Do Not Use Register.com

I've had my share of issues since I bought my domain from them, and I've had my fair share of domains and hosts in my many years on the web, but they are starting to take the cake on annoying their customers.

First, it was an absolute pain to change my DNS. Then adding CNAMEs and such was no walk in the park. Now, I'm getting a host and transferring my domain... Something they certainly don't enjoy by the look of it.

There are five screens (including one promo code for a cheaper domain renewal) before I get this:

Authorization Code 

Your request for an Auth Code has been received and your information will be validated for security reasons. 

If your request is approved, you will receive your Auth Code by email in 4-5 days. 

To cancel this request, please call one of our Customer Service Representatives at 1.877.318.7563. 

Thank you. 

The fuck? I pay you and now you expect me to wait for a business week because you obviously want to piss off your customers that much more... This is not what an online company should do if they expect return business or referrals.

Asking someone online to wait for more than 24 hours is insane. The internet is all about NOW and not later. Making people wait in this generation of impatient people will drive them away in herds.

No wonder I only hear bad things about Register.com.

Tweet

Am I Doing Too Much?

Been thinking lately about this one. I have a number of things I have to do in a day, week, month, etc. Currently on my plate:

• Reviews over here. (& posting. {& promoting})
• Crafts and shopping for cool vintage-ness anywhere I go for our shop.
• Raising four kittens. (& willing to foster if needed!)
• Being a weather spotter, though right now that's only heat related.
• Going to a Wiknic this weekend.
• Finding an awesome RV so we can start full-timing ASAP.
• Taking care of kids, but I don't think that counts in this list since it's a "have-to" sort of thing.

..I'm suddenly super glad I don't cook!

I think this has a lot to do with why I'm not moderating on websites any longer. I completely let people down over on Chicken Smoothie and I hate that I did that. (The admin made me cry more than once for failing to be around when I simply couldn't due to family {like having a child} or 'net going down.) I guess being away four times in four years because I've had children is just too much. I don't know, I really didn't get much respect over there anyway and it was highly stressful.

It never fails though, my daily life is always a long list of things I have to do day in and day out. Maybe I like it being hectic? Probably. It's all I've ever known and watched my grandmother do it her entire life.

Doesn't really seem like you're living if you're just sitting there, does it? I feel like I have to do something or I'm failing and not doing enough. Maybe that does set me up to fail and have high stress levels, but what doesn't?

Tweet

Trying to Build a Fanbase? Check This Out.

I've been working lately to get more people over here on the site, so I figured I would post my tips for doing so for other up-and-coming bloggers. (Though I've been blogging for fourteen years... Lol, I'm not old!)

Use Facebook as a Page

Seems simple, right? All you have to do is create a page (via pull down in top right hand corner on your name on Facebook) and it's all done... Wrong. Besides making the page, adding a profile image and background, you then need content. Either you can post every blog post on your site to your Facebook manually or you can have another program do that part for you--more on that later--but you then have to keep your fanbase engaged or you'll lose them. No, they probably aren't going to unlike your page, but they will probably be missing your page posts because of Facebook's new-fangled thing-a-ma-bob for crappy news feeds.

Use Twitter!

Whether you use your personal Twitter account or make one specifically for your blog--which I would suggest anyway so no one makes it to pick at your brand--you need one. It's pretty easy to talk on there because the character limit, but you have to be witty either with your non-post tweets or in your titles. You can do the manual way of adding each link or you can have a program do it for you.

Get a Good Program to Post Your Feed to Facebook & Twitter

What happens if you're away? Do you have automatic posts set up on your blog? Does your internet suck? Your computer die? What happens when you can't manually add those scheduled posts because you've slept in? That's where sites like TwitterFeed come in handy. I can't possibly add every post manually--I've tried!--with everything I have to get done everyday. I'm bound to forget something, but this site takes everything from my RSS feed and posts it to my personal & blog Twitter accounts, then the Facebook page, and even my LinkedIn account. I'd never post anything to LinkedIn if it weren't for this, but I get people visiting from those posts! It really does help when you're in a bind.

Participate!

Know other bloggers? Don't know any other bloggers? Either one is okay. If you know others, let them know that you've got your own site and would like to try and do things with them. If they're a bigger site, it's going to help you with getting your name out and it's going to help them by free advertising on your site. It's a win-win situation. Even if you don't know any other bloggers, there are plenty of us out there! Most of them are really cool people and more than willing to help if they have the time. Just don't get discouraged if one person blows you off because they may be having a bad day. There are plenty of other fish in the sea!

