Halloween - for tricks or treats? - Guest Blogger Amanda

Guest Blogger Today!

Please meet my friend Amanda from The Forever Endeavor.  I've known Amanda since high school. She is very loving and kind person. I don't think I've met anyone else in this world that has a bigger heart than this lady. She is a Newly Wed and married her high school sweat heart. I even went to homecoming with them on their first date. She has the cutest new blog and a new blogger. Although, not a mother yet, she plans on making babies in the next year or so. Don't give her too many baby horror stories. Since it's coming up on Halloween, she had a great cute post, and I asked her if I could have her as a guest on Mountain Mum. 

Please welcome Amanda to the blogging world and leave her some love @ The Forever Endeavor

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This year the discussion of dressing up has come up again between my husband and me. He really wants us both to go as 80's prom zombies. And every time he brings it up I can't help but to have the same image in my head every single time.

I don't know how many of you have seen the movie "Mean Girls" but it's one of my all time faves. It's got some of the greatest one liners EVER!

Boo, you whore!

I'm sorry that people are so jealous of me... but I can't help it that I'm so popular.

And my personal favorite

Calling somebody else fat won't make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George's life definitely didn't make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.

Well it just so happens that when I think of Halloween and dressing up, I also always think of this scene; where Cady(played by Lindsay Lohan), the new student who has lived in Africa her whole life and has been home schooled up until now, walks into her new friend's party looking like this:

Because her new "friends" neglected to tell her that once you reach a certain age, dressing up for Halloween isn't about being scary and most creative anymore, it's about who can out skank each other. In fact, her exact words are:

In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of it! I have a picture to prove it

Not my finest moment, but for that night, it was fun. Bryan bought it for me, and I'm not sure if it was supposed to be some kind of nurse or dominatrix woman? In 2005 we weren't even old enough to go out to the bars, so we went to a local house party, and even though I felt like I looked good, I still felt completely ridiculous. I mean, what would my parents say if they saw me like this?!

Now, flash forward four years, and this is what I wore last year

[please don't mind the creeper to my left, that's my husband, dressed up like a crazy psycho killer clown that just escaped from jail]

This costume was the product of a last minute decision to go out to the local bars for Halloween and not feeling comfortable enough to wear something skimpy like I did once before. And if you're wondering I was a Seahawks fan... lame.

I guess my point to all of this is, if you've got it, flaunt it, but is it necessary to show alllllll your secrets? Since it's not so cool to dress like a "ex wife" as Lindsay calls herself in the movie, it's totally fun and acceptable to feel pretty and sexy, but some of the outfits have just gone so incredibly overboard. I don't want this come across like I am judging, and I'm sure the argument will be made that it's just one night, but I guess I just don't get it. I just find it humorous that the movie is completely right in saying that this is the one night that girls can dress like complete - ahem- sluts, and no other girls can say anything about it.

With that being said, this post was not meant to step on any one's toes, I'm just simply expressing my personal opinion. I hope that my costume this year is super cute and still tasteful, something in between my nurse outfit and half-assed attempt last year. If everything goes according to plan and I'm able to find every part of the costume that I need, here's a hint :) Stay tuned for pictures from Halloween weekend, we will be attending a wedding reception that is being held on October 30th and is costume themed. I'm kind of excited for this one!

<3 Amanda

My butt hurts

Got back into yoga today. My butt hurts but im feeling good. Cheers to all the mamas out there getting in shape.

Tomorrow guest blogger from the forever endeavor. Its a great post. Stop by tomorrow.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Meal Plan Monday

Sunday: 

Isabel's 3rd Birthday (Mack's Cousin)

Monday:

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Tuesday:

BLTA's and Salad

Wednesday:

Beef Stew and Bread

Thursday: 

Steak, potatoes, and Salad

Friday:

Pizza

Saturday:

Bake M&M Cookies for Bake Sale and Mack's

Preschool

Leftovers

Sunday: Fish N Chips w/ Salad

Busy, Busy weekend. I'm sorting through all of the photos tonight from the weekend. We went to a pumpkin patch on Saturday, (local elementary school). Mack's cousin's 3rd birthday party was on Sunday. All of the kids had so much fun. I have tons of photos that I will be posting of the party. 

