7 Days and Counting

As my birthday moves closer and closer, I can't help but think more and more about the new year and what I want to accomplish. Here's a brief list of what I've been thinking about: Feel free to comment and leave some of your 2o10 goals. Maybe we can help e/o out and be held accountable..that always helps!

1. Pray and read my Bible everyday and write down what I'm thankful for
2. Keep a dream/idea journal
3. Be more graceful
4. Practice patience
5. Have more one on one mommy/JoJo time
6. Cook 3-4 days a week
7. Get 30 minutes of some kind of exercise every week (Ya'll knew it was coming)
8. Write or blog everyday


I have more of course, but I'm stuck right now.... I have a list somewhere...

9. Be (even) more organized! HAHA

12 Days of My Birthday

Okay, so I'll be 25 in 12 days and I realized last night that I'm kinda scared to turn 25. Up until now, I've been playing it cool and acting like I have it all together, but **This Just In..." I DON'T! I'm actually rather unprepared. As a 25 year old, what will some of my new expectations and responsibilities be? Should I know what I want to do with my life? I don't. Should I have a certain amount of money in the bank? I definitely have a certain amount and that's it....lol...

I asked my self a question, "WHAT DO I WANT" and it's funny (not really) because I don't have a clue...but then again who does....maybe 26 year olds do....I know a lot of people are going to tell me that it's okay to not have a clue what you want to do, but then what do you do...(I'm a lil frustrated if you can't tell).

In that same journal, I wrote...."WHO AM I" I have a lot more answers to that question than the first and maybe seeing who I really think I am, will help me figure out what I want and who I want to be...

I'm thinking of a REINVENTION OF SHAREE. There are so many things I want to change, but I'm not sure how.......I've been taking small steps and that's a good place to start I guess.....

Can't wait until Christmas and then my bday and then it's 2010, just like that....oh my.....

12 DAYS LEFT!

25 DAYS TIL 25

Well, there are 25 days until my 25th birthday and I figured out what I want to share from my Road to 25. This year, was especially hard for me for so many reasons. One being that I broke up with my boyfriend of 6 years (only to get back with him) but I broke up with him so that I could be happy. I thought I was out of love with him, and for a while, I think I was, but then something happened.... don't ask what, because I honestly don't know, but something did. I started learning about love, for real.

Love is not always pretty, on-time, convenient or expecting. Actually, it's rather annoying, obnoxious and tiring. Even though we weren't together, Julio never hesitated to tell me he loved me and was even more willing to show me. Of course, the whole "It's not you, it's me......really" conversation didn't go over too well, but hey, it was the truth.

I had been going through so much in the months leading up to our split......so naturally my mind was everywhere, no place in particular, just everywhere on everything. When we got back together a couple months later, we had a loooooooong talk about what we wanted for and from eachother and ourselves.....a looooooooooooooong talk. Over the past couple of months, we have been working to make ourselves better and happier so that we could make e/o better and happy.

Love revealed itself just in time and showed me that God actually does know what he's doing when he puts (or takes) people in/out of your life. For me, loving Julio didn't come easy, I had to work at it (it's getting easier though) and I really see that Love will reveal itself when it wants. Learning the hard way may not be so bad in the end.

25 DAYS LEFT

Birthday Countdown ( 26 Days Left)

So every year, I do a countdown to my birthday (December 28) starting on the 1st. I've been doing countdowns since I turned 16. In high school, I would write the countdown on the board of every class I went to. Even though my birthday fell during our Christmas break, I made sure it was top of mind. Anyway, now all of my readers have the pleasure of counting down the days until my 25th Birthday. I can't believe it! I'll be a quarter of a century old! So for the rest of the countdown, I'll be doing a road to 25 list and each day, I'll write about something new or different that I learned on the way to 25.

Wow, where to begin, I guess I'll start with one of the most important, yet harder things I learned this year:

True friends are true in every sense of the word: I broke up with my best friend of nine years and it happened to be one of the best decisions I had made in long line of bad decisions

26 DAYS LEFT

Farewell Oprah

This Just In! Oprah will announce today that her last episode will air on September 9, 2011. This will be a monumental point in history people! Oprah has been around my whole life...literally (I'll be 25 next month) and it's going to be so hard to find someone who can match her wisdom, credibility and amazing ability to touch and reach millions everyday.

I've grown up watching Oprah and have loved her ever since, "You told Harpo to hit me?! All my life I had to fight.....now I loves Harpo, Lord knows I do, but I kill 'em dead before I let him hit me!" -The Color Purple

I've performed this monologue many a times! Now, let's take a look at Oprah's impact over the years.

-Oprah's Book Club: Guarantees #1 on any book list if you're on her list

-HARPO productions: Be a contributor to Oprah's show and get your own (Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz)

• It has been the highest-rated talk show for 23 consecutive seasons, her Web site says

• An estimated 42 million U.S. viewers watch it weekly; show had its origins in 1984 in Chicago
• Winfrey's wealth was estimated at around $1 billion by Forbes in 2004

For me the impending end of the show means 3 things:

1) I need to get my butt out to a live recording of her show
2)Send in my compelling life story for a future episode
3)Write my book about my compelling life story to get on Oprah's Book List (Thereby killing two birds with one stone!)

