Monday Confessions

I confess it sucked pretty bad last Friday that nobody except my dad came to my geocaching class.

I confess I was SO excited to get to hang out with Stratton this weekend and take him to go see Cars 2! He loved it and sat through the ENTIRE movie so well. I was so proud.

I confess I have been a little out of the blogging world because I haven't had much to blog about.

I confess I have a lot of laundry to do and not much time to do it and I loath laundry.

I confess I can't wait to buy sparklers and snakes for Stratton this weekend. I don't think you can buy fireworks in Chicago.

I confess I'm really excited to go to Chicago. Last time we went we didn't get to stay very long and we didn't get to do a whole lot.

I confess although I'm really excited to go to Chicago, I'm really not excited about the drive.

Basic Geocaching Class

I am putting together a small "Geocaching for Dummies" Class this Friday at 5pm. We will be meeting up at the start of the bike trail at the Osage Center. I know a lot of people that don't know what Geocaching is so I'm going to take a few hours and teach people about Geocaching. If anyone would like to join I would love to have a group to go with me. 

I am planning on doing a few geocache along the Bike Trail in Cape Girardeau. We will be learning how to do the following:

-finding a good cache for you

-how to operate your GPS

-how to read the description and hints to help find the geocache

-supplies you might need for different geocache

-what to do if/when you find the geocache

-how to leave to geocache

-CITO (Cache in Trash Out)

-rules for geocaching

-basic guidelines for geocache

-types of geocache

If you are interested in coming please let me know by messaging me at jacksonink@hotmail.com or by leaving a comment on here. I hope I can get some partakers. See everyone there! 

You will need to have or bring the following:

-water (it may be hot so bring lots of water to hydrate yourself)

-good walking shoes, there will be some walking involved

-if you have a car GPS you are welcome to bring that. I have my iPhone 4 as well as my car GPS.

-a good sense of adventure and a good attitude

IF IT RAINS WE WILL STILL MEET UP! JUST DRESS ACCORDINGLY

SEMO Geocaching

The other day I got the itch to go geocaching. The bad thing about Stratton and I geocaching so much is that we have to travel a little further now to find new ones. Well, a fellow geocacher has taken it upon himself to place a bunch of geocache around SEMO. So, I called my dad and the three of us made our way up to SEMO to find some goecache. 

Here is what we found!

6/15/2011  See Southeast #10 Parker / Chaney TB Hotel  GC2PZ98

Stratton didn't want to take a picture. He was being a little bit of a turd.I found an old shoe in the bushes before my dad actually found the geocache further up in the bushes.

6/15/2011  See Southeast #11 Scully, Where's Mulder?  GC2PZ9F

 My dad and Stratton were playing in the fountain. My dad was showing him how to make hand prints on the concrete.

This was a pretty neat way to hide a geocache. It was up under the picnic table and it was tied by a wire. Stratton was too busy filling his pants to take a picture with me for this one. 

6/15/2011 See Southeast #6: Towers Complex GC2PZBE

 We couldn't get him to look at the camera. He just kept giving me hugs and kisses.  This cache was hanging up in the tree by a little wire. It was a pretty neat place to put it but I'm pretty sure a lot of college kids pee in that corner after a long night of drinking.

 He and my dad had to go investigate a bird that was on the ground. Don't worry it was alive. 

After we found the towers geocache we decided it was time to eat so we went to the Cafe n' Me for dinner. Stratton always eats SO much when we go there so I knew if we went he would have a full belly and be ready to go home and take a bath and go to bed early. After we ate we decided to do one more though. It was right down the street from the Cafe n' Me so we stopped and picked it up.

6/15/2011 See Southeast #8 Show (Me) and Tell (Me) GC2PZ66

Stratton stayed in the car for this one so my dad and I parked close and found it pretty quick. It was tucked in what the hint called "a great place to put Easter egss." NOT TRUE! Those bushes were full of pointy thorns. The only eggs I would hide in there for Easter would be for kids I don't like. Haha.

