Busymom.net

Share the LOVE Scavenger Hunt - Stop 1

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:08:06 -0600

Welcome to the Share the LOVE Scavenger Hunt with great prizes to help introduce a new website for moms!

Here's how to play:

1. There are 7 bloggers participating in the Hunt and the goal of the game is to find those 7 bloggers through clues on each of those seven blogs.

2. After you find a blog leave a comment for the blogger, give them a compliment or just say, "Found you!"

3. At the last blog there will be a final clue as to what the mom site is.

4. Once you find that final mom website you need to join that site (it's not a trap, or an e-mail harvesting thing, it's a fun site) and then email Jenn at needs.coffee@gmail.com with a list of all seven blogs, plus the name of the mom site.

5. The first player to complete all of the above wins a great gift bag, including a beautiful Love/Joy freshwater pearl necklace and earrings.

Four runners up also win gift bags and there are also prizes for 10 players through a random drawing. Yes, a total of 15 prize packages!

Prize packages include amazing prizes from: Orville Redenbacher (popcorn and popcorn bowls); Rice Krispies (wonderful treat kits); handcrafted jewelry; handcrafted bags; and more!

6. The contest begins today, Monday, November 17th, 2008 and it ends on Friday, November 21st, 2008 and winners will be announced on Monday, November 24th, 2008.

Hurry, though the first person to complete the Hunt wins the grand prize!

On to Stop 2 (if you think you know it and you don't find the next clue, keep checking frequently as the sites are putting up clues as we speak):

Spot the blog of this mommy to read her crazed diary.

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Hey, while you're here do you need photo Christmas cards?

Here's a good discount, get it while it lasts.

Free toothbrush with overnight stay. Change of clothes required.

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 09:35:00 -0600

Busy Girl's phone was stolen at a party last night.

At the YMCA.

Grr...

ATT Wireless was very nice and now I'm trying to get psyched up to get dressed and go over to the ATT store and do something about it.

That really has nothing to do with anything other that it pisses me off since most of the people there were from her school.

Anyway, as usual we had a spend the night guest last night and I've observed a trend.

No one brings anything when they spend the night out anymore.

Sometimes, like last night, they literally bring nothing.

And, this was even a girl.

I don't get it.

When I was growing up, half the fun was packing the things you'd need and we even had special "slumber party bags" to put the crap in.

On the occasion that spend the night guests do bring stuff, why do they never have toothbrushes?

I usually keep a couple of toothbrushes (yes, they are new) in the guest bathroom.

The occasional adult guest would need one, but somehow the kids discovered them and now everyone wants to come over here because apparently it's gotten out that you get a free toothbrush with overnight stay at the Busy's.

I've even relocated them, but now I have people asking for their toothbrush.

Can anyone hook me up with a case of toothbrushes?

I passed out one to last week's toothbrush-less guest (I know he didn't have one) at bedtime and he thanked me and promptly stuffed it in his bag rather than using it.

And what is it with boys who sleep in their clothes?

It could be just me projecting my own sleep weirdness (Please don't let the pillow sham thing start up again), but I can't sleep if you are sleeping in your clothes. You are making me uncomfortable.

Even if these young men sleep in their clothes, what is it with their refusal to put on clean clothes the next day?

I've been a girl, but I've never been a boy, maybe this is just standard and I don't know it, but Busy Boy changes his clothes when he's a guest at someone's house.

What if I've scarred him socially?

What if his autobiography has an entire chapter about how we made him wear clean clothes and he was tormented for his actions?

How will I live with myself?

These are the things that keep me awake at night, you see.

Blah, blah blah volleyball...

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:10:52 -0600

Hey, where''d the week go?

It was here somewhere just a minute ago.

Anyway, I owe lots of you thanks for your thoughtful responses about the sports team question I had.

Busy Girl tried out for club (travel) volleyball a couple of weeks ago.

It's very competitive, so we had no idea how things would turn out, especially since she's not played club before (the season she just finished was the school team).

She's very good, but didn't have a stellar night at the second night of tryouts, so we were pretty sure she'd make a third team (1 being best).

Nothing's wrong with the 3rd team. but since she is already a freshman she has some catching up to do with those who have played for years and I want her to have as much instruction and practice as possible.

Her school is very competitive in the sport and is in the state finals most every year, so making junior varsity even is not a given.

She made the 3rd team at choice B (more competitive club), but we hear they may be moved up and we might get the best of both worlds (/Hannah Montana) giving the club two 2 teams which has more practices and competition.

Gah, that was a long fluffy way to say thanks for your thoughts and my kid plays some sport.

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p.s. If you want this discount, I hear (much to my chagrin) tomorrow may be the last day for this particular one.

Tiny Prints and Wedding Paper Divas discount codes

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:13:29 -0600

Just so ya know, you can save 10% at Tiny Prints if you use the discount code BUSYMOMREADER.

