Coach Shoes Goodness

Coach Hayes

How gorgeous is she? Dillard's was having a fabulous Coach sale this week and I picked these up for almost 50% off- it was an amazing deal! I love shoe shopping at Dillard's because I just walk around trying on whatever I want since all the display shoes fit me since I am a 6. Fun stuff. Don't have to wait for a salesperson to help!

I wore these yesterday and they are actually very comfortable. Felt like a million bucks....

Crazy Americans

I mean, not that I got my act together enough to vote myself, but I cannot believe that America sent Allison home... she was fabulous and that duet with Adam simply rocked.

GDA: Free 8X10 at Walgreens

What a great deal! Use code MOTHER to get a free 8X10 at Walgreens- today only!

New Lipgloss Find

Lancome LA LAQUE FEVER - Ultimate Lasting Full Color Lipshine $26

Are you tired of my lipstick finds? Do you think I am crazy for spending $26 on a lippie? I don't want to hear you say one little word about it... I know I have a problem and I've made peace with it.

I purchase Plum Wave and it is divine! It applies like a lipgoss, but has the coverage of a long-wearing lipstick while still being moisturizing. It doesn't bleed and the color lasts hours. Meet all my requirements! Oh, and it smells good too.

I see that Sephora has some new shades and I'd like to try Digital Berry. (Is anyone from Lancome corporate reading?) I tried Plum Savvy on my hand at the store and there wasn't enough color in it for me.

Speaking of Sephora, I don't know if you noticed, but I have an affiliate box on the upper right hand side.... should you be placing a Sephora order, be sure and stop by my site first and click through- I'll love you forever... and be able to purchase more lippies to try and blog about!

The Graduate

Unbelievably, The Politician graduated from PreK on Saturday. He's been at this Catholic preschool since he was 6 weeks old.... after he completes the summer program and leaves for public K in the fall, he will have been there for 6 years!

The Wild Child goes to school there also and I don't know what she'll do when she figures out her bubba is at a different school this fall... they love getting to see each other during the day. She was so well-behaved at the ceremony, it was like someone switched her out with another child! Ha!

Look at this big boy in his cap and gown! I figured he'd flip out about having a wear something over his clothes, but he did just fine and was quite angelic.

But once he got his diploma, the silly-ness came out. He spent the rest of the alphabet doing this....

And this.

After the ceremony, he chose to eat at Red Robin. After lunch, he looked at me and said, "This is the most exciting week of my life!"

My little boy is growing up so fast. And I'm so proud of him.

GDA: Target

Target has the 20 oz Vitamin Water 10s on sale for $1.02. Combine that with the $1 off coupon from last Sunday's paper, and you've got a free drink!

I got the XXX (triple berry or some such) and it's fabulous.

Also, Target has some of their Pace speciality salsas on sale for $1.99. Combine that with the $1 off coupon that was in last Sunday's paper, and you've got fabulous salsa for 99 cents!

My personal favorite is Tequila Lime.

Sightseeing Photos

Hold on folks- I had a brilliant thought and I'm about to share it with you. By the way, if someone has already thought of it, don't tell me that. I'm basking in my brilliantness right now and it feels pretty good.

Anywho, when we were in NYC and the hubs and about 15,000 other people were all shooting a bazillion pics of various landmarks with their pocket-sized P&S cameras, I got to thinkin'.

First, you should know that I am all about time management. I rarely waste my time doing something that someone else has already done or can do for me quicker, easier, and better than I can do it. I figured that out PDQ once I was a working mom of two crazy kids.

So here was the thought I had as I watched this picture being taken:

And this one....

And this one...

Why are we all taking pictures of the same thing?

Seriously.

Here's what I'd like to propose.

You know how all those postcard shots are fabulous? Let's create a website where you can download these pics and add them to your flikr, snapfish, shutterfly, whatever... and you can add them to your album to go along with pics like this:

Cause every sightseeing album needs some personal shots. But for the landmark photos, let's not continue to waste time. There's lots of more productive things we could be doing.

