Retro-Girl: Surviving the Suburbs

Yummy Organic & Natural Candy - Surf Sweets (Review)

2012-01-23T16:20:00.001-06:00

If you've read my blog before or follow me on Twitter, you may recall that my son has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). As part of trying to help our son become self-regulated and to improve his overall wellness, we have really started watching his diet. We've been on a mission to remove all artificial food dyes and to eliminate harmful preservatives and chemicals that may cause not only behavioral issues, but also pose other health risks as well. We try to keep his sugar intake low and his chocolate intake as minimal as possible.

With these things in mind, I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks and treats that I can give Isaac in moderation. He does like an occasional sweet treat - especially around holidays when he realizes others are having sweets.

I was really happy to hear about Surf Sweets recently. They're right here in IL - like us. They make gummy candies and jelly beans that are organically-sweetened that are drenched in fruit flavors and are full of vitamin C. Additionally, their products are free of corn syrup, artificial dyes and flavorings. The candies are gluten-free, and have no wheat, dairy, soy, egg, tree-nuts, peanuts, fish/shellfish sesame or sulfites --making them an allergy-friendly treat! They're made in a nut-free facility and are Casein-Free also! Surf Sweets are stage 2 Feingold diet - approved! They've been mentioned in Food Network Magazine, Women's Health, Gluten-Free Living and the Wall Street Journal, to name a few publications.

They offer fruity bears, gummy bears, sour berry bears, sour worms, gummy worms, and jelly beans. They come in 2.75 oz bags for about $1.99 and the gummy bears and jelly beans come in .9 oz snack packs as well. You can also buy Snack Pack Multi-packs of the gummy bears and sour berry bears.

Just in time for Valentines Day, they have fruity hearts with cherry & watermelon flavors!

We tried a sampling of their products - The fruity hearts, jelly beans, gummy bears and sour berry bears. I have been giving Isaac just a few here and there as reward treats, or a few in his lunch bag and he's really enjoyed them. I sampled them as well and find the flavors very tasty, the textures to be just right (not too hard, or too sticky). The sour berry bears are the perfect level of sweetly sour flavor (no super-pucker or teary eyes! LOL). I felt safe giving Isaac Surf Sweets because they are organic and free of all the chemicals and bad stuff other candies have. I like that we have some choices for our son and he doesn't have to feel deprived. I think Surf Sweets are yummy and safe for your family, great for holidays, to use in recipes or would be sweet party treats or stocking stuffers.

I was happy to find that you can buy Surf Sweets at Whole Foods, Buy Buy Baby, and other stores selling healthy foods and products. You can also buy Surf Sweets Online at places like Amazon.com and others.

Surf Sweets also has partnered with The OceanProject.org the largest network ever formed to focus on ocean conservation. The Ocean Project works with over 1,000 partner aquariums, zoos, science museums and other educational organizations to inform, educate and protect our planet's oceans. That means a lot to me - as I am passionate about protecting our planet's oceans and all of the creatures living in them.

I received a complimentary sampler pack of several varieties of Surf Sweets organic candies in exchange for an honest review/opinion. I received no monetary compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It All Comes Out in the Wash.... {Review of Purex Triple Action Formula}

2012-01-23T14:41:00.003-06:00

My life is hectic...I work ~~"3/4 time"~~ part-time, am raising a super-active 3.5 year old preschooler who is struggling with Sensory Processing Disorder, and am always busy taking him to occupational therapy or doing OT & sensory activities at home or on the go. We go to church and attend small group each week, and take our son to Tae Kwon Do on Saturdays. We work hard, play hard and create mounds of laundry - the amount of which astounds me sometimes considering we're a family of three.

I feel like I am constantly doing laundry. I joke and say laundry is my hobby. This is where my love of Purex comes in. (I know...Lady get a life! ha ha! Well, it's the life I've got...might as well love it!) I have always liked Purex and with the amount of laundry I do that's great because they have a good product at such a great price. I was thrilled to become a Purex Insider not too long ago and try their Purex Crystals softener. I quickly became hooked on them too! :)

So anyway...Purex sent me a bottle of their new Triple Action formula liquid laundry detergent to try. Their R&D scientists have been busy over the last year creating an even better Purex formula - that will give you even better cleaning power for half the price of other leading brands and it has been specifically formulated to work in all washing machines (Including those fab & fancy high efficiency machines...stuff my laundry fantasies are made of lol. I have just the standard econo-model washer/dryer.) The new Purex is designed to improve brightening, too. They will be rolling this out soon across their entire line of liquid detergent products. Some of the other varieties include: Natural Elements, Linen & Lilies and Lilac & White Lavender as well as After the Rain, Lavender Fresh, Original Fresh and Free & Clear.

I tried the 33 load size of the Mountain Breeze scent. I like this scent because it is so fresh but not overpowering. At first, I thought this new formula wasn't that much different than the original Purex I'd been using...until I did a load of kid clothes. I washed a load of my son's preschool/daycare clothes. Woah - Moms, you've gotta try this. I had several items of my son's clothes that were really dirty that I set aside to try with this new Purex. They had finger paint, play-dough, dirt, and food stuck to them. EVERY SINGLE ITEM came out clean and bright. I thought the shirt covered in paint was trashed...or that there would be some oily-ghost stains from the food or play-dough....but nope. All clean and fresh smelling! I'm sold...I do not feel I need to spend a lot of money on high priced detergents. I get the job done easily, and quickly with Purex. With our crazy-busy life, that means a lot to me.

Check out Purex's website for coupons and other savings & promotions. They're currently giving away 10,000 coupons a day for 5 days! You can even download a Laundry Helper App for iPhone or App for Blackberry! How cool is that?! Connect with Purex on Facebook for other info/offers!

Keep your eye out for Purex New Improved Triple Action formula - it's coming to a store near you very soon!

I received a complimentary 33 load sized bottle of Purex Triple Action detergent in exchange for an honest review/opinion. I received no monetary compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

HEY Chicago - Win a Trip for 2 to New York City!!

2011-12-09T15:15:00.001-06:00

Hey Chicago - here's your chance to enter the "My City - My Music" Concert Sweepstakes. How fabulous is that?!

Fuse and XFINITY have come together to give you a chance to win a full day and night of enjoyment in New York City! One lucky winner will win a trip for two to New York City along with pair of tickets to the concert of their choice at a Madison Square Garden venue, a music prize pack including an MP3 player and headphones, a gift certificate to download your favorite music and a pair of tickets to enjoy a night on the town at any local New York City museum or attraction!

photo from city profile.com

To enter, simply head to http://fusemycity.com/ and fill out the quick registration form! This sweeps is only open to residents of Illinois and ends December 26th!

How's that for a Christmas present?!

SPD...OT...IEP...ABC-123: Entering the Acronym Jungle!

2011-11-15T21:33:00.000-06:00

It has been almost 2 months since our son Isaac was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). He began Occupational Therapy (OT) about 6 weeks ago, and I've been reading, researching, talking with other SPD moms through online support groups and to a friend at work who also has a "Sensational Kid" - just trying to learn as much as I can so that I can help Isaac in every way possible. I am learning my way through "Acronym Jungle" as well....

