Living Changerously

Remembering Brady

2011-12-01T12:58:00.006-06:00

Over 13 years ago Cliff and I decided it was time we expanded our family - our unofficial family since we had only been dating a year. I had loved beagles and I thought that was the only dog to get. So I set out on finding a beagle puppy. I have no idea of there was a website like Petfinder.com back then...wait - was there even the Internet back then? Who knows...but I looked in the paper..old fashioned classified section. I found someone who advertised beagle puppies. When I called, they had sold all of their dogs, but another one of their beagles was having puppies soon and I could get the "pick of the litter"

Brady was born on July 11, 1998. He had 3 brothers and 2 sisters. This was his mom's first litter (this proves important later). I don't remember much about his dad. 4 weeks later we went to meet the puppies. I only wanted a male so we only looked at the 4 boy dogs. They were definitely not all the same. There was one dominant one. Fatty as Cliff and I nicknamed him. He was the biggest. Then there was the smallest - the runt. Then there was Brady and another pup. We played with them all, but one obviously liked us the best and engaged us the most. I was wearing a long skirt (yes I wore a skirt and long ones were in style back then.) and Brady would roll onto his back and bite the bottom of my skirt. I was in love! We could tell Brady from the rest of them because he had a white stripe that went from his nose all the way up and over his head and down to a white patch on his neck.

On September 5th, labor day weekend, We drove down to Eyota, MN to pick him up. We were so excited. We were given a small collar and scrap of a towel that was in the beds his brothers and sisters slept in so he can have familiar smells with him in his new home. As any new mom would, I sat in the back seat and held him. He cried a bit as we drove away but his tail was thumping the whole time. We didn't go far this first car ride. Cliff's parents lived close by in Rochester so we spent the afternoon there with them. He ran in their yard, we played pull, we held him and he jumped his way into our hearts immediately. Especially into my father-in-law's. From the beginning, he and Brady has a special bond.

Back then we lived in an apartment - a 2 bedroom apartment so we had alot of space for just us. Brady did the typical thing as we got into the apartment for the first time. He sniffed every inch. Every nook and cranny was not immune to his sniffing.

Since he was still a baby, we had to teach him lost of things that first year, how to go outside, walk on a leash (that was interesting - you just put it on them all the time - this helped when we had to get him out of small spaces), walk up and down stairs and sleep in his crate.

He was a funny little puppy. He would run around like crazy and then just fall over where he stood and fall asleep. His favorite toy was the toilet brush. he would carry it in his mouth and try and attach things to the bristle end, like my slipper socks, and then attempt to shake it off. HILARIOUS!! He would drag towels around -towels that were 3x his size.

That first few months were so much fun. We took him to sit on Santa's lap, took him to dog parks, PetSmart...anywhere we could take him we did. At around 4 months he developed a protruded 3rd eyelid gland in both eyes. It was extremely gross to look at but more of a cosmetic issue than medical - but we opted to have them tacked back down at the same time as we had him neutered.

Since we both worked far from our apartment, those first few months, we had a neighbor come in and walk Brady a few times a day. She also had a beagle puppy, Levi, and he and Brady became fast friends.

Brady didn't let the beagle breed down. He stole as much food as he possibly could. Visitors were his favorite, not only for their attention but because they didn't understand how diligently they had to guard their food. He escaped on searches for more food as much as he could. Luckily, he never go too far. With all that food hunting, you would think Brady would have been an overweight dog. NOPE. We were able to keep him slim and trim. He was gorgeous. Big floppy ears, beautiful thin coat, big brown eyes.

The one thing that Brady hated the most was his crate, or even being locked up anywhere. When we got him, we purchased a very nice plastic crate. Over the years, Brady scratched so much at the walls of the crate, that he actually scratched though the plastic. Through it!! Well that was the end of that. We got the hint...no more crates.

When Cliff and I decided to make it official and get married, Brady was even mentioned in our ceremony. He was that integral to our lives. Later that year we moved into our house. We made sure that we had a fenced in yard for him and plenty of windows to look out. He loved the house. The yard was his favorite. He would run around, chase bunnies and squirrels and lick the grass.

When I got pregnant with H, I really didn't think I could love my child as much as I loved my dog. Really, I actually thought that. And boy did I get alot of crap..because I actually told people that. But my heart just grew and I loved them both, and obviously as I soon realized, in different ways.

Since Brady was older when the kids were born, he wasn't as connected with them. C had more of a connection with him than H. H really just left him alone and vice versa. C loved petting him, hugging and kissing him. And Brady in return would check on her as she slept, wake her up in the morning and sniff her face. It was a really nice relationship.

When I think of Brady now, I think of all those things, but mostly I think of his favorites:

Brady loved to steal food, especially chicken or turkey (just ask grandpa - when he stole a whole turkey breast off of his plate one thanksgiving), his purple ball, to play chase, his red lobster lobby, to pee in the house (under my bed and in C's room in particular - the result of being in his mom's first litter), to chase squirrels, bark/howl at the mailman (his arch enemy), to sleep curled up on the right side of the couch, to sit up on his tush and beg (which he taught himself), to bark at your when he wanted to sit where you were sitting or for you to let him out, to run around in the back yard, to walk on the back of the furniture like a cat, to sit on the arm of the chair and look out the window, to lay in the sun, to lick your tears (I always hoped it was because he didn't want me to be sad - but I am sure it was because tears were salty), to sit on my lap like a lap dog - even though he was way too big for that, to sleep in the crux of my legs, to be a furnace when he would sleep next to me, to jump up high in the air like a jack rabbit when you were about to feed him dinner, to be as cute as can be.

I love you Brady - you were my first baby - and I will miss you forever

Brady Jack Levine Berg July 11, 1998 - November 25, 2011.

*winner announced**Giveaway time...just in time for the holidays - BURGER KING® Gift Card

2011-12-01T12:34:00.005-06:00

I have 2 young kids. We occasionally (ok sometimes more than occasionally) eat fast food. So 2 weekends ago we found ourselves hungry (fancy that at noon we were hungry) and no desire to find something in our house. So we went over to BURGER KING®. Have you seen the new BURGER KING® kids meals? They are pretty sweet. Each one comes with a crown. Both kids loved that! It comes in a pretty cool new box that has games and activities all over it. And with the BK CROWNTM/MC Program, Burger King Corporation invites kids to tell BURGER KING® what matters to them most. BKC has established a fund to help support the Wildlife Conservation Society, National Parks Conservation Association, DonorsChoose.org and Have It Your WayTM Foundation. By visiting BKCrown.com, kids learn how BKC´s charitable partners make a difference. Upon entering BK CROWNTM/MC Codes and clicking on their favorite cause, each kid´s vote helps BK® choose which charity to give back to.

Want to check it out, Thanks to MyBlogSpark and BURGER KING®, I am giving away a $25 gift card to Burger King.

To enter the giveaway -

Just leave a comment on this post telling me: Why is it important for your family to have a fun mealtime experience?

This is a quick one, winners will be drawn and announced on Tuesday December 6th.

The Winner is #3 - Ashley. Congratulations. I will email you.

Good Luck

Crazy stuff people put on their cars

2011-10-21T09:06:00.005-05:00

This is what I saw on my way to work the other day (If you can't actually read it - it says "Bye Bye Bin Laden" with a big happy face and USA next to that). Now, I don't necessarily disagree wiht the sentiment. But really...painting it on the back of your truck? With paint? Really....

Naturalizer Shoe Review and GIVEAWAY!! (Winner announced below)

2011-10-12T11:37:00.009-05:00

Do you have "athletic calves"? Well, I do and that makes buying boots not so much fun. I have tried on a ton of different styles and I can never find boots I like that fit. Yes, I can wear the short boots. But I want those tall boots that everyone wears before they go out of style.

I received a pair of Naturalizer boots to review and I was both super excited and scared that they would not fit over my athletic calves. So when the boots arrived, they were gorgeous, tall and black with a great buckle detail by the ankle. I sat down on my couch and slowly unzipped them, I slipped my foot in and began the slow zip up the side. I was getting more and more nervous as the zipper went higher and higher. I finally reached the widest part of my calf and....ZIP...up it went. I completley jumped out of my seat and let out a little scream. Both of my kids looked at me like I was bonkers and Cliff peered up at me from the paper with that look on his face of WTF.

They totally fit..and not only that, as I pranced around the room, they were comfortable. The heel was a perfect hight. I believe you would call it a medium heel. So now I needed to figure out what I wanted to wear with them. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long - I had an opportunity to wear that skirt I made last year, wiht a turquoise top and black cardigan and my boots. I was in LOVE! They stayed comfortable all day as I ran around Minneapolis.

Did you know:

Since 1927, Naturalizer has proven that wearning the latest footwear fashions can be comfortable, stylish and affordable all in one.

Wiht rich leathers, soft suades, and beautiful, trend right details, Naturalizer shoes provide the ultimate in style + comfort.

Exclusive to Naturalizer is N5 Comfort - five distinctive features that provide flexibility, lightness, balance, softness and breathability in every step - so Naturalizer shoes feel as good at the end of the day as they do at the beginning.

And Naturalizer shoes are available in a broad range of sizes and widths from sizes 4.5 to 12 with narrow, medium and wide widths in most styles. Naturalizer boots are also offered in Wide Shaft so women wiht fuller or athletic calves (like me..) can find tall boots with a perfect fit.

The Fall collection from Naturalizer has something for everyone, with feminine details and styles inspired by a range of classic and contemporary trends.

I also found some other faves on their site:

The Valya, a super cute flat:

And a really cute Kiril - that I would totally get if I wore heels:
So who wants a pair?? Naturalizer is giving away to one of my readers a pair of shoes of their very own. You choose. Are you dying for a pair of boots like me? Do you only wear flats?

To enter this amazing giveaway:
(1) Required Entry: Go to Naturalizer and leave me a comment telling me which shoe you would pick from their fall collection

For additional chances:
(2) Follow Naturalizer on Twitter and come back and leave a comment that you did
(3) Follow me on twitter and come back and tell me you did
(4) Follow Living Changerously using Google Friend Connect on the right side of my blog and tell me you did
(5) Like Living Changerously on Facebook and leave a comment that you did
(6) LIke Naturalizer on Facebook and leave a comment that you did
(7) Tweet about the giveaway and come back and tell me you did (you can do this as many times as you like) and make sure you mention @NaturalizerShoe! and @andreaberg and use this link back to the post: http://bit.ly/oduWnD
(8) Tell your friends about this giveaway on Facebook and leave me a comment that you did.

This giveaway ends on October 19th and winners will be chosen via Random.org. Please leave your email address in your comments so I know how to contact you.

Disclosure: The Naturalizer boots and giftcard giveaway was provided to me by MyBlogSpark and Naturalizer and the Brown Shoe Company. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

***WINNER: #113: JenMalone *** Congratulations Jen. I hope you enjoy your shoes.

Wordless Friday: Sleeping Children

2011-09-30T12:26:00.004-05:00

I know...it is supposed to be Wordless Wednesday, but this week was so crazy busy I didn't get to this until now. My kids sleep in the weirdest positions. These are just the most recent. I have no idea how they can sleep like this. C half hanging off the bed and her bed filled with stuff, H and his 800,000 blankets completely sprawled out not using any of them.

Lovable Lables Review and GIVEAWAY!!

2011-09-22T09:00:00.006-05:00

Once your kids go from being in your care 24/7 to going to day care or Pre-School or Elementary School or Camp - it is up to you to label each and every item that leaves your house if you ever want to see it again. And it goes way beyond clothes to lunch bags, tupperware, utensils, cups, water bottles, hats, backpacks, tote bags, towels, socks, note books, really all school supplies, diapers, blankets, toys, books...you name it. If it leaves you house - you need to label it.

So off I went with my trusty sharpie and putting my kids names on everything. Have you ever tried writing you child's name with a sharpie on a piece of clothing that did not have a tag? It isn't pretty people, it isn't pretty. Now factor in that I like to re-sell a lot of my children's clothing. And their names on everything just brings the value down. This year I thought there must be a better way - faster, cleaner and not permanent. Enter Loveable Labels.
Loveable Lables are personalized durable labels and tags that are waterproof, dishwasher and microwave safe, washer and dryer safe, sun and beach safe, sunscreen and temperature safe.

So in getting ready for school, I had these labels and went to town - I labeled H's shoes, used bag tags for his backpack, put the Press n' Stick Clothing DOTS in all of his sweatshirts and jackets (the most frequently lost item), and used the sticker labels for all of his school supplies. It was such a breeze. Easy Peasy! Next I moved onto C and basically repeated for her, but also included all of the lunch items because she has to bring a lunch every day. So far, after a few weeks, these labels are holding strong. They are standing up to the extremely rough handling of my kids. They have not started to peel or fade. I love the durability of these labels and I love that they are extremely customizable. I got to choose color, icons, and types of labels I wanted. All in all, this was a great well made product, that is easy to use and durable.

Do you want to try some for yourself. The generous folks at Lovable Labels is giving one lucky reader a Back to School pack that is filled with Sticker Labels, Slimline Sticker Labels, Shoe Labels, Press n' Stick Clothing Dots, Mini-Metal Tags and more... All you have to do to enter this fabulous giveaway is:

Tell me what item has your child lost that made you sad?

For additional entries:
(1) Follow @mylovablelabels on twitter - and leave me a comment telling me you did
(2) Follow me on Twitter @andreaberg - and leave me a comment telling me you did
(3) Like Lovable Labels on Facebook and tell me you did
(4) Like Living Changerously on Facebook and tell me you did
(5) Mention this giveaway on your blog and leave me a comment with the link

This giveaway ends on Thursday, September 29th at noon and I will then announce the winner using Random.org. Make sure you leave me your email in the comment so I know how to contact you.

***This giveaway ended** Congratulations #7 Keely H.

**DISCLOSURE** The products in this review was provided to me free of cost for the purposes of conducting this review. All opinions are mine and mine only and were not influences by monetary compensation.

I don't know how she does it....

2011-09-20T13:46:00.002-05:00

This has come up a lot recently. I think it is because both the movie is coming out (based on the book by Allison Pearson) and because school has started up again. But last week when I got to Soccer with H, I joined 2 of the other parents who were already in mid-conversation. They asked me if my ears were burning, because they were talking earlier saying that they don't know how I do everything. I was all like - WHAT??? I don't do everything.

In their mind, I have this active and busy life. I do like to be involved. I always have been. Even back in high school when you could be a part of clubs, I think between sports and clubs, I participated in 5 after school activities. And things have not changed. I just love being busy and I do my best to fit it in while balancing spending time with my family and friends.

I can tell you what I sacrifice to be able to do all the things I enjoy doing...Housework and yard work. I really do very little of both. Or really anything that I want done around the house doesn't get done. Which is funny, because I want to make my house way nicer...but I don't want to put in the time to do it because it keeps me from doing the other things I like doing.

And somehow I find the time for TV. Now those of you who know me IRL (in real life) know I am a TV junkie. It is really my way of winding down. So on top of all my volunteering and sewing and kids activities and spending time with my hubby...I have to fit in my TV time.

I do like my schedule, but I do wish I would do more around the house, and I that I didn't feel so guilty.

How do you do it all?

"Do you have a snack in the car?" and GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-14T13:57:00.008-05:00

I hear this every single day when I pick the kids up from school. Apparently the 20 minute car ride is just way too long for them to go with out a snack. So what is a mom to do? At first I was visiting the convenience store at work. Constantly trying to decide what they might like. Chips, popcorn, goldfish..and even candy. Of couse candy was their favorite but not mine. So this year I have started the "snack bag" which stays in the car and gets restocked once a week. Each week the kids pick out what snacks they want in the bag and they get to choose once they are buckled into the car.

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to try Lucky Charms Cereal Treat Bars and Golden Graham Cereal Treat Bars.
My kids went nuts when they tried these. To them it was really a treat - they thought they hit the jackpot. They loved it because it tasted great and I loved it because it is made from cereal and it stoped the whinning and complaining about the snacks I get them. And what is an even bigger bonus... ther are Box Tops on these! (Remember my post about my small obsession with saving box tops?)

I would love to share with you a box of boht the Lucky Charm Cereal Treats and the Golden Grahams Cereal Treats, plus a lunch bag, locker white board and colored pencil set.

All you have to do for this Giveaway is leave me a comment telling me what kinds of snacks you provide to your kids after school - especially if you have to do it in the car like me.

If you would like additional entries:

(2) Like "Betty Crocker" on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you did
(3) Like "Living Changerously" on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you did
(4) Follow me on Twitter
(5) Tweet this message: Win a #CerealTreatBars prize pack w/ @andreaberg http://bit.ly/o0r2tl #MyBlogSpark

I will use Random.Org to pick the winner. The contest is open until Thursday, September 22nd.

**CONGRATULATIONS #7 - KATI***

Disclosure: The information and prize pack has been provided by Totino´s through MyBlogSpark.

Back to School and Giveaway!!

2011-09-08T09:40:00.006-05:00

Can you believe it is that time of year again. I love the excitement of going back to school. The new backpacks, new sneakers, the haircuts, the easy wake-ups and huge smiles when seeing friends. But I do long for the warmth of summer, the days at the pool. I wish we could have just a few more weeks. But since we can't, why dwell on it..right?

I love to get involved in my kids school. In fact, this is my 2nd year on the PTA. And I love everything about it. I wish I could do more, but I do have a full time job therefore I can't be there for every event and every volunteer opportunity. But I definitely do my part. One of the things I do religiously is collect Box Tops. Have you heard of them? Do you collect them? It is free money for your child or grandchild's school. When you buy products with those little Box Top coupons on them, just cut them off and save them. I keep a baggie on my counter and as soon as I can cut them off, in they go and as the baggie gets full, I just send them into the school and voila - free $$$.

Recently I learned that Totino's - will be giving over 1 million bonus box tops this year and they are holding a sweepstakes - the Box Tops for Education Sweepstakes - where 2 schools would win 250,000 box tops (that works out to $25,000 - holy smokes that is a ton of money). We are huge Totono's fans. Every week I buy Pizza Rolls and most weeks I add a party pizza to that. The Pizza Rolls are our go-to after school snack, especially when we have to run off to soccer or baseball or swimming...or whatever scheduled event is that day. They are fast to make and I think better than the cookies and candy my kids want to grab instead. This week when I was buying my weekly Pizza Rolls - I noticed that there were double box tops on a lot of the packages. SCORE! And since this was a week where I was stocking up on the Totino's Party Pizza's - I saw they also had the double box tops as well. I was so excited.

And I have a treat for all of you! I am giving away, to one of my lucky readers a Totino's "Learn a Ton when School is Fun" prize pack which includes: a Brain Quest Smart! Game, Micro Rubik´s® Cube Key Holder, a draw string backpack, and coupons for a free package of Totino´s Pizza Rolls Snacks, Totino´s Party Pizza and new Totino´s Pizza Stuffers. I have been playing the Brain Quest Smart! Game with H these past few weeks and I hate to say it - but he totally schooled me. The game is awesome and is a Trivial Pursuit type of game, but geared for those elementary and middle school kids.

There are several opportunities to enter this awesome giveaway all you have to do is:

(1) Leave a comment here telling me what type of fun project you would use the 250,000 Bonus Box Tops ($25,000 value) to fund if they won the Totino´s "Learn a Ton when School is Fun" sweepstakes? (I would look into iPads or some other technology for all the classrooms)
(2) "Like" the Totino's facebook page and leave a comment here telling me you did.
(3) "Like" my facebook page and leave a comment here telling me you did.
(4) Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment here telling me you did
(5) Tweet: Win a #Totinos "Learn a Ton When School is Fun" prize pack w/ @andreaberg http://bit.ly/oSKu6y #MyBlogSpark

This is a quick giveaway...it ends on Tuesday September 13th at Noon. I will announce the winner shortly thereafter. Please put your email address in the comments so I know how to contact you.

Disclosure: The information and prize pack has been provided by Totino´s through MyBlogSpark.

CONGRATULATIONS #5 - Barb A.

A closer look at my BlogHer experience

2011-08-17T14:52:00.015-05:00

My last post about BlogHer was really all about my initial thoughts. But I wanted to share in another post some more specifics about my adventures in San Diego. So this will be the last...I promise...and then I will get back to my regularly scheduled blog posts.

I attended BlogHer with my friend Suzi of Pink Vanilla Cupcakes. Bright and early on Thursday we left for beautiful San Diego. The flight there was probably the only time in our 3days there that we got to sit down for any length of time. As soon as we arrived, we checked into the gorgeous Marriott Marquis and Marina. No sooner we dropped off our bags we were off and running. We were able to make it down to lunch at the Life Well Lived event put on by P&G. One of my favorite sessions happened right after when we were treated to a lesson in getting great hair on-the-go. Now, can I replicate any of the styles I saw demonstrated? NOPE. But at the end we all received a super awesome Braun Satin Hair Brush. This thing is great. And apparently worth $65.

Fast forward to the evening where we got to gamble at a Las Vegas themed happy hour, have hors d'ouerves at The Social Soiree (and get incredible swag - espeiclaly the bag!) and end the evening at 3M's Going Coconuts party at Roy's where we had the most DELISH sliders. I mean completely obsessively delicious.

Friday officially began the conference and Suzi and I started our day with Yoga. We were also signed up to do a 5k but with our Saturday morning exercise schedule..we felt it would be better for our bodies if we participated in Yoga instead. After showering and a fast breakfast, we visited the Expo to get even more swag and meet some brands, attended a session and before lunch - visited the super secret Room o'Swag for even more free stuff. We then had to hussle over to the Hard Rock Hotel for a vendor event and then back to the Marriott for an event hosted by Playskool where we got to meet some of the Seseame Street characters.
After a quick change into our evening attire, we headed over to a cocktail party hosted by SwagBucks. Suzi won a great solar charger. Nothing for me. But soon we were off to our next event where there was massages, t-shirt making, photo booths, yummy cocktails and even more swag! We ended the evening at the infamous Sparklecorn.
My best description of the party is a club in a hotel ballroom. The music was total club music and the dancing was fun. But by 11 pm we were pooped and we had a big morning the next day.

Bright and early on Saturday we were scheduled to have a workout with Bob Harper. That is trainer Bob from The Biggest Loser. I was grateful that it wasn't Jillian because I wouldn't be yelled at, but I knew how tough he would be. He did not disappoint. It was hard. Really hard. But I got through it. And Bob..well, he is much better looking in person, had a great bod, and smelled pretty good to(yes I got that close - he even touched my shoulder!). After the workout we got to have breakfast with him, Oatmeal of course and ask him questions. I got really inspired and motivated (more on that in my next post).

On our way back to the room to shower and get ready for the day, I ran into Guilianna Rancic - you know - she hosts a show on E! and is married to Bill Rancic who won the Apprentice. Anyway - she was right there as we were walking back to our room and of course since I was looking and smelling fabulous..why not stop and take a picture with her. Wouldn't you?

