Heard Around The House #30

All of us sitting in the kitchen Saturday morning. I just finished organizing & cleaning of the counter. 

Me:  Wow I feel sooo much better now!

Lyla:  Why?  Did you poop?

5 Things Friday - Charities

Tis the season for giving! 

If you are someone who is financially able and looking for a charity to give to this year, let me share with you the top 5 charities I believe in donating to:

1.  Alzheimer's Awareness/Cures

My Grandma died of Alzheimer's.  A guy I work with and adore lost the love of his life to Alzheimer's.  Its a horrible disease.  It terrifies me that there is a chance of my mom ending up with it.  There is a chance I will end up with it.  The movie The Notebook brought some awareness, but its really just one of those things people don't talk about and unless you have watched a family member die from it, you really don't understand the devastation. 

Seth Rogan (who I LOVE) heads a charity called Hilarity for Charity.  His mother-in-law has Alzheimer's.  He wrote a really good essay for Glamour Magazine you can read here:
Glamour Essay

And you can donate here:
www.hilarityforcharity.org

Or donate to the Alzheimer's Association here:
www.alz.org

2.  SIDS Prevention

I have written a lot about my friend Amanda losing her daughter Cassie.  It was such a horrific event that has forever changed my life.  Amanda works hard at educating other parents so that they never have to go through what her and Justin did.  Every year we participate in the Breath of Life Stroll by Cribs for Kids in Cassie's honor. 

You can donate directly to Cribs for Kids in Cassie's honor here:
www.cribsforkids.org/wings-for-cassie

3.  Remembrance Photography

The day that Em and Gerald lost Lexi none of us were thinking straight.  The hospital asked if they would be ok having someone come in and take photos of Lexi for Em and Gerald to have.  What a blessing.  These are photos that will be treasured always.  The organization Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is amazing.  At no cost to the parent, they come in and take professional photographs.

You can donate to them here:
www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org

4.  St. Jude

I don't know anyone personally who has benefitted from St. Jude Children's Hospital but its always been an organization I believed in.  How awful would it be to have your child sick and not be able to get them the medical care that they need.  

Donate to St. Jude here:
www.stjude.org

5.  Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

I wish I could say that I never spent any time at Children's, but I have.  I have had Lyla there, Cassie was there, Hendrick was there....  Its a place you hope you never need, but when you do need them you are so glad that they are there.  The staff at Children's is the best and the details of everything in that hospital is remarkable.  It is so kid friendly.  A sick kid is still a kid and things that are scary to adults are even more scary to them.  Children's has made it a safe place.  From the colorful hallways to the toys and iPads.  Donations here go a long way.

Donate to Children's Hospital here:
www.givetochildrens.org

Much to be Thankful For

Coming up on Thanksgiving I was thinking about all that’s happen in the last year.   I was feeling like there isn’t a ton to be thankful for.  But Thanksgiving came and we spent it surrounded by our family and I realized, we do have a lot to be thankful for, even when life doesn’t go as planned.  We have been through some rough patches, but we went through them together.  I’m thankful to not go through the down times alone.  I have a great family and I have really wonderful friends.  And this year, that is what I am thankful for.

Heard Around The House #29

I come into the living room last night and find Lyla sitting on the couch going through the paper.  I suppose she just wants to stay up to date on her current events…   ;) 

It was actually the Pittsburgh Holiday Guide, so there is a nice picture of the City of Pittsburgh in there.

Lyla:  Is that New York City????

Me:  No, that’s Pittsburgh, that’s where we live.

Lyla:  Where is my house?

 

Clowning around at the circus

 

Last night Gary and I took Lyla to the circus.  All three of us had so much fun!  The circus really is a great thing for a family to do together, there were things for all of us to enjoy!  We will definitely take her again when they come back! 

 

 

Before the circus started they had some stuff down on the arena floor you could go check out.  They were looking for volunteers to go jump rope.  Gary and I sort of pushed Lyla to go do it.  She went out.  After she walks away I said to Gary, "Does she know how to jump rope like that?"  He said he wasn't sure.  No.... no she does not.  hahahaha Poor kid!  I had flashbacks to when Mom sent Gary to throw the first pitch at the Wild Things game!

Queen for a day!

Lyla's wish came true & she got to be Elsa for Halloween. She had such an awesome day from her party at daycare to trick or treating with Gary!

5 Things Friday - 5 Weird Things Your Body Does in Your 30’s

Let me preface with saying I am 31 years old.  I am well aware that I’m not “old”, Gary gets really frustrated when I say I’m  old.  But I’m sure as hell not a spring chicken anymore.  And there is a huge difference between being 21 versus 31.  And maybe its just different for women than it is for men.  I had no idea all the changes that would start that I really have zero control of!

 5 Weird Things Your Body Does in Your 30’s:

1.      The Hair.

The time I spend dealing with hair on my body is just insane.  All the waxing and plucking….  I have hair, black hair, growing in the most bizarre places.  So every day I find myself with tweezers pulling out more random stray hairs.  Then once a week waxing hairs….  But don’t worry about the hair on my head – it all falls out.  I have so much hair all over my bathroom in the mornings I am amazed that there is any left on my head. 

2.      Your Neck.

I feel like I’m turning into a turkey.  I can remember being younger and I saw some infomercial for a contraption to exercise to make your neck tighter.  I thought that was just hilarious… now I know…. now I know.

3.      Your Skin.

Should we discuss the excess oil or the dryness first?  Or how one person’s body can possess so much of both at the same time?!?!  I have to diligently wash my face twice a day and I still end up with zits.  I have more zits now than I did as a teenager.  Then the dry skin.  I just do not understand it.  No matter how much lotion I apply it does not go away.  Oh and the freckles…  I was looking at the back of my arm in the mirror this morning and thinking…hmmm… that does not look like my arm at all!  I never had so many freckles!  Where in the heck did they all come from?

4.      Exhaustion.

It does not matter how much sleep I get, I wake up tired.  I am tired all of the time.  I feel like this might just be my new normal.  Normal is just tired now.

5.      Hormones.

I did my research (google) and its not just me and I’m not crazy.  I officially have one day a month now and it’s a week before my period starts that I feel like I could actually murder someone.  Truly.  I mean I feel the sort of rage that a serial killer feels.  Its awful!  My research tells me it is a part of “peri-menopause”.  What a stupid term….. Women are so lucky.  You get your period, pregnancy and not just menopause but “peri-menopause”…. Dumb.  Dumb.  Dumb. 

 

Pumpkins

Little Fall Update

We have been enjoying our Fall so far. 

Back in September we went to a free Fall Festival at Hartwood Acres.  It was about 80 that day and FREE, so it was really crowded, but we had a good time!  Lyla did the petting zoo and the bouncy house, as well as the giant slide. 

 

Lyla and I spent a Saturday in Washington.  We went with Auntie Em and Grandma to the Japanese restaurant.  Lyla had a blast joking with the chef and eating with chopsticks!

 

We went to the pumpkin patch where Lyla spent a crazy amount of time picking out the “perfect” pumpkin.  She wanted one she could carry herself, which turned into her dropping a few…. Luckily they didn’t bust!  They also had fun activities to do there, including a pony ride!

 

Lyla has been practicing on her bike and has got really good!  Its amazing the difference from the beginning of summer until now.  So proud of her!

 

Gary and I won tickets to the Monday Night Steelers game.  Thankfully Ash was able to come and hang out with Lyla so we could go.  J  We had a good time!

 

Lyla has been doing tumbling one night a week.  She is really enjoying it so far and I really enjoy it a lot more than swimming lessons. 

So that's just a little of what we have been upto lately!