...and I thought it was only for babies!!

Me? Easily excited? Most definitely.
There is a Johnson and Johnson lavender-scented lotion for babies that I'm obsessed with. No, I don't use it for myself, but I've noticed that Kristen and Candy both use it on their little ones. It smells awesome and I want to eat Henry and Landon when they are freshly "lotioned." :)
I was in Wal-Mart the other day and saw that there were new Johnson's products for adults (maybe it's been around for a long time and I'm just a little behind...I don't know). Anywho, there is a yummy lavender body wash that smells FANTASTIC! It's actually quite similar to the baby lotion. I was really excited. About body wash. Wow.
It's definitely a little more expensive than the Suave brand I'm used to purchasing, but it's totally worth it. I'm sold on it and don't plan on going back to the cheap stuff. You've got to go get some of this stuff.

I just used some and I'm pretty sure I smell incredible right now. :)

I'm a copycat (and I'm bored)...

It's almost 11:30 and I totally should go to bed...I'm down to single-digit days until school starts and I've GOT to get back in the routine of going to bed early. BUT, I was blog-stalking (as usual) and I came across one of these fun surveys. I'm such a sucker for these! Thanks Laura! :)

1. Parent's names: Tommy and Melita
2. Pets: my sweet Max
3. White, wheat or rye? wheat (light honey wheat please)
4. Favorite animal? dogs!!
5. Tattoo? i have at least 2 dozen of them..I don't know. I lost count.
6. Where did you put it? wait...where did I put what?
7. Piercings: just ears...one in each
8. Birth Place:Meridian, MS
9. Favorite vacation spot? I would have to say the mountains in North Carolina. I love the beach but I've totally been craving the mountains lately.
10. Ever Been to Africa? Nope
11. Stolen any traffic signs? No
12. Ever been toilet papering? I was too scared I'd get caught.
13. Ever been in a car accident? no thank goodness.
14. Croutons or bacon bits? croutons
15. Salad Dressing? depends on my mood and the type of salad I'm eating. It's usually some sort of vinaigrette.
16. Favorite Pie? anything chocolate
17. Favorite Number? 2. I don't know why.
18. Favorite Movie? Sound of Music, Waiting for Guffman (completely opposite movies I know)
19. Favorite Holiday? Christmas. I decorate for it WAY too early.
20. Favorite chain restaurant: right now I'm on a Newk's kick.
21. Favorite fast food restaurant: Subway
22. Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Diet Coke for sure.
23. Favorite ice cream: can't pick just one favorite...i CAN tell you that it will include chocolate though.
24. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
25. Favorite brand of body soap? I use shower gel or body wash and I've JUST discovered the best ever...Johnson's!!
26. Favorite TV shows? The Office, Seinfeld, Desperate Housewives, American Idol
27. Toothpaste? Crest no doubt.
28: Toothbrush? must be soft...I have sensitive gums
29: At a bbq, hamburger or hot dog? hamburger no doubt.
30: Favorite magazine? Real Simple
31. Favorite Smell? yummy candles, babies :)
32. Favorite Sound? George Strait on the radio
33. If I had chosen my own first name: something simple...Anna, Kate, Ellie, Addie, etc.
34. When was your last hospital visit? went to ER once in college with a kidney stone.
35. How many times did you fail your driver's test?never
36. What is the most recent movie you've seen in the theater? License to Wed
Was it great, good, fair or a waste of time? cute....very entertaining
37. Eye color: green...hands down.
38. Favorite sport to watch? MSU anything...especially basketball
39. Bedtime: during a school week- 10:00
40. How many people have you been in love with? just one...John Krasinski :)

well, well, well...look who FINALLY caved...

YESSSS. Another blogger. :) Heather and I have been trying to convince my cousin Adelia to get a blog for quite sometime now. Either she got tired of our nagging or just decided to start a blog because she WANTED to. For whatever reason, I'm glad she's finally here. :) This girl and I are only a few months apart and I swear I'm more like her than I am my own sisters (have you MET Heather??? If we didn't look so much a like, I would be positive we weren't related :) ). Needless to say, Adelia and I are very close.

I came across this picture recently and thought it would only be perfect for me to post right now. Look at these adorable sundresses. Isn't my mom talented? :) There's nothing she can't do. Seriously.

