Category

Humor

I Bet You Thought I was Finished Talking about Listen To Your Mother

Since my performance at the Listen to Your Mother Chicago Show, I have been busy and in definite summer mode. I was getting a lot of questions about LTYM day and how things went, but I was waiting until a.) I could put exactly into words how the experience went and b.) I wanted to be able to show you something awesome.

Well, to put Listen to Your Mother into words took a little time but,  in a nutshell the day was absolutely wonderful. I have never felt that kind of excitement before, and it was perfect. Also, it was a dream come true for me. I had always wanted to do something like that, and now I can say that I was a part of something so amazing and I made a bunch of new gals pals to boot! I can cross performing something I wrote off my bucket list, and really to be honest, I think I found something that I really like to do, and I might try for something like this again.

As for showing you, well thanks to all of the following wonderful organizations like our National Media Sponsors BlogHer and One 2 One Network, and National Video Sponsor The Partnership at Drugfree.org, specifically their The Medicine Abuse Project microsite, and our local Megaphone sponsor, Dom Itp. I am able to share this video with you!

To see the rest of the Listen to Your Mother Chicago cast perform CLICK HERE and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Just make sure to be prepared with some tissue, oh and you might have to pause and run to the bathroom from laughing to hard too. If this show was a movie, these women would all earn Oscars.

If you would like to read more about my awesome adventures, Gardening, DIY, Cooking, Baking and all other things domestic you can check me out on Facebook or become a follower of Home Everyday here

 

You Better Bring It: Bunny Control

 

Picture yourself, waking up late on a Saturday morning with
no alarms. There is just the faintest sound of little pitter pats running into
your room and little kids yelling, “Can we have Chocolate Milk?!” Then, you let
the little ones climb into your bed and as they are looking out the window,
they say, “Mommy, Daddy, BUNNIES!”
They giggle and watch the bunnies, we all look out and see a
little teeny gray bunny hopping around the yard stopping once in awhile to
nibble on some grass. The kids giggling and shouting words like, CUTE, SNUGGLY, and FLUFFY!
Those images are cute, right? Bunnies are cute. They are fun
to look at with their little cotton like tails and fluffiness. That’s why there
are hundreds of children’s stories surrounding bunnies, rabbits, and hares.
They are lovable. I mean who doesn’t love a bunny?
ME! That’s who! Not anymore anyway.
The weeks I spent planning, and the care taken to buy just
the right amount of mushroom compost, and have the kids help me water, and
fertilize. The strategic placement of broccoli, carrots, lettuce, peas,
zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon was all working out
wonderfully. The weekly weeding that caused my sunburned neck. Every morning I walk out to water the garden, I’m amazed that after years of killing houseplants, I can actually grow food.
The cute, sweet, and innocent little bunnies no longer seem
so sweet and are definitely no longer so innocent! They are ruining my garden!
They are like GOATS! They would probably eat tin cans if I tried to plant them.Check out these before and afters:

 

 

 

 

There is no way to sugar coat this, I’m angry. I’m going to bring it! Well, as much as I can bring it without hurting the bunnies.

 

I’ve done a little research, and have read about marigolds,
and cayenne pepper, and fences, but before I did anything that might ruin what
I have left, and before my neighbors start calling me Farmer McGregor, I thought I would ask a wonderful resource that I have right at my fingertips: You! My readers.
How do I get these bunnies out of my garden? (Yesterday, I
walked out to water, and there was a bunny sitting in the RAISED BED staring me
down as he ate my lettuce. I did the only thing I could think of and turned the
hose on the little buggar, and he scampered away, probably glad for the shower
on a hot morning.)
Also, will my vegetables come back? I am worried that I might have to replant some of these things. Is that true?
So, to all the seasoned gardeners out there,what should this novice do about the bunnies?

