Helpful tidbit?

Ok, so I'm not very technologically savvy, but in case someone might be interested (as I was), I thought I'd share. I just disabled the right click option so people can't easily copy my pictures of my precious boy! Here's the website to help you do the same if you'd like. If you are technologically savvy and would like to inform me of a better or more secure way, please do!!

Hi, My Name is Becky

and I own a Snuggie.

Yes, I own a Snuggie. I received it as a birthday present, and the thought behind the gift was, well, as they usually are, thoughtful. I am often cold wherever I am. Ask Matt, my hands are always freezing. It makes sense, therefore, that I was given this gift to be able to keep warm.

I gave optimism a whirl that evening I received it and took it out of it's zippered plastic bag for an audience of 1 (Matt, who chuckled)...maybe 2 (Stevie, who had big eyes). "It's soft. Oh, it's big. It's ...really big." And from there optimism went out the window and reality of this silliness burst forth. I was free to laugh. Matt said, as he often does, "This is going on the blog isn't it?"

The name in itself is the antonym of what it is. Unfortunately, the Snuggie is not exactly very snuggie. It is a 1 size fits all. Apparently, I am the problem. My frame does not know that it is included in "all." All of me could be wrapped up in it about 42 times. Now that we have discussed the girth of it..or me...or the girth of me in it, let's move on to the length. I have pretty much always been ok with my height. I am 5 feet 4 inches tall. I'm about average (yup, I even looked that up) and never cared to be particularly tall. Until I met my Snuggie, I was ok with that. The Snuggie is made for "all" people... 7 feet tall. Actually, I might be able to sit on Matt's shoulders (he's 6'2") and still make it work. I'd probably look like the ghost of Christmas future, but hey, I'd be included in "all." I could probably put my legs in the sleeves too. They are long and big, certainly not easy to dip my hand in that bowl of popcorn like they advertise. Turning a page in your book, forget it! There's no real way to keep it from falling off your arms and shoulders without raising your arms high in the air.

My particular color is brown. I refer to it as my "Snuggaluffagus." It's endearing, I know. All I need is a big, brown trunk.

It's basically a thick, soft, over grown, hospital gown without the snaps. Yes, the back is completely open. How my back and bottom is supposed to stay warm...well, I guess I'm supposed to be sitting. Sitting is a luxury with an 8 month old. Long before the time I would get myself wrapped up in it (those 42 times), Stevie would need some attention. Here comes the big brown bear monster! Yikes! After tripping over the bottom and holding my arms up angelically (or, monster-like) as I move toward my child, we'd have more problems. I can already hear the crying, his and mine.

Another problem with my dear Snuggaluffagus? It sheds. After only taking it out once, it left brown fur(?) EVERYWHERE! I read a review online that says not to wash it. After one wash, it loses these huge patches of 'fur' all over it. Poor, disease stricken Snuggaluffagus. And the smell after not ever washing it...well, we can imagine...wet dog? wet bear?

I thought briefly of adding pictures, but I'm going to let you all use your imagination.

So in light of this, I thought I'd offer my first giveaway. Cheers. Clap. I have 1, brown, gently used Snuggie to give away to a lucky reader. Just comment here and tell me all the wonderful ways the Snuggie will enhance your life. I'll randomly pick a winner!*

*Just kidding. Umm. Well. Would you like my Snuggie?

Baby Blues

My boy has the most (beautiful) handsome blue eyes ever (in my opinion of course).


Happy 8 months little man!

I can smell the coconuts in the breeze

No, I'm not going on vacation. I sort of wish I was, but I'm not. I have started something new. I started implementing the Curly Girl ideas. Unfortunately, I've also flopped in the process.

I've debated writing about this. To try to keep myself more regular at blogging, I decided I'd write and save...and decide whether to post or not later. Obviously, I decided to post.

Warning, this is long...

So what is the Curly Girl method? Well, you can click on the link in my first paragraph for a pretty thorough explanation. I heard about it from some curly headed gals, and let's face it, I'd pretty much try just about anything for this head of mine. Remember this old picture? I know, try not to be jealous of my poofy, frizzy hair that has a mind all it's own! Oh, yeah, and I know those pj's are quite the deal too. So, I have curly hair that's frizzy and poofy, and controlling it takes lots of product and then still...I'm not usually very satisfied. If the weather cooperates, and I'm going some place "nice," I like to straighten it. Anyway, this new trial recommends (demands?) that I only wash my hair as needed and in the meantime, do rinse washes or conditioner washes. Huh?? Yeah, I wondered the same. I also wondered, won't that make my hair totally nasty and greasy?

