A New Lipstain

My favorite Avon rep, Valerie, knows how much I love lipstains, so when Avon's mark line recently re-released their Kissink Lip Tintmarker, she was kind enough to send me one to try.

I tried the Tintmarker in Berry Bitten and I love it! Typical lipsticks and glosses bleed into the lines around my mouth, which is so annoying! But using a lipstain and a gloss over it keeps that from happening. Quick note: You need to make sure your lips aren't chapped before you try a lipstain. Lipstains and chapped lips don't mix!

Follow these steps to ensure you get your free shipping AND your ebates rebates.

1. Visit Valerie's site first to make her your default rep

2. Log into ebates to get 5% back and go through them to get to the Avon site

3. Once the Avon site pulls up again, you should see Valeri's name near the top of the site

4. Choose your products and then use code REPFS or FSANY to get free shipping (if one doesn't work, try the other)

Happy Shopping!

Follow these steps to ensure you get your free shipping AND your ebates rebates.

1. Visit Valerie's site first to make her your default rep

2. Log into ebates to get 5% back and go through them to get to the Avon site

3. Once the Avon site pulls up again, you should see Valeri's name near the top of the site

4. Choose your products and then use code REPFS or FSANY to get free shipping (if one doesn't work, try the other)

Happy Shopping!

A Little Too Late

Last night when I got home from work, I checked our Call Notes, and we had a message.

"Hello. This is Sam's Club calling. We noticed you purchased some of the recalled Austin Peanut Butter Crackers, and wanted to make sure you knew these were not safe to eat. Blah blah blah."

Too bad they didn't call before I tried to poison my son.

New Skincare Routine?

I am toying with getting the Olay Professional Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol.

It contains Age Repair Lotion SPF 30 (day), Eye Restoration Complex (day and night), and Wrinkle Smoothing Cream (night).

Right now, Walgreens has it for $61.99 and there was a $5 coupon in the Sunday paper. The Olay website has a $25 mail-in rebate, and I know I have a Wags giftcard laying around from a script transfer. So I really wouldn't be OOP any....

Makeup Alley reviews are mixed, so I'm torn.

Have any of you tried it?

Chicken Fried

I just got this email from Mr. Sasha, who is lacking in technical skills, which makes this even funnier.

The name of the band that sings the Chicken Fried song is the Zac Brown Band. If you would, download it for me. I need you to make me a mixed CD of my favorite songs for Valentines.




We do like this song, 'cause it reminds us of our hick upbringing, but he's kidding about the mix CD. I think.

Today is Big Girl Bed Day

From Nov 1 through Christmas, The Wild Child didn't slept worth a shit. In addition to not going to bed until close to 10 pm, she would wake up an average of 5-7 times per night. Mr. Sasha and I were exhausted and didn't had a moment to ourselves. I didn't say a whole lot about this on here, because it's just hadn't been something I wanted to unload on you guys.

About a week before Christmas , I was doing some research and read about weighted blankets, which are supposed to help kids with SPD sleep better. I thought, what the hell, I'm desperate and ordering one. I ordered a 7 pound blanket that was 36" X 54" from The Hug Shack.

(photo from The Hug Shack)

It arrived on Christmas Eve and a miracle occurred! Her wakings decreased to 1-2 times per night, which was oh-so-much better. We were still having the issue of getting her to go to sleep in the first place though- 10 pm was still about the norm.

Last week, at the suggestion of Kelly Bee, I asked our OT about trying Melatonin. She said she had quite a few patients on it. I of course checked with my bargain board ladies and got some info on what kind to pick up (liquid). Another miracle! After giving it to her at 8 pm, she was going to sleep at 8:30 without a fight! I also checked with our ped to make sure he was OK with it, and he said if it's helping that much, go for it.

But she's still waking up once a night or so and coming into our bed, stealing my pillow, and jamming her little knees into my back and just generally disrupting my much-needed sleep.

So we think maybe she's rolling around in her crib-converted-to-a-toddler-bed and hitting the sides. So tonight, it's Big Girl Bed time. Mr. Sasha has already picked up the new full-sized mattress and box springs and dropped them off home, ready for us to rearrange her room tonight. All her furniture is tethered to the wall (I'm a super-smart mom!) and so we'll have to undo that and move stuff around to make it fit.

For now, we'll be leaving the mattress/box springs on the floor. I have a beautiful family quilt and a gorgeous pink blanket I've been saving to use on her BGB.

So cross your fingers and toes that tonight goes well!

Absolutely Final: Sasha's Motto

I love Jesus, but I drink a little.

This is my new motto.

Another Giveaway!

How could I forget Another Online Mom's Beauty Giveaway? She had an awesome month of budget-friendly tips, capped off with a fab prize! Go check her out!

