Write On Moms

armyofwomen.org

2008-11-05T07:21:00.001-05:00

Check out the site:

www.armyofwomen.org

NO SCHOOL

2008-11-05T06:18:00.003-05:00

So we have a busy week....NOT.....kids are off from school for 3 days this week and unless you are taking a vacation they will be home looking for things to do! I decided let's try baking some cookies, putting up our holiday decorations, cleaning the basement, family ping pong tournament, wow we are busy.....and now what do we do for the other days off?????? Don't get me wrong I LOVE having everyone at home!!!!!!

What did you do with your days off?????

Cozi....

2008-09-11T08:07:00.002-04:00

Check it out....a friend sent me this website thought it was interesting for those that go beyond using that every day refrigerator calendar! I think I will print that out each month instead, at least I can read the writing instead of my chicken scratch....and hey Marc will have a grocery list that makes sense! Let us know what you think!

www.cozi.com

Hello, September...

2008-09-03T20:55:00.011-04:00

Ok, so here's me 'cause school starts tomorrow.

Now, anyone who knows me can clearly see that this, in fact, is not actually a photo of me. I sure as hell can't jump that high. But check this out...

I can rock climb. Now, I know that I am a brave woman for posting this photo, but I had to share the laughter. This is actually me. As you can tell from the wide ass. What you can't tell from this angle (thank you to my wonderful husband) is that I am standing at the bottom of the wall. And this is as far as I got. And it was difficult. Do you see my calf muscles bulging? Seriously, I don't know how that Spiderman guy does it. Oh yes, we got wild and crazy on our vacation to Western PA...

I shot a paintball gun...

I closed my eyes and allowed my children to pet filthy animals...

Even Mike let loose and relaxed a bit...

And Emily, who started the week like this...(she is so much like me, it's scary!)

Ended the week like this...

Watch out, Phelps.

SCHOOL DAYS ARE HERE...Yeah...not so fast...

2008-09-03T08:24:00.003-04:00

We are all so excited school is here....the backpacks, lunches, friends and classes...oh yes learning....so it is very exciting...until.....................get up 5:30, make lunches, laundry, empty dishwasher, feed cat, feed dog, let dog out, prepare breakfast yada yada yada...STOP.....now I remember why I did not want school to start! How did the first day of school get so CRAZY for me? Oh and did I mention the middle school and high school do not get their supply lists until the first day of school?????? SO I venture out after school with all of the 9 million bazillion other nutcases to try and get the what is left of the school supplies...did someone forget to tell the stores it is the 1st DAY OF SCHOOL? How is it they run out of folders, notebooks etc.? If I only had a camera....it really was comical now that I can sit back and laugh....not so fast...my High School Junior has to have his schedule completely shifted because oops the school forgot to give him some important classes (like English) to name one....so all of the supplies I battled to buy will maybe have to go back so I can enjoy another day of school supply shopping....NOT! One more thing, why do we send our kids back to school so that the first day can be a half day? Then the next week they will have a day or two off? All I know is September puts me over the edge...how about you?

Don't blink......

2008-08-15T10:33:00.002-04:00

Yes....don't blink! In the course of my daily normal (OK it's my normal and maybe not yours) routine, I have now added a working teenager. I now have to drive him to and from work....yes we hounded him to find a job but now it means more driving for us....well let me re-phrase that he is driving my car to work while I sit in the passenger seat making comments left and right...I knew I could not control myself as soon as I became the passenger. The first week of work was not so bad but last night he worked until 11pm and for those of you that know me...11pm are you kidding me I have to be up at 6am so that I can get my day started....that wasn't so bad because we came home and he did not have dinner so I rassled up some goodies and it was his time to wind down; surprisingly I found myself HAPPY to be up late and spending time with my oldest because alone time with him is hard to get....as I sat there having a conversation with my baby I got emotional and had to walk away for a little while....I BLINKED! There he was a young man with a job, a schedule that I cannot even imagine (and it is summertime), a girlfriend, a big brother who is truly good to his siblings and a son that just makes me proud every single day! Today is another day he is at an SAT course, then he will pick up his football gear only to come home, have lunch and get ready to go to work again....I am going to try and keep my BLINKING to a minimum because as they say (not sure who they are)....if you blink you will miss it!

Party Animal...

2008-08-08T10:04:00.014-04:00

My friend Elise is the ultimate party planner. Her kids parties always rock. Spa parties complete with cucumber eye masks...

(yes, she's asleep...but that's because she had
a rockin' time at the spa party.)

sock hops with root beer floats, and poodle skirts

Last night was no exception. She threw a kick ass luau for her 7 year old, Dani. We made awesome cupcakes, and rockin' party favors...

The decorations were totally professional...palm trees, hibiscus flowers...the works.

Here's the problem.

Now my kids want their birthday parties at home. I'm a die hard McDonalds or skating rink party girl. No need for party favors to be "theme" oriented. Whatever they have at the dollar store is just fine by me.

But Nooooo. Now my kids want the all out, totally theme inspired, creative home party.

So this morning my kids started throwing out ideas for their parties. Which are not until December and February. We giggled as we thought of ideas, until...

