San Diego or Bust

OK so technically it wasn't our first family trip (we have taken the kids to Show Low a few times), but it was our first trip devoted entirely to the kids.

San Diego...a quick (NOT SO QUICK WHEN YOU STOP FIVE TIMES) 5 hour drive from AZ.

When Tom asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year I told him all I wanted was to take the kids on a trip. We decided on San Diego and a little SeaWorld/Legoland combo.

We left early Sunday morning with nothing planned so we could take our time. Good thing too...about 5 minutes into the drive Thomas asked if we were there yet. And again five minutes later and again 5 minutes after that and well...you get the picture.

We pretty much threw caution to the wind and let the kids run the show. If they asked they got. It was all about them. And I am pretty sure they had a good time.











Although I could have done without the drive home I am very excited to plan our next trip.

In Love

I have never done this before, but after buying this CD I had to share. Of course what else...some country, but hey...I like what I like!



Miranda Lambert's Revolution. It is great and although my kids are already sick of it...I am not. I rarely buy CD's and could probably count on one hand how many I have bought in the last five years, but after hearing her latest song Heart Like Mine I had too.

And although I love the whole CD Only Prettier would probably be my favorite song.

Swinger

Have I mentioned how much I am loving this weather??

But as wonderful as it is...it only lasts a little while. Before we know it the thermometer will be in triple digits. Of course I would take the sun over the rain any day regardless of temperature, but when the triple digits start to approach it gets a little boring for the kids.

Unless you are floating in a pool activities outdoors are few and far between.

Which...

Is why I have been taking the kids to the park as much as possible.

In a couple months the parks tend to be ghost towns during the day.

My Taylor LOVES the swings and if I would continuously push her, she would swing til the cows came home.




Side note********It may seem like I am favoring one child lately...I am not. She is liking my camera these days and I am taking advantage. Thomas on the other hand, won't stand still long enough to avoid blur.

Pleasantly Surprised

We are going for some sort of record book in the way of birthday parties this year. Our first year of preschool brought zero invites to birthday parties, no complaints just a fact.

But...

This year, a whole different story. Again No complaints, it just seems like every other weekend we are piling in the car heading to another kid crazy themed party. This week...

THE PETTING ZOO!!

I had some serious reservations and Tom totally ditched me. He had to work, but secretly I think he wanted to be anywhere but the PETTING ZOO!!

Oh how I was wrong. Not only did the kids LOVE it, but I thought it was pretty fun too.

We did a little feeding, pet a few goats, played on a rather unstable toy structure and Taylor took her first cruise on a horse.



If she REALLY liked it should I explore her interest in horseback riding further? Well who knows, but she sure was cute riding that horse.

My Week..In A LIST

1. Took care of my sick husband


2. Did a little shopping with my mom


3. Took care of my SICK HUSBAND


4. Had a nice lunch with my friend Sarah


5. TOOK CARE OF MY SICK HUSBAND


6. TOOK CARE OF MY SICK KIDS


7. TOOK CARE OF MY SICK KIDS


8. TOOK CARE OF MY SICK KIDS


Are you seeing a pattern here?

This week has been the longest week I have had in a long time. We finally left the house today...Thomas went back to school, Taylor and I did a little shopping and mommy got her much needed Starbucks.

I have decided to just let go of this unproductive week go and hope for a fun weekend and a completely different week to come.

It's my birthday week you know....

THE BIG 31!!

All Kidding Aside

My daughter is OUT OF CONTROL!!

Today I am using my blog to vent and it really does not matter whether anyone is listening. I need to get this out.

Habits that your kids acquire are normally easily traced back to a decision made by you (the ALL-KNOWING parent).


My kids waking up in the middle of the night and coming into my room...MY FAULT!!


My kids thinking it is OK to walk around the new house with their drinks...MY FAULT!!


The list is longer than I would like to admit, but that's what happens. You make decisions and your kids pay attention. And before you know it the decision is a really bad habit.

BUT...

What do you do when the behavior has nothing to do with your parenting?

Taylor is completely out of control. She throws the WORST fits ever. And if you don't believe me, well ask my mom or my in-laws or my friends or the strangers at the Salvation Army. All of the above have witnessed it in some way, shape or form.

Its like the Dark Side...once she goes over to it there is no bringing her back. She screams, she cries, she kicks and hits and gets right in your face and she screams and oh...she screams some more.

In public it is embarrassing. People stare and I wonder how I will ever make it past her 3rd birthday. Oh who am I kidding...past her 3rd birthday...TO her 3rd birthday is better.

There is no calming her down and I find myself teetering between off the charts anger and complete sadness. On more than one occasion I have found myself crying. I have no clue how to deal with her.

Simple as that!!

I feel like a horrible mom, but I really have no idea what to do. I love my kids and I love being a mom, but it has become abundantly clear that parenting takes all of the patience one can muster up sometimes.

Hair it is!!

I take responsibility for very little when it comes to this little girl. My hubby thinks she is exactly like her mother (that would be me) and when she is an angel I totally agree.

