Be back soon...

Wow ~ over a week since my last post! I've had to take some time off from my "flickering box" ~ my daughter spent a few days in the hospital & I've been trying to make sure everything is ok with her. I'll be back soon!!

Farm Hussy Winner...

Well, it took me ALOT longer to write out all the entries for this giveaway than I thought it would! With all the extra entries ~ there were a total of 513!! Comment # 204 was the winner ~ shopannies wins this awesome gift package from Farm Hussy!! I'm off to notify the winner. Keep your eye out this week for a couple AWESOME giveaways from April's Cozy Candles!!

~*Winners*~

I drew the winners for my 100 posts & 100 followers giveaways !! There were 4 prizes to win, but since I had such a great first day at work yesterday I decided to draw a 5th name for a runner up prize! Before I announce the winners I just want to tell you that there was 1 comment that was not counted (the last one) because as stated in the post, the contest ended yesterday (3/18) & this comment wasn't left until today. Ok ~ now on to the winners!! The #'s drawn were: 53, 27, 9 & 55 . Comment 53 was techyone ~ Bearington Bear. Comment 27 was Military Momz ~ 2 Cookbooks from Cooking Club ofAmerica. Comment 9 was Monkeys ARDently In Sinc ~ Farm Hussy Gift Set and Comment 55 was Caroline ~ Some of my favorite things. The runner up prize winner goes to comment # 20 ~ Woods Olde Homestead (this prize is a surprise ~ think prim!). All winners will have 2 days to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen for that prize!! I'm off to email the winners !! Thanks to everyone for entering & a big thanks to all my followers !!

Today's the Day...

I start my new job. I've actually been looking forward to going back to work. Until this morning anyway. Today I'm not so excited. After 17 years in Nursing, I should NOT be having panick attacks at the thought of walking into the Nursing home!! I've been there 3 times already for paperwork & PPD tests & was FINE every time!! The second time I went in to have my 1st PPD test checked, I stopped in the hallway to chat with a few of the residents, pushed one woman in her wheelchair to the end of the hall (because it was right after lunch & she was just so stuffed that she didn't have the umphh to push it herself ~ her words, not mine ~ lol) & talked to a couple of the nurses I'll be working with. I left with a smile on my face & the realization that I was ready to jump back in to the work thing. So why am I bawling like a baby & hyperventilating this morning? I couldn't sleep last night at all, so of course this morning I'm exhausted (I'm hoping that's why I'm freaking out today)! And to top it off ~ I won't even actually be WORKING today !! I'll just be watching all the wonderful videos ~ How to wash your hands (duh), Blood Borne Pathogens, Resident Rights, etc. I've seen them all about 100 times & could probably recite at least 1/2 of them word for word. Ok ~ I'm done pissing & moaning ! On a brighter note ~my girlfriend called me last night (we haven't talked in about 3 months) & we're going to see my FAVORITE band in July !! WooHoo ~ Nickelback concert in Hershey!! Hinder & Saving Abel are opening & I love them both too! I missed the concert in Philly this month & was extremely bummed! Gonna go see Bret Michaels in April too. He does some shows every year at a little club that's about 5 minutes from my house (Goodfellas Warehouse) & I've missed his show every time for like the last 4 years! Finally he's there on a Friday night so even if I have to work I can stop at the club on my way home. Well ~ better go get the house in order before I have to leave. Hope everyone has a great day !

GRAND OPENING ~ CRAFTERS IN THE NEWS !

Today is the Grand Opening of Crafters in the News. An online newspaper dedicated to crafters ! Stop by & check it out ! While you're there you can read the interview I did with Julie from
Farm Hussy ! Don't forget to check out my column every month & read all the great articles, tips & tutorials. Check out the suppliers section for a list of great places to get your craft supplies !

Tartaholic Giveaway

Michelle is having an awesome giveaway on her Out of the Box Sampler Blog ! How about an awesome tart warmer AND a $25.00 Gift Certificate to Tartaholics ?! The tart warmer is soooo cute & I LOVE Tartaholics tarts !! I've been melting the Rice Krispy Treats scented tarts that I got in my March Out of the Box Sampler & they smell sooo yummy !! Hurry over to enter ~ giveaway ends on Friday !

What I've Been Up To...

I spent yesterday at the Hollywood Casino here in PA with my MIL & SIL. We had a ton of fun. We didn't win anything, but it was nice to get out & spend the day together ! Today I dug out all my nursing uniforms from the attic & washed them. Cleaned the bathroom from floor to ceiling & did the same in the kitchen. Did some more laundry, cleaned out my closets, vaccumed... Trying to get the house semi in order & clean before I go back to work next week. Yep... I took the job in the Nursing Home & I start on the 18th. Spent some time today searching ebay for scrub tops ( i got rid of ALOT of my tops after I left my last job). Tonight I'm just going to relax with a good book & a cup of hot tea!

It's Spring Fling Time !!

Head on over to SITS for Spring Fling ! TONS of awesome giveaways going on, you don't want to miss out !! Here's the link to my giveaway !! Have fun blog hopping & entering giveaways !!