Later we attended another session, a focus group for HTC (where, by the way, we got HTC phones for participating), visited the swag exchange to get rid of some of my unwanted swag, and made our way over to the Queen Bee Market. Queen Bee wasn't part of BlogHer but they had a sale in a hotel right next door to the convention center and many of the vendors are ones I have previously purchased from or wanted to purchase them from. Yes I bought stuff...I wanted to buy a lot more but once I got to the register - I got buyer's jitters and put back half of the stuff I had picked out.

Our afternoon was ours and we took a walk along the water and shopped in the Seaport Village behind our hotel. It was so relaxing but boy did my feet hurt. I wished I had someone in our room to just rub my feet. I am sure Suzi felt the same way!

Our last evening had us seeing a screening of the movie The help - which by the way was incredible..see it. Now here is the only thing that really disappointed me. After the movie we were invited to a party hosted by LG where Jane Lynch would be appearing and talking about texting and driving. I was looking forward to attending but because of the length of the movie, would be arriving 45 minutes late. No where on the invite or any subsequent communications did they say that Jane Lynch would only be there at the beginning of the event so get there early. Because guess what - when we got there - it was basically over. Even though there was still an hour and 15 minutes left to the party. I was really disappointed and we basically left about 10 minutes later. If they would have said something, we would have done our evening differently.

Our final parties were 2 of the BlogHer sponsored parties - Aiming Low and CheesebergHer. Both were spectacular and fun. But CheesebergHer was by far my favorite party. The music was the kind I love - late 80's/early 90's rap - by golly they played It Takes Two by Rob Base. I was in heaven. CheesebergHer was sponsored by McDonald's so they brought in their hamburgers and french fries and we decorated McDonald's bags to wear as hats. It was goofy and fun and I loved it!
So - the million dollar question - Will I go again next year? HELL YEA!

Believe in Yourself, Trust the Process, Change Forever - My BlogHer '11 thoughts

2011-08-11T14:33:00.003-05:00

So I am pretty sure that many of you have been reading all the post-BlogHer posts. And this one is no different - except that it is from my perspective. I learned a lot, not just about blogging, but about myself and that is what I would like to share - what I learned. So in no particular order:

Don't go with expectations!
Like many first time BlogHer attendees I read every pre-BlogHer post I could get my hands on, from how to get invited to those private parties, to what to wear, to what not to wear, to what shoes to bring, to socializing. I also was warned by many of my blogging friends who went to BlogHer '10 that people were downright mean and it was absolutely a frenzy the whole time. So when I really thought about what my expectations were I decided not to have any. I went completely open to everything. I didn't have anyone I needed to meet, or things I absolutely had to do. I just experienced it all. And I have to say - I had a fantastic time. I ran myself ragged, but in a good way. I didn't force myself to do anything. If something ran long and I missed my next event...oh well. I totally recommend this attitude. It made for a really stress free weekend.

Go to more sessions.
I wanted to attend at least a 1/2 day more of official BlogHer sessions than I actually attended. I am really not sure what happened but I know there was 2 sessions I absolutely wanted to go to but didn't. So next year (yes I am planning on going back) I am going to make more of an effort to get to those sessions. Which session did I miss that I regret? Essential Blog Content. Luckily all the sessions were recorded, so I will be doing a make-up session soon.

Private parties are good but not great!
Being my first year at BlogHer, I feel lucky to have secured invitations to some private parties. With all the hype and tweets about invites, swag and who's going to what party - I thought these parties would be fun and crowded. I was less than impressed. They were all nice. I have a lovely time at all of them. But I didn't leave any of the parties thinking...MAN This Party Rocked! I also really didn't care if I didn't get invited to a particular party - mainly because I heard that most of the parties I wanted to go to and didn't were pretty lame. With the exception of one. I really wanted to go to the Sweet Suite, hosted by the Big Toy Book. I didn't go and I am sad I didn't. The food was also just ok at these parties. But 2 did stand out as really delicious - the Swag Bucks party and of course CheeseBurgHer. How can McDonald's not be delicious.

The amount of swag you get is overwhelming
Oh boy do you get alot of stuff. I heard that, but you just can't comprehend that until you are there. 2 times I went through the swag I got to reduce and I still came home and filled a 1/2 of a suitcase and a whole carry on bag. The best of the swag - HTC phone, Braun Satin Hair Brush, all my 3M swag and my Bob Harper DVD.

There are surprises around every corner!
There were celebrities and flash mobs and celebrities and generosity.

This is a fun story. I was having breakfast one morning and at the other side of our table was a woman who was wearing the cutest watch. I always love to compliment people when I really like something they are wearing or doing. So, I said 'I love your watch'. Then she replied to me - "thank you, I would like to give you one. I love these watches and this brand so I have a few with me and would love for you to have one." I was speechless. That has never happened to me before. But you know what I learned - keep the compliments flowing.

Other things I learned or felt
1. I really need to hire someone to redesign my blog
2. I really didn't spend any money except for cab rides
3. Pick and choose which sponsor session / events you attend. If the sponsor is for a product that really isn't in your market, don't go.
4. Be friendly - introduce yourself to those who appear to be by themselves and if you are sharing a cab - treat them.
5. The question I was asked the most after what was my blog about - "Who are you with?" So apparently I am one of the very few that was not sponsored. So I always answered, I was with myself and my blog!

In my next post - I will discuss in more detail some of the super fun things I got to do...like work out with Bob Harper, one of the trainers on The Biggest Loser.

Hormones. ... And not the teenage kind

2011-08-04T09:44:00.004-05:00

This year has been pretty good. This year of 40. No one believes me when they ask my age. In fact, I was at the Minnesota Roller Girls and the server took one look at my ID and laughed saying she thought I was 28. That made my week. But it hasn't been all compliments and gum drops. It seems as if the moment I turned 40 strange things started happening. At first I thought it was all a coincidence but I soon realized that sadly it wasn't. One of the first things I noticed was my eyesight. I started having trouble reading small print. I told this to my mom who had no sympathy for me, in fact she seemed to enjoy my struggles. I think this has been because of years of me teasing her about not being able to read bottles and boxes- payback!

But the most upsetting of them all - pimples! My Long Island Ladies can attest that back in the day - those teenage years when hormones are raging and pimples were abundant- I never got any. In fact- true story- I had what I thought were 3 pimples on my face. 3! I thought the sky was falling. I was so freaked out. Even my bestie Anna was like "what is up with those pimples?". Guess what? Totally not pimples- CHICKEN POX. HA. I knew it couldn't be pimples. So now with turning 40 and the change in my hormones, pimples decided to make an appearance and apparently they like it here.

I know this is just the beginning of the changes in my body that I am going to see. And I feel very fortunate to have my mom around to help me through this and to laugh with me through this. I also feel very fortunate that information is at my fingertips on the Internet so I can get answers quickly, realize I am not the first (obviously) and probably even more importantly give me information about the changing hormones of my kids. And UGG I feel that is coming way to fast (I have no idea what to do with a pre-pubescent boy). Anyway, if you have some of these questions- a great resource is BodyLogicMD. They helped me
find information not only about my hormone issues but I peaked and found some great resources to prepare me for H's entry into the world of hormones.

I am sure that I have more pimples, cheaters, and who knows what in my future and I know I can handle it with grace and humor! Just hope my kids can also.

Disclosure: this is a Sponsored Post.

My summer feels like its a passenger on a Concord Jet

2011-07-29T13:28:00.003-05:00

Are you like me? May approaches and you are looking down the barrel of the end of school and the start of summer. You allow yourself to start mentally making all those great summer plans - go to the beach, spend as much time at a pool as possible, take a vacation, bbq's, backyard get together's with friends??? I did all of those things and apparently I blinked because it is now 2 days before August, 2 days before the month when the State Fair starts and that means only 1 thing - School starts soon and then the cold and snow comes back. And I haven't been to my favorite beach (Lake Elmo Park Reserve) or my favorite pool (Cascade Bay)yet.

This weekend I am going to make up for that by visiting them both. But really - where has the summer gone to. It has been blazingly hot here in Minnesota, as I am sure it has been in many places, so it seems we have spent more time inside than usual. Oh I long for those lazy days of summer - reading tons of books, spending all my free time outside and now it seems as if I am rushing to do everything I wanted to do all summer and cram it into these last few weeks.

But these are going to be the best few weeks ever. We have so many amazing things on the calendar. BlogHer (for me), Twins vs. Red Sox game, my brother is coming to visit us, Katy Perry concert, Big Time Rush concert, State Fair, and my favorite week of all - H and Mommy week. This is a week where H and I spend the days leading up to school doing all the fun things he wants to do - Valley Fair amusement park, Cascade Bay, the State Fair, the Zoo. Just me and H. I know he looks forward to it, and so do it.

So, are you feeling the same way I am?

Can Naturalizer come to my Shoe Rescue at BlogHer?

2011-07-14T14:59:00.008-05:00

So did I tell you that I am going to BlogHer this year? I am just a wee bit excited and every day I am reading everything I can about this fabulous conference. Can you guess what people are talking about the most? What they are going to wear! I have been to many conferences and the one thing you want to be is comfortable. The rooms are cold and you do a lot of walking. Walking to the sessions, expo, lunch, breaks, dinner and parties.

Therefore, I decided I am going to focus on my feet. Shoes and purses have always been my weakness because it never mattered what size clothes I was, I could always find cute shoes that fit.

For BlogHer '11, I am on a mission to find comfortable yet sassy and adorable shoes. And with Naturalizer I will provide "shoe rescues" to those of you who are having a foot emergency. I will find you at parties, I will tweet with you to find you and once I do, I will provide you with a shoe rescue and give you a pair of comfortable and stylish shoes. I will even put them on you myself!

Which ones will I be wearing - signs are pointing to the Naturalize Violette

But maybe you will see me roaming the expo in the super sexy Naturalizer Kiril

What shoes will you be wearing?

You can Like Naturalizer on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and make sure you use the hashtag #ShoeRescue and #BlogHer11 so I can find you and rescue your shoes!

Fine Print: This opportunity was presented to me by Naturalizer and The Brown Shoe Company, through MyBlogSpark, and this post serves as my entry to win a sponsorship for my attendance at the 2011 BlogHer Conference.

Co-Location?? what??

2011-07-11T14:39:00.003-05:00

One of the biggest reasons for my lack of blogging this winter/spring was due to my involvement in trying to persuade my son's school district not to combine his K-4 elementary school with the 5-8 middle school. The funny thing is - it was the perfect content to actually write about. But I was so involved, it was like a 2nd job and I was just too tired to write.

So here is the skinny of what went on. As with many school districts, ours was faced with a pretty significant budget shortfall. 1.4 million to be exact. The superintendent (or "Captain Beef up my Resume" as I like to call him) proposed several options to help address the deficit. One of them being the "Co-Location" of my son's elementary school and the middle school. What the hell is co-location? They had no plans for developing a curriculum...and these are the other items they didn't have answers for (at least not until we started asking about them):

Playground - uh - there was none...so in addition to what ever costs you were saving you have to add back in the cost of building a playground

Technology - the middle school's technology was woefully inadequate to add another 350 students - so lets add back in the costs of upgrading the technology

Stairs - Are you seriously going to have kindergartners going to walk up a flight of stairs every time they came into and out of the building, ate lunch, went to the gym or library?

Moving costs - if they were going to bring over everything from the other school, lets deduct that cost from the savings

Busing - you are now going to put K-12 students on the buses? Really??

In the district you will now have K-4, K-5 and K-8?? How cohesive is that?

These are just a few of the items that were concerning. The other items we were facing was that other schools wanted to use our Elementary school. What? Oh, we were going to gain revenue from the rental of our building. They presented a few different interested parties but when we actually called them (and by we - I mean the parents) we found out that none of these schools have actually visited our elementary school and it was just one school on a list of possible schools. So now the superintendent wanted to close a high performing elementary school - disrupt the education of all of those students on maybes???

There were a bunch of parents who met tirelessly with community members and school board members, had petitions, and presentations and argued each and every point the superintendent raised for closing the school. Until finally the board decided to not pursue the "co-location" and voted to put together a committee to study the redesign of the whole district.

Now that is better. Go slow, get all your fact, make a decision that benefits the whole district, not just the detriment of 1 school. If ultimately they decide that co-locating our school is the best move - then I may be all for it.

So what is happening now - I just applied to be on the "Strategic Redesign Committee". I find out tonight. There were 70 applications for 25 slots. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Has it been 4 months already?

2011-06-22T15:19:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it has been 4 months since I have blogged. That was not my intent. I didn't want to take a break. But its the same old story - life got in the way and I got out of the habit about blogging. Even when things were happening around me that were SO blog worthy. And I will write about it but in a more post-mortem than an in the trenches view - and there are so many exciting things coming up that I want to share.

Here are some of the things you can look forward to in the next few weeks:

Fighting the School Board - don't co-locate! What even is co-location?
School Carnival - oh yes - I was in charge!
Organization of H's room - whew...that was so needed
A look toward BlogHer - yes I am going...
Getting back on the diet and exercise train - why i was derailed and clawing my way back
Some product and book reviews
Some giveaways

I am excited to be back! I hope you haven't missed me too much. The official re-launch / dedication to my blog begins tomorrow - check back.

But before I go - I will leave you with this hilarious YouTube video

GIVEAWAY and filling and quick lunches

2011-02-17T19:24:00.005-06:00

So who had kept their resolutions? Any one?? Well, I am happy to report that I have embraced reconnecting with my healthy side. I have found some great friends who are also getting healthy and I love that we check in with each other practically every day. It is reassuring that we are all struggling, we are all hungry when we shouldn't be and we all keep having successes. We have also been sharing tips and yummy food finds. I love to find something delicious, quick to make and low in WW points. I first discovered Lean Cuisine's Butternut Squash Ravioli. Only 4 points and you can always find it on sale somewhere.

More recently I had the opportunity to try some of Progresso's Light soup. I tried 5 different soups and was very happy with each of them. For a week I brought a different flavor soup for lunch. First what I loved was that I could eat a whole can of the soup for only 2 WW points. And you know what - It totally filled me up. I particularily loved the Beef Pot Roast. I was able to supplement the soup with both a salad and a small piece of corn bread and completely stayed within my lunch points for the day. It was tasty and hearty and filling. I also loved the Chicken Noodle Soup, New England Clam Chowder and one I have never had before - Santa Fe Chicken. All of them were tasty and filling. I really want to try all 10 of their light flavors.

Progresso has offered to give one of my readers a "Souper You Debut" gift pack that that contains a VIP coupon for a free can of Progresso soup, as well as a yoga mat, water bottle, set of aerobic bands, sport headband and two sport wristbands.

To enter this awesome giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what fast, filling and healthy product you have recently discovered and can't live without.

For additional entries:

(1) Follow me on twitter and leave a comment here telling me you are a follower
(2) "Like" me on Facebook and leave a comment telling me.
(3) Tweet about this giveaway to your followers - and leave a comment here
(4) Follow my blog and leave a comment.

*Progresso provided me with free soup, information, and this giveaway through MyBlogSpark but the opinions I wrote about the soup are completely mine.

WINNER - Random Number Generator picked #2 - That is Barb! Congratulations!

Its a Small World After All...part 1

2011-01-30T20:12:00.005-06:00

January has been such a whirlwind. There is so much to share so I will just start at the beginning - where I left off at the end of the year. As you all know, I think I have mentioned it once or twice, I turned 40 this year. Most years I love to celebrate my birthday as a Week Long Gala Celebration. But this year - it is celebration time as much as I can get it. So just after the new year we packed up the whole family and headed to Cali.

Our vacation was a 2 parter. The first let of the trip was at one of the happiest places on earth. Yup...DISNEYLAND!!

There were 10 of us - all so excited to be there. We spent to much time in Fantasyland and covered all the classics - Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo, Snow White Scarry Adventures, Its a Small World. I remember going on all of these when I went to the World when I was a kid. I loved seeing my kids fall in love with these rides like I did.

We made some great memories on this trip. Alot of them at Disney. We even got to have a princess breakfast. Now C is completely into the princesses. She sees herself as Cinderella. So I didn't know what I would do if Cinderella was not going to be at breakfast. But I had nothing to worry about. We hit the jackpot for princesses. We got to meet Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Snow White and Cinderella. I think C was completely star struck when she came out.

What I thought was hilarious was not only were the little girls excited and star struck to meet the princesses, but so many of the grown ups were as well. They were giggling, and taking pictures with the princesses. It was hard for me not to laugh. Now I was excited to see them, but I was excited for C getting to meet them. And get their autographs.

Speaking of autographs - that is such a huge part of our Disneyland experience. I surprised my kids with gift baskets in the room from Mickey and the princesses - H got some Mickey ears and an autograph book and C got a tiara and an autograph book. We had to meet everyone. I think we spent more time on lines to meet characters than we did on lines for the rides. But the kids loved it.

I am not complaining, it is all part of the Disney experience. And I wanted to experience it all. I completely fall for everything the Disney marketing machine puts out. The princesses, the Vault...all of it. There was one thing that we all got into - one souvenirs that we all wanted...Vinylmation Mickeys. We couldn't get enough of then. The fun part was you didn't know which one you got until you opened the box. The kids could trade theirs in if they didn't like what they got - but the trade in was also a mystery - and they were stuck with the one they traded in. It was so much fun.

Cliff and I went back to the park one evening after we put the kids to bed. We had 3 hours to ourselves and we only got to go on 2 rides. That is it. Hollywood Tower of Terror (holy terrifying...scariest ride EVER) and Space Mountain. Those lines were epic. But I am so glad we did it and that Cliff got to experience Space Mountain.

But three rides stand out as the best ones we went on: Its a Small World - the kids were truly wowed. Toy Story Midway Mania - its a ride - its a video game...its amazing and well worth the hour long wait. Autopia - its just a car ride - but the kids absolutely LOVED this ride and that makes it a great one.

Let's give a warm welcome to 2011

2010-12-30T15:07:00.003-06:00

Resolutions. Everyone talks about how as fast as they are made, they are broken. All the best laid plans, all the good intentions. Maybe it is just the word. Resolutions. I do think I want to come up with some plans, or goals or even some wishes for 2011. So I will not beat my self up I don't accomplish these, or think I am a failure. But here is what I am hoping to do in 2011.

I think I will group them into 3 categories.

Goals:
1. Get healthy. I already have a buddy. (yay..buddy system... me and Suzi will rock).

a. re-join WW and follow the program and if some crazy crisis comes along have Suzi knock sense into me that it shouldn't derail me from my goal!!! (you hear that..brain...no derailing this time...we did it once...we are going to do it again!)

b. Start my walking / running again. I loved it. And I loved doing races. I will do as many as I can in 2011.

2. Sew something every month. I miss it. Love making things. And I got busy with stuff. What stuff I don't know..that is why I can only call it stuff. But I will do a project EVERY month. That includes taking more classes. I love improving my techniques and getting more and more confident. I want to tackle zippered pouches.

3. Blog 2-3 times a week. I have a lot to say and apparently only I'm the only one who hears it. It is time for all of you.

Plans

1. I would like to paint some of the rooms in my house. (1) my bathroom (2) my bedroom (3) my kitchen. If I can do at least one of these rooms this year...that would be awesome.

2. Go to BlogHer. I am fully planning on going. I just need to figure it all out. Make it work so it fits into our budget without hitting our budget. ie. alternative funding sources. I have ideas. Just have to actually get off my keester. But I AM GOING TO BLOGHER 2011.

3. Try out having a month of no spending. I have been reading alot about this lately and I am intrigued. Even enough to seriously consider it. I am not talking about not spending on gas or groceries, but besides for our expenses..nothing else. No eating out, no little things for the kids. Now I have to pick a month. I think February may be a good month (although valentines day is in there...hmmmm)

Wishes

1. I want to stop carrying my daughter around everywhere. She just loves to be carried. That has got to stop. She is 3 now and she knows how to walk. And she can walk really well.

2. I want to potty train my daughter. She is 3 and she needs to get trained. Period. Well that will actually begin in 2 weeks - right after our vacation. So here is something I can hopefully check off rather quickly (lets hope it is quickly)

3. Get my house organized. No matter how much I declutter, I feel like I am living in cramped over crowded space. So ORGANIZATION. Luckily I have my not used yet - day with an organizer... to help me. I can't wait to schedule time with my friend Niki - (she has a personal organizing business...and I won a day with her in a Silent Auction!)

So that is it. 9 things. I am hoping some of it get done or at least get started so I am on my way to getting them all done.

What are your goals, plans and wishes for 2011?

Happy New Year everyone!

Post Holiday Post and Giveaway WINNER Announced

2010-12-28T14:47:00.003-06:00

What a whirlwind. Between Mid-November and now we had both of my kids birthdays, Hanukah and Christmas. If we don't buy them anything for another year, that would be fine by me. But I am sure that won't be the case. Do your kids seem to love some of the smallest stuff? H's most played with gift this year? Beyblades. I had never even heard of them until now. But he loves them and he can thank is cousin for that. And an over the door Nerf Basketball hoop ($4 at Kohl's). C's - Play Doh. She can sit for an hour just making Play Doh spaghetti and shapes and rolling it out. I love that. But why do I feel the need to get the big wow gifts? I think next year I will rethink my gift strategy. Seriously!

We did get to have some great family time. Of course, there was some sickness thrown in...isn't there always around the holidays? One of my favorite newish family traditions is for Cliff and I to take the kids to see the "Dayton's Holiday Display" (now the Macy's Display) in downtown Minneapolis, visit Santa, have lunch on the 12th floor SkyRoom and before we go - pick out our annual family ornament. Last year, H got sick while we were on the line to go into the display. He rallied because he had to see Santa - so we just did Santa and quickly picked out our ornaments and went home. This year, C waited until we got home and then got sick. I was just happy it was at the beginning of the week and it wasn't passed to anyone else in the house. There is nothing more pathetic than a 3 yr old getting sick in the "big girl potty". OK ...enough about that! I am making myself sick.

Now for the big clean up. I hate this part. Taking down the tree, picking up all the stray pieces of wrapping paper and tape and boxes, finding homes for all the new toys. All I want to do is curl up and enjoy but I can't when I see the chaos around me. Plus we are going on vacation - so it has to happen before we go. So the clock is ticking.

This week I am also thinking about some new resolutions - or I am going to say 2011 wishes. Because we all know - the very name of "New Year's Resolutions" is going to require them to be broken. So I am going with wishes. I will write more about that later this week.

Now - onto what you all have been waiting for...I am so sorry I am like 2 weeks late with the Giveaway winner. For the Old El Paso Prize pack...the winner is #6 Alexa!! YIPPEE

Alexa - email me your address.

GIVEAWAY and taco night and soup night

2010-12-09T13:23:00.010-06:00

I have always loved the idea of weekly meal planning. And actually every week I plan 5 meals a week. The question is do I stick to those meal plans? To be honest, not all the time. The usual reason is I am tired. And by the time I actually think about making dinner, I am just beat. Occasionally (and lately I am making more of an effort) I start making dinner as soon as I get home, instead of after I put my daughter to bed - at 7:30. And when I do that, I feel so good. I feel I accomplished something.

I also love to have predicability in our meals so I really don't have to think to much about what to make so taco and soup nights are just perfect. It gives me some flexibility in what exactly I am going to make but also some focus.

