Wet Weather Necessity

It is pouring rain here in SE Pennsylvania.  Depsite the fact that today would be a great day to not go anywhere and just stay inside, life does go on.  The dog must be walked, and I must make my daily stop at the grocery store for more milk & necessities.  
I will not leave the house without these: 

super-cute rain boots

I bought my first pair of "wellies" four years ago.  I absolutely hate when the hem of my pants gets wet in the rain.  And that awful feeling when you step in a puddle with sneakers on?   Forget about it!

My first pair came straight from England, a pair of Funky Wellingtons.  They were bright pink and I absolutely L O V E D them.  Until the dog ate them.  Now I own a pair of Kate Spade Riley's in bright green (purchased @zappos.com). 

Wellies were not so easy to find 4 years ago (I hopped on that trend at the right time!) Now they are available everywhere.  Amazon.com, zappos.com, Target.  You name it.

So if you can't stand going out in rainy weather and having damp, sloshy feet; buy a pair of wellies!  You'll stay dry and be fashionably in style at the same time :)

Stomping in puddles,

TechnoMom

Mom's Monday Morning Kickoff!

Slapping Your Troubles Away
This cracks me up every time.  I love the woman in the last 10 seconds... chop, chop, chop, chop!
Fettucini. Linguine. Martini. Bikini.
Slap your troubles away with the slap chop :)  Happy Monday!

The Givers

My husband and I were talking about the crisis in Haiti.  We were discussing a CNN report about the sheer amount of money our country has donated to the relief effort.  The U.S. has committed $150 million dollars to the cause.  Let alone all the troops, aid workers and equipment.

And it all served to remind me of just what a great country we live in.


And I am so happy that our children are being raised in a country that, despite our own economic turmoil, jumps in to help other nations.  We don't wait to see what the rest of the world is doing.  We are a nation that gives.


From texting, to Twitter, to telethons, to school children with hot cocoa stands (it is winter here after all), to our own firefighters with their jaws of life; we Give.
I love that my children have etched into their little brains and consciousness that when there is a crisis we respond.  You don't have to be rich to give.  You just have to do your little part.


I was reading this article about the orchestration of the relief effort.  It also links to an amazing spreadsheet of donations by countries, individuals, and companies.  Click on the link.  You may be surprised by the number of corporations and organizations putting up big numbers.  (Way to go Giselle Bundchen & Sandra Bullock!)
Keep on Giving.
TechnoMom  

Any Book Suggestions?

I just finished The Lovely Bones - really enjoyed it.

I'm on a mission now to read a book before I see the movie.
Just downloaded Dear John.

Looking for suggestions,

NeuroticMom

Destruction

Haiti.

Haiti.

Text "HAITI" TO "90999" to donate $10 the Red Cross.

It's easy.

It's only ten dollars.

Do it now.

Cheating's Cheating!

We are all trying to do the best we can while raising our children - instill good values and integrity in our offspring, helping them build character, striving to have them do their best at everything they do while being compassionate and sensitive towards others and realizing you may not be given second chances. It's exhausting work and emotional. I always tell my kids that every rule and punishment is for their own good - so that they will be even better parents than us. With that said - my kids love baseball. They love the players and the game. We've discussed a player enhancing their abilities and they are all on board that steriod use is wrong. It's cheating - plain and simple. This week's scandal centering around Mark McGwire brings back into question - should players who have been caught using enhancement performance drugs be allowed to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (this applies to all other sports)? NO. Athletes listen up - you allowed yourself to do something that put you at an advantage. It was not a fair playing field - you knew you weren't the best or you were so wrapped up in trying to be the best. It should be instant disqualification. You blew it!

My son came home from high school the other day and told us a student was expelled for cheating. No second chances. The student stole a test, tried to sell it to other students, got caught and was gone that day. Kids make mistakes but know when they screw up. It's a shame because the course of that kid's life is different now. Hopefully it will be a life changing and building lesson.

Why do professional athletes get treated differently? We're paying their salaries (basically). I'll take a small guy like Jimmy Rollins any day. He visits sick kids, has a sense of humor and gets out there every game and hussles. He may not have had a great season this year but the fans still love him cause he's Jimmy. How about Derek Jeter? Mr. Dependable! My kids are not big and it does put them at a disadvantage sometimes. My husband's advice to them from day one - you don't have to be the biggest or best - you have to be the most coachable, the kid with the best attitude and strive to be the most consistent.

And when it's not fun anymore, move on (that's me talking).

NeuroticMom

A Hero

I watched the documentary, “Brace for Impact” last night. The show had interviews of Captain Sully and his first mate, passengers, and employees of the Water Authority, LaGuardia Airport and more. The plane crashed into the Hudson River on January 15th, 2009. All of the passengers survived! You would have to have been living in a bubble if you haven’t heard about what Captain Sully accomplished. The advertisements for the show asked the question: Is it the man that makes the moment or the moment that makes the man? It’s the man that made the moment! I hope every survivor of that crash walked away knowing that they were given a second chance thanks to the calm, professional man in the cockpit. I got teary eyed a few times during the show, especially when Captain Sully’s calm voice said, “we’ll be in the Hudson”. WOW!

I grew up on Long Island. Two of the most travelled airports in the world are within 20 miles of my childhood home. Seeing planes fly overhead at a low altitude is an everyday occurrence. I didn’t appreciate it until my children were in my parent’s backyard playing years ago and a plane flew over the house. They ducted and were scared to death at first. Now they are in awe when we go for a visit, between the planes and squirrels – but that’s for a different post .
There’s no open space –congestion and water surround NY’s five boroughs. I guess flying is safer than I tend to think – I’m a reluctant flier, at best. With the amount of planes coming and going over that area, it’s amazing that…………never mind, let’s all knock on some wood.

How did Sully do it? How many other pilots would have gone down in the Hudson to save the lives of countless people on the ground? In those critical moments, even if a pilot wanted to make the right decision, would they have been able to do it?

Thank you Captain Sully,
NeuroticMom

Memories!

I just thought of every stage of my life when I loved each of these songs!

Tip of the Day

I hit the GAP today for a return.  I love going to a store and discovering that there's a big sale going on.  Many things were 40% off.  A few items were 70% off!  Having a GAP card is nice - the savings can be substantial - cardholders get 10% off of everything the first Tuesday of the month.  Today it was the sale price plus the 10%.  Just thought I'd pass the info along.

NeuroticMom

The Sky's the Limit

I am determined to save money this year.  So, I am going to play a game with myself  to see what I can do.  If  I visually see what I'm saving and know that you will too - it will work, it will work, it will work.  This is my New Year's resolution.  Save. Save. Save.  Coupons are my friend.  Going to the grocery store and having my card today saved $8.10. 

We'll see what happens,

NeuroticMom