Feel like a good giggle and all the while learn a few tips on a STRESS-FREE Turkey Day?

Stress-free Thanksgiving.htm

Bless the folks with senses of humor enough for all of womankind. Bless them for having experienced this and other random BS long enough to finally find it in themselves to laugh at it.

And I thank my lucky stars they have website with many other "Sporty Mama Says" kinfolk-filled pieces of material for me to loose myself in...

So Thank You, Happy Woman Magazine. You have indeed made me a Happy Woman.

Disclaimer: I have not read EVERY article on here and there's a good likelihood I'll disagree with at least one thing I find... just give it time.

6 Kid Snacks Adults Can Love... Guilt-free. Take THAT Yahoo! News!

As I compulsively checked my home page of Yahoo! as I checked one of many email addresses I manage, I came across an article titled 6 Kid Snacks Adults Can Love. So I checked it out because hey, who am I kidding? I'm as busy as the next person and I love to snack, so why not?

Then I found out that even the weakest ideas can grab a meager paycheck from a published highlight on Yahoo! news... LAME.  So I challenge the Almond peanuts, string cheese, prepared trail mix, bag o' potato chips flavored in classy ways, and Quaker granola bars... I applaud the thought that perhaps buying prepared foods might simply be something we all do (secretly too often during high-stress moments)... and then I offer you another list of slightly less boring and hopefully somehow a little purer of snacks, free of preparation, full of fun, flavor and nutrition....

Clif Z Bars - fantastic, flavorful, often has some version of chocolate, and the kids just LOVE EM!


Pirate's Booty - Seriously tasty (my fave? Aged white cheddar), you can even grab the tasty veggie kind, and who doesn't love to use the word Booty each and every day?

Annie's Bunnie Fruit  - gummy, fruity, and bunny shaped. Need I say more?





 Envirokidz granola-like bars - ridiculously, ridiculously good. I eat more than my kids do, seriously! Try the Lemur flavor, with its peanut goodness drizzled with chocolate... Mmmmm!

As the leaves fall and winter sets in...

It's another crazy season upon us here at the house and I swear it's like it never seems to end...

We've survived school starting, Halloween, school conferences, two children playing on separate sports teams in different organizations, a 7month old who recently popped two teeth through her gums like she's been doing it all her life, and the initial stages of buying a house. You'd think we'd get to a slowing down pace, right? WRONG.

Nope. We are now in preparation mode just in case we do buy this house. We are preparing for the onslaught of potential family arriving to stay for different lengths of time and are generally excited that despite it all, we are tighter and more in-love with our family than ever!

Now if we can just close on this stinkin' house deal...

Wish us luck!

Here's to new beginnings, ends of eras, and hopefully - a new mortgage!

Tis the end of a crazy summer. We become possessed as Little League zombies pushing through the life of baseball until mid-July. We traveled four states and gave the newborn babe in our lives a very thorough West Coast tour/welcome. Then finally, happily August hit.

And so did wedding preparations for Husband's sister. She's marrying her favorite gent from London and is hosting this occassion at the Grandma's grand home in Maine! That means we get to go!!! Sad thing about it, Grandma didn't make it to the wedding date in Sept... L.J.E. passed away, quite gently, a few days ago and thus we now are adding the celebration of her life and a memorial to prove it to our itinerary.

Oh right - don't forget the business trip to Boston smack dab in the middle....

With so many things to celebrate and a few things to meander and mourn, I can safely say, PLEASE SUMMER - JUST BE DONE NOW!!!!!!!!

I'm ready for school to start, schedules to meld together, and life to become a bit normal. But not (please no, not until) we are officially pre-approved for our home loan on a home that we have found and fallen in love with. It's wonderful and spacious and oh-so-us!!!  So we have become "pre-qualified" and are hoping to put an offer in soon.....

Cross your fingers! I'm can promise mine are!

Happiest of labor days, everyone. Be safe and don't forget to remind your people you love them!

Disastrous Fire - 1, old family land - 0

Craziest thing tonight - an impromptu fire occurred in our town just a few blocks over from home. Turns out, it was the land that our 2nd child had been born on. The house itself had been taken down a few years before, but the old, grumpy-yet-stoically aged barn and the rugged trailer had remained. Today, the both joined the old home in forms of ash and rubble.