I'm going to be putting a few geocache out in the very near future. If you know anyone or you yourself would like to join me for some geocaching fun please call or message me. I'm always looking for someone to go with me on my adventures besides Stratton.

Friday Confessions

I confess that I took a small coma yesterday afternoon. I fell asleep at 5pm and woke up around 9:30pm, put Stratton to bed and then went back to bed at 10pm and didn't wake up again until 7:30 this morning. I was REALLY tired apparently,

I confess that I had tuna for breakfast. Yes, tuna.

I confess I'm going to a horrorfest next weekend called the St Louis Contamination Convention. It's got a lot of scary movie actors there. I'm going for Derek.

I confess that even though I took a small coma yesterday I could totally take a nap right now and it's only 10:30 in the morning.

I confess I can not wait for this weekend! Stratton and I are going to hang out with my friend Leslie and her little boy JD! I'm making strawberry pie! YUMM!

I confess I drug my son and dad around SEMO's campus the other day to find geocache. They enjoyed it. Kind of.  Anyone who wants to come try geocaching with me is more than welcome to join!

I confess when I was in 5th grade I became a total outcast by all the girls in my class because I told them I hated the Spice Girls (which was totally true, they were horrible).

I confess the same thing happened when I was in 3rd grade because I hated to read the Babysitters Club books. Those were horrible too! I would much rather have read goosebumps. That was some fine writing right there.


I confess when I was in preschool I got kicked by a little boy that wanted the carpet square I was sitting on. I didn't move so I got a size 10 cowboy boot to the chest. My grandpa came and picked me up that day and had a "talk" with him. It was great.

I confess when I was little I used to sleep with a blankey. I still have a little sliver of it that I keep in my jewelry box. I have another blanket that I used to sleep with when I was a little older that I still have that my grandma made. It's about to fall to pieces now but I still love it.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Yesterday I was presented with THIS:

Friend and fellow blogger Emily at Love Work Me Up This Morning awarded me with this little treat.

Thanks so much Emily. We have only met a few times in person but she is such a big help when it comes to making decisions and giving great opinions. Thanks so much Em!


The rules for the Sunshine Award are as follows:

- Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.

- Tell us somethings about yourself.

- Nominate 10 other bloggers and

- let them know that you awarded them!

So, here we go. 

-I have a hairless cat named Groucho that I'm crazy about.
-I love to go geocaching and I plan to put out my first cache sometime shortly.
-I love getting makeup but I rarely wear it. I'm trying harder lately to be more of a girly girl.
-My son and husband are my two favorite men (next to my dad of course).
-I'm not religious I'm spiritual (whatever that means)
-I wear size 6.5 shoe while my mom and sister wear size 8-8.5. I have super tiny feet. But it helps because I can shop in the kids section.

The 10 Other Bloggers that I would like to nominate are (in alphabetical order)...

-Betz Family Blog This is my cousin Jon and his wife's blog. They always have the best pictures.

-Erica, Jake, Tyler & Storie This blog belongs to one of my besties. We met through one of my old boyfriends and have stayed friends ever since.


-Floyd Fabulosity This is Erica's sister-in-law Ali. She is such a sweet heart and SO funny to read her blog. I don't know how she puts up with Erica and Hanna AND Aaron. (Just kidding you know I love you guys)

-Journalista This is my friend Karen's blog. She and I met in a math class in college and reconnected on facebook. She is such a sweet heart and has the cutest little guy in the world. Her pictures are really really good too. I hope we get to hang out soon.


-Just to keep in touch... This blog belongs to an old friend named Emily also. She has done such a great job keeping her blog updated. I love looking at all the pictures of her little guy. We went to church with each other when we were younger.

-Livin' On a Prayer - This is my best friend Lauren's blog. She is pretty new to the blogging world and is very busy most of the time but I'm really proud of her for sticking with it and keeping it up every now and then. She truly is one of my best friends and I have no idea what I would do without her. Love ya girl!


