This Full House

Wordless Wednesday: More Than a Feeling

 

Song:  "More Than A Feeling" by Boston

Runners Unite to Remember:  we walked 3 miles, in 40 minutes on our high school's track, last night.  #prayingforboston.

© 2003 - 2013 This Full House

New and improved with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

How To Do Make Up Wrong, In 5 Minutes or Less

Working in social media, I get to watch a lot of "how to" videos (YES, it's a job!) and I have learned some really interesting stuff along the way:  like, how some beauty bloggers can make putting on their make up look soooooo easy.

So, I was over-tweezing my eyebrows the other day and started thinking to myself; you know, maybe it would be a whole lot easier if someone showed me what NOT to do...and...HEY!!!!...wait a minute...I can do that!!!

So, I present to you, the first in a series of "how NOT to" vlogs.

 

A few post-production notes:  

• I realize that, even after editing (which, for a dork like me, is quite an amazing feat, in and of itself, actually!) the video ran 18 seconds long and, if you sat through the ENTIRE 5 minutes and 18 seconds, well, then I love you MORE than my tweezers!

• For that bitch-slapped look:  you heard it here FIRST folks.

• Being fans of beauty bloggers, I gave my teens a heads up of my "how NOT to" intentions, they're down wit-it.

• As long as I do NOT tag them on Facebook or Twitter.

• No, I do NOT blame them.

• Yes, I know, so I spelled caterpillar...phonetically...I live in Jersey...shuddup!!!

• I may or may not have had TOO MUCH coffee, already.

Aaaaand, did anyone ever tell you how pretty you look?!?  Today, most especially :)

© 2003 - 2013 This Full House

New and improved with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

Middle School Drop-Off, Dropout

Get thee to the bus ON TIME!!!

With multiple kids in school for the last thirteen years, we are at that point in our lives when -- rather than referring to pregnancies as a timeline -- my husband, Garth (not his real name) and I are beginning rely on graduations to help us remember stuff.

Don't even get me started on the years when we had kids attending four different schools (redistricting, halfway through, yeah, THAT was fun!) and, well, a large chunk of that time is still a little fuzzy.

I do, however, remember spending at least two hours...every day...either dropping off or picking kids up from school and a bulk of that time was spent witnessing/experiencing carpool lane ashattery of epic proportions.

Entering middle school:  I waved each of my kids off to the bus stop and may or may not have reinacted the entire first scene of the Sound of Music...four times.

[cue heavenly ray of light]

Unless, my two youngest miss the school bus and...HOLY HANNAH MONTANA...I thought the elementary schools were bad?!?

Middle school drop-offs are a whole OTHER level of hell.

Then my oldest started driving and offered to help out getting her siblings to school on the days they miss the bus.

[cue choir of angels]

Until this morning when, upon entering the seventh level of hell, where everyone else's kid also seemed to be running late, she came home and then proceeded to blow a gasket.

"How did you NOT go insane?"

Yeah...

"How did you NOT get into a car crash?"

...um...

"Seriously, the way THOSE people drive?"

...I...

"I can't believe you did THAT for ALL those years?"

...know.

"Seriously???"

I showed her a couple...HUNDRED...previous blog posts to, you know, back me up.

"Well, g'head and blog this then:  CARPOOLING SUCKS, I QUIT!!!"

Which reminds me, my son is graduating 8th grade.  He'll be a "walker" again in high school (bet you didn't know hell actually had 8 levels, huh?!?) AND first period begins at 7:25 a.m.

[face palm]

Well, it WAS nice while it lasted...YO!!!

© 2003 - 2013 This Full House

New and improved with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

Tell Us Which City's Shelter Dogs to Feed Next

PEDIGREE CTNC Blog Post: This post is sponsored by PEDIGREE Brand, which compensated me to develop this content and reader giveaway.

I wanted to share a quick update with you on the special feeding project I've been working on with Pedigree and Miranda Lambert (love her)!

With your help, Pedigree has received more than 14,000 nominations, from all over the country, for their Choose the Next Communities program:  a new initiative to feed more shelter dogs while they wait adoption.

The top five finalists are in and now we get to tell Pedigree which city's shelter dogs to feed next.  I am also excited to be able to share a special gift basket with one of you and your bdf:  best dogfriend forever.

First, the top five community shelters include:

Who Knew Flashcards Could Be Soooo Funny?!?

The 50 nifty, funny states.

With all the technology available at their fingertips (even our school district started going paperless, two years ago) it is sort of refreshing to see my kids revert to using low-tech, old school study tools.

For example:  making up their own vocabulary flashcards.

What's so funny about vocabulary, or flashcards, you ask?!?  Absolutely nothing, I say.  Unless, I am helping my youngest study for a BIG test on naming the capitals of all 50 states, using flashcards she made up with special keywords (in parentheses) to help her remember and then acts all surprised when I start laughing...real hard...which made it EVEN funnier.

