Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Mr. Department Store CEO, you are my nemesis.

We went school shoe shopping today. School won't start for nearly a month, but I knew I had to go ahead and start the Great Shoe Safari with my daughter. Normally, she is a total flip-flip girl, but the educational powers that be, including the PE Coach, usually frown upon kids flippin' and a floppin' while they are learning their times tables and shooting hoops.

Thus, we seek tennis shoes, which leads me to a question. Do y'all say "tennis shoes," "sneakers" or what? My husband says "sneakers" and I say "tennis shoes." That is neither here nor there nor, ya know, important, but I just thought I'd ask.

So we went to a major department store to find some tennis shoes and as soon as I walked in the shoe department I could tell that we had hit the jackpot. There were at least two choices of tennis shoes that may fit my daughter and, for us, that is like a shoe buffet. Only we don't eat them.

My daughter has her mother's feet. Bless her heart. She has a time trying to find tennis shoes or any shoe at all with a closed heel. We have average feet until you get to the heel. The heel is so narrow it could cross over itself. Or not. Shoes that fit in the toe just slide up and down in the back, and if we want a shoe to slide up and down in the back then we would just wear flip flops. Wouldn't we?

The clerk was more than helpful. Seriously, he was more than helpful as in he tried too hard. To tell the truth, I think he was on something or maybe he had been sniffing too many Crocs. I don't know, but he got on my nerves. I told him the brand we needed, because I am the Mama and I know these things. No need to waste any time on shoes made for chubby feet. My daughter has dainty feet, even if they are SO HARD TO FIT.

So I was thinking I made it easy for him, but no. That would be wrong, so wrong. Even with my organized, "She wears this brand and I think she is this size" self, he was confused. Normally I would just leave, but I could tell we were going to find some cute shoes that fit my little girl. And I am a Mama, so I stayed.

We left the store with not one, but two cute pairs of shoes for school- one for now and one to grow in. I also found a pair of flip flops for myself. SCORE!

We decided we must be on a roll, so we kept shopping. In a few weeks we will be attending my niece's baptism and we need something nice to wear. I don't usually shop for shoes AND clothes that fit, but hey! I'm crazy like that sometimes.

So we looked. And looked. And looked some more at all the girl's departments and girl's shops and we found nothing. We aren't picky. We just want my daughter to have a nice, stylish, modest dress that doesn't have a label that reads "Made In Las Vegas."

Is it too much to ask?

I had completely given up on finding a dress for myself at the mall and planned to head over to my friend Christy's cute little women's shop because Christy, she knows fashion. And she is a Mama. Somehow, (maybe it was the fumes from all the Crocs) I forgot my original plan and did look for a dress or nice skirt ensemble for myself. Everything was either Mother-of-the-Bride or Bride of Frankenstein. (sigh)

So we did what most girls do when they can't find anything good to wear. We went to Chick-fil-A. Nothing calms the nerves and lifts the spirits like a good piece of boneless chicken fried in peanut oil. Plus, as an added bonus (if the chicken nuggets weren't enough) my daughter's kid's meal had the coolest prize- A History of Flight booklet with paper airplanes and a space shuttle to put together.

I said, "You know, Chick-fil-A does have the best toys. They usually give books or language CD's or something really cool. I should put that on my blog."

Then my daughter replied, "Yep. You should. The rest of the happy meals' toys are all so lame."

After finishing our tasty peanuty oil lunches, we continued on our trek for cute clothes and accessories. Much to our chagrin, we found nothing.

Here's our little message to major department stores all over this country:

Your clothes for young girls are lame.

Your clothes for women over the age of 18 who actually eat or for women over the age of 30 who have given birth and eat boneless chicken fried in peanut oil- also lame.

You might want to PAY ATTENTION.

I'm a Mama. I write the checks.

Great Summer Links for Kids

Out of ideas this summer?

Here are a few great links I found for families and kids.

1. Scholastic Online- You can find cute video games related to some of their favorite books and you can play Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? for a little trivia fun.

