Our Take on Slide the City

I was compensated 4 VIP tickets from Slide the City. All opinions are honest and my own.


How many times do you get to see a 1,000 foot slip 'n' slide?
Probably not many.
But that's exactly what this is!





Growing up, there was a Slip 'n' Slide across my back yard almost every day during the summer. Honestly, I'm surprised the grass in my parent's yard ever grew back. So you can only imagine how excited I was when I heard Slide the City was coming to Pittsburgh. There was no question about it. We HAD to go! The kids were over the moon excited when we told them we had tickets to go.

Thankfully those clouds you see in the picture above moved on as we were waiting at the registration table to get our stuff. With our inner tubes in hand, we made our way towards to top of the slide. Each slider was required to have an inner tube. Although they were handed out to every ticket holder, people had the option to bring their own. We also had the option to pay for the volunteers to inflate them, but we chose not to. The kids struggled to blow theirs up so after blowing up FOUR inner tubes, we did regret not paying a few bucks to have someone else do it for us. But once we were done blowing, we were ready to start sliding.



Because we weren't sure how the kids would do, we chose to go into the family / group line so we could slide together. All it took was one slide for all of us to be hooked!





Because we had VIP tickets, we could slide as many times as we wanted. Those tickets also got us early entry. During the time we were there, the slide was shut down twice. At first we were told to go down head first. I'm not sure if laying that directions really made you go faster or if it just seemed faster, but I was not a fan. Everyone was eventually told they had to sit on their tubes, but some people were still going down the slide faster than anticipated. For anyone ready from this area, you know what Sunny Slopes looks like. That hill is a bit steep. Steeper than it looks in my pictures. I don't think the owners of Slide the City realized how that hill would effect the slide, but I am glad for the stoppages so they could make it safer for us sliders. The husband didn't go down as many times as the kids and I did. He is recovering from an ankle injury so after being told he had to sit, he didn't want to injure it again so he chose to watch the three of us continue to slide.

We continued to slide away for over two hours, but once the slide opened to the general public, we decided to call it a day. The lines were getting rather long, we were all getting hungry, it wasn't exactly a hot day, and whether the kids would admit it or not, they were getting tired. All of those are a recipe for disaster.




Participating in Slide the City definitely brought out the kid in me. And I know my actual kids had a blast. Both of them thanking us multiple times for taking them is usually a good indicator of a good time. If Slide the City were to come back next year, it would for sure be on our summer to-do list!




Until next time...








When a Haircut Turns into Something More

My daughter, she's 13, but she's not the type of teenage girl I expected. When I think teenage girls, I think girls who are into the latest clothes, the newest boy band, boys, make-up, and probably more girly thing I can't think of at the moment. My daughter is not like that. She's a jeans a tee kind of kid. She loves Doctor Who. Make-up has never touched her face outside of Halloween and she hasn't expressed a desire to change that. This is why I was a little thrown off guard when she asked about getting a haircut. And not just a trim, but a major hairstyle change.

She was closer to two years old when her hair finally started to grow. Since then, she's always had long hair. The shortest it was ever cut was below the shoulders.This new hair cut she wanted? It was closer to a longer pixie cut. I talked her out of it for a year for fear it wouldn't look right. She has a hint of her chubby cheeks from when she was a baby. She wears glasses. Would those things work with super short hair? That's why I continued to say no.

Until last week.

I told her to pull up some pictures of what styles she liked. I wasn't sold on any of them, but I continued to nod and smile. I spent an hour helping her brush her hair. Her long hair almost always had giant knots in it. Once we finally got all the knots out, off to the salon we went. Thankfully a stylist took some time to pull out hairstyle books and go over a few styles with her. And then it was time.

The pile of hair on the floor nearly made me cry. In the end, I love her new 'do, but looking back, I realized that pile of hair on the floor at the salon was more than just a pile of hair. My daughter was letting go of her hair as I was letting go of my daughter. She is and always will be my baby, but it took something as simple as a haircut for me to realize that she is of the age where I need to pull back so she can start to figure out who she is as a person.



As a parent letting go is one of the hardest things to do, but seeing a smile on your child's face makes it all worth it. Also, my daughter giggling for the rest of the day because she loved her new 'do that much... you can't put a price on that!


Until next time...

I Want to Slide the City

When I was a kid, my friends and I would play on my Slip 'n' Slide ALL the time. We would run and slide from one side of the yard to the other. I can't tell you how many beed I stepped on over the years sliding across the yard, but on those hot summer days, it was so worth it. So can only  imagine how excited I was to hear that Slide the City was coming to my town. A 1,000 (yes one thousand!!) foot slip 'n' slide and it's going on a very popular sled riding hill?! Heck ya... sign me up!!

If you've never heard of Slide the City and live in the Pittsburgh area, keep reading. I guarantee this is an event you and your family won't want to miss!


