HAH... Good Luck With That

Okay, so Pinterest has spawned a bazillion people (myself included) who suddenly think they're crafty.

I'm fine with that.  In fact, Pinterest is really going to help me knock out #5 on my 30 Before 30 list.  I'm all about stealing someone else's creativity and passing it along as my own.

But every once in a while I'll see a pin that makes me angry.  Now, if I see it once or twice--okay, mildly irritated.  But when it becomes so popular that I see it a dozen times a week, I am angered.

This is one of those pins.

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AWWW, look.  It's a cute little sand-filled time out stool.  Isn't that precious?  I can make it and then my child will just sit there like the perfect angel that he is.  WRONG.  

First of all, the kid's freakin' feet can't even touch the floor.  He's going to fall over.  And yes, it will be your fault.

Second of all, and most importantly--do you know of ANY CHILD that would sit on a timeout stool, knowing that once alllll the sand gets to the bottom he'll be able to get up, WITHOUT getting up so that he can actually SEE the sand?!  

Allow me to answer that for you.  You don't.  Because that child does not exist.  

In real life, your child is going to be ass up, hands on the ground, looking at the sand upside down until he falls over and breaks something.  He'll either break his face OR he'll break the stool.  

So would you rather clean up blood or sand or bloody sand?  Because you're asking for it if you make your kid sit on this.  

Yes, the stool is adorable.  But this is make-believe, people.  Quit pinning this 8,000,000 times a day and for the love of God do not make this.  

How My Son Saved My Life

It's Secret Sunday!  Link up below!

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When you become a mother, you're giving life to someone else.  But sometimes when you become a mother, your child is also giving life to you.  Just like this Post Secret submission, I honestly feel like my son saved my life.  

I found out I was pregnant when I was 20.  Seeing those two lines on that stick changed me forever.  So much so, that I can separate the "me" I am into pre-mommy time and post-mommy time.

Pre-mommy time I knew everything (sarcasm) but was doing nothing.  Sure, I was enrolled in college classes but each semester I probably ended up dropping or failing a few classes and then barely passing the others. I was in college because, well... that was just what I felt was the next step.  You graduate high school.  You go to college.  But I had no motivation at all.  

The moment I found out I was pregnant, my life changed.  I remember thinking, "Wow, I'm going to be someone's mommy and this little thing growing inside me is going to need me to have my shit together."  I never purposely messed up before I had my son, but I never purposely made sure I was on the right track either.  

I always say that having Maddox made me the me I should have been all along.  

Post-mommy time, I decided I wanted to go for my dream:  applying to law school.  I knew in order to do this I had to pull up my GPA up tremendously.  The semester before I found out I was pregnant (Fall 2004) I had a 2.41!  

I graduated with a 3.08, which is nothing to be proud of ordinarily.  But in order to do that, I had to re-take several classes.  I had six semesters left when I found out I was pregnant, and five of those I either made Dean's List (As and Bs) or Chancellor's List (All As).  The other one, I had one C... grr!  

I studied my ass off for my LSAT and ended up snagging a decent score and then I applied to law school.  I was terrified.  I remember sitting at the computer with all the necessary application documents uploaded, and all I needed to do was hit the "submit" button.  But I couldn't do it.  I bet I sat there for an hour.  

And then I realized that one day my son would have a moment where he would be scared to go for a dream because the odds were against him.  I knew that when that moment comes for him, I wanted to tell him that I at least applied to law school, even if I didn't get in.  So I held my breath and hit submit.

The rest is history, really.  I became the first person in my family to graduate from college in 2008.  Seeing my son in the audience as I entered the arena is a moment I'll never forget.  In many ways, I feel like it was him that should have walked across the stage instead of me.  

I got accepted to law school (although I still have no clue how considering over 1600 people applied and less than 150 were accepted--a 10% admission rate.)  And now I'm 111 days from walking across the stage again, this time with a much higher GPA.  And I'll be opening my own business soon.  

