Saturday Night Special 3.12

Wow, what a crazy week we have had. I was so ready for our family movie night to begin! Tonight's featured film was a 7pm showing of "Aladdin". It's the original one, which is good. My personal favorite is the third one "Aladdin and the King of Thieves" - now THAT is a funny movie! Our encore presentation was a 9pm showing of the movie "Matilda", a classic. Love this movie! It was the first time my children had ever seen it. They loved it - particularly the older boys.

But for now, a recap of our week. Get ready!

Last Sunday was our family movie date with the kids for Frosty Flicks. Hubby thought that the movie was going to be "Megamind" but actually, it was "Legend of Guardian", based on the first three book of the "Guardians of Ga'hoole" series. Natty has the first three books in the series and had read the first book. I told him to be observant and see where the differences were between the book and the movie. It was the first time he had read a book before seeing the movie. He assumed they would be exactly the same. Man was that ever cute to watch him find the differences. I assume that the differences he noted were in fact accurate as I hadn't read the book and I didn't actually get to see the movie. Between needing pop and popcorn refills, three bathroom trips (two for Punky, one for JoNo) and then the movie being a bit too scary for Punky. (Remember, we thought it was going to be Megamind. By the time we realized it wasn't, we were at the theatre buying our tickets and it was kind of too late at that point to make alternative plans for her.)

Theatrical release poster from wikipedia

Punky and I ended up leaving the theatre and walked around the outdoor mall area where the theatre is located. We went into a few different stores and looked at clothes. Shopping without buying anything. It was a very new concept for my Punky Pie, but I think she enjoyed herself. I mean, isn't it every four year old girls' dream to go shop at Gap Kids, Gymboree, Von Maur (kids section), followed up by a stop at Claire's? Exactly. The stores in a short area were right up her alley. I did have to talk her out of going to Victoria Secret though.

Ever since she was three years old, she has had this thing for VS. I don't know what it is exactly, but I went shopping with a couple of new friends and Punky was with us. My friend, Gabby, asked Punky what she wanted to get at the mall and Punky said, "I need new unnerwears. I need CUTE unnerwears!" So, on the particular mall trip, I bought her some cute "unnerwears" from Gymboree. But even that day, she wanted to go to VS to shop. I couldn't figure out what the deal was for quite some time. I don't show at VS - I'm a plus-sized gal - VS doesn't fit me.

Eventually, I told my mother-in-law about the trip. I say eventually, but in reality, it was probably the following week. It was my mother-in-law who started the whole VS thing. She had been flipping through a VS catalog and had just absent-mindedly commented that she needed to go shopping to get some new underwear when Punky was in earshot. Punky had glanced over, saw the magazine and voila. My three (and now four) year old's obsession with VS. I just hope I can hold her off from the store until she's oh, thirty, or so.

I have to admit though, I have taken her into the store for their bath gels and lotions and sprays and stuff last year right before Christmas. But that's only because the store we were in has two separate entrances and it's divided up between the clothing and related stuff and the bath and shower stuff. She never made the connection that we were in THAT store.

Oh wow. Lots about VS there. Sorry for the tangent. But if you have been around here for any length of time, you know that I do that. A lot.

After the movie/shopping trip and a quick lunch at home, JoNo, Punky and I headed out. I was going to drop JoNo off at his friend, Con's house and also drop off our old stroller, carseat and base as planned and pick up our new lamps from Con's mom. The lamps were HUGE! I love them. They are in our living room on our tables up here. However, I think they match the style of the couches in our den. But the overall style in the den is more modern/contemporary - lots of black and silver and metal going on in that room, whereas our living room is much more traditional. I think these lamps work really well in here though. At least better than the black metal lamps that were in here before. Those are now down in the den, since they fit the style down there quite a bit more.

After dropping off JoNo, Punky and I headed over to Miss M's house. We got there a little bit early and I didn't want to just drop Punky off early, so we waited for a few minutes in the van across the circle from Miss M's house (her family lives on a cul-de-sac). Shortly after parking though, Miss M and her dad came out to their driveway and waved us on over, so we went over.

