FINAL FIVE

Kate from Kate takes 5, took a break from her weekly top 5 this week. She handed it over to The Reluctant Housedad.

Again, this week, I wasn't going to participate. Not because the subject was difficult to find a top 5 for, but because I didn't want to think about it.  I battled my fear however and have my 5 items.

The subject was inspired by the recent "RAPTURE/JUDGMENT DAY".. You know the one that of course never happened..  (the one that I didn't even know was supposed to happen! See, I really do live in a hole with these children!)
So, apparently we're supposed to think of the final things we would do/see/eat/wear/visit.... etc...
There would be so many final things to do before the end of the world, so to pick 5 was tough..
Let me state that this list would have been very, very different before children!

My 5 FINALS.......

FINAL DESTINATON: It's great to say that I'd be on a beach somewhere under a palm tree, drink in hand, but when I really think about where I would want to be?? HOME! The place that my husband and I feel safe, the place my children feel safe, the house that together we've turned into a home, and the place that holds all of our memories. I think if I was anywhere else, I would just want to go home..

FINAL MEAL: I'd make Macaroni and Hot Dogs for the girls and Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice for Peter and I.
Again, having some fancy meal just wouldn't be "us". If I knew that I was having my FINAL meal with my family, we'd all be having our comfort foods.. and WINE!!! LOTS OF WINE!! (chocolate milk for the girls)

FINAL SONG: My girls love to sing and they love to dance... They especially love Johnny Reid... It would only be fitting to play his album.. The final song that we would listen to would be "Thank you".... (click to watch)

If I only had, two words left to say to you.

With my last breath I'd come face the truth to you.

You've never left my side, even when I fell behind.

Thank-you,

Thank-you for the life you've given me.

Thank-you for sharing all your love and your dreams.

Thank-you for every tear of happiness I've cried.

Thank-you for laying down *beside me here tonight.

FINAL ACTIVITY: I think that I would try to keep our evening the same as it is every night. We would do all of the things that we normally would. I'd give the girls a bubble bath. But.. we'd have extra bubbles and splashing would be allowed.. We'd sing one (maybe two) extra songs before getting out..
We'd get out and I'd brush their hair, paying extra attention to how great it smells, and we'd put on their favourite pajamas.I'd tickle them, just to be able to hear those belly laughs. The belly laughs that can put a smile on my face even if it is the end of the world. We'd then sit on the couch as a family and read as many "bedtime" stories as the girls wanted.. It wouldn't matter if we read that one 100 times already, it would be their choice. Daddy and I would cuddle them until they fell asleep in our arms! We would grab each others hand, smile, have our last kiss. I would lay my head on his shoulder like I always do and we'd cry. We'd share our thoughts...


FINAL THOUGHTS: "How did we get so lucky? What did I do to deserve such an absolutely gorgeous family? Why can't I have just one more day with them? Why did I worry so much about the little things? Why did I get upset over spilled milk and broken crayons? Why didn't I tell people that I loved them more? Why didn't I play in the rain and jump in puddles with the girls? I wonder if they know how much I love them? Was I a good enough mom? Could I have been a better wife? Why did't I cuddle with Peter more? Will we remember how happy we were?
Thank God (or whoever) for this night.. We're so lucky that we're all going (to the next place) together and that none of us will be left behind. Thank god that my children will never have to experience illness or life without me. Thank god that we're all going together.. (yes, I'd think that again!)
I am so excited to see my loved ones again... I wonder what it will be like.......
I'll love you Forever and a Day my babies... to the moon and back, and back again..



Pretty depressing isn't it?? I know that a lot of people had fun with this instead of being serious. That is fine, I really wanted to put thought into it. Once I got over the fear of thinking about it, it was easy.
It was an amazingly peaceful task for me to complete.. Sure it's scary to think about and no one wants to go there, but wouldn't we be lucky to be able to plan out all of our "finals"? To make sure that everything was exactly the way that it should be? Especially for our children!

So, while you hop over to the Reluctant Housedad's site to check out everyone else's FIVE FINALS, I'm going to wipe my tears, pour a (LARGE) glass of wine and tell my girls how much I love them. I'm going to smell their hair too!!!

Perception of a Mommy

We're all guilty of it!

We all look at other mommies and have our "judgement" of them. Not necessarily that we judge them, but that we have our opinion of them or our "label" for them.

There are the moms that just can't seem to get it together, the grumpy ones, the ones that yell too much, the one that always looks like they need a coffee, the ones you want to hug and say "it's gets better" to.

And then there are "those" moms. The ones that have it too together. The "princess" that can still afford designer clothes and expensive haircuts. The Moms that have the "perfect" children to go along with their "perfect" lives.
There are the ALWAYS Fun Moms and Happy Moms and the moms that we wish we could be even just a little more like.

You know whats crazy about that? I think if I look at the "list" that I just wrote, I probably fit into each one of those categories in someone's eyes.
Some people see me at the worst of times. Others see me only at my best.

I guess really, it's all perception, isn't it??

