Mariannes Motifs

Magical Nights of Traffic

Last night we took the yearly trek through Lake Lanier's Holiday lightshow.  They call in the Magical Nights of Lights.  I call it the Magical Nights of Traffic.  Woo boy.  5 hours later we were all light showed out.

And this morning the boys and I put up the Hanukkah bush aka Christmas tree.  Its really pretty, if I do say so myself.  It was fun because I had a bunch of Christmassy stuff I got last year at 90% off that I had put away.  I totally forgot what it all was so it was like opening presents already.

I am proud of myself!

I just used my bloggy earnings in paypal to buy beautiful flowers for someone very special to me whose birthday is tomorrow.

Well, if she reads my blog today it will spoil the surprise but also give her something to look forward to.  Since this one is the big 7-0 I think some roses are in order, don't you?

Orange Rose & Peruvian Lily Bouquet (with Free Vase)

Some funny memories of my grandparents

When I was a kid we used to drive to Long Island one or twice a year to spend time with my Grandparents.  My Dad's parents were both a couple of characters and I look back at those trips with chuckles and some appalled rememberences too!  Having grown up during the great depression, grandma and grandpa were notoriously frugal and going into NYC with them was therefore a bit of an adventure.

I've already blogged about going to the free City Opera concert in Central Park and eating my packed lunch on a park bench next to Beverly Sills.

Another memory is going with my grandparents to Metropolitan museum of art (taking the subway to get there and going on free day) and finally putting my foot down as a teenager when I saw my grandmother packing orange juice in a big pill bottle that had held my grandfathers heart pills!  I told her it was NOT SAFE to use a medicine bottle for food and I refused to drink anything that came out of it.

My mother, father, and I  to this day really enjoy eating in a museum cafe or restaurant after walking around and seeing the exhibits. I think we all have a bit of a rebellion going on when we do this! Grandma Yetta is probably frowning down from wherever she is in the great beyond if she sees something so expensive! Sorry!

Trusted Tours & Attractions  offers sightseeing tours of New York and other cities.  You can even sign up for their newsletter.  I recommend springing for the tour, and then afterward, having a really nice lunch in the museum cafe.  I do also recommend taking the subway to get around in New York.  The NYC subway is wonderful - it goes everywhere.  And I love subways because there are so easy to navigate.  Just follow the map on the wall and always goes where it says.  I just love that and I still get a kick out of riding the trains. They are so much better that busses, in my opinion.  Although there is something to be said for an air conditioned sightseeing bus with an informative guide.

Fundraising for Ben's School

PRODUCT SEARCH
Please Help Support Ben! Hey Everyone - I am selling Sally Foster® products. 50% of all profits will be used for Ben's Elemantary School . If you'd like to help and get a great deal, please purchase some high-quality Sally Foster products today!
Here's How You Help Just click the button above and Benjamin (267090) will automatically get credit for the purchase. Sally Foster will notify me of your order! And 50% of your purchase amount will go to Ben's School .
If clicking the button does not take you to the Sally Foster® Online store, just visit www.sallyfoster.com/email to make your purchase and enter my seller number (267090) during the checkout process so I get credit. Thank you very much for your support, and enjoy your Sally Foster Products. This is my personal message. Thanks again, Ben
			SAVE THIS EMAIL
			Place your order today so Benjamin and Ben's School get credit. Ben's School will continue to earn 50% profit on online orders made through June 30, 2009. So be sure to keep this email should you decide to order more Sally Foster products.

Thursday Update

The weather is beautiful.  I want to get a Park Bench for my yard so I can sit out there and read while the kids run around and play.  Check out this site selling teak furniture.  They offer free shipping when you pay the price of the furniture and its all solid teak.  I love the way teak weathers to a beautiful silvery grey and it lasts forever even outdoors.

Its time to register Ben for Kindergarden.  His Preschool graduation is next week.  :::shakes head::: Preschool graduation???  Man, these kids have it crazy these days.

Adam is doing really well on his potty training, but he does not like doing the dreaded #2 on the potty.  He stays dry all night, but still stressing about that one aspect.  Paging Dr. Freud.   I know its just a matter of time and lots of great rewards and prizes and he will get it down.  Parenting by bribery is one of my favorite methods.  I mean "positive reinforcement."  Yeah, that's what I call it.