-Meadows Art and Photography  This is an old friend from church as well. Her name is Shaelyne and she has her own photography business. Her work is so great. She is truly gifted.


-Our Happily Ever Afters Ashley was another friend from church that I had growing up. Her blog is so wonderful and motivating. Her and her husband are currently working on adopting a little boy named Liam. He is so cute and I pray for them everyday.

-Truly Thompson Mallory is the wife of one of Derek's friends. We become close right before they moved to West Plains. She is such a nice girl and I love reading her blog and seeing the pictures of Kody waste away. Haha. Just kidding Mal he looks great. Even Derek was impressed by how much weight he's lost. Go Kody!

Ok, so I can't only think of 9. Who cares. They know that I like them. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Friday Confessions

It's that time of the week again!

I confess I have become a gamer. Haha. Not really. I just found a game on the computer that I really like called Machinarium. If you haven't seen it or heard of it look it up. It's not a shoot em up game or anything like that. It's more like a puzzle game. Super fun. Super hard.

I confess I am SO looking forward to going geocaching this weekend. It's been way to long.

I confess I want to make an alter ego website. I want to write about the stupid, dirty, not good for my grandma to read ideas that go through my head. But...I don't want people to know it's me writing it.

I confess I have fallen in love with a new blog. It's called Adventures in Estrogen.

I confess I'm putting money in an account that Derek doesn't know about so I can surprise him with a vacation. I want to plan all of it without him knowing and just drop it on him when the time is right.

I confess I can't wait to make more money so it doesn't take as long to save up for a vacation.

I confess I think I might take a tent to Sam A. Baker one of these next few weekends and go camping just to get out of the house with Derek and Stratton.

I confess I used to think that when I swam in the river at Sam A Baker my hair felt better because of the fish poop in the water. I was 10 give me a break.

I confess as soon as Groucho dies I'm getting another hairless. I don't care how much it costs. He has been the best cat ever.

The Final Four

I cut it down to four new names for my blog:

Let me know what you think is the best.

1. My Grass is Greener
2. Time Well Wasted
3. Catching the Moon
4. Lady of the House

Let me know what you all think.

Staying Safe in the Sun

Everyone that knows me KNOWS that I'm not just pale. I'm WHITE. I have no skin color and the only color I get fads very quickly. That being said, I can burn really bad really quick. I have been looking online about sun safety and also at different products to help with sun safety so...this post is all about the sun and what you should do to keep yourself and the ones you love safe in the sun.

I would like to start off with a small video that is a little scary but very well worth the few minuets it takes to watch it. It's not meant to scare but it's defintiely made to make those out there aware of the dangers of skin cancer. Please take a min to watch this and if you can, pass it on to the ones you love.

There are many different factors that increase your and your family's chances of getting skin cancer.

Here are 6 factors that will help you consider putting on the SPF.

1. A Family History

About 10 percent of melanoma cases run in the family. If your child has a first-degree relative -- you, your spouse, or a sibling -- who develops melanoma, he has a 50 percent greater chance of getting this cancer than someone without a family history. (If the cancer occurs in a grandparent or an aunt or an uncle, there's still a risk but it's not as great.)

2. Many Moles

Moles that are present at birth are the most dangerous. But the bulk of kids develop moles in response to sun exposure, and the more moles your child has, the greater her risk of developing melanoma later in life, says Elizabeth McBurney, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans.

3. Past Sunburns

Bad burns -- as well as cumulative exposure to UV rays -- can cause genetic mutations in the skin that increase the risk of developing melanoma.

4. Fair Skin and Light Hair

If your child only has a little pigment (melanin) in her skin, she's more vulnerable to UV radiation. "Kids with fair skin have about four times the risk of developing skin cancer later in life than kids with a darker complexion," says Parents advisor Lawrence Eichenfield, MD, chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children's Hospital, in San Diego. Redheads and blonds have a two- to fourfold increased risk of developing melanoma -- even if they do tan.

