It Works!

It has been awhile since I have actually been blown away by a product. I see the commercials, the ads and the hype and for so long bought into it thinking that this was the ''thing" that was going to change my world. O.K. maybe that is kind of dramatic. Anyway back to my buildup, right after Christmas my husband wore his brand new BCBG shirt (that I got at an amazing discount) and the first day gets ink all over the front. To be honest I thought it was destined for the GoodWill bag at that point but decided to at least make an effort. I have always used Shout but decided that this job was too big for Shout so found a product that had a hefty name so decided to give it a whirl. Long story short it took out all the ink. I was pleasantly surprised but not totally blown away until yesterday when my son got some blood all over his khaki shorts. Just a minor finger cut so not a horrible accident by the way. Anyway I used the product with the hefty name and sprayed on all the blood spots. This morning I checked the shorts and tada there is no sign of any blood spots! So you ask what is this amazing product. It is OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover. My new best friend. I know I lead a very dull life but hey it's alright, it's what I can handle.

Snowed In, Kinda

So we finally got snow where I live and while 4 inches isn't much in snow terms to us it's huge. And to make it even better it's a really good snow, like for making snowmen and sledding and four wheeling as my guys can attest since they have been at it since very early this morning. So here's my checklist for being snowed in:
1. really good coffee  - check
2. hot chocolate - check
3. dark chocolate - double check
4. new music from Matt Morris and Lady Antebellum - check, check
5. popcorn - check
6. lots of books, magazines - a bunch of checks
7. whole grain goldfish crackers - ch-hold the phone
I have no whole grain goldfish crackers. This will involve a trip to grocery asap. I know it's a sick addiction but me and all the preschoolers have to keep them in business.

I started my New Years with a run, my favorite coffee and some Wii Fit. Not bad for a 50 something if I do say so myself. I had not trained for the run so was pretty proud that I only walked part of 2 hills. I don't love running but I must say that it felt really good yesterday but it might have had something to do with the fact that it was cold outside and you really needed to be moving to get warm. I am not generally a resolution maker so am not making running a resolution but do plan to be active most every day.
On a side note I fell off the blogging wagon again. I do hope to do better in that category this year. Can you believe it is 2010? Hopefully this is a new beginning for a lot of people and will be a much better year for most. Happy New Year!

What I'm Loving About November

It is early days in November but so far I'm loving this month. October was so busy that it almost seems like a little reprieve before the holidays begin. Things I'm loving this month are leaves even though there will be raking involved. I love seeing them piled below a tree. I'm also loving Gingerbread Lattes, I had my first of the season today. Yesterday was the day that Carrie Underwood's new CD was available and it is so good. You've got to listen to Temporary Home, it's a tearjerker. I love this CD. Days like today are just blessings.

Sometimes Winning Doesn't Involve a Trophy

October was so busy with football games and band competitions. My younger son's band worked so hard this past month in anticipation of the big competition which took place yesterday. You may remember last years post in October when they won the competition so there was a lot of excitement this year among the kids as well as the parents. This one didn't end up quite like it had been envisioned but may be one great life lesson for us all. We all thought they did a great preliminary performance but the judges did not place them in the top 8 who went on to compete in the evening. All of the other bands who did not place were able to leave in the afternoon but our band because they won last year was expected to play The Star Spangled Banner prior to the final awards. That meant staying and watching the other bands. The kids were amazing. Sure there were a few tears shed but they quickly disappeared and they sat in the stands and cheered on the other bands with great enthusiasm and when it came time to march in and play they did so just as if they had won the competition. I think they won a great deal more and I am so proud of each and every one.

Fall is here!

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the weather, the leaves, the food, and the clothes. I spent the past few days changing out my wardrobe from summer to winter. Even with a stuffed to the gills closet (I do live in an older home with small closets) I am still thinking of new sweaters. After perusing the Anthropologie site I have attached a few that caught my eye. If money were no object my whole wardrobe would come from that store but unfortunately I have to wait until the items are deeply marked down. And what are new sweaters without new flats so here are a few unbelievably cute ones. Now I need to find the skirts and slacks that will go with my fantasy sweaters and shoes. What fall clothes are on your mind?

Innocence Lost

I know by now this subject has been hashed and rehashed but every time I see the clip of sweet Taylor Swift having the microphone taken away during her speech I am just appalled. I have since seen scenes of the culprit (will not give him the honor of having his name in print by me) swigging from a bottle of Hennessey at the awards. I am in hope that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated anymore. There is no excuse that is plausible for what happened. I know that Taylor will go on from this and become even greater than before but she has also lost a little of her innocence because of the incident and she can't get that back. That's what makes me so sad. There is so much in our society that causes our young people to lose their innocence earlier and earlier. I hope that we will all take a stand and do what we can in our positions to make a change in the world for good.