I love mail that's not asking me for money.

I received a great surprise in the mail over the weekend. Bubbles sent me a beautiful handmade Christmas card. Thank you so much Bubbles! It is sitting on my bookshelf right next to my singing Santa Claus.



Go check out more of her handmade cards!

 Would you like to see the Christmas tree I put up at work?


It's 9 feet tall, and I'm only 5'2'' so it was quite difficult to get that star up there! But I think it turned out really pretty!

I hope that you all are well and having a wonderful Holiday season!

Award!

Two posts in one day?!? What?!?

Yeah, well I wanted to thank Ashley at She Who Will be Tamed for the awesome award she gave me...like a month ago. Sorry Ashley for the delay!

As with any award, come rules.

Share 7 random things about myself:

1.) I'm incredibly afraid of heights. Can't even stand on ladders. 2.) I think 11 is not only the coolest number, but the funnest word to say. 3.) I think Batman is cooler than Superman. 4.) I'd rather sit on my couch and kill Zombies than watch a chick flick 5.) I hate movies where men dress as women. 6.) I have very vivid dreams about tornados every time I'm sick 7.) I didn't go out for Halloween this year because I had 6 inches of snow on the ground and said "screw it."

Answer the following questions:

Fav. Color: Pink

Fav. Song: Right night its probably "There for you" by Flyleaf

Fav. Dessert: Cookies
Biggest Pet Peeve: When someone talks over me. I do not like being interrupted because I wait my turn to talk and feel I deserve it after listening to someone babble for the past 45 minutes.
When you are upset you: Probably call my dad to vent.

Fav. Pet: My doggy Bowen of course!
Black or white: Purple.
Biggest Fear: Being thrown in a pit of spiders
Best Feature: My eyes

Every attitude: Every attitude? What? I'm lost.
What is perfection?: What's that?
Guilty Pleasure: The Vampire Diaries. I'm truly obsessed. Damon! Yummy.

Give the award the 10 other bloggers:

1. Thinkellen over at Defenestrated Feet

2. Skippy Mom over at I Make Soap
 
3. Jo-Anne over at Jo-Anne's Ramblings
 
4. Mynx over at Dribble
 
5. Teresa at The Middle Side of Life
 
6. Twilight Gazing at As it is, As it Happens
 
7.Amber at Amber Lashell
 
8. Julie at My Crazy Life
 
9. Barb at This and That
 
10. Amy at Life's Journey with a Smile

Super Duper Excited!

I know every blogger says that they have the best readers, but I'm pretty sure mine are the best. When I got home today, there was a package waiting for me. I opened it up and saw this beauty.

It's a journal! And inside was a wonderful note that says,

Best Wishes for a Wonderful Life Together
                                                       Teresa

Thank you so much to Teresa from The Middle Side of Life. You have no idea how happy this gift made me, especially after the Monday I had!!

The One Where I Show Blogger What's What

I have about a fifteen minute window now-a-days to read and comment on all of your lovely blogs. So when that fifteen minute window came today, I was all "YAY ME!" and then BLOGGER decided that I am not worthy of commenting and would.not.let.me. But does that stop me? No. I'm a rebel.

The Onion- On your post about blaming everything on The Rapture, I was GONNA say...

I blame everything on someone or something. I may steal this idea.

Mrs. Hyde and Bruce- On Bruce's guest post... I was GONNA say...

I will be saying f*ck for the rest of the evening now.

Amy-On your post about what you've been up to...I was GONNA say...

I've missed you, but busy is good. And LOL about signing up for the wrong 401k. Hee Hee. **

Meg O.- On your post about your new living room...I was GONNA say...

I absolutely love the first pic and would totally move in with you if you were to ask. Just sayin'. Bowen and Dexter could be BFFs.

The Empress- On your post about pimping oneself and your anniversary...I was GONNA say...

I would love to pimp myself out BUT I CANNOT COMMENT!! Oh and btw, congrats!

