Momgenuity: resourecful mom moments that will make you proud

I was driving to school the other day when I noticed my side mirror wasn’t positioned so I could see out of it. I pressed the button to maneuver the mirror to a better position when the mirror fell off. It. Fell. Off. My mirror was hanging by a small wire, just flapping in the breeze. Not wanting it to fall to the ground, I reached out and held it in place while steering with my right hand. The good news is that I’m amazingly resourceful. I parked my car, reached over to my broken glove compartment which is held closed by duct tape, peeled off a strip, and affixed it to my mirror. Voila!

This got me thinking of all the resourceful things we moms do. I recalled some of my more creative fixes, and I asked other moms what innovative ideas they’d employed in a pinch. Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite “mom fixes!”

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So what quick fixes have you used in a pinch?


(Thank you for all the ideas shared by my friends!)

CONTINUE READING HERE!

Capturing Disney Memories

I have many, many favorite Disney memories. Disney World is such a magical place that you can't help but acquire some amazing memories that will last a lifetime. I'm so happy that many of those memories were recorded. Although, I could live without the permanent reminder that I said, "Look, there's Meg!" a dozen times in a row. I have no idea why I was so excited to see Meg from Hercules. I was probably hoping that Hercules was nearby.

I think my absolute favorite Disney memory is walking into the park for the first time with my kids. The looks of absolute awe on their faces as they took it all in was priceless. It is so cool seeing things through a child’s eyes.

Some other great Disney memories are the time Clayton “flew” around the park while flapping his ears with his hands because he was Dumbo. And then there’s the time I learned that I can no longer tolerate rides that go in circles. Thank you Mad Tea Party. There’s the time, after seven days of non-stop park-hopping with six kids, that I lost it and started yelling at the stupid people who feel the need to stop dead in their tracks in the middle of a walkway. There’s the memory of the time Savannah won a trip to Disney World and was dressed like Cinderella and put on the stage in front of the castle in the Magic Kingdom. Oh and let’s not forget about the time I convinced Savannah she would enjoy going on the Tower of Terror only to have her break down in hysterics (that lasted for hours, I might add) when she got off the ride.

And most recently, there was the time my parent took my me and my kids to the Magic Kingdom. We had such a fun day with Yia Yia and Papa. That was the day that Brooklyn got to meet her favorite princess.017 225x300 Capturing Disney Memories

Want to capture your own family memories on video? We’re giving away two Sony Handycams! To enter for a chance to win, simply comment on any Sony-sponsored post (including this one) with an answer to the following question: what’s your favorite family memory? Contest runs through 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 30th, 2012, and you may enter once per post. Contest is open to U.S. residents only.

Want a chance to win weekly prizes like a Sony Handycam or a $200 Disney shopping card? Enter to win here!


A big thanks to Sony for sponsoring this campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion.

Limeades for Learning

I lived in the same general area outside Chicago for forty-one years. When I was a kid, I attended schools that were in financially stable districts. As an adult, my own children attended similar schools. I thought all schools were pretty much the same. What a fool I was! Coming from an area where every middle school student received their own laptop to use for the year, it was a shock relocating to an area where the schools don't even have enough money to fund many elective classes like life skills (home ec.), shop, computer, etc.

A few years ago, I talked about a program called Limeades for Learning. You can see the video I made about it HERE (the video is a little lame, but I totally cracked up at the end watching Clayton! I'd completely forgotten about how he was acting in the video! I guess he was five years old at the time.)

What is Limeades for Learning, you ask?  Limeades for Learning is a program from Sonic, America's Drive-In, where they, in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, will provide funds needed for learning materials and innovative teaching techniques to inspire creativity and learning in today's youth.

How does it work? Teachers, need books for your students? Or maybe you could use some material for hand's on science experiments.  Is your PE class in need of jumpropes, balls, or other equipment? Do you wish you had some new toys for your kindergarten class or some manipulatives for your struggling math students? Go to Limeades for Learning to register a project HERE! Then spread the word for people to vote for your project!