Two Giveaways From My Friends

Two of my friends are having fun giveaways this week!

Katy, an IRL friend, is giving away Sentsy goodness!

And Chic Runner, a FIMH, is giving away the book Eat This Not That!

Go and enter!

Question

Coach Sterling Silver Logo Ring

What finger would you wear this on?

More specifically, would you wear it on your pointer finger on your right hand, if you already wore a Nelle and Lizzy Double Ring on your ring finger of that hand? (And only wore your wedding ring on your left hand.)

Sorry for the crazy details, but I really want to know if this would be too much.....

Pinecone Research Referral

The bargain board always freaks out when Pinecone Research opens up membership. Although I don't get a thing from this referral, I wanted to tell you about it because I really like Pinecone. They pay $3 for each survey you answer, and although I can't tell you about the surveys or products I have received, I can say that it's certainly worth your time!

Here's the email I got from them:

Dear SASHA:
**It’s not too late to take advantage of this special opportunity to refer households to apply for membership on the PineCone Research panel.** If you have already assisted with this effort - thank you and please feel free to disregard this email.

PineCone Research continues to grow and we invite you to help! We are offering select members the opportunity to recommend membership to a friend or relative who is NOT a member of their household.

Do you know of households that would like to join the PineCone Research Panel? If so, please FORWARD A COPY of this email to each household you would like to refer so that they may click on the registration link shown below. That household should complete the registration form themselves and submit it. REMEMBER THAT ONLY ONE PERSON PER HOUSEHOLD MAY REGISTER. Multiple registrations of the same Household will void all registrations.

Here is the link to the registration:
http://www.pineconeresearch.com/signup/ds531Referral1.asp

As a member in good standing, you've already seen the benefits of being part of PineCone Research. So please, share the benefits of membership with a friend. Just don't forget, please don't tell them about any of the products that you have seen in our questionnaires or tried in your home. Remember, it's important that your PineCone Research survey and product testing experiences remain confidential.

If your referral has any questions, they can email us at scott@pineconeresearch.com or click on the attached links to learn more about PineCone Research.

http://www1.pineconeresearch.com//about.HTM
http://www1.pineconeresearch.com//policy.htm

While this is not a paid referral program, we genuinely appreciate your help in spreading the word that PINECONE IS GROWING!

Thank you,
Karen Scott
Web site: http://www.pineconeresearch.com

Email: scott@pineconeresearch.com

Good Deal Alert: Walgreen's Revlon Creme Gloss

New Revlon Creme Gloss

Since I often run outside, my lips can get super-chapped this time of year, and my much-loves lipstains don't just work right.

So I was excited to see this new Revlon product offered as one of Walgreen's February Free After Rebate products. (Remember you can submit your rebate request online now- so much easier!)

I picked it up in Wine Anytime yesterday and it's a great color. Very smooth and pigmented. Feels great on my chapped lips. One caveat- it's one of those click-type brush applicators that Stila often uses- and you have to click it a million times to get it started. Seriously. I bet I clicked it 65 times....

There's also a $1 coupon for Revlon cosmetics in both the 10-12-08 and 12-07-08 SS inserts. That would make it a money-maker since Walgreen's will give you the pre-coupon price back! (And choose the Walgreens giftcard option to get an additional 10% back!)

Getcha some.

Trans Design Order

Oh my.... I am officially addicted to nail polish. If I had the time, I think I would be painting them every day!

I wanted to pick up all your suggestions, but I just couldn't! Some of the colors I already had, or at least had a dupe for. Thanks for all your ideas!

Here's what I got for myself:

SECHE-Restore Thinner 0.5oz. (my Seche Vite is too thick and needs to be saved from the trash!)
CND-Cuticle Eraser 0.5oz. 6/pk. (love love love this stuff and am splitting this 6 pack with a friend)
OPI-DS exclusive
OPI-DS couture
OPI-DS reserve
OPI-DS tapestry (I am in love with the DS shades!)
OPI-Queen Of West Web-Erly
OPI-Sweet As Annie-Thing
OPI-Pretty And Privileged (these three are the 90210 colors, had to have these!)
OPI-Yes...I Can-Can! (a friend had this on and it was so pretty!)
OPI-Pink Of Hearts 2 (breast cancer research color)
OPI-She's Golden
OPI-Pearls Night Out (thanks Belle for the suggestion!)
OPI-Coney Island Cotton Candy (thanks Carrie for the suggestion!)
OPI-Los Angeles Latte (wore this to my wedding and am dying to have it again!)

GDA: Sephora free shipping!

Through Feb 2, Sephora is offering free shipping right now with NO MINIMUM PURCHASE!

I'm always making sure I'm at $50 before I order so I can get the free shipping. This typically results in me over-buying (surprise!).

But now, if there is one little lippie you've always wanted.... go for it!

