Life in the Slow Lane

After a few months of dabbling with the iPad, I can finally make the decision of my top favorite apps. I don't like to spend much on apps, so I'm sure there are plenty more out there if you don't mind paying! But in no particular order, here are my free/cheap top contenders: USA Today Newspaper: The top news stories, and easy access to different sections of the paper. I suck at the crossword puzzles, but continue to try. Wall of Sound: Not the best music app, but a very cool one. Clips of any songs you can think of. Stream in the background of your game playing, or just search for songs/albums. Sock Puppets : Makes me laugh every time I use it. My kids love it too! IKEA catalog: I love everything about IKEA, and the ability to read and reread the catalog, and dream about the changes I want to make in my home make me love them even more. Lion Brand Yarn: Thorough and easy to use to find a quick project to do over the weekend. 10 Pin Shuffle: Shuffleboard/bowling th...

I usually review things after I've fully tried them out. But for this experiment, I decided to do a blog-as-I-go. I enjoy changing my hair color from time to time, and today I decided to try this. The box and directions make it sound SO easy. How could I not try it?? I read all the directions, it starts as the usual 'mix this with that', then you put on the foaming pump top and SWIRL, don't shake. Now here's the thing. Mama has a LOT of hair. It's long, and it's quite thick. I can usually cover all of my hair with one box of color, but this was my obvious first concern. I swirled, I pumped. It looks just like a light mousse. I apply to the top of my hair first. The first thought I had was 'huh!' in a pleasantly surprised way. I was sure to research and read reviews, and most people said it was easy to use, not messy, and even in color. So, my first pass on the top of my head was fine. Then it was a bit downhill from there. I wasn't sure how t...

Holidays with an Italian family are like extreme eating contests. There are a ton of choices on the table, you try a bit of everything, then a bit more. It's ok if you don't like roast beef  or ham, there's a whole turkey too. Pasta? Salads? Breads? Veggies? You name it, we've got it. But growing up, this gal waited for the desserts. Not the fruits, and nuts, and cookies. Just the pie. The chocolate pie. The chocolate pudding pie. No whip for me thanks.  Grandpa would put together most of the feast on his own. I always requested my chocolate pudding pie, and it was always there waiting for me. A cousin tried to make it one year after my grandpa was gone, and she ruined it. She ruined that part of the holidays for me. But I'm getting off topic here. Back to the pie. It's my favoritest. My sister made me buy Nature Valley Dark Chocolate Granola Thins recently. One side is pressed together granola, the other side a coating of lovely, smooth, dark chocolate. Yummy...

I've said it before , and I'll say again. I heart gum. My favorite flavor has been discontinued, and is becoming more and more difficult to find. And while I do enjoy trying new flavors just for the heck of it, what I'm really doing these days is trying sadly to find a replacement for my favoritest. And I am here today to tell you that I have found a front runner. Extra gum has pleased me over the years. Their motto of lasting an extra, extra, extra long time does ring true....with some of their flavors. Up until now I've only enjoyed the original bubble gum flavor. The new Dessert Delights lineup has intrigued me. I tried a few, and wasn't impressed. But now....well....now I'm hooked. Key Lime Pie flavor is like a scene straight out of Wonka with Violet trying the new gum. You can actually taste all the components of the pie. It starts with the smell when you unwrap the package, straight up lime. Then when you first start to chew it, you get a creamy lime tas...

Yup....the truth hurts sometimes folks. But if you have any boys(or big guys!) in your home, you know the idea behind my title all too well. Whether they are playing rough, working hard, or just plain hanging around, boys smell. And not only do they smell, but they have the ability to smell up any area they have been in. Living with no other girls, I've gotten used to the certain smells that come along with owning boys. But now that I'm a single lady homeowner, I've decided I'd like my home to be a bit more....girly. I want it to look a bit more girly, and more importantly, smell more girly.  How you ask? I do love Yankee Candles, and they are great for a background smell. You know the kind, the get a whiff every once in a while kind. Nope, not good enough. I've purchased other candles, cleaners, sprays, only to find they last a short, short time. Until now...Febreze, I've never been a huge fan of yours until now! I remember buying some Febreze when it first...

