A NYC Tradition-the Tree at Rockefeller Center & Ice Skating-what are your Xmas Traditions?

Hanging on by a thread!

I love that each holiday we will be trekking up north with our twin daughters to see the lights and holiday action of New York City ! Why not I say?  My hubby loves Manhattan so we go there without fail and his idea is to take them every year to 30 Rock to see the big tree, ice skate, and get a hot dinner to top the night off.  My daughters love the city as well so that makes it somewhat easy but there are loads of others who with kids just can't make it work.  It's me who now takes it in stride after twenty years of failed auditions and sore feet (I nailed one though, still no agent!).  If you do find yourself lured by the bright lights and exciting life of Manhattan, with kids, you need these Five Essentials! (wine sold separately)

Here is my TOP FIVE MUST HAVE'S for Surviving NYC with your Kids 
1) A Double Stroller with storage-this politely moves people out of the way, (most times) and they think a baby is in there, it also doubles as storage for all your packages and coffee cups you no longer want to handle!
 
2) Warm Blankets.  If it's cold there, you will suffer.  The last trip we took the week before Christmas, we were without warm anything.  The weather was just right but should it show any signs of snow or wind, you gotta have face warmth!  Oh and you can fix your hair in any warm NYC restaurant bathroom. Wear a hat!
 
3) Bring Vitamin C Lollipops for the kids.  When you are browsing any store that has nothing to do with them, they will be slightly bored if not bored out of their minds. Lollipops keep them busy, no lollipop crushers allowed!!!  Make it last kiddos. (additional snacks are an excellent idea as well)
 
4) A GPS on your Smart Phone.  Most I Phones do so it's easy.  When we lost direction in finding our hot holiday meal, I was on the GPS app on my phone immediately and voila, I was at my Spot: Rosie O'Grady's on 52nd.  The parmesan crusted sole to die for! 
 
5) A Savvy Person who likes New York.  I'm lucky because my husband loves NYC and knows the areas fairly well.  He doesn't mind crowds and because he happens to be tall and strong, he gets through a crowd with ease.  If this is not your case, bring with you very confident people who are tall, don't mind hoards of people and like nightlife because this city isn't easy!  My kids happen to love it!
 
If none of that happens and you end up cold, tired and stressed from your New York City adventure or tree cutting extravaganza or any holiday party, don't worry it will be over in a month and you'll be wondering when the next party is............................
 
If you feel up to it, tell me about your holiday traditions outside of the house and how you survive with kids, what makes it special to you and what memories were made.......

The Non-Perfect Family and Holiday Drama

I always thought yes, I'm normal because my parents are divorced.  But no, it's just the opposite.  My husband and his parents, married for over 50 years, the couple across the street, the folks at church sitting in front of you, your neighbors down the street, they have all weathered the test of time.  They run half marathons, create perfect chocolate chip cookies, and pick up everything in one swoop under budget at Target!!  They stay married.  They seem perfect......

This is NOT my LIFE:  I come from a divorced family, not once but twice and I didn't think it hurt me in any seriously damaging way but it did-it really did. (by the way, I fail terribly at baking homemade chocolate chip cookies) Don't get me wrong, there are folks out there who have gotten married, stayed married and continue to live miserable lives.  I understand that.  I'm not talking about them or their amazing retirement accounts......I'm talking about the non perfect family-the one that hasn't found it's place yet in the big wide world of relationships.  You get by, you function but just barely.  You find yourself out of debt only to find yourself right back there, struggling to buy Christmas gifts, or the procrastinator family, the one that says sure I'll put up the Christmas lights one month early because I don't want to put it off, only to find yourself miserable in the process. The couple down the street wonders why did the McCoy family hang lights on Thanksgiving?!?

I come from a family of doers.  If we weren't out running a task or errand or wiping up from a meal, we were playing a game or heading outside for exercise-we rarely sat still.  It's always been very hard for me to sit still and just be.  My mind races about what I'm not doing but then I remember I was shifted from one parents house to the next on the weekends.  There was not a lot of time to just do nothing.  The holidays were super busy............visiting all the extended relatives, step-relative mr. or mrs. and anyone else in between that seemed to care!  Whew-my brother and I needed a vacation from the holidays when it was over.

Now in Annapolis life, my good friend Lindsey keeps me centered when my mind starts to race-her parents are divorced too (I hope she doesn't mind me sharing that).  Her daughter and my twin girls play like peas and carrots and I haven't seen her for close to two weeks and my smile just isn't as bright when she's not around.  I am attracted to happy and healthy people; they give me a boost so if it's a poopey day, I could go drift in and out of procrastination and that's where my non perfect family comes in.  My life feels chaotic and unruly, so Lord let it not be the holiday time of year.  It's okay, I'll manage I say, on with the blog.........

