for the first time.

this song.

 oh, this song. 

the first time i heard it, i got a little teary-eyed. 

some of the lyrics hit close to home.

too close to home. 

{source}

She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart

While I'm drinking Jack all alone in my local bar and we don't know how

How we got into this mad situation, only doing things out of frustration

Trying to make it work, but, man, these times are hard

She needs me now but I can't seem to find the time

I got a new job now on the unemployment line and we don't know how

How we got into this mess, is it God's test? Someone help us 'cause we're doing our best

Trying to make things work, but, man, these times are hard

But we're gonna stop by drinking our cheap bottles of wine

Sit talking up all night, saying things we haven't for a while, a while, yeah

We're smiling but we're close to tears, even after all these years

We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time

She's in line at the dole with her head held high

While I just lost my job but didn't lose my pride, and we both now how

How we're going to make it work when it hurts, when you pick yourself up you get kicked to the dirt

Tryin' to make it work, but, man, these times are hard

But we're gonna start by drinking our cheap bottles of wine

Sit talking up all night, doing things we haven't for a while, a while, yeah

We're smiling but we're close to tears, even after all these years

We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time

Drinking our cheap bottles of wine

Sit talking up all night, saying things we haven't for a while, a while, yeah

We're smiling but we're close to tears, even after all these years

We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time

For the first time

Oh, for the first time

Yeah, for the first time

We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they're making us crazy

Don't give up on me, baby

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they're making us crazy

Don't give up on me, baby

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they're making us crazy

Don't give up on me, baby

Oh, these times are hard, yeah, they're making us crazy

Don't give up on me, baby

{lyrics from here}

sunday night brain dump.

i feel my emotions waxing & waning once again.  in other words, i'm on the verge of a 'freak out.'  it happens from time to time.  c'est la vie. 

i spent the majority of my weekend working on all things grad school:  i wrote an abstract for an article about skinner, i answered four chapters worth of discussion questions related to family interaction, i read skimmed chapters on freud & erikson, i studied for an economics test AND i had every intention of reading the rest of one of skinner's books {but i didn't}.  this coming week isn't going to be any easier considering i have a presentation due and four papers to write.  ugh.  but, getting this degree will be worth it, right?

speaking of grad school...i meet with my advisor on thursday to get my "plan of action" squared away for the summer & fall semesters.  one of the required classes i need is reluctantly being offered this summer.  right now i'm just hoping & praying that i'll receive summer aid or else i can't take the class.  and, let's not even talk about the fall semester.  okay, let's:  um, NONE of the classes that i need to take for my degree program {i only have eight left} are even being offered.  well, not the three classes that are prereqs for the other five, at least.  what kind of bullhonkery is that?  i also told myself that i would decide {on thursday} if i was going to continue in the masters program or jump ship and work on getting my teaching license only.  i thought my mind was made up, but now i'm questioning my decision...

friday night was a happy night.  i had dinner with my family.  my whole family.  not just adam & the kids, but my parents AND my sister, too.  my heart was filled to the brim with love.  seriously, i was oozing with lovey-dovey-ness.  plus, it didn't hurt that we chowed down on pho & followed dinner with froyo.  yep, that's how we roll.

speaking of my sister, i love her dearly and i miss her like crazy.  she was in town {well, on the other side of the water} this past week.  her husband coaches lacrosse and every year he brings his team down to our area for scrimmage matches.  anyways, she comes down to offer support & act as a chaperone.  last year i didn't get to spend much time with her because i was working, but this year i spent two days with her and i loved it.  all we did was shop {which wasn't good for either of our budgets} but it was so much fun.

i'll share the bounty of our shopping spree soon.  promise.  i mean, i feel like i owe it to you all to show off the kate spade wallet i got for $36 and the banana republic jeans that cost me a mere $10.  {that's not all i bought...}

i got my car back.  my lil' altima has been at my parents house since the beginning of the month. 
me + two dogs, two kids, one husband + shopping at costco + my lil' altima = no room for anyone
so, i drove my mom's quest home.  i was a minivan momma once again {we leased a honda hot-essy a while back}.  sadly, my parents picked up their van this weekend & i'm once again whipping emmy the altima around down. 

adam watched his left front tire bounce across four lanes of road last week.  tire, wheel...the whole damn thing.  when i got to the scene, his truck had a gangsta lean going on...it was on the rotor.  what a mess.  i'm very thankful he was able to fix most of it.  the truck just needs body work now.  i'm also extra, super duper thankful that he was not hurt and that no one was involved in this fiasco.  i drove down the road where this happened late last week and saw the mark in the road where his truck slid for nearly 20 feet.  i'd be lying if i said tears didn't well up in my eyes.

i want to move.  i'm ready for a fresh start.  if i were single & childless, change would be easy.  but, alas, i'm not.  the logistics of anything related to a move/fresh start will take some careful planning & a lot of convincing with adam.

