Ta Ta for Now!

Tomorrow I take off for BlogHer and I’m pretty excited and a little nervous, too. I hope it’s as much fun as last year. Unfortunately, I’m not at all packed yet but I have done many other important things, like buy shoes!

I did get some flats but not the ones I was referencing in my shoe post because by the time I got my lazy ass back to the store, my size was gone, which seems to be par for the course this week. And that reminds me…

Old Navy? I hate you. HATE. Your love affair with size 2 has got to stop. If you had a hint of a fracking clue, you’d notice that your racks are filled with those tiny sizes while all the normal sizes are gone. Why? Because like .03% of the population wears a 2 and the rest of us don’t. And all those skinny jeans? Pure evil. Make them go away.

Charlotte Russe? I LOVE you. You have clothes in all sizes and even though your stuff largely falls into the category of “cheap shit” that doesn’t hold up very well, I give you mad props for thinking of us females who don’t look like human lollipops.

Oh wait, I was talking about shoes, wasn’t I? Well, if you’re going to Blogher, just look for the cutest Skechers you’ve ever seen (well, that I’ve ever seen anyway) and you will find my feet in them.

I also plucked my eyebrows, including those weird LONG eyebrow hairs that drive me nuts because they go in the wrong direction but now you can see the bald spot in my one eyebrow. I have a scar and no hair grows there so I’ll be penciling it in like Joan Crawford. Please don’t point and laugh.

Oh, and I de-fuzzed my upper lip, which is pretty noteworthy as I rarely do it. And my roommate Dawn, who hates crusty feet, will be very pleased with my new pedicure. *sigh* The things I do for you people…

Monday was our 13th anniversary and we actually had a babysitter! That is HUGE. It was my neighbor(s) whom I’ve grown quite fond of, but sadly, they’re moving away. We finally find someone we trust enough to watch our kids and they’re LEAVING US!!! *dabs eyes, blows nose*

We just went to the movies, which may not sound like a hot date but considering we haven’t been out together, sans children, since before I was pregnant with P (over two years ago), it was major. We saw “Knocked Up” aka funniest movie I’ve seen in forever. If you haven’t seen it and can handle profanity and boobs and the sight of a baby crowning, you should definitely see it. Funny. As. Hell.

Now ya’ll behave for my awesome surprise blogsitters that will be here watching over the joint while I’m gone and be sure to show them some loooove! I told them you guys could stay up an extra half hour and that you could have some Oreos before bed but ONLY if you’re good, hear?

I guess I’m going to put off the inevitable and start packing my stuff. I leave you with a pretty photo of the gorgeous roses the huz gave me when he realized he almost forgot our anniversary and that I knew he almost forgot our anniversary!

PS: If you can’t see my right sidebar, now or ever, please drop me an email and tell me, k?

Lucky Betch!

I am. Seriously. A lucky betch.

Whyyyyyy, you ask?

Because I won me a contest with a very cooool prize. A fantabulous prize. An amazing prize…

Okay, okay. I’ll stop dragging it out and trying to be all dramatic and shiznit.

Here it is…

I won a BlogHer 07 registration from those awesome hot betches over at Mommy Blogs Toronto.

*SQUEEEEEEEE*

All I can say is THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU to all of them and I’d like to extend a personal thank you to Sandra of MBT and Sunshine Scribe for donating the registration that they so generously bestowed upon me.

Now I’ll be able to eat and drink while I’m at BlogHer. Kidding. Sort of

Thanks again, ladies! You’ve rocked my world in the second best possible way :)

{{{MBT}}}

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We’re giving stuff away again over at Props and Pans. Yep! Pop over there to see how you can win yourself a copy of The Rolling Stones ~The Biggest Bang 4 DVD Box Set. It’s a very special release featuring over 55 awesome songs performed live in five different countries, tour documentary, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and much more!

See the “Send Karl to Blogher” button to the right? If you’re going to Blogher, would you consider making a small donation so the best guy party pal in the blogosphere can join us again this year? C’mooooonnnnn…look at that face. It will be money well spent in the name of fun!

