Small Talk Six: June 26 2010

Today's topic for Small Talk six is...

6 ways you indulge or spoil your children

1. I (we) spoil the "monkey's" with the amount of yearly passes they have. Zoo passes, Disney passes, water park passes... it's a little much!


2. I (we) spoil the "monkey's with toys. I would guess they each get a new toy a week, their rooms are starting to show this.


3. I (we) spoil the "monkey's" by taking them out to eat. Especially with summer here sometimes it is just to hot to cook.


4. I (we) spoil the "monkey's" by renting movies for family movie night at least 3 times a week ( again it is summer time).


5. I (we) spoil the "monkey's with milkshake Thursday!


6. I (we) spoil the "monkeys ( and this one will never change only get worse) with Love! I (we) worship the ground these boys walk on. They complete not just King Baboon and I but the entire family.

So what about you, how do you indulge or spoil your kid(s)

Small Talk Six:Those School Girl (or Boy)

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly list Small Talk Six topics for 2009.

Today’s topic is “6 things you loved or hated about school.” You can answer this with a list of 6 words, 6 phrases, 6 sentences, 6 paragraphs, 6 photos, 6 videos, etc . . .

1. I loved being with my friends!

2. I hated Math

3. I loved drama ( as in the subject not the locker room). Drama President my senior year!!

4. I hated tests

5. I loved Friday night football games

6. I hated homework

Pretty basic and simple answers, but those two words sum me up 100%

Wordless Wednesday: No words needed

For more WW head over to momdot.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my awesome giveaway for a pair of See Kai Run shoes for your little ones... enter here!

Wordless Wednesday: Baby M

Baby M is about to be two!

Mama's heart is breaking!

For more WW head over to Momdot!

And don't forget there is a contest going on right here at Punky Monkey's to win a custom blog design by Sara of Subjective Beauty... click here...

Wordless Wednesday: He Stole my Heart...

For more WW head over to Momdot!

And don't forget there is a contest going on right here at Punky Monkey's to win a custom blog design by Sara of Subjective Beauty... click here...

Wordless Wednesday: My new do

This Punky Monkey mama got herself a haircut last week. I know I never wear my hair down, but they cut a lot off. My hair was to mid back, and now it is to my shoulders.

Please don't mind the bags under my eyes, I am one tired mama!

Guess this wasn't wordless after all, my bad

Head over to Momdot for more WW

XOXO

Small Talk Six: Shake Your Booty

MomDot has started a new meme for Saturday's. It's all about small talk! Which let's face it, small talk is perfect for the weekends, when the blogging world dies down and takes a break! Head over to momdot and see what it is all about, get the button and the list of small talk!

Today's Small Talk Topic is:

6 songs that you love to dance to when nobody’s looking:

First before I go into my answers, you should all know I have no shame, I will dance even if I have a crowd of people watch, when the mood strikes I go with it!

1. Footloose- Kenny Loggins. You all know the song!!!!!

2. Outta My Head - Ashlee Simpson. Come on we all have that one annoying person in are lives that we just can't get out of our heads!

3. All Summer Long- Kid Rock. I just think it is a catchy song

4. So What- Pink! That girl has spunk... reminds me of myself, she is just a tad more edgy! HA HA HA

5. Straight Up- Paula Abdul. Old Skool!!!! Holler!!!

6. All The Way- frank Sinatra. Hubby and my first dance at our wedding!

I look forward to having small talk with the other gals who are joining in on this new meme!

XOXO

Dottie Awards: Best What the Heck Moment

Hi all, remember me, the girl behind this blog?? I have been MIA, and chances are good I will be MIA for a tad bit longer, bare with me! I hope my loyal readers will come back and not leave!

While I am here for this one post I thought I would beg, plead and steal if need be to get your votes for me over at the Dottie Awards going on at MomDot.

I am up for 3 this time, and while I know I will not win all 3, it would be nice to get some votes and at least make me closer to the top of the list... please!! A girl needs a pat on the back right now in the worst way, can you give it to me?

I am up for

Best What the Heck Moment

Best Comedic Performance

Outstanding Performance

Please help spend the word!!

XOXO

Dottie Award Time

Yup, it's that time again! MomDot is hosting the Dottie Awards again! It feels like we just did this, but it's time again. I was so close last time, but just didn't make the cut at the end. Now if you love me, will you please nominate me for a Dottie Award?

The categories this time around are-
Breakthrough Performance
Best Group Performance
Best Comedic Performance
Most Outstanding Performance
Best Director
Best use of a Cuss word
Best Supporting Blogger
Blog of the Year
Peoples Choice Award
Best “What the heck was THAT?” moment
Best Bromance and Romance
Best Villain

Please.... with a cherry on top..... head over to the Dottie Awards and Nominate ME??? Any will do, there is no wrong answer! HA HA HA

XOXO

Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

That's me today... sums it up perfectly....blah!