i haven't subbed yet.  i'm a chicken.

i DID accept a month-long temporary position and will be working full-time in just over a week.  i'm eternally grateful that my mother has offered to come down & help with getting the kids home from school so we don't have to find or pay for childcare.  i just hope i'm able to juggle work, school, kids, the house, the dogs...

once this month-long assignment is over i'll start subbing.  no excuses.  promise.

and, finally, and probably most important, is the fact that i need to let go of someone.  her "friendship," if you will, isn't healthy for me and her actions {or lack of} indicate to me that she isn't interested, so why should i waste my time.  is this relationship toxic?  to an extent, yes.  were we ever really good friends?  no.  so, why is this so hard for me to do?  i really couldn't tell you.

oh, and everyone who commented on my febreze review {there are 5 of you}, please email me your address. you're all winners in my book!  nevermind the fact that i said i would choose a winner on march 11th...d'oh!

whew.  my mind needed this.  seriously.

it's empty in the valley of {my} heart.

i'm feeling hateful once again.

i'm still hurt and so is my other half {perhaps my better half, at times?}.  we keep looking for closure, but all we run into is another stumbling block or more surprising news.  honestly, folks, you don't know betrayal, lies or deceit until your own neck has been strangled by the hands of a family member {figuratively, not literally}.

anyways.

this song makes me think of our situation.  except, i would probably let that person choke on the noose around his neck.  yep.  i'm a mean girl like that.  because, really, all that we want is to live {our} life as its meant to be.

enjoy.

{source}

bare...skin?

i'm sure all of you are pretty well familiar with the fabulous mineral makeup company, bare escentuals, right?  my mother & i have been long time fans of leslie blodgett & her mineral makeup.  we were like two giddy school girls when we visited a b.e. store at fisherman's wharf in san francisco five years ago.

{my momma in s.f. back in 2006}

i'm super stoked that a bare escentuals store is opening at my local mall.  of course, i'm certain my husband {and our bank account} won't be, but i digress...

as wonderful as their mineral make up is, did you know that bare escentuals has a skin care line, too??  seriously, this is huge.

the bareMinerals skin care line offers cleansers, moisturizers & treatments so your skin can reap the rewards of the 100% pure rare minerals active soil complex.  your skin will have a naturally luminous glow even before you swirl, tap & buff!

{source}

i don't know about you, but being the beauty product junkie that i am and knowing what a reputable brand bare escentuals is, i am very excited to try the bareMinerals skin care line!  are you excited?  you should be!

which bareMinerals skin care product are you excited to try?
let me know in your comment, please.

for more information about both bare escentuals and the bareMinerals skin care line, be sure to check out their website as well as their facebook page.  you can also follow bare escentuals on twitter.

the fine print:  i was contacted to write a blog post about the bareMinerals launch and, in return, i may receive products from the bareMinerals skin care line to sample and review as long as product was stillavailable.  all opinions in this blog  post are my own.

the great cheese debate.

a few weeks ago, while the kids & i were at the grocery store, a fight broke out.
okay, it was a heated argument, but still...my kids were doing the arguing.

and, they were being kind of loud about it.

what were they arguing about?


cheese.

but, i'm not talking about the american {yuck} versus cheddar debate.

no.

my kids' have a bit more sophisticated taste than that.  they couldn't decide on which cheese to get for the salad* we were having that night.  aidan wanted goat cheese and malia wanted feta cheese.

so, what did i do thanks to my kids' near meltdown in the grocery store over a simple {effin'} container of cheese?

i bought both of them.

and, let me just say, that night when we ate the salad both kids requested feta cheese.  figures.

*for a quick & easy side, we usually make a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes & balsamic viniagrette.  the salad is usually topped with cheese - either feta or goat.

there's a review coming!

i'm probably the only person on the face of the earth who has NOT made a purchase from csn stores.  

certainly, you've all heard about their website, right?  

yep, over 200 stores in one location {all online}.  

seriously, i die.  

csn stores offers just about everything.

really. 

 pet items, household goods, lcd tv stands, car seats...that's just the tip of the iceberg {so to speak}.

there is so much to see & so much to shop for online with csn stores.

i'm excited to let you all know that i will be doing a review for csn stores.  i haven't decided which item i want to "test" although i do have my eyes on a few of the lcd tv stands they offer.

whatever i choose, i know the item will be fabulous.  

keep your eyes peeled for my review & get ready because there may be a csn store giveaway in the very near future as well {hint, hint}.

valentine's day...

...should be every day, right?  i mean, it's nice to be caring, loving & wonderful all year long, but the real reason is because everybody needs a few of these in their lives:

good thing {our local} strawberry season is just a couple of months away!

slightly obsessed.

okay, so maybe it's not an obsession, but it's definitely one heck of a collection.

