Happy Halloween from our silly family to yours. I hope you’re sitting down with a glass of wine and a Milky Way bar. Just like me. (Okay. Maybe two Milky Way bars. YUM.)
Archives for October 2012
Pumpkin Patch ’12
October 29, 2012 by 1 Comment
I love traditions! We go to the same pumpkin patch every year. We first found the charming place in 2007 when we just had baby Daniel. Then Annabel was born and we went as a complete family for the first time in 2008. As much as I love the tradition, I don’t think they will fit on that blue tractor again next year, do you?
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel: First Wedding Photo!
October 24, 2012 by 1 Comment
Do you love the pink dress? Oh, I LOVE the pink dress. And Justin jumping for joy. How adorable!
The rest of their world exclusive wedding photos will be in this week’s PEOPLE Magazine which hits newsstands (and mailboxes) on Friday!
The Southern Women’s Show in Jacksonville with “The Balancing Act” and Teresa Giudice!
October 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Since I’m a “mommy blogger,” I’m often offered some really cool opportunities to meet new people and participate in fun events. That happened this weekend at the Southern Women’s Show in Jacksonville!
I was invited to meet the women behind the new The Balancing Act morning show that airs on Lifetime TV. They take their show on the road each Spring and Fall as “The Balance Your Life Road Tour” and they had a stop in Jacksonville this weekend at the Southern Women’s Show. I talked to some of the tour sponsors and brand managers, mingled with other local bloggers and media peeps, and left with some free goodies. (I even won a $50 gift card from Verizon Wireless. Score!)
New blogger friends from JaxMomsBlog.com!
Hanging with Jacksonville’s Face of Fox30, Sharon Wilbur!
The grand finale was meeting Teresa Giudice from The Real Housewives of New Jersey! She was very petite! And very talkative!
Teresa was very excited to tell “her side” of the New Jersey Housewives drama. It’s truly sad that she is in such a battle with her family, including her sister-in-law Melissa who is on the show. I asked Teresa how she handles being a working Mama (she has four beautiful young daughters ) and she said she just makes it work. She is very driven. She mentioned that her husband definitely helps her manage (Juicy Joe! Who called her a couple of times during the autograph session. Her cell phone said “Honey.”) I also asked her if she had a Bravo TV spin-off show in the works and she said she doesn’t want to do something that would showcase her family and children. She’s more interested in a fun cooking show. (She has two Italian cookbooks on the New York Times bestseller list.)
It was a fun afternoon and I even treated myself to some new bling before I left. How cute is this costume jewelry?! (I think Teresa would be proud.) Unfortunately for my husband I have this store’s address and a coupon to visit them during the holidays. Hey, I always support my fellow southern women.
Michelle Obama and Ann Romney: Pretty in Pink
October 17, 2012 by 1 Comment
Last night’s second presidential debate is getting tons of buzz on Facebook and Twitter, but let’s talk about the REAL issue of the night.
Did the First Lady and Ann Romney plan this?
The ladies looked gorgeous in hot pink, but the outfits were nearly identical! They both could have been honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Either way, I love the two dresses. I would definitely love to own both. The necklaces were a nice touch. And the hairstyles too. I think it’s a fashionable TIE.
What do you think?
Things to do in Charleston with Kids
October 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
After all these deep thoughts, my husband thought I needed a mini break. Love him!
Charleston, South Carolina holds a special place in my heart. My husband introduced me to the city when we were dating and we were married there in 2001. Now we get to enjoy the historic city with our two children. There’s nothing better. We spent this past weekend in Charleston and now we just can’t wait to go back. (There is so much more we need to do! The South Carolina Aquarium! Boone Hall Plantation! More restaurants! More shopping!)
We took the kids to The Meeting Street Inn where we were married 11 years ago….
…and to Magnolias restaurant where we had our wedding reception.
We ate Friday dinner at the Charleston Crab House on Market Street and then we went to the “Big Red Barn” to pick up our ride for the evening.