Want to vote for a project to be funded? Just go to Limeades for Learning to vote. You can vote once a day, every day from September 24 through October 29! And if you purchase anything from Sonic, you'll receive two extra votes. Not only that, but for every 10 votes you place, you'll be emailed a code for yet another two bonus votes.

This is a very easy way to help some hard-working teachers give their students a terrific learning environment! It only takes a minute of your time to vote and there are so many schools, teachers, and most importantly, students that could really benefit from the funds! Please take a minute and vote everyday!

You Must Have Patience (or just some awesome technology)

I have seemingly limitless patience when it comes to kids. I guess that’s a good thing since I have six kids of my own and I work with kids who could try anyone’s patience on a daily basis! I really am pretty relaxed and patient when it comes to kids for some reason. But in other areas of my life . . .? Notsomuch.

 I have absolutely zero patience for slow drivers and for some mysterious reason, no one can even manage to get up to the speed limit down here in Florida! Back home, you’d be run off the road if you weren’t driving 15 mph over the speed limit. Down here, you’re lucky if they can even go as much as 15 mph!

I hate standing in line for any reason. I want to march to the front and demand, “Don’t you know who I am?!” Of course, I’m just an ordinary mom so that doesn’t usually get me anything but annoyed glares from the other people in line. Although, come to think of it, I usually let people with fewer items go in front of me at the store. Hmmm, apparently there’s no rhyme or reason to my psychosis.

On vacation, I cannot wait until I get home to see the pictures I took. Remember when cameras used film? Oh, the torture! Having wait for the pictures to be developed was an absolute nightmare for me! Of course, with digital, you no longer have to wait. In fact, I just learned the other day that I don’t even have to wait to view my videos anymore! I don’t need to find time to sit down and put them on my computer or anything. I can plug my Sony Handycam right into the TV in my hotel room and watch the videos immediately! How cool is that? For a person with limited patience, it’s awesome! And I probably would’ve known this sooner if I hadn’t been too impatient to read the instruction manual.

Want to capture your own family memories on video? We’re giving away two Sony Handycams! To enter for a chance to win, simply comment on any Sony-sponsored post (including this one) with an answer to the following question: what’s your favorite family memory? Contest runs through 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 30th, 2012, and you may enter once per post. Contest is open to U.S. residents only.

Want a chance to win weekly prizes like a Sony Handycam or a $200 Disney shopping card? Enter to win here!


A big thanks to Sony for sponsoring this campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion.

It's Just Like Riding a Bike

This summer, my plan was to continue exercising until I looked like a super-model. That was the plan. Then reality happened. While my kids and I were in Chicago, we ate pretty much nonstop, stocking up on all our favorite foods from our favorite restaurants. Then, when we returned to Florida, I developed several blood clots from sitting too long on our return drive. My leg became too painful to handle walking, let alone any other kind of exercise. After a couple weeks of that, I had a blood clot go to my lung so I was unable to breathe well for another few weeks.  And now, I've started back to work. By the time I get off work, pick up Savannah from swim, the littles from after school care, and drop off my middle kids to football and cheer, I need to make dinner, clean up, do some laundry, write, help my kids with homework, pay bills, etc. Before I even finish, it's after midnight and I have to call it quits. Needless to say, I'm having a difficult time fitting fitness back into my schedule.

But today, I took time out for exercise, and more importanly, for FUN!  This summer, I got a new Huffy Cruiser. It's pink and aqua (my absolute favorite colors) and I was so excited to ride it, but when it arrived, I was having problems with blood clots so there it sat, unused, lonely. Today, I hopped on and rode a bike for the first time in probably fifteen years! I was honestly a little scared to take off because I wasn't sure I'd even remember how to pedal. But like the saying goes, it was just like riding a bike. A little wobbly at first, perhaps, but then it was pure fun!

