Different Kind of Green World!

 Originally, when I started this blog I wanted to sentimentally post about my family, blog about my "girly-girl" love of all things pink  and my nod to all things organic, or in a word, "green."

 However, I recently stumbled upon a book at the library called "How to Shop for Free" by Kathy Spencer, and it has already changed my life!

  Back in the 90's, when my eldest son was just a toddler, I clipped grocery coupons.  I had a Rubbermaid coupon box that I would diligently put coupons in and organize them by category.  Ie; Ketchup would be subcategorized with recipe cards that would list the brands, Del Monte, Heinz, etc.  I know.  I know.  I was totally OCD, and my life got way too busy to keep that up.  As we became older and more financially sound, I resigned myself to shopping the "sales" at my local grocery store, and leaving it at that.

 Fast forward twenty years...I now have 3 hungry toddlers!

 We make weekly trips to Costco, and the cashiers at our local drug and grocery store are starting to know us by name...so I know that our budget for fashion, furniture and (ha!) family vacations is being spent stocking our pantry.  What to do?

 Well, from the looks of things, "couponing" has come a long way.  Coupons are not just for cutting out any more.  There are sites like Cellfire.com that send coupons to your store loyalty cards, and online sites like Coupons.com where you simply 'Click and Print.  Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial offer daily deals and specials, too!

I took the great advice from this book, and just since last week, I have already scored 3 free lunch items at Jack In the Box, 2 free dinners at Pei Wei, 2 free lunches at Panda Express, a subscription to Parent's Magazine for a $1, $40 gift certificates to Restaurant.com for $4, and got "paid" $14 to shop at Walgreens.  I am in the process of setting up a "Coupon Binder" and will start my grocery shopping this NEW way, later this week.

Hopefully, this Hot Pink Mommy will start $aving some "green!"  Wink! ;O)

P.S.  I was not compensated in any way by Kathy Spencer for this post.

I Cupcake, because they cry...

This past weekend was rough.  My children are so rarely sick, that when they started getting clear runny noses on Thursday, I literally thought they were allergic to something.  I remembered that the air filters needed to be changed. Check.  That the house needed to be vacuumed. Check.  That they'd had a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches lately... (to set off the mucous, you know) Check.

Nope.  Full blown colds with chest coughs.  Thee whole weekend.  And with many runny noses, and cabin fever driving the boys to fight like they were "housewives" on a reality show, I finally had had IT!

Today, I broke out the cupcakes!!  Hubby had bought a two-pack from Wildflower Bakery.   And, guess what?  They are both GONE!!

Yikes...So uh, February is a great month to start eating right, right?

Gone, but never forgotten...

Today's a day no one wishes for...

Standing upstairs, "Baby Pink" on one hip, "Orange" and "Blue"  fighting over whose turn it is to play with the latest toy, T.V. going in the backround and the phone ringing....

It's my mother.  She called to tell me that my father has just passed away.  Twenty minutes before...

"Your brother and sister do not know." she says.  It becomes my job.  I choose to call my 'out of state' brother.  My mom had said she'd tried my sister, but that she hadn't picked up her cell...and quote, "How come no one picks up their phone, anymore?"

I felt guilty giving my brother such 'news', especially when he'd answered so cheerily. "Hey...how are ya?  Why are you doing calling me in the middle of the day?"

It cuts you deeply, when a grown man inhales sharply and chokes up.  He said he would go ahead and 'call our sister.'  Later, I found out that she hadn't picked up his call either, and ended up hearing about it from mother, after all.

She also wasn't interested in seeing daddy or mother for that matter, at the care home.  She would wait and meet mother later.  At our parents' home, instead.

Daddy's Parkinson's had long made "assisted-living" care essential, and so my sister said she was trying to remember him, just as she had last seen him, on this past Labor Day Weekends' Sunday... jovial, alert, and happy.

I, on the other hand, went into what I can only call, "organized-daughter - mode."  "I'll meet you there." I said.  And, "How long before the nurse leaves and the mortuary service comes to pick him up?"  She said she'd told them to wait for a couple hours.  I guess, we both needed that buffer.

I wanted to hold his weathered soft and smooth hands one more time, kiss him on his cheek, and tell him how much he will be missed by me, and all those who knew him to be a great man.  And, how proud I was that he'd lived beyond all of our expectations...long enough, to see my daughter, his last-born grand-daughter, shortly after her birth in March...and the birth of his only two great-grandsons.  One born in February, the other in July.

