Help!

I'm reaching out to the world wide web.

Do these even exist anymore? If so, where can I find them? Any ideas? George and I may take a drive this afternoon to investigate.

You would think that in the year 2010, I would be able to Google anything, right? Well, you still can't find out where newspaper vending machines are located on Google. I really never thought that I would have a question that Google couldn't answer.

So, if you have any ideas about where I can find a newspaper vending machine, let me know.

And I'll tell you why... because even though I HATE all of these "Extreme Couponing" shows, I am basically becoming really cheap in my old age. So, I decided that I will give it a try. The thing that they don't show on most shows (but they did show on "Extreme Couponing") is that these ladies spend more time couponing than they would on a full-time job. I have enough going on in my life and I am not willing to spend that much time.

My problem comes when I realize that I am morally conflicted about the Sunday paper. Is that forcing people to work on Sunday? I think that Sunday papers are the one area of Sabbath day observance that nobody ever questions. Lots of people won't watch TV on Sunday... and we don't shop on Sunday... but is the Sunday paper a gray area? I'm conflicted.

That's the same reason that I try not to put my trash out on the curb on Sunday (we have valet trash service).

Anyway, I would still like to try my hand at couponing. I'm not ready to commit to a subscription. PLUS, the subscription price is more than I want to pay per paper. AND, I don't shop on Sundays, so I can't very well go out to my 7-11 and buy the paper. I'm just hoping to find a newspaper vending machine for Sunday papers.

The End of an Era.

It's been almost a week! I've reverted to my old ways now that the 30 day challenge is over! Let me tell you what has been taking up a lot of my time the last few days:

On Tuesday night, I was singing with a group at the Relief Society dinner. I got George ready, got myself ready, and started to head for the door. My keys were not on the ring.... or in the diaper bag... or on the kitchen counter (the usual places). I turned the house up-side down looking for them! At this point, I was already late for our last rehearsal and I was afraid that I wasn't going to make it for the dinner. Then I thought, "that's a dumb thought... just call Jenn." So I called my friend Jenn and she saved the day and picked us up on her way to the church.

Fast forward to after the dinner... still no keys. I re-checked the diaper bag, and everywhere else I could check. I couldn't see them inside the car from the outside. Steve came home and checked the inside of the car and all over the apartment again. Still no keys!

Wednesday morning, Steve made phone calls to everywhere we've been in the last 2 days. No luck. Before work, he scoured the mall parking lot. I continued to look as I tried to straighten up the apartment. I spent the whole day here worried that I had left the keys in the door and someone had snatched them. I figured that they couldn't rob our apartment if I was inside with the 2nd deadbolt locked. Steve called on his way home from work and we started to brainstorm. Then he said the magic phrase, "you wouldn't have left them on top of the car for any reason, would you?"

I had a flashback to Monday night. We went to dinner and got dessert with one of Steve's friends who was in town on a lay-over. In the middle of dessert, George started screaming. He wasn't due for a feeding, but he was crying the way that he only does when he's hungry. We packed up our water-ice and headed to the car so that I could try to feed George. I unlocked the car and set my water-ice and keys on top of the car while I got George out of his car seat and changed his diaper. I opened the door to get my stuff and Steve said, "I have your water-ice right here." I said, "oh, ok." and fed George. About half-way to the hotel to drop off Steve's friend, we heard this loud clank against the side of the car. I said, "what was that?!?!" and Steve said, "hmm. We must have hit some rocks."

Nope. Not rocks. Those were my keys... and they're now laying somewhere in the middle of a busy highway.

I've had that key chain for almost 7 years! It was my favorite. I've thought that I lost it before... but it always turned up. It's really gone this time. So, since I'm obviously not replacing my expensive key chain at this time, I'm on the hunt for a new, cheaper one. Let me know if you see any cute, simple ones while you're out and about. I need suggestions!

I'm Going to Get Crap for This...

I know that I should just feel better about myself just because... and that I shouldn't have to put someone else down to feel better... I'm still working on that.

But sometimes I just like it when celebrities are caught looking less than perfect... because I'm a real person... and I'm not perfect... and it's not fair for the media to make me feel bad about that.

So, I like this picture of Anne Hathaway and her thighs that are less than perfectly smooth and toned. I'm not calling her fat... but it makes me feel a little bit better about my less than perfect body.

I Wish!

(I "borrowed" this from my friend Heather's blog.)

Only in my case, it would need to be

the fridge, freezer, and pantry...

