Anniethology Video Blog 1

*Apron supplied by Bella Style. Available at etsy.com.

Anniethology Asks

What do you do out of obligation, not because you want to?

Ready for Fall

I decorated the niche in my entryway with some fall accents. I am really happy with how it turned out. That niche has been so hard to decorate. It remained empty for months. Sometimes when Mini Me was looking particularly cute, I would put her up there and take her picture. We have lived in this house for almost two years and I am finally starting to get the hang of how to fill the niche. I like Christmastime because I put a mini tree in there and decorate it will small picture frames filled with photos of family and friends. But after the tree comes down, I'm at a loss as to what to do with this hole in the wall next. Now that I am at peace again with the niche, it's time for me to change out the green spring/summer curtains in the living room for something more seasonally appropriate. I am thinking a darker green with heavier fabric. Maybe I will go wild and hang rich, dark teal velvet drapes from Anthropologie. Ooohh, that might be interesting.

Good Mail Girls; The Resurgence

re·sur·gence (rĭ-sûr'jəns) noun

1. A continuing after interruption; a renewal.
2. A restoration to use, acceptance, activity, or vigor; a revival.

Many of you Good Mail Girls out there may be feeling like me lately. I would love to get out some Good Mail, but I just haven't had the time. Consequently feelings of pressure or guilt have ensued. I don't want to feel that way. I don't want anyone else to feel that way. Good Mail is about fun and thoughtfulness. Remember our mantra? No rules, no quotas, just thoughtfulness through the mail.
Now that all the summer partays are over and my three kids are back in school all day, I am able to catch up on some of the things that I do just for me. Good Mail is one of them. I love to give and I love to receive. My mailbox has been feeling a little lonely lately. That is an indicator to me that if I want to get, I better get to givin'.

Here are some ideas to get you into the spirit of resurgence for Good Mail.
1. I love postcards! The bloggers that visited me last weekend can attest to the bulletin board on my desk that holds some of my most recently received postcards. I want to know where you have been this summer. I want to know where you live and what is special about it. I am sure others do too. Send out a postcard.
2. I have attended 3 stampin'/card makin'/scrapbookin' type parties this summer. I am going to share some of the cards and techniques that I have learned with the Good Mail Girls. Have you done any paper crafts this summer that you would like to share?
3. Fall is rapidly approaching, with it comes cooler weather. I love me a pot of cheesy potato soup. It's the ultimate comfort food. I do not consider myself a cook, but I know that many of you are. How about sending out some of your favorite stew recipes?

Thoughtfulness begets thoughtfulness. I hope that your mailbox will soon see a resurgence of Good Mail. Thanks to all who participate. If you aren't a part of a Good Mail group and you would like to be, check my sidebar for the links to a few ladies who currently have Good Mail groups going. See ya at the post office!

Good Mail Tip: Don't hide inside your mailbox.


Sorry about that. Here this will make you feel warm and fuzzy. I promise.

Be nice to strangers...

...they might be the one's cleaning, cooking, and singing at your funeral.
I accepted the assignment to clean the church building and sing for a funeral today. At first I thought, "Why me? I don't know these people." Then I realized that, of course, it has to be people who aren't involved with the grieving family. I know that the morning of my grandma's funeral I would not have wanted to be down at the church cleaning toilets.
Speaking of cleaning toilets, I learned something about the male species that I thought was just particular to my own home, but now I know it's true across the board. Males don't flush toilets or wash their hands! I cleaned 3 mens bathrooms today. After entering one bathroom I was bowled over by the smell of old urine. You know the smell. I covered my nose with my t-shirt and went in for the flush. I propped the bathroom door open to let it air out for a few minutes before I commenced cleaning. I don't know why I was surprised to see that the sink and faucet were completely dry and shiney as if they have never been touched. My OCD has taken a few dramatic leaps forward. I never want to shake hands at church again!
Speaking of OCD, now that I am home I am going to scrub myself with ammonia and SOS pads. I can tolerate my own families cooties, but not other peoples....no way.
Speaking of my own family, I welcome the opportunity to sing at a strangers funeral. (Carrot is rolling her eyes, probably thinking my voice can wake the dead. She heard me sing in the car this past weekend. Trust me, Carrot, I do much better with a piano.) I hope that some kind stranger will return the favor someday. As much as I love my family, I don't think I could compose myself long enough to sing at their funeral.
Speaking of singing, I bet you are wondering what song I will be performing. I am singing a duet with another lady. She is an alto and I am a soprano. We are singing, "'I Need Thee Hour."
Speaking of the hour, I gotta hop in the tub before I am late.

Bloggers Converge on Colorado

What a wonderful, whirlwind weekend we had. Between the bloggy lunch in Denver, the over-nighters in Glenwood Springs, and the BBQ at Casa de Payne, we had a total of 14 bloggers attend. We have agreed, secret handshakes have been exchanged, and contracts have been signed that "Whatever happens in Colorado, stays in Colorado," but there are some tidbits about this weekend I am willing to divulge.

Tupac's memory is alive and well on this fine womans leg.

