My Mid-Life Motherhood

Beauty and The Beast 3D Opens Today!

2012-01-13T13:59:00.003-05:00

Last weekend my daughter, Darlin', and I had the opportunity to see Beauty and The Beast in 3D! Many thanks to "Aunt Sarah" for sharing her tickets!

Beauty and The Beast 3D opens nation wide today, on Darlin's 16th birthday! It was a nice little pre-birthday treat to take her to see this Disney classic on the big screen. The fact that it was in 3D was like icing on the birthday cake!

If you have a teen like mine who loves everything Disney and has grown up idolizing Belle, Aurora, Cinderella and Ariel, then I highly recommend seeing this classic in all its glory. It was a wonderful experience for her to watch it come to life at the theater after all those years on a tiny little TV.

Premiering before Beauty and The Beast 3D is the new short Tangled Ever After. Darlin' and I were laughing throughout it - one of the funniest shorts I have seen in a long time! Here's a clip to enjoy:

(We did receive free tickets to this advance screeing, but the opinion is all mine!)

Mistletoe and the Christmas Kittens GIVE AWAY!

2011-12-20T10:42:00.001-05:00

Just received in the mail an adorable Christmas book: The Legend of Mistletoe and the Christmas Kittens! Cute story of a selfless little Christmas kitty who (*spoiler alert*) finally finds a home! In addition to the book, there is a plush Mistletoe kitty to cuddle with while reading, perfect if you do not have a real live lap cat of you own!

The book, written by Joe Troiano and illustrated by Lydia Halverson, is part of the Holiday Hill Farm family, best known for Spookley, The Square Pumpkin, and is available at Barnes and Noble.

Cupcake and I enjoyed reading the book together this morning and when we finished she said, "More!" Then she proceeded to read the book herself, mumbling in toddlerese with a few key repeated words, "Kisses Kitty" (translation: Christmas Kitty!) It is a lyrical poem with beautiful illustrations that will appeal to the whole family! I plan on reading it everyday til Christmas and surprising Cupcake with her very own Mistletoe under the tree on Christmas morn!

In exchange for mentioning The Legend of Mistletoe and the Christmas Kittens on my blog, I received the book and plush kitty for Cupcake and a second set to give away to one of my readers! In an effort to get it to the winner as close to Christmas as possible, I will announce the winner tonight at midnight. To enter the drawing just leave a comment telling me your favorite family Christmas book! Check tomorrow morning to see if you won. As soon as the winner can contact me via email with an address I'll send the package out in tomorrow's mail!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Shopping Online Specials!

2011-12-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

Oneida Picture Frame

In honor of National Free Shipping Day, I thought I would spread some Christmas cheer by sharing a special discount from Oneida! If you have a wee little one in your life or perhaps one who might be arriving under the Christmas tree soon, here is an opportunity to get some special keepsake gifts at 70% off! On top of those sale prices, now through 12/20/2011 Oneida is also offering a 20% savings on entire orders purchased with promo code DC20.

Merry Christmas!

I'm not receiving anything for this post, just the satisfaction of knowing that you too might be able to get some great deals on some quality gifts for your friends and family this holiday season!

Allergy Free Fun Fridays: Milk & Cookies?!

2011-12-02T13:26:00.001-05:00

Delicious GF Ginger Snaps!

If you find yourself needing to restrict some (or even most) of your favorite foods due to allergies, then welcome aboard! With lots of mild allergies, I have found that just by giving up the wheat I feel so much better. I have not ventured to completely gluten free, mostly because I seem to be able to stick better to food restrictions when it's just one thing at a time! Bit simpleminded, but so far it's workin' for me!

Since I've been avoiding wheat, I have found my allergy, fibromyalgia and IBS symptoms to be greatly reduced. Based on that, I plan to continue my avoidance of wheat and search for substitutions when I miss some favorite foods.

Today, it was milk and cookies! Just had a craving for that traditional American after-school snack. Searching my pantry, I found some wheat free, gluten free Ginger Snaps from Mary's Gone Crackers.

If you're a fan of the usual ginger snaps found in the orange box this time of year, then I highly recommend these! Mary's Ginger Snaps were so flavorful and tasty. They were also a bit easier to bite into - I recall that the traditional ones are very hard and absolutely must be dunked in milk. The ginger snaps held up very well when I dipped them in a bit of whole milk I "borrowed" from Baby! Hmmmm, Hmmmm, Hmmmm!

I was not paid for, nor did I receive any thing for this post. Just happy to share a yummy treat I found in my kitchen! I think these are some delicious snacks that are Christmas-cookie-plate worthy! Please leave a comment or link to your favorite allergy free cookie!

Driving Miss Baby!

2011-12-01T15:19:00.003-05:00

Miss Baby asleep in the car seat!

During our most recent excursion, we had to prepare ourselves for many long hours in the mini-van with two teens and a toddler. Obviously, keeping Miss Baby happy was of utmost importance for the sanity of we weary travelers. Just in case you too will find yourself traveling home for the holidays, here are a few do's and don'ts with baby on board!

DO

keep favorite toys, loveys and blankies nearby for quick retrieval.
bring special books or toys that are only reserved for car trips or splurge on something new. We were entertained for quite a while with Miss Baby's new Merry-Oke microphone. She kept hitting the buttons to play Jingle Bells and would sing "Ha Ha Ha" to the tune...we were literally laughing all the way!
remember coolers and ice packs for milk, formula, juices or snacks that won't keep well in the car.
pack plenty of kid friendly snacks for those miles between rest stops.
extra padding for car seat. We have an insert plus a piddle pad. Inevitably, Miss Baby will have at least one longer stretch in the car seat where she may leak through or spill.
take advantage of your radio, CDs, DVDs, MP3, iPad, iPod, Kindle, Nook, smart phone or any other electronic devices at your disposal that may keep your tot and teens occupied, distracted or otherwise engaged. This can provide some much needed respite for the driver from typical interrogations of ETA and refereeing sibling spats.
take a break and let your toddler out for a walk, diaper change, potty break, snack or just a bit of fresh air. It will do the whole family good to get out of the car for a bit!
consider your tot's temperament. Are they shark like, needing to keep in a moving car to stay asleep or will they transfer easily to the crib for the night? On our latest adventure we chose to drive through the night and found Miss Baby woke up when we pulled over in the wee hours of the morning for a quick snooze at a rest stop. Once back on the highway, she was sound asleep!
keep baby awake if you want her to sleep at the hotel. Otherwise, you may all be ready to hit the hay while your toddler decides to recite the ABC's or play for the next few hours!
plan your rest stops around baby's schedule if you are still nursing. It may mean a few extra hours to the trip, but will make for a more comfortable ride for you and baby in the long run!
bring a pillow or blanket for yourself or older kids to grab some sleep for those hours while someone else is driving.
enjoy the time with your family in the confines of your car. Play road games: 20 questions, license plate poker, count the cows, alphabet game, numbers, etc. Your little one will soon learn that family trips can be fun and will enjoy the laughter that ensues!

DON'T

leave crayons to melt on the floor, door jams or seats...speaking from experience here.
forget extra bags for trash between rest stops. It's also important to remember to throw them out when you get home or you may find some surprises...again, experience!
forget the diapers and wipes! Pack them in several different bags, so you will not be stuck in the hotel with an empty diaper bag in the middle of the night, sending hubby back to the van to search for the box of diapers...need I say it? That's right...experience.
yell too loudly at your teens while baby is sleeping...uh...hypothetically!

Happy Trails!

Top Ten Things I Love About ... Reunions!

2011-11-29T15:06:00.001-05:00

This Thanksgiving we had a whirlwind tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio with several opportunities to reunite with family, friends and classmates! We picked up Darlin' on the way home from a field trip in Washington, DC, rendezvousing with her at my hometown mall outside Philly at 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night. We had a 10-12 hour drive to Dayton, OH ahead of us, through fog and rain.

We attempted to pull over around 3:30 am to get a few hours of sleep, but naturally Cupcake woke up. Kinda hard to sleep while the baby is babbling, singing to her self, kicking the back of the seat and trying to wake up her sleeping siblings...so we continued our trek. We drove through the night, briefly joining many a trucker at a rest stop for an hour and a half of shut eye, this time the baby kept sleeping. Pretty sure Bud slept through the whole ordeal...typical teenage boy who can sleep through anything! We made it to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with an hour to get us all showered and dressed. We actually made it on time, wide awake and presentable (hopefully!)...aren't you impressed?!

Thanksgiving Day we drove several hours to spend time with Hubby's folks and continued our travels back to the Philly area dropping the kiddos off before attending my high school reunion on Black Friday (no shopping for me this year, so I decided to participate in Cyber Monday for the first time!) All in all, it was quite a trip, full of fun times worthy of one of my Top Ten lists. Here are some of my highlights:

1. Attending a moving military ceremony to honor Hubby's college buddy as he was promoted to Colonel in the United States Air Force.

2. Bowling with Cupcake for the first time and watching Hubby chase her down the lane as she ran after her bowling ball!

3. Catching up with friends over mulled wine from Germany while our teens connected over a board game and the little ones slept after chasing bowling balls!

4. Thanksgiving Day on the road to St. Clairsville, OH, culminating in a wonderful dinner at Cracker Barrel and relaxing with family afterward. (1st time ever eating out for Turkey Day!) Cupcake entertained us with her new Merry-Oke microphone, singing along to Jingle Bells, laughing all the way!

5. Attending my 25th high school reunion near Springfield, PA.

Class of 1986

6. Reminiscing with old friends while Hubby dutifully provided pictures of our kiddos right on cue. When classmates remarked how Darlin' is so pretty she could be a model, Hubby didn't miss a beat with his response, "No, she can't."

7. Flipping through the yearbook with old friends...ah, the memories and the big 80's hairdos!

8. Enjoying the music of the 80's, especially the TV show themes.

9. Thankful for name tags, because, although many looked very similar to their senior pictures, others did not - especially the men, because, well, they are no longer boys! (One lady evoked many glances of admiration at looking the same as the senior portrait after 25 years...only she turned out to be a spouse! She very graciously embraced her mistaken identity!)

10. Reunited with my own bed after days in the car and the glorious reality of sleeping in!

Leave a link or comment with your Thanksgiving Top Ten!

Family Memories With Harry Potter

2011-11-11T00:01:00.004-05:00

Today Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is being released on DVD and Blu-ray, so I thought it was a fitting time to post our fan film and recap of our summer fun with Harry!

Harry Potter and The Hollow Baggies

Production Costs:

Costuming - $31.00
Filming - 3 days
Editing - several late nights
Family Time - Priceless

Family Fun

Here at My Mid-Life Motherhood there's a certain art to balancing the various ages and interests of our particular family members. One thing that seems to span the gap in our humble abode is our love of movies! Even Cupcake enjoys her "show!" when she gets to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or join the family for some good ol' Disney classics.

Over the summer our family enjoyed celebrating the climax of the Harry Potter films in our own unique way. Well, I suppose it's not all that unique to other Harry Potter fans, but I'm the only midlife mom I know who:

was as excited as a teenager at the prospect of seeing the epic conclusion to the movie series of a generation!
dressed up as Mrs. Weasely for the midnight show!
enjoyed seeing it again on IMAX 3-D opening weekend!
spent hours creating puppets with my teens of our favorite characters for our family fan film! (Nothing says family bonding like arts and crafts time with your teens on silly paper bag puppets while your toddler naps, am I right?!)

On our way to the midnight show!

"Random Death Eater" & "Mrs. Weasley"

My son and I enjoyed dressing up to see the midnight show on opening night! We had a wonderfully fun audience, which made the experience superb. Lots of cheers, hoots and hollers could be heard emitting from our theater during the film. Many people came decked out in the Griffindor colors, Hogwarts uniforms or unique Harry Potter themed regalia. The theater passed out special Harry Potter 3D glasses, too!

A Rare friend joined us for the 3D show!

Loved the Harry Potter 3D glasses for everyone!

I wasn't sure how my 13 year old would stay awake for the entire show, but we soon realized that it was impossible to sleep through such a film. It is an action packed war movie! Between the fast paced film and the caffeinated drinks, he managed to enjoy the entire adventure!

Fun first midnight show for Bud!

Hard to believe I was seen in public dressed like that?!

Having kept ourselves filled with popcorn and soda, we made our way home for bed in the wee hours of the morning. Naturally, we excitedly talked about our favorite scenes and grew eager with anticipation to see it on the even bigger screen with the entire family!

Lookin' good for 3 AM!

Perfect full moon to end the night!

After recovering from our midnight antics with Harry Potter we enjoyed seeing it for a second time on opening weekend at the IMAX theater! Darlin' had missed midnight show because she was away on a mission trip, so we made it another family event to see it on the really, really, really big screen.

Joy & Expectation!

Darlin' and Joy decked out for the movie...wand in hand!

It was quite an experience to see it in IMAX 3D. I truly felt that it was worth every penny. The 3D effects were superb on such a large screen and made everything come to life - that element was lost on the smaller screen. As wonderful as the experience was the first time around, I found it even more enjoyable the second time around...perhaps a good night's sleep had something to do with it!

Picture Perfect

Photo Ops with the stars.

They searched every display til they found Ron!

Farewell to Harry Potter!

Our family has thoroughly enjoyed our time together reading the Harry Potter books, watching the movies and making our own family fan film. Darlin' and Bud even had the chance to go to the new Harry Potter amusement park in Universal - the perfect spot to whet their appetite (with a little butter beer) for this epic finale to an exceptional series!

Epic Movie Display

Top Ten Things I Love About ... Fall!

2011-11-08T00:06:00.002-05:00

Bud juggled as a Jester. Darlin' went as Prom Queen Barbie. Cupcake
wore one of Darlin's very first recital costumes. She was a "Pincess Bahina!"

My kids all dressed up to Trick or Treat for Cupcake's first experience begging for candy from our neighbors. She got the hang of it very quickly, worming her way through the big kids to make sure she had a spot right up front - because she knew instinctively that no one can resist such a precious princess ballerina!
Hayrides to the pumpkin patch.
Pumpkin pie
Apple Crisp
Thanksgiving Dinner - my favorite!
Hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick.
The beautiful autumnal hills of Pennsylvania!
The crunch of fallen leaves.
A crisp chill in the air.
Harvest parties

What does it say about me that half of my top ten list involves food?! Join in on the fun by leaving a comment with your Top Ten Things You Love About Fall or a link to your favorites!

Allergy Free Fun Fridays: Chocolate Crispy Treats

2011-11-04T18:23:00.002-04:00

Recently I bought Ricemellow Creme by Suzanne's Specialties. Immediately I put together a yummy rice cereal treat. They have various recipes on their website, which helped get me started. (Looking forward to trying out the fudge recipe for Christmas time!) I found that the treats were very tasty, even brought them to a pot-luck at church where they disappeared quickly! They hold up best when kept in the fridge. Enjoy!

Here's my allergy free version! Leave a comment with a link to your favorite allergy free rice cereal treat:)

Chocolate Crispy Treats (DF, WF, GF)

1 Cup Suzzane's Ricemellow Creme
1 Tbsp soy margarine
1 Cup dairy free mini chocolate chips
4 Cups crispy brown rice cereal

In 2 quart saucepan, melt margarine and Ricemellow Creme. Stir til smooth. Add chocolate chips and stir til melted. Remove from heat and add crispy brown rice cereal. Press into greased 8" or 9" pan. Cool in fridge and cut to serve.

Over Packing Baby

2011-10-15T10:41:00.000-04:00

I am notorious for over packing all the possible baby items we may use on a family trip. Usually each of us has a bag or two depending on the length of our stay, but Baby fills up the rest of the mini-van! How is it that the tiniest of us inevitably needs the most stuff?!

I came across this printable packing list from What To Expect and thought I would pass it along to any of you who may be traveling with your tot over the next few weeks. As Thanksgiving approaches and we plan a possible road trip to visit family, I will most certainly use this handy-dandy guide. Perhaps now, we can sit comfortably in the car for hours on end rather then perched awkwardly next to the tote of toys, backpacks, diaper bags, boxes of wipes and bags of diapers!

"Animal Six"

2011-09-20T09:29:00.002-04:00

In recent years our older kids have become involved in the theatre. They have participated in several school productions and have thoroughly enjoyed the Theatre and Kids summer camps.

Last year was the first time that we encouraged them to audition for a community production through Theatre and Kids, because they were slated to do Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe! As the Narnia books and movies are beloved family favorites, our children were eager to audition...especially Darlin'. I encouraged Bud to go for it too, even though it was his first year at a new school - with all new routines, teachers and a lot more homework.

They worked hard to memorize their monologues. Darlin' auditioned with a dramatic piece for Galadriel, from Lord of the Rings, (accent and all,) hoping to play Susan or the White Which. Bud, who just wanted to get to do some stage fighting, chose something a little less, well, dramatic: Syndrome from The Incredibles!

One of my worst fears was that only one of the of kids would get a part in the play and the other would be left "standing in the wings." A few days later we were excited to find that both kids had received roles in the play! I was not prepared, however, for the result.

Our son had been cast as Edmund! Wow! What an accomplishment, to land a lead the first time out?! (Naturally, he was thrilled that stage combat would be involved!) Our daughter...Animal Six.... In case you're wondering, tears were involved.

King Edmund

To make matters worse, I tried to console my daughter. I explained that they probably wanted an older girl if Bud was playing Edmund. Probably taller, more experienced, etc. The next day Darlin' arrived at school to find that the "new girl", whom we had invited to audition, had landed the part of Susan. Same grade, same age, slightly taller, in fact they look like they could be sisters! Poor Darlin'.

