Daddy's Girl

Today my dad came home with a small excavator to clear out the gravel that currently resides in our car park next to the house. We are going to clear out a section and fill it in with cement so that when the snow arrives {grumbles slightly under breath} my mom and I can use the snow blower to clear it out rather than shoveling. It will save us a lot of time and energy. Well, being the amazing daughter that I am I offered to get down and dirty and do whatever I could to help out. If you know me from childhood, you'll know that I LOVE to help my dad with projects. I'll never turn down an opportunity to take something apart with him, or help him build something. I joke that I'm the son my dad never had.

Anyways, so he would scoop up gravel and clay, then I would go in behind him and shovel out the shtuff that spilled over. Most of the time, whenever a project is happening, whether it be in a group for church, friends, or just Dom, if I offer to help, the automatic reaction is "no".

After all, I'm a 25 year old girl from the city. What could I possibly have to contribute? What people don't realize is that I watch. And I learn. And I am incredibly logical and intelligent. And I have some wicked good ideas.

Example: as my dad was digging the crap out of the car park, he was trying to figure out how close he was to the edge of the blacktop.....my suggestion was to use the pressure washer to wash away said crap from the edge in order to get a clear view of it.

Brilliant.



I rock.

Not only was I delighted to see that my dad agreed that it was a great idea, but he {brace yourselves} asked me to get the pressure washer out of the garage....

Why, do you ask, is this such a big deal?? I'll tell you. My dad is a man like any other. his tools are his toys. Don't touch.

He's not crazy about it, I mean, he's not going to chase you into the house with a power saw if you get too close to something, but as any man, he's protective over his "things". I respect this 1000%, as any woman should. If I need to use the drill or a hammer, then that's fine, but if I need the snow blower, or table saw, or air pressure hose, then I ask him and HE is the one to do the doing if you know what I mean.

I felt like a kid when he said to grab the washer. I'm not exaggerating. I was thrilled. I tried to hide my smile as I wheeled that sucker out and screwed the hose into it. I swear to you the Heavens opened and God smiled at me. Not only did I feel great that he listened to my idea and liked it in the first place, but he let me touch his power washer!!!!

Chances are I'm taking this way further than it needs to be. He'll probably talk to me when he reads this and tell me a such a dork to think that he doesn't have so much care about his personal tools, but even so, that doesn't mean it wasn't freaking AWESOME.

I love my daddy. And I love that he listens to me and that even now, at 25, I can still assist in projects with him just like I did when I was 5.

Look-a-Like meters

So Dominick and I are constantly arguing over who the kids look more like. Now I have a final answer. MyHeritage.com has a fun thing that tells you which parent a child looks more like. No arguing now!!


MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free family tree - Vintage photographs



MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph



MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

so he got one out of three, but only by a smidge!! Overall the kids are pretty evenly combined. {but more of me}

Guest Blogger

This week's featured blogger is my friend Laurie. I first "met" her almost three years ago on Baby Gaga when we were both pregnant and in the same Due Date group. She is an incredible lady and mom, and I am so glad to feature her. Read on and get to know her a little, then be sure to check out her blog about becoming healthier and happier.

{Simply Laurie}

1. What are you loving about life right now? Seeing my son grow into a full blown little boy, going for runs in the morning with my son, and spending some quiet time in the evenings with my hubby.

2. Who is your biggest idol or role model? My parents, God, and Jillian Michaels.

3. Where was your favorite vacation spot? Aruba

4. Are you a parent, and if yes, what is the greatest thing about it? Yes, and the greatest thing is seeing the joy in my son's eyes and hearing his laugh.

5. Who is your favorite actor or actress? Reese Witherspoon

6. What is currently playing on your iPod or in your CD player? Black Eyed Peas

7. What kind of books do you like to read? Books that better yourself as a person or that are about strength =).

8. What is your favorite adult beverage? Malibu Bay Breeze

9. What did you want to be when you were a kid? An Artist

10. What is your biggest phobia? dieing

11. What was your first job? a waitress at a country club

12. What is your biggest dream? to buy a house with a big yard for my son and watch him grow up, to become a fitness instructor of some type now and/or complete a triathalon =)

13. What inspires you? my family

14. How do you like running your own business? i LOVE it. i can do things on my own time since I am a SAHM and get things done when my son naps or has some down time.

