Disney's A Christmas Carol: The IMAX Experience

Resourceful Mommy Media is hosting a Twitter party tomorrow night from 9 to 10 p.m. ET with the hashtag #XmasIMAX. It is sponsored by IMAX and is in celebration of this weekend’s opening of Disney’s A Christmas Carol in IMAX theaters

To enter, please become a Fan of IMAX on Facebook and then leave a  comment with your favorite Christmas Classic.

There will be 13 winners during the Twitter party Thursday night, and IMAX on Facebook will be giving away prizes all weekend long.All of the information can be found at http://tinyurl.com/yjc2sf7

Joshua Bell's At Home with Friends Is a Showcase of Talent

Thanks to the One2One Network, I had a chance to listen to Joshua Bell's recently released CD, At Home With Friends (ARV $13.98, Sony Classical).

Joshua Bell has captured the public's attention like no other classical violinist of his time...An exclusive Sony Classical artist known for his breadth and daring choices of repertoire, Bell has created a richly varied catalogue of recordings. Recent releases include The Red Violin Concerto by John Corigliano, The Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, The Essential Joshua Bell, Voice of the Violin and Romance of the Violin which Billboard named the 2004 Classical CD of the Year, and Bell the Classical Artist of the Year.

Track List:

I Loves You Porgy featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
Come Again featuring Sting, vocals
Oblivion featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Cinema Paradiso featuring Josh Groban, vocals
Para Tí featuring Tiempo Libre, various
My Funny Valentine featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
Maybe So featuring Edgar Meyer Sam Bush and Mike Marshall, strings
Grieg: Sonata No. 3 featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)
Eleanor Rigby featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair featuring Nathan Gunn, baritone
Il Postino featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Left Hand Song featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals
Chovendo Na Roseira featuring Dave Grusin, piano
Look Away featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar
I'll Take Manhattan featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano
I fell in love with violins listening to Pachabel's Canon in D and Joshua Bell reminds me why the violin is among my favorites. You don't have to love Classical Music to find this album one you'll be hitting "repeat" on over and over. It is a stunning collaboration of just good music.

Joshua Bell surrounds himself with talent on this album. One of my favorite songs on the album is "Come Again". It features Sting on vocals. It's a genre I'm not accustomed to hearing Sting perform and yet I love it. Josh Groban fans will appreciate Cinema Pardisio, where Mr. Groban performs vocals.

At Home with Friends, showcases Joshua Bell's amazing talent on the violin and the "friends" he surrounds himself with on this album create a play list of beautiful, harmonious music that will calm and soothe even the most stressful day.

This album is amazing, especially if you love the sound of a violin. It's quickly becoming one of my most played albums.

Review: Harry Connick, Jr. "Your Songs" is Powerful!

Harry Connick, Jr. Seriously? Is there anything this man can't do? The man has a VOICE that absolutely melts his audience--me, included!

Harry Connick, Jr.'s new CD, "Your Songs' hits shelves on Tuesday, September 22. I'm spreading the Harry Connick, Jr. love here...the CD is totally worth the wait!

The album is smooth and sultry with his jazzy, blues, Frank Sinatra style. "Your Songs" features some classic, timeless songs that will just take you back to some great memories.

To prove that he is not just another handsome face, or fabulous voice, Mr. Connick arranged, orchestrated and conducted all the music on this album giving it an added oomph that is sure to have it soaring up the charts.

The song list includes:

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

Long before Harry Connick, Jr., Elton John took my breath away with "Your Song". It's a song I get wrapped up in. Harry Connick, Jr. doesn't let me down. It's still moving. It's still powerful. It's still capturing me. Harry Connick, Jr. just amplifies the song with his voice.

My high school years were centered around Elvis Presley. Normally, I don't appreciate artists using his songs as "covers"...I have a sense of loyalty, y'know! That being said, "Can't Help Falling In Love" on this album, truly says it all. I "Can't Help Falling In Love" with Harry Connick, Jr.! Well, done!

If you're interested in seeing and hearing  more Harry Connick Jr.? Don't miss him on TV with the following appearances:
9/25 – Oprah “Live Friday”
9/28 – Today Show
9/29 – The View
9/30 – Imus in the Morning
9/30 – Letterman
10/1 – Today Show
Week of 10/5 – Rachael Ray

Click here for a sneak peak into the Behind The Scenes Making of "Your Song"
Want to learn more about Harry? Please visit his website: Harry Connick Jr. or even better become a FAN on FACEBOOK at Harry Connick Jr. Facebook page.

Monster Math! Part 4--Leraning to ADD and Subtract

You may have heard your child say, "3+3=6", and assume that your child knows how to add. The process of ADDITON and SUBTRACTION entails much more than memorizing the facts. Hands-on experiences help your child understand the why and how of addition an dsubtraction. It is important to have your child explain to you what is happening in a problem an duse various math terms: add, plus, minus, subtract, take away, equals, makes, etc. so it will connect in real-life problems. The shift is away from endless "drill and kill". Experts say that children learn better by working with objects and discovering various ways to find answers.


1.) Use a wire hanger and 5 clip type clothes pins. Cut apart the fact cards and keep the addition separate from the subtraction cards. Choose one of the ADDITION FACT CARDS from the pile. If it said 1+3, you would clip one clothespin to the left side of the hanger. Then, clip 3 more to the right side. Say 1+3 and slide the clothespins together into the center, count the combined total to get the answer. Do this with all the fact cards.

2.) Use the same idea, but use SUBTRACTION FACT CARDS. If a card says 5-2, put the first number (5) of clothespins on the bottom of the hanger and slide 2 away as you say the equation, then equals (count the clothespins that are left over.)

3.) Use the GAMEBOARD and ADDITION FACT CARDS and have a partner. Use a button as a marker. Draw a card and mover your button 3=2 or watever the card says. Say the whole equation (3+2=5). Winner is the one who gets to the end first.

4.) Use the GAMEBOARD and SUBTRACTION FACT CARDS and have a partner. This time you will start at the END and move toward the Start of the gameboard. If the card says 5-4, move your button 5 spaces and then 4 back. Say the whole equation with it's answer.

5.) Practice 5 Fact Family. (1, 4, 5) (2,3,5) (0,5,5) Using 2 blobs of CLAY and 5 TOOTHPICKS, stick one toothpick straight up in one blob and 4 in the other blob. As you say, 1=4=5, 4=1=5, 5-1=4, 5-4=1, manipulate the blobs together or apart to show equation. Write them on paper as you do each one.

6.) Put 5 BEANS in each cup of an egg carton. Have your mom take out 0-5 beans in each cup, while you are looking away. After she shows it to you, try to count the remaining beans and tell her how many she took with each one.

7.) Tic Tac Toe Addition: Make 2 tic tac toe lines on 2 papers. Then write numbers 1-5 in each square mixed up. (See example) Draw and ADDITION FACT CARD (leave out the ones that add up more than 5), and put a button on the space that matches the answer to the fact card. The first to get 3 in a row in the winner.

8.) Subtracting Zero: Collect 3 groups of 3-7 objects such as books, spoons, or towels. With one group at a time, have your child count the objects and then take away 0 objects. Ask the child to tell you how many objects are left. Using the same groups, have your child subtract the same number of objects in the groups. For example, if you have a group of 5 books, ask your child to subtract 5 books and ask your child to name the number of objects left.

9.) Draw a pond picture. Now draw 5 little ducks and cut them out. Tell stories about the ducks by adding them together or taking them away. Put them on the pond picture as you talk about them. (5 Little Ducks is a great rhyme/song to start with for this activity)

10.) Using familiar objects, such as a set of two dolls and a set of three dolls. Have child identify the number of dolls in each set. Put the sets together and have the child determine the total number. Repeat with other numbers of familiar objects, such as toy cars, books, blocks and paper plates. You can have the child or you write the number sentence, so they can see it.

11.) As you go to the store have your child add up some of the same things that are bought or different items. For example, you would say to the child , "I have two apples in the bag and I am going to put two more in, how many would I have in all?" You can also do different items.

12.) Using paper, write addition and subtraction sentences or have the child to it and write the answer on the chalkboard. Use pictures as well as the numbers to help the child see it using both ways.

13.) Us a calculator. Give your child a number sentence and see how fast it takes him to figure it out.

14.) Using the child's favorite candy, like M&Ms or one that has several pieces, have them count how many they have. Give them a number sentence and have them figure it out. Do addition first and then do subtraction problems, so they can eat the item.

Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Pore Refining Scrub--Just isn't for Me!

Burt's Bees is a brand I love. I've been using their lip balm forever! When I saw the Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Pore Refining Scrub I had to try it. I'm not a doctor. I don't have severe acne--an occassional break out here and there and some issue with blackheads.

Like other Burt's Bees products the Pore Refining Scrub is 100% Natural. It features Jojoba Beads and fruit acid complex to provide dual action exfoliation that is gentle. The Pore Refining Scrub is designed to exfoliate dead skin cells and dissolve excess oil, dirt and other impurities to refine the appearance of pores.

This product also contains salicylic acid, which is found naturally in Willow Bark Extract. This is the key ingredient to help prevent the development of new blemishes.

Now that all that's out of the way, let's talk about my thoughts on this product.

A 4-ounce tube will cost you around $10.00. I felt this was average in comparison to other products on the shelf so I didn't think twice about the cost.

I used the Purifying Gel Cleanser first and then followed with the Pore Refining Scrub. I followed the directions: "Wet face and apply scrub with your fingertips or wet washcloth, rinse thoroughly. Use 2-3 times per week."

The consistency is rather thin for my liking. I used a tad too much several times.

It has a subtle, refreshing smell. I didn't mind this too much.

Then it touched my face and I began using a circular motion to appy it. GROSS! It was like smearing Vaseline all over my face. It has a moisturizing component or something that is WAY too much for my preference.

I kept going...afterall, it cost $10!!! The Jojoba Beads weren't "scrubby" enough for me. I really felt I had to mash them to get them to work and eventually added another exfoliating cream to slough my skin.

Rinsing seemed to do little to get rid of the "greasy" feel.

I used this product for a week faithfully. While it seemed to make my pores appear smaller, I couldn't get past the feel of the product.

Sorry, Burt's Bees, your Pore Refining Scrub just isn't for me.

Monster Math! -Part 3-Measurement

Part 3 of the Monster Math Kit.

1.) Get paper and glue and several pieces of broken spaghetti. Glue in order from smallest to longest.


2.) Arrange as many sizes of spoons as you have in your kitchen from a baby feeding spoon to the largest cooking spoon and lay them in a row from shortest to longest.

3.) Have your child count the spokes on his/her front wheel of his/her bicycles. Now count the back spokes. Are they the same? Then, count the spokes on your friend's bike. More or less?

4.) Gather up all the pencils around your house. Put them in order from the smallest to the largest.

5.) Cut a strip of paper that's as long as your pinkie finger. How many pinkies long is a butter knife? Toaster? Measure other things?

6.) Is the fridge wider than the kitchen table? Is the couch wider than the table? What's the widest thing in your house?

7.) Put about 12 items in a box. (Toothbrush, wooden spoon, paper clip, etc.) Order them from shortest to longest.

8.) Make a 12 pattern train with PATTERN BLOCK SHAPES. How many toothpicks long is it? Measure with toothpicks. Try other shapes.

9.) Roll Clay into a long snake. Measure with the NUMBER LINE.

10.) Make a book with 10 pages. Measure with the number line objects in your house that are 1", 2", 3",......10" Record and draw pictures.

FeelGOOD and Help the Homeless and Displaced!

For every Lands' End FeelGood sweater purchased, the company will donate signature FeelGood yarn to One Heart Foundation's Warming Families, a nationwide knitting charity. Lands' End expects to donate thousands of pounds of yarn to the charity where volunteers plan to knit up to 25,000 hats and other items to warm the homeless and displaced.

Even if funds are tight, you can help support this great cause by posting a blog about the Land's End FeelGood Campaign. For each blog post that is written about the FeelGood program, Lands’ End will donate one cone of FeelGood yarn, which is enough to make 28 hats that will be donated nationwide to the homeless community.

You can also help by knitting a hat...or two. Here's a knitting "how to" video you can embed featuring Vickie Howell, best-selling craft author and host of TV's Knitty Gritty. It can be found on the Lands' End YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/LandsEndvideo

And one more thing, Lands’ End, along with Vickie Howell is having a Twitter Party to celebrate the launching of the FeelGood Campaign. Be sure to be there! More than 20 fun giveaways ranging from the FeelGood sweater and Vickie Howell’s books to Lands’ End gift cards and FeelGood yarn

Monster Math--Part 2--Problem Solving and Measurement

Ten more activities to add to your math box. This series is a continuation of PROBLEM SOLVING and an introduction to MEASUREMENT.

Materials:

Yarn

Number Cards (attached)

Paper Clips

Straws

1.) Find numbers in a newspaper. Cut them out and glue them to a blank calendar or a paper marked off like a calendar. (Numbers may vary in size and style, and two digit numbers can be made from two different numbers)

2.) Count the number of chairs in your house. Now count the number of table and chair legs.

3.) Practice your number words on the NUMBER CARDS.

4.) Using your TANGRAM pieces try to make as many animals as possible.

The development of measurement concepts in children requires a great deal of experience. Children need to make direct comparisions to explore different lengths, weights, capacities, duration of time. We use nonstandard measurements such as a pencil before we use rulers, etc.

1.) Gather your family together and see who has the longest hair length. Who has the shortest? (Don't forget to include pets!)

2.) Length Treasure Hunt: Have your mom cut 10 different lengths of string or yarn. (2"-20") Look around your house and find items that are of the length of each string. Draw a picture of each item in order of smallest to longest.

3.) Draw Straws: Cut STRAWS, or sticks into different lengths. Put them into a paper bag. Have some cards that say shortest , longest. Put them in the bag, too. Your mom draws a straw, you draw a straw...then draw a card. The one with the shortest or longest wins according to what the cards says. Winner gets a point and puts straw and card back. Do it several times and child compares straws each time.

4.) Using five paper clips hooked together, go around your house and record items that are five paper clips long.

5.) Get 3 or 4 small different sized containers. The problem is to put them in order of which holds the least and which holds the greatest. Use water to help make a strategy.

6.) Measure each member of your family, using a ruler or a yardstick. Then draw a picture of your family in order, from smallest to tallest.

Fishful Thinking is Back and Currently Seeking Ambassadors!

Fishful Thinking. Ah, it is a joyful sound. Pepperidge Farm goes above and beyond their brand by giving back to communities and families with their Fishful Thinking Program. This program is designed to help raise confident children using five key ingredients: Emotional Awareness, Empowerment, Goal-Setting/Hope, Confidence and Resilience.

The Fishful Thinking Program provides activities that require little or no effort or preparation work on your part, but end up creating wonderful experiences with wholesome results. You can learn more about Fishful Thinking here.

At the moment they have openings for Ambassadors. The requirements are as follows:

What you can expect:

The Fishful Thinking program will focus heavily on interactions and activities both online and offline
An increased amount of points earned for each quality Spark Report
New and improved prizing and incentives to reward more Ambassadors for the quality of their involvement
A fresh kit of program materials to distribute in your community
Updated Fishful Thinking content and activities
Timing is customized around an academic calendar to best fit your family’s schedule!
As a reminder, each Fishful Thinking Ambassador must commit to:

Seeking opportunities to share the Fishful Thinking program through online and offline activities
Driving traffic to FishfulThinking.com and other Fishful Thinking content online
Submitting Spark Reports to describe Fishful Thinking activities and interactions
Participating in polls, posting blogs and staying engaged on the Fishful Thinking Portal
Finally, Pepperidge Farm wants to give other mothers a chance to join the program, so we are opening up the community to hold another 1,000 Fishful Thinking Ambassadors! Before the recruitment period becomes public we want to give you an opportunity to help us find the best of the best by extending the invitation to your qualified friends, families and peers. All new Ambassadors will receive a free Welcome Kit filled with marketing materials to help them spread the word about Fishful Thinking.

Space is limited to the first 1,000 mothers who apply and meet the qualifications listed below:

Moms with at least one child at home between ages 4-12
Moms involved in an activity where Fishful Thinking conversations and events will be welcome i.e. PTA, book clubs, women’s group, community volunteer, etc.
Moms who enjoy sharing and connecting with other moms, online and offline.
Encourage your personal contacts to apply today at Fishful Thinking.

Farewell Summer....

Today was the beginning of the ritual of bidding farewell to Summer. I don't want to admit it's nearly over and that on September 22, Fall will be hosting the weather and festivities of the season. I want to hold on to the warmth to the "get togethers" to those moments when my days were filled with the robust laughter of active children, not yet ready to admit they were...bored!




It is a theraputic process. This changing of Hosts. Shower curtain liners coming down and reminding me of all the sand washed from heads. Walls being wiped down, erasing the fudgcicle smears and streaks of a snack on the go missing it's target. Corners and crevices being vacuumed, disrupting spiders' webs. Furniture in rotation finding a new home to embed carpet and the occasional M.I.A. toy being found again.



