Ecards say....WHAT?!?!

SO, I figured out (even though it wasn't rocket science) that you can actually create your own ecards.  :)  I LOVE IT. 

I always thought that I was creative enough to work at Hallmark, but way to sarcastic.  And here is my shot.

My first ecard looked like this.

This is true to my house.  When I posted it on facebook - my friends seemed to agree. 

It's too much fun making the cards.  I think there will be one for every special occassion at my house now.  And probably a few that are just too sarcastic to even be shared.

Shotgun ready...

No, I am not talking about the new Oklahoma open carry law or the Zombie Apocalypse.
I am talking about my beautiful girls, A, R and K and how their daddy (my hub) needs to have a shotgun ready for all the boys.  Even though my daughter A has a boyfriend, her daddy is constantly trying to intimidate the boy.  Kinda feel sorry for him.  I really feel sorry for the boys that will be dating my youngest two.  Maybe he will be worn down by the time they start dating seriously.

Here is a current picture of my girls:

November 2012


 

This photo along with a whole bunch of others was taken last week by ME.  Yep, not a photographer for fun, and not a professional photographer, but there are several really good ones.  The above pic is one of my favorites. 

Here is another of my favorites:

It was funny some of our friends drove by while we were on the tracks and asked us to not do that - a train might be coming.  That would be really scary and worrisome if we couldn't see 5 - 10 miles down the railroad from where we were standing.   No trains or kids were injured in the taking of these photos.

Speaking of scary:
I did see while searching the web the other day, a Zombie Apocalypse kit that every family should prepare.  REALLY?  Who seriously thinks that Zombies will one day take over the world.  I think maybe some dead heads, that are high on drugs, and refuse to get jobs are getting close, but no - not Zombies.

Great - now I probably won't sleep cause I will dream about Zombies.  grrrrr 

My daughter K told me today that she watched the movie 2012.  (Not sure where that happened cause it wasn't at our house) She said in the movie that NY gets flooded.  So now she is worried about the world ending. 

Great - now she probably won't sleep cause she is dreaming about the end of the world.  grrrrrr.

It's election day also - thought I would at least bring it up here since facebook and twitter feeds are exploding right now.  That is one reason I am on the blog - to ignore those.  I am also refusing to watch the major news networks.  How much time do they need to "predict" and not know the official results until probably tomorrow or later. 
I have voted, and I have prayed that the votes turn out how God has it planned.  Why should I worry when the big guy has it all in control!?

Great - another topic to cause me not to sleep.   grrrr

I have got to get off of here before I talk myself into insomnia. 
Until later.
PH

Getting old sucks.

Don't get me wrong - I am extremely excited to be living another day.  I love the fact that I can see my girls growing to become young women.  I love that each day I learn something new, and have recently discovered that I can handle a lot with just God on my side.

But let me tell ya.  This aging thing just isn't fun. I have been working around the house and outside for the last two days and I truly feel like I am in my eighties or better tonight.  I was a little sore this morning, but after working in the yard and lifting a bunch of heavy stuff today - I am WAY sore tonight. 

So, here I sit, with the heating pad on my back, ice on my foot and a cold rag over my eyes (well not technically while I am typing this), but it has been.   Trying to feel better.  I thought we were out of advil, but I went a digging and found some! Yay!!! 

I am home by myself - which rarely happens, and I thought a few times about renting a movie, but I am afraid I would fall asleep.  I also have a book I started last night, but after reading during breakfast this morning I discovered that I have read the book before.  I have got to start keeping a record so I don't have to read half of a book to remember that I have read it before.  My mom re-reads books, and told me if it was interesting enough for me to stick with it halfway I might as well finish it, even if I have seen it before. 

I think I will go wrap myself, cuddle up, even though it isn't cold at all, and see what happens.  Bayou Billionaire is on. Maybe I will watch those lucky rednecks, and dream about my redneck household hitting the big bucks one day.  If only....