15. How has your life changed after losing so much weight? I have a lot more energy most of the time, I run around a lot more with my son, I feel better and my self esteem is getting a lot better.

16. If you could give my readers one piece of advice in life, what would it be? live your life and be grateful for EACH and EVERYDAY God gives you. fight for what you want, understand you have more strength than you know, and love how you want to be loved ♥. 

If you would like to be a guest blogger, leave your email address in a comment and I will contact you!! I would love to get to know you better!!

Kindergarten Accomplished...Bus Accomplished

Yesterday was Tay's first day of Kindergarten. She was so excited when she woke up even though it was only 6:30. The night before I helped her pack her backpack and put together her lunch and she laid out her clothes for the morning, so there was very little to do once she was dressed. I planned it that way so that I could take plenty of pictures but that didn't end up working out. After feeding the baby and getting the chiddles cereal, I was scrambling for time. {as usual}

Once we got to the school Tay put her backpack on her class line and stood next to me. I was surprised that she became so apprehensive. Thank goodness her teacher Mrs. Graham came over and gave her hug, then urged us to say our goodbyes. I could tell Tay still wasn't sure what to think, but she still grabbed Beth's hand and followed her out to the play yard. I was so proud of her!!

As I drove by on my way home, I saw her playing with another little girl and that's when i lost it. I was so proud to have kept my eyes dry while there with her, but once in my car, the water works came full forced.

I just can't believe how far she's come since she was that roly-poly baby that laughed like a billy goat.

She fell asleep on the way home, and when asked how it was, she said it was boring!! I imagine she'll change her mind when it's not just getting to know everyone and everything.

Today was her first time riding on a bus. Last night when we were talking about it I asked her if she would like for me to follow behind in the car and meet her at school, but she said "it's okay, mommy, I can handle it." So this morning {after a battle just to get her out of bed} she got so excited she couldn't sit still. We drove down the to bottom of the mountain and when the buses drove up, she squealed and flew out of the car, forgetting her backpack! She was totally fine until we got to the steps of the bus and she asked me "are you sure you don't want to follow me, mommy?"

I reassured her that she would be fine, and she was! Her friend Faith showed up and by the time the buses drove off, she didn't even wave goodbye because she was having fun with some other girls. {deep down I was sobbing inside}

It's going to be a long day today, waking up at 6 am and not getting home until 4 pm, but hopefully that means she'll go to bed at a decent time. Even though she "goes" to bed at 8, she usually doesn't fall asleep until 10-ish. I figure after a week or two of the 6-4 schedule her body will be crying for more rest. We'll see.


For now, I just fill up my days by cleaning {nearly nonstop, which is scary if you know me} and playing with Vin. Not bad, I suppose, but it's gonna take a while to get used to Tay not being here.

her super-cool backpack

playing with Oz before we go

the whole ensemble

with Mrs. Graham

at her class line

Guest blogger!

Today's guest blogger is my friend Alysha from The Tarr Pit. I have never met her in person, but I knew her husband way back in the day, and she has always been super helpful to me. I call her my blogging guru. She is an amazing mom, a woman of God, and downright one of the sweetest people I've crossed paths with. Be sure to check out her blog after reading more about her here. It'll be worth the click, I promise!!

1. What are you loving about life right now?

I am loving the fact that the Lord has blessed us with another child! Besides the fact that im tired 24-7 chasing a toddler around and growing this life inside me, i couldnt be more thrilled for baby #2 to get here in March.

2. Who is your biggest idol or role model?

God. He is everything to me and everything i strive to be. :)

3. Where was your favorite vacation spot?

Big Bear Lake. That is where we went on our honeymoon and i would love to take the kids there someday. Just so much to do on the lake, the mountains, the water park and the hiking!! Options are endless :)

4. Are you a parent, and if yes, what is the greatest thing about it?

The best thing about being a parent is that no matter how hard the day, no matter how many poopy diapers or hair pulling screams, in the end, they love you unconditionally, and really, there is no love like a love between a mother and child. :)

5. Who is your favorite actor or actress?

Easy, Gerard butler... i mean come on?? ;) And Jennifer Aniston. I am a die hard Friends fan. haha

6. What is currently playing on your iPod or in your CD player?

wow nothing. I am just not a music person. I listen to country in the car if i can but its usually just kids tunes for Dawson.

