Paparazzi $5 Jewlery...by Lacy

Maybe you have noticed this ad on my sidebar, maybe not.  This review has been a LONG time coming.  I finally wrapped my brain around it today and here it is.

My sweet friend Lacy is an independent consultant for a new up and coming company out of Utah called Paparazzi Jewelry.

They sell a wide variety of accessories that are fun, hip and beautiful...and super affordable too.

They currently offer necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, headbands, and hair clips.  They also sell children's rings and earrings.

Did I mention  that they are SUPER AFFORDABLE (this coming from an accessory tightwad...as in I usually only buy 1-2 necklaces every 1-2 years, and that's ONLY because my kids have a knack for breaking them).

Anyway...wanna sneak peak?  Here you go:

Really...this is just a small tasty morsel of what they have available.  Check out Lacy's Paparazzi Jewelry Facebook page to see their fabulous selection.

You're drooling aren't you

How much do they cost?

Each adult piece is $5.50 and children's pieces are $1.10.

For now Lacy ships using USPS flat rate boxes (current rates being: small $5.00, medium $10.50, and large $14.20.)

How do I order?
If you would like to make a purchase, shoot Lacy an email at: paparazzipayson@gmail.com.  Include a photo of the desired item(s) along with the quantity (don't forget your name and contact information either...he he he).  She will then confirm what she can fulfill from her inventory.  Payment can be made through paypal as a gift using the email address paparazzipayson@gmail.com.   

SPECIAL NOTE:  Do NOT send payment until Lacy has confirmed the final price (including shipping). 

You know you want some.  Think Christmas...think birthdays...think decorating your little girls so cute and beautifully (man I wish I had a girl to decorate).

So get on over here and take a look.

ALSO...You, too, can become a Paparazzi Jewelry Independent Consultant and give ladies are girlies in YOUR area an opportunity to enjoy these beauties.  Again, you can contact Lacy for more info at paparazzipayson@gmail.com.

Help me reach the top!  Click for me...once daily!
 
Don't forget to check out some of the fabulous blogs featured there, too.

Couponing...only because I have to....

I'm venturing out on another couponing limb again.

It's been a while.  My binder's been getting a bit dusty and the Sunday circulars have been piling up on my computer table.

It's time to dust things of and get a move on again.

If you cant hear it in my typing, I'm not all that excited.

I mean, I LOVE to save money, and I LOVE to get things for free...but, I have four flippen' kids and couponing takes a LOT of time.

I'm hoping I can pull it off now that school will be starting again.

Do you have any favorite couponing blogs/websites to share?
Just one easy click!

The day from "H-E-double-hockey-sticks"

Today was not a very good day.  Not a very good day at all.

We had LOTS of errands to run (back to school shopping included) which made for a very long...LONG...day.

4 kids....4 very hyper kids....4 very grabby kids....4 very dawdler-ific kids (I really shouldn't add the baby into all of this...he is actually pretty angelic for the most part)...leads to one very tired, cranky mama (and I even took a nap halfway through the ordeal).

Honestly...

Now that the kids are in bed and I am looking back on the day, however, I have found a little humor in it...just a little...when I was reminded of this scene from Dumb and Dumber.



I kid you not...this scene is near IDENTICAL to our car ride home after our afternoon set of errands.  Myself playing the "bad guy" (I totally react like him too) and my two oldest playing Lloyd and Harry.  Just replace the second set of hitchhikers with my two youngest children and the "bad guys" antacids with chocolate/ice cream my husband is right now...as I type...on assignment to retrieve from the store and you've got the complete picture.

What a day....

It makes me a little unsure about my decision to start weening myself off my anti-depressants tomorrow.

You see...I'm an angry depressed person...not much weeping (or any for that matter)...just a lot of anger and even more RAGE.  Ugh.

I'm not gonna lie...I was a little scared before today...now I'm even more so.

Pray for me (and my poor family), please.   We're gonna need it.

