I left Monday night for a work trip and returned today at 3:00 and my neighbor's house went from a steel blue-gray color (albeit chipping and flaking) to Pink.
That's all. Just had to share that my neighbor's house is now pink. Abby will love it. Sigh.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Party like it's 1982
I'm at a conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. What an amazing stadium. I haven't' been here since the 90's when I saw U2 in concert. There is now a Victoria's Secret and Aeropostale in what used to be the dirt parking lot!!
Back to the conference...it is all about how marketers, like myself, take advantage of "new marketing" which is loosely defined these days but includes bloggers, "tweeters", and anyone using anything besides TV or traditional means to advertise their message.
In the middle of my day had a wake-up call about the generation now known as Digital Natives, Millenials or Gen-Y. Anyone born between 1982-2002 now falls into that category. Anyone born before 1982 is known as a Digital Immigrant. I'm nauseous - and an immigrant. There were 4 "Digital Natives" that presented today. Let me regurgitate their presentation for you all:
they are self-centered
they are used to getting what they want
they are told they can be anything they want to be
1 in 3 believe they will be famous
they don't remember life before the Internet
they expect instant gratification
if you are a phony online, they can tell and they resent you for it
When I realized I was on the cusp of being able to be the mother of one of these presenters, I became pretty depressed. Self-centered. Used to getting what they want. We can't blame the Internet or technology on that - we can only blame the upbringing these "kids" have had - if my generation and the generation before had provided realistic expectations to them when they were younger and had told them they could be anything they wanted IF THEY WORKED FOR IT then maybe I wouldn't have felt like slapping each of these 21 - 26 year olds that presented. It was an incredible wake up call. My parents always wanted life to be better for me than what they had, but they never instilled this sense of selfishness.
I'm worried and wondering how we fix it. How do we stop the madness and remind our kids that they are worthy, but only if they respect, protect and appreciate the world they that have been raised in - because in all honestly we aren't on this earth that long and we don't 'own' it, we share it with everyone else on this planet?
I challenge Moms to keep their kids grounded and humble. Life is too short to think you deserve only the best because sometimes life can, and should, disappoint you.
Back to the conference...it is all about how marketers, like myself, take advantage of "new marketing" which is loosely defined these days but includes bloggers, "tweeters", and anyone using anything besides TV or traditional means to advertise their message.
In the middle of my day had a wake-up call about the generation now known as Digital Natives, Millenials or Gen-Y. Anyone born between 1982-2002 now falls into that category. Anyone born before 1982 is known as a Digital Immigrant. I'm nauseous - and an immigrant. There were 4 "Digital Natives" that presented today. Let me regurgitate their presentation for you all:
When I realized I was on the cusp of being able to be the mother of one of these presenters, I became pretty depressed. Self-centered. Used to getting what they want. We can't blame the Internet or technology on that - we can only blame the upbringing these "kids" have had - if my generation and the generation before had provided realistic expectations to them when they were younger and had told them they could be anything they wanted IF THEY WORKED FOR IT then maybe I wouldn't have felt like slapping each of these 21 - 26 year olds that presented. It was an incredible wake up call. My parents always wanted life to be better for me than what they had, but they never instilled this sense of selfishness.
I'm worried and wondering how we fix it. How do we stop the madness and remind our kids that they are worthy, but only if they respect, protect and appreciate the world they that have been raised in - because in all honestly we aren't on this earth that long and we don't 'own' it, we share it with everyone else on this planet?
I challenge Moms to keep their kids grounded and humble. Life is too short to think you deserve only the best because sometimes life can, and should, disappoint you.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The grass is always greener: a true story
I use blogging as an outlet to get the things that are stuck in my head OUT of my head. I only have so much space in there and I will relive moments over and over unless I share them. And since I don't work in an office where I can gather around the water cooler and chat, this blog has become that outlet. So here goes:
We had a block party in our neighborhood this weekend. We've never attended one before because it's usually Labor Day weekend and we spend it up North at the beach as a wrap up to summer. Somewhere along the way, I convinced the neighbors to push it out a bit and we decided on Columbus Day weekend. It was a huge success. Food from every continent arrived - who knew our neighborhood was so ethnically diverse. And I shook hands of people that I normally only wave to as they drive by my house.
