Let's get our groove on......

Christmas Ale Gift Basket - Holla!

Yep folks I am wondering once again this week were the holy carnation November went....Hello is that December peeking right around the corner trying to make me anxious because I need to start the yearly Christmas shopping.  

Regular shopping I love.  Christmas shopping stresses me out.  I have family located throughout the country and it is sometimes hard to figure out what everyone wants you know what I mean...right?  Every year it is the same old thing...What does Aunt Martha need?  What do I get the preschool teachers? How about the mailman? If you are having trouble trying to figure out a perfect gift for a perfect someone a gift basket is a great way to go!

With sooooo many gift basket website choices out there trying to figure out which one to go with can let's say be a bit....Mmmm overwhelming. So I am gonna tell you about THE place all the cool people go to when they are in need of some basket joy. The place is http://www.giftbasketsplus.com/. This gift basket website has everything you could possibly want and for whatever event you might need a gift basket for!  They have a fantastic user friendly website, top notch customer service team and my all time fav live chat support.  I mean really folks Gift Baskets Plus makes it easy breezy.   You can send out Godiva chocolate baskets, beer basket and my all time favorite the wine baskets...hello hubby are you reading this?

Ultimate Wince Cellar Basket
Oh My

My husband sends out corporate gifts to all of his clients and we are definitely going to be using Gifts Baskets Plus this year. Now - besides that their selection is top notch I am going to sweeten the deal by offering an exclusive 15 percent coupon for my readers...only. Use the following coupon code of 15OFF on any of their glorious baskets. So do your old pal here at Mommy Bags a favor and go check them out  - all you need to do is hit the below link.  Right over here....you see it....yep that is the one.

http://www.giftbasketsplus.com/

They are truly delivering happiness in a box. 

Ok dude buy yourself......

1/2 a man

a clue and quit the show if your sooooooo against what the damn show stands for. I am so sick of celebrities bitching about what they do and how HARD they have it. You all of a sudden find God or some kooky ass cult and then all of a sudden the people who have made them who they are today*fame, a shit load of money, praise ect...*are awful degenerates. Listen kid anyone who goes to Hollywood to become an actor/actress knows somehow how the hell this town works. It is full of slithering slummy snakes not truthful telling pure angels. It's like stars who do not want their pics taken by the paparazzi you know what people you know what you singed up for and it is part of your job. Just like commuting is part of "regular" folks jobs it comes with the territory. Yes -  are some paparazzi a little off the chain crazy...YES but you know this is part of the job you wanted and struggled to to get to for so many years. big I don't want to hear bitching about the big time movie/sitcom star money you make the power you hold,  the admiration you receive and the free shit you get! Be careful what you all wish for and STFU.

This kid is making 8 MILLION Dollars a year 8 MILLION dollars. You know what people can do with 8 MILLION dollars a year you little shit?  Do something with your time/money - go volunteer instead of biting the hand that feeds you on some lame ass 1/2 hour comedy that for some reason is still on TV. if the show is "ungodly filth" and it goes against your Christina faith as you said then leave the friggin show and say buh buh to your 350,000 weekly paycheck and all your perks. I see that you have not done this yet? Mmmmm not yet right? I think this is a ploy for him to get back at producers I heard through the rumor grapevine*I don't watch the show* that his role has been diminished this season and he is trying to stay relevant. Mmmm could this be why this video popped up out of the blue? Perhaps if this is all about faith then good for you I respect you for it but if this is the case take that huge ass paycheck you get from a filthy show and give it away?  I really hope you saved your money dude because you really do not want to end up like most of the young sitcom stars in the past..... selling their autographs for $20.00 a pop at local comic book trade shows. Can anyone say Kirk Cameron......

Turkey Hangover........

