Wordless Wednesday-Ho Ho Ho...No No No...

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!


For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

So This Is What A Heart Attack Feels Like!

I came very close to having a heart attack this morning. It started shortly after 7 this morning when I heard Zoe wake up and start talking to herself through the baby monitor. I usually let her play in her crib for awhile and get her when she starts to get restless. So I was dozing off and on when around 7:30 her sound machine turned off. Now her sound machine is clear on the other side of her room, so I knew she hadn't turned it off. I shot out of bed because the only other explanation was that someone was in my house. As I ran out of my room I noticed her bedroom door was open (it is always closed) and full panic set in. Just then Jarod walked out of her room holding her. I nearly dropped to the floor because in the space of a few seconds I went from feeling shear terror and anger when I heard someone coming out of her room to absolute relief when I realized it was Jarod.

I squeaked out "What are you doing?" as I was clutching my chest. His reply..."Taking care of Zoe." I am sure the "duh" was fully implied since at this point he had no idea what I was upset about. In fact he thought I had heard him through the monitor. Um, nope.

I know what you are saying, "She should have known it was Jarod!" Well normally I would agree, but Jarod was suppose to be at work. Even though it was raining they usually stay until 9 to make sure it doesn't stop, but today when he got to the show-up his foreman told him that since it was suppose to rain all day he could just go home then. So I wasn't expecting him home until 9:30. Now you are asking, "Why didn't you hear him come in?" Well remember I said I had been dozing off and on, plus Jarod said he tried to come in quietly so he wouldn't wake us. Worked on me.

The best thing about this morning was after almost giving me a heart attack he made it up to me by sending me back to bed for a little more sleep. What a great guy I have!!

All I Want For Christmas...

...is the Step2 LifeStyle Deluxe Kitchen. Ok, so I really want it for Zoe. Jarod and I had already decided to get her a kitchen playset for Christmas. I have been comparing them in the stores and online. With our budget the way it is we had decided on a $45 dollar one from Wal-Mart. I figured this would be fine for a 2 year old. Later on if she out grew it, we would invest in a better one.

Well, that plan will hopefully change thanks to MommyMandy. She is giving away the Step2 LifeStyle Deluxe Kitchen on her blog. So of course I am going to enter!! I would be insane not too! If I win, then we will have more money in our budget for play food and accessories.

If you would like a chance to win as well, then here is the link to her giveaway!!

8 Weeks Until Christmas...

WOW!! That is a scary thought! Hopefully with a little planning it won't also be an extremely stressful thought as well. So far I have made a list of all the people I need gifts for. I also wrote down any ideas I have or have been given for each person. My goal is to budget for and then go ahead and buy a few gifts each week. That way I am not having to come up with the money all at the end. That is when my stress really kicks in. I am doing very well with this. In fact I already have 2 people checked off my list. I have also been checking the ads every Sunday and buying all my gifts on sale. I guess it also helps that Jarod and I will not be getting each other anything this year since we are going to Alabama in November and Las Vegas in January. Hopefully by the week of Christmas my shopping will have long been done and all I will have to worry about is getting Jarod to wrap all the gifts, since I don't wrap!!

I LOVE Swagbucks!

Who likes to get free stuff? I am going to go out on a limb and say everyone. Ok, now how many of you do internet searches? Once again I am going to say most everyone. How would you like those searches to add up to free stuff? Well if you said yes then Swagbucks is for you!! I joined about two months ago and I already redeemed my points for an Amazon gift card. In fact I already have enough points to get two more if I wanted to. It is totally free and extremely easy to get going. I even have my mom signed up and using it! To join you can do one of three things, click on the header at the top of this post, click the sign up button on the widget at the very bottom of this blog, or just click here. Any of those methods will take you where you need to go. You even get 3 Swagbucks to get you started. So hurry on over to sign up and start earning free stuff today!!

H1N1 And The President

So did you hear the EXCITING news? The President got his yearly flu shot today! Well yipee...LOL! I really couldn't believe that they were covering that on the news. Then what the news anchor said next caught my attention and got me to thinking. The anchor said that he did NOT get the H1N1 shot today. It was explained that he was going to wait in line like everyone else. What a bunch of bull!!!

What I really got from it is that he doesn't trust the H1N1 vaccine either. After all many doctors have been on all sorts of news programs touting how harmless and beneficial the vaccine is because many Americans (myself and my family included) don't trust the vaccine. They rushed the manufacturing of it and rushing it went sooooo well in 1976. The CDC has a great article about it here and I found another article about it here. Did you know that in June the Government passed a law that grants immunity to the pharmaceutical companies that produce the H1N1 vaccine. That means if you do have an "adverse" reaction you cannot sue them over it. Kinda fishy to me.

Now back to the President. It would seem to me that if the government REALLY wants to assure the American people, wouldn't they use their golden boy as a symbol of trust and faith in the vaccine? Seems pretty straight forward to me. In my humble opinion, I believe he is waiting to see what side affects the vaccine has. So we must be his own little field of guinea pigs.

Ok, I am now getting down off my soapbox. I will leave you with this, I am not telling anyone that they should or should not get the vaccine, but I hope you will do your research before blindly following along!

Wordless Wednesday-Strike A Pose

For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Harry Connick Jr.'s New CD "Your Songs"--Review

I was recently given the opportunity to review Harry Connick Jr.'s new Cd "Your Songs." I was VERY excited about this because I am a HUGE Harry Connick Jr. fan. His music always seems to put a smile on my face. This CD was no exception. I was smiling within moments of putting it in my player. Zoe even liked it. I like the fact that I am able to play his music with her in the car and not be afraid of her picking up "bad" words. Since I am a huge Beatles fan as well, it is no surprise that my favorite song on the CD is "And I Love Her". "Smile" is a very close second. This CD is so good that I see myself enjoying it with candles and a nice long bubble bath!

