Making Memories With Hallmark

I am a planner. I make lists, I use calendars, I live by schedules and check marks.  I am constantly dreaming of my next vacation.  I think this constant state of planning has a drawback.  Every once in a while I am slapped in the face with a moment of shock.  Shock that time is passing me by and my babies are growing up much too fast! 

My goal this summer, slow down time!  Ha.  I know I can’t do that, but what I can do, make some great memories and capture the moments along the way. 

I am very lucky to be part of the Hallmark Press Pause Panel and their new beautiful products are helping me capture the special moments of my summer. 

Introducing the Recordable Memory Album!

Recordable Memory Albums let you record a personal message of up to 60 seconds for each two-page spread. Albums feature designed endliners, a dedication page and 10 pages with die-cut frame pockets to hold 10 4x6 photos. A lock feature keeps your recordings safe, regardless of battery life. Three replaceable AAA batteries are included.

So now those pictures of the water balloon fights, the cake that went wrong, a picnic in the park and endless hours of “synchronized” swimming can all be enhanced with commentary by my two enthusiastic daughters.  Love!

Another great product to help capture the moments, is the Family Tree Frame Holder. 

Proudly hang your heritage on this elegant metal family tree, and add to it as your family grows.

Aww cuteness!  I love that I can change the pictures around on a whim and there are a huge variety of frames to choose from!  My girls of course love that they are free to decorate the tree anyway they please. A true family project, making memories as we preserve them!

Now time to get off this computer and go make some memories!

*Disclosure:  I received the above products for review purposes as part of the Hallmark Press Pause Panel. All opinions and thoughts expressed on my blog are my own and were not influenced by said products. Pictures courtesy of Hallmark.ca

Dempster’s® Thin Bagels – Review

Hello, my name is Stephanie, and I am a carbaholic.  I can admit it, I am addicted to bread, muffins, crackers, pasta, potatoes, and bagels.  Oh yes, bagels.  Bagels covered with gobs of cream cheese, melted peanut butter, havarti, with tuna or salmon, as mini pizzas!! You get the idea.  I like my bagels.  That’s why when I was asked if I would like to try Dempster’s® Thin Bagels and be given the opportunity to share them with my friends and family, I jumped all over it. 

Have you seen these skinny babies hiding on your grocery store shelves?

I ran to the store and picked up a pack.  Here are my thoughts on these 100 Calorie little wonders. 

*Number1, Uh, they are only 100 calories! All of the fabulous carb satisfaction and only a fraction of the calorie intake. 

*They toast up beautifully.  I love a little crunch.

*My girls loved them and I felt good giving them Dempster’s® Thin Bagels.  With regular bagels, my daughters would be stuffed in the morning, barely getting through all that dough.  Thanks to the thin bagels, there was room for a more balanced breakfast at the beginning of the day.  The Dempster’s® Thin Bagels are more manageable and left room for fruit and milk with the morning meal. 

*I also loved the variety of flavours!  Plain, Multigrain and Cinnamon Raisin.  Yum.  

 

 

 

The verdict from my Friends and Family, an A+ all around! 

Next time you are out shopping keep a look our for Dempster’s® Thin Bagels – your kids (and your thighs) will thank you!

 

Disclosure: I received coupons in exchange for this post.  This post would have occurred weeks ago had their not been a postal strike. Thanks to Canada Post for getting that lost mail delivered. Pictures courtesy of MapleLeafFoods.com

Filtrete™ Water System Winners!

We have winners!! 

Three lucky winners of this great system distributed by 3M. 

Drum roll please, the winners as picked by Random.org are:

Number 80

Suziswapper said... 80

Follow on twitter as @suzieswapper

Number 48

Milk and Coco in the City! said... 48

I have made the comment on twitter
@milkandcoco
amyeworrell@gmail.com

Number 19

MommyKat said... 19

I follow you on GFC as MommyKat!

Congratulations to all three of you!  I just know you and your families are going to enjoy your new Filtrete™ Water Systems! 

A big thank you to 3M Canada for their partial sponsorship and support as I attend BlogHer ‘11 in San Diego. 

 

Winners will have 72 hours to respond or another winner will be drawn.

Um, He’s A Butt Licker?

After baseball tonight Coach took the entire girls team out for ice cream.  Sweetness.

The parents all gathered around the giant picnic style tables and marvelled at how eight screaming 9 year old girls could be momentarily silenced by the power of ice cream.  

