Upcoming LandCentral Giveaway

Have you always dreamed of owning your own piece of property somewhere? Possibly build your dream house on it or even just knowing you have it and use it to go camping? I have. I've always wanted a piece of land that belonged to ME, that I could someday build my own home on.

For one lucky person that is going to become a reality. Mompact has partnered with www.Landcentral.com to give away a piece of property. The winner will even get to chose from one of five properties available. (Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Colorado and California)

If you haven't heard of LandCentral before, I will give you a brief rundown. LandCentral allows people to buy land with very low money down, no real estate agent and no credit check.

The giveaway will run from Oct 1st thru Oct 31st and will be hosted at www.landcentral.com/win . Entry will be the ever popular and simple Rafflecopter form!

If I won it would be a tough decision, but the mountains of Colorado might just win out:

http://www.landcentral.com/land-for-sale/colorado

It's Fall!

It's FALL! I absolutely adore fall and am happy in the winter! I know that seems really messed up to alot of people but I can't help it. I hate the heat, it makes me sick to my stomach and sluggish. Fall and winter hit and I have tons of energy (errr, not in the least because my work hours go from 7-5 to 7:30 to 4:30). Household projects get accomplished, walls get painted, books get read... I just love it.

I don't love the bugs that are looking for a new home because it is too cold outside for them. For example take these couple of instances to see what a nut job I am.

On vacation a week ago, hubby and I are getting into the car at the local grocery store. As I'm shutting my car door as I notice a yellow jacket following me. I swing my purse but it comes back. I jump out of car and swat, it comes back. Long story short I end up about three cars down, flapping my arms in the air, swinging my purse like I'm being mugged..... It finally goes away and I climb back in the car. Hubs rolls his eyes and asks if my seizure is over. I calmly pull out (going the wrong direction *sigh*) and see a 40 something gentleman sitting in his car laughing hysterically.

Same week. Taking dogs out. They had to be leashed cuz duh...mountain & bears. Thing is we don't do leashes at home because the yard is fenced. So it is like 9:30 at night, I may or may not have had a drink and I'm outside with Spike. He's under a tree taking a leak. I drop the leash and as I go to pick it up I see it is an inch away from a ginormous spider that is crawling towards him. I shriek, snatch the dog up and run into the cabin. Spike was less than impressed and I am pretty sure I interrupted him.

Bugs. Freak. Me. Out.

Walking into the house, talking to mom on my cell and carrying the mail. A spider drops from it and I screech SPIDER and proceed to smash the shit out of it while mom tries to recover her hearing.

The final nail in the coffin that fall is here is work. All the rats try to get into the office building from the giant 100 year old warehouse. My one boss likes to poison them. Unfortunately they tend to crawl off and die in a wall, which tends to stink. I prefer the electric trap that humanely electrocutes them. I have one under my desk. I forgot to check it the other morning so it was right after lunch when I looked down and noticed the long tail sticking out.

One would think that since a bee and a spider cause me to have seizures that a 2 pound rat would cause an instant heart attack, but nope. I picked up the trap, dumped it in the trash and stuck it back under the desk with a fresh Reese cup!

So anyone else as strange as I am?

Weddings, Grooms, All that Jazz

 So having never had a wedding myself even though I do have a husband (I eloped, long story) I never realized until recently that the Groom is supposed to give his groomsmen gifts. I had always thought that was a girl thing. You know, the bride gives all her bridesmaids a necklace or some such item and all the girls exclaim how pretty it is.

After talking my girlfriend who is planning her spring wedding, I was enlightened on the issue of groomsman gifts. Turns out it really IS a thing. Of course since 98% of women know better than to give their guys free reign when it comes to something as important as a wedding, she has been on the hunt for unique groomsmen gifts for her fiance to pass out to his guys. After all, if she is giving her attendants something classy she doesn't want the guys getting something trashy!

Since she knows me for the Internet junkie/ detective/ savvy shopper that I am, she has enlisted me to help her. I found Groomstop and after looking around I knew that she would be thrilled with the site and he fiance would approve too.

You can search through a variety of items, all more than suited for a classy and yet affordable groomsmen gift.  They make it easy to find something in your budget by allowing you to choose to shop by price range/ category. This way, say that you don't have a gift item in mind, well you can say I want to spend around twenty five dollars per gift, what is in that range? Easy right? If you already have an idea of what you want to purchase you can shop by category.

