Never Too Young To Save

Handsome's stash that he allows us to see. The rest is saved in a special place

My kids love saving their money. They have been getting $1.00 a week from their grandpa since they were born. He sends them a dollar each with my lovingly cut coupons and they love getting them. They take turns opening the envelope knowing that there will be dollars in there with their names on them love, grandpa.  They save their money. I was also a good saver never spending my money gifts from family.  As much as they save, we haven't really gone beyond the few piggy banks they have but I think it is time they learn a better budgeting plan. Hopefully this will help them later in life never be in debt.

In Your Easter Bonnet – Play in the Dirt

Originally posted March 25, 2008

I don’t get it.

 

What is it with kids and dirt?

 

The first part of this story is that my daughter and I were (ok me, I was), very excited that this would be the first time she would wear an Easter bonnet and white gloves. She was excited to put them on and she picked out the bonnet herself.

 

I bought her something to wear (probably the 5 thing I have purchased for her clothing wise in the almost 3 years she is here). Something new, not handed down, hers and hers alone. It wasn’t my favorite but there wasn’t much to chose from. Easter is really early this year and it is pretty cold for the typical Easter wear.

 

She was all dressed sitting waiting to leave for her Abuela’s when she asked me to change her diaper…insert screeching car tires here because ummm hello she hasn’t worn a diaper in just over 3 months. In the 3 months since she has trained she has had 3 count them, 3 accidents. So why, oh why on this particular day, when the outfit had only been on her for 1/2 an hour would she decide to use it as her own personal portable potty?

 

I told her that she didn’t have a diaper on and that I hoped she was kidding. I had just washed and dried her tights. The reason she wasn’t wearing them earlier was because they were in the dryer, drying so that she could wear them with her new stinkin’ Mommy doesn’t love Easter outfit.

Anyway, I digress. I change her, and tell her how disappointed I am that she pee’d in her clothes and next time ask me to take her to the potty. She says what she always says, “I’m sorry Mommy.” We put on the next best thing. A punky, fun, pair of stockings, the only ones that would be warm enough but didn’t have snow flakes on them and head out the door.

We go to the in-laws with my son looking like the little man and the girl looking like a little funky punk. Eat a wonderfully delicious lunch and then my husband decides to take the kids outside.

Normally I don’t mind them being little rug rats because well as far as rug rats go they are pretty clean. They never have crusty messes under their noses, they never smell, their clothes don’t have huge unidentifiable stains and they don’t argue to wash their hands, but why on Easter must we play in the dirt?

I guess they had a good time and Tide will take out the stains. My mother and father would have freaked if we were all dressed up playing in the dirt but I guess there are worse things they could have gotten into.

So Easter and dirt, perfect together. Who knew?

Super Sexy, Tasteful, Fun Read by Cora Carmack

The 411 by Maria:

Losing it is about a college student's quest to lose her virginity. She hates having this veil of purity over her head but isn't about to whore herself out to just anyone. She is a good girl who is just trying to find a comfortable male she feels is worth "losing it" to.

I love Bliss, she is quirky, funny, adorable and a complete nervous wreck. She thinks way too much but when she meets a sexy British stranger at a bar she suddenly thinks about "losing it" to him. After a sexually charged motorcycle ride she finds an excuse to ditch the poor chap much to her chagrin. If only she wasn't so afraid. Bliss doesn't have it difficult in the sex department either, 3 guys interested in her but she is unwilling to take the plunge so to speak. 

What makes this book so great is I wouldn't be embarrassed to have my 18 year old, I don't have an 18 year old daughter but if I did, I would let her read this book. 

Cora creates an interesting, sexy story filled with sexual tension but doesn't force the raunchy factor and this coming from someone who really LIKES raunch!   

Worth a read!

Read A Classic With Your Child This Summer

The 411 by Maria:

A beautiful version of this timeless story perfect for grades 3-6. I found it refreshing and remember reading the story when I was a kid. The original story is much different than the movie which I had forgotten after so many years of seeing the movie.  The main characters are still there but instead of a Tin Man we have a Tin Woodsmen and the Good Witch is just a little woman with three little men who were kept in slavery by the Wicked Witch of the East.

