Celebrate Gus Day!

I know it's a big no no to cross post, but there are always exceptions to the rules, right? Today marks the second annivesary of Gus' death. Gus died on May 31, 2006 while awaiting a liver/small bowel transplant. He was 16 months old.

I have found it very therapeutic to write letters to Gus. The following is the letter I’ve written to mark the second anniversary of this death…or rather, his “homegoing”. I want to make it very clear that by writing this letter I am in no way trying to make contact with him. Contacting the dead is wrong and quite dangerous. (Deut. 8:9-12). There are deceitful spirits out there that yearn to make us think we are talking to our loved ones when in all actuality we are not. Besides…God has provided us with the only Spirit we need…the Holy Spirit. He will not deceive us nor misguide us. Since I’m certain that the Lord and Gus see each other daily, I have asked Him to share these letters if it is His will….I like to think it is!

Dearest Gus,

It has been two years since we said goodbye to each other. When I think about the time that has passed, I am amazed that it has been that long—yet, then again, sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. I am still able to feel the weight of your little body in my arms. I can even still imagine nuzzling your neck and breathing in your precious baby smell. I know in time that will pass. God comforts me with these memories and I am thankful.

I still dream of you often. My hope is that I will continue to do so until we are reunited. My dreams of you are often funny. I can honestly say that I wake up from them feeling joy instead of the great dread that I could feel in knowing you are no longer here. God uses these dreams to bring me comfort and I am thankful.

Your dad is about to graduate nursing school and I’ve just started working on my three pre-requisites so I can start nursing school next summer. My time with you has shown me that I can handle the toughest things on this earth. Certainly I have not done any of these things—like holding you as your heart beat for the last time—on my own but only through the magnificent power of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Because of this, I am praying that God will bless us with in-home opportunities to care for other medically fragile children—especially the ones that are abandoned in the hospital and have no one. This sounds crazy to a lot of people and I do understand. Who in their right mind would want to get attached to a child that may die?? Who would set themselves up for such heartache?? Well, your dad and I would…and we would be honored to have the opportunity to do so. I have been blessed and equipped with the experience of your death and as I start school, I look forward to the chances I will have to “give back”. God has empowered me to face the tough things and has given me empathy and I am thankful.

As I am aware of the fact that a righteous man’s prayer is powerful and effective(James 5:16), and you my son are as righteous as you can be since you are now with the Lord, I am hoping you will pray for me…well, for all of us Doriots! Seriously, this world is so beautiful yet so dark—so full of sin. I strive daily to live joyfully and I look forward with great anticipation to our reunion. It is hard here though so please pray that we will not grow weary and lose sight of Home. God uses the reality of Heaven and seeing you again to comfort me…and I am thankful!

I love you, Gus!

Mommy

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One Car Family

One car families have always seemed so strange to me. Well, that is until we became one of those families! After Gus was born, we needed to save money so we went to using only one car. We did end up buying a used Oldsmobile (Buster),but we only drove it about a month before it croaked on us. After that we just stuck to our one car.

Some people think we are nuts, but it works well for us. There are several perks: lower gas bill, only one car insurance policy, and we are forced to be organized! I take Pete to school as much as possible and this also works well because parking is horrible on campus. To be able to drop him right at the door also means that we get to spend time with him in the mornings. If he drove himself, he would have to leave at least an hour and half earlier just to get a parking space. Pete has been driving himself to school this summer because parking is much better. Of course, this all works because school and work are very close by.

Having only one car has been good for us….we may just stick to this plan for awhile....or at least until the gas prices drop.

Off With Their Heads!

Pete and I love to watch the Tudors weekly episodes early through On Demand. This afternoon, we watched quite a few beheadings and I will have to say that they were quite graphic. We're talking about serious cringing, folks! lol!! I think we both sat there with our shoulders pushed up to our ears every time someone was getting the axe!! I'm still amazed that people came out to see others beheaded...it is so extremely gross. I know it was a normal thing to do, but seriously, weren't people bothered at all???

I can't wait for next week's episode....Anne's turn. It stinks to be the Queen....

SocialSpark Is Neat!

Well, folks…I’ve been hanging out over at SocialSpark for a few weeks now and I’ve found it to be a real neat place! I love that I have the opportunity to make a little extra money by posting about the different topics offered by the advertisers. Along with all the great “jobs” available, there is also a chance to visit new blogs and meet new bloggers. I’ve come across several blogs that I just love and I’m pretty sure I would not have even found these blogs if we both were not part of SocialSpark.