After zeroing in on the perfect unique groomsmen gift, you can even head on over the Bridesmaids section and pick out the gifts for the women in your bridal party.

PSST---- there is even a "Help For the Groom" section on the website, so if there are any questions about picking out groomsmen gifts, he can check it out. Take note, there is a groomsmen checklist, a Best Mans guide and plenty of other helpful stuff to be found at this site!

If you have had a wedding or two (I don't judge) did you do groomsmen gifts? Would you have used a website like this one? Also, any tips on wedding stuff for the bride to be?

Nutrisystem Week 11 #NsNation

Whew! Just wrapped up week 11 of Nutrisystem, the first week back after my vacation. I felt pretty  proud of myself for making decent choices while I was gone and think I did a good job jumping right back on track past week.

I can honestly say I looked forward to my breakfasts and protein drinks. I never get tired of them or bored and I enjoy just being able to grab them and run out the door so that I have them to eat at my desk.

One thing that has been hard for me is getting the right amount of veggies during the day. I'm picky and really have to work at getting them down. Now if I could load veggies with butter, cheese or ranch dressing it would be no problem. Unfortunately that isn't really conducive to weight loss!

Since the weather has cooled down and we are having some gorgeous fall days in Ohio I have discovered a new way to liven those veggies up. Soup. Seriously, I can eat veggies I wouldn't touch with some else's tastebuds when you put them in soup. I have no idea why, but it's true.

So I have been buying some low sodium/fat free stock from the store, adding a bunch of different kinds of veggies and been happily munching away! That's my Nutrisystem user tip for the week!

Weightloss update: 175.5 to 173.3 which is 2.2 lbs last week and a total of 21.7 overall.

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

Disclosure: Nutrisystem is providing their food and program to me free of charge in exchange for blogging about my experience as part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program. The opinions are my own and others experiences with Nutrisystem may vary. 

Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kmart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

100 sleeps til Christmas (err, as of Sunday 9/16) as my one friend just posted on facebook. Holy Wow! How does it sneak up on my so quickly? I mean summer just ended and everyone is recovering from vacations, activities ans shopping for school clothing. Where are you supposed to come up with the cash for holiday gifts  already?

I remember years ago when every store had a layaway program--year round. Then a couple years back I went to put some items we needed but couldn't afford straight up into layaway and discovered that no stores in my area except Kmart had layaway all year long! Since we don't use credit cards I lost the chance to get what we needed at the time. I think some store now allow you too around the holidays but why would I give them my money when it is convenient for them? Kmart is there if I need to layaway a lawn mower in the spring just like they are there at holiday time! Not to mention that Kmart always has  free layaway.

Shopping for gifts for the little ones just keeps getting more and more expensive, since the items that they want are mostly NOT barbie dolls! By starting now and placing items in layaway you can be sure that you will get the items to light up their eyes on Christmas morning, plus you will be able to pay for them over time instead of dropping a bundle all at once.

Pssst. If the FREE year round Kmart layaway isn't enough to make me smile, well then, Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway  definitiely is! Right now there is one layaway giveaway per Kmart store per week! Running from 9/9/12 through 11/17/12. Now is definitely the time to place your holiday gifts in layaway, just think, they could be free! Since we desperately need a new kitchen table I am trying to decide which one to put in layaway and hope that I am a winner! Which do you like best?

Bunny Kiss -- Cal Exotics Review

*Adult Review Below, if such things offend you, skip ahead to the next post!*

There is a new bunny in the house and as a certified Sexpert I am here to tell you all about her (him? eh, equal opportunity here). Each month Cal Exotics sends me an new toy to test out. Some are good, some are great and some are in the middle. Bunny Kiss totally hits the excellent category.

Perfect for the beginner and experienced alike, Bunny Kiss offers nine intense functions of vibration and pulsation. Not only does your new favorite toy come in pink, purple or blue but it is also waterproof!

Running on two AAA batteries, this not so average bunny will deliver exactly what you need and having you reaching for more. Quiet and fairly compact, it will travel easy, hide easy and function smoothly with the easy push button on the bottom.