7. What kind of books do you like to read?

I try to read the Bible daily and other than that I really dont have a lot of time to read. haha

8. What is your favorite adult beverage?
The best "adult drink" i have ever had was a "Tropical Paradise" down in Mexico. I still have no idea what was in it. But other than that, a tall glass of Sparkling wine with the hubs always helps me unwind.... when im not pregnant haha

9. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I have always wanted to be a teacher. And technically I am, whenever I am done being a stay at home mom... which hopefully wont be for many many many years :)

10. What is your biggest phobia?

Spiders and going underwater. Weird I know but i dont even put my face under the water in the shower. I just hate the feeling of not being able to breathe.

11. What was your first job?

I was a bus girl at a small italian restaurant. The boss was a jerk and I ended up quitting after two months. Then my second job i was a cart girl and grocery bagger. LOVED that job for the next 3 years.

12. What is your biggest dream?

To be the best child of God, wife and mother that I can be. Other than that, everything else will just fall into place.

13. What inspires you?

A day outside in God's creation. Inspires me to love, to dream, to soak up everything that this world is.

14. If you could give my readers one piece of advice in life, what would it be?

Dont let blogging consume you. Do it for yourself. Dont do it to be "big" or to make money. Do it because you love to write and you love to share your story. Doing anything but that wont be real and it wont be worthwhile. 

If you would like to be a guest blogger, even if you don't follow me or know who I am, I would be excited to have you!! Just leave your email address in a comment and I'll send you the questionnaire. 

Parenting by Fortune

Today is usually the day I feature a guest blogger, but this week's blogger is starting a giveaway today, so she asked to be bumped back to tomorrow so I'm moving Parenting by Fortune up a day.

This weeks fortune was A soft voice may be awfully persuasive . Boy was this one hitting home ALL week!! I never realized how much I yell at my kids until I focused more on being soft-voiced. Every time I got frustrated with the kids about something, right away I thought about this phrase, and changed my mentality. 

To my surprise, the kids responded so nicely!! Instead of crying and throwing a temper tantrum, they stayed calm. 

I'm not really sure what else to say about this fortune other than I've discovered that as a parent, I need to practice more patience with my kids. This is definitely a thought that needs to remain at the front of my mind every single moment of every single day. I have been humbled this week, for sure. I'm not a perfect parent, but I'm making some changes to be closer to perfect than I was a week ago.

The next fortune is Do not underestimate yourself, you have unlimited potential. This should be an interesting one for sure!! 

30 DS 2-week update

Today is exactly two weeks after I started my 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels. As promised, here are my current measurements

waist: 36
hips: 41
thigh: 25 1/2
upper arm: 12

Now, I must confess to you that including today, I've only worked out 5 times in the past two weeks. {hanging my head in shame} However, I have a really good reason why!!!

I got rid of the carpet in my downstairs, and using a towel as padding for my knees and back does not cut it. So the other day my dad walked in with a yoga mat for me and now I'm back at it!!

It is a bit easier now than it was even last week, so that's a good sign!! Hopefully I'll move up to level 2 here pretty soon.

If I've lost nearly 1 inch all around only doing the workout 5 times, imagine what I would have lost if I did it every day!! I'm excited to see how it goes the next two weeks. Keep tuned in to find out with me!!

Product Review

Today's review is on the Frankincense Resin Burner, by Young Living.

My mom purchased this last week, and we use it several times a day upstairs. I have to share with you what I've experienced.

For the last several years I've suffered from a condition called Friedreich's Disease. It's a movement disorder that effects only the left side of my body. I've been having what we've labeled as night seizures on a regular basis for the past week or so. These episodes are annoying, can be painful, and downright exhausting. I have a stress ball on my nightstand to use so that I don't grab onto something {or someone} and hurt myself {or them}. When I was first diagnosed I was placed on anti-seizure meds to keep it under control {I was having episodes even during the day, and as a waitress, that meant dropping trays of food or drinks...not good}. I didn't do well with the meds, so I opted to go off of them, and deal with this thing on my own.

