25 more things I’m thankful for (the consumer section)

Hello…PR people? Here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Completely unsolicited, totally free mentions from an honest to goodness mom who happens to blog (or should that be blogger who also happens to be a mom?). Oh well. Pick whichever one you wish. Here are 25 companies and products that made my days brighter and my tummy happier this year. I love them all dearly.

1. Diet coke
2. Cool Ranch Doritos
3. Craigslist
4. Ikea
5. The service department at my Honda dealership
6. Cool Cuts for Kids (can you see why?)
7. Ann Taylor
8. Victoria’s Secret…I love their sweaters, REALLY.
9. Southwest Airlines
10. Target
11. Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace
12. Red Carpet cupcakes from Retro Bakery
13. Starbucks
14. Albertson’s
15. Payless shoes
16. Hilton
17. Apple
18. Trader Joe’s
19. Netflix
20. Lego
21. Disney
22. World Market
23. The mixologist at Bradley Ogden
24. Valley Hospital
25. D’Longhi

I’m not dead. Really.

I just feel like it. The last month has been a total roller coaster ride through hell punctuated by a few moments of sweetness and delight.

In case you’ve been wondering what happened to me, I’ll give you some options to choose from. Some of them are quite true and some of them are…let’s say…a stretch.

1. My dad had…

• A heart attack.
• Congestive heart failure.
• Mild kidney failure.
• Three stents and a bypass.
• A baby.

2. He is now…

• In a rehab center.
• Driving my mom nuts.
• Undergoing physical therapy
• Wishing he could do all the things that got him in this trouble.
• Channeling his inner Benny Hill and chasing nurses about the ward.

3. Doodle is…

• Potty training.
• Having the most gag-a-riffic poop attacks in his two-year existence.
• Stubborn as ever.
• Waking me up at 5 a.m. by using me as a human trampoline.
• Sharing all of his toys, saying please and thank you and using the living room furniture as its makers intended.

4. I was in San Diego last weekend…

• Helping my professional association pass its new bylaws.
• Making inappropriate comments on Twitter regarding my navel.
• Hanging out with some great colleagues from across the country.
• Taking on more responsibility and leadership roles that I don’t have time to do as well as I’d like to.
• Picking up a nasty batch of the flu.
• Collecting hotel toiletry samples to restock my personal stash.

5. I missed my industry awards dinner last night because…

• I didn’t win.
• I didn’t enter.
• I was sick with the flu.
• I couldn’t find a sitter.
• I was stalking Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes.

6. My Parents Connect Potty Training Project gig…

• Has been going stunningly well.
• Has led to a stellar increase in the stock price of M&Ms and carpet cleaners.
• Has led to hundred of children being potty trained overnight.
• Has brought an odd little potty training doll to my house, which will be reviewed later.

7. I’ve only been at work one day this week because…

• I was looking for a rehab center for my dad.
• I was getting dad settled in previously mentioned rehab center.
• I was celebrating the sacrifices of our veterans by taking the kids to the park and the bread store.
• I was coming down with the flu.
• I was hit with the flu like a soap opera bitch slap.

8. This weekend, I will

• Put my brother on a plane back home to his family.
• Become a referee.
• Attempt to mask my flu symptoms and take the kids to a birthday party.
• Dread the jury duty that awaits me on Monday.
• Escape though a tunnel I have dug between my house and Mexico with a plastic spoon.

Thanks to those of you who have reached out to make sure I was okay. It’s good to know you’re missed. I really am okay and I’ll get back here soon. I promise.

 

Wordless Wednesday: Healthy Choices

Holding it together.

Two weeks ago, my personal snowglobe got a serious shaking.

My dad had a heart attack.

Then came congestive heart failure.

And his diabetes went haywire.

And his kidneys suffered.

There were lots of nearly sleepless nights, phone calls, emails, texts and posts about his progress.

I tried to hold it all together. The show must go on. There was work to do, Halloween goody bags to stuff, school festival booths to be staffed, tooth fairy visits to engage. Life.

I had great support from family and friends. Meals, airport pickups, babysitting. Calls, texts, emails, facebook message, tweets all came in. It was fabulous.

I even managed to squeeze in a slice of birthday cake.

And then, Thursday, I lost my shit.

Maybe it was knowing that Dad was going to be okay after all. Maybe is was the completion of projects that allowed me to ignore the stress that was building inside. Maybe it was just PMS.

But I lost my shit and did the ugly cry.

And it felt really good.

And now I’m moving on.

I’m going to stop beating myself up for all the things that aren’t getting done or done well.

Like…

Posting these really cute videos of Boo and Doodle from my birthday.

Keeping up with my review blog.

Promoting my Parents Connect potty training gig.

and

Promoting my own contest.

If something has to give, the stuff here has to be it.

So, instead of running a whole voting thing to see if Stinky or Aimee Greeblemonkey wins the Halloween Photo contest, I’m sending both of them a copy of Aliens in the Attic because they’re both winners.

Now, I’m going to focus on taking care of my dad, having a fun Halloween with my kids and spending time with my family.

Thanks everyone for your well wishes and support. I promise I’ll pull my head out of my ass soon.

A Gift for Dear Old Dad

June’s a tough month for me.

No, it’s not the Vegas heat. For as long as I’ve lived here, I’m used to the glorious feeling of knee sweat by now.

No, it’s not the constant battle against chlorine-green hair on my little blondie. I can hose her down no problem.

It’s that June is the month where I have to track down two gifts for my dad.

Father’s Day is this weekend and his birthday is later this month.

He, I kid you not, is the hardest person to buy for.

So, rather than ruin the surprise and tell you what I’m getting him (not that I’m worried — Dad doesn’t know what a blog is, so odds are that he’s not reading this one), I’ll give you a brief rundown on the things Dad’s NOT getting this year.

Brookstone’s Frog-O-Sphere
My daddy’s a good ol’ southern boy through and through. To him, frogs are a meal, not a pet. I’m not putting my kids through the trauma of watching grandpa dip Kermit in a nice remoulade.

Nose Hair Trimmer
Speaking of gross. I have a rule. Personal care devices are not gifts. I don’t care how close we are. I don’t care how much you may need it. Some stuff should never touch giftwrap.

Self Help Books
I have another rule. Self help books are just that SELF-Help. It’s like buying your loved one a gift certificate for a therapist.

A Ride Along in a Stock Car Race
Why pay $120 to put my dad in a car and scare the crap out of him? I can do that for free driving around Vegas. Hop in, Daddy-O. Time for a Costco Run!

Bucket O’ Junk Food
Dad’s had plenty of this crap already. He’s a diabetic with inoperable heart disease. Who needs Dr. Kevorkian? A whole new meaning of death by chocolate.

A Piece of the Red Planet
Don’t get me wrong, my dad loves his real estate, but Mars? Unless you can put a condo there it may as well be and Arkansas swamp. (Oh wait, that worked for some people).

Marshmallow Tree
Personally, I think this thing rocks. However we don’t leave Dad around an open flame. There’s just not enough liability insurance out there to make this one worth it.

Bobble Babes Can Cozy
Now, THIS one one has some promise. Dad finally gets some action AND his diet coke at the same time? I’m such a thoughtful daughter. Hmmmm. It could be the gift that keeps on giving.

I’ve got to finish shopping soon, so leave your gift suggestions in the comments. Help please, or dad gets the boobie chick.