Body safe, unscented and phthalate free, this incredibly powerful bunny will cost you and extremely affordable $15.99


My Bunny Kiss arrived right before we left for vacation and since it was the perfect size to tuck into a side pocket in my travel bag it got to go along. That whole waterproof thing? Totally true! Let's just say a giant roman tub, some candles---errrr never mind, you get the picture. No water damage at all, which is a definite plus in my book!Absolutely worth the price tag and ten thousand times more. The Original Bunny Kiss can be purchased at the Cal Exotics website. They offer very discrete shipping right to your door. Peek around the site and you'll find kits and games, couples collections, gag gifts, pleasure items and even manuals and DVDs.

If you're looking to start out your collection this is absolutely highly recommended. Likewise, if you're a seasoned sexpert you will still love all that Bunny Kiss has to offer!

Milk Unleashed Variety Pack Giveaway

Milk. I hear that it's good for you and that kids should drink it. Since I personally cannot stand milk we usually only have a little jug in the house for the husbands coffee and cooking . Of course then we run into the problem of what to give my nieces when they are over or running around with me. I hesitate to offer questionable milk but definitely don't want them hopped up on sugary soda.

That is why when I heard about the shelf safe milks from Hershey, LaLa's, Horizon and Organic Valley. These handy single serve portions can where ever you go. they fit in a lunch box, purse, diaper bag and are perfect for road trips. This is perfect for on the go families that are running from school to sports to scouts to whatever. It's also perfect for me since it is shelf stable and I know I will always have some healthy for the girls when they come over.

Check out this neat on the go app:



Want to win a Milk Unleashed variety pack? Use the rafflecopter form below to enter, US only, must be 18+ to enter. This is a quick 5 day giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get. To. Your. Point.

If I think about it, I realize it has probably been awhile since I shared the wonderousness of my daily work life with you. Mostly because I suck and over this summer pretty all of my posts were review and/or giveaway posts.

On the other hand some people are probably thinking that's a good thing. Sucks for them, since I want to *try* to get back into the groove of posting things other than product reviews.

Like this work incident, where I once again illustrate why I want to light the telephone on fire.

Me: Good Morning, Blah Blah Co

Customer: I need to talk to to a salesman

M: I'm sorry they are all with customers, I can have one call you back

C: Well probably you can help me, I want to replace some gutters and downspouts on my house and I'm going to be doing the work for myself. Not everything needs replaced just like maybe one section and I'm going to need some hangers and downspouts and a section of gutter from you guys and I'll probably pick it up myself. Like I said I don't really need alot maybe 15 feet and 3 downspouts because the rest of it is still fine. So is your brown gutter the same price as white?

Me: Yes

In reality I'm thinking: "for the love of GOD please get to the point, I'm about to lapse into a coma, there are 3 other lines ringing and it just took you 10 years to tell me a story when you could have just asked HOW MUCH IS BROWN GUTTER?"

Moral of the story:  Get. To. The. Point.


Another quick example:
Me: Good Morning Blah Blah Co

Customer: How much are your hot water heaters?

Me: I'm sorry, we don't sell those

C: You sure?

Me: Positive

C: Well where can I get one

M: Try Lowes or Home Depot

C: I did, they are too expensive. Where else

M: I'm sorry, I have no idea. We are not that kind of company.

C: Well can't you find out?

M: Um, no. Have you tried the phone book

C: I guess you aren't going to help me then? Fine-whatever.

what am I? google? and why did I forget to pack a thermos of vodka in my lunch?

I thank my stars that calls only get routed to my desk when the sales floor is too busy. Unfortunately that is way to often for my sobriety

COVERGIRL & Olay Review

Several weeks ago I was given a chance to test out the new COVERGIRL & Olay Tone Rehab 2 -in-1 Foundation and the COVERGIRL & Olay pressed powder. (I'm a bzzagent and received full size samples for my opinion).

I have mentioned a million one or two times that I am a make up junkie. I'll pay more for a good product that will last all day rather than skimp on a cheapie just to save money. I'm also not a morning person lazy pressed for time in the mornings so something that turns two steps into one is always something I am interested in trying.

I was previously using a high end name brand foundation and was interested to see how this would compare. It about half the price, maybe a little less than my previous brand and I can honestly say I like it better. The coverage is fantastic without looking cakey and it lasts all day without running. Even if I forget to put on moisturizer I still don't have any flaky patches ( I have combination skin for anyone curious). After several weeks of use I really think that my skin looks better and feels firmer.

The pressed powder is also a winner. It creates an nice even finish to your make up routine but doesn't leave any flaky or caked on patches, nor does it settle into any fine lines. My face looks just about as good at 5pm as it did at 6 am and that is a huge plus in my book, especially since I am not one to do touch ups during the day.