Not only did he inspire me to do my best academically, he just made me a better person.  I know that if I want to raise him to be thoughtful, I have to be thoughtful.  I know that if I want to raise him to be kind, I have to be kind.  All of this has contributed to the post-mommy me.  

When I think about the me I'd be without my son I either want to laugh, cry, or do both.  He inspires me.  He continuously motivates me.  

None of the above would be "my story" if it weren't for my son.  He saved me.  

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.  ~Rajneesh

So, what's your secret?

{New to Secret Sunday? Find out all you need to know here!}

Bathroom Organization: Before And After Pics [Don't Judge Me!]

So, one of my New Years Resolutions is to get organized.  I've tackled a few little projects since the beginning of the year, like getting rid of appliances that we didn't really use, and cleaning out the "junk drawer" in our kitchen.  

But, tonight I (with my husband's help) tackled our bathroom.  

It's amazing how you don't realize how much crap you have shoved onto a counter and under the cabinets of your bathroom until you take pictures of it.  

How did I never notice that our bathroom counter was in complete chaos?  I mean, the rest of our house isn't like this.  But for some reason, makeup, medicine, lotions, and who knows what else have just accumulated on and in our bathroom over the past 2.5 years we've lived here.  Well no more.

Oh, it's sooooo embarrassing to post these "before" pictures but here they are.  Don't judge me.  

counter top:

left is my side & right is hub's side

 my drawer:

no wonder it takes me so long to get ready

hub's drawer

 hub's cabinet

(I forgot to take a picture of my cabinet but it was just as bad.)

 the middle cabinet

I went to Wal-Mart and purchased 4 containers (for less than $2 each) so that I could separate our things into them.  But, before I could use them, I had to take everything out of the bathroom so I could see what the hell we even had under there.  

It took two boxes to haul everything out of our bathroom and into the living room.  I could not believe we had that much stuff in there!  Where did it all come from?!  AHHH!!

I dug in, making different piles for each of the following:  prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, dental care, hair care, nail care, lotions, first-aid, and miscellaneous.  

Then, I started throwing stuff away!  Who needs 18 bottles of lotion?!  WHO?!  And why did I feel the need to keep the stupid single-use shampoos and conditioners you get in hotels?  Obviously because I didn't have enough stuff!  

Other stuff, I combined.  For example, we had like three boxes of Mucinex.  Why?  Probably because we thought we were out of Mucinex because we couldn't find any and so we bought some more.  I also combined things like bandaids.  If they're the same size, there's no need for them to be in two boxes even if one box is Sponge Bob and the other Angry Birds.   

Oh, and I learned something tonight:  When organizing:  zip-lock bags are your friend.  

We ended up eliminated a TON of stuff (probably 1/3) that we didn't need and organized the rest.  Here are the results.  

Look, I have a bathroom counter now!

(And yes, I really take that much medicine to need that weekly pill box.  haha)

And the area under the sink is organized so that we can find everything now!

Each container is organized with common items placed together.

No more searching, I now where everything is!  

It's a Christmas miracle!

This is my husband's cabinet. So clean!

 And my cabinet!

All of my lotions and hair-care products that I use but not regularly are in the pink bag.

All of my finger nail polishes are in the yellow bag above it.

 And here is my drawer:

Everything in it, I use daily.

My makeup is in a shallow box lid toward the back so that I can take the box out and then slide it back in when I'm finished.  See the ugly blue container?  My son had a wart a long time ago and the stuff to freeze it with came in that container.  We threw away the medicine (it was expired) but I kept the container.

 Now it holds all of my hair ties, clips, and pins

(I'll do something to pretty up the front of it, but for now it works.)

Oh, and here's the container with all of the first aid supplies.

I put it in a red box under my son's cabinet,

 so that it'd be easily recognizable and easy to get to.

Because I coupon, we tend to have more products on hand than the average family.  So we bought a small shelf to place in our garage to hold these extra products.  This shelf was only $14 and well worth it.  