We've been making our home sensory friendly so that Isaac can get the sensory input he needs. We've purchased a weighted lap blanket, large yoga ball, porcupine balls, hand-fidget balls/toys, chewy necklace for his oral-motor issues, a mini-trampoline, sit/hop ball and exercise bands for the heavy work he craves.

He has been attending a Little Ninjas - Tae Kwon Do program that teaches balance, coordination, focus, memory, self-control, discipline, teamwork. He recently graduated up to a yellow belt. It's been a challenge for him to focus and follow directions but they feel he's making progress!

Our biggest issue so far is dealing with our daycare and Isaac's behaviors/reactions there due to his SPD. He often copes with a fight or flight reaction - he'll either throw things or do slobbery/spitty raspberries or just dash out of the classroom and into the hallway. This is not good. When he gets to a point of sensory overload or anxious because his sensory-seeking behaviors prevent him from being able to self-regulate and control his impulses. He sometimes reacts in ways that are silly and socially inappropriate. Some of it is because he's 3 years old but mostly due to SPD - not something he can control. He's not a bad kid - he just needs to learn coping and self-regulation strategies....thus the need for O.T.

It doesn't help that the main teacher for this class has a bit of an attitude and can be very negative. She claims she adores him and wants nothing but to help him, but then balks at any ideas, tools or strategies we have for trying to get him to calm down or self-regulate in class. She often rolls her eyes when talking to me and is just plain rude. It's exasperating and recently I kinda let her have it - told her I really didn't appreciate the negative snotty attitude and that I felt it caused Isaac to be stressed out. She's always very negative in front of him. The director, however, is so nice, she is trying to work with us to do whatever they can to help, and to work with Isaac and the teachers to help Isaac control himself and to keep him enrolled there, so I can keep my job. They have to operate at full capacity however, so they have limited resources to be able to give Isaac special attention or go the extra mile to use some of his special 'accoutrements'.

His therapist has said she's starting to think that the best thing for him at 3.5 years old, may be to go to preschool, to be in a more structured environment. A special needs preschool program. Maybe go to preschool for a few hours and to daycare a few hours each day. Maybe a different daycare? Maybe preschool only? We are not sure yet....something we need to figure out.

So, I took him for an evaluation at the school in our district this past week, so they could identify his areas of developmental need and for what programs he may qualify. The speech pathologist that screened Isaac was surprised and impressed that he actually scored high on many of their evaluations - she felt he was advanced in several areas.

We have an appointment to return to the school next week to review their evaluation and the services they can offer/feel that Isaac needs and their recommendation on what to do next. We will find out if/how he can get an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and begin to formulate a plan on where to go from here.

At first it was a bit difficult to let it sink in that my son is a special-needs child and will deal with SPD his whole life. This is not something that goes away, that he will grow out of or can be healed. (Sorry grandparents - this is not Isaac "just being a boy" and something he'll outgrow or that his teachers and parents just being too picky) There may be other issues that surface as we go forward with occupational therapy. His OT casually suggested that there is a small possibility he may have ADD or ADHD issues - but that this can not be properly/legitimately evaluated and diagnosed until a child is at least 4 or 5.

It's been a bit overwhelming dealing with all of this and thinking of the years ahead - the issues we may face, how we will have to advocate for him, try to protect him, guide him and help him, support him with positive reinforcement and encouragement. We love this precious boy with all our hearts and want the very best in life for him. I hope I can rise to these challenges and be the best mom I can be for him...my sensational, beautiful son.

Crunchy, Sweet & Healthy! Sante Nuts Review & Coupon Code

2011-10-11T20:48:00.002-05:00

If you've read my blog recently, you'll know I've been on a quest recently for healthy snacks for my family. We are always on the go and like handy, healthy snacks. I also like cooking meals that are quick, simple, healthy and tasty. The easier it is to prepare - the more we like it. That being said -- I was thrilled to get the opportunity to try Sante Nuts.

I received a sampler box that contained the Candied Pecans, Candied Walnuts, Garlic Almonds, and the Roasted Salted Pecans. These nuts are slow roasted in small batches in organic oils with a secret technique that minimizes the amount of oil the nuts absorb, leaving them very light, crisp and crunchy and lower in fat. The ingredients they use are all natural; they are gluten free and are kosher! I read this article at the Mayo Clinic website that says nuts are a heart healthy food.

The company owner, Sara Tidhar suddenly found herself as a single mom with no income and to provide for her children, she began roasting nuts in her kitchen and selling them. You can read her story here - Sara's Story.

Our Experience:
We tried all 4 varieties of Sante Nuts. We've eaten them right out of the bags by hand. I find them to be very light, crisp and crunchy as advertised They're tasty, with just a very light seasoning that is just right. The candied pecans and walnuts are not too sweet or sugary, and the roasted salted pecans are just right. The garlic almonds are very flavorful and are sweet but have a slight bite - they have a touch of cayenne and black pepper that gives a unique taste. Sante Nuts are full sized, large pecans halves, whole almonds and walnut halves - not crushed or broken in the bag. They were very fresh and the resealable bag has kept them fresh after repeated openings.

Besides eating them by hand - the following are ways I've tried Sante Nuts:

Broken into pieces and tossed into breakfast cereal (candied pecans & walnuts)
Broken tablespoon put with yogurt for snack or breakfast
Added to my own custom snack mix for my son (with organic cereal, dried fruit bits, organic pretzels
Salads - tossed candied pecans & walnuts with dried cranberries, salad greens - eaten with raspberry viniagrette (Photo Below). (Could add spiced pear halves for a pear & walnut salad!)

Haven't tried it yet - but thought of crushing the garlic almonds and trying to use as a coating for baking boneless chicken breasts or perhaps orange roughy fish. Check out these Recipes at the Sante Nuts website. There are so many different ways you could use these nuts for snacks, in baking and cooking. What are your favorite ways to incorporate walnuts, pecans and almonds into your cooking and snacking? Submit your own recipe to Sante....

You can buy Sante Nuts online - in 4 oz and 5 oz bags. The prices run between $3.29 and $4.29 per bag depending on variety - which I think is reasonable, compared to most other premium nuts.

COUPON CODE
Sante Nuts has offered a special coupon code for readers of Retro Girl: Surviving The Suburbs.
You can get a 25% discount on any order at SanteNuts.Com - Just enter the code below at checkout. This coupon is good for orders through December 16, 2011. Please feel free to share this code via Twitter, Facebook, email - however you wish. Just in time for your holiday entertaining & baking needs!
CODE: 2011-Blog-040

I received complimentary bags of Sante Nuts in exchange for my honest opinion and a review of my experience. I did not receive any other compensation or incentive nor was I required to write a positive review. Individual results or experiences may vary. You may obtain more detailed information, ingredients, allergy and/or nutritional data from the company's website. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Freschetta - Proud to Support Pink Prize Pack Winner!

2011-10-11T18:23:00.000-05:00

A Huge thank you to Freschetta for sponsoring the Proud to Support Pink giveaway!

Thanks to all who participated - tweeted, liked, followed, posted!! Thanks for helping spread the word about Proud to Support Pink - in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! (Don't forget those self-exams and mammograms, ladies!)

A random winner was drawn for the using Random.org, as shown below:

The randomly chosen winner is comment #36 - JEN

Winner notified via email - and has 48 hours to respond to claim her prize....or another random winner will be selected.

