of shopping. That never happens. :P
2. In front of a fireplace! is where I want to be. (We haven't had heat in over a month, soooo.... Yeah. I'd like to be as warm as possible, thankyouverymuch. Yes, I am trying to fix the problem. But most of it falls on my landlady, who is unfortunately quite hard to motivate. Hopefully we'll be warm by weekend's end.)
3. How does one show that they mean business without making the other party (i.e., landlady) angry or vengeful towards them?
4. My budget, my grocery list and my meal planner file keep me on track.
5. Please don't tell me it's going to snow this week!
6. Snugglin' with my Bendy Ruggles fills me with joy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner and maybe warmth!, tomorrow my plans include going to do this sample for a study I'm in and going grocery shopping... oh and having Comcast come to fix our %$^&ing internet- AGAIN and Sunday, I want to visit with my family at my Uncle's house!

**Pep's Birthday**

Today would have been my Pep's birthday.

When I was young, before the time of friend parties, we shared a couple of birthdays together (mine is November 2nd) and I still have the image of the two of us blowing out candles together burned in my brain.

He was a great man.

Pep, in your honor, I want to write down some of the things you passed on- the things you contributed to my life which will live on forever in my memory.

--You made the best toast ever. I never figured out what made your toast so special. I remember sitting at the kitchen table at the house on Stark Street in the early morning with Nicky by my side, studying you making toast. I was trying to figure out what you did to make it so good, but you only toasted and spread the butter. It remains a mystery.

--Your special touch went beyond just toast. You also made the best baked beans ever. Nobody makes them better, not even Nana with your recipe (sorry Nan!) so you must have had some secret ingredient that you never revealed. I got so spoiled on your beans that I have barely eaten them since you passed. It's just not the same.

--We could always count on you to make us laugh with a tickle or a pony-boy ride on your knee. Whenever I bounce Illy on my knee like that, I think of you.

--You always rose early, with the birds. I remember when us grandkids used to spend the night, we would bet we could wake up before you and Nana in the morning, and we NEVER did. I don't think even once. I certainly didn't get THAT from you, because I absolutely hate waking early.

--Your SNORE! I don't know if you would want this broadcast for the world to read, but if there was a best-snorer contest, you would win, HANDS DOWN! I remember you'd fall asleep on the floor while watching TV with us (pretty early, too, since you always woke up so early in the morning) and we'd be trying to watch but could never hear over your sniffle and roar noises. You were also pretty hard to wake up, and even when Nana was successful at waking you, you'd deny you fell asleep. As if we hadn't just been listening to you snore for the past (however many) minutes. :D I never thought I would MISS a snore. But I do.

--You would always open the pool up early for us. We were chomping at the bit to swim as soon as we could without getting hypothermia, and you would oblige and uncover the pool, switch on the filter and get it all ready for us before it was even really summertime.

--My love of camping came from you and Nana. I don't know if we ever went tent camping, which is what I prefer now, but Kings and Queens is where my love of camping started. I remember late nights up with you and Nan playing Uno... Bingo games in the big building next to the pool... And many, many trips down the big yellow waterslide. I remember walking to the craft hut with you and buying italian ices at the store with "my money" (that you gave us, of course)... I remember one year going with you, Nana and Nicky alone and feeling so cool, so grown-up because you would let us go to the playground alone. I remember you helping us search for marshmallow-toasting sticks in the brush, and building fires together... And I remember one particular ride where we drove poor Nana up a wall singing "99 bottles of beer on the wall" for about an hour on the way up there. Good times, Pep, good times.

--I remember listening to your "adult" conversations at Thanksgiving through the vents in the floors in your house, thinking we were going to hit the jackpot and glean some adults-only info from you all, when we hardly understood what was being said- and of course it was never anything we really shouldn't hear. We just felt cool spying. I remember you looking up at the vent and seeing us there, knowing we were listening, and us running away giggling and pretending we hadn't been. I remember you didn't tell.

--I remember the way you always treated Nana with love and respect. I am still awed by the fact that I never heard you two argue (at least I don't recall it) and I know that you loved her more than anything in the world. I'm so glad for it, because we all need examples of true true love in our lives.

--I remember your faded tattoos from the military. They were all green. I wondered where they came from, and what they stood for. I was always intrigued by them... And now I still love tattoos. Nana, Nicky, Auntie Lisa and I have been saying for years that we should all go get a tattoo together. Dad wasn't too keen on the idea, but Nana said she gets to override him since she's his Mom. I think maybe we should all get one that symbolizes our family...

--I remember you always watching "Wheel of Fortune". I used to think it was an old-people's show, but now I watch it. Almost every night. I'm sure Illy will think it's an "old-people's show" when she gets to be a little older, too. But she'll watch it with me anyway.