Use it for any order including 10% off those fabulous Tiny Prints Holiday Photo Cards.

Seriously, it's time to order Christmas cards. Go do it now.

Really, I mean it.

But, wait!

Are you getting married soon?

Then you'd better order wedding invitations.

Use the Wedding Paper Divas discount code BUSYMOM and 10% off your order at Wedding Paper Divas.

They also have Wedding Paper Divas holiday cards for couples and newlyweds.

What are you waiting for?

Go on, it's like I'm giving you money or something.

Title would go here if I were in a better mood

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:03:08 -0600

I've been nursing a foul mood for the past couple of days, no good reason, really.

Having dinner with Tori and Lindsay last night helped immensely.

We had a great time, fabulous momversation and I hope we can do it again, soon.

We didn't talk about you.

Much.

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More from the "Kids Say the Darndest Things" Files:

Busy Boy (age 12) has been lifting weights in anticipation of football season next year.

He was flexing his biceps for Busy D. (age 6) who dutifully felt them and proclaimed:

"They feel like 2 plastic tubes of Jello."

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Question:

Pretend you have a kid who is playing a sport and there's two team choices, both are a big commitment and cost more than they should.

Choice A is a high level team where playing time might be hard to come by, but you practice 3 days a week.

(For that kind of money, I'm partial to a lot of practice.)

Choice B is a lower level team, but there'd be more playing time. However, it only practices twice a week.

Choice B program is a slightly stronger organization, but I'm unclear on the coaching expertise at that level as the emphasis is likely on the higher teams.

So, what do you go with?

More competitive team, more practice, but less playing time or less competitive team, less practice, but more playing time?

Inquiring minds want to know.

If you live here and know what I'm talking about and have experience with these clubs, please e-mail me.

Don't you wish you had eaten dinner here?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:13:36 -0600

Busy Girl: "Cubed meat scares me."

(Note: she was bitching about nothing in the house to cook for dinner, so Busy Dad told her to do something with some ham or beef or whatever it was that was in the fridge for soup or stew)

----------------

Me: "Eat your peas."

Busy Boy: "And, if I don't?" (he was being silly)

Me: "Eat your peas, or I'll take your phone."

Busy Boy: "OK. You may have won the battle, but I shall win the war."

Me: "The war of what? Peas? In which case you will have won...peas."

Happy Halloween-io!

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:58:27 -0600

Happy Halloween!

OK, I have to confess, I don't really like Halloween all that much.

Sure, in my day it was the biggest social occasion of the year. There were more hook-ups than a Velcro closure and it was a great excuse to wear whatever you wanted.

Robert Palmer girl, anyone?

Now, I find it rather a pain.

I'm glad the kids like it and all, it's just that it's such a...I don't know...

My kids start talking about costumes in September. And talking...and talking...

The other adult in the house buys them said costumes in September and by the time Halloween actually rolls around, they've lost the parts or they don't want to be that anymore.

Then there's the whole thing of what they can and can't wear to school, so more often than not it involves at least one of them having 2 costumes.

Halloween is usually on a weeknight and things begin absurdly early so I'm dashing away from work to get to school or to home.

We don't live in a neighborhood that's good for trick-or-treating, so we have to get ourselves invited somewhere and pack up and go and it's all so rushed.

We also have to plan to take them by my dad's house, so when we get back from trick-or-treating, we have to rush off there.

Actually, I'm suspicious he doesn't care either way if we come, that was my mother's thing. In fact, he's not even going to be home tonight, so there ya go.

I have a (young) teenager now and we are facing the whole issue of going out in the neighborhood with friends as well as the boyfriend.

Entire other post, mind you.

You guys with teens? I'm kinda mad you didn't warn me about all of this.

Then, you have the whole who's spending the night with whom and where to iron out.

No, that's not related to the boyfriend issue, smartypants.

Don't even start me on the photograph opportunities and poor lighting issues.

And, finally...

Kids today? Trick-or-treat wimps!

I know I've bitched about it before, but , in my day, you went for blocks and blocks and blocks, sometimes coming home to dump out candy and start again!

Now, I can hardly get my kids to even say, "Trick or treat!" when they go to a house and they're ready to call it a day after a street or two.

They're going out tonight and they are not to come home until they have a bag of 1st tier candy filled to a predetermined (by me) amount.

And they're gonna have fun, dammit.

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Just FYI, today is my last day at both Career and Kids and GenBetween.

Also? Be sure to check out the Parentography podcasts Jay and I have started.

They're about parents and photography if you didn't get the whole "Parentography" thing.

OK, he knows about photography and I mostly just agree with him, but go check it out, anyway.

Masked Americans denied rights!

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:03:03 -0600

Obama-McCain Dance off

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 09:37:18 -0600

And you thought I didn't talk about politics:

Lost: mind. Please return.