They have a beautiful house! After being in their house, they will NEVER come over here! LOL! I think our house is pretty nice, even if average, until I go to someone's house that is absolutely stunning. Just wow. So anyhow, Punky and I go in and she gets right to the business of playing with Miss M and the mom (Kate) and I sit and visit for an HOUR. I couldn't believe how easy she was to talk to! While talking, we realized that our lives connect in multiple ways. For one, she grew up near the area where we live and went to school where the boys attend school right now. Secondly, she is an ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education) teacher at another school, but her best friend is one of the ECSE teachers at Boo's school. He attends school in the afternoon and Kate's best friend teaches in Boo's classroom in the morning. It's just funny how closely things overlap like that. Also, Punky's teacher from last year at the private preschool is now teaching with Kate at her school. I guess Punky and Miss M had the same teacher last year, but I don't know for sure if they were in the same class or not. I honestly cannot remember if Punky went to morning or afternoon classes. I am thinking she was in the afternoon class. I might just have to pull out some of her old papers to see if I can figure out if they were in the same class together last year too.

So, then after visiting for a long while Kate, I left with plans to go pick up Punky at 7:30 at night, which is super late for a playdate for her, but it worked out so well! Then it was off to pick up JoNo from Con's house and then head to the store to get supplies for dinner, then to come home, where Hubby, Natty, Boo and our friends Chris and Missy were waiting for us. We fixed dinner and then played some cards. During dinner I had a bottle of beer, not thinking about the fact that I was going to have to go pick up Punky shortly. I remembered that I still had to pick her up at about 7:25 and Miss M lives about 10-15 minutes from us. Crap. I'd had a drink AND I was going to be late. Just the impression that I wanted to make! Oy!

So I commandeered Missy as a driver and we took her vehicle to go pick up Punky. I called Kate to let her know that we were running late and that I'd be there shortly to get my child. She said that it was absolutely fine and that there was no problem with that. They'd only had one incident the entire time and that was when Punky needed to go to the bathroom and Miss M wanted to go in with her. Punky told her "no, I need my privacy" which I thought was hilarious and adorable! Can you tell she has three brothers?!

So, we get there and I get out and I'm standing in the driveway talking to Kate and the girls say goodbye and all is well. We go to the ice cream store and pick up ice cream for everybody and then I notice I don't have my phone. Oh crap. Figuring that the phone is in the car somewhere, we drive home and eat our ice cream, then continue looking for it. Still not able to find it. I call the ice cream store to see if they found it there. Nope. I call Kate and she and her hubby go outside and look for it. Nope. Missy and I check the vehicle. Nope. Chris and Hubby check the vehicle. Nope again. They leave and go to the ice cream store to see if it is in the lot there. Nope. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. I have things on my phone that I don't necessarily want other people to see. Missy teases me because she knows. But still the phone is nowhere to be found. I'm freaking out over it, hoping and praying that it isn't at Kate's house or that if it is, she doesn't go through my phone.

Eventually, Chris and Missy leave and then Hubby heads over to Kate's house to check for the phone. He finds it in the grass at their house. Oh. My. Goodness. I am so relieved! He comes home and all is well! Thank you!

Monday, the family starts to get sick. I'm feeling supremely blah and I sleep in and just don't feel very well. Tuesday night, JoNo gets sick. Wednesday, Natty is sick, Thursday, Boo and Hubby both get sick. Friday, they are both feeling pretty rough, but I'm feeling a lot better and JoNo gets sent home from school. Hubby took him in to see the doctor and we discovered that he had a bulging ear drum. The nurse practitioner, who we LOVE, says she is surprised that the ear drum hadn't ruptured. Poor guy! So we start antibiotics and numbing ear drops to help with the pain. Today (Saturday), Punky gets sick. Really sick. I had actually held out hope that she had missed the whole thing, but no such luck. Poor girly! Hubby was feeling better finally, but Boo is still under the weather. Since I never got sick like the family did, I'm wondering if I was able to skate through with just the blahs this week or if I'm going to get slammed like Punky did. At least, if I end up getting slammed, everyone else will be better (maybe?) by then.

I went through this week and did a major disinfecting of the common surfaces in our house. But I think for the most part, it was too little too late, as the bug was already in the incubation stages in the kiddos. Sigh. Oh well, the house needed it anyhow. And today, I'm going to go through and do it again. As well as clean the carpets. I did what I could as it was needed, but really, the carpets now just need a good, thorough cleaning. Motherhood. It's not a glamorous job. But definitely worthwhile!

ALSO - please consider making a donation and sponsoring my boys by clicking on the links under my banner above. They would really appreciate it!

"A Century Turns" by William J. Bennett

It took me a long time to read this book, as it is not a genre that I find enjoyable, generally speaking. However, I wanted to give the book a fair chance and so it took me awhile to read through this.

