Tobi Schwartz-Cassell’s Blog is “Moving Right Along…”
I’m Tobi Schwartz-Cassell and I am constantly moving right along, having moved along from Girlfriendz Magazine in December 2013. I am moving right along into the next phase of my life, starting in April 2014 with my new business, Franks and Beans Events. With this blog, I’ll continue from where I left off when my blog was published in Girlfriendz. Remember the TV show “After M*A*S*H?” Well consider this blog to be “After Girlfriendz.”
Mostly what I write about is what’s happening in my life, because I find that if I’m living through it, many other women are living through it, too.
In past Moving Right Along blog posts, I’ve talked about silly things like making brownie waffles on vacation, to more moving things, like watching my first child going off to college, to some scary things like living through melanoma.
Come along and join me in moving right along, and we’ll move into our future together!
And don’t forget to join me at my Franks and Beans Events! My staff and I produce some really entertaining BYOB Girls Nights Out like Psychic Dinners, Canvas Painting Dinners and Crafting dinners. See all of our events at http://www.franksandbeans.net.
If you ask people when summer starts, most of them will say June 21. And, of course, they’d be correct. But have you ever noticed that summer starts at different times for different people?
It occurred to me recently that summer is more a function of where you are in your life, than it is some date on the calendar.
For instance, when you’re in elementary and middle school, summer officially starts on the last day of school, whether that’s before or after June 21. In high school, at least around here, summer begins when your last exam ends, no matter what the last day of school is for everyone else in your district.
Then you send your child off to college, and all of a sudden fall comes a whole lot earlier, and summer starts even earlier! Our daughter, who just finished her freshman year in college, started her summer on May 5 this year!
I remember when our son was in middle school, and it was his first official day of summer, as school had ended the day before. Up until then, I had been working for myself, and that’s all he knew. But that year I had a job, and as I was getting ready to walk out the door, he asked me where I was going. “To work,” I said. “Wait a minute,” he said. “It’s summer. Why aren’t you off until fall?”
Hubby and I recently noticed that, now that we’re emptynesters and not dependent on the public school calendar anymore, if we want to take a vacation, we can do it after Labor Day and save a lot of money! We would never have even thought to do a post-Labor Day vacay in the past!
So here we are in July, where it’s summertime for everyone in South Jersey. Air conditioners are at full blast, and you need enough sunblock to cover a lot more skin. But in retail, where composition and spiral bound notebooks are everywhere you look, summer is, sadly, just about over.
Enjoy yours.
While it lasts.
♥
PS: When does summer start for your family? Comment below!
PPS: As many of you know, I’m working out at the Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club. But did you know that you can sign up for a free Pilates session, or a free 14-Day Pass?
PPPS: Celebrate summer with us on August 4 at our Beachin’ Fun Party! We’ll be at Aenigma Jewelry & Accessories for Angel Card and Intuitive readings (no additional charge for these!), plus wine, beachy snacks and a $10 Aenigma gift card for every guest!Click here for details.
About 10 days ago, I asked you to be honest with me.
After hearing from somany women in somany venues over the past year that they wanted me to plan a cooking demonstration, I asked you to tell me why so few tickets sold for the resulting cooking/fundraising event I’d planned.
Well…thank you for sharing your reasons!
And as Steve Harvey says on Family Feud, “Survey SAYS…”
42% said: Monday nights don’t work for me…or…this date in particular doesn’t work for me (but if it did, I’d be there) 21% said: I’m not interested in a cooking demonstration…or…I would rather a cooking lesson than a demonstration 8% said: Too expensive 5% said for EACH of these: What? I already purchased my tickets! (5%)… or…This time of year is too busy for me (5%)…or…I prefer another charity (5%)…or…Personal reasons (5%) 3% said for EACH of these: This is the first I’m hearing about it (3%)…or…The location is too far (3%)…or…The event runs too long (3%)
Thank you sooooooooooo much for letting me know what’s on your mind.
Since this event was doubling as a fundraiser for Cantor Scott Borsky’s Animal Rescue Center, a 501(c)3 based in Cherry Hill, I am already working on another one. And guess what night it won’t be on? 😀
Hugs,
♥,
PS: I had to take a short break from working out at Cherry Hill Health and Raquet Club because, well, I push myself because I want to see results! Those compassionate people at The Club said, “No, no, no! Take a breather then come on back and do only what you can do.” My trainer is modifying my routine, and I can’t wait to get back. They’re the best! If you’re interested in a FREE 10-DAY PASS, don’t waste another moment! Contact Sarah Martin at smartin@chhrc.com or 856.429.1388, ext 135, and tell her Tobi sent you.
This article originally appeared in the January-February 2013 issue of Girlfriendz Magazine—the magazine I founded and published for seven years. This story is true, and it has a happy ending. I updated the info a bit, and it still has a happy ending. 🙂
~~~~~
Did you follow his saga on the Girlfriendz Magazine Facebook page? If you didn’t, here it is in a nutshell: The Cassell family adopted a 3-year old Beagle/Foxhound in October 2012. We named him Fred…he ran away…we found him…he underwent emergency surgery that night…and all that took place in just three days.
