2011's Eleven Resolu-NOTS {LINKY PARTY}

I have my gifts. Unfortunately, keeping New Year's Resolutions has never been one of them. So this year, instead of making a list of things I hope to accomplish, I'm sticking with things I will NOT do in 2011.

I think I can handle not doing things.

Agreed?

So, here are the eleven things I'm resolving NOT to do in 2011:
(And before you ask, most of the fabulous pictures you're about to see came from here, which happens to be one of my favorites sites of all time; just throwin' that out there.)

1. BE MADE A FOOL OF BY THIS BABY

No matter how darn adorable she is and no matter how much she points and reaches, I will absolutely, positively NOT give her cookies after every meal, let her play with my makeup, watch innocently while she dibbles in the kitty food,  and have her steal a sip of my tea. Not gonna happen. Period. End of discussion.

2. BREAK THE BANK

2011 is gonna be the year that I DO NOT break the bank on craft supplies...no matter how darn cute they might be or how badly I NEED them.

3. NOT MORE EATING ENDLESS AMOUNT OF MINT OREOS

This year I will NOT eat my age in mint Oreos....only my shoe size.

4. POUT BECAUSE I WANT ONE OF THESE

I will not pout because I drive a granny car instead of one of these. Instead, I'll spend my time focusing on how much I love having four doors and good gas mileage....and I'll avert my eyes when I see one coming...especially the baby blue convertible one.

5. NO MORE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

This year I will not miss a chance to play in the rain simply because I'm sportin' my teacher clothes. My kids are only little once, and one day they may be too cool to splash in puddles with their mom.

6. NO MORE BREAKFAST BAR EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING

This year I will NOT limit our breakfast to something that comes out of  a box, and I will NOT let another year go by without feeding my little ones chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate syrup, aka the best breakfast food ever created.

7. RAINY DAY EXCUSES

This is the year when I will not use rainy days as an excuse to sit on the couch and watch Grey's Anatomy reruns or A Lot Like Love for the 487th time. Instead, I'll be too busy playing in it to ignore it via T.V.

8. DANCING IN THE KITCHEN

I will NOT let a single day go by without dancing in the kitchen. I swear by it, and if you think I don't look my age (I'll be thirty-one in eight days in case you missed that memo), then I promise kitchen dancing gets all the credit.

9. FORGETTING MY I-POD

This year I will NOT leave home without my I-pod. Just knowing it's tucked away in my diaper bag makes me a happy camper, and the fact that it can keep the Libster entertained for an entire trip to the grocery store, earns it a place at the top of my 'Never Leave Home Without It' list.

10. NO BREAKS IN READING

By no means did I read enough books in 2010. I blame this on the fact that I have trouble finding things I want to spend my time reading, but this year that will NOT be the case. This year I will not let more than two weeks go by between books......or maybe three. But no more than that.

11. FEED MY DEAR BLANK PLEASE BLANK ADDICTION

This year I promise not to be so overly obsessed with http://www.dearblankpleaseblank.com/ . I admit that I love it dearly, and that it cracks me up on a daily basis. But the world will in fact NOT end if I don't check it every day.... at least I sure hope not.

Will I keep my Resolu-NOTS?

Only time will tell.

But, I have a feelin' that.....

Think so too? Well, I'd love to hear what you're resolving NOT to do.

And if I were making resolutions, hosting a linky party would for sure be on it.

And could there possibly be a better place to start?

I'm thinking notsomuch.

So, it's simple.

Write a post on your blog about your resolve NOT to do in 2011,

and link back here to my blog. Then check out what others are resolving NOT to do this year. And leave comments. I mean, don't we ALL love comments?

Happy New Years to You, and You, and You, and no matter where you are or what you do, may all your Resolu-NOTS come true.



A Very Special 2011 Giveaway: Dec. 31-Jan. 7

Hello out there in blog land. I hope you are busy getting ready for your super big, super fun New Year's Eve plans. My plans? Oh, I'll be home...watching my new copy of Sixteen Candles, eating Reese's cups, and hoping Hollyn (aka the chubby bunny who is madly in love with marshmallows) sleeps through the night.

 Try your best not to be jealous.

Before all the fun starts, I wanted to offer a special giveaway for one lucky reader. No, it's not Hollyn-- you only wish, seeing as how she's the best, easiest baby ever made.

One of my goals for 2011 is to up my blog advertising and sponsors. And, seeing as how I'm so very thankful for my followers, I'd like to offer a free, one month add space on my sidebar to one of YOU! You can advertise your website, business, Etsy shop, or even your blog.

And if you don't already have a button, I'll be happy to whip one up for you.

The best part????

All you have to do to enter is follow my blog and leave a comment telling me that you do. Feel free to throw something else in that comment to spice things up a bit, but a simple " I'm a follower" will do. The giveaway will end on my birthday, January 7th, and the winner will be chosen via random.org.

However, if you don't win and would still like to talk about an ad. spot or being a sponsor, send me an e-mail and I'll send you stats and prices.

Here's wishing you a very happy New Year.

The entering may commence.

The Mississippi Children's Museum+Libby= Love

Yesterday, my little family and I headed out on our last adventure of 2010.

You see, a few weeks ago, I was contacted by a representative of the new Mississippi Children's Museum and asked if I would be willing to come check it out and share my thoughts about it on this here blog.  First, can I just say that I've kinda had a crush on the new children's museum since I first heard about it over a year ago. And I seriously sat the hubby down and begged him to consider moving to Jackson so I could apply for a job there. With my degree in education and my certification in gifted studies, I so think that working there would be a version of my dream job.

