On Vacation....With the Dog

HAHAHAHA! Don't you love this photo?! I was having the most stressful day until I saw this puppy/baby carrier contraption. How funny is that?! Oddly enough, when we were in Florida I actually saw an older woman carrying her dog this way! That means people actually buy this stuff!!! I love it! But I digress. I wanted to just pop on to say we'll be leaving for Ohio tomorrow (Wednesday). Jim is so psyched about his golfing date at Arnold Palmer's private course! Ironically, Jim has never golfed before IN HIS LIFE, so I'm guessing he'll have some good stories after that one.:) We are also going to get some quality grandma/grandpa time and the kids are really anxious for that. I have been planning and depriving the boys of their full nap time (hence the stressful day) but hopefully it will pay off and they'll sleep during the 10-11 hour drive. We are also taking our Miniature Schnauzer Daisy with us. Thank goodness we have a big bulky Suburban. I will try to update during our trip but it depends how crazy everything gets. Have a great day and enjoy the photo (Jim just looked at it and said it's not all that funny). I still think it is!:) Lol

Shop at Stores with Concrete Floors

That is wisdom from money-saving guru Clark Howard. He was one of my favorite guests ever. Jim and I love all of his books and advice about how to stretch a buck. He is a huge advocate for Sam's Club, Cosco, anyplace that has "concrete floors". In fact, many penny-pinching pros are big fans of wholesale stores. So WHY did it take me so long to check it out?! We went to Sam's for the first time in at least 2 years and...Hallelujah!! It was a beautiful thing. They say part of the reason the prices are so low, is because the money isn't being spent on flashy buildings or a pricey lease. The overhead is low, so the prices are low. I think I just never went because I had tunnel vision about Target and that's the only place I ever wanted to shop. It's still my #1 fave, but now I found this whole new world! Buying in bulk is super fun and you know how I love a good deal!! So my shopping pick of the week is definitely the wholesale stores. Just make sure you bring loads of cash and lots of cargo space!!

Cooter is "T'd" Off!!

This story is about the original Cooter getting upset after reading the script from the new Dukes of Hazzard movie. It has nothing to do with the tee shirt, I just wanted to post it because it's so darn adorable!! So back to cyber Taylor Trash: According to the Drudge Report; Ben Jones (who played Cooter in the tv series) is urging fans NOT to see the movie! He describes the movie as: "profanity-laced script with blatant sexual situations that mocks the good clean family values of our series." Hmmm, he's got my attention so far. Here is more from a letter posted on his website...

"Frankly, I think the whole project shows an arrogant disrespect for our show, for our cast, for America's families, and for the sensibilities of the heartland of our country.
Unless they clean it up before the August 5th release date I would strongly recommend that true blue Dukes fans hold their noses and pass this one up. And whatever you do, don't take any youngsters to see it. As plain as I can put it, the only thing this movie shares with our show is the title. Sure it bothers me that they wanted nothing to do with the cast of our show, but what bothers me much more is the profanity laced script with blatant sexual situations that mocks the good clean family values of our series. Now, anybody who knows me knows that I'm not a prude. But this kind of toilet humor has no place in Hazzard County. Rather than honoring our legendary show, they have chosen to degrade it."

Ya know, ole' Cooter may have a point there! Although I don't think it will stop hoards of men ages 5-105 from seeing Jessica Simpson in her smokin' hot bikini!! If you would like to read more of Cooter's candid confession, log on to: www.cootersplace.com

Mama Needs New Clothes!

My wardrobe is hurting right now. Nothing to wear and no money to buy something new!:( Oh how I miss shopping. We are trying to save up for New York though so all I need to do is hang in there another month! I was "fantasy shopping" today though and saw about 400 things I would love to get from Intuition. If you haven't heard the store, just pick up your nearest tabloid and you'll see just about EVERY celebrity wearing a piece from there! In fact, many of their new items are inspired by the "Dukes of Hazzard" movie coming out in August. They even have a Cooter tank top ($38)...so cute! Jessica Simpson shops there all the time, so you know it's a trendy spot! To check out the website, click on my "Links" at the bottom of the page!

Flawless Face!

This is the biggest miracle in make-up I have ever found (okay, aside from Bare Minerals)! It is Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. This is a favorite of make-up artists in Hollywood and basically makes your face a perfect canvas to apply foundation. It helps fill in fine lines, inhibits collagen loss, and loads your skin with tons of antioxidants and vitamins. This stuff is the real deal and I LOVE it!! You can find it at Sephora for $36. A little goes a long way, the bottle will last a long time!! www.sephora.com

Um..What Day is it?

