Would you like some cheese with that...whine...

I'm going to be a little sappy today.
And I may even whine a bit.
But in my defense, I am over it.
I am over this cold that has turned our lives upside down.

source

For the past four weeks we have been living in chaos.
I have cleaned, scrubbed, sanitized, washed, and repeated each of these steps over and over and over, but we still keep getting sick.

Our kitchen counter is now mini pharmacy.
The kleenex ran out days ago.
Our sheets and blankets have been washed more times then I can remember.
The fridge, wow, don't open that door.
The clean laundry is still in clothes baskets...for two weeks.
The excess laundry build up has been moved into tote boxes.

source

Where did this chaos begin?
First, RSV hit Punk.
Then RSV wiggled it's way into Hunk's life.
Following RSV, colds started to take over our lives which led to sinus infections and dare I say....
the diarrhea dance.
And finally, for the last two days Punk and I have been praying to the porcelain
throne.
Correction, I have been kneeling at the white throne while Punk has thrown up in the kitchen, tub, his crib, our bedroom floor, the couch, and in the basement. just lovely.
I have changed over 30 diapers in the last two days and I am...
Over. It.

To make matters worse Hunk and I have been sleeping in seperate beds because when one of us is sick the other is healthy. Go figure.

source

Have you and your Hunk ever had to sleep in seperate beds?

Well, it sucks.
I use to complain about Hunk stealing the covers, snoring too loudly, or kicking me in his sleep.
Now, I just want someone to talk to, because talking to one's self in bed is not fun or healthy. Really.
Last night was by far the roughest night. 
I told Hunk he may want to just sleep on the couch because I didn't want him to get the up chuck bug and I figured the couch was the safest place for him.
By 3 A.M I had already become best friends with my toilet about 10 times.
When I finally rolled back into bed I cried, yeah, like a little sissy I cried.
I cried because Hunk couldn't make me feel better, and I cried because I really loathe throwing up.
No joke. When I think of torture I think of giving someone Ipecac.
My Dad accidently gave it to my sister when we were little--it was a traumatizing event.
So, again, I am over it.
I would love to hear your remedies on how you get your house back in order again after a prolonged sick period? Because I am quaratined to my house and I need to feel like I am being somewhat productive today.

And a small FYI--if you  feel up to it you can come over and listen to me whine a little more, but be warned I may cuddle with you and I may even ask you to rub my back and sing me a lullaby.

We're friends so I figure that's cool, right?

{That's Us Thursday} The Secret Power of Popcorn

 Hunk has been sick. I had every intention of making him some pipin' hot Lipton Chicken Noodle to ease his queasiness. That didn't happen. He wanted popcorn. Yep, you heard me "P to the O to the P to the Corn".

The new remedy for sick tummies is now popcorn slathered in salt, butter, and cheese, didn't ya know?

That's how we roll in this house.

{That's Us Thursday} Spring fever

So the artic weather is finally starting to defrost which means more time outside. During the winter months most everyone in our neighborhood stays indoors. However, it seems as soon as we get a warm burst everyone bustles out of their homes to take in as much Vitamin D as possible.  

 Punk is especially happy when a warm day occurs. He has become a pro at waddling around our yard, crawling down our driveway backwards, and he is a human magnet to the random piles of dog poop in our front lawn. I tell you what, if I catch that dog....

This brief round of warm weather has also made our Spring Fever set in because we know the warmth will not last long, that blasted Puxatony Phil was way off.  

Did you know that Spring Fever has also brought out the inner kid in Hunk? Let's just say that I am glad he doesn't weigh anymore or this lil' pony may have bucked him off... 

{that's us thursday} depriving oneself is no fun....

Hello Friends, welcome to another {that's us thursday}!

For those of you new to my lil' blog, Thursdays are when you get to learn a bit more about Hunk, Punk, and myself. Yep, you get to be a part of the embarrassing, breathtaking, tear-jerking, horrific details of our lives.

Enjoy {and if you are new, "WELCOME!"--don't be scared I don't bite} buahahaha.

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Well, Lent started yesterday. Even though I am not Catholic I am still a sucker for any excuse for self-improvement.  I have learned that whenever I jump on the self-improvement bandwagon I am always depriving myself of something--food, tv, pop, fast food, internet, shopping, shoes, chocolate. yeah, I deprive myself of all the good stuff.

{check it: kara's party ideas}

fact: deprivation is not my thing...especially when it comes to candy

I usually last five days and then I give in. I hang my head in shame. So I have decided that I am going to change Lent this year (can I do that...)?

