My Husband's Created a MONSTER!!

How did he do that? By having me shop around. Online.

I have officially fallen head over heels in LOVE with online shopping.

And now also add bidding on Ebay, too!

God almighty, he may have caused an addiction to start. Especially where Ebay's concerned. Some of the "Buy Now" prices just blow my mind. Books for only ninety-nine CENTS? Ka-pow, baby!

And I have noticed with the major brand, big-box stores like Target and Walmart, the online prices are BETTER than the in-store prices. It's really crazy.

The only thing that I wish that I had done different with ordering from Walmart was that I should have gone ahead and had all of the items shipped to my home and just pay the shipping fee. But, instead I had them FREE shipped from "site to store". And even though most of everything that I had ordered has been shipped out to the store, not everything is arriving at once.

Which makes me and Walmart close BFFs this Christmas season. I am going to see so much of my store, I think I may actually end up puking smiley faces, eventually.

So from now on, if I make orders from ANY big retail chain store, this chick is going to suck it up and pay that shipping fee to have it shipped to my house.

As for Ebay, I'll wait until next month and maybe order a few books for myself and the kids. Or even bid on them.

Thanks hubby! You have created a online retail shopping monster.

FUF .... With Angel and Christy

Well, it's been a good while since I have jumped on the band wagon. But now is certainly the time.

So, I'm joining Christy and Angel in letting off some steam. It's Friday. So that means it's..




Fawk you Walmart Online Shopping! I love you, but right now I don't like you very much. Why? Because when I had placed my order, it said that BOTH the comforter and the bed sheet set were in for me to pick up TODAY. Because it was IN STOCK. Only when I got it this morning (Friday), all I was able to get was the sheets. Your BOH (Balance on Hand) was all fucked up. It should have read ZERO. If it did, I would NEVER have placed the order. Instead, the dipshit that didn't do their job had it as 4 or 5. Were they invisible comforters?

Fawk you, cataract! You are screwing with me too much these days. I have a hard time reading small print and my night vision in that eye is TERRIBLE. But when it counts, like oh.. getting some READING glasses, your ass gives me 20/30 vision. So, now I have to wait three..count them, THREE more months before the doctor would consider giving me glasses. I so cannot wait to have us part ways and get my implant.

Fawk you, Pokemon! Get your shit together and put more merchandising of your brand out on store shelves. I looked, and looked, and looked, and... You get the idea. Not even Ebay, Amazon or Walmart had your bedding. Not in ANY form. My boy is nuts (yes, legally, but also in the (overly) excited sense, too) about your show and most of it's characters. With Dad home early in the mornings now, that is their pre-bus-boarding ritual to watch your show after the kids dress for school. Instead, I had to give him Transformers, which he likes, but I don't think he will almost pee himself from excitement from opening that gift of Christmas morning.

Fawk you, Blogger! Your not letting me see ALL of the blogs that I care to have in my Reader List is really pissing me off. I shouldn't have to constantly refresh, or even retry the entire link just to (hopefully) have the blog(s) I'd love to see in my Blog Roll.

Christmas Shopping = ...Being Greedy Bastards (??)

Originally, I had posted the following on my FaceBook page as a "Note". But I think it needs to really go further than just to my friends on my "Friends List".

Let's just say that I am tired of seeing people lump everyone in to one huge category when it comes to having the "Christmas Shoppers spirit" and are then viewed as materialistic assholes who don't give a rat's ass about their fellow man, woman or child.

What I had initially said was...

I'm just going to put this out there, knowing I may tick some off...

Yes, my children made wish lists for Christmas. Heck, even this year, Mom and Dad are joining in the list-making fun ourselves.

We are NOT materialistic people. We are not all about money and things. Not that having those is a bad thing, per say. And I commend those that are strong on their stance about helping the needy.

But it does peeve me off a bit when you have a bit of a crap-tastic attitude about people shopping for the Holiday, and seemingly "auto-assuming" that we don't give to those less fortunate. In what seems to be every post about donating items to help people.

We have been in a spot where we required help to get our children things for Christmas. If it weren't for Salvation Army, the Angel Tree organization, Toys For Tots and a couple of churches, my children would have basically had NOTHING under the tree.

MOST of us that some people have bashed and downgraded over buying gifts in fact DO buy for and donate things like toiletries, food, clothing, books and toys.

Are there some people in this world that don't give two craps about those in need? YEP. But there are way less of them, and oh-so-many-more of US THAT *DO* care about those that are hurting for food and clothing to keep warm this winter.

So, please, when you are asking people to have a heart and donate to a charity, be it with time, money or items, don't make it sound like we are some horrible, heartless excuses for human beings. When you add insults to your passionate desire to help others, it makes people NOT want to help.

Just some food for thought...

And a quick FYI... My family (myself, my husband, and our kids) DO in fact donate to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree organization, as well as drop money as we can in to their donation buckets.

Now, to ready for Christmas shopping tomorrow.

Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Tattling

Well, this has certainly ended up to be a busy, somewhat fun-filled week.