Summer in her glory is BBQs...now being scraped and cleaned as we prepare for heartier meals. She's sunsets in the chair on the porch that was just scrubbed down and disinfected as I think about the beauty of the leaves just yonder preparing to color my world with rich, earthy hues.



Tank tops and shorts laundered and folded, tucked neatly inside the "Summer" Bin while sweatshirts and muted colored long sleeved shirts surface and jiggle in my washer preparing to take up residence in a chest of drawers.



It's been a good 100 or so days. We lived it up...I remember it fondly as I scour camping pots and pans, hang sleeping bags to dry and hose out a tent we called "Home" for a week in the mountains relishing in the sanctuary of silence.



While I'm sad to bid farewell to my Old Friend, Summer, I am eager to welcome Fall. A time when the world is crisp. The morning a tad nippy allowing me to snuggle in the covers a tad longer while I work up my courage to confront the nip. The ground littered with crunchy leaves and the world around me canvassed in brown, gold, crimson and orange.



Fall is welcoming the night before you're ready to go to sleep. It's apples and festivals. Scarecrows and costumes.



There is nothing I look forward to more than finding the perfect costume and accessories for my children's Halloween. Nothing more magical than the Witch Festival and picking our perfect pumpkins from the patch.



As I put the final touches on moving Summer into my past and opening the windows and doors to greet Fall, I cherish all that she gave me. The memories that will live on through my heart and captured in pictures.



Farewell, Old Friend, Summer. You've been a great host.



Welcome, Fall...it's always glorious to see you again.....

Monster Math!

Monster Math

Problem Solving Activities.

Math is a given in our daily lives. Granted, many of us don't realize we are using math to perform simple tasks, but it surrounds us. Children love to explore and create and Monster Math gives them the opportunity to be creative, explore the world around them and learn life long skills.

Monster Math is a kit that you create, customize and add items to as your child develops mathematical skills. We keep ours in a shoe box. Let's get started!

Materials:

Tangrams

Toothpicks

Calculator

Beans

1.) Count how many days until the next holiday. Can you count by twos's?
2.) Using the TANGRAM, try to make the square using all 7 pieces. Mess it up....can you do it again?
3.) Using the TANGRAM, try making a triangle with just 2 pieces. See if you can make a triangle with 
      3,4, or 5 pieces. Is there more than one solution? Draw pictures of your solutions.
4.) Using the TANGRAM, try making a rectangle using 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 pieces.
5.) Make some different objects using all the TANGRAM pieces. Trace and color your favorite one onto
     paper.
6.) Make a paper chain. Use different colors in a repeating pattern.
7.) Draw a pattern on paper. Copy it with TOOTHPICKS onto the table.
8.) Using TOOTHPICKS and a CALCULATOR, press a number and then lay the toothpicks on the table
     to look like the calculator numbers that are on display.
9.) Number Guess: One child chooses a number between 1 and 20 and writes it down so only he/she can
     see. Family member begins guessing the number. The first child says smaller, larger until the number is
     chosen.
10.) Get a small handful of BEANS and count them. Match them up by 2's to see if the number is odd or
       even.

That Gapped Toothless Grin Makes My Day!

So this has truly been a week of many firsts...first day of school and on Saturday, September 5, we lost our FIRST Tooth! It was calm and quiet. She hardly wiggled the dern tooth in its "wiggly" state. Then, it happened. She had to show everyone!

The Tooth Fairy brought her four quarters and she was content.

Truth be told, the one next to it is loose. She doesn't wiggle it either. She is far more patient than I!

In the meantime, that gapped, toothless grin makes my day. I love it and need it!

Pattern Blocks and Activities

Pattern Blocks are a great introduction to geometry and patterns. There are endless possibilities as to what you can do with a set of Pattern Blocks.

1. Make a pattern and have your child complete the pattern: hexagon, triangle, trapazoid, hexagon, _______, trapazoid.... Or you can have them determine what sorting rule you used, color, same number of sides, objects you can stack, etc.

2. Find things in the room that are the same shapes as the Pattern Blocks.

3. Use the Pattern Block Mats to create colorful shapes
4. Trace the shapes and make your own designs

5. Talk about the attributes of each shape.

6. Trace the shapes and use them to make a necklace with string or a mobile.

Here is a template to make your own Pattern Blocks

ABC Games

This is a great activity for letter recognition in both the Upper and Lower Case alphabet as well as sound association. The alphabet cards can be used to review, holding them up and having the child say the letter. The child can use the card to practice writing the letter.

The second set are picture cards to use with the alphabet cards. A variety of activities can be played using this set. Concentration--match the picture with the first letter of the picture. Match the letter sound to the picture. The possibilities are endless.

Tangrams: Creating Your Own Tangrams and Tangram Puzzle Fun

The tangram puzzle set is composed of seven pieces. A tangram puzzle set includes: a square, a rhomboid, and the other five pieces are isosceles right triangles of various sizes.

Of these triangular pieces, two are small size triangles, one is a medium sized triangle and two are large size triangles. The area of a large size triangle is twice the area of the medium size triangle. The area of the medium size triangle is twice the area of an small size triangle. The area of the square is also twice the area of an small size triangle. The area of the rhomboid is the same as that of the square. All the angles in these pieces are either 45, 90 or 135 degrees.

Tangrams come from Imperial China and while they are fun in creating tangram scapes and puzzles, they are also a valuable lesson in math.

Here is a pattern to get you started.

You will need stock paper, scissors and a printer.

Print the pattern above on heavy card stock and cut out, following the dotted lines.

Once you have the shapes cut you will have a tangram set that will look similar to this:

We keep ours stored in a ziplock baggie.

Then let creativity take over and create pictures with your tangram. You can also do a search for "tangram scapes" to give you some ideas or templates.

Here is a tangram puzzle to try.

Inchworm Measurements--Measuring with Non-Standard Units (Preschool)

Yesterday we did the Elephant Measurement and had "such enormous fun" that we called for another non-standard measurement unit to come play...so today we are doing Inchworm Measurement (clever aye?)!

You will need:

The Inchworm Measurement Ruler

The Three Page Inchworm Measurement Booklet to record your measurements.

Have children use the Inchworm Measurement Ruler to measure the items in the booklet and draw a picture of that item in the space on the page. What other items did they measure? Have them draw those items and add to their booklet.

Elephant Measurements--Learning to Measure

My children have all loved this activity.
It teaches measurement and allows them to use their imagination.
It's simple and requires very little preparation.

You will need:

• 
  
  The Elephant Measuring Tape (you may want to make several copies and tape them together for "larger" measurement")

• 
  
  The Elephant Measurement Booklet

Have the child measure the items in The Elephant Measurement Booklet and record how many "elephants" long the item is. Then encourage them to add pages to their booklet, or just measure other items in their environment.

Learn to Use Scissors!

Here is a great activity for the li'l folk to practice using scissors. Have them color the picture then follow the black lines with their scissors. The result will be a curly snake. For added fun, once the snake is cut out, hang him from the ceiling and watch it spin!

First Day of Kindergarten

Monday arrived and it was all it was hoped to be...my youngest daughter started Kindergarten! She has been looking forward to this day...counting the days. We have been preparing for this moment. Last October we went to her school for their Halloween Carnival. We did testing in March. We went to Back to School Night. I signed up as a member of the PTA. We did SEPs and finally...FINALLY, the alarm went off and the calendar reflected it was time....to be independent, to be a Kindergartner!

Grilled Rosemary Apricot Chicken with Grilled Apricots

Tonight I made grilled rosemary apricot chicken with grilled apricots for dinner. It was absolutely fabulous!

It was terribly easy.

For the Grilled Apricots, I peeled them, then cut them in half, removed the pits and laid them on aluminum foil so the "half" side with the hole was facing up. I then loosely filled the pit hole with brown sugar and placed a small square of butter on top of each apricot half. Folded the foil around the apricots and sealed the edges. I grilled these for about 10 minutes.

The chicken was just as easy.

I sprinkled each chicken breast with salt, pepper, and rosemary. I then grilled the chicken until it was golden and turned on the grill. The side that was browned I smothered with homemade apricot jam. When the other side was golden, I flipped the chicken and then smeared with apricot jam. I let the chicken grill on low for about 3 minutes and then served.

FREE 15 Day Supply of CLARINS Multi-Active Day Cream

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Jaycee Lee Dugard, Victim of a 1991 Abduction, Walks into Police Station!

This story is heart-warming. A happy ending to a tragedy. It goes to show that those parents with children who are victims of abduction, should NEVER give up hope.

In 1991, when Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted, I was the mother of a 2 year old. My heart strings were tugged when this happened. Sure, I haven't thought about it much since, but today, my skin got bumps because it has a happy ending, something seldom seen in cases like this.

The parents went from this:
DESCRIPTION

Date of Birth:	May 3, 1980	Place of Birth:	Anaheim, California
Sex:	Female	Hair:	Blonde
Height:	4'6" (at the time of her disappearance)	Eyes:	Blue
Weight:	80 pounds (at the time of her disappearance)	Race:	White

THE DETAILS
Jaycee Lee Dugard was last seen as she walked to her bus stop in South Lake Tahoe, California, on June 10, 1991. It has been claimed that she was abducted by two individuals, a male and a female) who were driving a car. However, extensive law enforcement investigations since the time of her disappearance have neither identified any abductors nor revealed the location of the victim.
REMARKS
Jaycee Lee Dugard was last seen wearing a pink windbreaker, a white t-shirt, pink stretch pants, and white sneakers.
To this!

<cite>By JULIET WILLIAMS, Associated Press Writer Juliet Williams, Associated Press Writer</cite> – <abbr title="2009-08-27T11:43:00-0700">13 mins ago</abbr>

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sheriff's officials said Thursday they believe a woman who walked into a police station had been kidnapped as an 11-year-old in 1991 outside her South Lake Tahoe home. Two people were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping.
The woman came into a San Francisco Bay area police station and said she was Jaycee Lee Dugard, a blond, ponytailed girl when she was abducted as she headed to a school bus stop 18 years ago, said sheriff's Lt. Les Lovell of the El Dorado Sheriff's Department.
"We're 99 percent sure it's her," Lovell said. He said DNA tests were being conducted. The woman was in good health. It was not immediately clear when she had surfaced at the station.
Lovell said Concord police did an investigation after the woman surfaced, and he received a call Wednesday from investigators who had tentatively identified her as Dugard.
Her family has been contacted and they are in the process of arranging a meeting, said Lovell, who was a detective assigned to help investigate the kidnapping in 1991. "We are very confident at this point in time that it is her."
Jimmie Lee, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department, said FBI and El Dorado sheriff's deputies arrested two suspects Wednesday night. They were being held in the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez.
Lee said the two were being held for investigation of several charges, including kidnapping, but he could not elaborate.
Law enforcement sources said authorities were also searching a home in Antioch.
Dugard's stepfather, Carl Probyn, said the news was like winning the lottery.
"To have this happen where we get her back alive, and where she remembers things from the past, and to have people in custody is a triple win," he told The Sacramento Bee.
Witnesses reported that a vehicle with two people drove up to Dugard and abducted her while her stepfather was watching on June 10, 1991, the Sheriff's Department said in a news release Thursday.
In media reports at the time, the girl's stepfather said he heard Jaycee scream then jumped on a bicycle and frantically pedaled after the car in a failed effort to follow it up a hill. He then turned around and screamed at neighbors to call 911.
The case attracted national attention and was featured on TV's "America's Most Wanted," which broadcast a composite drawing of a suspect seen in the car.
Probyn said his wife, Terry, had spoken with Dugard by phone on Wednesday. He said the mother and their 19-year-old daughter were flying from their Southern California home to meet with Dugard in Northern California.
Investigators first visited with his wife about three weeks ago, he said.
Probyn said he endured years of suspicion from FBI agents who believed he may have been involved in the abduction. He eventually lost hope that he would ever see his stepdaughter alive.
"Then you pray that you get her body back so there is an ending," Probyn said.
Lovell said investigators have been working the case consistently since she was abducted and new leads had surfaced over time.
"You bet it's a surprise. This is not the normal resolution to a kidnapping," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_kidnapped_girl_found

FREE Museum Day--September 26

Mark your calendars! September 26, 2009 is National Museum Day and each family can go here to download an admission card which will give you two free admissions to hundreds of museums nationwide.

Go here to see a list of participating museums and then go here to print your free pass.

Remembering DATE NIGHT

As the Mom to six children, I have not used the restroom or showered alone for the past five years. Tiny fingers creep under the door, or the rap-a-tap-tap on the door joined by "Mom!" always accompanies me.

I've been reading the same book for seven years. A sentence before someone needs a ride, a paragraph before someone needs a "boo-boo" kissed, a page before I'm the referee of bickering.

Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of this handsome man. He intrigues me. I think, in a past life, I might have known him... He is the person I leave notes on the counter as gentle reminders of band practice, soccer games, pick the kiddo up,last minute "needs" to feed the gang and sadly, these notes are our conversation. He seems a stranger in the midst of the chaotic comedy unfolding around me and yet, he is my husband.

I desparately need a date night to reaquaint myself with the amazing man I married. The reason I am called "MOM". The person I consider my better half.

A date night where I get to be a grown up...wear something besides finger-painted tee shirts and pudding smeared jeans.

A few hours where my hair is released from the tight pony tail and chortles with curls.

A date night where I smell like exotic fruits and florals instead of Clorox Disinfecting wipes.

A moment in time that is tranquil and I can relive over and over again when the evening has passed and I'm sitting in traffic trying to get to the school with a forgotten lunch, or on hold waiting to find out what time the PTA Meeting has been changed to. A moment in time when I tuck those little faces in, I remember why my heart wanted them and why I TRULY am the LUCKIEST Woman on Planet Earth!

Ricky James Should be Ashamed!

OTL: Ricky James--ESPN Video

Last night, while channel surfing I happened to come across a segment on some sports channel about a guy named Ricky James. I happened to land at the part that was boasting his great accomplishments: competing in the Baja 500 and the Ironman competition. He had to cover 63 miles in just seven hours and 14 minutes. Ricky James has even competed in the L.A. Marathon finishing fifth with a handcycle. Back in 2008, he competed in the X-games in Los Angeles, winner of the 2008 West Coast Pro Truck championship. Pretty impressive list of things to cross off your "have done" list. The kicker, when he was 17 (March 10, 2005)-he broke his T7 in a motocross accident and has accomplished all these amazing "things" as a paraplegic.

The story went on to depict Ricky James as an "inspiration". His website starts off with a single word: "PERSEVERANCE".

I was *totally* sucked up in the sales pitch...then the story took a turn. Ricky James' best friend, Jared (I think that was his name) was the one that caused the accident that left Ricky paralyzed. The segment surrendered from "inspiration" to an example in "pathetic". At one point in the feature, it shows and talks about Ricky James, who has gotten back on his bike to ride motocross, spending an afternoon at a "practice", plotting to take down his former friend who caused the accident. I was shocked to see Ricky t-bone the guy he once called "BEST" friend. What was even more disturbing was that Ricky said something along the lines of "it was more dangerous for me because I am strapped to my bike." Seriously?!

While "Jared" and Ricky live something like 30-minutes from one another, they had not spoken since a few weeks after the accident that left Ricky, our "victim" in all this. The show arranged for the two fellows to get together. They spent an hour talking to each other, realizing that their friendship will never be what it once was.

I am appauled that Ricky James is being labled an "inspiration". His website should start with one word: FORGIVENESS.

Don't get me wrong. I've witnessed what a 16 year old boy goes through following a motocross accident that leaves him paralyzed. I've seen the anger, the confusion, the pain. I've seen that "boy" instantly become a man.

Riding dirt bikes is a risk. You know it when you mount that bike. Certainly you know it when you have just received a sponsorship from Honda, as Ricky James had a few days before his accident. It didn't just creep up on you and boda-bing-boda-boom!

I think it is commendable that Ricky James has achieved so many amazing goals. I am impressed at his stamina and athletic ability. I am in awe that he rides motocross as a paraplegic. He wants to win a championship in Late Model Modifieds next...I've seen it done, Ricky! What I am disturbed by is that he thought it was okay to INTENTIONALLY t-bone a fellow rider, forget that it was once his BFF! I am speechless especially given the fact that he knows FIRST HAND what can happen.

This is not the role model my children need. It is not the role model any person needs. Be great because it's who you are. Be great completely. Be real and be an inspiration in all aspects...not just for the fact you crossed the finish line. Uplift others through your contributions to your community, to the people who love you and forgive those that took your "one" dream...afterall, it seems you have found a new determination and you're obviously in the top of the game!

