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1, 3, 5, 7, 9… I Cannot Even Today.

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Hello, Tuesday? I’d like to speak to your manager.

First of all, the weather. It’s like… moist. Humid. Gross. I’m not a fan. At all. This morning was cold and sweatpants {my cool new ones from Bookish Shop that say Don’t Let the Hard Days Win and are the most comfy sweats everofalltimeomg.} Currently it’s warm and muggy and musty and overcast and the air feels heavy. I have rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy, and a million other weird random old lady diseases and this type of weather makes me more achy. The pool is clean and blue and so ready. I just want to sit poolside and read my book all day, ok? *Sigh*

{Random side note: #OOTD – I haven’t had a haircut in 6 months. I haven’t even dyed it at home because I have some weird scalp autoimmune weird nonsense going on and it’s inflamed so I can’t. I haven’t even brushed it today. Makeup probably from BoxyCharm because they send me personalized stuff each month since I suck at knowing what to pick myself. But I’m accessorized, yo. Necklace is from ThreeBirdNest, one of my absolute favorite shops at the moment. And this Mama Bird t-shirt is from ThePineTorch, another absolute obsession – they’re shirts are long, thin, soft, drape perfectly. I cut the neck to be off the shoulder because regular crew necks strangle me because I have anxiety. The link I added should give you 10% off or something I think. I am a hot mess. Emphasis on hot. Also on mess. Ha.}

Anyway. Tuesdays are lunch day – Abby’s school district has two different locations, one is 5 minutes from our house, where you drive through and pick up a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch items. There’s honestly not very much food at all – but, Abby likes seeing the little juice boxes, frozen burgers, things that remind her of school days and normality, you know? So, we did that. Then came home to do Abby’s school work. But…. her computer.was.broke. Like, Oregon Trail-looking font on a black screen telling me that it had no operating system or soul and haha you bought me 5 weeks ago but I’m done now haha sucker. Because that’s how 2020 DO, you know?

I immediately call tech support (my brother Brian who is a very smart man in the robot world of technical shenanigans) and he walks me through some diagnostics but it seems that my hard drive is just nope. But fast forward 2 hours, battery out, power off, restart, blah blah, and I’d run a new diagnostic that it passed, so I ran other stuff, and I say “just do SOMETHING this time, sweet lil baby Jesus in your manger just please ok I can not even anymore today” and then hit the button and…. Abby’s eyes get so big because it.boots.up.again, like normal, like nothing happened, because the robot gods and baby Jesus heard my prayers and I have no clue what happened but ok. Good. It’s all ok. Thank you, universe.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Then, there were just other assorted other sh*t shows all day, k? So, no school work done. No house work done. No patience left. Abby’s dad comes to get her for the evening – she goes to visit every Monday and Tuesday evening + every other weekend. I had these 4 little baby waby cuteness rescue kittens, right? And he let her take one to live at his house, about a week ago. But today he says the kitten she brought there {Salty, a little white one that started out really hissy and spitty and scared and mad but ended up being my bff little bro cat} probably has to come back to my house because his girlfriend has allergies so — I’m gonna have SIX CATS and the dog. Cool. Great. Let’s buy another litter box. Ha. I turned 40 last month right after getting these 4 rescues and I didn’t find homes for ANY of the others so I guess it’s just Crazy Cat Lady Lifestyle for me. 

Then, after she leaves, I think imma sit down, quiet, finally, for a few minutes, get my head sorted out. Nope. My momma called, she left a sprinkler on in my back gardens. I go out to turn it off. We have about a half acre out there, and the sprinklers that I had to shut off were all the way in the back. As I’m coming back to the house, walking towards the shop, I see a flash of fur, and think I accidentally let a kitten out again. But no. That is black and white and the right size but that is a SKUNK omg. And the dog sees it. My grumpy little old man dog who’s half blind these days and BORKS HIS FOOL HEAD OFF at every other cat and dog in the neighborhood because he is all about that protect and serve, you know? I know he’s going to attack the skunk and I’ve never handled a sprayed animal before and this day is just too much so clearly I know he is going to get sprayed. My boyfriend is on the phone listening to me scream at the dog to “please do not attack the skunk!! Run away!!” I throw a pinecone to distract him. It’s no use. He goes right towards the skunk. And… they sniff each other. And my dog who attacks every animal he doesn’t know… does nothing. Like, all friendly hey what’s up little skunk man. And it’s a BABY skunk. It is so cute. I wait, in panic. But… it runs to hide under the shop, no spraying, nada. But if there’s a baby skunk doo doo do doo, then there’s a momma and maybe siblings and daddies and aunties and uncles. Oh my.

