Connecting With The Past

Things have not been so great for me as of late, days have been a little long, dreary, and stressful.  Now, let me just preface that quickly by saying I stress out VERY easily.  It’s just who I am.  Things do not roll off my back, they just don’t, and it doesn’t take much to kick my anxiety into high gear.  Unfortunately, what sometimes makes things worse is this icky little buddy of mine, an annoying ‘chum’ that has been around for some time and has sporadically battled me head on, often with no reservations.  It starts with a D and ends with an N….have you figured it out yet?  No?  Well, let me introduce you to my dear old pal  (who likes to make these irritating surprise visits) – depression, mild to moderate, if you please.  Yeah, I know, so far this post really isn’t making you feel bright & shiny, is it?   Look, I’ve never really delved into my  deepest personal CRAP on this blog, and I don’t plan on doing so now.  That’s for another time, when the stars are aligned and I’ve had several glasses of my favorite Riesling.  Believe it or not, this story actually ends on a happy note…just stick with me here!

So, to my surprise, today has turned into a pretty decent day and has provided a nice relief from the shitty days that have piled up lately.  The peanut has been behaving like an angel, my mood has been good since I first stepped out of bed, I had a great workout, and overall we’ve trudged along quite nicely (here’s to hoping we can continue through to bed time!).  But, what has really, truly made my day is that I had the chance to catch up with an old friend this afternoon, someone who I haven’t spoken to in a very long time.  (I mentioned her briefly HERE in my short remembrance of  Dirty Dancing memories long gone).  You see, Lori was my best friend pre-high school, and over the years, as we lost touch for good,  I have always wondered how she was doing & how her life had played out.   Every now and then I would attempt to find her via some Google searches or other social media sites, but all to no avail.  I had no idea where she lived or if she had married or if she had children.  And now, amazingly,  I know!

The best part of it all was realizing that we could still chat as if no time had passed at all.  That we could reminisce & laugh about funny moments from the past, with great detail.  That our lives had actually paralleled each other almost to a T over the last several years.   That we are now both stay at home moms (our children are nearly the exact same age!), married to wonderful men, and just trying to figure it all out.  Pretty darn cool, no?



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Baby Steps

 
Yesterday we spent a majority of the day browsing through one showroom after another, looking for a new bedroom set for our little peanut.  You see, time is rapidly moving forward (despite my most valiant attempts to slow it down), and Ella’s toddler bed is no longer sufficient, just like her crib was no longer sufficient 1 1/2 years ago.  With every little step, every tiny change, my baby girl is moving ever closer to that dreaded “I” word – INDEPENDENCE!

I know, I know…we’re just talking about freekin’ furniture here.  BUT, it’s what the much anticipated ‘Big Girl Bed” represents as a whole – that time is flying by at the speed of sound, just like everyone says.  That our firstborn will be a teenager before we know it (and I’ll look fondly back at the days where I was able to call myself a 30-something), just like everyone says.  That a day will come where my little snuggle bunny, who calls me her best friend and is attached to my hip through sheer devotion & adoration, will push as hard as she can to get away from her overbearing parents….just like everyone says! 




Don’t get me wrong,  I’m completely psyched about re-decorating her room with cute girly-girl accoutrements…..after all, I’m still the shopping frugalista my husband has come to reluctantly accept love!  I guess I’m just trying to remember to hang on to all the wonderful moments now, while I still can…no matter how stressed/tired/overwhelmed I may feel on any given day.   Because wow, it all really does pass in the blink of an eye! 





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The Deal That Made My Day

This is just so fabulous that I had to pass it on as quickly as possible.  So, while perusing the latest ‘The FabuLESS Never Pay Retail Again Daily Deal Digest’ – you’ve never heard of this, you say?  well then you must immediately go sign up – I saw that Vistaprint is offering FREE!!  return address labels, postcards, magnets and sticky notes…all you have to do is pay shipping!  It just so happens that I was getting ready to order some holiday address labels, so the timing was perfect.

I was able to score a pack of 140 adorable labels (they have literally hundreds to chose from in tons of different categories/themes) for FREE, and only paid $3.70 in express shipping charges.  Now, to compare, I would have paid $7.99 for a pack of 28  PLUS shipping at another site.   The design I chose is more of a winter theme, so since we actually needed regular address labels as well, I was able to kill two birds with one stone and the quantity will last me into spring.

Go HERE for all the details….you have to click on the link provided in the post to take advantage of this offer.

Here’s to shopping frugally!



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Why, Why, Why

And now for my top 10 random list of whys:

1. Why do many animated movies meant for little kids have such sad story lines and/or somewhat scary characters?

2. Why are the Polly Pockets dolls dressed like sluts??

3. Why is it that when one of us is sick, it’s always on the weekend AND when the weather couldn’t be more beautiful??

4. Why are we, as moms, constantly wracked with some form of guilt?? Some examples include guilt for: working OR staying home & not contributing financially OR taking too much time OR taking too little time OR not being as good of a mother as ___(insert names here) OR not being the Betty Crocker type OR feeling resentful…the list goes on & on!

5. Why is the search for the perfect pair of black pants or the perfect foundation never-ending??

6. Why are the people on the board of our home owners association such small-minded numbskulls??

7. Why am I unable to master the fine art of applying eyeliner??

8. Why am I the only one who DOES NOT like the elliptical machine at the gym?? 

9. Why, even at 34 years old,  do I still sometimes feel like I don’t fit in??

and last, but certainly not least

10. Why do I never have anything to wear??



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Sleeping With Darth Vader

So, my dear internet folks,  the hubby and I have added a new element to our bedroom. And no, eww, get your minds out of the gutter and away from any lewd references to “personal massagers” (yes, I’m looking at you Brookstone..who are you kidding?).  Anywho,  tonight my darling husband was supplied with his very own CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine!  Hence, the cleverly crafted title above.

