A round up.

Spending time at home with a sick kid while also trying to get a full work day in is no fun, no fun at all. But let me tell you. While we were home together, Behr was certainly my little buddy. Here are a few things from this week.

1. We spent a lot of time flipping through our blurb books. Behr loves looking at pictures of himself. His new phrase is "see me please" which means either on my phone, or the stack of books on our coffee table. Needless to say, we passed hours looking at Behr in print while he was sick. Now I need to go and order a new book from this past winter before my instagram overflows. I might even have to order a second of each just so they last through the years. The good news is Blurb is offering 20% off now through 2/14 with code MYBOOKLOVE.

2. I am creating a monster to do list before the baby comes....NEXT month! Happy February = almost baby time. Wahoo.

3. February also means Super Bowl time. Our house will be cheering for the Ravens. If you are throwing a party or simply watching the game these links should help you out.

4. After the Super Bowl, Alex and I are relaunching our Monday Nine to Five Feature showcasing some of our favorite bloggers. If you would like to be featured, or know a great blogger who would, email me.

5. Before the Super Bowl, I am hosting my first every pop-up shop on instagram. Follow @shopthescribbepad to join in the fun and snag some Valentine's for a special someone!

6. #bloggerbookclub just keeps getting better and better. We read all about Mindy this past month and will be reading Unbroken for February. Curl up on this blustery weekend and get a jump start on your reading. p.s. there is still time to comment on, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?"

7. Wow...I am totally starting to plug my blog here. Welp, let's just do it again. I am loving the #littledays link up. And would be thrilled if you would join me. That picture up there is one of my favorites. I love that the series kicks my but into capturing family moments. (link up with us, every Thursday)

8. If every day was like the morning of snuggles we had there, I would be in heaven. But some days are really challenging, and this week was full of them. This lady keeps being a huge encouragement towards mothering well. I look forward to learning from her each day.

9. I will be transitioning home on maternity leave in a few short weeks. Any tips for those early days? They seem like so long ago!

10. One tip I have for you is to jump on a farm share. It is about that time of year and for our family, the number one way we eat healthy - filling out house with produce each week! Here is the info on our farm share if you live in the DC area. But you can find one near you here.

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.

Top 10: New Realities

1. Each morning, I set out to drink a cup of coffee.  Inevitably I find it half finished sometime after dark.

2. I am on page 18 of the book I started January 9th.  Who knows if I will finish it before spring.

3. If Behr and I are fed, bathed, and dressed for the day by noon, I consider my morning a success.  My previous notion of productivity has officially been blown out of the water.

4. I have managed to take over 300 photos of my baby, but had time to share less that 10 with only a handful of people.

5. I have over 200 emails and I am considering not responding to any and starting fresh.  This would be unnerving to the me before baby.

6. I no longer have time to finish a top 10, so we will just call this a "Top 5."

Top 10 Complaints for 2010

I am woman, here me rant!  Warning, this is quite a pessimistic post.  I figured I would break up all the gushy baby love stuff with a cold splash of reality...and the not so perky thoughts that run through my head.  No offense is intended, but feel free to let me know if I stepped on your toes!

1. Why are most maternity shirts crew neck?  I have been living in crewneck pergatory for MONTHS and I cannot wait to go back to my scoop and v-necks!

2. What is with the phycadelic neon Christmas decorations?  What is wrong with traditional?

image via hgtv
david bromstead's color splash: miami

Orange, turquoise, and lime green are bad, but they are the least of our worries.  What really irks me are the abundance of bright pink artificial Christmas Trees.  People, enough with the pink!

3. No new trends?  Seriously?  I walk into my favorite stores only to see what is already hanging in my closet, often for a steep increase in price.  We are in a recession, all the more reason for discounts, deals, and funky new trends to spice things up a bit this year!

4. When will society's obsession with vampires end?  I am over it.  To be honest, I never really got it.  I am ready for folks to wake up and move on.

5. Smoking?  When did this become popular again?  How is it okay to justify "I only smoke twice a week..." or "I only smoke socially..." So people, you are telling me that you chose to partake in a highly addictive habit sparingly?  This is just odd.  I blame Mad Men.

6. Skating with the Stars...really?  I thought Dancing with the Stars was bad enough!

7. 8. 9. & 10.  Sorry.  I ran out of steam.  I can't actually be that much of a pessimist.