Like drinking beer.

Right Now I Am Listening To

Sugar and Gold was one of the bands that played at our music festival and they are my new favorite band!

They're upbeat, dancy, and super-fun! I can't stop signing Neighborhood. Check it out below!

Notes From School

Please talk to WC about keeping her clothes on at school. She took them off two times today.

Biased Journalism At It's Best

The poll to the left is currently running at our local newspaper. How crapily is that worded? It's negative from the get-go.

Several local businesses were bothered that we shut down Main Street for our fabulous festival that brings, wait for it, an estimated 40,000 people to Main Street over the course of the day. Most of who have probably never been on our quaint little Main Street, never purchased there before, and most likely didn't even know what stores were down there.

Can you kindly go here and vote Yes? (You have to scroll down to the bottom of the page and the poll is on the right.) I'd forever love ya.

It's 2 days later and I'm still tired!

Festival was unbelievable but I am having a rough time getting back to normal.... Lack of sleep is kicking my 35 year old ass!

New Beer Find!

Look what I spied at Target! Mike's Hard Raspberry Lemonade! How good does that look?

Anyone tried it? I love the Cranberry you know.

Ah, the 2009 Summer of Beer is upon us.....

Race Report

Sadly, won't be running the half after all this Sunday. Doc says to take 3 weeks off .....

Basically, my foot started hurting back on the 11th after my long run. No stress fracture per MRI, but it looks like I might have a "stress reaction" or tendonitis. Either way, since I am easily converted to a super-slacker, I have no problem taking a 3 week break to give it time to heal!

So mobile blogging is a bit like tweeting? My phone limits me to 160 characters. But no links or pics, huh?

NYC Report #5- Broadway!

If you know the Sashas, you probably know we're just not very cultured. We like our beer, trash TV, and jeans and we don't see a lot of movies that win Academy Awards. Plus most of the TV shows we like get cancelled, so I'm not all that sure about our taste.

So I just didn't think a traditional Broadway show would be the way for us to go- at least not our first time in NYC.

I talked the hubs into seeing Rock of Ages- and we had a fabulous time! Any show that serves beer, plays 80s hair band rock, and hands you a lighter (fake, but still) on your way in- that's my kind of show!

It's very tongue-in-cheek, and they totally make fun of themselves and it just works. It can be a little raunchy and has some risque language, but, hey, who cares? It's not like I'd take P and WC....

So if you happen to be in NYC, be sure and check it out. If you are music fan or above the age of 30 and you remember the music of the 80s, this is your kind of show!

NYC Post #4

This is a picture of my neck.

This is not a hickey.

I swear.

I am offering to let people touch it and feel the blister so they can verify it's a curling iron burn.

I haven't done that since high school.

And I haven't had a hickey since high school either.

This is what happens when your husband is making you hurry because he can't wait to get back to sightseeing.

NYC Post #3

Well, I'm home, and we've got lots to talk about.

Let's start with the most important topic: Pillows.

Why in world do hotels think that people like squishy pillows? I know that I am most likely in the majority when I say I like a pillow with a little firmness to it, but the last 4 hotels I've stayed in had not gotten this message.

The pillows at our hotel in NYC were invisible. At least that's what it felt like when I laid my head upon them and promptly felt the mattress with my ear. Unbelievable.

Typically, when this happens, I rustle up a sofa accent pillow to use under my invisible pillow to mimic some firmness. But we had no sofa, so= no sofa accent pillow!

Also, while we are discussing my Pillow Requirements, king-sized beds need at least 5 pillows on them, everybody knows that! I need a huggie pillow as well as one under my head.

Come on NYC, if everyone loves you so much, why do you have squishy pillows? I'm going to start spreadin' the news- Your pillows suck.

Mobile posting test. I am a technical genius.

