Showing posts with label testedtales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label testedtales. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The Good, The Bad and The Buggy #lice

The Grinch Who Stole Nit Mas

There's a reason the cliches, nit picking and going over it with a fine toothed comb have entered our collective word base to describe something tedious and thorough.   Add in a few descriptors like nit picking super thick hair down to one's waist times 3 plus 1 head of thick, long cork screw curls, and you have an insanity inducing show stopper!





Yes, we got the dreaded call from school yesterday and my daughter was one of 8 in her class sent home with head lice.   Gaaaaah!!   We do a daily, herbal preventative spray and it helps.  We've only gotten the call twice (3 times now) in 13 years of kid rearing.  But the spray isn't foolproof and every year there's a veritable winter invasion of the little buggers that rips through the schools.   This year there's an infestation in BOTH kids' schools, so I wasn't that surprised to get the call.



So, everything ground to a halt as we lathered up the kids with Licefreee! Gel non-toxic (No-I didn't get anything to endorse them.   We've also tried Wild Child, DIY tea tree oil, and a host of other all natural remedies, store bought & home made that are less toxic than RID.)

I spent hours yesterday and today bagging bedding, combing heads, spraying down the house, and doing copious amounts of laundry.   My kids bagged up 6 large trash bags full of stuffed animals, down comforters and pillows from their room.   SIX?!   Things were lookin' like The Grinch came to visit around here and stole Christmas!



And we're far from finished.   We'll be washing, treating, retreating, but not retreating, until the lice are defeated.   Apologies, but this can't be put off, and that means a big chunk of my dedicated blogging time will temporarily become debugging time.

And the good news...




Good news is, our $2,500 new fridge arrived yesterday, that I won from Kenmore!   You can click here to check out our past coverage for the basic back story.  I'll have lots more to say about that in the near future.   Thanks a zillion Kenmore.   I DO believe in Santa Claus.   Best WIN ever!!!!

Something old... something new. 

This ultra modern stainless French door fridge with bottom freezer goes surprisingly well with our quirky old kitchen.   We kept the funky wall paper, original sink unit, plastic 50's wall tiles & metal cabinets, but painted them bright blue instead of the canary yellow they were when we moved in.   I'm going to share our vintage doggy wall paper 'cause it amuses me and is one of our fav weird things about this old house.   It's 4 scenes depicting dogs... Yep, DOGS, shopping, cooking and entertaining doggy guests!  I'm blindly guessing circa 1950's?!


  



Kenmore also featured my holiday Tiramisu Disaster Story on their site!   Click here to check it out.  It's pretty funny if I do say so myself (Thanks Mom!).   I'd love to hear yours.






Curious what's in my new fridge?   Take a peek.   It'll never be this clean again!  Don't worry that we only have apples & baby carrots in the produce drawers so far.  I do plan to hit up the Logan winter market and the Dill Pickle Coop but we also keep most of our fresh fruits in hanging baskets in the kitchen.   I find the kids pick 'em more often then.   It's kinda like a sudo-tree that way and I love picking Clementines and apples off our basketree.










More good news...



Sage placed 10th all around and came home from state in gymnastics with 3 medals & a ribbon... and all with an injured hand.   Considering 5 days before she was getting x-rays in ER at the hospital, and we didn't even think she'd be recovered enough to compete, we're ecstatic.   

And the bad news...

Dug's been working out of state a LOT with our family business, Dug Production Sound, Inc. and so far he spent most of the month in Florida and then Vermont on a network shoot.   He got snowed in and flight delayed 2 days, stuck first in Vermont & then Cleveland.   He missed Sage's state meet, which caused a lot of tears and heartache on both sides.   We kept him posted as the meet progressed.   

He finally made it home late yesterday morning just in time to put in a 12 hour day at home on fridge and lice detail.   We have a 100 year old home with narrow doors and had to take the doors off 3 fridges and our house to effect the change yesterday.   Our old old fridge went to the great beyond.   Our less old fridge is now relocated to the enclosed back porch and will debut on Craigslist this week for a reasonable price.   Anyone?

It took a crazy lot of time to empty and fill the fridges, clear a path through the backyard snow, porch & kitchen, unpack, and reassemble everything.   A zillion thanks to the 2 amazing warehouse guys who picked up and carried 3 fridges with a STRAP for us.   They didn't even use a dolly.  You were rockstars!

More bad and good news:   
ChiIL Holidaze Giveaways

We're still awaiting our giveaways from Freshii which should have arrived already.   We WILL be announcing our winners for this set of DVDs & Freshii tomorrow.   Last call to enter through midnight for both tonight.

Click here.

