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You could win a Dyson Slim Vacuum!

March 31, 2007 · by · 6 Comments
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Or better yet, I could win it. 5 Minutes for Mom is having a contest and the prize is a Dyson Slim Vacuum. How awesome is that? I am always so jealous when I read posts from people who have Dyson vacuums, because I have an ancient Kirby that cost a fortune and even with a completely empty bag, it barely picks up anything. I asked my husband if I could get a Dyson and he said no, he paid good money for the Kirby! So you see why I need to win that contest!

Click here to go to the 5 Minutes for Mom post .  All you have to do is sign the Mr. Linky (scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list, you’ll see a box for your name and URL), and write a post about the contest. Good luck!

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Filed Under: Group Projects ·

Mean people suck. So do bullies.

March 30, 2007 · by · 9 Comments
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Edited to add: New Banner! See? Designed by Chris from Notes from the Trenches and installed by my wonderful husband! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Today has been declared Stop Cyberbullying Day. And in thinking about what I want to say about that, I have come to realize that I am, in fact, incredibly naive. My initial reaction to the fact that there even needs to be Stop Cyberbullying Day is to say how simple it is to stop cyberbullying-just ignore them and they will go away.

But it’s not that simple. The problem with bullies is, they enjoy the attention they get from it, whether it is positive or negative. The more they think they have gotten to you, the better they feel about themselves. I will never, and I mean NEVER if I live to be a hundred years old understand what compels someone to leave a nasty comment or send a hate-filled email. Do those people not have anything better to do? Are their lives so empty that they get some kind of secret thrill from knowing that their comment or email might have caused some kind of upset?

Again, I know this is naive, but here’s an idea-if you read something that you don’t agree with, or if you come across a blog that you think is badly written, or you don’t like the way someone is parenting their kids, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. There are, according to Technorati, 55 MILLION BLOGS. No one is forcing anyone to read anything! GOD!

And please, try to remember, blogs are, at the very core, a place to write down your PERSONAL thoughts. You know what makes bloggers like Heather and Kristen so popular? They don’t hold back. They don’t censor their writing because “someone” might get offended. And I don’t know about Kristen, but I know Heather gets blasted in her comments and with emails all the time for it. For writing their personal thoughts about their personal business on their personal blogs.

I’ve been lucky that so far I have not been cyberbullied, although I did have one nasty comment one time right after my Mother-in-law died, when a kind and considerate person suggested that I must not have loved her very much if all I could think about was how stressed out I felt. Gee, thanks. That didn’t add to my stress AT ALL, you blogtard.

I have, however, been the victim of personal bullying, which I am sorry to say is still continuing to this very day, and will probably never end. And yes, I let it get to me, because it’s hard not to when the person lives right across the street from you and has a daughter in your son’s class at school, and every time we occupy the same space, she glares at me as if I were covered in open sores. You can read all about it here, in one of the first posts I ever wrote.

Let me know what you think in the comments. Have you ever been cyber-bullied? Do you think bullies should be ignored so they will go away, or should they be confronted? Be honest, have you ever written something deliberately unkind to someone in a comment? But be nice to me, or you will hurt my little baby feelings.

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Filed Under: Mean People Suck ·

Managing money

March 28, 2007 · by · 9 Comments
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Edited to add: SQUEEEE!!! I’m Blog of the Day at PayPerPost! That is AWESOME, thank you!!! I feel like *sniff* Miss America *sniff*.

I used to work in the loan department of a credit union. My first position was as the file clerk, so I spent a lot of time looking at loan documents. It was my job to make sure that when someone applied for any kind of loan, the appropriate documents were on file. If you’ve never borrowed money, here are some tips to get you started.

There are two basic types of loans. The first type is the Secured Loan. When you borrow money to buy a car, boat, RV, or house, the object itself is the collateral on the loan, meaning that if you don’t repay the loan, the lender can take back the collateral. A used car loan is a typical first loan for people just starting out on their own, and it’s fairly easy to get as long as you have a secure income.