Okay, fine, I'll show you.  This is some of what comes to the mind, when identifying the capital city of each state, to my 11 year-old:

• Arkansas: (Arken saw a _______) little rock and it was good.
• California:  (Sock sack) don't remember the reasoning behind this one and I sort of don't want to, either.
• Georgia:  (Real housewives) SNORT!!!
• Kansas:  (Peek at toes) clearly, they're a bunch of toe-peek-ahs, her Jersey is showing.
• Michigan:  (I like to sing) lan'sakes, so do I :)
• Minnesota:  (Holy) sort of like St. Nicholas, only not.
• New Mexico:  (Christmas) speaking of Santa, must be his favorite vacation spot.
• Ohio:  (Found America) still up for debate, but we'll go with it.
• New Hampshire:  (Another word for wire) took me a while to figure this one out, shuddup.
• North Carolina:  (Really?)  yes, raleigh.
• Virginia:  (Bill Gates) he is rich...mon...duh.

Aaaaaand, the one that made me laugh-snort:

• Alaska:  (I know) enough said!

[sound of crickets, chirping]

Clearly, I have the sense of humor of an 11 year-old and who knew people in Alaska speak so funny?!?

© 2003 - 2013 This Full House

New and improved:  with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

A Clean House Is a Sign of a Cluttered Mind

Artwork currently displayed in our library (a.k.a. bathroom)

If I had to describe our house to you, in one word, and focusing on the positive, rather than ALL of the other annoying stuff that accumulates, when blessed, as a homeowner <----- that last part was for my husband, Garth (not his real name) -----> who sometimes needs help looking past all that other annoying stuff, bless his hardworking and very squishy heart.

Sooooo, what were we talking about?

[blows bangs out of eyes, stares at yet another big old water stain, on the ceiling above the dryer, don't ask]

Oh yeah.  Focusing on the positive.  Right.  So, I would most likely agree with what other folks have described as some sort of super power for creating:  cozy.

[glances at laundry, closes eyes]

Clutter, on the other hand, is my kryptonite.

I was raised in an even smaller house:  6 rooms (including the bathroom) so, we learned to be very creative when hiding stuff; especially, whenever friends and family would come over for a visit.

Of course, unlike me or my children, my mother was MUCH better at remembering where she put stuff.  So, after 20 years of raising 4 kids and killer dust bunnies, spring cleaning has become quite the adventure.

Every year, I find stuff like:

• Family photos dating back to about 20 years -- you know, the ones I've been meaning to put into that scrapbook I started, 20 years ago.
• School pictures I meant to mail out to family -- so THAT'S where they went!
• A couple of years worth of report cards -- before our schools went paperless (cue choir of angels, singing)!
• OH LOOK!!!  One of my husband's Christmas presents -- shhhhhh, I put it away for Father's Day (SCORE!!!) don't tell him, okay?!?
• Pairless shoes, socks and a couple of bras -- don't ask!
• Petrified, sometimes unidentifiable, food -- see previous bullet.
• Stuff that looks like it may or may not have been alive, at one time.
• What the?!?  Never mind.  I don't EVEN want to know.

It's at this point, I begin to feel weak and imagine myself as an unwilling participant in some sort of twisted scavenger hunt.

[pausing to allow those with younger kids and/or childless individuals to click away...QUICKLY...while you can]

WAIT!!!  All is not lost.  There are times when I happen upon a real gem -- like a poem, gifted to me by my teenage son:

No matter what happens you are always there,
You make us dinner,
You clean our clothes,
You help us with homework,
You are always there,
No matter what happens we can trust you to help,
When you try and cover up pain we see it,
You do not realize how much you mean to us,
Please know that we will love you forever,
You are an amazing Mother
And you will always be there.

I hung it in our bathroom...I mean, our library...because, I sometimes also need help looking past all that other annoying stuff that accumulates, when blessed, as a parent.

Aaaaand, it happens to hide the hair dye...I mistakenly splashed ALL over the wall...really, really well...too. 

Because, I am multi-functional like that.

© 2003 - 2013 This Full House

New and improved with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

Social Media for Good: Blood, Sweat & Brinner!

I started blogging back in 2003 and, thinking back on it now, there weren't many people in my real life who knew or understood why in the heck I would even consider sharing personal stories, "on the internet".

Flash-forward 10 years:  nearly everyone I know is "on the internet" (including my own father, hey Apu!) doing pretty much the same thing -- connecting with each other and sharing information through social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest -- not to mention, sharing stuff about their kids.

My kids have grown accustomed to hearing me go on...and on...and on...really, I could go on...fuh-evuh...about using their social media powers for good.

Aaaaaand, then my middle girl (she's 17) tells me her classmates are organizing an evening blood drive at a local community church over spring break and, well, how cool would it be if we help serve the folks donating blood breakfast for dinner (or brinner)?!?

Some of Them Are Revisiting Their Childhood, Already?

She insisted on going "back to childhood" because, you know, it was sooooooo long ago (snort!)

The kids are on their spring break from school, which is sort of funny considering it snowed, this week and, well, now that they're older (me too, dammit!) let's just say I'm sort of cursing myself for ever having uttered the word:  staycation.