Ricky James should be ashamed of his behavior, of the ill-feelings he allows to take up residency in his heart

Holy Sheen! I LOVE Charlie Harper

Two and a Half Men. It's the BEST show out there. Tonight we finished the Fourth Season of Two and a Half Men. We had hoped to be caught up for the release of Two and a Half Men, Season 6, due out September 1.

This show is witty. It walks a fine line on crude and humorous. It's the ONLY show that makes me gafaw outloud! The characters are pathetic, all of them, and yet enduring and wanting you to be an integral part of their life.

Let's face it, you already knew it, I LOVE Charlie Harper. This is the role Charlie Sheen was destined to do. It's what he spent the 80s and 90s in rehearsal for: drunk, lazy, a womanizer, gambling. He wears hideous bowling shorts and is seldom seen in long pants.

Rose is my second favorite character. She and Charlie had a one night stand and Rose read more into it and begins stalking Charlie. She keeps her refridgerator stocked with the exact inventory as Charlie's. She is a brilliant character in the respect that you have to love her, inspite of her mental state. She often gives Charlie solid advice. She is adorable with Jake and delivers some of the best lines of the show.

If you have not yet seen Two and a Half Men, I encourage you to...you'll find yourself laughing and loving that 30-minutes where you are a guest in Charlie Harper's Malibu Home. It's on Monday Nights, 9pm Eastern on CBS!

Friday...Free Chocolate Relief Act by Mars!

It's Friday! If you don't already know that means Chocolate Relief from Mars! Get your free chocolate every Friday through 09/25 here. Limit four coupons per household..so there's still time to get this freebie before it ends! Nothing beats it being Friday more than FREE CHOCOLATE!!!

The Spider and The Fly...a Poem that Captivates

Based on the classic poem, The Spider and the Fly, by Mark Howitt, this book comes to life with the impressive and outstanding artwork of Tony DiTerlizzi. The artwork is black and white with riviting details (layered for "ghosts") that captivate and tell a story on their own.

Hands down, The Spider and the Fly is one of the most requested books for reading at our house and there have been many occassions where I have walked in to discover my three and five year old sprawled out on the floor, mesmerized by the artwork, enjoying the story as they tell it!

This book is one to keep on the coffee table. It is intriguing and reminescent of elementary school days where the world was magical. Be inspired again with this book!

Pocketville 250 Free Tokens

This code: B9GX8NUDYS is good for 250 FREE Tokens for pocketville. Log into http://www.jungleinmypocket.com and enter the code as a voucher and redeem for some cool stuff for you (or your child's) virtual pet.

Pocketville has endless fun. My five year old loves playing it so much I use it as a reward system. She has a virtual pet, a cat, named "Annabelle". She enjoys the adventures she and Annabelle go on as they go to the beauty parlor, shopping and play dress up.

Go Wear Fit--Day 3

Ay yi yi! I lacked serious motivation this morning. I just didn't feel like moving. Thankfully, Charlotte the Great had a doctor's appointment this morning so we went with her. I did walk in place while she was being examined.

I also made really poor choice for food. I ate three glazed donuts today. Okay, not all at once. (Patting myself on the back for that) I started off with Organic Blue cornflakes, a banana and 1 cup of milk. Then it just went kaploof! What can I say? I have a love affair with refined white sugar!

My arm is still tender from the Go Wear Fit. Nothing I can't live with but tender none the less.

I felt guilty after entering my day's dining in the food journal. It forced me to do a 30 minute DVD of exercise. Then it got easier and I found myself eager to meet my target goals.

MY CALORIES BURNED 2350 CALORIES (Target)
2641 CALORIES (Actual)

MY CALORIE BALANCE 1000 CALORIE DEFICIT (Target)
1431 CALORIE DEFICIT (Actual)
You are on a weight loss trend


MY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 0:40 :MINS (Target)
0:58 :MINS (Actual)



Total Physical Activity:

Total Moderate Activity: ACTUAL 57 MINS

Total Vigorous Activity: ACTUAL 1 MINS

Total Activity: ACTUAL 58 MINS

MY NUMBER OF STEPS: 10000 (Target)
Actual STEPS: 6481
STEPS


MY SLEEP DURATION8: 8:00 (Target)
7:02 (Actual)


SLEEP EFFICIENCY 84 PERCENT

I HAVE LOST 2.5 lbs SINCE Aug 1, 2009

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! Sam-e Complete

Woot! Woot! I received an email today saying I had won a month's supply of Sam-e Complete by Nature Made. I posted previously about this supplement and am delighted to be a winner!

I've taken Sam-e Complete by Nature Made for two months now and I think it is definitely working on my joints and I am noticing I am not nearly as edgy as I was previously.

Go Wear Fit--Day 2

I realize I've only been using the Go Wear Fit for a short time...all right. all right! a REALLY short amount of time, but so far I LOVE IT!

I am far more consciencious about what I'm doing...thinking twice before shoving something delectable in my mouth and feeling compelled to get out and do something to keep moving.

This morning, I stood on the scale and I've lost 2.5 pounds since wearing the Go Wear Fit. If that isn't motivation, I don't know what is!

My big issue is that I want to know where I stand with calories burned. I keep taking it off and plugging it in to upload the information. I'm probably the reason they created the attachment you can wear like a watch or attach to your shirt to see up to the minute readings...yeah, I'm definitely the reason...back to saving!

Okay, so you know I love it...

I still don't like the food journal. I NEED more options, people! I want to log it in ounces or grams, pounds or whatever unit of measurement I'm doing. I want a larger food index! I know. Picky, but dad-gummit I'm in this for the long haul. I"ve got 60 pounds to lose and it's gonna take some sheer determination to keep on this path...

My arm is also a tad sore where I am wearing the Go Wear Fit device. My upper left arm is tender! I moved it up a smidge earlier today and it seems to be better.

I'm still under target for my steps...who knew 10,000 was so hard to reach!

I'm still at an 83% for sleep efficiency. Not sure how I can work on this, since I don't notice I'm waking up!

I'm meeting or exceeding my target for exercise...well, except for the vigorous exercise. I did hit 2 whole minutes of that today though!!!

The Body, Mind and Soul of Coffee

Here's an article I read through Nescafe Taster's Choice. Who knew coffee was more than just a delicious indulgence?!

It’s deeply breathing in the delicious scent from your mug, easing you into another day. The dark, rich color. The “ahhh” moment of your first sip. For many people, coffee transcends the level of average beverages to something much more meaningful.
According to the Coffee Research Institute, 54 percent of adults in the United States enjoy coffee every day, and another 25 percent drink it occasionally. It does much more than just help them wake up. Studies repeatedly show that coffee’s effects help both the body and mind work better.
Coffee and your mind
Coffee helps you think. According to a 2006 report by the National Coffee Association, more and more people are recognizing the mental boost they’re getting from coffee. Studies show it improves cognitive function, short-term memory and concentration, so you’ll be able to understand and process new information quickly.
Currently studies are looking at how coffee does this by acting on the brain’s prefrontal cortex. In a study at the Medical University in Innsbruck, Austria, a group of people who were given coffee had significantly increased activation in parts of the prefrontal lobe than those who had received a placebo.
This activated area of the brain is important for “executive memory.” For example, when you look up a telephone number in the yellow pages and mentally store it before dialing. The elevated activation of the prefrontal lobe also aids in concentration, attention, planning and monitoring.
Coffee and your body
Not only can coffee help enhance your mental performance, but it may be just what you need to take your physical performance to the next level as well. Experts at the Harvard Medical School have reported that coffee has been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.
In a different review of studies on caffeine and exercise, researchers found that caffeine improved physical performance by at least 10 percent. Even small amounts of caffeine proved beneficial to exercise, sometimes as little as 90 mg. (One cup of coffee usually contains 50-120 mg.)
So whether you’re doing your taxes, running a mile or just taking a break, coffee will be there to help you along. And you’ll have even more reasons to sit back and enjoy every sip.
Sources

Harvard Women’s Health Watch. “Coffee Health Risks: For the Moderate Drinker, Coffee Is Safe,” Harvard Health Publications. www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_risk.htm
International Coffee Organization. “Coffee and Health—Some Surprising Findings.” www.positivelycoffee.org/topic_exercise_overview.aspx
International Coffee Organization. “Coffee and Mental Performance.” www.positivelycoffee.org/topic_mental_revision.aspx
National Coffee Association. "National Coffee Drinking Trends 2006."
Paluska, SA. “Caffeine and Exercise,” Curr Sports Med Rep, Aug 2003, 2(4):213-219.
Vince, G. "Coffee's Effects Revealed in Brain Scans," NewScientist.com, December 2005. www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8401

GoWear Fit--Day One

How exciting. My first day using the GoWear Fit!

I made good choices today with my food, staying within my points range for Weight Watchers. Temptation struck as we took the kiddos to Carl's Jr. today. I have to confess, Chuck makes a darn good burger. I, instead had the side salad with their Balsamic Vinaegrette Dressing. I kept track of exactly what I ate and entered it into the GoWear Fit Tracker.

While it is relatively easy to use the Food Journal due to the extensive list of foods preprogramed in their system, one draw back is that it does not have the enormous food resource that fatsecret does. I found myself having to look up several things, that fatsecret already had in their database.

Another drawback to the GoWear Fit Food Journal is the quantities. You must entered an item either by .12, .50 or 1.00. This is a drawback when you only have 2 Carl's Jr. fried zuchinni OR you are serious about your food journaling and weigh your portions. Fatsecret allows you on most items to enter in grams, cups, ounces, etc. This gives me a more precise view of my calories consumed.

One feature that I do like on the GoWear Fit Food Journal is the Nurtitional Summary. It gives you your nutritional summary at a glance. Mine, today, looks like this:

Now, let's get to the real reason I purchased this amazing little gizmo...the calories going OUT.

I LOVE the charts. They are interesting and it's really eye-opening to look at your activity peaks and realize when you thought you were burning huge amounts of calories, you weren't or vice versa.

Here is my chart for Calories Burned for today:

My highest calorie burn was on a 2.69 mile bike ride, with the last little bit UP hill. I burned 8 calories per minute! It was brutal.

I was also impressed by the sleep monitor. The GoWear Fit knows when I am "laying" in bed and when I am sleeping. I spent almost an hour laying in bed, and I woke up several times in the night (my longest "laying" while I thought I was "sleeping" was 4 minutes! Holy Cow!)

We'll be back tomorrow with another update.

Weighing In

After months of saving up, today my GoWear Fit arrived! I'm ecstatic! I ordered it through Amazon.com after reading review after review. Essentially, it's a miniature computer you wear on your left arm and it monitors steps taken, calories burned, vigorous activity vs. regular activity, how well you're sleeping, etc.

Initially, I thought I would get the Body Bugg, turns out it and the GoWear Fit are both made by the same company, BodyMedia. After much research I couldn't see why I wouldn't go with the GoWear Fit? Check out this chart that shows the comparison and decide for yourself.

The one draw back, is the gadget is pricey...I made $179.99 and you have to pay a monthly subscription fee to be able to see your trackers. By purchasing through amazon.com I was able to get a three month subscription included in the price. After the three months a twelve month subscription will set you back $6.95 per month.

I fully charged my GoWear Fit and put it on around 8:45pm. My activity has been slim to none since then. It's a good start...tomorrow I'll report on my first full day's experience with the GoWear Fit.

You should know:

• I have not consulted a doctor prior to wearing the GoWear Fit, nor starting my healthier lifestyle.


• My goal is to lose 60 pounds (GoWear Fit says I can do this by March 2010)


• I'll be using Weight Watchers Point System as my "diet"

Okay, let's all get a good night's rest as tomorrow is the first day!!!

My Least Likely Celebrity Crush

Charlie Sheen. I don't know what it is that has gotten into me lately. After watching Two and a Half Men on Prime Time, we elected to purchase Season One and Season Two on DVD...why not? It's a great show and quite frankly....there's nothing on TV these days.

And so it begins...my irrational infatuation with Charlie Sheen.

Truth be told, I cannot decide if I think he is strikingly handsome. He seems to have beady, dark eyes and uber thin lips. I don't think he's whitening his teeth, like other likely Hollywood Hotties. He has hair that seems to do it's own thing, not to mention it looks to be somewhat receding. His nose is very sharp. Should I mention those deep, furrows between his eyebrows? His chin has some serious scars and his ears...Holy Dumbo! The shorts he wears on the show only enable me to see that he has scrawny calves and another thing...I dislike immensely those bowling shirts!

Oh, Charlie, if it only it were that easy! Maybe all the aforementioned only adds to his allure. He's NOT perfect and yet, he's attractive. Maybe it's he's just the feller next door that appeals to me.

Then, too, there's that whole bad boy thing he has had going on...the sex, the drugs, the hootch. While, that kinda drama in my own little utopia is not sought after, it seems, well...when it's attached to Charlie Sheen, it's um...dare I say it? "HOT".

The media reports Charlie spent some outrageous coin on "Ladies of the Evening". Kinda makes you wonder why Charlie Sheen has to pay for sex??? Perhaps I'm not the only one confused over an infatuation with the man? Nope. Turns out, Charlie says he didn't pay for the sex. Afterall, he's Charlie Sheen...he can get sex, he paid for the girls to LEAVE when he was done with them. Brilliant! I dare say!

So there you go. My least likely celebrity crush...I can't deny it anymore...CHUCK, you're the stuff, Baby!

Purex Insiders' Site Spotlights ME!

Remember back in mid-May when I posted that I was accepted as a Purex Insider? I got to try the Purex 3-in-1 Complete sheets before they were available and give my review of them.

I'm still using them and loving them...the convenience has opened up some much needed R&R. Even more exciting is that my review was posted on the Purex Insiders site. You can read it here.

Those Crazy Kiddos!

Fishful Thinking has kept us entertained this summer. There is an activity that encourages emotional awareness through the play with blocks. We have definitely mastered the art of frustration as my three year old thinks he's a comedian, while my five and seven year old would debate that fact.

In the video, my three year old busts down the girls' tower. My seven year old, naturally over reacts. My three year old then begins his persuasion declaring, "Don't get so close. You can build another one."

Oh, ain't summer and siblings fun?!

Capri Sun Sunrise Drink WOW!

Back in February or March, I was selected to do a product test for Capri Sun's new drink, Capri Sun Sunrise. We received a box of the pouches and each morning, until they were gone, we divied them out to the little folks at my house.

I had to taste them and found them to be quite tastey. My three year old thought they were absolutely amazing and we had to keep them dern near locked down or he'd have consumed the entire box himself....all at once!

After the week, I added Capri Sun Sunrise to our grocery list as they were tastey and convenient and completed the form I was asked to give my opinion on for the drink.

I'd not really given it much thought. Capri Sun Sunrise is a regular staple at our house so while flipping through my June issue of Family Fun, I ran across an advertisement for Capri Sun Sunrise. There in red print was my comment and my name. Wow!

I shared this with my children who thought Mom totally rocked...which by the way, they are correct...I DO!

It's so much fun to see the ad!

ClutchTees is for Me

I ran across clutchtees.com while cruising the internet. I have to say, they have some really great tee shirts.

Under their funny tees there is one referencing one of my all time favorite Seinfeld epidsodes with the Soup Nazi...yeah, you know the one...clutchtees.com has the tee shirt that says:

I can also appreciate the one that reads "The Breakfast Club". Okay, so it's not Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe and Demi Moore, but my children can far better relate to Tony the Tiger, The Trix Bunny and Lucky Charms' Leprechaun.

Then I clicked the link for their "vintage tee shirts"..oh. my. gosh. They have a Grease Tee Shirt. Remember when that hit theaters. I so loved it. In fact, I loved the movie so much that I bought the soundtrack. From there it just became more and more about who I was. Ask my boys. They will tell you. There wasn't a car ride we went on that didn't involve them singing the "boy" parts while I belted out in my tone-deaf voice the "girl" parts. Good times I tell you. Good. Times.

There are a lot of Star Wars shirts. Oh, yeah, my 19-year old will be delighted by this. Han Solo has to be a huge idol for my boy...right up there with John Mayer.

clutchtees.com even has one for those die hard Mork and Mindy fans...yup...na-no na-no.

It was a hoot reliving those moments in my life that had faded. Television shows, soundtracks, movies. I was laughing out loud and fading into a tranquil state of "Remember that?" Isn't it great the statement a Tee-Shirt can make?!

My Journey of Weight Loss

In 2007 I lost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers. It was amazing and took me about 6-months. I wasn't hungry and I was even starting to enjoy exercise. In March of 2008, I was still doing Weight Watchers when I became ill with a terrible flu...and that is where my diet ended.

Here we are July 2009, I have gained 24 pounds since stopping my Weight Watchers journey and I'm back, though struggling with motivation. I'm working on journaling my food intake...it's pretty eradicated on how often I actually succeed. I do ride my bike, though pulling 95 pounds of kiddos in the bike trailer makes for a very short, hard ride..yup! Sucks the fun right out of it.