Jenna shouted..."I want to have a naked party!"

Silence.

Yeah, the teenage years in my house should be great. I'm buying stock in Xanax and reserving my spot at Shady Pines.

Wish me luck!

Beds be gone.....

2008-08-07T13:02:00.002-04:00

Here's my dilemma.....the kids won't sleep in their beds!!!! NO they are not the little kids that you are thinking of that cry at night and climb into bed with you....they are 8, 12 and 16...and I can never find a child in a bed...I came home last night after a wonderful evening with my girlfriends only to find that not only were my children not in their beds, but now they are multiplying and sprawled all over my family room....I counted 6 bodies in my family room, three bodies in the basement, and OH I found Marc in a bed. I ask you...how does an 8 year old sleep in a chair, granted it is a glider but nevertheless a CHAIR..what was she thinking? While making breakfast for all these wonderful children (OK so I bought wawa breakfast sandwiches) I decided it was time to ask the question...WHY DIDN'T ANYONE SLEEP IN A BED? As you can imagine they all jumped in with answers..NOT....I could not get any of them to answer me...so I have decided I am just going to do away with beds, bed making, sheet cleaning because NO ONE IN MY HOUSE sleeps in a bed....well maybe Marc but I gotta tell ya he sometimes does not make it off that couch. I on the other hand love my BED!

Miss Popularity...

2008-08-06T10:49:00.002-04:00

By accident, I joined Facebook. I got some random email that someone wanted to be my "friend" so I clicked, and next thing I know, my entire address book gets a message that I want them to be my facebook friends. Totally bizarre. Anyway, I'm proud to say that I have 49 friends. And I know what they are doing at any given moment. For example, I know what someone is eating. I know that someone else is getting ready to go to a birthday party. I even know what some people are anticipating..."so and so can't wait to go fishing this weekend!" My question is ... Who gives a crap? I have always been of the mindset that if I didn't keep in touch with you from high school/college/etc., then I really don't care what you're up to these days. You are either married with a couple of kids, like me, or you're not. Either way, I don't really care. And if you are doing something more exciting than that, I don't want to know that either, just to make me feel like my life is boring and sucky. If you are not someone from my sordid past, then you are one of my current friends or aquaintences. In which case, I see or speak to you on the phone probably daily, if not once a week or so. However, I will admit, it is an obsession for me to get more "friends." Some people have over 300!! Wow, they must be really cool and popular! I gotta get me some of that.
Anyway, chat later...gotta go check out "My Space"

Traveling Pants

2008-08-05T10:03:00.002-04:00

Well I decided to start running about 6 weeks ago (OK it's not all running I mix it up with some walking) but I am now up to 5-6 miles a day, except when my kids need to be at the high school for some sport in the evening, at which point I add another 4-5 miles...I know you are thinking NUTS or WOW and neither should apply...because for those of you that know me I am "INSTANT GRATIFICATION" and everything I do is in abundance...some would say I have ADD....so what....I don't have a problem with that; although that explains the fact I can't sit still for any length of time, except when I am enjoying my glass of wine (but that's a topic for another blog). Back to my run/walk....I have lost weight and still have lots more to go but I now have my inspiration...my adorable, cute LITTLE Levi's...yes I refer to them as adorable and cute...BECAUSE THEY ARE SO LITTLE! Who knew I was that small at one point.
I also mix my workout up, on Wed. I run/walk and work out with my dear "chub club" friends...although you can't call us the chub club for too much longer. Last Wed. we did a spin class...now I know why I never did spin before...YOU HAVE TO STAND AND RIDE THE STATIONARY BIKE for many minutes at a time.....52 minutes later, I survived and was sweating like i never knew that I could. I do have to admit I thought I was going to lose my dinner from the night before in the first few minutes of the class... And who invented that? But the real reason I am doing all of this is my Levi's they gotta fit at some point. So from now on on Wed. when our little chub club is working out I will be bringing the "traveling Levi's" as my goal.....but I think I will suggest we all have to fit into them....our version of the 40 something traveling pants!

Stay tuned....I will get a picture of the pants on the blog.....and I will at some point get a picture of our Chub Club in the "Traveling Levi's"......Don't you want to know how little they are?

Who really cares about all this exercise....its all about my LEVI'S......I admit it!!!!!

Farewell to Randy Pausch...

2008-07-31T23:04:00.006-04:00

I just want to encourage everyone to read "The Last Lecture." For those who do not know, Randy Pausch was a Carnegie Mellon professor who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006. He was given 3-6 months to live. He passed away last Friday, July 25th. Dr. Pausch was 47 years old. His last lecture was an honest and humble account of how to savor every moment in life. He was truly an inspiration, and anyone can benefit from reading his story.

My friend Anna.....