Maybe it would be easier if I just got a muzzle?

Or self control.

16 Going On 25

Flashback!

Ocean City, NJ 2003

We were so cool.

That was also a very fun vacation.

Amanda sent me these at the beginning of February.

We couldn't get it to post to Facebook.

She's coming to visit us soon!! We're so excited!!

Can You Believe It??

Can you even believe that this is the same baby?? What a difference 3 months makes! This morning, Steve and I were sitting on the couch, watching George in the swing. We were commenting on how big he's getting! I decided to take a picture and compared it to the very first day he got his swing. He was about 2 1/2 weeks old in the picture on the left. On the right, 3 1/2 months. He used to be so tiny. I was afraid of my tiny baby in the big swing. Now look at him!

Wow, this is turning into a "look at my baby!" blog. Oh well, you love it. Doesn't everyone want to see 5 million pictures of my baby doing the same things? I sure do!

I Missed It!

I can't believe I freaking missed Day 30! I was doing so well!!

Day 30: A picture of you today and 3 good things that have happened in the past.

You're not getting a picture from yesterday (although I actually got ready for the day). I do, however, have a stinking cute picture of G from yesterday... you can have that.

Seriously... how stinking cute is this?

And for 3 good things that have happened in the past:

1. I have a loving family.

2. I married my best friend in the temple.

3. We have a beautiful, healthy, fun little baby boy!

Day 29!

Day 29: Something you could never get tired of doing.

I love seeing George learn and grow! Lately, he really likes to talk. I love listening to this now... but I have a feeling this time next year, he will be talking our ears off!!

ooo OOO!

Day 28: Your favorite movie.

You mean movies, right? In my mind, a movie is not your favorite unless you will stop and watch it every single time it's on TV... no matter how many times you've seen it... and even if you own it on DVD. I will stop to watch these movies (with commercials) any day of the week.

A Letter.

Dear Friends:

I have checked my blog roll all day today. None of you have updated your blogs. I was kinda bored. I got a lot done... but I wasn't happy about it.

Try to be better friends, please.

XOXO,

K

The Past Year

Day 27: A picture of you last year and how you've changed since then.

Looking through my pictures, I realized that 2010 was not a well-documented year (until December, that is...).

How I've changed? Well, for one--look at how skinny I used to be! I really, really hope I'll be able to fit into those jeans again. I love those jeans.

This time last year, Steve and I started discussing how we both felt that it was about time to start a family. Well, those must have really been promptings from the Spirit because I got pregnant right away and even delivered a baby 5 weeks early. Little George was really, really eager to get here!

So, in the past year I: experienced pregnancy for the first time; went from part-time to full-time at a job that I hated; celebrated my 1st (of many) wonderful wedding anniversary; traveled to see family; got pushed-out of the job that I hated because I was pregnant; got someone fired; unsuccessfully looked for another job; had a baby; felt the love of my Savior through the service and prayers of others; learned how to take care of a baby.

I'm sure I've changed in so many ways that I don't even recognize. This is a hard topic!

Ventiseis

I'm almost done with the 30 day challenge!! Today is Day 26!!

Day 26: A photo of somewhere I've been.

Fitting, since yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. I've been to Ireland. That's the only time I've ever been outside of the continental United States in my entire life. It was beautiful.

There were sheep all over the side of the road.

And then this guy followed us for a while...

Sleepy, Sleepy

George is just about the best first baby I could have asked for. I hope they're all this easy, but I know that I'm not that lucky.

Someone told me the other day that when they think about their children's individual personalities, they realize that they have been the same since birth.

So, George is probably going to be a pretty mellow, easy-going person. I think he gets that from both of us.

One thing that he got from me was his ability to sleep... and from his father, he got his ability to fall asleep anywhere and anyhow. I like to take pictures when he looks especially silly sleeping. I decided to make them into a collage for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!

You Asked...

Day 25: What's in your purse?

Well, I'm a mom. I no longer have a purse... I have a diaper bag. It weighs about 250lbs. Here's what's inside:

• Diapers (sometimes... sometimes I forget to replace them)
• Wipes
• Changing Pad
• Burp Cloth (sometimes...)
• Chapsticks/Lip glosses
• Water Bottle
• Advil
• Vaseline
• Hand Lotion
• Coupons
• Toys
• Extra Onesie (sometimes...)
• Day Planner
• Hand Sanitizer
• Nutragrain Bar
• Pacifier Wipes (for when other small children touch George's paci. Gross.)
• Hooter Hider (nursing apron for when we nurse in the mother's lounge at church... or in a random parking lot)
• Trash

3.17

Today is a very special day!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope you remembered to wear green!

