JumpStart/MathBlaster Review and GIVEAWAY!

Our family has been given such an awesome opportunity to review JumpStart/MathBlaster online educational website.  We have been playing with JumpStart for a year now and enjoyed the Free Version but wow having the membership has opened new learning games and excitement for the kids. 
You can play Jumpstart and Mathblaster for FREE but the membership is AWESOME (well that is what my kids keep telling me).

With the membership you get:

• Unlock new levels based on 1st - 6th Grade curriculum
• Play member-only games and unlock bonus levels
• Access more challenging HyperBlast and Zapper levels
• Practice over 100 essential skills for school
• and much more! 

Guess What.... a  PinkMama's Place Reader will be getting a 3 month subscription for FREE.  How EXCITING is that!  See at bottom of this post on how to enter the giveaway.  You will be able to play on JumpStart and MathBlaster both!

Lil Mama's Review: 
I enjoy JumpStart because you get to have pets and cool rides.  My favorite place to play is the JumpStart Academy.

MathBlaster is such a COOL game!  The math games are so much fun and I'm learning new stuff and understanding more on the math we worked on last year.  Plus I like playing with the pets in space.  I also like the Red Alert.

Lil Man's Review:
I think a lot of kids will enjoy JumpStart because it teaches you a lot and it's FUN.  My favorite place is the Downtown Fun Zone.
MathBlaster has a lot of math games for kids like me (I guess he is saying is age) and it's really cool!  My favorite place is the Main Hall.  I give 2 thumbs up and it's an AWESOME game and every kid should go there plus you learn a lot!

Mom's Review: 
Well there you have it Cool, Fun , Learn, and Awesome are the words my kids used!  It's funny in a way but now because that's all my kids want to play on computer and I can barley get on the laptop these days.  Also I have it attached to my Facebook page so I can see the different levels my kids have mastered on Jumpstart.  Lil Mama is 7 (going on 17) and JumpStart is her favorite and Lil Man is 9 and loves MathBlaster.  I enjoyed reading the Math Blaster Blog at http://blog.mathblaster.com and got a feel on what and where they are going.  I'm all for a game that teaches kids!  Now can I get my laptop back I have work to do....that's what I have to say everyday now! 

Now for the GIVEAWAY:  One Reader will get a 3 month Membership to Jumpstart/MathBlaster.

Required Entry: Leave comment letting me know who you would like to win this for, please leave email address so I can contact you!

Extra Entries: Please leave an extra comment for each

•  Like PinkMama's Place on Facebook
•  Google Friend Connect (right hand side of this blog)
•  Follow PinkMama68 on Twitter
•  Like Jumpstart on Facebook
• Tweet about Giveaway and use hashtags #pinkmamasplace #giveaway
• Share on Facebook or Blog

Giveaway ENDS 9/10/11  9pm Pacific Time. 

Disclosure: I was provided with a membership good for MathBlaster and JumpStart at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Are You Ready For School To Start?

Heck YEAH!  I know I sound super duper excited and guess what... I am! Now don't get me wrong I LOVE MY KIDS and have enjoyed the summer with them but if I hear "I AM BORED" one more time I'm going to scream at the top of my lungs.

We have done so many activities, friend play dates, camping but they still need something special to do everyday.  First thing out of one of their mouths in the morning is "What are we doing today?".  If I say "CLEANING" or "NOTHING" I have to hear them run their mouths until I agree to something.  They know how to work me I know, LOL!  Luckily we live close to a park and the swimming pool but what about what I want to do?

My house needs a  major cleaning and I can't do it with them around.  They make too many messes throughout the day. I know that is what kids do so I give them the summer to relax and enjoy but just wait until school starts because we are back on our checklists.  I'm making one for the morning, after school, and evening plus an allowance/reward will be involved again.  We had to stop the reward system after I quit my job.  BTW I'm really enjoying COZI- family calendar!

I'm exhausted! When they go back to school I think I'm going to sleep a week straight...hehehe RIGHT!   After the kids are in school then it's time for me to get a JOB! 

Moms Just Want to Have Fun!

A girlfriend of mine took me to a concert Friday night and it was so much FUN!  It was a grown up concert so it was calm and I had a blast. I danced, sang, and smiled the whole 4 hours we were there.  It was FUN!  I know I said FUN a couple times already but damn I haven't had FUN like that it a long time.

Moms are allowed to have FUN...right?  Well my family (actually I should say KIDS) has a hard time letting me go do that.  Before going out I had lil mama crying and grabbing onto my leg and screaming "Don't go MOMMY, Don't GO!".  During the concert I had 2 missed calls, 2 texts messages, and 1 gmail chat message....all saying "Where are you Mom" and that was all between 8-10pm, those were from lil man. REALLY DUDE! I get home at 12:30 am and guess who is waiting for me at the door...Lil Man!  All worried about his mommy.

I don't go out much at all...maybe 1 or 2 times a YEAR!  I'm a homebody for sure.  As you can see my family don't do well when I go out- SILLY PEOPLE.  Well, I really need to get out more just to show my family it is OK that I actually can have a LIFE and they will be okay without me for a few hours.

Next step is Daddy and I going out...wouldn't that be NICE! 

Lawon... Really? Big Brother played YOU!

"I have a 99 percent chance of coming back into the game with superpowers," is what Lawon said and guess what he was....TOTALLY wrong! 

He volunteered to go up on the block against Rachel (why he did that in the first place is STUPID) but he didn't mind being voted out because he really thought he would be right back in.  I want to live in his world of bubble gum and rainbows for sure.  Really Lawon! 

Through out the weeks Lawon hasn't done much but make everyone laugh. I forgot he was playing until he volunteered to go up on the block. 