I have shared some coupons I received with friends and also picked up a back up of each for myself.





I received the above mentioned products as a BzzAgent for free. I was not required to write this review, I chose too. All opinions are 100% mine.

CampusBookRentals.com

While it has been fifteen a couple years since I have personally had to purchase college texts books I can still remember the sticker shock. Taking my list of required books to the campus book store and seeing that the used Literature book was over a hundred bucks blew my mind. With the way prices have gone up, my thrifty soul shudders to imagine purchasing college text books now. Not to mention my part time summer assistant is going to school and she recently told me a price so horrific that I have blocked it from my memory.

So for all of you college goers out there (or parents of college goers) I want to draw your attention to CampusBookRentals.com. Why not rent your textbooks? I mean I know that out of all my college books I only kept about 3 for future reference and sold all the rest of them back at a huge loss. With CampusBookRentals.com you get a great deal:

• 40-90% off bookstore pricing
• free shipping both ways
• you can still highlight in the texts
• they donate to Operation Smile with each rental
• flexible renting periods

I wish this would have been an option when I was in college! It's a great way to save money while getting your education. Besides the fact that you know you are helping children with cleft lips receive life changing surgery through Operation Smile!



If you don't have money to burn and are in school, you will definitely want to check out CampusBookRentals.com.

Nutrisystem Week 10 #NSNation

I feel funny saying that I just finished week 10 of Nutrisystem, because to be totally honest I did not take my Nutrisystem food with me on vacation. Partially because there  honest to goodness was about two inches of space left in the car when I packed it but mostly because I wanted to enjoy my vacation without counting everything I ate. I know that I can't remain on Nutrisystem for the rest of my life (okay, maybe I could but that doesn't seem reasonable) and I need to learn to maintain when I go off.

So I will say that I was NutriConcious (yes I am making that up) while I was gone. We rented a gorgeous cabin in the Smoky Mountains and I packed food for our breakfasts and dinners. In the mornings I had a whole grain English muffin with some peanut butter. For dinners on the grill I packed items like lean ground beef (93/7), hot dogs, chicken, lean filet medallions and some veggies. I stuck in some string cheese and microwave popcorn for myself in case I had a late night urge to snack.

During the day we would go out and hit Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge and stop somewhere for lunch. Instead of eating until I couldn't move, I found myself ordering semi decent selections (no gravy, deep fried, or breaded items) and only eating half or less of my meals and taking the rest back to the cabin. Sure, the day we hit the Catina there was regular cheese on my shredded taco, but I didn't ask for sour cream and didn't order any extra sides.

We walked and walked and hiked and took the younger dogs on walks. Did museums and aquariums, shopped and shopped some more. Zip lined, rode horses and had a blast. Obviously I was making good choices because I weighed 175 when I left and 175.5 when I got home. So I was burning plenty of calories to use up my intake. I blame the .5 gain on the Bud light (what? it was vacation!) and starting my period (I always bloat)

I started back on my Nutrisystem this morning with renewed confidence. Nutrisystem is helping me take off the unwanted weight and also teaching me how to live once the weight is gone and I need to maintain. I think that this was a great halfway point test for me. I mean if I can manage to do well when every 4th shop is either selling homemade fudge, funnel cakes, hand churned ice cream and the restaurants feature chicken fried steak with country gravy? I'm fairly sure I will be able to hack it day to day!

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

Disclosure: Nutrisystem is providing their food and program to me free of charge in exchange for blogging about my experience as part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program. The opinions are my own and others experiences with Nutrisystem may vary. 

P.S. Later this week I will be describing how apparently coordination is required when zip lining (ouch!), furniture is way sturdier down south (double ouch!) and riding a horse with an eating condition. You may want to stop back. 

Talking Shop With Boobies

I'm WAY behind on getting this posted. But after stumbling upon this article some time ago, I had to throw in my two cents. What better time to do it, than while the beautiful Miss Carrie is on vacay and I'm holding down the fort!? (I'm Boobies, by the way! Nice to meet you!)

The other day while I was reading trending stories on Facebook, (because it's important for me to know that Kim & Kanye are now known as Kimye) I came across an article.

15 Biggest Beauty Turnoffs from Real Guys

Curiosity killed this cat. I like to get inside the male psyche from time to time. I had no idea that guys had 'beauty turnoffs' so I dug right into this. And you know what? It pissed me off.

