Seriously - Valentine's Day sucks

I want to provide a ban on Valentine's Day in classrooms. Seriously- it's only about popularity and candy.  Each year, my kids sit and organize their valentines by how much they like certain classmates. The crappier ones go to the kids they don't really like, the best ones go to their BFF's and crushes (yes I know you have them. You've never mentioned this kid Carlos, yet he gets THE best valentine - c'mon).  They bring home a crap load of candy that I then have to smuggle out of the house without them seeing it (my coworkers can fill their bodies with sugar).  Don't even get me started on the actual shopping for these little pieces of cardboard validation - it always turns into a mini-sode of The Young and the Indecisive.

They turned Halloween into Fall Festival, and took away the ability to wear costumes.  This was one of the few holidays a kid could express his individuality and creativity, and they turned it into a celebration of  a vegetable no kid even wants to eat (squash) and dead leaves. I understand the issues with childhood obesity, but you allow candy to V-Day and "Winter holidays" so I'm calling shenanigans on your flimsy justifications for this. Besides, who doesn't want to dress like Batman or a Banana?

Moving... with Children

We recently moved to the other side of town with our three kids and a small dog.  We were cramped in a two bedroom apartment that we never intended on staying in longer than a few months.  The move was also necessary to get all of our kids into the same school district, so all around this was a wise decision for our newly blended family.

I have to admit -the dog gave us the least amount of trouble through this whole move.  Tiffany (our poodle mix) was curious as to why all of the tasty stuffed animals were suddenly missing (she likes to go all Hannibal on their faces), but other than that, she left the boxes alone and stayed out of the way.

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The three kids on the other hand, spent those last two weeks moping that they were leaving their friends(our oldest),whining that they had to pack, (our middle child), or unpacking things that were already packed to play with them(our youngest).  

I was almost ready to pack them each into their own boxes and put them in the back of the U-Haul!  My Honey just kept reminding me that we would soon be in our new place, and that this too, would pass.

Fast forward a month - now we are almost completely unpacked in our new place everyone is happy with their own rooms and playroom to share.  I get to have my living room stay clean for longer than an hour.

Let's hope we get to stay in this rental longer than a year, because I do NOT want to go through this again anytime soon…

Allowances and spending

My honey and I have been wavering about whether the kids should start receiving allowances.  They have all been assigned chores which they do consistently every week.  They get good grades and perform well in school.  

The 7 year old, is a saver - special occasion money, the odd dollar or two he gets from Nana and Tata for helping with housework, you get the idea.  He saves his money to get Lego sets, pre-owned video games,dinosaurs, and erasers (yeah I'm not sure why he was so determined to by a pack of erasers either).

Our 9 year old is the typical spender- as soon as she gets money or tickets in her hand they are spent as though they are catching fire in her hands. This normally amounts to a mound to small stuff that she loses or get bored with in a matter of days.

Our 10 year old is a saver and a bargain hunter - she makes lists of things she wants and then bargain shops. Once she finds the right price, she buys what she wants.  Since she's at that age, her list usually has shoes, nail polish, and candy. 

I think that all kids should learn the value of money, and that they should understand how to budget and know what it means to earn a dollar.   We're just uncomfortable paying them for chores(it's their house to keep clean too) or for grades (they get A's anyway it's like giving them free money).  I keep searching the web for ideas, suggestions, or some sort of epiphany on how to give them allowance that they have earned.  

New Product Alert - Glade Expressions Mist

I normally don't use scented air fresheners, due to the scents being too strong or pungent. I'm not a big fan of my house smelling like a perfume counter or a candy store - yuck!  So, I stick to unscented and boring air fresheners that my kids and my honey say make the house smell like a hospital (which I think is better than the house smelling like a dirty sock - yuck!).

Being a BzzAgent, I was given the opportunity to try Glade Expressions Fragrance Mist and Oil Diffusers for free. Once I received my coupons in the mail, I headed over to my home away from home - Target.  Here's what they look like -

Right away, I liked the packaging of the Glade Expressions Mist.  The exterior is a plain white bottle, while the interior houses a replaceable 100% natural propellant aluminum canister. The oil diffusers are also made from recyclable plastic, another plus.

They had several of the scents in stock, so I chose Fuji Apple and Cardamom Spice in both products.  Once I arrived home, I knew the two rooms I was anxious to try out these products - the kids' bathroom and the living room.

I placed the oil diffuser in the kids' bathroom, and after an hour I decided to check out how strong the scent had become.  I was pleasantly surprised!  The small bathroom smelled great and yet you weren't overpowered by the smell of apples.

