Product review- Monopoly Junior

I recently received Monopoly Junior  free to try and review from Influenster. Personally, game boards don't excite me, but my kids love them.
A game of Monopoly junior is quick enough that I can play a game with my kids and not get too frustrated. Even my 4 year old was able to last the whole game.
I like that the rules are easy to follow, and the money amounts are done in one dollar bills.
I love that it's teaching my kids math skills (especially my youngest) and they don't even know they're learning.
My only complaint would be that there are no slots to store the money, chance cards, and tokens. Everything was a jumbled mess the second time I opened the game as everything was shaken up in the box.

Overall, we like this game. It's quick enough to play on a school night, and it stops the kids fighting for a while :)

More words

Once again I find I've been lacking words. Winter hit full force over the weekend. From above zero to -16. Yuck.
I went to costco and returned to this christmas wonderland in my livingroom.

A little early, yes. But my kids (with my husbands help) worked really hard on it.
I think our yard is going to look like santa's workshop this year.

Product review

So I received a free product to try From @influenster. Broadway imPress nails press on manicure.
I tried the short length set. I'm not fond of long nails, so I was pleased to receive those.
Once I had the proper sizes lined up, they went on really easily. Just peel and stick.
I was pleased that it came in two different shapes for a nail base that is either square or rounded. They stayed on well, none came off until I took them off.
At a glance they looked like a professional salon job, but they wouldn't pass an up close inspection.
I found the paint at the ends wore down within a couple of days.
Also, my own nails felt uncomfortable with the pressure of the press-ons for the first day, but it eased up.
Over all, I was "impressed" with my quick manicure, and will likely use them again when I want to change things up.

This one is gonna be hard to do. It's cold and miserable outside. The sun has been hiding. I've been in a foul mood all day. My house has been sharing the never ending cold. Coughing and stuffy noses all around.
I have no real words today. All I can come up with is grrrrrr.

The love

I am curious. What is a normal amount of affection for a family to show? In my house, there is no such thing as too many hugs and kisses. One of my children says "I love you" at least twice an hour. My husband and I hold hands when we go out (or watching tv) and we've been together 18 years.
Then I see families who give high-fives and strictly observe personal space.

Am I doing my kids a disservice by letting them be too affectionate? Am I setting them up for hurt feelings bullying?

I couldn't imagine pushing my child away when they are coming for a hug. There is no "private bubble" when my kids are around. More often than not they are on me. Climbing, jumping or just sitting. We tickle, and pretend to eat each others noses and ears.

Is there an affection Baseline? We may be way above it, but I have a hard time seeing that as a bad thing.

Green

What shall I write today? I had several good ideas throughout the day, totally forgotten now.
I was so happy today that the rain has washed the dust off all the trees. I actually saw some green grass today. Spring is finally coming, and I couldn't be happier. It's been a long, cold winter. I'm very much looking forward to getting my garden in. Four weeks left! Seeds have been bought. A few seedlings started. I'm so excited to see green things grow.

And 2

Second day of challenging myself and I keep staring at the clock. Time is tick tick ticking and I need to find words before the day turns.
Instead I'm occupying myself with Netflix and Dr. Who.

It was rainy and cold today. Kids are sleeping . I should be too. Full day tomorrow, spending a good bit of it at my kids school. I don't really mind volunteering there. I've been a stay at home mother for quite a few years now. The occasional day out helping at the school makes me feel like I'm contributing something more.It's not that I think being a mother isn't important, of course I do, but somedays it can be rather...unfulfilling. There are other words I could use to explain just how much I (love) what I do every day, but those can wait for another day.

Day 1

Already I feel like i'm at a loss.
I am awkward. I am a homebody, simply because I have a hard time being myself in a group of people. It's not that I don't like people, I do, but for some reason I have a hard time believing they will like me as well. So I end up not being myself. Even putting it in words here, I keep hitting backspace.
"What if someone reads it and judges me?" Seems a silly thing to worry about, no?
I try so hard to be as I am, without worrying about how everyone else sees me.

Words

I used to write.
Poems. Journal entries. Feelings scribbled on the corner of a scrap piece of paper.
If I felt it, I wrote it down.
I can't remember the last time I did that. Even this blog is much neglected. I am older now, so I obviously don't carry that teen angst that demanded an outlet. But now I feel like I'm losing words. My life revolves around dishes and laundry and breaking up my kids fights.
Words which I could, at one time, fling about effortlessly are now a struggle to find.
Where I used to find joy and comfort with a pen and a blank piece of paper, I now find a struggle to pen more than a shopping list.
It's worse using a computer. It seems like the cursor is mocking me every time it blinks.
I am going to challenge myself.
For one week I will write here daily.
Even if I have nothing I will find words, I will type them out, I will click on publish.
I won't be afraid of the wrong words, of not enough words, or if other people will judge my words.
I will write.