Talk to Companies You Really Enjoy, Not Just Ones that Pay

Yeah, it's not as awesome getting a rejection email from a company you actually like or, sometimes even worse, not getting a response. You can sign up for a billion and one promo things and not enjoy them for any other reason than they are giving you something for free and/or paying you. But what you really need is to target products that you enjoy using and think you or your family may actually use. I try to steer clear of products that are targeting everyone and I don't like anyway... So what if I'm making money if I have to lie to my readers?

Can you think of anything else? Sort of ran out of stuff to say at this point. I know I had planned to write more, but maybe I'll do a "part 2" in the future. ;)

Tweet

Lots of New Followers!

Current:

Facebook - 530
Twitter - 444

Facebook has come leaps and bounds in the past few weeks. Before then, I was afraid to promote the site any more than letting it automatically get posts from the RSS feed. Now, I've even *gasp* invited a few of my real life friends to check it out.

I'm always shy when it comes to showing real people what I do online. Of course, I know all of you are real people but I mean people that can talk to my face and tell me how much they think I suck. :/ I've always been afraid of rejection, but never when it came to asking guys out. Huh. Never thought about it until I typed that, really. Strange.?

Twitter is all kinds of filling up because I worked really hard last night to try to catch up to the number of fans I have on Facebook.

And these are just the numbers on the accounts for the website. I'm not counting my personal page or account that I also post on, just because I don't count them even though I know some places do.

In any case, if you're one of the many new fans or followers--thank you. Without you, we don't have the ability to get new products to test and offer you for free or discounted prices. Without you, I wouldn't bother posting great deals and coupons and other links so you can share in the awesome things that I get all the time for just searching on the web. (And, as a bonus, I'm saving you a lot of time by finding and explaining it to you in most cases.) So, enjoy!

PS - I attempted to put too many labels on this post and broke Blogger. Lol.

Tweet

Current Giveaways!

Please let me state something and make it very clear:

If you sign up for one of my giveaways and lie, your entries will be removed.

There have been several people signing up and saying they've liked or saying they've tweeted when they haven't done a thing. Do not think for one instant that I don't check that. I do check and I will continue to do so, so stop cheating already.

If you're winning things on other sites, then you are a horrible person that is stealing from not only the host of the giveaway and the company willing to so graciously give the product away for free, but also all the people that took the time to sign up properly.

How can you people sleep at night?
Karma's a bitch and I hope you never win a thing.

So, knowing that, here are the current giveaways on the site!

Etsy Giveaway!

Coach Purse & Wallet Giveaway!*

Win A Free Canvas Print!

As for all of my super-fantastic-all-around-awesome fans that are good people, I just want you to know that your entries count! I won't let these cheaters try to cheat you (hehe) out of any prizes that they want for nothing when you do the entries properly! I just can't stand people doing that, can you?

*Since I am not hosting this, I can't be sure that cheaters aren't on there. I'm sure there are with so many entries, but I'm hoping karma will prove true and keep any of those individuals from winning!

Tweet

Free LGBTs for Obama/Biden Bumper Sticker!

Tweet

Computer Troubles

Still having issues with the last in a long line of laptops here. I've been having to use the phone more and more to get by, including on here. So, if something doesn't quite look right, please let me know because I probably just added it with my phone and it's a little screwy looking on my end no matter what. Thanks!

<3

Tweet

Please Pay Attention If You Have A Facebook Page!

Been seeing complaints about the "Promote" function on Facebook lately. I'm sick and tired of it.

I have a Facebook page or two. I know how to read. I'm sure most people online can say the same. So why are people making this more complicated than it needs to be?

When you promote a post, it will be shown in the news feeds of more of the people who like your Page than you would reach normally. Friends of the people who have interacted with your post will also be more likely to see the story in their news feeds for up to 3 days from when the post was first created.

Now, is that not simple enough for you?

When you use the "promote" feature, your post will be shown in the feeds of more people who like you page rather than how the new feed works based on contact. In addition, the friends of people who have interacted (liked, commented, shares) with your page are also more likely to see the promoted post for up to three days from creation.

If you still don't get it, here's the thing: You're paying for your post to appear in the feeds of people who don't even like your page.

The promotion feature allows you to target people that are more likely to "Like" your page based on friends. It is an ad, whether they like it or not.

