After a banner outing with all the women involved in the Her Times 5K yesterday (click here for results), we followed up with our October issue of Her Times in today’s newspaper. It’s full of terrific articles and thanks to everyone for your emails and support!
Make sure to give Debbie DeAngelo’s story a read on how we really can work to avoid the chemicals that invade our lives. It hit home for me when I was out of town at a wedding last night.
I realized that we didn’t see much in the way of plastics last night or this morning. Even in our hotel room at The Wyndham, we had glasses — not plastic cups in the bathroom. Our little Cuisinart pumped coffee into two paper cups (not plastic), but I stirred whitener or (whatever that fake creamer is) into the coffee with plastic stirrers. Still, it’s a step up from plastic cups! We can make a difference. Thanks for making me think, Debbie!

I dodged the bullet on allergies most of this year, but I am paying for it these past few days. Sneezing and itchy-red eyes are my enemy today. I just took a dose of Allegra, which doesn’t always work. So now I am scanning the list of meds at webmd.com One of the few things that works for me is Singulair, which I pretty much take year round. My prescription ran out, so as soon the Her Times 5K is over — it’s off to the pharmacy.
I know how hard this season is on kids, too. None of the kids had the same results. My son did well on Zyrtec for years, but knocked my daughter out. Same with Benadryl.
Although I do hate the feel and taste of nasal sprays, they work. That’s next in my arsenal today. If you can get kids to try it, they often find that it works so well, it is worth the temporary discomfort. I can guarantee it.
See all you ladies at the 5K — I’m the one with the red eyes!

The Her Times race is Saturday at the Rotary Pavilion on Presque Isle, and the Her Times staff will be there to root on the more than 800 — that’s right 800 women who will be running for fun, for good health and for private reasons that often inspire me.
Congratulations and a huge thanks to Heather Cass. Without her, there would be no Her Times 5K. Make sure you give her a huge thank-you when you see her!
Last year, an acquaintance of mine told me she ran because her friend, who had passed away, ran it every year. It was a connection to her friend.
This year, we received a call from a woman whose Bible study group is running together. This is one of dozens of group efforts that are all part of the Her Times experience.
Whatever your reason for running, go for it. And walking is just fine, too in this 5K. The 3.2 miles (that’s what a 5K is) isn’t all that far when you do it with friends and enjoy it. It’s going to be a beautiful day — perfect for running. I hear a possibility of showers with temps in the 40s. I’m working the race, so we’ll see you there.
For more info, check out Heather’s blog

One of the most important things I learned as a mom was to be a mom when the kids were involved in sports. Kids have coaches — lots of them — to tell them how to improve and remind them when they make mistakes.
I found I had to remember that kids are just kids learning how to play a sport they love. They have school, social issues, tests and life to get in the way of athletic performance.
And they have bad days. Just like you and me. Really bad days when their timing is off, the hands work like feet, and the feet seem to be traveling in slow-mo. Those are the days that they really need Mom and Dad to encourage them.
My daughter was the Metro Runner of the year her freshman year, and I reminded her to enjoy it and be humble because runners, especially girls, experience body changes that may or may not work in their favor as they age. While she went on to become a state champ two years in a row, there were days that she was pretty down, and that’s when this mom had to be a cheerleader and congratulate her for all the good runs.
It’s especially tough to watch a kid go from stardom to anonymity. My youngest son, a standout athlete through eighth grade was plagued by injuries in high school that eventually ended his athletic career in just about every sport.
Throughout the seasons of broken bones and shoulder surgery, there were some dark times and some really bad grades. I dug deep to find motivation for him, and I’m glad I did because losing his athletic ability was like losing a part of himself.
It brought us closer and he found some new strengths he never knew he had. So did I. And I’m still cheering.

Brian and Minnie Sprague-- homegrown hops and great beer. This is one of many couples who successfully started a brewery.

Darby Patton Scalise of Erie just picked up her $25 gift card, and you can too.
It’s payday for Lake Erie LifeStyle readers! Join us on Facebook at Friends of Lake Erie LifeStyle magazine, and tell us about your favorite local teams, restaurants, small towns,  foods and more. Tell us what you like and why. It could win you a $25 gift card! (If you don’t want to use Facebook, see below for alternatives way to enter).
We’ll be publishing reader comments in our November issue where we turn the page on four years as the region’s lifestyle magazine, and we want to hear from you.
Today, the October issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle, delivered in newspapers, is all about great brews from the Erie region. Find out what your neighbors have been brewing.
If you’re not into Facebook, but want to share your views, send me an email at info@lakeerielifestyle.com. Or, contact us on Twitter at HerTimesErie@twitter.com or PamEckertParker@twitter.com
Today, I’m looking at a beautiful sunny fall day and loving the way the sun casts shadows on the green, green grass of home.

