Swirleytime

Category: nostalgia

Overboard reboot: Anna Faris, will you be our new Annie Goulahie?

Dear Anna, This is only the second open letter I’ve ever penned. The first was addressed to your boy Eugenio back in 2015 when he announced news of a possible Overboard reboot. Obviously. Anyway, this afternoon I received an email from a beloved uncle with only a link in the body. No other words were necessary:... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
March 7, 2017 at 12:41 am •

Make the most out of screen time:10 film adaptations your family will love

Who doesn’t love a good book to Hollywood film adaptation? Some studios do an exceptional job bringing a book to the big screen(e.g., Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and others miss by the mark by a zillion miles (e.g., live- action The Cat in the Hat). And let’s be honest, comparing what the writers and directors perceive... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
April 30, 2016 at 6:00 pm •

Four documentaries that will restore your faith in humanity

While my husband and I are physically capable of sitting down and watching whathaveyou together, I tend to opt for an 8PM bedtime while he watches ESPN until his eyeballs fly out. He also hates to watch my “stories”. Hate is a strong word; my taste in television “bums him out”. Between Trump’s freakish rise... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
February 29, 2016 at 9:54 pm •

30 movies turning 30 in 2015

<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/">Goonies</a>. Chunk and the gang are <a href="http://www.thegoondocks.org/30th-anniversary-2015.html">together right now</a> in Astoria, OR doing the truffle shuffle celebrating 30 years of awesomeness. This film defined many a childhood and is quoted on the daily around here.

It’s 3:37 AM on Wednesday morning. I could blame my insomnia on anticipation of today’s arrival of FIVE houseguests; they won’t notice the “hair carpet” in the bathroom, right? Or our wedding anniversary (I FINALLY REMEMBERED!!!!) Alas, nope and nope. Instead, I think I’m just turning into an old biddy. You know what else makes... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
June 10, 2015 at 7:00 am •

This Week's Top Ten Parenting Fails According to My Kid

1. At 2:30 AM today, I was summoned from Dreamland by a screaming preschooler. I did what any responsible parent would do and covered my head with a pillow. However, his relentless cries finally won out and, after dragging myself out of bed, was told that I “ruined his birthday party by not playing the... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
March 14, 2015 at 7:00 am •

Floating heads, dogs in costume, longing gazes: I'll never beat this year's holiday card

Well, it’s official: I am going to freak out when our roommates move out. If you don’t already know, some friends moved in with us this summer and are still shacked up in this chaotic house. With their impending condo closing scheduled for basically tomorrow, I know it’s only a matter of time before they... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
January 3, 2015 at 7:09 am •

Successful parenting sometimes means letting go

Yesterday I read a well-written blog post by fellow CN’er Walter Michka entitled, “How will your kids turn out?” He wrote, Bryan Caplan, author of Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids believes children’s long-term outcome is more nature than nurture, that parents may have some influence on their children in the short-term but long-term, it’s really up to the kids themselves. “…parents... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
October 1, 2014 at 9:48 am •

Chaos! Please help me organize my digital photos

People of the Internet! I turn to you once again to help me in my terribly misguided life. This time, I need to know how to deal with the GAJILLIONS of photos we have taken with our trusty digi camera. I love taking pictures almost as much as complaining about how giant image files slow... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
July 8, 2014 at 8:49 am •

My preschooler is already questioning the existence of the Easter Bunny

It’s bunny time for many of us. Last week, our little family ventured to one of Chicago’s suburbs to meet that furry beast and procure some candy. The bunny was kind of a “dirt-bunny”, but, I mean, can you even get those costumes cleaned? Is that something a dry-cleaner does? I have actually spent a... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
April 18, 2014 at 7:13 am •

To Overprotective Parents: I Say Asphalt is Nutritious and Delicious

I remember when EK threatened to crawl, my daycare provider of a dad suggested that I get down on my kid’s level to identify potential hazards. With knees covered in cat hair and dust bunnies, I spied sharp corners just ripe for eyeball pokes, sequins (don’t judge, they are AWESOME hot pants), and other perils... Read more »

By Annie Swingen,
April 2, 2014 at 11:51 am •

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