So far it's been fine, but as I said, this last week has been rough. So I started to go upstairs when the burner was on, and the weirdest things happened.

For the first few days, whenever the burner was on, I'd start to have tics. My muscles would tense up and twitch, like they do when an episode is going to start, but it never did....then last night came, and for the first time in over a week, no night seizures. Nothing. Not a twitch, a jerk, nothing. This morning I was up there with the burner on again, and I had a little bit of muscular tension, but not twitches.

We all know Frankincense from the three Wise men who visited Jesus in Jerusalem, but do you know what it was used for?? This is a piece of the article on Wikipedia about Frankincense's medicinal uses.

Standardized preparations of Indian frankincense from Boswellia serrata are being investigated in scientific studies as a treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and osteoarthritis. Initial clinical study results indicate efficacy of incense preparations for Crohn's disease. For therapy trials in ulcerative colitis, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis there are only isolated reports and pilot studies from which there is not yet sufficient evidence of safety and efficacy. Similarly, the long-term effects and side effects of taking frankincense has not yet been scientifically investigated. Boswelliac acid in vitro antiproliferative effects on various tumor cell lines (such as melanoma, glioblastomas, liver cancer) are based on induction of apoptosis. A positive effect has been found in the use of incense on the accompanying specimens of brain tumors, although in smaller clinical trials. Some scientists say the results are due to methodological flaws. The main active compound of Indian incense is viewed as being boswellic acid.

As of May 2008 FASEB Journal announced that Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have determined that frankincense smoke is a psychoactive drug that relieves depression and anxiety in mice. The researchers found that the chemical compound incensole  acitate is responsible for the effects.

In a different study, an enriched extract of "Indian Frankincense" (usually Boswellia serrata) was used in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of patients with osteoarthristis. Patients receiving the extract showed significant improvement in their arthritis in as little as seven days. The compound caused no major adverse effects and, according to the study authors, is safe for human consumption and long-term use.

The study was funded by a company which produces frankincense extract, and that the results have not yet been duplicated by another study.

In a study published in March 2009 by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center it was reported that "Frankincense oil appears to distinguish cancerous from normal bladder cells and suppress cancer cell viability."

I know of many different people who have used Frankincense oil topically for many varieties of reasons, and it has been helpful in more areas of health than this article talks about. I'm not saying that this is a miracle cure for every health problem out there, but one thing I know for sure is that since we started using it, my disease has been curbed, and that is HUGE for me.

For those who don't have any issues health wise, this also smells really nice. My mom says it smell like Arabia...{though she's never been} and I have to agree {no, I haven't been either, but I imagine Arabia smelling like this} I love it! Plus the burner is so neat looking. Here is a photo I took this morning of it.

If you are interested in purchasing this product, please contact Lauren Martin at lauren@casadelago.net. I promise it would be worth it!!

don't ask questions

The unknown resides opposite the strict plant.

don't ask questions, just accept and move on.

Parenting by Fortune

Welcome to the first installment of "Parenting by Fortune". The way this is going to work is like this: Every Wednesday I'll draw a fortune my list and apply if on a daily basis for the entire following week, then I'll bliggity about my experience. I encourage you to spread the word and participate on your bliggity, as well. I found it to be quite an interesting experience.

This weeks fortune was "Smile at someone you do not know, it will make you feel better" This was not overly difficult for me because I always try to make eye contact and smile at people as I walk by them, but this week I made sure take note of how they reacted and  how I felt afterwards. I know it doesn't directly apply to parenting, but read on to see what I did with it to make it all tie in.

Having grown up in L.A., making eye contact with people you don't know can prove to be a dangerous thing, after a while to believe that such a thing is personal space. If someone smiles at you while you walk down the street, immediately you start thinking "why is that person smiling at me?" You go through possible scenarios like your hair is messed up, your mascara is smeared, they don't like the shirt you're wearing, or even to the extreme of them wanting to hurt you. Plain and simple, you just don't make eye contact with strangers, trust no one.

When I moved out here I found it totally relieving that people not only make eye contact, but smile and say hello too!! That being said, this past week the County Fair was going on. I posted about it earlier and mentioned that we went two days in a row, which I found to be a great testing ground for this fortune.

