Let's Make The World A Little Greener

Ahhh yes. Finally. My day off from work. The days have been going by so fast lately. DJ is growing so quickly. And it's gonna be spring already? I'm excited, the weather will be warmer and soon summer will come...beach time!
I believe that in my last post, I mentioned that I have yet another great idea to add to my blog. You may have seen it somewhere before, or maybe not.
I like to learn from the postings that I create. I love to write, I love to read, and I love to learn how to do new things. So from now on, Wednesdays are reserved for...sites, sites, & more sites! The internet is overflowing with great information. Yes, I find myself asking, what would I do without it? Thank goodness for the computer! So on Wednesdays, I am reserving the blog entries for a theme on the most useful links that I can find on a certain topic. Hopefully you find them interesting and useful.

Image via Wikipedia

Sites on Wednesday:It's A Green World

1. This is probably one of my favorite green blogs. The author is extremely informative on out consuming, our waste, and even shares how to take on a low trash challenge for your home.http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/

2. Here is a social networking site that you can provide your green ideas to major companies like Wal-Mart or Target. Give it a try! http://dotherightthing.com/


3. Do you receive shopping catalogs in the mail that you really don't care for? You know, you can just shop on the internet and save some paper! Go to this website, and here you can opt out of receiving paper catalogs by mail! http://www.catalogchoice.org/

4. Yay! What a great idea! The Ecocho search engine will plant two trees for every 1,000 searches performed on their site! So long, google! http://www.ecocho.com/

5. Of course you love to shop! Try this site and you may not leave!http://www.greenzer.com/

6. Green Living Ideas is another super blog to read that will help you with some ideas to green your home better. http://greenlivingideas.com/

7. Kids should learn to live green too! Here are ideas to teach your kiddos on green living, based on age group.http://www.ivillage.com/green/family/0,,bmbzlqpb,00.html

8. According to this blog, it pays to live green. Here are some more useful hints and tips to stay greener. http://www.paystolivegreen.com/

9. Organic and green living are the healthy ways to go.http://www.ghchealth.com/natural-health/

Until next time!

One Thing The Hubby Isn't Good For & Another Lovely Idea

It's raining this Sunday. Life is okay so far, let's see...
I recently got my bangs cut over a month ago and they had been growing out a little too much for what I like. So it seems that in order to maintain the length of the bangs the way I want them to be, I would have to get them trimmed about every 4 to 6 weeks, somewhere in between, maybe. I paid almost $20 bucks to have them cut last time, which was the first time I've had bangs since...who knows??!

I don't want to keep paying $20 bucks every month to get a trim, so I decided I would cut them myself.

I chickened out.

Then, my husband proceeded to cut them for me.
Bad idea, he sucks, and they looked completely uneven & totally lopsided on the right side. (I should have known! He messed up my daughter's bangs one time COMPLETELY! Poor baby.)

But of course, he says it couldn't have been his fault because he cut them the way I instructed him to (start in the middle where it's one length and end on the ends where it's a little bit longer to give a certain effect).

Oh well, I believe I managed to fix them, and if not, I'll just be using bobby pins for a while. Love those things!

Anyway, I came up with a few more ideas on what to write in my blog to liven it up & have some fun. As you may have seen from my last entry, I started my Essential Things Thursday... so now, get ready for...(here comes the drum roll!!) Super 5 Sunday! Yeah!

Here is where I have a random topic, anything from Barbie to sports cars, or trees to blogging, whatever, and I provide you with the five best linkages to that topic, or I will give you some new ideas for certain things! Should be real fun and interesting, we will see how it goes!

By the way, I have one more idea for Wednesdays, but you'll just have to see what it is in a few days!

New Uses for Everyday Items!

1. VELCRO! You probably have a couple pairs of shoes that you didn't tie, but you velcroed? Instead of hanging your pictures on the wall with those nails, why not try it out with some velcro?

2. A DRYER SHEET! Yes, they certainly make your laundry smell fresh. But they can also pull up Rover's dog hairs and Lady's cat fur!

Image by Tojosan via Flickr

3.ZIPLOC BAGS! Good to store food. Even better to use to put frosting on your daughter's birthday cake. (Use the corner of the bag!)

4. COFFEE FILTERS! We all know you drink coffee. If not you, then your husband sure does. For those plants that you have in your kitchen window sill or outside in your garden, stick them in the flower pots. That will help prevent the soiling from falling out!

5. NEWSPAPERS! What's the latest headline? You can wrap your gifts in newspaper if you don't have wrapping paper handy!

So long, farewell, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

I've joined the crowd... Esssential Things Thursday!

