lil bit of help 2.0 & Operation B-Day 7.0.....

hey all,

well it's been a week and i have to say if i were to be taking a test I would fail with about 65%. BUT to me since I was getting a 0% I say 65% is a vast improvement.

Hubster and I have been having so much on our minds lately that truthfully thats the last thing i'm worrying about. No worries things are all good, just the foster care stuff and all that, and making sure it's the path that we want and are supposed to be on. but we've agreed we are just going to take a break from it all until after our adults only weekend trip mid september. Our 15th anniversary is September 13, and we are going to have a little luxurious staycation in Houston (about 30 mins from where we live). We are gonna stay at a luxurios hotel with 400 ct thread sheets (heaven in my book) and have a couples massage, and dinner at spindletop (like the space needle).

We have Buckeroo's bday this month, so Operation Birthday 7.0 has commenced with a Monster Jam theme. And y'all i do UP bday parties - my momma always tells me I go over the top with his parties and every year I give her the same answer. Here's our convo every year:

MOMMA: Shell, you really go over the top with his party.
ME: I know, but he's only going to have his 6th bday party once in a lifetime.
MOMMA: you know you say that every year.
ME: yep, cause he only has his 4th bday once a lifetime, his 5th bday once in a lifetime, etc
MOMMA: you are one of a kind - and a great momma.
ME: well i had a great role model ;D

I have always made all his birthday cakes and this year will be no different. Altho I'm not sure which one i will do.

This one:

Or this one:

Or this one:

Cor is wavering between #1 and #2. I was thinking of doing cupcakes with the mini speedsters as the cupcake topping and use those for party favors. But with cakes this big I think we are gonna do one cake and have the 1:24 scale monster trucks as party favors with a tag that says "Thanks for making my birthday a SMASHING success!" I'm prolly going to buy the invites from Ebay the ones that look like tickets to Monster Jam. I'll make the fill in the blank thank you cards myself.

We're having it at our local Incrediable Pizza Company, and he wants to play lazer tag. I know one would think we would have like an army theme with the lazer tag but he's as eclectic in his choices as momma is in her decorating tastes! LOL! I totally *heart* that my boy dances to his own drummer and HE is his drummer.

Anyone have any cute ideas to add to the mix?

Much Luvs!

Michelle



how about some pix with a lil bit of post.....

Hey Everyone,

I'm so far behind on posting the rest of our vacation pix so I'm just going to give a ton of pix with a little bit of  a post.

Hope everyone likes it!

We ran into some our closest friends the last night it was so much fun

Cor and brooke friends forever

daddy and cor getting ready to go jet sking

daddy, cor and ,momma at the famous LaKings confectionary having milkshakes all around



They were both excited going out to jet ski

Puppy dog kisses are still popular around here

 my sister and youngest neice - can u tell puppy kisses are a family tradition?

Can u tell someone was so excited to have his gma and papa (my momma and daddy)

all to himself?

katie (my youngest neice) and cor playing in the water.

we had such an amazing time with our family - it's one of the really great perks to having a family business. we were all able to get away and have a little family getaway with EVERYONE except my bro-in-law. he was recently recalled to active duty in the Navy. So if you could please spare some prayers for my sister and her kids i would really appreciate it. God is so good my bil was able to come back a week early and was able to be here for his first grandbaby's birth. he will miss his youngest daughters senior year and graduation and his sons 8th grade year and all that goes with it.  So pray for his safety and the strength for his family.

Much Luvs!!

Michelle

needing a lil bit o help....

Hey Friends!

If you are like me and your momma and daddy only let you have "good for you" candy, then you know the title is a lil ole spin on Bit o Honey. We were allowed those and Mary Janes, you know the orange and black wrapped peanut buttery candies you can only get at Halloween. No worries I wasn't deprived.

Anywho, back to my post title, it's some stuff that has been swimming around in my head (altho sometimes it all gets going so fast I often feel like it's a toilet flushing)! I don't blog alot about health, fitness, exercise, eating right, etc because well I don't do that stuff, BUT it's been on my mind alot. like Alot lot. I'm an all or nothing gal and that is great sometimes but I find it also bites me on my posterior a bit too. I'm so full of gusto that I expend alot of my energy and excitement right up front and then fizzle, almost like Rice Krispies ~ snap, crackle but no pop.

So I've decided that I'm not going to try and run a marathon while sprinting (like I would know what that is but you must admit it's a great analogy). I'm going to pace myself, purposely make myself stop and slow down, hopefully this will lead to a more life long lesson. Let me tell you, if it can be done to try and loose weight I've done it. From Phen-Phen to gastric bypass (yes I did have it done Rouxen-Y April 2002) to thinking (and applying for a medical cost credit card) to piggy back stomach surgeries (the stomach banding). I made myself stop and slow down, and I realized finally admitted that the only thing that would be permanent is a lifestyle change (I mean hello?! - I had gastric bypass surgery done, lost 130 lbs, only to gain it and more back).