Barb- On your post about your letter A

LOL that makes me giggle. I'm going to write my emails at work like that for the rest of the week. :)

And that's all the further I got. Stupid 15 minute window.

Off to meet with a potential DJ!

** Edit- Amy, I have no clue why I said 401k. Ok, yes I do, I was rushed. I know that you signed up for the wrong RUNNING group. Not retirement plan. :)

ABC

I came into work today to find that there are only three people in the office. I think everyone took the day off and forgot to include us in the memo. So guess who has time to blog today?

I stole this from Steph C. 

A - Age: 25 and I’ve decided I’m not going to have anymore birthdays.


B - Bed size: Full, sadly. As soon as we get a permanent place, we’re upgrading to King.

C - Chore you hate: Laundry. Boyfriend and I cut a deal though. If he does the laundry, I’ll do EVERYTHING else. That’s how much I hate it.

D - Dogs: Bowen, my overweight lab with no testicles.

E - Essential start to your day: Coffee.

F - Favorite Color: Pink.

G - Gold or Silver: Silver for sure. I don’t think I even own anything gold.

H - Height: 5’2’’ aka Fun Sized.

I - Instruments you play: Bass and Guitar, but Bass a little better.

J - Job title: Contract Coordinator

K - Kids: In the future, but not immediate future.

L - Live: West Virginia. See how pretty?

M - My mom's name: Penny or as I like to call her Penelope.

N - Nickname: Tress and Cabookie….oh and pretty much every nickname you can think of for short people.

O - Overnight hospital stay: Once back in like 2005. I’m not going to announce the reason on here though. That’s a whole other post.

P - Pet Peeve: Lying, Stealing, Traffic, and people that interrupt you when you talk.

Q - Quote from a movie: “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.” The Notebook.

R- Right/Lefty: Right

S - Siblings: Two sisters and three step brothers.

T - Time you wake up: 7:00 am on weekdays. I try to sleep in on weekends but it usually doesn’t happen.

U - Underwear: I don’t have a preference. I like boy shorts, but they aren’t very flattering in a pair of dress pants, so usually thongs or those one kind I was telling you about.

V - Veggies you dislike: Asparagus. I’ve tried it twice and ew.

W - What makes you run late: Before I go to bed at night, I lay everything out I need, even socks. If I forget one thing, it makes my entire schedule off. Or if I decide to change outfits. Or if Bowen takes longer to pee that usual. I know…I need to give myself some extra time but I like sleeping.

X - Xrays you've had: Teeth, ankle like 5 times, and chest/stomach

Y - Yummy food you make: I make a pretty awesome taco salad and of course my Jumble Pie.

Z - Zoo animal: Penguins. They are so effn cute.

 
Guest posts are going to start Monday and if you are interested in helping out, please email me a guest post at jumblemash@gmail.com. List of ideas you can use if you want to are here.

I hate taking life seriously



So random.



It has been a hectic few days.

I am going to be doing a lot of traveling for work over the course of the week, so I probably won't be around too much.

I am beginning to stress a bit and as I've said before, my work generates little stress. That's beginning to change with the new duties I've taken on. I don't like it. At all.

But my vacation is coming up in May and Boyfriend and I have our year anniversary coming up and I got him the COOLEST present ever. I'll tell you guys what it is after next week. Just in case he happens to read this. So for now, everyone take care and be safe. I'll be back soon and I hope you won't miss me too much.

Oh...one more thing...Pencilgirl over at Conquering the World gave me an award!

Thank you so much!! If you haven't checked out her blog, please do so. It's a wonderful read.

I have already gotten this award so if you'd like to see me be a good girl and follow the rules, go here.

My day has officially been made

Imagine how excited I was when I got the mail today and found a package from my good friend Bubbles over at Bursts of Bubbles.

She has this little contest called Make My Day and I was lucky enough to win this beautiful handmade post card.

