My Future Lyricist & I Think Hugh Grant Is Sexy

Last night I watched Music and Lyrics which actually wasn’t too bad if you could get past Drew’s spastic mouth movements and Hugh’s dancing (which while searching I am finding out he has done before in his movies).  I am still singing some of the songs (here’s one) and I fell in love with Hugh Grant )who was extremely likable in this movie). I think it was the tight pants, suede coat and the fact that he mildly reminded me of the other Hugh from House who I find weirdly sexy.

So back to the reason I wrote this post…

I think I have a future lyricist on my hands. She is a natural.  This morning while cleaning out kitchen cabinets (nesting? bored? who knows), she was pushing her dolls in her new pram carriage. While pushing she started singing to the tune of “I’m pushing my carriage, I’m pushing my carriage, I’m pushing my baby carriage, Oh what fun it is to push my little baby carriage!” Ok, I know…it’s not no Strawberry Fields or Born to Run but hey she’s 2.5 years old. One of her other talents in singing is knowing the words for more than 25 songs and changing up the tempo for the big finale’. This kid’s got some future if she can sing.  We have always hoped that she would use her voice for good, she didn’t get the name Banshee girl for nothing.

Originally written December 30, 2007 for In The Blink Of An Eye

We Are Still Loving Our Polly Pocket Wall Party Ultimate All In One Playset

Looking for something to make the kids Summer even better? Need to buy a gift for someone? Have a Polly Pocket fan in your family? Like to buy toys for your kids that are functional, fun, and financially good for your wallet? Well, if you answered yes to any of these; you seriously need to check out the newest Polly Pockets!

You can see Goddess putting it together here and the best part...it hangs on the wall. No little pieces on the floor to step on. Because it is off the floor, she is able to keep it together all the time and go to it whenever she wants which for the past week has been every day.

Our summer is busy and I love that Polly has always been a portable toy. She has a small container that she put her Polly Pocket dolls and clothes in and takes them with her to the beach, to her Abuela's, and too the park. Polly has taken many rides on the slide over the past few years.

So cool right!????

We will be picking up more pieces next month so she can add to her Wall Party!!!

What do you think? Is Polly Pocket onto something here?

Breathless by Scott Prusssing - A Review AND This is Free on Amazon NOW

The 411 by Maria:

I cannot believe this book is free. When I downloaded it, as a filler between book reviews I did so because of the cover and WELL it was FREE. Little did I know it would be a fabulous read.

Leesa grew up hearing a story about her mother being bitten by a one fanged vampire while pregnant with her. Eventually the craziness of mom who drinks tomato juice and stays out of the sun drove dad away. When Leesa's brother leaves college sending her a letter not to look for him she heads off to the same college on a mission; find out what happened to her brother while learning more about vampires.

During a party she meets two sexy guys, Rave and Stefan. Both are mysteries and attractive. Leesa's college life just got more interesting and she will learn things she didn't even know existed. Is it possible that her brother is caught up in the vampire world? Can she find him before it is too late? Was her mother telling the truth all these years? So many questions and they will all be revealed in Scott's book!

Re-read that last sentence. This was written by a guy. I truly love that a guy wrote it which I had forgotten about until I started the review and typed HIS name. This is a great young adult, supernatural, romance lover read.  I love reading about Leesa and loved how her awkwardness, uncertainly, shyness, made way for a true heroine who would give her last breath for the people she loves. I also love that Scott can write likeable villain's Good job Scott! Great story and I can't wait to read more of your work.

Bugs Equal Happiness? My Fearless Wrangler

Have you ever seen anyone so excited to hold a bug? The weekend started out with her rescuing a huge dragonfly from a pool area. I was completely freaked out over this one but had no idea that the next bug would make me freak even more.

I was utterly, freaking out! You can hear my irrational freakout in this video. Totally ridiculous but I was so afraid it would fly into my face.

Polly Pocket's Wall Party

For a child who only played with her Polly's once a week to playing with them daily, being able to keep her Polly Pockets out all the time drastically changed things! Now if I can get all her toys on the wall, the floor and my vacuum will be much happier.

Watch how fast she puts it together.

Emma's Secret by Steena Holmes - REVIEW

The 411 by Maria:

This is the sequel to Finding Emma which I read last year (my Finding Emma Review). Emma is back with her family after 2 years of being kidnapped by a senile sad, old woman and her family is trying their best to cope while finding a new normal with their very confused and sad 6 year old. What is a mom racked with guilt supposed to do? Megan is overprotective and trying hard to get through to Emma. Her fear of losing her. Her anger toward the kidnappers and her insecurities in her marriage are too much to bear and the one really suffering is Emma.