Well, today, while surfing the web looking for anything to inspire me in my weight loss adventure, I ran across a site that has some really great articles centered around weight loss and an overall healthier person as a whole. It's called Diet-to-Go. While visiting the site, I ran across an article entitled 5 Keys to Fat Loss Success.

While most of the article was common sense, it really explained things in a layman's term to where it gave me pause to thought. The article was written by: Wendy Chant, MPT, SPN, "a certified personal trainer and a specialist in performance nutrition. She holds a bachelor of science degree in medical sciences and nutrition science. A champion body builder, she opened her own training center, ForeverFit®, in 1998. Her latest book, Conquer the Fat Loss Code, is available now from McGraw-Hill."

I really liked the article's reality. It even says under Key 3: "stick to it"...yeah, that's my biggest problem. It's about setting short-term goals....which should lead to long-term goals. It's about breaking your comfort zone and really challenging yourself.

It was a great find...

so I read more...

There's an article on reducing stress, rosacea, the 5 Biggest Work out Mistakes and more.

If you're looking for some solid reading material and have a few minutes, I'm encouraging you to check out Diet-to-Go...you might just be inspired.

How Much Coffee is Right for You?

One of my favorite parts of the week, is my visit with Charlotte the Great. She is my 82 year old grandmother and the love of my life. She comes by once a week and we spend the afternoon engaged in "girl activities" like manicures and pedicures, enjoying each other's company and drinking Hazelnut Taster's Choice Coffee.

We were talking today about how our coffee drinking really increases when we are in each other's company. We both enjoy a good cup of "joe" and when we are together we consume nearly four pots of coffee.

She and I have been discussing this and tonight I read an article I found on the Taster's Choice Panel called "How Much Coffee is Right for You?" You can bet I'll be sharing this article with Charlotte the Great on Wednesday. In the meantime, you'll be happy to know that caffeine does NOT affect me and I'm relieved it doesn't interfere with my dreams!

How Much Coffee Is Right For You?

Some people can drink coffee all day long. Others are more sensitive to caffeine and should mostly drink decaf. Finding out how much is right for you is the first step to fully enjoying your daily cup.

Who can drink coffee

Coffee is the major source of caffeine in people’s diets, with about 85 mg per cup. Most people feel more awake, alert and are in a better mood with coffee. The average coffee drinker has about 3.4 cups per day on average, according to a recent report by the National Coffee Association.

Experts at the Mayo Clinic define moderate amounts of caffeine as 200 to 300 milligrams, or about two to four cups of brewed coffee per day, which they say is not harmful to most people. However, they warn that some people with caffeine sensitivity might react more strongly than usual to caffeine. For these people, small amounts—even one cup of coffee or tea—may prompt negative effects like anxiety, restlessness and irritability.

If this sounds like you, consider cutting back. According to the National Coffee Association, many people who limit the amount of coffee they drink do so out of concern about their caffeine intake. Fortunately, you can switch to decaf and get the same antioxidants, relaxation and other great-tasting perks that come with a great cup of coffee.

You may also want to cut back on caffeine if you’re suffering from insomnia or are on certain medications and herbal supplements—check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Decaffeination

If you do decide to switch to decaf, experts recommend doing so gradually. Starting out, replace one small cup of regular coffee for decaffeinated coffee per day, and go from there.

It’s also helpful to know that not all coffee is created equal. The International Coffee Association reports that arabica beans, like the ones found in Taster’s Choice, naturally have almost half the caffeine as robusta beans, which are used in many other kinds of coffee.

Be sure you’re aware of all the ways you get caffeine in a day. You may be getting more than you think from other foods, beverages and medications. Read all labels carefully to find out if you’re getting more caffeine than you thought.

Coffee and sleep

You can enjoy coffee and sleep without problems. According to the International Coffee Organization, studies show that the dream phase of sleep is unaffected by coffee.

They report that up to seven cups during a day is not associated with enjoying any less sleep. Results showed that other factors, like age and family issues, were more likely to cause loss of sleep, and there was no difference in caffeine consumption between good and poor sleepers.

Caffeine is completely safe, but let your personal situation be your guide on what to drink. Whether you drink regular or decaf, coffee is a safe and healthy way to relax and enjoy.

Sources

International Coffee Organization. “Caffeine Contents,” http://www.ico.org/caffeine.asp

International Food Information Council. “Questions and Answers About Caffeine and Health,” January 2003. http://www.ific.org/publications/qa/caffqa.cfm

Mayo Clinic. “Caffeine: How much is too much?” www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600

National Coffee Association. “National Coffee Drinking Trends 2006.”

Taste of Home Magazine--Bringing Out the Chef in You!

I recently received a free magazine subscription to Taste of Home Magazine through shespeaks.com and I have to admit I read it cover to cover when I received it.

The magazine has pictures of every recipe and easy to follow ingredients. Even the simplest recipe had me feeling like a culinary genius after serving it to my family and friends and hearing endless raves about my mad skills in the kitchen.

One of the greatest things about Taste of Home is that th recipes for the magazine are provided by an unpaid staff of "field editors". Translated this is 1,000 home cooks from all 50 states and Canada (none from New York City). Many of the recipes include a quotation from a "filed editor" giving this magazine a "homey" feel.

The recipes can prepared in a relatively short amount of time so you aren't a slave to the process. It's a great resource for cooking with your kiddos or being a working mom and still wanting to provide a wholesome, quality mean to your family.

My favorite section is the Test Kitchen Q and A. It is a plethora of information on common questions I've asked myself or been curious to know about from time to time.

This magazine offers recipes for appetizers, grilling, bake sales, festivities, entrees and desserts. If you enjoy cooking, or are wanting to learn, Taste of Home is the place to start. It is simple. It yeilds heavenly food you can be proud to serve.

Vocaboly--Build your Word Power

I recently discovered Vocaboly, a fun way to power boost your vocabulary. This award winning vocabulary software has 12,000 words that each includes a definition, phonetic and pronunciation key.

In addition to the 12,000 words the software includes a memory and Star War game. A Word Ticker, which automatically displays the word and Recall which "recalls" the definition of a word.

There are several vocabulary tests on the site that you can take by the word "meaning" or by the "word" itself. The tests are: SAT, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT and general vocabulary. If you just want to try one you can click HERE.

Vocabulary offers a free download trial of their vocabulary software where you can take a deeper look and see if this vocabulary software is for you.

I found the tests to be fun and I learned a few new words. This is a great program for anyone who wants to rejuvenate their vocabulary and expand their understanding of words and their meanings.

Looking to Talk about the Topic of Natural Medical Health?

Today, while I was just wandering the web, I had been reading about coffee. I found a topic about coffee and Alzheimers and it sucked me in. The article was about how coffee could reverse alzhimers. The article was very well written and inspired me to look further into this health forum

I was very impressed at how many different threads there were and the conversations were really amazing and most very well thought out.

If you're looking for an interesting health forum or just looking to kill some time take a peek...just be warned, it may be addictive!

Slide Scanning Pros

In 1992, August 24 to be exact, my family went through the devastation of Hurricane Andrew. One of the greatest losses I experienced was some sentimental pictures. Some of my pictures were "glued" to frames and others had mold issues. I also had a rather large collection of 35mm slides my father had taken during his service in Vietnam and through my childhood. I felt they were destroyed.

Fast forward to today. Had I known there was a service available to help me restore those slides, I wouldn't be writing this as a "hind site" entry. Instead it would have been about how Slide Scanning Pros saved the day!

I stumbled upon their site today and I have to say, it's one of the best things a little more than a US Quarter can buy. Check out what 26 cents gets you:

*
Your images scanned at a full 4000 dpi.
* 16 bits of color for each color channel. Red, Green and Blue each gets 16 bits for a total of 48 bits during our entire workflow. (281.5 trillion colors)
*
Color, grain, fading, sharpening and white balance correction as needed (no charge). (GEM, ROC etc)
*
Removal of dust, fingerprints, hair or speckles from images (no charge) with digital ICE.
*
Your slide converted to a digital file (.png format, which is a lossless compression that is widely used and can be opened by any computer or web browser) We don't normally use TIFF because .tiff files are larger than the .png files. We also include jpeg versions which are easy to email and upload but are lossy. However, these are your images so we will save them any format you can imagine at your request.
*
Rotating each slide image to the proper orientation.
*
Arranging the images into appropriate order or groups as requested, and labeling each folder as you have them labeled.
*
Cropping of each image to give a nice edge.
*
Uploading to a photo album website - you get your own personal password protected area. This is where you can see thumbnails of your pictures before you pay for them). From there you can download your jpeg images or keep them on our server. Do whatever you want with them instantly. We can also burn them to DVD-R, or, optionally, we can sell you a USB external hard drive, which puts them all in one place for you.
*
All of the scanning is done here in the USA. The turn around time is as quick as possible, consistent with doing high quality work. See the "update" in the left column for our current times.
*
You will get email updates directly from the image technician doing your job. They will keep you informed of the status of your order and also send you image samples so you can make sure the scanning is turning out exactly how you want it.

All for just 26¢ each.

Yup, that's taken directly from the Slide Scanning Pros website

So dig out those all slides and give them life! I'll be envious, but I'm thinking Dad might have a few hundred slides I can talk him into giving me....

Warner Brothers Kid's Site...My Kid's Favorite

Recently my littlest ones (ages 3 and 5) discovered they really, really, REALLY love Scooby Doo. They walk around quoting the characters in their daily conversations and, truth be told, my three year old confesses he has a thing for the "girl with a head-band" (Daphne).

As we were looking for Scooby Doo related things on the internet, passing time, we found Warner Brother's Kids Site and since then, it's been the perpetual "Mom, can we _____?" topic.

If you've never visited this site, you absolutely must! I enjoy sharing the TOP VIDEOS with my kiddos and introducing them to my childhood cartoon classics like "The Flinstones", "The Jetsons" and "Looney Tunes". Through the Warner Brother's Kid's site you can download and watch full length cartoons of these great "classics" and more!

There is a game section with "Scooby Doo's Kickin' It", "Tazman How Much Can You Munch", "Bedrock Bowling" and a ton more. It's literally HOURS of entertainment all in one place. If you're looking to pass the time Warner Bros. Kid's site offers games in Adventure, Action, Puzzle, Sport and Aracade.

Even if you keep it a secret you miss Saturday Morning Cartoons and those great characters you grew up on and have moved on to the more "grown up" productions put out by Warner Brothers like The Big Bang Theory or Two and a Half Men, Warner Bros. Kids Site is tried and true and some great quality time!

Purex 3 in 1 Complete Laundry Sheets

If you know me, you know that I LOVE doing laundry. Seriously. There is something magical about the process of taking something filthy and transforming it into a clean, fresh smelling, beautiful item again.

A while back I signed up to be a Purex Insider. I'd nearly forgotten about it when Federal Express delivered a "Top Secret" package. I was one of 200 folks across the country selected to try and give my review on the new Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets.
Immediately upon opening the package, the smell become a conversation piece with my children. "Something smells REALLY good!" They shouted, eager to be the first to call "dibbs" on what was inside.

I have to admit, when I opened the package and found the laundry sheets, I was amused. They are truly fun and flirty and made me giggle. We "oh'd" and "ah'd" at the clever shape and inspected the sheet to determine how they worked.

Here's what they look like:

Cool! I know. I thought the same thing.

Here's how the little laundry sheet works it's awesomeness.

The blue part is the detergent and it contains a delicious smelling fabric softener. The white part, with the green strip...that right there is your anti-static dryer softening sheet.

Of course, I had to know if this really worked. I've been sucked into fads too many times. I found two of my husbands work hats. They were gross with dirt. Looked like the perfect "test item".

After taking the picture, I chucked the caps in with a load of laundry:
The Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheet was impressive from the get go. First the fun and flirty look. Now there is no meauring, no pouring, just simple toss it in. I love it already!

When the washer was done washing, I took a picture of the hats. I think it is impressive.


The kiddos kept sneaking into the laundry room to sniff the Purex sheets. When the load came out of the dryer they were eager to help me fold the clothing because, "The smell sooooo good!"

Purex 3-in-1 is hitting shelves this month with a suggested retail price of $6.49...I'm switching to this simplified, efficient way because afterall, it's summer and as much as I love doing laundry, the great outdoors call!

Looking to Buy a House in Brooklyn? Here's One You MUST See!

Here's th e bedroom. It comes with a Murphy bed, which is a necessity in such a space. This is what it looks like with the Murphy Bed down. And here the bedroom with the Murphy Bed retracted: < You also get some patio space out back. Here it is, looking towards the front of the house: And here's the patio looking towards the back: Here are the home's 'Listed Features': * Completely re-done top-to-bottom, front-to-back! * Tumbled stone entrance walk * Renovated Bath * Renovated Kitchen with newer stove, new cabinets and new stacked washer/dryer * Bedroom with Murphy Bedd + 'Built-Ins' ... (doubles as a den)! * Walk-out to fenced patio * 100 Amp service * 2 Satellite Dishes and Receiver * Window Air Conditioner Available THE PRICE ? ? ? You get all this for ONLY $179,900.00!

Lessons from My Mother

My Mom

You were the Queen of our castle....

My mom, pregnant with me..and Grandpa Jack

Of all the moms, I picked YOU...

My mom "talking" with me outside our first home in Kearns.

You've always taken the time to talk with me...and listen.

My mom taking me for a walk

You taught me life is a journey and its best shared with those you love.

Mom and me in Timpanogas Cave

I know you're always there when I am afraid.

Petting a goat with my mom at the Petting Zoo

You let me be "brave"...

Mom, Dad and Me outside Timpanogas Cave

From you, I learned to delegate the difficult...

Mom and me

You taught me to look at things with wide-eyed happiness.

Me with the cake my mom made me for my first birthday.

You raised me to work through the "sticky stuff"

Mom looks on while I stand in my stroller

I learned to "stand" for what I believe in...

On the swings with Mom

Mostly you taught me to reach for the stars...no matter how high!

I love you, Mom

Enter to Win an Entire Suite of Frigidaire Appliances

This month Frigidaire rolls out a brilliant new collection with more than 250 kitchen and laundry appliances, just in time for Mother's Day! They designed these high-performance products with easy-to-use, time-saving features to give Moms more free time away from the kitchen and laundry room.

Frigidaire recently conducted a survey to show just how much time Moms spend doing chores - and how little time we spend on our families. This survey revealed that Moms log more overtime than most Americans. The index found that we spend most of our waking lives - 200 hours each month, in fact - doing the activities we least enjoy rather than the things we love. And yet the majority of us say we "rarely" or "never" feel caught up on our household tasks! Frigidaire kept all of this in mind when designing their new appliances. With new features such as a six-minute PowerPlus™ preheat time on their ovens, a Quick Clean dishwashing cycle that cuts dishwashing time in half, the Fits-More™ Dryer that allows us to dry the whole family's clothes at once, and TimeWise™ technology to make the dryer and washing cycle equal, we can have enough time to watch our favorite shows or, even better, get a manicure!

Frigidaire has so much confidence in the efficiency of these products that they are offering a "More Me-Time" Guarantee: Moms will reduce the amount of time they typically spend on housework by at least 8 hours a month using a combination of three or more select Frigidaire appliances or they can return the appliances to their place of purchase within 30 days and get their money back!

Frigidaire also wants to know what you would do if you had an extra hour of blissful "me time." Starting today, moms can go to Frigidaire.com to report the five things they would do with an extra hour each day. All participants will be entered for a chance to win an entire suite of Frigidaire appliances. Plus, check out other prizes you can win - like a gorgeous new Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer. Also, if you are on Facebook, visit Frigidaire's fanpage at www.facebook.com/frigidaire, where you can learn more about the appliances and contests and connect with other Frigidaire moms!

Turning 40...Thank Goodness for Bon Jovi

I'm not going to lie. Six days ago it happened. I turned 40.

If only it was THAT simple.

If you know me, you also know that my birthday is a BIG deal. I countdown. I remind you periodically that my birthday is coming. It's typically a week before, the day of and a week after of celebration. After all, it's about ME.

It started innocently enough. My routine was not even the slightest bit disrupted. The countdown had begun! This was a momentous year. One of those years you look forward to like 16, 21, 30...there was a giddiness in me and a bounce to my stride.

Then. About 4 hours before the minute of my birth was to be reached, I heard Forty screaming for me to join the "Dark Side". I kid you not. Even the heavy breathing...oh, wait! That quite possibly could have been me reaching the top of the stairs.

Why it happened? I have no clue. Suddenly my parade of celebration was a death march. Seriously? This was forty?

My life flashed before me. I am not who I was suppose to be...not anywhere close to what that 16 year old girl thought she would become! My to-do list still had hoards of crap to cross off.

I remembered being 17 and throwing a 40th Birthday party for my Dad...good grief, he was ancient back then. How did I get here?

And so the panic set in and finally 45 minutes before the clock struck, I hit my bed hoping the world would end before I had to admit I had turned 40!

No such luck. I woke up to kiddos shouting, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"

One look in the mirror and I realized 40 was the Second Coming of puberty as my face was a speckled face of breakouts!

