**Aloha Friday**

It's Aloha Friday again!!! The day we take it easy. I ask an question, and you answer! Easy Schmeasy!!

My question for today is this.....

Where is the farthest you have been from home?

For me it was England. We lived there for 3 years. While there we went to Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Paris. I think that's it. I would love to go back, but not really right now, LOL. My son would love to go see where he was born. Someday I hope to take him.

Be sure to check out An Island Life for more Aloha Friday Posts.

OK, so do you like my blog makeover???? I'm really happy with it!! If you are looking to have a makeover, Lindsay from Designs by Splat was absolutely great to work with!! She kinda just knew what I wanted. Basically lazy beach, LOL! That picture reminds me of me and John, last time we went to the beach. We had a walkie talkie and there was one in my sisters house, and we were like "Beach to Base, Beach to Base.....our cooler needs refilled!!"

So did anyone watch the finale of ER? What did you think. That show was like an icon. I actually kinda sad that it is over. I'll miss it! It was neat watching the older characters and I'm glad they brought them back. I loved Dr. Lewis, and Dr. Green, and mmmmm I love me a little bita Dr. Ross! Yumitha!

Anyone doing anything fun this weekend. I have a track meet to go to tomorrow, and then just doing stuff getting ready for this upcoming graduation party we will be having. Jeez time is just flying by! Someone make it stop, just for a little while!

You all have a great weekend!

Changes Coming Soon and Thanksgiving Thursday

Hey there! I'm so stinkin excited! I had a blog make-over!! We are in the final stages of getting it together and it should be up within the next day or 2. OMG it looks so cute! Well in my opinion, LOL!

Its time for Thanksgiving Thursday.....

Hmmmm, things that I am thankful for....So many, how to pick, how to pick?

1. For the beautiful sun-shiney day outside. I sat outside for my conference calls I had today. Thankfully Jackson didn't bark and no one remarked about the birds chirping in the background. It was absolutely luxiurious. I think I was starting to get cabin fever. That said, I did hear there is snow in the forecast and 30 degree weather come Monday. *sniff* *sadness*

2. I am thankful to God. It seems like just when I need something the most, a door opens. It amazes me sometimgs. Now if he could only send some more scholarships and financial aid for my son for college *snort* JK!! Apparently I'm rich according to the FAFSA people and can afford to pay the better part of a $28,000 per year education! Whateva!

3. I am thankful for my hubby. I was such a major crabitha last night and he knew it (I'm totally stressing about this college thing and how we are going to afford it), and instead of playing off that (like we normally do, LOL) he just grabbed me in his arms and hugged me tight and told me he loved me. It was just the thing I needed right then and I'm thankful he realized it.

4. I'm thankful for a healthy family, parents, etc.!

Check out What a trip for more Thanksgiving Thursday stuff!!

Now on to other ramblings......Anyone watch Lost? Ok I do love it but I have to tell ya, I'M the one that is LOST this year, LOL! They keep switching back and forth between the past and present and even future, and quite frankly, I'm having trouble keeping up.

Grey's is on tonight, and also the series finale of ER. Dangggg I have watched that show for so long! The last few years I have TIVO'd it but I have followed it. I'll be sad to see it end.

Well thats about it for me today. Just think, the next time you see me and my blog, we could look totally different!!

Weekend Roundup

Hey everyone! Hope you have all had a great weekend and had a chance to rest up for the coming week! It has been a great weekend here in Waldo.

First of all, I keep forgetting to tell you all that John's son and his wife are going to have another baby! How cool is that?? Taylor will be having a baby boy sometime in June! They already have a 9 year old girl. Needless to say, this little guy came as a big surprise! I cannot wait to get my hands on a new baby. Too bad they live in South Carolina. So far away. But we will get a long weekend in with them, I'm sure.

Yesterday the Ohio Beaders had their 2nd Annual Bead Shop Hop. It was in Columbus and we seriously did our part to stimulate the economy! I bought some things with a few projects in mind so hopefully I will get to creating again. I'll post pictures when I'm done. We met some great people who work in the bead shops and even recruited a few newbies that were interested in joining the group!! Ohio Beaders is a great group! I have met some of my best friends through them.

Today we just hung out and cleaned. We are having our driveway and garage worked on pouring cement, etc. John had some serious cleaning out to do in the garage. They start work on it tomorrow. OMG I'm sure Jackson Gepperheimer will be going crazy. Since I work at home, his incessant barking will, in turn, drive me crazy. Ohhhh Joy, Can't Wait!! The end result will be worth it, but I'm thinking I better post a crabitha warning on the fridge for all to see, just in case.

Well that's about all for us. Wishing you all a fabulous week ahead!

Aloha Friday

Good Friday Afternoon!!! It is a beautiful day in Ohio. I'm sitting in my office and the sun shining through the window....such a great feeling!

Its Aloha Friday!!! This fun game was started by Kailani over at An Island Life. Friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. In line with taking it easy, I ask a question and you post answer!!!