Which she wrapped in BUBBLE WRAP. Which is obviously the best thing ever.

And THEN she wrote me a lovely note on freakin' Alice in Wonderland stationary. Don't we all know how much I love Alice in Wonderland? No? Well trust me...I do. The whole thing is absolutely perfect and definitely made my day.

Thank you so much, Bubbles!!!!

Giggle, Wiggle and Jiggle

Apparently, not many people watch Heroes, but I still did have some votes on last week's poll. It says currently I have 6, but I could have sworn yesterday it said 10. Oh well. Peter Petrelli and Hiro Nakamura tied for the win. I personally love Peter Petrelli. Not only because he has THE coolest power ever, but because of this.


Seriously, Google, you need more photos of this man shirtless. Thanks.

 See my point? Yummy.

So I have a challenge for you my lovely readers. Please email me (jumblemash@gmail.com) or comment with some new poll ideas. Some people can't relate to the polls at all and I want some that everyone can enjoy! For now, no poll.

Also, Sam won the Giggle Button trivia this week. She answered, What's the name of the game played by Harry Potter and his team mates on broomsticks? Which is Quidditch. A lot of you knew that actually...Sam was just first. Make sure you click on the Giggle Button!

Now for my weekly recommendation!

Life's Journey With a Smile

And not just because she created Jumble Mash's new banner, but also because she is super sweet and her blog is an excellent read. Go check her out!

Don't forget! Today is the last day to enter the giveaway! Winner will be announced tomorrow.

Giggle, Wiggle, and Jiggle

Another Thursday. This has actually been a really long week and it feels like forever since I've put up a new poll. Last week I asked you guys what your favorite TV show is.

Big Band Theory wins! I so love that show. Sheldon is so awesome. Although, I don't think I could handle him as a roommate.

The new poll for the week is Who is your favorite Hero (from the TV series)? The poll is over to your right. Please vote!!

Amy over at Life's Journey with a Smile won the Giggle Button trivia this week when she answered "What rock star was trying to bite the head off a bat in concert when the bat decided to bite back?" She said Ozzy and she was absolutely correct. She has chosen the Giggle Button occupant so go take a look!

Now for the weekly recommendation!



Bubbles is super sweet and I absolutely adore her blog. You should definitely check it out.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! It closes on Friday the 28th!

Giggle, Wiggle, and Jiggle

So I was absent yesterday. Did anybody notice? We got one hell of a snow storm so I stayed home from work. Then I realized that the snow storm has wiped out my internet service. I was stuck inside all day with no internet. But at least I didn't have to work.

Anyways, speaking of having a day off, last week I asked you guys what your idea of weekend fun is.

I'm with the other 54%. I like to stay home and relax. Hanging out with friends came in a close second, which is fun, too. In the summer time, I do more than stay home, but for right now, when I get home on Friday evenings, I like to stay there until Monday morning. I'm a hermit like that.

For the new poll, the question is Of the following, which is your favorite TV show? Poll is over to your right. Please vote!

Danger Boy was our Giggle Button winner this week. He answered the question Who said, "I can't believe I gave my panties to a geek?" The answer was Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles. Make sure you go see who he has chosen for the Giggle Button! I will tell you, that he did not pick himself!

Today I recommending to you...

Ramblings of an Emotional Idiot

She makes me laugh often, and I'm sure she would have the same effect on you. Go check her out!


P.S. I guest posted over at Dad's place. Be sure to check it out, too!

Let's compromise and call it soda pop

Steph over at Forget Me Not did this awesome vlog that I swear to you I tried to do but I couldn't figure out how to operate the damn web cam to make a video. *Sigh*

Anyways, there is a list of words that you have to say to see how they sound in different accents. Like I think she says caramel funny. Hehe. But there also a list of questions that I can answer without you hearing my accent.

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
I call it toilet papering.


What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
Rollie Pollie.

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
Pop.