Really, I just want to wish you all...

...A Very Happy New Year!

without smoking, crew neck t-shirts, neon christmas decor, vampires, or dumb reality tv shows

Alumni Weekend: Part 3

Well...this part was actually in BOSTON with my GIRLS!  But it was still part of Alumni Weekend...

1. Went to church at The Vineyard with Karlene and Mike

2. House shopping with Karlene and Mike

3. Lunch at The Fireplace in Brookline.  The pickles were awesome, seriously!

4. Football watching and birthday celebrating at The Harp.

5. Wedding planning at Paper Source

7. Visiting Katie Macs a-p-t!  Woot Woot!  Hung out for a bit...talked baby stuff and doctor stuff...and received this totally stellar picture:

Shannon :: Katie :: Julie :: Karlene

We are BRIDESMAIDS in Karlene's Wedding!!!  

(hopefully with these EXACT same dresses!)

8. Yelling, Screaming, Jumping...things girls do when they are asked to be bridesmaids...

9. Dinner at Upper Crust.  Mmm...so good!

10. Mad hunt for Hot Chocolate (pregnancy craving) before hitting the hay at Kar's house.

All in all, it was a FANTASTIC weekend!  I love visiting the people we love in Boston!

Alumni Weekend: Part 2

You got Wednesday-Friday yesterday...but Saturday was the true meat of the trip!  A full day jam packed with goodness.  So here we go...

1. Saturday morning, bright and early, we ran the 5K Gordon Scot Trot with Hull, Nora, and Honey.

2. Went back to the house to finish off the delicious cider doughnuts from Russell Orchards.  They make a great post-race meal.

3. Met Sam!  The newborn son of Sara, one of my former lax teammates.  Sam arrived a few weeks early (and healthy!) which was perfect timing to meet him!

4. Watched the Gordon Field Hockey game were I got to see Krista, Sara, and Becs, my former lacrosse teammates.  Here is Sara, Becca and I with Sara's newborn Sam:

5. Walked down to the Quad for lunch and some Soccer game watching where we ran into Bermuda and Bahama!

6. Back to the turf for the Men's Lacrosse game vs. the alumni.  Mark had a sick goal!  He's still got it!

7. After the game, we had an awesome cookout including fresh lobster!  It was a great way for the current players and alumni to hang out after the game.  I got to hang out with a bunch of the women's alumni too!

8. More time with friends for the rest of the evening!

9. Back to Don and Amy's house with Warren, Lindsay, and Phil to relive the lacrosse glory days over hot brownies and ice cream!

10. Hit the hay for a good night's sleep before heading into Boston on Sunday...(another post!)

Alumni Weekend: Part 1

Over columbus day weekend we traveled up to Boston for alumni weekend.  We had such a wonderful time, but I have been dreading this post.  How do I sum up an incredible weekend?  Well, here is what we did, in order of when we did it!

1. Wednesday night drove to New Jersey to visit Jeff and Shannon and see their new place!

2. Thursday morning we set out to finish our drive to Boston and visit Mark's old office.  We waited to spring the baby news in person and it was a blast!  We got a ton of well wishes and enjoyed catching up with everyone.

3. Take a stroll around Gordon before the chaos of the weekend begins.  Bump into Donna Loy, Dorothy Boorse, Ashley McWilliams, and a whole host of other folks we were excited to see!

4. Head to our old abode (because we had the best landlords ever!) where we stayed for the weekend.  Hung out with the family, ordered chinese take out, and basically felt right at home!

5. Friday morning Mark played in the alumni golf tournament with his lacrosse buddies while I went to lunch with my dear friend Lindsay.

6. Russel Orchards and...

7. ...bike ride to Crane's Beach and Castle Hill!

8. (we snuck in a maternity photo shoot, but that is for another next post!)

9. Back to Gordon for lacrosse practice and quality time with the alumni

10. Late night dinner at Nick's Roast Beef, a North Shore staple!

Top 10 New Blogs: Guaranteed Goodness!

These "new" blogs, may not be new to the blogging world, but they are certainly new to my eyes. I have fallen in love with these blogs which inspired me to stay creative during the snow storm that enveloped my city.