I've often wondered (usually while labeling another mommy) how I appear to other women. What label do I have stuck to me?? Wouldn't it be so nice to be able to step back and watch as someone else for a day? To see how we appear to the world, and not to ourselves? (I'm getting deep, eh?)

Last week when I dropped Gracie off at school. (you all know how my Thursday mornings go, if you don't, read here) I won't lie, I was feeling completely overwhelmed and frazzled. On my way out, one of the other mommies stopped me and said:
"I don't know how you do it!"...
Me: "Ummm Pardon?"
Her: "I don't know how you manage to be so put together this early in the morning. You, your girls, you're always so put together".
Me: (fighting hysterical laughter) Little chuckle and then "Thank you! but honestly,, this (hands motioning up and down body) is all a facade!! Trust me, we're the farthest thing from put together! but Thank you!"

I could have just said "thanks" and moved on, but that goes against everything I'm trying to achieve. I want mommies to know that we all struggle, that we all have tough days. I don't want people to think that I'm perfect. (although its kind of nice to think)
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want to be a mom that makes others beat up on themselves. I don't want to be "that" mom to someone. That mom that makes them wish they were something more than they are.
I would rather be honest and say:

"Look! Yes I have my hair and makeup done. My kids are wearing cute clothes and have really cute hair. All of this and it's only 9am.. But give it to me because it's all I've got!" "Right now the only thing I can think about is coffee. When I get home, I'll be faced with the cleanup from what might have been a tornado, I've got 5 loads of laundry and no food in my fridge. I'll also have a struggle to put this very whiny one year old down for her nap so that I can have 5 minutes to myself. Having my hair and makeup done just makes me feel a little better!"

So my friends, that's it. I just wanted to put it out there, to remind you, that everyone views us differently. It could be very different than we have ourselves viewed. Maybe it's better, maybe it's worse.

I'm sure if you asked another mommy at the school that day, she would have noticed that Gracie had mismatched socks and that I forgot her school bag. She might have called me a "scatterbrain".

I realized that day in Nursery School that all of my "labels" that I have for other mommies are just that.. It's just my view, my opinion and I'm probably WAY off, just like that nice mommy was with me!!!

Perception ladies, It's all perception!!!! As long as you like what you see and who you are,(at least most of the time) nothing else matters!

Sunday Fav (S)

How is it Sunday already??!!

I was going to do another favourite for you guys, but I couldn't choose just one. I have been so lucky to find so many great blogs, so it's hard to narrow down my top picks. So you're getting to fav's today.

The first one is from someone that I introduced to you last week. Obviously you can tell that I love her site, and everything she writes.
Hopefully you've all been following her.Some of you may have already read this post. For those of you that haven't,I know you'll love it.
It's called THERE'S A PLACE DOWNTOWN and you'll find this hilarious post (along with many others) at HOME C.E.O.. Enjoy.

The second post that sticks out in my mind, is from Shell at THINGS I CAN'T SAY. The Post is called EACH CHILD IS DIFFERENT. It's one of those posts that you read and you laugh. You laugh because it's so true. It's also one of those posts that makes you feel so much better about the mother that you are, because it proves we're not alone..

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and hopefully I'll see you all back tomorrow!

Saturday Favourite.

**BEFORE I GET STARTED, I JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT I HAVE LINKS TO MY FACEBOOK AND TWITTER PAGES NOW. IF YOU LOOK TO THE VERY TOP OF THIS PAGE, BESIDE CONTACT, YOU'LL SEE THE SYMBOLS FOR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. SIMPLY CLICK THEM AND YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO MY PAGES.  THIS IS A REALLY GREAT AND EASY WAY TO FOLLOW. I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. JUST IN CASE NO ONE WAS SEEING THOSE OPTIONS.**

Today I am sharing one of my most memorable reads from the week...
Memorable because it was THAT cute!! It's a post that is sure to put a smile on your face..
Nicole from THE REAL HOUSEWIFE OF OXFORD COUNTY puts a smile on my face every day.She's great and very much like me. (I kinda just called myself great, but I wasn't trying to!)
Be sure to check out some of her other posts when you're finished reading this one. You're sure to have a few more smiles/laughs while there!!

The post that is my favourite is called "BIG BOY" .. Its a short but very sweet post.

Happy Saturday to everyone, check back tomorrow for my Sunday Favourite. Also, to all of you bloggers, don't forget to scroll down and join my Friday: What we learned this week Meme!

SORRY!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that ONCE AGAIN,, Blogger is having issues!! Apparently people can't comment on my posts... I apologize for this..
I love everyone's comments so much, so I hate that this is happening.
Hopefully this problem will be fixed soon and we can go back to normal! Have a great weekend!!
Sarah

PS~ I've heard that if you try to leave a comment and hit "anonymous" , you might have luck leaving a comment..Good luck!!

Friday Five Meme

Okay!! So, I've decided to get brave and try something new.

You all know that every Friday, I write about 5  things that I learned during the week. I always want to hear what everyone else's top 5 would be and never do...
I've decided to turn my Friday 5 into what I think bloggers call a "MEME"...

