I happened across another fabulous giveaway! (Now if only I could win one LOL!)

Head on over to Vintage Rose Wraps and take a look.

So many fabulous vendors on the list. I love seeing new crafters, and love adding them to my "Liked" pages, that way I never do that "Who was that again..." :-)

The Most Amazing Giveaway EVER!

OMG with a capital OMG!!!

I just happened across the most fabulous giveaway I have ever seen! One winner, (yes, that's right, I said ONE winner) will walk away with $10,000 worth of amazing products!

Vendors include: photographers, adorable headband makers, fab party paper goods, vintage jewelry, yummy treats, beyond adorable kids fashion, and SO MUCH MORE!!

Head on over to Laura Winslow Photography to enter!

Here's Another Great Giveaway

Thought I would pass this along as well:
The Tote Buddy and MomsLikeMe.com teamed up to offer you a smart shopper solution.

The Tote Buddy is a cute and practical way to organize all of your reusable shopping bags in one neat and tidy package.

Click the link above to enter their contest to win a flora or black Tote Buddy along with three, orange, jumbo reusable shopping bags.

Seriously?

Yes, there are some seriously WTF?! products on the market right now. Yes, I put the Snuggie in that catergory. Yes, I have a super soft and cozy blanket that I use in my chair when it gets cold. Do I need to have one attached to me? $#@@ NO. NEVER. NADA. I'm totally okay with pulling my "trapped" hands out of the blanket when I need to pick something up, or even "gasp" taking it off when I get up.

This one, the "Forever Lazy" takes the cake!



Okay, I will admit that the idea of an adult size "onesie" PJ is appealing, especially during those two to three weeks a year when it gets down right frigid at night. But I would never, and I mean NEVER EVER EVER wear it out of the house! Tailgating? Are you serious? And the "zippered hatches" are insane! I most definitely do not need a butt flap that my kids would have a field day trying to unzip all the time!

So, fess up. Would you wear the "Forever Lazy?" (Very apropos title I must say.) What products have you shaking your head in wonder?

Stumbled across this great giveaway today, custom capes and tees from Power Capes! Too cute. I know my son would love his very own "Super Z" costume.

Power Capes offers tees, capes, masks and wrist cuffs, with every piece being customizable. They have kids and adult cape sizes. Comic Con fans? How about a custom set for the entire family? With 11 colors and 8 emblem designs to choose from, I'm sure you'll find the perfect Power Cape combo. The best part? All of the capes are mad my women just like me... Moms!

Oh, another great thing; they have a Heart Heroes program where a portion of your Heart Hero cape purchase goes to help children with congenital heart defects. You can even donate a cape to a child with a congenital heart defect. How awesome is that!

Giveaway is open until February 4th!

When this book came across my desk, I thought, “Really?” I mean, who would write a book, let alone read a book, called Sweet Farts; Ripping it Old School? And this is a sequel to boot! That meant enough people liked the first one to warrant a second! Then I read the AP article that accompanied it. “Boys Trail Girls in Reading; Can Fart Jokes Help?” Statistically, boys trail girls in reading in all 50 states. The gender gap has widened to mammoth proportions—as much as 10% in some states, according to the Center on Education Policy. Author, Ray Sabini (penned as Raymond Bean), says “Reaching those reluctant boys, it’s a challenge I take very, very seriously and this is what they think is funny.” There’s also history in there. There’s science in there, the problem of bullying, but it’s the humor that gets their attention.”

Well, Sweet Farts; Ripping it Old School got my attention. It was an easy read. The story was humorous, touching at times, a bit gross (hey, isn’t that the point), and overall very clever. It tells the story of a 10-year old boy who imagines a pill that will take away the smell of farts, farts he is being blamed for in class. The crazy thing is, he and a team of scientists actually succeed. (This story is told in the first book, Sweet Farts.) Now, the pressure is on for Keith to come up with an encore invention for this year’s science fair; something as amazing as the Sweet Farts pills. He hits bumps along the way, including lack of confidence, parent/teacher/and peer pressure, friends who just don’t know when enough is enough, and a little sister who refuses to eat. The story is Keith’s journey to find the humor in things, allowing himself to fail, and picking up the pieces and moving forward.

