Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not bare it all on Thursday night and get a Brazilian wax. I mean I am an almost 30 year old mother of 3! There is no way I am doing something like that! Not Me!

I did not eat out entirely too much the past several days. Nope! Not a chance. I love to cook way too much, and I'm trying to lose weight. So there is absolutely no way I ate at home 2 times since Wednesday. Didn't happen. Not Me!

I was not a little giddy inside when the kitten ran away. Though he's not really a kitten anymore. He's a terrorizing heathen that beats and abuses Mia Meow (our 8 year old cat), and scratches my walls and furniture. I was sad for Justyn and I consoled him. Deep down I was not doing crazy 80's white girl dance moves! Nope, Not Me!

I did not buy Wii Fit yesterday without asking my husband. No way would I ever consider doing something so sneaky and undermining. I did not know he would definitely be mad and disappointed in me for putting something on my credit card after asking me not to. I did not feel super guilty about it. Nope, Not Me!

I did not start a 365 blog last week. Definitely not because I already have enough issues keeping up with this one. So it would be outrageous of me to start up another blog. There is no way I could handle that kind of commitment! No way, No how, Not Me!

I have not been praying for baby Stellan and the rest of the Mcks this past week. No way! Not someone like me who is unsure of her faith in the mighty. There is no way I put all those grudges aside and had a few one-on-one chats with the man upstairs. Nope, Not me!

I ♥ Faces - Week 12

Today is my first entry into the I ♥ Faces challange. This week I have to submit a picture of a kid pouting. I knew exactly which one that would be. I took this over Thanksgiving in Alabama. Justyn was pouting because he got a boo boo on his lip.

Baring It All

This weekend my crazy arse got a Brazilian done...

Um, for anyone who told me it didn't hurt...I have a nice 1 finger gesture for you! You big LIAR! I can't believe how much it hurt. I have to admit it feels nice now but definitely not something I would want to do to myself again. It was nice to be in the comfort of my own home so I could yell and curse as much as I wanted, LOL. My friend Angie had it done too and it didn't phase her a bit. Of course she was sipping on some Margaritas. Maybe I'll try that next time, LOL.

Oh yea, my friend Angie came to visit this week.

We had a lot of fun, though I wasn't really feeling that well. She got in Wednesday night and since we were in the area we stopped and had some P.F. Changs. Yum! Thursday we hung out here with the Smiths and did our crazy Brazilians. Friday we went out for some FANTASTIC Greek food and saw The Haunting in Connecticut. It was super good. I might have screamed in the theater, LOL.

I got my new lens this weekend too. The b-e-a-u-tiful 50mm 1.4 rocks my world. I am so happy with this lens.








The weekends come and go too quickly. Hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend.

See Kai Run WINNER!

First off, thank you all for making my first giveaway so much fun!

Out of 183 entries Random.org decided on comment #63



The winner of the See Kai Run giveaway is Rachel from Little Bites of Heaven! Congrats! I will be contacting you soon for your contact information so you can get the shoes of your choice sent to you right away.

Thoughts & Prayers For Sweet Baby Stellan

Many of you may not know but I am not a religious person. The Mighty and I have had our fair share of disagreements over my lifetime. Today however, I'm putting my differences and grudges aside for sweet baby Stellan. I'm sure most of you already know who Stellan is and have been following his story from day 1, but if you don't know this miracle baby, you should. Stellan is the 4th blessing to Mckmama and Prince Charming. He was given a grim diagnosis in the womb but proved everyone wrong when he was born a beautiful healthy baby late last year. The now 4 month old needs everyones prayers. Stellan is battling SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) and needs our cheers and support to keep him fighting. Mckmama has been twittering to keep us all up to date on his condition. If everyone could just keep baby Stellan in your thoughts and prayers it would help, I just know it!

Saltimbanco

Saltiwhat? Saltibanco is the Cirque Du Soleil show that will be in Lackland, Florida on April 29th-May 3, 2009. Thanks to Maria Bailey of Momselect, Natalie Zupo of BSM Media and the people at Cirque Du Soleil my family and I will be given the chance to enjoy the magical show of Saltimbanco performed by Cirque Du Soleil.

Saltimbanco -from the Italian "saltare in banco", which literally means "to jump on a bench"-explores the urban experience in all its myriad forms: the people who live there, their idiosyncrasies and likenesses, families and groups, the hustle and bustle of the street and the towering heights of skyscrapers. Between whirlwind and lull, prowess and poetry, Saltimbanco takes spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart of the city.

