Places to Go (Vacation) - Walking on the Beach in Charleston, SC

Last weekend I spent three incredibly relaxing days in Charleston, SC with one of my favorite people and her husband (also a favorite person). When Laurie asked what I wanted to do on the visit I replied "sleep in. late. really late." And this basically set the tone.

The downside of living in DC is that everyone always leaves you, the upside is you always have a place to stay . . .

Highlights include:

* Pickled okra. I could go on and on about how this is the most fantastic food ever. But you're either in or you're out. Some people never understand true beauty.

* Oktoberfest at Closed for Business. Because everyone needs to drink at 2 in the afternoon. Until about 6 at night. Obviously.

* Dinner at Husk. I've wanted to eat there ever since I read this article in the New Yorker two years ago. And it was worth the wait. Absolutely incredible.

* Homemade bbq and collard greens coupled with HGTV marathons (wow, those Property Brothers are truly amazing, as is Jon's cooking).

* An almost hurricane that came and left in the middle of the night. No damage done.

* Strolling the bayou of Middleton Place (more pics to follow).

* A long walk on the beach on Kiawah Island (with birds, oh so many birds).

* Facetime with home (wow, this really is the best invention ever. Not sure why it took me so long to catch on).

And, most importantly, a whole weekend with one of my best friends. I know how happy she is there. And this makes me happy. But sometimes I still miss her like crazy.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND EVERYONE! (And if you have a chance, I highly recommend sleeping in. Sleep really is all sorts of awesome).

Things to Do - Little Passports

Lately the kids have asked a ton of questions about places outside of Arlington (possibly because all their friends keep moving, as is the norm in this town) - where we've traveled, where we want to travel, different cultures, etc. As someone who loves to explore new cities, I'm hoping to nurture their interest. With this in mind, we've taken out several library books on different places and cultures, but most of them seem so static and uninspired - lots of statics and people in traditional dress. Thus, when I learned about Little Passports I immediately wanted to try it out. So I emailed the company and they agreed to send me a free month's test package (yes, this is a huge benefit of blogging).

I'm always a little nervous when companies send me free stuff because it becomes so awkward when my kids don't like it (I send the company a preview of my review and ask if they'd like me to post it or not. They always choose "not". So if it seems like I only give good reviews on the blog, that's because the bad reviews never post. Sorry if this seems shady, though in both blogging and in real life I try not to devote much time or energy to things that suck).

Anyways, I'm meandering somewhat. Luckily, when the girls' Little Passports kits arrived - THEY LOVED THEM. These kits kept both girls (ages 8 (as of today - happy birthday, F!) and 7) thoroughly entertained for HOURS.

P ordered the USA kit, which came with a disposable camera (for a photo scavenger hunt of your own hometown), a field note book, a map, and a scratch book. The camera was a HUGE hit especially after I had to explain how the world worked before digital photography. "Wow, so it's an old days' camera! A real old days' camera. Like you'd find in a museum?" Um, well, not exactly museum worthy . . . some days I feel ancient. P spent the rest of the morning working through her scratch pad, somehow learning becomes much more fascinating when you can also "design."

F received the World Edition, which came in a beautiful little blue suitcase. This kit contains: a "passport" (complete with a Q&A section for answering questions about yourself), two stickers, a huge world map, an activity sheet, and access to online games. At first, the lack of a camera disappointed F (if you're trying to decide between the two kits, the USA one was a bigger success). But once F started playing the online games she was sold. She spent the rest of the morning studying the map and asking about various countries and continents.

Based on the success of our first kits, we've now ordered a subscription plan (no more freebies), so let's hope the good times last. I'll let you know how our future imaginary travels play out. If you're interested, you can click here to learn more/order your own kits.

Things to Do - Demand Action

It's been a few months since we've had an update on the gun control debate, so I asked my friend Cathi to let us know what's up:

When I first joined Moms Demand Action (http://momsdemandaction.org) I would often get asked why I felt compelled to get involved in this common sense gun reform effort. The questions were rarely focused on why I would take up this particular cause but rather how I fit it in. I have three kids, a husband who is busy, and an active life. Like most moms, my days are flooded with back-to-back events and there is never enough time in the day or energy to spare.

But for me, I had no choice. I was compelled to act after seeing the horrific events in Newtown. As a mother of elementary school-aged children, I had to take action. It was no longer acceptable for me to serve as a spectator on the sidelines. And now that I’m involved I can’t unknow the daily horror of gun violence that takes place continuously in our country.

The truth is that we simply have too much gun violence in our country. News of mass shootings have become all too ordinary and acceptable. Gun violence kills an American child every 3 hours and 15 minutes. It’s almost too kind to call it gun violence, it is gun destruction – people, lives, families, dreams, are destroyed by guns – even when victims of gun violence live. The idea that a criminal could legally obtain a firearm without a background check defies common sense. Military style assault weapons with high capacity magazine clips, openly available for purchase, are designed for one purpose -- killing as many people as possible. Enough is enough.

I began to uncover ways in which I could make an impact and I reached out to a number of groups to see how I could help. What I discovered was four things: first, I was not alone; it was inspiring to see the number of moms who got involved in this movement for the same reasons I did. Second, just a small amount of time and effort can make a tremendous difference. Third, getting involved with this movement was personally inspiring and rewarding. Fourth, moms, as a demographic group, are a force to be reckoned with and can make a huge difference.

While there are a number of strong gun reform groups, I began as a volunteer for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in March of 2013. It has been remarkable to have a front row seat in watching this organization expand from a Facebook page to the thriving organization it has become over the past 7 months. We now have chapters in every state of the country and over 100,000 members nationwide. In fact, in my own home state of Virginia, which is the home of the largest and most affluent gun lobby organization in the country, we have a full and flourishing chapter with leaders that are educating, motivating, and mobilizing moms and families to take action that will result in stronger life-saving laws and policies.

