A New Year Resolution

Stumbled across a new blog today, lifeasmom.com.  Just when I was wondering how I would start this new year fresh and with a mission, there it was before me: the eat from the pantry challenge.  

Now my friends and I have had this conversation before.  Pantries overflowing with food, but nothing to eat!  Every shelf in my pantry is packed with food.  Yet I still go to the grocery store almost on a daily basis.  It disgusts even me.  And please, do not get my husband started on our grocery bill!  

So the challenge involved eating strictly from whatever is in your pantry, fridge & freezer for the month of January.  There are 3 simple rules:

• Reduce your monthly grocery bill (Hubs will love this one!)
• Take stock (empty out everything, throw out what you absolutely won't use and make a list of what you have)
• Use what you have

I'm just paraphrasing, be sure to visit the link above to get all the details.

All of this sounds good.  I am looking forward to spending less, I have no idea what is hiding in our basement freezer so this will force me to itemize, and there has been a box of orzo in my pantry all summer I've been dying to do something with.  Maybe I'll finally use it.

I'm not sure how this will end, except for my children whining that there's nothing to eat  thanking me for broadening their palates.  (At the very least I'll clean out my pantry & freezer ;)

Besides, what else could I use as my resolution? Lose weight? Be more organized? Be a kinder person?  Doesn't everybody do that?

And what about you?  Join me in my misery.  Any other challenges you'd like to throw my way?

2010, Bring. It. On.

TechnoMom

The Hills Are Alive...

A Christmastime favorite of mine... The Sound of Music.
Watching it right now.  A couple of my boys are in the room with me, they groaned when it came on.  And now they're pretending to be busy with their ipods.  But secretly I think they are enjoying this classic ;)

And my dog?  He is all about that whistle Captain vonTrapp is using.  Ahhh.  Christmas memories.
(And it doesn't hurt that the Captain is a hotty:)

So Long, Farewell,
TechnoMom

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I went to bed last night with anticipation and sorrow.

My ten year old, soon to be eleven year old, was so excited (as were my older boys waiting for some of the gifts they knew they were getting)!  My little one still believes, even though he questions it all of the time.  He tracked where Santa was on the internet after we got home from mass and the local light show.  By 10:30pm everyone was tucked in - Santa was is Canada and heading our way.  As I put him to bed and realized how perfect life was at that moment, it dawned on me that next year will be different.  He won't believe.  But I have hope - I see in my older boys that they were just as excited this year as they have been in years passed. 

It's just another milestone, but I'm savoring this year!

Have a Merry Christmas!

NeuroticMom

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Winter storm alert!  Local weather-people are predicting 6-12 inches in our general area (SE Pennsylvania).  Bring.  It.  On.  I was planning on spending my weekend baking, wrapping and driving to numerous sporting events.  If we do get all that snow I'll have a lot more time for the baking and the wrapping.  I'm imagining a blanket of white, whilst I'm in my cozy kitchen, wearing an oh so cute apron, listening to Christmas music, merrily rolling out sugar cookie dough.

I really hope they're right this time,
TechnoMom

Chill - You'll Get It All Done!

Feeling good.  Christmas is almost here and all of the shopping is done, except my parents, but they're easy.  My kids are set and will be very excited!  I'm now so relaxed that I took an hour while my children were doing homework and did a puzzleball.  It was great to sit in the middle of the day and do nothing that required anything but counting.  If someone had a question - it wasn't "one second honey, let me finish what I'm doing."  Cute gift idea.

NeuroticMom

Panicking Yet?

First things first, I had to google how to spell 'panicking.'  I had it right (you better believe it), but isn't  it just one of those crazy words that just looks more wrong the longer you stare at it?

Moving on.

Why would you be panicking? Well...

Only 10 Shopping Days Left! 

(including today.  Which you should, because for every soul out there today, getting it done, there will be someone out there on Christmas Eve trying to get through the mall or thoughtfully shopping at the local CVS for that one last thing).