What do you call gym shoes?
Tennis Shoes

What do you say to address a group of people?
Hello group of people. No seriously, I usually just say "Hey Guys!"

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
Granddaddy Long Leg

What do you call your grandparents?
Pappy and Grandma

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
Buggy

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
Rain. I didn't really know there were different names for rain.

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?
Remote, although I do know a few people that call it channel changer.
 
I know Steph doesn't like it when people say "pop" in place of soda. I went to see my cousin in New Jersey one summer and I asked for a pop and she punched me. Not cool. When I lived in Boston for a couple of years, I was talking to a class mate about my Pappy and she was all "What in the world is a Pappy?" And then in the same conversation I said "bathing suit" and she had no clue what that was either. For all of you that don't know, bathing suit = swim suit.
 
Anyways, everyone should totally do the vlog so that I can hear what you sound like, but if you're like me and can't operate a damn camera or just don't want to, feel free to tell me in the comments what you call these things! I find it very interesting.
 
Trivia Time! This week its movie trivia. As always, the first to answer gets to go on the Giggle Button for the week.
 
Who said “I can't believe I gave my panties to a geek”?
 

They come in waves!

The lovely Thisisme over at Southhamsdarling gave me an award!

Stylish? Me? I'm not sure about that, but thank you so much Thisisme!

Apparently, the number of people I pass it on to is the number of things I have to tell about myself.

I would like to pass it on to four blogs that I absolutely LOVE.

Jess at It's a Big Deal, It is to me!
Amy at Life's Journey With a Smile
Mynx at Dribble...
A Bitch Called Mom

Now four things about me...

1. I would take 10 tattoos over a single piercing any day. I think piercings are terribly painful and I hate them.

2. I was a pharmacy technician for years and as soon as I got my National Certification which allows me to put CPhT at the end of my name, the coal company hired me. I haven't been employed as a technician since but I do still keep my certificate up to date.

3. It's January and I already have 3 Save the Date cards for weddings this year.

4. When I retire, I wanna live in Celebration, Florida.

Life is Good

Man, this is my weekend! I received another award today! Granted, it was from my Dad and he may be a little biased but I'll take it. Dad is super funny and has a great outlook on life. If you haven't already, stop what you are doing and go take a look. I'll wait.

Back? Ok. Where were we? Ah, yes, the award.

Yes, Life is definitely good.

There are rules to this award.

1. First, thank and link back to the person that gave the award.(Check)

2. Answer the 10 survey questions

3. Pass the award along to other bloggers whom you think are fantastic.
4. Contact the bloggers you have chosen to let them know about the award

1.  If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing this?  If you aren't anonymous, do you wish you started out anonymously, so that you could be anonymous now?  I am anonymous for the most part. Only a few of my friends and family members know of Jumble Mash. I like it that way mostly, but sometimes I wish I would just tell everyone. I'd love to just post on my Facebook about new blog posts. Maybe some day.

2.  Describe an incident that shows your inner stubborn side.  I don't think I really hide my stubbornness and there are probably a lot of incidents that prove that, but one thing that really sticks out is that I always have to have the last word in an argument. 

3.  What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?  I normally like what I see. I mean, I wish I still looked like I did in high school...but I'm comfortable in my skin for the most part.

4.  What is your favourite summer cold drink?  Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade

5.  When you take time for yourself, what do you do?  Blog, play Xbox, read, play video games, play on my iPad, take hot baths, nap, and shop.

6.  Is there something that you still want to accomplish in your life? There are a ton of things I still want to accomplish. But my goal at the moment is to finish getting my degree.

7.  When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching? Hmm, I was never an overachiever or a class clown, but I wasn't shy either. So I'd say just an average student? I don't know. I did ditch a lot my senior year, but then again so did almost every senior.

8.  If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what would you see?  Um I don't really know. I may have to think about this one for a while.

