The Rabbits, It’s Always the Rabbits – Part 4

Read here for The Rabbits – part 1, part 2, part 3

I know what you are thinking…Again with the rabbits?

Yes, the rabbits but this time it’s different.

Unbelievably, I just bought some rabbits.

I know.

Along with the rabbits I also purchased some ducks, geese, chickens, and honeybees.

You can close your mouth now.

Thankfully I purchased these animals from the comfort of my home.

And even more thankfully, I will never ever see any of these animals in my backyard or, even better, dead on my dining room floor.

Instead of angel Christmas gifts this year, my kids, influenced greatly by my 8 year old, decided they want to buy gifts through Heifer International.

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“Heifer International works with community groups in third world countries and provides them with animals which help families help themselves. They train beneficiaries in animal well-being, agroecology, water quality, gender equity, and other topics. The training enables them to care for livestock, grow crops sustainably, and further lift themselves out of poverty.

Families then share the training they receive, and pass on the first female offspring of their livestock to another family. This extends the impact of the original gift, allowing a once impoverished family to become donors and full participants in improving their communities.”

I gave each child a budget and told them they could buy whatever animals they wanted as long as we didn’t exceed our total. We went through the gift catalog on the website reading about each animal, their cost, and talked about how those animals could help someone.

They contemplated, they added and subtracted, they debated, and they discussed.

Eventually, they decided and we bought a flock of hope (chickens, geese, and ducks), honeybees, and rabbits.

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Yes, rabbits.

Once we convinced Caroline that buying a pegasus horse was not an option she went with the rabbits.

The family that kills rabbits just bought rabbits.

Cue the Lion King music. Again.

This year our family has talked a lot about poverty, families that are struggling, and kids who are hungry, both locally and far away. My hope is that by exposing them to programs like Heifer International and the Angel Tree they will see themselves as part of the solution and know that they can make a difference even at just 11, 8, and 4.

Donating to Heifer International was new to our family this year but based on the kids excitement I know it will not be our last experience with them. I think this program would also be fun for a school service project, a bake sale focus, or even an animal themed birthday party.

I’m not receiving any sort of compensation from Heifer for telling you about their program. I’m only asking that once you can purchase “a pegasus” our family is notified immediately.

Dear Costco

Dear Mr. Costco,

My family loves visiting your store and sampling all those goodies your A1 hairnet troops are providing.

In fact, my husband loves it so much he needs a stern talking to before his trips there with our children.

We don’t need a six month supply of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Or the 7,000 Oreos (yes, it’s because I have no will power).

And for the love of God, just walk away from the 285 links of sausage.

The kids love the store too.

I’ve never seen people so excited to have free food – I’m talking hitting all nine food booths in record time while, of course, bypassing booth ten, the new fruit and veggie juice.

Yes, everyone loves your store sir.

But can I tell you want I don’t like about your store? Actually, I’m about to speak for all mothers out there. Yes, all mothers hate this Costco, so listen up!

Nothing gets on my/our nerves more than when I’m trying to leave your store and I must wait an eternity for your employee to draw a smiley face onto the back of my receipt.

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I mean really. Why? Why? Why?

Why must every exiting door employee take the time to do this when it’s probably obvious that we just really need to leave the store.

Is it in the training program?

Lesson 1 – MUST. STOP. EVERY. HAGGARD. LOOKING. MOTHER. AND. DETAIN. HER. FURTHER….

Lesson 2 -IF HER.KIDS. LOOK. LIKE. THEY. ARE. LOSING. THEIR. MIND. ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATION.

Is there a bonus involved with the number of smiley faces given out.

Just let me leave!!!!!

And really, it’s just not me. Guess who also doesn’t care about the smiley face and just wants to get home and rip open the bag with 5000 popcorn pieces?

My children.

After Picasso has finished drawing his neon smiley he slows the exiting process down even further by insisting to show one of the kids. When kid #1 has shown no excitement over the preschool drawing they move to kid #2 who’s response is just as lack lustered as the first.

So Mr. Costco, please change your policy. It should read, “As an employee it is your job to help the mothers out of the store as quickly as possible. If you don’t, there will inevitably be a meltdown and it’s anyone’s guess whether it will be the children or the mom who ends up crying. And if it’s the mom, you are on your own.”

Your loyal shopper,Jennifer

P.S. If you could have those toffee covered chocolates out for sampling next week I would really appreciate that.

And then…

And then there was the time the Dillard’s sales lady laughed at my bra size.

Yes. Yes she did.

Huge boost to the self esteem.

Let me back up.

Since my bra supply was depleted I went in search of a few more.

I was strolling through the intimate apparel section in Dillard’s picking up pieces that I wanted to try on when a little old Asian sales woman came up to me.

“Do you need help?”

“Yes, I was looking for a bra that you can turn into a racerback.”

Blank face.

“I need a bra that can change from regular straps to racerback in the back.”

Blank face.

This time motioning with my hands, “I need a bra that can be both regular straps and have a criss cross in the back.”

“Ahhh, follow me……What size you need?

