It is Monday.

It is Potluck time.

Which is precisely the issue.

My online life has become more scheduled than my offline life.

So, this is the last potluck link up…kinda like a limited edition potluck.

Link your potluck here:

In the future you are welcome to throw your own potluck at any time and on any schedule…I will attend!

Spontaneous potluckin’ will errupt

It will be like a potluck revolution.

And then people will want to organize it.

And come to me to set a specific date and time to potluck.

And I will say YES.

And the circle of potluck will be complete.

And we will all link together again on a Monday in the future.

The end.

whew.

*Holly collapses on the floor*

OK, so I have been organizing toys all day.

Oh, and the great thing is that I am not even CLOSE to being done.

In fact, I am at the point that if I stop…it is worse than when I started.

Lord help me.

And now for a little story…

Blog-Stedman just came home from Target with a few necessities and a DVD for the boys…

Dorf: Tim Conway is Dorf – All 8 Classic Episodes!

He was shocked that he was able to pick up this little gem for $5.

$5!

There are 5 hours and 5 minutes worth of “superfan” entertainment!

That is less than a buck an hour!

Shocking, eh?

What are Nirvana-bound Googlers searchin’?*

*I can get away with ing replacement in’ cuz I am from Texas.**

**I can get away with replacing because with cuz too.

Oh!  Googlers!

-”june cleaver’s old fashioned oatmeal”

-”Popsicle price”

-”silly bandz lawsuit”

-”two dogs in the back of an SUV”

All those searches…not much information gathered here. Sorry!

And now time for Holly to give out unsolicited advice!

If you run a restaurant…

you should have clean restrooms.

Enough said.

Let’s see who won* comment of the week!

*won=bragging rights since there is no potluck sponsors this week – official or unofficial.

“You could so totally be mistaken for Candace Olsen.  As long as you were both sitting down.  And she grew her hair out.” – Lori

And now I am going to continue this inside joke (if you aren’t a reader of Martha Points)…I am going to declare with certainty:

I have better handwriting than Candace Olsen!

*excuse me, I just cracked myself up*

And now you can join in on the potluck fun! Link YOUR potluck here. Confused? Here are the rules.

And now for a little break…

Yep…it is finally time for fruit bowl examination.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory paperback, 3 used stickers – two halves of a truck and a complete Sponge Bob Squarepants, a candy shaped Jibbitz, two pencils and 3 1/2 crayons.

***

May your Monday be filled with rest and relaxation (glowing cow optional).  If you need a little entertainment, you can always go pick up a copy of Dorf (if they aren’t all sold).

Monday can only mean one thing, my friend…

It is potluck time.

Today’s potluck is brought to you by the letter Y.

Here is a little confession:

Reid’s seventh birthday was last week.

I still haven’t planned his KID party.

I haven’t written his birthday post…and when I do I will be backdating it to his birthday.

Summer is KILLIN’ me.

And now for some advice from Holly:

I have had Sears service plans on all the appliances that we built into the house 5 years ago…5 years and one month ago to be exact.

All of the service contracts expired this month and I have had calls from Sears on each and every one of those appliances with a strong sell message to continue the plans.  I love the service I get from Sears, but I could really do without the hard sell (and all those calls).

Also, when ALL of the appliance contracts are up at the exact same time there is a budgetary issue…I just can’t bring myself to spend that kind of money all at once.

My advice to Sears is to STAGGER the contract lengths on new construction homes so paying to renew doesn’t cause me to want to kick something five years after the house was built…but not the dishwasher, or the fridge, or the washer/dryer, or the ice maker.

Let’s have a little fun with photos!

As you know, I got my fancy new camera around Christmas so I am still working on learning just about everything about it and general photography.  I take tons of pictures because when I get home only a few of them will turn out.  Here is an example of one of the pictures from the Texas Driving Experience that is a tad overexposed…OK, maybe more than a tad. BUT I kinda like it.  The sun was VERY bright that day and it reminds me of what it was like.

I was featured this week in the B is for Baby carnival of shopping…

I like shopping!

I like carnivals!

I like babies!

So, really it seems like a good fit…thanks!

This week’s winner of yummy loot is…

Sounds like a course we had before the 1987 conference in Monterey CA where some of my fellow army personel and I were chosen to drive the delegates. The secret service showed us how to do all sorts of manuevers, but they would not let us practice them. — Dorothy!