Excuse me while I start shaking my virtual cane, but spring break used to be SO MUCH easier...when they were way younger.

Give me clear skies, a full tank of gas, an empty playground and we could go for hours without even one mention of So-and-So's family ski weekend or What's-his-Face vacationing in Disney...again.

"Where are we going?"

Yesterday, we were reminded...once again...that the sky is actually more blue-ish than gray-ish.

"I don't know, we'll see."

After I fill the car up with gas, of course.

"You guys go ahead, without me."

Long story, short (seriously, with teenagers, a person could go on and on, you're welcome!) my 19 yo got called into work (earlier than scheduled) and if you have teens (most especially, teen girls) or have ever had to wait on one of them (see previous parenthesis), then you know:  going out in public takes a bit of an effort and my 17 yo was just not feeling it. 

Aaaaaaand then, like a cement block to the head, it hit me:  our days, of spending any length of time together as a family, are truly numbered.

My heart may or may not have squished, just a little.

"Okay, so where do YOU guys want to go?"

I watched my 14 yo and 11 yo look at each other through the rear view mirror and I knew, right then and there, they were pretty much onto me.

"How about the battlefield?"

Where other families escape to warmer climates on spring break, my kids enjoy revisiting areas known for their history of colonial skirmishes...here in Jersey...where it's still sort of cold, in March.

"Mom, STOP!!!!!"

Aaaaaand, scaring me half-to-death.

I used to worry about my kids climbing too high, now I can't help but feel as if my youngest has grown out of her shoes...way too fast. 

"Smile, it's frickin' cold out here, already!" she said through clenched teeth.

On the other hand, the fact that my son still allows me to be seen with him, out in public and everything, and then share it on Instagram...priceless.

It was left up to a vote:  World of Warcraft or Dr. Who edition of Monopoly (raises hand) I lost :(

Aaaaaand, then there are those rare nights, when we can ALL sit for hours and be happy to be able to just laugh with each other; usually at my expense, but I'm okay with it.

I'll just keep on shaking my virtual cane...like a boss :)

© 2003 - 2013 This Full House 

New York's Finger Lakes: The Canandaigua Wine Trail

I had the extreme pleasure of being invited by new friends at the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection in Ontario County, NY for a girlfriends weekend getaway and join them as guests of the Finger Lakes Foodie Awards.  

We were treated to a wonderful foodie tour and met with some of the most amazing folks spearheading the farm to table (a.k.a. field to fork) food revolution.  

Our 4-day visit was packed with SO MANY wonderful experiences, so I am very excited (and most eager) to share with you the fun things to see and do in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, including the mirepoix of good times:  wine, food and friends.

I've decided to create a series of blog posts to help us along in our journey -- I don't want you guys to miss a thing -- so, I thought today maybe we could focus on wine...yes?!?

Sleeping Quadruple in a Sofa Bed

CONFESSION:  I have this thing about sleeping, in the dark.  I know, considering humans are not generally classified as being nocturnal, sucks for me, right?!?

It's like my internal clock crossed wires (or something) because, at the end of the day, no matter how physically tired or mentally exhausted I may be (and let me tell you, raising 3 teens and my youngest a teen by default, I totally be!) as soon as the light goes out...[sound of a pin, dropping]...my senses automatically kick into...HOLY CRAP!!!!...WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!?

No, my husband is NOT very happy about it.

In fact, we adopted our first cat (a few months after we were married) because Garth (not his real name) was leaving on a business trip for several days; thinking that a pet would, at the very least, keep me company and, well, he was a very affectionate cat.

Still, old ghosts can be REAL hard to kill (right?!?) and we were both a little surprised to find that it worked:  along with the butcher knife I accidentally left under my husband's pillow, which he discovered on his first night back.

Thankfully, with his hand (not his head) and by its handle.  True story.

[sound of crickets, chirping]

Aaaaaanywaaaaay, I've been traveling out-of-state and staying in a two-bedroom condo, with two separate floors, for a few nights:  which, in my mind, is tantamount to broadcasting fresh meat to every zombie within earshot.

The first night, I slept in the living room:  without bothering to open the sleeper sofa, because jumping off and out is...you know...THAT much quicker.

The second night, I opened the sleeper sofa:  because I actually didn't really realize it opened, until now...don't judge.

By the third night, I was absolutely exhausted:  because sleeper sofas can be super-uncomfortable (especially, when you are up all night, with a bad back and stacking cushions high enough to be able to watch The Golden Girls marathon on television) and keeping an ear out for zombies is hard work...YO!!!

From left to right: my sorry ass, Corine, Carol and Jen

Last night:  lucky for me, I also happened to be traveling with 3 very good friends who did NOT think twice about babysitting my sorry ass AND calling it a pajama party...instead.

With friends like this, who needs a butcher knife?!?

©2003 - 2013 This Full House

P.S.  Did YOU know that Blanche got married?!?  

P.P.S.  Never mind.