"It gets on my nerves when women take too much time on makeup. You would think after a lifetime they would have the process down to less than 45 minutes!" -Christopher

A lifetime? I'm not Zsa Zsa Gabor. I haven't been wearing makeup for a 'lifetime.' So sorry that you feel like your girl takes too much time putting her makeup on, Christopher. You know what gets on my nerves? When men don't take ten minutes to groom themselves. The full bush under the armpits is out, boys. Trim that shit. We don't care if it takes you 45 minutes.

  "I'm picky about oral hygiene - brushing, flossing, mouthwash. She has to brush her teeth before bed and in the morning before we kiss. That extra care once we reach a certain level of intimacy is important." -Rod

Dear Rod, I'm not making a special trip to the sink before you wake up just so I don't have yuck mouth. How about you make a trip down south and kiss something else? I'm guessing Rod has trouble keeping a girlfriend. But that's just a hunch.  

  "I can't stand when she has wet hair after the shower and lays on my pillow, I usually roll over on the wet spot." -Jeff 

I don't know about you girls, but I think we've laid in the wet spot long enough. Turnabout is fair play, Jeff. Deal with it.  

"My wife doesn't dye her hair often enough. I don't like to see those dark roots." -Anonymous

At least this idiot was smart enough to stay anonymous.

 "Certain scents turn me off. I don't like anything cucumber or vanilla. I've told my girlfriend that I like her natural smell better." -Josh  

  Maybe she's trying to cover up YOUR natural smell, Josh?! Just sayin.

 "I wish my girlfriend would get a manicure more often instead of doing it herself. She is pretty low-maintenance." -Shaun

 First they bitch that we're high maintenance. Now Shaun here, is complaining that she's not high maintenance enough. Bipolar much?

  "I don't like extensions because when you put your hands in her hair you can feel all the lumps. It might be good to look at but not to touch." -Robert 

 Robert, Robert, Robert. NEVER touch a girl's weave. EVER.  

"My wife spends 20 minutes after the shower putting on body lotion. Apparently it has to be applied evenly. For me, it is just a time suck." -R.D.S. 

 I hope R.D.S.'s wife lets her skin go to shit and rubs it ALL over him every chance she gets. You guys honestly don't think we're just blessed with silky smooth skin, do you?  

"Those thick eyelashes that women put on are annoying. It makes a woman stick out and people know that they aren't real. I like a woman who looks nice and natural. Regular people don't need all those eyelashes." -Lindsay    

Lindsay, you have a girl's name. Shut up.  

"Excessive tattoos. I think inappropriately placed tattoos are a turnoff. No matter how pretty she is. Plus, they are addictive. You get one, you have to have another." -Anonymous

Enough said.



 
"I hate hair all over the sink and floor. I wish women would be mindful of how their beauty products and hair can clog up a common space, especially the bathroom." -Stevie 

Stevie-your back hair is probably an equal contribution to the clog problems you're having. We hate when you piss all over the floor, so let's just call it even.  

"They don't put caps back on things or they put it on but they don't screw it on so when I go get something it spills." -Connor HAHAHAHAHAHA. Seriously?

 "I hate it when women wear any type of fragrance - I like showers." -Bryan

If she's not showering, Bryan-it's because she doesn't want to have sex with you. I don't blame her.

 "My wife uses scrubs and bath salts in the tub, and the grains never go down the drain. All that oil makes the bath so slippery." -Darrell

And I'm willing to bet my left tit that your wife cleans said shower for you. Am I tripping? Or are these guys RIDONK? These aren't even valid 'beauty turnoffs.' In fairness, I want to hear from my male readers. (Because I know you guys are the REAL GUYS.) Tell me what YOU find to be beauty turnoffs. Make them good, or I'll flip out.

 Ladies, what are YOUR turnoffs for the opposite sex?

XO, Boobies 

Masshole Mommy Gets Tough.

Hey everyone, the super amazing Robin from Masshole Mommy has agreed to be todays guest poster. I'm sure you all know who she is, right? Just in case you've been living under a rock I'll tell you that she was probably the first person to let moi guest post on her blog, she does great giveaways,  has 3 boys, a husband and a love of Disney (umm, she might actually be addicted to Disney but don't tell her I told!)

And That's How I Gave Myself A Black Eye.

Hi there!  I'm Robin from Masshole Mommy and since Cari is away, you're stuck with me today.  I wanted to share a funny about the day I gave myself a black eye with ya!

