Category Archives: Uncategorized

Good morning! I am grumpy that the weather forecast calls for snow this week, and cold cold temperatures on Halloween. At least though, I am able to give some stuff away! And I am expecting good mail (Birthday gifts!! That I ordered with a gift card!!) today or tomorrow. I hope anyway. So there’s something to look forward to.

The following gals who commented have won!

Carrie!! (With express instructions that I receive a card or announcement.)

Amanda!!

Mommy Daisy!

I will email you all your code for 25 free photo cards. Congratulations!!

In the Fall of 2005, Hub, Bud, Lucy and I took an impromptu trip to Letchworth State Par. Hub and I had been going for years, usually around my birthday, and we just needed to get out of the house that day. Hub happened to take Bud’s photo on some stairs. The next year we happened upon the same stairs (not an easy feat…this park is GIGANTIC), and took a photo of Bud and Lucy together. And just like that, a tradition was born. We’ve taken the kids’ photos every year in October since 2005. It has been 40 degrees, and it has been 80 degrees. In 2008, Bud and Lucy dropped poor baby Liv on her head (stellar parenting having a 3 and 4 year old hold a 3-month-old on a set of stone stairs). Liv refused to cooperate in 2009—I think to get back at us. I love how each year, things change but they also stay the same.

Some of you have seen these all before (minus 2011, of course). I know; but I can’t help myself. Here are the photos:

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

**Note** This post is going to sound like I am gushing, and really I am. Even if this were not a sponsored post, I would have the same feelings about Shutterfly. I have never been dissatisfied with anything I’ve purchased from them, and trust me, I’ve purchased many things.

Is it ever really too soon to begin thinking about your Christmas card? I for one, am taking my annual Letchworth photo this weekend, and that is usually my old Christmas card standby. If something more Christmassy comes along photo-wise, great. If not, Letchworth it is. For the past several years, Shutterfly has been my go-to site for all things photo related. The mouse pad next to my work computer? Shutterfly. The calendar I make for my parents’ Christmas gift each year? Shutterfly. The book of memories from our summer vacation? You guessed it: Shutterfly. My address labels? Also. Shutterfly. And of course, my Christmas cards ALWAYS come from Shutterfly.

One of the great things about Shutterfly’s Christmas card selection is that there are so many to chose from, that you can find a background to match just about any photo you have. Do you want to send a Christmas card with your beachy summer photo on it? I think it’s weird, but you will be able to find a background to match. Maybe you have several children and want to highlight each one—there’s an option for that too. Favorite colors? Check. Santa? Check. Maybe you’d like a more religious theme? They have that too. I kid you not when I tell you that Shutterfly has something for everybody.

I mentioned above the photo book I made at the end of the summer. I find these books are great for personal use—in fact, Liv’s baby book…is a Shutterfly photo book, and they also make great gifts. You can take the time to painstakingly place each photo in the exact spot you want it, or if you give Shutterfly the group of photos you’d like to use, they will lay it all out for you. The result is amazing either way.

One thing I’ve never purchased from Shutterfly are their birth announcements. Honestly, in the haze of newborn motherhood, I’ve never considered sending a birth announcement at all. But man, these photo announcements just might have made me reconsider if they were around when my kids were born. Look how cute they are! Do you think Hub will let me have another baby just so I can send some birth announcements? (Yeah. I don’t think he will either.)

In conclusion, I think Shutterfly is great. I really really do. They have tons of products, let you store tons of photos for free and if you subscribe to their emails, they’ll often send you amazing deals. If you aren’t using Shutterfly already, I would strongly urge you to begin. Right now! Immediately!

And now for the fun stuff!

As a part of this promotion, Shutterfly has given me 25 free cards to share with 3 lucky readers. That’s right! 3 of you will win 25 cards each. All you have to do to enter is click on over to Shutterfly’s card page and look through their card selection. Then come back here and tell me which card (or cards) you would consider ordering. Heck, you can tell me which card I should order, because I don’t think that I’ll be able to decide. I will leave comments open through Monday, October 24, 2011 at 11:59 PM (eastern time) and will draw the 3 winners sometime on Tuesday. Be sure to leave an email address so I can let you know you’ve won! Good luck, and happy shopping!

