Winder Wonerland

Merry Christmas everyone. We have experienced our first White Christmas in such a long time and it was well worth the wait. Because of this:

and this:

and this:

and finally, this:

Get ready for the makeovers Mommy! Can't wait my fiery little redhead!

Feeling Blessed

This past month has been amazing for me. I feel blessed in finding new friends and reconnecting with old. I've had a great time going out and getting to know two AMAZING women from my little girl's kindergarten class. Moms who I can learn from and who inspire me. It's funny, I feel like I've known them for much longer than I have. The are funny, laid back and incredibly accepting. I'll be joining one in a bible study group that I am so looking forward to!
I've also been able to spend more time with another friend who invited me to a mom's group at her church. I decided to go, though in the past I've struggled with my beliefs about religion and churches in particular. I've always been spiritual, just never connected. I felt so welcomed at the group and inspired by the brief words a mentor mom spoke, I decided I to go to the Sunday service. We went as a family, and again I felt welcome and inspired. These friends are important in our lives and I look forward to spending more time with them.
And then Facebook popped up. I never thought to even look into it...then I checked it out just for fun. I have reconnected with so many people from my past. In particular, my friends from high school who I treated poorly when I fell in love with my fixer. At 16 we had a hormone fueled obsession with each other that left no room for others. Through Facebook I've been able to reach out to some of the friends and say...hello, I've grown up, do you forgive me?
My Washington b/f just returned from vaccation and now I get to spend more time with her! Thank you for my necklace marathon chick! (I think that will be your blog name from now on!)
But through all my blessings of friendship, I am missing one terribly. You know who you are. My Colorado friend. Too far away. I miss you.

Coupon Ecstacy

My Washington b/f and I have jumped into the world of coupon clipping with a vengeance. We make it a little game to see how great of deals we can get and then share our success stories and tricks with each other. We talk regularly about the Sunday paper and how to combine sales, store coupons and manufacturer coupons for the best deals. We literally have cut our grocery bills in half. Last night I had the ULTIMATE coupon buying experience. I went to Walgreen's with my mother in law to help her pick out some lipstick for a dance she's attending. I had a coupon, the product was buy one get one free and I had register rewards. We bought 15.00 worth of product and spent .88 cents. Life's little pleasures.

Credit Woes

Unbelievably I began getting collection calls and letters in the mail last week. "The Fixer" and I have near perfect credit so I could not even fathom what was going on. I began to investigate. My first instinct was that my personal information was compromised through my job...the company sent out letters stating 95,000 names, addresses and soc sec numbers were lost on a laptop. I didn't receive the letter, but still.... I called and they confirmed I WAS NOT compromised. Step two: I began calling the collection agencies and the companies who hired them to get to the bottom. They kept hanging up on me even though I was being REALLY nice. I began to panic and put a fraud alert on my credit to stop any activity. My points went from the 800s to the 600s in a month. Then I began on the credit reporting agencies. You can not get ahold of a live person UNLESS you buy a credit report. Luckily I still had one free annual report left to me this year so I printed it. 13 collections on it! AHHHH. I called the 1-800 number for disputes after searching the report and finding a name and soc sec number NOT MINE attached to my report. The name was very close to my maiden name, her current address is an old apartment building I lived in 15 years ago. That is where the similarities stop. As soon as a live person got on the phone and I began to explain my problem she stopped me and said she saw the problem clearly and deleted all the collections, the wrong name, the wrong soc sec number and the wrong addresses. She said my credit was fixed. Seems too easy and I still feel very afraid. I think I'll bite the bullet and pay for a years worth of credit watch...

Am I?....NO...I AM Possessed

So here is a secret that might change the opinion you may or may not have of me. Last night I went to see Twilight for the SECOND time! True, I went with girlfriends and at first was more excited about the prospect of a night out than the actual movie, then it started. Having read much more of the series, the movie was more meaningful to me the second time around. I was literally holding my breath and my stomach to keep the butterflies in as I watched Edward and Bella's love unfold again. I FELT the thrill of first love through the entire movie. I remember that feeling of dying if I was not with my Fixer every second of every day. I turned into a gushy, infatuated teen and my girlfriends and I talked over why this happens to a grown woman. Edward IS the ultimate man every woman thinks is perfect. 1. He has nearly 100 years of maturity. 2. He is giving and selfless. 3. He is a protector. 4. He is highly educated. 5. He is artistic and sensitive. 6. He could kick the ass of anyone but doesn't! 7. He is beautiful. 8. He always smells sweet. Sound like any mortal man you know? That is why it happens to a grown woman. He is a fantasy...it just doesn't exist. Sure is fun to read about though. Love you Fixer...don't worry. There is no threat from a fictional vampire.

