Another Award with a Photo Challenge!

Oh Alyson, I am so undeserving of all these awards you bestow upon me, but thank you!!!



Photo Challenge:
6th folder, 6th photo & tell the story behind it...



Haha this is a picture of Mason opening a present on his 3rd birthday. He was very excited about the Play-Doh Auntie Sharon sent from Massachusetts. So much he wanted to give it a kiss.

I'm suppose to nominate 5 people to do this.. but I'm LAZY right now.. so if you want to do it, comment me and I'll add you to the list I'm going to do later.

8 Things

I found a new blog, through another blog I read. And I stumbled on to this post called "8 Things" Looked fun, so I "stole" it! Head over to the blog I got the idea from


8 things I am looking forward to:
1. A week off in two weeks!!!!
2. My parents visiting from NJ while I'm off work!
3. Taking Mason to the Thomas LIVE Show!
4. My sister in law to have her baby! I can't wait to meet my niece, Kylie!
5. 530pm today when I can offically begin my weekend.
6. October, when this terribly heat and humidity give us a bit of a break
7. Checking out the new Super Walmart up the street.
8. Getting back to NJ to see my family and friends.

8 things I did yesterday:
1. Worked
2. Made dinner
3. A load of laundry
4. Blogged
5. Watched the MJ special on ABC
6. Finished reading 'Juicy' by Jessica Canseco
7. Showered
8. Slept

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Be more organized
2. Buy a house with a yard.
3. Live closer to my family and friends without having to leave Louisiana
4. Have another baby
5. End all the heartaches for my friends
6. Get back into shape
7. Get my kids to sleep through the night, every night.
8. Hang out with some Amish peeps.

8 shows I watch:
1. Jon & Kate Plus 8
2. Deadliest Catch
3. Property Virgins
4. My First Place
5. Days of Our Lives (when i remember they replay it at 10 on soapnet)
6. News
7. TMZ
8. Chelsea Lately

8 favorite fruits:
1. Pineapple
2. Strawberries
3. Blueberries
4. Nectarines
5. Seedless Watermelon
6. Raspberries
7. Apples
8. Oranges

8 places I’d like to travel:
1. Italy
2. California
3. Australia
4. Aruba or St. Thomas
5. Jamaica
6. Hawaii
7. Alaska
8. Amsterdam

8 places I’ve lived:
1. Westborough, MA
2. Marlton, NJ
3. Cherry Hill, NJ
4. Monmouth University,W.Long Branch, NJ
5. Brooklawn, NJ
6. Pine Hill, NJ
7. Sicklerville, NJ
8. Metairie, LA


Now you do it and leave me a comment so I can check yours out too!

And the Award goes toooooo.....

Since *2* of my girls nominated me for this award, I guess I'll do it. Thanks Alyson and Kimber for nominating lil ole me for the award.








So here's how it goes. I'm suppose to list 10 things about myself that are completely HONEST. So here it goes, and hopefully y'all will still read my blog afterwards. :oP

1. I have zero patience. I don't like to wait for anyone or anything. I don't like having to tell people something more then once.

2. Sometimes I pretend to have a headache on a weekend afternoon so I can take a nap.

3. I am absolutely terrified of driving and the ocean. I'm 25 and I still don't drive. Even being in the car as a passenger gives me panic attacks. And the ocean is big and vast and full of crazy stuff that I have no intentions on messing with. thankyouverymuch.

4. I tend to bitch at my husband when he doesn't help me out enough around the house, but I also tend to criticize the way he does things when he is doing them.

5. I am a better internet/blog friend, then real life friends. Because I live so far away and because I really enjoy spending my free time with just my two boys.

6. I clip coupons every week and never use them.

7. I am SUPER emotional. Just yesterday I cried over two friends wedding pictures/videos and some random song I heard. I also cannot take a joke, my feeling get hurt very easily.

8. I'm a yeller. My poor son has learned to cover his ears when I'm on one of my rants.

9. I own an iron and ironing board, I have for at least 5 years. I have never opened either. I just toss things in the dryer to get the wrinkles out.

