Why do I blog?

Dear Sweet Retta tagged me about a million years ago on this one. I'm supposed to come up with 5 reasons. I'll tell ya right now, I'm not tagging anyone. I'm such a rebel.

1. Heather talked me into it. She pressured me.
2. I stopped putting things in Zane's baby book earlier than most. This is my excuse.
3. It's fun and creative without being overly stressful.
4. It's the above and I still am making some money at it.
5. I've met some cool people this way.

Those are the reasons. Who am I tagging?

YOU! If you are reading this, go do this meme. Link back. Go on. Do it. Ha ha ha. Maybe #6 is that I get to be bossy and no one seems to care. (or no one reads it.)

~t

Rockstartup Still Rocks

Ok, I have to be honest. I haven't been watching RockStartup lately. What? Don't know what RockStartup is? It's PayPerPost's reality tv show. I was a huge fan in the beginning and then it got away from me. I hadn't watched it in a while until this paid opportunity became available. (By the way, don't think I didn't notice that as a smart way to get people watching again! Clever, PPP!)

Now, they're asking us to post about our favorite episode, what we love, and what they can do to make it better. So, I dutifully sat down and watched the episodes I hadn't seen, and even re-watched some of the older ones I had seen. The truth is, I still love the show. It's hard to pick a favorite, but since I have to, I choose the PayPerPost wedding episode. Here it is:



Why do I love this episode the most? It's the human element. I think that is what is so different about PayPerPost vs. their competition. They put their faces and their names on everything and encourage us to know them and each other. I've gotten to know some great people since being involved with PayPerPost, and the bride in the episode, Julie, is one of those great people. So, it's personal.

Why do I love the show in general? Again, it's the human element. I love to see the antics of the group. Ted, Britt, and Veronique are, in particular, fun to watch. We get to see the behind-the-scenes goings on. People love that. I am no exception. I love that they have 12 episodes and have been in a number of locations already. I think it's shot and edited well. We get fun little glimpses into the life of the staff, but also the real business of working at a startup. I worked at a startup for over 8 years, so this feels very familiar to me. It's hard and it's draining, but it's also fun and you become like a family. It's a very real creative experience. It's an amazing thing to live, or to just watch. I have to admit that RockStartup makes me a bit homesick for my startup family.

If I love this freakin' show so much, why hadn't I been watching? Mostly because life has been so hectic, and I haven't been keeping up with everything online. What could they do better? Well, I'm signed up to get an email newsletter, and I'm not sure I've ever gotten one. Sure, I can find out about it on the PayPerPost blog, but I don't always visit. (gasp!) Hey, I've got a toddler and a new job. So, I'm not sure if it's just me who's not getting alerted, but it might be something for the gang to check out. I tried to resub, but they said I already was subscribed.

How else could they make it better? This may be a little bit of a pipe dream, but it would be great if the episodes could be closer to real time. I'm watching the reality unfold and learning the PayPerPost news and then watching the shows a while later. By then, what's happening feels a little bit like old news. Part of the fun of reality tv is the shock value. When we already know the news, some of that value is lost. It would be fun to see it unfold as we are learning about what's going on with the business. For example, I'd love to see the behind-the-scenes news on the hot postie topic of segmentation right now. I don't know if that's possible, however. I like to be realistic.

Thanks for a great show and a great opportunity, PayPerPost. We've expressed ourselves, had fun, made money, gotten to know each other, and experienced change and controversy. It's been a great ride so far, and I look forward to continuing it.

~t

Throw out the freakin' hand soap already!

I don't really clip coupons. (I use some online ones.) I don't always look for the best deal. I'm not really a penny pincher. We waste money sometimes. We do crazy things.

But for some reason, I will leave the hand soap in my bathroom or kitchen for way too long because I feel the need to get every last drop of soap out of the container. It always irritates me, because then you never get enough soap. Or the pump falls over. But I never even realized I did that until today. I was doing it in my utility room, even though I had a brand new, better soap right next to it.

How much does hand soap cost? $3? $4? Maybe more for some really nice stuff. (We didn't have really nice stuff in there.) How much am I saving by using every last drop? Not much. Like I care. WHAT was I saving it for? Finally, when I realized my neurosis (and that I do it all the time), I just threw that thing out. I feel so free.

~t

Sicky takes blanket

Well, my big two days off in a row have been taken over by family illness. Caspian started it, as usual. Crazy other people's kids who get my kids sick. The good news is that Zane just let me put a blanket on him for upwards of 10 minutes. I know. He has hated blankets for ever. I'm getting him used to them little by little, in five minute increments or less. Kevin will tell you it's because I swaddled him so hardcore as a newborn. Maybe. Well, here he is, watching Lazy Town (one of his current faves). Being Lazy, but it's ok because he's sick.

