The line that did me in was, "Your daughter is so much more than a princess."
You MUST watch this right now.
How freaking amazing is Debbie? I love her.
I pre-ordered a set of GoldieBlox for my girls because I want to support this company and what they're trying to accomplish.
I would love to see an entire aisle of toys like this at Toys R Us or Target!
If you want to support girls getting involved in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, if you want to support a company that is going to change the world one girl at a time, if you want to do something good and healthy for the mind of a girl you love, click here and visit their website.
(Nobody paid me to write this or gave me anything, I'm just all fired up about this idea and I wanted to share it with you!)
Showing posts with label Good Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good Stuff. Show all posts
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Go for the Gold
 |
| http://pmgsports.com/davidboudia |
Claire came home today with a fever. When she figured out that she wouldn't be going to school tomorrow, she was crushed.
We tried reasoning, we tried explaining, we tried watching videos of him on YouTube, we tried distraction... She was inconsolable.
"If the Bloggess can convince Wil Wheaton to collate paper via Twitter," I thought, "maybe I can get an Olympian to call my daughter so she will stop sobbing."
So I did this:
@davidboudia My kid has a fever and is crying b/c she's going to miss your visit @ school. Any chance you could call her or something? HELP!...and he replied! Long story short, he called and they spoke and she beamed. He was so sweet. What a nice person. He gets a gold medal in making little girls' days.
— Amy Austin (@prettybabies) September 27, 2012
After we hung up I said to Claire, "I am so happy to see your smile again," and she said, "Mommy, you're the BEST!"
Thank you, David. You are a class act!
PS - I think she might have a crush on you. If you start getting love letters from a secret admirer that are written in crayon, you'll know where they came from.
PPS - I think she also thinks that you're her new gymnastics teacher. Don't worry. I'll figure that one out later.
PPPS - unless you want to teach her gymanstics. That would be pretty cool!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Baby Carrier Giveaway!
The contest is over and we have a winner, thanks!
Behold!
This, my friends, is the brand spankin' new Britax baby carrier! It is like the Baby Bjorn and the Ergo had a baby - it's as easy to use as a Bjorn, but positions the baby's spine correctly like an Ergo.
It can be used with babies 8 - 32 pounds (and let's be honest, who wants to wear a baby who weighs more than 32 pounds - ouch!). The white part on the front is super soft and cuddly.
Unlike the Ergo, where the infant insert is sold separately, the infant insert is built right in to the Britax carrier. (That makes the Britax considerably less expensive than the Ergo for new babies).
The baby can face in or out - out being Jack's preferred position - in the Britax. The Ergo is inward-facing only.
You can't wear it on your back, but to be honest, I've never been comfortable with that position, anyway. Maybe it's because I have long, pullable hair.
When I first put Jack into the Ergo, he cried and fussed. We never have gotten the hang of it. Not so with the Britax. He was calm and comfortable the entire time we wore it. I really love it, and I can't wait to test it out at the Children's Museum next week!
I didn't want to wait that long to tell you about it, though, because I have the opportunity to give one away! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Facebook friends will need to click through to my blog (http://prettybabies.blogspot.com) because Facebook comments won't count this time. You don't have to have a baby to win, either. This would make an awesome gift for a new parent. The MSRP is $129.99!
One comment/entry per person, ok? Don't forget to include a way for me to get in touch with you if you win!
Good luck!
Behold!
This, my friends, is the brand spankin' new Britax baby carrier! It is like the Baby Bjorn and the Ergo had a baby - it's as easy to use as a Bjorn, but positions the baby's spine correctly like an Ergo.
It can be used with babies 8 - 32 pounds (and let's be honest, who wants to wear a baby who weighs more than 32 pounds - ouch!). The white part on the front is super soft and cuddly.
Unlike the Ergo, where the infant insert is sold separately, the infant insert is built right in to the Britax carrier. (That makes the Britax considerably less expensive than the Ergo for new babies).
The baby can face in or out - out being Jack's preferred position - in the Britax. The Ergo is inward-facing only.
You can't wear it on your back, but to be honest, I've never been comfortable with that position, anyway. Maybe it's because I have long, pullable hair.
When I first put Jack into the Ergo, he cried and fussed. We never have gotten the hang of it. Not so with the Britax. He was calm and comfortable the entire time we wore it. I really love it, and I can't wait to test it out at the Children's Museum next week!
I didn't want to wait that long to tell you about it, though, because I have the opportunity to give one away! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Facebook friends will need to click through to my blog (http://prettybabies.blogspot.com) because Facebook comments won't count this time. You don't have to have a baby to win, either. This would make an awesome gift for a new parent. The MSRP is $129.99!
One comment/entry per person, ok? Don't forget to include a way for me to get in touch with you if you win!
Good luck!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Got Hair?
