Friend Makin' Monday - Hairstyles

Amber over at aefilkins is asking the following question:

If you cut your hair tomorrow, what would it look like?

Funny she should ask such a question when I've been having quite the hair dilemma lately...I can't for the life of me decide what I want to do with my hair...but I do know it's time for a change!

I've had short hair before...in fact I have a few pics of the short hair:

Although I liked having short hair and people constantly tell me (when it's short) how great it looks...I prefer having longer hair...like it is now...the pic below is from last Summer...but my hair is much the same today because I've only had it trimmed once or twice since. I like having the option to tie it back...wear it partially up or just wear it down. I like to have it wavy most days but will straighten it when the mood strikes or we're going out.

So I guess if I were to cut my hair tomorrow...I'd likely change it...but not a drastic change. Perhaps just maybe add a little side swept bang to offset my huge forehead! lol. Maybe something like this....

Friend Makin' Mondays - New Years Resolutions

Amber over at aefilkins is asking us what our new years resolutions are this year...so here are a few goals I have in mind...

1. First and foremost this year it is my goal to become a non-smoker. I no longer want to be a part of the smokers club...yes I enjoy it and it will be a tough habit to kick...but it's dirty and gross and hella expensive!!!

2. I would love to get into a regular exercise routine...I tend to be able to get into one and keep it up for a month or two...and then before I know it my routine (and exercise in general) falls to the wayside...I hope this year I can change that.

3. Live life to the fullest and without regrets...I know that seems like common sense...but sometimes I need to remind myself not to dwell on the negatives.

4. Last but not least...save save save. We have so much we want to accomplish...buying our first home...getting engaged...going on a vacation...all of which costs money. I am currently in debt and want to get out of it so I can move forward financially...just call me penny pincher from now on lol.

So what are your goals for 2010?

Friend Makin' Mondays - All I want for Christmas...

Link up with Amber over at aefilkins and tell us all what YOU want for Christmas this year...here's my list:

1. First and foremost I am so thankful for the beautiful little family I have. I'm so excited to spend Christmas with my two favourite boys!

- I really feel this year that the boy, the boyfriend and I are a family now. It took a few years to get over the "it's me and the boy against the world" mentality I had since I was single and raising the boy alone for so long. But we've jumped that hurdle and sometimes I look at the boyfriend with the boy and forget what life was like before he came into it. So all that to say...I hope on Christmas morning they both have big smiles on their faces (I know I will!)...and we create memories that will last a lifetime!

2. I picked out the bedding that I'm getting...but I really really wanted it...so that makes me happy! The boyfriend did pay for it...I just picked it out lol. It's torturing me not to be able to put it on my bed NOW...

3. I know how badly the boyfriend wanted to be able to put a pretty little diamond ring on my finger this Christmas...the boy would really like that too...and well of course I would love it...but alas money is tight these days and the boyfriend has a few loose ends to tie up where his previous relationship is concerned...but we've talked about it ALOT...and over the weekened we were browsing rings online...and I do believe I found the one I want...the boyfriend loves it too...so we both have faith that we'll be able to make it happen soon. So maybe I won't get it for Christmas...but I just know he won't disappoint me...and we'll be a forever family very soon.

So to sum it all up...I want us all to be happy and healthy and have lots fun!!!!

Friend Makin' Mondays - Most Embarrassing Moments

Amber over at aefilkins is hosting Friend Makin' Mondays and this week she's asking us to describe some of our most embarrassing moments. As a rule I am not easily embarrassed...I am an open book and wear my heart on my sleeve...so it's not like some deep dark secret is going to come out at our family Christmas dinner and embarrass me.

BUT...my little toddler (back when he was a toddler) had the habit of embarrassing me out in public...here is a story of one such incident...told in my own words just after it happened lol. I was going through my inbox the other day and saw an email to my dad's girlfriend...so here it is...

Originally written February, 2005 - the boy was approximately 3.5 years of age.

Here's one that'll get you laughing......the other day we were at Blockbuster renting movies, and what does my kid decide to do??? He had been driving me crazy all day and he topped off the day by opening the emergency exit door and setting the alarm off and it didn't even shut off when we closed the door so we had to wait till the staff could come and get it shut off....talk about making me want to crawl under a rock.....I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was mortified.

The funniest part...apparently I was so mortified by this event that I blocked it out...I had no recollection of it until I read it just last week. lol.

So how about it...what's your most embarrassing moment? Does your child/pet/spouse/BFF have the tendancy to embarrass you??? Spill it...

Friend Makin' Monday - Survey Says!

Amber over at aefilkins is hosting Friend Makin' Mondays and I love that this week she has a survey for us to do...apparently she did last week too but I never even got around to reading much last week nevermind posting! So here goes...

1. Favorite website
- Facebook and Blogger top my list of favourites!

2. Favorite color
- Blue

3. Facebook? {Post a link or share your name if you want some new Facebook friends!}
- Yeppers - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=542510235

4. Favorite Christmas song?
- Walking in a Winter Wonderland

5. Christmas tree: Real or fake?
- Fake

6. Hottest celebrity?
- Matthew McCaughne-hey hey lol

7. Favorite restaurant?
- Olive Garden...YUM

8. Favorite magazine?
- People...though I do love me some Cosmo too!

9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays?
- Rum and egg nog is definitely a favourite...or coconut rum and hot chocolate! YUM.

10. Favorite Christmas movie.
- Hmmm, not sure I have one...I love them all! But especially the Christmas kiddie shows they air on tv right around Christmas...they remind me of my childhood.

That was fun! Hope you all enjoyed reading my answers!

Friend Makin' Mondays - Recipes

Amber is hosting Friend Makin' Mondays today over on her blog...check her out!