Gotta go, I've got work to do!

Vote for JoJo!

Vote for Josiah in the Parenting.com Baby and Child Model Search!

Vote for me in this contest!

Contest details

Purple Tail Giveaway

This give-a-way comes from my girl over at Simplified Saving.

Purple Trail {A Review and Giveaway}

I love hosting parties and helping to coordinate events, but I have to be honest about my hostessing abilities. I'm not very organized and I usually end up having a nervous breakdown the day of the party...especially when it's at my home. I've even been known to stuff everything sitting out around the house (mail, shoes, etc) in my dryer to make my house look neater. I have a hard time remembering who is coming, how many friends they're bringing, if they offered to bring a food or drink (and half the time, I'm not sure what kind of food to provide as a main dish). Party planning can be overwhelming, but I have found a great tool...Purple Trail. Purple Trail is like having your own event planner!




Click here to find out how you can enter!

Thankgiving Traditions in the Shell Family!

TwitterMoms asked: "What three favorite family Thanksgiving traditions have you passed or will pass on to your children?"

Well, it used to be tradition that our whole family would get together, cook, watch movies, sing and have all the little kids put on a show for all the older cousins, aunts and uncles. Many of the kids (18 and under) in our family have no idea how strong these traditions used to be as we have all moved, began our own families and stopped really getting together.

It makes me really sad that we don't get together as often, especially during the holiday when we can express gratefulness for the values, stability and dedication to family that my great-grandparents instilled in us.

The most important (favorite to me) Shell Family Thanksgiving Traditions I want to pass onto my children are:

Getting together every Thanksgiving and playing Monopoly (my family members will appreciate this the most! lol)

Thankgiving night talent shows (much to the horror of the participants who get little advance notice) We have a family of performers (singers, dancers, musicians and actors!)

Going around and having each person say what they are thankful for.

Also to remind whoever's doing the cooking to get Nana's (Aunt Pat) and Grandmom's recipe for Banana pudding and Ouma's (Stephanie's) recipe for the Baked Macaroni and Cheese.

And don't forget "One More Time" either. We have to sing this and pray before the first person leaves, to thank God for allowing our family to be able to come together one more time (feel the tears swelling up...).

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am especially going to miss my great-grandmother, who passed away just after Thanksgiving last year: R.I.P Willie Mae Shell

(This post began as an entry to get aTarget gift card, but as I began to write it, it became much more.)

30 Day Giving Challenge

I'm sharing the wealth and happy to do so! Visit Restaurant.com and enter promo code ENTREE to get 80% off! That means you get $25 gift cards for only $2! Get $100 in gift cards for only $10...I'll say yes to that! Thanks to Frugal Girls for the heads up!

Also, starting November 1st, Target gives you .05 cents off your purchase for every no-plastic reusable bag you bring in! I was so excited to hear this. Thanks Target for encouraging your shoppers to use less plastic bags..

CVS will also be giving incentives to their Extra Care Card holders who purchase their reusable bag and use it for each purchase....

Also through the Gap Give and Get program, I have a soupon (yes, that's a coupon I'm sharing!) for 30% off your purchase, PLUS help a charity get 5% of your purchase! ...doesn't get any better (unless it was 50% off and 10%! lol) Good at Old Navy, Banana Republic too! Send me your email and I will forward the coupon email to you!

AND.....check out Kingdom First Mom for more great deals from Toys R US! SHe's the best!!!!

The giving keeps on coming! How are you doing with your giving challenge?

Today's Three

I've began the 30 day giving challenge sponsored by Kingdom First Mom and will be most likely commenting on other bloggies participating in the challenge during the month.

Mom 101 (not participating, but visited today, see my first post for today)

Coupon Teacher (scroll down to Nov. 1st post to view challenge post)

Living as Mom (I want to encourage her, while I encourage myself!)

Okay, so I will probably only posting about my visits to 2-3 blogs for this month due to the giving challenge. Since I will be thanking my followers and lending/getting encouragement from others participating, I want to make sure I focus more on that.

Love and Blessings

Ree

Give and it shall be given unto You: 30 Day Giving Challenge

Okay, so I'm a few days late, but I've realized that I have been giving, and it's actually been rather thoughtless.

Here are a few ways I plan on giving these next 30 days.

• If something is asked of me, I will do it, no matter how inconvenient (if I can, I will)
• When someone asks for advice, I will offer it, honestly and personally (no generic advice)
• I will compliment at least two people a day on something they've done (not wore)
• I will call and thank my family for their love (throughout the month)
• Tell someone thank you everyday for something they've done for me
• Thank my followers throughout the month ( I hit the over 40 mark, so I'll have to do about 2 per day)

As I think of other ways to show my thanks and as things come back to me, I will be sure to update. Love and Blessings!

