D'Alien

On our way back from our ski trip, we passed through Roswell, New Mexico. None of us had ever been there, so we stopped for lunch and a little sightseeing.

Apparently we had a stow-away, and I'm now a mommy to a 5 foot tall Alien. Or D'Alien as Mia likes to call him. He's pretty good with the kids, knows how to clean toilets, and doesn't say much. I told him he could stay.

Testing, testing, 1,2,3.....

Tap, tap, tap....Is this thing on?

So you know how it goes. You haven't talked to a friend in awhile, and then that while gets longer and feels a little awkward, so you just keep putting off talking to them, until one day you wake up and realize, OMG this is so STUPID.

That's kinda how I feel about this here blog right now. I've been busy, so I put blogging here on the back burner. And that back burner kept getting further and further back (is that grammatically correct, or should it be farther?) until I almost couldn't see it anymore. So today I pulled out my binoculars, and searched the burners until I found it. And here I am.

Does anyone even still come here to see if I've blogged?

I promise that I will blog ever single day for the next 30 days, okay? You're really going to get sick of me!

Okay, so what's been going on?

1. We're having an awesome challenge over at the Sisterhood. That's pretty much where I've been spending all of my time, so stop by and check it out. We're doing some wonderful things!
2. I finished up my 6-week Challenge for EA SPORTS Active More Workouts. The first week of January, we took an amazing trip to Los Angeles for a retreat. I got to hang with all the other challengers AND some celebrities. Check out my Flickr photostream for all the details via photos. You know I took a lot!
3. The kids are great! Mia's talking up a storm, and so is BJ. Unfortunately, he's talking up a storm at school. And getting in trouble. A lot. Brian and I both had THE SAME issues as children, so we're trying to find creative ways to deal with it. Do you have any suggestions? I've run out of duct tape.....
4. I just registered for Fitbloggin! I'm so excited to get to meet up with some of my Sisters from Shrinking Jeans, and some new fellow-shrinkers I've met on Twitter! WOOT! The conference is in March in Baltimore.
5. I am officially registered for the San Diego Rock 'n Roll half marathon on June 6, 2010. That's right, I'm running 13.1 miles in 5 months, and raising money for a cause that's so close to my heart. More on this exciting endeavor soon!

Well, I don't want to use up all my material in one post, so I'll stop here. Do check back and harass me if you don't see a post from me everyday, okay? I miss all of you, and I promise to start making the rounds to your blogs this week.

Also, just so you know, I'm going to be obsessively refreshing to see if I have any comments, so leave me one, okay!

real life adventures - Atlanta, Georgia style, part 2

Remember a couple weeks ago when I was in Atlanta? Well, this post has turned into Atlanta, part 2!

Before we left for Tennessee, we still had half a day to kick around in Atlanta, so the kids and I headed downtown. We parked and walked through the Olympic park, which is so beautiful. A huge green space with playgrounds, nice cozy nooks for sitting and relaxing, and beautiful reflection pools. There was also a splash pad that was crazy-busy, and my kids were disappointed that we didn't get to try it out!







After we walked around the park, I asked BJ was he most wanted to do, and he chose visiting Georgia's state capitol building. It's hard to miss the beautiful golden dome in the Atlanta skyline, and with his thirst for knowledge and love for history, it was sure to be an adventure!

We headed off on foot for the capitol building, and saw some sites along the way.

I loved these red doors so much. If there hadn't been construction on the sidewalk in front of them, I would have gotten closer and taken lots more shots of them.




Looking up at the inside of the dome

We learned that the dome is covered in gold leaf and it has to be replaced every 30-35 years. If you were to take all the gold off and wad it up, it would be the size of a soccer ball and weigh 900 ounces. BJ wanted to know how much it would be worth, and the guide told him about 35,000 bucks!

The architecture was amazing!


