Tackle-It Tuesday: Kitchen Junk Drawer

Every Tuesday, I tackle a different project around my home that's been bugging all of us!

I don't know about you, but I am digging Tackle-It-Tuesday! It's the only way to get me actually working on projects that need to get done. You know how you do dishes and laundry and cooking and stuff like that DAILY? It's so refreshing to do a project that you know you won't have to revisit for months! I can do basic upkeep on these Tackle-It projects whenever I encounter them, and they (probably, hopefully) won't get out of hand!

So here is our drawer in our kitchen. Can't find a thing. It got to the point where we couldn't even fit the other white tray in there! What is all this stuff, anyway?

Moshi Monster Monday: Miss Kristin the Moshi Dealer

I have to take a Moshi Monster Monday to discuss the supplier of some of the Moshi Monster Madness.

Her name is Miss Kristin. She buys Moshi stuff from England and resells it on Amazon ... and to little kids.

I like to call her the Moshi Monster Dealer. She started out by giving the kids freebies, you know, like a drug dealer.

Then they were hooked.

That's when I started floating her fives and tens for Collector's Guides and rare cards and figures.

Then the kids started going over to her house to check out her new shipments of Moshi goodies and they would take their own money to buy things.

To call her a dealer isn't fair. She is a very generous person and would give them everything. But I didn't feel right having them take all that stuff for free, so I make sure they make nice negotiations and deals. I think it's good practice for them in the future.

Anyway, we love our Miss Kristin and wanted to give her a shout-out today!

Thanks, Miss Kristin, for being the supplier of all good things Moshi!

Today is the last day to enter the Anytime Costume giveaway! You or your kid can be almost anything for Halloween because Anytime Costumes has so many choices!

Backyard Blow-up Pool Fun

*UPDATE September 2, 2019 and two years ago today we discovered our dream house in Peculiar, MO with a pool in the backyard that stays open until October! See blog post here!

We love summer. We love the pool. We get a $100 pool pass for our entire family for the whole summer ... such a great deal for 6 different pools open from 12-8. There are times when we don't want to pile in the car to go to the pool, and there are times when the kids would like to play in the water before noon and after 8 p.m. Enter the annual blow-up swimming pool. Well, it's plural (pools) this year!

Yeah, it cost too much and it's teeny tiny, but the little ones like it and it keeps them busy! It's two different pools connected by a hippo slide!

I originally bought this one, and we decided to return it because it was too small. In July, though, it was hard to find a big rectangle one, so I broke this one out while Aron was traveling so we'd have a pool fun center.

The McLoughlin Pool Fun Centre. Notice how the grass around it where we drain the pools is high and green and the rest of the yard is dying :-)

Why don't we get a big old pool for the patio that's like 4 feet deep? Well, for one we don't want our entire patio taken up by it. And maintenance is a horror. And water freaks me out since I only have 3 who can swim currently.

Thankful Thursday: ANY Costume Review

Are you ready for Halloween?

Okay, so this women's costume came in the mail recently from Anytime Costumes for me to review. I got to pick the costume I wanted, and figured I was getting too old to dress all sexy like a go-go girl like I wanted to. So I went with the more refined Jacqueline Kennedy First Lady costume.

Here's the deal: I NEVER dress up for Halloween. It's a miracle that I get all 5 of my kids in costumes for Halloween, frankly. I always WANT to, but getting away to go shopping is a pain, plus I don't like shopping. Plus what could I be? I'm a slightly overweight mom ... what to wear? One year I was a clown, but that was when I was super pregnant and I borrowed that costume from a friend. So here is what came in the mail for me:

I have not had time to go get gloves and the purse and the sensible shoes, but that will come in time. I'll post me in those later. For now, here is me in the costume because it's always good to see a  real person with a costume on versus a model on a package.

Photo taken by my professional photographer 11-year-old son Joel

The only thing I don't like about it is that the skirt is so thin that I'm going to need a slip, just like they used to wear in the olden days. The front is covered fine, but the back is thinner so you can see my undiepants. I think if I drop a few el bees (lbs. = pounds) that I can pull it off. I also need to dye my hair black and cut it off. Nah, ain't gonna happen. I'm pretty sure no kid is gonna know who I am, but that's cool. I know I am The First Lady.

Wordless Wednesday: Ladykiller

This is Samuel. We call him Samwich sometimes because that's what his siblings wanted him to be called when he was in my belly. Funny how we ended up calling him Sam when he was born. Here is his birth story, the little poop. He was born with poop in his lungs and was swept away from me pretty fast. He could have died. He has been a daredevil ever since and gives me mini heart attacks daily. I think I have my hands full with him. Then you toss his sister into the mix (Eva) and you have a real mess-making, trouble-making tornado. So much for WORDLESS Wednesday! I don't think I could ever BE wordless!