Visit Kingdom First Mom for full details and link to others in the challenge.

R.I.P. Poop?

First, check out Mom 101 post, then come back and comment on my response. Heck, comment on her's too! ..............................................................................................................................................................................................
Okay, welcome back! Well, first of all, I get so tired of pre school teachers, okay, teachers period telling our kids what they think is socially acceptable. Don't get me wrong, I support teachers 150% and think that they are HIGHLY unappreciated and under paid, but they are not the parents of our children...even though some of them do spend more time with our children than some of us do (not me of course!). Now, I do think that it's okay for them to tell them what they should and shouldn't say in school, however I do believe that it should be discussed with parents also, so that it can be reinforced at home.

I love the way Liz over at Mom 101 handled it. It was hilarious! "Poop" had a service and even a burial plot!

Now, why can't my son's teacher tell him that the word "crack head" isn't acceptable, (believe me, we DO NOT use that word AT ALL in my house) but apparently some of his friends do in school. What the deuce! He's four! His teacher did however, send him home for threatening to hit his friends, although he never actually hit any of them! What about the kid who said "Crack Head?"

Such injustice, Such a shame! But hey, what do I know, I'm just a parent.

Today's Fab Five

Today I stopped by:

A Nut in a Nutshell to talk death (interesting)

Twinspirational Runner

Jumpin Beans (didn't comment, but decided to follow, I liked her page)

Hello, my name is Susan ( I liked her just bc she said, "Can I get a woot, woot!" lol)

Whimsical Creations (Her not me monday, was funny)

Well these are the ladies who made the cut today! Leave a comment or become a follower and I'll be more than happy to visit your page and return the favor. Although, I probably will visit in passing anyway!

Today's Fab Five

I'm making my rounds today! Probably going to visit wayyyy more thanks to Aloha Friday!

But here's my list:

Green Bag Lady (really cool concept, visit to see)

But Mommy

An Island Life

MommaBlogsAlot (She's funny ya'll)

The Executive Mom

Lady Bug Soup

Aloha Friday!

Time for Aloha Friday it's really easy to participate all you have to do is... just post your own question on your blog and head over to An Island Life and sign up on the Linky provided. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends



My Question is.................. "How do you (fill in the blank) in peace?" (read, sleep, eat, get dressed, go to the bathroom, whatever)

My blank? Poop... I know, I know, it may seem a lil intrusive, but...... i have a four year old who just HAS to have my attention whenever I'm in the bathroom and I did my first open mic on this topic and it was hilarious actually.....

Today's Fab Five

Here are the fabulous ladies I visited today. I'm liking this whole 5 blogs a day thing....side bar... Josiah just tried to bribe me into giving him more cookies by telling me he would buy more some new shoes...he got a cookie for effort! LOL

When you get a chance, stop by and visit tses ladies too..... you won't be dissappointed...

The Girl Next Door Grows Up

Eight Helping Hands

One Cluttered Brain

Following Him (You should def. be following her! She is truly amazing and I love her posts!)

My Charming Kids a.k.a. MckMama (Her strength and love is inspiring and tremendously moving)

Today's Fab Five

Okay, so yesterday for my To-Say I'll-Do List, I said that I would visit and comment on at least 5 blogs a day... so here are the ones for today

A Simple Kinda Life

Crazy Adventures in Parenting (yes, I visited Lisa yesterday, but this is my girl and she puts it down! so I keep going back...lol)

All That is Good: Lessons from a Giraffe (you have to check out this post. Kasey is amazing! See below for a preview )

"I mean how much better would we be as a society if we all worked together, not worrying about sex and age, looked out for one another, and all got along spending our time concerning over the greater good and not ourselves?"

Guessing All the Way

Spending Less and Living More - I have to visit her site more often, I feel like I'm saving money just reading it!

WORDless Wednesday: In Essence, this is my JoJo

JoJo Swinger

My little sister is a photographer and took this picture on Sunday. I love how she edits pix..She really captured him in this one! That's my JoJo

To (say I'm gon) Do Tuesday

Okay, so my to-say I'm gon-do list is more about things I want to keep doing on a regular basis as opposed to just this week: I need you all to hold me accountable because otherwise, this will just be a lost post in a sea of archives! Ne way, here goes:

-Finish laundry for the week (spent an hour doing laundry last nite, but felt accomplished!)

-Figure what I have in the house that could double as a costume for Saturday's party (either use Jo's painting smock, paint brushes and an empty plate and be a starving artist, with a will paint for food sign, or use his cape and be bat girl and try to convice the Man to dress up as the joker!)

-Vacuum twice this week

√ Comment on at least 5 blogs a day or week (starting tonight) Crazy Adventures in Parenting, Kingdom First Mom, Flying Giggles and Lollipops, All because I fell in love, Eight Helping Hands

-Grandparent card with JoJo

-Go to the gym at least one day this week......and actually work out!

√ Not feel like a bad parent for letting JoJo watch movies while I'm on the computer

- Post give-a-way (hopefully it's not too late) from guy who emailed me a long time ago (that has to be bad blogger etiquette!)