As for me?  Mostly done.  Waiting for the big brown truck to deliver the last of them.  Also, my husband's uncles have been adding themselves to the guest list.  Which means another run to Macy's for another sweater.  Oh, and teenage son has decided he needs more jeans and some "cool" polos (as opposed to the 'dork' polos that I buy).  Which means a stop in the most evil store of all... Hollister Co.  Seriously, I'll be popping some motrine in the parking lot before I head in there.

How about you?

Shopping used to make me happy,
TechnoMom

Throw Your Arms Around the World

Happy Monday Morning!  Here's the video to one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs.  Gotta love all that 1984 hair ;)  Also, gotta love a song that means as much today as it did over two decades ago.  Feed the world.

Put a Sock In It

Some things I've done today: laundry, dishes, walked the dog, trimmed the tree (some more), grocery shopped and... folded my lone sock basket.  The basket that sits in the corner of my closet, growing every day.  Judging me, mocking me.  Daring me to try and make a match.  So after a  few months of the kids complaining of a lack of socks to wear I broke down and started to sort.

And you know how many pairs I was able to come up with?  How many socks found their sole mate?


47 Pairs of Socks.
47.
That means there were over 94 solo socks waiting to be matched up.  AND there are still quite a few loners sitting in the bottom of the basket.
I don't know what's worse, hanging onto so many single socks hoping to match them up, or the fact that I waited so long to do it that I was able to come up with 47 pairs.

Procrastination will get you nowhere.

But it will get you alot of matched socks.
TechnoMom

Mom's Monday Morning Kickoff!

It's Monday morning... time to post something to get you going this week.  And what did I find?
What did I spend hours online last night watching and laughing at???


JibJab.com  Go there.  Create an e-card or video.  (Yearly membership only $12!)
Send it to your friends and family.  It will make their week.  And yours :)

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

The Eye of the Tiger

 The new issue of Golf Digest has been hiding in the many layers of our inbox.  Pulled this out and, low and behold, the cover:

10 Tips Obama Can Take From Tiger.

Oh Tiger.  The secret service is not going to let you give any tips to the President.

(And no, morons, that is not a real picture.  It was photoshopped by the editors at GolfDigest l-o-n-g before the whole Tiger fiasco.)

Also?  In light of recent transgressions, my husband isn't allowed to leave for the golf course without me yelling, Where ya goin' tiger? I find it amusing.  Every time.  He does not.

What else will Tiger have to deal with (besides his wife's wrath and the media fall out)?

He will definitely have a harder time getting into the White House than the Salahi's, but as a bonus they have added Tiger to their Christmas card list.  They are eternally grateful to him for making their little news story go away.

An Imperfect Girl in an Imperfect World,

TechnoMom

Soooo Disappointed!!!!!!

I sat down with my family last night to watch our favorite show, "Survivor".  It's one of the few times throughout the week that we all sit in the familyroom, spread out on the couch and relax.  At 8:00pm we are watching the opening and listening to the song (we all love it).  LaLaLaLaLaaaaaaaaaaaa.  Peaceful, joyful bliss.  The first group of commercials comes on and we are watching a Walmart Christmas montage - blips of different children hugging a parent on Christmas morning, next -blips of parents picking Christmas presents out for their children.  The air is being sucked out of the room - I know it's coming and I'm anxiously waiting for it.  My 10 year old sits up like a panicked baby chick, looking frantically around at everyone on the couch, his eyes darting from one person to another. "I guess Santa's not real," he states waiting for our reaction.  Big brothers for once in their lives have nothing to say - their always looking for a dig but know if they say a word they have my wrath to deal with and it's so not worth it.  "You just have to believe" I repeated several times because he kept saying "He's not real, right?".

