Site Goals

   I mentioned before that I'm trying to maintain site growth at a slow and steady pace.  Primarily, this is so I can continue to have time to find my voice and keep up with the needs of my growing boys.

  However, I do feel that any website needs some definite goals.  I thought I'd share them with you.


When I hit 25 Followers, I'll begin using my twitter feed to post regular updates.  (At this point, I'm still rather confused by the whole twitter thing.) 
When I hit 50 Followers, I'll start a smallish Facebook page for my website.
When I hit 500 Followers, I'll begin the process to get my own URL.

See, the main thing is--- I don't blog to have a nice cushy job or get paid tons of money.  I blog because it's "what I do".  Some people jog.  Some people sew.  Some people like to solve crossword puzzles.  I blog. 

I never know if ANYONE out there actually reads my posts (until someone responds, that is) but I've got to blog it anyway.  It's just what I do.

So, I'm happy to have you all here- I hope you're still reading when I hit 1 million followers.  After all, I strongly doubt I'll have run out of things to say.

Fractazmic, the Game of Fractions

    Recently, I was able to jump of the bandwagon of a large word of mouth campaign and pick up a free deck of educational cards from the folks at I See Cards.  They gave out hundreds of decks of cards- just to spread the love of math among students.

    People taking advantage of the offer were given their choice of any of the three math decks offered.  (The offer was for a limited time, unfortunately, and has since closed.)  After looking over the card choices, I decided to give FracTazmic a try.

Per their website:

FracTazmic™ is a comprehensive interactive fun lesson in fractions that gives your child unlimited practice at their individual level.

Each brightly colored card displays fractions, along with eye catching graphics, to ensure reinforcement. Players will quickly identify the fractions on their cards and calculate their way to fun and learning! Fractazmic teaches fractions, numbers and measurement.

I've already played these with Chaos once, and I have to say, it's a brilliant idea.  However, that being said, Chaos is a bit young to play properly (these are slated grades 1-7), so I'm unable to give a full review at this time.  I'm planning on sharing these with a few of my homeschool co-op members since I do love the idea.

As I mentioned, the folks at I See Cards have three math-based card games: PyraMath, FracTazmic, and PrimeBomb.  Each teaches a valuable set of math skills in a fun, non-threatening way.

 Along with the cards, I was also sent a sharable discount code.  If you purchase any products at shop.iseecards.com you can use the promo code mathisfun for 50% off anything up until April 7. You can share this code with as many people as you'd like.

A New Milestone!

Late last week, See Morgana Blog finally hit 20 followers!

I know, that seems like the smallest drop in the bucket in comparison to most of the other blogs I follow, but it's a huge deal to me.  For years, as I wrote for other blogs, I always wondered how I'd attract readers if I ever tried to do my own thing.  The conclusion I've come to is that the "slow but steady" approach really feels just as gratifying as the "quick and overwhelming" method.

So, I want to take a moment to thank YOU- all 20 of you- who read my blog and make me feel a little less alone out in the "interwebz".  THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I've got big things in the works for the next few months, both in real life and on this site.  More site updating will be coming soon and I'm hoping to have my own custom URL by the end of the summer.  But first, you'll begin seeing a LOT of organizing posts as I swing into Spring Cleaning.  So, please stick around... and feel free to invite a few friends.

Stuff I Like: The Daydream Edition

     It's always great to daydream a little on Friday morning.  (Especially if your Friday is as chilly as mine is today!)  While waiting to take the kids for a little pediatric visit (which I haven't told Tantrum the Younger about yet), I thought I'd throw together a quick little post of some random awesomeness I've found around the web. 

This ceramic egg carton would look so cute in my fridge!  If only it came in a 6 dozen egg size.  From organize.com

      I see serious potential in these for the boys' room.  I'm going to have to contact etsy seller handz to see if they also have a Return of the Jedi piece.  I can just visualize this on the navy blue wall, above the white board and batten trim.  Their room is white and navy blue with lots of little pops of aqua, lime, and orange.  At $19 each, this is some cute AND affordable artwork.

Speaking of geekery, this sticker set is AWESOME.  I'm so tempted to sneak these onto our minivan and see if anyone notices or gets the reference.  (For non-geeky readers, this is a reference to the Dune series by Frank Herbert.  There have been two major- and amazing- movie adaptations.  This also happens to be one of Husbeastie's major geek triggers.)  These stickers come from another etsy seller, mashafalkov, at $2 per set of 4.