As the babies licked and dribbled their way through their melty cones, I did my best to participate in the halting and strangely awkward conversation between strangers.  Seems if we’re not talking baseball there’s not much to say!  The “rip roaring” conversation about a day spent on the lake was blessedly interrupted with a question.  Little Raquel wanted to know if she could give Coach’s puppy a bit of her ice cream?  “Sure” came the response “This pup loves ice cream”.

Raquel proceeded to lean over and offer the pup a lick.  Straight off her cone!  Then giggled and took a lick herself. “She likes it” Raquel squealed, and gave that dog another taste.  I may have gagged just a little. 

I looked around at the 10 or so other “parental figures”. Everyone was smiling and nodding.  Me?  I was trying not to throw up in my mouth.

One more lick for the dog, and then that little girl finished her cone.  

Inside I was screaming. “No NO NOOO. Ug, germs. Gross. Do you have any idea where that dog has been?  Dogs will eat ANYTHING.  Puppies lick their own butts and eat their own poo and you people are all smiling and grinning thinking this is cute?  This is disgusting.”

Time for me to grab my girls and leave now!  Have to go throw up. Thanks for the ice cream Coach, and the education.  Apparently in the Suburbs dog ass flavoured ice cream is all the rage.

 

Linky Love: Don’t miss this giveaway! THREE Winners.

Who Do You Dress For?

When I was a kid my dear Mother used to dress my sister and I up in matching outfits. Sigh.  This, I have now come to understand, is a bit of a right of passage. Most Mama’s in the Suburbs are guilty of this “dressing sin”.  I didn’t do the matching outfits, but I did do matching colour schemes.  Sorry babies!  I wish I had the picture of the day my Mom completely crossed the matchy line.  My sis and I grew a spine refused to go along with her matching ways, so what did Mama do?  She dressed me up in an outfit that matched the neighbour boy.  Red plaid rompers.  Seriously?

Through the years I learned to dress to fit in.  There were jelly shoes and leg warmers, acid wash jeans and neon T-shirts, parachute pants and Olivia Newton head bands.  The 80’s were not pretty.

Sometime in my late teens? I realized the ridiculously skinny body with teeny boobs and a padded bra I was dragging around, it had some power!  Power over boys. I started dressing for them.  Shorter shorts, bigger hair, and tighter T-shirts.  Sorry Mom.

A Career brought “work” clothes.  Sensible, but not too stylish.  Had to fit in.  Again. 

Later Motherhood brought the clothes of survival.  Yoga pants, a pony tail, and pretty much any shirt that didn’t have spit up on it became acceptable clothes for trips to the store or the park.

Somewhere in my early 30’s I got a little lost.  Worried far too much about what other women thought of me and what I was wearing.  I wasn’t dressing for my kids, my work, my Hubby..I was hoping “the girls” liked my clothes.  Sad but true. 

Now I am entering my 40’s, oh okay,  I turned 40 in May.  My girls are 9 and 12 and spit up is not really an issue any more, so I do strive to dress beyond the yoga pants.  I gave up that career to stay home with those kids.  Career clothes, they all went to Good Will. I landed the boy of my dreams 15 years ago, and although I want him to think my outfits make me look like all that and a bag of chips, I’m also smart enough to know at this point in my marriage, “the sex card” is far more powerful in marriage then the “new outfit card”. 

Perhaps an epiphany?  Is it possible after 4 decades of dressing for everyone else I FINALLY get to dress for me??

Who wants to go shopping?!

 

Linky Love: Canadians don’t miss this giveaway! 3 Filtrete Water Stations!  Ends Friday.

THREE Giveaways of The Filtrete™ Water Station!

Have you seen this yet?  This little number is the The Filtrete™ Water Station. A new revolutionary way to enjoy the convenience of a water bottle without the guilt that you are contributing to the world’s land fills, or the expense of traditional water bottles.

I was sent one of these sweet little systems to try for myself.  It arrived at the perfect time, during the middle of a heat wave, so important to get that extra water into your children when it’s hot!  My twelve year old daughter and I pulled it out of the box, read through the instructions and had the Filtrete™ Water Station set up in no time. 

Over the next two weeks we put the system through the ringer. (Read my Daughters, Hubby and I put a record number of bottles of water through the system as we ran in and out of the house to the pool, baseball games, the park and just about every time we just wanted a nice cold drink)  It is amazing how much more water you will drink when there is cold clean water waiting for you right in the fridge. 