Besides the bathroom humor, this book has some great messages embedded in the smelly tale. Even kids can come up with some pretty fabulous ideas. Who wouldn’t want liver that tasted like candy canes? Failure, while not fun, is an important stepping stone to success. It does stretch the whole big-brother, little-sister dynamic a bit. I can’t say as I have ever met a ten-year old really interested in his little sister’s well being. But hey, we can dream, right? Overall, Sweet Farts; Ripping it Old School comes up smelling like roses, or should I say bubble gum.

I’ve passed the book on to my friend’s nine year old reluctant reader. I suppose the true test will be his review. Stay tuned….


Ray Sabini is a fourth-grade teacher with a love for teaching reading and writing. Over ten years of teaching has taught him that kids love books that make them laugh, teachers love books that have worthwhile content, and farts can be very funny. For more information on Ray or his Sweet Farts series, visit http://www.raymondbean.com

Emmy Red Carpet look that blew me away...

This morning, I was glancing through some Emmy pics (because yes, yet again, I didn't even know the show was on) to see the latest red carpet looks. I love to see the worst of people who have enough money to know better, right? LOL Amidst all of the pics, I came across Kelly Osborne. I know I've been pretty much out of the celeb happenings loop lately, but OMG! What a change! This is the Kelly I remember:

Bad clothes, even worse makeup... right?
This is her Emmy red carpet look:

Holy Moly!! Has she cleanup up well, or what? She looks amazing. Okay, personally, I like her as her natural brunette better, but props none the less. She looks, dare I say it, sophisticated?? Love, love LOVE the dress! It's so chic, understated, and amazing. Completely blown away to see her looking so fabulous.

Any stars blow you away at the Emmy's?

Broken Birds – The Story of My Momila, by Jeannette Katzir, is Jaclyn’s (Katzir) memoir of her siblings, Shlomo, Shirley, Steven and Nina, and their war-wrecked parents, Channa and Nathan (all names changed). Channa may have escaped the Holocaust, but she carried its horrors with her, ingraining her own fear of outsiders—any non-family member—into her children. Her fear of being left without her family (again) and her fear of betrayal weaved its way into her children’s very souls and colored the life decisions they would make. Jaclyn and her siblings lived their lives well after the war, but always within its shadow.

Raised by a mother whose family, faith, and trust were ripped from her as she spent her childhood fighting against Hitler’s tyranny, the five siblings were taught to value blood above all—including their own husbands and wives. Often despicable and cruel to one another, Channa remained vigilant in her commandment that the siblings remain bonded, overlooking all injustices.

Katzir’s emotions are raw, unabridged, and unapologetic. Her story draws from both the intense love she feels for her family and the misery that her family creates. In an interview with Jesse Kornbluth of Huffington Post, Katzir admits that she "can't trust Steven. And Shirley is too dangerous. She's [her] cocaine…" She knows Shirley is not good for her, but keeps coming back for more abuse. Maybe this time will be different….

I found the story a bit mundane at times, but compelling, heart wrenching, and frustrating. I found myself yelling at Shirley’s utter disregard for her sibling’s emotions. Page after page I wondered when Jaclyn would finally choose herself and her husband over her siblings. I wanted, strike that, I needed to know what would happen next in the lives of these five siblings and their war-torn parents.

Channa’s death opens the door to truths that the Poltzer children have long repressed. Without their mother urging peace and binding the siblings together, unresolved and long overdue conflicts rise to the forefront where they can no longer be suppressed. The Poltzer children must define and redefine their relationships with one another without the “glue” of their momila.

This book is reminiscent of bits of my own past. My mother’s brothers and sisters were torn apart by my grandmother’s death. Since her death in 1990, I have only seen three of my 16 aunts and uncles. My grandmother was not of wealth. In fact, her only “riches” was her wedding ring, which my mother placed back on her finger before her burial. My grandmother had no haunting past to speak of, no bittersweet memories of her youth. She did not face the hardships of Channa and Nathan. Still, her death tore her family apart. Sadly, death tends to bring out the best in some, the worst in many.

Katzir weaves a compelling and disturbing tale of familial relationships and sibling rivalry seeped in the shadows of an unimaginable war that forever marks future generations. It is a story of the bitter personal battles that those broken by tragedy unintentionally pass down to their children, and one woman’s triumph over it.

To learn more about the author, Click Here.

Broken Birds can be purchased at Amazon.com in softcover and ebook editions.

We all recycle, right? But what about reusing? Here are some great tips on reusing common household items.

