Leelou Launch Party

A big thanks to Leelou for my free blog layout....I've been using it for months now! Go check out her giveaway, she has some awesome prizes :)

Holy Comments Batman!!

Wow!!

Yesterday was soooo much fun!

Thank you to all of you who stopped by on my SITS day!

I am still reading comments and working on

responding to all of you.

I'd love to be the featured blogger everyday ;)

Thanks again to Tiffany and Heather -- you two rock!!

Time to Recycle

I'm really trying to get my bloggy flow back.

In the mean time, I thought I'd share one of my 1st posts:

Am I Neurotic??

Enjoy!

Blogathon

Head on over to SITS for their HUGE Blogathon.

Heather and Tiffany are giving away fantastic

prizes every hour today!

Some of the SITSTAs I love are:

Mindless Junque

The R Family Diaries

Zander and Me

Lulaville

Smiles, Miles & Trials

Check it out and join in on the comment love :)

No Cheers For You

No cheerleading for the girls this year.

I have very mixed emotions about this.

We had been a part of this youth organization for 8 years. Even when we bought our house and there were 3 other organizations closer, we stayed with our team. Out of loyalty and love and because we were proud to be a part of our team. "Were" being a very key word in that sentence.

It was a very hard decision for me to make. And yes. I made it. Not the girls. Too. Much. Drama. Drama within the board. Not the *one cheerleader mom hired someone to kill another cheerleader mom* kind of drama...............but there could be a hit out between board members. I kid. I think.

I digress.

What is with drama within these organizations anyway? It's worse than high school. And pathetic.

Anyway, I felt, that keeping my girls there, would not have been the best for them.

I definitely don't miss scrambling to get them to practice 3-4 nights during the week, then rushing home to eat dinner, take showers and get to bed at a decent hour. And I don't miss my Saturdays being consumed by cheerleading and working my tail off at home games. But then again........I kinda do. I miss some of the people. I miss the football. I miss watching the entire squad grow and become better cheerleaders during the season. I miss the people. Oh, wait, I said that.

So that's the condensed version. For now.

In case you're wondering, our new fall activities are swimming for Jordan (which is actually year-round) and soccer for Ashlyn. The craziness is back :)

Randomness

Yes. Here I am. And I'm gonna try to do a real post.

I just thought I'd tell ya'll (if anybody is still here) what's been going on in my life.

~The biggest thing that has happened (in the past month and a half) is that Dustin started a new job. I know that this is for the best, but I have been having some serious anxiety over the whole situation. I am not usually like this. Plus, he has to travel quite a bit and I'm having anxiety over that as well. As soon as I wake up on the days he has to fly out, I have a knot in my stomach. All. Day. Long.

~The kids started school and while its nice that we're back in our routine, 3 kids at 3 different schools is a pain. Especially, when Dustin is out of town.

~Speaking of routines, I've been rockin' my version of FlyLady. My house is staying clean, my laundry isn't a mountain and I've even be cooking dinner. Yesterday, before the kids got out of school, I vacuumed and mopped the floors and Dustin cleaned the bathroom. No housework for us this weekend :)

~No cheerleading for the girls this year. But that's another post. And I even had to stop this post to work on that post which means I may actually have somethin' to say again. Yeah me!

~Teenagers are expensive. Every time I turn around, Christian is asking for money. Clothes, shoes, football games, field trips, homecoming, food...........I think I'm gonna help him step up his job search.

~Jordan chose swimming. It's a developmental league. Which, from what I've seen so far, is just swimming for an entire hour. And, yes, they switch it up and do breaststroke and backstroke, etc. but there is no "teaching" per say. The yell from the side of the pool and try and tell them things they should be doing teaching comes from outside the pool. I know....what??? Don't worry, I made politely asked Dustin to speak to someone about that.

~Ashlyn picked soccer. She loves soccer and is never able to do it because of cheerleading. Practice will be starting soon and her 1st game will be the first weekend of November. I love soccer, it's so much easier than cheerleading!

