Gecko Girl (aka Cricket)

New things coming...

2008-06-26T20:54:00.002-07:00

I am working on a new blog. One that I can customize and even get comments on. Stay tuned for the new site address when I am ready to share it!

OK...since you asked so nicely...here it is....lisaslaughingplace.blogspot.com. It is raw and new and nothing is on it yet but give me a little time and I will start blogging with a little more regularity.

Thanks for your patience. :c)

Comments working for now...

2008-04-27T10:49:00.003-07:00

Well...I am still frustrated by my inability to get my comments working using the upgraded templates but it is not something I have time to deal with anymore. I have reverted back to classic and made some other adjustments for the timebeing. So for now you have the ability back to leave comments.

Use them up...talk away...I want to hear from you since I have been forced to live in internet silence for so long. What's on your mind???

Lovesac Baby Lovesac

2008-04-21T12:16:00.005-07:00

Update..I have it and the shock is starting to settle so I will be back tonight to give you the skinny on the new Love in my life! Bare with me as my throat is scratchy from all the screaming and my legs are sore from all the jumping. :c) Tune in later for some fun pictures.

Great News....

The heavens have opened and the angels are singing. My Lovesac is set to arrive any day now!

You will all be the first to know when it arrives. Just listen for the ecstatic screaming outside and that will be me. Don't let the miles fool you...I promise you will hear me!

Isn't it pretty ---->

The Tech Don...

2008-03-29T22:13:00.003-07:00

UPDATE -- So, have gone over to visit them yet? They have some great reviews posted on phones, computers and more. Check it out and be sure to enter into the contest listed below if you haven't already. It ends tomorrow so get a move on it!

Hahaha! I finally found a site that feeds my inner geek and my inner nerd at the same time! the Tech Don looks like a mobster (a genre that fascinates me to no end...don't get me started) and talks about tech stuff via their web magazine which I love! Check it out.

The Tech Don is 1 month old and to celebrate they are giving away 3 laptops valued at $3,000 each. Oh count me in! They are giving away to 3 lucky lucky people their choice of some pretty impressive machines (excuse my drool).

The winners get to choose from:

A compact, ultraportable, lightweight 1.72 pound Toshiba Portege R500-S5004 that features a 12.1″display and it’s the world’s thinnest notebook. (small but seriously kick booty)

Their second laptop is for gamers. The Dell XPS M1730 has good looks and amazing performance.

And last but certainly not least (and I think my favorite) is a monster laptop, a portable entertainment center, a HP HDX with a 20.1″display. This big baby is really amazing. Although it’s not portable like a normal laptop (it weights almost 16 pounds) this HDX features a True HD 1080p display and more.

You seriously need to check these out so head on over (via my link above) and get to drooling on your own keyboard before you short mine out! What are you waiting for? Go. Shoo. Be gone. Oh and if you win remember to invite me over to break your knee caps and steal my new toy! Oops, there goes my mobster side (I tried to warn you). Sorry!

A Papasan Chair is the WORST! Get me a LoveSac Baby!

2008-03-24T20:51:00.005-07:00

Non-Sequiter of the day! Ok so I used to have a Papasan chair and while I admit they look cool the truth is that they suck for those of us who are not "coordinated" and graceful. Those of you who know me know that while I may portray the beauty and grace of a ballerina in my mind I in all reality I am about as graceful as a Rhino. Especially when it comes to stairs. Suffice it to say, I have learned how to tuck and roll to save my head on the way down. Trust me here...it works!

At any rate, most of you may not know that my lack of grace also extends to furniture that is balanced precariously on a stand. Several years ago when I was an apartment dweller I owned such a piece of furniture. Long story short (too late) I had just gotten out of the shower, gotten dressed and put on my "pretty face" (make-up). I decided to settle into my Papasan Chair to enjoy a nice cold coke and a good book. I sat, pulled up my legs and proceeded to topple completely over in the friggin' chair. The soda hit the deck with me and then shot straight up into my face and up my nose. NICE! That chair was history. It wasn't that it just happened this one time, it was that this was something like my 7th or 8th time. WTFront Door???

What would have served me better then as well as now was/is a LoveSac. I have tried them at the mall and I love them. You could lose yourself in one and since it is on the ground I am much less likely to crash on my butt in one! Pingandwin is having a giveaway for one lucky person(read ME) to win a SuperSac and I really really want to win one. Head over to Ping and Win by clicking on the header above for the link and check it out!