I also like the design of the profiles at SocialSpark. They are easy to navigate and are chocked full of information about the blogger and his/her blog. Even though I can check my stats through my host, I go to my SocialSpark profile because it’s quick and easy. Because I’m such a glory hog, here’s my SocialSpark profile…check it out and leave me props and comments, pretty please!
Even though I really like SocialSpark, there is one thing that I would like to see changed in the future. When I get a notification that I have a post to write, I would like to have a link to that “job” so I could easily click the link and find out the specific details I need to complete that job. Right now I have to sign-in and search for the job. It’s not a real big deal to look for the job, but it would be nice to just be able to click through…it would save time!

If you’ve not visited SocialSpark, you really need to do so….I think you’ll find it a neat place too!!

***This is a sponsored post.

I Just Know I'm Gonna Weigh Less Now!!

I've just learned that my all-time favorite fries are now being cooked in canola based oil!! Trans-fat-free babeee!!
That means I can eat more, right???? (lol!)

Comment Luv

David from BloggerBarter has posted a list of "100 Blogs Using CommentLuv". These are blogs that are using the CommentLuv plug-in so when you leave a comment, you will get a link to your last post! I appreciate David compiling and sharing this list with us...

Oh, btw, be sure when you are visiting and leaving comments that you are being genuine and not just spamming blogs to get a link...that's just not nice!!

CMA Music Festival

Ya’ll do know what time of year it is, right? It’s time for the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, TN!! I have never been, but I would love to go! I have heard it’s a blast and that you get lots of freebies…best of all you get to see a lot of country music superstars!! Not only do you get to see them perform, but you also get the opportunity to meet and actually talk to a lot of the stars. How cool is that?! My friends who have gone have come back home completely thrilled!

A an easy and free way to get tickets to events like this is to use the Free Ticket Exchange found online. If you already have tickets for an event but you will not be able to attend, you can find a buyer for your ticket. All you have to do is sign into the site, post that you have tickets to sell and then wait for people who are looking for those tickets. If you need tickets then all you need to do is go to the site and see what tickets are available. I can tell you that there are CMA Music Festival tickets for sale!

I think this is neat service because you are able to avoid those extra fees and you also may be helping out someone who is in a bind and needs to sale their tickets. Very neat!

I Cried! Yes I Did!

When David Cook started to cry...I lost it! I really like both the Davids and would have been happy regardless of the results last night. I am thrilled though that David Cook is the new American Idol. What a neat guy....

Hurley Headphones

These headphones remind me of Hurley. You know, one of the Oceanic Six….the six “survivors” on the tv show Lost. Do you remember the first season when he found the headphones and he wore them all the time until the batteries died? I know it’s a tv show, but I felt so bad for him when those headphones finally died! Lol!!

This past Christmas, Nik asked for a pair of “Hurley Headphones”, but we flat out forgot to purchase them and they were even on sale! I know, I know, we are such horrible parents, but when I get out in all the Christmas mess, I don’t fare so well! You can give me a list, but I’ll probably lose it within the first ten minutes in the store!

I do wish I had remembered that he wanted a headset though because I think I would have liked to use them too. Right now, this very minute, it would be nice to have headphones so I could listen to music rather than my whole entire family yapping about having to vacuum and take out the garbage!

Fortunately for me, this Creative HS-600 Headset is on sale right now! For only $27.99, I can have peace and quiet…forget about Nik it’s all about me now! Lol!! Cool Beans!!

Bird Island

Our second stop on the "Islands A-Z" tour is Bird Island!

photo: Helicopter Seychelles

Bird Island, the northernmost island of the Seychelles archipelago, is known as the home of “birds innumerable”. It’s name comes from the huge amount of birds that were reported by a passing ship in 1776. Over the years, the birds started to disappear. When the island was bought in 1967, the birds were almost gone. The owner and his partners have made great strides in building a better place for the birds and, as a result, the birds are returning! Today, there are over 20 species that can be seen on the island!

Not only has the group worked to preserve the birds, but they also have conservation efforts underway to help the tortoises. In fact, Esmerelda, the largest tortoise in the world (per Guinness Book of Records), resides on Bird Island! How neat is that!?

If you visit Bird Island, you can stay at the one hotel on the island, the Bird Island Lodge. There is no tv, phone, air conditioner or pool….so you really, really, really are forced to just take it easy and relax!

If you want to go back and visit Anegada from last week, just check the sidebar for a link!

