Jodi Bean's Blog

Just Some Stuff. . .

2012-02-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up with lowercase letters for miscellany Monday because this post is a bunch of random stuff!

I'm grumpy. Probably because I stayed up too late last night. And maybe because my team lost the Superbowl. Oh yeah that too. Seriously I'm not even a big football fan but seeing the Pats lose with less than a minute left just killed me. Ugh! Thankfully I have baseball season to look forward to.

I did go to a Superbowl party at Noelle's house. Noelle is from NJ and even though she doesn't really care about either team she thought she would spice things up a bit. Fun fact - she had to make her shirt because you better believe nobody in Mass is going to sell a Giants shirt! Ha!

I've been gluten free for 1 week today but may have cheated a little last night. Superbowl food + gluten free eating = NO FUN! I didn't drink any beer or eat any bread but I had a piece of chicken that had some sauce that I'm sure had some form of gluten/wheat in it. Oh well. I really don't feel any different in terms of my symptoms. In fact last week I was exhausted all week and went to bed very early two nights. Hoping I feel some kind of change this week. . . to be continued.

I love The Voice and stayed up to watch it last night. Love this show so much! Christina on the other hand I do not love. What is wrong with her? She needs to just keep her mouth shut. Her fighting with Adam is annoying. I think she is trying to be like Simon picking on Paula in old Idol shows but it just isn't working for her. And don't even get me started on her boobs. The girl needs some clothes that fit!

I mailed Stacy a birthday gift a week before her birthday. The last time I mailed her a package it got there in less than a week. This time it took 3. Go figure! I guess you can't predict with sending things overseas. I was so nervous it had been stolen but she finally got it today and loved it. I'm so happy! I ordered it here and it is a silver charm of Kentucky (her home state) with a heart cut out in it. You may remember that Stacy's mom died last year and Stacy is living in London now. I thought this would be a great reminder for her of her home state and her mom.

In regard to my blog. . . it is broken. I have no idea why. For those of you who read my blog in google reader you may not have even noticed. For those of you have noticed don't worry I'll have a new and improved blog design in the next couple of weeks!

I'm linking up with My Life Comes With Fine Print for Made My Day Monday because this truly did make my day. . .

I hate doing laundry but I love that for $21 I could drop off all this laundry and get it back in the same day all washed, dried and folded (If only they would put it away too)!

It's Ok {Superbowl Style}

2012-02-02T06:08:00.000-05:00

It's ok. . .

that Tom Brady is going to be a superstar on Sunday. . .

to dress the ducks up in the spirit of the Superbowl. . .

to cry if you're a Giants fan. . .

to think this is the.slowest.week.ever. . .

to think Wes Welker is cute. . .

to be really excited that the Patriots are in the Superbowl {again}!

Two Week Gluten Free Food Trial Begins. . .

2012-02-01T09:24:00.000-05:00

yup you read that right. Today is the day it begins. I'll be removing gluten, wheat, rye and yeast from my diet for the next two weeks. I will track how I feel and if I feel better then I will likely remain gluten etc free. Let me back up a little. I started seeing an allergist - who also just so happens to take a holistic approach. He is a real MD but he looks at the big picture and tried to connect the dots with everything going on with the person. For me this is very important. Whenever I don't feel well or have something new "wrong" with me I wonder "Is this my MS or is it just a "regular" problem?" (Research has shown a correlation between people with MS and gluten intolerance). So I like this doctor because he is willing to try to figure out what the heck is going on with me. . . the endless list of symptoms/problems that are a nuisance. Things that won't keep me out of work for the day but will certainly make me feel lousy. I'm so use to feeling lousy that I really don't even remember what it feels like to not feel lousy. So my allergist doctor (Dr. B.) thinks that removing these foods from my diet could make a big difference. I'm willing to give it a try and see.

I had allergy testing a few months ago. It was a blood test known as the IgG test. The results give a number 1 to 3 (with 3 being the most allergic) to each food. I got a 1 for each - gluten, wheat, rye and yeast. So while I'm not super allergic to any of these items on their own, I'm sensitive to them or intolerant. I also got a 2 for pinto beans but I'm really not worrying about that one since I hardly ever eat pinto beans! I also just had more blood work done, this time the IgE allergy test to see if I'm allergic to several other common foods. I'm not really expecting anything earth shattering from those results but I won't get them until I go back in 2 weeks.

So I've gone grocery shopping to three different grocery stores to stock up on gluten free foods. Fortunately now, unlike years ago, there are tons of gluten free foods in the stores making it much easier to find things to eat. And thanks to the help of a a couple of my fellow MS "models" who are gluten free I got a lot of great advice. I also found several great blogs.

I plan to blog about my journey over the next two weeks (and longer if I decide to stay gluten free). Maybe I can help others with MS who are considering going gluten free. I plan to share my "shopping list" and what I'm eating.

And just so I remember for myself I'm going to write down all the symptoms/medical issues/complaints I have/had over the last few years. Not commenting on if they are MS related, could be gluten related or other. Just putting them out there so in two weeks I can see if anything feels better.

-headaches/migraines
-stomach aches/bloat/gas/constipation
-fatigue
-muscle aches/muscle spasms
-right knee and hip pain
-stuffy nose/congestion/post nasal drip
-blocked ears
-acne
-eczema

So wish we luck! Hopefully I won't be too tempted by all the munchkins, cookies, and treats that I'm bound to run into throughout the day at the hospital!

Phone Photo Fun Mondays

2012-01-30T05:52:00.001-05:00

I haven't linked up for "phone photo fun Mondays" in a while but today is the perfect day to join in b/c I took a couple of crazy pics on my phone recently!

HIKE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Yesterday while working (supervising a visit) we took a hike and upon entering the trail I noticed this doll head on a tree stump. It totally freaked me out at first! Super creepy!

THEY SAY DUCT TAPE WORKS ON EVERYTHING!

The other day I was at a red light and looked out my window to find this car parked on the side of the street. Pink duct tape was certainly holding that bumper on! What a fashion statement!

MS Fundraiser at The Paint Bar

2012-01-28T19:24:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday night my sister-in-law, Jenn, and I hosted our first fundraiser for the 2012 MS Challenge Walk. In September we will be representing The Bean Team by walking 50 miles in 3 days on Cape Cod. My mom and I have been members of the crew for the past 2 years and last year Jenn and my cousin walked. To read about that go here. After the 2011 walk Jenn stated, "It really wasn't that bad." In a moment of ~~craziness~~ euphoria I decided to walk in 2012 and there is no turning back now. . . We each have to raise at least $1,500 to participate so this event is just one way we are raising money.

Jenn and I both love The Paint Bar. It is an awesome addition to our area and I've been twice before. I went for the first time last March right after they opened to celebrate my birthday. Read about it here. Jenn and I went again with our moms to celebrate Mother's Day. Read about that here. For our fundraiser, Jill and Jackie, the owners of The Paint Bar, agreed to donate $10 for each person we got to sign up (but then ended up giving us $10 for all the people there)! In addition we did a 50/50 raffle. My aunt, Cathy, was kind enough to donate her time to come to the event to be the official raffle ticket seller and photographer! I was very appreciative to her for this so that I could focus on my painting. She sold a lot of tickets. . . $200 worth (more about the winner later). We also had a MS info table and a dessert table. The Funfetti cupcakes were a big hit!

Several of my family members and friends came to the event. We painted a winter scene of Make Way for Ducklings. The Public Garden is one of my favorite Boston landmarks and I had been looking forward to painting Make Way for Ducklings for months.

The Paint Bar classes always sell out. They have room for 50 people and about half the people there had signed up for our fundraiser. The other people didn't know about our fundraiser until they got there but many were great and supported our cause by buying raffle tickets! Did I mention that The Paint Bar is also a bar that serves beer and wine!? Yup! So not only do you get crafty but you can drink while doing it! They also play fun music. . . I think they need to add the country song "Red Solo Cup" to the playlist in light of the famous red solo cups that are the paint brush rinse cups!!

Here are the finished paintings! Amazing right!? I love how they are all similar yet so unique at the same time. Nancy (bottom right picture in black jacket) is an art teacher and artist and make had a beautiful interpretation! But really I think everyone's looked great. So fun to see what everyone did at the end. I love walking around and checking all the paintings out!

Just because I know many of you are saying, "I could never do that" I took step-by-step painting pictures so you could get an idea of how they "teach" us to do the painting. They really guide you every step of the way and will help if you get stuck. They tell you everything from which paint brush to use, which paint color or colors to dip it into and where to paint on the canvas. The whole time the teacher, Jackie, is painting one along with us in the front of the room. It really is a great night out with friends and I highly recommend The Paint Bar if you live in the Boston area.

And the fundraising results. . .

The Paint Bar donated $450 which was $10 for each person there. So Jenn and I each got a check made to the National MS Society for $225. Then (as I mentioned earlier) the 50/50 raffle earned $200 which would mean the winner would get $100 and Jenn and I would get $50 each. BUT the amazing winner, Tara, who is a friend of one of m co-workers (who couldn't make it to the event at the last minute but her friends/family still came) donated her winnings back to Jenn and I. AMAZING right!? I was in shock. I just was so touched that someone that I didn't know and had never met would be so kind to us. I mean 100 bucks is a lot of money. She could have used that money for so many things. It was her right. She won fair and square. But no she gave her winnings to us. To MS. Wow! So touched by her thoughtfulness. Not sure if she will read this or if she even knows I have a blog but thanking her 1000 times anyways!

So in total Jenn and I each made $325 toward our fundraising efforts. This was a VERY successful fundraising event. $650 raised while doing something so fun! If you are ever looking for a unique fundraiser in the Boston area I would definitely suggest The Paint Bar. Jill and Jackie are wonderful to work with and your guests will have a great time.

Jenn and I have a couple other fundraisers in the works including one with Willow House and one with Stella and Dot (my cousin Katelyn is a stylist making it even better). So I'm confident that by September we will have exceeded our goal. If you would like to donate to me I would greatly appreciate it. You can do so by going to my personal page at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/JodiBeanCape.

So What Wednesday and WILW

2012-01-25T19:41:00.000-05:00

Today I'm linking up for the first time with Life After I "Dew" for So What! Wednesday. Here's what I'm saying so what to this week!

So What. . .

if I'm in a blogging rut lately. . . I'll find my groove again {someday}

if I co-hosted an amazing MS Fundraiser at The Paint Bar on Saturday night and still haven't blogged about it (I will I promise)

if I found out today that in addition to being allergic to dogs, cats, feathers, dust and mold I'm also allergic to wheat, gluten, rye, yeast and pinto beans (there are other foods that I can eat? right? hopefully? please!)

if I had to have even more blood work done (and got stuck 3 times before she found a vein) for more food allergy test for things like carrots, almonds, eggs and the list goes on and on and on. . .

if I can't seem to stay awake past 8:00 PM a lot of nights hence the limited blog posts lately

if I just ate a big bowl of pasta for dinner just b/c I think I should eat as much gluten as possible prior to my food trial coming up in a couple of weeks

What are you staying So What to?

I'm also linking up with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

My Facebook and Twitter friends probably already know how much I love the iPhone game "Words With Friends." Well my opponents also know how terrible I am at this game. So just to prove that every once in a while I do come up with a good word I took these pics. . .

I was pretty excited when I made the word "jots" for 99 points but then a day later I was even more excited when I made this word. . .

"zone" for 102 points! Yay me! I've continued to lose often since then but I'll live off these two great words for a while!

That is all for now. . . will try to blog again soon.

Walk for MS with The Bean Team

2012-01-22T11:54:00.001-05:00

Did you make a resolution to volunteer for a great cause in 2012?

Did you make a resolution to exercise more in 2012?

Did you make a resolution to raise awareness for a great cause in 2012?

Did you make a resolution to do something fun in 2012?

Did you make a resolution to raise money for a great cause in 2012?

Did you make a resolution to support a friend in 2012?

I have a way that you can accomplish all of those resolutions at once!

Join me at the Boston MS Walk on April 1, 2012 and walk 3 miles to raise awareness about MS!

The Bean Team will be participating for the 4th year in a row and

I'm hoping the team will be even bigger than last year!

So what are you waiting for?

The Bean Team raise tons of money for MS!

Oh and guess what? The Bean Team already has one new ~~member~~ mascot. . .

I got this little orange cow for Christmas and looks like he is a proud member of The Bean Team!

The January Stress

2012-01-19T12:42:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged since January 3rd. . . well actually I can. If you knew about half of what I've been dealing with you would understand the blogging hiatus! Let me try to update you about my life while trying not to vent/complain too much!!

THE LAPTOP STRESS
On Saturday, January 7th my laptop crashed. Like dead. Would not work at all. Cue freak out here. I was super stressing since I have all of my private practice work/notes on it and needed to get a report for a case asap. Great timing! Luckily I have a wonderful IT guy at work who I could pay to fix it (for a small fee) during his free time. To make a long boring story short I finally got it back on Tuesday night and so far so good. It had a bad virus but he cleaned everything off and I'm starting fresh (reloading iTunes, all my pics, documents, etc). Thankfully I had a back up which if you don't have I HIGHLY recommend! I would be devastated to lose all my pictures and music. Next up I need to learn how to back up my blog!

THE CAR STRESS
At the same time my laptop was being repaired my car was in the shop. Forever. It took over two weeks but I am happy to report that I got my car back on Tuesday night too. I don't even know the ~~damage~~ bill yet because my wonderful father paid it and now I'll make monthly payments to him. The who car "situation" has been very frustrating and stressful. I'm hoping it is fixed completely now and that I won't have any other problems with it for a LONG LONG time!

THE HEADACHE STRESS
I've had a headache since January 3rd to be exact. Yup you read that right. I've had a constant headache for 2 weeks and 2 days! Good times. I finally saw my neurologist on Tuesday (Tuesday was a busy day) and he diagnosed me with migraines. The last time I saw him in October 2011 I had reported an extended headache so after putting it all together he figured out that I've likely been having migraines for some time. Just add this to my long list of health problems. So he started me on a medication which will hopefully prevent the migraines. Bad news is that I have to start on a low dose and work my way up so it will take a while to know if it is working. In the meantime I STILL have a headache (luckily much less painful then it has been).

THE PRIVATE PRACTICE STRESS
As I've mentioned in the past I do some work outside of my main job. Currently I'm doing "supervised visits" for families that are court mandated. I have several cases going on and that alone was stressful because I've been working 7 days a week for several months. It is just too much! I've been wishing that something would change and trying to figure out how to make that happen and then. . . after a couple of "events" with one of my visitation cases I made the decision to resign as their supervisor. I can't go into any detail due to confidentiality but let's just say I think it was a very good decision. So now I will only be working 6 days a week - which I realize is still a lot but at least I get one day off!

On another supervision case (that I did over the summer very briefly) the attorney send me a subpoena with no notice. I was shocked since I've had no contact with this case since August. I sent him an email telling him I thought it was unprofessional to give me such little notice and he responded via emailed and used the word "lambaste" which I thought must have been a type since I had never even seen the word let alone know what it means. After some googling I figured out that he wasn't too happy with me. The feelings were mutual. I didn't end up needed to appear in court that day but still waiting to hear if I might be needed in the future. Fingers crossed that the family settled.

So as you can imagine all this stress has not been good on my mood. I've been an emotional mess! Yup I'll admit it. January has not gotten off to a good start for me and I'm hoping it is not an indicator of how 2012 will shape up! I have a lot of exciting things planned for 2012 and I'm hopeful that it will be a great year. Maybe I got all the bad stuff out of the way in January and am done. Let's hope!

Sorry for the super boring blog post. I promise to have happier things on the horizon!

Our MS Fundraiser at The Paint Bar in this Saturday so I'll be sure to do a recap about that! I'm very excited for it. Also more info coming soon about joining The Bean Team for the Boston MS Walk on April 1st!