Oh and

I stopped in Coach and this is my new obsession- the Parker in violet. Isn't that gorgeous? And springy? And something I need? Hoping for a PCE soon.....

NYC Report #2

Ok, two things got marked off my NYC to-do list. I can go home happy.

At Pinkberry, I had the Pomegranate with white chocolate shavings. OMG----- best thing I ever had. And low calorie! I could eat this for every meal.

And at the Magnolia Bakery, I had a red velvet cupcake with whipped vanilla frosting. Fabulous.

NYC Report #1

Well, my day yesterday was not off to a good start.

Since our plane was leaving at 7:00 am and of course we didn't finish packing before we went to bed, I set the alarm for 4 am (good Lord!) and got in the shower. 5 minutes after I got in the shower the electricity went off and didn't come back on! Girls, I do not have the kind of hair that can air dry! Especially my bangs.... anyway, when we left for the airport, I had wet hair and we had packed by candlelight!

But guess who I saw in the Newark airport? Kim Zimmer from Guiding Light!!! I wish I could have gathered up enough courage to stop her to talk and take a pic, but I was, as usual, frozen and couldn't talk! Oh well, she looked fabulous and so pretty!

More later.......

Glade Sense & Spray

Have you tried Glade Sense & Spray yet?

I was offered a BzzAgent campaign for this, and it seemed right up my alley. This unit is "smart" and only dispenses the scent when someone is in the room! Genius! Why do I need my house smelling good when I'm not there? You all know I'm a bargain-hunting mama and hate wastefulness.

The kit I received, which retails for $8.99, came with 2 AA batteries and the Clean Linen scent, which I have to admit is my not cup of tea. So I went on their website to see what other scents they offered and was excited to find Apple Cinnamon. The refills retail for $3.49 and are also available in Country Garden and Powder Fresh, which I haven't smelled.

The Apple Cinnamon scent is divine. Makes my living room smell "homey" and like I imagine your home smells when you bake an apple pie (although I wouldn't know, I'm just guessing!).

Has anyone else tried it yet?

Because I Know You Are Dying To Know This

I hate packing.

The whole thing stresses me out. How am I going to decide? How am I going to make it all fit? What if something gets beyond wrinkly and I can't fix it on vacay? Wah...... I haven't even thought about shoes yet.

10 extra pounds on my frame isn't helping because I can't wear my favorite clothes right now. But that's another issue for another day.

The hubs and I are headed to NYC tomorrow. I'm excited, but the whole packing debacle is ruining it for me. Also, our luggage is no where to be found, which should make for a fun evening of placing blame and most likely a quick trip to buy some too-expensive luggage.

On another note, any tourist tips for NYC? Can't miss places?

Notes From School

The Politician and his friends promised not to catch bees anymore. Two friends were stung today.

Revelation

I am old and I will never be Chic Runner. But I can pretend, can't I? She's precious and my running idol.

I just ran 11 miles in 1:54:00 and damn, I'm 35. And 3 months.

At the start of mile 11, my knee was starting to give out, my hammies were super-mad at me, and when I got home my pinkie toes felt dead- like they might need to be cut off.

But I did it!

I think all those years of pop-splits and high kicks did me in. Yeah, that's it. That's the problem. It has absolutely nothing to do with being a 35 year old beer-drinking worn-out mom of two crazy kids.

I am off to the beer fridge for a Wild Blue. Hopefully I can walk tomorrow.

If You Are Out and About

you should head by CVS today.


I have had a crazy week and hadn't made it to CVS yet- the horror! So I dragged poor WC there so I could rock my deals. Both of these deals end today.


1. 12 packs of Coke products are 3/$11, but then you get $3 ECB back, so the net price is 3/$8.


2. Skintimate Moisturizing Cream Shave is basically free! Pay $3.49, but then you get $3.49 in ECB back!

Happy Shopping!

Uncle

I cry.

