We're off to a pretty Good Start......

WOW! I am already almost half way through the first month of the new year and I haven't written a thing? What on earth?!

Holidays were GREAT! The In-Law hosted event at our home went off without a hitch, and we had A TON of food leftover...but I loved snacking on it, so I was pleased. My little family appreciated all of the stuff underneath the tree....even the handmade items...BONUS!

I made this lip gloss (which is ridiculously simple) and my girls loved it...now I am passing it around to my lady friends...it feels nice to be able to say "I made that!"

Along the lines of making stuff, I have had some more free time lately...due to me trimming down my hours at one of our businesses....I needed to get my home in order...anyway....I have made, my own dish detergent (which ROCKS by the way), I am in process of making a laundry detergent as well....a nice fragrance one, I made this awesome stain remover for laundry ...SOOOOO SIMPLE, and I made my daughter some homemade shaving cream...I must admit I am feelin PRETTY domestic...almost like June Cleaver domestic but without the heels and apron.....

My laundry is all caught up, washed, dried, folded AND PUT AWAY!!! WOOHOO (insert little victory dance here) I am rearranging our downstairs to finish it for a family den...which is also going to rock! I have everything where I need it to be, which is so much less stressful.

I make well-planned home cooked meals every night for my family...which is so fulfilling.....

I have to say that this year is off to a great start! i hope this keeps up! I guess that's it for now...until next time!

have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.....

I am feeling the holiday stress today...
I have already baked or made 7 different items for the cookie baskets I throw together every year and I have at least 4 more to do...*sigh* i am maxed out on my time, almost to the minute, between work and my duties as a mom and wife, I have less than 9 days to finish

I have only made half of the items I want to have ready for my daughters and husband, and I am struggling with the necessary motivation it is going to take to get it all finished....

I have 3 more Christmas parties I have to prep for, and one of them is the in-laws hosted at our home (which is HUGE) My husband has never hosted A holiday gathering before, and I suggested this year was our turn..... only time will tell whether that was a good move or not......

I am working MANY hours and trying to fit everything in....

Why didnt I start some of this stuff earlier? Well mostly because I hadnt thought about how MUCH i had to do until now.....*ugh*

I havent even made out my Christmas cards....do people even still mail out Christmas cards? Have we lost that as a society as well? Oh heavens!

Dont get me wrong, I love getting ready for Christmas, I just hope my tired body can keep up! I hope I get it all done...i hope everyone is pleased with what I have put soooo much time into.

well it's time for me to get back to lesson planning ...
This was a nice little 6 minute break anyhow... Merry Christmas my friends
Until next time....

and these are the days of our lives.......

so I was talking with one of my co-workers today and I realized something important...I mean it's something that I have know all along, but for some reason today it just clicked.....

THE BEST (or worst) FORM OF ADVERTISING IS WORD OF MOUTH.......

I live in a small community...one where if you aren't sure what you've been up to, you could just ask your neighbor and they can tell you...local gossip is ALWAYS entertaining and mostly you can only believe about 40% of what you hear from the town "mouths" (if EVEN that much)..

SO WHAT? WHY AM I WRITING ABOUT IT?

Well it goes like this....

My husband and I own a few little businesses in our community, and while I wouldn't consider either of them lucrative, they do fine. I like to think it's because we have formed some loyal bonds with people in our community.....

Now I will tell you that one of our businesses is a child care facility...there is only one other one in town that offers all day group licensed child care. So we are doing fine....its not exactly cut throat (at least not from our perspective)

Now I have been in the pygmie business for quite a long time, and I KNOW who I want to hire and who I WOULDN'T hire....I want the BEST, and I believe we have a staff that is second to NONE... because we have recruited the BEST.

Now, that also means that someone has to be second best...right? So...it's human nature to go into attack mode when you think you aren't "winning" and that's what has happened in our little community.....the "competition" is in attack mode, and it seems we are the target( which makes sense since we are the only other group facility). But it's not only the owner attacking, nope, she has some of the parents within her facility also doing her bidding......

