Winter Sucks

Well, Chloe finished her first year of preschool. She was a true darling, and took a great picture with her teacher:
They had a little concert. I laughed. I cried. I was so proud. Here's a little sample. If you're interested in seeing the whole thing, I have it broken into four parts over on my Youtube account.

Every year when the weather starts to turn warmer I state one thing. "Winter Sucks." I don't say it so much during the winter. But once I get to enjoy the warmer weather, I realize that I enjoy it so much. I don't even mind the July 90 degree humid Pittsburgh weather. Someday, I'm going to have to move out of my little slice of Collier Township so I don't have to endure the winters that I hate. Someday. Either that or I need to hope this whole 'Global Warming' things speeds up a bit. Here's what Becca and Chloe did to kick off their Memorial Day weekend:




After that, we got to hang out with some friends and neighbors for an impromptu cook out. And you know, summer is great and all...but what am I going to do with the kids?!?!? I think they will absolutely kill each other if I don't give them something structured to do, at least for part of the summer. Lucky me, there's a summer rec program available. It's close, cheap, and lasts for four weeks. We're signing up today (and so are some of their friends). Problem solved. And guess what? I'll have some 'me' time!!!

Um, YYYYYIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

**And just a little note. I'm planning on changing my blog over from Blogger to Wordpress. I have plans to do it this weekend, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will happen this weekend. So, if you're coming here to see what's going on with me and get some sort of blank page, don't worry. It will be all sparkly and new soon!

Summer Teaser

Well, it was a fantastic weekend for weather here in Pittsburgh! It started on Friday, and it looks like it's going to last through today. The kids really enjoyed it. But here's how it went down:

Friday after school, Becca started. "Can you put up the pool?!?!" (I've promised that we'll put up the easy-set pool that has been sitting in the garage for two years this summer). I told her that I can't put that pool up until their birthdays (end of May).
Then she wanted a smaller pool. Well, it was 4:00 on a Friday. I wasn't ready to tackle any kind of pool. So we compromised on the sprinkler. They were happy. Saturday, I caved. I put up one of those hard shell plastic pools for them. We later found that there must be a hole in it. But they had a great afternoon, bouncing between my yard and my friend's yard. Carefree, almost summer.

Sunday we had a couple of events to head to. There was a christening for our friend's twins down the street, then a communion party for other neighbors at our restaurant. We headed down to the christening. Now, our friends there put in an in ground pool last year. They got it late in the summer, and the kids were in it once. I didn't think that the pool would be open yet for the season. But we got there, and the pool was open. (On a side note, I'm totally jealous of their pool and the set up. It looks like something out of a magazine. They should rent it out for parties.) So, I ran back to the house, got their suits, and they swam for a couple of hours.

Hello...it's April in Pittsburgh.

It was a great time, and the first time that, as a parent, I didn't have to get in the pool. They were fine just swimming on their own. Nice.

The communion party was held on Downey's House's deck. Because it's not normally this warm in APRIL, we had to sort of scramble to get the deck semi-ready. The chairs still don't match. We don't have any coolers out there yet. We need to do some landscaping. But it went well, all things considered.

So, it looks like our little visit to summer ends tomorrow. Which is OK with me. But I'm glad that summer IS right around the corner!

But if you talk to me in August, I might have something to complain about :)

UGH, Pittsburgh Weather, Why Do You Torture Me?

It's March in Pittsburgh. March in Pittsburgh is very bi-polar. You have your good days. Last Saturday, it was warm (70 degrees), sunny and just a little breezy. Perfect. This morning it was 26 degrees. Now, it is supposed to go up to 50 degrees today. But, like my father who lives in Florida says, "50 is a 'down to' number. Not an 'up to' number." As you probably know by now, I'm really not a snow girl. I honestly believe that I was born in the wrong place. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Pittsburgh. The people, the buildings, the architecture, the spirit. But the weather? It sucks. I got to thinking about where I would move to (dreaming, really...I don't think we'd move until we're old and gray). One of the options my brain came up with was Arizona. Hurricaines? No. Earthquakes? No. Tornadoes? No. Blizzards? No. The only thing that my folks say about Florida is that it's sometimes like soup walking out the door - super humid. Not so in Arizona, my friend. I think Arizona is my new fantasy place. So, just to push the fantasy a little further (and aid in my Law of Attraction visualization-thingie), I found this website: SFP and did some poking around. This is the house I'd like to have. And that is the house that I will visualize when I dream of moving some place with perfect weather. But this is more around what I could afford. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

But if I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming big!

So, if you see me IRL (in real life, that is) and I'm staring off into the distance with a glazed look in my eyes, I'm probably thinking about myself in the warm weather, enjoying my new home.

Just leave me alone to enjoy it.

What a Difference a Day and 30 Degrees make!