In spite of hectic schedules, busy moms across our country have been compelled to act and we are making an impact. On September 18, 2013, Starbucks CEO Howard Schulz announced that guns were no longer welcome in Starbucks stores nationwide, reversing the company’s previous policy of allowing open and concealed carry if state and local law allowed it. The decision followed a two-month campaign led by Moms Demand Action pressuring the company to get gun sense. In announcing the new policy, Schultz told CNN, “Guns should not be part of the Starbucks experience.” Personally, I think this is a sign that there is a great shift ahead in our culture. People do not want to sit in a coffee shop across from a man or woman with a gun strapped to their shoulder or belt and wonder if they’re the good guy or the bad guy. So, while it’s been detrimental to my wallet that now I’ve returned to Starbucks, I’m thrilled to be able to say ‘thank you’ to a company that has gunsense.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and all month long Moms Demand Action is bringing attention to the lethal problem of Domestic Gun Violence. Every week, nine American women are shot dead by their husband or intimate partner. Yet Congress refuses to act on the most common-sense measures to keep guns out of the hands of abusers.

Throughout October, we’ll demand action from Congress to #Savethe9 women who die every week because their violent partner has access to a gun. We’re holding events in several of the “Top 10” worst states for female homicide, visiting our legislators during a week of action over Congressional recess, and creating awareness with an easy and impactful craft. Please visit this website to see how you can get involved, http://momsdemandaction.org/domestic-gun-violence/

On September 17th, the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to have a hearing on “stand your ground laws” that have been enacted in various states. That hearing was postponed. It did not happen because on Monday, September 16th Aaron Alexis killed 12 people in a mass shooting in Washington DC’s Navy Yard, before being shot to death by police. How’s that for irony? Members of Moms Demand Action gathered with others on Tuesday evening, the day after the shooting, at a vigil for the victims of the Navy Yard. Neil Heslin was there (he was in town for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns – No More Names bus tour), his son, Jesse Lewis, was one of the 1st graders killed at Sandy Hook. Neil spoke at the vigil and as he spoke I thought, this man shouldn’t have to do this, he shouldn’t have to mourn 12 more lost lives, and he shouldn’t have to beg Congress to do something. And yet he does, and we do, and we must.

I heard a woman speak two days after the tragic events at the Navy Yard. Her daughter had been murdered, shot by a gun, and the killer was never found. She said that her story never made the headlines, she never had closure, and she lived with that every single day. I’ve thought of her every day since, and of the families of the 12 victims at the Navy Yard, and of the beautiful children of Sandy Hook and their brave educators, and so many others whose stories are now part of me.

Once you know, how can you not get involved?

Join Us - http://momsdemandaction.org/join-us/
Take Action Today - http://momsdemandaction.org/take-action/
Check Out our Events - http://momsdemandaction.org/in-the-news/1mm4gc-events/
Donate - https://momsdemandaction.nationbuilder.com/donate

Things to Do - Cherish This Day & Random Links

A new set of great photos is up at Cherish This Day please stop by and check us out!!

Regarding this week's photo, after school on Mondays, F has piano lessons at the house and then we all walk over to P's soccer practice. The team's older siblings love to climb this tree located next to the field. After the older kids find something else to do, T routinely asks me to lift him up into the tree. He's hesitant to explore or move around much, but he can spend quite some time just resting on a branch enjoying the views.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!

RANDOM LINKS:

* Etsy pages. Let the shopping begin.

* 10 Party Pretties. Isn't the jeweled cake awesome? Though I think I'd prefer to buy candy jewels, rather then make them.

* I love these stickers, such an awesome way to recycle (though the prices are a bit high).

* I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Reflections on World Tourism Day. Wonderful photos.

* 5 paper bag Halloween costumes. I wonder if I could convince my kids to try one of these.

* THIS IS A BIG DEAL!! (Thank you Marina for the info!)

Things to Do - Meet Your Neighbors

(I always love the picture after the picture)

I still can't quite grasp that October has begun, September just seemed to slip away so easily, like a good happy hour (of which September contained many). I had so many places I wanted to visit (the Renaissance Festival, Harpers Ferry, Calvert Cliffs, Hillwood Estate), but most weekends we ended up staying close to home - reading books, playing board games, and walking to the playground (though we did spend a wonderful Sunday morning attacking the enemy during family laser tag). Anyways, a five day weekend is coming up soon, so hopefully we'll venture out a bit more and I'll have some new places to post about.

Luckily, we live in a pretty wonderful place - as I was reminded last weekend during our annual block party. On Sunday night, Dan and I attended a rather depressing play (Detroit at Wooly Mammoth) about (among other things) the fall of "neighborhoods." But here in South Arlington, we're still going strong. This was our block's 13th street party and our neighbors now have it down to a science. For true happiness you need: a keg, a bounce house, movies on the lawn, Japanese lanterns at night, an ultra competitive egg toss (or maybe that was just my husband), homemade barbeque, wonderful friends, and always new-to-me neighbors to meet.

I know South Arlington is considered lesser than our upscale neighbor to the North, but we love it here.



A huge garbage bag full of outgrown clothes "hides" in T's closet. Apparently he found it on Saturday and chose to wear a size 3 PJ shirt from last year. When a 10 year old boy walks past your preschool age son and says "wow, that's a short shirt", you know that his wardrobe could use some work.



The egg toss is sort of a big deal, only one team wins a year, talk about pressure (and bragging rights). I'm usually out by the second round (sorry Adrienne!)



Coco is alive and well. She camped out on the concrete and didn't move much after the first three hours or so.



I was so excited when the neighbors started lighting these lanterns. They look so beautiful against a dark night sky.