One Week Later: The Afghan Whigs at The Bowery Ballroom

I figured a week was enough time to fully recover from what was, without a doubt, the greatest rock and roll show I've ever seen. But it wasn't.

I'm still blasting Congregation while driving to and from work, my arms covered in goosebumps.

I had Bulletproof, Summer's Kiss and Faded on repeat for days, still thrilled that these three songs were played live.

And in a row! Gah!

I've read (and reposted) every review of the show I could find, all of which very eloquently say what I can best express in this photograph with my wifesitter, Jim.

This picture was taken BEFORE The Afghan Whigs took the stage. You should've seen what we looked like after the show. 

We stood close to the stage.  Really close.  I didn't have to zoom to get this picture of Dulli.

With a setlist like this, it could take months to recover--just in time for the ATP Festival in September and Terminal 5 in October!

Ode to my wifesitters. Is it Wednesday yet?

This is a post about my wifesitters, Jim and Sean. What are wifesitters, you ask? And why on earth would a wife need sitting?

To fully understand the concept we have to go back about 20 years to my very first Afghan Whigs show, which took place in 1993 when I was 17 years old. One of my friends was a huge fan of the band, and despite only knowing a song or two, a group of us headed to Maxwell’s in Hoboken to see what they were all about. I was immediately transfixed the moment the band took the stage until they played their last note more than two hours later.

I left Maxwell’s that night with the Gentlemen CD in hand (which then had to be transferred onto tape so I could listen to it in the car—my mother’s 1984 Chevy Cavalier) and from that moment on, The Afghan Whigs scored the soundtrack for my life.

During my senior year of high school, I would belt out “My Curse” driving through Jersey City to and from school every day. In college, my roommate and I would blast “My World is Empty Without You” while cleaning our dorm room at Villanova. When I got my first real job, 1965 was a permanent fixture in my Walkman during my NYC commute.

The Afghan Whigs never hit it big, but their cult following of fans are incredibly passionate about the music. We feel special, like we hold a secret that the rest of the world isn’t worthy of knowing.

Back in 1998, I was dating Paul and he took me to a coffee house to see one if his college buddies, Jim, perform his music. A few songs into the set, Jim sang “Honkey’s Ladder”. I couldn’t believe my ears! Another Afghan Whigs fan! Little did we both know it, but at that very moment a wifesitter was born.

You see, Paul is not a fan of The Afghan Whigs. In fact, due to the great beer spilling incident of 1999 (another story for another day, best told by Jim who does a dramatic reenactment of the scene), I’ve actually banned him from ever going to an Afghan Whigs show again. So Jim and I became fast friends, and by association, my network of Afghan Whigs superfans expanded when I met the rest of Jim’s crew, which included Sean.

For the next couple of years, we went to every Afghan Whigs show we could get ourselves to. It was only fitting that when my phone rang in the middle of the night in 2001, it was Jim on the other end of the line who broke the news that the band had broken up. We were devastated, but it wasn’t long before Dulli was making music with The Twilight Singers. We loved them instantly, of course, and never missed a show when they were in the NYC area.

A lot happened during The Twilight Singers era. Somehow, when we weren’t looking, we became adults. We all got married, bought homes, changed jobs (Paul, Jim and Sean all work together now) and had a whole bunch of kids. Jim and Sean officially earned the title of “wifesitters” at a Twilight Singers show in 2004, when they formed a human shield around my 8-weeks-pregnant self. The band went on at midnight, and there was a rather lanky, sleepy and wobbly gentleman standing in front of us who was bound to tip over. The guys sprung into action and kept me safe throughout the show, and the term “wifesitter” was cemented in history.

Over the last decade we’ve grown to love The Twilight Singers almost as much as The Afghan Whigs. However, last year when Dulli did his acoustic tour and performed some Whigs tunes, we all hoped he was hinting at an inevitable reunion. Our wish came true when the announcement was made earlier this year, and we scooped up tickets to every NYC area show the moment the fan presales went live.

