Grateful…and giddy

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

Tags

cooking, good friends, hosting dinner, mom, spanx in the suburbs, Thanksgiving

I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving! May you have a WONDERFUL holiday. May you eat without stuffing yourself, laugh a lot and… try to stay sane throughout the long weekend.

It’s a time to over-eat, yes, but also a time to be thankful for everything you have. I was honored to participate in Jill Smokler’s Thanksgiving Project, which helps families in need. It was an amazing campaign. My kids also gathered toys and goodies to donate to a local organization that helps families in need here in Barrington.

I’m so grateful for so many things: Good friends, a wonderful family, and….the fact that I don’t have to host Thanksgiving dinner this year. (Did I just write that out loud?) Oh, I’m making some pies and casseroles and such, but things will be a lot different compared to last Thanksgiving. Oh yes, I hosted 14 people for dinner last year and had a little issue that I dubbed “Spanx in the Suburbs,” which you can read about below. I loved every minute of it, but let’s just say it’s going to be a little more relaxing this year. HAPPY WEEK!!! And, for the love of Black Friday, have fun!

From me to you, a look back at last Thanksgiving: SPANX IN THE SUBURBS: This Thanksgiving, all I could focus on was hosting a dinner for 14 people that would not turn out like something from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. (Featuring a turkey so dry, it would implode on itself.) My brother, his wife and their three adorable boys flew in from Denver for the big day, and our kids had a non-stop-week-with-cousins extended slumber party. I prepared all the sides and desserts in the days before so that everything would go off without a hitch.

A half hour before everyone arrived, I race upstairs to put on a cute black skirt and under eye concealer to mask the fact that I only had four hours of sleep and a slight hangover. I decided to slap on Spanx too because I was feeling a little flabby and bloated. I pulled the bird out of the oven and I’m happy to say it was so beautiful, so juicy, so moist, I wanted to dress the bird in a tuxedo and show it off in a parade. But we ended up carving it down and dove into it and some pretty tasty sides. All of the sides. (Yes, I had a little bit of everything on my plate.) Fifteen minutes into dinner, I realize I can hardly breathe. I take a sip of my drink, thinking it’s just my imagination. But I can’t ignore the pressure. The Spanx have practically cut off my circulation. Like a rubber band on a balloon, the Spanx did nothing more than push my belly flab from one area to another. And my slightly-too-small skirt is smack in the middle. There is such an obvious line where the Spanx ends and my upper belly begins, if I burped into the candle and cranberries centerpiece I had worked so hard on, I might set the table on fire. I excuse myself and go to the bathroom, trying desperately to remove the apparatus that is causing this dinner-time dilemma. I successfully slide the Spanx off of my belly, down my legs and over my boots, but realize I can’t leave the bathroom without them in my hands. I sneak out, hiding them behind my back. “Babe, is everything OK?” my husband asks. “Yes, everything’s just fine.” I put on a fake smile, run to the family room and shove the Spanx in the front closet.

Finally, I find my way back to my seat. I sit down and feel a sense of release. Literally. As if a mountain of bloat has been freed from under my skirt. My muffin top has found its way back to where it belongs. Behind the table cloth. And so I did what any sane host would do at this point. Serve pie, say yes to seconds and enjoy the day Spanx-less with my wonderful family

Might as well face it…

22 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by Jackie in Uncategorized

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I’m addicted to my blog.

And social media.

Checking my iPhone.

And staying in touch with you here.

I might as well face it, I’m Addicted (to blogging).

Addicted to..blogging

In case you are NOT familiar with the lyrics to Robert Palmer’s 1985 song, “Addicted to Love,” because you were born in 1990-something, please do me a favor and leave the room for a minute. Just step away from the screen for five seconds so I can collect my thoughts. Or go eat something with refined sugar. Or something fried. Your youth and fast metabolism are making me feel antiquated. And wrinkly. Allow me to back up a minute. I have tried for two weeks now to NOT BLOG and just free-write. Which is why I’m admitting that I’m ADDICTED.

I’m trying really hard to take the advice of my friend and writing coach, Hannah. I adore her. She is right. She gets me. She understands my insane writing process. My need to multi-task while simultaneously writing everything I’m thinking. And sneak semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels from the pantry in order to keep writing.

We both share a love for whipped cream. Extra whipped cream on any hot beverage, from tea to steamed milk and beyond. It helps keep the stream of consciousness flowing.

She knows what I need right now, which is to LAY OFF MY BLOG and just FREE WRITE for a bit.

I know I need some time off. (To take my own advice, from the OnlineRI.com post, Digital Detox. Hello, I need to follow these steps right now, big time.)

I have been so busy with other pr and writing deadlines, I decided to take a little break from writing and updating my blog. But, like any mother trying to do something good for herself, there is guilt attached to it.

So, in case you think I’ve vanished. That I don’t care. That I stopped blogging for good. Just realize I’m in this for the long haul. I’m just taking a “little break.” (Think Ross from Friends, “We were on a little break”.) I’m not breaking up from my blog. I’m just trying to get some other stuff done. I’ll be here. And in the meantime, feel free to stay in touch with me here or here too. XO

Serenity Now – Tips for Staying Sane This Holiday Season

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by Jackie in Uncategorized

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Halloween candy is 75% off. Jack-o-lanterns have been demolished by squirrels. Thanksgiving is around the corner and CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ARE UP everywhere you go. Oh, the holidays are coming.

‘Tis the season for a lot of wondrous things. Family. Gratitude. Giving….AND STRESS.

WHAT’S a mom to do who gets stressed out this time of year? Every year? Check out my latest AskMom OnlineRI.com column for holiday sanity saving tips – here! https://onlineri.com/articles/ask_mom