"oh...you'll laugh about this later!"

today...

well, i stepped away for 5 minutes to use the

"ladies room"

and came out to see ryder

(my oldest)

chuck a pair of craft scissors behind the chair.

i (of course) could tell by the look on his face,

(and the quick chuck of the scissors)

that he did something terribly wrong!

me: "ryyyyyyder, what are you doing!"

ryder: "ummm, well travis had his goo in his hair, so i cut it out"

me: i walked to travis (in slow motion, it seemed) slowly starting to yell

"noooooooooooooo!!!! RYDER!"

ryder had reshaped travis's awesome, long, blond, "surfer hair" into

a crazy Mullet!

i was mad.

i was really mad.

ryder went to his room...

and travis came out to the salon with me.

and i, with tears in my eyes,

buzzed off alllllllll of his hair.

(he looks really cute still, of course ;)

today was one of those day's that i will

"laugh about later"

(i'm not laughing now....)

kids....

until tomorrow folks!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

girls night out...

i can clearly remember the days with my first born (ryder), holding his little body in my arms gazing at him alllll day long, while he slept

(seriously. i did this...like most first time moms often do...and i had my share of stiff necks to prove it)

and i thought to myself,

self: "how could i ever get mad at you? you are too sweet and cute, and innocent......"

***

that was 6 years ago, and two more kids later.

now

let me ask you a question.

you know how on cartoons, when a character gets so upset

(i like to reference donald duck a lot, because if i were a cartoon character, i'mmmmm pretty sure i would be him...in a girl version)

and there face fills up with hot, molten, fire and steam starts whistling out of there ears.

or when they tail spin into a frenzy and bolt right through the wall

only to leave a perfect hole in the shape of there body

(arms flailed out to the sides)

well.....

that's how i feel...often...today being one of them.

is it just me?

or are ya with me?

(maybe i don't want to know the answer to that ;)

well i know at least one person is with me,

my sweet sister, of three kids, also.

when i talked to her earlier today she literally took the words right out of my mouth.

sister: "hey, what are you doing"

me: "(sighhhhh) well. i'm going crazy"

sister: "me toooo! i just want to blow myself to the moon"

me: "thank goodness, it's not JUST me!"

we laughed for a bit about what our kids did today, that was so

extremely irritating.

she got a kick out of the fact that i actually grounded my two boys from the couch

(my awesome, beautiful, tufted couch (here), is on it's last leg. sadness...)

just those four minutes of validation, and confirmation,

that i'm not the only one with those feelings of running through my wall, or blowing myself to the moon,

nor am i the only one with horrible children,

(not really, but sometimes it feels that way...ok a lot ;)

was all i needed to hear to get me in better spirits.

thank heavens for sisters who keep it real!

(luff you)

tomorrow can not come any sooner!

a few of us girls are going to have a girls night out, overnight!

i sense more stories of validation,

lots of laughing,

and most importantly
no screaming kids!

p.s. all you mom's out there...keep it real with your friends/sisters ;)

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

forget me not...

i managed to escape this heat for a while with my little family,

but all good things must come to an end...

we're home.

don't get me wrong being home is a good thing, i just wish "home" wasn't greeting us with it's 118 degree weather.

after spending an entire month in California,

(photos and video to come, fingers crossed)

which we have nicknamed "heaven" on earth,

we decided to face reality,

work,

bills,

responsibilities,

you know,

stuff like that.

we had fun.

we had lots of adventures.

broken arms, floods, bears, beach, nature, good friends, family, and i even ran into this

huge

metal buffalo statue on the side of the road...

(of course i had to take a picture with it)

so i've been gone,

but hopefully not forgotten.

and as soon as i can, i will be back.

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

my sweeite pies...

the loves of my life!

here comes the sun...

sorry.

sorry.

sorry.

i SUCK at blogging.

i really don't know what i was thinking...

2 jobs,

3 kids,

dinners to make,

laundry to do,

trying to get in shape before summer...

and now BLOG!

yeaah...right...

well the sun is coming

{it's like our "winter" time for normal states}

we stay inside a lot

"hibernate"

if you will...

so for these past couple months i have been outside a lot with my kiddos.

enjoying the weather while it lasts...

keeping my doors and windows open and letting the nice breeze

blow through the house,

laying on the soft fluffy grass,

listening to the birds chirp...

while my kids frolic in the sprinklers...

because before you can say:

"nose bleed"

{the dry/heat combo has that effect on some)

or

"it's so hot you can boil an egg on the ground"

{its been done}

or

"hot pipes"

{the pipes in the ground get so hot, that even if you try to take

a cool shower...you get a warm one...yuck}

or

"scorpions" or "black widows"

{two creatures that love the heat...awesome...}

yes, yes

before you can say allll of that

summer will be here,

no more open doors or windows,

the blinds go down,

the electricity bill goes up, up and up!

the grass turns into sharp razor blades,

the birds stop chirping,

the kids go stir crazy,

and we all get really white

{you DON'T lay out in the summer here}

so maybe i will blog more then ;}

ENJOY THE WEATHER!!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

round 3...