I come from divorce and I remarried someone with kids.  It's complicated and the holidays become even more so.  Can I procrastinate or ride away with my girls to find the closest shopping establishment?  As much as I love excitement and adventure, now that I have kids, I just want to stay home and enjoy them, play outside with them, watch a movie, color, explore their world but there is just so much more to talk about, lots more to work out.  I can't leave I say, there are issues to work out-other people's needs to address.

If we deny what's really going on in our households, how do we ever truly heal??  Are we being honest with ourselves and our families?

I was chatting with my mother and husband about a dramatic incident my 14 year old stepson just had with his mother and that's when I began to cry a little.  My stepchildren are living through what I went through thirty years ago.  I'm reliving it all over again and maybe I never healed.  I don't think any child wants to be from a divorced family-they have to accept that it's their fate.  My daughters have their mother and father together and they love it.  They love the idea of us. They are all about it.  They draw pictures about us, not anyone else.  We are their world.  I guess when my parents decided to end their 13 year marriage, a big part of my heart died with it.  We became the blemished family, the drama didn't stop there either.  My Dad and my stepmother (whom I grew close to) divorced after 20 years of marriage, severing any sort of relationship; a relationship where my stepmother actually mentally abused me, teased me, bullied me with no I'm sorry's at the end. I was never far from her daggers. It was her own drama.  I'm okay now-really.

Taking steps to heal in your life is what I'm doing.  I'm constantly reading, going to therapy workshops when I can and trying to accept the imperfect part of my "Country Living" magazine dream life.  The holidays often drum up old feelings of hurt, resentment, and family drama. Do they do that for you?  Share with me please.

I hope your holidays bring to you much meaning, hugs of warm love and a devotion to your family that you'll stay right where you are: committed, loyal and honest in your pursuit of happiness.  Everyone deserves that.

I want to put out there, my Holidays are too magical, sweet and special but it goes without saying, I share my pain with trusted adults, friends I can trust and with my husband who understands and empathizes with me. This makes the time that I hurt when I was younger much easier to bear.  My family or yours may never be perfect but we are in the pursuit of trying and what's so wrong with that?

The non-perfect photo

Keeping your Kids Active and Healthy this Winter and always

My girls recently had their 5 year health physical.  I wasn't looking forward to it.  The last time we went at 4 I just knew it was going to be a good report-hearing, vision, a little concerned, but overall my daughters are in good shape, literally and physically.  They have an amazing food palette and in New York we were outside almost every day, cold, rain, snow, whatever!

Since moving back to Maryland, we have become indoor people.  We love our home, it's cozy, it's got a finished basement with loads of movies to watch, some we haven't seen for many years, unopened packages screaming for my attention.  My husband and I garden, pull weeds, we've planted some privacy trees, but for the most part, we're either reading, preparing to cook, or running from one errand to another.  It's been one busy year for the McCoy family of West Annapolis, Maryland.

I like to think of myself as an active person but recently I had my health physical for the year.  After my exam, the nurse practitioner told me I looked healthy, I probably am but lets test your blood and look at the panel.  Let's also look at your magnesium level-are you eating enough leafy green stemey things?  Of course I am I told her. We'll lets see. My blood came back within two days and next to my cholesterol readings, it said a little elevated, exercise.  I'm smiling now because I most certainly have been exercising but here's the kicker:  3 days per week.  My husband: everyday.

More often than I am exercising, I am tiding up, cleaning, or putting a project together.  My latest, painting the powder room (and it needed it).  What can I think of next that needs to be done?  Am I ignoring my kids, the dog?  Does my little puppy need to be walked?  Yes she does and often it's just right out the door and down the street.  I bet she'd loved a walk by the beach............do I have time for that-NO.  I mean YES I do.

What I'm trying to say is that other activities in my life come first before EXERCISE.  I can't let that happen to my kids.  I don't want them to think it's not important, that I don't value their time and health or mine.  If I can change up every other day or couple of weeks what I'm doing and involve them for the betterment of their health and mine, than I'm going to do it!!!!

Here's a little list from their doctors office which entail little ways to get your kids active in the winter:

1) Have a dance party-turn on that music and get your groove on, even if it is to the soundtrack of "Sophia the First"!