It's only 6:45 am, and I am tired, and there aren't enough hours in the day to do what I need to get done today.

Big Festival is coming up and there are lots of details to take care of. I'll be back to normal as soon as it and the half-mary are over.

Pray Tell

Please tell me how to dress my kids (and myself) when it's 29 at 6:30 am and will be 69 for a high in but a few short hours.

I guess I need to send them with a bag of various clothes of various weights and materials. Because they'll need a heavy coat this morning and shorts this afternoon.

I'm ready for summer.

Notes From Sunday School

Hey Sasha!

Hope you had a great weekend! I just love The Politician. He is really neat. Today in Sunday School we were sitting on the floor and talking about the palm branches. Before I went into any detail or started the lesson....The Politician told all of us exactly what the palm branches represented. He told us about Jesus on the donkey and the people of Jerusalem waving their branches and laying down their coats. I was so impressed!

Have a super week! See you Tuesday.
Sunday School Teacher Ms. R

Notes From School: 4-2-09

WC was placed in time out on three occasions today. Each time she responded well after being sent to time out, and she rejoined our activities with good behavior and more enjoyable interactions. She is making progress in this area. :-)

And yes, the smiley face was there. I got a knot in my stomach as I read that, but felt better by the end of the note. This has been a week filled with appointments related to WC and in-service visits by our therapists for WC at school, and we are making some progress.

Our Child Development Specialist is organizing a giant meeting between me and the Mr., our OT, our LCSW, WC's teacher, the CDS, and a psychologist. Whew, it better be a big table! I am excited that so many people are helping us. Life is good.

My Newest Motto

Right Now

I'm baking a Diet Coke Cake.

Basically, a cake mix and a diet soda mixed together and baked according to the box directions. Nope, you don't use oil or eggs.

I've heard raves about it, and it's only 2 WW per slice (or something crazy like that) and tomorrow we are celebrating the birthday of a co-worker who is very health-conscious, so this will be just her style. (I hope!)

I chose a yellow cake mix and a Diet Cherry 7up.... Hope it turns out OK! I'll let you know.

Mabel's Labels

One of my favorite companies, Mabel's Labels, is offering something special today! Check it out!

Chili's Winner

Beach Bum, you were the 13th commenter, so you are the winner of the two Chili's Guiltless Gourmet meals!

Email me at barelytogether at yahoo dot com and I'll put them in the mail to you tomorrow!

Congrats!

Chili's Guiltless Grill

Yesterday I went to lunch with my dear friend Heather to celebrate her birthday. We were having a hard time deciding where to go when I remembered the BzzAgent Chili's Guiltless Grill campaign I was in. BzzAgent had provided me with coupons to try items off their new menu for free! All six entrees have less than 750 calories and are served with steamed seasonal veggies and Parmesan cheese.

Heather and I braved the extremely windy and cold and rainy day and went to Chili's at 11:30. We were seated immediately, which was nice since we were hungry!

We had several items to choose from, but Heather and I both ended up choosing the Guiltless Buffalo Grilled Chicken Sandwich.

Here's the description from Chili's webpage: Grilled chicken breast topped with low-fat Ranch, shredded lettuce, tomato and sauteed onions. Or kick it up with our traditional Buffalo spicy wing sauce. Served on a whole wheat bun. $7.79

We both agreed that our sandwiches were fabulous! The ranch and buffalo sauce together made for a spicy, but not too spicy, kick for the chicken. Since I am not a veggie fan, Heather decided she liked the broccoli so much she'd enjoy mine too!

I still have two coupons left to try one of these entrees for free, and I'd love to give them to one of my readers! Leave a comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Monday at 8 pm CST.

One quick thing: You need to be a follower to enter. Last time I did a giveaway, a link ended up on a random giveaway site, and lots of people I didn't know entered. I want this to be a fair reward for reading Sasha Says, so please don't enter if you aren't a follower, because I will delete your comment.