Despite her smaller role, Darlin' faithfully attended rehearsal, helped her brother with lines and encouraged her new friend (she'd be the first to tell ya that she portrayed Susan wonderfully!) To her credit, Darlin' embraced the essence of Animal Six and delivered her lines with much gusto.

Animal Six

In an effort to encourage Darlin', while being supportive and excited for Bud's leading role, our family decided to sport T-shirts to the production. On the front we had a logo for Narnia and on the back in huge letters it read: "GO ANIMAL SIX." Under that, in fine print it read: "and Edmund too!"

All the cousins sportin' their supportive T's!

We even made a toddler version for the baby to wear...you can imagine that it attracted a bit of attention. Both kids were thrilled and it brought a lot of levity to what could have been a touchy situation. Amazing how T-shirts can calm teen drama, eh? Who knew?!

This year the kids both participated in the Theatre and Kids summer camp. Bud as a camper and Darlin' as an apprentice. They each learned new skills and developed greater confidence in their performances. Our daughter had a wonderful opportunity to participate in the One Acts, in which she really shown as a narrator in Sleepy Hollow and as a little girl in another one act.

Little girl, large lollipop!

School arrived and they each anticipated auditioning for the upcoming production of Jane Eyre. Soon after school started, each of the kids decided to run for student council...can you guess where this is going?

Darlin' lost her Vice Presidential race with grace. The very next day, my son returned home from school and excitedly, but quietly, pulled me aside to announce that he had won his race, he was Junior High President!

It was Animal Six all over again.

Despite Darlin's loss, I felt that President did deserve a few cheers and she too congratulated him on his success. Of course, I continue to address him as Mr. President, being the proud Mama that I am!

As auditions for Jane Eyre loomed ever closer, my only thought was, "Please, Lord, not another Animal Six?!" I truly felt that my heart would break should Darlin' watch her little bro achieve, yet again, in an area where she too desired to excel but instead found herself deflated. Besides, I would like to wholeheartedly support his (and her) achievements without any sense of guilt.

With so few boys that audition, I was pretty confident that he would get a part, but with so many girls that try out I new it would be a fierce competition for any major female roles. My hope and prayer was that both of them would get parts that they were excited about, content with and eager to perform.

Both kids worked hard to find and prepare a monologue. Darlin' performed one of Jo's monologues from Little Women, while Bud portrayed Mr. Knightley reprimanding Emma from that Jane Austen classic of the same name.

It was with great trepidation and anticipation that we eagerly awaited the posting of the cast list. In fact, we tried for 45 minutes to find out where it was posted, to no avail. Finally, Hubby sent Darlin' a text to congratulate her on being cast as...drum roll please...Jane!

You can only imagine the excitement when we finally found out that the curse of Animal Six had been broken! Darlin' may still be in shock over the fact that she landed the lead for the next few months! Naturally, there was great celebration in our house that both kids received roles that they are enthusiastic to perform! Apparently, Bud plays St. John Rivers, who proposes to Jane...so we're all wondering how that's gonna play out?!

Thankfully, both our kids have a great sense of humor. They embraced the Go Animal Six T-shirts last year, in fact it was their idea! Upon learning of her role, Darlin' even called her Aunt to inform her that she had indeed been cast as Jane and not "third bush to the left" as our family had been teasing. (Gee, we're supportive, eh?!) As I mentioned, it's a good thing they have a great sense of humor. Suppose I'd rather prepare them for worst case scenarios and be pleasantly surprised!

And pleasantly surprised we were!

Congratulations to my kiddos! Well done, Mr. President and Jane Eyre! Wonder what kind of T-shirts we'll make this year?!

GO ANIMAL SIX!

Our budding actors!

Moms Morning Out!

2011-09-14T23:24:00.017-04:00

Excitement was in the air this morning as I headed to church for our inaugural MOPS meeting. No, it's not a motivational cleaning seminar for housewives (although I could certainly use some motivation in the mopping department.) MOPS is an international organization that welcomes, supports and encourages all Mothers of Preschoolers!

All summer a few women at our church have been busily preparing for this eagerly anticipated day. Hours of planning, praying, meeting, talking, e-mailing, texting, calling, typing, editing, cutting, pasting, gluing, cleaning, organizing, shopping and baking finally culminated in a wonderful gathering of women!

Our fearless crew embarked on this journey together with only two of us having previously been a part of a MOPS group. Still, they jumped on board eagerly and enthusiastically helping one another to maneuver through uncharted territory. Today their spirit of adventure was rewarded with smiles from moms and squeals of delight from the little ones!

Ladies were welcomed to MOPS with goody bags of treats (just for them), a delectable ~~brunch~~ feast, wonderful workers to watch the kiddos and beautifully decorated tables to sit at while enjoying some time chatting with other mothers. The children were entertained and educated in age-appropriate rooms so the MOPS Moms could have a refreshing morning together.

Beautiful flower pin!

Each Steering Team Member did an amazing job! Our Hospitality Mom organized quite a spread worthy of a banquet hall, that was savored by all. The Craft Mom led us in making beautiful flower pins for our name tags (beats sticky, hanging half-off, tags from the office supply store any day!) Plenty of workers helped with the little ones (MOPPETS in MOPS lingo), thanks to the wonderful organization skills of our MOPPETS Mom. Registration ran smoothly with my Right Hand Mom (otherwise known as the Finance Mom, but I'd prefer to refer to her as my Personal MOPS Assistant!) Our Mentor Mom welcomed the ladies and shared a little bit about herself and her desire to support and encourage the younger mothers.

All in all, many details, even beyond my comprehension, were done due to the coordinated efforts of each of these ladies. With such remarkable and faithful women, we were able to bring this MOPS group from conception in May to reality today! Wow! Now if I could just bring them all home with me, my floors might get mopped, but I digress....

As Coordinator, I introduced myself with a MOPSified (just created that word!) version of My Life In A Diaper Box and explained a little bit about MOPS in general and my personal MOPS experience. MOPS has been an important part of my life with each of my three children. I first attended MOPS with a friend after we moved here nearly 16 years ago. Being new to the area, it was the perfect place to meet other moms and make some friends for myself and Darlin'. It provided an opportunity to learn from others, become familiar with the local area, practice a favorite hobby of mine (crafts) and develop leadership skills, (I soon found myself in charge of crafts!) As my family grew with the addition of our son, we continued to attend the same MOPS group for several more years.

Naturally, when Cupcake was born, more than a decade later, I immediately sought to get involved with MOPS once again! She and I have enjoyed attending MOPS during the past two years. We both made friends, looked forward to each MOPS meeting or event and I became involved with the craft team and Bible study. Sadly, they had to close their program this year, which enabled us to begin this vital ministry over at our church. It was truly amazing to see how God opened up doors, one after another, as He provided the way for us!

My hope is that our MOPS group would provide a sense of community and friendship that so many of us moms could use in our lives. In a culture where we chat with our neighbors over the internet instead of the picket fence, MOPS can give us the opportunity to take some time to develop relationships face to face.

I am looking forward to seeing how God will provide the ladies in our MOPS group with special moments, friendships and insights as we embark together as Mothers of Preschoolers! Of course, there are many MOPS groups available throughout the world, so check out www.MOPS.org to find one nearby!

Allergy Free Fun Fridays: Teeccino

2011-09-09T14:56:00.002-04:00

Hello, my name is Denise and I'm a coffee lover. I love the taste, the flavor, the smell. I've been known to drive miles out of my way for a coveted grande-decaf-non-fat-latte-please! I'm sorely disappointed if Hubby stops at Wawa and does not bring me home a delectable cup of coffee. I love it cold in the summer and hot all year long.

A few years back I discovered that I was allergic to many things, but at the top of the list was my beloved coffee! In an ideal world, with perfect self-control and a Hubby who hated coffee, I would have given it up altogether. Since this is not an ideal world, I struggle with self-control in the consumption department and I married a fellow coffee lover...I have not been able to completely give up coffee.

Fortunately, my allergies are mild, but many, so in an attempt to avoid allergic reactions or at least minimize them, a rotation diet has been the suggested coarse of action. Again, ideal world and all, I have found this extremely difficult to adhere to successfully. I've managed here and there to give up certain food allergens, like coffee, for a time, but inevitably they creep back into my diet via some social gathering or weak hormonal moment!

Coffee is such a staple in my home, that I've actually considered it success to give up everything else while still clinging to my morning cup o' Joe! I suppose I have those original tea partiers to ~~thank~~ blame for my modern addiction to coffee, although I do love a good cup of "Earl Grey, hot," from time to time.

In an effort to start cutting back on the coffee intake, yet again, I have been on the hunt for some coffee substitutes. Over the years I have tried my share of "tastes just like coffee" drinks and have dumped most of them down the drain. Only recently did I come across a hot beverage that could actually fulfill my coffee cravings, Teeccino.

I had tried a single serving bag in the spring, which I found okay and had since been on the hunt to try some other flavors. Unfortunately, the single serving style was not available around here in any of our health food stores. I had seen them in a nearby Whole Foods way back when, so I made the trek to see what kind they had on hand. Of course, they didn't carry the single serving size, just the huge 11 oz. bag for about $9!

Speaking from experience, I wanted to avoid throwing more money away on what seemed to be a hopeless search for a coffee substitute. I inquired with a clerk to see if they might be getting a shipment of the single serving or asked if I could taste test a cup before purchasing a larger bag. The young lady handed my a free bag of Teeccino on the spot to taste test. Thank you grocery girl, that was so very nice of you!

It was with great trepidation that I brewed my first pot of Mocha Teeccino at home. Would it taste good? Would it smell good? Would it satisfy my love of coffee? Believe me, I was quite thankful that I had not spent 10 bucks on a veritable unknown.

The coffee pot cranked into gear, dripping this foreign beverage that looked like coffee, and even smelled like coffee. Hope rose within me. For my first sip, despite the pleasant, chocolate, nutty scent, I braced myself for the typical "tastes just like coffee" disappointment. I found myself pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a hearty, mocha drink! Whew!

After experimenting with a few cups of the mocha, I found that adding a bit more half and half than usual gave me the similar creamy taste that enjoy in my coffee. Just this morning I found myself sipping my Mocha Teeccino and savoring it just as much as a cup of coffee. In fact, I had forgotten that it wasn't coffee!

Thank you Teeccino for finally providing me with a coffee substitute that I can thoroughly enjoy. The smell, the flavor and the taste!

If you're looking to replace your coffee, or just cut back on your caffeine intake, give it a try. You can actually order $2 sampler sizes...who knew? Now you do!

Please comment below if you have some other suggestions for good tasting coffee drinks!

Earthquake, Evacuation & Eye Witness News

2011-09-06T15:30:00.002-04:00

My three kids and I were enjoying a fun filled last week of summer at the Jersey shore (the family friendly kind!) when life was suddenly all shook up...literally!

I had escaped to the bedroom for a coveted nap to help get rid of my pre-hurricane headache. With my fribromyalgia, I have become a walking barometer and can feel a hurricane off the coast of Florida days before I hear about it on the news! We had been bombarded with forecasts and amazing pictures of the impending tempest, Irene, which was due to hit our coast in the next few days.

Hurricane Irene approaching the coast of NC.

As we typically don't have much to worry about, I decided to try to sleep off my usual "hurricane headache" while Baby napped and the older two were amusing themselves quietly. I had just laid down when I felt tugging on the bed covers. Looking around, I didn't see anyone and assumed that my son had snuck in to play a joke on me. The door was still closed but my bed was rocking back and forth! Good grief, what in the world was hiding under the bed?! A big gust of wind came through the window and the whole bed shook. At this point, I assumed that we were experiencing some extremely strong storm winds off the water, until I heard cries of "Mom?, Mom?!" from the other room as my older two came running to see what was causing the commotion.

Realization hit me as the entire room shook and I explained that we must be having an earthquake. I grabbed my still sleeping toddler and we headed outside. Things stopped as suddenly as they had started, but we were all left wondering what in the world was going on, this is the Jersey shore not California?!

East Coast Earthquake

I put Baby back down for the rest of her nap, none-the-wiser, and turned on the news. We had indeed experienced a 5.9 earthquake up and down the East coast from DC to Boston! Floods of Tsunami images filled my mind as I looked out to the ocean. As calmly as I could, I told my son to try to call Dad and my daughter to watch the water and if it started heading out to sea...RUN! Ridiculous, I know, as if we could out run a Tsunami, but it's hard not to worry about such things with the news over the past few years. Hubby always balances my creative worry with his voice of reason, and once we got through on the phone he did so again when he reminded me that the reason we call them Tsunami's is because they usually happen near Japan!

Within the hour we were all calm, cool, collected and cracking up at the news coverage in our area. My personal favorite was the picture of a single chair knocked over among a standing few to show how powerful of a shake we had received...a plastic chair mind you! I'm sure our West coast friends were having a good laugh at the day long coverage over what to them would be a more usual occurrence.

I was thankful for the coverage, however, because it helped put my mind at ease. They specifically addressed my Tsunami concerns, calmed my fears and provided a few cathartic laughs over the proceeding hours. Granted, this was an unprecedented event in our lifetime, as the last earthquake of that magnitude had not been felt around these parts for a hundred years or so. I recall a smaller quake as a child when I woke my sleeping parents to inform them that a ghost was shaking the house!

Little did we know that just a few days later Hurricane Irene would cause another unprecedented event on the Jersey shore...a mass exodus!

Evacuation

Before long the earthquake coverage subsided only to be replaced with hurricane coverage. As I had been planning to head home during Friday afternoon and Irene wasn't due in our area til Saturday, I figured I'd be well out of harm's way in plenty of time. We even enjoyed a beautiful beach day on Wednesday and continued making plans for the rest of the week.

What I didn't anticipate was the mandatory evacuation for the Barrier Islands by Friday morning! All day Thursday, I kept a watchful eye on the weather channel, local news, updates from my source at the N.W.P.D. (big bro), my ever-overprotective-Dad and much more nonchalant Hubby - both back home in PA. Dad had been telling me all week to fill up the tank, "just in case", but I had not yet done so. Yes, I'm a rotten daughter. I had intended on filling up the next time I ventured out, but before I knew it we were battening down the hatches and haulin' it out of Irene's way.

My brother informed me that the island would need to be evacuated by 6 a.m. the following morning. This had not yet aired on the news, so I hoped that my inside scoop was providing me with ample opportunity to hit the road before thousands of others.

Noticing the ominous clouds outside our window from a separate storm, I instructed the kids to start packing things in the van before the rain hit. They had no sooner headed down and began loading the van when I looked to see a curtain of rain headed our way over the bay. Within seconds the heavens were dumping buckets of water while we frantically stashed the patio furniture and ran for cover. Needless to say, we were all drenched. Fortunately, the storm passed quickly so we could pack up, secure the condo and head out of town in fair weather.

We stopped at the nearest gas station and waited in line for an hour. Trying to keep things light, we rolled down the windows, danced and sang to the soundtrack from Grease. The time flew by and before we knew it we were on our way.

We stopped at my brother's place for a pit stop, since we had been sitting in the car for an hour and a half by this time! After inhaling a Wawa dinner, a brief potty run, a diaper change and fervent fare-the-wells, we piled into the car to leave them to pack for their own evacuation.

It took two and a half hours for me to drive what should have been a 20 minute trek to the next Wawa. If you live near Philly and make the regular journey to the Jersey shore, then perhaps you too measure your travels by Wawa instead of mileage?! For instance, our half way mark is the "Wawa in the Woods" at the junction of Routes 347 & 47.

The kids entertained Cupcake with songs and movies while we anxiously looked for the iconic wild goose logo:

Baby soon fell asleep as we rounded a bend and saw the long awaited Wawa sign in the distance! Once we made it through the stop and go traffic, we stopped for a final potty break and it was smooth sailing from there on out. We arrived home a little after 1 am, after having evacuated 71/2 hours earlier!

The next morning I realized I would have to brave the lines at the grocery store too, since we came home to a pretty empty fridge! Fortunately, I hit it at the end of the stampede, so it only took two hours to stock up and wait in line.

Eye Witness News

For the remainder of the weekend, we kept a watchful eye on all the news regarding the incoming hurricane. We were convinced, based on the forecast, that our basement would be flooded, and had our power gone out, it would have been disastrous!

In anticipation of the expected flooding we lifted up a lot of our storage items in the basement, piling high the ping pong table, shelves, furniture and pallets. Around midnight, Hubby came up to inform me that if we wanted to save anything in the basement, we would need to bring it up to the first floor. Apparently we had a little waterfall coming through our basement window, so we worked to haul up a few more thing before a pond was created.

I was down in the basement when the sump pump alarm started sounding, very loudly. Within seconds my feet were getting wet - the french drain and two sump pumps just couldn't keep up with the waterfall. I quickly made my way upstairs, encumbered by the last item I was attempting to salvage. In a panic, as the water level was rapidly rising, I went looking for Hubby, but I couldn't find him anywhere!

I found myself, yelling into the darkness off the back deck, hoping he was safe out in the torrent and I wouldn't have to call 911. Eventually, he heard me through the wind and rain. Whatever he had been doing out in the darkness, saved the day and the water started to recede immediately! My Hero!

Over the course of the day we had been staying informed through various TV channels on tornado warnings, wind speed and rainfall measurements. During the late night watch, however, I had been keeping up to date via facebook, twitter and texts with friends and family that were without power, huddled in basements to avoid tornadoes or using the bucket system to drain the water. The best Eye Witness News I found were the texts and posts of encouragement and information from friends and family.

Eventually, we decided to head to bed, hoping and praying for minimal damage. Amazingly, the next morning it seemed that the most we and others had was a wet basement! God had really provided for us and protected us throughout the torrential night!

Drove My Chevy To The Levee...