We did a horse and carriage tour at dusk because it was only 35 minutes versus the 60 minutes during the day. I would definitely recommend that with smaller children.
Next time Annabel wants to ride in this.
We woke up early Saturday morning and spent some time in Battery Park. It was a little chilly which made it perfect for comfy jackets, hot coffee, and exploring. The kids even brought note pads to sketch some Charleston memories.
We hit the famous King Street shopping district (which intersects with Princess Street!) and then walked around the Historic Charleston City Market.
After a hotel break, we headed to the Charleston Children’s Museum. The kids loved it and they needed some playtime before we went to dinner.
Dinner was at the famous Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on South Market Street and I wish I had pictures. But we were all busy eating and racing rubber duckies in the entryway. You have to check it out. We left early Sunday but I wanted to take a quick photo in front of Boone Hall Plantation before we headed out. Boone Hall is where parts of The Notebook movie were filmed and it is also the place where Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively just got married. The Sunday tours did not start until Noon, but I thought I could get a photo in front of the plantation house. No luck. Here we are in front of the locked iron gate. Next time we’ll come for the tour.
Daniel did not want to jump in the photo. He wanted to check out Daniel Island. We saw signs for it everywhere and Daniel did not want to leave until we got a peek at “his” island. It’s a gorgeous area with a planned community of homes, stores, restaurants, and parks. Daniel thinks he should live there for free since his name is Daniel.
It was the perfect family road trip weekend. I definitely needed the break. And we had amazing weather, fun adventures, and a lot of family bonding. We’ll miss you, Charleston. See you soon.
Also check out:
Things to do in Tampa Bay with Kids
Things to do in Washington, DC with Kids
Deep Thoughts
October 10, 2012 by 4 Comments
I’ve been going through a bit of a funk lately. Maybe it’s still the mid-life thing. Maybe it’s the stress of being back in the school rush. Whatever it is, here are some of the things that have been swirling around in my head lately:
* Should I be on Hormone Replacement Therapy? I’m moody and tired. Maybe I just need more sleep. And chocolate.
* Why do I feel like everyone is judging me? ARE THEY JUDGING ME?
* I am so annoyed with young(er) people who have their whole lives ahead of them and they constantly complain about their lives. Same goes for people without children. They have NO CLUE.
* It’s frustrating to spend so much time doing the laundry, running errands, cleaning the house, doing the bills, and keeping everyone’s life organized. Because these things happen every single day and they give me no real sense of accomplishment.
* I am tired of celebrities who complain about being famous or won’t use a car service.
* Can I just please kick some will power into my 10 lb. overweight body and lose this baby weight already? It’s not even “baby” weight anymore. It’s “big kid” weight.
* On that note, I really want a pair of skinny jeans.
* I want to finish decorating my home. I just want it to be finished. No more bare walls.
* When can I go back to bed?
* What is up with these people on “House Hunters International?” I mean, really. Must. Be. Nice.
* I wish I had a gay best friend. I pick Andy Cohen.
* I love Christmas. I love everything about it. I wish I could bring the spirit of Christmas into other areas of my life.
* I often wonder where we’re going to retire. Here? New York City? Charleston? A desert island? And does “retire” even exist?
* I worry that my kids won’t like me when they’re teenagers. I constantly wonder if I’m laying the right foundation of being their friend, their guardian, their disciplinarian, and their moral compass.
* I want to start a “Deep Sh*t Club” where we just sit around and talk about deep sh*t. And drink lots of red wine. Who’s in?
How can you not smile? Christmas rules.
Taylor Swift: “Red”
October 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I can’t stop singing this song! It’s the title song from Taylor’s new album, Red, which will hit stores/on-line/the universe on Monday, October 22nd.
Taylor said the song was about “love” (of course) and how she sees emotions as colors. She told GMA this week, “I wrote this song about the fact that some things are just hard to forget because the emotions involved with them were so intense, and to me, intense emotion is red.”
