What's in the Bag?

Here's a fun game for you: What's in the bag?
Well, in my house, it depends on WHICH bag you're referring to.
By my front door there are three bags currently residing.  A bag for general tote around, a black briefcase style bag, and a drawstring bag.  There's a canvas tote bag that should also reside there.  As well as two diaper bags, always in various locations.

General Tote Around


*Picture has been temporarily removed until I can take my own and post. Please refer to Roni Loren blog post linked at the bottom of this post.*

This lovely little thing was one of the Barnes & Noble ten dollar specials from last summer.  I positively love this thing.  Currently, there's not much in it.
-Multiple colored gel pens
-An address book
-A planner
-Small tube of sunblock for the kiddos

Black Briefcase Style Bag


*Picture has been temporarily removed until I can take my own and post. Please refer to Roni Loren blog post linked at the bottom of this post.*

This bag came from a KMart store clearance.  They were shutting down one locally that didn't get a lot of business, so voila, another ten dollar steal.  This isn't the EXACT same as mine, but it's close.  I don't actually use the laptop portion of it for a laptop, but it keeps things situated and organized.  Current contents include:
-Yankee Candle Fundraising stuff
-A 1" three-ring-binder that contains all my additional stuff for fundraising research and what-not
-A couple black pens
-A highlighter
-Some lip gloss and mascara
-A teething ring
-Two rolls of carnival tickets
-Sometimes a Leapster Explorer

Drawstring "Cinch" Bag


*Picture has been temporarily removed until I can take my own and post. Please refer to Roni Loren blog post linked at the bottom of this post.*

These things are great.  If you don't own at least one... INVEST.
Navy Pride Cinch Bag
-Two 1" three-ring-binders that contain all my Family Readiness Group stuff
-A "Studs 'N' Spurs" calendar that was a Christmas gift, so I "have something to drool over when my Cowboy's gone".  When Cowboy's gone, it's also a great laugh to pull it out when I need to plan something, and it does brighten up the day
-A black pen
-A pencil

Summer Fun Cinch Bag


*Picture has been temporarily removed until I can take my own and post. Please refer to Roni Loren blog post linked at the bottom of this post.*


-Sunblock ranging from SPF4 to SPF55
-A few beach toys
-Occasionally there's a few bottles of water in it

Canvas Tote


*Picture has been temporarily removed until I can take my own and post. Please refer to Roni Loren blog post linked at the bottom of this post.*

Again, just similar.  But mine's more blue than this and has COMPASS on the front.
-ALL the stuff given to us by the wonderful women who teach the Norfolk COMPASS course for Navy spouses. <3

Diaper Bags

*Picture has been temporarily removed until I can take my own and post. Please refer to Roni Loren blog post linked at the bottom of this post.* Cowboy's

*Picture has been temporarily removed until I can take my own and post. Please refer to Roni Loren blog post linked at the bottom of this post.* Mine 

Okay, so the first is technically a "Car Organizer"--it's a diaper bag. Lol.  Both of these contain the same things:
-At LEAST two outfit changes
-As many diapers as can be stuffed inside
-A toy or stuffie of some sort
-A package of wipes (usually the smaller soft plastic cased ones)
-Empty bottles
-Bottles of water
-Snacks for bigger kids
-Juice boxes for bigger kids
-Mini first aid kit
-Neosporin
-Baby hat
-Sunblock

Well, there you have it.  These are the main contents of the bags around our house.  Sometimes you can also find my tablet in them, but not always.  Usually my wallet and keys are whatever bag we're using for the day.  And in extreme cases, like this past week in its entirety, Cowboy's cell phone could be found in my diaper bag. D'oh?

*Roni Loren's Blog Post "Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued for Using Pics on Your Blog - My Story: http://www.roniloren.com/blog/2012/7/20/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-for-using-pics-on-your-blog.html#disqus_thread*

BEDA... FAIL! Script Frenzy, onward!

Okay, so instead of folding the mountains of laundry that are seriously surrounding me right now, I'm posting to tell y'all that I failed BEDA, obviously.  However, my dear friend, Inferno, and I were also taking on the Script Frenzy challenge.  On their wonderful website there is a plot generator, and since we had none, just for giggles yesterday, I decided to see what it presented us.  It was as follows:

"The Script Frenzy plot machine says: In a world ruled by chickens, a failing college freshman begins training for a life of piratehood."

As a joke, I sent Inferno a snippet that just said the chickens were on to us, and I thought we'd been sold out, and, I'm not sure if sadly or impressively, it has just taken off since then, lol.  It's mildly ridiculous, I'm not going to lie, but we were already intending to write a humor piece.  What better, honestly?

In the meanwhile, Bug and I are watching The Ant Bully, while Gnat sits in his swing, facing the general direction of the television.  I have to say, even colorful as it is, it hardly holds his attention for long.

