HAVE MAP WILL TRAVEL

Clemson Football vs. BC Time Lapse

2011-10-08T22:07:00.002-04:00

This was created by my son. His dorm's lounge has a fantastic view of the stadium. GO TIGERS 6 and 0!!

CANCER so SUCKS............

2011-10-04T20:25:00.001-04:00

....but YOU HAVE to LOVE these videos....

We all remember the "famous" pink glove" dance that surfaced last year.....

Now, there is actually a competition.....and I want to watch EVERY video....they are all AWESOME!!!!

GO. TO. THIS. LINK.......

http://pinkglovedance.com/competition/contestants

So where have i been????

2011-09-24T19:44:00.000-04:00

Well, in February I decided to accept a VERY part time, VERY flexible job in the field I am degreed in....ACCOUNTING! Hold on, the job I accepted was CLERICAL. I loved the idea of going into work 3 days a week, having something to "do", working with others, but still have complete flexibility to be available for my children still at home. You know, field trips, volunteering, car pooling, days off etc. etc. Oh, and did I mention, SUMMERS OFF!!

Fast forward, throughout the summer, I "made myself available" to fill in where needed and ended up working a day or two a week. I still felt no pressure and the arrangement couldn't be better!

As Sept 1st arrived, I planned to be ready to go into the office consistently 3 days a week......however, on Sept. 12th my "GIG" was coming to an end. I find out my Office Manager is moving to our other office and well, I am asked to step into the Office Manager position!!

So, I'm an accountant, working clerically at a CPA office and now I'm going to be an Office Manager? I actually wanted to work for a few more years low key and then move into an Accountants position. Looks like, my plans have changed. I will need to commit to MORE HOURS NOW!

I weighed the pros and cons and decided I would accept the position..... so as of November 1, my life will take a complete about face.

AS a result, I have been finding it very hard to sit down and blog since I took this job and NOW I will have even LESS time.

My promise to myself is to find time ONCE a WEEK to at least "check in" and create a post. I have tried to keep up to date with y'all and plan to continue.

So, I hope to summarize where I left off and keep blogging in the future!

If you are reading this.....thanks for still reading!!!!!

Broadway Dancer.....

2011-07-22T11:46:00.001-04:00

May would find us watching our daughter on the stage during her musical theater presentation "Journey to Broadway". She has so much fun! Daughter is 3rd from left and "cancer sucks" daughter is second! Bestie dance buddies!

COLLEGE GRADUATE......

2011-07-20T20:44:00.000-04:00

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

COLLEGE GRADUATE

Sorry, but I'm still in MAY.......

2011-07-20T11:38:00.001-04:00

On the Friday after Mother's Day, the ceremonies began for our oldest son's college graduation. How proud we are of him, how happy we are for him, yet there is a bit of sadness in our hearts to know that he will be a part of our lives in a very different way....ON HIS OWN!

He had a number of job offers, all impressive - thank GOD, and chose to work for one of the largest investment firms in the country. He will continue to live in Manayunk, a cool section of Philadelphia, and commute to Delaware.

On Friday afternoon, members of our immediate family who were able to attend, joined us for a lunch at our son's favorite hangout. The atmosphere was hip and the food was unique and we had the best time.
He was so lucky to have so many Aunts, Uncles and cousins attend given the fact that our families are all over the country.

Here are some highlights:

Proud Parents, Siblings, Roommates

Aunt/Uncle[Godparents], Godchild, Cousin

Aunts and Uncles

A VERY personal card made by my sister.....look closely on the cover, it's David as a sleeping child!

We interrupt this blog......

2011-07-13T18:49:00.001-04:00

OK....I just MUST let you all in on a GREAT FIND!

OCEAN SPRAY sparkling juices, in particular the DIET version [only 10 calories]!

Check this out.......

HERE's a little MATH:

THIS + VODKA = YUMMMMM!!

...just saying.

....and the events keep coming.......

2011-07-12T13:59:00.000-04:00

....husband's birthday is THURS. after Mothers Day. My sister and niece are in town [for the weekend] so we decide to go into Philadelphia for a nice FAMILY dinner. We chose a restaurant called MERCATO. It is the coziest Italian restaurant. The food is unbelievably good AND it's BYOB!!

You feel like you are having dinner at your Grandmother's house!

It was a fun night with ALL the kids, 1 girlfriend and my sis and niece. FUN!

The next day, FRIDAY, we will find ourselves headed back into Philadelphia for a FESTIVE lunch to celebrate OLDEST graduation from college.....but that will be continued in the next post!

....and the travel continues.....

2011-07-11T09:46:00.000-04:00

Since my 3rd son will be a senior in high school in the fall, college is very much on our minds....AGAIN!!!

During his spring break, the week after Easter, he wanted to visit a few schools in North Carolina. So hubs and he flew to Raleigh and knocked out a bunch of schools tours in 2 days!

Meanwhile at home, daughter is busy with tons of basketball tryouts for spring league and rehearsals for her spring play. In addition, it is my turn to HOST book club!

On the THURSDAY after Easter, and we are back in the car [a rental this time in order to spare our SUV with 202,000 miles the torture!].

.......We head SOUTH, 12 hours, to pack up son, Brett, from Clemson, SC. We load up the rental and hit the road NORTH for a detour in Raleigh, NC to attend our GREAT niece and nephew's Communion [twins] on Saturday! Nice visit with some family including my hubs 85/86yr. old parents.

We get on the road LATE that night [Saturday] so I could spend MOTHER's DAY at home! It was a great day complete with flowers [from oldest], breakfast at a little quaint restaurant and a pick-up game of basketball!

WHEW we are tired!

.....to be continued........

{HOPE YOU ARE NOT BORED}

SO.....let's go back to the last week in April....part 1 of ?

2011-07-10T00:17:00.000-04:00

MY little LILY!!!!

Hi all,

So sorry I have been MIA..... I thought it was so sweet that my "handful" of followers each took the time to write and tell me that I've been missed! Thanks all!! Trust me, I'm doing a 2 week "blog reading" marathon starting tomorrow and I will be sure to find out about your happenings.....

Bringing YOU up to date.......................

If you are able to remember WAY back to the last week of APRIL, that is where the craziness and travel began for me. EASTER SUNDAY!!!

Our family [minus 2 oldest COLLEGE sons] headed NORTH on the PA turnpike 2 1/2 hrs. to my little sisters house to celebrate the day with her family and my Mom. It was April 24th [one of the latest Easter's ever]! In the Northeast, SPRING was having a rough start. At our home, we were having a nice "cool" spring day, the forsythia's were actually starting to turn GREEN and the cherry trees were blossoming. It was hard to believe just 110 miles North, there was still SNOW SHOWERS in the forecast!!!!

Little sis, Mom and me...not sure what we were displaying!

WHAT is THIS!!! EASTER PIE...an Italian traditional staple of EASTER. inside a "bread" type pie crust is ricotta cheese, mozzarella, sausage and hard cooked eggs.....YUMMM, YuMMM, YUMMM!!!!

My two youngest with my Mom!

....to be continued...............

WHERE AM I?????

2011-06-26T23:32:00.000-04:00

Of course with a Blog named "Have Map Will Travel".....I have obviously been away!

Short distance and longer distance travel has kept me from blogging and I apologize. Many of the things I want to blog about may not actually be of interest to YOU, however I want to "document" these last few weeks.....SO...in the next couple posts I will try to keep you interested and up to date......

Be back SOON!!!

BEST MARRIAGE PROPOSAL EVAH!!!!

2011-05-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

No one said it was easy to train a puppy......

2011-05-01T08:44:00.002-04:00

.....especially a mixed breed that is KNOWN to be LESS intelligent. [Thank you Amy Chua]

I read Marley and Me before we got our puppy. I liked the story but really couldn't embrace it...until NOW!

You see, our rescued puppy is the most adorable, loving, STUPID dog there is. On a positive note, he was 100% housebroken VERY quickly - thank heaven.

You see, the problem is that since we have an invisible fence, he LOVES to be outside. HE LOVES people, other dogs, cars, the FedEx and UPS man.....he just gets so excited to see people and people tend to give him lots of attention.

Now that the weather is nice, as soon as MACK hears the door open, he scoots out. This has recently become a problem since sometimes we don't want him out. We have been working VERY hard for him to understand "STAY'. This is not an easy task since each family member must be on the same page.

Well, yesterday some friends stopped by for a visit and MACK was relentless to let them know how much he loves them. We worked hard to keep him from jumping and annoying and we did a pretty good job.

As our friends were leaving, we noticed our grass cutter was outside so we wanted to leave our puppy inside. I hear my husband at the door, "STAY, STAY, STAY, STAY.....door opens.....and I hear my husband "STAY OUTSIDE!" Our friends CRACKED UP at our discipline skills!

American Girl + Rue La La = GREAT SAVINGS

2011-04-25T00:15:00.003-04:00

Well, if you don't know by now, I'm a HUGE fan of Groupon and RUE LA LA. I have saved HUNDREDS of dollars buying things I already buy and through these sites I SAVE MONEY!

This Wednesday, Rue La La is featuring "AMERICAN GIRL". It could be the line of clothing to match the doll, it could be clothing for the doll, it could be THE DOLL? We just don't know until 11:00 am that day!

If you've "RUELALAed" you know what to do.

If you have NOT, use THIS LINK as your invitation and browse the DAILY discounts on so many designer items. It's your inside link to SAVINGS.

Happy shopping!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T07:38:00.000-04:00

This week....

2011-04-20T06:04:00.001-04:00

For those who are Jewish, today marks the 1st day of Passover. For those who are Christian or Catholic, this past Sunday began Holy Week.