Dorothy is winning the VERY LAST of the Little Debbie Petites packages provided by our very sweet (literally!) unofficial potluck sponsor, Little Debbie.  Thanks so much Little Debbie for playing along here in Nirvana.

And don’t be too sad if you didn’t win one, I know personally that they sell them at a store near you!

Wanna join in on the potluck fun? Add YOUR potluck to the linky below…

Time for a little fruit bowl examination…

A whole bunch of silly bandz, and 3 pennies (real) and a pirate gold coin (faux) which is obscured by three pages of paper with crayon marks on them that might be interpreted as 4 year old art.

***

May your Monday be full of sunshine, but not to the level of overexposure.

Whoo hoo! Potluck time!

See, I am already using unnecessary emphasization - totally a word, spellcheck (is spellcheck not a word, either?).

Yeesh!

Lately, most everyone has been stopping by for enlightenment on one of three subjects:

–Pajama Jeans

–Silly Bandz

–Target cakes

But my favorite Googlers of all time…and there were three of you last week got here by Googling “eeny, meeny, miny, moe“.  I am so proud to be the recipient of such indecisive Googlers!

And a big shout-out to Google for sending them my direction – Yippppeeee!

And now it is time for…Holly Gives Advice to companies who say ‘Who is Holly?’

I think my Target should continue carrying these items:  Senseo PARIS coffee,  grapefruit Izze, any large multi-pack of Izzes, Heartland Granola Cereal, Almay Deodorant, and Coffee Mate liquid Vanilla Caramel Creamer.

Seriously, take away my coffee AND creamer?

Bad Target!

Let’s find out who won Comment of the Week!

You know that scene in Jurassic Park where we learn that the super intelligent raptors are throwing themselves against the electric fence, checking for weaknesses?
Yeah, that pretty much sums up the situation with my little darling this week. Zap! Zap! Zap!
Defenses are still strong, sweetheart. — Heidi

Heidi has won a prize from my unofficial potluck sponsor, Little Debbie!

woot!  woot!

Heidi will find herself (and her family if she is willing to share) in the midst of 6 boxes of Little Debbie’s new Petites – which are super yummy and just the right size to drop into your purse (not that I would ever do that…that would be ridiculous).

Now I am hungry for that Red Velvet cream cheese frosting.

Let’s talk about what I will be talking about this week…

Well, the NO! seems to be working well…although it is often followed by an annoying WHY?

So, I thought I would take the next step and add:

Because I said so!

Which isn’t really just a WORD, but cut me a little slack…baby steps.

Time for YOU to join the potluck if you would like.  Rules are here.  Link up YOUR potluck below!

OH YA!

Time to find out What is in Holly’s Fruit Bowl!

a business card from a bank employee, a birthday party invitation for a 9 year old, a pair of scissors, a clove of garlic, a green bouncy ball, a broken toothpick which I am hoping is unused and a 12 inch ruler from one of the boy’s school pencil boxes.

***

May your Monday be worthy of emphasization - totally a word, spellcheck (is spellcheck not a word, either?)!

After a brief potluck vacation, I am glad to announce…

to all 12 of you…

that POTLUCK is back and better than ever*.

*this claim is unsubstantiated.

Whoo hoo for the pro-potluck agenda.

What brought readers to the Nirvana this week?

–”cereal salad”

–”any which wall”

–”adult silly bandz”

Really?  You need ADULT themed silly bands?

Let’s find out who won comment of the week!

It was really fun to read all the reasons why y’all didn’t want to go to the store.  There were some REALLY compelling reasons!  Here was my favorite:

“OMG, I so don’t want to go to the store, but REALLY have to because we are down to less than half a roll of toilet paper. And I have 4 children. I have specifically told the boys they aren’t allowed to poop today. Or at least not at home.
I will go tomorrow, I promise!!!!” — Desiree

Oh how I may have said this exact same thing in the past…

Desiree is the lucky recipient of a PRIZE!

*insert prize music here*

*Announcer voice*  Desiree has won a six pack of Little Debbie Petites courtesy of our unofficial potluck sponsor Little Debbie Snackcakes!  AND the good news is that they will be delivered to her door so that she won’t have to leave the house.