Just one easy click!

Mini Me silly pants

I'm not sure why our best "funnies" happen in the bathroom.  (Best place to think, maybe?)

Although, this one has nothing to DO with the bathroom...that just happens to be where we were when it happened.

Anyway...I was washing my hands after helping Mini-Me (as in our 4 year old Mini Rob) with his bathroom needs...I looked over at him and noticed that something on his face was a little "off".  I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but he looked to be concentrating really hard on something.

It wasn't until he said, "Hey...there are two mommies."  that i figured out what he was trying to do.  You see...he has been practicing crossing his eyes a lot lately.  He must have finally gotten it right.

"Oh yeah,"  I said, "there are two of me?"

"Yeah..." he says with his insanely deep and husky voice (watch out ladies...he is going to be irresistible as a man).

and then he get's a quizzical look on his face and says,

"Mom, do those two mommies have two spirits?"

I couldn't help but laugh.  Where did that come from?

"Nope...Silly boy....it's just me and my spirit."

"Oh...."

he finishes his business and runs out of the bathroom, leaving me in a wake of confusion and wonder.

Strange questions, don't you think?

I am still curious as to what was going on in his head.

I guess I should have asked him.

Silly boy.

Just one easy click!

Hiya...take that Sir Laughs A Lot....who's laughing now?

So I have a certain 5 year old (Little Red) that gets himself into a lot of trouble...A LOT OF TROUBLE...because he is so set on making other people laugh.

His excuse for everything..."well, but ________ was laughing."  As if that should excuse his behavior.

I have tried many approaches to cure this kind of thinking (you know, that it's okay to do anything as long as someone finds it funny)  I've tried:
The "just because it's funny doesn't mean it's right." approach.
The "I don't give a crap if he was laughing" approach.
The "you think that's funny...give me 50 burpies" approach.
The "oh, you still think it's funny?  give me 50 MORE burpies" approach.
and sometimes The "go to your room until your dad get's home...I don't want to see your face for a very long time" approach (which I used the other day when he scissored off some of Golden Locks's (16 month old) beautiful curls).

But...this one takes the cake.  Not only was it really effective..but it made ME laugh.  In fact, I'm still laughing.

Pure mommy genius.

A few weeks back we were having a particularly heinous day....the kids were giggley and obnoxious and I was a bit sleep deprived and not finding much humor in their antics.

Little Red was in the bathroom and needed me to come wipe him.  I walk into the bathroom not only to find G-McBabe (our eldest) in the bathroom with Little Red (a big no no in our house), but the ENTIRE new roll of toilet paper unrolled and in a heap on the floor.

I glared at Little Red with a blazing flame of fury in my eye...

"What?...What?....he says...and then "Well [G-McBabe] was laughing."

He and G-McBabe exchange their little smart "A" glances...you know, the ones kids use when they are being completely disrespectful and are really trying to tick you off?, and began to giggle.

Cleansing breath...cleansing breath...I told myself (I just saw the Hulk this week for the first time and feel like I may have found my kindred spirit... he he he)...and at long last I calmed.

The two boys were still giggling...which annoyed me to all get out...but I calmly replied.  "So...it's okay to do anything just because you think it's funny, huh?"

Giggle, giggle..."Yeah," they replied...giggle, giggle....along with more shifty glances and a bit of hand over mouth "I promise I'm trying to keep myself from laughing but cant quite control myself" gestures.

"Oh, okay," I said.

"So....G-McBabe...do you think it would be funny if I were to take Little Red's head and dip it into this toilet of poopy water (and believe you-me, Little Red had the runs and it was pretty poopy)?"

Again, more giggles and even a few loud bursts of uncontrolled laughter from both of them (probably because of the mention of "poop" and "toilet"...boys, seriously?), and finally G-McBabe answers, "Um....Yeah..." with a huge grin.

"Oh, Okay, .......well then," I say.

