Friday Fab Finds!

I have lots of goodies to share with you today. Now remember, these are just deals and cute places I find on the net. I may not have tried them yet. Keyword YET! So check it all out and let me know what you think!



First up, from my neck of the woods, Whimsies Cards ~ their very girly notecards are worth peeing at.



New Coupons! Check out our coupon page for great discounts from generous designers!

Cool site - Ekcetera.com is a graphic service with all sorts of great ideas. I like the monograms. Perfect for designing a very special thank you card.

Poor Choices

I'm always on the boys about "poor choices" vs. "good choices". Well.. today they are having quiet time away from mommy because mommy made a poor choice of her own. It involved a good friend, some decent wine, and lots of laughs. I'm clearly out of practice if I feel this badly after a few glasses of mommy-juice. If the boys could talk any louder right now, I'd be amazed, and I think my head would pop off. Yes...very bad choice. Hmmm, now that I think of it, my friend is the one who brought the wine. I think we'll make this her fault. She is clearly the one who made the poor choice, right? ha ha. Next time I should do the shopping.
Luckily it's vacation bible school week. Each morning the neighbor takes the boys to 'get their God on'. It's been nice to spend time with baby. You know...the quiet one who doesn't sing itsy-bitsy spider off key, or whistle in the van. I know...it's only a matter of time when he's screaming with the rest of them. For now, I'm treasuring this last week of his first year. My little man turns 1 year old next Thursday. Boo hoo!!!!!!
Cheers friends. This momma is taking an aspirin and a nap!

Mom Couture

There's no reason you have to frump around town like a slob. Queen Mum is here to help you get a little more hip, at some hot prices.

Here is a deal for you, $18-24 earrings at jennylous.com. Handmade earrings with sterling silver parts and adorned with beads the color of summer. Perfect for that up-do hairstyle (we moms call it a ponytail) and that new tank top.


Speaking of tank tops! How about the new MOBs Lounge apparel? Queen Couture is here and on sale for a few more days thanks to a great deal at cafepress. Just $15.99 for the tank top. I've been wearing mine around and everyone asks about it. I just love tooting my horn about the Mobs Lounge.

And here's a new item in our Queen Couture line. Frankly, no one needs to be asking you about this. But if you bend over too far, they might see your crown sticking out. Go to the Queen Couture store and see what I mean.
Enjoy your queen-wear!

Talk Dirty

Today I want to talk dirty. It's about mud. What is it that is so appealing? We have oodles of toys in the yard for the boys to play with. Instead, I get a beautiful mud pie with a flower in it. Nice gesture, but ugh!
I'd love to hear your suggestions for some good clean fun with the boys. Besides the daily bug hunt and quick soccer game, we're at a loss for what to do. They want to stay inside and play their gameboys. ACK!
And since the baby is teething and I'm a zombie-mom, I can't write intelligently enough to do a review today. So help a girl out huh? Give us some tips and tricks for keeping the dirty little monsters a little more clean.

Cheers!

Sucking Air

I'm going to step upon my soapbox for a minute or two and scream at the top of my lungs because, apparently, some parents just don't get it, or just don't care. I'm talking about smoking with kids in the car. HELLO? Do some people still not believe in second-hand smoke and it's effects? I'd love for you to talk about that to my friend who never smoked but got lung cancer...but he's dead. Oh I know...lots of things cause lung cancer. But when your spouse smokes like a chimney, you don't, and you get it. Hmmm? I wonder how that came about?

It makes me want to scream bad words when I see someone driving around with kids in the car and smoke is pouring out the very small crack they've left by rolling the window slightly down. Oh, and even nicer is the sure sign they do this all the time, that layer of grime on the windows. "Um hi...that's coating your kids' lungs as well as your windows."
Of course the kids are strapped in to car seats and booster seats. They want to keep them safe you know. (For crimany sake)

No, I'm not claiming to be a perfect mom. I do stupid stuff all the time. Like lose my kids. Well, mostly just the baby. He's re-training me as I've forgotten how fast an experienced crawler can get away, and how easily they can get into very small spaces that you've forgotten about. Like when he got stuck under the bed. I was putting laundry in my dresser and he was behind me. Then, suddenly, he was not. Poof. He simply vanished. And it's not like he can answer me when I call his name.
And last week, when he learned to pull down the baby gate, very quietly too I might add. He hustled up the stairs, into the big boys' room, and up the slide to the top bunk. Oh yes...the slide, another thing I didn't know he could do. Monster.