Recently I was given some Old El Paso Taco Seasoning mix to try from Old El Paso through MyBlogSpark. I thought what a perfect kick off to family taco night. I am a traditionalist when it comes to my tacos. I like them hard, with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream. Occasionally I will throw in some avocado but that is about it. Cliff like it when I make them double decker (soft shell and refried beans wrapped around a hard shell taco. But sometimes that is just way too much for me. H helped me make this, and I just love having the kids help with meals. They are always more willing to at least try what we make. They turned out great. I always use Old El Paso Taco Seasoning because the flavor and texture is consistent. And tonight was not any different.

This is how they turned out

What I also would love to do is invite neighbors over during these theme nights. Like for soup nights - guests bring their own bowls and spoons and we supply the rest. For family taco night we could supply the tacos, they bring their favorite fixing. Yeah...I like this idea. The question is when do I start this new tradition? I think I need to pow wow with my neighbors to get this going.

Now - for the good stuff: MyBlogSpark and Old El Paso is giving me an Old El Paso Prize pack to give away. Check it out:

Here is what you need to do to win one - you can have 3 entries:

(1) leave me a comment here telling me what your favorite taco fixing is
(2) Follow me on twitter and leave me a comment telling me you are a follower (or already are one) www.twitter.com/andreaberg
(3) Like me on facebook "Living Changerously" http://tinyurl.com/2besjhg

I will draw a winner on Friday, December 17th.

Fine Print: Old El Paso provided the product, information and giveaway through MyBlogSpark but all opinions and meal preparation was completely my own.

Letter to H - Happy 7th Birthday!

2010-11-16T10:05:00.004-06:00

Dear H,

My big boy. I can't believe you are 7 today. You seem so old to me yet so little at the same time. I know I have told you this story a hundred times and you love to hear it, on the day you were born no one knew how big you were going to be. There were guesses. Even my doctor said you were probably around 8 1/2 pounds. But when you came out - holy moly you were a whopping 10 pounds 12 ounces. They told us you were the biggest baby in the hospital. You came out all red and swollen but you were amazing!

Now you are 7. You are really showing us who you are. You are so much like both me and daddy. You are smart - really smart. You love math and history - especially anything you can learn about the presidents. You have discovered golf and really excel at any sport. Swimming seems to be your strongest sport. Just this week you have moved up to the Jr. Swim Team and you were so proud. But you are also opinionated and stubborn and have to be right all the time. This is what gets you into the most trouble. You ask a million questions but seem to know the answers to most of them before you even ask. I love that you still like to cuddle on my lap and watch movies (but not so much when Chessa and Brady are already there). Your smile lights up your face and you love being silly. I love how you play with your sister and look out for her when we are out and I even like it when you know how to push her buttons and make her mad (because that is teaching her to stand up for herself and be tough - even though you just want to be annoying). You have been a great big brother from day one even though there are days when that is very had for you. I love it when you want to help daddy and grandpa with all of the house projects. And my favortie thing of all is when I try and kiss you and you pretend to protest but love it when my kisses win out and I get to smooch your cheek.

This year I hope that we can have so many adventures together, that you continue to love learning and asking me question, after question, after question, and that we finally loose the pull-ups at night!

Happy 7th Birthday my candy loving, goofy, and always energetic little boy!

I love you!
Mommy

Letter to C - Happy 3rd Birthday

2010-11-11T14:17:00.001-06:00

Dear C,

Tomorrow you turn 3. It is so cliche to say it feels like yesterday that I was pregnant with you. But it really does. This has been an amazing three years. When you were born I expected you to be just like your brother. To walk when you turned 1 and talk in full sentences shortly thereafter. In many ways you were. But mostly you were so different. You could care less about learning your ABC's or your numbers, but you were fearless and climbed on everything and was happiest in the water.

You have grown so much in these past few months. You started pre-school and began singing the alphabet song, counting to 12, and told me your colors in sign language. This past month you are learning to swim on your own and have moved out of your crib and into your "big girl bed". You also have really started to develop your own interests. You love playing with babies and princesses and every time you see Cinderella you say "that's me!". You make up the best songs. My favorite is "rock and roll". Every morning you insist on accompanying me into the bathroom as I get ready and demand to put on all the make-up I do.

I hope that this year we can say goodbye to your diapers and your binkies. Although secretly I don't mind you are still wearing diapers. Because I would love to keep you my baby as long as possible (plus it is way easier to go out).

C you are my strong willed, shoe loving, jewelry wearing, karate chopping little girl. I love our morning cuddles and night time stories. I love when you pick out my shoes and ask me everyday if I have a snack for you in the car.

Have a great 3rd birthday C Bear!

Love, Mommy

The changing of the guard ... The holiday decorations that is

2010-11-09T21:24:00.003-06:00

The holidays are coming fast and furious now. Every year I have such grand plans for decorating my house...in my head. We have a small house so my decorating usually is just all about one room. But it seems I am always too late and hen I say why bother..there is just a few weeks left anyway. But then I don't want it to be a complete fail!

This holiday started off great. The first week of October I had the Halloween decorations up. We have had a good solid month with them and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. But now it's time for the changing of the guard..to swap out Halloween for the next Holiday. Do I try and hobble something together for Thanksgiving? Or do I wait a few weeks and do Hanukkah / Christmas? Do I even have any Thanksgiving decorations? Let me ask you this, can Halloween decorations stand for Thanksgiving as well, or do you just look lazy?

Most of my decorating revolves around my fireplace mantle. What can i put on top of it or hang from it. Lately I have been seeing a lot of people making pennant banners. Birthday, Christmas, valentines day...what ever, but they can be hung from the mantle and celebrate the holiday. I think I am going to try it. It seems like a simple sewing project, one that I can accomplish in a few hours. I will absolutely share with you the end result and the getting there.

But back to my original delimma, when do you take down the decorations. For me, it's this weekend...halloween is coming down. I will leave up the pumpkins but put away the ghosts, skeletons, cob webs and witches. Then comes hanukah / Christmas. Stay toonec on my post about one Jewish girls story of balancing raising her kids.Jewish and sharing her husband's holiday with her kids and her dark secret of loving decorating for Christmas.

The Microsoft Store at the Mall of America - a review

2010-11-08T19:36:00.003-06:00

Friday evening I was invited, with other fellow bloggers and techies, by Suzi of Pink Vanilla Cupcakes, to preview the new Microsoft Store at the Mall of America. Our evening began at Crave with delicious appetizers and drinks. We got to socialize and then we heard all about the store. All I hear was "yes". That is what all of their employees are instructed to say. Basically do what ever it takes to help the customer. They also have a program for scouts to help them earn badges and lots of free classes. Want to learn Power Point? They have a class for that. You don't even need to make a purchase to take a class. Small businesses can send their employees or even those who are job seekers can gain really valuable skills. Thumbs up to Microsoft for this.

Then the moment came, we could see the store. We were escorted with our "media" badges through the back door (because the curtains were still up on the front of the store) and shown around. (BTW - the store is directly across from the Apple store, genius or stupid? I say genius). I wish I could show you some pictures but we were not allowed to take any (more about that later on). My first impressions- it was bright, clean yet colorful. There was a lot to look at. The first thing that hit me was the video wall that wrapped around the store. Apparently once the store opened you could watch your demo of the new Window's phone, play xBox games and more all up on the wall. (yes I got to see and play with the new Windows Phone days before it was available - it was very sweet)

The whole middle of the store was dedicated to the lap tops. I lode that they organized them by size and then by cost within each size. So logical. So smart. Cliff and I desperately need a new one so I was scoping them out and even found a few very viable and reasonable options.

But by far the item in the store that got he most attention was this table called the Microsoft Surface. You could draw, write, play game a, look at pictures. It was so cool. Check it out when you visit the store.

All In all I liked the store, liked what they want to do with the store and with the community. But overall I felt they could have done a better job with us on Friday. They could have let us take pictures (we even promised not to publish them until Sunday and even sign something). They could have let us be more hands on. Nothing but the "surface" was powered up. I wanted to play xbox, Kinect, try a laptop.

But I will go back to the store, I will probably get my new laptop there and I will try out Kinect.

Holiday Cards...almost checked off the to do list

2010-11-02T20:12:00.005-05:00

It's that time of year again. The season of giving. This time of year is huge for my kids. In an about a 6 week span they are inundated with gifts. It all starts with their birthdays that happen both to be in mid-November. Then comes Hanukkah about 2 weeks later this year and because we are a dual religion household 3 weeks later comes Christmas. It is a total gift windfall. But budgeting becomes more than a necessity it will break us if we don't.

In the middle of all the gift giving is all the other fun stuff that comes with the holidays. Namely the annual holiday card. I really love the process of finding just the right card that will show off the best pictures of our family and will stay within my limited budget. That budget sometimes is at odds with the look and feel if the card I want to send. This year I have started already scouring the sites to find just the right one and hoping to take advantage of any deals that are there for the early birds. This year I found some amazing designs at Shutterfly.co m This year they have outdone themselves. Check out these cards. What I always look for are cards that look custom and unique and are not heavy on the "Merry Christmas" (but check out these super cute religious ones if that is your thing). Like I said before we are a dual religion family so I love when I see many "Happy Holidays" options. Shutterfly has so many amazing options this year. The front runner for me is the Bright Colored Lights Card. But I see myself creating many cards and deciding once I see my pictures in each one I like.

I am also torn between the holiday letter card. Are you for or against? I am not a huge fan, for myself, of the long letter but I am intrigued by quick highlights of the year. Check these out. The Top 10 in 2010 card. The Reasons We Loved 2010 card. Seriously people. Not only do I love the concept of these cards but the colors are so aesthetically pleasing to me. The choices this year are vast. I still have pictures to take so I can find just the right ones.

Which ones will I choose? Well are you on my list? If not, check back in a few weeks and I will show you.

(Full Disclosure: Shutterfly offered me 50 free holiday cards for me to discuss what I thought of their cards. The opinions I expressed are mine and mine alone. )

40 at last!

2010-10-26T19:56:00.005-05:00

So it came and now it is gone. I am 40. There I said it. I actually had a pretty amazing birthday week. It all started the Thursday before when my friend Shannon and I spent a glorious 2 days at the Sundara Inn and Spa in the Wisconsin Dells. Now I had never been to the "Dells" but I was excited to see what it was all about. They had a girlfriend getaway weekend that included the room, money toward spa treatments and money toward food. We had a fun drive over there talking and laughing and the relaxation and pampering began as soon as we got there. Our 2 days were spent by the pool, swimming (yes outdoor swimming, in Wisconsin, in October), warming up by the fire pit, getting facials, room service, and shopping. And I loved every minute of it. Shannon and I plus our families and our other friends, on Saturday went to see the Minnesota Roller Girls. If you have never been- you must go. What a load of fun. I remember (and apparently I am the only one - except probably for my college friend Purtelli) the show Roller Derby. It was on after SNL and after Showtime at the Apollo. I loved it then and love it even more, seeing it In person. If you are unsure, check out the movie Whip It.

My actual birthday was last Wednesday and I always enjoy working on my birthday because I really love getting all of the birthday wishes. Plus my co-workers were awesome and I came into work and they had decorated my cube with balloons and signs and lots of Caribou gift cards. And later that day my friend Erica sent me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. Isn't it the best when you get a call at your desk that a delivery just came .. It is always good stuff! When I got home Cliff brought in Chinese and dessert and I didn't have to cook or clean up. Love that.

Oh speaking of Cliff, let me back up a bit to Sunday. I had taken he kids out to the mall so I could get some errands done and Cliff could get some yard work done. While at the play area, I get a call from Cliff that he had fallen and messed up his ankle. At first I didn't think I needed to leave right away but I got thte kids together rather quickly and tried to do at least one of my errands but as I was in the Gap I got another call from Cliff that his ankle was getting worse and he wanted me to take him to the emergency room. So I dropped everything and and we rushed home. I was completely planning on bringing the kids with me to the hospital so when I got home I ran in and grabbed my iPad, some toys and H's Nintendo DS. More than enough to do I thought. But my neighbors agreed to take both kids and watch them while we were at the emergency room. 3 1/2 hours later, Cliff had a very bad sprain, a terrible sprain. I was convinced that it was broken. I have never seen any sprain like that before. But now a week later his ankle is doing much better.

Ok back to my birthday - Cliff was throwing me a birthday party on Saturday but with him laid up, I knew I was going to have to pick up the slack. He planned a backyard BBQ and was going to do some grilling. We needed a total change if plans. So I rejoined Costco and raided their freezer section and got a ton of hors d'ouerves and called it good. I had a blast. We had great yummy drinnks...have you ever tried Mike's Hard Lemonade Black Cherry? You MUST! Cliff made fresh margaritas and we also had beer and wine and of course, cake. I loved seeing my friends and spending time with and laughing. But OMG it was hot in my house. Youn get more than 5 people in my house and it is hot. And there was almost 25. I love small houses, they are cozy and keep families close but it sure heats up when you entertain.

I always say your birthday should be a week long gala celebration and this one absolutely was!

Andrea's Top 40 Favorite Things

2010-10-19T20:35:00.003-05:00

On the eve of my 40th birthday (birthday post to come on Thursday) I feel that a great top 40 list would be to list a few of my favorite things. This is obviously quite trite or hackneyed (using some of my middle school vocal- well I didn't actually go to middle school but that is the best way to explain my 7-9 grades) but I am in a mood to smile. So here we go:

Andrea's Top 40 Favorite Things

1. My husband, son and daughter
2. When my mom comes to visit
3. My pillow
4. My dog Brady
5. The Long Island Ladies: Ilene, Anna, Lisa, Risa and Liz
6. Watching my brother spend time with my son
7. Cuddling up when it is frigid outside with the fireplace and the lights off watching the snow fall (unfortunately that will come too soon)
8. Spending the whole day at the beach (or pool)
9. Halloween
10. Pumpkin picking
11. Sewing
12. Going on "dates" with my son
13. McDonald's Coke
14. Facials - really any spa treatment
15. When my daughter calls me Momma
16. When my son crawls into my lap tp watch a movie (even at 6 yrs old)
17. Watching my daughter play with her purses, dollies, shoes and jewelry
18. When my daughter insists on watching me put on makeup
19. Caribou's Northern Lights Pumpkin (or vanilla) Latte
20. Our annual family Jamboree
21. My Hotchkiss family
22. Erica and Anne
23. My growing fashion jewelry collection
24. My dad
25. Shopping with my Mom
26. Seeing my mom and step-dad with my kids
27. Reading Twilight books
28. Watching twilight movies
29. Date nights with Cliff
30. My monthly cooking club
31. Mother Kellys
32. NY Pizza
33. Visiting NY around the holidays and doing the super touristy stuff
34. Italy
35. The Kentucky Derby
36. Doing 5k races (one day I will run one)
37. Target
38. Cupcakes
39. Bright colors
40. My birthday

Andrea's Top 40 Things that Annoy the Crap out of Me

2010-10-11T13:59:00.007-05:00

Movies and TV are easy and it gives just a small insight into who I really am. But to see what annoys the crap out of me...that tells ya something. I am hoping I can come up with 40...who know, we will see how it goes:

1. People who think my name is Audrey

2. People who think my name is Adrienne

3. Really slow drivers

4. When my kids kick things that are on the floor instead of picking it up - or even walking around it

5. The radio in my car that when you go to adjust the volumn - it goes super loud and the more you try to turn it down the louder it gets

6. Special reports that interrupt whatever show I am watching

7. My favorite shows that get cancelled without any resolution

8. People who are not friendly - especially in group social situations

9. People who make fun of my non-existant accent - and just assume because I say I am from Long Island - I say it "Lon Gisland"

10. People who ask me what my ethnicity is? (Why it annoys me is too controversal)

11. When I spend hours cleaning the house and the kids mess it up 5 minutes later

12. When I spend hours cleaning the house and my dog then pees/poops on the clean floor

13. When people make fun of me liking Twilight and they haven't read any of the books

14. Dirty hair smell

15. The volume of stuff my house seems to accumulate

16. Weeds in my yard

17. Weeding my yard

18. My hair

19. Strangers who tell me to smile - unsolicited

20. When the receiver of emails doesn't detect the sarcasm / jokes in emails

21. Telling my kids over and over and over to do something

22. When others take credit for stuff that I do

23. When my computer shuts down a program for no reason

24. Things that are supposed to take like 15 minutes that actually take over an hour

25. Driving down Wabasha in St. Paul
26. Driving down Rice Street in St. Paul
27. When Cliff makes fun of me for watching hysterical weather coverage
28. When I am struggling with holding something and a bunch of stuff fall on the ground
29. Barney
30. People who "reply all" to tell everyone to stop replying to all
31. When Cliff doesn't believe any fact I tell him and then asking me if I heard that on the radio (so who cares if I did- that is not the point)
32. Cliff's ridiculously loud sneezes
33. People who seem unable to get their pee in the toilet
34. The random dust or dirt that magically appears AFTER I vacuumed and put it away
35. Kirby salesman and their "sales demo"
36. Roxanne Battle
37. Local news stations teasing a story with something dire when it is nothing of the sort
38. Folding laundry
39. Being in Sephora and not being asked if I need any help
40. People who tell me to shhh!

Andrea's Top 40 - TV Shows

2010-10-05T20:13:00.003-05:00

You may think that my favorite tv shows would really be limited to those that have recently or are currently on. But there are shows that I love and still miss the being on. Some obscure, most moronic (as my mom calls them)' but they are what I enjoy what relaxes me. So here it goes...this one in no particular order

Andrea's Top 40 TV Shows

1. Big Brother
2. Friends
3. Love Sidney
4. Hunter
5. Love Boat
6. Paradise Hotel
7. Heroes
8. Lost
9. Quincy
10. Parenthood
11. The Amazing Race
12. The Real Housewives (all of them)
13. Seinfeld
14. Sex and the City
15. The Sopranos
16. The Magic Garden
17. Nurse Jackie
18. The Facts of Life
19. Gimme a Break
20. Growing Pains
21. The Biggest Loser
22. The Office
23. The Big Bang Theory
24. The Simpsons
25. The Daily Show
26. Glee
27. Phineas and Ferb
28. Coach
29. Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
30. The Real World
31. The Great Space Coaster
32. The New Zoo Review
33. Different Strokes
34. Law and Order
35. Modern Family
36. Three's Company
37. Falcon Crest
38. Knots Landing
39. Mr. Belvedere
40. St. Elsewhere

Holy $!*# I am turning 40 this month

2010-10-01T15:24:00.003-05:00

I am a bit shell shocked that October came so fast. In just 20 days I will be 40...well not counting today that is 19 days. I don't know about you but I don't think I look 40 nor do I feel 40. I feel..I don't know...20..or mentally I feel 20 or so.

So for the remaining 19 days I am going to post my TOP 40 lists. It will allow me to reminisce on my 40 years and give you all a little insight into my psyche - what makes me - ME! I am going to kick off my top 40 today.

Andrea's Top 40 Movies. (the top 10 will be in order - the rest just stream of consciousness)

1. Dumb and Dumber
2. 12 Angry Men
3. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
4. Mister Roberts
5. Sixteen Candles
6. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
7. Office Space
8. Dirty Dancing
9. To Kill a Mockingbird
10. Armageddon
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
13. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
14. Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets
15. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
16. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
17. Twilight
18. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
19. The Proposal
20. Die Hard
21. Dazed and Confused
22. Iron Man 2
23. Four Christmas's
24. A Christmas Story
25. The Outsiders
26. Star Wars
27. Legally Blonde
28. Bridget Jones' Diary
29. The Devil Wears Prada
30. Sex and the City
31. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion
32. Rear Window
33. Grease
34. Footloose
35. Flashdance
36. Chocolat
37. The Usual Suspects
38. The Matrix
39. Superbad
40. Girls Just Want to Have Fun

There you have it. My favorite movies of all time (now watch - as soon as I post I will remember a movie that is the greatest and I completely for got to put it on my list.)

Smeller, Rubber, Feeler

2010-10-01T14:56:00.003-05:00

Which one are you? I know I am a smeller...and so is my daughter. It is amazing what genes get passed on. You wouldn't think something like what you do to calm yourself would be a trait passed down to your children. But she is totally a smeller. Some kids take their blankie and rub it - grab a small corner or the tag and rub it on their face, come kids run their hands over stuff..just feeling things and some, like me and my daughter - smell. C in particular takes the satin side of Kiki (the name she calls her blankie) and brings it right up under her nose and takes a deep breath. It is hilariously cute. And so much like what I like to do. OK - not with Kiki - that thing smells like pee. But other stuff that I will not get into. This is not about me and my fetishes people!

My son - H - he plays with his ear. I guess he is a feeler. Just like Cliff. It was so weird to see him do it for the first time because it is so unique. It is not the lobe - but the top part. I don't know what that does for them - but it is their coping mechanism and who am I to judge. Except that I don't want H's ear to get all deformed..so I try and get him to stop when I notice he is doing it. I know that is terrible, but I am just looking out for his ears. He will thank me when I am older..or at least that is what I am telling myself.

Soup, chili and schedules

2010-09-13T20:19:00.002-05:00

Today is day 1 of my restart of weight watchers. I am actually very excited about it. I don't think a lot of people would be excited to start a diet but I feel like I am getting control back. My eating just went astray. I loved the way I felt when I was doing great. It was such a high ti come in every week and have a loss. I was giddy. Now in just dread it and try to think of reasons not to go and face the music. I used to have this inner voice that said "it is just not worth it". And that was enough. I had such will power. I want that back. I need it back. So I have been searching for tons of recipes - especially crock pot recipes and soups. I love summer grilling and all the fresh fruits and veggies but I also love making soups and chili's and having them all winter long. What's even better with all of our activities starting up and all the homework that comes with 1st grade, I need quick go to meals that I don't have think about. With ingredients like chicken, beans, kale, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. Mmmm, I can smell it cooking as we speak. All healthy and all delicious.

Do you have any go to fall/winter recipes that I should incorporate and that would be friendly to my healthy eating?

This week I am also going to create a master schedule. And I am talking of every thing...chores, activities, appointments, blogging, sewing...everything. I have noticed that when I go back to NY to see my mom and step-dad my step-dad, on his calendar, had all of the things he needs to do each day, water the plants, take out garbage, vacuum..ect. Now I know he is a bit extreme but a friend of mine also does this. She has a list of things that she does before she goes to sleep. I want to create that list. But it has to be manageable...it can't be too long but it has to have everything on it. I think it will take my stress level down and I won't feel like anything is falling through the cracks.

Do you have any other suggestions?

I am asking you a lot of questions tonight, any thoughts?

Back to school for all!

2010-09-07T20:11:00.003-05:00

The first day of school! Can you believe it? My 1st grader keeps saying "I can't believe I am in first grade" - over and over again. And my daughter started pre-school today as well. It was a very big day in our house. I think first grade is really the first true independent memories that I have. I remember we put on a play where I was The Candy Man. My grandmother sewed candy all over my clothes. I was very popular that day. I remember being swarmed by the kids as soon as the play was over.

I am really hoping for a great year. Day one is down and so far so good. No Take A Breaks. And that is a success.