William J. Bennett authors the book "A Century Turns" and covers events in U.S. History from the election of George H.W. Bush through the election of Barack Hussein Obama. Mr Bennett's writing style in this book is mostly narrative, which I find can be hard to get through at some points. However, the writing itself is very nicely done.

It was an interesting read, as I learned things I didn't know much if any about while I was growing up. When the book begins, it covers the 1988 election. I remember bits and pieces of the election, but I didn't really know many of the details of President Bush's history or campaign or anything. I was only seven years old at the time. This book has provided insights that I hadn't even realized I missed out on and opened my eyes and my mind to all that was going on and surrounding the events that occurred in these years.

These events were too recent to have been covered in my history classes in high school or college and too time-consuming to be discussed in my other classes, except for little bits and pieces that pertained only to the class in which the discussion was held.

This book is one that will be on our bookshelf for a long time to come. I want my children to be able to read this book and to be able to use it to understand events that happened in their parents' childhood up to the events that occurred in their own childhood as well, so that they don't have such a narrow view of what these events mean for them and for our country, as I did growing up.

I would recommend this book to others interested in more recent history as I think it provides valuable insight into the timeframe of 1988 to 2008.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Showers and baths and cleaning, oh my!

Today's Small Thing was something that I had planned on doing anyhow. As you all know, we have had the sickies around here and when that happens, I like to go around and disinfect as much as I possibly can, as soon as I can possibly do it.

I had planned on doing today's Small Thing before kids' bath time, but tonight was so unorganized and poor JoNo and Boo were just having a rough night in general with not feeling well and I guess I should mention Hubby still isn't feeling the greatest either. All that to say, I didn't get to today's thing until after bedtime.

But I did it. I cleared the bathtub of the toys and all the bottles of shampoo and conditioner and soap and bubble bath and loofahs and then gave the tub a good scrub down. We still have some paint drips on the tile surrounding our tub from when Hubby painted last year and when I am in there taking a bath, I pick at them. I didn't feel like trying to work on those tonight, so I skipped the paint removal part of my bathtub scrub routine.

Then I went downstairs and gave our shower a good scrub down too. I don't know if it is hard water or soap build up or what, but our shower never looks clean. EVER. I cannot wait to get the Shaklee so that I can finally have a shower and shower door that look like I clean it every once in awhile. So frustrating! Agh!

I did end up needing to add some supplies to the upstairs bathroom, and thankfully, I had enough on hand to do so without cutting me short in the kitchen. Yay for that! Boo for it being harsh chemical cleaners, but one thing at a time, right? Right.

Okay, point totals. Today's first bathtub or shower scrubbed down was worth 40 points, then the second one was worth an additional 20 points and assessing the cleaning supplies was worth another 20 points for a grand total of 80 points! Which I would just like to point out that I earned all of. That brings my monthly total up to...400 points!

ALSO - please consider making a donation and sponsoring my boys by clicking on the links under my banner above. They would really appreciate it!

40 in 40 - Week 1

Today is the first link up for the 40 bags in 40 days challenge. I am excited to be a part of this challenge. I have so many areas to declutter yet (it really is a continuous process - the more I get rid of, the more I am willing to let go of) and this will be a great aid in doing so.

First off, I'd like to share my plan of attack for this challenge with you. The recommendation was to use black trash bags, so that you cannot see what is in them. But I don't have black trash bags on hand and I didn't want to have to go out and buy a box of bags just for this challenge when I have a HUGE box of white bags from Sam's Club.