Working Gets in the Way of Blogging. . .

2012-01-05T18:36:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else find this to be true? Last week while I was off from work I posted often. . . this week while back at work I haven't posted at all! Not only has work been busy leaving me exhausted but I've had a terrible headache for the past three days. So therefore no new posts. . . until today! So here is what has been going on with me lately:

Last Wednesday I had surgery on both feet. I had to have the screw in each foot removed. They were there from previous surgeries. I had the first surgery on my right foot 2 years ago and I blogged about that here. I had the first surgery on my left foot in 2002. Both surgeries were worth it and I have been pain free until recently. My right foot was giving me pain first and it was recommended by my doctor that I have the screw removed. They the left foot was bothering me a bit too so I figured I'd get them both out at once and hopefully this will be the end of my pain and surgeries! The recovery has been very easy compared to the former surgeries. It was great that I had a week off to take it easy. I did stay at my parents' house the night of my surgery and my nieces came to visit the next morning. They were very concerned and wanted to cheer me up (with grapefruits)! Ha! I showed them the screws that came out of my feet and they were very impressed. My grandparents sent me beautiful flowers which was very nice. I got to wear some fancy shoes for several days and even got to dress them up on New Year's Eve - good thing they matched my dress! I got the stitches out on Tuesday and I'm wearing flats to work and feeling pretty good. No pain at all in my right foot and some minor pain in the left. According to my doctor he had to "dig" and remove some bone to get the screw out. Nice!

Cooper, the pet therapy dog, at my work made the newspaper again! I blogged about the first time he was in the paper here and today it was on boston.com which is the online version of The Boston Globe. You can read the article here. Cooper has been such a welcomed visitor at the hospital and I'm so glad everyone is enjoying the pet therapy program so much.

In other news. . . my upstairs ~~elephant~~ neighbor and her boyfriend are VERY loud. I don't know if they are just really rude and disrespectful or clueless. Either way it is annoying to me. Oh and she is ALWAYS home like as in I don't think she works or EVER goes out! So I've been debating writing a note for some time and I likely will as soon as I have time. I think I will go with the nice approach and assume that she doesn't realize that it sounds like they are coming through my ceiling! We'll see if it helps. . . wish me luck!

Oh and just in case I haven't mentioned before I really dislike how expensive the dentist is even WITH insurance! I'm STILL paying off my crown and have one more payment next month. I was making such great progress with my credit card until I got slammed with $200 copay for my surgery last week and $300 payment for the crown today. Ugh! I think I should marry a dentist. They MUST make great money!!

I have nothing exciting planned this weekend. It is the after holiday let-down. January is looking like a boring month for me. Just hoping it stays SNOW FREE in Mass! I am looking forward to our MS Fundraiser at The Paint Bar. Have you signed up? What are you waiting for?

Well now you should be all updated about what has been going on with me. I know - exciting stuff! Hope everyone is having a good week at work!

I LOVE Presents!

2012-01-02T06:06:00.001-05:00

I love Christmas for the real meaning of it all but I'm not going to lie. . . I love it for the presents too! I love giving presents to my family members and I love getting them in return! Today I'm linking up with The Vintage Apple and Flip Flops and Pearls for "My Favorite Gift From Santa." Although I'm not picking just one. . . here are several of my faves!

My aunt bought me this cheese plate on the Cape this summer. Randomly one day I got a text asking me my favorite flower. I thought she had sent the text to the wrong person so clarified and indeed it was meant for me. Didn't even know it at the time but I made it so easy for her considering hydrangeas are everywhere on the Cape! Love my plate!!

My parents got me this great Silpada necklace. My mom actually bought it after I mentioned I liked it at the MS Challenge Walk back in Sept. I didn't even remember it but luckily I still like it!

My aunt bought me this beautiful scarf in Barcelona on one of her many adventures. I love the color and look forward to wearing it to work!

My parents got me this and I'm thankful b/c I REALLY needed a new can opener (my hand is very appreciative of this gift).

My aunt is very hip and got me this gift. I hadn't even heard of it prior to Christmas but now that I have one everyone is talking about the Clarisonic! So far I love it and hope it helps my skin!

I can't wait to go shopping. My sister-in-law and the family I babysit both got me giftcards to lululemon and I can't wait to buy some yoga pants!

My parents got me this Vera Bradley bag. I actually don't own any Vera Bradley bags so this is a nice addition to my bag collection. Another thing that I mentioned MONTHS ago and my mom remembered and got it for me!

I'm also appreciative of the "green paper" gifts I got from my grandparents and parents. I look forward to shopping as soon as I'm back on my feet. Top of the list is an Oral B toothbrush (boring but necessary) and of course I'm sure I'll find some new clothes that I HAVE.TO.HAVE!

Christmas was so much fun and I love all my new stuff! Thanks everyone!!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:48:00.000-05:00

So long 2011. . . hello 2012. Let's make it a good year with plenty of good health and much happiness (and an iPad wouldn't be so bad either)!

Last night Emily and I rang in the New Year at Erin and Eric's house. It was a nice low-key get together which was just perfect considering my "feet situation." We had a great time eating lots of yummy food and playing the game "Apples to Apples."

We enjoyed several "raspberry fizz" champagne drinks and toasted to 2012 as the ball dropped over New York City. AND I'm happy to report I was home in my bed soon after midnight. Ha!

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve and are looking forward to great things in 2012.

The Bean Team MS Fundraiser at The Paint Bar

2011-12-30T17:57:00.000-05:00

Isn't this painting adorable? Wouldn't you love to have one that YOU painted hanging in YOUR living room? You can! Just sign up for the fundraiser that Jenn and I are hosting at The Paint Bar to raise money for the MS Challenge Walk (yes we really are going to walk 50 miles in 3 days for MS). For every person that registers for this event and mentions our fundraiser we get $10 doanted back to our fundraising efforts. That could be a total of $500! So what are you waiting for!? Go to this link and register now!!!! Spread the word to all of your Mass friends.

The Bean Team MS Fundraiser at The Paint Bar

Saturday, January 21st at 6:30 PM

Refreshments will be served

Raffle prizes and 50/50 raffle

To read about the other times I've been to The Paint bar go here and here. I love The Paint Bar and think you will too. It is a lot of fun and you will be impressed with the painting you are able to complete. If you can't make it to the event but would still like to donate you can do so by going here.

Through The Years {Family Photo at Christmas Time}

2011-12-29T06:12:00.001-05:00

So there you have it. . . the Dwyer Family through the years at Christmas time. My digital photos only go back to 2004 so I would have to dig to see if I have any from prior to that. . . glad we have this tradition of taking a family photo each year. I love seeing how we have all changed. I love seeing Peyton at her first Christmas in 2007 at just 4 weeks old and now seeing her in 2011 at 4 years old! I love seeing the change in hair styles and clothes. I love seeing how really while so much has changed we really are just the same old bunch. So lucky to have such an amazing family!!

Peyton the Photographer

2011-12-28T07:13:00.004-05:00

Today while I am in surgery having the screws removed from my feet I thought I would share with you some of Peyton's "works of art." For the 2nd Christmas in a row Peyton borrowed my camera to take some pictures and she did a pretty good job. Check out some of my favorites for yourself. . .

I think my favorite has to be the one of everyone's feet. Haha! I kept saying to her "make sure you can see people's faces before you take the photo." I guess she thought getting another perspective would be good. I deleted several photos of inanimate objects like slippers, toys, bowls, etc. The girl likes still life I guess. I also like the view of all the "tall" people since she is always looking up at her subject. The cutest thing she did was hold the camera up to someone and say, "ok everyone get together" and we all just laughed. She is a funny one!

Christmas Cooking

2011-12-27T06:45:00.000-05:00

Christmas Veggie Tree

My mom isn't even on Pinterest (but I am so follow me) but this looks like something you would find on there! She actually went to a Whole Food food demonstration and they taught her how to make this! Isn't it the cutest? You basically just buy a styrofoam tree and then use toothpicks to make all the veggies stay. She wouldn't let us eat off the tree "until everyone in the family arrived!" Haha!

Buffalo Chicken Ring

I did find this recipe on Pinterest and HAD to try it. We all love the buffalo chicken dip so I thought this would be a big hit too. It came out pretty good but my brother's tell me the next time I need to serve some blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping. I also think it would be fun to make it in individual sizes so using a square of crescent roll w/ a spoonful of filling. Anyways I recommend this. You can follow the step-by-step directions here.

Chocolate Nutella and Sea Salt Fudge

As soon as I saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen I knew I had to try it. I love the chocolate and salt combo and this fudge is delicious! I made it for co-workers and about 10 people asked me for the recipe so I would say it was a hit! It was also super easy to make with just a few ingredients - most of which I had on hand. For step-by-step directions go here.

Christmas 2011 Recap

2011-12-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

The annual entire family photo! Yes this is my entire family (I know it is pretty small but we like it that way)! Every Christmas we gather around the tree for a family photo. This year was extra special because it was Laney's first Christmas and therefore her first family photo. She was very excited. Ha! It is fun to look at the pictures through the years and see how we've changed. Maybe I'll do a blog post with all the photos later this week.

Christmas this year did not disappoint. It was filled with lots of fun, food and family! And when I saw lots of food I mean it. I think my mom outdid herself this year. I'm still stuffed! We had lots of laughs too. The girls (me, Katelyn, Jenn and Meghan) got fans from my aunt Cathy from her trip to Barcelona. The little girls (Peyton and Ella) really liked them. Katelyn liked hers too and was quite the model!

Laney seemed to have a lot of fun! I gave her two HUGE flower headbands and she looked super cute in it (for the 2 seconds that she left it on). Hopefully she will enjoy wearing them until she gets some more hair. Either way she is adorable! In addition to the fans a big hit of the day was "the box." Why buy presents when the kids enjoy the paper the most. Well "the box" was tried out by Peyton, Ella and Laney. It worked as a good playpen for Laney while we did our ~~Yankee~~ Red Sox Swap. And as usual Peyton is my love bug and will pose for photos with me. Ella on the other hand not so much! Oh and Peyton is taking after me in my love for taking pictures. For a 2nd year in a row she took over my camera. I'll be sure to share some of those pictures in another post.

Every year my family does a swap. We each spend $40 on a gift and you see everything from liquor to gift certificates to scratch tickets to um. . . random items. Ha! Well this year out of 15 I was number 4. Not so great. But it really isn't about the gift it is about the fun and there was a lot of ~~stealing~~ fun this year!

I am exhausted and I don't know what I would have done if today was a full work day. Christmas is exhausting and I think in the future I should take the whole week after off. Luckily I only have to make it through one day of work and then I'm off for my (minor) feet surgery.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I can't believe it is over already! More posts to come this week with some other Christmas related topics!!

Christmas Eve Celebration

2011-12-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

Family Photo

(Best comment: Scott says, "I didn't dress for a photo." Yeah we can tell. Coincidence that all three of my brothers wore black? It is Christmas Eve people! At least we got a picture w/ everyone looking. . . a Christmas miracle!)

Peyton loves her Bitty Baby and Auntie Jodi thought Bitty would really like new pj's, bunny slippers and a robe. I think Bitty will be pretty cozy sleeping from now on!

Ella didn't have a Bitty Baby so Auntie Jodi changed that! It was pretty cute watching her open it! Ella's Bitty has lighter hair (just like Ella) and so her and Peyton will have dolls that look a little different. She made everyone "raise your hand" and then picked someone to hold "her baby." What a good mother! Haha! I hope she loves her Bitty as much as Peyton has.

I also brought the American Girl Doll catalog and it was too cute watching them look at it. Ella would say, "I want that." This was repeated several times and it seems to me she wants it all! It reminds me of when I was little and looking through the huge Sears catalog! I also love that they are into dolls b/c I always loved my Cabbage Patch Kids when I was little and remember getting new things for them for many years at Christmas.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve. I had to work the first half of the day (unfortunately) but then went straight to my brother's house for presents and Chinese and Thai food (our Christmas Eve meal tradition). I always forget to take a picture of all of the food but just imagine one of everything on the menu and that is what the kitchen counter looks like! As usual I ate too much and was so full afterwards that I couldn't even eat a bite of dessert! Oh well I'm sure there will be plenty of time for that today!

Santa was good to me even though he forgot my iPad. I got a new Vera Bradley bag and necklace from Silpada among other things. . . looking forward to using my gift cards for some shopping and spa time too!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

My Christmas Tree and Card

2011-12-21T16:21:00.000-05:00

I decided to change up my tree a little bit this year. I wanted to go with "girly" colors since I put my tree in my bedroom. The hot pink with lime green ribbon that I used for my tree topper was my inspiration. I pretty much only put on the ornaments that "matched" and I have a lot of red and green ones that are taking a year off. Haha! One set of lights wouldn't work so my tree doesn't have as many lights as I would like but I just haven't gotten around to buying more and at this point honestly don't see that happening. So not perfect but I like it anyways and really enjoying having it in my bedroom since I spent most of my time at home there.

I made my Christmas card on Shutterfly again this year and went with the theme of "year in review." Since I don't have a husband, child(ren) or a dog I figured I would have to use pics of myself! Ha! I tried to pick my favorite memories from the year to share and I love the way it came out. {Written on the back in a caption for each pic}

12 Days of Christmas {Peyton and Ella Style}

2011-12-20T06:23:00.001-05:00

On the first day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

one naughty niece

On the second day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

two Santa's helpers

On the third day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

three wonderful wishes

On the forth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

four hands a holding

On the fifth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

five golden ornaments

On the sixth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

six stylish stockings

On the seventh day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

seven perfect presents

On the eighth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

eight gingerbread cookies

On the ninth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

nine shimmery snowflakes

On the tenth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

ten chocolate licking fingers

On the eleventh day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

eleven Christmas kisses

On the twelfth day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

twelve happy holly berries

The Pru Goes Orange for MS

2011-12-18T18:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight the Pru is orange in support for MS! Have you seen it? After I got out o f work I went by the Pru to check it out and since I was at a mall I decided to finish up my Christmas shopping! So if you are in Boston tonight make sure you look up and check out the orange!

Boston Bloggers Holiday Event, A Cappella Soup, and Gingerbread Women in Pants. . .

2011-12-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

BOSTON BLOGGERS HOLIDAY EVENT

On Wednesday night I went to my first Boston Bloggers event. It was organized by Alison and Katy and much to my surprised there were A LOT of people there!! There were a lot of "fashion bloggers" and "food bloggers" at the event but there were also a bunch of us "regular bloggers." Ha! I got to meet a lot of really nice people and have many new blogs to read! I really look forward to the next event.

Photo taken by Kiki. Would you believe I didn't take any photos!? Shocking I know!

A CAPPELLA SOUP

Last night my mom and I went to A Cappella Soup. It is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of The Sing Off so when my mom told me about this local event I knew we had to go! The Undertones from Northwestern University and Starving Artists from Brandeis University both performed several songs each and it was a lot of fun. It just made me appreciate the groups on The Sing Off even more b/c I realize just how hard it must be for them to come up with a song each week. So much practice and hard work goes into each groups' success.

GINGERBREAD WOMEN IN PANTS

Today I went to "Gingerbread Women in Pants" which is an annual holiday tradition hosted by a new friend, Julie. Julie was a fellow Fashion Plates model and I was very excited to get to know her even better today. Ilka, another Fashion Plates model, and I went together and had a really nice time. There was plenty of candy ~~for eating~~ decorating the cookies and I think my three little ladies are pretty hot!

Christmas Wish List

2011-12-14T07:57:00.000-05:00

. . . a new car would be nice. . .

. . .an iPad would be awesome. . .

. . . oh how I would love Green Monster seats at Fenway Park. . .