It’ll Take Longer Than You Think: Yarn Letters

I like to keep it real at Home Everyday. I don’t give any false impressions that everything around here is perfect, or that I spend my days in an apron cooking, remodeling, baking and gardening. My house does indeed get messy, currently we have laundry stacked to the rafters, and I should probably wash the kitchen floor.

There are also some projects that I start with the best of intentions, and they kind of become well a fail. Similar to this recipe post of yore.

Recently, I started a project with the kids that I thought would be a ton of fun, and be a cute addition to their bedrooms.

I saw these cardboard letters at JoAnn’s for less than $3 a piece.

Then I found this yarn in the clearance bin.

I thought we could wrap the letters in yarn, and the kids could have little monograms hanging on their doors or over their beds.

The idea of this project was adorable. I couldn’t wait to do it. My kids on the other hand, lost patience with wrapping the string in about ten minutes. I realized that this is a project that would have to be done a little bit at a time, and I also thought maybe it was something we could do on a rainy day or watching a movie or something.

Nope.

Every time I ask the kids if they want to work on their letters, the answer is a resounding, “NO!”

So, we play outside instead.

That is ok, I will finish them eventually, maybe after I put all the laundry away.

So excited: Listen To Your Mother

Typically, I drink tea, but today I had coffee. Plus with the nerves of what is to come I’m a little jittery.

SUNDAY is the big day! I will be performing in Chicago’s 2nd Annual Listen To Your Mother show.

For those that cannot make it, I will be sure to post lots of pictures and details regarding the event next week. Also, later on I will be able to share a video.

If you are coming, I couldn’t be more thrilled, and I am so excited to see you all.

If you are thinking about coming, CLICK HERE for more information.

I just want to take a minute to thank Brian and the kids for all the support in this process.  Brian was wonderful and the kids, while they cannot attend, have been so excited that “Mommy is in a SHOW!” Also, thank you to my wonderful family and amazing friends who didn’t think twice about buying tickets to the show, and have moved plans, cleared their schedules, and flown in to see me. Knowing you are all going to be in the audience really is going to make all the difference.

To my fellow cast members, LET’S DO THIS THING! (Honorable mention to Samantha Schultz for driving me everywhere because I don’t like to).

PS If you’d like to see yet another post I’ve writing about Listen To Your Mother, CLICK HERE!

Listen To Your Mother… OUCH!

I was going to write a wonderful post about grilled steak fajitas, but while cooking last night, I cut my finger. It is definitely not serious, but is definitely making it hard for me to type.

I was chopping cilantro for the guacamole while simultaneously steaming corn, occasionally stirring peppers and onions, taking photos of food, going in and out to the grill, telling Brian to come in from doing yard work because dinner was almost ready, and  saying something to the effect of, “If you jump on that couch one more time, there will be no playing outside after dinner!”

So, lesson learned. That kind of craziness… I mean multi-tasking is going to lead to injury.

I cleaned it up, applied lots of pressure, and had Brian bandage it up for me.

As I said earlier, it isn’t serious, but I know I will have to keep a bandage on it for a few days.

As most of my readers know, on Sunday, it is Listen To Your Mother Chicago of which I am a member of the cast. I hope I can find some cute bandaids that will match my red peep toe wedges.

 

I guess I will have to get to the fajitas another day.

 

LTYM Rehersal #1, Lucky Pants, and Family

When I think family, I think stories. Growing up, I used to beg my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, whoever I would be around to please tell me stories. I would want to know what it was like when they were kids, where they got married, what they ate, where they shopped, how they met, where they lived, where they worked, all their travels, all their jokes, all of their stories (when I think back on this, it is starting to make sense that I love writing stories now).

On Sunday, I walked into what unexpectedly seemed like a family reunion.

Why?

On Sunday, I met (in person) for the first time the rest of the cast members of the 2013 Chicago Show of Listen to Your Mother, and let me just say, I’m blown away. Not only by their words (which by the way were amazing, get your tickets, people!), but also because these women are awesome at life.