Rusty Bobby Pins

I have a five year old daughter of beautiful golden red hair which, unfortunately, she likes to wear straight down over her gorgeous face. Every morning before school I attempt to clip back her long bangs using a variety of hair products. Bobby pins are most effective because she tends to forget about them easily. I have noticed she comes home from school lacking pins more often than not. I have to buy a new package about once every two months and I figure they litter her playground, the school yard and our back yard. They turn up in the car, in her backpack and sometimes in the vacuum cleaner. Last night the fixer found almost a dozen, rusty and wet bobby pins in the pump of our washing machine. Lesson learned, check the pockets of my fiery little redhead BEFORE doing laundry.

The Fixer

Being so new to blogging, I've taken a cue from my best friend I should never use real names. So, last night I came up with the perfect name for my husband; a man who will undoubtedly be part of much storytelling. I've known my husband since seventh grade. He has known me since ninth. Apparently I noticed him before he noticed me. The summer of ninth grade we began seeing each other and just never stopped. We've been together 18 years and married 12. Truly we have been through everything together.
Last night our washing machine sprung a leak at 10:30pm, right before we settled down to watch a movie. Instead of the movie, we mopped up water and I had visions of repairmen and dollar signs swimming before my eyes. But no...my husband pulled the washer out, took off the back, drained the water and found a rusty bobby pin had poked a hole through the casing of the water pump. Quickly I did an Internet search and found the part was likely to cost us $118.00. Not bad, I thought. My husband had other ideas. After he shook out 10 rusty bobby pins and cleaned up the part, he took some type of epoxy he uses in his line of work and sealed the pin hole. He put the machine back together and I held my breath while he did a test drain cycle. No water, fixed washer and no repair bill. My husband is now "the fixer." Smart, sexy and extremely handy...I am one lucky woman.

How to Stuff a Turkey?

Thanksgiving is at my house this year. 11 people total and I'm doing a ridiculously easy menu of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, fruit salad, green salad and sweet potatoes. Other family members are bringing the rolls, green bean casserole (yes, with canned mushroom soup in case my culinary b/f was wondering) and pumpkin pies. Sounds so easy...yet I have one tiny problem that simply did not occur to me until just now...I have one arm encased in a stylish black cast for the next 6 weeks. One that can not get wet or touch raw poultry for obvious sanitary reasons. How in the world will I stuff the turkey?

Anticipation for Nerds

I dedicate this post to my bf in Colorado because I know she will understand what I'm talking about and because I'm sure she will be the only one reading me. I have a ticket in my hot little hand for the movie Twilight...viewing at4:05pm tomorrow evening. I've gathered the essentials for a pleasurable evening tonight to finish the last 50 pages before the movie. A nine serving size bag of Raisinettes which I will literally finish off - check. A promise from my husband to take care of our sick 3 year old no matter how many times he wakes up - check. A false fire in our glass encased highly suburban gas fireplace - toasty check! My fuzzy green blanket to wrap around me - check. And the best check of all, my husband's word that I will be the one sleeping in tomorrow morning. I must admit, it is not even close to Harry Potter, but the anticipation is still palatable. I adore a sleeping house in which I am the only one awake trapsing through the pages of another world.

Welcome

While in college studying to be a teacher, I was assigned into a group of 5 other Master's seekers. We were forced to spend the next 2 years together for whatever group project our professors thought up to occupy our time. During our first couple meetings to work on our first project, I was full of ideas, insight, excitement...you get the picture. There happened to be only one other female in our group of 5 and she usually sat silently and rolled her eyes a lot. Finally, toward the close of our group project she interrupted one of my ideas and yelled loudly, "Jesus, Little Miss Sunshine, are you ever in a bad mood?" So, if you follow me, you will know me as Little Miss Sunshine...only now it is my title with tongue in cheek! Believe me.