The code is PLAYPRETTY.

I'll be back later, maybe tomorrow, with some of my favorite Sephora purchases.

For now, I'll leave you with my newest fave: the new Too Faced Mood Swing Emotionally Activated Lip Gloss from the Smurfette collection. Love love love this and will be ordering back-ups for sure since it's limited edition.

Getcha some!

Target Find: Rain Boots!

There is a girl here at my office who has the cutest Coach rain boots, and every time it rains or snows and she wears them, I die inside just a little bit inside because I'm not as cool as her.

Everywhere I go, I see Coach boots! The Sashas were at Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday night, and there were three college girls in front of us in line. All three had Coach rain boots- and each girl had a different pair. So cute!

But last night I was at Target and I found the cutest substitute boots for only $25! They are absolutely precious and when I went online to find them to show you, it turns out they have a ton of different styles! Seriously, all girls need a pair of kicky rain boots.

When I showed them to Mr. Sasha when I got home, he was really proud of me that I made a good decision to get the budget-friendly boots rather than the luxury boots.

Getcha some. Target has free shipping on $50 right now. (But don't forget to go through ebates! Referral link on the left.)

OPI Nail Polish

I'm getting ready to do an OPI nail polish order from 8ty8 Beauty, and I wondered if you guys would share your favorite shades with me.

I wore Los Angeles Latte to my wedding in 99 and it's been years since I've had a bottle of that. (Yes, I was going through a "brown" phase!)

I love I'm Not Really a Waitress.

My HG polish is Chile O Caliente, but it is out of stock.

What are your must-have OPIs?

Edited to add: And here's another good site to order from per Katee- Trans Design. Sorry Mr. Smoochiefrog!

New Beer Find

Wittekerke Rosé blik

The other day I was at the liquor store getting Mr. Sasha some Sailor Jerry, and I went down the beer aisle to pick up some Lindemans Framboise (of course!). I glanced around and saw a six pack of the cutest little drinks I had ever seen- they were a party waiting to happen!

And you know me, I of course picked them up. I have no clue how to pronounce it, and the website it all in Belgium, but they are damn tasty. It's described on the can as Belgian White Beer with Raspberries. I love all things raspberry you know!

Getcha some.

Best Bra Ever- I Swear

Ok- let's talk bras. Once I discovered Maidenform's Smooth Bra T-Back, this is absolutely all I wear. Since there are no seams across the back, it's downright completely smooth and totally takes care of the problematic skin-roll we always seem to have.

These bras are $15 right now (regular $32), and Maidenform is offering free shipping on $25.

I really can't tell you enough how much I love this bra, and no, I'm not getting compensated for this. I just really love it that much. In fact, I think I will be ordering more myself.

And don't forget to go through ebates- link on the left!

Giveaway

Sherrie at Boogers, Scream, Headaches & Dreams is having a fabulous giveaway!

Check her out!

3rd Grade Class Photo

Mamalicious and Sasha in the 3rd grade

Holly has the Tennille and I am rocking the Dorothy Hamil.

We were quite stylish.

Do You Love Nail Polish Like Me?

If so, head over to Manicure Mommas, my other blog, and check out the cool giveaway we are having!

Lookie! Lookie!

I'm the featured NOTD (Nail of the Day) at my very favorite nail blog, e-polishblog!

Go check out my beautiful mani!

Look

what jumped in my cart at Wal-Mart yesterday.

100 Calorie Oreo Mini Cakesters

(and yes, both the chocolate and golden varieties were purchased)

Don't those look fabulous? I'll report back later as to their yuminess.

Coupon here.

Notes From School

The Politician ate his sack lunch very well, but we switched out the recalled peanut butter crackers you sent with some of ours.

Yeah, we sent recalled PB crackers. P said "Mom, you sent me with poison crackers."

In my defense, I did check the list of recalled products, but I admit I was mostly making sure Reese's Peanut Butter Cups weren't on there.

On another note, WC and I had a nice evening that involved Chic-Fil-A and Dora. Although I did end up falling asleep on the floor next to her bed, she went to bed pretty easily and didn't seem too upset that Dad wasn't there. Maybe that was the turning point.....

Big Fat Nothing

That's what I have planning for this weekend!

And I'm so excited!

Tonight Mr. Sasha is taking The Politician to see a dinosaur show, and so The Wild Child and I will have a nice evening at home and hopefully have some good quality time together.

I haven't said a lot about this on the blog, but WC has been having major issues with bedtime for the last 3 months due to her Sensory Processing Disorder. She has also being going through a "Daddy Only" phase at the same time, and those two things together have made for a stressful time at the Sasha house.

Our OT thought maybe WC was picking up on my anxiety about the situation, but although I feel a lot better since I went up on my anxiety meds, it hasn't changed WC's feelings about letting me comfort her.