And now for a little feature I will be calling, “Lessons Holly Learned the Hard Way so You Don’t Have To“.

See the cup above?

It is the $12.99 refillable cup I purchased at Six Flags over Texas last week with the justification that I would take it back all season for $1 refills.

To rid it of its sticky-ness I put it in the dishwasher to prepare for a return trip to the park.

Oooops!

It now won’t stand on its own, it has a liquid capacity of about 1/2 the intended volume and it is pretty much ruined.

I am going to be SO excited to purchase ANOTHER 13 buck cup on my next visit.

Ugh.

And now for another installment of Holly gives Advice to Companies who say ‘who is Holly?’

I believe that ANY business could benefit from a drive thru.

I would be much more likely to go to a business if it had one.

I know you are thinking…of course!  My local bakery should add one or if only that grocery store on the corner would deliver milk to my car, but I am talking even BIGGER.

Shoes!  Accessories!  Home goods!  Pet Stores!  Hardware Stores!  Electronics!

Yep.  I expect to be contacted by a national thinktank within the hour...

It is time for The Word I am Working into Conversation this Week…

NO!

My boys are killing me with the lawyering and the debating and the moving the line a little here and making it squiggly there.

This week I am putting the kibash on MAYBE and just declaring a simple…NO!

I might say it nice and not in capital letters.

Alrighty!  If you are playing alo ng with your own POTLUCK this week, please link below. (If you are playing something else, please don’t link below.)

Let’s see What is in Holly’s Fruit Bowl!

The copy of 101 Optimal Life Foods I received on Friday when hanging out with the author, David Grotto, Lea Anne, Dwan and the California Strawberries. I realize that having ACTUAL fruit in the fruit bowl would be better…but it is a step in the right direction.

May your Monday be dishwasher-safe.

Whew.

It has been a busy weekend.

I am kinda canceling potluck.

Please look at these sweet baby ducks instead…

Don’t sweet baby ducks make it OK?

I mean, who doesn’t like sweet baby ducks?

I do want to pass out some super sweet goodies for last week’s comment nirvana…

In response to My Butt is Burning:  The Story:

“And one to file for future use? A friend of ours in a police officer who has an unofficial policy that he will not write a ticket to anyone who can give a unique excuse for speeding. We live in South Florida and have a very large population of…older citizens. One such gentleman was caught speeding down A1A when he announced to the officer that he couldn’t set his seat warmer off and his butt was burning.

He was sent on toasting his buns but ticketless…” –Jenny

Jenny has won a bunch of Little Debbie Petites.

Can I just say yum?

Little Debbie is an unofficial potluck sponsor and is very nice to be sending Jenny 6 boxes of their new Petites on their own dime.  I am now trying to win my own comment contest because we are all out.

Completely.

I need to go shopping…

***
OK, here is where I usually have a Linky Tool to link YOUR potlucks should you throw one.

Today it is a free-for-all.

You can link to a POTLUCK or you can link to something you have recently written that you like.

Please link directly to a post or I will be deleting your link…

If you would like to add the blog hop code to your blog, you can do so by clicking on “add the code”.

May your holiday be full of rainbows and baby ducks…

I am back from vacation and back online.  It is Monday which can only mean…

…it is potluck time.

Oh ya.

Let’s sing together today! Turn up the volume in your head and belt this out at the top of your lungs with me…

You know our potluck was meant to be
the kind of potluck that lasts forever

and i want you here with me
from tonight until the end of time

You should potluck, everywhere i go
your always on my mind, in my heart , in my soul

Baby, Your the meaning in my life
your the inspiration
you bring feeling to my life
your the inspiration
wanna have potluck with you
I wanna have you hear me sayin
no one needs you more than I need you

and I know, yes I know that its plain to see
we love to potluck when we’re together

now I know, that I need you here with me
from tonight until the end of time

You should potluck, everywhere i go
your always on my mind, in my heart , in my soul

Your the meaning in my life
your the inspiration
you bring feeling to my life
your the inspiration
wanna have potluck with you
I wanna have you hear me sayin
no one needs you more than I need you

Let’s talk about something that deserves its own blog post! (Thanks Heidi)

We returned home to the very, very sad discovery that Scooter, aka Scratchy, our cat was missing.  He had a rarely used cat door which he occasionally used to sun his belly in our fenced backyard.  Obviously, he got a little braver and ventured out…

Recent neighborhood sightings of bobcats and coyotes don’t bode well for Scooter’s return.

