Expression: Oh Where, Oh Where has my GPS gone?

I admit, I have little-to-no sense of direction.

What a nice surprise to reach into the console of my SUV to discover that my only sense of direction (my trusty GPS) was no longer available for my personal use anymore.....

Evidently, my little friend ended up in the hands of someone else seeking some direction in their life......hmmmmmm, too bad I'm still paying for that expensive little gadget on my credit card while someone else was 'slick' enough to get it for free. Those little gadgets are brilliant and can take you anywhere you could ever want to go.......too bad they don't have a little chip in there so that they could be retrieved by the rightful owner in the event that they got stolen. Several other GPS devices were stolen from my area within the last few days too. Mine just happened to be in my SUV inside of my garage, so thankfully my windows were not broken like some of my neighbors. It does make me sick to think that someone was in my garage and in my car. People will steal whatever they can get their hands on, especially when they are desperate this time of year with the holidays. So, what in the world is this Klepto going to do with all of his/her new GPS's???? I guess everyone on their gift list is going to be getting some high-ticket items (and a possible slap on the hand with 'receiving stolen property' if they get caught!) I hate theives! Off to check the store ads for Black Friday deals on a new GPS.......which will never leave my site again! =)

Life of Lelelumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life-Lessons

(of a 20-something mom of 2 who lost the only sense of direction that she had!)

WhoooHoooo! My 2nd Blogging Award!

I received my 2nd Blog Award, the very prestigious 'I <3 your blog' Award!
I received this award from my blogging pal, Kateedyd, author of the famous Kateedyd What?! I actually received this blog award almost a month ago and I finally just got around to picking it up! Lost track of time! I hope I am still worthy of this very honorable award! =)
My favorite blogs are those listed in my favorite blogs list! Everyone should check them out if you haven't already....<3 Hugs! <3

Until next time.........

Confession: Where Has the Time Gone?

Okay.......where has the time gone? Switching the clocks back the other night for day-light savings time really made me think about how long it's been since I last blogged for ya'll! LOL
Okay, so it was a long, painful recovery from my blog make-over surgery and it just has taken me a while to get back on board. And getting a full-time work at home job hasn't helped matters much! I am always online.....but I'm working and my blog has suffered as a result of that. I am going to try to do a better job keeping up on it though! Thanks for missing me everyone! I have missed you too! More to come! I promise this time! =)

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons

of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who needs to make more time for blogging!

Confession: My Blog Got a Face-Lift!

Blog- Surgery 101

Hey everyone! Today was an exciting day......The Life-of-Lele.lumz Blog underwent the first of a series of needed surgeries....a miniature, reconstructive face-lift! The blog had needed some repairs for quite some time. From a cosmetic stand-point, everything appeared to be out of place and the structure just did not flow well. Of course the inventor of this blog was and still is such a newbie when it comes to creating masterpieces....and this blog's appearance was certainly not worthy of the Brillante Weblog award that it recently received! lol So, after nearly 6 weeks of sitting around looking at all the other beautiful and well-proportioned blogs out there (i.e. All the Blogs in My Favs List!) the inventor of this blog decided that it was time to make a few necessary changes...something to improve the appearance of the fine lines and wrinkles, something to soften the appearance of the blog and add a little bit more color to the dull complexion that the blog had. After a little while of making sure that I had all the necessary tools and proper "diagnosis" HTML codes... I am happy to report that the surgery was a success! Nothing on the structure disappeared that was meant to stay and all of the flaws that were meant to go away, did! Of course, this blog is far from perfection and still needs to undergo a series of many, many more cosmetic repairs in the future.....however, this is a start!

Blog Surgical To-Do List
1. Full-Face Lift (for additional contouring not considered in mini-face-lift done today)
2. Blog Augmentation (for a more lifted and fuller look under the heading)
3. Edit abdominoplasty (for a thinner mid-section, trim off the excess)
4. Back-end Tuck (for improving the use of back-links)

So, despite what is to come in the near future.....
The blog is recovering well this evening....
She would be more than happy to receive any and all comments from her pals about how they feel she looks now compared to her old look. If she still needs improvement in other areas, please let her know! She is very happy to accept any and all comments. She desires to improve her look and she values the input of all you cosmetic experts out there! Thanks!

Life-of-Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real life expressions of a 20-something work at home mom of 2 who has been prepping and planning, cutting & pasting, and screening and coding today! All the stresses of performing a face-lift for a first-time blogger!)

Expression: My First Blogging Award!!!

WhoooooHoooo! My first Blogging Award!

