One of my daily reads is "The Barganist", which posts sales and specials from retailers. I found some good deals over the holidays. Their New Year post mentioned they were listed as one of TIME Magazine's Top Ten Websites. So curious me wants to know what the other nine are. Some have potiential, but I have only checked out one fully.

Zafu.com helps you match jeans to your body style and preferences. AMAZING!! Expecially since all the major retails seem to have the low rise, butt crack showing jeans. Did you know they are called "muffin tops"? Since most gals don't have the waist for them, it just pushed their figure into MUFFIN TOPS!

After I filled in the questions, they found 6 pairs of jeans that match and about 12 that would be a good fit. And not just expensive jeans. Worth a gander..... They are even working on a jean matcher for plus sizes.

When I was in high school I made chocolate chip cookies and used some left over butter my Mom put in a tupperware dish. It was about 2 tablespoons or so. Not enough to let the GARLIC flavor in it take over the cookies, but enough to make you wonder what was different about these cookies. Ya, I used garlic butter.

We have some toothpaste that is a little like my garlic cookies. Colgate Sparkling White Vanilla Mint. The vanilla just does not belong in the toothpaste. Not enough to make you go "bleh", but "enough to make you wonder what was different about these cookies."

Details here...

Just playing this game and seeing the cute little bunny warms the cockles of my heart. Don't let the cuteness scare you men off - it is still a challenging game.

The cuteness continues.... they have even more game here. Run away, run away or you will play all day.....

One of my husband's co-workers is married to the author of "Three Things About Animals... And Only One of Them's True!"

He bought them each a copy and was able to get the author to sign it via the publishers website (who happens to be his wife). That is just the beginning of the coolness. It is a GREAT book. The structure is good for helping your child think about what they are reading and not just "read the words". It can bring the family together as you guess which of the three things is true. My oldest read parts of it to us in the car the other day and I learned that I would not want to be a giraffe since they only sleep 20 minutes a day. It might be good to be a panda since they eat for 12 to 16 hours a day.

Amazon puts it in the 4 - 8 year old range, which I think is right. So if you are looking for a book a little different than just a story, this one is worth a look.

_{(And I don't get anything from this endoresment.)}

Things may look funky.......

Update @ 9:43pm: A few minor tweaks left. Enough for tonight. Sweet dreams!

Update on Sunday: I am done. Feedback, please!!!

Fried Chicken was one of my favorite dishes when I was growing up. I probably was excited as these kids about it.

I love various types of music, but country music has the best love songs. I heard a song today by Brad Paisley and it gave me goose bumps. This is off of his Time Well Wasted album. Bolded lyrics by me.

She's Everything
Will Nance/Brad Paisley (BMI)/(ASCAP)

She's a yellow pair of running shoes
A holey pair of jeans
She looks great in cheap sunglasses
She looks great in anything
She's I want a piece of chocolate
Take me to a movie
She's I can't find a thing to wear
Now and then she's moody

She's a Saturn with a sunroof
With her brown hair a-blowing
She's a soft place to land
And a good feeling knowing
She's a warm conversation
That I wouldn't miss for nothing
She's a fighter when she's mad
And she's a lover when she's loving

Chorus
And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I talk about her, I go on and on and on
'Cause she's everything to me

She's a Saturday out on the town
And a church girl on Sunday
She's a cross around her neck
And a cuss word 'cause its Monday
She's a bubble bath and candles
Baby come and kiss me
She's a one glass of wine
And she's feeling kinda tipsy

She's the giver I wish I could be
And the stealer of the covers
She's a picture in my wallet
Of my unborn children's mother
She's the hand that I'm holding
When I'm on my knees and praying
She's the answer to my prayer
And she's the song that I'm playing

Repeat chorus

She's the voice I love to hear
Someday when I'm ninety
She's that wooden rocking chair
I want rocking right beside me
Everyday that passes
I only love her more
Yeah, she's the one
That I'd lay down my own life for

And she's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
She's everything to me
Yeah she's everything to me

Everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
She's everything to me

Stand By Your Statue features pictures sent in of people... uh... standing by statues. My Mom is featured this week by a statue at the Fort Worth Kimble Art Museum. Check it out.

Even before my parents started the drive to visit us, Youngest got sick with some kind of virus. I had a milder version, but we were pretty much out for Saturday. Add to that cold and icy weather. Luckily my husband had purchased a Wii and we waited to open it until my parents arrived. It worked out very well. Youngest and I watched between naps and the rest of the gang was entertained.

Sunday we were feeling better, but still stuck in the house due to icy roads. Wii to the rescue again. Monday was still icy, so the girls Wii'ed some more. Hubby seems to be getting what we had and I don't think I am over it fully. Off to bed early for me!

Husband and I stayed home today. After I took the girls into school, I slept from 8:30 until 3pm. Whew. And it helped.

I am ready to be back to normal tomorrow.

Snow has hit the DFW metroplex, closing all the major schools. And we got to play in SNOW!!!!

Can you see the snow falling? Weeee!

How to treat frostbite.

Looks like the ice is gone until the weekend. Watching the video below makes me thankful we don't have to deal with it as much as up north. Turn the sound up and listen to the people talking.....

Do you remember when I posted about our girl's school PTF President wanting to have the meetings on Friday's at 3:15 to maximize participation? At the time they ended up having two meetings. One on Friday's at 3:15 and one on Thursday's at 7:00 p.m.

