M I B W . . .

Missing in Bloggy World....That is me for the next couple of days. Sorry If I have not been around to your blog or posting for that matter. Lew is off and we have been enjoying time with him.

There will be tons of pictures and stories to tell when we get back. Thanks.

Also. If you were not able to comment on the this giveaway hopefully you will be able to do it now. Not sure what was going on. I think it was one of the videos that I had up that was causing issues. So the video that originally would not play is now playing.

Thanks! Have a great Wednesday!

It's Time to Boogie !

Recently I was given the opportunity to review Boogie Wipes. I have to admit I had never heard of them tell I checked out Natalie's review on them.

I knew that I wanted to try them because Will has had a banner year for colds and such. So if I could find something that would not make his poor little nose red, I would definitely use it.


Guess what? It worked!

They smell good. Major Plus!

Will is not running from me to wipe his boogies anymore. Major Major Plus!

They are soft and get the job done. Major Major Major Plus!

This is a little tidbit about Boogie Wipes which you can not only find on their website but at Target and Toys R' Us just to name a few.

"Boogie Wipes are made with saline to dissolve boogies (mucus) caused by the common cold, allergies or otherwise booger-filled kid moments. Extra soft, alcohol, phthalate and paraben free, Boogie Wipes are available in Great Grape, Fresh Scent, Magic Menthol and Simply Unscented. Recommended by pediatricians as a gentle, effective alternative to a dry tissue."

To demonstrate how Boogie Wipes work I enlisted my niece Lilly who suffers with allergies year round. When I showed it to my sister she fell totally in love with it! Lilly also loved it so much she asked if we could make a video about it. Yes. She is a little diva and loves to ham it up. Enjoy!

She is too cute!

Would you like some Boogie Wipes for your little one? Boogie Wipes has been so kind to offer one of my readers (2) packs of 30-count wipes (fresh, grape, menthol, or unscented– combination varies.

Visit the Boogie Wipes site and tell me what scent you would like to try. (Mandatory Entry)

Follow Boogie Wipes on facebook (2 entries)

Follow Boogie Wipes on twitter (2 entries)

Follow me through google friend. (1 entry)

This giveaway will end on Sunday, July 4Th @ NOON EST. Open to all US residents 18+. To be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked.

I received 1 pack of boogie wipes and samples to review on my blog. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own and Lilly's.

tantrums . .meltdowns . .is this week over yet ?

I have been pretty non existent in the blogging world this week do to the fact that my totally amazing and wonderful toddler has turned into a tantrum throwing, head banging, throwing machine cranky pants.

I am seriously tired. I am getting wake up calls at 5:30am. I don't drink coffee. So I am screwed in that department. No one is making ME breakfast! No one is warming up milk for me to enjoy. Nope.

By the time 10am hits I feel like I have been up 24 hours straight! I can't take it.

Every little thing lately has been setting Will off. If he doesn't get his drink right away he screams it. Not in a mean way. But I guess he is thinking I am hard of hearing or something, I mean hold your horses kid, I am one mom!

Today he ran one of his Tonka trucks into the back of my ankle and that mother hurt! I put him up in his room because frankly timeout does not work. This kid gets up no matter what. When I went to get him after 2 minutes, he just looked at me and new he had done wrong. I told him to say sorry and he actually did it.

I don't know about you but he was a complete and utter prince up until a couple of weeks ago when these tantrums started bursting out of know where. I mean I really hope this does not last until he turns 3 in JANUARY! I can't take it.

Then when he was napping today, which is my only saving grace, I was looking at pictures of my mom. I realized that all the pictures I have are of her with my oldest sister's kids. I just got totally choked up and started balling, like serious crocodile tears people! I wish she were here to help guide me and give me "motherly" advice. I guess I am totally jealous that my sister's kids got to experience their grandma and have pictures to remember her by. All Will will have is pictures of his cousins with his grandma.

Kinda sucks.

Thank goodness Lew is off next week for a long over due vacation because I need some major backup.

I seriously hope that today is a better day filled with rainbows and unicorns...a girl can hope right?!

I heart donut faces !

Check out more Wordless Wednesdays at A Beautiful Mess and Live and Love...Out Loud

Potty Training Anybody ? ?

