7-11 Free Slurpee Brain Freeze Rally!

It's that time of year again! 

 Are you ready for the

THE 2011 BRAIN FREEZE RALLY?

 Each July 11th, 7-11 offers
Free 7.11 oz. Slurpee's!

THE GOAL:

10 free Slurpees!

 

That's 71.1 ounces of Slurpee per person!

WHEN:

July 11th, of course!

12:00am-12:00pm
(at participating stores,
many don't start until morning hours)

THE RULES:

Only ONE Free Slurpee per 7-11

 You must get a different flavor than the one before
(but may repeat flavors over the course of the event)

You must finish your Slurpee before we get to the next 7-11

And of course, obey all traffic laws!

 

And that leads us to

THE CHEER:

 "Suck for your lives!"

 

Which you will find yourself yelling

as you chase other cars loads of kids

 around town trying to get the last of

 the FREE Slurpees cups
before they are all gone!

 

THE PRIZES:

THE FASTEST TIME

THE MOST FREE SLURPEES

THE BEST SLURPEE CUP ART

The Person or Group who gets

THE MOST FLAVORS

(You will need photo proof of each flavor)

Alienade, Berry Blaster, Summertime Lime, Blue Lightning Blast, K23 Battle Fuel, Crystal Light Strawberry Banana, Peach Dragon Fruit, Mountain Dew White Out, Snow Fruit, Purple for the People, WICKED Apple, 5 React Fruit, Barq's Rootbeer, Goji Berry Cherry, Coca Cola, Crystal Light Peach Mango, Dr. Pepper, Fanta Banana, Fanta Blue Raspberry, Fanta Wild Cherry, Fanta Kiwi Strawberry, Fanta Orange, Pina Colada, Mountain Dew Free, Mountain Dew Blue Shock Freeze, Pepsi

Join us to see how many
FREE SLURPEES
it takes to
FREEZE YOUR BRAIN!

Click here to read about our 2010's Epic Slurpee Adventure

Click here to read about our 2011 Brain Freeze Rally

2010 BRAIN FREEZE RALLY!

7-11 Free Slurpee Day

This sounds a little crazy, but this is typical

of the silly things we like to do around our house.

Each July 11th, 7-11 offers free 7.11 oz. Slurpee's.

So we spend the evening of July 11th

driving around trying to get 10 free Slurpees.

 That's 71.1 ounces of Slurpees per person!

Gotta have a good soundtrack!

7:11 PM

It took us about 6 hours, with a break for dinner at the lake

and we went to over 21 stores
 in our area to find locations that still had
the free 7.11 ounce cups!

The rules:
You must get a different flavor each time

and you must finish your Slurpee
 before you get to the next 7-11.

Not very convenient!

 This lead to the cheer of the night,

"Suck for your lives!"

As we chased other vans full of families and teenagers

around town trying to get the last of

THE FREE Slurpees before they were all gone!

What are some crazy summer traditions you have?

How to make your own Indiana Jones Torch

If you see this little guy lurking around in your backyard, don't worry, it's only Awsumb one on of his latest archaeological quests!

There is just something about being a 9 year old boy that makes them want to run around in the dark with flashlights.  Recently my sons favorite character to play is Indiana Jones.  And below is his most prized Indiana Jones gear!  All he needs now is a real leather jacket, "Just like Daddy's," he says.  Well, that's going to have to wait until his birthday. In the meantime, I have been keeping Awsumb occupied with more exciting things as we plan his TOP SECRET Indiana Jones Birthday Party.

Awsumb's birthday is in October and well, it's always raining... so I just might have to host this one a little earlier in the year so we can go on a real Indiana Jones style adventure!  Sounds exciting right?  But you'll need to make your own torch.  Gather an old flashlight, a paper towel roll, tissue paper and duct tape.  Use an exact-o knife to cut a rectangle out for the on/off switch... tape everything together really tight and there you go -your very own torch!

Although I am always encouraging Awsumb to learn all he can as Indy says,

"If you want to be a good archeologist, you got to get out of the library."

Look for more exciting ideas from:

Oh and I finally updated last years

Totally Awsumb Harry Potter Party with Pictures! 

Click to view!

Sunkissed?

I have strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. I never really tan, I mostly just burn... and I've had some nasty burns over the years.  Shoulders and back were pretty regular summer burns.  One summer my nose peeled all summer and through the winter - yuck.  Another year my hands were severely burned after spending a cloudy day on the lake.  And don't forget all those times the tops of my ears were burned and at night they would bubble up and my hair would stick to them, them I'd have to rip it off the skin as I pulled my hair back in the morning - ewww!!!  I spend many years as a teenager trying to "tan" and even went to a tanning salons for a while when I was 19.  Then we moved to the northwest and everything changed for me. I began using heavy sunscreen and decided to just accept my glowing white skin. 

This spring was unusually cold and cloudy. We didn't have many of those famous warm Seattle afternoons. Then out of nowhere if finally hits over 70 two days in a row and I end up spending over 8 hours in direct sun both days for a baseball tournament.  I started out the day with sunscreen and even sat under an umbrella. I was mostly worried about my face... but I seem to have that pretty much covered these days and rarely get nasty sunburns on my face because I use Bare Minerals make up, which is SPF 15.  I usually only need to apply full sunscreen if I am going to be a full day in the sun, at the pool, etc.