Today's question is this:

Were you named after anyone?

My answer is no, not with my first name. My middle name however, is my grandmother's first name, and my mother's middle name and I don't think that is a coinkydink!

So how is everyone? I have had a crazy week this week! Sooo so busy with work. No time for anything extra! I feel like I have been neglecting my blog!!

I am so looking forward to this weekend and relaxing....well sorta! Tomorrow Ohio Beaders has its annual Bead Shop Hop. We have 4 shops on the schedule for tomorrow. What is a Bead Shop Hop you ask? Well about 15 of us are getting together and we will visit 4 bead shops starting at 10 a.m. We will visit 2 in the morning, break for lunch then visit 2 more. All but one have offered us a discount. We will definitely be doing our part to stimulate the economy.

The rest of the weekend will just be pure relaxation.....well after I clean and do laundry. Ohhhh whateva!

Monday's My Favorite Things

You know, I have a lot of things I like, a lot of things I love, and some things I just can't live without. I thought I would occasionally share some of my favorite things with you! Yea I know, couldn't think of anything better to blog about! Guilty as charged!

Disclaimer: This is my opinion only. I'm not getting anything at all for promoting the products I choose to share here. Its just that when ya try something and love it, you want to share it with everyone! I love tried and true word of mouth advertising!

One of my favorite things is this Hot Buttered Maple Syrup candle. YUMMMMM!!




Burn this baby for 15 minutes and your whole house will smell like hot, buttery maple syrup goodness! You will be looking around for the pancakes!!

My son's friend turned me on to these, if you can believe it. I burn candles all the time and he came in one time and said you should try these candles from The Best Scented Candle Company. They have several scents, some of my favorites being Banana Nut Bread, Rose Hips and Lavender (love this one in my office), Dockside Breeze (Love this one in the bathroom), and Cinnamon Bun. Is it any wonder I have a weight problem when I burn candles with the names Cinnamon Bun and Hot Buttered Maple Syrup???!!!! They smell wonderful and the prices are incredibly reasonable! Also, you don't have to burn them in every room. When I burn the Rosehips and Lavender in my office, the whole house smells delicious!

I have included their website below. Check them out for yourself!

http://www.thebestscentedcandles.com/page/1037944

If you try them, let me know what you think!!

On a side note, please pray for Stellan. This is a baby of a mom that many, many people on the internet follow, MckMamma. Her baby is sick with supraventricular tachycardia and they are having trouble regulating his heart rate. Bless his sweet little heart. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Happy Birthday Malibu Barbie, I mean Lauren!!

You know how I like to do a blog post to honor my family's birthdays.......

Lauren is my 1st niece. Actually the first grandchild on our side. I was 18 when she was born and from the day after her mom (my sister) got married, I started bugging them to have a baby. Finally 3 years later, my sister and brother-in-law came home from Michigan to visit. I tapped her stomach and asked if there were any babies, like I did every time she came home. Funny, the answer was different this time. It was a big, FAT, YES!! I couldn't even see straight I was so excited.

My sister was sure it was a boy. Positive. And she said, I know one thing, even if it is not a boy, it will have dark hair and dark eyes, because that is what my sister has and normally that is dominant. I thought differently though. I told her she was going to have a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

On March 10, 1983 Lauren was born. I was so excited I could hardly stand it!

I always called her the "original girlfriend" because there ended up being 5 more neices on that side. I also called her Malibu Barbie when she was young, thus the name of the post, LOL. Although they lived in Michigan, we got to see them a lot and a couple times I went and got her and took her home with me to my mom's. It was like I was playing with a baby doll. I would dress her up, do her hair, and then take her and show her off to everyone, LOL.

Lauren has come a long way since then. The picture above is from her college graduation where she earned her doctorate of pharmacy. She is living the good life in Miami Florida working as a pharmacist for a large drug store chain. I'm so proud of her. She has grown into a beautiful and strong woman!

Happy belated birthday Miami Barbie! Wish I could have been there to spend it with you!!

As far as a weekend update, yesterday John and I worked around the house. It was such a nice day so I got the inside cleaned up and then we worked outside. Today we went to Costco, OMG I love that place, but tell me how to come out without spending over $100....please! Then we came home and relaxed. Tonight he built a campfire outside and we hung out there....ahhhhh I love campfires! Life is good!

HAPPY ALOHA FRIDAY!!!

Happy Friday! Talk about TGIF?!? I am so ready for this weekend to begin!

It's time for Aloha Friday. I ask a question and you comment back with your answer.

My question for today:

Where is your favorite place to go out to dinner and what do you order?

I could eat Mexican food any day of the week, and probably 3 times per day. We have 2 local restaurants El Campesino and Mia Jalepeno and I like them both for different reasons. I love El Campesino's tamales! Yummitha! Mia Jalepeno has carnita's fajitas, which are shredded pork fajitas and they are soooo incredibly tasty and delish.

