This is the last housewarming party day here at SmallWorld! I am headed off for vacation in two days, and I have a couple of different homes to think about while I'm gone. The first, of course, is my actual home; the second is my blog, SmallWorld at Home, and my guest house, SmallWorld Reads. I have not reached the level of blogging in which I am prepared enough to do autoposts, nor do I have a guest blogger. I thought a bit about asking my friend Blogless Leigh to be my guest blogger, but, um, she is self-acclaimed to be computer-challenged. (Also, she is mourning the loss of Scrabulous on Facebook.)
Anyway, I will have internet access at my parents' home in upstate New York, but it is dial-up and takes eons to do anything. Randy has already scouted out places that have free Wi-Fi in my hometown, and found two: the public library and a pub. Starbucks and Panera have not yet (and probably won't) come to my tiny town. And on top of all the internet issues, I'll be very busy relaxing on the lake, helping my parents pack, and videotaping every nook and cranny of this place that has been my home since I was 11-years-old. (Read more about that here on Day 2.)
All that to say: my blogging will be sporadic in the next 2 weeks.
And that leads me to my Day 4 Party Favor.For today's Housewarming Party Final Day Party Favor, just answer some or all of these questions in the comments for 10 points (and yes, I really am keeping track!):
* When you go away on vacation, do you feel the need to clean your house before you go?That's it! And remember, you can always do the
* What are your favorite snacks to take with you on a long car trip?
* Do you listen to music or books-on-tape while traveling, do you read (if you are the passenger), or just stare vacantly out the window? (Please don't tell me if you read while you're driving.)
* Does your house smell weird when you come home? Do you light candles and open windows, or is that just me?
Week-long Gifts (leave me a comment to say you've done any or all of these, each time you do)
1. Mention SmallWorld's Housewarming Party on your blog, and you'll get 5 points each time you do!
2. Put my party sign on your blog somewhere, and you'll get 10 points.
3. Subscribe to SmallWorld and get 2o points! (How to subscribe: look on my sidebar and click on the button that says "posts" under the header "subscribe.")
4. Cut and paste the day's Party Favors on your blog for 10 points each day.
5. And by the way, you can jump in the party on any day, and you can even go back and do the previous days if you missed them the first time around! Our door is always open to new friends! See Day 1 here.
See Day 2 here.
See Day 3 here.
Thanks for coming to the party! I'll be posting winners sometime tomorrow!
I try to clean house before we leave, but don't always get to. On our last trip (we were gone 3 weeks), I was home alone with all the kids trying to load up a 35-ft. RV by myself. I didn't get much housework done. But my honey of a neighbor came in while I was gone and made it look bee-you-tee-full for our arrival home.
ReplyDeleteSnacks: sunflower seeds, diet Mountain dew
I keep the XM radio going if we're in the van. XM32, The Message, to be exact. I also read or do crossword puzzles.
I've never really noticed how the house smells, but then we don't go places too often. The 3-week RV trip was the first one in a long time.
i do feel like the house needs to be clean when we leave. what if we all die and people have to come into my hosue and it's filthy! they'll put that on my toomstone.
ReplyDeletei take snacks, but rarely eat them. i'm not a car snacking type of person.
i read because i'm always the passenger. i love riding/hate driving.
Our house cleaning consists of moving nearly everything moveable into the playroom and closing the door and covering the couches. This needs to be done with our 3 dogs and 7 cats who have free range when we are gone.
ReplyDeleteI am a music listening, window staring, kid entertainer in the car. Still get to queasy to read
ANd yes my house smells when we get home....I always worry that is the way it smells to people who have never been here....
Have a good trip
Hi, I'm sorry I've missed all the housewarming fun! But I'll jump in here.
ReplyDelete1) I do try to clean before going away. At the very least, I like to have my dishes done and laundry washed and put away.
2) Favorite snacks for the car: anything not too crumbly or messy. Bagels but not crackers, dry fruit but not granola bars, water but not sticky juice. And if I'm driving, I really like chocolate.
3) Listen to books on tape. I can't read or I throw up. Also talk endlessly w/ my hubby if he's with us. We have our best conversations on long car trips.
