The show wipeout is back for its second season and I am very happy. I really enjoyed this show last year and this year is doing its best to keep up the greatness. Wipeout is a gameshow/obstacle course that is nothing like anything else on t.v.

Basically it starts with 24 people, the 12 best times make the next round, and 6 make the third. The final round is attempted by the top four of the third round and usually only one or two complete it. All of these challenges are done on the same day and by the end the contestants are usually pretty exhausted. The best part is watching the intelligence challenged contestants “wipeout” on the extremely difficult courses.

They have two extremely cheesey but funny commentators and a field reporter that interviews the contestants. This show is very funny if you like people falling or people making fun of said people. I enjoy having something new to watch in the summer when most other shows are in their off season.

I think one of the best things you can do to preserve your family memories is take lots of pictures, lots, and lots of pictures. I have never been very sentimental but I love going back and looking at pictures of my kids.

I remember back to when my oldest daughter was born, she only weighed 1lb 13oz and could literally fit in my hand. I was so scared and worried for her; the nurse took my wedding ring and put it over her wrist like a bracelet. Seeing all four of my quads together in the same crib and the first time I realized they were ALL mine. There is something about seeing the memories rather than just thinking about them that makes them more vivid.

I think we have about 5 or 6 thousand pictures of our kids and family as a whole. We also have some video but it is harder to be spontaneous with the video camera. I think that I am only this way with my kids and wife because I still don’t give a crap about old pictures of me and my family growing up.

You want your teenager to be safe while they’re behind the wheel. This is especially true when the weather turns bad. You may be thinking about ways of teaching your teenager to drive in bad weather.

It’s normal for teenagers to actually learn how to drive in driver’s education classes. There is a lot, however, that can’t be covered during the short amount of time they have to actually drive during class. One of those things is how to drive in bad weather. This task is often learned by doing.

There are some things that you can do to teach your teen to drive in inclement weather.

* Before leaving on any trip check the car to be sure there is enough gasoline to get to the destination and ensure the other fluids are at an appropriate level. Clean the vehicle of all snow and ice, especially on windows and side view mirrors.

* Reduce the air level in the tires if there is a lot of snow or ice. This will allow the car to have more surface grip on the ice or snow.

* Take a look at the weather for the trip and have a particular route planned. They should also let family know about the trip in case they are postponed due to weather.

* Ensure that their cell phone is fully charged before leaving so they can contact you if needed.

* Never drink alcohol while driving, and definitely not when the weather is bad.

* Be sure the headlights are on. A good rule of thumb is to turn on your headlights any time windshield wipers are needed. Using headlights will improve your visibility and will allow other drivers to see you.

* During the winter months, every car should have an ice scraper with a brush under the front seat. Keeping de-icer in the car is also a good idea. The windshield wiper fluid should also be topped off before leaving on any trip during bad weather.

* While driving in snow or on ice, leave more space than in clear weather. Three to four car lengths, or more, would be a good idea since snowy circumstances could cause the car to take more space to stop.

* Don’t slam on the brakes. Gently push the brake pedal and steer into a slide should it happen.

* Be sure to clear any snow or ice out of the tail pipe. A clogged tail pipe could cause sickness or even death from carbon monoxide poisoning.

* Avoid crossing bridges or overpasses if at all possible. Remember that these structures will freeze before the roads will and can often be closed if conditions warrant it.

When teaching your teenager to drive in bad weather you may want to show them these hints. Of course, there are other instructions you may want to give, but these are a good start.

Hi I am here to say that I am a hypocrite and am very ashamed of it. I worked for Wal Mart for a little over 7 years and was involved in all levels of management. I got to see how bad the company is run and that they treat their “associates” like tools rather than people. I truly believe Sam Walton was a great man and ran the company with class and respect; it’s the bozos’ that run it now that are screwing it up.

My issue is that I still shop there for the things I can’t buy online or in a bulk store like Sams Club, another Wal Mart owned store. There are not many options for shopping in our area and the ones that are here are too expensive or just scary. Wal Mart is so much cheaper than anywhere else and we are on a pretty tight budget. The grocery stores that can beat Wal Mart on price have in my opinion questionable products for sale and I won’t risk going to sub generic products with my kids, only the best generics for them.