2. Kaboose- Crafts, games, and family activities for all ages.

3. National Geographic for Kids- Lots of cool facts and fun about animals and the planet.

4. Family Fun Games- Check out this link for an outdoor game for each day in August! Fun Stuff!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Monday, July 30, 2007

Pick One: A Meme

Seeing as how I am under the dark cloud of writer's block, I have been working on a little meme. It's a lot like those quizes you get through email, only less creative.

So here goes.

I'm calling it "Pick One." Feel free to play along if you are suffering from writer's block, a headache, or Global Warming Syndrome (I just made that up. Hey, look, Al! I invented something.)

1. Coke or Pepsi?

Um, duh. Coke. Diet, please. Unless Publix is all out of Coke and I have to resort to Chek or Diet Rite. (shivers with the thought)

2. Pink or orange?

Pink. It's my signature color. It also comes in blush and bashful.

3. Matt or Ben?

Matt. Unless David Duchovny was a choice.

4. Baked potato or french fries?

With a steak, then baked potato. Yes, butter and sour and cream. And lots of it.

5. Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Doughnuts?

Krispy Kreme

6. Sleepless in Seattle or You've Got Mail?

Sleepless in Seattle.

7. Math or English?

English. Who woulda guessed that one? :>)

8. Paper or Plastic?

KIDDING! Must be the Global Warming Syndrome... must...recycle...now...


H and G. This Ain't NY.

:>)

Saturday, July 28, 2007

BIG. REALLY BIG!

5 Minutes for Mom is having a not-so-little contest.

They are giving away a flat screen TV from Best Buy.

Yep. You read that right.

So, go enter now for a chance to win.

Your husband will love you for it!

Oh, how I miss Mr. Rogers.

The simpler times of Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans have all sadly disappeared along with my girlish figure and my soft-as-a-buttercup complexion.

My Mama had it so good.

Not only do I have to deal with W*ccan and weirdos and the West Nile Virus, but now, according to Mr. Science, I have to choose whether my kid is going to grow up with Multiple Sclerosis or Skin Cancer!

Please, Bill Nye the Science Guy, could you let up just a wee bit?

How 'bout solving world hunger? Or maybe you could clean up all those poor penguins off the coast of South America? Or how 'bout helping us with something, ya know, useful, like static cling and hair frizzies?

Seriously, I've got enough on my biodegradable, not-gonna-destroy-the-planet-and -make-Al-Gore-millions paper plate.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Drumroll, Please....

And the winner is...

Trista from The Pumkin Patch!

You are the winner of the Paula Deen Cookbook and the Ray Charles CD.


Email me,Trista @ the address in my profile and I will send you your prizes.

Thanks to everyone who left a comment or emailed me to enter. Thanks to all you lurkers (you know who you are, Tee Hee) for commenting.

I appreciate all of your kind words. :>)

Time. It is a wastin.'

Comments and entries for The Paula and Ray Bloggy Giveaway close tonight @ 8:00 PM, CT. (That's also known as Alabama Time down here.)

So, if you haven't entered, go here.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Thursday Thirteen: Gigglepalooza

1. Having my daughter's friend spend the night reminds me of what it was like to be a kid, giggling and squealing and squeezing out the very last drop of energy in order to stay awake.

This is the real reason we don't give children coffee.

2. Spend-The-Night. Notice the words. There is nothing in there remotely hinting of sleep or even a tiny yawn.

3. To tell the truth, (and don't tell my daughter) the girls went to sleep a lot better than my friends and I ever did. I was the kid who kept talking and telling stories to keep everyone else up.

Tee hee hee...

4. The toys are all different. So far, I haven't tripped on a Slinky on the stairs.

5. The cat just came out of hiding. She usually gets under the bed when things are too loud and rowdy. Last night, I started to join her. (Hey Maggie, scoot over.)

6. The girls made crafts. Y'all know I'm all about the crafts! Yesterday they painted rocks to look like ladybugs. They turned out so cute.

And yes, I painted one, too. Mine is a butterfly.