But when she is screaming bloody murder in the middle of the Salvation Army (yes she did this yesterday and we had to leave because everyone was staring at us) I DO NOT AGREE...at all!

Did I do this when I was her age? Am I being punished for something I did in life? Am I just being tested to see how much I can take? Does someone want me to become a drunk? Should I have a therapist on speed dial?

These are the questions I ask myself when she acts like this.

But all those crazy personality traits aside... there is one thing I KNOW with 100% certainty she got from me.

That head of hair.

Taylor is not even 3 years old yet and has had multiple hair cuts. This may not seem like a big deal, but if you see other little girls that are the exact same age...well you would just think we were lying about her age.



She loves it when I make her hair look crazy like this and when I did it tonight before bed...I had to stop and get my camera. This little girl that I will only take responsibility for bringing into the world...anything beyond that, not me...is amazing.

Just Sayin' {Part 2}

Yesterday I told you that I am SOOO not impressed with the garage sales I have been seeing lately.


When a girl goes to roughly 15 garage sales on a Saturday morning and buys nothing...there is something wrong.


So I decided that I would give you all my best tips for having a successful garage sale.


I do not claim to be an expert, but I have had some pretty darn successful garage sales. So...you might want to try some of my tips the next time you are purging your life via a garage sale.


Now try to stick with me, these are GOOD tips!!


Tip #1 (And this is a BIG one)

Signage!!!

Take time to actually make signs that people can see and read. When I say "can see" I mean from like a block away. Nothing is worse than getting right up to a sign and by the time you read it you have missed the turn. Some people won't turn around. Your signage should have the following and only the following...
*Garage Sale
*Time (start-finish or if you choose just do a start time)
*Arrows

That's it! Nothing else!! If you list items on the sign people may think that is ALL you have and won't stop. Your signage should just bring them in!!

Tip #2

Avoid the Maze!!

Find the quickest route to your house and put signs on each corner. This is especially important if you live in a neighborhood. Nothing is worse than seeing a sign, getting excited to find the sale only to get lost in the neighborhood and give up.

People do give up!

Tip #3

Price EVERYTHING!! (And price it CLEARLY)

I personally hate sales that have no prices. There are people that will pay exactly what you ask and there are people that will offer you a little less, but often people do not like to just make an offer. Now I am only speaking for myself, but I am not good at just throwing out a number. I always feel like I am going to offend someone. If everything is priced you will avoid people walking away.

Additionally, if you happen to have a garage sale and price nothing and you do get a crowd...you run the risk of losing some sales based solely on the fact that you can't get to everyone.

Tip #4

Take the time to "Set-Up" (This one has a few components)

This is another big one. Your goal is to MAKE money, so spend a little time setting things up. Don't just throw it all out on your driveway and hope for the best. Use tables...lots of tables. Spread things out and use your entire driveway. Place larger items IE: furniture, at the very front so people can see them. Hang ALL clothes, people don't like to dig through boxes and it doesn't show that anything is actually worth buying.

This includes KIDS clothes. I have had quite a few garage sales since my kids were born and I have sold LOTS of their clothes. I hang everything! I make sure everything is in sellable condition (no stains or blemishes) and keep everything priced pretty much the same. Often when it comes to clothes people buy multiple, if everything is priced the the same it makes things a little easier.

As you sell down, move things around. Check to make sure prices haven't fallen off and mark things down.

Tip #5

Be in the Right Mindset!!

EVERYTHING that I put in a garage sale I am done with. When I start a garage sale I get in the mindset that I want to get rid of everything. I consider all offers that people make and almost always make the sale. Always ask yourself if you really want it leftover?

Decide prior to starting if there is anything that you are firm on and make sure to mark it, this helps to avoid awkward situations where you don't really want to take less.



THAT'S IT!!

My 5 Best Tips for a successful garage sale.

Just Sayin'...I mean I am no expert!

Just Sayin' {Part 1}

OK I am just going to say it...

My mom and I ROCK at putting on a garage sale.

Saturday morning I drug my hubby and the kids out on an early morning garage sale hunt. I thought that because my hubby was with me I would for sure find lots of treasures. See he thinks anything I find at a garage sale is just more junk taking up space in "His" garage.

Well...

It was a whole lot of NOTHING

I would say we hit roughly 15 garage sales and NOTHING

Not one quarter spent

I really couldn't believe it

BUT WAIT

I could believe it

Why?? Why you ask??

Because people have no clue how to actual have a successful garage sale.

In less than a years time we (and by we I mean my mom, my cousin and myself) have had two garage sales and between the two we made almost...




WAIT FOR IT




WAIT FOR IT



Almost $2700.00

If you want to make some extra coffee money then keep doing what your doing people. It is my STRONG opinion that the garages I visited this weekend made just that, enough money for a few extra Starbucks.


However, if you want to make some real money then you need to take my advice.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a little list of my tips.


I think I know what I am talking about...Just sayin'!!

Daydreaming

Although it is 80 degrees out and beautiful today...

I am daydreaming of this...




Oh and this...