So we're all a little sleep-deprived and fuzzy-headed some days, and therefore we unintentionally enable the little one's to get into a little trouble. Go get a coffee, or stick on the patch to wake yourself up. Give your kids a breath of fresh air.

Oh crap...baby is gone. Bye! ;)

Fab Find ~ Freebie w/ Purchase!

The Queen Mum is always on the look out for great deals and freebie offers. Here is a great one from a new company making some very adorable blankets. I've not yet tried the blankets, but I know the owner of the company and she's always top quality in my book!

Luna Lou is the silly that never sleeps. The blankets are scrumptious looking with their cupcake graphics and yummy colors, not to mention 100% recycled cotton and 100% made in the USA. And if you buy one during their Grand Opening (thru 7-15-06) you can get a free 11"x9" canvas tote with original screen print design. (Blankets w/ boy-friendly designs available!)

So check out our friend Luna Lou, the sweet little girl with a twinkle in her eye and a soft, cuddly blankie in her hand.

What Were You Thinking?

Clearly, I was not thinking when I decided that taking five boys ages 6 and under to a movie would be a good idea. We were running late and, thankfully, the movie was too full. I don't think I'd have survived. I saw a friend of mine driving through the parking lot as we entered the movies and she shouted out the window "what are you on crack or something?" Another mom, a complete stranger says "are all these cherubs yours?". First I had to look around to be sure she was talking to me. Cherubs? What planet do you live on, can't you see these are 5 boys? Is that physically possible to birth two completely different looking 6 year olds, then 3 year olds, then still have eggs left for a baby a few years later? I think not.

Isn't it hilarious how you can't go out with more than one child per adult without getting comments on how "brave you must be," or "you certainly have your hands full". Ok, the cherub lady was trying to be sweet, or maybe sarcastic, but otherwise people just look at you like they are waiting for you to lose complete control over your patience, the boys, and possibly even your bladder.
It's worse than the rubber-necking when a accident happens on the side of the road. In that case people want to see what gorey details they can pass on to their friends. In the case of kids in public I feel the bad mojo all around as everyone anticipates some unforgiveable act out of one of the kids.
My kids are so dramatic, maybe we should train them to put on a little show. A little shock value would be fun. Perhaps give them some scissors and let them chase each other up and down the aisles of the grocery store. Of course, then the onlookers would win because I'd laugh so hard I'd lose bladder control after all.

What color is it?

Remember when you anxiously awaited that milestone in your pregnancy? No, not the one where it was over. :) The one where you could finally find out the sex of the baby?
Baby #1 we found out as soon as we could.
We made a big production of our middle baby's secret. We were going to my hubby's home in England and would also be visiting France, and that week was our anniversary. The ultrasound tech put the secret in an envelope for us. We decided to open it one night while Nanny and Grandad were watching boy#1 back at the hotel. We went to the Eiffle Tower and opened it there. It was sweet and memorable...slightly shocking too because I was SURE it was a girl. Nope. Blue. Again.
Baby #3 was supposed to be a surprise and we told all the nurses and our doctor that no one was to speak a word about it. Hubby was to be the first to exclaim, "its a ---". Unfortunately that detail was left out during the emergency c-section so the anesthesiologist was the one to break the news to me. Um...yay, thanks.

Needless to say, it's special any way you do it. But check out this awesome way that one couple found out and shared the news with their families. My friends over at Chic Blvd. are following one mom-to-be who shares her big secret with the world via online video. Get out your hanky, this one made me cry!

Tuesday Review ~ Cute Cards

Here at the MOBs Lounge Queen's Castle, we get a lot of notecards and invitation samples to check out. One I recently received is definitely worthy of a little horn tooting.

Mango Ink uses a nice, textured card stock that I love, plus it has and embossed border in which your photo fits snuggly. The graphics work by Mango Ink is very imaginative and unique. Their tag line sums it all up "Your words, your photos, your personality. Your card. We just add the mangos to sweeten it up". I love that!

