She’s Crafty. Sort of.

Actually no. Ask anyone and I will deny being crafty any time, any day of the week.  There was that brief period in the late 90s where I scrapbooked but to that all I can say is, "I got caught up in the frenzy, man!"  I am thrifty.  I like being economical, hard times or not.  Finding a bargain or way to save money kind of gets me all hot and bothered.  It only seems natural now that I combined the two practices and came up with this idea for The Comedian's last birthday.Yup, I made cupcake toppers and it was free courtesy of Mooo.comFace masks for the "Cheeky Monkey" theme at Mooo.com.  Only costs me a $1 for the sticks.The bags were bought at Micheal's in a pack for less than $5.  Inside I printed out a coloring page and personalized door … [Read more...]

Amazing Party Looks and Deals

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://moms.dailybuzz.com/channel/style.It is pretty common knowledge that my other job is writing and testing out beauty products. I am not choosy either. From lipstick to liner, sunless tanner to hair serum I will give it a try. If it works I am on board. When the holidays roll around I go into a sort of hyper-drive in the make-up department. For amazing party looks and a break from the cold weather blues one of the first places I stop is my local drugstore. One of the best places I have found to look my best each holiday season is Walgreens. I'm a sucker for their Essie nail collection. This month they have the brand new Cocktail Bling collection … [Read more...]

Shark Attack!

I might need to ask the man in the red suit for this for Christmas-AIR SHARK!!How awesome would this thing be floating around your house this holiday season?!Maybe this is better for the woman of the house though-Yeah, those are cats intertwined with the word, "HUGS".  Makes me feel kittenish just thinking about it... … [Read more...]

Two Turns Three

"Let's crush her!" I heard it plain as day even though she was whispering it to her older sister.  The talking out of the side of her mouth, the sneaking and stealing of food, hiding out under furniture and popping up where you would least expect it.  That's all Soucy.  She's smiling one minute, charming you with her smile and the next she is telling you that "I yell at you! I put you in a trap and make you cry!"  She loves eggs and not for eating. She thinks they are her babies that she can carry with her and carry around in blankets.  She will eat all the fruit in your fruit bowl but you will never know until a day later when you grab an apple only to find half of it bitten and gone.  The girl turns each apple or pear around each and every time.  If you … [Read more...]

Parenthood- An Abundance of Gross

Quite often I am the lucky recipient of incredibly gross behavior that requires me to say things that are even beyond my disgusting, perverse comprehension. I am the one who wanted a book called, "The Wonders of the Scab." Parenthood however has revealed a whole other level of nastiness."Stop putting things in your butt and trying to eat them!"  "You cannot eat the snotty tissue, even if your Father did leave them all over the bedroom floor." There is obviously the normal ones too-"Don't pick your nose.""Don't pick your nose and eat it.""You cannot pick your  nose and wipe it on your bedroom walls.""Yes, you do have to wipe.""No, wiping does not consist of smearing poop on the bathtub." Sigh.  I'm exhausted just typing up this list of disgusting things.  … [Read more...]

Nuttin’ But Love for Heavy D

RIP Heavy D.  You will be missed.  Mad love for this classic 90s style video, my personal fave Heavy D song.  How many big name models, movie stars and more can you find in this video?  It is like a tiny version of "Before They Were Stars".  P.S. Why did we love vests so damn much back then?  Crikey, it's like a vest convention in that video.  … [Read more...]

The Dead Rabbits vs. the Natives

While in marriage counseling this week (Yup, still going. Go Team Mason!) we touched on a lot of relevant things.  How my work defines me, my need for validation and equality despite a continuous paycheck and a host of other issues that can cause marital strife when not addressed properly.  Somewhere in this the subject of our kids came up.  Our counselor made this observation-"Well, at this point they have formed sort of a gang."  I glanced at H and nervously stated, "Great. We've got a roaming gang in our house.  All the time. Our house if Five Points. "  A pack of marauders.  The kids are close in age and work together to achieve whatever it is they want around the house.  Now that The Fifth Element is mobile it is even worse.  "They are … [Read more...]

Saving Starts with a Pig

This post was underwritten by BMO Harris Bank, which offers a matching $25 on a new savings account opened for your child through their Helpful Steps for Parents program. Learn more at bmoharris.com/parents. It might be safe to say that none of us really understands money and saving given the current economic crises and the Occupy Wall Street issue that is currently in play.  However, as a parent to three kids, my husband and I feel it is our duty as parents to try to impart some wisdom, understanding and value to the subject of saving your cash money. As a child I was a lot like Montgomery Burns.  I tucked my money away like a squirrel.  I had a savings account, kept things in a safety deposit box, two piggy banks (one for coins, one for the paper), a sock and I even had a Christmas … [Read more...]

Peas in a Pod

The Fifth Element & Izzy on Halloween.   Holding hands. Playing and growing together. Two peas in a pod. November is National Adoption Month.  We have many kids on our block but last year we had a little Christmas miracle.  Izzy came to our 'hood right making us believe that Santa can deliver early and prayers know no bounds.  Our whole neighborhood has watched her grow this past year and it is in part to the wonderful thing that is adoption. Placing a baby for adoption can be a difficult decision, but it is an option that many women and couples choose for various reasons. It involves a legal process where the biological parent(s) voluntarily give up their parental rights, placing baby for adoption, and transfer them to an adoptive family. There are different types … [Read more...]