Hello There!

OK I might be a bit biased but Megan is so beautiful! I love her in this dress. I was playing around and did this picture in black & white as well as in sepia. Oh the sepia shot is gorgeous! I pick the final pictures in about a week and I hope they did the sepia colors.
So what is new with me? Everything it seems. I am busy but doing nothing it seems. oh yea I have been baking and canning and best of all getting rid of clutter! I am selling, or giving away stuff like mad. I wish I had taken before and after pictures to show all I have accomplished so far. OK I wanted to blog more but i am way to tired and need to go to sleep. XOXOXO

Getting Older Sucks

Yes I am thankful for getting older and all of that so get off my case before I even start this blog. I do not need to hear how things could be worse, etc. This is my blog so i write how I am feeling so there. Plttttttt.
I turned 47 last Thursday. I went to my first physical therapy appointment for my feet. yea I found out I am messed up. my feet have no arch, They are at a negative 30 not even at neutral and need to be at a positive 30 or something like that. my calve muscles are to short and i have to work at stretching them longer *meaning pain*, my thigh muscles need to lengthen as well.
The shoes that my podiatrist said were fine the PT said NO! The sandals the podiatrist said were fine the PT said NO!
I have two pairs of shoes that have been worn that I am not supposed to wear for now. My new pair of tennis shoes i have to return. I have two pairs of the sandals that i wore so now I am out that money as well. PT said no sandals what so ever until my feet are back to the right arch. I do not get to ever wear my heels to church! They are all getting boxed up and stored for now. Podiatrist said heels were fine to wear for a few hours to church and PT said NO NO NO.
What else is wrong with me? I got my first set of labs back and I am still anemic. Like duh I thought I was being as I never have enough sleep. My ferratin was still 19, same as it was 4 months ago! it has not raised at all  with no more bleeding. I was so upset when I saw that the number did not raise. I will find out more levels when the CBC is all done.
I want energy, I want to feel good, I want no more pain. I want to be 16 again! lol just kidding...... well maybe I am not sure right now!
Oh and the arthritis in my hands is getting a lot more painful. The fingers hurt 24/7. I usually ignore the pain but it is a constant nagging at me. Closing my hands into a fist hurts. stretching my hands out hurts. I do admit I love my warm paraffin melter. Having my hands wrapped in warm paraffin  really does feel nice to me.
Oh I go to the opthamologist next month. I am going to see how much the vision has changed and how bad the eye disorder has become. I am going to ask about the special contacts, and about cornea transplants. I need to do something or give up driving I guess.

Making Progress on Clutter!

Yes it is slow going but I am making progress on my clutter. I have 3 boxes of clothing from Megan's room to donate to the Orting Clothing Bank. I also have a box of various items to donate  as well. I just want to make sure that I get a donation slip for taxes. I will be donating quite a few fancy dresses after I get Megan's pictures taken in the outfits. I am going to have to start going a lot to use up all the outfits lol. Some of them are a bit grown up but that is what is fun. Having Megan look her age for a change.
I found my favorite pants in Megan's room when I was cleaning. I also found the socks I bought last year for her and was saving. I am going to donate most of her toys being as she wont touch them now and they are just clutter.
I have a few things that are new with the tags still on them. Things that she is to thin to wear. Shoes that are a 4 and she wears between a 2 and a 3. I think there are 5 fleece sets with pants and a matching jacket that were wore maybe 3 times each but they are to short for her. There is an adorable NWT dress that is a 12 and she needed a 14 in that style. I might try it on her tomorrow and see if she is thin enough now.
I am getting  her picture taken tomorrow and have to decide which outfit to put her in. I have the long white wedding dress. It is so beautiful looks like a princess dress. There are a few others that I have to decide between. I guess I will ask her dad and see what he says.
XOXOXO Daphne

It's Your Kid, Not a Gerbil

http://www.tyndale.com/blog/?p=1243

Please enter the contest and read about a new book out by author Dr. Kevin Leman. It's Your Kid, Not a Gerbil.
*Do you sometimes feel like a gerbil running on a wheel inside a cage as you scurry from place to place, chauffeuring your children from one endless activity to another? What if, for one moment, you could just step off of the wheel . . . and relax? How would you feel then? And what if that single moment could stretch into an hour, or even a whole day? In his new book, It’s Your Kid, Not a Gerbil, Kevin Leman will provide practical solutions and helpful insight to get off the activity wheel so that you can put your time and energies where they really count: in establishing strong character and a love for home and family that will serve your kids well for a lifetime.*

Thriving At College

I have a son who plans on going to college in 2 more years. I have heard so many horror stories from friends who went to college or have kids now in college that I was making myself sick with worry. I feel so much better after reading this book by Alex Chediak.
The book is separated into four main sections including college matters, relationship matter, character matters and academics matter. Each of the sections point out common mistakes that are made during college. I loved this book and how it tackles the issues facing today's young students and even older students. The first section of college matters was my favorite section of the book.
Covering and showing the common mistake of *Chucking Your Faith* and *Treating College as if it Were High School* touched home with me and my fears of sending my youngest off to college and what he will do.
Throughout the book there are different Factoids that were very informative. The most interesting and alarming one to me was *Of those college freshman who aspire to become medical doctors, less then 10% actually do. My son wants to enter the medical field so this really gives me cause to worry.
I feel every parent and student should read this book no matter what their religious beliefs are. It gives sound guidelines for everybody.
In exchange for my honest opinion, I received this book free of charge from Tyndale House Publishers.

I Am Ready For School To Start

Yes I am more then ready for school to start. I do not look forward to the rain and snow and wind but I do look forward to having my life back! I love sleeping in and wow can I sleep in when I cuddle with Megan. However I need to get back on track to normalcy! I have been cleaning and clearing out stuff today. It is amazing how much I can stuff into a box with plans to go through it tomorrow. Well today is tonmorrow. I have cleared out 3 or 4 Avon boxes so far stuffed with junk.
I hope to start posting every day andc that is my plan. I will try my best but I always get side tracked for some reason.
Well just wanted to say hi and I will post later about my contest that I won! OK I will tell you now. For one of my *missions* for products that I sample and share my opinions and share coupons, etc. At the end of the mission I did a final survey and they picked my name!!! I won a gift card to Amazon for $100.00!  I spent it ASAP lol and bought me a new Kindle! I had $15 worth of other gift cards so in the end I paid with tax $36.00 for my Kindle. How cool is that?