~I am back in school. I am only taking 2 classes this semester. One is online (International Relations) and the other I have to go to (Macroeconomics). I definitely picked a good time to take IR with the election going on. It's actually easier discussing politics in this class setting than it would be in person. There is no bashing anyone's views (yet) which is very nice. The economics class..........is sooooooo boring. Monotone, ubber strict professor. I have no choice though, he's the only one who teaches it and doing this class online would be a royal pain. He's more strict with his online classes. His words, not mine. That being said, I did get an "A" on my first test. I only missed 3 questions. But don't worry, that's the easiest test we'll have. His words, not mine.

Well, I guess that's all for now. This ended up being way longer than I thought. Plus, I already have another post almost ready for you guys.

Sizzling Summer Vacation Spectacle

From We are THAT Family:

Do Not Adjust Your Computer

Yes, its me.....I'm really here. I didn't forget about you guys! I've been suffering from a ridiculous bout of writer's block but Migraine Mom lured me back to my blog by giving me this:

It's my 1st award! Thank you Migraine Mom - you are AWESOME!!! This makes for an easy post and that makes me happy :)

The rules of this award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.

And the blog award goes to:

Life is Short. Partake In Happy Hour!
Bahama Shores Mama
The Keeper of All Things
Holy Crappers
Where's Mommy's Prozac?
Clusterfook
and
Migraine Mom

Lover

I'm suffering from blog fodder block so I thought I'd share this picture with ya'll! I got it from another blog but I told her I was sooooo going to use it one day and today's the day:

Do you feel the same way?? I sure do. I talk about you guys like we hang out (physically) on a daily basis...........just ask Dustin :)

Tag! I'm It!

Merrie from Sleepless Mornings tagged me!


* Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

* Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

* Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Well, I'm going to cheat a little and recycle some facts from my early Tidbit Tuesday posts.

1. I take my own sheets to hotels. And on cruises. And to the vacation cabin. Plus as soon as I get into my room, I knock that nasty bedspread onto the floor. And I haven't even seen those Dateline or 20/20 shows where they do tests to see how clean hotel rooms are! I wouldn't be able to handle it!!!!

2. I NEVER, EVER walk around barefoot! Not even in my own house. NEVER!!

3. I love, love, LOVE purses! More specifically, Coach purses. And I like to be different and find ones that not everyone is carrying...............well, it's more like a mission............okay obsession! Geez, why don't you beat it out of me?!? Oh, wait......that's just the voices in my head......sorry!

4. I hate ugly potato chips and ugly french fries. Yes, there is a difference. I will not eat those chips with black spots on them. I like my fries to be perfectly shaped and no black spots on them either. Trust me. It's a science. Don't ask me when this started because I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. And I noticed when my kids steal a french fry, they tell me "its an ugly one, you won't eat it."

5. Dustin and I met on the 1st day of school, in first period, our freshman year of high school. The boy was totally unprepared for school and was bothering me for a writing utensil. He proceeded to ask for a pencil, a pen, a crayon, a marker, one of those things with a feather and a lipstick. Each was a separate question, to which I answered no each time. We started dating
4 1/2 months later.

6. I am a certified wedding consultant. A friend and I ran a wedding consulting business for about 3 years. I loved it and it was so much fun. It never felt like "work".

7. I love to sing! I was always in chorus at school and youth choir at church. I sang several solos at church growing up but have only done karaoke once because I'm too terrified.


I'm going to tag:

The Keeper of All Things - even though I know she'll probably never do it :)

Pleasing Procrastinator - cuz I think she will!

Migraine Mom - to learn more about my new bloggy friend who I am thinking lives pretty close to me which could lead to future fun!

Bahama Shore Mama - to lure her back to her blog so we can be partners in crime again!

Obsessive Compulsive - because he is my bro and I want to tag him first.......because I'm competitive like that!

Tena from My Therapy - but I know she'll probably refer you to her hundreth post (and that's cool) because it has a wealth of info about her. Or as she would say TMI.

