also... WAY TO GO GIANTS!!
17-3 over the Bears with 9 sacks in the first half
turn the season around!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
manners are for children Part 2
As a follow up to my Manners are for Children post, I turned to my trusty Emily Post encyclopedia.
It's honestly one of my favorite books EVER. I know this sounds lame, it is -a little bit- but it is so incredibly helpful that I turn to it at least once a month. Emily's daughter Peggy put together the book and the index is very comprehensive, but like an encyclopedia, it's divided up into sections.
I went straight for the "Children and Teens" section to see how my ideas matched up to Madam Post's rules.
I'll quote from what she says and you can match them up to my earlier post. (In the future, I'll probably put the two in the same post together.)
"A guest's first duty is to show up on time and greet the host courteously.
Respect the host's home: No rough play. no peeking in drawers or handling valuables. No feet on the furniture." (sounds a little like Francine's home, no?)
Children should also: "Accept food that is served, Cooperate and participate in activities, Offer to help, Thank the host and leave on time."
I agree with all of the above. I do not have my own children (obviously) but this is how my siblings and I were expected to behave, and we did. It may seem like a lot of rules but in reality this is not a lot to expect from a child who is at least 8 years old.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot me a comment and let me know how you feel!
{It is also polite to cite the sources you use in any writing you do. So here, in MLA format is my recognition...}
Post, Peggy, and Emily Post. Emily Post's Etiquette. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print.
It's honestly one of my favorite books EVER. I know this sounds lame, it is -a little bit- but it is so incredibly helpful that I turn to it at least once a month. Emily's daughter Peggy put together the book and the index is very comprehensive, but like an encyclopedia, it's divided up into sections.
I went straight for the "Children and Teens" section to see how my ideas matched up to Madam Post's rules.
I'll quote from what she says and you can match them up to my earlier post. (In the future, I'll probably put the two in the same post together.)
"A guest's first duty is to show up on time and greet the host courteously.
Respect the host's home: No rough play. no peeking in drawers or handling valuables. No feet on the furniture." (sounds a little like Francine's home, no?)
Children should also: "Accept food that is served, Cooperate and participate in activities, Offer to help, Thank the host and leave on time."
I agree with all of the above. I do not have my own children (obviously) but this is how my siblings and I were expected to behave, and we did. It may seem like a lot of rules but in reality this is not a lot to expect from a child who is at least 8 years old.
Agree? Disagree? Shoot me a comment and let me know how you feel!
{It is also polite to cite the sources you use in any writing you do. So here, in MLA format is my recognition...}
Post, Peggy, and Emily Post. Emily Post's Etiquette. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
a tip for keeping fresh flowers
When someone (your beaux, a friend, a secret admirer) gives you flowers, it's a lovely gesture that we want to keep on our tables for as long as possible. The same is true even if you cut the flowers from your backyard garden. I've come across a lot of hints and tips on how to increase the longevity of your fresh flowers and I've pretty much combined bits and pieces from a variety of sources. My dad buys my mom "Friday flowers" every week and I tried to teach her how to put them together last night.
Step 1: Cut all of the stems at an angle. (She says you're supposed to cut them under running water, I've never done this but it can't hurt.)
Step 2: Fill your vase 3/4 of the way full of room temperature water. Strip off all the leaves that will be below the water line. They will rot if you leave them in the water, causing the flowers to rot more quickly.
Step 3: Pour 1 tablespoon of sugar (white, granulated) into the water followed by 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Mix it up until dissolved. The vinegar kills bacteria in the water and the sugar nourishes the plant.
Step 4: Arrange your flowers and make sure to fish out any leaves that fall into the water.
I don't bother with flower food or anything like that because this list keeps the flowers alive for a surprisingly long time! Happy Arranging!
Step 1: Cut all of the stems at an angle. (She says you're supposed to cut them under running water, I've never done this but it can't hurt.)
Step 2: Fill your vase 3/4 of the way full of room temperature water. Strip off all the leaves that will be below the water line. They will rot if you leave them in the water, causing the flowers to rot more quickly.
Step 3: Pour 1 tablespoon of sugar (white, granulated) into the water followed by 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Mix it up until dissolved. The vinegar kills bacteria in the water and the sugar nourishes the plant.
Step 4: Arrange your flowers and make sure to fish out any leaves that fall into the water.
I don't bother with flower food or anything like that because this list keeps the flowers alive for a surprisingly long time! Happy Arranging!
Friday, October 1, 2010
manners are for children
What I mean by "manners are for children," is that they should be learned at a young age. My parents harped on my manners when I was little, to the point that sometimes I wanted to be rude, just to see the shock on their faces. Now though, I am proud of myself when someone compliments them. It's much easier to teach kids habits like these when they're little.