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:34:17 -0600

I stopped by my dad's house the other day when he wasn't home and I noticed a pad of paper with a list that had times and entries such as "5:30 get up" and "6:15 go to work".

I immediately thought, "Oh, Lord here's the first clue his mind is failing, what do I do now?"

If you're new here, I'm an only child and my dad is 76 and has lived alone since my mother died a couple of years ago.

He's a teacher and works full time, there's nothing wrong with him that I know of, but since he's a man of few words I do get a surprise every now and then.

Like the time he couldn't walk and didn't tell me.

For 3 days.

Anyway, as I went through all the scenarios in my brain regarding this list, it finally dawned on me that he just got a new programmable thermostat and was working on the schedule for it.

Alzheimer's averted.

His, not necessarily mine.

Long live my HP Pavilion

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:44:30 -0600

My beloved HP Pavillion laptop is dead.

D-E-D dead.

Cause of death unknown.

Level of "I'm screwed". Known.

Need it very, very, very badly.

Blissdom 08

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 09:56:56 -0600

Yesterday, Mrs. Fussypants and the Blissfully Domestic crew launched a new blog conference here in the South.

Through the generosity of One2One Network and Epson, Blissdom was born.

It was held in Nashville yesterday at the Hotel Preston (which was very cool, Nashvillians should check it out) and I was honored to be asked to speak.

There were many, many fun people in attendance, and I finally got to meet Missy (and am pretty sure we shouldn't sit next to each other in venues where we should be serious and stuff.).

There were some great sessions about bloggers and blogging, some excellent discussion and I think everyone came away with something they can use.

We were entertained by the lovely and talented Jessie Baylin (Has sound, but you seriously need to check her out), drank Blisstinis at the open bar, had a great dinner at the Sunset Grill (hey, bartender) and got some spiffy swag bags, to boot.

A big thank you to all who made it possible and stay tuned, because rumor has it that Blissdom 2009 is actually right around the corner.

Lands' End Free Shipping Code

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:36:55 -0600

Here's a new Lands' End free shipping code:

Code: OUTERWEAR
Pin: 1013
valid October 13-20

I don't work for them, I don't get anything when you use it.

However, feel free to use it to purchase my Christmas present at any time.

Soccer rapture

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:03:34 -0600

I was helping coach Busy D.'s soccer game on Saturday, it's a multi-person affair, (don't start me on the reasons why) and I was manning the bench.

I don't put up with a lot of crap on the bench and I watch them pretty tightly, likely to the chagrin of a couple of parents (the same parents whose kids are the reason it takes an army to get the kids through a game).

During the game, a lady came rushing up to me and exclaimed, "What have you done with my son? Where is Clive (not his real name)?"

Me: "Huh?"

Lady: "He's not here, weren't you watching?!"

Now, I was pretty sure I hadn't lost anyone, especially in the middle of a large field, but I had a little problem.

I had no idea which kids was Clive.

Since they moved up a division, we've added 4 kids to the team and I'm not around a lot since Busy Dad is the assistant coach, he wasn't there and I have no idea who some of these kids are.

However, it didn't really seem like the time to tell her I didn't know who her kid was since she thought him to be, you know, missing.

Hoping the kids on the bench would bail me out, I said rather loudly, "Where is Clive? Let me see..."

But, nothing.

Not a bite from the little ~~turds~~ (including my own kid) dears who just moments before ~~couldn't shut up to save their lives~~ were chatting enthusiastically.

Perhaps they didn't bail me out because I had just had to remove all their drinks from their possession, we may never know.

She's getting more agitated, I still don't know which one's hers, much less where he went.

I put my hand to my forehead as if to shield my eyes from the glare while I looked for Clive.

She continued to huff and puff and I try again to enlist the kids help.

One kid abruptly stops goofing off, turns around and looks at me and says rather emphatically and most adult-like, "He's. In. The. Goal."

Mother: "Well, OK. I thought you let him run off. He could have been kidnapped or something, you know."

Hey, you kids. Get offa my lawn.

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:43:59 -0600

I took Busy Girl to get some new glasses the other day.

While she perused the selection at Sears Opitcal, I asked young optician dude if they took my vision insurance.

I was pretty sure they didn't, because it seems like some drugstore in Boise is the only place that takes it, but I thought I'd try anyway.

Young Optician Dude: "No, but do you have AAA?"

Me: "No."

Young Optician Dude: "What about (some other letter jumble I can't remember)?"

Me: "Nope.'

At this point, since she was over in the designer frame section, I very jokingly, said:

"But, you can give me that AARP discount if you want."

Young Optician Dude: "Oh, OK, great!"

Me: "I'm going to pretend that you knew I was joking and that you are now joking in return.

Do not utter any word whatsoever that indicates any differently."

Young Optician Dude: "Uh...uh...OK."