Some things I LOVE about this system:

-Convenience:  These little bottles are handy, and always ready to go.  They are also dishwasher friendly!

-Speed: Opps, don’t have a bottle of water to go and you have to leave now! No problem, you can filter a bottle of water in just moments.

-Environmentally Friendly: While using the Filtrete ™ Water System I did not buy one single plastic bottle of water.  I’m saving the environment, and teaching my kids to be eco-friendly.

-Safe: It is BPA free.

From the Filtrete Site:

Fill:

• The Water Station helps reduce sediments, chlorine and odor while improving the overall taste and clarity of tap water. 
• The Filtrete fast-flow filtration technology filters water in just seconds, much faster than traditional filtering pitchers.
• Fill one, two, three, or all four bottles at a time. Avoid spills with the Water Station’s valves, which prevent leaks if all four bottles aren’t in place.

Go:

• The Water Station includes four reusable grab-and-go bottles that are BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and feature a leak-proof cap which hold 500 ml of water.
• Additional bottles can be purchased separately.

Reduce and Reuse:

• Choosing a reusable bottle eliminates the cost and waste of disposable water bottles.
• Filters last up to 100 gallons, or for about three months.
• The built-in Filter Change Indicator takes the guesswork out of changing the filter since it lets you know when it’s time for a replacement.
• The filter housing is recyclable #2 plastic, just like a typical milk jug.

In summary, I can honestly say the Filtrete™Water System is a great addition to our family kitchen. My only regret, that I didn’t ask for some extra water bottles!  (don’t feel bad for me, extra bottles can be purchased to go with this system)

I’m very excited to announce that I have the privilege of giving away THREE Filtrete™ Water Systems!  Woo Hoo!

Want to know how to win?  Of course you do.

Here is how to enter. Canadians Only for this one!

Separate entries for each and an e-mail address please, you want more chances to win right?

Mandatory Entry:

Where could you see yourself dashing off to with a

 Filtrete™ Water bottle?

Easy Extra Entries:

1) Follow me publicly, or tell me that you already do, that is an extra entry!

2) Follow Filtrete Water on Twitter.

3) Follow me SassyModernMom on twitter and give this awesome giveaway a tweet! Just one tweet total please. You may cut and paste :

Canadians! Win 1 of 3 Filtrete Water Systems @SassyModernMom! http://bit.ly/qJDNG3 Pls RT

4) Follow my facebook fan page. Please! Again, tell me that you do.

5) Leave a comment on one of my other posts. Come back and tell me which one:)

Contest will close Friday July 29th. The Winners will be chosen using random.org and will have 72 hours to respond or new winners will be chosen.

Disclosure – I received a Filtrete Water System as a thank you for hosting this giveaway. The opinions on this blog are my own. Pictures courtesy of 3M.

Found In My Back Yard

Finally, a day when all four of us could just sit in the backyard and enjoy the pool!  The first day this summer when all the stars aligned and the entire family was home at once!  The weather, ridiculously hot, dictated that a full blown pool day was in order.  Got the girls in their suits.  Applied the required sunscreen. Towels. Patio Chairs. Books. Drinks. Pool Floats. Cue relaxation.

Tweet. 

Huh?

“Mom, look at that pretty bird!”

“Uh huh”…I responded.  “Just wait a few more minutes until your sunscreen is dry, then you can go in the pool okay.”

“No, Mom seriously, that bird is really green.”

Green? I looked up and saw….

someone’s poor little pet Budgie wilted in the heat, trying desperately to get a drink out of our salt water pool.  Poor dumb bird.  Looked like he’d been on his own for a while.

We scooped him up and…

put him in our cat carrier.  Ironic?

He has been fed, watered and the girls spent the afternoon e-mailing everyone they know and plastering posters around the neighbourhood. (I’m ignoring the one response I got asking me if I was sure it wasn’t a wild bird with just really pretty colours.  Ahh I know I’m blonde, but the breeders band around one leg and the fact that we were able to easily CATCH it, pretty much convinces me it is NOT a wild bird.)

It’s been four days since we took this creature in.  Yes, a fun adventure for the girls and they feel a little heroic, but here is my question?  How long do we have to keep this bird, in our home with a dog and a cat, before we can pass him along to the Human Society?

My girls are already too attached! Anybody want a new pet?