Saltimbanco is a Cirque du Soleil signature show inspired by the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants. Decidedly baroque in its visual vocabulary, the show's eclectic cast of characters draws spectators into a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope. - Cirque du Soleil site

It's a show for all ages which is great for a family night. It is definitely something that will keep my children's attention from beginning to end. Which is something rare I can tell you that. The beautiful colors and the extraordinary acrobatics and stunts is sure to please just about anyone.

Now your family can also get a chance to see this amazing show with the Family Four Pack discount package for the Lackland, FL Lackland Center showings. Just click this link and get your tickets now! This is definitely something you do not want to miss out on. The Saltimbanco show from Cirque Du Soleil is sure to please all!!!

Wordless Wednesday

My Angiemama is coming to visit tonight! I can't wait! We are going straight to PF Changs when I get her from the airport. Oh how we love that Asian Pear Mojito!!! She is one of the very few things I miss about Maryland. We always had so much fun together. She is the only one that would watch scary movies with me, she makes the best damn hot dip I've ever had...


...and the only one I know that could pull off "gravity" in Cranium! I just wish I had pics of her "toaster" LMAO!
For more Wordless Wednesday head on over to MomDot & 5 Minutes For Mom!

Gotta Have It Too Tuesday! BUMMAS REVIEW & GIVEAWAY!

GOTTA HAVE IT TUESDAY

It's no secret I love to shop. One of the things I find myself doing is trying to get my friends and family to buy products that I have tried and love. So, my bloggy friends, you are no different. Every Tuesday I bring you a new product I have tried and love. These recommendations are based on my own experiences and opinions. Please don't hold me responsible if you get something I boast about and hate it. Not like that would ever happen anyway! ;-P

This is my beautiful baby boy Jacob. Jacob has a sensitive hiney. We have been battling this horrendous diaper rash since he was about 6 months or so. It's almost as if his bowel movements are eating away at his skin. It looks like someone poured acid on his bum. We have no idea what causes it. We have tried eliminating dairy but it still came back. We thought it was caused by juice, so we cut the juice from his diet and it still came back. We thought it was from that disgusting blanket you see in the picture with him, so we washed and bleached it constantly, but it still came back. So now instead of trying to find what is causing it, we are just learning to live with it.

So when I got the chance to review Bummas diaper clothes I was super thrilled. Finally
something out there that could help control the rashes. It says so right on
the site!!!

"Keep diaper rash at bay, the Bummas way. After the wipe and before the dipe, use a soft kiss of cloth to dry bums off!"

What are Bummas?

"Bummas are small soft, luxurious baby-sized cloths made especially for drying baby bottoms, as well as blocking those surprise squirts. And with a little douse of water, they can also replace wet wipes for clean up of sensitive bums. They are small enough to conveniently carry on the go and durable enough to wash over and over again and won’t pill shrink or fade." - Bummas site


I waited to test these until Jacob had a diaper rash again, which he developed over the weekend. So it was great timing. I went with the Wild Ones set since wild is the perfect description of Jacob.

My first impressions of the Bummas cloths...

• The colors are fabulous.
• The size is super convenient.
• The texture is extra soft yet durable.

I used the purple for wet wiping, and the orange for drying. So I stacked them accordingly to make diaper changing even easier.


One of the great things about the Bummas cloths is they are perfect size to fit anywhere. I placed them in the bottom of a wipes container. Then I put a spray bottle with water in it in the changing basket. So, I can just spray the wet cloth and don't have to get up to wet it down. Everything is in close proximity making the diaper change just as fast as before the Bummas cloths. I still use my regular diaper wipes to clean up bowel movements.



One of the things Jacob's doctor stressed to me is getting the diaper wipe residue off him before putting the diaper rash ointment on him. Normally we just wipe him off and throw him in the bath. He might take 3-4 baths a day. That's another great thing about Bummas. Saving me time and water!!!


When I'm done I just put the wipes back on top of the Bummas cloths, and the cream into the container and I have everything I need in 1 spot.


I roll the wet one inside of the dry one. Then I just toss the used cloths into the dirty towel basket. It's just that simple.


I really loved these cloths and I'm definitely glad I was lucky enough to get the chance to review them. They are also great for making sure you don't get sprayed while changing those little baby boys! Just place one over the area and it will soak it right up! ;-)

BUY IT: Bummas cloths retail for just $16.99!!! They come in 4 different sets with beautiful colors to choose from. They are offering FREE SHIPPING the rest of March!!!