Right now this shelf is holding 10 boxes of medicine, 8 packages of tissue, 6 sticks of deodorant, and at least 10 bottles of body wash, among other things.  A lot of this was just being stuffed under the bathroom cabinet, which is completely ridiculous because it might be months before we need any of it.  So why was it under there?!  Seriously.  Why?!

I am so, SO happy to have all of that clutter gone.  I honestly don't know how I let it get that bad but I am so glad to have it all organized now.  

Next up?  Organizing all of my crafts supplies!!

Secret Sunday (inspired by PostSecret.com) 101: What is it & How Can I Link Up?

I am a huge fan of www.postsecret.com.  In case you're unaware, Post Secret is a blog that is comprised of anonymous secrets that are mailed to the blog owner's address each week in the form of post cards.  New submissions are posted on Sundays.  

I started My Secret Sunday Series about six weeks ago, after realizing that I should be writing about how much I'm inspired by the submissions.  (Duh!)  There's not a single week that I am not inspired or touched in some way.  On many occasions, I can also relate to some of the submissions on a personal level.  Some secrets can be very moving, and others unforgettable.  

So, each Sunday I visit Post Secret and then share the secret here that stood out to me the most.  I then use it as a writing prompt.  Now, you can join me!  

How to Link up:

1. Go to http://www.postsecret.com and check out this week's secrets.  Remember, new secrets are posted each Sunday, although sometimes the owner will put them up on Saturday evenings.  
2. Write your amazing blog post.  Did that secret make you sad?  Can you relate?  What advice would you give that person?  Did it inspire you?  Did it make you think of something else?  Anything goes!  [Optional:  Save the image of the submission you choose to write on, and include it in your post.]
3. Please be sure to mention that it's for Secret Sunday and link back to the Secret Sunday post.  The more that know about the link-up, the more responses everyone will get to on their post.  
4. Link up below my Secret Sunday post, which will be posted no later than NOON each Sunday (central time).  My linkys are open from Sunday to Saturday so if you can't post until later on in the week, no worries.  
5. Visit others' blogs to see what they wrote about and share some bloggy love!
6. Come back next Sunday and do it again!  :)  

If you'd like to see my past Secret Sunday posts, to get more of an idea of what I post on each Sunday click here.  

Also, Feel free to follow my blog to be reminded about Secret Sunday, but it's not required to participate.  You can also follow me on FB to know exactly when the linky is up!

I hope to see you this Sunday!!

The Many Faces of Yoda

An {almost} Wordless Wednesday Post

Happy Yoda

"You want some of this?" Yoda

Crippled Yoda 

(notice the imaginary cane he's holding)

Scary Yoda

Bashful Yoda

Serious Yoda

And last, but not least... Pancake Yoda

Yoda Robe purchased from Etsy Seller 219eileen

Star Wars pancake molds purchased here

{Love to link-up?  Check out my new Secret Sunday Series.}

Hit My 10,000th page view AND my 100th Google Friend Connect Follower Milestone Today: A Thank You!!

When I started this blog on March 22, 2011 with a post entitled I Feel Nakie it never crossed my mind that almost exactly 10 months later l'd be writing this post.

Sure, 10,000 page views and 100 GFC Followers isn't crap compared to many (in fact, MOST) of the blogs that I enjoy reading.  But to me, it is.  To me, it's my first big milestone and I'm genuinely appreciative of it.  So I just wanted to take this time to say thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to express myself on this forum.

Thank you for being supportive.

Thank you for commenting.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

Thank you for the friendships and the connections made.

Thank you for sending me emails, "liking" my Facebook page, and for following me on Twitter and Pinterest.

And thank you for the inspiration.

In June of 2011 I discussed how the most difficult part of blogging to me is simply trying to find my voice.  While I'm still searching for it, I feel that I find it a little more with each post and with each new follower.  The support, the emails, the comments, and even the friendships have helped me realize that I really can just be myself.