The boys are devastated in the way you are devastated when the world’s most annoying cat who worked his way deep into your heart goes missing.

Ugh.  I am sad too in the way you are sad when the world’s most annoying cat who worked his way deep into your heart goes missing.

What did Shauna quit now? (Thanks Shauna)

I would like to make this declaration to Shauna…

IT BETTER NOT BE POTLUCK.

Thanks.  I feel much better.

Let’s find out who is commenter of the week!

In response to Chirp. Chirp.:

“Dude, that is what guns are for in Texas. Chirp, chirp, BANG.” — Texan Mama

Not only does Texan Mama win bragging rights to Comment Nirvana for the next week…she also wins a PRIZE!  Thanks to the generosity of Little Debbie who I stalked until they agreed to be an unofficial potluck sponsor after I tasted these:

She will be receiving a box of Little Debbie’s new Petites – actually 6 boxes.

My (and blog-Stedman’s) favorite flavor is the Red Velvet cake which tastes good pretty much anytime day or night…and might have been involved in a tussle over the last package.

Oh!  And they have graciously agreed to send out a few more boxes for future Comment Nirvana winners.  Thanks!

The word I am working into conversation this week is…

Heebie Jeebie.

Ok, that is two words but I googled, “what word should I work into conversation this week?” and ended up on a post that described words you should work into poker games…donkey, donk, and river rat.  Y’all know I love a good game of poker, but those seemed pretty obvious and so when I noticed that the post’s writer’s name was Heebie Jeebie and that seemed perfect.

So there you have it.  Play along!

And now for a new feature entitled, Holly gives advice to companies who say “Who is Holly?”

I have spent 6 of the last 10 days at amusement parks – both Six Flags over Texas and Legoland.

Both are very clean parks except for one area…

The displays that you ride through – you know the ones that you go on a boat, or a train or a rollercoaster through?  For some reason these are disgustingly dusty and piled with used gum, pebbles and anything else parkgoers unloaded while riding by.

EWWW! Please, just take a few minutes and a vacuum, dust and de-gum these rides.  thankyouverymuch.

Last week’s potluck participant winner is….

*drum roll*

Natalie from Boingerhead!

Natalie will be receiving a fabulous Morning Madness Spa Basket courtesy of the unofficial potluck sponsor Scrubbing Bubbles featuring their fabulous new product Extend-A-Clean.  I love Extend-A-Clean ‘cuz it seems to keep things cleaner longer…and has a faint scent that reminds me of those orange chewable aspirin that I loved as a kid.  Again, I approached Scrubbing Bubbles for this prize because I love the product and they are super sweet to play along here in potluckland.

Alrighty! Here is where you can join in on the potluck-a-palooza.  I have been re-doing the How to Throw A Potluck page if you are uncertain as to what is expected of you, please take a look at it if you are new to the potluck scene.  The link you add below needs to link directly to YOUR potluck or it will be removed ASAP.

What is in Holly’s Fruit Bowl?

–three sad looking potatoes, a bunch of faux bananas that blog-Stedman used at Halloween with his gorilla suit, two cloves of garlic, a very weird looking orange and 5 passes to Legoland good for 3 months purchased through Costco

May your Monday be full of inspiration, your rides be sans used gum and the day be heebie jeebie free.

Happy Monday everyone.

Whoo hoo…

It is Monday and that can only mean one thing here at the Nirvana…

Yep, it is potluck – time.

I love the people who visited me this week via Google.  They are a creative bunch…

– “wear it backwards”

– “do most gas stations have restrooms?”

– “d”

Wow.  Google a letter?  I am totally trying that later.

Thanks to all who have given me reading advice.

If you haven’t yet, please click here.

Next week, the winner of Comment Nirvana is getting an actual prize.  All I am going to say is that it is SWEET and YUMMY and one of my favorite things.  All comments on my blog qualify.  I just choose one that I like…usually funny, usually pretty random.

Thanks so much!  I love me some comments.