The Good Professor

As I’m getting ready to go back to school, I’ve been thinking about some of my professors I met during while studying for my B.B.A. Most of the teachers were pretty serious and came to class to teach and then go home. There was one professor however, that was different. He taught the Distribution class and he was fun…quite nerdy, but fun! He had created a game that was played the entire semester and I will have to say that I learned so much because he used this method. He also taught us more than distribution.

Since he was a small business owner (he owned the Hardee’s beside campus!), he liked to share small business opportunities with us. It was obvious that he truly enjoyed owning a small business and found a lot of fulfillment in doing so. He was very eager to share his knowledge with any of us that would listen. Some people really took advantage of his knowledge…some of us just wanted a free burger from Hardee’s! lol!! No, seriously, he was an excellent teacher and I hope that my future profs will be just as dedicated as he was….

Diagnosis: Brain Tumor

I think it's terribly sad to hear that Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor called a glioma. I feel really bad for his friends and family...it's not easy news to hear. Of course, further testing is needed to determine the exact type of glioma. After that, the docs will decided a course of action for his treatment. The diagnosis is grim...people with aggressive gliomas are given about a year to live. If the glioma is slow-growing, the person may live up to five years.

Gliomas stink....

Green Boy Made Me Freak Out

The day we said goodbye to Green Boy was a very sad day indeed. Not only was I sad because I’m sentimental…you gals out there understand!...but Green Boy was our only means of transportation. We’ve been a “one car family” for awhile now so the croaking of GB put quite a stress on Pete and I. We immediately started looking around for a car, but since our schedule has been so tight, we didn’t really have the time we needed to be good shoppers. I started to get really worried and Pete was quick to remind me that we always had the option of a car rental. This eased my mind immensely! Lol!! I swear, sometimes I just don’t think about the obvious!

Anyway, we were able to find a minivan that was a great price so we bought it…well, we are now proud owners of a car loan….sigh. It’s been several years since we’ve had a car payment. It’s nice to have a reliable means of transportation, but it’s hard to turn over that big chunk of moolah every month. Oh, well, it’s a necessary thing, right?

If we had opted to rent a car, we would have checked into Advantage’s VANtastic savings to check the rates for minivans. We could have also opted for a car instead, but that would have been a little hard to fit my family. I guess we could’ve practiced our clown car routine! Lol!!

So, seriously folks, if you are like me and find yourself starting to freak out because your car has croaked and you’re not finding something to buy, then stop, think and remember that you can rent a car at Advantage. Easy Peasy!

The Tuna Has Motivated Me!

Since my dear ol' grandmother, Mama Jo, has breast cancer, I've decided to participate in Bumble Bee food's "Bee Well Miles". I found this last night when I was looking for coupons for tuna...which they didn't have. Bleh!

Anyway, each day you log your miles, you have a chance of winning prizes such as shoes, pedometers, music downloads, etc! You can read more about this challenge over here.

Now, if I can find the key to my treadmill.....

Dumb TV

I just was doing some research and I came across the tv show “Celebrity Rehab”…seriously, is this for real?? I know that celebrities going in and out of rehab centers is “news alert” worthy (not!), but to create a reality show based on this is sad!

I’ve never been in a drug rehab program, but I feel fairly confident in saying that it’s a serious matter and not one that needs to be on tv for entertainment. I guess we can all learn from different things, but sheesh-a-moley, I think this is terrible!! Bleh!!

Anegada BVI

photo: Anegada Vacations

• Anegada: The Drowned Island

• Anegada Flora and Fauna

• Critters of Anegada

• Good Eats on Anegada

Good Eats on Anegada

Potter's by the Sea: Bare Boats BVI

• Potter's by the Sea: Nice little restaurant on the beach. All the fish are caught by the owner.

• Pomato Point: local seafood...sounds good to me! After you finish your BBQ lobster, you can look at all the island artifacts that the owner has gathered.

• Neptune's Treasure: I love the name of this place! I've read that this bar/restaurant makes the best Dark & Stormy ever!

• Lobster Trap: BBQ lobster is the specialty here! I've never had BBQ lobster, but it sounds completely yummy...
  

• Big Bamboo
• Flash of Beauty
• Cow Wreck Beach Bar....all serve drinks, seafood and sandwiches throughout the day.

Flash of Beauty: Bare Boats BVI

• Anegada Reef Hotel Restaurant: dinner is by candlelight and dishes are grilled on a huge open-air grill by the bar. Sounds very romantic...very nice!