I am thrilled! Ironically, I received the same award three times in two days! Triple WhooooHoooo! That makes me feel 3x as special as I did a few days ago! lol

First of all, I would like to send special shout-outs to my blogging buds who chose me for this prestigious award. Kateedyd, Nicoyle, and Dracofly! You guys rock! You 3 are definitely at the top of my favorite blogs list! I would chose all 3 of you anyday for this award! Special thanks to Kateedyd for being so helpful with blogging advice. She has been wonderful to me & her blog is amazing! It is one of my absolute favorites. Nicoyle & Dracofly both are wonderful bloggers too who always offer something fun & unique to read. I always make it a point to try to visit all 3 of these blogs everyday! Check out all 3 of the links above if you are looking for some great blogs to read! I promise you will not be disappointed! :)

Second of all, I would like to pass this award along to a few other blogs that I think deserve special recognition! We all work so hard and we all deserve to be recognized! :)

Here are the instructions for the following Brillante Weblog Premio award recipients:

1. Place the logo on your blog.

2. Link to the person who awarded you.

3. You can nominate up to 5 blogs.

4. You can then add their links to your blog

5. Leave a message in the comment section to each nominee on their blog.

Here are 5 awesome blogs that I've chosen:

1. My So-Called Blog

2. Confetti By: Kateedyd

3. The Sophisticated Life of a Hunter's Wife
4. Paradise Fiber Studio

5. Living the Mom Life

Here's a special award for all of you!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Brillante Weblog Premio- 2008 Award!

Congrats! :)

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The Real Life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who just got my first blogging award! WhoooHooooo! )

Expression: Lions & Tigers & Bears....OH MY!

New Digital Camera $150

African Safari admission $65

3 Bags of "overpriced animal-safe" carrots $20

Taking a picture of a happy Zebra at an African Safari with your new camera after bribing him with carrots......Priceless!

Have you ever been on an African Safari or ever wanted to go on one?
Well, you should go!

Getting up close and personal with the animals allows you really get a good look at them, at their teeth and inside their mouth too! lol We took the kids to our 2nd visit to an African Safari over the weekend and we had alot of fun looking at the animals. This little guy here was all smiles when he got his carrot! lol What's funny to me is the fact that when you drive your vehicle through the safari, the animals all come hang out with you. They put their heads in your car and look all around to check out who's in there and what food you've got to give them. We even had a huge giraffe walk over and stick his head in our car to say hi! I didn't get a very good picture of him because his head was blocking me from reaching my camera! lol
We had mixed reactions in our family about getting up close to the animals. We all love animals, especially my husband....ironically he was the must scared of the animals....his window was up nearly the entire time! "He was too busy driving..." Yah right! :) My oldest son liked to watch the animals and talk to them with his window only slightly cracked...being cautious like always. My youngest son wanted to be all up on the animals and he was talking to them and laughing the whole time...acting wild as usual. That frightened me a bit! Me...I liked them but I was busy handling 1,000 tasks at once as usual! Trying to pay attention to the animals, take pictures, feed carrots, carefully watch little man, trying to encourage oldest son to have fun, passing around the hand sanitizer every 10 seconds and teasing hubby for being scared of the animals!
Also, the kids got to each ride a pony and they got to ride a camel together which was really cute. Then they both held a huge Boa Constrictor together.................now that was scary to me! But we had a great time and best of all, we managed to get out of there alive (which is always a plus! lol)
To search for Wildlife Safari's in you area, check out these places!

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who likes wildlife......through the comfort of her own vehicle! :)

Expressions: Wanna Know What I've Been Reading?!

Kateedyd What?!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So........Are you bored with the Blogs that you've been reading lately?

(Hopefully not mine! lol)

Are you looking for something more interesting to read, something with more zing & zazz...

I would like to introduce you to this chic blogger, Kateedyd!

Kateedyd is a mom of 2 great kids "Yes-Yes & No-No" who lives in California and works from home.

Kateedyd has a blog called Kateedyd What?!

Kateedyd What?! is a blog that is one of my personal favorites because you can read about everything from parenting to crazy news headlines & everything in between! Kateedyd always offers a fun-loving & humorous outlook towards parenting and when reading her posts it's almost just like sitting there listening to your best friend talk about her day!

You can't help but love reading her posts! lol

Kateedyd What?! is a blog that I love to read and I'm sure you will love to read it too! You should check out Kateedyd at Kateedyd What?! sometime and see what she's up to!

http://kateedydwhat.blogspot.com/

By the way, another great thing about Kateedyd is:

If you have a blog & you visit her blog, leave her a comment on one of her posts....she will actually come visit your blog and leave a comment for you on one of your posts! :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Life of Lelelumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who loves reading Kateedyd What?!)

Expression: Planning a Baby Shower!