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~t

The Ultimate Gift

If you've been reading my blog at all, you know I dig movies. I also seriously believe in doing good in the world and in supporting non-profit organizations in that mission. Of course, I also worked for a non-profit for 8 years. Add to that, my passion for spirituality and personal development, and you'll see why I love this new movie, even though I haven't seen it yet.



I just watched the trailer for The Ultimate Gift, which opens March 9th, and it gave me goosebumps. It's got love, money, romance, family, a cute kid, sweeping panoramics, star performances, and a message that doesn't seem to hit you over the head. It seems to make sense.



The movie is based on a best-selling book by Jim Stovall, and the message of both is "The only way you can truly get more out of life for yourself is to give part of yourself away.” It's a simple idea that's been around forever, but it's always the simple ideas we need help and inspiration to implement isn't it?

Not only does it look like a great movie, but it's already inspired a new teen philanthropy initiative (raiseahand.org), school curricula, and over $5 million dollars in charitable donations. This is the official site of the movie "The Ultimate Gift" and the grass-roots movement its starting to help charities and give to others.



One of my favorite quotes was, "He's weird, isn't he?"

"He's a good weird."

~t

Puke and Luke

Warning: Puke talk. (As if the title wasn't warning enough.)

Ugh, poor Caspian. He didn't get to go to Theater Camp on his final day because he hacked up his lungs all night and then had a fever in the morning to boot.

Ugh, poor me and Zane. Zane decided that 4:45 am was a fine time to get up with HIS fever after absolutely refusing to take medicine for it. Ok, he's just about 2. I can make him take medicine, right? One would think so. I would have thought so. But my sweet little Pisces child screamed bloody murder when I tried. In general, he just takes his medicine, no problem. He doesn't like it, but he's a trooper. Not last night or this morning. So, after throwing his fit and drinking a lot of rice milk, he just started throwing up all over me. Poor kid. And poor me. I hate that look they get when they start to throw up. I don't know if it's everyone's kid or just mine, but he looks so confused and betrayed, like "WHAT is going on? Make this stop!" Especially the first time he got really sick and threw up as a baby. You feel so bad for them.

So, just about an hour ago, Caspian was playing with Luke and HE puked on Caspian. Yikes.

Zane is up having nap #2 right now. I'm glad of that. We finally got him to take some of Caspian's medicine. The dosage chart lists 2 as the youngest age for the medicine. Yay! We'll be legal for that medicine in 4 days. We are such rebels.

~t

The Lotus Path

I have been a spiritual seeker and personal development enthusiast for over a decade now. I've read numerous books, attended classes, studied astrology, and even married a psychic healer. So, I've been around the new age block a little bit. I haven't been as immersed in the past few years because my mothering has taken a front seat to my other passionate pursuits, but I still love to know what's going on and share new information with others.

I just learned about The Lotus Path online, and The Lotus Path workshops. It looks quite interesting. I've always been drawn to anything with the word Lotus in it, and I loved the look and feel of the website. Here is their logo:

The workshops are held in the Sierra foothills between Yosemite and Fresno, California. The purpose of a workshop is to clear the energy of the chakras and work with your own divine energy. Facilitator Betty Malicoat takes pride in being direct about what she offers. My psychic healer husband has that sort of approach himself after being in the industry for a number of years.

The site itself is very attractive, informative, and easy to navigate. If you feel at all called to this sort of experience and will be in that general area, I encourage you look into it further at The Lotus Path online.

~t

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Why doesn't my kid sleep through the night yet?

I suppose the title of this post is a rhetorical question. I know the reason(s). I suppose it's my fault. If you had told me 2 years ago that it would take over 2 years for my kid to sleep through the night, I probably would have had a heart attack 5 days before little Zane was born. Yikes.

It's the cosleeping and the breastfeeding, I think. That's what all the books say. But I can't really seem to stop either. I'm not looking for advice. I'm more venting, and also, I guess raising the "If this is you, too, you are not alone!" flag. I know other moms in this situation. For the most part, it's ok, and he will grow out of it. It just takes longer than other kids. It just gets, well, tiring. Ha. I'd like to put my kid to bed, at least some nights and not have to worry that I'm going to have to run up there 3 times before I actually want to go to sleep.

I know, there are things I could do to remedy this situation. But, there are reasons I haven't and probably still won't, so please don't tell me about them. It's just every now and then I cannot believe it, and I thought I'd tell you. There is the odd chance, however, that perhaps he'd sleep WORSE without cosleeping and breastfeeding.