   Let me know if you find any subtle geekery or kitchen awesomeness around the web.  I'd love to take a look at it!

Ready for your Taste Drive?

Get a taste of the latest in fully loaded flavor efficiency. Just grab a bowl and hold onto your spoon, because this breakfast cereal will put you in the fast lane to fruit flavor! Sign up to taste drive a sample at Touch of Fruit.

New Uses for Things in Your Closet

I seriously love Real Simple.  It's one of the few magazines that I keep adding to my wish list (in the hopes that Hubby would get a clue on what I'd REALLY like for our anniversary.  I have no clue WHY he got me an "onion keeper" for the fridge.  Seriously.  No clue.)

This Real Simple gem for surprising closet organizers comes at the perfect time.  I'm in the middle of tackling the giant pile of laundry in my bedroom floor.  (No, I didn't put it there.  It migrates on it's own through some odd symbiotic relationship with my 7 year old.)  The end hope is that I can get things corralled long enough to oil mop the floor and actually put my mattress on the little metal legs it's supposed to be supported by.  Those are currently taking up space I need in my basement. 

So, here's a peek at Real Simple's 19 Surprising Closet Organizers...

Closer Look: Purex Insider Review- Purex Complete Crystals Softener AND A GIVEAWAY

  A month back I was notified that I'd been accepted into the ranks of the Purex Insiders Program.  I've been using Purex Laundry products since last year when we moved and I needed to find a lower cost high-efficiency laundry detergent that wouldn't trigger the numerous allergies in my household.  In my search, I found the Purex brand of laundry products (their detergent generally runs between $3 and $8 a bottle depending on bottle size- I've picked it up often for .50 cents using coupons combined with great sales.)

  Sheepishly, I was going through a stack of mail that had been deposited on my desk, and at the bottom of it all, I found a sample package of Purex Complete Crystals Softener.

     Let me start by saying, the plain brown paper box held one of the most beautifully packaged samples I've ever opened.  It was almost too pretty to use!  I did end up testing the product pretty thoroughly as they'd sent enough sample for me to wash four loads of laundry.

     I was sent a sample in the Fresh Spring Waters scent.  It was intriguing in it's own way, a bottle filled with delicate crystals in a pale blue shade.  The smell was a clean scent, just lightly soapy and floral without being overwhelmingly strong.

This is a full sized product, my sample was significantly smaller.

     Information that was sent with the sample let me know that these crystals are a non-oil based fabric softening medium made from 92% natural ingredients.  I know from past research that oil-based fabric softeners tend to coat clothing to provide that "soft" feeling.  This coating makes fabrics less likely to wick water away (in the case of sports wear or towels) and can lessen the flame retardant quality of childrens' sleepwear.

     Usage was very simple:  Just pour the correct amount of crystals directly onto your laundry- not into the fabric softener dispenser.  The premise is that they'll dissolve away in the wash and leave your clothing soft even through the dryer.

---My first load went well.  The crystals did indeed melt away, there was no grainy residue left on my laundry.  My towels and other clothing items were soft and gently fragrant.  I tossed them into the dryer and let them run.  End result: soft clothing.
---The second load went similarly.  The difference with this load, that I want to point out, is that I had a few items in it that couldn't be placed in the dryer- some lingerie and a couple of sweaters.  I hung those to dry and waited for them to get that stiffness that seems to come from line drying clothing.  They did get stiff.  However, it was by no means as stiff or rough textured as they would get from not using fabric softeners.    A quick shake and these items were also soft and pliable again.

My Opinion: I like the product.  So far it hasn't triggered any allergies in anyone.  It was as easy to use as a liquid fabric softener.  It drastically reduced the amount of static electricity in my laundry- something I tend to notice a lot in dry, cold wintry weather.  I'm enjoying the towels being soft without oily.  (I'm a HUGE dry towel fan.)  In short, Purex Complete Crystals Softener does exactly what it claims to do: give you soft clothing using more natural, non-oil based ingredients.  Will I purchase the product in the future?  Seriously, it will depend on how great of a sale I can find on it.  It's definitely on my list of preferred products- those products I look for first when I go shopping.  If the price is right, I'll be stocking up.