What ruffled my feathers wasn't directly related to the block party but was a revelation that was made after a few beers later in the evening around a firepit long after the kids were asleep. Apparently, I come from money. Something I was unaware of. I wonder if my parents know?
I'll fill you in...
When hubby and I decided to sell, and buy, at the high end of the real estate market in 2004 there were lots of options for us. We were both working full time and doing quite fine - not great - but fine. We knew what our mortgage *could* be, but we also know what we *wanted* it to be. Since I was preggers with #2, we were trying to avoid anything outrageous and we were both raised in middle-class neighborhoods as kids and we wanted that for our children. He grew up in ranch home and I grew up in a cape. Certainly, not in a 5,000 sq. ft "mansion". And not by hot-shot executives at big firms in Boston who were never home (which I love about my parents, I might add).
We liked the overall location of our town so we set out for that perfect neighborhood. Our chooses came down to two neighborhoods. The fantastic cul-de-sac we live in now, or a newer development with brand new homes and manicured lawns. Instantly, I thought of headlines in the paper about wealthy children left home alone while the parents trot about the globe and how heroin and Meth is the drug of choice in the basements of those large homes. How would my kids feel when we actually stayed home during February vacation and didn't head off to London to shop for a prom dress? I may be exaggerating a bit, but just the pressure of the landscaping had me running scared.
I can honestly say that I love that our neighborhood is all different styles and sizes of houses. You can stand in your driveway and talk to your neighbor from your porch and the mailman stops at every house to chat. Here comes the ironic part...
My SUV and sense of "style" has intimidated my neighbors and many of the other mom's shy away when I come around with the kids because they thought I came from money. I'm still digesting this information and really haven't decided how I feel. The kicker is, I don't shop on Newbury Street in Boston, but at Ann Taylor Loft and Marshalls up the street. I buy designer bags a huge discounts from TJ Maxx. I am afraid of malls and the prices of the things in them. And I've had my Lexus RX for 4.5 years and we'll probably run it to the ground at this point.
So while I was afraid that we'd be unwelcome in a neighborhood of manicured lawns and sprinkler systems without a 24/7 landscaper, it ends up that the neighborhood I can relate to best has been just as judgemental.
I think I cleared the air with the ladies. I was happy to hear that while many thought I was a bit unapproachable, not once was I ever categorized as snobbish or rude or condescending. In fact, everyone really likes me...I guess I have to keep comfort in knowing I'm not the spawn of the devil in their eyes, maybe just a little too confident. Go figure.
I won't apologize for working hard and paying off thousands of dollars of student loans to be the first in my family to have a college degree. I won't apologize for working my way through a company during a time when jobs were just as hard, if not harder, to come by than in this market. And I certainly won't apologize for rewarding myself with a SAFE, reliable car for me and my kids.
I can only be who I am and that's the best I can give. I think it's enough.
We had a block party in our neighborhood this weekend. We've never attended one before because it's usually Labor Day weekend and we spend it up North at the beach as a wrap up to summer. Somewhere along the way, I convinced the neighbors to push it out a bit and we decided on Columbus Day weekend. It was a huge success. Food from every continent arrived - who knew our neighborhood was so ethnically diverse. And I shook hands of people that I normally only wave to as they drive by my house.
What ruffled my feathers wasn't directly related to the block party but was a revelation that was made after a few beers later in the evening around a firepit long after the kids were asleep. Apparently, I come from money. Something I was unaware of. I wonder if my parents know?
I'll fill you in...