So thank you for helping me find my voice and thank you for helping give me the confidence to speak it.  In fact it's that support that lead me to get up the courage to post a weekly Linky for my Secret Sunday Series.  So thank you for that as well!

I'm excited to see what the next 10 months of blogging will bring for me (and for you as well.)

Thank you for making today special.  

Thou Shalt Organize Thy Jewelry: How To Turn A Hanger Into Necklace Storage for $3

Saturday my mother, sister, and I decided to stop into this jewelry store in town.  When we walked in, we realized that almost EVERY piece of jewelry in there was 99¢.  Um, can we say costume jewelry HEAVEN?  This resulted in me purchasing about 8 necklaces, 2 rings, 1 bracelet, and some headbands.  

So, once I got home I realized that I seriously need to organize my jewelry.  I started going through it all, but I couldn't figure out what to do with my really long necklaces.  Then I remembered seeing a neat idea for a hanger turned necklace holder a few months back on Pinterest.  [[Shameless Plug:  Follow me on Pinterest by clicking here!]]

But, since I hadn't pinned it myself and couldn't find it, we had to wing it.  Nonetheless, I'm pretty darn pleased with how this sucker turned out.

Here's what you'll need to make this little beauty:

{1} A drill

{2} A tape measure & pen 

{3} A wooden hanger (Purchased a pack of four at Wal-Mart for $4)

{4} Two packs of hooks (Purchased at Wal-Mart for 98¢ each)

My hubby did all the work for this project, so I can't take any credit for the way it turned out.  It only took him a few minutes to complete it and he was finished before I'd realized he'd started.

First, he counted out how many hooks he wanted to use.  Mine has 16, but we probably could have fit 2-4 more on there.  Then he simply used the tape measure to make sure the hooks would be spaced out evenly, using a pen to mark where he wanted them.  Afterward, he drilled holes for the hooks and screwed them in.  Simple enough.  

Now, all of my necklaces are organized!  I have the jewelry hanger hung on a 3M Strip on the edge of the shelving in our bedroom closet and I love it!  My hubs even made my sister one.  Isn't he the sweetest?  *hold for 'awww'*

So, here she is all prettied up:

YAY!!

Bonus:  My son managed to take four pictures of himself with my iPhone without me noticing in the 35 seconds it took me to put my necklaces on the hanger.  So, I thought I'd share!

What a goofball!  :)

To My Son: Who You Are is Who I Want You To Be

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This submission to Post Secret makes me so, so sad.  It makes me sad as a human.  But it especially makes me sad as a mother.  

I am probably what most would consider to be a liberal mother.  Basically the only rule we have in this house is to be respectful to yourself and to others.  Period.  In my opinion, that's pretty much the only rule that you need.  It's almost like an umbrella that covers everything that's really important.  And it works for us.  

Everything else pretty much goes.  I think that being creative and silly and having no inhibitions is such a beautiful part of childhood that we somehow (unfortunately) lose as adults.  So I let Madd express himself in as many ways as he wants to.  I think that this has allowed him to truly form (and continously form) his personal identity.  

So, when he picked up the loose powder finish I apply to my face everyday and asked if he could put some on, I didn't think twice.  Of course you can.  Here, let mommy show you how to do it.  And then we topped it off with some shimmery lipgloss.  

The week before when he wanted my sister to paint his toenails with the new polish she'd gotten for Christmas, I watched as he stared down at his shiny toes and smiled.  

His favorite colors are pink and purple, and he often tells people that.  And given the choice between picking out a pink yo-yo or a blue yo-yo as a toy at Chuck E. Cheese's, he'll go with the pink.

All of that might seem insignificant to you (just as it does to me), and if it does, I applaud you.  But, I know many, many people who would never allow their son to do those things.  They would flat out forbid them.  

But why?  In my opinion, it's fear.  It's fear that somehow allowing your son to be curious about makeup or think polish looks neat is going to mean that your son will somehow "grow up" to be gay.  