So we'll see how tonight goes and maybe tonight will break the cycle and I can help her get to sleep without Mr. Sasha being there.

My Newest Award: Bad Mommy 2009

Oh hell.

Yesterday, Mr. Sasha had to do the Walk of Shame. The one that tells the world "We forgot to have extra clothes for WC at school. We are sucky parents who can't get organized enough to bring spare clothes to put in her cubby."

Poor WC spilled her milk in her lap at breakfast, and had to wear these for the rest of the day.

Oh, and it says the same thing down the front of the left leg.

I totally get that they want you to bring these pants back, but shit, you can't even go to the grocery store on the way home!

And today, oh today. Thursday is Show and Tell in the Hoppin' Pre-K, and for the second week in a row the Sashas forgot. The Politician's face fell when he walked in to class and realized it.

So we headed to the van to see what we could come up with. Part of the fun is that the kids take the item in a non-see-through bag and the rest of the class asks 20 questions to see if they can guess what it is in the bag.

It remains to be seen if he'll even remember what it is when S&T time rolls around, but he's the proud owner of an ice scraper. That's really old and ratty looking. And probably at least 15 years old.

Poor guy.

We suck.

Head to Dillard's ASAP

From my good friend Carrie - just heard about a deal that you have to post on your blog....there is a class action lawsuit with Dillards (not sure of the details but you could google it) and if you purchased cosmetics between 1994 and i think 1999, you are entitled to a free cosmetic starting yesterday. I went this afternoon to our good ol' Sooner Fashion Mall and got my free Ralph Lauren Romance body gel--yay!!! tell, tell!!

Another Fabulous Book About Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller

Absolutely a fabulous book. She works daily with children with these issues and really understands. Definitely needed if you child has SPD/SID.

New Lip Balm Find!

If you've been a Sasha Says reader for a while, then you might know that my favorite lip balm is Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment, which retails for $22.50 from Sephora. I've used this for years and love love love the smell and how good it feels on my lips.
Last week my fabulous friend Elaine emailed me about a new product she got in her stocking that she loves that is pretty much a low cost alternative to the Fresh Sugar. C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lip Cream which retails for $7.50 at Bath & Body Works. What a better price! And right now they have a Buy 2 Get 1 Free special going on, so you can get 3 for $15!

Thanks Elaine for such a great recommendation! I picked some up yesterday and absolutely love it! When I put it on I feel like I am enjoying a decadent dessert!

Notes From School

"The Politician got jiggy when the pre-K had a dance party with the four-year-old class."

When You Say Your Prayers Tonight

please include this family who is dealing with a scary time after the birth of their new baby.

The picture is a link to their blog.

Tennies for the Kiddies

I always buy tennis shoes for the kids from Joe's New Balance Outlet. I usually watch for a free shipping weekend and stop up on shoes that are less than $20- I've gotten some as low as $9 and I usually try to pay around $18. I've found New Balance shoes to be high quality- the kids outgrow them before they are worn out.

So..... this is a free shipping weekend! Hope you can find some good deals in sizes for you family!

The Great Jeans Problem

Oh, holiday weight. You're pissing me off.

For a few months I've been acting like I haven't gained any weight and have been squeezing myself into the same pair of jeans that just barely fit. Quite a few pair have been scooted to the back of the closet and are getting dusty. Sadness.

And then a few weeks I did it- I opened The Rubbermaid Tote of Too Big Clothes. And I took out a few pair of jeans. And they fit. Shit. But they weren't very stylish since they are a few years old.

So I finally admitted to myself that it's time to buy some jeans in the size I actually need right now. And since I don't plan on being at this weight for very long, I don't want to spend a lot.

So I went to Wally World and tried on the famous jeans I blogged about in the past. Only I don't like them on me right now. Don't like them at all anymore- even in the correct size.

So I kept looking and found some even better jeans. I can't find a picture online, but girls, these jeans are fabulous.

Riders Boot Cut Mid-Rise in Dark Vintage. Style # 130706S for $16.92.

Now, I got the medium length and for some reason this is fine with flats, so you may want to go the tall route if you are taller than 5'2".

Hopefully I'll be back in the dusty jeans soon. And hopefully they'll still be in style.

Remember NLP:RD?

Remember when Ashley was on her NLP:RD kick? One of the days was Work it Out Wednesday: Solving big problems like organizational dilemmas and annoying shit like taxes and important phone calls.

Well, I'd swear today is Wednesday. I've had lots of annoying shit like taxes and important phone calls to take care of today.