So it seems pretty easy. Choose the card you like, send them photos and wording. Let them work some magic for you. You just add stamps. Check out their site and bookmark it for your next party. I think you'll be pleased and your guests will be amazed!

Better You Than Me

So I have this friend..um, I'll call her Rachel. (ha ha) I told her I'm writing about her today because the phrase "sh-- happens" has happened to her twice now. It's when the baby learns to take off his diaper ONLY at times it's filled with poop.

The first time I was sympathetic and willing to comfort her as a first-time mom with this new, disgustingly stinky, situation. But it happened again and now I get to laugh a bit! However, I was polite and thanked her for today's writing material.

She was telling me to title the blog something about the diapers because she was sure it was the diaper's fault. (Oh Rachel, you know I love you). So I innocently asked, "what was he wearing with it?"
Rachel answered "well it was hot so he was just in a diaper."

This is where I started laughing. Her boy is about 1 1/2 years old. So I explained my theory that as soon as they learn there is something to diddle with down there, they will go to great lengths to get to it. My baby always has pants/shorts on over his diaper because I know it's going to come off otherwise. (yes, I speak from experience)

The good news is she may have a budding artist taking after herself because apparently he was doing some interesting art work with the poo. ha ha! Better you than me babe. You know I would have lost it completely! Cheers!

Last Minute for Dads

Oh crumbs...I haven't done anything for my husband or my own dad for Father's Day. So if you are slacking on the job, like me, benefit from my last minute online search for e-gift certificate providers:

Shhh...this is what my dad is getting.

Cool gadgets can be found at the Discovery Store.

Great for the musician in the family.

Make note that most e-cards are redeemable online only and may have an expiration date. Read the fine print. Now go, make yourself look good before you just look late!

Fab Find: Easy Summer Style

I'm an Old Navy lady lately. Normally I'm not a huge fan because it's not like the clothes are made to last, but when they currently cost so little, I indulge my Bargain Betty alter-ego just a bit.

I'm loving that the tank tops are on sale. That paired with their $5 shipping saves me the hassle of going to the store, in the horrible-humid Midwest heat, with three boys..need I go on?

I've purchased a few sets of tanks for layering, which look great with a fabulous chunky necklace or two or three. Paired with a denim skirt or gouchos, it's a perfect mom outfit for our summer outings. So check out Old Navy this week and do some easy online shopping while the sales are going on.
Must-have summer styles at oldnavy.com!

Where Oh Where Is My Underwear

I lose a lot of things and mostly blame it on the theory that each time a lose a placenta with it I lose some brain cells. Times 3...that's a hefty loss. My keys need a clapper, they are always lost. The cell phone comes a close second. Luckily I can call myself from one of the other 5 phones around. But I have never...never ever ever...lost my underwear, until today.

We went to the gym to hang out at the pool. We had a fine time splashing around, having some snacks, etc. We didn't even experience the usual "It's time to go now"-drama. Such a pleasant experience. I dress the two little boys out at the pool then head to the locker room.

Of course I have way too much crap, as usual. The double stroller, huge gym bag, snack cooler, purse, diaper bag...and surprisingly...my cell phone AND keys. Here comes the karma. I go to get dressed..."hey...where's mommy's underwear?"
"How should I know?" says prince #1. Of course he doesn't understand the beauty of a rhetorical question so I shoo both the other boys out of the locker room to let me have my panic attack solo.

I pull everything out of my huger than huge gym bag. Search all through the double stroller holding nothing but a 18 pound baby and some crumbs. I'm frantic. DEAR GOD! I must have dropped them outside by the pool!

I yell for prince #1 who yells back because I just shoo'd him out of the locker room. I ask him to go check by where we were sitting to see if there is a pair of blue and black underwear laying around.

He's taking a while. I wrap a towel around me and peek out. No, No, NO!!! OH LORD! He's talking to a woman at the pool! Please don't let him be asking her if she has my underwear. I have to cancel our gym membership immediately! Forget it. I put on my very thin, knit gouchos that until now, have never seemed to be so clingy and huggy. There are some curves that do NOT need to be seen, ever.

