Blogging from the Beach

This morning, the hubs, the girls and I are on our way to the sandy shores of Sea Isle City in New Jersey, along with my entire family on my father's side: 2 grandparents; 2 parents; 2 sisters; 1 brother-in-law; 1 niece; 1 nephew; 13 aunts and uncles; 14 first cousins with various girlfriends and boyfriends; and 4 second cousins.

There will be much to blog about. I promise.

Gluten-free may be in our future...

Little K was diagnosed with Vitiligo when she was three years old. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease that causes depigmentation in patches of skin. Most people know it as what Michael Jackson had. And there isn't a "cure". Fortunately, most spots are on her torso and legs and aren't really noticeable in the winter or spring. And she actually doesn't mind them. They make her special. It's the best attitude I could ask for.

In the summer, of course, she gets tan no matter how much or how often I put sunscreen on her. I'm this close to wrapping her in UV clothing. So the white spots? Are butt white, and her body is tropical island tan.

And still she doesn't mind.
I can only hope they never show up on face.

Typically, where there's one autoimmune disease there's another...

A year later, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormone and can affect growth and development in children. Fortunately, she can take medication to replace the hormone, something she will have to do the rest of her life.

Because she is young and growing she needs to have blood work done every six months.
The last set of blood work included a lot of tests, including a celiac panel. Celiac disease runs in my family.

And, of course, the lab work came back positive for celiac disease.

Also typical in the collection of autoimmune diseases. Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the insides of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten. The only treatment is a gluten-free diet. Fortunately, it's all the rage now.

I could barely hold it together when I tried to schedule the appointment with the GI.

Fortunately, when we met with her and she explained in great detail the test results, she assured us that she was not alarmed by the results, and did not want to rush to do an endoscopy. Instead, we will stress little K's system by giving her more gluten-rich foods. Which in little K's book is a win! We'll retest in 8 weeks and see where her levels are then.

So as the saying goes, "Bad things happen in threes." I'm hoping this is the last of it.

Thrifty Thursday

As I mentioned before, I'm addicted to the Craiglist Mobile app which lets you scroll through pictures without having to click through the links first. On a daily basis, I find things I must have. Unfortunately, I had to pass on the rug, for now. And the mirror. I'm crossing my fingers that they are still there when I build my thrift fund back up.

But I wanted to share with you my latest Craigslist find for $100. Two outdoor rocking chairs and a side table, which needs no refinishing. Score! It was only a 45 minute drive, and the people were so nice they helped put the desk (another Craigslist score) I bought along the way on my roof!

By the way, if you happen to have or get this app and put it into a folder on your iPhone, the folder automatically gets labeled "Productivity". Also in that folder, you can find eBay. I would consider neither of these "productive". If anything, they HINDER productivity. So, just sayin.

Next Thrifty Thursday, I'm really hoping to share your ideas for this amazing frame I found over a year ago. It's been leaning in a corner ever since, and I have no idea what to do with it. Should I fill it? Hang it? Lean it on a mantle with other things? I need help! Please send some ideas.

What did you find last weekend? Any thrifty finds you want to share?

I got hit by a car and lived to nearly get hit again...

Today, I proved that no, it is not possible for a person to get hit by a car TWICE in one lifetime. But thankfully, my lifetime is not over. So unfortunately, there's still a possibility.

Because this morning, I narrowly escaped certain death.

Or at least a maiming.

Most likely, some serious bruises.

On my walk to the train every morning, I often see people run red lights. Fortunately, I usually get a feeling that a certain car is going to keep going. Or, when someone pulls all the way into a crosswalk never looking to see if someone is walking by, I know they're going to make the turn. So I always make sure they see me before stepping off the curb.

Until today.

Today, a woman pulled up to the red light and into the crosswalk. She was watching oncoming traffic for the opportunity to make her right turn.

Of course, she never saw me coming. And I - on the phone with my sister - did not make eye contact with her.

As I am walking directly in front of her car, she started making her turn. My hand (with my phone in it!) flies to the hood of her car - as if I could physically stop it - yelling WOOO WOOOO WOOOO! at the woman while I am taking more and more steps into traffic, and starting to panic.

Fortunately, her window was all the way down and she heard me.

Women drivers!

(I get to say that because I'm a woman. So you can't be offended.)

She braked and said sorry.

I was too stunned and shaken to yell at her.

