The Battle Of The Badges

19 November 2010 by

I knew that motherhood would bring its share of challenges.

Sleepless nights.

Potty training.

Terrible threes (I don’t care what anybody says; the twos have NOTHING on the threes).

First day of kindergarten.

Etc. and so on and so forth amen.

But I have to say: nothing – NOTHING – could have prepared me for a challenge I’ve faced over the last couple of months. It blindsided me – hit me out of the blue – and even now the mere thought of it makes my heart race and fills me with a lingering sense of dread.

I’m talking, of course, about Cub Scout badges.

OH MY WORD INTERNET WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN ME?

Now granted, I don’t really know how to sew. Even still, I felt certain that I could attach the little guy’s badges to his uniform before his first den meeting. But just in case I couldn’t – JUST IN CASE – I made sure that I had a back-up plan. And my back up plan was an industrial-size pack of safety pins.

After ONE HOUR of trying to sew on badges that are apparently made of an impenetrable material that can only be attached to fabric with a hammer and nails, I managed to tack on the smaller badges and run a single three-inch long stitch across the biggest badge. I knew that the badges wouldn’t hold for long, but since I didn’t have a drill and/or a set of grommets nearby, I decided that I’d try to use the safety pins.

The safety pins, however, were completely uncooperative. I tried to push them through, only to watch them bend into unrecognizable shapes. I’m sure that a more experienced seamstress could have made those safety pins submit, but all I could seem to get them to do was to jab my thumb and and consequently make me VERY ANGRY.

Despite my frustration, I was bound and determined that THE BADGES, THEY WOULD NOT BEAT ME, and that is why I sent my child to his first scouting event with badges that were attached to his sleeves with a tiny bit of thread and an obnoxious amount of Scotch tape. We like to keep things klassy, you understand.

REMEMBER: I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO OPERATE A NEEDLE.

The badges survived the first few meetings (I KNOW!), but tonight I knew that I had to step it up a notch. The biggest badge was just about to fall off, so I took a deep breath, grabbed my box of safety pins and summoned all of my courage. It was time for action.

And do you know what happened? DO YOU KNOW?

SUCCESS!

I don’t want to overstate it, but I’m pretty sure that it’s the crowning achievement of my life as a mama.

I don’t know when I’ve ever been more proud.

Filed Under: Family Fun

Giveaway Round-Up

18 November 2010 by

Just wanted to pop in with some reminders of giveaways that are going on right now:

– Similasan – $100 Visa Gift Card (ends today!)
– Welch’s – $100 Visa Gift Card (new giveaway)
– The Laughing Cow #5 – $150 Visa Gift Card (new giveaway)
– Lands’ End – kids’ coat of your choice (up to $100 value)

I’ll draw for the Ragu giveaway winner tomorrow; all other winners of closed giveaways (Kellogg’s, The Laughing Cow #4, Pop-Tarts, etc.) have been notified and have claimed their prizes.

All righty. More later. I’m a wee bit behind on a deadline, so I need to run. Because when I say “wee,” what I really mean is “waaaaay.”

Procrastinators of the world, unite!

Love,
Me

Filed Under: Giveaways

Welch’s Share Your Story

17 November 2010 by

This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and Welch’s.

When my husband and I got married, I was the queen of stressing out over Christmas parties. Our first Christmas together I decided that I was going to throw a party for his co-workers, and I promise you that I cooked for about six days. I found all sorts of elaborate recipes in different cookbooks that we’d received as wedding gifts, and it took me a sweet forever to get all of the food prepared. And then, the night of the party, I spent almost all of my time in the kitchen – trying to remember when to put in this dish and take out that dish and find serving spoons for everything else – and as a result of that I barely spent any time with our guests.

So basically I wore myself out and missed all the fun. Merry Christmas, y’all.

These days I know better. These days I understand that the secret to a great holiday gathering is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. I make basic foods that I know people will love, and I try to think of people’s favorites when I’m planning a menu. I keep things relatively inexpensive, something that’s admittedly easier when you don’t harbor the foggiest notion of serving beef tenderloin and expensive wine. We tend to go with a low-key, no-alcohol plan – nothing too fussy, and nothing that will interfere with our guests’ ability to drive home at the end of the night.

(Right now I’m picturing my 27 year-old self looking at my 41 year-old self and saying, “So. At what point did you become PRACTICAL?”)

(The answer? Somewhere around my 35th birthday, apparently.)