--I remember playing Yahtzee, drinking V-8 and doing puzzles together. I remember playing Memory. A lot of the games I like I learned from you.

--I remember riding bikes in your driveway, and you moving the cars so we could. I remember you cheering us on as we rode, and working in your garage so you could keep an eye on us. I remember the sparkle your smile had, and how you always had one ready for me.

I don't ever remember you being mad at me.

Thank you for being the best grandfather a person could ask for, for giving us a safe place to rest our heads and play without worrying, for teaching me games and making me food and smiling and laughing and making me laugh. I won't ever forget.

Wordless Wednesdays #7- The Next P-Diddy and The "For REALZ!?!" Face

I couldn't choose between these two, so I posted a double Wordless Wednesday today. Well, semi-wordless. I think these are considered words.

Next P-Diddy:

"For Realz, Ceyc!?!?!"

~The Little Girl Secret Friends Handshake~

Yesterday was our day to return to normal life.

Our daycare provider had been on vacation for the previous two weeks, so Illy girl had sort of been all around- the first week was at home with moi, the second week she was with her Dada on Monday (he has a 9-hour a day, 4 days a week schedule... yeah, I'm jealous too!) and then our upstairs neighbor and friend offered to babysit for us for the same rate we pay our sitter normally for Tuesday- Thursday... Thank god because I don't know what we would have done otherwise! Finally, on Friday she was with her Cey-cey and Uncle O-dizzle, who took the day off to spend some quality time with her. Of course, they went shopping... And of course, she came home with some cute suits! (See the pics in the entry from yesterday below- the dress she was wearing in the ones taken 10.18.08 was one of the outfits)

So we were anticipating that maybe she'd have a hard time going back to daycare. She's only been in daycare for about 3-4 months now, and has never before had that much time away and then gone back. We were a little worried that maybe she would forget the routine, be nervous when I dropped her off, be shy around the other kids... Or something else along the lines of screaming-crying-tantrum-toddler-bad-attitude-morningness.

Not so for my AWESOME Bendy Ruggle!

I walked through the door with her on one arm, her bag and lunch on the other... And immediately she glances down and sees her 2-year-old best friend Kaylynn. As soon as they meet eyes, she starts doing THIS lip thing! (Link leads to a vid on YouTube which is an explanation... it's hard to explain in words exactly what it is. Keep in mind in the video it's the parents doing it to the baby, but she was doing this herself)... As soon as Kaylynn sees Illy doing it, she starts doing it too, and Illy wiggle-worms her way down from me and runs over to her little friend. They both stand there doing this lip thing at eachother, and then the other little girl Katelyn joins in... And... Yeah. I wish I had my camera. It was the cutest thing ever! I've never seen such a weird secret handshake... lipshake? before in my life~

Oh, the things they do.

She must have missed her little friends... I'm so glad we've found such a great daycare provider- she feels at home there, which is more than we could have asked for!

Totally Her- Cool New Website and CONTEST :)

Good Morning Everyone!

I found out about this new website, Totally Her from over at the SITS website and it is really cool! It's a site dedicated to real women and what they find important. I liked the article linked on the first page about the 10 essential wardrobe items for Moms... Made me giggle!

AND, even better than just a cool site....

they are having a CONTEST for their grand opening!! Grand prize is a $500 gift card! w00t :D All you have to do is register for one entry, and then you can get other entries by referring people or posting comments in the forums.



So go, read, enter... enjoy :D Have a great day!

Fun Piccy Meme! FIRST TIME TAGGED :P

Yay! I was tagged by Judi at Where The Road Takes Us for a fun picture Meme! This is so exciting, I've never been tagged before! w00t~ I made friends :D haha! You should go check out her blog, her picture of Peanut is just sooo cute, and fitting for the season! You'll see what I mean...

The instructions are:

* Go to your Sixth Picture Folder then pick your Sixth Picture.

* Pray that you remember the details.

* Tag 5 others.


Okay. The sixth picture in my sixth folder here at work is:


A picture of Ilyana and her Grumps at Easter this year! Oh my gosh, I hadn't realized how much her hair has grown since then! It's hard to notice because I still can't put it in little bows or barrettes yet... lol. How sweeeeeettt. :D

Okay so now I get to tag people! I choose:

(1) Nikki at Loving Danger

(2) Issa at Issascrazyworld

(3) Aubrey at The Fam Five

(4) Mama Dawg at Two Dogs Running

(5) Kyla at The Journey

Can't wait to read everyone's post! And thanks again, Judi, for tagging ME!

My weekend and New Pictizzles.