Good luck!

My Stomach Has a Crush On

Bakerella.

I stumbled across her blog last week when the bargain board was going nusto-crazy for her Cake Pops and once I got sucked in, I couldn't stop reading. This woman is fabulous. And a genius. And I may just want to marry her. At least so she can make treats for me and the kiddos.

I emailed the hubs a link to her Nutter Butter Balls, and he replied back that he gained 5 pounds looking at the picture, but I if made them, the world was mine.....

We all know that as a general rule, I could not and will not ever make the Cake Pops, but the Nutter Butter Balls might be within my reach, but I certainly don't want a repeat of the Snow-Capped Volcanoes.

So I'm considering myself her new student, and will be doing quite a bit of research towards my goal of becoming The Mom Who Makes Really Neat Treats. Wouldn't it be great to be known as that? I'm not sure what I'm known as right now... maybe The Beer-Drinking Mom, or
The Mom With the Daughter Who Has Some Behavioral Issues. I might be The Mom Who Runs, and I think I'm The Mom Who Looks a Bit Younger Than Her 35 Years.

Anyway... since I know I'll make this happen since I know that I have a fab teacher, I went ahead and ordered this shirt from Bakerella's site:

Can't you see me in that? Precious. And I will attain it. (in all that free time I have)

Toddlers & Tiaras: Munchausen by Rhinestone

Have you seen Toddlers and Tiaras?

One part of me wishes I hadn't. And the other, bigger portion of me is addicted to seeing this little slice of life of this crazy subculture called Glitz Pageants. So far I have seen two episodes and I am anxiously awaiting my Tivo picking up some more.

I wish I could take credit for the whole "Munchausen by Rhinestone" thing, but I have to admit I saw it on the TWOP forums yesterday.

So your assignment is to give it a watch and let me know what you think. I personally think these parents are Crazy with a capital C and that they are living vicariously through their admittedly adorable kids. But that's just my opinion.......

The Performer

Last night, I asked The Politician to put his shoes on so we could leave to go to dinner at the home of some friends of ours.

I saw him putting on socks and I said, "If you just want to wear your Crocs, you won't have to worry about socks."

He replied (somewhat impatiently), "Well, I'll need them for my act."

If You Have 4 Spare Minutes

you should check out WB's new online series Rockville CA. Each episode is around 4 minutes long and features an up-and-coming band recorded live. Created by Josh Schwartz (The OC, Chuck, Gossip Girl), this series basically follows a group of 20-somethings around a rock club.

Although there are only 4 episodes to watch at this time, a new episode will be uploaded each Tuesday. I just finished watching all 4 and I'm intrigued enough to at least give it a few more episodes. Maybe it's because I'm a music-loving working mom who can't make it out to the clubs to watch live music all that often these days......

I Can't Believe I Forgot To Comment On This Last Week

"I'm dedicating my first dance to all my girls in the federal detention center."

-- Lil' Kim, who has spent time in prison, on Dancing With The Stars

Oh. My. Word.

I *Heart* Ebates

Guys, I just found the coolest link and description of my blog on the ebates blogroll:

A mother of two breaks down all aspects of her life from her shopping habits to her children's health. Generally entertaining, and always value-focused, it's a great resource.

I'm a great "resource"- how fab is that??

I've been a fan of ebates for years- in fact, I've been with them for so long I've amassed almost $800 in rebates and referrals!

If you've been living under a rock and haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for? Ebates is a shopping site that gives you up to 26% Cash Back every time you shop online. You can shop at over 1000 stores including Barnes & Noble.com, Gap, Target, Buy.com and Expedia. Plus you get additional savings with exclusive coupons, free shipping offers, and limited-time sales!

Sign up with Ebates today and we'll each get a $5 bonus when you make your first purchase!

