Nov 12
Everyone,
Here’s a highlight of some of the blogs I’ve been reading this week. I haven’t been around much…too much to do!
You know what I WANT to do? These rolls. Adding this to the list of things I would LOVE to cook soon.
I saw the See’s Candy kiosk in the mall today and I thought of Swistle and her love of them. Then she posted about it today! Weird!
Because I’ve always wanted to be lost in another country. Especially France.
And since I’ve finally convinced Juice to do something to our kitchen, I’ve enjoyed reading this post about hers! She has a lot of interesting wood projects if you’re so inclined.
Hope you’re reading some cool stuff this week on the web too!
Safire
Safireblog fun, blogs blogs
Mar 06
Everyone,
This week’s question of the week is all about what we want to ask questions about! There’s a lot of good questions (and some good answers) out there this week.
I thought I’d make my question light and fluffy:
You’ve won two airplane tickets to anywhere in the world. Where would you go and who would you take?
This is a tough one for me! There are so many amazing places to see in the world. And I’d love to see them all! Paris, Holland, Germany, Rome, Australia, South Africa, China, Madagascar, Costa Rica, Aruba, or New Zealand. Seriously, I could go to TONS of different places!
But the one place I would love to see is Iceland. Weird, I know. I don’t see many people making trips there, and it just seems so interesting.
Who would I take? Either my mom or my BFF. And no, I would not take Juice, my hubby. Why? Let’s just say he’s not the best traveler. Besides, someone has to watch the kids!
Safire
Safireblog fun, questions QOTW
Sep 03
Everyone,
It seems I’ve been spending a little more time on Facebook lately than anywhere else. So for those of you who aren’t my friends there, I thought I’d share last month.
very confused about tax stuff…and government websites are so hard to understand!
THE BEST GAME EVER, now on Facebook! (Quelf!)
Thinks packing is hard…way excited to go to New York this weekend though!
Celebrating another year with my best friend with a movie tonight! Now…what movie to see?
is in New York City and boy are my feet tired!
thinks I should have brought another suitcase. Also, cough medicine.
Good morning New York City!
It’s been a lucky LUCKY day for me!
Waiting to ride the S’mores train home. Good bye NY!
Finally got all of my pictures off of my camera. Good ones too!
Can Flower come back? Please?
Headed off to the fair this afternoon. Hopefully it won’t rain!
2 hours of sleep. Check. One very infected ear. Check. Antibiotics. Check. Nap time? Oh please oh please oh please…
Is in a dinner funk. I need some ideas!
We know who V’s teacher is!
Trying to figure out how to get to the farmer’s market today…
Starting school is stressful…for the Mom!
Enjoying the golden evening sunshine with some bug spray and sidewalk chalk.
Well, big day tomorrow! Wish us luck!
First day drop off done! She did not eat because her tummy was upset (nervous) and looked a little teary when I said goodbye. *sniff*
K, now not to forget to pick her up!
WHAT a day.
Want to know how our day went? (first day of school)
Arg blog book! Just WORK already!
Kind of an exciting month…New York at the beginning, Flower going home (sad!), and then kindergarten starting. I’m looking forward to September being not QUITE as busy.
Safire
Safireblog fun
Aug 19
Everyone,
Happy 1000th post for me! Ready to play a game? Okay, here are the rules. I’m going to ask some questions, and you need to respond in the comments. (It’s really easy to leave a comment. I promise.) The person who gets the most questions right gets some kind of prize! It’s a good prize too. You’ll want this prize. And of course, since this is my blog, the questions are all about me. And they are all things you can know by having read my blog. Okay? Ready? Go!
1. In what year did this blog start?
2. Who was the celebrity in our neighborhood when Butterfly was a baby?
3. What appliance broke in our house? (This is in the past.)
4. Why was I woken up in the middle of the night because of a strange man’s voice talking in our house?
5. What spontaneous act did we do when the kids (all three of them) were smaller that changed our house forever?
6. What event did we, as a family, attend? (and were called crazy)
7. What do I always make to bring to a cookout?
Okay, so you might be thinking these are really random questions. And they are! Some are easy if you know me well. Some are crazy hard. But I’ll give you a hint. If you look at the number of questions and then look at my archives, you might find a similarity. Just saying.