When hubby and I decided to sell, and buy, at the high end of the real estate market in 2004 there were lots of options for us. We were both working full time and doing quite fine - not great - but fine. We knew what our mortgage *could* be, but we also know what we *wanted* it to be. Since I was preggers with #2, we were trying to avoid anything outrageous and we were both raised in middle-class neighborhoods as kids and we wanted that for our children. He grew up in ranch home and I grew up in a cape. Certainly, not in a 5,000 sq. ft "mansion". And not by hot-shot executives at big firms in Boston who were never home (which I love about my parents, I might add).
We liked the overall location of our town so we set out for that perfect neighborhood. Our chooses came down to two neighborhoods. The fantastic cul-de-sac we live in now, or a newer development with brand new homes and manicured lawns. Instantly, I thought of headlines in the paper about wealthy children left home alone while the parents trot about the globe and how heroin and Meth is the drug of choice in the basements of those large homes. How would my kids feel when we actually stayed home during February vacation and didn't head off to London to shop for a prom dress? I may be exaggerating a bit, but just the pressure of the landscaping had me running scared.
I can honestly say that I love that our neighborhood is all different styles and sizes of houses. You can stand in your driveway and talk to your neighbor from your porch and the mailman stops at every house to chat. Here comes the ironic part...
My SUV and sense of "style" has intimidated my neighbors and many of the other mom's shy away when I come around with the kids because they thought I came from money. I'm still digesting this information and really haven't decided how I feel. The kicker is, I don't shop on Newbury Street in Boston, but at Ann Taylor Loft and Marshalls up the street. I buy designer bags a huge discounts from TJ Maxx. I am afraid of malls and the prices of the things in them. And I've had my Lexus RX for 4.5 years and we'll probably run it to the ground at this point.
So while I was afraid that we'd be unwelcome in a neighborhood of manicured lawns and sprinkler systems without a 24/7 landscaper, it ends up that the neighborhood I can relate to best has been just as judgemental.
I think I cleared the air with the ladies. I was happy to hear that while many thought I was a bit unapproachable, not once was I ever categorized as snobbish or rude or condescending. In fact, everyone really likes me...I guess I have to keep comfort in knowing I'm not the spawn of the devil in their eyes, maybe just a little too confident. Go figure.
I won't apologize for working hard and paying off thousands of dollars of student loans to be the first in my family to have a college degree. I won't apologize for working my way through a company during a time when jobs were just as hard, if not harder, to come by than in this market. And I certainly won't apologize for rewarding myself with a SAFE, reliable car for me and my kids.
I can only be who I am and that's the best I can give. I think it's enough.
Friday, October 10, 2008
I refuse to over-commit
I'm getting a quick lesson in formal education. It's called "notices". Every day my daughter announces she has more papers in her folder when I go to pick her up.
Let's see. We've been offered 3 different ice skating programs, 2 gymnastics, 1 karate, several hockey clinics and soccer, soccer and more soccer.
My husband looked at our kitchen calendar the other day and exclaimed,
"Whoa. What's all this?"
It looks like a ball point pen has thrown up all over our calendar with all the scribbles I've made trying to just keep up with "school" related things, forget any "out of school" things.
We have the Pie fundraiser money due, the stride for pride walk pledges due, we need to send in newspapers for 'make a scarecrow' day at school, we have the Friday night PTO movie night, the preschool Halloween party (need to remember to buy Cheese Puffs for that) and I think I'm supposed to crave BBQ ribs at Texas Roadhouse next week since a portion of the bill goes to the school.
See what I mean? These are just school related things. How could I ever add more into the mix, especially when I just got hubby back on the weekends??
I know kids love to be challenged and stimulated and all that "well-rounded child" stuff, but for right now, my almost 4 and almost 6 year old have more than enough going on in their lives. I'm sure I'll be at the soccer field, hockey rink or baseball park soon enough. But for this winter, I'm hanging onto a little free time to visit family and friends on the weekends. I just can't seem to give that up - and quite frankly, the kids enjoy it, too.