. . .but since I know those are all WISHES, here are some other more realistic things I wouldn't mind either. . .

a giftcard for Lululemon
a giftcard for a facial at Elizabeth Grady
a giftcard to Bare Escentuals
an Oral B electric toothbrush (no joke I really want one)
slippers
round, silver ball earrings (life the Tiffany ones but fake/cheap is fine by me)

Oh December. . .

2011-12-13T19:54:00.001-05:00

Do you ever feel like all you do is work and sleep? Well for me lately it is not just a feeling. It is my life. And the work part seems to be winning out to the sleep part. I shouldn't complain b/c I am thankful to have a full time job as well as extra work which is so very helpful this time of year. BUT. . . working 7days a week is exhausting. I'm already exhausted most of the time living w/ MS. . . then add working a lot and not sleeping enough and you get one tired and grumpy Jodi. So really looking forward to time off over the holidays. Yes I'll be having surgery which is what is leading me to take time off but at least it is time off!

Christmas is in 12 days!!! How can that be? I swear last time I looked at my calendar it was October! HA! Fortunately I got some shopping done tonight after work and only have a few more gifts to get. I even bought some gifts for children in need for a family we our sponsoring at work.

I bought my Christmas tree on Saturday and it has been in my stand undecorated since then! It was crocked and it was driving me crazy but I think I fixed it tonight (not before spilling a bunch of water out of the stand)! I plan to get the lights on it tonight and then ornaments tomorrow. I'm changing up the way I decorate it this year so I'll be posting pics to see what y'all think!

On Sunday my parents had their annual Christmas party. Being single and childless it is always "fun" to see all their friends and neighbors who ask me the same questions every year. . . ha! Thankfully my adorable and silly niece always make for a great distraction. This year they put on a show and danced to Christmas music!

My first attempt at cake pops = Ella approved!

I was not too impressed w/ my cake pops but leave it to Ella to make a girl feel good. She loved them and as soon as she was down w/ the first asked for a 2nd! Next time I make them I will make sure the dipping chocolate is a bit thinner and I think that will work better.

A highlight of the party was Brinkley's appearance. Kerri and Brinkley flew in from Bermuda just hours earlier and came to the party. You may remember that I went to Kerri's baby shower this summer. Well after she gave birth to Brinkley she went home to Bermuda pretty quickly so I never got to meet the baby. She was worth the wait. . . so adorable! Both Peyton and Ella did a great job holding her and when Ella was all done she said, "I think she wants you." Too funny!

Tomorrow night I'm going to my very first Boston Bloggers event. It is the holiday get together and I really don't know anyone else who will be there so it should be interesting. I'm excited to meet some new people and find some new blogs. I'll be sure to report back on how it goes! We are doing a Yankee Swap and I'm excited about the cute gift I'm bringing!

I participated in a blogger ornament swap and was matched w/ Kiley from Hello Kiley and she sent me a pretty silver snowflake. I'm really excited to hang it on my tree (when I motivate to decorate it). I'll try to remember to take a pic.

Ok I think that is enough babbling for now. Must go put lights on my tree. Now!

Meeting Ne-Yo and Taylor's 15th Birthday!

2011-12-11T13:34:00.000-05:00

We met Ne-Yo! On Friday night Taylor and I had the opportunity to meet Ne-Yo. She was pretty excited. Me not so much. Well I was very excited for her and to watch how happy she was! She actually cried after meeting him b/c she was so happy. I haven't seen her this happy or w/ a smile that big in a very long time! Kudos to Ne-Yo for starting The Compound Foundation and donating his time to make kids so happy.

Afterwards we went to TGIFridays to celebrate Taylor turning 15. (Her actual birthday is tomorrow but we started the celebrating a little early)! We had a lot of fun and got just appetizers and dessert. What is better than that! Taylor proceeded to tell everyone that she had just met Ne-Yo and showed off the pictures. She was on cloud 9! "This is the best birthday EVER" is what I heard many times throughout the night along w/ "I had SO MUCH fun." So glad she got to have this experience.

I gave her a birthday gift complete w/ plenty of new fun makeup and two cosmetic bags. I think she will really enjoy trying out all her new stuff!

Taylor and I have not celebrated 5 of her birthdays together. I still can't believe she is 15! I met her when she was just a little 10 year old. So proud of the young woman she is growing up to be and hoping she will continue to make good choices in her life.

HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY TAYLOR! I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING MANY MORE WITH YOU! LOVE, JODI

Pet Therapy

2011-12-05T06:26:00.000-05:00

Soon after I started working at the hospital I began working on bringing pet therapy to the hospital. I've always loved dogs and had read the research on how beneficial pet therapy is to patients. It took a while but it finally happen. I'm so proud to be the person behind this and can already see the benefits it is bringing to not only our patients but to our staff.

Last week a reporter and photographer from the Melrose Free Press came in to see Cooper in action. I'm happy to read this story and hope it will bring increased awareness about this new program at the hospital.

Cooper, the dog, and his owner, Annette, volunteer their time and our through Pets and People Foundation. I've been really pleased with this organization and of course with Cooper and Annette too! I've pasted the full article below so please take a minute to read it. You can also go here to see it.

Pet therapy brings creature comfort to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital

By Jessica Sacco/ jsacco@wickedlocal.com

Melrose Free Press

Melrose, Mass. —

There may be a new type of medicine out there, and it’s known as man’s best friend.
Standing at about a foot tall, covered in long, fluffy, golden hair is Cooper, a 2-and-a half-year-old terrier mix that visits Melrose-Wakefield Hospital every week as part of a new pet therapy program. (Click here for the full photo gallery.)

The hospital works with the Pets and People Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1985 that brings pet-assisted therapy to patients in facilities such as nursing homes, halfway houses and hospitals in eastern Massachusetts.

According to Jodi Dwyer, a medical social worker for Hallmark Health, studies have shown that pet therapy can decrease anxiety and blood pressure in patients along with improving their mood.

“Overall it’s a morale builder,” she said. “[When Cooper is here] families come out of their rooms, nurses come over [and] it’s nice to be able to walk down the hall and see everyone’s smiling faces.”
Dwyer began developing an animal-assisted therapy program for Melrose-Wakefield Hospital last fall, after hearing about its success at other hospitals in the area.

Cooper and his owner, Annette Bush, a teacher at Wilmington Middle School, got involved with Pets and People in September after Bush learned about the organization at a dog festival in Somerville.

“I’ve always wanted to do some volunteer work,” she said. “And I love animals, so this was a perfect match.”
Before the duo became official volunteers with Pets and People, an experienced dog trainer from the foundation screened Cooper to see if he would be suitable for the program (including looking at health certificates and testing overall friendliness and ability to interact with others). Bush shadowed an experienced volunteer to get an idea of what the program entails.

Cooper is also trained in basic obedience skills and has a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate, which the American Kennel Club awards to dogs for good manners and behavior after a 10-step test.

“Most therapy organizations want you to have [a CGC certificate] because not every dog can pass it,” said Bush.

Puppy love
Thursday, Dec. 8, will mark Cooper’s fifth visit to the fifth floor of the hospital. Once there, he and his owner stay for about an hour and visit with three to five patients.

Last week, Alfred Martello saw Cooper walking down the hallway and asked if the dog could spend time with his wife, Claire Martello, a Melrose resident who was a patient at the time of Cooper’s visit.
Cooper quickly made himself comfortable, hopping up next to Claire Martello and resting while she petted him and chatted with Bush.

“I think he’s adorable,” said Claire Martello.

The couple’s son, Vincent Martello, said he thinks pet therapy is a great way to liven up everyone’s day in the hospital and is something his mother definitely enjoyed.

“She loves it,” he said. “Look at her, she’s got the dog on the bed and she doesn’t even like dogs,” he joked while pointing to his mother and Cooper.

Dorothy Halloran, from Malden, met with Cooper for the second time last week. Cooper sat in a chair next to Halloran’s bed, excitedly barking at his company.

Those occasional barks are Halloran’s favorite part about his visit — she considers the noise as an example of his happiness.

“He likes to do marvelous things,” she said. “Cooper is the greatest animal God put on earth other than a human being. If I could have [a dog] that’s the baby I would have.”

Positive response
After a visit with Cooper, patients fill out a survey, indicating whether they felt relaxed and comforted by Cooper and if they would recommend the experience to others.

So far, Dwyer said the program has received positive responses from those who participated. Feedback will be given to the hospital administration to show the effectiveness of the program and the need for it to continue.

“There is plenty of research out there showing pet therapy works but it’s nice to do it on a smaller level in our community to see the impact it can have on our patients,” said Dwyer.

Patients are not the only ones who enjoy Cooper’s visits, as the staff looks forward to Thursday evening every week, according to Nicole Bates, a clinical leader for medical 5 (floor five).

“For nurses on the floor, this profession is very stressful and [seeing Cooper] relieves [that] stress,” said Bates, a Melrose resident.

Even if they are busy working, Bates said the staff members congregate around Cooper to pet and talk to him for a few moments.

“We don’t stop for too many things so that’s a special moment in the day,” Bates said.

Bush said that she and Cooper will to continue volunteering, as they both enjoy the experience.

“[Cooper] is getting more and more comfortable,” she said. “Every time we come his tail is wagging and he’s looking at people. Hopefully [the program] will get popular enough that they’ll want another dog.”

Family

2011-12-02T18:44:00.000-05:00

What does FAMILY mean to you? I think this young man says it well. . . many of you have seen this as it has been all over Facebook this week but for those of you who have not I suggest watching it.

A benefit of working in a hospital is. . .

2011-12-01T06:29:00.001-05:00

the gift shop! Do you want to know why?

Well last week it was raining. REALLY.HARD. So being the smart person I am I wore my new boots to commute to work.

Cute right? Yes cute for commuting to and from work but not so cute if YOU FORGET YOUR SHOES! Yup forgot to bring shoes to wear to work. Great! Oh and did I mention that these boots are rubber and VERY hot!

Thankfully I work in a hospital which means I have a store in my work aka the hospital gift shop. Oh boy was I excited when I remember that the last time I was in there I noticed these. . .

Now of course when I saw these handy little shoes that come in a purse like holder. . . why is the hospital gift shop selling these? Nobody will need these in the hospital. Oh but was I wrong because I.NEEDED.THEM. Oh so thankful that they were there! They now have found a home in my desk drawer just in case I ever need them again! :)

And that my friends is just one of the benefits of working in a hospital! The.end.

Happy Birthday Mom, Peyton and Rhonda

2011-11-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

November 30th is a VERY special day. . . because it is the birthday of my mom, my niece, Peyton and my good friend, Rhonda! So this blog post goes out to these 3 very special gals!!!

Happy Birthday Mom! Can't wait to celebrate next week by eating your home cooking!!

Happy Birthday Peyton! Even though you are a big girl now I'm glad you are still little enough for me to hold!

Happy Birthday Rhonda! So glad I got to see you in 2011. Hoping to see you even more in 2012!!

The Long Weekend That Wasn't Long Enough. . .

2011-11-29T19:58:00.001-05:00

4 days in a row off from "real job" (at the hospital) but worked all day Friday and half a day Saturday at my "other job" so that combined w/ many family events made for a very busy weekend that went by way too fast!

On Saturday we celebrated Peyton's 4th birthday. I really can't believe she is going to be 4 tomorrow. How did that happen!? She had a friend party in the morning at the local bowling alley and then the family party in the afternoon. She's one busy gal w/ so many parties!! Oh and of course it was a princess party!

Peyton got plenty of gifts including a certain doll that Ella was absolutely in love w/ and got pretty upset when she couldn't play w/ it the entire time. Thankfully there were plenty of other toys to go around! Just a preview of what Christmas will be like this year. I got Peyton an adorable outfit as well as the game Memory and let me tell you she is really good at it! She really did beat me for real w/o me letting her! Ha! Then I played w/ Ella and she wasn't too bad either. So fun that they are old enough to play games w/ now.

My parents gave Peyton 2 dress up outfits - a vet and a hairdresser but thanks to kids imagination the vet can also be a doctor (see Ella taking care of baby) and the hairdresser can also be a dog groomer (Peyton had that stuffed dog looking great)! I love the picture of Peyton blow drying baby's hair b/c she is making the sound w/ her mouth then we figured out that if you put a battery in it actually works and makes the noise by itself! Haha!

On Sunday I went to Owen's baptism. He is such a sweetie but feeling a little hungry during the ceremony! Luckily a bottle did the trick. We all went back to Kendall's house after the baptism and enjoyed some yummy food and of course cake. Riley had a sweet in her hand every time I turned around. I joked that she had all 4 food groups - cookies, brownies, cake and ice cream!

All and all it was a great weekend. I even managed to squeeze in a little shopping and got myself a new GPS. Much Christmas shopping still needing to be done. . .

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T11:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you had a wonderful day with family, friends and FOOD! I know I have plenty to be thankful for this year. We had a great day yesterday. Here are a few pictures. . .

I'm sure my family members will really appreciate these candid photos I'm sharing! Haha! If they complain I'll just tell them that they should be more agreeable to posing when I ask!

Taylor, my mentee, came with me for Thanksgiving this year and I was so happy to have her as was the rest of my family! She slept over the night before and we went to the movies and saw the Muppets. It was so good. Before heading out for Thanksgiving I curled her hair and it looked so pretty! I still can't believe she is a freshman in high school and I've known her since she was in 5th grade!!!

We have a holiday tradition in my family of playing a game after dinner. We often play "left, right, center" which is one of our favorites. Last night my mom won the first round ($36) and then the 2nd round nobody won (last roll was a center) so we all put out another dollar and played again (and last roll center again)! So in Double Overtime we just played another round w/o putting in anymore money and my aunt Nancy won $48! It was a lot of fun!

No Black Friday shopping for me. I took the day off from the hospital today but I'm working my per diem job supervising a visit all day. At least I have my laptop w/ me and can blog! :) Happy shopping to all you crazy people out there!

All I Want For Christmas is. . .

2011-11-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

an iPad 2!

Fashion Plates - More Photos!

2011-11-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my Fashion Plates recap post there were several professional photographers at the event. I'm so excited to see all of the photos they took. Here are some of the beautiful photos that ASA Photographic took!

The room looked beautiful! I still can't get over how many people where there - over 400!

Piper, our fearless leader, is the Fashion Plates committee head and volunteers much of her time to make Fashion Plates an amazing event!

Lori Grande,DJ from Country 102.5 and Lisa Lynch, stylish and owner of Ports and Company did a wonderful job introducing the models and of course talking about the clothes!

Here I am in outfit number 1. . . what do you think? {Maybe looking a little nervous here!?}

Ahhh looking a bit more relaxed. . . love those earrings!

Outfit number 2. . . this gorgeous dress is a burnt orange color (hard to tell in the photo due to lights).

Lori, Piper and Staci who is the staff person responsible for organizing this amazing event. This was her first year and I must say she did an outstanding job!

Fashion Plates Committee (minus me). . . I'm SO depressed that I missed being in this photo. I was out front buying the dress and didn't know they were doing it. I will need to be photo shopped in! Ha! All of these women are wonderful and I enjoyed getting to know them at our committee meetings. Thanks ladies for volunteering your time to make Fashion Plates an outstanding event!

Oh and don't worry. . . I'm sure there will be even more photos to follow!!

Fashion Plates 2011

2011-11-19T19:31:00.000-05:00

Real Women Real Stories

My wardrobe "sneak peak" (you may have already seen this if you follow me on FB or Twitter). When we got to the event our clothes were all out for us. We each had a little area to get ready.

Getting ready. . . life of a model seems pretty good to me. . . feeling pampered with getting my makeup done, hair styled and plenty of bubbly! We had such fun "backstage" before the show. We even did a trial run on the runway.