“22W.”

calvin-klein-perfectly-fit-racerback-bra-f2564-nude_1Since I have not posed for Mr. Hefner or suffer from severe back problems, I obviously don’t have a 22W bra size but let’s just use it so my pride doesn’t any suffer more.

Practically shrieking so the whole department can hear her, “22W! Hahahahahahaha. Those bras don’t come in that size. You have to go up to 22Y. Hahahahahahahahahaha.”

22W she heard. Racerback, not so much.

Ha ha ha said no one but the little old Asian lady who, might I add, is even more streamlined than me.

I ended up not buying anything. You know, bad feelings and all.

Probably going to go out again and test the waters at a different store.

This time I’m going to go in with a sign on my chest, “Back off people, I’ve kept 3 children alive with these breasts. They may be smaller than when those kids got to them but they are still standing up nice. Oh wait, did I step on your huge sagging breast. Pardon me. Did I say that loud? Hahahahahahaha.”

My Favorite Things – Day 4

Welcome to Day #4 of Big D & Me’s Favorite Things

Today’s favorite thing is actually 2 face products that I recently found and am loving.

Both products are form YES To. Inc. – I’ve bought mine at both Target and Walmart (though Amazon has them for cheaper I just discovered).

First up is the grapefruit facial scrub ( good for Correcting & Repairing – Yes, please! )

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I use this scrub at night on my face and neck and occasionally on my arms, back, and legs. Let’s face it after all, there’s a lot of correcting and repairing that needs to be done.

After I finish exfoliating in the shower, I get out and rub the Deep Wrinkle and Night Cream on. The product claims it “reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles in 7 days!”

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While I’m not sure it’s true, I certainly have thought my skin looks better.

Here’s what the package says about some of it’s ingredients:

Wild Acacia – This sustainably harvested African pant is clinically proven to visibly & immediately decrease wrinkle depth by tightening skin polymers and dermal matrix, leading to smoother, younger-looking skin.

Cupuacu Seed Butter – A natural emollient rich in fatty acids that helps the skin retain moisture, improves elasticity, and plumps skin thought its Phytosterols that replace lipid loss in skin.

Blueberries – Rich in anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C and Anthocyanins to help fight the formation of free radicals that can damage the skin’s microstructure.

Sounds more like a fruit salad to me but I am loving it non the less.

So far I am using the products every other day and have no complaints.

Alright, that wraps up Day 4 of Big D & Me’s favorite things..we’ll wrap up this fun series tomorrow with Day  5.

Saving Money & In the Red

Like many of you, our family is trying to save as much money as we can.

So one of the ways we are saving money is by using our library.

Of course, I’m always skeptical about how much we are saving when I have to fork over the cash for late fines but nontheless, we are using the library.

After spending about an hour perusing books last Saturday, we decided it was time to go.

After all, we had to get home to start making our homemade calzones…saving money everywhere people!

As we all gathered around the automatic checkout machine my husband bent down to pick up some books that had fallen to the ground.

As he did, his glasses fell off.

I turned when I heard, “No, don’t step back! No! No! No!”

Crunch.

And then I might have heard a few curse words.

In the library.

My husbands glasses were crushed.

We tried not to be angry at the child who stepped on the glasses (the 11 year old!) but as we were driving to the mall that night to order new glasses, driving past our neighborhood,  we might have said something along the lines of, “Well, Dad needs new glasses because you stepped on his and completely broke them.”

Probably not our best parenting moment.

But after a few of us, who do not need glasses, proceeded to try on every pair on the store, we felt a little better.

That and dinner at the mall.

What’s Your Scent?

I need a scent.

Usually I emit chocolate and dry erase marker but I’m starting to feel that I need something more substantial.

I often pass women who I think smell good but I am not one to stop them and ask what perfume they are wearing.

And then I pass women who have poured the bottle on them and think maybe I could do without.

The problem is that the few times that I have looked for a scent I always walk away discouraged. I don’t like flowery, I don’t like strong, I don’t spicy, and I don’t like woodsy.

I like light, fresh, vanilla, and citrus.

Maybe I should just skip the perfume and rub a vanilla cupcake with citrus frosting on my  body and call it a day.

But then I came across this Ladies Home Journal online quiz, “What’s Your Signature Scent?” and thought maybe this could help me.

The quiz is a simple 10 question quiz that delves into your favorite type of movie, what you find romantic, and what you like to eat.

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Maybe not too scientific but at this point I am ready to try anything.

I answered all 10 questions and found out I am considered a natural woman.

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I didn’t think the description was dead on and plus, I shave my arm pits, something that I believe excludes me from the natural woman category all together.

So I changed up my  answers to a few of the questions.

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Again, not quite the way I would describe myself but I decided to explore the perfumes they had recommended for me.

I started with Escada Island Kiss….

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Beautiful  bottle, let’s read the description…

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Hmm, I was with them until they  got to “a hint of musk.”

What is musk?

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What the F ?

Just because I checked that I like to eat meatball sandwiches and wear lip balm suddenly means I want to smell like a deer?

I don’t even want to smell like “just a hint of musk.”