WIN IT: The fabulous people over at Bummas are going to send one of my lucky readers their very own set of Bummas cloths. All you have to do is go to the Bummas site and leave me a comment indicating which set you'd love to have. This must be done before the extra entries will count.

EXTRA ENTRIES: (Please leave me a comment for every entry. For example, if you subscribe to my blog you should leave 3 comments saying that you subscribed.)

• For 3 extra entries - Subscribe to my blog via email. Located at the top left. Don't forget to activate your account so I can see that you've subscribed to validate entries.

• For 2 extra entry - Grab my button. Make sure to link back to your site when you comment.

• For 2 extra entry - Follow my blog. Located on the left sidebar. Already following? That's ok, just comment and let me know!

• For 5 extra entries purchase a set of Bummas cloths.
  

• For 5 extra entries, Blog about this giveaway and link it back to my blog & Bummas!

• For endless entries - Follow me on Twitter (located on the right side bar) and tweet about it. You can tweet as many times as you want just comment each time you do with a link back to your twitter page.

This fabulous giveaway will end on April 7th at 11:59 P.M. Winner will be chosen via Random.org on April 8th. You definitely don't want to miss out on this giveaway! It will make your little one a lot happier! I know it did for mine.

Infant Tae Bo?

No, impetigo. That's what Justyn has on his face. No idea how he picked up this little piece of heaven but I hope my other kids steer clear. I was afraid it was going to be some form of Staph so I took him in yesterday morning to just rule it out, but it turns out I was right. Whats new? LOL j/k! I feel so bad for the kid b/c I know it has to hurt. What is weird is I had the same thing in my nose when I was 5 but I have no idea what it was. Not like I can call my mom and ask her either, and I doubt my dad remembers. So now he has to take an oral antibiotic twice and topical cream which he hates.

My poor baby. Today was also my due date with him 6 years ago. March 23, 2003 I was enormous and miserable waiting to meet my very first baby. I had no idea it would be 9 long long days more.

Aloha Friday

Aloha Friday is brought to you by An Island Life. Head on over and join in!

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

What kind of car do you drive?

I drive an '06 Nissan Pathfinder. I've been pressing the husband for a bigger SUV but it's looking like we may be heading in the mini van direction. Boo! I wouldn't mind a new Durango or a Tahoe! :-D

Ultimate Blog Part-ay

You may have noticed the button at the top of my posts about the Ultimate Blog Party '09. I will keep that there for the week to encourage everyone to join in on the fun. The gals over at 5 Minutes For Mom have put together this fabulous party for all of us. So head on over, grab the button, and mingle!

I'll just introduce myself...I am Amanda, as you may already know. I'm a traveling military wife to Rich who is in the Air Force. We've been married for almost 7 years. We have 3 be-a-utiful children and 2 cats. We reside in sunny Florida where it is always hot. We just moved here from Maryland, but I grew up in the midwest.

I'm heavily into photography and shopping. Two hobbies that are dangerous when put together. I'm a great stay at home mom and a crappy housewife, LOL. I hope that you will stick around. I love to follow my followers! So if you stalk me, be prepared for me to stalk you right back, lol.

And you know a party just isn't a party without prizes! Here are just a few I'd love to win; 58 - stand mixer, 22 — $50 gift certificate to Target Stores, 60 – Pepsi Tote Full Of Loot, 52 – $25 gift certificate to Ju Ju Beane Boutique, 16 — $20 gift certificate to Ladybug Limited.

Give Me Your Best Shot #2

I took this with my new lens yesterday. The Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 and I love it. She was about 6" from my face and I was zoomed out. She is rockin' her new Matilda Jane bubbly she got yesterday.

For more Give Me Your Best Shot head on over to *Life is Sweet* and join in.

I ♥ Faces - Fix It Friday #2

SOOC

Fix 1

Fix 2

Fix 3

I wish I would have had more time today but the ADT guy is coming and my house is a hot mess! I can't wait to see everyone elses though. If you'd like to join in just click the Fix It Friday image at the top of this post!

Thousand Word Thursday

My baby girl is 9 months today. She had her 9 month WBV and she's 19lbs 13oz & 28" long. She only got 1 shot today and her little toe pricked to check her hemoglobin which was perfect! Here are some pics from her appt.




