MelaniePenelope

Halloween 2013: Trick Or Treat?

Well, hello there, you.

Chloë, my 12-year-old, bought her Cleopatra costume at Wal-Mart with a birthday gift card she received in September. I thought she looked gorgeous, and I could tell she felt pretty, too. It's important.

Jack, my 10-year-old, decided to be the Grim Reaper instead of using the bloody mask from the Scream movies at the last minute. We were given another Wal-Mart gift card, unexpectedly, so we used it for his costume. For the longest time, he wanted the Scream mask, but at Walmart, we couldn't find one in his size. 

It's kind of cool because up until this year, he didn't really want anything scary and wasn't into that whole part of Hallowe'en. But this year, he was all about screaming and scaring and BOO and ahh! He's TEN, you guys. He's growing up. My God.

Sophia, well, I guess she wanted to be a little princess-y and a little scary, because this 8-year-old of mine chose the "Bride of Darkness" costume at Wally-world. Only, she refused to wear the headpiece for the actual trick-or-treating session, so it was more bride and less darkness.

We had to wait until almost 7PM to go out, because it was sooo hot and bright and sunny here in the Miami area. It's still 85ºF during the day, so I didn't want them to melt inside their costumes.

Even then, it was still hot and light out when we got started, and they did melt inside their 'stumes! Sophia gave up a half-hour into the fun, but Jack and Chloë stuck it out until nearly 8PM. They were sweet (no pun intended), though, and shared plenty of their candy with Sophie when we returned home to find her sitting around in undies and watching a DVD!

If you read back, you'll see I made LOADS of packets of candy treats up for our trick-or-treaters, and then we got, like, three. Three kids. I was SO bummed!

Around 8:30, long after we'd given up on getting more kids (and I'd raided the stash for some Peanut M&Ms), the doorbell ring. Oh, my gosh, you guys! There were HORDES of kids outside, waiting for candy! Tha heck?! I guess we'll go out later next year because many houses we hit ourselves were empty or not ready yet, and maybe that's how it works in Miami-land. Dunno, but I was SO glad to unload all that candy on the kids after all.

Whew!

Anyway, when I was taking my three kiddos around the nabe, they did get a Christian-y handout instead of candy (which is fine but misguided, IMHO, because no kid is reading that. Especially mine, since it was in español...) at one house, and another house had the light on but no candy inside. No worries! The owner went inside and brought them each out $2 cash for their buckets. What the what?! I hope he was planning on doing that and/or didn't get too many kids if he wasn't, because yeah. The Odettelettes were stoked, though, of course!

SO, that brings me to Aloha Friday. Link up with A Renaissance Woman if you're playing along. My question for you this week is:

Do you participate in the traditional Halloween festivities?

You don't have to explain why not, if you don't, but you're more than welcome to do so. I know everyone has their own personal reasons!

Link up on 5 Minutes For Mom if you're posting about Halloween today, too!

Fin.

Aloha Friday: Boys Will Be Boys

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So last night, we were sitting around as a family when Sophia mentioned that she had always wanted to have a mud mask. (Apropos of what, I don't know; it was pretty random.)

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Since I'm a Jafra Consultant, and we have an incredible spa line, I told her that we could make it happen right then and there! She lit up - and so did her sister, Chloë. I had just gotten some nail goodies on super-dee-duper clearance at Aeropostale, so I asked them if they wanted pedicures, too. (Sophia still sucks her thumb, so I don't like to paint her fingernails.)

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Anyway, they hopped into the tub to soak for a while - and I decided to join them - before I applied the mud mask. Then, while that set, I had them sit on the couch so I could do their pedis.

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I was just finishing up Sophia's piggy-toes (ignore the blurps; I'm the kinda girl who makes a big nail polish mess and then cleans it up in the next shower or bath, so sue me!) when Jack decided we were having way too much girly fun.

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"Can I have a mud mask?" he sheepishly asked.