Thats it, I'm goin out to dinner tonight!

Be sure to check out other Aloha Friday questions over at An Island Life.

Have a great weekend!

How Sad!

I'm so sad! I can't believe Natasha Richardson has passed away. Although I liked her, I wouldn't consider myself a a huge fan. I think the thing that is touching me most is that it sounds like she basically died from a concussion. As the mother of a child that has had 4 concussions, 3 of them severe, it is so scary that one can fall while skiing, hit their head, and hours later be brain dead. I just keep thinking, it could have happened to us.

We call Travis concussion boy. His first one was at 10 years old while sledding. The second was when he was 15 and he jumped on his step-brothers car in a parking lot and his step brother took off. Travis rolled off and hit is head on the parking lot. The third one was while playing football and that was the worst of all. His last one was when he was in a car accident and it was mild.

Concussions are scary! Because when it first happens they act normal, then within 1/2 hour to 1 hour the symptoms start to show. I definitely know what to look for now!

Sorry I have not been posting much this week. 2 people are on vacation at work so it has been crazy busy!!

I did go away this past weekend overnight. Met some friends at the Indian Bear Lodge and we had a great time!!! Sometimes you just need to get away with the girls!! It is rejuvenating!

The funny of the week......I'm not sure how many of you are on facebook. I personally really enjoy it and have connected with a lot of people on there. In fact, if you are on there, I would love to be your friend! Anyway, John came upstairs the other day and goes, "Ohhhh I see you are on Assbook again." I about peed my pants I laughed so hard! I wonder how many other significant others, who are not computer literate, call Facebook Assbook.

Hope you all are having a great week!

Aloha Friday

It's time for Aloha Friday....Kailani at An Island Life started this fun weekly blog post called Aloha Friday. Based on the Hawaiian tradition of taking it easy on Friday and looking forward to the weekend, she asks a question of her readers. She invites others to participate by asking a question of their own. Feel free to answer my question, and then hop over to An Island Life to check out more Aloha Friday questions.

My question for this week?

What is your favorite day of the week and why?

I would have to say that my favorite day of the week is Friday. Work is over, and Mr. Beachbum Wannabe and I always spend the evening together, normally going out to dinner, then maybe grocery shopping or to see a movie. I really look forward to our time together.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKE AND HALLE!

I always like to dedicate a blog post to my family members on their birthdays. Today's is dedicated to Brooke and Halle, my twin neices, whose birthday was March 9th. They turned 10!! OMG where did that time go??? Wish I could find a more recent picture of them together! Well I have one, I just can't get it off of my camera!

I remember my brother calling me at 11:30 at night on 03/09/99 telling me they had been born. I was sooooo hoping for a boy and a girl since I knew my brother was older and probably not having anymore kids. Boy did he show us, they went on to have twin boys.

The girls look more alike than this picture shows, but they could not be more different personality wise. Brooke is a fun, funny, friendly, candy-hoardin, fashion conscious little girly-girl, who loves to dress up in skirts and dresses. Halle is quiet and stoic and is happy to let her sister take the spotlight. Halle loves to sew and play the guitar. Brooke loves to flirt with boys. They both play soccer.

Happy Birthday little girlfriends! Hope you had a wonderful day!!!

Love you!

WE HAVE A WINNER! And Other Stuff

And The Winner Is.......

Drumroll Please......

Mom2kmjx2!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Thanks to everyone that stopped by! I wish I could give all of you one! Especially the ones that have been specifically touched by breast cancer. I'm holding on to your emails. I have a plan running through my head! Such a nasty disease!

Speaking of which, I did my female duty yesterday and went for my mammogram. Strangely, I was scared for some reason. I have no idea why. I should have went 4 years ago when I turned 40 but I have been putting it off and putting it off. I do the same thing with my yearly exam. I usually cancel about 4 times before finally I go through with it. I dreaded it and even on the way there I was thinking, why am I doing this now? Travis will be graduating. What if I get bad news???? Anywho, back to the gram of the mammies, for any of you who are skeered like I was, DON'T BE!! It wasn't bad at all! I will say this, I'm rather large in that area, and I think those plates might be pinchy to a small breasted woman. FINALLY, THEY COME IN HANDY FOR SOMETHING!!!!

In other news, Travis got accepted to the University of Cincinnati and University of South Carolina. We are still waiting to hear from the University of Miami! Whooo Hoooo, that is good news. Now we just have to see what kind of money comes in. Lets keep our fingers crossed for lots and lots, LOL!

Hey everyone, have a great day!! Thanks to all that stopped by yesterday and welcome to all the new followers!!! Looking forward to getting to know you!!

SITS Spring Fling and MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Its the SITS Spring Fling!! Hello to any SITSa's stopping by!!! Welcome to Life is Always Better at the Beach!!