My five year old and three year old wanted to make me a cake. I talked them into cupcakes. As the mixer was going and I was dazed and confused as to how this 40 thing had come to be ME, my three year old asked, "How many is you?"

Before I could answer...40 made me lethargic...my five year old says, "Mom is 40, Buddy."

Oh, good heavens! She had said it. "Mom is 40!"

It was like a shards of bamboo splinters being jammed under my fingernails!

Then my three year old exclaimed, "Oh. No. We have a problem. The store doesn't have THAT many candles!" Yes, clearly life was over. Not even Albertson's was equipped for my age.

As if that wasn't enough punishment, my five year old, matter-of-factly adds, "The store DOES have that many candles, Little Man..."

Maybe my life wasn't over...maybe death had not yet found me....

"....it's just that you can't light that many candles at once or you'll catch the house on fire. That's why we're making cupcakes, so Mom can just blow out ONE candle."

Oh, gracious! It WAS true...I was of prehistoric proportions! Forty candles would catch my house on fire if they were all lit at once!

I moped around to the sounds of gleeful children celebrating my new decade. I cried. I cried all day. I never wanted to go outside again.

Then my five year old presented me with this plate of cupcakes....

Just in case you want to see those cupcakes up close!

Yeah, I don't care who you are, 40 is HOT. It's about the journey. My regrets were long before this big number I claim, hesitantly, as my age. It's about a three and five year old who have no concept of how many 40 really is...it's about cutting out all my Bon Jovi pictures to create a masterpiece worthy of a Queen. It's about the smile on my daughter's face, so proud to give me "what I always wanted".

I'm still 40. I still am not thrilled about it. I'm 40 and six days. I survived it...thanks to Bon Jovi.

Received SAM-e Complete Today

Today, I woke up in a terrible mood. Maybe it is that I just turned 40 five days ago, or I have two small children who seem to march to their own drummer, or these blasted allergies that have my head congested my sinus' not knowing whether to run or stuff themselves, or maybe...just maybe it's just who I am.

Mail Call. I received my box of SAM-e Complete today.

I am excited to be a reviewer for the supplement SAM E COMPLETE. The package contained 36 tablets of 400 mg supplement. It instructs me to take one tablet on an empty stomach preferably 30-minutes before eating.

I have no allergies to food or medicine (just whatever is currently in the air outside!). I take no medication. I take no other herbal/health supplement. I did not consult my health care professional prior to taking this supplement.

Tomorrow I will take my first suggested dosage and keep you posted on how this product works.

Reflections as My Zac Turns Sixteen

Oh, Son, where has the time gone? You seemed so little just yesterday and today, you're finishing driver's education so you can cruise in that groovy Oldsmobile!

Here are some reflections of your first year....some of the people who influenced our life...it's all about YOU, as you came into our life and brought great joy!

You were our second and somethings I'm sure I neglected...this is not evidence that I loved you any less than Jake. My hands were just fuller and my knowledge was greater--babies grow up!

Your FIRST picture (Nov. 19, 1992)

No one was MORE excited than Jake. Here is poses in front of your crib with the layette Mommy made just for you.

Your birth announcement.
Your name means: Jehovah has remembered A Gift from God

At 7:30 am I began having minor contractions that were 30-40 seconds long. We called Grandma Ann and she said we needed to be on our way. I told her we'd "be there in a while."

I packed snacks for Jake (Kudos bars, "Cockaloos" (cornflakes), Waldo Spaghetti-o's and grapes). I got his church clothes together while Dad made some bacon.

Daddy woke Jake up and told him his baby was coming and Jake said, "My baby's coming right now?"

At 8:15am we called Grandma Ann and told her to meet us in front of the Pineapple at Baptist Hospital.

At 8:21 we left for the hospital.

At 8:32am my contractions were one minutes apart.

At 8:45am we arrive at Baptist Hospital. Daddy drove 95 mph. I was telling Daddy to slow down. When we got off the exit for the hospital Jake said, "I think you're driving like a race car!"

Grandma Ann arrived at Baptist Hospital three minutes AFTER us.

At 8:52am you arrived. It was SUNDAY, May 2, 1993.

You had the cord wrapped around your neck THREE times. You were blue and your heart beat dropped to 46bpm. Your little hand was tucked under the cords pulling it away from your neck.

Your head circumference was 13.5"
Your chest 12.25"
You were 21" long and weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz.

You arrived 12 days early.

It was a joyous time, that by 2:00pm turned to darkness. Mommy had been waiting in her room to see you, but the nurse said you "weren't behaving". I thought this meant you were crying. What it meant, instead, was that you weren't showing reflexes and were "acting limp" .

By 2:30pm you were in High Risk. You were under 31% oxygen and had monitors all over your body.

The FIRST "real" picture of you in High Risk ICU

On May 4, after CAT scans and numerous other tests, they said we could bring you home. At 4pm we left the hospital Jake asked if he could "pet his baby" and stroked you so gently and then said, "My name is Jacob and you're Zac."

This is Jake holding you. Notice how exhausted he looks! He was so doting over you!

In the bath: May 8, 1993

Your hand at one week old, May 9, 1993 (Mother's Day)

You at two weeks on the quilt Grandma Terry and Aunt Natalie quilted by hand for you.

Jake buried you in his stuff animals...

Jake, Mom and you at Grandma Terry's house when you were four months old.

You, Jake and Aunt Natalie.

You LOVED riding in the car.

At six months old...you were so rolly poly!

Jake picked out your FIRST Halloween Costume...Spiderman!!!

You have the MOST beautiful eyes and I'm such a sucker for your eyelashes!

Solid Foods...introducing BANANAS!!!!

Seven months here Jake poses with you, "the great pumpkin"

Oh...remember Barney?

Look how "FAT" you were a week shy of nine months! Ay yi yi!

Jake loved when the two of you "matched"

You were the HAPPIEST baby! This is you waking up from a nap!

Get a load of that shiner! It all started when Jake appointed you to be Dr. Doom...from there it was a battle...pretty sure, from the looks of it Spidey won!

We drove 40 minutes in the HEAT of Miami with NO air conditioning. This picture was taken within minutes (8:52am) of you being ONE YEAR OLD. You were "sweaty" from the car.

Removing the candle from your birthday cake.

You ate like such a li'l gentleman...

There's a recap of your first year.

Our family has grown and you have many siblings who look up to you...

Jake, Abi, Will and MacKenzie

It's true, Zac, I'm NOT the "skinny mom". I've made a lot of mistakes. I'm sure there's things I've overlooked in teaching you. The fact is, I'm PROUD OF YOU.

May today and this year contain all the love and joy you have brought me over the course of the last 16 years!

You are an amazing artist, writer, dreamer, BIG brother, Little Brother, grandson, and Son.

I LOVE YOU....HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY, Son!

The Violin Solo

Abi plays her violin

It's been an eventful day...a 16th birthday and a 6 year old's violin performance. A rainy day tends to brings excitement I suppose.

We got ready...

One of us was the Diva:

The Diva, MacKenzie

One of us was Indiana Jones' father, Henry:

Will disguised as "Henry Jones"

and then there was this handsome feller, my Rock Star!

The ever handsome, Jake

We arrived an hour early. Grandpa thought it would be a treat to go get coffee and maybe something to eat. We found a Burger King and took a seat.

I mentioned to William and MacKenzie not to let the maple syrup get them sticky as they were dipping away those tasty french toast sticks. Turns out, that was NOT what I should have been concerned with as William announces he needed to use the restroom.

I think his chronological sequencing was a little off kelter because there in that seat, his pants, front and back were SOAKED! We cleared our table. I took William to the restroom, then we loaded into the car and headed across the street to K-Mart.

Five minutes later, I returned to the car with a package of Marvel Underwear and new khaki dress pants and we were headed back to the Covey Center to witness our Abi's violin solo.

Out of our soggy clothes and into our clean, smelling much better clothes!

Wouldn't you know the front doors were locked and we had to enter through the South entrance...back to the car...around the block...finally there.

We're probably the only people who can arrive an hour early for an event and show up "late". Gotta love us for that!

The first solo had already performed, the second was in progress...there were NO seats...we separated and took what we could find. Jake, me and William together. MacKenzie and Grandpa Joe together across the room.

Abi comes to the stage, takes her place. Her bow glided across the strings. Her face contorted. Beautiful music filled the air. Okay, she's no Kyoko Takezawa...but she's six and she's been playing almost three years and I think she might just be my favorite violinist of all time!

Abi's solo performance.

Her violin solo complete, she takes a bow:

The quick (hence, blurry) bow!

It won't be too long before Abi performs in a Symphony near you!

Note: Shortly after Abi's performance, well into another violinist's performance, William fell asleep and awoke upon hearing the THUD of his own body hitting the floor! Maybe Classical Music just isn't for him.

Free Preschool Sample Activity Pack--Letter M

Fun and Educational Hands-On Preschool Activity Packets for Child Care Providers or Even JUST MOMs.

1-2-3 Preschool Projects is a professionally designed preschool curriculum that offers a variety of textual materials that encourages the love of learning for the young child.

The monthly packets are full of theme based activities that encourage learning in the areas of the fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, language, math, drama, science and textures for children ages 2-5 years old.

Click HERE for your FREE Sample Activity Pack about the LETTER M.

True Lemon, True Lime and True Orange--FREE SAMPLES

This stuff is seriously nummy! I love adding it to my tea or water for a great refreshing taste anytime! It's convenient enough to carry in your purse to add while on the go!

Visit HERE to request your FREE sample!

True Lemon, True Lime and True Orange, we're giving away free samples!

People love using True products for flavoring water (as alternatives to sweetened water enhancers, flavored waters, diet sodas or sweetened drinks) as well as for adding to their hot/iced teas, beverages or drinks. They're also great to season food with (especially for those following low-carb, low-fat and low-sodium diets), and for any recipe that calls for lemon or lime juice. Made with 100% all-natural ingredients, each packet has:

• Fresh-squeezed taste
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• 0g sugars, no artificial or natural sweeteners
• No preservatives or sodium
• 100% guarantee of satisfaction

Register today (and also receive our free monthly online newsletter full of great uses, delicious recipes, special promotions, useful health information and more). And visit our store locator to find out which of the 10,000 nationwide grocery stores near you carry our product!

Turning 40--Thank Heavens for Jon Bon Jovi

I'm not going to lie. Six days ago it happened. I turned 40.

If only it was THAT simple.

If you know me, you also know that my birthday is a BIG deal. I countdown. I remind you periodically that my birthday is coming. It's typically a week before, the day of and a week after of celebration. When it's over, I remind you that it all starts again in just 364 more days.

After all, it's about ME.

It started innocently enough. My routine was not even the slightest bit disrupted. The countdown had begun! This was a momentous year. One of those years you look forward to like 16, 21, 30...there was a giddiness in me and a bounce to my stride.

Then. About 4 hours before the minute of my birth was to be reached, I heard Forty screaming for me to join the "Dark Side". I kid you not. Even the heavy breathing...oh, wait! That quite possibly could have been me reaching the top of the stairs.

Why it happened? I have no clue. Suddenly my parade of celebration was a death march. Seriously? This was forty?

My life flashed before me. I am not who I was suppose to be...not anywhere close to what that 16 year old girl thought she would become! My to-do list still had hoards of crap to cross off.

I remembered being 17 and throwing a 40th Birthday party for my Dad...good grief, he was ancient back then. How did I get here?

And so the panic set in and finally 45 minutes before the clock struck, I hit my bed hoping the world would end before I had to admit I had turned 40!

No such luck. I woke up to kiddos shouting, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"

One look in the mirror and I realized 40 was the Second Coming of puberty as my face was a speckled face of breakouts!

My five year old and three year old wanted to make me a cake. I talked them into cupcakes. As the mixer was going and I was dazed and confused as to how this 40 thing had come to be ME, my three year old asked, "How many is you?"

Before I could answer...40 made me lethargic...my five year old says, "Mom is 40, Buddy."

Oh, good heavens! She had said it. "Mom is 40!"

It was like a shards of bamboo splinters being jammed under my fingernails!

Then my three year old exclaimed, "Oh. No. We have a problem. The store doesn't have THAT many candles!" Yes, clearly life was over. Not even Albertson's was equipped for my age.

As if that wasn't enough punishment, my five year old, matter-of-factly adds, "The store DOES have that many candles, Little Man..."

Maybe my life wasn't over...maybe death had not yet found me....

"....it's just that you can't light that many candles at once or you'll catch the house on fire. That's why we're making cupcakes, so Mom can just blow out ONE candle."

Oh, gracious! It WAS true...I was of prehistoric proportions! Forty candles would catch my house on fire if they were all lit at once!

I moped around to the sounds of gleeful children celebrating my new decade. I cried. I cried all day. I never wanted to go outside again.

Then my five year old presented me with this plate of cupcakes....

Just in case you want to see those cupcakes up close!

Yeah, I don't care who you are, 40 is HOT. It's about the journey. My regrets were long before this big number I claim, hesitantly, as my age. It's about a three and five year old who have no concept of how many 40 really is...it's about cutting out all my Bon Jovi pictures to create a masterpiece worthy of a Queen. It's about the smile on my daughter's face, so proud to give me "what I always wanted".

I'm still 40. I still am not thrilled about it. I'm 40 and six days. I survived it...thanks to Bon Jovi.

Snails and Vampire Worms

There is no chance that anyone would ever say my house is "boring". I kid you not. We are a menagerie of adventures. Take yesterday for example. It was a sunny day...birds chirping...mellow breeze..children laughing.

Then it grew quiet. NOT a good sign. I hollered the kiddos' names and there was no reply.

Okay, so let's flashback to the LAST time this happened...I took a short stroll to the mailbox. I can see the steps leading to my door from the mailbox. It took all of three minutes and as I'm approaching the front door my then four year old, announces that my then two year old is "gone".

"What do you mean he's GONE? Where did he go?" ...and that became the topic for the next 25 minutes. I FRANTICALLY ran up and down the street SCREAMING his name. No reply. I searched the bushes, knocked on doors and stopped pedestrians asking if they had seen him or any crazy driven cars.

After 15 minutes of horrified INSANITY, I called 9-1-1. I'd like to say I was calm...I was in giving my address to the dispatcher, however, following every number in my address was the hysterical sound of me calling my child's name. NO REPLY.

Five minutes after I hung up the phone with 9-1-1 MY child WALKS out of a bush (one I had checked SEVERAL times) a muddy mess from where he BURROWED his little self into the dirt, with a big grin and says, "SURPRISE!"

I'm not going to lie, my first instinct was to beat the kid to a bloody pulp! Thankfully, common sense kicked in because a few moments after "Surprise".... officers stormed my porch.

Okay, back to yesterday and the NO reply.

I went outside and on the sidewalk, basking in the sun are my children. In front of them is a very large rock they rolled out of the planting area. "Check it out, Mom. We have a new pet. His name is "Slug".

Kiddos and their new "pet"

As I walked closer I saw what they had found...a Snail! YUCK!

They were perfectly content, bellies on the pavement, watching "Slug" move his head and antennas.

Meet "Slug"

I laid out on the sidewalk with them. My three year old even pointed out that "Slug" had a green caterpillar on his neck. "He has a vampire worm who is sucking his blood." His sister corrected him and said, "Slug" is a girl so you have to say, "SHE"!" ...oh, yeah...because that part about the vampire worm is TOTALLY accurate!

...and there you have it another adventure from the Morrison home.

Coffee...Just Some Interesting Facts.

Fifty-seven percent of all coffee is consumed at breakfast. Thirty-four percent is consumed between meals, while thirteen percent is consumed at all other meals.

During World War II, Nescafé became so popular that the entire production of its U.S. plant (about 1 million cases a year) was reserved for military use only.

Bach composed the Coffee Cantata in honor of the drink. Beethoven was also an avid coffee drinker, preferring a blend made from 60 beans per cup.

In the 1700’s, a French naval officer, Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu, stole a cutting from the King’s coffee tree, in Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, and took it to the Caribbean island of Martinique. Fifty years later, there were an estimated 18 million coffee trees there.

In 1997, no less than 100 billion cups of Nescafé were drunk worldwide. That’s an average of more than 3,000 cups per second.

It takes about 6 years for a coffee tree to produce its first “cherries.” The beans themselves are the stones of the coffee cherries.

The word ‘coffee’ originates from the Arabic word ‘kaweh,’ meaning strength and vigor.

Thirty seven percent of coffee drinkers drink their coffee black, while 63% add a sweetener and/or creaming agent.

Once in Europe, coffee fell under harsh criticism from the Catholic church. Many felt the Pope should ban this new beverage, calling it the drink of the devil. To their surprise, the Pope, already a coffee drinker blessed coffee declaring it a truly Christian beverage.

A key component to determining the grade and quality of coffee is a process called cupping, where each batch of coffee is tasted, and scrupulously judged for acidity, aroma, body, and overall flavor. And yes, cuppers take coffee breaks.

