Mind Games

I will start this post by admitting to you that what I’m about to share is a little bit crazy… as in I’m a little bit crazy. But, if you know me, this is not news to you. Yes, I’m a little bit crazy – aren’t we all?

Today’s craziness is all about getting up in the morning – and the mind games we play with ourselves around the dreaded alarm clock.

Let me ask you a few questions:

Do you set your clock to the ACTUAL time, or do you set it just a little bit fast?
Do you set your alarm early so that you can hit the snooze button a few times?

Now, it is confession time.

I do both.

How crazy is that?

Seriously crazy, I think.

But I’ve already admitted to you I’m a little nuts.

SuperMan is nuts, too.

Both clocks in our bedroom are set fast. Mine is about 20-30 minutes fast. His? I have no idea. I haven’t figured it out.

And while this seems a little crazy – I mean, if I KNOW the clock is set fast, then all I have to do is do a little math and I know what time it really is, right? I’m not fooling anyone…

or am I?

You see, the monkeys use my clock as a check as to whether or not it is really bedtime. So, I get a little head-start this way.

But, it is nuts. I admit it.

Especially when you add in the fact that I set my alarm early so I can hit the snooze button a few times. It makes me feel like I am getting more sleep. It’s probably terrible for me, but I do it anyway.

So…

20-30 minutes fast on the clock setting + 20-30 minutes early on the alarm setting = too much math to do at 5AM when the alarm goes off. (or at least I THINK it’s 5AM)

So what do I do? I get up when I have hit the snooze 3 times. I know that it is roughly the right time to get up. Some days, I get up earlier; some days I hit that snooze button just one more time (and usually regret it because then I have to rush)

Why do I play these mind games with myself?

I have no clue.

I’ve been doing it for so long I can’t even remember why I started in the first place.

And I wonder if I quit would it totally mess me up and make me late? Who knows.

But tell me this… am I the only one who does this?

Come on, admit it… tell me you do, too.

Kissable Lips

I am a lipstick junkie. At any given time, I might have 3-4 lipsticks in my purse. I have pinks, reds, browns, neutrals… I mean, a girl’s gotta match her outfit, right?

I found some really nice lipsticks (and lip glosses) that I love and I thought I’d share.

First up is the only lip gloss I will wear. Normally, I hate lip gloss. It’s sticky and goopy and generally makes me feel messy, not put-together. But this one I love. I found it thanks to someone at church. She recommended it last winter.

Buxom Buxom Lips Full Color

Buxom Lips Full Color – Sophie

A little pricey, but oh, so worth it.

The shade I wear is “Sophie.” They have about a bajillion colors, though, so I’m sure you could find one you like.

What I like about it is this:

It’s not too goopy.
It has a minty taste/smell – and SuperMan says I taste minty when he kisses me.
It has a nice shine but it’s not too glossy.
Doesn’t dry my lips out – actually makes them feel moisturized.
It lasts a long, long time (and that is my favorite part)

I also found these at the drug store the other day:

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks

At $5 each, I decided to splurge a little and bought two colors.

The Broadway Bronze is a great neutral (for me) and I have worn it almost every day since I bought it. I like the Tinted Taupe as well.

What I like about these:

$5 price
lots of colors to choose from
feels great on my lips and doesn’t dry them out
pretty cases 🙂

So, there you have it. My current favorite lipsticks.

What are your favorite brands/colors? Any suggestions for me to try out? I gotta feed my habit, you know.

My Nook is Getting a New Look?

I love Beatrice Nook. I think you already know that.

I found out some cool things today as I was messing around on the internet.

There are some beautiful skins for the Nook. And pretty matching covers/cases.

What more could a girl want for her Nook?

Here are a few I’m trying to decide between. Which one do you like best? Help me decide.

or maybe

or maybe blue?

I really like that one – and the cover is leather, not synthetic. I think it is my favorite so far.

But most definitely not this

Product Details

Eek! I would have nightmares!

There are too many choices, what’s a girl to do?

Too bad I can’t order one of each. That would be a little excessive, wouldn’t it?

The bundles are all from Amazon and come with screen protectors and the skins and cases.

I’m thinking this might be a nice birthday gift for a girl who’s got a birthday coming soon.

Wondering on Wednesday ~ What makes you happy?

I was thinking about how happy I’ve been lately. Granted, there’s been some stress in my life, but even with that, I just have this overall feeling of contentment. Life is good. I’m blessed with a job that I love and can do from home, a schedule that allows me to focus on my kids when I need to and juggle other responsibilities. I have a husband who loves me and supports me in all my crazy ideas and two not-so-little girls that I adore (and who like me most of the time, too).

On top of all that, there are the little things that make me happy.

Here are a few little things that have made me happy lately:

Werther’s Original Sugar Free Caramel Coffee candies
These are sooo good. You can’t tell they are sugar free and they give a great coffee and caramel flavor. Very rich tasting. I feel like I’m getting away with something when I eat one of these.
My Droid
How did I ever survive without this thing? Seriously. I take it EVERYWHERE
(even the bathroom, but that is probably TMI, isn’t it?)
It’s like having a laptop in your pocket. I can find out anything I want to know anytime, anywhere. Directions, updates from my friends on Facebook, emails from work, movie times, restaurants, etc. I’m so addicted, the darn thing should probably have a name (like Beatrice Nook does)
My Knitting

After stepping away from the hot yarn for the summer, I’m so enjoying getting back into my knitting. I find such peace as I’m sitting at the dance studio waiting for the girls to finish up classes and knitting my little heart out. I guess I’m a kinesthetic person, because the physical act of knitting is like a balm to my soul. It just really calms me and focuses me. I have started knitting in the evenings for about 30 minutes before the bedtime rush. It has been really interesting to do that – I find I’m a lot more patient and calm for the monkeys’ bedtime when I do that.
Beatrice Nook
I love being able to read anything whenever/wherever I want. I also love the fact that I have the Nook software on my Droid so I can read even if I forget Beatrice (the horror!) and find myself with a few extra moments somewhere.
(this one may sound crazy to you) Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Detergent
Maybe crazy sounding, but I am loving this stuff. It gets out all kinds of stains and it has the best scent! I don't even think I need a dryer sheet when I’m finished with the washing. The clothes are fresh, clean, and soft when I’m folding them. Love it.