This weekend, I went to Nashua to pick up my little (she spent from Thursday night to Saturday with Cey cey and the Grumps, oh and of course Skunkle Bobby and Skunkle Miles who came to visit, and Uncle Mitch and Uncle O) and hung out a bit, then came home and had a much needed day at home on Sunday. After harassing my frickin' landlord because it was FREEZING and we haven't had heat (which is supposed to be included in our rent, which we have paid ON TIME all the time) in over a month! *grumble, grumble*

We were all in layers this weekend, needless to say. And I was pissed. She's been taking money off our rent, but as I said on Sunday to her on the phone "The money off the rent is not doing anything for the fact that right now, we are home and freezing!" She actually asked me if my electric heat was "not doing anything for me"... I guess some of the units have baseboard heat to use as a backup. Not so for us. We have had NADA heat other than a small (we're talking $10 at Target) space heater, which we have kept in her room so she could sleep comfortably. We even plastick-ed over some of the windows to help trap heat, but it hadn't done a lot. I kindly told her that we don't have any back up heat, and she pretended she didn't know what unit I was in. Finally, I told her we need to buy a bigger space heater or something, and she hurriedly told me "No, no, the other tenant (below us) has a space heater I bought her last year after she didn't have heat for (GET THIS!) a day and a half. I'll go and ask her if I can have it for you." I was livid. You mean to tell me that last year after one day, this lady complains and you buy her something to keep her warm, but me, my hubby and our ONE YEAR OLD are in our house feezing for over a month, have called and complained and asked you what was up like 10 times and you still hadn't done anything for us?!?!?! GRR!

Turns out, the lady below us had been using the space heater but didn't need it. Her tank still had fuel, but the pilot light had gone out. So the landlord lit it, and then she did bring over the space heater. I know the situation is not entirely her fault, because our unit broke and she had to get new ones for everyone in the building, and now the fuel people need to get to our house... But come ON! Over a month!?!? I have a toddler! Sheesh! I have had ENOUGH of this. I was so angry, because half the reason we chose this place last year was that it had heat included, and now the first really cold month- we woke up to hard frost the past two days, and I'm hearing that there's possibility of SNOW on Wednesday- we don't have it! I know if I was in charge of paying for my heat, I'd have it right now. I don't even know what to say to her anymore... I mean, we're okay now that we have the other space heater, and it wasn't THAT cold before I called her on Sunday. But this better be taken care of, and soon. She is getting on my last nerve right now.

On another note, I did get some PRETTY DARNED CUTE pics from Cey-cey and Grumps this weekend. Apparently they were hiding these gems from me before I visited this weekend :D So here are some cute shots- they made me smile and sort of forget that I was pissed at LANDLADY... So maybe they'll do something similar for you, too!

**Side note** Some of these are pretty old, they are compiled pictures from throughout the summer/ fall of this year, so I'll caption so you know when they're from.

Brotherly Love- My brothers Mitch and Owen- Owen's 10th Birthday Party, July 20th 08

Ilyana Enjoys the Party From The Rug- 7.20.08

O-dizzle, Rollin' In Dough

7.24.08- Eatin' lunch and Watchin' Toons

7.24.08- I dance!

Up close and personal. 7.24.08


Ceyc, I want your teeth! When will I get the rest of mine? 7.24.08


If you give me your teeth, I'll give you a kissssss... 7.24.08


And clap super-cute-like, too!


Hi Momma! I was just talkin' to Ceyc... 7.24.08

August 5th 08- Pondering the Windchimes

8.05.08- Liking the Windchimes more now that I know what they do...

Riding the side of the swingset like a horse? Hmm... 8.5.08

8.5.08 Who me? A model? Nahhh.... I was just born this way.

8.5.08 I run and play like a big girl now!

10.18.08 Playing in the yard at Cey-cey's house

Chillin' with my Grumps. Wanna know a secret? He's not really grumpy... He just got stuck with the nick name. 10.18.08

Grumps always takes me outside, outside. 10.18.08

Pretty pretty princess smile. 10.18.08

Thursday Thirteen #5- Link Love- Favorite Websites!!

So, I'm doing Thirteen Favorite Websites today. I'm not counting blogs in this, because there are sooo many great blogs out there that I love, my whole list would be consumed with them! So if you don't see your bloggy self on there, please don't feel shunned. And, without further adieu... Some of my faves :D



(1) I just found this website a couple of months ago and I LOVE it! The basic idea is this: it's a (free!) interactive wish list. You download a little button to put on your bookmarks toolbar at the top of your browser, and then whenever you come across ANYTHING on the web you want (whether it be from an etsy store, ebay, a retailer's website, etc.) you click on that button. The next thing that happens?? It's SOO nifty!