Slide The City Comes to Pittsburgh - Saturday, June 6, 2015 11am-7pm

Best Rates - Early Bird Registration begins Wednesday, April 22, 2015!

Summer time is approaching fast and we are bringing 1000 feet of slick vinyl to brighten your city streets. Slide the City is a family friendly slip-and-slide water party event. There will be live music, food, drinks, water, and of course the biggest slip and slide ever to hit Pittsburgh!

Come dressed to impress because it's not every day you can strut through town with your hot bod, cool dance moves and slick slides. Did we mention 1000 feet? Yeah, that's over 3 football fields.

Make sure to bring your water buckets, floaties, and water guns (non-realistic of course), to squirt, spray, splash, and get all attending soaked.


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Is there an age or height limit?
All who are over 46 inches tall and over 5 years old are invited to slide, but remember if you're under 18 you'll need to get a sign off from your legal guardians.


Are there group rates available?
If you have a group with 20 or more participants send us an email.

What do you do to address water conservation?
Water conservation is also a priority at our events. We strive to have zero environmental impact on the community. The Slide was designed to have zero water loss, and it treats and recycles the water safely and efficiently throughout the day. When permitted, we donate the water back to the community. Methods of disposal include local reclamation centers, parks, golf courses and other places dependent upon local regulations.
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Additional Information:
Instagram - https://instagram.com/slidethecity/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/slidethecity or http://www.slidethecity.com/events/pittsburgh/

Twitter - @slidethecity


Don't live in the Pittsburgh area? Check out http://www.slidethecity.com to see if this fun event will be in a town near you!

Until next time...

One More Day

One more day until things begin to change for us. I'm mostly excited, but I'm also scared, nervous and a bunch of other emotions that I can't put into words.

A friend of the husband's was bugging him to talk to the people at the company where he works because they were hiring. The husband wasn't searching for a new job but he agreed to talk. Probably to get his friend to stop bugging him. One talk led to another and that talk led to a trip to meet these people in person. This process lasted a few weeks and to say it wasn't nerve wracking would be a lie. A big one. The husband claimed he wasn't nervous. or at least at first. If things didn't pan out, he would still have a job. A good job that paid the bills, put food on our plates and a roof over our heads. But this new potential job... it was good. And I was a mess over it.

I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sit still. I know my husband is smart and I know he is very good at what he does. But what if. I hate what if's. I didn't want to doubt him. And I really didn't. But what if.

And it turns out my what if's didn't matter. I'm so proud to say that I have one more day of driving him to and from work and I couldn't be happier. I am so excited to see where this next chapter takes us. And him!

But the selfish part of me is so very thankful for that one more day and no more. Having to take him to work means more time in the car for me and less time to do the things that I need to get done. I always feel rushed. I hate feeling rushed. But after our drive today, I'm honestly scared to get back in the car and be on the highway.

I was in the car with the Dude and we were almost to our exit off the highway and a few minutes away from the husband's office. Suddenly all three lanes of traffic stopped. When traffic in the right lane slows or stops, it's usually because someone is driving entirely too slow for the highway or lots of people are lined up waiting to get off at the next exit. But all three lanes? Something bad happens to cause that and today was no different.

Driving on the highway everyday, you see things. Bad things. Probably more than most drivers because more bad things tend to happen on a highway compared to a residential street. And today? It was bad. very bad. I didn't see what happened. From what I'm reading in the news, I'm very thankful I only saw the aftermath. But I wish I didn't see anything at all. I've never seen CPR being done on someone in a true emergency. I've also never seen a dead person outside of a funeral home. I quietly cried as I drove by to get to my exit. the last I wanted to was explain what I just saw to my 9 year old. Childhood innocence only lasts a short while and he didn't need to know what we had just passed. My heart goes out to the deceased's family. I know bad things will continue to happen, but I'm so very thankful for one more day. One more day on a road where these things happen. One more day before one chapter closes and another exciting one begins. One more day at life.



Until next time...

Let Them Be Safe

I'm not really sure when it came to be a thing but apparently bomb threats are a thing.

It breaks my heart when I watch the news and hear about office buildings, schools, even neighborhoods that are on lock down because someone threatened to detonate a bomb. I'm sure it makes me sound older than I am, but when I was growing up, if you had a problem with someone, you met outside in the parking lot at the end of the day and released your frustrations with words and fists. Now, children are scared when they see a threat written on a bathroom wall in a building where they're supposed to be safe. All the kid wanted to do was pee!

I'm not naive, but I also don't live in fear. We've talked to our kids about bad people in the world and things they can do to keep themselves safe. I want them to live their lives, but also be aware of what is going on around them. We talk about how to stay safe when they want to walk to or from school. We've also had conversations about what others can do to keep them safe after hearing about tragedies such as Sandy Hook. New security policies were put into place at the schools here. Teachers and staff were trained. Book bags are to be kept in lockers.