2008-07-28T11:12:00.002-04:00

My friend Anna is involved in a launch of a new company.....check it out:

I'd like to invite everyone to check this out... (973) 854-6963 - 3 minute recordingwww.mygenewize.com/ernieo. Ernie and I are very excited and confident that this is an opportunity that we will be very happy that we did NOT miss. We recently became involved with 12-year publicly traded biotechnical company called GeneLink. They are about to launch (this Friday, Aug. 1st) their new product through their wholly-owned division called GeneWize. The product is a customized, DNA-guided nutritional supplement based on your own personalized DNA analysis. Getting in on ANYTHING this early would be huge, but I do feel that this will be the future of nutrition. It will be more effective AND economical in that we will only get what we NEED and can actually USE vs. guessing. More than anything else, the fact that we are on board PRE-LAUNCH with this opportunity is what really has us excited. Please investigate this as much or as little as need be and give me and/or Ernie a call/email. Thanks,Anna Ojea (Abril)(561) 543-3526annaojea@yahoo.com

Amber Alert...

2008-07-27T22:01:00.006-04:00

My inner child is lost. She was last seen getting her ass kicked by these two gangsta chicks:

What? They don't look so tough? Not even with the "Beware I'm allergic to Peanuts" sticker plastered on the little one?

Well, think again.

At the shore this weekend, my kids wanted me to go on the rides with them. When I said "no way" my nephew asked..."Aunt Deb, what happened to your inner child?" He's 9, by the way.

So, that got me thinking... There was a time when I'd go on the rides. Swim in the ocean (ok...those of you who know me know that I was never an ocean swimmer, but go with me on this one...) Or at least frolic in the sand a little. Fine, by frolic I mean not get all bent out of shape if some sand gets on any part of my body except my feet. But now I'm just tired. And I think... "Where IS my inner child?"

I continued to ponder this as I drove up to Rutgers University, my alma mater, to meet up with my other nephew, who is 18.

Ahh, the memories. I thought back to those days with such joy, such vivid memories. "It wasn't so long ago that I trolled these streets," I said. My nephew pointed out that lots has changed since "back then." After all, it was a "very long time ago." Almost 20 years.

Here he is visiting me at RU back in 1991... and now.

Holy crap!! Seriously?? Where did that time go? Seems like yesterday. I feel like I could still go to the Knight Club or Olde Queens Tavern and fit right in... that is, if those places still exist.

So, although my kids would like to meet my "inner child" on the "Music Express" on the OC boardwalk, I'm pretty happy that my "inner 22 year old" is still alive and kicking.

Meet me at Olde Queens. I'll kick your butt in a beer chugging contest.

There comes a day.......

2008-07-14T13:03:00.002-04:00

There comes a day when you realize you have to watch what you say....yesterday was one of those days. It's Sunday afternoon and we have no baseball games to get to so my husband takes Austin to his friend's baseball game, Adam is at a friends house and it's just me an my little princess at home. I was thinking quiet time watch a little tv, relax NOT. My little princess is bored, nobody is around so we decide to play some games. Monopoly lasted an hour (I must have been playing the game wrong all these years) my little princess told me the rules are a little different now...ok so I believed her....after Monopoly we played LIFE (now I never knew the rules on how to play this game) and instead of reading the directions I decided I COULD MAKE UP THE RULES...she did not like that very much my little princess who is BY THE BOOK! Well in between playing these fun games I needed a little break was a little hungry so I sneak into the kitchen while she is setting up the game....so I think I have some time...and even though I am on a diet, I think one donut can't hurt I have been working out...in the meantime my little princess appears in the kitchen ready for the game...she asks me if I plan on eating that donut and how many points is that donut (if you don't know about points then you don't know about weight watchers)....well of course I respond by letting her know it is ok because I worked out this morning....not good enough...now picture this....my little princess standing in the kitchen with her hands firmly planted on her hips, clenched fists..and she says..."Don't you dare think you can come running to me to complain about your weight, I am not going to want to hear it" and walks out of the room....so I sit there and contemplate do I eat this donut or do I walk away...30 seconds later she is in the kitchen again..and she now is a little testy...again she tells me " I told you I don't want to hear it", and walks out....well now I am a little anxious what do I do...and is she going to walk in again....I was actually worried that she would come into the kitchen again...so before I got yelled at again, I quickly put the donut away and went back to playing the game of LIFE...isn't that ironic....

Morale of the story: Don't tell your kids you are on a diet and don't tell them which one...because if they are anything like my kids....they will ask you to document your daily food intake and daily exercise regimen so they can check it.....oh I failed to mention my little princess is only 8 years old....I better stay in line!!!!!!

Unanswered questions...

2008-07-06T20:27:00.008-04:00

This 4th of July weekend left me with many unanswered questions. What does freedom mean to me? What would our forefathers think of our country today? Am I teaching my children to respect our country and not to take our freedom for granted? Well, honestly, I just made those up. I was really asking myself things like, why do I always take the soap and shampoo from hotels? I mean, not just from the Ritz, with the really nice spa type stuff, but I'm talkin' about from the Residence Inn in Somers Point, NJ. Not your top of the line spot. Very mediocre soap and shampoo, but yet, I took the unopened ones home with me...no, I have not stooped so low as to take the ones that have been half used by my family, thank god. But anyway, I take them and put them in my guest bathroom. Why? Do I think that I'm gonna run out of the store bought stuff? Do I think that my guests will feel like they are in a hotel if they have mini unopened soaps that say Residence Inn? Or better yet, do I think they will be impressed with the variety of soaps and shampoos from which to choose, also pointing out the vast travelling that my husband and I have done? (those Portico Eucalyptus soaps from Hyatt are very nice...by the way)

I don't know...like I said...unanswered questions.