The Looks - what do you think? I must admit I was feeling a little nervous when my hair stylish was teasing my hair A LOT for the first look. I don't typically wear my hair that high but he kept saying "trust me. . . this is a model look." Haha! And how about those earrings? Aren't they just to die for? LOVE them but would have to get a 3rd job to be able to afford them. I did buy the dress after much encouragement from many people telling me it looked great on me. No clue what I'll wear it to but I'm sure it will come in useful at some point. The skirt for the 3rd look was a gift from Lisa, the stylish and owner of Ports and Company. It is a great skirt. We got to pick between red, black, taupe and teal. I love the teal and think it will be fun to wear to a holiday party!

Before people arrived I had a chance to sneak a peak of the cocktail area where the AMAZING raffle baskets were on display. The baskets were all valued at well over $1,000 and were FILLED with awesome stuff. I didn't win BUT my aunt did!!! She won "Entertaining In Style" which includes a lot of awesome cooking stuff, cookbooks, wine, vodka, flower gift certificates, and a private party for 20 at the Sam Adams Brewery. I'll be invited to that I'm sure! ;) Lisa also set up a Ports and Company "store" with a lot of her awesome clothes and accessories. I wanted to buy one of everything but only treated myself to an amazing headband.

Here are just a few of my new friends who are the amazing women who modeled at the fashion show with me. I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible women. What a gift to learn about women with MS who are about so much more than just MS. They inspired me and made me proud to participate in this event.

For the final look we all wore Fashion Plates t-shirts with the fun skirts. When we went out on the runway we carried a glass of champagne and the song "Raise Your Glass" by Pink was playing (I've always loved that song) and it was such a fun "finale." I'm so thankful to my Aunt Cathy and good friend Emily for taking time out of their busy schedules to come to this event. It means so much to me to know I have such a great support system. I know my mom was there in spirit and wished she could have attended. I guess I'll just have to do it again next year so she can see me in action!

The day didn't end there. . . Piper, the committee chair, hosted an "after party" at her house. Not everyone went but we had so much fun w/ the people who were there. I got to hang out w/ some of my fellow committee members and a bunch of the models. (Oh and you can see my fancy new headband a little in this top pic). Thanks Piper for opening your home to all of us and making up feel so welcomed and comfortable. You should know how to throw a fashion show and a party!

I hope to have much more to post about Fashion Plates. There were 4 photographers there so I should get plenty of runway shots soon. I can't wait to see all the pics and maybe even a video of the event. It was a BLAST and I had a great time. I continue to feel amazed at the opportunities I've had due to MS. Who would have thought that such an awful disease would bring so many wonderful friends and opportunities into my life. A blessing in disguise for sure! Never in a million billion years did I think that I would be a model walking a runway at an event in front of over 400 people. But ya never know what life has in store for ya!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-11-16T13:58:00.001-05:00

I'm loving my recent purchase at Christmas Tree Shop! Isn't this the cutest little thing? And it was only $6.99! I love that store.

I'm loving that Fashion Plates is only 2 days away. I'm so excited for this event and can't wait to tell you all about it and share pictures afterwards.

I'm loving that Thanksgiving is next week and I have Fri and Sat off from work (well work at the hospital). Long weekends are wonderful!

I'm loving that my cousin Katelyn is now a Stella and Dot consultant and I can host a party as a fundraiser for MS!

I'm loving that I'm treating myself to a mani/pedi tomorrow after work in preparation of Fashion Plates.

I'm loving that Christmas is only 39 days away!!!

Dear Jodi Bean's Blog,

2011-11-15T18:31:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been neglecting you. I've been busy. Working at the hospital. And working my per diem job to make extra money (to pay crazy high dentist bill and car repair bill). I've been busy which makes me tired and trying to get a lot of sleep which means not turning my laptop on after work which means no blogging. THE END
Love, Your author, Jodi Bean

But tonight I'm breaking all the rules and turned on the laptop for some long overdue blogging b/c I know y'all miss me dearly (right!?).

So let's catch up. I think I'm getting a cold which I'm not at all happy about b/c the MS Fashion Show is THIS Friday and I MUST be healthy! On and speaking of Fashion Plates I had my fitting at Ports and Company with Lisa (the owner) and the outfits I'll be modeling are gorgeous. Oh and the earrings I'm wearing are TO.DIE.FOR. I'm so in love with them I can't stand it. I can't wait to show you pictures of everything! A few hints - outfit one - dressy/classy/orange, outfit two - casual/chic/purple, outfit three - sassy/fun/teal. Yup that's all you get for now. But don't worry there will be plenty of pictures following the fashion show.

My grandmother "Ma" celebrated her 85th birthday on November 10th. My mom went down to Florida to celebrate with her and I love that even at 85 years ~~old~~ young she still knows how to enjoy her fave martini! So happy for the healthy years she has had and hoping for many more!

In other completely unrelated news. . . while driving in my hometown with my mom and the girls we saw some Thanksgiving escapees. These two were very upset that all of their friends are on the other side of the fence. Not sure why they just didn't fly to the other side but guess turkeys aren't known for their smarts! The girls got a kick out of them!

I ordered the newspaper article from my "Cutting For A Cure" event. They printed the whole story on one page and on nice paper. I then picked up a frame at A.C. Moore and it now hangs in my office. I love the way it looks and think it is such a nice addition to my work space!

I am totally in love with the beautiful warm weather we have been treated to this November. It has been so nice to be able to spend so much time outside and not have to bundle up in heavy coats, gloves, hats, boots, etc. I hate winter so the shorter it can be the better! I also love that the colors of the trees are still looking beautiful. All in all (minus the crazy Halloween snow storm) it has been a great fall weather wise!

So there you have it. That's what has been going on w/ me the last several days. Not too exciting but such is life. Hoping to have more time for blogging but not sure since work and per diem schedule are still looking pretty busy for the next couple of weeks. I'll make sure to update after the fashion show for sure!!

Weekend Recap

2011-11-07T17:09:00.000-05:00

Warning: my weekend was not very exciting so bear with me!!!

On Saturday morning I met Kendall at a craft fair. We had fun shopping around and managed to pick up a few Christmas gifts and a few things for ourselves. Do you like my hat? I was trying it on for size b/c Kendall was buying a pink and green owl hat for Riley and this one looked huge which it was! No I didn't buy this hat but I did get a hot pink wrap that looks like a hat and I LOVE it!

After craft fairing it w/ Kendall I had to head to work. I've been doing a lot of per diem work on weekends lately supervising visits. It is great money but I'm exhausted! We went to Gloucester for a hike and it was beautiful out. There is still a lot of pretty colors on the trees so it was really nice. (Do you like my hat/wrap thingy?)

The kids were playing with their mom and I was sitting and goofing off on my iPhone and my instagram app.

When the iPhone updated I think the instagram app did too b/c there seem to be new choices on there. Anyone else notice that? Well as you can see I was trying a bunch of them out. After working Saturday afternoon I did a bunch of errands then went home and relaxed knowing I would have to get it up and do it all over again on Sunday!

On Sunday it was another BEAUTIFUL day. I worked but at least got to enjoy some time outside. We went to Jamaica Pond so that they could throw the ball for the dog (and she went swimming b/c it was just so warm)!

I sat and enjoyed the warm sun on my back. After work I went to meet Cara for lunch. I took her out for a belated birthday get together at Chilli's. I've been obsessed w/ Chilli's chips and salsa and chicken enchilada soup lately. Yum. I could eat that every day! It was nice catching up b/c it is always too long in between our get togethers. When I got home last night I was so exhausted I collapsed in bed. My legs were screaming at me for doing so much over the weekend.

Thankfully I had already planned to take today off from work. I was so in need to a day to rest. I've pretty much done nothing all day. My big accomplishment was putting clean sheets on my bed and going to the bank to deposit my earnings for this weekend. Pretty exciting stuff!

So now just have to make it through 4 days of work this week and 4 days of work next week b/c I have Friday the 18th off for my modeling debut in the MS Fashion Plates fashion show!!!!

I'm linking up with Savanah and Erin for "Fun With Our Phones Monday."

Randoms. . .

2011-11-04T14:24:00.000-04:00

I have Fridayitis! I am so glad this work week is almost over (even though I'm working my per diem job both days this weekend). I am taking a comp day on Monday which is much neeed!

I've always wish that there was some way to take pictures quickly when you see certain things. Take for example the other day when I was shopping at the Natick Collection (in the rich people section w/ all the fancy stores) and I see a lady pushing her little dog in a stroller. Yes her dog! Such a sight.

Or today when I was driving down Beacon St. in Boston and saw a guy riding his unicycle to work! Interesting way to commute!

Here are a few things that I thought were funny and just want to remember. . .

Mom talking to Jodi: "I called your dad to tell him that Peyton and I were going to be home a few minutes late and he didn't answer. I thought it was strange since he was home with Ella but thought maybe there were in the basement and didn't hear the phone. A few minutes later he called me back and said. . ."

Dad to Mom: "I couldn't answer the phone when you called because I was hiding."

Yes folks you heard that right. He was hiding! Meaning he was playing hide-and-seek with Ella and didn't want to come out to answer the phone b/c then she would find him. Haha. This one gave me a good laugh!

Jodi: "Ella did you tell Uncle Scott what you are going to be for Halloween?"

Ella: "A CUPCAKE!"

Scott: "A cupcake! Does that mean somebody is going to eat you?"

Ella: "Noooo it's pretend!"

Duh!

Conversation with my 5 year old client (from my per diem work)

Her: "Why did you cut your hair?"

Me: "Because I donated it to make wigs for people who don't have hair."

Her: "Oh."

Me: "Why do you like it?"

Her: "No."

Ok then! Haha!

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm thankful for "Fall Forward" b/c that means one extra hour of sleep this weekend!

Allergies

2011-11-03T15:56:00.000-04:00

I had allergy testing on Tuesday and unfortunately am allergic to dogs, cats, feathers, dust and mold. So now waiting for the blood tests results to see if there are any food allergies and then will need to do seasonal allergy testing in a few months. Looks like I'll be adding another weekly shot to my routine. Joy!

Jodi Bean's 2nd Annual MS Fundraiser Recap cont.

2011-11-01T20:44:00.000-04:00

*family*

I have the best family and so thankful that so many of them were able to make it to the event. Thanks to my brother Allan for donating some great silent auction items, to my aunt Cathy for bidding on lots of restaurant gift certificates (hope you take me to one), and extra special thanks to my mom for making the amazing photo boards which I know took hours and for everything else you did to help me get ready for the event- really couldn't have done it w/o you. Love you all!

*high school friends*

Kendall, Jill, Julie, Tommy and Jenn

What can I say about this crew? Kendall a best friend since 7th grade and Jill since 6th. . . I was a bridesmaid in both of their weddings and have seen them have 5 kids in total. Love that we've been through so much together - good and bad - and are better friends for it. Thanks for being there for me. Tom and Julie thanks for supporting me and fighting for a cure for MS. And Jenn, my sister-in-law, my friend, my auto immune disease partner, brought together by marriage but I know it was for a reason. Thanks for your endless support. Words cannot express.

*maav friends*

Rebecca, Executive Director of MAAV and Anna, fellow board member have only know me about a year but are generous and supportive people who give so much to the Melrose community through their efforts with MAAV. So thankful for people like you who give so much to so many. Thanks for supporting me too!

*babysitting friends*

Anna and Sherry, I've babysat Sammy and Jake since they were infants and they are in 1st grade now. I love those 2 kids (despite the occasional temper tantrum) and happy I can call Anna and Sherry friends. They are very supportive and have helped me pay the bills for several years now! ;) Thanks Anna and Sherry for your support, for going out so often so that I can babysit and for helping w/ donations for the silent auction last year and this year.

*first real job friends*

Cara and Judi (on left in each picture) worked with me at Riverside which was my first "real" job out of college and what led me to becoming a social worker. Sousxie (right) is Judi's sister and also a former client (along w/ her husband) from my job at the adoptive agency. So happy I could help them become parents to Luca! Thankful that I've had the chance to work with all three of these amazing ladies and that they continue to support me today.

*grad school friend*

Marybeth made the drive from CT w/ her husband to come to my event. I am so happy she was able to come b/c we don't get to see each other often enough. So thankful for my social worker friends and love that we've remained friends since our busy grad school days at Boston College.

*scrapbooking friends*

Yes I said it. . . scrapbooking friends! Ha! Kandi and Jenny are "crafty" just like me and we've had a lot of fun over the years. Even though scrapbooking has been on hold for a while I know someday we will scrap again. So glad they are friends outside of scrapbooking and made it to my event.

*first work friend now real life friend*

Joana is one of my closest friends and I really don't know how I would have made it through many days at work w/o her. It was no secret that I was pretty sad when she didn't come back to work after having Carter but thankfully we remained wonderful friends and are even closer today. Joana thanks for your endless support and being my "second address."

*having fun*

*talking, bidding, drinking*

*$1,471*

Did you guess right? I raised $1,471 in one night! Awesome!! Thanks to everyone who came to the event. I'd say it was a great success and a lot of fun. Already looking forward to next year. . . maybe!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:33:00.000-04:00

Jodi Bean's 2nd Annual Fundraiser for MS Recap

2011-10-31T06:07:00.001-04:00

Saturday, October 15th was my 2nd Annual MS fundraiser at The Greatest Bar in Boston and it was a lot of fun! I thought I would do the recap in 2 posts b/c I took a lot of pictures. This post I will focus on decorations, silent auction items and food/dessert. As you probably recall the theme was "black and white" and I was quite impressed with all of the guests. Pretty much everyone wore black and white! Such fun. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the "people" pictures.

The tables for the silent auction items were all set up at one end of the room. There was plenty of room for people to browse and bid!

See the photo board on the wall? My mom made 9 of those. There was a board for each walk and event I've been involved in since I was diagnosed with MS. They looked awesome!

The World Champions sign donated by my brother, Allan was one of the most popular silent auction items.

Another photo board, this one from the Boston MS Walk last this past April.

I had a lot of silent auction items so the table ran along the whole back wall and then I had an additional table which you can see at the top of this picture.

The was the table at the door. My mom collected money as people came in. The table had MS awareness bracelets and info. The photo board is of my fundraiser last year.

Another view of the welcome table.

A fellow MS'er Susan Howard donated some items from Party Lite!

Another popular silent auction item was this Vera Bradley travel bag set. My mom and my sister-in-law had a bit of a bidding war but my mom won (don't worry though Jenn got 3 other things)!!

Wine is always a favorite and all the moms were bidding on this one! Not sure what that was all about! ;) Thanks to Michelle Gudlevich for donating the wine. I really appreciate it and still have some left for a raffle prize at the next fundraiser in January (more to come about that in a later post).

My brother Allan also donated some Jameson whiskey and a gift certificate for a tasting with the Irish Whiskey Society. I've been to a couple of their events and it is fun (even though I don't like whiskey).

A local favorite, Sam Adams gift pack and beer!

There were tons of gift certificates - mostly to restaurants but also for massage, facial and to F1 Racing.

As always I had my rings for sale. Money made off the sale of the rings is donated back to my fundraising. Let me know if you are interested.

FOOD!!

The bartenders made a special drink for the night and $1.50 from each glass was donated back to MS. The special drinks brought in $36!

All the food was provided by the bar but my mom and I made the desserts and a high school friend Kristen made the awesome cake!

Isn't this cake adorable? I love the way it came out and I'm so thankful to Kristen for donating her time to make it for my event.

So there you have it! The decorations, silent auction, food, dessert and drink. What do you think?

Tomorrow I'll be sharing all the "people pictures" so be sure to check back. Until then how about taking a guess at how much I raised? Leave your guess in the comments.

a. $1,289
b. $1,471
c. $1,646
d. $1,798

Hair Donations Through The Years

2011-10-30T09:37:00.001-04:00

I've donated my hair three times so I guess that makes me kind of an expert! Ha! I thought I would show a few pictures from each time I donated and provide a little info about the organization I donated to.

