Flip Out Mama

So, my best friend is pregnant! Finally! I am so very happy for her! This is her first baby, so I thought I should put together a list of advice for her when she becomes a new mommy. But, as usual, not so good with the advice. So, ladies, what tips would you give to my best friend about becoming a mom for the first time??

So I went to Zumba on Thursday, and I haven't posted about it yet. Because I am embarrassed. Dammit, it was fun. I had a great time. I really liked it. Maybe even loved it. Dammit. I only felt like an idiot for a few minutes, and after that it was fine! Plus the 2 hours away from my kids was like heaven! Maybe one day I will learn not to be so pessimistic about things I haven't even tried. Yeah right. :) So that's the Zumba update. And I think I'm going back next week. :)

1) I actually like our tiny old trailer. (well, not the scary tornado parts, but the fact that it's almost paid off, and it's ours and no one can take it away, and it's in the country and it's on a beautiful piece of land that's worth so much more than what we paid. I like those parts!) 2) I enjoyed being in the hospital when I had The Bean. I was all alone with my baby.I felt great. I didn't need any pain meds (after he was born, NOT during labor!!!!)I took showers without 4 year olds playing Leapster in the bathroom floor so I can make sure they don't get into trouble, I ate chicken fingers and fries, laid on a Tempurpedic mattress, and watched Tori & Dean for two days straight. Ahh, bliss. 3) I still think I haven't ever properly grieved over losing my mother, and she died ten years ago. There's definitely always been a lot of repressing going on in that department. 4) I'm sometimes jealous that my husband gets to go to work. I always want...

FRUIT PIZZA (one of my most favorite things) For the crust: small roll refridgerated sugar cookie dough 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla assorted fruit, chopped (we use strawberries, pineapple, banana, & cherries, but it's whatever you prefer) For the glaze: 1/2 cup sugar pinch of salt 2 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup water First, prepare the crust: Spread the cookie dough out onto a greased pizza pan (you can try to make it a circle if you want, but I always just make it a rectangle.) Cook the cookie according to package directions, set aside to cool Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth Spread onto cookie Spread fruit over pizza evenly Then Prepare the glaze: Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, but not "set up". Glaze will look ki...

I am sooo excited to be doing this giveaway! CSNstores.com is one of my very favorite websites, so I was thrilled to be offered the chance to do a giveaway with them! CSNstores.com is a website with over 250 online stores, selling everything from toilets and lighting, to toys and cookware. They literally have something for everyone! From Bedroom Sets , to toys, to cookware, to lighting, sinks, and toilets! (Here are a few of my very favorite things from their sites) They are a great site, and one of my personal favorite ones to shop at. I'm sure they will quickly become one of your favorites too! WIN IT: CSN stores has generously offered to give away a $40 e-gift certificate to one lucky Flip Out Mama reader! (This is a code that will be emailed to the winner directly from CSN stores. It does not include shipping costs, but lots of items on the site have free shipping!) How To Enter: Go to csnstores.com and look around. Come back here and leave a comment telling me wh...

So, that pretty much sums up my week. My bestest friend has finally talked me into going to a Zumba class with her on Thursday night. I am both excited and dreading this. If you don't know what Zumba is, take a look at this: Really, does anyone think I am going to be able to do this? I highly doubt it. I am going to make a fool out of myself. I am going to look REAL stupid. I have nothing to wear. I smoke. I get out of breath when I walk to the mailbox. I have high blood pressure. I am the most uncoordinated person I know. I am probably going to pass out. All of these are valid reasons against me doing this Zumba class. Everyone I know who has ever went, has loved it, and has went back again. But, I am just so self conscious. I don't know if I can do this. I am too embarrassed to do the dvds unless I have all the shades closed. ( And I am the only person who lives on my road!) Who knows, maybe it will be fun. Maybe it will bring me out of my shell. Maybe I will make new frien...

This post is in response to a prompt I found through Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop . I love her blog, you should check her out!! Anyways, on to the fears. ;)*btw, these are in no particular order, since I can not think of a way to logically order my fears. :) 1) Having to bury my babies. I think this is at the top of every mommy's list. 2)Coincidently, my babies having to bury me. I know eventually, they will probably have to, but what I mean is before they are grown. Before they are men, before they are married, before I have grandbabies. It happened to me, and I worry every day about my boys having to go through the pain of losing a parent when they are still just kids. 3) Tornadoes. We live in a trailer. I don't have a car. Enough said. 4) Never being successful at anything. I used to think I just...

***UPDATE: Thank you GOD that someone has entered this giveaway. I was seriously about to cry!!!**** this is Country Bob, isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?? Have you tried Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce yet? If not, you really should. I will admit it, I used to be kind of a sauce snob, A1 was my first and only choice. Then I discovered Country Bob's sauce, and I've been hooked ever since! I use Country Bob's on everything now, especially in the meat when I make burgers. It's kind of sweet and rich, but also spicy. They actually have a spicy variety which is actually my new favorite, it's really good on ribs. I am looking forward to trying Country Bob's new seasoning salt and BBQ sauce too, but I haven't got to try it yet. Another really cool thing about Country Bob's is that they make their own bottles on site. They also sell them to people who are int...