-Finalize Thanksgiving day plans

-Review Christmas Journal (double check card lists and addresses)

√ Take 2 items off of my personal gift list

Okay, so that's it for this week.... I'll probably do more than just this list, but it'll be a good start..and I have to admit, I usually cheat and have Julio do some of the stuff...Vacuuming will be his task most likely

And now a word from our "To Do Tuesday" sponsor, Lisa over at Crazy Adventures in Parenting"

"Today's motivation - take care of yourself. Ensure you're drinking enough water. Eat well, and often (6 small meals instead of 3 big ones helps bolster your metabolism). Get moving every day, whether it's a walk, dancing, working out, be sure to have some activity in there. But take vitamins, and pump in some Vitamin C, Zinc, and echinacea to try to keep yourself well. I'm fighting with the sniffles right now (although I haven't completely ruled out allergies, with all the cleaning out I've done), but I shall prevail because of my arsenal. (Positive thinking helps, too). How about you? What do you use?"


Okay, so get to it...unless you want to come over and help me with my list! Toodles

Ree Ree

Give and it shall be given unto You: 30 Day Giving Challenge

This is coming straight from Keeping the Kingdom First. I love her site. It's inspirational and is a real reminder on why we should, and ways we can, Keep God's Kingdom first...]

She got this idea from her pastor who has just finished preaching on Matthew 16. He said:

Spend 30 days with a journal in your hand. Try it for the next 30 days and see if I’m not lying. Take a journal and just jot down everything you give. Every time you find yourself being generous, write it down. Every time you feel prompted by God to give something you never would, or why would I buy THAT many cookies… from the Girl Scouts. I don’t know why, God just gave you the prompting to do something special for somebody! Write it down.

And then write down on the other side every time something comes back to you. Every time the cycle gets completed. Do it for 30 days, and you’ll never be the same again. You’ll never look at giving the same way again.

Jesus invites you in on the “Kingdom Dynamic”. You don’t have to be afraid to give in the Kingdom! I would imagine the anxiety about money- trying to keep it- is a real anxiety. You’ll start to be just utterly amazed at the freedom that comes to you from money… when you start being generous.

Next month is November, which just so happens to have 30 days and also includes Thanksgiving. A light bulb went off in my mind. The 30-Day Giving Challenge was born, right there in church.

She has challenged herself, and whoever wants to jump on board, to grab a journal next month and GIVE in some fashion every day in November. This could be large or small, simple or extravagant.

If you have a blog, she welcomes you to accept the challenge or simply help spread the word!

Here is how it will work:

• On Sunday, November 1st, she will post a Mr. Linky and invite all participants to RSVP.
• Post about the challenge on your blog, with a few ideas about how you plan to give each day.
• Update weekly with your results, as little or as much as you feel led to share.
• On November 30th, she will post a final update with a linky so we can all see the impact of one month of giving.

Are there prizes?

Nope. If her pastor is correct, the blessings that come back to you each day during this challenge will be better than any bloggy swag.

So, whaddya say? Do you accept the challenge? I can’t wait to see what God has in store!

Share and Enjoy:

Two Cents Tuesday

I'm stealing this from my girl Melysa over at Mely Speaks. She posted her Two Cents Tuesday and posed the question: At what age does nudity become an issue?

This has been a pretty hot topic among mom bloggers and was recent a topic of "controversy" for Hilary Swank when her boyfriend's son saw her naked after waking up (she sleeps in the nude). Moms are buzzing! Me, I don't see what the big deal is.

My son has been seeing me naked since birth, in fact, he used to suck on my nipples as his sole source of nourishment. Inappropriate? Not to me (and apparently not to the millions of other moms who also breastfeed).

My son, now 4, and I frequently take showers together (we save water and time) and I don't see what the problem is. Now, I'm not speaking for all moms, but I really feel that it's a parents business if their child sees them naked. My son is very mature for his age and understands that we ("grils") have different parts than boys and that's okay. Some children make inappropriate comments when seeing body parts or may (believe it or not) make their parents feel uncomfortable.

The only time we had an issue was when I first caught him staring at my boobies while I was applying lotion. I told him not to stare at my boobies because that's rude and they are mine. the next time I caught him, here's how the conversation went:

JoJo: Mom, I like your.....(long pause, looking around)......legs (turns and walks away giggling)

Now should I stopped letting him see me naked after that? IDK, he was two, so again, I didn't see what the big deal was.

I think children figure since we see them naked and don't make a big deal, why should they make a big deal when we walk around full frontal. Now, I'm not going to front, when he sees me naked he does say "ewwww" but when/if I see my mom naked (and I'm 24) I still say "ewwwww" so it's understandable.

Thoughts?