But I don't think that way.  It's just him being a kid.  No one has told him No, that's wrong.  You can't do that!! so it's never crossed his mind.  And I'm so thankful that it hasn't, because that means that other people's opinions of what he should or shouldn't be doing with his life are not holding him back.

Now, I know eventually that people will get in his head and he'll think certain things are "wrong" or that he shouldn't do them because he's a boy.  I can't control that.  

What I can control is what he hears from me.  I want my son to be the best him that he can be.  And I want him to know that he has my full support as he journeys through life and tries to discover who that him really is.  

When he walks into this home and into my arms, HE is safe.  HE is welcome.  HE is who I want to be here.  Whoever that he is, is for him to decide.  My job is just to let him know that HE is who I love.

I'd like to end this post with an article that a friend of my sent to me the other day.  She read it and said it reminded her of how I parent.  Although I can only hope to be like the amazing mother who wrote this article, I took it as a compliment.  It discusses the reaction she received from her blog readers when she posted about her 6-year old son telling her that he had a crush on a popular male TV actor and the revelations she's had throughout this experience.  You can read it here.

Now it's your turn.  How did Post Secret inspire you this week?

Secret Sunday is a series of posts inspired by the weekly submissions to Post Secret.

Click here to visit postsecret.com OR click here to visit other posts by this author in this series.

The Best of #FactsWithoutWikipedia

So, yesterday was a the big Sopa Strike day.  I'm sure you're aware of it, but if you'd like to learn more click here.

Many websites such down in participation of Strike, one of which was the almighty Wikipedia.  Twitter responded to this by trending #FactsWithoutWikipedia.   

The results were hilarious.

Here are my favorite #FactsWithoutWikipedia tweets that I came across  

Tweeted by @LouisNel

"Fox News *is* fair and balanced." Tweeted by @tromboneforhire

"Anne Frank's diary ends on a happy note when she finally hunts down and kills Hitler who is hiding in an attic." Tweeted by @TheGreatBaldo

"Stacy's mom does not have it going on." Tweeted by @TheLoveShack4

"Bill Clinton did NOT have sexual relations with that woman."  Tweeted by @ZacAttak92

"The IV drip is named after Henry IV."  Tweeted by @paulkerensa

"The moon is actually hollow.  NASA believes the underneath the surface contains large quantity of gummy bears."  Tweeted by @shahreezane

A Few of My #FactsWithoutWikipedia tweets

[Shameless Plug:  Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.]

The Fighting Flamingos football team turned to music after its mascot Floyd was killed, forming the band Pink Floyd.

All brown cows are boy cows and all white cows are girl cows.  [If you've read this you'll know why I tweeted this.]

The Westboro Baptist Church is a civil rights organization, most known for its advocacy of gay rights.

Big Foot and his family came out of hiding in March of 2011 to be he first in line for the iPad2 release.

Jessica Simpson was admitted to MENSA after making the discovery that there are, indeed, chicken of the sea.

For every pair of Toms shoes you buy, Blake Mycoskie personally beats up a small child in another country.  [To find out how I really feel about Blake read this post.]

Just Face It, Your Doctor Is Simply More Important Than You

Fair warning... this a rant.

I walk into my doctor's office today for my appointment.  I'm greeted by the usual faces.  I sign in and go to sit down.  Jackie, hang on... we need you to sign this new policy.  Okay.  No biggy.  It probably has to do with insurance or copays.

Nope.

I'm paraphrasing here, but it basically reads as follows:  You are now required to give a minimum of 24-hours advance notice that you are unable to attend a scheduled appointment.  If you fail to follow this new policy, you will be assessed a fee of $25 which will be billed directly to you.  We value our patients' time, and by failing to keep an appointment or provide a minimum of 24-hours advance notice of cancellation you have kept another patient from being seen during this time period.  

OKAY, TIME OUT.

Are you kidding me?  I really have to sign this? 


Yes, it's a new policy.


But whose pocket does this $25 go into?  I mean, this is more than most people's COPAY!!


