funny then barf.

it's been a long time since i've done a weird finds post . . . and boy, do i have some for you today! feel free to click on the images if you are interested in any of them . . .


1.  Bacon Band-Aids! I wonder if they're flavored as well...





2. Breathable Chocolate?







3. Bacon Flavored Diet Coke . . . I think I just barfed a little in my mouth








4. Goodbye, Burts Bees . . . Hello, Butter Stick.








5. Nothing like the refreshing taste of Dill in the morning.







6. Mmmm . . . I love me a meaty flavored mouth!






7. Drinkable Lettuce.







8. This one just grosses me out.





9. I'm really struggling to keep myself from buying this one.





10. Now . . . I had to save this one for last so you wouldn't get completely grossed out at the beginning. This one is not the only one. There are 101 more flavors to check out. Click on the image for all of them.


This particular REAL ice cream is Raw Horseflesh.

no matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. - bill cosby

{today was hard}  most days, being a mom just comes naturally, but today . . . i really struggled to not just run away, screaming at the top of my lungs, tearing my hair out in clumps. my three year old was very much 
. . . alive . . . today. even after i got him and my daughter down for a nap and was able to rest, i had a dream that i was at church and my husband was nowhere to be found for hours. in the dream i went in the restroom and my skirt had fallen off of my backside without my knowledge and no one had told me. on top of that, i lost my kids there and every time i would find them, they would run away and disappear again. when i woke up, i was ready to pull the covers over my head and feel sorry for myself the rest of the night. then i heard the sweet sound of my kids giggling while their dad was tickling them. i decided to start the day over. somedays, it's so hard to remember that things may not always go smoothly, but each day with these kids is such a blessing. one day i'll look back on these days when the kids are all grown up and i'm sure i would give anything to relive even the days that are a little intense. after all, my son will never be 3 again. he won't always have that innocent sparkle in his eyes and i won't always see the same look of wonder in his expression when he experiences something new for the first time. 


here is an article i found over at What to Expect:

Being a mom is hard and I don’t think any mother will dispute this fact. 

It’s physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding.  

It can wear you down, 

wear you out, and wear you away.

Being a mom is hard for so many reasons.  

Physically? A full night’s sleep when your children 

are young is an impossible dream 

(that you never even get to dream because you never get to sleep).  

You are constantly caring for others
 and barely finding time for yourself to even eat or drink.  
Taking a shower is a luxury 

of which a new mother dare not dream.  

And on top of everything else you are constantly being climbed on, 

having your hair pulled, small, sticky hands all over your face.  

Personal space? 

A mother doesn’t even know what that is.  

I am sure most mothers understand the familiar concept associated with 

new mothers of being “touched out” where you just want to sit, alone, 

and have no one touch you after having 

your personal space invaded all day, day after day.

Being a mom is hard 

emotionally and mentally.  

The constant worry, anxiety, not only about your child’s safety but about your 

parenting decisions and whether or not you are raising them 

properly can turn you into a bundle of nerves.  

Giving your one hundred percent to your children only to have 

them shout at you repeatedly, “Mean Mommy! Mean Mommy!” 

makes you want to just curl into a ball and give up 

since you are obviously a terrible failure as a mother.  

Being a mom is hard because you have to let go when you aren’t ready, 

you have to teach them when they don’t want to listen, 

you are constantly being 

watched and copied, 

making your every action 

and word incredibly important.  

Being a mom is hard because

you have to stand your ground 

at times when you simply want 

to scoop up your child 

and hold them close.  

Being a mom is hard because there is no end at the end of the day, 

no end at the end of the year, no end even at the end.  

For all eternity I will be their mother.

Being a mom is hard.  It’s tiring, draining, stressful, 

demanding, challenging, exhausting, tough.  

Ms. Thesaurus here could continue but I will stop.  

I think you get the idea. 

But for all that being a mom is hard, I love being a mother.  

It is worth every strenuous second.

here's a poem i would like to leave with you:

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.


Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
   And never worried about how late
   I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.


Before I was a Mom,
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys
   or forgot words to lullabies.