Carina's Craft Blog: This lovely little blog about stitching and sewing, and all things needle and thread was introduced to me by Kelsey of October and After. In October, Kelsey married one of my best friends and I am so happy because we have become fast friends. In fact, I am pretty sure I love Kelsey even more than Mike!

bella creative: Kate at bella creative blogs about the creative things in her life as she is making her home. I have literally just started reading, and cannot wait for more! My friend Bridget inadvertently introduced me to bella creative through her recent giveaway.

Just a Girl in the City: Kelly is awesome! And she always includes fantastic photos in her blog posts. Have I mentioned that I am visual? In general, she blogs about life, but it is great! Go read her blog. Now. (also introduced by Bridget!)

Making it Lovely: Nicole is uber talented and blogs about the ways she makes every day life a little bit more lovely. I stumbled upon this blog while reading a few of my favorite things!

a few of my favorite things: Is it okay to have blog envy? Because I seriously love this blog. Molly and Danyelle literally take the words out of my mouth. So many times I have seen their favorite things and exclaimed, "Mine too!" Love it!

little lovely: Oh, I really want to be a mom...but the Lord (and my husband) are teaching me to be content. This blog is not helping. It is all about adorable things for little people. It is just too cute not to read!

modish: Words can describe this urban, vintage, crafty, entirely unique blog that my friend Katie at work told me about! While I will never be this hip, I certainly enjoy pretending!

Creature Comforts: I have been reading this blog for a bit, but cannot say enough about it. Just go read it, you will surely agree!

Tales of me...: My friend Bridget (yea, I think I have mentioned her before) is blogging like crazy and sharing her fantastic love story. You don't want to miss this!



lagom: Sara has a heart for Sweden where her roots run deep and is blogging about life as a newly wed who loved adventure and travel! Oh yeah, and her photography is out of this world!


So those are the blogs I have been reading recently...I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Top 10: Go Green for Earth Day

Top 10 things I have already done to “go green” and why it works:

1. Recycle – space is at a minimum in our tiny apartment, so I didn’t recycle when we first moved to DC. Then one day I hung a reusable shopping bag to stow some bread and realized it would be the perfect way to recycle.

2. Reusable Shopping Bags – greatest invention EVER! I love that rather than 15 small plastic bags (actually 30 because they are double bagged) that feel like they are about to break, I can bring my groceries home in 5 reusable bags that I have gotten for free! It is easier to transport my groceries, easier to sort my groceries, and therefore easier to put my groceries away!

3. CFLs – This was easy, and actually our first go green effort. Before moving to DC, Mark worked for Osram Sylvania, the light bulb company. When you work for a light bulb company it is hard to ignore the benefits of switching to CFLs.

4. CSA – we joined a farm share with Orchard Country Produce. From May-October we enjoy locally grown fruit and vegtables, reduced the carbon foot print of our diet, eat better for you foods (I even started to find edible ways to prepare brussel sprouts – see my recipe from last fall here) . Plus, our grocery bill has gone down. We get an entire cooler of vegtables each week for less than $20! To find a CSA near you, visit Local Harvest.

5. Walk – Mark and I both walk to work. It is a no brainer!

6. CamelBak – I consume at least 48oz of water each day from a reusable, BPA free water bottle. I love my CamelBak. It keeps plastic bottles out of my trash and helps me stay hydrated.

7. Cold Wash – I wash all of our laundry with cold water.

8. Cloth, Not Paper – Rather than reach for a paper towel, I grab a dish rag. And even for casual meals, we try to use cloth napkins instead of paper.

9. Organic Cleaners – We use Seventh Generation for our dish soap and laundry detergent.

10. Red Meat - we have reduced our red meat consumption to only once a week. In addition we make a concerted effort to buy organic meat and farm raised fish.


Top 10 next steps we hope to take:

1. Stop catalogs and unnecessary mail solicitations. I have called many of the companies that send me catalogs and asked to be removed from their list. Click here to learn more about opting out.

2. Smart Power Strips - I have been meaning to buy these power strips which automatically turn off when your appliances are not in use. In doing this, they prevent "ghost power" from being used, and in turn help you save on your electric bill!

3. I have been thinking about composting, but this might have to wait until we have a house.

4. Speaking of houses, when we buy one, if we need new appliances, we will choose Energy Star appliances.

5. And if we can, we will sign up for green electric from our power company. To research if you can sign up for green power, visit the Department of Energy.