**Again this was a sponsored post and I was compensated for writing it. All opinions expressed are my own.**

My plan for yesterday was to write a complaining entry about how my actual birthday sucked and after a day of The Sads, it ended in a complete meltdown on my part when Hub did/said something that made me feel like my birthday was not in fact my special day. Instead though, because it is over and done with, and because I had a fabulous weekend away in spite of Friday, I am going to write about things that are making me happy right now.

1. After hearing me complain forever about what a pain it is for me to go upstairs from my office to refill my coffee mug, Hub and the kids bought me a stainless steel insulated carafe. Now I can carry my whole pot of coffee downstairs and refill at will. (I was previously using an intricate system of travel mugs.)
2. They also got me a composter (as opposed to my old coffee can), and watering cans for my plants.
3. This was our view all weekend—and though it was gloomy, I still found it beautiful. At one point there was a rainbow that stretched lengthwise across the lake. I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo…but it was gorgeous. (This was also from one of my favorite wineries-The Thirsty Owl, further fueling my owl obsession)

4. This photo, that I insisted Hub take after I’d had too much wine, and not enough to eat.

5. I began drinking wine at noon both Saturday and Sunday. I never get to be so carefree. And my drunken trash talk always amuses my husband.
6. I ate the best sandwich and bowl of beer cheddar soup on the way home Sunday. I am plotting a reason to drive 3 hours just to go back.
7. Zumba. Not just for the dance and exercise…which is great, but also because I feel like I have good friends close by for the first time in a really long time. If they have seen me sweat and still want to hang out, we must be good friends, right?
8. I am cooking a turkey today, with all the fixings, even though Thanksgiving is only a month away. Turkey is good stuff.
9. It is October 18 and we have not yet turned on the furnace. See above. The turkey cooking all day will warm the house.
10. Hub sold FIL’s car yesterday. This is bittersweet because we love the car and his father loved this car like you would not believe. It only holds 4 though, and therefore is not practical for us. But yay for the cash.
11. We are having our furnace redone in the near future. Hub has been doing a lot of networking, and met a really good guy. Hub has to do all the duct work himself, but we are getting everything at cost. PLUS central air.
12. I’ve been asked to participate in the Shutterfly Holiday Card blog promotion again, and this year I don’t just get free stuff for me, but I will get free stuff for some of you guys too.
13. Hub and I went to a huge outlet mall before we hit the wineries on Saturday, and I scored big time at a place called VF Outlet. They get overstock from several department stores who don’t have room, or maybe over ordered etc. It is good stuff, but cheap. I got 4 huge bags of clothes and shoes for the kids and me (mostly me) for $150.
14. My Uggs. I know it is ridiculous to spend so much on a pair of boots, but they seriously make me happy. And my last pair lasted 2+ years (and I still have them…they are just grungy and they leak). So I think it is a good investment.
15. I went to a 31 party a few weeks ago, and I ordered this huge organizer for my office wall. I also got a bag for my craft supplies.

16. Speaking of crafts, I can’t stop thinking about this one: Picture Frames . Ever since Mrs. Irritation linked to it last week, it is all that I have been able to think about. Totally doing it. ASAP.

There. Now that wasn’t so hard. And I am feeling better. You should try it. Sometimes it really is just the little things.

I don’t know why the children’s librarian thinks it is a good idea to stack books on angle on top of the short book shelves. Yes, it most definitely highlights some titles that I may not have otherwise seen, pulling them from the crammed spaces where they usually live, but seriously, this is not a good idea. The shelves, as I said, are shorter. Child sized if you will. Short enough where my 6-year-old can see over them, and short enough for my 3-year-old to be able to reach the top with her gangly and wild arms, to “just look at this one!”, inevitably on the end where one wrong move sends these precariously lined books tumbling, one after the other domino style, until they are all lying flat.