First, my eye appointment, which thankfully went well. No more abscess or infection. Bonus? No more visits for another three months.

But also, it was a bit of a frustrating day. Why? Because at the previous week's appointment with my son's Psychiatrist, I had scheduled a home visit with his Case Manager to discuss behavior modifications and whatnot. 11:15 AM came. And it went.

By 3:00 I had called his doctor's office to let him know that the CM was a "no call/no show". The nurse took down my message, and ON HER OWN, stated she was also sending the report to the Case Manager's Supervisor. While I was at it, I finally said I also was tired of having to CONSTANTLY sign late paperwork. This last one was signed a MONTH late (as usual).

She "ratted" me out to the doctor at this past visit, because "he has to know and it's nothing personal" when I CALLED her and cancelled. He was having a good morning that day, and I wanted him in school. Plus it's not like he was seeing the doctor THAT day, anyways.

That's alright. Because turn about's fair play. At least I called to cancel my appointment at the office.

As for Thanksgiving, all went well. We cooked the ham. It was pretty good, if I don't say myself. It was a really pretty day.

Were you nutty enough to go out for Black Friday sales? Including the midnight sales? My husband was. But for a good cause.

Our old Sanyo TV, which was pushing 12 years old finally gave up and grew wings and went to Television Heaven. So, he bought a 40 inch flat-screen for $250. Normal price was about $400. Can't complain. That is our "together gift" for this Christmas.

All in all, it wasn't too bad of a holiday week. Now, time to ready for Christmas decorating, shopping and wrapping.

Too bad that a certain Case Manager is going to come back from an extended holiday weekend to find out that she is in deep doo-doo. I have a feeling that I am not the only one that has made a complaint against her. Because, why else would a Psychiatry office's nurse be the one to state that SHE wanted to file a complaint with the CM in question's Supervisor?

It's Almost Time...And I Had To Spend WAY Too Much!

We finally got all of the school supply shopping done. Between three kids, it cost almost ninety dollars. That included a pair of shoes for the boy (girls already got new shoes). Back in MY day (God, I just made myself sound older than dirt) my parents didn't have to buy all these things. Especially the extras. Like antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizer and facial tissue.

Also, I don't ever recall needing more than TWO glue sticks. These days, kids need three LARGE or a dozen (or six, depending on grade and teacher preference) small sticks of glue.

The only things I had to take were my Trapper Keeper binder that had a few folders and the dividers, pencils, crayons and scissors in a pencil pouch and my lunch. Of course all in my awesome looking backpack.

I didn't get to take in the Tax-Free Weekend, sadly. But I was still able to find some pretty good deals, anyways. With three kids to shop for, I look for all the savings cuts I can when it comes to shopping for school that are listed.

I understand, that like us parents are, teachers are hurting economically, as are the schools themselves where funding is concerned. But to see some of the amounts PER item that they wish for us parents to buy really IS kind of obscene.

And no, I am NOT saying that the teachers and the schools should have to buy EVERYTHING...But why not pick up a little of the slack and provide the tissues, hand sanitizer and then antibacterial wipes? That would help US out.

The schools MUST also understand, that there are households (such as mine, included) that can only get so much PER child. With three children, all in school and all needing their supplies, it can be EXTREMELY difficult, financially.

Heck, even buying for one child can run you in to the ground, financially. Add in clothes, extra expenses (School Agendas, PE Uniforms, extra supplies for certain classes), it REALLY adds up.

I know that I may get a few teachers on here ready to jump me. But as a parent, I see that honestly, it is unfair to the parents to have to pretty much supply everything in the means of school supplies in the name of "free public education". It's NOT free when you are shelling out money you don't really have on things that should not be the parent's complete responsibility to supply.

Pens and pencils. Binders and backpacks. Uniforms (if required). Folders and dividers. Notebooks and composition books. That should be the END of the supply list.

Not that and a laundry list of other stuff.

I've got a friend who is financially hurting REALLY bad right now. Her daughter is going in to first grade, mom can't work, lives in low-income housing, and her nineteen-year-old son is helping with what little he has left over to get his baby sister at least SOME of her supplies.

Mom had to give up GROCERY money to buy those wipes, sanitizers and tissues. And to get a few pieces for the girl's uniforms.

I told her not to worry about the piddly crap, because the teacher WILL just have to understand and she will have MORE than plenty between the ones that will bring it all in.

She told me, with a shaky voice that she did it as to not be viewed as THAT mom. The one that is too damn dirt poor to get ANYTHING for her kid. To save her little girl from the good possibility of being made fun of for not having money.

The parents at our schools, and ALL the other schools in the country have parents with ALL variants of income status. Some dirt-ass poor. Some more than well-off. And some of us in the middle or are just keeping our heads above the water.

NO parent should feel in ANY way forced or coerced in to buying items that they CANNOT afford and have to make the choices (as a single parent) as she has had to do. All in the name of keeping her dignity in tact and making sure that her daughter isn't bullied because Mommy can't just go out and buy this, that and everything else on a whim.