Fred is a dog who is easily frightened. So much so that it led those gentle souls at Lindenwold’s Animal Adoption Center to conclude that he’d probably never lived inside a house, or experienced the love of an owner, or even had a name.
I wouldn’t doubt their assessment. The evening we brought him home, he was afraid to walk through our front door.
A few nights after we adopted him, we took him out for a ride in the c-a-r to purchase a brand new collar on which to hang his shiny new tags.
Fred’s sister, Jazz (who, at the time was 12, but sadly passed away the next year) was a Shepherd/Pit Bull mix who was perfectly comfortable visiting the big pet care store in Marlton. She knew it was the place where she could sniff the other dogs’ butts, down some snacks and choose a new toy. But that’s not how Fred experienced it.
Terrified by the automatic doors, he never made it into the store. He did a 180, darted straight through the busy parking lot, miraculously dodged cars as he fled across Route 70, and then dropped out of sight—Jazz’s borrowed harness and leash whipping behind him.
Three anguish-filled days later, we found him. He’d been hurt so badly that he needed immediate emergency surgery, antibiotics and painkillers, (and whoever came up with that Elizabethan collar?). But he made it home again and that’s all that matters.
Life is full of lessons and here’s what I learned during My Pursuit of Fred:
LESSON 1: Dumpsters play a huge role in the search for a lost dog. I crept behind many restaurants, hoping I’d find my hungry pup. I didn’t, but…
LESSON 2: The best place to hang Lost Dog posters in a townhome community is the dumpsters. Because, according to my friend Hope, “Everyone has to visit them at least once a week.”
LESSON 3: A girl from suburbia (me) can hunt through the thickest woods—several times!—and live to tell the tale.
LESSON 4: Once a mystery is solved, mystery still remains. Fred left us wearing Jazz’s harness and leash, and came back wearing neither.
LESSON 5: Microchipping your pet is not an option. Do it and do it NOW.
LESSON 6: Even non-dog people respond to a lost dog.
LESSON 7: Emergency vet services are expensive but worth every penny.
LESSON 8: Your family and friends aren’t the only ones who care about you. Your acquaintances and strangers do, too.
LESSON 9: Facebook is the bomb. Literally. Fred made it all the way around the world. Figuratively. His story went viral throughout the U.S., all the way to Australia, with a combined 600+ shares. This led my friend Pam to suggest, “Maybe Fred needs his own Facebook page.”
LESSON 10: Prayer does work.
LESSON 11: Miracles do happen.
LESSON 12: Bad things happen to good people.
LESSON 13: Sometimes, good things happen to them, too.
I could go on and on telling stories about family and friends who trolled local neighborhoods (some at the crack of dawn, others well past midnight)…friends and acquaintances who hung flyers…businesses that allowed us to post flyers…previously unknown people who did car searches and Facebook shares and gave us unending support, hope, guidance and strength. But the best story of all is this: all of their efforts culminated in one phone call that changed everything. It was from the microchip company with information from one anonymous woman who led us to Fred.
There is no way I could possibly thank her sufficiently, nor every single person who came through for us. I can, however, thank the Animal Adoption Center of Lindenwold, the Animal Welfare Association of Voorhees and all the other animal shelters who helped us get the word out. It’s important to know that private shelters receive no government money, and run solely on private funding. The public ones run on too little funding even though much more is needed. In all cases, their Number 1 priority is to eradicate the suffering of all animals.
And though My Pursuit of Fred was a personal one, eliminating the pain and anguish of homeless, abused and neglected animals is one of the most admirable pursuits I can think of.
That’s why I am running a fundraiser for a local non-profit 501c3 called Cantor Scott’s Animal Rescue Center (ARC). Started from a single bag of cat food with money from his own pocket, Cantor Scott Borsky runs a 24/7 virtual shelter, serving over 90 feral cats in cat colonies every day. Not only does it aid in stemming each cats’ suffering, it also keeps neighborhoods healthy and safe because every one of his cats are neutered and vaccinated.
Cantor Scott also keeps animal shelters’ shelves stocked with pet food, and he does this for human food pantries as well, helping families in need keep their beloved pets. Cantor Scott, along with his beautiful family and volunteers, does all of this and so much more. But to do this, they need a continuing infusion of donations. Says Cantor Scott, “My shelter is growing each day with supporters, funds and blessings!!!”
PS: Question: Have you learned any lessons from your pet? Please comment below!
PPS: As many of you know, I’m working out at the Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club. I am now in a 21-day study called “Effects of Exercise.” The purpose of the study is to help non-exercisers experience and continue a healthy exercise program. Of those who’ve participated in past studies, an average of 80% finished the study and continue to exercise regularly.
Some nice benefits are included. Besides your FREE 21-day membership with certified trainers guiding you, there are other nifty perks like a FREE healthy shake from the Club Café.
Join me! A new study has just been added and begins on May 9, so there’s still time if you’re interested! Contact Sarah Martin at smartin@chhrc.com or 856.429.1388, ext 135, and tell her Tobi sent you.
Weird cousin: 1 ~ Tobi: zero
by Tobi Schwartz-Cassell
Every family has one. An eccentric cousin, uncle or sister-in-law who marches to the beat of her own drum. Maybe she’s flaky. Maybe he’s peculiar. Whatever adjective you use, no family can claim 100% conventional behavior. I certainly don’t fall into the parameters of conventionality, and I’m sure most of my cousins will vouch for that. Anyway, I’ll call my offbeat cousin, Lucy. That’s my cat’s name, and she just walked by, so it’s as good a pseudonym as any.