Thanks again to Freschetta for graciously sponsoring this giveaway and all you are doing to support breast cancer research!

CLICK HERE TO GET A FRESCHETTA COUPON !

Freschetta Pizza Prize Pack Giveaway!

2011-10-03T21:14:00.000-05:00

I have never been a big fan of frozen pizza. That was until I tasted Freschetta's Simply Inspired Bruschetta Pizza. It is light, crispy, and super delicious! I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh it really tasted! My family really enjoyed trying this pizza and will definitely buy it again.

Freschetta makes frozen pizza that doesn't taste frozen. They use real ingredients, and have a wide variety of pizzas to fit any taste. They have the classic Freschetta pizzas, Brick Oven Pizzas, Simply Inspired specialty pizza line, California Style, Naturally Rising to name a few. They even sell pizza crust so you can come up with your own pizza masterpiece. You can check out all their products HERE.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

I am sure you are wondering--What does this have to do with Pizza?! (Well besides that almost all guys LOVE pizza and boobs?!) Well, now that I have your attention, let me tell you....

Freschetta is doing their part for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They're doing their part to support research by presenting the Freschetta Proud to Support Pink program. Until October 31st - when you purchase specially marked packages of Freschetta Pizzas and Artisan Pizza Crusts you will be helping reach Freschetta's goal of a $50,000 donation to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Specially marked packages are printed with codes that you can enter at www.proudtosupportpink.com For each code entry - the makers of Freschetta products will donate a $1 to this center to support breast cancer research - up to $50k !

Freschetta's site also has a place for people to share their breast cancer journey or the journey of their friend or loved one. These stories will be displayed on the site and on Freschetta's Facebook page to inspire all who read them. They're also giving away 50 pink iPod Shuffles each week in October!!! Additionally, 50 pink iPod Shuffles will be donated each week in October to four cancer centers around America to be enjoyed by breast cancer patients during treatment. How cool is that?!

THE GIVEAWAY

One of my lucky readers will win a Freschetta A coupon to try a FREE Freschetta Pizza of your choice, and Two (2) pairs of Freschetta Proud to Support Pink earphones! One pair is for the winner to keep, and one pair is for the winner to share with their friend/family member as a reminder of proactive health!

HOW TO ENTER:

Mandatory Entry
**Please visit Freschetta's website and tell me what your favorite Freschetta Pizza is - or which one you'd like to try. - Please include your email address in your comment.

Bonus Entries: Leave a separate comment for each of the following:

Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect (1 Entry)
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/Retrogirl66 (1 Entry)
Follow Freschetta Pizza on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/freschettapizza (1 Entry)
Like Freschetta Pizza on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/freschettapizza (1 Entry)
Add my button on my right sidebar to your blog & give link to its location on your page (1 Entry)
Post a short blog post about this giveaway on your blog - and link to this post (5 Bonus Entries! - Leave 5 separate comments for this!)

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 11:59pm on Monday October 10th 2011. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email. Winner has 48 hours to respond with physical mailing address to collect prize. Alternate winner will be drawn if no response. Open to USA Residents.

Disclosure: I received a coupon for a free Freschetta Pizza and 2 pairs of Proud to Support Pink earphones in exchange for my honest opinion and help in promoting the campaign to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. My thoughts, and opinions are solely my own. I received no other monetary compensation and was not required to provide a positive review. Please see product website for ingredients, allergy info and product nutrition info.

Nature's Hand Granola - A Healthy Handy Snack. (Review)

2011-09-16T21:23:00.000-05:00

As you saw in my recent video blog of my trip to Whole Foods, as always, I'm on a quest for healthy snacks for myself and my little guy Isaac. I look for tasty snacks that are low in sugar and fat and that are handy and easy when we're on the go.

We recently enjoyed trying Nature's Hand Granola for the first time. The company sent me a couple pouches to sample and Isaac can't seem to get enough. He really likes the crunch and the taste. We sampled the French Vanilla Almond and the Cinnamon Apple flavors. Nature's Hand Granola also offers these other flavors:

Original Vanilla Almond
Cranberry Delight
Raisin Hazelnut
Maple Pecan
Wild Blueberry

Nature's Hand Granola is great tasting and all natural. I love that the pouches are resealable so it stays fresh and crunchy. This granola features roasted oats, wheat, nuts and seeds and is lightly and delicately sweetened with caramelized brown sugar and honey. They also use soy oil which is healthy and full of fiber, protein and antioxidants. They contain only 140 calories per serving, 4.5 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fats, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg of sodium, and only 6 grams of sugar. That is much less fat and sugar than many other packaged granola bars and snack mixes. The pouch is 13 ounces. The suggested serving size is 1/4 cup. There are approximately 12 servings per package. The average retail price is $4.99 which makes this about 42 cents per serving which isn't bad for such a quality healthy product!

Nature's Hand Granola can be purchased on their website by the pouch or the case. You can also find it at Whole Foods Market or Jewel Osco or CubFoods. You can also check out Nature's Hand on Facebook and Twitter for more information, recipes and discounts. They

Our Experience:
We like the taste, texture and crunch of this granola. We tried French Vanilla Almond and Cinnamon Apple. I liked them both. Isaac loves them both too, but especially liked the dried apple pieces in Cinnamon Apple. I liked how they are lightly and naturally sweetened with brown sugar and honey. It doesn't taste overly sugary or sticky like some granola bars that I've tried before. We've eaten it as a small cereal snack with skim milk, we've mixed it in our oatmeal and yogurt, and just eaten out of a zipper bag, on the go. Isaac likes to take it in a small paper cup to eat on the way to school in the morning. There are many ways to enjoy this granola, including using it recipes. You can find several recipes on the Nature's Hand website. They have a couple recipes with the info for each flavor.

Why not try this recipe?
Chewy Granola Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¾ cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 ½ cups Nature’s Hand granola
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
What to do:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Blend together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt; stir until combined. Stir in oat, granola and chocolate pieces.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are brown and center is soft. Let cool a few minutes on pan. Remove from pan; cool completely. (About 48 cookies).

Something I learned about Nature's Hand - they are the official granola of Outward Bound USA and support their Youth Intercept Program. Additionally, Nature's Hand donates more than 10,000 lbs of granola annually to women's shelters. Now that is an admirable and awesome way to give back!

Disclosure: I received 2 packs of granola to try in exchange for sharing my honest opinion and experience. I received no monetary compensation. Your experience and results may vary - please see manufacturer website for full nutritional information. ALLERGY ALERT - Product contains/may contain nuts, seeds, wheat. Please read nutritional labels to be sure product meets your own personal health/safety needs.

SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) : Finally, It All Makes Sense

2011-09-08T08:48:00.001-05:00

Becoming a mom at 40-something can be a the most rewarding thing ever but it can also be a challenge for a variety of reasons. It can be such joy and a big adjustment for a mom of any age, really.

I became Isaac's mom at age 42 when we adopted him from South Korea in 2009. He was just 10 months old and so small. So precious and adorable. He was the perfect baby. I had a tough time adjusting to life as a new mom of an active 10 month old who hit the ground 'running'. From day one, he was pulling up on furniture, cruising, crawling like lightning and by 12 months he really was walking and practically running. He has always been physically agile and strong. (He breezed through the various class levels at Gymboree as a toddler!) It was a challenge after working hard as a childless career woman for 22 years to suddenly find myself as a stay at home mom, but it was a great time to bond with my baby, discovering the joys of being his mama and watching him with awe as he reached every milestone.