There's a lot of hair in this house. Mary Grace has difficult hair. It's thick and curly. Very, very curly. I tease her that she spends most nights lying in her bed tying it in knots. Claire, on the other hand, has thick, straight hair, and a very tender head. And of course, my hair (which desperately needs to be cut) is also thick, but mine is more wavy than curly.
Consequently, I used to spend at least 15 minutes every morning dealing with hair. Generally this involved chasing a screaming Claire around the house, threatening to shave her head if she didn't just suck it up and let me comb her hair, already. Mary Grace behaved better, but it still broke my heart to hear her say, "Ouch Mommy, it hurts!" as tears rolled down her sweet cheeks. I'd tell her that I remember my mom combing the tangles out of my hair, too, and I know how much it hurts, but there's nothing I can do.
Then I heard about a product that has changed our lives. I loved it so much that I contacted the company and asked them if I could share it with you! Behold:
That, my friends, is a Magic Flowerpot by Tangle Teezer, and they are not kidding when they say it's magic.
The top part lifts out, and there are eensy weensy little plastic tines on the other side. Somehow, probably with magic, it takes out the tangles without hurting the kid. Even Claire's tender head!
I can brush Mary Grace's hair dry, which is something I haven't been able to do since she was one. This is going to make our winters so much easier - it used to be that I had to soak her hair to comb it, and then worry about her going out in the cold with a wet head. We won't have to worry about it next winter!
The kids have even asked to comb their own hair with the Magic Flowerpot, and because of the magic they can actually do a pretty decent job of it - freeing me up to do other things in the morning. I just give it a once-over when they're done, and we go. No more 15 minute hair battles in our house!
I'm still in the post-partum shed - I don't know how I actually have any hair left to lose at this point, because it has been six months, but I'm losing a TON of hair every day. It was all over the bathroom before, because the brush I used to use didn't grab it as well. The tines on the Tangle Teezer actually grab the hair better, resulting in less mess (and fewer loose hairs all over the house).
You can buy the regular Tangle Teezer at Sally Beauty Supply (which is what I did) or you can order one online. I'm excited to be able to give you an opportunity to win one, too! All you have to do is go to the Magic Flowerpot by Tangle Teezer's Facebook page and click "LIKE," then post a comment on the wall saying that you came from http://prettybabies.blogspot.
Good luck!
Consequently, I used to spend at least 15 minutes every morning dealing with hair. Generally this involved chasing a screaming Claire around the house, threatening to shave her head if she didn't just suck it up and let me comb her hair, already. Mary Grace behaved better, but it still broke my heart to hear her say, "Ouch Mommy, it hurts!" as tears rolled down her sweet cheeks. I'd tell her that I remember my mom combing the tangles out of my hair, too, and I know how much it hurts, but there's nothing I can do.
Then I heard about a product that has changed our lives. I loved it so much that I contacted the company and asked them if I could share it with you! Behold:
The top part lifts out, and there are eensy weensy little plastic tines on the other side. Somehow, probably with magic, it takes out the tangles without hurting the kid. Even Claire's tender head!
The kids have even asked to comb their own hair with the Magic Flowerpot, and because of the magic they can actually do a pretty decent job of it - freeing me up to do other things in the morning. I just give it a once-over when they're done, and we go. No more 15 minute hair battles in our house!
I'm still in the post-partum shed - I don't know how I actually have any hair left to lose at this point, because it has been six months, but I'm losing a TON of hair every day. It was all over the bathroom before, because the brush I used to use didn't grab it as well. The tines on the Tangle Teezer actually grab the hair better, resulting in less mess (and fewer loose hairs all over the house).
You can buy the regular Tangle Teezer at Sally Beauty Supply (which is what I did) or you can order one online. I'm excited to be able to give you an opportunity to win one, too! All you have to do is go to the Magic Flowerpot by Tangle Teezer's Facebook page and click "LIKE," then post a comment on the wall saying that you came from http://prettybabies.blogspot.
Good luck!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thank you
All of the support that you have shown our family this week means so much. We've received so many calls, texts, emails, comments, and cards. So many of you have offered your love and support. It truly touches our hearts to know that Max was loved by so many of our friends and family, too.
I wanted to share a couple of special stories...
Our neighbor, J, is 11. He and his parents and his baby sister live two doors down. He mowed our lawn for us while we were gone last weekend, and with everything that happened, BJ and I both forgot to pay him. I called him after school yesterday and said, "When the storm is over, come down so I can pay you. I'm so sorry we forgot."
J's mom came down after work and told me that J had asked her if, instead of paying him to mow the lawn, if it would be ok if he asked us to donate the money to the Humane Society in Max's memory, instead. And his little sister, who is 3, told her mommy that she's going to grow up and be a vet so she can make Max strong and healthy again.