My niece, Emily has this saying, “I am awesome at life.” When she says it I smile, and agree with her. She is living her life her way, tries her best in whatever she does, and even if she fails, she is learning from the journey.

That is what I mean when I say these women are awesome at life. They are living life on their terms successfully and learning from the trials. These women who have shared a portion of their journey with me, carry themselves with such poise, humility, humor, grace, strength, and kindness. They are all extremely talented writers to boot (here is my second time reminding you to get tickets).

I was so nervous and scared walking into this room of women. I have to say I was pretty intimidated. I’ve only been “writing” for a short time, and I know there is a great deal I still need to learn. Also, after browsing some of their work, I was amazed by the talent, and thought, “Wow, I’m kind of not worthy, and definitely not funny or talented enough to be around this crowd.” (TICKETS!)

I bet you are all wondering what this has to do with my GREEN WEEK! Well, I wore my favorite kelley green pants. I wanted to wear something casual that would give me a little confidence, and since they are one of my new favorite things to wear, I thought they would do just the trick. After Sunday’s rehearsal, I’m thinking of calling them my Lucky Pants now. These women liked what I had to say.

While, the pants are cute, the kindness of the ladies was overwhelming, and it was these wonderful writers that helped me feel a little more relaxed an confident. Upon meeting just a few when I walked in, I knew I could take a deep breath, relax, and pretend I was at a family reunion.

To me, our little LTYM group is just that… a family. An eclectic and unique group of individuals with a nut (me) sharing our stories.

And to me, stories are family.

For more information on Listen to Your Mother click here. FOR TICKETS to Chicago’s May 5th Show, click here.

What I’m Reading

I love to read!

My love of reading stems from childhood. Some of my favorite gifts as a kid were books. I would spend hours inside in our living room reading book after book. I can remember my parents begging me to go outside and enjoy the day, so I would bring my book outside.

As I grew older, I continued to read. Not nearly as often as I used to, but I am proud to say that I try to always have a book that I’m currently reading on my bedside table.

Since I get this question all the time, I thought I would share what I am currently reading.

The book that I am reading right now as in what is on my bedside table is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. So far, I really love the approach of this book. While many of us can say we are happy, who wouldn’t want to be happier?

For Christmas, I received Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This book is like a cooking encyclopedia. I know “reading” a cookbook is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love to flip through the pages and read the entire dessert section or flip through all of the vegetables.  I will try to soak in all the information or directions. I have found that reading cookbooks this way has helped me absorb tips that I can use with other dishes I make. Also, the recipes are divine. I cannot wait to try the Ratatouille. To think, I will be making the same recipes as the Queen of the Kitchen just gives me goosebumps.

 

This book I purchased awhile back, and was able to attend the book signing. Sherry and John Petersik of Young House Love are, in my opinion, DIY royalty. The book signing was in November, but I was finally able to read it. The pictures are beautiful, and I absolutely love love love the inexpensive tips for home decor.

Next up is How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World by Jordan Christy. My partner in crime, Colleen, let me borrow this book a few months ago before starting her PhD program knowing I would like it and knowing that PhD does not = leisure reading time. I have to say, I really enjoyed parts of this book. There are parts that were no longer relevant to me now, but will be great tips for Coco as she grows into a young lady. This would be a great gift for a young woman headed off to college.

Finally, I just had to purchase Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich. I have read the entire Stephanie Plum mystery series, and I recommend if you like comedy and quick  reads you should read them too. I love her style of writing as well as the characters. Hilarity is spelled L-U-L-A!

Next up on my plan is to head to the library and get some comedy books. This is a genre that I have been reading since high school. I love to read books by famous comedians such as Tina Fey, George Carlin, and Bill Cosby. I find the writing clever and who doesn’t love a good laugh?

What are you reading currently? What is your favorite cook book? Who is your favorite comedian?

Time to go, I have to finish this book!

