Long-distance dedication and a WINNER!

I'd like to make a long-distance dedication...to all the girls who reminded me how cute David Cassidy was - and of course his brother Shaun (and let's give a shout-out to the other Hardy Boy!). I'll be singing DA DOO RUN RUN for days! I forgot the Partridge Family wore matching outfits with their mom, didn't they? I have to tell my kids about that - they'll think that's super cool, don't you think?! Or maybe they'll want to start wearing "mom jeans". Am I right?? At least I didn't make us all matching outfits from the curtains, although I did make my girls a purse from some old jeans once. And it was really cute! Did you know Avon still sells Sweet Honesty!?? Anyway, on to bigger things...

I can't wait to do another giveaway - this was truly a barrel of fun. I got in touch with so many new and fun blogs and got to go down memory lane with old friends. NOW...THE WINNER(s)!!! I want you to know, I made a spreadsheet with all the names on it and cut it out so all the rectangles would be the same size and shape, and my daughter drew the winner(s). I had so much fun, I made a tiny retro candy basket as well so I could give more people a chance to win.

The BIG winner is Jessie at Muthering Heights! Jessie just had her third baby and is neck deep in diapers, potty training, and 2 a.m. wake-up calls - I think some sugar ought to do her good!!

The TINY winner is Sherry at Country Wings in Phoenix! Well, well, well, I just checked her blog to leave her a comment and saw she just won ANOTHER giveaway!!!!!! OK, you don't win mine - forget it. JUST JOKING - it's your lucky day, girl!

Thank you for having fun with me at my first GIVEAWAY. Congratulations, Jessie and Sherry! I wish everyone could win, but you all know you're winners on the inside! There, that sounded like a mom, right (eye roll)?? Enjoy your candy, groovy girls ~

Browser schmowser!!

If you have trouble viewing the GIVEAWAY post (below) in Mozilla, try Internet Explorer for this one ~

Retro Giveaway! Ends Friday, July 31st

70s - HERE I COME!


The whole idea for this giveaway came about as the result of a hilarious e-mail I received about being a girl in the 1970s. That was me. I never had the Dorothy Hamill haircut, but almost everything else applied. Secretly I really did think Gopher was cute - and oh soooo funny, but of course not as cool as Isaac! For years, I just knew I was going to be a Cruise Director when I got "big". Wait, I am, only I'm not on a boat and I'm not as perky...nowadays it's just called MOM. And watching The Wizard of Oz was a YEARLY event shared with friends, sleeping bags, and a bowl of popcorn. I just put on my strawberry lip gloss from K-Mart and I was ready to hit the mall, or the roller rink of course - duhhh. I remember the first time I got my bangs feathered...now I could use my thumb and middle finger and push them out of my face like the cool kids - and to make sure I looked good, I kept my fat-handled comb in my back pocket, sticking out so everyone KNEW looking good was my business. Man, I was far out! Move over Marcia, Marcia, Marcia...

Look at me and my bad self - my new go-go boots!! They were so groovy.


My poncho and my purple gauchos. OK, the coolness factor dropped just a bit because my bell-bottoms also doubled as high-waters so I wouldn't trip (ummm, yeah, OK). And could I maybe pull my gauchos up a bit more, I don't think they were touching my training bra yet?!


Just think, I bet I left the house that day thinking, 'My hair looks so good I probably won't even sweat in my corduroy jumper and cowl neck.'


Finally, the man who won my heart. No, honey, holding up a candle at your grandparents' 50th anniversary isn't the same as holding up a lighter at a Journey concert, but your haircut and uh, mustache(?) sure are dreamy.


NOW, ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!!!


I was thinking about all of my favorite candies from when I was little. Walking over to Ben Franklin while my mom grocery shopped was the best. One nickle could get me FIVE pieces of candy! We have a store near us that is a little neighborhood variety store with an entire of aisle of every candy, new and old, that you could ever want. Sixlets were always my favorite - when there were actually 6 in the little package for a penny. Mmmmm, mmmm.