The second type of loan is the Unsecured Loan, also known as a personal loan. People apply for personal loans for all kinds of reasons, including to pay for vacations or Christmas presents, to purchase furniture or to finance home improvements. The interest rates on personal loans can be quite a bit higher than on secured loans, so you want to shop around and make sure you know the terms of the loan.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking out loans as long as the monthly payment is truly affordable. Sit down and make a list of all of your monthly expenses, and then add in the amount of the monthly loan payment. Do you still have money left over for food and gas and a little savings just in case? It’s important to live within your means, and I know that saving money can be hard when everything is so expensive these days. But you don’t want to lose your property because you couldn’t really afford the monthly payments, either.

Another thing to think about is building your credit history. As ironic as it might seem, NOT borrowing money does not give you better credit than if you DO borrow money. Creditors want to see that you are able to make your payments on time. A small secured or unsecured loan that you pay off on time, in full, can be a good way to get your credit history started. And nothing feels better than making that last payment and getting your loan documents back stamped “Paid in Full”!

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Filed Under: Stuff I think about · Tagged: , ,

“It’s like a High School reunion only if everyone you went to High School with actually liked you.”

March 28, 2007 · by · 23 Comments
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As you may have surmised from my last post, I am in fact planning to go to BlogHer this summer. I’ve been planning to go since, well, the day I got back from last year’s conference, when I told my husband I had heard it would be in Chicago and he said “good. You can drive.”

I won’t be driving, instead I am planning to take a bus and then a train from the East Lansing Amtrak station with none other than Joy. I’m hoping the train has cocktails so we can arrive in Chicago properly prepared for the festivities. Now I know there are many of you who have heard of BlogHer, and are thinking you could never go, you’re not a “popular” enough blogger, you would get there and no one would talk to you, you have to be on the “A” list, whatever.

I am here to tell you that whatever you might think BlogHer is, it is NOT about exclusion, or popularity, or any of that bullshit. I’d like to share some bits of my posts from last year, to give you an idea of what going to BlogHer is like. Ready?

This post was titled “Live from BlogHer ’06!!!” and was written while I was sitting at a giant lunch table with the most beautiful, talented, friendly women ever, otherwise known as my blog friends. This is part of what I wrote:

“I should stop the narrative flow here for a minute and say that last night, when I arrived, it was like 9:30 pm. I ran to my room, threw down my stuff, ran back out to the pool area, and commenced immediately with hugging and squealing. And drinking, which costs a fucking fortune, but helped ease my shaky nerves a little bit. Everyone is so happy to see everyone else, it’s like a High School Reunion only if everyone you went to High School with actually liked you.”

See? All the way there on the plane, I was thinking that I was of a lower class than the bloggers I was going to see, that they would politely say hi to me and then go back to talking to each other, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. You can’t imagine what it does for your self esteem to have dozens of people, upon hearing you say the name of your blog, respond with “oh my God you’re Table for Five? I love your blog!!!”

I wasn’t able to post again until I got back, because the hotel’s wireless never worked for me, but my next post was titled “I AM A BLOGGER”, and it was an attempt to put into words just how it felt to go to BlogHer. I would love for everyone to click that link and read the post, especially if you are not sure about going. Here’s a few excerpts:

“Here’s what I have to say overall about blogher ‘06-it was overwhelming, it was exhausting, and it was the best thing that has ever happened to me outside of meeting my husband and having my children.”

“Validated. That is how I feel now that I have been to BlogHer. Validated. I went from feeling like no one else could possibly know what I mean when I say “um, well, I write a blog. What’s a blog? Well, it’s like a personal website, where I post stories about my family and photos and stuff”, to feeling like I want to climb to the highest rooftop in town and scream “I WRITE A BLOG!”.”

“The closing session on Saturday afternoon featured four amazing women who have done great things both with their professional lives, and with blogs. I sat there listening to them speak, and I had what I guess you could call a revelation. I grabbed one of my business cards (because my laptop STILL wasn’t working), and on the back I wrote this:

1. Find your voice.
2. Stop apologizing. Be proud of who you are and what you do.
3.Stop hesitating. Move yourself forward.
4. You ARE worthy.