Are you freaking kidding me.  A company like Walmart is going to put this commercial on at 8:02pm.  I worked in advertising eons ago.  What the hell are you doing?  You're target audience may be a little older, you may not think "Survivor's" a family show - I don't give a shit - you don't put something on with even the remote possibility that a younger child may be watching on a regular television station that questions Santa's existence.

I was hoping for one more year.  One more year of him having the innocence of somewhat believing.  I never told the other boys.  My response was and still is, "You have to believe".  I'm so disappointed in Walmart.  Does my youngest truly, truly believe - NO - but he doesn't have to have reminders thrown in his face.

What do you think?
NeuroticMom

Good Deeds

This past weekend my family cooked breakfast at a Ronald McDonald House in our area.  I prepared my children (some of the families we would be cooking for have children that are very sick and possibly dying).  We prepared a menu - bacon, pancakes, cinnamon buns, bagels, muffins, cereal, juice, and strawberries and dip.  Everyone complained that they had to get up early, but we did so anyway. 

What a morning.  They had a ball.  They wore aprons and did a fantastic job.  They had so much fun - we are planning another trip to the House in January.  My youngest son methodically set the buffet table, my middle son whipped up great cinnamon buns and did a terrific job finding what we needed to cook and my oldest made the best pancakes!

We've started a new tradition.  The Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend is a must and a few other times throughout the year.  We know now that bacon goes quickly, fresh fruit gets devoured and french toast will be fun to make next time. 

I climbed into bed Sunday night and felt like a stellar mom.

Thankful,

NeuroticMom

Venting!

I know the world is waiting to see what happens with Tiger, but I have to say - I'm tired of it all!  I was decorating my banister this morning, had on my Christmas radio station and heard the "supposed" voice mail he left for one of the "maybe" mistresses (sp?) three times in twenty minutes.  Who cares - especially on a Christmas radio station.  Let the guy fix his problems (and if it's true, he's got big problems) without the world knowing.  His wife and children deserve better than this, don't you think?

NeuroticMom

Tiger Woods Update

Tiger Woods publicist has issued a statement that Tiger was released from the hospital with minor facial lacerations.  Glad to hear he's ok.  But more importantly?  Glad to know I'm not the only one that can't back down a driveway in the dark.

World class athletes are people too,
TechnoMom

Reality Sinks In

Heard about Tiger Woods car accident 20 minutes ago on Twitter.  The words, 
“serious injuries” were used.  Made me feel scared.  Because?  Tiger Woods runs like a perfect machine.  He’s athletic, in shape, well-groomed, well-spoken, family guy... seems like he has his shit together and yeah, he’s on a pedestal in my house.  This accident makes him seem so normal.  And I don’t like it.  Heal your wounds Tiger Woods and get back to Mt. Olympus.  The other gods are waiting.

(Footnote: read on cnn.com that he suffered facial lacerations and was released... still looking for a complete story with ALL the facts.)

Thinking good thoughts,

TechnoMom

Putting It All in Perspective

Things to Be Thankful For....

Be thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug,

because it means you have enough to eat.

Be thankful for the mess you have to clean up after a party,

because it means you have been surrounded by friends.

Be thankful for the taxes you pay,

because it means you're employed.

Be thankful that your lawn needs mowing and your windows need cleaning and your gutters need fixing, because it means you have a home.

Be thankful for your huge heating bill,

because it means you are warm.

Be thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing,

because it means you have clothes to wear, and your loved ones are nearby.

Be thankful for the space you find at the far end of the parking lot,

because it means you can walk.

Be thankful for the lady who sings off-key behind you in church,

because it means you can hear.

Be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours,

because it means you're alive.

Be thankful for the weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day,

because it means you have been productive.

