The last 24 hours have been upsetting, terrifying, shocking, anger-inducing, and all kinds of other descriptors I’m too tired to list. Late yesterday afternoon, my husband Jim was riding his bike down a country road in west Knoxville, Tennessee when he was hit by some kind of vehicle. We’re not sure if it was a car or a truck because whomever hit him just kept on driving. They kept on driving. He or she drove off, leaving my husband on the side of the road. He was unresponsive when someone else happened to drive by and notice him lying there. That someone happened to be the pilot of one of…
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Level the College Admissions Playing Field with inli.ne!
This post is sponsored by inli.ne. It’s getting pretty exciting all up in here! Our younger son J will be completing his college studies this December, one semester early. Three and a half years to a Bachelor’s degree? Boo-yah! We hear so often that college can take four and a half years, five years, or more…but it’s also possible to graduate early. Everyone has his own plan but in J’s case, he stuck with his originally declared major, had some AP test credits, took two summer classes, and got credit for his first year of German after testing out of it. It’s amazing to me that we’re at the end…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Fun in Chicago, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life
Five.
Sunday was a great day. On Sunday Tracey and I, along with our incredible cast of ten other women and one Pete, brought the fifth annual LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO show to the stage. I don’t write as much about LTYM here on Suburban Scrawl as I used to. I’m not sure why that is, because it really has become a part of my practically-daily life all year round. Being involved with LTYM on a few different levels is still a life highlight, and it just keeps on getting better. Like Sunday. Our fifth show? Wow. Time flies when you’re having fun. Five years in and it’s still a…
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Six Free Months of Netflix? Enter Here! #StreamTeam
I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam and will be happily sharing monthly tips and stories about how my family uses Netflix on a regular basis. (Okay, that’s an understatement. I should say CONSTANTLY. We use Netflix CONSTANTLY.) This post is sponsored by Netflix, of course! In another installment of “Wow, how crazy is December???” I just realized that I have a six-month Netflix subscription to give away to a reader! Woo hoo! More on how to enter after I give you a list of ten of my favorite things about Netflix! In no particular order, here we go: 1. The ability for each family member to have their…
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10 Tips To Make Holiday Shopping More Enjoyable For Everyone
We’re deep into the Silly Season. Or the Holidaze. You might call it by another name. Whatever you call it, it’s crazy out there. Over the weekend I was at the mall (and at Target and at the grocery store and and and…) taking care of my holiday errands along with two hundred bajillion other people and I had the revelation that dealing with crowds at this time of year could be made easier and more enjoyable by being more mindful of our own actions, since that’s what we can control. Here are a few things we can all do to improve our shopping experience (and likely the experience of…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Favorite Things, Food, Friends, Fun in Chicago, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Pretty Pictures, Something That Could Change Your Life
I Nearly Nailed @MomoFali In The Eye With A Gummy Bear Last Night.
Honestly. It was close. More on that in a bit. The 2015 BlogHer Food conference is in the books, and it was awesome. I loved that it was in my hometown for many reasons, not the least of which was that a bunch of my local friends (some food bloggers, some not) were in attendance. Working a conference on my birthday when work doesn’t seem like work AND I’m surrounded by so many people I love wasn’t too shabby of a gig, I have to say. My friend Aimee Giese of Greeblehaus, who I’ve known online since 2008-ish but with whom I’ve never spent more than a minute or two…
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Go Float! (Part 2)
Disclosure: I am writing this post in exchange for flotation therapy at Anicca Float Club. As usual, all opinions are mine. It was just a few weeks ago that I went to Anicca Float Club for my first “float”, a sensory deprivation experience that takes place in a tank containing salt-filled water, ten inches deep. I loved it. Since then I’ve floated twice more, and I still love it. The post about my first experience includes a lot of the nuts and bolts about the experience. This time I wanted to write a little bit about how each float was different, or the same, and how I’ve progressed. My first…
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Netflix #StreamTeam September: Help Yourself!
I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam and will be happily sharing monthly tips and stories about how my family uses Netflix on a regular basis. (Okay, that’s an understatement. I should say CONSTANTLY. We use Netflix CONSTANTLY.) This post is sponsored by Netflix, of course! I’ll admit it: I’m slightly obsessed with “makeover my life/business/family/home” reality shows. I’ve watched many of them over the years, and while they vary widely in presentation, they’re all the same when you take them down to bare bones. On the nanny shows, usually the parents aren’t doing what they need to do to properly discipline their kids and that’s why they’re having…
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Enthusiasm is Contagious. Let’s Spread It Around.
I cried this morning. It was a good cry, though: my favorite. I was actually on the phone with a close (close close) friend and she was telling me about something in her life that had been looking pretty grim for a while but just had a huge turnaround. She started crying and then I started crying, and it was just the best. I kept saying, “I’m just so happy to hear you sounding happy!!” I felt such joy and wished I could bottle it. Then I took Roxie for a walk, and since that’s where I do a lot of good thinking, my brain wandered from this morning’s conversation…
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Go Float! (Part 1)
Disclosure: I am writing this post in exchange for flotation therapy at Anicca Float Club, which I can’t wait to tell you about. As usual, all opinions are mine. I had no idea that floating was a thing. Well, maybe I did. I can’t imagine that it has been a thing since the 1970’s and I could never have heard of it. Maybe I had gotten wind of it at some point but if so, I stuffed it into the recesses of my brain. I have too many other things to think about/obsess over…which is probably why I ended up floating. Confused? Let me explain. I am in a constant…