6. I hope to rig up a water collection barrel like the one featured in This Young House

7. Buy Glass - Glass is easier to recylce and requires less chemicals. Whenever possible I am going to try to buy items I need in glass containers. (i.e. mustard)

8. Shorter Showers - I LOVE my long showers, but I recognize that this is an area where I need to be more responsible. But I am warning you, it is not going to be easy!

9. Walk MORE - I know I already walk a lot, but I want to continue to make a consious effort to walk or even ride my bike when I need to run an errand in the city.

10. Talk - One of the best ways to help the planted is to talk about ways to save it. So get out there and share with others what you are doing to make a difference! (And while you at it, leave a comment and let me know what else you do to go green.)

For more ideas, read David Bach's "Go Green, Live Rich" or check out Simple Mom’s recent post about Going Green at Home and visit Best Green Blogs.

The Holidays Flew By...Fast

Too fast to even blog about them! So here is the quick rundown of highlights in the order that they happened.

1. Being home for the holidays! There are so many wonderful memories that come flooding in as soon as I step in the door of my parent's house. We don't get to visit them often enough, even now that we live closer. This Christmas, Brooke and I were able to spend quality time together and we enjoyed every minute of it from discussing Twilight to making Greek pasteries for Christmas Eve.


2. Christmas Eve at my parents house is always a blast. My baby cousins are getting just old enough that they understand how great opening gifts can be. It was great to have my whole immediate family together plus lots of aunts and uncles and cousins.


3. Christmas Eve service at the church we were married in. This is the only tradition that Mark and I have established for ourselves, independent of our family. Each year, after a long Christmas Eve celebration at my parent's house, we drive down the road to reminisce about the day we were married and celebrate the joy of the Christmas season. It is wonderfully fulfilling and a tradition we hope to carry on for many years.

4. Seeing Yia-yia. She suffered from a few strokes this year. It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with her Christmas morning. Yia-yia was always so strong, despite her age, it came a huge shock when she had her first stroke. Now we are just grateful for each moment we have with her.

5. Seeing Mark's grandparent's new digs. They recently moved (quite a few times), and have settled into a lovely new neighborhood. We look forward to spending more time with them in their new home when we go back to PA this month.

6. Spending time with Uncle Nick and watching Sense and Sensibility, the BBC version. I highly recomend it!

7. The formal sit down lunch with Karlene, Katie, and Faith (plus significant others!). Karlene's mom was so kind to host us for lunch and serve us. It was the perfect opportunity for all of us to catch up. We never get to spend enough time together.


8. Brooke's basketball tournament. Yes, it is that time of year again, so get ready to hear about my little sister's basketball season!

9. After one of the games, my parents and grandparents took us all out to dinner (plus Sarah!) After dinner Brooke, Mark, and I went back to Sarah's for a hysterical evening of kareoke! Man, it was funny.

10. Not sure when in order this happened but we finally got a good picture of the 5 kids, Julia, Mike, Brooke + Mark and Me. It is so rare that we are all in the same room and presentable. Mom organized a photo shoot and it worked out well! We got a great picture of us all.

Top 10 Favorite Products

It is getting to be that time of year, your skin is dry, your hair goes flat and blah, you lose your summer glow, and working out loses its appeal. Unlike in the summer, when you can rely on the warm weather and the sun to make you feel and look great, the winter is always a struggle. In order to cope, I often rely on the following "10" products. I love them. I buy them frantically and they help me maintain my low-maintenance approach even on the ugliest of days.


1. Natural Ice Spf 15 Chapstick - this is by far my favorite chapstick, it heels cracked lips fast 2. Mac Blush, my color choice varies, but it always stays put and gives a beautiful glow 3. C. O. Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Body Wash #1411 - you''ve never felt so clean or smelled so fresh! 4. C. O. Bigelow Mentha Tingling Foot Cream - it may sound crazy, but this literally makes my feet feel good enough to wear my highest heels all day long (or flip flops which is more often the case) 5. Bumble and Bumble's Creme de Coco Shampoo and Conditioner - makes my hair have the smooth shine that is normal during the summer 6. Bumble and Bumble's Bb Thickening Spray - gives my hair just enough texture without making it stiff or weighing it down 7. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - helps my skin stay looking fresh and photo ready all day long 8. O.P.I. Nail Color in either Kennebunk-PORT or Edin-Burgundy - the best reds to ever grace my toes 9. Essie Mademoiselle Nail Color - my go to neutral polish 10. Nivea Intensive Moisturizing Lotion and basically all Nivea lotion because they are fantastic!