Thankful Thursday - My Cousin an Addiction Survivor

My cousin is 3 1/2 years older than me. His name is Michael James Ruth. He was like my big brother growing up. He used to make me do the craziest things that would make my mother freak out. For insistence, my cousin thought it would be a brilliant idea to take my training wheels off at the age of two and push me down the street and let go. My mom would freak, and little mikey would say, "It's ok aunty Teri, Kristina can do it watch." I would go for awhile and then crash. 

When we got older he moved away to oak harbor in puget sound of Washington. I didn't see his as much, but when I did see him it was so fun. We would wrestle to the point where I might of been crying and yelling uncle. Besides that we had a lot of fun together. 

When they moved to Washington to California, I begged and pleaded my dad if I could go and visit. They were living in Incline Village at the time in Lake Tahoe. When I first came to Tahoe I fell in love. I knew that I wanted to move here. From there on out, I came for several years leading to the ending of my senior year. I decided then that I would be moving to Lake Tahoe, California and go to college there. My Aunt Dee and Uncle Bruce and cousin Mike came up for my high school graduation and my cousin Mike and I would be making the drive down with my car full to California. This was in 2005.

A year or so later, my cousin Mike had a back injury at work. He went to the doctor as any of us would and he was prescribed oxy cotton and other severe pain meds. I think the other one was methadone. (ya the drug they wean you off heroin with.) Mike took those for a year or so and it turned to something even harder, cocaine and eventually the death drug I call it, heroin. 

It was scrarey to see my cousin all dopped up on heroin, because you knew he was gone for awhile and it was heroin, so to speak, that was talking to you. It wasn't my cousin Mike. My cousin lied, stole, and hurt his family over the drug heroin. However, there was still some of him there left. Even if he was doped up and I needed help, he would be there if I called. He would pull me out of the snow or if I needed anything. Moving a couple of boxes.

Mike was eventually entered and exited rehab several times in the last couple of years due to his addiction. One of the times he came out clean and then he doped himself up so much that he overdosed and was brought back to life by CPR. By this point it was clear that none of us could watch him, my aunt and uncle's marriage would be shattered, he just needed help that none of us could give him. 

He then was packed up and shipped off to this rehab in Honduras. HONDURAS! Ya kinda of out there. However, I know my cousin says it's not the best place, and it sucked. I believe this place really did change him and make him better. I know it was a shady place, and it wasn't ideal, but when he came back he was clean, healthy looking, and starting to look like Mike again.

My cousin was never encouraged as much as he should have been. He was always told he was a fuck up and that he would never amount to anything. He proved everyone wrong, when he came back rehab. He took him awhile to figure out what he really wanted to do. He decided that he wanted to go to culinary school, (my cuz is the best damn cook), and pursue a career in the kitchen and be a chief one day.  He studied hard, despite what every thought if he could do it or not, and in October 2009 he graduated culinary school and was so close to being a valedictorian of his class. He still graduated with his class with honors and attendance awards.

Me and the cousin after graduation ceremony

All in all, my cousin is doing great. It's been 2 years since he has came back from rehab in Honduras, and he is still clean. 

Cousin receiving his diploma from culinary school

My cousin is an addiction survivor and I'm proud of him.

I have my cousin back.  

62.. My cousin's addiction survival 

63. My cousin's presence back in my life

64. Sobriety 

65. Family Bonds

66. Diet coke

67. Fall leaves 

68. Pumpkin pie

69. Glass of Red Wine

Wordless Wednesday

I love being a mom and going to a place to just play with Mackenna. This is from this last weekend. We go to this place called the Kidzone. It's an indoor facility for your kids to just go and play. It's great for us since we live in the mountains for a snowy day and we get bored at home. Here are a couple of quick snaps I got with my phone. 