1. Quarterly estimated IRS taxes are due today
2. Quarterly payroll taxes for Mr. Sasha's biz are due today
3. WC broke her super-special super-expensive headphones ($140) we use for OT yesterday, so that was about 4 phone calls in itself to figure out what to do about that (borrow a set from our OT while we send ours off to be repaired for the bargain price of $60)
4. Call to make a hair appt
5. Call to schedule my yearly dr appt
6. Call to let Wags know not to restock my script, promise I'll be in today
7. Get financial stuff ready for PTO meeting tonight

Why do I hate making phone calls so much? I tried to start each conversation very upbeat and friendly, so as to hopefully set the tone for a successful phone call. I have taken care of all but #4 with good results.

I'm ready for Suds it Up Saturday and some beer.

Imagination Movers Tour

Guess who emailed me last week?

Nevermind, you'll never guess.

A publicist for Playhouse Disney! They saw my blog post about the Imagination Movers, and wanted to make sure I knew about their upcoming tour.

I did not, and know that I know, Mr. Sasha and I are planning on taking the kids to see them in March. Fun stuff!

Here's their schedule:

Sat 2/7: Birmingham , Alabama (Alabama Theatre)
Sat 2/14: Red Bank, New Jersey (Count Basie Theatre)
Sun 2/15: Morristown , New Jersey (Community Theatre)
Mon 2/16: Englewood , New Jersey ( Bergen PAC)
Sat 3/7: Fort Worth , Texas (Bass Performance Hall)

Most tickets are $20 - $30, and can be bought online at each theater’s website.

If you don't know who they are, check them out. Both my 3 and 5 year old are obsessed with them, and I actually like their show too.

Our CD came in and I finally hid that damn Suzy Boggus CD and they haven't asked for her again. Phew.

Fabulous Giveaway!

Check out this fun giveaway!

Again, An Age Reference

Yesterday at our music fest meeting, one of the young staffers said to me, "I told my mom there was this lady on the committee that ran in the marathon relay last year....."

So now I'm a "lady".

I felt like I was at CVS.

My Eyes! My Eyes!

Mr. Sasha and I made a big mistake last night.

We watched some of the first episode of Rock of Love Bus.

OMG! I feel so dirty! It was bad, y'all. Real bad.

And I'll probably watch the rest of it tonight.

Dear Little Debbie,

Can you make your 100 Calorie Snow Puffs sans coconut? That would be a healthier version of your Marshmallow Supremes, which I love dearly and I swear I would buy a million packages if you would just make them.

Here's my justification: I don't ever hear anyone saying, "Gee, do you know what I'm craving? Coconut!" Chocolate maybe, but never coconut. Coconut is yucky and gets stuck in your teeth.

Let's just leave it off....

Dear Lean Cuisine,

Got an idea for you guys.

Lean Cuisine, right now you've got your meals organized into neat little categories like Spa Cuisine, Casual Eating, and Dinnertime Selects- which I think was a fabulous idea.

But would it be possible for you to cater a little more to people like me? People who don't eat veggies, yet still want to try to eat within a healthy calories range?

How about a "Picky Eaters" line? Then I wouldn't have to pick off the red peppers and tomatoes from my Pesto Chicken Flatbread Melt, which is absolutely yummy once I've removed those little red offenders.

And my mom and I loved your Chicken a l'Orange until you added broccoli years back. And I absolutely crave the Sesame Chicken, but I hate picking those damn green beans out!

I also ran into a little issue with the Chicken Club Panini yesterday. I was trying to pick out the tomatoes, but kept accidentally picking off the bacon- unacceptable! I love bacon!

I know there are more people like me- I know this because a few of them work here in my office and we laugh (and cuss) about this as we are doctoring our meals in the breakroom at lunchtime.

So if you wouldn't mind creating a new line just for us, we'd be ever-thankful. And I'd do a blog post about it to get the word out!

Sasha, Sasha Everywhere

I am just all over the 'net these days! Does that mean I spend too much time on here?

On of my favorite bloggers, Another Online Mom, is doing a fun feature this month that is right up my cheap-ass alley. Her series "New Beautiful Frugal You" has been full of great drugstore finds and inexpensive products and beauty tips.

I emailed her about one of my favorite eye makeup remover, and she featured my tip today!

Go check it out and leave her a comment to tell her I sent you!

Caregivers Marketplace

You guys know about Caregivers Marketplace, right?

Surely you do.

They offer rebates on items your purchase to care for a loved one- and Huggies Diapers, GoodNights, Little Swimmers, Overnights, and Pull-Ups are included! The rebate is $1 per package purchased, but the giant boxes don't count.

Last year in January I spent about an hour and gathered up my 2007 receipts and got over $50 back. I plan on doing the same for 2008! Easy money- you can spend it at Sephora!

The deadline for submitting is Jan 31, 2009.

Small, But Yum

Although they are pretty small (2.5" by 1.5"), the new Little Debbie 100 Calorie Cakes are delicious. I've tried both the Chocolate with Chocolate Flavored Icing and the Yellow with Butter Creme Icing. Here's a 55 cent coupon!

