Spoutin' Out Updates

1st - Remember I told you awhile back that I was going to go to a Gold Party? Well, I went last night and had a blast. I dragged my mother with me kickin' and screamin'..not really, but I did really have to push her to give up her old gold jewelry. She had stuff sitting in boxes that she hadn't touch in years!

The whole process was really interesting. We watched at the representative checked the gold with a magnet, tested it with these little things that looked like jumper cables, scratched it, weighed it, separated the gold from the non-gold and finally - wrote us a check! My mother got just over $91.00 and I got just over $167 and two really great glasses of wine! Not bad for a night out with the girls.

I signed up to have a party of my own in May. I am on the fence as to whether I will take the proceeds for myself or host it as a fundraiser for Casey's trip to North Dakota with his wrestling club. I suppose it depends on how well he is doing raising funds on his own by then. If it becomes a fundraiser for him, you can bet he will be there and serving the moms. Soda of course.

2nd update - It seems that the Examiner wants me to keep my blog going. Not only do they support it, but they encourage me to promote it on my/their website. Gee, where am I suppose to get all this time? Three kids doing 5 different sports, a full-time job, a house, bills to pay, a dog and....you get the picture, you've run the drill.

So, buckle up for a bumpy ride and be sure to keep visiting my blog. I can't promise you a smooth trip, but I can promise you an interesting journey. Hey, you've hung around this long.

Blogging vs. Writing

Sorry that I have been away for so long, but I have some really exciting news! I (my blog) have been recognized by the Examiner.com as a popular “teenblogger” and they have asked me to write for them.

As you know, I have been looking to grow and change my blog beyond its existing presence and am thrilled that it has finally been recognized by a "higher power." You may remember back on April 14th, I wrote to you about wanting to do something different with my blog and although I am not sure this is it, I have to take the chance.

I have spent the last week working with the Examiner.com to provide them with several writing samples that were not so "bloggy." I will miss writing about all the control chaos that goes on in my life, as my writing for the Examiner.com will have to be more informational and less, "according to Gwenn." I am excited about this opportunity and the challenge of a much more formal setting. I think it will be good for me to try something new, afterall, one has to take chances. Although, I will be back occasionally to post on my blog, I wont' be able to write every day.

My page for the Examiner.com has not been set up yet, because I still owe them a few things before I can get started, but I hope it will be by the end of next week and as soon as it is, I will post my link on Spoutin' Out and Facebook.

This is a huge step for me and I hope you will come along for the ride. Who knows?

Can Aesthetics Drive College Choice....

.....they can if you're Victoria.

Victoria's college search started officially yesterday with an informational and group tour, hosted about two hours from our home. During the first of the two campus visits, we checked out the bookstore and art building, dorms, cafes and athletic fields. We gathered brochures, and then headed to our second destination.

I thought the college was appropriate for her, educationally challenging; clean, secure, friendly campus; close enough to home. So, as we headed out of the main gate, we asked her how she liked it.

Her response: “It so pretty.” So, I learned something important just then: Aesthetics are important to Victoria's overall college experience. Trying to learn more about what she likes in an effort to narrow our search further I asked, “What look do you like?” She loved the quaintness of the campus, the multiple bodies of water scattered over the grounds, the fountains, bridges, the cleanliness of the entire school, the colors in the cafe and most of all the beach at the edge of campus in this great little beach town. And, of course, the easy access to Boston via the commuter rail.

Like most girls her age, familiar with the magazines and clothing catalogs advertising “collegiate style outfits” photographed on beautiful college campuses, Victoria had a “college image” in her mind and it was my job (and anyone else who wants to help) to help her see the bigger picture: the major she wants; affordability; value; accessibility; and yes, aesthetics, because looks and atmosphere are important to her.

As we arrived at our second destination, I could immediately see the disappointment in Victoria's eyes. It was off a major road, there was no quaintness, the buildings were ugly and far apart, the grass was barely green, there were no flowers, no ponds, no activity and barely any students.

During the tour we listened as the student guide say how wonderful the school was and how much she loved it there. I was proud of Victoria, as she announced that she was going to keep an open mind. However, as we toured the grounds and facilities, I could tell that Victoria was just going through the motions. If only they had a beach nearby.

College Bound

Off to a few colleges today. Heaven help me!

Wrestling Fundraiser

You'll remember that a few months ago, my son, Casey went undefeated in the regular wrestling season, placed first in his LL tournament, and was runner up at the State Open where he advanced to New England’s. Because of his success, in July, Casey will head to Fargo, North Dakota with the Connecticut National Team to wrestle in the Free Style Nationals.