Anegada is much like the other Virgin Islands when it comes to food and drink: lots of local seafood and lots of rum!!

This is a recipe from the self-service beach bar at the Anegada Reef Hotel:

Anegada Smoothies

• 12 oz. dark rum
• 24 oz. (2 12 oz. cans) guava nectar
• 3 oz pineapple juice (1/2 a small can)
• ½ oz. grenadine syrup
• 3 oz cream of coconut
• Lightly sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg
  

Hearing the "Cool" Music

Just a few months ago, Jake won a contest at our church. The contest was centered around giving the youth group a new name and new logo. The person who submitted the best name and logo won either a gift certificate or an iPod. Jake was thrilled to find out that he had won! Nik, on the other hand, was not too thrilled because he had actually given Jake the idea that had won. After much family discussion, both boys decided to choose the iPod and share it. In all honesty, I don’t know exactly how it all was worked out because, at some point in the discussions, my eyes glazed over and that’s when Pete stepped in to oversee the “deal-making” session. I believe that Jake ended up selling the iPod to Nik…at a huge discount! Just as long as it was all worked out fairly, I’m ok.

Now that we have an iPod in our home, Nik is always trying to get me to listen to a “cool” song…”You’ve just got to hear this one, Mom…you’d like it!” Seriously, I may like it, but he offers me only one earphone and I HATE to listen to music that way!! It completely drives me nuts! I also don’t have the time to stop and put both earphones on and listen to “cool” songs a bazillion times a day. I know, I know, I’m a horrible mom but I’m just trying to be real here, folks!

So, it is for this very reason that I am going to suggest that Nik purchase this iHome iH80 iPod Speaker System so we can all enjoy the “cool” songs together and we can all be one happy family because I’m not having to deal with the little earphones!!

Right now this speaker system is on sale at Buy.com for $36.99 plus the shipping is FREE!! Seriously, I really do think that I can talk Nik into buying this speaker system and if he won’t budge, I can probably make the purchase myself….but don’t tell Nik that!!

Critters of Anegada

This is post #3 of the Anegada Series. Read more about Anegada here and here.

Anegada has large salt ponds where several different types of aquatic birds hang out. The most common is the Roseate Flamingo. At one time there were hundreds of flamingos on Anegada, but they were hunted and became extinct. Fortunately, they were successfully reintroduced back on the island in 1992. These birds are shy but noisy. Their coloring is a result of their shrimp brine diet. Isn't that neat?

photo: The Conservation Agency

The critically endangered 6 foot long Anegada Rock Iguana can also be found on the island. Currently there is a program underway to bring this lizard out of endangerment. Over the years, feral livestock have been trampling the iguana nests and feral dogs and cats have been eating the hatchlings. Hopefully, the program will help keep all the feral activity at bay and give the Anegada Rock Iguana a chance to thrive.

photo: Wikipedia

Sea Turtles and Hawkbill Turtles are also being conserved on Anegada.

Of course, there are a lot of different kinds of fish that can be found off of Anegada. One of the most common is the Bone Fish, also known by the locals as the "pit bull of the sea"! Apparently this fish is feisty!!

You can keep up with the conservation efforts for the Flamingos, Rock Iguanas and Sea Turtles that are underway by visiting the BVI National Parks Trust. Very neat...especially the flamingos! I would love to see a huge group of them on one of the salt ponds!

Anegada Flora and Fauna

This post is part of my "Islands A-Z" series. You can read more about Anegada B.V. I. here.

Today I'm going to share some of the plants I read about that can be found on Anegada, B.V. I. Enjoy!

Sea Grape Trees: grows well in sandy areas; fruit can be used in jams and jellies. In fact, here's a recipe for Sea Grape Jelly you can try!

photo courtesy of Trade Winds Fruit

Bay Lavender: Also known as Sea Lavender.

photo courtesy of Killer Plants

Wild Orchids:

Photo courtesy of Cow Wreck Beach Resort

Loblolly Trees:

Photo courtesy of Antigua Museums

Wild Sage:

photo courtesy of Sean Carrington @ Plants of the Eastern Caribbean

Gumbo Limbo:

photo courtesy of wikipedia

Frangipani: Also known as plumeria...and smells very nice! Frangipani was actually an Italian perfume that was used to scent gloves in the 16th century. When people smelled the scent of this flower, it reminded them of the perfume and that's how it got it's name! source: hubpage

photo courtesy of Cow Wreck Beach Resort

Poke-Me-Boy: Endangered and grows only on a small patch of limestone on the island. I couldn't find a photo but there is more info here.

