I'm headed to Chicagoland to visit my sistuh-from-anuh-thuh-muh-thuh, Melisa (YAY!) so my husband dropped me at the airport a little early before going into work, today. Ticketing Agent: I'm sorry, but you can't check in any earlier than 4 hours before your departure. Fiiiiiiine, I was waaaaay earlier, but it's okay. Garth (NHRN): Maybe you can see if there is an earlier flight you can get on. The thing is, here's the thing: This particular flight has first come first served sort of seating and I had a pretty good boarding spot. Me: I don't mind, I'll just watch all... Read more →

I have NEVER been (or will ever be) associated with anything even remotely petite. I was one of the lucky ones to have blossomed earlier than the rest of my entire second grade class, which earned me the nickname "Amazon", because SECOND GRADE and...flash-forward eleventy-three years...SARCASM!!! Then, sometime around the fall of 6th grade, the Wonder Woman television show hit the airways: Aaaaand, I was all...BOOM!!!...POW!!!...NOW all the world is ready for me, and all the wonders I could do! Even though I wasn't as...uhhhhhh...tricked out...as Lynda Carter was (still is) ...physically...or any other 'cally...especially, in the 6th grade...or ever.... Read more →

I love it, whenever I get the chance to introduce folks to a few of my favorite things, here in Jersey -- sharing them with the ones I love most...priceless. Sunset Beach -- Cape May, NJ Thanks so much for indulging this Jersey Girl and sharing in some spectacular seaside moments, Melisa. And good job, sun. Linky Love Bytes: Wordless Wednesday HQ ©2003 -2014 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook, a way for you to subscribe to receive This Full House blog post by Email and everything! Read more →

Melisa and I drove down to Seaside Heights, yesterday. I hadn't been back since Superstorm Sandy ripped through the Jersey shore a little over a year ago, so it was a bittersweet moment for me. Melisa wrote a beautiful post about our trip to Seaside Park and captures the meaning behind "Jersey Strong," perfectly. Which is truly ironic, considering this is her first trip to our neck of the woods and that many folks have openly questioned Melisa why, of all places, she would even consider visiting New Jersey. It's okay, we're used to it. Also, it's mid-November; if I... Read more →

When my husband, Garth (not his real name) heard that Melisa was going to visit with us, his initial reaction was, "Uhhhhhh, okay then, where are you going to take her?" Considering it is November and summertime is pretty much over on the Jersey shore, after traveling all the way from Chicago, he was afraid the weather would not cooperate and that she would be bored. On the contrary, Melisa and I have been going non-stop since she got here: we dropped her bag at the front door and headed back out to explore the hiking paths that run through... Read more →

One of the many reasons I love living on the central Jersey coast (yes, ON PURPOSE!) is our close proximity to, well, everything. Agricultural and dairy farms, campgrounds, hiking trails, lakes surrounded by two state parks and OF COURSE our favorite beaches are ALL less than a 30 minute drive from our front door. Problem is, I want to show ALL of it to Melisa or, at the very least, do my best to make her...you know...want to come back to Jersey. Yesterday was our first full day of exploring, so first thing on my list of "show Melisa ALL... Read more →

It's the start of our busy season of celebrations here at This Full House of mismatched socks and stinky feet, beginning with the birthdays of my three oldest in November, December and January. The youngest is my summer baby, but she's okay wit-it. Throw in a couple of holidaze and, well, we're talking non-stop de-crudifying sessions of getting this house "holiday clean", my friends. Also, the unveiling of my signature scent: Eau de Lysol, with hints of Clorox and Windex. I love the fall, but there is a certain sadness to saying goodbye to the summer landscape, while watching the... Read more →