I look around the library; mortified. It would appear though, that nobody has seen what just happened. Phew. I start picking up books just in time for Liv to make it to another shelf. It seems like slow motion as I whisperscream “Noooooooo!” and then there go all the books from another shelf. And another after that. And as I corral her on the carpeted area so I can clean up a huge mess, she notices that the carpet has letters on it! In a circle pattern! So she begins to jump from letter to letter, calling them out loudly, exclaiming “I! Know! My! ABCs!” over and over again. I hastily grab her and carry her to the grown up books, as we like to call them and I start looking around. I’m frazzled and I can’t remember what I’ve come for, so I start running through some author names in my head. Jennifer Weiner, I conclude, is the mood I am in. I put Olivia down, and then Lucy starts to read what I am looking at. “How can someone be good in bed, Mom?”, Lucy asks loudly, “Is that like when I get sent to bed for not behaving?” My face is red. I am dying. “and is her name Wiener???”

It is clearly time to leave. Lucy is in line ahead of me; proud to be checking out books with her very own library card for the second time. She is a pro, placing them on the counter and listening intently when she is told the due dates. “My mom is getting a book about wieners”, she tells the librarian, who raises an eyebrow and stares at me. Christ. I am in the line where a high school volunteer is working, and Liv, who hasn’t tried my patience enough, starts pulling on the back pockets of my jeans. She giggles and begins swaying from side to side, enjoying the ride my ass is giving her. And then, right there in the library checkout line, my pants are no longer on my waist. No, that can’t be right, but in fact, it is. My 3-year-old has pantsed me in the library. Well thanks Jesus for long cardigans, I guess. I am still not at the counter, so I cannot put my books down without bending over, and we know that’s not happening, so I maneuver my pants back up over my waist with one hand, while Liv decides to crawl in between my legs on the floor. At this moment, what with the one handed wriggling and the book holding, I lose my footing, and start to compensate so I don’t end up on the floor with my ass hanging out. This of course is when I step right on Olivia’s thigh. She is wailing now, and screaming that her mommy stepped right on her, just as it is finally our turn at the counter. It is all I can do to stand in line, acting cool, calm and collected as the older gentleman behind me does his best to stifle his snickers.

Neither of the girls thinks anything is out of the ordinary as we get in the van and drive off in to the sunset even though I am tight-lipped and pissy. Why would they? And of course, Lucy delights in telling her father all about my wiener book, and stepping on Olivia over dinner. Hub just glances at me, and shakes his head, already knowing the full story.

As I’m tucking the girls in at bedtime, Liv tells me what a great time she had with me at the library today. Wasn’t it funny when all those books fell? I suppose it was, I tell her, finally able to smile about it.

And in hindsight now, as I am writing about it, it was. (Sort of)

I can’t believe that I did this. I am not nearly cool enough to be a Vlogger…seriously. And I really don’t know how to get the right eye contact with the web cam…and well…at least I took a shower today, is all that I’m saying

I forgot to say where I am from at the beginning of this…which is outside of Buffalo, NY about 15 minutes from the Canadian border. I have lived here my whole life. This was hard, you guys!!

Anyway…here it is!

I have a ton of actual work to do, so I am in the mood to waste time. And what better way than with this meme that’s going around? My other option was to do that Vlog, but sadly, Hub took our home computer with him today…AND anytime I hear my recorded voice I am left saying to myself “I don’t know HOW people listen to me yap all day long.” Seriously. Worst. Voice. Ever.
So anyway…