Get'er Done

Joining Crazy Adventures in Parenting, and I love this thing she does called To-Do Tuesday, where you post your to-do list for the week and blog about it...she must be in my mind..hence my mom agenda! I LOVE IT...you can post any time of the week but link to on Tuesdays. emember, with "To-Do Tuesday", we're attacking our to-do lists each week, blogging about our lists and what we've got going on, and sharing it with each other to help keep each other accountable. Everyone should come back here to link up in the MckLinky as the central "To-Do Tuesday Hub" so we can visit who's participating and offer encouragement to each other throughout the week. Don't forget to add the "To-Do Tuesday" button to your post, linking back to your to do post!

Here's my to do list for this week:

Completely clear dining room table (DONE)

finalize October/November plans

Vacuum (DONE, plus carpets cleaned thanks to the Man!)

Make invite list for Candle Lite party(DONE)

Go to the gym(DONE)

Spend time with my sister and niece (Taco Friday!) (Spent whole wknd w/ lil sis!)

Wish me luck...lots on my plate, need Motivation!

Tell ALL Thursday

Okay, so I'm trying something new. I want to encourage my followers to post this on their blogs and read the comments....just for the amusement!

So, I've decided that from now on, Thursday will be my "tell all" day, thoughts I've had this week that I've been ashamed to say out loud, things I've done, that aren't necessarily socially appropriate, etc. I'd love to hear what everyone else wants to TELL!

1. Noticed my underwear were on inside out this morning....didn't fix em
2. Made an ugly face at a kid riding the bus to school, while I was riding the bus to work...what? Staring is rude..
3. Mixed 2 week old Taco meat into my Spaghetti on Monday, it was good tho
4. Didn't feel bad for giving JoJo a spanking before bed bc I actually didn't feel like reading him a book anyway, did feel bad afterwards tho,

So, that's my list for today, obviously I didn't tell EVERYTHING or I might be a lil bit of trouble, but those were the "acceptable" things I could post. How bout you?

WORDless Wednesday

My baby big boy! Looking like a Gap Ad.

To Do Tuesday

Okay, so I didn't wash my hair last week, but I'll get to it by the weekend...I need it desperately and since $ is tight, it probably will be a Sharee the Stylist week (that's me, for those that don't know).

Anyway, I kinda have a lot to do, but it takes me a while before I actually start to do things and even longer before I get them done, so this is my to do list that I write on Tuesday and get done by the end of the week. I think that's realistic!

Here goes:

DO hair (yes, I have to remind and often Force myself)
Completely clear off dining room table and put red "fall" bowl out
Clean out red "fall" bowl before putting it on the table
Rearrange dining room mind you, this only consisted of chaning the position of the table
go to the gym by Friday
Make invites for HallowRead Party
VACUUM!!!!

Clean out Fridge Thanks to the guy...love him!
Email Akai (best friend in Germany)
Follow-up with jobs apps from last week Got an interview for 10/8!
Go to the gym AT LEAST once by Friday(just got a membership for $1 to join, $10/month and @29/year at Planet Fitness)
Set date for Hallow-Read party
Make invites for Hallow-Read Party
Send e-vites for Hallow-Read Party
Set up FB event page
Make and handout printed invites
Begin Christmas list and look up hand-made gifts at Tip Junkie

I'm on a roll!

Okay, so this list is very ambitious, but I think I may be able to do it........

For more info on To Do List Tuesday, head over to Crazy Adventures in Parenting

My Favorite Give-a-way YET!!!

I'm so excited for this. I absolutely love pearls...and everyone of my friends calls me an old woman, but there's something about pearls that makes me feel so classy and feminine. Which is why I just have to tell you guys about this great give-a-way over at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House. Dee is giving away a strand of Akoya Pearls valued at $2400from Pearl Paradise!!! If I win these, I'll be the fanciest mom on the block..not that hard considering where I live, but still. I would be sooo hype if I won these....aren't they just b-e-a-utiful? If you want to enter, just head over to Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House and follow her directions (actually scratch that, don't you'll hurt my odds of winning!!!) Good Luck!

Publish Post

Posting Again....But this time from Crazy Adventures in Parenting

Okay,

So I've come across this blog, Crazy Adventures in Parenting, and I love this thing she does called To-Do Tuesday, where you post your to-do list for the week and blog about it...she must be in my mind..hence my mom agenda! I LOVE IT...you can post any time of the week but link to on Tuesdays.

emember, with "To-Do Tuesday", we're attacking our to-do lists each week, blogging about our lists and what we've got going on, and sharing it with each other to help keep each other accountable. Everyone should come back here to link up in the MckLinky as the central "To-Do Tuesday Hub" so we can visit who's participating and offer encouragement to each other throughout the week. Don't forget to add the "To-Do Tuesday" button to your post, linking back to this post!

Here's my to do list for this week:

Organize the junk on my dining room table (in progress)

Do my budget
Clean my diploma frame (but..aparently ShamWow's aren't that "Wow" on glass...gotta start saving my newspapers again)

New Name. New Face!

I have decided to rename my blog and Twitter account. After months of blogging and tweeting aimlessly with no specific focus, just my thoughts, I've decided to change the names and let you see me and my life experiences as a young mom through a little bit of a smaller funnel.