Remember in an earlier post when I told you that everyone I know is pregnant (with a baby girl!) right now? Well......my friend, Michelle, is the only exception to that statement thus far. Her & hubby decided to not find out if they are having a boy or girl right now and just wait to be surprised on D-day. Psssss: I think their having a girl just because that seems to be the trend right now. [Darn, why didn't I get in on this bandwagon?! lol I think I'm too late now....if I jumped on, it would be time for the boy season! I guess my timing is off or something! lol]
Well anywho, I have the privilege of throwing her a baby shower! I am soooo excited! We are actually waiting until after the baby boy or girl gets here (Due: October 8th) and we are having the shower at the end of the month. She wanted the baby to be there with her! So sweet! :)
So I'm looking for baby shower ideas, themes, food ideas, etc. I actually have a nice recruitment of friends who are willing to help with everything.....so that is helpful considering this is going to be a rather large baby shower. I love games....but not the boring typical baby shower games. I like fun, unique ones. I have been searching like mad on-line looking for stuff to go along with the whole MOD Mom theme that I am planning to use. I came across a game that I thought was great! Itty Bitty Baby Parts Ultrasound Game. I know most people cannot read or interpret an ultrasound of a baby and it is always funny to me to hear what people think is a head or an arm or baby boy anatomy! lol Having a background in the medical field, ultrasounds are very interesting to me (I guess I'm just nerdy like that!) and I thought this game would be a lot of fun and create alot of confusion and conversation at the same time. But anyways, I am having soooo much fun and I am getting all into the planning for it! I want it to be special for her. She deserves a wonderful baby shower and I am hoping that it really gives her a nice boost. Her & hubby lost their 1st baby girl a few years ago because of some birth defects and sadly, she spent most of her life in the hospital. This time around the doctors are very positive about the outcome and she is planning a normal labor & delivery with the baby that she is currently pregnant with. My heart really goes out to them for all that they have been through and at the same time, I really admire them for all of the wonderful things that are to come for them very soon when their 2nd little bundle of joy arrives! :) I'll keep ya posted!

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real life expressions of a work-at-home-mom of 2 who is planning a baby shower for a special friend who deserves the best! And is throwing in some unique games to play at the baby shower to confuse everyone! lol)

Expressions: Back-To-School Time....Already?

Is it really that time already? It must be~ because the calendar by my desk has the words 'First Day Back-to-School' written in red Sharpie marker on the agenda for early next week. Wow! The summer went by super fast. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, this time of year is soooo Bittersweet to me. I have such mixed feelings on back-to-school time. A little happy, a little sad, a little unsure........yep! All those feelings! :) For all the parents going through the same thing.....I feel your pain and your happiness~ both simultaneously! lol

A Thought For Today:

First Day of School-

There will be bigger hallways and bigger kids.

There will be new sounds, new friends and new teachers

whose names might sound a little scary at first.

She'll line up, look back and find her new seat in a new classroom

and at that moment you'll realize
this is your first day of school too.

What's funny is the fact that kids usually adjust better than adults in most cases! So while back-to-school may be tough on the parents sometimes....usually the kids get right through it with ease! I always feel better after the first few days of school and I'm sure you will too! For the parents that welcome this time of year with open arms......what's your secret? lol
Take Care! Until next time,

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who is about to experience her 'first day of school' part 2 when school starts next week!)

Confession: I Spent Too Much Money!

Ooops....I think I spent too much money this weekend!

Sometimes it is just too hard to resist! I sometimes get a real "feel good" type of sensation when I buy new stuff. Makes me feel renewed, rejuvenated and full of good feelings! Shopping is one of my favorite things and I must say, I have done really well keeping my spending & love for shopping under tight control, until this weekend I guess I just broke loose! Oh....yeah, I guess I should let you know what I bought. Well I didn't buy myself any new shoes, or shirts, or skirts.....I didn't buy myself any new make-up, jewelry, or perfume......nope, none of that. This weekend was strictly for the little guy....Yep! You guessed it. You know what time it is!....Back-To-School-Time! Of course this time of year is always bittersweet for me. I like when little guy goes back to school because so far he really likes it. Of course I miss him but there is someone who misses him much more....the littlest guy. He hates to see his big brother go back to school. He misses him soooo much. So, even as much as I love to shop.......it is still bittersweet each year when I load that shopping cart up with school supplies and that shopping bag up with back-to-school clothes. How do feel about the kids heading back to school? :)

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who loves to shop but feels mixed emotions about the whole back-to-school thing!)

Expression: I've been Tagged!

Anyone up for a game of tag?
Because I've been tagged.......So I'm It!
Kateedyd over at http://kateedydwhat.blogspot.com/ just tagged me and now it's my turn to tag you! LOL This newbie blogging stuff is filled with all sorts of fun & games!!! LOL

Here's whatcha do if I tagged you!

1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger (who tagged you) know when your post is up.

6 Random things about me? Hmmmmm........

1.) I am a Talker...........Haven't ya noticed that from my blog? I've always got something to say!
2.) I am a Listener........I'm hear for ya, I'm all ears! :)
3.) I am Sarcastic..........I like to add a little fun-loving sarcasim to my blog just to get your attention!
4.) I am Tired...............I don't get much sleep between 2 kids, a hubby, a few work-from-home jobs/gigs......I'm always busy doing something.
5.) I like People............All my brick-n-mortar jobs revolved around people (medical assisting, domestic violence shelter crisis call advocacy, nursing home assistant, etc) Working from home looking at my computer all day can be a little on the boring-side....of course I've got the kids to keep me company...(I'm not sure if they allow me to be sane though! LOL)
6.) I am New at Blogging....very, very new....and I don't think I even know 6 other bloggers to send this too......ummmmm...nope! I think I actually only have a few. Oh-well...The tagging must go on! LOL

I will send it to-

Spoonful of Chocolate Sistah (Nicoyle)
That's What I'm Talking About! (Charlala)
The Confessions of Miss Melinda (Melinda)
Rachel's Place (Rachel)
The 40's Life (Rita)
When In Doubt Look Up (Oooops Rita again! Sorry Rita!)