It's rather ridiculous really, and it got me thinking.....this one parent who is the biggest gossip, works at a local coffee shop.....and whenever a parent from our facility comes in, she immediately goes into full gossip mode and spins these stories she pulls straight from her rear! Now ordinarily it wouldnt ruffle my feathers at all..I would let it run it's course and say nothing in response....

But she's been out of control and slamming my staff...who are like family to me...and quite frankly my sicilian temper has flared...I wanted to go all soprano on her butt...however, my husband keeps telling me that whatever the situation i must react with class...... *sigh*

So I have decided that since i used to be a "regular" at the shop this one girl manages (the place she holds her gossip sessions) I am no longer going to be a patron there....I figure why support a local business when the employees slam other businesses? I also wrote a letter to the owner (who is an acquaintance of mine) explaining that i cannot come to his business any longer due to the issue with his manager. I also will no longer refer any of my friends to this establishment either.....I will not support this woman's paycheck.....its THAT simple....I won't say anything malicious about her or the business she works for, I just won't refer anyone there...when people ask me which shop is the best I will tell them that the Mocha place is great (and I will say it with GUSTO)

I understand that this may not even make ANY difference to the girl or her boss, and I can tell you that I am fine with that...But at least it makes me feel better...I don't have to look at her and I certainly wont have to refrain from devising ways to dispose of a body....(a bit drastic?) LOL

So there you have it...my minor vent on a snip-it of drama that happens in a day in the life....

that's all I have, Until next time....

Much to be thankful for

What am I thankful for:

My husband- I miss him when he is gone, even if it's just for work that day- I will admit that he drives me crazy most days being his man self...but I TRULY love him

My Daughters- they are 2 of the most beautiful girls God could have blessed me with...they are so behaved and endearing, both different from the other, but so AWESOME together

My co-workers- some people have co-workers that they cannot stand, I would have to say that i am blessed NOT to have that. Each one of the ladies is what I would consider a friend..there are days when i drive them nuts or vice versa, but hey take the good with the bad... :)

My family (both blood and in-law) I LOVE spending time with people who enrich my soul, and I have to admit my in-laws are pretty fricken amazing!

My pygmie tribe-- man there are days when I feel like they are kicking my butt and I couldn't possibly do it another day...and then one of them looks into my eyes with snot running down there nose and says, I WUV YOU...how can you not just melt? (and then get a tissue)

Wine-- come on you didnt see that coming? I LOVE wine!

Coffee-- again, really? It's the best thing since sliced bread...

this list isnt all of the little thing I enjoy, just the big ones...if I told you EVERYTHING i am thankful for I would be here for awhile :o) and I havent that much time, since I am off to have a date with my in-laws, my hubby, and my precious daughters......

there is MUCH to be thankful for my friends...until next time...

Hooked on a feeling.....

You know the feeling you have when you first start dating someone?

The one where EVERYTHING the person says makes you smile, where you anticipate EVERY time you get a chance to see that person, or how you feel when you kiss them for the first time?

all of us have felt it, and it seems (from my own past experiences) that after the "honeymoon" phase, that we lose that. Somewhere we take the stuff the other person says for granted, and we don't put much thought into seeing each other, because we just do it all of the time, and kissing? well, its not the electricity we had with the first one...

I must admit that when I met my Best Friend I thought we also would fall into that rut...

Only we havent.....

I love him with everything I have, and since we have been married I can see that we are different from society's "take you for granted I am over the honeymoon phase typical couple"

No, it's not because we haven't been married long...because we dated for 2 years before we even considered marriage.....