So every two to three weeks I hate myself a little more as I drive to one of the alters of the department store gods and give them a little more of my soul.  I wish I either knew less about Wal Mart or had a different option for shopping.

If you have children you’re probably used to hearing someone ask “Mom, where’s my homework?”, “Mom, have you seen my new shoes?” and so on. No matter how often you tell your family to put their things back when they’re done with them, it seems they still end up missing. Make your morning run smoothly by having a morning routine for yourself and for your family.

Actually, you can start your morning routine the night before. Set out your clothes before going to bed and you’ll be that much closer to being ready in the morning. Find any accessories you need and make sure your clothes are ready to wear including knowing where both shoes are.

In the morning, you can get up without having to try to figure out what to wear. You can take your time showering because you have part of your morning tasks done. Go ahead and have a leisurely breakfast; your routine helps make your morning run smoothly.

Do what you can the day or the night before. Having a meal plan will help make your day run smoother by knowing ahead of time what you’ll be eating.

After you have dressed and eaten breakfast, start making your children’s lunches. Check your meal plan for dinner and see if there’s anything you need to take out of the freezer for dinner. Perhaps you can put part of your meal into the crock pot so you’ll have dinner at least started for the evening.

Check your child’s backpack to be sure all of their homework is in it. Were there any permission slips that you had to sign the night before? Be sure your child knows where the permission slip is so they can return it to their teacher.

Start a load of laundry if you have time. When you get home in the evening, put the laundry in the dryer and you’ll have less to do on the weekend.

Do you have a family calendar? Are there appointments you need to be aware for the day? Does your child have band or sports practice? Will you need to pick them up? Looking over your calendar before leaving each morning will help you be prepared for what each day holds.

Each day when you return home, put your keys in your purse and your purse in the same place. This one act can you save a lot of time because you won’t be searching for lost keys.

The old saying says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach yourself and maybe your family some. If you create your own morning routine, your day will run smoother. Perhaps watching how easy your morning is will make the rest of your family decide to create their own morning routines, too.

What is that burning smell? Oh, it’s just my face!

That was the thought I had running through my head when I recently used my burt’s bees blemish stick.  Normally I am a huge fan of the BB products.  Not in this case.

Had I researched the ingredients beforehand, I would have known to put this product down and walk away.  It contains tea tree oil, which I have chewed on before (toothpicks) and it tastes exactly as if a pine tree had taken a crap in your mouth.

Now why would I want that on my face?!?  Aside from all of that – the container was messy and the contents were very liquidy, so calling it a blemish stick is not real accurate.  It didn’t get rid of my blemish, it simply created dry flaking skin all around the blemish.

For what I paid for the blemish stick, I could have gotten 6 tubes of the Burt’s Bees chapstick that I dearly love.  Next time I will do just that.

Last week all my kids got a stomach virus and it was just about too much for me to handle on my own.  It started on Monday of last week when my youngest daughter started randomly throwing up any time she ate. Usually she chose my lap to deposit her rejected meal. After a few hours she began getting diarrhea so bad it was leaking thru her diaper and clothes. She acted fine and was drinking fluids so I decided not to take her in yet.

Around midday the other three started getting real bad diarrhea the same as their sister. Just like little sis’ they acted O.K. and were drinking well so I decided to wait on taking them in to the doctor. I called my wife because I had changed like 10 outfits by 3:00 and wanted my wife to feel bad for me. My day alone with sick kids ended with my daughter  pooping through her outfit once again, when I picked her up to check her diaper she threw up all over the front of me, I got up and changed her again.

I came back into the living room where my other kids were and sat down in the chair to try and relax a little. My son came up to me and wanted in my lap to play with me, I picked him up and we sat there and played for a while. One of the games we were playing was he sticks his hand in my mouth and I play bite his hand, he loves it. I have never had a very good sense of smell and it took me a minute to notice a foul odor coming from my sons hands. I pulled them out of my mouth to investigate and realized his hands were covered in poop. Upon further investigation I realized it was all over him, he had been digging in his diaper and spreading the wealth. I didn’t know what to clean first, I decided to clean him first then wash my mouth out about 400 times with mouthwash and brushing my teeth. I called my wife once again and turned in my resignation, she later talked me out of it.

