loliblog

Thanks for a great run!

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 18:48:35 +0100

Due to personal reasons and a growing photography business, Lolidots is not longer blogging, running giveaways or doing product reviews. There are tons of other great blogs and giveaway blogs out there though! Check the sidebar for some of my faves!

Thanks to my fans for 2 years of awesome support and a lot of fun!

You can find my photography at studioelevenphoto.com

Thanks!

~ Robin

Our First Vacay - Part Two

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:53:24 +0100

When we got to San Antonio, we snagged a hotel within walking distance of the Riverwalk and headed on down to scope things out.

After walking

and walking

and walking

and, you guessed it, walking some more....

We grabbed a bite to eat, found an awesome little shop where I eventually ended up buying dresses for Snappy and myself and hit up Ripley's and the wax museum.

Snappy was not happy about those last two stops.

She was totally freaked out. Except for when 0007 took her through this tunnel thing that has lights and moving walls and makes you all discombobulated. She loved that! Then, when she saw the fairytale section of the wax museum she loosened up a bit.

TRex fed off her nervousness for a bit but, he got into it more and had some fun. One of his favorite things? The vampire slayer kit at Ripley's. Of course he also liked the huge TRex head at the wax museum.

In the end, fun was had by all. And, we have the pics to prove it!

Part three to come soon. The San Antonio Zoo!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Easing their fears

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:16:49 +0100

I don't normally do this. But, being as this is sometimes a "Mommy Blog" (ugh. I hate that label.), I really wanted to share something with y'all.

The following is from my Giveaway page. It's a product that I really think every child should own and every parent will love. Check it out and if you'd like to enter to win one, head over to the giveaway.

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As parents, easing our children's fears and anxieties is something we all want to do. Whether your child has only experienced missing you for a brief time or suffers from severe separation anxiety, it's painful knowing that they are upset. I remember being away at camp as a child or simply staying the night at a friend's house and having those homesick pangs. My own children are like night and day. My son is apt to experience quite a bit of separation anxiety, especially from his "best buddy" Dad, while my daughter is much more independent, though she has her moments.

To ease both of their occasional, and not so occasional, fears and anxieties, I am thrilled to have found Pocket Parents.

I've seen tons of "loveys" and other kinds of security objects. Many are cute and many work but, I had never ever seen something like Pocket Parents.

Completely customizable, completely eco-friendly, completely affordable and they completely work!

The sweet and crafty mastermind behind these fantastic security dolls has made it super simple to order one in the likeness of Mom, Dad, Grandma or anyone else that a child feels safe with. It's so fun as well. Have your child draw a picture of the family (optional). Then, simply choose a few defining features and clothing options based on your child's perception. The dolls are made from 100% eco-friendly felt and only measure about 6 inches tall, making them perfect for concealing in bags and backpacks and easily taken everywhere the child goes.

As soon as I found Pocket Parents, I knew that I wanted to see if this product would help my son and his bedtime anxieties. I ordered a Daddy for him and a Mommy doll for my daughter. I loved being able to do a "fauxhawk" and facial hair for the Daddy doll and as soon as my son saw it he knew exactly who it was. My daughter just gushed and gushed when she got her Mommy doll. Neither of them play with the dolls rough like with their other toys; they just immediately became sweet cuddle and security items.

I love that Pocket Parents are perfect for soaking up the scents of a home or a parent. Before giving the doll to a child, try laying it on your chest while you read or watch tv. The felt easily takes on your scent and the scents in your home, making the doll all the more comforting for a child.

Pocket Parents are now definitely on my list of must-haves for children and I think they make fantastic "first day of school/daycare" gifts or would be wonderful as "get well gifts", for kids going to camp, kids in the hospital, before heading to a slumber party or for no reason at all. I think parents will get a kick out of seeing themselves as dolls and I know that kids will love them. They are just such a unique idea and the end result is remarkable.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, there you go. I really do love these dolls and definitely recommend them!

More vacay pics to come soon!

