Guilty Pleasures!

I love participating in swaps and when it comes to swaps Mamarazzi knows what's she's doing! I've had very good luck in my swaps for the most part so I'm doing it again.This swap is all about guilty pleasures, who can go wrong with that one? I did find it funny that Mamarrazi said her blog was a G so all items in the swap package also needed to be G rated. Ha! I wasn't even thinking like that until she mentioned it, now my mind is all twisted and it's making me giggle!

Do you know anything about dry ice? My true guilty please is ice cream, do you think I could successfully mail that? Hmmm...

If you're wanting to be a part of this swap head on over to Mamarrazzis, she's keeping this one small and there's not much room left!

Friend Makin' Mondays

Friend Makin' Monday, I did FMM back when I first started blogging in fact that's where I met most of my good bloggy-friends. FMM is back and in my attempt to get back in the groove of blogging I'm linking up this week and hopefully every Monday to come.

This week Kenz with All the Weigh is hosting FMM. If you want to play along this week link up with Kenz and for all future weeks visit Amber at The Silver Lining to find out who's hosting FMM.

Kenz left her questions very vague this week giving us the chance to take it any direction we wanted. Honestly, these were much more difficult than I thought they would be.

I like... the smell of rain on hot pavement, fresh cut grass, my husband fresh from the shower, my girls anytime and my dogs paws.

I don't like... mean people. Why do some people find it ok to treat others so poorly? Physical touch is not the only way to deliver a damaging blow. Words, body language and especially facial expressions are sometimes more powerful. I know this because I am guilty of doing it myself sometimes and I hate it.

I love... a quiet house. The sound of the dryer beeping letting me know I'm done with laundry, at least for today, the dogs breathing heavy at my feet, the ticking of the clock in my office, etc. No TV or radio during the day for this girl, my girls and husband make it loud enough from 2:30-midnight, so all day it's just me and my thoughts which honestly can be a very scary place! I also love living close enough to the beach to enjoy a beautiful sunset!

I wonder...if my nerves will be able to handle watching my first born drive away for the first time without me sitting next to her. Having a child that drives just may be the scariest thing I've done as a Mom yet!

I know...that I am loved by the most powerful, loving, forgiving God there is and every day I am grateful for Him!

I went...to Ireland with my husband and kissed the Blarney Stone. I half in jest all in truth asked the man if he had an alcohol wipe so I could clean the stone before I placed my lips on it. His response was a very dry, "you're in Ireland Love, we don't waste alcohol on sterilizing here".

I have...hands down the best family and group of friends anyone could ever want or need!

I think...that watching your parents age and realize they're no longer the vibrant, young, strong people they are in your head is a very difficult thing! I love my parents so very much!

I plan...on cleaning the house as soon as I'm done here. Ah, cleaning toilets, it's such a glamorous job!

I regret...nothing. I've made more than my share of mistakes and bad choices, I try to ask for forgiveness and move on. Living in the past forces you to look over your shoulder while you're walking forward. You must have your eyes straight ahead while walking so you don't repeat the same make mistakes.

I do...strive to be the best wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend that I can be.

I drink...such a loaded prompt. Flavored water because I cannot stand plain ol' water, Sonic Diet Dr. Pepper more than I should, diet Coke with lemon or sweet tea at a restaurant but my favorite after a long day week is "Mommy Juice" a.k.a. Patron Margarita, no salt!

I wish...I could look at myself in the mirror and be satisfied.

I am...a slight procrastinator, someone who sometimes over promises and under deliveres, someone who has a hard time saying no, sarcastic, loud, honest, good at not showing on the outside what I'm feeling on the inside and I'd like to think unconditional to those that I love.

I am not...as thin or as healthy as I would like to be, a very patient person and as organized as I want to be.

I need...to start working out again. I have officially run out of excuses!

I graduated...from cosmetology school the same time I graduated from high school. I did half days at each school my junior and senior year. My plan was to do hair nights and weekends while I went to college to become a physical therapist for handicapped children then I met Babe and that all changed!

I hope...to one day have my office unburied, get it organized and keep it that way since it hangs over my head like a huge ominous cloud!