Four weeks from today our car will read

"San Diego or Bust"

And I am SOOO excited.

This will be our first trip based solely on our two munchkins. About a week ago Tom asked me what I want for my birthday this year and without any hesitation I told him I wanted to take the kids on a trip.

For Thomas' 4th birthday him and I flew to San Diego and met one of my best friends Sandi for the weekend. Despite the cold and rain we had a blast...BUT we were without the Cookie Monster and daddy.

I am pretty sure that at this point I am WAY more excited than they are.

I plan to change that over the next four weeks though.

Batter Up

So here is the thing...

Soccer just wasn't really Thomas' thing. I know you are probably thinking that he is way to young to know if it was his thing or not. And normally I would say you are right...

But he showed almost zero interest in playing again and trust me I asked him quite a few times.

On the other hand when I mentioned T-Ball

His eyes lit up.

I mean REALLY lit up.

His exact words went something like this...

"Mom, I am going to be good at Baseball, huh?"

Of course my response was, "Yea, buddy! You will be great!"

Well it turns out he can really hit the ball.

Tom went out and did what any dad would do and bought him a bat, a T and "official" T-Balls. It was a good thing dad did too because mom would have choked when she saw how much these much needed things cost.

Anyway...

We have one month until the season starts, but we are getting a jump start on our practices. The park by our house has the perfect field for said practices.

Dollar Tree Tuesday...IS BACK!!

Of course there really does not have to be a specific reason for me to take a trip to the Dollar Tree...

But today I did have something in mind. I was on the hunt for a friend in need of Star Wars stuff. Unfortunately I struck out...on the Star Wars stuff that is.

Like all trips to the Dollar Tree I walked away with some goodies and thought I would share.



Each of the kids got something today, unlike most trips...hehe...yea right.

Thomas picked out a coloring book after much deliberation and asking me five hundred times what I thought he should get. Taylor picked a microphone (not pictured because I couldn't pry it out of her hands).

And mommy got two rolls of grosgrain ribbon, some decorative rocks and a package of wooden cutouts for crafting!

The ribbon is one of THE BEST deals I have found at Dollar Tree, 5 yards for $1. 5 yards of ribbon will make quite a few hair bows, which is just what we need around here.

I needed some decorative rocks for a vase I have and one can never have too many crafting items.

I know I have said it a 100 times, but if you do not shop at the Dollar store and could...well you should!!!

A Day in Our {New} Life

Now that I am a SAHM full-time, having Saturdays free is a whole new ballgame for the Moore's.

Tom and I have talked about taking time with the kids individually from time to time. It is amazing how having one kid verse two makes outings SOOO much easier.

Saturday morning Tom took Thomas and I got was stuck with the Devil...

Kidding, Kidding!!

I was lucky enough to get to hang out with my darling daughter. Actually to be fair she really was an angel the whole day, which is SOOO not like her. She is usually only good for a hour or two and then the meltdowns start.

I digress

After we met back up Tom decided to take both kids to the park. My first instinct was to enjoy the peace and quiet at home by myself. I even got a little excited anticipating an hours worth of such peace.

But then...

The mammarazzi in me started to think what a great opportunity to take some pics.

Drum roll please...

{Gold and Green} or {Black and Gold}

Superbowl Sunday is a great day.

It is an even better day when the team you LOVE is actually playing.

OK...No Seahawks in the Superbowl, but it was still a great day.

With lots of GOOD food. Oh and if you ask my hubby...some pretty good drinks also. I have a sneaky suspicion he will have a little headache tomorrow, but that is a whole other story.

Anyway...I had high hopes for lots of pics of our day, but the camera got parked on table after people started to arrive. I did however, take some pics of our yummy food.





Our menu for the game...

Wings

Lil Smokies

Deviled Eggs

Guacamole

Pineapple Mango Pico de Gallo

Fried Mozzarella

Shrimp Cocktail

Fried Crab Wantons

An appetizer my friend Jen brought (my fav of the night), but I am not sure its name. All I know is it had a piece of roast beef, tomato and some sort of mayo spread on a piece of baguette. It would just be easier if she took pics and put the recipe on her blog. THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!

Oh and RIBS!!

And as if that wasn't enough food (It totally was by the way), my ever-so-talented mom made cookies to show true Superbowl spirit.





Good food and Good friends and family made for a GREAT DAY (even if the Steelers didn't win) Yes, I said it. Thomas and Mommy were the only two in the house cheering on the Steelers, but no dice...they lost! Oh well!

Two of my Valentine's

I have entered a photo of my munchkins in a contest to win a photography shoot!!



In order to win though...

I need your help!!!

Stop over at Shannon Worley Photography and check out the beautiful pictures she takes.

And...

Become a follower of her blog and I can receive 5 more comments to help me win. All you have to do is leave a comment that you have become a follower of her blog and you would like your 5 comments to go to Melissa Moore!!

And if you are on facebook and would like to help me even more then head over to Shannon's facebook page. If you "Like" her page you can then go to my picture and leave a comment and like my picture.

OMG...did you get all that??

I just might have confused myself with all of that!!