Knitting Zeal

Consignment Sale finds at Just Between Friends

I had a fun time shopping at the preview sale at the Just Between Friends Sale in Oaks, PA this week.  I got a media preview of the sale and was amazed at how much stuff was for sale at low prices!  

Since it's almost spring, it was time for me to find a cute argyle sweater vest for the kiddo.  Not only did I find a cute vest, but also a matching tie, which is the kiddo's favorite dressy items, since then he looks like daddy! I was also able to buy three bathing suits for the kid for $3.50 each!  He is set for summer and swim lessons now.  Another great find was a navy windbreaker from Gap for $3.50.  

I big find for me this time were Legos.  One gallon sized zipper bag filled was $6 and a box set of basic bricks was $6.50.  For Easter I have been planning to fill those plastic Easter eggs with Legos instead of candy, since we STILL have Halloween candy.  (He'll still get a small amount of candy in a basket, but we don't need 50 eggs filled with  more!) I had been planning to buy a new box of Legos for filling the eggs, but the two packs of used Legos I bought at the Just Between Friends Sale is more than enough.  I am thinking I'll wash them in a laundry bag in the dishwasher without the dry cycle to clean them.  

My son approved of all the clothing items I purchased for him except for a pair of crazy plaid shorts that I thought were fun.  I gave him one toy, and hid the Legos for now.  I bought him a tool box kit to make from Home Depot that was $2.  He loves going to the build-it clinics and this would give him a good project to make with his dad at home. 

It was an amazing site to see a warehouse sized room filled with all kids and baby stuff!  From strollers and car seats to Easter baskets and even new Melissa and Doug toys, there was everything needed for kids at great prices.  Check out the sale this weekend if you are in the area!

 

Disclosure: I attended a preview sale for bloggers and received a gift certificate to shop. No review or post was required.  I have been a long time fan of consignment sales!

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Getting ready for holiday shopping with the Mom Mixer

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had a fun time mingling with area mom bloggers last weekend at the Holiday Mom Mixer in Philadelphia.  It was held at the lovely Bellvue hotel in their top floor restaurant called XIX.  Look at that ceiling!  It was actually dripping with pearls!  It was such a pretty setting for a party.

The main sponsor was Hasbro and they had a large display of their latest toys available for holiday wish lists for the little ones.  I personally loved the new Flying Super Grover 2.0!  He is so cute!  (Of course I missed taking his picture!)  Unfortunatley their reps couldn't make the event because of the recent Hurricane.  I loved that the display toys were donated to area shelters for local kids of need.  

I had the chance to chat a representative from Kids Headquarters about the holiday line of boys clothing from Tommy Hilfiger available at Macy's.  I often see so many things for little girls, it was so nice to see a cute line of boys clothes!  I really thought this dog sweater was adorable.  

Cute Tommy Hilfiger sweater for boys

I had my first chance to check out some of the jewelry and scarves from Stella & Dot by Star Stylist Jen Thomas.  I had heard about this line of jewelry before, but never actually saw it in person.  I loved the leopard spotted scarf!   I received a current catalog of Stella & Dot jewelry from Jen and love some of the pieces in there!

Beautiful scarf from Stella & Dot 

The event was a lot of fun, gave me some holiday gift ideas, and I came home with a fun tote bag from Lands End filled with some great items.  I don't often go to blogger events, so I really enjoyed having the chance to meet other mom bloggers in person.  Thanks to Colleen and Whitney for hosting such a fun holiday Mom Mixer!

don't forget to VOTE!

I had an assistant with me today who helped me cast my final ballot.  He was happy that I let him push some of the buttons for me.  We are thankfully in agreement as to who we want for president.  Did you vote?  Get out there before the polls close!

Getting back to normal

Today was the first normal day we had all week. Last night, just as I was tucking the kid into his sleeping bag at my sister's house, I got the message that our power was back on at home. I also found out school would be in session today. So, we packed up and came home to lights and heat at home!

It was great to see all of the kids playing after preschool today. They really missed each other. The hurricane may have ruined the Halloween parade at school, but the kids didn't care.

This afternoon was the start of the next session of soccer. The kiddo had a blast running around chasing the ball. We got to come home and actually cook a meal for dinner.