I'm sure most of you will be nodding your heads and agreeing with me through most of this post. Old Navy flip flops may be one of the best inventions of the last decade. At 2/$5 ($3.50 if you want metallic!), why would you not own every single color they make? I live in flip flops from March to at least late September (I REFUSE to put on anything else in that time frame!) . I remember my first year I had a black pair and a white pair. The next year I grabbed 3 or 4 more. But by the next summer, I was buying colors I never thought I'd see on my feet, and don't even get me started on the metallics they brought in a few years ago. At a buck a pair more, they are super fancy and comfy! They take up hardly any room in the closet, they pack into a small spot in your luggage, they clean easily, and if you lose one flop or a whole pair, who cares at that price? Tomorrow is $1 flip flop day, so I definitely don't recommend you going running out to get them tomorrow if you ne...

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s time to find those products that will help us look our best without emptying our wallets! I’d like to take a minute now to share with you some of my favorite spring/summer girly products that will keep you looking fresh and fun this season! I've always used Suave shampoos. I like the one that is 'if you like Biolage try me', and I love their 2 in1 shampoo/conditioner for those hurried mornings. But this new line is wonderful. Wonderful like $20 shampoo at only $2ish a bottle. This specific one is Shea Butter and Almond, and leaves your hair soft, smooth, and shiny. Not to mention it smells awesome, and really is great for after a day at the beach or tanning.  Available at most drug stores/walmart/target. Mascara as all of us ladies know is a tricky, tricky buy. You study the brushes, the colors. Do I want plump?  How about some volume? Length? Conditioning? Ugh, just make my lashes look like that magazine picture! There's on...

Requirements for Reading this post: - you should own a gaming system of some sort - must love music If you’ve answered yes to the above requirements, then by all means, read away! It is no great secret to anyone here that I loves me some Guitar Hero. Always loved me some music, but now with Guitar Hero it’s on a whole new level. Then the other day I finally tried Rock Band at a friend’s house. I had no negative feelings towards it, just didn’t know much of it. I’m here to say that I did enjoy it very much! I’m not here to recommend one or the other, but if you’re up for more of a challenge I would go with the GH only because of the difficulty of the drums as well as the ease of the guitar on RB, having two sets of colored keys. Personal preference. My preference goes along with song choices too, make sure you read set lists before picking one. Sadly the ‘instruments’ are not interchangeable, or I’d already have all available titles. I have all available GH titles ...

I’ve wanted one of those fancy new brownie pans since the first time I saw the commercial. You know the one, put in the insert, pop out awesome pre-cut brownies, no muss no fuss. My mom got one for me for Christmas, and my sisters each got one too. This morning at 6am I woke up and the first thing I said as I stretched was ‘I’m making brownies now!’ I don’t have the as seen on television one, I have this one   Same difference, right? $19.99 and if you have a 20% off bed bath coupon it’s a mere $16! Washed the pan, mixed the brownie batter. I didn’t take a picture of the first part, but the bottom is just a regular brownie pan that has a big hole in the middle. Then you lay the insert with handles in there and spray with Pam. I’d prefer to use butter, but since it said ‘non stick cooking spray’ I followed the directions.    After I poured the batter in I couldn’t imagine how it wouldn’t leak down and around the insert, but I kept my faith and continued on. I put th...

Some of you may notice that a post I wrote yesterday afternoon about karma and everything happening for a reason is gone. Silly me trying to be in a happy place. It lasted about 3 hours. Today is a different kind of day, the statement 'I'm having a bad day' would be considered a major understatement. Crap on karma. Ok, but back to what I had planned to post today, baby wipe wonders! I've been buying baby wipes at Sam's Club for 6 1/2 years now. It's about 600 wipes in a case x 12months x 6.5 years = approximately 47,000 wipes I have used in this house to date! During the years there would be mishaps here and there, and when looking for the closest thing to help, baby wipes would be right in my reach. And wouldn't you know it, it helped! So I want to share with you my favorite things to use baby wipes for(of course other than the obvious!). If you have other great uses please share. Wipe up a quick spill of paint - we have hardwood floors, perfect! Cle...