10. I will always be a Jersey Girl.

Now the RULES:
(1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
(2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
(3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
(4) Name 10 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
(5) Nominate 10 Honest Scrap Bloggers.
(6) Post links to the 10 blogs you nominate.
(7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

So I am nominating:
1. Ali @ A Life Being Lived
2. Tanya @ A Backyard Wedding
3. Tiff @ Raising Three Boys
4. Steph @ 4 Blue Ones and A Pink One
5. Jamie @ Life with Benjamin and Elijah
6. Michelle @ First Time Mommy Learning Everyday
7. Kat @ The Tough Times Make You Stronger
8. Andrea @ The Simmons Family
9. MckMama @ My Charming Kids
10 Mandie @ So this is love...

You know you live in Louisiana when.....

You have to pick one of these up at your local grocery store..

What's for dinner?

If your family is anything like mine, you must have at least one picky eater. I have two. One barely eats any meats and no seafood at all (I LOVE seafood:o( ) and the other refuses all veggies and pretty much most things everyone eats (I only hate onions).

Last night I made Mac&Cheese. I'm always looking for affordable and easy meals for my family. So send me your recipes! (As long as I can omit any onions and nothing is on a bone and no seafood)


Mac


After Mac

Wordless Wednesday

Totally Random Tuesday oOo SNACKS! oOO

* I apologize in advance for the quality of some of these pictures. I got them off my cell phone, and the camera on my phone SUCKS *




I love SNACKS! I mean com'on who doesn't?? My snack repertoire is pretty diverse and so is my families!

We all LOVE cereal! No one can agree on a kind of cereal, so we usually have 3-5 boxes (or bags)at any given time. While I prefer cereals like Kashi Go Lean Crunch and granolas, my husband LOVES Raisin Bran and Cookie Crisp, and our son prefers Honey Nut Cheerios (he calls it 'bee cereal')or (gasp!) Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms (though we don;t buy the Lucky Charms anymore, cause he started to only eat the marshmallows).


PB&J is another one we all love, but have different versions we prefer. I like mine on white bread with Creamy JIF (ONLY JIF!!!) and strawberry preserves (from Wegmans, so thankfully my parents bring me some when they visit!). My husband likes his on white toast with Jif and grape jelly , not jam, and Mason prefers it on Double Fiber Whole Grain bread and only Jif (though I don't think he would care about the brand of PB like his mama does )


Mason also LOVES Fruit Snacks!


My Husband LOVES Croutons (usually covered in balsamic vinegar)


And I LOVE YOGURT with FRUIT and Granola!
(this is my snack from a few nights ago.. vanilla yogurt with Kashi Go Lean Crunch and nectarines Yum-O!)


I also make a killer Apple Pie


And enjoy Crunch 'n Munch while we watch the Phillies!


What does YOUR family like to nosh on???

You know you live in Louisiana when....

Your 3 year old tells you "turn on air, i hot" at bedtime.

And honestly, I do not blame him. It is hot! I honestly cannot remember the last time it rained or was under 95 degrees. It never cools down. It was already 85 when I left for work at 8:30 this morning!

But I must say at least it feels no where as hot as it did the month we moved here (July 2007). I will never forget after driving in the truck with two dogs and an 18 month old, we hit Alabama and it was a heat&humidity I have never felt anything like it. I thought I knew what hot, humid days were. I remember spending the previous summer in Long Beach Island during an awful heat wave that was, at the time, unbearable. Na-uh, that was CAKE. I think 30 times a day that month we move to Louisiana we said "Man, its soooooooooo hot!" And it was..

But I guess our blood has thinned, that's what the locals say, I'm no doctor...and its still hot, but its tolerable. We still get outside every day. We may have to give in and put the AC on and hate our electric company until October, but when we get to wear tank tops and flip flops on Mardi Gras, its worth it...


I think.

Thursday's Thirteen

I saw this idea on another blog and thought it sounded fun! Maybe I'll create a blog button for it (if i ever figure out how to do them correctly) But basically it will be a list of thirteen things. This week I am going to do things that make me crazy!


Thirteen Things That Make Me Crazy!!!!

