Well, hello there, followers!

I know, I know, you haven't heard from me in awhile.  Well, suck it  up.  Life has been busy and I haven't had time to write.  My hope is that you'll say, "Oh, okay." and move forward.  If not... well, sucks for me.

What have you done in the last 180 days?  No, really.  I challenge you to figure out what YOU have done in the last 180 days.  Here's a short synopsis of my last half a year...

*Dropped multiple pants sizes
*Quit drinking Coca-Cola, started again, then quit again.  For reals.
*Finished my term as 2 year PTO President.  Hallelujah!'
*Completed a 3,000 mile trip up the eastern seaboard and back with the Monkey.  Wow.  I suggest you check the family blog for a play-by-play of the trip if you are interested.
*I learned that the hokey pokey is NOT what it's all about.  So there.
*I discovered the amazing awesomeness of Pinterest. What? You haven't joined Pinterest yet?  Email me, I'll send you and invite.  Soooooooo totally worth it.
*Commited to becoming part of Mary Kay management.

So... How about you?  What have you done with the last 180 days of your life?

Ready... SHARE!!

Did you know that I've been on a Road Trip Extravaganza for the month of June?  The Monkey and I stopped in Virginia, New York, New York (yes, two different spots), New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Washington D.C.  And if you count the stop to pee on the side of the highway in South Carolina, we stopped there, too.

We got home and pulled in our driveway at 5:30 this morning.

I'm still exhausted.

Will. Blog. After. Sleep.

Til then...

Blogger has PMS

Are you a blogger? Follow a number of blogs? Wait anxiously for an update to this blog?

Perhaps you've noticed that some blogs that run on Blogger haven't been updating well. That's because Blogger has PMS and won't work correctly. Let me tell you, it's very frustrating! I'm posting updates on this blog and my family blog but they aren't showing up!

Hang in there with me and hopefully the issues will be resolved soon.

Sam

Letters of Intent #8

As I do on Fridays, I'm linking up with Foursons today for her Letters of Intent.  Have someone you'd like to give a talking to?  Happy? Unhappy? Just need to vent?  Write a letter and tell the world! 

 

Dear Mother Nature,

It seems you are a bit confused about life right now.  Please know that it's still spring and will be until June 21, therefore we should not be having temperatures that are registering at 99 degrees and above.  I'm not sure if you are going through some really serious menopausal changes or if you're just pissed off at all of us not taking good enough care of the Earth, but really, could you cut us a little bit of slack? It is freakin' HOT!

Baking in Georgia,

Sam

Dear Self,

May I ask what you were thinking when you decided embarking on a month long road trip with only a three year old was a good idea?  You are now four days away from said trip; it might be a good time to start packing.  Or at least start thinking about packing.  

Best piece of advice received to date?  

You can't go wrong packing lots of underwear for the little one.  

Awesome.  

Thought Provoking Thursday

That's right ~ Monday was a holiday so even though it feels like a Wednesday, it's time for Thought Provoking Thursday! This week's question: What is your best attribute?

Mine?  Hmm.  I'm going to go with my sense of humor.  I think I'm pretty funny and my friends tend to agree. I use humor to diffuse difficult situations, to perk up friends who are having a hard time, to make the best of dreary days.  It's not to say that I never have a difficult time, because I definitely have my share of those, but I find that humor can make me (and often others) feel a little bit better.  What can I say, I'm a glass is half full kind of gal.

Your turn! Link up with your answer or comment here.

Wordless Wednesday 3

Speaks for itself, doesn't it? 
She was a little excited to ride the carousel.

Have a picture that speaks for itself?  Take a peek and link up for Wordless Wednesday!  Today I'm linking up to:
5 Minutes for Mom
Wordless Wednesday
Mama to 4 Blessings
Mom Caboodle
The Maven

Shopping!

I would love to be writing a fabulously funny post for all of you right now, but I just realized that it's 10:18pm and there are only a few more hours left to Loft's Bring on the Sun sale.

If you'll excuse me, I have some serious shopping to do.

Letters of Intent #7

It's Friday and that means I'm linking up with Foursons for Letters of Intent!  Do you have something you want to say?  Need to tell someone something?  Join in the party and tell it like it is!

