Priorities

I saw the above pic on one of my favorite blogs a while back;Oh Hello Friend. Oh, Oh no wait.. you thought I was saying hello? Well, Hello but, I wasn't just saying Hello up there that's just the name of the blog, it's called Oh Hello Friend. And I apologize for that very lame attempt to be funny.

Anyway, the blog Oh Hello Friend, It's a great, beautiful, happy space on the World Wide Web and it's author Danni, well she's just about as cute as they come. Really, if you haven't seen it yet, you should do your eyes a favor and head over there, but wait. Not yet.

I wanted to share something with you first, and then you can head over there.

The quote on the picture is of course what caught my eye. It made me stop. It made me pause. It made me Selah.

"You can do Anything, but you can't do Everything."

I believe we have found the theme slogan for recovering 12 step program offered to women, moms, really any "Type A" personality out there. You know who you are, those of you who have tried and failed to do it all. The  24/7 go, go, go group. Are you in that group? The group that has tried to do it all? Bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan. The group that wants to say they CAN do anything and everything? Are you in denial still and don't even realize that you might need an intervention?

I can honestly say that I have never been in that camp. I am not a Martha, I am a Mary. It's easy for me to not do what needs to get done. In fact I have to work very hard to be disciplined and get the day to day things done, let alone the OCD-ish type of things. I'm not a list maker, goal setter, chart charty kinda gal. I need help to GET motiviated! Seriously, sometimes I wonder if I have a pulse. I am also dramatic,  also I tend to exaggerate, and I am also not in denial of these character traits. And I said also three times just now.

Somewhere along the lines though, my wires got crossed and there was a point in time where I would say "Yes" to just about anything and everything. To be honest those wires still can get tangled up from time to time(argh... I hate tangled wires don't you?) and I have to work hard to remember these life principles or phrases to get me untangled.  Many moons ago(prolly like 7 years ago) In Another life, this really great guy Jerry Cooks words of advice stuck and my priorities began to change. Do you want to know his words of advice were?  More than advice, I guess it too has become kind of a life phrase...

Here it is,  Listen Up... Sit up you don't want to miss this...


"If you say "yes" to one thing you are saying "no" to something or someone else."


(Btw, if you haven't read any of Jerry's books go do yourself a favor go right now... wait... No... go after you finish here, and pick them up you can thank me later)

Can you see why that phrase up there, changed my life?  Really. No joke. It makes me thankful that many moons ago I learned a few things, and that is that I don't know much, but what I do know is this;

To focus on what I really want to say yes to helps me learn how to say no.
I'm not a natural "NO" person.
Are you a natural "NO" person?
So you can see why this was an important life lesson to this people pleasing, non-confrontational, Eh-kinda gal, and I imagine if you are of the camp that says yes to more things than you should because you still think you can do it ALL, and you are still in denial of your issues, then I bet it would help you too.

It reminds me that I can do Anything, but I can't do Everything.


Which I guess can be summed up in one word.

This whole post could have just been one word.

Could you imagine me just posting one word?


Maybe with a picture like this;

Selah.

Linking up here, here, here and here.

Love/Hate

LOVE - our 65 VW camper bus.

  HATE - that it's not working right now.

LOVE- having a productive cleaning day where I even get in the crooks and crannies of my pantry.

HATE- finding out that a whole bottle of corn syrup spilled in said pantry. Argh... nothing worse than corn syrup stuck to the bottoms of cardboard cereal boxes. Argh... I say again!

LOVE- having My Giant home from work and getting extra time with him.

HATE- having to share that time with anyone, or anything. Especially that blasted phone that rings off the hook for him because of his blasted job.

LOVE- that my daughter Em is a singer and that she got chosen to sing at her Jr. High graduation.

HATE- how nervous I get when she's sings. Serious upset tummy going on over here for this momma. (She did great btw)


LOVE- going for walks in the woods and finding beauty in the simple.

HATE- when my shoes get all muddy. 

