Wishful Slacker

Poppa Wheely

www.poppawheely.com

Here is the link to my husband's blog.  He's a Dad.  He's a biker.  Poppa Wheely.  Get it? :-)

Website of the Week- A Sign of the Times

 

I have demonstrated this year the worst Christmas gift planning of my life.  Now typically, I am the type that keeps my ears peeled starting in the Spring for hints dropped here and there from family members regarding gifts they might like.  In the past I've kept track of all these ideas in writing.  There was even a year that I knit all the members of my dad's family scarves, and started the process in February.  So you get the idea.  Me + Chistmas gift planning= Done waaayyy ahead of time.

Well, this year I was caught a little off guard.  Perhaps I've just been oblivious to the people around me and not listening enough to their thoughts on what makes them happy.  Suddenly it was December, and not only did I have no gifts, but I had NO ideas.  Needless to say, I panicked.  I spent many weeknights scrolling through Amazon.com, page by page, hoping for some Eureka moment where I would conveniently come across my mother's gift.  It didn't really end up that way.  What made me feel like an even more self-absorbed inconsiderate person was the fact that I couldn't even think of things for my HUSBAND.  With whom I LIVE.

After many days of frustration, my gift finding improved.  My husband helped me with this, when he heard me freaking out about what to get different family members, and how I'm a bad wife, sister, daughter, etc.  "Look," he said, "What is your dad into?  He seems to like _____ recently.  What about your sister?  She's been into _____."  It was like a gift buying therapy session that I desperately needed, and from then on my thinking cleared and things began coming a bit more easily.  But dang, I did not enjoy the panic of not knowing what to buy people!

So back to the title of this post- I wanted to share with you a hilarious website that my sister- and brother-in-law found.  The four of us have decided to pull names Secret Santa-style this year.  And they found the site Elfster to help out with this task.  Elfster is an online Secret Santa gift exchange organizer.  It works a little like Evite.com, where we received an invitation to join the group that my sister-in-law had set up.  Tomorrow evening we will all be emailed the name of the person that Elfster selects and for whom we need to get a gift.  The budget was set for $1,000,000.50, which I somehow feel was my brother-in-law's influence.  I also suspect that he was the one that then messaged the group anonymously to ask if coupons count as presents.  Elfster is even sponsoring a conference call for the four of us tomorrow night to discuss whatever goofy criteria we apply to our gifts.  We have a 1-800 number to call with an access code and everything.  I think it's great! 

Website of the Week

My Parents Were Awesome is a great site that has been featured on Chicago's WGN morning news show recently.  And while we're on the subject of terrific photographs of our parents and grandparents:

Here is my maternal grandmother back in 1945, in a picture that was sent off to my grandfather who was serving aboard the USS O'Bannon in the Pacific.  On the back she had written "Woo woo!"  I love it.

And gosh darn it, why didn't I inherit those gams??? 

Website of the Week- Part 2

Ok- here's Part 2 of Website of the Week!  Last week I featured Etsy, now this week I am posting Etsy's hysterical evil twin, Regretsy.  My sister-in-law passed this gem along to me.  It is hilarious.  Enjoy!!!!

Website of the Week- Part 1

I've been busy and am late in posting my website of the week!  This is going to be a two part website of the week.  Part 1 features Etsy, an ebay-type site that features craft items for sale.   I have yet to buy something from Etsy, but have been tempted and honestly haven't perused its offerings in as much detail as I would like (probably not the worst thing!).  Part 2 will be posted next week :-)

Blog posts will be light next week, because my husband and I are actually LEAVING CHICAGOLAND.  AND THE INTERNET.  AND BASEBOARD HEATING.  For the first time in a year, we are taking more than 2 consecutive days off of work, and for the first time since MAY we are leaving this area.  We will be heading up to my parents' version of Golden Pond, their cottage outside of East Tawas, Michigan, which we haven't visited in 2 years!  So, as you can see, this adventure is very overdue for us, and it still seems strange to think that we're going...