Or maybe she’s talking about her lipstick?
Happy Weekend, everyone. Go do something “red.”
Sandy and Danny Reunite for a Christmas Album!
October 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Christmas is the word! I’ve got CHILLS! They’re multiplying! I’m hopelessly devoted to these two! Oh Em Gee! John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are releasing a Christmas album together!
How cute are they? (Do you think they’re drinking hot chocolate? cappuccino? coffee with Bailey’s?) It’s Grease‘s Sandy and Danny reunited! Their Christmas album, simply titled This Christmas, will feature all your classic favs and the duo are also joined by special guests like Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, and Kenny G.
This is the first time Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta have recorded music together in nearly 35 years! According to a press release for the new album, Travolta said he got the idea to make the record “after receiving a Christmastime text from his old friend Olivia noting that their 1978 smash, ‘You’re the One That I Want,’ had just become the best-selling duet in pop music history.”
And one of the highlights of This Christmas is the only original song on the album titled “I Think You Might Like It” which is actually the sequel to “You’re The One That I Want.” Oh, I can’t wait! Grease was my favorite movie as a kid. I must have seen it four times in the movie theater. And I remember asking Santa to bring me Sandy’s black leather outfit for Christmas. (Well, I asked for the Sandy “costume.” I was a KID.)
“It just fell into place,” said Olivia. “John and I have always connected. That’s never gone away.”
The duo will donate their album’s proceeds to their respective charities: John’s Jett Travolta Foundation, which works to combat children’s disabilities, and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
This Christmas will be available for purchase on Tuesday, November 13th and here’s the festive track listing:
1. Baby It’s Cold Outside
2. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (featuring Kenny G)
3. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (featuring Barbra Streisand)
4. This Christmas (featuring Chick Corea)
5. Silent Night
6. The Christmas Waltz
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (featuring Cliff Richard)
8. Winter Wonderland (featuring Tony Bennett and The Count Basie Orchestra)
9. White Christmas
10. I Think You Might Like It
11. The Christmas Song
12. Deck the Halls (featuring James Taylor)
13. Auld Lang Syne/Christmas Time Is Here (Medley)
Will you buy the awesomely cheesy This Christmas? You can line up behind me!
Hello, October
October 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I love October. I grew up in Maryland, so October always meant cooler weather, leaves changing color, sweatshirts on a Saturday morning, and planning for Halloween. In fact, one of my FAVORITE October memories is hanging outside in my backyard with this boy I liked in sixth grade and we were wearing our basketball All-Star jackets because there was a cool breeze (and piles of colored leaves all over the grass) and he was helping me carve my Halloween pumpkin and he would scoop out the guts for me because I didn’t want to and I remember thinking he was so nice and then I remember thinking that we would be perfect together because we both liked to play basketball AND carve Halloween pumpkins….but I digress.
Since I live in Florida now, I only get the “Halloween planning” part of October. The weather here is still in the high 80s. There are no leaves changing color. And I own one sweatshirt and it’s still packed up in a plastic bin. BUT, I have my imagination and lots of fun decorations. My favorite decoration is this awesome Fall wreath I found at Michaels. (You will notice a theme with me and Michaels. I go there A LOT. We have a bit of a love affair going on. But, hey, wouldn’t you? Check out this WREATH.)
See? I do have some leaves changing color now. I also put up our traditional “Countdown to Halloween” witch. So, in case you were wondering, you have 30 days to plan those costumes, people.
Oh, and my daughter is excited for October too. We went “Fall” shopping last weekend and it was a blast. We have a brand new H&M store that opened up at our mall and I have not been to an H&M since I lived in Washington, DC. I first fell in love with H&M when I lived in New York City after college. It was the best place to buy affordable, trendy clothes. And they have the best accessories. Here’s Annabel wearing her favorite purchase: a puppy dog sweater dress. She just needs some fun leggings and sparkly Skechers and she’s good-to-go. Now, can it just get colder here already?