So, it's almost time. I mean, REALLY, almost time for Tater to start preschool. I can't believe he is ready to go, and it's already here. I am totally flipping out. ( surprise, right?) I feel like he is not prepared at all. He can't write his name. ( He can trace, but that's not the same...) He has an attitude, he's not a sharer. Not to even begin to touch on the fact that he strips completely naked when he poops. (Wonder how they're gonna handle that one!) He's so excited and so ready to go, but I am not. I am half-tempted to keep him home this year. But, alas, I know he needs it. He is so smart, but he needs that socialization, and I think that independence will be good for both of us. He's so bored here, bored with his toys, bored with me. He needs that change of pace. Can I handle it? I'm not sure. I've tried so hard to get him "ready". He knows numbers, ABC's , can read lots of words. He's a lefty, so teaching him to wr...

Did you know that there is online schooling for middle/high school students? I wish I would have been involved in something like this when I was in school! I had no idea that anything like this even existed, until I came across www.onlineschoolsolutions.com . This is a novel idea, and I really do believe it could be a good alternative to regular school for some kids. School, middle school especially, is such a trying time, and there are so many distractions for kids these days. Bullying, drugs, sex, gossip, boredom. I know what it was like when I was in school, and there really wasn't much concentrating on schoolwork going on, not with all the "outside influences" everywhere. Students enrolled in online school are able to choose their own schedules and have up to 12 months to complete their courses. I am sure this would have enabled me to finish my coursework much faster than what I did in traditional school. The Keystone School is the online school that services Kentuck...

If there is one thing my boys love, it's music. Even the baby is happier when the radio is on. And I have never seen a kid as into music/dance as Tater. He is so silly and crazy, and anytime music is on, he's dancing around like a fool! I love it! I was so excited for the opportunity to review a new kid's cd for The Rattles, an animated animal band with songs likened to The Beatles and The Monkees. They are the cutest things I have ever seen! Check out their official YouTube video: (Warning: I've been singing this song since I saw the video the first time!) I love it! This is even something I could jam to while cleaning house! :) It definitley beats some of the kiddie cd's we have bought in the past. I would love to have something like this that we could both enjoy together! Check this out from their recent press release: New York, NY – "Hailing straight from the swamps of Central Jersey, an eclectic band of anthropomorphic ...

I haven't been able to confirm this in the Lexington area, but I am hearing that today's Parade magazine inserts have a coupon for a FREE McDonald's frappe or smoothie!!! These are soooo good, so make sure you save your Parade inserts! :)

Oh, how I love horrible-for-me snack foods!!! If there ever was a weakness that I have, snacks would be the one. This is a personal favorite recipe of mine, and it always makes me smile to think of the days when I first discovered it. It was shortly after I turned 18, and was "living" on one of my best friends living room couches for the summer. I came home once and discovered this heavenly sweet goodness on the kitchen counter and from that day on I was hooked. It is always so funny for me to think back to those days, especially now when I make this for my hubs and kids and think of how far this recipe has followed me! :) Here's the recipe so you can make some for your loves too! 9 cups Rice Chex cereal 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 and 1/2 cups powered sugar gallon size ziploc-style bag ( i use two of these, to get a more even coating) step 1. measure cereal into a large bowl and set aside s...

As a mom of two boys, a husband and a dog, I am a professional mess-cleaner. I know that there always has to be at least one bottle of cleaning solution in my house at all times. There is no way plain old soap and water will clean up the messes around here! I was so excited to find CROWN Spray Power All Purpose Cleaner. I actually discovered this cleaner on accident. We were at Walmart, of course, and both boys were having massive Walmart breakdowns (you guys know what I'm talkin' about!) and my sweet hubs was just oblivious to it all, casually asking "how much longer?" So, I ran down the cleaning aisle and grabbed the cheapest bottle of cleaner I saw. I was just lucky enough that it happened to be Spray Power. The price would have to be my first attraction, only $2.12 at my local Walmart for a 32oz bottle. You can't beat that, and I am such a cheapie that I am always attracted to a nice sturdy spray bottle that I can rinse out and reuse for something else, so th...

Recently, our family did something a little crazy. We canceled our beloved Dish Network service. I was so sick and tired of paying $80+ per month for nothing worth watching at all. My hubz plays XBOX 360 all the time, and I usually only watch the TV in our bedroom with the digital antenna so I can watch the news and Dr. Phil and such, so I really didn't think we needed the dish. Well after about a week or so of no dish, we were all so bored.. So, we got Netflix. I am happy to report, after probably about a month, we do not miss our dish at all!!! The Netflix subscription is more than enough for us! Here's a little breakdown of how it works in case you aren't familiar with it. Of course, there is the "through the mail" option, where you pay a set price, say $8.99 per month, and you go online and make a list of the movies you would like to see. Netflix automatically sends you the first movie, and you keep it as long as you want. You want to watch it the same da...