So, today, I’m wondering…

What makes you happy?

Enter a comment below
and tell me your five things that make you happy today.

What I’m Reading Right Now

I am actually reading a BOOK right now. Shocker, I know, since I have been so hooked on Beatrice (the Nook) lately. But I had purchased a few books right before Beatrice entered our lives and I felt like I really should go back and read those before purchasing any more books on the B&N website.

That is the only downside I have found with my Nook. It makes quite a dent in my “disposable income” budget without me even realizing it. I see a book on there that I want, I press “purchase” and blam! it’s there on Beatrice. Painless and quick. Until I look at my bank statement. (eep!)

Anyway.

Here’s what I’m reading right now… I purchased it at a discount at the drug store – they had a big bin of hardbacks marked down to $5 each and I couldn’t resist. I bought this one and a couple others which I haven’t read yet (but plan to read soon)

And, as I just downloaded the image from the Barnes and Noble website, I see that it is Book #2 in a Trilogy! Egads! Now I’m going to have to download Book #1!! (Labyrinth is the title)

The book, so far, is engrossing, although I haven’t quite figured out the plot yet. However, now that I know that I am really starting in the middle of the story, that might explain a few things – like why I can’t figure out the plot yet! (note to self – look for Labyrinth on the Nook tonight)

Here’s what Barnes & Noble had to say about Sepulchre:

In 1891, young Leonie Vernier and her brother Anatole arrive in the beautiful town of Rennes-les-Bains, in the Pyrenees of southwest France. Born and raised in Paris, they've come at the invitation of their widowed aunt, whose mountain estate, Domain de la Cade, is famous in the region. But it soon becomes clear that their aunt—and the Domain—are not what Leonie had imagined. For starters, Tante Isolde is no graying dowager—she is young, willowy, and beautiful, but with a melancholy air that suits the strange, slightly sinister Domain de la Cade. Leonie discovers that the house has long been the subject of local superstition. The villager claim that the Devil walks in the forests of the Domain, and that Isolde's late husband died after summoning a demon from the old Visigoth sepulchre high on the mountainside. A book from the Domain's cavernous library describes not only the spell used to bring forth the demon, but the strange Tarot pack that is part of the ritual, a set of…

I am not even 100 pages into the book yet – can’t tell you much other than I am looking forward to reading more. I am enjoying the writing style and have already been sucked in to the story – I want to know what is going on – and I want to know what is going to happen to Loenie and Anatole. Anatole seems (on the surface) to be somewhat shallow, but I am reading hints of more depth to the character and to his story.

I’ll keep you posted as I read through it – It’s a big book (~600 pages) so it will probably take me a week or two to finish.

What are you reading?

I love new book suggestions – got any to share?

Conspiracy Theories

I am convinced there is a conspiracy. This conspiracy has been going on for a long time and appears to be recruiting participants as time goes by. If you are a mom, you may even be affected by this same conspiracy.

It may be somewhat of a delicate subject, but I'll dive in…

Here's what I'm talking about: It seems that 85-90% of the time when I enter a restroom there is no toilet paper. It happens often enough that I'm beginning to wonder if I have become the universe's appointed toilet-paper-changer person.

At home, we have three bathrooms. And four people.

And I promise you, on any given day, whichever bathroom I choose to use will have an empty toilet paper roll sitting there. Now, it's not that we haven't undergone rigorous training around here.

Everyone has been carefully schooled in the fine art of taking the empty roll off (and placing in the wastebasket) and replacing with a clean, fresh roll. I even make sure we are well-stocked in the lavatory – keeping 3-4 rolls on hand in the event of a major situation in which we need copious amounts of TP.

However, it never fails. I am greeted with the sad straggler of the abandoned roll; waiting to be decommissioned and reassigned to the recycling. I'm sure you've encountered this before yourself. Am I right?

I often wonder – do they do this on purpose?

Or is it just lucky coincidence?

I have even left the empty roll on there just to see what others will do. Usually… nothing. However, I do recall one time a few years back when my oldest decided to be helpful and "fix" the TP.

Now we have a reinforced holder covering the hole in the wall that was a result of her struggle to remove the roll from the holder. (poor thing was really upset!)

After that incident, I was actually glad she quit wanting to "help" and happily changed out the rolls myself.

It's not that I mind changing out the rolls. I don't. I just marvel at how quickly they seem to need changing. And how it always seems to be when it's my turn in the facilities. Like there is a cosmic timeline and the timer goes off when I step in the bathroom "bing! time to change the roll!"

I have noticed, too, that I seem to be the lucky one to find the empty rolls in other places, too. When I am visiting a friend, for example. And then I'm always struck with the dilemma. What do I do? Rummage in their powder room for a replacement roll? Leave the empty roll dangling and use tissues? (if there are any) I usually opt to refill the roll, hoping that my hostess will be more glad I restocked than she is perturbed by my rummaging.

And let's don't even get started on the whole "over" or "under" debate…

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