Another question that came to my mind this holiday weekend is, why do some men still consider the speedo to be a good choice? Naturally followed by, why do their friends and loved ones fail to inform them that there are options out there? I spent one day on the Ocean City beach this weekend with my friend Dina and her 4 kids. Yes, I said 4. Anyway, as luck would have it, my cameras battery died, but I swear this is true. All of a sudden about 40 men in speedos came jogging down the beach chanting some song in a foreign language. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. So darn funny, but I was too busy seething that I didn't have my camera. I know they were European, but that still does not make the speedo a good choice. Nor does it make hairy armpits OK for women, but that's another story altogether.

But there are also things that will always be...no questions asked...

Little boys will dig big holes...

Little girls will always stop playing to pose for a photo op...

And weekends at the beach with friends and family are truly what memories are made of...No questions asked.

Where's the camera when you need one......

2008-07-01T15:00:00.002-04:00

While out shopping at BJ's over the weekend I got a BRIGHT idea or so I thought it was bright. I decided wouldn't it be great to get a raft for my kids. No not a raft that NORMAL people would buy I bought the big one....9.5 feet long. My first indication that this was going to be too big for me to handle should of been when Lexi and I had trouble getting it out of the store into my car. It was in a box but HEAVY! We finally make it fit in the car and we get it home...now what? Well of course Marc has nothing better to do than get it to the shore and blow it up, which he KINDLY offered to do for his family. The kids are thrilled so excited it's big, looks like fun and we will have hours of fun in the bay...NOT. I decided to try it with Lexi and Austin...and this is where the camera would have come in handy...for a good laugh of course. We wobble back and forth and finally get it in the water. Austin has one Orr and I have the other (I think it's called an Orr...what do I know about water sports!). We are in the water and seem to be enjoying the bay and our new raft until....A bigger boat goes by and we can't steer this thing and now we are all over the place...we get it together after my kids are done laughing....OK so back and forth with the Orr's and we are in sync..except that my in sync and Austin's in sync are 2 different in syncs! Laughter ensues and now I am dealing with this raft all by myself....if you could only picture ME on that raft yelling at my kids for laughing so hard....for those of you that know me well; my yelling is not g rated. LOL. And yes my kids did have their flotation devices on....I finally get this thing back on track and we are headed back home only to find my kids are still laughing and can't get it together. All I can say I was definitely comic relief for all my neighbors and their friends. Did I mention I can't move my arms...all that working out and I can't even handle a raft in the bay!

How fast they grow up...

2008-06-29T16:46:00.011-04:00

Last week, 2 of my nephews had graduations. One from high school, and one from jr. high. The older one I just gave money. What else does an 18 year old want? The other, the 14 year old, is very into theater. He only wanted to see RENT on Broadway. So, being the very cool aunt that I am, I surprised him with 2 tickets to the show. I thought "how cool to spend the entire day, just the 2 of us, in NY...lunch, show, dinner, shopping...whatever he wants." So, this weekend, that's just what we did.

...with one exception. Scott thought it would be much cooler to spend the day in NY...lunch, show, dinner, shopping, whatever he wants...

With his friend, Jake...

and hey, even cooler that I would tag along to drive and pay for everything.

So that's what we did. And quite honestly, it was a pleasure. After the show (at $120 a pop may I add, because I wasn't taking any chances on not getting good tix) the boys informed me that the show was OK, but they liked the movie better. Could have saved myself a few buck there, but hey, dinner will be great.

So, we went to a really nice place and the only criteria I had for choosing this particular place is that they have crab legs, because they are Scott's favorite, and I wanted him to be able to order them. Try taking two 14 year old boys to a place where the decor consists stuff like this...

After the hysteria that followed...they ordered their crab legs. Then they ordered another order of crab legs each, like this was an "all you can eat" buffet. But at least the conversation with my precious nephew was flowing over dinner...

...when he wasn't texting his friends about the x-rated decor in the restaurant that his incredibly cool aunt took him to.

So, off to Dylan's Candy Bar for $15 sundaes and all the candy they could buy.

All kidding aside, we had a great day...Scott and Jake had a blast, and so did I. But next time, its movies and Red Lobster...and I spend the rest at Bloomingdales.

Before you know it...

2008-06-24T17:04:00.002-04:00

Before you know it, Sanja will look like this from all of this exercise!!!!........

This is the week I start.......

2008-06-19T12:29:00.004-04:00

So this was the week I designated as the week I start to work out....Day one I do "THE FIRM" fabulous workout. Day two I run and walk and do some interval training. All is good. Day three I continue with another "Firm" tape and doing well. Day four some more running and walking and my muscles seem to be in ok shape....I can still walk up and down steps. Day FIVE I decide I am going to work out with a friend; who by the way is an aerobics instructor/trainer. So we do core training for 1 1/2 hrs, ok I am tired my muscles are a little weak....but I am feeling like I could handle anything so we go for a run/walk for another 1 1/2 hours.....WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND does that? You guessed it...little ole me. I am only hoping that tomorrow I wake up and I can still walk down the steps in the morning....because TOMORROW I REST!