Megan and Gravity

I have waited a while to post this blog because I felt so bad about Megan getting hurt. Yes I am even feeling a bit guilty about her getting hurt.I had gone outside with Megan and we were sitting on the porch swing listening to music and swinging and *talking* and singing. Megan was almost asleep and I noticed that my plants were cussing at me screaming for water. I figured Megan was right there napping so I started to water to make the plants stop haunting me.  I had watered the plants on the porch and hanging from the porch. I decided that I would move some plants to the garden to get more sun and had moved a few and then I turned around and Megan was getting up and sitting on the swing. I walked over to Megan to see what was up and realized that she was bleeding from her brow.  Oh no now she has blood from her cheek, hands, knees, feet......I made sure she was going to stay still and ran into the house to get a towel and the phone. Ran back to Megan and pressed on the worst part of the bleeding her brow.Pulled away and still bleeding. Blood, blood, blood. I called Robert to see where he was and thankfully he was out front. I said I need you NOW!!!! If he had been gone I was calling 911 at this point. So he helps With Megan and I grab a clean dress with no blood on it and we rush to the ER. I was asked 100 times what happened to where I get to feel like they are calling CPS. they even have a record of how Megan has balance issues and has fallen before and had staples. So we get to see the Dr. and he ended up giving Megan 3 or 4 stitches to close up her brow. I had them just do the shot to numb her up and said to forgot the sleepy meds. They take 30 minutes to work and Megan is great with shorts. The Dr. had to cut away part of the brow skin to make the injury cleaner and easier to stitch. So yes you can see her pretty little owies.
So then yesterday I went out to water my plants that were begging for water again. Megan was laying down on the couch so I had kept the sliding door opened just a bit to listen for Megan. I am watering my little heart out when Megan opens the door and steps out..... I drop the hose and rush to her but she has stepped and stumbled and crashed.... luckily into the patio table. She did scratch her foot a bit but she was OK. so now I have to figure out how to water my plants and keep Miss Megan from falling and getting hurt!

Crud

Love, love, love, love, love, love.......... OK deep breathing.............. Relax, let it go, breath.........
OK today has not been my day. I love me! I burnt the ribs to a crisp, Megan dropped a shot glass and it shattered all over the kitchen, I stepped on the shards a few times, chicken in crock pot is not done, hmmm yea just not a productive day.
Tomorrow is a new day and it has to be better.
The sun will come out tomorrow......... *smacking red headed brat upside the head for that damn song*.  :)
I am getting a mani/pedi this week I believe. I need to have pretty nails to cheer me up. If they get them into shape I will keep them up. I want a hot pink color on the toes and fingers. I love fake nails but my nails do not like them they break all the time when I have had them.
I hope to sell an item tomorrow for hubby and that will make him happy and get a huge box out of my way.
I decided not to have a garage sale and I am going to freecycle stuff and then donate what is not taken. I will use the Salvation Army being as I prefer their prices iver Goodwill.
I was supposed to go to lunch with Jo tomorrow but I am not in the mood to go. I am not mad at her just a little hurt not really hurt not sure what the word is. Dissapointed maybe?
We were supposed to go and get our mani./ pedis together this week and instead she went with her neighbor who paid for both of theirs. Yes I understand why she went with her neighbor I would of to but I wanted to have some one get theirs done when I did as well. Am I just being childish? I don't care I am just in a funk.
I went to do Megans last diaper change at 1AM and guess what? She had a poopie diaper and decided to play in it. yea just the way to end a day. So now it is almost 2AM and the warm bath wired her up. She is doing her pacing and has done about 25 laps around the house now. SIGH

Love Falls by Esther Freud

I think that Esther needs to get a life and stop writing. This story first of all was one long chapter. Seriously you can not make chapters or what? I was disappointed in the ending, the middle, the beginning... I read and kept thinking OK this is going to get better sooner or later. Well yes it got better when I closed the book. How can there be so many characters and we still know nothing about them? Why was Lambert in such a dire rush to get home? What does Lara see in Kip who seems to be such an ass? I am glad that I only paid $1.00 for this book and even then I feel ripped off.

I Love Me

I love me. I needed to hear that someone loves me today so I decided I will tell myself each day that I LOVE ME! repeat after me... I LOVE ME! Yes I love you to!
Still a rough day/ night here with the other half of me but guess what? I will not allow another person to dictate my happiness any longer. If someone has issues with me, my life, what I do or do not do, etc. guess what? They can go fly a kite in a thunder storm!
So any how have you have drank an energy shot and had it knock you out? I had one yesterday and could not stay awake. I mean what the heck is up with that? I took my shot and an hour later I was sound asleep for an hour.
So I am back to making a list of what I need to get done each day. That seems the only way for me to get stuff done. So for the rest of today my list is as follows:

1. Finish the ironing
2. Cut out coupons
3. Organize coupons
4. Vacuum floor
5. Re list stuff on Craigslist
6. Make a grocery list
7. Write up a weekly menu

