So, I would be the first to say that I am not always up to date on everything. Except make-up. I know a lot about make-up. However, when it comes to things technical or web related my knowledge is limited. I mean, I twitter, but who doesn’t?

Recently I was reading someones blog and she was all : Remember when you used to have to go to EVERY website you liked and check for updates? And I was all, YEAH! And then she said, man that was so lame now that I have Google Reader, I don’t know what I did without it. And I was all, I am going to google “google reader” because I am lame.

That brings me to today’s pathetic post. Readers, do you know about Google Reader? BECAUSE IT ROCKS. I thought maybe you are like me and you click through numerous blogs everyday to get to ones you like and you check them for updates. For example, I like Mightygirl.com and she has Andrea’s website linked to hers so I click there. Then I go to my friend Alison’s site and check her blog roll for updates from Wendy’s website.  WHAT A HASSLE! I also visit multiple news sites a day and frankly the point and clicking is catching up with my carpel tunnel ridden wrists.

So you say, Jenn how do set up Google Reader? I shall tell you because I am nice like that. And I have pity on those as technologically challenged as myself.

1. Go to www.google.com/reader
2. If you have gmail already, just sign in. If not, set up an account.
3. Under the “add subscrputions” tab, just start adding all the blogs you read. Take your time, you only have to do this once!
4. After that, sign in and check out your subscriptions – no clicking! The pages are right there and they let you know if they have been updated! You can read your favorite websites right in Google Reader or you can click on the site and go to it yourself. People this is kind of like online bill pay – sure you can still mail in checks to PG&E by WHY WOULD YOU when you can just click and be done with it?

Okay, lecture over. But seriously Google Reader Rocks. Oh and once you have a gmail account, you can share your subscriptions with others. So if you sign up and do this, send me your list…I would love to see what sites you all read everyday. Those of you who already have gmail accounts, there is no excuse (Rebecca, Maureen and Alison I am talking to you)Actually, that brings me to a question:

What sites do you read everyday and why? What blogs are your “must reads?” I would love to know so do tell. Also, if you are reading this and you are thinking, she is so lame, I have Google Reader and I know way more about it than her – feel free to school me on what you know. People I am just a sponge, looking to soak up information about technology so that my head isn’t totally filled with MAC, Benefit and Origins. Diversity is good.

Internet I have been busy! I know that you have too so we will make this quick…

First of all, Christmas was great. A while back I promised you a slide show of what I like to call the “Great Toddler Nativity Scene Re-enactment of 2008.” As I mentioned before, I had the pleasure of watching 30 toddlers act out the Nativity scene which was, by far, one of the highlights of the season.

Isaac took his role of king very seriously, focusing on the baby Jesus intently. So intently, that while the others faced the audience to sing their songs of adoration, my eldest son sang directly to the plastic baby in the wooden crib. He is very spiritual.

While the king was praising the plastic baby Jesus, Joshua the “angel” was busy wandering around the stage, rubbing his eyes and looking for Mommy.  

Below are a few pictures from the event, I hope you enjoy. Please ignore Isaac’s hair in the last picture – let’s just say the crown wreaked some havoc. Give a kid a break, okay?

On to Christmas. Well, we packed up our car with a ridiculous amount of presents and junk and headed to my mom’s house for 5 days. There really is nothing better than traveling with toddlers – toddlers who are aware their presents are behind them in the car(not the ones from Santa of course) and they can’t open them for 24 more hours. Oh the Joy! And did I mention that everyone (besides mom) developed a sinus infection on the 23rd? We ended up in the doctor’s office on Christmas Eve and were loaded up on antibiotics by noon that day.

Aside from the snot and the complaining (Kevin!) we managed to have a lovely Christmas Eve with my parents, Grandpa and almost all of my sisters. The kids got to play with their cousins a lot and it was great to see how Morgan, our token girl in the family, did with the big boys. Christmas Eve we got all of the little ones in the bathtub together, which was awesome, and by “awesome” I mean there were lots of pictures taken that will embarrass the crap out of the kids for years to come.