Awesome! Right? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, this is a great opportunity for Casey, but it is going to cost us. Literally. The total trip will cost us over $1000.00. Some of you are probably thinking that we are crazy for even considering it, but its a great opportunity for him and if he want a scholarship in college, these are the things he has to do now. At least that is what I am told.

We however, can't afford to pay $1000.00 to send him there and will be holding a fundraiser. This is not uncommon for the kids taking this trip. However, I don't have any ideas and hope you can help. Has anyone ever conducted a fundraiser for an individual, not a group or organization? My husband wants him to go stand at the local grocery store, but he won't do that. I don't blame him. That just seems weird.

Casey would like to give something to get something, or sell something and keep the profits towards his trip, not just stand with a bucket at the entrance to a grocery store. I like the selling idea, but am not sure what he should sell, candy bars? He have to sell thousands to get enough money in time.

I also told him to reach out to local stores for sponsorship donations, since it would be a tax-deductible donation. I am sure they get asked by the local schools all the time, but its worth a try.

Does anyone have any other ideas? If so, Casey and I would love to hear them.

Distracted Drivers - No More!

Remember awhile back I posted about a new technology that was going to shut off cell phones in cars? At the time, I had only heard about it, but couldn't find anything concrete about it, until now.

It's call ZoomSafer and it was created to ensure safe and legal use of mobile phones while driving. As a mom of a teen driver, I am especially interested in ZoomSafer. It was designed to prevent the urge to text and use your phone while driving. It locks your keypad to help fight the urge to send that quick text back, and will also even send out an auto-reply for you saying your driving right now and can’t text/email back.

If you really need to check to see if you got a new text, ZoomSafer can read you your texts via computerized and even let you record replies to send back. The teens can still make and receive calls, but they will need to be over a Bluetooth or other hands free device. You are the one who turns ZoomSafer off once you reach your destination, and if you are a passenger in a car and want to use your friend’s phone, you can still exit the app and use the phone and text, IM, email whoever you want and yes, if you’re a driver and want to ignore ZoomSafer, by all means you can do that too.

ZoomSafer is the practical answer to the problem of distracted driving; it activates automatically when you start to drive and applies customizable safe driving policies to help protect you, your teens and everyone else on the road. Click here to check it out.

Safe driving!

Again, with the Tax Cuts?

Last night my two teenagers and I went to our town’s Board of Education meeting. Our town is yet again, threatening to cut school sports, music in our middle school and the gifted program.

Personally, I would rather be anywhere than a town meeting where they banter back and forth and get nothing done, but the entire town was planning to attend and I was not going to be the only one to miss it. So, the kids and I jumped in the car and drove to our middle school. Once there, we were herded like cattle passed the room where the meeting was taking place to a separate room down the hall where we would be able to sit and watch the meeting on a closed circuit T.V. Really? I could have stayed home and done that. Regardless, we were there now and turning to run at this point would be like running with the bulls at Pamplona, dangerous. There were 4 classrooms packed with anxious parents and students and limited seating in each…more people stood in the hallways.

We listened as countless parents and students begged the Town Council to support the Board of Education’s budget, as it was proposed to them and NOT to make the cuts that the Council claimed were necessary. Parents who stood at the podium announced the importance of sports, saying that they are such a big part of the kids' lives; that they are the reason some kids do well in school, and stay out of trouble; they are one of the reasons they stand out in the application process for colleges, that they teach life long skills and lastly, other than the obvious, education, they are the reason they moved to our town.

I know times are tough, particularly in our schools. We don't have the money, beleaguered education officials say, “For every student who wants to play games after class.” So, school sports have to go. And yet if you reflect for a moment, you may remember your own school days where you too saw this kind of financial austerity as shortsighted. It’s like cutting back on English classes because most kids already speak that language.

Many of us remember some competitive activity that became a vital force in our childhood. It gave us a self-awareness and self-confidence that changed us forever. And don't forget the story we heard from the lips of our very own Barack Obama and how had he not discovered basketball, he would not have become the leader he is today.

I have read research studies that show that although math had the biggest impact of any skill on adult earnings, playing sports and having a leadership role in high school also were significant factors. Maybe that has nothing to do with gutting it out on the wrestling mat or taking the ball down the field for the winning goal in lacrosse. Maybe athletic talent produces leadership skills even if you never go out for school sports. But research indicates otherwise.