Until another time.
PH

Coach skinny wrap

My new handle:   Coach skinny wrap 
I am so excited about my new adventure.   I have decided to become an It Works! distributor.   I have watched several friends and family and myself lose inches within 45 minutes with an ultimate body wrap. 

The first night I saw it happen, I knew I had to be part of it!!!   So, if you want to see results with firmer, toner, tighter skin...go to my website;

https://coachskinnywrap.myitworks.com/

PH
aka Coach

Clearing the cobwebs

Most of the time, I know that just a few, if any read this blog.  That doesn't even really matter to me.  I mainly do this blog to keep cobwebs from forming in my brain, and to get stuff off my chest.  Plus, I figure one day maybe my kids will see it and they will know just how much a part of my world they really are.

Softball season for R is in full swing.  She is doing well, and I am really proud of how dedicated she is to improving her hitting skills and wanting to be the best player she can be.  I think I have mentioned it before, but I LOVE SOFTBALL!  I so wish I could find a team for someone my age, maybe that would be my form of exercise.  I get really sore when I go out and play catch with R but I know that I need to continue to work those muscles.  Use em or lose em.  And I don't wanna lose them.

K is gearing up for football season to cheer and has been working hard in basketball.  I absolutely cannot believe that she is a freshman.  That's my baby y'all.  That means I am an OOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLDDDDDDD woman.   Anyhow, I love watching her cheer, she is really good and I don't think she understands just how good she is.  I do believe she could go to any college and cheer. 

My darling A, she has put in her two weeks notice at her most steady form of employment so that she can start to attend dental assistant school.  I am very proud of her, not only because she is finally on track with her dreams, but she has really grown up these last few months.  NOW, to find her some more employment.  :)

When I think about the phrase "clearing the cobwebs", not only do I think about clearing my mind, but I think about my mom.  Every saturday, we would take a broom around the corners, ceilings, etc. and knock those cobwebs down.  I know it was something she used to have to do as a kid growing up in the ozark mountains.  And I still to this day do that at my house.  Even if it isn't a regular saturday thing. 

Anyhow, got all that off my mind and chest.  Have a super day.
PH

The great removal

When I was growing up my older sister had warts.  I can remember her going to the doctor to have them burned, froze, scraped, etc.  I remember her using compound w on them at night.   I think they eventually went away, I haven't specifically asked my sister if she still has problem with warts, but I also haven't heard her mention them.

My brother had me convinced when I was younger that my sister kissed frogs and frogs peed on her when she kissed them and that is why she had them. 

Well, my daughter K has been having trouble with a (yes, singular) wart that has come up at the bottom of her hand.  It really isn't THAT bothersome, but it was getting pretty big.  So, we googled home removal options and have tried a couple.  I am patiently waiting for her to awake today to see if the latest one worked.  (it is the second attempt)

What we have tried so far...
One website told us to place duct tape over it.  So we did.  First the duct tape didn't want to stay on so we ended up having to place a band aid over the duct tape and because of where it is at it didn't want to stay on either.  SO...duct tape didn't work for us.  Of course on this website we found the idea there were 100's of people that commented how it was the miracle cure.   May have been for them, but didn't work for us.

What we have learned about warts...
They are viral.  If you are stressed, etc. your body can produce enough yucky stuff and out they pop.  They also have veins, so although you may get rid of the big puffy outside part, you also have to kill the veins, or it will continue to pop up over and over.  They have to be smothered.  If you give them air they will continue to grow.  So we need to smother it until it turns black down to the veins of it. 

What we tried last night...
Found a website with tons of home remedies.  The one we tried last night was apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball, wrapped on her hand.  One person on the website said the vinegar would help cure it and smothering it would help kill it.  So...patiently waiting for her to awake.  :*** Well I am back and she is awake.  The cotton with vinegar made the wart really white around it and really soft.  We picked around on it, but nothing came off. 

