I’ve been way lazy here the past couple days, but I did find the gumption to write a guest post at my friend Gini’s Blog. Maybe I’ll write something for Cheryl next.
Take Care of Your Stink {Guest Post by The Big Fat Gini – Who’s Totally Not Fat}
August 20, 2011 By 6 Comments
I “met” Gini about six years ago when we made friends on a twins parenting board. I loved her sense of humor from the very beginning and we’ve been friends ever since. She has FOUR boys (so one step crazier than me) but much more funny (as you’ll soon see). I can’t thank her enough for bringing her funny here to my blog!
You know how sometimes you’re being all lazy, lolling about the house and browsing Facebook when you want to comment on something and are all like, “oh shit, I totally promised them I’d write a guest post and went and forgot?” And then you’re all like, “damn I totally commented so now they know I’m not actually laid up in bed dying again.”
Yeah. That’s where this post is coming from. An Oh Shit Moment.
And you know, I should probably be happy that I’m having an Oh Shit Moment over that. Because, it could be worse. I could totally be like that woman at the gym the other day who was stankin’ up the joint with a sweaty vajayjay and I was standing there all trying to breathe in through my mouth instead of my nose (after I checked to make sure it wasn’t MY vajayjay causing all the problems, which it wasn’t, for the record). Thankfully that’s pretty easy because when you’re fat like me and trying to work out, it’s more like you’re gasping for air anyway instead of that graceful intake of oxygen that those silly trainers tell you to do.
They’re so dumb. Breathing. Seriously. What’s that all about anyway?
Let’s talk about something more important. I’m not sure what exactly yet. Mostly because I keep going back and forth between writing this and pinning shit on Pinterest (ever been…want an invite?).
Hang on. I gotta go yell at my kids.
And check my email.
Oh look. A candy cane coffee cake recipe.
Shit. Okay. Yeah. Writing. Now. Where was I?
Right. Vagina stank.
Look. I get it. You’re working out at the gym. I mean, you’re working hard now. Sweatin’ all up in here and trying to lose a few pounds so you can finally fit into your swimsuit just as summer is ending (no? just me then?). You’re on the bike. You’re on the elliptical. You’re throwing that giant ball around and running on the treadmill and lifting weights (good God, how are you even still alive?). And, you know, it’s cool. We all get a little funky after working so hard. Personally, my boob sweat is about to make me crazy. I’m all trying to smear my husband’s deodorant underneath and I’m still smelling like a sewer as soon as I take off my shirt.
These things are understandable. We’ve all been there. That not-so-fresh feeling has plagued us all at one time or another. Well, maybe not me. Mine’s as fresh as a daisy all the time. But, if I can smell your nether regions, something ain’t right there. And, it might be time to seek medical advice. You gotta keep that bitch fresh, yo. It’s not like they don’t make stuff to handle that.
You’re probably wondering why I’m spending so much time talking about this. But, in my defense, it was so intense and I was on the elliptical for so long that I had no time to think about anything else (but how much I loathe America’s Got Talent…which America does not, I assure you) until she got off.
Uh, no pun intended.
You’d think she might have had an Oh Shit Moment right then and there and apologized to all of us. But, she just got right off, bent over to pick up her jacket (hey lady, did ya notice it’s summer in Texas and 105 degrees?) right in front of me so I could get one last whiff, and quietly made her way out. Not even so much as a blush. Honestly. Have the good sense to be embarrassed for crying out loud. At least then I would have been all like, “it’s cool, solidarity….fight the man…and all that…er, sister.”
In (blessed) conclusion and to sum up, I have the following rules for you.
1. Don’t forget to write your guest posts immediately after promising to do one.
2. Don’t lie and pretend you’re dying to get out of things. Unless it’s babysitting a friend’s bratty kids.
3. Don’t learn how to breathe through your nose while working out.
4. Don’t join Pinterest and take drugs that force you to focus. Oh look, shiny!
5. Take care of all your stink. Boob. Vajayjay. Armpit. Whatever.
6. Apologize when you’re offending others.
7. Never go to the gym. Ever.
8. And eat lots of pie and drink a lot.
Gini is a little bit of politics, a little bit of humor, a ton of bad grammar and a whole lot of angst and frustration mixed with a deep desire to emotionally eat in a crisis. You can find her blogging at The Big Fat Gini Blog and chatting it up on Facebook (go like her, you won’t regret it).