Stress Reliever...

2008-06-18T16:08:00.000-04:00

click on this...it's actually fun for some reason...

<http://www.therightfoot.net/mystuff/whatever/swf/bubblewrap.swf>

40 and Fabulous...or at least WE think so...

2008-06-14T21:48:00.014-04:00

My friend Elise turned 40 today, so we took the kids to the beach to hang out with her family, and a bunch of our other friends. There were probably about 6 or 7 families together, and it was a great day for a birthday celebration.

But don't you hate it when you show up to a party in something totally fab, and someone has on the same outfit as you???

How embarrassing.

At first they tried to ignore each other, and hoped that no one would notice...

But then they realized that they were just two divas with impeccable fashion sense, and if anyone didn't like it, they could f*@% off.

Once we got past that awkward moment, all of us 40ish and almost 40ish hot mamas decided to leave the husbands and kids on the beach so that we could go to the Greenhouse for a celebratory drink or 3.

Yes, that's me on the left with my arm flab strategically positioned behind my friend's hat.

And my friend in the hat is drinking a drink called "The Pain in the Ass." Really, that's what it says on the menu. And this is not a misnomer (see previous post about misnomers.)

The Greenhouse is a happening hangout for the mid-20's crowd at night, the same crowd that hangs on this beach during the day. People who don't refer to places as "happening hangouts." People like this guy...

Lots of waxed chests and bare asses in thongs on this beach. We reminisced about when we used to hang out on this beach. It seems that every decade we move down a block. We now sit 2 blocks away from this, the Washington Ave. beach.

As we were leaving, a bit tipsy and giggling, we started chatting with this group next to us.

They asked if we had kids. My friend replied, "yes, I have four," to which the usual (and true) response is "wow, you look awesome...way too young to have kids, let alone four of them!" However, this young man responded very poorly by saying "wow, four kids...are any of them our age?"

It was a bit of a buzz kill, but we laughed. And we laughed some more as we walked back to the beach, past the block of 20 somethings with the bare chests and exposed asses, and past the block of 30 somethings, with the infants crying and tiny tots screaming about the sand and the heat, to our perfect block of 40 somethings. Our kids are old enough to be enjoying the beach and the ocean, and our husbands are almost responsible enough not to let this happen while we were gone...

Ah, yes...our 40's will be fabulous...

I see an amazing decade ahead.

Managing Expectations, or Whats in a name?

2008-06-14T21:00:00.014-04:00

What a beautiful Friday night to do some fun stuff with the kids. First, I let them pick their favorite restaurant for dinner. Big mistake.

What would you expect from Friendly's? A nice, welcoming staff; friendly, smiling faces. People happy to see kids eating ice cream...

Ironic because everyone there was quite UN-friendly. Nasty waitress, and when I complained about how vile the ladies room was, the manager was quite Un-friendly as well. You can see by the rust dripping off the front of the building just what a fine dining establishment this is. My worst nightmare. Lets just leave it at that.

Then we decided to go play mini golf, so we went to this place...

Again, quite the misnomer, as it was neither pleasant nor in a valley. It's on a very busy highway as a matter of fact. First we were in front of this group of teenagers who, although they seemed very cute, insisted on spewing obscenities whenever they hit a bad shot, which was quite frequent.

I'm the only one who is allowed to drop the F-bomb in front of my kids. It's a perk of being a parent.

Here's Mike. With the amount of time my husband spends on the golf course, I would expect a little more prowess around the windmills and dancing chinamen in the mini golf arena...

I was less than impressed with his skills in this area.

But then Emily hit a hole in one!!

...and Jenna hit a hole in one!!!

So, ok...that part was pleasant. More than pleasant. We had a great time. But then we saw this critter...

Not sure what it was, but certainly not pleasant...a small rodent of some sort, does it really matter what it was?? And now the teenagers behind us thought I was a total freak for taking it's picture.
All in all, we had an unfriendly but ultimately very pleasant evening, on a highway.

Picture This

2008-06-12T14:13:00.008-04:00

It is the one day of the year...OK one of the days of the year I just do not look forward to.....THE VET VISIT! The dog hides in a corner knowing his annual outing has come and he shivers and shakes but allows the collar and leash to go around his neck...the dog is just happy for the attention. NOW it's time to find the cat...why is it that cats just seem to know what is coming? The cat carrier is not even in the house yet and the cat seems to just somehow know what is coming...how do they do that? So I chase the cat from one room to another and another and another, only to finally figure out she is not sweating I AM! So I put MY tail between my legs and call my AMAZING neighbor to come and help. She doesn't believe me that my cat is NUTS! So now the two of us are prompting her with treats, she is in and out of rooms again and the dog is sitting there wondering what the heck are we doing. After several minutes of prompting and playing nice we corner the cat....we have her in a tight spot and the carrier is now visible...after a few more minutes we are pushing her in the carrier and she will not go; just a little more elbow grease and she is IN....SUCCESS! But my poor neighbor did not walk away unscathed, for her good deed she has scratches all over...and the cat did not seem to feel bad at all! We are finally on our way to the vet and the cat is making noises, the dog is panting and the radio is so loud you would have thought I was doing a jig in my car. The cat, the dog and I did survived our annual vet outing and only 364 more days until I have to do it again....think my neighbor is in again to catch the cat? I wish I had pictures....next time I am inviting our house photographer Emily over with her camera.....

