I Need Help

I have this problem.

The thing is, I don't know what to do about my hair.

You see, when I was young(er), my mom always kept my hair REALLY long.  Like, all the way down to my buppy, kind of long.

{That's what we call our behind in our house.  Because two little girls happen to think the word "butt" is hilarious and if we let them say it, they say it ALL THE TIME.  So we call it a buppy which is much less interesting.  Anyhoo...}

Then once, when I was in about 4th grade, she let me get it cut short and put in a curly perm.

BIG MISTAKE! 

I was a chubby kid, (being kind when I say chubby), with a round face.

Now just imagine that with short, curly, black hair and you can see why we went back to keeping it long.  (Oh how I wish I had a picture to show you...maybe I'll have to dig one up...)

After high school, though, I decided to cut it again.  Not quite as drastic, but just longer than my shoulders.

And after that, the crazy cycle started.

I would cut it, and then decide to go longer again.  Why?

Because I LIKE my hair long, but it takes much longer to do.  And I don't always have much longer.

So what happens?

I end up throwing it up in a knot or pony tail pretty much every day.

It's fine at first, but then I just start to feel like I have no style, and then I want to chop it off again.

Finally, last year, I went shorter than I ever had, (not including the clown look in the 4th grade), and even had highlights.

Here is what it looked like:

Now it is much longer again.  Not quite middle of my back, but getting there.

Plus, the highlights are gone and the black is back.

Here it is Now:

just so you can see the length...

And of course, I am thinking of chopping it off again.

Soooo, I need opinions.

What should I do?

Keep it long and black?

Long and put in some highlights?  (at least my pony tail would have some definition????)

Chop it off and keep it black?

Chop it off and go back to highlights?

Do something completely different?

I NEED HELP! 

Please oh please oh please give me your opinions. 

{But be kind whatever you do.  I don't want this to end in a depression that would lead me to have a Briteny Spears kind of meltdown and shave it all off.}

Things I Love Thursday: Disney FamilyFun Magazine

I have said before that I love a good magazine.

Now, usually these consist of gossipy, celebrity, shallow kind of stuff like US, People, OK!, In Touch...you know, Quality Reading.

But I have also found a wonderful magazine that is like my Go To for stuff concerning my kids.

Disney FamilyFun Magazine!

I always find great craft projects, recipes, organizing tips, activity ideas, ways to save money...the list goes on.  I literally get giddy when it comes in the mail and I make time to read it cover to cover.

And my girls love reading it too.  My oldest will sit down and look through it and find things she wants to do and plan it out for all of us.  Reading it has actually become a family activity in itself. 

Plus, it's from Disney.  And you can never go wrong with Disney.

{Have I mentioned that I ADORE Disney?  Just checking...}

I am sooooo glad I made the investment in getting a subscription.

And, right now you can subscribe too for a GREAT price!  Living Social is offering a deal that is $5 for a One Year subscription or $10 for Two Years!!!!  That is a HUGE Bargain for this Magazine.

If I were you, I would be standing up doing the happy dance right now.

Or maybe wait for that until your first issue comes.

But a happy dance should definitely be involved.

I mean $5???  For a whole year???  Seriously??? I think a Happy Meal cost more than that these days.

Plus, Christmas is coming, (don't even get me started.  If you think you have seen me excited before, wait until you see me at the Holidays!), and YOU KNOW it's going to have some A-MAZ-ING stuff in there for Christmas!  Or it could be a great stocking stuffer!

I'm just full of ideas here people...

Soooo, if you are a great mom (or dad!), (or grandparent!), (or anyone else who has kids around!), and have made the oh so wise decision to subscribe to this genius of a magazine, you can click here to get the Deal!

Oh wait!  You don't subscribe via email to Living Social??  What?  You are missing out my friend!  So, I guess first, click here to subscribe to that (you won't be sorry!  Local deals delivered to your email inbox everyday!), and then come back here and click on the link to get the Disney FamilyFun Magazine Deal!

And then don't worry about rushing right back here to thank me.  I am happy when my readers are happy  :)

I am linking up with The Diaper Diaries for Things I Love Thursday, so be sure to click over and see all the other 'Things' getting blog love today!