What we are going to try next....
We also read that using clear finger nail polish on it would dry it up.  So, after we gave it about 10 minutes air, we painted that sucker up.  Only problem now is everytime she washes her hands we have to repaint it.  We will see how all that works. 

The craziest removal thing I have seen on the web...
One website had a guy make a comment that he let his dog chew on it and the dog finally bit it off and it never returned.  Not sure what kind of dog he has/had and why a dog would even think to chew on and bite off a wart, but cool story bro, now go make me a sandwich...lol 

What we will do...
We are going to try a couple more home remedies, but not too many more.  I will be taking her to the doctor to have it removed if all else fails.   

I know that she hasn't been kissing or picking up any frogs...not sure what caused the wart. But by golly we are gonna get rid of it. 

C is for cookie

C is for cookie, a song that if you grew up watching seasame street, you will know what I am talking about and you are probably singing it in your head right now. 

Not sure what even put the song in my head tonight, and not even sure what this particular post will end up being about....how about things that start with c that come to mind.

to begin:
CRAZY!
Just returned from a business conference in New Orleans.  It was a conference and work by day, tour the town and enjoy the extra time by night kind of thing.  Let me tell you, I expected a little crazy in that town, but I wasn't prepared to be mortified or laugh as hard as I did.   We stayed on Canal street and two blocks down from our hotel, we entered bourbon street.   WOW.  The moment we turned on to the famous street, the smell hit us.  Wasn't sure we were going to be able to handle it.  And if the entire street had smelled as badly as that first sniff we got, I can guarantee we would not have stayed there very long. 

CUTE!
After being away from my girls A, R and K for a few days, when I see them again I realize how cute they are!! :) I love my girls. 

CHLORINE!
The hub kept the pool clean while I was away and added a little too much chlorine to the pool.  After sitting at softball games all morning and not swimming all week, I took a little dip in the pool today.  I came out smelling like I was bleached head to toe.  LOL

CHEER!
I am so ready for the cheer season to begin.  You have no idea. With 21 girls on the squad this year, it may get a little wild at times, but I am bouncing off the walls with excitement. 

COOKIE!
I love me some good cookies, and found a really good cookie in New Orleans! :)

Okay,,,,okay.  I know I could go on and on with c words and say something new to all of the them, but none of them are very compelling.

More one day..
PH

diamonds are a girls best friend

 I am not speaking of the actual gemstone diamond.  

I am talking about softball diamonds.  It seems that lately I am at the diamond way more than I was even when I played. 

I am helping to coach an 8 and under coach pitch team.  I am the most vocal first base coach in the league.  I haven't decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  

Then my daughter R is umpiring this summer at the little league games here and when she has to work, I typically sit down there and watch the games.   

Then she is also playing Tuesday evenings and we are at the ball fields from 4-9:30 ish.    I am a little jealous that I am not playing at all. 

I LOVE SOFTBALL. and I will soak every bit of this up because before I know it and I blink my eyes R will be a senior and it will all be behind me.  

See you at the plate...

PH

Another pinterest try...

Welp tried something else off of my many many pins that I have made.  And for those that know me, know I am not a girly girl.  I have started to paint my toenails though and I noticed last time i took my color off, my nails had yellowed just a bit.
So, I found this pin that claimed - 1 tbsp of peroxide and 2 tbsp of baking soda paste and leaving it on for 5 minutes would take the yellow out and leave bright white nails.

So I am thinking HEY!! I would love for my nails to look THAT white.  I will give it a try.

After the quick mix of the paste (thank goodness I had both the ingredients....lol)  I rubbed it on thick on each of my toenails.  
I would show you the picture of the paste on my toes but I don't have the prettiest toes and it would make me gross out seeing them on the screen!

No - this picture is not of my feet (this is the picture from the original pinterest post)....

Well the paste mixture didn't work.  They didn't change a bit in color. 