AND

scargosun - because she's cute and I like her!

You Love WHO??

My hubby, Dustin, serves on a local youth football and cheerleading board. He's the Vice President of Operations. I know. That sounds important.

Last week, the board had quite the drama going on and Dustin was constantly on the phone, much to my joy. He was off the phone long enough to watch our girls sing in their VBS production but ended up back on the phone before we could make it out of the parking lot to dinner.

We pull up to the restaurant and he drops me and the girls off at the door. He makes it to the table, sits down and his phone starts ringing again. It's TB, the President, calling him. Again. He looks at me and says, "I'll tell her that I'll call her back after dinner." He talks to her for a minute and he says he will call her back when we're done. Another minute goes by and this is what I hear him say: "OK, love ya, bye!" His. exact. words. Now, I am laughing hysterically and he's looking at me a little puzzled. And this is how the rest of the conversation went down:

Me: Oh my gosh! You just said, love ya, bye to TB!

Dustin: What?? No, I didn't!

The girls in unison: YES YOU DID!!!

Me: Oh, yes you did. Call her back and ask her!

Dustin: She would have called me back by now.

Me: Give me the phone. I'll call her back. She sooooo heard you!

And the razzing went on!

~~A little back story on me and TB. I have served on this board for the past 3 years, 2 of them with TB. To say the least, she is not my favorite person in the world. Let's just say we *clash* a bit.~~

The next night, we saw TB and the first words out of my mouth were: "Did you hear what Dustin said to you last night on the phone?" and she was like "Oh yeah! I wanted to call him back but I was laughing too hard!"

And the razzing continues.................................

Mamma Mia!

I went to see Mamma Mia! this weekend and it was fantastic!! I love all those Abba songs and you can't help but sing along............. and I can't stop singing them! I want the soundtrack NOW!

For the most part, the cast was superb. Meryl Streep was great and was supported very well by Christine Baranski (love, love, love her) and Julie Waters. Pierce Brosnan isn't the best singer but at least he's nice to look at. Amanda Seyfried was adorable and has a beautiful voice.



Go see the movie.....it'll put you in a great mood!

Yummy!

I had this at our Magaritaville themed Bunko night and it is delish! Plus, its easy to make :)

Ingredients

24 oz Northern White Beans
1 1/4 c Parmesan Cheese
1/2 c Mayo
Garlic Powder (to taste)
Cumin (to taste)
Tabasco (if desired)

Directions

Mix together and bake 25-30 min at 350. This makes 4 cups. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or flatbread.

I'm a Winner!!!

I am so excited!! Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife was giving away a pair of earrings from Fresh Gems and I won these:

Amethyst Earrings with Silver Wire Scroll Work

Aren't they purty?!? I. Love. Them!

Jo-Lynne's blog was one of the 1st blogs I started reading. I aspire to write like her. She is honest, spiritual, funny and does cool things that I'd love to here about over a bottle of wine! Thanks again Jo-Lynne!!

The SITS girls are doing it again. This week's giveaway is a RED Sony Cyber-shot W150 ($250 value ~~ 8.1 Megapixels, 5x optical zoom and 30m wide-angle lens)

Go here, leave a comment and let them know I sent you and you'll be entered to win this fantabulous camera!

This isn't the only prize they're giving away. Tiffany and Heather have started another blog about cooking: Saucy Eats! Yup, it'll make you hungry. Right here, they are giving away a $50 gift card to Williams Sonoma. Now go get Saucy!!

The Three Stooges

We went out Saturday night with The Keeper and

a bunch of other friends. As always, we wanted our

picture taken and for some reason thought

our husbands would help us out and behave. Not likely.

Try #1.

Dustin: Something's wrong with the camera, its too blurry.

Let me fix it and I'll try again.

So, now we're standing there all cute and ready while he plays with

the camera for 5 minutes trying to fix it. Click.

The Keeper: I wasn't even lookin' at you.

Me: One more.