All that being said, having these conversations and actually dealing with a potential issue are two totally different things.

My daughter recently came home with a letter from her middle school. A serious threat had been discovered written on a bathroom wall. The letter detailed what was found, what was done by the police and was would be done in the coming days to ensure the safety of the students and staff. I'm confident everyone is doing what needs done and my daughter will be safe, but it scares the hell out of me that this is happening in our neighborhood and in our schools. These threats can happen anywhere and, unfortunately, they do. I'm lucky if I can properly hard boil an egg so it blows my mind to think that a middle schooler knows how to make a bomb. I'd like to think they can't, but again, I'm not naive. The internet can be used for good and evil.

I know I can't put my children in a bubble to shield them from the evils of the world. What I can do is give them the tools to go out there and live and be safe. I just don't understand how it has come to this - sending our children out into a world riddled with evil. Sometimes all the security and training can't help as much as you'd hope.

Until next time...

Social Media Introvert

Introvert

Some people think those people are rude, but really, it's the opposite. I'm an introvert. I love people, but most days, I need a break. I need to retreat back into my bubble and regroup before stepping back out to face the world. You would think interacting with people from behind the comfort of a computer screen would make it easier. But I'm finding that's not always the case. And that's sometimes a problem.

You see, being online is a part of my job. If you haven't looked over on the right side of my little blog, you should. Over there you'll see a little snippet of my Etsy shop, Cuppa Stitches. Part of having that little shop is promoting it. If you don't promote, no one knows about it and my shop goes nowhere. I do use Instagram (@evonneu) to share what I'm working on.



Usually I push pictures like this on over to Twitter.

I also have a business page for my shop on Facebook. And that my friend is where I run into the problems. I try to post and be active but everything I post comes across as an ad. At least to me. I love interacting with people. Sometimes it is easier to do from behind a screen. Sometimes I can't figure out what to say.

I'll share links to new additions to my shop

   



I've shared funny pictures related to crafting and crocheting.



But where do I go from there?


For anyone who wants to run an online business.....

This shit ain't easy! It's fun. I absolutely love what I do. I am so very thankful for the people I have met along the way and the sales that I continue to get. But man, it's not always sunshine and rainbows!

Maybe I need to make some sunshine and rainbows. But I also need to focus on this social media stuff.

Tips are always welcome.


PS. I apologize if this post sounds like an ad. That wasn't my intention.

PPS. The above statement may not be completely true. But I honestly do need to work on my social skills. Online and off.


Until next time...

She is Not Seventeen

A few months ago, my daughter turned the big 1-3. Becoming a teenager is kind of a big deal. She got a new computer and for the first time ever, a friend was allowed to spend the night. I wasn't ready to deal with the fact that I had a teenager, but it is what it is and we made a big deal out of it. Another things I wasn't ready to deal with was a present from a family member.

I guess because my daughter's age now has the word "teen" in it, it seemed like a good idea to this person to get her a subscription to Seventeen magazine. To say I was annoyed was an understatement. That was one of the magazines I would occasionally read as a teenager myself. I knew much hadn't changed as far as content through the years so I knew right off the bat after hearing the news that this was not a magazine for my daughter.

My girl's idea of fashion is jeans and a flannel shirt over her favorite tee. She doesn't fix her hair and has no desire to wear make-up. I was annoyed because it felt like a wasted gift. Not much within those pages would interest her.

So far, she has received three magazines in the mail. I flipped through the first one she got. Partly out of curiosity and I also wanted to know what my 13 year old was reading. Most of it was fashion and makeup how to's. Sher might read through, she might not. Than I came across this.....



Look closely. Those bottoms are marketed as shorts. SHORTS!!!

As a friend of mine said when I shared this lovely bit on Facebook, "In the immortal words of Bart Simpson: "Eat my shorts"... Sadly, you would be left terribly hungry." I gave that month's magazine to my daughter, who also laughed at the "shorts".

The next month it wasn't too bad. Again, fashion, make-up and a few other things she doesn't care about. She said she would flip through the magazine (out of respect for the gift giver?) but probably wouldn't read much. This month? that magazine is going straight in the trash.

This article wasn't the first to jump out at me until the husband said something. "I hope she dumped his sorry ass"

Well, I hope so, too, but looking at these bright red bold words in the middle of the page, I wasn't so sure.


She did, btw


The article that DID jump out at me was this one...



First of all, when it comes to Spring Break, the only thing my daughter cares about is staying up late and sleeping in because she doesn't have to go to school. Also, I'm not sure that 17 is a good age to let your kids go on a Spring Break trip. Especially after reading these confessions. Hot tub hook-ups, shower make out sessions... need I go on?

How is this magazine appropriate for a 13 year old? Hell, I'm not even sure ANY girl should read it! Looks like I'll be adding to the recycling bin for the next 9 months of this subscription.


Has your child ever received a gift that did nothing but infuriate you?


Until next time...