My daughter on the other hand started pre school and did have a great day but also had some issues with group time. I was told she was strong willed. My response- YUP! That is why she is there. Hopefully in a few weeks she will adjust and learn the rules. But other than that she had a good day.

Leading up to this week I spent a lot of time with H. I like to have the summer go out with a bang. So I took last Wednesday - Friday off and was at the mercy of the whims of my 6 year old. We played a lot of Mimi golf. And I mean A LOT! Every day in fact. We also went on rides and got new shoes and ate where he wanted to eat. I even threw him a play date party. (which I will post about tomorrow).

Tonight was also soccer. This is just the start of the season of activities. Soccer, swim and Sunday school. But I love it. Even though I may complain dome times. It was so cold out tonight. I was absolutely NOT prepared. I had no coat and was wearing flip flops. So not flip flop weather. I even kind of gawffed at one mom wearing UGGS. By the end I was totally jealous of these UGGs. The blue team played awesome and I am very impressed with this league.

My evenings will now include showering before bed instead of the morning and getting lunch ready for C - all to make the mornings go smoothly. Goodbye to my summer hours of sleeping in and bellow to only one hit of the

snooze button.

Book Review: Unstuff Your Life by Andrew Mellen

2010-08-31T20:28:00.005-05:00

I have written recently about my thoughts on clutter and weight. I am really committed to a more streamlined life (except when it comes to kids clothes - I love them and can't have enough of them.). So when I was asked to read Unstuff Your Life! By Andrew Mellen, I was like HELL YEAH!

I have learned so many techniques from this book. It starts off by asking a series of 49 questions where I answered yes to more than my fair share. Unfortunately. But the 2 sections I have gone back to several times are about closets and kitchens. Kitchens especially. What really resonated with me was really defining what a kitchen is and what it isn't. I am not my dishes and my dishes are not me. I am not my kids toys and the toys are not me (yes there are toys in my kitchen). I have told my kids that living in a small house keeps families close together but with that comes a whole slew of clutter challenges. There are not closets to utilize or places to put up additional shelves. So beyond any excess stuff I have, I don't have many options for storing what ever is left. Mellen's techniques not only help with the mental issues but provides a practical plan for tackling all my stuff - in my small house. How to store like things together. Like in the same box.

So now I am fired up. Now I want to put what I learned into action. And you know what will help. My day with a professional organizer that I won at the PTA silent auction. My stuff won't know what hit it!

.*I was given a copy of this book by it's publisher, Penguin Group. My review is based on my opinions and my opinions only.

New Jersey is having a renaissance

2010-08-31T19:50:00.004-05:00

Have you noticed just how many shows there now that take place in New Jersey? I think there are 4 right now. All reality shows and all fabulous. Of course there is the Jersey Shore. And probably next well known is the Housewives of New Jersey. Which is so juicy and fun to watch and almost a bit embarassing. Then there is the the 2 lesser known Jerseylicious - which is all about a total Jersey hair salon. All big hair with the teasing and hair spray you could ever need. And finally there is Jersey Couture. This fabulous show is all about a dress shop for special occasion dresses. The most prevalent phrase is the "booty pop". No idea what that actually is.

Some may think that these shows do not portray New Jersey in a very positive light. But I think the people on the shows are very likable. Most surprisingly are the guys on Jersey Shore. They seem nice, considerate of the girls in the house and seem to stay drama free with each other. They cook Sunday night dinner for the whole house and are supportive of the girls when they are having issues. And boy do they have issues.

The Housewives are equally fun to watch. They are so drama filled and so over the top, I just can't wait to see how far they all will go. And they have gone pretty far.

I guess that there isn't really another state that has a stereotype that is so specific as NJ. And would we really want that?

I love New Jersey - what about you? If not, fuggetaboutit!

Book Review: What We Have by Amy Boesky

2010-08-23T20:53:00.004-05:00

What a moving and amazing book. Amy Boesky has written a memoir but what I love about books like this, is it read like a novel. She completely sucked me in from the beginning. This book is about a family with a huge history of cancer. Amy is not a survivor and she isn't living with cancer. But she is what she calls a "Previvor" - someone who has a known or significant risk of getting cancer.

What I loved about this book is simple - she just lives her life. In spite of what might happen in the future...she just lives. And she tells that story in a way that envelops you right from the beginning.

This is a good read. I would suggest this one.

*This book was provided to me by the publisher Gotham Books / Penguin Publishing. This reveiw is my opinion and my opinion only.

Weight and Clutter: a connection?

2010-08-23T20:19:00.004-05:00

I was having a conversation with my friend Shannon the other day. She had read something that linked weight and clutter in your house. Obviously what she read indicated the more clutter the more weight.

This caused me to pause and really think about that concept. Is there a reason that I am struggling to take my final pounds off and a reason I keep alot of stuff around the house? Why am I holding onto all of this stuff - weight and crap? Am I afraid? But what am I afraid of? These are super deep questions that I don't know the answer to. But should I know the answer to these questions?

What I know is, I am working toward getting the final pounds off. I am tired, literally and figuratively, of carrying all this extra weight around. I hate being embarrased about how I look. I also know that I am ready to purge my stuff. I am so far from being a hoarder, but I feel like the stuff is closing in on us. We don't need so much. When you have a smallish house, even a little bit looks like alot.

This past week I tried the Fililng Foods plan on Weight Watchers. The jury is still out on what I think about it. I think I don't eat as much plain food as I thought. What I mean by plain is a chicken breast, rice, salad, ect... I thought I did, but when it came down to it, not so much. I think the points may be the right way for me. I am giving it one more week. With some tweeks. If it doesn't show more success, then I am going back to more traditional WW points.

Also recently I received a book that came just as I was thinking that my stuff was taking over and I had to do something. Unstuff Your Life, by Andrew Mellen. I am still working through it so more to come when I am finished with it. But sometimes the timing of certain things just freak me out. But I am planning on applying the techniques in the book to help with my stuff problem. The good thing is Cliff is totally onboard with the decluttering. Although, he is more of the mindset to throw away or donate, but if I can sell it - I want to try and do that. But the only part of the selling that is a negative - I am planning on having a garage sale - but next May. It is part of our community wide garage sale day. That is a long time to hold onto stuff to just sell. So I must come up with a place to store the sale stuff that is out of the way and not forgotten.

Just documenting all of these plans feel great. So, like it or not, you are all on these journeys with me.

Tae Kwon Do for Dummies

2010-08-18T20:12:00.003-05:00

H started Tae Kwon Do camp this week. When I signed him up I was all like...a one week camp, that filled in a day care free week, had drop off starting at 7:30 am and pick up by 6 pm, was on my way to work and super cheap...HELL YEAH!!!! What didn't occur to me was what would happen when he got home each day.

What has been happening you may ask...I have turned into his battering ram or rather sparring partner. He is barking orders at me like he is the MASTER. Punch and duck, kick like this...and then demanding that I repeat after him..in Korean: Ha-na, Tul, Set, Net, Ta-sat, Il-gop, Yo-dul, A-hop, Yul. I think I was counting....but I can't be sure.

I had a flashback to one of my favorite stories. My brother was probably around 9 or 10 and we were at my aunts house. All of us cousins were down in the family room watching tv. Brad was the youngest and needed to be the center of attention and this day he was going to show off his karate moves. So he was up in front of the tv begging me to get up and throw a punch because he was going to block it with his super fast and amazing karate moves. I am 4 years older than him and I kept saying nope...not going to do it. Shut up and sit down. But after the 100th time of him asking, I decided to shut him up and throw him his punch. I threw my punch and completely leveled him. Clocked him one right in the face, and he went down. It was amazing. My cousins were hysterical and the best part, Brad actually took ALL the blame.

So here I am again, being asked to participate in the martial arts as a sparring partner. But this time, I don't to throw that punch. Back then I didn't mind. I got to punch my brother under the umbrella of Karate practice and he took the blame. What sibling wouldn't love that. But with H, completely not the same! So for now, I will just provide the palms of my hands for punching (by H) and my legs for sweeping and my words of encouragement.

What the hell was I thinking?

2010-08-16T21:41:00.003-05:00

I am so freaking sore. Do you know why I am so freaking sore? Because I lost my marbles, that's why. I somehow thought it was a good idea to sign up for a BOOT CAMP. That's right. Mary Sailors of Fit This, Girl has recently become a personal trainer and offered her friends the pleasure of her kicking our butts ever Sunday morning. This Sunday was my first day and HOLY CRAP I almost died.

Our warm up was jogging around the tennis courts 3 times then doing 30 jumping jacks. Yup..that was the warm up. To be honest I only went around the tennis courts twice. I was a bit slow and walked some of it.

Next was some interval training. We did 8 sets of jumping rope for 20 seconds, with a 10 second rest. Then we went right into this squat jumpy thing (OMG..not the squats of the presidential challenge we did in elementary school) again 8 sets - 20 seconds with a 10 second rest. Then right into push ups. I couldn't do those...so I modified that and did chest presses with a elastic band thingy around a tree. Again 8 sets - 20 seconds with a 10 second break.

When this crazyness was done...I was completely nauseaus. You know those contestants on The Biggest Loser who throw up on the first episode. I could never understand all the throwing up. But I was there...I didn't actually throw up - but I only held it down because we were outside in a park...and I didn't want to get sick out in public. So I sat out of the next series of insanity. Which was taking those elastic band thingy and having it around your waist and someone holding it behind you and you run while the other person tries to slow you down...then you switch. They did that 3 times.

I joined them for the last 10 minutes which was more jumping jacks, sit ups, something called planks and some other things that had me on my back, legs up and completely making my "core" sore.

Things that I learned at boot camp:
(1) I am completely and totally UNCOORDINATED!! Yeah - those plank things...I am surprised the 2 trainers were not clutching their sides with laughter at watching me try to get into the correct position and don't even get me started on the Jumping Jack and Jumping Rope.

(2) Those that throw up on the Biggest Loser, I have total simpathy for them.

(3) I will absolutely be back on Sunday for another round of pain and torture.

My brush with Dooce

2010-08-10T20:04:00.007-05:00

So I have been traveling non-stop this summer. First Boston, then New York, Vancouver and last week San Francisco. There were many highs and several lows during these trips. Being away from H and C is definitely one of the lows. A vacation with Cliff in Vancouver, the first one in 7 years - a huge high.

This past week I was in San Francisco. The reason doesn't matter - actually it does matter, but in following the advice of Heather Armstrong, dooce.com, I will not talk about work here on my blog.

What I will say is that I had the pleasure of spending time with someone I have admired for a very long time - tons of others do. Ok, lets be real... over a million others I am sure admire her as well. Who is this? ...wait for it...wait for it.... I spent time and got to know Heather Armstrong...Dooce herself! I am not going to talk about how it all came about, but let me put it this way - it was more than just a brief meet and greet. You don't believe me...well here is a picture to prove it. Yup...that is me. All 8 chins and all. And that is Heather...all tall and

gorgeous, and super stylish...and there is me and my chins, and really bad hair.

I am sure you are dying to know what we did...and you have begged enough...so here is me...meeting Heather.

I met her in the lobby of the hotel after she arrived. I wanted to greet her and invite her to dinner. She was so gracious as I introduced myself and although she had dinner plans she seemed flattered I asked. We solidified our plans for the next day and I was off to take care of some other items I needed to. What I didn't expect was to receive a call about 40 minutes later inviting me to drinks. So to say I was super excited would be an understatement.

I know she doesn't put her ENTIRE life on dooce.com, but there sure is a lot of it on there. So I felt like I knew a lot about her already but she didn't know a thing about me. So I was a little nervous wondering if we would have anything to talk about. The thing I liked most about Heather is that she really made me feel comfortable, we did not have a lack of a conversation and we seemed to have a lot in common. - all which surprised me.

Am I describing a date here? Sorta - kinda of...but there was no funny stuff - No will I get a kiss...or not. Just good clean fun. The next day was super busy. But there was some down time in the late morning. I got a huge kick out of people come over to Heather, all unsure and nervous to meet her. But as she was with me...she was gracious, warm and seemed genuinely interested in the person who introduced themselves.

It was an amazing experience. I feel so lucky that I had this time with Heather. Heather - if you are reading this - I hope you felt the same way.

Book review: Geek Dad by Ken Denmead

2010-07-30T18:47:00.002-05:00

I have been reading Geek Dad* by Ken Denmead for a few weeks now. It isn't a novel or biography but it is a collection of super cool projects that parents can do with their kids, together. Even though it is called Geek Dad - any mom could do these projects as well. But to be honest when I first received the book I immediately handed it to Cliff and told him - have at it. But I was very intrigued as he couldn't put it down - I wanted to see for myself.

H is still only 6 so a majority of the projects are a bit advanced for him, but there were still many that he could actively participate in. There are a few projects that I would totally love to do but I don't think we have enough space. First is Build an Outdoor Movie Theatre. How cool would that be to have your friends and neighbors over to watch a great flick, make smores' and cuddle under a blanket under the stars. But alas, we just don't have the space. But if you do...then this book has all the instructions you need.

Some of the other projects we are planning on doing (and only haven't yet because of all the travelling we have been doing this summer) are: Make your own cartoons, Model Building with cake (really - anything with cake and I am in!) and the Exploding Drink practical joke.

These are just the ones I am planning on with H. Some good mom and son bonding. I am sure Cliff has his own list from this book.

*I was given a copy of the book Geek Dad by the publisher Penguin Group. My review is based on my opinion and my opinion only.

Dolls and Tote Bags and Clothes, Oh My

2010-07-27T19:32:00.003-05:00

I know you all assume that during my 3-4 week hiatus from blogging was due to an enormous amount of TV watching. And if you didn't assume that...here is a little nugget of info about me, I always find time to watch tv....why..well that is for a whole other post. But no, I was not watching marathons of Real Housewives or Big Brother 3 x a week. If I wasn't travelling I was sewing. I felt like my own little sweatshop.

In about 2 weeks I made 6 dolls, 6 tote bags and a shirt. I was obsessed and I loved every minute of it. All but 2 tote bags were gifts. Since I have been back from my 2 trips I have already made 1 tote and have 2 more I need to make. Maybe I should start selling this stuff instead of giving it all away. But I make them because I love to sew and I love to share what I have made with my 2 hands with my friends and family.

The only question is who else wants a doll or a tote bag...and what else should I make. Once my traveling slows down, I am going to start up classes again and make some more clothes for C. I also want to try and make a blanket for H. I found the greatest fabric - navy blue with these lime green guitars on it.

(I know ... I need to include pictures ...I will..I just haven't had a chance to upload any. But I have them on my camera. I promise by next Tuesday, you will see pictures.)

My wall its a coming down!

2010-07-26T20:16:00.003-05:00

My friend Suzi at Pink Vanilla Cupcakes wrote recently about focusing her energy on things she likes to do versus doing things she doesn't want to do. She was very insightful especially as she relates this to her diet and exercise.

I have been deliberately quite here on Mondays about the status of my diet and running. That is because I have been ignoring both. And of course old habits creep back. It hasn't helped that my travel schedule has been really crazy and I am traveling again next week. So after I read Suzi's post I really started to think about my wall and why did I create it. Because I am fully aware I put there myself. I have been eating too much, eating junk and not exercising. This end NOW! I felt so good when I was doing well on my eating and exercising. And now I feel like crap. So this is what I am going to do this week.

Control my portions
Lots of protein and vegetables
Drink my water

It is as simple as that. I am also going to restart my C25K. Tomorrow I am repeat week 1 day 1. I am looking forward to it because I am still committed to RUNNING a 5K before I turn 40.

All these things are reasonable to do. And I am going to do it. I am fed up. I am pissed I had such a long back slide. It hasn't been terrible. It is not like I gained back all 65 pounds...but more like 10. But that is now 10 pounds further away from my goal. I am going to kick this wall in the butt.

Family Wednesday: Pull-ups and 6 yr olds

2010-07-21T20:16:00.002-05:00

H potty trained very easily. We didn't push it. In fact, I liked diapers. It made him very portable. We didn't have to stop and find a bathroom every hour. We waited until he was just past 3 years old. It worked, it was easy. We tackled daytime potty training first. And everything we read and everyone we talked to said to start using pull-ups at night and once they are dry for at least a week then try without. That was 3 1/2 year ago and H has never gone more than 1 night with a dry pull up.

Do you remember the movie What about Bob? The one with Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus. There is a scene toward the end where Bob (Murray) is sleeping and Dreyfus's' character is trying to wake him up but Bob is in a huge deep sleep and will only wake up to his own alarm. "Bob! Bob! BOB! BOB! COCK-A-DOODLE-DO!" Well - we have done that...to H. He is in such a deep sleep. He just can't wake himself up to go pee.

Before you ask - yes we have spoken to our pediatrician about it and she is not concerned. She told us there is a huge percentage of boys who are so active during the day that when they sleep, they are in such a deep sleep, they just can't wake up. H obviously falls into that category. But, H is starting to express a desire to not want to wear the pull up anymore. The only thing that really works is to stop ALL liquids 2 hours before he goes to bed. That puts the end to liquids at 6 pm. Only 45 minutes after we get home for the evening. Way before we have dinner.

Are any of your children still not potty trained at night? Have your kids taken this long to end the pull ups - and what did you do?

(Don't even get me started on C and her refusal to even think about giving up her diapers...)

What I've Done on my Summer Vacation, Part 1

2010-07-19T20:16:00.002-05:00

I'm baaack! It has been a long (yet feeling very short) 3 week vacation. I was not only gone from the office, I was also gone from my little blog. I have missed both. I am sure most of you saying WHAAAT! You missed the office. Well - I did. I am very lucky to work with some great people who have become friends so I don't' necessarily miss work - I miss seeing my co-workers.

I also missed my blog. I had some great intentions on my vacation. I was thinking - I am not at home, no laundry that needs to be done, no vacuuming, no dinners to be made, no lunches to prepare, no bills to pay...just playing during the day, and the evenings to myself after the kids go to bed. And then I thought I would catch up on my google reader, blog daily and just do the things I wanted to do but was getting too busy to do. Oh how naive I was. Both C & H went to bed way later then they usually did and by the time they were down, I was down for the count.

So now I have thousands of blog entries to catch up on my reader, and I am back to blogging regularly...and I can't wait.

So here is what kept us to busy.

___________________________________

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I grew up in New York. Every summer we head back east to spend at least a week with my family and my extended step-family both in NY and then in the Berkshires. This year, Cliff couldn't make it so it was just me and the kids. The adventure began as soon as we were dropped off at the airport. I had so much anxiety over the plane and being by myself but H really stepped up and helped with C and everything went super smoothly. They dined on snacks galore (Yogos, fruit snacks, chips and yogurt raisins -All special because I don't allow them to eat these snacks normally due to H's cavity experience when he was 3.)

Once in NY we had a pool party where I invited my High School friends over with their families for some swimming and lunch. I love seeing all of our kids playing together. I hate it that we all live so far apart and they can't grow up together. Some of us swam early, but we were rained out later in the day. There was a huge 5 minute storm - Hail and everything - that blew over super fast but closed the pool. We had pizza and salad and laughs and took pictures. I loved every minute that I got to spend with Anna, Chris, Kate, Lily, Liz, Emily, Katie, and Charlie!

On Friday I got to spend the day with the kids and my mom at Jones Beach. I can't get enough of seeing my kids discover the ocean. The sound, the smells, tastes and the power of the Atlantic! We couldn't get H out of the water. He loved jumping over and running from the waves. C was more cautious and tried to hide her enthusiasm when I would take her out with me deeper into the surf. It was all worth the long walk from the car to where we made place in the sand.

Saturday we split up. H went into NYC with my mom and step-dad where they met up aunts and uncles and cousins went to the top of the Empire State Building and saw the Lion King on Broadway. Meanwhile, I took C to meet up with some more of my friends - first stop with Lisa - she is on bed rest (Baby Frank is due in August) and we played with future big sister G. C and G had a rough start - that is often the case with 2 1/2 year olds. But it was so much fun just to see them together. C and I left Lisa and met up with my college roommate Sydne and High School friend Risa at the Central Park Zoo. I 100% expected to see a lion, a zebra, a giraffe and a hippo (ok - they didn't have to be named Ales, Marty, Melman and Gloria - but I expected to see those animals). But I hope I don't ruin this for you...NONE of them are there. Don't get me wrong - it was a totally fantastic zoo - but the Madagascar animals were no where to be seen. What was there was the dancing animals that danced at the top of the hour. You have to check it out to see what I mean.

No trip into NYC for me would be complete without a visit to Dylan's Candy Bar. Now I am not a huge candy person, but the brand at Dylans is incredible. I just love the colors, the logo, the floors - everything! And whooboy - so did C. We had some dessert up at the cafe and stocked up on candy and Dylan's branded gear.

Sunday we stuck close to home for another pool party. This time with the aunts, uncles and cousins. Something happens when these kids get together. The cousins I mean. It is like they are never apart. They are the best of friends and can't be apart. They fight, and make up, and play and laugh, hug and wrestle and just can't get enough of each other.

I will end here and continue later with our time in the Berkshires and then my trip with Cliff to Vancouver. All with pictures...I haven't uploaded them yet.

I traveled with the kids, by myself, and am living to tell about it

2010-06-27T19:58:00.003-05:00

Hello from vacation. The past few weeks I have been feeling so out of touch with my blog. Other things have taken priority in my evening hours - the time I have allotted to write. Primarily sewing. I have been my very own sweatshop. I have been making dolls and tote bags non-stop. All gifts - all for people I love dearly but my blog took the brunt. I thought that since I am on vacation, I will find the time to catch up on my google reader, blog regularly, read and relax. I have read just a little, relaxed a little more than that but this is the first time I have opened up the computer and I have been on vacation since Wednesday - that is 4 days already. And this is the real subject of my blog - my vacation.

Every year my whole family gets together - we call it the family jamboree. We all descend on my mom and step-dad. The trajectory of my portion of the trip consists of me, Cliff, H and C flying into NYC and spending 2-3 days in NY seeing my grandfather (who is 94 btw), going to the beach and visiting with my friends in Manhattan. Then we drive up to the Berkshires - the family home in the mountains - where we are joined by the rest of the family for a week of loud, crazy fun.

This year has been different. For one, Cliff was unable to join us so I took the kids myself. I don't know about you, but I have been totally anxious about it for weeks leading up to the trip. And what was the source of my anxiety....getting onto the plane. Yes - that sole 3-5 minutes. You see, C is 2 and I put her in a car seat, on the plane. It works for us because it keeps her strapped in and secure the entire plane ride and not up and down and playing with the seatbelt. I also still bring a stroller because it not only help to quickly navigate the airport, but to haul all of our stuff. So now I am carrying a full size car seat and pushing a stroller. I decided to forgo a purse and put all my essentials into C's backpack. H carried how own backpack and I packed that as lightly as possible - snacks, Nintendo DS, a book and DVD's. In C's backpack I had diapers, wipes, my wallet, phone, iPod, my laptop, sticker books, coloring book and C's snacks. So now we have the full size car seat, pushing a stroller, and 2 back packs. But what I was really worried about was walking down the jetway, taking C out of the stroller, collapsing the stroller all while holding C, because she is that clingy, and carrying 1 backpack and car seat.