Dear Monkey,
Happy Summer!  School ended Wednesday and with it comes later bedtimes (my end of the bargain) and sleeping in (your end of the bargain).  Make your end happen and I'll make sure my end happens.  BTW, just because you like to wake up at 6:30am, that doesn't mean that 6:45am is sleeping in.

XOXO,
Mommy what wants to get her sleep on

Dear Charlie the Beta Fish,

Please start swimming more.  I'm glad you're a part of our family now, but when you float in one spot near the top of the tank for an extended period of time, you make me think you're dead.  I'm pretty sure you're going to give me an ulcer.  Swim, my dear, it's good for you.

Sincerely,
The woman who makes sure the three year old doesn't over feed you

Purple Poppies

Every few months I get together with the Beta girls and we paint.  It's therapeutic, it's cathartic, it's relaxing.  This particular painting is called Purple Poppies and while it's not my favorite painting that I've done, it's still high on the list.  

I started with a blank canvas, then added yellow and white paint in the top left to begin crafting the sun.  After finishing the sun, I started to add red to the yellow to create orange in the sky.  After adding half of the form as orange, I added more red and less yellow to finish out the sunset colors.  

After drying, I began with the black and green stems at varying lengths.  I tried to make sure that there was nothing overly patterned or matchy in an effort to keep the stems more life-like.  I began with the purple poppies and added in a hint of white to lighten les fleurs.

The final creation adorns our living room wall.  I'm happy, but always looking forward to the next creation!

I'm linking up with Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish Whims and Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge and the Weekend Wrapup Party at tatertots & jello today! 

Thought Provoking Thursday

What is one aspect of your life that you never expected to be there?

I NEVER expected to be a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant.

What?  You expected an intense, life-changing answer?

Let's stop for a minute and consider the source.  We are talking about a woman who, prior to becoming a Mary Kay consultant, washed her face with water.  Just water.  And only when she was in the shower.  [Don't I at least get points for knowing that I wasn't supposed to wash my face with soap??]

I didn't wash my face, I didn't use moisturizer (much to Prince Charming's chagrin.  He regularly admonished me for it.), I didn't wear makeup and I surely didn't use supplements.

And then one crazy day, worn down by my mom (who wanted a girls day out), I attended a Mary Kay event.  I was blown away by the way the products made me feel and I knew that I liked them enough to actually take the time to start washing my face and maybe, just maybe, start wearing makeup.  I became a Mary Kay consultant that day.  Craziness, I tell you.

Fast forward fourteen months and I have the clearest, softest skin I've had in 31 years and a fabulous career that I love.  Not only do I love what I do but I get the opportunity to continue to be a stay at home mom to the Monkey while still contributing to our family financially.  In a word? Awesome.

[Shameless plug for my business?  Well, okay.  Since you asked... check out my website here: www.marykay.com/SamZ]

Now it's your turn!  What do you have in your life that you never would have expected?

Source: lanipauli.tumblr.com via Pinterest on Pinterest

5x7 Folded Card

Happy Day Cocoa Father's Day 5x7 folded card

Invitations, announcements and Valentine's Day cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

I made all of this year's Father's Day cards on Shutterfly.  It's fun, it's easy and it's personal.  Now, go make your own cards!

It's My Giveaway!

Welcome to The Answers Are Simple!  I'm glad you made your way over from Fairly Fabulous!

The Answers Are Simple is my way of letting off some steam in this crazy life of mine. You'll get a glimpse into my brain and hopefully some laughs, so I hope you'll follow along!

Like Meagan said, I'm an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics.  What the heck does that mean?  

It means that I teach skin care and color cosmetics.  It means I take the difficulty out of both of those things and help you understand why you should wash your face and what's the best color for you. It means I call you and remind you that it's been three months since you ordered a mascara so it's time to order a new one so that you don't get eye mites (yes, I'm completely serious.).  It means if you don't like a product that you buy or a color that you totally thought you'd love and totally don't, I'll take it back from you and find you a new one at no charge.  

And there's one more thing: I am way more fun than the pushy women at the mall counters and the high school boy with acne at CVS.  