2) Involve the kids in your chores.  If your going up and down the steps (carefully) dusting, give them a job to do-it empowers them! (my youngest loves running the vacuum)

3) Jump rope in the garage or in the driveway (carefully).  My girls are always asking me how to jump rope and often times I'm painting a piece of furniture while they're trying to do it.  Jumping rope gets that heart rate up, up, up!!

4) Play tag and/or hide and seek.  My girls personally worship this game and it's easy to do.  You could hide right around the corner in plain sight and they get a kick out of it!  Laughter also keeps the heart healthy!

and LASTLY......................

5) Play ball or just kick around the soccer ball at a park.  It takes time and effort to get there I know but it's worth the satisfaction when you see other kids and their parents doing it and you just know you made the right decision.  Seeing other kids play and get exercise is encouraging to us all!

Sophie playing horseshoes.  Your still burning calories here!  Of course supervise your children at all activity levels.

The Amazing My Disney World Experience iPhone App!

Each second year, our family is blessed to attend Epcot Center's Food & Wine Festival at Disney World.

It's a lot of fun.  Surprise guests come and stay with us and often we find ourselves outside after the kids go down to hit the hot tub!   Yahoo!  What fun!  My older daughter seen in the front is not attending with us this year, as she's in her junior year of high school and the PSAT's start for her today so she's preparing for college and cannot afford to miss school.  Rats, that's our babysitter! 

Standing behind her is my stepsister Courtney, a fabulous babysitter and excellent with kids.  Maybe she'll babysit my two daughters and niece.  They are all at age 5 so it should be a piece of cake for her to sit with them.  They can watch Snow White again this year (no maybe not a good idea, the witch is horrifying in that picture)......or maybe Sleeping Beauty, the evil witch Maleficent is not as intense in that one?

When our family gets together, we usually have a place in place.  This year most people don't want a plan: they want the pool and relaxation.  This year I actually want to visit all the parks and that's where the Disney My Disney Experience app for iPhone comes in!! 

It gets five stars from me.  So far, after creating a log in, you can plan your entire trip from your phone.  I'm old fashioned by nature so I was surprised I wanted this app.  I was referred by one parent at a park when I had already researched it myself, so she just confirmed my curiosity.  It's worth downloading and keeping it close by when in the parks. Have that phone charged!

This app allows me to check into my calendar and adjust my reservations, for example I booked a breakfast with the characters at Akershus in Norway at Epcot.  It's an early start for our day but as one Disney customer service professional explained it, "you can always call us back and will look at all the parks to find a different breakfast, lunch or dinner with the characters that accommodates your needs."  

This is fantastic news I tell her!  She also informed me that I can do all of this from my smart phone and that's even better........so when my family has stopped for a treat in France, I can check my smart phone for times for fireworks, concerts, or dining reservations all at my fingertips!!!  No need to call Disney reservations and wait and wait. 

One thing I want to point out: stay patient.  I think that's the key and if your traveling with a big party, polite communication is key.  Here are the concerned mother pics:  I have my daughter here saving her from space aliens and my husband is taking over the universe!  

At the end of it all, having some adult time at Disney is key!

When I look back I wouldn't change a thing.  Being with my family even if I don't always cooperate, is worth every minute being together at Disney.  The My Disney World Experience app is going to be an even bigger help with FastPass. From the app, book your FastPass events!!!  How easy when your somewhere else in Magic Kingdom and in Fantasy Land you want to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride and the wait is an hour. With five year old toddlers, waiting sometimes is not an option which makes this app worth having!

This seems silly but take your children to the rest room before entering any popular ride............asking is not an option.  They have to go................and you know what, the app shows you the map in clean color and where the restrooms are!  Pinterest also helped me in my Disney World planning.  Lots of options for kids. Just do a little research.

Enjoy your Disney trip people because memories are being made.  :)

The Sweetly Decorated Life: Protecting our Children from Enterovirus 68

The Sweetly Decorated Life: Protecting our Children from the Enterovirus 68: I don't mean to scare you.  I watch the news.  I've been watching the news more often lately and I like Anderson Cooper, I can't...

Protecting our Children from the Enterovirus 68

I don't mean to scare you.  I watch the news.  I've been watching the news more often lately and I like Anderson Cooper, I can't help it.  My daughters will turn 5 in November. That scares me-I like them home here in our town-the town where I grew up.  They are all growing up so fast, our children.  More in the news: Ebola and Enterovirus 68-I cringe if I hear about another case but we must be prepared and on the lookout.

The latest news, a young boy my girls age dies in New Jersey-he was only four years old-a triplet-he leaves his twin sisters behind.  A tragic loss for the family and those close to him-a loss for everyone.  The link below is not related to the child in New Jersey but to a previous loss.  Dr. Sanjay Gupta does discuss the virus here.

