Monday with Mary Margaret

So recently I won a goody package over at {{Kaye Kaye's Blog}} and scored all of this:

How cool is that?!?!?! (by the way, check out the upper left corner of the magazine... Yes. Yes she totally DID accidentally mail me her key FOB! hahaha!)

BUT... here is the thing I cherish the most from the package:

Yep... it's a letter from Butler Manor's very own teenager Mary Margaret. To her I am the crazy, funny lady that blogs. This child, knowing that I have been through heartache a time or two, sent me a list of her "Rules for Dating". Seriously, this chica could have her own talk show; totally cracks me up.

Please fasten your seatbelts and keep all hands and legs inside until this ride has come to a complete stop. Here we go....!

Mary Margaret's Rules for Dating:

1) He has to be a good person...doesn't matter if he is fat or ugly, tall or short. It only matters for who he is.

2) NEVER let a guy say you need to lose weight. And if he doesn't like you for who you are, he is no good.

3) Never EVER let him say perverted things to you or your parents or about them. It's just so wrong; he is no good.

4) The best kind of birth control is to put an aspirin between your knees and hold it.

5) If you find out he's cheating, he is no good.

6) Guys should ALWAYS pay so you won't be broke.

7) Make SURE you got a guy that brushes his teeth.

8) Slow dancing is a plus :)

9) CUTE! (wait... what happened to #1? tee hee)

10) Funny -- he must be worth hanging out with! =D

Love you!
Mary Margaret


Quite frankly, I think she's got this nailed down, don't ya think? Kaye Kaye, you've done a great job with her! Thanks again for the goodies!!! :)

Gettin LUCKY Can Be Magically Delicious!

I posted this on my FB page last Friday and one of my friends said I should post it on my blog too. I was like, "What the Hay?"... so, sorry for those of you who have already seen this...
______________________


So whaddya do when it's like 10:19pm on a Friday night and you have no date, you left your "friend's" house early cuz he has to go to bed so he can like get up at the crack of dawn (not that Dawn enjoys it either, teehee) and you've nobody to talk to cuz like all your other online friends have lives and your one neighbor is doing family stuff and the other one is out of town, and even your own children have better social lives as they are at slumber parties and camp, and you're starving, but it's too hot to cook cuz the dork that put the new motor in the evap cooler put in the wrong size so it doesn't really work properly, thereby reducing you to strip down to just your underwear and it's just too much of an effort to slap some clothes on to go through the drive thru? I mean really, what do you do (besides like write the world's most incredibly long, run-on sentence)??? Well, allow me to give you step-by-step instructions:

1) scour the pantry in search of marshmallows
2) place about 5 or 6 large marshmallows on microwave-safe plate and microwave about 15 seconds
3) as those are cooking, quadrupling in size, return to pantry and eye each shelf up and down until spotting the Lucky Charms, and ask yourself what could be better with marshmallows than more marshmallows?
4) begin to snicker...adding a little mischievous chuckle at the end
5) remove plate from microwave and pour a generous amount of Lucky Charms on top, stirring frequently, as if you were some crazy scientist mixing a potion, inducing more maniacal laughter, and possibly a snort.
6) decide that Tropical Punch Flavored Kool-Aid will help wash the mountainous marshmallow conglomeration down and make a pitcher of the stuff... forget the cup... no need to use manners. after all, you're alone and already in your underwear, right?
7) let out a brilliant, "Mwahahahahaha!", thereby inducing more giggles and snorts at yourself
8) grab camera phone and take pic for FB/Blog
9) in one hand carry pitcher, in the other hand the plate of marshmallowy goodness and return to bed
10) type with the few non-sticky fingers and journalize for everyone to witness how you just got... "Lucky"

What? You have any better ideas? Oh sure, there's that... you could just do something normal, like watch TV or read a book I suppose...

How-To Schedule Your Blog Posts

Ok, I've had a few questions on how to schedule blog posts, why I do it, and what are the benefits of doing it. So, here is a boring-but-informational blog post on the how-to's & why's of scheduling blog posts. Others have asked for ideas on formats for Blog Topics.


Keep in mind that I use blogger, so I only know how to do this for blogger. I know nothing about wordpress or other blogging sites out there.


When you are typing up a new post, notice just under the body of the text, on the left-hand side it says "Post Options". This is to the left of where you can input your "Labels for this post".

Click on Post Options. A drop-down menu will appear. You can change the option to allow readers to comment or not. You can also change when you would like this post to publish. You can even determine the time you would like it to publish.


If it is something that you are working on, but not ready to publish, simply click on the "save now" button. But if you have everything ready to go, select your date and time and click on "publish post".