When I first moved out of my parents house at 22, I was clueless.  I mean about everything.  Sure I could cook and clean, but I really don't think I was as prepared to conquer the world as I thought I was. My first apartment was such a dump, too.  It was on the third floor of a triple decker - in very seedy neighborhood, but hey, I was on my own and I thought I was the bees flippin' knees (still do).

So there I am in my kitchen one fine morning when I suddenly remembered that it was trash pick up day.  They came to pick up first thing around those parts and I remember that I could hear the truck off in the distance,  so I had to hurry. I scrambled to collect up all the trash in the apartment so that I could run it down the three flights of stairs to the curb.



(Yes, that's supposed to be me. You have to remember that keratin treatments hadn't been invented back then, so that's why I drew myself with curls. I want to be as accurate you know).

Ok, so I had all my trash in the bag and was good to go - or so I thought. I grabbed the bag and started out the door with it.

Suddenly, the tie on the bag snapped.



I don't recall now, but whatever I had in the trash bag that day was heavy. Very heavy. The sheer momentum of the heavy bag falling out of my hand to the floor was enough to propel my entire arm - the one in which I was holding the bag with, straight towards my head. Specifically my left eye. And there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it.

Newton's third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction & I think it's safe to day that I got schooled in some Physics that day. It all happened in the blink of an eye (literally) and I had absolutely no control of the situation.

And that's how I gave myself a black eye.


You can see more of Robins artwork on her blog: Masshole Mommy-- make sure to give her some love so she will come back and visit again!

The Random Blogette, How Not to Renew Your License

Today the super fab Jayme from The Random Blogette agreed to pop over and guest post. Jayme only lives a couple hours from me and we were supposed hook last year but I couldn't make it so her and Babes Rockin Mami sent pics :). Today Jayme is giving us the step by step on how not to renew your license. Of course, then I saw the picture she included and considered beating her up. Nobody should be that cute on a drivers license.
Here's Jayme:

Every 4 years I have to do something that everyone dreads. No, it has nothing to do with the letters B and J. It is something much, much worse.
Going to the dreaded BMV to renew your license. Dun, dun, dunnnnn.....
I am here today to teach you how to totally nail the best driver's license photo ever! It only takes 10 easy steps and you are golden!

1. Decide to go over to your friend's house the night before you are supposed to renew your driver's license.
2. Stay out way passed your bedtime at your friend's house so that you are ridiculously exhausted the next day.
3. Decide to drink several beers at your friend's house.
4. Wake up late because you stayed out too late the night before.
4. Wake up with a slight hangover because you only ate a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner and then proceeded to drink several beers at your friend's house.
5. Have a super stressful day at work and sweat your butt off.
6. Hold your breath while you are waiting your turn at the BMV because the wretched smell makes you want to vomit.
7. Flirt with the old man that is helping you with your license renewal.
8. Almost fail your eye exam, even though you have your contacts in, because you are pretty sure you put them in the wrong eyes.
9. Frantically try to finger brush your hair to get the puffiness out because it is so damn humid out that you are pretty sure you are sporting a fluffy fro.
10. Smile for the camera!
BOOM!

NAILED IT!

Show Jayme some love! 

Ducky Has Restroom Adventures!

One of my favorite gals ever is guest posting today. Ducky from BatCrapCrazy. If you haven't read her blog and laughed til you cried or just cried then you must be living under a rock. She has become a dear friend to me and I'd be lost without her. Read about her public restroom mishaps below:


I've written a time or fourtyeleventybillion that I have issues with public bathrooms. Regardless of where or when or who I am with, I always seem to be the one to choose the ONLY stall no one else wants...even if I'm the only one in the bathroom. It use to be I could blame my phobia on the deplorable conditions at work. The school district just didn't seem to care about replacing the sandpaper in the toilet paper roll dispensers and I doubt they had ever heard of a sponge or bleach or scrubber. Hell, most people couldn't be bothered enough to FLUSH!

Time doesn't change much. Two years ago this was how I started my school year...
..."I was at a departmental meeting at one of the school buildings in the district and ran down the hall (because I’m an adult and I CAN RUN IF I WANT TO) to pee. And OF COURSE I would pick the ONE stall void of toilet paper. I didn’t notice until I had already commenced stream release which was too late. So I sat and waited. Surely someone would be entering to void their bladder shortly and I could ask for a few squares, right?!

