Family Friday: Making Homemade Products

MIB and I both have thick, unruly, dry, natural hair.  And when it is hair day (and I mean it takes a day for me to do her hair) it is an event.  It took me a while to find the right products for her hair and when I did, I realized that it was too much for my wallet.  So, I searched the internet, did some research on different shea butter recipes, and she and I made the best hair and skin concoction for less than a third of what I was going to pay.

The Phone: MIB's first phone call to a classmate

So today MIB came home and said that she got her friend's phone number.

For December it's all about NaBloPoMo

I am SO excited to be part of BlogHer's National Blog Posting Month aka NaBloPoMo.

I hope they throw all the books at your tail

So last week we got a robocall from MIB's school stating that someone was arrested at the school and that the new principal was working diligently to help the school board fix the problem.

Family Friday - Christmas Light Shows

From the MACC Fund website

I know that we JUST got finished eating turkey, but it's never too early to start looking at Christmas lights! 

Happy Thanksgiving from YCM and Thursday's Thoughts

Happy Thanksgiving YCMs, YCFs, and MIBs.

Sunday Savings (a day or so late...)

My CVS purchase on Sunday

So I have brought back my Sunday Savings and yesterday I really got back into couponing a little bit.  I didn't actually have any real coupons but CVS has such a deal for things that I needed anyway that I went in there half cocked and not at all prepared.

Family Friday: The library

I had been trying to find something for me and MIB to do today and since my last post was about story time between parents and their children I figured I'd run with that theme.

MIB and I went to the library today to get her first library card!  I'm so happy and excited for her.  As a child, reading was (and still is, when I get time) my favorite hobby.  To me, there is nothing like losing and transporting yourself in a story.  And thankfully, I've instilled the love of the written word in MIB.

From the minute she was born, I was always reading something to her; just like my parents did when I was a child.  Newspapers, magazines, the back of cereal boxes, whatever.  I turn the closed caption on the tv when she's watching cartoons and give her a bedtime story every night.  Sometimes, she reads a bedtime story to ME. 

I'm just glad that she developed a love for books early and I hope that she continues to see the value and joy of books for a long time.
 
YCM'S, how do you keep literary love and appreciation high in your household?

Stories from Jail - The Book Bridge Program

MIB is four years old and is on a 2nd-3rd grade reading level because someone read to her every night: me or Nani.  One person that never read to her was her father. 

Mommy Monday: Quitting Life and Getting Help

What does your day look like?

Something New...

I've always wanted to do this but I finally got the guts to do it...

Family Friday: Movie Night or any other School Function

Earlier this evening I went to Movie Night at my daughter's school, and it was one of the better family Fridays I've had in a while.

Words of Wisdom Wednesdays: What's next?

That has been my question since President Obama was re-elected last night.  I've been asking it of others...but now it is time for me to ask it of myself.

Four more...

Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

VOTE!

Residents of the city of Milwaukee...Tomorrow is election day. Go vote. Simple as that.

If you haven't registered, you can register on election day and must meet the following requirements:

• Lived at your current address for at least 28 days with no intent to move
• Provide an acceptable proof of residence document that includes your current and complete name, residential address, and an account, document, or identification number and MUST be from one of the following:
• Current and valid Wisconsin driver's license or identification card
• Official identification card or license issued by a Wisconsin governmental body or unit
• Identification card issued by an employer in the normal course of business and bearing a photo of the card holder (not including a business card)
• Real estate tax bill or receipt for the current year or the year preceding the date of election 
• ID card issued by a university, college, or technical college in Wisconsin that contains the cardholder's photo, together with a fee payment receipt issued to the cardholder by the university, college or technical college dated no earlier than 9 months before the date of the election at which the receipt is presented 
• A gas, electric, or phone service statement (utility bill) for the period commencing not earlier than 90 days before the election
• A bank statement
• A check or other document issued by a governmental unit
• Pay check
• Residential lease which is effective for a period that includes Election day 

Information acquired from City of Milwaukee official website

If you think you are a registered voter but aren't sure visit the State's Voter Public Access website.  Once you find out if you are a registered voter, you can also look at a sample ballot for your area.

You can also call 414-286-VOTE (8683) to find out more information about where you can vote only if you live in Milwaukee county.  For residents in the state of Wisconsin you can visit the State's Voter Public Access website to find out your polling location.

If you have problems at your polling location or want to report election violations you can call Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office at 414-278-4645.

Polls open at 7 am and close at 8 pm in the state of Wisconsin...so if you didn't vote early, you will have plenty of time to vote tomorrow.

Like I said before...who you vote for is your business...just vote.  I will...

If you voted, let me know...tweet your "I voted" sticker under #YCMIVoted!

Mommy Mondays - Job Action Day

After five and a half long years at my job as a temp, they finally got some fat on their heads and decided to hire me (FINALLY).  And as much as I say they get on my nerves, I hate my job, and the rest of moaning and groaning I do about my job...I am certainly glad that I have one.  I could be like the 14.6% of women in my situation that are currently unemployed and trying to take care of a family.

I'm Back...

So I have been hiatus for quite a while and have been wanting to get back into the blogging life.

I've missed writing and sharing my story (as crazy as it can be) and was trying to figure out when to start, how to get a blogging schedule going, what I want my focus to be...I just didn't know.

So today, after work and errands and finally putting MiniMe to sleep, I just said to myself "screw it, I'm just gonna start."  Consider this the first day back to YCM.

All of my internal debates weren't wasted though.  I did figure out that I wanted to be more proactive and helpful in my blog.  I feel like I did more complaining than helping in my posts...so hopefully this time around I'm able to be a better blogger, listener, helper, YCM :).

I hope that you all enjoy what I have in store for you...it will be slow to start because it's been almost (if not longer than) a year since I've written anything so I'm a little rusty and need to get the kinks out.  But I do believe that I'll find my groove again...

I've been in a funk because of issues at home (sick mother), at work (hate my job sometimes...but damn glad to have one), and with myself (still trying to get this weight off).  And this funk and constant doing and running kept me from doing the one thing that I loved more than any other profession I've participated in: writing.

This isn't professional (for now...here's hoping)...but it is therapeutic, it makes me happy, and makes me feel like I have a purpose if just one person reads it and gets (hopefully) something out of it.

That's it...that's my testimony for today...and please leave comments, ask questions, let me know something! And until then, here are a few things I have planned:

• Ask YCM
• Product reviews 
• Sunday savings WILL be back with a force
• Weight loss Wednesdays (since I'm back on my Weight Watchers...this is an extra incentive for me to get the weight off and to be...accountable for it)

Hopefully y'all will like it and keep coming back...:o)