LOVE- That it's the end of the school year this week for my kiddos.

HATE- How busy this last week can be. Seriously, don't even think I have time to go pee. 

LOVE- living in the Pacific Northwest.

HATE- How the summer weather doesn't really kick in until July.

 NOW IT'S YOUR TURN- ARE YOU READY to LINK UP? HERE'S The 411:

1. There are no rules to this link up, cause those are meant to be broken. But if you are so inclined to follow me because of this link up,  WELL first of all ... ahhh THANK YOU,  and second would you please let me know in that lil comment section down there so that I can follow back.

2. It doesn't have to be a whole blog about LOVE/HATES it could be either, neither, tomato, tomoto,potato, pototo, or... just link up... have fun and get to know your fellow bloggers LOVE/HATES.

3. If you want to grab the LOVE/HATE button so others know what you are doing grab the code and paste it whereva! I'm not gonna check. Don't have time for that. But I do have to tell you that when I come to your page and see my little button on there that I worked so hard on, well it makes me like you a whole lot more. Also your friends might appreciate knowing where this fun party is so invite them.

4. Have fun, get to know people that's what a link up is for :) Try to at least comment on one other bloggers link up that you don't know. 

Slowly Unplugging

On the weekends I try really hard to unplug from all the "busy" of everyday life, like most people do.  I have blogged before about how as a professional Domestic Goddess(aka SAHM) I too take the weekends off. Only what I take a break from is major cleaning.  I still do the every day stuff but I try not to do laundry and everyone pitches in with dishes. My Giant is a better chef than I am so he cooks and ya know, "When Momma's happy everybody is happy!" It works. That is what the weekend is for right? A sort of "unplugging" if you will.

But on Sunday for quite sometime now we have had a house rule of no technology what so ever. We can listen to music, and we pick out a family movie at the end of the day but other than that, we aren't supposed to be using much technology. I started this house rule long ago, before, and way back when the kids didn't have phones and we didn't have Iphones.  It was easy then when the kids were little, and they didn't care so much about technology. You know that stage called "childhood" ?

Now that they are older and wiser and they know the rest of the world doesn't live like this they have started to catch on to something.
Do you want to know what that little something is ?
The little something is that they now catch ME breaking my own rule. And to that I say :
DAG NAB IT!!!!!
I blame the blasted IPhone... argh stupid thing... no no no Sorry I take it back Iphone. I Love you. You are my best friend. I will never quit you, or speak ill will of you ever again. But for real, I do have to learn to put you down on Sundays. Just on Sundays and then I will rush right back to your loving arms.
Ahem... do you find it weird that I just had a convo with my phone?

This past Sunday I told myself again,  "Self you must do a better job at keeping this rule and set an good example for the Fab 4" No sooner did I say that then I heard the little ding. You know the sound. The one that means you have a new email or someone texted you. The sound that is more powerful, and evokes more emotion, than any Pavlovian response from a meat hungry beast could EVER, ever have!  I sneakingly went straight into my room to answer that sound.

Yes that was a confession.

Thanks for listening I feel much better now.

My children seemed to have heard the unspoken grumble in my heart, and the sneakiness of my actions because they were pitching a fit about this house rule this past Sunday, like I have never heard before. Most Sundays they go about the day playing board games, baking, crocheting, riding bikes, drawing, creating, ya know having a childhood.
But this Sunday something was in the air.
It was a mutiny, and it started with me.

There was so much of a grumble that The Giant found it necessary to sit them all down and reiterate why it is WE do what WE do.

I sat there and listened to him say such wise words.
I shook my head in total agreement.
I amen'd and true datted around every bend like a good supportive wifey.
And I felt like a total  SCHMUCK on the inside!

I confess I suck at my no technology rule now.
I need a 12 step program to slowly unplug.
I need help.
I need an intervention.