Jacob was crying because Josslyn was crying from her shot. He doesn't like it when she cries. He's so cute. He wants nothing to do with her but gets sad when she's sad. Such a great big brother.

So It's Come To This...

We've all heard that in the future robots would take over all of our jobs. In a lot of ways it's true. Then a lot of people have lost their jobs due to them being sent to other countries. But never, never, did I believe that Barbie dolls would take over modeling jobs. Is this what it's come to?

I was over at OldNavy.com and right there on the home page. The scariest Barbie dolls you've ever seen, modeling the new lines. First off, that just makes me want to close out of the site. Those things are disturbing on so many levels.


The ones on the left look like cross dressing Ken dolls. Not that I have an issue with that, but really, it's kinda weird. Not to mention, what are they wearing? Maybe I have zero fashion sense but seriously, I would never ever put that stuff on my body. I guess you have to be made of plastic to pull it off?


Don't even get me started on the "chick" in the middle. Seriously? Does Old Navy think this is cute for their site? It's scary! I don't love it. OK, off to check out the deals at Old Navy. :-D

Wordless Wednesday

Holy tongue Batman!

For more Wordless Wednesday head on over to MomDot & 5 Minutes For Mom!

Gotta Have It Too Tuesday

So I cheated a little to make sure this really got posted on Tuesday instead of today Wednesday. ;-P

GOTTA HAVE IT TUESDAY

It's no secret I love to shop. One of the things I find myself doing is trying to get my friends and family to buy products that I have tried and love. So, my bloggy friends, you are no different. Every Tuesday I bring you a new product I have tried and love. These recommendations are based on my own experiences and opinions. Please don't hold me responsible if you get something I boast about and hate it. Not like that would ever happen anyway! ;-P


Having 3 kids I love any chance I get to myself. When we bought our house one of my requirements of the home was the bathroom. I needed wanted a huge bathtub. No jets, just space. I wanted a place I could relax and unwind.

Not only did I need a place to calm down from the craziness of my day, but I needed some good aroma therapy as well.

Then my friend introduced me to Arbonne. Arbonne's skin care products are based on botanical principles. Arbonne's products include both inner and outer health. My friend brought over Arbonne's Unwind bath salts and I instantly fell in love.


The smell of lavender is so relaxing. The salts scrub away all my dry dead skin and the soothing oils leave my skin feeling baby soft. I especially love using this to shave. I just scrub it onto my legs and let sit for just a few minutes. Rinse off the salts and just shave. No soap, no shaving cream needed. Even my husband mentioned how extra soft my legs were. Maybe because he's so used to them being hairy coarse and scratchy all the time. Hey, it's "winter" and I have 3 kids, what do you expect? Sheesh! So...there you have it. If you have never tried Arbonne products, you are truly missing out. They are exceptional!


If my Gotta Have It Tuesdays persuade you in any way to purchase a product I have talked about then leave me a little comment. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Let me know if you love it or if you hate it. Either way, let me know!

This is not a paid review and I do not have any affiliation with Arbonne.

Loving My Matilda Girl

Ahhh, one of the best things about having a baby girl is playing dress up. I loved dressing up my babies when I was little so this has been heaven. Recently I have become addicted to Matilda Jane Clothing. It's really more of an obsession. I can't wait to get my order from the new line. I bought this bubble I showed you on here a couple weeks ago in a size 12 months from someone online. Seeing it in her closet has made it harder and harder to resist putting it on her. Today I broke down and did just that! I. Am. In. Love! So here are some pics of my baby girl, in her very first, Matilda Jane.

Give Me Your Best Shot - #1

This is my favorite picture from this week. She got into the pantry as usual and got her yogart melts out and went to town. She's becoming such a girl girl.

For more Give Me Your Best Shot head on over to *Life is Sweet* and join in!

I ♥ Faces - Fix It Friday

I recently came across this blog called I ♥ Faces and I love it. Every Friday they give you a picture to fix. This is my first week participating. It's a lot of fun. I get kinda bored with just pictures of my kids, LOL. I need all the practice I can get, that's for sure.

So here is my submission for this week.

The SOOC:

My Fix:

Edited in CS4
Defog
Levels Layer
Contrast Layer
Small reds desaturation
Curves Layer
Tilt a Whirl action from On The Spot Studio
Summer Daze action from On The Spot Studio
Texture overlay from LittleKiwisPhotography (masked out face)
Small vignette added
Sharpened for web.

B&W conversion with chocolate tint



Can't wait to see what everyone else did. This was super fun.