About 20 years ago during a family gathering, I couldn’t avoid it any longer. I had to log in a little talk-time with Lucy. She made a quiet confession to me. She was about 55 at the time. She leaned over and whispered, “Tobi, you won’t believe this, but I have a stash of coloring books and crayons, and I color. I don’t even let me grandchildren play with them! They’re mine. But I do it because it really relaxes me.” To which I answered, “Wow…that’s interesting…” That’s what I said. Now here’s what I thought, “Yup. That’s my cousin. Coloring books and crayons. What is she, 5?”
And even if I could’ve wrapped my head around her coloring habit, I could not fathom her not allowing her grandchildren to color with her! I mean, I’m not even a grandma, but isn’t that one of the joys of being one? But remember, I told you she is strange.
So now it’s 2016, and all through 2015, I kept hearing about women—all grown up with jobs and families and everything—coloring! WTH?
But their 21st Century coloring books contain patterns that are extremely intricate. Barbie and the Ninja Turtles? They’re for kids. These are beautiful, complex patterns that you might even want to frame when finished. There are no statistics that I could find on how many women are coloring these days, but pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to who does, agrees that it helps reduce stress, and nurtures their creative side. Holly Sanborn, a Director at Thirty-One Gifts says, “It all started when the creative teenage daughter of another Thirty-One Consultant picked up some permanent markers and decided to color in the white spaces on a black and white paisley tote. The results were very impressive, colorful, quick and easy. It made the product so striking that everyone started doing it and the rest is history!”
On April 6, Holly will be our instructor for our Grown Up Girls’ Coloring & Dinner Party. But we won’t be using books. We’ll each color an “Oh Snap Bin.” It’s called that because you snap it to create a loop. You can hang it from a towel rack or a hook, and you can stash your necessities for bathroom, kitchen or crafting corner in your home. Hey, we’re not messing around! We’re putting the fun back in functional! Early Bird pricing ends March 27 at midnight! So click here & book now.
C’mon. Don’t tell me you don’t have stress. If my offbeat cousin can admit it, so can you.
QUESTION: Do you color? Why? Tell me all about it! I am fascinated by this trend.
♥
PS: As many of you know, I’ve started to work out at Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club to strengthen my core and other areas. One of the main reasons I need to do this is because of osteoporosis in my spine. I’ll be providing updates of my progress as I go along. In the meantime, until March 31st, you can get started and pay $0 until June! Feeling great is priceless! Click here for more info!
When it comes to sex, Sociologist Eve Stern says, “New research shows women may be more likely to be the culprits of infidelity than men.” In her article, “The Science of Infidelity: Why Women are More Likely to Cheat on Men,”she explains, “The key word is vasopressin. Women who carry a type of genetic mutation in the receptor for this hormone are more likely to engage in infidelity…”
In the meantime, another hormone, oxytocin, “is like the mitochondria of our feelings…It’s a hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain and essentially increases our drive to romantically pair up.”
Interesting. That article is chock full of other scientists who agree with Stern’s findings, so maybe we can infer that more women are more secretive about their sex lives than men. But it’s not just in the realm of intimacy!
Author Kathryn Eisman in Men’s Health magazine also takes the stance that women are more secretive than men. In her article “30 secrets Every Woman Keeps from her Man,” Eisman says, “Her best friend knows everything. She knows all of your vitals—from the size of your bank account to the size of your other, um, holdings. When her friend smirks at you knowingly, you are not imagining it. She knows. So just know that she knows, and deal with it. (It’s not going to change.)”
But are women more secretive in every aspect of life? No, according to Tony Mecia in “Financial Infidelity poll: 6% hid bank account from spouse or partner.” It’s the men who are more likely to be secretive. “Men are more likely than women to have secret credit cards or bank accounts and to spend big money without telling their partners.” Mecia’s info comes from a recent survey conducted by Creditcards.com. He continues, “Eight percent of men admitted to having had secret accounts, compared with 5 percent of women. Men were almost twice as likely as women to say they spent $500 or more without telling their partners: 26 percent of men, versus just 14 percent of women.”
So what do you think? Who’s more secretive…men or women? Are you willing to share? If so, please comment below.
♥
PS: As many of you know, I’ve started to work out at Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club to strengthen my core and other areas. One of the main reasons I need to do this is because of osteoporosis in my spine. I’ll be providing updates of my progress as I go along. In the meantime, come work out with me! Sign up for a free 10-day pass!
Well, yes. But that would be 1234567, which is in 9th place on SplashData’s “Worst Passwords of 2015” list. It’s nine times better than 123456, which has been number one for two years running.