This Thanksgiving, give thanks for all you have.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Greener the Better

My husband picked up our new car yesterday – a Ford Fusion Hybrid. "Hybrid". It makes us feel good just to say that word. I drive around a monster of an SUV and I always think that it’s not practical because of gas prices and global warming. But we love it!! Now – I feel environmentally conscious! The features are unbelievable. It wasn’t outrageously priced, but the computer is great and the car has everything that you need. There’s even a gadget that lets you know how “green” you are depending on your driving – a tree grows leaves the “greener” you drive and leaves fall off when you’re not doing so well. My husband was a trooper – his mid-life crisis was buying an old beat-up jeep. All of my boys loved driving the jeep in the summer, not so much in the winter. He sold the car yesterday, but it went to a good home. It’s a little easier that way.  What's really horrifying to think about:  this will be the car my children learn to drive on :(

Thanksgiving’s almost here, I need to get ready!

Neurotic Mom

Mom's Monday Morning Kickoff!

"These streets will make you feel brand new/ Bright lights will inspire you/ Let's hear it for New York"
Love this song.  Alicia Keys & Jay Z rocking the house at the AMA's.  Hope it starts your day happy!

TLC's the Best!

It's the weekend!!

I'm about to sit down and watch "Say Yes to the Dress".  Have you seen it yet?  Hours of entertainment!  My kids enjoy it too.  We laugh and are happy that we're not related to or friends with the people that are on the show.  I have to admit, we love TLC.  Another favorite of ours is "Cake Boss".  We may be a little dorky but it's fun.  And now, "Flowers Uncut".  Life is good!

Reebok EasyTone Shoe

I went shopping yesterday and treated myself to two new pairs of sneakers.  I haven't bought new sneakers in 3 or 4 years.  I think I had "sucker" written across my face.  But I want to tell you about one pair that I really like: the Reebok EasyTone shoe.  It's supposed to increase muscle activation right where I need some help (butt, back of thighs and calves).  I'm actually excited to say that these sneakers are comfortable.  And anything that can stimulate muscle action without me putting any effort into it is worth a try!!

NeuroticMom

Movie Time!!!!

Counting down the days to see two movies. "The Blind Side" and "New Moon" come out on Friday and I"m hoping to see both this weekend. My boys are excited about "The Blind Side", not so much "New Moon" (they think it's a chick flick).
Check out each movie!

Enjoy,
NeuroticMom & TechnoMom

Mom's Monday Morning Kickoff!

The world is just awesome. Have a great week!

(Boom de addah- boom de addah )

Pet Peeve of Mine

We all have our pet peeves. Although, I think I speak for everyone when I say, "people who use the Express Line at the grocery store with more than the allotted items are obnoxious!"

I was in a hurry the other day and needed one thing. One thing! When I got to the Express Line I heard the screeching sound of tires in my head. What was going on? There was a woman bagging her groceries and she had a full cart already. I bit my tongue. I couldn’t go anywhere else (all of the other lines were busy). Maybe it was a circumstance where the Express cashier saw that everyone else was busy and this poor woman was waiting, she didn't have any customers of her own, and she told her to come over to Express.  I didn’t want to say something just in case it wasn’t the customer’s fault. After waiting five minutes while they finished bagging, my blood pressure was soaring. The woman slowly pulled out her purse to pay - $151 and change. “Let’s go - hurry up” is screaming in my head. What did she do – pay with a check. I almost fell over. To top it all off, she saw the long line now and said, “I didn’t realize this was Express!” I was looking for the camera. It had to be a joke!

Don’t you know when you’re in the Express Line?

Neurotic Mom

Thanksgiving...Where Have You Gone?

Dearest Target, Walmart, HomeGoods, local grocery store, etc. etc,

I was a little suprised to see the Halloween candy on your shelves in August.  But I wasn't shocked.
And when you started hanging your Christmas decor BEFORE Halloween (yes Macy's, I'm talking to you) I laughed out loud.  Because Christmas decorations before Halloween are ridiculous.  Right?
I guess not.

Not loving holidays shoved in my face before their time,
TechnoMom

Poor Thanksgiving.  You have fall leaves and pumpkins, you have the cornucopia, you have our beloved turkey... but you don't have much more than that for marketability.  You really are the ugly little sister when it comes to holidays.  People are polite and smile but they don't want to spend a lot of time with you.  (Sorry.)

