When All Else Fails...Use a Safety Pin!

I do not sew. I do not want to learn. I have no passion to make my own clothes or give my creations to friends for special celebrations.

I admire those who can. Funny thing is: my husband is one of them. Apparently that is one of the patches he earned in Boy Scouts. Just a side note: I was in Girl Scouts and my patch was for the tin foil oven I built at camp. I unfortunately did not retain that skill, so you're sure to find me starving if I ever get lost in the woods. You're likely to also find holes in my clothes since I may have mentioned, I do not sew.

This leads us to the other day when Scooter, my younger son finally decided to take on Karate. Since we were all unsure how long this passion would last, the Sensei thought it would be wise to borrow a uniform until we were absolutely sure Scooter was serious.

I refuse to complain about anything that is given to me for free and with kindness. However, one look at Scooter, and you can tell, he is not very tall. Unfortunately, the only pair of pants they had to spare were definitely made for a taller kid.

Did I mention that I don't sew?

And this is where Mother's intuition along with invention comes into play. I went into the trusty sewing box (which belongs to Hubby) and found a few safety pins. And like magic, the pants were fixed. Well actually, they had kind of a hobo look to them. Each pant leg was rolled about five times. Then these giant safety pins were poking out from the sides. The only thing my child was missing was a bottle wrapped in a paper bag.

It was a good fix for the night, but it looks like I will be buying a new uniform this week. Right after Scooter ran off the mat crying, I knew he had been injured by my make shift sewing project. "Something poked me," he shouted.

Suddenly I felt all those parents looking at me wondering: "What's wrong with you lady?" "Don't you know how to sew?"

Well ladies, I may not know how to sew, but I can make a kick ass cake in an Easy Bake Oven.

The Perfect Gift

Who hasn't ever ran out of ideas when it comes to gift giving? Even when we think we've come up with an idea; where do we begin to shop? Do we run around the mall and do our best at comparing prices? Or do we just use a search engine and cross our fingers? Wouldn't it be nice if all the hard work was done for us? Now it can be.

Recently I came upon the site Become.com. I was searching for a new watch. While I had a few specifications such as price and color, I needed help with narrowing my choices.

Become.com gave me exactly what I needed. I was able to set my exact price range along with my desired color and brand. What originally began as a huge search came down to just a handful of choices. Because I was able to comparison shop with ease, I found I spent much less than expected.

So I did what any responsible gal would do... I continued shopping. Become.com was also able to help me find a new pair of earrings. Sure, I could have wandered through the mall. But I already did that, and I came up empty handed. Once again I was able to enter exactly what I was looking for. And let me just say how happy I am.

If you're short on time like most of us are, why not stop by Become.com for all your gift giving needs? It's like having your own personal shopper along for the ride.

Sharing My Pool...Is For The Birds!

Could someone please tell me where in my contract did it mention that I would have to share my pool? After signing on the line, I thought I was free and clear. I mean it is in my back yard. It is properly fenced. Last time I checked, it's my address that's on the house it sits behind. Yet, I continue to get visitors....unwanted visitors!

Take for instance Mr. Duck who mistakes our pool for his own personal launching pad. Not to mention a Day Spa as well.

Mr. Duck stops by every year. Occasionally I will have just awoken, only to find Mr. Duck perusing the waves. Sometimes he stops by for just a few minutes. Other days, he stays a bit longer. But don't get me wrong. The last thing Mr. Duck wants is to be bothered....As If! Once I enter the back yard, Mr. Duck is on his way. Mr. Duck is shy and refuses to engage in any conversation with those who are not wearing feathers.

Next I must mention Mr. Frog. Or shall I say, the entire Frog Family (cousins and all). The Frog Family must have done cartwheels when then found out there was a pool going in at the Brennan Ranch. For as soon as we installed the pool, the Frog Family jumped in immediately to do their morning laps. Unfortunately, while the Frog Family may have admired the ease of entering the pool, they failed to realize there was no exit. Once in the pool, the Frog members had to await a member of the Brennan family to rescue them with a net before they reached exhaustion. While our success rate may be higher than our failure rate, I have to admit that more than a few Frog members just didn't make it. A special place in the Brennan Garden has been dedicated to them.

Lastly, there are the birds. Those damn birds. When I look out from my window at my backyard I see an oasis. A place to retreat to during those hot days. A gazebo to relax under and enjoy conversation. A barbecue to enjoy good meals. And a swing set where the kids play for hours.

What I didn't realize is what my pool may look like to others. Or for that matter, what it may look like from the sky. Apparently, for our winged friends it looks like a giant bird bath. I have afforded these creatures a chance for a break. A truck stop if you will. A chance to free themselves of pollutants, and whatever else may collect in those feathers during long flights.

While sharing my pool with wildlife may not have been part of my plan, it sure appears that it will stay that way with or without my approval. And until I decide to screen in my entire backyard I will just have face the facts: This pool thing is "For The Birds!"

What Being a Mom Has Taught Me!

In only two months, I will have been a Mother for seven years. Hard to believe it's been that long already. For many of you out there, it's been much longer than that.