Natalie Portman guides tours of caves when she is not making movies.

I like "big bolts" and I cannot lie.

I live in Vacation Land, USA! I love living in Colorado.

Carrot Jello sings like an angel.

When bloggers get together it's like Christmas! Presents for everyone!

What is better than seeing one woman in daisy dukes, a hot pink tank top and clear plastic stillettos? Seeing two women in daisy dukes, a hot pink tank top and clear plastic stilletoes!

Every party is better with a deep fryer.

No Cool Story is the queen of Apples to Apples!

God loves bloggers.

(No Cool Story's recap is awesome. Go have a read!)

Stay tuned for the Colorado Blog Partay Report!

100 Reasons to ♥ blogging!

1. When you are feeling remorseful about your new hair-do, your blogging peeps will tell you it looks great anyway. (I love my stylist. She expertly achieved exactly what I asked her to do. It's not her, it's me. I do like it. Maybe I wasn't quite ready to change my look.)

Your turn.

"...and her strength went from her."

Do you remember the story from the Old Testament about Samson and Delilah? Remember he was ultra strong because of his long hair. Then he met up with the harlot, Delilah. She "pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death" to get get him to tell her the secret of his strength. When he divulged his secret, Dirty Delilah betrayed him to her people, the Philistines. He lost his strength, he was captured, and they put out his eyes. Chained to the pillars of a Philistines house, he asked for strength from God one more time. He pulled the house in on top of himself and 3000 Philistines.

I am feeling a little like Samson. I have betrayed my "signature look" to go back to my roots and in doing so, I feel like I have lost my strength.

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I'd be crazy not to be excited for school to start. Right?

Do you know what the number one question moms are asking each other right now? If your answer is, “Are you excited for school to start?” You’d get an A!
The most popular answer is a resounding, “Yes! I am counting the days!”
All the moms I know are already making plans for what they are going to do when the kids are back at school. Spend a day at the spa. Go back to college. Get a part time job. Turn cartwheels. Set of fireworks. What? You don’t set off fireworks? I guess I am alone on that one. I have been known to spin and leap my way across the playground after dropping off my kids on the first day of school. But, this year I feel significantly different. When the number one question is asked of me, I give the canned answer. I wouldn’t want to say no and start a riot or something. After all, I would be crazy not to look forward to my three kiddos going back to school, right? Well, call me crazy. We have had a wonderful summer that is coming to an end all too soon.
My kids are the perfect ages right now. My twin boys are eight and my daughter is six. They are old enough to feed and dress and bathe themselves, but they are still young enough to believe that I know it all. My boys aren’t too old to think they are too cool to play with their little sister and she is old enough to keep up with them. They have played so nice together this summer. I hate to see it come to an end. The end of the summer means the beginning of the school year. The beginning of a new school year means my kids are getting older. Heaven help me, I just want time to stop so I can take a breath before I miss something good.
One of my sons and I had a mommy/son date the other day. He is not too grown up to be embarrassed walking hand in hand through the mall with his mom. I told him I would buy him all the Pokemon cards he wanted if he would stop growing. Although tempted by the offer, he said he didn’t think that was possible.
A couple days later the sands of time stopped just for me. We came home from the pool and all three kids immediately went their separate ways in the house. One went to watch TV, the other to play Game Cube and the other to play on the computer. It wasn’t two minutes later when the electricity went out. The house became dead quiet. Three kids from three corners of the house in unison shouted,
“Mom, what happened?”
When I explained to them that the electricity went out, they said,
“Well, can we watch a DVD?”
“Nope.”
“Can we make some popcorn?”
“Nope.”
“Well, geez, what are we gonna do?”
They started to panic. Admittedly, I did too. So much of what we do everyday requires electricity. How was I supposed to entertain these kids without electricity? (My grandma would be ashamed of what I just said.)
Completely unconvinced that my offer would be accepted, I suggested,
“Hey, how about we read The Mouse and the Motorcycle now?”
“Mom, that’s for bedtime.”
“So, there’s no rule that says we can’t read it now.”
They agreed and we all cozied up together on the couch to read a book.
I got my wish. The hands on the clock stopped moving and I got to hold my three kids and relish in the peaceful, electricity free moment with no interruptions or distractions. That was until twenty-five minutes later when the power came back on. The buzz and blips of their video games lured them away from me and all too quickly they were off again.
What I thought was going to be the longest twenty-five minutes of my summer, turned out to be the very best.

Equality Now!

This is Jessica Holmes. She is a comedic actress. We were missionary companions. Now I am a Triple M (Mom, Mortage, Mini-Van) and she is famous in Canada. I'll only say this once...okay maybe twice and I will repeat myself if someone didn't hear me the first two timmes. When we were together, I was the funny one.





P.S Dear Jessica, Why do your people keep sending my letters back? All I want is an 8 x 10 autographed glossy. How hard is that? Why are you being so selfish? Remember that time when we were in Venezuela and you were really hot and I let you use my fan? Huh? Huh? Remember that? I thought you did! I'm sorry, that came out really mean. Call me.