The first show in 13 years is on Wednesday, and like giddy teenagers we text, Tweet and Facebook possible playlists, our theories on first and last songs, and how long we think the show will go (my guess is 2 hours, 15 minutes). Even as I type this, I received a text from Jim that reads, “I’m so excited it’s stupid.”

It’s going to be a long few days between now and Wednesday, but the anticipation is thrilling. My wifesitters will escort me to another Afghan Whigs show. We will get there early, giggle like goofballs outside the venue, maneuver our way as close to the stage we can get, sing and dance our faces off, high five between songs, and pretend there’s “something stuck in my eye” when the band plays “Faded,” just like we’ve done dozens of times before. Then we’ll head home, kiss our respective sleeping children, thank our spouses for holding down the fort while we were out, and unsuccessfully try to sleep as we replay the night over and over again.

I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Fundraising Goal #1, We Hit That Thing

I'm so excited to announce that we've reached the $1,000 fundraising goal that secures Paul's spot in the ING NYC Marathon, and that's not including all the donations that friends and family have mailed in the old fashioned way. We're doing so well, in fact, that when I reached out to Team DetermiNation in Facebook earlier this week to find out when the mail-in donations would post on our website, they said they were just talking about us and how great we're doing with our fundraising efforts. That made me smile.

I'm more confident than ever that we're going to exceed our $3,500 goal before the race.  If you'd like to contribute, please visit our fundraising website, which has been updated with a really cute picture of Paul and his mom.

As for training, we officially start 20 weeks before the race, which brings us to June 18 as day 1. Paul has done a few short runs to get his legs moving, and so far his comments range from "running is hard" to "I'm gonna hurl my dinner". I'm in the home stretch of training for the Superhero Half Marathon, which is next Sunday in Morristown. From what I hear, most racers show up in full superhero garb. I, however, will be proudly showing off a shirt that the boys made for me.  I can't wait to show you all the final product, but I'm saving that for race day.  Trust me when I say it's awesome.  My boyz have mad skillz.

We've been so blessed these days that I want to pay it forward and tell you about two very cool ladies I "met" on Twitter while gushing over The Afghan Whigs this week.  Malinda and Leah are identical twin, marathon-running, Afghan Whigs superfans who are running the Chicago Marathon and raising funds for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.  Please stop by their blog, Twins Run in Our Family, and help support their cause.  I'm looking forward to meeting these ladies in person in October at The Afghan Whigs show!  Marathon-running Afghan Whigs superfans aren't too common these days, you know!



We Clean Up Well: Paul's First Communion

Here's a rare photo of my family where we're all looking in the same direction and smiling. I'm not sure how my cousin Dorian captured this, but I'm glad she did. I smile every time I look at it.

Fits N Giggles Reviews Pure Leaf Iced Tea

Strange but true fact: I’ve never consumed a cup of coffee in my entire life. I love the way coffee smells, but I don’t like the taste.

I’m a tea drinker.

Knowing how much I love tea, many well-intentioned family and friends have gifted me with beautiful fancy tea sets that sit in our pantry for years until I’m convinced they’re stale and I don’t feel bad about tossing them. Or they get regifted.


You see, I’m very particular about my tea. For me, it’s Lipton or it’s nothing. I’m such a fan of Lipton Tea that I actually carry several tea bags in my purse just in case of, well, you know, a tea emergency. What? These things have been known to happen!

So when MomCentral reached out with an opportunity to review Lipton’s new Pure Leaf Iced Tea, I jumped at the chance to participate. I’ve been making my own iced tea using Lipton Tea bags for years, and I don’t want to brag but I’ve kinda perfected it.

Could Pure Leaf possibly measure up? Heck to the yes it can! And it does! We're officially fans.

I’m sorry to report that the three bottles of Pure Leaf that Lipton sent us to try were long gone before I realized we were supposed to use them to create and photograph recipes, so you’ll have to forgive me and settle for these amazing recipes from the Pure Leaf folks (including some fancy cocktails for your Kentucky Derby gathering).