Like many later-in-life moms who've adopted internationally - I suffered a bit with Post Adoption Depression (PAD) for awhile but through the help of some friends, my husband, my faith and time, I got through it. Going back to work after a year off was a lifesaver for me, really. To some this may sound kind of cold - it's not that I wanted to "get away from my child" - I needed more adult interaction, to be productive and using my critical thinking skills, and to have a sense of self outside of being a mom. Although Isaac attended gymboree, library groups, play dates etc. - I felt he needed more. He exhibited signs of being very intelligent and I felt he needed a bit of structured stimulation and regular daily social interaction. This has proven to be very good for Isaac. He has thrived in his daycare with the sort of preschool prep cirriculum they provide - we are told he is one of the brightest kids in the class.

During the past 2 years since Isaac came into our lives, (especially the year I stayed home though) I struggled, often times questioning whether it was just me or if Isaac's behavior was a bit off...or different than other kids. Other kids to me, always seem fairly laid back, so easy to deal with. Other kids seem to just be more content, sitting and eating or playing. Isaac has always seemed to have moments of difficulty, to be unusually stubborn or unable to control his impulses, never stops touching everything around him, never stops moving, can't sit still for more than a couple minutes during a meal at home or when dining out. It's like he is constantly wired. His doctor has always said "he's a busy, curious boy", as has my husband, they both wrote it off to age, or stages of growth, intelligence and just being an energetic child. I have often thought there was more to it. Something wasn't quite right. I know from our pre-adoption classes that many internationally adopted kids have issues but we were always assured Isaac was healthy and had no problems, no known early issues.

Then I began reading about Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and recognizing some of Isaac's "quirks" as signs he may have some sensory issues. A big red flag is the continued, constant drooling - well beyond the stage of teething, as is the fact that he constantly has something in his mouth, still at age 3. He is overwhelmed when too many kids get up close into his personal space. There are times he can't sit in circle time and just relax or lay on his cot for a nap as the other kids do - he has to run around or keep moving around the room and sort of playing his own games. We are being called in for conferences at the daycare over Isaac's "behavior issues" that are now surfacing and growing more frequent. (Their recent turnover of teachers has alot to do with this and we are trying to make them realize this, too!) These are just a few things that may be signs of SPD.

I also have been talking with a friend at work who has a child going through Occupational Therapy (OT) for SPD. We've been comparing notes and many things I tell her about Isaac remind her of her son when he was 3 and just being diagnosed. In reading and learning more about SPD and discussing with my husband, he is now starting to understand and believe there is more to it than Isaac just being a super active kid, or me just being a sensitive new mom. I believe my mom's intuition has been correct, and Isaac is struggling and needs my help now more than ever. I read that kids with SPD can often be trapped in a world of sensory overload or on the flip side - in a world where they can't get enough sensory stimulation and are frequently misunderstood or misdiagnosed as having ADD, hyperactivity, or just being a 'bad kid'.

So after many debates, discussions and convincing our Ped Dr that we needed a referral and from many discussions with our daycare - we are going tomorrow afternoon to have Isaac evaluated for SPD at an Occupational Therapists' practice that specializes in sensory issues.

I'm experiencing a range of emotions about all of this. I feel some sense of relief - that there may be help on the way for Isaac. I feel a bit of sadness that this may be something that Isaac has to deal with for the rest of his life. I am nervous that this may be the beginning of issues throughout his school years - as we try to advocate for Isaac and help him deal with teachers, social issues and self-confidence, and his academic success. I feel protective of Isaac, hoping this isn't going to be another thing to make him feel different than other kids. I want the best for my son - I want everything in the world for him - happiness, joy, laughter, love, success and peace. I don't want him to suffer in silence--unable to adequately communicate what he is going through - so I know we are doing the right thing.

I am praying for my son and praying that everything works out for him. I fear having to remove him from daycare (or their deciding to discontinue his enrollment there) and seek care from a private nanny or caregiver - I am not so sure that is the best option for Isaac for social reasons. I really hope to be able to keep working, for financial reasons and my own well-being. So if you are spiritual, please say a prayer for Isaac.

Thank you for listening.

Easy Canvas Prints: Giveaway Winner!!

2011-09-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all who entered and participated in the Easy Canvas Prints Giveaway!!

The giveaway closed at 11:59pm CST last night 9/6/2011. Using the Random Number generator at Random.Org - a winner was drawn this morning 9/7/2011.

The Lucky Reader who wins (1) 8x10 Canvas from Easy Canvas Prints is:

Comment #14 - Zoe Hunter Lee !!

I guess persistence pays off - Zoe Tweeted her heart out! Winner will be notified via email and has 48 hours to respond with shipping info to claim her prize.

A huge thank you to the folks at Easy Canvas Prints for sponsoring this giveaway! Please be sure to visit their website to check out how you can turn your life into art! It's a great time to start planning a beautiful canvas to give as a Christmas gift!

Light Up The Night: OXO Candela Glow Review

2011-09-05T15:05:00.002-05:00

When you have a sudden power outage - do you know where your flashlight or candles are? Does burning candles around small children and pets make you nervous? It makes me really nervous to burn candles with an overly active 3 year old, a big dog with a long powerful tail and now a rambunctious puppy. We've had several power outages over this past year - between sudden thunderstorms, to severe windstorms that destroyed trees, power lines and homes to the massive blizzard this past winter. I sure would've loved to have a rechargable light - instead of worrying over burning candles, and running out of flashlight batteries after 4 days of no power and finding the local hardware store wiped out of D-cells.

I am so glad to be a BzzAgent and be fortunate enough to be introduced to great products like OXO Candela Glow rechargeable lights. I wish I would've known about them when we had the Blizzard or this last power outage that lasted 3 days.

OXO Candela Glow lights are so cool. They stay glowing for a full 8 hours after being fully charged. They're portable, stay cool to the touch, safe around children and pets and safe to leave unattended. As soon as the power goes out - they illuminate right on the base so you can easily see them in the dark and enjoy their beautiful glow. They're great for indoor or outdoor use as well.

I received a set of 2 with the charging base to try, from BzzAgent. The directions say when you first receive them - charge for 14 hours. Next turn them on, and allow them to run down by themselves (says approx. 8 hours - mine stayed lit probably about 10 hrs!) and then to repeat this cycle once more and they're ready for use. They suggest to repeat this every 2 months to maximize battery life.

We love these lights! They give such a warm ambient glow to your space. We thought the amount of light was just right - not too bright, and not too dim. They go with any decor - they look perfect with our retro-modern style. We thought of all the ways you might want to use them:

Power Outages
Night Light for child
Guest Bathroom when overnight guests are visiting
Romantic Dinners
Low lighting for watching movies (scary movies included!)
Camping
Outdoors - dining or relaxing on the patio or front porch.
Relaxing lighting for bubble bath time (Please remember - do not use your Candela Glow near the tub to be safe!)
Ambient light as decor for a party
Meditation/Prayer time

You can buy OXO Candela Glow lights in sets of 2, 4, or 8. They also have demi glow (smaller sized candela) and childrens night lights. See all the Candela Products Here. You can buy them at OXO's website, at Amazon.com and some other retailers (Check stores selling OXO products HERE). The set of 2 retails for about $39.99. This may seem a bit pricey but for the quality, the fact that they are rechargeable and last 8 hours (or more, I have found) and can be used again and again - vs the cost of candles (as well as the risk!) and the cost of flashlight batteries and bulbs....it really isn't that much.