What wonderful kids, and what a lovely family.
Other friends of ours have also made donations in Max's memory. It just blows me away. I've never been on the receiving end of memorial donations, before. I had no idea how much it would mean to me. What a beautiful thing to do.
Our vet, Dr. Miller, called me last night to check on us. We spent 15 minutes on the phone, with her reassuring me that we had done the right thing, that we couldn't have known any earlier that anything was wrong with Max, and that even if we had known, there was nothing we could have done to fix it. It really helped ease my mind, because I had started to question whether or not we had done the right thing, whether or not it was really painless when we let her be euthanized, and whether or not we missed some sign in the last month or two that something was wrong. I'd spent a good part of yesterday Googling. Google is sometimes not my friend.
BJ and I are surrounded by such loving, wonderful, generous people - from our family to our neighbors to our friends and colleagues to the professionals we've chosen to work with our family (teachers, doctors, dentists, vets, insurance agents, accountants...) - we are truly, truly blessed. Thank you so much for loving us so well.
I wanted to share a couple of special stories...
Our neighbor, J, is 11. He and his parents and his baby sister live two doors down. He mowed our lawn for us while we were gone last weekend, and with everything that happened, BJ and I both forgot to pay him. I called him after school yesterday and said, "When the storm is over, come down so I can pay you. I'm so sorry we forgot."
J's mom came down after work and told me that J had asked her if, instead of paying him to mow the lawn, if it would be ok if he asked us to donate the money to the Humane Society in Max's memory, instead. And his little sister, who is 3, told her mommy that she's going to grow up and be a vet so she can make Max strong and healthy again.
What wonderful kids, and what a lovely family.
Other friends of ours have also made donations in Max's memory. It just blows me away. I've never been on the receiving end of memorial donations, before. I had no idea how much it would mean to me. What a beautiful thing to do.
Our vet, Dr. Miller, called me last night to check on us. We spent 15 minutes on the phone, with her reassuring me that we had done the right thing, that we couldn't have known any earlier that anything was wrong with Max, and that even if we had known, there was nothing we could have done to fix it. It really helped ease my mind, because I had started to question whether or not we had done the right thing, whether or not it was really painless when we let her be euthanized, and whether or not we missed some sign in the last month or two that something was wrong. I'd spent a good part of yesterday Googling. Google is sometimes not my friend.
BJ and I are surrounded by such loving, wonderful, generous people - from our family to our neighbors to our friends and colleagues to the professionals we've chosen to work with our family (teachers, doctors, dentists, vets, insurance agents, accountants...) - we are truly, truly blessed. Thank you so much for loving us so well.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Carrot Cake Pancakes
Happy Easter!
Carrot Cake Pancakes
Makes about 18 pancakes
3/4 cup oat flour (pulse rolled oats in food processor or blender - 1 c oats = 3/4 c oat flour)
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash ginger
dash cloves
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup finely shredded carrot
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup finely shredded carrot
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs, beaten
Optional:
chopped pecans
raisins
Whisk the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, spices and salt) together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the butter, milk, shredded carrot, honey and eggs together until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Don't overmix.
Cook on a hot griddle or in a skillet. If desired, spoon batter onto griddle, then sprinkle raisins and/or pecans onto the top of the pancake just before flipping.
Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet or keep them warm in a low oven. Serve with honey and Greek yogurt, maple syrup, or sweetened cream cheese.
This is the best way to get a serving of veggies in before noon!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Baby Cakes
My friend Sarah shared a VERY cute idea last time I saw her, and my friends Jim and Karen used it this weekend.
Instead of having the ultrasound technician tell them the baby's gender during their 20 week ultrasound, they had her write it in an envelope and seal it. They kept the envelope for weeks, showing enormous restraint that I, personally, do not possess. Finally, Jim brought it over to my house on Thursday, and I went to the nearest bakery as quickly as possible to remove the temptation to peek. I instructed the bakery to make the filling between the layers of white cake pink for a girl and blue for a boy.
Then Saturday, BJ picked up the cake and again with the temptation! I thought of half a dozen ways to peek, but I didn't. Karen picked the cake up Saturday night when she dropped me off from my birthday celebration, and we waited some more (longest. weekend. ever...) until she cut it at her son's birthday party on Sunday afternoon. I had sent an e-mail to the guests instructing them to wear pink if they guessed it was a girl, and blue if they guessed it was a boy.
Karen and Jim have three wonderful little boys. And she's pregnant with... A GIRL!
The best part was watching and hearing everyone react to the news. Her oldest sons hugged each other and jumped up and down. You would've thought they won the lottery! And everyone cheered and cried and hugged and laughed. It was such a cool moment.
It almost makes me want to have a fourth so I can have a baby cake!
Hooray babies! Congratulations Jim and Karen!!!