I Am Famous!

I was recently interviewed by the fabulous Shannon over at Operation Skinny Bitch, and she posted my interview yesterday!

Go check it out!

Dear Disney Channel,

My kids absolutely love the Imagination Movers- in fact, it's their favorite show on your channel right now. Although Holly's fave is Scott, my personal favorite is Rich (since he goes rat-a-tat-tat and all).

I was having issues finding the show's page on your website, and I actually created quite a paragraph about it, which I have deleted since I was incorrect. A lovely reader pointed me in the right direction! (Seems Playhouse Disney shows are on a different website.) Thanks anonymous!

Meanwhile, I'll be ordering the new Imagination Heros CD from Amazon and my kiddos are going to love me for it! In fact, I can probably put away Suzy Boggus and they won't notice.

Sasha's New Year's Resolution: Accept the Truth

Yeah, if I keep indulging the way I've been lately, I'll never fit back in those jeans.....

Sasha Family Christmas

One of my goals for Christmas 2008 was to get a nice family shot- all four of us together, relatively clean and happy. How hard can that be?

We tried on Christmas Eve and couldn't coax The Wild Child into the shot.

But she was happy to "cheese" for me while she ate lunch.

Tried again on Christmas Day but I couldn't even talk Mr. Sasha into posing again at first.

And here, my dear readers, is as good as it gets. The Wild Child was squirming away, but by damn, it's a pic of all four of us. And no one is crying. Score one for mom.

Four Christmases

On Saturday Mr. Sasha's parents offered to come up and watch the kids for a bit so we could go to the movies and out for dinner and gelato for my birthday. We jumped at the chance since we don't actually remember the last time we went to the movies by ourselves to see something other than a Disney movie.

In fact, we don't even remember the last movie we saw at the theater together. The second National Treasure movie? Wedding Crashers? Friday Night Lights? Hell, who knows. At the very least, it was my birthday last year.

I chose Four Christmases. We've been Vince Vaugh fans since Swingers, and this was no disappointment. I also love Reese Witherspoon (my FIRL should already know this....).

Fabulous movie! We absolutely loved it! I will definitely be buying the DVD when it comes out. Because that's what I do- buy my favorite movies and TV series DVDs and let them gather dust on my shelf. But should I ever have some free time to watch DVDs.... I'm set!

I Must Have One!

Fellow Office watchers, how much do you want one of these Princess Unicorn shirts? I seriously do! Love it!

The Best Christmas Present Ever

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of getting to have lunch with the oh-so-fabulous Holly. We had a great time chatting and catching up over Mexican food, and she brought me an awesome Christmas present- an Al's Koozie! I've been upset about not having one ever since I didn't win her contest. I am patiently waiting for her to create her Mamalicious koozies so I can get one of those too.

Anyway, that night I asked Mr. Sasha to take a picture of me using the koozie so I could post it on the blog, and here's the result.

Mr. Sasha can't take an in-focus picture to save his life.

And it's a Rebel, on auto-focus. How can it be out of focus? I just don't understand, but this is why I am never in any of the pictures. I'm the only one in the family who can take them!

But I am loving my new koozie and have used it quite a few times during this crazy holiday season. I'm using it to drink Wild Blue in the pic above, and it was utilized for Mike Light Hard Cranberry Lemonade during the Christmas Eve Present-Putting-Together Extravaganza that lasted until plum near midnight.

More later on the fabulousness that was Christmas at the Sasha house! Hope you all had a merry one!

NOTD: OPI A Ruby for Rudolph

Finally managed to repaint my nails. Love it! Also posted this over on Manicure Mommas along with a link to Katee's beyond-awsome nail tips.

PSA: Christmas Eve grocery shopping

Should you realized at 7:03 pm on Christmas Eve that you are out of the eggs you need to make the much-requested Neiman Marcus Bars for Christmas lunch (because that's just something that happens to you if your name is Sasha), the following places will be closed:

• Your neighborhood IGA
• Wally World
• Target
• Homeland

I was just about to stop at The Waffle House and ask if I could purchase 3 eggs, uncracked, when I spied an open store! Yay for Braum's!

But really, you should let your employees spend the holidays with family. People like me who forget about buying eggs deserve to have to think outside the box and head to the waffle house.

Where Did He Hear That?

That's what we are saying more and more around the Sasha household.

The Politician's teacher stopped Mr. Sasha the other morning to tell him this story:

On Tuesday, at the end of PE class, Ms. P asked the kids to get in line to say Merry Christmas to Coach K since it was the last time they would see her before the holidays.

The Politician was second to last.

When it was his turn, he went up to Coach K and said, "Merry Christmas Coach K. You're hot."