2011-08-11T11:37:00.006-04:00

We recently waded our way through torrential downpours to enjoy a wet, but fun day at Hershey Park!

Singin' In The Rain

Tickets to the park were provided courtesy of Chevy along with a week long loner of a shiny, red GMC Terrain. Thanks to their generosity, we were able to take the family on a memorable day trip and enjoy riding in style for a solid week!

GMC Terrain

The GMC Terrain is a luxuriously smooth ride. I enjoyed toting the kids to and fro to camp all week long. This model came replete with all sorts of bells and whistles: sun roof, back up video, duel DVDs (plus put the car in park and you can watch in the front seat too!), built in GPS, satellite radio, and entertainment controls on the steering wheel - just to name some of my favorite features!

If you have a teen who might be learning to drive or you're looking to upgrade from a sedan or hatchback, then I would highly recommend the GMC Terrain. I like riding in a larger vehicle and just feel safer being in a bigger car out on the highway. I know that I would prefer my teen driving something as sturdy as the Terrain rather than a tiny vehicle. If you have a smaller family and are not quite ready to get a mini-van or larger SUV, then the Terrain would be a great fit! There is a lot of room in the back for all of the necessary baby gear, too: (stroller, pack n play, toys, etc.)

If you are looking to replace a mini van or you have a family of 4 or 5, then I suggest checking out something bigger like the Chevy Traverse. It was a tight squeeze in the back seat for our two teens and a tot in a car seat. With the duel DVD players on the backs of the front seats, however, there was not a complaint about the cramped seating for our two hour trip to Hershey. Parenting is indeed the art of distraction, and with a well timed movie, we avoided much whining! We put the teens on either side of the baby and they all managed to enjoy the trip comfortably.

My biggest critique of the Terrain, is that it is not built for short people. Standing at 5'2", I had great difficulty getting in and out of the car, reaching the gas and brake pedals comfortably and stretching through the window to retrieve my money from the bank teller! Hubby, however, standing at 6'2", greatly appreciated all the head room he had in the car. It's definitely built for him! Despite my short stature, I still thoroughly enjoyed driving in style for the week. Believe me, it was quite an upgrade from our old, beat up, Cheerio strewn mini-van!

Hershey Park Here We Come!

On Saturday, we loaded up the Chevy and headed to the "levee" of Hershey, PA. We got a late start, so we arrived in Hershey Park just in time for the torrent of rain that left the parking lot like a river by the end of the day. It was just a light spritz while we were unloading the car and taking the tram to the front gate. As we embarked it began to pour, so we hurried along with the masses to the free exhibit at Chocolate World. Crammed like sardines in the lobby, we attempted to keep Cupcake close and calm while we worked our way slowly to the exhibit.

Once snugly seated in our cart, she enjoyed the ride, especially the life size singing cows! The smell of chocolate wafting through the air had our mouths watering for chocolate by the end, at which point they conveniently had us exit into the gift shop! Fortunately, riders are always rewarded with a free little taste of whatever new chocolate product they are marketing and we were not disappointed. This time it was chocolate drops, which are little drops of delightful milk chocolate!

Of course, stranded inside due to the tempest outside, plus the yummy scent of chocolate everywhere, we decided to shop around and pick some favorite goodies to much on during the day. Cupcake certainly enjoyed window shopping!

My Little Chocolate Lover!

Nap time soon arrived and passed as we waited for the rain to slow down. Eventually, we decided to head outside and brave it. Cupcake promptly fell asleep in the stroller under the safety of her rain shield.

She soon awoke after a brief nap to the thunderous sound of the roller coaster by which I was sitting!

I am not a fan of roller coasters, so I enjoyed people watching with Cupcake while the rest of the nutty family allowed themselves to plunge from the heights. After which, we all rode together for Baby's first train ride around Hershey Park.

Cupcake's First Train Ride!

The Chevy Tent

Not only did Chevy provide our ride and tickets, they also provided free soda, popcorn and games at the Chevy Tent set up within the park! We received a free Chevy T-shirt and had a blast challenging each other to basketball...which Darlin' won every time!

Darlin' Taking Her Victory Lap Via Kiddie Train!

There were all sorts of cool cars set up in the tent, including antiques, classics, sports cars and SUVs.

Classic Chevy

Camaro Convertible

1956 Sedan

The kiddos enjoyed getting their fill of soda and popcorn while we checked out the cars and games in the Chevy Tent. I also hid out in the air conditioned tent later to escape the humidity while Hubby and our teens hit a few more coasters. To add to our crazy day, we had ice cream for dinner and visited with a family friend who heads off to college soon.

After awhile, the heavens opened up a flood gate complete with thunder and lightning signaling the end to many a tourist's adventure at Hershey Park. We too joined the throng heading out of the park amid the torrential downpour. We exited the tram car to find that the parking lot had indeed become a river. After wading to our car we dried off, took off our rain logged shoes and settled in with another movie for the ride home. We stopped to get a real, warm meal on the way home, while the storm followed us all the while.

Despite being soaked to the skin for most of the day, we all thoroughly enjoyed our time at Hershey Park. Thanks again to Chevy for making it possible!

Adventures in 2-D!

2011-08-02T13:58:00.001-04:00

If you are looking for a fun family movie night this weekend, then I highly recommend you gather the kids, make some popcorn, and enjoy Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimmension. It premieres this Friday, August 5th at 8 p.m. Eastern time on the Disney Channel. Set the DVR as I guarantee your kids (and even you!) will want to watch it again!

This past weekend, my son and I had the privilege of attending a fun-filled advance screening of the new Phineas and Feb movie courtesy of Radio Disney.

Special Passes!

There were all sorts of trivia games with great prizes to reward the early birds. They even gave away several Phineas and Ferb portable DVD players! Many of the movie goers were sporting their favorite Phineas and Ferb character T-shirts, of which Agent P was a particular favorite. All the kids walked away with Perry bags, a 2D movie poster and great coupons to Dave & Busters!

Agent P Sports Bag

We enjoyed the film immensely! Naturally, I had a greater appreciation for the nuggets of humor they threw in for the over ~~forty~~ twenty crowd. The montage homage to famous TV and movie duos with a Dr. Doofenshmirtz doppelganger was one of my favorite parts. Buddy and I enjoyed recounting our favorite scenes and quoting the movie on the ride home, at lunch, and to the family for subsequent days!

Catching the Radio Disney Car before it zoomed away!

It was one of the best laugh-out-loud kid's movies I've seen in years. As my son can attest to, it truly was a laugh a minute and even a bit touching...but we don't want to give anything away, so you'll have to tune in when it airs on Friday to see for yourself. You can bet that we will be laughing just as hard this weekend when we watch it again!

My Mid-Life Motherhood Under Construction

2011-07-27T22:24:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday I attended a great workshop on blog design through Philly Social Media Moms. Thanks to Jo-Lynne, from Musings of a Housewife and DCR Design, and Dresden, from Creating Motherhood and Plaid House Designs, for organizing and presenting the seminar. Special thanks to My Chinoki for sponsoring the event.

The morning was full of inspirational ideas, some were a bit over my head needing interpretation from my computer geek hubby afterward. For the most part, however, I think I was able to grasp a few ideas to get me started on improving my little corner of the blogosphere.

Me getting design guidance from Dresden

Photo by Jo-Lynne

During the seminar they showed examples of good, and not so good, designs. Some tips of do's and don'ts include:

DON'T: Play annoying music, have a header that takes up the whole screen, or plaster your site with the same old cartoon ladies we've all seen for the past few years. (Considering I had entered the seminar hoping to redo my title with the above mentioned cartoon lady pushing a stroller, this workshop was definitely for me!)
DO: Create a simple header, declutter the sidebar, make use of drop down boxes and tool bars, use photos to accentuate posts and never forget that content is key! As Jo-Lynne declared, "Content is King and design is the crown!"

My favorite part of the workshop is when we had the opportunity to see some of our own blogs critiqued. It was helpful to hear the positive comments people had, the encouraging words given and some great advice on things to delete, add or change. It was also quite helpful to hear from the owners of the respective blogs to see why they chose one option over another or see what kind of advice they were seeking to improve their site.

I had sent my small potatoes blog along to be critiqued, thinking that it would be just one of many submissions and probably wouldn't make the cut to be discussed at the workshop. You can imagine my shock, and slight nervousness, when I saw it emblazoned on the large screen for all to see! Apparently, only half a dozen of us had braved submitting our own blogs to be scrutinized by our peers and resident experts.

After the crisp, clean, pretty blogs, there was a collective giggle (alright, outright laughter) at my years old, cookie cutter design below:

My Generic Polka Dot Layout

Trust me, it was one of those moments when I was laughing right along with them! I had never really liked the previous design, it just was the best choice I could find at the time. Being the hectic mid life mom that I am, in addition to the fact that I have not gleaned any technical savvy through osmosis while married to a computer geek, my blog layout has remained the same, static, unfinished blog it has been since day one. (Please note my attempt to put a Philly Social Media Mom button on the side! Fittingly, it never fit!)

After the seminar, Dresden offered to help me pick a new layout, so I moved from polka dots to stripes. (How adventurous of me?!) I have plenty of ideas in my head of things I'd like to change, add, design, post, etc., but am finding it hard to accomplish too much with my little knowledge of HTML and only a two hour window during the coveted afternoon nap time slot in which to work. Therefore, I wanted to let you all know that my little domain is now officially under construction, so be on the look out for new things in the near, or distant, future. You know, in between the laundry, dishes, play dates, grocery shopping, teen drama and toddler tantrums that make up this little spot that is My Mid Life Motherhood!

The Inevitable Question Has Been Asked

2011-07-18T22:48:00.000-04:00

On our recent excursion westward, I had the unfortunate experience of being asked the inevitable question. To my chagrin, it happened a decade or two sooner than I had expected. Drum roll please. "Is that your grand-daughter?" What?! Are you kidding me?!

At the ripe young age of 42, I had anticipated being mistaken for Cupcake's Grandma in the distant future. Possibly at her college orientation, ya know, in my 50's! But absolutely no sooner than that! So you can imagine that I was quite taken off guard when the inevitable question arrived more than a decade early.

We were headed west on the PA Turnpike and had stopped to take care of a much needed diaper change (for Baby!) I finished changing her diaper, passed her off to her older sister and continued packing up the diaper bag. As I headed out of the rest room I could hear a lady remarking at how cute Cupcake was as she strolled hand in hand with her sister. The lady then noticed me exiting the restroom, proudly encumbered with the diaper bag, and quipped, "Is that your grand-daughter? She's adorable! She looks just like Shirley Temple!" Trying to keep my composure, I smiled, kept walking and promptly told my kids what had just happened.

Needless to say, they all found this quite humorous. I was more in a state of mingled shock and laughter. After a few minutes, however, the realization of the comment had dawned on my eldest daughter and she was insulted that it had been assumed that she was the mother! It was my turn to have a good laugh at her reaction! At 15 it's in the realm of possibility and perhaps, may be a more common occurrence in the particular area we were traveling. With this thought I realized that I
could well have just been paid a compliment. If turnpike lady had assumed that Darlin' was a teen mom and I had been a teen mom, than she undoubtedly pegged me for in my 30's!

30's?! Yup, that must be it!

Cupcake's First Play Date!

2011-06-28T21:46:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Cupcake had her first official play date with a little friend. Now Baby, (suppose Toddler or Tot would be a more appropriate nickname as 2 is quickly approaching!) has played with lots of other children at church, parties, picnics and events, but yesterday was the first time where she had one little girl her age over to play.

It seems that there was "something in the water" the year that she was born, since most everyone we know who had babies at the same time all had boys! At church, in our family, our neighbors - boys, boys, boys and more boys! She won't be lacking for possible prom dates in about 15 years! The only girls near her age are either too far away to see on a regular basis or a year or two ahead or behind, which won't matter too much in a few years when they can play together more easily.

Imagine my delight, when we finally met another little girl her age, just a couple months apart! The two little girls have been playing together at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) this past year. Cupcake and I have been going to MOPS since she was a month old. Naturally, the other mothers I'd met at MOPS had boys the same age. All but one! (Logical conclusion: she and I must drink the same water.)

Official play date time arrived and Cupcake answered the door at a run, very excited to greet her friend! Her little friend (along with her older brother) enjoyed a quick tour of the place and settled in at the playroom (surprise, surprise.) We Moms enjoyed chatting and catching up at a safe distance from the fort that was being created, managing to evade attack and being drafted into service! The girls enjoyed emptying bins of toys, riding the princess car, looking at books, playing with baby dolls, throwing balls, building with blocks and of course, storming in and out of the fort which our guest trooper had created with our baby gates!

It was impressive how well they all played together (or even next to each other which is typical for two year olds!) Proud Mid-Life Mama was glad to see how well Cupcake shared her toys and books, not a single tear was involved (what more could one ask of a couple of two year olds?!) It was nice to see her finally have someone her size to play with and sit with in her seesaw chair! They actually squeezed in one side together while her friend's brother sat on the other side and gave them a nice little ride (always helps to have an older bro who knows the ropes.)

After cleaning up all the toys, very cooperatively I might add, they all decided that our house was perfect for running around in circles whilst squealing. Considering this is one of Cupcakes most favorite pass times (especially when she finds herself in an echoey library, church hallway or grocery aisle), she was thrilled...truly in her element! At one point, Swiffer, our white, fluffy cat became the center of attention, but she was not nearly as excited about it as the rest of them!

Eventually, the time came to bid our guests farewell. The girls each said adorable good byes. Cupcake waved and watched wistfully from the door as her little friend made her way to the car with her family. After a quick lunch I carried an exhausted little Tot up the stairs to bed, a smile on her face the whole ride. I asked her if she had a good time with her friend and she kept saying, with fatigued delight, "fren, fren, fren." She rolled out of my arms and promptly fell asleep for a much earned nap. Hopefully, her "fren" did the same for her Mom, too!

Allergy Free Fun Fridays!

2011-06-24T19:36:00.001-04:00

Mom's Chicken Soup: (DF, {WF}, {GF})

1 rotisserie chicken carcass or 3-4 chicken breasts
3 qt water
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 vidalia onion, chopped
1 parsnip, chopped
1 radish, chopped
variety of frozen veggies
dried or fresh herbs
salt & pepper
6-8 oz broad egg noodles (several handfuls.) OR gluten free noodles of choice.

Place carcass in 6 qt pot. Cover with water. Add a tsp of salt. If using chicken breasts, fill pot about half way full with water. After chopping up onion, celery, parsnip and radish, add the ends and celery leaves to cook in stock. TIP: Every time I chop veggies, I throw the unused ends in a ziplock in the freezer and when it comes time to make soup I cook it along with the carcass. I find that this, along with using a rotisserie chicken, gives the best flavor to my soups!

Bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for a few hours. Strain stock into smaller pot and set aside meat to cool. Add chopped celery, onion, parsnip & radish. Add some frozen veggies. I start with peas and corn, if I haven't added raw carrots I use frozen. Start with 1/2 cup each, but add if you want more color to your soup! For those of you who may live by measurements, relax and trust your instinct! Add a bit of your favorite veggies and it will be a great soup. Cover and simmer til tender.

While soup simmers, pull meat off carcass to add to soup or chop up chicken breasts (add 1-2 to soup and save the rest for a casserole or chicken salad.) Add meat to soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add some dried or fresh herbs. Below are some options:

If you're going Italian style I suggest some basil or oregano - start with 1/2 tsp each.
Another tasty herb for soup is rosemary, chop a few sprigs.
Thyme and tarragon work well together, start with 1/2 tsp each if you want to try that instead.

Lastly, add the noodles and cook about 10 minutes til tender. Enjoy!

Who Makes The Chicken Soup When Mom's Sick?! Yup, That's Right, MOM!

2011-06-24T13:06:00.004-04:00

After a whirlwind of weeks with end of school festivities, "vacation" in Ohio (attempting to keep my toddler out of harms way, teens entertained, Hubby happy & help out with elderly in-laws, may qualify as a nice family visit, but not vacation!), several days of laundry, appointments, meetings, special viewing of Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, and packing the teens up to ship them off to Florida with my folks for 10 days (lookin' like a staycation for me!), I awoke this morning understandably sick!

Longing for my built in babysitters who are winding their way through the East coast states with their cousins, I dragged myself out of bed with a nasty head cold to the cheerful smiles of Cupcake. Amazingly, she slept in til almost 9:30 am, needing to recover herself from our late night rendezvous to drop off her siblings. I was a little concerned that her late awakening would equate to no nap today, but surprisingly she is back on her routine, passing out just before 1 p.m.

I was hoping to take a nap while Baby did the same, however, a much needed hot shower to clear the sinuses awaits. After that I need to get started on some chicken soup. After all, who makes the chicken soup when Mom is sick?! Yup, you got that right...MOM!

Top Ten Things I Love About...The End Of The School Year!

2011-06-07T23:36:00.000-04:00

Looking at the clock it's still Tuesday, so I've got a few more hours to post my Top Ten Tuesdays list for the day! As the kids are in the midst of all the end of the year hullabaloo, I figured that I would focus on my favorite things as the school year draws to a close. Thinking cap on...ready...set...go!

TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT...THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR!

