After the fourth of fifth friend of mine expressed interest in using Craig's List but said they were too scared I thought I might throw out a few of the ways I work it so I have minimum chances of my bones being turned into windchimes. If you can get past the creepy part of Craig's List while being smart & savvy I think you'll find a whole new world of buying & also making yourself some money.

Rule #1 Never admit you're alone. As the seller I always find ways to throw in that there are going to be tons of people at my house when I'm setting up a meet time. I'll say something like, "Thursday at 2p works great for me, please just excuse that the house might be a bit of a zoo, we have family in town." Honestly i do always try to make sure P is home but when people have a window of when they might show up it can be tough. Same goes for being the buyer, mention something that indicates someone is going with you. Actually as a buyer I'd try to make sure someone actually does go with you. If you absolutely have to go alone though I'd totally lie about it. "Great, WE'LL see you Friday" or "Directions won't be necessary, my husband knows the area."

Rule #2 As a seller be very mindful about what you show in your photos. Don't use the photo of the couch you're selling that also shows your big screen plasma TV in the background. In fact don't do anything that indicates you might have anything worth stealing.

Rule #3 Use Facebook to check out the person you're meeting up with & make sure you feel comfortable. You're meeting a total stranger in either your home or theirs, it's ok to be a little stalker-esque & do some digging.

Rule #4 On the other hand, I don't overly give out any of my information unless the other person asks for it. I only use my first name, I delete my blog address which usually automatically shows up in my email signature & unless I have to I don't give out my cell phone number. Once you know someone's last name it's so easy to google them & find out all sorts of personal information, give no more clues about yourself than you must.

Rule #5 Be picky & do NOT worry about being rude. If something strikes you as odd about the person CALL IT OFF! That little voice you have that nudges you when something isn't right is worth listening to. It may not be politically correct but I only set up appointments for people to come to my house who are women. If I get an offer from a man I usually just delete it & hold out for someone I feel comfortable with. That's just a personal rule for me but you get my point.

Basically what it comes down to is don't do anything that could have you be perceived as a target. People who do troll Craig's List looking for someone to rob are looking for a victim. Don't be that person. Be smart. I realize this may sound too scary to be worth the effort but if you're smart about it Craig's List can be an amazing resource for finding great steals (I love searching for vintage furniture!) & it's also an awesome way to make some extra cash with items that would normally end up being trashed or just collecting dust. I've sold furniture, baby clothes, strollers & tons of other stuff. I love having that cash in my pocket too, lessons the guilt for buying yet another pair of gold strappy sandals.

Mmmm, I kind of made this one up as I went along (a dangerous process, you're either gonna rock it or crash & burn like this mishap) but this time, this time it came out pretty darn good my friend.

Perfect for a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras party or any Tuesday of the year if you're feelin' sassy.

I could easily eat the whole bowl by myself. Although then we truly are talking FAT Tuesday.

Creamy Bacon Horseradish Dip

• 8oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 dash worstershire sauce
• 1-2 tbs horseradish (depending on how tingly you want to get)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat & stir until melted & smooth. Dip will thicken upon standing. Serve with fresh veggies, pits chips or anything you like! This dip has some depth to it so it goes best with something that can hold up to it's richness. My favorite was the cauliflower, P's were the pita chips & carrots. Delish! This might just be my new trademark party favor. After the iced tea vodka of course.

The other night P & I had a nice dinner date with some friends & I really wanted to look all cute & trendy (when you live life as kiddie gym being the big outing you make the most out of a grown up night!) but the weather outside was dreadful. Wet, sleety, windy, snow-ish & all around gross. Not good hair conducive & incredibly inconsiderate of mother nature if you ask me.

That's when I remembered these pictures from my Pinterest board 'Beatiful Girl'.

images from my Pinterest board here

I decided to give it a whirl...what do you have lose, right?

I kind of love it.

(Also note to self: Remove dead plant from bathroom)

Basically I first used a comb to section off the front part of my hair that the braid would run along. Then I teased the heck out of the rest of my hair, especially at the crown to give it some volume. If you don't have volume it won't have that wind-blown, messy, hippy look. You want that look, otherwise you cross into the prom hair territory.

Next I gathered most of my hair & twisted it, almost like a french twist. I pinned that in place & then combined it with what was still hanging down into a ponytail. I loosely pulled strands of the ponytail up & around, & pinned them in place pretty randomly. Last, I braided the piece I first section off across the front of my hair & pinned it behind my ear leaving some sideswept long bangs loose in the front.

Hmm, is this making sense? I'm wondering if a video tutorial would be better.

In the meantime do you know how I learned to do different hairstyles like french twists, french braids, chignons or buns? Trial & error my friend. Take a chance, do some experimenting & you'll be amazed how good you'll get!

My kid has some nasty ass funk. Not like a B.O. funk, like a horrible virus that will NEVER. GO. AWAY. funk.

I think I've mentioned it on here & I know I've talked about it so much on my Facebook...