I live near a biking/hiking trail and I see riders all decked out with their little bike shorts, snug fitting shirts, and aerodynamically designed helmets. That's not me. Instead, I donned comfy clothes and cruised (although, next time I'll trade my flip flops for tennis shoes, I think). I wasn't in a race with those guys on the trail; I was on a mission to feel the wind in my face. I wasn't trying to make time; I was trying to have a good time.  I wasn't trying to qualify for the next Tour de France; I was trying to forgot about the stacks of work waiting for me at home. I wasn't trying to burn calories; I was trying to recapture that feeling I got when I was a kid, riding around the neighborhood on my bike, free, independent, invincible. And you know what? I did all those things! It was truly FUN!

Huffy's new Cruisers are all about the fun of riding! This bike doesn't have several speeds. It's not designed for racing. It's not designed to handle all sorts of crazy terrain. In fact, most of the Huffy Cruisers have all sorts of saddle bags and baskets. You can head to the park or the beach, packing a picnic, sand toys, sunscreen, drinks, whatever into those bags. The Panama Jack Cruiser even has a bottle opener on the frame! Now that's my kind of bike! And my kids think I'm nuts, but my favorite thing about this bike (aside from the fact that it's PINK) is the seat! Really! Most bicycles have these tiny little seats designed for a size 2 butt. Huffy Cruisers have a nice sized seat which is awesome for those of us who do not possess a size 2 butt! You can check out Huffy's Cruiser line of bicycles HERE!

Next weekend's agenda? The park with my kids and a picnic!

When Did Bureaucracy Replace Common Sense?

I’m new to the world of Homeowners Associations. I don’t know of a single person who belongs to one back in Illinois, save a couple people who reside in retirement communities. I’m not saying there aren’t any there, but I don’t know of any personally. But here in Florida? Well, pretty much everyone lives in a community with an HOA. I understand fundamentally why HOAs are in place. It only takes a short drive down the street, past the houses with waist-high grass, old appliances in the yard, broken shutters, peeling paint, and giant rebel flags to understand why HOAs exist.

However, much like any organization with a modicum of power, some HOAs go stark-raving, power hungry a little overboard. And I tend to be a little contrary. I don’t mean to be so adverse, but in all honesty, if there’s a rule to be broken (especially if it’s an asinine one), I feel the need to break it. Therein lies the problem.

For Christmas, my kids got a portable basketball hoop. There are no parks, tennis courts, pools, or other play areas or amenities in my little community. We have a tiny back yard, so my kids were thrilled with the new toy and immediately began playing outside, shooting hoops, making friends with the neighbor kids, and just hanging out having fun. However, a few weeks later, I started getting notices that basketball hoops weren’t allowed in my neighborhood. The notices got increasingly threatening, promising to take me to court if I didn’t remove the basketball hoop. I, however, thought the rule was stupid so I left the portable backboard on my driveway.

So, (skipping ahead a few months) I have found myself as part of a committee to get the verbiage in the homeowners convenant revised so the residents can vote to adopt the new covenant allowing portable basketball hoops. At a meeting the other night, this is what we discussed. For real.

Original verbiage:

…Basketball structures, either permanently mounted to dwelling above the garage or mounted to a permanent pole, will not be allowed in front of rear wall of the home. No portable basketball poles and backboards will be allowed in front of the rear wall of the home.

Proposed verbiage:

…Basketball structures, either permanently mounted to dwelling above the garage or mounted to a permanent pole, will not be allowed in front of rear wall of the home. Portable basketball poles and backboards will be allowed in front of the rear wall of the home only if they are located in the driveway, or on the lawn directly adjacent to the driveway, and are in good general repair and safe working order.

One would think this was satisfactory, no? One would think this new verbiage could be sent to the lawyer for further inspection. One would think. And one would be wrong.

The committee members were handed papers with additional points to ponder.

“How do we determine what ‘portable’ is?”

“Isn’t ‘portable’ kind of self-explanatory?” I offered.

“Well, what if someone has a backboard mounted to their garage and they grab a screwdriver and take it apart and pull it down? Could they call it ‘portable’?”

“I could take apart my house brick by brick. Does that make it portable? Disassembling something does not make it ‘portable.” I laughed a little, thinking the whole thing was a joke. “Oooo, maybe we should add that you need to be able to move it in five minutes or less. That will eliminate anyone claiming to have a portable unit just by disassembling their fixed unit.” I knew I was being a smart-butt, but I was powerless to stop at this point.