I collected as many "retro" candies as I could find there and put them together in a decorated 70s-looking paint-sized can with a lid.*

Since this is my first giveaway, I'm just going to follow what I've seen others do...1. Leave a comment and your name gets entered.
2. Become a follower and your name gets entered. If you're already a follower, you're entered.
3. Post the giveaway on your blog, you're entered twice. Be sure and let me know if you did post it so I'm clued it. I realize sometimes people don't like to post giveaways and that's A-OK, you'll still get entered doing either #1 or #2 above - or both, nifty chick.
NOTE TO MY CHILDREN - No, you can't enter. I love you, but no. XXOO

I'll keep this posted until this Friday, July 31st. Then sometime that evening I'll have one of my kids or my husband draw the winner. Have fun, my peeps ~
*NOTE: Because it's summertime, I won't be sending anything chocolate in the mail. I just put a few chocolate things in the picture to bring back some memories.

So many things...and MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Call me a follower, but I've jumped on the "Award free" band wagon! Bloggers give little awards to each other when they especially like their blog, or their comments, or anything about them. It's VERY cute and gives you a little boost like, 'Yay, people are reading this!' However, usually the awards or "tags" want you to then pass it on to X number of people. Well, I like different blogs for different reasons and I don't like to pick and choose so therefore I'm ummmmm...not!


A good thing about the awards was linking to other blogs so that others can see some new or different ones out there. One way I do this is by adding "buttons" from certain blogs that have them. Even that gets a bit overwhelming but thanks to Cheri at It's So Very Cheri, I've learned how to scroll the buttons so I can have a lot on there but it won't take up extra room and make the blog look overloaded. THANKS CHERI! By the way, take a look at Cheri's blog for a super cute giveaway!

If you'd like to have your buttons scroll, please e-mail me and I'll be glad to give you the code. I just tried posting the code and it made my whole post scroll!! So I guess it's the right code, huh!??

Now finally, my daughter is having her 8th surgery (yes, EIGHTH) on her foot/feet tomorrow so while she's home napping and recovering in the afternoon, I'm hoping to have some computer time and POST MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!!!! Think..."Sweet Memories". If I'm unable to get on here tomorrow, I'll post on Saturday, so y'all come back now, ya hear??!!

Gooey Butter Cake

Do you want to do your friends an amazing favor? Well maybe not now, but if you ever DO, you will make them this amazing Gooey Butter Cake. They say this cake was originally made by complete accident here at a St. Louis bakery, but who knows. I heard Al Gore invented the internet, so I guess anything's possible. There's even a store in town that specializes only in Gooey Butter Cake, called Gooey Louie, where you can order a cake to celebrate any special occasion and they'll put it in a special box marking the occasion and send it to your special someone. I've never done it, but I've never met a Gooey Butter Cake I haven't liked and it would be fun idea, so maybe someday!

Maryann, a favorite blog friend of mine, featured a very similar recipe called "Cheese bars" on her blog A Joyful Chaos a while back and she's not from St. Louis, so I think we may have de-bunked that idea. I've heard this recipe can even be made with chocolate cake mix for something different - YUMMMMM! Enjoy ~

For the bottom layer you'll need:
1 box of yellow cake mix
2 sticks of butter (softened or slightly melted)
1 egg, slightly beaten


Mix by hand and pour into ungreased 9x11 baking dish. It will be thick, like brownie batter.



For the top layer you'll need:
8 oz. cream cheese
2 eggs
1 box of powdered sugar (or approx. 2-1/2 cups)- leave some to sprinkle on top when done


Beat together (with mixer) the cream cheese and egg, then add the powered sugar (leave some for sprinkling). Beat for about 2-3 minutes and pour over bottom layer.


Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until pretty brown around the edges. Sprinkle with remaining powdered sugar (which I forgot to do in the picture - bad me!). Cut into squares and eat like there's no tomorrow!

One minute...seriously!

These pictures are from years ago, but they were all taken after I had turned around just momentarily to do something else, perhaps go to the bathroom (without somebody waving their fingers to me under the door or saying, "OK, you go and I'll count!") or brush my teeth for the week - ha ha. You'd think I'd learn from child #1, but things just got a little more relaxed with the next two. I'm glad I thought they were funny enough at the time to take a picture because they just crack me up now!