Well, a few answers from what I've been told and from my experience so far. (No, I haven't taken before pictures or pictures throughout the process. I guess you could say I didn't care to.) The reason for the fewer shampoos is because the shampoo dries out your hair. If you're a curly girl, your hair needs all the moisture it can get. So, on that preliminary information...I started doing conditioner "washes." I was not ready to let go of any "cleansing." I also had to ditch my hair spray and only use my gel. You can't use anything with silicones or "cones" in the ingredients. Ok, I can try that. Then I had to switch my shampoo for one without any sulfates. (Same sulfates used in harsh dish soap to get the grease off pots and pans...which also dries us out.) So goodbye to my favorite green, "fruity" smelling shampoo, welcome expensive, organic, coconut smelling shampoo. I have washed my hair once in 3 weeks. Eww, I still can't get used to that, but I confess on my public blog anyway. Aren't you glad you decided to read this? I figured that even though this shampoo is a couple more dollars than my old stuff, it would even out since I don't wash my hair everyday anymore.

Anyway, complications arose! First of all, I continued using my old conditioner. I love that green fruity smell! Don't take it away! The problem is my conditioner contains the "awful cones." So, I went out and bought cheap coconut conditioner (without the cones) to match my shampoo. It's sort of a soft, calming scent, but it isn't my old childhood bubble yum smelling shampoo. Sigh. Well, I thought I bought conditioner. I bought shampoo. I even checked it twice in the store, but my brain which was on vacation smelling the coconuts made the mistake. Returned shampoo a few days later (unused). Bought conditioner. Used conditioner. Then I decided to read the labels again on my "good" shampoo since I'm making so many mistakes. My shampoo has cones!! It doesn't have the sulfates, but it has some cones. Ugh. Are you kidding me? For now, I'm sticking with it, and probably messing up my hair...because I spent $5 on that shampoo (I know, whoa, slow down big spender! Hey, I usually buy generic of my green fruity stuff). It will probably be next year before I'm done with it at this rate. So, it's been a little over 3 weeks since I started this whole thing. I was still using the "bad" conditioner for the first 2. So, am I officially only 1 week in? I still have shampoo that's not quite what I'm supposed to have though.

Ok, results? The first few days, my head went crazy. It was itchy. My hair was a frizzy mess. Nice, I know. However, they say, "your hair may get worse before it gets better." The oils may overcompensate for the damage you've done, etc. Well, I must've done some damage to it. Anyway, after a couple days of itchiness, it really felt fine. My hair was softer than ever, and it started to get even curlier. When I asked what he thought, Matt told me it was "a lot curlier." He doesn't usually notice a lot of details. Frizz was still existent, but I could see a little improvement. That's when I switched conditioners. I'm going through greasy and frizzy hair all over again. I'm hoping it will get better soon. I'm supposed to give it maybe 6 weeks? I'm glad I'm a stay at home mom. I still have no idea how often I'm supposed to wash it. I'm supposed to know my hair type and it's needs. Right...all while it's going through this transition...and for a girl that doesn't know much about such things anyway (hey, I thought I needed to wash it everyday), crazyness. I'll give it time, but if I'm not pleased, bring on the sulfates and cones and my fruity shampoo and conditioner!

I am Man, Hear Me Roar

Male bonding. It doesn't matter what you wear, silly stripes or drool puddles (umm, grin?). It doesn't matter how big you are. You just have to be a male...on our living room floor.


5 months



7 1/2 months

Just in case, you know, you don't have enough grunting in your background noise, I thought I'd share.

If You Could See What I See

Remember that old Geoff Moore song? It's a favorite of mine.

If you could see what I see in my head...when attempting to take a picture...well, you wouldn't need to see my picture. A professional photographer, I am certainly not. I have ideas. I try. I hope to one day decently capture the moments I want to.


If you could see what I see Matt and Stephen, you would know how much I love you. I want to bottle up these moments for they are slipping away much too quickly. Yes, almost every time Matt reads a book to Stevie before nap, I am there watching through a crack in the door. I cherish those sights. I cherish those sounds. I cherish both of my boys.

What a Picture!

Is it too late to write a New Year's Resolution post? Oh well. I'm not really one for making New Year's Resolutions. In fact, I cannot remember ever making one. I don't think they're bad. I've just never really thought about them much. The other night, I was telling my husband, ahem, sarcastically, that "Ohh, I want that!" while watching a commercial. It was the commercial for the neckline slimmer. Ok, so I said it sarcastically. Maybe one day my flabby chin and neck will cry out for one of these babies, but for now, I laugh and wonder why I didn't think to sell those. Then, my crazy brain went into overdrive. I told my husband that I thought the best way to get back into shape after having a baby would be to try out all these things...at once!

So, I immediately said, while using the neckline slimmer, I will also use the shake weight! To give those abs a workout, I'll slap on the ab belt. If all this is done on the easy step, well, I think I'd be all set! I could probably even teach Stevie the hokie pokie or the Father Abraham song all at the same time. Can you imagine how smokin' I'd look Matt?

*Not a paid advertisement. Just in case you were wondering.

Instead of all these fun things, I run around after my little guy, do sit ups with him sitting on me, play our video games (the "My Sports Gaming System" our very generic, cheap version of the Wii...yes, called the "poor man's Wii') with him on my hip, lift him up and down in the air (he's a hefty boy), and sometimes, pull out that old dollar store workout video to jump around the living room to and make him laugh. This spring I hope to take him out in the jogging stroller. But for now, these things will be just fine. Maybe next year...