Now the best part of last nights show was when he realized what happened...he is OUT for good!  His look was priceless. 

The house MESSED up last night by voting Lawon out though because America voted to bring back Brendon.  Then the game that they had to play was so not fair for Lawon and was way too EASY for Brendon-especially with his crazy girlfriend Rachel telling him what balls to get. 

Yep Brendon WON...of course.  Poor Lawon, you know this is going down in the books for one of the dumbest moves in Big Brother. 

Now Brenchel is BACK and watch out house!  Karma just came back and bit you in the ASS!  I'm not a Brenchel fan but they are making this season interesting.

I need a J*O*B*!

As much as I have enjoyed my family the past 3 months it's time that I go back to work.  The kids will be in school soon and that's my time to find a job.  Having NO money SUCKS.  I'm used to having money to go get a latte, take the kids to the newest movie, or buying something online that is a GREAT DEAL but the last 3 months haven't been like that at all!  I've learned my spending habits were out of control and I didn't even try to save my money.  So lesson learned.  I know what I can go without and what I can't these days.  The kids had some major eye openers too.  Hopefully we all have learned a lesson since I've been out of work.

What's been hard is how much stress this has brought into our family.  My hubby and I argue over money now- or lack of and how much he is paying and how much I'm not.  All bills fall in to his lap now and he is totally stressed out and in a bad mood a lot.  He is stepping up and doing it so I can't be mad at that at all- and really appreciate the fact he has been paying for everything.  But it is straining our relationship.  We have been together for 12 years and we pretty much was a DUTCH kind of family- we each payed half of everything.  Now he pays 100% of everything except rent which I still pay my half.  The only good thing that has come out of this is he now realizes I was doing my part in fiances and took care of the whole house too. 

The kids are stressed too... they aren't able to go get the "game" or "toy" they want when we go to Target.  We only buy food when we go to Target now.  They got a lesson in their spending habits too.  They are way too spoiled.  They don't need everything they ask for and I can say NO and it's not the end of the world when I do!  We have been doing a lot of FREE stuff and having fun doing it so another eye opener- we don't have to spend money to enjoy each other.

I'm happy I had this time with my family but I need to go back to WORK! 

Custom Soccer Banners 2011

My husband makes SOCCER BANNERS.  Are you looking for one? The banners are 6x4 with sewn in pockets for PVC pipe (not included). We offer 4 different options/prices to fit every budget.   

1. NAME ONLY~ $65.00: This banner includes only the team , coaches, sponsors, and players names airbrushed in athletic script in team color.

2. BASIC~$85.00: One Mascot Image and Soccer Balls for Names

3. EXTRA~$95.00:One Mascot Image and Simple Design for Names
4. FULL: ($105.00) The whole banner is painted (top to bottom) with Mascot and Simple Design for the Names

We are located in Oakland, California but we WILL SHIP anywhere.  Shipping will cost an additional $5.00 for basic ground.  If you mention that you saw this on PinkMama'sPlace you will get an $1.00 off of shipping (I know not much but hey it's something)

You can leave a comment here and I will send you the soccer banner order info or you can order on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/plIDR6

Examples:

 

Big Brother Wedding- Ugh!

Yes, I'm a Big Brother fan- watch every season.  This season is just CRAZY and I feel sorry for the newbies because they are at a disadvantage but this week I think either Rachel (ewww) or Brendon will be leaving.  Thank goodness because I can't stand her voice, laugh, attitude and Brendon oh wow don't get me started on him.  Whatever one leaves will be a blessing!

Guess what they did?  A Garbage Bag Wedding and their outfits weren't half bad either.

Go here to watch the WEDDING: http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_brother/video/2081462128/big-brother-bonus-scene-the-brenchel-wedding

Free Books from Amazon Kindle Store

I'm a STALKER....yep I'm going to admit it- I stalk the Top 100 Free books in the Kindle Store on Amazon.  I read most of my books on my iPad.

Today I got FREE:

Hollywood Scandals









Raising Motivated Kids: Inspiring Enthusiasm for a Great Start in Life (School Savvy Kids)

Stress proof your life (52 Brilliant Ideas)

There are so many more to choose from so head on over and get you some summer reading.  You can put them on your Kindle, PC, Laptop, Phone, and iPad.  I can read my books anywhere I want! 

LOVE Amazon E-Books

Winner of Uprinting.com Brochures

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 8

Result:

6

so the winner is Lady of the Ozarks

Going to Get the Kids- Woohoo!

It's been almost 2 weeks and we are heading back North to get our kiddos!  As much as I enjoyed the quiet and kid free fun my hubby and I had I really MISSED THEM! 

When the kids are home I'm consistently doing this or that so I took this time to DO NOTHING.  Now don't get me wrong I cooked, cleaned, and took care of house stuff but I didn't venture out much.  I needed some "me" time and I got it!  I'm relaxed and happy so my vacation was peace and quiet at my house. As a busy mom I needed that.  Thanks MOM- she must know these things.

We spoke to the kids 2 times everyday so I knew what they were doing and if they were staying out of trouble.  My mom says they are good kids and didn't fight whatsoever....ummm does she have the right kids?  My kids are good but damn they fight over the littlest things..."Mom Sahara touched my knee with her big toe" , that's what I hear on a daily basis.  They wonder why I roll my eyes all the time.  I'm just happy they were good for Mom- thank you kids!

Tonight we are going to drive about 4 hrs and then tomorrow 5hrs and then we should be pulling into Florence Oregon.  My hubby is going to be amazed with the Sand Dunes.  I'm sure we will be taking a lot of pictures (forewarned!).