Today I was babysitting my favorite little kids, Charlie (3) and Lauren (17 months). As we were cleaning up the basement, the show "Olivia" came on the television in the background and we sat to watch. I was amazed at the subject matter! Normally kids shows are about sharing and playing nice but today, Olivia was agonizing over table manners. Her younger brother was messy at the table and her friend Francine apparently comes from a background where that's not allowed. Francine also "never eats the same thing twice in one year" and brought her lunch to school in a bento box. Olivia is intrigued and Francine invites her over for dinner one night.
As Olivia gets excited to dine in a more civilized place than her home, her mother reminds her to "Be polite, and return the information." As Olivia imagines a fancy girl like Francine eating at the dinner table where her brother slurps spaghetti, she pictures her family as cave people who eat off of rocks. Needless to say, in Olivia's imagination, Francine runs away screaming.
Once Olivia arrives at Francine's house she discovers there are a lot of rules that are not necessarily kid friendly. Such as, "No yelling, No footprints in the house, No fresh flowers in the house (the petals make a mess), No laughing at the dinner table and most significantly, No spilling!" Unfortunately, Olivia drops a Brussels sprout and she and Francine are sent to sit in a corner of the room at a "kiddie table"
Moral of the Story: Manners are a terrific thing to have and you don't need to be "fancy," or "special," to display them. It was very thoughtful of Olivia to bring flowers to Francine's mother in thanks for the invite, and it was polite to invite Francine to come for dinner at her house too.
Some basic manners from this 20 minute TV show were not even present among the 16-18 year old girls who were at my house for my sister's pasta party on Wednesday. They were supposed to bring drinks or dessert, my mom did all the cooking (for 17 kids). When dinner was over, there was one box of cookies for dessert because as my mom so eloquently said, "Some of them just came in swinging their arms." It is polite to bring SOMETHING to a person's house when they are doing something for you, whether it's a meal, a sleepover, or just a swim in the pool. You should never show up empty handed. In an older setting these are considered hostess gifts, but for younger children, they are thank you gifts.
Today I was babysitting my favorite little kids, Charlie (3) and Lauren (17 months). As we were cleaning up the basement, the show "Olivia" came on the television in the background and we sat to watch. I was amazed at the subject matter! Normally kids shows are about sharing and playing nice but today, Olivia was agonizing over table manners. Her younger brother was messy at the table and her friend Francine apparently comes from a background where that's not allowed. Francine also "never eats the same thing twice in one year" and brought her lunch to school in a bento box. Olivia is intrigued and Francine invites her over for dinner one night.
As Olivia gets excited to dine in a more civilized place than her home, her mother reminds her to "Be polite, and return the information." As Olivia imagines a fancy girl like Francine eating at the dinner table where her brother slurps spaghetti, she pictures her family as cave people who eat off of rocks. Needless to say, in Olivia's imagination, Francine runs away screaming.
Once Olivia arrives at Francine's house she discovers there are a lot of rules that are not necessarily kid friendly. Such as, "No yelling, No footprints in the house, No fresh flowers in the house (the petals make a mess), No laughing at the dinner table and most significantly, No spilling!" Unfortunately, Olivia drops a Brussels sprout and she and Francine are sent to sit in a corner of the room at a "kiddie table"
Moral of the Story: Manners are a terrific thing to have and you don't need to be "fancy," or "special," to display them. It was very thoughtful of Olivia to bring flowers to Francine's mother in thanks for the invite, and it was polite to invite Francine to come for dinner at her house too.
Some basic manners from this 20 minute TV show were not even present among the 16-18 year old girls who were at my house for my sister's pasta party on Wednesday. They were supposed to bring drinks or dessert, my mom did all the cooking (for 17 kids). When dinner was over, there was one box of cookies for dessert because as my mom so eloquently said, "Some of them just came in swinging their arms." It is polite to bring SOMETHING to a person's house when they are doing something for you, whether it's a meal, a sleepover, or just a swim in the pool. You should never show up empty handed. In an older setting these are considered hostess gifts, but for younger children, they are thank you gifts.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
how to be helpful
So I've been doing a lot of thinking about how I can actually make this blog a success - and it seems to me that I have to make it useful, or helpful in some way to the people who are reading it. (which right now is a grand total of 0 - if this is not true, please comment and give me a light at the end of the tunnel)
The thing is, I don't know how I'm a help to anyone at all. Sure, I physically help a lot of people - especially my mom with things around the house but web-ically I'm not sure what to do. I can write in here for days like it's a journal or a diary, but that's not going to keep people coming back. Because I'm babysitting in an hour I don't have time right now to ruminate on the topic forever, so I'll just brainstorm a few things.