Naaaah. Oh well.

~t

Save Save Save

When money's running tight around here, I like to go shopping. Ok, that was a joke, but sometimes I still have to do some shopping. We are a family of 5, you know. We have needs. In that case, online coupon codes really come in handy.

The boys are always outgrowing things, and Caspian can be quite hard on his clothes. I love to buy for them use Gap coupons. That way, I can get stylish clothes that are a bit more rugged and save a few bucks while I'm at it. It's a great deal.

~t

How's Mercury Retrograde Treating You?

Well, I've talked about Mercury retrograde more than a few times on here, so I'll just leave it to you to find the links if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about here. Search my blog. Or the internet. You'll find it.

If you know what I'm talkin' about, then you know what I'm talkin' about. I miss being around people who understand Mercury retrograde. Of course, Kevin does, so he is a good person to talk to about it. There are just so many things that happen during a retro period that make me go, "Oh, this is sooooooooo Mercury retrograde!" And then, when I see it happening to others, I say the same thing, and it's sad when they don't get it. I just want to comfort them with a "It's just Mercury," but they don't know what the heck I'm talkin' about, ya know?

Allright, sorry for the long rambly post about nothing, but there ya go. Mercury retrograde. I've dropped things, I've cut things, I've had my car in the shop for the few days we really needed it, I've had blow ups with family. These are the stuff of the trickster retrograde. And now I must go make something very specific happen for my little one who will blow a gasket if I don't.

~t

Lovely Lighting

The quality of light in a room can make a huge difference in how it feels, from cheery to sedate, from peaceful to happy, and more. There are so many fabulous lighting options out there these days, that it's really fun to shop around and get something just perfect for your house.

You can even get some amazing prices by getting Discount Chandeliers. These fixtures will go a long way towards updating and beautifying your home.

We've replaced some fixtures in our house already and hope to do more. This year, Kevin is working a lot on the outside of the house, so I'm hoping to eventually get some great outdoor lighting. I can't wait for it to be an outdoor paradise.

~t

More goings on while I work

Caspian has really been enjoying theater camp. I'm hoping it gets some of his melodrama out of his system rather than feed it. Pray for me. He has a big show tomorrow which I just happened to have off to attend.

Zane has been doing well at home with Kevin and my mom. He is very sweet and affectionate when I come home and tells me he is happy to see me. They went to the store yesterday and the pharmacist gave him a sticker. He was very excited about it being the same as a magnet I've had on the fridge for a while. (I love refrigerator magnets--but not too many. The right amount and the right mix and the right cuteness factor.) The funny thing is that Zane says that anything that is in any way the same is the "same size". He seems to think "samesize" is the word for "same". So cute. Cute. Cute. Cute. Here's the magnet with the sticker.

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~t

Big Money, Big Money

The PayPerPost blog ad network has been connecting bloggers with advertisers for months now. Being a leader in the field, they've been experimenting with changes as they come along and pioneering new and exciting ways to benefit all parties involved. Things have continued to change as the market continues to figure out what to do with this new paid blogging beast.

One positive for higher profile bloggers is that now you can make even more money than before. If you qualify, you could make as much as $1000 for a single sponsored post. Of course, those posts aren't necessarily the norm, but there are more and more opportunities that are at price points like $35, $75, and $150. That kind of money is definitely worth the time spent blogging on something you might have written about anyway.

What does PayPerPost get out of the deal, you may ask? Well, of course, they take a cut as a fee for connecting bloggers with advertisers, but did you know that it's significantly smaller than some other companies doing the same thing? PPP only charges a 35% fee, leaving more money for the blogger and for advertisers to get more for their money.

In the interest of an honest marketplace, PayPerPost requires disclosure from all bloggers.

~t

Weight Loss Wednesday: FINALLY a LOSS!

Here we are on Weightloss Wednesday again!

Woo hoo! Well, I'm going to try to do this in a quick way since I have to work in a couple hours and if I don't do it right now while Zane is eating breakfast, I probably won't.

I lost 2.2 pounds this week! Yaaaaay! I've been just trying to be better. Haven't been totally "on program". I plan on doing that in a couple weeks. Not exactly sure when. I had gained a LOT in the past few weeks--almost 10 pounds. So, this is good.

This next week, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and see how it goes!

~t

Hangin' in there

Well, it's been a little hard getting used to this work thing. I had a decent enough week for a new job. At first, it was questionable whether they'd have enough hours for me. I might have had to commute. But, on my second day, someone else quit. Pretty cool, huh? I guess my Tarot cards led me in the right direction. I just hope I can start making enough money. That's the big concern right now.