I love the pictures throughout the book and the big bold words that break up the story. This is a perfect editing for younger kids. They will undoubtedly love the Classics after reading this.

Hopefully Handsome will be interested in reading this for his summer reading and Goddess soon after. I will follow up on his opinion after the summer.

Handsome Handles Kindergarten Orientation 2008

May 23, 2008

Today I dropped Goddess off at my kids other “mommy” (not sure why they call her this but it is cute), house. For me, she is my ultimate pick to watch them. I have only left them 5 times in their whole little lives but this is the place that puts my mind at ease. To top up the fact that I don’t ever worry when my daughter is there is that when I walk in to pick her up there is usually a new pot of coffee brewing and breakfast or lunch is being made. Nice. If I wasn’t married, I would totally marry her.

Handsome, his Special Instructor and I headed over to the school of a morning of Kindergarten orientation, a tour, followed by the first school bus ride this chick has taken in over 30 + years. Scary!!

It was interesting to see how (if I decide to send him this year), my son’s morning will start. The three kindergarten classes meet in a community room where they will do the pledge, God Bless America, and my country tis of thee. Not only will the sing it but they will also sign it. Pretty cool. Along with that they will discuss the lunch menu for the day, talk about the date and weather for that day. Have a book written to them by “the author of the week” whose picture will be on the front board with their name, celebrate birthday’s of the day and go over the letter of the week.
All before 9:15 a.m.
Geez. Long day without my baby boy. They are in school from 8:50 – 3:20. Aarrggghhh…ok. I am sure eventually, over time I will be ok with this and it will become the norm (if I decide).
We took a bus ride which he was excited about for the first 5 minutes but it took so long for the bus to actually start moving, about 15 minutes that he lost his mojo and was quiet and bored the whole ride. Not that he will ever be taking a bus because I will be driving him, I just thought he would like the experience.
I know I need to cut some apron strings eventually but he is only 5 and I am in no rush to have him be independent. There have got to be moms out there like me who are in no hurry to put their babies into the school system. Today, I met none.

See This Inspirational journey "Life of Pi" on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray or DVD - My Review

The 411 by Maria:

In it's most basic form the movie is about Pi Patel, the only human survivor after his parents commission a ship to move their zoo from India to Canada. Along with Pi is an orangutan, a hyena, a zebra that broke it's leg when it feel into the life boat and an adult Bengal Tiger (who is named Richard Parker).

After the other animals are killed by tiger, Pi and the Tiger learn to coexist on and off the life boat until Pi is rescued in Mexico 227 days after the ship went down.

OK...now that I gave you that very brief summary, let's get into how and why I liked it so much. The movie is exquisitely done with amazing cinematography and CGI effects. I truly love how beautiful it was and wish I had seen it in 3D!

Pi played by Suraj Sharma as the shipwrecked younger Pi and later Irrfan Khan as older Pi, is amazingly resourceful as he struggles to keep himself and Richard Parker alive.

My husband says it reminded him of Tom Hanks Castaway, I can see why he would say that but visually, it is way above Castaway.

Very cool effects!

Whiffit Whiff It Good!

I received Whiffits 3 weeks ago and keep them in my pocketbook and use them often. While I don't know about them actually controlling my appetite, I will continue to smell away.

Check out my video review below:

Looking For Spring Break Read For You or Your Son?

The 411 by Maria:

I was excited to read this just from the cover.  After receiving an autographed copy, I dove right in and was instantly captivated.  Wade is a man's man. He is tough, smart, the kind of guy boys want to be like.  When scientifically created hybrid beasts get lose, the government looks for one guy to help them capture them. 

The writing has a classic science fiction/western style that fans of this genre will eat up. Wade is an interesting lead character with skills like no other.  

If you like action adventure, this is the book for you. There were moments that dragged but overall, the old time feel revamp and modernized with hybrids was overall very interesting. I see a movie! 

Riveting dialogue: 

“What is it?!” screamed Mrs. Peterson.

“I don’t know!” shouted her husband. “Just stay down!” 

He glanced back at the door just in time to see the creature’s foreleg retract.

“Quiet, kids! Be quiet!” he ordered. Then he rose into a half-crouch and peered out the bedroom windows. 