"Thank you, Sir. May I have another?"

The shame, rebuffs, and tomato throwing worked! My desk is clean. Thanks for putting up with some of the most boring posts in the blog world. i.e. My desk is dirty. My desk is clean. Although your motivation was enough, my mother-in-laws arrival tomorrow is really what got me going on cleaning off the top of my desk. Eyewitnesses can testify that as for the rest of my house, I keep it generally pretty orderly. It's my desk and my van that get out control sometimes. I guess because I spend a lot of time in both places. Have a great weekend y'all. Catch you on the other side! Whatever that means.

Infiltrated by Dan the Man

My sweet little girly blog has been infiltrated by a man. (Ewwww, man cooties! Man cooties!) Not just any man, but Dan the Man. He is a blog superstar with an obscene amount of comments to his credit. No link for him, he doesn't need it! What the heck is he doing around here? How in the world did he find his way over here? We don't have anything in common. I don't have a cat. I don't like backpacking and I don't post pictures of my can on my blog. I have seen that he has visited some of you too. Boy germs, boy germs!

P.S. I dont' really mind male readers, it's just that they are few and far between around these parts.

P.P.S Show a girl some love. Good Mail Girl and matriarch of one gorgeous family, Gretchen, gets some Cool Mommy points for designing mascot t-shirts for her kids school. Way to go Gretch!

Shame on me!

Shame on me for letting the top of my desk get this bad. I need a little social pressure to clean this up. Don't tell me it's okay. Don't tell me you love me anyway. Don't make excuses for me like I must be really busy. Shame me! Shun me! Take away my priviledges. This is just unacceptable.

Who is ready to partay, Colorado style?!

We have a couple of special guests coming to visit Carronin and I in August. I have been a fan of their blogs since the dawn of the blogosphere or at least for the past year. The Smiling Infidel herself, the Elasticwaistbandlady or "Lasti-kins" for those who are in the know and Carrot Jello of Oinkle Doinkle fame! I know, I know! We are so lucky. We thought it wouldn't be fair to hog them for ourselves so we are planning a couple of Meet and Greets for anyone who would like to come.

The first one will be in Denver on August 17th. We will be meeting for lunch at a place yet to be determined. Amber that Crazy Blogging Canuck suggested an outdoor cafe in Boulder in a gorgeous setting or a restaurant right in the heart of downtown Denver where all the action is. Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock and roll? Attendees at this point include, myself, Carronin, Amber, Aubrey, Elastic, and Carrot.

The second one is a BBQ here at Casa de Payne on August the 18th around the lunch hour, kind of thing. To give you a little orientation on where Fruita is at; it is 4 hours drive from Denver and 4 hours drive from Salt Lake.

We would love to see you all. We missed the last blog get together. Life just got in the way:(

I hope y'all will come for a "do-over" here in Colorado and yes, pictures with Mike the Headless Chicken will be taken after the BBQ. If you are ready to partay Colorado style, I will update you by e-mail with the details! Two woots! "Woot! Woot!"

"If you don't honk your own horn, no one else will."

This is something my mother would tell me. She taught me that it is okay to say nice things about myself. Of course there is room for humility and graciousness, but what woman do you know that just stops there. I think as women, we are all too quick to point out our own flaws, complain our bodies, and compare ourselves to others.
My mom also taught me that you teach people how to treat you. She let us know when we were acting like ingrates. To this day, I remember to show gratitude to my mom because she expects it and deserves it.
I have followed suit with my own family. My children have been my most recent recipients of this teaching. When they talk back or use a "tone" with me, I am sure to remind them,
"Listen kid, I am the the giver and taker of all that is good in your life right now. See that Gameboy in your hand? Do you like it? Do you remember who bought it for you? That's right, I did. Who reads you bed time stories? That's right. I do. Who makes your meals and washes your clothes? That's right. I do. I am a good mommy that does a lot of nice things for you. So when it comes time to feed the dog or empty the dishwasher, the only thing I want to hear from you is 'yes mom'. Do you got that? Great. I knew you would. You are a smart kid."
Sometimes these spoiled American kids don't know how good they've got and you need to spell it out for them. Don't be afraid to say, I am a good mommy.
I love the show, "Wife Swap". My kids and I watch it together. It gives my kids a chance to see how other families live and realize how good they've got it here in Casa de Payne.
So, in the spirit of honking my own horn and teaching people how to treat me, I thought I would post this, again! In case you missed it the first time. Have a great day mommies!

P.S. Chips Ahoy is also using 80's music to woo our generation to buy their dry and tasteless cookies. Franky says, 'relax'. Don't fall prey to this cheap tactic.

P.P.S. (Millie style) Pretty Sisters is an organization that believes in the advancement of women. Their official slogan is, "Dream, Believe, and Create."
My older sister's friends founded it. When she called and said I should be a part of it I said,"I already have a blog called Hot Fruita Mom's. I think I sound narcissitic enough without participating in a group called "Pretty Sisters"? She was nice enough to nominate me for a spotlight anyway.