4) Yes, the house smells musty and stuffy - I throw open the windows.
Have a fabulous vacation!!
Hi! In case I forget to say something at the end of this comment, I hope you have a safe journey. Make sure to take lots of pictures & videos (and batteries for the multiple cameras)! I hope your final, bittersweet moments at "home" are filled with lots of fond memories.
ReplyDeleteNow, on to my answers:
* When you go away on vacation, do you feel the need to clean your house before you go?
Yes, I can't stand the thought of returning home and finding dirty clothes, dishes, snail mail, etc. laying around.
* What are your favorite snacks to take with you on a long car trip?
My all-time favorite snack to have with me on a long car trip is Ritz crackers. No, not the generic kind, not the low-fat, not the low-salt, not the low-flavor... the original Ritz. Other than that, I like to have granola bars (chocolate chip!), peanut butter (Peter Pan creamy is my preferred choice), Teddy Grahams, maybe some Goldfish-type crackers -- finger foods.
* Do you listen to music or books-on-tape while traveling, do you read (if you are the passenger), or just stare vacantly out the window? (Please don't tell me if you read while you're driving.)
The only things I read while I'm driving are the road signs. As a passenger, I'd love to be able to read. Alas, I get carsick. Occasionally, I can get by with looking at a map... if we're on a straight, non-hilly, smooth highway. We like to listen to music, books-on-tape (or CD), Adventures in Odyssey episodes, and/or Focus on the Family Radio Theatre programs. When doing none of the above, I usually end up sleeping, singing, eating, or passing out more food to the other passengers (and driver).
* Does your house smell weird when you come home? Do you light candles and open windows, or is that just me?
Nope, it's not just you. Our house smells weird when we get back. Depending upon how weird, I might open windows and/or light a candle. (Being here in humid Tennessee, I'm less likely to open windows -- unless it's a crisp Fall day in December or January.)
I'd volunteer to be a guest blogger, but I doubt if I could come up with as many clever things as you. :)
Enjoy your trip! (And, if you missed it, re-read what I wrote at the top of this comment.)
YES! my house has to be clean. clean sheets on the beds too! my most favorite snack to take would be something chocolate. i try desperately to read. usually magazines. it's hard in a car of 7 people to get into a book. there's usually constant requests! our house smells weird. maybe that's how it always smells, i just don't know it when i'm here all the time!
ReplyDeleteif it's not too late i mentioned YOU on my blog!:) i really think my friends here in cincy would love to read your lovely words. is that too much love in one sentence?
ReplyDeleteOkay:
ReplyDeleteI definitely clean house before we go. I like to come home to a clean house!
Snacks: Anything salty or Starburst candy.:-)
I read in the car. Unfortunately my dd gets carsick and can't, so we usually listen to books on tape for a family trip.
I do think the house smells "stuffy" when we get home! I'm not sure why- just all closed up I guess.
I hope you have great trip! We'll miss you. :-)
Leah
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lcourtneymom
Just wanted to say Hello! Thanks for adding a comment on my page. Sorry I didn't see it right away... ;-)
ReplyDeleteDid you attend the Enrichment kick off? I did, and we are all signed up for our classes... Yea!
Anyway, Thanks for saying Hi, and Hello back to you!
Oh, I try, I really try, to clean my house before I go. But usually it doesn't work out. I hate coming home to a mess but, ugh. I do think like Chickadee - what if we all died, how awful for our families!
ReplyDeleteSnacks - when I was single and doing long car trips alone, it was popcorn and diet coke to help me stay awake. Now it's lots of water and iced coffee, dried fruit and graham crackers. Oh, I'll still toss in some popcorn.
Entertainment - we have usually taken along a mix of music and books-on-CD to keep us going. I can't read in the car and need something to keep me awake if I'm the driver. Now that everyone is growing up and tastes and diverging, we may resort to personal listening devices for all comers soon. I don't love that idea, but there it is.
Yes, the house always smells bad but we can't do candle 'cause of allergies. Open windows, cinnamon and cloves simmering on the stove.
Have a great trip!