Happy Hunting!
Safire
Safire1000 post, blog contests, blog fun contest
Feb 16
Everyone,
Sunday was Chinese New Year. I looked up every one’s Chinese zodiac animal and had a great time reading them out loud to Juice and Butterfly. Butterfly agreed with everything they said, but Juice and I laughed over a few bits. I thought you’d enjoy a laugh as well.
Me: Monkey!
Monkeys are intelligent, witty and possess an overall magnetic personality. They are sociable and easy to communicate with — Monkeys love to talk. Fast learners and quick on the draw, they can be crafty opportunists, and can adapt to many situations. Some people love the eccentricity of the Monkey personality; others mistrust their restless, sly, inquisitive behaviour. Monkeys indulge in deceit — just for the stir it causes — and shrug it off as a joke. Despite an exceptional brightness, they cannot imagine themselves in other people’s shoes, rendering them unsympathetic and unintuitive. Possessing a wide range of interests, Monkeys can perform well in many jobs, but are to restless to work from 9 – 5. A bit of a tease, Monkeys need partners that can keep them stimulated.
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Persuasive, Resourceful, Good-Humoured, Ingenious, Versatile, Imaginative
—————–
Superficial, Restless, Impudent, Sly, Mischievousness, Untruthful |
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- The following occupations best suit the Monkey personality.
SCIENTIST ¤ JOURNALIST ¤ EDITOR ¤ FILM DIRECTOR ¤ JEWELLER ¤ ACTOR ¤ WRITER ¤ AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ¤ ENGINEER ¤ MARKET TRADER
Some notable Monkeys in these fields include James Stewart, Joan Crawford, Bob Marley, Leonardo Da Vinci, Julius Caesar and Elizabeth Taylor. |
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We thought the whole deceit thing was pretty funny. If anyone knows me really well, they know that I just don’t get into that.
Juice: Sheep!
Except for a knack of always getting off on the wrong foot, Sheep can be charming company. Sheep sometimes hold back their emotions, and are not fully appreciated for their true nature. Still, they are first to complain about discomfort. Naturally pessimistic, mild mannered and even shy, the Sheep person is a sympathetic voice. Lovers of art and nature, they tend to spoil themselves. Still, they are creative, cultured and well-mannered — A civilizing influence on others. Some Sheep are timid and easily upset, while others can be adaptable and sure-footed when the need arises. Either way, Sheep prefer to live and work with other people, and find emotional satisfaction with partners that provide them security in life.
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Intelligent, Artistic, Gentle, Kind, Cultured, Sensitive
—————–
Fussy, Insecure, Ingratiating, Self-Indulgent, Dependent |
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- The following occupations best suit the Sheep personality.
ARCHITECT ¤ CARTOGRAPHER ¤ TOWN PLANNER ¤ ART HISTORIAN ¤ ILLUSTRATOR ¤ ACTOR ¤ MUSICIAN ¤ DAYCARE WORKER ¤ FLORIST ¤ PEDIATRICIAN
Some notable Sheep in these fields include Michelangelo, Buster Keaton, Laurence Olivier, Jane Austen and Mark Twain. |
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Does Juice always get off on the wrong foot? Probably. We thought he’s obviously mismatched with his occupation though. He should give up his good engineering job and become an art historian. Because we all know how much he love art AND history. Perfect job for him.
Butterfly: Rooster!
Roosters are hard workers; shrewd and definite in their decision making, often speaking their minds. Because of this, Roosters seem to boast. They like to put all their cards on the table and respect those who do the same. Roosters love to mix socially — They are dreamers, flashy dressers and extravagant. They love to attract attention and admiration, and and get angry when someone steals the spotlight. Despite being melodramatic, they are exceptionally practical, logical, and have excellent powers of discrimination. This leaves them with high standards of excellence which at times frustrates others. Although they attract many suitors, they are loyal, level-
headed partners make a commitment.