Now I'm mortified and sure that everyone knows I'm going commando. The boys are dawdling. "Come ON!" I slightly shout so as not to cause commotion yet put the fear of God in them to hurry.

Phew. In the car. Safe from peering eyes. I can't even bring myself to check my bed where my gym bag last sat in case the undies aren't there. Because if they are not...oh...I can't even think about it.

Meanwhile...I'm still commando for some reason. It's a bit comfie. Hmmm. Who knew?

Queen Couture

In just a few days we'll have our own line of Queen-wear available to you! Then the entire kingdom (or 'queendom' as we like to call it) will know that you are a Queen.

I'm just waiting for my test-tee to arrive so I can make sure it's top-notch for all you hot moms out there. Keep checking back for updates and be the first in your neighborhood to proclaim yourself a QUEEN!

Now get on over to our contest page and enter the new contest before it's over tomorrow!

My Arm Candy Baby

Recently we received an adorable baby tee from Arm Candy Baby. I immediately threw it on my little guy and boy did he look scrumptious in his "One Smart Cookie" t-shirt. We put it through the wash before deciding if we truly loved it and it passed the test!

These retro-inspired baby t's and bodysuits make for great gifts. Not only are the designs so cute and colorful, but the packaging is marvelous. Of course we love the boy styles, but the girls have great choices too with those sparkly Swarovski crystal accents. Yum!

Our little guy thanks Arm Candy Baby for the totally cute t-shirt. We will have plenty of photo opp's for sure! Arm Candy Baby, because what better accessory can a momma have than a cute baby in her arms?!

When the Bells Toll

Where do I begin? As if I didn't wear enough hats already, this past weekend I became a wedding coordinator. It started as an innocent request to hang around the church to be available to the bridal party while my designer friend decorated the reception location. Little did we know, the church did not 'take charge' of the wedding ceremony as assumed and I was instantly transformed from lackey to coordinator with one questioning look from the bride. EEK!

It all started Friday night at the rehearsal. No one from the church was stepping in to take charge. Finally the lady who opened the doors and turned on the lights explained that she was there for just that, then locking up. Too bad there wasn't a photo taken of our ashen faces. Shock does not begin to describe it. Somewhere between horror, disbelief and unconsciousness was where my brain was residing at that moment.

Well, my friend and I somehow pulled it off at the rehearsal. We coordinated the ceremony based on the program the bride brought and very little guidance from the priest, as if we had prepared to do this all along. It was brilliant.

Now...if you'll recall the anxiety you felt when it was your wedding. Imagine being responsible for the wedding of a complete stranger that you had nothing to do with until 20 hours prior. I recall an expression an old friend used to use..."nervous as a whore in church". I couldn't even pee I was so tied up in knots the day of the wedding.

I was really getting good at faking it. I should have video taped this entire ordeal and sent it to that TV channel that does the 'faking it' series. "Is the XXX taken care of?" someone would ask. "Of course!" I answered enthusiastically, then rummaged around in my notes to make sure I had that bit covered. I figured that as long as no one could smell my fear I'd be fine. Much like being cornered by a pack of wolves, or my fighting children.

Of course my friends are reading this thinking that I'd be born for this roll, bossing people around, being in control... and with a different scenario, this could have been more comfortable. But I'm not good with surprises of this magnitude and lack of preparation. However, we pulled it off without a hitch. There were a few small things, but nothing anyone would know or care about. We were blessed to NOT have a Bridezilla nor did we have the overbaring mother's. The family was a dream to work with and I had about 12 hours to be someone other than Mom. Plus, I didn't nurse the baby for that long, nor did I pump. So I got lots of praises from the brides parents, a fantastic steak dinner, and the most gorgeous pair of hooters I've ever seen on myself ever. Now if I could stop the nightmares of wedding bells tolling, and waking in a cold sweat wondering where the guest book is, I'd be back to normal. But beware..The next time I hear wedding bells I'm likely to drop to the ground in the fetal position.

THAT Mom

Oh, so I'm a little late in posting my 'daily' dose. Good thing I'm the Queen!