Before I was a Mom,
I didn't worry whether or not my
   plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.


Before I was a Mom,
I had never been pooped on,
   Spit up on,
   Chewed on,
   Peed on,
   Or pinched by tiny fingers.


Before I was a Mom,
I had complete control of myself;
   My thoughts,
   My body,
   And my mind.
I slept all night.


Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so that doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.


Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't
   want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
   when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew something so small could affect my
   life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.


Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my
   heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
   to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a
   Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
   could make me feel so important.


Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of
   the night every ten minutes to make
   sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
   The joy,
   The love,
   The heartache,
   The wonderfulment,
   Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.


I didn't know I was capable of feeling so
   much before I was a Mom.
                                                       - Unknown

hot days. cute kids.

here's a few simple steps to pass the time on 9000+ degree days in the sonoran desert.

step 1:

make sure goggles fit just right . . . ok, well . . . almost.

step 2:

be sure to hog the camera, if the opportunity presents itself (especially if it's from your pesky big brother).

step 3: 

swim to your little heart's content . . . while looking adorable, of course.

step 4: 

finally, finish off the day with a nice bum rinse in the hose.

it is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. - johann schiller

father's day hasn't always been one of my favorite holidays, 
until more recently. growing up, i didn't know my real father 
and my step-dad wasn't exactly the best father figure. 
he and my mom divorced when i was ten. 
a few years later she met Mark.

 

he immediately accepted me as his own 
and has always been there for me. 

we've had our rough moments but

i can't imagine my life without him.

he became a good friend to me as i entered 
into adulthood but has never been afraid to tell me 
when i need to straighten up. 
he is a hardworking, funny, smart and kind man.

 i am so thankful

that he is in my life and is my children's loving Grandpa.

another excellent example of a father, 
in my life, has been my own Grandpa. 

he was always ALWAYS there for me and my family. 
back when it was just my mom and i 
(long before Mark and my brothers and sister)

we lived with him and my Grandma off and on 
and he treated me as his own child. 
he taught me how to write my name, 
how to ride a bike and how to draw. 
he read me stories as a small child, 
took me to the zoo and for walks in the rain. 

he was one of the smartest, most caring, 
humble men i have ever known. 

i know that no one in this world is perfect, 
but my grandpa was pretty darn close.

my husband {Chester} and i have a bit of a unique story 
of how we met and how (quickly) we were married. 
i'll share that with you a different time, 
but today i feel compelled to tell you about 
how my husband became a father.

we met on Thursday, November 6th of 2008 
on what was basically a blind date. 
we hit it off  {obviously} and the next night,

 after we were both off of work, he came out to meet my family 
(mom, dad, brothers, sister) 
and my son {Bailey} who was going to be a year old 
on the 9th of that month. i don't remember much about 
that night other than oogling 
over my new-found heart throb. 
the next day, Chester returned to my side of town.

{a 40 mile trip} 

to take Bailey and i to meet his parents and siblings. 
it was a great day. 
his family was so sweet, kind and accepting of us.

it felt like home.

the next day was Bailey's very first birthday. 
Chester drove all the way back out to my side of town, 
sleep deprived and just about broke from all the 

driving back and forth, 
just to make it to this little boy's birthday party. 

Chester was surrounded by people he 
had just barely met, but the whole time, 

he was happy and friendly 
and his attention was focused on Bailey.

 he helped open gifts and played 
all day long with him. 
after a fun celebration and
 {lots} 
of birthday cake devouring on the part of my son,

i put Bailey to bed in my room upstairs. 
when i came back down,
Chester was snoring on the couch. 
i woke him up and figured he would get up 
and make the long trip home, but we ended up talking 
into the early morning hours. 
i had the baby monitor on during this time 
and at one point we heard a strange noise.
 i went to check on my son and he was throwing up. 
he had way too much birthday cake . . .