We or shall I say I am getting ready to start potty training Will. Lew works so many hours that really this milestone will fall on me most of the time.

I need help. I need help from all my bloggy friends out there.

Will has gone on the potty 3 times so we have been a bit inconsistent.

But now it is time to get down to business.

What methods did you use? Did it just happen? How long did it take you? Did you use pull ups or underwear?

Any advice you can give will be SO HELPFUL!

Thanks!

Picture Post...i know how creative !

First I wanted to say how proud I am of my sweet bubsy. He has been binky free for over a month now! He is looking more and more like a little guy these days rather than my baby. {{tears}} So sad!

Fun at the park...we had free rain that day as it was so hot!

Will was running away from the "tractor" that was mowing the fields...mama...alfie!

Deep in thought or contemplating if this is the right place to poop.

Will's version of swinging...

Playing in the dirt..what boy doesn't love that?

More swingin'...

What happens when you are running down a hill wearing crocs...

It has been so hot hear so we have either been inside soaking up the AC or Will has been swimming in his pool.

Next week Lew is taking a week off so we are going to do a couple day trips to a few places around here, including the beach! So excited for that. Will loves the beach!

I know this is a bit random. But I have a feeling summer blogging will be a bit random and scattered. We have to enjoy it while we can. Well...off to go and teach pilates and train a couple of clients. Have a great day!

Yellow Butterfly . . .

Today we saw you. You danced around us with flurry in the bright, sunny afternoon of June.

You landed on the most sweetest of rose bushes and let Will get a glimpse of you. You flapped your wings oh so fast. Will pronounced you his "fly fly".

Because you are a wonderful grandmother you decided it was time to play a little chase. You flew around with such grace as Will chased you. You stayed close. That's how I knew it was you. Will had the belly giggles as you let him follow you around. Never once did you leave our sight. You always touch your grand babies so.

Then you landed back on the rose bushes with ease. Will and I were inches away from touching your golden wings when you flew above us and almost floated.

Maybe to say you were watching over us.

Maybe you were telling Will what a fun time you had playing with him.

Maybe its because you are the world's greatest grandma.

Maybe its because you are the best mom a girl could ever have.

I miss you everyday. Thanks for telling me its okay.

can we say trainaholic?

Visits from the other side . . .

I have been feeling a bit uninspired to really post anything lately. Will has been sick, and I know you have heard enough of those posts this year!

But Natalie at Mommy of a Monster got me inspired today with her post. She talks about an encounter with a ghost and even the presence of her mother in law.

Which made me think of some of the encounters I have had. After my mom passed away, my sister and I were praying we would see her again, we wanted a sign to know that she was okay and that she was not in pain anymore. I was living with my sister and one day we were just hanging out downstairs when we heard a little noise coming from upstairs. My sister has some squeaky floor boards, so we thought it was Kevin, her husband up there. We called out to him but he did not answer, we called to him in the basement and found him playing video games.

We both just looked at each other and were kind of spooked but thought, maybe it was our mom. So we went upstairs together and noticed in the hallway by my sister's room was my mom's pink scarf that my sister ALWAYS kept in her bed. My sister picked up the scarf and she smelled it and she started crying because it smelled exactly like our mom. We started to tear up because we knew now she was okay. She was in a place where she had no more pain.

Another story is more of a presence but to me it feels like it is real. My mom was always terrified of my driving. I do not think she enjoyed me driving her home from chemo, let's just put it that way. She was always so nervous for me. Shortly after she past, I was getting in my car to go to school and there was a yellow butterfly lingering by my driver side window. Even as I backed up this yellow butterfly stayed with me until I got out of my neighborhood. I instantly, without a doubt thought it was my mom. This was not the only time that would happen, in fact I had yellow butterflies just randomly appear when I would drive. Once it was on a busy highway in traffic, tell me that is not weird?! Then one day I got a notice in the mail to renew my license so I headed to the DMV to get that done. As I was waiting I noticed a yellow butterfly on a license plate, I don't know about you but I thought that was another sign. That day I ended ordering myself those butterfly license plates and on it I put, MSNMA. I thought she would be happy and now she would be with me all the time. Weird, I know. But when you lose someone, everything becomes a sign or a feeling.