So this is what we ended up with. My eyes barely open and The Keeper looking a little surprised. Let's try this again.

Me: Hey babe, take a picture of us?

Dustin: OK.

Here's what we got:


Me: Let me see. You dork!

Dustin: What? You didn't say what part of you to take a picture of.

Me: Try again.

Again, the outcome.

The men just can't leave us alone! I can't believe The Keeper's husband, Bud Man, isn't in one of these. It makes it seem like he's all innocent! Which is so not the case......check this out!

See, I told ya, he's a brat, too!

And finally. Mostly because we had enough of tweedle dee, tweedle dum and tweetdle dodo!!

The Perfectionist

1. This is Ashlyn. The baby of the family. She would not speak to you when I introduced her and probably wouldn't talk to you EVER for at least 6 months.

2. She is the athletic one and would do every sport there is if it was possible.

3. She is quite competitive (hmmm, have we heard that before?) but not in a in your face kinda way.......she does it on the down-low.

4. She is obsessed with animals, her favorite being dogs and wants to be a Vet when she grows up.

5. She is not the social butterfly that her sister is. She likes to keep to a small circle of friends and is very loyal to them.

From Cheaper Than Therapy.

To Be So Educated

Don't you just love going to the doctor for no reason? Yup, me too!

My daughter had a funky rash on her hands so I took her to the Dr. to figure it out. Here's how it went down.

First, we start off by sitting in the waiting room for 30 minutes. Now, we move to the exam room and wait another 30 minutes. Yippee, the doctor's here! Finally, she's looking at Ashlyn's hands. Oh wise doctor, who went to college for 8 years, what do you think it is?? No kidding, she says, I have no idea, let me go look in a book. WHAT?? Look in a book. I could've done that. I mean, I could have looked it up on the internet. We spent the next 20 minutes waiting for her to come back and all she tells me is that she still has no idea, buy some Cortisone for it and if it doesn't get better, take her to a dermatologist. Geez, thanks for wasting 2 hours of my life, taking my $20 and NOT figuring out what's wrong with my kid!

They All Want to be Like Me

My other brother, Joey, has started a blog!! His blog name is the best way to describe him: Obsessive Compulsive is my middle name. In time, you will see. Don't worry. He knows and he's OK with it :)

Check it out and show him some love!

Who Doesn't Love Tarjay?!?

Do you want to win a $100 gift card to Target???

Of course you do!

Here's what you need to do:

Head on over to The Secret is in the Sauce, grab their button and mention yours truly when you roll call. It's that easy! For you newbies, read this to learn all about this fantastic blogging network.

Thanks to Tiffany and Heather of SITS for this great giveaway!!

Vacation Pics

Update: For more vacation pics check out The Keeper of All Things blog.

Very Superior!?!

79 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

I got this test from Pleasing Procrastionator......who knew I was so superior?!? Well, I knew of course but when I called my hubby and told him, he laughed. What's up with that?

Go, take the test and let me know how wonderful you would have been as a 1930's wife.

I'm Back!!

We're home from vacation! So there was no dial-up and my Sprint Air Card wouldn't work :( Somehow I still survived without the internet. I have errands to run and will do a longer post later..........I missed you all!!

On the road again....

We are outta here! Right now we are somewhere on I-75 heading to a cabin in Tennessee for a week of easy living. Well, if you call it easy living when the kids outnumber the adults. If you don't hear from me, please send help!

I am addicted to my computer so I will be checking in from the road.......our cabin has dial-up! Woohoo! Don't be jealous.

From Cheaper Than Therapy:

Diva In Training

Doesn't the title say it all?

Needless to say, I have created. A. Monster.

This week's Tidbit Tuesday is about my 2nd born child.

1. This is Jordan. She would not say much to you after I introduced her, she would just look at you and smile. But only at first.