First Ever Giveaway... Hot Mama Handbags

* Closed *
Hot Mama Handbags by Maranda 

I ran into Maranda's Hot Mama Handbags through a fellow blogger and just fell in love with her Etsy shop. She does awesome work. I bought my hot mama bag in August and just love it. I dumped the diaper bag and now using just my hot mama bag. When I received my hot mama bag in the mail, I first looked at it and said to myself that this could not be hand made. It is so well stitched and it holds all of my crap.

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My Hot Mama Bag

Inside

My stuff

Mackenna's stuff

You can fit a lot into this little hot mama bag and still look stylish without lugging around that large diaper bag.

Giveaway

Maranda has a great offer to my readers. She is offering free shipping and a wipee dipee clutch with an order over $50. Which is such a good deal. Please make sure to stop by her Etsy Shop and start to drool over her stuff. If you want to take part in this awesome offer, please make sure that you mention you are from Mountain Mum. This special giveaway to my readers has a 1 week time limit and closes Monday 9pm PST 10/18. 

Free with $50 purchase. 

While you are here, please vote for me and make sure to follow me if you are new.

McFatty Monday

I know, I know this is just silly. But, hey I'm fat and I'm not going to lie about it. (I'm laughing my ass off as I write this) I'm being serious now.... I'm not laughing anymore. I starting this and jumping on the band wagon to regain my healthy lifestyle I used to have. I was fit, athletic and all my clothes fit. Then I had a baby, well she is 2 now. I don't have an excuse anymore time to get back in shape.

I'm too shy, so I won't be posting a photo of my sexy body. (don't be too disappointed). I'm starting McFatty Monday's because I want to join in with the other mom's out there that are also wanting to be their old selves again.

I want to be able to post my progress, maybe as I get braver I will post my photos of my progress, but for now I will just state the facts and the number of lbs or clothes sizes I'm dropping. ha!

I'm going to keep the first post short, because I'm also posting my first giveaway ever on my blog tomorrow 10/12.

Please feel free to give me some advice, what worked for you. Also, feel free to leave me a link to your McFatty Monday's.

Thankful on a Thursday - Mack goes to Preschool

I've been really lucky to have my Mom, Sister-In-Law and my friend Kieara watch Mackenna the first two years of her life. However, my daughter is ready for new challenges and she will be starting her very first day at pre-school next week. I'm so excited for her, because she is going to have so much fun with other kids and playing all day.

Side note: I'm a little freaked out, but it will all work out.

There is also another big change for me. I will be saying good bye to my 6-3pm shift at work that I've been working for the last 4 years. I will be changing to a more realistic shift for Mackenna my daughter of 8-5pm and will be getting her ready in the morning and getting her to and from school. I'm used to leaving the house so early that A. it's still dark outside and B. everyone is still sleeping. So I'm excited to be to get her ready in the morning and head to school and work. Working 8-5 will be weird at first I'm sure, but its for the best for Mackenna right now.


What are you Thankful for this week....

54. Mackenna going to preschool

55. cool and crisp late afternoon walks with hubbs and Mack. 

56. Pumpkin pie

57. A great support system, social, family and friends

58. My friend Amber moving back to CA from WA state. 

59. Diet coke

60. Happy Birthday to "FarFar" (my grandpa) He turned 27 this year. ;)

61. Getting back in touch with the lord.

Link up with me...

100th Post - Let's Celebrate

So yesterday I didn't even realize that my post marked the 100th post of my blog. I've been blogging since May of 2009. I really enjoy it, and the people I meet. I think it's fun to read and learn from each other. I really hope that everyone has enjoyed my blog over the past 5 months or so.

Thanks for all my follower's, readers and tweeter's. All of you have been a great addition to my blog since I started.


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Wordless Wednesday

I found this photo this morning, and it's one of my favorites. 

I love Fall... cold/flu and all.

I was sick all weekend with the cold and flu, so I'm sorry for the lack of a post today. However, check back tomorrow for the Hot Mama Bag's review and giveaway. They are awesome bag's and also the owner Maranda has an awesome offer to my readers.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was relaxing, but tough with being sick. Also, the Seahawks lost.