Let's see. We've been offered 3 different ice skating programs, 2 gymnastics, 1 karate, several hockey clinics and soccer, soccer and more soccer.
My husband looked at our kitchen calendar the other day and exclaimed,
"Whoa. What's all this?"
It looks like a ball point pen has thrown up all over our calendar with all the scribbles I've made trying to just keep up with "school" related things, forget any "out of school" things.
We have the Pie fundraiser money due, the stride for pride walk pledges due, we need to send in newspapers for 'make a scarecrow' day at school, we have the Friday night PTO movie night, the preschool Halloween party (need to remember to buy Cheese Puffs for that) and I think I'm supposed to crave BBQ ribs at Texas Roadhouse next week since a portion of the bill goes to the school.
See what I mean? These are just school related things. How could I ever add more into the mix, especially when I just got hubby back on the weekends??
I know kids love to be challenged and stimulated and all that "well-rounded child" stuff, but for right now, my almost 4 and almost 6 year old have more than enough going on in their lives. I'm sure I'll be at the soccer field, hockey rink or baseball park soon enough. But for this winter, I'm hanging onto a little free time to visit family and friends on the weekends. I just can't seem to give that up - and quite frankly, the kids enjoy it, too.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wall Street insight
I'm not a financial advisor, expert or consultant but this article on TheStreet.com seemed to make a lot of sense to me - now if I only has some spare pennies to actual invest and retire a wealthy lady some day!
Howl at the moon
I'm so glad it's chilly out and the windows aren't open in our bedroom at night anymore, because I'm certain neighbors would have called 911 last night at approximately 12:25 a.m. citing the strange noises emerging from our room.
Get your mind out of the gutter!
Now that hubby isn't working nights I've been able to fall asleep without any problems - SOUND asleep - the kind of sleep that you wake up a few minutes before the alarm clock in the morning and think, "What a great night sleep!"
However, last night at 12:25 a.m. that deep sleep contributed to that painful moment when you are having a nightmare and all you want to do is scream, only you can't get the noise out...unless you are me. Then the noise comes out. And it sounds like the most excruciating HOOOOOWWWWLLLL you ever heard. Only it wasn't a nightmare that triggered last night's vocal outburst, it was a picture in our bathroom smashing to the tile floor. The sound of shattering glass woke hubby and I straight up, only my mind (or mouth) wasn't in sync with my body and words were not to be had - only moans and screeches. And hubby's hands were flailing to try to get me to stop my outrageous outburst so I wouldn't wake the rest of the neighborhood - which created the most hysterical image in my head.
Luckily, no small children or animals stirred during the chaos and I laugh about it now - and actually laughed hard last night - to the point of tears - as I replayed it in my head. The kind of laugh I also get after I smack hubby unknowingly in the middle of the night and apologize profusely, only to crack up 30 seconds later at the thought of what I just did.
I think I'll be a werewolf for Halloween. I seem to have the voice for it.
Get your mind out of the gutter!
Now that hubby isn't working nights I've been able to fall asleep without any problems - SOUND asleep - the kind of sleep that you wake up a few minutes before the alarm clock in the morning and think, "What a great night sleep!"
However, last night at 12:25 a.m. that deep sleep contributed to that painful moment when you are having a nightmare and all you want to do is scream, only you can't get the noise out...unless you are me. Then the noise comes out. And it sounds like the most excruciating HOOOOOWWWWLLLL you ever heard. Only it wasn't a nightmare that triggered last night's vocal outburst, it was a picture in our bathroom smashing to the tile floor. The sound of shattering glass woke hubby and I straight up, only my mind (or mouth) wasn't in sync with my body and words were not to be had - only moans and screeches. And hubby's hands were flailing to try to get me to stop my outrageous outburst so I wouldn't wake the rest of the neighborhood - which created the most hysterical image in my head.