9.  Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog, or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people and events?  I have no problem sharing my true self. I don't exactly wear my heart on my sleeve, but all in all I'm a pretty open person.

10.  If you had the choice to sit down and read a book or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?  Read a book for sure. I normally dread talking on the phone. 

Now to pass it on. I don't know how many I'm supposed to choose so I'll just pick a random number.

Becca @ My Life

Steph @ Forget Me Nots

Skippy Mom @ I Make Soap

Amber LaShell @ Amber LaShell Rants

Twilightgazing @ As it is, As it Happens

Lyndylou @ Giggle Fest

Thisisme @ Southshamsdarling

Guest Blogger

Thank you so much to Morgan from The Adorkable Ditz' Missteps for giving me the day off today. I'm still feeling yucky, but better than before. Morgan decided to write a letter to her younger self and I think it is wonderful and very thoughtful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And after you are done reading it...go check out her blog!

Dear 13 year old Morgan,



This is your 18 year old self. Yes, time travel, isn’t it wonderful? No there is no shrinking/growing ray like you made ideas for back in middle school (although it is still a bad ass invention that should be made), and no high school isn’t what you think it’s going to be. The reason why I’m taking the time to write this to you is to help you, reassure you , that everything will be alright.


At the beginning of your band career nothing will change. People will still ignore you, still call you names behind your back, sabotage your reputation like you had one in the first place, but guess what? You’re going to get through it. You will make a few close friends and the rest of them, be nice, but just fuck them. You know why? They may seem nice and what not but the majority of the band isn’t going to give a rat’s ass about you until you finally grow up. I won’t go into detail because that may alter what happened and make me totally different and such, just be sure that I know what I’m talking about. I mean, I already lived through it.


No you won’t go straight to a university like Mom and Dad said you were going to, and in fact, you’re not even moving! As far as right now things are going to stay in the same house and you will get a scholarship at the community college. Trust me, you think that you’re letting everyone down, but it’s the best for your sanity. You will not do all AP classes all throughout high school but be glad, you actually get to have a life, and sleep. Oh and by the way, get more sleep. There are these gnarly bags under my eyes that never seem to go away.


Don’t worry about boys, boys are trouble (you will find out what I mean soon), they can be nice but don’t spend too much time on them, the ones that will make the best impact on your life will fall right into your lap. But I will tell you one thing, just because you lost contact with S and B doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way, but if a boy does come around, stick to your girlfriends first. They will have your back always.


Please please please please…do something with your looks. That whole nothing but a ponytail, jeans and t-shirt thing doesn’t work very much after middle school. Jazz it up, use make up, get into dresses! Skirts even! You are a beautiful person, you might not believe me now, but you will eventually. Stop pulling your hair! All it does is make you bald, there is enough stress with life and such to worry about something, get into another hobby please!

You will get through high school, you got through middle school didn’t you? Yeah sure the pulling and cutting seemed like that was the only way to cope, yes lots of stuff happened and you found out that your brother was Autistic was hard, but you’re going to get through it honey.


Here are some things that I will warn you about through your journey through high school. Do not quit band in any way shape or form, it may seem like it’s hard but you’ll get through it, if anything get into the piccolo junior year!!!! That will make things a lot better on your self esteem, you will become the best player in the section. Get a better relationship with the director, because of my shyness I was more miserable than I needed to be, be assertive.

You may think that everyone is out to get you but everyone isn’t. People will come to you to help them get out of a mess that they have made. There will be a few horrible teachers that you will hate, but after freshman year it gets a lot better.


Follow your gut, that will save you in more ways than you can imagine. Just wait till you start driving!


Alright, I got to go, be nice to the family and don’t end things with yourself. You will make it.


Love,
Your future self




P.S. I hope you’ll be glad being me when you’re ready.

I'm elsewhere today, but that's ok, someone is filling in for me.