I'm super excited to add to the Birthday Extravaganza Giveaway with two products from the FABULOUS new Mary Kay Limited Edition Weekender Collection.  The Collection includes two nail lacquers plus a clear base/top coat, four eye pencils and two lip pencils.  

I was a little wary of the eye pencils, but I tried one and ~  holy cow ~ amazing!

  A little secret? I'm a do-my-makeup-in-the-car kind of girl (not driving ~ I'm always pulled over in a parking space, but still...).  Let me just tell you that these eye pencils just kicked my eye color up a couple of notches.  I can throw it in my purse and ... voila ... primo eye color! 

Because of my LOVE for the nail lacquers and the eye pencils especially (though the lip pencils are great!), I'd like to give one of each to one lucky reader.  To be that lucky reader, you'll need to sweep back over to Meagan's Fairly Fabulous blog to enter in HER comments.  These are the things you can do to enter:

1. Become a follower of my  Blog.  You won't be disappointed, I promise.
2. Cruise over to my Mary Kay website and tell Meagan your favorite color in the new weekender collection.
3. What's your go-to makeup? Mascara? Powder? Gloss? Foundation?

Are three entries not enough?  You'll get an extra entry for each giveaway if:

1. You have the party button on your blog.
2. You blog, tweet, or facebook about THIS giveaway.

Are you totally wanting a piece of the Weekender Collection right now?  A long time MK lover who doesn't have a consultant?  Interested in giving the NUMBER ONE skin care and color cosmetics company a try?  Send me a message on my Mary Kay website that you found me through Meagan's blog or this post and I'll give you 20% off your first purchase!  Add that to the fact that I always offer free shipping, as well as a gift with $40 purchase, and I just knocked the mall cosmetics off their pedestal.  Give Mary Kay a try ~ you won't be sorry.  

Celebrity Apprentice

Are you watching the Celebrity Apprentice finale?  I am and I'm waiting with baited breath for The Donald's answer.  John Rich or Marlee Matlin?  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or The Starkey Hearing Foundation?  One of the charities is going to be awarded $250,000 by Trump.  Oh boy, we're only an hour in and this is already good! I can't wait for the winner! 

Have you been over to Meagan's Fairly Fabulous blog for the Birthday Extravaganza Giveaway yet?  

So far she's posted TWELVE giveaways!  Yes, I said TWELVE!!  Craziness, I tell you.

I entered each and every one of them and I hope you're entering, too.  There are so many great things offered and I'd hate for you to miss out on any of them. So, go on over and check it out.  Enter and see what you might win. Want to get really crazy? Tell Meagan that you found her through my blog in one of your comments. : )

It's Almost Thursday!

That's right ... Wednesday comes right before Thursday and Thursday brings with it

Are you excited about the Birthday Party Giveaway Extravaganza that Meagan is having over at Fairly Fabulous?  I am SO excited.  Welcome to all of the new folks joining us today in an effort to be ahead of the game when the giveaways start tomorrow.  I'm happy to have you here at The Answers Are Simple!  

If you haven't gotten over to her page yet, Meagan announced today that there are going to be 19 Fairly Fabulous giveaways over the next week.  Holy cow ~ 19!!  Get on over there now so you can find out how to prepared when the giveaways start tomorrow!

Wordless Wednesday 2

Chillaxin' 

Ooo-wee

Dear Tomorrow,

Please don't suck as badly as today.

XOXO,

Me

I'm Baaaaaack!

Have you missed me?

Well, I'm back and better than ever!  Not only am I back, but I have some pretty spectacular news.  No, not the fact that the Real Housewives of NJ is back on TV (As of tonight.  Yes, I know you're excited.  I am, too.).  My big news is the AMAZING giveaway that I'm a part of this week!  I can't wait to Party Like It's 1999!

So, you're excited, right?  Well hold on to your underpants, you're about to get even more excited; there are other giveaways, too!  Yup, Meagan, the fabulous host of Fairly Fabulous, is hosting an amazing giveaway every day for SEVEN days, starting on Thursday!  Check back every day to see what's on the giveaway block, but more importantly, enter MY giveway!  Enjoy and may the force be with you!

Letters of Intent #6

As usual on Fridays, I'm linking up with Foursons for Letters of Intent.  Check out the other letters and write one of your own!

