My Purse

This is funny because only us women can relate. What do you carry in your purse? OHMommy challenged me to share the contents of my purse with the bloggy world. I would love to take a look into everone's purse. My hubby just can't understand why we want to know? Because we're girls! This is what we do!

I think my purse reflects me. It's nothing really that special. Having 4 kids and being a SAHM doesn't allow me to spend too much on myself. I've recently downsized. My purse is just big enough to carry my essentials, but not too big so it doesn't become a catch-all. I weed out all the junk every time I sit down to write the bills. I used to carry a large purse, but then I decided all it did for me was allow me to carry too many papers and toys.


This is my purse:

After looking at this photo, I realized my wallet has seen better days, and I need a new one! I have $61.00 in it. I always carry cash because being a mom of 4, three of which are in school, I'm always handing money out for something - lunch money, allowance, money for the book fair, etc

I also carry my checkbook, Rimmel Stay Matte powder foundation, glasses (I only use them to drive at night or to watch a movie), coupon books for the local restaurants (my mother-in-law bought these for me), 50/50 tickets that my boys are selling for their baseball teams, lip gloss, and lip liner.

In my little side pocket, I have my cell phone, insurance and library card, chap stick, Bath and Body Works lip gloss, my son's money, and tweezers (I was looking for those!).

At the bottom of my purse, I found my car keys, a cherry Halls cough drop, and a quarter.

Now I want to see what's in your purse! Will you show and tell? I challenge Lizzy, Becky Leslie, Debbie, Leah, Kila, Kitty, Mary, Dawn, Summer, BurghBaby, Zoe, Shellie, and Amy. Is there anyone else who would like to do it? Please share!

I was tagged my by new bloggy friend Maria at God's Blessings for Seven Random Things...


Rules are:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.



So here are my 7 random things:

1. I love to cook and eat! I love to try new recipes, bake cakes and pies, make fancy drinks. I wish I had more time to do it, though. Someday when the kids are older...


2. I'm 37 and just started jogging this year. I've never been a runner, and still don't do it as much as I'd like, but I love the feeling that I actually CAN run!


3. My favorite vacation spot is Hilton Head, South Carolina! We've gone with my family now 4 times and we have our house booked for this summer too! To me, it's the most beautiful place in the US. I've never been to Hawaii, but I bet it's the closest thing to it.


4. I have one sister, Irene, and no brothers. Growing up, I always wished I had a big family like some of our neighbors, or The Brady Bunch, or Eight Is Enough. I always knew I wanted a large family and now have 2 boys and 2 girls. I'd have more if I had the time and money!


5. One embarassing fact... I'm afraid to put my toes under my bed. When I make my bed, I have to stand far enough away so that they don't stick under the dust ruffle. One time I decided I wasn't going to be afraid anymore and made my bed with my toes sticking under my bed. "Ouch!" My CAT was under my bed and attacked my toes! Never again have I done that!


6. I can't go to bed without reading. Even if I go to bed really late, I still have to read at least a couple of pages. I'm reading an Agatha Christie book now.


7. My house is a constant work in progress. We are living in our second fixer upper and have even redone some of the rooms two times! I always have plans in my head about what I want to do next. I want to put in a gas fireplace and built in bookcases in my living room, and add a closet and paint our mudroom next.

I don't know who hasn't done this meme yet, so please do it if you haven't!

Ten Things I Never Get Tired of Doing

1. Blogging. I never would have believed how much I love it and all the bloggy friends I have made. It's a whole new world for me.

2. Drinking coffee in the morning. I love just holding the hot cup when I'm still sleepy and cold. I love the smell of it.

3. Watching TV at night with my 14-year old. Right now we're watching season two of Gilmore Girls. I get the rest of the kids off to bed, and let her stay up a little later. It's her time of the day that she "talks".

4. Saturday night date night. My husband and I don't go out a lot, so we like to eat a late dinner after the little ones are in bed. Tonight we are going to a hockey game, so we'll have to eat an early dinner.

5. Being a stay-at-home-mom. I don't know for how much longer, though. My youngest will be in preschool this year!

6. Watching a baseball game. We have a great local baseball team and get cheap or free tickets all the time. The kids love chasing the balls and fighting for flying Tshirts. I even love watching my sons play.