Harry's new CD is filled with classic songs remade in his New Orleans Big Band/Jazz style. He definitely took on some big names as well. Here is a list of the songs along with the original artists:

Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

Great songs, huh?!? If you find yourself humming some of these songs after reading the titles, I would suggest buying this CD. If you are craving some Harry Connick Jr. face-time then I would suggest checking out his upcoming TV appearances. I have seen him on several shows in the past, and he always makes me laugh. Here is the list of those appearances:

Harry’s Upcoming TV Appearances:

9/25 – Oprah “Live Friday”
9/28 – Today Show
9/29 – The View
9/30 – Imus in the Morning
9/30 – Letterman
10/1 – Today Show
Week of 10/5 – Rachael Ray

For even more Harry you can checkout his Facebook page or a Behind the Scene look at the making of his album.

This post is courtesy of

Free Kenny Loggins Downloads

A few weeks ago I was approached to preview Kenny Loggins' new children's CD, "All Join In." After listening to the CD my first impression was that this isn't a children's CD. I would actually call it a family CD because my husband and I enjoyed it right along with our 20 month old daughter. I am constantly finding myself singing "First There Is a Mountain" at odd moments. It is just so catchy!! And for all you Toy Story fans, there is a rendition of You've Got a Friend In Me."

Would you like to download 4 of the songs off his new album for free? Well all you have to do is go to this site. Then you just listen to the 4 songs on the player, answer a few questions and then download the songs! Enjoy!!

This post courtesy of

Goodbye Gallbladder...

Dear Gallbladder,

I am really tired of the back pain and burning under my rib cage that you have been causing the last 3 months. I am really angry about having to spend over 3 hours in the emergency room last week. It also didn't help that it was one in the morning!! Thanks to you I got to find out the hard way that I am allergic to Dilaudid.

Due to all these issues I have decided that our relationship can no longer continue. That is why on Monday September 28th I am going in to have you surgically removed. I hope there are no hard feelings so that we can make this break-up go as smoothly as possible.

Sincerely,
Amanda

Fruit2O--Review and Contest

I have been working on losing weight for about the past 5 months. So far I am down 27 pounds and would like to lose quite a bit more. I am constantly tying to find ways to cut calories out of my diet without cutting flavor. I know that water is essential when losing weight, but I am terrible about drinking it because I need flavor. So when I was contacted about trying Fruit2O Essentials I jumped on it!!

Here's a peek at what I received. LOVE the tote!!

One of the first things I noticed was the great flavor combinations: Cranberry/Raspberry, Strawberry/Kiwi, Peach/Mango, Citrus, Blueberry/Pomegranate, and Cherry/Acai. Then I noticed that Fruit2O Essentials provide the same nutrients that you find in 2 servings of fruit. So not only do you get a calorie and sugar free flavored drink, but it is really good for you as well!

I really enjoyed this water overall. The different flavors all had different intensities to them. My favorite was the Blueberry/Pomegranate and I will be buying this one in the future!! The Citrus and Strawberry/Kiwi flavors were the most mild for me, but still very good. I do have to say that I found the Cranberry/Raspberry flavor to be too overpowering and to syrupy for me. Of course I am not a huge fan of Cranberries. So I had my husband try it. He thought the flavor was strong as well, but he liked it.

Now for the contest. From now until October 17th you can enter every day at Fruit2O to win a $5000 Spafinder.com gift certificate that you can use at over 5000 spas in the US and a $900 travel voucher. I don't know about you , but I could use a great spa vacation! Of course if you don't win the grand prize, they are also giving away 23 $100 Spafinder gift cards as well.

While you are there, be sure to snag the coupon for $0.55 off a six-pack of Fruit2O as well as the coupon for $1.00 off of two 18oz. bottles of Fruit2O Essentials. Then you can try this yummy water for yourself.

Iowa State Fair 2009

Since it has been a week since we went to the Iowa State Fair I decided I should probably get my post up. We went last Sunday. Jarod's Dad joined us for the trip. We got their around 10:00 am and met up with SIL Jody (Iowa Geek), BIL Doug and their 2 girls as well as Jarod's Mom.

We started off at the Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center. Lots of newly born baby animals to see and pet. Zoe really liked the baby lambs and goats.

As you can see by the pictures, we also visited the Horse Barn. I thought Zoe might be afraid of the big horses, but she proved me wrong. She LOVED them. She was constantly reaching for them so she could pet them. Of course, the miniature horses made me a little less nervous. The first picture in the collage is from Perry's Petting Zoo, which we visited towards the end of our day.

We stopped for some lunch at the Cattleman's Beef Quarters. I had the Hot Beef Sundae--Mashed Potatoes, Roast Beef in Gravy, Shredded Cheese and a Cherry Tomato on top--YUMMY!! Because it was so good, I think it will become a new fair-going staple.

Then it was off to the Giant Slide. Jarod was couldn't wait to take Zoe down it. They ended up going down twice. Jarod said Zoe held on for dear life the first time, but leaned back and enjoyed it the second time.

These pictures were from the second time they went down.

After that we braved the Various Industry Building. I HATE crowds so this can be torture for me, but the cup 'o chocolate chip cookies makes it all better. Zoe must not like crowds either because she decided it was a great place to take a nap. Because she was napping, she missed her chance to play on the new playground equipment at the Hy-Vee Fun Forest. But she will have plenty of chances in the future.

Once the heat and humidity kicked in we decided it was time to hit the fountains at the Pella Plaza. We made sure to bring along her swimming gear so that she could get nice and wet. She wasn't real thrilled at first, but then she discovered the puddles and then the fun began.

We did eventually split off from the rest of the group to visit the shops under the grandstands. We always stop there to get some Nitro ice cream. Then we headed up the hill to Pioneer Hall so that I could look at the antiques for sale and so that Jarod and his dad could look at the small gas engines and the antique cars. We also made a stop at Grandfather's Farm to sample some wine. On our way back down the hill to get our yearly sarsaparilla and Pirtley's Pickle. Zoe LOVED the pickle.