*UPDATE---Little birdie has a new home! She (yes, now I know it is a she) has gone to live with a lovely family with another Budgie friend! Happy Ending:)

The Completely Indulgent BlogHer11 Post

Did I tell you I’m going to BlogHer? Sixteen sleeps.  In just sixteen sleeps I will be boarding a plane and heading off to San Diego!  Suddenly I am suffering from “So much to do, so little time” syndrome so this is my rant, my random and my plea for advice!

I’m all kinds of excited with just a little bit of nervous thrown in.  My list of “to do’s” before this trip is becoming kind of overwhelming.  I think it’s time to prioritize because there is no way it’s all getting done!

First things first. From what I understand, BlogHer will provide me with an amazing array of  opportunities. 

One thing I know for sure.  I get to fly down to California and chat it up to people about ShesConnected, one of my wonderful sponsors!

Another thing I am excited about, I have just given myself an excuse to get out of my Mama clothes for four full days.  I think I need some advice here people!  I could just dig into my closet and pull out some cute little dresses for most of the events, but can anyone tell me about this SparkleCorn?  What the heck is a SparkleCorn? Is that even what it is called?  The last party of the event where everyone dresses, sparkly?  What does a girl wear to that?!!

I have figured out there is going to be a time crunch.  There are so many must see/do sessions.  There is just no way I can fit it all in.  Throw it at me!  What sessions are you attending?  What have you attended in the past?  I need advice.

I’m thrilled that I will have the opportunity to meet people who’s blogs I have been reading, and who I have been interacting with on twitter….in real life!  (hoping I don’t embarrass myself in front of anyone) There are some MUST meet people.  Yes, I am starting a list.  How else am I going to find the 10-15 people that I know are there among the thousands?  Are any of you lovelies going to BlogHer that I don’t know about? Raise your hands, I want to say hello!

Parties!  Oh my gosh the parties!  I have not had this many party invites since I went to University!  Going to need some Red Bull!  I promise to take lots of pictures and vow to only post flattering one’s of myself and my new friends.  (by the way, this should be a law) 

As much as I am looking forward to all of these things I can also admit I’m a little stressed too.  Preparing all the things my kids will need while I am away is always a lot of work.  Making sure the house and my blog are taken care of, are other big things on my list.  (sorry if my commenting is lacking lately) Knowing what to pack?  Guess I’ll just start with the essentials, add some business cards, laptop, phone, killer heels, a pair of flats and a couple little black dresses and hope for the best!  Suggestions are welcome.

This post really is random, unorganized and scattered.  Guess we know what too much coffee and a huge to do list will do to me! Bye for now, off to shop and pack!

I Might Be A Hypochondriac?

I am sure because my big toe is stiff and oddly white on top it is broken.  Other reasons I’m sure it’s broken, cause it’s numb and uncomfortable and hurts when I wear my favourite shoes and my favourite shoes can’t be wrong!  That toe, she is broken. Oh and maybe because I dropped the heavy side rail part of a crib on it?

I am positive that super scary spider with HAIR that just skirted across the deck was a Brown Recluse.  Girls! Poisonous! Danger! (totally normal reaction)

I felt a sick sense of relief when I compared legs with my sister around the pool yesterday.  Her sunspots look just like mine and have been checked out by a Doctor.  No more need to prowl the skin cancer sites on google.  I’m in the clear on this one baby!

I have NUMEROUS “doctor.com”, “diagnose your bad self” type sites marked as favourites and I sneak on them when my Hubby isn’t looking.  These sites are good for no one. Every diagnosis ends with…seek immediate medical attention!  Can’t one of these sites just once tell me; You have a common cough due to cold. Go to bed and drink some tea. Make your Husband look after the kids.

I need my Hubby to reassure and remind me that my chest muscles (yes I said chest muscles..they are somewhere under where my boobs are supposed to be) HURT because I choose to try and out run the rain with a big ass, over filled, grocery cart at Costco.  I am NOT having a heart attack.  I am just a dumb ass.  Perhaps if I’d just said no to the 10lb jar of pickles and 5 lb bag of of chocolate chips I could have made that turn with the cart without re-injuring that old muscle strain and rib injury.  Again, dumb ass.

Every sore throat could be strep.  An upset stomach in the family means it’s time to break out the Lysol and cancel all play dates, and I truly believe Purel and Vitamin C are a Mama’s best friend.  So yeah, if these things make me a hypochondriac, I have decided to embrace it. 