One of my favorite things that I’ve done the last couple of years is to fix a special, non-alcoholic drink for the holidays. I always try to use cranberry juice in the drink because, well, it’s my mama’s favorite thing on earth, and last year I really hit it out of the park. But this year I’m going to try something new – something that you make with Welch’s sparkling grape juice – and I think Mama is going to LOVE IT.

Mainly because I love it. And because I might be a tiny wee bit just-a-smidge addicted. It’s the The Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer.

Hallelujah.

There’s also a Sparkling Cranberry Punch that we’ll use as a back-up. We like options. And if a cranberry drink isn’t your thing, you can rest in the peace of knowing that Welch’s has lots of other great drink ideas:

The Holiday Toasting Cup
Sparkling Holiday Punch
Spiced Grape Punch

So that’s pretty much my lesson-learned-the-hard-way philosophy about entertaining during the holidays. Keep it simple. Make a special drink. And above and beyond everything else, ENJOY YOUR GUESTS. Life’s too short to stay in the kitchen while everybody else is having fun.

If you’d like to win a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of BlogHer, leave a comment on this post that answers the following question: which one of the Welch’s drink recipes would you like to try this year?

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post…Don’t forget to check out my review post next week for 2 more chances to win!
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) Follow this link (https://spreadsheets2.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGg5WXJTRGdUZEEtVzAxYTl0RmY5SGc6MA) and provide your email address and your response to the sweepstakes prompt.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
For Official Rules click here: http://goo.gl/PPqgR
Sweepstakes ends 5 PM PST on December 31, 2010.

Be sure to check out BlogHer.com exclusive offers page and visit the other 11 participating bloggers (you can enter to win a gift card on each of their blogs, too).

Filed Under: BlogHer Reviews

The To-Do List And The Crazy

16 November 2010 by

Early this morning I sat down and made a couple of to-do lists. I like to write out my to-do lists, preferably with some form of Sharpie product, and lately, as a result of sort of an obnoxious lack of sleep, a to-do list is not an option. It’s a necessity. Otherwise I just sort of wander around aimlessly and think about all the naps I’d like to take.

Today I made a list of the afternoon’s errands, and then I made a list of a few things I need to pick up from the grocery store, and then I made a list of some links I wanted to share. You might think that it would be far more efficient to actually open up a post, type the links and then save them, but that makes way too much sense and assumes that I typically like to do things in a way that would be considered “efficient” or “streamlined.”

So I made my linky to-do list, but after tackling a couple of items I put it aside to talk to a friend about the latest round of developments in Alabama politics and college football. By the time we finished our conversation, I’d sort of forgotten about my to-do list (SHOCKING!) and moved on to other, more important matters. You know, things like reading about Prince William’s engagement and wondering if I’m completely satisfied with my cornbread recipe.

An hour or so later I picked up the to-do list since I was ready to GET CRACKIN’, and as I glanced over it I realized that I had no idea what the fifth item was. It was an abbreviation, and I could read the letters, but I couldn’t remember what they meant. Had absolutely no idea why they were significant or how I was planning to use them in a post. NO IDEA.

The letters were “M-B” – and I am not kidding when I tell you that I tried to come up with any possible configuration.

Mary Beth?

Message board?

Milton Bradley?

Megabyte?

Eventually I took my frustrations to Twitter – mainly to see if someone might say something that would jog my memory – and the responses were hilarious:

Melted butter?

Magnificent bananas?

More bell? (WELL PLAYED, I might add.)

Marsha Brady?

Marlon Brando?

Since I had real-live work to do, I had to postpone trying to solve the M-B mystery, and finally – ALMOST THREE HOURS LATER – the answer popped in my head: MYERS-BRIGGS.

I WANTED TO LINK TO A SHORT VERSION OF THE MYERS-BRIGGS.

Sweet mercy I exhaust myself.

The reason I wanted to link to the short version of the M-B is because I LOVED reading about your different personality types in the comments of the last post. I don’t take stuff like the M-B too seriously, but I do think it’s fascinating. And I have to say that knowing D’s personality type (he’s ISTJ, so we’re opposites except for the fact that we’re both borderline on the I/E scale) has helped me to understand why we react to stuff differently. He is cut and dried, black and white, right and wrong.

I, on the other hand, am basically a wet noodle who moonlights as a peacemaker.

So you can see why we’re married.

(IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BALANCE, PEOPLE.)

(If I’d married another INFP, we’d just sit around the house all day and try to avoid conflict.)

(I believe that’s called enabling.)