At the end of the tour, we were taken inside the General Assembly Room for some Q&A. Of course, BJ peppered our guide with questions about the architecture, the chandelier, and whether or not the legislators ate lunch at their wooden desks. Oh, and he also asked if they used the 2 fireplaces in the room (which they don't anymore).

After the tour, we grabbed lunch at Ted's (Turner) Montana Grill and it was fabulous! An awesome restaurant with a wonderful twist on Eco-Friendliness. Think drinking straws made out of recycled materials! As a matter of fact, the restaurant is 99% plastic free! All this, plus they had amazingly huge picture windows and great natural lighting.

After lunch, we walked back to our rental car and headed to the airport to pick up daddy. He was flying in to meet up with us for the Tennesee leg of our trip.

Click here to read Part 1 of our Atlanta trip!

Stay tuned for more from our trip. We did alot of really fun, family friendly things in Tennessee!

You can see the complete set of photos from the trip here!

I thought you should know

We're not quite home, but almost! We leave Atlanta this afternoon, on a plane bound for San Antonio. As fun as this trip has been (and there will be more details and lots of photos from our time in Tennessee!), I am SO ready to be home. So ready.


I just wanted to quickly post about something, that I believe, deserves it's own post!


While in Austin a few weeks back, I borrowed Lisa's ERGObaby carrier. All I can say is that I'm in love. Seriously, I don't ever want to give it back, but I know I have to.


My point is to let you know about this wonderful carrier. If you have a baby, you should most definiltey have one. If you have a toddler, you should have one.


I've worn Mia almost the enitre time we've been on vacation. The airport would not have been possible without it. Seriously. With BJ, 2 suitcases, and a backpack, I don't know how I would have made it.

Countless strangers have commented on the obvious benefits of having my daughter securely attached to my chest or back. I don't think we could have even dreamed about doing the Atlanta Aquarium without the Ergo. There is no way I could have kept up with her if she had been on foot, and strollers were just not feasible because of the insane crowds. There is no way I would have felt as safe as I did if she had not been right there with me.

Also, it was so nice to be so close to her, so much of the time. I truly got to experience every new site and sound through her eyes. That, my friends, was priceless.




Also, my back does not hurt, nor did it ever hurt when using the ERGO. No Motrin needed, promise. And, there is a handy pocket on the front that fits my wallet, keys, AND Blackberry. Seriously. I might not give it back to Lisa. Shhhhh. Don't tell her.

So tell me, if you wear a baby (Steph, I'm talking to you!), is it worth it to buy an ERGObaby carrier now? Mia is approaching 2, and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to wear her, or how long she'll want to be worn. Does anyone have a gently used one they want to sell?

More on the Tennessee leg of our trip after we get home and sleep for 285 years.

**No one paid me to write this post. No one asked me to endorse this product. I did not get anything for free (although I am not opposed to receiving things for free in exchange for honest reviews). I did it because it's something I believe YOU should know about. That is all.**

real life adventures, Atlanta, Georgia style

I've never shied away from traveling with my kids. Road trips, plane trips, weekenders, or full-blown vacations. I've been blessed with good travelers. I'm pretty sure my OCD mad planning skillz have something to do with our great experiences while traveling.

This time around we're in Atlanta, Georgia and will be heading to various places in Tenneesee, including Clinton, Gatlinburg, and Pidgeon Forge in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Atlanta is a beautiful city and everyone I've encountered has been SO friendly. Must be that southern hospitality. I've also been offered sweet tea and called baby girl at least 1,487 times. Love that (even though I don't drink sweet tea!).

Yesterday we checked out the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. I have to say that the Aquarium was the best I've ever visited, and despite the insane crowds and chunk of change we dropped to get in, we had a fabulous time. They have the Titanic Aquatic exhibit right now and all I can say is wow. Such an amazing collection of history and personal items from passengers who were on board the sunken ship.