Click here to sign up:
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=m3mwtfM2CWTiwGJU%2Bp86ew%3D%3D

Happy shopping!
Sasha

The Apple and The Tree

I think he inherited my mad dance skillz.

Edited: Can you all see this post on Tuesday night? I tried to schedule it to post first thing in the AM, but the scheduler doesn't seem to be working (or else it's user error). Help!

The St. Patrick's Day Run Report

Last April a group of my college besties and I ran a marathon relay and had the best time. We also have a standing Girls Weekend the last weekend of July each year and I can not get enough of these girls- they are the best friends a girl could ask for! Plus, two of them grew up with my hubby and introduced us way back in late 1992.

This year we decided we would all run the half. Since none of us live in the same town these days, we've been doing our training separately. Stephanie found a St. Patrick's Day run near me and we planned a fun weekend that included the morning race and going our for dinner and drinks, husbands included.

This is what Cory wanted to wear. Since the temperature here can be 20 one day and 80 the next (hell, the same day even!), it's truly hard to plan your wardrobe too far in advance.

See these long sleeves, pants, and knee socks? Very handy when it's in the 30s! I am well aware that the Yankees cap doesn't go with the green theme, but it was raining! (And yes, eqsmom and East Coast Girl, I know you don't approve of the hat.)

Super-special thanks to Chic Runner who coached me on what kind of pants to buy the day before the race since I typically stay indoors on the treadmill when it's this cold! I got these at Target and loved them- specially the zippered back pocket for my key.

We ran in an 8K that had pizza and green beer at the finish! My kind of race!

That afternoon we met at 4 for dinner and drinks. Because we're senior citizens already at 35.

I truly love all your girls and can't wait for our night at the M family farm and our Mexico trip this summer! I miss you all and had the best time with you this weekend! Smooches!

Pimpin' green sequin style.

Many drinks and a few Red Headed Sluts later..... I have no idea what the 4 means......

Spring!

Lookit!

It's Spring!

I'm sure it will be 20 degrees again soon. And probably snow.

But I'll take this nice week of weather and not complain one little bit.

Are you watching DWTS?

Chuck Wicks

Back in 2007, I introduced you to him and we discussed his hotness. Well, actually I talked to myself about it because only the lovely and lately-MIA Kate commented on my list.
Chuck Wicks is beyond dreamy and makes DWTS so much better. It's adorable that is dating Julianne Hough- love her too! She's the ballroom dancer I wish I was.
I am also loving that Melissa from the Bachelor is on there. She is precious and a fabulous dancer.
Do you think I might watch too much TV?

Newest Motto

Always on the hunt for my own personal mission/vision statement, I found this and thought it was perfect:

Trying to arrange my life so I don't even have to be present.

American Idol Woes

Yup, I had Jorge in the office pool. As usual, the person I drew went home the first night. Seriously, that always happens. I even sat out the last Survivor pool to see if that would break my streak.

Obviously, that didn't happen.

Broadway Bound

Rock of Ages

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small town girl met a big city rocker and in LA’s most famous rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the 80s. It’s ROCK OF AGES, an arena-rock love story told through the mind-blowing, face-melting hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Foreigner and many more. Don’t miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on.

ROCK OF AGES takes audiences on a musical joyride set to blazing hits from iconic rockers such as Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake and many more. Crowds and critics agree—ROCK OF AGES is ”a nonstop party laden with sexy choreography, energetic performances and an on stage band that totally rocks the house" proclaims The Associated Press. The New York Post says, ”ROCK OF AGES does for 80s rock what Mamma Mia! did for ABBA.“

I will be in NYC next month and I've always wanted to go to a Broadway show. What do you think about this one? I think it looks great. Thoughts?

Countin' the Benjamins

Last month I signed up for mint.com and have been tracking all of our expenses.

Which is great, but now it is scarily quantified just how much money I spend on health and beauty items (read: nail polish).

I'm not sure anyone needs to know that, especially my husband.