I am dead tired, my lack of sleep in the last few months is finally taking it's toll on my body, I believe it is time to put a call into the doctor's. Ack! Just what I don't want to deal with right now.

Add that to not feeling good, I have cramps that are making me want to go lie on the bathroom floor in the fetal position. I curse you!!!

The weather here in So Cal sucks big time today. I thought the rain and winds were going to rip the roof off the house last night. Gloomy day, and more showers are on the way.

I am giving up power of the Christmas tree this year, that is a big thing for me! I went and got a much, much smaller tree and I went through all my ornaments and just got the ones that would not break and the boys are about to decorate it. I am going to sit back and take long, deep breaths! I know in the long run this will save me tons of sanity, because baby 'M' is at that age when the tree is just way to tempting for his little fat fingers.

We will follow that with decorating a gingerbread house, playing Memory, having dinner and hopefully the boys will crash early!

I close with some exciting news... I won a fantastic prize over at MomDot. I won the complete series or Harry Potter books plus the new book; The Tales of Beedle The Bard book!

Wit woo!

XOXO

BP Day 12: Happy Thanksgiving

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This is it... the last day of the blog party!!

Today's Question:

I’m Thankful this Year because….___________

my family is healthy and they love me! It really is that simple for me!

I am also thankful for my mama who is celebrating her birthday today! I love you mama! Tina Turner said it best " your simply the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone, anyone I ever met. I'm stuck on your heart, I hang on every word you say. Tear us apart, baby I would rather be dead".

I hope you all have a wonderful day, start counting your blessings, they are what makes life worth living for!

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VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT

P.S. Come visit me at my new blog for books... Crazy Book Slut!

XOXO

BP Day 11: Cruel question today! LOL

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Wow, only two more days left in the momdot blog party, man it has flown by! Can you believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving, where in the world did this year go?

Today's Questions:

If you could only eat ONE food on Thanksgiving Day, what would it be? Do you have a homecooked meal for Thanksgiving or do you go out to eat? Does your family dress up?

Dude this is a cruel question, only one thing to eat tomorrow?? Okay booze is not food so I automatically still get the wine. If I had to pick only one food I will go with the stuffing, only because I tend to only make it on Thanksgiving, at least this particular recipe. Rest assure, I will be eating a lot more than this tomorrow, but I am a good sport and I am playing along!

We always have a homecook meal... always!! I would feel empty if we went out to eat, that's not the way it was growing up, and that is not the way it is going to be now. I need it to be at home. Besides Jim will not be away from a tv, football!!!

My family rarely dresses up, it is just not our thing. I kid you not, it would not suprise me if we all sat down tomorrow for dinner and still be in our jammies. We are a kick back family, come as you are, no need to doll yourself up!

XOXO

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BP Day 10: We are not the Griswalds

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Today's Question: Do you decorate for the holidays? Do you have a themed tree? Share pics! Do you think there is such thing as OVER decorating?

We normally put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but this year with baby 'M' I am thinking of waiting, he is too much of a climber. I love putting our tree up, it makes me so happy to see the kids get excited to have the tree go up.

We have a huge tree and we only use white lights. Tons of white lights, I want my tree to glow. We than put beads on them, and red velet bows. Once that is done it is time for the ornaments.

I am not a fan of bulbs or matching ornaments. In fact I don't have a single ornament that looks the same. ( wishing I had the disc of pictures from Christmas pasts handy but I don't). Everyone in the house has at least a small handful of oranments that our theirs and they are the only ones that get to put them on the tree. Once those our up it is a free for all.

The last thing that goes on is the beautiful angel. Every year Jim tells the boys that mommy gets to put the Angel on the tree because she is our angel! Awwwwww.... love that man!

The front yard is also done in white lights, wreath on the door and little snowmen. Nice and simple.

Finishing touch is me putting up my Willow Tree Navity set!

That really all we do, but it is beautiful just the same. I do believe there is such thing as over doing it in decorating. In fact once a house down the street has all of theirs up I will share a picture. It goes from pretty to just tacky! Of course this being my blog that is just my opinion!

Fine line my friends!

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XOXO

BP Day 9: The candle that grew hair!

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Monday is here again, weekend went by way to fast! Quick re-cap of my Saturday before I jump into today's question. Met my friend at DTD ( Downtown Disney) to see Twilight, eat and have some drinks. It was a blast, always is with her. Movie was good, drinks and food were yummers and the company was fantastic. The night ended with us getting new tattoo's! Never a dull moment when we go out. I got 'J's name finally, only 3 years late. HA HA HA

Today's question: what is the most unusual gift you’ve received? What was one of your favorite gifts? Do you think re-gifting is OK?