Disclosure: The above links are Affiliate links.  By clicking on them and purchasing the items listed, I receive monetary compensation.  Please know that the opinions and reviews are ALL mine and that I would NEVER recommend anything to my readers that I do not use or like.

WFMW: Clothing Swap

So last weekend my friends talked me into going to my first clothing swap.

I had never been to one before and I wasn't sure what to expect.

WHAT A GREAT IDEA THIS IS!!!!!!

Here's how it works:

You go through all the clothes in your closet that you don't wear anymore or are tired of.

{I have a lot, but since it was a last minute decision for me to go, I was only able to grab 29 items...}

You also include jewelry, shoes, scarves, purses, etc.

Then load them up and take them to the swap, where they are organized and laid out by type of clothing etc.

Everyone gets one sticker, (with their initials on it), for each item they brought.

Then there is a time period, (30 minutes or so), where you get to walk around and look at all the stuff and scope out what you like.

After that, it's time to put your stickers on the stuff you want.  You only put ONE STICKER on each item you want, and if you have some left over, you keep them. 

Now, at the end, there will be more than 1 sticker on lots of items. 

For those items, an auction takes place.  Basically, you say, "I will bid 5 stickers" or whatever you think it's worth, and it keeps going until there is a winner.  Whoever wins the auction keeps the item and has to pay up the stickers, (that's what you use the leftover ones you had for), and whoever loses, gets their original sticker back so they can bid on other items.

Anything that only had 1 sticker goes to that person without going up for auction. 

After the auction is over, there is about a 30 minute free-for-all that items with no stickers can be taken. 

After that, whatever is left is donated to charity.

This idea is seriously genius and why I have not heard of it before now is beyond me.  I mean seriously??  New clothes/shoes/accessories for FREE...who wouldn't LOVE that???

I scored 3 pair of shoes, a purse, a belt, 5 pair of cute socks, (I love cute socks!), a necklace, some bracelets, and about 6 shirts.

Here are a few suggestions I would have if you want to plan one:

-Make it a smaller group of about 10-15 women or so who have a similar style, and have at least 3 or 4 women who wear the same sizes.  That way, no one feels like they brought a lot of good stuff but didn't get anything that great.

-Make it organized!  It's hard when stuff ends up in a big pile and you can't really see everything. 

-Remember to have fun!  It's great to get some new stuff for FREE, but you never want to hurt anyone's feelings or lose a friendship over a pair of shoes you both wanted.  

So have you ever been to a clothing swap?  Does yours work the same way?  I'd love to hear all about it!

I am linking up with We Are THAT Family for Works For Me Wednesday. 

Top Ten Tuesday: High School Football

I ADORE having girls.

The pink, the bows, the dresses, the dolls, the shoes...just about everything.

But I remember thinking, (when we decided we were done having babies), that I was sad not to have a boy because we would miss out on some of the "boy" things in life.

One of them being Friday Night High School Football Games.

I just didn't think that my two girls would enjoy it, and that we would end up missing out on something that I thought was so fun.

But then when my oldest daughter was in first grade, she started cheering for our Wee Elks team.

And around here, High School football is a pretty big deal...especially if your involved with the Wee Elks.

The HS games are more like college games. 

The stands are filled, everybody is WAAAAY into it, and there is usually a lot of action on the field.

So last year we decided to go ahead and take the girls to a game one Friday.  And whadoyaknow...THEY LOVED IT! 

So now, we are a HS football family.  And here are my Top Ten Reasons Why:

10.  A cheap way to have a Fun Family Friday!

9.  When else can you get dressed up like a lunatic and your kids AREN'T embarrassed by you??

8.  The people watching is great!

7.  It builds community.

6.  The kids love seeing their friends there and it becomes a friend/family tradition.

5.  Tailgating!

4.  You get a chance to see some great players before they head off to do bigger things...

3.  It's the one time you can stand up and yell crazy stuff at the top of your lungs and everyone totally gets it.

2. The feeling of pride and excitement you get after a big win!

1.  Nothing else says FALL like a crisp Friday night at the stadium under the lights!

So, if you haven't given HS football a chance yet, give it a try.  You may end up a Super Fan :)

GO ELKS!!!!!!