Luckily, no small children or animals stirred during the chaos and I laugh about it now - and actually laughed hard last night - to the point of tears - as I replayed it in my head. The kind of laugh I also get after I smack hubby unknowingly in the middle of the night and apologize profusely, only to crack up 30 seconds later at the thought of what I just did.
I think I'll be a werewolf for Halloween. I seem to have the voice for it.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
250 pieces - just to be safe
During a trip to BJ's today to fill up on super cheap gas (20 cents lower than the guy around the corner!) and grab a pound of American Cheese ($2 per pound lower than the supermarket up the street), I patted myself on the back for being so economically responsible during a time when responsibility rarely seems to be associated with anything economic - take the AIG buffoons for example. I digress.
As I was loading up on the items on my list I couldn't help but feel the panic set in that if I didn't pick up Halloween candy NOW it would be gone on Oct 30. Does anyone else remember bare shelves the days before the doorbell started to ring and the rush of panic that you'd be handing out sandwich bags full of Lucky Charms because it is the only "candy-like" thing you have in the house? Maybe that's just my wacky world, but the first year we moved into our house there were kids by the carloads roaming the neighborhood. Forget the fact that it was about 65 degrees outside that night, it seemed like Halloween had once again become the best holiday next to Christmas. I was thrilled. There were a bunch of new neighbors that had moved in with small children and I had a tear in my eye as I waddled around 7 months pregnant with my almost 2 year old and enjoyed every moment of the festivities.
Things seemed to have calmed down a bit over the past couple of years, but I still managed to grab two bags of 125 piece candy to have on hand. I doubt all of that will last to Halloween with my sweet-tooth husband in the house, but at least if I grab a smaller bag at the local pharmacy right before Halloween I know I'll be okay.
As I was loading up on the items on my list I couldn't help but feel the panic set in that if I didn't pick up Halloween candy NOW it would be gone on Oct 30. Does anyone else remember bare shelves the days before the doorbell started to ring and the rush of panic that you'd be handing out sandwich bags full of Lucky Charms because it is the only "candy-like" thing you have in the house? Maybe that's just my wacky world, but the first year we moved into our house there were kids by the carloads roaming the neighborhood. Forget the fact that it was about 65 degrees outside that night, it seemed like Halloween had once again become the best holiday next to Christmas. I was thrilled. There were a bunch of new neighbors that had moved in with small children and I had a tear in my eye as I waddled around 7 months pregnant with my almost 2 year old and enjoyed every moment of the festivities.
Things seemed to have calmed down a bit over the past couple of years, but I still managed to grab two bags of 125 piece candy to have on hand. I doubt all of that will last to Halloween with my sweet-tooth husband in the house, but at least if I grab a smaller bag at the local pharmacy right before Halloween I know I'll be okay.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Hello my furry friends
It's chilly. No, it's cold. Our house is cold today with the New England winds whipping and the clouds back in the sky. Sigh. So, I have succomb to the fact that it is that time of year when we put the shorts and t-shirts away, however hopeful I am for one or two more 80 degree days, and pull out the sweaters and long pants - and my new found love - my UGG slippers.
Hello my soft, comfy, can-wear-them-as-shoes all season long, slippers! I don't usually splurge on shoes - although this summer I sort of got caught up in the madness at TJ Maxx - but this one investment last year has been my favorite by far. You won't catch me trying to pull off the Hollywood-UGG-boots-with-shorts look because, well, I think it looks ridiculous and I live in MA not CA - but you will catch me in these fabulous slippers that have a practical, and important, role in my life - to keep me nice and warm! And with heating prices the way they are I'm prepared for more cold days in our house. I'm just waiting for the UGG body suit to keep the rest of me warm - bring it on you Aussies!