So, my plan of attack around the house:
Day 1 (Wed. 3/9): Master bedroom closet (3 bags + loose items)
Day 2 (Thu 3/10): Yarn storage / cedar chest (1 bag)
Day 3 (Fri 3/11): Front closet ()
Day 4 (Sat 3/12): Laundry room / clothing #1 ()
Day 5 (Sun 3/13): Old Hyundai ()
Day 6 (Mon 3/14): Little kids' bedroom / toys ()
Day 7 (Tue 3/15): Laundry room / clothing #2 ()
Day 8 (Wed 3/16): Bookshelves ()
Day 9 (Thu 3/17): Kitchen drawers ()
Day 10 (Fri 3/18): Laundry room / clothing #3 ()
Day 11 (Sat 3/19): Hall bathroom ()
Day 12 (Sun 3/20): Van ()
Day 13 (Mon 3/21): Laundry room / clothing #4 ()
Day 14 (Tue 3/22): Newer Hyundai ()
Day 15 (Wed 3/23): Entertainment center ()
Day 16 (Thu 3/24): Laundry room / clothing #5 ()
Day 17 (Fri 3/25): Storage area #1 ()
Day 18 (Sat 3/26): Outside ()
Day 19 (Sun 3/27): Laundry room / clothing #6 ()
Day 20 (Mon 3/28): Garage #1 ()
Day 21 (Tue 3/29):  Storage area #2 ()
Day 22 (Wed 3/30): Laundry room / clothing #7 ()
Day 23 (Thu 3/31): Kitchen cupboards ()
Day 24 (Fri 4/1): Storage area #3 ()
Day 25 (Sat 4/2): Laundry room / clothing #8 ()
Day 26 (Sun 4/3): Kitchen cabinets ()
Day 27 (Mon 4/4): Garage #2
Day 28 (Tue 4/5): Laundry room / clothing #9
Day 29 (Wed 4/6): Kitchen counters ()
Day 30 (Thu 4/7): Storage area #3 ()
Day 31 (Fri 4/8): Laundry room / clothing #10 ()
Day 32 (Sat 4/9): Bedroom closet ()
Day 33 (Sun 4/10): Storage area #4 ()
Day 34 (Mon 4/11): Garage # ()
Day 35 (Tue 4/12): Armoire ()
Day 36 (Wed 4/13): Pet area ()
Day 37 (Thu 4/14): Boys' room ()
Day 38 (Fri 4/15): Guest room ()
Day 39 (Sat 4/16): Storage area #5 ()
Day 40 (Sun 4/17): Garage #4 ()

Total bags = 4
Days of non-bagged items = 1

ALSO - please consider making a donation and sponsoring my boys by clicking on the links under my banner above. They would really appreciate it!

Company Girl Coffee 3.11

Well, I guess I will get a post in today, contrary to what I said yesterday. I am still feeling pretty rough and I wasn't able to sleep last night due to one child or another being awake and not feeling well. But at the moment, the only thing plaguing most of the children is a cough. There were no incidents of bodily fluids being expelled in an undesirable manner, no fevers, just the cough. Well, I have a fever, but I think all four kids will be able to attend school today.

I have been attempting to lose weight recently. I started in earnst on February 7th of this year and so far, I have lost 18.5 pounds! That is incredible and I am so encouraged by that! I still have a long ways to go yet, but I feel like I have gotten off to a great start already. I am really pleased. My largest weight drop actually happened just this past week and a half when I lost 5.5 pounds. It was a lot at once and it wasn't necessarily intentional either. I think it was just that I have had a lot of anxiety lately and plus, I was starting to come down with something, so I'm sure that factored in as well.

My house is a disaster area today and I will probably only be doing a minimal amount around the house today, unless I start to feel much better very soon. I found a number of different recipes last night for making homemade furniture polish. I decided to try one out last night that called for 2 tsp. olive oil (or canola oil or whatever oil you use to cook with), 2 tsp. of vinegar mixed with 32 oz. of water. I have a bottle of extra virgin olive oil in my cupboard that I don't use because I don't like the flavor, so I used some of that along with some apple cider vinegar that was under my kitchen sink. The bottle of vinegar is a 32 oz. one and it had very little left in it, so I emptied the vinegar into another smaller container and then mixed up the polish in the vinegar bottle.

My kitchen has a LOT of wood in it. Well, truly, my whole house has a LOT of food in it. Our house was built in 1964 and I'm sure the wood accents and such are original to the home. Anyhow, I took this mixture and poured some onto a rag and tried it out. I think it did an okay job on the areas where I tested it. The one thing about the mix is that just before applying it, you have to shake the bottle to mix the ingredients together well enough to use.

I also decided to look up some information about freezing different items. We have a lot of eggs and potatoes to use up one way or another and I discovered a few different things. The first one being that egg noodles are incredibly easy to make and at very little cost. Two, potatoes can be cut up into french fries or wedges and then seasoned and baked, allow to cool and the freeze in a freezer bag or other storage container. (I would use a freezer mate container from Tupperware myself.) The third item I discovered last night is that you can freeze eggs. All you have to do is take the eggs, crack them into a bowl and whisk them (much like you would if you were going to make scrambled eggs) add a little bit of salt and then place into a container to freeze. Who knew?! Oh, well, I suppose somebody did before they posted it on the internet. I would also recommend that if you are going to do that, you write on the container or on your label or tape how many eggs you used for the mixture. And the last item is that you can freeze milk. You just open it up, pour out a glass or so and then put the lid back on and place in freezer. When you thaw it out, just place it in your fridge and allow to thaw. You may want to give it a good shake when it is thawed though, as milk will sometimes separate in the freeze/thaw cycle.

