Search Results for: blog deep fried summer

Avoid a Summer Bummer

When you’re a kid, nothing ruins summer vacation faster than being sick. I speak from experience. When I was 10 years old I got chicken pox five days after school let out for summer break. Talk about a summer bummer. Then again, taking care of a sick kid during summer vacation is no picnic for a parent either. When you’re on summer break, staying up late, traveling to new and exciting places, and enjoying life minus a regular routine, it’s easy to forgo healthy eating habits, slack on regular hand washing and avoid other good habits. This, of course, can … Continue reading →

Deep-Fried Summer

Summer doesn’t officially begin until Monday and I am already fried. Deep-fried, and I’m not referring to my skin. My daughter has been moving at warp speed since the Monday following her kindergarten graduation. For some insane reason (call it disorganization) I signed her up for an inordinate number of summer classes and camps, and now I am the one paying for it… in more ways than one. So much for the lazy days of summer. I’m not sure what I was thinking. All I remember is that a few months ago a bunch of moms asked if my daughter … Continue reading →

Summer Travel: Michigan and Miami

I live in Wisconsin so it’s no surprise that our airwaves have been saturated with summer tourism ads heralding Michigan’s incredible natural wonders. From its spectacular lakes to its amazing waterfalls and beautiful beaches the state is well displayed in the new 2008 Pure Michigan advertising campaign. Tourism officials are hoping the award-winning campaign will draw people like me (who live in nearby states and Canada) to enjoy the state’s beaches, golf courses, fishing spots and bike trails. If you live in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana or Ohio be prepared to be inundated with TV, radio and print ads boasting of … Continue reading →

Family Fun At The State Fair—A Day Of Pig Races And Deep Fried Pickles

There aren’t too many places on the planet where you can watch a retired NASCAR announcer provide color commentary on a race between four pot-bellied pigs speeding around a sawdust track, and then 2 hours later gnaw unforgivably on a deep fried pork chop-on-a-stick. It happens daily at the Wisconsin State Fair. The annual 10-day event is famous around these parts for deep-fried everything, food-on-a-stick, a giant slide and world-class agricultural venues. What more could you ask for, right? That was my thought when I decided to brave the crowds (more than 800,000 descend on State Fair Park in Milwaukee … Continue reading →

Getting Organized for the New Year

If your New Year’s resolution includes getting organized in 2013, you are not alone. When the clock strikes 12 on January 1st, I am vowing to better manage all aspects of my life. Of course, that’s the same resolution I made in 2011 and 2012. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm. I’m a busy mom, just like millions of other parents in the world, and more often than not, time gets the best of me. Actually, it haunts, punishes and kicks the life out of me. Hence, my New Year’s resolution. If you are looking for affordable ways … Continue reading →

Scrapping the State Fair

Last week we took our annual summer trip to the State Fair. We gorged on crazy deep-fried food-on-a-stick creations, rode the Sky Glider and learned exactly how a pig pees. Interesting stuff. I have way more than enough photos and memorabilia to craft an entire memory book of our family trip. I also jotted down some funny anecdotes for journaling purposes and scored some cool stickers from various vendors to add as embellishments. In between the grazing and game-playing, we spent a fair amount of time exploring the animal exhibits, and even witnessed a doggie wedding presided over by an … Continue reading →

Extreme Fun in the Extreme Heat

This week’s heat wave has left many families deep-fried and looking for ways to cool off. Our city was under an excessive heat warning for five straight days. Unfortunately, when you have young kids, sitting around in air conditioning the entire time isn’t an option. When the mercury starts to rise, it’s time to flex that creative muscle to come up with ways to beat the heat and still have fun in the process. Some ideas include: Blind Man’s Catch: This game is basically like Water Balloon Toss, but with the added challenge of being blindfolded. Split a group of … Continue reading →

Graduation Party: Less is More

With unemployment a current epidemic, gas hovering near $4 a gallon, and food prices soaring, it’s no wonder so many families are being forced to scale back on graduation parties. Fortunately, you don’t have to dig yourself deeper into debt in order to celebrate your son or daughter’s big day. There’s a way to have fun with a budget-friendly party, as long as you follow these simple tips: 1. Skip the fine china and opt for disposable plates, bowls and utensils. 2. Consider a potluck and ask friends and family to bring a dish to pass. 3. Double up on … Continue reading →

How Much is Too Much Child Care?

How much time do you spend with your child during the week? My friend recently calculated the number of hours that her children are in other people’s care. The grand total: a whopping 61 hours a week. GULP!! The sad thing is that she is not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of parents out there who outsource child care on a daily basis. Forty, 50, 60 hours per week having your kid in someone else’s care; it’s a guilt inducer, for sure. It is for my pal, who says she is not proud of her recent calculation, and would … Continue reading →

Time

Time, why you punish me? Remember that line from Hootie and the Blowfish’s hit single “Time”? It haunts me this time of year. Actually, it more than just haunts me, “Time” is my theme song during the back-to-school season. Time, time You ain’t no friend of mine I don’t know where I’m going I think I’m out of my mind Thinking about time Actually, it’s the theme song of my life. Time. I’m constantly running out of it. Constantly competing against it. Constantly wishing that I had more of it. Time kicks my butt every.single.day. It’s never on my side, … Continue reading →