13. Sleeping without a fan.

12. Dirty socks all over the place.

11. People who have eye crusties. I mean com'on, pick them out!

10. Arrogance.

09. Unstraightened bed sheets.

08. The Laugh and Learn Puppy Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Puppy


07. Buying a brand new gallon of milk and opening it to find its spoiled!

06. People who write checks at the grocery store.

05. Stepping on matchbox cars in the dark.

04. Sitting on the potty to discover someone use the last of the toilet paper in the downstairs bathroom and now you have to trudge upstairs to get some, with your pants around you ankles. I can't be the only one this happens to.

03. Parents who get a babysitter constantly and go to bars.

02. People who hate on President Obama. Seriously y'all, he won and now we need to be a united country and not hating on the man who WILL be running our country for the next 4 years, so stop being so closed minded and give the man a chance to fix the mess our country is in. We don't want to become Iran and have our country fighting over who the leader should be.

01. My son waking up in the middle of the night AGAIN.

Wordless Wednesday

oOo Totally Random Tuesday oOo ((books!!!))

I love to read. Love love love love it!!!! I easily read 5-7 books a week. I prefer fiction books, but realistic fiction books. No sci-fi or fantasy for this girl, I can do some nonfiction as well, as long as the subject intrigues me. I've loved to read for as long as I can remember. I always got books as gifts. I remember two specific books I got as gifts, when I was about 7 years old, that I still have to this day.

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory


Where the Sidewalk Ends.



I like fiction books about the Amish.


I like fiction books about being a mom.


I like James Patterson.


I LOVED the Twilight Saga.


I like biographies from celebs I like.





My husband is very nice library in the town we live in, because my book 'habit' can get expensive.

I'm always looking for suggestions on things to read.. So what do you enjoy???

Workday Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday, a very close second to Christmas. And I really like the food. Turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetables, crescent rolls, cranberry sauce, and stuffing, yum. But as a working mother I don't always have the time and I almost never have the energy to recreate this delicious meal on many more occasions then Thanksgiving, and usually Christmas too.

So in our house I make what I call Weekday Thanksgiving, and it couldn't be more simple, so you should make it for your family, or friends, or heck just yourself, cause cold turkey sandwiches the next day are almost as good.

I get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store(Sam's Club also sells them, and they are mighty affordable.), if you have never had a rotisserie chicken, don't knock it before you try it unless of course you don't like chicken, because they are delicious. My husband is almost a non-meat eater. I think he eats most of it because he knows how hard it already is to feed him foods he likes. So I when I bring the chicken home I put it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or so to crisp the outside but a bit. Then I make a quick batch of mashed potatoes, buy the small red potatoes and they boil up in no time and keep the skins on there is a whole bunch of nutrition in there, or if you must get some of those Country Crock or Bob Evans refrigerated mashed potatoes, but please, for the love of Thanksgiving don't used the powdery box potatoes, they should even be allowed to be called potatoes. Get a bag of Steamfresh vegetables, you know the ones in the freezer section you pop in the microwave for like 4 minutes and the steam, or fresh vegetable of your choice, in the summer we usually do corn on the cob. And our grocery store has hot french breads each evening that are so good, it could be the meal itself (if your store doesn't have fresh breads, grab some crescent rolls, they are pretty quick baking), and there you go. Taste like thanksgiving and takes about 25 minutes, and its almost so delicious it makes me almost consider serving this on Thanksgiving Day and saving myself a whole lot of time and energy. :o)

ABC's of ME!

ABC's Of Me

A - Age: 25 (Yikes!) My Birthday is October 30th (Mischief Night!)

B - Bed size: Queen with NO BOX SPRING.. we moved into our new house in November, to learn there was NO POSSIBLE WAY to get the box spring upstairs, so after two months of looking at it in my dinning room.. we tossed it. Luckily my husband is handy, and plans on building us a platform bed frame for the mattress.

C - Chore you hate: Honestly, all of them. I really HATE folding and putting away laundry. I don't mind washing it and drying it, but the putting away is the worst.

D - Dog's name: Lily, who is a jack russell/westie mix and Daisy, who is a cockapoo.

E - Essential start your day item: umm... the potty!

F - Favorite color: baby blue, purple and kelly green

G - Gold or Silver: white gold.

H - Height: 5'5

I - Instruments you play: I can very, very badly play the piano.