I haven't seen much news coverage of the storm except for some video clips on Facebook. What I've seen of the Jersey coastline is heartbreaking. Our favorite beaches on LBI have washed away. I hope that the shore will be able to rebuild. They won't be back to normal for a long time.

Oh Sandy!

That's what my son keeps exclaiming, in addition to saying how mean Sandy is. The hurricane last night was scary. We lost power at 9:30pm and still are in the dark now at 3pm. I haven't opened either packed freezer, hoping that before 48 hours is up we are restored so I don't loose all the sauces and fruits I 'freezer' preserved! Or the chicken from the farm! Next year I'll just can it all! I am sitting in my car charging up my phone while writing this.

We don't have a generator but my son built us one (see second photo!!)

We were lucky in that we only lost one big tree branch and have lots of tree debris, nothing damaging. I don't know how, since at some point last night I was convinced our house would blow away. Around midnight it suddenly became calm when the eye of the hurricane passed over us. By 2am the winds calmed down again. Thankfully we did not get as much rain as expected and the basement did not flood. (Yay!)

We have natural gas powering our hot water, fireplace and stove so we can at least get warm. I was able to cook French toast for breakfast, since I had to use up eggs and milk. I'm not sure what to do about dinner. I have homemade marinara in the freezer I could use up. I'm not so sure about cooking and cleaning up in the dark. Candles and flashlights only do do much.

Halloween is tomorrow. I wonder if our town will postpone trick or treating. The kiddo is worried! We will have to carve our pumpkin today for a fun distraction.

So, we survived Hurricane Sandy with just some minor annoyances and sleepless nights. Hope you faired well if it affected you!

Rock me like a Hurricane, Sandy

Well, I'd prefer not to experience another hurricane, but it looks like in less than 24 hours we are going to be blasted by the Frakenstorm of the year, category 1 Hurricane/Nor'easter Sandy.  When about a week ago my husband mentioned that the long range forecast included the crazy potential for a storm, possibly snow, I laughed.  As last week went on and I watched all the weather geeks on Facebook share their viewpoints on the forecast I started to believe it.  By Thursday we were stocked with water and groceries so that I wouldn't have to battle stores on the weekend.  We spent the weekend preparing the house while still trying to keep a schedule so that the kiddo wouldn't panic.

Here are some of the ways we prepared for the unknown, although I am really hoping we went WAY overboard!  (I think part of me is more in "Survivor" mode after watching too many episodes of Revolution and reading the Passage this summer.  I realize it's a hurricane coming, not the apocolypse, but there was a nagging feeling in my head...what if there was no more electicity ever again??)

• Purchased 9 gallons of water, one gallon per person per day for three days supply
• have a stock of juice pouches, a case of Horizon milk boxes, and boxed soymilk and parmalot
• crackers, peanut butter, jelly, and lots of snack bars
• filled both freezers with baggies of water so there are no gaps. Freezers will stay cold for 24 hours if they are packed. 
• Cleaned up the basement.  Re-located important boxes upstairs, cleared areas so that if we have to hide out there because of tornados, there is a space, and washed all laundry, just in case!
• My husband purchased a new pump, so now we have three.  They are not built in, so if we loose power, they won't work.  We are debating buying a generator after all of this is done to have for next time.  (Although neither of us has any idea how to use one!)
• Sand bagged a problem basement window and our basement door. Our neighbor's sump pump dumps water on our side, which runs downhill and into our house, since we live on a hill.  My husband covered one window that leaked in the past with sandbags in an attempt to redirect water elsewhere. 
• Cleaned the gutters, put away all outdoor furniture and hoseboxes, and trash cans. Even the new grill is stashed in the shed. 
• Stocked up on batteries and tested all flashlights.  We have a flashlight in almost every room.
• My husband purchased Mophie juice packs for our phones, so that we can recharge our phones as needed. 
• Hit the library for books!  Have a stash of crafts on hand.  Legos and board games stocked.
• Charged my laptop and updated anit-virus protection.  If we loose power and need to go elsewhere to use public wifi, I want my computer safe!
• We have public water, but we plan to fill at least one bathtub, just in case it's needed for flushing!
• Gassed up the cars, got some extra cash.
• Found our old fondue pot and it's fuel, for heating up canned soup!  (We have a gas range, so if we loose power, we can still use the burners for cooking, just with a lighter instead of the electronic ignition.)
• I still need to gather some important paperwork and put them in plastic baggies.  I'm debating packing an evaculation bag of clothing. 