Not too long ago, we came across these cute outfits in an old trunk at my parents' house. I was so excited (in fact, the thought that went through my head at the time was "oh goody! If I have a daughter one day and decide to name her Laura, she can wear my old dress! HOW SPECIAL!"). I pulled out the one that said "Kristen"...next came "Heather"...but you know what? There was no "Laura". Nope. Apparently sometime between about 1987-2006, my mom actually gave away MY dress to someone who had a daughter named Laura. She didn't give away Kristen's or Heather's...just mine (I have such middle-child-syndrome-issues). I told mom that she needs to track down this lady and get my dress back, but she thinks that's a little ridiculous. I'm still not over it. It's a big deal and I want my dress back.
OK, Sorry, I got off subject a little...

In case you can't read the names on the dresses, this is a picture of (L-R) Heather, me, Adelia, and Kristen. If I had to guess, Heather is probably eyeing some sort of snack (she loved to eat back then), Kristen was about to give us another order (she was and STILL IS, quite a boss!), and Adelia and I were just standing there trying to please everyone else (we always did what Kristen told us to do).

Some things never change.

You should definitely check out my fabulous cousin. :)

Let the fun (????) begin...

Well, I've spent the last couple of days in my classroom getting ready for another year. I seriously can't believe that it's just around the corner (tear). If you're a teacher, you know what kind of preparation it takes to get ready for the first day of school. It can be a little overwhelming if you wait until the last minute. I've never been much of a procrastinator-I like to have plenty of time to get organized and not feel rushed. I'm quite proud of the amount I've accomplished in just 2 days. Here are some pics I took today to help you better understand what a 2nd grade classroom looks like! :) More to come when my classroom is complete!

the bulletin board outside my classroom

the calendar math/reading area

the behavior chart

yummy...

Looking for something cool, delicious, and EASY to make?? I've got it. I make this quite often during the summer (although it usually doesn't stay in my freezer very long!) and it's a hit. In fact, I made it for a friend just the other day and I actually had some last night. So good. Anyway, here's the very simple recipe:

Ingredients:
1 package Oreos (reduced fat if you're wanting to make the low fat version)
1 small container of Cool Whip (lite for low fat version)
1 half gallon of softened vanilla ice cream (low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt for the low fat version)
*Crush up Oreos and mix with Cool Whip and ice cream. Put mixture in a casserole dish and place in freezer. Serve in squares.
Note: I usually opt for the low fat version and I can tell very little difference!!

I have cute friends.

Fun night. MSKS and Claire were both in town, so we were able to have a little hanging out time at Tipico (surprise, surprise) last night. These girls have been friends with me longer than anybody, and although most would DEFINITELY agree that we are quite different, I adore spending time with them. :)

the 3 of us...

Claire and me..."unleash the monster"

me and MSKS...she has a fabulous purse

Yay for fun friends and Mexican food! :)

it's almost that time again...

It's almost the end of July...know what that means? Yep, school's just around the corner. I know what you're thinking, "Oh, you still probably have at least a month of summer left right?" Think again. I have to be back at school on AUGUST 3! Maybe it's just me, but I feel like summers get shorter and shorter. Ugh.

I decided to head on over to Old Navy this afternoon to get some necessary (but not really too exciting) articles of clothing that are essential to the beginning of the school year. It's going to be unbearably hot for at least the first 6 weeks of school so I've got to dress cool and comfortably for those fun times I'm going to spend on the playground.

Anyway, Old Navy is very "teacher-budget-friendly," so I usually go a little nuts when I go there. I got several things (a few skirts, little tees, etc.) without spending a fortune. If you haven't been in a while, you should go...they had a lot of really cute things and lots of sales going on.

I must also mention their new styles of jeans (I think they're new anyway)...The Diva, The Flirt, The Goddess, and The Sweetheart. Now, I HATE JEANS. Despise them. In fact, I haven't found a pair of jeans that I really liked in at least 2 years...maybe 3. No lie. Unfortunately, those fabulous Seven ($$$) jeans no longer fit me AND they're way too expensive for me to buy another pair. (Note: I still have those jeans folder nicely on the shelf in my closet in hopes that maybe one day, I'll be able to squeeze myself back into them...highly unlikely though). Whenever I see jeans in stores, I usually just avoid them because trying them on generally puts me in a foul mood.