The last story is of an encounter my mom had with her best friend who died in a boating accident. We lived in Va. and my mom's best friend lived in Nebraska. It was fourth of July and Donna(my mom's bf) and her family were going out on their boat. Well, something happened and the boat exploded. Luckily their youngest was at the car getting something, but her husband was killed instantly and Donna was thrown up on the dock and she was on fire. Her youngest came running down and threw his mom in the water to extinguish the flames and then he held in there until the ambulance came.

My mom was in shock when she heard the news and she went out for John's funeral and then to visit Donna in the hospital who's body was 90% covered with burns. Donna told my mom she just wanted to die, she couldn't live this way and even if she did live it would be a miracle and how would she take care of her boys like this. She even told my mom she wanted to be with John. My mom tried to stay positive for her and stayed with her day in and day out until she had to come back to VA. My mom said things did not look good for her but she thought that she would pull through. A couple days after my mom got home Donna passed away. My mom got back on a plane and went to Donna's funeral. She said it was the hardest thing she ever had to go through because she had to see the sadness in Donna and John's kids eyes. It was horrific. After she came home from all this and started to get back into work and the groove of taking care of us, she said she could feel Donna. That something wasn't right. She often said she felt her at bedtime. That Donna must not be at peace where she is. Which kind of freaked us all out.

A couple of months later we moved to a new house and we were getting settled. My dad was on a business trip and I would often sleep in my mom's bed with her. One morning my mom was taking a shower and then we were going to run some errands. I just remember this look on her face, like she had seen a ghost. Then she was looking in the mirror and she turned her arm towards the mirror. I kid you not on her arm were finger prints as if someone grabbed her arm! She was not the least bit freaked like I was. She told me again that she really thought it was Donna. Donna's death was not settling, it was tragic and my mom felt like Donna did not die peacefully and she wanted my mom to help her.

After that encounter with whomever in the shower, my mom never felt Donna again. After a while my mom said she thought Donna was at peace finally.

What do you think? Do you think best friends and mothers and daughters are so closely connected that we know when one is at peace?

The Winner is . . .

Result: 41

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

KLZ said...
Ok, following blog now. Already following on Twitter.

Congrats KLZ! I have emailed you to let you know that you have won. Please email me back within 48 hours.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Also I wanted to give thanks to Adrienne from Stories from the Shoebox for awarding me with the One Lovely Blog Award...many thanks girl!

The rules are to pass it on to 10 new blogs you discovered but that task seems a bit daunting to me. So I am going to pass it on to one...that seems a bit more special...right?

Without further ado, I pass it on to The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom. She is an amazing blogger with a toddler and just an all around great blog to read about mommyhood. So go give her a shout out!

only 2 days . . .

Did I tell you that I am hosting my first giveaway? Go check it out here... it ends tomorrow!

Thanks bloggy friends!

Love = Lewcious

How did this miracle happen

That we're so very blessed.

So close…and more contented,

Than I ever would have guessed.

I never thought that I could spend each precious minute,

With just one special person and find happiness within it.

I've learned so much from you, about loving, sharing, giving.

I know if I hadn't met you, I wouldn't be really living.

We're facing life together.

We're handling joy and sorrow.

I'm glad you're on my side, whatever comes tomorrow.

You're my perfect partner, sweet lover, trusted friend.

We're safe within our love, a love that will never end.

Happy Anniversary Lewcious...I love you more than air.

Because What Is A Day W/O . . .

RANDOMNESS.

You all know how much I love to be random. In fact I am thinking maybe I should start a meme on it. You know a day when you can just list random things. Not have to give a thought to your post that day. Sometimes you need those days, those posts.