Above your window, a box will pop open with a photo of the item and most of its information, including the price and name, filled out. You can tag the item to put it in a category (i.e., clothes, art stuff, etc.) and add any notes about sizes or whatever in the comment box. You can keep as many lists as you want, and make them public, private, etc... For instance, I have one wish list for things I want, and one wish list for things my daughter wants and/or needs. My Mom is building a private list (which only she can see) for things she wants to buy for other people. I am SOOO trying to get everyone in my family to sign up and fill this out! It's great because you know EXACTLY what the person wants, and they never know you looked or what you're buying them. You can send your URL to whoever you want, and there is also an invite tool. If you want to check out MY list for an example, go ahead and click :D



(2) Of course, as always, a tried and true favorite of mine :) I find all things yummy on this website and could spend way too much time browsing (and drooling.) You can keep a recipe box on there of your favorites and also submit your own recipes.



(3) For games... I use I have since I was 16, and they are still the best.



(4) Of course, if you're a gambler, you can use This is how it works: you watch an ad, and they start you off with 1 penny. You bet that penny against someone else with a penny, watch another (short) ad, and play a game against them- whoever wins gets both cents. The other person starts over, and the winner moves on to bet their 2 cents... etc... etc... There's potential to win a LOT if you are lucky (and smart), but there are only three games. I haven't been on in a while because I was up to a few dollars and blew it all down to like 16 cents. Made me mad. But it's still a cool idea, and you COULD become a millionaire from it. If you want an invite (I think they're still invite-only right now), comment me with your email and I will send ya one! :D



(5) Another good foodie website- especially for slow cooker recipesI don't know why they have it listed under southern food, because it seems like there are dishes from all over. Yum, yum... and it makes dinner so much easier! Gotta <3 that Crockpot.




(6) is the BEST (hands-down) website for nutrition information, fitness tracking and food logs. It's free and it's how I managed to stay on track and lose the baby weight from the girl. I love this website, although I haven't used it as much lately as I should. I could go on and on about its benefits, but really, there's so much, you should just check it out! They have workouts, videos, articles, support groups, a food and fitness tracking system, and you can even keep track of and achieve your other goals through their system. There are some awesome people on there and they are so inspiring! This website is a GREAT motivation tool.



(7) For those of you, like me, who enjoy watching TV on the web (we lay in bed at night and watch it, because we don't have a TV in our room, just the computer), is a great place to find those shows you may not be able to on the network's website.
Sometimes, even if they DO have the show on the network's website, it's still better at Hulu because you can full screen it.



(8) If you can't find it there, it just might be on
So check them too. If you have no luck, it most likely isn't out there for streaming video. You'll just have to download (shhh... did I say that?!?!) ;)




(9)

I just love them. I like their website, too, and the fact that they usually hold the same sales online as in the stores (like that crazy jeans sale I somehow missed?!?! $12 per pair for adult jeans and $7 for kids. I shed a tear when I found out...) I do admit, I like going to the store better, because there's no shipping, and the clearance is way better. But, being as the closest one to me is about an hour away, I'll take the online shopping happily.




(10) is the best email. That's pretty much all there is to say about that. Once again, if you want an invite, give me a holler!




(11) online classifieds. I am always shocked when people tell me they haven't heard of Craigslist! It was so popular in NC when we lived there, we got almost everything in our house from there (we were very broke... lol) including our dishes, our couch, some blankets, our kitchen table (which we still use and got for $15!)... And, two weeks ago, I found a portable dishwasher for just $75! We also found both of our last two apartments on there, and they have a great job listing section as well as community listings for yard/ garage sales and events in your area. I have been keeping my eye out on there for an elliptical to get my butt in gear and do some cardio, since I know it's the best type of workout and I do... pretty much none of it.



(12) when you can't find things on the TV websites above, you can usually download them here, and they are much safer than using Napster, Limewire or another program like that. The trick with that is that you need to understand how torrents work (you can find an explanation there) and you need to have a torrent downloading program like uTorrent to download the files. Then you search on the net at different websites like The Pirate Bay for what you want. This is different than searching within the programs, like Napster, etc. Some other good websites to look for torrents are: Mininova, TorrentPortal, Isohunt, Torrentz, BitTorrent, and Demonoid. I'd say Demonoid is the best, but you need to be invited or sign up during open sign up, and they have strict requirements for seeding back to others.




(13) I <3 Disney, mostly due to the fact that my grandparents brought us up worshiping their movies, and for a time when I was about 6, I really thought it would be possible for me to grow up and be Ariel (yes, I know I don't have a fishy tail). I am constantly on their website planning fake vacations I can't yet afford, praying that somehow they will miraculously see me there and award me- their biggest fan- with free lovin' (i.e. vacation!) They have a fun new feature where you can actually interatively tour the parks. Sweeeeetttt. I can't wait to bring my little princess there! Hopefully next year.. or the year after... She may still be too young next year, but I am in total denial of this right now. If any of you have stories of bringing young children (mine would be 2 1/2 if we were to go next year), please share. I'm dying to know if she could enjoy it, or if it would be a total meltdown vacation.

There you have it... 13 of my best of the best. If you check any of them out, let me know what you think! :D