About Monkeys in Pools

I'm a pretty passionate person when it comes to faith, family, friends, food, and my kids' safety. 

I inherited this trait from my awesome mom. She was always very concerned about our safety as we were growing up. I used to joke that she wouldn't even let us cross our street without her. Our street was a cul-de-sac :-). Love you Mom! Thank you for keeping us safe!

One area of particular concern for me is water safety. When you live in a state like Florida, even if you don't have a pool it's very likely that your next-door neighbor will. Plus, with all of the lakes, canals and retention ponds there's water, water everywhere. 

We had a pool when I was growing up. My parents were adamant about having a pool alarm and making sure that all of us kids and our friends knew how to swim well. I even took a lifeguarding class as a high school student. The stories and some of the images that we saw in that class changed the way I will view water safety forever. 

As a mom of six kids, I was hesitant to get a pool. However, living in Florida the summers are hotter than blazes, and when you don't have access to a pool it can be maddening. We tried the whole "get wet in the backyard hose" deal. The heat made our garden hose shrivel up and die. Steam came out instead of water ;-). So, six years ago we had a pool put into our backyard. 

Before we even planned our pool design, we knew we needed to have several layers of protection for our children. The first layer included taking them to the Safe Start drowning prevention classes (http://safestartusa.org). I swear by these classes! The instructors helped my children learn that if they fell into the water they could turn over on their backs, get to the side of the pool, and make a lot of attention getting noise in the process. Great program! Refresher courses are vital as the kids grow. 

The second layer of protection included a pool gate that surrounded our pool and hot tub. The gate remained shut at all times with the exception of entering and exiting the pool area. I know this may sound harsh, but if one of the older monkeys forgot to close the gate for any reason, they would lose a privilege. Someone drowning is a mistake that can not be fixed. 

The third layer of protection was "The Safety Turtle"(http://www.safetyturtle.com). This is a super cute wrist band for little monkeys or pets that triggers a VERY loud alarm if it gets wet. Our Little Monkey loves wearing it (especially now that we do not have a pool gate at our new house). 

The fourth and final layer of protection includes elimination of distractions. Whenever our youngest monkey is in the pool, I do not answer the phone (text, email) or the door, or the call of my bladder until he is out of the pool and safely back inside. I may snap a picture or two, but I always make sure that my eyes are on him. It only takes two minutes for someone to drown. And there is something called secondary drowning (also known as respiratory aspiration) that can occur in a matter of seconds. I read this article this week and it really made me stop and think:

https://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/every-parent-needs-know-secondary-drowning-162500883.html

So my friends, I would like to hear your suggestions/ideas for water safety. In my opinion, you can never have too many layers of protection.

Hugs,

Melissa

Girls' Trip to LA

Earlier this month, my aunt, my sister and I took a little girl time out and headed to Los Angeles. We celebrated a special birthday for my aunt.

We had grand time and I learned some things about myself on the trip:

1. I love to travel, but I hate flying. I used to love flying back in the good old "vintage" days of flying. When the stewardesses were glamorous, the pilots were like superheroes, and they gave you buttery pretzels and shiny silver wings. These days it's all like, "Sit down, shut up, or we will put you out on the wing!" 

2. I love Southern California. Bleached blonde, vegan, Botox, hot yoga, high colonics and all. 

3. I love to eat. And since we need to eat to stay alive it's good. Eating is life giving.  Midnight runs to In and Out Burger is life giving. Eating 6 chocolate covered strawberries for breakfast is life giving. 

4. I love the Pacific Ocean minus the water. There are creatures with large mandibles in that water. 

5. I love to snore and wake myself up. It's a new hobby for me. My sister did not care for my new hobby. 

6. I love the beds at the Hilton. They are crazy comfy and contribute to my snoring      hobby. 

7. I love to pack clothes that I won't wear on vacation. My gold snake skin jeans just didn't seem appropriate for hiking or the beach or hiking on the beach, even when I paired them with a beach friendly tank top. 

8. I love driving. 101 to the 405 to the 110. To the tick-tock ya don't stop. 

9. I love people watching. I knew this about myself already, but LA people watching is something extra special. I mean where else can you see Marilyn Monroe cuss somebody out for taking her picture without paying for it? 

10. I love our families' hair. My aunt, my sister, and I combined have enough hair to: make 1000 toupees, stuff 455 pillows, and/or perform a complete musical with hairography. 

Girls trips are the best!

Hugs,

Melissa

This and That

Life is been so full lately with our move. At night I dream of unpacking boxes, and by day I unpack boxes. Good clean fun for the whole family :-) 

I'm trying to capture moments in pictures because I do not trust my brain these days to remember anything. Just boxes, that's all. 

So, without further ado, I give you....

Boxes....

Just kidding :-)

Pictures from my phone. You know, a little bit of This and a lot of That...

Our oldest monkey graduated from UCF with honors. From Yellow-Haired Youngling to man overnight. Sniff! They grow up too fast.

Our youngest monkey girl graduated from the third grade. Sniff! Where is time going?

2014 Mother's Day Tea!

We sent our oldest monkey girl off for the summer to her camp job.

Said "goodbye" to our old house.

And "hello" to our new house.

Kitty Mews loves the views here.

And so do we.

We've been exploring our neighborhood which has lots of interesting (code word for weird) art.

Swans to feed.

Sunsets to watch.

Babies to count.

Trees to climb.

Playgrounds to explore.

And places to eat. 

And now it's time to head back to my boxes. All 600 of them. 

Hugs,

Melissa

You are Always Welcome!

Just a quick check in here to say, "Hello!"  We will be moving this month to a new (actually almost 90 year old house) in Downtown Orlando.  There is a lot of work ahead of us and so much transition, but it is all good, very good.  Please pop in for some updates here on "This and That" or join us for some sweet tea on our new front porch.  Either way, you are always welcome!

Hugs,

Melissa

Live Like a Local / VRBO

Last year, right around this time, we were solidifying our plans to stay in New York City for the summer.  Our motto for the summer was, "Live like locals." When we travel, we like to try to experience a destination from a local point of view.  There is nothing quite like exploring the real life essence of a booming city,  balmy beach town, or quaint country village. Touristy stuff is often overpriced and overrated.

In order to achieve our goal, we decided to give Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) a try.  We knew that we needed to find a place to rent for at least a month. It had to sleep 6 people, be kid friendly, and have amenities such as a kitchen and laundry facility. We found VRBO to be a very user friendly website chalk full of great pictures and reviews of vacation rentals.  From sprawling ranches to urban flats, VRBO offers much to the shelter seeking traveler.

We were surprised at the ease in which we were able to identify a property of interest, contact the owner, and secure a rental agreement.  The whole process was seamless and we found a gem of a place to "live" for the summer!  I recently was asked by the owners of the property to write a review of our experience.

In July of 2013, our family of 6 stayed in Manhattan. We wanted to live like locals and desired to stay in a residence rather than a hotel. We found a gem of a brownstone in Central Harlem to rent! Located in the Upper West side a few short blocks from Central Park and Morningside Park we were steps from gardens, lagoons, hiking and playgrounds galore. The city beckoned us to explore her offerings daily with the subway just a two minute stroll from the house. We were fortunate to be a few short stops away from museums, shopping, Broadway, all things tourist :-). We often preferred to stay in the neighborhood enjoying the local wares. With Bier International an urban beer garden, Harlem Shambles the local butcher shop, and a gourmet grocery store just around the corner we felt right at home. Speaking of home, the brownstone is a true work of art, yet so comfortable and homey. The owners were a delight to work with. It was evident that they love their home and their city. Our kids (ages 4-15) loved the spaciousness of the home. With a fort in the backyard (yes, a backyard!), the home theatre complete with projector, and a late night cookie delivery service our kids were smitten. The balcony herb garden and friendly neighbors made the stay extra special. Who wouldn't love watching fire flies dance in the air while eating tacos with freshly picked cilantro and chatting with NYC locals? I highly recommend this amazing home for anyone who wants to visit the Big Apple and live like local.

Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, families with young children, sightseeing, girls' getaway.

The brownstone we rented was featured in the New York Times and you can read more about it and catch some super photos of it by clicking here. 

Oh, and the good news is that you can rent this gorgeous home this summer if you want to "live like a local" in NYC. 

Hugs, 

Melissa

Places to Pee

When we were in New York last summer, one thing that really was not fun was when one of our little monkeys had to use the bathroom and it was always like a total emergency, "I have to go right now!" situation.  We found ourselves scrambling to find bathrooms on several occasions.  More than once, we had to inconvenience an-oh-so-friendly store clerk and use a gross toilet in the back of some random CVS.  My favorite was the grocery store in Brooklyn where the customer service gal handed me a HUGE key ring with a single key attached. I guess they had lost the key one time too many. She meant business when she looked straight at me, gave me that key, and told me to return it when we were finished. All the while, her right eye twitched.

What I would have given for this app that just launched recently! AIRPNP is a clever and useful app that will be sure to save some butts (pun intended) all over the world. Take a look at some of the fancy loos out there just awaiting your arrival. You can click on the pictures to enlarge and read all the details about each bathroom for hire.

In Union Square New York City, you can pet an adorable pooch before and after you "freshen up".

And who wouldn't want to relieve themselves in this Brooklyn mansion? 

This one is my favorite so far! In Europe, you just have to wade on into the sea and let it fly. Oh my!  That has got to be some nasty water.  

There a hundreds of bathrooms for rent or free world wide.  You can download the app, peruse the map, and find that perfect spot to do your business. So, what are your thoughts on these rental pottys?  Would you rent one?  Would you rent yours out?

Hugs,

Melissa

Life is Like a Picnic Basket

See that picnic basket? I've had it since I was 16. It's an antique :-) My parents gave it to me for Christmas along with a cedar hope chest full of household items. Sounds like a freaky gift to give a 16 year old kid, right? Don't be fooled though, because I asked for that hope chest and its contents. When my other friends were asking for high-top Nikes and Guess jeans, I was asking for crystal goblets and dish towels. 

I've always been a planner. I've always wanted to know "what's next?". I've always wanted to be prepared, ready for the future (and any picnics on the horizon :-) ). Oh! I was so excited to get that hope chest. So looking forward to the future at the tender age of 16. Totally oblivious to the fact that we can plan all we want for the future, but the unexpected will happen. As John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens when you are making plans." So true!

I look at pictures of our Little Monkey and his sweet sister on their recent picnic and  they make me smile. I want so desperately to plan out their futures, to shield them from any bad apples that might be lurking in life's picnic basket. I know now from experience that life does not work that way. Try as we might to plan for our children's futures, each day will come with its challenges and triumphs. 

I just want them to know that we are always here to cut the crusts off those PB&Js if life gets too overwhelming. 

Hugs,

Melissa