We all know that a secure password goes a long way in keeping our identity safe. So why, then, do so many people come up with passwords like:
password (#2)
passw0rd (#24)
abc123 (#13)
111111 (#14)
login (#20)
Apparently, a lot of sports fans put their passion into their passwords:
football (#7)
baseball (#10)
And there are clearly a lot of Star Wars fans out there:
starwars (#25)
solo (#23)
princess (#21)
But to me, the funniest among the 25 Worst are those that contain keyboard trickery:
qwerty (#4)
qwertyuiop (#22)
and my favorite…1qaz2wsx (which debuted this year at #15)
Morgan Slain, SplashData’s CEO cautions, “We have seen an effort by many people to be more secure by adding characters to passwords, but if these longer passwords are based on simple patterns, they will put you in just as much risk of having your identity stolen.”
So don’t think 1234567890 is going to help you. It debuted at #12 this year.
SplashData offers these p’word tips:
Use passwords or passphrases of 12 characters or more with mixed types of characters
Avoid using the same password over and over again on different websites
So Keep Calm…and use at least one capital letter.
♥,
PS: As many of you know, I’ve started to work out at Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club to strengthen my core and other areas. One of the main reasons I need to do this is because of osteoporosis in my spine. I’ll be providing updates of my progress as I go along, and I’m happy to say that in my second week, I’m able to take to the treadmill at a faster pace and a higher incline than when I began. It’s only up by a bit, but progress is progress!
Most of the exercises I do with her are extremely tolerable, and it makes me feel so good that I am doing something so great for my body and mind. Then we get into things like “The Plank,” and that’s when I feel it. I know the picture below makes me look like I’m begging for mercy, or praying to God to please let this end. But I’m not.
Because Stephanie is so sweet and encouraging, fun and respectful of me and what I can endure, that I can’t help but trust her. She’s in these pix with me from my first workout at CHHRC. Want to come join me? Check out this 2016 special for only $20.16.
♥
Tobi
PS: Watch for my next blog post–“2015’s 25 Worst Passwords.” Hope none of them are yours!
Jeff Yeager is the author of Don’t Throw That Away!, The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches and The Cheapskate Next Door. He’s also a blogger for AARP.
In a recent post, he wrote about 12 money facts from 2015 that he felt were surprising. I was pretty surprised by them myself. For instance, Number 3 on the list is “The Lost Art of Checkwriting.” Here’s what Yeager had to say:
The Federal Reserve found that payments by check dropped more than 50 percent from 2000 to 2012. A GOBankingRates.com poll found that nearly 38 percent of people’s checkbooks go unused nowadays. Meanwhile, there’s been a fivefold increase in use of the Google search term “how to write a check” over the last decade. It appears check writing is becoming a lost art, much like cursive writing and longhand division.
When I read that, I took a look at my own checkbook and saw how far back I wrote my last check. It was an eye-opener, as were the other 11 things on his list.
To read his entire list of money facts, click here.
So when’s the last time you wrote a check?
Thanks in advance for commenting below!
(Spoiler Alert: In case the title doesn’t tip you off, this article was written in satiric style. But make no mistake about it. It is based on reality and personal experience.)
This is not the first time I have written about the suffering I endured in high school gym class back in the 70s. But I now have proof that there were gym teachers back then who actually did an injustice to their students.
I know, I know. “Tobi, you’re a big girl now, and gym class was a long time ago, so get over it!”
Well, now I can because I’ve come across a study that connects poor experience in high school gym class with exercise avoidance in later life. I am vindicated! (Though making us wear those ugly gym suits was unforgivable and there is nothing that would vindicate that.)
The study was done by award-winning author and speaker, Dr. Billy Strean of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, a former NCAA athlete and coach. His 2009 findings were published in the journal Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise. The title of his article says it all, “Remembering instructors: Play, pain, and pedagogy.”
These quotes from study participants validate why I have hesitated for so long to get into an exercise routine! These are my people! They getme!:
To this day I feel totally inadequate in team-related activities and have a natural reflex to AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS … largely because of humiliating experiences in childhood.
So, my major beef with the so-called physical education that I received as a kid is that it robbed me of the joy of physical activity for many years…It did not promote habits of physical and mental health that can be derived from participation in physical play. Instead,….it destroyed my physical confidence.
The exception to otherwise pleasant childhood play: those f*cking gym classes. Drill, verbal abuse, elitism, a sense of futility, and occasionally fear. Yuck.
I am a 51-year-old woman whose childhood experiences with sports, particularly as handled in school, were so negative that even as I write this, my hands are sweating and I feel on the verge of tears. I have never experienced the humiliation nor felt the antipathy toward any other aspect of life as I do toward sports.
+++++
Okay. enough of my being a cry baby. Not all gym teachers were awful (just because all of mine were). But I do feel a lot better now that my theory has been substantiated, and now that I understand why I have always avoided exercise. The good news is that I can now begin my healing process and start working out at a gym!
And the one I’ve chosen is the Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club. Because I have some physical issues that would benefit from exercise, but if done incorrectly, could do more harm than good, they will be starting me on the Pilates Reformer.
I have no idea what that is, but this week I will find out! And I will share my experiences with you throughout my journey.
Do you have a “Mean Gym Teacher” story to share? Please comment below. I’d like to know that I am not alone.
♥
Tobi
Want to know more about Dr. Billy Streen? Click here…
Our kids always knew what they wanted to be for Halloween. Or at least they never outwardly pondered their costumes. As a matter of fact, our daughter Jardin would usually come home on the first day of school and announce what character she’d be bringing to life on October 31.