Today I'm over at Jess' place talking about my favorite TV shows. Ya'll should go over there, because well, I asked nicely? Oh and because Jess rocks. And because you all should watch what I watch. No? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

Also, I thought that Jumble Mash needed some male perspective. I mean, I have had guest bloggers, but never of the male variety. And since I've been a sucky blogger the last few days, I've asked Simple Dude to take over for me. And seriously, if you aren't following him, you are going to be eaten alive by dinosaurs. Mean ones. Yeah, you don't want that.

I'll shut up now (honestly, I got my nails done yesterday and I like how they feel on the keyboard).

...over to you Simple Dude.

I'm going to make a quick assumption about the readers here at Jumble Mash in that many of you have either visited my blog, read a post of mine or at least have seen one of my comments left here or on other blogs.  If not, you must live under a rock because I comment all over the place.  I call myself the Simple Dude based on my blog name - Simple Dude in a Complex World.  I can be a real smart ass and somewhat cynical, so keep that in mind as you read this.  And in reality I am probably not as Simple as I'd like folks to believe - in some ways I'm downright Complex. 

I've considered trying a flip-side blog, calling it Complex Dude in a Simple World because, lets face it, the majority of the population is made up of morons.  No, not Mormons.  Mormons are a very small minority who live in Utah.  They refuse to dance but love bicycles.  And Mormons sure do spend a hell of a lot of money on TV commercials lately don't they?  Anyway.. back to the post.  I'm talking about MORONS here.  I lived next to Mr. & Mrs. Moron themselves for about five years and I wrote a couple posts about them.  These two peeps are the perfect example of how the world is full of dumb people.  They would ask me stupid questions all the time and I eventually got really sick of answering them, so for the last year I lived there I would entertain myself by telling them ridiculous things. 

I once had Mr. Moron nearly convinced that there was going to be a full solar eclipse in a couple days and that he would need to buy some sunscreen since the chance of a sunburn was far greater during an eclipse.  Seriously.  And when I decided he wasn't quite buying what I was selling (although he thought about it a lot) I said "Oh, I'm just kidding!" with a laugh as I always would after messing with him.  I think he was convinced I liked him and we were best friends since I messed with his head so much. 

The Moron couple are just two examples of the idiot masses in this world.  There is a local radio host here that says 7 out of 10 people in the world are not worth talking to..  basically because they are stupid.  He says it as a silly bit, trying to be funny.  And it's probably exaggerated but not by very much.  Next time you are at the mall or Target or any place with a large group of people, look around you.  I mean really look closely at your fellow citizens.  You'll see your share of morons.  But also yokels, dipshits, slapdicks, jagoffs, hilljacks, fucktards, dense dolts and brainless bumpkins.  They are everywhere.

Then when you get home turn on the news or read some of the top stories on your favorite website for current events.  The ratio of stories about dumb people outweigh the ones about something smart someone did by at least 4 to 1.

I'm not saying I'm some kind of genius or scholar.  Hell, there are probably spelling or grammatical errors right here in this post.  But I use my common sense a little more then most people and I think I have above average intelligence.  Unfortunately when I look at society, me being above "average" is probably not saying much. 

Not much we can do about any of this, it's just a sad observation.  Do you agree with me?  No?  Then you are probably one of the 7 out of 10.  :) 

SD

Giggle, Wiggle and Jiggle

I have a story to share before we get into Giggle, Wiggle, and Jiggle. After reading Steph's blog and some others, I wanted to share with you my tale of learning that Santa wasn't real.

Once upon a time, when I was a young child around the age of eight, I heard a clatter in the kitchen.

I went out to investigate, thinking that maybe I would get to see Santa once and for all.

There, standing in the kitchen was my oldest step brother (about 13 at the time)  with Santa's cookies in his mouth and Santa's milk in his hand. And under the tree were presents that hadn't been there when I'd gone to sleep.

Me: What are you doing?

Brother: Ugh, Santa forgot to eat them.