Anyway, if you’re at all interested in an abbreviated (but, in my experience, fairly accurate) version of the Myers-Briggs, you can find it right here. Won’t take you more than ten minutes. You can find a general analysis of your personality type right here.

And if you feel so led, come back here and share your results. Won’t that be kicky?

After all, seeing as how I nearly went crazy during the process of trying to decipher my to-do list item about the Myers-Briggs, I don’t think it’s too much for me to ask you to post your personality type in the comments. If you’re into that sort of thing, of course.

But then again, I’m an INFP, so I definitely wouldn’t want to be too pushy.

You just do whatever makes you the most comfortable.

I’d be positively mortified if I felt like you were mad at me.

It’s COMPLETELY your decision.

The end.

Filed Under: Rambling

The Laughing Cow – Post 5

15 November 2010 by

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

I love the holiday season for a whole host of reasons: the weather, the family time, the football, the Thanksgiving dinner, the roaring fires, the Christmas trees, the Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas CD, the twinkling lights that make everything look beautiful.

And there’s one other thing that I really, REALLY love about the holiday season, though it probably isn’t an entirely positive object of my affection:

THE APPETIZERS.

Oh, y’all. I adore appetizers. And it seems like the holiday season is the perfect opportunity to make lots of them. After all, you never know when someone might stop by. Plus, since November and December are pretty much the only months of the year when I really BAKE (as opposed to cook), we like to scatter lots of sweet treats among our selection of appetizers. After all, how in the world could I possibly offer our guests something savory without also offering them something sweet? It only stands to reason that I would HAVE TO HAVE both.

It’s a purely selfless act, you understand.

But the problem, of course, is that if I give into all my cravings – with the appetizers and sweets at the top of the list – over the holidays, then I’m going to find myself in need of a new wardrobe when January rolls around. And while I would never claim to emerge from the holiday season in better shape than when I started it, I do keep a few tips in the back of my mind that help me make it through all of our holiday festivities without wreaking too much weight-related havoc.

Ready? Here we go.

1) Keep healthier snack options on hand at all times.

I have a terrible habit of snacking and tasting while I’m cooking and baking. And obviously if I choose to snack on cake batter and cheesecake batter and cookie dough and all manner of butter-laden confections, I’m going to be in a world of hurt by the end of the holidays. So I make a point to buy whole wheat crackers, small packets of cheese (The Laughing Cow Original is a long-time favorite), peanut butter and almonds so that I always have filling, healthier snacks in the kitchen.

2) Eat a healthy snack at home before heading out to a holiday party.

Now I don’t mean to sound like Scarlett O’Hara before she went to the barbecue, but it’s so much easier to resist the temptations of fattening party foods if you’re not ravenous when you arrive. It’s pretty remarkable how much a healthy snack helps. So about 15 minutes before we walk out the door, I’ll fix myself a little plate with almonds, cheese and whole-grain crackers. That little plate goes a long way in terms of keeping me from falling face-down into a pile of 7-layer Mexican dip, and for that we’re all quite thankful.

3) Use smaller plates at holiday meals.

Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t have any intention of serving my guests a meal on a saucer. But modern dinner plates are HUGE – the size of charger plates, practically – so I make a point to use my very old-fashioned holiday china when we entertain. The plates are considerably smaller than what passes for normal these days, and you can fill it to the brim with food without feeling guilty. The smaller plate keeps portions much more manageable, and even better is the fact that you don’t feel completely stuffed when the meal is over. That’s a win-win.

Now it’s your turn – Share tip on how you keep holiday food from getting the best of you and you could win a $150 Visa card! Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry. You should also visit The Daily Dose of Well-Being hub to read helpful content each day and for weekly chances to win $100 at the “Play For Laughs” game. If you share a really great tip, we may even use it in The Daily Dose!

And don’t miss the other bloggers’ posts – you have 11 other chances to win each month!

Questions about the sweepstakes? Check out the official rules. This sweepstakes will run from 11/15-12/5

Happy Laughing Cow, everybody!

This giveaway is now closed.

Filed Under: BlogHer Reviews

Oh My Word

14 November 2010 by

So here’s the thing.

I haven’t posted the last few days because Sister and I have been completely obsessed with the whole Mississippi State / Auburn / Cam Newton fiasco. It’s ridiculous, really. We are certified grown-ups, and the other night we were on the phone at ELEVEN THIRTY IN THE PM talking about the most recent articles we’d read. Madness.