If you need a moment of inspiration, read the blogs of seven brave Erie women who have taken the challenge to lose some serious weight … with the help of Flab to Fab, a workout center in Erie.

The Flab to Fab team

Click on the links below to find out how each individual real woman is handling this. They are losing weight and inches in a team effort that will make you smile and inspire you to jumpstart your own weight loss efforts.
Adria
Casie
Kelly
Melanie
Rita
Steph
Tica
These ladies have shared some raw emotion over the past 10 weeks about the weight loss process in blogs that started at the beginning of the contest in July. Flab to Fab owner Lisa Desko did too. I’m inspired because I know how hard it is to lose weight when life doesn’t make it easy. These gals have proven that working together with professionals has been a big hit. You can see success on their faces and in their blogs.
Take a few minutes, and offer some encouragement. And vote for the woman who inspires you most. Although this contest ends soon, I have a feeling this group will be together long after this contest over.
Congrats ladies. You are an inspiration to all women.

After watching the premiere of ABC’s “Modern Family” last night, I have to say I love this show. I’ve always loved the show. It is the first show, I think, that gives a somewhat accurate portrayal of blended families. As a member of a blended family, I can vouch for the funny moments, the tender moments and the irritating moments.
On last night’s double episode of “Modern Family,” I was fascinated with little Lily, the adopted child of two male partners. Last year, Lily never spoke, smiled or even showed emotions. This year, she made up for it, much like a few of the kids in our family. For a laugh, even if you aren’t in a blended family, take a look.
It always makes me smile.

In my last few columns in House to Home, I talked up the benefits of selling your home and selling it fast. It resonated with a lot of folks in the community. So, In today’s House to Home, you’ll see some great places on Mohawk Drive that brought in the buyers. If your neighborhood is turning over, take a look at the homes for sale.
You can get some creative ideas on what to do, and what not to do, if you are thinking about selling your home. I have always loved the northwest Erie area, and the home that Nedra Lehrian and Loretta Schaal of RE/Max have for sale is a keeper in my book. The sunroom on the back of that house, the bank of glass doors and incredible plantation shutters and the hardwood floors make it one of the most inviting layouts I’ve seen in a long time. I am a sucker for sunrroms, and this one is a great one.
Next week’s column will focus on some terrific homes in North East because it’s wine season, and it’s a grape time to visit the vineyards!

For those of you who don’t already know, I’m leaving the Erie Times-News. Friday is my last day here and then I’m off to new adventures at Penn State Behrend where I’ve accepted a position in the Marketing & Communications Department as the Publications & Design Coordinator.

I’m very excited about my future at Penn State Behrend, but I’m sad, of course, about leaving my life here at the paper and leaving behind “Life & Her Times.”

This will be my last week as the author of this “Life & Her Times” blog. Perhaps whoever is hired to fill my job will take it over. I hope so, but I don’t know.

I do know that I will continue writing my “Runner’s Notes” blog for www.GoErie.com and I hope you’ll keep up with me there (bookmark it or add it to your “google reader” now and I promise it will get better when I have more time to focus on it…I’ve got big plans…big plans). I’ll also probably start my own blog that you are all more than welcome to follow if you wish. I’m taking name suggestions if you’ve got one!

I started the “Life & Her Times” blog in 2006. If the archives on this blog are to be believed, it was in March of 2006.  When I started blogging, I had to do a google search to find out what a blog even was. I read a few blogs and then just dived right in and started writing my own. I think I was one of the first regular newsroom bloggers here at the Erie Times-News.

At first, I had a solid writing plan for this blog. I wanted to give a tip every day about something I learned from my girlfriends, but I abandoned that format pretty quick and just started blogging about whatever the heck came to my mind in hopes that by sharing my life, I could touch yours and maybe make us both feel not so alone in this world.

Back in 2006, blogs were still fairly new and, I’ll be honest, they were looked down upon by “real” journalists who referred to them as “blah, blah, blogs.” I think they found them to be silly and self-serving and self-centered — all the things that journalism should not be.