Whatever your faith or belief, GRATITUDE is UNIVERSAL. You may remember a few months back I blogged about a wonderful friend who lost his life to pancreatic cancer at the young age of 49. Husband, Father to 4, Friend to many! Read here: http://havemap.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-heart-is-very-heavy-today.html

Today in our school newsletter his wife, T., wrote this Thank You.

To our St. A family,

Several weeks ago, at Mass, I heard Father Dan speak about unity and how we as Catholics are united through Christ on several levels. We are united in our own families, in our parish communities and, on a grand scale, with others throughout the world, His message was that it is not enough to go through the motions of being a Catholic but to give witness to Christ through our words and deeds. For the last five years, our family has been the recipient of these charitable acts.

The Saint A. community embraced our family and demonstrated their concern for our situation in many ways. Home cooked meals were delivered directly to our door. Rides were given to school events. Kind words were spoken. Prayers and novenas were offered. The Girl Scouts and the soccer teams raised awareness of pancreatic cancer through the sale of wrist bands and baked goods. Many joined Team A. in the annual PanCAN walk. Your thoughtful gestures of Mass and sympathy cards, bouquets sent by the fifth and seventh grade teachers and donations to the education fund were very much appreciated. Lastly, the gift of the St. Padre Pio statue from the fifth grade class brought tears of joy.

These acts of generosity, and others too numerous to mention, help us to navigate life amidst the loss of our beloved Robert, husband, father and friend. My family and I send our heartfelt thanks to all of you. Our gratitude extends espe- cially to Monsignor P, Father Dan, Deacon Ed and Sister Jean. Your kind words, prayers and deeds continue to give us the grace and strength during the times we need it most. Thank you for sharing Robert’s wonderful life with us.

With gratitude and love, T. A.and children Domenic, Mario, Isabella and Stefano

She is amazing. Her courage and strength is unbelievable. I have been in touch with her a few times since his passing and asked her to PLEASE reach out to me with whatever she needs......help with writing thank you's, watching the children, making meals, playing taxi, WHATEVER! To my surprise, I received a call this weekend from a mutual friend asking me to come over with T. for dinner and a bottle of wine. T. really wants to have a girls night! Yeah!!!! I can't wait!

A Fun Royal Wedding....

2011-04-17T09:54:00.000-04:00

A different kind of Olympics....

2011-04-14T23:45:00.000-04:00

The competition was tonight! My daughter and 19 of her peers have been preparing since September. It was exciting, fun and best of all the children were becoming better readers! Yes, it was the READING OLYMPICS.

My 3 oldest have participated when they were in 5th through 8th grade, but that was a while ago.

How it works is that each TEAM that enters must read FORTY FIVE books! Ok, there may be a FEW children out there that would be excited about that, but most will dread it. So, the group leader [usually a teacher] will ask each child to read at least 5 books. They can read more, but are expected to KNOW those 5 books REALLY well.

The competition consists of 3 rounds with 2 teams facing off against each other answering questions about the books. It was amazing to see THOUSANDS of people in attendance and there were competitions all week.

The best part was not the ribbons they earn, it's the trip to FRIENDLY"S when it's all over!!

Tax day extended to April 18

2011-04-13T22:19:00.002-04:00

Well, I felt I must share this info. I have a BS in Accounting, but have been a stay at home mom for about 10 years. Just a few months ago I accepted a CLERICAL position at a CPA firm to work about 15 hrs. a week....well, last week I worked 32 and this week I'll be over 40.....so much for part-time flexible.....

I'm told APRIL 19th, I will have NOTHING to do~~

Not sure if I will be happy or sad about that!!!

Tax day extended to April 18

Follow up to yesterday's post...EASTER!

2011-04-09T08:08:00.002-04:00

This is the best parody of REBECCA BLACK so far!!

...in the words of Rebecca Black, IT's FRIDAY, FRIDAY....

2011-04-08T00:00:00.003-04:00

Yeah, the biggest buzz on Youtube in the last few months.

If you [are dead and] haven't seen the video, watch here:

Sure it's a catchy tune, BUT...COME ON...the next JUSTIN BEIBER? Don't think so! EVERYONE has something to say about it!

Conan's response:

Then there is:

Well, Rebecca Black speaks out:

Friday Lyrics Analyzed with Rebecca Black from Rebecca Black

TWO WORDS!!

2011-04-07T07:46:00.001-04:00

if you need a good cry I suggest you watch the SECRET MILLIONAIRE on ABC.

Have you had a chance to see this show???

I haven't had a chance to catch this show during it's normal time, but last night I sat down at my computer and went to abc.com and played the LAST 5 episodes.

Quite an emotional show about how some rich and successful people go undercover and pretend they are filming a documentary on volunteering, but instead they are determining who they would like to donate large sums of money to.

Watch it and let me know what you think.

Speeding Ticket

2011-03-31T18:26:00.000-04:00

Having 5 drivers in our household, you could imagine how much we spend on insurance, gas and upkeep of our cars.

One expense we do not budget for is SPEEDING TICKETS. Knock on wood, we haven't had one in over 20 YEARS until SUNDAY night. Yes, son S #3 was coming home from CHURCH with my daughter and drove through our little quaint town......apparently a little too fast! The cop said he was going 34 in a 25. [Don't tell him, but I do that all the time]. There is a particular spot that the cops like to sit - especially toward the end of the month - to TRAP heavy footed drivers. I believe my son is a very careful driver overall, but we came down HARD HARD HARD on him since he had his sister in the car and he drives many many places.

We banned him from using the car for 2 weeks [it's killing us, not him] AND he would pay the $153 ticket with his own money.

Here is the stash he is going to take to the police station tomorrow to pay the fine! I LOVE HIM!!

OK...this video is so cute....I'm wondering what ARE THEY SAYING?

2011-03-30T17:28:00.002-04:00

What do you think they are saying to each other for 2 minutes????

This just made me crack up......

2011-03-21T06:10:00.001-04:00

....Lately I must agree with "IT'S A GOLDEN DAY" and I have been feeling as if I really don't have too many "blog worthy" posts.

HOWEVER, I came across my #2 college son's "FACEBOOK profile pic" today and I just cracked up and had to share........I thought I always taught my children about the dangers of LARGE appliances and to NEVER, EVER, EVER play inside a REFRIGERATOR which may have been left at a curb.......guess I should refresh the lesson??

It's become a tradition...

2011-03-20T07:57:00.003-04:00

No matter how long the lines, no matter what the weather, WE WILL GET A FREE WATER ICE TODAY at RITA'S

......... to celebrate the first day of spring! YES!

March 19 'Supermoon' May Cause Moonquakes, Scientist Says!

2011-03-18T19:07:00.002-04:00

Well, well, well, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
"There is a SUPERMOON on the rise. And according to Internet buzz, it'll bring a scary surge in natural disaters around the globe."

OK....THIS WAS WRITTEN THE DAY BEFORE THE JAPAN QUAKE.....

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/03/12/supermoon-cause-moonquakes-scientist-says/#ixzz1GtxBvIFc

High School MUSICALS....

2011-03-17T18:49:00.001-04:00

Having 2 college sons, a high school son and a daughter who LOVES the theater our family has seen MANY MANY plays and musicals over the years. The drama department at my son's high school is very incredible and they strive to "reach new heights" each year......well, THIS YEAR they DID just that!

They performed PETER PAN and put on such an incredible performance and we were AWESTRUCK! Cancer Sucks and daughter joined me, my hubs and my daughter and they equally LOVED IT!!

Here is a clip from the I'M FLYING scene~

.......they BOTH lose!!

2011-03-12T16:12:00.001-05:00

Update of last post!
Clemson lead the whole game and ended losing in ot!!! So close!

IT's HALFTIME......

2011-03-12T14:18:00.000-05:00

Well, MARCH MADNESS HAS BEGUN.....and having 2 boys at COLLEGES with great BASKETBALL TEAMS...it's exciting!!!
Oldest goes to ST. JOSEPH's U and they are up against DAYTON today in Atlantic City. Oldest is there rooting them on. They are behind at 1/2 time by 6.

Second oldest is rooting on CLEMSON in GREENSBORO, NC. They are taking on UNC tarheels and CLEMSON IS HOLDING ON TO A 10 PT. LEAD GOING INTO THE 1/2.
CAUGHT GLIMPSES OF SON ON ESPN!!!

I'LL UPDATE LATER.......................

This SCENE caught me off guard..........

2011-03-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

AND FOR FEAR I WOULD GET INTO AN ACCIDENT, I COULDN'T SNAP ANYMORE.........

YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT THIS IS. WELL, IT'S A "PARK AND RIDE" NEAR MY HOME. YOU SEE, I LIVE IN PA VERY CLOSE TO THE NJ BORDER...AND YES, THE DELAWARE RIVER SEPARATES US.

Today, I was saddened by the Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami as I watched the morning news. I checked in with friends in Hawaii and relatives in California. All seemed ok. I continued on with my day and took a little trip over to NJ to do some shopping at some of my favorite stores...ya know, Target and Wegman's. Well, as I crossed over the bridge on my way home i noticed how high the Delaware looked. It is expected to crest sometime tomorrow night. As I passed this park and ride, that's when it hit me. People are renting UHAULS and moving their belongings out of their houses in order to beat the rising waters. Pit in my stomach. As I drive I see more and more Uhauls in driveways. Wow, it kinda hit close to home that many many of our friends and neighbors are going to suffer their own loses and there is NOTHING they can do about it.....except wait.

Special prayers to all those being affected by MOTHER NATURE this weekend.

TYPICAL TAKE 2

2011-03-03T20:34:00.001-05:00

I posted a video in my previous post and realized, it was NOT the video I wanted to post!!!! It is good, but THIS ONE is what is TYPICAL!!!!!

7 Billion: Are You Typical? — National Geographic Magazine @ Yahoo! Video

TYPICAL?