My queendom has been turned upside down lately with our summer schedule. It's not easy going from our previous, more carefree, life of
"hey kids, let's get in the van and go find something to do",
to this new life of
"if you don't put on your sandals...
"no, not flip-flops I said SANDALS...
"and get in the van now I'm going to...
"no I told your brother HE could carry the back pack...
"stop whining and crying the whole NEIGHBORHOOD can hear you..."
(Son steps in) "Mom, the whole neighborhood can hear YOU too".
Point taken.

Yes friends, the Queen has had to step down from her throne and become Taxi-Mom. Hustle to camp, back to put baby to nap..oh my...did I fall asleep? Crap, no laundry done again. Back to get kids from camp. "Mom PLEASE can we say and swim?!"
Stop by Wal-mart to buy underwear since no laundry is done.
Back home to nap. Oh dear...I fell asleep again? No laundry, no dishes and no meat out to thaw for dinner. Guess it's PB&J again kids.

When did I become THAT mom? The one I used to look down my nose upon, when I was a young, childless (clueless) twenty-something, as she tried to corral her wild kids into her (oh horror) mini-van, all the while leaving a trail of crap falling out of her hideously large diaper bag hanging off one shoulder and baby dangling from the other arm.

Now I glare at her and think...'oh just you wait my pretty, your day soon will come and you too will be a mini-van driving lunatic'...and when it happens, you won't trade it for the world. Just like me.

Boy picks ~ Great BOY cards!

I am so tired of the theme party invitations. My oldest son had the Harry Potter theme and loved it, ugh. Next birthday I want to go a bit more personal so I've been shopping for unique invitation cards. I'll admit, there are a TON of sites doing this now, and all are pretty creative.

Before you decide on your next party invitation, check out SkyartCards.com. Skyart can do amazing things with a few photos and some graphics. Instead of a list of designs to choose from, they encourage you to let them create a one-of-a-kind design for your one-of-a-kind kid.

Send a few photos and let Skyart Cards work a little magic. I like this magic much more than the Potter version.

Fan Mail

A quick hello from the Queen before I have to run outside and do some disciplining. It's been a little moist out so they boys are surely at least elbow deep in mud and much.
I'd like more feedback from our loyal readers. What do you want to see covered at the MOBs Lounge? We want our little queendom to be personal and unique, a place you can go to get away.
Email us with your thoughts and suggestions. We love reading our fan mail!
Get on over to the contest page to enter for a chance to win that totally cute outfit!
Enjoy your day mobsters!

Bag It

Today I'm in the mood for something colorful and fun. That is why I started poking around at PurplePinkandOrange.com. They have this cute new mod design handbag that is a totally reasonable price for me at $35. I'm not one of those $300 purse chicks. Just doesn't go well with crushed up crackers and leaking sippy cups. I'm more likely to buy a design like this one (pictured) that will make me smile when I look at it and not cry if the baby spits up on it. And anyway, at PurplePinkandOrange they recommend using a home dry-cleaning kit - how clever! Even I can do that.

I also like some of their larger bags that are 12 x 15 x 5. Great for carrying mom's things, plus diaper, wipes, snack, etc.
I recommend checking out their goodies if you want a treat for yourself that won't break the bank.
Have a wonderful weekend friends. Don't forget to enter our new contest!

Out of the Closet

I'm no Carrie Bradshaw, but I do love my shoes. I even got these wonderful clear-view storage boxes from Shoe Stor to display my most beloved beauties. However, there is one pair that didn't fit the containers. My chocolate-colored Coach boots. I've yet to wear these sassy little numbers. I bought them for the rush of the sale, not realizing how pretentious they would look on me later with the logo printed all over them. So they have been sitting in a dark and loney box for at least two years.

No shoe fetish here. Though my family may beg to differ. They see me frequenting the closet shoe shelf, but so far have yet to comment on these strange visits. I don't know if they are respecting my shoe privacy or truly afraid of what I may be doing in there. Well, a Queen must have her treasure and she must hide it well. My treasure? Chocolate. My hiding place? The dark shoe box.

Those poor little boots haven't really been loney. They have been sharing space with some of my most coveted chocolates. Lindt, Dove, Roses, just to name a few of my favorites (in case you need a gift idea). So when I scream, "stay away from the shelf with my chocolate boots!", no one even suspects the double meaning. They back away respectfully and get out of the closet.