But, times change and soon those “real” journalists — and the higher ups — began to see the value in connecting with their readers on another level — a more personal, albeit completely public, level.

It was just us…having a conversation and getting to know each other.

Only, there was never much conversation as you rarely talked back. I’ve never had many comments on this blog (unless you count the millions of spammers who just “love my writing”).

There was a time when that lack of comments bothered me because comments used to be a measure of how often blogs were read and bloggers without comments were thought to be having a one-way conversation with themselves.

Then, along came Google analytics and other measures of a blogs “success” and I learned that, indeed, I had readers on “Life & Her Times.” They just, apparently, didn’t want to chat. That’s OK. I’m good with that, my friends.

“Life & Her Times” is one of the top blogs at www.GoErie.com and always has been. I’m sorta proud of that. So, thanks for checking in.

I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing my life for the past 5 years because I know I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you.

I hope I’ve made you smile, cry and LOL. I’ve done all that for myself in my blah, blah, blog.I can’t tell you how many times my coworker has looked at me — as I was giggling hysterically — and said…”You’re blogging, aren’t you? Let me know when you’re done, I gotta read it.”

I’ll still be blogging at “Life & Her Times” for the rest of this week, but I figured I may as well write this farewell message now in case, God forbid, any of you want to actually speak up and post a comment or anything. LOL.

Just for grins…here’s my very first post. I makes me smile because I remember this day like it was yesterday and I remember the frustration of losing that first, carefully-crafted blog post.

Welcome to the Blogosphere
March 10, 2006, 3:07 pm
The web people suggested we start a Her Times blog. Having been a life-long journal keeper and the kind of person who loves to yakkity-yak with a tappity-tap, I was all for it.

 

I whipped up this really great, funny blog entry outlining the making of Her Times magazine. I labored over finding just the right words for my first blog entry and when it was perfect, I clicked on preview and tried to email the link to a few colleagues for their opinions and poof … it disappeared.

 
Gone. Wiped out of existance. Heather the haphazard deleter does it again. And, I don’t even know how I did it. The web techies can’t even find it.

 
So this was my introduction to the blogosphere.

 
Unfortunately, I’m no stranger to losing my work and if there’s a silver lining, it’s that version #2 is usually better. So here I go.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve never blogged before, but common sense tells me that to keep women coming back to this blog it needs to be short and useful. And, that’s what you can expect to find here.

 
My vision for this blog is to share with you the wisdom I’ve culled from my legion of female friends and coworkers. I truly believe that everything I really need to know in life I learned from chit-chatting with my girlfriends.

 

 

Every weekday, I’ll share useful tips for everyday living with you. It may be parenting-related, marriage-related, silly, stupid or serious. It may be a recipe, a sale alert, an informal product review or just something to think about.

 

Some entries may not interest you or apply to you, but I hope you’ll visit often to find out.

Thanks for visiting often.

What I tried: Wildwater Kingdom

What it is: An outdoor water park in Aurora, OH

Where it is: Aurora, Ohio (across the lake from the now-defunct Geauga Lake amusement park). Address if you want to Google Map it: 1100 Squires Road, Aurora, OH 44202.

Drive time: Less than 2 hours for us (but be aware that most of the highway in Ohio is under construction…well, at least, blocked off like it’s under construction, we didn’t actually see anyone WORKING or anything..grrr…)

When we went: Thursday, July 14.

Hours: Currently, Wildwater Kingdom is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Aug. 15-19 when they start closing at 7 p.m. and are open weekends-only after that until Labor Day.

Admission: $29.99 for those over 48 inches, $14.99 for seniors and those under 48 inches. BUT….here’s a tip….if you have a Triple A Membership, you can buy the $29.99 tickets on their website at a members discount for $23 (no taxes, or extra fees!). If you do this, you buy the tickets with a credit card & can immediately print out the voucher which you take to the gate.

Parking: $7 (annoying, but…whatever).

Tube rentals: If you want an intertube to use in the wave pool, you have to “rent” one for $6 (for the day). You can only use that tube in the wave pool and ..you must have someone guard it if you want to ride something else. Didn’t seem worth it to me. They DO provide tubes for the the rest of the rides/slides. Though, I suspect you may have had to rent the double tube we found abandoned at the end of the day (and made great use of).

Crowds: Surprisingly light. I mean, we arrived at 1 p.m. and expected to never get a beach chair, but, while there were lots of people there, we were still able to find four beach chairs to drop our stuff on.  And, the pools weren’t overly growded, nor were the lines absurdly long (the water slide lines looked long, but they moved FAST because they fed four slides at once.