I am linking up with Oh Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday!  Check out all the other Top Ten Lists!

Mix It Up Monday: My Gray Uniform

So when I went to look at my pictures for this week, I realized I pretty much wore the same thing every day this week. 

A pair of jeans with a top and a cardi. 

And there seems to be a theme of gray.

It's funny that I didn't even realize I was doing this until I actually looked at the pictures.

Oops.

I guess my goal for this week will be to 'Mix It Up' a little more :-)

But for now, here's a few of the outfits I wore this week:


Going out for Girls Night:

Cardigan and Black Dress: Target, Jeans:  Goodwill

Shopping:

Cardigan and shoes: Target, Tanks: Gap Outlet, Jeans: DressBarn

Church:

Don't be fooled...I put a black cardi over this later in the day...But Check out those shoes!!!  I got them for FREE at a clothing swap I went to this weekend.  Awesome idea!!  More about that on Wednesday!

So tell me, do you always find yourself going to the same things?  What colors or wardrobe pieces do you wear the most??


As always, I am linking up with Momma Go Round for RMRS, and The Pleated Poppy for WIWW.

BIG NEWS...

...Or at least it is for me!

Starbucks now has Salted Caramel Mocha's!!!!

Okay, maybe it's not the BIGGEST news, but trust me when I say that once you have tried it, you will think it's pretty big too.

I just had my first one this morning, and it was beyond words.  (Thanks to my friend, Jenny, for letting me know about it and to my sister for picking one up for me on the way to my house this morning!)

If you have had the Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa at Starbucks, then you know the goodness I am referring to.

It is that, with coffee...I mean c'mon.

Does life get any better??

Maybe.  But not for me on this tired Friday morning.

So go on out and treat yourself to this Crazy Goodness in a cup.

You can thank me later :)

Things I Love Thursday: My Slow Cooker

I love a Crock Pot meal.

They are easy, and almost always turn out perfectly yummy.

I got my first slow cooker when I was about 25 and we became good friends.

Such good friends, that I think I used the love out of it.

I say that I used the love out of it, because eventually, it stopped loving me back.

My stuff was starting to not cook just right and I wasn't getting the perfect meals that I had become used to. 

So I knew that it was time to get a new one.

And lucky me, I got one for Christmas!

I LOVE my new slow cooker!!!  It is a black Rival Crock-Pot and it's bigger than the old one and has a timer on it so that I can set it and forget about it.  Plus, it is very affordable!  At around $40, it is a real bargain for all the home cooked meals you will be enjoying.

And now ALL of my crock-pot meals are coming out great again, and since the weather here has taken a chilly turn, I am getting good use out of it. 

(Although, I also use my slow cooker a lot during the summer months too.  It's just so easy...)

If you haven't become good friends with the slow cooker yet, what are you waiting for??  I promise you that you won't be sorry!!

And to get you started, I am including two of my favorite slow cooker recipes.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Slow cooker Lasagna:

1 lb. ground beef

1 jar 24 oz. spaghetti sauce

1 cup water

1 container 15 oz. Ricotta Cheese

1 pkg. 7 oz. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1 egg

2 Tbsp.  chopped fresh parsley

6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

 

Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, egg and parsley.
Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles (broken to fit) and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles (broken to fit), cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.
Cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand, covered, 10 min. or until melted.

Slow-Simmering Pork Sandwiches  

2-1/4- to 3-pound pork shoulder roast
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin or chili powder
3 cups barbecue sauce
12 to 16 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split
Red onion slices (optional)
Dill pickles (optional)

Trim fat from roast. Cut roast, if necessary, to fit in a 3-1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Add water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and cumin or chili powder. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove meat from the cooker; discard cooking liquid. Using two forks, pull meat apart and return it to the cooker. Stir in barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through.  Serve meat mixture in split kaiser rolls or hamburger buns with onion and pickles, if desired. Makes 12 to 16 sandwiches.

I am linking up with The Diaper Diaries.  Check out all the other stuff getting blog love today!