What ways would you use a Candela Glow rechargeable light?

Disclosure: I received a set of 2 OXO Candela Glow rechargeable lights to use and try in exchange for my honest opinion. We were not required to give a positive review and received no monetary compensation. I am a BzzAgent and with my membership often receive samples, products and coupons to share for my experience and opinions. You can become a BzzAgent too - by visiting www.bzzAgent.com

In Search of Healthy Snacks at Whole Foods Market - A Video Journey

2011-08-29T22:21:00.005-05:00

Can you believe it's back to school time again, already? Summertime always flies by way too fast! I'm sure many of you have been busy sending your little ones off to school, or packing up your older kids as they head off to college. This can be an exciting time of year and sometimes also a bit hectic and stressful. What we moms need are ways to make going back to school as easy and simple as possible.

Many moms are becoming more health conscious and like to offer their kids healthy alternatives for lunch and snacks. Sometimes this can be a real challenge in this world of fast food, and foods that are over-processed with too many chemicals. Whole Foods Market provides an array of organic, natural foods that can help moms send their kids back to school with confidence in what they're eating. They offer so many delicious healthy options for meals and snacks alike.

I went to our local Whole Foods Market, in search of some yummy snacks for Isaac that are handy and healthy. I like to make little snack bags to carry in the car and his backpack so that whether he needs something with his lunch or if we're on the go - he can always reach for something tasty and nutritious.

Come along with me on my recent trip to Whole Foods, in search of healthy snacks....Watch my video, which is featured on the Facebook Page for our local Whole Foods Market http://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodsMarketPalatine.

When you visit the Whole Foods Facebook Page on the "Back to School" Tab - Be sure to enter your email in the Weekly Special Sign-Up featured there - to be entered to win a $500 Whole Foods Gift Card!!

About the Whole Foods Market Store we Visited:
We found ample parking, a clean and well-lit store. Aisles are marked well and it was easy to find what we needed. We noticed many items on sale, a fabulous hot food bar, bakery and deli departments. They had miniature shopping carts for kids and staff was helpful and friendly. We are very impressed with the Whole Foods Palatine IL store!

More info on some of the snacks we found at Whole Foods & Featured in the video:

Annie's Organic Pretzel Bunnies - Certified organic, made with wheat flour - they're so delicious and cute!

Annie's Organic Spelt Pretzel Bunnies - Also cute & tasty with a blend of organic spelt & wheat flour for nutty flavor.

EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch Cereal - naturally sweet & crunchy. We like it for breakfast and to just eat dry as a snack!

Horizon Organic Colby Cheese Sticks - One of the best cheese sticks I've tasted. Wonderful texture and so flavorful. Love them!

Easy Canvas Prints - Review & GIVEAWAY {Giveaway Closed 9/6/11}

2011-08-27T21:04:00.001-05:00

Have you ever done a room makeover or decorated your home or office and then found yourself stuck when deciding on artwork for your walls? Have you ever taken a really great photo and wished you could have it blown up and printed so you could hang and display it? If so, you will want to check out Easy Canvas Prints.

At Easy Canvas Prints you can upload your own digital photograph and have it turned into ready to hang art for your wall. You can also choose from a huge gallery of stock images to create gallery-ready art for your home or office. How cool and easy is that? They offer so many finishing options, sizes and even retouching. The website is very easy to navigate, their Canvas Designer is super simple to use. It helps you check the quality of your photo, too, which is super helpful. Their pricing is reasonable and it appears that they offer some discounts as well.

I was given the opportunity to create an 8x10 canvas in exchange for reviewing their product. I chose a cute photo I snapped of our little guy sitting in a child's rocking chair on the porch at a southern restaurant we recently visited. It turned out so beautiful. I know his grandparents are going to beg for their own canvas photo of him. Check it out below. (You'll have to forgive me - I did block his face as I am not comfortable with showing full face photos of him online for safety/security reasons. I think you can still get a very good picture of this product and how great it turned out). Click To Enlarge the Photos

I chose to wrap the border and think it turned out beautiful. I love the canvas texture and the vivid color quality. I wanted to show you the side angle and the back to show how well it is wrapped around the frame, and that it comes ready to hang - complete with the sawtoothed hanger on the back. All you have to do is find the perfect spot and hang! I love my 8x10 canvas. I thought the entire process was super easy and fast. I really would recommend Easy Canvas Prints to anyone looking to create a beautiful piece of art for their home or to give as a gift!

GIVEAWAY
The folks at Easy Canvas Prints would like to give one lucky reader an 8x10 Canvas of their own! Here is your chance to win a customized work of art - designed by You - with your own photo of choice.

How To Enter
Each option below is a separate entry - Just leave a separate comment for each one that you have done. *** PLEASE PUT A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE BLOG POST FOR NOTIFICATION. Entries with no email address will be considered invalid.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Easycanvasprints.com and look around. Come back and leave a comment - Tell me what finishing options you like best. Also tell me about the favorite photo you would love to turn into a canvas - what's the story behind the photo?

EXTRA ENTRIES

Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect (Give your Google ID Name for verification)
Like Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/easycanvasprints
Follow Easy Canvas Prints on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/easycanvas
Tweet a link to this Giveaway & Include @Retrogirl66 in the tweet - You can do this 1x daily and leave a comment each time with link to tweet. (I verify these!)
Write a short blog post about this giveaway and link to this post. Give link to your post in comment.

Rules: Must be a resident of the Contiguous United States. Photos must meet Easy Canvas Prints' terms of service and not deemed inappropriate or copyrighted material (See Their FAQ Page).

Giveaway Ends at 11:59 PM - Tuesday Sept 6th 2011. Winners will be chosen by random drawing and notified by email and have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize!

Disclosure: I was given (1) 8x10 canvas in exchange for a review based upon my own honest opinion, which may differ from others. I did not receive any other compensation nor was I required to give a positive review. Information presented was obtained from viewing company's website.

Road Trip Weekend: Le Claire Iowa - Antique Archaelogy

2011-08-24T08:43:00.003-05:00

I love junk. I want to repurpose or reuse old junk and incorporate it into my world. I see beauty in old stuff that other people consider junk. A little wear and tear? That's ok. Dents, scratches, fading - that's alright too. Rusty junk? That's even better.

This summer I started my ~~Junk~~ Junque Garden...Garden of Junkin'...Just a little place where I could enjoy my junk and relax. No boys and no dogs allowed. Doesn't help that our new puppy Rocket can squeeze through the gate, and that Isaac lets himself in and out like he owns the place. Oh well. A gal can dream. Anyway, it's a work in progress. I'll eventually have all grass removed and it'll be just mulch and a butterfly garden and ornamental plants/grasses...oh and more junk of course. Below are some photos. Click to enlarge...