This is a great sequel. We get to hear Megan's voice, Peter's voice, Jack's voice and Dottie's voice even though it is only through journals her husband Jack reads while going through her things.

Steena creates a family full of life and love who are trying to put themselves back together after one of the most horrific things a parent can go through. Each member is important to the story. I read this book in one afternoon at the beach and can't wait to tell my friends about it.  I truly love each and every character especially Peter just like my review of the first book. Peter and Jack are the men woman should have in their life.

We Girls Have Our Towns Back This Spring

Last May the Mayor asked all of the Daisy, Brownie, Girl Scout Troops and the rest to join him for a morning of planting. The planters will go up around our Main Street and the troops numbers will be on each planter so we know which are ours. We don't have to water them which is great just weed. The girls are so proud when they see their planters are doing well and the town looks great.

We had a great turnout! There is my girl with the white shirt and braid in the middle.

How stinking cute! We even had little ones who aren't Daisys yet but who had sisters there so wanted to help too.

Some of my Brownie troop

Our first planter!

Poor Goddess suffers from allergies so badly. She was not comfortable at all but eventually started planting. She really wanted to but gets swollen eyes. She was on Claritin and it was only 7:45 am. Can you tell how miserable she is?

Polly Pocket From A Whole New Prospective - Come Check Out What's New In the World of Polly Pocket

My daughter inherited a huge collection of Polly Pockets the year she was born to be saved for when she could play with them from her God Sister who had grown out of them as a teen. Goddess loves Polly and has kept them in very good condition. While she doesn't play with them often, she takes the cases out at least once or twice a week and spends time dressing them and setting up a little village of Pollys.

We were so excited this week when we received some of the newest products to the Polly Collection.

Check out our video that Little Miss Goddess decided to do herself while I was cooking dinner.

If your little ones love Polly Pocket, they will love the Polly Pocket Wall Party Tree House (Our video is coming tomorrow).

Flag Day Celebration

School was coming to a close and I just knew it would be one of the last photo ops before graduation. I have grown to love so many of these kids. Handsome is heading to the middle school (our middle school is 4-8th grade) next year and have been working in the school for the past three months and loving it.

The Flag Day Ceremony is usually held outside but it was raining so...we stayed in.

Here is Handsome with his made in school flag

My Brownie Troop was ready to go!

Can you tell someone is really excited? Mr. Personality lately.

Using The Word Night...Isn't It A Sexy Word?

Originally Written June 23, 2008

This is one of my favorite words. Just look at it; NIGHT, it’s so sexy. Maybe the reason it appeals to me is because as a mom for the past 5 years I have lived on 3-6 hours of broken sleep. Night means for me, that I won’t be called on every 5 minutes to break up a fight, get someone a drink, help someone in the bathroom or just answer the 5,000 random questions I get from both of my inquiring kids.

 

It is also the time of day that my kids are winding down and just want to be with me without all the hoopla. I get to hold them, kiss them, hug them, read to them, snuggle with them, and them with me. It is the only time of the day that we are totally regimented with a schedule. Because I host “tent nights” & “crash with mom nights” I need to be totally in control on the nights the kids will sleep in their OWN rooms. Not that they stay there because everyone in this house needs to sleep with Mommy but they MUST start out in their beds. We drink milk, brush teeth, read stories, get the piggy back ride to bed, 1, 2, 3, swing them in, prayers, “I love yous” and I am out of there.

 

Night time is my time but what’s not to love when I get to see these adorable faces?

My Life Summerized

I wrote this post about my love for Facebook on June 20, 2008 and it posted originally on In The Blink Of An Eye.

Me circa 1981

My friend Bek had been asking me to join Facebook last year. Well no actually, there was a little pestering, “oh come on, join” but I so didn’t want to join another anything.

I am here to report that I am so glad I did. I found my friend Jerry who I was looking for for like 15 years and who has yet to contact me since the first two weeks, but I found a friend of mine last week that I had been searching for for about 33 years.

Romy and went to school in Brooklyn back in 1981. We saw each other again in 1985 or 1986 one time when I went to the city with her and another of our friends. That time I found her by calling her number which I found in the yellow pages. We didn’t have the internet then.

I don’t know why we always lose touch, but I think its sad. Hopefully this time we can maintain a better friendship.