2011-03-03T16:15:00.000-05:00

7 Billion, National Geographic Magazine @ Yahoo! Video

I'm back and I have a question....DO YOU?

2011-03-01T23:33:00.000-05:00

Do YOU yield to pedestrians? IN OUR STATE IT IS A LAW!!!

We have lived in the same town for the last 26 years. The center of our town has grown tremendously, but still has a quaint feeling to it. There are many "mom and pop" places amidst THE GAP and THE ATT store. Within a few miles, we have a State Park, a Community College and Lockheed Martin! Each little housing subdiviision has jogging trails and open space. There is also an Elementary School that children still walk to. We even have what is called the "oldest movie theater in the country" which I blogged about in 2009 here. In fact, in the upcoming issue - SEPTEMBER 2011 Budget Travel magazine, our town will be listed as #6 of the coolest little towns in America.

This brings me to my QUESTION.....WHEN YOU ARE IN A CAR, ARE YOU AWARE OF PEDESTRIANS?

LESS than 1/2 a mile from our home is a beautiful community park with a playground. Many families come to this park often. There are very visible crosswalks for neighboring residents who choose to walk to the park. FLASHING lights, etc. Today, I approached a crosswalk near the park and noticed a mom with a double stroller approaching. I slow down and come to a complete stop.....the MOM begins to cross and ONCOMING traffic JUST IGNORES HER!!!!! TWO cars pass and then she finally crosses, turns back and waves thanks to me. I was so mad at those drivers........

Pamela and the TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, BAD DAY......

2011-02-20T10:44:00.001-05:00

I can so relate to ALEXANDER.....

First, the dishwasher broke......AND it took us 2 days to realize it~~~

Then we tried to remove the dishwasher, but the tile floor was installed AFTER the dishwasher.

Tried to raise the dishwasher high enough to clear the floor....OPPPS......CRACKED THE GRANITE THAT WAS INSTALLED AFTER THE FLOOR~~~

WOW, the winds are blowing outside.....CRASH....YIKES...the GAZEBO frame blew over....{just purchased a new canvas top last year...the 4th yr.....for $200!} OH MY, never disconnected the BOSE speakers that were RIPPED from the wires when it blew over....

OK, no one is hurt...MOVE ON....

Son has his COTILLION tonight...girlfriend to our house and then pictures at best friends house. OPPS...dropped phone between seat in car...move up....move back...there it is....

OUCH .....CRACKED SCREEN....GOODBYE iphone for now!!!!

MY TERRIBLE , HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, BAD DAY...~~~~~~~

Brand new meaning to DRIVE THRU.....

2011-02-19T11:36:00.000-05:00

This past week, I was in Vegas with my 5 sisters. If you recall, Monday was Valentine's Day. So what better thing to do than to CHECK OUT SOME VEGAS WEDDINGS!

We took a cab to the ORIGINAL Vegas strip on FREEMONT street and everywhere we looked, there were "marriage places".

Our cab dropped us at "the best place". The FAST LANE DRIVE-THRU WEDDINGS!

Yes, the "bride and groom to-be" merely drive up to the door and they are greeted by a justice of the peace who marries them. Here is a happy couple.

Elvis and Priscilla actually got married here.

Here's another couple.

The cost? $199. For $299 you are able to use the "chapel setting". The prices go up from there and include a reception hall, dessert social and even an outdoor setting.

FOR ME, this was PRICELESS!!

Note to self....DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THIS.....

2011-02-18T08:26:00.003-05:00

MY HAIR BRUSH!

You see, I have always FOUGHT with my hair. It is by nature, COARSE, WAVY/CURLY, FRIZZY and must I say GREY?. I have always had to seek out the best stylists who could "tame my mane" with short layered cuts. Well, not anymore since I've had my KERATIN. I am able to have SHINEY, STRAIGHT hair with a bounce.
But, it also takes a GREAT BRUSH and my CHI Rocket dryer. So yes, 4 days in Vegas with my 5 sisters and I remembered the hairdryer, but forgot the brush! Surprisingly none of my other sisters had the right size barrel I needed and my hair just was FLAT and showed my GREY part and wasn't as shiny as it should be.
So, next time I won't forget the BRUSH!

Happy Weekend.....I'll finally be taking down the OUTSIDE Christmas lights now that the snow has been melted and we have BEAUTIFUL temps!

Here's what you have to do to score a ticket to a UNC basketball game....

2011-02-12T08:41:00.000-05:00

CLEMSON son is DETERMINED!!!!

When hundredths of a second count.....

2011-02-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

IN A SWIM MEET.....

Son #3 qualified for the County swim meet with his high school. All the area high schools use their top 4 swimmers in each event. Each event has around 52 swimmers competing. The top 6 of each event move on to the finals and 6 to 12 swim in a consolation meet. Well, son #3 had his best time EVER....shaving [umm literally, but more about that later] 1 second off his best time. In his heat he came in 2nd, but there were 9 heats....he finally came in 26 out of 51 and the difference between the #12 and his spot #26 was HUNDREDTHS of a second! Good for him!

So he credits his top score to the fact that the coach pumped all the boys up by having them SHAVE IT OFF!
Yes, they all gathered to shave heads and then the next day they were told to arm themselves with NAIR and women's razors and remove all their arm and leg hair! Picture the bathroom after this ordeal!

First the HEAD

Then the legs

Never knew they made a MAN version.

Proud sister

Proud parents

Proud girlfriend

Son believes it was all worth it and we agree!

Burn baby, burn!

2011-02-03T04:21:00.005-05:00

...That is what my daughter is thinking.

NOTICE THE CANDLE on the PIANO?

You see, I learned this little "TRICK" back when my boys were very involved with cub scouts. The leader would light a candle at the beginning of the meeting and if everyone behaved, she would keep it lit until the end. But if they were misbehaving, after a warning, she would blow it out. The INCENTIVE was when the candle burned all the way down she would TREAT them with PIZZA or some other coveted treat!

Well, when my daughter began piano lessons, she was VERY young and didn't get the concept of 20 minutes of practice. OK....I AM NOT A TIGER MOM....SHE WAS TOTALLY READY and BEGGED!! Anywho, I would light the candle and she loved practicing and practicing since when the candle burned down, I told her we would get something cool at the dollar store! Yeah, 6 yr. olds eat that place up! She still plays the piano at 11 yrs. old and loves it, so practicing is never an issue......BUT TODAY, she came to me and said...."May I light the candle today?". I told her sure, but why. "WELL, there is nail polish at "5 below" that I really want to get".

OK, then!

So, I thought I'd share the concept just in case you may be able to use it for something in your house!

YUCK! Groundhogs Day....a HISTORY LESSON....AND I REALLY DO NOT CARE!!!!

2011-02-02T05:58:00.001-05:00

OFFICIAL INFO FROM WEBSITE!!

THIS IS BLAH,BLAH,BLAH...if you feel like reading!!!!!!

European Roots

(Adapted from "Groundhog Day: 1886 to 1992" by Bill Anderson)

Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.

If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.

If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.

According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

According to an old Scotch couplet:

If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be twa (two) winters in the year.

Another variation of the Scottish rhyme:

If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half o' winter to come and mair,
If Candlemas day be wet and foul,
The half of winter's gone at Yule.
The Roman legions, during the conquest of the northern country, supposedly brought this tradition to the Teutons, or Germans, who picked it up and concluded that if the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal, the hedgehog, would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather, which they interpolated as the length of the "Second Winter."
Pennsylvania's earliest settlers were Germans and they found groundhogs to in profusion in many parts of the state. They determined that the groundhog, resembling the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent and sensible animal and therefore decided that if the sun did appear on February 2nd, so wise an animal as the groundhog would see its shadow and hurry back into its underground home for another six weeks of winter.
The Germans recited:
For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until the May.
This passage may be the one most closely represented by the first Punxsutawney Groundhog Day observances because there were references to the length of shadows in early Groundhog Day predictions.
Another February 2nd belief, used by American 19th century farmers, was:
Groundhog Day - Half your hay.
New England farmers knew that we were not close to the end of winter, no matter how cloudy February 2nd was. Indeed, February 2nd is often the heart of winter. If the farmer didn't have half his hay remaining, there may have been lean times for the cows before spring and fresh grass arrived.
The ancient Candlemas legend and similar belief continue to be recognized annually on February 2nd due to the efforts of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

I LIVE IN THE GROUNDHOGS STATE AND.....WELL.....OK, the only thing GROUNDHOGS DAY means to me is ......

THIS MOVIE! HAPPY GH DAY!

Please don't judge me, but......

2011-01-31T06:35:00.005-05:00

I totally enjoyed the movie "THE OTHER GUYS"!

Will Farrell...nuf said

Mark Wahlberg...nuf said

HILARIOUS!!

I truly believe Will ad-libbed 1/2 this movie!

It's on the scale with AIRPLANE....anyone old enough to remember that?

JUST FUNNY, SILLY FUNNY, FUNNY!

We red-boxed it and kept it THREE nights so we could replay the funny parts again!

Caution! It is R but keep an open mind for the love of LAUGHTER!

I would love to know what you think!

H.A.P.P.Y. MONDAY!

And this is what a day of shoveling looks like........

2011-01-28T06:54:00.008-05:00

YEAH S. FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!! IT WAS A LONG DAY INDEED....SPENDING MONEY FOR SCHOOL TRIP TO ITALY!!!

And the forecast said......

2011-01-27T08:36:00.000-05:00

....ONE TO THREE INCHES! LOOKS MORE LIKE FEET TO ME!!

Girl Scout cookie - CHEATS!

2011-01-24T08:40:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again....when we support our local girl scouts and gobble up a bunch of their cookies.
My personal favorite will always be thin mints, but I do enjoy those carmel delites and "thanks a lot" shortbread and chocolate. At $3.50 a box [last yr. prices] it gets a little expensive trying to buy everyone's favorite in our home of 6. No matter, we are supporting a good cause.