Back when our son Richard was still an only child, I actually had time to sew his costumes. He too always knew what persona he would take on for Halloween. When he was three, he wanted to be Peter Pan. I bought green felt and a feather, and I was on my way. The next year, he wanted to be a Ninja Turtle. No problem. More green felt and voila! If I remember correctly, he was Raphael so he could wear an “R” on his belt buckle. The following year he wanted to be Ninja Pan. That could not have been easier. We took the best from each of the previous years’ costumes and fashioned something that made him proud and happy. A lot of people questioned what he was that year, but Richard has always had a healthy sense of self, so he pulled it off without breaking a sweat.
Jardin has never identified with my “girly girl” nature which runs deep into my soul. So the last time she was a princess was when she was five and didn’t have an opinion. When Richard was one, he obviously had no opinion, so he was a Jersey tomato—complete with a Miss America-type sash that proclaimed what his costume was, just in case he prematurely pulled off his green cap.
So what’s my dilemma? This year, Stan and I have been invited to a Halloween party, and unlike our children, we are completely stumped as to what we should be.
In past years, when I was a room mom for my kids, I’d dress up like one of my idols—Lucille Ball. One year I was Chocolate Factory Lucy, another year I was Vitameatavegamin Lucy, and the year I was pregnant with Jardin, I came to Richard’s class party as Lucy with a bun in the oven.
But I think the Lucy ship has finally sailed for me.
So who do I secretly want to be? Barbie. I can’t help it. And a brand new friend of mine just gifted me with the perfect frock! (Thank you Cathleen!) It’s a a pretty pink circa 60s shirtwaist dress with a tiny waist. All I need now are big fake pointy boobs and a crinoline and I’ll be all set. Unlike my son, I don’t want to be an action figure. Unlike my daughter, I want to be something sickeningly feminine. So it’s off to Goodwill to find the rest of my outfit.
Now help me figure out whether Stan should be Ken or GI Joe. Hmmmm….which one do you think is sexier? 😉 Don’t forget to comment below. The party’s coming up fast!
Buying backpacks, spiral notebooks, and folders festooned with kittens is one thing. Shopping for comforters, coffee makers and Twin XL sheets is another. No doubt about it, there’s a big difference between sending your fifth grader back to school and packing up your child and sending her or him off to college. It’s “Back to School” in the extreme.
It was a fun summer for Jardin and her BFFs, Kat & Jae, but now it’s time for the next phase for them, her, and us.
Remember my last blog post about waffles on vacation? Well here we are with the brownie waffle I made, just before we devoured it. Click on the pic to get a better look. (Front: Jae; Back L to R: Jardin, Stan & me.)
We’ve been through the college thing before with Jardin’s big brother Richard. It was eight years ago, and she was just 10 years old, so it felt like we’d have tons of time with her. But it’s amazing how quickly eight years can fly by.
Two years ago, upon Richard’s graduation from the University of the Arts, I flashed back to when we saw him off to college. I wrote about it for GirlfriendzMagazine, and just dug up the article so I could share it with you—especially those of you who are seeing your child off to college, and shifting to your new reality (click on the article to enlarge it):
And now, I hope you’ll indulge me as I say a few words to my girl:
My dear, beautiful Jardin,
Be safe…
Be good…
Work hard…
Have fun…
But not too much fun.
And always, always remember…
I love you to the moon and back.
Love,
Mom
xoxox
If you’ve sent one or more of your children off to college, I’m sending you a virtual hug. Please tell me your story, or tell me how you’re coping. Use the comment section below. And thanks so much for sharing.
Our family gave up hotel vacationing a long time ago, and instead have been going the rental route. Stan, the kids and I manage quite well in a one-bedroom condo that’s a half block or less from the beach. At the shore it’s either size or location, and for us, size doesn’t matter but proximity to the beach does.
Ocean City is our family’s happy place, and by renting, I’m able to cook. We save money, and no one has to make a steady diet of Boardwalk fare. I’m probably the only person on earth who actually looks forward to cooking on vacation.
Maybe it’s because I’m not rushed to get a meal on the table, or maybe it’s the fresh farmer’s market goodies we pick up on the way down. Whatever the reason, I am particularly happy that this year’s destination has a four-burner full-sized stove. What a luxury! After all, I’m used to creating meals with just a two-burner stove top and microwave. So now I’m in full vacation-recipe-mode and in search of easy, nutritious and cheap ways to feed our crew which includes Stan, me, Jardin and her friends Jae and Kat.
In my search for recipes, I’m finding that appliances are the stars of the vacation kitchen this year.
My pick for Most Fun Kitchen Appliance on Vacation is the waffle iron. PureWow, a digital publication, offers 22 Things You Can Make in Your Waffle Iron. Among them are:
1. Pizza
2. Hash Browns
3. Grilled Cheese
4. S’mores
5. Brownies
6. French Toast
7. Cookies
8. Apple Chips
9. Mac & Cheese
10. Omelets
11. And 12 other things
Food Hero Mimi Kozma is a home chef who pays it forward by bringing awareness to the community about the community on her eponymous show. The series runs on Sundays from 6PM-7PM EST on America’s Talk Radio.
Mimi says, “If you’re driving to your destination, take the slow cooker. It will save you time and reward you with a hot, hearty meal after a long day at play.