I smiled at every single person I made eye contact with and here is what I found: Most smiled back, but the majority of them gave a sort of...confused smile. It wasn't tightened lips like we do when we're really just acknowledging the smile, it was real smile, only with lips closed and eyes wide. Out of all the people who I smiled at, you know how many gave me genuine smiles back?? Three. Three people out of I'd say close to one hundred smiled with teeth showing and eyes squinted.

Even here in the corner of nowhere, where people are far more trusting and open, there was still a wall up, but every time I smiled, I felt so good inside!! Like I was giving them a piece of my happiness. We were at the fair, riding rides, eating cotton candy, having a good time, and I shared that with each person through something as simple as a smile. It was truly fantastic.

here is another observance: When children smile at you, you ALWAYS smile back with a genuine smile, don't you? Why? Is it because we don't feel threatened by children? Is it because we feel that child's happiness and pure joy through their smile and that, in turn, makes us feel a little bit of it too?

As a mom, I know that often times I overlook some of the smiles my kids carry through the day, what if I took more notice of them and let them effect me more? What if I smiled at them more frequently to show them that I am happy? how would our days go if we smiled at each other more??

So far it's worked out pretty well. The last two days have been rough because Vin is growing and he is super cranky, but other than that, I've been making a better effort to smile at the kids more, and I don't know about them, but I can tell you that I feel a whole lot better when I do.

Next weeks fortune is "a soft voice may be awfully persuasive"  Apply this for one week, then tell us what you learned from it, and how it changed your every-day way of thinking. I think this should be a fun one!!

A whole new look!!

Hey everyone! If you haven't noticed, I've made some pretty major changes around here!

We are now officially "Momentarily Climactic: Noteworthy Mom.Thoughts"

To go along with the new name, I gave the blog a makeover as well as adding a poll to the right.

So check it out and let me know what you think!!

Guest Blogger!

Hey everyone! Today is our first guest blogger! Please welcome Jennifer from "Family of Seven"
She is an absolutely amazing mom who homeschools her kids and I love keeping up on her blog! Be sure to check it out after you read today's post!

Family of Seven

1. What are you loving about life right now?

I love that I'm able to stay home with my family, and still work...I'm loving that I have such great children and that my family is so close...I love that I have a sweet, loving and caring man who loves me...

2. Who is your biggest idol or role model?

For me, this is a really hard question to answer. I'm not sure that I really have any idol or role model. My goal in life is to be the best person that I can, and always work hard to improve myself and my life.

3. Where was your favorite vacation spot?

So far, a little campground on Lake Corpus Christie...my first trip there was quite...memorable, shall we say? LOL But it is beautiful there, and we are looking forward to going back.

4. Are you a parent, and if yes, what is the greatest thing about it?

Yes; I have 5 children. Hmmmm...I'm not sure I'm able to pick out one thing that is greater than the rest about being a mom...one thing I absolutely love about being a mom is the pride I feel when I look at them. Another is the joy I feel, watching them learn and explore the world around them.

5. Who is your favorite actor or actress?

Matthew McConaughey, hands down...he just has that cute and sexy personality in every character I've seen him play.

6. What is currently playing on your iPod or in your CD player?

Actually, nothing...I am bowling on the wii with my husband (I'm losing in case you're wondering LOL).

7. What kind of books do you like to read?

I like a wide variety, and will usually try to read just about anything...I love Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts. I love historical romances, suspense novels (whether they have romance in them or not).

8. What is your favorite adult beverage?

Are we talking alcohol? I don't drink very often...but I love fruity margaritas and anything that is "milky". I had some kind of chocolate martini type of drink at The Melting Pot one time that was absolutely DELICIOUS!!

9. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Oddly enough, I always wanted to be a teacher...I read all of my books, make up questions on the books, then line up all of my stuffed animals so they could "take" the tests. I would then answer all of the questions I had passed out to them...now, all grown up, I'm homeschooling my own kids, so in a way, I did what I wanted!

10. What is your biggest phobia?

Spiders...and heights...losing another child...you name it, I'm scared of it. The older I get, the more freaked out over EVERYTHING I get...it's really annoying.