7. Cooking a good meal. What can I say? I love food! Tonight - barbequed ribs and oven baked steak fries.

8. Reading a book. I need to find more time for this!

9. Taking a long walk/run. I feel so good when I'm done. It gives me time to think without hearing a constant, "Mom!".

10. Shopping. Like Leslie said, it just makes me happy!

I am adding this to Amy's meme. I like how she always writes her list of what she's grateful for.

Book Meme

I was tagged by GrandmaK at A Bit of the Blarney for a book meme. I think I have about 3 meme's to still complete, so I figured I better get busy.

*1. One book that changed my life: A Travel Guide to Heaven. My sister gave this to me to read and it was very uplifting. It makes you think about our ultimate goal, getting to heaven. He uses quotes from the Bible to explain what we know about what heaven will be like. It 's very exciting.

*2. One book that you have read more than once: All the What to Expect books. I read them all 4 times for my 4 kids.

*3. One book that you want on a desert island: I'd have to say the same as GrandmaK - The Holy Bible.

*4. One book that made me laugh: I guess I don't read many funny books, but the closest to that would have to be Growing Up Brady. I hate to admit I have a Brady fascination. That was a pretty funny book.

*5. One book that made me cry: Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul. I hated the sad stories, but loved the happy ones. I also have to say Let's Roll. You remember that one.

*6. One book I wish had been written: Hm. I guess I can't think of any!

*7. One book I wish had not been written: The Chamber by John Grisham. You keep reading the book thinking he'll somehow escape going to the chamber, but he doesn't. It's too sad.

*8. One book I am currently reading: Harry Potter. I can't get enough of them.

*9. One book I've been meaning to read: The Appeal by John Grisham! I'm so excited he has a new courtroom battle book coming out on January 29! John Grisham is my absolute favorite author. I've read every one of his books (actually except Playing for Pizzas). My husbands uncle gave me a gift certificate to Border's for Christmas so I'm going to buy it the day it comes out.

I think I will tag Irene, Karen, Ohmommy, Flea, Amy, Steph, and Tina. Have Fun!

Birth Month Meme

I just got tagged. Tina from tagged me for a meme about birth month characteristics. The rules are: copy and paste the 12 months with their characteristics below, highlight the characteristics for my birth month, and make a comment next to each one about how it fits me (either serious or funny). Then tag 12 people to do this. My birthday is July 25, so...


July is:

Fun to be with. Well I think I am.

Secretive. I am especially when I'm keeping a secret.

Difficult to fathom and to be understood. You mean like when I call everyone in the house by the wrong name almost EVERY time?

Quiet unless excited or tensed. Ohh, not really. I think I'm always excited, even while sleeping.

Takes pride in oneself. Well I care about how I look, care how I act, but don't always care for how I look or how I acted.

Has reputation. Sure I do! A good one!

Easily consoled. I guess.

Honest. Always! Except when I tell my 7 year old how lucky he is to get to go to school, or when I tell my 3 year old whatever she wants to hear at night, just to get her to go to sleep, or when I ... OK, almost always.

Concerned about people's feelings. OK, definitely on this one. Sometimes this can be a weakness of mine. I feel sorry for EVERYONE when they're upset. (I mean a little too much.)

Tactful. I try to be.

Friendly. This one I've learned just since I got married. In high school, I was probably the most unfriendly person there. I didn't think anyone would want to talk to me. Now my husband thinks I'm overly friendly. I talk to people in every line I'm in and everywhere I go.

Approachable. Doesn't this go hand in hand with friendly? Yeah!

Emotional, temperamental, and unpredictable. I have to say yes again. I cry easily, get scared pretty easily, get mad, I mean, try not to get mad too easily. What can I say? I have four kids!

Moody and easily hurt. Sure. I guess I can take things too personally sometimes.

Witty and sparkly. Huh, what did you say? Uh, sure am.

Not revengeful. I don't think so.

Forgiving but never forgets. Yes. Not always, though. Only when it's too hard to forget. That's happened a few times. How can you forget something really bad that someone did to you?

Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Pretty much. I really hate dusk catchers!

Guides others physically and mentally. Well of course! I'm Mommy of 4!

Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Yes, but is that always a good thing?

Caring and loving. Definitely.

Treats others equally. Not at all, especially with my kids. I treat them fairly, but they're all so different that I have to talk to them in different tones and punish differently for what works the best with each one.

Strong sense of sympathy. Yes, my husband says too much.

Wary and sharp. Wary yes, not always sharp.