[no answer]


And, since when did my doctor care about my time?  Or anyone's for that matter?  Do you know how many times I've sat in this lobby for OVER two hours only to have to reschedule my appointment because I can't wait any longer... I had to pick up my son or be somewhere else?  


[no answer]


There's no way I'm getting out of signing.  It's crap.  But I sign.

I have SUCH a problem with this policy, both as a professional and as a patient.

First of all, $25 is WAY too much!  That is such a ridiculous amount.  Not only is that higher than many copays, to many people, that's several hours worth of wages.  Pretentious much?!

Secondly, my time does NOT matter so don't pretend it does.  That's just insulting my intelligence.

I get that it's a problem when people make appointments and fail to cancel or show up. I get it.  I really do.  But isn't there a better way of going about this?

For example, my other doctor's office has a policy in place to combat the same problem.  Their policy is that if you fail to cancel your appointment with at least 24-hours notice and fail to show up two or more times within a one year period, you're subject to no longer receiving treatment there.  Basically, they reserve the right to tell you to take your records and move on.  THAT. MAKES. SENSE.

So to all those doctors out there who simply wish to pad their pockets when a patient accidently misses an appointment once every year or two rather than weeding out the patients who continuously fail to show at scheduled appointment times by refusing to work with them anymore:  GET OVER YOURSELF!!

[end rant]

Do you "LIKE" me? Then tell me so!

I'm participating in this week's Sunday Social at spilledmilkshake.com.  It's all about the Facebook like!

Please stop by and "like" my facebook page!  Also, please join in the fun by adding your page to Spilled Milkshake's linky and supporting the others that have linked up as well.  

Don't have a fan page yet for your blog?  Have one but your posts won't automatically import?  Check out this how-to guide!  

Thank you for supporting me and other bloggers.  :)

Hippies Over Cell Phones

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Secret Sunday is now a linky!

Please check out the linky info below & join me! :)

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When I saw this Post Secret submission, I knew it was the one I just had to write about!  I catch myself thinking about how differently my mother grew up than I did, and in return, about how differently my son is growing up than I did.  

My six-year old can't comprehend a world without cell phones.  (Mom, what's a phone booth?)  In fact, he can't comprehend a world without smart phones.  Off the top of my head, he is exposed (in some way or another) daily to three smart phones, two laptops, two iPods, an iPad, a Nintendo DS, and a Nintendo Wii.  

Technology is great.  Don't get me wrong, I love it.  But you have to wonder just how big of an impact it's having on your child's life when he asks you if he can bring the DS with him for a car ride to the store.  

I want his passions to be about politics and current events, not a video game.  And when I think of hippies--true hippies--I think of the reasons for their passions and reasons behind their "rebellion" from the norm.  

So, although technology is a blessing in many ways, it can also be a very powerful force in our lives that we need to stay conscious of.  As many other parents probably know, it can be hard to combat the prevalence of electronics in a child's life, but we're trying to do our part.  

In fact, just two weeks ago I announced that one of my resolutions is to designate at least a one our period per day where no one is allowed to use electronics.  This "rule" applies to all of us, not just my son.  I want to make sure we all stay conscious of how much we're plugged in.  

Although I can't bring back the 60s and the 70s for my son (or me for that matter), I can make sure that he realizes that he can survive without electronics, and I know I have to start now.  I have to start now while electronics aren't a "must" but are just something we do to have fun.  So, continue to wish me luck with my resolution!  

Secret Sunday is a series of posts inspired by the weekly submissions to Post Secret.

Click here to visit postsecret.com OR click here to visit other posts by this author in this series.

--------

Now for the Linky info!

I am a huge fan of www.postsecret.com.  In case you're unaware, Post Secret is a blog that is comprised of anonymous secrets that are mailed to the blog owners address each week in the form of post cards.  New submissions are posted each Sunday.  

I started Secret Sunday four weeks ago, after realizing that I should be writing about how much I'm inspired by the submissions.  There's not a single week that I am not inspired or touched in some way.  On many occasions, I can also relate to some of the submissions on a personal level.  

