Happy Halloween, everybody!
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Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go: Now Available in STORES!
Blurred reality. I was just informed that Barnes & Noble is placing an order for my book, Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go: Nearly 200 Ways To Enjoy Chicagoland With Tweens and Teens and should have it on the shelves by the December holidays. This was one of my main goals for the book: to get it into a major bookseller’s stores. CHECK! So there you go. Though the order they are placing is not big enough to get copies into every store (Yet. Let’s stay positive, shall we?), you CAN go into your local B&N, no matter where it is, and special order a copy for…
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Creative Parenting 101: Put Your Kids To Work
Some of the best (and funniest) moments in parenting for me have been when I suddenly figured out why my parents did something a certain way when raising my sister and me. Let me give you an example. Our mom loves to put on garage sales. LOVES. I don’t think she’s a fan of the work (sorting, pricing, displaying) before the sale–not too many people are, I imagine–but she loves making money from stuff she’s had sitting around the house (and who wouldn’t love that?). Back in the 70’s when we were kids in the south suburbs of Chicago, Mom had a couple of garage sales each year. Each time,…
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The Rules of British Royal Succession Change, And I Bore You To Death By Writing About Them.
Today is a great day. Not only is it Friday, but some rules that were as antiquated as…well, let’s just say they’re really old (as in, from the 17th century!) have been changed to reflect general 21st century beliefs and thus hints at the modernization (finally) of the British Commonwealth. (Note: If you’re new here, you may not have known that I am a total FANATIC about the British monarchy. It’s a blessing and a curse: don’t be scared. I’m harmless.) First, the rules as they were: Succession rules indicated that boys were given precedence to the throne over girls, just because they were, well, boys. Let me give you…
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To The Best Of My Knowledge, Justin Timberlake Is Not Jewish.
Most of us blogging types get a kick out of/laugh at/love to see/are occasionally creeped out by the searches that lead people to our websites. Like everyone else, I imagine, I have some search terms that pop up regularly, driving a pretty decent amount of traffic to my blog. They usually make sense to me. People who are trying to figure out the best gift to buy for an Eagle Scout find their way here, as do people who are wrestling with the decision over whether to get–or sadly, get rid of–a dog. Hands down though, the search that is most puzzling to me and brings people here a few…
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2012 Chevy Sonic: The Review
I am no car expert by any means, but I know what I like and what I don’t like. As the type of person who is on the go constantly, important elements of a car–for me–include comfort and reliability first, above anything else. Spending lots of time in my car means that the interior features become pretty high on the priority list too. I was recently asked if I wanted to try out the 2012 Chevy Sonic, fresh off the assembly line. Um, yes please! The Sonic, Chevy’s new subcompact model, has replaced the Aveo…and replaced it WELL. It is an adorable, spunky little car and very fun to drive,…
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Getting Back On The Horse
After the traumatic morning I had on Sunday, I waited as long as I could to get gas in my car. In other words, I waited until I was thisclose to empty. I figured that it probably wouldn’t be smart to drive by the gas station on the way home without stopping, so I took a deep breath and turned in, parking myself at the pump on the far end. Seriously, I was nervous. The funny thing is, I’ve been pumping gas since I was sixteen: nearly twenty-seven A LOT of years now. It took that one moment… that one HORRIFYING, SCARY, EMBARRASSING moment …to screw it all up. It…
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It’s The Little Things
The life of a typical college student is a simple one where material possessions are concerned, mainly due to the lack of available space. This year, college sophomore D was very particular about what he took to the dorm. Last year he brought entirely too much (but still way less than other students we observed!) and the clutter in his room drove him nuts. He discovered as he brought unnecessary items home bit by bit that it was so much easier to keep his dorm room clean when he had less stuff to deal with, and there was less to think about. Food is a little different. Even though he…
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Question of the Day: Got Gas?
I’m borrowing the “Question of the Day” format that my buddy Momo Fali uses on occasion, not only because it works in this case but because Momo often feels like bad/odd/embarrassing/uncomfortable situations seek her out somehow, and, well, just read this. You know how you go out of town for Parent Weekend at your kid’s college, and you have an awesome time taking him out to Target, and to eat, and to the football game, and to Casino Night, and then when you get up the next day you take him to breakfast and hug him goodbye and then go to fill up the gas tank before you get back…
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Texten Sie Deutsch?
I started learning the German language in Middle School, eighth grade to be exact. I loved German class even more than I thought I would. After all of this time, I still remember some of the conversation examples used in the book, like “Wo ist Monika?” (Where is Monika?) “Im Boot.” (In the boat.) “Wo ist der Hut?” (Where is the hat?) “In der Stube.” (In the living room.) (Truly not literary masterpieces, but they helped us learn.) The following year I was a High School freshman in German II class and I was able to compete at the state level. (Yes, a state-level German competition.) Categories in the competition…