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Disclaimer: While product samples have been provided by the sponsor, I am not paid or reimbursed for my review.  The opinions above (be they good or bad) are 100% my own and are not swayed by anything other than my own experiences with the product.

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BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

How would you like to test Purex Complete Crystals for yourself?

I will be giving away vouchers for a FREE full size bottle of Purex Complete Crystals Softener to a few lucky readers on April 7th.  Check out the ways to enter below:

Mandatory Entry: YOU MUST DO THIS FIRST OR NO OTHER ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED!  Go to the Purex site and take a look around then come back and leave me a comment with which scent of Purex Complete Crystals you'd buy with your voucher, should you win.

Other Entries (Please leave a separate comment telling me each time you do one of the following) :

For ONE extra entry, follow my site using blogger's follow feature.

For ONE extra entry, follow my site using Google's follow feature.

For TWO extra entries, get a friend to visit my site and leave a comment with your name.  (Both of you will get entry credit!)

For TWO extra entries, blog about my giveaway.

For TWO extra entries, write a public Facebook post about my giveaway.

In Defense of Yelling

When I admit that I'm a Mom that yells, I get a lot of dirty looks.  You know the look- you might even be doing it right now.

I feel that it's important that my children see me in all my emotional states (although, I admit, I do tend to hide out during some of the more extreme ones) simply so they realize that having emotions are normal. 

It's NORMAL to get angry once in a while.  I recall watching my Mom get angry when I was a kid and I'm surprised at how educational the process was.  I learned that:

• EVERYONE (even those that have it all together) get angry at some point.
• It's OK to have emotions.
• You ALWAYS apologize if your temper interferes with a normal function.  ("I'm sorry I got angry when you broke my lamp..."
• Telling your kids WHY you were angry helped them learn to draw accurate conclusions.  (That lamp was a gift from my grandma.  I miss her very much.  When you broke the lamp I got angry.  I'm sorry.)
• Telling your children you will NEVER be angry again is a LIE.  (Face it, you will be angry again.  Don't lie about it to them or they will hold you to it.  Same thing holds to other emotions.)
• Love is unconditional.  (Even when she was mad at something I did, I always knew Mom loved me.  I make certain my kids know the same thing.)

Other things I learned included how to avoid being angry in the first place, how to blow off steam or redirect my anger, and how to appropriately categorize it. 

I doubt I (or other kids) would have had as nice a grasp on my emotions if I hadn't had a Mom that could show her feelings.  And it wasn't just anger that she demonstrated.  My Mom constantly showed compassion, empathy and sympathy, happiness and sadness, lonliness and stress.  All of which are VALID emotions.

So, when does yelling and other emotional outbursts become a problem?  According to experts, emotions become an issue if they interfere with your daily life.  If yelling and anger make you difficult to be around, it may be time to see a specialist for some help.  If crying or feelings of lonliness are taking over, it's also a good idea to see someone about it.

When I asked my 7 year old how he feels about "Mommy yelling", he said, "I don't know.  I guess you just care TOO much.  But how did you know I ate the cookies when you weren't in the kitchen with me?"
"You ate the cookies?" 

"Ummm... maybe... Isn't that what we're talking about?"

Yeah... and supposedly a guilty conscience is also a healthy sign.

Still A Work In Progress

You might have noticed some new changes to my site.  YAY FOR PERPETUAL CHAOTIC CHANGES!
For example, I've added a few "pages" to the top of the blog.  I'm starting to move some of the stuff around from my side bars.

All of this is because I sat down a few days ago with my whiteboard (aka Doc and Chaos's Magna Doodle) and drew out exactly what I wanted my blog to look like.  I stalked researched several of my favorite blogs to try to figure out WHY exactly I enjoyed visiting them.  Was it ease of use?  Pretty colors?  Sparkly functions?  How it was organized?  Free cookies?

So, as I make my Magna Doodle white board vision come to life, please check back often.