Well, things may be a little different this year since I stumbled upon these recipes!
Yes, COPYCAT Girl Scout cookie recipes!
Check them out yourself.
Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Samoas or Caramel deLites
Homemade Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Mints
Girl Scout Copycat Recipe: Thanks-A-Lot Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Girl Scout Cookies Copycat Recipe: Lemonades

Of course when the doorbell rings I will pull out the checkbook, but I won't be buying nearly as many as I usually do!

What's your favorite GS cookie?

I miss this.....

2011-01-22T06:25:00.004-05:00

OUR BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS TREE!

I DO NOT MISS THIS MESS AFTER WE TOOK IT DOWN.

AND DRAGGED IT OUT.....

...AND LEFT IT AT THE CURB!

Feeling "STICKER SHOCK" at the Movie theater?

2011-01-21T05:04:00.005-05:00

Well, here's a deal for you!

CityDeal...very similar to Groupon and Living Social has posted deals for both AMC and Regal/United Artist Theater.
2 AMC Silver passes for $15
2 Regal passes for $17
If you live near a big city, these offer great savings. Of course you cannot use them the first 11 days of a new release, but if you anything like me, I'm rushing to try to catch a movie before it leaves theaters!
So USE THIS LINK to check it out yourself. It does not matter where you live to get these deals. They are good until supplies last. PS you may purchase more than one~hint, great gift idea!
Happy Weekend....go see a movie!

Coupons, coupons, coupons...AHGGGG!

2011-01-20T06:51:00.013-05:00

Who doesn't love saving money? Yes, I TRY! On any given day, my purse is loaded with Lord and Taylor, Gap, Khols, Bed,Bath, and Beyond COUPONS!

In addition, my key ring CANNOT possible hold ONE MORE store loyalty card.

My friend S, told me a while ago about an APP~I'm all about APPS~called CARDSTAR you load on your phone. It stores ALL OF your little loyalty cards in one spot. After you have loaded all your cards in, all you have to do is tap the app, then the store and a BARCODE appears in which a cashier can scan. PRETTY CLEVER!

Well, I just stumbled upon something else online. CELLFIRE.com and ZAVERS.com! Once you register, you are able to actually LOAD COUPONS right into your loyalty cards. Cellfire listed one of my local grocery stores. I added my card # and then I was given a list of coupons that I wanted to load onto my card. Coolio! Now, when I go to that store and I buy those items all I have to do is scan my card and VOILA...SAVINGS and no scissors needed!!

Zavers did not have any stores that are around me, but I'm sure as word gets out that will change. They did have Harris Teeeter and I know some of my readers go there.

So happy shopping and happy saving!

A little creativity.....

2011-01-19T05:22:00.005-05:00

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. "de-decorated" from Christmas. Yes, I'm one of "those" people that Oprah would have a whole show about entitled "Why do you wait until Jan 15th to take down your Christmas decorations?"

Anyway, I'm not justifying, but I have been extremely adamant about purging what is not used in this house. One really big section is Christmas. For the last few years I have been trying to get rid of what is not used. This year I was so close to being where I wanted to be....I only had just about ONE bucket full of unused items. I further sorted and organized and refused to put back this years decorations until that was complete!
So there you have it.

In my "post-Christmas shopping/return" runs, I picked up a few fantastic bargains all 90% off. Our local Rite-Aid actually had a shelf full of lights. I grabbed a couple clear since they come in handy not only Christmas, but we end up using them in the summer to add lights to our patio umbrella and gazebo.

I noticed a set of just red lights. Although many people incorporate this color in their decorating, I never have. For less than $1 I couldn't pass them by.

I decided that I would use them for Valentine's day and just MAYBE if the Phillies make it to the world series I may have another use!

As I strung them about our foyer mirror, my daughter was coming down the steps with the decorations she had in her room. Wait, the BELIEVE letters caught my eye. DARN no "O" in believe. Well, look what I did.

TRAVEL Tip Tuesday

2011-01-18T05:31:00.004-05:00

Whether you travel for business or just for fun, it is amazing how you could rack up "POINTS" from so many programs. Although at the present time, I'm a SAHM and my husband is self employed, we joined loyalty programs years ago. When my oldest was 12 [he's 21 now] he played travel soccer. Before you knew it, we accumulated many hotel points.

We also use AMEX~umm a little too much some times~and those points turn to thousands very quickly. We try to put very large purchases on AMEX to accumulate even more.

One of the greatest loyalty programs we have joined is Marriott. We applied for their Chase/Visa card and every $ we spend we get 2 for 1 points AND 3 for 1 if it involves travel AND 5 for 1 if we use it to pay for MARRIOTT stays. They gave us 25K points just for signing up~the amount of a free room, Silver status, and a FREE stay every year on our anniversary~ That was a no brainer. Doing this allowed our family of 6 to enjoy TWO beautiful days at the Marriott Esmerelda Resort in Palm Springs, CA 2 years ago FOR FREE!!!!

WELL, HERE's my TIP.
I just discovered POINTS.com. This website keeps track of ALL your loyalty programs from airlines to hotels to Best Buy.....all in one place! The BEST part? Other members offer TRADES from one program to another! Check it out for yourself.

I copied this right from their website:

Points.com helps you get the most from your loyalty programs - from your airline frequent flyer miles to your hotel points, from your credit card rewards to your gas and drugstore cards.

We make it easy to Get, Move, Give or Redeem your points, miles and rewards from many of the world's leading programs. You can manage over 100 of the top loyalty programs, such as Aeroplan®, American Airlines AAdvantage®, American Express® Membership Rewards®, Airmiles, Delta SkyMiles®, Priority Club® Rewards, US Airways® Dividend Miles® and many more all from one convenient location.

more loyalty programs in one place

Tracking your loyalty programs has never been easier. Here, you'll find all of your latest balances and account numbers, all at a glance.

more chances to earn extra points, miles, and rewards

Every day, you'll find new opportunities to earn great rewards for your programs.

more ways to build your balances

Buy points, miles and rewards from your programs, exchange them between your balances and trade with other people on Points.com.

more chances to redeem

It's easy to reward yourself with gift cards for your favorite stores, restaurants, travel outlets, and more.https://www.points.com/

This speaks volumes......

2011-01-17T08:56:00.003-05:00

Is your zodiac sign Sagittarius????? Well, you just may be an Ophiuchus!

2011-01-14T07:54:00.001-05:00

Well, I always thought my "sign" was SAGITTARIUS !!!!!!......WAS!!!! AND well all Zodiac signs we have known may be FALSE!!

THIS according to NBC -- "If you are married to that Zodiac sign, well, this may make you want to consider divorce.

Way back when, the ancient Babylonians based Zodiac signs on the constellation the sun was in on the day a person was born.

But this was thousands of years ago when the Earth was positioned, in relation to the sun and the stars behind it, in a different place on the rotational axis.

The result: The sign you think you are, and the sign you really are in terms of the constellation the sun is in on your birthday are different.

"Because of this change in the tilt the Earth is over here and the sun is in a different constellation than it was 3000 years ago when this study of the stars began," explains astronomer Parke Kunkle.

This is not a "new" thing, according to Kunkle.

This alignment shifted a long, long time ago.

It's just, the Horoscope world didn't shift with it.

"This is not something that happened today, this has gone on for thousands of years," Kunkle said.

If you are curious about what your sign may be now, here is the list:

Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16

Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11

Pisces: March 11- April 18

Aries: April 18- May 13

Taurus: May 13- June 21

Gemini: June 21- July 20

Cancer: July 20- Aug. 10

Leo: Aug. 10- Sept. 16

Virgo: Sept. 16- Oct. 30

Libra: Oct. 30- Nov. 23

Scorpio: Nov. 23- Nov. 29

Ophiuchus:* Nov. 29- Dec. 17

Sagittarius: Dec. 17- Jan. 20

*Discarded by Babylonians B.C. because wanted 12 signs per year, not 13 even though there were 13 constellations"

OH MY I'M AN OPHIUCHUS!! Happy Weekend!
FOOTNOTE: I have found out that this is only for babies born after 2009!

Do U Fon DUE?

2011-01-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

From Wikipedia:

Fondue is a Swiss and French dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot (caquelon) over a small burner (rechaud), and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese. It was promoted as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union in the 1930's and became popular in North America in the 1960's.

"The Melting Pot" restaurants have been popping up all over the country. We recently had one open close to us. We celebrated daughters past birthday there with one of her friends, oldest and his girlfriend. We had such a fun time!

For Christmas, oldest and his girlfriend gave us an electric fondue pot and a cookbook. While hubs was away skiing in Utah this past weekend I decided to have a FONDUE night. College boys were home and their girlfriends joined us.

We melted cheese and dipped veggies and bread. We melted seasoned broth and cooked pork, chicken, beef, and veggies. Then we melted chocolate and dipped TONS OF STUFF including marshmallows. Later we added PEANUT BUTTER. Once daughter was done dipping, we added my cousins homemade "Baily's Irish Creme"!

FUN FUN FUN....FON FON FON...DO!

Travel Tip Tuesday

2011-01-11T09:10:00.001-05:00

I joined a book club since I love to read, but never find the time to get through a WHOLE book anymore. Ya see, I'm a magazine junkie. I LOVE magazines since you could page through and read what you want, tear things out and they provide some quick info.

Paging through Rachael Ray magazine I noticed a travel article. Usually I expect to see this in Budget Travel, Conde Nest or Travel and Leisure [all of which I subscribe....yes a junkie]

Anyway, the article mentioned that if you search travel websites like expedia, kayak, or orbitz, the sites STORE your info through cookies. Sometimes it is a good idea to clear your computers CACHE to be treated as a NEW searcher and you just may find DIFFERENT prices! I tried this and YES indeed, airfare from Philadelphia to San Francisco was $327 for a few of my searches. I cleared the cache and sure enough it came back as $318.