Now go back to the "Posts" tab and click on "Edit Posts". You will see that your post is scheduled. Pretty cool, huh?


I always set mine to post at 12:01 am.


Now on to the Why's of scheduling posts. I can only answer this for myself. Here are the benefits to me for scheduling posts.


Thoughts/Ideas for good posts will come to me at random. I will start writing them and then click on "save now" to keep in draft form. It may take me several days for one post. On the other hand there are days when I get so many ideas, I have to start drafting them all so I won't forget. I use the weekends to work on, polish and refine my drafts. Then I can set them up to publish throughout the week. Then when the week arrives, I can sit back and enjoy reading and commenting on everyone else's blog. I really think this is a good method for those of us who like to blog a lot, but don't have tons of time during the day to devote to it.


For some people I know it helps to do certain themes certain days of the week. This helps them know what they want to post. For example, here are ideas some of my bloggy friends use in their blogs:


Monday - post about the previous weekend.

Tuesday - "Tuesday Tips" for household tips. or "Try it Tuesday" for new recipes. Another one does "Tackle-it Tuesday" and shows off her before & after pics of a home project, even if it is something simple like reorganizing a storage closet.

Wednesday - "Wordless Wednesdays" are just to post a simple photo you took or one that inspires you. Another friend does "Wednesday on a Whim" to post funny things she finds on the web.

Thursday - Funny...I don't think any of my bloggy friends have a Thursday theme. At least not that I can think of off hand. Perhaps a "Thinking Cap Thursday" where you discuss something that's on your mind.

Fridays - I have seen "Foto Fridays" "Festive Fridays" "Fun Fridays" and "Family Fridays."



I myself, don't really follow a theme because my thoughts tend to be more random than that. Anyway, good luck with your posts, and let me know if you like the scheduler. I know I do.

Proper Procrastination

What I Procrastinate

• Laundry


• Dishes


• Organizing the Storage Room(s)/Spaces


• Paperwork/Assignments


• Trimming the Rose Bushes


• Mowing the Lawn

Why I Procrastinate

• Laundry isn't fun...seems to multiply...and there is a sock monster that eats just one of every type of sock


• I do the dishes every other day...I hate "stationary" tasks


• Storage Areas...too overwhelming...


• I work best under pressure & deadlines.


• It's hot outside! And too many thorns!


• (see above) - It's hot outside! Besides, Mowing the Lawn is a "man's job"

How I Procrastinate

• I spend time with the kiddies - gotta do the mom thing!


• I "busy" myself with more important things...Recipe Club, Bunco Group, Stamp Camp, etc.


• I complete projects on a whim (hey! the side entry needed to be painted)


• I visit with friends and hone my social skills


• I read a little of that book my friend gave me a few months back. Don't want to offend her!


• I watch all the shows I have DVR'd in one setting


• I go walking.


• I work on Church assignments (I mean it's God, right?)


• I spend time with Big-D. (Can't help it -- he's addicting)


• I BLOG!!! (possibly the most important thing, after kids & my social life. Wait - maybe this IS my social life! - hehehe)

What I Never-Ever Procrastinate:

• Showering/Brushing Teeth/Personal Hygiene


• Spending money - If I ever have any, that is.


• Chatting with friends


• Answering emails


• Helping someone else with their projects (always more fun)


• Scrapbooking (only 5 mos behind, which I am told by other "scrappers" is NOT behind)


• Anything already mentioned above in the "How I Procrastinate" section


• Anything that sounds fun & exciting!!!

It's true. I am a self-proclaimed procrastinator! And you can be too, in just 4 simple steps! Cuz let's face it - Sometimes procrastinating is exactly the right thing to do right then and there.

1. Procrastinate without guilt! Seriously, if you're gonna spend your time bemoaning the fact that you're procrastinating, it takes all of the fun out of it - plus it's just plain exhausting! So if you're gonna whine, just do the blasted task to begin with, and get over it!


2. Become An A+ Procrastinator! If you're gonna procrastinate - do it right, give it your all, give it 110%


3. Make Procrastination a Personal Choice. Choosing to do something else is not failure; it's simply choosing to do something else.


4. Own it! When you are choosing to procrastinate - be willing to admit it! Don't make lame excuses! In fact, let those around you know what you're doing. This way, they will have lower expectations of you, and no one will be disappointed.

So, there! Procrastination is not bad in itself. Done right, it can even be a very rewarding experience! So, go ahead - pick something you don't want to do - and Procrastinate!!!

And, don't think I don't know what all of you over-achiever, anal-retentive, better-than-me moms are saying... "Sounds like fun! Maybe I'll start tomorrow."

Some people just gotta suck the life outta everything, don't they???