So I grab the dog and run in the house. I’m over today. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9… I Cannot Even Today. {Get it? That’s counting by odd numbers. No even numbers. Because, can’t even? My kiddos joke. Hilarious. I’m delirious? Who knows.}

E X H A U S T E D.

All cool. Very cool and good and ok. How was your day? Leave me some comments. Or come on over to my Twitter – @sunandsipcups – where I like to talk about politics and current events and staying hopeful in a world of idiots that is on fire in every way. Come cheer me up with bad puns and good jokes and memes and pics of your cats. K? Cool. All so very cool today.

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Random Rad Stuff

Since I whined a whole lot and you guys are such good listeners and I love you, here’s some stuff that doesn’t suck, ok? Yay! Just some randoms that I think are extra cool that I’ll share. 

FabFitFun. You probably see the posts all over social media about them. A lot of people think only the “influencers” get cool stuff. But, I have a subscription I pay for myself, and get RAD stuff. I just paid for another full year subscription – I like to prepay, so that I get early access to customization and Add-Ons. I got my summer box recently but haven’t even put pics up – you’d think that being a pandemic and all, and me being immune compromised and staying home, that I’d have more time? No. I never have time. Anyway – you can see the Spring Box pics on my Facebook. And if you’re interested – sign up here and get $10 off your box. Every single box I’ve paid for the past year and a half, I’ve loved, and has been worth it.

Speaking of subscription boxes… I’m a junkie for them always. But extra more right now, since there is no leaving the house or shopping or anything like that. {I’m in Yakima, Washington. We have the highest rate of COVID19 cases on the West Coast. It’s bonkers.} I am super in love with BookishBox – last month’s theme was Harry Potter, and was one of my all-time faves of any subscription box I’ve ever gotten. My link gets you 10% off. Another really great book nerd box is Owl Crate – these have such fun stuff. And each month there is a hardcover book, signed, often with a handwritten note from the author with notes about the book/why they wrote it/etc, they’ll have special edition covers, or gilded edges. The personalized touch of a note from the author makes my daughter feel like it’s a super special package, and really motivates her to read. They have a kid’s box, the Owl Crate Jr. – but we get the young adult one, and read the book together. She’s 10, the stories are often in a fantasy, magical, adventure type them. We love it.

And, since we’re all shopping online, are you using Rakuten? It used to be called Ebates. You get cash back on almost everything you buy online. It isn’t *quite* as good as it used to be, I admit, since Pandemic life online shopping has got a little weird. A few sites no longer give cash back, like Target. But, I use this every time I shop, and rack up quite a bit of extra totally free money this way. If you aren’t using some type of cash back site, you are legit missing out. Sign up today and you’ll get a FREE $10 gift card. If you already use it, share it with your friends and get the referral bonus. #winning

 

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Halloween Jokes for Kids

Just Joking is a new, totally free app for kids from National Geographic Kids. It’s super fun – it’s filled with fun animal facts, mixed with silly jokes and surprises. It mixes in educational aspects with knock-knock jokes, tongue twisters, riddles and more. The kids love the silliness of it. I love that it keeps them occupied in the car or waiting in lines – and that it’s clean fun. It’s a free app – check it out here: Just Joking Free App. And there are bonus joke packs you can buy later for less than a buck a piece too. So, to give you an idea of how much fun it is, I’ve got a list of Halloween-themed jokes for kids.

Halloween jokes for kids - Just Joking app

Halloween Jokes for Kids

Check out the selection of jokes from the app, tell ’em to the kids today, and tweet your favorites. I’ve always loved silly kids jokes like this – I giggle at the jokes on Popsicle sticks, and laugh out loud at really cheesy jokes on Laffy Taffy wrappers, so this app is right up my alley :) And as an Ambassador for National Geographic Kids this year, I obviously am a big fan of pretty much everything they put out there – always perfectly designed to appeal to the kids in our house. Enjoy!