For those of you not familiar with SITS, it stands for The Secret is in the Sauce, and it is a blog that encourages you to check out other blogs and leave comments. It is a great way to meet new people and find blogs that interest you! I have met some of the funnest people through SITS.

All day today SITS will be hosting giveaways! They have some great sponsors lined up with some pretty AWESOME stuff! Heather and Tiffany never disappoint!

As for me, I'm giving away this hand-made breast cancer awareness bracelet, made with sterling silver and Swarovski crystals, hand crafted by your's truly! I apologize for the quality of the picture. I took new ones this morning of it that are better but the cord on my camera is not working correctly. Darn it!!!

Anyway, there are 2 ways to win this bracelet.

1. Comment on this post within the next 24 hours. Be sure to leave an email address for me to get ahold of you.

2. Become a follower within the next 24 hours (You get 2 extra entries for becoming a follower!!). If you are already a follower, let me know!

Winner will be announced tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by!

On to Bigger and Better Things.....I Think?

Well the weekend is over, play is done, parents/ex-inlaws went home. Hmmmm, now do I do, LOL?


The play was incredible. I have to say Travis stole the show! Now in all fairness to the other actors in the play, his part was one that was made to steal the show, but he ACED it. It was amazing seeing everyone clap for him, laugh at him, and give them all a standing ovation in the end. He absolutely loved it and after talking with the director, he hopes to go out for community theater this summer. I got some more pics so I'll be posting those soon.


So now that the play is over, I'm bummed because it is the beginning of the end for a huge chapter in my life. In 3 short months, Travis will be graduating. In 5 short months, he will be leaving to go to college. Ohhhh my, what huge changes. I have dreaded this for so long. I can hardly bear it! I'm so proud of him and all that he has accomplished and I just don't know what I will do when he is not a part of my everyday life. How does one make this transition? He has been such a joy and a bright spot. Sitting here right now and thinking, removing that from the equation of my life leaves me with little to look forward to. I guess I will have to focus on different things as we progress into this next chapter. John thinks I'm crazy, but I can't seem to shake this feeling of sadness when I think of him leaving. I'm so excited for the things that await him. I WANT him to go away to school. And I want him to accomplish his goal of becoming a doctor, or whatever he decides to do because that is subject to change. I want him to enjoy college life, his friends, his girlfriend, his activities.


I love this saying:

"Life is not about the number of breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away."


I hope he has lots of moments in his life that take his breath away.


So tell me, is it normal for a mother to feel this way? Am I crazy? I mean seriously, at times, I feel like I'm going to need Valium to get through it, LOL.


I have a new BFF, Sherri, and she has just one daughter who will be graduating with Travis. We were kidding around saying we will be the ones on the ground kicking and crying because they are graduating. So I know she feels the same way I do. I think my new BFF and I will be spending lots of time together next year!!


That aside, I'm getting ready for a weekend away with some beading friends of mine! We are going back to the Indian Bear Lodge. Unfortunately I can't go until Saturday, but they have lots of cool things planned and I'm really looking forward to it!


I took today, tomorrow, and Wednesday off from work. Simply because I have too much vacation time saved up and will not earn anymore until I use some of it. I figure why waste it so I'm going to take the time to get caught up on my Tivo'd shows and some things that I have been putting off doing.


Jeesh, I hope this post was not too depressing! I'll get through it. Many have been there! I guess the unknown is just scary!

Talk soon!

Aloha Friday

Its Aloha Friday!!! This fun game was started by Kailani over at An Island Life. Friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. In line with taking it easy, I ask a question and you post answer!!! Be sure to click on the link to check out all the other Aloha Friday Questions.

As many of you know, my son is in the school play this weekend. It is called Sugar, a take off of Some Like It Hot. It got me to thinking...

Do you like Broadway plays, and if so which one is your favorite?

My all-time favorite play that I have seen is Jesus Christ Super Star with Ted Neely. It was absolutely incredible.

I love to see Broadway and off Broadway plays. We lived in England for a few years and that is where I got my first taste of the stage. We would wait at the half-price ticket booth for tickets to see anything. Now I try to go whenever I can. This year we saw Stomp, which was a repeat for me, Riverdance, and The Lion King, which was another repeat for me but I loved it.

How about you?

I have a really busy weekend. Last night was opening night for the play and the kids did incredible. We were giggling because the lady next to me was saying how good Daphne was, and I said "My Son is Daphne!" And we kinda looked at each other and started laughing. They have shows tonight and tomorrow and I'm so excited for my parents, and his father/wife, and other grandparents to see his performance. He is quite the entertainer!

From the Recipe Box

Hey there everyone! I tried out this totally awesome recipe the other day and the fam just loved it! It was GONE. And it is not that bad for you either! You can make some lighter choices (like I did) and it still was delish! I love anything with a creamy sauce. I wish I wasn't like that because often times those are the worst foods for you, but sadly, it is the case! So of course this recipe caught my eye. And it uses the crock pot. Easy Schmeasy!! I'm glad I tried it!!

