The Random Rebel Coffee Blog

Happy Mother's Day! $25 & Under

Sherri Caldwell — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:20:23 +0000

Happy Mother's Day! $25 & Under - Part One

by Sherri Caldwell - The Rebel Housewife®
http://www.rebelhousewife.com

As a Mom, I could easily rattle off a dozen ways, and more, in which I could be fabulously gifted on Mother's Day for under $25. (In response to a challenge from NerdWallet -- this is probably not what they had in mind, but there you go. I appreciate the great suggestion and motivation to do a Mother's Day blog post this year!)

Here's a Quickie: FIVE Best Gifts Under $25 For Mom:

A BOOK (my most-favorite thing!) or gift card to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. Specific suggestion? Shameless plug: Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss! or anything by Erma Bombeck -- trust me, she'll love it.
Lunch at my favorite restaurant. You do know Mom's favorite restaurant, right? (This Mom's is La Fonda Latina - Atlanta).
Candles/Flowers (preferably plants) - so many choices! Check this out:
Candles (BBW) -- Ooh, how 'bout them candles? (LOVE those flameless ones for outside!)
CHOCOLATE -- and not the cheap stuff you can buy in the check-out lane at the grocery store; at least go to the candy aisle and get some decent truffles. Look for Lindt LINDOR Assorted Chocolate Truffles. Yum.
Jewelry -- watches, earrings, bracelets/anklets, oh my! -- Amazon Jewelry Sale.
My top picks -- and, coincidentally, Happy Mother's Day to ME:

There you go...easy! Now, if you want to go super-special, under-under $25, check Part Two for some other thoughts and ideas:

Happy Mother's Day! $25 & Under - Part Two

Mother's Day: Thru the Years

As a new mother, 18 years ago, for my first and five-or-so subsequent Mother's Days, I needed nothing more than TIME -- for myself. The greatest imaginable gift for those early, blissful, exhausted Mother's Days would have been a coupon book or certificate of offerings from friends, family, husband, neighbors...anyone...TIME: an offer to change a diaper; baby's hour out; nap-time for Mommy; Date Night w/Daddy; 15 minutes to go to the bathroom or take a shower; a delivered meal. All free, or nearly so, but of inestimable worth to the new Mommy. (Of course, jewelry is always appropriate, especially birth-stone jewelry or mother's jewelry -- or diamonds, always perfect! Not necessarily under $25, or under-under, but I digress...)

Five years later (noting I had three children, age five & under, at this point), I treasured every toddler and kid-made arts & crafts symbol of love: the macaroni necklaces, handpainted plant pots; "stained glass" paper creations, thumbprint-decorated cardstock photo frames, ceramic handprints in clay. If my kids slapped glue and glitter paint on a stick, I loved it. I can still visualize those precious gifts, wrapped in simple tissue paper, so eagerly given by those little hands, the super-big-hugs. I still have many of those wonderful, priceless gifts.

As the mother of teenagers, 13 years later, there is a cat's-in-the-cradle aspect to everything, and the ideal gift is TIME -- with my kids. Appreciation. "I love you, Mom." A family dinner at home (without having to cook or clean up after) -- "you take it easy today, Mom." A kid who might pick up their own dirty clothes, turn their own stinky socks rightside out, even run a load of laundry -- woo! Another excellent idea for teenagers: help Mom with the TECHNOLOGY! Set up a ringtone for her; show her how to download and listen to music she would actually like, or a cool app; figure out for her why it's making that noise, or that light keeps flashing, or why it won't do what I want it to (whatever it is).

As a Mom, I can tell you-- Mother's Day does not need to be expensive or extravagant -- truly, it shouldn't be -- to be special. How these 18 years slipped away so quickly, I don't know. Everyone said they would, and they were right.

So relax.

The happiest Mother's Days are completely free: "I love you, Mom. Thank you."
I need to go get a nose-wipie (Kleenex) now...
Happy, Happy Mother's Day - Make it Special.

Happy Mother's Day - Kindle-tastic! $20 OFF

Sherri Caldwell — Mon, 06 May 2013 22:29:53 +0000

In case you are still looking for the perfect last-minute gift for Mother's Day -- or Graduation! -- I've just heard from a very good source:

This week there is a DEAL on Kindle Fire HD for Mother's Day. The 7" Kindle Fire HD will be $179 ($20 off) until Mother's Day (May 12th). The promo code is FIRE4MOM at checkout on Amazon.com.

Here's a pic of my (reluctant) first Kindle -- and an excellent suggestion for
the perfect first book for Mom's Kindle:
The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss! -- also on sale!

And, for my personal take on Kindle (which I now find I can't live without), enjoy:

Rebel Review - Kindle: Love or Hate?

Why Gift Kindle for Mom This Year?

