This Full House Archive

Author: Liz@ThisFullHouse

  • That time of the month, when my uterus broke the ultrasound machine.

    Although 2014 marks my 11th year of blogging (that's right, I was over-sharing, before over-sharing was cool, baby!), my philosophy regarding writing about life's more sensitive issues (i.e. raising teens) has pretty much remained the same.

    I only share the stuff I would feel comfortable talking about…in front of my teens…or when meeting someone…for the first time.

    Still, there's something very therapeutic about being able to, literally, write your way into a healthier state of mind, right?

    Besides, there's nothing like a good brain vomit to get you moving in the right direction…which is forward…you know…far away from all the vomit.

    I've even taken to discussing my girlie troubles in the most manly way I know how, in mechanical terms, to help our more squeamish blog visitors feel a little less uncomfortable.

    This is not one of those times.

    WARNING, FRANK DISCUSSION AHEAD: relating to the female reproductive system, while using proper medical terms, for both internal and external bodily functions, and everything.

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  • Behind every strong woman, there’s another strong woman, trying to do right by her family, probably.

    Katkics Womenz Christmas 2013 Unframed

    The Katkics Women, Christmas 2013

    I love this picture for so many reasons, but mostly because it captures the women in my family who are usually found behind the camera and are equally passionate about capturing moments, like this one: my mom, me and my sister-in-law Pam.

    It's been a tough year for the three of us.  Physically, mentally, emotionally, and whatever else is left after throwing yourself into living life to the fullest…no matter what life throws at you….body, mind and soul-ly.

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  • From Our House, To Your House: It’s A Krispie Carol

    Merry Krispmas from This Full House 2
    Like most families we know, the kids and I have our favorite holiday traditions: decorating Christmas cookies ranks right up there with tricking out a ginger bread house with leftover Halloween candy, if there’s any left.  

    Assembling said gingerbread house, not so much.

    So, when our good friends at Kellogg’s challenged us to put a twist on a family-favorite holiday tradition, I thought it would be REALLY fun to replicate This Full House (the house) in Rice Krispies, but then I broke it.

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  • Note to self: for the days you feel like you’re not doing a good job, read this blog post!

    This Full House CompleteTwo out of four of my kids are not very happy with me at the moment and — especially if you have kids who can use both hands and feet to quantify their age — most parents would be all like…good…it means you are doing your job.

    Right.  So, I'll just go ahead and file it under "really sucky aspects of raising teens" and be thankful that I'm not required to submit a work performance assessment or self-evaluation or anything.

    Because, all we parents have to do is look at our own kids.

    Long story, short (you're welcome!): the really, REALLY challenging part of parenting teenagers — besides pretending that it doesn't hurt when your own kids begin to question your parenting skills — is pretending that it doesn't hurt when YOU begin to question YOUR OWN parenting skills.

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  • Just in time for the holidaze: scented pine cone wreath.

    Holiday Hostess Gift

    Last month, my dear friend Beth (a.k.a. Life in The Bat Cave) took it upon herself to reach out and spread a little holiday cheer by organizing a Blogger Ornament Exchange – sort of like a cookie exchange, only different.

    So, I signed right up and guess what?!?  I got paired up with Beth 🙂  

    Now that we're smack-dab in the middle of the holidaze — you know, that constant "Uhhhhhhh, what year is it, again?!?" feeling you get in between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day — and because my contribution to the ornament exchange got to Beth's house safe and sound, I thought this would be a real good time to share with you a super-easy craft that would make a terrific holiday host or hostess gift, as well.

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  • Wordless Wednesday: Seagulls. Rock.

    No Gull is an Island

    Taken on Manasquan Beach, NJ on a much warmer day, in November. #nofilter

    “Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?” – Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)

    More linky love bytes: Wordless Wednesday HQ, 5 Minutes for Mom

    ©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

  • Quickie crochet projects: onto infinity scarves and beyond!

    Quick and Easy Infinity Scarf

    I've been crocheting for exactly a week — here's my first project, it's a slouchy hat, which my middle girl borrowed and then forgot to give back, accidentally on purpose — and I've crocheted a total of six hats, two of which don't really count, because they were either too big or too small and I had to unravel the whole gosh-darned thing, but I didn't realize that they didn't fit until I was finished crocheting them, so I guess they really do count, right?!?

    Ugh, this using both hands at the same time thing…to make something that someone would actually wear…and then have to explain it…without the use of run-on sentences or too many commas…is REAL hard…yo.