This past weekend my hubby surprised me with a short weekend excursion. He took me to lovely downtown Le Claire, Iowa. You're probably asking "Le Claire, Iowa? - of all places why Iowa?!" Well - If are a junker, or picker or a lover of old rusty things - chances are you too may be a fan of the show American Pickers on the History Channel. If not, you may not know that Le Claire, IA is home to Antique Archaeology - home base for Mike Wolfe's antique business and the show. You can read all about Mike's story here.

Le Claire, Iowa is a sleepy little Mississippi river town - the birthplace of Buffalo Bill. There are a few antique and artsy shops, a couple of riverboat cruises and the Buffalo Bill Museum along the main drag. Antique Archaelogy is on Davenport St. - which sits back on a side alley off that main street, Cody Road. We arrived about 11:00am on Saturday and found the crowd of fans growing. The shop itself is much smaller than it looks from TV. (Hey everything looks bigger on TV, right?)

Anyway, there seemed to be a few things for sale outside, as well as inside. But more than anything it appears that the store has sort of become staged mostly, for the parade of fans that come through. The main part of the store is basically show-merchandise-central, where they sell T-shirts, caps, gloves, posters, and a lot of other logo items. I figured we probably wouldn't see Mike or Frank, but hoped to perhaps see Danielle the store manager. No such luck. There were two other young gals working and very busy selling T-shirts, answering questions about the store and the show. I overheard one of them tell a fan that The Guys are on the road 90% of the year and rarely are in the shop.

Someone asked the dark-haired, tattooed gal if she was "the girl on the show" and she said no she wasn't (Sorry, but it was pretty obvious to me...perhaps it would to him if he really watched the show!). She did not elaborate on Danielle's whereabouts however. Another fan asked them if they would sign The Guys' names to a poster. One gal responded - "I don't sign their names well. She does though" and gestured to her co-worker. I was shocked and kind of disappointed that A) A fan would ask someone to forge a signature and B) That they'd actually consider doing it. Geez. Maybe this is the pitfall of putting their business on reality TV (one of the many).

Hubby bought a shirt. Disappointedly, I didn't buy anything. I had hopes of going and finding some rusty little trinket that they'd brought back from a pick or had in the shop but after being there about 20 minutes the store was literally like a can of sardines. There were so many people in the store and in the parking lot you couldn't move. They were all very pushy and some very rude. I don't know if the store gets this busy during the week - or only on Saturdays...I don't know how those gals can stand it. It's crazy. I don't see how they could sell anything other than Tshirts, posters and keychains.

I enjoyed exploring the shops along Cody Road in Le Claire that day. I was a little disappointed that I didn't wind up bringing home any rusty junk for my garden or office. However, I did score a few cool rings in an artsy store I found and my first Momiji doll - Poppet. I've been admiring Momiji from afar for awhile...now I'm starting a new collection. We had a good time and got away from home. So it wasn't a total loss.

Maybe I'll get lucky and be able to check out Mike's Nashville TN location sometime in the near future.

My Summer in Rewind...

2011-08-16T20:32:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone has been having a great summer! We sure have, between severe storms and power outages, crazy work schedules and getting that new puppy Rocket. I've been busier than a one-armed paper hanger!
Highlights of our summer:

Isaac turns 3 and moves to the 3s room at daycare/school.
I have my birthday and refuse to believe this new strange-sounding number that is supposedly my age! I demand a re-count!
Isaac sees his first movie-theater movie - Gnomeo & Juliet. A Movie Junkie is born.
We went to Legoland and see our first 4-D movie. Love the snow flakes!
Isaac learns to brush his teeth with big boy toothpaste
We get a new puppy, Rocket
We spend Saturdays wandering IL and WI - Junkin' and I build my junk garden

Mr. Hottie trades his car and gets a new bright blue Nissan Juke
Took Isaac to see Cars 2 and Rio - both in 3D. He wore the glasses in Rio but not in Cars...which surprised me.
Again - we have NO summer vacation.
We visit Canada (my in-laws) and take Isaac to Marineland and Niagara Falls on our super rushed 3 day "psuedo-vacation".
I had a minor car accident - no one is hurt. Guy I bump into inflates claim & sorta frauds my insurance company and gets away with it. (Jerk!)
We visit the Milwaukee Zoo
Isaac's new phrase "Trust Me...." (Uh Oh... a little politician in the making?)
Puppy loses first baby tooth.
Lucie dog has a mystery lump on her head and a cancer scare. Turns out it was nothing serious.

We go to Touch a Truck event. Later my friend at work takes Isaac to his fire station for a private tour and to 'drive' all the trucks - he is in absolute heaven!
Work going strong...my hours increase (but still no official full time or PTO). I rarely get a day off and still have no vacation.
Visited the Klehm Arboretum for a relaxing Saturday
Visited the Illinois Railway Museum
My niece found out she is pregnant and is having a boy! What a blessing!! A great way for someone we love to make use of so many toddler clothes/items we had from Isaac!

It's been a fairly fun, busy summer all in all. It has definitely flown by that's for sure. Sadly we have not had a chance to get back to Kentucky to visit friends or my beloved Lexington. We haven't had time to go into Chicago for a day - we missed the Korean Street Festival, and haven't hit the water parks this summer. Bummer! But it's not over yet - so more to come.

Review: Fiber One - 80 Calorie Cereal....& 10 Tips to Get Your Daily Fiber

2011-07-16T17:53:00.002-05:00

Thanks to General Mills and Pssst for sending us a full sized sample box of the new
Fiber One 80 Calorie Honey Squares cereal! This new cereal is only 80 calories per serving, and contains 40% of your daily value of fiber (a whopping 10 grams!) and it is delicious!

I found this new cereal to be crispy, sweet (but not too sweet) and tasty. A serving was filling and kept me from being hungry. I do have to be honest and blunt....10 grams of fiber was a bit much right off the bat. So I have started mixing a bit of this cereal with another cereal I like and the fiber level seems about right. Everyone is different, so others may not have a problem. I think it is awesome tasting though.

You can get Fiber One recipes by clicking---> HERE. General Mills has some tasty fun ways to use their products to help you and your family enjoy eating healthy. They also offer coupons from time to time---check HERE for them or visit Fiber One Facebook Page for fun, ideas and conversation!

If you want to check out the Pssst program at General Mills - click HERE. You too can get samples to try & review!

For the skinny on all the benefits of Fiber - read THIS and THIS. it affects heart health, cholesterol, digestive health and more! You will be amazed by what you read! If you are unsure about how to get more fiber in your diet, General Mills has 10 great ideas to help you.

10 Tips to Get your Daily Fiber - from Fiber One & General Mills
Most Americans are not getting the recommended 25 grams of fiber each day. With Fiber One cereal, it's easier than ever to increase your daily fiber intake. Try using these 10 simple tips to help reach your fiber goals.