{click here to see more of capitola}

so today's run i went solo.

i have to admit i was a little nervous.

i had no one to keep me going,

or let down....

and now that i know i can run 2 miles, there is no giving up...

so i scarfed down 3 salt water taffy's

{ok....4!}

put on my running clothes,

and off i went.

i put songs in my shuffle that will keep me motivated,

for example,

"big and chunky"

and i don't know if my shuffle is jacked up or if it's the "universes" way of

pushing me along??

but "big and chunky" played 3 times....!

{what's up with that...universe?}

anyways.

it must have worked cause i ran 2.5 miles!!

alone,

non stop,

with cramps,

{probably those damn taffy's}

and i had to pee as soon as i started!

{maybe that's why i didn't stop...}

what also keeps me going,

is our yearly beach house, summer trip to capitola.

we have been going now for 15 years

and the last 6 i have been pregnant

or just had a baby.

so this year i will be laying out on the beach.

so when i start to feel like i want to give up, i repeat in my head,

"capitola, capitola, capitola"

{that seems to help also ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

"super woman runner" {wink wink}...

{she looks just like janet jackson...}

for those of you that know me, i am not really a

"runner"

maybe it's because,

running after my kids {about 5 houses down} makes me winded...

or maybe it's because,

when i do try to "run",

the feeling of throwing up, and being stabbed in my side,

are sooo overwhelming

that i have to stop about 3 minutes into it...

or maybe it's because,

my friends are so shocked at my beet red face,

that they actually, really think i have a horrible sunburn...

{gasps and all ;}

or maybe it's because,

my brother-in-law,

actually laughs out loud when he sees me run,

and pleads with me to tell him my rout so he can take pictures.

{to get a good laugh later}

ya ya ya.

i am not athletic,

coordinated,

or

graceful.

with that said.

i went running for the "real" first time,

last week.

yes i had the stabbing cramp,

yes i felt like throwing up,

{but tried sooo hard not to in front of my cute, marathon running friend,

who hadn't even broke a sweat yet, and kept asking me in her calm, un tired,

voice, "are you doing ok?"}

and when i finally finished!

{just short of a mile...}

i wanted to DIE!

{annnnd my neighbor gasped and asked "oh my gosh sweetie, did you get burned??!!"}

nope.

just lisa.

the out of shape weak sac, with the beet red face!

and the next day,

i felt like and 80 year old woman...

{the whole day...and the next day...}

BUT

yesterday
i went again.

we started running...

{bypassing my "frisbee golf" playing neighbor's, who would have gotten a kick out of seeing

my uncoordinated, red faced self trying to run...}

and we ran

and ran

{no stabbing cramps}

and ran!

and i ran 2 miles!!

{i know...you were expecting me to say like, "5" or something...}

and today i only felt like a 50 year old woman...

not bad.

soon i will be a

"super woman running fool"

well...

maybe.

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

organic momma...

i love cute packaging

and i love organic, cute, packaging.

and with all of my thrift store shopping,

i am always carrying around hand wipes in my purse

to swipe down the shopping cart

bribe toys

bathroom door knob

sink faucet

my kids hands

my hands

etc.

today i picked these up at tj-max for $3 per pk.

they are organic

they smell so good

and they are biodegradable!

they have tons more products

{check them out here}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

"why the buffalo", you ask?...

so we all have a symbol from our childhood

that brings back memories,

or reminds us of someone special.

my grandma virigina was very special to me, and my siblings...

i can remember when we were little,

all cuddled up on her couch watching,

oaklahoma,

sound of music,

the king and i,

mighty mouse,

pollyanna,

meet me in st. louis,

{and so many more musicals etc.}

and sharing her big, soft, cozy,

buffalo blanket...

she also had a few other random buffalo items around the house,

{blame it on the seventies}

but the blanket was the one thing

we cherished the most.

so when she passed away, i came across her buffalo necklace,

which i was so lucky to get.

it felt appropriate to use that symbol to create a place

for me to be creative, and to be myself,

since my grandma virginia had always encouraged me/us to be just that.

she was always teaching us how to:

cook

sew

crochet

sing

laugh

to be artistic

and so much more!

