Awards, A Giveaway and Maintenance Issues

First, let me tell you that Anne over at My Mommy Reviews is having a giveaway for some child safety items from the My Precious Kid site. This is a great giveaway with very few entries so far. Head on over and check it out! You won't regret it.

Ang over at Just An Army Wife and Just a Mommy has a giveaway going on as well!

Both of these end November 9th.

There will be a little bit of site maintenance here over the next few days. I am trying to add some different lists and buttons on my sidebar and may end up screwing some things up. I am sooooo not tech savvy. Hopefully Jenna will be available to help me out so that I don't ruin the blog....

I received an award from two different people over the past few days. It's a great award!

Margaret from Pickles and Lollipops gave me the award first and then Feliciae from Living Just Like Grandma passed it over to me as well! Both of these ladies have beautiful blogs. Take the time to pop over and visit if you never have!


So here are the official rules

Accept the award and post it on your blog.Make sure to link back to the person who awarded you. Then pass it on to 15 other blogs you find worthy and make sure to let them know they have been awarded.

I am going to have to think about who to award this to.... have patience! I promise to award it soon! I want to try to give it to people who have not already gotten it....

AND, just a shout out to my lovely daughter, Jenna, who helped me design this blog. She made the header up top for me and we worked to getehr to choose the layout and background. Thanks for making my blog lovely, kiddo!

Southern Charm

I've been reading a series of books by Carolyn Haines for a little while now. I picked up the newest book int he series at the library this weekend. The books are murder mysteries based in the Mississippi Delta. The author is actually from Mississippi and so the books are so accurate that it's almost scary! From the use of first and middle names when talking to someone to the friendly and charming actions and speech, it really is on the money.

The South is different. For anyone not living in the South, you just won't get it. I moved to Mississippi from Florida. We joked that we had to move North to go South! Because, let's be honest, Florida is sooooo not the South. Florida is a weird mixture of Florida Crackers who have lived there for generations, Yankee transplants, Cuban immigrants and Haitian immigrants. The culture is different. Where I lived, in Central Florida, it was like a melting pot. Living in a college town, we had all nationalities, religions and political ideologies all mixed up together. People were very tolerant and accepting for the whole. People tended to be a little standoffish but friendly. There was a tendency towards rudeness, especially in the college town, and while I loved my friends and family and liked my town, it wasn't a big wrench to leave.

Mississippi is like a foreign country. Talk about culture shock! People are open and welcoming. There is a tendency to be all up in other people's business that I was never used to. While welcoming everyone, the people (as a whole, not at all across the board however) tend to be more judgmental. Less tolerant of differences in religion, sexual preferences or political beliefs. It's been weird. I love the friendliness and the openness. I hate the fact that I feel as if I need to hide the fact that I do not go to church. Or the fact that I am pro-Choice. Or even the fact that I have friends and relatives who are gay. Now, if you know me.... you know I am not one to hide anything. So, I have struggled with my need to be as open and up front as I normally am and juggling that with not wanting my daughter to have issues at school because of people judging us.

Poor Jenna had a rough week last week. Some people here seem to find the idea that my husband and I got married on Halloween to be weird. They have called us Satanists or asked if we worship the devil or are witches. I laugh at them. Jenna gets mad. She spent all last week telling people they needed to get their facts straight and that Halloween had nothing to do with the devil.... she got quite angry about the whole situation.

I think I lost the point of this blog post....

Basically, what I am saying is that while living in the South has been a revelation and an education, I will not be sad to leave. I will miss some of the people. And I will miss the friendliness and charm of strangers.... but I will be glad to get back to where I can be myself without any fear that my children will suffer as a result.

The South. A big mish mash of wonderful, beautiful, charming people and places mixed together with a surprising amount of judgment and inability to accept change and differences. Maybe it is just the small town South that is this way.... or maybe it is just me.