I think Little Red could sense something in mommy's mood had changed...he stopped laughing.

I quietly rolled back up the toilet paper and calmly wiped his bottom.  I, ever so gently, helped him off the toilet and waited for him to pull up his pants.  Meanwhile, G-McBabe is still giggling in the back ground (what, did they have too much sugar that day...i mean, REALLY?)

Little Red finishes and, before he could even blink twice, I snatched him around the waist, tipped him upside down and lowered his head within mere inches of the water line...poop and all.


The giggling and laughter turned into pandemonium....

I hear, "MMMMOOOOMMMMM!  MMMMOOOOOMMMM!  AHHH AHHH AHHHH AHHHH!  HELP!  HELP!  HELP!  from Little Red....screaming....crying....the works.......PUT ME DOWN PUT ME DOWN ......PUT ME DOWN!!!!!

and simultaneously from G-McBabe, "MMMMOOOOMMMM!  MMMMOOOOOMMMMMM!  IT'S NOT FUNNY!  IT'S NOT FUNNY!  MMMMOOOOMMMMM!  IT'S NOT FUNNY IT'S NOT FUNNY IT'S NOT FUNNY IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!!!!PUT HIM DOWN...IT'S NOT FUNNY...IT'S NOT FUNNY....ETC."

After a few seconds (but what I'm sure seemed like HOURS to both of them), I calmly put Little Red's feet back on the floor and reply, "Oh...that wasn't funny to you?"

(pant pant pant)  "No," they replied.

"Oh...cuz I thought it was funny,"  I said smiling.

They both stared at me like I was crazy.

I let that thought sink in while I washed my hands.

"So...maybe it's NOT okay to do things just because we think it's funny, right?"

"Yeah"...they mumbled as I walked out the door.

And that was that.

I will say that the lesson learned was quite effective for a few days.  Any time I had problems, I would kindly remind them of the toilet incident and they would shape up rather quickly.

I had forgotten about it for a time....shame on me....it's good ammo.  One that I will be using rather often, I am quite sure.

Hey, a mama's gotta do what she's gotta do to teach her children the lessons of life.

Just one easy click!

Queen of "cripsy"

"Hey [Mini Rob],"  I yell from the kitchen, "Do you want a tortilla (quesadilla) for lunch?"

"Yeah," he yells back, "but not a burnt one."

Well then....

My kids know me far too well.

Don't forget to vote!

It's a wonder I have a self esteem at all...

So I haven't been feeling at my tippy top best lately (read other blog post here) and with comments like these, I'm not sure that's bound to get better any time soon.

I showered today (which is no small feat for me) and put on my NEW favorite "OWENGE...the color of a warrior" shirt (What am I talking about? read here).

I'm sitting on the couch, G-McBabe (8) walks by and says, "Wow Mom.  You don't really look good in orange, do you? 

Um....RUDE!  (even if he does have a point..I am a red head after all)

About an hour later I'm sitting at the kitchen table playing a game with Mini Rob (4) and he says, "Mom...you stink."

Double RUDE!  And I totally showered today. Apparently for no reason.

(Although, the more I think about it, maybe I have spent far too much time around my children unbathed.  They don't know a good smelling mama when they've got one.)

HONESTLY!

Kids...gotta love the blunt little buggers.

I mean, who needs a self esteem anyway?

Just don't expect to see me out of the house anytime soon.  Blotchy red eyes don't really go with orange shirts either  (sniff, sniff)
Just one easy click!

Craziness--established **PICS

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go out on the water with my husbands family (thanks C and B for the use of your water craft).

It has been YEARS (probably a decade and a half) since I have been out on a boat...and this time, I got to share the experience with my husband and kids.  Nerves were in abundance...the "unknown" and the "haven't known for a long time"...but we mustered up our courage and ventured out onto the monster tube, three at a time.  For some of us, nerves were quickly replaced by adrenalin...others had a good time but were not as anxious to give it another "go"...and then there were some that would have rather stayed planted in security on solid ground.