7. One of our real-live-butterflies emerged yesterday morning. It is so beautiful. My daughter wanted her friend to see it so badly and she thought she would miss it.



It was the sweetest treasure of God's Creation for them to share together.

8. More craftiness... we went to the pottery place and the girls painted some cool critters. Can't wait to see how they turn out.

And did I mention I painted a rock yesterday?

9. McDonald's drive-thru. What did Mrs. Ingalls ever do without it?

10. The good thing about my daughter having a friend over to play and spend the night is that I can take a minute here and there to actually blog without any interruptions. And it isn't even 3:30 AM! It's like being at the blog spa.

11. This entire girly giggle party reminds me of the times I hauled my Snoopy knock-off sleeping bag to a friend's house and slept on the floor. The floor.

How did we sleep on the floor when we were kids? It's like Kool Aid is some sort of unnatural muscle relaxant/joint relief and we can just sleep wherever we fall.

Then one morning we wake up after sleeping on the floor and we can barely walk from the MASSIVE BACK PAIN.

I'm just sayin'.

12. Giggly girls are just one reason it's great to be a mom.

13. And the real reason moms drink coffee.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Pardon me while I stuff cotton balls in my ears.

For The Bloggy Giveaway, Go Here.

My daughter's BFF is here. They haven't seen each other since Christmas and they have a lot of catching up to do. Most of it includes giggling and squealing, so you won't mind me being out for a bit.

We have crafts to do! We might even find some critters to squish or house or cool stuff like that.

Um, yeah... did I mention the giggling and the squealing?

Of course I will be checking back on the Paula and Ray Giveaway, so have fun.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

From My Hometown To Yours...

This Contest Has Ended. Comments are closed.
As part of Shannon's Dog Days of Summer and in honor of my hometown of Albany,Georgia I would like to offer a free gift to a lucky reader out there!

One lucky reader will win a copy of Paula Deen's latest cookbook, Paula Deen Celebrates and a Ray Charles Greatest Hits CD.


The late, great Ray Charles was from Albany, Georgia. This CD has some of his greatest classics including "Georgia On My Mind."


Although she now lives in Savannah, Paul Deen grew up in Albany. You can read a lot about Albany and Paula's childhood in this cookbook!

Here are the guidelines:

1. Anyone can enter to win.

2. You don't have to be a blogger to enter. However, you will have to register (blogger should give you instructions) to leave a comment on this blog.

If you have problems, simply email me at the email address in my profile.
Please be patient. I publish each comment separately via email alerts from blogger. So if you don't see your comment pop up immediately, it is because I haven't had time to read and publish it. I will be vigilant in reading and posting comments in time for the deadline.

3. International readers are welcome to play along!

4. This post will be closed for comments on Friday, July 27 @ 8:00 PM, Central Time.

5. I will randomly draw one person and post the winner some time Friday night.

Good luck and visit Shannon here for more chances to win!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Blizzards, Butter, Babies, and BBQ

I'm brainstormin' a giveaway that will probably include a trip to a cute shop, Wal-mart and/or The Winn Dixie. I am also getting ready for comp'ny.



In the meantime, I urge you to read these posts where Big Mama hosts a baby shower with Southern Grace and Style and BooMama interviews Mandisa (yes, THAT Mandisa!) with Southern Grace and Style.



'Cause they both have, ya know, Southern Grace and Style.



:>)

Sunday, July 22, 2007

In Honor of Buffets and Brunches Everywhere

Originally Published July 16, 2006

The Gladiators Got Nothin' On Us

Sunday is a day we go to church to worship God, learn about His Word, put something in the plate when they pass it, pray, dismiss, and then try to beat the Methodists to the restaurant.

For some unknown reason there is this "thing", for lack of a better Thesaurus word, between the Baptists and the Methodists. Maybe it goes back to the whole "sprinkle vs. dunk" controversy. I can't speak for the Methodists, but we Baptists leave church to eat faster than Scarlett fled Atlanta.