The World of Coca-Cola was such a happy place! The tour guides clearly enjoyed their jobs, and the whole experience was amazing. There were rooms with Coke memorabilla, a bottling line, a Secret Forumla 4D theatre with an awesome short movie complete with a bumpy ride, and we even got to meet the Coke Polar Bear and pose for a picture with him! I have to say that this was our favorite part, well, and the sampling room where you could try each of Coca-Cola's 64+ drink offereings. There were fountain stations set up for each continent of the world, and it was a free for all. It's amazing the different tastes we all have, because some of them? They were so GROSS! At the end of the tour we each got our own souvenir bottle of coke. Fun!

After all the excitement, we were tuckered out and very hungry, so we hit the road in search of something quick for dinner. Chick-fil-A has always been one of our favorite (and one of the only ones we'll eat at!) fast food joints, so when I saw the sign, I whipped right into the parking lot. Only, this didn't look like the typical restaurant, and there certainly wasn't a playground. As we walked in, I noticed people sitting at an old diner style counter eating off of plates, and servers whipping around asking people if they "needed more sweet tea, sugar". We were seated and handed menus, and I'm sure the the server noticed my confused stare. She called me baby girl and asked me if we were from around here. I explained that we were from Texas, and she whooped (yes, I'm serious), and gave me the rundown. We were in the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House. The very first Chick-fil-A, which was opened in 1946. They had burgers and steaks on the menu y'all. Very interesting and such a great surprise!

Before we head out today for Tennessee, I thought I'd share some of our pictures from the trip thus far! Enjoy, and if you're even in the Atlanta area, be sure to check out the Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola and the Dwarf House!





We got to touch this sea amenome!






You can see the rest of our photos from Atlanta on my Flickr photostream!

Stay tuned for our exciting real life adventures in Tennessee.....

Blogher 2009 - What it was for me

I've had a few days to recover from Blogher. Only, I haven't really recovered, since I'm on another trip now. Holy hell. My feet are still swollen.

Blogher was, without a doubt, amazing.

In the days leading up to my departure for Chicago, I have to admit I was a little nervous, and even more intimidated by all that Blogher promised to be. I mean, the official program was 50 pages long. I knew I would be hanging out with my girls, but would anyone else even know me or care to meet me? Would I really get anything out of the conference? Would I be able to keep up with the rigorous schedule of parties?

The answer across the board is YES! Mostly. I met so many wonderful people. I finally go to me April. Of course, it felt like I'd known her for ages, but we finally got to hug and it was great! Rooming with her and Lisa was the best experience ever. No one even snored!


I met Heather, who is so soft spoken and angelic (her halo is under that paper bag), but don't let that fool y'all. That girl can do some pretty amazing things with a cheeseburger, yo.

I met Midwest Mommy, who was not soft spoken, but had the best mid-western accent EVER. OMG, I wanted to pack her in bag and bring her home like a fine piece of swag.

Elaine, who was all that I thought she'd be and more-so warm and friendly like only a Texan could be.

Kim was so special. Just like I thought she'd be. Funny and sweet, and she had such a wonderful smile. Libby was so cute and happy.

I got to ride in the Wienermobile. Can you tell I had a hot doggin' good time?


And right up there with riding in the Wienermobile was meeting Deb and Lee. If you haven't read Lee's post about Blogher, it's a must read. I had never even heard of these ladies before Blogher, but I feel so fortunate to have met them. Even if they didn't remember who I was 30 seconds after meeting me.

To answer your question, yes, they always looked that HAWT.

Attending Bowlher was definitely a highlight as well! I got to walk the red carpet with some of my best hookers.

See Brooke White perform.

Watch Ivy and Libby dance and clap.

And holy hell, I met the Pioneer Woman. Ree was so kind and friendly. Totally what I expected. She was even nice enough to pose for a picture with Lisa, April and I. I was just about to grab her and shove her into my pocket when the Marlboro Man pulled her up on to his horse and they rode off into the sunset.

The best part of the whole trip was hanging out with old friends and new. Party hopping, bar hopping, sightseeing. It was so much fun rolled into a nice long weekend. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Well, after my feet recover.




