Picture Dump

The best tea ever. I love that they have Grannyism's on the inside of the cap.

 I got my nails painted last Sunday. The color should have been Dorothy's Shoes. It was SO sparkly.

 I love sun burst photos.

 Stratton loves him some Price is Right.

 I have the most spoiled cat in the entire world.

 ...again. He's so spoiled.

 This is why I can never get anything done. If I sit at the kitchen table he has to sit on my shoulders.

 The meatloaf that again didn't turn out well. It was mushy again. Maybe the 3rd time is a charm.

 Can you tell we're potty training?

 The mushy meat loaf.

 Our tickets came in for the Down concert.

 We celebrated my grandmothers birthday last weekend as well. She makes the BEST Angel Food Cake EVER!!!

 The healthy breakfast I chose to eat yesterday. Ale 8-1 was from my parents, M&M's were from the HR lady, and the popcorn was some that I already had. Price: $0 SCORE!

I'm thankful this week that I bought a new pallet of eye makeup before my fast. I am learning to put my make up on better each day. Don't laugh but I actually looked up how to put makeup on like a drag queen! They're makeup is flawless!!!

 Everyone should be SO proud of me. Among not spending any money. I have officially not bit my nails since last Sunday as well! Go me!

Shopping Fast Update

UH! I never knew how hard it was to not spend on a whim. I have seriously had to bite my fingers so I wouldn't buy the "stuff" I don't need. I have been SO temped to just get "something small" but those small somethings really add up.

Here is my list to date of all the things I have wanted but resisted buying.

Thursday, August 4th
-Roger Alan Wade iTunes album - $9.99
-Lunch @ El Torrero - usually around  $15 (with tip)

Friday, August 5th
- Kat Von D Adora foil Lipstick online - $25 (with shipping)
-Tumbler Cup with Lid - $25 (with shipping)

Saturday, August 6th
-Keen winter boots on sale at Marcy's - $60 (before tax)

Sunday, August 7th
-Red glitter nail polish - $8.50 (before tax)
-Clear top coat nail polish - $7.50 (before tax)
-Dinner at Skip's - $15 (guessing)

Monday, August 8th
-Smoothie from Smoothie King - $7.69 (before tax)

Tuesday, August 9th
-eBook "The Help" - $9.99
-Vera Bradley 100 Handbag (on sale) - $37.00 (with shipping)
-buttons on etsy - $8.35 (with shipping)

Total Saving from not Spending: $229.02

WHOA! Yes, that is a lot of money. BUT, I didn't realize how much all the "stuff" I was buying was racking up. Most items that I buy are $25 or less but it really does add up. I will say I spent $33 and some change to finally purchase the pictures we had taken by Ashley Lancaster. I think it was well worth it because I got to finally use my $25 gift certificate on the order. Not to mention I got a 20x30 for free and my coupon expires tomorrow. Derek is even getting in on the saving train and we both decided to not stay the night in St Louis for his friends wedding in order to save money.

This is really helping me not only save money but it has helped me look to God for strength. Every time I feel the urge to buy something I ask God to give me strength not to spend. It has defintiely helped.

I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday!

Weekend Events

So, this weekend we celebrated a friends birthday. Our friend Todd turned the big 3-0 so we celebrated by doing what we Missourians do best: Eating Mexican, shooting each other with guns, and playing in the water.

Saturday we went to El Alcopolco for dinner then immediately took him to Blogett for paintball. It was SO much fun but SO painful and HOT!!! He had no idea where we were going so it was a great surprise for him. Being from Iowa, he likes guns and shooting stuff too. Paintballing was a huge hit with him.No pun intended.

Kelly and Teresa laughed because I had such pretty eyes and I looked like I was out for blood. Haha. Like I said on my Friday confessions, I've been wearing makeup and doing my hair everyday.

Totally inappropriate but I couldn't help laughing because this lady kept talking about paint balls but kept shortening it to balls.   "Don't pick up dirty balls."  "If your balls get stuck, shake the gun and they will come out." Those were just a few.

 The jumper was only $5 and SO worth it because it helped me blend it a little better.

 It was a one size fits "most."

  This is what Derek has to look forward to in the future.

 Marcus looking studly in the tall white socks.

 Our group looked pretty awesome. Not gonna lie.

  From left to right: Travis (Terea's brother), me, Ryan (friend), Emilie (wife of Travis), Todd (birthday boy), Josh (friend), Teresa (wife of birthday boy, Dalton (friend) Kelly (friend) and Marcus (my sister's boyfriend)

 I got shot twice. One on the inside of my thigh and once in the face.