Just a few hours in I was so red that people I didn't even know would come up to me and spray me with sunscreen. (incidentally, the sunscreen industry now says those spray on sunscreens may not be as effective as they once thought - duh!) By day two I was an official lobster.  For the next day, I had a bit of heat stroke and I realized the sunburn was getting worse. I was bathing in aloe and lotion and trying to drink extra water...  And 4 days later the above picture is what I looked like. I was actually quite a bit more red overall that really shows up in this photo, but certain areas on my chest and scalp really started looking different than the rest of my skin and that worried me.

As my arms and legs peeled, these extra red patches blistered up to look even worse!  This second picture was taken 1 week after the initial sunburn. I didn't even take photos on it's worst day because it was just so gross. My family doctor wanted to treat it as a 2nd degree burn with antibiotic ointment... but by dermatologist prescribed Biofine, which is often used for cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.

Things you may not know about sunscreen - It takes 1-2 ounces to completely cover your face.  That's at least 1 shot glass!

A typical bottle of sunscreen is good for about 2 full applications (face, shoulders, chest, arms, etc..)

Sunscreen needs to be reapplied about every hour. Some ingredients break down when exposed to UV (that's how they work) and sunscreen is also easily sweated, rubbed, wiped and washed off.

Look for UVA and UVB protection.  UVB Rays penetrate the outer layer of skin and are the primary cause of sunburn. UVA penetrate into into the layers of the skin.  Neutrogena has been my sunscreen of choice for years.

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) helps measure how long you can stay in the sun with sunscreen before getting burned. SPF measurement is quite arbitrary and does NOT measure either wrinkle protection or skin cancer protection. Consequently, ALL manufacturers of sunscreen have recently been sued for false advertising.

Notice, too, that the amount of sunscreen needed to achieve the results quoted is impressive: generally, a hand full of sunscreen is used to cover a body. In other words, a standard tube is good for TWO (2) applications! Which takes us back to were I began...

And here I am on my soapbox reminding you all to use handfuls of sunscreen and cover up this summer!

Blister Block

BAND-AID^® Friction Block™ Stick has a lubricating formula that glides on smoothly to instantly reduce rubbing on skin. It forms an invisible barrier, making it ideal for open shoes, and provides an easy, non-messy application.

I found this stuff a few years ago and simply LOVE IT!  I have very tender feet and have such terrible time with blisters.  I have been known to get blisters just from certain patterns or type of socks.  I mostly prefer shoes that I can slip my feet into.  Before I found this I carried Moleskin with me at all times.  And now I can't even remember the last time I used Moleskin!

Blister block works best when applied as soon as you feel and area which may develop into a blister.  You must apply before blister forms.  Check it out!

You're a Grand Old Flag

Awsumb Kenneth Hardy 7-4-2002

You're a Grand Old Flag

by George M. Cohan

You're a grand old flag,

You're a high flying flag

And forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of

The land I love.

The home of the free and the brave.

Ev'ry heart beats true

'neath the Red, White and Blue,

Where there's never a boast or brag.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the grand old flag.

Crossing Rosemead!

On holiday weekends such as this people all over the country head home to celebrate with family. I wrote the following on the way to visit my family in February:

When your Grandparents live in the sunshine state the chorus in the old song "Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go.." just doesn't seem to work. But you always knew you were getting close to Grandpa and Grandma's house when Aunt Laurel dialed my Grandparents number on the car phone and exclaimed, "Crossing Rosemead!"

I always looked forward to our annual visits to my Grandparents house. I loved seeing the home my father grew up in. My Aunt Laurel’s bedroom was just the way she left it. And when I had a child of my own, I was excited to take him to the little white house on Youngdale St. Over the years Awsumb played baseball in the front yard, went in and out the squeaky back door… Gpa measured his height on the old kitchen door, and took Awsumb on wagon rides to meet the neighbors. Awsumb shared lunch with Grandpa at the same kitchen table I remember eating breakfast at when we visited his home as a kid. (This table now lives in my family room.) I am so thankful he had the chance to make some memories at my Grandparents home.

Even after they passed we still occasionally drive up to the old neighborhood together and say hello to the neighbors that are still there. Then we take flowers over to the cemetery. And of course have dinner at The North Woods Inn.

My parents divorced when I was just a newlywed. My childhood family no longer exists. My father had since remarried and I knew it was meant to be the instant I saw them together. From the time Dad and Colleen were married they were just as they had always been together. We visit them often and Awsumb looks forward to snuggling with his Grandma Awsumb and going on adventures with my father. But the fact remains that my childhood home no longer exists.

Going home for me is visiting my Aunt Laurel and Uncle C.K. who taught me everything I know about family, commitment, loyalty and love. I love this photo of the two of us at Laurel’s wedding. I was just three years old and sometimes when I glance at this picture I feel as if I am clinging to her as if my life depends on it.