Typically I click on the pinterest link so I can read the original link...to see what the project is really about.  WELLL,  I didn't do that this time.  After it didn't work I decided I better check this out.  Shape magazine was the original source of information and it actually suggested that a person use the whitening toothpaste and scrub brush.   

So, after getting smart and reading the directions, I did that.  The nails look great.  It worked!!!  :)  So if you would like to try to whiten your nails...trust me. USE the whitening toothpaste.  

Laters...PH

Low fat, smlow fat.....

My pinterest try today....
I found a recipe for a low fat Oreo cookies and cream shake
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/517684-skinny-oreo-cookies-and-cream-milkshake  this is the original link.

Well, considering I didn't have ice cream and my kids wanted milk shakes...I tried it.  We didn't have Oreos either which probably would have added a lot of flavoring so we totally improvised.   And trust me - fitness pal wouldn't post ours cause we used the FAT milk (Vitamin D, whole)...

Here is our take on the recipe.

It made enough for all of us to have some (family of 5)

2 cups of whole milk
4 tsps of vanilla
1/2 a package of instant Vanilla pudding
3 cups of ice (add more ice if you want it to be thicker)
1 tbsp of sugar

Okay, just in case my Zumba instructor reads this I promise my portion was small, and next time I will use the Splenda and low fat milk that the original recipe calls for.  My kids won't drink it, but I will try it.   They want to try it with chocolate milk, Hersheys syrup and chocolate pudding mix...I will let you know how that works out.

They like the vanilla but I liked it way more than they did.   Here is a picture even though you really can't see it.

YUMMY!!!!

March

Tearing the brackets up...
so MAD.
First of all, mad at myself cause this is the first year that I haven't keep up with the college basketball scene.  Secondly, so mad cause teams are causing mayhem, and third because for about the umpteenth year in a row, I am at the bottom of the bracket challenge.

But this spring break is going to be more than just watching basketball.  

A is still working ALOT, too much probably.  She is becoming a young woman in front of my eyes.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do as a parent is to keep your mouth shut.  It's really hard for me, if you know me very well.   But I am really proud of what she is achieving and how hard she works.  Even when she doesn't necessarily love her job.  

R is going to attempt to get her driver's permit this week.  Kinda nervous about another driver in the family and another one of my babies on the road...but at the same time excited that another one of my babies is becoming a young lady and growing up.

K is having a big week too!  She is my baby child and will be turning 14 on Thursday.  AHHHH!  So, we will find something to party with and celebrate.   Good ideas on Pinterest.  Can't wait to try something I have seen.

My girls never cease to amaze me of how wonderful they all are.

Still doing Zumba and am a fanatic about it.  It is very addicting.  But the hubby has decided to do something about his health (and weight) and we have been going to the track every evening and walking at minimum a mile.  My foot is killing me  - I am blaming the weather front that is moving in - so tonight was the first time that I set down after the mile lap, he finished with R, while I watched.

This wind is outrageous.  One of the worst weather elements in my opinion is wind.  I can't stand for my hair to be in my face, the wind does that, and I don't like my ears exposed to it.  I worry about ear infections.  why? I don't know, but I do.

Had a great time Friday night with some girl friends from my graduating class.  Just a little impromptu gathering that was really a fun time.  I told them, and I will share it on here.  I am so thankful to have friends with so much history.  After all these years, and kids and marriages later, we can all still come together and get along and laugh like we do.   Love times like those.

Planted my strawberries the other day, already getting some blooms on them, hoping that the BIG storm system coming through doesn't totally drowned them.  My next goal is planting azalea bushes on the side or backside of the house.  I am doing to get my outdoor area even if I have to do it myself.

Finished another three books  - started those on Wednesday, here it is Sunday and I am looking for another to start.  I loved to read growing up and I love to read even more now.   My hubby doesn't understand how I can have my nose in a book all the time, its just something I do to relax.

I used to paint quite a bit, but my hands hurt when I do that for too long.  I can take a book anywhere with me.  My hobby follows me.  

Until next time (which no telling when that will be...)
PH