These blogs are all wonderful blogs and I hope everyone will check them out! :)
I will add them all to MY Favorite Blogs List so you can check out their blogs too!

Life of Lele.lumz
Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!
(The real-life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home-mom of 2 who just got tagged!)

Confession: Shhhhhhh.......I Can't Hear Myself Think!

With kids......life is never as quiet as it once was. Sometimes it can be difficult just hearing yourself think! Do you ever have one of those days that you just need a few minutes of peace & quiet? Ahhhhh.......that's how I am feeling today! LOL The fun game of 'Let's see who can be the quietest for the longest' just doesn't work on kids anymore after they play the game sooo many times and see that it offers no true benefit to them. My kids seem to be always making noise and most of the time I am okay with that...or perhaps I've gotten used to that, however I catch myself asking them to please be quiet for so many reasons throughout the day. Think about how many times each day that we are actually asking for our kids to please be quiet for a second.....it's amazing how many times that they need to be reminded! LOL

Shhhhhh........the baby's asleep!

Shhhhhh........I'm on the phone!

Shhhhhh........I can't hear myself think!

Shhhhhh........You're talking way too loud!

Shhhhhh........We're at the library!

Shhhhhh........The neighbors are sleeping!

Shhhhhh........I can't hear the news!

Shhhhhh........I'm trying to work!

Shhhhhh........I'm trying to sleep!

Shhhhhh........It's a surprise!

Shhhhhhh......................Shhhhhhhh..................................Shhhhhhhh

And to think when they were little bitty babies...we just couldn't wait for them to start talking. Once they start, they Never stop! LOL

Hoping that my day gets a little quieter!

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real-life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home-mom of 2 who needs a time out!)

Expressions: The Breakdown of Birth Control Costs!

Breakdown of Birth Control Costs~ How much are you really paying each month!?
Okay.....you wanna hear something really crazy? Sure ya do! Well here goes! I'm sure many of you know how expensive oral contraceptives (birth control) can be. Many of you probably also know how insurance companies generally do not pay (or pay very little) of the cost of birth control, leaving the person who takes the pill with an expensive bill at the pharmacy each month. To me it is ironic to think that the insurance company will help assume financial responsibility for the care of a pregnant woman including an expensive labor & delivery bill, but not help cover the costs of birth control pills for the woman who says...."I do not wish to get pregnant at this time...." It's all mind boggling to me! When I worked at the Family Practice that I used to work at, I was fortunate enough to have all the birth control samples I ever wanted & needed....but today that is not the case. I'm on my own like soooo many other woman who have made the decision to take the pill. Are you ready for the crazy stuff I wanted to tell you?! Okay!
The current birth control pills that I take (and have taken for many years) costs me a whopping $67.00 a month. My insurance is so kind to cover a few dollars for me and $67.00 is what I am responsible for. Let's do some math, my friends................................
$67.oo a month, divided by 30 days in a month = $2.23 a day. (for that little tiny pill!)
So is it worth it? Let's break it down....
If you do the do (you know what I'm saying) x amount of times per month, this is the cost-
Once a day (or 30 times a month) = $2.23 each time.
Four times a week (or 16 x a month) = $4.18 each time.
Twice a week (or 8 times a month) = $8.37 each time.
Once a week (or 4 times a month) = $16.75 each time.
Bi-weekly (or twice a month) = $33.50 each time.
Once a month (Just one time!) = $67.00

I won't say which category I personally fall within...lol :) But I will say that birth control is not very cost-effective especially if you are not making great use of the benefits of it in your personal life! lol :)

In conclusion, I recently found out that Wal-Mart offers $4-$9 generic prescriptions......one of them is a birth control pill that only costs $9. That is $58 cheaper than what I currently pay! Is it really any different than the pill that costs so much? Probably not.....I guess birth control all pretty much serves the same general purpose, right? I, for one, am willing to give it a shot because I am thrilled about the price difference! Hopefully, I will only have great things to report back to you once I get started...and hopefully I won't be announcing a pregnancy or anything! lol

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real-life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who is getting ripped off by the pharmaceutical company! lol)

Confession: Baby Girl Blues.....(I mean Pinks!)

Okay y'all......I LOVE my boys and I love all the fun stuff that little boys do...but the family is in testosterone overload these days! I have always wanted sons & daughters, and currently, I have all the boys I could ever need! I love them to pieces! But to date, I still have zero girls! I am sure that I am done having babies....but this is something I keep thinking about. *sigh* Decisions, Decisions! Of course this is coming from the mommy of 2 boys who saved every single one of her 200+ Barbie dolls, Barbie cars, houses, baby dolls, doll house, etc. for the little girl that she figured that she would have someday! Thankfully, my mom & dad have been ever so kind to keep all of this great girly stuff in storage at their house for me because I would have no-where to store it all here! lol

So, that's my dilemma/confession for today! It's a tough one! But I might add that I'm pretty sure that if I ever did have a little girl that she would probably be a tom-boy and not even care about the girly goods that I've saved for her for many moons! (Okay now, I'm not that old!)