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"Sure! Do you want your toenails painted, too?" I responded.

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He did:

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Doesn't he look adorbs?

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Here are Chloë's day-glo green piggies, pre-clean-up. And as for Jack,

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He chose magnetic brown paint. (It really is magnetic!)

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So my question for you this week is:

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If you have - or had - a son, would you do this with him, too?

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Or do you find it "wrong?"

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As for me, I have no problems with gender role-bending. This mama has no problem letting her girls play with dirt and trucks and giving her son dolls to play with!

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Now, your turn!

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Fin.

Friday Fragments, Version 10.17.13

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Link up with Mrs. 4444 if you're fragmented today!

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I haven't played along in aaaaages, maybe once since the beginning of Summer, so I hope this isn't too terribly long for y'all. I'll try to be concise (even though that's not really in my nature).

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I bought the kids' Christmas outfits on super-duper clearance from Gymboree, and they came yesterday. Too cute! I took them outside to get pictures today, and some neighbors oohed and ahhed and said they looked so pretty/cute. I won't share all of them here, or just yet anyway, but here's one funny outtake that was enjoyed on Facebook:

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A rare, genuine reaction from Jack! haha!

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Sophia's been having a bunch of breathing trouble lately, so we called 911 tonight to see if there was anything they could do for her. There wasn't, but it was suggested she might be allergic to her cats. If you have allergies, would you answer my Aloha Friday question here?

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I've had SO many blog-related freebies lately, I thought I'd give a rundown of a few of them real quick-like, for posterity's sake. There are some awesome perks to this blahgging gig!

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I just posted about my Werthers Baking Caramels Bash for MommyParties here, yesterday I think. Check it out!

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This International Delight Bzz Campaign from BzzAgent started this week, and I was chosen. I went out to Publix today and picked up these four varieties. I am just excited to find Sugar Free kinds (for me) as I was to get the Pumpkin Pie Spice and White Chocolate Raspberry choices for Rob! What's your favorite creamer flavor, if you're a coffee nut?

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Soon, in the mail, I'll be getting the Lancôme DreamTone for Fair Skin, to review for SheSpeaks. I can't wait, because I've got some uneven skin tone since living in the land of the sun...!

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This will be coming up on Ye Olde Fashioned Blahg soon, too! Are you interested in some amazing books for the kiddos in your life? Let me know!

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Smiley360 chose me to review Orajel Single Dose Cold Sore Treatment, which I'm super glad to be getting in the mail soon. My girls are forever complaining of "mouth booboos" and asking for something to take away the pain. This will help!

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House Party picked me as a Chatterbox to review new Gevalia Kaffe espresso drinks:

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I made this Mocha Latte with a heart for Rob, but I haven't tried that myself yet. He liked it, and I loved the Caramel Macchiato variety. So easy to make in the Keurig, and so delicious and authentic! Have you tried it yet?

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I'm supposed to be using Calorease for Moms Meet, too, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to try it yet. I'm hesitant because it's supposed to make you have to, um, GO, and I don't want to be stuck to my bathroom all day for ten days, you know? What would you do?

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I'm waiting on my kit from MyBlogSpark for Old El Paso Frozen Entrées, because hello, YUM! Rob especially loves Mexican foods, so I know he'll be happy to see this package in the mail. We loved our last MyBlogSpark kit from Old El Paso, so I'm sure this will be another delicious foray into blahg reviewing for me!

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I'm also doing a Green Giant frozen foods and a Raise-a-Giant campaign for MyBlogSpark, which reminds me, I better get on that!

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Smiley360 also chose me to review GoGo-Squeez Applesauce on the Go with the kids, which is fantastic because they're nutritious and the kids love them. The Apple Apple variety didn't last long, and I don't even remember anyone but My Little Pony-crazy Sophie eating the Apple Mango kind:

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And lastly, MomSelect opted to let me be a Chick-fil-A Mom, which is cool because hey, free food. My kids adore CFA, but I know some of you have issues with the company. Do you??

