Newly Discovered Oreo Cookies

MAN.

I found - quite by accident, as Oreos are not typically the first cookies I look at during one of my infrequent (truly) trips down the cookie aisle - the yummiest cookies!

They are a Banana Split Creme Oreo. OH. MY. WORD. SERIOUSLY. Now, if you are not a fan of banana flavor, I don't know that I would suggest them. Although they do seem to have tastes of "banana split" mixed in, so it's not all banana. They are just awesome. Really.

They are a Limited Edition cookie, so if your interest or taste buds are peaked, I suggest you go get some!

The Wheels on the Bus....

I am strongly resisting the urge to COMPLETELY throw someone under the bus. I would like to think I am acting with His grace by NOT doing so. But man, is the urge strong.

I just don't understand how someone walks around with this air of "I know everything and how to do everything and never make mistakes" but when s/he does something, you have to look at EVERY. SINGLE. TINY. ITEM. to make sure it was done correctly. (Otherwise you end up cleaning it up yourself...so what's the point of having, "help"?)

Is attention to detail not a necessary or desired skill/trait/goal??? I mean really!

Maybelline

Not that the one guy who reads this will care, but I thought the ladies might be interested. (I know there are a couple of gals out there who read, just never comment...)

I wanted to share information about a couple of the Maybelline products I have discovered I really like.

First is the Dream Matte Mousse foundation. LOVE IT. It goes on so smoothly and never clumps up or cakes up like a lot of liquids do. It really seems to allow powder to adhere very well, too. It seems to stay put, too...doesn't really sweat off. A little bit goes a long way and it seems to be be a pretty good value. It isn't too terribly expensive.

I have also tried the new Mineral Powder and it ROCKS! I wondered whether or not it had oils, talc and preservatives, but it doesn't. This works great with the Dream Matte. It would probably work even better with the mineral liquid foundation, but I haven't gotten to the point I want to try that yet...

The last thing is the Intense XXL Volume & Length Waterproof mascara. I've used another brand for a really long time (and for the life of me right now I can't think of it, but I really still like it, too...), and for some reason just gave this a shot. It's GREAT. It has two sides...one that has the "pre" coat (it's white and works great to separate the lashes and add some extra length), and the other side is the color. I can totally tell a difference in my lashes. It doesn't clump and they really do look longer.

There are other make up products I really love, too, but they are a bit more pricey (I'm not talking about the ones you have to order, either) and I get to the point that I only use them for special occasions, not every day.

The Weekend

This past weekend was FUNTABULOUS!

On Saturday, we all went to the Oklahoma City Zoo. Yes, ALL of us - Pat, me and the two boys Mike and Evan. (Complete shocker that Mike wanted to go!) I will admit that it was entirely too hot and the animals weren't really out and about (except for the swimming bears, which was so awesome to watch), but other than that, it was a good day. Surprisingly, Evan wasn't all that interested in seeing the animals. All he wanted to do was run around (and away from me), open and close doors and gates, pick up trash, and ride the merry-go-round and kiddie train. He was a lot of fun, though, despite being a handful. Mike was just as much fun, but in a different way. You can tell he is really interested in the animals and their habits. I think it would be a lot of fun to go with just him sometime. (Wonder if I can talk him into that???)

The zoo has really changed since we were there last year, and boy, is it for the better. I'll definitely go again this year, but I think I'll wait until sometime in the fall (maybe a football Saturday or something...) when it's not quite so warm. (Okay, so it was blazing hot, but I'm working on not complaining quite so much!)

Sunday was family lawn day...and it was ridiculously hot...until we got sprayed down with the sprinkler by our 3 foot lawn patrol maniac. Evan is all about working in the yard. He LOVES to "lawn mower the grass" and "weedeater the grass" with Daddy. We even tried to go get him this little weedeater from Toys R Us...but would you believe they were sold out? And I mean they were sold out all over the Oklahoma City area. There was not one at any Toys R Us. I think I'll order it.

It was a great weekend!!!

Obsessing Update

Yes, I am still obsessing - but not as badly as I was last week. I'm still at a point, however, where I don't really want to write it all down until I have it all figured out.

I will say that I am completely fed up with the insurance industry and the crap they pull. (There's a little something for everyone to chew on...and agree with, I bet.)

Once I have it all figured out - and particularly after I talk to my agent so I can let you know what he had to say for himself and his company (which should be a riot) - I'll clue everyone in!