“But then someone will have to stand out there with a timer to make sure it can be taken down in five minutes and that’s not feasible.”

Oh my gosh, it’s not a joke. They’re actually serious about discussing this, I thought to myself.

“Let’s move on to the next point. Owners who have flat, wide driveways suitable for basketball play are encouraged to use the driveway instead of the street, it is safer.”

“Gee, ya think?” I snorted, laughing at the ludicrousness of it all.

“That’s a good point. We don’t want basketball hoops out in the street, even if they are portable.”

“How about this point? Basketball hoops must be kept in good shape. The structure must be sound. No broken backboards or large visible patches of corrosion. There must be a net and the net should be in good shape and not torn.”

“Doesn’t ‘good general repair and safe working order’ pretty much cover that?” I asked.

“That’s good, but it doesn’t specify what kind of net. Someone could put a fishing net up there.”

I sat there blinking, dumbfounded at the ridiculousness of the whole thing.

“The next point is The owner is responsible for keeping up the landscape around the basketball hoop’s base.”

“Aren’t we responsible for maintaining our yards and landscaping anyway? Isn’t this just another unnecessary, redundant rule?” I asked. After this one, I think I ran out of things to say. I simply sat there blinking, choking back the urge to slap people. This went on through seven more redundant points.

“Here’s another one. Players must yield the street to any autos or bicycles. Similarly, autos should proceed with caution when approaching children in the street.”

“Do you really think this needs to be included? If we don’t add this, do you think there will be an abundance of children playing ball in the middle of the street and cars running over them? Really??? Are you serious?! Are you really, honest-to-God serious? Don’t you people have jobs? Families? Lives? Anything, anything at all to do? Are we really going to sit here all night discussing these asinine, inane, repetitive, ridiculous, superfluous rules? Look! Now you’ve got me doing it! I sound like a thesaurus!” I shouted angrily.


Well, I said all those things in my head anyway. Outwardly, I settled for impatiently tapping my keys on the table, counting down the minutes until I could leave so I could go home and tear down the basketball hoop because it’s not, quite frankly, worth the torture of another HOA meeting.

How to Pick Flooring You'll Love (hint: make sure it's not avocado green shag carpet)

Unless we’ve just moved into our dream home, there’s probably a room (or two or three) that we’d like to update. Sometimes we just want to keep up with the Joneses and although our room looks great by anyone’s standards, we’d just like to see something newer. Sometimes, however, the room hasn’t been touched for three decades and it’s decidedly outdated. Maybe it’s so outdated, it could be featured in a museum. Or perhaps it’s so old, it’s chic again!

Consider these photos of outdated decor.

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A change of flooring can make an enormous difference in a room, but unlike a new vase for your mantle or a coat of paint on an accent wall, flooring can be a sizeable investment. (And it really is an investment that can improve the resale value of your home.) So what kind of flooring should you choose to avoid having your kids and grandkids make fun of “that avocado green sculptured carpet at grandma’s house”? How do you ensure it’ll be something you’ll love forever (or at least a couple decades)?

My advice on this one is simple. You can’t go wrong with the classics. Wood floors will always look good. Laminate flooring is a great, cheaper, (and more durable, and easily maintained in my opinion) alternative to wood floors. And when you have wood or laminate floors, you can always change it up by adding a new area rug thus freshening the look, yet avoiding the expense of redoing your flooring altogether.

If you opt for carpeting or tile, stick with neutral colors. Although neon orange might be all the rage this season, chances are you’re going to hate it in a couple years (or sooner). Also, when you have a neutral beige, for example, you can always replace or change your furniture without having to redo your floors.

Before taking the time and money to install new flooring, do your homework. Research which brands hold up the best. Take your time looking at different options. Bring home a sample to see what it will really look like in your home, among your furniture, in your lighting before purchasing anything. In the end, you’ll be happy with your investment and your room will be a place in which you’ll enjoy gathering.


A big thanks to The Home Depot for sponsoring this campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion.

CONTINUE READING HERE!

