Santa's Little Helper

Just thought I would share a Christmas miracle with you. Imagine your child so engaged in a toy that when you ask "Do you want to watch the Wonder Pets?" they say "No". That is not a typo, ladies. He really said no (and I really asked if he wanted to watch tv instead of play quietly with a toy--I know, I'm mom of the year). Since it's not actually Christmas yet, technically it's not a true "Christmas" miracle, but that just means that you are hearing about it early enough for online shopping for the holidays. What is this magical toy, you ask? Wedgits. A big thanks to my sister-in-law for this inspired purchase for Luke's birthday. These little blocks keep my very active 3 year old happy and content... at least until his baby sister comes over and knocks down his "supa cool sky scwapa". This toy has won multiple awards, including toy of the year, plus it stacks neatly away in these little plastic holders. Honestly, he's been getting a little huffy with me since I want to play with them too. Well...they are really cool. If you have a kiddo between 3 and 5 or are shopping for one this holiday season, Wedgits are a sure-fire hit. Think of all the time you will have to watch your shows instead of Go, Diego, Go. Momma happy.

Warning: if you have a dog that is even remotely interested in ingesting your kids' toys, be vigilant ...this toy is even hard for Fido to resist. Especially if you have a retriever.

Me and My Mio-A Modern Love Story

I know that many of you are having a heart attack after checking my blog and finding that (gasp!) I've actually posted something new. Let's just say that I've been slaying dragons for the last few months (hang in there, mom). Well, I have a new favorite thing and I felt the time was right for a comeback tour. I have been a little pissy about the fact that I haven't managed to get back to pre-second baby weight, so I decided I needed to embrace the technology out there that would help me work off my booty. Not wanting to invest the $250 for the BodyBugg, I chose the Mio Motiva Petite and it ROCKS!!!!!! You enter all your personal info, like weight, height, age, how much weight you want lose a week, ect. and presto....you have a daily calorie goal. Then you enter in your calories for each meal. Then you work out...(unfortunately the watch doesn't do it for you). It has a strapless heart rate monitor on the watch that monitors how many calories you are actually burning for the duration of your workout. It calculates how many calories burned and subtracts them from your intake. As long as you stay below your number of net daily calories...you are on your way to being someone that people refer to as "tiny". The cool thing about this is that it totally takes away the need for a food diary since you just enter your meals right into your watch. Bonus is that I don't have to do any math - my nemesis since 7th grade algebra . I've only had this thing for a week, but I love it and have already lost a pound. Momma happy. I mean, Tiny Momma Happy.

PS- I got mine at Academy for $89, but if you can wait for the post office, Amazon had it for $79.

What it Izze, my friend...what it Izze

Yes, I have been gone a while, so let's just put that out on the table and address it. I have a love/hate relationship with my computer. Sometimes, I think that if I don't check email, FB or blog for weeks at a time, I won't have 800 emails to check or 148 profile updates on FB. If I don't see them, they don't see me, right? So far that theory is wrong. Anywho....I wanted you all to know about your next favorite thing to drink. Izze Sparkeling Clementine Soda!!! Notice I put not two, but three exclamation points after that name. It is that good. I was in the store, looking for the next item in my bag of tricks to bribe my toddler to eat his dinner when I saw this. 70% pure fruit juice, splash of sparkeling water...hmmm...a bribe without the soul-selling guilt that you have after you give your child a Ding Dong? I like it! Then I tasted it. I love it. Now... I am a loyal diet soda drinker. Diet Coke as a rule and Diet Dr. Pepper if your nasty, Ms. Jackson. Now, I am breaking out. It might even be my death-bed drink, which prior to this discovery was going to be an ice cold Coca Cola. They come in a four pack and you can find them at most grocery stores. I will warn you...buy at least 2 packs. One for you and one for everyone else in your family. Momma Happy.

