This Full House Archive

Tag: new jersey mom bloggers

Summer in a bottle…

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 trees and flowering bushes ready themselves for the long hibernation of wintertime.

I knew saving all these empty Stewarts Root Beer bottles would come in handy, one day!

This is my latest attempt at bottling up a little summertime, until Melisa gets here and I play tour guide for a week, giving her a taste of the REAL Jersey Shore.

Just two more sleeps and…YES!!!…there will be zeppoles and fried Oreos :)

©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!

November 9, 2013
I don’t need anyone to tell me what a bad mother I am.

If you were to ask me my BIGGEST parenting struggle over the years — as a mom of 4 kids under the age of 10 vs. as a mom of teens — the answer would STILL be the same: I am the Queen of Second-Guessing, my ownself.

Because each and every move we make towards raising our children (good or bad) will also help to form the person they will become.

That's a HUGE responsibility and, sure as my waking up with major bed head and killer morning breath, there is almost always someone ready to make you feel as if you are SO NOT doing it right…no matter what you are doing…right?!?

Then again, we are our own worst critics…especially, parents…most especially, moms…check this out:

A New Perspective For Moms from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

[hat tip: Huffington Post, via my friend Carol's Facebook feed]

The thing is, each of these moms were asked to simply describe themselves, each chose to focus on something negative and I really do wonder how many of us would have done the same gosh-darned thing, right?!?

So, how about this?!? Are you doing the best that you can?!? EXCELLENT!!! Then quit being so harsh on yourselves!!!

Okay, but what about the times when you feel you are NOT doing the best that you can?!?

Well then, MOVE OVER, ROVER…here's a blanket, a warm plate of gluten-free cookies and some tissues…let's just go ahead and watch that video, one more time, shall we?!?

Aaaaand, then maybe we could queue up a couple of good chick-flicks or something, because I sure as heck have got plenty of tissues…YO!!!

©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!

November 8, 2013
Sisterfriends….

BlogHer '09: where I met up with my friend Jenn for the first time, IRL!

I recently celebrated my 10th anniversary of blogging — yep, I threw myself a REAL BIG party too, in my head, sorry you missed it — which got me thinking about ALL of the wonderful online community of folks I have met and gotten to know, by reading their blogs and watching this space grow, over the years.

BlogHer11: What happens in the Old School Blogger Club, stays in the Old School Blogger Club.

I am also honored to be able to call many out as very dear friends, IRL, too (yes, they know about it!) and then there are those whose connection runs a little deeper and I can't even begin to (nor do I want to) imagine what life would be like, without them.

BlogHer12: dorking around at the MoMA.

Jenn Satterwhite (a.k.a. Mommy Needs Coffee) is one of those people.

We've shared the ups, downs and somewhere in-betweens, while blogging under the influence of children for an entire decade (not an easy feat, just so you know) and we both have, quite literally, watched our kids grow up, online.

There isn't a day that goes by when I don't wish I could just jump climb very carefully into my car and drive over to her house, bearing gifts of pink-frosted cupcakes and a six-pack of Diet Coke.

BlogHer13: enough said.

Today, I want to take this opportunity to personally wish my dear, sweet suh-thuhn friend a very Happy Birthday (in real life, I mean) and to say, "Thank you, Jenn!"

For knowing that I am a dork, but loving me anyway, and for snort-laughing with me…like a boss…I love you, sisterfriend!

©2003 – 2013 This Full House

November 7, 2013
How (and why) We Opened Our Door to a Stranger

I love watching ghost shows: stuff like Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters and My Ghost Story can really get my adrenaline pumping.

Thing is, I just get myself too involved in the storyline, sometimes the really scary scenarios can carry over in my real life, too.

Like, when there is someone knocking on the front door…in the middle of the night…then "OMG, the zombies are here…DON'T ANSWER IT!!!"

Thankfully, it's at this point when one or ALL of my kids are kind enough to remind me "Really mom, you think zombies are gonna knock?!?"

Then about 1:30 a.m. this morning….