My friends, you are ALL worthy. Whether you have just started blogging or have been at it for a while, you are part of a mighty force in this world. Somewhere out there is someone who wants to know what you think, how you cope, who you are. Be a blogger, and be proud.”

Now obviously if your reasons for not being able to go to BlogHer are financial, I completely understand. My next post on this subject is going to be all about how four people I had never met in person and barely knew from their blogs (one of whom I didn’t know at all) got together to help me go to BlogHer last year. Without them, I would have never gone, and I think my life would be very different today. Take your time, save the money so that when you do go, you can relax and enjoy yourself.

But if you’re still thinking you can’t go because no one will have heard of your blog, or no one will talk to you, or you will be too afraid to talk to anyone else, I want you to email me. I want to talk to you and try to give you the courage and confidence to come to Chicago anyway. And then I will assign myself to be your personal representative, and I will hold your hand and introduce you to the nicest people you will ever meet, and you will feel fabulous. I promise.

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Filed Under: BlogHer '07 ·

The business of (BlogHer) cards

March 27, 2007 · by · 14 Comments
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Whether you work in an office or at home, there are a lot of good reasons to get your own business cards. I am forever meeting other mothers at playgrounds and wishing we could get together again, only how do we get a hold of each other? Why not have a professionally designed business card with your name, phone numbers and email addresses on it? You could even include your blog URL and then HAND THEM OUT AT BLOGHER! Because you are going to BlogHer, right? I am, and you know you want to meet me!

I made my own BlogHer business cards last year, by purchasing Avery business card stock, and using the template on their website to upload an image and arrange the text. Then I had to print out the sheets eight cards at a time, and tear them apart by hand, leaving many of the cards with jagged and decidedly unprofessional looking edges. 123print has 1000s of designs to choose from and they say their prices start at $3.95, which I think is for 100 cards. That is an EXTREMELY GOOD DEAL!!!

I definitely recommend bringing some kind of card to BlogHer. People who didn’t were scrambling to write their URLs on anything they could find, including one creative blogger who used squares of toilet paper! As for how many you will need, that’s really up to you. I took 150 and probably only handed out half that many. I would say bring 100, you can always use sticky notes (or toilet paper!) if you run out.

helpful information: Over the years the growing use of debit and credit cards and e-checks through the internet bank has caused a decline in use of bank checks. Although it has added a new option in bank loan currently being provided, with credit debt to cover up the credit card balance. Leading american bank that has also been responsible for such trend is independent bank introducing the current trend of payment through cards in the market.

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Filed Under: BlogHer '06 · Tagged: ,

WHEN ANIMALS ATTACK!!!

March 27, 2007 · by · 10 Comments
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Also known as The shrink, the hamster bite, and the cat scratch.  I know this is a long post, but I wanted to remember the whole day just as it was, so please read it all the way through. I promise it’s worth your time :)

The Shrink…

Nathan had an appointment this morning with a neuropsychiatrist to get tested for ADHD. I had a sheet of paper with the name and address of the office on it. I load Nathan and Kaitlyn into the car, drive to to address on the piece of paper, walk in to the office, and…I’m in the wrong place. My doctor’s office had given me a sheet of paper with an address that was three years old. Fortunately the phone number was still the same, so I was able to call for the correct address. Which was on the completely opposite side of the city.

I get Nathan there, I fill out a crapload of paperwork, and by 9:40 he was following a kindly-looking man named Dennis back into the office. Meanwhile, I sat down in the head doctor’s office with Kaitlyn to answer the same questions I have been answering for a year-yes, he has a hard time getting his work done at school. Yes, he has a hard time following directions. Yes, he gets easily frustrated. Etc. etc. I am then told to come back at noon, because the office closes for lunch from noon to one pm. Allrighty then.