Judges people through observations. Yes?

Hardworking. Of course, I'm a stay at home mom!

No difficulties in studying. Well I don't study now, but I guess I did when I was in school.

Loves to be alone. I don't know what that is!

Always broods about the past and the old friends. I guess the past has effected me. some of my bad experiences when I was younger still haunt me.

Likes to be quiet. Sometimes.

Homely person. No.

Waits for friends. No?

Never looks for friends. No. I'm always looking for new blogging friends!

Not aggressive unless provoked. It takes a lot for me to crack.

Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Yeah, that's it! I not very good at dieting because I have stomach problems. My stomach's always hungry!

Loves to be loved. Of course, who doesn't?

Easily hurt but takes long to recover. That's a hard one. I guess it depends on the circumstances.


OK. I think I'll tag Kellan (she always has the funniest things to say), Bia, Mary, Karen, Becky, Steph, Cindy, and a new one, Leah. Sorry, I only tagged eight.

This was fun(and long), and I can't wait to hear everyone else's answers!

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.
FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.
MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.
APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.
MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.
JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.
JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.
AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.
SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.
OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.
NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.
DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

7 Random Things About Myself

I was tagged by Irene at Our Little Piece of the World to tell 7 random things about myself. At first I didn't think I could even think of 7 interesting things to tell, so here are 7 maybe not so interesting things about myself:

1. My favorite food is ice cream. That's how I found My Ice Cream Diary. We have a lot in common with that! I don't just love the common flavors like chocolate or vanilla. I love banana, peppermint stick, chocolate panda paws, and superman. I've cut down over the past year when I realized I couldn't live one day without it. I love it SO much that I even have recurrent dreams about finding a new ice cream shop in town. The last time was just last week when I found a new one in the mall, with hard ice cream.
2. I cry very easily. I've been getting better about controlling it, though. I can cry when my kids upset me, when they do well at one of their games, or even at a sad commercial. I have to hold back at movies ALL the time.
3. My favorite TV shows, I guess I will admit to some of them. I love The Bachelor! I'm surprised it keeps coming back each season. It's actually a pretty dumb show, but I can't seem to get enough of it. I love "getting to know" the new bachelor and trying to pick who he will pick. After the show ends I'm always surprised they broke up even though it always ends that way. I love a lot of the reality shows, like Survivor, and the Amazing Race.
4. I love kid movies, not little kid movies, but older kid movies. When my kids ask me to watch a movie with them, they don't have to twist very hard. When I was in high school, my favorite movie was Sixteen Candles. I watch it so many times that I actually memorised every single word to it, "I love the bus!".
5. Sometimes I can be very unsure of myself. I worry that someone doesn't like me or is mad at me when I shouldn't. I second guess myself all the time. Am I spending enough time with the kids? Should I read more to them? Should I take them more places? Sometimes I think I'm doing a good job, but then I second guess that, too.
6. I won't let my kids move away from me! When I lived at home my mom never wanted me to go away to college or move out of town. She use to say, "Why did I have kids I'm just going to have them until they're 18 and never see them again! What a waste!". I was afraid to challenge her on that. I thought she'd never speak to me again if I did. I ended up living at home and going to a nearby college, and now I live two minutes down the road from her. Now, at 37, I completely agree! I talk to my mom every day. I see her all the time. She babysits when I need her. She'll run the kids homework over to their school when they forget it. She comes over to take care of the kids when I'm sick and my husband is at work. She picks things up for me at the store when she goes. We help her out, too. My husband goes over to help carry things out of the house, or to fix something. He appreciates living close to them, too. This is how I want to live when my kids grow up. My husband's mom moved only one minute away from us. His brother lives across the country, and my sister, the one who tagged me, was the rebel. She lived at home for college, but moved away the first chance she could after college. She still lives out of town, though only 1 hour away now, and guess what? My mom still talks to her.
7. This goes hand in hand with number 6. I'm turning into my mom! Just ask my sister, or my husband, or especially my brother in law. I don't want my kids to ever move out of town. I read mostly nonfiction now, other than Harry Potter and John Grisham books, of course. I'm a tree hugger (not literally). I love to cook. I always have her words of advice in my head, "Never give up on your kids until the day you die." My husband just told me that my sister said I'm my mom, talking through my body. Is that a good thing? I'm not just my mom in only the positive ways. I'm taking after her body. I gain my weight in my middle. Sometimes, when I get really mad about something, I'll pound my fist down on the table, "Don't you ever do that again!". Mom, where did you come from?