Goddang has it been almost 6 days since my last post...Holly hell! I guess time goes by when your still suffering from the dreaded turkey holiday weekend. It was allot of work but also allot of fun. My stomach took a wrong turn because of all the rich food - I keep to a very light diet during the week so all the turkey and stuffing made my stomach strike out on me....Maybe a little TMI but...oh.....well. Besides busting my balls during the pre and day of Thanksgiving festivities we got slammed with the cold from hell in the house. Why... because that is the kind of shit that happens when you already have a shit load to do. I am sitting at my keyboard this morning, dripping away and looking at my daughter as I keep asking her if she is feeling OK? -  because the last thing I really want to do this morning is to get out of my comfy mommy jammies to drive her to preschool but I need to do it because the little munchkin needs to have her run around time even though mommy looks like hell and feels like baby diarrhea. All I want to do is curl up on the couch with a cozy comforter and drift off into a NyQuil slumber until my nose stops running. I had the day to get better yesterday but when you have a toddler around the casa their is no way you can rest the way you need to rest to get the sickies to go away.  I felt this bitch coming almost a week ago*besides that everyone I know as it*  I tried to fight it with every type of vitamin I could but the little bugger found my anyways it just gave me enough courtesy to wait until after Thanksgiving and just before my MIL left. I got a call from hubs this am and he to is coming down with it. Wooopppppieeeee

As you all I know I HATE being sick it is time consuming,  takes me off my work out schedule and makes me feel like a total blob. I hate lying around with no energy I am not built for it. And as I have said before when mommies get sick everything around the house comes to a stand still and nothing gets done. Not that my husband does not help but does not get done the way it should be done...in my eyes.  Plus he is tired from work and I don't want to ask him to do it.  I am going to drop my little one off for a few hours and see if I can get to the grocery store....maybe or just get home and get some rest before I have to leave the house again to pick her up. God where did all my energy go? Who sucked it through this vortex of sickness....God germs I really hate you...you...little assholes.

Peace lovely ladies and gents....Off to check out all the blogs that I have not been able to catch up on last week.

Tis the Season part II.....`

So as you lovelies out in BloggyLand know that this time of year in some cases cause me some anxiety. Not only do I have past flashbacks of when I used to work in retail but I had to have the holidays shoved down my throat as early as August when it came to the planning and merchandising our departments. So to say the least I have a really really bad taste in my mouth from Thanksgiving to after New Years.  I take a break from in store shopping during the month of November until the end of December. I do all of my shopping online during this time except for the grocery store.. Maybe it is because I am getting older and huge crowds bug the shit out of me. Or is it perhaps is that the stores get so over packed with shitty Xmas merchandise that as soon as I walk into the store it gets hard to breath. You would think that after all these years friggin Macy's would chill out on the thousands of ugly Xmas sweaters but obvi. someone out there is buying this crap in order for it to be ordered year after year.

What also gets me this time of year is the shitty customer service that some stores have. It is unbelievable that some people still hold jobs in this country. When I worked retail*and walked 11 miles in the snow* the shit that passes for customer service today would have never flown at our stores. Your ass would have been canned right then and there. I broke the cardinal rule of not going into stores during this time of year and got myself f8cked twice in 10 days. We needed a new fridge, went to buy new fridge at major appliance electronics company - *Starts with a letter B and ends with a letter B*.  Bought fridge#1, fridge#1 delivered nice delivery people did not fit even though I gave the employee measurements and reassured  us it would fit. I kind f had a melt down but not a big deal the delivery company was awesome and helpful and gave a shit. So not a huge deal.  Bye bye fridge #1

Go back to same friggin appliance store *dumb ass* bought another fridge was never told in store that the delivery people could not install the refrigerator at time of delivery.  WHAT THE F*CK???? What kind of company sells appliances only to have delivery people not able to set up the fridge. Are you friggin kidding me?  This was yesterday afternoon when I found this little fact out while my delivery person was extremely unhelpful and rude all he kept saying to me is that I needed to call this number . It would have helped that is I was sent a delivery person that spoke a little bit of English. There was no way for me to communicate with him because he did not understand what I was saying. I am not being rude here I am just stating a fact. this due was RUDE from the time  I answered the door I knew we were going to have a problem with him. I just got the I don't give a shit vibe you know the one I am talking about the one were is goes - I am only doing this job because I have to and I really don't give a shit that my whole days schedule has been based around this 4 hour delivery window. OH and you have all your food in an ice cooler ...Whatever! I was happy*at this point* I was getting my new fridge finally.