Me:  Santa never forgets his cookies.

Brother: He, ugh, the reindeer, they... {he pauses and tries to think of something clever. then his face lights up because he's come up with something good.} He doesn't exist.

Me: Who doesn't?

Brother: Santa. The Easter Bunny. The Tooth Fairy. None of them.

Me: And how do you know?

Brother: Because, I'm older and all the older kids know these things.

Me: Did Mom tell you?

Brother: No, my dad did.

Me: Why didn't they tell me?

Brother: Because you are still a baby.

Me: I am not.

Then I proceeded to kick him, take his cookies and go back to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I was furious at my mom for not telling me the truth. Not so much that Santa wasn't real, but because I wasn't let in on the secret. My step brother got in sooooo much trouble.

When did you stop believing in Santa? Do you remember what happened?


Now, getting back to business. Can I change the rules to the award I created? Of course I can. It's my award.

Rules

1. Thank the person that gave you the award
2. Tell a funny story to accept the award...or at least a joke.
3. Only pass onto ONE other blogger.
4. Now stand up and do a happy dance.


So today instead of just doing a recommendation, I am going to give my award out. I have so many blogs in mind that I want to pass this along to, but since I've made the rule of only giving it to one person, I have chosen....

Talkative Taurus

If you haven't already, go check her out. She makes me laugh with her stories and even her comments crack me up.

Now, for the first time in a long time, I am choosing the Giggle Button occupant. Go check it out!

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. I cannot believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve! I'm having Christmas at Dad's tonight and I CANNOT wait.

Bloggy Friends

Either Wee Bits is going to be late today or its just not gonna happen. But I did want to share with you all a treat I got via email today. Barb sent me this wonderful Christmas card.

It had music too. Isn't it adorable?

This is why I love my blogging friends so much. They all take time out of their busy days just to leave you a comment or send you amazing reminders that they are thinking of you. Even a little love goes a long way. 

Thank you so much Barb. You made my day!

Half-Assed Weekend

I'm taking Simple Dude's approach today and doing a Half-Assed post. If you EVER need a laugh, go over there and follow him. You can also join in on the Half-Assed Weekends.

• I began sorting my Christmas gifts by person today and realized I've lost one of my little sister's presents. I've torn the house apart and cannot find it. I am torn between thinking someone stole it and thinking that I never actually bought it.
• I went to a graduation party last night. Dad was there for a while, but after he left, I hardly knew anyone. I decided to leave and upon exiting the venue, Hubby and Fill-In Boyfriend walked in. We had a blast. Then a girl I just met that happened to be a lesbian got really drunk and kept trying to use my boobs as pillows.
• Dad got me a new XM transmitter for my birthday. He installed it today. I do not want to ever leave my car.
• I swear to you that I'm watching Toy Story right now.
• I should be watching The Office, but I cannot concentrate on blogging while Jim in on screen.
• My office Christmas party is tomorrow. I made a pie that consists of whip cream and vanilla pudding and Boyfriend ate the whole thing. I had to make another one. He thinks it is the greatest thing in the world and it literally took me 60 seconds to make.
• For all of you that are taking the week off for the holidays, have a wonderful super duper week and I'll see ya next week. Merry Christmas.

I'm going to star in a movie with Vince Vaughn called Blog Crashers

Krissy let me crash her blog today. You should totally check it out if you'd like to read a story about Dad and me. Krissy is awesome...so you may just end up staying a while!

Listen To Mom

I'm taking the day off. For all of you that were concerned about my little sister, she is doing great and is home now. 

Anyways, thank you times a billion to Barb at This and That for guest posting. She delivered exactly what I had in mind! Enjoy!

First of all I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Jumble Mash for asking me to be a guest blogger. It's always a thrill to be asked to write for someone's blog.