NOTE: I was not real strict on the cooking times, and I left this in for much longer than required, both before the cream cheese sauce was added, and after. The chicken was so moist and tender it was shredding apart and tasted wonderful poured over white rice. The more shredded it was, the better it tasted, in my opinion.

Creamy Crockpot Italian Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 envelope of Italian salad dressing mix
• 1/2 C. water
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used light).
• 1 can of condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, undiluted. I used Campbells Healthy Request
• 1 can of mushroom stems and pieces, drained.

Place chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Combine salad dressing mix and water and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushroom pieces. Pour over chicken. Cook one hour longer or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over pasta or rice.

Enjoy!!

Happy Sunday ~ Weekend Wrap-up

Howdy everyone! Well I can't believe it is Sunday night already. Back to work tomorrow. Well actually I worked yesterday too so it was a quick little break.

On Friday John and I had to go to court up in Ashland Ohio. John was actually pulled over for speeding and ended up with a seat belt violation. LMBO, LOL,LOL,LOL, HAHAHAHAHAHA!! The reason why this is so funny is, first of all, we make fun of John for driving so slow. He is always under the speed limit, or right at it. Secondly, this man never leaves the driveway without his seatbelt on. He was hit head on by a drunk driver in 1995 and barely lived to tell about it. He is adamant that his seat belt saved his life. He wore it faithfully then and continues to wear it now. So when the trooper pulled John over on that fateful night, initially he said it was for speed. John said, I am driving in the slow lane and cars are passing me (I'm sooooo not surprised at this, given his pokieness when he drives). So then the trooper says that there is a seat belt violation and that is what he wrote the ticket for. As he walked up to the car, John pulled the seat belt away from his neck because he had been wearing it for quite awhile and it was getting uncomfortable. It was clearly buckled though!

So we show up in court and they call him up and ask him how he pleads. He says NOT GUILTY. The trooper who pulled him over is sitting there. Well the judge proceeds to tell him that with a not guilty plea, he has to go to trial. Trial? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?? For a seat belt violation? Well they set up the court date and the judge looks at the trooper and says, "Must have been a really slow night that night?" Trooper said "Guess so." So we go back on 3/10. I'll keep you posted.

That night John, Travis and I went out to eat for my birthday to the House of Japan, Japanese Steak House. YUMITHA!!! It was great sitting there chatting with them both. We had a great dinner. Then they dropped me off at the mall so I could get my free birthday lip glosses from Sephora. Priorities Ladies, Priorities!!!

On Saturday, I had to work so my day was shot. John worked on our bathroom renovations, and basically finished them up today! I'll take some pictures. We have no window treatment yet because he is going to be replacing the windows soon, as well as siding the house. OMG I can't wait. It has needed new siding since we bought it almost 5 years ago.

And lastly, I wanted to give you a sneak peak of Travis in the school play. As a reminder they are doing Sugar, which is taken from the movie Some Like it Hot. He plays Jerry/Daphne. Here are some pics of him dressed up in his girl outfit. His female fashion sense leaves something to be desired! These were from his dress rehearsal last week. I'll be cutting his hair so it doesn't show with the wig. He also told me he needs granny panties and panty hose. Ohhh Joy!

See ya soon!

ALOHA FRIDAY

Its Aloha Friday!!! This fun game was started by Kailani over at An Island Life. Friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. In line with taking it easy, I ask a question and you post answer!!!

This week's question is:

WHAT IS THE ONE BEAUTY PRODUCT YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT?

I am somewhat of a makeup fanatic. It's kinda like a sickness, I see something new, I gotta have it! However, I have been committed to Mary Kay skin care products for many years! I don't necessarily use their colors, but every single day I HAVE to use the Timewise 3 in 1 cleanser for normal to dry skin, the Timewise Age-Fighting eye cream, the Timewise Age-Fighting moisturizer, and this is my NEW, CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT PRODUCT:

Mary Kay Oil Free Hydrating Gel.

OMG this stuff is fantabulous! You put it on over your moisturizer and your skin will feel soft as a baby's bum! The biggie though is that it is just not heavy at all. I LOVE IT!

So what is your can't live without product?

Also if you are interested in trying any of the Mary Kay products, I have a great Mary Kay lady who will ship anywhere in the US. She also offers a 50% discount on anything for your birthday! Her website address is www.marykay.com/beffiewilliams She has been great to work with!

Have a great weekend everyone!