So after 10 hours of fun we finally made back home. Can't wait for next year!!

Loooong Absence

So I haven't posted for awhile. I guess I got into a rut plus I'm not real sure which direction I want my blog to take. I am still dealing with the main content...but I am going to try and get out of my rut. My new goal is to post at least once a week while I figure things out. So keep an eye out for more to come...I hope.

Babies and Dogs

I often think about getting a dog. That is until I think about having to clean up all the messes in the yard and having to board the dog when we leave town (which we do often). Then I am thankful that I have my 3 cats. Don't get me wrong, they can be a pain in the neck as well, but at least we can leave town and not worry about them as much.

When Zoe came along we didn't worry about the cats all that much. The only baby/cat proofing we did was to keep the cats out of her room by always keeping her door shut. They are still not allowed in her room. We had no jealousy issues either. In fact our youngest cat is absolutely in love with Zoe. They play together all the time.

Now dogs, as I understand it, take a bit more prep work. Some of the tips I have come across are:

• NEVER leave the baby alone with your pet (ok that is a no-brainer for me).
• If the dog is attached to the Mother, have other members of the family show the dog more attention to lessen the jealousy.
• Play recordings of baby's crying to get the dog use to the new sounds.
• Wear baby oil or baby powder to get the dog use to the new smells
• Bring home an article of clothing that the baby wore in the hospital so that the dog gets use to the baby's scent before the baby comes home.
• Replace the nursery door with a screen door so that the dog can't get into the room but can still see what is happening (not sure about that one...but I don't have a dog...lol).

I have often thought that people were being over cautious when it came from pets and babies. After all if you are just paying attention, what could happen? Well I thought that until earlier today when I saw this video about a 65lb. dog dragging a newborn from his crib. These poor parents already had to deal with the baby being 3 weeks premature. Then the day after they brought him home, this happened. *Warning: If you are a crier like I am...have Kleenex ready*

Now before all the dog lovers out there start telling me that this is a very rare occurrence and that dogs and kids are great together, I agree. My BIL and SIL have a HUMONGOUS dog named Toby. He is a total cream puff. My SIL Jody (Iowa Geek) had him before she got married so they had him around when both of their daughters were born. He is GREAT with kids but Jody and Doug still took precautions. I know that they brought home the hats that their daughters wore after they were born for Toby to sniff, so I am sure they did even more. Here is a link to one of Jody's posts with a picture of Toby in it to prove how big he is.

So I guess the moral to this story is that if you have dogs, cats, birds...etc. make sure you do your homework on how to keep your new little one safe!!

Wanna Win A Head Snuggler?

Yes you do...and so do I!! If you have a child then you know all about the drooping head syndrome in the car seat. When Zoe falls asleep in her car seat she looks like a contortionist..lol. Now there is a solution...the Head Snuggler!!

Head on over to Have Kid Will Travel to read Jody's review and enter for a chance to win one for yourself.

An Opportunity From Roberts Dairy

When I first talked about getting into blogging my SIL Jody (Iowa Geek) recommended that I sign up for Mom Select. I am really glad that I did. I have gotten some good opportunities through them. My most recent one was to try out some products from Roberts Dairy. I jumped at the chance. I really enjoy their products so I was very excited when I found out I was selected.

When my package arrived it contained coupons for free product and some yummy recipes to try. I made one of the recipes for my family the other night and will share it with you at the end of this post. Roberts has great coupons on their website and are always adding more. They also have a site full of yummy recipes. You can find Roberts Dairy products in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and parts of Colorado, Illinois and South Dakota. So go check them out.

The recipe I chose to make for my family was the Chicken Enchiladas with Cottage Cheese. The cottage cheese in the recipe had my husband and I worried and after they came out of the oven they looked really wet. Well, they were wonderful!! They had a great texture and weren't wet at all. And the cottage cheese added a great extra layer of flavor. I HIGHLY recommend these! Here is the recipe:

Chicken Enchiladas with Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
• 2 boiled and shredded skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 7-ounce can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 1-ounce package taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup ROBERTS SOUR CREAM
• 2 cups ROBERTS COTTAGE CHEESE (I used the 1% cottage cheese)
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 12 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 10-ounce red enchilada sauce

Preparation:

For meat mixture, heat oil in medium skillet over high heat. Add chicken, onion and green chile peppers and saute until browned. Then add taco seasoning and prepare meat mixture according to package instructions.

For cheese mixture, mix sour cream with cottage cheese in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir until well blended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make enchiladas, heat tortillas until soft and place a spoonful of meat mixture, a spoonful of cheese mixture and a small amount of shredded cheese in each tortilla. Roll tortillas and place in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with any remaining meat and cheese mixture, enchilada sauce and remaining shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This post courtesy of

Everything I Know I Learned From Sesame Street.

Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 10:00 am. our TV is turned to one thing....Sesame Street. Other than clapping and cheering occasionally during The Price Is Right and dancing with Ellen during The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Zoe really could care less about TV. That is until that fateful day about two months ago when I turned the TV to Sesame Street. She was GLUED!!

I am not a big fan of sticking kids in front of the TV so I never minded that she didn't watch. But I really don't mind Sesame Street because of how educational it is. I know that I loved watching it as a child and I am glad I get to share it with Zoe! We found out how educational it was the other day.

Lately Zoe has been saying two word over and over again. But we couldn't figure out what they were? We knew she was saying something and wasn't just babbling because it was rhythmic and the same every time. We were stumped and then Jarod said that he thought she was counting. So I started counting..."1,2,3,4". And sure enough she said back..."Wah, Two, Eee". We were shocked! We were even more surprised that she said Three (Eee).