 

Trying: Listen to Your Mother

The past few weeks have been overwhelming for sure. I am still finding remnants of paint in my hair from painting the upstairs bathroom, I have also been doing the regular day to day. While I’d like to say that my house is immaculately clean and I cooked a home cooked meal every day and all the laundry is folded an put away, I cannot say that today. I might be able to say that Monday, but not today. Life has been too busy and too good to worry about laundry.

Why is life good?

My kids are healthy and happy, Brian has a little time off work, and I have been busy with some projects.

Also, a few weeks ago, I submitted an essay to the producers of Listen to Your Mother Chicago which you can learn more about here. While I was hopeful, I feel like my writing is still in the early stages and was understanding that there are some more eloquent people out there.

Then, I got an email in my inbox asking me to audition.

So, I practiced, I dressed up, and I gave it my all.

Then, I got another email.

I am a part of the 2013 Chicago Cast of Listen to Your Mother!

 

I am amazed and overjoyed  and extremely honored to be a part of this show.

I am a person who overthinks things and sometimes is afraid to try. I tried, and I am so very glad I did.

For more information about Listen to your Mother, you can check out their National Website here or watch past shows here.

Today, I have to try and get some laundry done. Hopefully, that will be as big of a success.

Happy Weekend, Readers!

Linking up at Mom of 6 as part of Sharon’s weekly share your life series!

Kickin’ It Celebrity Style: YHL Book Signing

This past weekend, my hubby and I headed up to Lincoln Park in Chicago to meet John and Sherry Petersik and get my new Young House Love book signed. With all the craziness of the past few weeks, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go, but I am so happy that I put some things on hold and went.

For those that don’t know, John and Sherry write the amazing blog, Young House Love and recently published a book with over 200 ways to creatively update a home. The photos in the book are fantastic, and upon flipping through the book for 10 minutes, I already got the itch to break out the fabric and paint cans. Some of the clever projects include furniture updates, painting, styling, and crafting. Put this book on your Christmas list if you haven’t already. It is awesome!

In addition to meeting John and Sherry, there were some other perks to this fantastic day. Brian and I were able to go together sans children for some quality time together, and the signing was at West Elm so there was an awesome chance to do a little browsing.

We got there about 10:45 a.m. for a 1:00 p.m. book signing, which I know sounds crazy, but once they arrived the line moved very quickly. The line behind us was super long, so we were glad we got there when we did. It was as if every DIYer in Chicago wanted to see John and Sherry (understandably). However, the waiting wasn’t so bad when cocoa and these beautiful babies showed up.

 

Brian and I enjoyed our cookies and cocoa and made some friends around us. We all exchanged stories of our DIY adventures. Then we started talking of other people we would wait in line to see. I mentioned Food Network stars (priorities people), and some people mentioned the president. So there you have it, John and Sherry, you know you’ve made it when the only other person that people would wait in line to see other than you is the president.

 

After cookie time, we were allowed inside. In addition to the people, the little details that were part of the book signing are what made it so fun. I loved the cookies, but my favorite was the cute table set up with crafts projects from the book along with details about which page to find the craft.

 

As we made it closer to the front of the line, Brian, my new found friends, and I started to get a little giddy. So giddy, that Brian actually started to do a little West Elm shopping (Brian is not typically a shopper). We bought a few cute things for some upcoming projects that I will share in the coming weeks.

 

Finally, it was time to meet the Petersiks. They couldn’t have been sweeter people, and I think were overwhelmed by the number of people that came to see them in Chicago. Brian asked John what his favorite tool is, and John said he loves the Kreg Jig. Now I know what to get Brian for Christmas. Then this happened:

 

Yeah, they remember me. I nearly fainted from excitement. With all the people that read their blog, it was so awesome to see that they really do remember comments. Again, they were incredibly friendly!

One more picture, and then it was time to go (Brian wasn’t big on being in the picture, but he was pretty excited too).