Zane seems to be adjusting well. He is a little more possessive of me when I'm home and very excited when he gets to have Mommy milk for his nap instead of Daddy meditation techniques. Ha. Everyone else seems much more relieved that I am now the official breadwinner. Everyone but me, of course. Hrmph. So, everyone else gets to be relieved while I am mildly resentful. I guess I better drop it. But, I need to keep reminding them we're not out of the home stretch yet. I don't have my real schedule yet. I'm looking forward to having a set schedule, which I don't have right now. And we still need other streams of income, I believe. Has anyone else totally been screwed by 1099s this year? I'm still waiting on three of them. That's ridiculous. We could use the refund.

Caspian is really happy to be at Theater Camp for his midwinter break. We're pretty happy about it, too. Kevin has been doing his dad and doggie dad thing and also some writing and some healing work, but not much. We are now preparing for Zane's big birthday #2. Wooo hoo. He is talking more than ever, making little phrases and sentences, and even trying to get the right tense for things. Like just now, when he was climbing the chair behind me, fell off it, and said, "I fell." I better git. Just thought I'd do a little update. Everyone out there have a good day!

~t

Self Portrait Sunday: Me and the Duck

I almost forgot about this today. Click the image above to get to meme-originator, Digi-Cass. Don't ask about the duck. There really is no reason. He was just here.




~t

Fabulous Day in the Neighborhood

Is it really February 17th? (I had to double check to make sure I actually had the date right when I asked that question.) My point is: It's GORGEOUS out. Apparently, other parts of the country are not enjoying the beautiful weather we have today. We took a walk this morning to see our neighborhood llamas with Zane and Luke. Luke likes to trot right next to the stroller. That dog can run, too!

Right now, Kevin is out back ripping up the yard. He's getting ready to build his big ole wall back there. He's happier than a rutting pig. That's just his kind of thing. Taurus moon. Here is a pic:

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Holy heck! It's 62 degrees here!

~t

More about the Soaps

Are you the kind of person that likes to know things before everyone else? Or maybe you just look ahead and read the last page of a book before you even start it? If you are, or you simply cannot wait to find out what's going to happen to your favorite soap characters, Soap Opera Spoilers is the place for you.

Soaps.com seems to have it all together. They know about the soaps. They know what happened on the soaps. AND, they know what's GOING to happen on the soaps. As I said in my previous post about Days of Our Lives, I think they have a good thing going. I like the layout of the site, the sheer quantity of the writing, and the great amount of photos. I think they are on the right track.

I think that perhaps that best improvement they could make would be to expand to more shows. As they are only 5-6 months old, I imagine that will happen in time. Stay tuned!

~t

Here's Some Cuteness for ya, Retta

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My friend, Retta, likes to say that I have all sorts of cuteness on my blog. Well, not lately. Hrmph. I thought I better remedy that, in case all this stupid work talk is bringing anybody down. Looks like these pics were taken by Kevin on my first day of work. I remember they went walking around while I turned my closet updside down. Professional clothes. Hrmph. Not as cool as skeleton sweatshirts, n'est-ce pas?


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~t

Like Sands Through the Hour Glass

Bo and Hope. Steve and Kayla. Billie. Max. Sammy. Chelsea. Stefano diMera. If these names sound familiar to you, you could be an old school fan or a new one. If you're a fan and you miss an episode, there is a great site with fabulous Days of our Lives updates.

For soaps fans, soaps.com is great. They give daily updates on all your favorite shows. Not only do they get pretty in-depth with paragraphs upon paragraphs of juicy details, but they also have screen shots from the episodes, and a good number of them per update. I loved that. In addition to the daily updates, you'll find spoilers, message boards, tons of photos, cast lists, and so much more.

It's an attractive and well-laid out site. Plus, where else are you going to find people in comas, under spells, buried alive, carrying mystery babies, having amnesia, and the like. Check it out!



~t

Working is hard work

Yikes. I haven't been able to feed my blog addiction lately as much as I would like. I didn't even do my Weight Loss Wednesday meme. And I didnt even think about it until today!

Getting used to a new job and a new schedule is not easy (especially since I don't even have a set schedule yet). Other than that, it's going pretty well. I seem to be catching on. My boss seems to adore me. Today I didn't come home with a raging headache, at least (like I did yesterday). I think the 5 hour shift coupled with my 10 hours of sleep last night might have helped. Ha.