Rain, wood burning fire and football. Taken from the couch. :)

What did you do this weekend. I hope it didn't involve being sick.

Follow Friday

I love participating in twitter follow friday's, but I would like to have more traffic through my blog and I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that would like that too.

So, link up with me for blog follow friday.

Thankful Thursday - I'm not Perfect

I'm not perfect the more I age and get on with my life I realize this standard of being perfect I hold myself too is an unobtainable goal. It's something that I will never reach... perfection!
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I remember way back, when I was a little shit girl I used to tell myself and my dad that I would be perfect. My life would be perfect because I would be running the show. I will do what I want my house will look the way I want and my room will have dirty clothes on the floor.

Any of you have memories like that as a child?


I'm pretty sure I reminded my dad everyday that I would be better then him because I wouldn't have as many strict rules as he would and my kids would love me more for it. Something to that effect.


I think it is hard for us to realize that we aren't something we thought we should be.
* I'm not perfect mom
* I'm not a perfect person
* I'm not a perfect wife
* I'm not a perfect cook

Anyway, let me just say, "I'm not Perfect!"

There are some days where I come home from work and I don't do anything. I mean no cleaning, no cooking, nothing. I feel ok with it, but sometimes the hubs isn't ok with it. My daughter wants to play with me so bad that she will get on the couch and jump on me. I then get mad and tell her that she can't jump on people and put her on time out. I guess that isn't really fair, because I shouldn't even let my daughter get to the point to where she has to jump on me and hit my face to get me to play with her.

Someday's I just want to be able to lay on the couch and watch a stupid show by myself for a few minutes. Or just want to crawl in bed and go to sleep because of the day I had that day I want to just forget it. Please know that this isn't an everyday occurrence just for the record.

I love my daughter and she is growing up so fast and I want to be the perfect person, mother and wife, but sometimes being perfect just isn't something that is a reachable goal and I should live my life the best I can possible.

Even if.... I'm not perfect!
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What are you thankful for this week?

54. Realizing I'm not perfect, and I'm ok with it.

55. Fall Weather

56. Pumpkin spice latte's reappearance at Starbucks

57. My Daughter's smile

58. Scrap booking classes

59. Diet coke

60. The weekends with my family

61. Sunshine 

62. My perfect life the way it is

Hump Day

Happy Hump Day Reader's

Representing the hawks at work

My BigMac Painting

Picasso at work

Potty training take 2

A long time ago I mentioned that I was going to start potty training my daughter. Well, that just didn't happen the way I wanted it to. Not only was she not interested in potty training, I just didn't give her the time and effort the whole thing deserved.

The last couple of days and over the weekend I've been really good with her. She can't really tell me that she has to go potty quite yet until she is already going. (go figure.. right?) :) I ask her every 20 or so minutes if we need to go sit on the potty and she will either tell me yes or no. For the most part she will tell me yes and we will go and sit down and she will go pee. Which has been so awesome. However, today she went poop in the potty. I was so excited I think I scared her.

At this point in the potty training I'm trying to make a decision at this point to just throw away all diapers in the house and just go for it. Or, if I should keep the diapers around for awhile for like the car, sleeping, and or longer outings such as shopping and such.

Does anyone have suggestions for me that has gone through it or going through it now? 

What worked for you when you potty trained your tot? 

What didn't work? 

Am I crazy for wanting to throw away all the diapers?

I started a sticker chart for her in the bathroom, so every time she goes to the bathroom and she can get up and stick a sticker on a piece of paper in front of the toilet. Although, she has more fun flushing the toilet then putting a sticker on the wall.

Happy Tuesday

Firewood is a man's job

So, as you know I live in the mountains and all of fall is the preparation of our wood for our wood burning fire place. The hubs stated awhile back that inside the house is a woman's job. (Who hasn't heard that from a man's mouth.) Anyway, he told me that since he is dealing with cutting, splitting the wood that I can't ask him to do any chores in the house. Ok, that seems fair right?!?