12 other homes have also been lost thus far tonight in a neighborhood nearby. It seems this fire is moving north. Had it moved west we'd have been evacuated and displaced, but instead, we sit here mourning the loss of a place filled with memories for two families, five children, four dogs, and a couple of lazy owls that made home in that barn. Someone needs to tell the Punk House residents.

Thank you, Washington Street, for providing a place for punks, country singers, newly-in-love couples and small children alike to call home and feel safely tucked away.

Our prayers and safe wishes go out to the families who have lost their homes and treasures tonight...

Past, Present and Future - I must be in my 30s

Ever have one of those odd, non-life shattering, mid-life crisis moments when you question everything...

- Do I like my job? Really, really like my job and can I do it forever as an employee?

- Am I a decent mother, or did I just screw 3 innocent little beings by forcing them to succeed despite my efforts to not mess them up too much?

- How did I get so old so fast without noticing?

- Wait - am I actually old? NO! I'm too young to be this sedentary!!!

- Do I act too old or maybe I'm so young and naive to realize how fresh I really am?

- Oh crap! I just started worrying perhaps I can't cook as moderately ok as I think I can?

- Are my 3 kiddos growing up too fast without me noticing? Is that why I can't complete one scrapbook???

- I'm not missing a life-changing opportunity by working instead of staying home right?

- I'm not a bad mommy because I'd rather work than be a SAHM, yes?

Can't be the first time a mother has thought these... just thought I'd note them down tonight...

~ Simone

www.sportymamasays.blogspot.com

Oh Monday, you have let me down!

Ugh, ugh, ack.

What a gross Monday already, and we've only just begun.

The Bad News:  Yesterday's marinara sauce hit me like a steam boat and I was up all night facing the repercussions of having avoided tomatoes for a year (pregnancy and all). Ick.

I have a Department Head meeting today at work to discuss the next three months, and none of all three can I even begin to consider since my immediate future continues to hold for me a reservation with the porcelain god.

THEN, after that Department Head meeting I get to do a round with the Team meeting. Oh great. Now I get to fake just how happy I am to hear everyone's opinions. And to think that there was a special request for us all to have happy, open minds... My mind is open for sure, but my bathroom door - not so much. Ick.

Oh Monday! How you hate me so.

The good news: baby didn't not wake up once during my dates with said porcelain god. That means Murphy (and his laws) can piss off! hah!

AND - Middle Child woke up so pleasant and happy and bouncy! A rare treat indeed!

Ick. Back to remind said porcelain god I haven't forgotten how to find him. Must be a 'him' if I feel this icky.

It's exhausting, this mother/wife/friend/employee thing, and frankly - I need a vacation.

Is it so bad that I'd love to ditch every one of those above responsibilities and bail for a few days?

Leaving behind gleefully:

• kids 
• husband
• dogs
• housework
• emails
• text messages
• phone calls
• paperwork
• employees
• cars
• clocks
• paved roads

Because I'd do it, in a HEARTBEAT, if I could only get the time to scrape aside $900. Seriously.

It's been such a pre-season, session-cramming, busy 2010 that everyday I sit at my desk and longingly flirt with a gift certificate of $125 to a day spa that I received  in May. IN MAY, folks. That was nearly four months ago.

And to top it off, life got soooooooo busy that I couldn't even find the fire to blog-slash-whine about it! How crazy is that, I ask you???

So adieu, dear readers, for now. I'm going to go stow away a few bucks to start saving for vacation. I'm also gonna dig up my famous/favorite recipe for Blue Cheese Flan (prepare to die in the essence of blue cheese!) to share with ya'll soon.

In case anyone is worried, please don't fret. It's one of those exhausting days that melts away with sleep and all of the fluffy love and sweet dispositions of mommy-hood return with the rise of the sun.

~ Simone

The Difference In My Children Started At Birth - my guest blog appearance

Ingenue Mom, or Cameron, has so trustingly gifted me the chance to Guest Blog on her site!!!