I went on to read the descriptions of the other perfumes and think I have found the one I am most interested in.

The  L de Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum Spray is currently sitting in my amazon shopping cart but first I’m going to through it out to you my friends.

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Anyone have a favorite perfume they would like to recommend?

(Go take the quiz to find out what your scent is?)

New Shoes for Winter

After looking at my beat up TOMS, my winter staple last year, and our approaching cold weather (50 degrees!), I decided I needs some new shoes.

I tried on several pairs of boots but finally decided they just weren’t for me.

I mean, it just doesn’t get cold enough here for me to really need them.

So instead I bought these…

and these but in GRAY – not blue.

And in one of the many ironic moments of my life…Roughly one hour after I returned from buying these new shoes I caught our dog eating my TOMS.

One of Those Moments

Sometimes in life you just have those days.

And then, sometimes you just have those moments.

I had one of those moments today as I was grocery shopping.

Instead of getting in and out of the store quickly I was having to coax my three year old along.

“Come on please.”

“Please don’t touch that.”

“Let’s walk a little faster so we can go home.”

Everyone knows the drill.

When we arrived at the milk section I noticed organic milk was on sale for $2.69 a gallon, half the cost it normally is.

Thrilled, I started grabbing gallons of milk and putting them in my cart.

I turned to look at Caroline and saw her grabbing glass plates off of a display.

“Please put those down..”

“Caroline, please put those down.”

My back was holding open the refrigerator door, my right arm was holding some milk, while I tried to reach for another gallon, all the while watching my daughter.

And then the milk dropped.

On. the ground.

All. over. Kroger.

In. front. of. five. people.

Who. acted. as. if.

They. would. never. ever.

Do. that.

“You should really find someone to clean that up.”

“Oooooooooooo.”

“Oh, my.”

Combined with, “Mommy, the milk is all over the floor,” and, “It’s going ev-we-where.”

Yes it is.

It was all over the floor and all over me.

My jeans were soaking from my calf down while my new sandals were swimming in milk.

I found someone to clean up the mess, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WOULD HELP, and walked across the store to grab the onion I had forgotten, trying to act dignified as I left wet footprints in my path.

And I thought, this is just one of those moments.

 At least it wasn’t one of those days.

My New Favorite Baby Gift

My new favorite baby gift to give is the One Line a Day Memory Book.

The concept is so simple and in the same lines with journaling & scrapbooking but IT’s DOABLE for everyone.

The idea behind the book is that you have 6 lines for each day of the year. The brillant part of the book is that it lists 5 years on one page. So you get to see what your little one or yourself was doing on January 1st for 5 years. Just think of all the changes you will see this way.

I bought each of my children their own book two months ago and both my husband and I have been faithful to make sure there is something written for each day.

Sometimes we write how their school day went, which friend they talked a lot about, games that they played at home, what they ate or refused for dinner, favorite books, funny stories they told us – really anything is open for an entry.

Here are a few of the examples I have for each of my kiddos:

Alex (10 yrs) – You played “French Resistance Army” with Andrew and Caroline. You each had on a toque and gloves. You all built a trench (made of toy boxes, chairs, and play kitchen furniture) coming out from the tent – loving the Tour de France right now.

Andrew (7 yrs) – Ran errands with Dad & Alex – went to Alex H’s for birthday party and sleepover- at lunch, you said, “Look at me, I can eat like a yak.” And you did.

Caroline (3 yrs) – We play Candy Land almost every day. No matter where you are on the board you always say, “I’m almost winning and you’re almost losing.”

I have enjoyed writing in this book so much that I bought one for my sister for a baby shower present.

To jazz up the gift a little, I decorated a little bag for the book to go in.

I used a blue bag that a pair of sheets had come in and some pink fabric.

I cut the side of the bag since I need to be able to put the bag on my sewing machine.

Cut out a letter “C” (initial of her last name) out of the pink fabric.

I sewed the “C” onto the bag and added a little decorative trim.

Hopefully my sister will enjoy this book as much as I have – Although I have a feeling she might be recording sleep durations and blow outs in the beginning 🙂

Baby Shower Prediction Cards – New on Etsy!

What’s new to Big D & Me Etsy?

Why it’s Baby Shower Prediction Cards!

These 5 in x 7 in cards are completely customizable so they will coordinate with your baby shower decor.

Is there a special verse or phrase you would like to include on the card?

Gender neutral cards are available –  Boy or Girl? What’s your guess?

Each purchase includes an 8.5 x 11 in Mom-to-Be and Dad-to-Be Measurement Card.

These measurements are the height, weight, and due dates of the soon to be parents when they were babies.

Here is an example of a possible set up for the cards at a baby shower.

Completed cards are placed into a container and may be shared during the shower.

This is a fun keepsake from your baby shower for the mom-to-be and one she will cherish for a long time.

For a limited time (one week!), these cards will be on sale for $3.05 –

So go ahead and order your Baby Shower Prediction Cards now!

***Update – The power to my parents house was back on as of Thursday at 3 pm. Their house did not have any damage so we are thankful for that. Others in Louisiana were not so lucky so please keep them in your thoughts.***