Dear USA Network, 

I know you have to make movies fit into the alloted time you have but do you really have to cut the funny parts out?  Like when Nick Cage sticks his hand in between the rocks in National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets and pretends like something eats him?  That's a good part!  Ugh.

Sincerely,

Stop Cutting Out the Good Parts

Dear People Who Take Care of My Child,

When I tell you that she doesn't sweat and it's very dangerous for her to overheat, please believe me.  I'm not an over-protective, hypochondriac mom who is just trying to give you a hard time.  I mean, really... Don't make me pull the 'she will die' card on you because I really hate to do that.  

Thanks for paying attention,

Mommy

Dear World,

Randi is not old.  She is not closer to 40 than 50 (Though she is closer to 50 than I am.  I'm just speaking the truth, Randi.).  She does not have one foot in the grave and she's not interested in the sexy mature singles with whom Match.com would like to pair her.  She is, however, an awesome person, amazing mom, and super friend.  Even if she does wear Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.   

xoxo,

Sam

Dear Morning Run,

Why are you so elusive? Always just a little out of reach, I miss you each morning.  One day we will have our time in the sun.  One day.

Love,

Soon-to-be Running Princess

Wordless Wednesday 1

I'm linking up to 5 Minutes For Mom's Wordless Wednesday.
Curious?  Mom Bloggers (and Dad Bloggers too!) post a photo on your site, link up and find others… Wordless Wednesday is tons of fun. (And I know it says “wordless” but I just can’t bear to not write anything! If I had created it, I probably would have named it something different! LOL)

One of my favorite pictures of The Monkey.  

An oldie (Summer '10) but a goodie, no?

Amazing Giveaways!

Thanks to Meagan over at Fairly Fabulous, I had a great time at the Ultimate Blog Party '11 and made some new bloggy friends.  One of those new bloggers is Anne at Giveaway Corner [great blog title, huh?].  Her plan for the blog is to do a giveaway every single weekday.  WOW!    She is kicking off her blog with a most awesome giveaway that's going on right now and I know all of my readers will want to enter it.  Like now.
Why is that, you ask?  Because she's giving away a $100 Visa gift card every day from Tuesday, April 12 through Friday, April 15.  [See, you totally want to enter now, don't you?]

There's one more thing.  When you enter the contest using Anne's form (which is so nice because you don't have to enter multiple comments for multiple entries ~ just check the appropriate boxes on the form! love it!), you'll be asked 'Who referred you?.'  The appropriate answer in that box is "Sam Z."  If I have the most referrals at the end of the day on Tuesday, April 19, I will win a $20 Amazon gift card.  If I win the contest, YOU will get to participate in a giveaway right here at The Answers are Simple!  See: it's a win-win!

Let me know if you enter so I can be excited for you when you win!

It's Friday~Let's Par-tay!

Who's had a long week?  

Me, me, me, ME!

Who's with me?

This was one of those weeks that seemed like it would never end.  It was Spring Break for us and that may have had something to do with it.  Don't get me wrong ~ it's wasn't a bad week, it was just really long.  {Today was a very different, very frazzled story, but the rest of the week was fun!}

In honor of all four members of our family making it to the end of the week AND to Daddy coming home from work before 8pm the first time this week AND the fact that the dinner that will be on our table was previously in a frozen form {and may or may not have pepperoni on it...}, I'm FINALLY attending the Ultimate Blog Party!

Seriously, my most awesome friend Meagan over at Fairly Fabulous has been reminding me every.single.day this week to link up with UBP'11.  And every day has started too early and ended too late to get 5 minutes for mom {har har har}.  But here I am, adult beverage in hand {hey, I'm east coast... it's not just after 5pm, it's after 6pm!}, ready to blog and PARTY!!

Enough about me.  Here's a little about me blog:

* I'm a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend

* Living in my home are: My husband, Prince Charming

My three year old daughter, Monkey

 and my mom, Ama

* I live in the heart of the Bible Belt, though I'm not a Thumper myself

* My town has been on Oprah 

* I'm a REAL Housewife

* I have a shoe problem

* I'm madly in love with Dr. Drew.  

* He may or may not know about the secret relationship we're having in my mind.  

