Check out my swag-ger

I've been noticing quite a few folks posting about Swagbucks so I thought I would tell you about it too. I recently (a few days ago) signed up and I already have 17 swagbucks, which are redeemable for FREE gift cards and whatnot.

It's easy as pie to use. I know as bloggers we do a lot of Internet searching so you can use the Swagbucks search bar instead of the one you normally use and earn free stuff and prizes. Why not give it a try today?

Repairing wrinkles

I know you've heard me semi-complaining about the signs of aging that I'm seeing on my skin, and a lot of you softly and lovingly admonished me for my perception. Thanks for the compliments! But, as you know, most of us women are hyper aware of the changes are bodies are going through especially after the age of 35.

Being a woman who's five years older than 35 (yup, I didn't say the number), I have experienced quite a few changes all over my body and in my skin. Although I'm one of the lucky ones who happens to look a little bit younger than my actual age, I have still noticed that my skin is changing.

Which is why when I saw the BzzAgent campaign for L'Oreal Advanced Revitalift® Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair I jumped at participating. I've been a BzzAgent since 2005.

For 18 days I have been applying the Advanced Revitalift® Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair SPF 15 Day Lotion and Night Creme. I began the test with fine wrinkles and here are my results thus far:
Overall the skin on my face feels really smooth. Here I am on April 13th. With my eyebrows lifted like that you can see the greases that have developed in my forehead and that's where I have some fine lines. (I never realized that when you're younger you don't even get those creases!) I also have fine lines at the corner of my eyes and some busting out in my smile line.

This photo was last week...


And this last photo is today... I'm not going to say anything about the dark circles around my eyes, but to admonish you not to notice them. :)


I don't know if you can see that the fine wrinkles are a little less apparent. This new Advanced Revitalift® Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair from L'Oreal Paris® helps to repair deep-set wrinkles so you look as young as you feel. The best part is that you can get results in just eight weeks. How's that possible? These products have powerful anti-aging ingredients including Pro-Retinol A® and Fiber-Repair Complex.

The creams are easy to apply - one in the morning and one at night. The day cream is light weight and not greasy, which makes it perfect for wearing under make-up if you want to. The night-time cream is soothing and very hydrating. Both for under $20.

I give this product two thumbs up and encourage anyone who is concerned about deep-set wrinkles to give it a try. You can find this product at some of your favorite stores like CVS, Walgreens, Target and Walmart.

Be sure to come back in a couple of weeks and I'll have another update on the disappearance of my fine wrinkles. ...How do you feel about your skin?

review

Out & about

Forgive my absence today. I have been out and about most of the day taking one child to an appointment, dropping children off at school, going to a parent/teacher conference and now I'm on the way to a business appointment.

I'll be back a little later to visit your blogs, answer your emails and write some updated posts. But in the meantime, please click around while you're here and find something that you may have missed on another day.

Safe and sound

I pride myself on being someone who isn't scared of much; however, there are times when I am in my home alone at night that the settling of the house, the falling of the branches and the swoosh of the wind gives me a start. Just the other night I could have sworn I heard my back door open with a quiet and reluctant squeal. Although I have no desire to throw myself into the middle of a bad late night movie, I had to investigate.

There was nothing amiss, but I turned the outside light on to deter anyone or anything from breaking my private barrier. That is when I began to wish for a wireless security system to scare all the boogie people away. Now, if you are stalking me and think that I am unprotected, you'll be surely mistaken. In fact, when I reviewed ProtectAmerica.com I discovered that they are currently waiving their upfront costs and reduced their monthly cost.

If you're in the market for a new security system or want a more up-to-date one at a superb cost then you should check this out right away. This is one of those things you should take care right away to ensure the safety of your and your family's protection.

Wordless Wednesday: Sibling love

For more Wordless Wednesday participants, check out 5 Minutes for Mom or check out more of mine.

Tweeting away

Deer oh deer

A couple of days while driving down the street (a two-way divided road with double lanes on each side) near my house a young deer ran tentatively into the street. She stopped in one lane, started to trot, turned around to return where she came from and then turned around again to proceed.

There were at least 10 cars in the area and we all slowed down trying to see what she was going to do. As soon as the truck closest to her started to pass she broke out in a run, you know the one I'm talking about - the leap of the deer. The truck sped up so she could get by and she disappeared into the woods.

Now, I'm a country girl so of course I expected to see more deer. I mean where was this little doe coming from all by herself? I thought about her for a moment and decided that I should blog about her (of course!). I turned onto a major boulevard and about five minutes up the road there was a mama deer dead on the side of the road.

My heart just broke. I am sure that the mama and the baby belong together especially since the baby looked so lost and scared. I felt so bad for her and hope that she finds her other family because it's unusual to see deer on that road in the middle of the day.

Sometimes I feel lost like that little deer... I wish I could go home to my mother and curl up on my bed in my own room. But I can't run away so I'll just finish this post and go run the bath water for my little deer.