I am happy to report that for the first leg of the trip, it was a breeze. I had absolutely nothing to worry about. The kids behaved beautifully, H really stepped up and helped with C, walking her onto and through the plane while I followed with the car seat. Easy peasy.

Now back to our vacation. We arrived this past Wednesday and will be leaving for the Berkshires tomorrow. That is 5 days in NY. Way more than normal. And instead of it just being me and my little family here in the NY portion - others joined us as well - so the party started early. We did get to go to the beach - Jones Beach - which was the most perfect day for the beach. The kids LOVED playing in the ocean. I took C into Manhattan to visit with my friends and we went to see the animals at the Central Park Zoo (a must see if you are in NY) and had treats at Dylans Candy Bar. While C and I had our girls day, H went with his cousins and grandparents to the Empire State Building and to a Broadway show - The Lion King. I hear they all were amazed by both. We also have spent time at the pool.

So tomorrow we are off to Otis where our days will be filled with going to the lake, the playground, the pool and outlet shopping. It is a great vacation. And even better spending time with my family.

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

2010-06-23T09:55:00.001-05:00

Using the Random Number generator - The winner is LutherLiz! Thank you all for reading and commenting. I will be having more giveaways soon.

Driving Safe and a GIVEAWAY!!

2010-06-18T17:10:00.005-05:00

I admit it, I am ashamed to do so, but I do check my BB when I am driving. I only read - and never reply (except when I am stopped at a traffic light) but both are bad. I keep hearing of all these recent deaths involving inattentive drivers because they were texting while driving. Cliff yells at me constantly to NOT check my BB while I am driving. It is kind of an obsession. It is definitely a crackberry. I am trying. The last 2 weeks I have not checked anything while driving. If I do glance at it, it is while I am stopped at a red light. But I know that needs to stop as well. Not only for the safety of me, my family and others on the road - but to stayed present when my kids are talking to me in the car.

Last week I was contacted by Motorola to help spread the word about a new bluetooth headset that helps you keep you hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road I was more than happy to test it out and spread the word. I thought the timing was perfect because I was really trying to stop myself. Also, did you know it is National Safe Driving Month? Well it is - great timing by Motorola.

There are some really cool features of this bluetooth, H17txt with MotoSpeak - first it reads text through your headset - including 150 text acronyms (like LOL or POS) and senders name. You can listen to navigation through your headset - so not everyone in the car hears the directions - and you can listen to your music and other streaming media. I think one of the coolest features is the auto response to the text messages. It will send a autorepsone to your texts that you are driving and will call back when available.

Since June is National Safe Driving Month - Motorola will be in Minneapolis today at Peavey Plaza and tomorrow at Lake Calhoun from 10-3pm to educate everyone on the hands-free laws in Minnesota. They are also having a bunch of contests on twitter to win rides in the smart car (which I almost got to ride in) and your very own H17txt with Motospeak. All you have to do is follow them on twitter and be the first to answer their trivia questions.

But Motorola is offering one of my readers a chance to win a H17txt with Motospeak of your very own.

There are a few ways to enter - so you will can have several entries and multiple chances of winning:

(1) leave a comment in this blog

(2) follow me on twitter and leave a comment here telling me you are a follower

(3) follow me on this blog and leave a comment here telling me you are a follower.

Leave your email in your comments so I have a way of contacting you if you are a winner.

Winners will be chosen by at random.

That is 3 chances to win.

Contest ends on Tuesday - June 22nd. Good Luck - and Drive Safely!

*I was not paid for this post. Motorola asked me to help spread the word about safe driving and to review the Motorola H17txt with Motospeak - which will come in a later post after I have had a chance to use it for a while.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you..

2010-06-17T19:35:00.003-05:00

Hello...I am so sorry I have been quiet for a while but work and projects at home have kept me incredibly busy. It always seems to be that way before you take a vacation, any one else feel the same way. That everything has to be done before you go.

Lately I have read many posts where I get a glimpse into the blogger's world - a getting to know you post as I like to call it. I realized I have never done anything like that and well maybe it is time. So here are some interesting things, some you many know, some you may not...I hope everyone can learn something they didn't know about me. So here we go.

1. I grew up in NY. Long Island to be specific. Or Lonnng Gisland as many have teased. Honestly I have never pronounced it Long Gisland, and I have never noticed anyone there pronouncing it that way, but that is what people think.

2. I am a lawyer. Yup. Spent a whole boatload of money on that degree. I currently don't practice law but I do work in a related field. Legal Publishing. But let me tell you, I still maintain my license and will continue to do so until those student loans are paid off. So if you need a lawyer...I can help (not really...but could probably help you if you get arrested..for a small fee)

3. I love to sew. Well you probably all knew that already since I frequently post about my projects, but I think as all those who sew will probably agree, you can become obsessed with fabric and I am no exception. I just love so many fabrics and am getting more and more confident in what I can do. I am taking orders for tote bags and dolls (just kidding..but if you really want one...we can talk.)

4. I have a small obsession with Twilight. Ok- I don't think an obsession can be described as small. I can't get enough and I am counting down the days until Eclipse to premier (June 30th if anyone is wondering) - and have at least 4 dates already arranged to see it. #1 with Jill when we are in Otis. #2 with Jen - my fellow twilight obsessed fan. #3 with Anne - as soon as I get back from vacation #1 and before I go on vacation #2 and #4 with Shannon. Same as Anne. So maybe we all go together and I only see it 3 times. Or NOT. will depend on just how good it is. I am thinking 4. Oh and if you are wondering TEAM EDWARD...all the way! No doubt!

5. While we are on the subject of books, my favorite authors (excluding Stephanie Meyer) are: Jen Lancaster and Jennifer Weiner. They are both awesome and super fun to read.

6. Late 80's rap is my favorite music to listen to. We're talking Rob Base, Sir Mix Alot, Tone Loc, Salt-n-Pepa, and Young MC. When I was in college Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock came to play at my school and of course me and my roomate went to the show and I was pulled up on stage to dance with Rob Base - during Joy and Pain. It was incredible.

7. While on the subject of college I went to the University of Maryland and was in a sorority. I know, huge shocker. It was an awesome experience and I made some great friends. But my closest friends from college were those girls who lived on my hall freshman and then sophomore year (and in our apt. junior and senior year). Elkton 3 4eva!

8. I love watching sports and I am completely torn. Here is what I mean - I went to Maryland and LOVE the Terps - Fear the Turtle - people...but I also LOVE Duke. How insane is that. Duke is a huge rival - but I will cheer for Maryland when they do play Duke..but it is a bit of blasphemy. Now fast forward to my move to Minnesota...I am a Giants and Yankee (and sometimes Mets) fan. But I have fallen for the Twins and Vikings. So can I support both NY and MN teams?? Now if the NY teams play the MN teams, I will support the MN teams. But I never feel right doing either.

9. I am really not a fan of hiking. Period. I will give it another chance but as of right now..not so much. Same goes for Yoga. I did try it once, and it was a horrible experience. My first time, extremely tight muscles, no water and apparently in a Hot Yoga class = almost death. So I am extremely turned off.

10. I can't think of something for #10. So ask away...what do you want to know about me?

Book Review - The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow

2010-06-15T12:26:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading The Girls from Ames*. I was very excited to read this. From what I heard when the book first came out and from what I assumed it to be about, it seemed like a story I could completely relate with.

The Girls from Ames is about a group of 11 women who became friends, some starting as early as pre-school, and have remained friends for over 40 years. From its own site, "The Girls from Ames is the story of a group of ordinary women who built an extraordinary friendship. With both universal insights and deeply personal moments."

As I started to read the story, I felt myself identifying with the girls and their stories. I saw parts of myself and my friends in each of them. Because I also have been friends with women I have known for over 35 years, dating back to Kindergarten. I voraciously read the stories that the women shared about their childhood and their interactions with each other. I couldn't get enough. I knew it was because I made a connection, I saw myself in their stories. I had my own with my girlfriends - Ilene, Anna, Lisa, Risa, Liz. I admired the Ames' girls commitment to see each other each year. We have tried to do that, but have failed. The best laid plans...

But as I read the book, time and time again, I felt let down. I wanted more stories. I wanted more details. But the book read like a dissertation. There were so many facts and figures about women's friendships and the meaning of friendships. I felt like I was reading a psychological article rather than a story about a 40 year friendship and that the friendship was almost second to the attempt by Zaslow to define women's friendships and prove that women's friendships shape who we are as women.

In the end, I felt I only got a small glimpse into the friendships of these women and would have liked way more story and way less friendship facts. Did Zaslow end up defining women's friendships and prove his point - well - I felt that I agreed with alot of what he said based on my own experiences with my 35 year friendships with Ilene, Anna, Lisa, Risa and Liz and it made me crave their faces, voices, hugs, stories and laughter. So sure - Zaslow accomplished what he set out to do.

*Fine Print: I was given a copy of The Girls from Ames by the Publisher Penguin Group. My review is based on my opinion and my opinion only.

Memories of days spend at camp

2010-06-09T20:40:00.003-05:00

As school winds to an end I get nostalgic for camp. Growing up in New York summer camp was an integral part of my life. When you were young, starting at around age 5, you went to day camp - an all day all summer camp (this becomes important to the story later). A bus picked you up at your house and took you to your camp where you did things like kick ball, swimming 2x a day - instruction in the morning and free swim in the afternoon, soccer, arts and crafts, ceramics, woodworking, boating, dance, baseball, cooking, drama, tennis, horse back riding, lunch and snack. Now you didn't do all of this every day, but you did do this everything at least once a week.

When you turned around age 9 or 10, some went off to Sleep Away camp - an 8 week camp - away from your parents - for 8 weeks (this becomes important to the story later). You did alot of the same things as you do in day camp but add to that water skiing, more sports, go-carts, canteen, evening programs, bunks, and raids.

This was my typical summer. I went to Bar-H Ranch day camp from when I was very young until I was about 9 or 10. I loved everything about that camp. Our biggest camp rival was Camp DeBaun, another day camp down the road. Occasionally we would have kickball games against Camp DeBaun...and YES we would totally kick their butt! My dad worked at Bar-H and over the years I got to know the other counselors and directors which helped me later get a job there as a counselor when I got to High School.

When I was 10, 11 and 12 I went to sleep away camp - Camp Chen-A-Wanda. I made some great friends there and I really became independent, except for apparently brushing my hair. Because I don't think I did. On visiting day when my parents came to visit they had to sit and brush out the huge knots in my hair - and I mean huge!

My favorite thing about both day camp and sleep away camp was COLOR WAR. The camp would divide the whole camp into 2-4 teams (basically the colors of the camp) and there would be a theme and each team would have a name. So for example a theme could be Hollywood and your team could be called Red Grease or Gold Breakfast Club...(ok those weren't real team names but you get the point). You would compete against the other teams in things like Kickball (we played alot of kickball when I was young), tug-o-war, tons of swimming events, relay races, running races, soccer games, ect. You also had to make up songs and skits in an event called Sing. You had to do a cheer and an Alma Mata. I loved sing so much. Hearing your whole team sing in unison these songs that the counselors wrote was awesome. It gave me chills. My other favorite was the bonfire and water boil. These were the only events that happened at night. Each team raced to build a huge bonfire and the first to burn all of their ropes won, and separately build a fire that would boil water fastest. You would have cheers and just so much excitement from everyone.

These are things I want my kids to experience. It is so hard to describe to anyone who hasn't grown up with the camp culture. When I first moved to Minnesota I talked about camp. No one understood what I was talking about. My friends told me stories about how they just stayed at home all summer and played outside. Sometimes with or without their parents at home. I just couldn't wrap my head around that. I kept thinking to myself, I need to open a summer day camp here - I would make a fortune! And when I explained what sleep away camp was, that I was away from my family for 8 weeks straight with only 1 visit from them in the middle - they were floored. Everyone said, No way - I would never send my kids away for the whole summer. Not me - I can't wait for H and C to be old enough to experience sleep away camp. I will send them out east to a camp in the NY/PA/MA area. The only thing that will hold me back will be cost. But I think it is such a great experience and the kids get so much out of camp that will shape who they become. I just have to find a way to do it. It may have to be for only 4 of the 8 weeks, but they will go.

When H was born I started looking into summer camp programs here in Minnesota. What I found was alot of week long camps that lasted 1/2 days and occasionally full days. I thought to myself, WHATTTT? I have to plan the kids summer week by week? That is insane. Before H was school age, I sent him to his pre-school during the summer. They had a separate summer program that included swimming and alot of other outdoor activities. Children's Country Day was an amazing find. Now H is too old for Country Day, and I think I found all that I wanted in a day camp for the school aged set. Camp Butwin. It is an 8 week all day camp. Perfect. I work and can't figure out the logistics of arranging activities for 8 separate weeks. This camp has everything I described above, Swimming 2x a day, horseback riding, sports, boating, arts and crafts, dance, music, nature, ropes courses, you name it - I am sure they will be doing it. And the best part, the bus stop is on my way to work. It was like a dream come true in my camp desire.

I still long for those summers as a camper and as a counselor and wish I could take summers off to work in a camp but unfortunately that is not in the card for me. So I will have to live vicariously through my kids and hope that they enjoy camp as much as I did and that they create lifelong memories that they will pass down to their kids.

My son is...

2010-06-07T20:38:00.004-05:00

inquisitive - as I have posted here before, he asks alot of questions. All the time. Which is great, he is thinking all the time and as a result he know so much.

challenging - not that he is a challenging child - but he challenges you. When you tell him it is time to get ready for bed, he challenges that - "why do I have to put on my pajamas? - you should have told me to get ready earlier" . You tell him it is time to come inside he rides his bike down to the corner to just get one more ride in.

a know it all. He often tests you. He will ask you a question knowing full well what the answer is but he want to make sure you also knwo the answer.

Spirited. He does everything with such excitement.

Obsessed with his new bike. We got him a bike that is slightly too big for him and he is doing all he can to figure out how to balance and stop a bike where his feet can't touch the ground

Freakishly fast. Everyone that sees him run, including other kids, can't believe how fast he is. Especially for his age and size.

Has so many girlfriends. I mean really. That kid knows how to woo the ladies. He has the 6 yr old set wrapped around his finger.

so tan during the summer. I mean seriously. Even with SPF 45 he gets so beautifully tan.

a fish. As soon as the weather gets above 70 that kid is in a swimming suit and is in the water. I just wish we had a pool so he could swim every day. I think the olympics really impacted him. He loved watching Michael Phelps and that lit a fire in him.

so smiley. His smile lights up his entire face.

super cuddly in the morning. He forgets how old he is and he loves cuddling with me while he watches his shows.

my baby, always has been - always will be - no matter how big or how much he protests my kisses.

My Salute to National Running Day

2010-06-02T19:50:00.004-05:00

Did you know that today is National Running Day? What a great day. I never thought I would say that about a day devoted to running. But I really do enjoy running. I don't enjoy the fact that my body isn't as fit as I would like to be so right now I only can run in short spurts. I should be further along in my training but I have discovered a disturbing trend. Each time there is an interruption in my routine I go right back to old habits. For example, family crisis back in October - result: diet hiatus for 6 months. Started physical therapy 4 weeks ago - running/exercise completely stopped. I am so motivated and successful when I start. I haven't fooled myself into thinking when I start that I am actually making life changes - I actually do. But then life take a turn and BAM! Completely stop.

In honor of National Running Day - I got back out there and ran (even though I had PT today - ssshhhh don't tell my PT Deb). My iPod even died but I got out there regardless. I guessed at all of my running/walking intervals but I liked it.

So here are some of my questions / thoughts / observations regarding running:

Do you really need special clothes to run? I know it sounds great to go shopping and buy some great new gear but it is really necessary?
What do you do with keys / water / id while running? Especially when at a race? Maybe this is the need for special gear - with pockets.
People are very friendly to runners. So many people say hi as I pass them. One person even said "Good for you!"
I am always wondering if I am running fast enough. I know for me, I am running because I don't walk that fast but I think for some I could be speed walking.
When you participate in a race, is it bad form to stop running and walk for a bit or should you run the whole thing.
I hate the thought of going out to run, but love how it feels after I do it
Are you supposed to be breathing deeply while you run, or shorter shallow breaths?

My Summer Bucket List

2010-06-01T20:54:00.002-05:00

I'm BAAACK!!! I have been incredibly busy lately and this little blog of mine has fell by the wayside. But I have moved it back up on the priority list and here I am. I also love to follow a ton of blogs and I enjoy reading each and every post. Google Reader is my friend. But I have been so behind that I had over 1000 posts to read and I did what I thought I would never do, marked all as read. I feel terrible because I feel like now I will have missed something really important.

But I did read a handful of posts on some of my favorites, one of them my friend Suzi's at Pink Vanilla Cupcakes. She had a post about her summer bucket list so I am totally stealing her post idea. So this is a list of some of the things I have planned already and some of the things I want to do but don't have a day for it scheduled.

1. See the movie Eclipse as many times as I can (I have 4 planned right now)

2. Annual visit to NY to see family

3. Take kids to the ocean while in NY

4. Spend time with all my NY girlies (Lisa, Anna, Liz, Risa, Sydne, and Jen)

5. Take control over the weeds in my yard

6. Take the kids swimming as much as possible - just discovered Lake Nokomis' Main Beach. It is my new fav.

7. Frequent Connie's Creamy Cone

8. Vancouver with Cliff - our first trip together without the kids since H was born.

9. Spend time with Ilene in Vancouver - total girls night (before Cliff gets there)

10. See Erica every weekend that she will be in town.

11. Spend as much time with Anne as our schedules allow.

12. Take H & C to Como Town at least once every other week.

13. Complete all of my sewing projects.

I am sure I am forgetting something but if I do half of these things I will think the summer was a success.

The Mojo is still in effect

2010-05-25T08:32:00.002-05:00

Sorry about the delayed Weightloss/Fitness Monday post. But it was a pretty good week. I was down 1 pound this week. I am sure it was totally due to meeting 3 out of 4 of my goals for the week.

(1) Run Week 4 of C25k - Completed. I couldn't finish or run the full 5 minutes but I did it. Tonight I try again. I am going to keep doing it until I can master week 4. I was told that your mind stops way before your body needs to. I try to tell myself that as I am running but I end up stopping anyway. My brain wins every time. This week I am really going ot push myself past my brain and keep running the full 5 minutes no matter what. I know I can do it. I read about others doing it (I am talking about you Amelia Sprout and Marketing Mama. So I will do it also.

As a running aside - I have a question to all the runners out there...in the middle of my run - I get this side cramp...why? What do I do to make it go away or not come at all? Any suggestions?

(2) Track all of my food every single day - This is where I failed. I did keep track of my points. In my head, but I did not write it down. I don't know why. I sit at my computer all day long and I have the WW eTools, so why can't I track? I don't know but it is going back on my goals for this week.

(3) Stay motivated - I was really motivated this week. Staying motivated on the weekend was a bit harder but I did ok. I brought lunch every day and had really healthy dinners. I hope to keep the momentum going this week.

(4) When hungry at work - get up and fill my water cup - I may have had an M&M or 2 this week, but I definitely stopped the afternoon snacking. I brought extra veggies and fruit for the afternoon so I had something healthy to munch on when my 3pm hunger came for a visit. I have been slightly addicted to Sugar Snap Peas. Trader Joe's was carrying them in the refrigerator case and I would buy 2-3 bags a week. But now - nowhere to be found. I feel lost. I want my fresh Sugar Snap Peas!!! Trader Joe's - HELP!!

(5) DO NOT buy any supplements for my lunch - all week! - SUCCESS!!! NO SUPPLEMENTS!! I am so proud of myself and my wallet. This will continue this week. It really helped.

So I think I will continue with the same goals as last week. And I am going to increase my activity level this week.

Minnesota Bloggers Event was awesome

2010-05-21T15:22:00.003-05:00

Last night I didn't have the opportuntiy to post because I attended a Minnesota Bloogers Event that Molly of The Snyder 5 hosted at Nye's in Northeast. It was so much fun and I got to meet some great women that I read all the time and some I will now be reading all the time. It was super relaxed and I was excited that I got an opportunity to go. The get together was a precursor to Tomorrow's Rummage Sale where proceedes go to ConAgra's Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. I am donating some things for the sale. Here are the details - it will be a great day tomorrow, so stop by and shop!

Minnesota Bloggers Rummage Sale
100% of proceeds benefit Feeding America through
ConAgra’s Child Hunger Ends Here Campaign
Saturday, May 22, 2010
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Highland Park Shelter House
1227 Montreal Avenue, Saint Paul, MN
All of the proceeds will be used locally in our community.
There are over 30 families currently donating to the sale.
TONS of goodies for everyone – so come shop and donate to this cause.

I am so impressed with the blogging community that is here in the Cities and excited I am now a part of. The collective knowledge in that room was incredible. I just wish I could harness it all and download it into my brain. I want to give the amazing women I got to talk to a shout out here. So, click on over to their blogs, check them out. You will also be as impressed as I am.

Amelia Sprout
Pink Vanilla Cupcakes
Motherly Law
The Snyder 5
The Marketing Mama
Fit This, Girl!
Sellabit Mum
Gust Gab
Random Thoughts of a Lutheran Geek
Fumbiling Toward Family
Just After Bedtime

Here's to good friends....

2010-05-19T21:05:00.002-05:00

This week I was offered the opportunity to read and review the book The Girls from Ames (I will post the review in June). I have really wanted to read the book but haven't had the opportunity. The book has got me thinking about friendships. From the blurb on the back, I can absolutely relate to the story. I have a group of friends that I have known for over 35 years. Since kindergarten. We spent all of elementary and high school together. We dispersed when we got to college but remained close. We have celebrated graduations, weddings and births, comforted each other when someone suffered a loss and supported each other on major life changes and decisions. We are now scattered across the country. Some are still in New York (where we grew up), one is in Seattle, one in Los Angeles and I am in Minnesota. We try to get together for girls trips, but new babies have prevented us from getting together more often.

Moving to Minnesota I have had a hard time finding this same type of friendship. I have friends. Some very good ones. But there is just something missing in these friendships. Maybe I expect too much. Maybe it will be impossible to recreate those deep bonds that I have with my NY homies. Maybe I am trying too hard. But what I know is that I can name 2 people I consider my good friends here and one of them just moved to Pennsylvania. I miss my NY homies. I wish I could find a group of women in MN where our kids grow up together, we do family things together and have girls nights together. And it would be an even bigger bonus if our husbands could be friends too.

Swingset Tunic - oh so cute

2010-05-18T21:09:00.004-05:00

What a great day Saturday was. It was hours of sewing and quality time with C. My project this week was making the Oliver + S Swingset Tunic and Skirt. This is such an adorable set. I was very skeptical of my skills but I had the incredible Lisa a the Crafty Planet as a teacher. I even got to see Diana (inflatigirl) who was working at Crafty on Saturday and Amelia Sprout stopped by to say hi. I got to the shop a bit early because I hadn't picked out my fabric yet so I wanted a little extra time to do that, what I didn't realize was they didn't open until when the class started. But what an amazing day to arrive early. I completely forgot that Johnstock was going on. I completely lucked out. I got there just as the vendors were finishing setting up. So I strolled down and got myself an iced skim latte and shopped a bit. I found the greatest barrettes for C. I wish I could have spent more time but I had a Swingset Tunic to make.