. . . {sugar overload!}

and just couldn't seem to quit throwing up.

i swept him up out of the bed and took 
him downstairs where this tired man stood . . . 
who gladly accepted this sick child into his arms. 
he held him, sang to him and comforted him . . .
 completely drenched in baby vomit. 
as silly as it sounds, that was the moment that
 i truly fell in love with Chester.
 this young man, who had no children of his own, 
stood there, caring for this little child, 

rocking him and singing to him, 
letting him cry and throw up on him, 

completely enveloping him in love. 

i knew, at that very moment, 
he was meant to be the father of my children.  

that was one of the most selfless examples 
of parenthood i have ever witnessed.

Bailey will never doubt 

the love his father has for him.

each day, i am just in awe at what a 
wonderful dad Chester is to our kids. 

there is no difference in his love between 
Bailey and his own {our daughter Chloe and son, Porter}. 
sometimes i forget that he wasn't there 

for the first year of Bailey's life. 
he plays with him, 
tickles him and loves him every day. 
he's amazing with all three of our kids and
each day they just about jump through 
the roof in excitement when daddy comes home from work. 

sometime ago, 
a song came out that touched
 my heart in the deepest of ways. 

it embodies what my husband is to 
Bailey and it also explains how i feel 

toward my dad, Mark. please watch . . . 

here are the lyrics:


He Didn't Have To Be (Brad Paisley)

When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new

It always winds up feeling more like a job interview

My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone

Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run


I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old

He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go

A few months later I remember lying there in bed

I overheard him pop the question and prayed that she'd say yes


And then all of a sudden

Oh, it seemed so strange to me

How we went from something's missing

To a family

Lookin' back all I can say

About all the things he did for me

Is I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be


I met the girl that's now my wife about three years ago

We had the perfect marriage but we wanted somethin' more

Now here I stand surrounded by our family and friends

Crowded 'round the nursery window as they bring the baby in


And now all of a sudden

It seemed so strange to me

How we've gone from something's missing

To a family

Lookin' through the glass I think about the man

That's standin' next to me

And I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be


Lookin' back all I can say

About all the things he did for me

Is I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be


Yeah, I hope I'm at least half the dad

That he didn't have to be

Because he didn't have to be

You know he didn't have to be 

Happy Father's Day to all the

 wonderful fathers out there. 

Life is sweeter because of you.

grandpa, you mean the world to me.

Since I was a little child,


In all that I've been through;


You've always been my hero,


No one stood as tall as you.

You were the one who took the time,

To teach what I needed to learn;


The lessons in life you shared with me,


You shared with love and concern.

I loved you as a little child,


And now that I am grown;


I share those lessons you taught me;


With children of my own.

Generation to generation,


I'll pass on your legacy;


I'll tell of my loving Grandfather,


And all that you mean to me. 

- unknown

please pray for my grandpa. 

nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. - eleanor roosevelt

so, the last few days have been a bit rough. this morning, while doing my usual quote search on the internet, i found this website. the following article can be found here at Discovering Purpose.

46 Things To Do When People Don’t Like You.

by AYO OLANIYAN on FEBRUARY 5, 2010

This post was inspired by reading Professor Martin Seligman’s book ‘Learned Optimism’ and watching a clip of a ‘celebrity’ (gosh I don’t like that word lol!!!) being interviewed. It came to a segment during the interview, where he/she stated, if people don’t like me, WHAT DO I DO?

That stuck like glue!!! Let’s look at the facts, ‘YOU CAN’T BE LIKED BY EVERYONE’ and you certainly don’t like everyone (that may be controversial), so the sooner you understand this principle, the happier you would be.

No matter how hard you try to impress certain people, they can’t/won’t like you. It could be very painful at times, particularly when you mean well, but such are the challenges of life.

I hold a strong opinion of making conscious efforts to meet people, make friends, be nice, open……. Instances where your gestures aren’t acknowledged or welcomed, shake the dust off your feet, lift up your head, and move on to better or higher territories.

The twist in this topic is you may be disliked for behaving in ways which are acceptable by societal standards/judgements or be disliked for your nasty character and bad habits.

So what do you do, where do you turn to?

People may not like you for the following reasons:

• You are better than them.

• You are very confident.