11. What was your first job?

Besides babysitting? My first job was at McDonald's. I did it all, from drive-thru service, to counter service to the grill area...greasiest job I ever had!

12. What is your biggest dream?

I would have to say that my biggest dream is to be independently wealthy...and if that doesn't work out, I want to have enough income where I can put all of my kids in whatever activities they want to take part in. I also want to take my entire family on a cruise...but, because of the size of our family, we actually need at least one more adult to go with us. Go figure!

13. What inspires you?

As cliched as this sounds, my kids are my inspiration. To quote Bryan Adams, Everything I do I do for them. I want to give them everything they deserve and more. I want to prepare them (as do most moms, I'm sure) for a successful future.

14. If you could give my readers one piece of advice in life, what would it be?

One piece of advice...hmmmm...I reckon I would have to say dream big, and go after your dreams. No one else in this world is going to give you a free pass, so if there's something you want, find the road and take it!

If you would like to be a guest blogger, then post your email in a comment and I'll send you a message!!

A very full weekend!

This weekend was so busy!! I'm thanking my lucky stars that today has nothing major on the the schedule because I'm not sure if I could handle it! Today's post is pretty long, so bear with me, we did quite a bit!!

Friday afternoon my parents and I took the kids to our County Fair. It's seriously small {only 7 rides and 5 game booths} but the main reason we went was so Tay could go on the pony ride. We took her last year, and she rode a Flea-bitten grey named Ladybug. To all of our surprise, when we approached the walk-about, Tay squealed with delight "there's Ladybug!!" We couldn't believe that she not only remembered the pony's name, but that she recognized the pony as well!! To say the least, she was thrilled.

happy to be with Ladybug again

wishing Prince were a cow

Vin on the other hand, was so disappointed. He cried the whole time because he wanted to ride a cow, not a horse!! He soon forgot his sorrows, though, with the help of the cars he rode next. He rode in the Jeep {total man} and Tay rode the pink convertible Bug {total girl}.

After the cars, the kids rode the Ferris Wheel with my parents, Tay with Mia and Vin with Paka.

Tay and Mia

Vin and Paka

From there, Tay really wanted to go on the Shuttle ride. It's a large boat swinging like a pendulum. I went on that with her. The only way I can communicate how Tay handled it is by photo...

happy as we wait for it to start

hard to see her smile, but still happy as we rock

starting to feel a little nervous

very nervous now, grip much tighter

ready to be done, begging for it to stop

Vin rode the cars again as Tay did the Fun House

then we headed over to see the arts and crafts, and on to the animals!!

I didn't get any photos of the kids with the animals because it was super-crowded, but here's some of what we saw:

chicken hatching in an incubator
ducks
game birds
chickens
quails
quail eggs hatching in another incubator
rabbits
the largest chicken any of us had ever seen
a rabbit that weighed 16 pounds
turkeys
geese
cows
a 1,600 pound cow named Bubbles up close and personal {This made Vin very happy}
pigs
sheep
goats

Overall it was a very busy day with no naps, and on Saturday Dom and I took the kids back to ride the ponies again, and to see all the animals again too. We also let the kids pay 1 dollar to shoot off 10 large rubber bands from a gun made of a wooden dowel and a block of wood shaped like the butt of a shot gun. Tay made three or four shots {go baby!!} but Vin, Vin made 9 out of 10 shots!! BY HIMSELF!! He had people crowded around the booth cheering him on. Dom would load the rubber band, but Vin pointed to a target, took aim, and shot all on his own. I think we have a natural marksman!! Again, no naps on Saturday either.

Yesterday was my moms birthday, so we went out to lunch at T's, an amazing Louisianan BBQ place that has BBQ pulled pork that melts in your mouth....soooo good. By the time we got home yesterday afternoon, Vin was a wreck. He ended up falling asleep in my arms snuggling on my bed at 6 pm!

As for my 30 Day Shred workouts, they after needing to take two days off because I couldn't hardly move {I know, morbidly embarrassing} I have picked it back up, and it is now sooo much easier to get through it. I think I'll stick with level one for another week then attempt a dumbed down level two. We'll see. I've decided not to weight in or measure again until next week, I figure there should be more of a change then.

