Confessions

Are You Shopping Online this Christmas?

I have just about made the full switch to absolute and total mall avoidance at the holiday season. It could be Hanes Mall itself that has finally done me in, what with it being the most major retail shopping center in Winston-Salem, and ever so stupidly placed less than a mile down the road from all things non-department store (aka: Target, Kohl’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, and Sam’s Club).

It could also be the fact that I lack compassion for most people, generally speaking, but especially high concentrations of stupid people. Driving cars.

Not sure what our city planners were thinking when they decided to put everything you might ever need in a holiday shopping trip at the single crossroads of two main streets (and just off the highway for that matter), but I’d put money on the fact that it’s enough to cause Mother Theresa herself to mutter four letter words under her breath.

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Carter, Confessions, Eliott

Let the Holiday Festivities Begin

In the name of Fall, and what I assume is a hormonally induced burst of creativity, I have found myself in Goodwill and Joann’s Fabrics more times this month than I have all year. I have wielded felt, a hot glue gun, duct tape, and duct tape sheets. And thanks to Google Images, I’ve surprised myself, artistically speaking.

Without further ado, I’d like to provide evidence that as the cleanest most type-A parents to ever live, every once in a while, we aren’t total deadbeats in the name of fun. (What you do not see pictured is the stick horse we created for Kindergarten Wild West Day, nor the backup costume that doubled as Hey Diddle Diddle, the CAT and the Fiddle for Nursery Rhyme Party Day. Perhaps an update, soon.)

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Confessions

Random Tip Tuesday

Why, hello Blog. My name is cliche. Have we met?

Not because it is Tuesday, but because I discovered something yesterday that nearly drove me to a four way conference call with my mother and sisters (totally doable on iPhones, we discovered about a week ago), I’ve decided to to alliteratively theme this post.

I am slowly coming to discover that in raising their children, my parents’ priorities were completely different from the priorities of most parents, then and now. Today’s topic: pork tenderloin.

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Confessions

Vigilante Justice?

For all of my recent and public boasting of quality customer service on my blog–in the hopes of keeping up my good service karma–today my luck has finally ended, or, at the very least, hit a minor speed bump. Among my hidden talents and multiple identities, it may or may not surprise you to hear that I have been a secret shopper, off and on, since college.

In the past, my secret shops have been mostly confined to two or three of the exact same businesses. As a result, I would visit on a semi-regular basis (say, every six weeks or so), go through the exact same motions, and fill out the exact same questionnaire at the end of each. Honestly, it became routine, and was relatively easy. Dare I say, pleasant, in most experiences. In Burlington, I have to admit, I think one place was on to me, because I always received beyond excellent service and very often was taken care of by the manager himself whenever I pulled in to the shop.

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Carter, Confessions

Taco Tuesday

In honor of my favorite lunch of the week, served every Tuesday for five summers of my life and at least one Tuesday a summer for about ten years of my life, I continue the tradition for Tuesday night dinner with my family.

But Taco Tuesday doesn’t just mean seasoned ground beef and some crunchy shells.

Sometimes it is enchiladas.

Sometimes it is quesadillas.

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Carter, Confessions, Eliott

Would You Rather: Bathroom Talk at the Dinner Table

Dare I admit that the first thirty-seconds of mealtime at our house is a terrible, terrible picture of the way things really are in my house? I’ve been fielding comments in light of my two recent video posts (more face-to-face than written here on my blog) about how “cute,” “sweet,” and “well-mannered,” my children are. This, because we tend to set a few boundaries when it comes to talking to God.

I feel sort of obligated to show a little more reality behind the Baptist facade. And not just in my children.

While growing up, a frequent dinner table comment of my mother’s went something like this: “If you were having dinner at the Queen’s table would you ______?? [Here, insert any number of behaviors, table manners, or the wearing of appropriate attire.]

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Carter, Confessions, Eliott

Crazy Pregnant Lady Goes Postal

Was Labor Day a month ago? John keeps commenting how quickly this year is flying by, meanwhile, four measly weeks ago feels like an eternity in my mind. But Labor Day weekend was a pinnacle moment for me in this pregnancy.

It is when I took my nesting hormones and actually applied them to something productive. For real.

I find it funny that the Urban Dictionary definition of “nesting” includes ridding the house of anything “potentially harmful” to the soon to be born child. It turns out, on Labor Day Weekend, this meant the fetus’ father and his older sisters.

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Confessions

Out of My Mind

It is raining today. And a little chilly. And for the first day of October, I find myself saying, “Thank you North Carolina, and it is about time.”

I’m usually the touter of all things summer time, and have been claiming for many years that summer is my favorite season. I like the summer wardrobe better than winter. I’d rather be hot than cold. I like the long days. I like sunshine. Dare I admit this? I like being tan.

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Books

Gone Girl: A Quick Review

Gone GirlGone Girl by Gillian Flynn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I feel like it would be wrong to say I “really liked” this book. I did, however, read it in three days, which says something, at least.

I don’t know a strong enough word to describe how twisted it was. Smartly twisted.

But I have to agree with a few others who said that the first two hundred pages dragged. Not to mention the complete lack of resolution. A little bit of a cop out, Ms. Flynn.

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