Instead of having the ultrasound technician tell them the baby's gender during their 20 week ultrasound, they had her write it in an envelope and seal it. They kept the envelope for weeks, showing enormous restraint that I, personally, do not possess. Finally, Jim brought it over to my house on Thursday, and I went to the nearest bakery as quickly as possible to remove the temptation to peek. I instructed the bakery to make the filling between the layers of white cake pink for a girl and blue for a boy.
Then Saturday, BJ picked up the cake and again with the temptation! I thought of half a dozen ways to peek, but I didn't. Karen picked the cake up Saturday night when she dropped me off from my birthday celebration, and we waited some more (longest. weekend. ever...) until she cut it at her son's birthday party on Sunday afternoon. I had sent an e-mail to the guests instructing them to wear pink if they guessed it was a girl, and blue if they guessed it was a boy.
Karen and Jim have three wonderful little boys. And she's pregnant with... A GIRL!
The best part was watching and hearing everyone react to the news. Her oldest sons hugged each other and jumped up and down. You would've thought they won the lottery! And everyone cheered and cried and hugged and laughed. It was such a cool moment.
It almost makes me want to have a fourth so I can have a baby cake!
Hooray babies! Congratulations Jim and Karen!!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Chapter Books!!!
The age I've been waiting for since I got pregnant in 2004 has finally arrived. Mary Grace is old enough for Chapter Books!
Up until recently, she hasn't had the attention span to read books without pictures, where the story spanned several days of reading a chapter or two at bedtime, but her cousins gave her a stack of their old Junie B. Jones books
, and she is hooked. Claire is a little less into them, but she'll get there.
Actually, we sort of screwed up with Claire and reading - we have always read at Mary Grace's level, which meant that the books were above Claire's head and she was completely uninterested. We didn't figure it out until she was about 2-1/2. As soon as we got out Mary Grace's old books and started reading at Claire's level, she got interested. It's really important, with multiple kids, to make sure you're reading to each child at their own level (or just a smidge above their level). Claire still loves books that teach the ABCs, with big pictures, and shorter books with lots of rhyming and meter, and that's fine. There's no better way to ruin a kid's love of reading than to push them too far too fast, IMHO. There's plenty of time for War and Peace later. (She'll listen to the chapter books, but she gets bored quickly and wanders away. I think she listens as long as she does because she wants to be like her big sister. If she were an only child, she wouldn't sit still as long as she does for them).
Anyway, back to chapter books... the first thing I did was order the Little House books (see convenient picture ad, above). These were my favorites when I was a kid. I must have read them a hundred times, and I was Laura for Halloween more than once. They shipped today, and I can't wait to start them. (Plus, Laura is a better role model than Junie B. Let's face it, that Junie B. is a brat. We've already had lots of discussions about how Junie B. is NOT someone we want to emulate.) I also want to read the Madeline L'Engle books to her. I remember that I loved A Wrinkle in Time
even though I have no idea, now, what it was about.
I know a bunch of you are teachers, and a bunch of you are book lovers. Some of you are both! Help me build a good list. What are your favorite books for little girls just starting chapter books?
(The links above are Amazon Associates links, which means that if you click them and buy stuff I get a penny or two added to my own book fund, so thanks!)
Up until recently, she hasn't had the attention span to read books without pictures, where the story spanned several days of reading a chapter or two at bedtime, but her cousins gave her a stack of their old Junie B. Jones books
, and she is hooked. Claire is a little less into them, but she'll get there.Actually, we sort of screwed up with Claire and reading - we have always read at Mary Grace's level, which meant that the books were above Claire's head and she was completely uninterested. We didn't figure it out until she was about 2-1/2. As soon as we got out Mary Grace's old books and started reading at Claire's level, she got interested. It's really important, with multiple kids, to make sure you're reading to each child at their own level (or just a smidge above their level). Claire still loves books that teach the ABCs, with big pictures, and shorter books with lots of rhyming and meter, and that's fine. There's no better way to ruin a kid's love of reading than to push them too far too fast, IMHO. There's plenty of time for War and Peace later. (She'll listen to the chapter books, but she gets bored quickly and wanders away. I think she listens as long as she does because she wants to be like her big sister. If she were an only child, she wouldn't sit still as long as she does for them).
Anyway, back to chapter books... the first thing I did was order the Little House books (see convenient picture ad, above). These were my favorites when I was a kid. I must have read them a hundred times, and I was Laura for Halloween more than once. They shipped today, and I can't wait to start them. (Plus, Laura is a better role model than Junie B. Let's face it, that Junie B. is a brat. We've already had lots of discussions about how Junie B. is NOT someone we want to emulate.) I also want to read the Madeline L'Engle books to her. I remember that I loved A Wrinkle in Time
even though I have no idea, now, what it was about.I know a bunch of you are teachers, and a bunch of you are book lovers. Some of you are both! Help me build a good list. What are your favorite books for little girls just starting chapter books?