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I’m Free to Do Anything… If My Mom Says I Can – State of the Kid Results from Highlights

Who else has fond memories of reading Highlights magazine as a kid? They were some of my very favorite things to read. And I love that they have 3 versions, perfect for kids of all ages – Abby just outgrew the Hello magazine for ages 0-2, and is now reading High Five, the version for kids 2-6. Then when she grows older, we’ll transition to traditional version for kids aged 6-12. We didn’t find a preschool for her this year, so I’m trying to do “preschool at home” – and Highlights are such a great resource to make learning fun! I think one of the reasons that Highlights does such a great job at creating content is that they truly believe in listening to kids, to learn what they like, what they think, what they want to know about. Which is where the State of the Kid survey comes from…

Highlights Magazine State of the Kid [Read more…]

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How to Get an Emergency Compliment…

Are you in need of an emergency compliment?… A quick pick-me-up? A boost of good feelings? A good giggle? Well then my friends, you’re in luck. I have found the perfect fix for a bad day. Whether your boss was a jerk, your kids are one whine away from a lifetime of time-outs, or you walked around a crowded airport with your dress tucked into your tights for 20 minutes before someone told you about it {yes, this happened to me a couple weeks ago…} – this great website is sure to make it all better. Or, at least, slightly more tolerable….

Funny compliments: Visit Emergency Compliment [Read more…]

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Resolutions for the New Year – Without Taking Yourself Too Seriously #Humor

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey… Ok, it’s that time again. Time to say goodbye to the old year, and turn to look ahead to the new year. The world didn’t end, even though Snooki AND Kim Kardashian got pregnant, the Mayans predicted it, and Twinkie went bankrupt. Nope, we’re all still here, and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably excited for a fresh start, new possibilities, new adventures. So, I wanted to share a little bit of my plans for 2013 with you. Feel free to be wildly inspired…. Lol.

New Year's Resolution Humor - Be more awesomeNew Year’s Resolution #1 – Be more awesome than last year. Lofty goal? Indeed. And it’s funny, because my “Blogging Resolutions” for last year also started with being more awesome, lol. When I go back and look at that post – 10 Blogging Goals for 2012: Starting with Be More Awesome – I’m super proud to say that I pretty much nailed them. Sure – some are still a work in progress, and I’m still working on building better routines into my daily life, since the new work-from-home lifestyle has been a HUGE adjustment. But in 2012 I built my blogging and freelance business into a real career, that allows me to work from home and spend my days with Abby. {Well, spend my days typing away for hours while a 2 year-old prances plastic dinosaurs across my keyboard. Not glamorous, but it’s much better than being away at an office all day!} I hit almost all of my major goals. And I can’t wait to see what I can accomplish in this new year!!

New year's resolution humor - Remember to write the right year!New Year’s Resolution #2 is a little bit less ambitious – Just remember to get the stinkin’ year right!! Lol. Thank goodness it’s not too hard to add a little loopy tail onto the bottom of a 2, and make it look like a weird, drunken 3. So I should be ok. Thank goodness no one writes checks anymore – remember how you’d CONSTANTLY mess that up all month in January?? Writing all of your checks in the past? {And then secretly hoping no one would be able to cash them because they were so old…. } So, this year I resolve to realize what year it is, from day 1.

Sticky note swagNew Year’s Resolution #3: Sticky note swagger. Yes – In this new year, I’m going to work on getting my swag on, every day. I mean this in a few different ways – One, I need to bust out of “Frump-Mom” territory. I recently ran into a really good friend of mine, who’s mid-pregnancy, super tired, still working full time, you know how it goes. And she looked awesome – cute outfit, fully accesorized, great hair. Me? I had a mess of a bun, sweat pants in public, and I’m not even sure that my shoes matched. Abby was just as bad – wild, no-brush hair, and a messy face. Yes, it was a last-minute Walmart run while she was sick. But still. I used to do fashion merchandising in retail stores, and was somewhat stylish. I used to have really good hair – I swear. So it’s time to get back to that. AND – it’s time to feel this way when it comes to blogging and business too. I’m definitely one of those chicks that have a hard time being firm, asking for what I want, insisting on what I know I deserve. I’m turning that swag on EVERY morning from now on. Oh yeah.

New year's resolution to eat healthierNew Year’s Resolution #4: Lose the rest of this damn toddler weight. Yes, I called it baby weight for a year. Everyone said, “It takes 9 months to put it on, it’ll take another 9 months to take it off. Don’t stress it.” Then it became, “It’s ok – it takes everyone about a year. That first birthday, you’ll be back in your old jeans again – no worries.” Now, they’ve probably given up, lol. I can’t call it “baby weight” when she’s 2 1/2. It’s now “toddler weight” which is not as socially acceptable. So, after I eat every single deliciously fattening after-Christmas morsel in my home, I’m starting fresh tomorrow morning and WILL lose this weight. {I’m doing a weight loss challenge too – and will be posting a photo of my weigh-in’s once a week. EEK! But watch for it. Tomorrow morning is post numero uno. Ghad.}

Promote what you love quoteNew Year’s Resolution #5: Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate. Oh maaaahn. I could go on about this for quite awhile. Whether it comes to religion, to politics, to society, to guns, to motherhood, to what people wear, to whatever – In life, this is the resolution I’d love to share with everyone, and hope more people pick up on. When you talk about your God, whoever He or She may be, do you think people listen when you’re supporting people, doing good works, spreading positivity? Or when you’re telling gays they’re going to hell, that kids are shot in school because we don’t teach your specific religious beliefs there, or whatever else it is that you want to be negative about? Your beliefs are yours. But remember that if you want support for them – In ANY part of life, on ANY topic – the way to go is by being positive and giving people a reason to feel good. Not telling a portion of people why they suck. No fun.

New years closing goalIn closing – here’s a thank you for listening to my goals, and not laughing at them. Most New Year’s Resolutions are easily forgotten in those first sober moments of the new year… Or at best, work as a “To-Do list for the first week of January” – lol. But, I’m a list maker. A goal checker. A get it done-er. I’m super excited to have had my business goals posted on this site, for last year, which help keep me accountable – and that I accomplished almost all of it. So, watch soon for more specific goals coming from me soon – to again, keep me accountable.

Share your New Year’s Resolutions with me in our Facebook community – Funny, sarcastic, serious, emotional, all of ’em. I want to hear your realistic plans, and overly ambitious dreams. I don’t have mine all written down yet, so I’d love to be inspired by you guys too!!

Happy New Year’s! Be safe, drive safe, don’t say “I love you man” too many times tonight, and may the person you kiss at midnight – spouse, significant other, or random stranger – have nice breath and be non-regret-inducing tomorrow morning!

Cheers to 2013 – to the fresh start, new adventures, exciting and unexpected changes! 

 

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Are You Prepared for Mom-Emergencies?

Are you ready for a major emergency?... Everyone by now has heard about the crazy-chaos in the New York area after major-storm Sandy last month. As a West Coaster, up here in Washington State, I didn’t even know until recently that there are a lot of people on the East Coast who have to do major prep for even regular storms during the winter. Here, we don’t have generators, we don’t stockpile food or supplies {unless we’re big-time couponers}, and we don’t have to worry about power outages for more than a very rare hour or two. But now that I have friends on the East Coast, the whole idea of preparing a little more thoroughly for emergencies has stuck with me. And, as a busy mom – preparing for disaster is kind of my middle name, right? [Read more…]

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Do You Make Friends at Airports Too? – #ConnectingFlights

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”Lao Tzu… We didn’t take vacations when I was a kid. We were pretty poor, so it just wasn’t something that was a priority. As I moved into my early twenties, travel sounded exciting – but seemed so out of reach, since it was something that I’d never done. {I mean, I live here in Washington state, but had never been to the beach – even though the Oregon coastline is filled with beautiful places. And I’ve still never visited my northern neighbor, Canada!} The last time I’d flown was 10 years earlier, on a short trip to Nevada with my mom. Until the past year… I’ve flown to 6 different states in the last year! Here are a few of my faves…

first time at airport [Read more…]

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