Every Friday, I will continue to do my FRIDAY FIVE. However, now (for all of you bloggers) I want to read your Friday Five... You don't have to do it on Friday. It can be anytime between Friday and Sunday.
It's simple really,  just write your "5 things I've learned list, post it on your blog and then come back here and add your details to the linky below my post. Please also remember to link back to me in your post so that your readers know where they can come to take part!
I can't wait to read all of your "life lessons" every week.

Now lets get this thing rolling!! Start thinking about what you've learned this week and get linking!!
Also, for all of my readers that aren't bloggers, I want to read your 5 lessons as well. You are more than welcome to leave your list in the comment section!

My Friday Five is posted just below this post, and the linky should be all set up!! It's my first time attempting this so hopefully everything runs smoothly!!

****UPDATE!!!!**** I've added the linky gadget to this post for my Friday Five. Please add your link here!! Thanks!

Friday Five

This week was tough.. It really has been a crummy week for me.
I've had cranky girls, period cramps, achy joints and headaches. Throw a whole lot of rain in there, you've got one grumpy mommy!!
It's Thursday night and all day, I've been panicking about tomorrows (now) today's post.. I really don't know if I learned anything valuable this week.. let's see how I do..

1. "MOLSON GIRLS" aren't that HOT! 

Not all beer girls look like this!!! Don't be fooled!

The beer girls that most women hear about and cringe,, apparently aren't all that hot! Peter said that the two at his golf tournament today were.... well lets just say, "hairy and/or pregnant looking".


2. The way that you appear to others may be very different than the way you appear to yourself.
Mondays post will cover this subject.


3. There is a whole Friggin crazy world of crazy blogging mommies just like me!!
This is a very scary realization!! lol


4. I might use the word Friggin a little bit too much??
My sister pointed out that my children are soon going to be saying the word!!! Oops!! In my defense,, I can think of worse things that they could say!


5. A bottle of Merlot makes it much easier to think about and  realize what you've learned in a week!!
'nough said!!

Have a great weekend ladies.. I have my weekend favourite all ready for you,, make sure you check back Saturday and Sunday this week as I have two favourites!!


CEB6D5H67ZVN 

For a Friend

I had a friend approach me a couple of weeks ago and ask me to cover a subject for her.

It was a subject that she was dealing with at the time. I'm sure that she probably still is, in a sense. She wanted me to cover this subject so that she could get an idea of how other women mommies feel about it, to see what their comments would be.

I immediately agreed to do it for her.. However, after thinking about it for a day or two, I decided against it.  It was just way too risky to talk about on such a public forum.. I'm trying to gain traffic, not lose it!

These past few days, I've been haunted with thoughts that keep bringing me back to this subject. Why wouldn't I discuss it? This is a mommy blog, and it does relate to mommies!

Its Reality!

The subject is ABORTION.... I KNOW, crazy me!!! They say that if you want to make a friend or enemy quickly, just bring up abortion! I'm doing this as a favour, don't be haters!

I've decided that what I'm going to do is this... I'm going to give you a quick background on the situation, and a bit of the email that I received. I will add a few of my own comments, and then I am then going to open up the comment section to all of you. After all, my friend wants to know how other MOMMIES feel on this subject,, not just ME!

My friend lost her baby at 27 weeks pregnant. With the devastation of this still being so fresh, she received news that someone very close to her decided to have an abortion. Apparently the abortion was due to the fact that a baby/pregnancy just wouldn't fit into the "mother's" lifestyle.
Obviously my friend is angry. I can't say I blame her........
Her feelings are very strong and I remind you that these are HER words, not mine.
I've taken bits and pieces from the email.....


Not only for the fact that she was having an abortion, but because it was her SECOND time opting for an abortion. Back in 2007 she also planned on having one, but made herself miscarry first. This girl is 23/24 years old and has been with this so called 'man' for years and years now. They change their relationship status as often as we change our underwear. She was almost 9 weeks pregnant, which means that she got pregnant around the time that we lost our little girl.

Instead of keeping the child and dealing with the lack of his and her responsibility, she opted to abort without a second thought.


I wouldn't respect any other murderer, family member or not, so would I make her the exception...?

I feel so strongly about this topic! I can accept abortion if it due to bad circumstances. But all because she can't keep her legs closed, for a lack of better words??  No no NO absolutely NOT! There is no need for anyone to get pregnant, if they are not prepared to have a child. There are so many difference types of contraceptives. From condoms, to IUD's and Rods, to surgery. So all because she's too irresponsible to use contraceptives, or keep her legs closed, she gets pregnant.
She then chooses to take that little life and throw it out the window like a piece of trash. Like I said in my status comment "One person's trash is another person's treasure."
I would have adopted that child in a heartbeat. If I had of known about the situation earlier, I would have definitely tried to sway her, adoption is ALWAYS an option. Her only problem is that pregnancy would 'cramp' her lifestyle. She sleeps all day, up all night - partying, drinking, doing drugs, and jumping into bed with every other guy.


So, that my friends, is the situation.. A tough one eh??
I have so many thoughts, feelings, arguments that I don't even know where to begin.
Without getting in too deep, I will say this...
I can understand abortion under 2 (and only 2) conditions.