This question is really easy for me, and thus making this post kinda short. The most unusual gift I got was from my mom. Most will think it is a normal every day gift, but it was ugh! it was a jammie set. Bottoms were adorable ( in fact I still have them) but she paired it with a yellow top! I HATE YELLOW on me! I am pale and have freckles, yellow looks awful on me. My mama should have known this, she has never ever seen me in yellow. I have no idea where that shirt went to, but I never wore!

My best gift would have had to been when I found out I was pregnant with 'D' 2 days before Christmas. Gifts don't get much better than that.

I personally am not down with the re- gifting. I guess if it had never been open or used, maybe. I once was given a candle from a online baby shower, and it had hair stuck to the bottom of it! TACKY!!! It went right in the trash. The important thing about giving gifts is the thought behind it, not the price you paid for it!

Hope you are all having a great Monday, I am getting a slow start to my day, Jim let me sleep in! Mad love for him!

XOXO

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BP: Day 8: I will take you down...D-O-W-N!

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Here's today's question for the momdot blog party!

Do you shop on Black Friday? What time do you start? Do you finish all your shopping on that day? What’s the best deal you have found? What’s your shopping strategy?

I have shopped on Black Friday a few times. I am not a die hard shopper, at least not the one that will wake at the butt crack of dawn. I love my sleep way to much! I did get up and wait in a long line at Walmart once back at D's first Christmas for a gift for my mama! I almost got in a huge fight because some lady was so rude that she practically fell into D's baby stroller, and he was only 2 months old. So of course my hormones were all over the place still, especially since Jim had just got home from an 6 weeks tour in Egypt.

I am more the wake up at my normal time, gets some breakfast and than go out and shopping. Of course this year if I want to go out shopping I have to take all 3 monkey's because Jim won't be home, and I am not certain it will be worth it!

HA HA HA

Lastly nope, I won't finish shopping that day, I am almost done already, so techincally speaking I could be done before than, but I am lazy!

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XOXO

BP: Day 7: Making a list and checking it twice...

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Day 7, rolling right along!

Today's question is:

Who’s on your naughty list? Whose on your nice list? Why?

Let's start off with my naughty list, this list changes many times a day so I will just mention the one who is on it this very moment.

The damn college kid who thinks he can park in front of my drive way making it so I can not pull out of it. Dude, I get that you had to be out super late last night trying to pick up on the many drunk college co-eds, thus making you late because you had to hit the snooze button to many times. Your fault for taking a 9am class, and for not having enough sense to find yourself a respectable girl. Move you damn car, before I call to have it towed, but before you car gets dragged away I will make sure to leave you a lovely hate note on your windshield telling you that I blogged about how you are on my naughty list!

MOVE IT!!!

Okay I feel a little bit better, who would have thought this question would get a label on my blog under hate mail! HA HA HA!

The top person on my nice list is King Baboon. He has been such a great guy the last few weeks. Sure I could have said for almost the last 10 years, but I am not going to lie. More times than not, dude finds himself on the naughty list with the college dude with pimples covering his whole face. But at this very moment while I write this one blog entry, Jim is on my nice list.

Sure I could add the monkey's to either list but by the time I hit the publish button they would have jumped back and forth between each list at least 3 times, and I don't have the energy nor the time to re-write this blog entry that many times!

How about you, who makes your naughty list this year? Nice list?

XOXO

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Nokia E71 Contest!

Trisha over at MomDot is putting up a Nokia E71 smart phone worth $500.00!!! I don't know about you but I want to win this. Wanna get in on this action? Well heres the deal head on over to MomDot and read all about it, blog about it, comment on it! What do you have to lose? Other than the chance to win a cool new phone?!?!

Trisha totally deserves to win, let's help her out!

XOXO

BP Day #6: Memories, from the corner of my mind...

Wowzer Day 6 already! Wit woo! I am having a blast doing this party, momdot kicks ass!

Today's Question is:

What is your favorite holiday memory from YOUR childhood?

I wish I could say this was an easy question for me to answer, but it's not! It's not hard because I didn't have wonderful holiday memories as a child growing up, it is more because they kinda all blurr together into one big memory. I can't recall years and such.

I do remember the year Super Nintendo came out ( again, can't tell you the exact year) and Santa brought my brother this game, with a small handful of games to go with it. We played it all day! If you remember I come from the family who doesn't go anywhere Christmas day, that the kids stay home and play with their new loot, and play we did!