100 + Posts and 100 + Followers GIVEAWAYS !

Well, I'm not sure how it happened, but I've passed 100 posts & didn't even notice ! Not only that, but awhile back I promised another giveaway as soon as I reached 100 followers. So it's time for a giveaway !! Or 2, or 3, or 4 !! I'm combining the giveaways & there will be 4 winners !! Two winners for the 100th post & two winners for the 100th follower !! All comments will be entered into BOTH giveaways !! I'll choose a 1st & 2nd place for each giveaway using random.org
All you need to do is leave a comment on this post to enter! Pretty simple right? So, you're probably wondering what you can win....... 1st place for 100th post is an adorable Bearington Collectible Bear & 2nd place is a set of 2 Cookbooks from Cooking Club of America.....1st place for 100 followers is a Gift Set from my FAVORITE company (Farm Hussy) (after the giveaway ends, the winner can choose which scent they want & I will have it shipped directly from Farm Hussy) & 2nd place will get a collection of some of my favorite products (bath & body, candles, tarts, etc). Unfortunately, my darling daughter has my camera so I'll have to post pics of the prizes tomorrow. If you want extra entries here's what you can do:
Tweet & leave me a comment with your twitter name and/or Blog about the giveaway & leave a comment with a link to the post. Comments for the giveaways need to be left on THIS post !! Winners will be chosen on March 18th & notified on March 19th !

Favorite Things Swap

WooHoo ~ My "Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap" package arrived the other day ! I got some really great goodies from my new bloggy friend Julie !

Everything was all packed in this awesome basket (I LOVE baskets!!)

Some great bath & body products including milk bath, shower gel, lotion & body spray. An amazing smelling candle (it's been burning all day) & the BEST socks ever ! They're called Hydra Socks ~ infused with aloe & vitamin e !! So soft & warm & comfy !! And of course who could forget the salt water taffy !! I haven't had any since I was a kid (btw ~ it's all gone ~ lol). Julie has some awesome "favorite things" !!

I had so much fun with this swap & can't wait for the next one !! A BIG thanks to Mamarazzi for hosting this awesome swap !!

I think I'm ready.....

Well, I think I'm finally ready... to go back to work...
I took some time off from nursing after my Grandmother passed away in November of last year. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd ever go back. I was physically & emotionally drained after caring for "My Princess" for 18 months (the last 7 months equaled 24 hour care & the last 4 months equaled Hospice care, all of which I did on my own, with the exception of the times my children & hubby helped). I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat to have her back, but her death left me feeling empty, like I had no more to give... I got my first job in a nursing home when I was 17 years old (I'm 34 now). Seventeen years of taking care of people. I'm not complaining, I always knew it was what I would do. Well, since I was 4 years old I knew, that's when my Grandmother & I decided my future, so that I could take care of her when she got older. Once I did that, I felt like "my job is done". Little did I know that after 17 years.... it's who I've become.... I take care of people.....and I'm good at it....and I'm kind of lost without it. My hubby pointed it out to me the other day....told me he thought I was ready.....that I'm miserable sitting at home all the time.....and listening to my friends talk about their day at work.... what this resident did.....what that resident said. So, yesterday, I filled out an application for a local nursing home that a friend of mine works at....I know the Director of Nursing there, I've worked with her before... not in this particular facility...she also works in another nursing home as an RN Supervisor. My girlfriend took my application in to work with her yesterday....and the DON called me yesterday & asked me to come in today for an interview....so, I sat & thought about it last night. Am I really ready? Yeah, I think I am. I think it's going to be hard at first.... alot of reminders of my time spent caring for my Grandmother.... but I'm a tough cookie.... I can handle it.... I'm sure some tears will be shed at first..... but it's who I am..... I need to take care of people..... my kids are young adults & pretty much do their own thing. I guess that's why I've been miserable... no one to really "take care" of. I made one other attempt to go back to nursing a little while after my Grandmother passed away.... I WAS NOT ready ! I pulled in to the parking lot of the nursing home I worked at before quitting to take care of my Grandmother, to ask them for my job back...and I burst into tears....I couldn't even get out of the car! I drove back home in tears & decided that that was it... nursing was over for me...guess I was wrong. The hubby noticed this morning, that I'm not as miserable as I have been lately, so I told him about the interview (I hadn't said anything to him...in case I couldn't do it...in case I burst into tears again before ever making it out of my car...in case I just wasn't ready yet). He had tears in his eyes as he hugged me before he left for work this morning.....told me he was glad I finally realized that this is what I NEED to do...that it's who I am.....so I just want to say Thank You to him....for always knowing me better than I know myself.....for knowing what I need before I ever realize it myself...and for supporting my decisions (1st when I needed the time away from nursing ~ he sucked it up big time to cover all the bills...and never once complained... and again for my decision to go back). Love ya Baby !!

Favorite Things Swap

I took a picture of all the goodies I wrapped up for my swap partner Julie over at

Me and My Crew before I shipped the pkg. out on Monday. I sooooo hope she likes everything !! Thanks to Mamarazzi for hosting this fun swap !!