Monday's Muse: pint-sized inspiration

One of the reasons I enjoy participating in Monday's Muse is because it warms up the muse muscle in my brain. Just today, as I tried to think of something to write for this, my muse was summoned but decided to drift right outside of my reach. Since my muse is often naughty and evasive I thought I would write this one without her. :P

As a writer, and a well-rounded creative person, when something doesn't come to me then I have to look at things that happen in everyday life to get a little inspiration. For this week, my muse is my 4-year-old daughter Amareah. She's my third child and my second daughter, and she is one of the most creative, talented and fearless individuals that I know.

She climbs trees as if she was born to do it. Well, I admit it's genetics: I was a girly tomboy who climbed trees, played with worms and beat up little boys. Her artwork is colorful and normally carefully executed. She says she wants to be a "cooker" and often bugs to help in the kitchen. I recently wrote about how I'm trying to nurture that desire in her at my From Toddlers2Teens blog. And, most recently, she has decided she likes to take pictures. With.my.digital.camera. For some reason, even if I say just take one picture she walks away (as I wince hoping she doesn't drop the camera) and comes back with 10 pictures.

Here is a sampling of her photographic skills...

You remember that little boy, right? He's Andre, my only son.

I actually love her pictures. When I saw the first few she took (I'll spare you the broken ceiling fan and an up close shot of her nose and teeth), I did a little wince/laugh. "Oh, Amareah, you're silly!" And we laughed together.

Then as I kept scrolling through I began to tell her how good her photos were and praised her for being so creative. And... we laughed some more.

This week she is my inspiration and muse because she's like the Nike slogan, "Just Do It" and if I would take that approach to a lot of things I'm working on then they would be complete by now. When she gets home from school I plan on showing her this post and letting her know how proud I am of her. She's my pint-sized inspiration.

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

Do you think your life can take another direction if you look at it differently? Andy Andrews, the bestselling author of “The Traveler’s Gift,” wouldn’t have thought so had he not met a mysterious old man named Jones who called himself a Noticer.

Andrews writes about this in “The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective,” a book based on a true story that combines fiction, inspiration and parables. It’s also filled with nuggets of wisdom and told in a story-like manner that’s easy to read, understand and makes you want to implement the profound revelations, insights and guidance into your own life.

In fact, reading the book made me want to do just that. While reading I made notes in the margins so that I could go back and think about certain aspects of my life. I realize that there are areas I need to look at from a different perspective.

The book centers on the citizens in Orange Beach, Alabama, who have the types of problems we all can relate to: marital, financial, relational, etc. Jones, who turns up just when they think there’s no hope, offers words that fuel change. For instance, he reveals a key to communication in relationships, which is realizing that each person speaks a different dialect. “A person from America speaks the same English as a person from Scotland, but their dialects are so drastically different that often they can’t understand each other at all.” The four different dialects that individuals speak are: spoken words of approval, favors and deeds, physical contact and quality time. Each person’s dialect is what they use to convey and feel loved, and once you understand a person’s dialect you’ll be better able to love and communicate with them.

If you grasp what Andrews is trying to relay in “The Noticer” then you’re probably ready for change. That’s because, according to Andrews, change is immediate, but it’s the decision to change that can take a long time. How long will you take to move your life in a different direction? If you’re unsure, or even if you think you’re going the right way, you should pick up a copy of “The Noticer,” which is being released today. I promise; you won’t be disappointed. I wasn’t.

Also check out the worldwide movement: The Noticer Project, which gives you the opportunity to notice the five most influential people in your life.

review

Mother's Day Giveaway

5 Minutes for Mom is at it again... they're holding the hottest Mother's Day Giveaway in the blogosphere. Don't believe me? Click on over and check it out for yourself. I'm going to enter; good luck to me & you!

Simply Sunday...

The children were out for most of the afternoon yesterday and came home exhausted. They didn't start getting up today until after 8:30 so it was a wonderful, relaxing morning. I was able to read a little and then wander out after my 4-year-old daughter woke me up saying she was hungry.

Eventually they all gathered in the kitchen, we ate and relaxed some more. After a bit I convinced the teenager to go outside into our backyard and clean up a little. It gave the younger kids a chance to play. We climbed trees, threw balls, swung rackets, scaled fences (you know that happens when you combine balls with kids) and cleaned off the deck.

Sorry I don't have any pictures, but we were looking absolutely bummy. My son had on printed pajama pants with a striped shirt, Amareah had on jogging pants with one of my t-shirts and Amber and I refused to be photographed in lounging clothes and crazy hair. The baby was the only one who looked appropriate for being outdoors. :)

I made chicken sandwiches for lunch and the kids went down for a nap. They are still knocked out and it's the perfect time to work on a book review that's due, but I'm goofing off a little watching television with the teenager, who is "doing homework," and surfing the net.

It's really time for them to get up from their nap, but there's something so extra enjoyable about a quiet Sunday afternoon. ... Well, that's my randomness for today. What are you up to?

Keeping it clean

When I lived alone it didn't take much effort to keep my living space clean. After moving from my mother's home, I lived in a small dorm room, which I had to keep clean. Then it was a military barracks that I was ordered to keep clean. When I became pregnant with my first child and got my first apartment, I kept it clean... well, except the dishes in the sink. I absolutely hate to do dishes.

