Restoretheshore.com has partnered with several non-profit organizations providing on-going relief to local areas affected by Superstorm Sandy.
©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
Did you know that today, November 19th, is World Toilet Day?!? I know what you’re thinking — seriously, what’s next, National Bathtub Week?!?
Okay, here’s the thing, but what most folks don’t realize (and I’m including myself, here) is that over 1.5 billion people in the world are STILL living without access to sanitary water or a proper toilet.
The statistics of children dying due to things we tend to take for granted, like clean water and proper sanitation, are staggering.
Today, I am once again very proud to partner with the good folks at American Standard to help share information about the Flush For Good campaign and, in doing so, help 40 communities in need.
Oh, and we get to share a $200.00 gift card to Lowe’s or Home Depot, because we roll like that.
I am SO NOT a morning person, however, as long as there's a cup of coffee handed to me within the first few minutes of opening my eyes, along with a clear path to a vacant bathroom, I'm good. Once I regain the power of speech, typically soon after taking a very hot shower and inhaling another cup of coffee, I'm better.
Which makes entertaining overnight guests a bit problematic.
Unless you happen to live with a morning person, like Garth (not his real name), who also happens to be an early-riser. He is the ying to my….daaaaaaaaang, it's early….wait, I'll help you with the kids, just give me a min….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Melisa stayed over for a few nights last week, she is also a morning person, which means she and Garth (not his real name) spent most mornings….without me….getting in the way of their cheerfulness and everything.
[hurl]
I felt really bad about my non-morningness, so I got up Friday at the same time they did (or maybe it was Thursday, I forget) and tried to be as sociable as, well, one can be; while not being able to speak or see straight, I mean.
Melisa and Garth (not his real name) were in the middle of a conversation — although I'm not sure what they were talking about, I'm pretty sure they were speaking English — so, I grabbed my coffee cup, fired up the Keurig and made my way to the bathroom.
Then all hell broke loose in the kitchen and, well, here's how Melisa told it on her blog:
Having a sitcom moment early one morning when Garth (NHRN) went to pull Liz’s coffee cup out from under the Keurig for her and subsequently getting coffee all over the place because she had put it in there upside-down. After he jumped back a couple of feet as graceful as a gazelle (a really manly one, of course), we both laughed together and shook our heads because “That’s just Liz before her coffee!”
Melisa MADE me take a picture, insisting it as a totally blog-worthy moment, for those of us who need visual aid (raises hand) it sort of went like this:
It's SO NICE to be surrounded by people who really get me AND know how to jump out of the way, real fast.
©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
Our friends at GM were kind enough to send us a loaner, this week. They knew Melisa was visiting with us from Chicago and thought I would probably appreciate playing tour guide in a vehicle that…you know…actually works…because they are awesome, like that.
It was so nice to be able to show Melisa all our favorite places here in Jersey and NOT have to worry about breaking down on an off ramp or, even worse, a jug handle (i.e. traffic circle or rotary).
But that is a different post, for another day.
Here's the really awesome part: they let me borrow the car through tomorrow, because they are TOTALLY AWESOME like that, so my husband and I took our middle daughter to visit colleges in Boston.
The weather was beautiful and it actually hit 60 degrees on Saturday, which is EVEN MORE AWESOME, considering we're talking about New England, in mid-November.
I was swiping through the pictures on my cell phone and was once again reminded of my slight addiction to creeping on other people's houses.
Especially at sunset: when the houses take on a warm and inviting glow and each entryway becomes a prelude to a much deeper story that lies within.
We decided to go exploring around Bunker Hill and, well, here are just a few (seriously, I've got a BIG problem) of my favorite captures:
I don't know about my husband, Garth (not his real name), but I'm pretty much ready to move in…as soon as we hit the lottery…HARD!!!…I could totally see myself living here.
In and around Commonwealth Avenue, not so much. Even a car THIS awesome can't avoid the efficiency of the Boston traffic police.
P.S. The check is in the mail…damnit.
©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
Our middle daughter loves New England and has always dreamed of attending Boston University, since she was in middle school. So, we made an appointment to take a tour of the campus and drove up to Massachusetts, late last night.
Heather is a senior, so we're smack-dab in the middle of the college applications rush, but it is only the second college tour, we've taken so far.
She attends one of four specialized vocational academies, which has more of an accelerated curriculum than our home high school. This has proven to be both a blessing and a curse — especially to a Type A personality, like Heather.
Long story, short: the girl is a hot mess.
Boston University is on a short list of her top three choices, including NYU (took our tour, last month) and Northeastern University, which is also here in Boston.
Did I mention, the girl LOVES Boston?!?
Except, this time, she wasn't really acting all that excited and I thought maybe it was because we were running on about 4 hours sleep or…even worse…she was just too tightly wrapped up inside, to enjoy the moment.
I kept nudging her with my elbow and whispering, "Wow, isn't THIS cool?!?" and "How awesome is THAT, right?!?"
Guess what?!? No matter how HARD you try, you cannot pass along enthusiasm — especially, through your elbow — so, I decided to hang back and was able to capture this awesome moment with her dad.
Even longer story, short: she finally admitted (to her dad) to NOT being "blown away" by the B.U. tour (or not being as excited as she was about NYU, anyway) and how she simply felt AWFUL about it.
"Aaaaaand, we came ALL this way, I'm sorry."
Later, after a little talking and A LOT more walking, my husband and I were able to finally convince her that it was SO NOT a wasted trip and, in fact, I suggested that she consider it as an investment in her future, instead — because Type A's like it when you get all analytical, like that.
"Besides, if I do choose NYU, it means I could come home for weekends."