I decided to try some on today though. They're only $29.50, and I desperately need a good pair of jeans. Why not at least TRY them right? Well, guess what...they fit, they're cute, and I didn't HATE the way I looked in them (I opted for "The Sweetheart" style)! Woo hoo! I was pretty excited about it. SO, if you need a good pair of jeans, but don't have $150 extra dollars to spend, check these out. It's worth a shot anyway. :)

me and my buddy...

After spending a lot of time with Henry, Landon, and Camp, I have decided that I MUST have a little boy one day. :) I love them.

Here's a picture of me and Camp at TCBY last week (yes, Katey, Camp, and I go there QUITE often!). This little man melts my heart everytime he says "LT" (see video on Katey's blog...it's the cutest thing ever). In fact, I've been known to call her and ask to talk to him just so I can hear him say my name. LOVE it.

I think it's safe to say that I have a little crush. :)

Look at this adorable face (covered with chocolate). :)

cute, entertaining, and not too cheesy...

I highly recommend that you go see "License to Wed." Have any of you seen it yet? Katey and I watched it tonight, and we both agreed that even though movie tickets are ridiculously expensive these days, it was well worth it. It goes without saying that John Krasinski (a.k.a "Jim," "the love of my life," or "Ben"...his name in this movie) was fabulous. I still love him. I also very much enjoyed seeing other "Office" cast members play small roles in the movie.
Now, I'm NOT a Mandy Moore fan. Any other time I've ever seen her, she's TOTALLY cheesed me out, so I assumed this movie would be like all of the rest of hers. Actually, however, she wasn't all that terrible. In fact, I even kinda liked her in this movie. Weird.

So, if you're headed to the movies, think twice about paying money to see the much overrated Harry Potter movie. Sick. How can anybody stand to sit in a movie like that for so long? I don't get it. Go see LTW instead.

drumroll please...

OK, OK.

I've had lots of requests to see "the" mullet. Like I mentioned earlier, I have a problem posting pictures of random kids on my blog (paranoia I guess), BUT have no fear. My wonderful sister is an expert with photoshop, so she has come to the rescue.

Below are 2 pictures of the actual mullet taken Sunday night. One is a front shot, and the other is the incredible profile. If you look carefully, however, you probably notice that it's not exactly the kid's face. Who's faces have been inserted? That's right folks....2 of my favorite terrible people of all time- David Hasselhoff and Bob Saget. (Bob is actually #1 on my top 10 most terrible people list...I dare you to find somebody more terrible than him).

Sorry they're kinda dark, it's the best I could do!

Quite amazing huh??

So now you've seen it. I hope it's as great as you expected and NOTHING less.

(Oh, and sorry about the way the pics look...couldn't figure out how to crop them.)

a little pampering never hurt anybody...

I spent my morning being pampered. I've been so stressed out with work this summer, and I just needed a break. (Well, OK, that's not entirely true!! Oh, the joy of being a teacher!!). One of my students gave me a gift card to Brickerton Day Spa in Columbus. It is quite possibly the best teacher gift I've ever received (well, I guess it ties with the mexican gift certificate that I also got!). If you live in the area and you've never been there, I HIGHLY recommend that you splurge one day and make an appointment. It's totally worth it. If I could afford it, I would have weekly manicures and pedicures and at least monthly massages.
I couldn't decide how to spend the gift card (manicure, pedicure, massage, etc). My feet weren't in the best condition AND the gift card paid for an entire paraffin wax pedicure, so that's what I decided to get.
Excellent decision.
It was the most relaxing hour I've had in quite sometime and my toes look fabulous.

Note to parents: if you're looking for a great way to say thanks to your child's teacher, allow me to recommend GIFT CARDS! Even a $10 Wal-Mart gift card is greatly appreciated!

2 babies, a rainbow, and the best mullet I've ever seen!

I'm back.

I feel like I've been gone forever. I'm sure my daily blogging has been missed by all. :)

Although I should separate this into several posts, I've decided to make it one great big juicy post.

Get excited.

I began my week long excursion in the great town of Collinsville, where I spent the 4th with my mom's side of the family.