I'm just going to say it...DRIVING SUCKS and anyone who knows me know I hate driving so doing trips like this is frickin annoying but to get my kids I'll suck it up and JUST DO IT!  LOL! 

Have a great weekend- and wish we have nice SUNNY weather so we can enjoy this camping trip that my mom thinks I'm not going to do well with...I'm not a camper either. 

Hotel Night- Spiders Oh My!

I can't sleep at hotels, can you?  Even when I sleep at someone elses house I'm constantly waking up.  So then how can vacations be fun if I'm always tired.  I guess that's the price I pay to have fun with family.  Well I'm getting older and sleeping in beds that are not mine is getting harder and harder.  Now lets say if the bed has one of those fluffy mattress/pillows that adjust to your body well then maybe I can do that! 

After driving through the night to get to the hotel we arrived around 1:30am and we were all tired so I thought no problem I'll be able to sleep.  I had to go to the bathroom bad so when we got the key to the room I went right into the bathroom and guess what I saw...a big spider!  Just take a wild guess on how I slept that night.  Not good, I itched all night and even had bites on my legs in the morning.  Ugh and Ewww! 

Now we are not staying in 5 star hotels more like 2.5/3 so I know we aren't getting the best but its what we can afford so I need to deal with that and at least its not Roach Hotel LOL!  Hey the kids and hubby slept just fine.  It's just me who is bitching.  I'm also the one who hates camping so it's just my issues. 

The next morning we get up and get ready to get on the road.  Oh yeah FOOD is needed.  We walk over to the Hotel's Cafe and had a yummy breakfast. They served 1/2 breakfasts now that's what I like! We were getting ready to leave and I'm looking for my phone and can't find it.  Before having a meltdown and dragging everything out of the car I send hubby to the hotel office and guess what...yep they had it!  Phew!

Back on the road!  Hubby was driving, he owed me some hours because I did most of the driving the night before, lol!  I'm in the back seat with Lil Mama who thinks putting her feet up on me is funny and proceeds to do that for about 4 hours.  I read on my iPad and played numerous games with her and in my head was wishing I was up in the front seat but also knew my son was having a blast in front with Daddy.  They were having some cool conversations about sports, games, and music.  Man stuff!

At the end of the day we pulled up to my Mom's house around 8:30pm and we were very HAPPY!

Please enter my GIVEAWAY: FREE 50 Brochures from Uprinting.com it ends 7/28.

Road Trip- Rental Car Problems

Oh my where do I start...when did it become so hard to rent a car?

We are a family who has DEBIT CARDS not credit cards.  We only spend what we have.  In our 20's we both got in trouble with credit cards so we decided not to have credit cards.  Well that awesome idea might have to change due to you can't rent a car unless you have a credit card. 

Now some agencies will take a debit card but put a freeze on the amount plus additional % more.  For example, our car rental was going to be $575 for a mid size for 10 days and they wanted to put a $1000 hold on our credit card.  Of course that wasn't going to work for this 1 income family because we needed that extra $500 for our vacation.  We didn't know all this until the DAY we  are to leave, of course. 

My husband works by the airport where all the rental car agencies are so he had his friend drop him off after work at agency.  Friend leaves and hubby goes in and went through all the motions with the agent and then BOOM..."we don't take debit cards, sir" - even though we used it to reserve the car in the first place.  He calls me and lets me know the bad news and that he will go to Hertz, we've rented through them before so he doesn't think it will be a problem.  They would but had to put a hold of over a $1000 on our card.  Nope- not worth it! So off my hubby goes, he has to walk a couple miles to the Bart and then walk home.  I would have gone to get him but he parked his truck in front of the driveway so my car was blocked in.  It was one disaster after another. 

But we all kept our focus on leaving so we tried to stay in good spirits.  We weren't taking our car because we really wanted something new and comfy to travel in.  Plus our car needed new tires and oil change so guess what hubby had to do when he got home- yep new tires and oil change.  At this point we are 4 hours behind schedule.  It crossed my mind just leave early in the morning but we had a hotel room already reserved so we had to go or loose $80.  Such pressure!  We leave and the best part was there was NO TRAFFIC.  If we would have left when we planned to we would have been in the heart traffic for a long time so maybe this happened for a reason- that's just my wishful thinking and reasoning not to get upset at the situation. 

Lesson Learned: Can't rent car with debit card!

Make sure you enter my Giveaway:  http://pinkmamasplace.blogspot.com/2011/07/uprintingcom-giveaway-50-brochures.html  ends this Thursday!

UPrinting.com Giveaway- 50 Brochures

I was SO EXCITED when I was approached to HOST this wonderful giveaway. 

One(1) Winner
50 Brochures
8.5" x 11"

Do you have your own business,up coming event, or anything you want to print up in a brochure- think of the possibilities!!  This is great marketing tool that can add to your sales. Plus Uprinting makes it so easy for you as well, they have templates!  Please visit

How To Enter:

100lb Paper Gloss,
With Folding (Half Fold, Trifold/Letterfold, Z-Fold, Roll Fold, Accordion Fold), Outside and Inside printing,
2 Business Days Turnaround

Simply leave a comment telling us what you would use the 50 Brochures for and this must be done before extra entries will count.

Extra Entries:

• Like UPrinting on Facebook and let them know PinkMama's Place sent you!
• Follow UPrinting on Twitter
• Sign-up with Giveawayblogs.com
• Follow PinkMama's Place with Google Friend (right hand side)
• Tweet, Facebook, Blog about this Giveaway- put link in comment 

 Other Info: 

• Please leave a comment for each extra entry. 
• Open to the US only 18 years or older
• Must not have won the same print giveaway within the past six months.
• Make sure we have a way to contact you if you should win.
• Giveaway will be closed on July 28th, 2011 at midnight Pacific Time.
• Winner will have 48hrs to respond

This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive a brochures for hosting.