Children of divorced parents quickly learn that many of the things you thought you could depend on can vanish in an instant. I am so lucky to have always been able to depend on my Aunt.  Laurel graciously accepted a role that became much more than a distant Auntie and has always been there for me. She is my greatest supporter and I can’t imagine my life without her.

Tonight I am packing up to visit my Aunt Laurel and Uncle C.K. and as we fly over Rosemead and onto Costa Mesa, I know we’re going home!

Now that my Grandparents have passed on the tradition lives on. When Kenneth or I call on our way home we always say, “Crossing Rosemead!” Recently, we realized we needed clarify exactly what street we were referring to because there certainly isn’t a Rosemead Blvd. near our house! Either way, it simply means, “I’m coming home!”

Good Bye Baseball!

Awsumb Runs Home - 2011

Time to say goodbye to another season of baseball!  Kenneth coached  the RWLL AAA Nationals.  Because the boys are getting older I finally stepped out of the dugout and took a more backstage role.  After 4 years of instructional ball this was our first competitive year. Teams were drafted by evaluation scores.  We were happy to play with a couple old friends and lucky to make a bunch more!  As this was the first year of 'kid pitch' it was still much like an instructional year. We had a pretty good season, although ending it with inter league play against mismatched teams was frustrating.  Tonight we were eliminated from the tournament.  Although we are sad to say goodbye to the 2011 spring season we are looking forward to cheering on the other teams this weekend.

And now for the fun end of the year festivities. We always host a simple team party.  After a quick parents vs. kids game (in which the kids always seem to win), trophies and ice cream.  This year I scored some of Nationals batting helmet ice cream bowls. And for trophies the boys will get a game ball signed by all their teammates.  A few of our parents were worried about end of season costs. So a few of us parents took photos and I put these together. I think they turned out pretty good. 

My own "memory mate" thanks to

Google and Microsoft Publisher

Totally Awsumb Baseball Cards

After each game Kenneth likes to meet with the boys to talk about the game and usually picks a few players of the game. Then all the kids line up to get their baseball cards. They were sure surprised tonight when they got a full deck of their own team!  We had a lot of fun making these baseball cards for all the boys.

Although I grow to love our boys each year, this year in particular I was a bit teary eyed. We are looking forward to playing with many of them in Summer Ball!

Sacrifice

In life we often choose to make personal sacrifices to better our family.  And as my brother recently reminded me... Sometimes we end up sacrificing ourselves AND our family to the cause, company, etc.  This can especially happen if you are a people pleaser, have a type A personality, are obsessive about things, and always give 110%.

Last year I took a part time job to help pay my sons private school tuition.  For the first time in my life instead of taking over the world I really stuck to boundaries I had set up to preserve family life. Over a year later the job is not so flexible and pushing full time. It was time to make a choice about my personal goals for my family and myself.  Although I really enjoyed the work and am sure I could have been successful in the future, after much contemplation I felt the apple I had selected to feed my family was now poisoning my family.
My husband has always done well enough for us to be comfortable, even spoiled and sometimes careless.  Compared to many I don't have the right to complain.  Although new sacrifices will have to be made, I look forward to carefree summer of picnics and free concerts in the park.

Summer Cravings! Lime Cream Vanilla?

OK, it really has been a long rainy winter here in the NW and it doesn't look to end soon. Because as we all know the sun doesn't come out up here until July 5th.   After 13 years the rain and clouds are really getting to me this season and I worried I might be depressed.  Turns out I am not the only one.  It's been much colder here and apparently the weatherman has charts to prove I am not crazy! 

And so I continue on... chasing bits of blue sky in hope of feeling that sun on myself.  In the meantime, I am officially diagnosing myself with scurvy because the only thing I seem to crave lately is lime....

 All this time I thought there was nothing better than nice cold Coke and Lime!  Until one day antique shopping with my Dad we stopped at a 7-11 to let Awsumb pick out a little treat and what do I find....

SUMMERTIME LIME!  The new Lime Cream Vanilla Slurpee!  I don't even like Slurpee's but the boys do and in the summer I will occasionally get a small one.  Well, my obsession led us to a late night hunt this weekend for a 7-11 in our neighborhood that is carrying this new flavor.  And boy was it worth it!  YUM!

And you know what this means... It's will be my number one flavor on the 2011- Free Slurpee Day - Brain Freeze Rally!  That's right, mark your calendar's, it's coming up.  July 11th Free Slurpee Day at 7-11. Contest rules coming soon... (click to read about 2010's Epic Free Slurpee Run!) We hope your family will join us as we see how many free Slurpee's it's takes to freeze your brain!

SUCK FOR YOUR LIVES!

So today we stopped for lunch at Taco Time, which just happens to be the chosen restaurant in our area to debut Coke Freestyle.  Have you tried these new soda dispensers?  What's not to love about a high tech - touch screen soda machine with over 100 choices.. mix and match for unlimited combinations!

So as I am trying to convince my son to try a Lime Rickey (Sprite, Grape Syrup and Lime) it comes to me... A Lime Vanilla Diet Coke...  2/3rds Diet Coke and Lime, 1/3 Diet Coke and Vanilla!  PERFECTION!

What's your favorite soda combination?