Not sure this will always work or if it will give you BETTER prices, but it is worth a try.

Happy Tuesday!

YES!

2011-01-07T08:25:00.000-05:00

HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE!!

We are running low on toilet paper.....

2011-01-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

NOW THAT WE HAVE A PUPPY IN THE HOUSE!!

BUT HOW COULD YOU GET MAD AT THIS LITTLE GUY??

It's Tuesday, I was at Target and look what I found!

2011-01-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

I always find new or cool things at Target. Today I found these disposable hand towels by Kleenex. Maybe you have seen these, but I have not! They were $2.99 and I just love the idea during winter cold season. Prettier than putting out paper towels and less expensive than fancy hand napkins. I do have a feeling however that with a house of boys/men, I will be using them to "wipe down" more often than hand drying!! There were nice neutral box colors too. Now, I have to decide exactly where to place them.

ON THE LEFT

OR ON THE RIGHT!

Boys will be boys no matter how old they get....

2011-01-03T21:20:00.003-05:00

I was really looking forward to Christmas break this year, since 2 of my 4 children are away at college. I knew that it meant having the fridge, freezer and pantry STOCKED for their appetites. It meant changing sheets, making room in closets, shoes all over, fights for the bathroom, TV, XBOX and THE CAR! I knew the dishwasher would be pushed to the limit with at least 2 loads a day......[and by the way, it did go on the fritz!]...but I was really looking forward to having everyone HOME.

Well, today I must say was the icing on the cake and I really didn't think I wanted them home any longer! Ya see, today we got an invisible fence installed for our puppy. You can just imagine the fun my young men had TESTING the system. I AM HAPPY TO SAY...NOT ON THE DOG, but on EACH other! They even had my daughter and one of my son's girlfriends try it out! They tried to see who could stand there the longest, where to place it on their body that hurt the most.....etc. etc. They were texting their friends to come over and try it!!!!

I finally flipped out on them and hid the collar.

When husband walked in from work, I wasn't in that great of a mood. Oldest son tells him the fence is cool and explains what they were doing and HUSBAND CRACKS UP LAUGHING and ASKS TO TRY IT! Boys will be BOYS!

UNSUSPECTING daughter!

1-1-11

2011-01-01T09:50:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite gifts.....

2010-12-31T02:20:00.000-05:00

I love being able to tell my children stories about my childhood. I was one of 6 girls [no brothers] all close in age with a "stay at home mom". We were very middle class, but my Dad worked very hard to make us believe we weren't.

I do not know the reason, but PHOTOGRAPHS of our life are VERY VERY few and far between. I'm really not sure if my family did not like to take pictures, or maybe raising 6 small children my Mom had her hands full and just didn't have the time! Sure there are polaroids which do not stand up to the test of time and my Dad also LOVED SLIDES, but honestly, I take more pictures in a week than my parents did in a YEAR!

When we do come across a picture we treasure it dearly. In fact, I once found a hospital photo of a baby girl....written on the back was MY name, but my little sisters BIRTHDATE! Both her and I display the picture and say it is US....we really aren't sure!

Anyway, my little sister came across a bunch of old photos while helping my Mom clean one day. She immediately gathered them and made copies and put together a photo book for each one of us this Christmas. It was so great to page through so many old photos that I have never seen.

There was one photo I just stared at. It was me, with my BRAND new BANANA seat bike! It wasn't Christmas, it wasn't our birthday, but my Dad was able to buy 4 of us new bikes. I was so cool with my cat eye glasses and my wicker basket!

The reason I stare at this picture, is because a few weeks after I got it, I rode around the block to the corner store to buy milk for my Mom....I HAD A BASKET and thought I was soooo cool. Well, when I came out of the store, my bike was STOLEN....in broad daylight. I didn't know what was worse, losing my bike or having to tell my parents that it was stolen.

I don't care if I only rode that bike for a few weeks, it was one of the BEST presents I ever received! About 15 years ago, my husband saw a banana seat bike out on a lawn with for sale sign. He bought it and all of my boys and my daughter have rode that bike and have heard the story about my banana seat bike.
They all smiled when they saw this picture!

How many pictures do you take to get the PERFECT Christmas card pic?

2010-12-21T20:42:00.000-05:00

With a 21 year old, I must admit that I'm a pro!

Years ago, I would go to a professional photographer to capture the PERFECT shot. I set the stage on the beach with santa hats, used typical NYC Christmas shots, took shots of the kids in the colors of fall. Matching outfits or coordinating outfits, pictures with Santa, etc. etc. etc.

One year, not too long ago, we had a BEAUTIFUL snowfall and I had the perfect idea to set the children in the backyard and STRING lights on them....like we were decorating the outside trees....well, CHRISTMAS CARD FAIL at it's WORST! When we plugged the lights in with the new falling snow, it SHOCKED one of the boys and there were TEARS and SCREAMS...and well, you get the picture!

NOW, I can laugh at this, but at the time I was D.E.V.E.S.T.A.T.E.D.!

I have convinced myself, that IT DOES NOT MATTER what picture I send. The recipients will fall into 3 categories.

1} Happy to get a card from you EVERY year, loves the "card" connection, appreciates seeing a picture of your children and knows how hard it is to pick the RIGHT shot.

2} Critiques your card, looks at every detail, displays it at Christmas and then throws it out.

3} Family, who accepts your family as they are and displays your card on their refrigerator until next year!

SO, to my CYBER friends....here is the picture I am including in my card this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

....UMMMM I must mention that my oldest had a ROLLING ROCK BEER T-SHIRT on and I MADE him turn it inside out!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I think it is time to reveal the best kept secret.....

2010-12-21T08:57:00.001-05:00

....since November 1st, the TODAY SHOW has been revealing on TUESDAY MORNINGS, JILL'S STEALS and DEALS.
Yes, UNBELIEVABLE savings on popular must have gifts.

On the 1st week, my BFF called and informed me they were offering a Talbots CASHMERE sweater for $24.95 value is $160. Also, they had 2 Wii games valued at over $50 for $10! These were ONLY 2 of 5 deals for the day.

It took a lot of patience, but being persistent, I was able to get through to the website for the Wii games .Soon after, I got through to Talbots. Only to get an email a few hours later saying that they have run out of the featured sweater HOWEVER, THEY ARE OFFERING ONE OF 3 OTHER CASHMERE SWEATERS FOR $24.95. So I ordered the boyfriend cardigan...value $169!!!

The next week, they offered Omaha Steaks value $200 for $25!!! Yes, I'll take a few of those. Necklaces, jeans, TomTom's for unbelievable savings.

The next week they have watches, beauty products, coats.....

SO, TOMORROW, TUESDAY DECEMBER 21st is probably the last STEALS and DEALS, so I thought I would let you all know.

Check out The Today show around 9am or the Money section of the MSNBC website later in the day.

Now, that's entertainment!

2010-12-18T21:22:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, my great friend J and her husband arranged for T and I to see JERSEY BOYS together in NYC. I really have been wanting to see this show, but haven't had the chance, so I was so EXCITED. We saw the show and had a fantastic dinner after.

Frankie Valli indeed had many many hit songs over the years and I'm sure no matter what your age, you would recognize at least ONE.....

-Big girls don't cry
-Sherry [baby]
-Walk like a man
-My boyfriends back
-Dawn
-My eyes adored you
-Come on Maryann
-Working my way back to you
-Can't take my eyes off of you
-Falling Angel
-Rag Doll
-Who loves you

...to mention a few.

Well, back to the show. It was very good MUSIC, and great impersonations, but not much theatrics. To put it simply, it was a sad, hard to follow story line with basic sets. Ticket prices around $100.

Fast forward this past Friday night.

Headed into NYC with T [hubs] and the 3 boys. [Made Jenna go to school and spend the night at a friends house. She unfortunately missed 2 days this week already because of the flu!

Oldest's girlfriend met us in NYC since she lives in CT. Our intent was to try to see "A SHOW" on the TKTS boards. For those who do not know what this means, these are tickets that are offered at a discount - usually 50% - day of show.

YEAH...ELF! Go up to window, how much is a ticket to ELF? $112 DISCOUNTED, SIDE OBSTRUCTED VIEW MEZZANINE!! "WHAT!" Yes, very popular.

"How about Billy Elliot?" $59 Orch.! "We'll take 6 tickets please".

My 21, 18, and 17 year old just SIGHED and indicated that they weren't very happy with my choice. Girlfriend, hubs and I were optimistic.

Well, BILLY ELLIOT, ROCKS!!!!

I won't bore you with the number of shows we have seen on Broadway over the years, and some of them multiple times, but this show edges to the TOP! It was BROADWAY at its best! Singing, dancing, acting, set design.....AWESOME!

Must admit I NEVER saw the movie, so I have NO idea how closely the story lines are, but I LOVED this Broadway show!

If you live near NYC...get tickets, if NOT, see the traveling version. I'm sure you will be happy!

For all my cyber friends......

2010-12-16T19:58:00.000-05:00

A way to say THANKS....

2010-12-15T11:23:00.003-05:00

to those serving in Iraq.

Xerox has created a website LET's SAY THANKS that allows you to pick a postcard, add a message and Xerox will print and send for FREE.

Take a moment to check it out and send someone a smile for Christmas.

My heart is very heavy today.

2010-12-12T15:04:00.001-05:00

There is NEVER a good time to receive BAD news. But, during the Christmas season it is even worse. On Friday, we received the news that a very good friend of ours DIED after a COURAGEOUS 5 year battle with pancreatic cancer. Does it make it any easier knowing that he HAS been dying for so long? NO! It is very very sad and it hurts a especially hard since I just made a huge deal about turning 50 and he never had a chance to reach 50! His children are very close in age to my children and in fact his youngest is in my daughters class. Although the teachers handled it so well and told the appropriate classes on Friday, my daughter still came home and cried. So did I. God bless you Robert. Your family is so loved and God will watch over them. REST in PEACE.