Check out UPrinting.com to see more of their brochures and  brochure templates.

GOOD LUCK!

I Needed a Vacation from My Family Vacation

Wow...just wow what a TRIP that was. We got back last Monday (today is Saturday) and I'm just now feeling up to blogging.  I was exhausted emotionally and physically.  I've been on the couch the last 3 days with a killer stomach ache that the nurse said I might have an UCLER.  WTF!  I think I just ate something bad and maybe all the soda I drank while on vacation just messing with my tummy.  I prefer my diagnose.

Vacations are suppose to relaxing...right?  Yeah right when you travel with 2 kids on the road for 2 days then visit with family for a week then drive back in the RAIN through mountains, nope not relaxing in my book. 

However, I got to visit with some awesome family and friends and it was WORTH it so yes I might bitch a bit but it was overall a wonderful trip! 

This week was suppose to go a lot different but being on the couch sick made me slow down so I guess this was my laying by the beach moment.  I know reaching but hey it worth a shot.  I'm back feeling better and get ready for posts about our Family Road Trip!

BTW...kids are still up in Washington with their grandparents :)

Kids Addiction To Swimming

Today my eyes were opening up and its around 7:30am and there is this curly hair girl looking at me and says "Are we going swimming today?" not "good morning mom or how are you mom".  The pool opens at 2:30pm so in my head I'm like why is she asking me this question so damn early.  But in her head this is the big EVENT so she needs to plan her day.  I roll my eyes and let her know she needs to brush her teeth before asking me questions that require her to breath in my face.  She giggles but stays there and asks again.  Yes Sahara we are going swimming today! 

Ronnell wakes about after 8am comes and gives me a hug then asks "Mom are we going swimming?" yet again not even a  "good morning" but at least I got a hug before the big question.  Once again I roll my eyes. "Yes sweetheart we are going".  Then it was all smiles for about 2 hrs then the "When is it 2:30?" starts happening.  I did work this to my advantage though.  Every time they said something they had to do a  chore around the house.  Guess what got done by my kids today- they cleaned their rooms, they did dishes, vacuumed living room, and I got a load a laundry done by them. 

They were packed, swimsuits on, waiting by the door by 1:30.  LOL.  I am such a mean mom because its 2:13 and I'm still on the computer writing a blog entry. HEHE! 

Guess its time to go SWIMMING! 

Going on a Road Trip

Am I even ready- no this is how I deal with STRESS, wait until the last minute!  HEHE!  No laughing matter here people, okay yes it is.  Back in the old days I used to write lists, get upset if things didn't get done, stress on everything and anything but now a days I just ROLL WITH IT!  Who am I joking???

I might not be as "anal" as I used to be but how could I with kids and a husband.  We will leave something behind, won't finish something I wanted to do, forget something important at home of course but what can I do about it when I'm already on the road.  My family will probably say- you will throw a fit- curse a couple times and then whine a couple hours but then it will be okay. 

I tend to do things at the last minute because that's just who I am!  My hubby will say its the Sagittarius in me- okay I go with that but really if I did all this crap last week it would get all dirty again, I would have to pull it out and really its just easier to pack the day before going. 

I have 3 lists:  To Pack, What We Need, To Do Around Here- very professional huh! 

I won't let this Family Trip stress me out! 

What are some things you forget at home you wish you didn't, great road trip tips, or anything you want to add to this ROAD TRIP post?

Happy 4th July Everyone

Enjoy Family and Friends today

I'm dealing with Perimenopause

Well I think I have hit that wonderful experience (right, can you see me rolling my eyes!)- so excited... NOT! I'm going spare you on all the gory details but this is NOT FUN.  It says it can last  2 to 8 years- really?  My mom says it will be worth it- do I believe her though, lol!  I know this is a normal part of life but that doesn't mean I can't bitch about it, lol! 

This weekend was horrible! I was in a lot of pain and it was a nice weekend but I was in bed oohing and aahing.  My hubby did take the kids out for awhile on Saturday leaving me with some peace and quiet to sleep.  Sunday we got up and cleaned early so we could have the rest of the day off. I pretty much took it easy but still was trooper (even in pain).  Today I feel a bit better and the pain sustained but still not all the way myself.   The kids and hubby were wonderful and I feel so bad they have to see me like that though.  I will be making a doctor appointment this week because I don't want to go thru that pain every month. 

Something to look forward to: Menopausal Muffin Top LOL!  BTW I already have that, ugh!

What can I do to help me deal with this:

• Eat Healthier- something I've been working on so this won't be hard to do.  They suggest diet low in saturated fat and includes plenty of fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and high-fiber grains and breads.
• Get adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D
• Get regular exercise.  Working on that.  Been doing a lot of walking.  I want to start doing Yoga too.
• Limit caffeine, alcohol, and stress.  OMG...does this mean I have to give up coffee.  Not sure if I can do that!  Limit alcohol and stress I can do that! 2 of 3 not bad right. 

Want to read more please go:
http://www.webmd.com/menopause/tc/menopause-and-perimenopause-overview

Thanks to Facebook I have a NEW NICKNAME

ShortStack and guess who is having so much fun calling me it....yep Lil Mama!  Then guess who told her to call me that...ummm my mom!  Thanks Mom!  But really I have Facebook to blame for this.

Last week I was working on fan landing pages for PinkMama's Place and Mr Airbrush Hands and I was using the site Shortstack to design them (which BTW the site ROCKS).  I "liked" the Shortstack site and it posted it on Facebook and my mom had so much fun with that one. 