The good/bad news is we have 10 more rockin' giveaways for our readers which we'll be posting in the coming weeks.   I've made the executive decision to extend our window for entries through Dec 31st with winners announced January 1st.   

I've been feeling rushed & stressed and between illness, lice, incoming fridge, and the general chaos of solo parenting, and I've realized the best gift is time. So here's to more time with family.   More time to sleep in a bit.   And more time to enter our giveaways for 2013 at a more leisurely pace.   We like to do interesting, in depth video and photo features that take time.   We're picky about who we partner with and rushing is overrated.   So, thanks for your patience.   One of the joys of being self employed is being able to be flexible.   Now back to the laundry room...

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

ChiIL November Highlights, Huge Holidaze Giveaways & ChiIL Picks Gift List Details & More

Things have been hoppin' here in Chi, IL.   The weather may be getting chilly, but you can still chiIL out with ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama this fall & winter.   We're all over the local theatre & music scene, events and giveaways.  

Our HUGE annual ChiIL Holidaze Giveaways & ChiIL Picks Gift List will go live SOON with LOADS of great goodie to win and our ChiIL Picks List for unique gifts for all ages.    Spread the word for more entries and enter like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often!



Disclaimer:   Thanks to all the generous musicians, toy companies, distributors and PR firms that send us products for our giveaways and for review purposes. As always, all opinions are our own.


Highlights:

Here's what we've been up to, what's already posted, what you can look forward to seeing right here in the near future, and so much more. 

Read me at:  ChiIL MamaChiIL Live ShowsCNN, 
Facebook:  ChiIL Live Shows & ChiIL Mama
Keep up with the latest:    



Fam Friendly photo & video features, giveaways, recaps & reviews will be at ChiIL Mama.  

Theatre, music, art,  giveaways, events, & reviews for adults will be at ChiIL Live Shows.

November:

We gave away $120 Planet Sock Monkey Collector Set, a $50 Target Gift Card, a sweet 3d Willis Tower Puzzle, Pacific Rim Blu-Ray & loads of local concert tickets & our huge holidaze giveaways begin the 10th.  

We're also back again for the 3rd year as press sponsor for Beat Kitchen's popular weekly Sunday noon Concerts for Kids, which means we give away free tickets EVERY week.  We also have free kindie tickets for shows at Schubas like the award winning Mister G, Baby Loves Disco at Lincoln Hall & more.




**Highlight:  

 

Yes there IS a SANTA CLAUS!!   ChiIL Mama was elated to be invited to The Annual Kenmore Blogger Summit with 24 top bloggers flown in from all over the country.   It was a fun filled, informative weekend and we'll have a full photo recap up soon.   

During the Kenmore Blogger Summit, here's an actual Tweet I sent out:

10/26  Dear santa.. I've been really good this year.  Your cookies n 

milk would look rockin' awesome in a new grab n go @kenmore fridge #testedtales 

Within a half hour I WON a $2,500 Kenmore French Door Fridge/Bottom Freezer in a blind gift grab bag!!  

This has been a high point of my fall for sure.    Even better... the rules were you could pick 1 from under the tree or snag one from someone else & the final 10 seconds were a swapping free for all.   I had a different bag, that had been stolen from others several times before, and at the last second another blogger snagged it from me and swapped in a sweater print box.   What I lost?...A garlic press!



What I won:



SANTA LIVES!!!!   Don't tell me there's no such thing as holiday magic. The other blogger was a good sport about it.   I hugged her and thanked her profusely. 

**Upcoming Special Features: 
  • Kenmore Blogger Summit where I WON a $2500 FRIDGE!!!!   If you follow us on FB/Twitter you're already aware of my rockin' awesome win.   If not, you'll hear the whole story shortly... complete with humorous anecdotes, photos and holiday miracle
  • Blue Man Group photo recap press event--unveiling of garden art/artist video interviews
  • Lyle Cogen-feature/CD review/original interview with NYC's own nationally acclaimed Bullying Prevention Maven.   We wrapped up anti-bullying month with an great phone interview with Lyle which we're presently editing for a full feature.
  • Hamming it up with Hemmert--CircEsteem Circ Soiree Benefit Show with MC Terri Hemmert from WXRT--full video footage coming/photo recap up already
  • Breakfast with Bayless--THE RETURN OF RICK BAYLESS IN CASCABEL--our original photo & video Frontera breakfast press conference recap.
LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE, FRONTERA GRILL AND SILVERGUY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT THE RETURN OF RICK BAYLESS IN CASCABEL 
DINNER – DARING – DESIRE