PS. For those of us that like a little kick, I think this would be great with a splash of Absolute, but haven't tried it yet. If you do, let me know how bad the hangover was. ;)

The most horrible thing

Normally, my blogs are pretty cheery. This one is not...but it could save your child's life. My friend Stacy is a nurse at Medical City Dallas. She told me that she can remember the room number and name of every child that has come in there because of a drowning accident, and almost all of the parents divorce afterward. Not surprising given the fact that, after the loss of a child, the divorce rate jumps up to 90%. I'm sure there are many reasons for this...blaming the spouse, blaming themselves, or just not being able to move on past this loss with someone else that is so close to it. She also said that, in almost all the circumstances, the child was being watched. Drowning is the #2 killer for children under 6. This is my WORST FEAR!!!!! I have never been a strong swimmer, so maybe that is why I'm so anal about my kids learning to swim, especially with family that lives directly on a lake. Of course, even kids that know how to swim have freak accidents. She told me about something that can help keep your child safe around water. Thank God someone came up with this invention. www.safetyturtle.com. This is a wrist band that you attach to your child whenever they are around water. It has a base unit that plugs in or runs on batteries. Anytime the wrist band is submerged, an alarm sounds. It will not go off in the rain or sprinklers, only when it is fully submerged. You can have multiple wristbands on one unit to protect all the kids. It runs anywhere between $150 and $200 depending on where you buy it online. Some pool supply places carry it as well. Obviously, this is not a substitute for hawk-like focus on your children when they are around bodies of water, but on the off chance that you got a phone call, or the dog got out and you chase it, or someone left the pool gate open, this is a great way to keep from becoming a very sad statistic. Momma happy.

With a little help from my friends...

Something really cool has happened since I started this blog...my peeps are sending me links to their favorite things as well! In the interest of getting the good word out, this is a list of several things that people have forwarded me, emailed me, or phoned me about that will help make your life a little easier, one way or another.

1.) www.hanes.com - They have some deep discounts on great tees and comfy yoga wear. They even have a version of the skirt/dress/ shirt that I mentioned in a seperate blog for
seventeen-dolla-make-you-holla!! Whoo-hoo! Check out the clearence center for seriously cheep stuff!
2.)www.lululemon.com - I have been told that this is like Lucy(my favorite) only better. The "be still" pants are suppose to be the bomb and very versitile for travel, work, or whatever. There are stores in Dallas if you want to try on before buying.
3.)JCP Daily Deal - For online shoppers, you can get some pretty deap discounts if you check out the "daily deal" at www.jcpenney.com
4.)Baby Bakes - For those of you with babies that don't want to worry about how many spiders are really in your baby food, my friend swears by this. She got it online at Bed Bath and Beyond with the 20% coupon that you get in your mailbox every other day. She says it's a great stress reliever (she has three little ones), which explains the huge stores of baby food in her freezer.
5.)Podee bottle - The day that our babies hold a bottle for themselves is a joyful celebration for most moms. Finally we can feed in the car while we are driving! I had to wait 6 to 8 long months on my kiddos before this milestone, but this bottle changes everything. It has a straw connected to the nipple that allows you to pop it in, prop the bottle and move on out. Brilliant. Check them out at www.podee.com.

Thanks to all of you that have passed along your favorite things. Keep 'em coming! I love the scoop almost as much as I love to pass it on. It feeds my need to gossip in a very healthy way. Momma happy.

Oh, rub her smooth skin....