Oh, and with regards to the heating comment, not to worry.  There is a big ole furnace and  a couple space heaters.  You think I'd go somewhere in this weather with no heat?!  It's not even November and I've already worn my heavy North Face coat twice (people have looked at me oddly because of it too).  I like my warmth.   

Website of the Week- it's a nerdy one!

I am on call at work, so my selection of a Website of the Week is a site I've just been scouring while sitting on the couch because I didn't feel like staying longer at work.

Yes, my fellow genetics friends, the website of this week is GeneTests.

Go to the site.  Click GeneReviews at the top.  And search away.  Cystic Fibrosis?  Neurofibromatosis?  Organic acidemias?  It's all there.  Click on "Reviews" for a full synopsis and "Testing" to figure out where you'll send a sample for molecular analysis.  Oh, but first you may wish to talk to your doctor :-)   

HAVE FUN!!!

Website of the Week

Iron Chef Heather tipped me off to this site, StillTasty.  It is a handy site to have in your arsenal to help you decide when to keep or toss certain foods, how to store different foods, etc.  Jim calls me the "Food Police" for how much food I toss for fear of spoilage. 

This is a commonly repeated discourse between the two of us:

Day 1
Me: Are you going to eat this?
Jim: Yes.

Day 2
Me: Are you going to eat this?
Jim: YES

Day 3
Me: You're SURE you're going to eat this??
Jim: Jesus! YES!

Day 4
Me: Listen, I'm throwing this out.
Jim: Sigh

Even though my back is turned as I chuck the food into the trash, I can sense the exasperated eye roll that accompanies the sigh (anyone who knows Jim TOTALLY knows what I am referring to here, am I right?).  What we women must put up with to ensure the safety of our loved ones, I tell ya!

Website of the Week

I learned about a lot of great websites this week that I'm looking forward to sharing in the future!  The site I am featuring this week is the blog of our wedding photographer, Kris Noorman.  It's hard to believe that tomorrow is October 1, which means that it has been almost a YEAR since our wedding.  I've been strolling down memory lane through Kris and her husband Jake's pictures of our wedding, so it only seems right to feature Kris's blog today.  Not only are her pictures amazing, but Kris herself is a wonderful person, and it's really fun to follow her family on on her blog. 

And, of course, if anyone in Michigan or Chicago is in need of a photographer, Kris's blog is linked to A Picture's Worth Photography.  She photographs for all events (one of my favorites that she posted last year was when she followed a couple to the airport to meet their newly adopted baby- can you imagine being witness to that?!).  Her photography style is very candid and natural- no fake posing with Kris! 

Website of the Week

This video was posted on Funny or Die.  Will Ferrell is one of the founders of this site, so naturally it's gonna contain some great stuff.  And this video features my man Jon Hamm.  If you scroll to the bottom of the page you can some other Funny or Die videos that are also great- like "The Landlord" and the  "Paris Hilton Responds to McCain" ad.  Enjoy!

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Website of the Week

Jim and I went to Sola on Monday, a restaurant in Chicago's North Center neighborhood.  Oh my goodness was it a fantastic meal!  We used a $25 Restaurant.com certificate (mentioned last week in my blog) that we purchased for just $1.  Dang, knowing how good the restaurant is now, I'm kicking myself that we didn't buy more certificates for that rate.  It was the type of meal that needs to be eaten slowly and savored since you will probably never again eat anything like it.  We both decided on their prix fixe meal which features one key ingredient that changes monthly (reminiscent of our Iron Chef parties!).  Our prix fixe meal featured melon.  A-mazing.  We took a picture of the menu because I am determined to re-create the dessert.  I already assigned Jim the task of emulating the watermelon and cantaloupe sorbet, and I will tackle the lemongrass cream and almond orange meringue.  The first course was equally fantastic.  Heck, so was the entree.  It was all so good.  We did it right by adding on the wine pairings, which really contributed to the tasting experience.  Can you tell I liked it???

So, with keeping with the yummy food theme, this week I wanted to share a website that my friend clued me into called foodgawker.  This website is full of beautiful pictures of FOOD.  And by clicking on the pictures, you are taken to the gorgeous food blogs that feature the recipes.  Bon Appetit!