Dawn at Mom2My6Pack has started a new product review blog! Who doesn’t love a new blog? And, coming from Dawn, you know it’s good because I’m featured.

Bonus - she chose MY online store as her first feature. ME! Your favorite blogger.

Check it out - you could win a fabulous partying gift just for commenting! And, I have a special coupon code for Dawn Fan bloggers.

Because I Said So Review

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I have two toddler girls, NaNa (3) and Bear (almost 2), who are 18 months apart. They look alike, but because they are a year and a half apart, they are noticeably different heights. That, however, does not stop people from asking if they’re twins. Hello? Twins? NaNa is 6 inches taller than Bear. I digress…

The point of my post is to compare and contrast my two girls. I have no idea how I could have possibly birthed these two girls and have such different children.

NaNa - started talking more than 15 words at almost 3 || Bear - started talking over 50 words at 18 months

NaNa - started watching TV and videos with interest at 18 months || Bear - barely has an interest unless Mickey Mouse is on

NaNa - can spend hours playing by herself or watching videos || Bear - plays at my feet all day long and can’t be alone

NaNa - stays by my side and NEVER wanders off more than 3 steps from me in a store || Bear - I will have to invest in a kiddie leash very soon

NaNa - must be mentally prepared for any and all new experiences || Bear - hasn’t a care in the world what we’re doing or where we’re going

NaNa - will shy away from, and has an aversion towards, any person of the male species || Bear - will have entire conversations with anyone saying hi

NaNa - careful, decisive || Bear - daredevil, climber (I had to take out the short kiddie table when she wasn’t even a year old because she learned how to climb up on the table.)

NaNa - mentally challenging || Bear - physically challenging

What’s a Mama to do?

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That scoundrel, Secret Agent Mama, tagged me to show my desktop. It’s kinda scary and drives HockeyMan nuts. But here it is:

UPDATED - I’ve cleaned it up! 10.8.7

It’s time for shameless self promotion!

I’ve given myself a platform, so what better place to peddle my wares than my own blog. Plus, it’s good search engine optimization. A win-win for me!

Today, I’m hawking promoting the personalized stamps that I’ve recently added to my online store, Good for the Kids. Personalized address and name stamps are the PERFECT holiday gift. They are inexpensive, unique gifts that show you thought about the person you are giving them to for your holiday or special occasion. I’ve included some of the designs that are featured on the website, but there are literally hundreds to choose from for your personalized gift for someone else or yourself.

Great for holiday gifts, birthday, wedding, anniversary, bridesmaids, sorority initiation, or just because, these personalized stamps are sure to be appreciated of as a token of your thoughtfulness.

I know, I know, it’s only October, but to absolutely guarantee holiday delivery, start thinking about ordering now!

Just for my bloggers, use code 15BLOGGER for 15% off your order this week (expires Oct. 13th). Thanks, guys!

Holiday Stamps and Gift Tag Stamps

Personalized Monogram and Name Stamps

Whimsical Stamps for Children, Scrapbooking, or Everyday Use

Collegiate Logos & Mascot Stamps and College Sorority Stamps

Thanks SO much for your support!

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Every night as my head hits the pillow, I wonder what sounds I might fear hear, laugh at, or be frightened by. No, not in my dreams. By my husband.

HockeyMan takes Ambien each night out of necessity. He’s always been a sleep-talker, but because of the Ambien, his talking is amplified 10x.

His mom’s favorite sleep-talking phrase is one where she asked him what time he had to be up. His answer: “A half passed destiny.” Right. I’ll get you up then.

Because I so enjoy a list, I’ll give you a run-down of some of the things I have experienced in the late-night hours of sleeping next to HockeyMan.

• Uproarious laughing. Wake the house up laughing. It lasts for 5 seconds, and then silence. I’ve tried asking him what was so funny, but I get no response.

• Jibber-jabber. This is the most commonly heard sleep-talking. I’ve tried so hard to determine what he’s actually saying, even asking him what he’s saying, but to no avail.

