It's Almost November...

November means the REAL start of the holiday season.  You know, the time when you start to panic because you realize you have less than two months to finish (or in some cases, start) Christmas shopping.  Time for family, friends, loved ones.

November also means Thanksgiving, and a time to be thankful.  I have many things to be thankful this year.  And, rather than listing them all here, I am going to be thankful for one thing everyday, and post it on twitter.  http://twitter.com/sweetazzhonee . 

My challenge is for everyone else to do the same.  One simple thing that you are thankful for everyday.  No repeats!! :)

Staying Safe During Halloween...

I have children.  Two of them, actually.  Konnor is definitely old enough to understand dressing up and going Trick-O-Treating.  Ariana, not so much. 

I remember going out when I was younger.  We'd go around my neighborhood, my grandma's neighborhood and even my aunt's neighborhood.  My mom or dad would always go with us except at my aunt's.  There were always older kids to go with us, and there were no worries.  We used to live in a safe, quiet city.

Not so much anymore.  Today, I would NEVER let my kids out without me, regardless if they were 2 or 15, with or without an older kid.  I just wouldn't do it.  Things in Portland are way too scary, way too out of hand to even think about it.  Crimes occur too close to my mom's house (the same house i grew up in) and i'm not sure I even want to take Konnor out this year.

Last year, for instance, we took him and my youngest brother (who is 8) Trick-or-Treating and we didn't even get around the corner before this crazy guy came speeding around the corner.  There were plenty of angry parents screaming at the guy to slow down.  He did, only to roll down his window, yell something, and peel out in front of dozens of kids and parents.  My mom was so outraged, she called the police!

Really though, crazy drivers aren't all you have to worry about.  Taunted candy has ALWAYS been a fear, even when I was a kid.  Sad as it may seem, there are people who want to HARM our little ghosts, goblins, and princesses.  Or drug addicts who break into cars while we sleep.  Who is to say they wouldn't steal candy bags or even parts of costumes??

I have learned a few things since I became a mommy.  Some of which involve Halloween, which happens to be MY favorite holiday.

1. Buy the kiddos, and yourself, a flashlight.  Konnor has a blue pumpkin flashlight that i bought from Wal-Mart for $1.00.  Seriously, I am struggling when it comes to financial obligations, but that $1 could save his life.
2. Always always ALWAYS check the candy before letting your kids eat it.  Candy wrappers should be air tight (and there usually is an air pocket).  Check for tampering.  If it even looks suspicious, throw it out!  Also, unless you know and trust the giver of the treat, home-made treats should go straight to the trash.
3. Keep your children on the inside of the street, so you are closest to cars.  Lots of people drink on Halloween, and some do get behind the wheel.  This year Halloween falls on a weekend night, so I'm sure the partiers will be in full force.  Scary stuff~!
4. I found a site, thanks to a radio station i listen to, where you can find safe neighborhoods to go Trick-or-Treating.  This will list how close (or far) sex offenders, or other registered offenders may be to your path. http://www.familywatchdog.us/Search.asp .  This doesn't list everyone, but it does list those who are registered w/ the city, county, or state.
5. HAVE FUN!!!

For more tips, visit http://www.cdc.gov/family/halloween/ , http://www.lacity.org/lafd/hween.htm , or google "Halloween Safety Tips."

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween this weekend!  I know i can't wait to take my little Optimus Prime and Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) out and about!  Okay, maybe just Optimus.  I think Belle will be staying indoors.

Wordless Wednesday: Sibling Love

Want more Wordless Wednesday?? Check out OurOrdinaryLife, 5 Minutes For Mom, HUB, Extraordinary Mothers, Momspective, J.Leigh Designs, Jolly Mom, and even Del The Dad !!!

Cascade ActionPacs

Wow!!! Has anyone used these before? They are the concentrated detergent cube things that go in the dishwasher. It has both liquid and powder concentrated into this cube that is about an inch long and wide and half an inch in height.

My dishwasher SUCKS! We are forever having to scrub off every little piece of food and/or dirt before putting it into the dishwasher, making me wonder why i even bother with the dishwasher anyways.

We have tried both liquid detergent (which was okay) and powder detergent (which was a disaster). Apartments just have really crappy quality dishwashers, i guess.

Anyways, i decided to buy these Cascade ActionPacs. $5 for 20 of them, so i figured i wouldn't be out a TON of money. I used one today. Just opened my dishwasher, and OMG!!!!!!!!!!! These things are freaking amazing!!!

I put a dish in there that i didn't scrub. It wasn't that dirty, but i knew residue would have been left over with the liquid or powder detergent. Nothing with these. It is CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This Blog...

I'm not too happy with the layout. So it may change multiple times throughout the day.

Lol.

You have been warned.....