Where in the world did our 16 month old learn to count to three? We kept racking our brains because even though I read to her a lot I haven't really counted with her. Jarod suggested Sesame Street because they count on there...but I didn't think so because her counting was so rhythmic. Then yesterday while we were watching Zoe's favorite part of SS (Elmo's World) I realized that Jarod was right. Elmo always counts something during Elmo's World and it is rhythmic! So mystery solved! We will definitely keep watching Sesame Street.

Sometimes $20 Does Go Far!

Jarod and I decided we wanted to hit up some garage sales today. So we got onto Craigslist and clicked on their garage sale link. We weren't sure if we would find too many on a Thursday, but we were in luck and found three that we wanted to check out. Our goal was to find 12 month summer clothes and 18 month fall/winter clothes for Zoe.

First sale we hit was kinda close to us...as in still on the south side of Des Moines. Unfortunately the clothes in her size were the wrong seasons. I did manage to find one 12 month skirt and one 18 month long sleeved onesie.

For the second sale we drove to Grimes which is about 30 minutes north of us. This one was a HUGE neighborhood sale. There was about ten sales on this block. We found a lot of good stuff at these!!!

The last one was in Ankeny. It took us about 15 minutes to drive to Ankeny. This one had a lot of nice furniture (which we don't need), lots of knick-knacks (REALLY don't need) and a few antique items. A bit of a let down since they advertised kids clothes. However, just as we were leaving a car pulled up. The family that got out grabbed a card table out of their car and I instantly wondered if the goodies may have arrived. I did notice that a little boy had gotten out of the car, so my hopes for girl' clothes were fading. Then the father got a little girl (who was older than Zoe) out of the car. So Jarod hopped out to see if they had girl clothes in the sizes we were looking for. They did!! I snagged several items. The best part....she wanted everything gone so it was all a quarter each!! One of the quarter items was a brand new looking jean coat!! SWEET!!

So how much did we spend total? $20!! What did we get for that $20? Well, here is a list. I am also going to post a couple of pics at the end of the list of a few of the best items!


5 Shirts
5 Pairs of jeans
1 Pair of shoes
1 Pair of shorts
2 Skirts
3 Sets of PJ's
1 Dress
1 Hooded Sweatshirt
1 Jean Jacket
A set of Baby Einstein CD's (6 CD's and a board book)
3 Books (2 of them were Eric Carle board books for only a dollar each...SCORE)

How Do You Do That Voodoo That You Do So Well?

So last night I kinda freaked out my hubby a little. I seem to have episodes of precognition from time to time. Last night was one of them. We had checked out some books from the library on Friday. Four for me and two for him. I am on my third book and he is still on the first one, so of course I have been teasing him. Well, last night we had been reading in bed for awhile, and I was getting tired. So, I finished my chapter and put my book up. A few minutes later Jarod decided he was done as well.

As he was putting his book away I decided to tease him. I grabbed my book and said "How far am I.....hmmmm page 108. He replied that it is not a race. I laughed as I turned the lights off.

After a few seconds he said "I'd be lucky if I was on page 108."

I said "I'm sure you are farther than that." He decided he wanted to see, so I turned the light back on for him to find his book.

As he was reaching for the book I said, "I bet you are on page 130....2....132." He opened the book then said, "132 lucky guess."

No way!! I told him he had to be joking. But, he showed me that he was ready to start a new chapter and the first page of that chapter was 132. He said it freaked him out a bit. LOL! I know this sounds minor, but when you put it together with other episodes I have had...it is a bit spooky.

I have had many minor episodes since I was little. But I can remember 2 major ones. The first one happened when I was around 2. My mom said I was playing and the phone started to ring. I sat up and told her it was my aunt on the phone and I told her what my aunt was calling about. My Mom answered the phone, it was my aunt, and she told her all the same things I had just said. Mom asked her if she had talked to me recently and had told me any of that. She said that she hadn't talked to me for a couple of days and had just thought of what she needed to call about right before she called. Mom said it freaked her out.

Then when I was older, my dad and I were watching a lottery show. I think it was for the Illinois lottery. On the show they had 4 different lottery games, a 3 number, 4 number, 5 number and a 7 number one. The model moved to the 3 number game and the balls started spinning. I called out a number right before it was pulled up the tube and I was right. Next number...same thing...called it out and was right. I finished off the 3 number game 3 for 3. 4 number game...same thing 4 for 4. 5 number game....5 for 5. Each time I called the number before it was in the tube so I couldn't have even seen a bit of the number to guess. 7 number game was next.....I got the first 6 right...and then I got cocky. I made a smart comment to my dad and I guess broke my concentration because I got the last number wrong. I just remember the awestruck look on my dad's face. He couldn't believe I had done that.

Now I know...everyone is going to wonder why I haven't won the lottery yet. Well, it seems that my precog abilities (or something to that effect) are very near sighted. I can only do that right before the number or conversation is revealed. I can't control it because I have no idea when it is going to happen and it does not seem to happen that often anymore.

Ok....now that I have freaked you all out...or just proven what a freak I am....I will let you all go without telling you that I also believe ghosts are real and about all the personal experiences I have had. I can't give away all the skeletons in my closet in one post, now can I?

Wordless Wednesday-First Trip To The Zoo

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Wordless Wednesday-My Monkey Girl

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Now This Is What I Call Common Sense!

My uncle sent this to me and I decided to pass it on.

The St. Petersburg Times Newspaper asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?"

I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President:
Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy.

Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:


There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.

Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:



1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings -

Unemployment fixed.



2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered-

Auto Industry fixed.



3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage

Housing Crisis fixed.


It can't get any easier than that!

If more money is needed, have all members of Congress and their constituents pay their taxes..

Do you want a Poken?

Well I do!! And lucky for me Jody over at Iowa Geek Reviews is giving one away. Head on over and enter. Be sure to tell her I sent ya!

Iowa Mom's Night Out!!!