Yeah, so I don't even have any pictures to share from lately. Unless Kevin took some I don't know about. Ooooh, there are some cute ones. I'll have to get myself organized and show you what I've been missing around the house. Wah!

At least now when I tell Zane, "I love you." He says, "Love you, TOO, Mommy!" Awwwww!

~t

No Nonsense Business Legal Help

Starting a new business can be an extremely daunting proposition. I've heard many people after the fact say, "If I knew what I know now when I started..." Some have even said, "If I knew it would be so difficult, I'm not sure I would have stayed with it." So, how do you get to know what you need to know ahead of time? How do you avoid the pitfalls of inexperience? Hire great counsel, of course.

Susan Nattrass is an attorney who cut her teeth on her own business, Spa Violet, which she recently sold. Now, she's dedicated to helping other business people create their dreams. Nattrass is an cutting-edge entrepreneur with common sense who won't talk down to you or talk over your head in a bunch of legal jargon. She loves a challenge, and she loves providing solutions to those challenges.

And, of course, as a skilled attorney, she can make your life a lot easier by being able to wade through all the essential legal muck. That leaves you with time to do the thing you love: launching your own entrepreneurial vision. Nattrass will use her own experience in planning to help keep you on track towards your goals.

Nattrass' law office is located at 160 Chesterfield Dr., Suite 2 in Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007. She can be reached at (760) 650-4021.

~t

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Thankfulness

I've been a blog slacker today, but I was tagged by Alli, so I thought I should at least get this out there. Besides, I like it.

Three things I am thankful for:

1. My connection with the divine

2. The love of and for family and friends

3. I'm not in the living room right now as Kevin just let one fly

Oh dear, maybe I should pick a different #3.

New 3. Financial abundance

Now I have to tag, so here goes: Heather, Mel, and Elizabeth

~t

Hey! I got a job!

Oh man, I have been a neglectful blogger over here. It's been busy at the homestead once again. Did I blog about my birthday? I don't think so. I did so at my other blog. Check it out. But, the big news right now is that I got a job, and I started today. Tiring. Whew. I'm only starting part time and even when I go to full time, it should be between 30 and 40 hours. I've decided to not really blog about my job. Just tryin' to be smart. Fly underneath the radar. Keep out of trouble.

It was hard to leave Zane today. I had a 6-hour shift with an hour lunch toward the end of it. That was a bit weird. So, I came home. He did not understand that I had to go back until I got up to leave. Then he said, "Miss you, Mommy," and his lip did that little pre-cry quiver, but he was able to hold it back. Wah!

So, I guess I'm technically not a Stay-At-Home-Mom any longer. It was good while it lasted.

~t

Feeling Drained

I started my new job today. It went well, but I am wiped out. I have not started a new job in over nine years! I think the emotional stress of not knowing what to expect and feeling like I have to perform and also leaving my little one really got to me today. I'm sure it will get easier. I still feel somewhat shell-shocked and unhappy that my plan to be a stay-at-home mom fizzled before my eyes. But Kevin did make me lunch and dinner. That was nice. He made a kick-butt casserole for dinner. It was a good day, for the most part. Just draining.

Young America

Over the years of being a parent, I have done my share of looking for furniture for kids' rooms. In general, the places I have been to have a few options for furniture for children. Oftentimes, they are cheesy or don't look particularly well-made.

However, that couldn't be further from the truth with the Young America collection. There are pages upon pages of choices in a number of finishes. It looks as if they are really solid, quality pieces, as well. The prices do lead me to believe that. They are a little higher than I've seen for most children's furniture, but I imagine it's a case of "you get what you pay for". On this site, you get a lot of quality choices. It's definitely worth a look.

~t

Self Portrait Sunday

I had just pushed the button on the camera when Zane fell down on the hardwood floor, hard. I didn't see it happen, only heard it. I made this face and the camera took it. This is what I look like when I am curious about and fearful of what my child is doing.



Ok, since that photo was technically taken yesterday and Zane is being so funny right now, I thought I'd take another one. You see, he loves the show Lazy Town. It's kinda weird. He will let me blog while he watches it. But there is this villain dude that freaks him out (rightfully so). Every time that guy comes on, Zane crawls in my lap. It's distractingly cute and only slightly annoying as he uses me as his comfort jungle gym. Here we are a couple minutes ago (note, he's still watching TV. durr):



This meme originated by my buddy Digi-Cass.