So, over the years I've developed a few cleaning tricks that work for me. Now that I have four children and quadruple the amount of stuff to keep in place; having a system or trick is definitely necessary.

The one that works the best, and I know you've heard it before, is clean as you go. I am getting into the habit of taking something clean out of the laundry room and putting it away every time I go in with something dirty. I don't like putting the laundry away - it's such a daunting task - so, for me, cleaning as I go works wonders.

This works for simple things: When I take off clothes I put them exactly where they should go. When I come into the house I place my bag and any of my belongings in their designated area as well as put anything away I've purchased. Of course I slip up now and then, but keeping things in their place has reduced the amount of stress on myself and has saved me a lot of time.

One of the best things about keeping things straight is that it makes it easier to clean. And, this may sound weird, but I love cleaning products. When I hear about a new product, I always see if I can find it on sale and use a coupon to try it out. I would love to try the Pledge Multi Surface Cleaner after I win $5,000 towards a Multi-Surface Home Makeover (or one of 30 Pledge Prize Packs).

Thanks to the Parent Bloggers Network for letting us know about this great new product. Now, while you're thinking about it, pop on over to enter to win.

Novel discoveries

On the Woman's Bookshelf

The urge to clean, straighten and organize has been festering inside of me for months, but I haven't let it take over. In fact, I've slowly begun to give more things away, sell things and re-organize in an effort to have a more zen-like environment. In order to not have piles of papers calling my name or causing the muscles in my shoulders to feel like marbles. And to avoid the embarrassment of Peter Walsh knocking on my door and finding a month's worth of laundry in my hamper.

Seriously.

My cleaning urge includes the desire to get every single book in this house onto a bookshelf or table, and to read those that I've neglected. I'm embarrassed to say that the majority of my neglected books are under my bed. When one lives in a small house with several people it's often hard to find a home for everything within and it's even harder when those things fuel creativity, dreams, passion, education and inspiration. You missed my point, didn't you? (Yea, I know I could have worded it better.) My point is that I don't want to give away, throw away or otherwise dispose of my beloved books.

Back to the piles under my bed: Upon inspection I, of course, found those that I've wanted to read for years and one of them is the novel "Resurrecting Mingus" by Jenoyne Adams. This book, which was a National Bestseller, was published early in 2002. I enjoyed it so much that I had to tell you about it.

Race.
Extramarital affair.
Betrayal.
Sibling rivalry.
Love.
Interracial relationships.
Marriage.
Sex.

Have I got your attention yet?

Adams creatively weaves all of these life issues into "Resurrecting Mingus," which was her debut novel. Engaging from the first page, the book gives us the perspective of those involved in a way that challenges our beliefs and feeds our urge for entertainment. It speaks of the pain and worry that surround broken relationships, the regret that often accompanies sacrifice and the emotions that are a partner to self discovery.

Even though the ending wasn't quite what I expected, I still enjoyed reading "Resurrecting Mingus" and recommend you read it too. Now, all I have to do is find a spot for my copy that has been rescued from the dark depths of Dustbunnyville. Once you read it, and you'll be glad that you did, come back and tell me what you think.

On the Woman's Bookshelf is a weekly column that I've been neglecting. :)

review

Wordless Wednesday: The kiss

Do you see it?

There's more Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and I'd be honored if you'd check out some of my other photos.

Just me...

My health and weight loss journal

I know it's been awhile since I've written my health and weight loss update. In fact, this is supposed to be a Tuesday column, but I thought that it's better to get it finished a day late than not at all. And - so - here it is.

Let's start with the "fun" stuff: I am still maintaining my weight at 165. That's good news because, if you remember, I lost about 35 pounds since January of 2008. The somewhat bad part of that is I am stuck and I've been stuck for about four months. I'm not going to complain because I could be gaining weight so I'll just be happy where I am right now. I'm going to work on losing the last 10 to 20 pounds I would like to see disappear, and get ready for bikini season. (Yea, that's a bunch of talk... I haven't worn a bikini in more than 18 years and I.will.never.again!)




As far as my health is concerned, I haven't been feeling that great lately. I've been extremely dizzy for the last several days so I dropped into the Veteran's Hospital yesterday to see what is amiss. They took some blood work and the doctor called me today to let me know that my iron is low and that could be the problem. As if I need something additional on top of all of the fibromyalgia stuff.

My fibro pain has been about the same, but I'm glad to report that I've reduced the meds I was taking. You've probably noticed that I've never specifically said what those medications are and it's not because of the lack of privacy issue, it's because I have a stalker. Yup, there's someone who reads my blog and I'm concerned that certain information will be used against me. So, that said, let's celebrate the reduction of meds from about 12 a day to about 10 a day. LOL.

That's not counting the iron pill I started taking today. I've never had low iron so I'm hoping this little issue will correct itself when I get my eating habits together. I don't eat red meat so I am increasing my green leafy vegetables and trying to get more protein.

There ya have it - my health and weight loss update. Now, this isn't just a one-way street, okay? I want to know how you've been as well.

What's in the stars?