Thank goodness, I have been enjoying the past couple of days off work. Did some clothes shopping, watched Erin Brockovich (awesome movie!), and best of all, got some good quality time with my baby boy. He is three months old today! Now it's time to put something into my wonderful blog and turn on the DVR for the latest episode of Ellen.

I've have noticed how many blogs have a "Wordless Wednesday" or "Thoughtful Thursday." You know, how bloggers have a day of the week for a theme? Here is my theme. I call it "Essential Things Thursday." Okay, no so catchy but it'll do for me. For these particular blogs I will mention at least five different items or ideas that I feel are important to use or believe in to live a successful life. So enjoy, and laugh, if it's funny!

1. Pantyhose. At least for me. If I "forgot" to shave that day you'll never know of my laziness, will ya?

2. A thesaurus. Obviously for us writers who aren't to clever with words...

3.Fortune cookie fortunes. If you can't tell yourself how great you are, this cookie will.

Image by ~C4Chaos via Flickr

4. A mirror. It can do so many things for you: show you how beautiful you are, help you with public speaking or that next job interview, shaving your beard....

5.“Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours” -Swedish proverb

...And that's it!

dear mother-in-law,...

I hate to be neglectful of my blog.
Too bad my life is just so crazy and busy!

I went back to work this past Monday after being out for three months. They completely changed everything around, from the computer system and how to handle customer accounts, to where I sit (YES! I don't have to sit in the CORNER anymore!), to my supervisor. Whew. I guess I am pleased with the changes overall. It's too bad I still have to work in the first place.

Babies are doing well, DJ will be three months old on the 19th! Daddie's parents are killing me though! To make a long story short, both of his parents don't work due to health issues that prevent them from having the ability (so she says, hmmm..). I have argued my point time & time again on why I think DJ should just go to a baby sitter. If you have health problems, wouldn't that mean you CAN'T watch a child? Isn't that why you are on disability in the first place? I happen to consider taking care of a child as WORK!

I lost the argument of course. Whatever. I say if you want to watch him, then do it, but if I hear one PEEP about how you can't handle it anymore, well, screw you, you messed up, and you better acknowledge that I am right. I am just waiting on when his parents (mostly his dear mother) are gonna start complaining about how difficult it is to watch him. She already started yesterday by bringing up the fact that he spits up after he eats. Her tone of voice was really annoyed, like maybe I should be "fixing" his spit up "problem" and I'm not doing anything about it. Right. The thing I don't understand is, wasn't she a parent herself? Evidently, neither of her two children spit up their milk/formula in their life. She calls it "throw up" instead of "spit up." I guess to make it sound much more horrible than it already is.
I could go on and on about this lady, my god.

I think the thing I've learned though, is that sons fear and respect their mother's more than anything. I can understand that and I do agree, but I think that can only go so far. If a son can't differentiate when his mother is wrong and can't bring it to her attention, then it's obvious that the relationship is not healthy and, well, he doesn't have any balls.

All I can really do now is remind myself that it's not a big deal, and the best thing to get over the situation is to laugh at it. Oh yes, and maybe blog about it, too. And maybe move real far away....? I've heard Texas has some nice land out there...

Here are some site that I have come across ... just to have a laugh...

There is a "How-To" for everything. Here is a very valuable how to..
http://www.ehow.com/how_2069904_keep-from-killing-annoying-inlaws.html
..And how NOT to become an annoying mother-in-law (just because she is, doesn't mean you should be!)
http://www.ehow.com/how_2285728_not-be-annoying-mother-inlaw.html
There are some basic rules to dealing with them. Yes, in-laws can be difficult.
http://life.familyeducation.com/in-laws/family/48061.html
Here is a blog about hellish mother-in-laws..glad I'm not the only one who thinks so!
http://motherinlawhell.com/


Here are my personal, from experience tips on how to deal with or act around your MIL.
1.Lie to her. She made some roast beef? Tell her that it was excellent! DON'T tell her she should have flavored it more. She just might beat you up.
2.Avoid long conversations. She probably doesn't really want to hear what you have to say anyway.
3.Give her as little information as possible. She does not need to know everything about you and your husband's life.
4. NEVER, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER argue in with your husband in front of her. She will butt in, and of course, take his side. Whether he is wrong or not.

Thank god for blogs. Thank you to everyone who listens, and can identify with at least some of what I go through.

Today, Mushrush!

Not too much has happened since my last post, what can I say, this is the life of a mommy with a brand new baby. But I love it. Unfortunately I have to go back to work within two weeks. But what can I say, I can't complain too much, I've got most everything I want and need.
I really don't have anything specific to write about today, so here goes what's currently on my mind:

1. Mushrush. I'm stuck on that word. What a word.

2. I've been on this laptop all day. my new favorite site that I've come across so far is http://www.thisisindexed.com. Hilarious!