Hopefully these will help you survive the cold, dry winter, they will surely help me!

Philly Sports Top 10

It is no secret that I am a Philadelphia sports fan. Philadelphia had an incredible weekend for sports. There is so much I want to write about, but I will spare you and limit my excitement to a Top 10:

1. Three Home Games in one weekend! What could be more beautiful?

2. Eagles’ wide receiver, Kevin Curtis is back on the field. This weekend he played in his first game of the season (Curtis was injured in the preseason).

3. Philadelphia Pitcher Jamie Moyer makes his first World Series appearance at age 45 and proved to baseball fans everywhere that he is still young at heart. Pitching 6+ incredible innings and making a diving play in an effort to get an out at 1st. Unfortunately the play wasn’t called in his favor, but who else knows a 45 year old that can dive on the ground like that? (PS the Umpire later admitted that he was wrong when he called the Ray’s Crawford safe)

4. Run McNabb, Run! Donovan proved he still knew how to move on the field!

5. Howard got his groove back. During the 4th game, Ryan Howard finally started hitting the ball to left field, and succeeded in getting two out of the park! This was a long time coming after a relative hitting draught for Howard this post season.

6. The odd infield single hit by Carlos Ruiz World Series game 3 that scored Philly the win!

7. Andy Reid celebrated his 100th win with the Philadelphia Eagles

8. Heeled Ribs for Wizard Westbrook! This weekend, he certainly played like he was healthy with a career-best 167 yards rushing, 22 carries, and 6 catches for 42 more yards leading the Eagles to their win over Atlanta.

9. Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton hit a Homerun: his first ever and in the World Series to boot. This was only Blanton’s 2nd hit of the season, and the first World Series Homerun from a pitcher since 1974, talk about unexpected! Oh yeah, and he also pitched a heck of a game.

10. Philadelphia has a chance to get its first major title in more than 25 years!

Yeah...I am excited!

I've Been Tagged!

I have been tagged by a blogging friend from Pink Maple Design to share 7 random facts about myself.

So here you have it:

1. I am a sports fanatic! Think: Remember the Titans - Coach Yoast's Daughter It can be quite intense!

2. This is magnified by the fact that I am 100% Extrovert on the Myers Briggs Personality Test.

3. I love to cook. People love the food I cook. But I am by far the worst cook in my family. I swear they could all be considered culinary geniuses!

4. I am part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) also sometimes referred to as a Farm Share. I pay a set price for a set number of weeks of produce from a local farm and get a bag of what ever is in season and ready for the picking. It is exciting to see what I will get each week and has helped me branch out with my culinary skills. More to come on this one later!

5. I love to write. I am not a writter. I just love the art of writting. Hense my other blog: Calligraphy by Shannon.

6. I love a full house and therefore want a big family (7 kids?). My husband says that the obsessive compulsive nature in me and the fact that I am easily stressed do not bode well for a full house. But I still love it anyway. I love going home to commotion. I love hearing a house full of conversations and laughter. I love to entertain, mostly just to fill my house.

7. I love Starbucks so much! I collect their mugs. When I moved to DC I had to enlist the help fo friends because a week had gone by and I still had not found a Starbucks near my work. It was tragic.

I enjoy reading so many wonderful blogs. Here are the 7 that I have tagged and hope will participate:

Green Eggs and Hammes
Everything Glorious
Life. Liberty. and the Pursuit of Happiness.
The Happy Daily
Victoria with Roses
Always Organized
Calligraphy by Shannon*
*(yes I am tagging my other blog - but there is a whole host of things I can share about the calligraphy side of me)

Summer's Best of DC

As summer is coming to a close (gulp...can you believe Labor Day is almost here) I thought I would leave you with my Top 10 Summertime Activities in DC: *DISCLAIMER: Some of these activities carry into the fall!