“If that’s not your thing, use heavy duty foil, which serves as both cookware and serving ware. You can easily assemble make-ahead pouched meals and refrigerate them until you’re ready to cook. You can bake or grill these individualized portions in less than an hour.”
I’d love you to share your favorite vacation recipes below. I really want to know about them. But I also understand that I’m probably the only person who does. 🙂
♥
PS: This recipe for Barley, Black Bean and Corn Burritos is super easy. Just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker before leaving for the beach, and when it’s time to serve, let everyone make up his or her own burritos. Can’t be more simple than that!
You’re on Day 3 of vacation, that delicious zone where you are 98% relaxed, and you’ve got more vacay ahead of you than behind you. You’ve slept late and enjoyed your coffee on your private balcony, from which you’ve spotted below…a hammock.
It’s now Number Two on Today’s To-Do List, right after you finish Number One—your coffee.
So you throw something on, run a brush through your hair, and off you go. The elevator drops you off in the lobby, you proceed to the grounds where you approach said hammock, you start to climb in, and then this happens…(see picture of woman falling out of hammock).
There’s an online publication called www.PureWow.com that I subscribe to, and I thank them for allowing me to use their one sentence of advice and their very instructive photo…(see picture of woman leaning back into the hammock).
And here is that one sentence: Stand at the middle of the hammock, walk backward, sit and swing your legs over.
That’s it!
Next time you’re about to mount a hammock, just remember these words and you’ll avoid cuts, bruises and even more importantly, embarrassment.
Do you have any Hammock Mishaps you’d like to share? Or even better, skip the awkward and uncomfortable stuff and tell us what your favorite vacation spot is.
I was at a convention last week, and as it was nearing the end, I heard a guy tell the people he was with, “I’m tired. I’m going home to watch Lawrence Welk.” I giggled at such a sarcastic comment, looked at him to share the moment, and saw that he was serious.
Still thinking it was funny, I repeated the story to a 30-something I was there with, and his reaction was, “Who’s Lawrence Welk?”
So I’m too young to want to watch “The Lawrence Welk Show,” yet old enough to have actually watched it.
Back when I was a kid, the whole family watched TV together. And because I had no choice in the matter…sigh…I was stuck watching Lawrence Welk. I won’t say I enjoyed it because I didn’t. But I did perk up when The Lennon Sisters came on to sing. Though they were older than I, they were girls…I was a girl…I think you can connect the dots. And, that’s pretty much all I remember of “The Lawrence Welk Show.”
There’s a show on TV now called “The Middle.” It’s going into its seventh season on ABC-TV. It’s about a middle class family in middle-America. At some point in time, each of the three kids have been or are now in middle school. And the parents are middle-aged.
And that’s where I am. Stuck in the middle. Old enough to know that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings, yet young enough (with help from above) to have many good years ahead of me.
What TV shows were you stuck watching with your parents? Please post them below!
I don’t know about you, but even if my teenaged daughter and I haven’t had a screaming match that day, she’d still rather text me than call me. Is this something you’ve experienced?
As a former magazine owner and current blogger, I get a ton of email press releases every day. And rarely does any one in particular catch my eye, but this one did: “Why won’t Millennials Call Me?” (Millennials are the children of Baby Boomers.)
I started to notice this phenomenon in 2009-ish, while my son was in college. When he’d be home for a visit and his phone would signal, 50% of the time it was a phone call and 50% of the time it was a text. (At that point, I didn’t even want to learn how to text. In those pre-smartphone days, I’d have to punch one key several times before my chosen character would pop up.)
At about the same time, my daughter was entering high school. I noticed that, more and more, she wasn’t talking on her phone. She was texting…then laughing…then texting…then laughing… It was her version of a phone chat with a friend.
One evening, she asked for Chinese food for dinner. I said, “Sure. Here’s the number. Call in the order.” She froze.
That scenario repeated itself over and over again. She’d beg me to make calls for her, and if I wouldn’t, she’d go without. Even if that meant forgoing her favorite miso soup.
I started to see that all of her friends were the same way. They would actually avoid talking to people—even each other!
And then came that email, “Why won’t Millennials Call Me?”
Written by marketing strategist and analyst, Chuck McLeester, he told of his discovery of the same phenomenon:
Maybe it all started with AOL Instant Messenger when they were teens. They created acronyms like PIR (parent in room)…and other secret shortcuts to secure their privacy. This new technology changed the way they communicated, disrupting the late 1950s teen telephone culture celebrated in the famous “Bye Bye Birdie” number, “Telephone Hour,” that spread the word about Hugo and Kim getting pinned. And of course, cultural norms have changed since the “Telephone Hour,” with participants asking, “Did he pin the pin on? Or was he too shy?”
McLeester does a lot of research for the food industry. Working with a team of college students recently on how to increase the use of the Domino’s Pizza mobile app, he explains:
(When) I posed the question: “Why would I want to go through several phone screens to order a pizza when I can just call and say, ‘Make me a large pepperoni for pick up’?”
The team members replied, “So you don’t have to talk to anyone.” They went on to relate stories of late night pizza orders where friends argued over who was going to make the phone call.
Okay. So it’s not just me.