Sir-Mix-Alot might not be this generation's Byron, but he knew that a soft girl is a sexy girl. Of course, I must be part lizard and therefore find it difficult to get that illusive smooth skin sometimes. To add insult to injury, imagine you are walking along when all of a sudden you catch a whiff of foul stench. You think, "What is that smell....wait, it's me.". You then realize that it's been two days since you showered because you haven't had the time or the energy. Mothers of small children everywhere are nodding their heads. Don't be ashamed if you have opted for a nap during your free time instead of a shower. It happens to the best of us. It's kinda hard to feel like a hot momma when you are a tired, stressed, stinky mommy. I have one thing that is an instant perk up. Origins Ginger Rush Intensely Hydrating Cream. It's my kill-two-birds-with-one-stone solution to dry skin/stinky skin. My sweet mother-in-law was the one that turned me on to this one and I'm so glad she did. Gone are the days of ashy-ness. Gone are the days of smelling like a yeti. This stuff is the best thing that I have ever used for dry skin and smells so awesomely clean, you will walk around smelling the back of your hand for the rest of the day. In a perfect world, you would also get to take a shower without having to peep out every minute or two to make sure that the baby in the exersaucer is still alive and your two year old isn't eating your hair product. I guess that is the price you pay for living the dream, but at least you smell good doing it. Momma happy.

Beer Me, Sunshine!

Ah, summertime. A couple of nice sunny days and I totally forget about how, in just a few short weeks, I will be living in the inferno known as the Texas summer. Once the thermometer hits 75 and the wind finally dies down I can only think about one thing...patios! For three whole weeks, we have the perfect patio weather!!!! And what goes hand in glove with patios? That's right...a nice cool adult beverage! To be more specific, summer beer. Ah, yes, those of you that have partaken in summer beer can taste it now. If you are a summer beer virgin, get ready to change your drink of choice for summertime. My friend Sam told me about this one a few years ago ( I have many hangovers to thank her for). Those of you from New Orleans probably know all about this concoction. Leave it to the professional drinkers to come up with this tasty little number! Here is the recipe:

Summer Beer

One can of frozen pink lemonade
One can of vodka (use the pink lemonade can)
3 cans of any light beer that you like

I know, I know...it sounds disgusting. It is sooooo not. Trust me. It's the perfect drink for a girl's night, cook out, camping (strongly encouraged after my last camping experience, this would have come in handy) or just hanging out with your honey. It's so good that you will not even realize that you have over served yourself, which leads me to my next point. RESPECT THE SUMMER BEER! It is a fickle mistress that will knock you on your booty before you can say "Can you make another pitcher?". Everyone that I have told about summer beer loves it and I hope that you do too. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to go mix up a pitcher now. Momma happy.