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I like to post Instagram photos when we make a yummy dinner - do you do that? I know I'm not the only one! Tonight's was homemade pizza, which I made with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pizza dough mix, fresh mozzarella (the kinds that come in the gooey balls are better than the kind you get in the block to shred, if you ask me!), and sundried tomatoes. For Rob, I added green olives and pepperoni. I'm afraid the gluten-free did nothing for the kids' appetites; the two younger ones ended up eating oatmeal instead, and even Rob didn't finish his. Hey, I liked it, but maybe we won't try that again.

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I eat a ton of hummus and wasn't happy with the last store-bought batch I got, so I decided to go back to making my own. I used to make it all the time, but I burned up our hand mixer and don't have the strength to mash my chickpeas by hand. Now I have a Ninja food processor that I got from a friend, and that did the job in seconds, with minimal effort on my part. I mixed everything (tahini, garlic, olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemons) up with the chickpeas in my KitchenAid, and voilà! Deliciousness! I always let the flavors mingle for a day or two before I adjust the quantities too much, because it really changes after the first day.

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Well, that's it for me. You're probably relieved. I'll pop over and visit you now. Have a great weekend!

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Fin.

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Full Disclosure: Everything I mentioned I'm reviewing was provided to me for free by the companies listed, but as always, the opinions expressed herein are my own.

Aloha Friday: Pin Pricks, Anyone?

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Link up here if you've got questions for us this week!

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My question for you this week is:

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Are you allergic to anything? What?

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I'm asking because my youngest, Sophia, is having breathing issues again after we thought they'd been resolved after moving here to Miami. We called 911 tonight, since it was so bad. They couldn't do anything tl help her, but they did say it smelled like cats in here (ugh, how embarrassing) and suggested we get an air purifier for her. And they suggested she get an allergy test to rule that out, so we'll be doing that soon, too.

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As for me, I'm allergic to Percocet and Anceph, an antibiotic. My son Jack is allergic to morphine. I don't think Chloë has any allergies. Rob has no allergies, either, except poison ivy.

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So, your turn. What's your deal? ;)

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Fin.

Aloha Friday: You're Full Of Crap

So, I'm going to level with you folks: I crapped my pants today. Maybe twice, I'm not sure.

You see, ever since I had gastric bypass surgery over 5 years ago, I get an awful lot of "upset tummy" issues. And, sometimes... well... like they say in bypass orientation, "Never trust a fart."

{I've had a total of five abdominal surgeries, and musculature isn't what it used to be, so I often pee my pants, too. Hey, as long as we're getting into personal issues today, you know...? But I'll be seeing a urologist next month for that issue! ANYway...}

I was in Walgreens with Sophia, my 8-year-old, this morning, and it happened. I totally sharted. I didn't know what to do - I was wearing a skirt, and rushing to the bathroom would have accomplished nothing much - so I quickly finished my shopping trip and headed for home. Unfortunately, our car was removed from our possession the other night, so that required walking home.

It was not my most stellar moment.

This brings me to my question for you fine folks this week:

What would you have done, in this situation?

What did you think, I was going to ask if I'm the queen of TMI? We already knew that!!

Have a great week, y'all.

Fin.

Aloha Friday: Avast, Me Hearties!

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Link up with A Renaissance Woman if you're questioning the rest of us today!

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So, today was pretty good for Team Odette, all things considered. Rob and Sophie went to go see the movie Planes at a nearby theater, making them the last of our family to see it, and all five of us for FREE!

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(As an aside, I'm glad we didn't pay anything for any of us to see it, because Planes is no Cars, y'know what I'm sayin'?)

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When they returned, we packed up and visited a local park that I'd spotted during an outing by myself the week before, which I knew the kids would enjoy. (They did.)