Meme from Dedee

The talented writer, quilt maker, deep thinker Dedee tagged me for a meme. I am more than happy to oblige her, because I am a fan.
1--What color most describes you and why? Are you blue? Green? If green, are you forest or hot or pear? Or are you a brownish-orange color? Or are you the vibrant red/purple that can only be found in a sunset? There are lots of colors in this world, pick one or two. Or does it depend on the mood?
If you were to look in my closet right now you would think that my favorite colors are turquoise and brown. But, at this very moment my favorite color is Glittersmama's walls. Please tell me what brand and color of paint that is.
2--What smell most reminds you of your childhood home and why?
The first thought that came to my head was lilac. We had a lilac bush below our bedroom window. I loved the smell when it bloomed in the spring.
3--What is your favorite article of clothing and why?
I just bought a leopard print blouse. I love it because not everyone can pull of leopard without looking like a street walker or a retiree.
4--If you could meet a President of the United States of America, living or dead, which one would it be and why?
I would like to meet John F. in the hopes that he would bring Jackie.
Side note: My favorite Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis quotes.
"I always wanted to be some kind of writer or newspaper reporter. But after college... I did other things."
"I think the best thing I can do is to be a distraction. A husband lives and breathes his work all day long. If he comes home to more table thumping, how can the poor man ever relax?"
"I want minimum information given with maximum politeness."
5--If I were to visit you and want you to take me to the place in your town/city that you love most, aside from you house, where would it be and why do you love it?
What? You wouldn't want to just sit around my house and watch me blog?! That's weird. Okay, whatever. Well, Fruita is a great little town. I would take you to see Fruita's most famous non-human citizen Grrrreta the Dinosaur. Then we would go to the Hot Tomato Cafe for a stromboli made by my friend Jen. Then I would take you to get your picture taken with the Mike the Headless Chicken statue, because you have to have your picture taken with Mike. A trip to Fruita wouldn't be complete without a tour of the Colorado National Monument. Then we would end the day with a visit to the snow cone stand. Tigers Blood is my favorite flavor.

"You're jedi mind tricks will not work on me."

I thought that my mind was too strong to let the marketing machine with it's constant deluge of messages of commercialism and consumerism effect what I buy.

That is until I saw the Reece's Peanut Butter Cup commercial with New Order playing in the background.

My mind immediately combined the taste of the sweet chocolate and the creamy peanut butter with the memory of being a boy crazy and talktative fourteen year old girl at a church dance showing the world, every other Saturday night, that my sister and I were the best dancers on the gymnasium floor. We did some of our best moves to Bizzare Love Triangle.

"Must...have...a...Reece's...Peanut...Butter...cup."

"She's a genius."

My Mini Me is a skinny mini. In my bathroom this morning, I tried to safety pin her skirt so it fit better in the waist. As I worked to secure the pin I accidently poked Mini Me in the arm. I quickly apologized and checked for blood.
She said, "Mom, why can't they give those things a name that tells the truth about them? It shouldn't be called a safety pin."
"What would you call it, Mini Me?"
"I would call it a pokey pin, not a safety pin."

Brillant.

Charm Thursday & Bigsistah vs Lisa Rinna

Clickety here to see my latest and greatest, never seen before article for the Daily Sentinel.

My Bigsistah, also known as the resident wardrobe consultant, Fashionista, asked me to post her celebrity look a-like photo. She just got her hair cut like Lisa Rena. What do you think?

Proof that I am a mean mom.

I took my kids to I.H.O.P this morning for breakfast, instead of Denny's like they wanted. When I asked what the difference was they replied, "The food comes faster at Denny's." As if!

We went to the lake yesterday, but they didn't get to swim because there was lightening nearby. I promised I would take them to the pool today to make up for it. They didn't remember the promise and I didn't remind them. They played video games most of the day.

When one of my sons almost puked from picking up dog poop in the yard, I yelled out the window, "Just hold your breath! If you don't breath in, the smell won't make you gag."

I had four squares of chocolate. I ate them all and didn't share with them. When they came in the room and asked what I was eating I said, "Vitamins."

Memory Monday

I have 19 minutes to write this until it was actually Tuesday.