Nail polish spending aside, mint.com is really pretty cool. All your bank and credit card transactions are downloaded each day and categorized for you. You can set up a budget amount for each category, and it will send you email alerts if you are close to going over-budget. You also get email alerts when your credit card payments are almost due, which is fab if you are finding yourself very unorganized like I seem to be these days.

The Sickies

have infected the Sashas and put some kinks in The Weekend Plans.

And since I didn't get much sleep last night, the fab post about the weekend, complete with pics, just won't be up until tonight.

I shall direct you to Mamalicious for a run-down of the fabulousness. Here's some trivia for you: While there, I came down with DTMB Virus (Drank Too Many Beers Virus) but I am feeling better this AM than I did yeseterday AM. Damn Texas Beverlies!

Dear Old Navy Marketing Execs,

The Modelquins scare me and do not make we want to buy your clothes.

That is all.

Home After a Great Day

This morning, before surgery

Our goal for this second (and final) surgery was to remove the remaining scar tissue.

Tonight, after surgery

They were able to remove all the scar tissue! Don't be scared by the uneven-ness of the wound- they assure me that as it heals, it will stretch and smooth out nicely. We are so pleased!

We let them know that we wouldn't be letting her have the Versed that caused such a major problem last time. When I told the anesthesiologist that, she said, "Oh, will we have a problem taking her back to surgery without it?"

I assured her that WC has never met a stranger and would have no problem going back to the surgery un-medicated. The plan was to give her gas once they got her back in the surgery room, followed by the IV.

The surgery took less than 20 minutes, and when they wheeled her back out to us, she was drinking an apple juice box. She saw her brother's Popsicle and of course asked for one.

The doctor and nurse practitioner came out to chat about the results and let us know that WC was "quite entertaining" before they got started with the surgery.

I can't tell you how glad I am to have this all behind us! Thanks for all your prayers over this hemangioma journey!

Heading South Tomorrow

for The Wild Child's second and final hemangioma scar revision. It's just an outpatient surgery, so we'll hopefully be home by dinnertime.

I'll take some before pics and some after pics when the bandages come off. I'm very excited to put this all behind us.

Keep us in your prayers!

You'll Never Believe This

but I just ran 8 miles. In 1:20:20. (including 7 one minute breaks)

Holy carp. It was super-cold and I had freezer burn (frostbite?) on two fingers when I got back. Really- two fingers were bright white from the knuckle up and I wasn't sure what to do about that, but I keep moving them around and the problem seem to right itself after about 20 minutes in my 70 degree house.

Proof positive that anyone, literally anyone, can learn to run.

Right now I am listening to Undomestic Goddess on my ipod and loving it. Seriously- my hour and 20 minute run flew by because I was listening to an awesome book.

Hope you guys had a great weekend! Smooches!

It Takes a Village

You guys know that I have been having difficult times with The Wild Child lately, and I have been (im)patiently waiting for things to turn around. Almost three weeks ago WC and I visited a family therapist together who offices with our OT in hopes that she could give me some tips to make things go smoother at home. I also wanted to make sure that we weren't dealing with something like Oppositional Defiance Disorder.

I've been to see the therapist twice on my own since then, and one of the things we've been talking about is me finding some confidence in myself. I needed to remember that I am a good mother! I was having such a rough time that I was simply feeling sorry for myself and a little bit lost, parenting-wise, and come to find out, that's just a vicious cycle that creates more problems. The therapist thinks that WC is so in tune to me that my anxiety severely affects her. Since she knows she doesn't know how to deal with that along with her other issues, she pushes me away.

I feel so blessed to have found someone else who can help us. It's amazing how much better I feel after just three visits! She thought that as I gain my confidence back and institute some of her tips and ideas, things would slowly get better.

Well, last night was the best night we have had with her since her surgery in October! She actually let me lay down and snuggle with her and read some books and she fell asleep with her little hand on my chest. I am so excited that things seemed to have turned around for us!