Hello my soft, comfy, can-wear-them-as-shoes all season long, slippers! I don't usually splurge on shoes - although this summer I sort of got caught up in the madness at TJ Maxx - but this one investment last year has been my favorite by far. You won't catch me trying to pull off the Hollywood-UGG-boots-with-shorts look because, well, I think it looks ridiculous and I live in MA not CA - but you will catch me in these fabulous slippers that have a practical, and important, role in my life - to keep me nice and warm! And with heating prices the way they are I'm prepared for more cold days in our house. I'm just waiting for the UGG body suit to keep the rest of me warm - bring it on you Aussies!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Blogging's not just for Mamas
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Spanning the decades
In 2001 hubby and I left a very active lifestyle outside of Washington D.C. and moved to the suburbs of Boston. Jobs accommodated our move and we were happy to be closer to family.
However, adjusting to living 25 miles outside of Boston, and with no friends in the immediate area, had its moments and while we found a nice little hole-in-the-wall in our neighborhood that served greasy food and cold beer, we still missed the social network we'd created "down South".
Several months after the move, and in the midst of fertility treatment, I had had enough and decided to create a new social network of my own. I also decided that if I wasn't to have a child then my eyebrows shouldn't suffer and headed out to get an eyebrow wax - ok, that's not what I decided at all - but focusing on beauty worked as a distraction to my 6 a.m. blood work, bloating body and monthly shots.
That's when I stumbled into a quaint little salon called Lavender's where I was greeted with a heart-warming "HELLO!" I proceeded to book appointments to care for my face and soon after was lured into regular manicures. And all the while I would listen, and sometimes talk, and found out where the best bakery, sub shop and Italian deli's were in the area and even found my kid's pediatrician and real estate agent there. It kept me sane to have those bi-monthly appointments and share in the laughs.
Lavender's has since closed, and I went on to hire the owner at my last job, and over the course of 7 years I have created some great friendships with the people that frequented there. In fact, every month or so, 4 of us get together for dinner and drinks and laugh the night away. We are from different backgrounds and span 4 decades with a woman in her 20's, 30's (me), 40's and 50's. Tonight we will celebrate our 29 year old as she moves into the next chapter of her life as she hits 30 and I will soon hit the 40's club. But no matter our ages, I will always cherish how they opened their lives to me and have shared in not one, but two pregnancies, a move across town, 2 (or 3) new jobs and lots of fabulous moments in between. I love my Lavender ladies!
Girlfriends are the best and hold dear the ones that keep you grounded, silly and certainly loved!
However, adjusting to living 25 miles outside of Boston, and with no friends in the immediate area, had its moments and while we found a nice little hole-in-the-wall in our neighborhood that served greasy food and cold beer, we still missed the social network we'd created "down South".
Several months after the move, and in the midst of fertility treatment, I had had enough and decided to create a new social network of my own. I also decided that if I wasn't to have a child then my eyebrows shouldn't suffer and headed out to get an eyebrow wax - ok, that's not what I decided at all - but focusing on beauty worked as a distraction to my 6 a.m. blood work, bloating body and monthly shots.
That's when I stumbled into a quaint little salon called Lavender's where I was greeted with a heart-warming "HELLO!" I proceeded to book appointments to care for my face and soon after was lured into regular manicures. And all the while I would listen, and sometimes talk, and found out where the best bakery, sub shop and Italian deli's were in the area and even found my kid's pediatrician and real estate agent there. It kept me sane to have those bi-monthly appointments and share in the laughs.
Lavender's has since closed, and I went on to hire the owner at my last job, and over the course of 7 years I have created some great friendships with the people that frequented there. In fact, every month or so, 4 of us get together for dinner and drinks and laugh the night away. We are from different backgrounds and span 4 decades with a woman in her 20's, 30's (me), 40's and 50's. Tonight we will celebrate our 29 year old as she moves into the next chapter of her life as she hits 30 and I will soon hit the 40's club. But no matter our ages, I will always cherish how they opened their lives to me and have shared in not one, but two pregnancies, a move across town, 2 (or 3) new jobs and lots of fabulous moments in between. I love my Lavender ladies!
Girlfriends are the best and hold dear the ones that keep you grounded, silly and certainly loved!
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