 

On the way out, they had a guest book that they wanted people to sign to remember their book tour (again, so clever). I of course took a few pictures of my book, and the book I got signed for my buddy Colleen who couldn’t make it. Merry Christmas, Colleen!

 

There you have my idea of a perfect date! Quality time chatting with the hubby, cookies, shopping, and meeting my two favorite bloggers. It doesn’t get much better than that.

 

Anniversary Week: Our Story

Brian and I met almost exactly nine years ago this week. I had just started a new job as the alumni coordinator at my old high school. With my new business management in technology degree from John Carroll University (BLUE STREAKS WOOT!) and a new suit from the LOFT I started my first day BEAMING! I was excited about my first real job, with my first office, and my first work computer and email address.

A very tall, dark and handsome man walked into my office to help me set up my email and my network account. As he was setting up my computer and talking me through where my printer was (I felt like I was listening to the teacher in the old Charlie Brown movies WAH WAH WAH) all I could think was, I know this guy from somewhere, he looks so dang familiar. So he said, “ok, well, you are all set-up.”

He started to walk away, and suddenly like a bolt of lightening it came to me. I chased him down the hall, and I said, “Oh my gosh, is Joe your little brother? I graduated from here with him. How is he doing? Are you the tech director? What year did you graduate? Do you remember me? I used to go to parties at your house and took pictures at your house before dances.” I was talking a mile a minute for two reasons: a.) I thought he was cute, and I remembered he was a senior when I was a freshmen in high school so I was a little nervous by the older, cooler, and did I mention cute guy and b.) I was so happy that there seemed to be someone around my age that could show me the ropes.

 

We became really fast friends. My job entailed attending a lot of school events to talk to alumni and Brian went to a lot of school events because often they needed technology set-up. One night while we were both working late, Brian plucked up some courage and asked me out for a beer. Our first date turned went from a beer, to dinner, to going to see some live music. It was a great first date. I guess you could say we were high school sweethearts, without actually being in high school.

 

After a few years, I ventured out into a new career. Once I left the high school we spent more social time together going to concerts in the city, movies, and out to dinner. We even started attending mass together in the city at our favorite church Old St. Pat’s. The more time we spent together, the more we started to talk about getting married. I figured he would pop the question when he was ready, but really did not want to know when or where or any of that. I figured there are so few surprises in life, I wanted to be surprised for sure.

So, along came the weekend of the Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party. This is aa two day concert event where all the proceeds go to all the programs of our church (Guster was playing that year!). Brian and I had finished a hard HOT day of volunteering and were sitting on the steps of the church looking up at the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower), and just talking. This moment is important because, Brian later told me that this was the moment he decided he was going to ask me to marry him. He had bought the ring  and asked for my Mom for “my hand” months before, but he said this moment was so perfect, and he wanted to propose in the place we would be married. So, after a few minutes of talking Brian said, “let’s go, we have another long day of volunteering tomorrow.” So we left.

 

The next day, Brian picked me up and we drove into the city for our second day of volunteering. He had orchestrated how he was going to propose with our good friends, Jaclyn and Chris (my second born’s godparents and who got married the weekend after us). He asked them to somehow get me in the church.

After volunteering for what seemed like forever, Brian, Jaclyn, Chris, and my friend Nanci headed over to the church to get the historical tour that was given to people visiting the church. Jaclyn and Chris got Nanci to walk around and Brian grabbed my hand and said, “Have you ever seen the alter up close? It is really pretty and is original to the building built over 100 years ago.”

He took me up to the alter and it was just him and I. There was silence. Brian says that he was praying I would say yes. I remember praying for him to ask soon (I didn’t know it would be in 2 seconds). Then, I started to walk away, and he said, “Erin, wait.”

I turned around, and he was already down on one knee, holding a box, teary eyed and shaking a little (he was so adorably nervous in that moment). He said, “I love you so much, please will you marry me?”

I cried and said “YES!”

The rest is history.