Mom is busy and works hard. She deserves a few minutes of me-time! Kindle Paperwhite is a great accessory for busy moms -- Paperwhite fits in her purse and connects effortlessly to another world between the pages of Mom’s favorite book or magazine, not to mention the millions of books available in the Kindle Store (including all the best-selling classics Mom loves). Plus, she won’t keep Dad awake at night with Paperwhite’s unique front-lit e-ink technology; she can read in bed without disturbing his snooze!
She could use an extra hand (or two) around the house. Kindle Fire HD 7" and 8.9" are Mom’s favorite helpers, offering the ability to stream cooking videos while playing chef and choose from countless apps and books that keep her up to speed with the latest organizational tips, how-to guides, cookbooks and inspirational novels.
Mom already has enough to worry about. Kindle FreeTime for the Kindle Fire family is practically a built-in babysitter for Mom, allowing her to create customized profiles for the kids which allot specific times for what they are allowed to read, how long they can play games for, and more.
She could use a vacation (understatement of the year). Whether she's planning a vacation or stay-cation, Amazon Kindle is Mom's ultimate travel companion -- cute, compact (weighs less than a paperback) and #1 on her what to pack list. Kindle’s e-ink technology is a dream on the beach, with no glare. And, if she can only make it to backyard pools this year, she’ll still feel like she’s escaping when she gets lost in her Kindle.

Don't forget! promocode FIRE4MOM - Kindle Fire HD 7" $20 OFF until Mother's Day:

Non-techie Live Blogging: Can Big Data Mitigate Threats?

Sherri Caldwell — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:26:18 +0000

Big Data Week: Atlanta - 4/23: Can Big Data Mitigate Threats?Live Blogging at 4pm: rebelhousewife.com/bdw13atlSECURI… #bdw13ATL
— Sherri Caldwell (@rebelupdate) April 23, 2013

Live Blogging Adventures: Big Data Week

Sherri Caldwell — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:24:25 +0000

In a week that includes my 7th grade virtual school student going to a very real-world testing location every day to take the Georgia CRCTs...AND my crazy mother packing up and moving from Georgia to Washington State...AND my 10th grade daughter conquering the world with power smashes and aced serves, playing high school varsity tennis as a sophomore -- and winning! -- in the state championship preliminaries...all this week...

It's also BIG DATA WEEK:ATLANTA!!!
Hosted by Emcien Corp, a company with which I am intimately involved.
[Disclosure: My husband is a co-founder and the Chief Technology Officer of Emcien.]

This is a Very Big Deal, on a level that I, as a non-techie, could not have expected, in terms of international scope, big-corporate participation, the calendar of activities scheduled, and the number of people involved and so very, very enthusiastic about the Next New Thing in Technology: Big Data.

Big Data is everything, from the location & use of your cellphone, to online transactions, to what you put in your shopping cart at the grocery store, to healthcare, to your social media activities. It is mind-boggling, and in many ways downright creepy, how much information is out there, the extent of our individual & collective digital footprint, and how that information can be used.

So, in the midst of CRCTs, State high school tennis competition, and my crazy mom, counting down the days to high school graduation (exactly 30) and my oldest son's departure to the Navy (OMG, exactly 60 days from today)...I am visiting the World of Big Data and live blogging my experiences as a non-techie writer in the techie world. Adventures indeed:

Big Night Out at Big Data Week: Atlanta Kickoff, Live Blogging tech for 1st time...experiment:rebelhousewife.com/bdw13atlKICKOFF #bdw13ATL
— Sherri Caldwell (@rebelupdate) April 23, 2013

School Shooting - Live Blog Tomorrow

Sherri Caldwell — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:34:51 +0000

I will update with the link to the Live Blog tomorrow:

Live Blogging tomorrow's APS Community Mtg at Grady HS re: today's school shooting & some thoughts, as a parent. @apsupdate @midtownpatch
— Sherri Caldwell (@rebelupdate) February 28, 2013

Family Cruising - Risk & Reward

Sherri Caldwell — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:49:06 +0000

Family Cruising - Risk & Reward

by Sherri Caldwell - The Rebel Housewife® - All Rights Reserved.

For more information, contact sherri@rebelhousewife.com.

It happens every time?!?!

December 2011: We got back home on Christmas Day from a fantastic five-night family cruise adventure on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Haiti and Jamaica. Three weeks later, we were horrified to see twenty-four hour news coverage of the Carnival (parent company) Costa Concordia disaster -- the huge luxury liner (so similar to the one we had just been on) ran aground, fell over and partially sank off the coast of Italy. Captain’s error was ultimately found responsible, compounded by uncoordinated and chaotic emergency response and rescue procedures. With 4,200 lives aboard, 32 were lost.

In spite of the risks and dangers brought home by that cruise disaster, the success of our first family cruise led to our second cruise, one year later. We cruised again, because, as it turns out, cruising is, for our family of five, the perfect family vacation with teenagers. And, as my husband points out, it is still safer than the results of an airplane mishap 30,000 feet in the air.