In your prayers tonight, remember WC and I and ask for continued support for us from all the wonderful people who have been helping us over the last year. It seems to take a village to raise my child and I'm super happy to have the population of my village continue to grow.

Where Have I Been Today?

• OT with the Wild Child
• meeting at city offices about the music festival
• work (my paying job!) where I freaked out about a deadline I forgot about and ate lunch at my desk
• another meeting from 6-8
• now home finally

Now it's time for a break and I am fixin' to go eat one of these:

South Beach Living Fiber Fit S'Mores Bars

Absolutely, hands down, the one of the best thing I've ever eaten. Actually, Neiman Marcus bars are the best thing I've ever eaten, but the S'Mores bar earns points for tasting good and being a points-friendly snack choice!

120 calories, 4 grams fats, and 9 grams of fiber. Yup, 9! Capping fiber at 4 grams, that's just 2 points! Well worth it, my friends.

These are so good they are sinful. Rush to the store. Getcha some!

Abundance Check: Written!

I been watching threads about Abundance Checks on my bargain board, and I jumping on the bandwagon this month. Who doesn't need some abundance in their lives! I, for example, could use more time, patience, and energy.

Abundance checks are a tool you can use to create more abundance in your life. They are written within 24 hours after a New Moon. Surprisingly, you really don't even need to believe that the check will work when you write it. You will however be amazed at the results, as you will see increased abundance in your life, in some life area. It is not always financial, but certainly in an area that you need.

1. Within 24 hours after a New Moon, take a check from your check book. Where it says "Pay to," write your name.

2. In the little box on the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write "Paid in full."

3. On the line underneath your name, where you would write out a dollar amount, write "Paid in full."

4. Sign the check: "The Law of Abundance."

Do not put a date on the check. Do not write a specific dollar amount in the check. Put it in a safe place and forget about it. The Universe will take it from there.

Last night was the new moon here, so I've written my check this morning. It'll be interesting to see what follows.....

Dessert Contest Entry Yet Again

Yes, I did it.

I went ahead and entered the damned dessert contest at my work yet again.

After I was robbed last November, I swore I'd never enter again.

But I am a glutton for punishment and I whipped something up last night.

My new theory: Go super-easy because the judges around here don't seem to appreciate time and effort.

So I spent a very short time making a Super-Duper Apple Cake, which was recommended by a zillion people on the bargain board. The recipe can be found here. I made this last month for a Sunday school party, and one of the guys swore it was the best thing he had ever tasted in his entire life (Hi Matt!) so I'm thinking it was a good choice. We shall see......

Unbelievable

Last night about 7:00 I was getting ready to run the bath water for The Wild Child's bath, and my husband came into the bathroom and said, "I think you're too late...."

She was fast asleep on the couch.

We decided to just put her to bed and see what would happen.

She slept until 6:45 am! (To be fair, I should tell you she snuck into our bed twice in the middle of the night, but she went right back to sleep when I carried her back to her own bed.)

Knowing her sleep issues, I'm sure you'll agree with me- that was crazy!

I'm hoping this is the start of something new......

GDA: Crocs at Finishline.com

I hesitate to tell you about this, because I think Finish Line does a crappy job on their website, but they are having a pretty fabulous sale on Crocs.

I tried for hours yesterday and would get my cart all filled with goodies for the kids, and then it would crash and I'd lose it all.

That being said, their site seems to be working today, except for the fact that they still have links up for products that are out of stock. You don't find out whether it's in stock until you click on a product- which is uber-annoying.

I was unable to find any toddler sizes of shoes that I wanted, but I did order some preschool size 1s to put up for later. Four pair, shipped, was $35.48- so $8.87 a pair. Still a pretty good deal.

But be prepared that their site is going to piss you off! Don't say I didn't warn you!

(Oh, and don't forget to go through ebates for 5% back- referral link on the left!)