I've personally seen these in my feed on a daily basis and they are all from the same page with the same friend. Apparently that page promotes a lot and that friend likes a lot of the things they post. Does that mean I like it? No, but they're trying to get people to view it based on your friends, just like a related post.

When a link is from a page you don't follow but has a friends' name attached to it, you're more likely to trust it and click. More than likely, it's totally worth the money for that factor alone, but if you have a lot of followers that are really engaged, that's promoting itself.

So, no, it's not something you have to do. It's not even something that people are advising pages to do, but it's a button and people are getting confused by it. Facebook is not forcing anyone to pay money to get their posts seen by their members. If they aren't engaged and don't interact with your page then they aren't going to get your posts, but it's the same way with friends and family so please don't throw a fit about it.

You can like our page on Facebook and not have to worry about me complaining about Facebook changing or adding things like a lot of people. (Dear God, people on my feed are still complaining about the timeline! How about you?)

It's Facebook people--not your website. If you want to complain about it, don't use it! ..I think that's what happened to MySpace! Hehe.

Tweet

"Copy-Kids Eat Fruits & Vegetables" Review & Giveaway!

Ever had your child not want to eat something essential, like fruits or vegetables? Then this might just be the right DVD for your home too!

For one, it's basic. Kids watching other kids tend to mimic. If you have children happily playing and eating fruits and veggies, then more likely than not yours are going to want to join in. (Hey, sometimes doing what everyone else does is good for your kids! So, you can stop asking if they're going to jump off a bridge too--at least this time!)

Secondly, well, just look at this adorable mascot:

Blue parrot. I know my kids love it. Even I do! It's colorful and certainly grabs your attention, in a good way.

There are several chapters on the DVD (like bananas, carrots, broccoli) that target certain fruits or vegetables so if you're kids are only having issues with certain ones, you can target those.

I'll even admit that some of the stuff on here I don't like! Raspberries and avocados? Ew. This might make me want to give them another shot, but I still tend to lean towards the "those are icky" kind of thing, but I'm rather stubborn and set in my ways at this point! Good thing kids minds are more easy to mold.

My kids are good with fruits and veggies. (I guess that's the good thing about them being more like me on eating than their father, who is a bit picker.) Still, we all have bad days and this is something fun to watch and get them eating!

I'll tell you a secret--if you want your kids to eat anything, get them to watch this DVD. Even if it isn't the targeted fruit or vegetable, you should be able to talk to them more about eating good/healthier foods and get them to try more. You know, the ol' "if you try it you might like it" routine.

Honestly, my kids loved it. (Banana eatin' right here.) Kids like to watch other people have fun and the kids in this are having fun.

Now if only I could get an adult version with foods I like to get my husband to try something new...

If you'd like to see the video quality and content, you can watch a trailer here.

It was rated by Dr. Toy in 2011 as one of the best children's products in creativity and music.

You can find them online at Copy-Kids.com and on Facebook or you can win a copy in our giveaway!

Read more...

Tweet

Are You Embarassed to Cry?

I am. I hide it. I wasn't raised to show raw emotion like that. It's painful.

It's embarrassing knowing that I look terrible and there is snot everywhere, and that my face is contorted from pain that isn't even physical.

And I bawled today.

I just lost it. I was trying not to. Trying so damn hard not to get attached, not to let myself think something good was going to happen for us.

Allow me to explain a little.

Yesterday a fluffy little black Pomeranian appeared outside.

He's a happy dog. Full of smiles. Loves to just wag his tail like mad when you even look at him.

He can sit, lay, roll over, shake, and even nuzzles against your leg for attention like a cat, but doesn't know how to play. Pick up anything near him or have something in your hand and he drops like you're going to beat the hell out of him. It's horrible to watch.

He was good with the kids. Amazing.

He didn't look twice at the cat. Amazing.

While my husband is allergic and it makes him super itchy, this dog has been running around outside for a while.

His thick fur is matted. His tail is sun bleached.

My father-in-law and sister-in-law found his owners up the road. They just let him run. He's an outdoor dog.

The neighbors have called animal control over him. He isn't neutered and, well, he marks EVERYTHING, and really likes the lady's.

My FIL took him back home twice, but he came back anyway. (The second time he was fastened in a kennel and the people just let him out and he came running back--a good mile away.)

He stayed all night. Each time I went to the door to check on him, there he was. Each time he saw me, he'd start wagging his tail, smiling.

