"The One With...2 Bathing "Bullies"

After seeing the video, I know what you are thinking - "that girl needs to have her some kids!" I mean seriously, who buys a kiddie pool just for their dogs?!? I guess I do! Call me crazy, but these are our "kids" - they are just the furry kind and I think they love that little pool more than kids do :) This summer we actually had to "upgrade" the little 4' pool to the much bigger 6' pool since the addition of Millie. You can imagine my conversation with the lady at the Wal-Mart during checkout. She started to make "small talk" & asked me how old my kids were (as if buying a kiddie pool is used specifically for kids?!) I told her 3 & 2 years old. She then asked me their names & I said Bubba & Millie. She gave me an odd look - as if those were weird names for kids!? I then said "yah, they are pretty hairy so the pool keeps them cool on a hot day!" She stopped scanning my items & gave me another weird look. At this point, I had had enough fun with her so I told her I had 2 Bulldogs who love to lay in the pool & I was buying it for them. She laughed & started to tell me this lengthy story about her crazy brothers' girlfriends' mother who had an even crazier uncle who had a grandfather who once owned a Bulldog....I should have just kept my mouth shut! Note to self: never make small-talk with the Wal-Mart cashiers! After about 10 minutes of listening to this ladies story, I finally escaped the conversation and headed home with the new pool. I filled it up, let the dogs out and they couldn't jump in it fast enough. After about 10 minutes, a few pictures and $20 spent filling the pool with water they bullies were done. They jumped out, did a couple of shakes & wiggles and that was it. Their fun (and mine) was over....until next weekend when the pool adventures continue :)

"The One Where...The Countdown Begins"

Woo hoo! Just incase you were wondering, Christmas is exactly 6 months away! Those that know me, know about my obsession with the Christmas holiday! It is my absolute favorite time of year & when I get into that holiday spirit, you better watch out (...you better not cry...lol - I just suddenly broke out in a X-mas song - see, I'm a freak!) My holiday spirit begins the 2nd week of November when the local radio station (Star 102.1) starts playing X-mas music, the Hobby Lobby starts putting out all the X-mas trees & decorations & after I have attended the annual Holiday Mart. The spirit doesn't end until New Years Day & then I about go into a state of depression after I have taken down the tree & the many decorations around the house. I'll have you know that I'm not the only one who is obsessed with Christmas - my girlriends HK & Deanna (pic below) share my love for the holiday season also - this is probably one of the reasons why we are such great friends :) So start "socking" money away for all those X-mas presents you'll be buying in a few months. We are half way there....

The Mid-America Heart Institute Elves - HT, Deanna & HK

"The One Where...I Share My Favorites"

This week, my friend Nickie made a post on her blog about a few of her favorite new buys and asked her friends to share their own list of favorite things. What a fabulous idea! If we all shared ideas like this we might get some good input on what actually works & what doesn't & therefore we don't waste time or money!

So after giving it much thought, I decided to share a few of HT's "favorite buys":

Cleaning: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - This little 4" x 3" white foamy square is truly "magical" & one of the BEST buys I have ever come across! For those of you who have drooling dogs, you can relate: we have white doors & trim all throughout our house. Add 2 bulldogs into the picture. When drool dries you get a glue-like substance that adheres to the trim, doors & wherever else it lands. Gross, I know! I usually keep "drool towels" in every room of my house - I should be ready for when I have children! When it comes to cleaning, even a chisel can't remove this dried-on glob of glue. BUT, with one quick swipe of the Magic Eraser, all is clean once again. Truly amazing & the best $3.00 I have ever spent!Flip Flops: Rainbows - Thanks to my girls in South Carolina for this awesome "find"! I didn't know what all the fuss was about until I bought my own pair! Unlike most flip-flops, Rainbows have a built-in arch support & mold to your individual foot shape. This is a huge benefit for someone like me who is flat-footed. It takes a litte bit to break them in but the end result is well worth it!