McLeester concludes that there are a number of reasons why millennials would rather type than talk, but he (nor I) truly buy any of them:
1. When ordering food, texting assures that the order is correct. But as McLeester says, “…in my decades of ordering food over the phone, I can count the incorrect orders I’ve gotten on one hand.”
2. “…Millennials want to craft their messages carefully rather than have to engage in extemporaneous speech. Yet many of the voice phone-phobes I know are quite adept at casual conversation.”
3. To texters, punctuation counts. To that I say–yeah, right. If they don’t care about punctuation on their history paper, why would they be concerned about it in a text?
So it’s still a mystery to me, and apparently to Chuck McLeester, too.
How about you? Willing to venture a guess? If so, please comment below!
When did I go from penis and breast enhancement SPAM, to cures for gout and high cholesterol? Or cutting my electric bill and thinking about reverse mortgages?
Am I REALLY that OLD? Wasn’t I just watching “Huckleberry Hound” on Saturday mornings while eating Kaboom with my Wilma Flintstone spoon?
Was it really so long ago that I was begging my mom to buy Screaming Yellow Zonkers at the local Food Fair?
…that my family was busy saving S&H Green Stamps so we could get an 8-Track Cartridge Storage Unit (only 4-3/4 books) from page 58 of the latest S&H Ideabook?
…that I plotted to get my parents to buy me a Tressy doll, a fully furnished (cardboard) Barbie Dream House and a sporty (plastic) Barbie Dream Car? (Didn’t get the car or the Dream House, but did get the Tressy.)
And when did they change Sugar Smacks and Sugar Pops to simply Smacks and Pops?
Okay. So all this wasn’t really yesterday. It was actually more like 50 years ago! (whaaaat????).
And seriously—mesh bladder slings???? Has it really come to this?
Who’s up for joining me in my little Denial Pity Party?
Or better yet, can someone send me instructions on how to de-snark my teenaged daughter?
With ♥,
Tobi
PS: What 60s cereal, candy or TV shows did you love? What did your family save up green stamps for? We want to know!
And if you’re a Star Wars fan—and especially if you’re Howard Yermish fan—you already know what is meaningful about today. It’s National Star Wars Day, and according to the Toronto Public Library, it was developed by Toronto Underground Cinema of Toronto in 2011, and so named for today’s date, as in, “May the Fourth be With You.”
If you haven’t guessed yet, the commonality among Star Wars, Candied Orange Peels and Melanoma is that they all share this day as a “National Day.”
While we know the roots of National Star Wars Day, no one is quite sure how National Candied Orange Peels Day came about. But I am sure we can all agree that it’s a rather unusual item to celebrate. As for me, I’d rather shine a spotlight on chocolate covered pretzels.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that National Melanoma Day was created by The American Academy of Dermatology. And truth be told, that is not the actual name of this “celebratory” day. It is really National Melanoma Monday, designated as the first Monday in May, which is otherwise known as National Melanoma Month. This one is close to my heart because I am lucky. I am a melanoma survivor. #sighofrelief
So this evening, while you’re celebrating these three completely unrelated days, think about this. If I’d written this post yesterday, it would have been a lot funnier because May 3 has been designated as:
• National Raspberry Pop Over Day
• National Two Different Colored Shoes Day
• National Specially-Abled Pets Day
• National Garden Meditation Day
• and my personal favorite, National Lumpy Rug Day
What would you like to designate as a National Day? What’s the craziest National Day you’ve ever heard of? Please share in the comments section below. Thanks!
I will never forget that day in December 1988. I had just given birth to my son—my first child—the month before. It was grocery shopping day, so I bundled him up, then I bundled me up, then we scooted to the car and I locked Richard securely into his car seat. Just that morning, my husband Stan had warned me to never allow the car to idle for too long with the heat on and the baby inside. He said that the exhaust could build up to a dangerous level. Needless to say, I took his warning very seriously.
I sang to Richard the whole way to the Super Fresh at Builder’s Square Shopping Center (now known as Marlton Crossing Shopping Center where there’s a Burlington Coat Factory, a HomeGoods and a Michael’s).
Once there, I parked the car, got out and locked my door. As a careful new mother, I methodically locked all the doors to protect Richard until I got to his door. I happily counted them as I locked them, “One, two, three, four! Four????” I’d locked my child in the car! With the engine on! And the heat running! I did exactly what Stan told me NOT to do! About one second later, Richard started to cry. Then I started to cry.
I hated to leave him there all alone, but there wasn’t a sole around, and I had to do something! (This was 1988, and I didn’t own a cell phone.) So I ran into the Super Fresh and blubbered all over the Guest Services lady who refused to call the police! I ran back to the car, and soon after, a man (an angel?) came out of the store and told me he’d used the pay phone to call the police. As soon as the police got there, they did their thing to unlock my door, and we all lived happily ever after.
But that night, I left Richard with my husband so I could go to the mall and buy the biggest keychain I could find. I came across a big gold-tone hoop and bought it immediately because I could just slip it over my wrist like a bracelet, as soon as I took my key out of the ignition.
Richard is 26 now, and doesn’t seem any worse for the wear. He graduated college, supports himself, and is a contributing member of society. I still use that giant hoop, and not a week goes by that someone doesn’t ask me why I carry such an unusually large keychain. And when they ask, I think of Baby Richard and I smile.