Do you live in Des Moines or surrounding area? Are you a Mom? Do you have any plans for Thursday May 7th? Well you do now because May 7th is National Mom's Nite Out. My SIL Jody from Iowa Geek as well as Have Kid Will Travel and Paula from Boogers and Burps are cohosting the local event. Here is the quick info on the event:

Des Moines National Mom's Nite Out
Thursday, May 7, 7-10 pm
At All Play (formerly In Play) 615 3rd St., Des Moines

They have a lot of great things planned for the evening. Giveaways, goodies and Godiva Chocolate and assorted vendors.

For the whole scoop click here and here.

They are trying to reach out to as many Des Moines moms as they can...so feel free to put the word out on your blog, Twitter, Facebook or anywhere else you can think of!

Hope to see you there!!!

An Obituary Everyone Should Read!

My sister sent this to me in an e-mail today and I felt compelled to share it. This obituary definitely sums up how I feel!!

An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly, rather true.


Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.


Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies
(don't spend more than you can earn)
and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.


Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.


It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.


Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.


Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.


Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.


Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.


He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I'm A Victim


Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.


If you find yourself nodding while reading this, then PLEASE pass it on!!

Wordless Wednesday-Sliding

Sliding with Daddy

For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5 Minutes For Mom.

Wordless Wednesday-NKOTB

This Wednesday will be not quite wordless. Monday night I went to the New Kids On The Block concert. Here are a couple pics from it.

Couldn't leave out my favorite...JOEY!!

I plan on doing a full post on the concert with more pics soon. Until then check out more Wordless Wednesday posts at 5 Minutes for Mom.

First Fever.

It's official! My 14 1/2 month old daughter had her first fever today. Yup you read that right, we went 14 1/2 months with no fever...well, except the one she was born with.

She woke up fussy and clingy and has been that way most of the day. We aren't sure if she is sick or if it is just teething. Her two bottom teeth are finally through, but her molars are still trying to come in. So she got dosed with Tylenol and teething tablets this morning. She even napped THREE time today!! She woke up from her 3rd nap today about 5 and that's when I realized she was really hot. Took her temp and it was 101.1. So more Tylenol and teething tablets. Her fever broke pretty quickly. She finally played for awhile and seemed happier.

She started to feel a little warm again right before she fell asleep, so a last minute Tylenol and off to bed. Hopefully it will be a quiet night!

Teething Sucks....I Guess...

About a week ago I noticed that Zoe was getting in two teeth on the bottom. Yup I said two teeth. She has always teethed in twos.

Well, she use to. As of Monday she was still working on the two on the bottom. They are almost through. But, when I was checking things out I noticed that she was not getting two teeth in this time. Nope....she was getting in FOUR!! Yup, FOUR. Oh and did I mention the two newest arrivals are MOLARS. So as you can imagine it has been happy, happy, fun times in our house.

Well, actually, I thought getting in her molars was going to be worse. I had heard a lot of horror stories. But I can honestly say that besides being crabby during some of the day, she has had no problems. No fevers, rashes or waking up in the middle of the night. We have had it so easy where teething has been concerned that I kinda worry what our next child is going to be like. Of course that is WAY in the future...LOL!

Wordless Wednesday-Balancing Act

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes For Mom.

The Story Of Zoe's Birth.....

*There is a very good reason that I am posting this story. Stick it out to the end and all will be revealed.*



As a little back story, I am not able to get pregnant on my own. It took us 2 1/2 years to get pregnant. After 1 year of trying I found out I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and had to take Clomid to become pregnant. So now onto the rest of the story.

My due date for Zoe was January 5th, 2008. That day came and went...nothing. I was not even close to dilating and she was still REALLY high. Another week went by and still nothing. Finally I was set up to be induced Monday, January 14th.

We got to the hospital around 9 pm and they gave me the Cervidil about 10 pm. They told me that the Cervidil would stay in for 12 hours then the doctor would come in, remove it and break my water. Instead, my water broke on it's own around 3:45 am. The nurse said that I had half an hour for my contractions to get strong enough and regular enough to impress her or I would get Pitocin.

A half hour later the nurse came in and shaking her head said she was definitely not impressed....LOL!! So I was introduced to the world of Pitocin. Now I have heard awful things about Pitocin and since I am such a baby about pain, I was way worried. By the way, have I mentioned that my plan was to try to go without pain meds. Ummm, yeah, WAY nervous!!

As it turns out I have a high tolerance to Pitocin. I was on it for just over 12 hours before I was in enough pain to ask for meds. The nurses were amazed. And even when I did ask, I didn't want the Epidural (needles are my enemy). So instead I got the IV drugs. (I was only 4cm at this point and Zoe was still very high.)

Sweet relief!!! Well, for a short time anyway. When the pain started to get unbearable again, I asked the nurse how long the drugs are suppose to last. When she said an hour, I told her it had been about an hour and I wanted MORE...LOL! As I was saying this my Doctor walked in looked at me and said, "Wouldn't you rather just get the epidural?" Well, being in so much pain, I just sighed "OK". I was worried about getting the epidural mostly because of the needle issue, but also because I was afraid it would slow down my labor. I was still only 4cm and I didn't think my labor needed to go any slower!!

So at about 6 pm Tuesday night I found the miracle known as the Epidural!! The relief came rapidly! I did have some side effects though. My blood pressure dropped causing me to be shaky and very nauseous. they had to give me meds to raise my blood pressure. The other side effect was less serious and in my opinion pretty funny. I lost all feeling in my right leg and it swelled up to twice its normal size. It was really weird to be able to see my leg, touch it, but could not move it to save my life. My left leg was completely numb but I could still move it. (The swelling went away within minutes of the epidural being turned off.)