2. She is a social butterfly. The girl can make friends anywhere. In a matter of minutes. No lie.

3. Her favorite foods are steak and shrimp. Haha! This should ward off future dates until at least after college.

4. She will "write you off" (quote from her 3rd grade teacher) if you've done her wrong. She needs time to get over it and then she's fine. Her teacher didn't like this. I just smiled.

5. She wants to be a pediatrician when she grows up. So she can afford to eat steak and shrimp everyday. And shop at Tiffany's.

Bounce House Giveaway!!

This Bounce House (16ft x 13ft, $350 value) could be yours!

Here's what you need to do:

Head on over to The Secret is in the Sauce, grab their button and mention yours truly when you roll call. It's that easy! For you newbies, read this to learn all about this fantastic blogging network.

Thanks to Tiffany and Heather for SITS and this great giveaway!!

Yummy!

I thought I'd share an easy and delicious recipe we had at book club a few months back. Enjoy!

Asian Slaw

2 pkgs beef Ramen noodles16oz pkg. cole slaw mix
1 c. sliced almonds (toasted on cookie sheet for 5 m. @ 350)
1 c. sunflower kernels
1 c. chopped green onion
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. veg. oil
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar

Crush noodles and place in large bowl. Top with cole slaw mix. Sprinkle with almonds, sunflower kernels and onion.

Whisk sugar, oil, vinegar and beef flavor packets together and pour over cole slaw.

Cover and chill overnight. Mix before serving.

15 Years Meme

Bahama Shores Mama tagged me for this meme. This is my first time being tagged. In Bahama Mama's words, I'm a virgin meme~er.

Here's the deal. Think back on the last 15 years of your life. What would you tell someone that you hadn't seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love.

15 Years Ago = June 1993

I finished my junior year of high school in June of '93.

I got my first job in August, working as a cashier at Publix. Moved on to NationsBank (now Bank of America) in April of '96. That would be the last time I held a "real job".

I graduated from high school in June of '94.

I married my hubby, Dustin, on September 28th, 1996.

I have 3 children. One boy, two girls. Christian, Jordan & Ashlyn.

We moved to Kansas (thanks to the Army) in May of '97.

I hated Kansas.

I moved back to Florida in Dec. of '99. Dustin finished his enlistment in April of 2000. We rented a house a half a block away from my parents.

We bought our house in November of 2003.

I started a blog and have become a blogging addict. But I'm okay with it.

I'm going to tag:

Happy Meals & Happy Hour

Mindless Junque

Oh Me, Oh My, My Wonderful Men

Life is Short. Partake in Happy Hour

and my bro, Fitness Jay.

Gnome-napper on the Loose!!

What is wrong with people??

We had 2 gnomes in our front yard and someone stole them! Are you kidding me? Why?

They were here last night when we got home around 10:30 and when my hubby came back home this morning he noticed they were gone. I am sooooo mad! And now, I'm also mad that I don't have a picture of them! ERRR!!

Listen here gnome-napper, I will hunt you down and hurt you. You've been warned!

The Gnome Story

Once upon a time there were 2 little gnomes. For years, they had the best life. These gnomes were loved by my husband's grandparents. They lived next door to my hubby growing up (the gnomes and the grandparents). Until a few years ago. When they moved (the grandparents). The gnomes were left behind. They were very sad. Every time we saw them in the yard, they just cried pathetically and begged to come be with their family. One day, one of the brave little gnomes made his escape. He climbed over the fence, right into my hubby's arms. He was so happy. The gnome. Well, my hubby, too.

But, the other gnome, he was not as brave. He just stood in the middle of the yard, crying and whining to my mama-in-law every time he saw her. "Please, please rescue me," he would yell, "I miss my family!" wahwahaaahahwah "No, gnome. You have to stay with your new family," my mama-in-law would say, "unless your brave enough to run away." For over 3 years, he just stood there and cried but could never muster up the courage to escape.

Then, finally his day came. He had been abandoned by his new family. Mama-in-law noticed this and rushed over to rescue the gnome. He was so happy. Mama-in-law told him that she was gonna take him some place special and that he would be reunited with his other gnome friend. She brought him to my hubby and he was so happy.