Here are my randomly random thoughts on this Thursday:

• Yesterday I went to the grocery store and spent a lot of stinkin' money and I am not sure of what I even got. Maybe it was those yummy oh so desirable cherries that said they were $2.99/lb and somehow what I thought was a lb. was actually 3.5lbs. of yummy oh so desirable cherries. They better be good cherries!
• Why do people go to a large checkout lane and decide that they are going to pay 3 separate ways for their order? Kinda annoying. No. Really annoying. So annoying that I flung my mike and ikes(treating myself to after dealing with grocery store) onto the belt and those bad boys broke open. They were everywhere! I was probably being punished for being so annoyed by the person in front of me for paying three ways!
• I think Will might have allergies. That or I really just like going to Annapolis Pediatrics to torture my child. He coughs throughout the night and wakes up incredibly stuffy. I thought this might be because of his two year molars but it is just lasting way too long. Plus we are outside in our backyard playing non-stop. So now I have to traumatize my kid with a trip to his Ped. just so I can get a referral to an Allergist for more torture.
• Will has gone pee on the potty twice. Both times he did it by himself with no real suggestion on my part. SCORE! After the second pee he was running around his room and he decided to poop right then and there. What the heck? Major FAIL! I think poops will be a hard one for him considering he likes to lay on his stomach to do his #2 business.
• Did some major spring/summer cleaning on Tuesday because I hate clutter! Do you ever just go through your things and just pitch them b/c you can't stand it anymore?
• Did anyone catch the NJ Housewives episode the other night? Danielle really freaks me out! Then I just heard she has a sex tape out. Seriously Bravo needs to cut the ties with her.
• Will is completely done with the binki. Sometimes he asks for it when he is cranky but I just tell him the dog ate it and he actually believes me.
• He also has been wanting to cuddle more lately, not sure if that is b/c he has been a bit under the weather.
• He also has just started to enjoy Disney movies which he will sit through. So we cannot wait to take him to see a Disney movie. Maybe Toy Story 3?
• Okay. I think I am done being random for a day.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Please. Pretty Please with cherries on top.

Pour Your Heart Out...Workaholic Style

I am so thankful that Shell has started this meme because I know for sure that I might not have shared some of the things that I have in the past weeks on my blog without it. Thanks Shell!

This week's post is not too serious. Not too personal. Maybe not too interesting. Just being real mom.

So. Here it goes.

I have always enjoyed making my own money. Since I was 16 I had a job. I was a cashier at Safeway. Yeah. I know. G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S! Hey, I was able to buy my OWN clothes and not have to rely on mommy and daddy to hand over their credit cards.

I loved it. I felt independent.

Once I started going to school, I stopped working. But during that time, my mom also got sick. So I became her caregiver and took time off from school. Once she passed away, I threw myself back into work and school.

I trained from 5am-1pm, then I went to class, and then I got a second training job and worked from 6pm-10pm. Not sure I was loving it then. But it kept me and my mind busy from all my issues. I eventually finished school and went on to manage and pretty much worked non-stop up until Will was born. I even taught Kick Boxing when I was 9 months pregnant!

Anyway. Getting to my point. Fast forward almost 9 years. I am a part time in home Personal Trainer and Full Time Mom. I capitalize Full Time Mom because to me it is a job that deserves some respect.

I enjoy that I am able to make money and contribute to our family. I think if I didn't I would not feel good about myself, since I consider myself a workaholic. That's just me. Everyone is different. But for me, having my 15 hours a week to go out and train my clients keeps me feeling good about this whole mom gig.

Also, I don't feel guilty about the amount of time I may or may not be spending blogging and reading other blogs! :)

I love my family. I love my husband. I love my Willsey. And I love working. I can love it all and enjoy my bloggy cake too!

Don't forget to enter my FIRST GIVEAWAY HERE! Thanks...

It's A Giveaway Baby ! ! !

CSN Stores recently contacted me about hosting a giveaway for one of my lucky readers! CSN Stores carries a wide variety of items, including everything from tools to children's toys and furniture to exercise equipment!

One of you will be winning $30 to spend at any of their 200+ websites. Major score!

Here are a few things you might find while browsing CSN Stores:

CSN Stores’ sites provide customers with unparalleled selection in many categories including: cookware, bar stools, bathroom vanities and tubs, cribs, strollers, diaper bags, luggage and other travel gear, bedroom sets, dining room sets, office desks, greenhouses, kitchen and laundry room appliances, and that's just the beginning.

***Here's How to Win!***

PLEASE BE SURE TO LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY!

Mandatory Entry: Go to CSN Stores and tell me what you would like to spend your $30 on!

