7 Weird Things About Me

Thanks for tagging me, dear husband. Here are the rules of this for when I tag you from the original sponsors of this fun:

1- Link to the person’s blog who tagged you. 2- Post these rules on your blog. 3- List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself. 4- Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. 5- Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting on comment on their blog.

Now, Tim didn't tag 7 people, but I'll try.....

7 Weird Things About Me

1) I have been electrified by lightning by sticking a fork into a Tyson's Chicken Patty exactly when lightning hit the line at our house. My heart hurt a lot and I didn't eat chicken patties for ten years. I also never saw a doctor about it.

2) I traveled to Tijuana, Mexico and didn't see any donkey show. I did eat at Hard Rock Cafe because I was scared to eat the "street food".

3) A childhood friend of mine was killed by a serial killer when she was 23.

4) I had a childhood dream to own a horse and my parents actually let me have one!

5) My first car was a 1972 Pontiac Firebird. I used to drive it over 100 miles per hour on a lonely stretch of road. I yell at my husband for speeding now.

6) I named my first child "Annie" because I thought it is better to have a friendly name than an "exotic" name.

7) I never liked any boys named Tim until I married one.

I will now tag Tee and Elizabeth, two of my regular lovely readers! Have fun!

New Bumbo Video Outtakes - So Funny!

Here's the newest video from Ready Set Bumbo! It shows a lot of how they made the videos with the dog and baby and a lot of funny moments too! Looks like they have a series in development! Yay - Kodi and Baby!

Holiday Eating Tips

A friend emailed this to me today - I'm sure it's floating around cyberspace, but it is funny....




Holiday Eating Tips

1. 1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Latest Recalled Toy From China.....

Check out what I just found online, it's the latest toy recall from China. Bet this kid wishes his parents were as vigilant as my readers here at Parent-Traps!

Baby Got Back Wedding Dance

I think this is so great! I wish I'd thought of something like this, but we were too overwhelmed to even function after our wedding! Check it out! These two have got it together for their wedding dance and their life together!

If You Were A Little Girl in the 70's....

My husband's cousin just emailed the below 1970's Girl's Stuff to me and I really liked it, so true...so if you know the original source, comment here and I'll link back to it and give credit where credit is due! They made me think about some things that happened recently. I opened my "time capsule" recently. No, it's not really a time capsule, but the giant box I have had since the 1970's, adding to it through college. It has mementos, letters, diaries (gasp! I love Jimmy Flack circa 1974), photos, and lots of junk.

The kids have recently been badgering me (ok, asking Santa) for the new American Girl dolls who are (ta-da) the ancient 1974 girls! They have accessories like the Puppy Love poster and the Brady Bunch lunch box! Am I the only one who feels really old when you find out American Girl has come out with dolls from your childhood! I had those clothes, I had that furniture (including the bright yellow plastic parsons table).

Anyway, in the time capsule, I found my Puppy Love poster. Yes, I had loved it so much that I put it in there and now it has come out again to see the light of day in 2007! I believe I put it on my hot pink bedroom wall in 1970? The windows had daisy curtains in pink, lime green and white, the carpet was green shag. God, I'm old. The good thing is my kids love everything from the 1970's now - so I guess we have a lot in common...although, I don't love the 1970's fashions anymore!

Check out these memories that were emailed to me and see if you can't relate.
If you were a little girl in the 70's...

You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.












You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.












You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.











You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!)













You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island.
















You had either a "bowl cut" or "pixie", not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill". People sometimes thought you were a boy.













You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.
















YEAH! You owned a "Slip-n-Slide", on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once.












You owned "Klick-Klacks" and smacked yourself in the face more than once !










Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.














You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.














You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.













You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits, or the sunshine family.

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle). You also had a pair of salt-water sandals.

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie inspired plaid, ruffled shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Oleson!

You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink! ---- yes it was!

PONG! ("video tennis" ) was the most remarkable futuristic game you've ever heard of!

Your hairstyle was described as having "wings" or "feathers" and you kept it "pretty" with the comb you kept in your back pocket. When you walked, the "wings" flapped up and down, looked like you were gonna "take off".

You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.


You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside some were glass inside and broke the first time you dropped them.

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend - Bo or Luke?

YOU had Star Wars action figures, too!

It was a big event in your household each year when the "Wizard of Oz" would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: "Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?"

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record albums.

You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts!

You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books. (Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.)














You thought Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics. (?? its not??)

You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs.





You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft - which was the first "real" perfume you ever owned.

You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lipgloss till it almost dripped off.

My personal notes - I had strap-on metal skates, not shoeskates (we wuz poor, I guess), I had a rainbow bike with that banana seat and basket, I think Muppet Movie was after my metal lunch box phase, probably had The Monkees, and my cousin had the Click/Clacks - we weren't allowed to try to hit ourselves in the head, but we sure liked hers when we were at her house :), We still own a slip 'n slide and kill ourselves in the summer too! And my girls now own ponchos, recently made a godseye and like to disco!

Dancing Pooh

Funny Video! DD2 Thinks this is her own daddy, check out the daddy-moves! Cool Dancing!

The Weirdest Toys in the World

I stumbled upon this today and had to share. This is just partly because of my bad sense of humor and maybe seeing too many toy recalls. Please check out the very bizarre and funny link to The Weirdest Toys in the World. At least that is what I call them all - I guess the USA is not the only country in need of toy recalls.

What are the Worst Working Conditions You've Endured?

When I was a new babe in the working office world, I started working at a bank. They started everyone out in the Collections Department...basically calling deadbeats for past due bills. They claimed that this would build your character, if you were going to be giving out loans later. I don't know about that, but the situation sure made for a cast of characters that rivaled "The Office".