Checkout Vocalpoint.com

 I often take part in a product research or demonstration group.  It's a great way to try new products before they hit the market and give some great feedback.  One of the groups I enjoy product trials with is Vocalpoint.com.    Vocalpoint provides some great benefits and it's all for free!   Here are some of the features:

• Surprising product information
• Great coupons/samples
• Cool things to share with friends

Hope you enjoy!

http://gotaf.socialtwist.com/redirect?l=jdye

Zone Cleaning: Daily Tasks for Health and Safety

     The beauty of zone cleaning, or at least as I see it, is that we don't have to constantly deep clean every surface in our home on a daily basis.  Instead, I suggest you focus on one room each day for deep cleaning.  The rest of your home, however, shouldn't be entirely ignored.  Instead, perform what I call a daily Health and Safety Sweep.
These cleaning tasks keep you from being overwhelmed or put into danger by an unsafe or unsanitary situation.

Here are the tasks I complete each day on a Health and Safety Sweep of the house.

Kitchen

• Empty the sink.  Generally, this is accomplished by loading the dishwasher or running a quick tub of soapy water.  If you must do multiple loads of dishes, at least stack them neatly. (5-15 minutes)
• Wipe down the stove and countertops.  Those little splatters and spills tend to just get crustier the longer they sit, so make it easy on yourself and wipe them up.  Even if you only do this once each day, it'll make things go smoother on your zone day. (1-4 minutes)
• Wipe up major spills on the floor.  These, along with stray paper, tend to be big safety hazards in my house.  (1 minute)
• Refill paper towels or hang clean dish towels.  Nothing worse than wiping down the counter with yesterday's icky towel from a spectacular ground beef clean-up. (30 seconds)
• Zap your sponges.  I either toss them in the dishwasher as I'm leaving the room or I zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds to kill any lingering ick on the sponges. (30 seconds)
• Check your child safety.  Are there any loose plugs or cords hanging over the edge of the counter? Cold medication left out? A child-lock missing from when a sibling used a cabinet?  A knife laying loose? (30 seconds-5 minutes)

Bathroom

• Tidy the sink.  Pick up toothbrushes, check for hair in the trap, and just give the sink and faucet a good wipe down.  Don't forget the faucet handles and the pump section of the soap dispenser- where do your think your kids dirty hands go to get clean? (1 minute)
• Wipe up any water in the floor.  This is an excellent use for that already dirty and damp towel that you're probably going to toss in the basket for washing. (30 seconds)
• Wipe the toilet down.  Grab a small bit of toilet paper, and wipe off any dust, dirt, or lingering reminders that this is a place for tushies.  Toss the TP in the potty and flush.  If needed, do a quick scrub of the inside with a toilet brush. (1 minute)
• Check your papers.  There's nothing quite as embarrassing as sitting down to business and realizing that you're out of TP.  Try explaining to your two year old where to find the spare rolls and then actually try to talk them into bringing it to you.  Enough said. (1 minute)
• Prevent mold in the shower.  This can be as simple as closing your shower curtain to complex like running a squeegee over the tiles and glass door of the shower.  The shower seems to hold on to moisture in your bathroom like a sponge and keep the whole room humid.  Just by allowing the water to run off a closed curtain can make the difference between musty and clean smelling.  Take a moment to spray the shower with a daily shower spray before you move on. (30 seconds-5 minutes)
• Get the laundry in the laundry room.  Dirty clothes accumulate quickly on a bathroom floor and it's rather embarrassing to me for a guest to see my kiddo's Spiderman underoos kicked into a corner. (1 minute)

Bedroom

• Shut it.  I've gotten any number of bruises over the years from bumping into a half-open drawer or the knob on my closet door.  Shutting things properly seems to prevent a giant number of things. (30 seconds)
• Make your bed...later.  Studies have shown that making your bed immediately after waking up may not be such a good thing after all.  Exposing your sheets to air seem to lessen the amount of dust mites and other allergens.  So, yes, make your bed.  But wait a few minutes before you do it. (2 minutes)
• Pick it up.  While this is more important on the bedroom's zone day, if there's a garment on the floor in a walking path, consider it a safety hazard and pick it up.  Same thing with small jewelry if you have kids running around.  Picking an earring out of a foot or a pendant from the mouth of a child is no fun task. (1-5 minutes)

