Confession: I love duct tape

Posted by Beth Gasser on February 24, 2010 5 Comments

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I love duct tape.

I’m probably the only mom on the planet who keeps milk, eggs, bread, diapers, and duct tape on her grocery list. I simply must have duct tape in the house at all times.

Today I used duct tape to fix my daughter’s doll stroller. The seat kept slipping off, causing her to scream and ask me to fix it about a dozen times a day. I finally grabbed the duct tape and fixed it for good. No, I don’t think it looks tacky. I think it looks creative and frugal. Why dump a toy in the landfill, when my daughter plays with it constantly and it can be fixed for pennies?

011 Last week I duct taped my mailbox. Yes, you heard me correctly. After the last snow storm, the snow plow hit our mailbox and broke the 4×4 inch thick post in half. Since the bottom half was cemented in three feet of solid snow and ice, there was no removing it for repair. I didn’t feel like standing on the road in the ice with power tools. With the box sitting in the snow bank, the mail lady wasn’t able to deliver our mail. So I did the next best thing. I duct taped the two halves together. It is holding up great!

What have you duct taped lately?

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Confession: I Used My Kids Money for McDonalds Happy Meals

Posted by Jeni on October 12, 2009 4 Comments

Is it right to make the kids pay for their own Happy Meal??

I can’t believe I’m actually confessing this to strangers. But other moms have done this, right?? I’ve dipped into the kids birthday/Christmas money envelopes to help pay for Happy Meals at McDs. (I have to stress I’ve only done this once.) Hey, times are tough, mom runs out of money, and for the sake of the family’s sanity we needed to get out! It technically is food for them and therefore could be paid for with their money. Will they ever notice the missing $3? Probably not, but the guilt is horrible. What kind of mommy makes the kids pay for their own meal? Why aren’t I creative enough to make a fun meal and find a fun activity to keep us occupied? Am I a bad mother because I can’t do these simple things….AND I make my kids pay for it?

OK, enough. I have to stop beating myself up about it. All moms reserve the right to loose their head from time to time and do something stupid, expensive, unnecessary or unfair. We’re only human. Besides, I’ve never duct taped my kids to the floor, left them on the side if the road during a backseat squirmish, or “forget” to pick them up at school (as tempting is it might be). So maybe grabbing a few bucks from their rainy day funds isn’t so bad.

This is a guest post by Jeni, a mom friend. Jeni has “Weddings by Jeni” and you can visit her on Facebook by clicking here or Jeni is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jenihemingson

Filed Under: Confessions of a Mom | Tagged: Tagged With: Confessions of a Mom, mc donalds, mcdonalds

Confession: I love Bollywood movies

Posted by Beth Gasser on July 7, 2009 3 Comments

What’s Bollywood movies you say? Well, let me have the honor of introducing you to India’s version of Hollywood. I must confess that I believe that India makes some of the best love story movies I’ve ever seen. What makes these movies so special? Well, first of all, they are predictable. They almost always have a happy ending, the people you want to “be together” actually end up together (no stupid creative crap that makes you feel sad at the end), and they are filled with humor.

The best part though? Dancing! Every Bollywood movie I’ve ever seen from Epics to Comedy to Love Stories involve spontaneous bursts of singing and dancing. It’s great! It’s like watching Grease, Hair Spray, or HSM movies. If SlumDog Millionaire was the first Indian movie you’ve ever watched (it actually was more Hollywood than Bollywood) then you noticed that the end scene when they FINALLY dance was fun, catchy, and uplifting. That’s the way most movies are when made in Bollywood.

You’ll quickly start to recognize famous Indian actors and actresses who often land the lead roles. I have my favorites. You do need to read subtitles, but it’s often a mix of Hindi and English. I often joke that I’m learning to speak Hindi from watching so many Bollywood movies (I actually do recognize some now). And here’s an added bonus: There isn’t anything in ONE Bollywood movie that I wouldn’t let my kids watch. Yeah, some story lines are over their heads, but Bollywood is VERY careful not to show sex and violence like Hollywood does. I read an entire two hour Bollywood movie about soccer to my kids, which they LOVED.

Here’s a quick list of a few:

Monsoon Wedding (watch this one first; it’s in English. If you love it like I did, then continue on)

Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam

Dil Chahta Hai

Chalte Chalte

Filed Under: Confessions of a Mom | Tagged: Tagged With: bollywood, bollywood movies, Confessions of a Mom

Confession: I’m 60% made of Ibuprofen

Posted by Beth Gasser on June 29, 2009 3 Comments

Remember Nuprin? “Little, Yellow, Different” I do! That commercial and product had a profound effect on who I am today. Then came Advil and good ole generic Ibuprofen. I wonder how much ibuprofen I’ve consumed in my lifetime? I rely heavily on this magical wonder drug sent from heaven above. It is such a great pain reliever and because its generic form is so affordable, we keep a large bottle in our house. I keep a smaller one in my purse, and a mini-sized one ready in our travel luggage. I am certainly not addicted to it, but rely heavily on having a supply readily available. Remove my supply, and well, I’m likely to get cranky. I am the type of person who feels better just knowing it’s in the cupboard.

I have been known to take a couple in anticipation of pain such as going to the doctor or dentist for a procedure, or simply a long car ride with three kids. Ibuprofen preference (that’s what I’m calling it) runs in my family. Attend a family event and declare you have a headache. No less than4 people will whip out pill cases containing IB (our loving nickname), like cowboys in westerns draw their guns. I figure that since I’m in my late 30′s, I’m probably 60% Ibuprofen. The other 40% is chocolate, wine, cheese, and coffee respectively.

Filed Under: Confessions of a Mom | Tagged: Tagged With: advil, confession, Confessions of a Mom, ibuprofen, mom, nuprin

Laughing and Connecting on Facebook: Join Us

Posted by Beth Gasser on April 10, 2009 2 Comments

Laugh. Often. Share. Much. Live. Happy. Join us on Facebook and connect with the other moms who frequent this site. Post pictures, video, humor, links, comments, and read the latest news updated daily. Everyone is welcome to post pictures, discussion topics, funny videos, great links to who-knows-where, and just about anything else you think another mom might enjoy on Facebook. The sky is the limit!