    Anyhow, crafting is the perfect winter-blues-breaker (okay, I realize we're not even into winter yet, but I already miss the beach!) and I am really enjoying keeping my hands busy (and more importantly, out of the potato chip bag), but I was beginning to get all hat-ted out.

    So I decided to try my hand at actual making a match-y, match-y infinity scarf, using both hands and everything!

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  • How NOT TO take videos of your kid.

    Because if you happen to have a middle-schooler in your house, who also happens to be a member of the middle school's chorus, then you may or may not appreciate the town's Christmas tree lighting ceremony as a REALLY BIG DEAL.

    Hope singing at the tree lighting or at least I am pretty sure it is her

    A really bad picture of our youngest daughter singing at our town's Christmas tree lighting ceremony, last night — at least, I think that it is her — but wait, it gets worse!

    Our youngest daughter has been looking forward to it for many reasons…

    WARNING:  this is where, if you are a parent of a non-grader (i.e. pre-schooler or kindergartener) you might want to scroll down past the next sentence, you'll have to trust me on this one.

    …especially because there will be middle school boys either singing and/or attending the town's Christmas tree lighting and, well, if you have a middle-schooler in your house, who also happens to be female, then…DER…am I right?!?

    Okay, now that we got that squared away: our two oldest daughters have also sung at our town's Christmas tree lighting for the very same reasons mentioned above.

    REMINDER:  if you are a parent of a non-grader, DON'T SCROLL UP!!!

    Aaaaaanyway, point being (because I really do have one, promise!) although I have never sung in a chorus (for obvious reasons, especially to my family), this is NOT my first town Christmas tree lighting ceremony; but you would NEVER know it, judging by my total inability to record the gosh-darned event, without getting it TOTALLY wrong, even with several tries:

     

    Oh, there was more video (just as bad, too!) aaaaaand this is where you should be SUPER-thankful I did not include them here.  You're welcome!

    P.S.: I know, the last caption reads "Wait, did I miss them signing" instead of "singing" but it still fits, because I was SO BUSY trying to video tape my kid singing, I didn't hear a gosh-darned thing.

    P.P.S: We've got $100 worth of T.A. Barron books for young readers (ages 6 – 16) that we're just itching to giveaway, just in time for the holidaze!

    ©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

  • Atlantis Rising & other family-friendly book collections from author T.A. Barron {review & giveaway}

    Comments are closed, we have a winner: congratulations Kate (comment #12) I am SO THRILLED to be able to share this awesome collection of books with you, please check your email for further instructions, THANKS!!!

    TA Barron Atlantis Rising

    Photo of the author reading with kids via T.A. Barron’s photo stream on Flickr.

    As a kid, I loved going to the public library after school, our town’s library was just a few blocks down from my grade school.  I can still remember walking through those big wooden doors, pausing only long enough to take in the scent of what must have been millions of worn pages, and immediately feeling at peace.

    Personally, getting lost in a book was my escape from the stresses of being a kid.  Today, I believe that reading helps us (kids and adults, alike) to understand a little more about the realities of the world we live in, which perhaps can help to improve our minds, as well.

    It’s sort of the same feeling I get when reading some of my favorite blogs.

    It is my honor and privilege to introduce you to author T.A. Barron, a writer of books for young people (ages 6 through 16) and father to 5 kids…enough said.  I am also thrilled to be able to share a wonderful assortment of his books with one of our online friends, just in time for the holidaze.

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  • Quick & easy crochet: these slouchy hats are off the hook!

    Slouchy hat via This Full House

    My grandmother taught me to crochet, but we never followed a written pattern (it was ALL in Nagy Mama's head) and, although I know the difference between a single crochet and a double crochet, I am a very visual thinker: my brain is like Google images and Pinterest speaks to me.

    Crochet patterns, not so much.

    Long story, short (you're welcome!): yesterday my borked-up back decided to remind me just how borked-up it could get, but being laid up with a borked-up back frustrates me more than not being able to read a crocheting pattern.

    I tried to follow the instructions outlined in a pattern Tara emailed me…twice…and came up with something that did NOT look like a hat…twice…but would make a wonderful corkscrew cozy…both times.

    "Why don't you just Google a tutorial?"

    My husband, Garth (not his real name) is a critical thinker and critical thinkers can be annoyingly rational, sometimes.  Anyhow, I'm speaking to all my fellow visual thinkers out there:  I found perhaps the easiest and fastest crochet tutorial for slouchy beanies from Simply Hooked Crochet.

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