1. If there is a medical condition involving either the mother or the child.. If the baby or mom is at risk of health problems resulting from the pregnancy, I can understand. If it is in the best interest of the baby and or mom, I get it!

2. If the pregnancy is the result of rape.. This needs no explanation..

Those are the only acceptable reasons for abortion in my eyes.. Like my friend said, there is adoption!

I know so many amazing women right now that would make the most wonderful mommies. So many women that can't get pregnant. These women would do ANYTHING to have the chance to have a baby in their arms. It breaks my heart to think that there are babies that could be placed in their arms, but instead, their little lives are terminated because "someone" doesn't want them.

That's it! That is all that I am saying..
Now, who out there is brave enough to leave their thoughts/opinions? Please remember that you always have the option of leaving an anonymous comment.. Just click anonymous when commenting..

I thank you in advance.. and I'm hoping that some of our comments, or even just one will give my friend a little more closure/ peace with this situation that she's been faced with!

Goodbye Baby Fat and Sadness!!

I'm sure that by now, you've all noticed some ads lingering around on the site..

I've had a lot of fun going through and choosing which ones I'd like to appear. I'm trying to pick some that I think all of you will have some interest in, and of course that look nice.

I won't be focusing too much attention on any of them, but I did want to address one of the ads that you'll find to the right of this post... I want to talk about it only because I feel so strongly about the product and want to share it with as many people as I possibly can. The product is called Isagenix.. Isagenix is a nutritional cleanse program, but to me, it's more like a miracle. It's something that has changed my life. 

I am going to share my story with you and then I won't mention it again. The advertisement will stay on my page and you will be able to click it at any time.

Here we go....

When Gracie was born, I lost the 26lbs that I had gained, plus some within weeks of having her. I left the hospital in my pre pregnancy pants and probably only had another 10 to lose. I was so happy! (I never lost those extra 10 by the way~)

When the time came to have Lylah, I "ASS"umed that my weight loss would be as easy. I was already up around 10lbs when I got pregnant with her, and then I gained another 26 while pregnant.

This time was completely different. I left the hospital weighing more than I did when I arrived for my C-section.. How is that possible when I lost over 6lbs of baby, alone??!

Once home, and realizing that my weight wasn't budging, I let myself fall into a really rotten slump. I didn't want to do anything or go anywhere. Heck, I didn't even want to get out of bed most mornings.. It literally took everything in me just to open my eyes.

Once up, I would feed the girls and change them and then plop my fat butt on the couch. This is where I would stay for the majority of the day. (about an hour before Peter was due home, I would do a really quick cleanup and vacuum of the house so that he didnt' know I did NOTHING all day..OK, I still do that some days.. hehe) I drank coffee and Gingerale. Mostly coffee though.

Very rarely did I eat. Even though I was doing nothing, there just didn't seem like there was time to feed myself. So what did I do?? Grab a handful of chips or cookies whenever I walked by them throughout the day, and then pig out (like really pig out) at dinner.

Obviously my weight wasn't changing. My mood was! It was getting worse.. I was sinking deeper and deeper..  

I didn't want my friends to see me, so  I didn't go out.. I didn't want Peter to look at me, or touch me because I thought he would be disgusted.. 

**Peter has always been big into the gym and working out, and he's always looked damn good. I convinced myself that he thought I was revolting. These were the thoughts that haunted me more than anything. **

If we went out anywhere, I was sure that girls/women were looking at us wondering why the heck he was with me. (I'm sure some still do, but it's okay now, because *I* know ((wink wink)))

I'm fully aware of how unhealthy this was, but at the time, it was the "norm" and there was nothing that I could do to change it.

Finally in March of 2010 (4 months after Lylah was born) I decided that enough was enough. No more excuses, no more beating myself up. I debated seeing a doctor and even considered anti depressants. I knew that I didn't want to feel this way any more. 

Instead, I decided to try a product that some of my family members were having AMAZING results with. (if that didn't do the trick, I would see a doctor)

Within a week of reaching my breaking point, I had started the Isagenix program. I was still breastfeeding at the time, so I started with shakes and bars only. I stopped breastfeeding (for various reasons) about a month later and got on the full program.

**A quick run down of the program: 2 shakes a day + 1 (400-600 calorie) meal. 

You have healthy snacks between your shakes and drink lots of water. 1 day a week, you have a cleanse day. You drink the cleanse juice 4 times throughout the day, along with lots of water. This sounds harder than it is. If you get really desperate on Cleanse days, you can nibble on some veggies. After your cleanse day, you  feel great, and soon realize that it's totally worth it. The cleanse days get easier and easier..**

Within 4 months on the program, I had lost close to 40lbs. That was great yes, but the weight was just a bonus in comparison to the other results that was getting. I had so much energy.. I was bouncing out of bed in the morning and waking up BEFORE the girls. I wanted to do things, and see people, and I was excited for my hubby to be touching me again (YAY!)... I was excited about life again and felt like I could conquer the world. These were feeling that were so foreign to me. Actually, I don't know if I had ever felt them before.If I had, it was a very long time ago. 