J - Job title: Private Nanny

K - Kid(s): Mason, who turned 3 on Valentine's Day!

L - Living arrangements: Townhouse in a suburb of New Orleans (or should i say N'Awlins), Louisiana

M - Mom's name: Susan :o)

N - Nicknames: My husband calls me Baby. My son called me Mom or Mommy. My parents call me Jane or Janie and everyone else calls me Jess.

O - Overnight hospital stay: When I had my tonsils and adenoids out at 10 and after Mason was born in 2006.

P - Pet Peeve: Unstraightened bed sheets. Whining. Loud cell phone talkers. People who don't do what they say they are gonna do.

Q - Quote from a movie: "Stop looking at me, swan"

R - Right or left handed: righty

S - Siblings: Brother- Brent aka Buddy and two brother in laws Stephen and CJ and a sister in law Krystal who is married to David, so that makes him my brother in law too, I guess :o)

T - Time you wake up: between 7-730

U - Underwear: Didn't your mother tell you to never leave home without a clean pair on????

V - Vegetable you dislike: ONIONS (AHHHHHHH!!! GROSSSSSSSSS)

W - Ways/Reasons you run late: I don't, honestly.

X - X-rays you've had: teeth, ankle, ribs, and an ultrasound.

Y - Yummy food you make: My husband will tell you I make some delicious Chicken Parm.

Z - Zoo animals you like: Okapi! And the Giraffes

Wordless Wednesday

Mason yelling "THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER" @a parade during Mardi Gras 2009

Now, I know the whole point of this is WORDLESS Wednesday's, but a little caption was necessary.

Totally Random Tuesday's!

This fun new thing on Tuesday's was started by my (REAL LIFE!!)friend/blogging buddy, Alyson.. She says it best.. so I'm gonna copy and paste from her blog what its ALL about!
"Stolen" from www.wellensfamily.blogspot.com (make sure you head over there and check out her blog and her amazingly adorable boys!

POST A BLOG about ANY RaNdOm FACT about you, your family, your "crazy neighbor" (and I know we ALL have at least one of those) a joke, a video, a picture,............... ANYTHING RaNdOm!!!!

So here it goes!!!...

Today began with reading some blogs about a supposed hoax on another blog, where basically its being said this family who has had people praying for their little girl who was suppose to be born with some severe issues has actually made it all up. Now I don't know if this is true, but from the things Ive read and seen with my own eyes, it seems pretty fake. It would take me ALLLLL day to try and type what people are speculating and such.. so instead I will post a link to the website Ive read and give you my condensed version if you don't feel like reading other blogs.

April Rose was the daughter of "B" and "D" that's all the name we ever knew of them. Basically their little girl was suppose to be born with Trisomy 13 and Holoprosencephaly. According to her parents blog she was born AT HOME , with no doctors present ( a day or two ago...). She was supposedly about 4lbs and already "breastfeeding like a champ" They even posted pictures of their little girl.. which was when the "other shoe dropped." Thousands of people read this blog.. and some of the readers started to realize that the picture of April Rose looks IDENTICAL to these dolls www.bountifulbaby.com .. I think supposedly April is suppose to look just like a doll name "Avery"

I could go on with all the skepticism I have right now.. but this blogger laid it out the best for me... She has photos and everything... it opened my eyes.
http://www.mistyrice.me/

and this morning the blog that was being written by B&D has vanished. SO have the blogs of their supposed friends who were also posting on their blogs about April Rose. So was it all a scam? Were they in this for the money? Are people really that cruel and dishonest in this world to make up something like that and take away possible donations and prayers from the people out their who really do need them?!?!?!??!

So while my out look on humans right now is kinda shitty, I had wanted to post a funny first Totally Random Tuesday's blog.. I just don't have it in me today. So it will be mostly about animals, because animals don't lie. They aren't deceitful. They love you, regardless.

So I will leave you with my most favoritest (yes, i said most favoritest) youtube video.. It makes me cry every time I watch it!!! (yes,I cried when I watched it before I posted it here...)





And one final note. Say a prayer for this family.. If it is a hoax/scam, well these people need prayers cause they are CRAZy, and if not, well there is a baby girl out there who needs those prayers.