PS: Gini, I’ll have you know that I LOVE America’s Got Talent.
The Importance Of Teaching Kids About Money {Guest Post}
March 17, 2011 By 1 Comment
These days, too many people do not learn about money and finance until it is far too late. Americans now hold more debt than ever before, and this is at least in part due to the fact that many of us have had no financial education. Sadly, this has led to millions of cases in which individuals do not begin to get serious about their finances until they are in their 30s or 40s and already thousands of dollars in the hole.
The solution is obvious: give kids a thorough financial education, starting as early as possible and continuing until they are out on their own. Parents cannot rely upon schools to give their kids financial education, as most young people never learn about economics or finance until they are in college, if at all. Schools are not getting the job done, so it is up to parents to pick up the slack.
Early stages of financial education
Many parents’ instinct is to shield their children from financial matters. After all, childhood is the only time in life when people do not have to worry about money, and we may feel that not talking to our kids about money is a way to preserve their innocence a little longer. While this may be true, we can still give kids a sound financial education without exposing them to the stress and pressures that adults associate with money.
The earliest step is to begin teaching kids how to count money. In the U.S., this means familiarizing them with the value of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollars, and giving them plenty of opportunities to make conversions between different denominations. Most of this involves simple math, so the instruction can begin as soon as children begin learning their basic arithmetic.
Allowance
Meanwhile, giving kids allowance is a great way to start them off on money management. However, rather than letting kids figure these things out for themselves, it is important for parents to ask questions about how kids spend their money. We do not want to have too heavy a hand when it comes to our kids’ purchases, but we are the parents after all, so we do have the power to tell our children when a certain purchase is not a good idea.
Allowance also gives parents the opportunity to teach kids about longer-term financial management. For example, when a child wants a new bicycle, it may be tempting to go out and buy it for her, but we can actually do the child a much bigger favor by providing her with allowance and encouraging her to save up to buy the bicycle herself. Smart financial practices involve emphasizing the long-term, often at the expense of short-term gain, and the earlier kids gain this perspective the better.
Many parents choose to give allowance with no strings attached, and of course that is their choice, but there is a danger in doing this. Free allowance may send the message that kids are entitled to money for nothing and that parents have an endless supply to give. Although we want our children to be provided for, it may be more helpful in the long term to show them that money is not free. Consider asking your children to perform a manageable list of chores on a weekly basis in exchange for allowance, and do not forget to emphasize that the work must be done well.
Advanced money lessons
Later on, it becomes time for kids to start learning about things like investment and loans. At around the time when the child is old enough to get a part-time summer job (i.e., around age 16), it is time to begin introducing these concepts. Kids need to know that there are more things they can do with their paychecks than just spending the money right away.
Plus, for many older teens higher education may be on the horizon, and you might want to involve them in the financial planning for college. Given the epidemic of student loan debt now plaguing young people in the U.S., it is a good idea to make sure your teenager knows the serious ramifications of taking out loans. Debt is a serious matter, and young people should go through whatever lengths necessary to ensure that they do not begin their post-college life in a deep financial hole.
About the Author: Marc Courtiol is an accomplished health researcher in the field of natural wellness. A graduate from Cornell, Marc is a contributing author for several online journal sites and believes in the many uses of gripe water.
E18 ~ My Dear Hubby
August 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment
This is a guest post from the Daddy23Monkeys. You can find him (semi) regularly on his daddy/video game/techy blog Bob The Wizard. He is guest posting here so I can get my E18 Blogger Bingo Ball for the MomDot bingo game! To play along, visit HERE.
A friend of mine turned me on to this cool website, Cubeecraft.com. He showed me that he was building a cube Mario from Nintendo Mario Brothers. When I saw it I immediately thought of the kids and how much they would love seeing it. I asked my friend to shoot me a picture of the Cube Mario when he is finished and send it to me. He’s not quite done yet so I’m still waiting. And I think I’ll help out and make some Mushrooms and Piranha Plants to go with the Mario.
I looked around on the web ( gotta love Google ) for pictures of Cube Mario and actually found a picture at a site called Technabob.com. We’ll post the real thing later, but take a look at this.
Just like what I was pictureing with his Mario and my Mushroom and Plant….
But in the mean time, I went to the site and downloaded a Cube Sonic and a Cube Mario.
Find Me!