I know I am supposed to like Halloween. I *want* to like Halloween, for the sake of my children and my own nostalgia over the numerous costumes my mom made for me and my sisters when we were kids. And back then Halloween was fun! But — and this no doubt is a sign of weak character or wimpiness or overall emotional fragility — I find Halloween more stressful than any other holiday. I've struggled for about 10 years to figure out why: is it the unlimited candy? Kids running around in the dark, with cars just waiting to run...
| »
Questions you want to ask the person who repeatedly — and boy do I mean repeatedly — keeps screwing up during your kitchen renovation: 1. Was it something I said? 2. Am I too nice? 3. Am I not nice enough? 4. Are you a misogynist? 5. Do I remind you of someone you hated as a child? 6. Do I talk too fast? 7. Are you just not as smart as you look? 8. Is your tape measure all-metric? That would explain quite a bit. 9. Are you on medications that make it difficult to focus? 10. Are you...
| »
Quote of the day: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." I saw this at the Museum of Natural History last week when I was on a field trip with what felt like 7,000 fourth graders, one of whom is a member of my family. Going on a field trip for me is like trying to herd cats after you’ve taken an Ambien. This particular field trip no doubt raised my blood pressure a few notches, but I was moved by this quote, which is carved in a doorway at the museum....
| »
Last weekend I went away to the Berkshires with a bunch of women for a "girls' weekend." Now I ordinarily avoid at all costs anything that resembles a "girls' weekend," or its less time-consuming cousin, "girls' night out." But I happen to really like this group of women and I'll take just about any opportunity I can get to go to the Berkshires, where I can live out my fantasy that my house is in the country and not a crowded New York suburb. On Saturday night we had a great dinner, lots of wine and laughs, played old songs...
| »
A funny thing happened during all the disruption caused by our babysitter’s illness last week: Middle Child is now playing flag football. One day my husband went home at lunchtime to take care of Baby and, next thing I knew, I came home from work later to find that we had added another sport. This was particularly mortifying because just two days prior I had been boasting — boasting! — to another mother that I’ve always just said no to football, and somehow it worked. I do have some philosophical objections to football, namely that my son would get a...
| »
From: Kristin van Ogtrop - Real Simple Sent: Fri 10/19/2007 11:00 AM To: Real Simple Editorial Subject: Does anyone have any WD-40? Squeaky stroller wheel in 9-206 This is the email I sent out to my co-workers this morning. Our babysitter is sick so Baby is at work with me. The squeaky stroller wheel is only the beginning. As you can imagine.
| »
My oldest is not even a teenager yet but already I’m becoming acquainted with the concept of seemingly nice, well-adjusted children who lie to their parents and actually get away with it. Monday night Eldest, Middle and I watched our new favorite show, Aliens in America on the CW (what does CW stand for, and why is it called THE CW and not just CW?). We all think the show is hilarious even if Middle Child and I have an agreement that during certain inappropriate parts he has to cover his eyes and ears (his idea, my little genius). Anyway,...
| »
Our kitchen renovation is drawing to a close, or at least I think it is. Suddenly everything is happening really fast (staining floors, countertops and appliances arriving, etc.) which feels sort of like a horse speeding up once the barn is in sight. I can’t say enough good things about our contractor Rick, and he and his team have made the entire experience tolerable: more like a cavity filling than a root canal. Over the course of the renovation we’ve had to sign a few contracts and write about 3,000 checks. But there are a few items that didn’t appear...
| »
In the October issue of Real Simple, writer Liz Welch tells the story of Sherri Walton (pictured above, with her daughters), a Phoenix mother of three who has suffered from depression nearly her entire life. As part of the story, we prompted readers to share their own struggles by going on to RealSimple.com. Yesterday I went to to see what readers had posted, and I have to say I was surprised by the volume, saddened by much of what I read, and moved that so many people were willing to share their stories. Dozens of men and women have posted...
| »
The time: last Friday, 1:30 p.m. The place: suburban New Jersey, someplace off Rt. 78. The scene: station wagon with roof carrier, all packed to the gills. Two parents, three kids, one shedding dog, driving to Virginia for a wedding. We are late leaving home because of some kitchen renovation issues (according to the countertop guy, I have ordered a “jacuzzi sink.” I’m not sure if he is trying to insult me or just be funny. Suffice it to say the sink is indeed oversized, and the faucet may or may not fit between the sink and the tile backsplash....
| »
|
|
|
Get the RSS feed