Sam has had the worst cough for 4 weeks now. We've been to the Dr. four times & she had been on amoxicillan for 9 days when yesterday around 11a she all of sudden spiked a 102.3 fever. Long story short the Dr. finally sent her for chest x-rays at the hospital & she has pneumonia. They changed her antibiotic to z-pack & I started her on it last night. So far she's had a 103 fever last night & then again this morning. It goes down pretty well with Advil but my goodness, isn't it just the worst helpless feeling in the world when your baby is all red-cheeked, clammy, watery eyed & miserable? I hate it so much.

She's been coughing even worse today but I was told to expect that. The worry is the worst. I try not to let her know I'm worried (she's a bit of a drama queen & will totally buy into it if she knows I suspect something is wrong...she gets it from me) but really I'm listening to every coughing spell intently. Peering to see if her lips are still pink. Are her ribs pulling? Is her breathing labored? Twenty four hours a day I'm the one who's responsible for keeping this kid alive. It's exhausting.

I just snapped this pic of her in bed next to me while I type...Such a little angel.

She's moved into our bed since this all began because she wakes up at least 3 times a night coughing, needing water & soothing.

Today I fear Sophie monster might be showing the first signs of getting it too. No coughing but she's had a runny nose & starting today, a low-grade fever.

The real tell tale sign Soph is sick however is that she actually sits still.

As you can tell we've been spending a lot of time in my bed.

I am so running on fumes at this point guys I don't even know how I would get it together to go through this whole thing again with Sophie. I know I would, I have to, but my goodness the thought just kills.

Obviously blogging has taken a backseat, as it should.

I had a ton of great posts planned for LPM & the Kaneshow blog this week but I have to just let it roll off my back that they're going to have to wait. Writing is my second job, right now my first job needs 100% of my attention AND THAT'S OK.

I've got to find a way to rally.

Do you ever feel like as a mom you spend your whole day thinking of everyone else's needs, especially with a sick kid(s), you go-go-go until bedtime & then you keep going tending to them all night long only to get up bright & early and start the whole process over. But you feel like no one notices...because it's my job maybe they don't feel the need to say "hey, you sure look like you're working your butt off, how are you holding up?" Sometimes I think it would take my body completely giving up on me & passing out on the floor before someone noticed that I haven't had 2 seconds to eat or haven't slept through the night in a month. I want to be selfless & all strong mommy who can handle it but the truth is I'm running out of steam...fast.

My husband is usually absolutely amazing at helping me out. We have no family locally & although we have some awesome babysitters it's really just he & I 95% of the time. This week however he's been so overwhelmed at work. He gets up early, works late & just like me, starts the whole day over without anyone offering to help him. Basically he couldn't help me anymore if he tried. That well is off limits right now. Man is stretched to max capacity & it will do no good to either one of us to have him fall apart on me.

I think I'm babbling. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Just typing, & tired, with a beautiful little brunette snoring on my arm. I think that's how I'll make it through tomorrow & the next day & the next...how can I not, these two beautiful creatures need me. And I need to take care of them. I'm mommy.

Over the weekend I received a text from my 16 year old sister informing me that my stepdad was taking her to a tattoo parlor to get her upper ear pierced. I would've fallen out of my seat had I not been in the passenger seat of my van on 495. It would've hurt a bit.

{subsequent evidence}

Perhaps a of back story would be helpful so you can understand my shock...

For the last several months my sister has been downright harassing my parents to let her get gauges. If you're a 30-something old fart like me then you might need someone to tell you that gauges are little (or big) discs you put in your ear piercings to make them stretch. I think they're downright heinous. Although when I was in college I got my belly button pierced & my mom considered that to be one step away from working the street corner. It's all perspective I suppose.

Regardless, I know if I had asked my mother a year ago if she would let my sister get an upper ear piercing as well as a third hole (did I not mention she got a third hole in her ears in addition to the upper ear one?) she would've said "HELL NO." Yep, I'm pretty certain she would've been adamant enough to swear. And now not only are they allowing it but they're driving her themselves? How did this happen?

I can only figure one of two things must have occurred.

One, she badgered them so badly that they conceded on this 'less terrible' option so the kid would shut up.

Or two, they figured if we don't give in to her on something she's going to end up rebelling & doing it on her own. It reminds of when I was 14 & had a sleepover with my Sunday school friends. Who knows why but we decided it was a perfectly sensible idea to pierce our own ears. We numbed them with ice & pushed the actual earring right through. {{shudder}} Ugh! I gave myself a second set of ear piercings as well as an upper ear piercing. Four of my girlfriends got subsequent infections but thanks to my immune system of champions my only ramification was a set of crooked holes. So stupid.

Maybe my Mom & step dad figured if they drove her somewhere clean themselves then perhaps they could still somewhat manage the situation. It makes sense to me but then I have to wonder where is the line before you ending being that parent that lets their kid have sex in their rooms or drink in the basement because 'If she's going to do it then I'd rather it be under my roof!"

It's downright exhausting have a 3 & 1 year old but my goodness would I take this over having to deal with them beings teenagers one day. I don't know where I'd begin to figure it out. What would you do? Would you have let her?