In 2004 I donated my hair for the first time. My hair was very long but I was too scared to go too short so I didn't chop it all off. I gave just over 10 inches to Locks of Loves. I had it done live on the air during the Matty in the Morning Show on Kiss 108. The stylish was from a fancy salon on Newbury Street (sorry can't remember which one all these years later)! It was a fun experience and I guess I wasn't too traumatized b/c I did it again two years later. . .

In 2006 Jenn and I donated our hair together. She had gotten married that July and then we were both bridesmaids in wedding that October. We knew we wanted to keep it long for weddings then would be ready to donate. We chose to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths which only requires 8 inches. I can't recall exactly how much I donated but pretty sure it was more than 8. It was really fun doing it together.

Now here we are 5 years later. . . I really can't believe it has been that long since I last donated. I guess I never really thought I would let my hair get this long again. But over the summer I realized it was pretty long and that if I didn't cut it for a few months I'd be able to donate it and my idea for "Cutting For a Cure" was born. This time I donated to Pink Heart Funds and had it cut by Halo Studio. I gave 8 inches this time. One great thing about this organization is that they take most types of hair including color treated hair. This time my hair had long layers and they accepted that too.

I think all three organizations are amazing. They make wigs for women and children w/ cancer and other medical problems for free! Have you ever donated your hair? Any other organizations out there I should know about?

Not sure if I'll ever donate my hair again. . . but we do plan to host Cutting For A Cure again next year so if you are in MA and would like to participate start growing your hair now!

Another Saturday Night. . .

2011-10-29T21:55:00.000-04:00

and.it.is.snowing. . .

in.OCTOBER! Yup mother nature is playing a nasty trick on us this weekend. The white stuff is falling like crazy right now and by the time we wake up in the morning there should be 6 inches of snow. Did I mention it is only October? This better not be any indication of what our winter is going to be like b/c I can't take it!

On a much happier and brighter note look what I got!!! On Thursday these beautiful flowers were delivered to my office. I'm practically never in my office but they were sitting outside my door when I returned and they made my day! I've never had flowers delivered to me at work before so it was such a special treat. My boss and the nurse leadership team sent them to me to thank me for my work and a great event. Put a smile on my face. So nice to be appreciated for doing a job I love.

And just b/c she is adorable. . . Peyton had "orange and black" day at school and this was what she wore. I love her pose here! Just wait until you see how cute Peyton and Ella look in their Halloween costumes!!

Cutting For A Cure Event

2011-10-27T06:18:00.004-04:00

So most of you have heard by now that I donated 8 inches of my hair to Pink Heart Funds on Monday. I wanted to tell you a little more about the big event and of course show you a ton of pictures. So this all started over the summer. My hair was pretty long and I really wanted to cut it but I figured I should grow it a bit longer so that I could donate it. I figured if I was going to donate it I should do something special.

I threw out the idea to some girls at work who quickly agreed to donate their hair too and out of that grew this event. I quickly got approval from my boss to organize "Hallmark Health's Cutting For A Cure." A coworker referred me to a local salon that had been open for several months, Halo Studio. Jenn the owner immediately agreed to be involved (and I can't say enough great things about her and the other stylists). I picked a date in October for two reasons - first I needed a few more months for my hair to grow and second - I thought it would be a great thing to do in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I chose Pink Heart Funds after hearing about it from my blog friend Rachel who donated her hair to them too. I figured that everyone knows about Locks of Love so why not give some attention to a lesser know but still awesome charity!

All summer I worked hard to recruit people to participate. There were several announcements in local newspapers and flyers were posted around the hospital. This banner hung in Halo Studio window for several weeks leading up to the event too! The day of the event we decorated the salon in lots of pink! We even had some sweet treats to enjoy!

On my way into work Monday morning I was feeling a little nervous but excited at the same time. Every day on my drive into work I listen to Matty in the Morning on Kiss 108. They do a segment called "Right Now" each day where people call in to say what they are doing. I figured I would call in to share about the event and I got on! I was the last called of the segment and Matt said, "Let's end this on a positive note with Jodi." He told me he donated his hair once and it never grew back! Ha! He also recommended that I cut my hair short enough to spike and bleach it with hydrogen peroxide. I got in a plug for the hospital and the event! It is amazing just how many people listen to that show b/c SO many people told me they heard me. Such fun. Anyways above are my "before" and "after" shots both front and back. What do you think?

Here is "the process." Jenn did a great job cutting my hair! It was fun for me to look at these pics afterwards and see the process of donating my hair. I love my new "do" and my hair feels so healthy and bouncy. I've had short hair in the past so it doesn't feel too shocking to have it this short. It feels very natural to me which is nice. I still can't stop touching it and playing with it! I'm constantly flipping it and trying to see how I want to part it. It is so much quicker to blow dry which I love the most.

One of the best parts of donating my hair was being able to do it with so many other amazing women all there for different reasons. I recruited my good friend Joana to donate her hair which she was more than happy to do. It was fun watching her get her hair cut and I love her new style.

Kathie, one of my coworkers, was the first to agree to donate her hair when I posed the question in the ICU one day. "As long as it is after my high school reunion," she said. Done! As you can see Kathie has very long hair and was feeling pretty nervous once she committed but as you can also see. . . she looks marvelous! Lucky her left for a trip to Ireland the next day so nobody at work has even seen her new style yet!

Another coworker, Sharon, was very excited to participate in this event. As a cancer survivor herself she had personal reasons for donating her hair. I love her short hair and things it looks great on her!

So many amazing women all donating their hair for different reasons but all wanting to help someone else. . . I feel very proud that I was able to influence so many people to donate their hair by organizing this event. In total we will be sending 20 ponytails to Pink Heart Funds which is INCREDIBLE!!!

The women who work at the salon are also amazing. Not only did they donate their time and cut our hair for free but they refused to accept tips! They did this out of the goodness of their hearts and b/c they wanted to make us look beautiful so that we could help other people feel beautiful w/ new wigs. Pretty cool that we could all contribute in different ways.

And just because Carter is the cutest little boy covered in pink. . . let's just say he enjoyed the cupcake and the beads! Love him (for those who don't know he is Joana's son and my little buddy)!

Jenn, the owner of Halo Studio and I have already talked about doing this event next October. I can't guarantee that my hair will be long enough to donate again but I will definitely organize and participate in others ways. We hope we'll have twice as many people!

Check out the article in the Melrose Free Press. It was on the FRONT page today! I already have 3 copies!

16th Annual MAAV Walk and Candlelight Vigil

2011-10-26T10:44:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday was the walk. We had a GREAT day. The weather was good and the turnout was awesome! I thought I would share some pictures I took at the event.

A close-up of the community mural. I've talked about this before but this year for the first time we did a community project to display at the walk. It was called "Everyone Has A Hand In Stopping Violence." People of all ages participated to make this awesome mural and it looked so nice on display at the event. Can you find my hand? :)

Here is a view of more of the mural. This is only 1/2 of it! It was too big to fit in the picture. Below it you will see the Victim Narratives which share the names of the 28 victims who were killed in MA due to domestic violence since our walk last year. That is 28 too many and we hope that someday there will be no need for the walk and candlelight vigil. You'll be able to read the narratives at the end of this post.

The raffle table! I may have bought a few iPad raffle tickets and was pretty convinced I would win. You'll have to keep reading to see if I did!

MAAV's annual domestic violence bracelet can also be worn as a necklace this year. It is very pretty and they are still on sale for $20. If you are interested let me know. Oh and I made that poster!

The bracelets are very pretty and of course have purple beads which is the color for DV awareness.

Jenn and I after the walk. Jenn and I use to work together at MSPCC. We have both moved on to new things but I recruited her to be on the walk committee and it was fun to get to work on something with her again. This is us after the walk.

The Hallmark Health Team! A few of my coworkers came out to the walk to show their support for MAAV. So appreciative to them for joining me on the walk and raising money!

Boston Elon Alumni Team (yes I had 2 teams)! I'm so thankful that a few Elon Alumni could come out and walk with me in honor of Lauren Astley who died this summer just weeks before she was to begin as a freshman at Elon University.

The a cappella group Blue of a Kind performed along the walk route and after the walk during refreshments. They were very good!

Ok so now what you've been waiting for. . . the winners of the raffles! I absolutely adore this picture I took of Rebecca b/c I caught this moment. This little boy is so excited to see who wins!

The winner of the "money tree" valued at $280 was my coworker, Sue! Yay for Sue! She is a nurse at the hospital and she was so excited when her name was called that she screamed and jumped up and down!! Maybe she'll take me shopping or out to eat! ;)

So I didn't win the iPad. . . but a fellow committee member, Joe did win! Here he is with Karen who is a fellow board member and committee member. I think they were pretty excited. I'm very happy for them.

I may not have won the iPad but I did win something! I won this adorable handmade elephant quilt. Don't tell my nieces b/c one of them will be getting it for a gift. Glad to see that all the money I spent on raffle tickets led to winning something! Good thing all the money goes to a wonderful cause that I 100% support.

The walk is a lot of fun and a great community event. I loved seeing so many familiar faces at the event. But on a more serious note we are there to honor those we have lost. This past year we lost too many to domestic violence. 28 victims in Massachusetts who died at the hands of a loved one, partner, spouse or family member. . . senseless and unnecessary. We light a candle and read the name of each victim to honor and remember them. It is a very special part of the event. Below I've posted the narratives of each victim. Take a moment to read them and say a prayer for their family who now misses them everyday.

VICTIM NARRATIVES

November 9, 2010: Theresa Kenna Wilkes, 50

Of Chelsea was found dead in the driveway of the home she shared with her husband, Frederick Wilkes, 54. While the death remains under investigation, the husband has been arrested for domestic assault and battery. Wilkes allegedly struck her head inside their home, dragged her outside and locked her out of the house. On September 16th, Kenna Wilkes filed a restraining order against her husband; according to court documents published in a media report, “Theresa Kenna Wilkes, ‘who had several bruises over her head,’ told cops her husband was punching walls before he kicked her violently in the ribs.” In both cases, alcohol appears to have been a contributing factor. The death has not yet been ruled a homicide pending the medical examiner’s determination of cause of death.

November 12, 2010: Cynthia Coutoumas, 48

of Waltham, was shot to death by her husband Michael Coutoumas, 48, before he fatally shot himself. It is unclear why neighbors called police on Friday afternoon. When police arrived at the house, they found both of them dead in the kitchen area. The couple had two sons, a 21 year-old student at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and a 19 year-old student at Springfield College.

November 18, 2010: Rebecca Bibert, 41

of Westborough, died of “sharp force injuries to the neck” and “blunt force trauma to the head.” The manner of death was determined to be homicide. Investigators believe that Bibert was murdered by her husband, Richard Bibert, who then killed himself. A neighbor called the police after finding a note on the door of the couple’s home telling the couple’s six-year-old son, Joseph, and eight-year-old daughter, Meghan, not to enter the house and to go to a neighbor’s home. According to court records, Rebecca filed for divorce in September.

November 22, 2010:

Kimberly Nguyen, 35, and her sister, Lilly Nguyen, 29

of Lynnfield, were shot and killed by Kimberly’s boyfriend, Joseph Cummings, who then killed himself. According to media reports, the couple was arguing about the last name of their unborn child when Cummings shot her. Lilly, apparently hearing the gunfire, jumped from a second floor window. As she lay on the lawn, Cummings shot her from a window and then killed himself. Kimberly’s twelve-year-old daughter was in the house when the shootings occurred.

November 28, 2010: Karen Preston, 50

of Greenfield, was allegedly shot to death by her boyfriend, Anthony Wallace, who then killed himself. Preston was shot several times in the chest. Wallace had a single gunshot wound to the head. According to media reports, both bodies were found by Preston’s 17 year-old daughter. Neighbors reported that Wallace was an “avid hunter” who kept several rifles and at least one pistol in the house.

December 7, 2010: Patricia Spada, 51

of Dedham, was allegedly shot to death by her husband, William Spada, in their home. William Spada also reportedly shot their daughter, Deidre Spada, 26, before killing himself. She remains in the hospital in critical condition. Deidre Spada’s boyfriend witnessed the shootings and gave authorities a “very detailed” description of events. Several hours after the shootings police removed several rifles from the home. According to media reports, in addition to working for the family’s landscaping and plowing business, Patricia Spada was the treasurer for the non-profit Justin House. The couple also has a younger son attending college out of state.

January 16, 2011: Joseph Scott, 45

of Worcester, was allegedly stabbed to death by his longtime girlfriend Shirley Sanabria, 44, in their home during a birthday party. During a verbal argument, Sanabria allegedly grabbed a knife and stabbed Scott in the chest. She claims it was self defense. The family did not call the paramedics. Sanabria was charged with murder and aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. She was held without bail as she violated probation from a previous charge of breaking and entering and malicious destruction of property.

January 19, 2011: Joel Echols, 45

of Springfield, was allegedly stabbed by his wife Beverly Caldwell, 41, in their home. Police responded to a domestic dispute and found Echols with a stab wound to his chest. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died. Caldwell was arrested and charged with murder. She was held without bail after pleading not guilty.

January 30, 2011: Troy Burston, 34

of Medford, was found by police stabbed to death, allegedly committed by Shawntina Burston, 39, his wife. It looked like a domestic dispute gone bad. Their two daughters, both under the age of five, were there during the incident. Neighbors often heard them fight. Shawntina Burston was arrested. The investigation is ongoing.

February 14, 2011: Maria Avelina Palaguachi-Cela, 25

of Brockton, and her son Brian Palaquachi, 2, were murdered from blows to the head. They were stuffed in duffel bags and thrown in the dumpster. Police received a chilling 911 call from a passerby about there being a body in the dumpster. Brian’s body was discovered hours later when police sifted through the trash. According to reports, neighbors heard Palaguachi-Cela, an immigrant Ecuador, fighting with one of her roommates, Luis Guaman, saying she did not love him. While police sought Guaman for questioning, he flew back to Ecuador less than 3 hours after the bodies were discovered. There is also an arrest warrant issued for him for an assault and battery case in 2007. Ecuador does not extradite its citizens, so authorities are working with the Ecuadorian government to bring Guaman back to face trial here in Massachusetts. Palaguachi-Cela leaves behind a husband and two children in Ecuador.

February 25, 2011: Lancelot Reid, 23

of Dorchester, was pronounced dead at the scene when police responded to an emergency call. Police arrested his girlfriend, Cherry Clinton, 29, who admitted she stabbed Reid. She was charged with murder and held without bail at arraignment. Later she stated that Reid attacked her earlier in the day so she grabbed a knife and he “ran into” it. Neighbors stated that they often heard Clinton and her boyfriend argue.

March 9, 2011: Brian Bergeron, 55

of Malden, was allegedly fatally stabbed by his husband Michael Losee, 41. His body was found wrapped in a blue tarp. Losee called a friend in Florida and confessed to the murder. The friend called the police and Losee agreed to turn himself in. The couple had been together for over 20 years. Losee was arraigned in Malden District Court and denied bail.

March 22, 2011: Jennifer Freudenthal, 50

of Webster, was allegedly murdered by her husband, William Freudenthal, 50, less than an hour after the IRS came to seize one of their cars for nonpayment of taxes. Police had to stand between William Freudenthal and the IRS agents so they could take the car. Afterwards police received two hang-up calls from a fax machine inside the home. When they arrived police found Jennifer on the bathroom floor with injuries to her face and neck. She was pronounced dead at Harrington Healthcare Hubbard Regional Hospital. Freudenthal stated to police that he and his wife argued, he pushed her, causing her to fall, and she hit her head. An autopsy was scheduled to determine cause of death. Police have responded to domestic violence calls to that address in the past. William was charged with second-degree murder and domestic assault and battery. He was held without bail.