Last night my daughter comes in room after calling me Shortstack for the 20th time ( and after having a conversation with my mom on the phone) and says " Mom your short and your stacked"  Ummm okay how she said it was fricken funny but she didn't realize exactly what she said because right after she said that she says "You stack books, clothes, and all kinds of things"  well you know what my hubby and I thought, right.  I am stacked! 

So thanks Facebook for the new nickname and the laugh.  At least my nickname from Lil Mama isn't as bad as what she calls her daddy "panties" I'm not sure how she came up with that name but I do know why...because it bothers him and she LOVES to pick on him. 

WTF Wednesday- Spending Habits

I've been out of work for 2 months and wow my spending habits are very different now compared to when I was making money.  We are down to 1 income.  That alone is stressful but we had to do some changes to our lifestyle too!

Eating Out: Before quitting my job we went out to eat 2-3 times a week now maybe 1 time.  If we do go out its not at the cool family restaurant we used to dine at its like McDonald's or KFC now.  Just wrong.  This past weekend we felt like going out to breakfast and guess where we went, Denny's EWWW!  The kids liked it but I'm a bit picky and like my sausage to taste like sausage not mystery meat. It will be a long time before we do that again.

Grocery Shopping: I used to buy whatever was on sale and work around that.  Nope I need a list and what is on the list is what I buy.  If there is something on sale I might get it but it has to be a damn good sale.  My weekly budget is $100- try feeding 4 people on that but it works and we all have to stuck it up we don't have the abundance of food in the pantry.  You have to work with what you got.  I don't spend on frivolous things anymore.  I tend to put stuff back too! 

Treats:  I used to get a latte/mocha pretty much every day and now its like one every 2 weeks when I have a little spending change.  When I say change I mean quarters, dimes, nickels man I saved up for that white chocolate mocha and yes on the whip cream!  Also the kids don't get that weekly ice cream treat anymore.  I make ice pops out of juice now. 

Shoes/Clothes:  We haven't bought any summer clothes and we need them so next week I'm taking $100 and going to a consignment store to see what I can find.  Kids will be fine with used gear they don't need to know what store, right.  But I am having purse withdraws but as my kids have pointed out many times....Mom you have way too many purses!  Ugh! 

Entertainment:  What is that?  Going to the movies is what we enjoyed a lot.  Nope none of that going on anymore. We have Netflix and we enjoy that so it's all good.  We might pick up a bootleg movie at the flea market next time.  Reading is a great source of entertainment and we have been some reading fools with the library right up the street and its FREE! 

I make light of my spending these days but it was also a BIG EYE OPENER on just how much money I was wasting.  We have been finding free stuff to do and we are just FINE! 

Now if I can just get my hubby to stop stressing we might make it through this hard bump in the road. 

Twitter Tuesday~ What Tools Do You Like?

I've been playing around with Twitter lately and its growing on me.  I can never keep up with all my followers but I do find COOL articles, a lot of sweeps, free items but also a lot of great information. 

Tool I use: 

HootSuite:  I really LIKE this site because I can post to several different pages at one time.  Plus schedule tweets.  There is so many things you can do! 

TweetDeck:  This is similar to HootSuite.  I say give both of them a try and see which one you like the best. 

TwitPic:  You can post photos or videos to TwitPic from your phone, from the site, or through email. I use this one for my hubby's airbrush business.  I post pics of his artwork and also can see how many views and people can comment on them. 

TweetMeme: Retweet cool stuff you come across.  The TweetMeme retweet button is for websites and blog publishers who want to encourage their audience to tweet their content on Twitter. The button shows a live count of the number of times your webpage or blog post has been tweeted.

Twellow: A search directory of people by area of expertise, profession or other attribute listed in personal profiles on Twitter.  I call this the YELLOW PAGES of Twitter!

WeFollow: Another SEARCH directory like Twellow. 

TwitterGrader: I got 98.2 out of 100- not bad!  This is a cool site that gives you some info to help you do better on twitter.  Can't believe I signed up for Twitter 3 years ago- WOW! 

Tweeparties: LOVE LOVE this site!  You can see a calendar of twitter parties and also start a twitter party.  If you don't know what a twitter party~ well is a fast virtual party on Twitter that uses #hashtags to keep track of the conversation.  Most are held at night and sometimes they even give away prizes.  I've done a couple and I got a lot of followers through the party.  Most of the time a Brand/Company will be the one hosting but anyone can throw a PARTY!

What about you any COOL Twitter sites/tools/apps you use and want to SHARE?

We Need a LOCK on the Fridge!

Guess what it isn't for me either!  It is for my 9 year old son.  Dude has been eating us out of the house.  I can't keep up with it.

Yesterdays Menu:

Breakfast:
Bowl of Cereal
Bagel w/cream cheese

Snack:
Banana
crackers

Lunch:
2 Sandwiches
Apple
Rice Cake Chips
BBQ Chips
Fruit Snacks

Snack:
Orange
crackers

Dinner:
Full plate of Chinese Food

Dessert:
3 Popsicles (only had permission for 1)

That what I know of!!!  I tell him to cool down because we can't go thru food this fast but he keeps telling me he is hungry.  What DO I DO?  If he keeps this up I might have to go on a hunger diet because we can't afford to feed him like this everyday.

Is this NORMAL for a 9 year old??  He isn't overweight but he isn't a skinny mini either.  I don't want to put any weight issues on him but is he in training for becoming a football player?

HSN Arcade- PLAY WATCH SHOP

HSN Arcade...a new casual gaming and digital commerce portal from multichannel retailer HSN.