This is why I share my story.

I "sat silently", suffering alone for so long. For too long! 

If I can help even one person out there who is going through something similar to what I did, If I can help them get their life back, then sharing my story is worth it!!

I am still on the program as a maintenance for what I have achieved. Peter also started with the product after seeing my results and he says he feels better than he has in years... 

I don't think there is much more that I can say, except that Isagenix literally saved me. It is an amazing company with an even more amazing support team.

The company has a variety of products including skin care, vitamins (for kids too!), supplements and snacks. They have many packs and systems to fit into everyones lifestyles.

Please don't hesitate checking the company out by clicking the "Learn More about Isagenix" button to the right. If you have any further questions or inquiries please EMAIL MY SISTER . She is a nutritional cleanse coach and would love to assist you.. 

Have an awesome day ladies.

Stupid Groceries.....

I had so many things that I thought I was going to talk about today, but a "quick" trip to the grocery store just changed everything.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

I dropped Gracie off at school and decided to hit the grocery store. I thought it would be nice to have dinner ready for my hubby for once. You know.... just to keep things interesting. lol
My poor hubby! He has a twelve hour day and then goes to the grocery store, picks out dinner, and even comes home and cooks it..
That sounds really bad, doesn't it?? (don't judge!)

So,, (back on topic) Being the good wife/mother that I am, I went to the grocery store.

Is there anything that can put you in a bad mood quite like a trip to the grocery store??
Maybe this is why i stopped going (regularly) in the first place!
Honest to god, every item I went to pick up was so expensive! When did this happen?? When did laundry detergent become $19.99?? A bag of potatoes $5?? When did a can of frozen juice become $1.29? Toilet paper..... don't even get me started on toilet paper!!!
I went in to grab a "couple" of things for dinner, came out with 4 bags.. 4!! My bill was $110.00!!!!
I got next to nothing (other than feeling sick to my stomach), and I paid $110.00..

I walked through the store, adding up the total in my head, with each item that I reached for. (which kind of takes the fun out of it)There were a few extra things that I needed. I just left them behind figuring we could wait. I refused to give that store one more dime of my money.
Until I reached the check out......

Shit!! I forgot my nice black grocery bags at home. No biggie, I'll just hand over some more of my hubbies hard earned money to pay for some plastic bags... Piss me off!!
I'm all for the environment and stuff, but this grocery bag thing pisses me off!!

I'm sorry but as I'm packing my two children up in the morning, chasing my dog around, getting myself ready and finding matching shoes for 3 people, the last thing I'm thinking about is grabbing the FRIGGIN grocery bags!!
So people, you know what?! I don't need the dirty looks when I say I need to buy bags. I realize they cost money but I don't really have another option now do I?? I also don't need the dirty looks from other customers when they see me walking out with my 4 plastic bags! Why can't they just : Look at me, take one look,(make it a good one) feel sorry for me and MOVE ON!!!
So I don't have reusable bags, I forgot them. It's better than forgetting my child!

I left the grocery store, pretty grumpy, but the sun was shining and Lylah was smiling, so I turned on the radio and  tried to snap out of it. I grabbed a coffee and headed home. I was starting to come around!

The mood quickly went down hill again when i got home, unloaded the groceries and went to put them away!!

No room in the fridge!! There is no room in the friggin' fridge!! My blog writing time is now being taken up by cleaning out the fridge.
Why, why do we keep leftovers???!!
They never get eaten! They sit in my fridge and make it stink! They make it so that every time the fridge door opens, the whole house STINKS!!
From this day forward, leftovers are going in the garbage. Same as "almost gone" bbq sauces, jams, sauces... if they are less than half full, they're going in the garbage! They never EVER get used!

I'm ranting! I'm fully aware of that, but I needed to get that off my chest. The grocery store put me in a crappy  mood and I needed to share it with everyone..

I have decided that I will be going back to grocery delivery... I don't know why  I ever stopped.. I had a routine down pat. Order groceries, clean out fridge, wait for delivery, put groceries away...
Today also made me realize that I need to become one of those crazy coupon mommies!! I don't know how to go about it yet, but I'm going to read some blogs today and find out!! I will keep you posted, but look out, because I WILL be the crazy coupon lady!

Am I the only one that has such strong feelings on Grocery shopping.???  All of this anger just to make my husband dinner just doesn't seem worth it....

Listography ~Top 5 Band Albums

It's time for the Top 5 list again!!

Kate from Kate Takes 5 is making things a little difficult for me. I read her subject for this week and immediately felt stumped! So much so that I debated not even participating this week.
The subject for this weeks Listography is your Top Five Albums by a Band...
I am not really a "band" girl.. Everyone that knows me, knows that I'm a country girl and I love my country music. Most country artists aren't "bands"..

I decided to sleep on this one.. While laying in bed, the subject took me back a LONG time!! Like to grades 7,8 and then to high school...
Going back in my head, remembering school dances, joy rides with the girls and long weekends camping, I quickly thought of some really great (or maybe only great because of memories..) albums.
I tried to really think about albums that I could just hit play and enjoy the whole album. I didn't want to pick some of my favourites that only had a few great songs..