Also, Happy Birthday to:

My Dad!

Kylie!

(And it was also the birthday of my old cat, Abby!)

New Stuff!

FIRST--To avoid confusion and make sure I'm not missing anything, I had to split my blog roll into two.

On the RIGHT ----->

People I know & love (or at least people I know and want to stalk)

<----- On the LEFT

Friends in My Head (People I don't know, Celebrities, Recipes, etc.)

I don't want to take credit for coining the phrase "Friends in My Head." I stole that from my very own FIMH, Wendy Williams. (How you dancin'?)

SECOND: I have a new must-have baby supply:

Sometimes, I can't change George right away when he has a gigantic spit-up. Sometimes he just keeps spitting up on the same onesie. (I hope this doesn't make me a bad mom.) Well, last week I did laundry and realized that some of his clothes smell really, really bad. So I got online to see what I could do. My options were: bleach and vinegar. But together. Like, use a little bleach (but just a little and it won't bleach the clothes) and then vinegar on the rinse cycle. That seemed like a lot of work... and I'm afraid I would bleach all of his clothes. (Plus, I don't think my mom has ever un-grounded me from the bleach after I bleached shoe-prints into the carpet in 6th grade.) So I got OxiClean Baby. I soaked his clothes for a little longer than usual. It's great! His clothes don't stink anymore! Whoo-hoo! I know I sound like a commercial, but this stuff is great!

I Love to See the Temple

Day 24: A picture of something that means a lot to you.

How about a video instead?

I just love the temple. Learn more here and here.

15 Things on the 15th

Day 23: 15 facts about you.

Here it goes:

1. I can't whistle.
2. I hate washing my hair. So I only do 2-3 times a week. (Which makes my husband think that I only shower 2-3 times a week... but I do shower almost daily.)
3. I really, really liked being pregnant. It was a good experience. I'm lucky. Now I really, really love being a mommy! It's so fun!
4. I had George without an epidural. It really wasn't too bad until about an hour before he was born. It hurt for 45 minutes, I pushed for 15 and he was out! I'll probably do it again this way.
5. I cry every time I watch "Meet the Robinsons."
6. I could eat pizza for every meal. I really do love it that much.
7. It's going to take me all day to muster the energy to clean the kitchen. (My sweet husband ended up doing this for me today! He's the best!!)
8. I don't run or swim. To me, those are things that you have to do in an emergency... not things that you want to do for fun.
9. I used to dye my hair, but I haven't in almost 3 years. I actually like my natural color.
10. I like to stay up late and sleep late. Supplemental--I require a lot of sleep to function.
11. I haven't had a caffeinated drink since December (not by choice) and it's not as hard as I thought it would be (I drink plenty of Caffeine-Free Diet Coke). I can't wait to have my first real icy drink when I'm done nursing George.
12. My bachelor's degree is in Political Science
13. I love daytime court shows.
14. My favorite color changes a lot. I think right now it's purple...
15. I hate folding laundry... which I'm off to do now.

Have a good day, everyone :)

Seriously. This Happened.

Day 22: A letter to someone who hurt you recently.

Dear Crazy Lady at Costco:

You cut in front of me in line. I was the one pushing a cart with a baby. Remember? When they opened a new line? I pushed my cart in that direction and you pretended not to see me while you pushed your cart faster and cut me off. Then, in the parking lot, I saw that you parked in a handicapped spot with your giant over-the-top Texas-sized pickup truck. You were clearly not handicapped as you showed by your intense power-walking. I'm going to bet that you're just generally a jerk.

You Suck,

Kathleen

Precious!

Day 21: A picture of something that makes you happy.

These guys:

2 for 1

Day 19: Another picture of yourself.

Clearly, the makers of this challenge were reaching to come up with 30 ideas. Here I am:

Day 20: The meaning of the name of your blog.

When I was little, we lived close to my dad's family. I am the oldest grandchild on my dad's side... and I didn't have any cousins until I was 10 1/2! So when I was younger, I spent a lot of time with my teenage aunts and uncles (my dad is the oldest of 6, so my youngest aunt was 12 when I was born). That was back before some of my aunts hated me... but that's a story for another time! Well, there is this homemade movie called "The Girl With the Dirty Feet" starring.... ME as a little kleptomaniac who leaves black footprints behind. My favorite part is when I walk over and snatch cigarettes off of the end table and my 13 year old aunt walks up and says, "Hey! Who stole my cigarettes??" Then she sees the footprints and says, "The girl with the dirty feet!" It's pretty funny. I've only seen it once... but my Pop-pop probably has a copy.