Our First Vacay - Part One

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 04:05:24 +0100

So, Snappy will be four this summer and we have seriously not taken a vacay since she's been around. It was time. This year, since TRex is in school, Spring Break was actually a big deal so we decided to take a couple of days and get away. We live a little over an hour from San Antonio. For you non-Texans, that's where the Alamo is. They've got an amazing downtown area called The Riverwalk, tons of fun stuff to do and an utterly awesome zoo (that the kids had never been to). We set out on Friday and dragged our butts back in on Saturday. It was only two days but, they were fun-filled and involved so much walking that getting out of bed on Sunday morning sucked.

I have so many pics from the trip. Hey, gives me some blogging material for the week. ;-)

Really though, the downtown area of San Antonio is just so cool. The buildings are awesome and old and the Riverwalk is so pretty. I'm like a kid in a candy store taking pics in areas like that.

Being as this will probably be several posts, let's start with some of my fave pics from our first day.

Much more to come! We went to Ripley's Believe it or Not, the wax museum and the zoo! So many pics to go through!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and those of you heading back to school and work from Spring Break....I feel your pain!

Stand Up For Education

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:23:29 +0100

Whether you have children or not, whether they are in the Texas school system or not, you should care about their education, or lack thereof. We should all care. We should be outraged that our country's children aren't given more, our country's teachers aren't treated better, our country's education system isn't being nurtured the way it should be. Funding and teacher pay is a joke. Our kids are absolutely getting "left behind", forgotten about and pushed aside for other things. This doesn't just affect teachers, kids and parents. This affects the future of our country and world. Everyone should care. Everyone. We should be willing to get angry and stand up and speak up about how irresponsible it is to not have the right focus when it comes to educating our children.

This morning, on a national news program, I watched as the gave way too much attention to the outcome of a celebrity's bad behavior and chatted about the latest styles in clothing and many other mundane things. Where is the national coverage on the important topic of what our government is doing to our education system? Our country's priorities, our media's priorities, our government's priorities are in need of a major overhaul.

A good friend of mine has drafted an awesome letter that I'm going to post here. If you feel so moved, please copy and paste and use the links to find the emails for your local reps email addresses. Pass it on. We all have to stand up for our children.

The current plan for impending rape of the Texas Public School budget is unacceptable. I cringe when I imagine my young children sharing a classroom with 35 of their peers without funding for desks or materials. I worry that being already behind academically will turn into absolutely uneducated or unprepared for college or the workforce. No programs, fewer teachers, no money. How could that be acceptable to ANY Legislator regardless of the budgeting problems?

When every Senator and Representative returns his $7200 yearly salary and Rick Perry gives back his $115K, then and ONLY then should they even consider removing money from the school funds. When Texas voters approved the Texas Lottery, they were assured it would fund the schools. When constituents pay their property taxes to the school district they are assured it funds the schools. Tell me again why we pay State Sales Tax and petroleum taxes? Surely educating my children, THEIR future, is a priority of those who represent me at the Capitol!

Sincerely,

You can search for those who represent you via zipcode HERE.
Rick Perry may be contacted HERE.

My long lost love....5QF

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:26:10 +0100

It's been a while since I joined the lovely little Mama M. for her 5 Question Friday! Hello 5QF, I've missed you.

The questions....
1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?
2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?
3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?
4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?
5. What is the best book you have ever read?

1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?

Oh most certainly. Isn't that a rite of passage for the drunk 20-something?

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?

Well, considering where we live, most "cities" are "large". Choosing from the stereotypical large cities though, I'm thinking maybe San Francisco would be a cool place to live. Or San Diego maybe. Oooh, Orlando! Then Disney World would be right there! If I was single I'd say NYC but, I don't think I'd want to live there with a family. Hmmmm. Maybe Seattle?

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?

What's this "vacation" you speak of?

I'd have to say drive. Way more chances for fun along the way and I just don't really care much for flying, especially with my whackadoo kiddos.

4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?

Rotating the wardrobes of the family. Packing up the sweaters and breaking out the tanks. Gearing up the yard for pools and slip n slides. Packing away all the big blankets and coats. And it's right around the corner!

5. What is the best book you have ever read?

Wow. That's a difficult question. I have several favorite books. I'm definitely a tween Twilight lover but, my faves include Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Stephen King's The Stand and Salem's Lot and A Million Little Pieces.