I’ve searched out her name on MySpace, Google, Yahoo, and last week I searched her on Facebook. There were a few pages of Romy’s and just as I was about to throw in the towel, there was her face. It’s been quite a while so I didn’t want to assume anything, it’s been 33 years so how could her face be the same?

I sent a message and asked if she was the Romy who attended SJH School. Logging on the next morning, I didn’t have high hopes but there it was…a message saying “OMG, yes, it is me, yada, yada, yada.”

We have spoken through email 3 times and exchanged phone numbers. I hope to call her tonight when the kids are asleep so I will not be interrupted. After 30+ years we should be able to talk without me putting her on hold to get the kids a drink.

I look forward to our first conversation and hope she is available tonight.

The break down of my last email to her when she asked what I’ve been doing these last 100 years.
EMAIL

This is so crazy and I am so glad I found you too.

Wow. My life pales in comparison. You have been busy and really LIVING life. Good for you.
The last time we saw each other I was with my second “serious” boyfriend (how serious can you be at the ripe old age of 19?). After that, I dated quite a bit. I won’t even bore you with the number.
I had a very serious relationship from the age of 19-23. I moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island (after H.S. Graduation) back to Brooklyn (when I was sure that I had made a mistake about moving in with a crazy cousin after a year of living with him and his crazy life. Then to New Jersey before I was 20 to live with a guy I met at work who was 8 years older.

He had a kid and we got him every other weekend, I was too young to live the life of someone who didn’t know anyone and waited around for him to come back from work, his weekend acting jobs or whatever else. He loved it because he always knew where I was, either working or home waiting for him. Boring!!!

I finally met my best friend Teresa and he got to show his colors. He was very jealous that I had someone besides him and didn’t like that all of a sudden I made plans when he wasn’t home. As you know that wasn’t going to work. I think if we had met at a different time in my life I would probably have married him but I was too young and still hadn’t experience life.

After him I was a free agent which meant I was free to date away and date I did. I had guys calling around the clock and dates 3-5 nights a week with about 5 different guys. There was one time that I actually called my 2 girl (Teresa and Diane) roommates to listen to my answering machine because there were 12 different messages from 12 different guys. Not that I was dating 12 guys but I was bartending at a go go bar and met loads of guys.

Those days are long over…
I hung out a bunch of local New Jersey bands Xenon, Spread Eagle, and Sleepy Hollow and had a great time going to their shows and being the “with the band” so to speak.

After my Grandmother passed in 1991 I broke up with a year long, going nowhere relationship. Driving with my girl Teresa she noticed “my type guy” and followed him through 2 towns until he pulled over. He got out and I walked over asking about his bumper sticker (Really what do you say?)
He was 5 years younger and loads of fun. Really great guy. Totally in love with me.

Because he was so young I dated another guy who was very much the guy who needed saving. I tried to save him but ended up getting hurt and my 5 year younger “dude” was there (always there) to pick me up. I finally woke up and looked at him in a different way.

We got married in 1997 and had our first baby in 2003 then the second in 2005.

He started his own business in 2005.

I am a stay at home mom since 2003 when my job wouldn’t let me take 2 breaks during the day to pump for my son and go breastfeed him at lunch. I tried to tell them that smokers take numerous breaks a day and lunch so why couldn’t I do what I needed to feed my baby? They told me that I could do one or the other and if I wanted to make it work I would. It was a 9-5 job with an hour lunch but I was always there 8 a.m. – 7 p.m and working through lunch for the 5 years I worked there before my son. After him I was giving them 9-5 but they were spoiled and didn’t realize that I was about to chose my job over my son. I was stressed as I pumped and losing milk, I wasn’t about to not go and feed him at lunch so I gave my notice and left. It was a lawsuit waiting to happen and I totally could have taken them up on charges but they did me a favor. I didn’t want to leave my baby at daycare and if they hadn’t given me a hard time I would have both kids still in daycare and be hating every minute of being away from them.

I always have believed there is a reason for everything. My son needed speech therapy 4 times a week and I am not sure if he would have gotten what he needed if I wasn’t with him and every day.
My boy, 5 and and girl, 3 are awesome kids. I love every bit of them. They are my heart on legs. We are together all day and I debated home schooling but my son really needs to be with his peers right now. He is extremely smart but his speech delay created a social delay. He has been coming into his own over the past year, his speech is great and his socialization gets better every day.

For fun I take thousands of pictures of my kids every month and load them onto a website so that out of town family and friends can keep up with our lives if they so intend.

To keep my mind busy, I have two blogs that keep me feeling creative, thinking and help create a legacy for my kids so if (like my mom) that if I am ever taken from them early they will always know who I was which is something I have searched to know about my mom since I was 12.