My hubby placed his beloved gnomes in the front yard to live happily ever after. Until last night. When some moron stole them.

Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya...

....cuz he sure didn't get it from his Daddy.

My boy has rhythm.

Which, he totally got from me!

I'm just sayin'!

Anyhoo, on to more important matters. This week's installment of Tidbit Tuesday features my first born.

1. This is Christian. (yup, I finally decided!) I'm sure he would display his perfect manners with a "nice to meet you Mom's bloggy friends."

2. He is a great drummer. Think Drumline. His drumline in middle school was better than most high schools'. He opted not to take band in high school. He's been torn between his love of the drums and his dislike of the band teacher. He may *try* this coming year.

3. His "all time" best friend is my other brother, Joey. I know he has other best friends (sorry to break that to you, Joe) but Joey is #1.

4. His is always mostly sweet to and protective of his two little sisters.

5. He's very competitive. You have been warned. Play games with him at your own risk. I have no idea where he gets that from.

Fitness Jay

My brother, Jason, finally listened! (Those words may never be heard again and I'm not kidding!!!) He started a blog, Fitness Jay.

You remember my brother, the etch-a-sketch artist. Well, as it turns out, he actually is a productive member of society. He is a NASM certified Personal Trainer. Don't ask me what that means, I'm just passing on the information. He wants to help US get in shape. Go, check out his blog, learn something or ask questions........he's here to help! Unless, your his sister, then he is too busy and only stops by to eat visit randomly. What's up with that, Jay???

I WIN, Again!!

I stumbled across a great new blog that all you bloggers must check out ~ The Secret is in the Sauce! (props to Cheaper Than Therapy, that's where I saw the button!)

Here's their Secret: The recipe for success is support. We are better together and by adopting the button below, you are pledging to support your fellow SITS bloggers. Monday thru Friday, come check out our featured blogger and leave her a comment. In fact, anytime you see this button, leave a comment. That's what SITS girls do.

Everyday, I get addicted to a new blog check out the featured blogger, leave comments and "roll call" on the SITS blog. At the end of the week, they picked 2 "roll call" winners and I was one of them! I won a "Comment Junkie" t-shirt! Happy dance!!

A HUGE thank you to Heather and Tiffany for creating SITS - I love it!!

Thank you to all of those who stopped by to congratulate me!! I will be making my way to your blogs to show some SITS love!

Now, go, check out the post that started it all, Welcome to SITS, grab their button and become a part of an awesome blogging network!!

Thank you for being a great husband and father. We love you!!

Help?!?

I need your help.

Ever since, I started this blog, I've been trying to decide if I would use our RL names or not. I've talked it over with Bahama Shores Mama and the Keeper of All Things but I still can't decide. They both have nicknames for their children that they've decided to use, but I don't. I'm not big on nicknames. I love their "given" names. I've read about those who have "made up" names to use on their blog but I think it would be confusing (to me). Plus, how would I pick something that "fit" them.

HELP! PLEASE!

What are your thoughts? Did you go through this, too? How did you decide? Please leave a comment and share your story..... pretty please??

Tidbit Tuesday

1. I despise, loathe, detest grape jelly.

2. I LOVE the color pink! I know. You're shocked.

3. I do not eat the edges. I want the middle piece of lasagna, the middle piece of cake and the middle of the brownies.....and I will fight you for them (Kelly)!!

4. I do not do well with bad smells. I gag, gag, gag and have actually thrown up on a few occasions but that's another story.

5. I LOVE my hubby more than he will ever know!!

Blah

I'm at a loss for words. (Hush, all you RL friends! It does happen!) I've been having several "blah" days mixed in with some PMS which makes me a ball of fun. So, until I can get my bloggy flow going again, I thought I'd share a dinner recipe that my kids love. Enjoy!