Here's my favorite story from that day: You know how those family gatherings go...everyone is in charge of bringing something (salad, dessert, rolls, drinks, etc...). Well, my precious sister Heather found a recipe for a dessert called "blueberry delight." If I'm not mistaken, I think it's similar to a blueberry cheesecake (or supposed to be similar to one anyway). Anyway, that poor little darling apparently ran out of some extremely crucial ingredients. Instead of running to the store (which, I might add, is so close to her house I could throw a rock at it), or borrowing some of whatever she may have needed from the sweet lady next door, Heather decides to improvise. Yep. She just reached in the pantry and used whatever she thought would maybe work. (It reminded of the time not so long ago when she was making spaghetti for her hubby and didn't have any spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, etc., so she used a can of rotel instead. mmmmmmm.....) Anyway, she just used whatever she had for the pie. That was the 1st mistake. Her 2nd mistake was announcing to the family what she had done and explaining to us that it was probably going to be a "flop." She then proceeds to beg everyone to just take one bite of it.

Now, I have SUCH a sweet tooth...it's usually not difficult at all to please my taste buds. However, after hearing Heather's story and then actually taking a look at that thing (which we later named "the blueberry surprise"), I was terrified. Needless to say, I did not have a dessert including blueberries. Sorry Heather.

(Despite the story you just read, I DO want to say that Heather REALLY IS a good cook. It's just so easy to give her a hard time! I have had several items prepared by her that have been fabulous. Everybody messes up sometimes, right? :) I, for one, can honestly say that I've screwed up jello, ramen noodles, AND rice krispie treats. Those are all true stories).

me and my cousin Adelia. She and I act so much alike sometimes it's scary. :)

me and my sweet cousin Amberlee

After leaving Collinsville, I followed Kris and Rob to Clinton, where I spent the next 4 days. Hanging out with Henry incessantly for that long NEVER gets old. I love everything about that little guy. It was great having a few days with all 3 of them. I crave a little Kristen-time when it's been a while since we've hung out, so the time I spent there was perfect.

I miss him already and I'm hoping to see him again before my summer is over. (tear) Are you surprised that I have more pictures of Henry to post?? :)

This is the adorable outfit he just got from Gymboree. Henry loves wearing hats. :)

This is him at my aunt's house in Collinsville.

On Sunday, I got on I-55 and headed North to Hernando to see the Robertsons. The visit started out even better than I could have imagined. Sunday night when I got there, Chad, Candy, and I went out to eat. We're sitting in our booth, engaged in some intellectually stimulating conversation I'm sure, when I look up and almost choke on my chip. Approximately 15 feet away, stood one of the most amazing kid mullets I've ever seen. Now, if you know me well, you know how I LIVE to see good mullets (check out this site if you've got a few minutes...totally worth your time). I have captured 3 mullets with my camera on different occasions and I'm proud of each one of those photos. (Note for all mullet hunters out there: if you're looking for a good mullet, may I recommend going to any Wal Mart in south Alabama. Meredith and I thought we had hit a mullet gold mine when we went to one of those.) Sunday night, I was able to add yet another picture to my collection. I must say, however, that I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a family of mullets. I would have bet money that the mom would have walked in with a femullet, but that unfortunately wasn't the case this time. Anyway, I saw the mullet, and KNEW I had to take a picture of it, but how in the world could I do it without getting caught? This is when Chad became a part of "the plan." I had the camera on and ready, just waiting for the mullet to stand up and walk towards me. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, up walks the mullet, and as he starts walking, I pretend as though I'm taking a picture of Chad, and snap! I successfully got not 1 but 2 incredible shots of the mullet. I would totally love to share these gems with you, but I just can't do it...it's too risky (I know, I'm a chicken!!). Take my word for it though, it's INCREDIBLE.

I had a great time in Hernando. It rained a whole lot, but it was fabulous to just be there and really have no set plans (not to mention the fact that I had a lot of playing time with my little buddy, Landon, who I might add, is crawling and EVERYWHERE!!! Love that kid). After one of the major thunderstorms, I was able to take a picture of the rainbow that appeared. I'm like a little girl. I get super excited to see one of these. It is a little hard to see it in the picture, but look closely! So pretty.