Several months ago, the hubster reluctantly subjected himself to a sleep study, where he was outfitted with a zillion gadgets and monitored overnight during his sleep (of which he actually got little of).  After years of suffering through his nightly chorus of  earth-moving snoring (yes, this is ALL about me!), and of course let’s not forget the occasional stopping-of-the-breathing, he finally gave in to my (and the ENT’s) suggestions.  Needless to say, he stopped breathing something like 200 times that night and his snoring levels were off  the charts.  Diagnosis: sleep apnea.

Now, we (again, this is all about me and my needless suffering) have the CPAP and the hope is that through a direct & constant supply of oxygen, he will cease with the snoring and actually get a refreshing nights sleep…and not die from sleep apnea.  Not surprisingly, he was a bit hesitant – it certainly isn’t a very sexy contraption –to get it, but knows it was the only answer at this point.  Of course, as is this ever shifting venture called parenthood, he will not be giving the CPAP it’s maiden voyage tonight since our sick little peanut is currently lounging between us in bed, watching “The Bee Movie” on our beloved flat-screen, and will most likely stay there into the morning.  I’m positively certain I won’t be getting a good night’s sleep tonight!

(For those of you wondering, here is what the apparatus looks like…it’s really not THAT bad, certainly not as cumbersome as these machines used to be):





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Fab Old Navy Deal – Saturday 11/7 Only!

Just saw this online:

Tomorrow, Saturday 11/7, all performance fleece scarves  at Old Navy are on sale for only $1.  You heard me, ONE BUCK!   You can choose from scarves for the whole family, but there is a limit of 5 per customer.  Lordy, I can already envision the massive onslaught of frugalistas tomorrow morning, all ready to get their fleece on!  

Apparently too, if you use your Old Navy card, you get an extra 30% off, making it one sweet deal at $.70 per scarf!  Seriously, after reading that & also hearing about the amazing sale they had for card holders one day last week (stuff as much as you can into a bag & get 50% off the entire purchase) I might just have to get me  one of those cards!  (Dear hubby…just pretend you didn’t read that last part & breathe deeply).  I am thinking though that with all the purchases I make at Old Navy for the peanut (and occasionally myself), it might be worth it.

(Thanks to The Deal Fanatic for this wonderful tip).



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Theta Mom Thursday

I’ve never done this here on my blog, so I’ll quickly explain the below post, where I TAKE TIME OUT FOR THETA MOM THURSDAY!  Theta Mom is one of my favorite bloggity blogs, about a fabulous mom and her journey through motherhood.  Every Thursday she challenges us blogging mama’s to write about how we took 1 hour of time over the last week to do whatever we want….WITHOUT the kiddos (and also link up on her blog to meet other mommy’s & see how they spent their time out). 

So, on Wednesday, after dropping Ella off at pre-school, I dragged myself to the gym to get my work-out on in Body Pump class.  Now, even though this is kind of an hour I had to myself, it’s not the ‘me time’ I want to write about.  Because after the gym (and feeling very proud of having pushed myself through class despite a serious lack of motivation), I hopped on over to one of my all time favorite place – the King of Prussia Mall.  For those not familiar with this shopping lover’s paradise, the KOP mall is HUGE and has just about every store imaginable (I believe it ranks among the country’s largest shopping centers).  I always say that if you can’t find what you’re looking for in KOP, well, then you might as well give up.  I was able to hit up Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Women & Kid’s sale and found some phenomenal deals, like a pair of Juicy velour cargo-style bottoms for almost 50% off regular price….LOVES IT!    They also had some fab 7 For All Mankind (which we all know fit AMAZINGLY well) on sale,  which  I totally should have snatched up…but alas, I ran out of time (and kept my trip a bit more budget friendly) & had to head on out to pick up the peanut.

Hopefully I’ll have another opportunity for some ‘time out’ next week!



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Yikes….Interesting Article

So, I came across this article online today and just had to write a quick post about it to express my utter             disbelief that this can even happen in modern times.  A hospital in Rhode Island was just fined AGAIN for performing the 5th wrong site surgery in 2 years!  How is this even possible with all the checks & balances that are supposed to be in place at every single hospital in this country??  The latest incident involved surgery on the wrong finger, but in 2007 brain surgeons (BRAIN SURGEONS!!) operated on the wrong  part of the heads of 3 patients!  Whaaaaaa??  I just honestly don’t get it.   We’re talking about freekin’ neurosurgeons here  - these are generally quite intelligent people with a lot of education & knowledge.  And not just the doctors themselves, but the entire surgical team should most certainly have enough wherewithal to never, ever let something like this happen.  It can be hard to find a good physician who seems knowledgeable & trustworthy, and as patients we have no choice but to entrust doctors with our lives when it comes to illness & surgery.  And then to actually have something go wrong, not due to a complication, but because of a simple & stupid mistake like not marking the surgery site, that just seems unfathomable. 

Sorry, but this story just blows my mind.  And I know we’re not talking about an easy job here – without a doubt, being a surgeon is complex stuff!  But this story is about the simplicity of making a senseless mistake, multiple times.

If you want to read more, click HERE for the full article.

PS – My mother-in-law just had actual brain surgery (to clip an aneurysm) earlier this year at one of the best hospitals in the country with a very reputable surgeon.   With all the things we stressed over during that time, I couldn’t even imagine having something like this also be in our already over-loaded & worried thoughts.

PSS – Remind me to never get sick or injured while in the vicinity of the Rhode Island Hospital, which by the way is a teaching  hospital for Brown University….NICE!



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