Instead of depriving myself this year I am going to inspire myself.
FYI: the message above should automatically qualify me as a Hallmark Card writer...just sayin'

My inspiration: For the next 39 days I am going to run. every. single. day. 

{Source}

Many, many moons ago I use to be an avid runner. Running was like a  free therapist. I solved my own problems, figured out the answers to my hardest questions, came to terms with bad break ups, and found confidence in myself--all through running. I ran so much that I was even planning on being a collegiate athlete, then somewhere along the way I stopped running...and stopped having boyfriends (haha).  My passion soon turned into college, Hunk, our home, work, and Punk. I love how my life has changed over the last decade, however, I don't love how my body has changed.

So, friends....

NO MORE EXCUSES. I have to do it. no joke. my pants are getting tight and I can't keep using the excuse of post pregnancy fat anymore. Running and I our going to rekindle our passion for each other. ohhhh! ahhhh!

Thanks for letting me rant today. What are your goals for Lent this year? I would love to hear!

This lovely post is brought to you by my newest sponsor, ShicShoppe. Check em out! And don't forget to enter this week's giveaway.

The most awkward feeling in the world....

So there are alot of "awkward" moments in life

Using the public bathroom with someone else in the next stall...awkward

Having a conversation with my OB-GYN during..um, yeah...awkward

Calling someone by the wrong name--for a year....awkward

Thinking I am being checked out, only to realize I had food in my teeth...awkward

People picking their shnauzes in public...awkward

Having a wedgy in public...more uncomfortable then awkward.

 Putting on my boots 356 MILES FROM CIVILIZATION to only find out that they are TWO different sizes....awkward and uncomfortable....and I have to wear them for 3 days. Folks, this will be a memorable weekend.

Plus I get to spend the next three days with my two favorite snow bunnies...

AND check out our digs for the weekend..we rollin'...except for no cell service.

Yeah, we're gonna be best friends...

Punk has started to watch movies. Nemo has become the best baby sitter...EVER. In T minus two hours Hunk and I leaving to go on a mini-vacae for his birthday. Nothing to exciting...really, not joking. Hunk wanted to go ice fishing, I wanted to do the palm tree thing. I lost. So we are venturing not north or south, but east. Have you ever been to eastern Montana? No. Well, if you haven't been there well there is a lot of nothing. Truly. Lots of manly nothing. It's Hunk dream vacation.

So while I am so excited to get away for a few days I am even more excited about a sweet lil envelope I got in the mail yesterday. I was beside myself with excitement...I was like an excited little yappy dog.

 The Pioneer Woman is coming to Montana...and I got VIP tickets to see her! gasp, cry, pee a little...I may have done all of them. TMI? sorry.

 I know when we meet our eyes will meet Ree and I will instantly become best friends. Yeah, I am pretty certain that is how it will go down....or not....

 So I also get a new hat. Remember Jane Henry? Celia made this lovely for me...it also has a detachable crocheted flower that goes with it.

And because I have to sit in the cold for two days ice fishing I treated myself to a new pair of boots. Houndstooth Sorels...yeah...you gotta be stylish when on the ice, it's the only way to remain sain in the -10 degree weather.

Peaceloveskisses.

{That's Us Thursday} Getting to Know Me More...and a Tutorial

So here is my first video. I know when you watch it you will probably be thinking, "Wow, she should really win an award for her movie star talent."  ha. ha. hahaha. (that's me laughing with you).

Let me know what you think. Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Do you want more videos? Do you not? Do I have stuff in my teeth? Be honest, we are friends.


Also tomorrow is the BIG DAY. Tomorrow will be the first Spunky Junky Linky Party. So come back and link up your projects, recipes, designs--anything that you may have spunked up! I would love to see it and show it off to the rest of the world!

He ate what? really..

So Punk is tough. Really. He was a preemie, and I think that any baby that is born prematurely is inherently hearty and for the rest of their lives they will have that stubborn toughness in them. I mean look at Punk, he fell out of a stroller when he was wee little one. He cried--I cried, we both lived through the ordeal. Punk has also had his share of face plants off the bed, head on collisions with the dresser, rug burns on the carpet floor, slippery falls in the bathtub, and fingers smashed beneath the weight of his own toys, full blown face plants into the pavement, run in's with nasty cats, tumbles off the couch, and belly slides down the stairs.

Let's be real. ALL of our kids have done these things, right? If your kid hasn't suffered through one of these events, let me know....I would love to know your secret recipe for success. HA. HA.