PARTY POOPERS, AND MY FIRST BIRTHDAY PRESSIE OF 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE. No not today, on Thursday! You know, I realized today that I have not shamelessly promoted my birthday here on my blog, like I do used to do on my online beading group. My good friend Angel Yoga Diva, (whose name has been changed to protect the innocent) has a birthday the day before mine. We are twins separated at birth and 7 years apart. We are soul sistas, and kindred spirits. She is always my roomie at the retreat or any overnight gatherings we have with the beaders. She is also an Angel Therapy Practitioner and tells me all about my angels, which is always sooo interesting, I just love to pick her brain about it! Anywhooo, (got off track there for a few) we would start sending occasional birthday reminders out to our beading group, ohhhhh mid-July, at about the half year point. Crazy I know, but we just didn't want anyone forgetting what should really be declared 2 National Holidays (February 25 and 26). Can we help it that we love to celebrate, and what better occasion? I love birthdays! Anyone's birthday! Sadly, we have been forced to stop this. Evidently someone does not have a good sense of humor, or they had a a stick up their bum and they decided they didn't wanna hear it! Ohhhh Whateva! I was bitter, but I'm OK.....don't worry!!! Angel Yoga Diva and I were really bummed because the shameless promoting birthday celebrating came to a quick halt. I mean we weren't obnoxious or anything. We would just say little things like, the beaders gathering is July 26th. Hey isn't that just 6 months from my birthday? Subtle reminders like that.

So at any rate, BIRTHDAY WEEK HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!!!!! Its PRESSIE TIME!! OHHHHH THE EXCITEMENT OF IT ALL!! I had to run to the post office to mail a few packages, and when I came home there was a large flat box sitting on the chair, evidently delivered by Fedex or UPS. I look at the return address label and what do I see? Vera Bradley! AND, I die! I ripped that bad boy open and OMG I'm so excited! My sister sent me the Weekender Bag in Riviera Blue (Picture below). This matches our luggage (which is royal blue) perfectly!!







THANKS TERRI! I LOVE IT!!

I also got a card from the mamma with a check which I need to buy myself something to wear to Travis' play that is coming up in 2 weeks. THANKS MOM!! Speaking of the play, I was at the school selling tickets last night and got to pop in and watch for a bit. Too funny!! They are doing a spoof of Some Like it Hot and he is basically dressed as a woman the whole time. Is it weird that my 18 year-old, manly-man, athletic son walks around in high heels better than I do? The girls were telling us they had to show him and the other kid how to put a bra on, which they have to wear for the play. Michael had his on outside his undershirt because "it cuts in my skin." Yeah, welcome to my world dude!

Not much else going on here. Work has been crazy busy. But I suppose that could be considered job security, so I'm not complaining!

I do have a wish to get more organized. I realized this week when I was looking for something that I am terribly unorganized. My office is a pig sty from digging around looking for this piece of paper. Clutter and crap everywhere! I can't stand it. If anyone knows of any good books or has any ideas on organization , etc., I would love to know about them. I'M BEGGING, I NEED HELP!

I guess that's all that's new here at the Beach Bum wannabe household. I suppose if you want to give me a 'lil old birthday pressie, you could leave a comment or better yet, become a follower!!! Just a thought!!! :o)

Have a great day everyone!!

ALOHA FRIDAY

Its that time again. Aloha Friday. Started by Kalani over at An Island Life since Friday is a day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. I ask a question and you post answer!!! Hows that for easy schmeasy?

Today's Question:

What is your favorite TV Show?

Ughhhh I have so many! Thank God for TIVO.

My regular can't miss shows are:

Grey's Anatomy

Lost

House

Bones

I also love reality TV, so here is a list of reality shows I love.

Top Chef

Survivor

Big Brother (OMG LOVE THIS)

The Biggest Loser

The Real Housewives of Orange County

I also record the Young and the Restless every day. I have been watching that since I was in about 8th grade.

How about you???

Wanna See Something Gross???

OK if the thought of finding a mouse in your food makes you want to wretch and vomit, you may want to think twice about watching the video below. I would die if this happened to me.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2009/02/04/balderrama.mouse.in.food.kfox?iref=videosearch

I love to eat out. I honestly do. In fact, one day when I was examining my bank account online, I made the mistake of telling my husband that we eat out too much and should cut back. It was a knee-jerk reaction to my balance that was showing online. I curse the day I mentioned it, because he is making me stick with it! I didn't mean it that much!!

**shakes head**

That said, I have always kinda wondered how clean the kitchens are at the restaurants we eat in. My husband spent years in the commercial roofing business and there are several places in the Columbus Ohio area that he will not go near. I suppose there are times when "What you don't know won't hurt you."

Your thoughts?

VALENTINES EXCHANGE

Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites (Check her blog out, she too funny!!) hosted a Valentines Day swap. I had seen a few bloggy Christmas swaps and they looked like a lot of fun, so I took the plunge.




Last Friday I received this in the mail:





This was from Erin at Everyday Erin She included some fun little things in there!

We had chatted a bit and she told me she is an avid scrapper and I told her I'm a beader but was looking to make a scrap book for my son who will be graduating in May. She sent me a few things to get started. It was so exciting to see what she sent. Now I need to tax her brain for ideas for the scrap book. Actually we have a scrapbook store here in town and I'm going to go this weekend and check it out. Thanks Erin.

