realtalknic

Oh boy......it's here! How could it be? That little baby you were just reading Goodnight Moon to is packing up and moving on to college and you are..........................FREAKING OUT! Yup......no other way to put it! It's freak out and melt down time time...... But it's ok. You are not alone! Before you go too far over the edge, congratulate yourself on a job well done! You got them here. A few all nighters (more than a few?......lol) a few scrapes, hurt feelings.....ups, downs....you got them here! And, you have figured out a way to pay for it! (still figuring? That's ok to0!) And now it is settling in.....they are really leaving! WOW! With all of the hustle and bustle of packing and paperwork and double checking everything here is a list of a few fun and often forgotten things to do............wine drinking does not appear.....but then again, neither does breathing! Both are expected and necessary! Here ya go!! 1. Save a few bucks for giftcards for those pla...

Some people have sunsets and a knight in shining armor…….my story is a little different. I fell completely in love on a rainy day in a Philadelphia cemetery. I met my future husband while working retail for a luxury brand as a teenager. He walked in wearing a Pelle Pelle jacket (ladies from the 80’s? You know the look, hmmmmm mmmmmm) and a bad boy attitude. Being the good girl that I still am…..I couldn't resist! We dated between 2 states. He was as fascinated with my suburban upbringing as I was with his inner city one. We liked each other. It was comfortable. We moved easily from fancy dinners to drive- thrus with a soundtrack of Babyface and Boys2Men playing softly in the background. I was a starving college student holding strong to my independence. I may have been broke but I didn't show it. I had my own. When he filled my gas tank up after a visit he had no idea how grateful I was. He was generous with all things except long conversations. Being the chatterbox th...

Every time my kids do something that raises my eyebrows or that I know is a mistake my husband will always say, "Experience will be their best teacher!" As much as I hate to agree with him, he is right. I started thinking a lot about this saying and decided to shift some of my own habits. If experience is your best teacher, well......I needed to focus on creating more of them. Now more than ever I realize the importance of spending time and doing things not just having things. This is a difficult task for me, I mean, I still count the number of gifts under the Christmas tree to make sure there is even distribution. Ha! But really, shirts shrink, and flowers fade....but the memories of a great experience last forever! Imagine my delight when I was given an Appetizing Adventure, Experience Day as a gift from my fantastic work team. It was like the universe talking to me. Oh boy! You can grab a gift for someone, like yourself here! So on the rainiest day ever (ok, maybe ...