5.Living in a Southern Latitude or at a High Altitude

It's no surprise that children who live in Florida are exposed to more sun and are more likely to develop skin cancer than kids who live in northern Maine. But the same holds true if your home is in the mountains of Colorado or California. "Living at higher elevations exposes you to more UV radiation -- about 4 or 5 percent more for every 1,000 feet above sea level," says Dr. McBurney.

6.Being an Athlete

If your child plays a sport like soccer, swimming, or track, she'll spend more time in the sun -- and a study from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine found that 85 percent of young athletes don't use sunscreen. But this is one risk factor that's reversible; make sure your child goes out to the field wearing sunscreen and, when possible, UV-protective clothing.

via

There are also some horrible myths out there about sun safety as well. Here are some myths that you might have thought were true but are definitely not!

Myth: My child won't get burned if she's wearing SPF 50.

Truth: If you don't apply enough -- or if you don't reapply it -- your child can still get burned, says Ann Haas, MD, chair of the AAD's Youth Education Committee. The guideline is to apply at least an ounce of sunscreen over your child's entire body; with spray sunscreens, make sure you saturate all of your child's skin. You also need to put more product on your child every two hours and after she swims or sweats a lot. "The term 'waterproof' is misleading -- all it means is that the sunscreen protects you for up to 80 minutes in the water," says Elizabeth McBurney, MD, clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans. "But some will still wash off in the water and be rubbed off when your child dries off with a towel."

Myth: Getting a tan isn't dangerous.

Truth: Sunburns definitely increase the risk of developing melanoma, but your kids are still at risk of getting skin cancer even if they always get a golden tan. "We know now that the more sun your child gets, the more likely he or she is to develop basal-cell and squamous-cell skin cancers," says Dr. Eichenfield. "Any sign of color means that the skin has been damaged."

Myth: My child is mostly inside, so I don't have to worry.

Truth: You may have to, especially on sunny days. Window glass only filters out UVB, so UVA can still penetrate your child's skin if she's standing nearby. "We used to think that only UVB rays were dangerous, but now we know that UVA rays also cause skin cancer," says Parents advisor Jody Alpert Levine, MD, a pediatric dermatologist in New York City. When you're going on a long car ride, put sunscreen on your child's hands, forearms, and face before hitting the road. If her play area or desk is right near a window at home or at school, she should also wear sunscreen to reduce exposure.

This myth is particularly important because I know a lot of people who think this is true!

Myth: My baby shouldn't wear sunscreen.

Truth: You should keep your baby out of the sun, but there may be times when you can't avoid exposing her. The American Academy of Pediatrics says it's safe to use a small amount of sunscreen on an infant, but you should do a "patch test" the day before by putting a little on the inside of her wrist to check for irritation or allergies.

Myth: My child needs some time without sunscreen to avoid vitamin D deficiency.

Truth: You've probably seen news reports about how we all need sunshine to help our bodies make this important nutrient. However, the AAD says that both kids and adults can get enough vitamin D through day-to-day sun exposure, multivitamins, and foods like milk and fortified orange juice. "Any healthy, active child who spends time playing outdoors is going to get more than enough sunlight for adequate vitamin D production," says Sandra Johnson, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in Little Rock. "Studies have also shown that people who wear sunscreen regularly don't suffer from vitamin D deficiency."

Now that you know the facts here are some products to help protect your little one. 

Cutest Babysuit Ever!