March 28, 2011: Elaine McCall, 69

of Wakefield, was fatally shot in the chest by her husband, David McCall, 72. Police reported that a fight took place before the incident when Elaine McCall said she was no longer going to cook or take care of McCall anymore. According to investigation reports, McCall first shot at her from the top of the stairs but missed. The second shot hit her in the chest. McCall called the police to report a murder and a suicide. He attempted to shoot himself. Police responded and found McCall sitting in a kitchen chair. He said he shot his wife and the gun was on the floor. His wife was found lying face up next to the front door. McCall plead not guilty and was held without bail pending a competency hearing.

April 3, 2011: David Walton, 41

of Taunton, was allegedly killed by his boyfriend, James Costello, 45, while doing what he loved most, camping. An officer found the couple on a routine patrol of the campground. He noticed the broken glass door of the campground office and saw the two men in blankets on the porch. They both appeared bruised and cut, however, Walton did not move. He was later pronounced dead by rescuers. Costello later admitted to police that he assaulted and beat Walton with a shod foot. Costello has a long criminal record including an assault conviction against Walton in 2006. A restraining order was also issued in 2006 for Costello to stay away from Walton. The autopsy revealed strangulation was the cause of death. Costello was charged with murder, assault and battery and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was held on $100,000 cash bail.

April 25, 2011: Jettie Lincoln, 49

of Plymouth, was bludgeoned to death in an apparent murder-suicide by her husband Keith Lincoln, 49. Police were called for a well-being check at the request of family members. When the officers arrived, they saw Lincoln sitting in the front room. He picked up a power saw and cut his femoral artery. He was rushed to the hospital where he died. When police searched the house they found Jettie Lincoln in a bed, along with their two dogs, dead. She had been deceased for several days.

April 28, 2011: Son Tran, 60

of Lowell, was allegedly beaten to death with a mallet by her husband, The Tran, 62. Police received reports of an injured woman at the residence. When they arrived Son was already dead. Tran was charged with first degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He was held without bail while he undergoes a psychiatric evaluation. Son Tran leaves behind four children.

May 4, 2011: Beth Spartichino, 42

of Easton, was shot and buried in a shallow grave in her backyard allegedly by her son, Mathew Worster, 17. Worster left a voicemail for his father and told his brother that he shot his mother. He said he “had to do it. I had no choice” and that he needed to do it to save his brothers. Worster became bitter and verbally abusive towards his mother a year ago when his parents were getting a divorce. During that time Spartichino’s ex-husband threatened to kill her and bury her in the backyard. Initially, Worster was charged with armed assault with intent to murder and was held on $500,000 cash bail. Subsequently, Worster was charged with murder.

June 8, 2011: Janice Santos, 39

of Worcester, was allegedly killed by her husband Natalio Felix, 39, in their home. Felix walked into the police station and said he killed his wife. Police and EMTs found Santos in a bedroom on the second floor. She was taken to UMass Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy is scheduled to determine cause of death. Felix has been charged with murder. Santos was the supervisor of support staff in the Worcester Superior Court Probation Department and mother of three children.

July 3, 2011: Lauren Astley, 18

of Wayland was allegedly killed by her former boyfriend, Nathaniel Fujita, 18. They had dated for three years before Astley broke it off in the spring. According to reports, Astley and Fujita exchanged phone calls and she was going to meet him after work. Fujita said she left after they had a short, awkward conversation. Astley’s body was found in a marshy area on Monday morning by a bicyclist. She was strangled with a bungee cord and had a significant wound to her neck. Police found bloody objects in Fujita’s home. He was indicted on murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

July 24, 2011: Alessa Castellon, 21

of Roslindale was allegedly shot to death by her boyfriend, Junior Fernandes, 22, of Dorchester. She was found dead in front of her friend’s home from multiple gunshot wounds. Fernandes was arrested and charged with murder and firearm offenses. He has been held without bail. Castellon leaves behind a three year old son.

July 31, 2011: Casey Taylor, 36

was allegedly stabbed to death by his boyfriend John Lacoy, 29, of Winthrop. Police have charged Lacoy with murder; he is being held without bail. Prosecutors believe that after a fight Lacoy stabbed Taylor and then stuffed his body underneath the back port of his home. According to the investigation, on July 31, Lacoy told a friend that Taylor had drowned and, on August 3, claimed his body had been discovered and sent a text message reading “He won’t be able to leech off me anymore.” Taylor’s body was discovered after neighbors complained to police about a foul smell. While Lacoy originally denied knowing Taylor, he later acknowledged their relationship.

September 6, 2011: Milka Rivera, 39

of Lawrence, along with her children, Maxariel Montanez, 16, and Sachary Montanez, 19, were murdered by Milk’s long-term boyfriend, Jose Luis Tejeda, 40, in their home. Tejada was not the father of the children, but had a long-term relationship with Rivera. Cell phone records suggest that a fight preceded the shooting. According to Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, Tejada told a man, who called the police, outside the crime scene “I may have committed a crime.” The reports also indicate that Tejada attempted suicide but failed because he had used all the bullets. Tejada had no criminal record or restraining orders issued against him.

September 26, 2011: Patricia Frois, 24

of Marshfield, was allegedly stabbed to death by her long-time boyfriend, Marcello Almeida, 41. Frois and Almeida started their relationship in Brazil before emigrating here. Their five year old son is living in Brazil. Frois worked at both a cleaning service and fast food restaurant. Police responded to reports of an assault and found Frois in the stairwell; she was transported to the local hospital and pronounced dead. After a three hour search which included a lock-down of area schools, police found Almeida hiding in a shed. While law enforcement did not share any information about prior history of domestic violence, relatives and co-workers reported that Frois has been trying to leave the abusive relationship for about six months.

While reading these did anything stand out to you? Did you notice that it wasn't just men killing women? Seems that is the stereotype we think of w/ DV. Did you notice the same sex partner incidents? Victims of all ages. . . races. . . socioeconomic status. . . DV impacts us all. Hopefully one day there will be no victims of DV and we can have a walk to celebrate that! Until then MAAV will continue raising awareness and educating the community to prevent DV, teen dating violence and bullying.

Here is a link to an article about the walk.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/melrose/newsnow/x464395256/Community-takes-a-stand-against-violence-at-annual-walk-in-Melrose#axzz1bon7ogls

If you are local and interested in getting involved with MAAV let me know. There are all different kinds of opportunities to help out - board members, committee members, mentors, office assistants, PR, marketing, fundraising and more!

Busy Busy

2011-10-24T18:23:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy I haven't even had time to blog! Between 3 big events in the last 2 weeks and 4 nights w/o my laptop b/c it was being fixed/updated I just got really behind. I have a lot to blog about and hope to get all caught up this week. What can you look forward to? A post about my MS fundraiser, a post about the MAAV walk, a post about donating my hair, and updates (I had 3 doctor apt and a dentist apt). Very exciting stuff. So check back often to read about all this and more. Until then I'll leave you w/ some pics from Saturday night when we celebrated my cousin Katelyn's 30th birthday!

The Birthday Girl!

Me, Jenn, Meghan and Katelyn AKA "The Dwyer Gals"

Meghan and Jenn

Chad (my cousin) and Seamus (his cousin)

My Aunt Nancy and her friend Nancy

Katelyn's birthday celebration included 3 bars. We went to Coogans, The Black Rose and Paddy O's. It was a fun time out in Boston. Happy Birthday Katelyn! Hope you had a blast celebrating.

Today is the BIG DAY!!!!

2011-10-15T14:45:00.000-04:00

Jodi Bean's 2nd Annual Fundraiser for MS is finally here! Tonight we will be paryting while raising money for something very important to me. I'm just about ready and thought I would share a few sneak peaks for all of you who can't be there. . .

The Cake! A friend from high school made and donated this beautiful black and white cake for my event. I love it and can't wait to show it off tonight. Thanks Kristen!

The Dress! I had a really hard time finding the right outfit for my event. But I finally decided on this black and white dress that I got on sale from Macy's. More to show off soon!

Silent Auction items, decorations, bid sheets, and more! All ready to be packed into the car.

Looking forward to a great night! Hope to see you there but if not check back here for a recap including total raised for MS and a lot of pictures!!

Silent Auction Items

2011-10-10T22:01:00.000-04:00

Ok here it is - THE LIST - finally! I have so many silent auction prizes and it has taken me forever to get this post together but here it is. All are invited to attend Jodi Bean's 2nd Annual Fundraiser for MS this Saturday from 6 to 9:30 PM at The Greatest Bar in Boston. The Bean Team is taking over Bean Town with a "black and white" cocktail party. Show your support by wearing black and white. Admission is $20 in cash at the door. Food will be provided. Cash bar.

Gift Certificate for 2 to attend a class at The Paint Bar
Value $70
Donated by The Paint Bar

Vera Bradley 5 piece travel set
Value $210

Round of golf for 3, cart included at Vesper Country Club
Value $325
Donated by Justin McCarthy

Creative Memories Complete Scrapbook Kit
Value $45
Donated by Jenny Brinkley

Shark Press and Refresh Garment Care System
Value $80
Special thanks to Lynne Hammel for this donation.

           Elizabeth Grady Signature Facial
           Value $70
           Special thanks to the Elizabeth Grady in the Financial District.

1 Hour Massage at Massage Envy
Value $80
Special thanks to Massage Envy in Newton for this donation.

Sam Adams "Bucket of Cheer"
Value $65
Bucket of Cheer donated by Boston Beer Company
Beer donated by me!

Stockyard gift certificate
Value $50
Special thanks to the Stockyard for this donation.

Whiskey tasting for 2 at an Irish Whiskey Society event, bottle of Jameson Whiskey, 2 whiskey drinking glasses
Value $150
Special thanks to Allan Dwyer for this donation.

Mary Kay basket
Value $200
Special thanks to Rachel Wimberly for this donation.

Relax and Refresh Basket
Value $250
Special thanks to the following:
Rachel Wimberly for Mary Kay Products, Nicholas Sparks for autographed book, Michelle Gudlevich for wine, Salon Sorella for hair products, and me for the rest of the goodies!

Party Lite gift pack
Value $125
Special thanks to Susan Howard for this donation.

World Champions Framed Sign (Boston sports teams)
Value $200
Special thanks to Allan Dwyer for this donation.

Aquitaine Gift Certificate
Value $100
Donated by Aquitaine Chestnut Hill

F1 Boston
2 Racing Certificates for Complete Arrive and Drive Racing Session
Value $75
Donated by F1 Boston

Sightseeing Pack
Family 4 Pack to The Hall at Patriot Place (Patriot's Museum)
Photo Walks tour for 2 in Boston
2 Buy One Get One Free tickets for JFK Library and Museum
Value $130

J.P. Licks 10 Person Sundae Kit
Value $50
Donated by J.P. Licks

Improv Asylum 2 tickets (excludes Saturdays)
Value $50
Donated by Improv Asylum

The Fireplace "Fireside Chats" for 2
Value $60
Donated by The Fireplace

Other items include:
Cheesecake Factory gift certificate
Union Street Restaurant, Newton Center gift certificate
Margaritas gift certificate
PF Changs gift certificate
Dunn Gaherin's Irish Pub, Newton Highlands gift certificate
Cityside Restaurant, Brighton gift certificate
Corrib Pub, Brighton and W. Roxbury gift certificate
Sol Azteca, Newton gift certificate

Basket of wines and champagnes. . .

Other items TBA. . .

Pretty amazing right? You don't want to miss out on the chance of owning some of these items. All money from the silent auction will be donated directly back to the National MS Society through my fundraising efforts for the Walk MS Boston. Checks made out to National MS Society will be accepted for silent auction items.

Weekend Recap in iPhone Pictures

2011-10-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

Wow has it really been a week since I've blogged? Last week was busy and I was in a bad mood for a few days and I don't like to blog when I'm in a bad mood b/c it will just be one long vent. Basically my car broke down on my way to work right near a busy intersection and my car had to be towed. {Can't believe I didn't take a pic of my car being towed.} I got a new radiator which cost $640 (putting me in a really bad mood). Now the car is fixed and keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else goes wrong b/c I just can't afford it. This week is going to be a busy week too b/c my MS Fundraiser in on SATURDAY!!! I'm so excited but still have a lot to do to be ready. Check back later for a post w/ all the silent auction items listed!

Anyways now for the weekend. Thursday night I went to a Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Alumni event. I was a volunteer camp counselor in the summer of 2003 while I was in grad school. Unfortunately that was one year prior to having a digital camera so I don't have quick access to my pictures. It was an awesome experience. I was there for the Sickle Cell week and the kids were great. If you have never heard of this camp I highly recommend you check out the website. Besides the orginal in CT there are several others across the US and abroad. I hope someday to volunteer there again. This was the first alumni event I attended and it was a lot of fun. It just so happen to be located a mile from my house so super easy to get too! This is what we did. . .

We painted a picture of the dining hall from camp! It was a lot of fun!

Friday night my mom came over and we put together several baskets for the silent auction. They came out great and I'm so excited about all the great items I have!

On Saturday I went to sweet Riley's 3rd birthday party. She has a Dora party and had a lot of fun!

Owen on the other hand is the opposite of a party animal and slept in my arms for the entire party! According to his mom and dad he had a rough night and was pretty much awake all night so he needed a nap and Auntie Jodi made a perfect bed for him!

Sunday I had to work (per diem job supervising a visit w/ a parent and 2 kids). It was beautiful weather here this weekend and we enjoyed several hours outside at the Topsfield Fair. I had acutally never been so it was nice to see what it was all about but just a little too hot!

The goats w/ the floppy ears are my FAVORITE! I want one as a pet! We also had the pleasure of seeing racing pigs (who swam too), racing ducks, horses, bengal tigers, the largest pumpkin in New England and many other fun fair things!

And that was pretty much my weekend. Since all these pics are from my iPhone I'm linking up for:

Weekend Shopping

2011-10-03T06:52:00.000-04:00

I love shopping!!!! I love getting new clothes!!! This weekend I did some shopping to update the fall wardrobe. Thankfully between sales and coupons I got some GREAT deals!

I love The Limited. They always have some cute stuff and great clothes for work too. This weekend they were doing a sale of Buy One Get One Free. So I bought the 4 tops above but 2 of them were free. Amazing right?

All the jewelry was 40% off! I got 2 pairs of earrings (they look way cuter in person). I love them both. I was in need of some need "basics."

So here is the break down. If I had paid full price for the 4 tops and 2 pairs of earrings my total would have been - $217.60. Due to the sale and a coupon I had I only paid $86.26 and then I also was given a $25 coupon for the next time I'm there. AWESOME DEAL! Can you believe that I got all that stuff for just over 80 bucks!?

(And I am not being asked to write this post or receiving and compensation. Just want to share a great deal and the fun I had shopping)!

The rest of the weekend was spent soliciting silent auction donations. I must have gone to 20 different businesses around Boston. I will need to do a lot of follow up calls in the next few days but I am hopeful that some great donations are in the works. My event is less than 2 weeks away so I need this to happen! Keep your fingers crossed for me. Hoping to post some of the silent auction items on my blog in the next few days too.

MAAV Updates

2011-10-01T06:28:00.000-04:00

The MAAV Walk Committee has been very busy! The walk is only 22 days away and we still have a lot of fundraising to go to meet our goals. I am the captain of my work team, Hallmark Health, and I'll be walking with several of my colleagues. Family and friends are more than welcome to join me too! Donate to me here!

The Walk Committe was photographed for the local newspaper. Even as an adult I still get a kick out of being in the paper! :)

The Walk Leadership Members were also photographed for the local newspaper. This is with our sponsor, Stephen's Auto Body. Do you like our tee-shirts? Ask me about how to purchase one!