This is when Adam got into the trash can - yes, seriously, to get some leftover french fries and ketchup. The good news is that I used to throw the dirty diapers in the outside trash can - that's a plus!


This is Shoeless Meredith at 22 months changing her own diaper. Where was I?? Where was my husband?? And did I seriously use powder? I don't remember that.


Sara was apparently getting ready for a date at 17 months. No, even I don't use lipstick that color! Where did it come from?? At least she knew where it went, I'll give her that much.


Somehow even the dogs got wind of my lack of attention and chewed the corner of our wooden stand/shelf thing.

Apparently the eyes in the back of my head weren't working on those days. :)

Gettin' Twitterpated

I realize I'm fairly new to the blogging world and I'm still trying to figure it all out (i.e. how come when I visit some blogs Internet Explorer just won't let me - and I even downloaded the newest version?). I explained, in my first post I think it was, how trying to explain a "blog" to somebody is hilarious! I'm usually met with comments about having too much time on my hands. NUH UH!! Time is SO not on my hands...or whatever.

Here's my newest question - what the heck is Twittering for??? I know I ended a sentence with a preposition, but that's how confused it makes me. If you're a Tweeter or Twitterer, do tell. This is in NO way an insult or a criticism - I'd have to understand it first in order to insult it. I've done some of my own research by visiting people's Twits (or Twitters...??) and I get that same confused feeling I got when I'd see Mary Ann make a coconut cream pie and I knew there was no way she had pie crust on that island and how come Gilligan never hit Skipper with HIS hat?? But I do digress.

Do you have to "belong" to understand it? Maybe that's the problem - I'm just doing the reading from the outside. When someone has a link that says to follow them on Twitter, I click it, and see one-sided conversations, like I'm left out of the joke somehow. And I think it's only like 140 characters per Tweet(?) so the things you say have to be short and sweet, like "I'm eating a cheese sandwich". So, I guess my question is two-sided: 1. Why do people Twitter; and 2. Why do people follow them?

Again, I cannot stress enough that this is PURELY done so I can understand it. Who knows, I may just get Twitterpated myself!! Dare I??

Whoops and a dip!

Every July, Hallmark has it's big "ornament premiere" and I quietly wait until about an hour after it starts to get there. I have found that there are two things (at the very least) that you never get in the way of...a mother getting in line at a dance recital and women at ornament premiere weekend. Seriously, how many ornaments can you fit on a tree??? You know those little baskets that stores have for when you have too much to hold, but not enough for a big cart? Yeah well, picture a bunch of crazed women carrying at least two FULL baskets and when you accidentally bump them and say sorry, they look at you like, 'Well you should be'. Needless to say, I've learned. I don't need anything that badly. OK, well, I don't need ornaments that badly.

The store opens at 9 for the members of the "Club", and 10 for the rest of us. Now I don't collect a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g. I need more "stuff" like I need a hole in my head, but I do get sentimental about ornaments. I've gotten my girls (17 and 19) Barbie ornaments since they were tiny and even though those don't officially come out until October, I like to get my name on the list. They really never played with Barbies too much, but I figure if they're really poor someday, at least they'll have cute ornaments on their tree.

As I was browsing, I saw the Grinch ornament and sure, it was cute. I mean, who can't relate, right?? Especially at ornament premiere day. Then, I notice a Who-ville sized something on the ornament. They spelled THREE wrong! If you read my post about the 7 (+1) things about me, spelling is a biggie for me - call me weird, I don't care. It said on the book page he's standing in front of, "...the Grinch's small heart grew THEE sizes that day". Ummmm, hello Hallmark!! Cha-ching. My hope is they'll recall all of the misspelled ones, I'll have 4 of them (yes, I bought 4 - 1 for each of my kids, and one for my husband and me), and I'll quick as a wink sell them on eBay and type my next post on my laptop from the Bahamas. See, I've got it all worked out. Soooo, if you want to share in my dream, then you better hot-foot it to your nearest Hallmark and grab a misspelled Grinch ornament. You're welcome! Then again, they may be worth nothing, just the $10 you paid for them (I thought I better put that disclaimer in there). Whew.