I drive home, all the way back across the city, and tuck Kaitlyn into bed for a nap. Seeing as how I have come down with the killer cold from hell, I also get into bed, thinking I’ve got two hours to sleep. The phone rings. It is the boys’ school. They are wondering why I called to say Nathan wouldn’t be at school that afternoon when it is a HALF DAY, and they wanted to make sure I was home because Ryan was on his way. Great. So I get back up, meet Ryan, and then by that time, it’s time to pack up Kaitlyn and head back across the city to pick Nathan up for lunch.

We went to Cici’s Pizza, have you been there? It’s not the greatest food on the planet, but it only costs $2.99 for kids and $4.99 for adults to have all you can eat. I had spinach alfredo pizza that was pretty good, and a big salad, and the best freaking cinnamon roll I’ve ever tasted. Kaitlyn ate a ton and almost stayed clean, until she dropped a gooey piece of brownie right on her pants. Of course.

So, we drive back to the office and drop off Nathan for the rest of his appointment, and then the kids and I go to Volunteer’s of America to buy Kaitlyn some pants. I scored a cute little pair of overalls for her for $.99, and three kids’ books for only $.49 each, so that was a good deal. Something really cute happened while we were there-Ryan had gone off to look at books while I tied Kaitlyn’s shoes, and when I stood up I couldn’t see him, so I called out “Ryan! Ryan!”. Kaitlyn started turning around in a circle, calling “Rah rah! Rah rah!” It put a big smile on both my face and on Ryan’s! Then we drove back to the office to pick up Nathan, and so that I could get the verbal assessment from the doctor.

Nathan has ADHD. Definitely. His score was “very high”, whatever that means. I have to go back in two weeks to get the official report and recommendations, regarding medication, how the school should be handling it, what we should be doing at home. It sounds like we have quite a journey ahead of us.

Continuing where I left off, I then drove all the kids back home, and all three fell asleep in the van. It was about 4:30. I carried Kaitlyn into the house and laid her down and fortunately she stayed asleep, so I put Ryan in charge and went to lay down myself. The next thing I knew, it was 5:53 pm and Kaitlyn was awake. We had to be at the kids’ school at 6:20 for Parent/Teacher Conferences-crap! I had to rush to get everyone packed up and ready to go.

The Hamster Bite…

We get to the school, and while Chris, Ryan and I sit with his teacher, Nathan is watching Kaitlyn as she walks around the classroom. The class has a pet hamster, Squeakers. Next thing I know, Kaitlyn is screaming and Nathan is running up to us yelling. Sure enough, Kaitlyn had stuck her finger in the cage, and the hamster BIT HER. Chris picked her up and started walking her around trying to soothe her, and she is wiping her bloody finger on his shirt. By the time the bleeding stopped, he looked like he had been sprayed with blood.

But then we still have Nathan’s conference to do. Fortunately, nothing eventful happened, the teachers were expecting to hear that their suspected ADHD diagnosis was confirmed, and we talked about how that will impact the rest of the school year. We finally head for home at 7:15, only no one has eaten and I haven’t cooked anything, so I drive the kids to A&W for burgers and celebratory Root Beer Floats.

And the Cat Scratch…

Back home, we put in the DVD “Stranger than Fiction” and settle back on the couch to watch it and relax. And that is when my cat jumps up on the arm of the couch, and puts two of her claws RIGHT THROUGH MY ARM. Damn it, that hurts! And thus ended Monday, the day of the shrink, the hamster bite, and the cat scratch. Plus the 20 miles or so of driving, and Kaitlyn saying Ryan’s name for the first time, or at least making sounds to that effect, and really good cinnamon rolls, and Root Beer Floats. I doubt I’ll be able to top that next Monday, that’s for sure.

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Filed Under: Family ·

Have you heard of “Bump Keys”?

March 25, 2007 · by · 5 Comments
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I must have missed this when it was first on the news, but apparently there is something that used to only be known to locksmiths, called a bump key. Go look at the brand name of the lock on your front door. Any thief can look at that lock, find a key that fits that brand, file it down a special way, and then insert it into your door lock. By giving the key a “bump” while turning it, the tumblers inside the lock will pop up and out of the way, allowing the key to turn all the way and unlock the door. How scary is THAT?? Watch this Bump-Key-Video to see a demonstration. Please read this post all the way through, I want to know what you think about this!