And, The Giving Tree will always be on my list of amazing books.

Phew. Feels good to be back, 5QF! We'll test my procrastination skills and see if we meet again next week!

I hope you all have great plans for the weekend! I'm trying to convince the hubs that our disaster area, I mean our garage, needs gutting, I mean cleaning. We'll see how that goes.

Have a good one!

And, head over to My Little Life if you wanna play along with 5QF!

Love is all you need...

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:16:24 +0100

Happy Valentine's Day!

The school project got finished. Two days before it needed to be!

We may be a family of procrastinators but, when it comes to holidays and gift giving, we have a hard time waiting for the actual day. So, VDay has come early around here. 0007 got his gifts Friday and he showered us with gifts today.

Yes, he totally took my breath away this year. I was so not expecting what he got me. For years I have happily worn my beautiful wedding ring. I've loved it and still do. He gave it to me many years ago as an engagement/promise type ring and I easily looked on it as my wedding ring when we signed that piece of paper that gave us the stamp of approval from the government on something we had already formed in our hearts. But, of course, I'm a woman and I like pretty, sparkly things. So, I've always kind of hoped that some day he would upgrade my ring. I really, absolutely, positively was not expecting it to be this year or this holiday. That sneaky guy. I really had no idea. And, not only did he upgrade me to a beautiful wedding ring, he got the whole set. So, I've now got some gorgeous sparkles on my left hand (that need to be sized down). And, they are perfect. Exactly the ones I would have picked out. He knows me so very, very well. Oh how I adore that man. (And not just because of the bling.)

Plus, as an extra surprise, a boxed set of one of our fave shows, Deadwood! Hellz yeah.

Ok, the gushing is now over.

Hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day. Spread some love today and every day because, you know, all you need is love.

Mistakes have been made...and a school project has yet to be

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:34:53 +0100

I made a big mistake recently.

I let Snappy learn how to play computer games. She loves it. And she's good at it. And the little turd will probably need her own computer soon or I'll never get any work done again.

Not that I've minded so much the last few days. I mean, if she's on my computer it does give me ample time to continue watching Bones, my newest tv show find and obsession. But, truly, the kid is awful at sharing!

My second mistake was letting her realize that my new phone has games on it. Apparently, the phone and computer are hers and I am on borrowed time when using them. I had no idea.

Speaking of mistakes..... So, last year, I totally blew it as a woman (is that unfortunate wording?) and forgot what day my wedding anniversary was and how many years it had been. Well, I've done it again. Had it not been for the note home from school today about the party they are having in TRex's class, I would have continued to sit here and think that Valentine's Day is on Tuesday. (It's on Monday, by the way.) Really, how do I ever expect to hold anything over 0007's head if I can't remember important "girly" dates? We do already have V-Day plans though. I've got a photography session scheduled for Saturday afternoon on the beach and we're getting a sitter, going to the shoot together and going to have a fun evening out afterward. Um, probably dinner and a bit of shopping. Because we're cah-razy like that.

Back to the whole Valentine's Day reminder from school thing. Can't my son's school recognize that I need several weeks to procrastinate making a project? He needs a Valentine's box of some sort for their party on Monday. I have no time to put this off! Midnight on Sunday will be here before we know it. I really should have prepared myself for this way back in September. I always loved those Valentine's boxes we had for the school party but, I seriously remember making them IN school. It'll be way easier when Snappy is in school. It's hard for me to do these projects without a girly twist on them.

It's cold here again. Really cold. Bitterly cold. I'm sure my Yankee friends would scoff at my assessment but, for a south Texan, this is unbearable. I'm so ready for the cold to be gone. Spring will be wonderful but, at this point, I'm sayin' bring on the triple digit heat! I'm much more equipped to deal with that.

And, when it's warmer, my screaming kids can spend much more time in the backyard.

Snow, Set-Ups and Snapshots

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:59:07 +0100

My blogging seems to have fallen low on my to-do list lately. I'm certainly busy but, it's not very exciting stuff. Not boring...just...mundane. It's cleaning and working and rearing unruly children and fretting over the weather. None of which make for exciting blog entries. I hate that I've pawned off so many photo posts as real blog posts but, I'm hoping y'all are enjoying the pics.