Why is this Best Seat in the House competition only between these two groups? Don't the Catholics and the Episcopalians eat lunch?

I have actually been part of a Sunday School discussion when the subject was new worship times. (How exciting to add a new worship time in order to seat everyone!) The Sunday School class was deciding which worship hour they would attend. One very Southern Baptist man stood up and said that he would just stick to the early worship hour because he "had to beat the Methodists to the restaurants." He wasn't kidding.

I am also privy to some information about a certain Methodist church in Alabama that actually changed their Sunday worship time so that they could beat the Baptists to the restaurants. Oh, yes they did!

Before you get discouraged about going to church because of this silly Sunday lunch seating issue, please be aware that most of us Baptists and Methodists do still attend church for the right reasons. We just like to eat after it is all over.

One Sunday, we went to an early worship with my in-laws who are Methodist. After church we went to Sunday brunch. As we finished our meal and left the table, a large group of people came in. My mother-in-law said, "Here come the Baptists."

See, the First Baptist Church and The First United Methodist Church are across the street from one another. This can be seen in many small towns across the South. I joked with my Methodist friend Nancy once that I had never seen a Baptist and a Methodist church share the same side of the street. She shared that, in her town they actually shared the same block and even shared parking lots!

Wow!

In most small towns, there are only a few restaurants. You have the southern home cooking buffet place called "Mama's Kitchen" or "Billy Bob's Family Restaurant." Or you may even have a fancy place with the word "Magnolia" in the name. Then, there is usually a good BBQ place, a fried seafood restaurant if you live near the coast, and maybe a steak place, if you're lucky. That's it. Unless you eat at Hardee's or Dairy Queen. So, really the Baptist/Methodist restaurant relay is a result of supply and demand.

I may never know why this Olympic level of competition remains between these two denominations. But, I am certain that it will continue in small towns for centuries to come.

So, to all of you Methodists out there I say, "See ya next Sunday! Let the games begin!"



Saturday, July 21, 2007

The best things in life are free!

Once I figure out what to give away to you wonderful Bloggers and Nonbloggers out there, I will post the freebie and then link to Mrs. Dryer, AKA The Hostess With The Mostest.


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


Hint- I really do have an idea up my sleeve.

Think "Survival- Sugarbaker Style."

Watch for the link next week!

Spoken like a good little future voter.

In the car today-

"Mommy, do you know what would be really cool? If someone called you up to tell you that you had paid too much taxes and that you would get it back. That would be really cool."

:>)

I'll go ahead and start saving for the campaign trail...

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Thursday Thirteen: I Always...

1. I always cry at certain parts of movies.

Like when...

Forrest stands under the tree to deliver the note from Little Forrest to Jenny,

Ruth dies in Fried Green Tomatoes and Sipsey stops the clock and covers the mirrors,

The Count carries Katherine out of the Cave of Swimmers in The English Patient,

The mama dies in Hope Floats. The tea cup landing on the floor gets me every. single. time.

2. I always laugh at certain parts of movies.

Like when...

They show the family table scenes in The Nutty Professor,

Dell Griffith leaves his shorts in the sink in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

3. I always smile when...

I hear or read a Biblical Truth that speaks to my heart and to my convictions.

I hear my daughter speak up for Jesus.

4. I always frown when...

someone uses The Lord's Name in vain.

I have disappointed God.

I see someone being mean or disrespectful to the elderly or to a child.

5. I always wink when...

My husband and I share something funny from across the room.

My daughter and I are in a quiet place and I just want to say,"I love you, Sweetie" with my eyes
.

6. I always clap when...

Someone sings or performs really well.

Someone has tried their best to sing or perform really well.

7. I always refrain from clapping when...

Someone has just finished singing a very reverant song in church and I can sense the Holy Spirit guiding me to stay silent.

8. I always snap when I want to get on my husband's nerves. (He says my snap is too high-pitched. Go figure.)

9. I always want to scream (and sometimes I do) when...

I see someone being mistreated.

I see justice falling short.

And I can do nothing about it.