Get Cookies!

Day 18: Something I crave a lot.

I love homemade chocolate chip cookie dough. I'm slightly obsessed. I eat a TON while I'm making cookies. Then I eat all the cookies. In fact... I may or may not have made cookies on Sunday night... and I may or may not have finished off the last cookie just now. (In my defense, I did take them to a friend's house while watching The Bachelor last night... but still, I probably ate most of them myself.)

I Heart My Boys

Day 17: A photo of you and your family.

As a daughter, sister, mother, wife, daughter-in-law, etc., I would need to post about 700 pictures to include everyone. So I'm going to post a picture of just my little family:

3!

This guy is 3 months old today!

I can't believe how time flies!

He's not a newborn anymore!

He's getting so big!

And he's the best baby in the world!

He has started smiling and laughing more!

And he only cries when he needs something.

He loves his swing, his mobile, and ceiling fans!

He watches TV!

He sits on my lap and chats with me!

He loves to laugh at the baby in the mirror!

He loves Mommy & Daddy kisses!

(and he gets a lot of them)

He's growing up too fast!

What am I? 12?

Day 16: Your Celebrity Crush.

Since I'm not a pre-teen anymore, I'll show you my crushes from when I was:

This Guy!

Day 15: Something you don't leave home without.

(Oops! I posted this a day early! Enjoy!)

GG Love

Day 14: A TV show you're currently addicted to.

Just one? We love TV, but if I could only choose one show to watch for the rest of my life, it would be Gossip Girl. Seriously. Love it.

I'm over Serena's shenanigans. I'm Team Blair. She's fabulous.

What I Listen To:

Day 13: Your favorite musician and why.

I have 2 favorite musicians. I think it's pretty clear why they're my favorite (they're awesome). They both just play with so much emotion. I've never seen T-Swift in person, but the John Mayer concerts I have been to have by far been the best performances I've ever seen (and I have been to quite a few concerts in my time). If you get the chance, you should really, really go see him at least once. Even if you're not his biggest fan, you will not be let down.

The Missing #9

Day 12 (Really, day 9): The last item you purchased.

I really don't buy fun stuff often... in fact, had I done this on the right day, you would have seen soy sauce. BUT, George's blessing is coming up this weekend and I needed something nice to wear, so I got this:

It's going to look fab with my white cardi.

My Makeup Bag

Day 11: What's in your makeup bag?

Welcome to the inside of my makeup bag.

The same bag I've had since high school.

Got it from my dad's aunt & uncle.

Inside:

Eyeshadow (Cover Girl)

Eyeshadow Primer (Urban Decay)

Eyeliner (Cover Girl)

Concealer (Cover Girl)

Assorted Brushes

Moisturizer (Target Brand)

Powder (Cover Girl)

Blush (Cover Girl)

Mascara (L'Oreal)

I'm pretty brand-loyal to Cover Girl, huh?

Oops!

So, I messed up and accidentally did #12 instead of #9, so I'm just going to switch the 2 and you're going to have to wait to see the last thing that I purchased (and hopefully it will be more exciting than it would have been yesterday... soy sauce). That's all--just soy sauce on Saturday night. I haven't been out of the house much, because I've had 2 babies this week. George's friend Mikey has been hanging out with us! Let me tell you--my hat is off to women who raise twins! It has been fun and really not bad at all except for when they both start crying at the same time!

Day 10: A picture of your favorite place to eat.

This is difficult because it's different depending on the day. Pretty much, as long as I don't have to cook, that's my favorite place to eat! Right now, it's a toss up:

Fate brought us to Lushaj's about a year ago.

We went to a basketball game and then our friends got BBQ... but I really didn't want BBQ. We showed up and said "hi" to our friends and then found somewhere else to eat. We drove all over because NY-style pizza was the only thing I wanted (and I wasn't even pregnant... just crazy!). We just so happened to exit the freeway and drive down a pretty random street. We found Lushaj's and it's been our favorite pizza ever since!

Mooyah is delish! Way better than Five Guys. I get the Mooyah burger with cheddar cheese, grilled onions, and lettuce. I'm usually not a burger person, but for some reason, they have just sounded delicious lately!

9

Day 9: A photo of the town you live in.

Close Enough.