I want...to please everyone and not beat myself up when I cannot.

I sometimes...wish I could run away from my issues but then I realize they would just follow me.

I always...tell my husband and girls I love them before we go our separate ways since there are no guarantees of a next time.

I can...tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue, two if it's long enough.

I work...at home, I am a domestic Goddess. My job is never ending and not the most rewarding. I clean the house, do the laundry, take care of the dogs, drive one kid or the other here and there countless times a day, do the shopping, pack the lunches, decide what 3 other people will eat for dinner and cook it. I am the activities director, the peacemaker, the homeroom Mom at one school and the President of the PTA at the other. I am the nurse, the one who makes things better, the rule maker and the enforcer of those rules. I am the bad guy while Daddy is the Knight in Shinning Armor! I am exhausted mentally and physically, have no idea how some woman do all of that and work an out of the house job and I am beyond grateful that this is my job!

I cannot...sing. It's really, really bad!

I avoid...conflict but do not run from it, especially if it involves my girls!

I will...only get 1/3 of my to-do list done today but tomorrow's another day!

Thanks Kenz, this was a great FMM!

Ice It!

My friend Bebe owns a company called Ice It By Bebe Z. I love her cloths and having her as a friend comes with its benefits. Like getting this amazing dress for my birthday!

Another benefit is that with her being half Japanese she knows exactly what to order at a sushi restaurant! Babe has tried to get me to try sushi for years and was a little miffed when I came home and told him I ate it for the first time without him. It's yummy and I cannot wait to have it again soon.

I have a few more pictures of her stuff below, go by and visit her website and make an order you'll be glad you did!

Peanut wore a very cool peace sign to the Taylor Swift concert and I have on a coy fish which happens to be my favorite!

Bebe's bachelorette party, we all wore matching shirts in her wedding colors.

Peanut wore this peace shirt in a fashion show

Honey wore a UF shirt and hat from the collegiate line in the same fashion show

I also have a very cute Halloween and Thanksgiving shirt. I'm hoping she continues those and adds a Christmas shirt this year! **hint-hint**

Most embarrassing moment ever....almost

We all have an embarrassing memory. Something happened to make us wish we could crawl under a rock, pack up and move or rewind time. Yep, we all do.

My most embarrassing moment ever dates back to 1978. Yes, it was so bad that nothing else has come close to topping it in the last 32 years. Perhaps it was because I was only 8? I'm not sure but it was bad. It was shades of bad!

I know you are all dying to know what it was that has left me shammed for this long so here's a brief recap. It involved a very short pair of shorts, a 5 gallon bucket in the back of the school bus and a very hot day. I sat in it. Some Jackhole pushed me into it up to my knees. I was hot and sweaty glistening. The bucket was sticky from the Illinois humidity. I stuck! The bus stopped. I was unable to get out. The bus returned to school where 3 teachers had to assist the bus driver with removing my ass, and a layer of skin, from the bucket while the kids on the bus, the bus ramp and those watching from their bus. For years I was taunted, teased and known as the girl that got her ass stuck in a bucket. It was super sweet!

This morning I came close to having a new most embarrassing moment!

I got up, kissed Honey good-bye and helped Peanut get ready to start her third day of 5th grade. When we were ready I grabbed my cup of coffee and walked out the door in my jammies. Yes, in my jammies. It's freaking early. I don't do early! I could care less if my neighbors and anyone else driving by sees me in my jammies! I just smile and wave, whatever. I would however care if they saw me not in my jammies!

This is what I looked like this morning. Cute peach and brown bottoms with a hula monkey on the t-shirt top. Glasses and bed head...yeah no need to show you that!

As Brooke would say, nothing comes between me and my Calvin's jammies! That's kind of important in this story.

Upon returning home I went to eliminate my morning coffee. As I looked down this is what I saw...

Can't figure it out?

It's my toe.

Those are my jammie bottoms and no they're not the camping trap door style!

Yes, there's a hole big enough to drive a Smart Car through in the crotch/inner thigh area of my jammies!

How in the world did I not notice that when I put them on last night? Or when I went to the bathroom. Or when I was walking around the house this morning?