Living Room/Dining Room

• Tidy the wasteland.  I'm not saying you have to break out a broom, a vacuum, a carpet cleaner, and a trash can.  However, you do need to do a general sweep of the area.  Dirty dishes, empty pop cans, and other food-bearing items need to be relocated to the kitchen.  Fold up any throw blankets and prop the pillows back on the couch.  Stack up the books and corral the toys. (5 minutes)
• Water the plants.  Take a moment to spritz the leaves.  Plants make the air feel naturally cleaner, so take the time to take care of them. (1 minute)
• Clear the road.  Remove anything blocking entrances, exits, and stairways.  On any given day in my house I start the day with a pile of coats, sports equipment, or a laptop case propped against the door.  It takes just a few moments to put things up. (1 minute)
• Be kind to your hands.  Take a moment to run an antibacterial wipe across commonly touched surfaces- door knobs, light switches, stair rails, and controllers. (1 minute)

      While this list seems long, it can be done with just a few moments spent in each room.  You don't have to go into a room deliberately to tidy it up.  But, if you're going in there anyway, why not check to see if there's anything that needs to be done?  If you'd prefer to schedule it in, feel free- blast some music and get your cleaning groove on.   It's your time. 

     Coming soon: Making a Cleaning Kit: The Tools You'll Use for Zone Cleaning.

The Dirty Dozen and The Clean 15

     Everyone knows that eating organic produce is, in general, the best choice.  But what if you can't afford to eat only organically grown veggies and fruits?  Not to worry- according to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization that dedicates itself to protecting public health- some of your common conventionally grown products are relatively low in pesticides and other toxins.  They've developed a list of the 15 conventionally grown products that are least likely to be grown with excessive amounts of pesticides as well as put together a list of what they dub "The Dirty Dozen"- the 12 vegetables and fruits that are packing high levels of toxins.  The theory is simple- swap the conventional items on the dirty dozen for organically grown counterparts and you can avoid a great many pesticides and chemicals in your produce.

The Clean 15 (from Best to Worst)

• Onions
• Avocados
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapple
• Mangoes
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Grapefruit
• Sweet Potato
• Honeydew Melon

The Dirty Dozen (from Worst to Best)

• Celery
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Kale
• Cherries
• Potatoes
• Grapes (imported)

New Educational Printable- Left and Right

Here's a new freebie for my readers!

In this worksheet, your child can help the Three Little Pigs figure out which hill to build their house on.  This is designed for grades PK-1.  Click HERE to download for free.

Free Homeschooling Download- Insects for Grades PK-1

    This is a quick mini-book I pulled together for the insect unit I'm working on with Chaos.  Click HERE to download your own copy of it.

Let's Feed the Animals! (And a Free Worksheet!)

I've been noticing that there's aren't a lot of good, simple worksheets for the PK-1st Grade age group, so I've begun making my own.  I'll be organizing them on the new Home School tab as well, so there's no massive need to search for them.

Here's a simple page comparing carnivores to herbivores.  I'm offering it free to my readers.

 

Click HERE to go to the worksheet.

Menu Strategy: March 1-7, 2011

I realize we've already started with today, but I think I'll enjoy plotting this out a week at a time.  I'm going to include a few comments showing why I'm choosing certain meals or snacks or why we're going out to eat.  We normally don't go out to eat that often, this month has just been a huge anomaly since everyone has been sick and we've been too exhausted to cook by the end of the day.

Tuesday:
           Breakfast: cereal bars, fruit, and milk (this is the kids preference)
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Lunch: Bento-turkey cocktail sausages, apples, pretzels, oatmeal raisin cookie.
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Dinner: Beef Stew over Asiago Polenta

Wednesday:
           Breakfast: cereal, fruit, and milk (this is the kids preference)
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Lunch: Bento-turkey and cheese shimmers, grapes, cheese wedge
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Dinner: Taco Crescents with fresh salsa

Thursday
           Breakfast: scrambled egg, toast, juice
           Snack: cereal bar
           Lunch: Out for Lunch!  (Playdate)
           Snack: crackers and cheese
           Dinner: Veggie Sushi and Tamago with Miso Soup and Ginger Salad

Friday: (Busy all day!)
           Breakfast: Out to eat (Panera sounds good!)
           Snack: cereal bars
           Lunch: Out to eat
           Snack: snack bento- fruit and cheese (art class)
           Dinner: Take out/Out to Eat

Saturday:
           Breakfast: French Toast, sausage, eggs
           Snack: Half a PB shimmer
           Lunch: Bento or MTM- onigiri and fruit with Turkey sausages
           Snack: cereal bar and fresh fruit (scavenger hunt at Nature Center!)
           Dinner: Pulled Pork with Quick Pickles and Garlic bread

Sunday:
           Breakfast: Fresh Fruit, Eggs, Sausage, Grits
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Lunch: Out to Lunch (We always go let the kids run off steam somewhere during lunch on Sundays)
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Dinner: Roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Corn, and Cranberries (Gotta make room in the freezer!)