No more packing lunches! I know this was already in my Top Ten list for Spring Break, but I'm really excited about not having to figure out what to pack for lunches everyday!
No more last minute inquiries about availability of clean uniforms! I still gotta get the laundry done though.
Special events and banquets signifying the culmination of a season of hard work in things like basketball and band. Provide great photo ops too of our kids all dressed up!
The yearly event of awards programs where our kids earned some recognition for their achievements. This year they each happened to win the Most Improved Musician in their respective bands. Considering that Darlin' had never played saxophone til a few weeks before performing in the highschool band in front of Sarah Palin, I'd say she has definitely improved immensely!
Even though it seemed that the kids had one piano recital after another in the span of only a couple of weeks, it truly was a highlight to hear them perform. Yesterday, they had their Composition Recital and did an excellent job with their original pieces. They both participated in the Repertoire Recital in May which was quite impressive!
Fun events like class trips and class parties provide a great opportunity for the kids to celebrate the end of the year with their friends, classmates and teachers!
Bathing suit shopping for the kids! Obviously, not for myself - that would make the top ten list of things I hate! Each of the kids got such cute suits for the summer and will look great sporting them in the pool or at the shore.
The sound of Pomp And Circumstance that gets me all choked up at Graduation ceremonies.
Hopping from one graduation party to another for an entire weekend (with more in future weeks!) Enjoying catching up with old friends and the nostalgia of seeing these "little ones" ready to fly from the nest!
As a Chief Editor twice over, the smell of freshly printed yearbooks brings back memories of cropping, laying out and the excitement of flipping through the book with pride. Crisp clean pages just waiting to be filled with fond reminiscences, inside jokes and names of people you can now keep up with on Facebook!

Whew! Only 2 1/2 hours later and I'm finally done! No, didn't take me that long to complete, just got interrupted by my 11th item to make the list:

11. NO MORE FINALS! I know I'm not taking them, but I've refreshed my memory of US History by quizzing my daughter this evening!

Top Ten Things I Love About...Babcia!

2011-06-01T15:53:00.000-04:00

It has been a whirlwind, since my Grandmother passed away last week at 94 years of age. The funeral services were appropriately held on Friday of Memorial Day weekend and was a fitting remembrance of her long life! I wanted to give a little tribute to her and the things which I will remember her for in my weekly Top Ten Tuesday post. Naturally, it is now Wednesday, but that seems to be an even more appropriate day to post my Tuesday list, since one of the things I loved most about my Babcia, is that she taught me how to live and laugh at those little Polish moments in our lives! Here's to you, Grandma!

TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT...BABCIA!

Babcia, which means Grandmother in Polish, was very proud of her Polish heritage. She passed on that pride to all of us, especially her ability to have a good laugh at ourselves. She enjoyed a good Polish joke, even at her own expense!
My fondest memories are the traditional Polish Christmas Eve celebrations, Wigilia, with the entire extended family that she hosted for years. Before she hosted, we would gather at her childhood home in Philly where she and her mother (my Great-Grandmother whom I called Babcia) would spend days preparing the traditional Polish foods. Although I never became a fan of all the Polish delicacies, I do enjoy a good pierogi and Babcia's famous coleslaw. As my Mom stated in Grandmom's eulogy, "we can all make it, but no one can duplicate it!" It's an old world recipe brought over from Poland and passed down through the family...pretty much the only coleslaw I like since it is vinegar not mayonnaise based.
Grandmom never sat down for long. She was always on the go. The way I've always described her is a Triple Type A personality with a lot of get up and go! I only wish I had a fraction of the energy she always seemed to have in abundance.
I wouldn't be surprised if I looked up the origin of the phrase, "cleanliness is next to godliness" and found a picture of Babcia! If she came for a visit, it wasn't long before she was sweeping, dusting or washing my dishes! She was always company ready and back in the day would have everything in place before Grandpop returned home from work. My Mom tells me, she would get out of her house coat after doing her chores, put on a dress and prepare the kids for Dad's return...kinda like Leave it to Beaver! Hubby can only dream about coming home to a tidy house and wife...another thing I wish I had inherited from my Grandmom...the clean gene!
Babcia was quite independent, having lost her husband in her 50's, she lived by herself until she needed to go into nursing care in her late 80's. Up until that time, she enjoyed driving herself all around visiting family and friends. I will never forget when one of my cousins was given a car from his other grandmother. Not to be outdone, Babcia gave me her two toned brown and tan Ford Fairmont to take to college! I fondly referred to it as my "Grandma car" since she had given it to me. I soon realized that I couldn't have picked a more perfect name as every time I passed it's equal on the road inevitably there would be a little grey haired lady behind the wheel who could hardly see over the dashboard!
Grandmom had a love of music that was apparent in the way she was always whistling or humming a happy tune. She could play a piece of music on the piano by ear, apparently never having had a piano lesson! In her later years in the nursing home, she would always respond so positively to singing. At my last visit with her, she perked up to sing "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story and Bobby Vinton's "My Melody of Love." Mom and I ended our time with her by singing that rousing rendition of the Polish Prince's - "Moja droga, ja Cie kocham, means that I love you so!" She joined us, with tears in her eyes (and ours!) and a wistful smile on her face. What a perfect way that was to say good bye to Babcia!
One of the many talents Grandmom had was crocheting. I don't doubt that all of the family members have several afghans that she created. I've got several for special occasions: graduation, marriage, baby showers! There are even Babcia creations in my childhood doll house including crocheted rugs and bedding.
Grandmom never forgot a special day or even a not so special day. I could always count on her for a friendly little note while away at college or camp and it would always lift my spirits...not to mention my bank account. She always had a $5 or $10 tucked in the card or up her sleeve if she dropped by for a visit! It was always so nice to receive a little note in the mail and they always seemed to arrive at just the right time, too.
As I've been thinking about what to include in my Top Ten list about Babcia, I realized that we had quite a few special connections. We both named our eldest daughter, Darla! She and my son share the same birthday, only 81 years apart! I was her first grand-daughter and in turn, my Darlin' was her first great-grandchild (there are 16 and counting!) She was the first in her family to receive an 8th grade American education, paving the way for me to be the first of her grand-children to receive a Master's Degree. She's the only member of the family whom I barely surpassed in height, so I suppose I have her to thank for my short stature!
Her Christian faith was an important part of who she was as a devout Catholic. She enjoyed attending our special events at church and school. She was present at my graduation from seminary, traveling all the way to Massachusetts to enjoy the ceremonies with Billy Graham delivering the commencement address! She shared my love of God, encouraged me in my schooling and supported me in all my church involvements. She was there for all of the important milestones in my life, the most special to me was having both of my Grandmothers at my wedding and the baptisms of my oldest children! How many of us can boast of that?!

Dancing With The Stars Season 12 Finale!

2011-05-23T23:36:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to sit down with the kids, the popcorn & the laptop to enjoy the Dancing with the Stars Finals! Chelsea, Hines and Kirstie are up against each other tonight with the judges selection and the freestyle. Our family is particularly excited about Chelsea being in the finals and are rooting for her to grab that mirror ball trophy. Of course, I would not be too disappointed if Hines received the trophy, as he is also an exceptional dancer! I have really enjoyed watching Kirstie, too! Can't wait to find out who will win tomorrow night.

Chelsea: Her judges choice dance is the Samba. Carrie Ann gave her some pointers to have a more sexy, rather than perky, Samba. Chelsea did a great job with it, although I'm with Len on the flailing arm section...not a fan. Two 10's and a 9 give her a 29 for her first finals dance! Face it, that girl can move!

Freestyle: Wow! Quite the high energy dance. Very entertaining with some pretty impressive moves! A bit too hip hoppity for my taste. I would have liked to have seen more ballroom and less throwing Chelsea around for their final dance. Go figure - the judges loved it! I'm bettin' she ends the night with a perfect score! Yup, a 30!

Kirstie: The judges gave her the Samba as well. Unfortunately, coming right after Chelsea it seemed a bit slow at the start. Once it got going, I really enjoyed it. She did a fantastic job...even tackled the Samba rolls very nicely! Three 9's for a 27!

Freestyle: Awesome job, Kirstie! I loved all the nice lifts...probably would have preferred another one instead of the cartwheel...only because that just doesn't seem quite like a dance move. Although, I'm so impressed that she can do one...I wouldn't dare to try that and I'm only in my 40's! I did enjoy all the dancing elements and lifts that they incorporated. Aw, three 9's for another 27. I think she deserved a 10 or two.

Hines: His judges choice dance is the Quick Step. Puttin' On The Ritz is the perfect song for a Quick Step! That was such a fun dance to watch and he did a wonderful job. Surprisingly, Len didn't feel it had the wow factor that he wanted. Carrie Ann and Bruno certainly disagreed with their 10's. Hines received a total of 29.

Freestyle: Oh, after 7 years of rifle twirling, they had me at Half-time Act! Lookin' forward to this one. Love it already with the marching band outfit and drum line! I am so nervous watching him do those lifts with Kym after the accident last week. I absolutely loved this dance. Definitely my favorite freestyle of the night because it was so much more of a dance then the others. Awesome job, Hines, I'd give you an 11! He finishes with a perfect score of 30!

Can we give two trophies? I don't think I could choose between Hines and Chelsea after tonight! I think it will be one of them and it could really go either way. It should be a nail biting finale tomorrow night!

BTW: I wish Ralph was still competing. He was missed tonight.

FINALE: Fun to see everyone back for the season finale! Glad that Mike Catherwood is back for some more comic relief - too funny with his dance troupe audition!

Josh Groban's surprise performance of You Raise Me Up while Petra danced was just beautiful. She is so graceful and his voice is so rich - what a nice treat!

Love the set up for a match in the ring between wrestler Chris Jericho and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. Fun with the dueling dances! Chris Jericho's impression of Bruno was hysterically spot on - he should go into stand up comedy!

I enjoyed the dance with Romeo and Chelsie ... for the kids. Loved his statement about how God gives you dreams a size too big so you can grow!

Loved Ralph's Quick Step reprisal. Reminded me a little bit of Gene Kelly!

Chelsea: Wow! I loved that Chelsea's last dance was the Wizard Waltz to the theme from Harry Potter. This time it did really feel like more of a Viennese Waltz. What a way to end her dancin' days on DWTS! A perfect score of 30!

Kirstie: She looks amazing after 10 weeks of dancing! She really attacked that Cha Cha - what a finish - truly her best dance! Out of the three finalists she is really the one who has made the biggest transformation. Wow! A perfect score of 30!

Hines: A wonderful, upbeat Samba to finish out the season! This is going to be an unbelievably tight competition, especially if he picks up the third perfect score of the night! Twinkle Toes strikes again with a score of 30!

I don't think this has ever happened before with all the finalists ending up with a 30 for their final dance! This trophy could go to anyone! I'm thinking that the final two will come down to Chelsea and Hines, but we could be in for a big surprise.

NO WAY! I cannot believe that Chelsea took third place. She deserved to be on top for sure. I'm stunned!

Hines is the new DWTS Champion! He definitely deserved to take that trophy, too! Way to go, Hines!

Dealin' With Doomsayers

2011-05-23T10:05:00.003-04:00

As a Mom I am constantly barraged with questions. I recall one time laughing at a beautiful plaque inscribed with, "Motherhood is like being pecked to death by chickens." If your children aren't old enough to be pecking you with questions, don't worry, your time will come!

With older kids, the onslaught of questions was quite evident with the latest dooms day scenario that came and went this past Saturday, May 21st. Though quite tempting to pass this off as the latest lunacy predicting the end of the world or write it off as general idiocy, our family chose to address it head on. The inquiries from our 13 and 15 year old made it pretty tough to avoid the topic, anyway, and gave us an opening to discuss difficult subjects that some parents may just brush aside with a flippant "I don't know" or "That's just a bunch of nonsense" remarks.

Doom and gloom topics are in the news all the time, from global warming to the threat of nuclear war or the prediction of yet another judgment day. We as parents, need to be prepared to answer the questions that our children (and we) might have. Don't be afraid to be honest about what you know or do not know. Just be willing to find out what you can about the subject and address their fears and questions, rather than avoiding difficult topics altogether.

Having attended seminary, Hubby and I enjoyed the discussions this latest doomsday scenario provoked. It was great to brush up on the various eschatologcial views about the end times and be reminded of what the Bible actually says about such things. In answering our kids questions, we find it important to go to the source and not just make it up as we go along. When dealing with philosophical, religious, spiritual, theological (and many other types of) questions our source is the Bible. We have taught our teens not to take everything we have to say as fact, but always check it against what God has to say. This goes for teachers, pastors, politicians, news anchors and the latest doomsayers, too! Does what they say or teach line up with the Word of God? If it does, then it is trustworthy and if not, where does it go wrong?

The Bible teaches that we will not know when Christ will return again. 2 Peter 2:10 reminds us that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief, not plastered on billboards and vehicles like a political campaign. In Matthew 25:13 we are reminded to keep watch because we don't know the day or the hour. To sum up, Christ will return someday, anytime, when we least expect it and we need to be prepared. How can we prepare ourselves and our children? We can start with God's Word. Reading the bible, attending church, asking questions of pastors or Sunday school teachers. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the key to being prepared for His return. With the assurance of salvation, we need not fear the latest doom or gloom.

Taking the time to talk about such things with our children also helps them to come to that point where they, too, may find their hope in Christ. As Darlin' posted on her Facebook on Friday, May 20th: "So tomorrow I'll be either in Dorney Park or in Heaven. It'll be a good day!" Did she believe that the world as about to end? No. Did she have confidence in her salvation if it did? Yes. What more could I ask for as Christian mother?!

Allergy Free Fun Fridays!

2011-05-20T09:10:00.004-04:00

This is a little more detailed of a recipe than I normally cook, especially when it comes to soup, but it is sooooo worth it! It is such a flavorful soup, I hope you enjoy it as much as our family did!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP: (WF, GF, {DF})

1 24 oz can chicken or veggie broth
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion
1 green pepper or poblano pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic (pressed, mincer or chopped)
1/4 tsp pepper or pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 28 oz can crushed tomato
1 Tbsp cumin
1 c. crushed tortilla chips
1 can (7-15 oz) pinto beans (drained & rinsed)
1 c. or 16 oz bag frozen corn
1/2 c. or small container of fresh cilantro
juice from 1 lime

Optional: shredded cheese & sour cream to top when serving.

Saute onion & peppers over medium heat in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add garlic, pepper & salt. Saute. Add to pot of broth or cook this in your pot and add the broth and the remaining ingredients to it. Add tomatoes, cumin, beans & corn. Let simmer. Add crushed tortilla chips, cilantro & lime. Add additional salt & pepper to taste. Serve with garnish of shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream & cilantro.

Check out Jo-Lynne's Gluten Free meal planning for some more recipe ideas!

Top Ten Things I Love...About Mother's Day!

2011-05-17T13:51:00.001-04:00

Despite the fact that Mother's Day has come and gone, I'm still basking in the glow of the week of festivities that preceded and proceeded my special day! I figured that a top ten list was the best way of summing up my wonderful Mother's Day experiences.

TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT ...MOTHER'S DAY 2011!

1. The week long celebration began with a fashion show at school. What a joy to watch Darlin' & Cupcake enjoy the spotlight together on the runway!

Babycake & Darlin' model formal gowns!

I love that Baby's clutching her favorite kitty purse while Big Sis looks on lovingly, too!

2. Waking up to the traditional Mother's Day breakfast in bed with hugs & smiles from all three children!

3. The wonderful youth worship service at church for Mother's Day. I really enjoyed getting to see my son and oldest daughter participate in the service, especially to hear them both play piano!

4. Plate with Cupcake's hand prints! I gave one to my Mom that had a hand from each of our three children!

5. Homemade vase from Buddy that looks like an Aztec artifact!

6. Beautiful turquoise necklace and earring set that my Mom gave to me. I think I've worn them almost everyday since!

7. Scrumptious lunch at the Outback along with my parents.

Buddy, Mid-Life Mom, Cupcake, Hubby & Darlin'

MomMom & PopPop joined us for Mother's Day

8. Playing our traditional basketball game of M-O-M, while Cupcake chased around her own ball. Fittingly, I was the first to get M-O-M. The kids did not inherit any basketball skill from me!

9. Watching the ultimate Mother's Day present: home videos that Hubby put on DVD! What a treat to watch our first daughter as a newborn for Mother's Day!

10. Our annual Mother/Daughter Banquet at church. A fun evening, wonderful speaker and such a joy to watch Darlin' play Chopin's Waltz for all the ladies!

Dancing With The Stars Semi Finals!

2011-05-16T23:55:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe that Season 12 of Dancing With The Stars is almost over! It has been a whirlwind of fun and excitement. Looking back at my initial impression during the season premiere, I was not too off base with my prediction of the final four. "I will be shocked if we don't see Kirstie, Ralph, Chelsea and Petra in the final four!" Apparently, Hines did not make as much of an impression on me that first night, but since then he has held a high rank on the leader board and I would be shocked if it doesn't come down to him and Chelsea for the last two dancin'!

Tonight they perform two separate dances and then a winner takes all ChaCha. Looks to be an exciting evening!

Ralph: Kicking the night off with the Argentine Tango. Why do they always seem to incorporate chairs? In addition to the traditional chairs, they added the lamp post which was a nice touch. I love the Argentine Tango with all the flares and kicks. He did an great job! I think the judges watched a different dance, I thought he brought the smoldering emotion of the Tango to the dance floor. 25...he was robbed. Second dance is the Salsa. Ehh. Not my favorite, sorry Ralph. Oohh, it's not lookin' good for him with a total of 23.

Kirstie: She looks beautiful for the Viennese Waltz. That was a wonderful and graceful performance. The judges were quite pleased, so I think she'll be scoring fairly well. Triple 9's for a 27! Second dance is the Paso Doble. Great Rockin' Paso! Another set of 9's for her second 27 of the night!

Chelsea: Can she keep her lead this week? Now THAT was a smoldering Argentine Tango! Hopefully, the judges will agree. Apparently not. Carrie Ann & Len were a little harsh on the leg action. Bruno, however, loved it as much as the audience did! Even with the criticism, she still pulls out a 10 for a total of 28! Second dance is the Rumba. That was quite a romantic Rumba. She dances like a pro! Whoo! A 30!

