BusyBodyBook Blog

Me? An "Empty Nester!" Next year. But it's killing me now!!!!

Jake got this post card in the mail today from Columbia High School:

For Your CAP & GOWN POSE TO BE USED IN THE  2010 YEARBOOK

THIS IS YOUR YEARBOOK PORTRAIT APPOINTMENT
Time: 8:30am  Date: Monday, August 10

On the same day came his new car's insurance registration.

 While Jake's been "disappearing" for the last couple of years to after school activities, baseball, friend's homes, his Dad's,... and preparing me for his launch into adulthood - when I opened the mail I felt the air get sucked out of me. I'm having a  minor breakdown.

Thought I was prepared for this! Geez - separation anxiety at 50+? It's not like I don't have a life outside of parenting!  Tending to BusyBodyBook biz, my second "child" is surely filling. Schedule more visits to the city  - I do miss the museums. Maybe a french flick with subtitles with my francophile friend, Miriam? Give up my single status? Travel. Tote and talk to a miniature hound?

Diversions, hmmm. I've got one more year and the rest of my life to figure it out.

Stupid as it sounds, this is catching me off guard. Just another case of  "You just can't know until you know."

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3 Lucky Winners of the BBB "A Moving Experience" Contest Are...................................

Thanks to everyone who posted at our BusyBodyBook "A Moving Experience"  Contest! Your stories -  scary, pathetic, or laugh out loud, let us know that we're not alone in our misadventures. No matter how well we plan,  moving is never flawless, pretty much always eventful, sometimes ugly! Go ahead! Read some of the moving escapades of others to sigh a little, laugh a little - maybe help YOU the next time you're contemplating your next move.

From flying underwear, ants, sick kids/pets, no matter how near or far we move you can just count on something going awry.  And, in spite of our promise to NEVER move again, there's ALWAYS a next time! Oh well, life's a day after day happening, thank goodness ! And, thank goodness for the friends, family and neighbors who happen with us!

SO.... now on to our winners!

Congratulations to

Manda,

Tracee Wood, and

Chrysta

Please claim your prizes!

Email your contact info to joan at busybodybook dot com

with your choice of your ever dependable BusyBodyBook Organizer!

Won't promise that your BusyBodyBook prizes will prevent every moving debacle - but  it will definitely help you align your thoughts; list your todos, stay on top of the details, coordinate the planning!  Fingers always crossed,

Plan better with this most amazing organizing tool!

Now THIS is DEFINITELY FUN! A DIY Makeover!

Just found TAAZ.com where you give yourself a COMPLETE diy makeover - from hairstyle (and color!), eyes, lip shade, to teeth whitening, you name it!

Takes a little playing and tweeking with your uploaded photo but I just printed out my new hairstyle to show my stylist tomorrow.

How Freaky is THIS?

 

Once you've found your ideal or favorite colors you can also purchase from the selection of branded cosmetic products suggested to match your choice.

A "Virtual" one-stop-shopping experience without lifting your behind from your chair. Wish it were that easy with diet and exercise!

 

" 'It's' SO Liberating," she said.

I wish I could recount all the times in the recent past when I heard a friend, acquaintance or other exclaim  " 'It's' positively liberating!"

I'm not one to have felt the shackles that much of humanity has felt, or my peers for that matter. I spend much of my time in jeans, without makeup and, to be honest, I often walk out of the house with wet hair, the first glance at myself for the day in my rear view mirror. I do clean up rather well when need be but I dress down even better.  And so I'm finding this statement  plain humorous.

Just tonight Judy, having decided to spend a "oneymoon" (my coined term for time alone) weekend and forgo the college visit with her teenager and husband exclaimed how liberating it was to be dining alone on China Cola and pretzels by herself - no cooking, order-in, dishes... - my friend who I rely on for her astute movie and theater reviews was home watching reruns of CSI.

Jen felt free to announce to an office full of us just how liberated she felt going barefoot in her winter boots every day.

"Rain. Lost the third umbrella this week. Who cares anyway - I have a hooded sweatshirt," Julie said last week.