I didn't have much time to pick my fabric but I think I hit it out of the ballpark. Sometimes it is best to not dwell on decisions. We started by doing a rough cut of the pattern. Then we cut the fabric out and marked our spots.

Then the amazing Lisa led us on making the thin spaghetti straps and sewing the top of the shirt. After that was taken care of, we moved onto ruffling the main part of the shirt. That was so much easier than I would have ever thought. The harder part was sewing the bottom to the bodice. I had to rip out a few seems a few times, but only a small part each time. You can't even tell.

Here is what it looks like up to that point.

After 4 hours we didn't finish - but that is ok - it is a 2 day class. We have 4 more hours this Saturday. I don't know if I can make it, but Lisa said I can just make it up on one of her Friday night sewing sessions which is what I am probably going to do.

I can't wait to see C wear this top.

The MOJO returns

2010-05-17T21:00:00.002-05:00

I don't know what made me loose my motivation but it was gone. No where to be found. I tried to search and I fell into that pattern I have done time and time again. Loose a bunch of weight but not make it to my goal and stop doing what made me successful and then either gain it back or stay the same. For months that is what I was doing. I still can't pinpoint why. What was wrong with me to sabotage myself like that. I have tried and tried for months to get it back. I am happy to say, and I don't know what it was, but I found my MoJo...its back. I have been counting my points and really saying "its not worth it" when I wanted to grab something not friendly.

It has been hard these months going to weigh in, each week dreading the scale instead of being excited. I used to love getting weighed it. To see my hard work pay off. But it wasn't like that for the past few months. I was staying the same or or slowly gaining little by little. So I am now working hard to relose the few pounds I gained back. Boy oh boy that was easy to put it back on. That is how dangerous it is. I wasn't eating like I was before I started but I will have to watch every day, of every month of every year...forever. I am up for that, with occasional treats (once I reach my goal and finish maintenance).

When I weighed in today, I lost. YIPPEE! I was so excited. It was a 1/2 lb. and in the right direction. That is all that counts. And I am back!!

My C25K progress? Well Physical Therapy has sidelined me for a few weeks. But I have progressed far enough that I feel comfortable to start running again. Tomorrow is the day. Now where do I start? When I left off I finished Week 3 and was moving onto week 4. I may just try to start again right where I left off, Week 4 Day 1. That has me running at 5 minutes a clip. I am a bit nervous about that, but can't wait to tackle that challenge.

Here are my goals for this week:

(1) Run Week 4 of C25k
(2) Track all of my food every single day
(3) Stay motivated
(4) When hungry at work - get up and fill my water cup
(5) DO NOT buy any supplements for my lunch - all week!

Put your bad mood in..put your bad mood out...you do the Hokey Pokey and turn yourself about!

2010-05-13T20:30:00.003-05:00

This year H started Kindergarten. Every day when I pick him up he unloads all of the day's frustrations. It comes out in tears, in screaming and yelling, throwing things. For me, it is very hard. I don't know what I am going to get when I walk in to get him. He gets upset because he thinks I came too early (I actually arrive practically the same time every single day..usually within 2 minutes) and he hasn't had time (insert playing outside, in the gym, on the computer, making a snack), or he is upset because things haven't gone his way while playing with his friends.

I have tried alot of things to help him through this rough 1/2 hour. Usually it involves me trying to give him ways to play with his friends that will not lead to frustration or hurt feelings or sadness. This has absolutely NOT worked.

But today I got hokey. Completely hokey. I decided to take a completely different tactic. As he was getting more and more upset about this and that, I rolled down his window and told him to take his bad day, bad frustrations, bad mood and throw it out the window. And keep throwing it out the window until it is all gone. At first my 6 1/2 yr old looked at me like I completely lost my mind. But he did it, very half heartedly but he did it. And I then told him that I saw all of his bad mood splattered on the windshield of the car behind us and now they have our bad day. He seemed to like that and started to really throw his bad mood and bad day out the window and I was all "splat, splat, splat..." He started giggling and instantly the mood in the car completely changed.

It was really great. After Cliff got into the car (oh..right, I am the bus - I drop off and pick up EVERYONE...C at daycare, Cliff at work then H at school) he started getting all heated about something again and I instantly opened the window and told him he still had some bad mood left and needed to still throw the mood out. He did it and it was gone.

Our whole evening changed. Sometime you need a little hokey to make everything better.

Helloooooooooooo

2010-05-12T19:35:00.002-05:00

It has been forever. What have you been up to? Well I have been going non-stop. So today's post I will update you on what has been going on.

Friday Finances: Cliff and I have been really good lately sticking to a budget. We have been communicating much better about our spending and saving. What has really helped is looking at our weekly spending twice a week instead of once a week. The weekend would always do us in for the week and then any weekly spending would put it over the top. So now we look at spending on Monday and Thursday. It has really helped.

Fitness Mondays: I haven't been able to run on my C25K program because of the physical therapy program I am doing. It requires me to stay inactive for a few days after my appointment and then once I have been "released" to exercise, the weather has foiled my plans. But I am fully expecing to return to full steam ahead next week. I also was one of the 50,000 participants in this past weekend's Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure at the Mall of America. What a great event, but absolutely NOT a "race". It was more like "stroll for the cure". So next year, sign up for the run because there is no way to use the walk as a form of exercise.

Crafty Tuesdays: This Saturday I am taking a sewing class at my favorite place, The Crafty Planet. I am taking the Swingset Kid's Top. I am excited to make C more clothes. Next up will be some other tops and pants. Next week I will show pictures.

Family Wednesdays: Oh lookie - we are here. Caught up to today's post. The reason I have been so busy is not only have things heated up at work - in a very good way. But I have been preparing for this spring's consignment sale. I know I have talked about this ad nauseum here and on Twitter, but I really love doing the consignment sale, but for some reason I keep leaving everything until the last minute. I know exactly what needs to be done and how long things take, yet did I start a month ago? NOPE. I mentally started, inventorying everything in my head. I knew where everything was and what I wanted to sell but actually sorting, tagging and pepping the stuff I waited until this past Saturday to do anything. So Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday was completely dedicated to sale prep. I just hope this year will be as good as the prior 2 sales I did. The only difference this year, not as much clothes, more toys, and there are so many more consignors this time. So much more to choose from. I just hope the crowds are good.

On another front, C seems to have turned a corner. Well at least for the last 5 days. She has been way more pleasant, has actually enjoyed Cliff's company and has thrown significantly less tantrums. I don't want to jinx anything, but it has been really nice.

Going off on another tangent, I have really noticed something about myself this past week. I am not one for alot of self reflection and connecting the dots to cause and effect as it relates to myself but this is what I noticed this week and its something I am absolutely NOT happy about. Since I have been so busy, I find that my patience is very SHORT. If I have alot to get done, in my head, I know down to the minute what need to happen and if anything diverts that schedule my stress level skyrockets. I am quick to snap and get extremely annoyed. I know the easy cure is not to load myself up. But because I have to work full time, and I still want to do all of the stuff that makes me happy and spend quality time with C and H - I get loaded up. The answer, I am sure is to cut some stuff out, prioritize and prepare. But, I will probably not cut anything, and more likely add stuff on top, but I am definitely going to prepare and plan alot better. Because I am not the person I want to be when I am so snappy.

Wow - that was alot. But I am all caught up and feel much better!

End of the School Year...

2010-05-06T19:04:00.003-05:00

It is that time of year again. The end of the school year. The winding down of learning and the beginning of 3 months of playing and being outside. I love summer. It is my favorite season - the beaches, the sun, swimming, picnics, the smell of outside. It is the only time of the year that I wish I was a kid again so I could have my summers free and spend them outside. Oh how I would give anything to take a hiatus from working and either spend it at home with my kids having adventures outside and just soaking up the sun and water or being a camp counselor - like I had done throughout high school and most of college. But, unfortunately that isn't an option for me.

But I will stop my daydreaming, and get to my point of this post. Then end of the school year. H is finishing up Kindergarten and I developed a great relationship with his teacher. I really want to give her an end of the year gift. But I really want to do something that is thoughtful and that she would like. I can't for the life of me think of what I got H's pre-school teachers and that was just last year. Where has my memory gone.

Anyway, I would love any suggestions. I know gift cards are nice, but I think they are impersonal. So any help? Suggestions?

Outgrown clothes, toys, equiptment...means $$$$

2010-05-05T19:22:00.005-05:00

What do you do with all of the clothes and toys your kids outgrow? Well, for me I have been selling it at a baby/kids mega consignment sale. The one I participate in is Just Between Friends. I love reaping the benefits of the sale, but boy do I dread the preparation. Months before every sale I vow to start and be on top of it and not wait until the last minute. Well, guess what - It is the last minute and I haven't done anything. The sale begins next Wednesday and I have done nada...nothing. I have a general idea of what I have and what we are thinking of getting rid of. Up until now, my evenings have been devoted to sewing, my google reader, blogging, twitter and facebook. I have had no time to price and tag my stuff. But now I have 1 week. Luckily I don't have as much as previous years. The first sale I did, I went through 6 huge bins of clothes. Now I think I have 2 plus a bag or 2. And I have some toys we are ready to part with. So tonight I am starting with bin #1. Summer girls clothes - sizes 12-18 months.

I find alot of great deals at these sales, so if you are looking for a great place to find spring/summer clothes for your kids or toys..check out your local JBF sale. They have them all over the country. Mine happens to be next week. So if you are in Minnesota, I am participating in the Woodbury sale. Come by and buy my stuff!

Craftstravaganza

2010-05-04T14:12:00.002-05:00

This past weekend C and I made a visit to the St. Paul Craftstravangza at the State Fairgrounds. Cliff and H went off to Free Comic Book day at the Source. So I knew I had at least an hour to myself. I was so excited that it worked out like that. We had a very busy Satuday planned and I had wanted to go to craftstravangza but didn't see how I could fit it in, until Cliff said he was taking H early in the morning.

Now this is my kind of craft fair. Everything at this craft fair is stuff I would buy. The hardest part was controlling myself. I was definitely looking for some hair clips for C. Her hair is long enough that it hangs over her eyes so I am always on the look out for cute stuff. I found a great vendor, The Glitter Workshop, that had just what I was looking for. I am bummed that I only got 2. Since I think we lost one already. They have an Etsy store so I will definitely be going there for some more. I also found a cute clip for myself. I don't remember who I got that from.

But one of my favorite finds was from a vendor called My Little Dear. She sold the cutest clothes for babies and kids. I found C a great tank top that looks like it was right out of a JCrew Crew Cuts catalog. I only wished she would do it on adult tops. Hmmmm, maybe she would? Couldn't hurt to ask right? Or maybe I can figure out how to make it myself. I do sew.

Of course any outfit wouldn't be complete without a cute skirt to go with the tank. I have seen Sassy Knitwear at several other shows and because it was always crowded I never stopped. But we were there early and I was able to browse easily and I found a super cute skirt that not only goes with the tank I got but with pretty much anything C owns. I think she will get a ton of use out of it. They also do adult clothes, so next time - I an going to browse for me.

I an trying to stayed clued into when these urban craft shows pop up (I went to one this winter at the Midtown Global Market) so if you know of any this summer, let me know - and I will be there.

*Note: posted again from 30,000 feet..Wi Fi on flights is the bomb!

Couch to 5k update - Week 3 day 4 - Hotel Edition

2010-05-03T20:24:00.003-05:00

When I travel for business I have all the best intentions. I dutifully pack work out clothes and my sneakers and even plan when I will fit in going to the hotel gym. But when I actually get to the hotel I seem to find many reasons/excuses why I don't have the time to go to the gym. I am to tired and prefer to sleep in. The break we have in the morning turns into an opportunity for socializing/shopping/checking and responding to email. This trip started out the same, I did the packing, mentally planned for when I was going to fit in it. I even came across a roadblock..an opening session that I needed to go to right when I planned to hit to gym. BUT - I went anyway. I went after the opening session and actually did it. Yes - I had work I wanted to get done in the morning, but I committed to doing my C25k run today and I did it. I found the gym and the treadmills (which was hidden behind the pool).

I have walked on my treadmill weekly for over a year but never ran on it. When I began C25k I did it all outside. Partly because of issues with going faster than 3.0mph on the treadmill and partly because we have been having an amazing spring I wanted to take advantage of the amazing weather. So I was curious how I would do on the treadmill. I learned I make a ton of noise when I run, I must stomp. I also run at 4.3 mph. A bit slower than the official jogging speed indicated on the treadmill settings but it works for me. It equals a 13 minute mile. I will take that and once I get used to running, I can work on my speed. Surprisingly I enjoyed running on the treadmill. Not as much at outside but it worked. The only fail was my iPod lost its juice. So I didn't have the benefit of my podcast. I even added an additional 2 minutes of running at the end before my 5 minute cool down walk.

I am now 2 weeks into the week 3 training. It is finally getting easier. I think I will do week 3 on Wednesday and Friday this week and next week attempt Week 4.

On Sunday I am walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Mall of America. I have 2 goals for that race (1) finish faster than 52 minutes (the time I finished the Running with the Pigs) and (2) run as much of is as I could. Even if it means in 2 minute intervals the whole time. I am going to do it. I am super excited about it.

I need to find some additional races for the summer. Anyone have any that they like?

Greetings from 30,000 feet

2010-05-02T10:28:00.004-05:00

Currently I am enroute to Boston. How cool that I can get online and stay connected right from my seat on the airplane. I have heard that airlines were offering Wi-Fi but every flight I have been on recently never seemed to be hooked up. But not today. So this is my maiden voyage, so to speak, communicating from the sky.

I missed Crafty Tuesday but I wanted to update on a project I have been writing about for some time. Doll making. I have been really wanting to take my sewing skills to the next level and attempt, without a formal pattern, making a doll. I purchased 2 of these dolls for C f few months back and LOVE them but the cost had me limited. As I looked closer at them I thought I really wish I could make this myself.

My first step was to make a pattern. I hadn't the first clue as to how to go about doing that and since I spent quite a bit of money on the dolls I had, I was unwilling to take the dolls apart and make a pattern that way. So my next option was to trace the doll parts. And that is what I did. I invited my friend, and seamstress extradordinaire, MJ, over to start the pattern makeing process. I had some craft paper left over from wrapping Holiday gifts and thought that would be a perfect use. We took each part of the doll, the head, arm, leg and body and traced each seperately. I then added a 1/2 inch to what we traced for a seam allowance. I had to go out and get a seam guage, because I didn't have that but once I got that, I added the 1/2 inch. After that, I cut the pattern out. I am glad I used the craft paper instead of pattern tissue or anything else, because the craft paper is pretty sturdy and will hold up to many uses of the pattern.

Then I cut the fabric. One lesson I learned in this process. Purchase fabric scissors. I uses a pair of scissors I had in the house from a 3 pack of scissors from IKEA. It did ok, but it wasn't as clean and smooth as I would have liked.

Then I was stuck. I couldn't for the life of me figure out in my head what to do with the arms and legs after I sewed and stuffed them. I am usually pretty good with logic puzzles and spacial relationships, but I just couldn't see how to attach the stuffed arms and legs to the body while I sewed the body inside out. So I called on MJ again to come to my rescue. And after a bit if user incompetence on my machine (me trying to thread the bobbin up the machine - not technical terms for this process - but I forgot what it is called - because I was turning the wheel thingy that moved the needle up and down the wrong way) we were sewing.

I was using minky fabric for the doll's hair (if you don't know what that is - think of baby blankets that have the silky fabric on one side and the soft nubby fabric on the other - it is the soft nubby fabric) so I had to adjust my tension and stitch length so it wouldn't pull. I sewed the whole doll and was about to turn the doll right side out when I realized that both arms and a leg slipped and I needed to rip out the seams and sew them in again. (They were 1/2 sewn in and 1/2 hanging out). But I didn't own a seam ripper. Another essential piece of equiptment). But this was now 11:15pm on a Thursday night. So getting a seam ripper was out of the question. The next night I fixed and finished the doll.

Oh - I also took an embroidery class to lean how to make the face of the doll. So I also embroidered the face.

The only thing I am now thrilled about how the doll came out is that when I cut the face out of the fabric - I apparently didn't center it - even though I checked like a million times, and the face is off center on the doll. But it is handmade and it is the charm of it - right?

So without further ado...meet my first dollie..made completly - 100% by me (with technical guidance from MJ).

Giving Her Wings

2010-04-28T19:30:00.004-05:00

What a busy week and it is only Wednesday. In fact, I didn't even get a chance to post yesterday for Crafty Tuesday. And I do have a project to share - So I will write a Craft Tuesday post on Saturday.

Today is Family Wednesday. I have been thinking about my dad a lot this week. And I wanted to share one of my most precious things with you. It is something my dad wrote that was published in a Teacher's magazine. It is about me right before I left for college. I thought I would share it for 2 reasons. One because I wanted to share something about my dad that came directly from him and two because I thought there are some friends of mine who have kids that are graduating from high school who might be able to relate to what he had to say. So without further ado...

Giving Her Wings
By Dr. Howard Levine
Educator, Father

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other wings." -- Hodding Carter

For an inexperienced, purple-thumbed gardener, I rooted my first born pretty well. As I prayed it would, most aspects of parenting come naturally. From her first step eighteen years ago, the inexpressible love and gentleness that bind us have rendered my fumblings minor, my mistakes fixable. But she's off to college this month and as both our hearts quicken at the prospect (hers accompanied by a smile a few shades more sincere than mine), I'm surprised at the emotions I'm feeling. From now on, (for the first time) each moment, each experience she has will take her to a place I've never been. She, I've no doubt, will do fine. But loosening my strongest bond makes me feel more than a little wobbly.

From the time she arrived as a "senile placenta," two and a half weeks late with fingernails like claws that left her button nose scratched, Andrea and I have been quite the duo. For eighteen years I marveled at this beautiful being I helped create. At her first birthday party, she could recite nursery rhymes. God, she was brilliant. Growing up in a garden apartment in the "Acres", she befriended the court. I remember one cool October morning her mother and I awoke to a neighbor at the door with our daughter who had let herself out and proceeded to tell everyone that, "Today is my birthday." She was so cute. And when she was three and a half and her brother cam along, she asked if she could hold him; giving him a squeeze a little too hard. Boy, was she in touch with her feelings. I remember thinking how her life would never be the same. I fast-forward through the years to admire her independence and determination and her unique quality of organization. And I remember, oh how I remember, when her mother was ill, she would keep it all bottled up, but managed to comfort me and say, "Mommy will be alright." I admire the kind of daughter you are and I just want you to know, "It's inherited..."

Now she's leaving for college. Life's highlights will not be photographed as often, the number of shared memories will be sparser. This past year I've practiced separating, as you have, pretending it felt natural being the father of a young woman, that it was comfortable being non-judgemental and having no control over her life. So when she applied to UCLA, I didn't scream out loud. When she would buy clothes that didn't quite match my taste - I kept quiet. And when she asked a friend to the prom before giving him - or anyone - a chance to ask her, I maintained a frantic quiet, rather than saying what I was thinking.

Aside from missing her daily presence, I miss the confidence I used to feel in instinctively knowing the right answer. Up to this point, her parents' goal was to widen her horizons, broaden her exposure, increase her options. Now, as she leaves, faithfully following all the messages we've telepathically sent through the years, ("There's nothing you can't do," "You're infinitely capable," "Your choices are limitless..."), I'm scared that I've told her less than the truth. As much as I think I want her to fly, my own cautious inner voice is frightened about where she might land. Telling her to take the risk, to "Go for it" in situations where I didn't - couldn't - makes me question whether if what I've really been saying is don't settle for what I've accomplished. And that's not all the message I'd want her to take away. I used to think that because of the lack of all the options I grew up with, it was luck and fate more than anything else that led to my good fortune. The older I get, the clearer it becomes that luck or the presence of 1000 choices available to Andrea and not to me have had very little to do with it. Nor do studying abroad, attaining a doctorate, or having 50 lovers before marriage. What matters is that she decide what her priorities are and honestly set about achieving them. What matters is that she learn to believe in the extraordinary person she is so that the might experience the trust and friendship and love that will compliment any success she attains in other areas.

So, I spend my time convincing myself that come the day she leaves, just because everything will be different, doesn't mean anything has really changed. My pride and joy, my first born sill has an adorable face, pinchable cheeks, and the world's most capable yet softest heart. I look forward to an equalizing of our mutual dependence. I will believe researchers who have found that contrary to popular belief, the emptying nest syndrome lead to more happiness than loneliness, more freedom than sadness. September will find me driving her up to school praying she puts socks on before November, does a laundry before she comes home for vacation, eats properly and buys saline solution for her contacts, and praying she remembers that part of herself she left at home, her father, who thinks she's just about the best thing he's ever done.

Running and a little bit of pain

2010-04-26T19:52:00.003-05:00

Running 3 minutes at a time is hard. Week 3 of the C25K program has you running for 3 minutes at a time. Last Wednesday was the first day I began week 3, and the last. At least for last week. Oh, I made excuses - tons of them. I know I shouldn't have. But after that run, I felt like I was going to pass out. I felt all tingly and I just didn't want to feel that way again. So, I used the weather as an excuse and didn't run. So today, no more excuses - I started week 3 over again and it was hard. I took it slow. Very slow. I am probably the slowest runner out there. I figure once I can run longer than 3 minutes at a time, and am actually running 5k's - then I will work on my speed. But for now, I am just focusing on running - however slow. But I finished the run today and I didn't feel like I was going to pass out. I can tell you this, I am positive that I will be repeating week 3 until I feel like I can run longer than 3 minutes. That is how I felt at the end of each of week 1 and 2.

An interesting development happened today. I have been having pain while I sit for long periods of time. Especially on hard chairs. I mentioned this to one of my doctors who referred me to a sports medicine physician. Today was that appointment. I was hoping not to be told to stop running. Because I do really like it. I was a bit nervous. I had no idea what it could be. Would I be sitting on a donut for a few weeks, was there something impinging on a nerve? After I stood, and bent, and was moved this way and that, and had a couple of x-rays - I was told there were a few things going on that was "interesting" - doctor's word not mine. First was some wear and tear on some ligaments I think in my hip areas - both sides that apparently is common in women who have been pregnant and frequently lift babies and toddlers and apparently 6 yr olds. The second is the interesting one - years ago - maybe when I was a teenager or early 20's, I fell and incurred a stress fracture on my L3 area on my spine. So of course I said - 'I have a broken back?' - well no, but a small fracture - yes. That I have had for years. And because of that, my whole lower back has been compensating and because of that, the wear and tear on those sacral (sp?) ligaments my gluts (butt muscles) are very fatigued...thus my pain. And it apparently is also one of the reasons for the tightness of my muscles in my hamstrings...my reaction - Huh! So, I am off to physical therapy. I was happy that she didn't tell me that because I sit so much, that is why my butt hurt. She also said I must have an extremely high tolerance for pain. Another huh moment. So when I complain, I told Cliff, I must be in a huge amount of pain. His response - I don't believe that.