Lip-stuff: Covergirl Outlast - Anyone who knows HT knows that I am rarely seen without my "lips" done up with some color & some gloss. I use this wonderful little tube of color made by Covergirl & it literally stays on ALL day. You apply it in the morning, use the moisturizer stick to keep lips glossy & you can eat, drink & talk all day with this stuff on! It does NOT come off! It is fabulous!Carpet Cleaner: Hoover V2 Widepath - I highly recommend this steamvac to anyone who is looking for a good quality, easy to use carpet cleaner. It is a bit pricey but well worth every penny. We have sugar-cookie colored carpet along with 3 dogs & a husband that refuses to take off his shoes, so you can imagine how dirty the carpet can get over time. You will be amazed at how dirty the water is after using it & appalled that your carpets were that dirty before you used it!Gadgets: Houdini Wine Bottle Opener - If you are a wine drinker like myself, then you will LOVE this "must have" gadget. The Houdini Corkscrew works like magic! Clamp it around the top of a bottle of wine, push down, pull up & the cork is out of the bottle! Push down, pull up again & the cork is off the corkscrew! It takes less than 5 seconds & will open any-size wine bottle. It also comes with it's own foil cutter & replaceable metal corkscrew.So there you have it! A few of HT's favorites! Please feel free to forward on in an email or your own blog about a few of your own "favorites"! I would love to hear about them! Have a great rest of the week!

"The One Where...Friends Matter"

To the world you are one person, but to one person you are the world!

This has to be by far one of my favorite quotes. If you read it and ponder the meaning of it, you can appreciate just how powerful of a quote it truly is. This past week has been a challenging one and I have been reminded how truly special all of my girlfriends are. As I think about them all, I realize that each one of them serve a purpose in my life and I am so very blessed by all their friendships.

This past week, one of my very best friends lost her husband in a motocycle accident. He was 31 years old, has two little girls and they would have celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary 3 days after he passed away. It has been a very difficult and emotional week. As I attended the memorial service on Wednesday, I was overwhelmed by all the people that had attended to offer their love and support to my dear friend. As I looked around the room, I realized that this was the power of friendship...this is why it is so important to have friends in your life. There are some that you may not hear from often, but it is nice knowing they will be there for you no matter what the circumstances may be. Friendship is a treasure. Without it, life is empty. Just stop for a second and think about your life without friends in it...

To all my girls who are reading this, I want to personally thank you for your friendship and for all you have brought to my life. You each serve a purpose and have helped make me the person I am today. I am so very lucky and I thank you for that!

"The One Where...My Blogging Begins"

Whoever thought I would become a blogger? Surely not me! MySpace...yes. Facebook...yes. But blogging? Thanks to Nickie for just one more "addiction" of mine that she is responsible for :) I am going to try and add to this weekly so check back often for updates and happenings in HT's life. If you are a fan of Friends (the TV show), you may notice these weekly posts will be titled like the episodes of Friends were titled; “The One With…” or “The One Where…” so I hope I can be creative enough to keep it up the whole time.

First off, you may wonder why I refer to myself as HT!?! Here's the story...
At work I am known as HT - along with my many other nicknames such as princess, Queen, etc. (not sure why :) Co-workers, friends and even the physicians call me HT and have called me this for over 2 years now. I was the only Heather at work since I started there back in 1999. A couple of years ago we hired a girl named Heather K. I can't lie, I was a bit bothered that we had another "Heather" in the lab - I kind of liked being the only one. It took just a few days of people saying our name and us both responding that the initials came into the picture. She is now known as HK and I am known as HT. Not only does she have an awesome name, but she has also become a very special friend in and out of the workplace.

Next, the reason I decided to start "blogging"...
I love to read about the happenings of other peoples lives...especially those who are close to me. I have many friends and family that I don't get to see very often and their own personal websites allow me the chance to peak into their lives and catch up with what has been happening with them. I hope by creating this website and sharing it with you all that you will enjoy the same experience as I have and will look forward to my updates as I do to yours whether it be via website, an email or the phone. So please, bookmark this site and if you would be so kind, check back weekly... just so I'm not writing it to myself :)