Although I don't read my Horoscope everyday, I do take a peek at it if I notice it in a magazine, which means I am always catching my monthly and not the daily horoscopes. I often find it fascinating to read my love horoscope and to find out what the stars say about the future of my financial situation. Sometimes it is fun to go back and read the prior month’s outlook to find out how on target it was.

Are you into astrology? If so, how much do you follow yours and others’ zodiac signs? Share your take with us.

March for Babies

By Frankie

On Saturday, I participated in Prince Georges County’s March for Babies, which is the main fundraiser for the March of Dimes. As a lot of you know, the March of Dimes does research and funds programs to prevent and deal with premature births. I started walking when my fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, partnered with the walk and asked all the chapters to participate. However, even without the fraternity, I would still be involved because something like this hits close to home.

I was born three months early with a birth weight of about three pounds. That I was even born was a miracle because my mother had six pregnancies before me that ended in miscarriage. I survived. Due in large part to the work of organizations like the March of Dimes, and I will forever be thankful.

The walk went very well. I survived. I wasn’t dragged off into the woods of the park by some mythical creature. Don’t you hate it when that happens? The only thing I had to endure was strange looks as I walked for the six plus miles. Why the strange looks? The course was only a little over three miles, but in my email to my friends I told them if I reached 150 percent of my $500 goal then I would complete the course twice. Me and my big mouth! I thought I had set the goal high enough so that I’d exceed it without the extra work.

I guess I should have thought about it further. Because of my, uh, unique personality people get pleasure out of causing me to pay for certain moments of pride. One of my coworkers stopped by my desk on Friday and said that he only had $2 on him but he wanted to contribute the $2 just in case I was on the edge of having to do the extra walking. I passed my goal, but - honestly - I was happy to do the walk twice. I’m just glad I didn’t say I’d do something really embarrassing if I made it to 200 percent of my goal.

I took pictures each time I crossed the finish line as proof of my extra walking. This was my first crossing.
As far as my efforts, I raised $1,042 and my fraternity’s chapter raised over $12,000 this time. It was a good day. If you’d like to sponsor me, and it’s not too late, please visit my page on the March for Babies site. Other support, in regard to the March of Dimes, can be donated in little Maddie’s honor. If you recall, one of our own – blogger Heather and her husband Mike - lost their daughter Maddie on April 7th. The March for Maddie is being held Saturday, April 25th and it would mean a great deal if we, as a blogging family, can continue to raise money in this little sweetie’s honor.

Remember, it isn’t possible for us to help every charity or support every cause, but if we come together and choose those that we can support and believe in this world will be a much better place.

Cook up a storm

When I was pregnant with my last three kids I was cooking up a storm, but I think it's because I just loved to eat. I was always creating new main courses or yummy desserts, and my family enjoyed it as much as I did. Now with three young children and a teenager who cooks, I rarely create anything spectacular in the kitchen. In fact, I was thinking that I need to get bitten by the cooking bug because once my teenager goes off to college then I'll be on my own (in the kitchen) once again.

That's why when I saw the Blessings Abound giveaway for Betty Crocker Mixer Basket I just had to enter. You can enter too, however, please forgive me if I don't say good luck 'cause I really would like to win.

Monday's Muse: It's what I see...

For my Monday's Muse on March 9th I wrote about realizing that my creativity branches out from the written word and my desire to show that through photography. Since that post I have continued to notice beauty around me and attempt to capture it on film... uh, to capture it digitally.

With photography, like mostly everything else that I do, I am impatient. I want to get a perfect picture the first time and move on. What I'm learning is that I often have to reposition, relocate, try again, try again and still try again. I don't always do that, but I haven't given up on trying. And, the best part is, I've found another creative outlet that pleases and entertains me. I also hope it gives you a little pleasure too.

Here are a couple of my most recent attempts:

I am completely enthralled with the sky. Although I've always noticed its beauty, there's something surreal about capturing it.


Each and every one of my children are beautiful and photogenic, but I am always amazed at how natural my son is. He and his oldest sister can throw on a model's face in a minute and without prompting. I love the colors in this shot.


What has you feeling creative this week? Share here or hop on over to Maternal Spark to participate in Monday's Muse.

See Jo, I'm well on my way to finding my favorite photo to put into the frame that you gave me. :)

Search, find with ShopWiki

Each year that pasts I notice the increased products available for babies and toddlers. When my first child was born 17 years ago there wasn't nearly as many products and choices as there are now, and as a new or young parent it can be overwhelming trying to find everything you need.

Luckily there is a great site to help you search for everything you need: ShopWiki, which is a search engine where you can search for the products you're looking for without worrying about whether some sites or information is left out. I am almost past the babies and toddlers stage, but there are still some things that I would like to get.

I think my three younger children would be more comfortable with new room decor combined with better nursery furniture for my youngest. When I am ready to tackle finding products for my young children, including toddler clothing, then I know I have ShopWiki as a resource.