* I drank the Pink Kool-aid and became a Mary Kay consultant.  

Laugh now, but I'll be the one laughing when I'm driving around town in my Pink Caddilac. 

(On a side note, it's a fabulous career that enables me to be a SAHM and I love our products.  

I poke fun at myself, not at the company.)

I know you can't stay long because you're 'hopping,' but if you want to see one post that is pretty representative of my blog, read this one: Letters of Intent 3/17

Follow along, leave a message and enjoy your Friday Hop!

Sam

A Quiet Evening

I'm not blogging tonight because I'm choosing not to blog.  My mind is swirling with many thoughts and I think this is an instance when silence is better than words.  Until these thoughts are sorted out.... good night.

Top Two Tuesday: Celebrity Hairstyles

It's Tuesday and that means I'm linking up with Top Two Tuesday over at 

The Undomestic Momma.  Today we're talking about celebrity hairstyles.  Here's my top 2!

Taylor Swift 

Photo/Zimbio.com

Oh my goodness.  I love Taylor Swift's hair.  Love it, love her, love the music.  So in love.  I've been growing my 'always keep it short' hair for the last year in an attempt to channel her hair.  I got a perm in June, followed by another in November since the first one didn't stick in my bone-straight hair.  This one worked better, but alas, I'm no Taylor Swift.  Here's my hair:

Well, if nothing else, it was a different chapter in The Hairs of My Life.  

Mariska Hargitay

photo/hairstyles-pedia.com

I'm loved this look on Mariska.  I like most of her hairstyles (except the SUPER short one from a few years ago) but most of them fall into the "I don't think I could wear that" category.

And finally, a flashback just because I came across this picture and it made me chuckle...

Sarah Michelle Gellar

photo/allaboutcelebrityworlds.blogspot.com

I tried for many of Sarah Michelle Gellar's hairstyles over the four years of college.  She changed her hair, I waited a few months and tried it on mine.  None of them really worked for me (except this one...kind of), but at least it got me changing my hairstyles! 

What celebrity hairstyles do you like?www.theundomesticmomma.com

Meet Me Monday Blog Hop!

Well  lookie (lookey?  look-e?) here  look at me!  I'm participating in the Meet Me Monday Blog Hop!  Head on over to Inspiring You To Save and check out some of the other fab-u-lous bloggers who are linked up as well.  And if you made it here from the blog hop...Thanks!  Show me a little 'follow' love and I'll show it right back!

Happy Monday!

Pass It On

If you've been reading The Answers are Simple for very long, you know I'm all about being positive and making the most of your situation.  Today I'd like to highlight this wonderful organization: 

 The Foundation For A Better Life is a non-profit organization that was started to tell people about the positive actions and values of others, hoping to inspire people to do something just a little bit better: be a little kinder, think before you say something, be quick to help and slow to judge.  The Foundation hopes that by inspiriting just a few people to live kinder, the world will be a better place.  

Have you seen the Foundation's commercials on tv? My favorite is the spot that shows a couple's 'missing' little boy ending up on the concert hall's stage playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the piano. Mortified, the mother whispers to the dad that he should go get him, when the Concert Master sidles up next to the little boy and joins him in playing.  It makes me tear up every time.  

Or maybe you've seen one of these billboards when you're out driving:

You can't possibly tell me you aren't moved when you look at these bulletin boards.  It makes me want to go out and do something good in the world!

What about you?  What inspires you to do something good?

Letters of Intent #5

Now that my blogging is back to normal, I'm linking up to my usual Friday location at Foursons for Letters of Intent.  Head on over and give people some love!

Dear Mimi at He & Me + 3,

Thanks for sucking me into your blog with your fabulous writing and super cute kids and then cutting me off because you're too busy to write any more.  Your weekly Project 365 posts are keeping me at bay for now, but know that there are people out here waiting for more... one day... when your life slows down.  (Right.  Like any of our lives are going to slow down!)  Well, just know that when you're ready, your loyal followers are here to read it.  Until then, don't forget to take a minute for yourself!

xoxo,
A {still} loyal reader

DEAR CREATOR OF 5 HOUR ENERGY SHOTS,

MY PRODUCTIVITY AND I ARE FOREVER INDEBTED TO YOU.  I'M SO GLAD I DON'T GET A CAFFEINE HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH WITH YOU.  YOU'RE AMAZING.  I KNOW IT SAYS TO ONLY HAVE ONE A DAY (OR TWO SPREAD OUT OVER A LONG PERIOD) BUT MY IDEA OF DRINKING FOUR AT ONCE TODAY WAS AWESOME.  SO FAR I'VE DONE EVERYTHING ON MY 'TO DO' LIST AND NOW I'M GOING TO GO BUILD AN ADDITION ON OUR HOUSE.  YAYAYAYAYAYAY ENERGY!