I know the people over at butterball.com are happy.  And the company that makes the canned cranberry? Yeah, they're happy too.  And me.  I'm happy.  I l-o-v-e Thanksgiving.  I also l-o-v-e to eat.  I appreciate you Thanksgiving.  I am going to spend the next 14 days paying homage to your greatness.
(But first I need to run to the mall and pick up an item that is on sale and will make a perfect Christmas present.  Sorry.)

Now I'm Hungry,
TechnoMom

Why Not?

My oldest son turns 15 tomorrow. WOW! All he wants is a new video game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I hate war games. I think there is something way too addictive about them. Why not play sports games with your friends on XBOX Live? For some reason, they get on XBOX and never do that. Their friends do the same thing. All of these kids come from good homes, work hard, they’re athletes and do well in school. I don't think I can fight it anymore. My husband and I have put some rules in place. The boys are not allowed to play Monday through Friday and on the weekends it is a very limited amount of time. Before these rules - they could sit in my basement for hours and hours! We blamed these games on the kids being fresh or mean to each other. I have to say since we put these restrictions in place, the kids have been great. They don't ask during the week and on the weekends before they can play, they have to ask permission and usually do not fight about the time limits. There may be some negotiations - but nothing too bad.  My little one obviously is not allowed to play these games!

I'm on may way out to try and get the requested gift.  It came out at midnight.  If I can't I'll just fall back to my old faithful, Amazon.com.

Doing the best I can,
NeuroticMom

Mom's Monday Morning Kickoff!

This video always brings a smile.  It also reminds me to enjoy (and make the most of) every moment.  Have a great Monday and a great week!

I Can't Believe It!

We are all recovering from the dreaded flu, but what a week!  First of all my youngest started on Monday evening with it.  I took him in on Tuesday, he was diagnosed and Tamiflu was prescribed.  Great.  He had many of the symptoms - achiness, headache, sore throat, fever.  Predicted recovery time - 3 to 5 days.  The problem - my husband recently switched jobs and our new insurance did not kick in yet - from what the pediatrician's office could see on their "magic" computer.  Because I am a frequent flyer at the doctor's office, they cut me a break and only charged me my copay.  They would bill the insurance company, it would be rejected and they would resubmit to the new insurance company.  Our new insurance was effective as of the start date and it will all be worked out "eventually". 

I left and went right to the pharmacy and their friggin' computer says the same thing.  I need to fill the subscription for the Tamiflu - thinking it is imperative that he have it.  Guess what - if you technically don't have insurance, even though you really do, it costs $119.00 for a tiny bottle of Tamiflu.  The irony is - we never gave it to him.  Within twenty four hours his fever subsided and he spent the next two days with a mild cough, horrible headache and sore throat.  The expensive medicine is sitting at the back of my refrigerator.

Fast foward to Thursday afternoon, when my oldest started with his symptoms.  I brought him to the doctor's office Friday morning.  Check-in, insurance still hasn't kicked in according to their computer.  The office manager is lurking around and the same girl at the front desk just wants to charge me the copay. But the office manager who I have never seen before says I have to pay in full and submit it to the insurance company.  OK fine - my kid needs to be seen - he can barely stand, he's so weak and dizzy.  I gave my credit card at the end of the visit and almost fell over when I signed the bill - $222 for a fifteen minute appoinment with the nurse practitioner (who I absolutely love).  I was totally beside myself by the time I got in the car, and I'll be reimbursed!  What do people do who don't have insurance?  I truly thought the visit would be around $75.  I am floored!

NeuroticMom

Swine Flu. It's Gonna Getcha!