Well that was my seven random facts about me. Wow, easier than I thought! I'm suppose to tag 7 people to do this, but I don't know if there are 7 who haven't done this lately. I think I'll tag My Ice Cream Diary, Magirk, Leslie, Wonderful World of Wieners, and Life According to Lizzy. I know, only 5 people, but if anyone else wants to do this, then you're tagged, too.

Discipline Meme

Karen from The Rocking Pony has tagged me with a meme about disciplining our children (thank you very much, Karen, just kidding). Where do I start? I could write a book about my thoughts. What should I leave out? I agree with Karen that it depends on the situation. I think I'll just make a list of some of my thoughts:

1. Prevention is key (easier said than done). Before we do anything, I remind the kids of my expectations of them.When I took my daughter to play at McDonald's, I knew I didn't want to have to chase her to leave, so I (and I stress) REALLY reminded her that when I say it's time to go, she has to get her shoes on and go. It worked fine. When I told her it was time to leave, she got her shoes on and we left while the other moms were chasing their kids through the tunnels. If she didn't come, I would have just grabbed her and left and in a few days told her, "I wanted to take you to McDonald's today, but the last time we left you didn't come when it was time to go. Now we can't go today."


2. High expectations. I try to be perfect. I never will reach that level, but if I have high expectations of myself and my kids, hopefully we'll be good enough. If I want them to do something, I make them do it. For example, if I tell my daughter it's time to get out of the tub and she doesn't, I don't plead with her. I just tell her it's time to get out and pick her up out of it.


3. Talk "The Talk". I don't want to yell. I literally feel sick if I do. I don't want to ground. I usually end up regretting it or forgetting that I DID do that. I don't want to spank. I don't even like the thought of it. I like to talk instead. (I'm a really big talker. That's one of the reasons why I blog!) I use different tones to set the mood, "Ohhh, WHY would you DO something like that? That REALLY hurt (so and so)", or "That REALLY upset me! Don't you EVER yell like that again when I'm on the phone!". (Are you feeling the tone?) I add the Supernanny's favorite, "Now apologize to me!". I tell my kids the most important thing in this world that I want them to be is GOOD. It's more important than their grades in school or anything.


4. Think back to when I was little. This is sometimes is a little depressing. I think, "Would I have done this when I was little? What would my mom have done about this." A lot of times I think, "I never would have done this when I was little." The only consolation to this is that I think kids are growing up in a very different world today. There are so many bad examples set by other people and on TV.


5. Set a good example. Kids learn by example (sometimes unfortunately). I try to talk to them how I want them to talk to me. If I yell, it teaches my kids to yell. I often hear my kids repeating my kind of talk, "Excuse me" and "YOUR MAKING ME VERY MAD!!"


6. Take a step back and look at myself. Sometimes it's hard to judge how to handle a situation. I try to take a step back and look at myself as if I were someone else that I was giving advice to. I find it's easier to know what to do when I'm looking at someone else rather that myself. Last night when I was shopping, I heard a little girl crying SO hard that she was practically screaming. You could just see the frustration in the mom and grandma. They put the girl in the stroller screaming and quietly kept telling her to be quiet and be good, and the mom kept on shopping. I can understand their frustration. I've been there many times, but standing back and looking at them I can say, "Aww. The poor little girl. She must be SO tired. Let's go home sweetie and get your jammies on and read a story." And LEAVE!

Miche does not spare the rod.

Jo-N wants to be her children's best friend.

Tot's Mom spares the rod and believes in patience.

Huckdoll spares the rod and believes there are more effective yet gentle ways to discipline than spanking.

Kelly at Ordinary Art has a three-step approach that does not always work but leaves tiny tushes mark free.

OhMommy has spanked and never will again.

Amy spanks when necessary.

The Sports Mama found it depended on the individual child and the situation.

Karen thinks that each situation needs dealt with differently.

Maria sets high expectations and likes "the talk".

This meme took me a long time to write today, but I'm glad I did it. It reminded me about how I want to be with my kids ALL the time.

I have to tag 5 people so I think I'll tag: Irene, Marie, Amy, Bia, and Kitty. Write your thoughts. Copy the above paragraph with your own thought attached. Tag 5 new people to do this. Them comment back to me! I'm really interested to hear your thoughts!