So back to my plan, pacing myself. I've decided that I'm going to start with breakfast, I'm going to fix us breakfasts in the morning. We are NOT breakfast people, even when I stop and get us McD's (often) we both normally do not eat it until around lunch time. I already cook pretty somewhat healthy for dinners, I must learn how to make baked zuchini fries instead of actually frying them. So that leaves breakfasts and lunches. My lil guy loves eggs so much so I have to limit him on how many he can eat in a week (all the cholestoral and stuff like that), so I was thinking a scrambled egg and toast with cream cheese. Something along those lines, any input or suggestions would be great!

On Pinterest I found a great site for 20 different light and healthy lunch wraps, so I'm going to try those this week also. Here in Haiti Texas, the cool light refreshing wraps will taste so good with how freaking hot it is. Water is no problem, I love water and iced tea, sodas - no thank you!

No exercise - oh Lord Jesus please help me - I'm truely pleading for His help as I know my limits and I can't do it without Him and His help! I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago and my family was worried about my swelling (sometimes I have stubs and no feet or they would feel better if they just split open to relieve some pressure). Like I told my doctor, I'm fat and sedidary and it's hot as haiti right now. She agreed, and when I mean sedidary I mean sedidary. I work at a desk all day, come home, cook dinner, clean up, night time/bed routines and then down in the chair for TV or computer time. Side funny - Sunday we declared family day, and we were talking about what we were going to do and my lil guy said, "Daddy and me are gonna work in the the upstairs mancave and you, well you can play on the computer, your most favorite thing to do." UMM, maybe Bubba Hubster was right I spend too much time on the computer, but in my defense I do computer work all day! So back to exercise, my goal is to walk our office hallways at least 20 times per day. It's not a super big office hallway but its something like 167 steps (my daddy's power walking steps so probably 250 of my 5'0" stubby legs steps) end to end. So I'm going to try my best to do this for one week ( I know it takes almost three weeks to make a habit but I must remember I'm pacing myself). Next Tuesday I'm gonna post a recap "bit o help take 1", I'm going to push for this to be a weekly recap, but I don't want to promise and then not come through.

If anyone would like to join me please comment and maybe we can be one anothers support and accountability partner. Here are some of the people that I want to be a great example to and want as much time here on earth with as I can have (plus they are so CA-UTE pix!!).

Yes, my kid is *rockstar* and no I'm not too proud to say it.



This man has been my rock for almost 16 yrs (we celebrate our 15 anniversary this year), and I wanna grow old with him.

Much Luvs!

Michelle

an awesome blog hop

Hello Friends!

I'm doing the monthly blog hop over at Live, Laugh, Rowe, Kelly is amazingly awesome to host a great monthly blog hop with cohosts that rock! I love all the new awesome blogs that link up and all the great information I find.

I hope y'all join us over there, here's the link:

Thee Networking Blog Hop

Much Luv!
Michelle

a little stickiness is sometimes a good thing....

Hello friends!

I'm still trying to download my pix from the rest of our little business vacation, but thought I would give y'all a lil ole post while i'm waiting.

I ordered some vinyl artwork from Ms.Danielle over at Blissful & Domestic (she has an amazing blog that you should check out - she's one of my daily visits), and she worked up my custom order and did a wonderful job!

It's been hotter than Haiti here so I was wwwaaayyyy lazy and didn't touch it for a week, then we went on a little vacation. Then this morning I decided I would tackle it (after an afternoon trip to Hobby Lobby).

I got a Welcome decal for my true front door, we have three front doors and most the time people come to the kitchen door which is the first door you come to on the house. And our address is on one street while our driveway is on the the cross street (we have a corner lot). I wanted a way for people's eye to go to the house then travel to the driveway, plus I wanted people to come to the "real" front door (so they can't see my dirty dishes :D) not the real reason. I just want to use my front door for other than false alarm calls, LOL!

Here's what the front door looked like before the decal, I did take a picture with the chair and all but I couldn't figure out how to rotate that picture.

First, pick your spot and then you need to clean the door so that the vinyl adheres correctly and permanently, I think it's time for the yearly power cleaning of the house, YUCK!

Second, position it exactly how you want, and smooth it over (Danielle over at Blissful & Domestic recommends a squeege and I second it) but being that I was in the middle of this and didn't want to stop was too lazy to go and get one I used a plastic spatula. Oh yes, I live in the country and am pure redneck, in a total cool and good way. Then pull back the clear adhesive, I did mine at an angle and it seemed alot easier.

Here is the finished product (I totally stink at picture staging sorry for the junk in the picture). I completely LOVE how it turned out. That little eagle above the door Bubba Hubster made in shop class during his high school years, another thing I totally *heart*!

Next up is the laundry vinyl decal I purchased, same process as the door. This was the side of my laundry cabinet.

And Ta-Da!! Don't you just LUV the tongue in check notion of it?! I do so luv it! This is the one where the squeege would have come in sssoooo handy! I absolutely LUV this font and cut out, but with out the squeege to really get the letters to stick it was very slow going, but that was my fault for not following the directions. I wish I had placed it a little lower so I could add some other charts and reminders for Lil Buckeroo, but there is no moving this some of them have three different letter parts. This is a little sneak peek of the direction I want to go in with the laundry room, I love this green!