If cutting out sports means jeordizing ours kids leadership, teamwork and discipline skills, aren't we creating a false economy? Helping teenagers discover that with grit, teamwork and determination they can be successful, is not an aspect of schooling that I want to sacrifice, even if it saves a few tax dollars.

SpoutinOut is not Spoutin anymore...

Everyday someone approaches me to tell me that they've read my blog and that they love it. I didn't realize it, but ~ A LOT of people read my blog. It is such a nice feeling to know that others enjoy it and that I may be making just a little bit of a difference in someone's life...at least entertaining them.

Of course I love to hear that people enjoy reading my blog, but yesterday was different. Yesterday, a friend of mind told me that he too loves to read my blog, but that sometimes, I am boring. Only a true friend, right? Right. Thanks, Jayce. He didn't say that to be mean or hurtful and I did not take it that way.

The truth is, that since my return, I have want to ratch it up a notch or two, but haven't had the guts. I have written post after post, but haven't published them [11 unpublished to date]. Why? Because I am afraid to insult or hurt someone or some group. I am afraid someone at work will read it and my employer will not like what I have posted. I have been reluctant to throw all of my family's dirty laundry on my blog or talk too much about my kids for fear that something I say will get back to them and hurt them.

Sure, I have a point of view and I’m sure sometimes it rankles. But up until now, even those have been safe. If I was to Spoutin' Out, I would be respectful, somewhat. Sitting on the fence all the time is pretty boring for you to read, and me to write. I am not a political or religious blog, so would stay far away from the stuff that I was taught not to talk about at cocktail parties. I struggle with my blog, its posts, its design and mainly, its name, because, Spoutin' Out is not Spoutin' Out about anything anymore.

So, help a girl out would ya? If I am not going to Spoutin' Out, then should I continue with the blog as is? Should I find a different name, theme or mission? I love blogging, because I love writing, but if my blogs are not worth the read, it may be time to find a new venture. Thoughts?

Going Green and Saving Money

Lower the temperature on your hot water heater from 145 degrees, which used to be standard, to 120 degrees. Cunningham swears you won't notice a difference at all, but you will see savings when you get your next bill, by as much as $36 to $61 each year.

Another easy money saver? Wash your clothes in cold water and you'll save about $40 in the fuel that it takes to heat up the water you'd typically wash with. You can save another $34 each year just by cleaning out your dryer's lint trap, which increases the efficiency.

I''ll Drink To That!

Spring Cleaning. According to Wikipedia, it is the period in the spring set aside for cleaning a house, normally applied in climates with a cold winter.

The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name. However it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. A person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning.

This is a bittersweet time for me. I love to have a clean and organized house, but in the Spring when I have been stuck in the house for months, all I really want to do is get outside. I really hate to stay inside cleaning. But, the cleaning must be done.

One spot in particular that really needs cleaning is the entry way into the kitchen from my garage. It is full of scuff marks from shoes, winter boots, sporting equipment and anything else that should have been left in the garage. I found this great tip for getting scuff marks off the wall on Walmart Daily Solutions. Check it out - watch this video and click on the video for wall scuffs. Be sure to check out their other great tips too.

What sucks!?

I normally do not like that word, but I really need to know....what sucks? I need a new vacuum cleaner. My current vacuum cleaner was purchased 15 years ago for $700. Yup, $700.00! Nuts, right? Right. I know, but I couldn't help it.

He was so young and good looking! Only kidding, I can't remember who it even was, never mind if he was young or good looking. What I do remember, however, is that he was convincing. He must have been, right? After all, he sold me a $700 vacuum!

Not only did he demonstrate how well the vacuum cleaned my carpets, but with a few adjustments, he also showed me how well it shampooed them. His final moment was when he asked me where my bedroom was. No, no, no. Not for that! Good grief! He wanted to suck up my bed mites. Admittedly, it was a little weird watching this stranger pull off my sheets, so he could get at my mattress, but I let him. He started vacuuming my mattress pad and yuck! I am not going to go there, I can't think about mites. Let me just say, Yuck and move on!

Anyway, 15 years later. I need a new one. We all know the importance of a good vacuum cleaner. Mine has moved with us three times and smells more like a dog than our dog does. You know it's bad when even your kids ask you to turn it off.

I can't decide on an upright or a canister. Is the upright better for carpeting, is the canister better for floors and hard to reach places? Some upright cleaners come with a bag to capture the trapped dirt, others are bagless. There is debate as to which is easier to use. Bags vs. bagless? A bagless vacuum would certainly eliminates the inevitable search for the extra bag or the hunt in the store for the right kind, but can sometimes be messy to clean out. Some upright vacuums are lightweight and easy to move around the home and up the stairs. Others, however, are heavy and cumbersome.