December 2012: We enjoyed an incredible seven-night cruise on the Norwegian Star: New Orleans to Costa Maya, Mexico; to Belize; to Roatan, Honduras; and Cozumel. Our second cruise was near-perfect, with the exception of bad weather, severe wind and high waves in Cozumel, forcing cancellation of all water excursions, including our underwater mini-sub adventure. It seemed like a disaster at the time, albeit a small one, quickly remedied by riding out the storm in port at Señor Frog’s Cozumel, drinking (sodas)(of course)(for the kids, anyway), noshing chips & salsa and playing UNO™.

Perhaps we tempted fate, as we landed in Cozumel on 12/21/12 -- the last day of the Mayan calendar and, some believed, maybe the “End of The World.” All was well, even with big ocean swells all the way back from Cozumel. On the Norwegian Star, cruise staff were well-prepared and took care of sea-sick passengers, dispensing free Dramamine at Guest Services and strategically placing barf-bags throughout the ship. They closed off access to the pool deck and the exterior walkways to prevent mishap. All was well.

We got back December 23rd, to be home in time for Christmas 2012. Eight weeks later, a new cruise disaster captivated the media’s attention and airtime, after an engine room fire on the Carnival Triumph disabled the ship 175 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula. Ultimately, the ship was pushed (slowly) by tug boats into port in Mobile, Alabama. The 4,000 cruise passengers and employees suffered 5 long days of horror without power, in the heat and darkness, low on food and with deplorable sanitary conditions, as toilets overflowed. No one died, but no one would argue this would have been a truly miserable vacation.

Will this stop us from cruising?

No one died. People have survived much worse, for much longer: in captivity, hijackings, pirates, surviving the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Super Dome in New Orleans. All of the cruise ship passengers will be compensated for their Vacation From Hell.

It helps to know the realistic risks and what you might do to avoid or survive in a similar set of circumstances. Believe me, it’s something we have talked about, more than two times.

What could you do? What do we do?

Family Cruising: SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Reserve outside cabins above -- well above -- the water level.
Take the first-day lifeboat drill and emergency instruction seriously, as a family.
Know where you are supposed to go, in the event of an emergency, and know where everybody is onboard the ship and how to find each other. (Your particular “Muster Station” is indicated on your key card, which you carry with you at all times, even the kids.)
Stay calm and do the best you can. Help others. Make a bad situation better.
Never cruise on Carnival? (I have, but it was 25 years ago, on a very old ship -- never again, since.)

Easier said than done, maybe. But yes, we’ll cruise again. We are already making plans for December 2013. Our biggest concern is choosing between Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines...in our experience, we felt completely safe and prepared for emergencies (as much as you can be), on both of our family cruise adventures. We can hardly wait to cruise again.

www.RebelHousewife.com - The NEW LOOK

Sherri Caldwell — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:19:37 +0000

Okay, that was hard (the Big Change) -- let me know what you think!

No time like NOW for big change on RebelHousewife.com -- what do you think? #NewLook
— Sherri Caldwell (@rebelupdate) February 25, 2013

NEW LOOK Coming Soon...

Sherri Caldwell — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 19:27:47 +0000

Just a note to let you know The Rebel Housewife website will have a new look very soon. I am having such a hard time with this! I love the pink circles & dots and the elements of my website, which have not changed for...well, a number of years.

While I like to call it "classic" or "retro," my website provider tells me my style is now "legacy," which is, apparently, another word for obsolete. There are so many new bells & whistles available, which will make it easier for me to post & update and easier for my readers to interact & share, but I have to update to a newer template style in order to use and offer the new features.

Here's a sobering thought: When I first started this website in June 2004, there was no Facebook or Twitter, no Google+ or Pinterest. Can you imagine?

My website solution, Squarespace.com, has been with me since the very beginning (and I, theirs), when I was a non-techie, newly-published author, searching for a way to have a website, and a blog, without having to be at the mercy of a techie-geek web developer for every new post or every change I wanted to make. (I say that affectionately, of course, since my hubby is my #1 techie-geek web developer.) I learned how to do it myself! With a lot of help from Anthony Casalena (from his dorm room, apparently). Thank you, Anthony.

Squarespace has come a long way, and so have I, just not as quickly. They have just launched a brand-new, revolutionary website development solution, Squarespace 6, and here I am, making the personal leap from v4 to v5, which I guess happened...well, a number of years ago.

Change is SO HARD, but here it comes...

See you soon!

Royal Caribbean Cruise: Family Vacation With Teenagers

Sherri Caldwell — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:08:35 +0000

EXPLORE Cruise & Travel Magazine: Winter 2013

LIVE Blogging - Atlanta Public Schools

Sherri Caldwell — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:31:12 +0000

LIVE blogging tonight's Atlanta Public Schools State of the Grady Cluster mtg at 6:30pm: rebelhousewife.com/apsgrady/ @midtownpatch @apsupdate
— Sherri Caldwell (@rebelupdate) February 7, 2013