WITH NEW MENU ELEMENTS IN A NEW VENUE

Four week limited run in the Goodman Theatre’s Owen Bruner Theatre

July 30 – August 24, 2014



*November 15-17 Win 6 tickets to Aquatic Experience Chicago traveling shark show/aquarium show-6 ticket giveaway/advance press/ photo recap

*Opening November 21 Illumination at Morton Arboretum-ticket giveaway/photo recap

*last weekend:

Ringling Brothers And Barnum & Bailey Circus Present Built to Amaze--full photo recap coming/advance features & discount ticket code still posted/4 ticket giveaway (ended) 

Redmoon-Boneshaker--behind the scenes photo feature up/full photo recap coming 

Redmoon Skelebration (fam friendly)--full photo recap coming Chicago 

International Children's Film Festival--video footage, recap & reviews coming

Holiday Inn/photo tour/travel feature 

FREE Birds Movie Advanced Sneak Peek/Review


ACT OUT: Fall Theatre Reviews For
  • That's Weird Chicago-Barrel of Monkeys
  • 7th Love-Harris Theatre
  • Lord of the Flies at Steppenwolf
  • Once Upon a Dream (Rascals)-Cadillac Palace Broadway in Chicago
  • We will Rock You (Queen Musical)-Cadillac Palace Broadway in Chicago
  • Midnight Circus
  • Smokefall--Goodman
  • The Table (puppetry)--Chicago Shakespeare
  • Wrecks-Profiles
  • Once-Oriental Theatre Broadway in Chicago
  • Cyrano--Chicago Shakespeare
  • A Year With Frog & Toad at Chicago Children's Theatre
  • Old Jews Telling Jokes--Royal George
  • North China Lover-Lookingglass

ACT OUT OPENING: Upcoming Theatre Reviews 
  • Port Authority-Writers Theatre (we'll be reviewing at the press opening tonight) 11/6
  • Kate & Sam are not Breaking Up-Collaboraction
  • Appropriate-Victory Gardens
  • Actor's Gym Youth Circus--A'musing Myths
  • Hellcab at Profiles
  • A Christmas Carol-Goodman
  • An Iliad Theatre
  • Mikado-Hypocrites (at Steppenwolf)
  • Dead Prince-DCASE
  • ATC-It's a Wonderful Life
  • A Q Brothers’ Christmas Carol
  • ONCE UPON A PEOPLE: A DANCESICAL
  • The Nutcracker-House Theatre
  • Trevor-Red Orchid
    and more!   We'll be adding more to this stellar show list as the month progresses.

    Game & Toy Related:
    **Activision Family Games Summit (this Thurs 11/7) open to the public on line**
    • PopCap Plants Vs. Zombies 2--press party
    • November 21-24 ChiTAG-Chicago Toy and Game Fair (open to the public)
    Foodie Fun:
    • Chicago food swap at the Chopping Block
    • Pinstripes Restaurant Review
    • Plum Market photo feature
    Music: 
    • PigPen band (alt folk-of Old Man and The Old Moon fame) at Schubas-4 show residency/multiple live shows photo features & ticket giveaways to all shows. *Final show November 18th (21+). 
    • Monster Magnet at Bottom Lounge 11/16
    • Yakuza at Beat Kitchen 11/22
    • Misfits at Concord(live show photo feature)
    • Dumpstaphunk at Concord (live show photo feature)
    • Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg and Andrew W. K. at Double Door  (live show photo feature)
    • Revocation (photo feature/original video interview)
    November Movies On Our Radar:
    The Hunger Games:  Catching Fire
    Thor The Dark World
    The Book Thief
    That Awkward Moment
    Frozen
    Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom
    The Punk Singer
    Bettie Page Reveals All
    CIMMfest-call for entries/special screenings
    Music Box highlights
    Facets features


    Prizes/Ticket Giveaways:  As always, our free tickets and events listings are Chicago centered but our giveaways & reviews are for Chi, IL and beyond (nationwide & sometimes Canada too).   We'll have all past winnings coming from us shipped out before the 10th, so if you're still eagerly awaiting CDs, books, toys, etc. thanks for your patience and we've got you covered.  
    Some of our prizes come directly from the musicians/distributor/PR peeps etc. and in that case, please wait a month and if you still have not gotten your winnings, shoot us an e-mail and we'll do everything possible to expedite things and get an ETA from them.   Unfortunately we can not replace anything lost in the mail.   It has never happened yet, that I'm aware of, but a few things have gone missing in the lovely Chi-town mail enroute TO me. 

    Disclaimer:   Thanks to all the generous musicians, toy companies, distributors and PR firms that send us products for our giveaways and for review purposes. As always, all opinions are our own.

    Pinterest