Hines: Kim had a very scary fall this week. It was shocking to see her fall and injure her neck like that, she is fortunate to be walking, let alone dancing. Praise God that she is not seriously injured! Wow! That was AMAZING to watch - a quintessential Argentine Tango. Hines looked like a pro out there. Better be triple 10's comin'. And there it is...a 30! Second dance is the Salsa. What a fun lively Salsa! Looks like another great score awaits...another 30!

Winner Takes All Cha Cha: This is new this season. Each couple will face off against another couple in the Cha Cha challenge. The winners of each match will then face off against each other and the winner takes 15 points. The first dance off are the first and last couples on the leader board - Hines vs Ralph. Hines won that round and will go up against the winner of the second dance off. Chelsea beat Kirstie in the second round, so now she & Hines have just during the commercial break to ready their instant Cha Chas. They both did a great job, but in the end Chelsea pulled ahead to earn those coveted 15 points!

Tomorrow night we will be saying good bye to another couple as we enter into the finals. Unfortunately, I must predict that Ralph will be leaving next week. He is down at the bottom of the leader board for the second week in a row. Kirstie performed very well, so I imagine that her scores combined with viewer votes, will most likely secure her a spot in the finals. Chelsea and Hines definitely deserve to be in the finals and I think that it will come down to the two of them battling it out for the trophy next week.

RESULTS SHOW UPDATE:

I really enjoyed the segment with the young dancer named Tayla. It's amazing to see how she has overcome her disease to dance. May God bless her with years of dancing!

Now on to the results - Hines and Chelsea are both safe! That's expected. Now will Kirstie or Ralph be sticking around? Looks like Kirstie has made it to the finals. I'm really sorry to see Ralph go, I think he deserved higher scores for last night's dances. Although, Kirstie has greatly improved, I do think Ralph is the better dancer and I will miss him dancing next week. It should, however, be a very fun finals with the crew that is left!

Allergy Free Fun Fridays!

2011-05-13T14:32:00.002-04:00

Here's a little twist on the traditional stuffed peppers. Our teens enjoyed it, despite the fact that "peppers" are in the title. The mozzarella cheese and crushed tomatoes give it that pizza flare, which makes for a tasty dish. Enjoy!

Stuffed "Pizza" Peppers (GF, WF, SF, {DF})

3 large bell peppers, halved
1 - 1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 can crushed tomatoes, 15 oz
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup minute brown rice or long grain
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 c. water
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (or dairy free option)

Halve peppers, remove stems, seeds and membranes. Boil in salted water for 3 minutes. Drain inverted on paper towel.

In skillet, brown beef and onion, drain. Add undrained can of tomatoes, rice, water, Bragg's, basil & oregano. Bring to boil, cover & simmer 15 minutes or until rice is cooked. Salt & pepper to taste. Stir in 1/2 c. cheese. Spoon beef mixture into peppers. Place in baking dish with any remaining beef mixture. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes.

Dancing With The Stars: Week Eight

2011-05-09T23:59:00.001-04:00

We're down to the Final Five: Chelsea, Ralph, Hines, Romeo & Kirstie. Tonight should be exciting with the instant dance thrown into the mix.

Chelsea: Her Waltz this evening was just breathtaking. Love the projection with the water washing up on the ballroom floor like a beach...really helped set the mood. Very interesting choreography at times and yet a stunning Waltz. Ooohh! Carrie Ann said she "earned perfection!" Wahoo! First couple to get two 10's this season. Surprisingly, (note sarcasm please) Len held out with a 9.

Instant Salsa Dance: I thought their instant dance was amazing. Carrie Ann, thought they didn't connect with the music, so they got an 8 and two 9's for a total of 55 for the night.

Hines: What a cute and adorable Fox Trot! So much fun to watch. The judges are comparing him to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly...should be some great scores! A 28...I'm surprised he didn't tie with Chelsea.

Instant Jive: Chantilly Lace is one of my favorite oldies' songs. He did a great job with that...so much fun! He got the same as Chelsea, the crowd was booing Bruno's 8. Gives him a total of 54 for the night.

Romeo: His Tango was definitely better than last weeks lackluster Samba. However, the intensity of the dance seemed to be all Chelsie. Seems like all the judges felt the intensity from him that I seemed to miss. Triple 9's for a 27, I think that's a great score!

Instant Salsa: Wow! That was a great Salsa, with some pretty cool little tricks. Len seemed to like it better than the other judges too. Two 8's and a 9 (from Len!), is a bit low. Gives them a 52 for the night.

Ralph: Wow! An exceptional Viennese Waltz, considering they only put in 9 hours of rehearsal instead of the usual 40 due to Ralph's injury. I was concerned when Karina indicated that she was choreographing a dark, violent Viennese Waltz (I like the romantic, traditional style), but I think it was very nicely done. "Life imitating" art as Tom said, with a leg injury at the climax of Karate Kid. Oh, too bad, a 25. As Ralph said, "it can't end this way!" I hope his fans rally to keep him in...I want to see him dance another day.

Instant Cha Cha Cha: Loved the little tribute to the Karate Kid injury he has going on. Amazing that they managed to pull off such a great dance with no practice. Awww, three 7's gives him a 46 total. I sure hope he doesn't leave tomorrow night, but these numbers may be difficult to overcome.

Kirstie: She danced an intriguing Argentine Tango. I love this type of tango, it just has such a flare to it and I think Kirstie brought that finesse and intensity to it. She is looking like she has lost quite a bit of weight, she is looking great! A 10 and two 9's...way to go Kirstie with a 28!
Instant Salsa: A little off, but great fun! Two 8's and a 9 from Len! Total of 53 for tonight.

Anything could happen at tomorrow's results show. I'm a bit nervous to see who will be going home.

RESULTS SHOW UPDATE:

Kirstie & Maks kicked off the evening with their Argentine Tango! So Kirstie & Hines are both safe. I'm a little surprised that Kirstie is not in jeopardy, but I'm sure she has a huge fan base, not too mention that her Argentine Tango was a hit. What will this mean?! If I have to pick one to leave it would be Romeo, because I really want to see Chelsea and Ralph in the Final Four. But I fear that Ralph could be going home after his marks last night due to his injury. That's a real shame - it would be great if he did have a comeback. I'll be very upset if Chelsea leaves, because I think she is the best dancer out of everyone!

Dance center is always fun and humorous. I really enjoyed the brothers who were showcased tonight.

Yay! Chelsea is safe...I was so nervous...but now it's down to Ralph and Romeo. I'm still nervous. I don't want to see Ralph go...not yet! Whew! Ralph is safe. Romeo is going home. It's sad to see, because he really did a great job and improved immensely. I did not expect him to perform his dances with such finesse and elegance...quite a transformation!

Making Healthy Choices

2011-05-07T23:58:00.000-04:00

As a busy Mom, I'm always looking for quick, easy, tasty and healthy meal ideas for me and my family. I am so excited that I had the opportunity to be part of a project that helped me do just that! Through TheMotherhood I was able to participate in a specific project with Healthy Choice. Over the years, I have enjoyed many different products from this brand, (I especially love their delicious soups!), so I jumped at the chance to sample some of their meals to review.

This week, Hubby and I headed to the grocery store to pick up a variety of Healthy Choice frozen meals that he and I could have at lunch. We purchased several meals, regularly priced at $2.69, on sale for $2.00 - you can't beat that price for a cheap date! Plus we received coupons for two free meals for participating in the program.

My goal for the week was to put the Healthy Choice meals to the test by having one for lunch each day and cutting back on high calorie afternoon snacking. A recent study was done where participants replaced either lunch or dinner with a Healthy Choice option for 30 days. By the end of the study, participants had lost an average of 6 pounds and trimmed their waistlines by 1 inch! Consistent with these recent research findings, I found that I did indeed begin to loose weight and circumference after just five days! Considering that Baby was sick, I didn't make it to the gym for my usual exercise routine, so I'm attributing these results to replacing my lunches and adding healthier snacks in between meals (particularly a whey protein shake to keep the munchies at bay.)

Most times a diet is drudgery as ya nosh through celery sticks, rice cakes or bland food devoid of any flavor, as if diet really stands for: Don't Ingest Enjoyable Things! With the Healthy Choice meals, I did not feel deprived of delicious, enjoyable food. I sampled several different varieties of frozen meals: Complete Meals, Steaming Entrees and All Natural selections.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my lunches and would readily purchase any of them again for a quick and easy meal. The meals I chose were all low in fat and calories (from 210-330) and were high in fiber and nutrients. On the box they list diet exchanges per serving, which is beneficial for those on a diabetic diet. Interestingly enough, they also list a Weight Watcher's Points value. How nice of them to be so considerate of their customers who may be involved in the WW program and now don't have to do their own calculations. As one who uses the point system, I really appreciated that!

Here's a quick synopsis of my menu this week:

Steaming Entree: Sesame Glazed Chicken - "Chicken tenderloins with whole grain rice, sugar snap peas & red peppers in a sweet sesame glaze."

All Natural: Creamy Basil Pesto - "9 grain cavatappi pasta, broccoli and tomatoes in a creamy pesto sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese."

All Natural: Lobster Cheese Ravioli - "Ricotta cheese and lobster filled ravioli, with green and yellow zucchini in a vodka sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese."

Complete Meal: Country Herb Chicken - "Chicken tenderloins with herb gravy, red potatoes, vegetables & cherry blueberry multi-grain crisp."

Complete Meal: Chicken Balsamico -"Chicken tenderloins in savory Balsamic sauce, whole grain rice pilaf, broccoli and apple cranberry multi-grain crisp."

Doesn't that sound scrumptious? My mouth is watering as I type each savory description! I thoroughly enjoyed, and yes, looked forward to my lunch each day. Much better than the grab-what-ya-can-from-the-fridge-and-hope-for-the-best mentality which I usually live by at noon. I eagerly anticipated my lunch and waited anxiously for the microwave to signal time for me to eat! The steam fresh meals come in a special container which does not need to be cut or pulled back, and I found them to cook up very nicely and were less messy to deal with when peeling off the plastic film.

Overall, I found the meals quite delicious! The Complete Meals were good, but I did like the other, all in one, meals better. The Complete Meals contain a main dish, veggie and dessert. In both instances the vegetables needed more seasoning, so I ended up mixing them in with the main entree to enjoy it more. The fruit crisp desserts were quite yummy, although a little too sweet for my taste. I think I would prefer a little less syrup and a bit more crisp! Looking at the ingredients in the Complete Meals, there is an awful lot of sugar for a healthy meal. Granted, dessert is included in these Healthy Choice complete meals and I'm sure that increases the need for more sugar. I do like that real sugar or evaporated cane juice is used as I prefer to avoid chemical and artificial sweeteners in general and especially during dieting as they can cause you to crave even more sweets and eat more empty calories. However, I would prefer a little less sugar use in my healthy meals and definitely NO high fructose corn syrup. I was disappointed to see high fructose corn syrup listed in the ingredients, although I might add that it is far down the list which made me feel slightly better.

The one dish meals in the All Natural and Steaming Entrees selections were definitely my favorite! They are full of natural ingredients and did not contain any high fructose corn syrup, which I really appreciated! When I was eating the Sesame Glazed Chicken, I found myself comparing it to the Chinese food we had ordered the other day and was equally impressed. It tasted like it had just been made to order! Hubby also enjoyed the sesame chicken. He took that and the Steaming Entrees Lemon Herb Chicken to work for lunch. He reported that his co-workers were envious of the delectable smell as he heated up his lunch! His only criticism was that the tomatoes were not too pretty, although they tasted fine. He suggested that perhaps a sun-dried tomato would be a better choice for the lemon chicken meal.

The Creamy Basil Pesto and Lobster Cheese Ravioli were my ultimate favorites of the week! I felt like I was dining at the local Italian bistro down the road. The noodles in the pesto sauce even reminded me of their homemade pasta! The lobster ravioli compared to the same dish at a nearby Italian place which would have charged me nearly eight or nine times what I paid at the grocery store! I loved the ravioli most of all, so much so, that I may even consider purchasing several, heating them all up and serving them family style. Perhaps a nice candle lit dinner with Hubby? He doesn't need to know that I didn't slave all day in the kitchen...sshhhh!

I must say that it was quite a treat to enjoy such succulent, scrumptious meals each day and not feel that I was on a D.I.E.T! The ready-to-eat, pre-portioned meals made it so simple for me to stick to my diet and begin to see improvement before week's end. If you too, are looking for a simple, inexpensive, tasty way to eat healthfully and reclaim your skinny jeans, then I would recommend incorporating some Healthy Choice meals into your diet plan. Since portion control seems to be fundamental to weight loss success, this is an easy and delicious way to get yourself accustomed to eating smaller amounts. I really appreciate not having to weigh and measure things to figure out if I'm eating the right amounts, it's already done for me!

Along with incorporating some Healthy Choice options into my diet plan, here are some other healthy choices that I have been making to improve my overall health.

Exercise: I try to make it to the gym 3 times a week. I make sure to do stretches, weight training and aerobic exercise. If I don't make it to the gym, as happened this week, then I will walk in the neighborhood or enjoy a 10 minute dance party with my toddler (you wouldn't believe how much of a work out that is!)

Water: Drinking water is vital to any weight loss program. This keeps you hydrated as you exercise, flushes toxins out of your system, and helps you avoid other tempting drinks or snacks. I find that a glass of water before each meal helps me control those portion sizes a little better. I am so used to toting my water bottle around with me wherever I go, that I feel a bit lost whenever I may forget it!

Eat!: Just because it's time to diet, does not mean ya have to starve yourself! I find that I do best with controlling my appetite if I do have a healthy snack in between meals, this keeps me from chowing down on less healthy options when I become ravenously hungry. Filling my plate up with more fruits and veggies and less grains and meats, helps me to feel better all around. Making sure that our pantry and fridge are stocked with more veggies or fruit, helps our whole family eat less sugary sweets and maintain a more healthy lifestyle.

I hope that some of these ideas, and the scrumptious options from Healthy Choice, will be a help to others, as they have been to me. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. This puts them at risk for heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. As one who has been in "at risk" for quite a few years, my goal is to climb out of the overweight category, (or should I say shrink down from?) and get back on track to a healthier me!

(Disclosure: Compensation received for my participation, however the opinions given are all mine! Research was presented by the Rippe Lifestyle Institute at the Experimental Biology Conference in April 2011 & funded by ConAgra Foods.)

Allergy Free Fun Fridays!

2011-05-06T09:38:00.001-04:00

Probably every week I make a meatloaf. I don't recall loving meatloaf as a kid, but I certainly do as a Mom! Meatloaf can hide a multitude of healthy, nutritious veggies and the kids will never know! My family (teens too!) love my meatloaf and it is one of my go to recipes when bringing a meal to others.

MOM'S MEATLOAF: (WF, {GF}, SF, DF)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground beef, or turkey or pork, or meatloaf mix
1 c. rolled oats (or 1c. spelt flakes or GF flakes)
1/2 c. water
2 tsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 avocado, chopped and smashed
1 stalk celery, finely chopped, include celery leaves too for extra flavor
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 egg (optional, but does hold together better with it)

Other healthy addition options: 1 carrot finely chopped, 1/4 bell pepper finely chopped, 1/4 c. chopped fresh or frozen spinach...be creative and have fun!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together in a bowl. Place in greased loaf pan. Cook at least 1 hour or til center is no longer pink.

Top Ten Things I Love About...The Baby & Toddler Expo!

2011-05-03T15:51:00.001-04:00

Recently I had the opportunity to take my two daughters to the Baby & Toddler Expo sponsored by Montgomery Media Parents Express Magazine. Fellow bloggers and our families were treated to a private breakfast hosted by Chrissy from Mama's Little Helper. Thanks to Chrissy's fantastic flare with event hostessing, we were able to enjoy a free day at the Expo including a continental breakfast and swag bags with coupons and gifts from Expo vendors. I thought that I would take advantage of my weekly Top Ten list to highlight some of my favorite things from the Baby & Toddler Expo.

1. A girl's day out with my two dear daughters!

Cupcake & Darlin'

2. Time at the Blogger Breakfast meeting new people like Chrissy and reconnecting with those that I met at the Getting Gorgeous event in NYC!

3. Watching Baby enjoy her first experience with a petting zoo! She kept trying to climb into the corrals with the animals. Her favorite seemed to be the baby chicks, as she eagerly jumped up and down, squawking along with them!

4. The diaper derby, which Cupcake could have won if she had understood the concept of rolling her egg with the wooden spoon. Rather, she enjoyed watching the older kids, while she took off after their eggs, yelling, "Baaallll, Baaallll, Baaallll!" She has really been enjoying her consolation prize of a magnetic Hop puzzle (pictured above) provided by Montgomery Media & Parents Express Magazine.

5. Cupcake enjoyed munching on a new snack from Mum-Mum. The Baby Mum-Mum is a lightly sweetened rice snack and the Toddler Mum-Mum is a melt-in-your-mouth, light, strawberry flavored, wafer. Baby (and I) enjoyed the taste! If you are avoiding wheat for your baby or toddler, I highly recommend them. Even if you're not restricting wheat, they are a tasty treat, that is especially easy for babes with few teeth or those that like to use their new chompers!

6. I was quite excited about the hand held wire cheese slicer from Cabot Cheese! Baby also enjoyed the free samples and an adorably, squeezable cow toy.

7. Cupcake never seems to keep any hair ties or bows in her hair, but she loves a pretty headband. She enjoyed the bedazzled pink butterfly headband we purchased at 3 Little Giggles!