But now it has changed again. Our PTF Prez no longer has Friday's off, so we are now having one meeting in the evenings.

Heh.*

_{quoted from Bou}

Yesterday I took the girls to a birthday party at a skating rink. Oldest had been skating before, so she did not need my help. Youngest had not.

So I helped her at the beginning by holding her hand. But when she did that, she was not learning to balance herself. Just how to lean on me and attempt to bring me down! So I used some tough love. She was bawling when I stopped holding her hand. And she got so mad at me. But through the tears and the anger she kept trying. And she got it. She tried to hide her smile. I tried not to laugh with joy since she might think I was laughing at her. (That last sentence may sound corny, but I do laugh for joy. Youngest thinks I am laughing at her all the time.)

She ended up going around the rink many times and even made it around once without falling. She was like a spring. Skate, skate, fall, get up, skate, skate, fall, get up, skate, skate and repeat.....

We rested after a really hard fall (with a bruise to show for it). We sat there for about 2 minutes and then she was ready to go again. I think I will call her Lil' Miss Spring!

A sighting of the Loch Ness Monster has been captured on film.

Xavier has tagged me for a meme. I feel special since I am the only one tagged not packing a gun!

The meme is to share five off the wall, strange, unusual or just little-known facts about yourself. My 100 things about me probably covered the most obvious, so I will have to think hard for 5 more*.

1. I will get my Concealed Handgun License before I die. The main reason I read Xavier's blog is to learn about guns, so that when I do, I will have some knowledge. Plus, maybe I will be able to solicit some advice when I go to buy my first gun.

2. I know how to crochet. My Mom taught me over the 4th of July weekend last year. I have made several hats, purses, and one cute little creature. I am currently working on a sweater. I can not believe how much I enjoy it. After buying a book on stiches, I can take a basic pattern and do it anyway I want. I like that once I get the basic pattern down, I am not limited to just that.

3. I like watching Hannah Montana. GAH!

4. Do you remember the episode when Jerry Sienfeld dated a woman who had "man hands"? Well, I have man wrists. My wrists look horrible with watches on. Braclets are OK, but still don't look the greatest to me.

5. I am struggling on this last one, so I am going to pull from my last post. With blogging, you don't get to hear people. The tone in their voice, their accents, phases they use. And you can't hear their laughing. And that is one thing I do and do well. I laugh at most anything. I laugh when I am happy. I laugh when I am uncomfortable. I laugh.

Now for the tagging. I am going to pick newbies to my blogroll except for my Mom! And three is enough.

PrimoDonna
Fat Doctor
Jack Army

_{*I started this post 5 days ago!}

Today at work I let myself get upset over something that long term will not matter. But today it did. I decided to take a break and check my personal email and read an email from my Mom. Her email was perfect for getting me out of my funk. I love good timing!

Hat tip to Dean's World, who link to The Punning Pundit

I found a blog in my search for Wii tips and Tim is looking for a new header for his site. Could I resist?

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What do you think?

Youngest: Mom, how did you get the dining room clean so fast?

Me: Uhhh.... cause I am good.

Youngest: You sure have cleaning power!!!!

My brother and I got along well enough as we grew up. We even shared an apartment for about a year after we both moved out of the house. Other than having the same parents, similiar childhoods, and just being nice people, that is where the similiarities end.

He has tattoos all over. Arms, legs, chest, back. He even tried his hand as a tattoo artist. He has piercings all over his ears and has had them on his face, lips, and tongue. He is so into the grunge look. Black, old T-shirts, torn pants, wildly colored hair and just plain scruffy. He has always been in a band and played drums. And loves it. Music style? I can't even tell you the name of the bands he likes, except that there is alot of screaming, loud guitar and more screaming. Not a phase since he is now 33 years old.

I drive a station wagon. I live in a nice suburban neighborhood. I would wear sweater sets every day if I had enough. Blonde hair is as wild as I get. Tattoos? OMG, no way!!!!! Piercings? Uhhh... I may have a wild side (see my Bio) but no one has seen it but my immediate family and doctor. I love music as much as he does, but mine is all on my Ipod. No drum set for me. The craziest I get is Guns-n-Roses.

When we shared an apartment we would get groceries together. At that time I worked in a super corporate environment. I wore business suits and pantyhose. (Ick!) One time I did not change before we went. So you have super grunge boy and uber corporate chic walking around in the grocery store. The looks we got were priceless.

What prompted me to tell you about my brother is a post on my Mom's blog. She found a drawing he made of himself.

Which reminds me of another thing we DO have in common. We both have some artistic ability in us.

There is a nail shop in every strip mall in the DFW metroplex. I don't know if I will ever understand how they make a profit, but I can figure out why they have customers.

Having a set of fake nails put on is instant femininity. They make me feel beautiful. They give me confidence to talk with my hands. To interact with people. It is like having a good hair day every day.

Other advantages of fake nails are durability. They don't break like natural nails. If you have a habit of biting or tearing your nails, you can forget it.

I am very conservative with my choice of nail style. I keep them shorter than most with the length even with the ends of my finger tips. Most women keep them longer. I either have the "American" manicure with pearl tips instead of bright white or a neutral polish color.

This week I went a little on the wild side and had a design painted on the ring finger nails. When they asked if I wanted a mini-rhinestone, I declined. Don't want to go to crazy now. See the extended entry for a pic.