Wow. If you read my last post, you know that the kids and I were having a rough and crabby day. One day and some warmer weather later, we were three happy chicks. After school, we ran to our corner convenience store, got some treats, and went to the neighbor's to play outside. (Well, I didn't play...but I did drink some caffeine). Fighting? None. Happiness and togetherness? Lots. Bedtime went smoothly, no crying and whining.

Same thing today. The girls got to play outside at a family birthday party. They really do need to burn off some energy (and cabin fever). Aside from a huge knee scrape (and a big hole in some tights), there were no major incidents today. All is good again in Downey-ville.

We did have a little funny tonight with Chloe. As I was making some scrambled eggs for Becca (and talking on the phone at the same time), Chloe walked up behind me. I was at the stove, and the carton of eggs were behind me at our island. Chloe loves eggs. Hard boiled eggs. You see where this is going, right? As my back is to her, Chloe grabs an egg...tightly...in her hand. I hear screaming, and turn around to see egg goo on the floor and one very confused three year old. It was a mix of terror and confusion. This is exactly what I saw above her head:

I felt bad (a little) laughing out loud. But I just couldn't help it. So, now my two little angels are sleeping quietly. And I have this quiet house to myself. I just enjoy the peace so much. So much that I stay up much later than I should. Especially today, when we lose an hour of sleep. So, short post just to let everybody know that we're back to our happy selves. Maybe I'll post something more meaningful and/or entertaining next time!!

I <3 you, Pittsburgh

Well, here I am in Pittsburgh, dealing with less-than-zero degrees.  It hasn't been this cold in fifteen years.  Yuck.  I absolutely love, love, love Pittsburgh.  There's something here that's cozy and familiar.  The people here are (generally) awesome.  There are great hearts, fantastic senses of humor and a sense of commitment.  When I visit my folks in Florida, it just feels....so.....bare.  I think it's the lack of hills.  The hills give me comfort, a sense of coziness.  It's like being in a bed with lots of pillows and a fluffy comforter.  Florida is flat.  Just flat.

Pittsburgh has character.  It has history.  Now, I'm no history buff (that's my sister in law's department), but it's nice to see things that have lasted for hundreds of years.  Now I live in a newly constructed home (with a frozen pipe - but that's another story).  But I appreciate the beauty of an older home.  The carved staircases, the classic hard wood floors. 

And the people.  They just rock.  After working at the airport for seven years, I've spoken to many people who were just visiting Pittsburgh for the first time.  And the majority of them commented on the people.  Really.  Now don't get me wrong, every city has its share of @ssholes.  But the visitors that I spoke with were surprised that when driving, people were courteous.  Pittsburghers are more than willing to give you directions (even if this city is one of the most difficult to navigate for visitors!).  And we're committed.  The Pirates have sucked eggs for a very long time.  But there are still SOME dedicated fans.  As for the fans that have given up?  It took them a very long time to dish out that tough love.

If I could pick up Pittsburgh and move it somewhere just a BIT warmer, I would.  Then it would be perfect.  Now yes, we have some issues with local government.  But I could only imagine that every city has issues with local government.  But the one flaw that sticks out for me is this darn weather.  Damn this weather.  

Oh well, I guess nobody's perfect.  And no city is perfect, either.

Um, There's No Snow

Well, my kids are royally ticked off at me. There's no snow. It actually caught me a little off guard. You know, this early in the winter you still trust the weather man and the 'Winter Weather Advisories.' Now, if it had been March, I would know that there would be no snow. And as I look at my WeatherBug app on my browser and it has a big ol' sun on the Sunday forecast I realize that it will probably snow that day. That's how they roll. I actually bought snow boots for the girls yesterday, so Becca wouldn't have to trudge through the snow at the bus stop in her sneakers. Oh well.

And shopping - I've really got to get on the ball (and get some cash!!!!). Looks like this entire shopping season will be paired with Mr. Chase Visa. And we're getting hammered with birthdays right before the holiday. Between now and Christmas I have 2 sister-in-laws, a husband and four (probably five) kids birthday parties. Aarrrgh! Of course, there's still a kid inside of me, and I think I've figured out what I want. I want a digital video camera. One of those cute little ones. I saw that Kohl's has one on sale today and tomorrow for $90.

Now, I have no idea on reviews and such for this thing, but for $90 bucks I think it's a deal. They just added Flip Minos at CafePress, and they're almost twice as much. Now, I know that they take a nice picture and I've heard great things about the Flips, but I'm into saving cash.

Well, I'm off to do some office work for the restaurant. Well, not really off...I'll still be sitting here at my kitchen table in my froggie flannel pj's, drinking my coffee, listening to Chloe spin on the sit-and-spin!

