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So many of my fondest childhood memories involve dolls. Growing up, I must have played with them for hours and hours. Just from cruising the doll section in our local megastore, I can tell how they have changed so much since I was a little girl. It seems like so many of these new dolls come with very provocative clothing and their own little cell phones. I often wonder if little girls think this is the norm. I think one of the issues to finding a better alternative is that some of the more modest dolls are often so expensive.

I recently had the chance to review a new doll line that celebrates little girls being little girls and I wanted to introduce you to the Only Hearts Club, a line of quality dolls that are wholesome and fun. Each Only Hearts Club doll comes modestly dressed in today’s greatest fashions and comes with their own pet. I had the chance to check out Olivia Hope (pictured below) and her little dog Sniff. She is just as cute as can be and I know she would bring a smile to any little girl. And at only $16 each, these dolls are very affordable.

Would you like to win Olivia Hope? Here’s how to enter:

Visit the Only Hearts Club site and leave a comment on this post telling me which doll is your favorite.

Deadline to enter is Sunday, July 12 at 11 PM Central. U.S. Only.

I promise this post will not be a nostalgic trip down memory lane of how our great country came to be. I just thought you should know 2 things about why I love today.

1.) This movie is one of my absolute faves and can be found on several channels every July 4 without fail.

2.) And there will be a marathon on Discovery of this: (my favorite TV show)

As you can see, today will be all about family, food, and much butt parkage on the couch for me.

Hope you all have a safe and happy 4th! Enjoy your barbecues and fireworks shows!

Today Cracked Daddy and I celebrate 10 years of marriage. I remember when we first got married that 10 years sounded like such a long time away. I could only imagine then what our lives would be like now.

It’s 10 years later today and it really does seem like it went by with the blink of an eye. We’ve certainly been thrown some curve balls as far as what we had planned for our life to be like today (man makes plans…God laughs!), but we are happy and healthy, our basic needs are met, and we have one incredible son. And truth be told, I really don’t think I could have planned it better.

I wouldn’t have wanted to go through any of these past 10 years with anyone else.

Just wanted to give a big warm welcome to my visitors from the MckLinky Blog Hop! I’m Mandy and this is my blog Mommy Cracked. I started my blog in 2007 after leaving my job as a school librarian and I write about my family which consists of my husband and son (and two awesome cats), the life we live in small town Mississippi, and the occasional review and giveaway. I love goodnatured sarcasm, reading TONS of blogs (hope to be adding MANY more to my feed reader through this post) and I work part time in a Christian bookstore. Thanks for stopping in and please subscribe to my blog…I love new readers!

It never fails to amaze me that you can literally find anything online. Obscure products from childhood, people from your past, and even the cure to what ails you. Or just to find out what is ailing you is always helpful.

I could think of worse ways to recover. But I certainly won’t Google them.

Dear Crazy Woman With Rollers In Your Hair,
No, I don’t have the flip flops you bought from my friend at our yard sale and accidently left. And no, I don’t have any yard sale merchandise left. Furthermore, I’d really like to thank you so much for knocking on my door at 6:58 AM on a SATURDAY to ask me these questions. You’re a real peach!
Love,
Mommy Cracked

Dear Whoever Installed The Air Conditioner Unit In Our Home Before We Bought It,
That little hose thingy? It’s a backup drain in case the first one gets stopped up. And when you don’t hook it up and instead just wrap it around the unit in the attic because you don’t know what the heck it is? It doesn’t work…which may cause leaking through the walls, wet carpet, and it also sprays dirty water all down my walls when the AC repairman tries to unstop the unit. But I do love a challenge, so thank you for the chance to spend an afternoon with a can of Clorox Wipes and some elbow grease. And the $75 to repair it? Oh, please! I picked that off the money tree we have growing in the back yard! No worries!

Sincerely,
Mommy Cracked

Dear North Korea,
I’ll keep it real short and sweet because I know you’re real busy with missles to launch and all that stuff. Put up or SHUT UP, because your daily threats are getting old. That is all.
Sincerely,
Mommy Cracked

If I ever mention the thought of having a yard sale on my blog again, will someone please point me to this post and then beat me over the head?

I’ve spent the last week or more cleaning out and decided to switch things up a bit and have a yard sale on Friday afternoon. I figured it wouldn’t be as hectic as far as setting up and that was really the only day I’d have available for awhile to do it anyway.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Yes, even though you state in the paper that the sale will start at NOON, people will STILL come and knock on your door starting at 9 AM with a litany of excuses as to why THEY should be able to get a preview of your goods before starting time. (I have to work…I’m on my way out of town…..blahblahblah)

2. Don’t even think of trying to set up your tables without backup. When you start setting up tables, they smell blood and will descend on your lawn demanding to know when it will start and just hang around until it does. Then the grabbing commences.

3. People will really shine their behinds at yard sales.

One shopper was so anxious to try on a skirt that she literally showed God and everyone her underwear attempting it. Seriously, cars started slowing down as they drove by and more than one driver got an eyefull. I could have died.

We also had a man ride by that recognized a woman shopping at my yard sale and he rolled down his window and obnoxiously screamed, “Jay-netta…..you know you got enough s*** at yo’ house already…put dat s*** down, guhl! You don’t be needin’ that f****** s****!!! BWAAHAHAHAAAA”. And then he sped off leaving a yard full of speechless people. Jay-netta just laughed and said, “He so crazy! He know he ain’t s***.”

Additionally, one woman set aside something on my sidewalk she was buying while she continued to shop. Another woman walked over to look at it (she didn’t know it was claimed already) and I thought the first woman was going to have a coronary for the clueless woman even daring to have the audacity to look “at her s****”. (Her words, not mine. Y’all know I don’t cuss on this blog, but Jimney Cricket did I ever get an earfull today.)

And did I mention it was 97 degrees in the shade while all of this took place?

Is this just in Mississippi or do people act like this everywhere else at yard sales? I’m thinking it’s something only we Mississippians can be so proud of.