Only Half of the wood we will need this winter

The other day after he realized how much wood their was to stack, he has changed his mind. He told me, " you know you are going to be the one helping me stack this, it's going to be a family event." (What the Frack!)

Not only now do I have to clean the house and clean his pee pee off the toilet, I now have to stack wood.


 I simply just said, "I don't think so, wood is a man's job."

Home Tour Friday

So I see a lot of people posts photos of their houses and what us mom's live and work with on a daily basis. I moved into our new house about a month ago. It's pretty much put together, but there are some things that aren't unpacked yet. I've been intimidated to upload photos of my house, because everyone's houses seem to be so well organized and well decorated. Anyway, I'm going to share anyway so all my followers can see my house and give me some pointers and ideas for my house. 

Living Room/Dinning

Front Yard

Kitchen 

Living Room

Mackenn'a Bathroom

Guest Room/Office/Sewing Scrapbooking Room

(Sorry For the mess) This room I still need to figure out what I'm doing in here.

Another angle of the Guest Room/Office/ Scrap Booking area

Hallway

My Bedroom :)

Opps I need to Finish laundry

Entry way and Front Door

Kitchen (Full View)

Mackenna's Room

This is what a 2 year old's Room looks like. It's impossible

to keep clean. Mackenna is actually is taking a nap in crib while I was taking photos :)

Thanks for taking the Tour. Sorry for some of the messes. 

I'm a procrastinator

Ever feel like life is passing you by so fast you can't remember last weekend, a few days ago, yesterday, let alone last night. I've been so focused on being organized and having a clean house and doing and doing. I never set time aside for myself or just to be stupid with my family and laugh. I feel like I need to have schedules, budgets, calendars blah blah. At the end of the day I'm the one exhausted, tried and stressed not anyone else. 

hmmmm.. I'm most be a crazy bhatch sometimes. I feel like I'm loosing it and will have a mental break down if I don't just S.T.O.P and really try to capture the things that I'm missing. 

For example, I work 6-3 so yesterday I was at home at around 3:15 and from the minute my friend left that watches my daughter I went straight to my daughter's room and started cleaning. I didn't stop cleaning until 8:30pm last night. Ok, I'm a fatty and I stopped for 20 minutes to eat dinner. 

By the time I was actually done and in bed, it was 9pm. I've tried cleaning schedule's and calendar reminders and nothing seems to work. I wait for the last minute for everything. I mean EVERYTHING!

This week I'm going to really focus, I can't keep procrastinating anything, because I'm going to fall apart with stress and anxiety. I've been a procrastinator since I was born I think. I've been real good at it, because I work well under pressure and even better. My best work and creativity happens when I'm crammed for time. 

I'm going to try and eliminate some extra things for awhile and doing extra's and focus on the home front and my family. Otherwise I'm going to Fracken loose it. 

How do you mom's out there deal with all the things that are on your plate?

What tools do you use to help you remember everything?

My Budget Plan, It might work for you

I know once you here the word's Debt and Finance's we run like the plague is over taking our world. It's the one thing that can end marriages, relationships and your overall composure. I'm going to start posting my new debt and budget regime on Wednesday's because I'm over wordless Wednesday's. They are boring the Frack out me. 

So, the hubbs and I make some real decent money. You go through the motions and then at the end of the year, you look at your income level and wonder to yourself where the hell did all that money go. When you start to think about it, you become baffled. There are times when I'm rolling in it and embarrassingly enough their are times when I'm flat ass broke. I'm sure we can all relate to this roller coaster bank account balance. I'm tired of just paying bills and then spending the rest after bills on whatever we feel like for the remainder of the time till we get paid. It's a waste on nothing but bullshit. To be quite Blunt. 

So, instead of arguing and yelling at each other the crap that we both buy, or who went to lunch and how much I spend at whatever, I decided to make a very distinct budget and cut out extra spending for now. We have credit card debt, like every damn person on the planet. It's not an obscene amount, but its decent. 

The Budget on Paper:

1. Made excel spreadsheet with all our bills and the amount's they are (including their due dates).

2. Added other expenses, like how much we SHOULD be spending on groceries, household items, entertainment, Beer fund, and Eating out, Gas, Daycare, kid stuff. 

