» Around DC

Summer Flip Flops… are being put away…

Nicole — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:05:17 +0000

Ah, Summer is leaving us.

Frankly, it’s gone.

My son’s little flip flop
on the left,
mine,
on the right.
They grow up so fast!

But Fall is here,

autumn baseball is fun,

and Halloween costumes are being made.

Pumpkins are growing on the vine and black cats seem more prevalent!

Boo!

And Happy Autumn, my favorite time of the year!

’80’s Movies Rewind… On The DC Moms !

Nicole — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:34:13 +0000

It’s a Question For The Ages…

I’m over at The DC Moms today,

with an important question,

Who wins in Jake Ryan vs. Blane McDonough ?

or,

16 Candles vs. Pretty In Pink,

Click Here To Vote!

Go Jake !

What You Need For Hurricane Irene

Nicole — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:25:31 +0000

Okay, so here it goes,

What You Need For Hurricane Irene:

* Electric Candles

These are great and you don’t have open little fires all over your house if the power goes out.

* Wine

Enough said.

* A Well Stocked Pantry

* Wine

* Batteries

* Wine

* A Filled Up Grill

* Wine

And Last But Not Least,

* Relax DC, if we lose power, we lose power, we can manage without electricity,

IT’S ALSO CALLED CAMPING !

* Wine

Let Freedom Ring

Nicole — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:18:13 +0000

Let Freedom Ring…

Everywhere.

Read PunditMom’s New Book !

Nicole — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:09:35 +0000

PunditMom’s New Book is out!

No need to Pre-order, it has arrived!

It’s on Amazon !

It’s called

Mothers of Intention

… More News to Come !

PunditMom is super smart and she’s nice in ‘Real Life’ too

Check it out !!!

My Golf Mavin

Nicole — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:26:08 +0000

It’s hot and humid in the nation’s Capital and golf is in full force all over the area. Golf balls are sailing through the air at area country clubs, golf courses…
and our front yard.

This started as soon as the weather began to get warm a few months ago. My husband got out a couple of his golf clubs and dusted them off. He also got out our son’s plastic golf club set and they started a habit of putting and hitting golf balls around the front yard.

It’s become a casual pre- or post- dinner routine to unwind before our son goes to bed.

So, it started out innocently enough… a little father/son time, some rest and relaxation.

But, lots of people walk up and down our street. There are no cross-streets except for walking paths that connect our street to other side streets, so everyone who wants to take a walk with their spouse, or kids or dogs… walks on our street. It makes for a nice place to live; people wave to each other…  and have noticed my husband and son playing golf in the front yard.

So now, without even realizing it was happening, my husband is perceived to be a golf maven… a guru, if you will.

Neighbors see ‘my guys’ doing chip shots and putts in the front yard a few times a week. They also see my son putting with his dad, like Tiger Woods and his father, Earl did many years ago.

My husband is now ‘the golf guy’ of the street. People slow down now and say things like, “your game is looking good!”

My son even scampered in the other day and announced,

“Mom, Dad’s chipping the ball great!”

My husband was right behind him and chimed in with, “Yeah, this front yard stuff is really improving my game.”

We got to laughing about it the other evening. Because the truth is, my guy seldomly, actually gets to the golf course. And yet, I told him,  “I think people just assume that you are out there on the course every weekend, shooting in the 70s.”

His reply: “That’s because I’m the Phil Mickelson of front-yard golf.”

Yep, kinda like Putt-Putt golf.

Yep, he’s my ‘Golf Maven’.

* This originally appeared in DC Metro Moms… and for the record, we’re really into bikes right now.

My Ode to DC… or ‘DC- I Love You Even Though’

Nicole — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:08:35 +0000

It’s the beginning of May. Memorial Day is around the corner, and that means seeing Rolling Thunder around the beltway traffic, coming into town…  and remembering what Memorial Day is all about.

But the thousands of motorcycles (which are very cool, especially to my 7-year-old) that come into town every Memorial Day weekend also make me think of  vehicles, driving … and traffic.

So here it goes –

My Ode to DC and the Traffic, or rather,

DC– I Love You Even Though:

I love DC even though it isn’t really a grid. Numbered streets run north-south and lettered streets run east-west. This starts at the Capitol building… but there are exceptions. And you have to pay close attention to the endings on street signs- NW, SW, NE, SE or you will not end up where you wanted to be… and everyone that you’ve made late will be annoyed (another long story).

Avenues run at diagonals across the city and are named after states. They are supposed to be fast cross-city short-cuts, but I’ve lived here my whole life,

and the thought of using Wisconsin Avenue as a ‘short-cut’ is laughable.

Have you ever been on an ‘avenue’ with so many lights?

Streets start and stop… and then start up again.

And then there are the circles.

There are at least 10 major DC intersections with circles. Just one of the problems with these ‘circle intersections’ is that the street you entered the circle on- may not continue on the opposite side of the circle or may jettison off at some weird angle that you weren’t expecting… and pass.

I love DC even though some streets, and I mean major streets, change from two-way to one-way, depending on the time of day.

This is CRAZY!

I used to work on 15th street, which changes to one-way for evening rush hour… and see people driving the wrong way. What was really crazy was that it didn’t phase us after a while, my co-workers and I would just shake our heads and say something like, ‘yikes, somebody didn’t read the street signs.’

I love DC even though Metro Center has about 15 different exits and if you choose the wrong one you seem to be half-a-mile from where you meant to be (another long story).

But I love that when I walk down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol,  I still catch my breath.