Rogue went to the bus stop with us this morning. He pulled me like a freaking wild man to get to the kids. I am beyond grateful I did not bend over to scold him! If I had my neighbors would have gotten to know me on a whole new level, one I'm sure they're grateful not to have reached!

Embarrassing moments, yep we all have at least one. So what's yours?

Birthday Bliss or Madness, the verdict is still out!

***Warning, this is gonna be a long one, grab some coffee, go pee and settle in for a while***

I have several friends who enjoy a "Birthday Week". After this week I can honestly say I'm not one of them!

Don't get me wrong I am beyond grateful for ALL that my sweet family and friends did for me I'm just freaking beat! I am clearly too old to go and go and go for a full week!

I posted all about Honey's Sweet 16 family party and I left a little teaser about tint and wheels with a promise to come back later that day with all the details but truly I have not had a moment of downtime since!

After Honey's surprise party I spent the day at the beach with my sister who came in from Chicago for our birthdays. Then I packed up my stuff for a 2 day get away with my two best friends. We went to the beach to just escape before school starts tomorrow, we did this last year too and I think it needs to become a yearly tradition!

A few days before our trip our plans changed and we needed to come home early. Early from our beach trip WTF? I was now becoming a little suspicious of everyones behavior so close to my big 4-0.

We made it to the beach but things were really becoming sketchy. Why had my children not called me a dozen times with one issue or another? Why did I call my Mother and hear my dogs barking in the background? Why did my husband, who usually remembers everything, ask me a dozen times the dates of my beach trip? Why did my sister text me telling me she was safely back home {something we argued about later, she says she always does that and I disagree}. Why did Danielle insist I take a shower and "look cute" for a picture before we went home. Two things were wrong with that one. One, I was very comfy in my bathing suit and just wanted to go home and crash and two I always freaking look cute! Rebecca played her part well by backing me completely telling me to stay in my suit if I wanted to, the red sirens would have certainly gone off if she had pushed for me to "look cute" for a picture too, she hates taking pictures and that would have been totally out of character. Because I know my friends like I do I knew something was up. I will confess, I did make Danielle work to get me in the shower, more than a little.

I still wasn't 100% that there was something happening. I had already celebrated my big 4-0 the Saturday prior. My sister flew in and we went out for dinner with my favorite group of ladies. We had a wonderful dinner, there were gifts, cupcakes, belly-dancers and shots! I thought the celebration was done...I was wrong!

I made myself cute and about 2 hours later walked through the front door, because someone unplugged the garage opener, to a house full of people yelling surprise. At that point I was very grateful I had let Danielle talk me into taking a shower! She later said I was being such a bitch complaining about having to get ready that she should have let me make my entrance in my bathing suit. Thank God she doesn't back down!

My house was full of my friends and family, of which I kind of expected, but there were a few things I was not expecting, at all. My beautiful niece Samantha had flown in from Nashville to be with me bringing along her boyfriend who I had not yet met and her niece. That was a total surprise and it brought me to tears. I said my hellos while making my way into the kitchen and when I looked up Natalie was sitting in her "spot" on top of my counter. I lost it again, hugged her and cried like a baby! How blessed am I to have such amazing people in my life?

My husband worked his butt off getting the yard ready and I'm assuming he got the checkbook out more than a time or two along the way. My sister flew down in May while we were in Georgia to take Honey shopping for all of the decorations, made copies of some beautiful pictures of me to set on every table and cleaned my house for the party. Danielle made the invitations, of which I haven't seen, and knowing her like I do kept everyone organized, on a schedule and made sure they played nice. My Mommy did all of the cooking, made all of the floral arrangements and, and, and. But it was Honey who made sure it all happened, it was her idea to have a party, she sent out the save the date cards that she designed back in February! She did an incredible job making her wish for her Momma come true. Thank you Honey, I love you so very, very much!

It was an incredible night with incredible people and it was an incredible way to bring a very busy week to an end!

Here's a look at the entire week....

**Saturday**

Before I went out with the girls for my first birthday celebration Danielle had a gift for me from my friend Debi. Debi moved to Denver in May and was not able to be with me for my birthday. Back in May Debi had made me pose on a zebra shoe but wouldn't tell me why, you can read that story here. I now know why. This is one crazy girl and I cannot wait to get my butt on a plane and visit her!