The ABCs of Me
Age: 32. For the next 2 weeks anyway. At which point, I will obviously turn 33. 33 seems old to me, but I think it is because when we were in our early 20’s, specifically when we got married, our friend B was 33. And he seemed SO OLD. And such, 33 is old. We don’t talk to B anymore, but it occurred to me just now that if he was 33 when we got married, he is now 42. And if we were still friends, that my skew my perception of my age. Anyway, I don’t feel that old.
Bed size: Queen. In a perfect world, Hub and I would have separate beds. Seriously. When we went on vacation this past summer, our room had 4 double beds. Lu and Liv shared a bed and Bud, Hub and I each got our own. Best vacation sleep ever.
Chore that you hate: Laundry. Every flipping aspect of laundry, but most of all, putting it away.
Dogs: One. The biggest pain in the ass you have ever met, Haley. She is an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix and good lord is she obnoxious and needy. But we love her and she loves us and she is sweet with the kids. So long as she is not feeling ignored..then she will chew up our prized possessions.
Essential start to your day: Coffee. I have a Keurig, but since I am home, it makes more sense for me to make it in the coffee maker. Hub drinks a cup or 2 and I finish the pot. My mother’s Day gift was a coffee grinder, and it is awesome. I love having fresh ground coffee every day.
Favorite color: Pink. I have a ton of pink. Love it.
Gold or Silver: I don’t really prefer one over the other. My wedding ring is gold…I would have preferred white gold though.
Height: 5’4
Instruments you play: I can read music and pick a little bit at the piano. I was a music/voice major in high school and early college and I always told people that I am my own instrument. Obnoxious much?
Job title: My first title is Assistant Vice President. My official job title is Operations Project Consultant. My temporary title, while I am on special assignment through mid-2012 is Process Design Consultant. Seriously.
Kids: 3. Bud; 7, Lucy; 6 and Olivia; 3.
Live: Near Buffalo, NY
Mother’s name: M@rilyn
Nicknames: Work people call me SB. Hub sometimes calls me S. I’ve always wanted a nickname, and have never had a real one. I’d like to think that if we met in person, you all would continue to call me Saly. Or just Sal.
Overnight hospital stays: 3 births, one kidney stone and one with Lu at the children’s hospital when she was 2 months old for a meningitis scare.
Pet peeves: People walking without a sense of purpose…I am anti-meandering. The use of the word everyday to mean every day. 2 different, ideas, people. Lack of respect for my time. I could likely go on and on.
Quote from a movie: Hub and I routinely shout out “Johnny has his hand! Johnny has his pride!” (from Moonstruck) for no actual reason.
Right or left handed: Right.
Siblings: 2 brothers, one who is almost 3 years younger than me, and one who is 11 years younger than me.
Time you wake up: the plan is to wake up around 5 to go and work out, but that doesn’t always happen. On non-workout days, I set the alarm for 6:15 so I have time to pack lunches and be alone for a few minutes to wake up before the kids are up and demanding things from me. We’re up early on Saturdays for gymnastics and such. I like to sleep in until 9 or so on Sundays.
Underwear: Whatever fits well.
Vegetable you hate: Cauliflower—hork. Peas—BLECH.
What makes you run late: Getting caught up in Twitter or Facebook when I should be getting the kids out of bed. There is beauty in working from home though. At least I don’t have to get myself ready.
X-Rays you’ve had: Teeth. Neck and back after a car accident.
Yummy food that you make: If Hub listed his favorites I make they would be: sweet and sour chicken, beef tips and gravy and oven fried chicken. I am partial to my lazy perogie and chili.
Zoo animal: Giraffes!!

I saw Swistle’s post yesterday evening about the owl bedding at Target and was thrilled! Liv has wanted it and we held off on getting it because we did not know if we were going to end up getting the girls twin or full sized bunk beds. We got full, but haven’t put them up yet (nor have we even bought the mattresses), so I’ve been sort of laid back about looking for the bedding.

But then Swistle alerted me, and there was a chorus of angels from above, and I knew that I must get myself to Target immediately! Actually first I called, and spoke to a very nice but dim girl on the phone who told me that both in the computer and out on the shelf where she walked herself and looked, there was no such thing as a “Love and Nature” line. Of course, I wasn’t taking her word for it, so I threw Liv in the car and we went for a ride. (Bonus—Hub got the big kids showered while I was gone..although now that I think about it getting them showered involves only adjusting the water temperature at this point, as they do everything else themselves, so I guess he really doesn’t deserve a prize…ANYWAY) So in to Target we went and headed straight for the bedding. There was one lonely owl pillow left on the shelf. In fact, there was absolutely NO children’s bedding anywhere to be found. It must have all gone on deep discount.

I stood for a moment to weigh my options. I could drive to several different stores in the area. I could go up front to see if someone else might have some ideas. I could give up. Instead, I started looking at the tags on the shelves. If nothing else, I was going to prove to Dim Bulb that there was such a thing as the Love and Nature line. And of course, I found the tag on the shelf, and promptly took a photo of it with my phone, because I am a genius. Then I went to the service desk, and spoke to Dim Bulb in person. I showed her the photo of the tag, and she looked the numbers up in the computer to see what she could find. There were no full sized sets of the bedding within a 100 mile radius. Bummer. Fail. LOSE.