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Passionate, Resilient, Patriotic, Industrious, Courageous, Protective
—————–
Conceited, Blunt, Rude, Bossy, Aggressive, Impatient |
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- The following occupations best suit the Rooster personality.
ACTOR ¤ DENTIST ¤ DANCER ¤ INSURANCE AGENT ¤ OPERA SINGER ¤ ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL ¤ FINANCIAL ADVISOR ¤ MUSICIAN
Some notable Roosters in these fields include Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, Rudyard Kipling, and Katharine Hepburn. |
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We laughed over the bossy, aggressive and impatient. All things that Butterfly is! But she is also loyal, level headed, and a hard worker.
Pirate and Professor: Rats!
Rats are imaginative, charming, and truly generous to the ones they love. However, Rats have a tendency to be quick-
tempered and overly critical. At ease with company and groups of people, their intelligence and observation allows them to quickly grasp a situation from multiple perspectives. Rats know how to spot opportunities and seize them, but their opportunism, ambition and restlessness can lead to too many commitments. Don’t be fooled — although shrewd in business at times, Rats are passionate lovers, with a depth of feeling that is seldom recognized by others.
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Charismatic, Sociable, Intelligent, Affable, Quick-Witted, Popular
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Exploitative, Calculative, Secretive, Greedy, Acquisitive, Devious |
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- The following occupations best suit the Rat personality.
WRITER ¤ BROADCASTER ¤ ACTOR ¤ LAWYER ¤ POLITICIAN ¤ RACE CAR DRIVER ¤ ENGINEER ¤ RESEARCHER ¤ MANAGER ¤ ENTREPRENEUR
Some notable Rats in these fields include William Shakespeare, Amadeus Mozart, Gene Kelly, Winston Churchill and George Washington. |
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Boy are we going to have our work cut out for us. 
We got our information from the website HERE. Find out what you are and leave me a comment. I’d love to see what everyone is!
Safire
Safireblog fun
Jan 22
Everyone,
Blog hopping today with Lolli to My Little Life. 5 questions to answer for this lovely Friday evening.
1. What is better, growing old with out money or dying young and wealthy?
What good would your money do if you die before you can use it all? I’d rather be old!
2. Who takes out the garbage at your house?
Depends on the day. Our garbage comes 2 times a week on Mondays and Thursdays. On Mondays, while I lay in the nice warm bed, Juice gathers up the house garbage, the diapers, and the recycling to be put on the curb. On Thursdays, Juice is up late the night before so I either run it out to the curb (in my robe and coat and pjs) while the garbage people are coming or he does. Sometimes it doesn’t go out on Thursdays and then we try not to open our garbage can if at all possible. Stinky!
3. Have you ever had the same dream many times?
Yes actually I have. It’s my current plot outline for my book, should I ever get around to writing it. Let’s just say it involves tigers, the moon, and that all I’m going to say.
4. Can you play a musical instrument?
Yep. Started playing the violin when I was around 5. I guess my brother had been taking lessons for awhile and I asked my mom, “Where’s my violin?” I took lessons until I was 12 and we moved to another state. I started the high school orchestra and met some awesome people and played in Disneyland. I also played in the college orchestra, and got to be 2nd chair 2nd violin my second year there. (That’s kind of a big deal.) I think I played one semester of my 3rd year and nothing in my 4th year. I don’t practice as I should but I can play a few things on demand. I also play the piano very casually. Like, once a year when I’m at my Mom’s house. (She taught me the piano! A women of many talents!)
5. If you owned your own store, what would you sell?
Honestly I’ve never wanted to own my own store. If I HAD to pick, I’d sell horse stuff because I love the smell of tack stores. Mmm…leather.