I HAVE LOTS OF ENERGY AND ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF THE SHAKES,
sam


Dear Chick-Fil-A at the Avenues,

Thanks for being so great.  You keep me in my supply of Coke with good cubes of ice.  You're friendly. You know me by name but play it off when my husband comes in with me so he doesn't officially know that I'm there everyday.  Thanks for putting a smile on my face Monday - Thursday around 9:15am.

Yours in Coca-Cola,
Sam

You'll Want To Win!

I'm feeling generous today, so I've done the hard work and scoped out the contests on the web that you totally want to win*.  I've made it so easy that all you have to do is click on the links below to enter.  Stipulations are as follows:
a. If you win a vacation through a contest that you link to through my blog, you must take me as your plus one.
b. If you win an iPad through a contest that you link to through my blog, you must let me play with it at least once.
c. You can keep the toothbrushes but I have to be allowed to be jealous on a regular basis. 
Comfortable with those prerequisites?  Read on and enter away!

Enter me!

1.  Oooh... Who DOESN'T want to go to The US Virgin Islands... In a word...Paradise.  Enter here by 3/31/11.

2. Ever heard of Bonaire? I hadn't either.   Bonaire is a Caribbean island that is one of the WORLD'S top dive locations.  You can win a trip to Bonaire from Caribbean Travel Magazine if you enter by 3/31/10.  

3. EarthLust Water Bottle Giveaway (Parent & Kid bottles) - enter by 4/12/11.  These bottles are super cool.  You want one and you want your kid to have one, too.

4. Oooh.  Nothing says exciting like dental health.  Okay, maybe exciting is the wrong word, but doesn't everyone want a Sonicare Toothbrush (and yes, I'm being serious.)?  Get one for you AND your kiddo from Parenting.com here.  Ends 4/12/11 

5. You're totally jealous of your neighbor who has an iPad.  Don't even deny it.  Check out this link from Parenting.com to win your own iPad!  Target & Parenting.com iPad Giveaway - enter by 4/13/11.  

6. Who wants to go to Grenada? Win a trip to LaSource in Grenada!- Enter by 4/30/11

7. Not into Grenada?  How about a trip to Mexico? Win a trip to Hacienda Tres Rios from Carribean Travel + Life - enter by 5/31/11. 

8. Family Road Trip 2011 presented by Parents.com - enter by 8/1/2011.  Everything you need for a road trip ~ with the exception of a recorded playback answer to the question "Are we there yet?."  Includes a Panasonic Lumix camera, a Marathon gas card, road trip activity books and DVDs.  

*None of these contests are regulated by me, nor do I have any involvement in any part of these contests. I am simply providing links to these contests.  

IPhones & Car washes

No, I didn't run my iPhone THROUGH the car wash. That would be bad. But I am blogging AT the car wash. Yes, thanks to the joys of technology I'm able to take my 15 minutes of downtime and spend it with all of you ~  my fabulous followers. The reason I'm excited about it is because this is my first time blogging from my phone. It's definitely different working on such a small screen but it may be the blogging technique of the future. We'll see.

Big Blue has needed a wash for some time now but, like many things in my life right now, there just hasn't been TIME. After dropping Monkey off with Gram & Pop, I found myself early for my Mary Kay meeting (Yes, you read that right. EARLY.). I was alone, enjoying the beautiful weather, and more importantly, did I mention alone? What to do? I had decided on a Coke from McDonald's and a walk through Hallmark when I saw the sign for the car wash. I'm not going to tell you my full reaction but let's just say that Max would have been proud of me.