  If you've got a young baby at the beach, put him in a sun-protective romper -- it takes away a lot of the worry and lets you focus your sunscreen application (and reapplication) on his extremities. We love this Baby Surf Suit from Mini Boden. $38, 866-206-9508, bodenusa.com

Serious Sunscreen

  Badger, with SPF 30, gets high marks for being a pure zinc-oxide barrier. That means it turns your kids' skin a little white, but that's good, because you know if you've missed a spot and you can see when it starts to rub off. It's also at least 60 percent certified organic. $16, Whole Foods, badgerbalm.com

Serious Sunscreen 

Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby is brand new this year. It's SPF 60, with a blend of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that forms a physical barrier against the sun. It's safe for babies 6 months and up -- or younger if your pediatrician gives you the okay ($10, drugstores)

Take More with You

  Keep MD Moms Sunscreen Towelettes in your diaper bag at all times and you'll always be ready to reapply sunscreen. The wipes don't weigh as much as a bottle of sun lotion, so they're easy to cart around, and each towel should be able to completely cover a 2-year-old with SPF 30 lotion. $26 for 15, 888-636-6672, mdmoms.com

Watch the Feet

  Experts say that babies' feet are often forgotten when it comes to sun protection -- and think about it, what other body part stays out of the stroller? Especially if your child kicks off shoes or balks at sandals, try these sun-protective Surf Socks sold through One Step Ahead. $10, onestepahead.com

Put a Lid on Them

  Yes, it's hard to get a kid to keep a hat on his head, but you gotta try. It protects the scalp and face, two places where it's tough to get on sunscreen. These SPF 50 baby hats are from Wallaroo Hat Company. $20, wallaroohats.com

The Final Touch: Sunglasses 

If it's hard to keep a hat on your baby, it might be nearly impossible to keep her in sunglasses. But Julbo Looping Sunglasses are the best we've found -- they can't be easily tossed off, and they really cover the eyes for maximum protection.  $30, julbousa.com

via

The face is something that most of us tend to forget to protect. I for one NEVER forget to put sunscreen on my face. Even if I'm inside for 50% of the day I still put my face lotion with SPF 30 on daily. It's so important to protect your face from those harmful rays. With my mom, my sister and my aunt having "scary spots" taken off of their face in the last few years, it has been a huge reminder not to forget to put sunscreen on my face. My mom had a spot taken off of her upper lip, my sister had something taken off of her chin and my aunt had something taken off of her nose. That's a pretty scary thing to think about. Here are some "Elle Magazine approved" face lotions that you might want consider.

via

Neutrogena Age Shield + Repair SPF 55 

“doesn’t leave you shiny” and is “invisible under makeup.”

Clinique Face Cream SPF "won't clog pores" and "absorbs in seconds."

“Keeping every ray away,” La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid is “worth every penny.

The “only product you need in the morning,” Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 “protects and softens skin.”

“Fresh-scented” Shiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 38 “is light and nongreasy on skin.”

I use the Aveeno daily and I would highly recommend it. It's worth being a little shiny around the edges over having to go under the knife for a sun spot.

Don't forget to cover up your eyes when you go outside too! Wearing sunglasses isn't just about looking stylish.

Wear sunglasses that block UV rays

UV-blocking sunglasses are important for protecting the delicate skin around the eyes, as well as the eyes themselves. Research has shown that long hours in the sun without protecting your eyes increase your chances of developing eye disease.

The ideal sunglasses do not have to be expensive, but they should block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVB radiation. Before you buy, check the label to make sure they do. Labels that say "UV absorption up to 400 nm" or "Meets ANSI UV Requirements" mean the glasses block at least 99% of UV rays. Those labeled "cosmetic" block about 70% of UV rays. If there is no label, don't assume the sunglasses provide any UV protection.

Darker glasses are not necessarily better because UV protection comes from an invisible chemical applied to the lenses, not from the color or darkness of the lenses. Look for an ANSI label.

Large-framed and wraparound sunglasses are more likely to protect your eyes from light coming in from different angles. Children need smaller versions of real, protective adult sunglasses – not toy sunglasses.

Ideally, all types of eyewear, including prescription glasses and contact lenses, should absorb the entire UV spectrum. Some contact lenses are now made to block most UV rays. But because they don't cover the whole eye and surrounding areas, they are not sufficient eye protection when used alone. via

Last but not least is sun care for your pets. via

Our cat Groucho has no hair so of course he stays indoors for the most part. But pets that stay outside often don't get the sun protection that they need.  Here are some helpful tips to help your four legged friend when they are outside.