My labor started to pick up the little pace then. I was starting to dilate again, but Zoe was still really high. The doctor even mentioned the big, bad "C" because she wasn't dropping. Well, I really didn't want that to happen so my new mission became doing whatever necessary. Which meant the nurses raising the head of the bed to almost 90 degrees and me facing it on my knees and then hanging over. And remember that I couldn't fell either leg and couldn't move the right one. Very uncomfortable. I even slept this way. But it worked!! She finally started moving down. YAY!!!

I was finally fully dilated around 5:15 am Wednesday morning!! The nurse and I both let out a little whoop. By the way, this nurse was the same nurse that was on Monday night when I was admitted. I had been in the hospital so long that she was back on shift again...LOL!!

The craziness began!! Other nurses started bringing in the bassinet and other equipment and the commotion woke Jarod and my SIL Jody (Iowa Geek) who was, thankfully, there to help. By that time I had already pushed a few times. But once everyone was fully awake, the pushing really began. Luckily I could feel my stomach harden during contractions so the epidural was allowed to stay, YAY!!

I remember becoming very focused while pushing. I was soooo tired and VERY ready for it all to be over. I really didn't talk to anyone between contractions except to look at Jarod and say, "Ice." for the ice chips. Towards the end I quit even saying it and would just look at him. I guess that I was so focused that I made really no noise. Jarod, Jody and the nurse all told me at one point that it was ok to make noises, but I just didn't for some reason.

Finally the nurse told me I had to stop pushing until the doctor got there. That really sucked!! I had to blow through 2 contractions and it became the only time I really said anything when I asked when the doctor was going to get there. And as luck would have it, as soon as the doctor got there, my contractions stalled!! With the nurse they were coming every minute or two. When the doctor got there we had to wait almost ten minutes. They continued to be sporadic. Eventually the doctor asked me if I wanted to try pushing without a contraction. He said that I was pushing so well that I wouldn't need the contractions.

So...at 7:19 am, Wednesday January 16th, Zoe was finally born!!!

I was really looking forward to holding her and feeding her right away. But, there was a problem. Zoe was born running a fever of 102 degrees. So after letting me hold her for about a minute, they took her right to the nursery to do blood work looking for an infection. Needless to say, I didn't get to hold her during my wheelchair ride in the private Mommy and Baby elevator to my room. It all turned out ok because her blood work came back fine and her fever broke easily. We stayed in the hospital until Friday and then brought our baby home.

We finally had our beautiful baby girl and for all you keeping track, here is a break down of the time. Admitted on Monday and released on Friday, so a whole week in the hospital. From the time my water broke until the time Zoe was born---27 1/2 hours!! I know they say the first one always takes longer, but I never expected that!! LOL!!

Ok, so now on to the burning question. Why did I write this post? Kristin at An Ordinary Life is giving away a JVC HD Camcorder. I really want to win this camera to record the major events in our lives. We are planning on trying to get pregnant again in a few months and would love to be able to capture all the gore, um I mean beauty of the moment. I also would love to be able to capture introducing Zoe to her new sibling when it happens as well. Of course, hubby will have to record that moment since I will be a blubbering mess! LOL!!

If you would like to enter to try to win this for your self, or just see the other entries, click here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Eirinn go Brách

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!! Here are some pics of Zoe along with a few Irish blessings!!

"May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.”







"May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go."

"Like the warmth of the sun
And the ligh of the day
May the luck of the Irish
Shine bright on your way."

Slán agus beannacht leat

Urgent Care Update!

Ok, so we took Zoe in to the Urgent Care Clinic yesterday morning for her wrist (full story here). She had X-rays around 10 a.m. and we were told we would get the results today. So I assumed that we would hear fairly early. Not so!! I called about 11:30...no results. Then I called again around 4:30...no results. Seriously!! How hard is it to look at an X-ray, say yup broken or nope not broken, and then give me a call!!

Well, at 6:00, 32 after the X-ray was taken, I was finally called with the result of........

NOT BROKEN!!!

The splint is off and she seems to have no pain. We are very glad this little adventure of ours has come to a happy close!!

Another First

Well this weekend we have experienced a new first. Zoe's first X-rays. Here is what happened.

Saturday night she was playing with Daddy. At one point Jarod felt Zoe's little wrist pop. She was hysterical and kept holding it with her other hand. She was able to move her fingers and when we handed her something to hold she loosely gripped it. But she couldn't lift anything. She finally fell asleep on Daddy, but if we touched or moved her arm/wrist she woke up crying. We thought about taking her to the ER, but since there was no swelling or bruising we decided to wait and see how she was in the morning.

Daddy got her up this morning and right away noticed that she wasn't using her wrist. So, off to Urgent Care we went. When the doctor came in he first told us that he thought it was Nurse Maid Elbow. He quickly discarded that thought when during his examination she didn't flinch when he touched her elbow but cried a lot when he felt her wrist. He did say that it was pretty difficult to dislocate an infant/toddler's wrist and even more difficult to fix it. Great!!

We were off to get X-rays to see if it was dislocated. BTW the X-ray tech said that she was amazed how well Zoe did (even though she cried the whole time). She said most kids Zoe's age are EXTREMELY hard to X-ray.

After reading them the doctor came back in and said, "Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is her wrist isn't dislocated. The bad news is that the X-ray showed a line on her wrist." He then told us that it could just be a growth line that he is unfamiliar with and that the radiologist would have to look at it to be sure.

He ended up making her a splint since they didn't have one small enough for her little arm. Hopefully when we get the call tomorrow with the results he will tell us it is just a bad sprain and not a fracture. But if it is broken we will have to take her to a specialist to get it casted due to her young age.

So, please keep my little girl in your thoughts and I will update as soon as I find out which outcome we have!

I will now leave you with some pics of Zoe's first splint and her sling that is more cute than it is useful....LOL!!

Wordless Wednesday-Playing Ball

Zoe playing ball.

For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Totally Talented Tuesday #2

It is time once again for Totally Talented Tuesday!!