Got a pillow or comforter that is at its end? Reuse the stuffing in new items. Cut up the fabric for rags (they work great for the garage!).

Don't just flood one area of your yard. Reuse your kiddie pool water on your landscaping and potted plants.

Reuse butter/margarine containers. They make great leftover containers.

There are endless ways to reuse those grocery store plastic bags; cat litter scooping, walking the dog, bathroom trashcan liner, lunch sacks, paint roller tray liner, etc. This article lists a few ways to reuse/recycle grocery bags, but go to the comments section. There are many good suggestions there. One woman even used her grocery sacks as a tie down when she moved.

Got outdated computer software lying around? Music CD's you just don't listen to anymore. DVD's that have so many scratches they won't play? Here's a ton of ways to reuse CD's and DVD's.

Plant the seeds from your fruit and vegetables. Talk about reusing, and reusing, and reusing!!

For even more ideas on reusing common household items, click here.

Have any great suggestions of your own? Please share!

2010: The Year I Get Myself Back #2

It has been a few months since my proclamation to take my life back. And, sadly, I thought that I would be updating that nothing has happened, that I had failed to make any changes of significance. Then, this morning at breakfast, my husband said something interesting. We went out to eat, and I was chatty with the host and the waitress. Nothing new to me, or so it seemed. My husband said I was very talkative today. I said, with a perplexed look, that I was always talkative. He said, “Yes, you were when we were dating, but for the last five or so years, not so much.” At first, I shook it off. He just wasn’t around me in a social setting very often. Then I wondered, had I already started my journey to find myself prior to my proclamation? I think I had. It is sad, though, that it took me months to notice the change.

About a year ago is when I decided to take the position of Secretary on my daughter’s school Foundation board. About a year ago is when I took the plunge and started speaking with the “PTA Moms.” You know the group; very cliquey, very “in”, very hard to ingratiate yourself with. It was slow and innocent in the beginning. I was only interested in volunteering to the best of my ability. I volunteered a few hours to help out with the Book Fair. I helped distribute cookie dough. Small steps. I had volunteered with the Foundation the previous year to help solicit donations for their annual auction fundraiser, then found myself helping with the organization of the event as well. I actually enjoyed doing it. It gave me a sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment. Me. Not Jack’s wife. Not Lizbeth’s mom. So, I decided to take a more active role this school year. When the Secretary position became available, I almost jumped at the chance to join the board. I say almost, because I did it very nonchalantly, as in “If no one else is interested, I suppose I could do it…” All the while praying no one else had shown an interest.

It has only been about eight months since I took the position, but if I look at my life now, there are definite changes. The biggest one being, I have friends. I went a long spell with only a friend or two (not counting family). I am very close to my mom and sister, but somehow that just isn’t enough. I slowly infiltrated the “PTA Moms.” I have had casual conversations about our kids, our husbands, our houses. I have had lunch dates. I have been invited to several parties. I have had Facebook friend requests. I know, sounds silly, but in today’s technology age, FB can be a huge validation. It allows you a glimpse into their private lives that you wouldn’t otherwise see. All in all, I am getting to know an amazing group of women. For some of them, their self-sacrifice is astounding. I feel honored to be part of this group.

And the story will continue….

Did You Make It?

Are you where you thought you would be at this stage in your life? Alluring question.

We all grow up dreaming about being doctors, lawyers, movie stars.... Then, somewhere around high school a bit of reality sets in and we choose something actually attainable for ourselves.

Throughout high school and college, I wanted to teach high school level English. What interested me was Dante, Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Fitzgerald, Bronte, Heller, Salinger…. By the time I finished my degree, the thought of teaching high school age kids terrified me. (Still does)

When I first got married, neither my husband nor I wanted kids. We decided five years later that we did. I'd have to say, I have never been happier than I am as a mom. I love my kids to death. They literally make me laugh on a daily basis. I never thought I would enjoy staying home. Now, the thought that I may have to go back to work depresses me.

So, no, I am not where I thought I would be. But I cannot imagine myself anywhere else

2010: The Year I Get Myself Back

Somewhere over the last ten years or so, I lost sight of myself. Cheryl faded away into the place of forgotten dreams and missing dryer socks. The person that I was stepped aside for Jack's wife, then moved into the shadows for Lizbeth's mom. Now don't get me wrong. I love being Jack's wife. I love being Lizbeth's mom. But sometimes, I just want to be Cheryl.