Fabulous.

A Lesson on How Hair Grows

Tonight I got home from my PTO (dinner and drinks and a Pizzoki, I love my PTO!) meeting, and The Politician was still awake, so I went in to kiss him goodnight.

P: Momma, Sissy made me fall in the playroom, and my head was about to crack open, but Daddy put some ice on it to keep it from cracking open. There's a bump there, but you probably can't feel it because it's under the barnacles.

Sasha: You mean the follicles?

P: Yeah, that's it. That's what our hair grows out of.

New Blog Idea!

I have totally become obsessed with nail blogs, and I would love to have a nail blog of my own!

But I realize that I don't actually get to paint my nails very much right now, since I'm chasing two small children around and trying to work full-time somewhere in there.

But what about a group blog for those of us moms who love to do manis? Each time we paint our nails, we can post our NOTD (or NOTW as it mostly like is) and banding together, we can be a nail blogger!

Let me know if you'd like to be a contributor! Hopefully I can paint my nails again tomorrow and snap a better shot for a header.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

One Last GDA- Dream Town items

Walmart has the Cherry Blossom Market for $15 with 97 cent shipping to your house! Hell of a deal! It says it will arrive by Dec 24.....

Oh Noes

I just realized something terrible. Absolutely frightful.

The other day I was laughing with Chic Runner about the fact that in just a few short weeks, I'll be crossing into a new age range for my 5Ks. I'll be moving from the 30-34 range into the 35-39 range, and we laughed about the fact that if I can't beat the 30 years olds, maybe I've got a better chance beating the 39 year olds.

But I was just on Sephora, and their age range for their reviewers is 35-44!

That's crazy! I'm not like a 44 year old! I'm just a baby! My beauty issues certainly aren't the same as someone in their mid-40s! That certainly needs to be recitified. You all know how much impact I have on companies and their websites. Come on Sephora, you need to change that. I suggest 35-39 and 40-44. Much better.

All of the sudden, I am realizing I am getting old.

NOTW

OPI Merry Holly-Days! (Ulta exclusive)

As crazy-busy and it is at the Sasha house, there's really no NOTD (day). Actually, it's more like NOTW (week). And there's no outside pic since we are sun-free for a bit as we deal with some actual December-like weather.

Yesterday I squeezed in enough time to paint my nails before I got on the treadmill. Of course, I once again forgot to get out my OPI Correct and Cleanup Pen before I got started, so I couldn't fix that spot on my middle finger. And my cuticles need some moisturization, but cut me some slack. At least they are pretty! I really like this color a lot. I felt the need for red since we are just 8 days or so from Christmas!

Notes from School

The Politician accidentally ran into E. He promptly said "Sorry" and gave a chaste kiss and hug.

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a good boy, but The Wild Child hasn’t been tonight, because I was eating my food and she wasn’t and she didn’t get a treat.

I was hoping you could bring me some toys.

And the toy that I wanted was the Little Einstein rocket (check!), and the Diego mountain (check!), and the Tigger and Pooh Changing Tree (check!).

And these candies that I have in this thing (envelope): Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Absolutely Divine 70% cocao, Hershey Kisses, Hershey’s Miniatures, and Absolutely Divine 30% cocao. (For some reason he cut all these little pictures of candy out of the CVS flyer and that's what he is referring to....)

And The Wild Child would like her own purse (check!) and her own play makeup (check!). And she would like a Barbie house (got a Dora house). And a Princess castle (got the vanity- that should qualify as "princess").

Daddy needs a new shiny golf club that looks like shiny Christmas lights (he did actually just order a new set of clubs).

The Wild Child wants a pink oven (she already has the Rose Petal Cottage oven, so no new oven).

Momma wants new shiny makeup and a new purse that she can carry all her makeup in.

I want to give two of my firetrucks away and get a new one.

The fireman hat I have pinches off some of my hair so I need a new one.

We will have some of those peanut butter cookies with those chocolate chips on them.

Your friend,
The Politician

Mr. Sasha, You Can Deal With This

The other day I saw The Politician walking down the hall and he sort of had a hand cupped over his, well, boy area.

Being a mom, I said, "P, do you need to go to the potty?"

P said: "No, I'm just ticklin' it a little."

Anybody Want to Move Here?

Look at this crazy-ass weather forecast! And it was 19 yesterday when I woke up!

Amazon Movers and Shakers

There are so many good deals on Amazon, I can't list them all!

The secret is to check out the Movers & Shakers page at Amazon.

Hope this helps someone looking for those last-minute gifts like me!

Snow-Capped Volcanoes

You know when you see those posts on the BHB that say "My Christmas crack didn't set up right! What did I do wrong"?

Well, this is not one of those posts. My attempt at Red Velvet Cake Balls did not go well, but I don't need hints or suggestions because I won't be making them again. Ever. They are my nemesis. Yummy, but my nemesis.