Robert A. A. died Friday, Dec. 10, 2010, at his home surrounded by his family. He was 49.

He was the beloved husband of 21 years to Antonella.

He was the loving son of Mario and Clara G. A. of Philadelphia.

Robert grew up in Philadelphia, and was a member of Our Lady of Consolation Parish, where he served as an altar boy mostly at the early morning masses. He attended Father Judge High School, graduating in 1979, and graduated first in his engineering class at Temple University in 1984, with a Master's degree in Engineering. He was president of E. Corporation in Cinnaminson, N.J., which he took over from his father in 2002, receiving numerous small business awards including the top 20 Small Businesses in New Jersey.

His success in the business world was regularly overshadowed by his commitment to his family.

He enjoyed coaching his children's ice hockey and soccer teams. While he took pleasure in taking his children to professional sporting events including the Phillies and the Phantoms, his lifelong passion for the Philadelphia Flyers was undeniable. A season ticket holder, he spent memorable times with his family and friends at Flyers games, rooting for the orange and black.

Robert's passion for life, and the love and devotion he gave to his family and friends will always be remembered.

For the past four years, Robert organized Team A., raising funds and awareness for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN). He strived for excellence and had instilled a high standard for education in his children.

He loved to travel and explore places including Paris, Bermuda, Punta Cana, Aruba, and Riviera Maya with his best friends and travel buddies Gene and Marie, Kim and Mike, Bob and Anna, Tony and Kathy, and Nello and Mariannabut his heart will always be found in his beloved town of Guardia Piemontese, Italy.

In addition to his loving wife and parents, he is survived by his children, Domenic, Mario, Isabella, and Stefano A, all of N.; his sister, Carmela Valeno and Chris of N.J.; his brother, Marco and Deborah of Huntingdon Valley; his father and mother-in-law, Luigi and Maria P.; his brothers-in-law, Tano (Angelique), Lou (Andrea); and his sister-in-law, Maria Rosa. He also is survived by his 10 nieces and nephews; eight godchildren; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, including his extended family in Chicago, Italy and Canada.

The family extends eternal gratitude to Dr. Burtness and Dr. Hoffman, and the team of nurses and doctors at Fox Chase Cancer Center, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Philadelphia Affiliate, Monsignor P. and the entire St. A. community, the HGPrep family, Dr. John V, Father S., and Tina D. for their support and devotion.

How can you NOT believe?

2010-12-10T03:49:00.000-05:00

For the past week, my daughter has been begging for us to START decorating. Like I've already mentioned, we've been BUSY and it seems as if I just put away all the Thanksgiving decorations. Little by little I have been bringing the buckets up from the basement and attempt to decorate whenever possible.

The other night, a friend stopped by to drop something off for me, and we had a ~~bottle~~ glass of wine. There was no school the next day, so I didn't enforce bedtime and thought my daughter was either down the basement watching a movie or in her room reading a book. An hour goes by and my friend asked if Jenna was even home. I yell out to her and she said she's fine!

Finally, my friend left and my daughter went up to bed. I finished the "MOM CHORES" and headed into Jenna's room to kiss her goodnight.

HERE IS WHAT SHE WAS UP TO!

I guess she was sick of waiting for me to decorate the house, so she decorated her bedroom instead! Just precious! I had such a warm feeling in my heart. That's what Christmas is all about.

So, it is not perfect.....

2010-12-09T09:44:00.003-05:00

....but, it is almost finished!

Yesterday was December 8th. In the Catholic Church, we celebrate Immaculate Conception. Many, many people are mistaken about this feast....even catholics!! The celebration of this day is to celebrate that MARY was born without SIN! As catholics, we believe we are born with ORIGINAL sin [the sin of Adam and Eve]. Yesterday, was MARY'S conception. That's what Catholics celebrate.

Anyway, enough of the religious lesson.

Having children in Catholic school for MANY, MANY years, this day is a SCHOOL HOLIDAY!!!! We have made a tradition of spending the day in NYC, which would include all the typical things to do in NYC at Christmastime and also attend a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Well, I believe this is only the 4th or 5th time in 21 years, that WE DID NOT DO THAT since we have been very busy since Thanksgiving with birthday celebrations etc. Also, we decided to "change" the day 2 weeks later, so the boys are home from college.

So instead, Sean spent the night at a friends house and Jenna and I ATTEMPTED to decorate the tree. God bless all you women out there who can't imagine this, BUT I HAVE NEVER had to put the lights on our Christmas Tree for 27 years! Looking at this POSITIVELY, I am so grateful it is because my husband was "busy" at work and it wasn't for some SAD reason. Let me tell you, it took ALL day!

Our 2010 Tree

Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads......

2010-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

...tis the season, WHICH I LOVE!!

Was your favorite subject SCIENCE?

2010-12-06T06:40:00.004-05:00

Most people would answer NO to that question, especially my children! Enter MRS. B.! Jenna is in 5th grade and has the most awesome teacher! She is so enthusiastic all the time - even after 10 years of teaching! The best part is she LOVES science and makes it her goal to make all of her students LOVE science too.

On Friday, my daughter brought in a white t-shirt and fabric markers so she could replicate the RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. HOW FUN! Kudos to all the teachers out there. Thanks for all you do!!

I remember it like yesterday..........

2010-12-02T21:49:00.002-05:00

the day my dear BABY girl was born. ELEVEN years ago. I had just celebrated my 39th birthday the day before!

She was my FOURTH child. We already had 3 boys and honestly NEVER wanted to know the sex of our babies before they were born. Yes, maybe old fashioned, but we held to it.

ON 12-3-99 our beautiful baby girl was born @ 12:39 pm. One of my very best friends was the labor nurse and as soon as she was born, my friend started jumping around the room just like TIGGER....SCREAMING!!!!!
It was about a minute after the birth, that I asked what's the SEX?.....My doctor said, SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

I was SHOCKED! I seriously did not think that my body could produce a girl after having 3 boys!! I cried.

We named her Jenna! Her brothers were 10, 7, and 6. They LOVED her immediately. She was the most fantastic LATE birthday present I have EVER gotten.

HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY JENNA!!! LOVE YOU TONS!!!!

It's a GREAT day to be ME!

2010-12-02T16:20:00.003-05:00

.....so far, I think I've had hundreds of birthday wishes - thanks to facebook and texts- Bestie [who is more than 11 years YOUNGER!!!!] showered me with gifts and took me out shopping and lunch at CHEESECAKE factory! LOVE! Hubs got me earrings and flowers, son got me ROSES, other son and girlfriend got me $$$ to TKTS, other son got me chocolate....they know me WELL!!!
Sisters gave me a "little blue box" from Tiffany's with the most gorgeous key ring. I have a new wine glass marking the occasion, and heirloom glasses with wine from more sisters.....

AND THE DAY is not over!!

Yay for birthdays! Yay for me!

a cappella: without instrumental accompaniment

2010-11-30T09:53:00.002-05:00

This may make you think of a "barbershop quartet", but think again!

STRAIGHT no CHASER is the latest phenomenon. I happened to catch a promo plug for them on the radio and googled their website HERE. I am so glad I did.

At first glance, they are 10 guys [young]. Their story starts at Indiana University where they formed a singing group. They became "famous" via Youtube and they are quickly drawing attention to themselves. Their website has many songs that you could listen for yourself. I just love #6 HOLY NIGHT!

Throughout the month of December they will be touring virtually all over the country. We were lucky to catch their show in Atlantic City over the weekend. They are just incredible singers and very creative! The ticket prices are not even that outrageous at around $50.

Check out their TOUR SCHEDULE and I would recommend trying to catch one of their shows soon! You'll be glad you did!

....continued.....

2010-11-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

So, hubs and I try to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and weather, but......reality sets in.....we are over 3,000 miles away from son B and we feel helpless that he may NEED US!!

My guardian angel appears......MY SISTER....arrives at the radiology center as my son is being told that he needs an emergency appendectomy!

STOP!!!!

Where are we? MEXICO

Where is my son? South Carolina

Where do we live? Pennsylvania

How did I feel about my son going so far away to school? HORRIBLE!

Well, REALITY CHECK.....Even if my son was at school in PENNSYLVANIA....

WHERE WERE WE??? MEXICO!

Circumstances beyond our control.

Enter.....MY SISTER.....Guardian Angel

She was with him every step of the way. Got him released 2 days earlier than the hospital wanted so she could wait on him hand and foot....and we didn't have to change our plans.

THANK YOU ZA.....nickname for MARISA

THANK YOU GOD....for watching over us all!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What an appropriate time to reflect about THANKS

2010-11-23T23:18:00.000-05:00

As a child, I was taught that it is important to have manners, be polite and say thank you. We said grace before meals and learned to count our blessings and thank the Lord even in rough times.

This has sustained me so many times and we pride ourselves as parents that we have instilled these same values in our children.

Looking back on the past week, I am nothing but GRATEFUL.....grateful to my angel sister and grateful to God for watching over.

Let me explain:

Last Sunday, hubs and I boarded our plane headed to IXTAPA, Mexico for a quick getaway to quietly celebrate my upcoming BIG birthday. We flew 1st class - my FIRST time EVER! Yeah, i'm sure it's not a big deal to those who do it often, but I felt like a QUEEN! It was only 5:00am and I was SMILES ear to ear.......

We leave the jetway....we taxi to the runway. All engines stop.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are experiencing a hydraulic problem and we are going to be pushed back to the gate so the mechanics could work on the issue."

"Yes, I'll have a bloody mary!" Maybe I'll close my eyes for a bit.

