I love it when I discover a new beauty product that actually does what it says! It's even better when it's super cheap! So last week on the show Len tried to make the weak argument that baking soda is a "scam". Although he was soundly shot down (ha ha) I'm glad he brought it up because we had several calls touting the praises of b.s.! Two ladies in particular raved about baking soda being an excellent exfoliate. I tried it on my face Friday night and loved it!! A friend of mine is an esthetician and said a lot of the so-called "home microdermabrasion kits" or even scrubs can really damage your skin, and rip your pores (ouch)! Baking soda doesn't have big granules and won't do that, it's very mild yet effective. I also learned baking soda is good for: Deodorant (in a pinch), Prevents hair from turning green from pool chlorine, puts out fires, relieves the pain of sunburn, removes scuff from vinyl flooring.
Generations of grandmothers KNEW what they were talking about when they stocked up with the old Arm and Hammer! Lol.:) I am seriously nixing the expensive facial scrubs though and going with baking soda from now on, it's a miracle!:)
What a week! My goodness. I have so many updates I don't even know where to begin! If you haven't heard by now, S.C. (Smelly Cat) attacked Garrett and left our family temporarily traumatized. It was awful and the worst part is that dangerous animal is still roaming the neighborhood and remains elusive. If you want to hear kind of a capsulized version, check out our clip of the week from the morning show: http://wfhm.salemwebnetwork.com//subpage.asp?StationId=WFHM-FM&PageNo=613
The GOOD news is that Garrett is recovering and healing quickly. It was a pretty significant gash on his foot (almost required stitches) but thankfully he's in better shape now.
The other update is that Gabriel started school yesterday! It was also my 29th birthday so I took the morning off, made breakfast for the fam, and took him to school. My mom took me out to breakfast too which was a nice treat. We are so close but we don't often get a chance to have "girl time" so I loved sharing some good conversation over biscuits.:) I think that's pretty much it! It's been a really crazy week so most of it is a blur but those are the highlights. I can tell it's back to school time because suddenly my calendar is filling up. Events, b-day parties, you name it! Good thing I am organized. Lol!:)
I do not like cats. Sorry, I just never have... and never will. So imagine my surprise when I got home from work today and saw this little "visitor" loitering on our back porch. Garrett was squealing and laughing through the window while Gabe and Grant jumped up and down with delight. Me? I wasn't sharing the same excitement AT ALL. The last thing we need is a cat, no WAY no HOW! Despite my annoyance I gave it some milk which apparently was the wrong thing to do! I just talked to my dad and he said SC (smelly cat) will never leave now that we fed him! Oie Vey. What to do?!
We woke up from our nap and the little fur ball was sleeping on our couch outside(See exhibit B):
I was hoping the little visit was only a bad dream...shoot! Jim isn't home from work yet but we will definitely have to come up with a plan of action so the cat isn't a permanent fixture. I know I sound cruel, but I'm actually very loving, and that's why I know we couldn't have a cat, I would be a horrible parent to it! He needs to be in a better place. Anyone want a new pet?!