How was your weekend? What did you all do? What's your favorite thing to do at a County Fair??

signatures and facebook pages

I found two amazing sites and I want to share them with you!!

The first is a site where you can make your own personal signature, like the one I now have at the bottom of my posts. Very cool. You can use the wizard they provide or you can be oober brave and write one out yourself. It's free and you don't have to register to use it!!

www.mylivesignature.com

The second is where you can apply layouts to your facebook account. Sort of like a dumbed down version of myspace layouts. You can see what I have HERE. I love love love this! I've always thought that Facebook was a bit bland, but now you can liven it up a bit!! All you have to do is download the plug-in.

www.pagerage.com

I hope you enjoy these, I know I have!!

Power Point Poet

We're thinking about making the big move to our own domain as well as changing some things around the blog, including the name of the blog. I've asked for suggestions and opinions, for names, so far we have the following:

Mac's Memoirs
Momentarily Climactic: Noteworthy mom.thoughts
UgunDUZI: Notes of Doscovery
Anakalupse: A mom's path to discovery 

I'm a sucker for using words of another language. Discovery in Swahili is Ugunduzi and in Greek is Anakalupse. My dad and I are sort of Greek Geeks, I took Greek and Latin for my foreign language in grade school, and I looooove Swahili. I bought several teach yourself Swahili books a while back.

Anyways, so those are the name options for right now. I'm seriously leaning towards "Momentarily Climactic", I came up with this as a possible header last night

I like how "mom" and "mac" are accentuated.

I named this blog "The McCullough Family Files" because I had intended for my husband to post entries as well, but that clearly never happened. haha. We were talking about it last night and he mentioned that he really isn't a writer kind of guy. I agreed. "Your more of a Power point/poet".....after the initial insult of me agreeing that he is no writer {though he can't be much worse than I am}, he chuckled and said that if he ever started a blog, he would title it "The Power Point Poet"....I rather like it, quite honestly.
I also started this blog with the intent to only keep friends and family up to date with us, but it has mutated into something more, so I think a new title is in order.

If you have any suggestions or opinions, feel free to let me know, I'm open to all. Until we make a final decision, I'm continuing to contact different companies about sending samples of their products for me to review here and still looking into private domains. I'm excited about the potential with my little bliggity blog and I hope you are too!!

Product Review

This is the first review. As a reminder, I want to state that the products I will be reviewing are things that I use on a regular basis, not strictly baby or child items.

Today's item is Maybelline LASH Stiletto mascara. I use this mascara about once or twice a week {when I feel like wearing make-up}and I absolutely love it.

I don't have the longest lashes a woman is known to have, and I have brown eyes {which, in my opinion, means it's rough to flatter your eyes without wearing colored eye shadow, which I don't care for}. I bought the LASH Stiletto mascara primarily out of curiosity.

When I got home I hurried to the bathroom to try it out. Staying true to it's promise, it made my lashes look significantly longer and gave them a brilliant black shine. I also use an eye liner pencil to add a little more accent. Every once in a while I'll need to use a Q-Tip to brush through my lower lashes in order to separate them a little bit, but other than that, the mascara is ideal. No clumping, great separation on the lashes, length to die for and an amazing patent shine, plus it does so much I don't have to wear any eye shadow if I don't want to.

I would recommend this mascara to anyone and everyone who wears eye make-up. You can also get LASH stiletto Ultimate Length washable and LASH Stiletto Voluptuous.

I may not look like Drew Barrymore or those ladies wearing Stiletto heals and fishnet leggings like the commercials, but I got sexy eyes now!!

Here Comes Change

well, yesterday was my 25th birthday. I only asked for one thing: a workout video.

Dom took me to Best Buy and I picked out Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred. Today was my first day, and
oh
my
sweet
Lord
Jesus

That was the most intense 20 minutes I've experience since I danced Jazz six years ago.

I discovered something: I am waaaaaaaay out of shape, people. I mean, seriously.

However; in light of all this, I've decided to start a few things regarding this blog. Tell me what you think.

First off, I'm going to post a "before" photo, then every Monday I will talk about the difference I feel from the week before and every Friday I'll post my stats, monitoring the changes.