Point being, when offering a chance to go check it out just weeks after it opened its doors, I immediately said yes, and check it out we did.

Our day started with Lib and her map.

She studied it and thought about it and decided what she wanted to check out first.....

.... and then she got distracted as we rounded the corner from the elevator and she breathed in all that is the new Mississippi Children's Museum.

I think it's very, very safe to say that she loved every inch of it....

starting with the river and the chance to catch a 'catfish'.

While she was fishing, I was taking it all in...

I tell no lies when I say I've been to A LOT of museums, some in my own childhood days and some in my many adventures with my students.

And hands down, this is THE MOST VISUALLY APPEALING museum I've yet to meet.

I'd love to shake the hands of those who designed it.

As a parent, a teacher, and a mom, I believe they did an amazing job utilizing every square inch

 and making the museum as kid and parent friendly as possible.

One of the neatest parts to me was the music room, which was stocked full of some of the coolest instruments around, which the Libster just loved.

And then there was the dress up room, aka Libby's own version of heaven here on Earth.

I seriously thought I was going to have to bribe her with ice cream to get her to leave.

Ok, ok....so maybe she wasn't the only one who loved it.

But move on we did, and please check out what I believe is the coolest staircase ever created.

I mean, seriously-- what kid wouldn't love it?

We also visited the produce truck.....

...and then found our way to the Gastro Climber.

This was my second favorite exhibit. The kids climb into the mouth and travel through 'the digestive system', learning about it as they go.

And at the end, they arrive in the giant pseudo potty.

Needless to say, Libby thought this was the coolest playground ever.

Another thing I thought was so wonderful about the experience is the way they really worked learning about Mississippi into the museum as a whole.

Here's Libby in the underground Mississippi, where she learned about animals that live underground in the good ole' MS....

such as skunks.

And now, my favorite part:

the life-sized Scrabble game.

Seriously, I would have stayed there all. day. long. if the Lib had been as into it as I was.

 I seriously want one of these for my classroom.

Speaking of classroom, I love the way the museum makes learning to read so darn fun.

They also placed some emphasis on creating a healthier Mississippi by teaching our kiddos about the importance of eating right and exercising.

And when you visit (which I'm sure you will after reading this and seeing how darn fun it is), be sure to notice how the middle level is shaped like the state.....

...and how they worked hard to slip in facts about it wherever possible.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, Hollyn really enjoyed the museum as well. Seriously, she sat in her stroller the whole time and never made a peep. She was so interested in all that was going on around her and in watching Mom and Dad chase, I mean follow,  Libby.

Speaking of Libby, her favorite part, surprisingly, was the car and building section on the top floor.

She loved trying to drive, pump fake gas, and change a tire.

Although she does appear to need a little help with cleaning the windshield,

partly because she can't yet reach it.

But, she sure was cute in her construction gear.

And she was some kinda serious about moving the building materials with the crane.

And she loved climbing inside the state capitol building and searching for the animals hidden in the trees.

And while this is by no means all we saw and did at the museum, I think it's safe to assume that you're now itching for more, right?

In case there was any question about what I thought about the museum, I give it a very emphatic two thumbs up. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend a visit.

But be prepared:

your kids might have so much fun and get so warn out that they swipe their little sister's stroller before the day is done.

Thanks, Mississippi Children's Museum for giving us a great day together as a family, and don't worry--- we'll be back very, very soon.

2010: The Faves

It's no secret that the end of the year is approaching at light speed. And I've spent a little time this past week thinking about the ways little blog o' mine has grown throughout these last twelve months, as seeing as how this time last year I had less than twenty followers, I'd say she's grown quite a bit. And in case you're new around these here parts or if you just want to relive the highlights, here are what I consider to be the best of Lee, Me, and the Girls from 2010.

Rockstar by Morning
Summer's Rollin' On In
Those Dang Pinchers
The Former Me
Spending My Time
Here, Kitty Kitty
Dear McCall, age 18
Lib's Got a Little Somethin' to Tell You
Those Dang Pinchers
I Am That Mom

I would love to know which one's your favorite.....

And if you do a post on your blog with YOUR favorite posts for the year, leave a link, and I'll check it out.

And be sure to come back tomorrow....there's a big post in the works.

The Best Eight Inches of My Life

Today I lost three pounds...in hair. That sounds so funny, doesn't it?

Yes, today was the day I've been waiting for for quite some time:

HAIR DONATION DAY.

Erin and I have been growing our hair since April of 2009, which happens to be the last time we donated it, and today was the day we each gave eight inches to be used to make a wig for a woman who has lost her hair due to breast cancer.

(You can learn more about how to do this here.)

Here we are before:

And here we are after:

And I have to say that a haircut has never felt so good.

I just love the idea that somewhere out there someone is suffering and going through something really bad, and I kinda sorta just helped make her day a little bit better....and she doesn't even know it yet.

The Libster was excited too, and she swears that she'll be the next one to donate.

As is the tradition, we celebrated via Mexican food.

Ok, so Erin and I celebrated via Mexican food.....

these two, however......

Well, they celebrated via dancing in the backseat.

Good-bye eight inches; hello turning thirty-one in nine days.

And see this smile?

It's there because for at least this one day, that mess of  thing I call hair isn't quite so terrible after all.