DERBY DAY TEA-LEP

Servings: 1 Prep Time: 5 minutes 3 ounces Pure Leaf Sweetened Iced Tea 3 lemon slices
 6 large mint leaves
 In highball glass, add mint and then crush. Add two lemon slices and fill glass with ice, Pure Leaf Sweetened Iced Tea. Garnish with one lemon slice. Tip: For a special twist, add 1 ounce Kentucky bourbon.







GREEN TEA COSMO

Servings: 1 Prep Time: 5 minutes 3 ounces Pure Leaf Green Tea with Honey 1 ounce orange juice 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice 1/2 ounce cranberry juice cocktail In shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake well, then strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish, if desired, with lime peel. Tip: For a special twist, substitute 1 ounce vodka for 1 ounce orange juice.





BASIL MO-TEA-TOS

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes 1 large lime, quartered 6 large fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup sugar 16 ounces Pure Leaf Green Tea with Honey 2 cups chilled seltzer In glass pitcher, squeeze lime, then basil and sugar. With wooden spoon, thoroughly crush against side of pitcher; add lime rinds. Stir in Pure Leaf Green Tea with Honey. Just before serving, add seltzer and pour into ice-filled glasses. Tip: For a special twist, substitute 1 cup light rum for 1 cup of the seltzer.



 FRUIT-TEA SMOOTHIES

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes 16 ounces Pure Leaf Iced Tea with Lemon or Pure Leaf Unsweetened Iced Tea, chilled 2 cups frozen strawberries 1 cup fat free vanilla ice cream 1 tablespoon sugar In blender, process all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately in tall glasses and garnish, if desired, with fresh strawberries.

Visit Pure Leaf's Facebook page for more great recipe ideas.





Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Lipton Pure Leaf. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

NYC Marathon Update: We've Partnered with the American Cancer Society

Dear Fits N Giggles Readers,

As many of you know, Paul’s mom, Eva (or “Babci” as the boys call her), has been battling cancer for several years. We recently received the disheartening news that her cancer has returned, and as we write this letter she is undergoing yet another grueling round of chemotherapy treatment.

We wanted to do something extreme to help keep her spirits up. I was pregnant during the last series of chemo sessions, and as soon as we found out we were having a boy, we let Eva know that we would name him Evan in her honor. Fully realizing that it’s difficult to top this gesture, we’ve decided to try anyway (or at least come pretty darn close).

So in honor of Eva and everyone fighting for their lives because of this disease, we've committed to raising $3,500 for the American Cancer Society, and we’re asking for your support in helping us reach this goal. While I gained entry into the marathon through a lottery system, Paul’s participation is dependent upon meeting our fundraising goal. His spot will only be held if we provide the first $1,000 donation before July.

Please click here to visit our donation website.

We appreciate anything you can give. No donation is too small!

Thank you so much for your support!

 

NYC Marathon: Um, this is happening

The lottery gods have smiled upon us. Not the super popular money lottery gods (but hopefully that's next).  Instead we've been blessed by the slightly more obscure ING NYC Marathon lottery gods. Or, more accurately, I've been blessed, but we're figuring out a way for Paul to run too. I can't give away too many details at this point (not because I'm being mysterious, we really don't know many details), but it will be awesome. Or awful. Or both. But I'm banking on awesome. So please stay tuned as we navigate our way through uncharted waters. I promise you, this will be bananas.

WWE takes anti-bullying message on the road with "Be a STAR"

P and I recently attended our very first live WWE event (thank you again for the Smackdown tickets, Calandra's Restaurants) and we had a blast. While P was blown away by the bouts in the ring, what caught my attention was the big screen that played videos between matches that showcased all the great causes WWE supports.

One such cause, “Be a STAR” is anti-bullying alliance co-founded by WWE and The Creative Coalition. The mission of “Be a STAR” (Show Tolerance And Respect) is to ensure a positive and equitable social environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation through education and awareness. The initiative promotes positive methods of social interaction provides students, teachers and parents with various tools and resources to help put an end to bullying in their community.