Then, Every Wednesday I'm starting something called "Parenting by Fortune". I'm gathering fortune cookie fortunes, and applying their theory for one entire day {in this case, it'll be Tuesdays so I can tell you about it on Wednesdays}.

Finally, on Thursdays I will be posting a review of toys and products I have around the house that I use on a regular basis.

To start off, this is my "before" photo....brace yourselves, folks.

Here are my current numbers:
Weight: 173
Hips: 42"
Waist: 36"
Bust: 42 1/2 "
Upper arm: 12 1/4"
Thigh: 26 1/4 "

Pretty rough to swallow. But it's gonna be sooo much better when I'm done with this.
Wish me luck!!

Why is it so hard?

So it's been two months since my little Ozzie Bear was born, and even though I weigh less now than I did before I got pregnant, I'm still too far away from my goal weight. It's entirely my fault.

I have commitment issues.

As much as I talk about wanting to loose the weight, I find it so difficult to find the dedication to working out everyday. I was doing great for a while, I did the Ellyptical three times a week and the bike twice a week, but then I tore my oblique, and all that programming went through the window. It would be so much easier if I had someone to workout with, but alas, I don't.

So I seriously need to buckle down and get over myself. Just do the workout. It's fifteen to twenty minutes a day after breakfast. I really really really want to be able to see 150 on that scale. As of right now I'm 23 pounds away from that. I want my figure back.

I know it's not going to be the same as it was before I had kids, but still, I think I look like a sausage. No curves.

My parents get back into town on Tuesday then Oz has a doctors appointment Wednesday morning, so starting Thursday, I'm going to get back to it. For me, for my family, and to prove to myself that I can get it done all on my own.

Ah-mazing Taco Salad!!

Okay, even if you hate salad {like I do}, you are gonna LOVE this salad. It's healthy and it's easy to make, and if you store it right, you can enjoy it for days.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

1 head of lettuce
1 pack of McCormmick's original taco seasoning, reduced sodium
3 to 5 pounds of ground beef
1 bunch of cilantro
chunky or suprema salsa
sour cream
grated cheese
1 to 2 cans of black beans
taco chips. {we use either restaurant-style tortilla chips or Frito Lays}

Throw the meat into a skillet and brown. While that's going, chop the head of lettuce. I cut it in half, then slice it, then chop it. {I like my lettuce in smaller pieces} Put the lettuce into a large bowl, then chop the cilantro as small as possible, throw that in the bowl and toss in the black beans. 

Drain the fat from your meat, mix in the taco seasoning with the amount of water indicated on the seasoning packet. {the instructions say 1 packet per 1 pound of beef, but we're using more beef. We just want a little flavor to the meat} Put the meat into a separate container.

Mix equal parts sour cream and salsa into a storage container. 

Dump the chips into a large zipper bag and crush into small pieces, but not crumbs. 

Now add all the components, including the cheese, into your personal bowl!!

To store, put the lettuce mix into a tupperware with a paper towel over it and store upside down in the fridge. 

This is so good, people, I'm telling you. Even my kids have two servings of it, and the best part, it's MSG free!!!! 

It's not good enough to know all the right answers

My mom and I are starting a little Bible Study every Tuesday morning. It's just the two of us and one other friend from up the road. My mom is a truly amazing teacher and a wonderful role model. She has tons of knowledge and I could sit and listen to her talk all day long. The rhythm and tone of her words, even the language she uses is so peaceful and relaxing.

Anyways.

Yesterday was our first morning. We were discussing some verses in Colossians, about what the Glory of God is, and how to know the Will of God as best we can.

Throughout the discussion, my mom would pose questions, and I knew all the answers. I was actually surprised with myself. I've always felt inadequate with my Bible knowledge and that insecurity has drifted over into other areas of my faith.

Afterwards, my mom made a statement that really hit home to me and I re-realized that having all the right answers means nothing if I don't apply that knowledge to my life every day.

I have been through a number of rough {understatement} times, and as a result, I find it difficult to be joyful. This, in turn, means that most things feel like an obligation. My family is the one main exception to that.

Right now my goal is to rediscover the joy and love and excitement and happiness of being in The Word everyday. I need encouragement. My parents are my main supporters, I know they will encourage me every day, I just pray that one day God allows me to be the sort of role model to others as they are to me.