On Saturday Zoe and I attended Kidsfest. Kidsfest is a HUGE fund raising event benefiting Children & Families of Iowa. I have to admit, I worked for CFI's daycare center (see this post) for almost 7 years but had never attended Kidsfest.

Well that all changed this year when we went with my friend and her son (who is 12 days older than Zoe). We had a great time!! The kids got to "play" lots of games (ok so we may have helped them some...LOL). It seemed like Plinko was a big theme this year since we played it at many vendor booths. We also spun many a prize wheel. Zoe even won mommy one free session with a personal trainer at Aspen Athletic. Wonder if she is trying to tell me something...hmmm. We also collected many edible goodies as well. One booth also had a real bunny and Zoe liked petting it.

But I would have to say that Zoe's favorite booth was the swing set put up by Back Yard Adventures. She was able to experience swinging for the first time. She LOVED it!! Lots of huge smiles, giggles and loud squeals. So it looks like we will be hitting the swings at playgrounds all summer long!!

So my Totally Talented Tuesday entry is pictures of Zoe thoroughly loving her first time on a swing! Enjoy!!

For more Totally Talented Tuesday posts visit Dee at Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House.

Back On The Job...Maybe

I mentioned in a previous post that my husband is more than likely getting laid off again in the next week or two. Since he was laid off the entire month of January, we know what to expect this time around. That being said, I have decided to be more proactive this time.

Before Zoe was born I had worked for 6 1/2 years in a daycare as a Special Needs Assistant Teacher in their Therapeutic Child Care room (behavioral disorders). When I left to become a SAHM, I was told my job was there whenever I needed it. So today I stopped by with resume in hand.

They were very excited to see me. When I told the Center Coordinator what was going on she told me to call her as soon as I know when Jarod's last day is and they will get me on the schedule right away. I told her that I only wanted part time and only afternoons. I still want to get up with Zoe and start the day with her. So more than likely I will be working from noon to 5 or 5:30. Works for me!!

It is going to be hard to be away from Zoe, but it is what I need to do for our family. And I know it will only be until Jarod gets hired on somewhere else. Plus, it will be great Daddy-Daughter time for Jarod and Zoe. So, wish me luck as I transition from a SAHM to a Part-Time Working Mommy.

Win The Body Shop's Baby Line

Kristin over at An Ordinary Life is giving away the new line of baby care items from The Body Shop. My daughter has dry skin issues so I am definitely going to be trying to win this for her.

If you would like to enter to win this for the baby/babies in your life, click here.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!

The school my 11 year old niece attends has been celebrating Dr. Seuss all week long. Each day has a different theme and activity.

Well yesterday was wacky hair and clothes day. My sister sent me pics of my niece and I immediately asked if I could share them with all of you. She definitely looks wacky!!

My sister said sure....so with out further ado.....

I give you Wacky Hair and Clothes Mariah!!

Great News....Mmmmm Maybe Not

In 2007, 2 weeks after we found out I was pregnant, my husband was hired as a Lineman's Apprentice. He was now going to be making enough for me to be able to stay home with our daughter after she was born. Life was great!!

It didn't last. This November his hours were cut. Then he lost a lot of work due to weather Nov. and Dec. His paychecks were very small. Then he was laid off at the start of the year. Things were very tight and we quickly started falling behind. Luckily through his union he was hired onto another company at the end of January. He has been working long hours with lots of overtime so we are getting caught up. Things were looking up. I saw "were" because tonight he told me that when they reach the deadline on this job (in 2 weeks..maybe sooner) it is pretty certain that he will be laid off again.

So panic mode has once again set in. My goal is to get every bill caught up and start putting every spare dime into savings for future bills. Our tax refund will not be used to pay off our last credit card. It will now be banked to make sure we have money to pay the mortgage and keep power and water on. At least since we will have it we won't fall behind so easily this time.

He was told that things should pick up again in April. Hopefully he will only be laid off for 4 weeks again.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us and any advice is more than welcome!!

Wordless Wednesday-Dinner Mmmmmm!!

Zoe and her dinner last night.

For more Wordless Wednesday, head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Wanna Win A Pair Of Cute Crocs?

Over at my SIL Jody's blog (Iowa Geek) she put up a post about having trouble picking out a pair of new shoes. While at Blissdom she received a $50 Crocs gift certificate. She is not a fan of the typical Croc shoe. She was pleasantly suprised when she went on their site and found all the adorable shoes they have to offer.

Now onto how you can help her and win a pair for yourself. She has a poll up on her blog with her 4 picks. All you have to do is vote, visit Croc's site, and then comment on her post that you voted and then which pair of shoes (up to $50) you want.

Easy, right?!?

I voted for these-Red Celeste slip-ons in canvas.

These are the shoes I would pick for myself-

Chocolate/Choco Celeste Canvas slip-ons.

If you want to help a fellow blogger out and maybe get something for yourself in return, click here.

Win a Flip Mino HD!!

Ryan McLean from Smarter Wealth is giving away a brand new Flop Mino HD to
one lucky reader. This will be the easiest Flip Mino HD to win because
barely anyone is going to enter meaning more chances that you can
win.

The Flip Mino HD is the coolest gadget around. You can shoot one hour
of video in HD (so you can play it on your plasma) and you can even edit your
footage right on your device. This device is so small that it will fit in
your pocket so you will never miss capturing a moment ever again.

To enter all you have to do is sign up for Ryan's newsletter and post about the competition.

Check out all the details of how you can enter the Win a Flip Mino HD competition now.

Winners will be announced March 5th 2009.

Wordless Wednesday-Redecorating

Shortly after we got up this morning (hence the PJ's) Zoe decided to rearrange her play room. As you can see she decided that her activity table needed to be in the doorway. Hey, who am I to stifle her need for creative expression....LOL!!!
For more Wordless Wednesday head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

I want a Learning Tower....

...and so do you!!! Head over to Mamanista for your chance to win.