Tightening the Belt

We are all very aware that the economy is not what it use to be. If you are not one of the fortunate employees of AIG that just got a great big bonus, then you are probably looking for ways to save a few bucks. I have a few tricks that I have been using with some success and thought they would be worthwhile to share. Please feel free to comment below and pass along some of your favorite penny pincher's too!
1. www.thegrocerygame.com - Shout out to Shayla for this great website find! You can sign up free for 8 weeks and customize the grocery stores that you want specials from. Every week, you get "the list" of the coming week's specials, it tells you what coupon to use to save even more, and when the price is so low that you need to stock up. You will have to build a coupon base by spending about 10 minutes a week pulling out the coupons from the Sunday paper. Consider this the perfect excuse to get your husband to keep the kids out of your hair, after all, you are saving money and he loves that! I save about 20% a week, but I sort of half ass it. My friend saves about 40% a week on average.
2. Frozen Juice-for those of you with little ones, you probably buy somewhere in the neighborhood of a gazillion juice boxes a year. My trick is to get the concentrated frozen juice, add much more water then it calls for to deplete the sugar, and keep it in a pitcher in the fridge. It is much cheaper than the alternative and makes me feel like I'm not creating a sugar guzzling monster since there is more water than juice.
3. Rotisserie Chicken-Walmart sells these babies in the deli. They make them all day, so you can usually find one that came out in the last hour. They are around $5 or so. This doubles as a time and money saver for me. I get home and pull all the meat off. I put half in one container to freeze for the next time I want to make chicken enchiladas or chicken soup and use half for some sort of pasta. I have two dinners done for $5! What a bargain! Now, occasionally I could find a chicken on special that might be less, but then I have to roast it myself. I'm waiting for the soup lines to start before I go to that extreme.
4. Diapers-Lord help you if you have 2 or more kids in diapers in this economy. With Luke, I just blindly paid $27 a box for the brand names. Now, I know better. Consumer Reports did an issue on diapers last year and compared Pampers, Huggies, White Cloud (Walmart's store brand) and Target's store brand. They found them all to be the same!!!! The only thing that isn't the same is the price...store brands are cheaper by about $13 a box. I love the Target brand. It works great and we have almost no blowouts. When you stop and think about what happens in these things, you realize to pay more for a brand is crazy.
5. End of Season Sales-Clothes are dirt cheap at the end of the season, so it's a good time to score some major deals. Buy only what you think might still look good next time that season rolls around (Put down the bubble dress, sister. It will be a distant memory next year.). For kids, you can really, really rake in some cute clothes on the cheap. I always buy a size or two up at the end of season for the next year. Let's say you get a whole summer wardrobe and junior had a growth spurt and now his new clothes are way small. Leave the tags on!!!!!! Some stores will give you store credit if you return, but you might actually make money by putting them on Craig's list. If the tags are on, people will pay more for them. Scratch off the $1.99 sticker and they feel really good about paying $4 for something that they think you paid $8 for. Online shoppers, don't forget about http://www.retailmenot.com/! You can always find some sort of coupon to save you even more dinero on the sale stuff!
6.Library-Huh? Let me say that again...lib-rar-y. I read everything that I can get my hands on, so this one might be self-indulgent, but if I would have gotten a library card in my twenties, I would be a wealthy women right now. Well, maybe not right now with the way the market is performing, but you get my drift. I have spent thousands of dollars on books in my life. The library has every one of them for free. I love to get the kids books there to, of course. Mix in free dvd and cd rentals and you can cut out some of your entertainment budget. Most libraries let you reserve new releases, which makes it great for movie night.
This is my two cents on how to save two cents. Again, if you have any tips, please add them below in the comment area. It takes a village to save some money. I'm glad my village is filled with smart ladies like you. Momma happy.

A poor man's Central Market

If there is anyone out there that knows me and hasn't heard me rave about Sprouts, then this one is for you. I love going to Central Market. It makes me feel like a grown up to stroll the endless aisles of organic, herb-infused, yumminess. What I don't like is that I can only buy 4 things before my grocery budget is shot. Enter Sprouts. I say it is a poor man's Central Market, but this is not reflective of the quality, just the prices. This store is my new best friend. I LOVE IT!!!!! I can take $40 and buy a week's worth of fresh, locally grown veggies, fruits and meats with enough left over to sneak in some bulk chocolate covered almonds. You think I'm kidding? Go to www.sprouts.com and look at the online circular. Rump roast for $1.99/lb, organic apples $.77/lb, 1 lb. packages of strawberries 2 for $3 (and I thought that this was an off week)! Madness!!! They also process all their meat in store, hand stuff all the brats and sausages, and still have better deals then the regular grocery store. Oh, I hear you naysayers out there..."Good for you, Leah, but I don't live in Dallas. Enjoy your organic feasting Miss Dallas Fancy Grocery Girl." Good news. This company is spreading like a Texas wild fire. They currently have stores in CA, CO, AZ and TX. Look at the website and see how many COMING SOON!'s there are. Tons. Fresh food that doesn't wreck my budget? What's not to love? Momma happy.

BUDGET LIVING: I always go on Wednesdays. This is double ad day where you get the next week's sales and the last week's sales. It's the highlight of my week.