Eleventy-One in 1001

I have seen several lists on different blogs lately and decided to look into what they were all about. Day Zero started a movement years back that involves making a list of quantifiable and realistic goals for yourself. The lists are 101 items long and you have 1001 days to complete them. Here is what Day Zero has to say about it:

The Challenge:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple challenges such as New Year's resolutions or a 'Bucket List'. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

So, since I have been on a bit of a quest of self improvement lately, this seemed to be right up my alley! It took me a while to come up with 101 goals. Then, once I reached 101, I thought of some more. So, here is my list of eleventy-one goals that I will be trying to complete before July 29, 2012. I will update the goals weekly as I complete or am working on each. I will eventually have a link in the sidebar to get directly to this post if you would like to check up on me! LOL As I complete goals I will make them bold. Any that I am in the process of working on will be highlighted in blue.

1. Implement a laundry plan

2. Exercise at least 3 days per week for 30 minutes (0/429)

3. Clean out and organize closet

4. Sell or donate all old baby clothes

5. Finish cataloging DVDs

6. Catalog books and organize on shelves

7. Pedicure once a month (0/33)

8. Implement cleaning schedule

9. Update address book

10. Start a price book

11. Finally go on our Honeymoon – Vegas or a cruise

12. Make a recipe book for Jenna

13. Finish teaching Jenna to drive so she can get her license

14. Give away 7 of the 9 cats (0/7)

15. Get two remaining cats fixed (0/2)

16. Walk or Run a 5k marathon

17. Reach my goal weight of 150 pounds

18. Quit smoking

19. Lower BP enough to come off of meds

20. Implement a savings plan

21. Research adoption laws for step parent adoption

22. Write one snail mail letter each month to family (0/33)

23. Visit Tupelo and Vicksburg before we move away from MS

24. Grow blog followers to at least 100

25. Write at least 5 articles per week for pay (0/715)

26. Write a budget

27. Get credit checks for me and DH

28. Make a list for debt snowball

29. Learn to knit

30. Knit a Doctor Who scarf for DH

31. Teach myself to quilt

32. Quilt the three blankets my mom started and gave to me to finish (0/3)

33. Learn yoga

34. Set up iPod station/ speakers in kitchen

35. Drink more water
    

36. Stop drinking soda

37. Cut out caffeine

38. Make a master list of craft projects I want to complete

39. Work on one craft project each month (0/33)

40. Finish potty training kid #2

41. Potty train kid #3

42. Finish my MBA

43. Get a new (to me) car

44. Blog 3 days out of 5 each week (0/429)

45. Go through old garage sale boxes. Donate or throw away everything.

46. Move boys into separate rooms

47. Get rid of at least ½ of all the boys' toys. Donate/sell/trash.

48. Go through children's books and organize

49. Build a second garden box

50. Learn to can

51. Learn to make really great risotto

52. Buy a back scratcher

53. Find a back washing tool that actually works good

54. Go through the rest of the still packed boxes of junk. Unpack/throw away.

55. Go through piles of old cords, electrical stuff. Organize/throw away.

56. Buy myself a laptop

57. Clean up and organize my favorites links on the PC

58. Read at least 20 books from this list that I have never read before (0/20)

59. Read 100 new books (not from the list on #58) (0/100)

60. Listen to one new band each month (0/33)

61. Have date night with hubby once a month (0/33)

62. Get a family membership to the YMCA

63. Swimming lessons for #2 and #3

64. Take the kids to Animal Kingdom

65. Take the kids to Sea World

66. Travel to Gatlinburg, TN

67. Sew a lap quilt for my Meme

68. Sew lap quilt for Mom

69. Sew lap quilt for MIL

70. Work on learning to meditate

71. Spend alone time at least once a month (0/33)

72. Make a list of books I want to buy new copies of

73. Grow pumpkins for Halloween

74. Set up a cookbook of favorites in Mastercook

75. Go camping with #1 in a tent

76. Learn to do origami

77. Take the kids on a picnic at least 4 times each year (0/12)

78. Go to the zoo once a month (0/33)

79. Make homemade play dough with the kids

80. Make homemade gingerbread

81. Start one new Christmas tradition each year (0/3)