~job searching
~babysitting tips
~rules of etiquette/manners (love this)
~holiday decorating
~how to avoid doing anything productive
~creating and developing a life list
~the daily musings of an unemployed 20-something
-this is to assume that there are people not in my generation, reading this because they simply don't understand us
~anything else I-or you- can think of because I'll blog about any suggestions, whether I need to do research on a topic you'd like to know more about, or just to voice my opinion on something.
For now, it's time to shower before I go off to see baby Dara!
The thing is, I don't know how I'm a help to anyone at all. Sure, I physically help a lot of people - especially my mom with things around the house but web-ically I'm not sure what to do. I can write in here for days like it's a journal or a diary, but that's not going to keep people coming back. Because I'm babysitting in an hour I don't have time right now to ruminate on the topic forever, so I'll just brainstorm a few things.
~job searching
~babysitting tips
~rules of etiquette/manners (love this)
~holiday decorating
~how to avoid doing anything productive
~creating and developing a life list
~the daily musings of an unemployed 20-something
-this is to assume that there are people not in my generation, reading this because they simply don't understand us
~anything else I-or you- can think of because I'll blog about any suggestions, whether I need to do research on a topic you'd like to know more about, or just to voice my opinion on something.
For now, it's time to shower before I go off to see baby Dara!
modern family
hello friends :)
Just a quick post since I wasted my entire evening watching television. Although I wouldn't say it really was a waste since comedy night is really bringing my family together. (except for my sister Deirdre who's in Spain) I really enjoyed tonight's Modern Family episode and I think my parents were crying because they were laughing so hard when Cam fell off the couch. The girls fighting scene really resonated with my sister and I because we can sometimes be at each others throats, and my brother just loves anything that Luke does.
Tomorrow begins my first day of work as a babysitter for a new family. I'm sure it will go well but of course I have a little anxiety over starting something new. There's also supposed to be horrible weather tomorrow and my Check Engine light is on - cool.
I believe I mentioned that I ordered over 2,500 pictures on Saturday. They arrived today in a very heavy box and I was so surprised to have received them so quickly! It must have been a slow weekend at Snapfish headquarters. The quality of the pictures came out great and I'm so glad to have hard copies of ALL of my pictures from my semester in Europe, as well as the ones I just took in Alaska! Now comes the tedious task of labeling and putting them in albums.
My weekend with my cousins was SO much fun. I've come to be close with their roommates and friends as well so I always feel welcome and comfortable down there. I'll probably be going back for Halloween but I need to decide on a costume first. Any suggestions?? I will not be attending the party dressed as a Giants team member because even though they still have my heart, they are slowly breaking pieces off with this sloppy season they're having.
Shauna (my sister) had a pasta party for her team tonight at my house so I helped my mom clean, cook, etc. to make everything presentable for the 16 and 17 year old girls passing through. Dinner was delicious and I must have eaten almost a whole loaf of my mother's garlic bread-YUM.
Well it's time to head off to dreamland again! I'll update you with more tomorrow! xoxo
Just a quick post since I wasted my entire evening watching television. Although I wouldn't say it really was a waste since comedy night is really bringing my family together. (except for my sister Deirdre who's in Spain) I really enjoyed tonight's Modern Family episode and I think my parents were crying because they were laughing so hard when Cam fell off the couch. The girls fighting scene really resonated with my sister and I because we can sometimes be at each others throats, and my brother just loves anything that Luke does.
Tomorrow begins my first day of work as a babysitter for a new family. I'm sure it will go well but of course I have a little anxiety over starting something new. There's also supposed to be horrible weather tomorrow and my Check Engine light is on - cool.
I believe I mentioned that I ordered over 2,500 pictures on Saturday. They arrived today in a very heavy box and I was so surprised to have received them so quickly! It must have been a slow weekend at Snapfish headquarters. The quality of the pictures came out great and I'm so glad to have hard copies of ALL of my pictures from my semester in Europe, as well as the ones I just took in Alaska! Now comes the tedious task of labeling and putting them in albums.
My weekend with my cousins was SO much fun. I've come to be close with their roommates and friends as well so I always feel welcome and comfortable down there. I'll probably be going back for Halloween but I need to decide on a costume first. Any suggestions?? I will not be attending the party dressed as a Giants team member because even though they still have my heart, they are slowly breaking pieces off with this sloppy season they're having.
Shauna (my sister) had a pasta party for her team tonight at my house so I helped my mom clean, cook, etc. to make everything presentable for the 16 and 17 year old girls passing through. Dinner was delicious and I must have eaten almost a whole loaf of my mother's garlic bread-YUM.
Well it's time to head off to dreamland again! I'll update you with more tomorrow! xoxo
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