Blonde to Brunette

I get real bored with my hair, and due to this "hair boredom," drastic changes tend to happen when I go to the hair salon. This morning was no exception. I give you me as a Brunette!

I like it, it's different. But the more I think about it I am wondering if the puppy and I match too much now. What do you think? (oh and no, his ears are not like that. The kids were making him look like a mouse and I took a picture after I got done laughing.)


au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Interview With My Munchkins

Jen over at Under The BIG Blue Sky did a great interview with her 2 cute girls and I thought I would do the same. Kids really do say the funniest stuff :)

Mama (28) interviews Munchkin (6) & Mini-munchkin (4):

1. What is something mama always says to you?

Munchkin: I LOVE YOU BIG BOY

Mini-munchkin: THAT SHE LOVES ME

2. What makes mama happy?

Munchkin: ME LISTENING TO HER

Mini-munchkin: WHEN SHE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING EXCITING

3. What makes mama sad?

Munchkin: WHEN DADDY'S GROUCHY

Mini-munchkin: WHEN ME AND BROTHER FIGHT.

4. How does your mama make you laugh?

Munchkin: SHE HAS THE MOST WONDERFUL TICKLES

Mini-munchkin: MAKING FUNNY FACES

5. What was your mama like as a child?

Munchkin: I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT!

Mini-munchkin: CLIMB TREES, DO HER HAIR WEIRD

6. How old is your mama?

Munchkin: 29

Mini-munchkin: 50 & 8

7. How tall is your mama?

Munchkin: 20 FEET

Mini-munchkin: 100 FEET LONG

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Munchkin: PLAY WITH ME & READ JANE AUSTEN

Mini-munchkin: GO TO THE GYM

9. What does your mama do when you’re not around?

Munchkin: WATCHES JANE AUSTEN MOVIES, AND LAYS AROUND KISSING DADDY A LOT.

Mini-munchkin: READ

10. What is your mama really good at?

Munchkin: MOPPING THE FLOOR & GETTING THE MOST SKINNIEST

Mini-munchkin: GETTING FOOD AT THE GROCERY STORE

11. What is your mama not very good at?

Munchkin: SOME SPORTS

Mini-munchkin: CLIMBING ROCK WALLS

12. What does your mama do for her job?

Munchkin: WATCHES ME AND SISSY WHILE DADDY'S AT WORK.

Mini-munchkin: UM, CLEAN.

13. What is your mama’s favorite food?

Munchkin: WATERMELON

Mini-munchkin: SUSHI!

14. If your mama was given one wish, what would it be?

Munchkin: TO HAVE MORE TIME WITH US!

Mini-munchkin: TO HAVE A GENIE IN A BOTTLE

That was so fun. Please feel free to play along. I learned some interesting things I didn't even know!!

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

July Featured Blogger: Yaya Stuff

Alicia over at "Yaya Stuff" is one of the first people I started following. Her heart is so big and her smiles are infectious. This girl has a lot on her plate and is sweet enough to take us with her on her journey to be a mommy. I have learned so much about the adoption process reading her posts all the way back with her 1st Adoption Class to now where they hopefully will have a little one (or 2, or 3, or 4...) running around their Casa soon!

Sometimes things get frustrating having to deal with home visits and trying to get your hubby's attention (if you have not seen this video, you HAVE TO WATCH! I giggled so hard watching this I almost peed!!!)



So to combat life's issues she makes you laugh at them. She does these weekly Friday posts that CRACK ME UP! And sometimes a drink helps too *cheers girly!*

This lady is first class and I hope you head on over to her place, Yaya Stuff, show her some love and tell her Lizzie sent you.

Oh Alicia... Don't forget to grab your prize!!! And hun, you didn't win this just because you like orange ;)

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Austen Movies

It is no secret that I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan. I love her novels (in particular Persuasion, and Pride & Prejudice) I also love books inspired by her writing (like "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict" by Laurie Viera Rigler & all the books by Elizabeth Aston.) When my mind is cluttered with doubt, or things are uncertain I know I can always open these books and feel peaceful.

Lately I haven't had the time to get my "Austen Therapy" that I so desperately have needed. Instead I have popped in a DVD to get my fix. True, it is not the same, but it still brings a smile to my face.