How he'd lived till he was 84.  One of eleven children, now with only three sisters left.  The last one to go of the seven boys in his family.  How he'd made it through to his 61st wedding anniversary, and how, along with my mother, we'd brought the party to him at his "home" this year, on a day that was at least 108* and 'packed the house' with 62 adults and many children.

So, I brought "Baby Pink" with me...(my husband had left work to come home and watch the older brothers) to nurse and cuddle, and  as a "happy distraction" for mom...as I went ahead and did all those things to bring me 'closure'.  I then watched as my mother gently removed Daddy's wedding ring, worn thin with it's own 61 years of life, and placed it on her index finger, and then bent over and said a few words, and tenderly kissed him "good-bye."

My brother grieves today, away from us and Arizona, and my sister has memories of what our father looked like 'before today came', but I have seen my parents' love in it's purest form' and for that I have no regrets and will be forever grateful...

Until we see you again, beloved Daddy and Papa - You are gone, but never forgotten...

J.G.G.   07/07/26 - 09/08/10

We're going to be THAT family...

Wow...time has flown since my last post.  I've been M.I.A.  Sorry.   I'll let you in on what's been occupying my time.  ( And, keeping me from watching all my favorite programs on Bravo...miss you "Top Chef"  )  This HOT PINK MOMMY has been reading up on and researching...HOMESCHOOLING.

Yep, I've decided to homeschool my preschooler...and my toddler, too.  ORANGE as you'll remember is 4 1/2.  He'll turn 5 in December.  So, he missed the Kindergarten cut off.  And, BLUE will be 3 this month.  He can be my "Room Helper"...he.he.

After realizing that ORANGE is 'more than ready' to get this party started - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic style...I looked into Home Educating.  What I found out was surprising...  You see, in the past,  I "naysayed" homeschooling families.  Because I'd always lumped Home Schooling families into two catagories...

#1
Blue denim jumper moms with super BRIGHT  ( but, socially clueless ) kids who speak three foreign languages and play the violin ( Don't the smart kids always play the violin? Or the Oboe? )


  or


#2
Parents who say their children are homeschooled or taking "online" classes but, really their children are actually "dropping out." Calling it "HOMESCHOOL" is a nice way of letting them off the hook.

What I found instead...was a very "viable" way of educating my children and customizing the curriculum to their abilities and interests.

Wish me luck on this daunting but, rewarding endeavor.  Any suggestions from experienced homeschoolers would be appreciated!

I'm in love.

I'm in love.  No, I'm not talking about being in love with Red Hot.  That's a given.

I'm talking about DD Baby Pink, my 4 1/2 month old daughter. And more specifically, I'm in love with her "thighs"...aren't they just unbelievably chubbalicious!!  I could eat them up, and follow it with a chaser of her unbelievably sweet baby breath.

I have always loved my pregnancies, and as they've grown...even on days when I haven't "liked" them, I've always loved my children.  But, my children as chubby, chunky babies??  There are no words.  Well, just one.  L.O.V.E.

OUR COLORFUL GROUP

Hi.  I'm "Hot Pink Mommy" of Hot Pink Mommy in a Green World.  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit.  Since this is my first post, I'd like to introduce you to my "colorful" family.  

My DH is AKA "Red Hot Hubby" or "Red Hot" for short.  To quote Andy Cohen of Bravo TV, He's a "gingy"...red-head, ginger, etc.  - my best friend and co-creator of DS 2&3, and DD.

DS#1 is AKA "Brown".  Tall, dark, handsome, all grown up and off on his own..."Brown" won't be mentioned very much on the "HPMIAGW" blog but, he's the eldest and requires introduction.

DS #2 is AKA "Orange".  Witty and charming,  four and half years old, and a red-head just like "Red Hot Hubby"  

DS #3 is AKA  "Blue".  Blond with big blue eyes, quiet and reserved, (unless provoked) his cuteness at two and 3/4 years just barely conceals an Irish temper. 

DD is AKA "Baby Pink".  Too new to have a dark side, this little four-month old, bundle of deliciousness, is the icing on our cupcake!

There you have it.  My first blog post.

P.S.  All you other families parenting three children under five years old, please reach out and introduce yourselves.  I'd love tips on how you're making it work.