Yanni Voices... so beautiful

The sweetness of paying it forward

My sweet friend Lin, the creative and talented blogger at Duck and Wheel with String, was the proud winner of the free month with their widget displayed. Lin has graciously chosen to pass this “blessing” to another blogger who entered for this chance. Lin and I both received surprises from Jo (Life's Perfect Pictures) for commenting and participating in her pay it forward post, and since we received that honor Lin decided to let someone else get it on the blessings of paying it forward.

So, without anymore chatter, the winner is AddyMom. Congratulations! As soon as I receive her widget, it will run for 30 days.

Home improvements

On Friday, the "yard guy," as I like to call him, came by to cut the grass (front and back), edge up the lawn and clean up the leaves, branches and debris left over. Then a handyman that does some work around the neighborhood cleaned out the gutters. It made my property look much better, I was just thinking that another way to spruce things up would be to get new exterior shutters. What would you do, or what have you done, to spruce up the exterior of your home?

Looking at the Sky on Friday

The sky was really clear today when I went to pick the two middle children up from school. I like how I can see the different colors of the trees.

This next shot is one of my favorite because it's sort of unique. It looks like the sun is attached to the pole. It's actually a flag pole, and it makes me think I can just grab it and take it with me like a flashlight.

Check out other participants of Looking at the Sky on Friday.

Earth Day giveaway at Cutie Booty Cakes

To recognize Earth Month and to pass on information that can assist other families in being more conscious of their green footprint, Renee (thanks to Walmart) at Cutie Booty Cakes is giving away:

One Brita Digital Water Filter (value: $34.98)
One Bissel Little Green Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner (value: $74.88)
Greenworks Cleaners
White Cloud Recycled Toilet Paper
Tide Coldwater Detergent

I would love to win this giveaway because in this woman's world the carpets are dirty and we're not finished Spring cleaning. :) Pop on over to Cutie Booty Cakes to find out how to enter. Good luck.

Star Trek fans get ready

If you don't know me then you'd think that I'm writing about Star Trek just to make a little extra mullah. Although I understand that reasoning, I'm going to challenge you to get to know me just a little bit more today.

I am a Star Trek fan. There I've said it and yes, I admit that if you've had suspicious about my nerd status then now you know for sure. I am a bonafide nerd and proud of it. HOW.EVER, I'm not the kind who knows all the characters names, affiliations and alien status. I don't know about all of the ships or the planets they've visited, but there is a lot that I know including the fact that I really enjoy Star Trek.

One thing I know for sure is that whether you're a old-time fan of the original Star Trek or a lover of the ultra sexy Captain Jean-Luc Picard then you're curious about the upcoming Star Trek movie. Honestly, I can't wait to see it.

It's Star Trek. Nuff said.

Now go ahead and make your plans now to go see the movie, which is coming out May 8th, and get ready for the Star Trek Movie Launch by getting your tickets in advance at Fandango before they're sold out. You don't have to wait 'til the opening day to get a peek though, check out the trailers and clips.

Initial & shorthand corrections

If you're the parent of a teenager, like I am, then you know what it's like to get corrected by your child on all things hip, cool and anything else they think you're doing or saying wrong. In a recent post, I referred to my daughter's godfather - who is my best friend - as my BF. I have been told that BF = Boy Friend.

Imagine my surprise when my teen daughter was standing directly outside of the bathroom door when I came out to ask me who my BF was. I'd told her to read the post about my day and I didn't see how that was the most important part. As I was explaining she was slowly shaking her head "no" and giving me the "you're so wrong again" look.

Now, if any of you other parents knew this and didn't tell me then you should be ashamed of yourselves! Aren't we supposed to stick together? I've also written other posts that included my BF Michael (yup, I'm not gonna change it now) and no one said a word.

Well, I guess I'll change it next time.

Now I have to think of something to call my best friend and my best friend forever Frankie. This doesn't make sense to me because if BFF = best friend forever then why doesn't... you know what... why am I even trying to make sense of this?

What hip slang have you messed up? I just messed that up by saying hip, didn't I?

Wordless Wednesday: Afternoon activities

For more Wordless Wednesday check out 5 Minutes for Mom or my very own posts.

Neatly folded

It's no surprise that I'm not the biggest fan of doing laundry. I don't mind loading the clothes into the washer and dryer, but I absolutely detest putting them away. The worse items to fold and store are the blankets and sheets.

Now there's a product that is supposed to make the job of folding and putting sheets away a little easier. Styled Simple recently introduced the Fit & Fold, a "simple-to-use product" that is touted as making it easy to fold and apply your fitted sheets.

You're familiar with those dreaded fitted sheet, right? Although I find it fairly easy to get them turned into the correct direction and fitted onto the toddler beds, when it comes to my king-sized bed that's a different story. There have been times when I flipped the sheet several times trying to get it in the right direction and when I'm trying to put one away after doing the laundry I have trouble getting the corners tucked correctly or it folded to the right size or shape. And, let's not even talk about how bumpy it is.

That's where the Fit & Fold comes in for me. When I first tried this doohickey, I took it out of the box, read the directions and applied it to an old king-sized sheet that I use as a throw clothe. I knew if it was on a sheet that I use regularly then I wouldn't remove it to try it on another size. After a little trial and error I applied the two buttons with pull tags, the two buttons without pull tags and the four snaps that were labeled with the appropriate corner's name.