1) Scan for Bran Look for “bran,” “whole grain” and “whole wheat” on product packages and ingredient labels. These ingredients can help boost fiber intake. ¾ cup Fiber One® 80 Calories = 10g fiber
2) Grab the Whole Food Munch on a whole piece of fruit in place of drinking a glass of juice. You’ll get the nutrients and the fiber too.
1 medium apple = 3g fiber

3) Savor the Skins
Eat fruit and vegetables with the skin on. Eating the skin helps to bump up the fiber, plus it provides texture and a bonus of other nutrients. 1 medium baked potato with skin on = 4g fiber

4) Screen for Beans Replace your typical side dishes with high-fiber dried peas and beans, such as kidney, pinto, lentils or black-eyed peas. These fiber-packed legumes make it easier to meet daily fiber goals. ½ cup canned red kidney beans = 8g fiber

5) Go Nuts Jazz up salads, vegetables, snacks and desserts with almonds, sunflower seeds or soy nuts. Nuts and seeds add fiber and fun-to-chew crunch to foods. 1 ounce roasted almonds = 3g fiber

6) Be Berry Wild Choose raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries to add variety to your cereals. These berries have twice the fiber of many other fruit selections. ½ cup fresh raspberries = 4g fiber

7) Bring on the Brown Use brown rice instead of white. Switch to whole wheat pasta, whole wheat flour, whole wheat breads and whole grain crackers instead of regular white versions. 1 cup brown rice = 3g fiber

8) Skip the Chips Select snacks that are a good source of fiber. Instead of potato chips, go for low-fat popcorn, whole-grain pretzels or oven-crisped whole-wheat pita triangles. 3 cups popcorn = 4g fiber

9) Drink Up Water is a healthy beverage choice—especially as you up the fiber. Your body needs more water to help process the added fiber you eat. Aim for eight 8-oz glasses of water each day.

10) Sneak in Some Fiber One cereal Incorporate Fiber One cereal into your favorite side dishes or use to top yogurt, salads or oatmeal. ¼ cup Fiber One Original cereal for sprinkling = 7g fiber

I received a complimentary full sized box of Fiber One 80 Calorie Cereal in exchange for an honest review/opinion. I received no monetary compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sesame Street - Write on/Wipe Off Workbook (Twin Sisters Productions)

2011-07-15T21:29:00.001-05:00

My son Isaac recently turned 3 years old. I can hardly believe how time has flown since we brought him home from Korea! He is SO smart - his teachers at daycare/preschool say he's advanced for his age group. I have always tried to feed his hunger and constant craving for new input, activities and learning by doing flash cards, reading together, going to hands-on childrens museums and other things.

Recently we've really gotten into Preschool and Pre-K prep workbooks. We keep a backpack with crayons, small cars, books, stickers, and these workbooks so that we have them anytime we're traveling, or waiting at a restaurant or visiting grandparents. He loves doing the activities together and is so proud of himself when he masters the exercises.

The only thing is - we've bought just about every workbook our dollar store and drug store have to offer. We go through them all and then save them awhile before finally having to purge.

Thanks to Twin Sisters Productions - we found a really fun and smart solution to running out of workbooks. They were gracious enough to let us try one of their new products - the Sesame Street Write-on/Wipe-off workbook for "Writing & Words" for ages 3+. What a great idea for kids who love to learn!

The book is 16 pages long and is laminated so your child can enjoy lots of fun and wipe off the page to play and learn again. It comes with a special dry erase marker that can be stored in a compartment on the front of the book, which makes it highly portable. You can even use crayons in this book!

The activities inside teach:

Beginning & Ending word sounds
Long & short vowel sounds
Consonants
Rhyming words
Writing common words
Tracing & learning to write letters
Counting
Colors

The adorable Sesame Street characters make it fun and attractive to children. There's Elmo, Cookie Monster, The Count, Big Bird and others. There are also picture icons on the pages to help make activity directions easy for young learners to follow and understand.

Isaac was so excited to sit down and work on the activities in this book. He really enjoys them, and is happy to wipe the pages with a paper towel and start again. I think the activities are easy enough that he can understand most of the basic concepts covered but challenging enough as he is beginning to write letters, and understand rhyming and patterns, and letter sounds. I think it is great prep for kindergarten. I also love this book because it is something we can do together. We can have that special one-on-one time to build our relationship, helps him build self confidence and pride, and work on his focus and ability to follow instructions. Plus it's just plain fun! Elmo on the cover was a huge draw - as soon as he saw the cover - he wanted to sit right down and work on his new book!

I love Twin Sisters Website. They offer so many great products for children. They specialize in children's educational music but offer so many other great products as well. There are speech exercise CDs, math skills CDs, books, giant floor puzzles, home-school products, and more. They even offer wellness & relaxation CDs for mom and babies! Their website is very user friendly. Their prices are very reasonable too. We have purchased some of their CD collections and love the kids music. We also have their "5 Little Bunnies" Board Book & CD, which Isaac loves. Our daycare center even has several of their CD collections. The kids really enjoy the fun happy songs, and never seem to outgrow or tire of them.

I really recommend you check out Twin Sisters Productions website. They have great products that you and your child will love. Their products would make great gifts for birthdays, Christmas or even baby showers.

You can also check Twin Sisters out online at:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/twinsistersprod
Facebook www.facebook.com/twinsisters

Thanks Twin Sisters for allowing us to check out this awesome product!

I received a complimentary copy of this book to try with my child in exchange for an honest review/opinion. I received no monetary compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Parents Magazine - Subscription Deal - 1 year for $4 !!!

2011-07-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the folks at Purex and Parents Magazine - I have been provided with an awesome deal for my readers. Hurry! Get a 1-Year subscription to Parents Magazine for only $4 - Yes you read that right!! A whole year for FOUR DOLLARS!

Parents Magazine is an award winning magazine - Chock full of parenting advice, solutions, fun family stuff, recipes, funny stories, nutrition, the latest baby/kid product info...A must have for both new and experienced parents alike - Moms and Dadsboth ! My son even loves browsing the book to enjoy the photos of kids, and toys.

Please link to this post - Share with all your parent-friends, teachers, daycare providers, etc. Please Tweet, post to Facebook, any/all of your favorite social media sites!

To get this deal - you must visit this website link - and enter the code below:

URL: https://www.purex.com/parents-promo

DISCOUNT CODE: PX0481

This offer ends Midnight PST on July 22, 2011.

I received this code to share with my readers by being a member of PurexInsiders for bloggers. I will be entered in a drawing for a gift card by sharing this information with my readers.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T20:35:00.000-05:00

Ahhh Summer!

Exclusive Savings - Motts for Tots!

2011-07-06T20:25:00.001-05:00

If your little ones are like mine, they love apple juice but like me, you probably don't like filling them with sugar. Well, there is now a healthier alternative from the good folks at Mott's!

Mott's for Tots comes in five yummy flavors: Apple, Apple White Grape, NEW Immune Support Fruit Punch, NEW Bone Health Grape, and NEW Mixed Berry! Mott's has 40% less sugar than 100% apple juice and features include:

Delicious taste!
No artificial sweeteners
100% vitamin C
Conveniently pre-diluted with purified water
Available in 64 oz. multi-serve bottles or 6.75 oz. 8-pack juice boxes

Thanks to the folks at VocalPoint - you can get exclusive samples and savings by clicking this link: www.vocalpoint.com/mottsfortots (Please note - 1 sample per household)

HURRY - This offer is good until Friday 7/8/2011. Please share this with all your mom friends!

I received no compensation or award in exchange for this post. I am a member of VocalPoint and receive free samples periodically as well as information about exclusive savings and new products.