Provide shade
Availability to shade and fresh water should be available at all times to keep your pet comfortable and prevent heat stoke. This is obvious, but for outdoor pets, if their quarters can be fully shaded (such as a kennel), risks of sun damage are greatly reduced. Consider a sun block top for outdoor housing.

Provide sunblock
Like humans, pets should have sunblock applied to sun-sensitive areas such as tips of ears, nose the belly and groin areas that typically have sparse hair coverage and thinner skin. Cats love to sunbathe and some dogs will too, belly up. Additionally, many people get "summer cuts" for their cats and dogs to reduce matting and keep the pets comfortable in the summer heat. Sunburn is a definite possibility, and groomers should warn pet owners of this possibility. 

What products are safe to use for pets? It should be remembered that dogs and especially cats are adept at licking off topical lotions, sprays and creams. These substances can be toxic for dogs and especially for cats. It was once recommended that anything safe for human babies would be OK to use on pets with supervision (let the lotion soak in before licking can occur), and that is a guideline, but with the following considerations in mind.

Using products on a species not covered by product usage guidelines is off-label usage. Please consult with your veterinarian prior to using any human products or medications on your pet. Toxicities resulting from off-label usage by pet owners was the number one pet health insurance claim in a survey by VPI. It is very important to read all instructions and directions before applying any product to your pet. 

Pet sunscreen tips:

1) Use pet-safe sunscreens if possible As of this writing, only one has FDA approval, and that is Epi-Pet Sun Protector. This is great news for dogs and horses, but unfortunately is not able to be used on cats. A feline sunscreen is being worked on, however, hopefully out within a year. I spoke with Lisa, the marketing director for Epi-Pet, and she said that two of the ingredients commonly used in sunscreens break down in cats to salicylic acid, a.k.a aspirin, a known toxin for cats.  

2) Feline sunscreen protection is trickier Avoid products with Octyl Salicylate, Homosalate and Ethylhexyl Salicylate (common sunscreen ingredients). Products containing Titanium Dioxide as an active ingredient are OK to use on ear tips and noses. This ingredient works by physically blocking the sun's harmful rays, so it is not absorbed (much) by the skin. (This is in contrast to sunblocks that work to chemically block the sun's ray.) The Epi-Pet spokeswoman said that this compound is toxic if ingested, so caution is advised.

Sunscreens contain ingredients that are absorbed through the skin and are regulated by the FDA. All ingredients should be listed on the container. Sun Protection Factor (SPF) has not been rated for animals, and because of this, SPS of animal-specific products should be labeled as "comparable to" their human counterparts, according to FDA requirements.

 I hope this is informative to someone out there. I am very adamant about putting sunscreen on myself and my family. Especially Stratton because unfortunately he got his momma's skin color. 

Friday Confessions

I confess I buy only an even amount of lunchables because I eat two at one setting.

I confess I love pizza lunchables.

I confess I'm sitting at my computer butt naked writing this...because I can.

I confess I walk around the house naked all the time. I get a kick out of Stratton high fiving the hand print on my hip.

I confess I was SO excited this morning to announce that Groucho has finally started to use the citikitty!

I confess I am currently potty training not only my son but my cat as well.

I confess I love when Stratton sleeps in our bed because Derek doesn't snore as bad at night.

I confess I sleep with one ear plug in because Derek snores so bad at night.

I confess I have watched How To Train Your Dragon at least 6 times this week and I still really like it.

I confess I am so pumped about tomorrow! We get to take Stratton to see the Big Foot monster truck, then we are going to a birthday party for Izzy (step-cousin), then after that my sister-in-law Steph and I are going to have a date night! Woo Hoo!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week and I have some pictures to post but it will have to wait until tomorrow.