Here we go, in no particular order!!!! And remember,,,, don't judge me,,, or make fun!!! lol

1. REM ~ AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE

      I can't even begin to tell you how many times I sat listening to Man on the Moon and Everybody Hurts... usually after a breakup!!! lol


2. COUNTING CROWS ~ AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER

     This was my brother's favourite album for a long time. If I wanted a ride anywhere, this is what I had to listen to.. I grew to love it as much as him. My favourite song....Round Here...


3. CCR~ THE BEST OF CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

     I don't think that this one needs explanation,,, I just LOVE IT!!


4. STEVE MILLER BAND~ GREATEST HITS 1974-978

     This album takes me back to summers at my cottage.. All of the older "cool" kids and my sister played this album constantly one summer

5. DIXIE CHICKS ~ WIDE OPEN SPACES

     Don't judge me! I LOVE the Dixie Chicks and always will... I think this album stirred up my love for country music.


After doing this, I think that I'm going to go buy each and every one of these albums from Itunes!! I can't wait to hear some of those old songs again!!
What would your Top 5 Band Albums be??!! Remember,, the hard part is that they have to be "BANDS",, because my list would have looked completely had it just been any artist!!!
Can't wait to hear your top 5 and be sure to pop over to Kate Takes 5 to see everyone else's list!

THANK YOU ~Ms. Danielle Designs

Obviously if you're all here, you've noticed my new look.. I hope you all like it as much as I do!

I just wanted take the time to Thank Danielle from Ms. Danielle Designs for taking the time to do this for me!
Hopefully you'll all get a chance to check out some more of her great work. Her site is great, she offers freebies, blog design and even tutorials if you want to try some design work on your own.

She also has a Mommy Blog called The Mommy Chronicles.. Again, check it out!

Danielle was so easy to work with. I gave her a quick idea of what I was hoping for. From there she checked out my old site, obviously was able to get a feel of my life and personality and came up with what you now see. I'm sure you'd agree that she is very talented at what she does.

I was lucky enough to find Danielle during her monthly promotion.. For the month of May (only a few days left) she is offering an amazing promotion on all Blogger Design work.  If you act quick, you might be ale to get in on the promotion.

So again, just a HUGE Thank you to Danielle for all of her time and hard work..  I appreciate it more than words could ever say!

Weekend Favourite!!

Oh, it was so hard to choose this week!! This world of blogging is amazing! I have met so many amazingly REAL mommies!

I met someone this week that really caught my attention fast.

LISA!

 Lisa actually took the time to send me an email (outside of the typical blogger comment) to tell me that she enjoyed my blog and that she was a fan.. Wow..
To my surprise, I  had to hunt her down, just to find a link to her blog. She wasn't leaving me a message to simply advertise which wowed me!!

When I finally came across her blog, I read, and I laughed.

I laughed and I laughed and I laughed..

You ladies MUST check her out!
This is what she has to say about herself ~ "This is Lisa: Running a household, keeping it clean, keeping 'em fed, keeping it together. Mostly."


Please check out her site, along with my favourite post of the week called "You're fired". I think you'll all be able to relate...
Thank you Lisa for enlightening me every day!!
http://homeceomom.blogspot.com/

My Friday Five

I learned a lot this week! More than I could ever put into 5 items..

Last night I sat down with a pen and paper, a glass of Merlot and I started writing..
These are the first 5 things I could think of that I learned this week..

1. LACTOSE FREE ((YUMMY)) YOGURT NOW EXISTS ~ yep Lylah can finally stop crying every time she watches Gracie eating a yummy yogurt.. She can now have one. One that isn't plain unflavored yogurt!
Thank you Yoptimal!!!!

2.YOU SHOULD NEVER LEAVE A NAIL POLISH BOTTLE UNATTENDED AND NEAR CERAMIC TILE ~Blue nail polish definitely does not accent a nice neutral kitchen tile.....

3.GRACIE WANTS A NEW MOMMY~ Or in her very own words.... "I don't want you to be my mommy anymore" There were tears,,,,, lots of them!!

4. I AM A LOT NICER PERSON/MOMMY AFTER A NIGHT OUT WITH GIRLFRIENDS ~ A night out does a lot of good. This morning, I had a lot more patience with and was much nicer to my children. This is a great excuse for a weekly girls night out.

5. I AM NOT THE ONLY MOMMY WHO HAS LAUNDRY ISSUES~ I was so excited to learn that at least one other mommy often finds herself rooting through baskets of clothes looking frantically for "something" needed before leaving the house... (you know who you are! Thanks for confirming that I'm not alone!)

Have a great weekend ladies.. don't forget to check back tomorrow to see what my favourite post of the week was.. It's a good one!!

Sarah

 

This New World of Blogging

I started blogging back in January. It was a way to release some feelings/emotions/anxieties/guilt.... you get it.