Here are a few pictures from my trip. Look at the adorable smile on that child! He has 2 bottom teeth and he's getting 4 on top. He loves his "Aunt Laura!" :)

Glad to be back in blogging world! I hope you are having a fantastic week! :)

What? You want one?

I have had several inquiries about the genius bird feeder I posted about the other day. Well, my sweet mother kindly emailed me the site in where you can purchase one of these bad boys if you wish (it's called The Yankee Flipper). I'm sure there are several people out there who get as annoyed with squirrels as my parents do, so I bet it makes a great gift (in fact, I kinda wish I had discovered it before my parents went and bought one for themselves!). :)


Side note: In case you care, I'm spending some time with Kristen, Rob, and Henry this weekend and then I'm headed straight to North Mississippi to hang out with Candy, Chad, and Landon (I'm quite the world traveler!!) :) My blogging may lack a little until the middle of next week, but I'm sure I'll have fun things to post when I return! :)

The flying squirrel...

One of my parents' favorite things to do every morning is sit at the breakfast table, look out the window, and watch the lovely birds happily feeding on the food left for them by my dad. My dad is serious about bird food, and always make sure there's plenty for all of the birds. (He's such a giver! :) ). However, there are certain creatures that my parents do NOT enjoy seeing in the bird feeders...squirrels. At any given time, there may be up 10 squirrels in our back yard at a time, so keeping them away from the bird feeders is nearly impossible.

NO FEAR. My parents DEFINITELY found a bird feeder that I'm convinced was made especially for them. When a squirrel gets on the feeder, it gets spun around until it actually falls off. Yep. Don't believe me? Just wait.

Now, instead of my dad watching the birds enjoy the feeder, he waits impatiently for a squirrel to attempt to get some food. He'll do this for hours at a time...seriously. Yes, my parents are easily entertained, but I must say, it's quite funny.

So, I was at my parents' house this morning baking brownies. I looked out the window and noticed that there were numerous squirrels intensely thinking about stealing some of the bird food. I quickly grabbed my camera and walked to the window in hopes of capturing a squirrel in action on video. BINGO.
Take a look at this. It's hilarious. :)
*Note: this bird feeder in no way harms the squirrels...I've yet to see a squirrel walk away with a limp. :)

The Flying Squirrel from Laura Tomlinson and Vimeo.

amazing...

For some reason, I have become extremely fascinated by multiple births lately. I definitely just spent at least the past hour of my life just reading about multiple births from different blogs I've come across. Giving birth is amazing in itself, but giving birth to 2, 3, 4, etc. at a time is beyond anything I can fathom really. Anyway, I like to look around on other people's blogs and I always get excited when I come across someone who has/is having multiples. (I wonder if this is a sign as to what's to come for me one day! haha).
Here are a few blogs of families with multiples (most of which I do not even know!):
The Holloway twins (Jenny is a college friend and was sorority sister of mine back in the day!)
The Manning twins
The Allison twins
The Hughes twins
The McNulty quads
The Steece quads
The Wilkinson QUINTUPLETS (wow)
After reading about these families, I'm in complete AWE as to how these extraordinary parents manage to do what they do AND find time to post pictures on a blog! Simply amazing. :)

You should definitely check out these little miracles of life! :)

A little time with the fam.

It's a good thing I love spending time with my family, because that's basically all I did this weekend. :) Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Question: I took 76 pictures this weekend..76! Not only that, but both sisters and their families have only been gone now for a few hours, and all of the pictures are already chronologically placed in my photo album. Do I have a problem?

Me and my main man

Heather and Trey (this is Trey's "sexy look" as he calls it).

me and my sisters

Henry and his "Mama Lita"

Here I am giving Henry "zerberts" on his tummy. :)

Now, you KNOW I always have trouble choosing my favorite pictures of Henry to post, so I try to narrow it down to a FEW and then make one of these handy dandy collages. :) I think I love him more every time I see him. He's 7 exactly months old today. He's getting 2 teeth on the bottom, and I think others are well on their way! He's trying so hard to crawl and gets EXTREMELY frustrated when he can't quite do it. Since he's teething now, he loves putting any and everything in his mouth (including his feet!). He's very entertaining!

Look how adorable.