Once I got them all in place I attempted to fold my sheet. At first, it was a little difficult with the king-sized sheet because I thought I had to completely expand my arms to get the sheet smooth. I kept going and ended up with a nicely folded sheet.


Darn it, I thought, I should have put it on my favorite sheets. Moving it is no problem though IF you read the directions. I removed the snaps in the wrong order and couldn't get the two sets of underside snaps apart. This could have been because of the reduced strength in my hands, but you'll have to find that out for yourself.


My next "test subject" was a fitted toddler/crib sheet (above). Folding that sheet was a piece of cake. I was impressed with the folded result of both fitted sheets. After testing Fit & Fold on both sheets I wish that I had a set for each of my sheets: We use three crib/toddler bed, one full size and one king size sheets each week. I didn't like removing the Fit & Fold from the sheets to put them on another sheet because once it's folded you can't remove it without unfolding it.

Below you'll see the parts needed for each sheet. Notice the green snaps at the top of the picture? I hadn't gotten those apart yet when I took that. If you unhook the snaps before they're separated from the sheet then this won't happen.


All in all, I'd say the Fit & Fold is a great product to make one of those dreaded laundry tasks a little more pleasant. Just add $9.99 per set to your budget to make the task easier for you too.

review

Served, dazed, locked

I knew it was coming so I was not surprised. I was expecting it, but I was still dreading it. The sheriff served my divorce papers today. It's a little funny because I was pulling my van out of the driveway, on my way to the courthouse to find out if they'd been file, and to try and get a copy.

When I turned to see if the coast was clear a police car stopped in front of my house. Being the "smile around people" type of person, I popped out of my van and said, "Hey, I was just on my way to the courthouse to see about those."

He was very nice. Apologized for mispronouncing my name and recommended that I have my lawyer look at them right away.

Now don't take my flippant attitude for calm about this situation. As a matter of fact, I was in somewhat of a daze as I drove to Walmart to exchange an ink cartridge. (Yup, got the wrong one earlier.) I tried to call my BFF, but he wasn't available so I called the BF to let him know I'd been served.

Arriving at Walmart I jumped out of the van, slammed the door and immediately said, "Sh*t!" Unfortunately, my mouth seems to get dirtier by the day.

"What?" BF asked.

"I locked my keys in the car."

If I was in denial that my pending divorce wasn't bothering me; the reality smacked me right upside my head with a slam of the door. Lucky for me - and I am choosing my words carefully here - I was in a colorful area and knew that it would be a matter of finding the right person to help me.

I spotted them right away. Two young Walmart employees were gathering carts. I approached them and said, "Excuse me, I know this may sound weird, but do you know how to break into a car?"

"What type is it?" One asked.

Fifteen minutes later the keys were in my hands and my heroes went on about their day. Now, I must say, I will never complain about that Walmart again.

Guess who's a part of the "It's a Woman's World" team?

Hello all. This is Petula's favorite loser (oh, I'm sorry) BFF Frankie. Petula has seen fit to make me a part of the blog team - an honor of which I am really proud. I don't believe I'd write for anyone else. Anyway, I wanted to introduce myself and say a couple of things that I think should be said (and I'm the one to say it).

My name is Frankie. Actually that's not my name, but that's what Petula calls me. I am a chemist by training and trade. I have been Petula's friend for about 23 years. (Which is amazing 'cause Petula is so young and I am sooo old.) Uhhh... and I guess you'll find out other things as we go along.

In my humble opinion, Petula is a wonderful person, writer, mother, woman and, most of all, friend. She is sometimes hard on herself (aren't we all though?), but she is funny, insightful, caring and beautiful (inside and out). Those of us who frequently read "IAWW" already know this, don't we? So, if you are just passing by take it from me, it would be worth your while to come back, keep up, subscribe and please comment. Oh, if you need editing services then she's extremely good at that too. (Lord knows she gives me the business cause I'll mess up with the quickness.)

Just to let you know, Petula has NO idea I am posting this so I am interested in how quickly she'll notice this post and take it down. So as I said in my Monday's Muse post, I hope my writing doesn't bring down the quality too far and I hope you enjoy my interjections. I'm sure I will and I'm also sure I'll be in trouble a whole bunch.

Peace and blessings my new friends!

Frankie

Who won the widget?

Not too long ago Jo (Life's Perfect Pictures) challenged us - her friends and readers - to pay it forward by doing something for a blogger or something in our community. I told you, in a previous post, that I already donate clothes and items to my local Goodwill as well as give away whatever we're not using to friends or fellow FreeCyclers.

The second thing I decided to do was give away premium ad/widget space here on my blog from April 13th to May 13th. Since I wasn't able to get online yesterday, I didn't have an opportunity to reveal who won the space. So I am doing that now. The winner's widget will run from today, April 14th to May 14th.

It was quite a difficult and long decision-making process. First, I had to implement a highly complicated drawing system and then input all of the entrants' information. After that the winner was randomly chosen.