• You work hard

• They are envious of you.

• You smile or laugh a lot

• You are very lousy and can’t be trusted.

• You are totally disrespectful

• Your descent, race, colour, upbringing, social circles…….

• You are rich, poor, educated, uneducated.

• You speak funny, straight or posh.

• Your views on issues are logical and rational.

• You are too big, fat, tall, short, thin…..

• You are good looking or ugly.

• You’ve got a decent job.

• You are a fussy eater

• You move within a certain class of society.

• You are unhelpful.

• You are snobbish…..

The list is endless, but the concept of this post is to suggest certain attributes to develop, steps to take in order to handle matters which relate to you being liked or disliked.

Your aim should be to find at least one useful tip which aids your personal development.

In no particular order, here are:

46 Things To Do When People Don’t Like You.

• Get on with your life believing there would be opportunities for you to meet people who would warmly embrace or accept you.

• Just be yourself, accept who you are by living a life of authenticity, remembering you can’t be liked by every one.

• Move a step further from accepting yourself to loving who you are.

• Examine your life to see if there are areas that require a constructive change.

• Build up your self confidence.

• Develop good habits or manners and for heavens sake, work on those bad, filthy or annoying habits ranging from……(you know them)

• Understand that people relate with each other if they possess the same ideals, character, thoughts, goals…..

• Be open to change.

• Keep Your Ego In Check. Some times your ego comes in conflict with who you really are.

• Celebrate your strengths and have a positive attitude. That’s what makes you distinguished and if some people don’t like it, OTHERS will.

• Meet new people, make new friends.

• Say positive things about who you are.

• Try doing simple things.

• Be content and happy with those who love or adore you and cherish all those memorable moments.

• Spend a lot of time with the people you love.

• Show constructive optimism in everything you do.

• Don’t lower your standards or compromise your moral compass to please the people in question.

• Deal with your vulnerability.

• Give people time to get to know you better.

• Be Proactive. Be moderately proactive and plan carefully for what you want to achieve.

• Learn to improve on your art of communication.

• Smile or simply walk away.

• Just enjoy yourself and be happy.

• Think positively and highly of yourself.

• Keep working hard, being truthful, showing love, ……….

• Stop pushing yourself on people, trying to be in their faces all the time.

• In some cases do more listening, less talk.

• Stop comparing yourself to others. It’s very important you carve out your identity, style and avoid comparing your life to those around you.

• Don’t contemplate doing anything dangerous/silly which could inflict harm on you physically, emotionally etc. You are unique in your own way.

• Avoid slandering or promoting gossip about the people in question.

• Always maintain your dignity and self respect.

• Resist the temptation to put down one’s hobbies/desires.

• You can use your time wisely and productively

• It might be a sign to improve on your physical appearance sensibly such as combing your hair, brushing your teeth lol!!!, having a bath, wearing decent clothes……..

• If it gets to a stage you are abused, report to the higher authorities such as the police, teachers, managers etc. I want to stress if you are bullied in school, inform your parents, report it to your teachers. If you are bullied at work and there’s concrete evidence, report it to your line manager.

• Ensure you aren’t trapped into doing things you aren’t comfortable with (i.e. wrong) in order to gain favour.

• Avoid bragging about who you are or what you’ve done. That just makes it worse.

• Don’t forget your sense of humour and use it to your advantage.

• Keep building your self esteem.

• Don’t be too hard on yourself.

The last section of this post would be devoted to people who have been hurt as a result of close members of the family i.e parents, sister, brother, spouses..openly showing so much disgust and dislike to you. 

At times you may be at fault or they are simply………

• Talk to someone about it. You may consider seeking professional help.

• Be humble, apologize and seek an opportunity for reconciliation if the problem stems from you.

• Reach out to your family even if you get rejected. It’s tough; it hurts but please make an attempt.

• Avoid turning to dangerous drugs, to push away the painful thoughts you may have. If you’ve started please see a professional.

• Find hope somewhere in your heart believing your current situation will take a turn for the better

• Above all . . . Be a survivor in ALL circumstances.

just remember this: