I (Laurryn) have an update on my Top 5 Christmas Wishlist! And while I keep prodding Matt for his Top 5 Christmas Wishlist, he has yet to compile it. I'll try some more over the next few days!
Anyway, I got a ton of Christmas shopping done when a very patient BFF came to town last weekend. While out shopping, I realized that I could get the sweater I've been dreaming of (and a super-awesome gold sequined skirt that I could have designed) for less than the sweater if I took advantage of the buy one, get one half off sale and the $30 off coupon that I had conveniently tucked into my purse. So, after a conversation with Matt that involved a lot of smiling and disbelief on my part and a lot of "you won't wear anything until Christmas?" on Matt's part,I took the plunge. The patient BFF can attest to my enthusiasm about the purchase. I may have actually skipped out of the store, swinging my New York & Company bag.
The next night, Matt and I were taking care of a few other Christmas presents on amazon.com and Matt showed me the steam mop that he'd been scoping out. The man did his research - he had read a ton of reviews and checked the ratings on this steam mop. So we ordered it! And it was gracing my living room when I got home from work last night. I can't wait to use it!
So I've already gotten two of the items on my wishlist. I thought I should update you in case you were planning to get some shopping done soon ;)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
The McDaniel Top 5 Christmas Wishlists: Post 1: Laurryn
Are you done with your Christmas shopping? I’m (Laurryn, because Matt really doesn’t do any of the Christmas planning, shopping, wrapping, etc.) not quite finished, but I have gotten a lot done in the last two months. I always do my Christmas cards early so that I don’t get overwhelmed and start crying in a heap on the floor, surrounded by blank Christmas cards and a variety of red and green stickers. I get things done early so that I can enjoy the season instead of make last-minute shopping trips in a desperate attempt to find the "perfect" gift at 6:00pm on Christmas Eve.
Anyway, I thought it would be a great idea to share with you the McDaniel Top 5 Christmas Wishlists. I haven’t told Matt yet that this is the plan, but I will. My list is already ready, so I’ll post this today and have Matt post his when he’s done compiling it. I’ll get T’Angelo and Tumbler’s lists whenever they get around to putting them together for me.
5. Book - I read a very, very funny book while on vacation in Mexico. The title is In the Event of My Untimely Demise and the author, Brian Sack, has a humorous blog, http://www.banterist.com/. Brian’s book is a variety of life lessons for his children, sprinkled (or appropriately pummeled) with a perfect amount of humor. I found myself stifling laughter while on a plane or sitting by the pool on vacation. The classic lessons and the humor make for a great read!
4. Sweater – You may be asking yourself how I could want a sweater more than a book that brought me so much joy and laughter. Well, just look at this beauty:
I know, right?! Gorgeous. So if you actually clicked on the photo and reviewed the price, now you’re thinking one of two things: 1.) “Holy cow, that sweater is nearly $60. That’s ridiculous!” or 2.) “I wonder which color she’d prefer.” Here are my responding thoughts, respectively: 1.) “$60 is not cheap; agreed. However, I did once (on a post-Bears-Camp-I-actually-have-money shopping trip) purchase a sweater for $50. Let me tell you – I love that sweater and smile every time I look at it (which is often because it’s right in my closet) and I take great care of it.” and 2.) “Well, I actually have a sequined black sweater (although not nearly as awesome as this one, as it’s shorter and less sequined…Oh, and I have a sequined black zip-up hoodie, too, so black sequins abound in my closet) so the white sweater would be preferred.”
3.) Labelmaker or banker’s lamp - There are two things that have been on my wishlist for two years (I keep a general wishlist of movies, books, etc. on my thumb drive and update it periodically as I see fit). These two things are a banker’s lamp and a labelmaker. Matt once promised me a labelmaker that we never bought so I doubt I'll be getting it in the near future. And he always looked at me quizzically as I squealed when I saw a good banker’s lamp in the store, so I doubt he'll be sharing in my banker's-lamp-enthusiasm this year by purchasing me such a professional gift. One day, though, I would like to cross these two items off my wishlist.
2.) New mop - This is a pretty close tie for the number one spot because I hate my Clorox Ready Mop. I don’t mean that I hate mopping, because I don’t, or that I hate Clorox, because I don’t, but I really and truly do hate my Clorox Ready Mop. It shouldn’t but it DOES suck at its own job. Its job is to clean my floor and it fails miserably. Every. Single. Time. When I finally convince myself that the floor is disgusting enough that I have no choice but to mop, I typically take a deep breath, pull out my supplies for cleaning, and calm myself down before I even start. I take my time, I try to listen to calming music if necessary, and I relax. That doesn’t last long, though, because soon the pad on the bottom of the mop is falling off and I’m crying and/or cursing. Matt comes to find out why I’m swearing, sees that I’m attempting to use the Clorox Ready Mop, and retreats to a place void of my four-letter words.
When we were apartment-dwellers, I didn’t have to mop our vinyl floors all that often. Now that we have three tile bathrooms, a tile hallway, a tile laundry room, and a tile kitchen (oh, and two dogs and an actual yard), mopping is necessary. I haven’t done extensive research on awesome steam mops or anything, but I know that I want a decent mop that is not on display within three feet of a broom at the nearby Walmart. Matt is really more the research arm of our marriage, and he may have some suggestions. Until the day comes when I am blessed with a new and fantastic mop, my floors remain semi-dirty on a fairly constant basis. If you come to my house and you find that the floor is somewhat swept but dirty, blame it on the Clorox Ready Mop. With the way it behaves, it’s lucky that I let it stay in my house and sleep next to the water heater.
1.) Glenn Beck Insider Extreme Subscription - If you know me well, you won’t be surprised at that number one wishlist item.
https://members.premiereinteractive.com/ows-img/glennbeck/pages/28585/127640.htm
Such a shocker that I want a subscription to Glenn Beck Insider Extreme. These are the amazing features:
• 30-day audio archive of shows
• Webcam during radio shows (6-camera broadcast quality stream)
• Insider message boards
• 4th hour program with Stu and Pat (radio show co-hosts)
• A variety of random videos and special items available only to subscribers throughout the year
A one-year subscription is only $74.95. That may sound like a lot, but for someone who loves Glenn about as much as she loves sequins (a bold statement, I know), it’s a bargain. Since we don’t have cable now (and I can’t listen to Glenn on the radio anymore), the only Glenn that I get is through his articles and short videos that he puts out.
So there you have it! Soon to come…Matt’s wishlist!
Anyway, I thought it would be a great idea to share with you the McDaniel Top 5 Christmas Wishlists. I haven’t told Matt yet that this is the plan, but I will. My list is already ready, so I’ll post this today and have Matt post his when he’s done compiling it. I’ll get T’Angelo and Tumbler’s lists whenever they get around to putting them together for me.
5. Book - I read a very, very funny book while on vacation in Mexico. The title is In the Event of My Untimely Demise and the author, Brian Sack, has a humorous blog, http://www.banterist.com/. Brian’s book is a variety of life lessons for his children, sprinkled (or appropriately pummeled) with a perfect amount of humor. I found myself stifling laughter while on a plane or sitting by the pool on vacation. The classic lessons and the humor make for a great read!
4. Sweater – You may be asking yourself how I could want a sweater more than a book that brought me so much joy and laughter. Well, just look at this beauty:
I know, right?! Gorgeous. So if you actually clicked on the photo and reviewed the price, now you’re thinking one of two things: 1.) “Holy cow, that sweater is nearly $60. That’s ridiculous!” or 2.) “I wonder which color she’d prefer.” Here are my responding thoughts, respectively: 1.) “$60 is not cheap; agreed. However, I did once (on a post-Bears-Camp-I-actually-have-money shopping trip) purchase a sweater for $50. Let me tell you – I love that sweater and smile every time I look at it (which is often because it’s right in my closet) and I take great care of it.” and 2.) “Well, I actually have a sequined black sweater (although not nearly as awesome as this one, as it’s shorter and less sequined…Oh, and I have a sequined black zip-up hoodie, too, so black sequins abound in my closet) so the white sweater would be preferred.”
3.) Labelmaker or banker’s lamp - There are two things that have been on my wishlist for two years (I keep a general wishlist of movies, books, etc. on my thumb drive and update it periodically as I see fit). These two things are a banker’s lamp and a labelmaker. Matt once promised me a labelmaker that we never bought so I doubt I'll be getting it in the near future. And he always looked at me quizzically as I squealed when I saw a good banker’s lamp in the store, so I doubt he'll be sharing in my banker's-lamp-enthusiasm this year by purchasing me such a professional gift. One day, though, I would like to cross these two items off my wishlist.
2.) New mop - This is a pretty close tie for the number one spot because I hate my Clorox Ready Mop. I don’t mean that I hate mopping, because I don’t, or that I hate Clorox, because I don’t, but I really and truly do hate my Clorox Ready Mop. It shouldn’t but it DOES suck at its own job. Its job is to clean my floor and it fails miserably. Every. Single. Time. When I finally convince myself that the floor is disgusting enough that I have no choice but to mop, I typically take a deep breath, pull out my supplies for cleaning, and calm myself down before I even start. I take my time, I try to listen to calming music if necessary, and I relax. That doesn’t last long, though, because soon the pad on the bottom of the mop is falling off and I’m crying and/or cursing. Matt comes to find out why I’m swearing, sees that I’m attempting to use the Clorox Ready Mop, and retreats to a place void of my four-letter words.
When we were apartment-dwellers, I didn’t have to mop our vinyl floors all that often. Now that we have three tile bathrooms, a tile hallway, a tile laundry room, and a tile kitchen (oh, and two dogs and an actual yard), mopping is necessary. I haven’t done extensive research on awesome steam mops or anything, but I know that I want a decent mop that is not on display within three feet of a broom at the nearby Walmart. Matt is really more the research arm of our marriage, and he may have some suggestions. Until the day comes when I am blessed with a new and fantastic mop, my floors remain semi-dirty on a fairly constant basis. If you come to my house and you find that the floor is somewhat swept but dirty, blame it on the Clorox Ready Mop. With the way it behaves, it’s lucky that I let it stay in my house and sleep next to the water heater.
1.) Glenn Beck Insider Extreme Subscription - If you know me well, you won’t be surprised at that number one wishlist item.
https://members.premiereinteractive.com/ows-img/glennbeck/pages/28585/127640.htm
Such a shocker that I want a subscription to Glenn Beck Insider Extreme. These are the amazing features:
• 30-day audio archive of shows
• Webcam during radio shows (6-camera broadcast quality stream)
• Insider message boards
• 4th hour program with Stu and Pat (radio show co-hosts)
• A variety of random videos and special items available only to subscribers throughout the year
A one-year subscription is only $74.95. That may sound like a lot, but for someone who loves Glenn about as much as she loves sequins (a bold statement, I know), it’s a bargain. Since we don’t have cable now (and I can’t listen to Glenn on the radio anymore), the only Glenn that I get is through his articles and short videos that he puts out.
So there you have it! Soon to come…Matt’s wishlist!
Monday, November 1, 2010
A Crazy-What-the-Heck-is-She-Talking-About Post
This is a rather serious blog post (which is often boring; no mariachi band photos here) and I (Laurryn) have been “collecting my thoughts” about it; hence the long break between posts. And although it may seem boring, I’m genuinely curious about thoughts on the topics I’m thinking of lately.
I guess this post has two main concerns or questions. The first is about parenting for life and the second is about healthy relationships.
Thoughts on “parenting for life”: do you think there comes a time when you cease to be a parent in the traditional sense? I guess what I mean is, at what point do you stop telling your kids what to do? A lot of people would probably say that you stop telling them what to do when they move out (since you can’t use the “if you’re under my roof” argument). But what if your kids (I use the word “kids” but they could very well be in their mid-thirties; they’re still your children) are breaking the law? Morally wrong, in your opinion? Do you just let it go?
I know some parents who have quit parenting. They still have minor children, but they are just DONE. They are wrapped up in themselves, in each other, that they seemingly decided to let their children do whatever they please. They blow off misbehavior, flagrant violation of laws, disrespect. I realize that this situation still involves minor children, living under the same “roof,” but I am really struggling with the fact that these parents are abandoning their children (save sheltering and feeding).
A few weeks ago, someone told me why they had never had kids. This is a woman I greatly respect and admire, and I had never known why she had chosen not to have kids. “I couldn’t be all in,” she said. She knew that she couldn’t give all of herself for her children, and so she chose to remain a wife, a sister, a daughter, and an aunt, but not a mother. Is this selfish? Or is this better than the parenting that’s only half-hearted (if that)?
The second thought is related to the first: is a healthy relationship one that only ties two people closer together? Because of my background with violence victims who are isolated, I cannot help but think it is not healthy, but some might argue that since a relationship is made up of those two people, perhaps it is healthy if it only ties two people closer together (absent of isolation). But I see couples that are merely concerned with themselves. You can’t reach them to lean outside of their “bubble.”
One of my favorite quotes is from a well-known French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. “Love does not consist of gazing at each other but of looking together in the same direction.” I think this quote says it all. I think a healthy relationship teaches its relationship-ers to love other more, not to recede further into “each other.” I feel that I’ve learned to love others so much more in the last few years, and I hope that those that I love feel that way.
One of my least favorite phrases is “whatever makes you happy” (also known as “as long as you’re happy” or “if you’re happy, that’s all that matters”). I just don’t agree with it. Horrible things could be making you “happy.” Unhealthy things. Illegal things. Things that may be at the expense of others.
Considering parenting, I don’t think that children benefit from “freedom” (lack of rules and boundaries). I think the parents that I mentioned “gave up” on their kids before the kids gave up on the parents. Especially in children with troubled pasts – I don’t know that it’s fair to assume that a kid is “healthy” inside if he seems it. Plenty of kids, regardless of their home environment, seem healthy when they aren’t. Ignoring problems and sweeping them under the rug is not only dangerous but I consider it to be, quite frankly, stupid.
Real life involves free will. Car accidents, infidelity, violence, sexual abuse, and any other number of horrible or seemingly unjust occurrences happen because God gives people free will. These happenings are the things from which Christ redeems us. These are the scars that He heals. These are the things that make us the people that we are. These are the things that have shaped us and formed us to be beautiful but broken witnesses for Him.
I come from a household that included violence, abuse, and alcoholism, among other dysfunctions. I can’t run from it; I won’t avoid it. I’ve embraced it and used it for the purposes of His Kingdom. Real life includes sin, and having an imperfect upbringing has made me into a woman whose scars have been healed by the power of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to hide those scars or sweep the unpleasant parts of my past under the rug. Those parts of my life have made me able to connect to others in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if my background were different. And while I will create a healthy and safe environment for my children, I won’t ignore things that need to be dealt with immediately. I won’t pretend that life is sunshine and lollipops, because it’s not. I will protect my children and preserve their innocence for as long as possible, but I will not raise naïve children and ask them to survive in this world.
Hearing that someone I loved didn’t have kids because she knew she couldn’t be “all in” made me think about being a parent. Can I do it? Can I go all in? Can I devote my time, my talent, and my treasure to a little human being and, over time, more and more little human beings? Can I deal with all that I can foresee being a part of parenting, like being exhausted, disappointed, heartbroken, weary? Can I NEVER give up on my kids, constantly try to let them know that they are loved and cherished? Can I strive to make sure they never feel abandoned?
One might expect that I would rethink my thoughts on parenting but, now, I feel even more committed to being a parent than before. And although there are no little McDaniels on the way, I know that I am ready to go “all in.” I know that it won’t be easy, but, as the saying goes, nothing worthwhile ever is.
Okay, you can’t still be reading this. This post is crazy-jumbled and may not make sense to anyone whose brain is not mine. Maybe you have no thoughts or maybe you have no idea, but I welcome comments. I will try not to make any more crazy-what-the-heck-is-she-talking-about posts.
An upcoming post may include what it’s like to be the sole female in a house of two grown men and two grown dogs. Or a day in the life of the nanny. Or a day in the life of the four boys subjected to the nanny. Over my Christmas break, I am planning to document “A Day in the Life of T’Angelo and Tumbler.” After all, you must have SO many questions about our dogs. What are their favorite toys? Where do you buy their dog food? How high can Tumbler jump? What is a KONG? These questions and more will be answered by mid-December!
I guess this post has two main concerns or questions. The first is about parenting for life and the second is about healthy relationships.
Thoughts on “parenting for life”: do you think there comes a time when you cease to be a parent in the traditional sense? I guess what I mean is, at what point do you stop telling your kids what to do? A lot of people would probably say that you stop telling them what to do when they move out (since you can’t use the “if you’re under my roof” argument). But what if your kids (I use the word “kids” but they could very well be in their mid-thirties; they’re still your children) are breaking the law? Morally wrong, in your opinion? Do you just let it go?
I know some parents who have quit parenting. They still have minor children, but they are just DONE. They are wrapped up in themselves, in each other, that they seemingly decided to let their children do whatever they please. They blow off misbehavior, flagrant violation of laws, disrespect. I realize that this situation still involves minor children, living under the same “roof,” but I am really struggling with the fact that these parents are abandoning their children (save sheltering and feeding).
A few weeks ago, someone told me why they had never had kids. This is a woman I greatly respect and admire, and I had never known why she had chosen not to have kids. “I couldn’t be all in,” she said. She knew that she couldn’t give all of herself for her children, and so she chose to remain a wife, a sister, a daughter, and an aunt, but not a mother. Is this selfish? Or is this better than the parenting that’s only half-hearted (if that)?
The second thought is related to the first: is a healthy relationship one that only ties two people closer together? Because of my background with violence victims who are isolated, I cannot help but think it is not healthy, but some might argue that since a relationship is made up of those two people, perhaps it is healthy if it only ties two people closer together (absent of isolation). But I see couples that are merely concerned with themselves. You can’t reach them to lean outside of their “bubble.”
One of my favorite quotes is from a well-known French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. “Love does not consist of gazing at each other but of looking together in the same direction.” I think this quote says it all. I think a healthy relationship teaches its relationship-ers to love other more, not to recede further into “each other.” I feel that I’ve learned to love others so much more in the last few years, and I hope that those that I love feel that way.
One of my least favorite phrases is “whatever makes you happy” (also known as “as long as you’re happy” or “if you’re happy, that’s all that matters”). I just don’t agree with it. Horrible things could be making you “happy.” Unhealthy things. Illegal things. Things that may be at the expense of others.
Considering parenting, I don’t think that children benefit from “freedom” (lack of rules and boundaries). I think the parents that I mentioned “gave up” on their kids before the kids gave up on the parents. Especially in children with troubled pasts – I don’t know that it’s fair to assume that a kid is “healthy” inside if he seems it. Plenty of kids, regardless of their home environment, seem healthy when they aren’t. Ignoring problems and sweeping them under the rug is not only dangerous but I consider it to be, quite frankly, stupid.
Real life involves free will. Car accidents, infidelity, violence, sexual abuse, and any other number of horrible or seemingly unjust occurrences happen because God gives people free will. These happenings are the things from which Christ redeems us. These are the scars that He heals. These are the things that make us the people that we are. These are the things that have shaped us and formed us to be beautiful but broken witnesses for Him.
I come from a household that included violence, abuse, and alcoholism, among other dysfunctions. I can’t run from it; I won’t avoid it. I’ve embraced it and used it for the purposes of His Kingdom. Real life includes sin, and having an imperfect upbringing has made me into a woman whose scars have been healed by the power of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to hide those scars or sweep the unpleasant parts of my past under the rug. Those parts of my life have made me able to connect to others in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if my background were different. And while I will create a healthy and safe environment for my children, I won’t ignore things that need to be dealt with immediately. I won’t pretend that life is sunshine and lollipops, because it’s not. I will protect my children and preserve their innocence for as long as possible, but I will not raise naïve children and ask them to survive in this world.
Hearing that someone I loved didn’t have kids because she knew she couldn’t be “all in” made me think about being a parent. Can I do it? Can I go all in? Can I devote my time, my talent, and my treasure to a little human being and, over time, more and more little human beings? Can I deal with all that I can foresee being a part of parenting, like being exhausted, disappointed, heartbroken, weary? Can I NEVER give up on my kids, constantly try to let them know that they are loved and cherished? Can I strive to make sure they never feel abandoned?
One might expect that I would rethink my thoughts on parenting but, now, I feel even more committed to being a parent than before. And although there are no little McDaniels on the way, I know that I am ready to go “all in.” I know that it won’t be easy, but, as the saying goes, nothing worthwhile ever is.
Okay, you can’t still be reading this. This post is crazy-jumbled and may not make sense to anyone whose brain is not mine. Maybe you have no thoughts or maybe you have no idea, but I welcome comments. I will try not to make any more crazy-what-the-heck-is-she-talking-about posts.
An upcoming post may include what it’s like to be the sole female in a house of two grown men and two grown dogs. Or a day in the life of the nanny. Or a day in the life of the four boys subjected to the nanny. Over my Christmas break, I am planning to document “A Day in the Life of T’Angelo and Tumbler.” After all, you must have SO many questions about our dogs. What are their favorite toys? Where do you buy their dog food? How high can Tumbler jump? What is a KONG? These questions and more will be answered by mid-December!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
No, Seriously, There Was a Mariachi Band.
For those of you who don't know, my (Laurryn's) mom is getting married next month in Mexico. This weekend, I drove up to Illinois for her bachelorette party, which was thrown for her by one of her best friends. Here's Mom, ready for her big party.
Then these guys showed up.
No, seriously, there was a mariachi band. Amazing!
Here's Mom and her fiance, Pete (most often affectionately known to me as "Mr. Herbig").
Then Grammy got ahold of a sombrero and some maracas.
Then the magician showed up. Yep, you read that right. And he was a comedian/magician who works with Second City in Chicago. Pretty cool, huh? He was hilarious.
He was also quite talented with balloons.
Here are the cute little (yummy) favors.
And then Mom opened presents and we all went home!
It was a fun party and Mom had a great time, which is really the only thing that matters. Happy wedding, Mom!
Then these guys showed up.
No, seriously, there was a mariachi band. Amazing!
Here's Mom and her fiance, Pete (most often affectionately known to me as "Mr. Herbig").
Then Grammy got ahold of a sombrero and some maracas.
Then the magician showed up. Yep, you read that right. And he was a comedian/magician who works with Second City in Chicago. Pretty cool, huh? He was hilarious.
He was also quite talented with balloons.
Here are the cute little (yummy) favors.
And then Mom opened presents and we all went home!
It was a fun party and Mom had a great time, which is really the only thing that matters. Happy wedding, Mom!
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