[knock-knock-knock]

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November 2, 2013
Bing translator comes up with some crazy sh*t on Facebook.

My dad and me, as seen on Facebook.

My 3 oldest kids are on Facebook; once my youngest turns 13, I will probably allow her to create a Facebook account, too.

Aaaaand, just like her older siblings, I will also insist that she "friend" me on Facebook, because I believe in being a fair and equally annoying parent to ALL of my children.

Then, my parents got online and it wasn't long before I introduced my dad to Facebook.

It's been fun watching my Dad reconnect with family members (who mostly live in Hungary and Austria) and he really enjoys keeping up with what his grandchildren are doing on Facebook.

Which has proven to be a wonderful filter: don't post anything that would embarrass your grandparents on Facebook.

Apparently, some of my Facebook friends seem to be having lots of fun trying to make sense of the Hungarian to English translation.

I love clicking the "see translation" button on your dad's comments, Bing comes up with some crazy sh*t! The only thing that would make it better is if I knew what he was really saying to compare it to said crazy sh*t it says he said, lol!

Because I am SUCH a people-pleaser, here is the crazy sh*t that Bing said, he said.

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October 23, 2013
When even a walk in the park, is no walk in the park.

One of the many reasons why I love living on the East coast (and YES, there is more than one reason to love Jersey, shuddup!) is our ability to experience all four seasons…sometimes all in the same week, even…so today, it's autumn.

Oh, hello there Autumn!

It's been a very stressful week/month/year/seriously, it's probably better if we just quit keeping score, because…DAYUM!!!!…it's hard out here with teenagers…the stress, she is NOT leaving…so, I kicked myself out of the house and took my two oldest girls with me, because they really should learn to plan on NOT being home…a little better…next time.

They've walked along this trail about a thousand times, it never gets old.

Now that my kids are older, they have this thing about walking alongside their mother. Not because they're embarrassed about being seen walking with their mother (not that they've admitted to, out loud, anyway) it's just that I am not a very good walker, especially when I have my camera with me.

I don't mean to be a bother, but…SQUIRREL!!!!…somebody carved my initials into that tree…oh, and look at the texture of that bark…hey, that's a really cool place for mushrooms to grow, you think…oh AND hey…is that a Hobbit hole?!?

They're a lot faster and much more nimble than when they were little.

Everytime I looked up…I mean, faced-forward…the girls were further ahead than the last…SQUIRREL!!!

Teens are lot further away than they seem, trust me!

The thing about being out of shape is that you do not realize just how badly you are out of shape, until you are way far away from the car.

In this case, my borked-up back was getting on the sciatic nerve in my left leg's…ummmm…last nerve.

"You wait here, I'll go and get the car."

So, while my oldest went to get the car (pausing to acknowledge any residual angst about my having a kid old enough for a driver's license, SHUDDUP and DER!!!!) my middle girl and I…very…very…slooooooooowly…started our way back up the trail and I was feeling pretty low (not to mention, old-ish) when she grabbed my hand, gave it a squeeze and then tried her best to make me feel a little better.

"That's okay, I have to go pee, really bad, anyway!"

Aaaaand, you know what?!? It worked!!! Because I, on the other hand, had the good sense to go before we left.

[sound of crickets, chirping]

Hey, look…doesn't that look like a really fun roller coaster…for squirrels?!?

[SLAM!]

Good thing I have jury duty, tomorrow: all that mostly sitting (for the next 2 days) will have me in tip-top shape for the cancer walk, this weekend.

Stupid borked-up back, dumbass cancer.

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

October 16, 2013
Throwback Thursday: The time my grandmother and I ran away from home with Def Leppard.

My twin bro, our Nagy Mama and me in 1986: the year of home perms and fullets (female mullet) with massive amounts of eye makeup thrown in for extra GAH!!!!

I haven't written about my Nagy Mama (Hungarian for Grandmother) since when I cut her ex-husband out of the picture. It was a post that I had written and deleted many, many times, but man oh man, it felt REAL GOOD to air out some old dirty laundry.

And then throw that sucker out with the trash, where it belongs.