This is silly. We added a new feature on the morning show thanks to assistant-to-the-associate-producer Greg. It's a video clip of the week! The goal is to tape something, a stunt, game, or bit from the show and post a new one every week. Of course me being the nit-picky personality I am the first thing I notice is my old lady hair! haha. Check it out if you are overly bored though, it's from our game "My Generation". Len is 40-something and I'm 20-something so we always have gaps in time and culture and we have fun pitting the age groups against each other. This week is a clip of us playing the game. It's long but clearly you can see why I get paid the big bucks...it's a tough job but somebody's got to do it! J/k.:)
FM&PageNo=613">http://wfhm.salemwebnetwork.com//subpage.asp?StationId=WFHM-FM&PageNo=613
Next week at this time Gabriel will be an official first grader! I am not ready.:( He's excited and I am so happy he's anticipating it, but I am just going to miss him during the day again. Most of all I know Grant is probably going to be a lost puppy without his big bro. They got so tight over the summer and he looks up to Gabriel so much. I guess it's good timing though because Garrett will probably be able to start interacting and Grant will have another buddy to be with before they are all reunited at 3pm. One way to know that summer is almost over is by looking at my date book! My schedule is starting to fill up like crazy and school hasn't even started yet! The big thing now is I've been trying to plan Gabe's birthday party. I've been working on an idea for a long time and I am dying to share it, I'm so excited! Looks like I'll have to wait another few weeks though (his birthday isn't until Sept 14 anyway) but be sure I'll pass it along because I know this is a neat idea for other kids too! My girlfriend Heidi is also coming to visit from WI and I am SO excited to have some girly time! It's not even until Labor Day but already I've been on a mission to plan the perfect trip for her.:)
That's pretty much it, life continues to be pretty easygoing and boring which is just wonderful by me. Grandpa took Gabe and Grant fishing and Garrett is sleeping so it's just me and a house waiting to be cleaned (and yet I'm blogging). hehe. Some things never change.:)
We watched a great movie over the weekend. I wasn't expecting much from "Music and Lyrics" but it was my turn to choose the movie so of course I went for a chick flick! ha. If it's got Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, Diane Keaton, Cameron Diaz or any other modern leading lady, I will rent it and probably enjoy it even though they are usually basically the same. So anyway I got Music and Lyrics with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant and it was SO cheesy.....I loved it!! Hugh Grant plays an 80's music has-been and that right there is so enough for me to be entertained. The movie started with the funniest totally 80's cliche' video and it cracked me up! The bad thing is the song is actually very catchy and I had it stuck in my brain so we pulled it up on You Tube. If you want a good laugh here is the link (Hugh has the long hair playing the keyboard) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0A7dtdc-nU. I should give the disclaimer that I don't recommend this movie for kids. I think it's very clean and one of the better ones but I need to say that (it's rated PG-13).
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What a big helper! Gabriel and Grant have recently been introduced to the wide world of chores. Oddly enough, they love it! I remember as a little girl I did too....for a while.:) They both vie for vacuum, mopping, or Windex duty and we've actually been having fun with it. We've even started rotating dish-washing duty. Well, the other day after Grant washed, Gabe rinsed, and I dried, Garrett decided to take a turn. He got right up there and started mimicking what he saw us do. Be still my heart!:) It was so cute and he just looked so proud I had to grab the camera.
This summer has proven to be one of the best ever. Our daily routine is pretty uneventful, but I think that's why it's been so wonderful. We play outside, get the sprinkler out, go bike riding, read books and just look at the clouds. We've gotten into a great routine together and I've managed to balance keeping the house clean, work, and getting quality time in with the boys. Each child is at such a precious stage right now and we just have so much fun together! Gabriel starts first grade in less than two weeks and we are savoring every last drop of summer until then. It's been a little more challenging with all 3 home at times, but I think we've finally gotten into a good groove. By the way, we LOVE our babysitter! I've gotten some e-mails asking how she's worked out and we couldn't be happier. Now if I could just get this giant pimple off my forehead, things would be perfect! Ha.
I have discovered a new found love of dresses, and skirts and it's my new mommy must-have. Either fashion has dictated that's a new trend, or I have just decided to dress somewhat like my grandmother on my own. Either way, I love it! Over the summer I bought a few new skirts for church, etc. I'm amazed how child-friendly wearing skirts and dresses can be! Obviously the length has to be appropriate but they are so comfortable! Plus I can wear a casual dress to the grocery store, running errands, etc. and put some nice jewelry on and I'm ready for a date with my husband! It's more versatile than wearing, dare I say it.... SWEATS! Plus a nice, feminine skirt is more flattering anyway.:) I'm now getting all my new mags showing fall fashions and plan to load up so my closet will be well stocked with winter skirts, etc. Just think about it, add some boots or a jacket and it changes it entirely! The thing I love most is that I find my pants never fit perfectly, they are either just tad too small or too big and with skirts it doesn't matter. No worries about sucking in the tum tum or worrying if your butt looks too big, a skirt is the great equalizer, it flatters all figures! So that's my discovery of the day.:)
I'm off to get the Christmas cookies out of the oven! Lol.:) We had a gingerbread mix that Gabe has been begging me to make for months! It's just so messy I've been putting it off but today we finally broke out the gingerbread man cookie cutters, rolling pin, and went to town. Time to taste test!