We recently had the Walk Kick Off party for team captains and it was a great night. In addition to a cute skit by 2 team captain we all had an opportunity to show our artistic side. "Everyone Has A Hand In Stopping Violence" is a community art project that MAAV is doing in preparation for the walk. By walk day this huge banner will be completely covered with hands from members of the community of all ages. So far it looks great!

Another night we had an event for community members to introduce our newest program, Center for Education in Violence Prevention. It was a great event and we were honored to have author, Megan Kelly, there to read an excerpt from her new book Dear Bully. If you are a teacher in Massachusetts I highly recommend our trainings especially the Bullying Prevention Trainings. Let me know if you are interested in learning more. For all teachers I highly recommend this book to you. It is a great tool to use with students of all ages. Check it out!

Catching up. . .

2011-09-30T19:17:00.000-04:00

Where the heck did this week go? So happy it is Friday and looking forward to relaxing this weekend but also hoping to get a lot done (especially stuff for my upcoming fundraiser). Today was a long and emotionally draining day at work so the weekend is coming at a perfect time. Today I did the kind of social work I like best but it also takes the most out of you. I sat with, counseled and supported a large family before, during and after they had their mother's life support removed. This is the kind of work I'm best at - what I'm meant to do - and I enjoy it. . . but it is exhausting and draining and sad. I get to go home and put it behind me. The family has to adjust to a new life - one without their mother who was very special to all of them.

On another note, don't even get me started about the Red Sox. I went to bed on Wed night w/ the Red Sox winning and Tampa Bay losing (by a lot like 7) so needless to say I thought I was save to go to sleep. WRONG. Talk about being in shock when I woke up on Thur morning. Disgusted. So sad the Red Sox are done but there is always next season.

And now for the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge that I clearly stunk at keeping up with this week (and last but who's keeping track?!) So here we go.

Day 8: Fall travel/road trips
Fortunately since I live in New England I don't have to go far to enjoy all that fall has to offer. On a daily basis I see leaves of beautiful colors, pumpkins, scarecrows, and other fall decorations. I do enjoy getting away for long weekends but this year I don't have any fall trips planned. Outside of New England I LOVE wine county in the fall. I've been in Sept twice and it is so beautiful that time of year. Last year I went to CA and spent a couple of days in wine country. Go here to read about that trip.

Day 9: Favorite football pastimes
Ok I know this might upset some of you and please don't stop reading my blog just b/c of this but I'm not really into football. GASP! For one I don't really understand the rules and just never really cared to learn them. I'll watch a game here and I certainly enjoy "football food" but that is about it. The last football game I went to was Notre Dame at Boston College. It was fun but more b/c of the teams and the rivalry. My brother, Steph (in pic) and several other friends graduated from ND and of course I went to BC for grad school but have always been more of a ND fan from growing up w/ my brother there.

Day 10: Thanksgiving memories
I love Thanksgiving. Any holiday that is all about yummy food is a good day in my book. I have a small extended family so traditionally we all get together every year (although in recent years my married brother and married cousin have been going to their in-laws). It is usually a relaxing day for me (since I don't have to do the cooking) and we always play a family game after dinner - our two favorites are "skat" which is basically trying to get 3 cards in the same suite as close to 31 as you can and "left, right, center" which is a dice game. We play both for money and even though it isn't much it is always fun to win!

Fall Blog Challenge - Day 7

2011-09-27T19:31:00.000-04:00

I'm linking up w/ Neely and Amber again today. Day 7 of the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge is Fall Recipes and this is an easy one for me b/c I definitely have a favorite that I always look forward to as soon as fall arrives.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN COOKIES

4 cups flour 1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar 2 eggs

2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 Tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt 2 cups chocolate chips

1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin 1 cup chopped walnuts - optional

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Add pumpkin, oil eggs, milk and vanilla.

Beat on medium speed until well mixed.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (optional).

Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet or cooking stone.

Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 14 minutes or until edges just begin to brown.

Cool for a minute and remove to racks to cool completely.

Makes about 42 cookies.

These cookies are DELICIOUS! The recipe makes a ton of cookies and they freeze really well. I often freeze a bunch of them and take a few out each week so that they last me all fall (and sometimes I share some too)! I highly recommend trying them out.

Three Years Ago Today. . .

2011-09-26T14:38:00.000-04:00

My life changed in an instant. . .

"You have MS" was all it took. . .

and here I am today, a changed woman. For the better?

I'm not sure. Stronger, yes. Braver, yes.

Who knew I was capable of surviving this?

Learning to be a health activist, advocate, fundraiser, event organizer and a patient. . .

I now know I am capable of all of these things and so much more still yet to be seen.

MS picked the wrong person when stopping by my body.

I will continue to be strong and brave, to advocate, to raise money and awareness. . .

until there is a cure!

MS has brought many negative things to my life but why focus on those? MS has also introduced me to amazing people who I likely never would have met.

MS motivated me to start a blog and what an amazing journey blogging has been. So thankful for all of the friends I've made through blogging.

MS had forced me to try things I may have never, ever tried. Like walk 50 miles in 3 days next September at the MS Challenge Walk. To model in a fashion show for MS this November. To be a health activist through many avenues and to speak for those who cannot. To organize fundraisers. To raise over $30,000 in three years with The Bean Team.

I never expected that this would be my life. But my life it is an what an amazing life that is. I'm so thankful for the continued support of my family, friends, colleagues, donors, and everyone else!

To read my diagnosis story go here.

Weekend Recap and Fall Blog Challenge

2011-09-26T06:52:00.001-04:00

Why do weekends go be SO fast? I had twice as much "planned" for this weekend but of course never got half of it done. That is just the way it goes I guess. It was a great weekend (except for the fact that the Red Sox lost a lot)!

Saturday started out with a massage and another massage therapist telling me that my shoulders are very tight. Ah yes I know! Only wish I could afford to get a massage once a week! :)

Saturday afternoon I went to visit my friends Justin and Alison and finally got to meet 8 week old Aubrey!

She is adorable and I LOVE her red hair. I learned that Ms. Aubrey had also had a massage that morning! She's a girl after my own heart.

Saturday evening was non-eventful with a trip to Target and a few other errands before crashing in my bed with reruns of Law and Order SVU.

Sunday morning I made my first ever trip to the SoWa Open Market in the South End of Boston.

I got to meet Amanda of Sweet Tea Paperie (you may remember that my first ever blog giveaway was with her). She has a table where she sells awesome soy candles in many delicious scents.

Amanda and I have a lot in common - we both went to college in NC, we both have masters in social work/counseling, we both live in Boston, we both love crafty stuff. . . so it was really fun chatting with her and getting to know her better. Hoping we get to hang out again soon (after she gets married in 3 weeks)!!

The market was pretty cool. They sell a lot of different things from jewelry, to baby hats, note cards, paintings, baby clothes, dog clothes, etc.

There were a lot of people walking around and shopping. There were also a lot of dogs there! People in the South End sure love their dogs! :)

There is also a farmer's market with fruit, veggies, flowers and lots of yummy treats!

Sunday after we had a family get together to celebrate my Aunt Cathy's retirement. My aunt was an elementary teacher for 30 years and then took a leave from teaching to be the Political Director at American Federation of Teachers (AFT) for 9 years.

We went to Margaritas Restaurant and enjoyed margaritas and yummy food!

Laney enjoyed being passed around the table! She is such a happy baby and smiles all the time. I just couldn't seem to catch her smiling in a photo - hate that delay on digital cameras!

After we went back to my brother's house for cake and presents. Cathy got a lot of great retirements gifts that she will hopefully find time to enjoy! She has quite a few vacations planned which are all well deserved! Congratulations Cathy! Enjoy and make the most of your new "job!

Fall Blog Challenge: Day 6 - Fall TV Shows

I'll admit that I am a bit of a tv junkie. I use to watch a lot of tv but lately I just don't have time anymore. I really don't watch any 10 PM shows anymore b/c I just can't stay awake that late! I've also lost interest in a bunch of shows I use to watch. Here are some of my faves:

The Sing Off
Parenthood
Law and Order SVU
Gossip Girl and 90210 (when I have time)
The Bachelor (looking forward to Ben)!

For new shows not sure if there is really anything I'm dying to see but open to suggestions if you've watched any good ones!!!!

Fall Blog Challenge: Day 5

2011-09-25T20:44:00.001-04:00

Yes I realize I pretty much stink at this blog challenge. Better late than never though right!? So here is Day 5 a couple of days late. I'll try to be better on week 2 but no promises!

So Day 5 is things I am looking forward to for Fall. Since I have already talked about some of my favorite fall things on Day 1 I'm going to be more specific in this post and talk about things I'm looking forward to specific to THIS Fall.

Saturday, October 15th - Jodi Bean's 2nd Annual Fundraiser for MS
This year I hope my event will be bigger and better! There will be awesome silent auction items, food, drinks and plenty of good times. In case you haven't heard THE BEAN TEAM IS TAKING OVER BEAN TOWN!

Sunday, October 23rd - MAAV 16th Annual Walk and Candlelight Vigil
I'll be walking to raise awareness about a very important issue, domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and this is just one way to contribute.

Monday, October 24th - Hallmark Health's Cutting For A Cure
I've organized an event at work along with Halo Studio in Melrose. I along with several of my colleagues will be cutting 8 or more inches of our hair and donating it to Pink Heart Funds. I've donated my hair twice before and I'm excited (and nervous) to go short again!

Friday, November 18th - Fashion Plates
I'm involved in this event for the first time this year. I joined the committee to help out behind the scenes and ended up committing to being a model too. So nervous since this is a little bit out of my comfort zone but so excited to model with so many other amazing women with MS. Looking forward to showing off my new hair, getting my makeup done and wearing some really cute clothes from Ports & Company.

And of course I'm looking forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and hopefully a trip to Atlanta to meet Patrick!

Magners Event and Fall Blog Challenge: Day 4

2011-09-22T15:09:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday night I went to my first Girls' Pint Out event. It was a Magners Tasting at Back Bay Social Club in Boston. Magners especially Pear Magners is my favorite! I tried it for the first time a few years ago while visiting Ireland and have been a fan ever since. I'm so happy more bars are finally carrying it here in Boston. If you haven't tried it I highly recommend it.

My cousin, Katelyn and I went to the event. She is a Magners lover too! And yes there are 5 pints of Magners in front of us. This was not your typical "tasting" rather it was drink as much as you can! Haha! We sampled the tradition cider as well as the pear but they served us full pints which was pretty nice. We also got to take home a keychain/bottle opener. Magners and Girls' Pint Out sure knows how to host an event!

Day 4: Fall Decorating

I love decorating for all the seasons and holidays. I have tons of stuff (much of it is hand me downs from my mom but really nice stuff). When I lived in a big house/apartment w/ roommates I decorated for everything. Now that I live in a much smaller place I don't do as much decorating. The majority of my stuff is being stored in my brother's attic.

This was the extent of my fall decorating last year! Yup that's it. Pretty cute though right? I picked those out last year when I took Peyton to the pumpkin patch. Hopefully we'll get there again this year. Oh and I hang a fall welcome sign on my front door. Someday I'll be able to decorate more when I live in a bigger place again.

Fall Blog Challenge: Day 3

2011-09-22T14:47:00.000-04:00

I'm linking up with Neely and Amber again. Check out their blogs for more details!

What do you do for Halloween or a Halloween memory:

My junior year of high school I hosted a Halloween party with my three best friends. I was a cowgirl! We invited all of our friends from school and it was so much fun. I remember that it was daylight savings so we were hoping we would all be allowed to stay out an hour later but no such luck! It is also the same night my highschool boyfriend asked me to be his girlfriend!

As a kid I loved Halloween. I was a witch for MANY years and my Cabbage Patch Kid, Mitzy, had a matching costume that my mom made. It was so cute. My best costume ever was when I was a "dirty laundry basket" and I cut a hole in the bottom of the basket and wore it w/ clothes in it! Still trying to find pictures that I can scan in.

As an adult I'm not the biggest fan of dressing up. Not sure why. I guess I just feel like all the good ideas have been used and I don't go to Halloween parties anyways so I don't really have to worry about it. I do love seeing my nieces and all the little kids dress up!

Fall Blog Challenge and Favorite Things Swap

2011-09-20T08:32:00.001-04:00

DAY 2 - FALL CLOTHES/TRENDS/MAKEUP

My favorites include: boots, layers, leggins and long shirts, scarves, dark nail polishes (reds and purples), sweater dresses, turtlenecks (not the dorky ones we wore as kids) and much more!

Link up with Neely and Amber to play along with the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge!

Leeann at Join The Gossip organized a "Favorite Things Swap" for bloggers. I thought it would be fun to participate so joined in! I was matched with Becky at Becky's Babbles. I sent her a package with some of my favorite things and got a package from her with some of her faves. Here is what came in the mail for me:

Chocolate, chick flicks, OPI nail polish and foot scrubs (which I totally need haha)! Great stuff right!? I love getting mail and getting packages is like a million times better so I had a great time participating in this swap. I also got to find a great new blog to read and have enjoyed learning about Becky and her family.

Wonderful Weekend {Recap} and Fall Blog Challenge

2011-09-19T20:30:00.000-04:00

Another great weekend that went by way too fast. . .

The weekend started out at Fenway Park. Taylor (the 14 yr old I mentor) and I went to the Red Sox game and FINALLY saw a win AND had good weather. Taylor and I have been to many games and the Sox either lose or the weather is freezing and rainy or all of the above! Haha!

We took some self portraits but were usually laughing too much to get a good one!

While I was trying to get Taylor to take a pic of me I was taking pics of myself (while making funny faces) and I think she thought I was crazy. But it worked and she finally took a pic w/ me!! I got to catch up w/ one of my former adoptive couples at the game too. Gotta love FB - they posted they were at the game and they were sitting not far from us. So nice to see them!

Taylor slept at my apartment that night so that we could do one of our favorite things on Saturday. We went apple picking at Honey Pot Hill in Stow. We've been there before and both really like this orchard. It was the most BEAUTIFUL day and we had a lot of fun.

We got to pick apples and pears and of course we made sure to sample several (just to make sure they were ok)! My favorite is Gala and Taylor's favorite is Macintosh. We got plenty of both!

After we had too many apples to carry we went to the farm store, ate lots of food including my fave cider donuts, saw the pigs and goats, and ran into Sam and Jake (the twins I babysit). We all did the hedge maze together. Taylor and I have done it before and let me tell you - we were no better at it this time. We all kept getting lost and it took us a while to find the center but we finally did! We had such fun. Apple picking is one of my most favorite fall activities so I'm glad I knocked it off my list early and still have time to do many more fun fall adventures!

On Sunday I had to work supervising a visit for a family. I hate working on weekends but really can't pass up the money especially when I just had to get new brakes on my car this week! Fortunately the visit was outside so I got to make the most of another beautiful day.

We went on a hike to an overlook in Gloucester. When we got to the top there was a beautiful view!

After our hike we went to Woodman's for lunch and enjoyed views of the salt marshes. Woodman's is where scenes from the movie Grown Ups was filmed! It is a very popular restaurant and I had actually never been there before (likely due to the fact that I don't eat seafood) but I learned that they have gluten free batter for their fried fish so I though my friends w/ celiac disease would like to know that.

Sunday afternoon when I finished working I was exhausted and really wanted to go home and take a nap. But I went and did some silent auction "soliciting" in my neighborhood. Jodi Bean's 2nd Annual Fundraiser for MS is October 15th and that date will be here before I know it. Got to get to work. If anyone would like to make a donation for my silent auction please email me. I will advertise your donation/site/blog/shop on my blog and FB page!

I'm participating in the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge. In case you haven't noticed my blog has been a little shall we say quiet lately. . . I've been so busy and just too tired at night to blog. Well this will give me ideas/topics to blog about every day for 2 weeks so I thought it would be fun.