Yellow Century Plant: This is very neat plant...it looks like an aloe but it's really more like a cactus. After about 20 years of growing, it will shoot out a stalk that grows around 8" a day! When it reaches a certain height, it starts to blossom with yellow flowers.

photo courtesy of St. John Beach Guide

Of course, these are just a few of the plants found on Anegada, B.V. I. I'm sure there's even much more in the "Outback". I think my favorite would be the Yellow Century Plant...that one is just completely cool!! Tomorrow I'll post about some of the animals found on this island...

It's Windy!

We are having an extremely yucky day! No sun, no warmth....just complete bleh....and lots of wind. Seriously, if we had wind chimes, it would be a very noisy day!!

I know I shouldn't be complaining since so many people have been hit so hard with heavy winds and tornadoes. On the news this morning, I saw several flattened homes...I can't even imagine how helpless these people feel. I found myself wondering what I would do in a similar situation. I think I would have to start digging through stuff to find something...anything that belonged to me...anything that would make me feel like things were "normal" even though they were not. I know insurance will cover most of the damages and that, in some cases, these folks will end up with more than what they had before. I think it still is hard...just very sad.

I hope our winds start to die down soon.....

Anegada: The Drowned Island

I had planned on making this whole Islands A-Z series only one post per island, but I'm finding that there is just too much interesting things to write about and I think one long post would be a snoozefest! So this week, I'll probably write several different posts about the island I've chosen to cyber-tour. Next week may be different though. I'll just adopt the island way of life and be "laid-back" about the whole thing!

map courtesy of Pusser's

I'm starting my island cyber-tour by visiting Anegada, B.V.I. (British Virgin Islands). This neat little island is the northernmost island of the B.V.I and is only 10 miles long by 2.5 miles wide. The island's name comes from the fact that the island is flat and only 30 feet above sea level....Anegada is loosely translated as meaning "drowned island". While all the other B.V.I. were created by volcanoes, Anegada is more like a coral atoll and is almost completely surrounded by the 18 mile long Horseshoe Reef. Of course, anytime you have a reef that large you also have a lot of shipwrecks which make this island a great place to snorkel and scuba dive!

I've divided the island into areas. Our first stop is Loblolly Bay where we find a lovely beach and lots of seagrape trees and bay lavender. Serving all of us on the beach are two bars: Big Bamboo and Flash of Beauty. Snorkeling in this area is great!

photo courtesy of Bareboats BVI

We next head on over to Cow Wreck Beach, because we all know that one beach a day is not enough, right? Like, Loblolly Bay, this beach is ocean side and is just as lovely.

photo courtesy of Cow Wreck Beach Resort

This beach is famous for all the cow bones that washed ashore from a wrecked ship. Uh, ok...can you imagine the people who discovered all of these cow bones on the beach! lol!! Sheesh-a-moley!!

Next we're heading into town which is called The Settlement.

photo courtesy of The Ocean Adventure

This is where the local Anegadans live and here you'll find two grocery stores, a general store, police office, post office, a hotel, a bar, two restaurants and even a library!! The island residents don't carry wallets because all business is done under the "honor system"...wow! That really is laid back!

After checking out The Settlement we'll travel over to The "Outback" We'll know we've hit that area when we start to see mud puddles...these won't be the typical mud puddles though because they will be chalky white. Remember, Anegada is a coral island!


In The "Outback" we'll see a lot of interesting plants which I'll be posting about tomorrow. Just a hint though...you'll see a lot of gumbo limbo and frangipani!

Well, that's a start, folks! There's much, much more to discover about Anegada so check back through the week. I plan on posting about the different animals, restaurants/shops, activities, shipwrecks and accommodations found on Anegada. I hope you'll join me!!

After "Island A-Z"

Here I am starting an "Island A-Z" series when I probably should be starting a "Neat Places to Visit in an RV A-Z" series! Pete would love to own a class A motorhome and travel throughout North America! This whole desire started when we were in the NICU with Gus...his primary care nurse and her husband are huge RVers and she has certainly spread the RV bug! Soooo....I guess after my "Island A-Z" I'll grab Pete and we'll take another cyber-tour. Here's my RV choice!