What I thought I'd write today is a little different. Lately, I've been graced with compliments from many of the bloggers I follow in that they've referred to me as "like the mother I never had" or "my other mother". Maybe not those exact words but you get the point. I don't take those comments lightly. They bring tears to my eyes and since I love to help people and tell about my experiences in order to benefit someone I thought it would be fun to write some things about life from a mother's (and grandmother's) view and hope that you will use it either for yourself, your child or a good friend or sibling.

1.   Budget your money. One of the greatest things I ever learned was how to make a budget. Sit down and figure out exactly what you spend each month. Then divide that by how often you get paid. If you get paid weekly, divide that by four. If you get paid every two weeks, divide it by two. Figure in your rent, food, utilities, gasoline, anything that you pay regularly. Then add in extra for miscellaneous because there will always be some kind of emergency. Put this amount aside every payday and when your bill comes due, you have the money. It's so simple of a concept and yet hardly anyone follows it.

2.   Learn how to handle your finances. I worked in banking for over 20 years and was continuously trying to help people figure out their finances and to balance a checkbook. If you don't know how to do it, go to your bank and ask for help if you have a problem with bouncing checks or ATM fees and overdrafts. You will be one step ahead if you can understand what to do with your own money. I couldn't believe the number of college kids graduating with high honors who had no idea how to balance a checkbook. This should be taught in high school as a mandatory course.

3.   Save money regularly. Before you pay any bill, pay yourself first. Even if it's $20 a paycheck, it's something. The more money you make in your job/career, pay yourself more.

4.   Do not use credit cards when you don't have the money. The real purpose of credit cards is to build credit for buying a home or a car. Good credit comes from using a credit card when you have the actual money to pay for something and then paying the bill in full when it comes in.

5.   Don't ever let anyone lay their hands on you in any hurtful way. This one is probably geared more for the females but it could apply to males also. It has to do with dating/marriage. . Too many women are in abusive relationships because they allowed a guy to physically mistreat them. The guy apologizes and gets all lovey dovey and the gal falls right back into the losers arms and a pattern begins. I do know there are also men who are abused as well so listen up. The first time any one lays a hand on you END IT. There is no reason for it. It's unacceptable. And a person like that will do it AGAIN. You don't deserve it and someone better WILL come along. This I promise. You are too good for something like this.

6.   Use Birth Control. There's no excuse to have an unplanned baby in this day and age. There are clinics, doctors, support groups, counselors, etc. Unless you are married, financially stable and have lived life a little, don't get pregnant. You are not doing yourself or the child any good by not planning this one out. It's a mistake that lasts a lifetime and can cause a hard life for all when it's not necessary. For the girl, no guy is worth trapping with a child. It will only cause them to resent you and resent the child. For the guys, wear protection. You should anyway but wear it for birth control purposes. Don't rely on the girl to take care of it all. There is NO EXCUSE. Free condoms are everywhere. If you're old enough to have sex, you're old enough to make a baby but you are not mature enough to be a parent.

7.   Take a self defense class. Learn how to protect yourself. Too many crimes are committed where the victim doesn't fight back. Be aware of your surroundings. Learn what to look for and how to prevent a crime. I bet the statistics on rape would be a lot lower if a person knew self-defense. Get some friends together and go as a group. Practice as a group. Be smart.

8.   Enjoy life before settling down. Get out there and see the world. Travel, learn about different cultures, take up art or a hobby that you think you might enjoy. Once you can be content with your life, you can then make a partner a very happy person. If you are happy, the sky is the limit.

9.   When you are in a relationship, don't try to control it. The only successful relationship is one that is built on compromise, trust and above all RESPECT. Respect for yourself first and then for the other.

10.   Pay attention to your children. If you are going to bring one into the world you owe it to that child to listen and learn and teach them what's right and wrong and how to grow up a well rounded individual.

So there you have it. 10 things that I feel very strongly about and hope to pass it on to others. If even one person learns something from this blog I've done my job. So please read it and tell all your followers about it. All I can say is "Listen to Mom"