I bet it wouldn't surprise you to know that I was a hyper child. It took three years and three distinct events to bring me down a few notches. Anyone who knew me back then would have a hard time believing that I am a calm, cool, and collected adult now. (Ahem)
When I was 12, I spent a week camping with girls from my church. At the end of the week I was given the "Voices Carry" Award. This "honor" came to me because everyone was always telling me to shut up as in the lyrics to the song "Voices Carry" by the band 'Til Tuesday. You remember the one, "... he said shut up, he said shut up... oh won't you please keep it down... voices carry..." You would think I would have taken the hint, but no.
The next summer when I was 13, I annoyed my older brother to the point that he turned me upside down and banged my head on the floor. This incident sent me to the emergency room for a mild concussion. Again, you would think that I would start to evaluate my behavior, but no.
Finally, the summer of my fourteenth year, on our way home from a mid-week activity at church, I finally received the comeuppance that changed my life. My sister, Carronin was driving my friend and I home. When we came to a stoplight, my friend and I got out of the car and did a Chinese Fire Drill. Carronin threatened to leave us if we got out, but we were not to be deterred. She did as promised and drove off through the intersection. I ran after her without stopping, looking, and listening. I was hit by a car coming the other way. As I was flying through the air I thought to myself, "This is just a bad dream and I am going to wake up at anytime." My sister, my friend, and the other driver quickly came to my aid and an ambulance was called. I don't know if I tried to get up, but I laid there on the ground until it got there. Miraculously, I had no broken bones or serious injuries, just really bad road rash. I feel sorry for the driver, I literally came out of nowhere. There was no way to avoid what happened. I believe his insurance paid for the whole thing. My accident happened just before I started high school. Word got around school about what had happened to me, some people even said that it was Carronin who hit me with the car. I thought that it was pretty cool that I was just a lowly freshmen, but people were talking about me.
That near death experience mellowed me out a lot. Instead of being hyperactive and talkative middle schooler, I went on to be a boy crazy and talkative high schooler. Which was worse? I do not know.
Doh! Too late, it's already Tuesday.

Hand knitted with love.

I want you all to know what an amazing friend I have.
Tama is one of my few IRLF's (in real life friends) hence, I blog. She serves with me in the church. She is one of those people you can always count on. I couldn't do it without her. Tama is also a very honest person. She is truthful with others and true to herself. She has no need for pretense. I admire this about her so much. She is gorgeous, I mean really gorgeous, and super talented in so many different areas. I just love her so much.
Yesterday, Tama stopped by house with a gift. It's not my birthday, just because. She hand knitted me a pair of socks. My description cannot do them justice, but they are obviously well executed and so soft! Tama included a letter with the note (I hope she doesn't mind that I share it) about what hand knitted gift represents.
Annie,
I wanted you to know how special a hand knitted gift is so I am including this note.
A hand knitted item is more than a bunch of loops strung together. For every stitch there is an event, a memory, a thought, a musing, or a moment of my life.
As I made this pair of socks I sat and watched (her daughter's name) get her first salon hair color. I thought about how beautiful she is and is becoming, how good she is--loving, fun, helpful, and how much I love her.
I worked on your socks as I sat and read your blog and comments and thought about how clever, funny, intelligent, and fun you are and how fortunate I am to know you.
I worked on them as I rode in the car visiting with my husband about everything from the everyday to our dreams and plans for the future.
I finished your socks on the way to Wyoming, as I looked out the window and marveled at the beauty of the earth and how our Father in Heaven must truly love us for giving us so much variety in our surroundings.
I watched as each geologic layer shifted and changed to reveal the next and how the earth must have looked as each layer was deposited.
These socks are the record of this time in my life. Wear them and fill them with memories of your own.
Always,
Tama
That I will do! I couldn't do anything as nice for her as she did for me, so I thought I would just share my good fortune with all of you. I loved her letter and how it made these beautiful socks mean even more to me.
Thank you, Tama. I am honored to have you in my life.

Celebrity Look-alike Pictures

I wanted to put one of those Mr. Linkie boxes on this post. I paid him ten bucks, but I still can't figure out how to get it on here. Ugh! Humpf! Dagnabit!
So consider yourselves all "tagged" to do one of your own Celebrity Look-alike pictures (disguises optional for those of you who are camera shy) and then leave me a comment so we can all come have a look.

Trying to Get my Blogging Mojo back.

It's amazing how hard it is for me to get back into the swing of things. I have blogged almost daily for over a year. I take a few days off and I feel like I am going in slow-mo. Any advice?

I have a Little Writer in my brain that is always telling me what to post next. (Think Ratatouille, but instead of a rat let's picture a cute little pixie with a medium point, black ink pen.) My Little Writer needs to be informed that I am back in the saddle, er... uh, my office chair and I am ready for a little inspiration. So until she gets off her lazy little tutu and tells me what to write,

I will write you about Good Mail! Thank you Allison, Dedee, Awesome Mom, Polly, and Kate for the gorgeous Good Mail I have received lately. If you have sent me something and I have forgotten to mention you, please forgive me, the top of my desk is a disaster right now. Your little cards and goodies give me something to smile about after walking to the mailbox in 100 degree weather. Whew!

Someone is getting this and this!

Hintity hint. One is in Washington and the other is in Texas. Similar packages are also going out to Arizona and Mississippi! Yeah for Good Mail Girls!

If you want to be a part of the Good Mail Movement e-mail Tori, Melissa, or RibbonRockstar to join their ever growing address lists!

*** Clickety Here to wish my dad, Big Rich, a very Happy Birthday!***

My Boyfriend's Back!

Secret Agent Man is home after an extended absence. I am going to ignore my blogging duties for a few more days.
Feel like wasting a few minutes of your life? Here is video to tide you over until I get back.

The Original

The Gilmore Girls Version

Bad Retro Nia Peeples Version

John and Marlena Day's Version

Pirates of the Caribbean Version

Clay Aiken Fan Video Version. (I am not responsible for your loss of appetite after watching this one. I'm just sayin')

And to clear the palette, watch The Spazzy's sing,"Paco Doesn't Love Me."