It has been so much fun visiting other potlucks each week.  Thanks to all who have participated.  I really, really appreciate it.  Last week’s randomly selected potluck that will be receiving a Scrubbing Bubbles Morning Madness spa basket featuring the all new Extend-A-Clean bathroom cleaner (donated by the bubbles) is…

Ash from Shades of Blue and Green

YAY!  Congrats.

The creativity among the potluckers has been so fun.  There has been some crazy badge making and exchanging.  I will be adding all the new badges to the potluck page…just not this week.  If you are new to potluck and want to play along, please feel free to use badges from here and from other participants.  It IS a potluck.  There are some basic instructions here.

Add your button here if you would like to participate in this week’s potluck…please link DIRECTLY to your POTLUCK POST:

As our potluck today closes in a much briefer manner than usual, I will give you a clue as to why.  I has to do with something that regularly shows up in my fruit bowl and is pretty much what fuels my three boys…

Legos.

Legos.

And more Legos.

Today, may your day be full of the primary colored smiles of children just like mine…

It is Monday.

It is Potluck.

Oh ya.*

*See how I take a theme and work it seamlessly in?

I am just SICK that Mother’s Day is over.

Sick.  Sick.  Sick.

Why you ask?

It is going to cut my blog traffic to a fraction of what I received last week.

Oh, that makes sense…Mother’s Day…you write a mommy blog.

Nope. My increase in traffic over the last week has nothing to do with all the mommy crap I write.  It has to do with the selling of Pajama Jeans as a gift to mom.  The radio ads were so intense that people were Googling up a storm about them and landing on my pajama jeans review by the 100s…

It’s OK.  I was used to writing to myself before.  I can get used to it again.

Last week was also a very good week for funny comments.  In response to my expose’ of eeny meeny, miny, moe:

“He’s the ultimate “spoiler” isn’t he? Next he’s gonna tell him how “The Sixth Sense” ended. (please, don’t let him do that someday. That would be just WRONG.) ” — Elaine

Thanks Elaine for reminding me to NOT show my 9 year old The Sixth Sense…anytime soon.

Last week several of you threw potlucks!  YAY.  Thanks so much.  If you are throwing a potluck this week, add your button to the Blog Hop below (please link DIRECTLY to your potluck post ONLY or I will remove your link and send you Beet Jello via mail).

Our unofficial potluck sponsor, Scrubbing Bubbles, is providing one of the potluck participants each week with a fabulous gift basket of  Bubble Nirvana…things to make morning madness disappear.

Last week’s winner is…

*drum roll*

Library Girl from Drifting Divergence!

You have until Tuesday night to link a potluck this week and be eligible for the fun spa basket which includes Scrubbing Bubbles new product, Extend-A-Clean.

Speaking of linking up…here is where you can do that:

You can add the Monday Potluck Blog Hop to YOUR potluck by clicking on the “get code” above.

And now for a little story…

The boys have been uninterested in everything in the world that doesn’t have to do with Legos and video games and candy.  But something has changed all that as indicated by the intense campaigning I have been the recipient of for a shopping trip.

The boys WANT to go shopping?

The boys NEED to go shopping.

What has changed their world? Those rubber band bracelet things that are shaped in animals.  Only they don’t have any yet because we haven’t found them.  Does anyone know where we can find this sought-after treasure?

And now for a new feature!

The Word I am working into conversation this week…

This feature was the potluck brilliance of Ash.  I love it and made a badge.  I think I am going to use her word from last week as my word for this week…work with me, people, it is new. You can play along at home!

The word is:  UNPRECEDENTED

Another feature my potluck can’t live without is…

Things I didn’t burn.

This gem was the brainchild of Martha.

This week I DID NOT burn:  instant oatmeal, popcorn, yogurt or popsicles.

And again, another feature my potluck can’t live without for another week is…

Confession of the Week.

This potluck addition was from Heidi who I believe outpotlucked me (totally a word) on her very first try.

*ahem*

My kids ate pizza for both lunch and dinner one day last week.

*duck and run*

Let’s find out What is in Holly’s Fruit Bowl!

Three orange pencils that say GAME TRUCK, a red pen, a glue stick sans cap, a 9 foot piece of blue curling ribbon, a silver gum wrapper, a pair of safety scissors and a purple Hot Wheel.

Thanks for stopping by the Monday Potluck today…

I hope that your day is unprecedented.

Whoa.

Potluck?