Since now I've narrowly escaped death twice...I got hit by a car when I was 20 and visiting a friend in New York City. I ended up with some nasty bruises and 9 stitches in my head. I have the bald spot to prove it. And my watch flew off never to be seen again...I was going to text all my good friends to let them know I loved them. I figured I must have done something to earn this second chance at life. Other than getting the attention of the woman behind the wheel.

It's amusing now that I'm not maimed.

Instead, I sent my mom an email to let her know I didn't die today, and amazingly, her big concern was that I could have caused my sister to crash her car by talking to her while she was driving. Oh, and the fact that maybe the driver was blinded by my bad hair color job (which has been fixed, thank you very much). I answered back with some guilt-inducing response and she still only cared about my hair. Nice, Mom.

In case you do ever get hit by a car, here is some advice to help you avoid becoming roadkill.
Good luck out there!

She called 911 and lived to tell about it.

This weekend many exciting things happened, including an unexpected visit from a police officer thanks to little K's prank phone call to 911.

Little K and a friend were playing with Barbies in the guest room (where there is, of course, a tempting phone) with the door shut. While her friend's mom and I were standing in the hallway contemplating the placement of some furniture, the girls came running out of the room screaming. They ran into little K's room and hid under her bed covers.

I didn't think anything of it. They're little girls playing some goofy game.

The house phone started ringing, but as usual I ignored it. The only calls we get on that number are from sales people.

My friend and I went downstairs, and soon after heard the doorbell. I wasn't expecting anyone. As I'm walking toward the door I can see the uniform and firearm through the window. I think that's a cop! I said.

And lo and behold, it was.

I have never had a police officer at my door. My immediate thought is that some crazy armed burglar is on the loose and we have to lock all windows and doors.

He says, "Someone called 911?"

"Um, no," I said, visibly confused and surprised that he would have the wrong house. He asked if this was the {insert my last name} house to which I replied, yes, that's me. Still not sure of what is going on.

"Are there children here?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. And then it dawned on me.

No fucking way.

He said that the 911 dispatcher heard kids playing in the background, but they still have to check. Apparently, the phone call that I ignored? That was them.

To say that my friend and I were shocked is an understatement. I didn't even know little K could work the phone let alone knew about calling 911.

I asked him if he would speak with the girls, but he quickly declined, saying he had his own kids to deal with (WHAT?! Isn't it their job to scare the shit out of delinquent kids?). So we promptly grabbed the girls to point out the police car and let them know how serious this was.

I should probably blame myself for not teaching the girls the right way to use 911. So I did a little research...

Here are some good websites that provide tips and advice for teaching your children how to use 911 properly...Read up, or risk a visit from your friendly police officer.

KidsHealth.org
Pediatric Safety
911 for Kids - This site is for younger children and has a video specifically developed for them to watch.

I'm pretty sure she won't ever make this mistake again. And, here's hoping this is the last time I have a surprise visit from a police officer regarding one of my kids.

How to go thrifting

Nothing gets me up bright and early on a Saturday morning like a good yard sale. You never know what you're going to find. It's such an adventure. Of course, you're going to find plenty of junk, but the key to successful thrifting is to look for the hidden potential.

The first thing you need to know -- get to the sales early. Serious yard sale shoppers pounce the exact moment the owners are ready to sell. And the serious ones know what they're looking at. I find local yard sales on Craigslist under For Sale/Garage Sales. Then, I map them out, starting with the ones that sound like they have what I'm looking for.

Browse carefully, but quickly (you need to get to the next sale!). Look at an item's potential, rarely can you take it for face value. Crappy framed artwork? Ignore the art. Look at the frame. Does it have intricate details? Imagine how it would look painted another color. Same goes with furniture. Solid wood pieces can be refinished. Knobs can be replaced. Scratches can be sanded down and filled. It can all be restained, painted or antiqued.

Don't waste time trying to figure out where a piece will go in your home. If you love it, go with it. Figure out what room it will fit in later. Of course, if you've already got a dozen hall tables, it might be time to let that one go.

Also, bargain. Offer a price you think is fair. And, the more you buy the more negotiating power you have. My philosophy--it never hurts to ask. The sellers want to make some money, but they want to get rid of their stuff even more.

However, spending hours on a precious weekend going from yard sale to yard sale sifting through junk may not be for everyone.

Thrifting on your phone?
Let me introduce to you my latest discovery and my husband's newest nightmare...the Craigslist Mobile app, where, unlike on the website, you can quickly browse photos of items for sale.

Can I get a Hell Yeah?!