I decided that I was going to try going to college while I was home with the kids. I would like to go back to work after my kids are old enough and don’t need me home all the time.  This whole scraping by on one income is pretty tough and would like to one day have money again.

My wife gave me the idea when I was debating on going back to work at all. There are grants to help pay for college and many different career choices for someone in my position that needs a flexible schedule. I would most likely go back to work on a part time basis until I see how much I can do without interfering with the kids.

They have many courses you can do online and don’t need to go into an actual classroom. You do need to go report in and do tests for some classes but not all, according to my friend that is currently enrolled full time in online college. I could go into the medical field or possibly a tech class of some kind. Both fields are flexible in scheduling and pay well. I think it is a good idea to try and use my time at home when my kids are in bed or when my wife is home to my advantage. If I do have to go back to work I might as well go back to a job I am happy with that doesn’t get in the way of my family.

As work-at-home moms, we often feel the need to work long hours because we’re at home all day and often face interruptions. We know we need to tend to the children, the home, and our husbands, but we have to work, too. But all work and no play can make mom a dull mommy.

Instead of spending all of our waking hours doing what needs to be done –cooking, cleaning, taking care of the family, and working — we need to realize that our children need us to pay attention to and have fun with them. Here are some ways you can make time for family and have fun in the process.

Gather your family together and talk about how you’ve been spending so much time being “busy” that you haven’t been able to spend quality time with them. If you feel like you need to, apologize to everyone and let them know you want things to change.

Ask your children what activities they miss doing with you. Maybe you used to play board or card games with them before you got busy. They may miss the fun of building with building blocks or making clay creatures. Ask them; they’re sure to have suggestions.

Can you set aside one day a week for family fun activities? Maybe your family used to go camping when your children were younger and they really miss that. It may be that you truly can’t leave for a long weekend to go camping, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy camping in your own back yard. If it’s too cold, you may be able to pitch a tent in your living room and camp inside.

Plan a night to watch movies together. Let the children pick the movies out and try to enjoy them no matter how corny they may seem to you. If you don’t think you’ll enjoy the movie, watch the children instead. They’ll probably be funnier than the movie anyway.

Be sure to eat meals together. This one activity can do wonders in keeping your family connected. Enjoy the time you have together and let each person talk about their day. Listen to each child and you may be surprised at what you hear.

Start making plans for a special vacation during the summer. Brainstorm ideas of where you might be able to go or what you may be able to do closer to home. Discuss ways you can have fun without spending an entire month’s salary. List places you’d like to visit or things you’d all like to do, then make plans to enjoy yourselves.

When you work long hours or are always busy at your home, whether you have a home business or not, it may seem that all you do is work. Your children miss you and probably think that all work and no play make Mom a dull Mommy. Take time today to find ways to reconnect with your family and have fun with them.

Having a “Hannah Montana” birthday celebration for our almost six-year-old daughter coming up in June, my husband and I (ok, just me) have been on the lookout for Rock Star friendly clothing to wear at her party.

The idea is, she is going to dress as Hannah Montana and everyone else who is coming to the party can dress as their favorite rock star as well.  Her four younger siblings are simply going to wear t-shirts their grandmother bought for them that state “Future Rock Star”…she bought them off of some lady on Ebay that makes them.  I plan on doing a different colored mohawk for each of her siblings for added effect.

One never knows what people will think of a themed party where participation is expected.  I put it right on the invitation – come dressed as your favorite rock star.  We plan on having a tub of clothing, makeup, and colored hairspray for any attendees who do not comply.  They will be tied down and punked against their will!  We have a pretty fun family and friends, so I think most will come all decked out.

My parents have decided to come as hippie rockers.  I can’t wait.  My dad wearing bell bottoms is probably one of the least embarrassing things he’s done over the years – I’m sure he’d say the same about me.

What I found interesting is all the different places that people chose to come up with their costumes.  I keep getting play by play updates from those that are planning on dressing up.  They are using old halloween costumes, consignment shops, Ebay, goodwill, and some are even making their own from items around the house.  A certain amount of us already look like the tattooed, pierced, ripped jeans wearing variety on a daily basis so this party won’t be a stretch for some.

Whatever means are used to compile the outfits, one thing is for sure, we will all have a good time shopping for the outfits and will all be asking the same question – “Wherever did you get that?”