It was so sad, seeing him so happy from so little. Like he had loved someone once, but they didn't love him back. The slightest bit of affection, and he was in love again.

Oh, I fought it. What if they came back to get him? What if he got hit? What if my FIL took him to the pound? Oh, I couldn't let myself get hurt like this.

He was there this morning when I couldn't sleep. He stayed all day. He didn't want to leave. He didn't leave.

He disappeared though.

We thought he may have finally went back to his owners. At least, until I got on Facebook today.

He was on the county animal controls' Facebook page.

He was found on this road. My god, I was so pissed off, but it was really little more than me trying to fight it... It was heartbreaking. Devastating.

Knowing how much our children liked him, how much we all liked him--my in-laws took him to the high kill shelter down the road.

We have no money.
We have no way of getting him back.

I fought those tears. So. Hard. But I broke anyway.

How could they do this? Without a word? Nothing? It's so heartless. How could you do that?

I get told what I hear quite often: It's their house. Another stab. Another pain. An old wound. God, it hurts.

Let alone that we have to be here. We don't have a choice. I work my ass off online to get enough money just to by diapers. My husband is waiting for work. We have no other options. We've lived in a tent, we've lived in a car, at the Red Cross, motels, etc. We have one room here, is it so horrible that we constantly have to be reminded of it?

I'm not just going to stand there and cry in front of the kids. I just want to leave when I get this upset. I don't want people around me. I don't want to seem weak. Damn it, I'm strong and crying is showing my weakness. I refuse to show people that side of me. I've worked too damn hard to put up this brave front to be broken by something that seems so trivial to them.

They just didn't get it. My husband tried. I didn't want to. He told me I needed to stand up for myself, tell them how horrible they were being, but I've never seen a point. When someone is too stubborn to put themselves in another person's shoes, there's really no reason for trying. You're just wasting your breath.

Honestly, the first time I was told little more than I needed to stop because I can't just leave because of it. Yes, I want to be scolded for something that you did to hurt me. Thank you so very much.

I did explain it. It hurt though.

You have to understand, we've been looking for a dog. It's just so hard to find something for everyone when you're a family of six. And find one that likes cats? And car rides? It doesn't happen. It's fucking impossible.

I stopped searching over the weekend. The search had broken me. It was something unattainable. Impossible.

Nothing good ever happened to us. No money, no jobs, no work... We couldn't afford a puppy. We could only find ones that "sort of" fit the bill of what we really needed for our family.

Then, as if by magic, this dog appears. All full of tail wags and smiles. Broken, a bit, but nothing that love couldn't fix.

I tried, oh so hard I tried.

I checked his teeth. He's about two years old.
I pulled on his fur, his ears, his tail, his feet... Nothing. No nips or anything.
I gave him a bowl of food. Touched his muzzle, the food, took it away... No response. He growled at the cat for doing the same thing though.

I couldn't find a damn thing wrong with this happy little dog, besides that he needed to be groomed, neutered, and get his shots.

But now, I don't have a choice. I suppose I never had a choice. They made it unattainable once again.

I had taken it as a sign. Maybe it was supposed to be. Maybe this dog appeared for a reason. Knew we needed him as much as he needed us.

And damn it, I really really needed something good to happen. It's been so long...

And I don't have a choice.
And it hurts more than I thought it could.

Maybe I'm broken. It feels like I am, because every time something good is about to happen it just goes away and I no longer have any control. I want to be able to control something about my life. It's crazy scary when it feels like you can't anymore.

And, of course, I can't stop crying again. I just don't know what to do. It's like my heart is broken all over again.

Tweet

Household Products Database

I use this quite a bit. Like to know what's in products now that my kids try to stick everything in their mouths. I never even knew about it before we had kids, but it's something you should probably know about even if you have pets. Don't want to be ingesting horrible things yourself either, I'm sure.

This database links over 11,000 consumer brands to health effects from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) provided by manufacturers and allows scientists and consumers to research products based on chemical ingredients. The database is designed to help answer the following typical questions:

• What are the chemical ingredients and their percentage in specific brands?
• Which products contain specific chemical ingredients?
• Who manufactures a specific brand? How do I contact this manufacturer?
• What are the acute and chronic effects of chemical ingredients in a specific brand?
• What other information is available about chemicals in the toxicology-related databases of the National Library of Medicine?