Mini Rob kept yelling "faster, faster"....I could have been mistaken for a hitchhiker with my ever present "speed up" thumb...G-McBabe laughed cautiously and finally exclaimed, "that was fun," once the boat slowed down a bit...Roberto, after a few minutes said, "I don't even know why I wanted to do this," and Litte Red just wanted to be done.  Mr. Golden Locks...well, he stayed on the shore with grandma to take a nap...smart kid.  I was really proud of everyone for giving it a try...I was pleasantly surprised.

Melanie, Rob,Mini Rob

G-McBabe, Rob, Mini Rob, Little Red

Little Red and Cousins

Later in the afternoon I left the kiddos with the husband on the "beach" and had a chance to go out with some other family members.

Melanie, C, H

Melanie, C, H

Melanie...all by myself.  :)

 It was a blast!

To let go of the monotonousness of stay at home mommyhood and do something "thrilling" for a change was awesome.

We got back on shore and my brother-in-law, who happened to be the driver of the boat, said to my husband, "Man...your wife is CRAZY!"

I laughed...

...didn't we established that a long time ago?

My husband just nodded...he of all people should know the truthfulness of that statement...on multiple levels.

He does have to live with me, after all.


Don't forget to click and vote...
 

Zaycon foods---Peaches and Ground Beef event

 

I got this e-mail from Zaycon foods.  Just thought I would pass it on.  

 

Zaycon foods in an amazing food company that delivers FRESH meats (as in, never frozen) and fresh picked fruits.  Here's the info for their next summer event.

Zaycon Summer Savings Event

Farm Fresh Peaches and fresh 93/7 super lean ground beef

On August 3^rd at 5:00 pm Pacific Standard time, Zaycon will begin taking orders for farm fresh peaches and super lean fresh 93/7 fine ground beef at the following locations (new areas in red):

Spokane	Ritzville	Lynnwood	Baker City
Colville	Connell	Monroe	Fruitland
Chewelah	Pasco	Issaquah	Caldwell
Grangeville	Richland	Maple Valley	Boise
Kamiah	Zillah	Olympia	Nampa
Lewiston	Yakima	Rochester	Eagle
Pullman	Moses Lake	Kelso	Mt.Home
Colfax	Wenatchee	Vancouver	Jerome
Airway Heights	Ellensburg	Portland	Twin Falls
Cheney	Mt. Vernon	Hillsboro	Burley
Sandpoint	Camano Island	The Dalles	Idaho Falls
Coeur d’Alene	Arlington	Wilsonville/Oregon City	Rexburg
Othello	Everett	Salem	Pocatello
Kennewick	Puyallup	Eugene	Preston
Hermiston	Tacoma	Bend	Blackfoot
Walla Walla	Gig Harbor	Pendleton
Benton City	North Bend	La Grande

Our fresh, flavorful, 93/7 super lean fine ground beef is only $2.79 / lb for a 40 lb case.  Please note our ground beef is not packaged in exact weights. At the time of delivery, we will note the weight of your case, and if there is a variation from the 40 lb total, you will receive a credit to your Zaycon account.
Our peaches are 79 cents per lb for 48 lbs (2 cases of 24 lbs each).
Log in to www.zayconfoods.com to decide when and where you want to pick up. Don't wait because we expect to sell out very quickly. Deliveries will begin August 19^th.

I LOVE this company.  We have ordered fresh chicken from them a couple of times and have loved the quality of the meat and the ordering and pick-up ease.

They have an AMAZING referral program.  You earn money for your future orders with Zaycon ($1 per referral/per event) for every order made using your referral number on current AND future orders.  That's why I'm posting here (wink, wink).  

So...if they have a pick-up in your area and you do decide to try out Zaycon, click on my Zaycon food advertisement on the side bar, or click here https://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf791 or add the letters/numbers zf791where asked to put in a referral code. I'd really appreciate it.