If we are in a Public School setting where it is a "FREE public education", then by God, make it so! By not asking for the parents to do ALL the financial supplementation for YOUR classroom.

My "Beulah" Story

I hope this post doesn't tank as my FIRST EVER product review post about the "Extra" brand gum's new line of Dessert Delights flavored chewing gum has.

My friend Narragansett No. 7 has been having some troubles as of late with the nosy ninny crowd and has written a few "Beulah's" that she has sadly had run in to. To find out the true meaning of what a "Beulah" is, just mosey on over to her post that DEFINES the now famous (or is that 'infamous'?) name.

Here is my (most recent) 'Beulah' story.

This past weekend, my husband and I had taken our three, plus a kiddy-cousin out to eat at Golden Corral Buffet. *Don't get too jealous now!* After that HUGE dinner of seafood, salad and desserts galore, Scotty and I thought it would be best to walk off the excess indulgence by taking a stroll around our Super WalMart.

As usual we first (with three girls and a grown lady) go within the confines of nail polish and other make-up areas where I let each of the girls buy a polish and a lipstick (in a NATURAL shade of MY choosing). Then it was off to Lawn and Garden, Home Decor and the dreaded Sporting Goods. You can tell that we had the guys with us who hurriedly made a beeline for the L&G Department, but took their sweet time in the "guy aisles" of the store as to make us ladies suffer.

Then the aisle of Satan's torture loomed upon myself and my husband.

The Toy Department.

At one point it was just me and the girls as the boys looked at Hot Wheels for Bryce. We ended up in the narrow main aisle area of the department where Beulah came entering like a gush of wind.

I never saw the old hag coming from behind. Remember I am partially blind in my left eye, and this is where Beulah was. My three girls were in the skinny aisle with me. Before I could really do anything to get the girls to move to the side (mainly my youngest who is six, but can easily pass for the size of a four year old) Beulah was charging at us with all she had along with her shopping cart.

She proceeded to mow down my child before my very eyes! I said "Skyler get out the lady's way before she runs you ALL THE WAY down" loud enough that I knew the old bitch heard me. She even proceeded to take MY ARM with her, that was attached to the hand basket I was carrying.

She SAW my kid in her path and LOOKED in her eyes as she was in the process of HITTING her. I almost pulled Skyler's arm out of her socket as I struggled with my "bad arm" (I'm a lefty) to get her from harm's way.

After the hit and run with Beulah, we proceeded on as to find the hubby and son duo who seemed to vanish. We found them at the BACK of the Toys area. I had not said a thing about the incident...yet.

But there was Beulah in the aisle with babies and baby doll goodies. Just standing there, snobbish as she could be. If the kids got in the way (including Bryce at this point), I made sure to tell them in a loud enough voice to get out of the OLD lady's way as to not have her hit one of them AGAIN.

I know for a fact Beulah heard me. And I cut my eye at her every chance I got. And anytime I referenced the old hag, I made damn sure the bitch heard me. She's ultra lucky my GOOD arm was attached to the hand basket (that she almost used to rip MY arm out of my socket, seeing as she proceeded to run me down as well, sandwiching me between her cart and an end-cap display). Because if my left arm was freed up, you can bet two to one, my fist would have been meeting Beulah's jawline.

My First Product Review

I love desserts. And I love gum. Now, I can have the best of both worlds. All at one time. And that makes for a "Happy" Homemaker in this Diary entry.

Extra brand gum has recently introduced a new line of product that gives you the wonderful taste of classic and popular desserts, without the weight gain that normally goes with such indulgences.

First up is Mint Chocolate Chip flavor.

I love chocolate. I like mint flavor. I love these two in combination in a bowl of ice cream. But sadly, I do not care much for the gum. It's too minty, and for me does not have enough chocolate flavor to appease my palate. All you honestly taste IS the mint. And it's too overpowering.

Next up is the Key Lime Pie flavor.

I'm a fan of Key Lime flavored yogurt. But I was pretty iffy about it being as a gum flavor of choice. But that all changed this past week when my daughter's Kindergarten teacher slipped me a piece of her Key Lime Pie Extra Gum. It was rich and bold with the Key Lime flavor. But not too robust. It truly tasted like I was eating a piece of homemade Key Lime Pie. Decadent!

Now, last, but certainly not least (in the least bit) is the Strawberry Shortcake flavor.

WOW!!! I'd just bought this flavor this evening. I was blown away by how close it is to the "real thing". I loved chewing my Strawberry Shortcake G-U-M. In fact, I had to keep reminding myself not to swallow because in fact, I was chewing on gum, not on a real piece of Strawberry Shortcake (which is one of my other fave desserts, FYI).

All in all, the Extra brand Desserts line is really good. With exception to my disdain for the Mint Chocolate Chip, I can safely say that I indeed will be buying this brand's line of chewing gum in the future.

**DISCLAIMER**

In no way is the Author of 'The (Not Always) Happy Homemaker Diary' being paid, or is endorsing said product for monetary gain. All comments and review remarks are of the ideals, views and of this product is of this Blog's Author.