Islands A-Z

I have been wanting to do an A-Z series of posts for some time now. Since I am going to be going back to school soon and will not be able to do much traveling, I thought I would attempt an "Island A-Z"!! Pete and I love to visit tropical places and hopefully I will discover some new islands this way. I will be posting about islands I've not heard of or islands that are just too completely cool to skip over! If you have any suggestions, let me know!

I hope to get started with my first post tomorrow. I've chosen Anegada of the British Virgin Islands as my first stop!

Henry, Anne and Dex

Well, I've finally finished watching Season 2 of Dexter and have caught up on Season 2 of The Tudors. Pete is catching up on Dexter today. Seriously, we have Showtime just because of these two shows...both are very, very good. I'm thrilled that both will be back for third seasons.

Dexter is one of those shows that just sucks you in. I know, I know, there will be some of you out there who will think this is a bad show because the "hero" is a serial killer, but seriously, it is so well written and the plot twists are so clever that it is almost refreshing! Season 1 was much more gruesome and I will have to admit, there were scenes in S1 that bothered me some. Season 2 has been different though...more dark comedy or maybe I noticed it more since there seemed to be less blood. And oh, it took us forever to figure out that Dexter's sister, Deb, is also Emily Rose from The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Now, that was a freaky movie!


And what can I say about The Tudors? I absolutely love this show!! The costume and set designs are phenomenal. I catch myself trying to imagine what it would have been like to dress the way people did back then. Was it cumbersome to wear crowns all the time?? I know it was the style of the time, but I think the "muffin-top" necklines would have driven me crazy!

Smoky Quartz is Perfect!

I remember eons ago when I got my first smoky quartz ring. Because I had a great job making pizzas at a local pizza joint, I was able to go right out and purchase my ring! This thrilled me because I didn’t have to save for weeks like I did when I bought my Pink Ice ring. Of course, being able to buy jewelry without saving money was easy for me because I did not have a mortgage, gas bill and all of those other expenses that a gal acquires when she grows up!

Now, in all honesty, I haven’t worn that ring in ages and I’ve just realized how crazy that I am! Brown is such a popular color right now: brown and pink, brown and turquoise, brown and red…the list could go on and on. Seriously, my smoky quartz ring is probably more fashionable now than it was back when it was first worn!

When I started looking at Smoky Quartz, the only settings I saw were ring settings. There probably were pendants and bracelets somewhere, but not where I looked. Most people were just interested in the rings. Now there are many different settings. Look at this one below:

Isn’t it beautiful? This piece is 1.25 carats of Smoky Quartz Pendant Necklace set in sterling silver. The Trillion cut gives the Smoky Quartz such a great sparkle! I also love that there are three stones…this could represent so many different things to different people. To me it reminds me of my three children still with us here! The two large silver hearts in the setting remind me of my boys in Heaven and the little tiny hearts….well, maybe those are children that will be coming our way in the future!

Seriously, folks, wouldn’t this be a perfect Mother’s Day gift?! It gets better! Not only is it a beautiful piece of jewelry but it is very affordable too and that’s why I wanted to share it with you all! Right now you can purchase this pendant for 70% off the retail price which means you only pay $14.99 plus FREE shipping and handling!! Do I need to repeat that?? That is an incredible deal and you still have time to order for Mother’s Day! This is a "weekly deal" so hurry and zip on over to order. Right now there is still stock, but you know how great deals go quickly! If you can't get it ordered in time for Mother's Day, let me reassure you that all Moms love late gifts too!!

Drink Mix Sticks

If you haven't tried these, you are really missing out! Now, with this free sample, there is really no excuse for you not to give these drink mix sticks a try!! I love the Peach Tea sticks...

Just head on over to Walmart's freebie page to get your free sample! Be sure to come back and tell me your favorite flavor!

I Blame the Dust Ruffle!

I have a goal...I will clean out from under my bed and it will be spotless by the end of the day! I hate this job because I am always mortified by the amount of crap that has accumulated under there. I mean seriously, it's ridiculous...and I blame the dust ruffle.

See, here's my thoughts. If I did not have a dust ruffle on our bed, then we would be able to see the crap that is under there and would be more inclined to retrieve it all and put it away! And here's another thought, and this one is brilliant, I need a platform bed!! A platform bed would be easy to make up daily and we would not have the whole dust ruffle issue. All the different bedding options for platforms beds is huge right now so I'm sure I'd find just the right thing for us.

Great! I'm glad I've solved my "under the bed"problem! I'm going to add a platform bed to my list of things I want for our house!! Cool, cool, cool!!