By the way, did I mention that nearly Everyone that I know is pregnant right now.....all pregnant with little girls I might add! Yep! 8 of my pals/relatives are all pregnant right now....all having baby girls! So when I'm shopping for little girls stuff for their baby showers I might just go pink crazy and buy a pink and brown polka-dot nursery ensemble for my own little girl.....that I might decide to have one day.....OR NOT!!!!! Who knows! :) Either way, I'm super content with my family of 2 great little boys and 1 great hubby for now.....but I think a little girl added to the mix would be a whole lot of fun! lol

Life-of-Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real-life blog of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 boys who would love to have a little girl one day......)

Expressions!: Big Primpin' with a Trendy "Bump" Hairstyle!

Hair need a bit of a lift, but can't seem to get it stay in place with the tangly-teasing and a ton of hairspray? Well, ladies, you're in luck to get that lift that you'd love for your locks!


I saw a product introduced on a home-shopping channel yesterday (yes I am a home shopping junkie!) and it is called~ Big Happie Hair Bump-its. It is an actual hair tool/accessory that allows you to lock-in that lift to create a cute bump. The bump is a great way to add lift to your hair and make it appear to be more thicker on top. It is common to see Hollywood's hotlist with hairstyle bumps this season. The accessories come in sets of 5 that vary in size and color (match your haircolor). You can create little bumps, medium bumps, and very large bumps (this size is called "Rock Star!") This accessory sounds much easier to use than tons of teasing, tons of hairspray and tons of bobbie pins.......wonder if it really works? I'll let you know after I get it because you know I had to order it and see for myself! lol :)

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real-life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who wants Big Happie Hair! lol)

Life~Lessons!: Survival List for Amusement Parks!

Well guys.....we survived! We all made it back from our un-amusing amusement park adventure yesterday (actually in the wee hours of the morning) and we each managed to do so in one-piece! So even though I am much too tired to be on here blogging my updates to you, I wanted to do so really quick because I know you didn't think I would survive it (and I'm sure you all were freaking out that maybe I passed out from the heat or possibly fell off of a roller coaster or something! lol)....so I needed to put your minds at ease and just update my survival status real quick! Of course I was looking forward to sleeping in just a bit today....but little Mr. Potty Training Man had to wake up to go pee bright & early this morning and woke up everyone in the house with his loud "I did it! I did it! I used the potty again!" expressions! He is so proud and we are so proud of him.....but man, oh man, was it early!

Here is a quick list of Do's & Dont's for you the next time you visit an Amusement park!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do take your kids to an amusement park. They will love it!

Do take yourself to an amusement park without your kids. You will love it more!

Do take lots of money. It is expensive to just get in the gate, let alone food & drinks.

Do check the weather and make sure it is not going to be too hot or rain all day!

Do take a stroller to transport lil' kids. Most places charge over $15 to rent one.

Don't expect short lines....they will be long no matter what!

Don't expect all the rides to be open. Over 10 were closed yesterday. No water rides open! :(

Don't expect "free" ice water....they offer bottled water for a small fee of $5! Outrageous!

Don't loose your kids in the crowd...even though a few minutes break from them sounds fun!

Don't pick to go on a day when you are within the first few days/weeks of potty training a kid! You will not be hanging out in ride lines but rather restroom lines!

Don't forget sunscreen! Why does it always feel so much hotter at these parks!

Don't forget to have fun! Your building wonderful memories for yourself & your kids! :)

Well......have a great day and don't forget to come back & see me again soon! :)

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The real life blog of a 20-something work at home mom of 2 who has managed to survive a long, hot day at the amusement park yesterday and is running on empty today!)

Expression: No Fun At Amusement Parks!

Remember the days when going to an amusement park and spending the entire day there was soooo exciting? So exciting that you couldn't sleep the night before-exciting? Well, those days are apparently looooong-gone for me because I no longer get that giddy-amusement park feeling, instead I feel like a big day of torture is ahead of me.

Why am I so un-looking forward to it you ask? How many reasons do you want?! lol

Rewind to a hot July day last summer :

My BiG Un-Amusing Amusement Park Day Itinerary!

5:00 AM: Wake up, get ready, pack everything we need.

5:30 AM: Wake kids up. Get them ready, feed them.

6:00 AM: Double check to make sure we are good-to-go.

6:30 AM: Take off.

6:35 AM: Stop at a gas station so 2-year-old can pee. This is bound to go on all day long every 5- 15 minutes so bear with me as I lose my mind. Bad time to start potty-training with this "fun" day planned! lol

8:30 AM: Arrive at Amusement Park. Pay $160 to just get in the door! By this time it is like 99 degrees outside.

10:00 AM: After suffering heat exhaustion and after 103 trips to the bathroom for Mr. Potty Training man, I am ready to leave already. But no...the kids don't want to leave...we just got here! Great, looks like I'm stuck here for a while.

12:00 PM: I need to make them eat lunch. I am starving! Finally paid $100 bucks for us to eat a light lunch and now Mr. Potty Training Man needs to go to the bathroom again....Ugh! Do you really have to do Number 2? Well, ladies & gentlemen, I might as well pull up a chair and a good book cause this might take awhile.