I'm really excited, but I need your help. Here's what I need you to do:

Reccommend some cool blog page designers...FREE of course... I need something really cute, maybe polka dots, stripes, who knows!

Also, this is most important! help me pick out my new blog and Twitter name... If I don't follow you on either, please leave your info for each (after following me of course) and I'll be sure to return the favor!

1) MoxieMomma

2)MoxieMom

3)This Young Mom

Just leave a reply with the name you like.

Hallow-Read Party

Yes, I know it's been a while, but I plan on getting back on my grind so just hold tight..... I've been rethinking a lot of things and since my head is always all over the place, I have to figure out some stuff before I can bring you the best of me and my thoughts.

Anyway, I'm thinking about hosting a "Hallow-Read" Party for the kids and having them each bring their favorite scary book and then setting up different stations and giving out candy once the book is over and topping the evening off with a Scooby Doo Halloween episode.

Thoughts?

Also, thought this was a cool alternative to sugary sweets for treats from iVillage.com Healthy Halloween Treats Kids will Love

Update

Okay....so,.... yet again, it's been a while for me. I've had lots going on. So I'll share the Highs, Mids, and Lows to get everyone up to speed.

Highs:

• Josiah starts school tomorrow...YAY!!! Last year as a preschooler, bittersweet
• I've been adamantly keeping up with my budget and sticking to it (best I can)
• I opened a savings account with an automatic withdrawl from my check!
• I got a raise at work and my position has been extended until December 31, 2009
• Hopefully I'll be making some extra money at this Saturday's Yardsale for my church...lots to give a way...excited for all my impending free space!
• Got a BJ's membership!

Mids: So even tho things have been well, I've still been struggling with a few things that I can't seem to work out

I've gained weight and don't have time to (nor do I feel like) working out (I hate working out at home... I think it's dreadful)

I've started trying to figure out what exactly I find difficult about finishing things I start, staying on task, setting goals and working towards them, not just saying I will (for instance, I was so excited about blogging and slowly....trailed off....)

My relationship is in a hot and cold phase

I would like to start taking good care of my mind, body, skin, hair and nails but I don't know where to begin

Lows:

Wondering if things happen to me bc I say they will and vice versa (I hate thinking)

Thinking about seeing a therapist twice a month

I'm lazy. Yes, I said it. LAZY. Well, that's I'm pretty much in a hot and cold phase right now.... Why doesn't 30 just come already and I know what I'm doing what myself and my life!!!!

Caught between being a young woman and finding myself, being a mom and doing all the things that come a long with that, and finding out where God wants me.. Do I have to choose what to focus on because I feel (a lot of times) like I do!!!!

BIG summer CLEAN!

Okay...it's been a WHILE since my last post, but I've been busy "shedding weight," unfortunately between cleaning my house and a trip to the beach, my digi cam has gone missing in action! So I can't share all my wonderful progress with you...visually, but you can take my word for it. While I've been gone, I've managed to:

Clean my son's room from top to bottom...literally which yeilded three 15 gallon bags of toys and one 15 gallon bag of clothes

Clean the bathroom closet and under the sink filling half of a 15 gallon bag with trash and a walmart bag with items for my church yardsale

The downstairs closet which included finally putting all my holiday decorations in the shed and going through ALL four boxes of sorority crafts I have from Phi Sigma Sigma (somebody better buy this stuff, too!)

And finally..........my shed, where I went through the other two bags of crafts, and stored the other half of yard sale donations...(the remaining half are piled...NEATLY in my dining room)

I also went through all 500 pictures I had boxes and threw away...(tear) doubles....messed up prints and old pictures of people I barely knew in the first place (the really nice girl I meant at Panera once)....

All together from the kitchen, pictures, living room dining room, 4 closets, the shed and the bathroom I've shed.............da da da da.........................

about 120 gallons of trash

45 gallons of clothing

30 gallons of crafts

45 gallons of clothing

and a couple misc. bags and boxes of stuff......

FEELS GOOD!!!!!!

New Additions

In my quest to spend less, I just got CVS and Rite Aid reward cards. I didn't know all that they had to offer or save until I visited Frugal and Fabulous and saw all the great deals she gets with them! Hope they come in use.

Publish Post

JoJo's Mom. My Agenda.: AWESOME GIVE A WAY

JoJo's Mom. My Agenda.: AWESOME GIVE A WAY

AWESOME GIVE A WAY

You know how you enter give a ways just for fun, but you don't really need the product being given a way? Well, no, I'm not one of those people, especially with my recent "weight loss" program I just started (post coming after the holidays). But anyway, over at Guessing All the Way, my girl Laurie is giving away an amazingly relevant prize: Fandago Movie Bucks ($40).

This give a way comes just in time for all the summer hits coming out (Ice Age 3, Halloween 2, G.I. Joe). So head over to Guessing All the Way and enter for lots of chances to win. You can follow her on twitter, subscribe to her blog or simply share fun stuff you do on the fourth of july. Good Luck!