She did tell me that I was the smartest person who ever came through her line, on account of my photo prowess. I consider this a minor win.

So I left, defeated but with a new record for the least amount of money I’ve ever spent at Target: $0.00. Some might call this a win. I call it a draw.

Shutterfly always gets me this time of year with free stuff. I think maybe it’s because they want to remind me of what they can do before the holidays. Trust me, Shutterfly, I know.

Here is the book I made today, that cost me 3 whole dollars. I love free stuff.

Click here to view this photo book larger

• Liv is in this phase of saying and doing completely hysterical things. For example, when I got up on Saturday morning, and my hair was a mess she asked me if I was doing crazy things in bed. I told her I wasn’t and then she thought for a second and said “Well, was daddy doing crazy things to you in there?” (he wasn’t). I could not contain my laughter. She also has an imaginary friend named Riley. Riley comes everywhere with us. When we were on vacation, she was not allowed to ride any rides because she was being bad. She’s been to the playground with grandma and papa and I’ve crushed her more times than I can count. She kept me company when Liv did gymnastics by herself for the first time on Saturday (she was in mommy & me last year), and went shopping with us Saturday night. Riley has yellow hair and she is tall. She is 29 years old.
• Our dog has a major chewing problem. Maybe major isn’t the word, because she only does it when she is bored or feels like we’re not paying enough attention to her. We had a pretty busy weekend and yesterday morning we sent her and the kids outside in the yard to burn off some steam and so we could finish reading the paper in peace. At one point I noticed that it was very very quiet and I got up to see what the kids were doing. They had been in the playhouse and the dog chewed a hole in the inflatable ring of our pool (Hub had drained it and was letting it dry out in the yard). It is unrepairable; there is a dinner plate sized hole. I mean, I know it’s only an $80 inflatable pool, but damn it! That was supposed to last at least through next summer. She’s better today, with a whole slew of new toys to occupy her, plus Hub and I took her for a good long walk at lunch time. Having a dog is worse than having a kid, I tell you.
• I cannot get over how quiet the house has been with the kids off at school. I am really enjoying being back in the routine though. We fell off the wagon hard core when FIL died, and that led right in to summer which was just crazy. The house was in shambles, I couldn’t get any work done, seriously, nothing worked right. So we’ve revamped our chore charts and it took the few days last week to get back in the swing, but now things are moving well and have fallen in to place nicely. It would be nice to still have that extra pair of hands around, but what can you do.
• We ordered the girls bunk beds from Amazon. They came on Friday. I can’t wait until Hub puts them together. Of course we have to buy mattresses and bedding now, which excites me, but will cost money so it does not excite Hub. But these beautiful full sized bunks…I think the girls will be very pleased with them.
• Putting up the bunk beds means taking down the crib, currently in use as a daybed for Liv, for the first time in 8 years. This gives me a sad feeling in my gut. Sad indeed. And for as much baby stuff as we have sold (all of it), this is one of two things that Hub insists we keep for “just in case”. The other is my breast pump, FYI.
• I did well at the Fall consignment sale…not as well as I wanted to, but I made $400 which isn’t too shabby. I accidentally marked all of my leftover items for donate though, and had to scramble like a mad woman to pull them from the racks and get them out of there at the end of the sale. Now I’m at the point of deciding if I want to put them up at another sale, or ebay them. I do know that outfitting a very picky 6-year-old for the fall has been expensive, even with the used things I’ve bought. I have a sickness when it comes to ebay though. It will consume me. I have done well there in the past. And many online stores take paypal now too, so that is probably the way I’m going to go.
• Finally, and speaking of clothes, a friend gave me some really good Gymboree coupons and I used them to make my first ever Gymboree purchase, in nearly 8 years of motherhood. I don’t like most of their stuff, if I’m being honest. But that whole line of owl stuff got me. When you see a couple of girls dressed from head to toe in owl garb, you’ll know who they belong to,