10. I always think of...

My Grandmother when I smell Aqua Net,

My Mother when I smell Coty powder,

My daughter when I smell Baby Magic,

My childhood when I smell honeysuckle.

11. I always think of...

Billy Graham when I hear Just As I Am,

Summer Camp when I hear crickets at night,

Heaven when I hear my daughter giggle.

12. I always think of...

High school when I see Ferris Beuller's Day Off,

College when I see Melrose Place re-runs,

Just about anything in life when I see Seinfeld. :>)

13. I always think...

thirteen is a little when you are counting change,

thirteen is a lot when you are doing Thursday Thirteen.

It's 3:30 AM. Do you know where your George Foreman Grill is?

I can't sleep, so I turned on the TV and the blog because that's what I do when I can't sleep. Oh, and I had a teeny amount of cookie dough. Yeah, cookie dough.

And since I am up at strange hours of the night when most normal people are sleeping, working the night shift, or eating at Waffle House, can I just say one thing?

I wish, for one time in my life, that some brave woman would serve slices of raw cookie dough at a party. Just once. Just put the dough right there on Grandma's china and let us all dig in. It would save you a lot of time in the kitchen and we would love you for it. Come on. Somebody, please...

Okay. Back to the post.

I have posted on infomercials before and I have shared a few observations, observations which are very important to your life and to your personal growth.

Anywho.

I have learned, based on the content of the infomercials at this ridiculous hour of the day, um, night, that everyone watching TV right now is fat, broke, and living in a filthy, gadget-free house.

If we call now, in the next 10 minutes, we can lose 20, 30, even 50 pounds while making up to $10,000 a month purchasing real estate with no money down, and we can have a sterile home where we can serve many quick-and-easy meals using our magic bullet and our chopper.

You guys are wasting time sleeping and here I am up before the chickens discovering solutions to life's most perplexing problems.

Like unwanted belly fat and dull knives.

Where IS that cordless phone??

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Where does she get this stuff?

Daughter- "Mommy, can I go outside in this?"

Mommy- "Let me see...Umm, no. "

Daughter- "What about the shirt?"

Mommy- "No. It's too hot for long sleeves."

Daughter- "Touche'"

Mommy- ?

Monday, July 16, 2007

More Conversations In The Car: Billy Ray, I feel your pain.

Today while stuck in traffic, I was scanning the channels looking for something to get jiggy to and I heard Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart."

Yes, friends. After all these years his heart is still a breakin.'

And achin.'

I quickly stopped the scan within the 3.4 seconds window of opportunity so that we could listen to Billy Ray.

I explained to my daughter...

"Sweetie! This is Hannah Montana's dad! You know the one that plays her dad on TV and is really her dad? This is him back in the early 90's, the 1990's when he was really popular."

"Uh-huh....Okayyy."

"Anyway, that's HIM!"

Then I began to sing along, "Don't break my heart..."

Then I began to realize that I was singing along... "My achy breaky heart."

I don't know what is worse- the fact that I was telling my daughter that I remember her generation's pop star's DAD or that I was stopping the channel scan on my car radio so that I could sing along!

"Woooooooo....Ooooo...Hoooo!"

When we missed an opportunity to share Jesus. Or did we?

Go here for a touching post from Grafted Branch about offering a helping hand and sharing Christ.

Have you ever wished you said something, but the moment slipped by and the words did not come?

Maybe you almost told someone about Jesus or you almost said you were a Christian. I've been there myself and sometimes I think I have failed The Lord. Sometimes I think He kept me quiet on purpose.

We won't know for sure until we see The Lord and He reveals all of these things to us. All we can do is listen quietly to The Holy Spirit for guidance.

And right now, we can all be praying for Pauline and for the next person in her path who will share the Love and Saving Grace of Jesus.

Praise God!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

In honor of Mr. Ben and Mr. Jerry...


and Elsie and all the rest-


Today is National Ice Cream Day in the US, so go out and have your favorite flavor with your family!


Yum!

(Thank you, President Reagan.)