{and that is not to say that i am good at any of that now...especially the singing part ;}

the buffalo will forever remind me of her,

and to always try to learn, and be creative, work hard, and to laugh.

{as cheesy as all of that sounds}

so friends!

that explains

"the buffalo"

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

birthday challenge!

i just had a birthday

{as you all know}

and i just want to honestly, honestly say,

bad economy = awesome gifts!

and i am not joking!

there isn't anything i love more, than a gift that has thought in it.

and 99% of the time

it's gunna cost you less money.

i received so many wonderful gifts for my birthday from my sweet friends

and family, but since i couldn't take pictures of some of them,

here are a few that i could.

*my two new favorite home decor books!

{thanks to my mother-in-law and sweet friend amy ;}

*my awesome milk glass!!!

{from my wonderful husband!}

*and a new "old" book for my vintage book collection!

{carly....your awesome! and a much better person than me...you know what i mean! ;}

click picture to see

so with all of that being said...

i am giving you my,

"birthday challenge"

here are the rules:

1. you have to get a gift for someone under $10

{preferably from a thrift store...you will score more points with me ;}

2. it has to be thoughtful and meaningful to that person

{examples above}

3. it doesn't have to be for a birthday, it can just be a random act of kindness ;}

4. then write to me and tell me why you got "such in such" for "so in so"

and how it made them feel.

{please include detailed description of there reaction, i am a "reaction" giver ;}

5. include a picture of it with your e-mail to me.

6. lastly, see that side bar to the right?...see where it say's "followers"?

add yourself.

{i would like to see who's reading ;}

*of course if your already there, no need to worry ;}

what do you get?

{well, technically you shouldn't "give" anything, to "get" something...}

but!

i will be picking a winner,

and

it will be something vintage and awesome

{most likely under $10 ;}

from my own personal vintage collection!

it's a win win. you make someone happy, and you feel happy.

and even if you don't get picked, you will still feel good about your

kind, inexpensive gesture ;}

i will give you....

a month.

now go!

p.s. i will read each individual e-mail {none of this "picking at random" crap ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

e-mail me:

Lkystarz@yahoo.com

i'm back....!

i'm back.

so sorry about the long break.

{hopefully you all didn't give up on me and stop visiting...}

sooo much has happened,

but i will keep it short.

to start.

*i got this awesome buffalo statue from none other than

my dear sweet friend

cassidy!

{look here and here to see the other stuff she picked up for me.}

you can't have her she's mine! seriously though...she is the best!

*i went to california for my birthday

*i turned 30!!!

*i finally got my hair done!

{yes, i am a hairdresser, and i still wait to get it done in cali...}

*and i'm thinking about becoming a runner

{that is a big deal for me...i can't run to save my life}

but these love handles are not gunna melt off on there own...

plus

this will be #1 on my,

"list of 30 things i am gunna do in my first year of being 30"

list.

{did that make sense??}

i will think of more, and keep you posted.

but for now...

#1...

running

{uggggg}

but i will go with cassidy, that should keep me motivated

{poor cassidy...she will be very disappointed in me}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

i'm 30!

recycle, recycle!

so, i'm not totally sure i would actually sport one of these...

but they are pretty cool,

non the less.

and for all of you die hard recyclers,

here are some cool

bags to tote around.

check them out here

{if anything it's a cool website ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

a moms best friend....

us moms are busy.

were tired.

we don't get to shave our legs as often as we'd like to.

we go days without washing our hair

{or showering...you know you do}

we are constantly doing:

dishes

laundry

carpool

cleaning

cooking

you name it. we do it.

it's no wonder we look tired and wrinkly after about 5 years of this madness!

but

fellow mothers,

lets not let ourselves go!

*wear tights-if you can't shave

*sprinkle baby powder in your hair-if it's starting to look like it's wet {but it's not ;}

you know what i'm talking about ;}

and for heavens sakes,

*wear a little makeup!

just a little...

this wonderful, magical, mothers best friend

in a jar

is called supernatural.

you can apply it while you

clean

carpool

cook

do laundry

heck you can even put it on while you breast feed!!

{i've done it...in a pinch}

so once again

{here is my philosophy plug}

"philosophy! your the bomb!"

get some!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

teamboo readers...

teamboo-ers

{click above if you have not been introduced yet;}

to explain the lack of posts,

{and many more to...not come??}

my sweet sisters family

needs a lot of prayers from all of you.

her husband is in the hospital

and is looking at a very loooong recovery.

i will leave it up to her to give details

when she is ready.

also baby is on the way in less than a month!

it's a good thing i

{her sister}

am her neighbor ;}

thanks everyone!!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

what have i done....

to deserve this!
this morning i got to sleep in.
and i got breakfast in bed,
again!
{i know...now i'm just rubbing it in ;}
but,
i ate alone this time.
it was a little more relaxing
{read here about my last breakfast in bed ;}

well...
today is 50% off day at
good ol'
goodwill!
i need to re-do my kitchen now
{to go with my new pantry here}
wish me luck!