It’s just one part of the crazy that makes me who I  am. 

Still love me?

Complaints I Heard In My Own Back Yard

Oh the dog days of summer.  Joy, peace and quiet happiness right?  Then why is it that what I am hearing from the group of little people who have invaded my back yard sounds something more like this:

-Mom, there’s a bug in the pool.

-Get it!!

-I can’t get that stupid bug out it is super creepy!  It’s alive!

-My towel is too small.

-These sandals hurt my feet.

-This sunscreen smells like bug spray. Pew. Wait, what does bug spray smell like again?

-The towels will not stay up in the fort!

-I don’t like my book.

-I’m hungry.

-Can’t we please go in the pool YET!

-The water is cold!

-I have to pee.

-A stupid bug bit me.

-We want the sprinkler now.

-The Elmo sprinkler cut me!

-I need a band-aid. Can I get a band-aid?

-I’m hungry.

-I don’t like this nectarine thing.

-I’m hungry.

-Mom, we really want freezies.

-Opps, I accidently took the wrong colour freezie, I forgot I don’t like this kind. 

-Mom! (yes, my name is now a complaint. Sigh)

-I can’t find my baseball.

-She’s touching me!

-They started it.

-It’s our turn on the floats!  The little girls are hogging them.

-I’m hungry and there’s nothing to eat.

-I don’t want to get out of the pool.

Ahh the long blissful days of summer.  Magical isn’t?

The Day I Banned Sleep Over's?

At first, we couldn’t believe our luck.  There was no way this could be happening to us both girls invited to sleep over's on the very same night?  Happy Dance!  Now, don’t get all judgey on me.  Unless there is a wedding or a big fat trip (once every six years) Hubby and I get about one evening alone in the house per year; sans kids.  I love my girls but this was a super special treat to have them off having a great time and us ALONE in the house!  Again with the Happy Dance. Doo do doo.

Delivered dear daughters to their sleepover and the night was ours.  We were free to -drink-dance-party!  Um, we didn’t do those things because we are old.  We put the top down on the convertible, went and bought the highest calorie ice cream we could find, and ended the evening out with a moonlit drive.  Back home, a late night movie and we just enjoyed the quiet.  We’re all kinds of crazy like that. Truthfully this a perfect evening for me. 

The next morning we got up bright and early and went to pick up our little darlings.  I have to tell you something…they were not the same little people we had dropped off the night before! 

Our sweet, polite, fun loving, playful girls had been replaced by dirty, sweaty, whining, crying, snivelling, exhausted beasts.  I insisted they have a nap.  They told me they were not tired.  I encouraged them to rest in front of the TV, they cried and emphatically told me they didn’t need to rest.  Too tired to eat, every word a whine, tears, fights, and more tears.  My two pre-teens had turned back into toddlers acting like they had missed their nap times.  Hysterical and happy one moment, blubbering puddles of snot the next. 

I reached my breaking point with these tiny little creatures who had turned our sunny pool day into a scene from Super Nanny, and ordered them to their rooms.  (I needed a time out.)

Then I started wondering bitching to my husband, are sleepovers worth it?  Yes, Hubby and I had a fabulous relaxed worry free date night, but at what cost?   My sweet girls were two exhausted drama queens…ruined for the day…and they took the rest of this family along for the ride. 

Honestly, I might be the first Mama in the Suburbs who plays a brand new card from the parenting deck and  declares…No More Sleep Over's.

To Honour Amazing Women

A sweet friend sent this to me.

It's a Flash Mob Dance Video that was created by one woman, Kim, in honour of her best friend, Erika, who died of colon cancer.  It’s a feel good “watch” and intended to honour amazing women, of all ages, everywhere.

Hugs, tears, wishes of strength….

Mwah

Wedding Bells and Guests From Hell?

Hubby and I went to a sweet little wedding in Toronto this past weekend. I’ve lost track of how many weddings we have gone to over the years but it dawned on me today; it doesn’t matter the size of the wedding, the religion of the bride and groom or the ages of the guests, there are some scary commonalities between each of these unique celebrations: 

*There is always the Girl who is so “dressed up” you are sure she is trying to outshine shock the bride.  (shorter and um see-thruish does not equal better) “That” girl makes me want to call her Mother.

*You can dress up the ugly people and make them all pretty on the outside, but give them a few too many  drinks and their inner ugly will still shine through.