We're supposed to have snow here tonight and tomorrow. In South Texas. It hasn't snowed here since TRex's first Christmas and we got a lot that year. The kids have both been asking for snow since before Christmas and they are just beside themselves that we're actually getting some. I'm sure they'll go play in it for all of six seconds before getting too cold. I'm excited at the photo possibilities though!

Texas is so ill-equipped to deal with this weather. We've been having rolling blackouts and people are going nutso at the home improvement stores and grocery stores. Really, you'd think that we were about to get snowed in. Though, for people who break out the winter coats once the temps drop below 76, this insanity should be expected.

Just to put the Texas weather into perspective for you....it's snowing tonight but, Monday our high was 80. That's right. We started the week in shorts and flip flops and are ending it with snow. Seriously, four days ago I had our a/c on. Now it's below 30 outside.

I got a Facebook message from an old friend of mine letting me know that she and her husband are celebrating their Eleventh Anniversary (of when they first got together). I had kind of forgotten that I was the one that set them up and it was pretty cool to think that my little haphazard set up has lasted so long. Seriously though, those two were absolutely made for each other. I have a feeling that if I hadn't introduced them, the fates would have stepped in and forced them together.

Aside from this week's weather, it's been pretty nice here. A couple of weeks ago, after that Senior Photo Session I did, I was able to get some fun family photos of that senior's whole fam. Here's a couple faves.

Hope everyone is having a great (and warm) week! Stay safe out there (considering most of the country is under snow)! And, because I didn't blog yesterday...Happy Groundhog Day! It's one of my favorite holidays...all thanks to Bill Murray and Punxsatawny Phil.

Random Ramblings 1-12-11

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:23:05 +0100

There's no school next Monday. I've been reminding myself every day. I'll probably put sticky notes throughout the house this weekend.

Are my dogs like my kids or are my kids like my dogs because they all seem to enjoy tearing stuff up. My yard looks like a disaster zone. Gave the dogs an old comforter since it's been cold recently. Shit heads tore it open and pulled out most of the stuffing. Smart move, dogs! I'm sure the random pieces of stuffing throughout the yard will keep you quite warm!

I got some of these candles recently and they are, without a doubt, the coolest thing I've gotten in a while. (Except my new Android phone, natch.) Seriously, love.these.friggin.candles. And, just a heads up, I'll be doing a giveaway for them sometime in the coming weeks.

I think it's not a good thing when I get hooked on a show and can watch several seasons on Netflix. Watching Grey's Anatomy every day, ahem, all day, may have made me a bit of a hypochondriac recently. Earlier last year I got a little too into Law & Order: CI and it made me a bit paranoid. Maybe I need to stick to seasons of something a little fluffier. I'm thinking it's a good thing I'm spreading out the True Blood season into discs by mail or I'd probably start seeing pointy teeth on everyone I pass.

So, at the beginning of the year, I claimed I would try the Project 365. I stumbled upon that folder in my hard drive today and opened it to see one sad little lonely folder. I know I have one other day in my camera but, still, um, not doin' so hot in that department! I'm going to blame the cold weather. This south Texan is not made for this weather. It's painfully cold and I seriously just want to do nothing. I want to curl up on the couch with my slanket and do nothing. I guess I could take pics of that.

I'm so ready for Spring. Not just for the cold weather to be over but, that will be nice. I'm ready for the sun to still be up when the hubs gets home from work. I'm ready for hours of playtime in the backyard with the kids. I'm ready for fence-side chats with the neighbors. I'm ready for flip flops and bathing suits. Though, my winter jackets are supah cute. Ok, if the temps could just warm up just a tad? Enough for me to regain feeling in my extremeties but, still be cool enough for my brand new winter clothes and sah-weet boots? Thanks.

An online friend lives in Australia where the flooding is happening. I've been sick to my stomach for the last two days thinking about her. It's such a tragedy what is going on over there. Whatever it is you do, praying or sending positive thoughts or anything else, please do it! I cannot imagine what those people are going through and so hope that this dear woman and her family are okay.