This week we've been asked to share a favourite recipe...so here goes...this recipe isn't exactly a favourite since the boyfriend just made it for me for the first time about 2 weeks ago...but it will be my new favourite this winter season...the boy loved it too!

Cheeseburger Stew

1 lb ground beef
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp beef bouillon granules (or beef Oxo cube)
½ tsp salt
2½ cups milk
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, then drain off the excess fat. Stir in the potatoes, celery, onion, beef bouillon granules, salt, and 1½ cups of water. Cover and cook until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.

Blend ½ cup of the milk with the flour and add this to the saucepan along with the rest of the milk. Cook, stirring often, until the stew is well thickened. Stir in the cheese until it melts.

Sprinkle a little more shredded cheese on top, if you like. We had ours with nice crusty bread rolls.

Friend Makin' Mondays - Halloween Candy

This week Amber is asking the question - What's your favourite Halloween candy?

The candy for me that takes the No. 1 spot is most definitely Reeses Peanut Butter cups...but sadly my boy didn't get a single one this year....boooooooooo!!! He did get some Reeses Pieces and I managed to sneak a bag or 2 of those out of his stash last night...lol.



Next up...I love me some Mars bars...thankfully there were a few of those given out this year...and my boy doesn't really like them so they are all MINE!


This year...I've developed a bit of a love for Sour Patch kids...I loved the Fuzzy Peaches as a teen but had kind of gotten away from the chewy candy in recent years...but sour = yummy this year.

And last but not least...we most certainly got more chips this year than in past years...and I'm lovin' it. I'm more of a salt lover than a sweet lover most days anyway lol. My favourite chips are all dressed...and the boy got lots and lots of those...

So yes...when all is said and done...I will be the size of a house...but I won't be the only one since the boyfriend has eaten his fair share of candy in the past 2 days...

Friend Makin' Monday - 20 Questions

Amber over at AEFilkins is hosting Friend Makin' Mondays. Head on over to her blog to join in the fun.

This week she's being nosy (a girl after my own heart lol) and asking 20 questions...here they are:

1. Do you cook every night?
- I try to...I also try and make balanced meals (ie. meat, veggie, starch)...let me tell you, do I ever look forward to easy dinner night (at least once a week)...which usually involves nachos or pizza...or mac and cheese (the boy's all time favorite).

2. What kind of laundry detergent do you use & why?
- Whatever is on sale. My mom was always loyal to Tide because she has very sensitive skin...for me it doesn't matter as long as it passes my smell test.

3. Do you do laundry every day or loads at a time?
- I do a load almost every day after dinner. Towards the end of the week I tend to slack off and then I have a few loads waiting for me to do on Sunday morning.

4. How often do you eat out per week?
- not much at all. Usually once a week for lunch and once every 2 weeks as a family - of course there is the ocassional date night and that would make it twice in 2 weeks.

5. Where do you usually eat out?
- McDonalds...sometimes Burger King...my preference is Subway.

6. What is your favorite retail store?
- Walmart!!! Or Ricki's for clothes for me (their sizes run big and I can currently squeeze myself into a 4...no way am I shopping anywhere else!)

7. What's your favorite thing to drink?
- Coke

8. Do you take vitamins? What kind?
- I don't...but I'm told I should. Last time I was at the doctor's office my Vitamin B levels were down and they suggested I take some...but I haven't.

9. What percentage of the household chores to you do?
- Oh boy...about 80%. I'm trying to get the boy more involved in chores and would also like the boyfriend to help out a little more so I've been giving him more jobs...granted he does do some cooking and since I HATE doing dishes he'll do them 90% of the time.

10. Do your children do chores? {Or will they, did they, etc}
- Yes - he does chores...but only when asked. I really need to get on the ball and make him up a chore chart with regular chores for him to do on a daily and weekly basis...that way we can institute allowance, which he has been begging for since June.

11. Do you go to church?
- No.

12. Do you have a housework schedule?
- No...I work from room to room when I have the motivation...if I have zero motivation I tidy what visitors see lol.

13. Do you keep a working budget?
- Not really - another thing we need to work on because there are alot of things we should and could be saving for.

14. What do you do at night as a family?
- during the Summer it's pretty relaxed...we'll go for a walk after dinner or sit outside...if the weather is crummy (has been almost all summer) we'll snuggle watching some tv or a movie.

15. How do you prepare yourself for a new week?
- I try to get organized on Sundays...sometimes the best laid don't get followed through on though lol. I do make sure we all have clean clothes and if that's the best I can do that day...then so be it.

16. What do your mornings look like?
- I get up and get the boy up, hop into the shower, get the boy breakfast, make coffee, get the boyfriend out of bed, hop on the computer for a quick check of email and facebook, make lunches, do my hair and little bit of makeup, have a quick cup of coffee I made 1/2 hour earlier...and then head on out the door. All of this in precisely ONE hour lol.


17. What time do you get up in the mornings?
- I am supposed to get up around 6:30...but this morning it was more like 6:47...ahhhh lol.

18. What time do you go to bed at night?
- Usually around 11:00...sometimes a little earlier sometimes a little later.

19. How do you manage all of the paperwork that floods into your household? {bills, school work, magazines, ads, etc}
- Right now I have piles all over my house...I have a shoe box in the computer room that is full...a junk drawer in our bedroom again FULL...all important papers get stuck to our fridge as a reminder to me (school stuff etc)...and currently we are in the midst of adding a bulletin board to the computer room for the stuff that is important but maybe not as important as the fridge stuff (actually I really hope the bulletin board will be big enough so I can stop using my fridge as one lol).

20. How do you keep your household organized? {calendars, charts, etc}
- the simple answer...I don't lol. I have my own little way of organizing...but really like Amber I have a huge accumulation of stuff that needs to be donated or sold in my basement...and it is driving me CRAZY.