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After that, we came home and were reminded by my friend Tabitha that it was "International Talk Like a Pirate Day" and that Krispy Kreme was giving a free dozen donuts to anyone who went in dressed like a pirate. A quick 15 minutes later, we were back in the car and headed for our local shop. I thought we'd score ONE box, but to my surprise, they gave a dozen glazed donuts to each of my three kiddos! Sweet! (Literally.)

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We gave two of the doughnuts to the gate guard of our neighborhood, as she was opening the gate for us to get back home. I mean, we had three dozen, after all!

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Not so fun for Pepper, but hilariously for the rest of us, Chloë came out of her room complaining that Sophia had put purple lipstick on him. Rob immediately burst out laughing, while I was trying to go all scoldy-Mama on Soap, which caused the rest of us to giggle, too. Look at that poor puss!

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Ultimately, I decided to let the kids open a box that just arrived for them from Green Kid Crafts for me to review. I got it free, just paying shipping, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much that it wasn't a full kit and was just a "sample," though I did expect it to be the full kit. And the quality of the materials were kind of lame, IMNSHO. Oh, well. They enjoyed making the tam drum and really got along swell together in the process. If I had to buy the kit for full price, though, I'll be honest - it's Kiwi Crate over Green Kids Crafts, hands down!

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All that being said, my question for you guys this week is:

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What was the best day of this week for you, and how did you spend it?

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Leave me a link to your blog so I can answer your question, too.

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(I finally found where all my blahg comments were going with my new Yahoo! email filter, so I'll actually be following up on those tonight!)

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Fin.

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P.S. A number of you inquired about my anti-Semitic calendar post from last week. It's a Pillsbury calendar for 2013, but lo and behold, I just got a new World Wildlife Fund calendar in the mail for 2014. Of course, I immediately checked September & October - and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are there, where they should be! Woot! (I didn't spot Ramadan, though...)

Aloha Friday: Jewish Holidays

 

 

Link up here if you've got questions for the rest of us today!

My question for you this week is:

Is your calendar anti-Semitic?

What?! you say. I know.

But I was talking to a friend of mine tonight, who happens to be Jewish, about Yom Kippur this weekend. It might be today, but I couldn't tell you for sure, since it's not on my calendar. Neither is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which started recently. I'm not Jewish, but I have many friends and three cousins who are, so I'm kind of offended by this! Just to be sure, I peeked at December and sure enough, Hannukah was NOT there. I looked back at November and breathed a sigh of relief to realize that's because it starts this year... but still. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are pretty major Jewish holidays, so WTF?

Anyway, that's my question. What's missing from your calendar?

Fin.

Aloha Friday: Happy Birthday, Baby!

 

Link up with A Renaissance Woman if you're questioning the masses today!

My question for you this week is:

If you're an adult with a significant other, how do you celebrate each other's birthdays?

Today, my husband Rob turned 41. I would love to shower him with gifts, but he'll have to settle for a free movie at the local theater and my love and affection, since we be po' right now. ;)

Have a great Labor Day weekend, y'all!

Fin.

Aloha Friday: Who's Better Off?

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Link up with A Renaissance Woman if you're asking questions today!

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My question for you this week is:

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Are you better or worse off than your parents were - or about the same?

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Yes, I know that's nosy... but I'm askin'! 

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I can't speak for my hubs, but as for my folks, I think we're roughly the same. Which is not great!

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Thanks for stopping by; have a great weekend!

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Fin.

Aloha Friday: What Did You Learn?

Link up on A Renaissance Woman if you've got questions for us today!

I have a two-part question for you this week. My questions are:

What's the most important lesson you have learned in your life?

 

And, similarly:

 

What one thing would you like to learn?

 As for me, I have learned to not take myself too seriously and to be able to laugh at myself. It's an important lesson, and I hope to be able to teach it to my kids as well. Especially the oldest, who is waaaay to uptight!