Happy Adversary to Us!

2008-03-24T14:53:00.004-07:00

I am going to pat myself on the back a little today so you will have to indulge me.

What is my pat-worthy item you may be asking yourself?

Well, it is none other than my 12th Wedding Adversary which we are celebrating today!

Adversary??? Let me explain. We call it our Adversary because we believe that we are both worthy Adversaries of one another! We are constantly challenging one another and usually in good ways, though not always (it is marriage afterall and even a bed of roses is bound to have a thorn or two in the mix every now and then). But hey...a challenge is a challenge and like I said, he is a worthy adversary so I am honored to have been with him for so many years.

Another pat worthy note is that this year also marks our 17th year as a couple. That means that I have been with my husband for half my life. This is an accomplishment I am very proud of.

Always remember that I love you sweetie! Happy Adversary!

I do have another pat worthy anniversary to share and this one involves my 2 BFF's. We just celebrated our 1 year anniversary as friends. It is strange to think it has only been a year but we really just hit it off almost instantly and we have spent an untold and to be honest almost insane amount of time together since. We have slowly started to grow our trio and I think our newest additions are very complimentary to our dynamic so I am excited to see what the future holds for our little group. It really is a blessing to have such amazing and supportive friends and it is no small miracle that all of our kids get along famously. Whew!

So Happy Adversary to my BFF's B & H. I love you both.

Happy Easter To My Peeps!

2008-03-22T22:25:00.005-07:00

I wanted to wish you all a very Happy Easter!

We had a great time at the Mackey's 2nd Annual Easter Party & Egg Hunt! There were tons of people and a gaggle of kids but it all seemed to flow together with ease. No fights, few tears and lots and lots of laughter. That is what being with friends is all about!

Here are a few more cute pictures of Bailey in her Easter finery. Enjoy!

Ugh...Where are my comments????

2008-03-14T13:59:00.005-07:00

***UPDATE*** Being a constant button pusher (masher as my DH calls me) I knew I would eventually either stumble upon the answer or break Blogger completely as is my talent. Thankfully I fixed myself instead of taking down poor Blogger! Go me! :-)

However I lost all of my neat customizations in the fix so... :-( Back to the drawing board for now. Sorry...you will all just have to email me your comments until I can figure this out.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
This is so frustrating. My comments just up and disappeared on me and I cannot get them back. If you can help please send me an email because I am at a total loss now.

My programmer friends always came to me to test their software because I have this knack for breaking code without even trying. Looks like I am at it again!

H*E*L*P!!!

Update on Beauty to the RESCUE

2008-03-14T10:32:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to thank all of you who participated in the event and helped to make it such a success. We raised $13,000 for the cats and dogs in our system. Every penny raised at this event goes directly to the care and support of the many many homeless dogs and cats we have rescued from the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control Facilities here in the valley. These sweet little furry balls of love are waiting in our system for their forever homes to come along and thanks to you and your support they can rest a little more comfortably with food, medical care and shelter paid for. Rest assured that we do not euthanize our rescues but keep them safe and healthy until we are able to find them the most perfect of homes to live out the rest of their sweet lives.

If you are interested in supporting this great cause please head over to www.azrescue.com and remember to Adopt - Donate - Volunteer! If you are not from here then please do a search on local shelters in your area and find a way to give back to those who love you unconditionally. I promise that it will change you forever (in a good way)!

I was tagged...

2008-03-08T21:18:00.004-07:00

So here I was minding my own business and surfing the web (hard to believe...I know) when suddenly I hear a chime. EMAIL! I alt-tab over to check it out and find that I have been tagged by one of my bestest friends Becky at Becky's Bits and Piecing! This is new to me but I am always up for a little fun and games so here we go.

Here are the rules:

1. When tagged, place the name of the person and URL on your blog
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write 7 things about yourself
4. Name 7 of your favorite weblogs
5. Send an e-mail letting those bloggers know they have been tagged

About me...
1) I have been married for 12 years this month and with my husband for 17 this year. That means I have been with him for half of my life.

2) I have one child and by the look of things she will remain an only child. I love my 4 year old daughter, she is my pride (most days) but I am getting older and so is she. I am starting to wonder at what point is it too late to add another one to the mix without destroying the balance? What are your thoughts?