You can see that I tried to dip the two balls on the right in the coating. (I'm 99% sure I got the wrong kind of coating, which is a typical Sasha move.) After that, I gave up and just slopped the coating on top of the balls. Hence the new name "Snow-Capped Volcanoes". They are a million more of those bitches and making them wore me plum out.

They still taste good, but they look like shit. We've had a good laugh over them at the office today.

My Very First NOTD

OPI DS Extravagance

Would you look at that? A NOTD (Nail of the Day)!

Now, don't look too close at my pinky nail- it needs some clean-up, but I realized after I started painting that I hadn't unwrapped my OPI Correct and Clean Up Pen and I didn't want to risk further mess-up.

But isn't that a pretty color?

Speaking of Nails

Keeping your cuticles neat and clean is one of the keys to making your manicure last longer. My mom used to use Delore on me when I was growing up and I hated the smell so much! I shudder just thinking about it. I'd sneak in the bathroom and wash my hands as soon as I could to get it all off.

My blog crush Katee uses CND Solar Oil, which I haven't tried.

However, I've been using Avon's Cuticle Oil Pen with Lavendar and I absolutely love it. It smells so good, nothing like Delore! And right now they are having a special and you can get two for $6! And free shipping!

Follow these steps to ensure you get your free shipping AND your ebates rebates.

1. Visit Valerie's site first to make her your default rep

2. Log into ebates to get 5% back and go through them to get to the Avon site

3. Once the Avon site pulls up again, you should see Valeri's name near the top of the site

4. Choose your products and then use code REPFS or FSANY to get free shipping (if one doesn't work, try the other)

Happy Shopping!

I Knew There Was a Reason I Didn't Like CEC

From today's Wall Street Journal:

Calling All Cars: Trouble at Chuck E. Cheese's, Again

Kid-Centric Pizza Parlors Become Stage for Adult Bad Behavior, as Mama-Bear Instincts Kick In and Fights Break Out

My New Blog Crush

Guys, I need to tell you about my new favorite blog, e-polishblog. I adore Katee and have a little bit of a girl crush on her, even though the only part of her I've ever seen is her nails!

Look how gorgeous her nails are- and they are natural!

OPI A Ruby for Rudolph

photo credit: e-polishblog

Recently I asked Katee about her nails and how she keeps them so fabulous-looking. She did a post on Katee's Nail Care Tips and Saturday I dashed out to Ulta to pick up the CND Cuticle Eraser and OPI Correct and Clean-Up Pen just because she recommends them! I even picked up the color above (and a lot of other OPI colors, more on that later!) because it looks so great on her.

So go check her out- promise you'll like her- she's cool like us!

Christmas Program

Today was the school Christmas program, which is always pretty entertaining. Most years The Politician boycotts the program because he's not too fond of costumes and the like, and typically he hangs out in the wings. This year, they somehow got a choir robe and some angel wings on him and he marched out like he was meant to be on stage.


The Politician was pretty funny. He and his buddies to the right and left cut up quite a bit- tickling each other with the feathers on their wings. He knew I was watching him and shot me this look.

The Wild Child pretty much stole the show. She's the oldest in her class by 4 months or so, and she knows all the words to Jingle Bells, and loves to sing loudly, so they stuck the microphone right in front of her and she pretty much did a solo.

We are off to watch the Big 12 Championship on campus (Boomer!). We are kid-free tonight since we sent the kiddos home with my parents after the program, so Mr. Sasha and I plan on having a good time!

Starbucks Craving

Today I am craving Starbucks, and I may try something different than my usual "Short Non-Fat White Hot Chocolate, No Whip" (180 calories, 3 grams fat, 4 WW points).

I may try a Short Non-Fat Peppermint Hot Chocolate, No Whip. (170 calories, 2 grams fat, 1 gram fiber, 3 WW points).

While we are talking about yummy holiday drinks, Hungry Girl says to stay away from the Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate. A Short Non-Fat Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate, No Whip is 6 points (270 calories, 10 grams fat, 3 fiber).

Oh, and here is where I figure WW points.

What's you favorite Starbucks drink, and is it worth the points?

Notes From School

On P's take-home sheet recently:

Our big angel fish, Angel, died during the night. She was too big to flush, so we had a funeral.

Yummiest 7up Ever!

Last night I was trolling (of course!) Target and look what I found!

Pomegranate 7up!

(to no surprise, there's no info on 7up's website)

Of course I got the diet version, and it is absolutely scrumptious!

Local girls, I've got a mission for you. If you see the diet in 12 packs, by all means, pick some up for me! Target only had 2 liters, which I hate, and were all out of 12 packs.

I NEED this. I have to have this. And I'll pay you back.