Also, I would love to learn to be a better gardener. I have a serious black thumb that I can't seem to turn green, and it would be really nice to know how to grow my own (organic) fruits and vegetables without killing off all the plants.

Now what about you??

Thanks for stopping by!

Fin.

Aloha Friday Is Back!

A long absence, a new home... and it's back. Link up here if you're playing along with Aloha Friday today! To remind you what it is:

“Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your Aloha Friday post link below. Also, please consider linking back to this post so that others can join in, too! Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!” – Kailani

I've mentioned my Bucket List many times on this blahg, and I've been asked offline to post a complete list. If you know me, you'll realize it'll never be complete, but a few things I've mentioned are doing karaoke (never have), diving Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and visiting an IKEA store (CHECK - did that last month!!). 

So with that in mind, my question for you this week is:

What are the top three things on your bucket list?

I'll be back soon with this week's edition of Saturday 9. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Fin.

Aloha Friday: Card Exchange?

Link up here if you want. Otherwise, run along and play. Kidding! I'm feeling snarky. Don't take it poissonally.

So, my question for you this week is:

Do you want to exchange holiday 2012 cards with me? 

If so, leave your snail mail addy in the comments. I jest. Just comment below, saying heck yeah!, and I'll reply with MY address. I have tons of cards and LOVE getting a bunch back over the holiday season!! 

Have a fantastic Friday, y'all.

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you've got questions for Kailani & friends today!

My question for you this week is:

Have you ever traveled in an RV (motor home)?

I haven't, but we're considering doing that in a few months as we meander westward to our destination of San Diego, CA. I'm really excited about the idea! Any tips?

Have a really swell day, peeps.

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Join us for Aloha Friday if you've got questions for us today!

My question for you this week is:

Do you speak any other languages aside from English, or your native language if not English?

I used to be quite fluent in Spanish but have lost a great deal of my fluency since I've moved from Miami. I also speak bits and pieces of about 15 other languages, but English and Spanish are my two mainstays.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Kailani & Pals link up here for Aloha Friday posts.

My question for you this week is:

Are you a good driver?

I used to consider myself one, until I got "Penelope," our Honda Odyssey, two years ago. I don't know why, but it seems like I'm trying to destoy the poor thing!! Oy vey.

What about you? Let me know in the comments.

Have a great weekend!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Aloha! Link up here if you've got questions for Kailani and friends today!

My question for you this week is:

Do you have a low-flow toilet? Either way, what do you think of them?

My answer:

We have one. As an environmentalist, in theory, I think it could be a great idea. However, in practice, I find they SUCK @$$!!!! Ours CONSTANTLY backs up and has to be plunged to within an inch of its life, and our landlord has even knocked some off the rent because of it! It's RIDICULOUS, gross, and a constant source of irritation and frustration for me. TWO THUMBS WAY DOWN. Ugh.

On that happy note, have a great Friday! ;)

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you've got questions for Kailani & Friends today!

My question for you this week is:

Do you help the homeless when you can, or do you generally brush them off?

If you read my last post, you'll see why I'm asking. I try to be altruistic when I can - giving of myself by donating blood to the American Red Cross, or my hair to Locks of Love when it gets long enough - though I realize I'm diminishing that altruism both by deriving pleasure from it and by telling you, so I'll keep some more things I do to myself. ;)

What about you?

Have a great weekend!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you've got questions for Kailani & Friends today!

My question for you this week is:

To what kind of music do you like to listen?

As for me, I like all kinds except country and explicit gangsta rap, but I'm especially partial to *whispers shamefully* Top 40 pop music. It's inherently singalong-able, and I love to sing!

You're next!

Have a splendid weekend, folks!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you're playing along with Kailani & friends!

My question for you this week is:

Do you have any kind of dietary restrictions? Care to share what and why?