JoJo's Mom. My Agenda.: Just 27 Words

JoJo's Mom. My Agenda.: Just 27 Words

Just 27 Words

JUST 27 WORDS

GOD OUR FATHER, WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND ILLNESSES; AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY

IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN

TODAY'S AGENDA

Today started off kinda blah...but has since began looking up, even though my budget still awaits me........arrrrgggghhhh So, today, hopefully, this is what I get done (and I'm feeling ambitious so remember, I've got high hopes)
Laundry (has to get done, going out of town on Thursday!)

Post pics to facebook and blog for my weight loss update (posting later)

Pick my next weight loss area ( notice "pick" not "begin")

oh yea, Budget summary for June and budget for July (weep weep)

Pray for me. Over and out.

Weight Loss!

Okay, so I'll admit that I am a self-proclaimed half-hoarder, packrat, stuff lover. I've loved stuff since I was little. I just to walk around with a brown paper bag and collect everyone's stuff. And while I like to say that I live in a state of organized chaos, I think the chaos finally got to me. I was walking around my house, trying to figure out where something was and I realized that I have something in every corner of my two-bedroom, two-story house. EVERY CORNER! So, in an effort to begin clearing my head, I've begun clearing my space. So far I've only done the kitchen, my supplies cart and my computer desk, but already I feel a little lighter. So I'm shedding weight. I'll record my progress here, from room to room. I'm discovering my own little organizing tips and learning how to let go of things. It's kinda liberating!!!! (I should be extremely embarrassed, but I'm not, bc I know some of ya'll houses look like this too!)

I'll start with the kitchen and try to add a new area everyday

(knowing me, couple of days)

Kitchen Cabinet Before

After

I just joined in today, but I think this going to be really fun: I think my makeover will be my house. I feel like when I have control over what's in my home, I have more control over what's in my life. I've been on an extreme makeover me for a while, so this will really help!

This week's question was "What's in your fridge" Well my cubbards are looking pretty bare. We have to go grocery shopping on a $70 budget, so pickings will be slim. I'll try to take some pics and upload them, even though I'll be late.

From Amber over at aefilkins,

"I know that as women and especially moms, all too often in the scheme of life & routine, we put ourselves on the back burner. I imagine a lot of nods & "amen sista" to that one. We make sure that everyone else is taken care of, and at the end of the day, we don't have enough time or energy to give ourselves the proper care that we need & deserve.

I hope and pray that you find some sort of encouragement to say,

"You know what? I AM worth it. It's time to take care of ME."


And you know what? God thinks you are worth it. Your family thinks you are worth it. Look in to the eyes of your husband, child, or someone very special to you--and you will see that you.are.worth.it.

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Welcome everyone! For you newbies, here's the skinny {ha!} This is a group of mostly women, {but everyone is welcome} who are on a mission to get healthy. To make themselves a priority. To take care of themselves, as well as taking care of everyone else. Are you ready to join in? Well, let's go!

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Directions: Every week, you'll do a specific post on your blog in regards to Extreme Makeover--Me Edition.

----Pretty much, just update us on your progress. How did your week go? Did you struggle? How were you successful? Do you have any great tips? {I think it's also important to celebrate even little successes}

----Answer the specific question or topic that I pose each week.

After you've finished your post, view that specific post {either view your blog & click on the title of that post, or go 'edit posts' and 'view'}. Grab the url and post it into Mr. Linky. Simple as that!!"

THANKFUL THURSDAY

As always, I'm thankful to God for waking me up in my right mind, with all limbs and senses working properly.

I'm thankful for prayer.
I'm thankful for disagreements (an argument with the guy last night, led me to some insight)

I'm thankful for digital camera's (I took pictures of all the most cluttered places in my house, thinking of two forgotten areas as I type, and realized just how much stuff I actually have cluttered around) I might actually start another blog just for my junk!

I'm thankful for animals (I can never get enough of dogs and cats chasing e/o around trying to get familiar with one another)

I'm thankful for hair pieces (I didn't have to do my hair this morning, I just threw on a ponytail!)

What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday

Our baby (as we still call him, he's actually a 4yo toddler) took this picture of us. He has it in his room. He was so proud of this picture. It was a lazy Saturday morning. He's really good at taking pictures so we got him a Fisher Price Kids digital camera.

My first bike

Okay so since I was a wee little child, I could ride my tricycle, which was Christmas gift, until I was about 6. Then I moved on to training wheels and eventually a two wheeler. All the little kids on the block loved my tricycle (which actually looked exactly like this one). I rode this thing all around the house, over toes and down the steps (not so successful!). What can I say...I lived on the edge....of my trike. Any way, kids today have a lot more choices than I had when it comes to recreational travel toys...take the Strider Running Bikes for example.

Five Minutes for Mom is giving away two Strider Running Bikes to two lucky winners. To win yours, visit Five Minutes for Mom and stop by their store page for Balance Bikes. Don't want to enter? You can buy one for $94.99.