That's when I decided I should blog about it and that's also what turned me into the crazy lady who was taking pictures of her car going through the car wash. Once I got started I couldn't stop and I wanted to take more pictures because I knew Max would appreciate them.  It turned into my own little photo shoot with the van. It was bad. Seriously, a woman was staring so I had to stop. {BTW, if you didn't look at the Love that Max link in the last paragraph, you should do it now.  Ellen runs the most awesome 'parent of one special needs and one typical child' blog I've ever read.  Ever.}

Fast forward 15 minutes and Big blue is beautiful! Seriously, the inside of my van is so clean and I'm in heaven. I have a three year old Monkey; I don't know the last time the inside of the van has seen clean! To say I was excited might be a bit of an understatement. In fact, I'm relatively sure that the teenage boy whose job it was to ask me if I was happy with the finished cleaning thought I was going to have an orgasm right there in the parking lot. For you enquiring minds, no, I did not have an orgasm in the parking lot, though the teen boy didn't stick around to see if it happened or not.

Life is all about the little things. Make your own kind of happy.

Letters of Intent #4

For the first time in a very. long. time. I'm linking up to Letters of Intent at Foursons.  Oh, how I've missed you, LOI.

Dear Monkey Princess,

Do you think you could keep taking a nap through, oh... say, your teen years? Mama's not a fan of this 'let's not nap anymore' phase and it's really cutting into my personal naptime. 

Thanks so much,

Sleeping Beauty

Dear Karma,

Now would be a great time to bite some select people in the a$$.  I am not one of those people.  Just sayin'.

Sincerely,

Doesn't he need a reminder that Karma's a b*tch?

Dear Bloggy World,

Oh, how I've missed you! I think a Lenten FaceBook sacrifice was exactly what you and I needed.  Let's keep writing together.

xoxo,

The girl behind the profile

Dear Alarm Clock & Small Child Down the Hall,

What do you say we all sleep in tomorrow morning?  Mommy stayed up a wee bit too late tonight blogging.  

Love,

Mommy's REALLY going to need a nap tomorrow

An Observation

In December I went on a quest to find a new blog background.  I'm envious of the folks who have professional blog backgrounds and widgets, but I just haven't been able to convince myself to shell out the money yet.  As such, I'm left to troll the Internet in search of free backgrounds and free widgets that are cute, hip and fun.  But I digress..

Flashback to December when I began looking for that new background.  Being that The Answers Are Simple is a light-hearted, whimsical blog (stay with me on this), I needed a fun, whimsical background, right?  Enter the background that you currently see.  Owls, fun script, neat colors.  Jackpot, right?

Fast forward back to today when I actually read those fun, loopy script words.  So, tell me... did you notice that it's all about autumn a long time ago, or just realize it [IN MARCH], like me?

Thought Provoking Thursday 1

Welcome to my first 'Thought Provoking Thursday!'  Every week you'll be treated to a new question designed to make you think a little deeper and learn more about yourself.  There are no right or wrong answers ~ only clarity.  Remember, sometimes the questions are hard and the answers are simple.  

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

This is such a hard question for me!  We're lucky that we have three sets of grandparents who live within 30 minutes of where we are right now.  That right there is something that makes me like where we currently are.  Prince Charming and I also grew up in this area and have lots of friends to this area.  But...

I was born with wanderlust.  I love to try new things and go to new places.  It makes me want to try living in other places.  Because of the Monkey's ichthyosis, Atlanta is NOT a good locale for her.  It means that we'll either learn how to deal with the heat or at some point we'll move somewhere cooler and wetter.  

But, if NONE of those things mattered, nor did Prince Charming have to a find a job in the new place, I'd like to spend some time living in:

1. Europe (Belgium, Rome, Paris, London, and others)

2. Boston

3. Charleston

4. Canada
5. The Outer Banks

It's a start at least!

It's your turn! Where would you live?

GLEEk

Prince Charming and I just finished watching last night's Glee {many thanks to the person that created the dvr} and the ending commercial said new episodes will start in April.

Me: 'Boo.  April.'

Prince Charming: 'Mmhmm.'

Me: 'April! Really! Ugh.'

PC: 'Really, babe?  April's in, like, two weeks.'

Me: 'Oh. Boo. April.'

photo/webtvwire