Long after my mama had gone to bed for the night, my brother and I stayed up learning and mastering Super Mario Brother's. I remember sitting out in the living room just laughing and enjoying the time with my brother.

At that stage of life it was a rare moment that him and I liked each other let alone laughed with each other. It was more like laughing at the other. Now we are best friends ( literally), we choose hanging out with each other over anyone else. I am blessed!

Another Christmas when I was much younger, my sister, brother and I unwrapped our gifts, played with them and than re-wrapped them ( the paper wasn't even the same), and my mom never caught on. We have since told her about it, and she brings it up every Christmas!

So there you have it, the holiday memories that stands out the most in my head, or at least my favorite!

My least favorite was when my parents were still together, I was maybe 4 and I woke up to find my Love Bird had died! Merry Christmas Tena! Waaahhhhhhh!

Scroll down to see my wordless wednesday post!

XOXO

Today's sponsors are Flying Colors Baby, Uncommonly Cute and Lollipop Book Club.

BP: Day 5: Pay It Forward: Tis the Season

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Today marks day 5 of the MomDot Christmas Party!

Today's Question's .....

Do you volunteer during the Holidays? What organizations do you donate your time to? How do you teach your children the true meaning of the holidays?

My family holds 2 foundations near and deal to their hearts, because they have touched our lives in one way or another.

First up, is Toys for Tot's. We all know by now that my hubby was ( is; was a Marine always a Marine) and the Marines run this fantastic organization. I mean who can say no to a hot man in his dress blues, who calls you ma'am! Certainly not I, you can have what have you want devil dog! Oh wait, totally got off track there, down girl down! HA HA HA!

My children do not know what it means to need anything, want yes, need no! The kids that will get the toys from Toys for Tot will most likely get nothing else this year. That simple $10.00 doll will make a little girls year, will give her hope. That $20.00 Star Wars toy, will give a little boy out there a dream to live for. Who can say no to that? Certainly not I!

So I ask you this one question? Will your kids notice if you took the money you would have spent on their toy and instead gave the toy to a child in need? I doubt they would!

My next organization that I hold close to my heart is the Ronald McDonald House. A very important person in my life has been helped by this foundation, and for that my family will forever be grateful to them, and will continue to do our part!

My children learn the true meaning of Christmas through church and Jim and I. The two older monkey's know why we celebrate this day and it melts my heart hearing them talk about it. They also know that every time this year we do a major over haul of their toys ( in fact I did it on Saturday) and donate all toys that they have not played with in sometime. This gives them the chance to again learn that they have plenty and that some kids have nothing, and of course it makes room for their new loot!

I think out of the 5 days of questions this one is nearest and dearest to my heart, and I look forward to reading everyone's answers!

Remember it is better to give than to recieve!

XOXO

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BP: Day 4: Get in my belly!!!

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We are already on day 4th day of the Christmas Party over at MomDot.

Today's Question is:

What is your favorite Holiday recipe, describe your Holiday table, and your biggest holiday cooking disaster.

Okay so before I give a recipe you should know that my family is really big on the snack platters before hand. Like the crackers and cheese, veggie tray, and pickles and oilves. More times than not we eat so much of these, that by the time dinner is ready, we are already stuffed. Opps!

Okay here we go....

Asparagus and Green Beans with Tarragon Lemon Dip
( got this recipe from 30 minute meal with Rachel Ray)

Ingredients
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
Salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, (4 sprigs), chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
Few grinds freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cook asparagus spears and green beans in 1-inch of salted boiling water, covered, for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and cool the vegetables and arrange them on a serving plate. Combine the dip ingredients in a small bowl and garnish with sprigs of parsley and tarragon and set dip along side vegetables on serving dish.


My holiday table is very simple, I don't think going over the top makes the food taste any better and let's not forget that I have 3 small boys, now is not time to get fancy! LOL! I will break out the china we got at our wedding, and let me tell you this is about the only time it gets used, add a nice table cloth, and my better wine glasses, that's all folks!!
You all are going to laugh at me when I tell you my biggest cooking disaster. It had to have been my first year cooking Thanksgiving without my mom ( she was at work), and I was getting the potato's ready to boil for the mashed potato's. Well the amount my mom told me to use, didn't seem like enough for everyone, especially since my brother really only eats the mashed potato's on Thanksgiving. Well since I was unable to figure out how much only potato will give you once mashed, I used a full 10 pound bag!! Holy mashed taters... we had leftovers for days before they got thrown away. I can't wait to read other's disasters, might make me feel better. AND for the record my family has to bring this up every time we have mashed potato's... they are in need of new material, maybe I will share yours, ha ha ha!
XOXO

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