Meet Emily...

2008-06-10T20:47:00.013-04:00

Emily is my 4 year old. Apparently, she has just taken up photography. Please enjoy these samples of her work which I discovered when I found my expensive camera laying around on my deck, under a chair.

My Adorable Mom...(not a bad shot for a novice 4 year old photographer) And (you may ask yourself why my mom failed to inform me that Emily was doing head shots of her...but that's for another day...)
.

My Adorable Mom's Not-So-Adorable Shoes...

Still life of hose box and my adorable mom's elbow...

Still life of frisbee...

Artsy shot of me as seen through a chair....

And my absolute favorite...the artist's self portrait....

Camera, Shamera...
How can I ever be mad at that face???

P.S. Shoes.com has extended the use of the promo codes until the end of June. Use JUNE20OFF100 and get $20 off your order of $100 or more and JUNE50OFF200 for a $50 discount on any orders of $200 or more. Just click on the Shoes.com link on the right side of this page.

Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am...

2008-06-05T11:10:00.003-04:00

Ma'am. Seems so innocent. Harmless. Four little letters (and an apostrophe) that can totally ruin a girl's day. I like to think of my friends and I as a group of red hot mamas. Late 30-somethings, to almost 40 something moms that rock. We're cute, stylish, funny, partying ladies who can crush a 20-something in more ways than one. So why is it that when someone says the words "Thank you, Ma'am," we are ready to pounce...and curl up in a fetal position and cry? One of my friends recently found her neighbors dog roaming the streets. She brought the dog home, only to be greeted by the cute 20-something son in the driveway who had the gall to say "Thank you, Ma'am." Now, my friend looked cute. Dressed, make-up, hair done, and this jerk had the audacity to continue to refer to her as Ma'am several more times during the conversation. Can't someone please tell these people to stop using that word? It's not even a word. We live in the northeast, not in the deep south. Use the right terminology for cripes sake. "Bitch" would have been better. At least its empowering. "Ma'am" is like saying, "hey, thanks you old bag who I don't find sexually enticing in any way, so why don't you go home and knit a sweater or something." Or "thanks lady, who reminds me of my mother so go take a stool softener because I know people your age start to get irregular." I mean who does this kid think he is??? The nerve!! Once we were at a pool party and my friend's 5 year old told me that her "Bubbie" has the same bathing suit as me. That stung. But at least she was only 5. And her bubbie probably did have the same suit. That was just a simple observation by a 5 year old. But I have something to say to the 20-something "boys" who choose to call us "Ma'am." We may be older, but we are not only wiser, but hotter, more experienced in MANY ways, and just altogether more fabulous than ever. As one of my other friends said...we're "Bad Ma'amma Jammas!"

The Field Trip

2008-06-04T07:02:00.003-04:00

Well it's that time of year....we are all getting on school buses and heading to our favorite destinations.....no sarcasm here! I went to the Franklin Institute and walked and walked and walked some more....while I did have a great time keeping up with six 8 year old girls I found it was quite a challenge. I found myself counting 1,2,3,-6 every 10-15 seconds just making sure the headcount was accurate and I did not lose anyone along the way. We ran from this exhibit to that exhibit and I realized they did not care what the story behind anything was they just wanted to get to everything and run around....it's that one day free pass thing...I remember it in school...the field trip was something you looked forward to all year long. I also realized that I did get my exercise in...has anyone seen the steps at the Franklin Institute? Up and down up and down we went....it was actually nice to get back on that bus and SIT! Well I survived another field trip, the singing on the bus, the snacks, the goofing around....I remember it well....at the end of the day I may have been tired and counting only to 6 may have gotten to me during the day...BUT I was very happy to have spent the day with my daughter and the other 5 girls in the class...I realized how lucky I was to have been able to make THE FIELD TRIP!

Well back to the normal day grind today....but I will reflect and smile when I think of my field trip!

Feelin' Giddy...

2008-05-31T10:39:00.006-04:00

First of all, don't panic. I'm not gonna tell anything about the movie, so you can continue reading. But I did see Sex And the City yesterday. Yes, I played hooky from work, and the gym, and sat myself down at a 12:45 afternoon matinee. I have not done that since college, and ladies, it was sooooo worth it!! I sat there with my little red swedish fish, and I was giddy with excitement. Yeah, the movie was great, yada, yada, yada...but more importantly, I'm in love with Mr. Big. And Smith. Just for his face and body, not personality. And Richard Gere. No, he wasn't in the movie, but he was in a preview and he looked hot. I love my husband dearly. But a little time with these three men all meshed together, along with my favorite of all times, Andy Garcia, and my life would be total bliss. Does that make me Samantha? Anyway, the girls were fabulous, the clothes were amazing, and the NYC penthouse was to die for. At some points during the movie I hated my boring suburban housewife/motherly life. But in the end, when I walked out of the theater and booked home just in time to get my daughter off the bus, I realized that there was no place I'd rather be. I will wait until most of you have seen the movie before I blog in greater detail. But I give it 2 thumbs up, if for nothing else, it is two and a half hours of eye candy.