Oh yeah and during the time while I was trying to communicate in Italian hand signals I was also trying to prep for turkey day, running after toddler, keeping the dogs back from going after the delivery  person while on the phone with said company customer service department to try and figure out what the hell went wrong.  I would have NEVER purchased a refrigerator if I knew that it could not be installed by the delivery service. It was the worst day I have had in a long ass time the bitch driver made me cry and NO ONE makes me cry*ok maybe a few tings but not people I don't know* I was so over it took my awesome neighbor to calm me down and he decided to speak with them as much as he could communicate with them but he too had a hard time with it. We finally decided they were not the worth the hassle and refused the refrigerator.   I popped yesterday afternoon. I was DONE with shitty customer service. I am telling you this is one of the main reasons I have turned to online shopping the customer service is just better and you can tell that some of the companies actually give a shit about you. The only bright light yesterday is when my daughter looked up at me*in between tears* she looked at me and said

"That is OK mommy.....I love you much." She gave me a huge hug....at that point nothing else mattered....

BB you can take your fridge and shove it!

Pffftttt.......

So this morning I woke up and watched the news which I really need to stop doing. As my blurry eyes begin to focus on the screen I am greeted with this news line and this LOvely shot.......

People are already camping out in front of stores to snag Black Friday deals

WTF

What the hell is wrong with this picture..... 4....4 friggin days away then people wonder why I have total bad taste in my mouth for this time of year because when I see shit like this is makes me crazy...The deals are NOT that great people they are not.....Do some homework and you can get the same shit on line for the same if not less expensive. This is the time of year where you should be enjoying your family not the local Best Buy.

Can someone please explain to me why...WHY????

Don't you love.....

the kind of reading material I have by my place of slumber....Mmmmmm makes you wonder. I am so damn happy that it is Friday. I am tired, irritable and ready to get this first part of the holiday season over and done with. I have learned this week that if I ever tried to become a hermit I would completely lose my shit. I have been taking care of my dad during the day (hip surgery) and been holed in the house with my toddler daughter, cranky dogs and an even crankier toddler. She has been away from her toys, her routine and her norm. Mom has been away from her gym, her norm and her sanity. If I watch one more soccer game and here one more Italian news caster I am going to scream. I love my dad now don't get me wrong but damn I just am not made for hanging in the house all day I am just not that person. I am an out and about type of chick.

The drive home from my dad in traffic is an hour with the rain add on a 1/2 hour it makes it for a very long ass day since I get here any time between 7-8 am and leave at 6:00.  I need to get ready for turkey day which in my house means major prep about 4 days worth. I guess I just need to bitch it out I really do not have many people I can talk to about this so it does feel good t vent on my blog once in a bit. I know it will get better I am not a hippy by any means but I am off to sniff some lavender essential oils to calm my ass down..

Peace and love bitches!

The favorite child.....

The obvious favorite in this family 

There are days that I think I should have had another little one right after GG being 40 when I had GG it seemed better that we stopped at one.......anyway we are convinced that GG was some sort of miracle that happened one dirty Las Vegas weekend.  In a way I am happy that I am raising an only child because I would never want me little one to go through the favorite child thing. Now I am no saying that all families participate in this "ritual" but being that I come from an super off the boat*and yes I can say this* Italian family it should not shock anyone that my brother was the favorite and I was and will always be the black sheep. Now this was not a huge problem between my dad and I but when it came to my mother my brother could do no wrong and even though I placed my life on hold for almost a year to help my dad take care of her when she was diagnosed with cancer I felt that I would never live up to how she saw my brother through her eyes. It was not my brothers fault he just happened to be born...male........ in an Italian family.