“Can you see it?” asked his wife.

“No!” he answered. 

Mrs. Peterson shushed her terrified children, holding them close and rocking back and forth. Their screams died down to panicked sobs as Mr. Peterson strained to hear what was going on outside.

SLAM! The creature landed on the roof and started feverishly clawing at the sheet metal. The sound was like that of fingernails scraping down a chalkboard, only much louder.

Purr-Fect Pillow Pet for Kids Who Love Crafts

We received an adorable Plush Craft from Orb Factory that we are smitten with! Goddess, was literally beside herself to get started on it but she had to wait until the next day AND after her homework was done. Fortunately for us that day turned out to be a snow day which meant we had lots of time to craft, paint, play, watch videos and go play in the snow!

Plush Crafts are perfect for kids who love to craft, follow easy directions, and end up with something special when they are done that they can gift or keep! We are sooo keeping ours.

 Here is Miss Goddess doing her thing...watch how easy and fun this is.
 

We love this and can't wait to give one as a gift.  

Our only suggestion would be:

• Possibly provide another tool so two kids could do one. 
•  We used the extra colors to fill in any places we felt could benefit from more color. You simply put another into the hole. Easy peasy. 
• Bigger velcro for the attached pieces like the mouth and eyes. We already lost the mouth behind a radiator because Goddess slept with it the first night and since it kept falling off, fell off and is now wedged and we can't get it out. 
• More, more, more...we wish there was a boy colored craft because my son loved doing it but would never put it in his room.

The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange: Escape From The Kitchen - REVIEW

The 411 by Maria, Handsome and Goddess:

I don't know if we loved this show the very first time we watched it but we are die hard fans for the past 10 months.  We found the Annoying Orange on You Tube last year and thought; what the.....h-e-c-k?  As strange as we thought it was, we couldn't stop watching.  We really are not sure why these creepy faced fruits and veggies are popular but they are. 

The show focuses on Orange and his friends which include Marshmallow, Pear, Grandpa Lemon and others.   While the characters are mostly obnoxious, we often find ourselves laughing out loud at their craziness. It is very witty and my husband and I don't mind watching with the kids in the least. 

While some found this offensive in the beginning due to the name calling; "you're such an Apple" says one fruit to the apple. It really is just funny and has the Dove Foundation Family seal of approval!

This is 40 on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy March 22nd - A REVIEW

THE 411 BY MARIA:

I really was in need of a comedy and I love Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as a couple on Knocked Up so I was really excited to see this.  It was a very cute movie. I didn't quite laugh-out-loud but did chuckle. 

We start the movie with a sex scene in a stand up shower. It seems like a completely different movie and my husband perks up on the couch next to me after saying this isn't his "kind of movie".  Well, that lasts a moment and all hell breaks loose. The couple is fighting over the fact that the husband took a viagra! 

Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd) are the quintessential, married couple with kids and have their ebbs and flows as most couples do. There is a moment when Pete is telling his friends that they are at that moment in the relationship where everything they say, makes the other person mad.  Who hasn't been there and can't relate? My hand isn't raised right now. 

There are moments are that very cute, and very sweet and funny. Melissa McCarthy as a very pissed off mom cracked me up.  While I was hoping for more hysterics I loved watching this couple who are trying very hard to head into their 40s with the best of intentions; changing their diets, working out, controlling their kids, taking care of their parents, etc., they are a lot hotter than most average couples so seeing them struggle to hold onto their youth wasn't something I found easy. Also, while they bicker, they are very in love and spend a lot of time talking and "getting along".

There are some very funny moments like Paul with his legs up in the air, a mirror posed at his anus and a smartphone trying to snap pictures of something he wants his wife to see by his butt and some surprises like Megan Fox and Jason Segel, who I thought were great in this. I am a huge Jason Segel fan so seeing him as a workout instructor with game was cute.  

See this movie! You won't be disappointed. I can't wait to see it again.

SNOW DAY DVD TIME! Plus A View From Our Deck

The kids are home from school today due to another snow day. Today, our agenda includes playing Wii, playing in the snow and watching some great family friendly movies.

Chasing Mavericks starring Gerard Butler would be my pick of the bunch but the kids want to start with Clifford the big red dog.