Talk is cheap

Boy 2: Mom can we ride our bikes.

Me: No, I've been really busy today and I just want to relax. I don't want to come outside and watch you. (In 100 degree weather)

Boy 2: (whining) Come on, Mom!

Boy 1 : Lay off. Mom has done a lot for us today. (Atta boy!)

Boy 2: Okay. (Defeated)

Me: Thank you, Boy 1, for sticking up for me. (Proud Mother)

Mini Me: Do we get anything for sticking up for you? (Always negotiating)

Me: How about my undying love?

Mini Me: No. I mean something that shows us you love us. (Too smart for her own good)

"Like, fer sure!" * Good Mail Report * Product Endorsement *

I've been nominated for "Head Cheerleader," over at An Island Life for Kailani's Bloggy Hoss Elections.

First response, "I didn't know b.'s husband had a blog."

Actually I was never a cheerleader, I was a pom pon girl, but...whatever... right?!

I am nominated with the Behemoth of Giveaways, 5 Minutes for Mom, (no linkie for you, sister, you don't need it). So, you do the math, because I can't! "Rah-Rah-Rah-Sis-Boom-Bah!"

Thanks to whichever one of you dollies nominated me. As a gift to you, I will do your hair for Homecoming. I know. That is what makes me so nice.

Good Mail Report: Thank you Carrot (Cute message on the box), PJ (I've carried the lip balm in my front pocket ever since), Mom2Princess (My carpet appreciates the invisible Kool-Aid), JeanKnee (Love Jean Knee and her polka dots!), & Chel (Mike & Ikes eaten before pictured.)

Product Endorsement: I've already written too much and my brain is getting tired. Try Hershey's Whole Bean Chocolate for chocolate enjoyment with a little less guilt. Too good to share with the kids.

I am having hard time getting my pictures to do what I want them to do. Maybe I need to invite some of those pimply-faced future billionaires from Technology Club to come over and help me. Darn it, that means I will have to record TRL.

Green is the new black!

If green really is the new black, then I am stylish and environmentally conscious. Look at the purse I bought today at JCP*nny for $5.97!

Don't read my blog today. Go see More Cowbell! She has a message for you from Father Al.

Anniethology Lifestyle Tips, Bath Towel Edition

As an avid consumer of goods, Iam always looking out for the best quality at the best price. Even when it comes to bath towels. I have consumer tested, for a year and a half, bath towels from Bed Bath and Beyond and Walmart. My finding is that the Walmart towels have maintained their color, shape, and dry-ability just as well as the towels I paid more for at Bed Bath and Beyond.
The gray towels are mine. They are from BB&B.
I paid $10.00 per bath towel. They are the Sensation brand.
The brown, blue, and yellow towels are the kids. I bought them at Walmart. I paid $6.00 per bath towel. They are the Home Trends brand.
I have owned both sets for a year and a half. I am still happy with the quality and durability. I will concede that the BB&B towels are an inch wider, but as far as quality goes, in this case the Walmart towel meets the BB&B towel for quality and beats it in price.

Sunday Confessional

What is it about Sunday's that make me want to bear my soul? I have something I am ready to confess. It's a burden I have born for awhile now. It's not anything I struggle with anymore. It's an addiction I have already dealt with and have successfully replaced with blogging. I have to tell someone. I know this isn't a little booth, with a screen and a mild mannered man of the cloth dozing on the other side, but this forum will have to do.

Before I discovered blogging I wasted my time on the computer with Neopets and Zuma.

I own/owned four Neopets, complete with Pet-pets and Pet-pet-pets. I have a Neohome and over 1 million Neopoints. Do have any idea how many wasted hours 1 million Neopoints represents. I would probably have a lot more too if I hadn't wasted so much of it on the "Luck Games." That is just a nicer name for Neopet gambling.

Zuma was my other obsession. I made it all the way to space. You didn't know there was a Space Level? After you go as far as you can go and you think you have finally won the game, a space ship comes and picks you up and take to up the stars to play a free flowing weightless game that is near impossible to beat. I have never done it.

Yep, that's it. There you have it. I think blogging is a major step up from those days. Now that you know, I feel like a weight has been lifted. I am going light 17 candles and recite 50 Hail Mary's.

Now it's your turn. What is your Sunday Confessional? Don't worry, I won't judge.

Good Mail and What is Wrong with Me?

My mailbox was really happy this week! Thank you Isaura, Melissa, and Amanda (I ate the Junior Mints and popcorn before I could take a picture of it.)

What is wrong with me? I have no follow-through lately. I can spot treat, wash, dry, and fold the laundry but I can't manage to put it away! I wish I could swap household favors with someone else. I will vacuum. I will clean toilets. I will mop floors. I just need someone to come over and put my laundry away!

Charming Thursday

Clickety to read my latest article for The Daily Sentinel. It's new. It's fresh.

It's a never been seen before!

Sylvan Lake: Bring your own tutor!