I Need My Happy Place Back

If someone asked me today if i liked being married I would of said YES! If they asked me that 2 hours ago I would say HELL NO. Sadly I am still thinking WTF did I get married for? How can a person go from being happy and sweet and then turn on a dime and be cussing and mumbling and throwing stuff and kicking stuff?
My stress level is shy high right now. I am angry and just plain out pissed off. I usually am very calm but there comes a point.... Hubby had last weekend off and he did stuff he wanted to nothing to the house inside or outside. He worked Saturday and today he was off.
We went to church and then he asked if I wanted to go out to eat. OK sounds good to me. I ended up paying for lunch being as he left his wallet in the van. WTF? You asked me out why am I paying then? Yes it is our money but lunch came out of my account not his. I offered to pay being as I had a feeling he was going to pull this. Oh well lunch was still fun.
We came home and he started to work on Roberts truck. Hmm where is Robert at? Oh yea screwing off as usual not helping fix own damn truck. Hubby works a few hours and heads back to church for evening service comes home in a bit of a pissy mood and starts to work in Roberts truck again. WTF? Where is Robert at?
Jason finally comes in and realizes the dryer must not be vented due to the heat in the laundry room. WOW talk about all hell breaking loose! Now hubby is cussing, throwing stuff on the floor, kicking stuff, mumbling *which I hate with a fucking passion!*, whining, complaining, etc.
Woe is me no one cares about the house, or the yard or the vehicles or him waaa waaa waaa. I wanted to say grow some balls and be a man and stop the damn PMSing. He kicked a box and just missed hitting me in his temper fit.
OK I need to water my plants. Have not been able to since yesterday and it was just a partial water. Megan had her accident and I had to stop working outside. Robert has been useless here. I needed 15 minutes to do the rest of the watering. Hubby worked on the damn truck today and all last weekend. He spent no time on the house or yard last weekend. He has bitch non stop about having no time. YES he has time he chose to do what he wanted not what needed to be done.
So ask me if I like being married next week and we will see what my answer is.

My Best Advice For Surviving The School Year

My best advice for surviving the school year with ease is to stay organized. Keep a list of what needs to be done each day/ week and check it off as you go.

Make sure that your homework is turned in on time! Late work and mis-placed work can really affect your grades and not in a good way.


www.facebook.com/masterlock

I am required to disclose that I am entering a contest for a Master Lock back-to-school prize pack as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.




Do not forget your locker locks. I still have nightmares over my combinations that I would forget. I remember more then once after school had been in for months my locker combination would go blank in my mind. I had to go to the office and ask for my combination. I was always looked at weirdly as if I was crazy. Well yes I have always been a bit crazy but the new lock that YOU decide the combination to would of been great for me back then!

Guess Who I Am?

I love this picture that my Aunt Shelley posted. It is fun to see how happy we all look. Secrets had not been told yet, the skeletons were still in the closet. I had not experienced heart break yet not the loss of family that I adore and love. I knew my relatives by name.

My family is having a family reunion. I have no idea who I will remember without having to be told their names. How sad is that? I grew up with my cousins and usually saw them once a year at the family picnic and at parties at Uncle Brads and Aunt Marilyn's house.

Uncle Brad passed on years ago back in 83? I am checking into the right year and will correct it later when I get it. Aunt Marilyn will be 90 and we are celebrating her birthday at the reunion. I loved their house as well. There were millions of places to play. All of us kids we head outside and climb the fence even the electric one *yes I did get a shock* once. They had a worm garden, had chickens that they cut off the head and we had for dinner. I refused to watch and do not think I ate the chicken. We also tried bear and rabbit at their house. I played with these little mind puzzles and was able to do them with the innocence of a child while the adults who think to much had a hard to doing them.

The Easter Egg hunts at Joe and Gloria's were so much fun even if I always got a raw egg. I loved getting to swim the the swimming pool with my brother David and cousins Shelly and Steve. I remember making a whirlpool with those three and then letting the water just push us each around the pool. I also remember swallowing a huge black fly! LOL Uncle Joe passed on years ago but even if he and Aunt Gloria were no longer married I do still have some fond memories of him. Aunt Gloria was so sweet to me a few years ago when I went to the family brunch after being out of the *family* for years.  She welcomed me with open arms and hugs and made me feel like I was part of the family again.

Playing at Aunt Hopes house and being allowed the pleasure of hanging out with the ladies as they cooked food and served it up and did the dishes. It was honestly a special time that made me feel appreciated and loved. the adults always made a big deal how much help I was even if I was just in the way talking up a storm. They let me in to their special world of real WOMEN! Aunt Hope would do a magic trick for us kids where she would put her thumbs together and like magic she would make her thumb separate. it was always the first thing we had Aunt Hope do for us kids. :) I smell chocolate cake and see ribbon candy when I think of the house.

I last saw my Wynter family back at my Grammas funeral and before that it was at her Birthday party. I had so much fun re connecting with my cousins and seeing them grown up and adults at the Birthday party. The time went way to fast for me. I hope to get to reconnect with them more this time.

I will have my camera ready to shoot 100's of pictures! I am going to have my cell phone for numbers and a note book for addresses and emails as well. I want to keep in touch with family this time being as time really does go by in a nano second.

People Read before Replying! *SMH*

OK I am cleaning stuff out of the house getting ready for a Goodwill run Friday morning. I offered the stuff up to Freecyclers first being as I think Goodwill prices stuff way to high. I was very specific in my add stating needed picked up tomorrow. I got a reply right off the bat saying they were interested and could pick up on Saturday. Hmm I was pretty specific in saying tomorrow. They are just up the hill from me. Not like they have to drive 20 miles. i need my van free for garage sa

Depression

I hate this feeling I have right now. It slowly creeps up on me and then just swallows me up whole. I will be totally fine and then for no reason what so ever I feel it bit by bit taking over my body. I want to crawl into a dark room and go to sleep or just cry. I want to hide from everybody and everything. When people try to say there is no such thing or to just ask God to handle it and that if I am truly saved there is no such thing as depression it makes me angry. I was fine this morning and then just a little bit inch by inch it took over my body like a shadow. OK you know how when you are on your lap top and you pause to long and the screen slowly darkens? That is how depression attacks me.

I was chatting with some friends today on line and they are all slim. I have never been slim for as long as I can remember. Even when I was not super fat like I am now I was heavy. I never had a boyfriend from school. I wanted one but never had one. I was 16 before I had my first kiss and then it was with a guy I met cruising who was older and was thinking he was getting laid. He had red hair and a big butt. That is all I remember about him. Yea what a great first kiss.... not. My point is being as I felt so worthless I settled for what I was able to grasp at.