My husband is a big fan of washing hands.  Believe it or not and my loving mother will say I was taught to wash my hands but I absolutely disagree, my younger brother and I were not taught to wash our hands as a precaution.  We just didn't. When we were young, we lived all summer by the beach in a small neighboring city called Mayo, where Nanny Gwen lived, by the beach.  I cut my right foot in the surf there one summer-sliced deep by a beer bottle.

I remember my Nanny Gwen running to the beach to catapult me into the ambulance, her bravado running in the summer wind, no fear, running to save me. She was my hero.  No infection, no weird disease from the sand, just a few stitches in the 1970's. I'll never forget the day or how strong she looked that day.  Thank you Nanny for everything.  Nanny's been gone for a while now. We all miss her.

In 5th grade, I ran smack into a running mate on recess and my nose obliterated, his head needing several stitches and a young fellow 5th grader named Cynthia, in her white eyelet cardigan coming to my rescue, running me into the nurses office, her cardigan soaked with my blood. I required plastic surgery that day. She was my hero that day.  A special thanks to Dr. Strawberry for my nose. (1984)

Today in 2014 we have much more to worry about. The CDC recommends "avoiding those who are sick" since the virus is spread through saliva and phlegm as well as stool and they say washing hands is most important.  Stating that sick people can avoid spreading the virus by covering their nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing cannot be overstated.  Cleaning surfaces and toys is another important measure for prevention.

I don't think when we signed up as parents, we thought heroes would be beside our names but aren't we supposed to be-helping our children along the way, teaching them, preventing illness, preparing them for the world, being safe, looking out and with hope-We must.  I'm glad I waited until I was 36 to have children.  They have my life now.  As my friend Ron Minor says, "Steph, your blessed" and so I am..............................

I hope this blog did not offend anyone in anyway.  My goal is to inform and educate.  I pray for the family in New Jersey and all the families who have experienced pain and loss due to this virus.

Nanny Gwen and her birthday cake for me.  Look at my little cousin Cody.  I've always loved babies.

Coconut Oil-magical for the hair, skin and nails!

Okay, in order for me to have a sweetly decorated life, I have to be fed, watered, and given ample amounts of sun. Do I sound like a plant?  I know I do, like one of those indoor ones.

We'll more often than not, we think we need more than we actually do, when really it's actually pretty simple: we just need the basic things to be happy and so does our skin.  Here's what I'm talking about and more:

Today, Friday October 3rd, I visited Gary's Gardens in Severna Park and Chik-fil-a.  Nice people.  Good food, the sun was out and I love flowers and pumpkins.  I spoke on the Iphone to a couple of my distant friends in far off lands. It was nice. One gf  in New York.  She's lovely and another gf in North Carolina, she's lovely as well.  It's been a great day so far.  It's approaching 2 pm and my husband is home (he works from home four days per week) and he happens to be watching what he can of the Baltimore Orioles playing the Detroit Tigers in the American League playoff series.

He went to the game last night and they won, 12-3.  I'm happy for him.  But tonight is my night with him.  No Oriole game, no hockey game, no Ravens game.  Just he and I.  We will go to dinner together and he will take me to Marshall's to peruse the skin care aisle and yep ladies, he looks too, patiently.  I love it because inevitably I find some cheap form of skin oil/cream that I can take home to try to fix the damage done to my face via sun, smoking, laughing out loud and crying.

Life happens and now at 41 I want to blend the lines around my forehead and stay youthful for as long as I can.  Why you ask?  Because I like the way it looks and feels and that's okay, and it's healthy and good. My sister in law asked me why I get Botox (I haven't for a year) and I told her I want some of the wrinkles smoothed, gone, bye-bye-I don't like them I say.  She then asked me why not enjoy my age and where I am in life?  We'll I do but it's also okay to admit that some of those wrinkles got there from squinting and going through some rough times in my life.  I'm over it and ready to take better care of my skin.  I no longer get Botox but I do love the line of skincare treatments available to us ladies today.

My recent discovery, it's lovely,

Coconut Oil is the main and first ingredient.  I've noticed in just one week my skin looking brighter, more even, and once applied, my skin glows for hours.  I apply it again right after my shower and follow it with DMAE cream on the hands, neck and chest.  I love, love, love this new anti-aging oil!!!

With any skincare regime, try to exercise and eat well and drink water always-

I found it in my Marshall's store for retail $6.99.  Happy Shopping and enjoy.