I just got back from a quick overnight camping trip. When I heard that we were going to Sylvan Lake, I was all excited. I thought,

"Great we get to eat smores and the kids will get a little help in math!"

Wrong! No tutors, just bears and mosquitos. We had a great time. We slept in Yurts. The kids thought they really fun. I felt like a squaw.

I've got blog envy!

I envy Rug's Bug slide show on her header.

I envy Carrot's clever one liners.

I envy NCS's mad photo editing skills.

I envy Millie's funny blog description.

I envy Elastic's ability to produce laughs and comments for posts about empty shampoo bottles.

I envy Hairy Shoe Fairies cute template.

I envy Isaura's five star playlist.

Don't see your name here? Don't worry I am sure I will get around to envying you too.

The Week in Good Mail & A Question

I would like to thank Compulsive Writer, Hairy Shoe Fairy, Nikko and Catherine (visit Catherine's Happy Tags blog. They are so cute!) for the Good Mail I received this week. You ladies are fantastic!

I want to know, what is the best compliment you have ever received?

Concerned in Colorado

Dear Anyone Willing to Answer,

Recently I have seen that a couple of my fellow blog buddies, Nanette and Eve, have petitioned the blogosphere for advice on parenting. They had valid concerns and plenty of opinions and solutions were offered. I too have recently found myself in need of some advice on child-rearing.

Here is my story: I have 8 year old twin boys whom I lovingly refer to as Boy 1 and Boy2. They are the best of friends. They spend all day together. At night during the school year we have a rule that everyone sleeps in their own bed. For the most part, this has been followed, but every once in a while I will wake up to find that Boy 2 has crawled into Boy 1's bed. When I ask him why, he replies that he is scared. Now that it is summer time, I haven't stuck to the rule of everyone in their own beds. We are all staying up later and falling asleep wherever there is a free pillow.

Last night, I insisted that everyone give each other their space and sleep in their own beds. Boy 2 had an ever loving fit! He cried and wailed and gnashed his teeth and begged for me to let him sleep with his brother. I held firm and told him that his fit was not going to change my mind and it just shows me that he really needs a good nights sleep in his own bed. Boy 2 ended up crying himself to sleep.

My question: Am I being too hard on him? Is there an age where kids should not share beds? What happens if I let this go unchecked? Have you ever heard of twin boys who have grown into adulthood and still want to sleep with their brother? What do you do with your kids?

Signed,Concerned in Colorado

What does your office chair say about your blogging habits?

Little cutie Lauren has a design blog. On her blog she linked to HomeVisions.com. I followed the link and found some really great things, like their French Country items, but what really got me thinking was their office chairs. They are all so different, in style and comfort. It made me wonder what our office chair's say about us and our blogging habits.

Is your office chair country and cute, but only comfortable enough to comment on two or three blogs a sitting? An office chair like this might inspire posts about recipes, gardening, and thrift store shopping.

Is your office chair retro-cool and functional with a little light padding to visit everyone on your bloglines in one sitting? Does it's funkiness inspire clever posts? The blogger in this chair might manifest posts about obscure independent movie reviews and computer drafting.

I imagine Elizabeth W. blogging in this chair. Her fingers pressed together, her hands held to her chin, slowly rocking back and forth as she analyzes each bloggers posts. The padded armrests are in the way as she types a comment on my blog, "Annie, tell me about how you felt when you were dumped by your boyfriend because he didn't like your Judy Tenuta impression."

This is my actual office chair. No arm rests to allow for easy typing. Wide comfortable seat. Perfect for a quick check-in of my favorite blogs or for an all day laundry-avoiding blogging session. Pass the popcorn and Junior Mints.

Bring in the Professional Summer 2007

Don't forget the cover up!

As a favor to me, my sister Lori, a wardrobe consultant, has agreed to write a quarterly advice column for my blogs. Here is her advice for Summer.

Super Summer Fashion Tips 2007

Here’s the list of fashion basics to help you outfit yourself easily and with style this summer season.
Well-fitted tees in the summer’s current colors (chocolate, aqua, apricot, and garnet, light pink, white and black). Don’t spend a lot of money on these, because they tend to wear out quickly. Tees are a clothing item that you wear close to the body and tend to acquire perspiration stains.
White layering cami. Buy it on-line at http://www.downeastbasics.com/. For you Hot Fruita Moms, the kiosk is in your local mall. Lucky Girls!
Long brown necklace made of larger wooden or resin beads. Trust me, wear this with everything and you will look great.
Knee length shorts. A big thanks goes out to the retailers who are selling these. Finally, a woman can be modest and stylish at the same time. Remember, fit is imperative to carry this look. Please, not too tight and not too loose. A stacked heel makes the whole look kicky and fresh. Try it!
White jeans. This is Annie’s number one fashion basic this summer. Need I say more?
Skirts! Long or short, circle or A-line. Wear them and enjoy them! This season I added two long gauzy skirts in brown and black to my wardrobe.
Ankle tie espadrilles. They are so cheap and fun! I bought a black and a brown pair at the Gap outlet for $9.99 each!
To top it all off, my summer basic is a white denim jacket. Find one that is tapered to fit a woman’s body and ends right at the hip. I wear mine with the gauzy skirts on a cool night and feel feminine and pulled together.
Last summer fashion tip: When purchasing your swimwear, buy the matching cover-up, sandals and tote. Nothing is sadder than an old t-shirt and baggy shorts over your latest Victoria Secret Miracle Bra Tankini. Having the whole ensemble will make you feel better even if your stylist got carried away with the bikini wax. Ouch!