I love that there are SO MANY museums, and activities and sights to see and do with my son… most of which are free.

Growing up here, I’ve always thought of DC as a very small city, with a Very Big Name.

The DC area is a place where you can run into people and old neighbors, and old friends, and schoolmates… walking down the street.

And you know what?

I really like that.

God Bless America !

Nicole — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:48:07 +0000

GOD BLESS AMERICA,

The land of the Free

and

The home of the Brave.

My GREAT Black Friday Shopping Experience !!

Nicole — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:18:15 +0000

This is a post a originally did for DC Metro Moms, last year. I’m posting it again because I had SUCH A GREAT TIME SHOPPING on Black Friday last year. I’m going out again this year too!

Well, I finally did it. I went against years of eye rolling and head shaking… and I joined the shoppers in the early morning on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

I had previously sworn off Christmas shopping even on weekends- due to crowds. I had always shopped strictly on weekdays, when parking is easy and crowds are… nonexistent.

But the deals that were being advertised got me, and the desire to surprise my parents with a laptop computer this Christmas…

So there I was, dropped off on the sidewalk in front of Staples… at 7:45am.

(Please; I wouldn’t forgo regular sleep for shopping; 7:45 was early enough.)

I walked in. People were shopping, but it wasn’t crazy. I was told there was a ‘laptop area’, approached it, and within a few minutes I was being helped.

Every employee was really well informed, and helpful. The assistant manager who helped me with the laptop, also helped me find the 50%-off shredder I had seen in the paper (my gift to myself- I’ve always wanted a paper shredder for some reason AND I got it in ’sapphire’- gotta love Christmas shopping.)

Then, I got up to the cashier- with my crazy-discounted laptop, the discounted wireless mouse, and my 50%-off sapphire paper shredder- and the assistant manager starts in on what I think is going to be the ’strong sell’…

“Do you need a new printer to go with your laptop?”

“No.” I firmly, but nicely replied.

Then the cashier and assistant manager exchanged almost embarrassed looks…

And the cashier looked at me and said,

“They’re five dollars.”

What? What did she mean? I thought I heard her wrong… But it turned out that when you bought a laptop during ‘early bird’ hours on Black Friday, you could also get a new printer for $5, or a wireless, touchpad printer for $15.00.

… So I got the wireless touchpad printer for our computer room for fifteen dollars!!

My guys had decided against going to Dunkin’ Donuts and instead found a parking space right in front of the store, and walked in- just in time for us all to carry packages out to the car!

Success! For a moment, I thought I heard trumpets playing…

I was so inspired- I did something I wasn’t planning on doing, in fact, I never thought I’d do it-

I told my husband and my son to do some male bonding … and I WENT BACK OUT SHOPPING!

I went to Toys R US next-

It was busy, but so well organized! There were tons of helpful employees, the checkout was incredible, almost no wait- one line, specially made for Black Friday, and a guy pointing out clear cashiers… And last but not least- a young man whose sole job was passing out complimentary boxes of new 64 crayon sets!

I was having such a great time… I went to 4 more stores !!!!

I got some GREAT deals!

And people were nice, not crazy.

I think I just may do this again next year, I almost feel like the ‘Shopping Scrooge’ who has been enlightened, and now sees the error in their ‘previous shopping ways’…

Black Friday Shopping-

Another tradition has begun!!!!

The Ultimate Ribbon Outlet … And it’s in Hagerstown, MD!!

Nicole — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:58:26 +0000

I have found Nirvana…
And it is called the Berwick Offray Ribbon Outlet in Hagerstown, MD!

That’s right- one of the Top Ribbon Manufacturers in the entire country is located in Hagerstown, MD… and they have this outlet too!

Look at my picture- do you know how much I spent on all this ribbon…

$23.00!!

The little spools of paper ribbon were 5 cents a ROLL!

Most of the larger fabric ribbon spools were $1.25 a ROLL, except for the grey, big one on the left -

which was … 50 cents!!

I ’splurged’ on the green and brown polka dot ribbon spool ($10).

I completely over-did it, I have enough ribbon to wrap all my Christmas presents, birthday presents, house-warming presents, and more… for a long, long time,

but when over-spending is… $23 dollars- it’s all good!

Thanks to the Carroll County Times for EXACT directions!

This outlet is EASY to get to- To get to the Berwick Offray Ribbon Outlet Store, take 270 North to Interstate 70 to Hagerstown. Get off at exit 29, Md. 65 North, Sharpsburg Pike. (This is the same exit you’d take for Prime Outlets, so visit them after going to Berwick; they’re only about five minutes apart.) As you head north on Md. 65, you’ll pass Prime Outlets, three schools and a Sheetz. Make a right turn onto Wilson Boulevard at the traffic light. Go to the end of Wilson (there’s a Food Lion in Kenley Village on the right) and make a left at the light onto Frederick Street, Alternate U.S. 40. Make the first right after you turn onto Frederick at Willow Circle Drive and proceed to the end of the street. You’ll see the outlet store at the end of the factory building on the right, and their parking lot is right in front of the store.

Berwick is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Their phone number is 301-745-4714 and you can e-mail them at offrayout let@berwickoffray.com to check on sales or to sign up for their e-mail newsletter, or sign up when you visit the store.

They accept Visa MasterCard, Discover and American Express. All sales are final, no refunds and no exchanges.

Now Get Thee to Thy Ribbon Outlet!

It’s so fun,

and like mentioned above,

The Hagerstown Prime Outlets are right there too!!