It was apparent to anyone who came around that my brother was king and I was not just being paranoid. Anything I did was never good enough. I always took care of myself when it came to looking for work and getting my resume ready for the field I one day dreamed of working in.  I got a part time job when I was 14 at the local mall to save money for a car and other fun stuff teenagers like to spend their pocket money on. I was never a huge school person I had too much energy to sit for an hour on math*I hate math and still do* and history my mind was of the creative sort I did well in art, design, and literature. I was not a sports person just was not my bag of beans I thrived in my merchandising and production classes.  I tried my very best to win my mothers approval but no matter how hard I tried I never got the pat pat on the back my brother would get on a daily basis. Some parents out there might think that something like this will not affect in years to come but it remains with you forever ...and today it still hurts. I remember when my mom used to tell me not to drink wine because it made you fat she did that because she knew that would sting always one for being paranoid of my weight this one hurt...I even went through a bout with eating issues a few years back because I felt that never was the image of what my mom wanted me to be.  To this day even with the working out, being healthy and going  I drink a glass of wine my moms voice goes through my head. My brother drank in front of her all the time and she never said one word to him. I can go on with the many double standards that used to go on in my home when it came to my brother but we would be here forever. Any other person out there who has gone through this knows exactly what I am talking about.

Maybe that is why during my high school years I decided f*ck it. I would become the black sheep that I was made to feel in my home. Follow the rules...Pfft you could take your rules and suck it. I made it a point to piss off my mom as much as I could. I got myself in allot of trouble, did not listen, the pop music became death metal, all about vampires to the max, the skirts went buh buy and scummy looking long haired dudes were my new passion....it was the 80's after all.  I wore black 24/7*that hasn't changed much* and just did not care anymore because no matter what I did I would never meet the "approval". To an old school Italian mom like mine this was the worst.  I guess this all vomited today because I am feeling overly sensitive about a few things and damn PMS does not help any, but in big part is that I saw this happening in front of me at a play ground the other day. You could totally see that the mother was favoring one of her kids more than the other you could see by her actions and by the way she spoke to them and I felt for the little one..... I really did because I know how it feels. I would have loved to look at that mom and say STOP..... don't....... because what you do/say to a child today could affect them for most of their lives.  I wish I could have told my mom how I felt before she past but things were so crazy during that time it would have been trivial ...I hope she knows that I was there for her when she needed my help and caring for her during such a painful time was an honor.

I just want her to know that her baby girl was not that tough and sometimes she just wanted to hear that you loved and were proud of  her......sniff....

The Raisin Ranch......

Hello all out in bloggy land I feel like I have not posted forever it has been 5 days since my last post and I have only gotten this little bit of time early this Monday morning to get shit down before I am headed right back out the door. To say that this time of  the year overwhelms me is an understatement it is f*cking bananas it some ways I do love it because I am an OCD planner and love to entertain but their are some days that all I want to say is f*ck it.  Because some other members of my family are quite not as organized I get shit for being a little too much......Oh well.   However based on my experience you can never be too organized when it comes to planning shit out it always works out better in the long run. I have been MIA for the last few days because we have been running around. My dad has is hip surgery on Thursday and this weekend was all about hospitals and moving him into a rehab center. Because lovely insurance companies suck dick and some of them are having raisin farm turned into 1/2 rehab center...So basically they are getting paid for two types of treatments...Shady Shady......Any how we dropped him of Sunday and I was  shocked I mean shocked at this location. I am not being mean here but their were about 10 really really bad looking i mean they almost looked dead on wheelchairs just sitting there drooling I know this is life but I felt like I was in the twilight zone. This is a hard place for my dad to be in.   My dad is 71 and an interdependent and go get em kind of dad this place is not for him. When I walked in I turned to my husband and told him to throw me down a flight of stairs before putting me in a place like that.  My dad made it through one night he called this morning and told us to get him the f*ck outta there. My bro is now heading over there to get him home therapist said he is doing well enough that he can do the therapy at home in his own bed and home.