Safire
Safireblog fun
Jan 17
Everyone,
This week’s question on the Multiples and More blog was a fun one! The question is:
“Tell us your 5 FAVORITE blogs- and they don’t have to be multiple mom blogs either!“
Now I read a lot of blogs. Frankly, I read a lot more blogs than I ever comment on. I believe this is called “lurking”. I don’t mind being a lurker. I only comment on the blogs I really like or if I have something to say. I also read my blogs in a reader which I think kills the commenting too. I have all my blogs seperated out into catagories. I’ll list my catagories and one of my favorite blogs in it.
IRL Blogs (or In Real Life, basically people I’ve met in real life)
Clio- I met Karen online when we were both trying to have babies and journaling on the iParenting website. Before the big blog craze hit and everyone had one. We had to apply to write there and everything. But then blogs hit and the site died and we moved onto our own blogs. We’ve stayed in touch through our blogs and last year we got to meet in person. We both love books, reading, and dogs. She was nice enough to dog sit Soot while we drove across the country for an hour or so while we went sight seeing. I love seeing her posts about her cute Evie and reading her thoughts on adoption.
Maryland Bloggers (or people who live in Maryland who blog, like me)
Chicken Nuggets of Wisdom- DiPaola Momma is seriously funny. I love her Fit Pitchin’ Fridays and how she calls all of her followers “Nuggetiers”. She’s also super sweet in person and throws an awesome party.
Shopping Blogs (or blogs that have anything to do with money)
TattooAstronomy- For those who use Swagbucks, you should recognize this sight. For those who don’t, WHY AREN’T YOU? Seriously, free money for doing a few searches a day! Who wouldn’t want that? I always jump when I see there’s a post from this blog because that means I’ve either missed a swag code (another way to earn swagbucks) or there’s some important information about Swagbucks. Seriously you guys, join up! It’s how I paid for a lot of Christmas this year and how I’m probably going to save up and get a Flip camera…for free!
Twin Blogs (or blogs that have anything to do with multiples of any kind)
The Isoms- My friend from my church recommended I read her blog when I was pregnant with the boys. The were friends or roommates…I can’t remember which. In any case, Jen has twins plus a singleton and is wicked funny. Just looking at her blog header makes me giggle…The Whitest People in Miami. I want to meet her one day and let our children run wild together. Because I get the feeling they would.
Ward Members (or people at my church who have blogs)
Better in Bulk- Lolli is one of my bestest pals. She manages to blog every day and I never feel like it’s the slow dribble that I put up on my page. Plus, she often posts cute pictures of my kids or family! She is also my local photographer. We talk a few times a week on the phone, as well as do a little preschool together, and read each other’s blogs every day. I always check to see if she’s written anything very first thing.
Not Catagorized (or things that I just haven’t put into catagories…there has to be at least 30 blogs in that list but most only post sporatically)
MommyKnows- I don’t remember where I started reading her but I love reading! She has a 4 year old that I’m sure would be best buds with my 4 year old. She lives in Canada and I am in awe of her amazing pictures this winter. She does a bunch of simple crafts that I always think I could pull off but then remember that I have zero free time on my hands sometimes. We have a big thing in common…we both love SNOW! I am jealous of all the snow business that goes on with her family and maybe one day we’ll live in a place that snows more than 3 times a year.
Whew, this was harder than I thought. And it took longer because I got sucked into other blogs I enjoy reading but didn’t post. Now you know what I do during nap time!
Safire
Safireblog fun, other blogs
Dec 18
Everyone,
A big (for this area) storm is headed our direction. They are anticipating at least a foot of snow. Of course, they always seem to go over the mark with these predictions and we will probably get about 8 inches. Still, a significant storm for here.
This is also the first year since we’ve moved here that there will be snow anywhere near Christmas. We have lived here 6 years now. (Juice and I just had a huge long “discussion” about when we moved to the area and how long we’ve been here. I, of course, was right. I love this blog for proving me right. 
Did you know I’ve been blogging here for 5 years now?!) Anyway, back to the snow. I don’t think I can remember ever having snow near Christmas in all the years we’ve lived here. Since I have the last 5 Decembers on record, let’s check them out.