That's right! If you or any of your beloved family members haven't had it yet... you will. Not trying to scare you. Just being honest. NeuroticMom's 10 year old has it, my 39 year old husband has it. I'm no longer afraid of it. I've seen the beast. Now I am prepared to fight.  This is my arsenal of weaponry:

• Ginger Ale.  This is, hands down, the best thing to drink when you are sick.  It's a yummy elixir.  (Kind of how I feel about a McDonald's coca-cola for a hangover- but that's another post :)
• Lysol (or Clorox) wipes.  As soon as someone is sick in my house I grab my wipes and walk through the house wiping down EVERYTHING. Door knobs, light switches, remotes, appliances, telephones, computers... you get the picture.
• Lysol spray.  I follow up with the spray at the end of the day.  I've been known to open the desk drawer where we keep all of our pens & pencils and spray in there too.  Why not?  It's quick, easy & effective.
• Halls Vitamin C drops.  These taste so yummy!  My kids love them.  I keep them in a pretty glass bowl on our kitchen island.  The kids always grab one on their way to catch the bus.  I don't know how effective it is, but it makes me feel proactive.
• Medical masks.  My husband is quarantined to our master bedroom.  I won't step foot in there without wearing one of these.  Excessive? I think not.  The room feels like sickness.  I won't dare breathe that air!
• Purell.  The kids were using this before the swine flu was a threat.  As soon as they walk in from school they Purell.  Lord knows what cooties they pick up on that bus!

That's it.  My arsenal to fight the flu.  It's not 100% effective, but it's all I've got.  If you have any other ideas please share!

Fighting the Good Fight,

TechnoMom

Stop the World From Spinning! (My husband is sick)

My husband is sick. Probably the swine flu. He has gone from a no-nonsense, get to the point businessman to this tired, cranky, when-can-I-have-more-Tylenol person in merely an hour.

I've come to the conclusion that men fall into one of two categories when they are sick:

1. The type of man who will never admit to being sick. They never get sick. Too manly to succumb to some silly illness. This man is easy to deal with. Force him to take some meds and try to quarantine him. (Cuz you know he is walking around all stoic-I'm not sick-like, making everyone around him sick).

2. The type of man who will admit when he is sick. This man is needy. He needs you to take his temperature, needs you to make him soup. This man wants his wife to become. his. mother.

(Horrors).

Beware of the man with "The Man Cold." This video SO makes my point. Enjoy...

I'm no Florence Nightingale,

TechnoMom

It's Here - But What is It?

Illness has struck my house. I’m hoping it’s not swine flu. My youngest has a fever, headache, cough and sore throat. He says he feels "whoosy". It has to be strep or the flu.

We need to climb back into bed, relax and watch lots of television. I’m thinking Good Morning America or The Today Show (switching back and forth depending on who’s on), The View, Days of Our Lives, Martha Stewart, HGTV and the first fifteen minutes of Ellen Degeneres– love her! Oh wait that’s my "dream" sick day. I know it will be SpongeBob, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Witches of Waverly Place, and something on demand that he’s seen a bazillion times, etc.

I'll keep you posted.

Hoping everyone’s healthy wherever you are,
NeuroticMom

Mom's Monday Morning Kickoff!

Thank you to Happy Hour Sue (unbelievably funny blogger) for bringing this video to our attention! It just gets better and better the more you watch it. Have a great Monday!

Halloween Horror

Well, another Halloween has come and gone. Don't know how it was in your part of the country, but here in southeastern Pennsylvania--we had rain. Enough rain to dwindle the number of trick or treaters that came through. I've heard the same from a lot of my Facebook friends up and down the east coast: Numbers were way down this year. ( That sounded almost important ;)

And inevitably all that rain has led to one thing... leftover Halloween candy.

Now we usually have some candy leftover. But this year? An atrocious amount.

We're talking a humongous bowlful of leftover morsels of sugary, chocolaty goodness.

I am the kind of person that generally will never buy a full size candy bar. Too gluttonous.

But since last night when it became abundantly clear that we would have plenty of extra? I have eaten at least ten mini three musketeers. I wonder how many full-size candy bars that equals? At least one, right? Honestly, I do not want to know.