When I excitedly told my 17-year-old about it, she said, "Why would you buy me something that was spelled wrong?" Ahhh, the apple isn't falling far from the tree...

Now, onto more important things... I'm sharing a recipe (another dip actually) that is a big favorite around here. It's Chocolate Chip Dip. Yep, it's as good as cookie dough - almost. Enjoy and have a great weekend ~


Here's what you'll need:
Chocolate Chip Dip
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
3/4 cup butter
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
2 T. brown sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (chop up regular ones if you don't have minis)


Mix everything together except the chocolate chips. You can either use a mixer or do it by hand.


Add your chocolate chips.


Enjoy! We used to serve this with graham cracker sticks, but we can't find them around here anymore, so we use pretzel twists. Or a spoon. ha ha The salty and the sweet - YUMMMMM.

A little Christmas in July...

Don't we all just love it when our children behave like angels? Yeah, OK, then there's the rest of the time when they're just...kids! I'll never forget in church when my daughter was little and was playing around on the pews. I reached for her arm to pull her next to me and very LOUDLY she said, "OUCH, you're hurting me!". AS IF!! There was some praying goin' on that day!

This video is of Tennessee Ernie Ford, whom I did not know had such an amazing voice (seriously). The hilarious part is watching his son next to him!! Even the girl next to him made me crack up. By the end the boy in the front just walked away and Ernie lost it. I LOVE little kids!!

Welcome to my imPERFECT world!

Believe it or not, I think I'm actually writing a post on my much-anticipated blog (well, I was much-anticipating it, so that counts for something)! I knew I wanted a blog that would be fun to visit, require no heavy thinking skills and let me be creative (or not), so I think that's where I am.

The funniest part is trying to explain a "blog" to people that have no idea what it is or what you're talking about. A friend at church said, "Tell me again, WHY do you do this?" or "So you just go on and talk about yourself??" or "Why don't you just call someone?" Who knows??!! Because I want to!! Nannie nannie boo boo.

I'm starting off my new blog with two things: One is a blog award that says I have to list 7 things about me that you don't know (ahhhh, vewy intewesting); and the second thing is a great recipe for a quick, easy dip. Take it anywhere, they'll beg for the recipe and you can act like it's all complicated and you got it from your grandma, and it's a secret, blah, blah, blah.



Ok, 7 things you probably don't know about me:
1. I'm an early riser. I like to be up by around 6 a.m. and showered and ready for the day by 7. Of course, I'm also an early-to-bedder. If I'm up until 10 - wow!
2. I got a 100% on the English section of the ACT in high school, and I sometimes consider myself a spelling snob. My feeling is if you're not sure how to spell it - look it up! Hello - www.dictionary.com!
3. My husband is a better housewife than I am. He's definitely a better cook (Cuban/Italian background) and he cleans better than I do. He's not a better parent though - I think we're equally inadequate on that one. :)
4. I love the idea of homeschooling but I could never do it.
5. I have anxiety that sometimes hits me from out of the blue.
6. I don't like the telephone and rarely answer it.
7. I'm the youngest of 6 children and I'm Catholic (with that many kids, you knew I was Catholic, Mormon, or Amish - or one of the Duggars)
Bonus #8. I eat left-handed but do everything else right-handed.

I'm supposed to pass it on to 7 other blogs, but I like Monica's idea (The Mennobrarian) where YOU, the reader, are tagged to post this award, list 7 things, and then comment back here so we can visit!

Now for the recipe...

It's only 3 ingredients - sausage, 1 can of Rotel, 1 pkg. of cream cheese. Ignore the dog cookie jar in the background unless you add dog treats to your recipes. Your call.


Brown the sausage and drain.


Add the can of Rotel (original) and the cream cheese and heat all the way through.


Pour into a bowl and serve warm with Tostitos or Fritos. OR, we even eat it cold sometimes, but it's more difficult to scoop out and you end up breaking your Tostitos.

Thanks for dropping by!