A fellow harried mom sent this to me, and I just had to share it. I don't know the author. If you do know who wrote this, please let me know because I'd love to give credit and link love! What mom — what woman — can't relate?

Men Are Just Happier People. What do you expect from such simple creatures?

Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans
take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be
President. You can never be pregnant.  You can wear a white T-shirt to
a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics
tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive
to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.

You
don’t have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a
bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress
$5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you’re
talking to them. New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One
mood all the time.  

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one
suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the
slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he
or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.  Three pairs of shoes are
more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You
are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.  Everything on your face
stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe
decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of
shoes — one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how
your legs look. You can ‘do’ your nails with a pocket knife. You have
freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.  You can do Christmas
shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

I love Jennifer O'Donnell's blog for parents of tweens over at Tweenparenting.about.com. She tackles everything from chores for tweens to how time on the Internet is affecting family time to how to make the most of summer.

A recent favorite is Jennifer's post on family staycations with tweens. Having just done that with our 13-year-old (who was very recently a tween!), I know we had fun going to local museums, movies, a planetarium, a minor-league ball game and to a local farmer's market that had every kind of food imaginable. (Matt's choice = chocolate crepes with whipped cream. Hey, it's a vacation!)

Jennifer takes the concept one step further, proposing a spa day at home, backyard camping, hosting a slushy party and even learning fun new skills. Check out her suggestions here, then plan your own family staycation and make the most of your time together this summer

After all, as the mother of a 13 year old, I know: They won't stay tweens for long.

1. You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post.
2. You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.
3. You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

Instructions:
1. On your post about receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.
2. When you post your five winners, make sure you link to them as well.
3.
To add the award to your post, simply right-click, save image, then
"add image" in your post as a picture so your winners can save it.
4. Don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by emailing them or leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my addictions and a list of blogs that rock!

My Five Fabulous Addictions:

1. My guys, Randy (hubby) and Matt (our almost teenager — yikes). They keep me busy, happy and feeling loved. 

2. Saving memories in fun ways. I love anything to do with taking pictures, video (with my new Flip camera — I'm lovin' the Flip!), scrapbooking, photo cards… you name it. (Send me some cool ideas!)

3. Chocolate. Dark chocolate. Frozen, melted… There is very little you can do to dark chocolate that will keep me from eating it. Want to perk up a batch of brownies? Throw in half a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips. Voila: You're a gourmet baker in the hearts and minds of all who scarf down your treats.

4. The Daily Show. I'm hooked. (Hey, is Jon Stewart adorable — and hysterical — or what?)

5. Girlfriend time. Meeting for breakfast, lunch or coffee. Chick flicks-and-wine evenings. Funny e-mails and chatting. I love my gal pals! Can't imagine going through life without them, and I treasure them more each year.

I pass this award on to my 5 Fabulous Blog Buddies:

1. Maria Bailey and Lynn Armitage at My Teen, The Alien

2. Chris Brogan at Dad-o-Matic

3. Paula Spencer at Momfidence!

5. Fred Goodall at Mocha Dad

4. Leah Ingram at The Lean, Green Family

Of course, there are more faves of mine that I couldn't list here. Just check out my blogroll on the right sidebar and give 'em a visit!

You guys are awesome! This morning I got up and knew I had to head to the bathroom scale because it was WEDNESDAY.

But I decided to procrastinate a bit and check e-mail first. Waiting there for me were two messages from readers wishing me well because it was weigh-in day. That made my day! I love all the comments you're leaving on Wednesdays, too. Lots of great tips. Thanks.

I was dreading this weigh-in because last week was Randy's birthday week, and he had to have chocolate cake with chocolate frosting… And I ask you: What kind of wife would I be if I didn't have some cake on my husband's birthday?

The trouble is, it was a big cake. And that meant cake for dessert for the family for a few nights after the big day. I didn't want to feel too deprived, so I cut myself a tiny sliver after dinner a couple of times — and enjoyed every bite. Portion control! 

Who knows… If I hadn't done that, and had my "fix," I might have been down in the kitchen later that night, "evening up" that darned cake. (I hate cakes with crooked edges, don't you?)

I guess the portion control did the trick, because, Randy's birthday and all, I lost a little more this week. Here's the score card:

Week 1: 138.6 (starting weight)
Week 2: 137.2 (total loss: 1.4 lbs)
Week 3: 137.2 (total loss: 1.4 lbs)
Week 4: 136.8 (total loss: 1.8 lbs)
Week 5: 136.0 (total loss: 2.6 lbs)

OK — 2.6 lbs. in four weeks. Not a huge loss, but it's a rate I might have a chance of sustaining for the long haul. My old Weight Watchers instructor used to say that 1/2 to 1 pound per week is a safe and reasonable amount to lose. Works for me.