3) I have a needle phobia. It got better with hypnotherapy during my pregnancy but it came back several months after delivery. It is not as severe as it once was because I can actually talk about needles now without having to throw up (no joke) but it is still bad enough I will refuse treatment at an ER if it involves a needle. I am considering hypnotherapy again in hopes that it will stick a little better the second time around!

4) I am the youngest of 7 kids. I have 4 sisters an 2 brothers and not one single family member living in the same state.

5) I am a momma's girl. I call and talk to my mom every single day. If I am having a horrible day all I need to do is call her and just hearing her say Hello settles me down. My ringtone for her is Breathe by Anna Nalick because talking to her reminds me to Just Breathe when I am having one of those days.

6) Despite my very social nature I have a very small circle of friends. I hold them near and dear to my heart and will do most anything for those few I consider real friends. I try to let my friends and family know how special they are to me because of this. I do believe it is important to not let things go unsaid when it comes to the special people in your life. So to the ladies in my life (you know who you are) I want to let you know that I love you guys (gals?) and you are the best friends a girl could have! Thanks. :-)

7) I have Dishues. That is to say that I have issues with doing the dishes. I cannot stand to have my hands in a sink of dirty dishes (dishwater). Especially if it is cold...that just makes me gag. I will do the dishes but the water has to be running not standing. I am not sure what my deal is but I have always been that way (ask my dad). Growing up in California made dishes a problem for me because they were always telling you to conserve (and I agree we should) plus my dad works in water reclaimation so he is big on low water usage. I would volunteer to mow our massive lawn instead of doing dishes. I would offer to wash cars instead of doing dishes. I probably would have offered to get my teeth pulled (as long as no needles were involved) instead of doing dishes. Like I said, I have Dishues.

As for 7 of my favorite sites...well just check out the Relief From My Reality section and you will find them (I believe in working smarter not harder)!

Now I am supposed to tag some others but like I said, my circle is small so I would just be repeating what Becky already did so I will skip this part for now. If you read this and would like me to tag you please leave me a comment and I will get my hand over to your shoulder for a quick tag (and my eyes to your blog for a great read). Thanks and I hope I didn't scare you off!

Beauty to the RESCUE

2008-03-02T23:48:00.002-07:00

This coming Sunday is the big event so be sure to mark your calendars and come on out for some pampering and good cause.

Check it out here... www.AZRESCUE.com

This is the Dog & Cat Rescue group I used to volunteer 40+ hours a week with on top of my full time job before I became a mom. I am not able to devote that kind of time to it any longer and sadly I have developed some pretty gnarly cat allergies since I had my daughter so I can no longer foster cats/kittens in my home. Dogs are not a fostering option with a young child since they are all Euthanasia list (pound) rescues and are unknown entities making it too great a risk for both dog and child. For this reason RESCUE does not allow it and I must confess this is something I admire about the group. They do not treat their volunteers with disregard for safety and they do not treat their rescues with disregard for safety either. That is what sets them apart from many other groups I have worked with and it is why I would highly recommend them to anyone for volunteer work and adoption.

At any rate, one of the biggest fund raisers of the year is happening this coming weekend - Sunday, March 9, 2008 at The Mane Attraction Salon on 32nd & Camelback. It is always loads of fun and with live music you can't beat it for a Sunday afternoon. I hope you can make it out. The stylists are second to none and for a mere $30 donation you can get the most amazing Hair Cut of your life. Believe me...I know!

I hope to see you there! Again, stop by www.azrescue.com for more information on this great event and this wonderful group.

Namaste.

Nice Weekend...

2008-03-02T23:34:00.003-07:00

So I had a very nice weekend. I spent all of it with my daughter and several of my BFF's. I got some much needed progress done on my table runner which I have named Sew In Hell (so in hell...get it) because I feel like I am SO IN HELL when I work on it. The pattern is lovely and the finished product is something I am satisfied with (although I am not totally finished with it), but the instructions were written by Big Footed Leprechauns who have clearly never read them back once they put them together. If it were not for B, I would have quit sewing because of this project! Thanks B!