Wow. I’m not really sure how to feel after watching that. We have deadbolt locks on all our doors, but apparently these bump keys can get through those anyway. I can’t imagine anything more terrifying than having someone break into my house. When I was little, maybe four or five, someone got into our house through our unlocked sliding door in the living room, walked right into my parents’ bedroom while they were sleeping and stole my Dad’s wallet off his dresser, as well as our TV. Ever since then, I have been terrified of being robbed that way, especially now that the house we live in has a sliding door in the family room.

So, what is the solution to this? How do you keep your family and your house safe? You can purchase a bump key proof lock, for starters. They might seem expensive, but can you really put a price on safety? I’d love to know your opinion on this. Leave me a comment and let me know, do you worry about thieves having bump keys? Do you think you would buy a bump key proof lock? Let me know.

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Filed Under: For the Home ·

Another enjoyable blogger meet-up

March 24, 2007 · by · 5 Comments
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Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Karen from Surviving Motherhood. We “met” at the beginning of February when she left a comment on my blog and I discovered we live in the same city. We made a date to meet at the mall for lunch, and we ended up having a terrific time! We started talking from the moment we saw each other, and didn’t stop until several hours later when I had to get Kaitlyn home for a nap. It felt like lunch and shopping with an old friend!

I never managed to get a photo of us together, but here she is outside Panera, where she was sweetly patient as Kaitlyn gradually lost her ability to sit still and turned into a whiny mess.

lunchwithkaren.JPG

We then set off to walk around the mall, and after a stop in Old Navy to stock up on socks for Kaitlyn (8 for $10, such a deal), we ventured into the Disney store. I didn’t let Kaitlyn out of the stroller for fear she would lose her mind, but I did let her hug some of the stuffed animals. This photo is right when she decided she had had enough of that as well.lunchwithkaren2.JPG

It was a great afternoon and I am so glad to have met Karen. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about our get-togethers in the future!

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Filed Under: Personal ·

Love Thursday: A quick capture of a sweet moment

March 22, 2007 · by · 23 Comments
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I snapped this photo of Nathan reading “Green Eggs and Ham” to Kaitlyn the other day. They are sitting in front of our picture window with the curtains open, which is why the top of the photo is so blown out. Still, Kaitlyn is looking so intently at the pages as Nathan reads, even though she only sat still for a few pages before toddling off to do something else. The two of them are usually in constant motion, so the fact that they sat still together even for a moment is worth noting.

Love between siblings is a precious thing. I never had that myself, my sister and brother and I barely tolerated each other. Neither of them ever picked me up when I fell down, or rocked me to sleep, or even read me a story. So it is even more amazing to me to see how the boys treat their sister, how careful they are with her, and how willing they are to include her in their lives. I love this photo because it shows me siblings that love each other.

Nathan&Kaitlyn.JPG

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Filed Under: Parenting ·

The GOOD NEWS

March 21, 2007 · by · 23 Comments
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I had my ultrasound today. The “abnormality” in my right breast? A LYMPH NODE. What is a lymph node, you ask?

“small bean-sized organs made up mostly of densely packed LYMPHOCYTES, LYMPH FLUID and connective tissue” source: www.gmhc.org

Everyone has lymph nodes, sometimes also called lymph glands, and what they do is remove bacteria and foreign particles from the body. There is a cluster of them in each armpit. Apparently one of mine broke off from the right armpit and floated down towards my breast, and that’s what the mammogram picked up.

I’m FINE!!! And I would like to send a big shout-out to my American Idol Open Thread betch Sweetney, who responded to my telling everyone about the mammo situation by posting this comment to me:

“elizabeth: i’m sure you’ll be fine. you’ll be fine. i say you’ll be fine. SO YOU’LL BE FINE.

DAMMIT.”

And that, my friends, is the power of Sweetney. Accept no substitutes.

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Filed Under: Personal ·
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