Coupons and Discounts

2008-05-30T15:01:00.002-04:00

Who doesn't love a bargain???? We found some sites that offer discount and promotion codes for all kinds of stores...check them out.....your favorite stores could be offering discounts!

Let us know if you liked the sites....

www.currentcodes.com
www.retailmenot.com
www.wow-coupons.com

Happy Shopping!!!!!

Doomsday

2008-05-28T08:43:00.007-04:00

I woke up in a sweat. I knew that today was the day. I've been dreading it for weeks, and now the day has come. I have to go...

I'm a new patient here. My old dentist retired and this guy was referred to me by a friend and boy am I glad!! This place is rockin'. State of the art equipment, high tech digital x-ray computer stuff. The works. This is my second visit. I need 2 new fillings. I guess my old 20-30 year old fillings are starting to crumble. Like the rest of me, but that's another story.

My new dentist is the nicest, kindest man. And he gives me gas.

No, you're gross. Not that kind of gas. Happy gas. Willie Wonka dream gas.

Most guys won't give you gas just for a routine cleaning. But my guy will. He's the best.

So why do I freak out?

Maybe it's this stuff...

OK...so now he's reading this and thinks I'm a total freak because I smuggled my camera in and took pictures of his dentist stuff when no one was looking.

Anyway, he gives me the gas and I think "OK Deb, think happy thoughts" and who pops into my head? No not Brad Pitt, or Mario Lopez, not even the aging Richard Gere. Dora. That bitch jumped right into my high. I smacked her and got back to listening to the banter between the dentist and the hygienist.

I haven't been this looped since the summer of '87.

More numbing...White knuckles, clenched fists, crossed legs. He said I looked uncomfortable. I guess I'm an open book. More numbing.

I wanted to join in the conversation. But I had the suction, and this rubber hammock thing in my mouth, which was actually a nice piece of dental apparatus. It stops the junk from going down your throat. I just gagged on it at my previous office. So, Dr. C...Kudos on the dental dam thingy.

Anyway, they were talking about the economy and gas prices and some local businesses that were going out of business. Come on Doc, you can't be surprised about that oriental rug place, I mean, whose going into a strip mall and paying 10K for an area rug? But the deli? Get out of town, I love that place.

And what site did you find the $59 airline tickets? Because after this, I need a vacation.

All finished. Not so bad. Now he thinks I'm a complete weirdo because I did this...

I dragged my enormous tongue and bottom lip out of there. Gotta go drool on a coffee.

P.S.

2008-05-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

By the way, click on our shoes.com link to the right and use promo code JUNE50OFF200 to receive $50 off an order of $200 or more. This code is good until June 13. While you're there, check out Graffeeti sneakers for your kids. Totally cool write on, wipe off sneakers that come with 6 different color markers. They come in pink, blue and black...high top and low top. Just enter "Graffeeti" (note spelling) in the "search" box of shoes.com. Happy Shopping!!

Just had to put this on...

2008-05-22T20:27:00.003-04:00

Check out this amazing rainbow...I guess it's the upside to crappy NJ weather!

This Can't Be Normal...

2008-05-21T20:44:00.007-04:00

OK, I know that laundry sucks. I also know that everyone loses an occasional sock or two. How, no one knows...we just know that this is a universal mystery. No witty observation here. however, is this normal?

Yes, those are TWO laundry baskets full of socks. I believe at one time one basket was filled with singles, and the other was just socks that I needed to sort and fold together. Which I never did. And now they've meshed. And now this is the result. Every morning I dig through for a pair of socks for each kid. I can't bring myself to sort the socks. It's a mental thing. I think tomorrow I'll throw them all out, go to Target, and buy 7 new pair of socks for each of us and just start over. Is there some kind of charitable organization that collects used, unmatched socks so I don't feel like such a laundry failure? If so, please let me know.

Dora has left the building...

2008-05-21T16:41:00.001-04:00

Not to be mean, but I'm sick of characters. Dora, princesses, Rugrats, you name it, I want it out of my kids wardrobe. The girls are 7 and 4. Time to move on. Vintage rock t-shirts are more my speed. We are also now into the "Little Miss...", Hannah Montana, High School Musical (which I'm not thrilled with either, but I will choose my battles.) I'm not someone who cares about brand names...it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive at all, just NO CARTOON CHARACTERS! Unless, of course, its underwear. Then the sky is the limit. Go crazy. Even Teletubbies are welcome. Anyway, I digress...
I have a bin of clothes that my kids have outgrown, and of course, its been lingering around my house for months, waiting for the day that I remember or find the time to bring it to the friend who has a kid who will fit into them. Another friend who is from out of town was staying with me, so I told her to check out the bin for her daughter. For various reasons, she didn't have too much time to rifle through everything, but to my great pleasure, the one item that she picked out, the DORA BIKINI !!!! I know, you are all wishing me much mazel. It is such a joyous day in my home now that Dora has left the building.

