http://skamarakas.com/anna A day in the life of Anna Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:19:23 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I want to start this blog by telling you my goal.  In honor of my sister Bean, I am collecting books - new and gently used - that will be donated to various children's charities in Bean's memory.  I would absolutely LOVE to have 100 books to donate by the end ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/02/21/please-help-in-honor-of-bean Let's start by saying I did not purchase the Hot Pockets.  And were it not for Jim Gaffigan and his comedy routine, I doubt Jim would have purchased Hot Pockets.  But there they were.  And here I was.  Friday night, no offer of take away pizza from the husband, and ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/02/12/hot-pockets-oh-this-should-be-interesting     There is nothing more convenient on Valentine's Day than one stop shopping - and if it's one stop shopping that causes your Valentine to swoon, even better (honey, are you paying attention?).  Your wife is over the uncomfortable lingerie you have purchased every year since the dawn of time, and ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/02/12/awesome-valentines-weekend-offers-at-mccormick-schmick We're not big on Valentine's Day in my house.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've gotten a Valentine's gift from my husband, and one of those gifts was delivered to the hospital as I was in labor with my middle daughter, Eilis.  It was a ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/02/12/10-best-last-minute-and-not-so-expensive-things-to-do-on-valentines-day not to be able to bear blindness, that is miserable. - John Milton Well, as many of you know, Jim has been struggling with his eyesight for a number of years.  It started back in 2002, and has alternated between some good days, some bad days, some awful days.  We have finally ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/02/10/to-be-blind-is-not-miserable I love me some vacation time - as I'm sure you can guess, if you've been reading.  Fortunately, I have a husband who thinks nothing of driving cross country at the drop of a hat, and if an opportunity to visit someplace new presents itself, he jumps on the idea.  ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/01/22/10-for-10-annas-top-ten-travel-tips-for-2010 My plans for the day included nothing more than dinner at Kouzzina.  I figured we'd probably hit a park, and since my friend Dori and her daughter Aviva are also here at Disney World, I had assumed we'd meet up and take all the kids together. Then Jim enters with what ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/01/22/walt-disney-world-christmas-vacation-day-2 I blissfully go about life getting stuff done when it needs to get done.  As a result, I do all of my best packing last minute.  If I pack too soon, I start second guessing what I need to bring, why I need to bring it, and end up packing ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2010/01/14/skamarakas-family-disney-christmas-trip-a-palooza-day-1 I get asked this question.  A lot. And it surprises me every time! This is my youngest daughter, Granuaile, during her very first visit to Walt Disney World.  She was four months old at the time, and of course the memories of this vacation are not her memories.  She will look ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2009/12/15/how-old-is-too-young-to-visit-walt-disney-world Aunt Charlotte's Candy 5 W. Maple Avenue Merchantville, NJ 08109 856-662-0058 I have to tell you, I'm late to the table when it comes to Aunt Charlotte's Candies.  My dad used to live in Clementon, NJ, and he was a diehard fan of Giambri's Candies - a Clementon favorite.  Every year for Easter and ... http://skamarakas.com/anna/2009/12/14/aunt-charlottes-candies-a-long-standing-holiday-tradition