8. Kid's Music Sampler CD from Pitter Patter Productions. What a perfect name for the company! I love the lullabies, especially the soothing sounds and beautiful harmonies of their music!

9. In contrast to the lullaby CD, Music Monkey Jungle had us dancing, clapping and just about rolling on the floor laughing with my teen's favorite, The Potty Song. Yup, our inner junior higher emerged as we found ourselves laughing hysterically while Baby danced excitedly to one of her favorite new songs! Incontinence was nearly an issue with the lyrics, "singing about poop just kinda feels wrong!" I have a feeling we will be listening to this CD often, especially when we enter the potty training phase. Now if I can only get my teens to stop playing it for their friends....

10. Darlin' and I enjoyed watching Cupcake walk around and see the sights. It was fun to watch her play on the play sets, even if I missed catching her when she went down the slide solo and landed with a thud on her bum, staring at me in shock! Ooops! Even though I missed catching her, I managed to catch it on video! Bad Mommy.

If you attended the Baby Expo, join in on the fun with your Top Ten below!

Dancing With The Stars: Week 7

2011-05-02T23:33:00.002-04:00

Settling down to enjoy this week's Dancing With The Stars along with a little glass of wine! Apparently, they are adding a living legend of Latin dancing, Donnie Burns, to the ballroom as a guest judge for Ballroom Greats week. In attempting to ascertain his accent my daughter asked if he was Scottish, English, Irish or, "uhh Whalish?" We promptly broke into laughter and she proceeded to speak whale from Finding Nemo. After better hearing the brogue, we were able to correctly determine that he is indeed, Scottish!

The night started off with an awesome Cha Cha Cha competition. Chelsea, Ralph and Romeo attacked the dance floor with a Latin flare! I am in shock over the low scores they just received. They deserved better than double 8's and double 7's. This does not look good for the black team as Hines, Kirstie and Kendra are next to tackle the floor in hot pink! They looked great, but I think the black team had more complicated moves to keep in sync. Oh, my, it's a tie score. Has that ever happened before?!

Chelsea: As this is Ballroom Greats week, Mark's mom, Shirley came to help with some Paso training. It was a very modern Paso, but Chelsea sure brought the intensity and did a wonderful job. Haha! Bruno called it a Quentin Tarrentino Paso Doble! He's not my favorite director, but I can see that. The comments were mixed from the judges which is reflected in their double 8's and double 9's score for a total of 34.

Kendra: Luca, a cool looking dude with a romantic accent, came in to help her learn how to feel the dance in her Tango. She seemed to have a few flubs in the footwork and I didn't think it looked like her best dance, but based on the judges comments, they seemed to like it. She landed a total of 31.

Kirstie: Shirley Ballas came to visit and help Kirstie with her Jive. That was an entertaining Jive to La Bamba. I don't think Len will like the long entrance and I think Kirstie lost a bit of her footing. It was fun to watch though! Surprised that Len liked it's playfulness, even though he thought it wasn't much of a Jive. Donnie's comments were very nice and I think he got it right when he told her that she had something special between the steps...I think that's why we all enjoy watching her dance. A bit surprised at the 9 from the guest judge, but she ended up with an appropriate score of 30 with her straight flush.

Ralph: Got some similar tips from Luca, as Kendra did, about feeling the dance. That was an adorable and vivacious Quick Step! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I sure hope he's got a 10 coming to him. Wahoo! Ralph's first 10 from the guest judge. An 8 from Len plus double 9's gives him a 36. The comeback kid takes the lead!

Hines: Luca stopped in to help him refine his technique and his buddies came to razz him a little bit. He delivered a smooth, classic Tango. Not his best dance, but wonderful to watch nonetheless. Wow! Bruno gave him a 10! With the rest of the 9's, he'll receive a total of 36, which ties him with Ralph for the lead.

Romeo: Shirley showed up to show Romeo some hip action for his Samba. He seemed to enjoy the training, but didn't seem to deliver it during the dance. Chelsea was dancing circles around him and he just never seemed to turn it on as he has in previous weeks. The judges were critical, but I think I agree with Len that the fire was definitely lacking. Three 7's and an 8 gives him a 29. Although it wasn't his best dance, I still think he deserved the same or better score than Kendra.

What a shake up on the leader board tonight! Romeo lands in the bottom, while Ralph and Hines tie for the top spot. Tune in again tomorrow for my Result Show Update to see who will be heading home. I have suspected Kendra's departing just about every week, but I'm thinking that she may just survive another week. Unfortunately, I think Romeo or Kirstie might be saying good bye tomorrow night.

RESULTS SHOW UPDATE:

Chelsea, Ralph & Romeo kicked off the evening with an exhibition of last night's Cha Cha...which makes me think that the judges did indeed like it better than the other team's!

First saved is Hines and first in jeapordy is Kirstie. No surprise there.

What a breathtaking performance from a ballerina! Hard to believe that she started at 13 and has only been dancing for 4 years!

Ralph is safe! Oh, no...Chelsea is in jeopardy.

Tribute to James Brown with Wayne Brady! As impressed as Hubby and I have always been with Wayne, we are even more so after this performance! He is amazingly talented - one of the best entertainers of our time - especially when it comes to musical improv!

Surprisingly, Romeo is safe. I thought he might have been going home after last night's lackluster performance, but I'm glad he'll be stickin' around because he is usually very entertaining. Kendra is in jeopardy, so it could actually be her time to go.

So all the women are in jeopardy. Kirstie is saved first. Down to Chelsea and Kendra. I'm getting nervous...whew...Kendra is going home and Chelsea is staying! I really wish they would stop putting Chelsea in jeopardy and give the girl (and me) a break with the nerves!

My Life In A Diaper Box

2011-05-01T19:48:00.001-04:00

I just returned this afternoon from a refreshing and rejuvenating women's retreat. Yesterday, I was asked to introduce myself to the group in a box talk. It's a creative way of getting to know someone as they talk about their life using items they have in a box. I chose to fill a diaper box with various items that represented different parts or aspects of my life and who I am. I thought that I would share with you...

My Life In A Diaper Box!

Wedding Picture: We will be married 19 years this June. I decided to include our wedding picture because ya never look as good as the day ya got married!
Disney Star Wars Picture: This family photo is a favorite of mine with our two older children in Disney World MGM Studios for Star Wars weekend. It combines two of our favorite loves...all things Disney and Star Wars (just in case that wasn't clear!)
Our Little Cupcake Picture: This frame is so perfect for our little Cupcake and it also represents my love of decorating cakes for our children's birthdays.
My Laptop: I enjoy blogging about the antics of raising two teens and a tot here at My Mid-Life Motherhood! Also the reason I chose to stuff all of my items in a Luv's diaper box.
Basketball: Somehow, I, the most unathletic person I know, am a basketball Mom! Believe me, this is probably the most shocking part of parenting...that your kids may just be interested in things that you cannot comprehend!
HERSHEY Bag: As a regular at the Jersey shore in the summertime, I had to include my giant beach bag. I love this bag because I'm a huge chocolate lover and I defy anyone of you to challenge my self-proclaimed title, "Ultimate Chocolate Lover!" Talk to me when you've received a 10 pound bar of chocolate for your anniversary! (don't worry...I didn't eat it all alone...if you did than I gladly concede my title!)
Sunblock: Despite the fact that I love going to the shore, ya really can't get much whiter than me. In fact, when my son was little I had to gently explain to him that indeed we were not albinos. I have even been laughed off the beach for leaving after two hours by sun worshippers whose gloriously tanned bodies could not comprehend the meaning of the word sunburn!
Harry Potter Book: Hubby and I have loved reading the Harry Potter series and once our kids were old enough, we brought them along for the journey. We have enjoyed the books, audio tapes, and movies together as a family and especially discussing all the amazing biblical themes!
Chronicles of Narnia DVD: One of our favorite pass times is movie watching and our all time favorite family films include the Chronicle of Narnia series, Lord of the Rings series and Star Wars series. We've even enjoyed teaching our senior youth group a series using the entire LOTR movies!
Relient K T-Shirt: While working with our senior high youth group, years ago, I was introduced to the sound of Relient K, and they have since become one of my favorite bands. I love their alternative style that cleverly harmonizes their humor, antics and faith.
Lingerie: I brought along a beautiful négligé from my honeymoon to represent the passion I have for teaching young women about modesty, purity and waiting for marriage. I have enjoyed the many girl's retreats I've led and especially enjoy presenting them with lingerie at their own bridal showers!
Ace Bandage: The ace bandage reminds me that I wish I were a hypochondriac...because then it would all be in my head! Alas, my three-cast summer, vertigo, Candida, fibromyalgia, etc. are not a figment of my imagination. Fortunately, the crutch I have is a lasting one in Christ!
Bible: This is the foundation of who I am. Since graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I have enjoyed ministering in the church in various capacities. Mostly I have enjoyed discipling and teaching teens and women about God's Word.

That's my life in a diaper box! What would you put in your box?!

Allergy Free Fun Fridays!

2011-04-29T09:40:00.004-04:00

As I'm in the packing up and heading out of town mode, I thought I would take a moment to post a quick link to an old post about Bragg's Liquid Aminos. This is a favorite product of mine that is WF, GF, DF, SF, but not taste free! A great substitute for soy sauce, but I use it in a lot of my cooking to add flavor.

Hope you can enjoy adding Bragg's to your cooking. If you have any allergy free recipes or products, please leave a link below!

Top Ten Things I Love About...Spring!

2011-04-26T08:08:00.000-04:00

1. Sunny with a high of 75! (Anything higher I consider that summer!)
2. Cool breezes through open windows.
3. Flowers blooming. Especially those that I've planted from Easter's past!
4. The smell of freshly mown grass.
5. Celebrating Easter!
6. Spring break with family.
7. Walks outside with Baby wearing her sunglasses (she's finally learned to keep them on...most of the time!)
8. End of the year brunches with Ladies' Bible study and MOPs.
9. Our annual Mother-Daughter banquet at church.
10. Mother's Day!

Dancing With The Stars: Week Six

2011-04-25T23:37:00.002-04:00

Guilty pleasures night. Wonder what that will entail?! A different start with the Hanson's kicking off the evening. Looks like they're all grown up. (I enjoyed the 80's and 90's music they played coming back from commercials during the show. Fun to have a Hanson house band!)

Kirstie: She's the first up with a Samba. Wow! I cannot believe that woman is 60 years old...she certainly doesn't show her age! She is doing great with the Samba, which always seems to be a difficult one for the stars to pick up. She really did make it look easy as Bruno just proclaimed. She may just get the 9's she was hoping for. Ooh! Two 9's and a 8, for a 26!

Chris: Dancing the Tango to Journey's Don't Stop Believing. I've been enjoying watching him this season. It was nicely done, but not his best. As the judges pointed out, it did lack a bit of intensity. A 22 from the judges.

Romeo: A beautifully done waltz to My Heart Will Go On, from Titanic! I really didn't expect him to do so well in this competition, but he is exceeding my expectations by leaps and bounds. He gets better each week. Well done, Chelsie! Wow! The first 10 of the season! A 28!

Chelsea: A fun quick step to Walking On Sunshine! She is really a wonderful dancer and it is a lot of fun to watch her dance. A "sunsational" performance that may just bring her a 10 too! Awesome! A 10 for Chelsea, giving her a 28 to tie with Romeo for first place!

Kendra: Quite a wild Samba, Living the Viva Loca! She certainly wiggled and jiggled everything God gave her (and didn't, as she confessed!) It was a little bit too much of a striptease for me, but the judges seemed to like it. A 25 seems fair.

Hines: I love how he writes out the dance like football plays! His pillow talk practice at home paid off with a breathtaking Viennese waltz! Surprisingly, he didn't earn a 10 this time around. The judges gave him a 27.

Ralph: I really hope he does well tonight....I think he got gipped last week. I think he did well, but something happened with Karina...she fell and they had to recover from that. It was a great Paso, so I hope he can still get a good score. Well, three 8's for a 24 isn't too bad of a score, but I was hoping he would get a bit higher this week.

Come back tomorrow night to check the result show update to see who is leaving. I've been ready for Kendra to go for a few weeks, but considering her great Samba, she may just stick around a little longer. I'm afraid that Chris could end up leaving and that would be a shame. We'll find out tomorrow night. I'm so excited that Chelsea is at the top of the leader board again this week! Well deserved 10's for her and Romeo...the competition is heating up!

RESULTS SHOW UPDATE:

Oooh! The New Kids On The Block and The Back Street Boys. Kinda fun to relive the boy band era.

Oh no! They're starting off with the two highest scoring stars from last night Chelsea and Romeo - which may mean one of them is in jeopardy - I'm nervous. Whew! They are both safe! I didn't realize that after five seasons Chelsie got her first 10 last night! Glad she finally earned it...she deserved one long before this.

What a sweet Macy's Stars of Dance to Stand By Me. A love story through the years...very touching.

Hines and Kirstie are up now. Hines is safe of course, he has earned the most accumulative points this season. He does make the dancing look pretty effortless! Yay, Kirstie is safe too!

That only leaves Ralph, Chris and Kendra. I certainly hope Ralph sticks around - I believe he's the best of the three. Of course Kendra really shook it up last night, which might give her the edge over Chris and maybe even Ralph. Kendra is safe! I'm really hoping Ralph stays, but I don't want to see Chris go either. Ugggghhhhh! Too bad, Chris is going. So sad to see him leave, he was great to watch. Surprising that a wrestler could dance with such finesse and elegance!

Top Ten Things I Love About...Spring Break!

2011-04-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

Sleeping in!
Staying up late with kids to watch DWTS while munching homemade popcorn.
No packing lunches for school...yay!
Shopping for Easter dresses.
Baking chocolate chip cookies for my daughter's friends when they come over.
Hosting our family Easter egg hunt for the first time since our teens were little...sniff...sniff!
Decorating Easter eggs.
Ending my Lenten fast with a Starbuck's Decaf-Non-Fat-Latte-Please!
Heading to the shore to celebrate Easter with family.
Celebrating the resurrection of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Hope you all have an enjoyable, restful, refreshing Spring break and can truly celebrate the real meaning of Christmas this Easter!

Dancing With the Stars: Week Five

2011-04-18T23:11:00.002-04:00

It's American Night on Dancing With The Stars! I'm looking forward to the patriotic evening with fun songs, clever choreography and dazzling dances!

Ralph: Dancing the Samba to "Sweet Home Alabama." Should be fun! Oooh! That was a great start to American night, with their "Uncle Samba" as Tom quipped. Thank you Carrie Ann for appreciating that it is Americana Week! Len and Bruno didn't seem too thrilled...I think they are crazy...it was a great performance! 22 points is way too low for that dance. Ralph's got my vote!

Chris: Dancing the Viennese Waltz to "America the Beautiful" I do believe that the judges will all like that beautiful performance. He finally got his "8" from Len, which, along with two "9's" gives him a 26 to take the lead!

Petra: Dancing the Quick Step to Elvis' "Viva Las Vegas." She took a moment to thank America for the opportunity she has had here...very sweet! Love the dress! She did well, but not up to par with Chris or Ralph. A 22 ties her with Ralph.

Romeo: Dancing the Fox Trot to Sinatra's "New York, New York." Charming dance, although, not quite as good as his Paso last week which earned him a 23. Quite the elegant ballroom dance from the hip-hop dude! Wow! Apparently, the judges disagreed with me and gave him a 26! He is tie for the top with Chris. This is getting to be such a tight competition!

Hines: Dancing a romantic Rumba to "Proud to be an American." Nicely done Rumba, but our family was a bit distracted by Kym's dress when she twirled. Lots of fringes! Len just proclaimed it Hines' best dance, so he should be getting some great scores. Wow! Three nines for a 27! The highest score of the season so far.

Kirstie: HaHa! She brought in John Travolta as a "dance doctor"...too funny! Dancing the Fox Trot to "American Woman." Considering the long entry, I think Len might not give them such high marks. Quite the rock chick dance, not sure if it will score well as a Fox Trot. They did pretty well, with a 23.

Kendra: She has the honor of performing the 1,000th competative dance. Dancing the Fox Trot, in very patriotic costumes, to "Yankee Doodle." I think it was her best dance yet. She seemed much more comfortable out there tonight! Carrie Ann declared it the most patriotic dance of the night. A 22 keeps her at the bottom of the leader board with Ralph and Petra. All the scores are pretty close together tonight!

Chelsea: Dancing the Samba to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." I think she proved she deserved to be on top of the leader board last week. Could she get a 10 for this?! All the judges loved it! A 26...much lower than I think she deserved. I do believe her dance should have tied or surpassed Hines'.

The leader board got a real shake up tonight. Hines on the top and a 3-way tie at the bottom with Petra Kendra and Ralph. I think Ralph got gipped in his scores, he definitely danced better than Kendra and Petra, so it is unfortunate that he has dropped to the bottom with them this week. Amazingly, only 5 points separate the top from the bottom, so it is a toss up who might go home tomorrow night. Based on the past dances, and the fact that they ended up at the bottom tonight, I'm guessing Kendra and Petra will be in the bottom two tomorrow.

RESULT SHOW UPDATE:
I'm a bit nervous about who might go home tonight since the competition is so tight. Let's get this over with quickly! Hines and Kym are safe, but Kirstie and Maks are in jeopardy. Romeo and Chelsie just performed their "New York, New York" Fox Trot again and I must say, I enjoyed it even more the second time around!

Yay! Chelsea and Mark are safe! Ooh, Romeo is safe and oh, no, Chris is in jeopardy. Mike is back! I knew we'd see him again. Pretty funny segment on Dancing With the Stars Exposed! Glad to see the producers listened to me and brought him back for some comedic relief.