I hate it when that happens...fat baby legs

Does this sound familiar to you moms out there? You are dreaming about Hugh Jackman rubbing sun screen on your back. You look at him, and he smiles and then, for some inexplicable reason, he starts to cry. Not a normal cry, but one that sounds a lot like your 8 month old. Just as you are beginning to think that Hugh is not so sexy with his face all wrinkled up like that, you wake up and realize that it IS your 8 month old. You begrudgingly go in to check on the little darling to make sure that there isn't a fever or a snake or a bigfoot in the room (I just got back from camping, can you tell?) and, once again, little miss fat thighs has gotten herself stuck. Now, maybe I am the only mom in the whole world whose children have fat enough thighs to be stuck in the crib slats, but this a regular occurrence with the Nieman babies as soon as they are old enough for me to take out the bumper. It's like their little legs just can't wait to explore the great world outside of the crib and they wait until the little one falls asleep and try to sneak out on their own. Normally, I just go in, put the leg back in it's place, and try to resume my beach romp, where I am cellulite free, with Hugh. The problem is that after several nights in a row of the rude awakening, I was done. I found a great solution to the fat baby leg dilemma-Breathable Baby crib bumper. http://www.breathablebaby.com/. It's thin enough that the baby that is just learning to pull up can't use it as a step ladder to pitch themselves out of the crib, but the netting prevents any limbs from getting stuck. I would really recommend it to anyone that uses a bumper, as now "they" say that the quilted ones pose a risk of suffocation to an infant. One thing to warn you about, it comes in two pieces. You can either follow the directions on the packaging and have it in two pieces or, you can reverse them and Velcro them together for one seamless piece of sleep security. That's what I did, since our babies legs have a mind of their own and would find the one corner that is open. Now that Kara is 10 months, I am happy to report that we have not had any more stuck legs. My dreams are once again uninterrupted and Hugh has agreed never to make that wrinkled up baby cry face again. Momma happy.

From a Whisper to a Scream And Back Again

WARNING: This is for moms or soon to be moms. If you are not even remotely considering living with a screaming baby 24-7, then only read this if you need a really good idea for a baby shower gift. Now, for those of you that are still reading, allow me to paint you a picture. You are pregnant for the first time. Before the pee is even dry on your pregnancy test, you are at Barnes & Noble buying "What To Expect When You Are Expecting". You read this book, chapter by chapter, skipping ahead to see what fruit or vegetable size your baby is going to be next month. By the end of your pregnancy, you are not impressed with this information anymore as you KNOW that you have a full blown watermelon in your womb with out having to read it. Then the baby comes. What now? Why did I spend so much stupid time on that stupid book with the stupid food comparisons? I have the answer to your cry for help. Two words. Baby Whisperer. More specifically, "The Baby Whisperer Solves All You Problems" by Tracy Hogg. Now we are moms with real, living breathing little humans in our house. Now we know to get our books at Half Price Books because diapers and formula are much more important than a coffee shop in our bookstore. This book is right under my Bible on my nightstand and I'm not even kidding. I found this little gem before I had Luke. It basically walks you through everything you need to know about babies and toddlers. She tells you how to get them on an established routine, when to feed, when to sleep, when and how to start potty training, how to cut short a tantrum, and the list goes on. She breaks down the type of personality that your baby has and tells you how to adjust for it. This book is the reason that both of my kids were sleeping through the night at 2-3 months. I'm not bragging, here. It's nothing that you couldn't do if you read the book and followed her plan. I cannot recommend this book enough. I have literally referenced this book at least once a month (usually much more frequently) for the last two and a half years. I'm still working on the potty training/tantrum tactics, but time will tell. If you are looking for a good, comprehensive, and common sense way to help you get more sleep with screaming newborns and to help you keep your toddler from having total demon-possessed melt downs in Target, this book might be your new best friend. Momma happy.