I waited

And sat

And waited

…..and sat….

Finally I grabbed my purse and started digging. NADA. NOTHING. ZIPPO. ZILTCH. No tissue or napkins.

But…..BINGO!

Found a sour apple DumDum sucker.

The sucker was a nice treat and the wrapper worked in a pinch.

This Duck is a creative one! Necessity is the mother of invention OR I ain’t walkin’ around in pee pants all day OR I’m too impatient to wait out the drip dry method."

Two years later and a new work environment that has me traveling for my work and I am STILL having potty issues. Just the other day I waited until the last minute and then a few minutes beyond that simply because I HATE public bathrooms. Dashing into the bathroom at the parole offices, I gently push on every single door and find them all to be unmovable. GAH! As I'm eyeing the sink vs the trashcan and trying to make the split decision as to which would keep my feet the driest, modesty be damned, I happen to have a wicked pee shiver. You know the kind I'm talking about...I know you do. It was forceful enough and I had my knees pretzeled together tightly enough that the shiver knocked me off balance and I slammed into a stall door. As I grab onto the door handle for support to keep from faceplanting (germs...on the floor...in a PUBLIC bathroom?! Ewwww) the door swings wide open flinging me into the wall.


Whaddya know?! They damn things open OUT.

Please show Ducky some love!

Nutrisystem Week 9 Update #NSnation

Okay, it is Saturday night at 11 pm. I normally write my posts on Monday evenings because that is the day that my Nutrisystem week starts new. I will be on a long awaited (like, hello, six years since my last one) vacation this Monday. We are leaving at the crack of dawn Sunday (errr, yesterday since I am scheduling this to post on the normal Monday).

I had a great week this week. As of this morning, Saturday I weighed in at 175 even. That's 20 pounds since the start of Nutrisystem and I really couldn't be happier. I am wearing clothing that I wore 5 years ago and it is loose on me. I feel great, my energy is better and even the times I don't eat a Nutrisystem meal I find myself making better choices.

The real test will be this week, we will be gone from Sunday to Saturday. I'm not taking many Nutrisystem items with me. With me, the hubs and 4 dogs in a Kia Soul there isn't much extra space. Plus, I want to test myself in the "real" world. I know that I want to enjoy some southern cooking, but I also know that I do NOT want to ruin any progress I have made. So I look at this as a test to see how far I have come as far as lifestyle changes.

Can I make the correct choices, minus a few indulgences for a well earned vacation? There won't be  scale where we are staying so I will see come next Monday

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

Disclosure: Nutrisystem is providing their food and program to me free of charge in exchange for blogging about my experience as part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program. The opinions are my own and others experiences with Nutrisystem may vary.
PS. Fingers crossed that Zip Lining doesn't kill me

Holly Talks Balls.

Happy vacation to me, I'm kickin off a week of fun for me and some seriously killin guest posts for my readers. Holly from Not a Perfect Mom Blog is here today. Know what? I love reading Hollys' blog. She has four kids, a husband and she keeps it real. Holly doesn't sugar coat shit on her blog and I never know what to expect, but I know I'll love it. I've read post that have made me tear up and read posts that have made me pee my pants. Also, she swears as much as I do.

Here is Holly:

I'm thankful for a great many things....

My children, my husband, Key Lime Pie martinis, s'mores, my grandma's apricot Christmas cookies, Zumba....

The list really goes on and on...

But one of the things I'm most thankful for? Is my vagina...

Yup, you read that right....

I'm thankful for my vagina...and it has nothing to do with the fantastic sex it allows me.

It's because if I have a vagina then that means I don't have balls.

Because balls? Are weird.

Yup, balls creep me out...

The way they just hang there...hanging out...swinging back and forth like a damn pendulum...

I don't have to move my vagina out of the way just to sit down....

My vagina doesn't get stuck to the side of leg when I'm super hot and sweaty...

When I'm cold my vagina doesn't get all scrunchy and scared....

And when I'm hot she doesn't hang down to my knees....

My vagina is delightful, she's soft and silky and most of the time she smells good too.

My vagina doesn't get a funky heat rash if I'm out in the sun too long...in fact, my vagina is like a wonderful self cleaning oven-she keeps her PH balance just right all the time for maximum happy vagina-ness!

Balls are just out there in open, waiting to get hit or kneed or something slammed into them, but my vagina? Is nicely tucked away like a  little present waiting to be opened...