2:00 PM: Finally done in the bathroom with little man. Back to the long lines and the heat.

3:00 PM: Can't we leave yet? Am I the only one who is dying here? It has to atleast be 130 degrees out now! I can't breathe. Another potty break.

5:00 PM: This line has approximately 'two hour wait"....What?! That's crazy! 9-year-old roller coaster know-it-all son says "Mom, this ride is sooo worth the wait. It was just built and it takes you up 635 feet high and it has 18 loops, 4 hills and the g-force on it is so great that..." Okay, okay...we'll ride it.....next year when something else is new & more exciting...then this line won't be sooo long on this one! How's that for an idea? (If only this would work! :) 3 more potty breaks.

6:00 PM: I've almost been thrown up on 2-3 times by random people exiting rides. A bird pooped on my head & a wasp has made a swimming pool out of little man's bottled water that he forgot to put the cap back on. Good thing I caught that before he started to chug! Wow, what a day....Can we leave yet? Oh........another potty break.

8:00 PM: It's starting to cool off out here, now it's only like 118 degrees outside! Poor kids are still having a blast besides the fact that they are beat-red despite the heavy application of sunblock 4 times today. I've got a splitting headache by this time because I forgot my sunglasses and I couldn't afford $46 to buy a new pair in the gift shop. Couldn't afford a bottle of Tylenol in there either, so I guess I'll suffer for the rest of the day. It is almost time to leave now, right? Oh...another potty break.

9:00 PM: Where's little nephew man at? Oh no! It seems that we've neglected to keep track of all the kids! "I thought you had him!" No, I thought you had him!" After 3.5 seconds of not knowing where little nephew man's whereabouts were...he appears 2 feet in front of us with a Spongebob stuffed toy and a half-empty can of warm Mountain Dew. So his mommy asks him where he got it from and he points over to an abandoned stroller by the trash can. Can you say Yuck? And then he had the nerve to cry about returning Spongebob back to his original owner! I think someone needs a nap.......ME!!!!

10:00 PM: More long lines....14 more potty breaks and $32 more spent on a few cold drinks.....Can we leave yet? The park closes at 10:00, right? Yeah! I start to get my second-wind! I am soooo excited that it is time to go! :)

Why aren't people leaving? What did you say? Did you say that this place is open tonight until 11:00 PM? Another hour of torture? Are you kidding me? Quick grab the kids and tell them it's closing now so we need to hurry and leave to avoid traffic. Why aren't they falling for it? How come the 9-year-old knew it didn't close until 11:00 and I, the parent, didn't even know that? Well, it's nice that the 2-year-old just chimed in and said "Yeah, mommy....kwoses at eleben! (Translation: Closes at Eleven) Are you kidding me? Why did everyone know this but me???

More potty breaks and $28 more dollars spent on some junky light-up sticks for the kids and some colorful fireworks later..........

11:00 PM: Ladies & gentlemen, it is NOW 11:00 PM...It is NOW time to leave the park!

First, another potty break before we leave.

11:35 PM: We finally managed to make it to our vehicle. It was only about 2.5 miles away from the entrance gate! I was surprised that it was so easy for us to find. We had no problem at all.....Probably because it was the LAST vehicle in the entire lot! Are you kidding me....I am the last one to get out of this place? I want to scream & shout all at the same time. Not to mention another 2.5 hour drive home. That puts us in our driveway sometime between 2:00 AM - 3:00 AM (depending on amount of potty breaks!)

I am so ready to go home.

Home, Home, Home! Home sweet home! I am never doing that again! That was pure craziness! So glad to be home! :)

One year later: Planning another torture day at the same place in the same heat with the same kids and the same long-lines and the same expensive food....and the bird poop and the warm cans of someone else's pop by the trashcan, and the cries and the whines and the.......pure torture I tell ya! Why do this again, I ask myself?

Because we do it every year and because the kids absolutely love it. They look so forward to all the hype that it actually reminds me of something.........it reminds me of the fun I used to have when I would go to an amusement park in the summertime with my family when I was little. It didn't matter how hot it was and how long the lines were......there was a time that I used to love every minute of it! Imagine that! I'm sure my mom felt like I feel now. Of course, if she was overly miserable there I never knew it. She cared more about me having fun than anything else, I guess. That's what I'll try to do for my kids...........

Try to make them think I'm having fun there. Yep, that's what I'll do. I'll have to start doing that next year though because we're actually going tomorrow and I already know it's not happening tomorrow. It's gonna be hot and sticky and I've got another one in the preliminary potty training stage phase and I am already anticipating my day to be pretty much a carbon-copy of the day I just posted on here (my experience every year for the last 3 years!). So, If it's possible to enjoy a day of torture as outlined above, somebody please give me the name of the physician that prescribed those special "happy" pills to you so I can make an appointment ASAP!!!! lol :)

So....everyone, please hope the best for me tomorrow (as you are at home & comfy in the luxury of cool air conditioning) as I try to make it through another un-amusing day at the amusement park without flipping out and/or passing out from the heat.