*Just as we all know a leopard will never change his spots; we should also know an MC who is by nature colourful, loud, rude and crude will not become bland, quiet, polite and respectful.  That loud MC is going to throw in the dirty jokes, make the bride blush, and do his best to shock the family.  Don’t want that?  That’s why they created groomsmen. 

*Cute shoes will hurt your feet no matter how much time you spend “breaking them in”.  Suck it up and pack some Band-Aids. 

*Free bars are a mixed blessing.

*No matter how much food is served, you will be hungry when you get back to the hotel. A wise girl packs snacks!

*Old friends are the best friends, and nothing is more comfortable and wonderful then an evening celebrating new love, with old friends.

I have another Wedding to go to on Friday!  I shall wear comfy shoes, pack band-aids, granola bars, my sense of humour and be thankful that another friend has found someone they truly hope to spend the rest of their lives with.

PS This time I will take my camera to try and get a picture of the girl in the see-thruish dress.  Should I offer to send that picture to her Mother?

Drum Roll Please

I am exhausted from a fabulous weekend of celebrating at a good friends wedding and following the festivities up with a glorious afternoon in the sun.  My girls have finally gone to bed and are pretending to be asleep so I can pull the lucky winners of the Kernels Popcorn Giveaway!!

 

The Winners of the three Kernels Popcorn Virtual Gift Cards as pulled by Random.org are:

#140, #12, #27

 

1) The $50.00 Gift Card goes to:

missbobloblaw who said... 140

I like kernals on fb (talking momcents)
talkingmomcents(at)hotmail(dot)com

2) The $25.00 Gift Card goes to:

Heather who said... 12

My fav is actually the one you posted that says "yummy crunchy, etc." on it :)
odebt at yahoo dot com

3) The $10.00 Gift Card goes to:

Annie1 who said... 27

My favourite is the L *popcorn* L, lol how to describe it!
Love this idea!
ty
nancyrobster at gmail dot com

 

Congratulations to the very lucky winners!

A heartfelt thank you to all who entered and to Kernels Popcorn for allowing me to introduce you to their brand new virtual gift cards.

Hope you all have a beautiful week!

Where I’m From

I am from Barbie’s by the boxful, and the beloved Barbie Camper.  I am from Banana-Seat bikes and mood rings, from Easy Bake Ovens and Twister.

I am from Penny Loafers and Lip Smackers.  I am from big hair, denim jackets and polo shirts.  I did not love Shoulder Pads, but that is where I am from.   I am from Swatch Watches, Neon bracelets and scrunchies.

I am from a home filled with love as well as with lime green carpet and matching appliances.  I am from a house with a tree in the front that bloomed pink flowers every year, without fail, on the week of my birthday. 

I am from impromptu pool parties with all the neighbours, and treasured weekends at the cottage “up north”.  I am from boat rides on the lake, and singing with my sister at the top of my lungs as our boat carved a path in the crystal clear lakes. 

I am from Wham, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Madonna, Journey and Michael Jackson.

I am from “Why do your friends always call during dinner”, “Don’t make me pull this car over” and “That boy had better come in here and say Hello”.  I am from hearing my Mother swear, once, and nearly dying of shock.  There was no cursing in our home.  Not by my Mother!

I am from chicken.  Yes I said chicken.  BBQ Chicken, Chicken Pasta, Baked Chicken, Roasted Chicken, Chicken Sandwiches, Chicken Kabobs…..My Mama can make Chicken in about 700 ways, but not cake.  Every cake that left her kitchen tasted great but was the most crooked assed cake you ever saw.

I am from Charlie’s Angels, The Brady Bunch and The Love Boat watched religiously on Friday nights.  I adored the Smurfs and had all their stickers.  I loved Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Can’t Buy Me Love and every other 80’s movie with teen angst.  They don’t make movies like they used to. 

I am from a house full of love.  Where children came first, but marriage was cherished and protected. 

I am from slide shows featuring thousands of pictures of me, of us, of family.  Slideshows that used to make us groan, and now, I love.  A lifetime of memories shining on a four foot screen.  Memories that don’t begin to scratch the surface of the incredibly blessed place …that I am from.

I discovered this writing prompt on Loulou’s Views and just had to play along. You can find the template for this trip down memory lane here.  Please let me know if you do, I wouldn’t want to miss it! 

*some images borrowed from Google, not available in the 70s or 80s