(The links above are Amazon Associates links, which means that if you click them and buy stuff I get a penny or two added to my own book fund, so thanks!)
Monday, February 1, 2010
Product Recommendations!
If you know me in real life, you know that I've been walking around like a plumber for about a month now. ALL of my pants are falling down. Even my formerly-tight ones!
YAY!
I know a lot of you are on this journey with me, so when I found and tried this product (which I bought with my own money, no one is compensating me in any way to write this, except Amazon Associates if you decide to buy it via this link - I think I get 75 cents or something) I knew I had to share it with you.
Behold, the ADJUST-a-BUTTON!
This is one of those products that I look at and think, "Duh! Why didn't I think of that??" It's a button on a lapel pin. If you've lost weight and you need to tighten up your pants (so you're not lookin' like a fool, right?), all you do is stick the pin through the waist of your jeans a couple inches past where the button is sewn, and then you button the button hole through the button on a pin, rather than the button that's already there.
Brilliant.
I'm hoping that with this product I can buy every-other-size of pants, rather than every size, on the way down. Thus saving myself lots of money.
Money that I can spend on cute tops, instead.
Speaking of tops, have you tried VitaTops? HungryGirl swears by them, but I was skeptical (mainly because of the name, who wants to eat something that tastes like vitamins?). I tried them yesterday, and YUM.
They're only 100 calories, and there's a lot of good fiber and vitamins and stuff going on in there. I got mine at the grocery store for about $1 each, but you can buy them from Amazon for a bit more and get them shipped straight to your door. Note that you have to keep them in the freezer, because they don't contain any preservatives, so before you go and buy a case, make sure you have the freezer space to deal with them, ok? I got the "deep chocolate" that I linked to, there, but there are lots and lots of flavors. Try them and let me know which you like. (FYI, Kroger carries the Deep Chocolate and the Corn Muffin flavors).
Speaking of corn meal, I made mush for my kids for breakfast the other day, because Claire is obsessed with Goodnight Moon ("Goodnight nobody, goodnight mush..."). They didn't love it. It was super easy, though. All you do is mix 1/2 cup of corn meal with 2 cups of water, and stir it and stir it on the stove until it thickens. It looks and tastes kind of like cream of wheat. Like I said, my kids didn't love it, but it was kind of fun anyway. I like to "cook the book." When Mary Grace was obsessed with Peter Rabbit (I must have read that book 1000 times) she really got into having chamomile tea for snack.
One last thing, speaking of corn, have you seen Food, Inc.? Oh. My. God. It made me feel really good about our decision to feed our kids organic milk (Horizon, usually) and organic beef (that we get from BJ's uncle, who is a farmer south of here). I'm currently shopping for an organic pork farmer - the farmer's market starts in April, and I'm 85% sure I remember a pork farmer being there. I have a source for "happy chickens" (coincidentally it's the same person I get happy popcorn from, and it's way better than grocery store popcorn. Please don't eat the microwave stuff with any sort of frequency. The yellow dye in the butter will kill you. Besides, it's super easy to make real popcorn on the stove and it tastes a zillion times better). Anyway, jeez, ramble much Amy?
Food Inc. is about the way our food is made in the U.S., and all the things that are wrong with that system. I really think that we all need to think more critically about what we're eating, and why we're eating it, and what we can do to make healthier, more sustainable choices. You know this is something I've been thinking about a lot, lately, because I wrote this not too long ago.
If you have Netflix you can download Food Inc. and watch it for free. It's also available on-demand from Amazon for a couple bucks - click here - Food Inc.
Did you see Oprah talking about this last week? She had Alicia Silverstone on, who is my age and still looks 17 so she must be doing something right, along with Michael Pollan and they talked very carefully about food (because Oprah got sued a few years ago by the beef industry for saying, "I'm not eating hamburger anymore..." Crazy! Isn't this America??).
Anyway, it was very thought provoking, and I challenge all of you to see it, and tell me what you think!
That is enough rambling for today. Go forth and shop!! Let me know what you think if you try (or have tried) any of this stuff.
YAY!
I know a lot of you are on this journey with me, so when I found and tried this product (which I bought with my own money, no one is compensating me in any way to write this, except Amazon Associates if you decide to buy it via this link - I think I get 75 cents or something) I knew I had to share it with you.
Behold, the ADJUST-a-BUTTON!
This is one of those products that I look at and think, "Duh! Why didn't I think of that??" It's a button on a lapel pin. If you've lost weight and you need to tighten up your pants (so you're not lookin' like a fool, right?), all you do is stick the pin through the waist of your jeans a couple inches past where the button is sewn, and then you button the button hole through the button on a pin, rather than the button that's already there.