Here is a list of the Austen inspired movies I have seen. PLEASE feel free to tell me if there are any must-sees I have missed. And yes, if you haven't seen these you must :)

Not surprisingly either is the fact that ones made in England by British actors tend to be the best. Especially the BBC specials! I leave you with a short clip from Pride & Prejudice that always brightens my day. (and yes, I've posted this clip before... sorry, it's my favorite!)

be sure to pause the music @ right




au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Zoos, Jobs, & Butts, OH MY!

It's been a few days since I have written, you know what that means... Things are going on! First of all Father's Day was wonderful. We took my hubby to the Phoenix Zoo for the day. I know most of you are thinking "Why take him to a kids place? Wouldn't he rather play a round of golf?" True, but I am the decision maker around here (sometimes) and Fathers Day was 99 degrees. This week will end at about 110 degrees and I wasn't about to miss the last double digit day of the summer!! The mini-munchkin had this fascination with posing with goats, check it out:

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Oh I also learned an interesting piece of information this week, my hubby hates his new job! Yeah, that has been messing with my head big time. You see, when you uproot your entire family for the prospect of a better career, life, brighter tomorrow, and it doesn't seem that has been accomplished it kind of puts a damper on your spirit. So now what? Well, we have a 2 year contract with this company and we agreed to re-evaluate the situation later. The main reason this causes me stress is because my hubbys job is very location specific so if he were to go somewhere else to do the same thing we'd have to move pretty far, most likely back east. I am an adventurous type, and LOVE new places, I just hate packing and unpacking over and over! But, I would much rather move again soon then have an unhappy, grouchy hubby.

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Weight loss update, down another 3 pounds bringing my grand total to 27 pounds lost! I am thrilled, but secretly REALLY frustrated. After all this work I am still the same pants size, yup seriously!! What is the deal with my Butt?

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Fun things are coming up! The munchkins and I will be flying back to South Carolina in 2 weeks to visit my parents and some of my girlfriends. (I can't wait to see you guys!!) I am looking forward to the lovely marsh lands, southern food, and Spanish moss. YIPPY!

I never expected to miss the south so much. Just goes to show you that this California girl can love 2 coastlines :) I hope you all have a wonderful week.

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Wax On, Wax Off...

I noticed my last few posts have been pretty wordy so I thought I'd share something short and sweet this time. My kids still love karate, their last belt ceremony they received their orange/yellow belt (kids this young go up in half steps). Here they are with their favorite teachers:



What was your favorite sport as a kid? What do your kids enjoy doing?

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Inspiration, Goals, Weight Update & Other Fatty Things

In April of this year I finally got mad enough at my weight to really do something about it. I started out at 210 pounds and now 10 weeks later I am 186 pounds (yeah I know... should I really be sharing the actually numbers with you? Well, it helps keep me accountable.) 24 pounds lighter, yet I still have a ways to go.

One of the key's to my success so far has been my emotions. I used to try and lose weight for the wrong reasons: love, affection, attention, happiness... Nope, never worked. It wasn't until I decided to do it for ME that I saw results.

A few of my fellow blogger buddies have asked what my weigh loss regimen is. So here you go...

I joined a local Weight Watchers group and completely changed my eating habits. I used to eat fast food every day, shameful I know. And now I snack on cut up fruits and veggies from my fridge. I don't eat perfect all the time, but I make a conscious effort to make good choices.

Some simple changes our family has made are switching white rice for brown rice, eating more salads, not using mayonnaise, and the biggest help for me: Not eating out all the time.

Another big change was joining a gym, and actually going! At first every part of me hurt, but slowly it got easier and easier. Soon a habit had formed and now when I miss a day I feel SO guilty.

I try and work out at least 4 days a week, and on days when I just can't I do something physical (walk the dogs, ride bikes with the kids, do sit ups in the living room, etc.)

I wish there was an easy way to lose weight, to build muscle mass and lose fat. The real answer is it takes hard work, and patience because it doesn't happen over night. I wish it did!

There is a long road ahead still, but I'll make it one pound at a time :) So what's my goal weight? Not sure... I am more concerned with being fit and strong. I want muscle, I want to be toned, I want my body to look like p!nk:

DO you have any tips, struggles, or successes you'd like to share?