(Beer Fund WTF!, I know I have to give the hubs a budget for beer, or there is no motivation or interest in any of the overall budget. It's a tactic to get the men gender to listen. It's worked so far.)

3. Figure out the amount of your paychecks for the month. 

Savings:

1. You need to save at least $1,000 in your saving's account before you can do the actual budget plan I'm doing. So, the amount after everything is budgeted.. including: bills and expenses for the month are paid for, the left over monies get deposited into your saving's account. 

2. Once you have reached the goal of $1,000 in saving's you then take that left over amount after your expenses and bills are planned out and that that amount goes to paying off your debt.  (if you have any.) If you have no debt, then you are a god, and I want to know how you do it. 

3. You keep doing this until your debt is paid off. Phew! After the debt is paid off then you go back to saving's. But you don't have to do the whole amount, but set an certain amount per month to send to saving's. 

Cash & Envelopes:

1. Make envelopes for all of your expenses. 

Ex.  Envelopes 

a. Gas

b. Groceries

c. Household's

d. Ian's Beer Fund (in my case)

e. Entertainment

f. Eating out

2. Once you have made the envelopes you pull out the cash for each expense and put it into the envelope. 

(Take the figure from your budget plan. Since we get paid twice a month, I take that amount and divide it in half and that is the amount I get in cash every paycheck.)

3. Once your envelopes are loaded with the cash, the rest of the money in your account is for the bills you budgeted for. Then you use the cash in the envelopes for your other expenses.

4. Once the cash runs out it's gone, if there is left over cash, you leave it and then your expense envelope has more the next time and so on.

Ok, If you are still reading at this point, you made it through my training sesh. I'm sorry, but there is a lot of wordiness to it when you try and explain it. It's really easy. If you are really interested in trying comment back or if it's private email me @ kristina.j.ruth@gmail.com 

My new motto is eff the credit card companies, because they don't care about me. :)

Happy Saving's! 

Tada! The Wedding Photos

So, back in august I said that I was in a wedding of my good friend Autumn. She got her photos yesterday and I wanted to share them with all of you.

Caution: I look like I'm the whitest FRACKEN person on the planet in these photos. The

dress didn't really fit my huge ASS boobs and well I don't know why, but I'm squinting in all of the 

photos take of me. Dear Lord, I'm sorry. 

Autumn and I. You can even see where the makeup stops on my neck. Eff. 

Ian and the Groom Tyson. 

The Wedding Party

Look at my face. WTF. It was cold and that's all I can think of. 

The Married Couple

Autumn and her Sister Dawn. Dawn is so awesome. She had the balls to tell

her sister that our dresses were ugly. hahaha! I love u dawn. 

Well, here are the photos, enjoy!

Mackenna 2 Years and 2 months

Mackenna Jane is 2 years and 2 months old today. I can't believe it's 

been two months since her 2nd Birthday. 

Weight: 34 lbs

Height: TBD

Food: Mac and Cheese, Bananas, some meats, Yogurt

(she has become very picky already)

Words: Hi, bye, mommy,mum, daddy, thank you, welcome, kitty, cow,

home, sky, airplane, bath, teet, eyes, nose, ears, it's ok, uh oh.

(so many more)

Sings the ABC's all the way through

counts 1-10

Sings twinkle twinkle

Children grow up way too fast. I always feel bad and sad back in the days, when she was younger I would wish that she would hurry up and go to the next stage, because it would be easier. I guess just easier for me. Now that I look back at it, why did I rush it. Now, my daughter is 2 years old and all I can think about is doing it again. Oh boy, the expense of another child, are your shittin me. I'm am crazy that I have baby fever right now. Maybe so. 

ACL & LCL & Vicodin

So, due to a knee injury yesterday and the amounts of Vicodin that is consuming my blood stream I'm not even going to attempt to write anything else on my blog today, but this. Hopefully I will be back tomorrow.

I tore my ACL and LCL in a soccer game yesterday. So lot's of pain today.