I thought the time flew when I was working, that was nothing! It's been a crazy week between my hair disaster, packing for our trip, and a few other things too. Oh, and I know I haven't posted my "after" photo of my new hair! It looks MUCH better and I'm very happy with it. I've just been too busy to take another photo, but I will!!

Also, "You" magazine finally came out!! They did a good job and the boys were excited to see themselves in print! Lol. After reading the article I felt that I could have had a few more compelling things I could've said, but hopefully people will know it was from my heart. I was interviewed literally on my last day of work too and hadn't even started my new "job" yet! Even after a few months, I have a slightly different perspective on staying home and wish I would've been able to communicate that at the time. Being home full-time is NOT easy and isn't even always fun to be honest with you. At the same time, I would not change our choice for anything in the world. The memories we have made in the past 2 months alone have been worth it and I've had a chance to improve my parenting, help them become responsible, creative, and so many other things. I was watching 60 Minutes this weekend and they ran a fantastic story about high-profile women choosing to leave the work force and stay home with their kids. One lady said something so enlightening. She said: "I consider this time in my life, my retirement. When my kids are grown and gone, I can put all my effort into my job and sit back knowing I raised the best kids I could". I totally identify and agree with that!! That being said, there are some days where I feel lonely and struggle with my identity now that I'm not working. Thank goodness I have my neighbor Bethani! I know I write that at least once a week, and Jim has been great but she relates 100% because she's been home for the past 5 years. She is the mom I hope to be someday. Even financially, we haven't suffered as much as we initially thought we would, and have still been able to treat ourselves every now and then. We still have cable, we've been able to eat out, and even next month we are going to New York! I think the trick for me is finding a hobby. Working out has been a huge release for me and I'm a better mom when I feel good about myself. So as long as I can balance everything then we'll get this figured out. Well, I need to break up an argument as we speak...that's my cue!!

P.S. Just to give your gossip fix: Did you hear that Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney are having problems already?! I guess she misses Jack White (her ex) and the two are having a rough time. I wish them the best, I hope that's not true!! Also, check out the new US Weekly for all the crazy dirt on Jude Law and the affair with his nanny. They have an exclusive interview they obtained from the "Sun" and this girl TELLS ALL!! I really liked Jude Law, and Sienna is so cute....what a loser!!

Before

Okay, so here is my big dramatic hair disaster. I wasn't going to post this picture because I know you'll see it and say "it's not that bad!!" It actually looks great here compared to when I take it out of my ponytail. I should have let it all hung out and then snapped the photo but for now, this is an idea of how it looks. Brita is re-doing it tonight so I will post the "After" photo if all goes well!! Lol.

Hair Crisis

Well, this is hair disaster #535,699!!! I went to my friend Brita today for a retouch before our trip to Ohio but things did not go well. Brita is amazing stylist, she does an incredible job, it's just I seem to have posessed hair that NO ONE can color!! I am telling you, I have been getting my hair done since I was 17, almost 10 years and lots of bleach (no blonde jokes please)! Lol. Anyway, I think like 3 times a year I go through a major traumatic experience with my hair turning pink, yellow, or like today...green!! Brita said it's because my hair is so porus (sp?) and it sucks up all the color and is very unpredictable. Oie vey!! Thank goodness she is cool about it and she's fixing it tommorrow, even though she's off (how dedicated is that?! She's great). Just to give you a visual: my hair is gray, white blonde, and green in parts. When I came home, Jim said I looked like a senior citizen!! Lol. So, that was my big drama for the day. Although it felt fantastic to get out of the house and hang out with girls! All of the ladies in the salon were watching the same reality shows and it was GREAT to dish the latest gossip and our opinions about it!! Lol. I am telling you, I miss doing Taylor Trash so much, and this was the next best thing. By the way, did you see Britney's new hair cut?! Not sure what I think about that. Also, can you BELIEVE that Jude Law cheated on his fiance' with his kids NANNY?! Gross. He cheated on his ex-wife Sadie with Sienna Miller, and now he had an affair on Sienna with the nanny...and his KID CAUGHT HIM!! Yuck! Okay, enough gossip.
We have some major things going on in our lives but for now I'll just keep it low key until things start to happen (d'oh, don't you hate not having the whole scoop?!) :) Anyway, I have much more to write but I am literally falling asleep! Gabriel has been waking up at 6:15 (ahhhh!!). Although considering I woke up at 2:30 in the morning for the past 4 years, I should be grateful for the extra few hours of sleepy time. Okay, hopefully my next entry will be a better hair day!! Let's hope.