After we were done laughing at Debi's craziness we were off to dinner. We went to a Greek restaurant, ironically the same one Debi and I went to before that picture was taken, and had a blast eating Tzatziki, drinking sangria's and people watching {I have a great story about that for another time!}.

Thanks Pam

Thanks Rebecca

Thanks Kim

Thanks Sheila {my big sis}

Thanks Danielle

and thanks Alisa for a great birthday!

I did shots

Danced with and tipped the Belly-Dancer

This is a horrible picture but oh so freaking funny!

Was given a birthday hat made from napkins

And served cupcakes by our waitress who is also my neighbors daughter.

**Sunday**

Sunday was Honey's family birthday party. It was at this party that my darling husband gave me my birthday present, the one that involves wheels.

My new set of wheels!

Oh yes y'all he gave me a new vacuum cleaner! Now I know mine was broken and that I complained endlessly of needing a new one but having it wrapped in birthday paper and given to me in front of our family and friends was not quite the way I thought I would receive it!

**Tuesday**

This was our actual birthday and Honey's surprise party with her friends. While I was getting ready Babe handed me a present and said "if you thought for a minute I was going to live the rest of my life hearing about how I gave you a vacuum cleaner for your 40th birthday than you don't know me at all". Here is where my tint comes in.

A beautiful and much needed new pair of sunglasses!

Honey's surprise party. She walked into the Japanese Steak House {all of their favorite} and was greeted at the table by 7 of her best friends! She's always wanted a surprise party and I believe we were actually able to pull it of.

Their chef was very entertaining!

After about 7 tries she finally caught the piece of chicken he was sending through the air. It's a big enough target, I really don't know what the problem was!

After we ordered I took a group shot and as soon as dinner was over we went back to our house where her big surprise was waiting for her!

Yep, she got her tint and wheels all wrapped up with a big red bow!

She was totally not expecting this! We told her she would maybe get a car for Christmas but not to get her hopes up for one any time sooner. For the first time in her 16 years she was speechless!

Thanks Daddy!

I think Peanut {and Mommy} were almost as excited!

After giving everyone a quick ride around the block, two at time since I had to be with her, we came in for cupcakes and a movie. Her Aunt Dani had picked up the cupcakes and set everything up while we were at dinner, thanks Aunt Dani!

**Friday**

Danielle and I relaxed on the beach while we waited for Rebecca. After the beach we came back to the house, watched a movie, went out for dinner, came home and watched another movie before going to bed. Complete relaxation!

**Saturday**

The rain kept us from the beach so we stayed in and watched another movie. I took a nap before getting ready for our picture on the beach, Danielle's excuse for me to look "cute" for my big party.

As I drove down my street I saw the flames from the torches burning around the pool confirming all my suspicions. But what I wasn't expecting was to see Samantha when I opened the door! She has a better picture of me squeezing the life out of her but I can't wait for her to find her camera cord.

I couldn't drop my stuff fast enough!

My favorite 28 year old!

Next I grabbed my girls and my hubby for a hug

When I saw Nat I lost it! Jenn, Natalies twin, was also there, she has some great pictures and Bebe has a video clip but again I can't wait for those. You can see that we each have a paper towel in our hands because the tears were a flowin'!

My sweet daughters, sister, Mom, husband and freinds didn't miss a single detail!

The tables were beautiful, ugly adolescent pictures and all!

There were 3 different centerpieces

All the lanai furniture was either put in the garage or in the yard so the lanai could be turned into the dining area

There was a bartender with drinks named after me. The Hot Mama-Rita and the Seriously Shawn martini

An incredible cake

And lots of wonderful friends!

I also received a ton of birthday wishes on FaceBook and one very special Happy Birthday from Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites. She wrote a post about me and again I was moved to tears!

We did the beach again yesterday because you cannot get enough vitamin D and we're heading to Disney today since my great-niece has never been. I know an entire family that is going to get a big smack across the face tomorrow morning when they have to getup for the first day of school!

I am a lot of things but today more than anything I am BLESSED!