www.ihategreenbeans.com

The Bachelor. So much twitter about The Bachelor this season. Well...all of us Bachelor warriors, those of us that have been there from the beginning with creepy whats-his-name to goobery Charlie and now to whiney-hiney Jason, know that this is just par for the course. Every once in a while, ABC likes to totally screw up one of the contestant's lives so that they can eek out a little more hoopla by casting the next Bachelor/Bachelorette from the previous one's reject pile. For those of you that don't know about the recap blog, you MUST check out www.ihategreenbeans.com. Now, I'm from East Texas. I love me an East Texas girl that can call it like she sees it. Lincee is that girl. I have been following her blog since before blog was a real word...back when you had to be on some one's email list to get it (thank you Amanda). She is the biggest single reason that I still watch this train wreck every season. If you are new to her site, you must go back and view the recaps. They are priceless. You will laugh off at least 2 lbs. if you watched the season and know what she is talking about. If you didn't watch this season, you should at least read the latest blog, because unless you have been struck deaf and blind by God in the last few days, you have heard and seen enough about the show's finale to appreciate her comments. I can't wait until May when it's hot tubs and dry humping all over again. Knowing that I have a good, old fashioned, belly laugh waiting for me every Tuesday evening makes it worth the self-loathing I feel for the addiction. Momma happy.

Thank Goodness for Infomercials

I'm sure that we have all been there. It's 2:07 in the morning and you have just woken up to go pee. You think, "I'll be able to go right back to sleep" and then after what seems like 8 hours of tossing and turning you look at the clock again. 4:23. In the AM! Crap. So, out of bed we tromp to flip on the TV. Nothing is on before 5:00 except for infomercials. It's now 4:30 and a promising one has just started. It's the bareMinerals one. Yeah! I love to watch all those faces go from splotchy to perfectly made up with just a few strokes of the Handi Buki brush. Three or four years ago, I got caught up in the bareMinerals craze. I guess I was just on the right sleepless night at the right infomercial time. Since then, I have been a loyal follower. There isn't a whole lot that I can say about this product that has not been covered on the infomercial. I'll just add that the product is just about as good as they say it is. I say "just about" because it is suppose to minimize lines, and I have not found that to be the case. Of course, it could be that my lines are beyond minimizing. Also, I find it to be a great little zit zapper. Just dab a little of the foundation on your little face friend and it dries it up pretty fast. The other thing I would mention is that, while the mineral veil seems like a nothing deal, it really makes a difference with how smooth your makeup looks. After two kids and several sleepless nights, I need all the help I can get. Momma happy.

BUDGET LIVING: If you are looking to buy this makeup and want to get the most value for your buck, here is how you do it. Subscribe to the club at www.bareminerals.com and get the makeup, brushes and mineral veil. The brushes alone would cost you over $100 and they are definitely worth it. Once you figure out your shade and/or get tired of paying $60 every other month for the tiny jars, cancel and go buy it at the store. Ulta, Sephora and the bareMinerals store all charge about the same, around $25. And it's the big jar.

Snug as a Bug in a Womb

I'm a BIG believer in swaddling. When I see a baby asleep in a crib with arms and legs just left out to flop, my fingers itch to wrap that baby up in a snug little bundle. Both of my kids were swaddled until they started kicking out of it (about 4 months). Swaddling is a fairly new rebirth, if you will, of a very ancient tradition. As a matter of fact, America is just about the only country that hasn't done this for the last few hundred years. I have a couple of reasons why I love the swaddle. One, it makes the babies feel secure. If you were cruising the first 9 months of your life in a warm, cozy, nicely upholstered ride like a uterus and then you are yanked out into the cold, big space of your new life, you would feel pretty freaked out. Swaddling allows the baby to feel warm and cozy again. They like the straight jacket, it feels like home. For my second reason, a little visualization is needed. Have you ever seen a lizard lose it's tail? Here's Mr. Lizard and all of a sudden, he gets startled and, whoa, "Hey, man. Where did my tail go?" Then he looks behind him and sees it flopping around all by itself. You know that has to be a bad day for the lizard. Well, babies are sort of the same. They have about as much control over their arms and legs as Mr. Lizard has over his tail flopping around. So, when they sleep, their little arms can flail and flap around, hitting them in the face and waking them up from an otherwise peaceful sleep. So, if you are a new mom, or about to be one, be kind and swaddle that baby. My mom makes the best swaddle blanket for cold weather babies, but I have to say Aden + Anias is my very favorite for summer swaddling. They are Australian mom's that couldn't find the same kind of swaddle blanket in the States that they had back home in Australia. Check them out at http://www.adenandanias.com/. I found these gauzy blankets after the birth of my second child and really regretted not having them for the first. They are breathable enough that the baby won't get sweaty head, but are substantial enough, especially folded in half, to keep them warm. They are huge blankets, too, which will help with a growing baby. As matter of fact, these are also pretty good multi-taskers (you know how I love multi-taskers)! I still use mine for throwing over a car seat if Kara is asleep, throwing over the stroller to keep the sun out or her eyes, and on the ground for outdoor play time. They are thin enough to fold into almost nothing in your diaper bag and come in the cutest designs. If you are about to have a baby, or know someone who is, these will be well used and well appreciated. Momma happy.