OH, I almost forgot! There's a free shipping coupon at CafePress for the weekend. The code is FCPHOL1 and it's for orders over $50. Here's the link to the CafePress Free Shipping Ad.

Hope You had a Happy Easter!

Well, Easter is over. So, when does the warm weather come? I know that I'll be experiencing some warm weather next week, when I take the girls to Cape Coral to see my folks. One whole week of 80+ degrees. Yippee!

Life has been a bit crazy (as usual), and I've been busting my hump to get everything ready for Downey's House. So, so many things. Micros system info (Jabby Joe's currently has cash registers), running CAT5 line, getting the menu together (and laying it out for print), we need a merchant account, two business checking accounts. I need to check out some quotes for signs and custom lettering on the awning. There's insurance. And an accountant. I need to get together an employee handbook...and some training. We need to set everything up with our entertainment vendor, our food purveyors, the liquor store and the beer distributor. Oh, I have to figure out who will do our payroll. And that's just the stuff I'm going to do in the next couple of weeks. AAARGH!!! I may have mentioned this already, but I think it's worth mentioning again. I got a simple website up at www.downeyshouse.com. If you (or anybody you know) would like to apply for a job, you can download the application there and send it to us.

UM, so the whole reason I REALLY decided to post was that there's a new free shipping coupon for CafePress.com It's a quickie, but not a bad coupon. So here's the details:



Use coupon code: EARTHSHIP75 Disclaimer:
*Free Economy or Standard shipping for purchases of $75 or more, excluding shipping charges and applicable sales tax.

Delivery address must be within the United States.

All orders will be Economy shipping unless the order is not eligible for Economy shipping (e.g., order exceeds Economy weight restrictions).

Coupon code must be entered at check out.

Promotion starts on March 25, 2008, at 12:00 a.m. (PST) and ends on March 29, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. (PST).

Cannot be combined with any other offers, discounts or coupons and this offer may change, be modified or cancelled at anytime without notice.

OK...have a happy day. At least it's sunny (for now).

ARRGH!

OK, I'm officially completely sick of winter. You're most likely not surprised. If you live around here, you're probably sick of it, too. I really hate to say it, but I called it on Monday (when it was 60-some degrees). Just felt one more snow. And it's coming today. Oh well, maybe this is the last one. But, Pittsburghers, if you do remember...it snowed last Easter. And it was in April.

I wanted to put this out there: If you've purchased any of my St. Patrick Day designs, or any other design for that matter, and you have a picture of yourself wearing your shirt (or drinking out of your mug, or wearing your hat), please send me a copy!!! I'd like to put a section up in my store with pictures of REAL people wearing the shirts I've designed. You can email them to info (at) brainlint.net. And I'll give a free shirt away every month to a random winner. You can take pictures of products from any of my stores, whether it be from Zazzle or CafePress. (www.noshoptalk.com, www.brainlint.net or www.peaceloveshirts.com). I can't wait to start getting some pictures!!!

Well, I'm sure that the grocery stores are crazy right now, because the snow hasn't started yet. We're heading to a birthday party for my 1 year old great nephew today, and a party for a neighbor at Chuckie Cheese tomorrow. So, I'm sure my kids will be sick again soon. Too many germs looming in Chuckie Cheese to avoid them. No matter how many times I put hand sanitizer on my kids' hands at Chuckie Cheese, they always get sick right after they've been there. Damn rat.

Zazzle Coupon

Hey! Here's the newest coupon from Zazzle that I've found. $4 off shirts until March 5th. It's a quickie, but hey...four bucks is four bucks. Here are the details:

$4 Off Apparel

$4 discount applied to orders of one or more qualifying apparel items (any style from the Mens, Womens, Kids and Baby categories). The coupon code ZAZZLESTPATS must be entered during checkout to receive the offer. Offer is valid from March 2, 2008 at 12:00am PST through March 5, 2008 at 11:59pm PST. Your order must be placed during that time to qualify for this special promotional pricing offer. This promotional offer may not be combined with any other Zazzle promotional or discount offers.

In other news, we're going to try to go sled riding today. We have a great sled riding hill right out back. A few of the family members are coming over, and we're going to watch the Pens. Just some hangin' out on a Sunday. But, I still have to clean the house. Oh well. I'm hoping that this will be the last chance we get to go sled riding this year. Because I'm totally and completely over winter! Bring on Spring!!!!!!

The first sign of Spring!

Just a quick post here. Had to say that I saw the first sign of spring! Well, it's what I consider to be the first sign of spring. And every year, when I see this, I just scream 'Woo-Hoo!!!! Spring is damn close!' Anyway, here's the big sign: The Dairy Queen is open. I drove past the Dairy Queen on Washington Avenue in Carnegie yesterday, and it's open. Bring on the warm! Oh, and I'll take a Dilly Bar, too.