I also got the chance to stock up on some good Karma by helping H & R out. They needed some together time so I babysat their 2 kids allowing them to go on an all important and much needed date. It was nice to be able to just help a friend. Sadly my Karma went south when my daughter woke up just after they got home and panicked so badly about being in a strange place upon waking that she peed on their bed...and on me! Well to be honest, I was already a mess from Little Lord of the Diapers projectiling his medicine all over me so it was just par for the course. Thankfully H & R planned ahead with kids of their own and have a cover for their mattress. I would never have been able to live with myself otherwise. Ugh...so as the saying goes...No good deed goes unpunished and I think I paid a little extra for this one. Maybe next time I will get off a little lighter. One can hope.

Today I spent the day with H and we were just able to visit while the girls played (and argued as they tend to do now and then). Little Lord of the Diapers showed his great cleaning prowess thanks to an open baby gate. Did I mention he also earned the title of Little Lord of the Diapers today because he busted out an awesome Lord of the Dance move on H & I this evening!??! It is times like this you wish you could rewind real life and watch it all over again.

All in all it was a very good weekend and one I would most certainly like to repeat (with some minor exceptions of course). Thanks to all for the much needed girl bonding. Let's do it again sometime soon.

Calling All My Coffee Peeps!!!

2008-02-27T20:33:00.003-07:00

To those of you who (like me) love your coffee you might want to jump on over to Joffrey's. They are looking for Beta testers and while I am hoping to make the cut I thought I would share the wealth and pass it along. Good luck and enjoy your java!

One World One Heart

2008-02-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

I just thought it would be a great idea to pass along this wonderful site and project.

http://oneworldevent.blogspot.com/2008/01/this-years-event-information.html

I have entered a handful of the drawings because so many of them have such amazingly beautiful and creative items. More importantly though...I have found what I am sure will become some of my most favorite blog sites ever!

Please do yourself a favor and head on over there to check it out. You will not be disappointed and I promise you will find many many sites to spark your creative juices.

Great Cause...Pass it along!

2008-01-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know this family and I have nothing to gain by you buying from this auction but I stumbled on it while searching for something on EBAY and could not keep it quiet.

On the evening of December 30, 2007, a tragedy hit the Griffin and Burkman families. This young family was headed home for the new year when a 24 year old drunk driver entered the highway off-ramp in the wrong direction. After driving almost five miles on the wrong side of the road, the drunk driver collided with the Griffin's van. The collision took five lives from a blended family of nine. The angels that received their wings that night were: Bethany Griffin - 36 (mother) and four of her and her husband Danny's beloved children: Haley Burkman - 10, Jordan Griffin - 10, Lacie Burkman - 7, Vadie Griffin - 8 weeks old. Not only will Danny (father and stepfather of these children) have to live the rest of his life without his wife and children but also in mourning are Jodie, mother of Jordan and Jack, father of Haley and Lacie. In addition to their parents, three children (Sydney, Brett, and Beau) survive their four sisters.

I just could not imagine having to deal with something this heart wrenching and I felt like I needed to share the story and point people towards the auction so that they can raise as much money as possible to help this family.

Click here to read more and just make a donation: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=beth*and*angels

Or you can click here to view this auction (she has a few others as well you might like)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Princess-Clippie-Instructions-6-ebooks-NEW-Beth-Angels_W0QQitemZ160198780008QQihZ006QQcategoryZ57740QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The auction is for a full set of instructions to learn how to make the most adorable clippies I have ever seen.

If you are not interested in bidding or donating that is fine but I would consider it a personal favor if you could pass the information on via your blog or email so more people can learn about this senseless tragedy and perhaps help out. The auction ends on 1/20/08 so the faster we can get the word out the better. Thank you in advance for your time and help with this great cause.

Remember to kiss your loved ones because things can change in the blink of an eye.

Here we go again...

2008-01-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

It is January and the time has come to start with sports again. I have Bailey signed up for Winter Soccer and it starts in just 2 short weeks. I love that she is an active child and that she really enjoys playing sports. The downside is that I HATE THE COLD!!! Still, she does look adorable in her soccer uniform so I guess I will just dress very warmly and enjoy it while I can. She is only going to be this young once so I am going to make the most out of every moment I get to share with her!

Happy New Year to all of you and remember to count your blessings and take a deep breath because it is only the beginning!

The Holidays are done!

2007-12-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

We had a blast in California but it is good to be back home. The holidays have once again come and gone and with that are some great pictures of my precious family and their fun! Enjoy.