On My Knees by Periel Aschenbrand

The 411 by Maria:

Periel is an interesting character. I had never heard of her before but she is tre' cool! I loved her memoir about her life, her family and friends and her brazenness.  Only a brassy, ultra cool, chick could write about explaining a "rim job" to her mother. I think the back and forth conversations with Periel and others were by far my favorite parts of the book. Or her conversation with her friend Hanna about online dating.

Hanna: He started massaging me down there! 
Periel: Down there? What are you a victim of child abuse?

Hahah...even as a victim of child abuse, I found this hysterical.

Then there is the chapter about her squatting in her dead aunts apartment until she was thrown out but not before some guy "juices" all over her aunt's plastic encased couch. I found myself with a grimace on my own face even reading it. What a loser! Steve not Periel.

Truly funny book. 

Enjoy!

Great Summer Read - She Fell At The Bluff and Lies In Wait As A Host For Her Unborn Baby!

The 411 by Maria:

I read this book over a week ago and it still sits with me. What an interesting story. The book starts out with Jude at the Bluff.  From the first chapter I was completely engrossed in this story of a woman who is in-between life and death. Her unborn baby is keeping her here as the doctors do what they can to get the fetus to term.  It was a roller coaster ride from the first moment until the very quiet ending. While Jude is the focus, she is surrounded by some interesting secondary characters. There is her best friend Frances,  Jude's estranged sister, Paul her lawyer, Mary Shannon Paul's wife even her deceased mother Gay who was an alcoholic makes an appearance.

This is a thought provoking, interesting, read that will have you wondering about the link between life and death and have you contacting a lawyer to write up your living will.

 Great Read!

Bejeweled Frenzy The Card Game With Bling

The 411 by Maria and Goddess:

Goddess and I played a few rounds the first night because she wanted to play "just one more". We have played the past two weeks at least 10 times and when her girlfriends came over last weekend it was the game of choice. We wish you could play more than 4 players but everyone had a great time. 

 

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Beauty Burst - Candy For Your Skin

My photos are terrible but what's not is terrible are these NeoCell Beauty Burst Candies!

The 411 by Maria:

Man are they good. I feel like I am cheating when I eat one. It is like a nice, chewy piece of caramel like goodness, chocolatety mint piece of heaven. Little would one know it is actually good for them.

Stock up as you can and will want to eat 2-4 a day.

Demon by Laura DeLuca REVIEW

Demon, Book Two in the Dark Musicals Trilogy, inspired by Sweeney Todd!

The 411 by Maria:

I loved the first book in the series entitled Phantom. In this book our main characters Justyn and Rebecca are in New York trying to put the past few months and all the drama of their last time on stage behind them. They both try out for a play called Demon Barber based on Sweeney Todd (can you tell Laura likes her musicals?). Justyn of course, gets the lead role alongside Rebecca's nemesis Livy (Man, how I hated her!).

Drama seems to follow these two young people around before you know it, drama! And I don't just mean drama club!  A whole new cast of characters entangle themselves in Rebecca and Justyn's lives and I loved every moment of it.

Laura has a way of modernizing a much loved musical while creating a cast of characters and a dramatic, mystic aura that has you in between past and present.

Demon is a little darker to me than Phantom because Laura introduces a rapist and when we find out who it is during the big reveal I was as shocked as a reader can be and a little horrified.

Great summer read with loads of suspense. One of my favorites for the year. I have a craving to watch Sweeney Todd now.

Happy Father's Day & A Post About My Pop

Written Father's Day 2008

I am choosing to write about my Father because well, it is Father’s Day and because I really haven’t written about him in the 4 years of blogging.

*I call my dad, Daddy and will until the day I die.

*My daddy grew up in Brooklyn, NY.

*My daddy sang when he was a tyke. His parents sent him to a singing, dancing school because he from what I hear pretty good. As a child I always thought he had a good voice when he sang to the radio. He reminded me of Neil Sedaka.

*My daddy was a marine.

*Daddy was married before he married my mom. He married her at 26 so I am not sure how old he was, how long he was married or if my mom even knew. I found this little bit of information out a few years ago. Interesting how something like that could be kept under wraps for so many years. My mom died in 1978 and I found in 2001.

There is a bit of mystery to the whole thing and I am unsure of whether I have siblings from him or not. Supposedly “he was coerced into marrying her because she was pregnant. She told me the kids were mine but her father, my Sargent, helped me get out of it because they were not mine.” It seems strange that a father, circa 1960 would help some dude get out of marriage to his own daughter with 2 kids. It seems strange that this story never came out.