Enjoy the sunshine!

Your Loving Fashionista

Lori Wynne lives in the Boston, Massachusetts area with her husband and two sons. She works as a wardrobe consultant for clients all over New England. She specializes in closet organization, personal shopping and wardrobe consultation. Her clientele include, business executives, authors, small business owners, and housewives.

Good Mail Housekeeping

Update: Thanks everyone! We have now reached our mark of 50 members! Woohoo! I will now be closing the Good Mail Girls blog to new members. Don't be sad! Thoughtfulness begets thoughtfulness. Start your very own Good Mail list.


I can't believe that we have been going for only two months. There has been so much giving and receiving already. I have really enjoyed getting to know all of you through the mail. I have loved and appreciated everything I have received. I have really enjoyed visiting all of your blogs and seeing what you have sent each other. I think we have achieved the mission of Good Mail, to keep thoughtfulness alive through the mail!

Thoughtfulness begets thoughtfulness and for that reason we have grown really fast over the last two months. I have decided to close the blog to new members at 50 members. If you have any family members or friends who are interested in joining, encourage them to do it soon. Also, there is no end to thoughtfulness and I don't own the corner on Good Mail. I think it is great to see ladies branch out and start their own Good Mail groups too.

Thank you all again. I can't even tell you how happy I am to open my mailbox and find a little something for me. It always makes my day. You ladies are the best.

Happy Blogging and Happy Good Mail!

Happy Father's Day!

Fast forward to 3:12. I love you daddy.

Guess who's spoiled!

It has been said that I have a tractor beam. I have a way of just looking at a man and gettting him to do my bidding. Today, I have hit the lowest of the lows. Just when I thought that there was nothing my Secret Agent Man wouldn't do for me. Just when I thought that I was the most important woman in his life and he couldn't resist me, Penny happened! That darned Penny the Hamster. We went out shopping this morning. I wanted a water misting system to help keep the back patio cool. Penny wanted another new house. Guess who won?

George anyone? Yes, please!

The hair is washed. The legs are shaved. I have a date with George Secret Agent Man tonight! We are going to see Oceans 13 tonight. I haven't heard much about it in the way of reviews, but I don't care if it is two hours of George and goofy sidekick, Pitt, reading the phonebook. I ♥ G.C. BIG TIME! Some say he should run for president in 08. Well, to be honest, I don't care for his politics, but I would be willing to vote for him, just to see what happens. CNN will turn into "All Clooney, all the time!" Makes me feel like a woman just thinking about it!

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Show the girls some love!

SoDak Angel has a new blog, clickety here.

So does my cousin, mom2princess, clickety here.

Jeannie has written her premier blog post! Clickety here.

Charmed I'm sure...

Clickety here to see

my latest article at

gjsentinel.com

for my local paper,

The Daily Sentinel.

Update: The linkie on the papers website isn't working. Sorry. I e-mailed the web editor and told him. Hope they fix it soon.

Updated Update: All fixed! Todd P. is the best! Go and have a read. Show me the love by clicking on the link. Come on don't be greedy. Think of all I have done for you;)

"Just wash it already!"

DAY 5

My response to Amanda's question (and it's a good one, indeed), "Why not just wash your hair?" became so long I decided to turn it into a post!

Why not wash the hair? My long hair can be time consuming to maintain. It requires more shampoo/conditioner. Harder to brush. Longer to dry. I don't do the straight look. I either hot roller or use the spiral curling iron on it everyday, hence the now famous hair fabulousness.

I very rarely put it in a pony and call it good. I feel like my face shape doesn't lend to the slicked back look of a pony. A fuller head of hair I think flatters my form;)

Fortunately, I don't have a a scalp that produces a lot of oil, unlike Secret Agent Man. Sheez! You should see his pillow. We never get confused on whose pillow is whose because his always has the light tinge of yellow.

I guess it does become a contest of sorts to see how long I can still make it look good and smell good without washing it.

My normal hair routinee is washing it every other day. On a clean hair day it gets hot rolled, on the dirty hair day it gets spiraled. The latter of which has become my signature look. Every once in awhile life will get busy and I will only have time for a quick sponge bath and I will have to skip the usual rigamaroll. (<---That's right, I just typed rigamaroll). Sometimes I will get Carronin involved in my little contest. If I remember right, she usually beats me because she does look good in a pony and that can buy her a couple extra days.

Today I used a trick I learned at Girls Camp, one of the more valuable things I learned. You sprinkle baby powder on your hair and then brush it out. This helps with the oil and the smell. You can't smell me, but I guarantee you my hair smells like a babies bottom. A freshly bathed and powdered babies bottom.