How to Have Fun with Pajamas

Throughout my posts about capturing family memories, many of you have commented that although you like to record holidays, vacations, and special events, your favorite memories to capture are of simple things like your kids goofing off, dinnertime conversations, and family game nights. And I agree! I love gathering proof that my kids are insane memories of my kids playing with each other.

I have to admit that my kids get along pretty well and they come up with some very creative games to play with each other. For example, the other day my kids made up a fun game using only a giant pair of footie pajamas and some pillows. The pajamas came in a big bag of hand-me-downs for my kids (I LOVE hand-me-downs). It was the one item in the bag that none of my kids wanted, so it became a toy for the little kids. I laughed so hard watching them play that I decided I needed to grab my Handycam to preserve these memories.


Here you go – how to have fun with pajamas!

Want to capture your own family memories on video? We’re giving away two Sony Handycams! To enter for a chance to win, simply comment on any Sony-sponsored post (including this one) with an answer to the following question: what’s your favorite family memory? Contest runs through 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 30th, 2012, and you may enter once per post. Contest is open to U.S. residents only.

Want a chance to win weekly prizes like a Sony Handycam or a $200 Disney shopping card? Enter to win here!

A big thanks to Sony for sponsoring this campaign. Click here to see more of the discussion.

CONTINUE READING HERE!

Why I'm Perfectly Happy Being a Bitter Old Cat Lady

I used to use the words “laid-back” and “easy-going” to describe myself. I honestly thought those were fitting terms. And, I guess, in some respects they are. I’m fairly relaxed when it comes to my kids. However, I’m discovering that in other areas of my life, I’m not only not laid-back, but I’m an absolute control freak.

I cancelled my membership to the online dating world and have decided that I’m really not interested in getting involved with anyone. I’ve been on my own long enough that I have a set way of doing things and have no desire to change that or implement the compromises necessary to make a relationship work. Even before my divorce, my ex was never around so I did most things on my own. In other words, I’ve been doing my own thing for a LOT of years. I’m pretty happy with my kids. I really don’t need anyone else in my life.

I’ve decided that I’m far too difficult to ever have a relationship with another human. In fact, I’ve already put in an order at the pet adoption place for a cat. My cat and I will be very happy, mainly because my cat won’t pee on the toilet seat or fold the laundry the wrong way. Yep, that’s the plan. The Cat Plan. It may include multiple cats. Then I’ll call it The Cats Plan. Yes!



CONTINUE READING HERE!

Ahhh, the Good Old Days

Last week, when I picked up my little kids from school, I started asking them questions about their day as usual. Clay complained that school is lame.

“Why is it lame?” I asked.

“Because we don’t do anything fun,” Clay answered in annoyance. “We just have to do work and learn stuff.”

“Oh the horror!” I exclaimed in mock terror. “You have to (gasp) learn things?! In school?! I’ve never heard of such abuse!”

Unperturbed, Clay went on. “Whenever it’s raining, we have to stay inside and play dodgeball.”

“Ugh, I always hated dodgeball,” I admitted. “Nothing like getting a basketball thrown at your head. Ouch!”

“Basketball? We have to use these soft, squishy Nerf balls.”

“Seriously? You use Nerf balls? Ha ha, when I was a kid, we used those red playground balls the size of basketballs, like the kind you use for four square,” I informed my kids. “I bet you guys have never played Butt’s Up either,” I asked, even though I knew the answer.

“What’s Butt’s Up?” Clay asked, curiously.

“It’s a game where you get pelted with tennis balls while you stand against a brick wall. Good times, good times.” With the mention of Dodgeball and Butt’s Up, memories of other school games that are obsolete now came flooding back. Things are so different now. It’s all about safety, and no longer about fun and imagination. I remember being outside, running around the neighborhood with every other kid, all day long until the moms starting ringing the dinner bell and calling kids to come home. We rarely played store-bought games; instead we played at the park and around the neighborhood, making up our own games with nothing but our bikes, some sticks, and our imaginations. And it was GREAT!

So here’s a little walk down my gradeschool memory lane . . .



CONTINUE READING HERE!