Yay! Ralph is safe! Oh, my, Kendra is safe and Petra is in jeopardy. I think Petra might be goin'. I'd be surprised if Chris or Kirstie leave before Petra or Kendra. Kirstie is safe! Looks like Chris is staying and Petra is saying good bye. She has been delightful to watch.

Allergy Free Fun Fridays! Clara's Chicken Casserole

2011-04-15T00:31:00.001-04:00

Last night I was at a loss for what to make for dinner. I hunted through the cabinet and created the recipe below. My teens, who typically are not fond of my making-it-up-as-I-go cooking style when it results in a casserole, really liked it and ate it quite willingly. In fact, my son, ranked it a 4 out of 5 marks. Apparently, he only grants 5's to pizza or ice cream, so I'm feeling pretty good about my concoction being teen friendly. I know I really enjoyed it and was surprised how tasty it was as leftovers for lunch, considering I had used the gluten free pasta. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Here is Cupcake enjoying her chicken casserole with her new fork.

She liked it so much that I decided to name it after her!

Clara's Chicken Casserole (WF, GF, {SF})

1 large can (12.5 oz) chicken, drained (or 1 1/2 -2 c. cooked chicken)
2 cups GF macaroni from bionaturae
1 box (12 oz) Pacific Natural Foods organic cream of mushroom soup
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. white cooking wine (optional)
4 slices cheese (American, cheese or provolone)
1 pkg. frozen broccoli or 1 bunch fresh
1 tsp. fresh chopped chives

Cook broccoli slightly, drain and place in bottom of casserole dish. Spread chicken on top of broccoli. Lay cheese slices on top of chicken.

Cook pasta for 6-8 minutes in pot of boiling water, til not quite cooked. This is key for the gluten free pasta, if you over cook it then it will fall apart in the casserole. Drain and place on top of the cheese. Mix together milk, wine, soup and most of the chives. Spread over pasta in casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining chives.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Silver Spoons

2011-04-14T23:32:00.002-04:00

My two older children, although sometimes it may seem like it, were not born with silver spoons in their hands. In fact, as toddlers they hardly used spoons at all, I guess I was much more the go-ahead-and-eat-with-your-hands type of Mom. Don't worry, eventually, I got tired of dealing with the mess and encouraged them to leave behind their viking ways to join the upper crust! (I can dream can't I?!)

They each had their own favorite spoons, forks, sporks, etc. - of all shapes, sizes and varieties. Some of these I have kept and will occasionally pull them out for our current toddler to use. However, more often I find myself reaching for the old sets of children's silverware that had been given to my previous two kids when they were babies. They are just the right size for chubby little toddler hands to grasp. The fork works much better than the plastic varieties which, although pose no poking risk, do make it difficult to, well, poke the food!

I was very excited when I received the opportunity (thanks to Tara Bucci, a fellow PSMM blogger!) to review a new 3 Piece Baby Set of Oneida. Now Baby would have a set of her own! She has been enjoying using her favorite piece, the fork. She seems to have much more success getting things to her mouth by stabbing them with the fork. When she uses the spoon, inevitably, the food ends up in her lap or if I'm lucky, the crumb catcher pocket of her bib! It is usually at those times that I pull out the trusty fork or encourage reverting to viking style.

I have been impressed with the durability of Oneida over the years and this new set is no exception. It has met and exceeded my expectations and has not shown any ware from multiple dashes to our ceramic tiled kitchen floor! Thanks to Oneida for providing this 3 piece infant Chateau stainless steel set, which includes at baby spoon, baby fork and feeder spoon.

Comes in nice gift box and is great for a baby shower gift!

I think Baby likes how shiny they are and, I admit it, so do I!

There are a variety of gift sets available from Oneida in 3 different designs: Paul Revere, Cubby Bear and my personal favorite, Chateau. I love that one because it complements the Oneida flatware and silver I received for my wedding. With this latest addition to our silverware drawer, now we will have enough to set the table properly for holiday dinners. Once the kids outgrow them, they are perfect sizes for dips, sauces, pickles and other condiments. I know I look forward to using them for years to come and eventually handing them down to each of my children for their own babies!

Disclosure: The opinions expressed are mine and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

What Doesn't Kill Ya, Makes Ya Stronger!

2011-04-13T21:51:00.000-04:00

After dinner this evening I realized, to my horror, that the dishwasher had not been run last night. Translation - I had been feeding Baby dirty sippy cups and bottles from yesterday! Yuck! Not just one cup with little bit of residue, but every cup...all day...thinking I was pulling from a clean dishwasher all the while. Ugh! After inspection, all the tell tale signs of a clean dishwasher were not present: puddles on the tops of inverted cups, shiny silverware and the "clean" indicator light...duh! Plus, yesterday's dinner clinging to the plates should have been a dead give away! Feeling like quite the scatterbrained Mommy here that can't even tell whether the stinkin' dishwasher is clean or dirty.

Now I will be keeping a watchful eye on Cupcake to make sure that she does not come down with food poisoning. I'm feeling pretty confident, though, that she's got a hardy constitution as she has survived such mishaps before. Yes, this isn't the first time!

When she was an infant I recall a couple of times that she did not finish one of her bottles and I set it with the dirty dishes on the counter. Later, I discovered that hubby had retrieved it thinking it was a fresh bottle I had prepared ahead of time. Thankfully, she survived without a bit of tummy trouble.

The worst happenstance was last Spring or Summer, when I had misplaced a bottle for a solid week. When we could not find it at home or in the car, I was sure it would start smelling eventually and give away its hiding place. On Sunday morning we arrived at church and there it was sitting on the counter in the nursery. Unwashed, the bit of milk had obviously spoiled sitting in the hot church for a week. Hubby rinsed it out and hid it away from the fresh bottles in the diaper bag. He pointed out the clean and dirty bottles to the nursery workers to make sure she received the correct bottle...you know where this is going, right? Neither one of us remembered to check back in to make sure the next set of nursery helpers were aware of the bottle situation. Apparently, the good bottles had been so well hidden, that when it came time to feed the baby, the only bottle that was available was the spoiled one. Since, hubby had rinsed it out, it appeared to be clean, so the formula was made and the baby downed it as usual. Naturally, I was a bit upset at myself for having forgotten to check in, hubby for putting the dirty bottle back in the diaper bag, and Murphy for those insufferable laws we always seem to follow!

Thankfully, again, Baby had no issues. Considering she has hardly been sick in her first 20 months (today!), it sure seems like the old adage is true: what doesn't kill ya, makes ya stronger!

Top Ten Things I Love About...Toddler Talk!

2011-04-12T09:08:00.002-04:00

I have really been enjoying all the wonderful things Cupcake says these days as she approaches the typical toddler language explosion. Below are a few of my favorites!

Top Ten Things I Love About...What My Toddler Says!

Her enthusiastic greeting of, "Hi!" to anyone, from cats to cashiers. Fittingly, this was our little socialite's first word! She seems to brighten everyone's day, except the cat's!
After she purposely throws down a toy from her crib, she coyly quips, "uh oh!", as if she didn't know how that happened at all!
She can differentiate between a ball and balloon, but delivers each word with a piercing squeal of delight, "Baaaal!" or "Beeyoon!"
She gives a sly little smile before saying, "beeooo!", when I pull her shirt down over her head as she gets dressed. It's a fun little game of peek-a-boo!
I love waking up (and I'm far from a morning person!) to the sound of Baby pleasantly babbling in her crib. She coos, "baby", as she cuddles, kisses and cares for her baby dolls, while she patiently waits for the rest of us to get up.
Just this morning I caught her singing, "A, B, C!" at breakfast. It is so precious to hear her sing "la, la, la" or "doo, doo, doo" to music that is playing...or not. When Mickey's Playhouse ends, she sings the Hot Diggity Dog song in her own way, "HA! dttydtty da!" Sometimes I think she is singing lullabies along with me when I put her to bed.
One of my favorite sounds she makes is when she says Tigger. She puffs her cheeks up and basically rolls her "T" for "tggr."
This week we went for a walk and Daddy asked her if she could see the moon. Considering it was daylight, I was surprised that she looked up in the sky, pointed to the crescent moon and said with whispered awe, "meeoooo!"
For quite awhile I couldn't figure out why Cupcake kept saying, "Ow!" Eventually, I heard the cat meow and Baby quickly replied, "Ow!" Interestingly enough, our cat does sound like that when she meows! Over the past few weeks, she has added the "m", but I kinda miss the "ow."
When the phone rings, Baby, pipes up, "Hi! Dah-ee!", but when I ask her to, "Say MaMa!", she responds, with a bit of a smirk, "DaDa!" FINALLY, just this week, when I ask her, "Who am I?" she now says, "MaMa!" It is unbelievable, the rush of joy I experience every time I hear her say "MaMa!"

Dancing With The Stars: Week Four

2011-04-11T22:39:00.003-04:00

DWTS Week Four starts right now. It looks to be a great evening with a fuller orchestra, classical music and quite a competition with only 5 points separating the top from the bottom! Looking forward to some Paso Dobles based on their costumes. David Garrett is amazing to watch on that violin. The pros sure put on a great show as they introduced the Paso Doble!

Romeo: Fittingly, Romeo is dancing to those diamond commercials theme song! If I knew my classical music as I should I'd be able to tell you who wrote it. Hmmmm...I wanna say Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but don't quote me on it. Romeo did a wonderful job on his Paso Doble...definitely improved from last week and could be movin' on up the leader board. 23 total is an appropriate score.

Kendra: I'm a little bit skeptical about the prospect of a Mafia style Viennese Waltz...isn't that a bit of an oxymoron? Unfortunately, I think that she had a very difficult piece to dance to...didn't quite seem like the right tempo for a waltz. Tough night for her with a score of 18. Doubt that will be enough to keep her in the competition another week, but we'll have to see how Sugar Ray does.

Sugar Ray: Dancing to Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker. Way to go, Anna, taking him to ballet class to better understand the music! Now that was a sweet and proper Viennese Waltz. HaHa! Len just nick named him the Sugar Plum Fairy! It was very charming, but not enough to pull too far ahead on the leader board. He definitely deserved his high score of 21.

Petra: Like how he took her to a modeling shoot to get her Paso Doble game face! This music and the choir is a bit difficult to accept as a Paso. I'm just not feeling it, but she is doing a good job with the actual dance. Bruno is in rare form with his comments tonight! Len and Carrie Ann are having to turn away. A 23.

The dance troupe is demonstrating the Waltz. They look like they're dancing on the clouds. The mezzo soprano, Katherine Jenkins, has an amazing voice!

Ralph: Dancing to the theme from Romeo and Juliet, a beautiful piece of music. (Although I wouldn't consider it classical, suppose that's why they are referring to the songs as "classical style.) I think he is doing a wonderful job with the Waltz. It's beautiful and romantic. Well done! Ralph has redeemed himself and should end up back at the top! Oooh, a 9! His highest score yet, a 25!

Hines: He got the first 9 of the season last week, so I'm looking forward to his Paso Doble. Wow! He might be bringing in a few more 9's with that powerful Paso! A 25 might be a bit lower than expected.

Chelsea: Oooh! Dancing to Harry potter! (Perhaps this should be called "instrumental" night instead of "classical" night!) A very different Viennese Waltz. Not sure how Len will like it?!    I love that music and I love her dancing, but I'm not sure it looked like a Viennese Waltz. Yup, didn't think Len would like it. Bruno called it the best dance of the night and Carrie Ann agreed. Yay! Looks like they should get a couple good scores...maybe some 9's? Wahoo...best score yet...a 26!

Chris: He needs to wrestle through his Paso Doble. Dancing to the Hall of the Mountain King...great classical piece. I love how it builds up intensity and they captured that very well in the dance.  A 23, seems a bit low to me.

Kirstie: Hopefully, Maks has recovered from last weeks fall. Dancing the Viennese Waltz to a beautiful duet. Very charming waltz, was a bit timid. Not sure what the problem was with her shoe, but she handled it very well. She is queen of the mishaps as Carrie Ann declared! A 22.

I really enjoyed the music and dancing with tonight's classical pieces! I predict that we will be bidding Kendra adieu tomorrow evening.

RESULTS SHOW UPDATE: So far, Chelsea and Petra are in jeopardy; Ralph, Hines, Chris, and Romeo are safe. Looks like Kirstie and Kendra are safe. Oh, no! That leaves Sugar Ray in jeopardy. What?! I was ready for Kendra to leave, sorry. Petra's safe. Now I'm a bit nervous. Chelsea better not be leaving! Sorry to see Sugar Ray go.  As my daughter commented, "Sugar Ray is the perfect name for him because he is such a sweet man!"

Allergy Free Fun Fridays!

2011-04-08T09:02:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Wheat Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Allergy Free, FUN ~~FREE~~ Fridays! Many of us have found ourselves in a predicament, trying to figure out what's for dinner that fits into a fairly restrictive diet, doesn't involve ingredients that you can't find at the grocery store and is, well, edible! It is quite expensive, not to mention disappointing, to buy some of the allergy free substitutes only to find out that it tastes like cardboard!

My hope with this weekly linky is that we can share some easy, tasty recipes that our families enjoy or recommend products that have worked or warn about those that have failed the test. My request would be that we submit recipes that are easy to make, involve easy to find ingredients, and is something you would serve to company (or my discriminating teens who scoff at anything they think is not made from "real" food!)

Please indicate next to your recipe or product the categories it fits: GF = gluten free, DF = dairy free, WF = wheat free, SF = sugar free, NF = nut free, etc. (feel free to add others where applicable.) If you add options that enable others to make your recipe fit their needs, then add {} around that category, as I did in the one below. My original version is not nut or gluten free, but with an easy substitution it can be!

Below is one of my favorite allergy free desserts to make, with additional options to fit various needs. I hope your family will enjoy it as much as we have and, yes, our company too!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE TREATS (WF, DF, {SF}, {GF}, {NF})

8c. Brown Rice crispy cereal (whole box of Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice cereal)
1c. Peanut Butter (OR other nut butter or sunflower butter)
1 pkg. Sunspire Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips, 12 oz (OR GF chocolate chips)
1/2 c. - 3/4 c. agave (OR honey)
olive oil spray

Stir together nut butter and agave. Melt chocolate chips in separate bowl. Add melted chocolate and rice cereal to nut butter mixture. Mix thoroughly. Press into sprayed pan.

NOTES: Add sweetener to taste, that's why the wide range of measurements in the recipe! If you prefer to use 1/2 c. xylitol or Splenda, then dissolve that into the melted chocolate and use less cereal and less agave. I attempted to make this without the agave and it really was too dry, but feel free to experiment and let me know what you do!

Proud member of Philly Social Media Moms!

Fashionably Late to the Ultimate Blog Party!

2011-04-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

Just discovered that there is a whole party going on that I've been missin'! Considering I never seem to get anywhere on time, it's not surprising that I'm running fashionably late in the blogosphere too! The Ultimate Blog Party started April 1st and ends April 8th...yikes, that's tomorrow! Hey, it's never to late to join the party, right? So I'm hopping in and if you are interested in joining me c'mon over to 5 Minutes for Mom and check out some of the other bloggers out there.

If you are stopping by to visit for the first time, welcome! This is My Mid-Life Motherhood where I've been sharing my experiences raising two teens and a toddler. I'm still a bit of a baby blogger, so I'm just starting to get into some regular weekly posts and hope to add some product reviews in the near future. Feel free to come back for my Dancing With The Stars updates or Top Ten Tuesdays.

Tomorrow I will start a new weekly linky focused on recipes for those of us with food allergies and sensitivities. If you too are struggling to find something delicious to serve your family that fits into certain dietary restrictions (wheat free, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, fun ~~free!~~ etc.) then come back tomorrow to see what kinds of recipes others may have to offer!

Feel free to kick back, relax and enjoy My Mid-Life Motherhood...I know I am!

Top Ten Things I Love About . . . Getting Gorgeous in NYC!

2011-04-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

On Saturday I posted my top ten favorite things about the Getting Gorgeous event in New York City. I thought that since today is Top Ten Tuesday, here at My Mid-Life Motherhood, that I would invite those who attended that event to participate and share their favorite things about Getting Gorgeous. If you did not participate, then feel free to share some of your favorite things about NYC in general.

To avoid repeating myself, I will focus on my favorite items from the various goodies gathered from vendors or gleaned in our goodie bags from the gals at Getting Gorgeous. Enjoy!

Top Ten Things I Love About...Getting Gorgeous Goodies!

Spin Pin hair twists from Goody. Amazingly one of those spirals can hold all of my hair in a bun!
My new black velvet Secret Sleeves scarf!
Degree motion activated deodorant. Love the long lasting scent!
Bejeweled flip flops from Flipout Sandals that my teenage daughter is very excited about!
Fragrant lilac candle from sarahpotempa.com!
Pretty dangly earings from Studio Jewel
Date night provided by gift card for Restaurant.com (Woohoo! A night out without the diaper bag!)
15 Minutes Outside by Rebecca P. Cohen. Great ideas I look forward to using with Baby!
Fur lined ipad cover from Weight Watchers, which happens to fit my laptop!
Getting glam and tip from Michael at Hair Room Service: Don't rinse out conditioner. Leave it in to cut down frizz in my mop of hair. Tried it and it works better than any anti-frizz product!

Dancing With The Stars: Week Three

2011-04-04T23:43:00.001-04:00

DWTS week 3 is just beginning and many of them look like they are dressed for the Rumba. Sounds like it should be an interesting evening since the stars have to pick a song that is meaningful to them and create a dance. Apparently, there will be many different styles tonight for story week.

Wendy: Sharing about her stuggle and hard work to become a radio DJ. I love the royal blue dress, but I'm not sure it's enough to wow the judges. We'll see.... The judges weren't quite sold on it. 15 is a tough blow and I predict will put her in the red light tomorrow night.