Wow, thanks! I feel so much better now.
I seriously should pay you people for this session of confessions with Noël

This is the first time I'm linking up with Alyx @ Every Day is A New Adventure.
If you haven't seen her pretty spot on the www, you should go there now.
She's awesome.
I really like her.
And she's tall.
Did I mention she's beautiful?
And tall.
Did I mention she can SANG!
And she's tall.

3 Barge Men

Happy Monday beloved readers. Here is a funny little post for your Monday reading pleasure.



Sometimes when I'm falling asleep songs come into my head like this:

(Sung to the tune of 3 blind mice)

3 Barge Men
3 Barge Men
See how they work
See how they work

They all go out to The Trader, The Jessie, The Rock star

They work their asses off from a far

They never thought they would work so hard

As three barge men.


Would you like to know why that little diddy came into my noggin last night?
 First, You should know there is a song for everything in my world, and everything is a song.
It is not uncommon in conversation for me to bust out in song.
Most things in life remind of songs, and well life is just better when lived out in song.
I come by this trait genetically. Ask Ellen the song master.
But Do you not agree, life is better with song?

Also, and here's the really fun part...
I live with 3 barge men.
My Giant, his cousin Derek, and our buddy Dan.
They are the 3 barge men.


Yes, I  live in 800 sq ft with 8 people.
My fab 4.
3 Barge Men.
3 dogs.
And Me.
And yes, 8 is enough!
And no, I'm not going crazy!
And yes there is a rhyme, there is a reason
And no, I'm not going to sing "To everything turn, turn, turn"

Don't be too concerned, they are all also master builders and are working on their own spaces even as we speak or wait... even as I type and you read. Or what eva !

But until then, when they walk through my doorway, smelly, dirty, and hungry I will be singing...

3 Barge Men...
3 Barge Men
See how they eat
See how they eat
They eat so fast, no time to digest
They clean their plates and leave no mess
YOU've never seen such sight in your life

As 3 Barge Men ;)

I make myself giggle.

To My Dad

God forbid if the world ever forgot Mother's Day.
I am a mother, and I know full well what it is "we" do,
But there is a day that seems to get lost among the busy, early days of summer.

I mean we try our best to celebrate dad.
We try to think of what it is he would really enjoy or what
gift might make him feel appreciated, but it seems pale in comparison
to the accolades that are given to our dear Mothers.

For shame, that we the children have not celebrated as we should

the love and devotion of our Father's.

Of a Good Man.

I set out to look for the perfect poem for my Dad.
I searched high and low for a word, a quote, a sentiment that
would say it all, but I found only one.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." MLK jr.


Which brings me to this my own poem, my own words, for my dad:



The measure of a man
who can really tell.


There are those that look to riches to say;
"That life was lived so well."


There are those that draw from strength
to judge what he can do.


But soon find that it is
fleeting too.


There are those that search for that fair maiden
standing by his side.


We say, "Behind every good man, stands a good woman"
Not once thinking, what that saying has taken from him.


It robs the good man, the good father, of
his best quality. 
To stand. 
To stand up.
To stand unwavering.
And to stand alone if need be.


When hard times come and the weight of the world is on his shoulders, he doesn't run, he doesn't hide.


No, I say, There is a cloth of good men that stand alone.
Not because of, but despite whether they have riches, strength, or beauty by their side.
This is what makes them good.


All of those things have added to the measures of this man,
but they are not the sum total of who he is.

Many a man have come and gone
Each trying to make their mark.


Laying a fresh path, a new foundation, a better house than what was built before them.
They labor, sweat, and toil to change their course.
To make the footprints they lay
withstand the test of time.


But only one I know. 
The one that was given to me.
I didn't choose who got to be my dad, like I chose who would be my children's dad.
No, he was given to me as a gift.
And without a doubt, 
that is what his life to me has been.


A gift.

I have seen him 
act nobly,
respond gratefully,
behave honorably
without moving.


He is the measure I use to describe, a GOOD MAN. 
written by NMS 2012

I Love You Dad.