Obsessing

I think that somewhere down deep inside I was always aware that I do this, but today's events made me totally conscious and aware...

I found out some information today that really got my blood flowing and sent me into panic mode. (I'll post on it later after I solve my problem. I have this thing about not putting some things in writing until I've resolved the issue. Weird, I know. I think it's just because I would rather explain once than go back and do it over and over.)

ANYWAY...

The point to this post is that after I found out about this &%*@#!^ problem, it was all I could think about. ALL. I. COULD. THINK. ABOUT. Even when I told myself there was nothing I could do today to get it resolved and that I can relax a bit, I found myself going back and back and back. I got nothing else accomplished for the day - nothing substantial, anyway. Ridiculous!!!

Carpet Stain Remover

So I heard somewhere, but I can't really remember where (was it from my "neighbor"?) that vinegar is a natural cleaning agent. Since then, I use it a LOT. I have an old glass cleaner bottle that I use for a vinegar/water mixture. Granted, it causes the place to smell like vinegar for a bit, but only a few minutes.

Wait...I think I found out about vinegar when I was looking for solutions to kill those little black ants that everyone seems to be having a problem with. I saw several sites that said they (ants) don't like the smell of vinegar and it is a natural repellant. That's where I also saw it as a natural cleaning agent. Maybe my neighbor told me, too...I dunno.

SO ANYWAY...the point to this entire blog was this: several days after seeing that it is a natural cleaning agent, I Googled something like "vinegar tough carpet stains" (or a close variation thereof). Lo and Behold...I found a concoction that WORKS!!! (I should say that I have some very tough, very set-in stains...mainly because I am surrounded by boys...but also because nothing else seems to work.)

So here is the recipie: 3 T laundry detergent, 2 T vinegar, 1 C water. Mix together and scrub with brush onto spot(s).

It smells great, too, believe it or not. Now, I did try it (because I had to be the antagonist) without vinegar - just laundry soap and water - and it didn't really work. Not nearly as well, anyway. the really awesome thing is that the spots I cleaned haven't "resurfaced." (You know, like they sometimes do when you clean them and the come back...)

The discovery actually makes me want to get down and scrub the spots out of my carpet. Alas...time prevents me. Guess I could be doing that instead of blogging.

P.S. The ants didn't care about the vinegar one way or the other. Wasn't much of a "deterrent," other than they particularly care for getting doused. I guess that action killed a few, but it didn't make them run screaming from the house...

Blog Hunting

The past few days, I've started poking around and looking at blogs written by people unknown to me. I started by looking at the "Blogs of Note" that scrolls through the Blogger home page. I've listed two on the right hand side (Found in Brooklyn was actually the blog of note, and Pardon Me For Asking is a link on Found). I don't know why these two interested me (other than the names caught my attention first), but they're great. They both make me want to visit New York City, and particularly Brooklyn. I've always wanted to go, but having the opportunity to get an insider's personal perspective makes it even more appealing! Maybe someday...

I found the article below when I was logging into my e-mail. I am amazed that my little neck of the woods is No. 6!!! I think it's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do find it rather funny that the picture is actually of downtown Oklahoma City. Take a picture of Campus or something!

America's Best Places to Live 2008

No. 6: Norman, Okla.

From: www.normanoklahomarealestate.us

Population: 102,800

Miles from Oklahoma City: 17

Typical single-family home: $163,600

People at the typical OU game: 84,860

Pros: Affordable housing, football mania

Cons: Severe weather, football mania

Sit down for lunch at Café Plaid in Norman and you’ll see a little of everything: mothers with babies, students with laptops, and out-of-towners visiting the University of Oklahoma across the street. The café is a perfect microcosm of Norman itself. People flock here from around the world to study and teach—and then to stay and raise a family.

Carlos Lamarche, 36, a professor at OU who is originally from Argentina, had several job offers around the country after completing his Ph.D. in the spring. But he and his wife Barbara liked Norman because, he says, “We felt this would be a great place to raise a family.”

The university not only helps draw educated workers here but also serves as a major source of entertainment for residents. When the OU Sooners play football against their longtime rival, the University of Texas, Norman schools are almost always closed on Friday (you read that right) and the town packs the stadium. That’s terrific if you love all things gridiron. If you don’t, then not so much. Console yourself with the campus’ world-class art museum, which houses works by Degas, Monet and Renoir.

Affordability is another plus: Starter homes go for about $135,000. While Norman hasn’t had huge run-ups in housing prices, the city has also been spared the devastating downside.