Of course, I couldn't help but agree…HOW AWESOME IS THAT, RIGHT?!?…and it's always a real good idea to have a Plan B…C…D…or how EVER many it takes…because we've got until December 1st…and us Type B's are super-easy-going, like that.
©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
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 had my choice, I'd probably pick somewhere a little, you know, warmer to spend my frequent flyer miles, too.
Still, it was very important for me that Melisa was made to feel right at home and I asked my kids to help by treating her as if they would any other member of our family.
We invited her to attend my son's last football game of the season with us and, after teasing each other, giggling in unison like a bunch of school girls and then huddling close together (it was like Antarctica cold, last night) my youngest daughter turned around to ask Melisa a question.
"Hey mom…wait…I mean, Melisa…"
I feel it safe to say that…THAT alone…was most likely worth the 1,600 miles.
Aaaaaand, it's okay. I didn't mind one bit, because anyone who knows Melisa would probably agree with me when I tell you that SHE REALLY IS sort of hard to resist, like that.
Thanks for all of the wonderful memories, we miss you already, Melisa.
©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
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 Longstreet Farm in Holmdel Park. My kids have been going "to the farm" since they were babies and it is still one of our favorite places to go to walk, talk or just air out our brains, a little.
We hit the beach on Tuesday: visiting the world's tallest sandcastle (seriously, it was AWESOME!) in Point Pleasant Beach. It was built to help raise money for Restore the Shore and we're hoping that it will stay intact long enough for Melisa to come back and see it in the springtime…when our faces won't freeze off…hopefully!
We rode the train into Manhattan on Wednesday to meet up with our dear, sweet friend Patty (she blogs at Enjoying This Life). I adore Patty and absolutely love the pic we took after our lunch date. It took us a couple of tries: it was a very windy day, which is conducive to taking ridiculously unflattering selfies.
Melisa and I then decided to head into Central Park and, although the weather was still on the chilly side, it really did turn out to be a perfect autumn day and we each found new and exciting things to explore.
The tree behind me cast a shadow on the stone of the Belvedere Castle that I think is both cool AND creepy.
There are many bronze statues found throughout Central Park, but Alice in Wonderland is my absolute favorite.
We also found another cool staircase, followed it down and…WOW!!!…we were both blown away by the beauty of what we found. There are literally thousands of Minton tiles found in this awesome walkway in the center of Central Park that leads to the Mall and Central Park Lake.
I was also reminded of another reason why I love living in New Jersey: it's right next door to NYC, one of the most magical places in the world and I am SO glad I got the chance to share it with Melisa, in November.
©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
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 the things" is: Sandy Castle at Jenkinson's Beach in Pt. Pleasant.
Sandy Castle was declared the world's tallest sandcastle by Guinness World Records on October 29, 2013: one year anniversary of Super Storm Sandy.
Although, my brain was too frozen to think about having her stand next to it (the temperature didn't go above 38 degrees, yesterday) she did manage to snap one off of me…because, she's smart AND really good at this blogging thing, like that.
P.S. Check out HometownHeroes.org to see all the awesome stuff going on in our community of helpers, here in Jersey.
©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
Happy 20th Birthday, Holly!
Enough said.
© 2003 – 2013 This Full House
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!
The kids had the day off from school on Friday, so my son and I spent the afternoon testing out the media room at Best Buy.
What?!? Don't tell me we are the ONLY ones to pop open a couple of leather recliners and pretend like we actually live there.
Aaaaaand, if you do not do these sort of things at Best Buy…then, neither do we…because that would be weird.
Aaaaaanyway, we decided to head to the other side of the shopping plaza, to see how many people we could alienate over at the bookstore, when my son experienced a bit of nostalgia.
"Remember when you locked your keys in the car and we almost died?!?"
It's funny how their memories of past events are SO VERY different from mine.
Clearly, they didn't die, but it WAS 10 years ago and revisting the moment (via my blog post's archives, you know, to double-check) was sort of fun, because each of their reactions to “Mommy locked us out of the car, AGAIN!" were so very different.
Holly (who is turning 20, tomorrow, GAH!!!) was 10 and already better at this mothering thing than I was, at the time: ”Good thing I bought those chocolate coins at Michael’s or else we would have starved!”
(Note: we live exactly 4.7 miles away from Michael’s and there is a pizza place within view.)
Heather (who is turning 18, next month, DOUBLE-GAH!!!) was 7, going on 40: “Not again! Why do you always lock the keys in the car when it’s freezing outside. We’re going to freeze! I can’t feel my fingers!”
(Note: It was 50 degrees out.)
Glen (who is turning 15, in January, I JUST CAN'T!!!) was 4 years-old and ALL boy: "Wook at me, I’m fwying….vroooommm!”
(Note: He was running in circles, made himself dizzy, flew right into the concrete wall and fell to the grond, like a rock.)
Hope (who's as good as a teenager, at this point) was 2, every terrible bit of it: “Hopey do! Hopey walk! Hopey get out of cawage, NOW!!!!”
(Note: People were beginning to stare – I had to let the child out who is now fwying, I mean, flying in circles with her brother.)
So, this went on for a few minutes and I kind of chuckle to myself now, thinking of what I would have said, if I saw what the people who were staring at me saw, back then.
"Look!!! There's Daddy, everyone yell HEY to daddy!!!"The children jumped up on the bench, began to wave their hands furiously, chanting "Dad-dee, Dad-dee, Dad-dee…” as we watched Dad-dee drive right past us.
"So, you see, it was DADDY who left us here to die!"
That made him smile. I wasn't fast enough with my camera. Sorry you missed it.
© 2003 – 2013 This Full House
I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!