~t

Valentines Schmalentines

Valentine's Day is allright, but the really important thing is that the Sports Illustrated magazine Swimsuit Issue comes out on that day. Normally, I wouldn't be so into it, but remember when I took off for the islands that week and it was all secret? Well, this is what came of it:



Lookin' good, right? Ok, ok, I'm not really in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. But lots of great supermodels are! This issue is jam-packed with famous babes like Molly Sims, Carolyn Murphy, Victoria's Secret model and Project Runway star Heidi Klum, and tennis star Maria Sharapova.

It's especially cool that this year, Sports Illustrated is multi-media with the swimsuit issue. You can download cell phone wallpapers of your favorite pics night or day. These are the same beautiful photos straight from the magazine, available for only $1.99 for all major wireless carriers. They include over 50 supermodels for download. SI mobile users can also get extra goodies like video clips from the photo shoots, "video ringers" (ringtones with video), animated screensavers and more.

What I didn't know until now was that this is the 43rd annual swimsuit issue! That means they started the swimsuit issue back in the 60s. They've had it as long as I can remember. This is history, people. Check it out!

~t

Supahstar Saturday: Thoughts Out of My Head

My friend Colleen over at Geeky Speaky has a bunch of smart ideas about blog promotion. Her newest blog promotion baby is Supahstar Saturday It's too fun and brilliant NOT to participate. Each week, Colleen will feature a new Supahstar, and all of us who are participating will then also feature that Supahstar. To learn more about the meme, click the cool button below:

Now, on to the Supahstar of the week. (See, it STARTS on Saturday, but you have all week to participate. I like that, Colleen. Thanks for the extra time.)

This week, we are bowing to the Supahstar that is Loretta. I dig Retta. I can call her that because she's my friend. She feels like much more of a Retta to me than a Loretta, mainly because she's unique and not 70 years old. Her blog is reflective of her varied interests.

First of all, she got to be the very first Supahstar because she designed the ultra-cool button. If you take a quick look at her sidebar, you'll know this girl's got some geek in her. But I love that. She knows cool things on line. Her blog is worth checking out.

She's got FOUR v. cute little boys. When I think I've had it with my two, thinking about Retta always makes me feel better. She has a cool laid-back style. I imagine she must.

One of my favorites of her recent posts has to be the camera tossing one. It seems indicative of her: technological, fun, a little wacky, and dare I say, dangerous? Ok, she's probably not dangerous, but I don't think I'd toss my camera in the air, no matter how much I hate it. (Me and my camera have a love/hate thing going on for many reasons.)

So, go on over and visit Loretta. She's got a touch of a messed-up circadian rhythm these days, so she'd be happy to stay up late and read your comments.

~t

Holiday in Italy

Kevin has always wanted to own a second home. I'm not so sure, because I think one home is quite enough to manage. But, when I see things like this Property in Calabria, I start to consider it.



For me, it brings to mind movies like Roman Holiday and Under the Tuscan Sun, and even a screenplay I started in college and never finished. There is something both idyllic and real about living the Italian lifestyle that appeals Americans and Brits. It's about slowing down and being sensuous. Enjoying beauty and art and fine food. Drinking wine and dining al fresco. When I think of owning property in Italy, that's what comes to mind.

And I have to admit, it's pretty darn appealing.

~t

Birthday Earrings

My buddy, Lisa Marie Mary, wanted to see these puppies, so here are the ultra-cool earrings that Caspian made for me for my birthday.

First off, here's the closeup of just the earrings:

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Professional looking shot, no?

Here is a closeup of the earrings on:


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And here they are, as they look in their natural environment, on me:


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Thanks, Caspian!

~t

LemonFree.com

LemonFree.com is a great place to check out Cars For Sale on line. It's also a great place to list your car for sale, as it's completely free to list your car until it is sold, and no credit card is required.

If you're looking for a car, you can put in your location and the make, model, and year and the vehicle you desire. They had so many different makes and models of cars, I had not even heard of them all. Once you submit the above information, you'll often get pages of results with an amazing amount of information, many of them including photos. You can sort your results by price, mileage, year, or newest ad. They also had great information on how to avoid scams and fraud.

Kevin used to have a Ford Mustang, and he's always wanted another one. This would be a great place to start looking when we're ready to buy.

~t

Birthday Recap

It's been a crazy busy week around here, but I did want to take a bit of time here to say thanks to my family, friends, and readers for all the birthday wishes. I also like posting about what we do on birthdays. Birthdays are important to me for some reason. Maybe I'm just a born astrologer. I just like them. I like mine. I like other peoples' birthdays. I think they are fun. I think they are a great excuse to celebrate someone you love. Christmas is ok, but there's so much going on and it can be stressful. I like focusing on just one person more.

So anyway, as many of you know, I had a job interview on my birthday and I ended up getting the job. Yay!