I have asked him on many occasions if I have brothers and he tells me no. I doubt I will ever know the real truth.

*My daddy was a printer by trade. He worked the big press machines for a publisher.

*My daddy is so funny. He always made me and everyone else laugh.

*My daddy makes friends easily and always had a lot of friends.

*My daddy lost his wife to cancer in 1978 and cried all the time.

*My daddy met a man (who he is still with) on a pier in Manhattan one night while he was crying and about to throw himself into the east river (imagine the life I would have had? Losing my mom at 12 to cancer and then my daddy taking his own life when I was 14!!

*My daddy is gay and now says he was since he was in the service. When I ask if my mom knew, he says yes. I find this, if true, to be very sad. Did she think she had to settle?

*My daddy’s father, my grandfather molested me for years.

*My daddy dropped us off at my grandparents house and never looked back. He came to see us on some weekends but he was selfish and living his own life. He uses the gay factor as his reason. “I thought it embarrassed you and your sisters, so I moved away.” If anyone should be embarrassed it should be him. How dare he leave 3 girls who just lost their mother to live his life. What kind of father is that?

*My daddy’s boyfriend and I never got along. I wish it was different because I feel like he came into my life (a child’s life) and it was his job to create a relationship with me.

*I love and accept my daddy with all his faults.

*My daddy let me down when my daughter was born and he was supposed to come watch Handsome.

*My daddy has never met my daughter.

*My daddy likes to make himself come off smelling like a rose.

*I talk to my Daddy 2 times a week and look forward to it. He is one of my favorite people to talk to.
*I miss him and the relationship we should be having.

*My daddy and I have not had a father, daughter relationship since I was 12. He is a guy friend that I call when I want to shoot the shit.

*I would love to take pictures of my kids with my daddy.

*My daddy sends the kids 1 dollar each a week and they love it.

*My daddy is so vain that the last picture I have of him is from 2003 when my son was born. He will not send a picture because he looks old. He promises me tons of them but never delivers.

*My daddy is too far away.

*One father’s day, I would love to hug him and tell him in person.

Just Answering Some Questions About Me

1. When you look back at your childhood dreams, has your life gone in the direction you expected? No but not that that is a bad thing. I couldn’t have imagined this life. I, like most children had so many dreams; I wanted to be a jockey, a doctor, a nurse, an actress, an artist, the list goes on and on. I am none of those things.

2. What were the three most life changing events in your life? How did they shape who you are?

1- The death of my mother at 12. Watching the cancer take over her body and taking care of her taught me that I want to enjoy every day. It taught me how not to waste time stressing the small stuff and also to live each day with peace and love in your heart because in the long run that is all that matters.

2- The death of my grandmother in 1991. Losing her taught me that being afraid of life and what can possibly happen doesn’t really prepare you for the worst. It was also another lesson in living every day as if it were your last. Saying everything you want to say because there isn’t always time to tell people how much you love them. More importantly, it reinstated my faith in a high power. My grandmother (dad’s mom) and my mom both have the same birth and death date which beside it being quite the coincidence when you think there was 25+ years between them it is also quite interesting. How and why would this happen? Was someone trying to prove something to us? Was it a way to make the second blow easier, knowing that in the long run we will all be together? I may never know but I do hope that when it is my time they are both waiting for me on the other side.

3- The birth of my son (my first baby). I get pregnant when I was 34, not because we had been trying for long and not because I wasn’t sure if I wanted a baby but because I didn’t think my husband was ready or interested. When we finally decided, we were lucky in the fact that it took 3 months. Having my son and meeting him for the first time was amazing. It felt like I finally knew my real purpose. Being a mom is what I wanted and I was finally getting my chance to hear the word Mommy and to have someone who made me feel closer to my husband, my mother and my grandmother for without any of them, my son would not be here.

3. Is there anything you would drastically change about your life or are you content with where your life has taken you? I wouldn’t change anything. I like who I am, I love the country I live in, I adore my family and friends. I wish I saw a lot of them more. I chose not to dwell on things that don’t matter in the long run and I love everyday that I am allowed to roam this beautiful planet.

If you want to answer these questions, please leave a link in comments so I can find you. 

Ten Things I Am Good At

What 10 things are you really good at?

Here are a few of my own

1. Seeing past every one’s faults and seeing the good.

 

2. Taking time to be with my kids every day. There is not a day that goes by where I am TOO BUSY 

to spend time with them doing things that matter like, listening, playing, enjoying, being in the moment or just holding them. There is nothing more important. The house is going to get dirty, and the TV will always be there.