Flashback Friday

Coming Soon... 
(next Friday actually)

To A Blog Near You !
(to this blog right here actually)


Some of you may have noticed my new button up on the right over there. The one with our 65 VW camper bus named Victoria Ruby.
Some of you are very observant. 
Some of you have no idea what I'm talking about.
Some of you should come back next Friday if you have been a blogger for over a year or more and you would like to head down memory lane with me and 2 other lovely ladies who have been blogging since the beginning of blog time. 
Some of you should mark your calendars now.


THE FIRST Flash back Friday starts 6/22/12 grab your buttons now people they are going fast.  
Leave a comment if you want to be on a reminder list for this fun flashback friday party, WOOT WOOT!
Hope you can make it. 

Not complaining, Just Explaining ...

(warning there may be cussing in this post)

This is my first time linking up at 5 minute Fridays. It's where you write for 5 minutes and don't over think or over edit. From what I can tell she does want you to edit some, thank GOD but don't spend too much time on all the grammar rules we try so hard to abide by everyday. So here goes nothing. Oh yea the topic is path.

A really funny thing happened yesterday morning. I woke up early on my own body clock, and I was excited to spend time with The Lover of My Soul.  That's not the funny part. The fact that I woke early is unusual, but not the funny part. And I am often excited to spend time with the LOMS, it's just this morning I was really glad because my body clock was right on time. Not too early, like it wasn't  butt-crack-o-dawn thirty, and not too late like Oh Crap now I'll be behind all day. It was just right. Somehow I feel like I am telling the story of The Three Bears. Not too Hot. Not too Cold. It was just right.

Ok Moving on...

But Do you know what I am talking about? Those mornings where you wake up feeling refreshed like you got enough sleep, and your body feels ready to get up and start your day? I don't get many mornings like this so I was super stoked and feeling like it was gonna be a great day.

But then it happened.

My daughter Emma called from the other room and she sounded beyond irritated. She is a creature of habit in the morning. No for real, you can't mess with this girl and her routine in the morning or she gets bat shit crazy! (Sorry for the curse but it needed to be done so you understand the magnitude of her crazy). 

So she yells, "MOM!! Bella crapped in your shoes and on the carpet and Ewww... Gag... Gag... !!" I feel one more exclamation mark is needed there, so here ya go (!)

Oh man, great I thought. "Really? This is not the vision for my life right now." I may have even said that, ask Em I think I did. So, Totally not what I thought I would do with this extra early, perfect,stupendous, wonderful time in the morning but okay. Easy enough, these things can be cleaned.

No sooner had that disruption settled down then another one started with my not so happy, totally frazzled,  already broken routine, teenager.

"MOM I can't find your keys to start the car!" Now, Emma is not old enough to drive, but in the morning I let her go start the car. She feels big and grown up. I like a warm car. It works. Don't judge. 

"Okay" I say, "Well did you look here ,there, and everywhere?" Yes she did. And, NO she didn't find them. And, Yes I was going to need to move on to that disaster too.

Well, before I go any further, let me just say that I hadn't even had my cup of coffee yet, let alone gotten to the oh so beautiful morning I was going to spend with The Lover Of My Soul. Yeah, remember that?

So at this point I head to the pot of coffee that Emma made. Sometimes big kids like to warm up cars,and make pots of coffee.

IF it sounds like I am zombie, dead beat mom who lets my teenager do everything in the mornings because I am not a morning person and she is, well then you should not be judging me. Rude. Security. Again I say, Don't judge. Okay, so now I feel guilty like I should explain, normally she doesn't always make the coffee, and I will tell you why. That girl, bless her heart My Emma Dilemma well.... she could not make a good cup of joe to save her lil 14 year old LIFE! There I said it. It's out there. If I get in big trouble for this omission I blame YOU! I let her make it sometimes though because she likes to. So whateva, stop judging ME!