One of my favorites, this mama has spent the last two weeks sharing others birth stories that will make you laugh, cry, and bring you to your knees with nostalgic memories of our babies who grow up so fast.

Check her out! And even more so, check out my birth story!

Cheers,
Simone

Nominated for TWO awards! Much gratitude flowing from me right now...

I'm still in complete awe just how gracious this blogging community of mamas is. I decided to start a blog as a personal experiment, then got caught up in the activity of responses, and realized that what I get in return is so much more rewarding.... it's amazing! All jokes and attitude aside, I am truly honored to be a part of the thousands of women out there sharing their lives with each other. It's an awesome creation.

From this amazing network, my adolescent blog has been nominated for, get this, TWO Versatile Blogger award, from two amazing women:

Mommy Only Has Two Hands - check her out. She has the sweetest of writing about her darling Jaydon and if you can spend a moment and peruse her blogs, I promise she will get you thinking... it's wonderful.


Cool Progeny - One of my favorites and a flippin' fantastic Twitter'er to follow as well, this gal is sure to keep you on your toes by offering information on odd ways to use Oatmeal to fresh food challenges to sharing the most useful and endearing experiences as a mama... You must check her out...

Now - on to accepting these awards. I have a few things I must do, and I will attempt to do them well.

There are a few things I must do in order to accept the award.

1) Thank the person who gave me the award.
2) Share seven things about me.
3) Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs, and let the nominees know about the award.

So here are seven things about me:

1. I work for an amazing Fair Trade, Organic tea company, EcoTeas, who are so kind as to give me the opportunity to run with my job to make it the best I can. They are some of the finest folks you'll meet. EcoTeas is here!
2. I have a serious issue with buying cute shoes that I don't wear out. I just don't go fancy often enough, yet the shoes remain cute!
3. I'd like to arrange for Alanis Morrisette to play me in that movie about me that isn't made yet.
4. I'm legally blind in my left eye and would probably give my right arm for Lasik surgery so I could swim with my kids.
5. Roses bug me. Not sure why.
6. I have a soft spot for Adam Sandler. He just seems vulnerable and cuddly.
7. I like listening to bad 90s music when I clean.

And my nominees are:

1. Ramblings of a Suburban Soccer Mom If you are looking for a genuine, no-holds-barred kind of writing that is funny, easy to relate to, and flat out ridiculously entertaining, this is your girl. Lara can make you feel like you aren't totally crazy after all. Love it!

2. One Cramazing Life Her motto, No Parenting Style is Perfect, is so right on. And yet, I challenge that, because she is parenting and educating from the heart, which is as close as you are gonna get to perfect. Check it out. You'll walk away a better person, honest!

3.Beloved Mama  - so fun, so real, so much love! You'll find it all here, full of pictures of inspiration and adoration. A true feel good.

4. Saving Mom's Sanity  This gal will make you feel sane. Seriously. She's quirky, frank, and so stinkin' entertaining! If there is one thing I know, it's that none of us go through something no one else has. She proves that and does it with a beautiful smile!

5. Obviously Marvelous Not sure how, exactly, but I always feel a little bit more hip after checking out her blog. It's awesome!

6. Ingenue Mom Inspirational, intelligent, and witty, this blog will surely leave you feeling good. One of my favorites!

7. Common Sense, Dancing So funny!!! And fun, and wise and real. My new favorite morning read!!!

8. Musings of a Modern Mom - Realistic and interesting, this mama will actually post reality and not just fascination with the small stuff. A true recommendation for those who want content and not busy work.

9. A Bloggy Mom This woman will blow your mind. Tiffany is a creator and a rockstar, running Bloggy Moms, participating in many nonprofit events and so much more! I strive to be more like her!

10. Crazy Town Oh My God(dess)... This gal cracks me the heck up. It's like, she reads my mind, puts it into eloquent yet ridiculously funny and casual writing, then posts it! Genius!

Oh my lord. my computer is freaking out so I'm only giving you ten! Thanks for understanding!!!

Many thanks for the awards! I'm truly honored! Keep blogging, keep reading, and keep on livin'!

~ Simone

www.sportymamasays.blogspot.com