Anyway, running is ok, 3 minutes is hard and I have a broken back. Like I said, interesting week.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T19:41:00.003-05:00

What a perfect day for green Thursday. I asked H what he thought being "green" meant. He told me that it meant to put your garbage in different bins. I also asked him what they did at school and apparently they picked up trash around the school. So I thought what a great opportunity for me to teach him other things we could do around the house.

Did you know that Earth day began in 1970 and was started by a guy named John McConnell. The whole world participates and the UN designated April 22nd as Earth Day. So now this day is a day for all of us to look around and think about Earth's issues. (insert funny therapist for the Earth joke here).

I wanted to make this a bit more personal for our family. So, I looked around and found a great site that had pretty simple things we could do. This is a pretty long list, but I love lists and love crossing things off lists, so I am going to have at this one.

Always turn off the lights when not in use
Use natural daylight as much as possible
Make sure all doors are closed tightly
Don't leave doors open longer than it takes to get in or out
Use the automatic setting on your thermostat
Use alternative sources of heat some of the time
Wear warm clothes and you can keep the thermostat lower
Don't open the refrigerator door more than you need to
Read books instead of watching TV or playing electronic games
Don't leave computers, televisions or other appliances on when not in use
Don't put furniture or large objects such as toys in front of radiators
Cover the bottom of doors where air comes in with a rug or door guard
Read books instead of watching TV or playing electronic games
Don't leave computers, televisions or other electronics on when not in use
Don't put furniture or large objects such as toys in front of radiators
Use a nightlight to read
When you go away unplug any unnecessary electronics with clocks stereos, microwave and Clock Radios etc
Use recycle bins to separate trash
Don't throw anything unnecessary in the trash, freecycle, give it away!
Fold all cardboard containers and boxes (like cereal),
Flatten toilet paper and paper towel rolls, to recycle
Homework and office papers and junk mail can be recycled
Check for hazardous materials-bring those to the hazardous materials site in your town
The site I found all these great tips is Planet Pals.

Mish Mosh

2010-04-21T19:44:00.004-05:00

First I want to thank everyone who showed me so much support yesterday both here and on Facebook. It was such a tough day and your supportive words and memories of my dad made it much easier.

An update on my Project Survive The Terrible 2's - I have not picked up C for any non-essential carrying. And it hasn't been that bad. There have been maybe 3 times where she became completely unhinged because I wouldn't pick her up, but for the most part she accepts it. The tantrums are not slowing yet, but at least I am not holding her constantly.

Now onto an annoyance. The requests for Immunization records. It isn't necessarily the request for them that annoys me, but my inability to keep them in a place that I can get to them when I need them. H hasn't needed any immunizations, other than the flu shots, for a few years and I have requested those records no less than 5 times because I can't seem to hold onto them. Seriously!

A great mother's day contest

2010-04-20T12:46:00.002-05:00

SoSoBella is a blog I read daily. Kristi is so creative and makes really girly things. I particularily love her necklaces and barettes. Her beautiful daughters are often her models and they show off all of her lovelies. Today she is giving away 2 necklaces. Anyone would be lucky to win one of these. Check it out.

Hijacking Craft Tuesday to remember my dad

2010-04-20T09:00:00.004-05:00

15 years ago today I lost my dad. I can't believe it has been 15 years already. Time has softened my memories. Made them fuzzy around the edges. I have been telling stories to my kids about "Grandpa Howie" to keep his memory alive, both in me and in them. But when I am alone and I think about my dad, I often don't go back to the times we spent together. I go back to the end. 15 years ago I was in my first year of law school in Minnesota. My family was living in New York. He was sick before I came out here, and I tried at the last minute to get into a NY school. But it wasn't meant to be. So I left NY with a heavy heart, hoping he would be ok and knowing this is what he wanted for me because he knew being a lawyer was all I ever wanted to be. He was in and out of the hospital through out the year. And it seems this time was no different. I knew he was in the hospital when I called but I was calling because I needed money. As soon as my mom picked up the phone she sounded different. So after she said hello, and I heard her voice, I asked, "I need to come home, don't I?" She managed to get out "Yes" and somehow I told her I will call when I have made the arrangements. That call happened on Easter Sunday and not many of my friends were around. Luckily all I needed was one. One of my roommates were was there - she kicked into action while I just sat there, sobbing. I had to get home and say goodbye. I needed a plane ticket, clothes, and a black outfit - for the funeral. He hadn't died yet, but I knew that was going to happen shortly.

I don't remember much about the flight, or really anything about that week. But what I do remember is when I last saw my dad - I knew we were nearing the end, I overheard my mom talking with a nurse about the color of his urine. Somehow that indicated things were moving in the wrong direction. Before we left the hospital that evening, I remember going over to his bedside and whispering to him "We will be ok. We are going to be fine. I love you. You can let go now."

At some point that night my mom got a call from the hospital. My dad had passed. In his sleep. Once she was able to, she came and woke up me and my brother.

That was a hard year.

My dad, Howard Lewis Levine, was an amazing father and person.
I remember his huge smile.
I remember the hair on his arms
I remember his love for the deepest tan
I remember his dancing at all of the weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvah's
I remember his style
I remember his love for the Dresser
I remember when he always wore collar shirts
I remember when we packed up the x-cargo to drive me to college
I remember when we drove my brother to college and he had the "talk" with him
I remember when he would get so upset when me and my brother would fight while he tutored students
I remember when we went to the Rocking Horse Dude Ranch and was on the hay ride and a branch cut him above his eye and he needed stitches
I remember when my mom and dad would get together with their friends and they would end up singing "here's to good friends, tonight is kind of special"
I remember when we went to a drive through zoo and he rolled down the window to ask an ostrich directions and we thought that was hilarious
I remember how proud he was when we got to celebrate my graduation from college, my brother's graduation from high school and my mom's graduation from her MSW program all in one year.
I remember how he was the one I called for when I wasn't feeling well in the middle of the night and how he would always make me tea with honey
I remember his pillow, all heavy and mushy. Just like mine is today.
Today..I remember him.

I love you daddy! I miss you everyday.

She's a runner....who me?

2010-04-19T19:43:00.003-05:00

I just finished week 2 of the Couch to 5k program. I was nervous to make the jump. Increasing the running portion from 60 seconds at a time to 90 seconds at a time. But I surprised myself and was able to do it pretty easily. Saturday was my final run of the week. H has been wanting to join me on my run. I have resisted because I really need to listen to the podcast to know when to run and walk, I was going out for a solid 1/2 hour of walking and running briskly and I didn't want to have to remind him to keep up every minute. But he proved me wrong on all counts. He was a great running partner. He kept up with me, held my hand when we had to cross streets, but he did get a bit tired toward the end. I couldn't believe I actually out run my 6 yr old. He has been running circles around me since he was born. What was the best was he led me in a post run stretch. His Tae Kwon Do instructor has them do stretching and he showed me which ones to do and counted them out, in Korean!

It was such fun to run with him.

On Sunday H and I participated in the Running with the Pigs. A 5k for the adults and a 1/2 mile run for kids. My friend Shannon and her daughter joined us. We coached H & A not to sprint when it started, but all of the kids seemed to start out running as fast at they could. I was afraid that he would burn out and want to stop. But H did amazing. He ran the whole thing, he kept up with the bigger kids and finished right in the middle. He even had enough in reserves to sprint to the finish. I was so proud of him.

After the kids race, Shannon and I walked the 5k. We kept a pretty steady pace. The course started at Midway Stadium in St. Paul on Energy Park Drive up to Snelling and then back past the stadium and all the way down to Raymond and then back past the stadium to Snelling and then finishing back a the stadium. Every time we passed the stadium H & A and sometimes C would cheer "go Mommy" "walk faster"! They were a great cheering section. When we approached the last 1/8th of a mile, I convinced Shannon to run it in. She agreed but had to stop, I kept going and then at the end sprinted to the finish line. As I passed these two ladies...I heard them go.."Oh, she's a runner". I thought that was just about the funniest thing I have ever heard. But I was also so proud to hear that. I'm a runner! I'm a runner!

(I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures, but Shannon took some. I will share once she uploads them.)

A deal is never a deal

2010-04-15T19:30:00.002-05:00

About a month ago we attended a silent auction for the PTA of H's elementary school. Cliff and I had our eye on a few things. I wanted a day with a professional organizer and Cliff was looking at an outdoor fire pit. We strategized, using our ebay experience as our strategy. Wait, and wait, and don't get antsy, and when there is just a few seconds left, write in your bid. WOOHOO! we prevailed on both of them. (I have yet to schedule the day with the organizer - but plan to in a few weeks).

We got the fire pit as we left the event and found out later that it also came with a gift certificate to a local gardening store. We will most definitely be using the certificate on some mulch. As for the fire pit, we went to put it together this weekend and it has pieces missing. FIGURES! And these are essential parts. Not the decorative ones. What do we do? Well this is what I am going to try - first I will try and contact the Silent Auction chair person and see who donated the item. And then I can hopefully contact them and see where they got it. Second, it may have been donated from the store we got the gift certificate from. So I may call them and talk to the manager and hopefully they could make it right.

If anyone has other suggestions - I am open to any and all.

The terrible 2's...they are all that and more

2010-04-14T19:05:00.002-05:00

C is 2 1/2. You all know what that means. The terrible two's. With H, we really didn't experience much when he turned 2. We felt it more when he was 1 (and sometimes now). But C. WOW. First, she can't walk. Well she can walk, but she prefers to be carried. Everywhere. To the car, from the car, to the kitchen, to her room, in stores, in the mall. You name it, I am carrying her. Is it "uppy, uppy uppy uppy!!!" And if I take a stand, well that is a tantrum. An all out, on the floor tantrum. This brings me to the next thing. Did you notice how I said, I carry her. Yeah - that is because it is all mommy all the time. No daddy. Ever. Well, occasionally when I am not around she will acknowledge him. But usually whenever Cliff talks to her, she gives him the hand and says "No daddy" or the ever popular "Be Quiet" and even on occasion - "Shut up". We can thank H for that one.

She also is a fan of the grunt to get what she wants. And, unfortunately, it is not accompanied with the point. So we have absolutely no idea what she wants, which causes, yes you guessed it, another on the floor, kicking and screaming tantrum.

What usually gets me through the day right now is knowing that bedtime is usually magic. She gives kisses, I love you's and sings us songs.

I think this behavior has been escalating for some time, but it just seems so much right now, and it is all the time and it is wearing on both me and Cliff. We give her time outs, especially for the "shut up's". We give her breaks so she can calm herself down. If we are out somewhere, we take her out of the situation until she can calm down. I have tried distractions, but that often doesn't work. Mostly we ignore it.

I understand that this behavior is completely developmental, an inability to communicate and completely typical of a 2 yr old.

But What else can I do?

All I hope is that since she is 2 1/2 we are on the down slide of the behavior and soon we will be seeing less and less. And as C gets closer to 3, things will get better.

I want to take better pictures...but with a point and shoot?

2010-04-13T20:44:00.008-05:00

I am addicted to pictures. Images really. But of really cool shots of ordinary things. Like a tub of Crayola crayons or a gumball machine. But I especially of my kids, capturing their expressions in unposed, natural ways. Currently I have a Panasonic Lumix point and shoot camera. It takes ok pictures. It doesn't take the kind of pictures I like. That is not to say I haven't taken some really good pictures. And the ones that have come out great have all been of H, all in or near water.

The camera that I am coveting is the Cannon Rebel xti. Oh man do I want that one. But only with a macro lens. I don't know much about lenses but I have been told that to get the types of pictures I want to take, the macro lens is the lens to have.

I have chosen the Cannon because most of the pictures I absolutely LOVE, when I ask the photographer what camera they use- a Cannon Rebel xti. But what is stopping me? Cost. It always comes down to that. But one day, I will save up enough and get the camera. But in the meantime, if anyone has suggestions on how to get the most out of a point and shoot, I will take all of the advice I can get.

Couch to 5k Challenge - Week 1 - Completed

2010-04-12T20:18:00.003-05:00

I started a new fitness program. Couch to 5k. It is a program that gets those of us who have never run ramped up in 9 weeks to run 3.2 miles or a 5k. Running has been one of those things that I have always wanted to do, was sure I was never, and I mean never, going to do. What was stopping me - oh I have a huge list of reasons - some of them are legit, some not so much.

(1) I tore my ACL 7 years back. I never had the surgery but did complete the physical therapy for it. Totally legit reason.
(2) I am way too heavy. I can walk, but I think I will die if I even tried to run. Totally bogus.
(3) I don't have the right supportive garments. Totally bogus. I can go out and get them.
(4) I am so out of shape - I don't even know where to start. Totally bogus.

A weeks ago some great bloggers, LutheranLiz, AmeliaSprout, MarketingMamaMN, started talking about this Couch to 5k program (c25k for short). I googled it and it was their encouragement and willingness to try the program that I decided I was going to give it a try and forget all of those pesky reasons that have stopped me in the past. I got my running shoes out, went to Title Nine and got myself proper undergarments. LutheranLiz put a stake in the ground and said that the Monday after Easter was the day she was going to start and I thought that was as good a day as any and I was going to start also. And that I did. I was going to run Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Monday was tough. But I did it. Wednesday was easier. I was so surprised about that one. Saturday I felt I could actually run just a bit longer. WHA??? I felt able to run longer?? Could this program be working? What helped tremendously was downloading these amazing podcasts from Carli. Each week, a new podcast.

Today was day 1 of week 2. This time the running was ramped up from 60 seconds at a time to 90. Early on I felt ok - I can do this and even, maybe, run a bit farther. But after a few intervals of running, I started feeling some muscle pains in the back of my legs. I ran through it - I am tough like that. But definitely didn't want to go past my 90 seconds.

I have my doubts that in 2 weeks I will be able to run 3 minutes straight. But I guess time will tell. And I will tell - in 2 weeks.

Romeo and Mae Sewing Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-04-09T11:53:00.000-05:00

Romeo and Mae Sewing Patterns GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am changing my definition of "green"

2010-04-08T20:05:00.002-05:00

I am going to take liberty with the definition of "green" for green Thursdays. I am going to use Thursdays to talk about gardening AND incorporating environmentally friendly stuff at home.

I think out of all the things that come with owning a home, gardening ranks as my least favorite - hands down. The laundry, cleaning, repairs - all I can handle. But gardening - I just hate. I also hate having my yard look like crap. I want to be proud of it. But - I have to do the gardening. Cliff also hates gardening. So he is no help. He mows the lawn and that he even hates. See my connundrum.

I have done my best to make my yard as maintenance free as possible. A few years back I decided to take the bed that was underneath our front window and turn it into a brick patio. It was a great idea. No more weeds, no more maintenance. Cliff and his dad did a great job but it is only about 94% done. And it has been that way for 2 years. I am really hoping we can, and when I say we - I mean Cliff, finish it this summer. I imagine myself sitting on some great adirondack chairs sipping a beverage while watching H & C play.

This summer I also want to do some easy stuff really early on to prevent the weeds. and that easy stuff is mulch, and lots of it. That is my plan. Mulch up the beds that I have that are weed beds...no plants, no flowers...just weeds. So I want to stop the weeds and add the mulch.

If any one wants to weigh in on what a hater of gardening should do for my weed beds so I can not have weeds - please share. Or better yet...if you want to come over and check it out in person and possibly help me out because you love gardening so much - you are invited. And Thank you.

Cross examined from the back seat

2010-04-07T19:49:00.002-05:00

My son was born talking. No seriously, ok not actually talking at birth but by the time he turned 1 he was talking in full sentences and in his 6 1/2 years he only stops talking to sleep. I am surprised he doesn't talk in his sleep. He tells stories, retells facts but most of all he asks questions. A lot of questions. I was reading something online where for a week this woman wrote down all of the questions her 6 yr old asked. I thought that was a great idea. But I didn't have the time or the patience to write down all of the questions for an entire week. So I did one car ride. That is it. One 1/2 hour car ride from work/school to home. Please feel my pain.

Here we go - this is in order of how they were asked.
What is 94.5?
What is the radio station called?
How do you find your car in a parking lot?
Can you make your own license plates?
Why don't truck's have them (one we passed didn't have one on the back)
Why do you have a Disney XD pen?
How many presents did I get for christmas?
Do I ever get to wrap presents?
What about for your dad's birthday?
What day of the week did Michael Jackson die? (he is slightly obsessed about MJ)
Was it a Thursday?
Does Muse sing anymore? (he likes Supermassive Black Hole)
Who is the lead singer?
Are they still singing?
Why do they have squeaky voices?
Is it loud when cars drive on the highway?
What are you laughing about? (I was laughing at him asking me all of these questions)
Does Michael Jackson have back up singers?
What do they use it - as in Kick Buttowski? (I still have no idea what he meant)
Does that thing talk - the light? (the crosswalk counted down how long until it was unsafe to walk)
What are you looking at?
What if someone got pulled over and they didn't have their license plate and get taken to jail?
Is there a game?
Why are you writing down all the questions?
How many questions have I asked?
Why do they make windows that tiny?
What does that sign say?
What's a Stahl House? (it was a bar)
Can we go to Conny's?

Seriously, I was grilled the whole car ride home. And this happens every day. And I honestly don't know how to answer most of these questions. My usual answer - lets look it up when we get home. It always works.

A crafty review

2010-04-06T19:11:00.005-05:00

This week I accomplished NOTHING crafty. Absolutely nothing. I wish I had because I actually want to but I really never found the time. That is changing this week. I have invited my friend MJ over to help me get my doll project started. She is really experienced at sewing so I am hoping we can create a pattern and sew most, if not all, if the doll together.

So with no project to report on, I thought I would highlight a crafty blogger whom I absolutely love. Rubyellen Brachter is the force behind Cakies. She makes sewing seem so simple. What I love about her is that she is not afraid to just try to make a dress, a doll, a garland and she does it with or without a pattern. Rubyellen is probably best known for her Cakies Crowns and her Cakies Clips. Both of which I have lovingly purchased for C. She sells many of her creations on Etsy (and for an extremely affordable price). But it is not just the sewing projects that keeps me coming back. Rubyellen is a great photographer. Her eye for capturing the everyday beauty, the everyday amazingness of her kids is so much fun to look at.

If it is not Rubyellen creating and crafting amazingness - her husband Ben is cooking, gardening and planning the most amazing family celebrations.

Now, it is not that I envy their family life, what I envy is their ability to capture all the moments that they do and how they can appreciate just being together.

If you haven't visited her blog or Etsy store - I encourage you to visit. You will surely become as entranced as I have become.

Happy Anniversary to me!

2010-04-05T19:47:00.005-05:00

Happy Anniversary to me! Today is my 1 year anniversary of starting Weight Watchers. I have mixed emotions about today only because I wanted to have met my weight loss goal by today. I want to be done with the losing part and get on with the maintaining part. But I am not there yet. So instead of wallowing that it is taking me more than a year, I have decided to celebrate all that I have accomplished this year.

1. I have lost 65 lbs. This is a big one. I know it is a great accomplishment and I am a totally different person both inside and out.

2. I can sit and cross my legs. Being overweight, it is very difficult - if not impossible - not to cross your legs. I was so self conscious about it. I felt like a man. Having to do the man cross or sit without your legs crossed. I was always adjusting myself. I hated it. But now I can cross - and cross I do!

3. I can shop for virtually anything I want. I say virtually because I still haven't tried to find a dress. I love dresses, but before I felt I looked like a house, I still do. So getting a dress and feeling good in one - I will save that for when I reach my goal. But for now, I am very happy about being able to buy clothes at J.Crew and Banana Republic and anywhere else. (But what is up with Target..and their Merona brand running so small??)

4. I am exercising. I used to hate exercising. I was always a pretty active kid and teenager. I played soccer for 9 years and softball and tennis and swam. But something happened and my participation in those activities got less and less. Today, I am exercising and feeling guilty when I don't. I have come a long way. (I still may not like hiking - sorry Ilene)

(this is NOT me)
5. I RAN TODAY!!! Yes I did! I started the Couch to 5K program (combined with a custom program developed for me by my friend Anne) and today was my first day running and I DID IT!! I can't believe it. It was so hard and I felt like my lungs were burning but I did it! and I am so happy and I know that if I keep it up it will only get easier and that is my motivation. Plus, when I go to Otis with my family this summer - there are a bunch of runners in the group and I want to join them. (Mo and Marcia - I hope you are up for some company!)

6. Did I say I RAN today!!

So, Although it has been a year and I haven't reached my goal yet - I have accomplished a lot in this year and for that I am very proud. (And so is my grandfather - which he kept telling me on the phone last night). Have I mentioned that I ran today!!

A whole lot of everything and nothing

2010-04-03T14:54:00.003-05:00

What? Where did the week go? I have no idea. I wish I had some exciting news to share as to where I have been. But I am here now. There was nothing green happening at the homestead this week. I wish I could say otherwise. But nope. My spending this week was ok. Not perfect but not terrible. There were a few coffee's but virtually no cafeteria purchases.

So C is a little girl, as you may have guessed, and part of my previous spending was on things I wanted her to have. Mostly clothes. There is one brand that I absolutely love and was the inspiration I had when I started sewing. Matilda Jane. This week I went to a Matilda Jane party. I got to see the spring line up close and in person. That was really tough but since I started sewing more regularly and more confidently I know that I can try and make a lot of the stuff I loved so much. Especially the skirts and dresses. The shirts - I will probably stick to buying those. A good friend of mine is apparently an amazing seamstress and agreed to come over next week and help me with my doll project. So excited!!! If I can figure this doll thing out - I may just become a doll factory.

On another random note - one of my BFF's - who I have known for 36 years - is moving back to the NY area from LA. I am so excited. Not like she is moving to MN excited, but super excited because I go back to NY way more often than I get to CA and I can see one more of my peeps when I go. Now it is just me and Ilene who are gone. We are constantly talking about doing a girls weekend and I really hope we can figure out a date because it is just so rare that we are all together. And when we get together - we are laughing constantly and we really do travel well together. So a trip would be fantastic. We all turn 40 this year so it has to be super special and fabulous. The only wrinkles - a baby is coming in August and Anna's move. But we need to celebrate that although we are all turning 40 - we don't look it, don't have wrinkles and we have been friends for 36 years! So I am calling all of you out...right here on my blog...Anna, Ilene, Lisa, Risa and Liz....Lets pick a date!!

The simple is often the best

2010-03-31T19:35:00.002-05:00

When it is nice out all the kids want to do is play outside. Well, who doesn't. During winter it is much easier to keep to our routine. Home, snack, play, dinner, C's bath, H's homework, C to bed, H to play then H to bed. It worked like clockwork. Now not so much. It is more like home, play, play, play, play, bed. I am lucky if I can get them to put a yogurt in their mouth, forget about sitting down for a family dinner.