With that being said, time for me to head off, as he sounds the alarm that he is currently displeased.  Plus the thirty tons of laundry to be folded.  Siiigh.

BEDA Day Two

Almost missed Day Two. Done it. A REAL post... tomorrow.

BEDA - Day 1

It's only day one of Blog Every Day in April, and in all honestly, I'm sprawled across our bed, posting from my cell phone. I hate days like today. I slept in this morning. Mistake number one. Cowboy was on duty last night. Bug stayed the night at Gramma's house. Gnat, after we went to bed at one, slept til nearly nine, and probably would've longer had Cowboy and I not woke him up.
We DID manage to go and pick up our gorgeous new lawn furniture (used, but still in wonderful condition, and cheap!) and get it home and unloaded. But my actual productiveness for the day ended there.
Being unproductive in a day practically ruins it for me. It makes me feel slow and lazy and sluggish and just not very useful at all. Not saying a lazy day isn't good every now and again, but today I was the only non productive one. Granted, I was monitoring Bug and Gnat, but still. I don't know. Just kind of bothers me.
Plus, I feel EXHAUSTED now. Talk about OLD.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

While I didn't intend to post today, I have a VERY quick moment while Bug is napping, Gnat is taking a chill, and Cowboy isn't home yet, just to wish my wonderful dad a happy birthday!  He stepped into mine and my mom's lives and took over helping to raise a very obnoxious nine-year-old me, when he certainly didn't have to.

Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you!

So Much With Keeping Up

I have this bad habit of having blogs, and not updating as frequently as I should, and then going on an updating frenzy.  Let's call this what will (hopefully) be a lengthy frenzy, lol!
As it was never indicated before--as of three weeks and four days ago, I am now a mother of not only one, but two! amazing little boys.  AX (Bug) and NR (Gnat, compliments of his Grandpa).  And wife of an amazing man, my Cowboy.  Right now, it is also midnight, so I'm going to disappear for a bit, as this is Momma's "alone time"! More soon, promise!

Bumbo, A Baby Sitter, NOT Babysitter

I don't know that I ever had an intention of my first impression to my readers, while I know probably only currently consists of my best friend, Inevitable Investigation (II), to be a rant, but this article just set me off first thing this morning.  Please take a moment to read even part of this article if you haven't already:

Did Bumbo Ignore Child Safety in Favor of Profits?

Now let me take you back roughly twenty years ago, and you will find myself and my younger cousin, El Mira, contained on a cushion-less couch, because the cushions were barracade style on the floor, with a coffee table reinforcement.  I was two, with a rather dislike for El Mira (I was the baby! Me, me, me, me, me!) and El Mira wasn't more than a couple months old.  Yet we did just fine in our miniature compartment.  No portacrib, no actual walls, just enough room to mooch around a bit for El Mira, and a stern warning about leaving her alone from my mother, who was close by watching us, so I knew I better keep my act straight.

Yes, I understand the Bumbo would have been used for El Mira in today's day; however, my family may be lacking in some things, but common sense is hardly one of them!  Because even in our little fortress, if one of us somehow had managed to wriggle our way out, there were blankets and pillows stacked all around that coffee table and the floor on the other side of the cushioned wall.  And once again, my mother was close by WATCHING us.  This seat is a baby sitter, not babysitter.  My sympathies do go out to these families and their children that were hurt, especially prior to the recall, but seriously?  At what point did you think that it was alright to leave your newborn at a height of what was approximately three feet off the ground, unattended, in a seat that already had a precaution on the side about not being used on an elevated surface?

I see parents are also saying that there should be a safety belt in place.  Fair enough.  I can agree and support that entirely; however, if you're not paying attention to your child, and they're buckled into this thing on top of it, and they flip the whole entire thing off the table, guess what?  They're still falling, and now they're stuck to it, so there's not chance it may fall separate from your child causing less injury instead!  Then you're filing a whole new set of lawsuits.

Of course I'm guilty of leaving my child unattended for a moment before.  As a matter of fact, the first time he decided to roll I had gone to dart into the kitchen to make myself some cocoa and a bottle for him, and when I returned to the living room he'd rolled off our foot and a half high couch and on the floor, and was lying there looking at me like, "Yeah, what of it?  Can I get that bottle now?"  Granted the good old blankets and pillows method was there to catch him, just in case.  I guess this rant is essentially this--Bumbo, I think you're doing just fine, and will probably purchase one of your seats for Cub, who will be here in roughly two months, and will probably have Bug, who's four, trying to figure out how to squeeze his own butt in to it at some point.  However, I will not be leaving my child unattended on a counter in my kitchen in the seat, while I wander off to do some mundane household chore, nor will he not be guarded by many a pillow and blanket, just in case.  Parents, just keep an eye on your kids!  It's that simply really.

~Momma Sauwce