• In an unprecedented move to combine casual gaming with the ecommerce experience, HSN Arcade allows people to play their favorite games online while they simultaneously watch HSN streaming live in HD, view the item currently on-air and quickly shop the last 15 items aired…all on one screen.
• HSN Arcade integrates with Facebook® to allow players to easily share their scores and achievements with their Facebook friends.
• HSN Arcade hosts 25 games, including the exclusive Today’s Special Jigsaw Puzzle, Lights! Camera! Subtraction! (featuring HSN’s celebrities), Crossword Puzzles, Word Search, Mahjongg, Dimensions, Sudoku, Treasure Hunt, BlackJack and more.
• Celebrities like Wolfgang Puck, Colin Cowie, Lisa Price and Wei Briant among others will play a role in some of the games.
• The games are FREE to play.
• Players can win prizes, including the Today's Special product or a gift card, by being the fastest to complete the daily “Today’s Special Jigsaw Puzzle” and receiving the best score.
• People can participate in tournaments with HSN’s celebrity guests, hosts and other players for the opportunity to win other prizes, such as gift cards and products.
• Winners can be announced via TV, online and mobile.

I played a couple of the games and had a blast then the kids wanted to play too! Mom can't have any fun. 
Also make sure you enter the The $150,000 More to Celebrate Giveaway

PS:  I did not receive any compensation for this post. Just Spreading the INFO!

Whiner Wednesday

Why...well because I'm having a hard time dealing with damn HOT weather.  I know nothing to really gripe about but it makes me so uncomfortable.  Whine Whine Whine :)

I've lived in the Bay Area now for 12 years so you would think by now I could deal with the handful of HOT weather days we get a year, lol!  I'm a redhead so it's not like I can go in the sun and enjoy.  I need to goop the sunscreen on every where (my head too), sweat - ewww hate to sweat, hurts my eyes, and I get light headed.  Maybe I'm vampire or maybe I just need to stop the b*tching and just enjoy!  HAHA!

This worst part of this weather is I can't sleep!  I can have a fan on but then the noise bothers me so I go into other rooms in the house to lay down and sometimes that work but its like sleeping at someone elses house because your not in your comfy bed so I tend to wake up all night long.

Geez I'm a big whiner today LOL!  Whiner Wednesday!

My Little Reader

I love to see my kids reading.  I'm a big reader so it warms my heart knowing I have kids who enjoy books. 

Exercise- I did it!

I jumped right into it today...Monday morning on my TO DO list was exercise.  Now that's been on my TO DO list pretty much every week and every week I don't do it!  So much for following a TO DO list huh, lol! 

This weekend I was trying to find something on the TV and I stumbled on the FREE section and guess what they have Fitness Videos..who knew (not me)! There is a lot to choose from beginner to advanced.  I was so excited and made my plan last night.

• 14 minutes of Yoga Stretching
• 12 minutes of Hip Hop
• 12 minutes of Abs
• 20 minutes of Walking 

Just short of an hour but I did my damn thing!  I was huffing and puffing but to be honest I did feel better after doing it.  I plan to do this every day M-F for 3 weeks straight.  I will post my accomplishments and lets see if I can firm up before I leave on vacation on July 8th. 

I feel good that I actually did it!  It's been bothering me a lot that I'm not exercising.  So looking forward to tomorrow (did I just say that..lol)!  Motivation Motivation!!

Happy Father's Day

We had a low key celebration but I know my hubby loved it this way so it's all good! 

Hubby went fishing last night for catfish (ewww) but didn't catch anything to bring home.  He loves fishing but we have to get him out of this night time fishing because he never comes home with a fish, lol! When I first met him I was like your going fishing at night WTF??  But to be honest I think its all about what you do while your fishing.  Like for example.. drinking beer, smack talking to each other, no wives/gf bossing them around, and being one with nature.  He does come home stinking like the fire pit and fishing bait so I know he is fishing somewhere :)

Today he walked in the door and I just finished cooking breakfast so that was some great timing.  He ate, showered then took a nap.  I took the kids to a friend's garage sale, to a park, home for a rest, woke daddy up, went and got Subway sandwiches then back to the park for a picnic with dad.  Rest of the time he has been on the deck drinking his beer, soaking in the sun and reading his book.  He is chillin!  I'm making him meatloaf, mac n cheese, and green beans for dinner.  Dessert is Chocolate Chip Cookies made by Lil Mama and myself.  I think overall he had a GREAT DAY! Oh yeah I got him a Artist Easel for $5 at the garage sale- so that is a big WOOHOO! 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! 

Organizing Facebook "Likes"

I have over 1000 Facebook "likes"- from products, blogging friends, social media, stuff I want, kid pages, and so on...you get the picture.  I have a hard time keeping up with all the daily posts because there is a lot of posts going on through out the day...and who can spend all their time on FB is beyond me!   So I got this brilliant (lol) idea to organize the fan pages I like.  Facebook is very hard to understand or even maneuver around- or maybe it is just me.  But TODAY I figured it out and my life on Facebook is going to be so much easier.
Since I'm not a computer guru I won't have diagrams for you but I'll try my best to write out the instructions the best I can.
Create a LIST:

• Go to Account (right hand corner)
• Click on Edit Friends
• Click on Create a List- I called mine "Fan Pages"
• Click on all of your "Likes" (they are listed after your friends)- it will turn blue when you click on it- check

Need to ADD to a LIST:

• Click on your LIST (mine was called Fan Pages)
• Click on button "Add Multiple" 
• Click on whoever you want to add to the list

Each friend/like can be on multiple lists so now I'm going to organize my Fan Page list into sub categories like: Mom Bloggers, Social Media, Kid Stuff, Deals, and Misc.   

