who is ready for giveaway day vier?

Do your children suffer from the epidemic known to mothers and fathers alike as "whining"?? Do they complain about bed times? Getting up in the morning? Taking a bath? Are there days where their whining sends you running into the streets on the brink of insanity? Then do I have the book for you!!

January Jones, also know as the Whine Tester, had made it her mission to rid the world of whining, one book at a time. In her book, Thou Shalt Not Whine: The Eleventh Commandment: What We Whine About, Why We Do It and How to Stop, Jones uses humor to discuss the top ten things people and children whine about every day. She then goes one step further and offers over 100 different ways to deal with it! Jones addresses it all - from bad hair days to feeling fat - with a few slow drivers that won't merge in between.

I loved that I could relate to something in every chapter of the book. When Jones described the horror of shopping for a bathing suit as "worse then taking your mother-in-law to lunch" - she had me hooked! Don't even get me started on the chapter about Grandparents 'Top 10' whines about their children's parenting. I wanted to photo copy every page and mail it to MY parents!! (between snarkily snorting of course)

So now I am going to offer you a chance at happiness. A chance at a whine free life. In the spirit of keeping it simple all you have to do is leave a comment with your email and you will automatically be entered. I will announce the winner next Thursday! *FYI* - since the publisher will be mailing the book directly I can only extend this offer to those living in the US - sorry!

the lassie IS alive!

Yes, yes. I am alive AND I am posting on a Sunday again. What is up with me?? Well, I have officially flunked National Blogging Month. The pressure was just too intense I tell you and I cracked. This week definitely threw me for a loop and by Friday I was burnt like nobody's business.

Tuesday night I discovered I had not one but TWO flat tires. (damn Chicago construction) Luckily, since these have become a regular occurrence, Hubby decided to get the warranty insurance the last time he had to get me tires. When he called to get my two new, and supposedly free tires, they claimed to not have any in stock. (ironic) They did however have the next level up but of course, we would have to pay for those and because they weren't the same type, buy four. THAT didn't fly with hubby and after many phone calls, he got me the tires I needed. Oh how I heart him!! (BTW, I plan on elaborating on this whole ordeal a bit more in a later post)

Work had been beyond crazy and our tech department had the nerve to block the ability to read blogs while at work!! How am I supposed to keep up with all my peeps?? grrrrrr So I have been trying to read everyone at night but have been seriously slacking in the comment section. Don't worry! I am reading just not commenting - sorry!

To top it off Grady is sick. Nothing like waking up on a Friday night to the lovely sounds of puking! I thought about posting something for Photo Hunt since the theme was "ruined" but opted against the idea of ruined sheets. Letters of thanks can be sent to the email in my sidebar! lol

Finally, I have also been in the process of a little nip/ tuck and facelift. It's my birthday and I decided to get a little work done. Oh wait!! I guess I should mention my blog will be getting the facelift not me. No scary Joan Rivers for this lassie! I like my face just the way it is. I am working with the ultra fabulous Karla at Fruition Designs to create the new and improved look. AND great news for you!! When I unveil my new look YOU get all the perks! I am planning a week or two of giveaways just for this occasion. I have some great goodies and swag to celebrate!! 

Stay tuned. I am still here! I promise to try and make more of an effort to post. So please bare with me while I try and sort all the craziness and chaos that is my life out. I promise.... it will be worth the wait!

haiku friday

Sobbing in public
Not for your eyes to witness
Leaving me exposed

Nowhere close to hide
The mascara left it's mark
A beacon to all

sad little lassie

This is what I was doing this time last week. Well, not exactly at this exact moment - don't want the world to know that I start my mornings with a bottle of Merlot. But somewhere in the week ago time continuum I was out East. Because of this I am now suffering from post east coast blues. You will be proud to know that I did manage to stay positive during the trip but could not shake the nagging feeling in the back of my brain that we weren't moving there this summer. Every time I look out my Midwestern window I grimace. Thankfully I don't have any windows in my office or I would have a sour puss face all day. I can hear my grandmother now, "Your face is going to freeze like that!" It also doesn't help matters that hubby wanted to look at houses and towns - 'for future reference'. I am about ready to tell him where to shove his future references. Last Sunday was the worst and I refused to talk to anyone all day. This might explain my lack of tolerance noted in the previous post..... or not. They really were worse then I stated. But I digress, this is in fact about me and my lack of happiness at this very moment. I am also pouty because I do not know how long it will be till I see BFF again. being as she is now laden down with two little ones, it hampers her ability to up and travel to Wisconsin without hauling half of her life possessions with her. Grrrr, growl, sigh and stomp. Damn you housing market!! Ok, I guess I am done with my hissy fit - for now. I might as well enjoy the brief glimpse of sunlight that is trickling through the dreary spring clouds today and step down from my negative soapbox. Maybe my Vermont Maple coffee will do the trick.

rantings of a soccer chic

I wasn't going to go here, but after much pondering and many, many nagging thoughts about this psychotic team I played last night, I felt the need to vent. Oh you Lady Dragons, I think you are playing way out of your league. We have no room for your poor sportsmanship and lack of, shall I say, skills?? Shoving other players because they beat you to the ball is not looked upon highly, neither is hacking at their ankles. And you, oh over confident goalie, should not dive head first towards a ball at an opponents feet and then scream foul. While we, the Cosmos, do follow the so called 'halo rule', it does not include plays that involve lack of forethought. It also does not encourage you to hunker down, with your face level to your opponents foot, when they take a shot on goal. This is just...well.... stupid. And to make matters worse, when the game is over, you neglect to shake hands and say 'nice game', which would have demonstrated good sportsmanship, when you were massacred 7-0. But who am I to point out your short comings?? No, you were able to demonstrate that at too well when you tried to pick a fight with two of my fellow teammates after the game about roughing the goalie. (Please see previous statements about the stupidity of the aforementioned goalie). For some strange reason your goalie felt that no one should come within 20 feet of her, let alone touch her in any way. Obviously she has not been playing long or she would know that the goalie takes the brunt of the games shots as well as contact with other players. Typically goalies come towards players with their feet, not their heads, thus taking out opposing players as they charge the goal. But this would mean that she had even the smallest inkling of how to play soccer, which by her demonstration last night, she does not. I can't wait to see what she does when outdoor begins in three weeks and her goal box triples in size! Maybe they will be moved down a league by then...one can only hope!

there is nothing like....

...kicking ass and taking names. Guess that is a bit conceited but we have not dominated a game like that in a long time. My friend Krista had a double hat trick (if that is even possible) and we won 9-1. What disgruntles me is the other team's lack of fair play once they fell behind. As I have stated before I don't like to play with whiners and even worse is a whiner that plays dirty. Obviously the girl on the opposite team playing defense was a bit confused as to what sport she was playing when she body checked me into the plexy glass to prevent me from completing my play. I have quite the bruise on my hip to prove it. When she resorted to sucker punching me in the side all bets were off. Yes, I partook in an act that was unbecoming of a lady. I used a few choice words, noted her obvious lack of skill and shoved her off of me. I am not proud and she should be thanking the loving gods above I did not knock her lights out. She then had the nerve to yell at the ref for calling a direct kick when her goalie slide tackled our player out of the box. Hello?!? Again she should be thankful we, as a team, did not revolt on her. But enough venting.... I apologize for my emotional spewing in my blog. I feel much better now :)