I Have Been A Very Lazy Blogger!

The busies of life, kids, jobs and all the nonsense that comes along has kept me from writing lately. That includes my housewives blog! shame on me. I know I need to stop making up excuses... but I just can't help myself. I know that's no excuse.. but imagine having your boss call you at the last minute to see if you could work!! This is what I have to put up with. I also had baby shower, birthdays, and anniversary all in a period of 2 weeks. My husband and I celebrated our 7th anniversary a week ago. We went to this wonderful place called 15 Fox Place in NJ, and spent more than I care to admit. But overall we had a wonderful time, accompanied by our family. And to me, family time is priceless.

Now I haven't been all that bad you know! Aside from all the running around, I have been taking the kids to Sunday school for religion. Why is that a shocker?? I don't practice religion to much. But lately I have been seeking a sense of direction, faith and hope. The way our country has been heading has been nerve wrecking to me. I consider all possible scenarios and what would be the best way to handle them, and it simply is too much for me to even consider. The kids do love that I have made this commitment to take them every Sunday, and children should have a sense of religious guidance. I have come to look forward to it, although I am a walking zombie. I end up going to bed at 3:30 in the morning on Saturday nights and getting up at 7:45 on Sunday morning. Boy do I miss my sleep!! But I can't complain about the fact that while the kids are in their corresponding classes, I get to gather with other parents and there is that sense of "yes!! adults". Now don't laugh at me, I have been missing some adult interactions and conversations. I can finally replace all the googoo gagas, and mom, and whys, and I wants with what did you do this week, what events are happening, and Christian parenting advice. 

I have also started early holiday shopping for the first time ever! I can't even contain myself because this will take a whole load off my shoulders as the holidays are nearing. What have I been taking advantage of lately? Some great places such as Rue La La (psss.. for myself), Zulily (great place for mothers to be and kids' toys, clothes and more), and of course My Points. I have another gift card on the way, this time I decided to go with Kohls. I can't wait!! Add another $50 to this years points earnings. 

My next post I will discuss a book that I picked up at Barnes & Noble called "The Roots of Obama's Rage" by Dinesh D'Souza. This author goes into the upbringings of President Obama and what shaped him into the politician that he is today. Super interesting read and I have truly began to see why things are the way they are today. 

'Til next time... 

Lina

xoxo

Columbus Day Deals Galore

It is Columbus Day and boy do I love a good sale! It is days like this that I take advantage to get some of my shopping done. This year my plan is to start some early Christmas shopping. With all the stress last year, Christmas snuck up on me and I was not prepare at all. This year I want to make sure that is not the case. I find that in order to get the best deal possible, I like to do comparison shopping. I compare the sales between stores and go for the sale that benefits me the most. This is also a perfect time to start the process of ordering my Christmas cards. I know that it sounds crazy that I am already talking about Christmas, but this year just crept up on me without me even knowing it. So here are a few deals going on for the Columbus Day Holiday so you can get yourself started on your Christmas purchases too!!

Cardstore.com get 15% off your purchase with coupon code MERRY15


e.l.f. Cosmetics is selling their mineral lip gloss in pageant pink for only $3 and 100% of it supports Breast Cancer Research! What a great way to look fabulous and support such a wonderful cause. If you have a girly girl like I do, this is a great buy as a stocking stuffer! Also if you order today you can get FREE shipping on any orders of $15 or more. Use the code SHIP during checkout.


Get a 25% discount at ShopTheLook.net on all necklaces or 50% off all orders up to $20. They will also donate a 20% of proceeds to Breast Cancer Research when you purchase their flirt scarf.






And if you would like to get the look without breaking the bank, then stop by Rent the Runway! It is a great place to get your look at 90% off retail price!!


Whoever said Halloween is only for the kids? It is also for the kids at heart ;). At FlirtCatalog.com you can get all of your Halloween needs (especially if you are looking for a sexy look) and receive free shipping on orders of $50 or more.



On a last note, just because you are looking good on the outside doesn't mean you should forget about your health. Take care of your health as well with pomegranates. Pomegranates are one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat, it is full of antioxidants, vitamin C and it is a good source of vitamin B5. Fromthefarm.com is a great place to get your fresh from the farm fruits and vegetables. If you are not as a fortunate as I am to have your own little garden, then head onto Fromthefarm.com to order straight from the farm. Get 10% off your order and 20% off pear gift boxes.

Work-At-Home Mommy

Working from home has its advantages as well as disadvantages. One of the things that I love the most about working from home is being able to wear whatever I want. Pijamas, no matter. I also love not having to drive to an office, spending money on gas, tolls, lunches and what not. Instead I just walk right into my office and voila I am at work. The most challenging part that I have found while working for Language Line has been the schedule. I elected to go for the graveyard schedule over the weekends and so my weekends are shut. Saturdays I am up at 6:45am leave to go to work at the post office until 12:15pm and then home to rest for a few, make dinner and be ready to work at 7pm. Due to the fact that I am working typically until 3:30am, I find it really hard to function the next day. Although my body seems to be getting used to the very strange schedule I am on right now, my mind doesn't like it one bit.

Another thing I have found challenging is maintaining a good voice after it's past a certain hour. That is something that I will have to work on as I go along. Since my performance largely depends on how I project my voice, it is imperative that I find solutions to keep it from getting hoarse. Some recommendations are a warm cup of tea. Having something warm pass through your cords can be soothing and healing. However, tea can also induce tiredness and the need to sleep! Perhaps my next best choice is honey, some halls, and drinking plenty of water.

The kids also need some adjustment to the new dynamics of our family. Occassionally they walk into my office while I am working or they might be too loud in the kitchen. They assume that when I say "mommy has to work now" that I am actually leaving and going into the office. They are used to the idea that I work at the post office, but now I am also working at home. And although I say I am working they find it hard to believe because, well, mommy is still home. The baby especially has been hard to break. She loves to sleep with me (I know she is 4 now and should be sleeping on her own, what do you want from me?) and misses the warmth of mommy. Sometimes she wakes up at 3am and I have to quickly go comfort her and run right back to my phone.

By the end of the weekend and into Monday I am typically worn and groggy. And as much as I would love to hit the bed, instead I get up at 7:30am get the kids ready for school and head out the door with them. With Gia now in school sure I could go home and take a 2 hour nap, but I am afraid I might over sleep. Once I pick her up from school at noon, I go home hang out with her or run errands until it's time to pick up the boys. In between I attend to any appointments I might have scheduled for the day (heck why not just get them done while I am at it). By the time 5 o'clock comes around I am literally dead, but my day is yet to be over. I still have dinner to make, baths to give (most of the time I make the little ones skip Mondays bath), bed time snacks, and well the dishes they just have to wait. Finally at 9pm I might watch some television and by 10 hit the bed. The rest of the week, of course if I am not required for duty at the post office, I make up for the sleep I lost. Only to start the whole cycle all over again over the weekend. In between all of this I also still have to find time for my chores, and some intimate time with hubby.

As much as I would like to complain, I reap the benefits two weeks later when my paycheck hits my account.