No rummaging for junk here. Look at these gorgeous pieces!

Seriously? This piece is $35. I will find a place for this in my house!

 

This is the new way to thrift! I know what I'm spending my time going to see. I can email the people first to find out if it's from a smoke-free home, because for a rug ($150!), that would be a deal killer. Can't you see this in a room with the white table above? Oh yeah!

Loving this desk, hutch and it comes with a chair. $150! I thinking this might be E's new piece.

 I have already spent way to much time browsing photos and daydreaming about the cute boutique I could open if I had a pick-up truck and all day to refinish furniture.

Plus, think of the good you're doing the environment. Recycling. It's all the rage.

Win-win for everyone!

So what's it gonna be - yard sales tomorrow? Or not.




Disclosure: I was not compensated for posting about this app, just LOVING it!

To tattoo, or not to tattoo

I turn 40 this year.

In 75 days.

Most days, I forget that fact.

But, when it suddenly dawns on me that my birthday is approaching, something feels wrong. I'm simply not that old. When I was younger, I always wanted to be older. It was cool to be older. You had more freedom. And now, I've finally reached the midway point. I want to be younger.

Even though my friends (who are all turning 40 this year) and I celebrated with a girlfriends getaway in the Bahamas, I'm not happy about turning 40. I always love getting together with friends, but quite frankly, I don't see any reason to celebrate my decline. I have my freedom. I have a career. What's left?

The other day as I was walking to work in a mental fog as I usually am before I have my coffee, I had an epiphany.

I'm going to get a tattoo to mark my 40th birthday!

This was truly out of the blue. I have never wanted a tattoo. Ever. While I love tattoos on other people, I would never consider putting something permanent on my body. I just don't have the nerve. Or the style.

Until my epiphany.

Within moments, I knew that I was going to get 4 tiny stars tattooed in a discreet place, either inside my wrist, or behind my ear. Discreet, but still able to show it off when I want to.

Anyone that knows me well enough knows that I love the night sky.

I don't know where this idea came from, but it just seemed right. And suddenly, I am excited about my birthday.

Initially, I wasn't going to mention it to the hubs. I didn't think he'd be supportive. And he wasn't. At first. Then he reluctantly agreed to go along with it. When I mentioned my epiphany to a good friend, she immediately put the kabash on it, telling me it was skanky.

I am far from skanky.

Yet I immediately thought of old ladies with tattoos, and thought, "That's skanky."

So now I'm on the fence. Because while I want the tattoo now, I don't think I'll want it when I'm 80. I keep picturing my old (really old, thank you) self with short white hair, holding grandbabies, and seeing my tattoo in photos. And regretting it.

But then again, the ladies I'm picturing would be skanky even without the tattoos.

I guess we'll have to wait 75 days to see what happens.

Enter, the personal trainer...

My inconsistent workouts, my penchant for large doses of wine and all things sweet, my chair-bound fulltime job has led to this conclusion, as voiced by my ever-so-loving-and-thoughtful husband, "What you're doing is not working."

Fortunately, he refrained from the disdainful head-to-toe once over as he said it. At least while I was looking.

Time to call in the professionals.

As in, someone who will design a menu and a workout, and hold me accountable.

Say hello to the Personal Trainer.

Terri will be coming to my house tonight to do an "assessment", and give me a sample workout. If she could also prepare my meals and snacks, I'd be sold. But I don't make a celebrity's salary, and she probably doesn't do that anyway.

I've also enlisted the help of a personal trainer-in training with whom I work. There's a gym in our building, which we can use for free, (And now you're wondering what's holding me back, right? Mid-afternoon workouts at the office. Need I say more?) and he needs a guinea pig.

That's right. TWO personal trainers!

If I don't look svelte in a matter of moments, then I give up.

Stay tuned. I'm sure I'll spare you the dirty details, like before and after photos and measurements, (unless that may be more motivating...hmmmm).

One Year With the Puppybaby

It is nearly one year since we brought Chase home. And if you've been reading my blog since then, you may remember that I was not in favor of getting a dog. In fact, I was pretty adament about why it was a bad idea for our family, and for me. Selfishly, I didn't want something else to take care of. But how could we refuse the girls the experience of having a puppy? E had been asking for one for as long as I could remember.

Looking back, she has been pretty amazing from the beginning. She had just one accident in the house. We were vigilant about taking her outside. Every two to three hours through the night? Not fun. It was literally like having a newborn all over again.