I sprayed the mists a few times in the living room, again I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle but  lovely fragrance that was left behind.  The oil diffuser lasted for a full 30 days before I needed to refill it.   I fully recommend this new line of room fresheners, as do my kids and honey!

The Thing About Hobbies

I found myself completely absorbed in my life as a Mom and a wife for many years. My happiness was dependent on everyone else's happiness level, and I was responsible for being maid, taxi, and secretary for my family. When I got divorced, I found myself in new territory, and I wasn't sure what to do. The custody arrangement was set up for every other week, so when Monday rolled around I was either elated or desolate.  

I would mope around my apartment, staring at the walls, missing him.  I tried to take on more projects at work just to avoid going home on those weeks, but there wasn't enough work to justify overtime.  You can only clean a small apartment so many times, and you only have so much laundry when you only go to work and come home.  

I knew I had to do something to fill the time when he was away.   I found myself slowly starting to sew and craft  just to keep me busy. Soon, the time away didn't seem so long. I then decided to try other things to see if they could keep me entertained. I found myself getting into video games, enjoying the simple pleasure of immersing myself into a world of fantasy for a couple of hours.  I also found that I enjoy trying new handguns, testing their weights and calibers, focusing and using my muscles and brain in tandem to fire at the paper target.  I still try to get to the range at least twice a month, if not more often.  

Along the way, I met someone who became important in my life.  It wasn't intentional, but I wasn't going to pass up a chance at a real connection because society told me my divorce "mourning" period wasn't over yet.  Things starting working between us and eventually I moved in with him and his two girls.  I was in a family again, and my world shifted. Since my partner has full custody of his two girls, they are with us all the time. My free time became non-existent  now that I was caring for three children instead of just one.  My son was overjoyed because he now had playmates and children around his age to interact with, which meant Mommy wasn't needed as much.   

The small apartment was in a constant state of disarray, and there was ALWAYS laundry to be done. I found myself feeling anxious and stressed.  Yet, I was also the happiest and most content I had ever been in an adult relationship.  After talking to a few of my friends and my partner, I realized that I had again given up "Me" for "We" and that was stressing me out. Only this time, my partner was supportive enough to realize that I needed time for myself.   So, I began my quest anew for a hobby.  My partner and I already share a mutual love for going to the range and playing video games, so I was still enjoying those things. I needed something that was my own.  I wanted to take up sewing again, but the apartment is too small for me to really work on any large projects (I make costumes). I had all my crafting supplies, but I was lost as to what to work on.  

I was watching one his daughters play with her Barbies on afternoon and the idea hit me. I started scouring Craigslist for bargains and then I started gathering pieces and parts. I looked online and found plenty of sites about repainting Barbie houses and accessories.  It's a combination of all the crafting I've done in my many years rolled into one hobby.  As I worked on my first house, I was struck that I wanted to write about it. So, I decided to start a blog.  Then I decided to start a blog about my adventures in Motherhood.  All in all, I feel much better as a Mom and a partner now that I have time to devote to things I like to do and I have a family that encourages me.  

Who knows, maybe I'll find another hobby to go along with these new ones. 

Review of L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream

I received a complimentary sample of L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream from the wonderful folks at SheSpeaks and L'Oréal. This product gives the sheer coverage needed to create a natural bare skin finish, while delivering built-in skincare benefits. It's easy to apply, you simply dot on and blend with your fingertips. The beads will blend to your skin tone.

I tried Magic BB Cream for 10 days, and I was impressed at how the self-adjusting beads blended the cream to my skin tone. I've tried numerous other products that just didn't match my skin tone, making me look like I was wearing a mask! It provided a light to medium coverage, and it lasted on my skin all day. I didn't even need to use my normal translucent powder over it, as it gave my skin a nice matte finish.

I'm a computer technician and I frequently will have to crawl under desks or move equipment, and some days can get pretty grimy and sweaty.The product lasted through a full day of carting computers around and didn't smear or run off when I started to sweat. I didn't need to reapply my makeup if I had plans after work, which is always a plus!

Overall, I liked the product. It gave me a smooth, bare skin look without the weight of normal foundation. I would definitely recommend you try it out for yourself!

I was provided this awesome product for free to test by BzzAgent.  #GotItFree

I'm a Barbie Fan Club Member!

It was my Valentine's Present to myself, and I know that it doesn't seem like much but I haven't been a part of the Barbie Fan Club since I was 8 years old.  I remember getting my magazine in the mail.  I would read it cover to cover and I had my membership card in my Hello Kitty wallet everywhere I went.

When I receive my club card in the mail, I'm curious whether or not I will place it in my wallet.

Who am I kidding, of course I will!