Information in the Household Products Database (the database) is from a variety of publicly available sources including brand-specific labels and Material Safety Data Sheets when available from manufacturers and manufacturers' web sites. NLM and its Contractor (the Database Providers) do not test products nor investigate to determine if this information is complete or accurate. The Database Providers do their best to record the information as it appears on labels and other sources. Manufacturers frequently change formulations and although the Database Providers strive to keep information current, a lag period may occur between the time when a manufacturer makes a change to a label or a Material Safety Data Sheet, and the time a change appears in the database. As a result, The Database Providers cannot guarantee that the information in the database is 100% accurate, current or complete at a particular point in time. When precise ingredient information is important, the database should not be considered a substitute for reading labels on products or for contacting the manufacture. For these purposes, the Database Providers have provided telephone numbers and mailing addresses where available.

The National Library of Medicine and its contractor make no expressed or implied warranties, representations or endorsements whatsoever (including, without limitation, warranties of title or non-infringement, or the implied warranties of fitness of brands for a particular purpose) with regard to any information provided through this on-line database.

The user assumes full responsibility for using this site and understands and agrees that the National Library of Medicine and its contractor are neither responsible nor liable to you or anyone else for any claim, loss or damage resulting from its use.

All brands and product names in this database are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. This database is provided to the National Library of Medicine under a license agreement with DeLima Associates as a copyrighted information resource for non-commercial use only. No part of this database may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose other than for the personal use of the site visitor. The National Library of Medicine welcomes links to the Household Products Database home page. The National Library of Medicine's license agreement with DeLima Associates does not permit framing the content from our site.

Initial funding for this database was provided by the National Center for Environmental Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brands shown in the database were first selected in 1995 based on market share within each of 9 product categories and shelf presence in retail stores such as drugstores, supermarkets, auto parts stores, building supply stores, office supply stores, craft stores and pet stores.

Tweet

Upcycled Crayons: Don't Toss Out Those Broken Ones!

These are Easter egg-themed, though we made them before Christmas!

All you need:

• Time
• Lots of broken crayons (none made out of plastic!)
• A candy mold (or something like it) that you no longer wish to use
• An oven big enough to fit the mold in that can reach 250F
• A freezer (optional)
• Patience

Ever peeled the wrappers off of a box full of broken Crayons? It makes quite a mess.

Once you pick the tiny pieces off of every inch of everything, which will last for a few days if any children helped, then you'll be left with a bunch of naked broken crayons.

If you're ready to make the crayons now, go ahead and preheat your oven to 250. Otherwise, you can just put everything away for right now and do the rest later when you have more time.

Of course, there are going to be a lot of different sizes, so it's best to break them up into tiny pieces. Since the design we used was eggs and not very deep, they had to be rather small in order to fit into before being put in the oven.

Make sure that the crayon pieces aren't piled up too high or it'll spill over and it's horrible to clean up, not to mention it makes the whole house pretty smokey!

Let them set for a while. Just check every five minutes or so. Sometimes they melt fast, sometimes not. It has a lot to do with your oven, the size of the pieces of crayon, and some colors melt faster than others.

Eventually you'll know when to take them out. There won't be ay pieces left, unless you accidentally put in one of the unmeltable plastic crayons, and at this point you'll need to get an oven mitt and take them out very carefully--it is exceptionally easy to spill!

You can stir them now if you want to mix up your colors a little or a lot and if you do, I'd suggest using bamboo skewers because they are long so you aren't super close to the heat like if you use a toothpick and can just be tossed out afterwards.

Now, here's where the freezer comes into play: These things are an absolute pain to get out of the tray. Once the candy tray has cooled down enough, put them in your freezer. Let them cool thoroughly but not too much as they will crack, it may take a few tries to get it right. If you take them out and they are super cold, don't let the loud pops scare you--they're just cracking because of the change in temperature!

If you don't put them in the freezer, you will need to let them cool for quite a while and then try to get them out of the mold... And that's usually a pain. You may need to bash the mold on a hard surface or even pick them out if you don't use a metal mold. It's a good way to get your frustration out though!

They should just fall out with a little pressure once cooled, because they'll sweat. If you have any break, you can always just heat them back up a bit and try again. (We left them broken because it was easier for the kids to hold and draw with a point!)

We put together whatever colors we thought looked good together. The kids did most of that and loved it! We broke these apart and looked at the colors inside too. And, the good part is, if you get little pieces that can't be used you can always make more!

Tweet

New Domain!

...And it only took me sending my domain register a customer support message!

Putting a Register.com domain on a pre-existing Blogger (BlogSpot) blog.