Today marks 10 years since Nagy Mama left us and, rather than remembering her with sadness, I decided to celebrate her memory with one of my favorite stories about Nagy Mama: the time we ran away from home with Def Leppard.

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October 10, 2013
Confessions of a Professional Over-sharer

My husband, Garth (not his real name) and I recently bumped into friends of ours at the market, literally — the deli counter can be a very dangerous place, especially on a Sunday night — which, by the way, some folks consider to be a perfectly acceptable "date night" and typically a pretty good indication that these same folks also happen to be parents of older kids.

Parental Unit #1: I'm going to head out to the store and pick up a few things.

Parental Unit #2: WAIT, I'll go with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Personally, we prefer to cruise the aisles at either Lowes or Home Depot.

Aaaaanyway, the wife and I started chatting.

I mean, our "friend's wife".

I don't have a wife.

Although, I feel it safe to say that we could ALL use an extra wife, or twenty, right about now, am I right?!?

Soooooooo, we were chatting about our kids (because, but of course!) when her husband comes up to me and says:

"So, you gonna blog this too?!?"

I still truly believe it as a moment of innocent teasing.

This is the same guy who honks his horn every time he drives past our house, several times a day and, no matter where I am or what I am doing, I holler:

"Heeeeeeeey, Wayne (not his real name, either!)"

Still, I can't help but wonder: in the age of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, are people IRL (who also happen to be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and/or Instagram) still a little leary about my blogging?

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September 27, 2013
Hard to Digest Moments: Watching movies
with your teens.

I am honored to be able to partner with Kellogg’s as a Champion of #GreatStarts blogger, with many thanks for their sponsoring this blog post and allowing me to share our stories with families (like mine) and (hopefully) help get each day off to a great start.

Have you seen the latest Kellogg’s commercials? How’d That Happen and Tweezers are part of the Rice Krispies “hard to digest” campaign, showcasing awkward moments between parents and kids.

When our little ones get smart enough to ask questions that we’re just so NOT ready to answer…yet…and, I’m sorry to say, the conversations don’t get ANY easier once your kids get older (whenever they actually decide to talk to you, I mean).

So, when my friends at Kellogg’s challenged me to capture our own version of a “hard to digest” moment and then encouraged me to create a humorous video about it…*snort*… it was like giving a kid the keys to a virtual candy store.

This time, I asked my 14 year-old son to help and he said yes (cue choir of angels, singing):

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September 25, 2013
Soooooo, I showed a tired old table a little love and now I’m ready for a nap.
Now that we're a couple of weeks into the new school year (gosh, but how I love September!) I feel it safe to say that the kids seem to be adjusting rather nicely to their schedules and by nicely I mean:
- They have gotten up on time
- Remembered to get dressed
- Eat breakfast
- Aaaaaand, to open the storm door BEFORE trying to exit the house
The fact that their mother (that would be me) still seems to be going through some freaked-out and totally irrational form of latent-nesting, not so much.

My son started his freshman year in high school and his middle sister will most likely be settled into her college dorm room, this time next year (please excuse me while I take a moment to collect myself, because….MY BAYYYYYBEEEEE!!!!….okay, I'm much better now, thanks).

My youngest will also be a teenager by then (this would be a good time to get a beverage, a snack, or something, because….MY BAYYYYYBEEEEEZ!!!!….ugh, moving on), don't you think it's sort of weird for me to be all, like….oh hey guys, where you going, come on in, sit down and stay a while….g'head and make yourselves comfy-cozy, m'kay?!?

Fixing up stuff so they actually….you know….want to hang around, just a little while longer….pleeeeeeeease?!?!?!?

For example: this weekend, I was going through the garage (I hate it when they don't reload the toilet paper roll and won't miss that one bit!) and I came across this tired old table.

Poor tired old table, I know how you feel 🙁

Because no table should look this sad (or tired) and I didn't have the heart to throw it out, so I decided to transform it into a cozy tableau of cottage-style comfort that is totally nap-worthy!

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September 23, 2013