Brilliant.
I'm hoping that with this product I can buy every-other-size of pants, rather than every size, on the way down. Thus saving myself lots of money.
Money that I can spend on cute tops, instead.
Speaking of tops, have you tried VitaTops? HungryGirl swears by them, but I was skeptical (mainly because of the name, who wants to eat something that tastes like vitamins?). I tried them yesterday, and YUM.
They're only 100 calories, and there's a lot of good fiber and vitamins and stuff going on in there. I got mine at the grocery store for about $1 each, but you can buy them from Amazon for a bit more and get them shipped straight to your door. Note that you have to keep them in the freezer, because they don't contain any preservatives, so before you go and buy a case, make sure you have the freezer space to deal with them, ok? I got the "deep chocolate" that I linked to, there, but there are lots and lots of flavors. Try them and let me know which you like. (FYI, Kroger carries the Deep Chocolate and the Corn Muffin flavors).
Speaking of corn meal, I made mush for my kids for breakfast the other day, because Claire is obsessed with Goodnight Moon ("Goodnight nobody, goodnight mush..."). They didn't love it. It was super easy, though. All you do is mix 1/2 cup of corn meal with 2 cups of water, and stir it and stir it on the stove until it thickens. It looks and tastes kind of like cream of wheat. Like I said, my kids didn't love it, but it was kind of fun anyway. I like to "cook the book." When Mary Grace was obsessed with Peter Rabbit (I must have read that book 1000 times) she really got into having chamomile tea for snack.
One last thing, speaking of corn, have you seen Food, Inc.? Oh. My. God. It made me feel really good about our decision to feed our kids organic milk (Horizon, usually) and organic beef (that we get from BJ's uncle, who is a farmer south of here). I'm currently shopping for an organic pork farmer - the farmer's market starts in April, and I'm 85% sure I remember a pork farmer being there. I have a source for "happy chickens" (coincidentally it's the same person I get happy popcorn from, and it's way better than grocery store popcorn. Please don't eat the microwave stuff with any sort of frequency. The yellow dye in the butter will kill you. Besides, it's super easy to make real popcorn on the stove and it tastes a zillion times better). Anyway, jeez, ramble much Amy?
Food Inc. is about the way our food is made in the U.S., and all the things that are wrong with that system. I really think that we all need to think more critically about what we're eating, and why we're eating it, and what we can do to make healthier, more sustainable choices. You know this is something I've been thinking about a lot, lately, because I wrote this not too long ago.
If you have Netflix you can download Food Inc. and watch it for free. It's also available on-demand from Amazon for a couple bucks - click here - Food Inc.
Did you see Oprah talking about this last week? She had Alicia Silverstone on, who is my age and still looks 17 so she must be doing something right, along with Michael Pollan and they talked very carefully about food (because Oprah got sued a few years ago by the beef industry for saying, "I'm not eating hamburger anymore..." Crazy! Isn't this America??). Anyway, it was very thought provoking, and I challenge all of you to see it, and tell me what you think!
That is enough rambling for today. Go forth and shop!! Let me know what you think if you try (or have tried) any of this stuff.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Lows and Highs
Yesterday was a really crummy day. Sorry for not posting. I called BJ at work and said, "When you get home I am LEAVING," and when he got home I bravely ran away. Don't worry, I came back. All my stuff is here.
***
When Claire was little, BJ would give MG a bath while I nursed Claire to sleep. When MG got out of the tub, she would crawl into bed with me, and I would sniff her head (usually right at her neck, to make her giggle) and say, "MMMMMMmmmmm! You smell so nice and bathy!" We used Johnson & Johnson's bedtime baby shampoo on her then, the stuff that smells like lavendar. That smell still takes me right back to that time.
I woke up this morning to exciting news! I won the Pay Your Way to Blogher Sweepstakes, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, to cover the costs associated with getting to the conference, and a Flip video camera! My roommates and I are so excited, and so grateful to Johnson & Johnson's!!!!! We're also grateful to GM, for sponsoring the vehicle we're carpooling in to get to the conference!
I can not WAIT to bring you exciting coverage of this conference, on my new Flip!!
I really needed good news today, after a rough week. Thanks so much, Johnson & Johnson, GM, Flip, BlogHer!!
My friend Cate, who lives in Alaska, is going to be here any minute, but I just had to share this amazing news, and my gratitude, with all of you! Today is looking like a MUCH better day.
***
When Claire was little, BJ would give MG a bath while I nursed Claire to sleep. When MG got out of the tub, she would crawl into bed with me, and I would sniff her head (usually right at her neck, to make her giggle) and say, "MMMMMMmmmmm! You smell so nice and bathy!" We used Johnson & Johnson's bedtime baby shampoo on her then, the stuff that smells like lavendar. That smell still takes me right back to that time.