Two things I know: 1. We are perilously close to "holiday season." I do not need one more ounce of sugar or fat in my body before the gluttony of the holidays is upon us.

And, 2. I WANT THIS CANDY OUT OF HERE! (Any takers?)

On a Sugar High,

TechnoMom

We’re so excited it’s Halloween! The kids are getting together with friends, Trick or Treating and watching the World Series. It doesn’t get any better!
Have a great day with your children!

Cookie Dough Dessert

Here’s a yummy recipe that my family loves.

Ingredients:

• 2 eight ounce packages of Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
  
• ½ cup of sugar


• 2 eggs


• 2 1/2 tsp. of vanilla


• 2 twenty ounce chocolate chip cookie dough packages (frozen for ½ hour before starting) – brand matters not – cookie dough is cookie dough!
  

Recipe:

• Preheat the oven to 350*


• Take the cookie dough out of the freezer and slice.


• Place slices on the bottom of a 9x13 dish.


• Once you have covered the bottom, add the filling on top of the cookie dough – the filling is the rest of the ingredients whipped together.


• Now take the remainder of the cookie dough and slice it - covering the top of the filling.


• Cook for 50 minutes, cool for a while and refrigerate overnight.
  
  Voila!
  
  Just pulled mine out of the oven and can’t wait until tomorrow!
  

Pulling My "Socks" Out!

I despise laundry! And what makes it worse – dirty, smelly, wet socks turned inside out and thrown in the hamper. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, “put your clothes in the mudroom and make sure your socks are turned the right way”. I’m actually sick of hearing my own voice say the same thing over and over again. When will everyone else get sick of me saying it over and over again? Putting my arm (up to the elbow) in sock after sock is driving me up the %$#*@ wall.  It’s not like I can even teach them a lesson – guess who pays the price?  That’s right! The mudroom will stink and kids will be wearing yucky socks in desperate, time-crunch times (all the time!).

I’m seriously thinking of putting a money jar on the washing machine, laying the gross socks on the floor and charging admission into the washing machine. What sounds reasonable in getting my point across? $0.50 a sock? 

I'll keep you posted on how much I collect before my children figure it out.  Maybe I'll get a night out with my savings plan and won't feel so bad about doing laundry!

Going crazy,
Neurotic Mom

Mom's Monday Morning Kickoff!

This video is only 16 seconds, so pay attention!
Watch the mama panda 12 seconds in...



You know that mama panda is thinking, cant' I eat just ONE meal in peace?!?

Kindle - Easy, Affordable & Convenient

My husband’s birthday was yesterday and he loved his gift. I bought the Amazon Kindle for him. For those of you who see something cool that someone else is using and think it’s the greatest new thing out there - only to realize that it’s been around for a while and so many people have it already – this is the perfect gift for someone or treat for yourself.

The thought of having books downloaded to a comfortable, easy to read device seems crazy. eBooks at the touch of a button. Who comes up with this and offers it to everyone on the planet? Amazon.com. Not only can you download books – but newspapers, blogs, magazines, etc. Now you are able to read a book review in a magazine or online, talk to a friend and get the name of a great book and have it in your hands in a minute. A Kindle enables you to read a segment of a particular book for free and then if you want the entire book you can download it in 60 seconds. How is this possible? What does it mean? Travelling with books at your fingertips – reading anywhere – your own personal library! The Kindle can hold 1,500 books!

For book lovers this is a great invention. For children who have forgotten a book at school but have a project, no need to worry.

Now all of my boys want their own Kindle. Sorry. We will share my husband’s until I get one of my own. It’s at the top of my Christmas list. I can’t wait! I think it’s a great gift for kids going off to college. But right now I think it would be too much for my children to have access to an on-line book store. It’s also important to me that my kids hold a book in their hands at this point. They are so enamored with technology, would it help them to read even more? Not sure about that. I am going to try to hold off a bit longer for my oldest so he appreciates holding a book a little more.