I need to get on an eating plan. I need to lose weight. I need to get into shape. I need to get organized. I have so much I need to do and all I want to do is sleep. *sigh*

Fun Times @ 2AM!

Woohoo baby I had some excitement at 2AM that woke me up real fast! Snicker, snicker, snicker. No not that kind of excitement sillies. I am talking doorbell ringing, cops at door, lights going, the whole she bang. Oh and for once it was not Robert!
It seems some kids did something bad and they were being chased by my local cops here.
One was in custody and the other had jumped our fence to our neighbors yard. He used our recycle bin to jump the fence lazy kid huh? In the old days he would be able to jump it on his own. Geesh what can you say about kids these days?

Angry Birds I Mean Husband

Yea i think my husband is a jerk most days lately. OK I do not think that for real I know he is a jerk most days! I am not sure why he is angry all the time it seems. Well I mean I know but it is stupid stuff that gets him going and going and going.
Heck he is the Angry Energizer Bunny! 
J is the rolling stone that gathers moss.
Yes I am ranting today. I am cleaning up a mess that was made here by someone else that is not me. Oh well it is funny that someone throwing a fit did not hurt my feelings but helped me get weeds pulled! Tossing my new plants was a childish thing to do but that is OK they are planted in the back and happy now.
just wanted to post a few words before I go out and do more planting!

My Mouth Speaks Before My Brain

Yes this is something I have to really work on. i say things before thinking about what I am saying. I even type things before my brain can process what I have said. I have always been this way even when I was in junior high. I just blurt out things that amuse me. Most of the time it is funny and people laugh but I have had a sharp tongue a few times for which I am so sorry for.
It is so true that the tongue is a double edged sword. With the help of Paxil and with age I am able to hold my tongue so much better now days. Some people might say I am allowing others to walk all over me, how ever I see it as silence is golden and can say much more then words can. Have you ever tried to argue with a person who wont speak to you? It does take two to argue for it to be an argument.
I also am working on my smart ass remarks. This is something I have been known for. Yes I am a quick thinker when it comes to silly comments but some days I feel like that is all I do. It can be fun going back and forth with a person but I want to be known for more then a quirky personality.
Now I admit some times my comments are just to funny to not pop off. I have no idea why my brain works like this. my mouth opens and out comes my words just tumbling out like a prison break. I had a very funny comment to say to  hubby with his grouchiness today but i held my tongue and kept my lips zipped. He would not of found my comment funny even though it truly was at the time.
I think I am going to start carrying around a note pad to jot my funny thoughts down, or maybe I will use my record button on the cell.
Yes I am a bit off my rocker but that is why I love to write and read. it lets my brain explore different areas so I don't spontaneously combust!

I feel so alone with my rainbows

I wonder if anyone is reading my blogs any more. It is OK if I am writing for myself being as I blog for my own entertainment to start with.
I feel as if I have lost most of my friends online and off line. I do not have young kids, I do not drink or smoke, I do not party, I do not cyber, I am just me. I can feel myself pulling away from friends as we drift apart more and more. I just do not seem to have much in common with most people now days. I could easily live alone with cats and dogs and books and be happy.
I love watching Swamp People. I adore that Cajun accent they have. I want to try gator one day soon. I guess I will have to look online unless my friend Shawn sends me some! *hint, hint*. Oh yea and some beignet mix as well.
I love the rainbows here in Orting. I was outside yesterday and had the most fabulous time with the rain, sun and rainbows! Getting the double one was a blast.

Ha Ha I Do Not Have To Share

The boy is in a mood now being as he does not have his truck at home and his girlfriends car is broke down. He wants to use my van tomorrow to run around town. He asked if I was using my van tomorrow and I said yes. He wanted to know where I was going and that he needed it. I said why and he said he needs to do errands and his truck is not at home and his girlfriends is broke down then he had murmuring about how that it is just ridiculous and he was getting mad. I said excuse me what did you say? He tried  to claim he was saying it is ridicules that no one has a car to use. Hey guess what? If I want to stay at home all day and do nothing I will! When someone does not do his chores, and does not pay for my gas, does not buy gifts for his family but does for his girlfriend and her family guess what? My van is off limits! He does not even bother to clean my van when he has been asked to. I think I will stay home all afternoon now and do nothing just because I can.

Raspberryaholic

I love, love, love and I mean LOVE raspberries. Safeway has them on sale for $3.99 each but they are buy one get two free. I bought some last week and they were to die for. I bought some today and just ate two of the packages but they were just so so. There were a few with that orgasmically delicious flavor that I lust after. Most were just there no taste at all. What a bummer, I was so desiring that delicious summer explosion to burst forth in my mouth.

Major Depression Here

I love shoes I am a shoe a holic. i went to my food doctor today and was told I have to wear real shoes. Heels are OK for a short time like church and such but I am to wear good arched shoes all day!!! OK I am always barefoot or in flip flops and the like. I have a ton a fun summer shoes and was getting a pedi next week to show of my toes. now they shall be covered in socks and shoes. I am so depressed.
I mean look at how cute my shoes are. I have sparkles and I have some brown heels that rock. I even have adorable shiny red shoes. Now they have to be worn sparingly. I have every right to be depressed right?
The good news is that if I follow the doctors orders my feet will get better and my arches will be good as new. Then I get to wear my shoes again when I want to!

I had to get cortisone shots in each foot as well today. Yea not one of my better days for fun huh?