So, each Sunday I post the secret that stood out to me the most, and I use it as a writing prompt.  Now, you can join me!  

How to Link up:

1. Go to http://www.postsecret.com and check out this week's secrets.  [Optional:  Save the image of the submission you choose to write on, and include it in your post.]
2. Write your amazing blog post.  Please be sure to mention that it's for Secret Sunday.  :)
3. Link up below!
4. Visit the link of someone else to see what he/she wrote about and share some bloggy love!

Share your secret below!

One iPhone App That You Just HAVE to Have

The other night I stumbled across an app that is probably one of the best iPhone apps of all time and best of all, it's free!

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It's called Apps Gone Free.  Basically, the geniuses behind this app list about 5 new apps everyday that have temporarily (usually one day only) made their app free.

I love this app for so many reasons!  This obvious one is that I'm saving 99¢ to $1.99 per download.  But, I also love that it lists free apps for the iPhone and the iPad!  Not to mention that it's a great way to download new apps and not feel guilty when you never use them.

Of course you won't be interested in every app posted on AGF, but in just two days of having it I've downloaded three apps for my son: Fish Fury, Cover Orange, and Doodle Fit.

I purchased Cover Orange and Doodle Fit for the iPad about six months ago and we all love them both, so I know when the time comes to whip out the iPhone to entertain the kid, he'll be excited to see they're on there!

Although I don't let the kiddo make a habit of playing on my iPhone, it's nice to have apps that I know will bide me time when it's needed.  And of course, since this app also lists temporarily free apps for the iPad, maybe we'll discover some new favorites as well.

Celebrity Crushes: Warning--May Cause Hot Flashes

This week's Post Secret submission made me think about how everyone has a celebrity crush (or two or three.)

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Usually for women, they're typical.  You know who I'm talking about.

Brad Pitt

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Matthew McConaughey

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Jared Leto

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Tyson Beckford

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But I've never really had a celebrity crush on any of the typical actors.  Okay, wait... maybe one.

Leonardo Dicaprio

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But that crush started back in his Basketball Diary days and has stayed with me.  Other than Leo (I like to pretend we're on a first-name basis) my celebrity crushes include:

Colin Firth

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Edward Norton

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Alec Baldwin

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Although I find these men attractive, I believe that one of the main reasons these men would qualify as my celebrity "crushes" is because of their talent.  I admire each one of these men for attributes that go beyond their handsome looks.

On a somewhat-related note:  I've come to discover that if you can dream it up someone out there has either tried it or would LOVE to try it--no matter how crazy an idea it may seem.  (Side Note:  Have you ever seen the show Taboo?  It reinforces my point.)

So, when I ask myself whether anyone out there currently has a celebrity crush on the following famous men, I'm forced to answer with a resounding yes.  Yes, there has to be at least one person on this planet who would LOVE to get a piece of the action below.

Steve Buscemi

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Gary Busey

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Who are your celebrity crushes?  Maybe one of the two gentlemen directly above?  *wink. wink. nudge. nudge.*

Secret Sunday is a series of posts inspired by the weekly submissions to Post Secret.

Click here to visit postsecret.com OR click here to visit other posts by this author in this series.

YAY for Kroger Deals: Spent $4 Total on $30 Worth of Tide, Axe, Dawn, and More!

Kroger has a few great deals this week.  

These deals are good until Tuesday, January 17th.