LOCATION ALERT: If you live in the Dallas area and just have to have one of these right now, there is a store in Richardson called Peppermint that carries these blankets. See http://www.peppermint.com/ for directions.

Universal Booty

I am always on the market for a great pair of jeans. I dream of one day slipping on a pair that both slides on easily yet doesn't get butt sprung in 5 minutes. One that hugs my good curves while hiding my bad ones. Is that too much for a girl to ask? My ears perked up recently as I was half listening to one of the hundred Today Show fashion segments. What I heard was this: "Blah, blah, blah, universal fit, blah, blah, makes everybody look good, blah, blah, White House/Black Market." That's all I needed to hear. I got online and, wha-la, on the front page are the jeans they were talking about. The Blanc Essential Jean. Now, I don't know about you, but universal fit appealed to me because sometime I feel like my booty is as big as the universe. I'm always worried something might get trapped in my booty orbit. So I went to the nearest White House/Black Market and tried these puppies on. It was like a dream come true. My booty hadn't looked this good since November of 2005, which is no small feat since I'm still trying to lose my last couple of pounds of baby weight. Momma happy.

BUDGET LIVING: At $78, these jeans are reasonable by today's standards. To save a few more bucks, go to www.retailmenot.com and enter White House/Black Market. There is a coupon code that will save you an extra $20 off an $80 purchase through March 1. By the by, I love this website and use it every time I order online. You can almost always find free shipping at the very least.

Clean Freaks Unite!

Do you have a problem sleeping if there are socks on your floor? Do you find yourself scouring The Container Store for that perfect bin for aforementioned baby socks? Do you have a vacuum cleaner habit that could rival the bill that congress just passed? Do you secretly dust your friends coffee table when they are in the kitchen refilling your wine glass? If you answered yes to any of these questions, do I have the book for you! "The Queen of Clean's Complete Cleaning Guide"by Linda Cobb gives you ideas on how to clean everything from hardwood floors to tang in the toilet. I must give credit to my cousin Leanne for turning me on to this. You see, she is from the obsessive compulsive Johnson side of my family tree. We Johnson's are nothing if not a clean people. We change our sheets at 5 pm every Sunday. We vacuum several times a week. We would never think of using a mere paper towel to dust our shelves. I'm sure she did not notice the way my lip twitched when she told me about this book. I'm equally sure that she had no idea that this bad boy was going to feed my habit for weeks, even months to come. Things I have already used in this book: how to get crayons off the wall - pg. 154, how to get red wine out of carpet - pg. 72, how to get hard water stains off your glass shower - pg. 93 and many, many, many more. Most of her cleaning ideas are natural or low chemical. You can pretty much clean anything with club soda, white vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda (except crayons on the wall). I also really love that I don't have a cabinet full of a chemical cocktail that Luke or Kara might decide to chug-a-lug someday. Linda Cobb has several books on cleaning and you know that I have more than one, but for the bang for your buck and the extra sections on seasonal cleaning and organizing, this is my quick hit for a cleaning high. Momma happy.