Do you have a crazy-new-mom story? Please make me feel a little less alone in my early innocence and share it in the comments section below. Thanks!
What is the most disgusting food you can think of from your 50s or 60s childhood?
Hamburger Helper? Spam? Fizzies?
According to Michael Moss, it was Kraft Foods that introduced what could easily be considered the most disgusting food from that era, and they did so in 1953. Whether you found Cheez Whiz to be yucky or yummy, the dirty little deed is that Cheez Whiz was the first entry into the processed foods market. From there, it was all downhill.
Moss, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us” says that Cheez Whiz was created to mimic a dish that was popular in the 18th century called Welsh rarebit. A retired Kraft food scientist described the dish to Moss as, “a kind of fondue sauce that people would put on toast.” But Moss explains that the dish took a long time to prepare in home kitchens, so Kraft scientists invested over a year to come up with Cheez Whiz, and promoted it as “Cheese treats quick. Spoon it, heat it, spread it.” The fact that it has a very long shelf life only added to its appeal.
Kraft’s Cheez Whiz opened the door to other such processed food phenomena as cake mixes, canned vegetables and JELL-O (also a Kraft product, but acquired).
Eventually it came to light that processed foods have also opened the door to diabetes, obesity and cancer. But we’re more enlightened now about our diets, and so, apparently, is the food industry. You may have heard that Kraft Foods is merging with Heinz Foods to create The Kraft Heinz Company. Word is they are considering cutting costs and possibly discontinuing processed foods like Cheez Whiz.
So just for kicks and giggles, what do you think you’d get if you mixed Heinz Ketchup and Kraft Cheez Whiz? I’m thinking a salty, gloppy, mess.
So what’s the most disgusting food you remember from your childhood? Please post here. And please share this blog post on Facebook! I’d love to hear your friends’ answers, too. 😀
Confession: I’m sleeping with someone besides my husband. And Stan’s okay with it because he’s sleeping with this guy, too. We’re sleeping with Fred. He’s our dog.
Once in a while, our cat Lucy joins us, too, but she normally sleeps with our daughter, Jardin.
As it turns out, we’re not the only family who welcomes pets in bed. The American Pet Products Associationsponsored the 2013-2014 National Pet Owners Survey, and of the 527 dog owners surveyed, 42% said they allowed their dogs in bed. Of the 461 cat owners asked, 65% welcome their kitties in bed.
So I did my own little survey. I asked my Facebook friends if they let their pets sleep with them, and if they did, why. Here’s what I found out:
First to answer was my elementary school friend Dar, whose beagle Ella sleeps at the foot of her bed. “I’ve had pets my whole life and have always let them sleep with me. My parents used to find me sleeping with our Beagle Tippy during the night, curled up in Tippy’s bed.”
My networking friend Deb and her hubby sleep with their cat, Gadzooks. Like Dar, it all started back in Deb’s childhood, “Growing up, my dog and cat slept in our beds or on the couches with us, so I just always believed beds are for pets and humans to share.”
“We have two male cats,” says another networking friend, Staci. “Brody and Oreo. Brody is the diva. I call Oreo ‘Vlad’ because of his long fangs that hang over his lower lip. Plus, he bites. They both sleep in our beds. When my daughter is home from school, Oreo goes back and forth all night long between our two beds.”
Is anybody else relating to this?
Judy’s story (Judy is also an elementary school friend) is a little different because she has a bigger brood: four cats, all female (Darcy, Pumpkin Spice, Snow White, Black Beauty) and three dogs {Niles (male), Minka and Gigi (females)}. “Niles sleeps next to my back. When I move him to get more room, he gets mad. Gigi is under the covers next to me. She will get up in the middle of the night and walk around my head. Yes, it is annoying. Then Minka loves to sleep on the pillow next to mine. She is not annoying at all.”
Amy (a new friend, and the instructor for my Crafting Dinners) has a cat named Butternut. He sleeps at the foot of the bed on her husband’s side. “His presence impedes our sleep in the morning as he meows and sticks his wet nose in our faces. He also pounces on our kidneys.”
Fun.
Fred sleeps horizontally at the foot of my side of the bed. It’s a real pain because I can’t stretch my legs out. But do I move him? Not a chance. First off, he’s way too heavy. Second, I don’t want him to leave. Again, I am not alone…
“I have to contort myself at night so he can have the foot of the bed,” says Deb. “Often I sleep with my legs scissored around him.”
I got lots of different answers about why my FB Buds allow their pets to sleep in bed with them:
Dar: I’m just used to having Ella up against me, like a ‘security blanket,’ I guess.
Judy: They are my babies and demand to sleep with me.
Amy: If we didn’t allow him in our room, he’d scratch the door until we let him in.
Staci: They are fluffy, soft, cuddly, and love to be loved.
So who are YOU sleeping with? Do you allow your pets in bed with you? Why? Please share with us by posting your comment below. Thanks!
With ♥,
PS: Here’s the answer to my Betty Crocker question from my last blog post, 50 Shades of Betty: My Strange Sophomore Sleepovers. It was B. That was the Betty who scared Carol and I. Thanks so much for your guesses!