***Bonus Entries:***

1. Become a follower of Happenings, or just let me know if you are already one. (2 entries)
2. Follow me on twitter (bubsymomma) (1 entry)
3. Blog about this giveaway and send me the link to the post (3 entries)

I'll close the giveaway on Sunday, June 13th at 11:59 p.m. EST.
This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. Thanks for entering and GOOD LUCK!

One Savvy Mom Giveaway and I want To Win ! ! !

You might have seen me tweeting about this giveaway....EVERYDAY. Now I am blogging about it! Because if you are like me, you want an iPAD too! There are quite a few entries already but I am doing everything and anything I can to win it...maybe....hopefully...I pray...I will win!

If you are interested in an iPAD I suggest getting your own! Only kidding...go ahead and reduce my chances of winning, I will forgive you if you win. Maybe.

Check out One Savvy Mom because she has some other amazing giveaways as well!

Flippin' It Off ! ! !

Today I am joining Kludgy Mom and releasing all my tension and angst that has been building up all week. I have to admit, Will and I have reversed rolls this week and I have been a bit of a monster. I will explain...

Birth Control Pills: Why is it when I am not taking you I get massive, horrible cramps that I have not seen since I was a teenager? Why are you making my face break out? I never have breakouts! Not taking you has given me a very short temper...hence making me a mommy monster this week! The reason I am off you is to try and add to our family. Frankly right now I just want to make it through this PERIOD! SO FLIP OFF!!!

Woman talking on her cell phone while driving: Don't honk at me! I can't go anywhere when the freaking light is red. Just because you need to make a RIGHT TURN, right now does not mean I can make the light change. Also, why are you blabbing away on the phone anyway? Haven't you heard of Oprah's no phone zone?? FLIP OFF and STOP HONKING AT ME!

"O" Key on my Laptop: You have been my friend for so long and now when I type, you have to be forced to be seen on my screen. So annoying! Recently, you actually came off, Lew had to put you back on. Even though you still refuse to cooperate! SMALL FLIP OFF TO YOU "O"!

Trash Technician: Mysteriously the top to our trash can has disappeared. Hmmm...our neighbors did not mistakenly take it. It has not been windy and it did not blow down the street like it has done on occasion. Did you happen to lift our trash can into the dumpster and realize our top had then been thrown into that nasty, smelling pile of trash and thought, "oh well?" Now we have to get a new trash can! Flippin' Thanks A lot!

Okay. Definitely feeling better. The monster in me has slowly started to drift away. If you need to rid yourself of some frustration and maybe a little monster had on over to Kludgy Mom and link on up!

Thanks for hooking me up Natalie!

Thank You . . .

Today is kind of a laid back day for me. It is cloudy and humid out. Who wants to be a part of that? Not me.

But I do have some exciting news! Within the next week I will be reviewing a awesome product for CSN and I will be hosting my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY! CSN has 200+ stores online which have pretty much anything you could imagine, even bathroom vanities! Let me tell you I love this site, anything you are looking for, you will likely find it.

So PLEASE stay tuned! I do not want you to miss this GIVEAWAY! Did I say it was my FIRST?

Now I wanted to say some Thank yous. I don't know about you but I love entering giveaways. Sometimes there is a good chance of winning and others well, you just know you will not. But recently I won two great giveaways!

The first one is at Really Are You Serious w/ Krystyn. I entered her Eleven Shoes giveaway which is a unique store online for children's shoes and we won! I was able to pick out these awesome boots for Will, that he will be sporting in the fall. He is going to be one stylish preschooler! Thanks Krystyn and Eleven shoes!

Then I entered a giveaway at The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom for My Belle Boutique which is a wonderful Etsy shop, she also has a blog and I won! I get to design my own necklace. So cool! Thanks Sippy Cup Mom and My Belle Boutique!

Wordless Wednesday...Baby Fever !

This one is for you Liz

Post It Note Tuesday . . . PMS style !

SupahMommy says it best, "Why bother spewing verbal vomit when you can sum it all up in one neat little post it note?"

So if you want to spew some verbal vomit today, check out SupahMommy and link up, you won't be disappointed. She is wonderully funny!