I woke up this morning to exciting news! I won the Pay Your Way to Blogher Sweepstakes, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, to cover the costs associated with getting to the conference, and a Flip video camera! My roommates and I are so excited, and so grateful to Johnson & Johnson's!!!!! We're also grateful to GM, for sponsoring the vehicle we're carpooling in to get to the conference!
I can not WAIT to bring you exciting coverage of this conference, on my new Flip!!
I really needed good news today, after a rough week. Thanks so much, Johnson & Johnson, GM, Flip, BlogHer!!
My friend Cate, who lives in Alaska, is going to be here any minute, but I just had to share this amazing news, and my gratitude, with all of you! Today is looking like a MUCH better day.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
ProMom Tips for Indoor Playgrounds
An indoor playground (the chain is Monkey Joe's) recently opened here. It is chock full o' inflatable playthings for kids aged 0 - 12. We made our first trip today, and I'd like to share what we learned.1) Take older kids.
Beg, borrow, or steal 'em. Unless you have a burning desire to personally experience the bouncy things (and probably get sea sick) yourself, a couple of trusted older kids will safely shepherd your little ones through the inflatable jungle, so that you can sit back and relax. Befriend someone whose kids are 5 years older than your own, and you can have a MomDate while your kids play together.
2) Timing is everything.
Our local indoor playground is open from 10 am - 6 pm. Lunch and nap fall right in the middle of that time period. We arrived around 10:45 and had planned to eat at the pizza joint in the same building (all you can eat buffet) for lunch, but our plan was thwarted when we realized (after we paid, of course) that they don't allow you to leave and return. Bummer! So we ordered a pizza from the concession stand (expensive!). Fortunately, they forgot to order our pizza, so we were able to negotiate with the manager to eat across the hall at Cici's and then return. You may not be so lucky, though. Plan to either go early and eat there (expensive!), or eat a late (huge) breakfast to see them through. Or, have early lunch and nap, and go from, say, 1 pm to 6 pm if possible to get your money's worth.
3) Don't forget your credit card.
The admission was $8 for kids 3 and up, and $5 for kids 2 and younger. Ouch! You can see why we didn't want to eat at the expensive concession stand ($2.50 for a hot dog! I can buy an entire package of 8 hot dogs and buns for $2 with coupons). They have drinking fountains. Make the kids use 'em. I was able to get an empty cup for water ("My kid can't use a drinking fountain yet...") and keep it at our table for drinks.
4) Don't forget, the park is free.
Monkey Joe's and places like that are nice for rainy or snowy weather, but I would never spend the kind of money we spent today on a sunny day, when I could take the aforementioned hot dogs and buns to the park and let the kids play for free. On the other hand, the park is crowded on nice days, and MJ's will probably be deserted. If you want the place all to yourself, go on a nice day. If you want to save money, hit the park on a nice day and save MJ's for wintertime.
5) Amenities
Our Monkey Joe's has a Nursing Room (I'm not sure how I feel about nursing rooms - on the one hand, it's nice that it's available, but on the other I think we need to normalize nursing in public to the extent that specific rooms won't be necessary...) You can't see out from the nursing room - it could really use a one-way window or two-way mirror or whatever those things are called - so if you have kids of a variety of ages, you're going to have to just trust them not to kill themselves or nurse in the open (go for it - I've nursed all over the world for four years and only been hassled once).
There is a smallish area for toddlers with a few toys.
There are video games. Why anyone would pump quarters into machines after paying the outrageous admission is beyond my comprehension, but I guess some people really like video games and don't mind paying for them through the nose. If you really want to do video games, Chuck E. Cheese doesn't charge admission.
There are three or four party rooms that are separate from the main area.
There are nice comfy chairs (reclining glider things) with ottomans for the parents, as well as several tables scattered around. Before lunch we sat at a table, but after lunch we went for the comfy chairs. There were a couple of computers that appeared to be public, also. And a big screen TV tuned to ABC Family Channel with closed captioning. Nice.
They do parties. I did not check the prices. They also offer a "frequent jumper" card. You pay in advance for 9 admissions and get 3 free. I bought one, since I had four kids with me, and plan to use it up this winter.
They really need an on-site Starbucks.
5) Coupons are your friend.
Did I mention that it cost a fortune to get in? Yeah. See if you can't Google yourself a couple of coupons before you go.
6) BYOSocks
You can buy socks there if you didn't plan ahead, but they cost $3.50 a pair!! Bring socks. And be careful because the floor near the bathroom is slick linoleum, and I saw more than one kid wipe out.
What's really ironic about our new Monkey Joe's is that my friend Karen and I were just talking over the past couple of weeks about opening something similar on this side of town. She sent me an e-mail this morning to tell me we were beaten to the punch. Nuts! Oh well, I don't have half a mil to invest, anyway. Although, with the crowd I saw there today, we totally would've made it back within the first year.