Brooklyn Girl's Penne Arrabiata (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup olive oil, divided
6 T minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( or to taste )
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes (Italian style)
2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
basil, to taste
oregano, to taste
1 (12 ounce) package dried penne pasta
2 eggs
2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds thin chicken breast cutlets

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil and oregano. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta, and cook according to package. Drain.

3. In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Stir the garlic salt, parmesan cheese and pepper into the bread crumbs. Dip chicken cutlets into the egg, then press into the bread crumbs until completely coated.

4. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken for about 5 minutes per side, or until the coating is a nice dark brown color. Remove chicken, and cut into slices. Toss the chicken slices into the sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked penne, simmer for a few more minutes to soak up the flavor, then serve. (Serves 6.)

This recipe is very easy and the kids love it! This is my adapted version of the recipe. Click here for the original. (Mine is more saucy than Brooklyn Girls and she uses more tomatoes.) Now, go make it and let me know if your kiddos like it, too!

High School Flashback

Time for some humiliation fun!

Where should I begin..........the giant irridescent bow, the perfectly dyed to match shoes, the bright pink nails, that poof on my head or those sleeves?? Let's pause a moment to take it all in. Now, please, stop laughing I have more entertainment pics for you!

Don't ya just love the background on all of these? It's all so breath taking. Now to dissect some more.

What exact shade of white would you say I am? Good thing I live in Florida or else I'd be really white. And for whatever reason, the photographer would not let my hand be on top....didn't he know I had beautiful pink nails to show off. Really, he wouldn't let me. I moved my hand after he posed us and he came back and changed it. Chauvinist pig!!

Look! I got a tan while walking from station 1 to station 2. I love Florida! This picture was in one of those plastic key chains. You remember them, go ahead admit it! Finally, you can see my beautiful nails. Don't you love how we're not looking directly at the camera.....it makes it seem like such a candid picture - not posed!! Let's move on.......

Senior Prom! The theme: "Moonlight & Roses". What? You didn't get that from the background? What do I love about this one? The natural pose, of course. I always stand by my man like that! Again, I'm a little white and I still couldn't get away from that shade of pink nail polish. At least my hair poof is a little smaller. And I only have partial bangs - love it!!

The funniest thing in this picture is the story of my man's vest. He went and picked it out All. By. Himself. And then he told his Mom and I that he picked out a vest with "silver spermy things" on it. I was sooooo dreading what I would see when he picked me up. Apparently, "silver spermy things" is man code for paisley!!

Well, that's enough humiliation fun for today!

Tidbit Tuesday

1. Today is the last day of school for the kiddos! YIPPEEEEEE!

2. Friday night we went to Taste of Pinellas. It's a fundraiser for All Children's Hospital. We were even V.I.P. - thanks to The Keeper of All Thing's hubby. It was soooo glamorous.........well, sorta............well, there was free beer. And, don't be jealous now, Rick Springfield was in concert. Oh, I hear the envy!

3. I went to see Sex and the City Saturday afternoon. All. By. Myself. I LOVED IT!

4. Saturday night we went to the Rays game. Again. Stop with the envy. Of course, I was only there because Trace Atkins was performing after the game. I heart Trace! His voice is soooooooooooo sexy!

5. Sunday we BBQ'd and swam (well, not me, but everyone else) at Bahama Shores Mama's house.


Trust me, my weekend isn't usually this action packed. Not unless it involves some sort of little league! So, what did everyone do this weekend??

Don'tcha Wish You Were This Talented?

So, my youngest brother stopped by this morning to eat food visit me and he couldn't resist playing with the Etch-A-Sketch my girls left out in the living room.

This is what he came up with. In about 5 minutes.

Yosemite Sam

How exactly do you do this? I can barely "draw" my name.

I'm so proud that my bro has become such a productive member of society!!

From Cheaper Than Therapy:

SPT Challenge - Something Blue

SPT (She Photographs on Tuesdays) is a weekly challenge from amuse-bouche. It's simple. She gives a theme and you post a picture with your interpretation of that theme. This week's is Something Blue.