Where was I? Oh yea the coffee this morning was the thickest, blackest Sailors goop that I have EVER seen in my ENTIRE life. I'm not even being dramatic about this right now. And you should know I live with 3 Seattle sailors so I have seen some black coffee people.  

To recap- Cleaned up sh%*#$, Still couldn't find keys, Bat sh%*#$ crazy teen, and coffee that was not drinkable. 

Off to a great Thursday right? WRONG! 

Well no, hold on there just a minute. Sure it didn't start quite right, but because I started tracking what the ENEMY of my Soul was laying down ON THIS PATH, I turned my day around. That's right I have an ENEMY(say that like the lil fish in Finding Nemo that trys to say Sea Anemones). I was wise to the ways of this serpent and ya know what I did? I quoted Home Alone, "I'm gonna give YOU to the count of 10 to get yer ugly,yella,no-good keester off my property." In Jesus name. And I got back on that thankful thursday Path real quick like and in a hurry. 

Sisterhood

I have for quite sometime wanted to do an Ode to Sisterhood and Friendship. But  I found myself not having really the exact right words to express such a grand gift in this life.  I can't even begin to tell you  how truly blessed I am by all the sisters I have in my life. So because I am following John Mayer's advice and "saying what I need to say" I give you a poem that has put into words what I could not.
*If you feel like having the full weepy girly experience while reading click on the song below before you start reading.

"I love you
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;

I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can't help
Dimly seeing there,

And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;

Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good,

And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.

You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.

You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all." Roy Croft




Dedicated to all my sisters out there.

Some born by blood.
Some born out of the heart.
Some because of Christ.
Some because of family ties.
Some born from necessity.
Some born from this crazy blogging world.
Some because our children became friends first.
Some because we worked together, or our husbands did.
Some born from laughter.
Some born from sorrow.
Some because of a crazy wild ass book club.
Some because of a mild mellow bible study.

But To all of you I say, THANK YOU.
My world is a much better place because you are in it.

There is Nothing but Love for you,
Noël

Linking up with other

Thankful Thursday Sistas ;)

LOVE/HATE(or Like not so much) Link Up

I LOVE that lil "last minute biscuit" up there.
I HATE saying goodbye to her.

I LOVE being home with my kids.

I HATE when they are home sick and missing out on a field trip.(Insert sad emoticon here)

I LOVE road trips.

I HATE having to drive in angry rain.

I LOVE my new pup Briot(not really a puppy, actually he's an old man pup)

I HATE when he runs away all the time because he still has his neeners(he didn't let the kitten lick them off) and so he smells certain things in the air that puppies smell when they still have neeners. If you don't know what neeners are you can find out here.

I LOVE my nieces.

I HATE that I don't live near them anymore.(I may have mentioned this earlier but what can I say I miss these girls)

I LOVE coffee. I mean what mom of 4 kids doesn't?

I HATE (and I really do hate this) coffee breath. It seems there is no gum strong enough! Have you found one strong enough? Well hook a sister up, what is it?

I LOVE social media's(Hello Captain Obvious)

I HATE all of them sometimes. Anyone else? Can I get a witness? You know what I'm talking about?
If you know what I'm talking about without even having to explain, HOLLA!!

I LOVE listening to my record player

I HATE not having enough room to store all these wonderful tunes properly.

ARE YOU READY to LINK UP? HERE'S The 411:

1. There are no rules to this link up, cause those are meant to be broken. But if you are so inclined to follow me because of this link up,  WELL first of all ... ahhh THANK YOU,  and second would you please let me know in that lil comment section down there so that I can follow back.


2. It doesn't have to be a whole blog about LOVE/HATES it could be either, neither, tomato, tomoto,potato, pototo, or... just link up... have fun and get to know your fellow bloggers LOVE/HATES.

3. If you want to grab the LOVE/HATE button so others know what you are doing grab the code and paste it whereva! I'm not gonna check. Don't have time for that. But I do have to tell you that when I come to your page and see my little button on there that I worked so hard on, well it makes me like you a whole lot more. Also your friends might appreciate knowing where this fun party is so invite them.