Other News here.....

1. Work - Crazy
2. Bathroom Renovations - Not Done
3. House - Mess
4. Hubby - Cooked steak on the grill for dinner.
5. Son - Crabitha.

That's about it for me! Have a great night!

I've Been Tagged ~ and I'm So Excited

I was tagged by my new bloggy friend over at The Sweet Spot in a "bag tag." I have wanted to be "tagged" for forever, LOL. Well I guess not forever, but for awhile now for sure. I have been blogging for a long time and Ohhhh how I have longed to be tagged, or given an award, or something cool like that. Well my dream has FINALLY come true. Thanks TL! LOL, could I be anymore mellodramatic? I told her I was excited and I haven't heard from her since. Think I scared her off??? Yikes, hope not, LMBO!

Anyway, this tag is all about purses, and as I said above it is called a "Bag Tag."

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house. No cheating!

2) You need to put how much it cost:) (This is one of the rules but if you don't feel comfortable with this, I don't care) And this is not to judge. This is for entertainment purposes only, and if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it.

3) Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you’re showing everyone your bag.

OK so purses, of all things, LOL! I actually love purses! I love them "almost" as much as I love shoes. However, since I work at home, I don't have a need to buy many purses, or shoes for that matter.

Here is the one I'm carrying right now:

This is a Liz Claiborne bag and the neat thing about it is the front and both side pockets, as well as the back have magnets. They are very strong and it clicks shut and doesn't come open. Dang it sure looks abused though, doesn't it?

This bag as 2 neat little side pockets that are the perfect size for my cell phone.

And since I was taking pics, I thought I would add a "True Confessions component to this post. I had to take a picture of the inside, because it is disgraceful!! I need to go clean that badboy out!

This purse actually cost me nothing. Big, Fat $0!! My mom has a true love of purses, and she buys some good ones. Her faves right now are Dooney and Bourke and Coach. She gives me them when she is done, if they are not worn out. Hey, I am not above hand-me-downs in any way, shape, or form!

I also want to share that I'm a HUGE fan of Vera Bradley and I usually buy a new one every spring. That is normally the one purse I buy per year.

I have this one from last year and I would like to get this one this spring.

So now I have to tag some other people. Hmmmm, who should I tag......

Lets do.....

Nancy from Meaningless Chatter

Mary from 2 Kai's

Andrea from My Chihuahua Bites

Melissa from Hope Floats

And I guess that's it for now. Thanks for playing along!!

HAPPY BELATED VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE

So what do a couple of beachbum wannabe's do to celebrate Valentine's Day? Well since we live a gazillion miles from any beach and it was freezing cold here in Central Ohio, we had dinner and movie! It was actually a very nice evening. We went to the El Vaquero for dinner where I had a tamale and a taco and a couple of raspberry margaritas, and John had some chimichangas and a couple of very big margaritas. Those margarita's knocked us on our butts. We sat there for a bit and then I had to drive over to the movie, LOL. We went to see "He's Not That Into You." Personally I thought it stunk. It was very slow and I had to wake John up several times, LMBO. So embarrassing when he starts snoring in a full theater. We laughed about it a lot later.

He brought my surprise home on Friday night. The absolutely most beautiful bouquet of roses and lillies.

I kept trying to get a good picture of him with my flowers and this is what I kept getting.

I know, he looks like he is 3. So after awhile he was getting annoyed with me and this is what I got:

Bad, I know!!!! Anyway, we had a great and relaxing Valentines Day. Unfortunately I am working today and then I have to fill in the FAFSA for my son's college. Ick! And of course it is due today. Dangggg, I have to keep a better eye on this stuff!

Have a great day!

It's time for Aloha Friday....Kailani at An Island Life started this fun weekly blog post called Aloha Friday. Based on the Hawaiian tradition of taking it easy on Friday and looking forward to the weekend, she asks a question of her readers. She invites others to participate by asking a question of their own.

Here is this week's question, in honor of Valentines Day:

What is your favorite candy bar?

My absolute all-time favorite candy bar is a Payday.

Wonderfully delicious and soooooo good for you....NOT!! It's just packed full of salty/sweet, crunchy/chewy goodness. I savor each and every bite!! Now you see why I have a weight problem, LOL. Unfortunately I can't enjoy them as much as I like being on WW, thats for sure!

Would love to hear from you today!!

ThanksGiving and Think Thin Thursday

I found this neat little meme over at http://www.odelltrips.blogspot.com/ called Thanksgiving Thursday, where on Thursday you take the time to celebrate all the things you are thankful for this week. I think this is a fantastic idea since I have a tendency to focus on the things that didn't go so well rather than the things that did. Sooooo things I am thankful for.....



1. I'm thankful that my dad is out of the hospital and doing well.


2. I'm thankful that Travis got straight A's on his report card once again. He is so consistent when it comes to his grades. His driving leaves something to be desired, but grades....he rocks!! Wait, that was a little bit negative wasn't it? Oops, sorry!!