BUDGET LIVING: Half Price Books usually has a copy or two of Linda Cobb's books. You'll save a few bucks by getting it that way, though, for the life of me, I can't understand anyone willingly giving this book up to sale. You will have to pry mine from my cold, dead hands.

Dog Stank B Gone

I love my dogs, but not as much as I use to. I can hear the gasps and tsk, tsking of those of you that do not have children yet. Don't judge me. I know that you are thinking "I can never love a child more than I love my dog". I know this because that is exactly what I said for 32 years. I could not imagine a life where I didn't sleep with dogs on my bed every night. And then I had a baby. Fast forward 2 years later. I now have a toddler, a baby, a husband, and 2 dogs that total over 140. That's lbs., ladies. Now the dogs have been evicted from the bed and get to sleep on the floor of our bedroom. I say "get to" because the alternative is the cold, hard patio outside. I told you I love my dogs. So, I have stumbled on a little concoction that makes that deal more livable. I don't have the time to bath the furry children as much as I should. Here is my solution. I call it Stank B Gone. What you need is a spray bottle, tea tree oil, baking powder and a wash cloth. Add enough water to lightly spray the dog until he/she is damp, not wet. Put in a few drops of tea tree oil (enough so that you can smell it when you spray it) and a few shakes of baking powder. Shake it up and mist it on the dog. Rub that stanky fur with your wash cloth. Works like a charm and it buys be a few more weeks of not having dog hair my shower. Momma happy.

ALERT: I have not had Stank B Gone tested for safety or anything else. If you are ify on how this would affect your dog, don't use it. It works on my dogs and, so far, they still have all their fur, although if most of it fell out that would keep me from having to vacuum so much. Try it if you think it might work for yours, but be sure and adjust the tea tree oil and baking soda to the size of your dog.

The Perfect Summer Wardrobe Staple

I'm a big fan of J. Crew. I love the idea that I could be the kind of girl that could pull off every look they have. Alas, my body and my wallet conspire against me. That being said, I cannot tell you how fired up I am about this latest find. The Convertible Swing Dress rocks the summer closet, ladies. You can wear it as a casual strapless dress with a sweater or denim jacket thrown over it. You can pull it up over the girls, fold it down, pair it with some cute jeans and it makes a great shirt for girls nite out. You can top it with a tee shirt or tank and it's a cute, swingy skirt. I smell summer uniform. Also, for you baby bumpers, it would be an outstanding maternity piece and even better after the baby gets here. Easy access breast feeding and very figure forgiving. Holla! Check it out at http://www.jcrew.com/. At $78, it's a good deal since you can throw it in a bag with a couple of shirts and a pair of jeans and be dressed for a week.

BUDGET LIVING: For those of you that live near the J. Crew outlet, they have this dress there for half of what you would pay online. Buy 2. Momma happy.

An Introduction

This a blog about products, items and other miscellany that I think are so great that I want to pass the word around on them. I intend to cover several different topics from food to babies to cleaning dogs. You may be asking yourself, "Gee Leah, what makes you think your opinion is so cool that you need to blog?" Well, if you know me, then you know that I am a total goofball. I do not pretend to have the market cornered on taste but, especially since I've become a mom on a one income budget, I have found things that I think are a good value and work really, really well. Many exceed my very OCD expectations and I think others can benefit from my trial and errors. I plan on piling a bunch of posts on here initially, and when I start running out of things I'll slow down. Check back often. Where did the name come from? When my sweet 2 year old is being a total stinker and he knows that he is just about to get time out-ed, he looks at me with his sweet little brown eyes and says "Momma happy?" Now, in my head I'm thinking, "Hell to the no, I'm not happy!" but, since he is my child, I usually just fix the look of death on him and he moves on. These, however, are actually things that make me happy. So...momma happy. Enjoy.