4. Have fun, get to know people that's what a link up is for :) Try to at least comment on one other bloggers link up that you don't know. 

<a border="0" href="http://www.noelsbeautifulife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i363/wifeysinger06/Love_It__Hate_It_button.jpg" /></a>

Makeup, Chloe, and Me

This is not a fashion blog by any means. I say that as a disclaimer because I don't want you coming back here looking for fashion tips. You will be sadly disappointed.
A while back though, actually it was during Snow-Apocalypse when we were all bored out of our minds from being snowed in for several days, I was inspired by my daughter Chloe to post a makeup blog. And yes, sometimes I do have blog drafts waiting in the wings for that long. For a day just like today. Tip Me Tuesday.
So where was I? Oh yeah,
This is not a fashion blog, but that was a run on sentence. And your welcome.

My daughter Chloe shares the same gene as her momma, the aspiring to be a fashionista gene. Hmm... what's that you say? You have never heard of this gene? Well, now you have.

The "desire to be a fashionista gene" is one that people are born with. You either have it or you don't. Now I don't really have it. I just aspire to have it. Chloe on the other hand, the girl has got it going on Like Donkey Kong!! Or whateva.
In fact I would venture to say that she is no longer in the class of desire as much as she is in the IN crowd of a full blown, certified Fashionista. Basically she's not a wanna be like her mother.

(And yes I did try to use as many decals on that photo to cover up my messy kitchen. Don't judge)

I would like to say I taught her everything she knows, but on a regular basis I am blown away by her fashionista skillz! She's got that sass. She's got that frass. She's a sass a frass! Hee hee hee, there's a lot of ass hidden in that sentence there.

Chloe loves makeup and she really is an artist already with the makeup brushes. She spent her own money one time on all new makeup brushes and I just, sigh... well I just love this about her. She is a girl after my own heart.

You see because ever since I was little girl I have always seen makeup as a fun way to express yourself. When other girls were still playing with Barbie I was getting hooked on the stuff called mascara that comes out of that pink and green bottle. I can't really relate to the women who don't like to wear makeup or who once they have worn makeup can't wait to get it off. I mean, I'm not saying we can't be friends, I just might want to give you a makeover if you wouldn't be offended. Please?

I would like to point out at this time that the above picture makes me very nervous. Glitter that close to the eye, is not recommended. That was a public safety announcement and your welcome. AGAIN.

So the Tip for Tuesday is do the world a favor, wear make-up. No wait. I am so not that hardcore. Umm.. the tip for Tuesday is that if you want to be a fashionista follow in Chloe's footsteps not mine. No wait that's not it either. Ok for real the tip for Tuesday is don't get glitter anywhere near your eyes ever! Trust me, I am for realz on this one people.

Also I'm not sure what the woman in this photo was trying to express... hmm... maybe her love for Burger King? Now, I ask you does that picture make you hungry for a Whopper or... does it make you want to break out the mascara. I'm thinking BK's marketing team might need some help.

Ok I guess I should give you one more make up tip because I'm a giver. I like to give.

SO to make your eyes look bigger wear a lighter color on the inside and a darker color on the outside with eye shadow and also don't put eyeliner on the bottom only on the top. To make eyelashes look longer focus on the lashes on the outside not the inside of your eye lid. And always put concealer under your eyes even if you don't have dark circles or bags it just helps the rest of your eye makeup stand out.
Oh did I mention that I used to work for a company that was like Mary Kay but it was called Beauti Control? That's right people you just got tipped from a Beauti- Control consultant who now wears Mary Kay.

Sometimes I make myself laugh. You know who else makes me laugh, that lady right down there. Check her OUT! She is funny and nonsensical.