I was sick on Tuesday with a very bad migraine and crohn's flare up.  I am still flaring up and not feeling well but I am hanging in there.  We have some very large projects going on at work so my presence is mandatory right now.  I am taking my medicine and trying to get alot of rest at night.  Jin has been very supportive and helpful and the kids are such sweeties.  They kissed me on the forehead to make it feel better and gosh if it didn't work a little bit.

Happy Passover

Happy Passover!  My family are all together in Rochester having a seder.  Down here in GA, we are having a mini-seder. 

I found an interesting blog called The Jew and the Carrot, which is kind of a Jewish Eco Blog.  They have a post about Sustainable Passover Resources.  Cool, eh?  My mom has been growing her own horseradish for years, as a matter of fact once you plant it its pretty hard to get rid of.

Ugh Saturday Morning

I feel like I have been used as a trampoline.  First I have the dreaded migraine hangover from yesterday.  I had to cut up oranges for the soccer 1/2 time snack, find the soccer uniform, get everyone ready, and then drag everyone to where the team pictures were being taken.  Jin was super helpful by  hitting the boys on the head with the soccer ball.  He had worse behavior than the boys did.

Then Ben pushed some kid randomly and the "team mom" came over and chewed me out about it.  Thanks.  Really.  They chewed Ben out too, and after that he wandered around the field aimlessly, not really into it anymore.  I don't blame him.

They never called half time so I didn't get to hand out the oranges I slaved over cutting.  The assistant coach ran backwards into me and stepped on my foot.  Ouch.

Now I have to take Ben and the rest of the crabby family to a play date.  I hope we can muster up some social graces.  Cause I am TIRED.  It's Passover tonight and all I have the energy for is a roasted chicken with matzohs  on the side. 

I need a nap.

Birthday Hints

With the big 4-0 coming up in June, I would certainly consider diamonds to be an appropriate gift.  Remember, I like yellow gold.  Wink wink.

But really, I want a new telephoto lens for my Nikon camera for my birthday, so that's just a bunch of dreaming.  I also am saving up for an Adjust-A-Loom from DA Looms.  (Its a fancy knitting loom.)

I really find that if you scrimp and save for something you treasure it so much more.  So if you save save save for some very special things, they has alot more meaning for you than if you just impulse buy lots of stuff all the time.  These two items are my goal for the money I make on the blog and on ebay.

PayU2Blog is having a "Treasure Hunt" promotion in conjunction with Jewel Elegance, an online Jeweler. I blogged earlier about the Medical Alert bracelets they sell, but this contest is all about their diamond jewelry.  Yummy! 

What to do for Mother's Day

Every year I go through this process of trying to think of a unique and cool gift for my Mom and Mother in Law for Mother's Day.  I don't want to repeat what I have done before and want  to "top myself."  On the other hand I know that if I spend too much money my Mom will look askance at me as she is on a campaign for me to eradicate all debt and build savings for retirement.

I ran into this interesting site called Lightinthebox.com that sells wholesale priced merchandise from China.  I saw they had a Chi hair straighener for $19.61 - wow that is a cheap price.  I paid LOTS more for mine than that.  I won't even tell you for fear my Mom will read this post and yell at me for paying too much!

Here is a the resellerratings review of the site.  Its always a good idea to check these out before you buy online if you haven't heard of the store before.  They don't have alot of reviews yet so please caveat emptor.

Here is a pic of some pretty pearls they have for sale.

Georgia Renaissance Festival

Dare I try to take the kids to the Georgia Renaissance Festival? What a blast, to see the jousting, eat a Turkey leg, see the shows, shop.  This year they have a new horse riding show called the Royal Lipizzan Stallion show.  Sounds cool.

With all this Atlanta Pollen Count (today its a super super massive whopping 3243.)  So no, not today.  Today I will hide in the house and hope my air filter works.

Yes I said the pollen count is 3243!

Golfers are a whole other breed of crazy people and I see them out there on the links as I drive by River Pines, our closest public gold course where Jin likes to golf.  Since father's day is coming up I might am checking out some Cobra golf equipment.  You will not catch me golfing for love or money.  Jin is totally welcome to his "Guy time" out on there in the heat, running around after a tiny ball.  My idea of a good time does not include sweating, or whacking a ball with a stick.  But neither is Jin knitting or scrapbooking, so there you go.  There is really no explaining hobbies.  Everyone does something different and that is what makes the world an interesting place.