A whole load of easy tips and tricks that will save money and time and is just good information to know. I even discovered a recipe for crackers, in the event that I would need to make some today for upset tummies. I love the research power of the internet!

Today I plan to rest as much as possible and see if I can get at least a little bit of work done around the house. If I don't get around to housework until Monday, I will be just fine with that too. The most important thing to me at this point is to take care of my family and to get better myself too.

Happy Friday to all of you and hope you are all well or at least on the mend. Here's to hoping my house(hold) will be on the mend soon as well!

ALSO - please consider making a donation and sponsoring my boys by clicking on the links under my banner above. They would really appreciate it!

Tupperware Feature Friday

This week I am going to feature some items from Tupperware that will be available coming up on March 12 - April 8. This month features ways to "go green" in the kitchen and in keeping with that theme, many items are green as well. Some of these items are only available for a limited time and others are at a great discount. I will note which of these (or both!) is the case after each item shown. Also, you can click on the Tupperware bowls to the left of this paragraph to visit my Tupperware site to order your own products today. Or let me know if you would want to do a party. It doesn't matter if we are near each other or not. That is the beauty of the internet!  All product information and pictures are copied and pasted from the Tupperware website. Please click on any picture to take you to my website.

Tupperware® Fresh Herb Planter System
Grow your own fresh, healthy herbs at home without worrying about daily care requirements. Our system waters herbs accurately and automatically. Now you can savor the robust flavor of seasoned food without relying on expensive, pre-packaged fresh or dried herbs. The modular design uses very little space, so you can extend your garden as needed. Includes base, pot, microfiber water absorber G and water bottle with cap. Insert features helpful herb cooking tips and culinary uses for specific herbs.

Special introductory price! New! 
# 81998 $14.99 (Reg. $18.50 value)

Chop ’N Prep™ Chef
Chop fresh herbs, vegetables, fruit, baby foods and more in “turbo” time with this compact and earth-friendly tool. The easy pull-cord mechanism lets you do it all in just seconds and without electricity. Plus, it’s small enough to store in the cupboard, drawer or pantry. Includes virtually airtight and liquid-tight seal. 1¼-cup/300 mL capacity. Gift-boxed for added convenience.

Save over 35%!, Save $14.50!
Or host a qualifying party and pay only $10! See page 8 for details.
# 81907 $25.00 (Reg. $39.50 value)

Spin ’N Save™ Salad Spinner
Meet our “spin” doctor! Place your greens and other produce inside this 4-qt./4 L prep tool to quickly transform them into a healthy salad. Or use it to dry cooked pasta or thaw frozen fruits and vegetables. The virtually airtight and liquid-tight seal that’s included helps you save time by making it now and storing in the fridge for later. Includes bowl with four anti-slip feet, colander, spinner cover and seal. Gift-boxed for added convenience.

Save 35%!, Save $18.50!

# 81916 $34.00 (Reg. $52.50 value)
 

Thatsa® Bowl 4-Pc. Set
The unique thumb-loop makes it easy to safely grip these bowls for prep work or serving snacks. They’re perfect for family popcorn nights—everyone can have their own bowl! Deep walls help prevent messy spills, while textured interiors resist scratches. Virtually airtight, liquid-tight seals keep contents fresh for later use. Each set includes 6-cup/1.4 L Thatsa® Bowl Mini, 12-cup/2.8 L Thatsa® Bowl Jr., 32-cup/7.6 L Thatsa® Bowl and 42-cup/10 L Thatsa® Mega Bowl.
Get eight bowls for the price of four.

Buy 1 set, get 1 set FREE!, Save $75!

# 81917 $75.00 (Reg. $150.00 value)

Saucy Silicone Spatula
The soft-grip handle of this indispensable kitchen tool helps you make quick work of mixing and whipping of wet or dry ingredients. Angled tip lets you easily reach into the corners of straight-edged bowls and pans. Stain and heat-resistant up to 400°F /200° C. Pulls apart for easy cleaning.

Save over 45%!, Save $8!
Requires a $100 order
Limit one with each $100 order.
# 881839 $9.50 (Reg. $17.50 value)

Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons Set
We give you more! Designed for a lifetime of everyday use, the Cups and Spoons each come in a set of six-that's two more than most others. They also feature easy-to-read, embossed measurements that won't wear off. Cups include pour spouts on either side for left or right-handed use; measurements are ¼, 1/3, ½, 2/3, ¾ and 1 cup. Spoons feature raised, curved handles
that allow them to sit flat on a counter; measurements are 1/8, ¼, ½ and 1 tsp., plus ½ and 1 tbsp.