It's funny how in just that short amount of time, how much one can learn. Here are some of my favorite highlights:

1) No matter how much you spend on a toy. Your three year old would prefer to play with the box instead.

2) Children will run a high fever all day, but will wait until you're dead asleep to vomit all over their bed sheets.

3) Before I had children I took hot showers for granted. Now I just hope for a hot shower.

4) Great Mother's feed their children fruit. The rest of us think the man who created Pop Tarts is a genius.

5) Tornadoes are covered by insurance. Tantrums aren't.

6) No matter how far you force your body into the dryer; the vortex that stole your sock will also one day steal your child's favorite toy, the last drop of milk, your car keys and your mind.

7) No matter what you may think of her; the best babysitter for your children will always be your mother.

8) A half hour of cartoons does the soul good.

9) Prefer whine over wine once in a while. Some things can't be preserved.

10) The best presents you will receive for Mother's Day are the ones without wrapping.

May you all have a Blessed Mother's Day!

Pillow Fight!

A few weeks ago I bought a new pillow for my bed.

Now one thing I should let you know ahead of time is that I don't take pillow shopping lightly. In fact, if you accompany me on this adventure, you'll probably find yourself sitting in one of those chairs next to the dressing room. It's a process. A long process.

I take serious anything that aids in a good nights sleep. From the thread count in my sheets, to the cotton in my pajamas. It's all important.

So after 30 minutes in the bedding isle at Kohls last month; I thought I had found it...The Perfect Pillow.

The first night is always a little tricky. No matter how comfortable it felt, there is a breaking in process.

Just after my pillow turned a week old, I was sure this was the one. I had a perfect night of sleep. I was well rested.

I headed to the bathroom to begin my morning routine. And that is when it hit me...right in the face. As I looked closer at the mirror, I realized my dear beloved pillow had left its mark.

Not just any mark, mind you. There was an impression of a seam which began at my hair line and stemmed down to my left ear. Dear Lord! Despite my love for Avon, I knew there was no makeup in the world that would cover this monstrosity!

A hood? A big hat? A comb over? Nothing would work. And now I had to bring the kids to school. I prayed the seam would disappear by then. Every few minutes I ran to the bathroom to check things out. It was going away, but not quickly. Apparently, my pillow wanted to let everyone know just how good of a job it was doing.

I thought for sure I was part of pillow conspiracy of some kind. I was forced to walk around all day with this thing on my face just so people would start a conversation with me. Suddenly there would be a surge in sales at the local Kohls. People around town would start waking up with pillow seam impressions across their foreheads. But all of them would be well rested.

And then it occurred to me: "I really need to get out more often." A blog about pillow seams? Really Mary. There must be something more interesting to write about.

The Last AVATAR

I finally did it! I saw AVATAR.

Well actually I saw the beginning and I saw the end. As for the middle, I can't say I remember a thing. That's probably because that nap I so needed overrode the need to watch green and blue men fight for their planet.

My husband has been raving about this movie for months. "As soon as it comes on DVD, I'm buying it." He would say.

Of course as we walked into Walmart this weekend for a casual shopping experience, guess what was there to greet us? (Aside from the Walmart greeter).

That's right. A kiosk filled to the brim with AVATAR DVD's.

"Sure Honey, put it in the cart." How could I possibly say know. Not to mention he was being helped by my sons who just mastered "puppy dog eyes." It was three against one.

Like a typical Mother I thought of all the other things that could be bought with the $24.99 that was spent on a movie instead. But how can I complain? Surely if I had brought everyone to the theaters to see this Gem, I would have easily been out 100 bucks. So technically, I saved around $75. Or at least that is what my husband would lead me to believe.

It Start's With One Person

It starts with you.

On April 22nd we will be celebrating Earth Day. I always get excited about Earth Day, because even if it's only for a day, it's one day that people try to act responsibly.

When I was small, although Earth Day may have existed, there was no fuss. Global warming was still a phenomenon, and we didn't own a recycling container until I was in high school (but it was just decorative).

So when did things change?

For me it was a teacher. A teacher who had so much passion about the environment that it was literally catchy. I would leave her class with so much excitement. I couldn't wait to pass that excitement onto my students.

As luck would have it, I quickly became a Mom. Rather than passing the excitement onto students, I was able to pass it onto my children.

I quickly began to realize the hurdles of "Being Green." I also realized that my excitement wasn't shared by all...a huge misconception.

When I was pregnant I began my search for biodegradable diapers (something you probably won't find at your local market). If you think the price for a regular pack of diapers is expensive, wait till you get a load of what they want for these puppies. Needless to say, due to budget constraints, I wasn't able to add this coveted item to my baby inventory.

And that's just one example. The list goes on to contain everything from bottles to clothes to organic food. To be green you have to spend the green. There's no way around it.

While I do find it unfair, I believe in the cause. Sure it's more expensive now, but as more people catch on, companies will be able to lower their prices.

Start to make your home a green home, and you won't look back. But be patient, it takes some time. My home is still a work in progress and I began over a year ago.

If you need some help getting started, refer to this site: http://www.earthday.org/

Best of Luck!