I hope when it was all said and done that you all took a moment to reflect on the joy and happiness that only your loved ones can bring to you. Happy New Year to all of you. I hope the coming year will increase your families in ways unimaginable. Namaste!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish all of my family and friends a very very Merry Christmas. I wish I could spend it with all of you but sadly I am only one person so I can only be in one place at a time but know that you are all in my thoughts and in my heart at this very moment!

I love you all back home and will see you soon!

Resolve to do better...

2007-12-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Clearly I don't post enough on this site and I am resolving to be and do better at it in the coming year. I don't have time at this very moment to add a newer or bigger post so you will just have to take my word for it! Talk to you soon.

The best kind of friends are often frenemies...

2007-10-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to mention how grateful I am to have certain people in my life.

In the past year I have made some new friends. One friend in particular is a change of pace for me. She is very like me in personality, which is nice, because I am a "drama free" person and those are hard to come by. She too is a "drama free" person so I appreciate this. We are both smart asses so we share the same humor. It is also nice that she makes the effort to call me and chat with me on a very regular basis. She calls to talk, she calls to vent, she just calls. I can't recall the last time, if ever in fact, that I have had a friend like this.

My other recently acquired friend is opposite on the calling side but is just lots of fun to be around. Not everyone is a phone person and I completely understand this. When we are together we chat up a storm so it all works out! She is also very laid back and pretty "drama free" plus she likes to sew and do crafty things so I am learning some some neat things from her and have come to really enjoy talking to her and spending time with her.

The best part of all of this is that they are also friends with one another. They both have kids so that helps when you just need to talk to someone about some new and strange behaviour you have witnessed with your child, another child or in the world in general. It is nice to be able to take my daughter with me and know it is not an imposition, we include our kids in many things we do together. It is also equally nice to have a moms day out with others who can appreciate the need for this as much as I can. Did I mention how much I love Momtinis!??! They rock.

In general I am happy with where I am in my life at this moment in time. It feels good knowing that I have a family who loves me and friends who love me. It is nice. It is rare in this day and age. It was just something I was thinking about and I wanted to share it with you all. I am grateful for my people and I hope they feel the same.

Cherished Moments...

2007-10-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

Life is short so I think it is important to take a minute or two once in a while to look back at the little things that make you smile. Wrinkles be damned I am going to do it!

Mom is coming!

2007-07-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling stressed lately and the best cure for that is some serious mom time. Lucky for me my mom and dad were willing to oblige my need on this occasion and mom is coming from California for the weekend.

I am so happy happy happy about it! You don't even know.... :-)

I am also missing my friends Heather and Becky as well as my old friend Suzy. Heather and Becky are both heading out of town this week so there is no chance of getting them to hang with me and mom...maybe next time. Suzy has recently moved to Wyoming with her family so that is out as well.

My niece Lacy, who is living with me at the moment is also excited Grandma is coming but she can't top my daughter Bailey who won't stop talking about it. Lucky for me Lacy has a job and my daughter is in daycare so I will have some one on one time with mom which is what I am really needing at the moment. I have no problem sharing her, shoot I am the youngest of 7 kids so I am used to it, but it is nice to be able to have her to myself once in a while. Call me selfish but it is true.

That is all I have on my mind for now. Just wanted to share!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-07-23T21:43:00.001-07:00

So I got my book LATE on Saturday and had it all read on Sunday. I would have finished sooner but my 3 year old likes attention too so I had to take more breaks than I would have normally. No matter...it is done and it was AWESOME!!!

That being said I would like to take a moment and remember our fallen friends James & Lily Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Mad-Eye Moody, Hedwig, Dora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Ted Tonks, Fred Weasley, Severus Snape (we hardly knew you) and many more.

I also want to give up some serious props to Neville Longbottom for finally coming into his own!

This story has been a long and winding road and sadly we have come to the place we get off. 10 years is a long time to share in the storied lives of so many and I felt, IMHO, that the ending was fitting and JKR has outdone herself.

OK enough...I am moving on and will find something fun to talk about soon. I promise.

Toe in the water...

2007-07-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to join in the blogger world and am taking this one small step at a time. I don't profess to be a genius at this or even moderately talented in this arena so I am hoping this is a journey you will take with me using a lot of patience and some humor!

Ready then? Let's go!