 

  I don't think you could have taken a better shot.

 Here is the bruise from when Josh shot me. This was the morning after.

 This was the afternoon after.

This is today.

Still hurts to cross my legs.


Sunday we headed to Clearwater Lake in Peidmont, Mo. It was beautiful and SO nice. The temp was around 97* but the water was cool enough that it wasn't too bad. Teresa rented a pontoon boat that we all got to rid eon. We had food, drinks, and good music. It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

 Sisters! She makes me look SO pale. Haha

 Josh observing Marcus passed out on the turtle floaty.

 Todd and Teresa loving on each other.

 Josh's photo bomb. Thank you Josh.

Overall it was a great weekend and I'm glad I have such great friends to spend this quality time with. :)

Opening Up Shop

I have decided to once again open my Esty shop, Jackson Ink, up again. I have been trying to make some extra money on the side to help pay for school and to help get supplies for next semester. SO, if you know anyone who needs anything from birthday invitations to blog designs please please please let them know about my shop.

Jackson Ink

I will be selling and offering the following:

-Header Design: $10
-Total Blog Design: $40
  *this includes header, page titles, side titles, background, and any extras you would like added
-Photo Edits: $10-$50 depending on what you would like done
  *I can do everything from zit removal to braces removal and old photo touch ups that are damaged 
-Cartoon Yourself: $10-$50 depending on the amount of detail you would like
  *this is a vector image of you either whole body or just a head shot in any pose or outfit you would like
    this can also be added to any invitation or announcement for a discounted price
-Birthday Invitations: $30
  *This includes the design, production and printing of the invitations as well as them being cut out.
-Thank You Cards: $25
  *This includes the design, production and printing of the thank you cards as well as them being cut out


Other items available are:
Engagement Invitations
Wedding Invitations
Baby Shower Invitations
Birth Announcements
Baptism Invitations
Baby Shower Thank You's
Wedding Thank You's
Business Cards
Moo Cards
Swing Tags / Hang Tags
Logo Design
and many many more...
Birthday Thank You's


Please feel free to contact me any time day or night by e-mail at jacksonink@hotmail.com if you have any questions. I love doing this sort of stuff and I love making everyone 100% satisfied with their products they have ordered. I go above and beyond to make sure that my customers are genuinely happy with what I've made. If not I offer a money back guarantee.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I know I did. Pictures to come!

Friday Confessions

I confess in an attempt to try to be more girly I have not only put on makeup everyday this week but I have also gotten up early to take and shower and do my hair.

I confess I got my nails painted last weekend so I can try to stop biting my nails. 7 days down! Lets hope they last until next weekend for our friends wedding. Eep!

I confess I have had to pee for the last 3 hours but I'm WAY too lazy to get up and go.

I confess I have been taking pictures, tweeting, designing, and blogging like a mad woman. I have made $55 extra dollars this week alone doing side jobs!

I confess I am about to fall asleep because of all this rain we are getting today. Thank the Lord for it!

I confess I am seriously thinking about starting up my Etsy shop again. I really love doing graphic design and I think it would be a great way to make some extra money.

I confess I have been stressing for the last week about school but I'm secretly SUPER excited to get back in the studio.

I confess this shopping fast is seriously really hard! There is so much "stuff" I think I need but don't want to buy. Lord give me strength.

I confess I will be going to First Friday for the first time in months tonight. I'm super excited to go. I'm going to the MANaRT exhibit. Sounds pretty interesting.

I confess I am more grossed out by my husbands toothbrush than I am about my son spilling his potty chair in the kitchen. (thank God for hardwood floors and clorox bleach!)

And the Winner is.......

Karen!

Karen has won a blog makeover! Complete with a new background, new theme, new header and more! Go over to her blog at Journalista and leave here some love. Hope everyone had a great week! Get excited because tomorrow is the WEEKEND!!!

Some Quotes for the Day

Remember...you are not managing an inconvience, you are raising a human being. - Kittie Franly


Dear God,
    Thanks for this beautiful life and forgive me if I don't love it enough.

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

Use what talents you posses. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.

Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile. -Elizabeth Browning

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

Shopping Fast

OK, so today it starts. I'm going on a shopping fast until the end of the month.
My friend Leslie did this a little while back and I have really felt like I am seriously addicted to buying STUFF!
Stuff I don't need, stuff I think I need that I really don't, and stuff that eventually runs out and I need to buy more of it. Groceries, gas, and the essential "girl" items are not included in this fast for obvious reasons.