Mad Linky Love with a Side of Assvice on Fearless Friday!

First of all, as part of their virtual baby shower extravaganza, I have some some advice (and assvice) for TB, Liz and Christina, three lovely ladies that are expecting babies in the very near future.

First the assvice…

Don’t try to be quiet for the baby. Let them fall asleep in the middle of your household noise so they get used to it.

I heard that little gem so many times but in my experience, it’s nonsense and just depends on the baby. Some can sleep through a hurricane and others will wake at a pin dropping. Time will definitely tell you which kind of sleeper your baby will be. Roll with it!

Read more »

These Boots Were Made for Kissing!

My step-aunt came to visit on Saturday and she brought these adorable pink cowboy boots for TQ, who, after kissing them, announced that she loves her boots so much she’s going to marry them. It’s fun to see her so excited and it kind of makes me want to go out and buy myself a pair of totally frivolous and impractical shoes SO BEAUTIFUL that I would be compelled to kiss them, too! What kind of shoes would inspire you to kiss them?

And speaking of which…how could I forget this video? If you haven’t seen “Shoes” by now, you’re long overdue and I absolutely promise you’ll laugh or maybe even snort a beverage out your nose. (A hat tip to those goddesses of pop culture over at MamaPop for bringing it to my attention)

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Don’t forget about the Support a Mom contest over at the Mom Trap. Write a post about a pregnant mom or mom-to-be that you know who needs a little support or TLC and she might win some nice goodies and/or services (spa day or housecleaning) all thanks to you!

Is it Your Turn to Bring the Dessert?

Then you HAVE to try this…if you’re willing to veer away from plain old pumpkin pie and wallow in some major gastronomic SIN this Thanksgiving!

Seriously, I made this last Thanksgiving and Oh. My. God.

Crust
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

(I used a pre-made 10 in. graham cracker crust. It was much easier but you will have a little batter left over if you do it that way)

Swirl
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli’s bittersweet chips but any kind is fine)
1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Filling
Two 8-ounce packages natural cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
5 eggs
(I altered the recipe and added 1 oz. of the Ghiradelli chips to the list of filling ingredients)

Crust: Preheat the oven to 275 F. Combine the crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a buttered 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides.

To make the swirl: In the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water, melt the chocolate with the cream. Stir until smooth, then set aside, keeping it warm.

To make the filling: Cream the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer, scraping the bowl frequently and beating until smooth. Add the pumpkin, spices and cream, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Pour filling over the crust OR pour half if you like chocolate and follow the step right below this one.

(This part is my addition. You can skip it if you like less chocolate)–> Evenly spread the 1 oz. of chips throughout and then continue pouring the batter over the chips until pie shell or pan is full

Drizzle a spiral pattern with the melted chocolate on top of the filling and swirl it gently through the batter with the point of a knife. Do not stir.

Place the cheesecake pan in a larger baking pan and pour 1/2 inch of boiling water into the outer baking pan. < --- (I still did this step even though I used a pre-made pie shell)

Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until the center is firm and not soupy. (I still did this step even though I used a pre-made pie shell)

Cool at room temperature, then chill at least 2 hours.

To serve, (I served it from the pie tin so I didn't do this step. Skip unless you're serving it as a cake) dip the bottom of the pan in very hot water for 1 minute. Invert onto a sheet of stiff cardboard or a plate. Remove the pan and place a serving plate on the bottom of the cheesecake. Holding both the top and bottom plates (or cardboard), flip the cheesecake back over and remove the plate or cardboard from the top.

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Thanks to everyone who answered my “Dr. Mom” page and shared your insights. I’ve been doing this for 6 years but I had NO idea you could feel like you’re walking on the moon from a fever!

Fortunately, the kids seem to be all better by Friday night/Saturday morning, after two VERY long weekdays. Late Thursday night, right after I went in to check her fever, TQ came running out of her to show me that her top left tooth had fallen out, which is great because her last loose tooth had to be “helped” along. It was hanging by a thread of gum tissue for about a week and it was grossing me out so I finally pulled it and it was awful! I do NOT recommend…