I just gave myself a little chuckle because I actually kind of stole that little scenario (give or take) from Lin. What I actually did was swivel my chair to face my teenager who has a desk behind mine and I said, "Give me a number between one and five." She chose number four, which corresponded with...

guess who?

... LIN of Duck & Wheel with String!

It's pretty fabulous that Lin won the space because she's one of the best blogging friends that I have. She's creative, nice, caring and an absolute hoot. It's also pretty cool that she won because her widget is on my Entrecard today.

Congratulations Lin!

Kinda connected

First, let me say: 1) Thank you to my BF Michael who has gotten me connected to the Internet and is still working on getting my wireless connection and network back up. 2) Thank you to my BFF Frankie for keeping track of my email, dropping and writing yesterday's post. I can always count on him! By the way, I think I'm going to figure out how to add him as a contributor or whatever so it says that he's posted instead of my name. Frankie, you'll officially be a contributor to "It's a woman's world!" (Gotta have men here too, right?)

Second, I am so freaking happy to be back online. I actually had withdrawal symptoms. I stomped around, yelled, pouted and finagled another pot of coffee to "make me feel better." However, I must admit that I was able to open a good bit of old mail, file a couple of papers, process some paperwork, read part of a book that I'm reviewing and, most importantly, I relaxed for an hour and used the time to moisturize, apply cuticle oil, read a couple of magazines and another book I'm reading just for fun.

Now, although I don't have many work hours left today, I hope to get back on track with my to-do list and daily work. I'll see you around, okay?

BTW: How was your Monday?

Disconnected

"I wish I could say I am on an impromptu vacation," Petula said. That is what she said after she vented about her broken modem situation. If you haven't figured it out yet this isn't Petula. This is Frankie, the dutiful assistant/BFF relaying her dismay. Petula is upset and sorry that she isn't able to post today's Monday's Muse, the winner of the Pay It Forward ad/widget and a promised product review.

She hopes to be back in the business of blogging tomorrow and I hope so too because I know blogging makes her happy and she is so much better at it than I am.

Seeing the same

"The more things change, the more they are the same."
-Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, Les Guêpes, January 1849

This evening I witnessed someone's reaction to something they said was "unexpected." I listened to them make excuses about why they were yelling and screaming at the top of their voice. About why I could hear them when I was inside of a building and they were outside. I listened to them say why they did it around certain individuals. And even though they said, "I apologize" for doing it outside of this particular building, they still justified their actions: "You know how I get" and "It just took me off guard" and blah blah blah.

Why is this important to me? Actually, it probably shouldn't be, but it was kind of one of those things where you realize that what you thought was actually correct. I thought the person hadn't changed and I realized it was true. The temper was still there, the immaturity was still there, the justification for wrong behavior was still there... I know I am not perfect and I continue to work on myself, but it is a relief (maybe that's not the right word) to see that I made the right decision.

My new friends

As many of you know, I'm a writer. What you may not know is - officially - I'm a journalist. I graduated with a BA degree in journalism from a college in Upstate New York.

Not too long ago, my former college advisor/professor contacted me to ascertain my interest in speaking to her Feature Writing class regarding my career and writing process as well as any advice I have for the students. I readily agreed to the conference call, which was today.

To say I was nervous is a major understatement. You would think that I had been called to speak on stage in front of hundreds of people when, in fact, it was a class of about 18.

The class was fun and interactive, and the students were genuinely interested in what I said. I'm not going to go into a long recap of the Q&A session, but I am going to tell you that it was probably the biggest highlight of my week. Not only do I feel like I helped a group of students, but they helped me too. They helped me to remember why I do what I do and to positively think about the writing road I've traveled. I hope that I helped and inspired them in the same way.

Writers and journalist are a special group of people (like I've found bloggers to be), but it's the support of each other that keeps this creative sub-world flourishing. And that's one of the things that continues to fuel my love of what I do.

Before we ended the call today one of the students said, 'I hope you blog about us.' I think the person was joking, but as any good blogger knows: You can't let an experience this great pass by without sharing it with someone. I, as a blogger, just had to share it with the few hundred or so people who will click by this week.

(K.L.: You may not know this, but I would probably do just about anything you asked of me because you are one of the greatest and kindest people I've ever met. You encouraged and helped me more than you'll ever know. I'll always remember and be thankful for that. Thank you for including me in your class today.)

Passing on the bling

It's been awhile since I've received an award and I am so proud to display these that Tina (Mummy Diaries) honored me with.



I must say that I am sitting a little taller since I have to keep my crown regally propped. I'm passing the Queen of the Blogs and Friendship awards to:

Lin from Duck and Wheel with String
Jo from Life's Perfect Pictures
Shaunalynn from The Art and Science of Parenting

Looking at the Sky on Friday

Every once in awhile I participate in this weekly meme. Looking at everyone's photos is so inspiring. I captured this one yesterday when the children were at the park during their Easter egg hunt. Beautiful, huh?

You can participate too. Check out Looking at the Sky on Fridays.

Time to come clean... again

My health and weight loss journal

I have good news! Remember when I told you about my addiction to bubble gum? Well, I am recovered. Seriously, I am.