I am holding onto a vacuum for a friend, so thought I'd give it a whirl the other day. The canister on it was so heavy, I could barely finish two rooms without having to stop to rest my arm. Who designs these things? If it isn't a guy, it was WonderWoman! I also found that the rotating brush on her upright makes it very efficient for cleaning the dirt out of carpeting, but this same brush scatters the dirt all over the floors.

I know vacuum cleaners have progressed in many ways since my purchase 15 years ago, and the choices are endless, but that is what I hate, endless choices. If any of you have a vacuum that you love and want to recommend to me, please leave a comment here.

I have done a little research and have tried to arm myself with as much information as I can, but in the end, it really is all about how it works in your house. It's not so much about the wattage, airflow or centrifugal force, etc. Its about how it feels and your hands, how well it cleans and if you can move it.

I just can't give anymore time to this "dirty" job.

To leave a comment, just click on the word comment below, type your message in the box and enter your name in the name field and publish your comment. It's that easy!

It's Like Pulling Teeth!

Now, I know where that saying comes from! Today's post is going to be about my visit yesterday to the Oral Surgeon to get a tooth pulled.

10:00am - Arrived at the Oral Surgeon's office early to fill out paperwork. I was so nervous, I messed every line up and without exaggeration, had to cross off and redo 90% of it.

10:30am - Went into my 10:20 appt. Not bad. By the time I finished messing up the paperwork, I only waited 5 mins or so. (That purple tooth above is the one pulled).

10:35am - A blood pressure sleeve was applied. I was notified that would stay on the entire procedure. That freaked me out some. Why again did the assistant say he liked to keep that on? What were they going to do in the middle of the procedure if it starting dropping fast? Hum, I don't want to think about that now.

10:40am - The surgeon came in. He was a very nice man. He told me what he was going to do and proceeded to give me Novocaine. He left for a few giving it time to work. When he came back and said he was going to test it. He poked some instrument in my mouth on one side of my tooth and asked me if I could feel pinching. I told him no. Then he poked the other side of that same tooth and asked if I could feel the pain. I didn't, but told him yes. Is that bad? Hey, what's a little more Novocaine going to hurt? He gave me more and left again.

His assistance was really sweet and kept talking to me. She knew how nervous I was. I am kind of a baby about this stuff. Okay, I am really a baby about this stuff. Where is my mother when I need her?! Oh yeah in Florida, STILL!

10:50am or so - He came back in. He stuck some rubber thing on the other side of my mouth that I was suppose to bite down on to offset the pressure as he janked my tooth out. He told me it might take awhile if the tooth kept chipping. He stuck an instrument in my mouth to push the gum away from the tooth and then grabbed some black thing that looked like pliers and told me that I would feel A LOT of pressure. You should have seen the way he gripped those "pliers" and started twisting my tooth out. It was like he was working a 4-inch nail out of a 2x4 that had been in there for years! Oh wait, that is exactly what it was like. I closed my eyes and waited for that pressure......

Not 5 seconds later he told me my tooth was out! It was so easy! I felt no pressure, no pain, nothing! I had myself so worked up by the time I got there, that you would have thought I was having a limb removed. It was easier than a 6-month cleaning.

It's 11:30 now and I have to get to work. Working from home today (remember, this is yesterday), so will keep posted on my progress. The way they were talking when I left, I should be in some pretty decent pain when this Novocaine wears off. They gave me some vicodin, but I don't plan to take that if I don't have to.

11:40am - I am starving now. My advice to you if you have teeth pulled. Eat a big meal first. The banana I had at 8am is just not cutting it anymore.

2:30, 4:30 - No pain still. Thank God for Novocaine!

6:00 - Sat in three Spring sports meetings at school for the kids. The pain is raging now and I am still swallowing blood.

8:00 - Stopped at McDonald's, picked up a milkshake and went home to bed.

Next day - 6am. Pain is mostly gone. Just a dull throbbing pain in the hole that you can fit a nickle in. I know this is going to annoy me the entire day, but at least it will remind me to eat on the opposite side. Boy, am I hungry!

Overall, not a bad experience. I am not sure how I am suppose to handle this huge space where the tooth is now missing for 3 months! That, I am told is when I will be able to get a post and crown. That ought to be exciting. Maybe I just won't smile......NOT!