I hope you all like it as much as I love it!

Let me know what you think, and remember to check out Ms.Danielle over at Blissful & Domestic , she's an awesome homeschooling momma of two who is a rockstar at vinyl decals AND they don't cost hardly anything!

Much Luv!!

Michelle

post in pix

hey everyone! hope all is doing great and enjoying ur summer so far! we are havng a great one, right now we are our closest coastal town of galveston, texas. hubster had a business trade show and we tagged along, lil guy luvs to go to work Daddy and Papa. so a quick note in pix before the day gets started for us!

getting our lunch on before going to the show to visit papa and daddy

doing the ride at rainforest cafe he wasnt too sure of it all so he made sure to sit between daddy and papa and had a tight grip going. i totally LUV this pix all the men in my life that are the most inportant to me.

after 16 yrs togather we still cant get enuff of one another - i'm so lucky!! we will be celebrating our 15th anniversary September 13!

to keep from drowing in pix overload i'll save some for after we get back!

hope everyone is great and enjoying their summer!!

much luv!!
michelle

awesome give-away from another awesome blog i read!

Hey friends!

you must check out confessions of a craiglist junkie's giveaway from homegoods!

http://confessionsofacraigslistjunkie.blogspot.com/2012/07/home-goods-giveaway.html?showComment=1342233563562#c6730885398519656862

she is giving away a $50 gift certificate for home goods! i know right?!  ~AND~ she gives you THREE chances to enter her giveaway!

you won't regret becoming a follower of her blog, she has such great posts.

LUVS!
michelle

A Little Helpful Sumpin....

Hey Hey Hey Everyone!!

Sorry for the gap between posting, but things have been crazy good around here! My family in laws came in for a quick visit, then the 4th and the festivities, a spur of the moment weekend trip (that was amazing, crazy and fun!).

The other day we went to Sam's and picked up our usual stuff, this time it included two industrial size containers of vinegar. Why? you as. Well I found out that vinegar is a natural fabric softner, thanks to Ms. Ashli over at Mini Manor Blog you MUST go and check out her amazing blog. I just luv to stalk read her posts. So between that and ALL the cucumbers produced by my garden I figured I needed them, lol! Bubba Hubster was a lil worried about our clothes smelling vinegary, but nope nothing, he's a converted believer!

Well, after we got home I was putting away our Sam's haul and saw all these awesome tips on the back of the box of vinegar. I thot alot of them were pretty awesome and thot y'all might like to know about them too. So here goes!

1) Glassware-1/2C of distilled vinegar added to a gallon of rinse water will remove soap film from glassware and make it shine.

2) Toilet Bowl - Clean and deodarize your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted white distilled vinegar into it. Let it stand for about five mins then flush. Stubborn stains may require scrubbing.

3) Bathtub - Wipe down bathtub with vinegar and soda to remove film buildup. Rinse clean with water.

4) Ants - Ant invasions can be deterred by washing countertops, cabinets and floors with distilled vinegar.

5) Grease - Filmy dirt and greasy residue can be removed from stove and refrigerator by wiping with vinegar.

6) Grass or Weeds - Kill unwanted grass on sidewalks and driveways by pouring on vinegar.

7) Chrome - To polish chrome an stainless stelel, moisten a cloth with white vinegar and wipe clean.

8) Shower Curtain - Rub a cloth dampened with vinegar to remove soapy, steamed in film and mildew fom your plastic shower curtain. Then rinse clean.

9) Coffee Maker - To remove stale coffee residue (or your machine has quit pumping water) , fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. When cycle is finished, run two cycles of water to rinse.

10) Irons - Remove burn stains from your electric iron by mixing one part salt with one part vinegar in a heated small aluminum pan. Use this mix to polish the iron as you would silver.

11) Vegetables - Liven up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cool water and vinegar,.

12) Flowers - Add 2T of vinegar plus 3T of sugar to a quart of warm water (100F) to keep fresh cut flowers blooming longer.

13) Cabbage - Add vinegar to the cooking water of boiling cabbage to prevent the odor from permeating the house.

14) Meat - A marinade of 1/2C of your favorite vinegar and 1C of liquid bouillon makes an effective meat tenderizer.

15) Rice - 1t of vinegar added to the water of boiling rice makes it white and fluffy.

16) Fish - Reduce fishy odors by rubbing fish down with white distilled vinegar before scaling it.

17) Cheese - Keep cheese moist and fresh by wrapping it in a cloth that has been dampened with vinegar and sealed in an air-tight wrap or container.

18) Eggs - To produce better-formed egg whites, add a tsp. of vinegar to the water.

19) Onion Odors - Quickly remove the odor of onions from your hands by rubbing them with distilled vinegar.

20) Pickling - Cider, Red Wine, Balsamic and other dark vinegars are good for pickling, but may discolor lighter colored pickles such as pears, onions or cauliflowers. In this case, a distilled or white vinegar may be preferred.

I hope this was as informational for you as it was me. I'm totally using the onion odor smell I can't stand the smell I have on my hands for days after cutting up onions for sautes.

LUVS!
Michelle