 

3. Finding time to write. I know a ton of people who tell me they wish they had written in their kids books of firsts, had written letters, documented life experiences, or whatever. There is time. Just do it.

 

4. Taking pictures of my children. Loads of people tell me I take great pictures. They want to know how I know how to get the light or how to capture that moment. The truth is, I have no idea what goes into taking a fabulous picture. I am mostly just trying to capture the moment so I can live it again and again.

 

5. Keeping up with my family. I honestly think that if I didn’t make attempts to reach out to them, I would never know what was going on in any of their lives.

 

6. Technical stuff. I am not the smartest person in the world but I can figure out how to use a camera, set a VCR, hook things up to the computer or TV, hook the computer up to the TV, download from my cameras to the computer and burn it to a disk, etc. I wish I had more time to hold an in house class for the many women I know who can’t figure out how to load pictures to the computer, or once loaded where are they? I hear these questions so often.

 

7. Talking on the phone. Just ask my husband.

 

8. Making a good pot of coffee. Ask any coffee drinker and they will tell you just how important this is.

 

9. Researching information. I am an expert computer surfer. Ask me to find you something and I can turn it out. I love while talking on the phone, someone can bring something, anything up and I can Yahoo, Google, or whatever them an answer in less than 60 seconds.

 

10. Being happy, not sweating the small stuff. Easier said than done but I have become such an expert at just concentrating on things that I can change and not wasting time on things I have no power of that I scare myself sometimes.

Check Out These Live Animal Camera! You Never Know What You Will See

At least three times a week Goddess comes over, sits on my lap and says "mom can we search out pictures and videos of cute animals?" I love those moments because I know as she gets older, she is 8 now, she will not be looking to spend time with me. Most of the time we find something that makes us saw awwww....but other times we find ourselves learning more about animals we love. We love LIVE cams and have spent the past 3 years watching Eagle nests.

Animal Planet is a favorite and we were thrilled to find Animal Planet L!VE. 

Ant Cam
apl.tv/leaf-cutter-ants.htm

Beluga Cam
apl.tv/explore-beluga-whales.htm

Calf Cam
apl.tv/calves.htm

Chick Cam
apl.tv/chicks.htm

Cockroach Cam
apl.tv/cockroaches.htm

It is really cool and Goddess will sit and watch for hours or keep coming back every once in a while to check and see what else is going on. We are leaving one of the computers on with a cam all day. You never know what you are going to see. Personally I like the relaxing images of the Sea Nettle Cam.

Enjoy!

Take Care Of Your Body Odor Naturally

As my children are getting older, checking into safe deodorant has been important to me. Eventually Handsome and Goddess will need to use deodorant daily as many of my friends children are already doing so. It was only last month that I was talking to a dear friend of mine about my fears of deodorant and aluminum used in many brands. She mentioned that her 11 year old was using it already and had been. Honestly, I was surprised when she didn't seem bothered by the fact that her daughter was using a deodorant with aluminum or knew the dangers of it. While there isn't enough scientific evidence to support that aluminum causes breast cancer, there are links to other things like aluminum toxicity. If nothing else, many people do have allergic reactions to aluminum and since my kids are allergic to so many things, I have been searching out natural deodorants for them that are hypoallergenic.

I think I found one that is not only aluminum free and hypoallergenic but also works!

  

I love it and have been using it for 5 days now. For the past 20 years I have been saying that there is only one deodorant that works for me and have faithfully used it. It is not true! This works!

Naturally Fresh also has a Spray Mist that is the liquid version of the crystal deodorant. It is 100% natural and gentle. Handsome has some stinky feet after gym. A quick spritz in the morning and he we don't keel over when he takes off his sneakers.  He has taken it to his room and sprays his feet after his nightly shower and before putting on his socks in the morning.

My favorite product from Naturally Fresh so far has been MoistStic! It is an awesome lip balm that smells wonderful and heals my dry lip issue. Perfect to toss in my bag and take with me when I head out for the day. I reapply at least 3 times a day and love the way my lips feel. I am completely hooked.

How I Ran My First Giveaway - My How Things Have Changed

August 5, 2008

Well, this morning we held the official drawing for my very first giveaway. It was so much fun and I can’t wait to hold another one. I printed out everyone’s comments, cut them up, folded them, put them in the Official Box or in this case an empty coffee can/plastic thingy.
Here is how it went down……………….