Day 1 is FALL TRADITIONS

I've just told you about one in this post. I LOVE apple picking and make sure to go every fall. It really gets you in the mood for the season. I also love making apple crisp. I like crisp better than pie. Hoping to have time in the next few days to do some baking.

Every fall I look forward to seeing my nieces in their Halloween costumes. They get so excited to get dressed up and look so cute. I already know what they are going to be this year and they are sure to be adorable! To check out their costumes from past years go here.

Foliage is another favorite part of fall for me. Here in New England we get the most beautiful colors. Just driving to work everyday is like a mini sightseeing tour. I look forward to the changing of the leaves every year.

Of course I love the treats that come with fall from cider donuts, apple cider, carmel apples, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and much more! Fall is a yummy time of year.

Oh and hopefully seeing the Red Sox in the PLAYOFFS!

Hope you enjoyed reading about some of my fall traditions/favorites. Join in with Neely and Amber.

And The Winner Is. . .

2011-09-14T15:48:00.000-04:00

#22 Katie from Keep Calm &Carry On

AND since Katie was already a reader of my blog and therefore not sure who "sent" her I picked a 2nd winner. . .

#14 Melissa from A Little Loveliness. I have to give a special thank you to Melissa who blogged about my giveaway and sent many new followers my way. Thanks Melissa! It is quite fitting that you won. Hope your "referrals" like my blog! :)

Amanda from Sweet Tea Paperie will be contacting you guys about claiming your plates! I'm jealous!!!

Thanks everyone for entering my giveaway. I hope to do another one very soon.

MS Challenge Walk 2011

2011-09-13T20:25:00.001-04:00

This past week was the MS Challenge Walk on Cape Cod. For those of you who don't know what that is it is 50 miles in 3 days. The walkers walk 20 miles Friday, 20 miles Saturday and 10 miles Sunday. Many of the miles are walked to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The majority of the walkers and crew stay at the Cape Cod Sea Camps which is where all of the meals and events happen too. My mom and I did crew for the 2nd year in a row. To read about our experiences last year go here. For the first time The Bean Team was represented at the Challenge Walk by my sister-in-law Jenn and my cousin-in-law Meghan. They walked 50 miles and have already committed to doing it again next year (and somebody else may have too but more about that later).

This year was the 10th Anniversary and the theme was "Welcome to the Circus." There was plenty of circus related decorations, food (popcorn and cotton candy), clowns and acrobats! On the 1st day my mom and I spent the day decorating the Big Top Tent for that night.

These two women from Airly Acrobatics performed on the trapeze and using silk. It was outstanding! I loved watching these two women who are incredibly strong but also so graceful.

Day 1 - Opening ceremonies were on the Village Green in Hyannis. After that Jenn and Meghan were off to walk 20 miles and my mom and I went to the Sea Camps to begin our day. We made sure to make it to the finish line at the Sea Camps to see Jenn and Meghan come in. They looked great! They were off to soak their feet and have massages. Good rewards after walking 20 miles! After dinner and the evening program it was time for bed. Lights were off by 9 PM in our cabin! Wake up call comes early!

Day 2 - They were off for another 20 miles. Once they were gone the crew got busy breaking down things from the day before and decorating for the evening candlelight program. We decorated the "wall of hope" and did some "chalk" drawing to welcome the girls back. We again greeted them at the finish line. The evening program for Saturday night is always very special and inspirational. There were two special speakers - a husband of a woman w/ MS and a 10 year walker who has MS. Both shared their personal stories and what the Challenge Walk has meant to them. Always a special part of the weekend. At the end we light candles while a poem is read.

Day 3 - "Only" 10 miles today! The walkers were off and we welcomed them in at the pre-finish line in Dennis. We all enjoyed lunch together and then loaded buses to Hyannis. All the walkers, staff and crew walked down Main St. in Hyannis together. Family and friends were waiting for us on the village green to cheer us in. Jenn and Meghan did such a great job. Despite blisters and sore bodies they walked all 50 miles! So proud of them for their commitment and for raising over $3,000 for MS.

We stayed in the same cabin as last year. Lucky #13! We sleep in bunk beds (luckily we all got bottom bunks) and we have bathrooms but no showers. We have to walk to another building to take a shower. So kind of roughing it. It is about as close to camping as I'm going to get these days.

Peyton, Ella and Laney were very happy to see Jenn and Meghan. Lots of hugs and kisses were given. My dad, my brother Timmy, my cousin Chad and cousin Katelyn all greeted us too. So thankful for all of their support!

It is really hard to put to words how amazing this event is. You just have to be there and experience it to really "get it." You get to be around so many wonderful people both w/ MS and w/o. So awesome that over 600 walkers and over 200 crew members come together to raise over 1 million for MS! Together we are truly making a difference and helping to find a cure for MS. Someday we hopefully won't need to do a fundraising walk and will just all get together for a big celebration party - celebrating a cure!

So feeling truly inspired by the even and by my Jenn and Meghan I have decided to actually walk the walk next year. I must be crazy. My body may hate me afterwards but I just want to experience it from the walkers perspective. So what do you say? Want to walk with me? Want to crew with my mom? The Bean Team is welcoming new members!!!!

To join The Bean Team go here.

2 More Days. . .

2011-09-11T19:49:00.000-04:00

There is still time to enter my giveaway for a Monogrammed Summer Plate from Sweet Tea Paperie! Just become a follower of my blog and leave a comment of how you found me. If you are already a follower just leave me a comment. I will pick a winner on Tuesday!

Remembering. . .

2011-09-11T06:29:00.000-04:00

September 11, 2001

Never Forget

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

Wow what a week! I can't believe I haven't even had a chance to blog about my wonderful Labor Day weekend. This will be a quick post tonight b/c I have to get to bed. I'm on the Cape for the MS Challenge Walk which starts tomorrow at 7:30 AM. My mom and I are "crew" and my sis-in-law and cousin-in-law are walking 50 miles in 3 days! I crewed last year and it was SO.MUCH.FUN! I'm excited to have Jenn and Meghan join us. So you won't hear from my on the blog this weekend but you can follow we on twitter @jodibean328 for live updates about the walk!

Friday night Emily and I went to the Red Sox game. Unfortunately it was a terrible game for us. The "highlight" of the game was that we got a free baseball since it was the 700th consecutive sell out! And after many people left we moved to better seats. We have one more game to go to next Fri night so hopefully we'll see a win.

Saturday morning I drove to Asbury Park, NJ to visit my friend Rhonda and her family. I lived w/ Rhonda in Long Beach, CA in 1999/2000. We worked together as Americorps VISTA members for Habitat for Humanity. We had a lot of fun and made great memories! After Rhonda got married she moved to NJ which is nice since it is so much closer but unfortunately I still don't see her enough! FINALLY made the trip down so that I could meet my beautiful Godson Rais who is two. I hadn't seen Rohan since he was about 6 months old and he is now 3 1/2! So my visit was long overdue.

I had such a great time hanging w/ Rhonda and her family. It took no time at all for the kids to become comfortable w/ me and Rhonda's niece was my BFF and asked "can I come home w/ you?" We all had a lot of fun hanging out and playing. They really liked my air bed and all wanted to sleep w/ me! I told them no kids in my bed! ;)

We played "beauty parlor" and I let all the kids do my hair. Thankfully I was drinking a glass of wine which relaxed me so I really didn't care what they did to my hair. I have to say they were very good "stylists!"

If you want to get kids to like you just let them play w/ your iPhone. It works like a charm. I literally had 3 children sitting on top of me! They mastered the games in all of 2 minutes which always amazes me!

It was so nice spending time w/ Rhonda and catching up in person. I love spending time w/ fellow social work friends. Too bad Rhonda doesn't like the beach. I dragged her down there anyways.

The kids on the other hand, loved the beach. Rhonda literally lives 2 blocks from the beach so we walked down to play on the playground. The playground got buried in the tropical storm so it was a whole new experience for the kids.

I of course gave the boys some Red Sox shirts! They loved them haha! Some guy on the beach asked "are they actually Red Sox fans?" Really dude? Why would they be wearing shirts if they weren't? I told him I was from Boston and therefore they were fans. He said "I'm sorry." Don't worry his wife put him in him place!!

After plenty of playing on the playground for a little while it was time to put our toes in the ocean. Well the waves were huge so toes turned into half of our bodies (except Rhonda who doesn't like beach). I had to take turns bringing the kids into the water. We did 1 - 2 - 3- JUMP! Rais kept saying "Mom look at we!" While laughing hysterically. It was so fun.

Rohan decided he was brave enough to take a turn too. We got soaked but it was so much fun. I was exhausted after all the jumping! It was definitely time for an ice cream break!

They were very happy w/ their ice creams and looked pretty cute sitting there! They all took long naps once we got home which gave Rhonda and I a chance to go shopping!

Rhonda's older nieces came along and we had a "fashion show." They insisted on "dressing me" and did a pretty good job. I actually really liked the silver hat so I bought it. Best part - it was only $1.98!

I left early Sun morning before all the kids woke up so that I could drive 45 minutes to Edison to meet up w/ Marisa and her family. Marisa and I have been friends since freshman year at Elon. I had never met her 14 month old daughter Ryleigh so I was pretty excited to see them. We had breakfast at the Edison Diner. Madeline enjoyed playing w/ the stickers I brought her and was very good! We had a lot of fun catching up and I look forward to making a road trip to PA to see them in their new house soon. Thanks for meeting up Marisa!

On my drive home from NJ I stopped to meet baby Owen. My very good friend Kendall gave birth on Friday evening to this handsome little guy. He joins big sister Riley at home! I love holding newborns and was so glad I could stop by for a visit. Can't wait to get my hands on him again soon.

There is still time to enter my giveaway. I'll pick the winner on Tuesday!

Happy Birthday Dad

2011-09-05T20:35:00.000-04:00

I had a WONDERFUL Labor Day weekend. I got to see friends and meet babies! I took SO many pics that I'm still organizing/editing. Hope to get a Labor Day weekend recap post up tomorrow.

Just wanted to do a quick post to wish my father a very happy birthday. He did his favorite thing, umpire today so I'm sure it was a good day for him!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Love, Bean

Sweet Tea Paperie Summer Plate Giveaway!

2011-09-01T18:23:00.002-04:00

My first ever blog giveaway in honor of reaching 100 followers starts now! I'm very excited to host this giveaway and I think you are going to love it!

We may be approaching Labor Day weekend but that doesn't mean that summer has to end! I'm holding up to that "summer feeling" just a tad bit longer by doing an awesome giveaway. Have you checked out Sweet Tea Paperie? Amanda has the most adorable items. I actually learned about her after winning my first ever giveaway. I just ordered my monogrammed iPhone case and I can't wait for it to arrive. While I was deciding what to use my $40 gift certificate for I also fell in love with these plates. Aren't they the cutest? Well I am giving one away. Actually I'm giving two away!

To enter:

You must be a follower of my blog. Leave me a comment that you are a follower and state how you found my blog. . . as in who "referred" you (if you can't remember or you are a long time follower that is ok just leave that part blank and I'll win the 2nd plate!)

When I choose the winner the person who sent them to my blog will also win! So in order to increase your chances to win you need to spread the word about my giveaway on your blog, Facebook and twitter! The more people you get to enter who state your name the better chance you have to also win! Get it?

What are you waiting for? Share my button and spread the news!!!

Winner will be chosen on Tuesday, September 13th!!!

Want a plate now? Enter the discount code JodiBean and get 10% off your order!

HOW COME I NEVER KNEW ABOUT THIS???!!!

2011-08-31T19:28:00.000-04:00

BabyLand General Hospital AKA Cabbage Patch Kid mecca!!!!! Thanks to my post today I have found out that MANY of you loved your CPKs as much as I did/do. Heather who blogs at The Yotes Diva sent me a link to this article which then lead me to this website for BabyLand General Hospital.

This place is like the American Girl Doll Store for my generation! Haha! Is it sad that I am SO excited to go and visit this place!? Don't worry I'm not planning a special trip. I have already planned a trip to Atlanta to visit my friend Amber when her baby is born in October. I emailed her the link and told her we must go here and guess what. . . she was holding out on me. She not only knew about this place but she has been there!!!! She said she never knew I would be interested in going. In her defense I guess most people don't know about my obession w/ CPK. The good news is that we will have a "cover" aka her 4 year old daughter Eva. My plan - bring Eva to the CPK hospital like she is the one who wants to go but really it is me who wants to go. Maybe then I will look less crazy. Haha!!!

I've been planning to go to my parent's attic to get out some of my stuff and now I'm motivated to get the CPKs down to check them out and see how they have survived up there for all these years.

Please don't stop following me b/c you think I'm crazy! I promise this is just momentary insanity due to my extra stressful few days at work. I'll be back to "myself" soon.

My Childhood Faves (Oh, How Pinteresting!)

2011-08-31T05:45:00.000-04:00

Let me just start out by saying that this week has been crazy (yes I do realize it is only Wed morning but believe we when I tell you it feels like it has been much longer.) I've had a VERY complicated case going on at work for the past 6 months that has been causing a lot of stress. Yesterday was a big day (sorry I would love to go into detail but due to confidentiality I really can't elaborate) and today we should get some news that will help us move forward. So I will be anxiously awaiting the "news" and trying to distract myself at a domestic violence conference type thing that I'm going to today as part of my role as hospital social worker and MAAV board member.

Anyways. . . on to more interesting stuff. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE pinterest? Lately I've noticed a lot of people pinning things from the past and I just had to pick out a few of my childhood faves to share w/ y'all.

POGO BALLS

Do you remember pogo balls? I had a blue and gray one and my brother had a red and black one. I loved this thing. I can remember bringing it to recess at school and jumping all over the place. So much fun!

Source: media.locals.ca via Jodi on Pinterest

MY LITTLE PONY

I must have had 100 ponies. I loved playing w/ these little friends. I had many accessories for them too. I never liked Barbie but I loved My Little Pony!

Source: popcrunch.com via Jodi on Pinterest

KOOSH BALLS

Ok so wish I was the one to invent these silly toys! I had an entire basket filled w/ koosh balls. All different sizes and colors. I loved playing with and collecting these things. Not sure why!

Source: iamthemill.com via Jodi on Pinterest

JELLY SHOES

Do they still make these? I can't even remember if they were comfortable but I know I had a pair in every color when I was little. Now I can't even decide if I think they are cute or cheesy but I know I loved them as a kid!

Source: google.com via Jodi on Pinterest

CHARM NECKLACES

Did you have one of these awesome plastic necklaces with all of the charms? I remember "trading" charms w/ friends and being so excited to get a "new" charm to add to my collection!

Source: etsy.com via Jodi on Pinterest

CABBAGE PATCH KIDS

I could do an entire post on these little friends. I had (well I should save have since they are in my parent's attic packed away for my future children or my nieces) 12 CPK. Yes 12! I could probably still tell you all of their names too. Haha! CPK was one of my most favorite things as a kid. I loved dolls and played w/ these all the time. One of my favorite memories is one day after school my mom picked me up and told me that The Fair (a store kind of like a Target today) had just gotten in some CPK (as they were impossible to get your hands on) and she was taking me to get one. We went over and I got to pick one out to add to my collection. I actually can't remember which one I got that day but I think it was "Laura" w/ the light brown hair in a pony tail w/ a pink dress (Mom do you remember?) Did anyone else love CPK as much as me?

Source: google.com via Jodi on Pinterest

GYMP

Gymp will always remind me of summer and camp. I was the gymp queen. I could do square, circle, zipper, butterfly, etc. I loved doing gymp and thought it was really cool that camp had so many colors to choose from!

Source: flickr.com via Jodi on Pinterest

So there you have it - a bunch of my childhood fans via Pinterest. Were any of these your favorites as a kid? Anything I'm forgetting that you think I might have loved?

If you want an invitation to Pinterest send me an email and let me know. You can follow me here.