For the Millionaire Mommies....

Okay, so I told you about my dilemma with Grant's crib. It's shot and he needs a new one. Instead of checking out Babies R Us or even Pottery Barn, I decided to pretend we won the lottery and look at Posh Tots.com. They are renowned for their PRICEY stuff (hint: Madonna shops here)! I am what you call a "dreamer personality" so I thought it would be fun to pick out a crib...if we could afford that! Lol. Anyway, I ran across the Playhouse section and found this little Victorian shack. It can be in your yard, for you little princess for the small amount of .....$23,400!!!! I KID YOU NOT!!! Oh wait, that is the BASE price. If you want your child to have central air, electricity, running water, or wireless communication it will cost you more. Lol. You can also get a swing set for a whopping $87,000!! Jeez, I remember the days when my dad built us a tree house/fort and that was the high-life!! I love looking at this stuff though. Check it out at: www.poshtots.com

Cuddle Bug

Mommy and Grant!

Busy Day

This week has been fun-city! My neighbor is also a SAHM and we were close but now that I'm home full-time...we do everything together! It's great amd I love having a buddy to share everything with, plus our kids are best of friends. We take turns driving to events, and if one of us needs a break we just send the kids next door! She has helped me so much as I've tried to adjust to domestic life. Our theme for this week is "Animals" so we went to the NEW Zoo, had jungle-themed meals and are planning a trip to the Humane Society. The theme weeks are a hit and I am so proud of myself for coming up with the idea!! Lol. In fact, I was even invited on a nationally syndicated radio program to talk about my SAHM life!! Ironic isn't it?! I believe the show has streaming audio so I'll have to post the link after I am on. Speaking of that, "YOU" magazine is coming out soon!!! If you are in the Green Bay area, don't forget to check out my article!! Actually it's not MY article, I'll be lucky if I have a litle snippet! lol. A photographer came and took pictures though so I'm hoping it won't end up on the cutting room floor. It should be out Friday but I have to double check.

What I'm Reading...

Can I just tell you what a genius Dr. Kevin Lehman is?! This book is fantastic, I have learned so much and it's taught me a ton (and I'm only on page 76)!! Today I had a chance to actually implement a "discipline" tactic on Gabriel and guess what...it worked!!! We avoided a meltdown and I didn't have to punish him in order to fix the situation, I was so psyched! Definately an A+ review from me!!

Two-Faced

It’s always a shame when you find out someone is fake. When I first got into radio I was surprised how many people tried to latch on just because they thought they could win free stuff, score concert tickets, and get in at clubs and events. I remember dating guys who seemed to care more about the sports figures or celebrities I interviewed, then really getting to know me. Over time I thought I was a better judge of character and could weed out people who weren’t sincere. Turns out I still have a lot to learn!! Since I have “retired” and decided to stay home and raise my kids, it’s been interesting to see the people who are no longer interested in speaking with me. Some people I thought were my friends, others were co-workers but now that time has passed, I can tell those who only acted like they cared because it was their job or “friends” who just wanted perks like tickets. I have mixed feelings about it quite honestly. One part of me doesn’t really care since I am happier than I have ever been before. My boys are healthy, I have an amazing husband and friends and family who DO care about me and that’s all a girl could ask for!! Yet it’s still hurtful to think the bonds you formed with people were not sincere in their eyes. You would think all of that would end in high school or college but apparently that’s not the case! At the same time, I have formed new friendships with people I would not have expected. I received so many different e-mails from people “in the business” when I announced I was leaving and I was overwhelmed with support. In fact, it’s funny because I had so many job offers and people saying to call them whenever I was ready to come back and for once I wasn’t interested!!! They say the best jobs come when you aren’t looking for them. I hope those people are still around if I need to go back to work!! Lol. It’s also been nice to meet other mom’s, and neighbors who are also home during the day. There is an instant common ground because we have kids, we stay home, and have similar lifestyles. That part is great and I’m really excited to venture into this new lifestyle. Still, a part of me feels betrayed by those I came to trust and confide in. I guess the benefit of staying home is that I know if someone wants to get to know me, it won’t be because I can offer them any free stuff in return!! That is a lesson I won’t soon forget.