And before you start thinking that since I’m a State fan I clearly want Cam Newton to be ineligible and for us to be right and for Auburn to be wrong, stop. That isn’t the case at all. On the Myers-Briggs I am an INFP – about the highest-scoring “P” you ever did see – and I’m a big-time idealist. BIG TIME. My tendency is to think that if we can just get all the facts and if everybody will tell their stories, it’ll all work out and we’ll all be fine and everybody will be friends and stand in a circle and sing the “Friends Are Friends Forever” song and then we’ll walk hand-in-hand into the sunset.

Because that’s very realistic.

What’s been even more annoying (for me) is that on top of my idealistic tendencies, I HATE TENSION. I DESPISE IT. So what has had me the most preoccupied throughout this whole thing is wondering if State and Auburn – who traditionally get along pretty well as far as Things SEC are concerned – will make it through with their mutual affinity unscathed. (For the sake of clarity: State didn’t turn in Auburn. State turned in information that related to the recruitment of Cam Newton. But that information affects Auburn. And that’s created some tension.) Keep in mind that we live in Birmingham, and every time I pass a car with Auburn tags I feel like I need to duck a little bit. Or maybe wave. Or maybe roll down my window and scream, “WE DIDN’T MEAN ANY HARM – WE WERE JUST TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES!”

And then I wonder if I should maybe offer the Auburn fan a piece of candy and ask if I can help out with some errands.

On top of all my crackerjack investigating, I was also trying to get the house ready for company this past weekend. My aunt, my cousin Paige and Paige’s little boy J. came over Friday and stayed until today. We had more fun! just more fun! eating way too much Full Moon barbecue and visiting and drinking coffee and going to the Steinmart 14-Hour Sale and drinking coffee and going to Home Goods and visiting and drinking coffee. It was also J.’s 4th birthday, and we were so tickled to celebrate it with him.

Saturday night I warned everybody that I was going to HAVE TO WATCH the Mississippi State / Alabama football game, and they were all very sweet about it and encouraged me to do whatever I’d normally do when I watch the Bulldogs. Well, you know how sometimes you can’t really appreciate how NOT AT ALL NORMAL YOU ARE until you have to expose your “normal” behavior to people who don’t usually see it? That was pretty much my experience this past Saturday night.

Because here’s the thing: no matter how much I might like to think otherwise, IT IS NOT NORMAL for a grown woman to yell at the TV during a college football game and EXPECT THAT THE YELLING MAKES A DIFFERENCE. This behavior feels perfectly fine and perfectly acceptable when it’s just me and my fellas at home – or when I’m watching a game with Sister – but I actually felt a little embarrassed for myself when I dragged out my football crazy in front of my aunt and my cousin. They are typically spared from my football hijinks because 1) they don’t really get worked up about football and 2) they’re Ole Miss fans, so they’ve never gone to State games with me. But Saturday they got the full experience. It is sure to be a precious memory for them.

I did manage to dial down my reactions to more comfortable levels by the second half, but as I told Melanie and Sister today, I realized Saturday night that I’ve developed some fairly self-centered game-watching habits over the years. I like to be able to move around. I like to be able to clean my countertops / vacuum / fold nineteen loads of clothes. I don’t like to talk. I like to yell. I like to yell a lot. I like to mute the announcers on occasion because sometimes they get on my nerves. When things get tense I like to sit VERY CLOSE to the television. I like to scream, “TACKLE HIM, DADGUMMIT” and “COME ON, NOW, SON.” I like to walk outside for fresh air when necessary.

You can imagine what fun this behavior must be for others.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on around here. I think I’m going to put up my Christmas decorations this week (I’d offer you a detailed rationale for the decision to decorate so early, but this post is endless, and quite frankly you’ve suffered enough already), and it’s also time for me to get a stack of Post-its and my Christmas magazines and mark all the new recipes I want to try. Thanksgiving is going to be at our house this year, and I’m officially on the hunt for some new side dishes. If you know of any that are especially good, feel free to leave a link or a recipe in the comments – I’d be oh-so-grateful.

And if you didn’t know it already, the Bulldogs ended up losing to the Crimson Tide. All my yelling didn’t make a bit of difference. CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THAT? But I think I’ve taken the loss surprisingly well. I haven’t even polished off the rest of the miniature Reese’s that are in the candy dish in the den. But we play Arkansas next Saturday, so those precious few Reese’s may not be long for this world.

Happy Monday, y’all!

Filed Under: Beloved Bulldogs
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