Had quite a bit of trouble with it. Here's what I did:

• Find the Google help page about what to do
• You can find it here
• Sign in on Register.com
• Click on your domain
• Scroll down to the bottom where it says "Advanced Technical Settings"*
• Click on A to edit
• Add these four IP addresses to the right-hand column
• 216.239.32.21
• 216.239.34.21
• 216.239.36.21
• 216.239.38.21
• Leave the left-hand column blank
• Click on CNAME to edit
• Put www in the left-hand column
• Put ghs.google.com in the right-hand column
• Go to Blogger.com
• Go to your blog Settings > Basics (the main/first Settings page)
• Under "Publishing" there is a section called "Blog address"
• Click "Advanced settings"
• Add your domain name, with WWW in front
• Save and reopen
• Check the box for "Redirect MYDOMAIN.COM to WWW.MYDOMAIN.COM"
• Save again
• Check domain in new window
• If it works, awesome!
• If it doesn't appear within a few hours
• Contact Register.com support and let them know you've done everything on your end
• Magically, it WILL WORK eventually

*Note: If you have changed the DNS on Register.com, you must reset it to the original settings otherwise you won't find the A and CNAME at the bottom of the page.


Btw, I bought my .com address for $2. You can too. Just use the code Reg2ea at the checkout. (It was a Google ad, so I'm sure they're making even more money off of me by this.) It's only for new users and it's about as cheap as I could find it online. Enjoy!

Tweet

How to Find Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards Codes.

Are you having a hard time finding the codes on some Pampers products? Their website doesn't really help a whole lot, especially when I get nothing for using the search feature to look up where the codes are located on different participating products.

Find codes. That isn't always easy when you're talking about wipes, since they are in different places on different packaging!

I know I always forget where the code is hidden on the small packs of wipes since I rarely buy them. Well, here's some help for all of the above, via the Pampers website:

Where to find Gifts to Grow codes on bag of Pampers diapers:

• Open the bag. 
• Find the Gifts to Grow label on the inside. 
• Enter code on site.

Where to find Gifts to Grow codes inside box of Pampers diapers:

• Open the box. 
• Locate the Gifts to Grow label attached to each bag inside the box. 
• Enter code on site.

Where to find Gifts to Grow codes on Pampers wipe tubs:

• Open the tub.
• Code is etched under the lid you pull the wipes from.
• Enter code on site.

Where to find Gifts to Grow codes on Pampers wipe refill packs:

• Open the outer box or bag with refills inside.
• Codes are on the outside of each refill.

• The code is usually on the side or under the flap.
• Code is printed and tends to look completely different than the rest of text on bag.
• Same applies to small single use wipes.

• Enter code on site.

Don't have an account? Sign up here:

Tweet

Pregnancy Fog?

I'm to that horrible point that I vaguely remember well. That point where everything is moving fast yet not fast enough and my body doesn't want me to do anything.

I'm constantly in pain if I stay in one position for too long, but if I move I get sore and want to rest. Even the slightest bit of energy usage drains me to the point of falling asleep randomly and waking up covered in a puddle of drool after only five minutes.

I feel puffy and swollen though I am not. My head feels strange, distant. I have a hard time finding the right words and pause a lot in sentences that I already have formed in my head. I can't remember something I just did a few moments before and keep misplacing things.

Sleep is not enjoyable nor has it been for some time. It is constant tossing and turning and attempting to move without pain to no avail. It is fighting sleep and not feeling sleepy when I haven't slept besides the tiny naps after doing something trivial. I wake up often to change position and it pains me to roll over.

I startle awake often and see things that aren't there because I am not fully awake. I often drift right back off to sleep when this happens instead of panicking like I normally would. I find it hard to be bothered by it because my body just simply doesn't want me to fight it any longer.

Dreams are constantly filled with labor. Not so much pain or anything like that, but a fearful water breaking or waking up to find the baby crowning or other things of that sort. My water has never broken on it's own and I think that bothers me because I'm afraid if it does happen I will be alone with the kids or alone period and not know what to do.

I am consistently in a daze, though I don't want to be. I am hyper-critical of everything I ask my husband to do--which is not that strange--but he is taking it poorly and I don't have the energy to try to form a coherent anything to fix the problem. Hell, I can't even figure out how to explain that.