Monday:
            Breakfast: Cereal, milk
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Lunch: Turkey Quesadillas, fruit
           Snack: fresh fruit
           Dinner: Turkey Tamale Pie with Salad

12 for 12- March Should Roar Like a Lion, Right?

     February's goals were surprisingly simple to keep, despite the fact that even now, going into March, the kids are STILL sick.  (At least this time it's just a cold they're sharing.)  I drank more water, walked more, meditated a bit, and my freezer is packed with all sorts of goodies.

March's 12 for 12:

1. Read more.  I rarely get a chance to read anything.  I have magazine subscriptions, newspaper subscriptions, blog subscriptions, and even buy books once in a while.  But I don't have a lot of time to just sit and enjoy the process of reading.  I love the feel of paper on my hands and the smell of ink.  So, I'm going to take a few hours each week (either divvied out or all at once) and just read for fun.
2. Eat lunch with my kids.  I'm usually up to my elbows in a project and manage to cobble together lunches for the kids with ease.  Then I finish whatever and grab a sandwich during nap time.  No more.  The kids need to see me display better eating habits.  So, I'll join them in their meals.
3. Pay off $200 in debt.  I have no clue how many debts that is, but if I work in smaller increments, I'm certain I can start picking away at the mountain.
4. Follow through with my own appointments.  I've rescheduled the same doctor's appointment FIVE times now simply because the kids' needed to go see a doctor more badly than I do and I only have so much money set in my co-pay budget.  I'm going to go see all my doctor's this month and not reschedule. 
5. Say "no" more often.  That's pretty self-explanatory.  I'm the one who always agrees to volunteer.  I'm going to start stepping back this month so I can enjoy more time with my family and less time as a "table decorator/cupcake maker/driver/babysitter" for everyone else.
6. Know where my charitable contribution is going.  I'm constantly being asked to donate to this or that or the other project.  Most the time I have no problem tossing a dollar in the bin or handing over the change in my pocket.  But after a lengthy funds drive from a group that singles out and excludes people based off their sexual orientation and religions I came to the realization that I can only tolerate so much (for lack of a better word) bull shit.  So, I'm drawing the line- I'll donate to a group that will give my funds to worthy people that doesn't exclude based off fear or hate.  If I simply MUST donate to a hate group, it'll be to support the member of the group I know personally in the form of paying their dues or uniform fees.  
7. Start something I love.  I used to take dance classes in college and I LOVED them.  So, despite the fact that I'm a hundred pounds overweight, I signed up for ballet at a local art school.  I'm looking forward to it.
8. Get out of the rut.  We eat the same meals over and over and over.  I'm going to start shaking them up a little.  For example, tonight we're having Beef Stew.  We have stew all the time, though.  So, instead of serving it with rolls or bread, I'm going to make some fresh polenta to serve it over.  Tomorrow night, instead of the same tacos we always have, I'm making taco crescents.  Hopefully, this will lead to us enjoying some new preparations for food.
9. Write a menu.  I need to be held accountable for meal planning, so I'm going to start posting my menus on the site for everyone to see.
10. Let my hair down.  I actually mean this one literally.  I have worn my hair in a bun or pony tail every day for the past five years.  I need to start taking the time to actually wear my hair loose.
11. Dress like a girl.  Last week, Hubby told me to go shopping for myself and not come home until I looked like a girl.  Puzzled, I looked at my clothes and realized what he meant.  I was wearing HIS shirt, HIS sweat pants, HIS socks, and I'm sad to admit- his boxers.  I was swimming in his over-sized clothing.  So, I went out, bought some girlier things.  Now I just need to wear them.  (This being said as I'm typing in yet another of Hubby's shirts.)
12. Stop trying to impress.  The local Mamas here are very particular with who they associate with.  They've known each other since childhood and since I'm a newcomer to these parts, I'm sitting on the edge of their vision.  I tried to impress them at first, but I'm beginning to realize that impressing this sort of person is just not worth my effort.  So, starting this month I'm going to stop going to the extended effort of impressing people that I'm not particularly sure I want to be impressed by.