When I told my son that he probably wouldn't have school for a couple of days he became upset and said, "but how will I learn?"  It's G-week at preschool this week.  I pointed out that he helped clean the gutters, which is a g-word.  I told him not to worry, I would teach him!  I'm so glad he likes school!  Storms make me extremely anxious.  We always get water in our basement.  We have always had success with pumping it out with our little pump.  We have never lost power, so with the threat of loosing power and not being able to pump the basement has me on edge.  My husband and I are trying very hard to not appear anxious in front of our son so that he isn't frightened.  He actually asked if we could go to the library to get some books on hurricanes, so we did. 

As I write this I have the news on.  The mayor of Philadelphia just closed the city for tomorrow.  The public transportation system will be shut down too.  This is really scary.

I hope that come Wednesday, Halloween, all of this has passed and the kids can celebrate Halloween.  It would be something nice after all of this stress.

Be safe!

 

For info about being safe in a Hurricane, consult the Red Cross.

Public schools and our kids in Pennsylvania

Public education has been part of my life since I started kindergarten at a Philadelphia public school way back in the mid 1970s.  I completed 13 years in public school, kindergarten through 12th grade.  During that time I had the opportunity to spend a year, in fifth grade, learning some Latin, learning how to play flute and violin in third and fifth grade respectively, help out in the library as an aid in sixth grade (and further develop my love of books and the dewey decimal system,) learn some French and Spanish in seventh grade and then continue to study French in 8th through 12th grades and develop my interest in all things French!  

I had gym class every year.   I remember when my elementary school installed a new trampoline in the gym and we all got to take turns on it.  I remember participating in a "jump rope-a-thon" in the gym in elementary school.  I had the best art teacher in elementary school, Mrs. Horshack.  I wanted her job.  I still remember exactly how she pronounced "orange," as she was a native New Yorker.  I remember taking a special art club program with her after school.  All of these "electives" helped me grow as a student and as a person, contributing to my understanding and learning.

Today, many school districts in Pennsylvania are facing enourmous budget cuts due to Governor Corbett's severe funding slashing to public eduction.  That means that kids in school today may not be able to have the opportunity to have "elective" classes.  (I use quotations because I do not consider art, gym, music, language or library science elective, but essential; the schools are forced to classify them as such.) My son is still in preschool, but I study what happens in our local public school system to see what opportunities he will, or maybe will not have when he goes there in 2013.  My husband and I are prepared that we might have to supplement our son's education as needed with private lessons in music or other arts.  It isn't fair to today's students that they might loose out on the chance to experience learning opportunities that will contribute to their futures.  

I learned recently that a neighboring school district, Upper Darby School District, is only able to balance their school budget by eliminating art, music, gym and library classes in elementary schools and eliminating language and technology classes at the middle schools.  Those cuts include many teachers losing their jobs.  This school district, according to PSEA, is facing an almost $6 million budget cut since the 2010-2011 school year. This is a disservice to the children that will have a profound consequence on their future.  It is also a disservice to the teachers who worked so hard to establish their curriculums and own studies to be exemplary teachers.  And is is a disservice to the community, who will now have children growing up through their school district with an educational disadvantage, affecting the community's future. 

Balancing the budget for a school district is an enourmous task that appears to be compounded by antiquidated PA laws.  There is no simple answer, except maybe the powers that be ought to focus on solutions to this crisis by engaging with educational professionals who understand the problem enough to brainstorm a solution.  People need to talk about this problem so that it stays a trending topic in the media and under the noses of the elected officials. 

#HeyTomCorbett

Thanks to Stephanie of Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom for enlightening me on this topic.  Check out her blog for her post and links to others who are concerned about the budget cuts to public education in Pennsylvania.

Happy Halloween!

2010 in pictures, a year end review

January, 2010...cleaning up with his new dyson.

February 2010 brought lots of snow!

March 2010 brought indoor bike riding with a new backpack (which has since gone missing!)