The literature buff, the artist, the poet, the singer, the writer... All of those things that I once was have been mislaid over time. It is time to recapture at least a part of them; at least a part of who I once was. However, I am not a person with willpower. Let me rephrase. Cheryl is not a person with willpower. Lizbeth's mom is. Jack's wife can be. Cheryl, not so much. Cheryl needs accountability. Thus, The Year I Get Myself Back blog is born.


Each week, I will challenge myself with a new goal, update my progress, or embrace my failure and regroup for a new approach. Please tag along on my journey to find myself. Provide your wisdom and encouragement. Share your own journey.

I Do Not Want to Raise a Digital Junkie

Raising children in the digital revolution is both amazing and challenging.

I love being able to Facebook to keep in touch with friends. I visit my daughter's school website often for updates, events and lunch menus. I visit several social media/blog/advice sites weekly. My two-year old can navigate the computer like a pro. He turns it on, logs on to Playhouse Disney and watches videos or plays games. My seven year old daughter has her own MP3 player and digital camera (a real one-not the kid toy version). That said, am I okay with raising a digital junkie?

Just this weekend, my 13 year old nephew said he refuses to take the bus because the kids are not allowed to text while on the bus. Seriously? This really hit a nerve with me. Is he so hooked that he cannot wait the twenty minute bus ride to start texting friends he just left? Again, seriously?? I told him "I’d be damned before I let my daughter be the same way."

Later that evening, I told my husband I was serious about what I said at dinner. He completely agreed. Now what? What can we do to keep her from becoming a digital junkie? Yes, when my kids reach Middle School, they will get cell phones. I just think it is safer. Although, I am definitely considering phones with good parental controls. That said, I need to figure out how to create a balance. I do not want my children to feel like "outsiders" because they are not doing what all the other kids are doing. I don’t want my children to resent me for my choices. But I also will not tolerate kids who cannot go twenty minutes without their phone. That is insanely ridiculous.

How do I find the balance?

Everyday Magic

My six-year old daughter is a nightmare queen.
Not in the fake scream-bad acting-wannabe horror flick kind of way, in the creepy crawly-spiders crawling up my legs-gotta climb in bed with mommy and daddy kind of way. She has nightmares (according to her) most nights, and ends up in my bed at least three times a week.

I tried the "Imagination Transformation" speech. Basically, you control you own dreams. Whenever something starts to scare you, use your imagination to turn it in to something wonderful. That worked for a day. Maybe two. So, she decided it was time to make a dreamcatcher. She saw one at Grandma's house and asked what they were for. I told her they catch bad dreams in the web which are then destroyed by the light of day.

So, with stuff we had around the house -- markers, yarn, paper plate, beads -- she made a dreamcatcher. I, being of adult logical mind, doubted that it would work. She, being of childish wonder and fantasy believing mind, was sure it would. We hung her creation above her bed straight away. The next morning, she ran out of her room happy to announce that "It worked Mommy! It really works! I started having a bad dream and it just went away!"

I guess I just have to remember that kids still live in that long-forgotten land of wonder and fantasy, where magic is an everyday reality.

The Sibling Sleepover

Okay, I first read about this concept in one of my family magazines (sorry guys, hunted up and down and cannot find it now that I want to cite it), and thought "Okay, waste of paper." Then I started to think about it.

I grew up sharing a room with my sis, so the idea of a room to myself was very exciting. I would have laughed if someone suggested a sibling sleepover to me. But my kids don't share a room. They both have their own room, and are alone every night. They would probably jump at the chance to "sleepover" in one another's room.

So, I asked them tonight if they would like to sleep in the same room. Suddenly it was like I offered chocolate cake for breakfast. They were both very eager for bedtime. So, I hauled out the inflatable sleeping bag (kid size thank goodness) and started blowing. My daughter even asked if they could do it for several days.

Funny how something so simple, and yet so foreign to me, makes them both very happy. So what if they talk for an hour after bedtime. Does it really matter? I remember talking at length with my sister almost every night, until one of us just could not utter another word. And perhaps there is even a mommy-perk. Maybe, just maybe, if they talk long enough, they will sleep in late. Wow, a Saturday morning sleeping in until 8am, or, dare I say it, 9am?? Now that is a foreign concept!