Now for the BEST PART....when I just want to look at ONLY my Fan Pages all I need to do is go to News Feed page click on "Fan Pages" and boom all my LIKES are in one page.  It usually says Top News - Most Recent...click on arrow by Most Recent and it gives you several options on what to look at!  I can look at only My Family posts if I want to.  Love it!!

I hope this helps someone organize their Facebook daily experience!  I know it will for me :)

My Spare Tire- where did it come from?

Yes, I've been chubby pretty much my whole life but from my chest to my belly button has always been fine (except for when I was pregnant LOL).  Not anymore I now have a spare tire that has been getting bigger and bigger or maybe I'm just now noticing it!

Anyhoo, no matter when it arrived I need to get rid of it!  How do you get someone who hates to exercise to exercise???  I totally get that I need to that, that's not the problem the problem is getting my big ass to commit to actual working out.  You can call my lazy but I'm not!  I'm on the move a lot but do you think I can fit in a workout for the life of me...better watch what I say!

Motivation to exercise is no where to be found and I'm not sure where to find it!  Just Do It....Right, I know huh and stop talking about it...yes I get all that but I'm not that type of person.  It is like I'm battling with myself to be healthy and that's just sick!

I was the girl in gym that was always on the sidelines bitching/moaning about doing this or that.  I used to lie about having my periods/cramps to the PE Teacher (men coaches bought more than the women coaches) to get out of at least a week. My mom and dad were both heavy into softball and I know they wanted me to play too but please that was way too much for me.  Plus the sweating ewwww, hated that even more.  Gross!  I feel like I'm back in school fighting the coach about running. 

I need to find my motivation and I'm being honest here people.  I HATE working out.  But I can no longer avoid such a serious issue or I'm going to have some major health problems soon. 

I'm up for any suggestions.  Thanks for reading!  Want to know what's really bad...I did spell check and exercise was a word I spelled wrong 3 times- see I can't even spell the word right! 

Weekend Cleaning- The Good and The Ugly!

Last weekend we worked real hard getting our house inside/outside in order so we can ENJOY the summer.  I know we have a lot more to do but we were able to check off at least 10 things off our TO DO LIST.  

The GOOD 

Saturday we cleaned the kids room and everytime I walk by them I go "awwww" because I love seeing a clean room.  Wish my kids felt the same way. I now have boxes full of stuff for the Garage Sale we are going to have on Sunday...yep Father's Day.  It feels good to get all that crap out that we are not using or don't need!  Wait until next Saturday when I really go through stuff to put in the garage sale, I might not stop LOL!

Sunday we worked out in the yard.  Pulling, cutting, pruning everything!  Weeds are not my friend that is for sure and damn they grow back fast.  Or maybe I'm just slow pulling them out- which is probably the truth.  I had to wear a bandanna around my face because I'm allergic to something out there that causes my throat to close up and that's not a good feeling.  It worked okay but I took many water breaks.  The backyard looked awesome and a place where I want to hang out.

The UGLY

But guess what.....the WASPS are all crazy now and they are mad at us.  Not sure what we did to piss them off but I swear if they see us outside anytime after 10am they do everything in their power to torment us.  Lovely huh!  If anyone know a NATURAL way to get rid of them please let me know.  We would like to enjoy our backyard that we worked really hard on!

Well on to research on how to get rid of Wasps- Bees creep me out!

Kids' Clutter Driving You Crazy? FREE teleclass TONIGHT

Just got this email today- woohoo because what I'm doing this weekend- yep cleaning the kids rooms.  I wish I could wave a magical wand and that it would be all done for me but that's NOT REALITY, right!

But then I also wish THEY would clean their own rooms, which I give them credit they TRY but does it ever stand up to my standards, NOPE!  So it's mommy to the rescue this weekend.  Hoping it rains all weekend so I don't feel bad being held up in the house cleaning.  But then I also need to work out in the yard so maybe just rain 1 day, ok! 

Now back to the Kid Clutter click on link if interested in the  FREE KID CLUTTER TELECLASS !  It is TONIGHT but if you have something planned you still can sign up and they will send you and audio version- I say something is better than nothing.  I need help and so I'm reaching out to get that help, LOL! 

Need more tips/tricks: http://www.clutterdiet.com/

This week the kids have came home with BAGS of paperwork and I look at it of course but do I want to keep it all...heck no!  If they come home with more junk I'm going to SCREAM! 

(now I need to a class on messy husband and I'll be all good- oh sorry hubby if see this but just saying that side of the bed is scary looking) Wink Wink :)

Kids- Last Week of School!

Last week of school!  They have been doing the countdown .  My son will be going into the 4th grade and my daughter into the 2nd grade....wow when did they start growing up! 

Lil Man well this year has been a breeze for him because he had a teacher he loved! He did very well this year, that's what his teacher says at least.  My son loves to help his teacher out (kind of reminds me of myself- teachers pet some years LOL) and he has found the love of reading.  Woohoo!  Now if I can find that same love for him to take showers.  I have to fight him every day to take a shower.  Oh and the lip smacking and talking back has given me many teeth clutching episodes.  He doesn't get to play his video games that much these days. 

Lil Mama well she exceeds what I expected out of her this year.  I'm not going to brag too much...lol but she is doing her thing in school and I'm a proud mama.  She needs to work on getting along with others though!  She doesn't like people around her, she would be happy at a table all by herself.  Her social skills are needing some TLC.  She was at home with me until Kindergarten so she never got "lets play and have fun" experience.  She also is a big helper around the school.  She would rather help the teachers out than go outside and play.  Something I should be worried about or let her work through what she needs too.  We will see!  I want her to be social like her mama but I'm not sure if that will happen.  At least she won't get kicked out of sewing class in high school for talking too much- like I did! 

I'm proud of them and so excited for them to start a new school year! 