Getting to Know Alex

1. What is your best friends name? Jenny, even though we don't talk much.
2. Do you have any kids? Yes. Konnor - 3 1/2 and Ariana - almost 5 months!
3. What are you listening to right now? The Eagles beat the Redskins
4. Whats your favorite number? 113.. don't ask
5. What was the last thing you ate? I'm getting ready to eat pizza. Had a salad for lunch.
6. If you were a crayon what color would you be? Lol. Ummm, a neon green and hot pink marbled together.
7. How is the weather right now? Better now. Was nasty and rainy and windy earlier
8. Who was the last person you talked 2 on the phone? A customer.
9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? His eyes
10. Do you have a significant other? Yes
11. Favorite TV show? Geeze, I don't watch much TV, but my latest obsessions include the Kardashians & Rachel Zoe
12. Siblings? all younger. two brothers and a sister
13. Height? 5 foot 3 inches
14. Hair color? brown
15. Eye Color? blue
16. Do you wear contacts? nope, although i need to get my eyes checked
17. Favorite Holiday? I love Halloween!!!!
18. Month? Uhhh, I don't know..
19. Have you ever cried for no reason? all the time, really. I'm super emotional
20. What was the last movie you watched? The Dark Knight
21. Favorite Day of the Year? Saturday. HAHAHA!
22. Are you too shy to ask someone out? i don't need to. I have my honey.
23. Can you do a headstand (not using the wall)? no but i can do a tri-pod. does that count? hehe
24. Hugs or Kisses? Kissies, yes please!
25. Chocolate or Vanilla? mmm, chocolate. that reminds me, i have ice cream~!
26. Dream vacation? anywhere that includes my little family
27. What is your favorite quote? Isn't it fearful... To love that which death can touch? (gruesome, i know)
28. Tattoos? Chinese symbol on the back of my neck that means "goat" & a 1/2 heart 1/2 star on the top of my foot with wings and skull/crossbones w/ an "A" and "J" in the middle for me and my bff
29. What books are you reading? Nothing new. Always Harry Potter (NERD!)
30. Piercings? Couple holes in each ear and then an industrial in my left ear.
31. Favorite movies? Notebook is the one that stands out
32. Favorite football Team? Oregon Ducks!!!! WOOOOOT!! (college counts, right?)
33. what were u doing before this? Putting my pizza in the oven
34. Butter, Plain or Salted popcorn? Buttered
37. Dogs or cats? depends. i like both, but prefer doggies
38. Favorite flower? Lilies
39. Been caught doing something you weren't supposed to do? Haha oh man! Many times
40. Do you have a best friend of the opposite sex? I do. I call him my gay lover. <3
41. Have you ever loved someone? I have, i do.
42. Who would you like to see right now? my bff, Jenny
43. Are you still friends with people from kindergarten? uhhh, does first grade count? :)
44. Have you ever fired a gun? i have
45. Do you like to travel by plane? it makes me nervous, but is MUCH faster than driving.
46. Right-handed or Left-handed? left-handed
47. How many pillows do you sleep with? theres like 6 on my bed. justin only gets one. haha! im a pillow hog!
48. Are you missing someone? yes indeed

Enjoy The Ride Rewards

As a mommy of a 3 1/2 year old who was in diapers not long ago, and a mommy of an infant who is obviously in diapers, I know they get expensive. And I don't mean a little expensive, I mean a LOT!! We can go through a box of diapers (around $20) in a matter of two weeks, maybe three. That's a box of 84 diapers. So about $80 a month, sometimes $100. With that, and formula, an infant costs a LOT of money.

When it comes to diapers, we have tried multiple brands. Nothing works as well as Huggies. Especially overnight, when Ariana doesn't wake up all the time, it's nice to know we aren't going to wake up to a soggy bed and baby. Haha!

Today I was getting ready to throw away the plastic from a package of diapers, and noticed a code. It was Huggies Enjoy The Ride Rewards. Curious, I logged onto their website ( https://enjoytheriderewards.com/ ), and created a log-in ID. Immediately, I was awarded 10 points. With the code I found, I was awarded 9 more points. Okay, this is cool, I thought. So I decided to investigate and found that you can use these points on a variety of things. Diapers, gift cards, art supplies for the kids, and more!

How cool is that?? If you have kids, and use Huggies diapers, I highly suggest you check this out!

10 Truths...

So let's see if I can successfully do all of this... I was challenged by my dear awesome blogger friend, Kristin (http://www.ourordinarylife.com/) to be completely honest. 10 things about me. I am kind of ashamed of some, but here we go!!!

1. I am a very jealous person at times.
2. I don't find myself attractive - at all.
3. Sometimes I don't want to be around my kids.
4. I lie about how I am doing a lot.
5. One day, I really want to pursue my photography dreams.
6. I don't think, financially, I am going to survive the holiday season.
7. I feel extremely ashamed to ask for any sort of help. I'm pretty sure I would be classified as depressed.
8. I cling on to people emotionally in an attempt to feel "normal."
9. My zodiac sign is Pisces, and from everything i've ever read, it fits me perfectly.
10. The only thing on my body that I like are my blue eyes and my boobs (lol).

Yeah, that was extremely hard. I challenge any of my readers to come out and tell us the truth! You'd be amazed how challenging it is.

My Customers...

So I work for the electric company in Portland. While I love how much I get paid, i seriously despise my job. We are the only company for most of the Portland area, so when our customers get mad at us, WE HEAR ABOUT IT!!! While these are few and far between, it does make the job seirously draining.

Just a few moments ago, however, I had a silly customer. He had a simple question which I answered. When I asked him if there was anything else I could help him with, he said:

Customer: There is one other thing I would like to say.
Me: Sure.
C: What did the fish say when he hit the brick wall?
M: I don't know
C: DAMN!

I don't know why I found that so funny, but eh. It's the little things, right?

I'm Back!!!

Hey bloggy world!! I feel as if it's been forever since I have blogged. I have done a lot of journaling, some diary stuff, and a Vlog! However, it's been a long time since I logged onto Blogger.com and blogged. It kind of feels nice.

So, in tribute of this new adventure, I have decided to create this new blog all together. I still have my old one, so feel free to read through it. A lot of things have changed since I last logged on here, and a new blog was indeed a must!

Let's get everyone up to date, then, shall we?

I now have TWO children.

My not-so-little Konnor is now 3 1/2. Extremely active, he started pre-school this year. Can you believe it?!?! Here's the little monster child. :)

I also welcomed my daughter, Ariana, into the world on June 4th. I can't believe it's really been almost 5 months since she was born! She is growing up faster than I'd like! Hehe. While I have hundreds of pics of her, I will only subject you to one for now.

Picking one was hard. hehe!

Okay more later. Gotta get back to work!