As I walked into the room, I could feel a mix of excitement and tension in the air. I looked down at my packet and briefly scanned the room. I walked briskly to my seat while simultaneously taking long and deep breaths to try and relax.

After what seemed like forever, the announcements began. I looked down at my card and up at the big screen to make sure I checked off all the boxes. Now, it is just a waiting game. I know my number will be called soon enough.

With each word spoken by our fearless leader, my heart begins to beat out of my chest. I await that elated feeling that will inevitably wash over me soon.

It’s just a matter of time. I must be patient.

And then, I heard it from across the room, and my heart sank.

BINGO! 🙂

Ten games. Zero wins, but had a blast! Thanks, ladies!

• 5 comments

It is that time of year when the entertainment world looks to their own community, pat each other on the back, and pass out awards in a variety of categories.

Wouldn’t it be nice to hand out awards for parenting? It might go something like this:

“And the nominees for ‘best keeping of a straight face while your teenager lies through their teeth’ are…”

Don’t we as parents deserve some accolades too? Where are our trophies and the damn goodie bags? (Yes, I know our kids are the reward…yadda, yadda, yadda. This is a tongue in cheek post. :D)

And now, as the winner of the ‘best actor award for staying calm in the passenger seat while your son/daughter learns to drive’ award,” I would like to put on my best mom jeans —the appropriate fashion for the occasion–and share my acceptance speech with all of you.

Thank you to the American Academy of Parenting Teenagers (AAPT). It is an honor just to be nominated among a sea of wonderful moms and dads. I know I am among friends here–the best friends in the world. I want to accept this award on behalf of all of us.

First, I want to thank my therapist. The $150 an hour fee is worth every single penny.

And thank you to my fellow carpool moms who wake up at 5 am to get our kids to swim practice on time, and then turn around and pick them back up in the evenings. WE ROCK! You, my friends, are the true heroes. (Cue the applause).

Thank you to my Google calendar, which keeps every single aspect of my life organized.
I couldn’t have done this without you.

And thank you to the fantastic folks at Rosalyn Pizza, who know my number and my order by heart. And while I’m at it…thanks to Randazzo’s, Nick’s and Domino’s for your never-ending support. I know I’m forgetting a few places, but you know who you are. 

Thank you to my husband, who gives me plenty of time to work on my craft. 😉

And above all, thank you to my kids because without you none of this would be possible. I love you. Now make sure you put your laptop in your backpack before you go to bed, so you don’t leave it home for the third time this year, and I have to drop it off at school.

• 2 comments

My blog could really use some love. It has been almost five years since I started Life Without A Manual. I have done quite a bit of work on it, but a makeover is long overdue. From the beginning, my plan has been to grow the blog in readership so that if I ever write a book (WHEN I write a book), I’ll already have a following. My day-to-day plan is to come up with engaging blog posts that inspire people or at least let them know that the struggle is real, and they are not alone.

That’s it. That’s my whole plan. And I know, there should be more to it.

A few years ago, I was hosting another blog in GoDaddy, and the two crossed paths. As they say in Ghostbusters (the original), “Don’t cross the streams. It would be very bad.” Well, let’s just say streams were crossed, but the world didn’t come to an end. Instead, my website crashed and took months to rebuild from scratch, which cost me a pretty penny.

In a few weeks, GoDaddy will send me a renewal notice, and I will pay for another year to exist. But, to be honest, existing isn’t enough. I want a brand. I want a social media presence. I want more. And yet, I have a terrible habit of letting my blog lag for a few months and pick it up again when the mood strikes me. For 2020, I don’t want that to happen. This is why I’m joining the Blog Audit Challenge. I need a more strategic plan, which will mean a deep dive into what is working and what could be improved upon. I’m excited about this venture, and I look forward to bringing an even better blog to you!

If you have a blog and have done a recent makeover, I’d love to hear about it! Special thanks to Lady In Read Writes for posting about the Blog Audit Challenge. 

• 6 comments