Buy Measuring Cups, get Measuring Spoons FREE!, Save $11.50!

# 81915 $14.50 (Reg. $26 value)

Classic Sheer® Midgets® Set
No home is complete without a set of these little miracles. Now you can get two six-pc. sets for the price of one! Each container includes 1-oz./30 mL, 1½-oz./45 mL and 2-oz./60 mL markings. Seals are virtually airtight and liquid-tight, so you can tote small
quantities and not fret about spills or leaks. Use them for salad dressing; sprinkles for baking; travel-sized portions of liquid soap, shampoo and make-up; or sewing and craft supplies. When empty, simply stack for compact storage. Get 12 containers for the price of six.

Buy 1 set, get 1 set FREE!, Save $11!

# 81913 $11.00 (Reg. $22 value) 

Stuffables® Super Set
Stretch your storage capacity with this unique set. The flexible seals expand, reducing the number of containers needed. They also make odd-shaped or bulky foods easier to store. Includes 4-cup/950 mL, 6-cup/1.4 L and 8-cup/1.9 L containers. Note: Remove seals before microwave reheating. Set of three.

Save 50%!, Save $23!
Requires a $50 order
Limit one set with each $50 order.
# 881840 $22.50 (Reg. $45.50 value) 

Double Colander—now in exclusive color!
It’s two tools in one! Don’t prepare pasta or salads without it. Use the top and bottom separately or together for maximum straining and draining capability. The stay-cool handle and tabbed lid ensure your safety. 2-qt./2 L capacity.

only at a party—save 50%!, Save $10!
Limit 10 when you attend a party.
# 89448 $10.00 (Reg. $20 value)

Those are just a few of the great items available from the catalog this month! Contact your local Tupperware consultant (or me!) for a more detailed list! Enjoy cooking and being green with Tupperware!

And just for fun, some of the other products available for a special price this month: Disney Fun-tastic Friends Tumblers* (sale $17.50)  Floresta 1-Gallon/3.7 L Pitcher (sale $18.00) Jel-Ring® Mold (sale $11.00) Floresta 10-oz./310 mL Tumblers (sale $12.50) Floresta Bowls (sale $19.50) Host Gift Special (free with qualifying show) Kids Cake Taker Set* (sale $11.00) Kids in the Kitchen Set* (sale $25.00) Mickey Mouse Ice Tups® Set (sale $10.00) Microwave Extreme Collection (free! with $750 party and two datings) Mini Party Set (sale $17.50) Mini Gelatin Mold Set (sale $19.00) Mini Serve-It® Set (sale $9.00) Spider-Man Lunch Set* (sale $18.00) Shape-O® Toy (sale $17.00)

Forced Absence

Just wanted to let you all know that I will most likely be absent from the bloggy scene for a bit. At least this weekend, I am guessing. I have a post that should be finished to go live tomorrow and then that is likely all you will have of me for the weekend, depending on how things are going here.

Skip the next paragraph if you don't want to read the specifics of what illnesses are currently plaguing my family.

Hubby is sick with some sort of a gastrointestinal infection. Natty is kinda sick with the same and a bit of a cold as well. I don't know if he is in the process of getting sick or if he is just mildly sick, but anyhow... Then JoNo is sick. He's had vomiting and is showing major signs of respiratory illness as well. He's hanging in there though. He got sick Tuesday night but has been semi-well since then. Punky has avoided it completely and Boo has had both vomiting and blow-out diarrhea. Poor baby guy. I've had an upset stomach and fever myself and just feel like I'm dragging. It's been awful!

I think most of the household (with the exception of Boo and myself) is asleep at this point and I plan on jumping in and doing some kick-butt cleaning. I need to do laundry. But I also want to do a very detailed cleaning in the house. I'm going to start with the main living areas and just try to get as much done tonight as possible. A full, top-to-bottom clean, including dusting and windows and vacuuming and carpet and upholstery cleaning and disinfecting all common surfaces. I wish I had already made the trip over to Erin's house to get some Shaklee to try out, but I haven't yet, so I will have to use the cleaners that I have on hand, which is what I would have had to do anyhow, but I still wish I had made the trip prior to this.

So, anyhow, if you don't see me around within the next few days - this is why. Feel free to leave me some comment love and I will try to get back to y'all as soon as I can.

ALSO - please consider making a donation and sponsoring my boys by clicking on the links under my banner above. They would really appreciate it!