6:30am: "Well, ladies and gentlemen the mechanics are working on the problem and we will let you know what time we will arrive in Houston for your connections"

"Yes, I'll have a bloody mary!" Maybe I'll close my eyes for a bit.

8:15am: "Well ladies and gentlemen we should be getting the go ahead very soon to approach a runway for takeoff. Thanks for your patience and we apologize to those who may have missed their connections. You have the opportunity to leave the plane now.'

"Yes, I'll have a bloody mary!" Maybe I'll close my eyes for a bit.

We FINALLY arrive in IXTAPA, MEXICO [only an hour time difference from the EAST coast!] at 3:00 pm!

We arrive at our resort "CAPELLA" which I must mention I purchased through RUE LA LA! We were given so much attention and we were shown to our SUITE.

OUR private patio included an infinity pool, king size sofa lounges, and ceiling fan.

The doors opened to one of the most beautiful rooms we have ever stayed in......

This is going to be a GREAT FOUR DAYS!!

A few hours later, my cell phone rings! I have instructed EVERYONE that it will cost $.99 EVERY MINUTE, but incoming texts are FREE.....so TEXT, don't call!!

"Hi, Mom, I have a really bad pain in my stomach....it hurts so bad!" OH NO! This is my son at Clemson.
"Well, do you think it's something you ate?"
"NO, it just REALLY HURTS, should I see the school nurse in the morning?"
"Yes!"

Fast forward.....next morning......

"MOM, the nurse is sending me to Seneca, SC to get a CT SCAN"

"UMM, how are you getting there?"

"S, my cousin is taking me"

GREAT!

Meanwhile behind the scenes, my sister was already alerted and started to head over from Columbia to meet them.

HOURS GO BY.......

Later that evening we get the call.....MOM, they want me to go to the ER.....I need an APPENDECTOMY!!

......to be continued.........

I've been a little behind....

2010-11-14T11:46:00.001-05:00

No fear! As you may have noticed, my children have been posting to my blog. When my son said hey Mom, why haven't you been posting, I told him I'm just too busy. He asked if he could post and then 10tr old had to get in on the action! I'll be back soon!

Really? It's Not Even Thanksgiving!

2010-11-14T11:35:00.000-05:00

   Is it just me or do people decorate their houses for holidays WAAAAYYYY too early?!!?
   When I was in the car going to Target, I saw Christmas decorations out. Come on people!!! It's only the 14th of November! You have more than enough time to decorate. Can't you at least wait for Thanksgiving and then put the lights outside.
   Then to top it off, at Target they were already selling Christmas presents. All I'm saying is that you could at least wait for Thanksgiving and then put the lights outside.

Is AFTER

This post has been brought to you by Travelbugmom's insanely awesome daughter: J

Look like a pro- The Rule of Thirds

2010-11-13T01:12:00.003-05:00

Ever wonder what makes professional film or photography better looking than your pictures or videos? Well it's no secret anymore. It's the RULE OF THIRDS. Click here to find out what the rule of thirds is. Whether you take pictures for fun, film videos for family events, or simply look at them, the rule of thirds is very interesting. It all makes sense now! It is amazing how something so subtle makes a huge difference.

Due to Have Map Will Travel being busy....and traveling (of course)....this is by Have Map Will Travel's Son: "B"

Just VOTE! Please exercise your right!

2010-11-02T16:10:00.000-04:00

As Americans, we are so lucky to be PRIVILEGED to be given this right! Go out and do it!

KERATIN is a MIRACLE!

2010-10-28T23:40:00.001-04:00

keratin or ceratin (ˈkɛrətɪn)

— n
	a fibrous protein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and inhair, nails, feathers, hooves, etc. yes, that's the definition from dictionary.com. FOR ME, KERATIN is a MIRACLE! Let me explain. I was born with naturally curly/wavy ~~uncontrollable, wild~~ hair. I've learned over the years that a great boars head brush, chi hair dryer, t3 flat iron and millions of PRODUCT would actually keep my hair "IN CONTROL". Then, I would still resort to a headband or something to pull it back to control it!!! After ~~HOURS~~ so much time getting my hair to look perfect, if I hit HUMID air, then in 2 minutes all my efforts go down the drain! Well, all I've been hearing is KERATIN....try it! OK, but the PRICE TAG had me in sticker shock....$300 a treatment!!!! WOW!! Haircut.....Color.....that is about all I can afford at this point....add $300....UMMM don't think so! ENTER GROUPON........I L.O.V.E. Groupon......What an incredible deal they were offering....I cannot pass this by........I mean BUY!!!!!! On Tuesday, a miracle occurred.....I HAVE BEAUTIFUL SILKY SMOOTH SHINY hair with NO EFFORT!!!! {and they tell me that it last MONTHS!} THANK YOU KERATIN....I love you!!!

Where have I been???? I feel like my life is just BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!

2010-10-27T19:32:00.003-04:00

Oh my! I apologize that I am not keeping up with my posts. I do NOT have just ONE excuse! I am just ALL over the place and don't want to bore you with the details....LIKE.....

....drove a total of 26 hours a couple weekends ago to visit son in college

....spent HOURS with oldest son trying to nurse him back to health....ends up he had SALMONELLA poisoning!

....talked countless hours on the phone with my sisters about my Mothers recent hospitalization and health issues.

.....making plans to attend TWO family weddings, one SOUTH and one on the WEST coast!!

....planning a get a way for my BIG birthday!

....organizing, cleaning, preparing and just normal everyday ho HUM.....that we all do!!!

However, there is ONE thing that has been consuming MOST of my time and although I am not REALLY ready to divulge, I will tell you that my friend, Sandy, and I have been working very hard to LAUNCH a NEW BUSINESS. We have been SHOPPING and SANDING and PAINTING and USING POWER TOOLS! and WORKING very hard to make it work. VERY soon, we will go VIRTUAL and make our dreams a REALITY!! But until then, my posts are sporadic at best.....SO SORRY! Will keep you posted!

ALL Bloggers MUST do this....

2010-10-21T07:29:00.001-04:00

I have previously mentioned that I turned my blog into a book. It is really a cool idea to have everything you have posted in book format.

Today, BLOG2PRINT is advertising 15% off! This is a great savings.

CLICK HERE for the link.

Travel Tip Tuesday - DRY ICE

2010-10-19T08:46:00.001-04:00

We do not always take a cooler on car trips, but when we do, DRY ICE is the way to go.

Our local grocery store sells it. It comes in blocks and is charged based on weight. I purchased 2 blocks and it cost a total of $8. It is VERY worth it.

Although it is packaged in a bag, you MUST ALWAYS use gloves to handle. I throw in a pair of leather gardening gloves.

We find it best to lay it in the bottom of the cooler and then "insulate" with a paper bag layer or plastic layer then place the items on it. If you don't insulate, things WILL freeze!

This trip we had plenty of lunchmeat, drinks and fruit that we wanted to keep cool. OVER 48 hours later, our cooler was still COLD! The other great part, is NO MESSY water in the bottom of the cooler since it just evaporates as it melts.

Happy travels.

Clemson Connection AGAIN!!

2010-10-18T19:19:00.001-04:00

I went to a small Jesuit University in Scranton, PA. Yes, the home of THE OFFICE and the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.!

In Sept. of my sophomore year, I never guessed I would meet the man that I am married to for over 26 years now.

Here is what my yearbook photo looked like:

OH come on, BIG hair was "in"!

Here is my husband's photo:

Such a babyface!

I'm sure it is not uncommon to meet your future spouse in college. However, at our 10year college reunion, our class was honored with the distinction of having the MOST "in class" marriages in the history of our University. It was so much fun re-connecting at that reunion with so many of our friends and finding out who were married!

This past Saturday, we drove 13 hours [and 6 minutes] one way to visit our 2nd son at Clemson and attend the Clemson vs. Maryland football game. VERY FUN!!!! We picked out so many young couples walking hand in hand with their children dressed in Clemson attire. We guessed many of them were college sweethearts......OH what happy memories.

We tailgated [will post later about this] and started to head over to Death Valley [the stadium] which can hold 86,000 fans. This past Saturday, however, there were ONLY 71,000 at this game.... still quite a site to see the SEA of ORANGE and hearing the cheers echo throughout the stadium as we climbed and climbed and climbed to our seats [about 14 rows from the top of the stadium].

Row NN....here we are...."excuse me, excuse me".......SIR, "EXCUSE ME!"....ummm why are you grabbing my arm?

"Did you graduate from the University of Scranton?"

BREATH

"YES"

"We graduated together, remember, I'm M.....G.....!"

"OH, MY, GOODNESS!".....yes you ARE!

"And you remember J......C....?.....she's my wife!"

"YES!".....WOW, yes, I remember you got married! So did T and I!!!!!"

Ends up they have not one, but TWO daughters at Clemson! They live outside of NYC. It was not only amazing that we were sitting in the SAME ROW over 13 hours from home, but HE recognized me!!!!!!!!

So unbelievable!

Orange by day, Red by night

2010-10-14T21:30:00.000-04:00

Can't wait for Saturday! We will be wearing ORANGE to root on the Clemson Tigers at NOON and switch our colors to RED by 8:00 pm EST in hopes of seeing the PHILLIES win Game ONE of the NLCS!

It will be a GREAT SPORT SATURDAY.

Hope you are having fun.

Travel Tip Tuesday RETURNS....

2010-10-12T20:22:00.005-04:00

We are planning a L O N G road trip. We will be traveling to Clemson, SC to visit B at college and attend a Clemson football game. We searched and searched for airfare that would be reasonable enough for us to fly down, but we were not successful.

As we get ready for the almost 11 hour car drive, I found a website that will calculate the cheapest gas in your area. Is this a big deal? Well....YES!!!! CLICK HERE for the site. I quickly entered a nearby zip code and found prices over .20 cents different.