So to say the least it has been a pretty crazy weekend. With Thanksgiving prep, clean up and having my lovely awesome MIL in town it is is going to be a crazy week and half. My schedule is super packed even more packed than usual and I am having a hard time keeping up....OM Gawd this post was supposed to be done by 6:30 am based that I am posting at 2:36 PST shows you what kind of day it has been so far....Peace

The 3 hour...

window. As I was getting ready yesterday morning to leave my casa I was thinking.......Wow I a pretty impressed with MB today and getting showered, made up and dressed  in 45 minutes flat. It got me thinking to the days when it would take me two plus hours to get ready for work and the ol mighty 3 hour window to get ready to go out and party. What could I have possibly been going to get ready take that damn long to get ready to go out? I mean half the time we were hanging out in dive bars and dark clubs. What the hell? What was this ritual that had me take so long to get ready to go out? I guess now instead of being in front of customers selling/doing my fashion thing and socializing my balls off I am running around after a toddler and a bunch of dogs. Oh...let's not get it twisted even though I live in lululemon pants and work out gear my shit is still tight. I make sure that my work out apparel is all matched bag and all.  I used to be a sweats/Metallica t shirt kind of gal when hitting the gym  but when I finally lost all of the baby weight and then some I decided since I am working out 4-5 days a week I needed to step it up a notch. So off to lululemon I went. I must say I felt better about what I looked like when I stepped in the gym and it gave my self confidence a boost to keep busting ass....resulting in another 12 pound loss this month - working another 12 and then I will be good - Hubby is all about JLO booty so he wants to make sure it stays there...I just gave it a major lift with the elliptical mania I have been on lately. I really need to give my self a rest my wrists are beginning to feel the pain but damn my calves are looking good....

When my hubby first met me he was shocked at the amount of make up I spackled on my face....*Keep in mind these were the 90's all about Chanel Vamp make up and I was wayyyyy into vampires before this whole Twilight thing hit...blah* so I was doing my thing. Between the take off work make up, put on night make up and going through my wardrobe a million times it would be way over 2 hours and I would be ready to rock n roll. My hubby did not mind because at that time in our lives we lived above a night club and we knew all the bartenders/doormen and owners of establishments in the area so he would be downstairs drinking away while I was upstairs rubbing baby powder on my legs in order to get my tight ass leather pants up my body....Oh the good ol days. I am kind of glad that life as gotten allot less work/party hectic and allot more hang out and relax with some vino and a good set of friends way I am so glad my skin is getting the time to heal from the damage I caused it in the 90's and early 2000's. I guess I have just gotten a whole lot more comfortable with myself as a person and as a woman.

Hubby and I sit down and wonder how we made it through that burning the candles at both end time of our lives. One thing we always say and agree on is...Thank the Lord that FACEBOOK was not around during our party days.....Amen to that......

Ya bitch I work......

It might not go into an office job 9-5 kind of job yes I am a stay at home and no matter how may times people like to think we sit home and eat f*ckin bon bons and scratch our asses all day what we do is work because it never stops and I can never punch out and leave my shit at the office. I am tired of some working moms{and yes I know it is hard to be a working mom} thinking that we home bound mothers do nothing all day because we are "at home all day". Today I almost lost it when an annoying ass mother I didn't even know decided to give me her 2 cents at a random store that I can no longer remember because she irritated me so much. WHo the f*ck do you think you are lady? OK so your a working mom I get it - it's hard but can we get off OMG I am so much better than you mentality because I go to an office everyday and do the mommy thing.  It's not what she said that bothered me but how she said it. Oh yeah it went something like this  - "Of course you would have time to bake your a SAHM".  With this smug little attitude that you can only find in the area I live in this great city of mine.

We both work hard, we don't get a break it is a 24/7 sometimes thankless job and sometimes it sucks.  But it does not make me angry that some mothers think that just because we are at home we hang out all day  work out and drink wine during play dates.  Some people like to think it is easier to be home then going  to work and I have done both of the spectrum and let me tell you either way it is tough. I went through a big should I or should I not go back to work after GG was born. Keep in mind I was a worker bee had worked since the age of 14 and I loved it. After much con and pro I decided that since I was not going to have more than one child and the cost of daycare/nanny would not be worth my time/stress of work I decided to stay at home. Now let's keep in mind that when I had GG I was 40 so I had worked that whole time I had savings and a husband who takes care of me and GG in an awesome beautiful way...I am fortunate and count my blessings everyday. Excuse the babble maybe I was suffering from Halloween craziness but it bothered the shit out of me.

Instead of us mothers uniting together we tear each other apart and have turned it into a bad Godzilla movie mother vs. mother.

AUUUUUUGGGHHHHH

There I now feel better....Wusa