Getting Old Sucks

I wish I had enjoyed being young when I was young. Now that I am almost 47, I understand why the older people talked about the joy of youth. I see know what they meant when they talked about their bones hurting, how bad today's music is, how wild the kids of today are, how easy kids have it, etc. I sound like my grandparents did when I was 16!
i am now post menopausal, I have arthritis in my joints, my arches have fallen, my eyes are going down hill. oh yea and I am still anemic which is the main concern with the doctor. Oh and do not forget the mass in my left breast that has to be checked every 6 months.
Good news is my blood pressure was 120/70 at the doctors on Wednesday and that was after having a caramel frappe! My sugar levels are good as are my cholesterol levels. I am also being faithful to taking my medicine at bedtime.
I have scheduled my mammogram, my OT for my hands as well as my appointment with the Podiatrist, I still have to make an appointment for my eyes and check to see how far my eye disease has progressed. I am so thankful to God for allowing me to have insurance. I sure have made use of it!
I am working on clearing out the spare bedroom of all of the junk. I am tossing stuff and getting ready to garage sale stuff or donate stuff. I just do not really care to have a garage sale for the most part. Yes I might make $100 for two days of work but it is easier and faster to donate it.
Hey how do you like my bathroom? I changed it to flamingos and did it for very little cost. I have added a few new touches to it and will take pictures to show off how cute it is. I love to sit in my bathroom and just enjoy how cute it is. I know how weird right? I mean this is definitely a girls bathroom. To think this all happened because I bought a fluffy pink bath rug at Walmart on clearance.
XOXOXO Daphne

Fantastic Party

i had do much fun throwing Jason his party on Saturday. We had people come and go at different times so it was just perfect. the weather was the nicest day we have had since last year. It was warm with a lovely breeze. The guest were all so sweet and lovely to be able to come at the last minute. Jason even wore the Birthday hat I bought him and his over the Hill bling necklace I bought him as well! He was a very gracious birthday boy. He was so fun to watch as people would stop by and wish him a happy birthday. He had a grin on his face all day long.
i was so busy with being a good host I didn't get to visit as much as I wanted to but it was Jason's day. I forgot to serve the cole slaw and the macaroni salad even! i also forgot to bake the pizza rolls and the jalapeno poppers. We had enough food and our friends all seemed to like what I had made.
I did not get Jason a cake but instead I made Rise Krispie treats and then I had bought large marshmallows and coated them in chocolate. They were a hit! The food was a pot of beans, Lil smokies in BBQ sauce, meatballs in BBQ sauce, chips, tortilla chips, dips, salsa, cheese ball, olives, lots of candy in cute dishes. Not sure what else I had here. Oh yea I made wraps that were really popular. I want to have more parties here, I love having friends over it is my *happy happy*.
I had flamingos all over the place even the front door has a flamingo over it. I was going to take pictures but my memory card was missing and I was not able to find it in my purse where I tossed it. I will take pictures today of what is left.
Robert had his friend Kevin over and later his girlfriend Ciera and her sister Kayley came over. Oh add in the neighbor boy as well. It was fun hearing the kids in the house being kids and not young adults!

Review: Heel Tastic

I am in love with this stuff! I have mentioned before how well it works but thought it deserved a second Rave! I honestly have some of the worst heels the are tough, cracked with deep craters to China,would snag my nylons, etc. I some how manage to lose my jars of Heel Tastic all the time and then stop using them for a while. I started back to using this 2 days ago and my heels are looking snazzy again. My heels are almost summer time ready!
OK went to the Dr's. again for blood work and I am still anemic, and now I am testing for pre menopause, thyroid, and arthritis. I have never been tested for the M word before but have had signs for years they are just getting almost unbearable this last month. my joints have been killing me I just try to ignore the pain. Until the Dr. asked how often my joints hurt or how bad they hurt, I had never realized how much they hurt! I was borderline with my thyroid 3 months ago so she wanted to re test. She emailed me to make an appointment to follow up on the test results. I will find out what is going on in a week. I might see if we can do a phone chat as well just to see what is up sooner.
I have not been able to get my cleaning done as fast as wanted. I just have not had the energy yet. I can still lay down in my char and be asleep in 5 minutes. When I go to bed I stay awake thinking of what I need to do!
I am having a surprise 40th party for Jason on Saturday. I am not sure if any one will show up but our friend Jo. I was afraid to invite many people being as his schedule was up in the air. Oh yea and as of today he is on mandatory overtime. He also started on the van pool today. If he is forced to do the overtime then he loses out on the van pool money he spent and has to drive costing more in gas again. Ah chi waa waa!
OK going to do more cleaning for a bit! XOXOXO

Review: Goody Spin Pin

I bought the on sale Friday to give them a try and see if they worked. I really thought I would be returning them so I kept the receipt handy. I keep my hair off neck most of the time and wanted to give pony tails a break. These look painful and weird but guess what? I love them! They are easy to use after a few tries. My hair is still shortish and different layers so I played around to see what worked best for me. I have a kind of flat bun but it is off my neck and fun. It is funny in the AM when I brush out my hair after having these in over night. I have a FULL head of hair lol.Maybe I will snap a picture in the morning.
OK I texted people and put the party on face book. I have to get invitations to church members in the morning. I will be getting the rest of the house in shape this week. So not a lot to say but YAY to blogging!

Not a Happy Day

I had my plans to go major couponing today after I finished my sorting, clipping, comparing, etc.  done. I was headed out the door and could not find my keys. Spend 30 minutes looking for them all over the house. Called J and R  with R finally saying *sorry I have them in my pocket*. WTH? yea I have tons of shit to do today like the groceries we NEED. 2 damn vehicles here and no keys for wither. I had a major melt down flip out over a comment from J. yea he got the better of me and I totally lost it. Did you know the f bomb can be used a lot of times in different ways in texting? Especially when it takes 5 messages sent to do what I said in one paragraph.
I did more outside on the patio today and did more planting and more cleaning up. I have a lot of veges growing now. I still have more to plant but I want to rotate planting times so I have them through the season. i guess if the weather dries out enough I will mow the lawn being as R is useless if it is not something for him or his gf or her family. J is always to busy to do a thing for me as well. Maybe I need to get a bf to help me do stuff here? lol I wish i was stronger and was able to screw in the screw hooks. i need to hang my tomato and strawberry hanging planters. I also have 2 other hanging planters to hang after they get planted with a cool plant that will hang over the sides.
OK just wanted to make sure I blogged today and I will go couponing tomorrow and see what deals I can find. XOXOXO Daphne

Review: Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals

I was recently offered the opportunity to have my kids try Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals thanks to She Speaks. I was sent the following varieties to try.