Then you can get started ordering and gathering referrals yourself. 

Just one easy click!

Lack of Balance, Salt and Pepper, Atheism, and Exercise

I've been out of sorts all morning.  Not only did I stay up WAY past my bedtime, e-mailing a new atheist and depressed acquaintance (find a post on MMUB about it here and his blog here), but realized this morning I had forgotten to take any of my medications/vitamins yesterday.  Not so good when you are taking an anti-depressant. 

When I finally dragged myself out of bed I was feeling a little groggy, a little nauseous, an a whole lotta unbalanced-ness (as if anything is new, I mean the name of my other blog is Methodical Musings of an Unbalanced Woman ha ha...just kidding), meaning I was dizzy.  Right off the bat I had a bum to wipe, a baby upset about being trapped in his "jail" (aka crib), 4 hungry boys and a really messy house.  Such a wonderful way to start off a Monday.

I scrambled to get ready to head out to our local church, where I freely give of my semi-fine tuned Jillian Micheals-like services twice a week (aka teach aerobics--boot camp, mean lady style).  I love it.  It's a fun outlet.  Unfortunately it's not the same as teaching in a gym...I don't get paid (which I am totally okay with) and my kids have to go with me (which I'm only semi-okay with).

It was while we were there, at our church, that the fiasco of the morning occurred.  It was one of my previously mentioned little bundles of energy (the 3, almost 4 year old) that was in the middle of it.

I'm working up a good sweat, kickin' some lady butt (including my own) when #2 comes to me with yet another complaint/question/thought (he's always interrupting).  I heard something about Mini Rob (3 year old), salt and pepper, and glass.  What did I do...ignored him.  "Please go away until I am done."

We're finally done....cooled down...ready to leave when #2 saunters back and requests my attention.  "Okay, Little Red...what do you need?"


"[Mini Rob] and ***** (neighbor boy whom we love and whom M.R. LOVES to get into mischief with) got into the salt and pepper shakers in the kitchen and dumped them out and broke some glass."


"HE WHAT?"


Yeah...they dumped out somewhere around 20 glass salt and pepper shakers and then decided to throw and shatter them all over the church's kitchen floor.  Lovely...just lovely!  At least Mini Rob was wearing shoes, ***** wasn't.  And he managed to escape with only one cut.  Don't ask me how.  Glass was EVERYWHERE!!!!!

*****'s mom and I (with the help of another lovely friend) finally got it cleaned up, amidst the sneezing, while another mommy held my shoeless, screaming one year old.

What a nightmare!

Now it's nap time.  I'm so happy I could cry....but I think I will just sleep instead.


Tell me..what kind of naughty things have YOUR kids done?

Fancy talking commitment issues

I don't know about all y'all moms but I am a mom that has a very hard time giving a straight answer.

When asked a question I often answer with "maybe" 's, "probably" 's, "I don't know" 's, etc.

It started with "being of testosterone" #1.  He was SO regimented, so routine oriented, so anal about everything (I have NO idea where that comes from...) that I started using these terms to make him "more flexible" in case things didn't work out.

 He handled it pretty well.

Well...it doesn't work for "b.o.t" #2.  He wants things straight, precise, exact.  And he will keep asking the same question over and over until you give him what he wants. 

Now that he is 5 I thought he was finally catching on...the whole "abstract thinking" thing.

This morning he asked me if he could go over to a friends house after "quiet time."

"Probably," I said.

"Mom...is probably your fancy way of saying no?"  he says.

(Giggling in my head)

"No [Little Red]...No.  Probably, usually means 'Yes'."


"So...can I go over to a friends house after quiet time?"

Sigh...maybe he is not catching on as well as I thought.


"YES [Little Red]...YES!"

It's so completely aggravating...

And yet I realize....it's Not him! It's me!

It's my problema!

Apparently I have some SERIOUS verbal commitment issues!

Bummer...I hate it when it's me!
Just one easy click!