Wordless Wednesday-Hello World

Since this is my first Wordless Wednesday, I decided to use an older picture. This is my favorite birth picture of Zoe. It was taken minutes after she was born.

Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday.

My "Shocking" Night

*Disclaimer...VERY long post ahead...LOL

Ok, first off I consider myself pretty handy. I like home improvement projects and know my way around many large power tools. So I also consider myself pretty safety conscious as well.

Um...last night I was REALLY stupid!!

I turned on the TV in the bedroom last night so I could watch a little TV before going to sleep. The satellite lost its feed and seemed to be stuck, so I decided to unplug the receiver, wait a few seconds and then plug it back in. This seems to work on the receiver in the living room.

This is a picture of the enclosure we built into the wall of our bedroom for the TV. If you notice there is not a lot of room around the TV. Well, I knew the dish receiver was plugged into a surge protector strip. What I couldn't remember was where it was. I knew it was on the right side of the TV, but it was dark enough that I couldn't see it, plus all the wires were hiding it. I did see some cords that looked like they were going towards the bedroom wall side of the enclosure. I figured my husband had mounted the strip to the wall. It seemed like something he would do. So, instead of getting a flashlight to make sure, I stuck my hand in and groped around. Well, the palm of my hand, just below my thumb, made contact with something. I ended up getting zapped really hard. I looked down and noticed what looked like a red mark/bruise starting on my palm. My hand and arm were tingling and numb. The muscles in my forearm also seemed very tense and painful. So, I instantly texted my husband (oh did I mention he is 2 1/2 hours away right now) and told him what happened. His phone had been on silent yesterday and he must not of turned the ringer back on because I still haven't heard from him. Then I tried my sister, but realized later that I texted her home phone. I guess home phones don't receive texts...LOL. So then I decided I better call the Mercy Nurse (Nurse on call at our local hospital). I told her what happened and at the end of my tale said something like, "so I wasn't sure if I should be concerned." She said "Um, yeah, you may need to go to the ER. Let's go over some symptoms and see." Well, after talking to me for awhile she decided that I was ok for the time being, but that I was to go to the ER if I was still numb after an hour. She was also really concerned about me being alone. So I told her I would call my sister and then if anything happened, she could call 911. So at 11:30 last night I called my sister and told her that she needed to talk to me for the next half hour in case my heart stopped. Yes my family has a weird sense of humor. Well, as you have figured out from this post, I am ok. My Father-in-law came over and checked everything out, but could not find where I cold have gotten zapped. So, it will remain a mystery, but I won't be blindly sticking my hands into electrical areas again...LOL!!

Totally Talented Tuesday #1

Ok, so I have decided to join in on a MEME for the first time. Totally Talented Tuesday is a way to highlight the talented people in your life, including yourself. So here is my first entry.







My daughter Zoe has learned how to climb on everything last week. The problem is she has no fear. So I wasn't very surprised to see her standing on her ride-on toy with a huge grin on her face.





She also learned to climb into the 2 totes that we use as toy boxes to get what she wants. She has used the toy boxes this week to climb onto the recliner in her toy room so she could look out the window





























So, do you want to join in and let the world know about all the talented happenings in your life, or read other talented posts? If so then head on over and see Dee at Two of a Kind.

These Are The Days...

Hello from the land of the sickies!! LOL!! I am starting to feel better. I have had more energy today. Zoe has been coughing a lot more and not sleeping well at night, but seems to be in a great mood most of the time. So, I hope things will be better by this weekend.

Speaking of Zoe's good mood. I was sitting on the floor today watching her playing and I was totally enthralled. It amazed me to watch her figure out the world around her!! We have made a lot of sacrifices for me to stay home. It has been really rough since Jarod was laid off New Year's Eve and was unemployed for 4 weeks. But, as I sat watching my beautiful baby girl, I knew I would never have it any other way. I just can't imagine missing any of this. I know that we are doing what is right for Zoe, and that is all that matters.

Hmmmm....

Well, I really want to write a funny and witty post. I really do. There is just one little problem. I have had so much junk coming out of my nose that I really think part of my brains have leaked out. I believe it is the part of my brain that controls cognitive thought. I am having trouble focusing long enough to even write this post. So I am going to go and lament the fact that I don't have the NetiPot that my SIL has told me repeatedly to get. So, if you have read this poor excuse for a post, I will leave it up to you to imagine this to be the funniest and wittiest post you have read today...LOL!!

Checking In...

I am doing a quick check in. Zoe and I are both fighting colds. I am a dealing with sinus pain, lots of congestion, sore throat and just a general feeling of yuckiness. Zoe has been VERY fussy, clingy and needy. Mom to the rescue...kinda...LOL!!! Oh , did I mention that my husband is out of town working. So, I am feeling yucky all alone with a 13 month old who is feeling yucky. Fun times in our house!! Ok, now that I have checked in I am off to bed!!! Hopefully I will be back in action soon!!!

Toddler Troubles

Ok, has anyone had this issue. My 12 (almost 13) month old daughter has picked up a new habit. She seems to HATE it when we are on the computer. If either my husband or I pick up and open the laptop, she starts crying and trying to pull the computer off our laps. When we put it up she immediately goes back to whatever activity she had been involved in. So it doesn't seem to be a cry for attention. She has even come flying (well as fast as her toddler legs will carry her) out of her playroom if she hears me open the laptop. Same fit ensues and when I again put away the computer, she goes back to the playroom. I just don't understand. We are not on the computer very much when she is awake. It's not like she gets ignored for the computer. I spend much of my day reading to her and playing with her. But I also make sure she has plenty of alone play. I feel that being able to entertain herself is an important step in her development. It is during these times when she is playing by herself that I occasionally like to check my e-mail, Twitter or Facebook. It hadn't been a problem until about 2 weeks ago. Now I can't figure out how to fix it. HELP!!!! LOL!!!!!