To see the rest of my wonderful memories from Blogher, you can check out my Flickr set.

All the way home

This little pig went to market.
This little pig stayed home.
This little pig ate roast beef.
This little pig had none.....

We are home from our visit with Lisa, and it was so amazing. SO AMAZING. We had fun, our kids had fun, and it was just loads of fun.

Can I tell you I was worried about how we'd pass the long days this summer. I was actually worried I wouldn't be able to entertain BJ and Mia, and that I'd die from their boredom induced whining and restlessness. I thought I might need to remove all of the forks from my house, so that I wouldn't resort to poking my eyes out on a daily basis.

I was so, so wrong. Shhhhhh, don't tell my husband I said that. I never admit when I am wrong, but this is my blog, so I can say whatever I want. K?

Oh, how wrong I was. So very wrong. Laughably and ridiculously wrong. W-R-O-N-G. Okay, enough of that, I don't want to get too carried away.

The first week of summer, Lisa and the kids came to visit us. Since then we've taken a week long trip to the beach, had 2 sets of visitors for 11 days, and we just wrapped up a week at Lisa's house. Aside from the hectic pace we've been keeping, I would say that this is one of the best summers EVER. And do you want to know what else? It's not even close to slowing down or being over.

In 5 days I leave for Chicago for Blogher. SQUEEEEEE!

And 36 hours after my plane touches back down in Texas, I'll be back on another plane, with my kiddos in tow, heading to Atlanta for 2 days and then we're driving on to Knoxville, TN, to visit some of the husband's family. We'll be gone for 7 days.

After all that travel, I'm pretty sure I'll be the little pig who cried wee, wee, wee, all the way home.

New do

I'm a simple girl. I live in the country, I wear flip flops and pony tails. I love my life. But I'm going to Blogher, and I didn't think flip flops and pony tails will really cut it. Heck, I don't even want to bring a hair band or a flip flop. I want to be pretty and girly and fancy!

So, today I sat in a beauty salon chair for 4 hours while a lovely, but troubled young lady painted and wrapped my hair in foil. (Do all hair folks have very dramatic and troubled lives?) Then I moved on to the cutter, and he used very quick snips with sharp scissors and a razor. Huge chunks of hair flew to the floor. I was more than a little nervous because he talked really fast and I couldn't understand half the stuff he said. Plus, his lip twitched with every snip. He kind of looked like an Asian Elvis, with something that looked a little like an overprocessed mullet. Oh, he wore a short shirt and had Calvin Klein underwear on, too. It was kind of comical. He talked about how unbelievably thick my hair was and how the cut I had was so WRONG for me. He waxed on and on about his vision for my hair, while I just nodded and smiled while more hair hit the floor.

When he was finally done with the blow dryer and flat iron, and I got my first glance in the mirror, my breath was taken away. Not in a good way. My heart was racing and I panicked just a little. I tried to smile, because I really didn't want to offend him because after all, I had just paid him 80 bucks to work his magic on my head. After I paid the bill, I pretty much bolted from the salon while dialing Lisa on my cellphone. I couldn't wait for her to see it so she could reassure me it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. You see, I'm used to having alot of thick and somewhat unruly hair in a ponytail. Not streamlined, flatironed, shiny straightness. I felt like I had NO hair left. None at all.

Lisa assured me it looked good. BJ asked me if my painted hair was going to go away when I washed it. Mia just looked at me a little strange. I decided I wasn't going to chop my head off and throw it in the garbage can afterall.

As the day has worn on, my new do has grown on me. I like it. I might even love it. The color IS amazing. The cut is so precise.

Here are some pictures I took. Obviously I need to practice self-portraits in the mirror.

Enjoy, because it won't ever look like this again. I am looking forward to hitting the windy city with my new hair.

p.s. please ignore that HUGE zit on my forehead. Hopefully it will move on before Blogher. If not, I'll introduce you to it when I meet you.