Thanks Guys! If I survive this day....I will be back soon! :)

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The Real-life expressions of a 20-something mom of 2 who doesn't mind being miserable one day a year to make a trip to the amusement park for her kids........as long as everyone is okay with her crying & whining about wanting to leave...the minute we walk in the gate! lol)

Expression: A Smile is Worth 1,000 Words! :)

Before I starting working from home, I used to work as a Medical Assistant at a very busy Family Practice/Medical Office. I really enjoyed it a lot. My favorite thing about the position was definitely the patients. There is something special about the feeling you get when you make a sick person feel better, put a worried mommy's mind to ease, hold a newborn baby in your arms, hug an elderly patient who is having a bad day, coax a young lady who is worried about an unplanned pregnancy, and make that ever anticipated phone call to an anxious gentleman to tell him that all of his blood work came back "just fine!"

Of course, no two days in the Medical Field are ever quite the same.....some days can be terribly heart-wrenching for physicians and nurses. It is difficult to see someone struggling with pain or dealing with the loss of someone close to them. I consider myself very empathetic and compassionate so it is common for me to find myself visualizing my own self in that person's shoes. It makes it easier to find the right words to say to them to provide them comfort and to let them know that you care.

One thing that I did share with all of the patients that we saw each day was a nice, comforting smile. Many times, I was thanked for my smile. I know how much a smile means to me, so it was wonderful to find out that it had the same importance to others around me. It's amazing how much something so small can mean to someone.

Have you made it a point to smile at others today? If not, go out and express yourself like I just did........

Sending smiles your way! :)

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The Real-Life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who wears her heart on her sleeve and loves to see ya smile!)

Question: "Eye" For Detail? Or "I" Give Too Many Details?

"Eye" For Detail * Because "Eye" Love Details!!!

Dilema: As you all know, I am seriously a newbie when it comes to the Blogging world...And I am really loving starting-up my blog. But, I've noticed something about my style of writing...my posts are beginning to look more like lengthy chapters of a book instead of short, simple and sweet posts. What's the deal, Lele.lumz? Am I scared that there is going to be a word shortage so I try to type as many words as possible in each of my posts or something? lol! I don't actually know the rhyme or the reason...but I'm beginning to think that maybe I am a bit OCD with details! Personally, I looooooove details, the more details the better! But I know that not everyone loves details as much as me, including Mr. Hubby. He is a cut-to-the-chase sorta man and details don't mean so much too him, unless it comes in the form of a sports play-by-play of course! lol!

Really, Is it just that I have an "Eye" for Detail or Is it Perhaps the fact that "I" just give too many Details? Maybe a combination of both? Hmmmmm....Good Question?!

Who knows, who cares.... as long as you enjoy my blog, that's all I care about!!!! lol :)

So, when it comes to my new adventure in blogging....I hope my long, short-story posts don't overwhelm anyone! I'm just doing what I do best....giving ya' the scoop by providing *all* the necessary (& perhaps some UN-necessary details) to help give ya the real effect of my life...
this is by the way, ....................................

The Life of Lele.lumz~

Expressions*Confessions*Life~lessons!

(The real life expressions of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who is a newbie blogger and who talks way too much!!!)

Confession* I Need Help In The Kitchen!!!

Okay, here's a Confession for you!*
I Need Help In The Kitchen!!!

My problem is that I am not one who enjoys meal preparation or meal clean-up. The only thing I like about the whole food creation process is the actually eating of the meal! Since I dislike all the work that goes into creating a wonderful and tasty meal, I take a lot of shortcuts....with the end result being much less desirable than the anticipated one!!! (i.e. My food never turns out picture-perfect like the clip in the recipe book...and the reviews are never quite so satisfactory in my family!)

What's wrong, people...am I forgetting to add-in an ingredient or two (or three!)? Am I leaving the food in the oven too long? What's wrong? That food is NOT burnt..Why, you don't love the natural flavoring that Cajun-style cooking offers, huh? :)

Okay, now! Enough laughing! My cooking is not that bad! I don't turn a recipe into a crime lab or anything....I just have problems with food creativity. My real issue is not entirely the fact that cooking is not my favorite thing to do....instead the real issue is that I run out of meal ideas quickly. I have the tendency to try to make something new....and it ends up being a huge hit in my house with the boys and hubby. I get excited! Yeah!!! They loved that! Better go to the store and buy all the ingredients to make it again in a few days!!! Well, the second time around wasn't such a huge hit, it ends up being more of a "Thanks, hon. That was good again." Hmmmm....did I leave anything out? No, I don't think so. They seemed to like it but were less enthusiastic. I was expecting fireworks for dessert! Wait a minute.....rewind back to hubby's response..."Thanks, hon. That was good ***." Wait, rewind that, what did he say after "good"? "Again"......did he have the nerve to say...AGAIN!?

