We have too much stuff.

One more reason NOT to buy more unneeded stuff this holiday season.

This was also in the back of my mind when I decided to "skip Christmas" (only the shopping part) this year.

If you have a bit of time watch the video on this website Story of Stuff.com .

It shows us, in an "in your face" kind of way what we are doing to our world since we are such huge consumers.

It is EYE OPENING.

All our "stuff" goes somewhere when we are done with it......can you guess where it goes?

And really the disposal of our stuff is not even the worst part, the manufacturing of our stuff is even worse.

Please pass on the information to everyone you know. Consider it your good deed for the day.

I just did mine.

FYI, I accidentally typed in the wrong address looking for the story of stuff.com.

I may be blinded. I think I saw that lady again from the store holding her cell phone in her cleavage....only there was no cell phone. or clothing. Yikes. The Internet can be so flippin' dirty.

Dear Abby,

For the sake of this post, you, the reader are Abby

I have an interesting conundrum that I could use some expert advise on.

Each year for the past 8 years my husband and I have hosted a lovely cocktail party at our home around the Christmas holidays.

I look forward to this special occasion each year as I love to give parties, it is one of my favorite things to do.

I go through a lot of trouble each year starting with the invitations. I think the invitation is the precursor for the party to come, you know, it sets the tone.

I clearly state on the invitation each year that this is a cocktail party.

(I don't want anyone to be confused that if could be a pool, costume or slumber party)

I always plan the event a bit later in the evening around 7 pm.

And I always state that we will be serving heavy hors d'œuvres.

It is a great night for all to dress a bit nicer, have a festive martini and have adult conversation with the friends you only see a few times a year.

The guests are usually family members, neighbors, some key employees and a few very good friends. Usually adding up to 25-40 people.

It never fails though that each year, I am greeted by not only my invited guests, but some of their children also.

Mind you, the kids that come are not "young".

I don't have little toddlers running around, but I do have children at the dining room table picking through the lovely table of food sometimes leaving the chaffing dishes completely empty while the adults are still mingling.

My next lovely vision is of them planting themselves in front of the dessert table and dipping fingers into the beautiful chocolate fountain. I know a chocolate fountain is very tempting, even for adults. But come on!

But don't you think the parents would know better? First off know better than to bring kids to a cocktail party, then by perhaps policing their food intake if they do let them attend?

My children are always instructed to be "out of the way" for this party. They get it and they don't really care. They understand that this is an adult party.

How come some adults themselves don't get this? Should I just NOT invite the offending parties?

Or, should I suck it up and just sigh when I see them at my door on the night of the party? Concede and put out pigs n blankets to keep the kids away from the shrimp cocktail and bacon wrapped scallops.

I hate to do that, because then it is NOT really the party I had envisioned .

I don't want to sound like some mean person who does not like children. I just think there are "kid friendly parties", then there are adult parties.

You would think that parents would love to have a night out with out their kids, Lord knows I do.

Signed,

Hopeless Hostess

A picture is worth a thousand.....

.....Sweet memories of "sweet" girls

**warning, do not show to young impressionable children**

And a thousand questions......

Question number 1...

Why would they grow up and do this to their barbie?

Sugar and Spice my foot.

My child is nuts....

In the orthopedic surgeons office last week waiting to get Lo's cast off of her wrist....

we had some time on our hands to have some silly conversations.....

Lo: Why does the DR. always wear those dress shoes?

Me: I don't know. But he sure is cute, even in the purple scrubs and dress shoes.

(it completly embarasses my girls if I say a man is attractive)

Lo: You know purple means "royalty"

Lo: I want to paint my room purple, white and black.

Me: It will still be a messy dump.

Lo: No, it will be a "royal dump"

Very true.....

On the way home after getting the cast off (she has had it for 6 weeks)

Oh, look I can snap my fingers again. wheeee wheeee (loud squeeling)

Oh, look I have unlimited texting capabilities (texting)wheee wheeeee (again, loud squeeling)

Oh, look at all the dead skin cells (as she is scratching off dried skin) ooohhhh ohhhhh

Me: Stop leaving your DNA all over the car please.

A week prior my Mom sent the girls Halloween cards. She stuck a few bucks in there for the girls.

Lo opened her card, said oh, that is so sweet. I love that Grandma Bev.

Then she took her cash and stuck it in her bra stating that: This is where Grandma would put it.

I told her that in a few years she would have enough cleavage to put her cell phone in the middle of her bra like the classy girl I saw at the store recently.

(yes, the woman was walking around w/ a baby on her hip and her cell phone resting in her cleavage. classy....I just can't get the image out of my head either...)