Other than that, Kevin let me sleep in some (until an unforeseen event required my assistance). Then he made his special chili for dinner. He also made a cake with the kids (pics to follow). It's a special tundra cake from my favorite episode of Blue's Clues. Yes, I have a favorite episode of Blue's Clues. Mom job hazard. Caspian made me some earrings. I have to get a picture of those. Will post later. After everyone was in bed, we watched Memoirs of a Geisha and Kevin gave me a real long shoulder massage during it. That was nice. It was a good movie. It was a good day. Here are some pictures:

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~t

Review My Post!

If you're looking to advertise on blogs, PayPerPost is a great place to check out. I've been blogging with PayPerPost about 4 months and have really enjoyed it. One of the coolest things about PayPerPost is that they've been leading the new paid-to-blog industry with innovative ways to help both their advertisers and bloggers.

Review My Post is a great example of just this kind of innovation. Now, bloggers can add a button on the bottom of any (or all) post(s), inviting other potential PayPerPost bloggers to review the post on their blog.

When the potential PayPerPostie clicks the button, they are taken to PayPerPost to sign up. After doing so, they are given a special $7.50 opportunity to write about the post that got them there. Once this is completed, the original blogger also gets $7.50. How cool is that? Not only do both bloggers get a bit of cash, but it builds links back to the original bloggers blog.

If you're not with PayPerPost yet, I encourage you to learn more about it. It's a great way to make some extra money (or, as an advertiser, get online exposure you can afford). Of course, a great way to learn more is by trying their new Review My Post program yourself. It's easy. You can start by reviewing this post and seeing how the process works! Just click below.




~t

Got it!

Well, the road is not over, but it's getting slightly less bumpy. I GOT THE JOB! Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and kind words. I will be starting part time on Monday and hopefully going to full time/30 hours-ish in the next month or so. I have decided to not really blog about my work because I don't think that's a good idea. It feels like something I should keep separate, so I will. But, I will be working. I have mixed emotions about it. I know Zane and I will miss each other. Plus, especially in the beginning, I'm not sure it will even be enough money. However, I'm excited to be learning new things and meeting some people in my new hometown. So, in a word: Yay!

~t

Mother's Day Gifts

Allright, you may think I'm jumping the gun a little, but have you ever heard the story of your own birth? There's a good chance it would make you want to buy mothers day gifts every day. Or it might at least make you want to get a jump on the holiday and make sure you're prepared.

There's a gorgeous selection of gifts at dotflowers.com. They have same day flower delivery with arrangements from you local shop or flower's straight from the grower's farms. Not only that, but they have fabulous gift baskets with gourmet treats, yummy snacks, charming cookies and more. Not only are the products superior, but you'll enjoy excellent customer service. It's a great place to get conveniently beautiful gifts your mom or anyone will love.

~t

Weight Loss Wednesday: No results

Here we are on Weightloss Wednesday again!

Well, I didn't weigh myself today. I know I am up. I was going to not weigh myself for a while. I was thinking of maybe going a month without weighing and focusing on other goals. Thinking more about my habits than what those numbers are telling me. My habits are not helping me.


I'm feeling a little disgusted with myself. Ok, I'm trying to put the feeling behind me, but I felt I should say it, since I'm feeling it. Now hopefully, I can let it go.

I'm working on visualizing myself at my goal.

I think it's really hard to lose weight when you are a mom. Especially if your kids are little and you have very little help. I love being a mom. I love my son so much. But, the things that I did before I was a mom are somewhat gone. I don't really read. I don't really go to movies. I do online stuff still, but it's hard. Heck, he just woke up and I have to go now. Anyway, I think I use food to pacify myself for the other things I miss. I need to find ways to bring back the other things instead of stuffing my face.

Gotta fly!

~t

Birthday Bliss

Well, my solar return has come and gone. (When the sun is in the exact spot it was when you were born. Sometimes ON your birthday, sometimes before or after, especially if you move time zones.)

I got a call for a job interview shortly after. I'm going tomorrow--on my calendar birthday. Doh! That should be fun. I knew it was going to happen, so I just went with the flow. I'm hoping it's good mojo, as Heather said.

Kevin is still feeling majorly blechy, so I took Zane and we bought the stuff for chili and cake for tomorrow. He insisted on buying me these flowers and who was I to say no? (Oh, they are from Kevin, too. I suppose Caspian will want in now. And my mom. Dang nabbit, Zane went with me to the store, so he's getting most of the credit.)

Wish me luck on my interview!!!