Spaghetti & Meatballs, Pasta & Chicken, Beef Ravioli and Macaroni & Beef. the come in the perfect serving size container for the younger kids. . I had the kids try Macaroni & Beef first. It looked rather weird and kind of like fake food. The smell reminded me of mystery meat Fridays back in grade school. The kids we happy to get to try a new food. Hmm that happiness lasted about as long as the food sat on their tongues. Both gagged but swallowed the bite. They refused to take another bite. I had to agree with the gag taste. Yep mystery meat all over again. The next day we tried Beef Ravioli and had the same experience. The meal was very bland, had a funky flavor and the sauce was way to thick. Day three was Spaghetti & Meatballs. This was also way to thick sauced. The noodles we to gooey and the kids were not happy with me making them try *nonono* foods. That was Megan's comment to the foods. Yippee day four and the last meal to try. Bring on the Pasta & Chicken! More gooey pasta and dead looking chicken. One bite for each kid and more gagging and spitting out of the chicken. While I am glad to of been given the chance to try the meals I have to be honest and give them a one star out of five.

MIA haven't I?

I need to get back to blogging faithfully again. I love to blog and share my thoughts and ideas and ask questions. I seem to be most happy when I am blogging. if no one reads this anymore I accept that being as blogging is my release of overflow in my brain.
First of all if I ramble and have spelling errors do not worry I took 2 codeine pills an hour ago to see if they would cut my pain. I believe I have arthritis being as my joints hurt so much now days. I am to the point that I honestly hate to have to stand if I have sat down. I have to gear myself up knowing how bad the pain will be. I am having a lot of issues with my tail bone hurting like hell. Sorry for the cuss word but it was used to show the level of pain. From a 1 to a 10? It is an 8. I am going to make an appointment to look into testing to see what is up.
I found out i am still seriously allergic to the sun or I guess just super sensitive. I was garage saleing last Friday and the sun was out it was 70* and i was fried like a lobster. i mean a burn that easily and a lot of the time i was in a store not in the sun! Summer will be interesting huh?

i am going to work on coupons when I am done blogging. I get side tracked and forget them lose a ton from expiring and then have to start over. I have i think just 6 more inserts to go through. I want to go extreme lol couponing tomorrow,

i am planning on having a surprise 40th birthday party for Jason June 3rd. I will be making most of the decor myself that has to do with being 40. the main theme is going to be a luau so I can use my flamingos!! Oh yea did I tell everyone the patio now has a lovely cover? I enjoy so much sitting outside on the porch swing now and being safe from the suns rays or from the rain.
I have been planting a lot of stuff these last couple of weeks. OK a lot for me being as I really am not fond of being outside with bugs and worms and slugs and frogs, yes I am weird. My onions are doing lovely I am excited about them!
I have a nice little buzz going on right now in case you were wondering.
OK what else is new? Oh my brother in law and his wife and 3 kids as well as my nephew live in Joplin and the tornado barely missed them. they live in 2nd and the tornado flattened houses on 7th. Keep all of Joplin in your prayers please.
Love you all and hope you all sleep well and have beautiful dreams!
XOXOXO Daphne

Stuff and More Stuff

Every now and then I get a great deal at Goodwill. I was in on Monday and found these glasses that had just been put out. I was so excited to get these. I wanted them back when they were offered at McDonalds but I never buy value meals. I paid .99 cents for each glass.
I have also been getting in on the .99 cent colored tag sale day. I have bought a lot of dresses for Megan for just .99 cents. Oh and a few skirts as well. I am talking Ambrocombie skirts and name brands like that. I love to pair a set of leggings with the skirts for a cute and fun look. I am loving the 60s style of skirts. I saw a couple a few weeks ago and said if they go for .99 cents I will get them. i was stoked when they did! Oh I have also bought a few fancy dresses for Megan as well. I plan on getting her pictures done in them.
So onto the show Extreme Couponing. I coupon and I do really well but nothing compared to what these people do. In this area no one does double or triple coupons. A lot of stores are no longer accepting Internet coupons, or Internet coupons for free items. It is becoming a pain in the butt at times.
OK anyhow these extreme couponers are hoarders to me. You do not eat mustard but you have to have 65 jars of it being as you have coupons? That is stupid. Having more of any item that you can use before they expire is hoarding. Having to have entire rooms. garages, etc. just for grocery over flows? I am not talking a rack of stuff I am talking 500 boxes of cereal, 500 deodorants or whatever. It is insane. 100 cups of yogurt? I hope she donates some!
I know a lot of the extreme couponers use a coupon cutting service. I am not sure what they cost  or how to find a trustworthy one. I was against them but thinking might be worth them for some items. I need to check into them.

Taa Daa Global Warming

I know why we have global warming! I have found the 100% reason behind this all on my own! I am sure you will agree with me if you are a female. Global warming is caused from hot flashes!!!!!! Right now I am so warm it is insane. I am Glistening all over my body and under parts as well. :)
I bought the best thing ever today in town and it is good for me and was cheap. I bought a *drum roll please*.......... a  bag of crushed ice from Sonic!!!!! Taa Daa! It was just $1.69 and is so darn good.  Crunch, crunch, crunch.
I got in on a new one2one network offer. It is for the Yanni CD with a chance at concert ticket or tickets and I am hoping for a blog giveaway. If you review the CD in time you are also entered into a drawing for a gift card, cash forget what all exactly.
I am in a better mood today. I love feeling happy and having the sunshine today was a blessing. I bought me 2 dresses at Goodwill today for 99 cents each. One still had the tags on it even. I got Megan a few more dresses again lol. Megan has more clothes then anyone I know. My favorite of hers is still the red Calvin Klein dress.
Spring break is next week and I will be taking her to get pictures done. I am taking her to Sears being as I get a free 8X10. I might have to go a few times to get her pictures done. If the stores are offering the $5.95 package I will be happy!
OK yes I am begging here people. I need more readers! Please have your friends read my blog. I want to show one2one that I do have readers and that I am a good choice to do a giveaway to!
XOXOXO D