Do you have an indoor playground where you live? What are your ProMom tips? Also, if you're local to me and want more specific information, e-mail me.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Good Stuff: Aveeno Postively Ageless SPF 70 Lotion
Important: NO ONE asked me to write this post, NO ONE gave me anything to write this post.
I don't do product recommendations too often, because 1) there are plenty of other blogs who do product recommendations better, and 2) the one time I tried, I got the sample of the stuff and hated it, and was in a moral dilemma as to what to do (I ended up writing back and saying, "Dude, your lotion broke me out, big time, I'm not going to tell my readers to use it, and OH BY THE WAY I find your video advertising deceptive," because I am all about integrity, folks, and not about making a buck. Have you clicked any ads lately?)
Anyway, this is breaking out of my usual thing, but I have to tell you about a product I've been using because I love it and if I were single and it were a person I'd marry it.
It all started with this photo:
This was taken at a wedding in January. After several months of no-sun-exposure. I posted it to my Facebook profile and several of my friends said, "GIRL! Look at your SKIN!"
And I looked at my skin and I thought, "Wow, not bad!"
And then I thought, "Maybe I should do something to, you know, keep that skin."
So I went to my local pharmacy (that's trying to kill me) and bought two tubes of sunscreen for the face. The first was Neutrogena - haven't tried that yet. The second was Aveeno Positively Ageless SPF 70 Sunscreen.
People, I look like an "after" picture without make up on. It does not break me out (and believe me when I tell you that virtually everything breaks me out - whoever thought that I'd have zits, gray hair, and wrinkles all at the same time. Jeez!) It doesn't feel heavy or yucky at all. I apply it after the shower and by the time I've brushed my teeth, it has absorbed and is no longer visible or feel-able on my face and "decolletage" (because I wear a lot of V-neck shirts, no one wants wrinkly cleavage!!).
We all know that we should be wearing sunscreen every day, but who wants to feel (or smell) like a greasy beach bum, or a pina colada, every day?? This stuff smells and feels great. I promise.
Granted, I was doing pretty well, skin wise, to start with. But this stuff, it's making good even better.
So now that it's warming up (ha ha, there was snow yesterday, I want a refund on this "spring" thing...) you really should think about protecting your skin. If you're looking for a product, you might think of your favorite-dewy-skinned-blogger and give this stuff a try.
And seriously, Aveeno? If you could come up with something that, say, melts fat? I would drink it by the gallon. Let's start working on that next, mmmkay?
I don't do product recommendations too often, because 1) there are plenty of other blogs who do product recommendations better, and 2) the one time I tried, I got the sample of the stuff and hated it, and was in a moral dilemma as to what to do (I ended up writing back and saying, "Dude, your lotion broke me out, big time, I'm not going to tell my readers to use it, and OH BY THE WAY I find your video advertising deceptive," because I am all about integrity, folks, and not about making a buck. Have you clicked any ads lately?)
Anyway, this is breaking out of my usual thing, but I have to tell you about a product I've been using because I love it and if I were single and it were a person I'd marry it.
It all started with this photo:
This was taken at a wedding in January. After several months of no-sun-exposure. I posted it to my Facebook profile and several of my friends said, "GIRL! Look at your SKIN!"
And I looked at my skin and I thought, "Wow, not bad!"
And then I thought, "Maybe I should do something to, you know, keep that skin."
So I went to my local pharmacy (that's trying to kill me) and bought two tubes of sunscreen for the face. The first was Neutrogena - haven't tried that yet. The second was Aveeno Positively Ageless SPF 70 Sunscreen.
People, I look like an "after" picture without make up on. It does not break me out (and believe me when I tell you that virtually everything breaks me out - whoever thought that I'd have zits, gray hair, and wrinkles all at the same time. Jeez!) It doesn't feel heavy or yucky at all. I apply it after the shower and by the time I've brushed my teeth, it has absorbed and is no longer visible or feel-able on my face and "decolletage" (because I wear a lot of V-neck shirts, no one wants wrinkly cleavage!!).
We all know that we should be wearing sunscreen every day, but who wants to feel (or smell) like a greasy beach bum, or a pina colada, every day?? This stuff smells and feels great. I promise.
Granted, I was doing pretty well, skin wise, to start with. But this stuff, it's making good even better.
So now that it's warming up (ha ha, there was snow yesterday, I want a refund on this "spring" thing...) you really should think about protecting your skin. If you're looking for a product, you might think of your favorite-dewy-skinned-blogger and give this stuff a try.
And seriously, Aveeno? If you could come up with something that, say, melts fat? I would drink it by the gallon. Let's start working on that next, mmmkay?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)