~t

Egypt Travel

When I think of travel destinations, Egypt probably wouldn't have come to mind first. After seeing some of these amazing photos, that might change. I'm sure that Kevin would love it. He is all about ancient civilizations and even considered being an archeologist at one point.

The photographs on this page are of the Sakara Pyramids. Near Cairo, these pyramids are said to have the very first pyramid every built and include the world's oldest stone structure. And the area is just beautiful. Check out these photos!











~t

I'm a holdout

I'm a holdout in the land of sickos. So far. Wish me luck. I started to feel it last night. I really don't want to be sick. I've held out this long. At LEAST let me hold off until, oh say, Thursday. I'd rather just skip it altogether. C'mon Universe, help me bypass this illness. (I always think I'm going to, but I tend to just be the last pin to fall.)

Caspian added to his issues yesterday by a run-in with the cabinet:

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(To here Caspian talk about it without saying much, go here.)

Zane seems to be trying to be a holdout, too, by sleeping for like 3 hours yesterday afternoon. (His usual nap is 30-60 minutes.)


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Illness, go AWAY!

~t

Want to learn more about investing?

I have been interested in the financial world for a while. But let's face it, for the newbie, it can be somewhat intimidating, especially if you don't have a lot of money. Once again, you gotta love the internet. There's a site called Stockwire.com that aims to make things easier for the "microcap and small cap investor". I had to put that last phrase in quotation marks, because I really had no idea what it meant. I figured it was small, because they are also called "penny stocks".

I'll take a moment here to educate both of us. The U.S. Securities Exchange Commission Website defines Micro Cap stocks as such, "The term 'microcap stock' applies to companies with low or 'micro' capitalizations, meaning the total value of the company's stock. Microcap companies typically have limited assets. For example, in cases where the SEC suspended trading in microcap stocks, the average company had only $6 million in net tangible assets — and nearly half had less than $1.25 million. Microcap stocks tend to be low priced and trade in low volumes."

See, the key here at the end was "low priced" and "trade in low volumes". That means most people can affort them. However, they can be a bit of a gamble, so you need to make sure you do your homework before you invest, even if it is just "pennies". That's where stockwire.com can be helpful.

They have a lot of resources for you to use to learn more. You can:

• Watch video tutorials on how to invest in Penny Stocks.


• Read more on their blog.


• Research stock profiles and market data


• Connect with other members in their Traders Lounge


• Get regular E-newsletters (and access past issues)

You'll find most of these features are only available once you become a member. But the great news is, membership is completely free! The site itself is very professional and high-tech. It's also got a cool Web 2.0 vibe with lots of pictures, videos, and interactive elements. Check it out.



~t

A Weird Hush Has Fallen Over my House

I guess it is Super Bowl Sunday. We are not sports fans. Kevin and Caspian are sick. Caspian has been camping in front of the upstairs TV most of the day. Kevin is sleeping in front of Ghost Hunters in the living room. It's kinda cute. I'm glad I didn't marry a sporto-jocko. It's a nice day in Olympia, but even my sweet little baby Zane has been sleeping for HOURS! I've gotten a lot of blogging done on my other blog. And I've been having some fun at Helium. Now I'm eating chips. Dangit. Dang chips. I need to just live alone for a couple months to lose this weight. I just wouldn't buy the stuff. Ok, last chip. Thank you for helping me stop the madness, readers. Thank you. Maybe I'll do a vid after this. How long can this sleeping thing last? Zane has awoken twice and nursed back to sleep. I have a feeling my sweet little one might be getting sick too. Wah. I think I'll try to snap a pic of him asleep. Those are always cute. Be right back. (I might wake him, but heck, it's 4:10 already!)

Back.

Had to use the flash. And I did wake him up. Oh well.

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~t

Caspian's Grisly Reality

Caspian met an untimely rendez-vous with the corner of the cabinet today. Here is a slide show I made of his poor wound. As Michael Hutchence used to say, "Da da da...love your hair." As I am fond of saying, "Caspian, you will be getting a haircut soon."

It had been a while since Caspian did a video confessional, so he also did one of those, talking about his experience. He tends to be a repeater during video confessionals. Listen closely to the beginning, and you should be able to hear Zane asking to see his video from yesterday, "Zane...Nakey". I don't intend to post that one here. It's a good one, though. ha ha. Heeeeeere's Caspian...



~t

Self Portrait Sunday

I haven't been very good about participating in my friend Cass' fun meme, Self-Portrait Sunday. But, everyone around here just happens to be asleep, so I got the chance to play! Thanks, Cass. This is fun. Here I am, at almost 35, on a Sunday afternoon at my desk.



~t