{some of my inspiration pictures}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

new pantry!

like most of my projects
{besides them not ever getting finished}
they are usually started on a whim.
not planned.
soooo
while unloading the dishwasher, i got the urge to switch
the "cup" cabinet with the "plate" cabinet. and one thing lead to another!
then the mugs had to be switched,
then the junk cabinet had to be cleaned out,
then the tupperware cabinet needed to be thinned out with my
50 lids to my 10 containers!
so by the time i pulled everything out of every
cabinet
drawer
and pantry
my perfectly clean kitchen that i woke up too
{thanks to my wonderful husband ;}
now looked like a tornado had gone through it!
it was a long time comin though...
every time i opened up the cupboards and/or pantry
i immediately wanted to shut it!
the dirty finger prints and foot prints in my pantry
from my "animals for kids"
climbing up the shelves to get the cereal boxes down,
mixed
with the dingy,
yellow,
flat!
wall paint inside
{who uses flat wall paint?? sooo unpractical, especially with kids!}
made it look very....
un appetizing
and dingy!
i explain all of that so you can get a clear picture of what it looked like...
{and i forgot to take a "before picture"...sorry, won't happen again! but it was nasty}
so.
i get to work.
*note-had no car, all three kids with me {husband at work}, so we all
stayed in our pajamas, to say the least.
*other note-"cute neighbor" decides to stop by with "cute friend" to show her
my "cute house"...
of course,
house is a mess,
kids are scummy,
i'm scummy,
haven't brushed teeth or hair,
no bra,
left over makeup on...
awesome.
yes i answered the door.
and gave a "tour".
she will probably never come back.
poor girl.
needless to say!
12 hours later!
i finished the pantry and put the kitchen back
the way my husband left it...
clean.
see for yourself...

total cost: $0

sorry this was so long.

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

little helper...

marlee helped me get ready today....

oh, and her baby!

be nice to...me!

us women are very hard on ourselves.

and what

is often said out loud,

"i look fat"

{most popular phrase}

"i'm ugly"

{a close second}

there is even more said in our minds!

a friend of mine once called it,

"mind chatter"

and us women do a lot of

"mind chattering"

{i know i do}

a while ago i read in

self magazine,

that:

"consistently replacing negative thoughts with a positive one will alter

your outlook and make you feel happier"

here are the

steps:

1.envision you ideal life, then craft an encouraging phrase that makes it sound as if what you desire is already a reality. instead of "i hope tomorrow is better," try "my future is bright"

2. repeat your mantra whenever you start to bad-mouth yourself. "you retrain your brain to focus on the positive, not the negative *study author ann peden says.

3. try adopting one of these sayings, and give yourself a talking-to!

*i am strong and can handle whatever life throws my way.

*everything happens when it's meant to happen.

*i choose to love and appreciate myself.

*i am grateful for the good in my life.

*i can make healthy choices.

*happiness lies before me.

*i forgive my flaws and celebrate my strengths.

i have had this article on my fridge

for about a year now...

i think it's time to start!

my new:

"mantra...affirmation"

{if you will}

is my poster above...

think of one for you!

*and please share*

xoxo

buffalo gal*

Soul Sister...

our sweet girl turned 1

{well a couple weeks ago, i've just know got around to making the video}

boy did that year go by fast!

i swear,

the more kids you have, the faster time fly's by!

{wait....i'm i almost 30 now?....ahhh}

marlee

has been such a light and such a blessing to us.

the boys are obsessed with her.

i'm obsessed with her.

and watching this makes me want another one!!!

{i know...i'm crazy....it's just a thought....for now ;}

okay,

so!

here is our little

"soul sister"

marlee

*i will apologize now for my horrible singing...just push play, you'll see

Soul Sister

from

buffalo gal

on Vimeo.

{music: "baby your my light" by richard howley and "hey soul sister" by train}

being thoughtful...

thoughtfulness:

{in my book}

*when your husband cleans the whole house, and you didn't even have to ask

{would it be bragging to say this happens a lot in my home?}

*when someone says "bless you" when you sneeze

*when your sisters/brother always take your side...no matter what.

*when your told how much you are loved

{and saying "i love you too" back, instead of  "me too"}

*when your friend is at a thrift store, and picks you up the

poloroid camera you have been wanting!

*saying "please" and "thank you"

thank you cassidy!!!!

you are rad!

and very

thoughtful ;}