Tonight was a glorious evening. It was 76 degrees when we got home and H's new friend was down the block. What could be better? You know what could be better - Ice Cream! So I thought to myself, what better way to spend the unseasonably warm evening with the family then having hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream. There is a local place practically around the corner, Connie's Creamy Cone , that has all of that. So Cliff and I took the kids and enjoyed the evening - complete with tutti frutti, strawberry and blackberry soft serve.

Forget the flavors, when you ask C what kind of ice cream she wants, her answer is Pink. When you ask her what I should get - Pink. And what should H get - Red. It is adorable. It was so busy there. I think everyone had the same idea, and who cares. We weren't in a rush and we were waiting for ice cream. C kept looking for the pink. Every ice cream that came up - "that's not the pink".."that's not the pink". But when she spotted hers...the squeals - oh the squeals. She was so excited. "The pink, the pink!".

It was one of the best evenings in a long time. It was worth the post-ponement of exercising, putting the dishes away and folding laundry. That is what tomorrow is for. It will all still be there - waiting.

What is next....macaroni art?

2010-03-30T19:31:00.007-05:00

I am a lawyer / marketer by trade. Not really very creative professions. And I have never thought of myself as a creative person. I never doodled or colored. But when lanyards were in, I tried my hand at the box, barrel and cobra stitch.

I wasn't very good at it and I never really did it for very long. A few years later when friendship bracelets were all the rage, I tried that. I think I made a few. But it also wasn't something I was good at.

But in the last 10 years I have tried so many crafty pursuits, scrap booking, stamping, card making, knitting and beading. The most successful of these was the beading. I loved it, and I loved making jewelry for my friends and family. But I had kids and got bored with it.

Sewing is my new crafting pursuit and I love it and I feel I have found something that I can do for years to come. I think because each project is so different. Now since I have been sewing for a few months now, I feel that my projects can really be enhanced with a little embroidery. Yes - that is right, I am going to learn embroidery.
I am thinking of adding faces to those dollies I am making and embellishing fabric whether it is on a tote bag or a dress or a blanket. My class is at the end of April and I am excited to try my hand at this. I see this as not a new hobby but something I can do to make my sewing project just a little bit more special!

Giraffe's may have the right idea

2010-03-29T21:12:00.004-05:00

Getting healthy is more than just being at a healthy weight and getting fit. I also believe for lifelong success you need to become mentally healthy as well. Today I feel great both physically and mentally. I truly feel great. Yes, I had a good weigh in today (down 1 pound...WOOT!), but I woke up today and really felt good about myself. I felt that I was on my way to being the person I really want to be and I was making good choices for me and my family. Is there still more I can be doing, absolutely. But today I feel like I am doing the right things.

Take today for example. Tonight was the start of Passover. I am very far away from my Jewish family and the holidays are the hardest being so far. I am the one who has to make the holidays special for my kids. So, not to do anything would deny my kids the Jewish experiences that are a part of my fabric and I wanted it to be a part of theirs.

So I had decided late last week that no matter now small, I would do a Seder. It was going to be just me, Cliff and the kids. Often I invite our non-Jewish friends over to share my holidays with them. To invite them in. But on Thursday I got a call from a friend of mine at the Temple who told me about a family who had no Seder to attend and the mom was pregnant, and due imminently, wanted to attend a Seder but it was too much for her and her husband and 2 yr old to manage. So I invited them over to share our simple Seder.

Alot of people thought I was strange for inviting strangers over to dinner. But I felt a connection to this family. So, no matter how awkward it may be, I was hoping at a minimum it would be a one time meal, at the most, new friends. It was so much better than I could have hoped. We both felt comfortable from the moment they arrived. The conversations flowed and we had alot in common. I am hoping we have made some new dear friends. Their daughter was is the same age as C and they got along so well. We talked, laughed and shared common experiences. I wish we could have spent more time getting to know them, but when they left, we made promises to keep in touch and get together again soon (no so soon because they are expecting their baby in a few weeks).

This night has taught me something, that it is ok to stick my neck out - to go outside of my comfort zone because at the worst - check it off as an experience, but if it goes well - as it will probably happen - it can be an amazing, fun and hopefully a new long time relationship/hobby/event.

So instead of being scared of reaching my weight loss goals - I am going for it full steam ahead. Instead of being scared to "run" - I am WILL run that race in October.

I am looking forward to sticking my neck out. And I am looking forward to getting to know my new friends even better.

I want it! I want it! I want it!

2010-03-26T09:35:00.003-05:00

Obsessive compulsive. Yeah - that is me when it comes to getting something that I want. I think about constantly until I go to take a look and evaluate it for purchase. What is happening now is that a new season is coming and I need some new clothes. I bought practically a new wardrobe this past fall and it has gotten me through fall and winter and it will probably get me through most of spring, but I need some t's and shorts for summer. Last week at least 3 people at work have been sporting the cutest t-shirts. Almost exactly like the ones I have been buying at JCrew. So when I asked "JCrew?" They were all - No - Target. I couldn't believe it. They even were telling me how much of a great deal they got it for. So I was on a mission. I had to get my hands on some of these shirts. I had to pick up some diapers after work anyway, so I went to the Target closest to work, and let me tell you, totally crappy Target. Well, I didn't find anything. I was totally disappointed, but still determined. So the next day, I was passing another Target and I stopped in there. And I did find one. But just one. I felt like - SCORE! But wanted a whole bunch to choose from and only had one option. So the next day I went to a third Target and I found one more. I was excited. I still need some more and I am sure that I can score some deals at Old Navy and JCrew clearance/outlet (boo for them not having an outlet in MN).

So I was spending way more than I was saving last week and I don't feel good about that. On a positive note - spent nothing on Coffee. WOOHOO. And very little in the cafeteria.

Goals for this week:
Continue the no Coffee week
No Cafeteria spending
Only one meal out with the family this weekend
Clean the House
Prepare for Passover
Hang picture in the living room

(oh wait - this turned into my to do list)

(photo: courtesy of J.Crew.com)

When is a sliver not enough?

2010-03-25T19:12:00.003-05:00

Soap. Not a very controversial topic to most, but it is to Cliff and I. We are not talkin' brand, or scent or color. We are talking when to start using a new bar. Take this morning for example. Cliff was about to get in the shower and he was all "can we replace this soap yet?" I took one look and knew we had at least a week left in the bar - or sliver - its all semantics. I am of the camp that you use it until it practically disintegrates as you are using it. It seems so wasteful to me to throw it away before it is completely gone. Cliff is of the camp that once it becomes a sliver - replace. How do we resolve this issue? It depends...if I am not in the vicinity - Cliff just replaces it and he knows I will not go so far as to dig the sliver out of the trash.

I don't know how "green" using up all of the soap - until its dissolves in your hand - but it is my stand that I take. It is my thing.

I am so excited...That's what she said.

2010-03-24T20:09:00.003-05:00

The weather has been awesome here lately. I think we have dodged the March Snow bullet. March is usually the snowiest month in Minnesota but it hasn't even flurried and next week, they are saying 70's.

This weather has not gone unnoticed by my kids or the kids on our block. Every night when we get home the kids can't wait to get back outside to play. And to not only play, but to play with the kids from across the street. C gets so excited she shakes. In fact tonight she actually said "Ben's there, Ben's there..I am so excited!!!!" I can't even do her excitement justice with all of the exclamation marks. H just runs out side, grabs his big wheel and he is off. Now all of the other kids are around 2 and 3 years old and H is like a rock star to them. His speed, his toys, his speed. Did I mention his speed? He just zooms around them and they chase after him, trying to do everything that he does. And the great thing about H is he loves it and gives them turns on the big wheel and brings out his toys to share. I just love that about H.

I just can't do straight lines

2010-03-23T21:14:00.005-05:00

What do you think? I am very happy with how the dress came out. (the picture came out darker than I hoped, but my lighting was very bad - 9pm in my kitchen - not great conditions) Especially for my first dress for C. I only need to sew buttons at the top to secure the shoulder straps. The fabric is so gorgeous. If you can't tell from the picture there are about 3 shades of pink with a bit of light yellow and light blue.

It was a bit more complicated than I anticipated and I am really glad I waited until I went to the Open Sewing at Crafty Planet last Friday because I needed a lot of help. Which was such a great and relaxing evening. And I got to spend some quality time with Amelia Sprout. Who was cheering me on the whole time. I can't wait for my next project. Which will be the rag dolls I hoped to also start last week. But Lisa at Crafty Planet gave me some great instructions on how to get started.

What I realized is that I need patterns and projects that are very forgiving. I just don't sew straight lines. I have tried sewing slow and fast and in-between and I am all over the place. Maybe with practice, maybe I am just to impatient. I don't know about you but I love starting and finishing a project in one sitting. Which for me means 2-3 hours.

I have so many projects in my head that I want to do, I hope I can keep up with my ideas. So next week, I will have the rag doll pattern sketched out, and hopefully the fabric cut. I may have to start over several times, but I know once I get it down, I am making dollies for everyone with little girls.

Better Late than Never

2010-03-23T10:11:00.002-05:00

I am a day late with my post. I have a good excuse. I wasn't feeling well yesterday so I took a sick day. I feel much better today. But I did miss my Monday weigh in. I am disappointed that I missed and because I do the Weight Watchers At Work program, I found our WW receptionist at the Caribou line and apologized for missing. Luckily I had peps looking out for me and told them what was going on.

I did have a good week exercising. I pushed myself and worked out on the treadmill for 45 minutes each time. I really want to up the speed but I have to jimmy rig the treadmill. I think the safety sensor gets loose when I walk to hard on those faster speeds so it will suddenly stop for no reason. So I need to get some duct tape and tape that sucker down. Duct Tape fixes anything...right?

I am also planning on some races this summer. Last year I did my first 5K walk and was so proud of myself for doing it. It really gave me a lot of motivation. This year, I plan to do as many as I can, ending with running a 10K in October. Yup - I said it - RUNNING a 10K. It is a lofty goal for me, but this is my 40th year and among the many other things I want to accomplish this year, this is one of the biggest. Anne, a great friend of mine, laid out a very detailed walking to running plan for me. Her plan is very doable and I seem to be right on track. I should start a small amount of running in the next week or so. The only thing holding me back, or actually not holding me - is getting a serious workout bra. Amelia Sprout clued me in to the fact that Title Nine has opened a store in Edina. So before I attempt anything more than a walk, I need to visit them. They seem to have something for everyone. I just hope that the everyone includes me.

Here are the races I am planning on:

April 18th - Running of the Pigs - 5K
May 9th - Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure - 5K
October 2nd - TC 10K - 10K run

I plan to do more in the summer months, just haven't decided which ones yet. Does anyone have any favorites?

An unusual week make for some unusual savings

2010-03-20T11:24:00.004-05:00

My mom and step-dad are very generous when they come to visit, which they did this past week. We were treated to dinner every night. That saved us a lot on our budget, where I did not have to go to the grocery store except to pick up some milk and a very few basics. But somehow I still managed to spend $7 on coffee and $12 on supplements to my lunch in the cafeteria. I am so weak to the lure of the salad bar in the cafeteria. They do stock it with such great vegetables and side salads. I also think I am missing some coffee purchases, because the daylight saving time really made me tired. I don't know about you, but I hate it being dark at 7am but love that is is still light out at 7 pm.

I am going to do a much better job this week on avoiding the cafeteria altogether. One week I will have spend nothing at Caribou Coffee and nothing in the cafeteria. And then another, and another, and so on and so on.

Random Thought: If you live in the Twin Cities - have you been to Leann Chin lately? Cliff's birthday was on Thursday and because he was just getting over a bout with a stomach virus, I didn't plan on cooking anything for dinner not knowing what he would be in the mood for. So I offered to pick up anything he wanted. He choose Leann Chin. I noticed that they had some frozen yogurt. I asked for a sample and oh boy - they had a lemon flavor and my mouth was so happy. I asked for the nutritional info, and it wasn't that bad. It was fat free and 150 calories for a 5 oz serving - which is their small. They also had some fresh fruit toppings. I would never think to go to Leann Chin for frozen yogurt, but I am absolutely going when I get an hankering.

No Green = TV

2010-03-18T21:09:00.002-05:00

What have I done this week? Uh...NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. What a waste of a week. But in my defense I had house guests and really didn't get to the store. I fully intended to start replacing my light bulbs with he energy efficient ones, the ones that look all swirly. And I also planned to try the vinegar and water cleaning solution. But our cleaning lady came so I kind of had a week off cleaning.

No green improvement for me. I haven't even read any articles this week. BOO!

So - I will just talk about something else. Have any of you been watching the Real Housewives of NYC? What is up with Bethany's face? Something just isn't right. It is her jaw. It is just so weird looking. But I love Jill Zaran. She has been and will always be my favorite housewife. She reminds me of me sometimes. The housewives are such a guilty pleasure. It is so much fun to watch. I also just discovered Ruby. It has been On Demand. She is hilarious and her journey for weight loss is really inspiring. Her accent is so luscious. Not like an English or Australians accent but that Georgian southern drawl. I just love listening to her talk.

What are your guilty TV pleasures? Here is a list of mine...completely edited because if I put everything down it would be too embarrassingly long:

Amazing Race
Brothers & Sisters
Lost
The Office
Real Housewives of (Insert city here)
Ruby
Nurse Jackie
United States of Tara
Weeds
Big Brother
Heroes
Big Bang Theory
Big Love
The Good Wife
Ruby
The Biggest Loser

What else can happen to one little girl?

2010-03-17T20:39:00.002-05:00

A lot of things happened this week and not all of it good. And everything is fine and I even hesitate to write about it because things are essentially back to normal but one event in particular rocked me to my core. It all started on Thursday when I took C to the doctor because she came home the night before and had a fever. I thought to myself - because I am a doctor and all - NOT, she has had a cold for about a week and now a fever - ear infection. And if it was an ear infection lets get the antibiotics started because my mom and step-dad were coming for a visit this weekend. First they couldn't check her ears because of how much wax was in them so they had to be flushed. C was having none of that. Once they got a good look in there, no ear infection. Next up - throat culture. Nope - not strep either. Next - finger prick for a blood draw and a chest x-ray. Turns out it was pneumonia. But all of this poking an prodding was nothing to what comes next.

C is feeling better and back to herself after several days on the antibiotic. So of course - what else is there to do than to go to an indoor playground. This one in particular has 2 play areas. One that has your traditional climbing structure with tons of slides and levels. The other is more like a gymnasium with balls and scooters and a bouncy house. Well we were done in the climbing room and went over to gymnasium. H and C were really having a great time on pushing each other on the scooters and just running around. While C was just running, a ball came in her path and she stepped on it and fell. Straight back. Banging her head on the ground with a thud so loud that everyone around her stopped what they were doing to see what had happened. After we scooped her up and I was soothing her, I saw her gathering up for a huge scream, except that scream never happened. What happened was so much worse. She went limp. I went from carrying her upright to carrying her lying down. I laid her down on the bench and she was unresponsive. Not unconscious, but not responsive either. I think she even twitched a bit. While I was yelling for someone to call 911, my step-dad who is a doctor, was checking her out and also was a woman who later told me she was a nurse. I think all of this took only about 20-25 seconds but it seemed much longer. About 25 seconds later she seemed to snap out of it and began crying. It was the best sound I had ever heard. I kind of forgot about H, but luckily Cliff did not, and went to get him so we could go upstairs to meet the ambulance.

When the police and ambulance came they observed her and checked her out and felt that she was acting normally but felt that we should take her to the ER. Luckily we didn't have to transport her via ambulance. So we drove her over to Children's hospital and had her checked out. They felt she didn't have a concussion and that she was acting normally.

I am grateful for the police and paramedics who came and helped, and am so grateful for my step-dad and that nurse stranger who kept calm while inside I kept thinking my baby girl was going to die. Because who doesn't think the worst when something like this happens.

Since Sunday I have given her more kisses and hugs than I am sure she even wants, but I am so grateful that she is fine. If you see me running close behind her, praying she doesn't fall, carrying her a little bit more so she can't stumble...know it is just a mom who had a too close a call.

Dresses, Dollies and Blankets, Oh My!

2010-03-16T19:51:00.005-05:00

Friday will be attempt #2 with Amelia Sprout to have a sewing night on Friday at the Crafty Planet and I can't wait. I have 2 projects I want to start and/or complete. First is a dress for C. The instigator for me to want to sew is all of those super cute clothes that are either handmade or made to look handmade that are all super spendy. I just can't fathom shelling out $50 for a little dress. So I thought to myself, I would love to try and make dresses and skirts for her. Friday will be my first attempt. I made a skirt for myself and it was relatively easy but the pattern I am going to try has a button at the shoulders. I am a bit intimidated. I am pretty sure this is the pattern I am going to try and make.

The other project I want to attempt is to make dolls. I bought several of these for C and I would love to make her more and make some as gifts for some of my friends kids. The thing is I don't have a pattern and that is really where I need the help. I plan on bringing the doll with me and hopefully Lisa at Crafty Planet can help with creating a pattern. Here is the type of doll I want to make...without the tutu because that is getting way to fancy and I am pretty sure I can't sew that fancy. This dollie is named Jasmine and I just love the idea of creating a dollie and giving her an identity - a personality.

If I can learn how to make the dresses / skirts and dollie's I think I will be the happiest sewer EVER! Then I may move onto an apron for me, a blanket for H, and softie foods for C - like cakes and cupcakes.

I gave my boss the burp cloths I made last week and I have to say, he was definitely raised right. He was so gracious and complimentary but not over the top and fake. It was such sincere gratitude and awe and happiness that it made me feel so good to have made them for him. It is so rare to have anyone show such gratitude with such sincerity. Plus he loved the vintage looking cowboy fabrics that I used.

Next week I will show you the dress and the dollie that I made.

If you have any favorite patterns for making children's clothes, please let me know. Or if you have any tips on making a blanket, not a quilt but just your run of the mill blanket.

Wish me luck!

mmmm...BAGELS

2010-03-15T20:51:00.003-05:00

Nervous again. I was pretty sure that I followed the program. I worked out 3 times this past week - not as many as I wanted but I started to increase my workouts from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. But those doubts keep creeping back. I know why. I didn't track my food everyday. Probably only 3 days and that is not good enough. So how did I do? 2.8 pounds. That's right! So now I am only 3 pound away from relosing the 7 pounds I gained. I am really happy that I can make up for my lapse in only 3-4 weeks and then I can move forward toward my goals.

I absolutely love sharing with everyone I know and even those I don't know, products or stores or websites that I found and think are fabulous. Why keep these things to myself. Last week I found a new product that I think everyone should know about (I am not being compensated for this endorsement in any way) - The Thomas' Bagel Thins.

These are awesome. They are very sturdy and stand up to a lot of filling. I have only tried the Everything Bagel flavor and I loved how comparable to your standard everything bagel it was in terms of taste. It is a really great alternative to bread or Arnold's Sandwich Thins. Here are the details:

110 calories

1g fat

5g fiber

Here are my goals for the week:

Work out 4 times for 45 minutes

Track my food everyday

Do you have any favorites you want to share?

Impulse buying gets me in trouble every time

2010-03-12T15:40:00.003-06:00

I did pretty well this week, if I do say so myself. At least if you look at my coffee intake. Which was $0. Ok, not exactly $0 but I found $20 and didn't have to use any of the money from our checking account, and I only got coffee twice. All in all, a good compromise...that is what I am telling myself - so zip it!.

Somehow I still managed to spend $135 on groceries this week. A lot of that had to do with some impulse buys at Trader Joe's and a 2nd trip to Trader Joe's because I forgot one of my staples when I was there making all of those impulse buys earlier in the week and then adding 2 additional impulse buys to that trip as well. So a $70 Trader Joe's week is NOT good.

H also has me wrapped around his little finger - which is NOT a good thing. It isn't that I buy him whatever he wants, but sometimes how can I say not to a kid who wants strawberries. That toy at Target - Yes I can say not to that. But strawberries? When I asked him to put back the huge flat of strawberries they had this week, he was all, but why Mommy - this is a healthy choice right? And of course I gave the right answer of , Well Yes it is a healthy choice and I am proud of you for making that choice, but we are trying to save money and those are expensive. Lets pick another healthy option that is a bit less expensive. Oh he wasn't buying that, and being the good son of 2 lawyers, argued his case and guess what, he won. Or wore me down - it is all about how you look at it - right?

My goals for next week are to cut that pesky $30 from my grocery budget, continue to not spend on Coffee / lunch at work (admittedly some of that found $20 was spent on supplements to my lunch from the cafeteria. Why is the lure of the cafeteria so strong? It is like they put something in the air in there that makes me NEED to supplement my already healthy and filling lunch with some salad or baked chips), and stay strong to the goal of eating out only once this weekend.

Total savings goal this week:

$30 from grocery budget

$20 from coffee/lunch

$20 from weekend meals out

Total: $70

Take that Trader Joe's!

How many reusable shopping bags does one need?

2010-03-11T20:44:00.003-06:00

First, thank you to everyone for their great suggestions last week on what I can do to incorporate green initiatives. Some of the great ones were to use reusable grocery bags, use vinegar and water as a cleanser, mix a small amount of dish soap and water as a general cleanser, energy saving light bulbs and reusable dish rags.

I am definitely going to try both the vinegar and water and the dish soap and water cleansers. I just have to play around with the ratios but I will share what works and what totally didn't work.

I can't tell you how many reusable grocery bags I own. I seem to have a growing collection of them much to Cliff's chagrin. He can't stand them and doesn't see why I need so many. But I just can't turn down a cute bag. And the ones at Trader Joe's are so cute. And have you seen the ones you can get at Ikea? Then there are the ones you get for free at places like the State Fair. All in all, I probably have about 20-25 of them around the house. I use them for almost everything BUT groceries. I don't know about you, but I have this problem of remembering to bring them with me when I head out to go my weekly shopping. I have tried putting them right by the door, keeping them in the car, and hanging them right on the door knob. Should I use that old trick of putting a rubber band on my wrist and snapping it every time I forget them?

This week I am going to look into the energy saving light bulbs and the cleanser alternatives. So if you have any coupons you can point me to.....It doesn't hurt to ask.

Because he is a boy?

2010-03-10T20:35:00.003-06:00

Anyone who knows me for more than an hour knows that I am competitive. I LOVE to win. You name it, a trivia contest, raffles, soccer, blog giveaways.... There is this adrenaline rush that happens as the game/contest starts that I can't replicate in other endeavors. And along with my hair, skin color and eyes, H seems to have inherited my competitive spirit.

He loves to win and gets so upset when he doesn't. Today I volunteered in his classroom where we played word bingo. Pretty benign, right? uh...no. After he lost that first game, I thought he was going to breakdown and cry right there. I felt so bad. I tried not to acknowledge this and move quickly onto another round. That seemed to stave off the waterworks. But I noticed as he didn't win the next game he decided to cheat from then on. Of course I called him on it, but I didn't want to embarrass him. So what do I do? Explain the difference between games of chance and skill - pointing out that you can't do much about losing games of chance so getting upset is a waste of energy but losing in a game of skill - you can see what skill you can improve upon and next time make sure you do better. I don't know if at 6 he will understand the difference but I know I will still feel disappointed when I lose and I hope I can teach him to lose gracefully and to continuously strive to do better.