1. Monuments at Dusk - DC is a beautiful and inspiring place to live. In the summer however, when full of tourists, the awe can fade away. However, all it takes is one evening stroll to remember how incredible it is to live here. As I have been saying to Mark for the past year, "We live here!"

2. Outdoor Dinning - from Sonomo with Jeff and Shannon to the Oval Room with Ben during Restaurant Week, we got our fill of outdoor dining in this summer. Now if only we could convince more DC restaurants that outdoor/sidewalk seating is the way to go!

3 & 4. Sailing and Kayaking - with the Eastern Shore only an hour away, we spent many weekends on the Chesapeake this summer. This is the first summer we really were able to utilize our sailboat since we now live closer to Mark's parents (who are kind enough to let us keep our trailer in their front yard) . Kayaking has always been top on our list of things to do when the weather is warm and we love paddling around on the Chesapeake. For those of you who cannot so easily get out of the city, check out: Atlantic Kayak for options on the Potomac.

5. Screen on the Green - need I say more? Check out this article for details. (unfortunately, we didn't make it out to see any of the movies, but the concept is awesome!

6. Bike Rides - Summer has given us with more daylight and therefore more time to ride. We tend to stick to the SW side of DC looping Hains Point and the Tidal Basin.

7. Outdoor Tennis - there are some great outdoor courts a few blocks from us. Though we haven't played as much as we would like, it was great to get out and hit around this summer. (especially after an inspiring Wimbledon match between Federer and Nadal!)

8. Free Concerts - Though not reserved strictly to the summer time, the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center has some pretty great concerts. I was able to see Jake Armerding play last week and he is awesome!

9. Baseball Games - from the new National's Stadium to watching the O's at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, summertime is baseball time. Mark and I were fortunate to make the most of the season this year. Here is a recent photo of us with the Wagners at Oriole Park: (coming soon)

10. Picnic Parties in the Park - No better way than to spend a lazy afternoon, than with friends picnic-ing in one of the many parks on Capitol Hill. One particular highlight, our friend Jesse's 29th birthday bash!

Top 10 Most Outrageous Factors of Michael's Graduation Party (or almost any Angelos family party)

10. Do Not Enter

We barricade our front door, forcing party goers to walk around back. One of the small points of hospitality we provide our guests. The table and chair are to deter people from using the front steps. There is a sign on the table informing people to walk around back. Hilarious!








9. Homemade Horseshoes











When without a pit, use spray paint!










8. Bartender
Our backyard bash wouldn't be complete without an open bar. No need for alarm, this high school graduation party's open bar came complete with a bartender to ensure only those of age were able to consume alcoholic beverages. (I was carded in my own backyard!)









7. Food

I have never been to a party that does food so well. The spread was especially impressive considering it was for a high school graduation party. On the menu: Filet Mingon, Seafood Penne Pasta, Pastitsio (a greek baked pasta), Greek Potatoes, Linda's Pear and Blue Cheese Salad, and loads more. And that is just the main course...

6. Greek Pasteries
















For this particular party - 9 lbs. of butter were purchased, melted, baked with, and later consumed! As Brooke says, "Enjoy, because the main ingredient is cellulite." (Note: such large quantities of butter indicate equally large quantities of sugar plus extensive hours of tedious work perfecting these family recipes!)

The dessert spread included baklava, galaktoboureko, kourabiethes, homemade chocolate covered strawberries, and as you can see a whole lot more!


5. Brooke's Side Comments

The witty teenager provides candid remarks on everything from attire to sugar consumption. She never fails to shock and awe. (see comment above)

4. The Strength of Family















The morning of the party Yia-yia was still recovering from her stroke at a rehab center and grandmom was in the hospital for back pain, but do not worry, they both made it to the party with energy to spare!










3. Out Door Air Conditioner

Yes, it was going to be hot. In fact, the weather forecast was calling for it to be very hot and humid. But what graduation party isn't? Well, the Angelos family took care of that with an outdoor air conditioner! Problem solved.





2. Two Story Tall Slip'n'Slide

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and here are a few:





















there there is the video:

1. The all time most outrageous: Listerine

Because it keeps the bugs away. Didn't you know that? My dad spent the morning of the party walking around spraying listerine EVERYWHERE! His efforts paid off. The bugs stayed away and the party, in spite of the outrageous elements, was a huge success!

What are some of your family party quirks?