Ok, here comes the accountant in me....please stay with me! If we are traveling close to 1500 miles, the difference of .20 cents in a gallon of gas could save us at least $150 in this trip! That's a lot of money!

So, next time you embark on a LONG journey....check out various websites and apps that find the lowest gas prices. It could make a BIG difference.

FOOTNOTE....clean bathrooms are a PLUS!!!

Homecoming Weekend

2010-10-11T06:37:00.003-04:00

The weather was perfect for Homecoming Weekend. Son, S, attended all the festivities leading up to the football game on Friday. Unfortunately, Son B was not able to come home from Clemson, SC to attend, but many of his friends were there to enjoy a beautiful fall night of football.

Our family is so grateful that we met a particular family from our boys high school. We have been friends for a few years even though we live in different states and the Delaware River separates us!

Anna, is the Italian teacher at the high school and has the most beautiful family. Giuls is the oldest, and the sweetest! We were lucky that our son, B, actually dated her for about a month....it didn't matter that it didn't work out, since she is still part of our life because our families have bonded together. Ant. is son S's best friend. Mare just gelled with daughter and they have shared many great times together. Oh, and Nina is in between Ant. and Mare....she is a DOLL!

THIS is GIULS!

Here is a picture of their family. The opposite of ours - 3 girls and 1 boy!

The C family

Saturday night was the homecoming dance for Juniors and Seniors. S, has an awesome group of friends. Although a few of his friends decided to ask "dates", S decided to go without. His friends still included him in the "before pictures" and never made him feel out of place all night. What a great bunch of teenagers!!! Here are a few pics.

BOYS....best friends forever....is that allowed with boys?

Moms and sons

Dads and daughters

FEARLESS FOURSOME

10-10-10

2010-10-10T20:20:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed a beautiful day in the Northeast today! We headed to the NJ coast and decided to squeeze one last BEACH day at Island Beach State Park.

This "controlled attendance" BEACH/park is awesome in the summer, but even more spectacular in the fall!

Introduced puppy, MACK, to the sand! He loved it!

Baby daughter enjoyed being 10 yrs. old on 10-10-10!!

I am not a Vegetarian, but I could be.......

2010-10-04T19:20:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, we will be taking my friend out to lunch for her birthday. Not only will we make J happy, we all LOVE the place we are going! It is a HIDDEN GEM in our area. Located in an obscure "strip mall", many people probably have never heard of it, or are too afraid to try it. Why? It's a VEGETARIAN restaurant and we don't live in California!
Don't get me wrong, I eat meat....a lot of meat, but when MEATLESS meals sound like this, I start to salivate:

Pressed sandwiches encasing savory fillings. Served with a side salad of baby greens in maple mustard vinaigrette.

Porto Cubano~

Slivers of balsamic marinated portobellos, roasted peppers, baby spinach, smoked mozzarella & tomato-almond pesto spread
or

Farmhouse Cubano~

Grilled eggplant, melty brie, tomato preserve, roasted garlic rosemary aoili & baby spinach

AND THE SALADS.....

House*

Spring mix with oven dried plum tomato halves, sundried berries & toasted pumkin seeds with maple mustard or smoked chile vinaigrette.

Casbah*

Sweet Balsamic dressed spring mix surrounded by three crostini, each one topped with roasted tomato-almond pesto, sesame eggplant & roasted red pepper hummus spreads.

I can't wait! Dying to find out what the "soup of the day" is!

Local woman's blog leads to long distance friends.......

2010-10-03T12:08:00.004-04:00

Click here to read the article about 4 of my blog friends.
It has been so fun reading all about this get together. I follow all these bloggers and feel it is true that you can make friends by NEVER meeting!
Thanks guys, for making it REAL!

Preppy's UNITE!

2010-10-01T14:34:00.002-04:00

In case you all missed this Nightline segment, I wanted to post it here. Enjoy the next 6 minutes and maybe you'll spot someone we know!

Thank you notes

2010-09-24T08:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am a stickler about THANK YOU NOTES! I'm not sure if it's me or what, but it seems to be a trend that TEENS are not being taught to write THANK YOU NOTES.

My 17 year old has attended over 12 "Sweet 16" parties in the past year with card, gift or $ in hand. Some of these parties had DJ's or bands or even casino night. But not ONE of those girls sent a thank you note or much less handed him a note in school. Is it because they invite 50+ people and it's too much? I think at the very LEAST, the parent could nudge them to at least print something from the computer and sign it!

I know I am not a perfect mom by any means, but I have to admit that my two boys off at college NEVER forget to THANK someone....I'm pretty sure!

Have a great weekend y'all!

I have to admit....

2010-09-23T06:08:00.003-04:00

I love garage sales! I'm not a "junkie", nor am I "obsessed", but I must admit that when I am driving along and notice a sign, I follow it!

This weekend, hubs and I snatched this dog carrier for $5 [for a new puppy owner, i thought this was something i may NEED!]

And look at this rack of HOOKS....they will def. come in handy sometime....with a price tag of .50 cents I couldn't pass this up!

Wordless Wednesday - BFF's

2010-09-22T06:11:00.003-04:00

Travel on a Tuesday

2010-09-21T01:11:00.000-04:00

My husband and I both took jobs out of college over 1,000 miles from our hometowns. Thus, began our yearning to travel.

Even though we have traveled to many different places throughout the US, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada and even France and Italy our travels are nothing in comparison to our siblings. BIL on my side goes to Guam and Germany monthly. Nephew lived in Hawaii. BIL/SIL lived in Alaska. BIL on hubs side works for Exxon and has been alll over Africa, Chad, Europe, Middle East mostly Saudi Arabia and places I've never heard before. SIL has spent over 8 summers in Greece and has traveled all over Europe. And I could go on and on. the fact that hubs owns his own small business, there isn't much chance that he will travel for business which would give us greater opportunities to travel..... UNTIL TODAY, yes, his parent company was recently sold and the new owners have graciously offered to show off their headquarters and will provide accommodations including meals for all the dealers if they provide their own transportation. OH, AWESOME!!! .....WHERE? ....I. WANT. TO. GO! We need a babysitter and PET sitter....WHERE, WHERE are we going?.........APPLETON, WISCONSIN! Yes, Appleton, WI. Umm, no thanks. Have a great time hubs!

Finally FRIDAY!

2010-09-16T23:45:00.000-04:00

For some reason, I am just so HAPPY it is FRIDAY! School is in full gear, weather is changing, routine is forming and it is just one of those proverbial T.G.I.F. kind of day! Happy Weekend Y'all!!

Wordless Wednesday - 1st visit to the Vet

2010-09-15T08:54:00.000-04:00

He is almost the same size as the webkins!

We DID it, We DID it, We REALLY, REALLY did it!!!

2010-09-13T09:20:00.001-04:00

Not sure what DORA would do, BUT.........WE ADOPTED A NEW PUPPY!!!!!

Yes, for a L....O....N....G.... time, we have been considering getting a DOG! We just couldn't commit to WHEN!

With the 2nd son going off to college and youngest being almost 11, we thought NOW is the best time!!

We googled and researched and began our search. Hubby and I decided we would start the search WITHOUT the children....we KNEW they would fall in love immediately with ANY puppy, but WE wanted to make SURE, first!

Small, lovable, smart, and LOW to NO shedding were top on our list. We SCOURED the internet. Finally, in April, we found a "breeder" that had a liter of pups that FIT our specifications!! WE.WERE.THRILLED. !!

Hubby and I decided to visit the breeder. We did not take our children since we thought that emotion would rule over reason!!! FANTASTIC DECISION! What we found, was a "PUPPY MILL"!! Yes, smack in the middle of AMISH COUNTRY, we were ASTONISHED to find puppies being "MANUFACTURED" to the specifications of potential buyers! And for the pricetag of about $799+! We could have our CHOICE of 15 puppies! "Oh, no, you cannot see the mom and dad", "Yes, they are part of our household"...........We saw right through the "silk screen" and immediately knew we cannot be a part of this abomination!

We felt defeated!

NOW, where do we go?

...further research and recommendations, we looked at:

PETFINDER.COM

This is an incredible website that lists thousands of animals ready for "ADOPTION"! For the most part, these are dogs that have been "rescued" from high kill kennels or abandoned to high occupancy shelters where they don't stay very long before being eliminated. There are 100's of rescue facilities that list on this site and each one requires their OWN APPLICATION. Most are 7-10 pages and MUST include references, one being a VET. We began filling out application after application and waited to get "APPROVAL".
Amazing how many questions they ask in this process for a dog....yet, they let ANYONE go home from the hospital with a baby!

We tailored our search to only include "babies", "small breed", "within 100 miles of our zip code". We also specified "female". This is where we found "Geniveve" and called the shelter immediately. They informed us that the adoption of her is pending, but they have her brother "Dykstra" that will be available on the 12th at our local Petsmart. So off we headed yesterday, which btw was Son #3's 17th bday, to check him out.

Amongst the crowds of dogs and people we spot him! WE. FELL. IN. L. O . V. E. immediately! He is just adorable. We are calling him "MACK*" {*name for now}!

We were told that he, his mom and siblings were ABANDONED to a shelter in NC. Our rescue facility have many people working throughout the east coast that find this situation and then foster them until they are ready to find a "forever" home. They keep them up to date on shots etc.

SO MEET MACK!

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY!

Do you chart your child's height?

2010-09-12T11:19:00.001-04:00

We have a "homemade" growth chart on the wall in a small area in our mud room. We have been marking off our children's height for sometime now. Of course we have doctors records, but the kids would get a kick out of seeing how much they grew over the summer and comparing it to their siblings.
Well, the other day, I found my daughter trying to mark her own height...WOW...4'11" at 10 years old!!

....with a little help!!

09.11

2010-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:00