Bubkiss

I sat down to write something new today. Something fresh. Something unique. Appealing. Anything. What did I find? A bit of stale crust, smelly cheese, rotting apples... I could go on and on. But unfortunately, not with a fresh new thought. Funny how some days, my mind never stops. Others, nada. Bubkiss. Squat. (Well it seems the synonyms are running free.)

I can't stand the dry times. I sit and sit trying to will myself to write. Which, of course, only makes matters worse. The longer I sit, the worse I feel. The worse I feel, the slower the imagination. Vicious cycle. Terribly vicious cycle.

I guess it's time to get up and take a walk, go to the beach, the park... Whatever. Just away from the keyboard. Of course the moment I am away from the computer, no notebook in the car, then the ideas will come. And oh how they come....

That is an entirely different problem--when ideas flow freely with no way to catch them. See, I also suffer from a very poor memory. My amazingly detailed beginning to the next bestseller... gone. Lost somewhere between sleep and sleepiness. My fabulously witty memoir entry... gone. Interrupted by a sibling squabble. For some reason, once hatched, I cannot regain their essence. Oh, the basics are still there, but the wondrously lavish details and bits of sensory excitement, those vanish in the caverns of my mind. So many wonderful ideas lost in there. No wonder I have such amazing dreams....

Miraculous Conception?

The subtleties of the silent treatment are lost on my four-year-old. She may notice that mommy is not talking, heck she'll come right out and ask. "Mommy, why aren't you talking to me?" But she has absolutely no idea that I am remaining speechless because she refused to help me with the baby when I needed it. Payback? How does that complicated and juvenile, and all the while ADULT concept even enter her world?

The answer? It doesn't. Plain and simple. Yet it is completely logical to me, at the time. Why do we try to impose our adult standards and sensibilities on our children?

I must keep reminding myself that she is only four. She sees the world in a completely different way than I. And she is not the one who needs to change. I am. I cannot possibly expect her to keep her room clean on her own, or remember to brush her teeth every day, or understand why chocolate is not a dinner side dish. It is my job to help her along in her world until she is old enough to join mine. (Do I even want that? Most days I think her world is much better than mine.) It is my job to ease her in to my world, not expect the miraculous conception of an adult mind in a child's body.

And this is a task I plan to take a long time accomplishing! A very long time...

Childhood Memories

My little brother and I were ten years apart in age. Because of which, there were precious few years that we played together. Being kids of resource, we made good use of our imaginations. One afternoon, we played our favorite make-believe game.
"I am the inter-dimensional voyager. Only I can take you to your destination. What dimension would you like to visit today?" I asked my four-year old little brother.
"The candy road, I want to go to the candy road!" Brian squealed with excitement.
"Step into the inter-dimensional transport, non-stop to dimension five!" We crouched down behind our corner bush until we could no longer see the rest of the yard. "All out! First we must ask the King for permission. Oh, great King of Dimension Five," I bellowed, kneeling before our shade tree—which was almost in the exact center of our yard, "we request to journey through your lands."
Brian knelt beside me, his head also bowed.
"He said we have his permission, but we must not enter dimension six or ten."
"Six or ten? What's so special about six or ten? I bet that's where the good candy is! Hey! How come he only talks to you?" Brian asked with awe in his voice.
I wondered if he could actually see our giant shade tree—totally unsuited for climbing—as the portly, ruddy-cheeked emperor I described in fantastic detail, or was he simply playing along?
"Because I am the inter-dimensional voyager!" I replied with complete authority.
Either Brian accepted my answer as truth, or decided that it did not matter.


This is just one of my memories of my little brother and I. This is how I hope my children are. I hope they genuinely enjoy each other's company from childhood into adulthood. I am not naive enough to think that there won't be rough spots. I'm sure my mother can recall many a story of us not playing nice. However, those are not the memories I hold. I remember sticking up for my little brother when a bully tried to pick on him. I remember how cute he was as a child. I remember the good parts. Hopefully, my children will too....

Invisible Tolerance

The dogs are fighting. The baby is crying. My four-year old is throwing a fit because I want to watch ten minutes of adult TV instead of Noddy. There is this crazy, invisible tolerance line. The crazy part is it is in a constant state of flux. Yesterday, nothing phased me. Today... Don't even get me started on today.

It is days like this when I understand how a mother could harm her child. Not that I would. Never. But I do understand the limits. I do not empathise, but I do understand where the impulse lies. I have to remind myself that it is okay to need a break. It is okay to want a few minutes alone. Guilt always creeps in./