Be on the look out for more giveaways from this blog and my other blogs.

Summer Time Memory

• Summer at Red Pond with my Mom, Dad and Sisters. There is nothing like eating breakfast cooked over a BBQ.
• Ice cream at Jamos.
• Heading down the Jersey Shore with my girlfriends.
• Wildwood’s “watch the Tram Car Please“
• Summer at my cousin Carol’s in Staten Island.
• Hanging at the lake with my husband and kids last year.
• Drive in Movies with my parents.
• Vermont with my very first best friend Peggy and learning how to swim.
• Bike riding all over the universe with my sisters on summer vacation.
• Going to the park all day and laying on the merry-go-r0und spinning around until I thought I was going to puke.
• Bunking down in one room to sleep because there was only 1 air conditioner and loving every minute of it.
• Spending a summer with my cousins in Long Island and feeling like I was part of a big family, living with a mother and a father.
• Teaching bible school with a bunch of other teens and having the best time.
• Drinking beers out of a trunk and listening to music in the swamps of New Jersey.
• Camping for 2 nights in the back of my boyfriend’s car with a bunch of people I didn’t know and having the time of my life listening to Creedence Clearwater and Springsteen all weekend long. I can’t listen to either of them and not think about that crazy weekend.

What are some of your Summer Time Memories?

Big Brother’s Got Your Back

Originally written about Handsome taking care of his sister on June 5, 2008

Yesterday I took the kids to the Elementary School Park to play for an hour. It was about 5:00 and I figured it would be pretty empty. It was my first time going there and figured we would try it out.

I told the kids if they listened while there and left when I said it was time that I would take them back. They were awesome. There was no problem when I told them it was time and they walked hand in hand to the car. Cute.

 

When we got there, there were about 8 kids between the ages of 5 and 12 with not a single parent in sight. Not a good sign. I refuse to be responsible for strangers kids and prayed no one would get hurt because I wanted to have fun with mine.

 

The kids were rude and obnoxious to my kids which was a little surprising considering I was right there. A few times they refused to let my kids get on or off the slide and one of them wanted to scare my kids when they came down the slide “Here come the little kids” was spoken more often than not in the 15 minutes we were all together or not. I just kept telling my two to say “excuse me” and pass down the ladder. I had to tell them to let my kids off the ladder 5 times. Annoying.

 

What I loved the most of seeing these obnoxious few was how protective my son was with my daughter.

 

He would walk up the steps, half block the way, let his sister pass in front of him by putting his hand on her shoulder and then take up the rear. He was very aware these kids were rude and he wanted to make sure nothing happened to her. “Watch for Goddess” he would say as she passed by. I loved watching him take on the big brother role. So sweet to see it at such a young age.

Journaling In 2005 - It Truly Is The Small Things

Today was a great day. Why? Well it really is something so small it almost seems silly to make such a big deal about it but to me it really is special. 

 

Today, my husband, The Teach, soul-mate, dude, man, baby daddy, friend, and occasional thorn in my side took us to the park. I have been asking for this for the past year and a half. 

 

I took Handsome there every day last year. I would mention to The Teach what a great time Handsome would have in the hopes that he would be unable to NOT join us the next time. He never would. There were quite a few fights about this and he would say that there would be plenty of time for the park but it just never seemed like he was making any. 

 

This morning I mentioned a convo that I had yesterday with two girlfriends. They were talking about men and how most don’t want to do things with their families. I said that not all men were like that and that I believed that when my kids were a little older The Teach would have a lot more interest in doing things with them. His selective hearing button must have not been working because he said “maybe we will go to the park this afternoon”. 

 

Forcing myself to not jump out of my seat with a joyous “yippy” I simply said, “Handsome would love that.” He headed outside saying he had some things to do and the kids and I headed to the deck.

He started building a new bridge for our creek and I played with the kids until Handsome wanted to go inside. While heading in, The Teach said “call me at 2:00 and we will leave for the park. I still didn’t believe it would happen.

 

When we finally got to the park, I found some shade and watched my two boys running, swinging, sliding, and climbing. All the things that Handsome NEEDS to do, and NEEDS to spend some time with Daddy. 

 

Handsome had an awesome time and the Goddess and I made a friend. Another mom with a 4 1/2 month old was there and we exchanged numbers to get together next week. It is the weirdest thing; I have given my number to complete strangers just because we have kids the same age. This is the only time you can have a five minute conversation with a stranger and hand over your number without wanting a free meal or a roll in the hay. It really is strange.