On a typical day, approximately 49% of the U.S. population drinks coffee.

In Brazil alone, over 6 million people are employed in the cultivation and harvesting of over 3 billion coffee plants.

The Problem with Green

My fifteen year old is always "after" me about living "GREEN". I'm proud of him for encouraging me. While I support Mother Earth and want her to be safe and happy, I have a problem with being "GREEN".

Bash me if you must, but here's my "life" experience on this subject.

Back in the 1990s I was absolutely Green...I used cloth diapers, I boycotted the companies that were harming "Mother Earth" by cutting down the Rain Forest and doing all those "mean" things to Planet Earth. I used glass bottles. I cleaned with vinegar, eliminated bleach, carried refillable water bottles, mended the same pair of jeans until there was nothing "original" about them. I followed the kiddos and hubby around turning off the lights; we walked as often as we could. We used the reusable cloth bags when shopping. I volunteered to clean up highways. When my mother called and said we weren't using shampoo with polypropylene glycol I spent HOURS in the grocery store looking at labels (you have no idea how HARD it was to FIND shampoo without that..but I did.) I was GREEN. Though I will admit when she said we were boycotting Tide Detergent, I put my foot down.

Here we are sixteen years later and I'm hearing it did nothing. Seriously?

So where is this thinking coming from now? Well, aside from the news...let's talk about a couple of weeks ago when we took the kiddos out to the Great Salt Lake. I hadn't been there for ages!! There were plastic pop rings, shoes (I mean seriously, you'd think you'd notice right away that you've lost your shoe.) and Styrofoam littering the "beach". Yuck!

Over the weekend, the kiddos and I went for a walk. There were cigarette butts littering the walk way, broken beer bottles with shards of glass scattered. Plastic bags against fences, let's all wish for Planet Earth to be more beautiful and then deposit the kid's dirty diapers where we changed him!

Animal Rights? I hear you...but um, you forgot to pick up the poopie that valuable family member deposited alongside the trail. The human part of that relationship has to have some responsibility!

I bet that picnic you had was a blast! And I know you worked hard at lugging the cooler and its contents and all the nummies for your feast back into this secluded area, but you had fun, and even though you were stinkin' tired from all the AWESOMENESS with your loved ones, you were suppose to haul it BACK to the car when you were done. I know. I hear you. I've said it too..."Someone get that!"...but SOMEONE in your group didn't and blasted! I didn't get to have the fun!

As for the prophylactics, yeah, thanks, I've been meaning to have that "Birds and Bees" conversation with my children. How nice of you to leave behind the messy reminder!

No one loves an ice cold Coca Cola more than me, and jinkies! I know aluminum is only 16 cents a pound right now, but that's no reason to just toss your used can out the window!

So the kiddos and I "cleaned up". We hauled a garbage bag back from our walk. No souvenirs that read "I walked 2 miles"...just trash...someone else's trash.

Oh, but wait...here's the problem with GREEN...this morning we went for a walk...yeah, that's right, in that same spot we cleaned only three days ago...and guess what? It's polluted again with TRASH!

Yancy's Fancy Cheese? YES! Please!

Today I was in the mood for something different. Something out of the everyday norm in our home. I happened to stumble upon Yancy's Fancy Cheese Horseradish and Great Cheese! It's delicious!!!

I'm, by birth, a lover of horseradish. It compliments so many things: prime rib, sandwiches, roast beef, potato salad, mustard, eaten from the jar...it's just the perfect condiment.

Those clever folks at Yancy's Fancy Cheese were one step ahead of me...they put it in cheese! Think of the simplicity now...prime rib sandwiches enhanced with this delectable cheese, lightly melted, to hold the bread in place, and the perfect blend of tastes. Yeah. I'm eating one right now! I'm dreaming of homemade macaroni and cheese made with this Yancy's Fancy Horseradish cheese. There's also a delicious Wisconsin Cheese soup I made, that I think will now be called, "Yancy's Fancy Cheese Soup"...it's that good!

Oh, I also found Yancy's Fancy Peppadew Cheese...a delicate cheddar enhanced with sweet roasted peppers. It's explosive and compliments crackers incredibly well. ;)

So next time you're at the market, pick up some Yancy's Fancy Cheese...it will transform your taste into something EXTRAORDINARY!!!

Burt's Bees is Celebrating 25 Years with a BURT Day Party...Lots of Giveaways

Burt's Bees BURT Day Party--Giveaways Starts May 27 Burt's Bees is celebrating 25 Years. To commemorate this event they are hosting a "BURT Day Party"

This is from their Facebook Profile:

This event is planned to start at 12:00 am on May 27, 2009 at location: http://www.burtsbees.com.
(Burt's Bees) is giving away 25,000 LIP BALMS!! April Fools? No, really. We are. It’s all in celebration of our 25th birthday beginning on May 27th. Be sure to RSVP!

Additional Information found on their Facebook Page:

"We're turning 25 and ready to celebrate but it wouldn't be a party without you, our loyal fans!

The fun begins on May 27th! Join us for special (i.e. BIG) giveaways, celebrity messages, fun facts about our history and much more.

It'll be a blast, naturally!"

Make a Story Book...You Might Win a $10,000 Scholarship for Your Child!

The great stuff from Fishful Thinking just keeps getting better...parenting advice, activities and the opportunity to raise more optimistic and confident children. Now, they introduce their STORY MAKER. It's AWESOME!

Storybook Maker is a place to make a customized storybook about your child, using your OWN pictures and your OWN words. My kiddos and I played with this today for a long time. It was great quality time and they sure enjoyed "reading" their books tonight before bed.

The best part, by creating a Storybook, you are entered in a sweepstakes to win a $10,000 college scholarship for your child. Isn't that fabulous?

Click on the blue book to get started on your storybook.

Being THE Mom

Gosh, the more I experience mommy-dom, the more I find I love it.

The Princess is the mighty SIX! She was beauty queen for the day. She went to the beauty parlor for an "Up-DO", then Charlotte the Great added a splash of "Princess" with a sequined baby blue dress. She wore a crown and enjoyed a pinata and barbeque with her family.

My little man when asked "Are you a big boy?" replied, "Like Daddy." Then after a moment of thought, raised his arms above his head and announced, "I huge!" Indeed he is.

My other little beauty queen tells me she loves me "infinity squared" and I'm her "best mom".

My oldest has followed through on getting a "grown up" job and doing well. He tells me he's had "no attendance issues". Whew!

The actor is busy enjoying summer and making friends as he prepares to enter HIGH SCHOOL!

There is no greater joy than to watch a child grow from someone so incapable to someone with determination and in pursuit of their dreams. To witness the learning process...holding up their head, coordinating their limb movement, discovering their hands, their feet...those first steps, first words, first sentences. Dreaming of movie stardom or Beauty Queen. Developing social skills and just living life.

I've been a mom for 19 years and I am still inspired with awe at the miracle. I look at my oldest and am just fascinated at the transition from infant to "man". I cry when I see him driving a car. It is the most incredible emotion and sense of being one can ever experience.

I love being a mom!

The Goldfish Guide to Raising Confident Children

The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd

Today was our visit with Charlotte the Great.

Her question today was: "Charlotte the Great, what is the most memorable historic event of your life?"

The children gathered around...we've been talking about inventions..would it be the automobile, the television, computers?

"I'm going to tell you a story..." she began "about me in the third grade. The image is so clear in my mind. I was coming into the school and my hand is on the doorknob. An automobile comes down the road and it had a big speakerphone. Over the speakerphone someone was saying, "Pretty Boy Floyd is Dead! Pretty Boy Floyd is dead!"

Sad faces to hear about the death of "Pretty Boy" Floyd.

"Who is Pretty Boy Floyd?" asked my five year old.

"He was a famous outlaw!" Charlotte the Great explained. "He robbed banks and killed people."

Robbed Banks and Killed People?!

"There were a lot of people who thought this was good news. It was a shoot out and they had killed their man!" Charlotte the Great's voice was villainous.

Happy to hear the good news, "Pretty Boy Floyd is Dead!"

I asked, "That is your most memorable historical moment?" Truly I was amazed...there had been a World War, she was a tot through the Depression. A President had been assassinated and she remembers an outlaw? I found it hard to believe!!

"I was a small girl in Third Grade and that image of the car driving up and down the street with that speakerphone, shouting out that "Pretty Boy Floyd" was dead stuck with me. Then, when I grew up, I told my new mother-in-law the story and she was EMBARRASSED because Pretty Boy Floyd was her FIRST COUSIN!"What a silly, but TRUE, ending!

and there you have it...the MOST memorable HISTORICAL event of my 82 year old Grandma!

MoodMusic ROCKS!

Another Fishful Thinking Activity that ROCKS!


What a perfect day for a new activity. It is snowing outside and the children have been inside claiming to be fighting off boredom. I announced that we were going to be FISHFUL THINKING and enthusiasm TKO'd our "boring day".

I made a sign for our activity...

My stellar sign!

Then we talked about music. WE love music at our house! I used the radio and CD Player to play several songs and we talked about how they made us feel...
1.) Polly Put the Kettle On--made them feel like they should do something.
2.) Johnny Android, "Ball Jar", made them feel happy and miss their brother.
3.) Michael Buble, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" made them feel happy and like they wanted to get up and dance.
4.) Bon Jovi, "Wanted Dead or Alive" brought sadness.
5.) Elvis Presley, "Jailhouse Rock" made them feel "energy"
6.) George Winston's Thunderstorm brought yawns of tiredness.

I suggested we start a band and write our own music! They were ALL about this so we dug out pots and pans, spoons, lids, a washboard, a comb, a jug, keys and a wok with marbles. Can you believe they are natural musicians and knew how to play ALL the instruments! Whew!

We named our band the "Mood Musicians" and set out to creating our number one hits.

"A Happy Tune"

Here we play a "Happy Tune". This song features some upbeat, knee slappin', boogie accompanied by a washboard and kettles and LOTS of giggles.

"Anger Collides"

Our second track we called "Anger Collides". It's LOUD. It is symbols crashing and some SERIOUS tears!

"Eat Your Heart Out, Gene Simmons!"

For our encore performance, the only male member of our band shouted out, "I feel like Rockin' and Rollin'" It has SEVERAL pot and pan solos, and a great impersonation of Gene Simmons' tongue!

My Little Conductor

Then we left our stage and entered the Symphony. We listed to Pachabel's Canon in D and took turns being the conductor. We moved our arms to the music. "It feels relaxing" they announced.

We love our new band. We're looking forward to performing in our "HOME" stadium throughout the week. While the show is gratis, it's definitely a performance that will have you pulling faces and feeling the beat!

How I Gained Weight Last Week

This morning I was on the phone and mentioned that I had gained several pounds in the course of a week. The friend on the other end said, "How exactly does that happen?"
Hmmm....seriously? Here is EXACTLY how it happened to me...

First...
You must tuck the children in for a nap.

All tucked in...

This is important because otherwise, you have to hide in the closet...I'm not big on sharing.

Next, remember we're suppose to "read labels" for a healthier lifestyle.

I've provided "Label Reading for Dummies" here, just in case you're new to this....

Reading the Label

Okay, with that out of the way, you can now scoop the ice cream into your bowl. Last week I was a fan of Haagen Dazs.

MMMMmmmm...

Dig in and eat...I know we've been working on savoring at our house, but there is always the exception...

When you're done, so you don't leave any "clues" about your Secret Indulgence, you'll need to remember to clean up after yourself....

It's true...shame goes out the window

Repeat Steps 1-4 several times a day throughout the week.

There you have it...EXACTLY how I gained weight last week....

Pausing for the Positive--Fishful Thinking

Posing with "Cheddar"

As you all know, I'm an Ambassador, through RepNation, for the Fishful Thinking Program.

One week ago, I made a fleece Goldfish and explained to my family that we needed a name for our new "fish"...everyone contributed and then we voted and the winning name was "Cheddar".

Everyone wanted to know why Cheddar had been created and I shared with my family that I had read an article from the Fishful Thinking website on Pausing for the Positive and it inspired me to create an activity for our family.

"Starting tonight Cheddar is going to be looking for positive things he can help you do. Maybe William left his matchbox cars in the middle of the floor, whomever has Cheddar might want to pick up the cars for William secretly and leave Cheddar on top of his car case. Then William and Cheddar will start their adventure on finding something positive to do for someone else. Then at the end of each day, we'll talk about Cheddar's Good Deeds. We'll talk about what the best part of finding him and giving him was? What inspired you to think of doing that? What surprised you most about getting him? How did you feel?"

Everyone wanted Cheddar first so we had to have a name drawing and my 6 year old was selected to be the keeper and sender of Cheddar. It wasn't long before Cheddar had found his way to helping a folded laundry pile find it's way to my 15 year old son's bed. From there Cheddar found his way to picking up toys in the girls room. His adventure continued...

The next night at dinner, Cheddar was the star of the conversation..and he has been ever since. My three year old said, "It makes me happy to see Cheddar."

Our Treasure Box is also growing because, through Cheddar, my children are seeing the positive and good that surrounds them...sometimes waiting for them to pass it along.

The bickering is minimal. It's far more fun to have Cheddar and plan out the Good Deed of picking up a soggy towel, or taking out the trash, than whining about how it isn't fair and how this person never does his share.

The best parts of Cheddar have been:

• "I was late from band practice and didn't want to get in trouble for not raking the leaves, but when I got home, Cheddar was on the rake."
• "Today I had a migraine and I appreciated Cheddar putting my textbooks in my backpack."
• "Finding my lunch was made for tomorrow was great!"
• "I liked when he made my bed".

Night time now includes a tucking in conversation about what tomorrow's plan includes with Cheddar, "I hope I get him so I can ________ for _______"

As we were laying in bed last night, my husband said, "I thought I had outgrown that feeling you get when someone picks you." and well, my 19 year old gave me a big hug and said, "Thanks, Mom. This is fun. Hey, wait! Are we learning something?"

Indeed we are!

Johnny Android Giveaway!!!

Hear Johnny Android Here

Johnny Android formed in 2008 and was named for a love of robots and the 1950's. Starting as a Folk/Pop band, guitarist Jake Macias and keyboardist-vocalist Becky Liebing enlisted their friend Maygan Gowers to play drums in July. Gowers, in turn, brought Courtney Dallon to take up the bass and the Johnny Android line-up was complete. "We like fun music," says Liebing. "So we write music that we'd want to listen to."

Members of Johnny Android are most likely to classify their sound as Indie/Rock/Punk/Pop/Folk. With the motto of "We write the songs you're singing in the shower," they bring a mesh of styles and lyrics that keep your toes tapping and your mouth smiling.

Johnny Android has been working on a simple demo using Garage Band and these recordings are available at myspace.com/johnandroid. For booking, please email Courtney Dallon at quortdal@hotmail.com

I'm giving away one Johnny Android Demo CD, which includes four songs: Mego, Ima Turtle, Polka Dot Pinup and Ball Jar. To enter, listen to at least one song recorded by Johnny Android and leave a comment below about what you liked, or didn't like about the song. Contest ends April 30th. You can earn 2 additional entries by joining their group on Facebook here (be sure to leave in the comments here you joined).

got2b Smoothing Lustre Lotion

After I wash my hair I tend to have "frizz"...it's consuming really...I resemble Mufasa. I tried the got2b Smooth Operating Lotion and va-va-voom it is one amazing product. First off, it is packaged in a fun bottle with cute charms dangling from it...definite girl appeal!

Secondly, the smell...it might be the best smelling hair product EVER! It has a smell that's maybe...fruity. Even my kids go gaga over the smell!

From there the product just keeps getting better....you can use it on your hair wet OR dry...how cool is that!?
So..if time permits, I'm a full running shower, towel dry and blow dry gal with a round brush for "tucking"...if not, I'm a dry on the run and then flat iron away after my hair is air dried. Either way, the results with got2b are delicious! My hair LOOKS smooth, feels fabulous and it lasts!

Oh, and one more thing...this product protects your hair from those blasted UV rays...yup..sunscreen for your hair without the sunscreen odor!

The Wedding

Her name is Katie Kirkpatrick, 21 years old. Next to her is her fianee, Nick, 23.

This picture was taken prior to their wedding January 11th, 2005 . Katie has terminal cancer and spends hours in chemotherapy.
Here Nick awaits while she finishes one of the sessions...


Even in pain and dealing with her organs shutting down, with the help of morphine, Katie took care of every single wedding planning.
Her dress had to be adjusted several times due to Katie's constant weight loss.


An expected guest was her oxygen tank. Katie had to use it during the ceremony and reception.
The other couple in this picture are Nick's parents, very emotional with the wedding and of course to see their son marrying the girl he fell in love when he was an adolescent.


Katie, in a wheel chair listening to her husband and friends singing to her.

In the middle of the party Katie had to rest for a bit and catch her breath. The pain doesn't allow her to stand for long period of time.