Uh... however, over the past two weeks or so (read month), I've developed a new addiction. Remember that bag of peanuts you saw on my table recently? You can click the link if you don't remember. Well, I've kind of been eating them... non-stop... I ate half a bag in one day and finished the rest last night.

I'm sure you can imagine how many calories are in that 1/2 a bag, but they're so good. Absolutely delicious and I can't resist. Wait! Yes.I.can. I had decided not to buy anymore and to quit cold turkey, but my teenager went to the store and saw the bags on sale for $1 so she decided to treat me. Well, I couldn't be rude and not eat them, right?

Okay, that sounded like an addict.

Seriously, I can't promise this will be the last emotionally charged eating addiction, but I can promise to kick this one too. At least that was a somewhat healthy food albeit fatty. Hey, it was good fat, right?

That's neither here nor there. I'm kicking it. Today. By the way, if you stop by could you bring me some dark chocolate? I have a little craving. ;)

Easter egg hunt, park fun

Yesterday when my friend (and my children's wonderful daycare provider) found out I'd been moping around the house she invited - read ordered... LOL - me to the park with her and the children. Last night she called back to announce that we'd be having an Easter egg hunt.

I'm not going to spoil the fun by telling you how I grumbled and complained about going to the park and whatnot. Actually, the truth is, I really like hanging out with her and I knew it would be better than sitting here trying to force my brain to work.

Her teenagers went to the park ahead of time to hide the eggs, and the kids had a fabulous time. The two little ones - ages 1 and 2 - got a head start and loaded their canvas bag with the colorful eggs. Here's my little Anna asking me to help her get her egg into the bag.


A couple of the older children - ages 6, 5 and two 4 year olds - found eggs on the playground equipment. They were moving pretty quickly, but I caught Andre and Amareah at the top.


I have some very cute pictures of the other children, but since I don't have permission from their parents I thought I'd just tell you about them: Besides watching the activity of them finding the eggs; it was funny watching them discover the treats inside. There was chocolate candy, Starburst, Sweet Tarts, rubber insects and cute plastic rings.

They played, ran, ate lunch, slid, climbed and blew bubbles. They tried throwing the Frisbee, confiscated someone else's football, drew on the sidewalk with chalk and wrestled each other to the ground.

When it was all over I felt like we had been there all day, but it'd only been about two hours. (I think that's a sign of old age or something!) I enjoyed the time out of the house, chatting with my friend and taking in the fresh air and sun. I even had fun watching the children play... there's nothing like the joy on a child's face to make everything right with the world.

But boy am I tired!

Come back another day for more pictures of park fun.

Chocolate treats

Most people know that if you want to butter me up and get on my good side then you will give me some dark chocolate especially when my sweet tooth hits. Although I am not that picky as far as the brand is concerned, Ghirardelli chocolates is on my list as one of my top two favorite choices.

When I found out that SugarStand.com has Ghirardelli chocolates I was excited to have another resource to go to in order to get my fix of chocolate. And, of course, I had to spread the word to those who normally supply me with that fix.

If chocolate is not your thing then there are tons of other choices to indulge in. It is a one-stop shop for sweets and treats (including Bubblicious, Dubble Bubble and Jaw Breakers, which are all childhood favorites of mine). Sugar Stand is an online candy store that stocks more than 2,000 brands of candies including Adams & Brooks, American Licoric, Pez, Jelly Belly and Wonka. I don’t think I have ever seen so many choices at one online site, and with that many options you are bound to find something to cure your sweet tooth too.

Wordless Wednesday: Loneliness

5 Minutes for Mom has more Wordless Wednesday and so do I. :)

Look at my treats!

When I see the mailman stop at my mailbox I am like a little kid on Christmas day. So imagine my joy when I received two goodies in the mail on Saturday. I was expecting the packages, but receiving them is where the real elation comes in.

I won a Fiber One Spa basket from Toni at It Is Nap Time. The basket holds a terry covered bath pillow, chocolate scented soap and candle, bath salts, Chocolate Silk Hand & Body Lotion and a coupon for a free box of General Mills Fiber One Chewy Bars. I've already redeemed the coupon and got the oats and chocolate variety. And, I'm using having the bars as an excuse to brew another pop of coffee to celebrate the quiet afternoon (or few hours) that the teenager has given me by taking her two middle siblings to the park.



The other package contains goodies from Jo at Life's Perfect Pictures. There's a cute little gift bag with a black frame, ink pens, Calgon's Perfect Bliss body wash and some note papers. Jo blessed me with this because I was the third to respond to her Paying It Forward post and subsequently wrote my own post on how I would pay it forward.

What touched me the most was what she wrote in the card, "...The pens are for inspiration, the candles for when you take a Calgon moment in the tub and the frame is to display your favorite photo (that you have taken)!" Jo knows I've been trying to take better photographs (she's an excellent and gifted photographer)and she's been very supportive of that. Although I didn't do that great in taking these to share with you, I can't wait to display my photo in the frame. I'll be sure to share that with you too sometime in the future.

I hope you received some goodies too. If you did, tell me what it was. And if you didn't, comment anyway and share what you like receiving in the mail the most.