Blog Hop?

Prize?

Yes, I know it is a bit difficult to recognize potluck when it seems to have a purpose…but never fear…randomness remains.

And now it is time for Holly to add the word potluck to a musical number to amuse herself

My sincere apologies to the Black Eyed Peas for this…

I love this song and it just seems to fit the new and improved potluck.

Today is going to be a potluck!

I gotta feeling that today’s gonna be a potluck
That today’s gonna be a potluck
That today’s gonna be a pot potluck
Today’s the potluck
Let’s live it up
Here we come
Here we go
We gotta rock
Easy come
Easy go
Now we on top
Feel the shot
Body rock
Rock it don’t stop
Round and round
Up and down
Around the clock
Monday, Monday,
Monday, Monday,
Monday, Monday,
Monday, yes Monday
Get get get get get
With us you know what we say
Potluck every m-m-m-Monday
Potluck Monday
I gotta feeling that today’s gonna be a potluck
That today’s gonna be a potluck
That today’s gonna be a pot potluck

Shhhh…don’t tell blog-Stedman, but 6 of you arrived this week after Googling him.

Hey, why are you Googling him?

Two visitors arrived here after a search of “horses rip a man apart”.  Hmmmm….

And then there are YOU.  You know who you are.  You stop by all the time after searching for “June Cleaver Nude”.

People!  Move along…nothing for you to see here.

And now for a little story…

Ryan mentioned at breakfast this morning that he was playing with one of those LeapFrog alphabet “computers” where you push a letter and it says the letter/sound and that if you pushed the B right before the T it said the word “butt” and of course, if you pushed the P it said “pee”.

Since we no longer have one I asked where he was playing it.

At grandma and grandpa’s house last weekend when you were gone.

I am sure your grandma really didn’t want to hear THAT.

No she didn’t.

Did she send you to your room because you weren’t behaving?

No, grandpa just threw the LeapFrog in the trash.

Oh my.  Glad I was out of town for that one.

And now for an act of Shameless Self Promotion by Holly…

I was really, really, really excited about being one of three mom bloggers featured on Woman’s Day this week.

One thing I learned is that I might overuse the phrases Holy crap and Oh my gosh which seems fine here at the Nirvana, but sounds a little out of place over there where actual writers write actual facts.

Click here for the Woman’s Day story.

What is Up with Holly’s Coccyx?

Not much!

And How Firm is Holly’s Butt due to Skecher’s Shape Ups?

Just a little!

In response to The Price of a Popsicle…

“In some alternate universe, you’re applauding at Reid popping Ryan in the mouth and saying ‘what color popsicle do you want?’.” — Manic Mommy

Some days I think I live in that alternate universe,

or I would like to move to one…

Alrighty, today is the beginning of the Monday Potluck Blog Hop.

What that means is that YOU can throw your own potluck and link below…this week I will keep the Linky up until Thursday (and your potluck doesn’t have to be on Monday this week).

From now on until I get tired I will be posting my potluck on Sunday evening and you can link up between Sunday evening and the following Tuesday night.

I have written up a little HOW TO THROW A POTLUCK which also has a lot of the images I use.  Feel free to take what you want/need.  There are really no rules about what is in a potluck.  It just needs to be random.  That is it!

You are already here. I just wanted to test it! Bethanys Bobbi Janay @ When did I go from a kid to a grown up She started this potluck because I told her too. stacey. . . rambling @ Havoc&Mayhem Potluck that smells like teen spirit. Ew. What Would June Cleaver Do? Didnt ANYONE bring potato salad? Welcome to the Meandering Potluck, its whats for dinner

This linky list is now closed.

What is a blog hop?
Get the code here…

The Monday Potluck Blog Hop has an unofficial sponsor…Scrubbing Bubbles!

Anyone who links up to the blog hop is eligible to be randomly selected for this fun spa basket donated by the Bubbles in celebration of their newest product, Extend-A-Clean.

I will be giving away one a week for the next 4 weeks.

Thanks Scrubbing Bubbles!

What is in Holly’s Fruit Bowl?

– Two student-size white boards with one dried out dry erase marker

– Two Haagen-Dazs icecream cup TOPS with attached spoon

– One 2 1/2 inch long rubber gecko in fluorescent yellow

***

May all your popsicles be violence-free…