Go Army!

Today at 4:30am, my nephew Chris, left for Army boot camp. I imagine it's a heart-sinking moment when your child announces a desire to join the military. On one hand, I'd be so proud that he wanted to protect our great country, but on the other, I would say, let someone else's child do it.

I can not begin to imagine the sea of emotion that my sister and brother-in-law must be going through. (This makes my stress from my daughter's prom look ridiculous). I suppose it is normal to think the worse when you talk about any branch of the military, but joining the Army doesn't mean an automatic trip to Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Army is the largest of all the branches of the military; every year about 180,000 enlist and another 20,000 become commissioned. There are many different jobs with personnel stationed in places all over the world. Sure, there are certain MOS (jobs) which carry a higher probability of deployment, such as infantry, special ops (special operations) and field artillery, but not all are like this.

The benefits alone are fantastic ranging from medical and dental to a full college tuition. Check them out! When I spoke with Chris on Easter, he seemed excited to go. He told me about all the opportunities that he would have and his interest in many of them. Chris loves skydiving, so the whole paratroopers thing is something that I'm sure he will be looking into.

As Dr. Seuss says, "Oh! The Places You'll Go!" Chris will have the opportunity to travel the U.S and abroad! He will see places that I have never seen, nor ever will. The Army will teach him teamwork, loyalty and respect for others. It will present him with new challenges, give him a sense of pride and the courage to try new things.

If my father, a Marine, were alive today, he would be so proud of Chris. I am proud of Christopher for having chose a career in the military. It is a honorable profession and no matter what you think about the war, it is important to always support our troops.

I will pray everyday for God to look out for him and bring him home safely to us.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go (readmore)

Dogs and Chocolate Just Don't Mix

We came home last night from a very nice day/dinner with my in-laws to a living room covered with plastic Easter eggs.

I am not sure what I was more angry with, the fact that the dog ate my 9 year old's entire Easter basket or the fact that dope may have just put his life in danger.

I wasn't sure of the reason, but knew that dogs were not suppose to eat chocolate, so I rushed to the computer to find out why....after dealing with my daughter's tears first of course.

I found that, there is a substance in chocolate called theobromine which poisons dogs and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other abdominal issues. Dogs take longer to digest chocolate, so that most likely, I wasn't going to see the symptoms right away. Great, this meant I was going to have to worry all night.

Over consumption of theobromine can lead to seizures,, shock and possibly death.With this in mind, however, it's important to note that different chocolates contain different levels of theobromine, with white chocolate being the least and dark chocolate (think Belgian chocolates) containing the most. The article said if your dog is a 100lb Labrador who ate a Milky Way - you're probably OK, and that it is the smaller dogs you will have to watch - depending on the concentration of theobromine in a small chocolate. My dog is 110 pound Weimaramer, but I am still going to worry.

The following list is in decreasing order of quantities of theobromine:

Cocoa Beans
Cocoa Powder
Plain (Dark) Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
Drinking Chocolate (Powder)
White Chocolate

So, be careful where you keep that Easter candy, and remember, once your pup smells that chocolate, they may go places to get it, that they've never gone before and sometimes "high up," isn't high enough.

Welcome Spring and its Critters

The other day while researching reason why my front lawn has huge brown spots of dead grass, I stumble on this picture and article written by Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com

Do you know what this is? Read below to check your answer.

Encountering this 10-inch-long flatworm in the garden or on the sidewalk after a rain can be a little unnerving to the gardener. True, for most of its extra-long body, it looks and feels like a worm, but, oh, that head!

The land planarian is an import that's slowly and successfully spreading around the world. Originally from southeast Asia, it usually arrives in the landscape via potted foliage plants. It's not harmful to the gardener — except for the shock of finding one — and it comes with a bag of tricks. It can hang from branches via a line of mucus, it can reproduce by dividing (in addition to laying egg capsules), and with a finely honed sense of chemical smell, it can find its prey. And therein lies the problem. Among its favorite prey are earthworms, and it's been known to decimate earthworm populations. Some land planarians are relatively small — only about 2-1/2 inches long — but they nevertheless can take on and kill an earthworm much larger than themselves. Worm growers have reported losing significant numbers of their populations to these predators.

What's a gardener to do? If you find one in the garden, remove it. You might also consider calling your local extension agent to report that you've spotted one.

The land planarian needs a humid environment — or microclimate — in order to live. So far it's been spotted in various states throughout the East, Southeast, South, Pacific Northwest and California.