Menopause....REALLY!

I've been fighting this battle within myself of NOT GROWING OLD.  In my head I'm still 25 but my body is saying "no way in hell" your 25 anymore girl so please let go! 
This past month I've been going through some weird stuff and I finally called my mom to whine about what is happening.  She says "Sounds like your going through menopause"  well she just busted my bubble and all that is in my head is DAMN PAM YOUR GETTING OLD!  Don't get me wrong I'm not saying everyone who is going through menopause is old BUT to me that is how I felt! 

I did a bit more research because I need my mom to be wrong but guess what I think she is RIGHT ON and I just need to accept the fact I'm getting older (every time I read these sentence I rolled my eyes, hehehe).

I have 26 of the 34 below symptoms....I'm going to say that's not good!  Ok so making my dr appointment next week, its always better safe than sorry right.  This getting old crap is not fun and I know I have many many years to dealing with falling apart, hope my family is ready to take care of me...LOL!

What I need to do now is start taking better care of myself.  Exercise and Food is my next project, love how I call it a PROJECT. I know I'm silly- just trying to psych myself out that is something I want to do than something I need to do.

Common Symptoms
1. Hot Flashes
2. Night Sweats
3. Irregular Periods
4. Loss of Libido
5. Vaginal Dryness
6. Mood Swings

Changes
7. Fatigue
8. Hair Loss
9. Sleep Disorders
10. Difficult Concentrating
11. Memory Lapses
12. Dizziness
13. Weight Gain
14. Incontinence
15. Bloating
16. Allergies
17. Brittle Nails

18. Changes in Odor
19. Irregular Heartbeat
20. Depression
21. Anxiety
22. Irritability
23. Panic Disorder

Pains
24. Breast Pain
25. Headaches
26. Joint Pain
27. Burning Tongue
28. Electric Shocks
29. Digestive Problems
30. Gum Problems
31. Muscle Tension
32. Itchy Skin
33. Tingling Extremities

Others
34. Osteoporosis

 

Got this list from http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/

Summer Reading Sale

I love EBooks and so I'm always stalking Amazon for FREE or great deals!  They are running a sweet deal now so I just had to share!  Now it doesn't mater if you don't have an e-reader (nook, kindle) because all you need is a computer to read these books.

Get APP: Read Anywhere from Amazon's Free Reading App
 I have it on my PC, my android phone, and my iPad!  I love this feature and use it on a weekly basis.  Plus its FREE! 

.99 Book Sale

$1.99 Book Sale

$2.99 Book Sale

Check out all the books on SALE

Top FREE Books

Have fun READING this summer, I know I am! 

Summer Time Plans- 1 more week of school

The kids will be in camp for June, with Grandma in Wash for July, and with me in August. Okay that's the plan, wow that wasn't so hard huh! 

June will be fun for them because they still get to hangout with their close school buds and doing fun stuff!  They are looking forward to that and so am I!  I will actually have a full day to do my work and other projects- NO SCHOOL STUFF!

July will be a busy month but very FUN!  We leave on July 8th to take a trip w/the kids to WA to see my family.  We are driving up there but not rushing we plan to stop and enjoy.  My hubby and I will stay up there for a week with the kids visiting family and then we will head back to Cali w/o the kids- woohoo!!!  My mom will take the kids for 2 weeks and then meet us in Oregon to go camping for a couple days.  Then we head back w/the kids July 30th. 

August well I hope to go on a couple day trips, if nice out swimming of course, and just chillin at the house.  We will all enjoy sleeping in and spending quality time with each other.  Looking forward to that. 

How to control EMAILS???

5052 emails is what I have!  Really.....I'm on email overload!  What my problem is I look at the emails on my phone and then NO FOLLOW through.  I need to get a handle on this or else I say F**K it and delete it all and start over and what if I delete something VERY IMPORTANT (which I usually do)!

Doing a little research on how to control my emails I came across some great tips!

Delete it:  (ha I have a lot to delete and then unsubscribe)

• Does the message relate to a meaningful objective you're currently working on? If not, you can probably delete it. Why keep information that doesn't relate to your main focus?
• Does the message contain information you can find elsewhere? If so, delete it.
• Does the message contain information that you will refer to within the next six months? If not, delete it.
• Does the message contain information that you're required to keep? If not, delete it.  

Do it : (wouldn't that be nice right than and there- will I do that though? See that is my problem right there, lol)

• If you can't delete the email messages, ask yourself, "What specific action do I need to take?" and "Can I do it in less than two minutes?" If you can, just do it.

Delegate it: (wish I had some one to delegate too)

• If you can't delete it or do it in two minutes or less, can you forward the email to an appropriate team member who can take care of the task?

Defer it: (really need to do the follow thru on this)

• If you cannot delete it, do it in less than two minutes, or delegate it, the action required is something that only you can accomplish and that will take more than two minutes. Because this is your dedicated email processing time, you need to defer it and deal with it after you are done processing your email. You’ll probably find that about 20 percent of your email messages have to be deferred.

This is from http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/productivity/email.aspx  awesome tools in Outlook!

Some other tips that I read about:

• Use 2 email address...one for personal and one for business (blogging in my case).  I will create a Pinkmama email today!
• Unsubscribe to newsletters you don't read daily- this might clear up a lot!
• Unsubscribe to marketers emails- I don't even open these unless the title catches my eye like 90% off! I'm broke these days so I don't need 20 emails letting me know whats on SALE, right??
• Folders...I do have these but do I use them?  Ugh maybe I should!

Next thing I'm going to look into is....GMAIL tips!

Do you have any great tips to help me with this EMAIL OVERLOAD I'm going thru! 

Very simple right!  HA who are we kidding that takes time!