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

I'm a Hermit Crab

I have this habit during summer time. I wasn't sure it would follow me all the way across country when we moved. I have been super busy that I thought it wouldn't happen... well, it did and I am doing my old habit once again.

I turned into a hermit crab!

Let me explain a little. I do this thing (not on purpose, it just happens) were I disappear. The sun gets warm, school ends, I plan all these super cool summer activities to keep us all busy then out of nowhere... I crawl into my shell. I don't pick up the phone and call a girlfriend to chit chat, I come up with excuses to cancel appointments. I just want to stay home and enjoy my munchkins, no distractions, nothing that has to be done, just them and me.

Someone once said it might be seasonal depression. I don't know, I am not sad or down at all. I just don't want to go anywhere. I just want to be a Hermit Crab! Hard as I try to ignore this natural instinct of mine to crawl in my nice comfy safe place it still happens.

My girlfriends in South Carolina understand what I am talking about. For the last 4 summers I would get a phone call half way through "Where the heck have you been? Did you die? We miss you!" and I'd have to explain that I was fine, nothing exciting was going on, I was just at home playing with my kids. Well, I have a few new friends here in Arizona, but they have never seen me during the summer. I hope they don't drop me as a friend because I disappear for the summer.

I thoroughly enjoy it to be honest with you. It's like a vacation. No schedule, no appointments, nothing! Come this fall when school starts I'll crawl out, dust myself off and continue on with the crazy days I had left behind at the summer beginning. Am I nuts? does anyone else do this?

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Sunday Signspotting: week thirty

We have been working through some "financial issues" in our house this week and I am in need of a good laugh. I don't do these Sunday Signspotting posts near as much as I used to. Maybe I should, one can never laugh too much :)

(Please be aware that I did not take these pictures, i just put them here for your viewing pleasure.)

All images used with permission of signspotting.com

I assume that man is selling real merchandise

I swear honey, I'll wash the clothes tomorrow.

Oh Bummer!!

Talk about over-protective parents. Next I suppose they’ll want to move the target shooting range away from the daycare center!

How exciting!!

Well everyone I hope you all have wonderful Sunday, enjoy the last bit of the weekend and remember to laugh a lot.

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

Others Who Chatter... School Lunches

There are times when I am reading blogs that I stumble upon a post I just HAVE TO SHARE. Do you ever have those moments? "Wow, this is such a great idea (or tip, or advice) I wish it was on my blog!" Well, I am going to put some of them on here from time to time. *with permission of course*

This idea is from jam jar boogie in a post titled How to change your life with 2 loaves :

Is it lunchtime already?

That's homemade plum jam by the way. Want one?

Or the ham and cheese version?

This is what 15 mornings of peace look like.

A few years ago, (just after the school year had started), my friend called me up for a chat. She confessed that she was making a week's worth of PB & J sandwiches to freeze as we spoke on the phone. She said "There's just no other way we can get out of the house in the morning." I thought it was the grossest thing. I mean, please? Who would eat a frozen sandwich?

Oh guess what? Children do! Children who are hungry and trapped at school and have no other choice do! Yippee!

I started doing this soon after that phone call and have never looked back. Besides, Evan refuses to carry a lunch pail to school (7th grade) and there goes any hope of keeping a lunch chilled properly. But a frozen sandwich doesn't spoil between 7 am and 12.

I feel so smug to have 15 lunches ready to roll. So I wash an apple or two and find some pretzels or raisins. Ta-da! Lunch. And the minute someone complains? Well---it's make your own darn lunch, smarty pants...

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See! Isn't that a super awesome idea? Next year I will have 2 munchkins in all day school and will be making a LOT of lunches. This idea is going to save me a ton of time. Thanks Ella for this fabulous post, and for allowing me to "borrow" it :)

au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...

You're Gonna Miss This... Moment, Playtime at Home

I am going to miss the sound of my kids giggling and enjoying themselves with friends under my roof. There will come a time when hanging out at home won't be cool. Sword fighting and my little ponies will be a thing of the past. This is a moment I love and don't ever want o give up.

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails,
That's what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice, and everything nice,
That's what little girls are made of.

This "You're Gonna Miss
This...Moment" inspired
and linked back to Pam
@ You're Gonna Miss This


au revoir, adieu, ciao, till next time...