So yesterday, during my spray painting day. Yeah, remember that day? It is all kind of a blur to me...funny, wonder why? muahahahaha.  So while I was letting some of my "projects" dry, Punk did the unthinkable...

 He somehow got the entry way door open and waddled his little Huggie butt into the garage where he found the white paint I was using on the vase. And he proceeded to track white paint and the lovely paint saturated sponge throughout the house.

NOW, the pictures don't show the whole story.

When I realized what he had done and it crossed my mind for a split minute second to grab my camera and take pictures.  However, I knew Hunk would never let me live it down if he found out that I took pictures BEFORE trying to clean up the mess.

So I scrambled, first to check Punk's mouth. Because when I found him he was sucking on the sponge. Lovely, just lovely. Then I tried my hardest to clean the paint off the walls, doors, steps, carpet, and tile floors. 

 Can you see the leftover remnants of the paint sandwich he enjoyed?

 So after I threw away a bran-spankin' new outfit that he had been wearing, I sat him on the bed and said, "No!  we don't eat paint." (....weird, I never thought that would be something I would need to tell him).  He laughed. I scolded again, and he finally got the point.

 Then I knew I couldn't stare at the puppy dog eyes so I cuddled my paint-lovin monster and fed him some real food to hopefully wash down the taste of Valspar Interior Flat White...and his goofy smile came right back.

So, while Valspar white is not the best thing for Punks to eat I think it added the perfect touch to this platter. Come back tomorrow to see what I used to make the cute flower pattern on this tray...it's kind of an awesome idea.

Not to brag or anything....

"Holy Balls!"......

...was Hunk's reaction when he walked into the house last night. Earlier that day I was in Target scanning the Valentine's candy selection when a lady walked by with a bag of balls in her cart. I got kind of giddy because they weren't just any kind of balls...

 they were the same kind of balls that are in the playpen at McDonald. Remember those? Haha. I remember when I was little I would pretend I was drowning, then I would pop out the "ball" water and scare my sisters. Yeah, those were the one's in her cart.

It wasn't that I wanted them....Punk "needed" them. *wink

Punk was beside himself with excitement when we got home. He kicked them around and threw them down the stairs and across the house. The novelty had worn off by this morning when he became more interested in a Lady and the Tramp cardboard book.

However, I know that everytime I dump the balls out of their bag that little glimmer of happiness will feel eyes and for a few minutes and he will is content playing by himself....which to me, is worth all the money in the world.

On a more random note...

Last night I made Valentine's Day Cookies with my little Cub Scouts. When I got home Hunk and I decorated the lil' pieces of heaven with conversation hearts and Red Hots. Maybe it is just me but I only enjoy eating Red Hots when they are adorned across a sugar cookie lathered in frosting. weird.

Do you think Hunk will get the point when I give him this lovely?

{That's Us Thursday} Hello Cheeseball

I would like ya'll to meet Cheeseball.

He now enjoys smiling for the camera on cue (btw camera in use for the preceeding photoshoot was my phone) saweet!

And that black blob you ask? It once was a lovely cookie that Hunk gave to Cheeseball when we were at sissy-in-laws house. The Cheeseball made a mess of her home, she is cool and chill and didn't mind.

Cheeseball also had an allergy test yesterday to figure out why he keeps swelling up like  Violet Beauregarde. Hunk had to come to the appointment because the first day we tried to draw his blood he was able to escape the grasp of me and two phlebotomists. FYI, I obviously over estimate Cheeseball's weight because he is only 17 pounds 4 ounces. I am guessing his age will catch up with his weight soon. HA!

That's us him.

Don't forget to check out this week's awesome giveaway!

{That's Us Thursday} Frequently Asked Questions

I now feel like a big shot *cough* (not really), but I got a little giddy when I realized that I finally had enough questions to answer to qualify them as, "frequently asked questions about moi". No, I am not french, but it makes me feel way more sophisticated when I can throw around various languages in the same sentence.

On that same note, Hunk speaks Spanish and I can still kind of speak Russian so occasionally we catch ourselves asking questions in English and then responding to each other in either Russian or Spanish. We think it is funny (like we have invented our own language or something)--I am guessing everyone else that listens to us thinks that it is obnoxious. We aim to live on the more obnoxious side anyway.

Awkward pause.

Anyway.

Question and Answer Soiree

Q: "I noticed your hair is not always parted on the same side, why?"
A: Wellllll, first, I can't believe someone actually noticed that little detail. dang. I should probably start covering up my blemishes before ya'll start noticing my lack of makeup. Truthfully, I have a cowlick in the front of my hair, which drives me absolutely bonkers. I have been trying to go for the whole Heather Locklear swoopy bangs thing and my cowlick often times gets in my way so I just flip my bangs over to the other side to get the swooshy effect. really, I do.

