Almost there

I have 7 more questions to go. I think I can, I think I can.
I am totally procrastinating. If I do this I can scrap tomorrow.
Wish me luck. :)

Oh Friday. . .

So glad you are here! Come in, stay a while.

I'm up to 251 out of 300, Woohoo! The end is getting close, I can almost taste it! I do have about 60 questions marked for review, because I'm not positive I have the right answer, but I can review those a couple a day no problem once I'm done. And even if I had to leave my answers as is right now, they are my best guesses at the moment and will probably stand anyway, unless I can find new info between now and April 25.

My head wants to get into a creative groove so bad. I can't wait!

It's hot here today, had to turn the AC on. J and I were dying at the playground. I went down the twisty slide approximately 26 times today. :)

"Hope your friday is full of pizza and beer"--that's a quote from my better half.
Happy Friday!
Danielle

These are a few of my favorite things. . .

Everyday is a gift. Some are wrapped in shiny paper and beautiful bows, and others in paper bags. But everyday is a gift. --Me

I have been having a pity party on this blog about doing my test. I'm up to question 205, and hopefully I will get my life back in about a week. I can hang in there until then. But I was thinking, I wonder if Oprah works on the "favorite things" episode when she gets bummed. I hope so.

Here are a few of my favorite things for you loyal blog readers. Hope you find something you love.

Skin-I always get compliments on my skin and I thought I'd share a few things:
1. St Ives Apricot Scrub (or generic)-this is really good to exfoliate with 2-3 times per week, gets all the dead skin cells off and leaves nice skin. It's fairly inexpensive and the generic at Walmart is like a dollar.
2. Aveeno Radiant Moisturizer--good at getting rid of sun spots, evening out skin tone.
Honestly, that's all I wear most days. Lip gloss and undereye concealer sometimes if I want to get dressed up.

Food-I love Fresh Express Bagged Salad $2-3 in either Asian Supreme or Enchilada Supreme. It comes with everything you need for an amazing restaurant quality salad. I add some Tysons Crispy chicken strips ($5 for a huge bag) for a meal. They take either 15 mins in the oven, or you can microwave them if you are in a big hurry (but I'd really recommend the oven to maintain the crisp.) The dressings are so good, even my better half loves the Asian chicken salad, and he is a meat and potatoes guy. Cheap, Fast, Healthy, and soooo good.

Scrap--My friend Ali gave me my next tip. It is the online store A Million Little things. What an amazing store, I love it. Check out the what's new section, she updates that thing every day I swear! And the shipping is fast. But, leave some for us, K?

Paper--I love scenic Route grid paper. It is a throwback to my bookworm self. So fun.

Books--Tuesday Morning is having Sandra Lee cook books on sale for $7. I have paid as much as 3 times that, and I think mine are worth every penny. I hope this isn't a local sale, because they are amazing and you will love them.

Hope you are having a bright and shiny bow day friends!
Danielle

All work

All work and no play is making my cranky. I still have 140 test questions left, and I can't decide if I should step up the number I do a day to finish in about a week (no promises as to the quality of the answers), or scale back the number that I do to be able to do other things, like scrapping and errands. But then I'll be right up against the deadline (April 25) if I slow down, which means anything-computer/internet troubles, a sick child, any unexpected event could throw me down the drain. What to do? What would you do? Keep in mind, test, not cheap.

The effect of not scrapping is noticeable in my stress level, in my OCD about the house, and in my general anxiety about dealing with unexpected crisis's that come up. I think scrapping helps me channel some of my energy away from cleaning compulsively and that is a good thing. I totally let the girl from the gas company have it today, after the 3rd phone call to straighten out an error. It seems when you move your account numbers change, even if you just move next door. Well, the utilities I paid last month, those were my neighbors utility account numbers, so I am fighting to get my money credited to my account. When will that nightmare end?

It has been hard because my better half is MIA, so totally immersed in work. I know he doesn't have much choice, but I miss him. And I'm overwhelmed. And I just really miss him. It's hard at the end of the day when you only get an hour at the most to spend together, and you have to decide if you are going to talk about the gas company, or that cute thing our kid did. I try to go with the latter, but I feel as if I'm keeping all the bad stuff to myself, drowning in it. Wishing I could tell him only for the sympathy. But he doesn't need to deal with all that right now.

So, right this moment, I'm choosing to be happy in spite of all of it. Because as a mom, I owe that to J.

Happy Easter!

So, I'm posting on my blog today because the testing website is down and I can't take the test. I'm doing the equavalent of pacing on the internet, hitting the refresh button until my eyes cross. Panic has set in. A sinking feeling of "I'll never finish this." With head in hands, I tell myself to have faith. Maybe it is just for today. Maybe God thought I deserved a break from the insanity that is that test. Maybe the website is just down for today, this hour, minute. I'm obsessing, clearly it's not pretty.

I have some Easter plans, that do not involve cursing technology. My parents are coming to visit, possibly my sister too. I'm excited to see them, I know they want to see J. I'm nervous though because he is at the stage where strangers are not so good. But J is too good natured and easy going to let a little strange anxiety stop him from having a good time so I'm sure it will be fine.

I got some Willy Wonka golden easter eggs, but I don't know what to fill them with. I gave J a jelly bean, and that was a big mistake. It was like watching Hammy from Over the Hedge drink a soda, hyperactive x 100. He couldn't sleep that night either, stayed awake all night talking (to whom we don't know). Then I let him have a little of the iicing from easter cookies. Another mistake, same thing happened. So, candy bad. Small toys are out, choking hazard. So what to fill the eggs with? Fruit?

Happy Easter weekend to everyone! Be safe.

This side of crazy. . .

I've been snowballed by life. I'm putting out fires left and right. But all that alone would not be enough to keep me from scrapping.

However, my recertification test on top of everything else would be. 300 of the most obscure medical questions known to man. Questions about patients that would only come along once in a life time, if that. That has sapped my mojo. It leaves me drained everyday.

The good news is that it is temporary, and that I will be finished within the next two weeks and things can go back to normal. Please bare with me friends, I'm doing the best I can to keep those balls in the air. I miss everything about being online and scrapping. I miss sharing my work, and visiting my friends blogs. I promise to make it up to you all.

Happy St Patricks Day!!

Hi all, I wish I had something green for you, I do on my desk. But, it's not finished yet. I got hung up taking my test, I only have 200 questions to go (yippee!). The questions are so random, so obscure.

It looks like an interesting day on Wall Street, I'm actively engaged in checking out the panic and blood in the streets from the fall out of the Bear Sterns buy-out to avoid bankrupcy. The best reality show on tv is getting interesting.

Hope you all have a wonderful green day!