In Chasing Mavericks; Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue and Hollywood newcomer Jonny Weston star in this inspiring true story of courage and friendship the whole family will love. When 15-year-old Jay Moriarty (Weston) discovers that the mythical Mavericks surf break is real, he reaches out to local surfing legend Frosty Hesson (Butler) to train him to ride it. What begins as a mentorship turns into an extraordinary bond that transforms both their lives, as Jay and Frosty learn valuable lessons about conquering fear in pursuit of your dreams. Featuring the most spectacular wave footage ever captured on film, Chasing Mavericks is packed with action and drenched with excitement!

The Celebrate with Clifford DVD is to honor 50 years of big fun, big friendships and everyone's favorite big red dog in seven party-packed CliffordT tales! Whether it's working as a team to put on the Fall Carnival, finding the perfect gift for a birthday party, or building a float for the Birdwell Parade, Clifford and his pals - Emily, Charley, Jetta and T-Bone discover that always following your heart and being yourself is the best way to be a BIG friend. Let's get this party started!

Duke, which we watched this morning before 9:00 AM because my kids were awake by 6:30 AM stars Steven Weber as Marine Sergeant Terry Pulaski, a once proud man, is now a broken shell of himself having returned from Iraq with both PTSD and a disabling injury. Terry struggles to be a good father and husband, but his challenges leave him feeling like a burden to his wife and daughter. With his dog Duke in tow, he decides to leave his family behind. Years later, a homeless Terry needs help for an aging and ill Duke, so he leaves him in the care of a veterinary clinic. Will Duke be able to help Terry face his demons and reconcile with his estranged daughter?

We loved it!  It is a wonderful story of the love of a man for his dog! His best friend. The only one who could help him as he dealt with post traumatic stress from his time in the Marines. He gave up everything including his family but would do anything for his dog. Everyone needs someone and sometimes, it isn't a two legged person. While I couldn't understand why nor does the movie try to explain to us why Terry didn't get help for his mental state or why his family didn't try to harder to stay in his life, the movie isn't about that. It is about how much Terry loves Duke! 

Well, they are pretty much ready to head out for an hour or two.

Here is what it looks like by us. What's your day looking like?

Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Peel

I was able to try the Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Peel. I love the idea of doing an at home peel. When I worked for a dermatologist for years I would see woman come in and pay a lot of cash for a peel that forced them to come back for a follow up for creams prescriptions for the redness. This is such a gentle peel. You put it on at night and rinse it off easily in the morning. The bottle will last a really long time too because you use only a small amount on your face. The best part is there is no big facial preps or follow ups with cream like a lot of other peels. My skin felt subtle and soft.

As for the dark spots I don't know that I see a remarkable difference but because my skin feels so much better, I don't even look at them anymore.

The Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Peel is a great non invasive way to get wonderful skin without spending a ton of cash or feeling any of the burning you feel with other peels.

After my peel, I followed up with a great moisturizer, and love touching my own cheek! So if you see me stroking my own cheek you will know why.

Love it.

I use many of the Garnier products and this is another I will gladly add to my arsenal of supplies on looking the best I can.

Best Selling Author VC Andrews Forbidden Sister

The 411:

When I was a kid my sister and I devoured the Flowers in the Attic series about the Dollanganger family. Our love of this writer is still as fresh as it was when we were 12 & 13 years old.  Unlike a lot of the other reviews I have seen, saying the book has flat characters, I really enjoyed getting to know Emmie and Roxy.

In this book, Emmie longs to know her black sheep sister Roxy who was sent packing after her father threw her out 8 years prior. Emmie has always tried to make her parents proud and felt it was her duty after what they supposedly had to endure with Roxy.  When She finally gets a moment to spy on her sister, she sees a beautiful, refined woman, who lives in a great apartment and takes limo rides. 

Emmie learns that Roxy is an escort and wishes she could get to know her sister. 

When a turn of events put the sisters in each others presence after 8 years, Emmie and Roxy must find a way to help each other out of they allow themselves to feel for the other.  Can the girls put aside their early years and learn to love and lean on each other like siblings do? Only time will tell, I can't wait for book 2.

While it is not VC, the feeling is still there and we are happy her family is continuing to put out these books.