Katie died 5 days after her wedding. To see a fragile woman dress as bride with a beautiful smile makes you think... happiness is always there within reach, no matter how long it lasts.....lets enjoy life and don't live a complicated life. Life is too short.

Work as if it was your first day

Forgive as soon as possible

Love without boundaries

Laugh without control

and never stop smiling
even if you don't know the reason.

National Mom's Nite Out

As you might have heard, MomSelect is proudly planning the National Mom's Nite Out, the first nationally organized celebration of motherhood intended to bring together today's moms, physically and virtually.

National Mom's Nite Out event is growing every day, as more and more companies and moms opt to join in the national celebration of motherhood. May 7th will be an evening to remember.

More information coming soon!

Treasure Box

The Week 3. Challenge of Pepperidge Farm's Fishful Thinking Program was to work with your child to decorate a box that is kept on the table you eat at regularly. Keep a stack of index cards and crayons and markers next to the box. Two or three times a week, ask your child to write down or draw something good that happened, something good they saw or heard, remembered or accomplished. During a meal once a week, take turns pulling a treasure from the box and reading it aloud.

Today was the perfect day for this...the weather could not decide if it wanted to be winter by sending falling snow, or to just be cold. Either way it was too muddy or too cold to play outside, so we talked about the things in our day and our life that were "good". Things like the smell of the cookies baking. When family comes to visit. Playing outside and a friend comes to join the fun. Our family. There is certainly an abundance of "good" in our lives.

We searched the garage for a box that was worthy of the title "Treasure Box". To a five year old the qualifications were simple...it couldn't be too big, but still it had to have plenty of room for stickers...LOTS of stickers! We discovered the perfect one. It was Daddy's fishing reel box, but certainly he won't mind when he sees the "make over"!

With box in hand, we searched through hoards of scrapbooking paper. The decisions! She considered Barbie, but that "maybe would make the boys in our family feel it wasn't for them." We found some hot pink with white "swirls"--tossed aside as it was "WAY too much pink!" (she's a die-hard purple girl). After 20 minutes of "maybe this one" and "this might be good" she decided on a white paper with pastel asterisk looking flowers.

We wrapped Dad's fishing reel box with the perfect paper and then took it to the Creation Station where stickers were lovingly placed in the perfect spot to give it some flair. I was impressed by her meticulous selection of the stickers--"this is really important"--she said as her tongue licked the corner of her mouth with a pause.

As her 3 year old brother, tacked sticker after sticker to his "Happy Page" she explained, with enduring love, how "This Treasure Box is going to be a guest for dinner every night. Whenever you know about something good, you tell me and I'll help you write it down on paper and put it in this box. Okay, Little Buddy?" He grunted an "Okay" and continued to slap stickers on his page.

After the passing of quite a span of time, the Treasure Box was complete. Truly a beautiful expression of artwork. She paused briefly for a photo and then set about telling us all how the Treasure Box works.



She walks by every few minutes and gently shakes the Treasure Box to see if anyone has added "Good Things" to its soul. The sound of papers inside light up her eyes and she whispers to herself, "This is amazing!"

We'll open it tomorrow night at dinner. It is a welcome guest at our table!

Jack and Lily Shoe Giveaway @ A Family Completed

Here's a chance to win some Jack and Lily shoes...maybe for your little one or the perfect baby shower gift! Jack and Lily shoes have original and traditional designs.

My favorite are the Anchor/White...wouldn't those just make adorable Easter feet?!

Of course, every "Princess" needs the soft comfort of Jack and Lily shoes also and here is my choice:


For complete contest details and your chance to win enter over at A Family Completed for your chance to win - ends the 9th of April!

My Beauty Detour

My life is a chaotic comedy.

There are days I wonder if the ride ever stops?

Today I made time for me. I decided to take a "Beauty Detour". No..lol...it wasn't a pampering at a spa, but just a few minutes for me to reflect on something inspiring. Something beautiful. Something that was just amazing.

My moment of peace took my detour to be about my children (perhaps because they were fighting in the other room!).

My 19 year old, he wants to influence the world with his music. It's his passion. He is content "hiding behind" the guitar and letting someone else lead. His face is animated when he plays sculpting into distorted figures of pain when he plays a soulful blues and then transforms into raised eyebrows, a smile that lights up the stage and stars in his eyes when he plays his favorite upbeat song.

I have a soon to be 16 year old son. He is random. His likes and dislikes change like the day into night. He is going to be a Director, or it's his dream today anyway. I am impressed as he records his imagination and thoughts into words of poetry and artwork that makes me think perhaps being left-handed isn't a curse, really.

My Beauty Queen comes to mind. Thoughts of her in front of the mirror in her plastic high-heels, waist laden with tulle and draped with satin fabrics, accessorized with gaudy, cheap, plastic jewelery. Her hair "big" and her lips shimmering with an abundance of lipstick! She lives today for fashion runways but when the make up is washed off and her hair combed down she says, "I'm going to be a doctor someday".

A five year old delights me with her large vocabulary. Her ability to share...even if it means it will leave none for her. She wants long hair like her sister, but hates the thought of it having to be done. Her hand shakes as she draws portraits of our family splattered with hearts.

The silence of my detour is broken by my three year old hollering, "I love you, Mommy-O"--his way of "checking in". He is a simple creature...Lego Indiana on the Xbox360, matchbox race cars zipping in circles while he shouts, "Go! Harvey! Go!" and routine. He cannot function if he doesn't have cereal for breakfast and in the car, if we turn to the left instead of the right when leaving the driveway, he demands to know why?

It has been a peaceful few moments. Reflecting on the beauty in my life. These five children who mesmerize me. They are the foundation for all things good and the pillars of my heart.

"Wat-CHA!" is being chanted as the house shakes from a re-enactment from an Indiana Jones movie and screams bellow from the recipients of the whips crack. "MOM!" they all shout simultaneously taking me from my "Beauty Detour" back into the chaotic comedy of my life. It's amazing!

Learn about "Beauty Detour" here

A Blustery Day Leads to A Lesson in Goal Setting and Empowerment.

I'm always amazed at how rapidly Cabin Fever sets in after a few delectable days of Spring are followed by the falling of fluffy white misery. This morning we awoke to SNOW! It's Spring Break and there were moans from my 5 and 3 year olds who had thought playing outside with friends was on the agenda.

As they sat, mopey in slumps of sadness staring out the window. I suggested they suit up and head outside to build a snowman. Immediately, my five year old set in on how "hard" it was and hers "always fall down".

I remembered reading about the Block Building exercise on the Fishful Thinking website and immediately said, "I will help you and if you promise to put forth the effort I know you can help make an amazing snowman."

We suited up and went outside. It was cold, but we were a team with a mission..build a snowman. I packed three snowballs and showed each one how to roll and pack their ball. After a few minutes my five year old stomped her feet, folded her arms and marched off declaring, "I can't do it!"

Kneeling on her level I asked, "What can't you do?" She answered pitifully, "Make my ball get bigger. It keeps breaking."
I suggested I watch her and see if maybe we could find the solution, but in order to do this I needed to know what she hoped her snowball would become. "I want to make the belly. It needs to get this big (and she held her arms out indicating a large tummy)." I clarified, "So we need to make this little snowball into a belly ball this big?" I exaggerated my hand movements. "Yes".

Together we rolled and discovered she was pressing to hard while packing. I suggested she make a mantra, "I can do anything because my name is ___________" and she loved it. Over and over she repeated her mantra. Slowly, her snowball was becoming larger and larger until she jumped up and down and said, "I did it, Mom! I made a ginormous belly ball."

We put our snowman together using each of the balls everyone contributed. We danced around the snowman to bring it to life and as my five year old put the hat on our new friend, she leaned into him and said, "When it stops snowing and it gets to be a sunny day, just keep saying, "I can do anything because my name is Frosty" and great things will happen!"

Our afternoon has been influenced by making that goal to make a small snowball transform into a huge belly ball. Making a goal to take something ordinary and transform it into something inspiring has lead to a delightful day where we suddenly feel empowered. There is nothing we can't achieve, and should we for even a moment, hesitate to believe this, we just remember we can do ANYTHING because of who we ARE!

Fishful Thinking

Recently I discovered a site called Fishful Thinking. It's purpose: to confidently raise kids who are optimistic and can confidently take on life's challenges, effective problem solving, positive communication and develop confidence.

The premise of this program is to help arm parents with activities and tools for positive parenting skills and to help foster healthy optimism in their children. I personally LOVE this program. I have tried many of the activities with my own children, and they've truly made a difference - the program is centered around five "ingredients": Optimism, Emotional Awareness, Goal Setting/Hope, Resilience and Empowerment. I might just be benefiting as much as the kiddos!

You can visit Fishful Thinking here:

If you like what you see there, why not become a Fishful Thinking Ambassador?!!! If you are interested and have kids between the ages of 4 and 12, Pepperidge Farm is looking for more mom ambassadors to work with them on the Fishful Thinking program. I am currently an Ambassador and love sharing the site and communicating with others who have found value in this program. Leave me a comment and I'll get you the information to sign up!

Who is Dr. Karen Reivich?

You may recognize Dr. Karen Reivich from publications like USA Today and the New York Times. She has established herself as a leader in the field of Positive Psychology and depression prevention through her extensive research, teaching, workshops, and writings. Read more aobut Dr. Karen Reivich.

Ballas Hough Band Shines as Musicians

You know their names, Ballas and Hough, from Dancing with the Stars...Mark Ballas was Season 6 Champion with Kristi Yamaguchi and is currently dancing with Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson...Derek Hough was last season's DWTS Champion paired with Brooke Burke, and now they up their talent with a new a CD!

While the CD isn't a unique sound...it emmulates the sound of the Boy Bands like NSYNC and Back Street Boys and then catches the flavors of the 80s Michael Jackson and Prince, it's a great album.

My favorite song is "Longing" (Track 5)...it is a love ballad that captures the words every person in love wants to hear: "...wanna be the reason you breathe...dream, etc." It's romantic and a slower song in comparison to the other tracks on this album.

American Idol fans might enjoy "Do It For You" (Track 8) as it was written by Idol Judge Kara DioGuardi.

Track 4 has "Billie Jean" flavor. The beat was familiar but the words weren't as memorable.

"Birthday" (Track 6) brought back memories of Prince with the beat.

My least favorite track was "Fall (Track 7)...it was just a little too noisy.

It's a diverse album that captures the best sounds of Boy Bands and 80s icons, Prince and Michael Jackson. Many of the tracks were written by Ballas and Hough and I admire that in an artist.

This might be the album that hangs up those dancing shoes and puts them on the charts as musicians.
Special thanks to the One2One Network for this opportunity to review the Ballas Hough Band CD.

DQ--They're NEW Sweet Deals

Roll back to 1985...I just got my driver's license and with my dad, and a blue saab we lived our Summer headed for the East Coast...it was a time of bonding, a time of learning who this man really was...a time of just discovering that all roads lead somewhere. Turns out, we had a lot in common.

Number one on the commonality list: Dairy Queen Blizzards.

The highlight of that trip was driving across our great country, the wind tangled in my hair as it whipped through the sunroof, Bon Jovi blaring through the speakers, reading Peter Jenkins "Walk Across America and stopping at EVERY DQ we saw for one delicious Blizzard after another...I loved the Turtle Blizzard best...he was more an M&M kinda guy.

Occassionally, while on our Blizzard High, we settled in at a DQ table for a cheeseburger and onion rings. I can smell them even now. Exhausted and yet exhilerated, wanting the trip to never end.

Now DQ announces they are launching their first-ever permanent value menu--it even has a catchy name: DQ Sweet Deals.

Just in case you haven’t heard yet, here’s the deal: You can mix and match nine menu items, choosing two for $3, three for $4 or four for $5. You have the freedom of choice with more than 20,000 combinations.

Menu items include the famous Dairy Queen® cheeseburger, classic all-beef hot dog, new chicken wrap, yummy French fries, crispy onion rings, fresh salad, beverage and an irresistible sundae or cone made with the signature DQ soft serve with the curl on top.

Fast forward to the present...getting up on the big 4-0...someday I'm going to drive with my children, one at a time, across the country. The sound of car tires rotating puts me to sleep now, my children are more musically apt to appreciate Ella Fitzgerald and Wheezer than they are Bon Jovi...and yet there is something peaceful about listening to their dreams, giving them hope and being inspired by their enthusiasm for their life....

....and DQ is going to be there, just as she was for me.

In the meantime, I'll take a sundae with the signature DQ cone and one of those cheeseburgers, please.....

Swag Bucks

Sometime last month, someone told me about swagbucks. I signed up but didn't really do anything with it. A few "gentle" reminders encouraged me to "give it a go"...within six days I had enough (45) Swagbucks to redeem for a $5 Amazon.com gift card! The best part? I didn't do anything...just used their toolbar to search the internet (Swagbucks uses Google and Ask.com). Yup...while searching those swagbucks just randomly appear! It's too awesome.

If you'd like to earn amazon.com, starbucks giftcards, cool collectibles and other great rewards for doing absolutely nothing more than searching the web, follow this link: http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=291005

What are you waiting for?

Yanni Voices

There is something familiar about Yanni. His voice erases the stress and takes you to wherever it is you consider "paradise".

Yanni Voices introduces some amazing talent through the voices of Nathan Pacheco, Chloe, Ender Thomas and Leslie Mills. They compliment the music and harmonize perfectly yielding a romantic, peaceful and tranquil album.

My favorite song is "Before the Night Ends". The opening is just beautiful and the words touched my heart the first time and continue to each time I hear it.

For more information on Yanni Voices feel free to follow these links:

Website: http://www​.yanni.com​/voices/

Video: http://www.yanni.com/Events/

PBS Special Air Dates: http://www​.yanni.com​/Events/pb​s_schedule​.aspx

Tour Info: http://yanni.com/Tour.aspx

Images: http://www.one2onenetwork.com/content.cfm?cntid=45

Linda Eder Give Away Winner

The random number generator selected number 1...Congratulations, Zany.
Please contact me with your name and address so I can notify One2One Network and your prize pack can be shipped.

Linda Eder Giveaway

Another great give-away sponsored by my favorite: One2One Network!

This giveaway is for an autographed Linda Eder CD, "The Other Side of Me", which features a brand new band with guitars, fiddle, plenty of grooves and vocal harmonies, and even has Eder playing her own guitar...also included in the prize package is an autographed hat.

You can listen to a few of the songs here. Her newest album, "The Other Side of Me" is also available through Barnes and Noble Books who is also offering an exclusive track “Everything Comes and Goes.”

Just leave a comment...any comment...enter as many times as you like! Only requirement, have fun!

*This contest will be open to US Addresses ONLY!!!!!**This contest will end at Midnight on October 30th!!***The winner will be picked with the random number generator!!!****Thanks so much for entering**

God Speed, Granny Franny

God Speed Granny Franny
My mom called today to deliver the news that Grandma Fran passed away. Her health had been failing, she recently went to a nursing home...she had a good life.At the age of 13, she became my Grandma. She didn't like children and didn't hesitate to remind us, yet she took us in her heart and loved us...completely.My parents worked fairs and traveled much of my youth. We moved to North Carolina when I was 13 and so began my relationship with this remarkable woman.She was brilliant. She worked for Taylor and while there invented the mercury substitute for thermometers...no kidding...pretty brainy!We toured the Biltmore Home and then went to visit Grandma Fran who told us wonderful stories of being raised by the Henry Ford family and playing with the Vanderbilt child...hiding in the Halloween Room in a game of hide-n-go-seek. It was mesmerizing and I never grew tired of hearing her story.She drove a powder blue camero. I know, totally cool! I agree. One weekend she was responsible for us, we...my two sisters and brother, piled into her camaro and wound our way through the mountains. My sister screamed, "STOP!" and Grandma Fran slammed on the brakes...coming to a near immediate stop. "Good Heaven's, Child! What ever is the matter?" she said nearly losing her breath. "You almost hit that squirrel." was my sister's answer."I appreciate your concern for the wild critters. I really do, and while I agree his life is important, you simply cannot...cannot demand we stop for every critter crossing the road. It just isn't safe for any of us." She explained.That winding road led the way to a petting zoo. There Grandma Fran explained to us about llamas. We were pupils and she our teacher. She knew a great deal about them, including that when they feel threatened, they spit. I guess she wanted to illustrate that fact because as we entered the petting area, a wooly white llama approached Grandma Fran and began chasing her through the fenced area...spitting at her. At first we were stunned. We'd never seen anything quite like this...then we gave way to laughter while the petting zoo employees chased the llama chasing Grandma Fran. When the chase ceased, Grandma Fran stood before us, out of breath with hair matted with llama spit and standing on end. The first time we spent the night at Grandma Fran's she picked us up from home after school. Wouldn't you know it was the very day we all came home with notes stating that our school had lice (we, to this day, blame this on my baby sister who played in the dirt at recess head to head with her little friends). Poor Grandma Fran...a dislike for children in general and yet the woman washed our hair with that lice shampoo and then with the patience of a saint combed through my sister and my hair...thick and down to our waists...with that tiny comb. She didn't complain. Not a bit.On a journey from Asheville home, just Grandma Fran and me, in the powdered blue camaro, she talked about the Lindenberg baby. The subject changed in the middle and I remember saying, "So? Whatever happened to the Lindenberg baby?" She was stunned that I didn't know a thing about this and set forth in getting my facts straight.She was an amazing woman...cooking four starving children her delicious southern fried chicken...a pain-staking process as she was accustomed to cooking for two...and so with grumbling bellies, our mouths watered as one piece at a time she cooked the chicken. It was worth the wait, but we were happy to have a mom who understood you could cook for an entire family all at once...it seemed much faster.Her love of rocks was intoxicating. Specimens of raw sapphires and emeralds lined her windows..on occassion she would select one and take us to the garage where she would cut it, polish it and leave it for us to be amazed.Sadly, for those of us still here, this wonderful, brilliant and very loved woman has parted with her earthly ties. She will be missed and treasured.God Speed, Grandma Fran....peace and comfort to those who love you!