Chelsea: She is sharing a song that her first love wrote for her. Fun song titled "Chelse." She is really reminding me of Julianne Hough (I miss her!) Awesome Cha Cha Cha. The judges are loving it..."her best dance!" 23!

Chris: Chose "Let it Be" about his Mom who passed away in 2005. He is doing a fantastic job on the Rumba. Very touching...Carrie Anne is in tears about the tribute to his mother. I think Chris will be an unexpected challenger to Ralph Macchio. A 21...perhaps a bit lower than expected.

Kendra: She chose to share her love story with her husband. She seems to be doing a good job, but a bit awkward at times. Not really feeling it. I'm surprised that the judges liked it so much, I did not see what they saw in that performance. A 23 is much too high as far as I'm concerned. There is no way that she was as good as Chelsea.

Romeo: Sharing the loss of his cousins at very young ages. Nicely done to the song, "I'll Be There." Not sure that the judges will like it as much as Kendra's, but I think I enjoyed it better. A 20, pretty fair, since Chris received a 21 and I think he did do a better Rumba.

Hines: Dancing a Samba of thanks to his mom. Hmmm...samba is a pretty tough one. He can sure dance! Doesn't look at all difficult for him. Looks like another contender for the men. Wow! A nine, how exciting, for a total of 25!

Petra: Dancing about her relief efforts for the children in Thailand. She looks stunning! That waltz was just beautiful...it was over too soon...I wanted to keep on watching! A 9 from Len...impressive...a 25!

Sugar Ray: Can he comeback from the bottom two last week? His dance will be about his boxing come back. Love the start with the boxing emcee! The boxing robe is perfect for the Passo Doble! He's doing much better than the last two weeks, but I don't think he'll be able to keep up with the rest of the pack. The judges were very positive, so perhaps the scores will be a good boost and help him stay in it for a few more weeks. A 20!

Kirstie: Dancing to "Over The Rainbow" about the tragedy of losing her mother at the beginning of her acting career. Despite Maks hurting himself, that was a wonderful Rumba. Kirstie recovered so well with that unfortunate mishap. In my opinion, it was the best Rumba of the night so far! A 21!

Ralph: Awww, he's dancing to his wedding song, which was also the title song from The Outsiders, "Stay Gold." A beautiful job...greets his wife at the end...what a way to celebrate their anniversary this week! (she is looking a lot like Courtney Cox.) Hope the judges like it...I agree with Carrie Ann...it was a very sweet Rumba. A 21...I think that's a bit low...but should keep him in the running!

Everyone really stepped up their game this week. I really enjoyed watching many of the dances tonight. Looks like Ralph looses his two week lead to Hines and Petra. Wendy and Sugar Ray find themselves at the bottom of the pack and I predict it will be one of them going home tomorrow night. Check back tomorrow night for the Results Show Update!

RESULTS SHOW UPDATE:

Ooohhh! So nice that they saved Hines before they danced the exhibition dance. Sugar Ray's comback continues as he and Romeo are both saved to dance another day. Glad to see that Maks is doing well after that fall last night! Petra's safe but Wendy is in jeapordy...neither a surprise. Fun candid camera work with the stars. Selena Gomez is up...I enjoy her singing voice and our family loves watching Wizards of Waverly Place together. Yay! Chelsea is safe! Kendra is not. Never heard of the band OneRepublic, but I like their sound...kinda alternative rock. Yay! Ralph and Kirstie are both safe! Ooohh, Chris is not safe yet. I certainly hope he doesn't go home this soon! Kendra is safe, which leaves only Wendy and Chris in the bottom two. Whew! Chris is coming back...I was getting a bit worried there for a moment. So long Wendy!

Getting Gorgeous in NYC!

2011-04-02T23:46:00.000-04:00

Just returned from a fabulous day in New York City to attend the Getting Gorgeous event with fellow mom bloggers from across the region. I returned just a bit ago, giddy as a school girl, with my hair done and bags full of goodies. As I am now ready to collapse into bed I will not do a full blog post right now, but will just highlight my top ten favorite things:

Meeting up with old friends Sarah & Jo-Lynne.
Meeting new blogging friends Caitlin & Valerie.
Getting to meet other Philly Social Media Moms.
Traveling in style with the sweet rides from Bryner Chevy.
Kicking off the Getting Gorgeous event with a mamosa.
FREEBIES!
Getting to "play with the big kids" while being such a baby blogger.
The sights & sounds of the city.
Getting my hair done like a celebrity by Michael at Hair Room Service
Discovering that Hubby & kids treated Baby to some fun "first" activities during the day...she was in great hands!

A Day The Life Of My Mid-Life Motherhood

2011-03-31T23:48:00.009-04:00

Hit snooze button at least three times before waking to musical toad playing over baby monitor. Shower, dress, greet Babycake and provide her with her coveted Disney Princess books to keep her occupied for a few more minutes. Grab much needed cup of coffee. Pack up lunches for Hubby and kids. Make sure son leaves with all his school supplies so there is no need to make an extra trip to school!

Rescue Babycake who has since lost interest in books and is clamouring to get out of crib. Wrestle with her to change her diaper, get her dressed and brush her hair. Enjoy a game of "boo-pee", as she calls it, as I pull her dress down over her head! Come to the conclusion that somehow I have given birth to a future fashionista who is refusing to wear sneakers and insisting on her pretty little Easter shoes! Teach Baby her "cute question." I ask "How'd ya get to be so cute?" And she responds "It's in the genes!" (That's a bit advanced, so she just pats her pants...it's quite adorable.) Fondly recall the other kids' "cute questions": "Could you be any cuter?" "I don't think so!" (accompanied by an adorable shake of her blond curls!) And, "How cute are you?" "Too cute!" (which turned into "Three Cute" and so on, which he will still answer in a mom-I-can't-believe-you-are-asking-me-that smirk!)

Head down stairs to feed baby.  Share my breakfast with her to prevent her from hurting herself as she violently signs "please" by thumping her chest vigorously for my eggs! Clean up spilt milk from her inevitable sippy cup throws. Marvel that my laptop still works, despite having been splattered as a result of such shenanigans.

Put Baby back in crib with Noah's Ark set to play with while I get ready. Put make-up on, pack diaper bag and gather all our needed items to load in the car. Smile at Baby while she eagerly cleans up her toys and wonder how to cultivate the cleanly gene in at least one member of our household....

Drive 20 minutes in a light drizzle, all the while enjoying the adorable "concert from the car seat" as she "sings" along to her favorite music. Teach Ladies' Bible study at our church and enjoy the time of sweet fellowship with the other women while Babycake has a wonderful time playing. Feed her some lunch before heading back home. Regret handing her the cereal cup as she removes the lid and dumps her corn puffs on her lap. Smile at the sweet baby sound asleep with corn puffs strewn all over herself as we pull into our driveway. Very carefully transfer the tired tot from the car to the crib so as not to rouse her, because "2 minutes in the car equals 2 hours in the bed!"

Tidy up in the living room for company tonight. Wonder how Baby has survived this long as I pick up choking hazards of pencils, pens, erasers, dirty tissues and other dangerous objects strewn about by our two teens! Check periodically to make sure Baby is still breathing - neurotic, I know. Contemplate removing Valentine's and birthday cards. Decide against it since they are concealing most of the snowmen that are still decorating our house. Ponder packing away snowmen since April starts tomorrow. Justify not doing so since it may snow!

Clear the Laundry Chair (yes, admittedly failed Fly-Baby here), fold laundry and wonder where I'm going to put all the new hand-me-downs Babycake has received. Thank God for the friends who have given us so many clothes that we don't need to buy Baby a thing. Set those items in laundry basket on the landing to take up and deal with later. Bring down dirty laundry from upstairs, while carefully avoiding the basket on the landing! Start new load of laundry so no one in the family is forced to leave home to join a nudist colony.

Relax a bit watching NCIS on DVR while eating lunch. Wish bon-bons were on my D.I.E.T. (Don't Ingest Enjoyable Things!) Wonder what a bon-bon is anyway and why are we stay-at-home-moms supposed to be eating them? After lunch make wheat free, sugar free chocolate crisp treats to appease my chocolate cravings. Start soup stock for dinner. Check time sensitive emails. Research items for our upcoming Mother-Daughter banquet. Start on this blog post. Google "bon-bons". Invent term, "google regret", after viewing delectable chocolate treats on said search.

Heed the call of the wild child as she wakes, with quite a racket, from her 3 and a 1/2 hour nap - woohoo! Beam with delight as she talks gibberish, telling me all about the toys she's playing with and attempts to say "birdy." Regret such a long nap when I discover that she's completely soaked through and needs a wardrobe change. Frantically change her while both phones are ringing with requests to be picked up at the bus stop. Throw Baby in car.  Rush down through the mist to pick up my teens half way up the hill.

Monitor snack time, piano practice and evade pleas for homemade chocolate chip cookies. Cuddle with Babycake to read and sing some songs. Delegate daughter to babysitting duty. Be thankful that I had tidied up a bit so the house was in drop-in condition when someone stopped by. Strain soup stock, splashing the floor and burning my arm in the process. Thank the Lord that Baby was not underfoot in the kitchen at the time. Wrap arm in ice and attempt to chop veggies. Finish soup. Vacuum, sweep, and mop the floors. Chuckle at the fact that my kids are discussing how cool it is that a major chord inverted sounds like a minor chord in one of John Williams' Star Wars pieces. Enjoy the piano concert, otherwise known as practice. Marvel at how much they have learned in their years of Suzuki piano training. Evade more pleas for cookies.

Call the troops for dinner. Reprimand the baby repeatedly for throwing her sippy cup. Try not to laugh when it becomes a game. Grumble when her soup bowl ends up on my freshly mopped floor. Discuss school with older kids. Watch familiar dynamic of brother teasing sister about boys. Realize this is a new phase for us. Evade further pleas for cookies. Pause to take candid shots of Baby looking like a little flapper with her headband. Clean up Baby and keep her occupied in her chair with toys while teens do homework. Load dishwasher. Wash pots and pans. Consider training kids to do dishwasher or pot/pan duty like "Aunt" Joan always did. Regret my lack of chore training. Elicit son for babysitting duty in order to give in to pleas for REAL chocolate chip cookies. Chalk it up to PMS!

Bake cookies. Savor one fresh-from-the-oven real chocolate chip cookie. Justify it as reward for 14 lbs lost on aforementioned D.I.E.T! Give Babycake a bath and bedtime bottle. Greet Hubby from work. Complete last minute tasks before welcoming visitors. Wish Mother-in-law happy birthday. Take Baby up for bed. Cuddle and sing our night time songs while she hums along. Cherish the moment before putting her to bed.

Greet friends for ministry meeting. Deal with Baby who won't calm down for Big Sis. Tuck Baby in again. Return to meeting. Pray, laugh, plan, ponder. Bid them good night. Put away goodies. Ask Hubby to try my earlier cocoa concoction. LOL when he says, "I wouldn't serve 'em!" Make note not to leave agave out of that recipe in future. Sit down to complete blog post. Chuckle at Hubby on his laptop too. Realize laundry is not done. Sigh. Wonder how working moms get their laundry done. Have quiet time with Hubby. Kiss each child while they sleep. Wish there had been less cleaning and more fun and cuddling. Collapse in bed after moving laundry basket in the way to be dealt with later....

Top Ten Things I Love About. . . Tuesdays!

2011-03-29T11:01:00.001-04:00

Thought I would attempt my first linky, as a baby blogger (in so many different ways!) I'm trying to learn how to navigate the world of the blogosphere and incorporate that into my current mid-life motherhood! So in an effort to have a little fun I would like to initiate a weekly linky called: "Top Ten Things I Love About. . .!" Come back each week, have fun and be creative!

Here's my Top Ten Things I Love About. . .Tuesdays!:

It's not Monday!
It's that much closer to Friday!
Hubby will be home for family dinner!
A day at home with Babycake!
I have no place I need to go!
No after school activities!
The kids take the bus home!
It's 11 am and I'm still in my PJ's!
A long luxurious shower awaits me during naptime!
Dancing With The Stars Results show tonight!

Are You Ready For Some Dancin'?

2011-03-28T22:22:00.001-04:00

Week two of Dancing With The Stars starts . . . now! I'm expecting Chelsea, Ralph, Petra and Kirstie to do well . . . looking forward to their dances.

Sugar Ray: Can he do better than last week? He's got the Jive which should be good for his fast boxing feet. He had some good moves, but just couldn't keep up with Anna. The judges were tough but accurate . . . entertaining but not sharp. 17 sounds about right for Sugar Ray. Hopefully, he'll get to stick around a little longer.

Kendra: Hmm, will she stay or will she go? Not likin' that music for the Quick Step, doesn't seem to jive with the nice dress. She's dancing well, better than last week, but kinda reminds me of a stiff Barbie doll. 19 might be a bit generous in my point of view.

Chelsea: Creepy make-up on Mark. Uh-oh, they called it a risky Jive, that never bodes well. Weird song for a Jive. Not my favorite song or costumes, but there is no denying that she can dance! Oh, no . . .the judges wanted more Jive . . .I think she might cry. Hopefully, they won't be too hard on her with the score, since she has so much potential. Ouch! Low score with an 18, they deserved way more than that. Despite the make-up, they've got my vote!

Chris: Oooh! Luv the music for the Quick Step. Fun dance, he's doing very well. Now that is a classic Quick Step and he's doing much better this week. I think he has become a contender! It really was quite a transformation from the first dance. A 23!

Petra: She's got the Jive, which is supposed to be difficult for really tall people. She does seem a little awkward out there for this one. Just doesn't have the spark she had last week, but good effort. 18 is a fair score.

Kirstie: Her Cha Cha Cha last week was great! This week is the Quick Step, will she be able to keep up? She is keeping up and movin' those feet. She is fun to watch! I don't know if her footwork is up to snuff, but it looks good to my untrained eye! "Winning!" 20 is a bit low, I think she deserved higher marks.

Mike: Should he stay or should he go? This dance could decide it. The Boys are Back In Town, is a good song. He's doing much better than last week, but it's not great. 17 is appropriate, but not sure it's enough to keep him around.

Romeo: Romeo needs to learn how to be a gentleman. Let's see how he's doing. Dancing to "You're The One That I Want" from Grease! A lot to live up to in that song! I think he's doing very well, fun quick step, Chelsea is a good teacher. Wow! Len thought that was the best dance of the night, which is a bit surprising to me. A 23, job well done!

Wendy: She needs to come out of her shell with this dance or she will be the first one going home. Fun Quick Step and she's bringing a little more personality to it, but not sure it's quick enough. Much better than last week, a definite improvement. 17 is probably fair, considering she lost some steam part way through.

Ralph: Hope he can keep his lead! Awesome energy right off the bat! Wow! He never seems really sure in rehearsal and then he comes out and wow's ya! He really keeps up with Karina. Len's calling it frenzied Jive, but I don't think so, (Len's just having a cranky day!) He should be around for a long time! 21 is ok, but I think he deserved a higher score than that. He is still at the top of the leader board after two weeks!

Hines: Enjoying the dance and the song, Part-Time Lover. He is doing very well, a nice classic Quick Step. Twinkle Toes is his new nickname! I'm guessing three 8's. Close . . . Len is still cranky and stuck a seven in there for a 23.

After all the dancing is done Ralph maintains his lead and I believe will be back to dance another day. I'm not so sure that Mike will be back in town after tomorrow's elimination. He would probably be my first choice to go, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Kendra or Sugar Ray leaving town tomorrow night. It all depends on who's got the biggest fan base, so I think Sugar Ray has the best chance of hanging in there for a few more weeks!

UPDATE ON ELIMINATION NIGHT:

Who will stay and who will go? Hines is saved first and Chris too! They definitely earned it. Uh oh, Sugar Ray is in jeapordy. . .no surprise there.

So that is Chris Brown, eh? Reminds me of Michael Jackson with some of his moves. But I'm thankful for my DVR. . .fast forwarding. (Although the electric light song was pretty cool to watch.)

Yay! Ralph is coming back and so is Kirstie. Cheers in our living room from our family when Chelsea was saved!

So what is the deal with this new dance troupe? As long as they keep Tristan talking with his Irish brogue. . .who cares?! As we're watching, my daugher asked, "Which one is the Irish guy?" Hubby's response, as he tries to ignore that fact that we're watching DWTS, "The guy dancing with the Irish accent." LOL!

If it comes down to a choice between Mike and Sugar Ray, I'm guessing that Sugar Ray has more of a fan base. We'll see after this commercial break. . .

Looks like Wendy is joining Sugar Ray and Mike under the elimination spotlight. It's a toss up. Wendy is safe! I think she improved so much between week one and week two. The first star leaving DWTS this season is, drum roll please . . . Mike. Sugar Ray was obviously saved by his fans and, if he improves a tad, could outlast Wendy and Kendra, but we'll see. . . .

I'm not surpised that Mike is the first one going home, but perhaps this boy will be back in town again. Based on his humor, they should consider bringing Mike back for some of those finals weeks antics . . . he'd be perfect!

Works For Me Wednesday: Our Lil' Book Nook

2011-03-23T18:48:00.001-04:00

It took two days for me to reorganize these books in our playroom!

BEFORE!

AFTER!

Now Baby has a nice little reading corner right by her board books and toddler friendly material. She has been enjoying sitting in her new Disney Princess chair while perusing such "classics" as Barnyard Dance and On the Farm.

Our Lil' Princess Book Nook!

Her little sitting area comes with her very own Disney Princess slippers too. Now she can read in style:)

Check out some other Work For Me Wednesday posts.