She never really chewed on the furniture - occasionally she gnawed on a corner of a wall - but she only went after things that were left in reach by the girls. Leave no temptations and you have no problems.

Going for walks did not come naturally for her. Do you see this face? You'd think we were torturing her.

She would refuse to budge and would have to be carried down the block at which point she finally decided it was okay to walk. Do I need to describe how embarassing it was to carry a dog on a walk?

Like most golden retrievers, she is a people person. She loves being around anyone and everyone. We take her to the dog park and she's more interested in checking out the dog owners rather than the dogs.



At four months, she started coming into her own. She could make it through the night without a bathroom break. Walks became a little better. We're getting there!

 I will admit, she's a gorgeous dog. Super sweet and well-behaved. You seriously could not ask for a better, more lovable dog.

I do have a few complaints. Of course. The maintenance is a pain in the butt. Cleaning ears, cleaning teeth, cleaning up dog hair from all over my house. Picking up dog poo? Makes me gag every single time.

But, my biggest complaint is this ...

I can't take the guilt. I mean, don't you feel guilty just from looking at her sad face? She's a master pouter. For a busy family with parents who both work, it is impossible to pay her enough attention. I have enough mom guilt to deal with. And the girls don't play with her as often as I thought they would.



Also, she does not love the car. At all. We have to physically lift her (no easy task) into the car. That's no smile on her face. That's trepidation. Here, E is spying the beginning stages of drool, a precursor to a typical vomiting episode.

Between the delay in taking walks and the fear of the car, we were wondering what kind of dog do we have. When we come upon another dog on a walk, she even lays down. I suppose it's better than being aggressive. But, finally, in the last couple months, she's started to bark when someone buzzes at the door. And it's awesomely deep and scary!

If I were to do it over, I would probably get an older dog. Of course, that would have defeated the purpose of giving the puppy experience to the girls, so ... there you have it. Hopefully, if you're considering getting a dog or a puppy, you will take something away from my experience.

Let's go thrifting

On July 9th, the I Love Thrifting event will unite thrifting fans across the country as we take to the local thrift shops in search of treasures. While I haven't sent for my I <3 Thrifting t-shirt, or organized anything formal, I am looking for some shopping buddies.

Here is my loose agenda:

Bryn Mawr Hospital Thrift Shop at 9:30

804 County Line Road
Bryn Mawr

Browse Around Thrift Shop at 10:30 am
4 East Athens Avenue
Ardmore, PA 19003

Junior League Thrift Shop at 11:30 am
25 W. Lancaster Ave.
Ardmore

Then, head to Milkboy for some coffee and a snack.

What do you think? Anyone local interested?

Pinterest is an obsession

My internet addiction gets worse every day. I find new websites to distract me more and more from life. I seriously think it's becoming a problem.

At work, I'm able to concentrate for a very short amount of time, only to jump back on the internet to see what I missed.

My latest obsession is Pinterest.

When you see photos of anything you can "pin" them to your boards for sharing and inspiration. You can follow people and see all of their boards and repin photos to your own too. Now, when I'm linking around the internet, I'm also looking for images to pin. As if I need a distraction from my distraction. Plus, there's an app. So when I'm not in front of my computer, I can look it up on my phone!

I could literally spend hours upon hours upon HOURS doing this.One site leads to another which leads to another. It's endless! If someone would only offer me a job like this, I'd be the happiest person around.

Anyone? Anyone at all?

Oh well. If you're on Pinterest follow me. And if not, check it out. The inspiration is overwhelming.

How to Make Mini Hamburger Cookies

I made these for a birthday party this weekend and they were a huge hit. All the moms wanted to know how to make them, thinking they were so complicated. But I'm here to let you know...they're not!

 

All you need:
Buns: Mini Nilla Wafers
Ketchup & Mustard: Red & Yellow Icing
Lettuce: Shredded coconut colored green (I put the coconut in a ziplock with about 10 drops of green food coloring and mixed it up)
Hamburger: Hershey's Kisses with the tops lobbed off
Corn Syrup and Sesame Seeds

Pipe some yellow icing to the underside of one wafer. Stick your lobbed off Kiss to it. Pipe red icing to the underside of another wafer. Sprinkle green coconut onto ketchup and gently press it in. Put on top of Kiss. Use a small paint brush to brush on corn syrup and sprinkle sesame seeds. Voila!

It's easy to get carried away and make dozens!

I wish I could take credit for the creativity behind these great cookies, but I found them at Munchkin Munchies. Lots of great recipes there so stop by.