• Groping. I know this doesn’t fall in line with sleep-talking, but it’s a side-effect of the Ambien. He will roll over, and aggressively grope me. Now, you think that would be nice under normal circumstances. But when he’s DEAD asleep and has no idea what he’s doing, it’s kind of creepy. Back off sleepy man.

• Tickling. Again, doesn’t fall in with sleep-talking, but he’s DEAD asleep. I’ve been awoken by HockeyMan ATTACKING me and tickling me all-the-while laughing very creepily. It was very frightening, but then again, really funny. Then it stops in about 5 seconds, and he’s back to dreamyland.

• Kick save. HockeyMan is plays hockey (duh), and he’s the goalie on his team. In that dreamyland state just before full sleepage, he’s made a few kick saves and glove saves. Those are kinda scary.

• Questions. This one needs some set-up. I had been out with my girlfriends (this happens about once a year unfortunately), and my drunky friends decided it would be funny to stop by my house to say hi to HockeyMan. It was still a bit early, so he was still up and awake. I have a crazy friend - you know, the one who will do ANYTHING. She and HockeyMan are close (no funny ideas) and kid each other all the time. So when I came to bed that night/morning, I cuddled up to HockeyMan.

That’s when he asked, “Which one are you?” Ummmm… Exsqueeze me? Which one am I?

Apparently, when he was falling asleep, he thought that if it had been just 30 min later when all us girls showed up, that my crazy friend would have gone in and jumped up and down on our bed, or even cuddled up to him, to wake him up. Very valid. So, he was thinking that we had come back and someone, not me, had crawled into bed with him. Yeah… it was me. Sorry for your luck, HockeyMan.

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I guess I’ve hit a wall of sleep deprivation. I really need to get to bed earlier than I have been (like before 1:30am). So I’m having a one-woman protest against thinking, and I’ll just post ideas for future blogs since I can’t think of anything else to write about.

1. My new friend Dawn at Mom2My6Pack suggests “compare and contrast the presidential candidates,” “Should Rudy Guilliani go by Rudy or Rudolph?,” and “The Italian Neo Realist Movement in film was neither Italian nor neo nor particularly a movement. Discuss!” See, I can’t even think of my own non-topics to talk about (and she really only thought of 2 of the 3). Thanks, Miss Dawn!

2. Kids say the darndest things. We have a rule in my house that you can’t say you don’t like something before you try it. My 3yo, NaNa, came to ask me what I was taking out of the oven (SHOCKER! I actually used the oven!), and I told her meatloaf. She started to say, “But I don’t liiiikkkkeee…,” and that’s when I gave her the Mama Look. She stopped mid-word and said, “Ooohhh, OOOO…KKKK….” It may not read as funny as it was, but for a late-talking kid, it was herlarious.

3. New Fall season TV shows. Holy crabs! This year’s shows are Uh-May-Zing-Ly Good. Some of my faves are Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Bionic Woman, Carpoolers, and Big Bang Theory. I usually have high hopes for TV shows, and then they fall flat. But this year, these shows are goooood. Any other suggestions on shows I need to see?

4. Adult-onset acne. I know, a little yucky personal, but it’s a major thing with me right now. I had really bad skin in high school, but once I got on The Pill, it pretty much cleared up. Now that I’ve had my kids, my husband has been snipped, and I’m no longer on estrogen-modifying meds, my skin is a WRECK. I’ve tried the basics, the “medical” stuff from TV (Hey, if it worked for Jessica Simpson, it should work for me, right? Ummmm, no.), and now I’m on some really expensive crap. Any ideas?

5. I have the best skanks friends in the world. Finally. I’ll expand in another post.

6. Food. Glorious food. I could write all my posts about food. But since I’m protesting today, I won’t write an actual post.

Damn. I actually made it to a whole post. I guess I’m not so brain dead after all, but now I’ve already written this, and I’m trying to get to bed before… Oh, crap. It’s already 12am. And the baby’s crying.

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Excuses, excuses.