Overall, Christmas was great. I got a lovely pair of hand carved jade earrings, Kevin got a guitar, Isaac got a Leapfrog Leapster and Joshua also got a guitar (aka his “la la”). Since Christmas, we have only had to go to Target once to return the defective Leapster and there has been less than 10 meltdowns/tantrums over sharing new toys – we measure success in small steps. Below are some pictures of the Christmas festivities.

Tomorrow I turn 32 and well, yeah that sucks. My birthday kinda makes me sad so I have resolved to write a post tomorrow about what makes me happy: beauty products. Stay tuned for reviews and suggestions for favorite products.

I also mentioned in an earlier post that I started Weight Watchers and I will be offering a review of that on Tuesday, after I complete my first week. I will give you a hint though – I have already lost 1 pound!

I’ve gained quite the reputation around these parts. The word is spreading that I love make up and hair more than politics (yikes). Last weekend my friend Kim got married and she asked that I help with a few of the bridesmaids. I was really nervous but they all turned out to be the coolest girls and it was a lot of fun. I thought I would post some “evidence” of my burgeoning new business:

This is Stephanie – she is 5 months preggo. Yeah, I know…I didn’t look like that at 5 months pregnant either. She is genetically blessed. The best part about Stephanie though? SHE IS A CAL POLY GRAD! Go Mustangs! Stephanie has blue eyes and the dresses were a burnt sienna color. So, I used a blue based brown on her (Mulch by MAC) and mixed it with a color called Honesty which has gold and pink undertones.

This is Brittany. I had so much fun doing her makeup because she likes bright colors. I used MAC’s Gorgeous Gold mixed with a fantastic purple called Trax. She looked awesome!

This is Stephanie and her sister Heidi. They are best friends and sisters and guess what else? They are BOTH preggo! How cute is that? Heidi wanted her hair to look like Christina Applegate’s in Samantha Who and I was nervous to re-create something like that. However, when we were done everyone said it turned out better than the picture!.

This is the girls on the beach right after the ceremony. How cute are they?

This a close-up of my work at the reception. I had to convince these girls to wear concealor (to brighten up their under-eyes for pictures) but look at the results!

Here is a great shot of the whole wedding party – I wish I could take credit for the bride’s hair and makeup but alas I can not so, kudos to the other stylist.

Finally, above is a picture of my assistant, Jenny  and the lovely bride, Kim. We had such a great time at the wedding and I really loved being a part of the “get ready” process. There is just nothing better than wedding hair and make-up! Well, maybe a good political debate and a newborn baby to snuggle but that is it! 

So last week my mom and I went for a little trip. We headed over the Monterey to look at daycares and take some measurements at the house. After a very long day of watching stranger’s children play, trying desperately to decipher if they were feeling “fulfilled or enriched by their daycare experience” and asking a thousand questions of daycare providers like “what method of teaching do you use” (when all you really want to ask is if they could possibly love your child just a little bit like you do from 8-5pm) we decided it was time to have some fun. My brain and emotions were fried by the experience and all I wanted to do was laugh.

We headed to the movies to see What Happens in Vegas. (Yes I know that Indiana Jones came out this weekend and please know that if I saw that movie without the Hubby I would be hung by my toes. ) Turns out the movie was hilarious and Ashton Kutcher is, well, very pretty.

As we were waiting for the movie to start we sat down in the theater lobby and were chatting/people watching. I reached into my purse to pull out my lip gloss and my mother did the same. As she pulled her gloss out I said “Hey I have that one!” So I reached for it in my purse. This led to a discussion about how much make-up populated the contents of our purses…..

People are you ready for this?

I can not believe that between the two of us there were 3 nail polishes, 8 lipsticks, two compacts, one lip liner and two mascara’s.

The scary part is that this collection is just the “extras” for our purses. I don’t think the Internet is ready for a picture of my home “kit” or my mother’s for that matter…..