3. I know I just made a post about colic and my son. Well, for the past 3 or 4 days he has been an absolute angel! When you have a baby who cries inconsolably at least 6 hours out of the 8 that your spouse is away at work, and then all of sudden, he smiles at everything, you really notice a difference. I am so happy and relieved he is getting better.

4.I came across another great website, http://www.carbonrally.com. This site includes information on challenges that you and your family can create to help you live healthy and greener. Honestly I am nothing near a green freak, but I do like to think that I attempt to help preserve the environment somehow.

So I am off to enjoy the rest of my day, being lazy and spending time with my son.

Things To Do, Places To Be, People To Meet

Yes, there are so many things that I want to learn & accomplish by the time I'm...whatever age. I want to share my list and be able to say I have done every one of these things:

1. Learn to do Yoga, and use it as regular exercise.

2.Write a book on my life.

3.Rockclimbing. Snowboarding. Waterskiing.

4.Have my kiss at Times Square on New Year's Eve.

5.Wine tasting in Italy.

6.Plant at least five different types of flowers. Maintain.

7.Be on a game/reality television show, i.e., "The Amazing Race"

8.Meet an actor or a singer.

9.When the time comes, my children will pay for half of their first car. Whatever they save up to buy their car, I will pay for half.

10.Learn a type of dance that I don't know (salsa??)

11.Learn how to play golf.

12.White water rafting. That seriously scares me just watching it done on t.v.

13. Take my kids to Walt Disney World for a week.

14.Run a marathon. Hopefully for a charity.

15.Ride in a hot air balloon (ahhh!!)

16.Mardi Gras in New Orleans!

17.Get LASIK to have better vision (I am so iffy about anything that touches my eyes).

18.Read at least 25 "Classic" books.

19. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

20. Visit my mom's home country, the Philippines.

I have many other goals to accomplish in my life, but those are just a few interesting ones that I wanted to share. I look forward to accomplishing ALL of them!

Information on visiting Walt Disney World: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/
How to start Yoga:http://www.yogapoint.com/info/basicmovement.htm
Beginniner's guide to flowers:http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/flowers/
Prepare to run a marathon:http://running.about.com/od/halfmarathonsmarathons/a/firstmarathon.htm

Babies-A Realization

So yesterday was my daughter's third birthday. My how time flies, and I don't say that just because most people say that ALL THE TIME, I really am in awe of how incredibly fast Betsy is growing up.In the mean time, my son DJ is rapidly approaching three months. Something I am really excited for, because he is a very colicky baby.

Practically from the time of my son's birth I realized something:I have an entirely different child on my hands. While I was pregnant I was "totally prepared" for everything that was to come from this second child, after all, I've gotten by with my first one, right?

DJ has almost slept through the night since he was one week old. On the other hand, Betsy woke up every other hour for at least the first three months. Waking up every other hour was pretty rough. They always say to nap whenever the baby is sleeping, but that was difficult for me because I have a difficult time sleeping when it's light outside and I was always wanting to do something like cleaning. Betsy never had colic either, nor did she ever use a pacifier.

Colic usually starts around three weeks of age and ends at three months, sometimes not until six or even nine months. If your baby has colic, some symptoms he may be showing are excessive crying (sometimes the crying spree[s] occur at the same time every day) or curling the body up (because he is having gas pains). Some things that you can try to help ease the babies colic is offering a pacifier (my son uses one), pushing on their legs, toward their stomach (this should help release the gas that's inside), or an over-the-counter medicine called "Mylicon", which helps to ease the gas pains.

My son is now nine weeks old, his colic started at about four weeks, and peaked to its highest at six and seven weeks. I know for a fact he is slowly growing out of this colic phase because he eats a bit less than he used to. He would try to scarf down 6 to 8 ounces per feeding every to hours or less! We also changed his baby formula to one that has 1/5 the amount of lactose. He may or may not be lactose intolerant, so we decided that he would probably need a more gentle type of formula. Taking your baby to the doctor about his colic didn't really help, and I'm sure that most people who take their colicky child to see their doctor gets the same type of answer: it will go away over time. Apparently, the number one cure of colic is to be patient.

Colic has been my biggest issue so far. But as I mentioned before, DJ has been going down from his colic episodes and all I can do is look forward to what's next. He is a very good baby otherwise. Honestly, I don't remember Betsy sleeping seven hours straight at night as a two month old!

Ahhhh.... the wonderful joys of parenting!

Here's some websites that I found informative.

From About.com:one of my favorite websites for information:
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/yourbabyweekbyweek/ss/baby_wk_three_4.htm

Colic Facts from Parents.com: http://www.parents.com/baby/care/crying-colic/colic-facts/

One more: http://www.realsavvymoms.com/parenting/article.php?category2=11&article=15