Linked up here

Mingling with the Locals

Recently I have met some Washingtonian crafters that I would really like to share with you.
These women are amazing, and you will soon see why.
They both manage to work, make beautiful creations on the side, and have blogs.
I'm such a wanna be crafter and my attempts are always met with the quick realization that some people were meant to craft and others were meant to buy. I am of the buying cloth.

But Oh how I love supporting the local crafters, don't you?
I have always said when a gift is handmade it is that much more of a "gift"! Don't you agree.

It truly amazes me what people think of to create.
It truly astounds me what people have patience to make.
It truly awakens my inner wanna-be crafty artsy side to see their creations.


I recently purchased this beauty from Colleen. It was for last month's giveaway of which I didn't end up giving away. Nope, I kept it for yours truly. Can you see why. I LOVE IT!

 When you buy something from her shop you are not only guaranteed top quality work, but she also supports a community that helps children with disabilities. "A portion of all of my sales go to help children with disabilities in my community. Read more about the project that I support here: www.bronwynswheelhouse.blogspot.com"

What do you think can I get away with wearing braids at 37 years old? Sidenote- Have you noticed how many more braids are popping up all over because of the movie Hunger Games?
Back to Colleen, she has a shop called BCharmer designs go check it out and tell her I sent you.

Stephanie- I met at the Redmond Farmers Market a while back and right away I was so impressed with the fun and spunky booth she had going on. It was a typical PNW drizzly day and she was so creative to use it as a conversation piece.  On a chalkboard sign she posted the question, "What is your favorite song about the Rain?" Well, remember when I posted a giveaway challenge; here  last month about how many rain songs you could recount? Thanks to you dear readers I was able to tell her quite a few.
You can find her every week at the Redmond Farmers Market and HERE. Please stop by her blog and share some love.




So if you are looking for some fun graduation presents please head over to their sites and support them. You won't regret it.
Make Washington even greener by supporting these lovely ladies.

Road Trips

This weekend my Fab 4 and I headed down to Eugene Oregon for our first graduation of the season. It was my sister friend's, daughters, High School graduation(Say that 5 times fast for fun).  I would not have missed this event for all the whole wide world. But, I was pretty stoked to find out that she has chosen a college even closer to me than she is now, because come fall I will only have to drive 3 hours instead of 5 to see that beautiful face. Woot, woot!

Which brings me to the topic at hand Road Trips.  Who is a fan of Road trips? I have always loved Road trips. You get to see so much more when traveling on the road verses on a plane. And these days, let's be honest your wallet gets to see a bit more green staying in it when you choose the road over the not so friendly skies.

One of my favorite things to do on Road trips is to play games in the car with my kids. Our favorite is of course the famous ABC game. Do you know of this famous genius road trip game? If you don't know of it you will be thanking me when we are finished here.
Here is the 411:
 Basically it's where you go from A-Z using the letters that you see around you while on the road. For example if you are the first to see a word that starts with A, like it might be a street named Avondale, you yell out A for Avondale and then move on to B for Burger King as fast as you can, and so on and so forth. The other people in the car can't claim your word once you've announced it and who ever gets to Z first is the winner.

 This is great way to entertain your self when you are stuck in a car for countless hours on end and you don't have a fancy pants movie theatre. No offense if you have a fancy pants movie theatre. Most times we do have a fancy pants theatre by way of my Maccy, but I decided to leave the Mac behind on this trip because I needed the break. I'm really glad that I did too because not only did we play games and sing songs but we wrote A-Z stories. And that is really what I wanted to share with you here for your entertainment on this fine Monday morning.

 Folks... you are in for a real treat. I give you one of  the Fab 4 Road Trip Stories;

Albert
Bites
Children
During
Essays
Frantically
Getting
Hit
In
Jail.
Kittens
Lick
My 
Neeners
Off.
Pretending
Quick
Rad
Skaters
Touch
Unicorns
Very
Wearily
X-tra's
Yelling
ZAPO!

May I suggest this Monday morning as you head back into your work week, don't let Kittens Lick Your Neeners off!