{c + shell = sea shell}

take one look around my home & you'll see shells...everywhere.

well, maybe not everywhere.

{but, we do have shells in our front flower bed.}

shells that i've found & collected over the years.

shells in vases.

cockles. moon snails. coquinas. lettered olives. scotch bonnets.

shells on the wall.

more scotch bonnets.  common sand dollars. a keyhole sand dollar.
{the star & the BIG sand dollar were purchases.} 

a jar of scotch bonnets.
the scotch bonnet is the state shell of north carolina.

it is my favorite shell - probably because it's so hard to find a whole one.

shells from cozumel, mexico in a shadow box.

cowries. snails. limpets.

that big shell? i found it in akumal, mexico.

it's mixed in with a bunch of broken scotch bonnets & a few other shells.

whelks. more cockle shells. a few cowries. a sprinkle of coquinas. a limpet here & there.
lambs ears. moon snails. jingle shells.

some of the shells still have seaweed in them!

shells, shells everywhere.

shells from north carolina, virginia & mexico.

there is even a picture frame in my bedroom that is rimmed with shells i found in florida.

some people go to the beach to lay out.  others go to surf.  

not me, i grab a bucket & walk the shoreline in search of...

more shells.

psst...happy 800th post to me! 

snuggle buddies.

i feel like it's my job to share all of the cuteness that seems to be oozing from my home now that we have become a two dog family.

life with a new pup has been fun.  

throw rugs have been replaced with puppy pads.  

dog toys cover my living room floor.

frisco's 'super-sized' crate {a.k.a. his house} is, once again, in the bedroom.

so far, things have been a breeze.

frisco is very tolerant of the puppy.

aside from hosing down my dyson, frisco hasn't shown any signs of jealousy.

i love how both dogs tease each other.

i love watching them chase one another & fight over toys and sticks.

buxton is a good sleeper.  he's a good snuggler, too.

frisco is, too.
{must be a boston thang.}

we make every effort to have one-on-one time with frisco.

we constantly tell him how much we love him.

he's our big bubs.  now we've got a little bubs to love, too.

when we brought frisco home a year & a half ago, our breeder said we couldn't just love one boston terrier.

she was right.

i'm so glad we've become a two dog home.

private property.

although malia & i talk about things, i bought this book for her:

{source}

as the mom of a soon-to-be ten year old, i was a little reluctant to purchase it.  i mean, when i picked up the book to look through it, the pages fell open to the section on how to insert a tampon.  i'm not ready for stuff like that.  i know my daughter isn't either.

but,

she is growing.  she is changing.  she has questions.  she will have more questions.

puberty is an awkward time.  so, maybe a book will make things easier...for the both of us.

maybe.

last weekend, as she was reading the book, she asked:

mom, why is it called a pub-ick area?  don't they mean public?

{she said pub-ick, not pew-bick}

oh.my.word.

my answer?

because it's most certainly NOT a public area.  no, no.  as a matter of fact, it's private property.

am i really ready for this?  am i?
i'm pretty sure six more gray hairs just sprouted on my head.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Febreeze Sport

a couple months ago, i was asked to try the newest member of the febreze family:

{source}

this product is endorsed by television personality & cincinnati bengals linebacker, dhani jones.  a guy like dhani knows all about the smells associated with leading a very active lifestyle.  if he believes in it, i would certainly believe in it, too.

my family does not participate in nearly as much activity as dhani jones, but we do create our fair share of stinky smells {ha!}.  my husband works in construction.  we have two very active children who are always outside riding their bikes, skateboarding or dancing around.  and, let's not forget about our dogs, too. 

 i've always been a fan of febreze products.  i've used their noticeables, air effects as well as their fabric refreshers.  i was very excited to try this product, however, because i wanted an effective way to make my son's sneakers smell, well, fresh.  washing shoes & stuffing them with dryer sheets only masks a smell for so long.  i'm happy to report that febreze sport extreme odor eliminator did the trick!  even after one use i noticed a difference in the way my son's {stinky} sneakers smelled.

i don't just use this product on shoes.  i spray our throw rugs by the front & back door.  i spray the couch, throw pillows, mattresses and even the kids' backpacks.  i use this item in very much the same way i use the fabric refreshers.  

it works, y'all.  

for more information about febreze sport, click here.

you can also follow febreze sport on twitter.

do you want to try a bottle?
on friday, march 11th, i'll choose three random comments {from this blog post} & reward each with a bottle of febreze sport!

disclaimer:  i was contacted by marketing works, inc. on behalf of febreze.  i was given full-size samples of febreze sport to use & review.  the opinions in this post are my own.

a pup named buxton.

our newest addition.
he has the same papa as frisco.

he's red with a splash of brindle.

his eyes are so dreamy.  they will not be brown.

his personality is so different from frisco's personality.

he will be our lil' trouble maker.