I'm definitely entering, because we are having a heck of a time trying to teach JoJo to ride w/o his training wheels, and he insists on "just learning when he's older, like mommy."

The Diva In Me....Not Quite yet...

Now I'll admit I still have a long way to go before I am a full-fledged Green Gal, but I'm working on it. One change I'm not sure I'm ready for is THIS: The Diva Cup: Not a pad, Not a tampon.

See it here at DivaCup.com

It does make a lot of sense economically and ecologically because it's cost effective and causes a lot less waste, but once you really start thinking about it, there's a lot of other "factors" to consider.

I think I'm sticking with my Pon Pons for now.

TODAY'S AGENDA

Okay....I really have to get this stuff done today because I get off work early tomorrow and that's the only day I have to run errands that my personal assistant (boyfriend) can't do!

1. Go through and swap out winter wardrobe for summer (Mine and Jojo's)

2. Fold Laundry and put it away (AHHHHHH!)

3. Thaw out meat for some kind of meal for the rest of the week!

4. Vaccumm downstairs (steps too, if I feel ambitious)

5. Put together family reunion plans for July (last minute??)

6. Get to bed by 11 p.m. (Please! Right after Real Housewives of New Jersey comes on.)

CONFESSIONS

1. I hate taking showers before bed. It's a lazy thing
2. Dishes stay in my sink a minimum of 2-3 days, unless the guy puts them in the dishwasher, I hate the kitchen
3. Josiah peed in my bed one night and instead of changing the sheets right away, I moved to the bottom of the bed. what? it was like 4a.m
4. I still do prank calls
5. I don't usually brush my teeth for two minutes
6. I blog at work. Only during lunch of course
7. I make crazy faces at myself to make me smile
8. Since guys are clueless, I sometimes use my period as an excuse when I'm not in the mood. I think he's starting to catch on.
9. I ate someone's cheese out of the fridge at work
10. I sometimes pretend I am in my own movie and act out scenes..talking to myself....alone....as more than one character......don't act like you've never done it.

These are my confessions. Tell me yours. And don't forget to visit Kasey at All That Is Good and thank her for hosting this Friend Makin' Monday.

"No KIDS Weekend!!!"

Me and my good friend Michaela, a mom of a one and two yo, are going to Virginia for the weekend. Sans the kids!!!! Thank goodness. We're so excited because we've both had a rough last couple of weeks and can't wait to get some time off. See (read) ya'll next week!!!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

Ten Things I'm thankful for right now.

1. God loving my family enough to wake us up this morning with all 5 senses and limbs working properly

2. My son's smile

3. Pennsylvania's Promise for Children for trying to keep a promise to our children to keep early childhood education programs running. To help, please visit http://paprom.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=index

4. Love

5. My job

6. A home

7. Health Insurance

8. My family

9. Dog sitting my sisters dog (its really nice to wake up to happiness for no reason)

10. The Bus (for getting me back and forth to work and helping me lower my carbon footprint!)

TODAY'S AGENDA

1. A LONG TALK ABOUT RESPECT AND OBEDIENCE (okay about a 5 minute talk)

2. Only 1 load to wash!!!! (5 to put away, 3 to fold and 2 closets to go through and sort/swap winter/summer clothes)

3. Empty diswasher

4.Load dishwasher (and turn on...after 6pm of course)

5. If I'm lucky: a trip to the park to read while Josiah plays (until he asks me to join in)
a manicure
wash my hair

6. Try to write 5 pages of my children's book (should be on the lucky list)

7. Vacuum

8. Clean the kitchen.

I plan on doing a before and after series soon (as I get my digital camera back!) on household projects...keep checking back!

I knew this day would come!!!

My son was so bad yesterday! He was defiant, mouthy, kept hitting, kicking and throwing things...and I don't even want to talk about once we left church! I said to myself..." I knew this day would come....the day when I could use a Mom-Free day." He was on my crap list. I actually had to put him punishment for half a day! To be honest, I didn't feel that bad either. Got mom woo's, share them in a comment! I'm sure a lot of us can relate! and don't forget to check out Erica's give a way at "But Mommy...." featuring "I Was A Really Good Mom Before I had Kids," and "I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper," by Best-selling authors Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile. Chronicle Books have graciously offered to give a copy of “I Was a Really Good Mom before I Had Kids” away to one lucky reader.



good luck!

HAPPY MONDAY!!!! THIS WEEK'S FRIEND MAKIN' MONDAY QUESTION IS.....DA DA DA DAAAAA.....

WHAT ARE 10 THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT SUMMER?

MOI? J'ADORE L'ETE PARCE-QUE:

1. The sun is still out when I get home from work
2. Actually watching the sun set
3. Ironically beautiful pink skies as the sun sets
4. Letting my son stay up a tad later to play outside
5. ENERGY
6. Family BBQ's and vacations
7. Cute sun dresses
8. Watching kids play in sprinklers
9. Dewy skin
10. An over-filled/not-filled-at-all AGENDA

Thanks to Kasey over at All That is Good for bringing us all together! Don't forget to visit her blog.