From day one I have enjoyed it.
I realized that I finally had something for ME, something that I REALLY enjoyed doing.
Its now been about 5 months and my fun little hobby has turned into a passion. Getting on here every day is what I absolutely love doing..

Lately, I've decided that if I love and enjoy writing on here, and people are enjoying what I'm writing, why not take it a little further/farther (??? what is the proper word there??) 

I've really been struggling with taking the blog to the next step. The next step of trying to make some money from it. I struggle with all of these thoughts though.... What will people think? Will people start to judge me? Will my first and loyal readers keep reading when things get bigger and busier? Maybe I should just stay simple.

I have loved everything about my blogging experience so far. I love all of my comments. I love all of the connections I've made, and, I love all of my followers that have been here since my very first post. Already though, I've noticed that a lot of them haven't been around. I don't know if it's because they're not reading anymore or because they've just stopped commenting.. Either way, it sucks. I miss them, I miss their comments. I don't want to be losing readers, I want to be gaining more.

Which brings me another issue that I've been struggling with.... I don't want Followers for numbers. I want followers because they enjoy coming to my site every day and because they like what they're reading. This isn't a popularity contest for me, this is my life! This is something that I'm passionate about. I would rather have 20 loyal readers that love what they're reading than 500 "followers" that just want me to follow back.
I realize that if I want to make any amount of money, I have to have the followers, but really, I'd rather have to work a little harder and a little longer to "earn" my followers.. I don't want the comments from people saying "following you, please follow me back".. Sorry, but I'm not that desperate for readers. If you don't like what you read, don't follow... ( I promise that I'll return the favor! If I don't like what I read on your site, I won't follow you)
People leaving sincere comments are much more likely to have me check out there site and follow than someone begging me to follow them. Sorry people, but if you ask me to follow you, you can guarantee that I'm not coming over to your site.
It's one thing to leave your link, it's another to ask me to follow you.

Hate me for this if you will, but it's my opinion!

I'm probably rambling at this point.
I guess the point of this post was to let all of my followers (those of you that really like me and don't just want a follow back) that I appreciate each and every one of you.
I wanted to write this post to be completely honest with everyone as to what I'm doing and why. I don't want any of you to think that I'm getting on here every day just to make some money.(because really, its not even enough for coffee at this point)
I get on here every day because it's my passion. Because I love writing to everyone, and receiving all of the awesome comments and emails that I get from you every day. If I can make a couple of extra dollars doing something that I'm passionate about, I'm going to. Remember, I'm a Stay at Home Mommy,and I like to shop!

Please don't be put off by any of the changes. The majority of the changes are for my readers. I plan on making this site better and better every day.
I hope you'll all stick around (or join me) to see where my new adventure takes me, it means a lot!!

Special day or the Last day?????

Hey Ladies,,
This post is one that was lost when Blogger went all crazy last week.. I'm glad they found it because I wasn't prepared to retype it... Hope you enjoy it....

I read something that I found CRAZY the other day. I read it on another blog, and it fascinated me! (Check it out, it's a fun post)

In a nutshell, she is talking about the fact that the day after Mother's Day is the second most popular day for women to cheat on their husbands!!!
What is the first you are  probably asking????
The day after Valentines Day..

The logical side of me has been trying to figure this out for a few days now. I mean,, I guess in a way, it totally makes sense... Those two occasions are pretty important to a lot of women. I think I know that women put a lot of expectations on their husbands to "prove their love" on these days.

I used to be like that. (fantasizing all week about what Peter was going to plan for me, and what he would buy me!) I soon realized that my husband sucks at showing his love and appreciation in big ways and I could either accept it, or move on. I chose to accept it because I love the unromantic, non spontaneous, sucky gift giving MAN! I cannot imagine taking such a drastic step just because he screwed up Mother's day. Do I get a little pouty? Yep!! Could I ever imagine cheating on him because he let me down?? NEVER!

After a lot of thought, I've decided that these women CAN'T possibly be happy leading up to those days. Could it really be that easy to cheat?? Am I that sheltered and naive that I don't believe women just "go out and cheat"? The thought of that not only disgusts me, but scares me!

I guess to these women, Mother's day and Valentines day might be, in a sense, a test! Can he prove his love? How much does he love me? When he doesn't "prove" it, she cheats?! (I try not to judge and I know that no one ever knows what led to this point, but really??!! Why not get out before this point!)

We know A LOT of people in unhappy relationships right now.. Most of them with kids. It breaks my heart to see and hear of all of these problems.
What happens along the way? How do people get so unhappy? Are these the people that go and cheat the day after Mother's day and Valentine's day? Oh my gosh! I wonder if any of my friends cheated this week??! (funny but I'm kinda wondering)

Peter and I discussed this whole subject the other night, and it was so funny to see him get all defensive (because he knows he sucks at holidays!). I had to convince him that I wasn't threatening him in any way, I was just wanting to let him know how lucky he is!! lol..

Honestly though, I wanted to hear his take on it because as much as I hate to admit it, my husband is a very wise man..