Dec 2004: I talk about how hot it is, over 60 degrees. One thing that I didn’t talk about was that our heater broke later that month and it was FREEZING cold. We went to Utah for a week and a half that Christmas break and got snow there. It also snowed late in January in 2005 but no snow for Christmas.
Dec 2005: No mention whatsoever of snow. At all.
Dec 2006: Ahh, the year we went downtown during Christmas break. We carried our coats the whole trip because it was so not cold.
Dec 2007: We had our first snowfall mid month and nothing after that.
Dec 2008: No snow. Just a lot of rain and some really cute little kids.
So maybe this is the year we have a white Christmas? I sure hope so!
Safire
PS- It’s almost 4:15 in the afternoon and I have yet to even shower or get out of my pjs…it’s been one of THOSE days. Ugh.
Safireblog fun, snow
Jan 28
Everyone,
I found this thread from my good friend Lolli. I hope things change for this.
As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They’re banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we’ve seen in decades. I’d like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.
Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.
The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.
How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:
To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren’t originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.
To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children’s books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there’s always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it’s passed testing. It won’t even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.
To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can’t sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can’t even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.
To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children’s items all together to avoid future lawsuits.
To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you’ll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.
To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you’d better start buying now because it’s all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren’t certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html
To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.
To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.
If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html
And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html
Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.
Safire
Safireblog fun
Jan 22
Everyone,
My good friend Lolli tagged me a few days ago. Since I don’t really have anything to say today (unless you want to hear my rantings about Butterfly and her attitude lately), here are 7 random things about me.
1- Did you know that I have 3 other blogs I write on? I do. One is a group blog which is private, one is a private one just for me that I haven’t written in in months, and one I just started today to keep track of the bloggy giveaways I enter. You can check that one out here.
2- I have not gotten my mail in about 5 days. I probably should do that but I hate walking to my mail box. It’s at the end of my circle, about a block away. I used to get it all the time with Butterfly. It was a great little outting for us. But now, I can’t hold both boys and open the box. Plus we have coats to put on, gloves to put on, shoes to put on. So the mail just sits there until the box gets full and our mailman grumpily brings it to our house in a big rubber band. Or he will take it all to the post office and make me go there to get it.
3- I love love love popcorn and have some at least 3 times a week. I have a stir crazy popper that I love. The bowl is cracked and the stirring arm is bent but it still works great. It gets lots of use!
4- Since having the boys, I have a really hard time concentrating. It’s frustrating to me because I was always great at being organized and stuff. I really do think that being organized is one of the many keys to success. But now, I’m totally disorganized. I feel like I’m skating through life and I hate it. I want to get back to being organized. The only way to do that is to make a ton of lists, and I don’t have the concetration to make them. Sigh…
5- I used to send out montly pictures to my friends and family. I haven’t done that since the boys were born. I feel awful because I know my mom and grandma really like them. I also haven’t even uploaded the pictures on to the photo sharing/buying website since my trip to Utah last summer. I really need to because when I actually do get back into scrapbooking, I’ll need a place to get my pictures printed! I always have good intetions of sitting down to do it every day but then the internet sucks me in.
6- I have my book club meeting tonight and I’m excited to get out and not have to worry about the kids! We are reading Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. I did not finish (okay, start) Mere Christianity but I got through The Screwtape Letters. These books are very thought provoking. See #4 above. I’m vowing to start the next book earlier in hopes that I will actually get through it.
7- I love reading the credits in a movie. I love to see people’s names. I really love watching the Pixar credits because they have production babies at the end and that is so cool! I think I got started with this when I watched the Simpsons when I was younger. They used to have a funny phrase at the end of the credits every episode. I wish more people did that.
Okay, so for the rules:
* Link to the person who tagged you
* Post the rules on your blog
* Write 7 random things about yourself
* Tag 7 people at the end of your post and link to them
* Let each person know they’ve been tagged
I tag:
Valinda
My Dad
My Aunt
Rosemarie
Miss X
Karen from Clio
Aubrey
(Wow, that was harder than I thought to pick 7 people!)
Safire
Safireblog fun, randomness
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