I hold my pencil wrong. Well, wrong in the eyes of my first grade teacher Mrs. Collins. I held it the way I was comfortable and stuck with it. Unfortunately it makes my ring finger sore on that little upper knuckle part. Thank goodness for typing! But I crochet. A lot. And with that comes holding the needle 'wrong' as well. I do it very different than anyone else I've watched. That's ok, I'm good at it, so my way is just fine. Anyway, crocheting gives me an even worse sore finger because of the constant pressure in that spot from the needle. Well I found the solution!! I always knew a rubbery thimble would do the job, but had a hard time finding one. Until a few weeks ago when I stumbled on a set. Yesterday I finally tried it out and hooray! No sore finger today! They do look a bit funny, even though a cute shade of pink with some flowers etched into the rubber. This picture isn't the best quality, but you get the idea. It's very soft, you don't eve...

Money is tight for many families these days, and I have many moms asking me how to save some money. One of my easiest recommendations is to change your curtains! Did you know that heat loss through windows and doors can account for up to 50% of your heating bill? Especially true with older homes that are not insulated as well. Sometimes as I sit here on the couch next to the window I can even feel a bit of a draft. But something as simple as hanging thermal curtains makes a world of difference. There are a few different types and they may have different names when you see them. Thermal, felt backed, insulated, foambacks, window quilts. But all have the same purpose in life: to keep your family warmer and to save you money. Now I must say, sometimes they are not the most attractive curtains on the market, and usually they are backed in white(drives my sister crazy!) But sometimes the necessity has to outweigh the fashion. Here's a pair I just found, and I say pretty trendy! Th...

I'm not one for a lot of makeup. My dad never let me wear it growing up, and I just never felt the need. Eyeliner and mascara, a bit of lipgloss or chapstick , and I'm good to go. But that's not to say I don't buy a lot of makeup, because I do! I'm always curious to try the new, fun products, but always feel like a clown after application. But today I'm here to actually recommend a product pairing. With young children and not much sleep, these days I've had to add concealer to my daily regiment. A bit under the eyes and a swipe over the nose to be exact. So I went to CVS the other day to browse for a replacement for my broken compact. I found myself in front of the L'Oreal display because pre -kids that was my brand of choice(you know, when I had a life and went out for more than an hour alone!). They were having a sale on True Match products, buy one get one free. Can't go wrong for that kind of sale! I used their color match card attached ...

Many of my friends are teachers, so I felt it necessary to give a big shout out to LL Bean today for my new bag. I had this same bag all throughout college, but lost it long ago, and really needed a functional school bag. By far it is the best bag I've had over the years! Easier to carry than a tote, little nooks and crannies for all the supplies, and very durable. So if you're ready for a change from a tote weighing down your shoulder, I highly recommend slinging a funky messenger bag on!

Dear Michael Kors, Thank you for making the prettiest thing I could ask for this Christmas:)

Of course working with 5th-8th graders every day, I was intrigued when I noticed almost all of the girls reading Twilight at one point or another. So skeptically I decided it was time to see what all the noise was about. It started like any other Friday for me, I went to a few stores before picking up my son from school, and hit Borders last and grabbed the first book in the series, Twilight. As I waited in the school parking lot for him to come out, I scanned chapter one and thought to myself, 'eh, take it or leave it, same as any other gooey, girly, junior high book.' But then, then something wonderful happened...Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met. From that point on I could not put the book down. Dishes? Laundry? Dinner? Who cares. I had important reading to do, as if my life depended on it. And that was the beginning of the end for me. Every free moment I could steal was spent pouring over the book. When it was done I felt a little empty, incomplete. I rushed out to Tar...