It's strange...I mean I wouldn't say that EVERYTHING that he says makes me smile...in fact most often he makes me crazy! But the man can make me laugh...and sometimes it's at my own ridiculousness.....and while I may not tell him or even show him how much I miss him throughout the day, i really do.....

it's so weird, I would consider it a mini break whenever my ex husband left, in fact I would ENCOURAGE him the leave for weeks at a time.....and while I know I shouldn't be comparing him to my husband now, I just can't help but think about things like that.....

I love being in his presence...I miss him during the work day, and when he is gone for any amount of time, I miss him greatly.

As for the electrical kiss? I will admit that there are times when the jumper cables could be used, but most often my husband still makes me feel that spark that we have had since day one.

I am a blessed girl that's for sure......

My best friend (my husband) is so great to me, and we are great together.....I love all of his smallest details, and he loves me when I am being me.....

I was just thinking about the things I am thankful for and he is most certainly at the top of my list.....

If i had to put a label on it and sound cliche' I would say that we are destined souls......

yeah yeah, I know what you're thinking..... just give it a few years and they will be just like every other married couple...

well I am thinking you would be completely wrong.....

but since we all are in a society of "show me or prove it to me" I guess we will have to wait and see..... (so i can stand tall and say, I told you so,)

That's all I have for now... until next time...

Some days I just want to slap you......

Why does it seem like the nicer, more genuine I try to be, the more of a complete idiot you become?

THIS doesnt seem to make ANY sense! ( well I guess it kinda does...)

I am putting forth a GENUINE effort, this is NO FRONT, I am trying to be an adult, but I am about at the end of my wits with this whole matter!

I am trying to do something collaboratively and the ONLY way to do that is to honestly and truly be genuinely nice (this probably has too many big words in it so you can't even comprehend any of it)

UGH!

I want to throw the towel in and just never be nice to you again...but unfortunately for me, that's just not an option.....

I just want to smack you BOTH in the face and walk away...but again, I can't (although it does have a nice ring to it...but I would only be satisfied for 2 seconds). I think my life would be so much easier if I could just despise you....but I can't, and it's kinda becoming a pain in my hiney!

So what to do, what to do....

I guess I will do NOTHING, I will continue to be nice and honor God, and leave it up to Him to fix you're ridiculousness.........

You know what, the more I ponder the whole thing ...the more I realize you two are PERFECT for each other...... it's like the blind leading the blind......

Also...I realize that you are handicapped by a natural immaturity, and I forgive you.....

I am going now, until next time...

2 minutes in my brain = crazy randomness....

randomness that goes on in my head throughout the day...

why is it when i go through the carwash, it rains that same day? UGH

Who on earth has a wedding dress just stashed away for the 48 hour notice of possibly getting married after knowing each other for like 12 seconds?( must have been from the LAST time you were engaged--less than 4 months ago) just sayin

where does the white go when the snow melts? anyone?

Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...?

why do you seem to have to always try and one-up me? am i REALLY that special?

Why did the vacuum have to die on the day I REALLY needed it?

How come some 3 year olds are so sassy?

how insecure do you have to be about your relationship to act like a moron in front of your ex?

Do you think it's normal to have hip pain at the age of 31?

How can a husband's hug seem to solve everything wrong with the day's events?

Why does it seem like you're trying to prove something?

Why do I have the urge to vomit when I hear your name? (ok that was a bit mean, but true)

Where am I going to place my Christmas tree this year?

How can i show my staff how much I appreciate them?

How many hockey games does my oldest daughter have this weekend?

Why is it that people almost always forget that there are TWO sides to EVERY story....?

Why are some people big jerks?

I can't forget to make that RAK list tonight.....

Why am I sleepy at 3 in the afternoon, darn near every day?

How many cookie baskets do I have to put together this year? ( i have a feeling it's ALOT!)

Who doesn't wear deodorant? Isn't it more of a common courtesy for others?

Ugh, Too many thoughts going on at once (this just happened to be a 2 minute glimpse)

So next time you see me and ask, how's it going......just be forewarned :o)

That's it for now, until next time...stay thirsty my friends...haha!