"Be A STAR," is making its rounds, taking the WWE's superstars and divas to schools nationwide to talk to students about bullying -- how to recognize it, how to address it and how to prevent it from happening to yourself or to anyone else. I know what you're thinking.  Who on earth would think of bullying these giant wrestlers?  The fact is that wrestling superstars Mick Foley, David Otunga and The Miz were bullied once, and can speak to bullying from their own personal experience. 

So as you're gearing up for Wrestlemania XXVIII this weekend (SUNDAY! WOO HOO!), check out http://www.beastaralliance.org/, take the anti-bulling pledge, and use the family together time as an opportunity to discuss bullying.

Listerine Oral Care Challenge Wrap Up

Back in February the boys and I accepted the Listerine Oral Care Challenge. If you have a bad short term memory and/or an aversion to scrolling down, you can read all about it here.

The boys are pretty good about brushing (because my husband and I nag them every morning and right before they go to bed), but now that permanent teeth have sprouted for my oldest, we wanted to be extra sure those suckers stay clean and healthy. As for my middle guy, who will be 7 in June, I'm pretty sure he's going to have his baby teeth until he's 30. Even the tooth fairy is all like, "What's up with that kid? I've got piles of cash ready for the taking, and all I need are some teeth."

Tell me about it, sista.

After four weeks I'm happy to report that we've made significant progress with our oral care routine. Four weeks ago, we weren't rinsers, and now we are. Big time. In fact, we've already plowed through three bottles of Listerine Smart Rinse, including the one with Barbie on the label.

To quote my middle son, age 6, "I wouldn't care if there are two Barbies on the label. I love this stuff."

That really happened, by the way. I tried to get a video of him saying, "Smart Rinse is the new black," but he wouldn't go for it.

While we're rinsing experts, our flossing skills still need some polishing. But hey, Rome wasn't built in a day! Or in four weeks! We're getting there.

Listerine provided us with some great tools and tips to help us along the way, and I'm happy to share them with you here. I suggest printing and hanging the chart right above your bathroom sink as a constant reminder of your Oral Care Challenge.

For more information, including some very useful age-specific tips about how to get your kids excited about oral care, please visit the Healthy Habits for a Lifetime informational page on Walmart.com.

Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Who Am I?

I realized that it's been quite some time since I updated my "About" section, and doing so has forced me to really take a close look about who I am as a blogger. And you know what I discovered? I like me. :)

Here is the text from my updated "About" page.

I'm a full time working mom of three awesome boys (P is 8, C is 6, and E is 2) who much prefers blogging to house cleaning. I started this blog back in 2004 to chronicle my pregnancy with my second son, and it's evolved many times since then.

Here you'll find photos of my family, funny stories, product reviews, and just about anything else that strikes my fancy on any given day. I frequently work with companies to help promote products that I love, but I like to think of Fits N Giggles as more than just a review blog.

Fits N Giggles isn't the most popular blog out there, but I do have a great core group of readers. I promote all my posts on Facebook (more than 700 friends) and Twitter (more than 2,400 followers), and I have a Klout score of 52. This blog isn't meant to be a source of income, but I do welcome (and encourage) compensated writing projects. I love attending brand events in NYC, but I wish PR companies would consider bloggers with full time jobs when they plan these events so I could take part more often.

As for me personally, I'm an indie rock-loving, Jersey pride-having, boy kid-making blogger who recently experienced a bit of a personal transformation. Last year I turned 35, chopped off all my hair, and ran my first half marathon. After struggling with post baby weight for way too long, I took matters into my own hands and lost more than 40 lbs. through diet and exercise. I'm quite passionate about health and wellness and I'm incredibly proud to say that I set a goal and achieved it. I will continue to use Fits N Giggles as a platform to share what I've learned along the way.

You have any questions or if you'd like to work with me on a campaign, I can contact me at mskabich (at) gmail (dot) com.

A picture 20 years in the making

At long last, a photo of me and Evan Dando of The Lemonheads, live at Maxwells, March 12, 2012. What do you mean you can't see Evan? He's right there in the very, very dark background. Look closer!