My husband's belief is that women (and men) will always use an excuse. He thinks that when someone cheats or wants out of the marriage, whatever they say is usually just an excuse. So... Screwing up Mother's Day or Valentines's day would just give "her" an excuse to go out and cheat to get out of the marriage. Basically he believes that it's much bigger things that no one has the guts to talk about, so it's easier to find an excuse.The marriage was probably "over"(in one or both minds) long before a screwed up Mothers day. I think he's on to something!

Again though, how in the world does it get to this point??
I read a really smart thing once. It said that if your car all of the sudden started running funny, you'd take it to the garage right away. You wouldn't waste any time getting it fixed. Never would you just keep driving it until it breaks down!

So, why do we "drive" our marriages until they breakdown? Why not do some maintenance as soon as things start feeling like they're slipping? If it's counselling, weekends away, date nights, why don't we worry about our relationships as much as the material things in our lives? Why do we wait until we go out and cheat the day after Mother's day??

This is a topic that I could talk about forever, but I'm going to stop here and let you guys join in...

What are your opinions?

How do our relationships end up so bad that it comes to cheating?

Why do people cheat?

Can you understand why so many women go out and cheat if their men let them down on special days?


Also..... be sure to let your hubby's know about this statistic. I have a feeling it will result in some great Mother's days from here on out!!! lol

Have a great day ladies!

He's THAT Dad!!!

So, we all know about "THOSE" moms, right??!
The perfect moms, that are always doing fun things with their kids. The ones that can do no wrong and really make us "regular" moms look bad??

Have you ever given any thought to "THOSE" Dads???
I never have. Until last night.. When my husband got home from work last night,  I thought to myself, "oh my god, he's THAT Dad!"

I'll start from the beginning...

While I tried to steal an extra 10 minutes of sleep yesterday morning, Gracie turned on Max and Ruby. (I kind of like Max and Ruby, but I still do wonder where their parents are?) Anyway, at some point during the show Max must have had a Candy Apple. I was awoken by Gracie hitting me saying "Mommy! Mommy! Can I have a Candy Apple?"
I told her that I didn't know where I would get a candy apple, but that I would try.

Her response?? "Daddy will find me one!"
NICE!
Apparently Daddy is The Man!

So, when Daddy called, I told him while laughing, that he was expected to come home with a candy apple. I told him her exact words. I have to admit, Peter usually does a great job finding whatever it is the princess wants, but I figured this might stump him. 
There was no way that I was going to tell him I knew where to find them (hehehe) so,
I ended the conversation with "Good luck Daddy!"

Gracie asked about the Candy Apple about 100 more times throughout the day and I kept telling her that we'd find one eventually...
Fast Forward to 6pm ~ Daddy walks in the door all smiles. Gracie runs over and says "Daddy, did you get my candy apple?"
Daddy says "I did better Gracie, I got all of the stuff to make our own candy apples!"

REALLY??!! REALLY??!?!! What made him think of that, and why does he even want to do that??
Gracie's face was pricless. She was so excited.
Daddy went to the trouble of finding a recipe online, going to the grocery store, (after a long day at work) buying all of the stuff and and then came home and made them with her..
I have to admit it was pretty cute sitting watching them do it together.
As I watched, it struck me that my husband is "THAT DAD!" Not only does he make other dads look bad, he makes his own wife look bad.

The candy apple thing isn't the first or only thing he's done to earn this status. Nope! Here is a list of things that makes my husband "THAT DAD" or in Gracie's eyes SUPER DADDY!

1. He makes candy apples with her rather than simply buying one (most would buy)
2. He bakes bread with and for her.. Yep, bread! Banana Bread, Whole Wheat, Rosemary Garlic.....(how many dads bake, honestly?!)
3. He bought her a paint brush of her very own so that every time he paints, she can too. If he paints the wall, she paints the wall. If he paints a cabinet, she paints the cabinet too (who has patience like that?)
4. He gives her her very own Hammer to help him while he's building the shed.. She trots around banging that hammer and really believes shes playing a huge part in the construction of that shed (most would think their kid was just in the way)
5.When he cooks dinner, she's allowed to stand on a chair and help with everything he does. She gets to stir, measure, pour. (again, patience?!!!)
6. He takes her to the park, with the dog. He deals with "Park Mommies" just to make her happy. (Sorry, but I can't do Park Mommies)
7. Wherever he goes on Saturday, she goes. In the truck. To Home Depot, to the dump, wherever it may be, and he gets her the "fun" carts every time. (I usually say no because they're harder to push)
8. He enjoys each and every one of these things while he does them!

Do you see?? He's "THAT" Dad! He really is!
I wonder if other dads hate him as much as we hate "THOSE" moms?? I bet they do!

I wish I could be more like him, but I it's hard when I'm the one who is home and with the girls all of the time. (Therefore, no patience, EVER!)
I think it's easy for him because he is just so excited to be home and to be with them. It's probably just as much fun for him as it is them.. (At least this is what I keep telling myself, and I have noticed though that he has less patience on weekends!)


I tease him and say that he makes me look bad.. And maybe I am JUST a little bit jealous that he's so good with the girls.
What I would never tell him though, is that he's damn sexy while he's doing it!!