So here's my Something Blue:

Love those eyes!

Tidbit Tuesday

Enough about me....on to my hubby!

1. He is very athletic.

2. He bites his fingernails. Which drives me insane!

3. He is the middle child. Surrounded by an older sister and younger brother.

4. He coaches high school football and basketball. At the high school we graduated from.

5. He has a hot wife. Lucky guy!

Please share more tidbits with me about yourself........... or anyone in your family!

Neurotically Yours!

I'm a Winner!!!

Woohoo! I finally won a blog giveaway!!! I love winning.......just ask my Bunko gals! I entered a Skin So Soft (SSS) giveaway offered by Two Lines On a Stick (don't ya love that name??). And I won! Did I mention that yet??

This is how it went down:
First, Tara let us know about the 2 SSS products she was giving away. The original SSS and the SSS Bug Guard Expedition.

Here were her rules:
To enter, just leave me a comment and let me know which product you would like. I will separate the entries and draw a winner for each on Monday morning. The results will be posted on my bloggity blog. You’ll have to send me your address so I can get it in the mail to you :)

This was my response:
I’d love the Skin So Soft! I totally forgot about it keeping the bugs away! If there’s a bug within a 1 mile radius of me, it’s gonna bite me…….it must be because I’m sooo sweet! Ha!

Then, when I checked google reader, I saw this:

Skin So Soft Giveaway Winners
Thanks to all who entered! I put the names on paper and folded them each in half, put them in a bowl, and Jonathon chose the winners randomly.
The winner of the Skin So Soft original oil spray is Tami.
The winner of the Bug Guard Expedition with SPF is Michelle.
I contacted you both in case you didn’t see this post, so please reply with your address and I’ll get your prize in the mail Congratulations!

And sure enough, I check my e-mail and there's a message from Tara. Then I did a happy dance!

Go check out Two Lines On a Stick !

Neurotically Yours!

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!!

Our Gift to the Fallen

by Charlie Gragg

For each soldier that has fallen so that many may stand,

We honor their spirit, as they pass to God's hand.

For without their sacrifice, we would live forever in fear.

We pray for their loved ones and provide a salute and a tear.

God help us heal the wounds of hate and the misery of war,

That is our gift to our fallen heroes, that are amongst us no more.

Movie Hype = Disappointment

The title says it all.

Why do I listen to it? It usually doesn't end well.

Case in point - Juno.

Did I miss something? Ellen Page was nominated for an Oscar and so was the movie. What?? I have been wanting to watch this and finally got to on Friday. That's 96 minutes of my life I won't be getting back! Hubby should be thanking me for not making him sit through this. It was horrible. And where did they get their teen dialouge from?? My son talks nothing like that. My advice.....just say NO to Juno!


Here's a few more movies that were a huge disappointment to me!

The Blair Witch Project - I think I still have motion sickness!

Saving Private Ryan - Could it have been any longer? Hubby slept through most of it and didn't miss a beat!

Sideways - 2 men decide to take a wine country road trip.....and no woman made them?

Little Miss Sunshine - Huh?????

Does this movie hype get to you, too? What movies do you think didn't live up to their hype?

A Thousand Words

Borrowing this idea from Cheaper Than Therapy.

Why???

Yesterday, my oldest daughter and I were was getting ready to finish her school project and I realized I needed to run up to Office Depot for a few things. I jump in the car and back out of the driveway...........right into my son's Rodeo! Arghh! Don't worry. Nobody was hurt. His car was parked on the curb. Yeah, I know. Stop laughing!

In my defense, it usually is pulled up in the grass across the street. Not actually on the street. I totally took that for granted and was too busy watching the front end of my Durango. Hubby says I have no defense since the other car was parked. Hmph!!

Over there in that grass.

And in case your wondering, the Durango definitely won the smash up derby. The corner of my bumper is scuffed with paint and there are a few scratches. My son's door, on the other hand, is smashed in pretty good.

VS.

Yup! I'm a dork!

Neurotically Yours!