Rant be forwarned

OK there are times when I wish I was not married and not a step mom. I am in a fine fit of irritation right now. I think I shall act as childish and rude and the two males that live in this house are acting. I will cuss and hit walls, break things, do nothing for others, just be a selfish bitch. I am going to be a whinny nag.
yea can you tell how my day is going so far? Wait it has been my weekend, week, month! I am very frustrated at this point. If I have another letter asking/telling me how disappointed, unhappy, stressed with life and our marriage and how I am not growing in Christ like he is and where is this marriage headed I might just flip out and say no where and walk away.
I am confused as to why a 16 year old is allowed to do what he wants, when he wants, how long he wants, does not do chores half the time, is given a truck to drive, lies, etc and is not punished by his dad? Grrrrr I am not happy today.
OK even the pets are irritating me to the hilt. Mali wont stop begging and whining for food all the time all day long. She jumps on the table with her paws to grab food and knocks off places to grab food as well.
Fraidy whines for food all day as well and meows all the dang time. As soon as I go to bed or take a nap or just lay down Fraidy is there laying against me. I push her off 20 times and she is right back at my side.
Yea Farmville people are ticking me off to. I do all the request I get in my box and yet most of mine go ignored. Grrr it is a little thing but not a good mood maker for me today.
Yea I am not a happy camper today at all. I am not my normal happy person that I love to be.

Spring Cleaning

Well I am not doing as much decluttering as I had planned. I is so enjoyable to see the progress. I have really been working on the living room for the most part. I sold 2 book cases yesterday, gave away all my VHS movies and gave away a huge box or two of other various *treasures* that were cluttering up my living room. Oh I also gave away a bookcase that I have had for a few years. I gave away a lot of books that I had read and have decided that once I read a book I will share it with another person to enjoy. I am still not ready to give away my Stephen King books though.
I gave almost all of my former lingerie away on Listia. I do have stuff loaded in Avon boxes and will go through them this week. I am basically doing a keep, sell, or giveaway boxes. It is such a great feeling to see empty areas now. Jason is not as angry over the clutter and I am standing up to him when he pops off about the clutter but I remind him how much I have done and how his negative comments cause me to not want to do more.
I really am getting anxious for spring/summer to get here. The overcast days and rainy days and windy days are getting to me. Yes I am thankful for no major snow and ice but I crave the warmth of the sun on my face. The lazy days laying on the patio swing, reading a book, with a tall glass of iced tea. Music playing Phantom of the Opera and the smell of flowers and sunshine. Yes I said SUNSHINE!
I wish I had taken pictures of the mess before I started. I am great at packing in a ton of treasures in a bookcase! I honestly want a house that is clear of clutter, that is dust free, that I can have someone pop over and not have me be embarrassed by the mess. Oh yea I even gave my son my cappuccino maker last week. See I am working on decluttering!

Oh I spent a couple of hours on coupons as well. I have maybe another hour to go and then that will be organized. I was sad to see how many items I lost out on due to not being organized. I am talking free items! I did manage to snag 26 packs of Trident Vitality gum for free. I had fun that  shopping trip. I picked up Bambi for a friend and picked up Despicable Me. I had coupons for both movies and each came with some freebies. My friend paid for Bambi and I kept the freebies for my work. The Lean Cuisines were on sale for $2 each and I bought 8 that was $16. With the purchase of the LC I got $5 off my bill bringing the cost down to $11. I then had coupons to save an additional $2 off. So for $9 I got 8 LC meals. The Jolly Time popcorn, Oscar Mayer hot dogs, Safeway hot dog buns, Aquafina water, Juicy Juice and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese were the movie freebies. The 2 Hormel kids meals were on sale 2/$3 and a BOGO. The coupon took off the regular price of $2.29 or so bringing the cost down to 21 cents for both meals! This was a fun coupon day!

Wednesday

OK I will keep this short being as I am short on sleep again. My iron levels are still low but are improving. I am taking my iron every night and trying to in the morning as well.
I am making progress on my house just not as fast as I wanted to with my low energy levels.
I will be going shopping tomorrow for freebies! Yes I love my freebies. I will post what I bought and how much I paid. I have to organize my coupons in the morning and get my freebie list going.
I will post more tomorrow but need sleep.
XOXOXO Daphne

First off a fun picture of my and on of my besties from graduation June 1982
OK I have been reading the book *The Cause Within You* and I feel God wants me to take care of kids. It is the one thing I am good at and I love to do. I know that through things in my life that I was not blessed with, allowed me in the long run to take care of Megan.


I am a former foster mom of teenage girls from residential homes. One of the girls just came back to the Seattle area from a homeless shelter in Kansas. She has a 7 month old baby. She has an IQ of 79, has mental health issues and some severe arthritis. We are in need of a high chair, umbrella stroller, and a crib and diapers. She is living with a friend from highscool at the moment but may lose this place on Friday the 25. I have not been able to find other housing for her.

She is receiving food stamp, Tannif, Wic and I was able to get her medical coupons. The best situation would be in a home where someone could help her with the baby. I believe she receives $350 from Tannif that could be used for rent and utilities.

I am not saying this new girl and her baby are the right choice for me but it is funny how I am reading this book and asking God what my cause is and feeling like taking care of those that no one wants is what he has chosen for me. I am going to go to bed and pray about this when I go.


I hate the thought of a 17 year old being on her own with special needs and trying to care for a baby as well. The mental issues scare me because I have to protect Megan. If I feel this is my life's direction it will mean moving Robert to the spare room and fixing his room up for whoever God blesses me with. Please pray about this for me and hope the Lord sees fit to let me know what to do.