Click to Give...

My mom sent me an e-mail with a link to The Animal Rescue Site. The website has a button to click that will help sponsors donate food to animal rescue centers. The same company does The Breast Cancer Site with a button to click for sponsors to pay for mammograms.

I'm putting a link on the side to this site and I hope that everyone will visit the site and click away on all the "Click Here to Give" buttons for all the different causes (tabs are at the top of the webpage).

Little Blessings...

I think it's important to realize that some things that happen throughout the day that irritate you or cause you some delay or setback, are often little blessings in disguise.

Take this morning, for example...

Evan gets a real kick out of unlocking the car and starting it. (He does have assistance and supervision, of course, but he doesn't really know that.) This morning, although I was running behind, I let him unlock and start the car. Of course I knew that it was going to add about 7-8 minutes to my morning, but at the time, the pleasure of watching his little face light up was totally worth it.

Anyway, he starts the car and "drives" it (by turning the steering wheel), plays with the radio, all that. When it was time to take him across the street, I got him out of the car and very stealthily (is that a word?) turned off the car and took the keys. I took him to Liz's, chatted for a few minutes and then walked back across the street.

And what happened??? (Drum roll, please.......)

MY CAR WOULDN'T START.

So, I had to wake up another neighbor (my husband was already at work and there was no way he could come "save" me) and ask him to jump my battery. He so very kindly tried...and then discovered that there was no water in the battery. (So guess when I learned about batteries that require maintenance?!?!?!?) Anyway, he took me to get a new battery and installed the new one for me and I was on my way.

My little blessings???

Well, the first one is that if I hadn't let Evan "start" the car the first time, I probably would have driven to work only to discover this problem all the way in Oklahoma City with no one around to help me.

The second blessing was a reminder that we should always treat people kindly - something that I don't always do. Thank the Lord that my neighbor went out of his way to treat me with kindness this morning, even though I may not have deserved it from him.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

So, "my neighbor" (snicker, giggle, laugh, snort) has told me about Grapefruit Seed Extract and its power to kick a cold or something of that nature in the backside. She's mentioned it a few different times, but until yesterday (after nearly a week of feeling like a baboon's backside), I didn't go to the trouble of buying it and trying it.

OH. MY. WORD.

That stuff is AWESOME. Granted, I'm not completely over whatever I have going on (be it cold, sinus infection or what), but I feel a hundred times better. I am willing to bet that by Saturday I'll be fine.

THE DOWNSIDE TO GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT:

It TASTES like a baboon's backside. The bottle may say you can mix it with water, but I'm telling you - DON'T. Please, take my word on this. I mixed it with orange juice this morning and couldn't taste it. I can handle it that way - but mixing it with water is just cruel and unusual punishment.

My Boys...

Having such a huge difference in ages between siblings can be a challenge. Mikel is 18, turning 19 in November - Evan is 2, turning 3 in October. Sometime Evan really wants Mikel's attention, and Mikel just isn't in the mood. And then sometimes Mikel is ready to laugh and play with him and Evan is acting like a toot. Okay...so that's ALL siblings. Needless to say, having things in common is non-existent. It isn't as if they can go out girl-chasing together!

I caught a rare event on film on Sunday... Mikel and Evan playing together in the sprinkler! Evan was having a B-L-A-S-T playing with his "Bubbie." He really had fun when he was chasing Bubbie with the sprinkler. Unfortunately, I didn't catch that with the camera. Take a look...

I Want to Be WonderMom!

I'm one of those people who wants to do a million things ... who often starts things and doesn't finish ... who often talks, but never does ... Like blogging, for example. I think of things I want to post about all the time, and maybe I'll even do it once or twice, but then I start thinking, "Who wants to read what I have to say?" Or..."I don't have anything new to say...it's always the same thing..." Or...well, something similar.

What I really want is to be WonderMom. And Wonder "person"...

I want to be an awesome mom to my kids and an awesome friend to my friends...and even those who aren't...yet.

Here's what this is all about...for me and anyone who reads it...

I'm going to blog about everything.... God. Church. My kids. My job. My friends. Working out. Products I've tried. Products I want to try. Trips I've taken. Trips I want to take. Movies. Books. Whatever.

So, here's what I would LOVE...

Jump in with comments, suggestions, opinions, links to your own blogs, anything. Just keep it clean!

You know, I'm REALLY excited!!! (Now let's see if I follow through!!!)