Q: "I love the hardwood floors in your house, what are they made of...?"
A: We have circular sawn fir floors, I am kind of in love with them because I can drop almost anything on the floor and if it dings up the floor it isn't even noticable.

Q: "Will we ever learn the names of Hunk and Punk?"
A: I don't know yet. I call them that on purpose because it kind of goes along with the spunk and junk theme. Someday I may share their names, but as of right now I like to think of my accountant hubby as my hottie hunk and my spawn child as a punk.

Q: "What color did you use to paint the dressers in your master bedroom?"

A: Ralph Lauren "Sunwashed Blue." However, Lowes does not sell Ralph Lauren paint so I was able to have the paint guy match the color. So I ended up getting a Valspar paint in the exact same color for half the price. awesome, huh?

Q: "Even though Punk was a preemie is he doing fine now?"
A: Yes, Punk is doing great. He is just a little small for his age. My mighty munchkin is now fifteen months old and a whoppin' eighteen pounds. He walks, attempts to run, gets in cupboards, yells, sings, cries like crazy, and is finally starting to cuddle.

Q: "How can my shop be featured on Spunky Junky?"

A: Send me an email, and if your shop looks like it would be a good fit for Spunky Junky then I would love to feature you!

Q: "Where in Montana do you live...?"
A: I live in a place called Bozeman. It has two seasons--Winter and Summer. This year we were graced with a prolonged Fall which was awesome. Bozeman is always ranked in the Top 10 for outdoor adventure cities. It is known for it's skiing, hiking, camping, amazing fishing (Hunk loves to fish), great hunting (loves this too), and many other great outdoor activites.  We are also very close to Yellowstone National Park.

Q: "What kind of camera do you shoot with...?"
A: I shoot with a Nikon D3000, BUT I also carry around a Sony Cybershot in my purse. I am still figuring out how to use a DSLR camera and so far I am loving all the nifty photo options and gadgets.  My Cybershot, on the other hand, is so amazing because of it's size and picture taking abilities. (FYI there will be a tutorial soon on how to get great photos with a point and shoot camera like the Sony Cybershot....my little sis won a photo contest using one)!

Q: "Where can I find an antique trunk like the one in your living room?"
A: Honestly, I was not that one that found either of mine. Yes, I have two of them. My Mom is an avid garage seller. Her house is chuck full of amazing hutches, gas station signs, and headboards. Both of mine came from garage sales. I think the most she has paid for a trunk was around $30. My suggestion is to check out antique malls, garage sales and Craigs List. My BEST suggestion is to find a small town. My parent's live in a place where there are about 1800 people and the garage sales there are amazing. Why? Well, everyone has lived there forever so they haven't really needed to purge their stuff, when they do though, there is a plethora of vintage clothes, furniture, magazines, and jewelry waiting to be bought for DIRT CHEAP.

Q: "How do you pronounce Halsey...and is it a family name?"
A: I have been asked this question my entire life. no joke. First, no it is not a family name. Secondly, my name is pronounced, Hall-zee. My parents thought it would be freaking hill-arious to give a little, scrawny, bushy haired kid the hardest name in the world for others to pronounce. So I grew up telling people, "Hi, my name is Halsey." People would reply, "Okay, what is your first name?" Oh snap.


There ya have it! Keep throwing those questions my way and I will do my best to answer them....honestly. Honestly.

{That's us Thursday} Hunk's Aversion to Photos...Kind of....

Fact: Hunk has an aversion to cameras and picture taking and family photos and smiling properly.

  Case in point.

On our little roadtrip to Casper last week I made the drive through the great State of Wyoming bearable as I took pictures of Hunk. He didn't find it humorous.

Ironically, all the pictures that I do have of him smiling in some way include dead animals.

Except for these ones of course.

Helloooo Hunk where have you been all my life?

Oh yes, back to the roadtrip. Hunk made me stop taking pictures of him, so I turned to other glamorous things, such as my shoes, yes, my shoes. Aren't the elephants lovely?

And word of advice, if you are trying to go North, make sure to take the right exit, no, I mean left exit. Yes, that right. See the confusion?

Well, that's us folks.

{That's Us Thursday} Didn't Your Momma Teach you Not to Play with Fire?

What do we do for fun in Montana you ask?

 Grab a shovel of snow, douse it with gas, and throw it. Yep, that's us.