Ahhhhhh.....now I get the HINT. Great-taste, but not so great taste two times in the same week! I get it. Hmmmm.....picky eaters, eh? I know some people who eat left-overs all week long....I guess that's not for everyone, but it must work for some. Wish hubs & little guys would get hip to this low maintenance lifestyle! lol :)

It's actually pretty funny in our house since I came to the revelation that some food actually tastes better when only served *every*now*and*then....instead of every*other*day! lol
So now, everytime I make something new.....After dinner when hubby and the kids are helping cleanup and say how much they liked the meal, I ask them......how much do you like this meal? Is it a once a week, once a month, once a year, or a once a lifetime meal! Then I know how often they would like to eat it!!!! Honesty is always the best policy and I think my kids are learning this well!!!

I guess the only other alternative would be to let hubby & the kids cook.........Hmmmm. After careful consideration of this, I have come to the conclusion that it's safer that I do. I do not want to have my house burn down and I also do not want any surprise ingredients in my food. (i.e. My oldest son owns a little pet snake....enough said!) :)

Hope you have enjoyed this Confession of mine....Hope I didn't scare ya away with the snake info! Please come back and check me out again soon.....
Until next time (Probably tomorrow!).............................

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!
(The confession of a 20-something work-at-home mom of 2 who has real issues with cooking!)

Life: Working From Home

Working from Home!

As many of you know, I work from home. I work per Diem (as available) as a Medical Reports Proofreader and part-time as a Internet Research Guide. I really enjoy both positions a lot. Working from home allows me the opportunity to create a schedule that meets the needs of my family. In my book, family comes first. Of course, bills do not stop showing up in your mailbox just because you decide to stop worrying so much about them! It would be great if they would but that's just wishful thinking....and uh..perhaps against the law to just "pretend" the mailman never delivered them! :)

Working from home allows me the ability to help compliment and supplement the income my husband brings in. I have the opportunity to work full-time from home.....but with my kids being the focus here, Why spend all my time working when I can be playing Lego's, watching Sesame Street and singing the Alphabet Song all day, everyday with the little people in the world that I love the most? Three years ago when I started working from home, I made a commitment to myself and my family that I would only do what I needed to do to help out with our income. Never did I expect to make a full-time salary like I did working full-time at my brick-and-mortar health care job. I knew I didn't want to spend all day working anymore! If we could cut back on a few things and live within our means and still be happy....I knew it was worth giving it a shot! Making money to pay for groceries, gasoline, basic needs, school supplies and fees, utility bills, and an occasional car or house payment was enough to make myself beam with pride! Also, the satisfaction of knowing I have something to fall back on in case hubby's job is ever in jeopardy is very comforting! And to top it all off, the kids seem rather pleased to still have me home with them.....I guess they haven't got tired of me yet, so I guess I'll keep doing this work-at-home stuff. It really seems to work out well for us! lol :)

My question for you is.....
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to actually make money working from home? To quit your 9-5 job and put an end to the rush-hour commute to and from work? To save money on the expense of gasoline and the expense of eating out for lunch? Do you ever wish you could spend more time with your kids but work is a constant barrier? Are Day-care expenses hurting your pocket?

Well, consider finding a position that you can do from home. Many companies are allowing employees to start working from home because they are beginning to realize that this actually allows them to save thousands of dollars a year per employee. Also, the rising costs of fuel is a huge reason why companies are looking into the advantages of allowing employees to telecommute.

Not sure where to look for a work-at-home position? I've got a great place for you to check out. Work at Home Mafia. http://workathomemafia.com/index.htm

Work at Home Mafia is a great online community to help introduce you to the world of work-at-home. They offer sections on companies that hire individuals to work from home. There are also a lot of wonderful and supportive members on the site that are friendly and helpful, including myself! :) I strongly encourage you to check out the site and start imagining yourself as a work-at-homer! The wealth of information there is unbelievable! The job leads are fresh and hot on the market! You might just land yourself a position you've only dreamed of! And of course, you will be well on your way to helping others find a work-at-home job for themselves too in no time! :)


IMPORTANT: And most of all, Remember this......Never pay anyone to work from home! A legit company will not ask you to pay them upfront to get started. You collect money from them, not the other way around! There are a lot of scams out there. Do not fall victim to fake work-at-home scams! :)



And that's all for now folks! Make sure to check back with me soon! And don't forget to check out the Mafia site if you're interested in working from home! :)

Hugs! :)

Life of Lele.lumz
Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The life of a 20-something mom of 2 who enjoys the benefits of working from home while enduring the challenges of raising 2 kids & trying to make $MoNeY$ at the same time!)

INTRO: Welcome to my new blog!

Hello there!!!

Welcome to my new blog!

I am so happy that you stopped by to check it out! :)

Basically, I am new to the blogging scene but I am not a newbie

when it comes to writing and self-expression!

I love writing short stories and poetry, and I have done this for as long as I can remember!

Now that I am a little older, now married and now with children...

and with many, many life experiences under my belt....

I feel that I now have more interesting things to talk (or in this case...write) about!

So hopefully as my blog grows, so will my readers. I hope that I always offer something interesting and upbeat for everyone who stumbles across this blog in hopes that you will come back every so often to see what's new in the life of me....lele.lumz!

I give you.......

Life of Lele.lumz

Expressions*Confessions*Life~Lessons!

(The Real life Blog of a 20-something mommy of 2 who knows nothing about blogging!)