Oh yes, vaginas are obviously superior to balls....

Obviously....

Do me a favor and show her some love !

Quick Update

Just a quick update for those of you who actually read these things. I'm officially on vacation as of today. I've taken days off, but they have mostly been for either my doctor appointment, taking my mother to hers or just a week off work around Christmas.

This will be our (mine & hubs) first vacation in at least 6 years. We are heading back to Tennessee. My parents sent us there on a belated honeymoon 14 years ago. We loved it and went back as often as we could. The last 6 years we just couldn't afford to go anywhere. This year I scrimped, saved, robbed several convenient stores and may have been seen on Market St.

We will be enjoying ourselves for 6 glorious days in a tricked out cabin near Gatlinburg. I have ziplining, Harley daytriping, horseback riding, shopping, Titanic Museum, Ripleys Aquarium, shopping, a drink or two, shopping, another drink......okay you get the picture.

I don't think I will be blogging. I'm pretty positive I won't. If I have booze in me it's best if I don't. I may annoy the hell out of you with Facebook and twitter pics though. In any case, I've lined up some kick ass bloggers for the week I am gone. Boobies & Ducky will be here (duh), Holly from Not A Perfect Mom's Blog, Jayme from the Random Blogette, Robin aka Massholemommy will be sharing their fabulousness with you.

Simply-Bags Insulated Lunch Bag Review

I have been been packing my lunch for some time now and my old bag is hit. Seriously, it looks as if it has been through the war-- the first one. So when I was offered a chance to review an insulated lunch bag from simply-bags I was quite excited.

They sent me a zebra lunch tote embroidered with my name. When I first took it out of the packaging I was a bit disappointed because it didn't look big enough to hold an adult lunch. I was pleasantly surprised once I opened it up though. It expands wide enough to fit my salad (even if I use an old cool whip bowl, lol!) plus my breakfast bagel and whatever misc. items I throw in. Normally I will pack a salad, a Nutrisystem lunch item, my breakfast and a snack of veggies or a cheese stick, so it is obviously quite roomy.

The craftsmanship is superb. The outer shell is a striking zebra print that is very sturdy and I can wipe off any "dirty stuff".  The embroidery is very nice, no loose threads and very legible. The handles are sturdy and attached very well and the inside is insulated with a thick layer. Many lunch bags don't do their job, leaving you with a warm lunch, but I can tell you that the thick lining in this one will keep your lunch at the perfect temperature.

I really like my insulated lunch bag and if this is an example of the craftsmanship at simply-bags I will be purchasing an iPad bag next! Then of course I'll have to check into matching tote bags, cosmetic bags and so on. Oh the sacrifices a gal makes!

*Enjoy 10% off at Simply-Bags (excluding clearance items) by using coupon code carrie. Good now through October 31st.

Packaways Review

Packaways are a brand new storage box system that currently can be purchased online and they will ship flat and pop with ease into "box" shape upon receipt. If not in use you can easily flatten it for storage under the bed or in the back of the closet and it will take up next to no room. When you need it again you simply pull it out and press on opposite corners and it opens right up.

These unique storage solutions are proudly manufactured in the USA and made from durable corrugated plastic. They are much better than the typical cardboard ones you pick up in department stores for several reasons. The plastic will not be affected by moisture or humidity so you don't have to worry about the bottom falling out when you go to pick it up (had that happen to me, several times with cardboard ones). Since they are so durable you can even store them in the garage, a shed or basement and not worry. They will last much longer than others and you don't have to worry about ripping.

They also have 2 wipe away panels so that you can easily label your contents and then if you change them you simply wipe and rewrite! With five sizes you should easily find one to meet your needs. You can chose from classic in 12, 16 or 21 gallon size, under the bed or a "tote".

I received two boxes for my use and am very pleased with them. We have an older house without much storage space so I am constantly packing things like seasonal decorations, in boxes and rotating them as the year goes on. Closet space is also at a minimum and these totes are perfect for storing your off season clothing. Since they are so sturdy I don't worry about moisture making the box fall apart.

The Packaways are so universal that they would great in numerous application. Moving, dorms, classrooms, travel, camping, storage, books, holiday items and on and on! You could even color code if you are so inclined.

Right now Packaways are sold exclusively online at http://www.packaways.com/
Definitely "like" their Facebook page to stay up to date on specials and new products.






I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.