Another great feature of the Kindle is changing the font size. Those who are far-sighted can easily change the font size. Years ago, my mother-in-law had macular degeneration. She loved to read. She had a projection screen that was similar to what we had in school in the “old day’s” that projected a book . She held the book under the light and turned each page. We thought it was the greatest thing out there and it was at the time. Look how far technology has come!

The Kindle has to be one of the hottest items out there and if you're thinking of it as a present around the holidays, I wouldn’t wait.

My two cents,
NeuroticMom

BRUUUUUCE!

I had the distinct pleasure of attending my first Bruce Springsteen concert, ever, Monday night at the Philadelphia Spectrum (his 3rd night in Philly).  What a blast!  He played for over 3 hours and never showed signs of tiring.  

We bought our tickets last minute and were shocked to see that we were a mere 6 rows from the stage on the left.  Wow!  What a great venue.  I think any seat in the Spectrum is excellent... too bad it’s about to be torn down.  But I digress...

Hard to believe The Boss is sixty years old!  His voice sounded great AND, he is in amazing shape... tight black jeans, tight t-shirt - nary an ounce of fat (If you got it, flaunt it :)

He played the entire Born to Run album plus a bunch of extras and wrapped up the show with one of my faves: Rosalita!  You can see the entire playlist by clicking here.

Still Dancing in the Dark,

TechnoMom

MOM'S MONDAY MORNING KICKOFF!

Swine Flu: To Vaccinate, or Not To Vaccinate: That is the Question

I have three children.  They fit into the age group demographic of who should get the H1N1 vaccination.  They are not obese.  They are not prone to respiratory illness.  They are in excellent health.  (Am knocking on wood).

This swine flu vaccination scares me.  I’ve heard too much:  “It hasn’t been properly tested”  “It was rushed to market”   and on the flip-side: “If the strain had been detected earlier it would have been included in the ‘normal’ flu vaccine anyway”  “It is 100% effective” 

Whoa.  My head is spinning.

Do I have my children get it-- and risk a future side effect?

Do I not get it-- and risk my athletic, sports-loving boys lives??

I just read an article in The Washington Post.  This stood out to me:

About two-thirds of the deaths occurred in children who had other health problems. Ninety-two percent of those children had illnesses involving the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, and 59 percent had more than one such complication. Eight deaths, however, occurred among children older than 5 who had no high-risk medical conditions. Two of those children were obese.

That, right there?  That SCARED ME.  Because I know, in the grand scheme of things, there are millions of people who get it and don’t die.  But can you imagine?  Your otherwise healthy rambunctious child gets the flu... fever... under the weather... then hospitalization... then death??

I feel sick just thinking about it.

I won’t be lying awake at night all winter hoping that my children will avoid the swine flu.

I will rest secure in the knowledge that they are protected against it. 

I will be vaccinating my children. 

How about you?

Surviving,

TechnoMom

Raining (Blah, blah, blah......)

Most of our games are cancelled today because of the weather. Hope it’s sunny wherever you are.

We are taking the day to catch up, regroup, watch television and play a cool card game called Phase 10. Don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but it’s a lot of fun and easy. All ages seem to love it. We all love it (ages 40, 40, 15, 13 & 10).

TechnoMom and her husband introduced us to it a few years ago. We were on a trip to Mexico and played whenever it rained. We drank, laughed and were entertained for hours. The kids were home with grandparents!

It’s impossible to find a game that we all like and want to play at the same time. Let’s be honest – it never happens. But for some reason Phase 10 works. We verbally heckle each other and laugh! The kids think we’re cool, at least when we’re playing this game. In their eyes we are so not cool 95% of the time. Little victories are worth it!

I found Phase 10 at Target for under $10. Let me know if you like it.

Making Memories,

NeuroticMom

Launch Day

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.