And why am I making that face? Overwhelmed with emotion and trying to relive my teen years? Not really. The flash was bright and it hurt my eyes.

Photo credit: Dan Ragone, who drove down from Albany so we could celebrate the 20th anniversary of "It's a Shame About Ray".

Funny ha ha or funny strange?

Oh Blog, I Wish I Could Quit You

I'm a neglectful blog owner. I know this. I should really take the time to add more content to Fits N Giggles, but I'm seduced by how easy it is to simply send a Tweet or post a pic to Facebook. Part of me thinks about calling it a day and shutting the blog down, but I just can't do it.

The way I see it, Fits N Giggles is like that old friend you've known for most of your life. You know you should call more often, but life just gets in the way and before you know it months have gone by and you haven't spoken to each other. So one night when the kids are in bed you give that friend a call and pick up exactly where you left off, like it was just minutes-- not months--since that last conversation.

I started Fits N Giggles when P was an infant, and now he's eight. This blog has been there through it all: 3 kids, 2 houses and 4 jobs. It's a chronicle of the lives of my children.  It led me to a community of amazing online moms that I'm so proud to be a part of. It served as a vehicle for me to share the life-changing event of losing nearly 50 lbs. It reconnected me with friends from so many phases of my life.  It is, without question, a bigger part of me than I would've ever imagined all those years ago when I published my very first post.  Neglected or not, it is mine.  And it's here to stay. 

The Listerine Oral Care Challenge

I’m neurotic about making the boys brush their teeth twice a day: once after breakfast in the morning and again before they go to sleep at night. What I didn’t realize until recently is that we’re leaving out 66% of the recommended oral care routine: flossing and rinsing. So today I’m excited to announce that I’m partnering with Listerine, Reach and The Motherhood to take the Oral Care Challenge.

Once I found out that brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth (I had no clue!), I decided there was only one way to kick off our Oral Care Challenge. Shock and awe. Shock. And. Awe. So we busted open our giant package of oral care goodies from Listerine and Reach and got down to business.

I asked the boys to brush their teeth as they normally do, and when we were done we tested out Listerine Smart Rinse. The cool thing about Smart Rinse is that it tints all the gunk that’s left over after brushing. Boys think anything remotely gross is cool, so it goes without saying that they LOVE rinsing with Listerine Smart Rinse. I was shocked by the quantity of gunk, and the boys were awed by the fact that it turned blue (I will spare you the photos I took of what was left in my sink.  You're welcome). Mission accomplished.

It won’t be difficult to add rinsing into the routine. Our real challenge will be flossing. I’m the girl who lies to her dentist when he asks how I’m doing with flossing. Well, technically I just nod my head up and down while he’s got his hands in my mouth, but deep down I know it’s a dirty lie nonetheless. I hate flossing. It truly grosses me out. But I know that the boys will emulate what I do, and it’s my job as a parent to set a good example, blah blah blah . . . Luckily Reach’s Total Care Dental Floss doesn’t shred, so that will certainly help me get over the yuck factor of flossing.

The good people at Listerine and Reach sent me a fact sheet that scared the bejeezus out of me, so I’m going to do my best to overcome my aversion to flossing. And as a public service, I’m going to share some of these facts with you.

• Did you know that there are more germs in your mouth than there are people on earth? We need to do everything possible to keep our mouths healthy, including brushing, flossing and rinsing every day.

• According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 50% off children between the ages of 5 and 9 have a cavity or filling. Using Listerine Smart Rinse Anticavity Fluoride Rinse helps provide 12-hour cavity protection and strengthens teeth 99% better than brushing alone.

• Nearly 75% of American adults suffer from various forms of gum disease and we don’t know it.

• 50% of children will have a cavity or filling between the ages of five and nine.

Now that you’re armed with the information you need to get started, why not join us in taking the Oral Care Challenge? We’ll be tracking our progress in a follow up post next month, so be prepared to be dazzled by our sparkly teeth and healthy gums.

Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.