This is the time when I tend to forget a lot and not remember exactly what's going on later. Just like every time I've gone into labor, the time leading up to and the months afterwards are a completely blur. I assume it has something to do with my body just trying to keep up with the changes and stress and healing itself, but it's rather frustrating.

I don't want to have to fight through each day and feel like I am only half there, half alive. I don't like being like this. I don't want to have to fight my own tired and aching body just to make it through one day. I don't enjoy being in constant pain from lying down and not wanting to get back up. I want to be able to sleep and not be afraid of whatever it is that I will be dreaming and worrying about tonight.

My eyes are dry. My skin is warm but the cool breeze of the ceiling fan made me feel cold enough for it to be turned off. It gives me a strange feeling, a chill, that bothers me. My back aches from the center down and my sciatic nerve is sending stabbing pains down there as well. It is not fun, not at all.

I just want to be better. It feels like a sickness at this point. I don't think it should, but I am having so much trouble getting through the days now. I'm worried about this and that, thinking about things and attempting to get everything done now and not tomorrow just in case. But, it seems as though I am fighting the impossible and struggling more every day.

It was not so bad a few days ago. I could move a bit more, I could function. Now I worry about tomorrow when my husband is supposed to go back to work for the week. What am I going to do if I have another day like yesterday when I wanted to do little more than lie down in bed all day?

I don't want to sleep. I feel as though I have gotten enough but I know I haven't. I just don't want to keep waking up in pain and afraid that I've been laboring in my sleep and not even realize it. I'm almost scared to sleep, but once I lie down it feels as though nothing else matters in the world besides my body shutting down and resting.

I'll keep fighting it, because I have to. My eyes are heavy, sticky. I am having a hard time focusing on anything and each blink is longer than the last. I don't have to have my eyes open to type though, so here I am.

I do not enjoy being so tired that I no longer wish to sleep and try to battle with it in order to stay awake just the slightest bit longer. I fight and I fight and I fight and I will continue to lose this continuing battle with my own body that does not seem to be my own at this point in time.

I am nearly ready for this part to bed over with. I cannot move my head without feeling horrible, but I don't want to take anything for it. My body is not completely under my control and I am not used to the new way that it works and functions. I want it to be mine again, but I know the pain medication afterwards will do little more than make me forget the weeks after birth. That is how it has always been.

Maybe it will be different this time and maybe I will be better right away, but all I recall before was little sleep, contractions after the fact that caused me pain, and, worse yet, the immense amounts of pain from each tear more severe than the last and how long it took those to heal and how they still haunt me.

Should I be afraid? Worried? I don't know. I think it may be something to think about, if it weren't for the whole "in a fog" thing going on inside my head. I think I'm on autopilot and it gets me by. I am not acting nor being who I normally am and I don't like that. When do I get to be me again?

Tweet

Please Read: "Did This Major Brand Steal a Mom Inventor’s Idea? You Decide."

Via Sunshine & Sippy Cups.

Tweet

♫ Money Money Money... Moooney! ♫

Not really, well, at least for very long. We need it! No check this week, as it still hasn't come in and this is the down week for DHs bi-weekly check.

• Made $105 on stuff posted on Craigslist yesterday.
• Made $21 on coupons yesterday.
• State income tax deposit came in this morning.
• Made another $40 on stuff at the old house.
• Someone is coming to pick up the bed ($75) tomorrow evening.
• Federal income tax is supposed to be deposited on Thursday.
• Still have more stuff to sell.

Found gas for only $3.56 a gallon in town right before it went up to $3.79. Filled up the tank. It only cost $51. That's been a while.

Used about a hundred so far over the past few days, mostly on gas. Really need to change the oil in the car, but we're getting rid of it! Just does not have enough room, sadly. Love the search/temp buttons for everything on the steering wheel. Very nice.


It's storming a bit here now, but nothing big. It's to the south. Just windy and hubby is out, so that's about my only concern. Hail core is staying south of us and south of anything I plan on getting soon. Don't like the idea of large hail, mainly because I've seen what it can do.

It is a pity that it isn't going to do anything. Sort of like watching storms. That's why they're no fun at night. I'm night blind and can't see a thing! Not as though a normal person would be able to see a whole lot in the dark and rain anyway...

Tweet

Cleaning Out the Coupons!

Had a ton of formula checks, I realized today. I've already used a lot of them in the past month and I still had $54 worth of them! Around here they are used properly and not as vendor coupons, so it's not as though I can really "spend" the money on anything but formula--and our trunk is packed with infant formula and cereal.