1. My foot hurts. I broke it last Xmas Eve, and it still kind of aches. Sympathy?

2. Cramps. I’m a girl. I get to pull that card at least 1 time a month.

3. I have to work. Does reading TMZ count as work?

4. I’m hungry. Can you get something for me to eat? Taco Bell?

5. I have laundry waiting for me to fold, so I can’t do ANYthing else until it’s done in about a week.

6. My head hurts. I’m a girl. See #2.

7. I have to scientifically and methodically mold the minds of play with the girls. Valid, right?

8. I have to go to the grocery store. If I don’t come back for 2 hours, send rescue. I’m just too happy to be out by myself to recognize the time-space continuum.

9. Can’t YOU do it?

10. Watch this that I just recorded/is on YouTube! The art of distraction.

11. My stomach hurts. Taco Bell?

12. Did you hear that? I think an email just came through. Let me check to see what it was.

13. I don’t WANNA!

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Like mother, like daughter.

So, I got tagged by my bloggy friend, Secret Agent Mama, to tell you all about the 5 things you don’t know about me (yet). Here ya go:

1. I have webbed toes. It’s not major, but the 2nd two toes on each foot are connected about 1/2 way up the toes. It’s a family trait and Bear has them a LITTLE bit. I’m a freak. But I can swim better because of them. Try me. I’ll whoop your ass in a swimming race.

2. I want to have like 20 tattoos. Not exactly 20, but a lot. I have one from when I was 18 (like everyone does), but I want to be brave enough to have more. I know for sure I’m going to get another on the top of my back of my girls’ initials. But I want to get more all over. But I never will. Maybe it’s just because I like tattoo shows…

3. Even though I don’t like hanging out at the beach, I LOVE the beach. I grew up 20 min from the Gulf of Mexico that has the whitest sugar sand beaches, so how can I not love the beach. When I’m rich, I’ll live at the beach.

4. I was married outside in my parent’s backyard in the middle of a hurricane. Hurricane Georges was fast approaching the Gulf coast when we walked down the aisle in between feeder bands. It made for a VERY interesting honeymoon when we had to sleep in my parent’s back porch with only a window separating us from my grandparents. Our hotel room was evacuated along with the entire island were were supposed to be staying on for our honeymoon. Did I mention we slept on a fold-out couch? Oh yeah, and my MOM came to wake us up the next morning for breakfast. Good stuff.

5. I believe in the power of positive thinking and positive energy. I don’t want to get all crazy on ya, but I bet you didn’t know that about me. It works for me so suck it. (That wasn’t very positive.)

5 1/2. I also believe in “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & the News. What is there not to like about Huey Lewis & the News? Try getting THAT song out of your head. When I was a kid, our family would sing HL&N songs aloud together while riding our bikes. It was our version of a sing-along. Now you know why I am the way I am.

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I think I may live in bubble of suburban sameness with yuppie overtones. I lead a normal life, with normal kids, in a normal house (hey, we just got it painted crazy blue!), and I drive a very normal car (ever try to find a minivan in a mall parking lot?).

I do have a Little Freak Tiny Person that lives inside me, but Little Freak sleeps most of the time. So I guess I understand that most other people have Bigger Freaks that live inside their heads.

And this is why I kind of understand why the Bigger Freaks win out and have their people type c-r-a-z-y phrases for Googling the internets. I’m obsessed interested in my StatCounter stats and check up on them often. I’ve started keeping a list of the phrases that lead people to my blog. Freaky deaky people.

You can keep abreast (ha - boobies!) of the running list of phrases on my blog page, THIS is How You Found Me?

slutty moms TWICE!

cherry popper

fugly grody

restaurant boobs

I’m a mom and need a job

ruby tuesday crouton

moms boobs show

happy and overweight

PUMPERNICKEL CROUTONS

lazy mom house a mess

I’m overweight and I cry a lot why is that?

gangsta name design

whole lot of people with nothing to do, nothing to prove

accomplished of woman

a whole alot of ass I HATE that they misspelled “a lot.”

“kiefer sutherland”

flickr tagged huge breasts

hello my name is template

Sometimes I wish Little Freak would come out and play more often, but for now, I’ll stick with my life of “normalcy.” But you just wait - I hear Little Freak waking up to come out and play.

I got a little strikeout happy tonight.

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