  And a visit to the Philly Flower show!

April 2010 brought spring flowers and cousins over to celebrate Easter!

May 2010 brought a visit to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival!!  What a fun day!

May led into June, filled with fresh picked strawberries from Solly Bros. Farm.

Father's Day 2010, a lesson in baseball.

July 2010 included a trip to visit dear friends in Deal Island, Maryland where we checked out the bay and picked blueberries!  We have about a handful left of them in the freezer for our pancakes tomorrow!

August 2010, a trip to Lancaster, PA and Dutch Wonderland.

September 2010 included a trip to the Crayola Factory and...

...the first day of preschool!!  (Someone turned three too!)

October 2010 gave an chance to pick apples and dress up as a mailman for Halloween!

  November 2010 let us enjoy a visit with the "real" Thomas the tank engine!

In December 2010, specifically Christmas day, our monkey boy got his first real digital camera.  He proceeded to take these fun shots...I took the last one of him and his dad enjoying a Homer snuggie!

We celebrated the countdown to noon at the Please Touch Museum today!  It was a lot of fun with lots of confetti and streamers, along with learning numbers!  Happy New Year!!  Can't believe another year has flown by!  2011 should be just as exciting!

Rosie Pink Packages for moms with breast cancer

October is breast cancer awareness month and coincidently, I recently learned of two young mom's nearby who are currently battling breast cancer; one just finished treatment and is doing well, the other is in stage 4 and has approximately 18 months left to live, leaving behind a husband and three little ones.  There are at least three women from my HS class that I've learned are breast cancer survivors.  To hear about more and more young mom's being diagnosed with cancer is frightening.  

Recently I learned about a non-profit organization that focuses specifically on moms with breast cancer and supports them and their children by providing a special package to help. The Rosie Pink Package is a bundle of creative items that help a mother and her children explore their feelings about mom's diagnosis and to increase the bond between them through art, music, reading and pretend play.  The Rosie Pink Package can be purchased as a gift for a mom who is dealing with breast cancer to use with her children to provide comfort.  Each package features (as per the website:)

Stuffed Rosie Hippo -- Warm snuggly comfort for moms and kids, this soft plush Rosie is available stuffed with French lavender and natural wheat grains from England --- or stuffed with wheat grains only. Rosie can be popped into the microwave for 30 seconds to provide soothing warmth, or put into the freezer and used as a cold pack. Rosie comes with a special backpack that is perfect for leaving loving notes for a child to cherish.

“Me & My Mom” Art Journal & Crayon Rocks -- To help moms and kids create colorful memories together and to enable children to share their thoughts and feelings with their moms!

“Rosie Moments” Art Journal -- A journal for moms to record the positive moments in their lives during this difficult time.

“Rosie Thoughts” Note Box -- A box for a mom and child to share special secrets!

“Only One You” by Linda Kranz -- A wonderful book for a mother and child to share that provides an opportunity to reaffirm how special and unique we all are…and how special the relationship is between a parent and a child!

CD:” I’m Me” by Charlie Hope -- This CD is a treasure. Charlie Hope’s music is sweet, refreshing, and so engaging. Her voice is beautiful --- pure and angelic --- and the songs are catchy and easy to sing along to.

Rosie Tote -- To carry all that love and activity! 

The hippo is just adorable and I like how it uses aromatherapy to soothe.  Utilizing creativity is very therapeutic, so I think this type of product can be so useful in healing from the stress of illness.  The items can also be purchased separately or a mini-package is available. 

The Rosie Pink Package non-profit foundation was started by a mom who is also a breast cancer survivor.  Kimberly Bloom wanted to provide support and comfort to other mothers who were dealing with a diagnosis.  The proceeds of the products sold by the foundation go towards covering the cost of Rosie Pink Packages for low-income mothers and their children.  Ms. Bloom also is the owner and CEO of Rosie Hippo, Inc., an online retailer of natural, earth-friendly toys.  Five percent of the proceeds of toys sold at Rosie Hippo, Inc, is donated to Rosie Pink Packages.  

I have no affiliation with Rosie Pink Packages and have not received anything in exchange for this blog post.  I was just so touched by this non-profit that I wanted to share this information.