Melee Give Away

My special thanks to One2One Network for selecting me to sponsor this great contest.


Melee is an amazing group and after hearing their album Devils & Angels, I was impressed at how smooth their voices blended and how power packed their lyrics are song after song.

For this contest, all you have to do is leave a comment about your absolute favorite song and why.

What will ONE winner (drawn at random by the random number generator) win?

Glad you asked: * Devils & Angels album & Tote ($28.99 value)

Hurry! This giveaway ends at 12:00am Mountain Time on Saturday, October 4, 2008!!!




A band that started while in high school in Orange County and passionately persued in college realized their dream with Hopeless Records signed them and released an EP in 2003, Against the Tide. From there a full-length album in conjumction with indie label Sub City, Everyday Behavior in 2004, reflecting their early love of power pop and late-'90s ska - sold 15,000 copies and led to a major-label bidding war for their talents. Mêlée signed with Warner Bros. Records in September 2005.

Since then, they have appeared on the Warped Tour, the Take Action! Tour, where they performed alongside The Donnas, Sugarcult, and Motion City Soundtrack, and hit the road with Bowling For Soup, Bayside, and The Junior Varsity, among others. In March and April, they will tour with The Early November and The Rocket Summer in support of Devils & Angels. *from the Melee website

Take the Time to Register to Vote...YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU

It only takes a moment. Please take the time to Register to Vote for the 2008 elections.

See you at the POLLS!

Idina Menzel, "I Stand"

I truly had no idea who Idina Menzel was when I first heard the name. Then my 15-year old son pointed out I did know her from the Disney Movie, Enchanted. Hmmm...now I had a face. Then he added she was on Broadway and had performed in Wicked and Rent. Suddenly, there was a voice. The album, I Stand, followed and I must admit, I was taken by the power in the voice and the lyrics.
Idina Menzel will leave you in awe at her voice range and the emotion with which she sings. I Stand is an album that will have you coming back for more and each time discovering something new in the message. There are ten songs that will leave you wanting more.
I was surprised to discover that in addition to her great voice, she also wrote the songs on this album, which was produced by Glen Ballard--you know the name from Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill and most recent album, Flavors of Entanglement.
I Stand is an album that appeals to everyone. My children ages 2-18 enjoy the music and are starting to sing along, we've listened to it so often. Definately a "must have" for any music collection.
Tracklist:
I Stand
Better To Have Loved
Brave
Gorgeous
Where Do I Begin?
Don’t Let Me Down
I Feel Everything
Forever
Enemy
Perfume And Promises
I Stand (Acoustic)
Let Me Fall (unreleased)

Winner of the Missy Higgins Give Away

I used a random number generator.
Entered the numbers 1-8 for the number of comments.
The generator selected #4.
Congratulations to GLORI for winning this great give-away.
Glori, please contact me with your name and address so I can have One2One Network get your prize pack out to you!

Congratulations.

Missy Higgins "On A Clear Night" Give Away

Okay, you know I love her voice.



You've heard her on So You Think You Can Dance...twice!



She's on tour with Indigo.



She performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.



And her album, "On a Clear Night" is currently Top 20 on Itunes.







Now, thanks to One2One Network, we've got a hot Missy Higgins Giveaway.







Here's your chance to win all this:

Autographed On A Clear Night CD

The Missy Higgins EP

The Special Two Tote

All you have to do, is post a comment telling me something about yourself.

One winner will be selected using a random number generator on August 16.

The prize package will be sent by One2One Network.

Go ahead, tell me about yourself!

September Issue of Family Fun

I always wanted to write.
To be a travel journalist, live like a resident, see it like a tourist.
It hasn't worked out that way so far...

Someday...

In the meantime, check out page 80 in the September issue of Family Fun Magazine. In the box in the lower left hand side of the page is my idea!

I love Family Fun Magazine. We have subscribed to it since my second child was born, some fifteen years ago. It's changed some, and some not. It has excellent articles and they are all geared towards being a family...I love that! My favorite section is the cooking articles. I love to try new recipes and FF gears theirs so I can actually cook a great recipe with simplicity so the kiddos can do most of the work!

Again, page 80...check it out!

Winner of the Idina Menzel "I Stand" Give Away!!

I used the Random Number generator.
I used the numbers 1-8 and it selected #5.
I then counted down 5 comments and....

C*O*N*G*R*A*T*U*L*A*T*I*O*N*S
HOWIE

howie said...
I stand for my husband and children. But my walk with Jesus Christ has made it all possible! I also love my wonderful friends!
Wed Jul 30, 02:31:00 PM MDT

*Howie, please contact me with your name and address so I can let the sponsor, One2One Network know to get your prize pack out to you!

The Best Reunion Story Out There

Forgive me if you were a "Morrison Monster" and have to endure this story here again. It is one that deserves repeat. Simply put, it's the best reunion story out there.

Last year, I attended my 20 Year High School Reunion. I had mixed feelings. First off, it was extremely over-priced. Y'know, one of my classmates scored the big time, took out a membership at the ritzy country club and took advantage of the rest of us! Secondly, I was sort of a big deal in high school...editor in chief, staff member of the school literary magazine--where I won first, second and third place in nearly every category...thank you...I belonged to as much as I could possibly squeeze into my Senior Year. I loved it!

Well, except for how this particular story started.

It was Sadie Hawkins, y'know, girl asks guy...buys the cutsie matching shirt/sweater and plays divine goddess host for the evening. My first pick (see "Best Friend" post below) didn't get back to me...so, I asked the Student Body President. I know...if you're gonna give up your first choice, you might as well start at the top!

I spent days making this enormous poster of butcher paper, magic marker, paint and of course writing some cheesy poem, which escapes my memory. My mom, whom I hadn't seen in two years flew out to visit, and it was a moment of bonding....I drove her to his house and she delivered the giant, rolled "invitations". Mr. SB Pres. was not at home, so we left it with his brother.

It took a couple days, but he said, "Yes". I don't recall the details of that moment either.

I saved my weekend Nanny money, and bought these crimson and grey sweaters...hey, I was loyal to my school and her colors!

So...quirky invitation...check
Answer...affirmative
Matching tacky shirts: check

I made the plans for dinner and the hair appointment to look "foxy". I bought the tickets, and had money set aside for pictures. It was going to be amazing.

The Wednesday before the dance, Mr. Pres. said he would rather go with this "other" girl who had recently asked him and would that be okay.

I know what you're thinking.

I was, however, polite and concerned about other's feelings and so I smiled and said, "Sure. I think that would be great! I hope you have a good time." I suppose I sincerely meant it...I mean why would I want to go with someone who didn't want to be there?

He gave me back the sweater, I cancelled my dinner plans and hair appointment. He went to the dance and I stayed home. Good times!

So...September 2007, twenty years later I'm going to the reunion. I have decided I'm going to tell Mr. Pres. just what a schmuck he was.

I sit through the uneventful night looking for him, but cannot seem to identify him. Hmmm...perhaps he didn't come?

There is a drawing for prizes and they call his name...wait...ah, yes! There he is...I excuse myself and go up to the front of the Reunion and wait as someone else has acquired his attention.

I wait...and wait...and finally, decide I look stupid standing there alone and so I go and sit back down.

A little while later, I see he has returned to his table and so I excuse myself again. I rehearse what I'm going to say on the walk to the table. With big grin I say, "Mr. President (okay, I used his real name, but you get the picture), how the heck are you?"

He turned and said, "Hello, Jonbonjovious (again, he used my real name)"

"I'm surprised you remember my name." Okay, there was a tad bit of bitterness in my voice.

"I remember you. I have thought about you through the years and what I did to you. It is the one thing I regret. It's not that I thought about it every minute, every day, every week or every month, but I thought about it. I am very sorry for what I did."

Tears started to swell and I choked up.

"I told my family, my children I am sorry."

I replied, "I told my children too. They know that even if the fat, ugly girl asks them first and they say, "Yes", they are taking her."

He introduced me to his wife. She said, "Oh, memories! Good or bad?"

He answered, "This is jonbonjovious."

"Oh, bad." she said, "he told me the story and he is so sorry. Tell her your sorry."

"I already did. I am sorry."

I asked his wife, "Would you mind taking that Sadie Hawkins picture for me now?"

She smiled and he stepped closer, put his arm around me and we took our picture.

Upon leaving him I said, "Mr. President, I knew you as a boy...I will remember you as a man."

I went back to my table and my DH asked, "Well, what happened?" I told him and he said, "You're lying."

"I'm not."

I was ready to go home. I came and that apology put me at peace. When I got home, my boys asked, "Did you see Mr. President?" I said, "Yes" and told them the story, to which my eighteen year old replied, "I'm so glad I always took the girl, that would be a terrible thing to have to carry around for twenty years!"

Indeed it would.

I would also like to add that a week later, I sent Mr. President an email and told him "Thank You" that his apology meant a lot.

His reply:

Oct. 4, 2007

Jonbonjovious;

You should be very proud of yourself for having the willpower and fortitude to do the things that you were able to do at such a young age. I am very sorry for what I did to you in high school. That is the only thing that I did that has bothered me through the years. Thank You for the opportunity to say that I am sorry at the reunion. It was a great load off of my shoulders; I hope that you can truly forgive me. I'm happy to know that you are doing well and have such a big family. I'm sure that you have a great husband and kids and a wonderful life. You mentioned at the reunion you were surprised that I remembered you after all these years; I just want to let you know that I will never forget you. You are a wonderful person. It was very nice to see you at the reunion.

Thank you,

Mr. President

I keep that letter folded in my purse. I take it out on occassion to remind me that I deserve great things. That even after 20 years, I am remembered and I have value.

Best Friends

It had been a long, long time. Unbelievably, time did NOT stand still. People came and went in our lives. It had been fourteen years since I last saw the person who forever will be known as "MY BEST FRIEND".

There's no need to hide anything. I was nervous. Those five tenants that rented my uterus were less than friendly on my body. Not that it should matter, he saw my best and worst side for two years and now should be no different.

Saturday time DID stand still. It seemed to drag on and on. I was introduced to his son. It was like looking through an time machine...he had the same hands, fingers and finger nails as his dad, his bottom lip matches his; They have the same neck and the shape of their eyes. Wow! Genes are pretty amazing!

Then, finally in that 10 o'clock evening hour, the gates opened and I was face to face with him! The gap of years closed in and it was like I had never been away from this person. It was like someone hit "rewind", his secrets were whispered again, his dreams...some now a reality, and that sense of "home".

I ran to hug him and the world disappeared! Our visit was brief, he's a busy man!!! I hope we will continue this journey from our present into our future....this time together as the friends we became in the past. I have missed him...

Idina Menzel

Her voice will carry you away!

Idina Menzel, "I Stand" Give Away!

I am thankful to the One2One Network for the opportunity to host this Idina Menzel "I Stand" Giveaway.

If you're already a fan, or just want to get acquainted with Idina Menzel, the contest is simple, JUST LEAVE A COMMENT TO FILL IN THE BLANK BELOW (not the actual lyric, but what YOU stand for).

On August 5, I'll use a Random Number Generator to select one winner.

It's a fun prize pack, the "I Stand" CD and Idina Menzel Tote. (Prize will be shipped by the sponsor, One2One Network.)

"When you ask me, who I am…
What is my vision? And do I have a plan?
Where is my strength?
Have I nothing to say?
I hear the words in my head, but I push them away.
'Cause I stand for __(Leave a comment to complete this sentence)_____________"

Who is Idina Menzel? I had to ask myself the same question, the name just didn't ring any bells.

"No. Do I?"

"She was Elphaba in WICKED, she was Maureen Johnson in RENT and I know you know her from ENCHANTED! She was Nancy Tremaine."

...and suddenly I knew her.

By the way, she has also done the soundtrack for The Other Sister and Desperate Housewives and she appeared on the Beowulf soundtrack, singing the end credits song, "A Hero Comes Home".

If you're still uncertain or just want to hear her amazing voice click here.

I listened to her third and newest album, "I Stand" and it is truly a collection of talent, HER talent, not the talent of the producer or the studio. Her voice is powerful and amazing.

For Tour Dates you can go here.

On Being a Mom

Gosh, the more I experience mommy-dom, the more I find I love it.

This past month we celebrated a birthday. The Princess is the mighty SIX! She was beauty queen for the day. She went to the beauty parlor for an "Up-DO", then Charlotte the Great added a splash of "Princess" with a sequined baby blue dress. She wore a crown and enjoyed a pinata and barbeque with her family.

My little man when asked "Are you a big boy?" replied, "Like Daddy." Then after a moment of thought, raised his arms above his head and announced, "I huge!" Indeed he is.

My other little beauty queen tells me she loves me "infinity squared" and I'm her "best mom".

My oldest has followed through on getting a "grown up" job and doing well. He tells me he's had "no attendance issues". Whew!

The actor is busy enjoying summer and making friends as he prepares to enter HIGH SCHOOL!

There is no greater joy than to watch a child grow from someone so incapable to someone with determination and in pursuit of their dreams. To witness the learning process...holding up their head, coordinating their limb movement, discovering their hands, their feet...those first steps, first words, first sentences. Dreaming of movie stardom or Beauty Queen. Developing social skills and just living life.

I've been a mom for 18 years and I am still inspired with awe at the miracle. I look at my oldest and am just fascinated at the transition from infant to "man". I cry when I see him driving a car. It is the most incredible emotion and sense of being one can ever experience.

I love being a mom!

WINNER of the Alanis Morissette Flavors of Entanglement Giveaway!

Congratulations "HOBBITJEAN"!!!

I used a random number generator

I entered the number of comments (1-15) then clicked "Enter". It generated the number 4.

I counted down 4 comments and came to "HobbitJean".

Congratulations, Hobbitjean!

Hobbit Jean

, please email me with your name, address and email so I can have the sponsor (One2One Network) get your prizes to you. (Please contact me by June 24, or a new winner will be selected using the same process.)

***Please add me to your favorites and keep checking back for more great give-aways!***

Flavors of Entanglement Contest

I'm thankful to the One2One Network for the opportunity to host this great Flavors of Entanglement Giveaway!

Are you ready for the SEVENTH studio album by Alanis Morissette?

Ever wanted THE COLLECTION of her greatest hits?

Get Ready to sit back with your favorite pint of Ben and Jerry's because it's all right here:

TO ENTER:

Simply leave a comment stating who Alanis is named after

and one line to your favorite Alanis song.

The winner will receive:

Flavors of Entanglement CD (set to hit stores June 10)

The Collection CD

and

Ben and Jerry's "Free" Pint Ice Cream Coupon

Flavors of Entanglement is set to hit stores on June 10!

You can buy this album through Amazon.com

A tribute to her personal conflicts, the album captures a little bit of everything in which she as a musical interest, including hip hop beats.

The Track List:

"Citizen of The Planet"

"Underneath"

Watch the video here.

Watch the making of the video here.

"Straitjacket"

"Versions of Violence"

"Not As We"
"In Praise of The Vulnerable Man"

"Moratorium"
"Torch"

"Giggling Again For No Reason"
"Tapes"

"Incomplete"

The Collection

Alanis' Greatest Hits from 1995-2005.

Available here through Amazon.com

AND

A Ben and Jerry's "Free" Pint Ice Cream Coupon

Contest runs from June 10 until Midnight (MST) June 17

Winner will be selected using a random number generator and posted on this blog the following day.

Prizes will be sent out by the sponsor.

Alanis Morissette's Flavors of Entanglement is Flavorful

I first became addicted to Alanis Morissette with "Jagged Little Pill", now her seventh studio album, "Flavors of Entanglement" has me hooked again.

Alanis' song writing is superb on this album. I was impressed with the wit that conveyed such conflict. The lyrics weave such a vibrant picture and her voice just resounds the pain/triumphant.

I w