Either way. I spend too much money on crap I don't need. SO, I'm writing down all the "stuff" that I want to buy and I'm not going to buy it just to see how much money I can save myself if I just had better control over my spending. I don't have a budget...at all. We pay our bills and spend whatever money is left over on "stuff."

So here goes.

Today I wanted to buy:

album on iTunes cost: $9.99
lunch at El Torreros cost: around $15 usually

I'm determined to save money. I have got to take on this demon by the horns and get it under control. Wish me luck.

I'm officially a Twit

I starting using Twitter today.
I'm still trying to figure out how to use it exactly.
I now know how my grandparents feel when they get new technology now.

If you would like to follow me I am @MommaOddity

Hope I can learn how to use it soon so I can keep up with all my fellow bloggers.

The Perks of Having a Pet

via

I found this article floating around today and I thought it was awesome! Especially because I happen to love my cat. (No, I'm not a crazy cat lover. I don't like all cats I just like mine.)

There are actually some health benefits to having pets. Read all about it. You'll love your pet that much more.

1. Pets Lessen the Risk of Allergies & Asthma
Counterintuitive, at first, but it makes perfect sense. “The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided,” says researcher James E. Gern, MD, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. But a number of new studies suggest that kids growing up in a home with “furred animals”–which can include cats and dogs, as well as farm animals–will have less risk of allergies and asthma.
In his recent study, Gern analyzed the blood of babies immediately after birth and one year later. He was looking for evidence of an allergic reaction, immunity changes, and for reactions to bacteria in the environment. If a dog lived in the home, infants were less likely to show evidence of pet allergies. They also were less likely to have eczema; and they had higher levels of some immune system chemicals–a sign of stronger immune system activation. This sounds similar to the concepts explored in the hygiene hypothesis.

 2. Pets Reduce Stress
This one is kind of a no-brainer: a survey by Mindlab International found that 55 percent of people were more relaxed after spending time with their pets–44 percent were also less worried about specific problems such as job security and finance. Dr David Lewis, a psychologist at Mindlab said that “Interacting with a dog is a profound and effective stress reducer. It increases feelings of contentment and relaxation.”
One quarter of respondents described their dog as their best friend while one in six women said they confided their deepest thoughts only in their pets–and walking the dog was also found to be a more effective means of spending quality time with the family than even mealtimes or holidays.

 3. Dogs Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
A psychologist from Queen’s University, Belfast, said dog owners tended to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Writing in the British Journal of Health Psychology, she says that regular walks may partly explain the difference. Taking care of a dog can often leads to increases in physical activity and facilitates the development of social contacts, which may enhance both physiological and psychological human health. As well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol, dog-owners suffer fewer minor ailments and serious medical problems.

 4. Cats Lower Risk of  Fatal Heart Attack
Researchers looked at nearly 4,500 adults and found that cat ownership was related to a 40 percent lower risk of suffering a fatal heart attack. The team speculated that having a cat may reduce stress and anxiety, and thus protect against cardiovascular disease. For example, the mere act of petting your cat can lower your blood pressure!

 5. Pets Can Help People with Serious Illness
Some medical doctors  recommend “pet prescriptions” to their patients who are alone and need companionship. That’s because physicians have discovered that a family pet can actually motivate some patients to give their best effort when dealing with serious illness such as cancer. Having a pet to care for and feed can stimulate ailing individuals to take better care of themselves.

 6. Dogs Help with Weight Loss
According to a story published in The New York Times, research from the University of Missouri  found that people who walk dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion. In the 12-week study of 54 older adults, 35 people were assigned to a walking program for five days a week, while the remaining 19 served as a control group. Among the walkers, 23 selected a friend or spouse to serve as a regular walking partner, another 12 participants took a bus daily to a local animal shelter where they were assigned a dog to walk.
The researchers were surprised to find that the dog-walkers showed an impressive improvement in fitness, while the human walkers leaned towards making excuses to avoid the workout. Walking speed among the dog walkers increased by a whopping 28 percent, compared with just a 4 percent increase among the human walkers.
A University of Missouri-Columbia study showed that people who did not walk regularly could lose an average of 14 pounds in one year by walking a dog 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week!

So there you have it. Your furry four legged friends are actually better for you than you thought. I know Groucho is definitely a stress reliever for me. He is good to snuggle with when everyone else is asleep and he is the best hot water bottle during "that week." He was a great addition to our family and I know Stratton and Derek just love him to pieces.