The rest of my family don't have any restrictions -  no allergies, thankfully - but I do. I'm semi-vegetarian (used to be full-on vegan at one point and may eventually go back to that), which means I don't eat anything but chicken and certain sea creatures. Certainly none that I studied in my former life as a marine biologist! Also, because of my gastric bypass surgery, I can't have solids and liquids at the same time, so no bowls of cereal, no soup... and no high-sugar or very fatty foods, either. Basically, I'm on a high-protein, low-carb diet, which means lot of nuts, cheeses, and hummus for me!

What about you?

Have a great weekend and don't forget to check back tomorrow if you've got kids - I'll be posting a fun giveaway for you to enter!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you've got questions for Kailani and friends today!

My question for you this week is:

If you were an athlete, an Olympian, say, would you rather win by a close or a wide margin? Would you rather lose by a close or a wide margin?

Hubby and I differ in our answers to these questions. I'd rather barely win, having hung on through a tough, close game/match/meet, and squeaked out the victor, leaving the fans on the edge of their seats the whole time and on their feet cheering when I win. If I had to lose, I'd rather get absolutely trampled, with no hope of a win at all, than come so close and miss the Gold or whatever by a painfully narrow margin. Rob is the complete opposite. Guess they do attract!

So what do you think about it?

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Fin.

Aloha Friday - (GYMNASTICS SPOILER ALERT)

Link up here if you've got questions for Kailani and crew today!

My question for you this week is:

Does it move you that the first African-American gymnast just won all-around gold for the USA, or could you not care less about her race? Were you rooting for Gabby Douglas (a Virginia Beach native who, by the way, formerly trained at the gym where my older daughter will be training starting next month!) to take gold?

You can probably guess my answers, but yes, I was on my feet, cheering, clapping and whooping it up for Gabby D. I'm SO super proud of her, and thrilled that a young black woman accomplished a feat that will inspire many young female athletes in the years to come! GO GABBY!

Have a great weekend!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you've got a question for Kailani and friends today!

My question for you this week is:

Have you ever been to Hawai'i?

I couldn't think of a question, so this was inspired by the actual meme. ;D While I haven't been to the islands in the sense that I've STAYED there, I have flown through the Honolulu airport on our way to and from Guam in '02 and '03. I'm dying to go back fo' real.

Now. What about you?

Have a jolly weeked!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you have a question for Kailani and friends today!

My question for you this week is:

Are you an equal-opportunity hater, as my husband says?

What the heck?

I mean, if you're going to talk sh** about a bad driver, is it harder for you to do so if they drive the same make as a vehicle in your household, or does it not matter?

I know this is the most ridiculous question, but it came up today, so I'm asking y'all. As for Hubs, he's equal-opportunity. But if I see a

like my Odyssey, or a

like Hubs' F650GS,

it's harder for me to go, "oh, you stupid Honda driver!" On the other hand, I can cuss out a Ford pick-up truck driver (especially one with the Confederate flag plastered all over it *ahem*) with no such qualms. So, if you think about it, what about you?

Have a great weekend!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you're playing along with Kailani and pals this week!

My question for you this time around is:

Do your kids suck their thumbs? Ages? If no kids, did you?

All of mine still do!!! They are 7, 9 & 10. I sucked my thumb until I was nine, and nothing would break me of the habit, so... I guess we'll just wait them out. But sheesh! Our orthodontic bills are already mounting. Fun stuff.

Have a great day!

Fin.

Aloha Friday

Link up here if you've got a question for us this week!

My question for you this week is:

Have you or your kids ever had lice?

I know, ew, gross question. If you read this post about my daughter acting on TV show recently, you'll see why I'm asking. It's the most tenacious critter on thick, curly hair - I hate it so!!!!!!!

FYI: Don't bother with the $25-30 drug store treatments. Instead, give coconut oil & tea tree oil mixed in your shampoo a try. That's our next planned step. If that doesn't work, the kid is getting a buzz cut, and I ain't jokin'!!

Fin.