January 7th, 2010 11:18am
by Shawn Arnold
Okay I’m not shoveling snow but most of the state of Florida is experiencing long lasting low temps that have made me adapt a bit.
I’m looking south.
There’s not a lot more south for us in Polk County as there is for the rest of the country, but I checked out the south, the Florida Keys that is, all the same. …
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TAGS bring in the pets, cat, coffee, Cold Weather Clothes, covering plants, drive to school, Electric bill, Florida, freezing temperatures in Florida, Great Dane, kids, Mom, Polk County, Polk Native, tarps, Teen, The Florida Keys, unusual cold | CATEGORY Parenting
December 8th, 2009 09:03pm
by Shawn Arnold
I am so excited about the gifts I am giving to a handful of family this year.
I like to browse in the Hancock Fabric store in Lakeland. In one of my last ventures there I saw a pillow with text message jargon. It included phrases like, plz (please), lol (Laugh out Loud), btw (By the Way), and many, many others. …
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TAGS gift ideas, Hancock Fabric, home made gifts, pillows, sew, teens, text messaging, texting | CATEGORY Parenting
December 4th, 2009 03:27pm
by Shawn Arnold
I’m inspired by many things right now on posting this topic. The Ledger’s Plant To Ponder: Poinsettia, is an obvious indication. Of course my love of greenery and making things festive at my own house has pots of the plant already out, but lastly, an important one, I met a local mom at LRMC emergency room last night, with a …
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November 24th, 2009 09:26am
by Shawn Arnold
My family, with a group of friends, hit the premiere weekend of ICE at Gaylord Palms. We initially planned for a later Saturday afternoon but by the time our childrens’ soccer games completed a little later than scheduled, we had to reconsider. One of my friends called Gaylord to confirm a closing time for ICE and was informed tickets had already …
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TAGS Family, Gaylord Palms, Gnome Hunt, Holiday Trip, ICE, Ice Art, Orlando, Parka, PolkMoms, review, Sculpture, Seasonal | CATEGORY Parenting
November 11th, 2009 11:44am
by Shawn Arnold
For me, this announcement ranks right up there with presidential election results and winning lottery numbers.
For a week and a half, Ken, the plastic mister made by Mattel and adored by my daughter, went missing. This may not seem like a major calamity for many a household but at the Arnold casa, it brought plenty of drama, with an, “oh, …
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TAGS Barbie, children, cleaning, Found Toy, Ken, Lillian, Lost toy, love, Mattel, Polk Moms, search | CATEGORY Parenting
October 27th, 2009 11:47am
by Shawn Arnold
I feel bad, but then I don’t. For the first time, I didn’t go out and buy brand new Halloween costumes for my kids.
Lilly, for her birthday in June, received a really cute Barbie Princess dress up set she’s on board to wear. In fact, try to convince her she’s not wearing this and beware. Her insistence made me realize …
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October 22nd, 2009 10:59am
by Shawn Arnold
October 16th brought the movie release of “Where the Wild Things Are” and with it, a 1984 childhood memory.
Me, with my fellow second graders, gathered around a school librarian. She read us the book of the same title, written by Maurice Sendak.
The book left an impression on the young girl that was me; the disturbing dark content (the main character, …
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TAGS childhood, children, children's books to movie, movie, PG rating, review, Where the Wild Things Are | CATEGORY Parenting
August 16th, 2009 07:15pm
by Shawn Arnold
If you have kids in middle and high school, there’s a good chance they’re dealing with combination lock use and locks are on your back to school shopping list. Some of you may be in the market for locks for younger children securing bicycles they ride to school.
It would be ideal if you could buy one lock and it last …
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TAGS High School, kids, locks, lost combinations, Middle School, school security, teens | CATEGORY Parenting
July 17th, 2009 10:46am
by Shawn Arnold
I successfully charted my cycle to conceive and to avoid conception in past. With the birth of baby number five, my husband opted for a vasectomy. With that procedure, my need for knowing my fertile zone had vanished. I found myself slacking in keeping track of my monthly cycle. To be honest, my charting …
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July 6th, 2009 08:07pm
by Shawn Arnold
I thought it was time to add to the family several months ago in the form of a feline family member. We visited the SPCA located in Lakeland. Not only did we come home with one kitty, but two.
We have been blessed and often remark on hitting the kitty lottery. Both Baker and Clyde …
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