Buy 4 participating P&G products get $4 off your total

     1:  Buy (1) Tide liquid, 50 ounce

• Priced at $5.99
• Use $2 off Manufacturer Coupon (MC)
• Use $2 off Kroger Coupon (SC) (found here & loaded onto your Kroger card)
• -$1 for purchasing 4 products from promotion
• Total = 99¢

     2:  Buy (1) Tide in-wash stain release, 10 pack

• Priced at $5.99
• Use $2 off MC 
• Use $2 off SC
• -$1 from promotion
• Total = 99¢

     3:  Buy (1) Crest 3D White, 4 ounce

• Priced at $2.69
• Use 75¢ off MC
• Use 75¢ off SC
• -$1 from promotion
• Total = 19¢

     4:  Buy (1) Dawn Hand Renewal, 19 ounce

• Priced at $2.99
• Use 50¢ off MC
• Use 50¢ off SC
• -$1 from promotion
• Total = 99¢

Total before promotion and coupons = $17.66

Total for (4) products listed above = $3.19 

Savings of $14.47 or 82%

I also purchased Axe and Tampax Pearl because the deals were too good to pass up.

Buy (2) Axe Shower Gel

• Priced at $3.89 each ($7.78 total)
• Use Buy One Get One Free MC
• Use $2 off MC
• Use $2 off SC
• = 11¢ overage (Kroger paid me 11¢ to purchase these)

Buy (1) Tampax Pearl, 18 count

• Priced at $4.59
• Use $2 off MC
• Use $2 off SC
• Total = 59¢

Total for entire purchase (all 7 items) before coupons = $30.03

Total for entire purchase after coupons = $3.67

Total Savings of $26.36 or 88%

YAY for Kroger Deals!!

It's 20 Freakin' 12 Y'all!

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It's 20 freakin' 12 y'all.  That just sounds so futuristic.  I feel like I should be teleporting the cookies I'm craving right now from the fridge directly into my mouth.  But instead, I guess I'll have to get up and get them myself.  LAME!

Honestly I don't even KNOW what all of my New Year Resolutions were last year.  But, if I had to guess I'm sure one of them was to lose weight.  #fail

One awesome thing that DID came into my life in 2011 and stick around to ring in the new year with me was this blog.  I started it in March of 2011 with a post entitled 'I Feel Nakie'.  And, although this blog wasn't part of a New Year's Resolution, as busy and chaotic as 2011 was at times, I'm thankful to be celebrating my one-year bloggy birthday in just two and a half months!

This year, my New Year's Resolutions are pretty normal, which is pretty strange for me.  After all, you're reading the chick's blog whose past resolutions have included things like 'to open all of my chip bags upside' or 'to find a way to work the word echelon into a sentence at every opportunity possible.'

So, back to 2012:

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Not yet, but it could be if I don't get it together....

One of my main focuses will be to make organization a priority.  I'll be *cough* starting my own business this year and running it from home so organization will play a big part in my sanity during all of this.

To help me get organized I'm taking part in the 52 week organizational challenge at Home Storage Solutions 101.  I've already done about 80% of week one (holla).  Did I mention how extremely thankful I am that someone took the time to break household organization into 52 easy steps so that it might actually have a chance of getting done?  Because I am.

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I want to purposefully turn off ALL electronic forms of entertainment for one hour per night on weekdays--not just my electronics--all of them.  Honestly, I'd love to get that number to two hours a night, but I'm planning on starting it with 30 minutes beginning next Monday, after the kiddo has been back in school from the break and we have more of a routine.  (Note--No, electronics are not always on at my home.  That's not what I'm saying.  I'm talking about designating a specific time that they are not allowed so as to facilitate more talking, family time, and togetherness.)

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Another obvious resolution is weight loss.  *yawn*  I love My Fitness Pal and have been using it off and on for quite a while.  I hope to use it a little more religiously throughout the year and to shed some excess poundage.  {Oh, and if you're using MFP email me and I'll give you my SN so we can like, totally be MFPBFFs!}

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What else?  What else?  Oh, I'm also (of course) hoping to knock out some more of my 30 before 30 list.  I also want to live more in the moment (which is very hard for me and I hate that.)

So, yea... 2012's goals are pretty calm but they'll be challenging in many respects.  Above all, so long as my my family, friends, and our health greet me as I welcome in 2013 in a year I can't say I'll have too many complaints about what happens with much else.  It's the little things people.

This post idea came from Mama Kat's Writing Workshop.  Be sure to stop by there for creative inspiration!