I had a pregnant coworker threatened by a man holding an iron, when she went to his door to collect his past due payment (that's right.....our employer sent pregnant women out to collect door-to-door, but that's another story), I had to drive a hooker home after they repossessed her car, because none of the men would be alone with her. I also had a woman count me out $500 in cash in the worst crime-ridden neighborhood in the city to pay for her past due account. I fully expected to be jumped as I walked to my car, but thankfully was not.

We had no less than 4 different couples in the department having affairs, some married some, not. We had a gruff, biker repo man working for us that no one wanted to talk to, we were all scared of him...but we had to talk to him and pay him. That's just the tip of the iceberg...oh, and ALL the men in the department thought it was their right to go to strip clubs during working hours for lunch, often more than once per week....yes, it wasn't a women-friendly workplace. This was over 20 years ago.

But things haven't changed that much, have they? Tell me all about it.....

Amazing Ways to Tie Your Sneakers

I stumbled upon this blog post today, Amazing Ways to Tie Your Sneakers. There must be 50 ways to lace and tie your funky shoes. Who knew? I've got to tell you I've never done any other way except the way I learned when I was five years old. I think I will re-lace my Reeboks and see if I can be way cool at age 44. Check it out!

Santa Banned from Saying Ho Ho Ho

I laughed when I read this story. In Australia, recently hired Santas said they were told not to say "ho, ho, ho". Instead they are to say, "ha, ha, ha", because it was said that "ho" can be offensive to women. Give me a break! The Santas are appropriately outraged! Tell any "ho" that is offended by "ho, ho, ho" to go back where they came from!

Let's all get with the Christmas spirit and say "ho, ho, ho" to everyone we meet this year. And, by the way, head over to Santa's blog to keep the spirit going all this holiday season!

It's Talk Like A Pirate Day - Savvy!

Avast, me hearties! Yo ho, drink that bottle O' rum! Today be Talk Like a Pirate Day! Every September 19 is time to celebrate all things piratey! So stop yer normal type writin' n' talkin' and sort and start Talking Like a Pirate! My mate over at zeldman.com has a great primer on what NOT to say on this glorious day!

Now you kiddies, ya can't be drinkin' the rum, we know....but ya can talk like a pirate all day at school! Ask yer teachers to do the same!

If ya be needin' teachin' lessons on piratin' check it out here!

Other ways to celebrate:

• Watch all 3 Pirates of the Caribbean movies - 2 in the box, 1 in the movie theatre
• Go to Disney 'n ride Pirates of the Caribbean ride over 'n over 'n over
• wander the streets in yer garb and shout "savvy" and "avast" until ya see the cops comin'
• can ya say Cap'n Morgan?

Now....let's go out and mutiny! ARRRRRGGGGH!

Kitty Said What?

Enjoy the Kitties! Happy Labor Day!

Oh no, Attack of the Killer Pageant Girls

I was alerted to this little tidbit by my friend over at Imagine That blog.
Normally, I would never propagate such dumb blond moments as this, but this is a really dumb blond -and I'm blond, so I don't perpetuate this stereotype. But people - look at this for yourselves and judge.....I agree - Oh.My.God! I thought pageants were supposed to showcase education - this is just sad!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

Find out for yourself and take the cool quiz. Below is my result - and yes, it is so!

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

Thanks to Cool Moms Rule for the link.

Gearing Up for Talk Like a Pirate Day Here

Hey kids, just a few short weeks to the annual Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19th...you know, one day out of the year where you get to act like and talk like a pirate just for the heck of it.



It was started a few short years ago by two guys who just liked saying "ARRRRGH" and other pirate whatnot's. Then they got writer Dave Barry involved and apparently the whole thing just took off in 2002. I for one (or should this read "Aye, fer one") will be blogging in pirate-speak the entire day. I don't know if I will convert any linked articles to pirate-ese, but let's just see what happens! I encourage my fellow bloggers to hoist the main, and jibe the ho and (insert other messed up sailing terms here) and savvy - do yer own parrrrrty thang.



Why am I doing this you might ask, mother of two, devoted educationalist of all - BECAUSE, in the words of Elizabeth Swann, "I'm a Pirate....the King of the Pirates". Avast! (And...sorry Colleen - I told you the wrong date!)

Trevor - We Hardly Knew Ya!

It seems this is the last week for Trevor the Mentos intern. I did look at his schedule today and it has a lot of openings - you can take a look at www.mentosintern.com if you want to put him to work. It's a nice way to fill some downtime - like I get when I am online taking calls -it's been really slow! So You can send me some mail too!

Maybe this is Why They Recalled this Toy

Here is a real, actual photo of my child's poodle/baby from the Mattel Doggie Daycare with Lula. The fact you can do this with the dangerous magnets (see photo) is not really good......we're sending it in to Mattel soon!

Trevor, the Mentos Intern - Put Him to Work for You!

Here's some fun to do tomorrow at work - use your intern! Just go to http://www.mentosintern.com/ where you'll find Trevor, ready to do work for you! He also has a blog at http://www.trevortheintern.blogspot.com/. I plan to try to have him do something for me, but I can't say what - it will be a surprise! By the way girls and boys, his profile says his favorite Mentos is strawberry!

Other duties you could assign to him:

1. Perform a one-act play of your choice
2. Phone you (or your boss) to shower you with compliments
3. Create a playlist for an upcoming party
4. Call in sick for you

Oh, and they have a lot of other fun stuff at the http://www.mentos.com/ website like printable instructions for building your own Mentos geyser! Just right for the end of summer!

Technorati tags: mentos, intern, trevor

How Evil Are You?

I was cruising my buddy Fechr and found this cool quiz over at a blog called Crazy Working Mom . How could I not like that title? Any way check it out its the

How Evil Are You Quiz

Please report your results!! ;) BTW, mine is

How evil are you?