The Incredible Edible Egg

I love being home for breakfast. It's one of the biggest things I missed when I was doing the morning show. Now that I'm home, it has become one of my favorite times of the day. We have waffles, hash browns, bacon, sausage, fruit, and EGGS!! Always eggs. Jim is on a diet and he needs the protein. Thank goodness there are about 5 million ways to make an egg!!! I don't know why I am writing about that tonight....slow day I guess. Lol. Everything is going good. We are getting ready for our Ohio trip in a few weeks and we are also planning for New York in August!!! I am frothing at the mouth when I think about the shopping opportunities. We need to map out a game plan because I have literally 5 million things I want to do and see when we are there!! We are making reservations for Tavern on the Green. We are going to Tiffany and Co. (Breakfast at Tiffany's is my favorite movie ever so how could we not go?!). I also want to check out a place called Century 21 where I guess the deals are incredible. Not to mention Sephora, and a bunch of other places that are too expensive for us!! lol. The biggest priority for us though is seeing Ground Zero. That is something that will be very emotional I'm sure. Anyway, Grant is calling me so I better run. Stay tuned for pictures, when we get our film posted, I will put some new photos up for sure!!

Vantastic Veggies!!

I love Veggie Tales. They are so underrated, I wish more parents knew about them. I just discovered the world of Bob and Larry earlier this year and they are now a family favorite!! There is so much filth out there, and kids get exposed to so much crap...thank goodness for Veggie Tales!!! Minnesota Cuke is the newest installment but I LOVE "A Snoodles Tale"...check it out and you'll be hooked too!!

Ebay Addiction

I spend so much online time at EBay sot we decided to make it worth while. Jim and I are going to open a store and try to make money!!! We scored a great deal on a huge lot of NWT (that's new-with-tags) boy clothes and we are going to be setting up shop! Just waiting for it to arrive in the mail so we can start selling. Ya gotta love technology. Even though I am a stay-at-home mom, I still have a way to earn some income and do something I love...sell clothes!!! Besides, I have basically sold everything in our house that wasn't nailed down anyway!:) Lol. I am forever amazed at what people buy on EBay, and how much they spend. I saw someone who actually paid $3.00 for a Linens and Things 20% COUPON! Wow. Now I just have to be careful and make sure we actually SELL the items and I don't keep anything for the boys.:) Lol.

Well that's it for me today, just a quick update since Mom is still visiting. I have been meaning to post more pictures since it's easy to upload them now. Hopefully next time I can get a chance to do that.

Groundhog Day

I have been in a rut lately. Every day feels like Groundhog day. I feel like I am cleaning up the same mess, folding the same clothes, dealing with the same tantrums, washing the same dishes, over and over and over.... It's funny because I was telling my mom that and just yesterday my "American Baby" magazine came in the mail and talked about that exact issue! It said the solution was to break up the days with fun activities and outings with the kids. I have tried doing that with our Theme weeks and creating fun crafts and trips based on that. Still, I think part of it was that Jim had to work for 9 days straight without a break and we didn't get a chance to have much family time. It's amazing when I think of women whose husband's are in Iraq and on top of being "Super Mom" to their kids and taking care of the bills, etc they also have to worry about their husbands returning safely! So I have no reason to feel sorry for myself. Things have gotten much better since my mom has been here. She'll be visiting until Friday and we have a bunch of fun stuff planned. In fact, today I took Gabriel to see Madagascar and it was so funny! It was nice to have mommy/Gabe time and we need to do that more often.
The stay-at-home life has been incredible but I can see how it might not be for everyone. I feel much more responsibility since I am with the boys 24/7. In large part, it's totally up to me to make sure they are behaving, learning, sharing, playing, eating, properly and if not, there is no one else to blame but me (and Jim)!! I can't blame the naughty kids at day care or the lazy babysitter. Of course it sounds like a no-brainer because that's what a parents job IS, but in many ways I think I allowed myself to surrender some responsibility when I was working. I just assumed they would pick up the right habits and learn right from wrong by way of setting a good example. Now I know that wasn't enough. It's the same thing with cleaning. When I was working, I would sweep and Swiffer and kitchen floor daily. From the point of view of my tired eyes and busy life, I really thought that was enough to keep it clean. Then last week I decided to scrub the floor on my hands and knees and it wasn't until I got down there, that I really saw how filthy it had been all this time!! I had just been skimming the surface and not really getting into the cracks and corners of making sure it was spotless. Anyway, that was probably a really lame analogy but it's all my domesticated-mind can think of right now! Lol.:) So, even though staying home is much more work than I initially expected, I also realize it's much more important than
I anticipated also. Speaking of which, the boys are fighting AGAIN so that is my cue!! Gotta go.