Not much

I finally got in to a physical therapist for my sore shoulder. Amazing! I feel so much better. Even my mood is a little lighter. It's incredible the effect pain can have on you emotionally. It's only been a day, and I'm noticing a huge difference in range of motion. I can't wait till my next appointment.

It is f-f-f-freezing where I live. My kids are housebound and crazy. I have no desire to even open the curtains. I've doubled up on my vitD, and I'm using my daylight lamp. Hopefully the month will go by quickly.

I thought I left school yard cliques long behind

Do you know what happens to the "mean girls" from high school? They grow up, have kids, and become the "mean moms" in the school yard. If you don't drive the right SUV, or wear the right brand of yoga pants (yes, I'm generalizing), they give you the side eye as you walk past. I figured once I grew up that the cliques would be done with and that parents could just be pleasant with each other. Boy was I wrong.
I haven't felt this inferior since I was in school myself. Grade school moms can be right bitches.

Whatever. I'll continue to hold my head up and smile at people in the school yard no matter how small I feel. I don't want to see myself on their level.
If you can't beat them, join them? No thanks. I'll pass.

Brrrrrrrr

-30c. Seriously. How did humans survive this kind of crap before houses with gas furnaces? I totally understand why so many retirees go south for the winter. I was thisclose to keeping my oldest home from school today.

My husband bought toy guns for the kids this weekend. I was not pleased. I really don't like guns. I have never bought them for my kids. Even water shooter I try to stay away from guns and usually buy the spray stick.

My goal this year is to learn how to knit. I've been thinking of it for a while. Really, I just wanna make myself a hat.

I'm not really a bad cook

I am kind of frustrated today. I have been cooking baked beans for a day and a half, and they're still hard. Not impressed! I get so mad when I think I'm following a recipe properly, and I still manage to mess up. I'll probably end up freezing them and cooking them more at a later date. I wonder if that'll just make it worse?

Oh My Goodness! I am mesmerized by TLC tonight. 600lb Life, Hoarding... It's like driving past an accident. I just can't look away. Although every time I watch these shows it inspires me to watch my eating and get rid of junk. That's a good thing, no?

I'm getting sick of this -25c crap. This time of year I start to look forward to spring. I need to be pro-active this year. March is always such a hard month for me.
I've got my sunshine light, and I should really remember to take my vitD every day.
Also sleep!

I am digging these guys
This too

Also, Family Guy. So good, but soooo bad.

My sewing is (poorly)done.

I have a seven year old's party to plan. I have no idea what I should do to entertain them. Games? Playing in the snow? Ugh. Well at least I have a week to figure it out.

I way overused my sore shoulder today. Now I can barely move. It'll be nice once this heals.
I play words with friends, and one of the random people obviously uses a word program. Blech. What's the point of your high score if you're not using your own brainpower.
I should be sewing a pocket on a coat right now, but I really don't feel like it.

My worst enemy is food

If you don't believe food addiction is a real thing, you're wrong. I love/loathe food, whether I'm hungry or not. I get cravings like I did for cigarettes.
At least there was a patch for that.
I'll eat anytime. If I'm happy, if I'm bored, if I'm emotional. I have stuffed myself so full and painfully that I would need to throw up. I have taken classes on nutrition and coping with cravings. But it is so hard. To quit a drug or alcohol dependence, you can stay away from your vices. That doesn't work for me, every day I still have to put food into my mouth just to survive. There lies my problem. Once I make my first bad choice of the day, I feel like I can't stop.
So here is my commitment to myself.

• I will try to be more conscious of my food choices
• I will stop eating when I'm full
• I will not hate myself if I slip 

I have a pulled muscle in my back and a cold. Coughing hurts. A lot. And so, I am covered in Tiger Balm. We've been invited to the in-laws for dinner, but I think I'll stay home. I don't want to share my germs. I think my husband can handle the kids for a couple of hours.

Well I started a blog almost two years ago. And then I stopped. I haven't had any inspiration or direction, and quite often I really don't find myself interesting.
So here's to a new start and random thoughts.