 

As we left the park with the baby girl screaming in the back and my son drinking water in his car seat, I looked over at my husband and thought that he was the hottest person alive. Like I said, it truly is the little things.

 

Posted by mgagliano

Can't Wait Willow by Christy Ziglar

The 411 by Maria:

I totally agree with the writer of Can't Wait Willow, at least in my house, I am forever telling my kids to learn patience. They want everything now and neither knows how to wait. They ask for something, I tell them in a second, or give me 5 minutes but they either ask again or try to do it themselves, usually something that they should do, climbing to get something, and the possibility of injury. Ugh it is never ending.  Or then we have the other side of the coin where I have to remind them that they NEED to make a decision for themselves.  It is very confusing to kids. Do this, don't do that. Just  this weekend in fact I told my son that he needed to do something for himself because my job is to make them independent and not to have to count on others. Poor kid doesn't know if he is coming or going sometimes.

When I was a kid, mom and dad were never home so we pretty much took care of ourselves. We decided when to go outside, when to play, what to watch on the one TV with 8 channels and managed just fine. Today, kids have so many choices, mom and dad are for the most part always there to help.

In Can't Wait Willow, a little girl can't wait to go to the fair. She heads out to go but in her excitement ends up spending all her money on other things she wants without leaving anything for her tickets or the cotton candy she has been longing for.

Thanks to a loveable fellow in a top hat she is given a second chance with a gift of two tickets and she learns the valuable lesson of saying no to a small, quick fix of fun to holding out for the big, long lasting prize.

Great story for kids about saving, patience, and weighing the benefits can change the course of your day when you think about your decisions. Sometimes thinking with our heart is easier than our head but not always wiser.

A good lesson for all.

Flood by Alvaro F. Villa

The 411 by Maria:

Flood is a perfect book to enter into the discussion of possible disaster that can affect any of our lives at anytime.  The story is about a family preparing for a storm and deciding that their best course of action is to leave the home they love. This turns out to be the right move as their home is damaged by the storm. When they return they rebuild and move on with their lives.

The illustrations showcase emotion from their nice life before the storm, the storm, their fear of leaving their home, and their return. Hope, realization, sadness, and finally hope again all shine through the wordless book.

My Goddess and I have read this book a few times which is odd to say since there are zero words in the book.  The story is completely narrated by the reader which I find quite unique. Leaving openness for those reading to create their own dialogue fitting to their situation.

See the book 9:49 

Are Your Dreams Unfulfilled?

Growing up I wanted to be a nurse. My mother had been sick with cancer when I was 11 years old. I watched all these loving nurses come in her life. All of them had a special something. Something that made you want to be just like them. They made my mother feel better, she seemed calmer and more relieved when they were there. Whether they were giving her pain medication, changing her sheets, or making her comfortable in her bed all while smiling at her 3 children who sat there, watching not knowing what to do for her.
I wanted to be that person. I wanted to help someone like I hadn’t been able to help my mother. From the age of 12 I knew what I wanted and told anyone who would listen.
There are so many reasons why this never happened. Some of it is can be read here and here.

Beside these reasons, moving out so young, having no support, financial or emotional, I basically got a job that I hated and never wanted to pay the bills and that dream just slipped away.

Looking back now, I think I would have been a terrific nurse but I also believe it would have been something that changed me as a person. I tried Hospice when I was younger and it killed me to see people dying. I believe that everything happens for a reason so I don’t look at this as a regret just something that I had wanted.

Now, I get to play nurse for my two babies. Someone gets hurt and there I am with my medi- kit. Ready to scoop someone up and clean, bandage, ice, hug, remove or kiss the boo-boo. I am the best damn nurse mommy I can be.

So, is this REALLY an unfulfilled dream? I feel like in a way I am living it, just not the way I had originally envisioned.

My Wish

Who doesn’t wish for things? Who doesn’t wish that things could be different or wish we had more time with loved ones? 

The women in the picture is my mother circa 1956. I wish I knew who the guy was. I know this was her prom and I wish I had that dress. My mom died when I was 12. I wish I had more time to get to know her.  I wish I could know her as a women,  not a wife, daughter or sister but the Diane the women.

I wish that I could pick up a phone and call her. I wish I could remember her voice, how she smelled, how she felt.

I wish I could feel that mother love. The love that only your mother can give you.

I wish I knew if she was proud of me. I wish I could see her hold my children. I wish my children could know their grandmother. I wish I could tell her “I love you” and hear it back.

I wish I had another day, another hour, another minute with her. I wish she were here!!!