82. Try one new herbal tea each month for a year (0/12)

83. Go to a concert or music festival once a year (0/3)

84. Try one new food or new dish each month (0/33)

85. Wake up one hour early each day for a month (0/30)

86. Have one unplugged day each month. No computer. (0/33)

87. Do something romantic for or with hubby at least once a month (0/33)

88. Learn at least 10 new words each month in FRENCH (0/330)

89. Make one truly awesome and decadent dessert each month. No calorie counting! (0/33)

90. Watch all 50 of the top cult movies on this list (0/50)

91. Buy a new camera

92. Do a detox/ body cleanse

93. Write to my Father once a month (0/33)

94. Visit the farm for a hayride/ corn maize/ pumpkin picking grand old time

95. Participate in bookcrossings.com and send out 15 books (0/25)

96. Participate in postcrossings.com and send out 25 post cards (0/25)

97. Learn to belly dance

98. Take a strip tease class/ DVD class and then dance for hubby

99. Buy all new lingerie/ night wear

100. Get a new tattoo

101. Take the kids on a train trip

102. Take #1 to Rocky Horror

103. Complete the Couch to 5K workout

104. Complete the 30 day shred

105. Complete NaNoWriMo once

106. Explore my spirituality

107. Write my will

108. Implement a recycling program for home

109. Take pictures of myself/ have hubby take pics

110. Dye my hair black again – with blue highlights

111. Make a new 11-1 list before the end of this one

A Falling Down Kind Of Day

Yesterday was long and tiring. Fun, too. The kids had a blast trick or treating and didn't care that it was daytime. In fact, considering the number of injuries they racked up between them, it was probably better that they were doing it in the daytime! Malchai was dressed up as William Wallace from Braveheart... blue face and all. Braeden was Steve from Blue's Clues.

1. Malachai fell down while holding the hilt of a wooden sword in his mouth. I had just finished telling him to get it out of his mouth before he fell on it! He scraped the roof of his mouth. Blood and tears but no serious injury. Thank goodness!

2. Malachai fell face first into the edge of a door at one of the first houses we went to. Big bruise on the cheek.

3. Braeden tripped over a root in someone's front yard and went face first full length on the ground. Dirty, possibly bruised knees and an injured pride were the result.

4. Braeden fell off of a porch. He wasn't watching where he was stepping and tumbled right off. I couldn't help but laugh. He was fine.

5. Malachai fell down a total of about 3 more times, not paying attention to where he was going.

6. Braeden fell into a ditch. Too excited.

7. Malachai got a bloody nose. Not sure if this was a result of one of the falls or just because of sinus issues.

They got tons of candy, several bruises and a wicked cool memory!

Steven and I had a nice anniversary, nothing much to speak of. We had a library date early in the day (we are too broke for a real date! And we love the library) and basically spent some time together both talking and doing the horizontal mambo after the kids went to bed.

Jenna had a bad time at her party. No details here, just imagine gawky teenage years and crushed feelings and you get the basic drift. Go here to see pics of her costume.

If you want to read anymore about our Halloween wedding, go here. I don't have the time to go into a detailed post about it again.... the kids are awake and chanting "food,food,food" I need to go take care of that before they start eating each other.... hope your Halloween was frightfully fun! I'll be back later when I have time to post by 101 Things in 1001 Days list!

Later!

Quick note: Jenna is in the paper again today! Go here to view the great article. We are proud of her.... as always!

Here's Your Sign

I think I need to make a sign. When my child/ children start screaming and throwing tantrums in the grocery store I will hang the sign around my neck so it hangs at my back and people can read it. Then maybe they will mind their own business. This is what it will say:

"Please ignore this screaming child. He is in no way being abused. I am trying to teach him that his bad behavior does not dictate what I do or what he gets. We will be leaving soon. If his behavior offends you, I am very sorry. If you think you can do a better job... I laugh in your general direction. Thanks for your patience!"

Think it would work?