Maybe it's a 50-something phenomena. All the more surprising since we  grew up in the mid to late 60's rebelling against everything!

Maybe we all could use seats to the revival of "Hair" to help remember and  forever peel off our Spanx, breathe better, and "Get over 'IT' !", once and for all. That's liberation.

A Mom Forever!

From the moment we think of becoming a parent  the inherent joy we feel at the prospect, the process (what fun!), the months of waiting for his/her/their arrival, their birth, - and every minute after, there are countless, sleepless nights.

I smirk when moms of newborns relate their one wish for one full night of slumber - when the baby finally sleeps through the night and the dark circles under their own eyes have the chance to fade.  

The other day as I followed Jake home after purchasing his first car, I remembered those first nights when Jake, finally sleeping through, found me hovering over his crib listening for his breath. I will attest to the fact that it does get better...

But now, this child of mine, who I taught  to stay on the sidewalk when his ball rolled into the street, whose scheduled playdates became driving lessons in my BusyBodyBook, is now behind the wheel of a car - and  so we continue to teach him the little, but hopefully indelible lessons that I know only experience can now offer.

As I drove behind him my only, lifelong prayer was that he would be kept safe.

I'm up at night again - a few (or more) gray hairs later. We are parents forever - teaching thoughtfully, applauding their triumphs but ever-concerned about our children's welfare. Our work may diminish as the kids navigate adulthood - our joy still boundless. Forever worried, we are forever parents. It 's part of the job.

Seventeen years later I'm back to napping!

Father's Day: Not just another "Hallmark" holiday!

Yet another "Hallmark" holiday? Just gotta accept the fact that most of our holidays generate a lot of revenue for manufacturers but the truth is that we do love celebrations and Dads absolutely deserve their day too.

The key is "celebrating them" and not necessarily with a gift (though they do love their gadgets!) Just time spent with Dad making him feel loved and appreciated perhaps with a special meal, his favorite dessert, hand-made gift, a framed family photo or a kid's poem, a CD of his favorite music, a day (a weekend?) with his feet up, a great book, or just a phone call lets dad know how proud we are to have him in our lives.

But need a practical, inexpensive presents for Dad?  Some can be found at Amazon but if you're already a little late to mail order, do a gift card to his favorite sports shack, wine store, local book nook, coffee-to-go cafe,... just think about his every day and how he would like to be thought of and  remembered. Make his a special Father's Day this year.

Happy Father's Day
to all the special men in our lives!

NJ Playgrounds.com - fun, free ways to spend time with the kids!

Last week at a ChicMomMag Tweet Up in NY I was fortunate to have met Sheila Sayah of NJ Playgrounds.com. Sheila, a very busy mom of three, spends time with her family researching and playing in NJ's finest playgrounds and has compiled a fabulous resource for parents and caretakers.

What's great about this website? You'll find local and not so local places to enjoy the outdoors - and of course, they're free!  NJPlaygrounds.com provides maps, descriptions as well as direct links to NJ's  gems.

Currently we're sponsoring a giveaway of BusyBodyBook to help you plan your summer outings. Register and comment and you can win a new edition of BusyBodyBook to organize and coordinate your multiple schedules and help find the time to just play!

The "Porch's" of South Orange

For the almost 20 years we lived on Hillside Place our neighbors, many of whom have decks, porches, or just the sidewalk in front of their  60-100 year old homes to spill out on to, hosted and entertained the families in our neighborhood. Whether for  a holiday, block party, graduations, proms, or merely "Friday after work cocktails" while the kids played, over the years Hillside became the envy of South Orange/Maplewood for its warmth and loving and BYOBs .

Not long ago at one of our gatherings I was told a story by one "interloper" who having been invited to one of the porch gatherings, was eager to meet "The Porch's."  "Who are they, are they here? I'd love to meet them!"  And so, here we were, all of us now collectively known as the Porch's of Hillside Place.

