Lookin’ At Life

Well, I think I’ve been talking for months about updating our insurance portfolio. And by that…I mean we need to add on life insurance. How can you have four kids….and not have life insurance? I think that should have come before baby number 1!

So I need to find some life insurance quotes today, and see what kind of “umbrella” discount we can qualify for!

Birthing

Speaking of being a ’stay at home’ mom…My sister just had a baby. The last couple of weeks of her pregnancy she was put in the hospital because of some complications. I had the opportunity to sit with her many of those days when she was alone. She was always complaining about the technology around her. The monitor checking the baby’s stats had it’s sound, the blood pressure cuff would take her blood pressure every hour—and even though it was silent, you always knew when it was start because she would screw her face up in the funniest fashion…she hated it! They also had a finger pulse oximeter on her and her poor little finger would sweat so badly underneath it that she couldn’t take it anymore and she would slip it off for a few moments respite before the nurse would come busting in and re-affix it to her finger.

Child birth is misery…really—there is nothing fun about it—well….until they pull that miraculous slimy creature out and hand them to you….then all is forgotten–and life is good!

Summer Plans

My parent’s are finally home. They spend the winter months living in a 5th Wheel in Yuma, Arizona. They love it there, and I can’t think of a better way to spend those frigid winter months than basking in the warmth of southern Arizona. How I miss living in Phoenix when it’s storming and snowing for days on end. I thought it might be fun this summer to look into used motorhomes, and drive from Chicago to Utah to visit my family. Of course, with your bed attached to the car…we could wander our way across the U.S. and slowly make our way there. Being a ’stay at home’ mom, I can definitely make the trip–but my husband wouldn’t be able to take that much time off–and I know I don’t want to drive an RV all by myself! So maybe not this summer!

Ears & Eyes

Two summers ago, I went for nearly 3 months where every sound was muffled. I felt like I was wearing really thick ear muffs, and when people tried to talk to me, I just felt totally stupid because I couldn’t hear them. Last summer, I lost a good part of my vision for a while. It was so bad that I was driving home with my son and I looked up at the sky and marveled about how a particular cloud was exactly the shape of a blimp. It was perfectly shaped. My 9 year old scanned the sky and said, “I don’t see a cloud shaped like a blimp anywhere….but I do see a blimp over there”. Yeah–totally stupid!! Anyway, I headed to the Ophthalmologist and found out that I had Uveitis in both eyes, which apparently showed that I had an underlying auto immune disorder….Yay Me!!!

I was thinking of that experience this morning as I was washing and moisturizing my face. At my age, it’s probably time to look into prevera or other eye creams….there are probably some crows feet starting–but you know—I’m a little skittish of putting anything near my eyes.

Puppies

Have you seen those hairless cats? I know—people LOVE them…but really—they are scary looking creatures that need a good bath with some hair growth shampoo!! My kids are wishing for a cat! We’ve never really been cat people–as we’ve always had two dogs at a time–and now with a cute little soft shell turtle to look after, the chance of them getting a cat grows dimmer and dimmer! Brownie is our “coyote/shepherd” girl, and she is 10 years old. Wasatch is our Jackapoo psycho dog and he’s 3. When Brownie goes, we are looking at getting a female blond lab, like the Marley and Me puppy. I want to name her either Dutchess or Chutney—either one…total sweetness!

Coming Back Down

So what in the world would a cake artist want to do with a diet supplement?? Just kidding! It only makes sense that someone working with cake and fillings and icing all day would definitely be in need of one, eh! I am so excited for summer to be coming! I’m never one that does well in the heat-but I’m looking forward to getting outside and starting to walk. This poor body needs a bit of TLC—the business is growing impressively–and I don’t need to be doing the same! I do have a treadmill that I need to dust off—and then we’ll be just fine!

Puberty Hits Hard

I have a tween! You know, it’s just a crazy world when the kids hit that stage! His freckles are slowly making way for some pimples…Okay…a LOT of pimples! I need to start looking into some good face washing techniques that a boy won’t balk at! There are also some products that help combat acne that I would like to look into–whether i it’s something online like acnepril, or over the counter at the supermarket—his poor little face will be screaming for one of them soon enough!!

Four Decades!!

My husband is turning the big “40″ this year. I am throwing a HUGE party at our house, with all of his friends from high school, work, you name it—if they know my husband….they’re invited! We are having a pig roast (what better way to feed hundreds of people…than with a 300 lb pig, right???)

We will be using our yard for the festivities–and I can’t wait. I’ve been passing around ideas that “the Man” would like for his birthday, that can also help with the party. I’m getting him a firepit–you know, post party Smores!! And his parent’s or my parent’s will get him an electric grill. Now…if I could just find a couple of people to throw in an Adirondack chair or two…we’d be set!

OH YEAH….and the best part—he’s getting a cake shaped like a life size Stanley Cup! Yeah, he’s pretty excited about that one!

Makin’ Cake

This past week I delivered a Monopoly board cake to a Bar Mitzvah party. (Is that Mitzva or Mitzvah?) Anyway, I had thoughts to pack some business cards in my purse, as I would be attending this party as well as providing the cake. But in my rush to get out the door and safely to downtown Chicago–that thought never met reality. Sadly—EVERYONE asked for a card! How much more business could that one event have brought in, if I would have just been prepared!

I am looking at entering a “Bridal Show” in a month or so. I would need to have a couple of “dummy” cakes on display and I want to find some fun promotional products to hand out to passerby’s. I’ve asked around about what kind of items would get the best bang for their buck—and without fail…100% of people said simply…..A big ol’ chunk of chocolate cake! Yeah…not quite what I was going for!

Who Knew!!

When I started this little cake project 2 years ago–I never realized just what it would turn in to. I read about a caking girl who has a couple of cakes every weekend of the month. In fact, they will only accept 3 cakes a weekend–and she makes enough money to own her own “caking space”. Mind you, she charges upwards of $1000 per cake–and I’m happy to hit $100, but I always think of how cool it would be to command that amount.

What is remarkable to me though, is the number. I would get an order or two one month—and then nothing for 3 months. The months of March and April brought a cake a week–and May is filling up fast!

It’s mind boggling to me—while still fun and exciting at the same time!