3. I'm thankful that my bathroom is getting painted. I know this sounds kinda superficial, but my bathroom has been in some state of renovation for over a year now, so when I saw him, with paint brush in hand, phew was I happy!


4. I'm thankful that I get to take my husband out for Valentines day this weekend.


5. I'm thankful that the wind has died down. Now I have to go out and pick up the pieces of my neighbors roof that are strewn about our yard.


6. I'm thankful for a job that I love! It gets stressful but I do love it!


7. I was thankful that I work at home this morning when it was so windy outside.


8. I'm thankful for may Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Web who my parents flew to Florida to visit. They love to spend time together.


9. I'm thankful for my Brother in Law Chuck who surprised me with a very special card for my birthday that was signed with my late father-in-law's name. My FIL passed away a year ago on 3/7 and he was such a good friend. We had a very special relationship and to see the card with his name brought tears as well as a smile to my face and my husbands.


10. I'm thankful that I got to see Jr. Beach Bum practice for his musical this week. I was absolutely amazed at how well the boy can sing!



Well those are the things I am thankful for. Stop by http://www.odelltrips.blogspot.com/ to see what others are thankful for!! Thank you to Nicole for the reminder that we should focus on what we are thankful for!!


And Now.....for Think Thin Thursday.......


I stunk this week. Plain and simple, hands down, I blew it. I hope to get back with the program tomorrow! I got nervous when my father was sick last week and when I get nervous, being the emotional eater that I am, I started picking, and still haven't quit! I hate when I lose control like that so my goal for this week is to get back to it. Follow the program to the T. I have a goal of losing a certain amount of weight by my son's graduation and there is no way I'll get it if I continue eating the way I am right now. Back to the WW program for me!!



I hope you all have a moment to think about the things you are thankful for today!!

Random Thoughts and Sadness

You know, I love to neb around the blogosphere. I have my list of blogs I check daily, and while I'm there, sometimes I'll click on a random follower, and from there click on another, then another. Generally I have a great time doing this. It is so interesting reading about people's lives, their likes, dislikes, their children, their jobs, their opinions. Yesterday, however, during my daily blog neb, I came across such sadness. It seemed like every time I clicked deeper into the blogosphere I would find a sadder story. If there is one thing that sends me over the edge, it is a sick child. They are so innocent and helpless, and just don't understand what is going on. My heart litterally breaks for so many, but these 2 in particular. I hope I never know the pain that these 2 families are enduring right now. I have included their links below. Click at your own risk....tissues required. If you pray, I know these families could use your prayers today. I haven't been able to get them out of my mind.

http://half12.blogspot.com/

http://www.themcclenahans.blogspot.com/

On another note, my parents were humbled and appreciative when I showed them the well wishes from everyone who visited my blog! They couldn't believe it! They wanted me to thank everyone that stopped by with get well wishes for my dad and Happy Birthday wishes for my mom. He is doing well!! So well, in fact, that they left for Florida this morning on a trip that has been planned for a few months.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening.

Kim

Welcome to Aloha Friday....And Other Stuff.....

Its time for Aloha Friday.....Kailani at An Island Life started this fun weekly blog post called Aloha Friday. Based on the Hawaiian tradition of taking it easy on Fridays and looking forward to the weekend she asks a question of her readers. She invites others to participate by asking a question of their own.

Here is this week's question:


Who was the last person you hugged?



Answer:


My husband John when he left to go out of town for work yesterday. I live for his big cuddly teddy-bear hugs!!


So on to other things.....

It has been awhile since I posted. On Monday my dad was put in the hospital for atrial fibrillation. His ankles and calves were swollen to the point where they were bigger than his thighs, a sign the heart is not working correctly. Unfortunately, he is still in there. They put him on Coumadin and are trying to get his levels up to where they need to be. They would like his Coumadin levels between a 2 and a 5 and right now he is at 1.4. It's been hard being away. I live about 3 hours away, but I am heading up there tomorrow and I'm anxious to see him! And my mom who has been so strong through all of this. She is his rock. When I talked to the nurse on Tuesday morning she said he was very anxious through the night but when my mom got back there in the morning, it was like a sigh of relief for him and he calmed right down. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. He is very afraid and HATES being in the hospital.



Speaking of mom, she turned 70 yesterday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I hope you had a wonderful day!!

People that know me know that my mom is probably my very best friend. She is a constant source of strength for me. I feel so blessed to have her in my life and to have the type of relationship that we have.


Thought I would share a pic of my parents (the couple on the right) with my mom's sister and her hubby, Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Web.






And for the heck of it, I thought I would put my favorite pic of all time of my son and my father from my neice's graduation party. Travis and papa are total buds!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

P.S. Think Thin Thursday will continue next week. With all that was going on, not only did I not do so great, but I missed posting on Thursday!

Kim