While I have moved ( not far), my roots on Hillside Place will forever be nurtured by my friends and the families who lovingly watch over one another, our children, pets, gardens,... With 20 years of memories, the collective "Porch's", the surrounding friends, neighbors and their extended families, will always be a piece of our hearts.

Besides, while we've left the street, I'll always be attending perhaps co-sponsoring future porch events.

To the Teitelman's, our next door family, I thank you for hosting my "Good Luck' party. To all who party'd with me last night, I celebrate you and every past and future memory that we share. You will dwell in our hearts forever.

It's BBQ Season! Some summer safety tips.

Barbeque Safety

For many homeowners, nothing symbolizes summer quite like getting outside and grilling up some tasty treats on the barbeque. As we dust off our hamburger flippers and prepare for another grilling season, however, it's important to remember that when used or maintained improperly, barbeques can cause serious damage to property and to people. Here are a few simple recommendations to help keep your family safe as you enjoy your barbeque this summer:

Positioning the Grill Position your grill a minimum of five feet away from the house and any flammable objects in your yard. Make sure your grill is stable and on level ground, so there is no risk of it toppling over. Grills or stoves should be situated far enough from the windows and doors so that smoke from cooking will not waft inside. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide which is highly toxic, so never burn charcoal in any kind of enclosed area.

Proper Use & Maintenance:

• Check for grease build-up and clean your dripping pan frequently, as excessive grease can cause unexpected flare-ups.
• If you have a gas grill, remember that propane tanks require sophisticated valve equipment to keep them safe for use. To check your hoses and connections for gas leaks, spray them with soapy water and look for bubbling.
• Remember to close the tank valve when you're finished using it.
• Check for rusted and corroded burners. These parts wear out quickly, but they are easy to replace.
• If your grill bottom has vent holes, be certain that it also has an ashcan to catch hot embers that might fall through onto the surface below.
• Embers and coals should be completely extinguished before disposal. Coals can smolder for hours and can cause fires if thrown away with flammable materials.
• Always store propane tanks outside in a well-ventilated area.

Our Moving Mishaps - Best Laid Planning

Thanks for all the great moving in/moving out posts!

I feel a LOT better. After reading so many posts, I get it -  that no matter how organized we try to be there is truly no way to insure that there are no moving day mishaps. Kind of like any life experience... we vow to "NEVER make THAT mistake again," but invariably some other lesson is bound to crop up or, like child birth, we forget the pain for the pleasure of another!

But... perhaps there's something that we can learn from anothers' mishaps -  stories that will stand out and help us all the next time. Even more than the great BusyBodyBook prize that three of our readers will win, there's a lot of humor, insight, and aha! moments that have been shared.

Thanks again for helping us all laugh a little, learn a little (a lot), and feel better about ourselves!

Come back for the BusyBodyBook Moving  Story Contest winner announcements on July 1st!

Movin' In: First Day Confessions & CONTEST!

 

Wish I had packed myself in a carton, taped and labeled it
to ship off to some exotic island.

I did start off organizing everything, room by room, carton by carton but  the day before the van pulled up (and same day) the last of the last kind of got thrown in to the remaining cartons, the trunk and back seat of our car. Everything made it over to our new home - almost everything.

Since we've downsized some had to go to a storage unit - that's where the chaos began. Some cartons ended up in the wrong place - I'm not sure how  the carton labeled "Jake's Computer - OPEN" got buried behind the furniture in our storage unit but two days and several $$$ later the movers had to unpack the unit in order to find it. BIG UGH!

As a parent  the very last thing you want to lose, even temporarily, is your kid's computer.  I did manage to keep this a secret until we found it - couldn't handle the inevitable outcries and additional stress.

More to come:
 The "still missing",
We're still disoriented,
And I'm still fantasizing living with Jake, the two cats, and a laptop in Bali. Think I can find a "hot spot" on the beach?

BusyBodyBook's "A Moving Experience" CONTEST

Three readers can win a new 09/10 or 2010 BusyBodyBook with a post of
"A Moving Experience" (funny or nightmare) story here. Winners chosen June 30th!