Katie's Krusaders

2008-05-21T14:11:00.006-04:00

“Katie’s Krusaders” is a non-profit organization founded in memory of Katie, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer; she was not quite five years old. The mission of “Katie’s Krusaders” is to promote pediatric cancer awareness, as well as assist families and children affected by cancer and other childhood diseases.

January 3, 2008
Dream Come True! Today marks the Official Grand Opening of The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House at Front & Erie. A wonderful feeling of accomplishment and pride is being felt by all who were involved in this great undertaking.

Click for the Cure...

2008-05-20T08:47:00.002-04:00

We've added a link to the Breast Cancer Site. Please click on it and then click on the button for free mammograms. Your click on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. You can click daily, and pass it on to others.
Thanks!!!!!!!!

Our purpose...

2008-05-19T17:00:00.010-04:00

One of the main reasons for Sanja and I doing this blog is so that we can share some of the wonderful finds that we come across. In our day to day recruitment business we do lots and lots of research online. We often come across information that we find helpful, informative, interesting, or just fun. For example, I just lost lots of weight on Isagenix. I love it and I'm going to continue to stay on the program. I've added a link so that you can check it out and see if it's for you. I'll be writing more about that on another post. We also found this site, Preschoolians. The cutest little custom made shoes for little ones. You choose the colors, patterns, etc. and they don't cost much more than other shoes of the same quality. We just love these!! And one of our absolute faves is Home Bistro. You can order delicious meals and they are delivered directly to your home...or, send meals to someone as a gift. They have low carb, low fat, low sodium and diabetes friendly selections, as well as a whole "lighter side" section of fabulous meals. Love love love this site!!! On the left side of our blog you will see links to these, and some of our other favorite sites. Some of them are business related, some are related to kids and family, some are non profit organizations that we think are great. So please feel free to check out some of these wonderful sites, you just may find a tidbit that can help you get something done, or just have fun with. Thanks, and Enjoy!!

Debbie and Sanja

Appliances Take a Time Out

2008-05-13T08:26:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had a week when the most important appliances take a time out? Here it is 6am and you find out your refrigerator is leaking on your wood floors, so you decide to wait until the 9am to place a frantic call to your appliance repair company. You take a deep breath and throw a load of laundry in all is good for now you continue with making the kids lunches and catching up on the news. Washer finishes up you throw it in the dryer only to hear NOTHING....what the heck....you keep pressing the button and nothing, oh and the load was a full one.....so you decide OK...I will hang it all up in the laundry room and get it dry.....now the repair man may have to spend a couple of hours at your home. Back to the lunches and the breakfast rounds. All the kids are off to school....and the dishwasher is loaded....what the heck....it is leaking and making a funny noise....can this really be happening? OK so you wait and you wait and you wait for 9am....MAKE THE CALL TO THE Appliance Repair and YES they can make it out before the end of the day, and you have to wait the repair tech will be there between 9-5.....cancel all plans and wait and wait and wait. The repair technician makes it there by 2pm, and figures this could be a job that takes him into way past dinner time....so we look at the dryer, needs a new drum cost is $200 or buy a new dryer bigger, better stronger (we opt for the latter). Next the refrigerator and it can't just be your normal refrigerator it is one that needs over $400 of work but cheaper then buying a new one...parts need to be ordered and another call from the repair technician in the next week.....last but not least we have some good news....luckily the Appliance Repair company is one that knows their stuff....the technician checks the serial number and thinks it could be a recall...OH GOOD NEWS! We called the company and it was a recall they would be sending the repair kit in the next 7-10 days; this will not cost anything since it is a recall. We can look at this in a positive light.....We have a recall that could have been dangerous...and now it will be fixed! The repair tech leaves; all of the food is out of the refrigerator, the laundry room has more clothes in it that some closets and the dishwasher has dirty dishes in it......clothes your eyes and think it will all be fine....and two weeks later it was all fixed, new dryer in place....and it only took two weeks. Valuable lesson learned keep on top of recalls.....there are many sites that list recalls....www.homedepot.com, www.lowes.com Everything in good working condition....and it only took two weeks!

Our first day...

2008-05-12T12:27:00.004-04:00

Ahhh...We're officially bloggers. Add it to the list of our "titles" and endeavors. We decided to blog because we have alot to say, and we're getting sick of being each others only audience. A few things that we feel compelled to blog about are: parenting, fundraising, working from home, sales, recruitment, and of course, just being mommies. A little info about us...
Sanja is a graduate of Seton Hall University in NJ, a wife of 18 years, and a mother of 3 amazing kids. She is a professional search consultant and has been for 10 years. Sanja has tons of professional experience, as well as experience chairing charity events and school functions. She is the poster child for sports moms, as all three of her kids are constantly involved in numerous activities.
Debbie is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, a wife of 9 years, and a mother of 2 divas. She is also a professional search consultant and has been for 5 years. Ditto on the charity and fundraising experience. Debbie is also a breast cancer survivor of a year and a half, and is very active in breast cancer charities and awareness.

We're happy to be here and can't wait to chat!!!!