Water temp: My friends, the water was fabulous! I heard many people call it “bath water,” but I did not care. I’m soooo used to freezing my BUTT off at a waterpark, that I brought a swim shirt and shorts, expecting to have to put them on, but I was blissfully happy in water that I suspect was at least 90 degrees. It was wonderful.

Concrete & Steel: This may sound stupid, but one of the things that always bothers me at water parks are the tall wooden staircases. I always fear they are going to break (hey…wood ROTS in water, folks). I am that freak mother on the stairs at WaterWorld who won’t let my kids lean against the railings. Laugh, but it’s just my personal paranoia.

Well, I was elated to see that the staircase to the big slides at Wildwater Kingdom were SOLID CONCRETE and the railings were STEEL. Nice. I felt safe & secure. (Not so at the “Liquid Lightening” ride where they had a wooden staircase and platform and… my knees quaked, but…hey…can’t have it all).

Water slides:

“Splash Landing” (above) is a water “play area” (think the “treehouse” area at Splash Lagoon) and there are three or four slides there that kids can ride in that area. These would be for kids under 12. Teens would find them boring.

“Thunder Falls” (above) consists of  three body slides (the curly-Q ones at the top), which NONE of us tried because they looked death defying, and four really fun tube slides (we did each one of those).

There’s a gigantic four-person ride called “Liquid Lightening” (above) that flushes you out of a tube into a big funnel-like thing. I’ll be honest and tell you I didn’t want to do the “Liquid Lightening” ride, but my kids were having NONE of that scaredy-cat mom crap and we ended up riding it about five times. It was FUN…really fun. The only time I didn’t like it was when I went down the tube backwards, that I didn’t like.

Other stuff to do there:

The “Splash Landing” area has a few kiddie pool spaces that include some small slides just for preschoolers and a pool with a mushroom fountain.

“Tidal Wave Bay” is the wave pool (above) and it’s quite large, so even if it were a very busy day, you’d have no trouble finding space to spread out here. It does get deep — about 6 feet, I believe, but starts out just inches deep and there are little water fountains for the kiddo’s to play with in the most shallow areas.  View the Tidal Wave Bay Webcam here.

There’s a “Beach” family fun area that is basically a sandy space with toys. There’s no beach….meaning, you can’t go in the water, so…

“Little Tikes Town” would be a blast for the preschool set with a whole village of little tykes houses and cars and playthings. My girls are no “little tykes” anymore, so we didn’t hang out here, but we saw lots of under-5 kids having fun there.

“Riptide Run” (above) is their “lazy river” tube ride …fun for the whole family as it’s only 3-feet deep.

“Coral Cove” (above) consists of a few joined pools with floating “animals” kids can climb on, basketball hoops, etc.

Food: There’s plenty of concession stands in  the park — hot dogs, burgers, pizza, ICEES, ice cream. You cannot bring your own food or drinks into the park, but you can leave & come back and there are picnic tables in the parking lots. So, if you’re looking to save a few bucks, you can pack your own cooler, leave it in the car and go out to eat at the picnic tables later.

Other things to know:

– You can rent lockers if you want. I never do.

– There are decent showers and changing spaces in the bathhouse.

– The composite walkways are HOT. I mean, HOT…literally, burn-your-feet HOT. So…bring water shoes or flip flops. Now, the problem is, of course, you can’t wear water shoes or flip-flops on the slides or rides, but you’ll definitely want to wear them if you’re just walking around, getting the lay of the land.

– You can rent a “cabana” for $85 a day, but I don’t know why you would when it seemed to me that there were plentiful beach chairs and even shade if you wanted it.

– Bring some quarters. You can feed the carp in Geauga Lake. Machines dispense what I think is dog food for 50 cents a turn.

– Get there at 11 a.m. Had I known how much there was to do and how much fun it was going to be, I’d have gotten there the minute it opened. We took our time and didn’t get there till 1 p.m. By 7:30 p.m., we had done most everything, but didn’t have a chance to ride all the rides a few times like we might have liked to.

Bottom line: This was a great park and a nice little day trip. We’ll definitely go back again when Dan can come with us. I might even do it on a weekend — sure the lines will probably be longer and the park will be more crowded, but, like I said, there’s plenty of room to spread out.

Here are some more photos:

This is us, laughing our heads off.