Great blog and chance to win a great giveaway!

http://www.confessionsofapsychotichousewife.com/2011/02/review-giveaway-calming-collars.html

The Cause Within You book review

Pastor Mathew Barnett feels that we all have a cause within ourselves if and when we listen to God. He teaches us ways to learn to listen to what God is telling us our cause is and not what we want to tell God that our cause is. We get to see and understand how to prepare for our cause and how to use our own life experiences for our cause. We learn how to believe in our cause after things don't go as we expect and finally how to experience the rewards of our cause.
This book was amazing. Hearing how he went to the slums in LA to start the Dream Center and reach out to those that society had gave up on. Spending the night on the streets of LA's skid row as a homeless person so he could experience what they go through was heart breaking in his frankness of the telling of his story.
Members of the Dream Center tell their own personal stories about how they came to be saved and in turn work in the Dream Center and help others now. Hearing team member's Alfred's testimony about when he was approached by a grandma who just walked up to him and started to talk to him. He was fresh out of jail was a mean looking guy, had lived a rough life, was into drugs and gangs. Yet he says this elderly grandma with her dazzling smile and beautiful blue eyes was able to reach out to him!
There are so many stories in this book where people are sharing their salvation and then their cause and how it carries on to another person and another. A lady with a special needs daughter who finds her cause in caring for other special needs and terminal babies. She takes this on even though she is met with naysayers along the way including her husband. How many people have the love and trust inside of them to take in the care of a baby who is terminal? She trusted God even though she felt not ready to do it. She had the love of God to take care of these precious gifts to give them a real life no matter how short it was.
There is so much more to this book I think it should be a must read for every person. I grew closer to the Lord while reading this and now I am on my own personal search to find my cause from within from God.
I received a copy of this book from the Tynedale Media Center for my review.

My Strange Addictions

Why are people so mean in the comments over things they do not understand? On TLC there is a girl who is addicted to eating pottery and cigarette ashes. People do not believe this is real. Yes it is real and it is horrible to deal with a *strange* addiction. I am saying this from a personal perspective. I believe I suffer from pica and have to make an appointment with a therapist to discuss it.

What do I have an addiction to? It is embarrassing and hard to talk about. I started out having to chew ice. I mean the big ice cubes. I would get a glass and fill it full with ice like a whole tray worth and eat it. I would then go grab another tray and start in on eating it. Now I have a new refrigerator and can chew on crushed ice. I will wake up in the middle of the night and have to get me ice to chew on. I bring a cup of ice water to be so I can chew on ice through the night.
I then moved on to having to chew on paper. I do not swallow it unless by mistake but I have to chew on paper. When I can't get to paper I can have a panic attack almost. I love how it feels in my mouth as I crush it with my teeth. I even h...ave different types of paper that I prefer. I used to love to chew on Post-Its minus the glue. I chewed through 3 large packs of it in no time before I realized what I was doing. Oh and yes Post-Its brand is the best texture.
I love printer paper to chew on, and the tear out ads in magazines, I love the paper that is *dry* feeling not smooth. I have no idea how or why I started this but I have done this for over 5 years now.
My last *addiction* is coasters. You know the ones made of clay I guess it is? I do not know why I did the first nibble but I did it and loved it. I do not swallow this either unless by accident. I just like to take a nibble off a coaster and spit it out. I love the dry feeling and the texture. It is hard to explain. I nibbled my way through 3 sets of coasters. I did not eat the whole coaster just the outside part of them. I know it is gross and for the most part I no longer do this. I tossed all the coasters I had here so the temptation was no longer there.
OK I also crave dirt. I mean you know how on a hot summer day when you get the pavement wet or like after a first rain? That smell is what I crave to eat. I have licked a rock to get that smell/flavor and I have tasted dirt. It is not what I want it is that smell of a fresh rain on pavement that I want. Oh yea the jellybeans that were dirt flavored? I loved them. I have bought Robert some of the Harry Potter Jelly Bellies as a joke and I kept the dirt ones.
So please do not make fun of me do not tell me I am sick. I just wanted to let people know that yes some of us suffer with *strange* addictions and some of us want help stopping the behaviors.

Spring Fever

Even with the talk of possible snow and with our rain showers and wind storms I want to start a garden. I am going to move the plants on the kitchen window sill and start from seedlings. I have quite a few seeds and would love to have a great start for spring. I am going to get my tomato seeds and my cat nips seeds going tomorrow.

I think most of my garden is going to be in containers. The pictures I posted are what I am hoping for in my own containers. I mean carrots and tomato's and all of that! So does anyone have any ideas on what is great in pots? I had wanted to do this last year but with my health issues I just never got around to it. Jason is getting frustrated with how bad the yard and back porch is and is saying he is going to start throwing stuff away. I am going to get it all fixed up before he gets to.

I have slowly but surely been getting the house in order and it is making him happy when he sees that I am trying. I wish I had more energy then I do but it is getting better. I need to get my sleep back on schedule so I can wake up earlier and get stuff done.

Megan and My Gagability

Gah, gah, gah, ulah. whoosh. That is what I got to hear last night. Just as I was shutting everything off to go to bed. No not the dog or the cat but Megan. I had been so happy that I got her to eat yesterday and the boom all gone.

I honestly want to know how in the world can a child who is laying on the couch that is covered by two large pads, a long towel that covers the arm rest and pads, as well as a blanket can cover the couch cushion with *leftovers*? Talk about a nasty mess to clean up. Pizza hut is not better the second time around.

I am not sure if Megan over ate, might of gagged on a pill or had a flu bug or what. I just know she does not need to lose anymore weight. I got her to her bed and thought I was going to get to sleep in my own bed. I got worried hearing her move around and not able to tell if she was up so I ended up saying by by to hubby and went to sleep with her. I could of brought her to my bed but I can not take a chance that she would get him sick to.

It was a restless night again for us. She wanted to hold onto me and have her face on mine. Well normally this is OK but eww she had barf chunks in her hair still! I mean I cleaned her up the best I could but I could still smell it. I really, really and I mean really hate that smell. Just writing about it I can smell it again.

I wish I could take a picture of her legs and show how bruised up she is from falls. It is insane how black and blue she can get. With the recent falls last week she has quite a few. It is hard to put her in dresses and shorts in the spring and summer looking like this. I also hate the looks I get from strangers who see the bruises and wonder if I did it. I have had to explain many times to a doctor why she has a bruise here or there.

I love her to pieces even when she smells like barf she is still my princess. She did get a long bubble bath today and her hair washed really well. Yes she smells nice and clean and like my sweet angel once again.