Posted all of them online for trade. Ended up making 40% of what the face value was, minus my postage cost of course. Still, when you really need that money, it's awesome.

Working on trading away coupons we'll never use now. I'm getting so frustrated when going through and tossing ones that I forgot about or having a ton of hair product ones that don't expire for months and it's something we won't/can't use/buy. Might as well benefit someone else with them!

Being my first real experience in trading coupons and the like, I think I like it. Of course, I certainly wouldn't want to do it online anywhere I wasn't absolutely sure you could trust the people.

Have you ever traded coupons?

Tweet

Craigslist

Posting stuff on Craigslist tonight:

• Matching Broyhill Chairs
• Two Captain Chairs
• Changing Table
• Four Post Queen-Size Bed
• Round Lane Table with Wicker
• 1999 Buick LeSabre Limited 
• Marlboro Poker Table Top Felt w/ Carrying Case
• 2 Disney Princess Canopy Toddler Beds
• $40+ Formula Checks
• 2 White Wicker End Tables
• Rabbit (Pet) Supplies
• 20 Gal Fish Tank w/ Stand & Accessories
• Papasan Chair - Light Bamboo
• Morton Salt Mug Set
• Nokia e71 for Straight Talk
• Stackable Washer & Dryer

Will update with more, believe me. Just have to find more stuff to post.
..And take photos, but it's dark outside right now and everything is in a pole barn for storage. (I don't care enough to go out in the cold right this moment and take pictures with my phone.)

Tweet

Family Update

Quick run down of what's going on at "home."

The in-laws that we have been staying with have decided that we have stayed too long and are wanting us out. There is no nice way to put it, but they want us gone ASAP.

Believe me, we have not wanted to stay so long. My husband is finally working again after many days of just being sent home after driving into work simply because they don't have enough things for all the people they've hired to do. That wastes our money in gas and what little we do get to save up gets used on the "bad" weeks.

In any case, the in-laws have been getting more and more hostile and now that we are waiting for our small amount of tax money to come in, they want us gone. My husband spoke with his mother today and asked, at minimum, for them to wait until our taxes come in so we can at least afford a hotel to stay in for a bit.

You have to understand something: We lived in our car and a tent for a week this summer because of these people. They offered to help us when my husband lost his job in January and we lost our home. We had nothing and have had nothing.

It's an absolute horror to have to deal with these people, who only care about themselves and say they care about us and our children but are more than willing to turn us out in the cold for their dog. (Not joking--that's why we were homeless for a week. A dog. Seriously.)

I'm working my ass off and I'm due literally any day now. My husband was sent home almost every day last week because they didn't have anything for him to do at work. We're going to my OBGYN every Friday and the past two weeks she has figured I would go into labor before my next appointment each time--my due date is on March 14th!

So, I'm holding out hope that I don't go into labor anytime soon and that our money magically appears in our account and that something spectacular will happen tomorrow. Of course, I've been hoping for that for some time and it has yet to happen. Still, it's worth wishing for.

I have something in the works that, I pray, will fix the problem at least for the time being. I still have to get some emails back and barter and do whatever I can to make this happen today/tomorrow/the next day. I do not want to be here any longer and subject my family to any more stress and anger.

Needless to say, we want nothing more to do with these people. I know not everyone will agree that it is the proper thing to do, but you have to understand that they also just "got rid of" their niece that they were awarded guardianship of because they no longer wanted to deal with her. (She hasn't been here all week and just came out tonight to pick up her things.)

If they wish to have their house back so badly, they can have it. They fought hard for guardianship of two nephews and a niece, but all three of them are gone now. Their daughter is gone as of a few months ago and, now that we are the only ones left in their house, the pressure is immense.

It is not as though we wish to be here, to live here, but we had no other choice. There are no shelters nearby. There is no housing that would take us. There is nothing we could afford nor get because of our eviction earlier this year. We have a car and a tent and love, food and water and clothing, but not a home.

I'm working hard on it. I'm trying not to stress. My husband is too. It's hard. It's been hard, but we'll make it. I always tell myself that there are people worse off and it is very true. So I just keep on going and working and doing what I must.

The stress is a pain in the ass though. I wish it would go away and all our troubles with it, but that seems highly unlikely.

I can only hope that I can get something by tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully a better one than the day before. Hope can get you far and hope can get you to persevere in even the most bleak situations.

And the love of my family. I couldn't do much without that, no matter how little I show it.

Tweet