Another Adoption....

2011-06-30T08:24:00.000-05:00

I know, I know - it's been For-Ev-Er since I've blogged regularly. Life has just gotten...in the way. Been working so hard at my new position as a healthcare recruiter...trying to squeeze 40+ hours worth of work into 30 hours has been tough.

I can hardly believe my precious baby turned 3 years old on June 15th!!! Yes - can you believe it? Seems like just yesterday we were anxiously awaiting the call to fly to S. Korea, and here he is 3 years old. Time flies too fast! He's doing great, just moved up to the 3's room at his dayschool. He's quite a talker, has a fun sense of humor and loves cars, trains, water and animals.

I have been getting baby envy again lately....my friend who works remotely for my company brings her little baby girl in when she comes to the office for WeightWatchers at work each week, and I love playing with her. She's so adorable!! I'd love to have a daughter still, but unfortunately South Korea will not allow us to adopt there again - simply because I am 3 years older than their maximum age allowed for adoptive parents. Despite that we already passed a year long inquisition and successfully adopted a precious Korean boy, are financially sound, and healthy. I will never understand the political bullshit behind these stupid laws. You'd think they would want a Korean adoptee child to have a sibling of their same ethnicity/culture. Oh well....

When browsing the internet last week, I came across a picture that melted my heart. A 3 month old baby boy, waiting for a forever family. When I saw the picture, and the family resemblance, I was hooked - a total sucker. I had to meet this little guy. So this past Saturday we went to meet him and became his forever family! His name is Rocket.

He looks just like Big Lucie!! See the resemblance? See below:

At first Lucie didn't know what to make of him....She growled a few times. But over the last few days, she has really warmed up to him. She even let him have one of her toys, a ratty raccoon un-stuffed-animal toy. Now, they love herding each other and chasing each other through our big back yard. Isaac loves Rocket - says it is "my puppy only, mommy!". (Yeah ol' mom will remember that when she's up letting the puppy out in the middle of the night and cleaning up after him LOL)

I've been calling them Big & little .... or Thing 1 and Thing 2....heheh!

The other cool thing this summer, so far, is that my hubby is helping me build a little private garden area on the side of the house. He got some iron fencing to close it off, and we're slowly digging away the grass to make it all mulch. Then I'm going to plant hostas, ferns, and shade plants on the shady side, and plant butterfly attracting perennials on the other. I found a great peeling/rusty old 50's-ish metal garden chair as my inspiration. I'm gonna fill it with old rusty garden junque and lots of plants, maybe a little water feature and make it my little place to hide out and chill.

I've also turned my little covered porch into a cute little outdoor room, with a great outdoor rug, metal glider, chair, and garden-y decor...will have to post pictures soon of this and the garden when it gets done or closer to done.

The Melancholoy of Change...

2011-06-04T08:29:00.002-05:00

The Melancholy of Change: An Early Morning Revelation....

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to the one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France

I saw these words on Facebook this morning, and had to copy this quote posted by a friend, Michelle ....It blew me away. Really made me think...and I just had to put my thoughts into writing.

I read these words and realized this is SO true... and you don't realize it until after you've gone through a major change in life and are coming out of the other side of it.

You don't realize during the journey, or the process of growing, adapting and 'becoming', that it is a actually a grieving process--A dying to self...losing the old life or old You, or the comfortable old situation/environment you'd grown used to. During the process, you may think it is stress or maybe even depression you are experiencing. You may even feel anger, resentment, fear, or maybeyou feel none of these emotions. Maybe you just feel lost. Maybe you can't put a finger on or a name to any of your emotions. And you may not have a clue that you are grieving.

Others around you also may not recognize or understand --that even if your life change is a happy or positive one--that it IS still a grieving process you are going through. This can leave you feeling utterly alone, without support as you move through the phases of your journey or metamorphosis. The tough part is recognizing the melancholy for what it is, and that it is just part of the shedding/changing/growing process...and making the effort to reach out to effective support. This can be so hard to do. Especially if you don't even see the signs, or fully recognize it yourself.

While your journey has its ups and downs, it is fully worth it. As you emerge on the other end of the path, you may have an epiphany or finally be able to put your thoughts, feelings and experiences in perspective. But you will emerge stronger, having learned so much about yourself, and ultimately happier if you take from this process all of the positive, happy, good things...and finally give praise for the many blessings the journey has given you.

A journey of change can be tough. Especially when it is MAJOR. When it is bigger than you or anything you've ever seen or gone through...but you can do it. And you will. And life goes on....and on.

This quote brought to mind those experiencing Post Adoption Depression or Blues, and Post Partum Depression or even the pain of infertility...but these profound words spoken by Anatole France can be applicable also to anyone who has experienced something like divorce, death of a loved one... loss of a job, a friend, moving to a new state, or even graduating college.

Funny thing is....some people experience a couple of those things in their lifetime. However, Me? In the span of about 10 years - I experienced just about all of them! What a journey! But it is part of my life book...each one another chapter, each one another phase of change, joy, loss, and renewal...even reinvention maybe. But I finally realize the grieving process I've been through...now it is time to emerge. And FLY.....

I am a woman who moved 100 miles from home, married young, later graduated college at age 32, divorced from a 15 year marriage, survived the deaths of my grandmother and a few friends, the loss of two beloved dogs, then remarried...moved another 500 miles away, became a first-time mom through international adoption at age 42 and had a total 360* career change. Whew! What a wild ride it has been!

Here, Home, Hope - A story of Challenges, Changes & Inspiration. (Book Review)

2011-06-03T22:00:00.001-05:00

This book couldn't have arrived at a better time for me. I have really been feeling kind of overwhelmed lately as a working mom--sort of feeling lost and in a rut. This book was a breath of fresh air and a great kick off to summer reading for me. As a member of the One2OneNetwork I was fortunate to receive a complimentary review copy of Here, Home, Hope - by Kaira Rouda.

The main character, Kelly Johnson, is a 39 year old stay-at-home-mom and former PR professional who finds herself restless and in a rut. Married to a successful lawyer, mom to 2 teen boys and living in "Uppityville" as she calls it, she starts to feel like there might be more to life...something more she should be, or should be doing. She realizes she envies the seemingly successful perfect lives of her two friends, and makes a decision that she needs to stop feeling sorry for herself and make some major changes in her life. She begins with her "Things To Change" (T2C) List , using Post-it notes to record the changes she feels she needs to make to reach her goals.

Kelly's summer takes her through situations such as reaching out to the troubled anorexic teen daughter of her friend Kathryn, reconnecting with old friends and realizing they aren't so perfect as she copes with their infidelities, and her friends' loss through divorce, job loss and death. All the while she is also on a journey to self discovery and ultimately embarking upon a new career and owning her own business. Sounds like a lot to go through in just one summer, huh?

I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed Kelly's character, and how she uses humor to cope and navigate through life. The book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with Kelly and the people in her life. It is a story of self discovery, women in crisis, friendship, family, and how a couple can remain strong and connected even when the marriages of their friends are falling apart all around them.

I also loved Kelly's list of "T2C" (Things to Change). A list of all of the T2C are in the back of the book for reference. I found a snippet from Kaira Rouda's Blog where she talks about Here, Home, Hope and the T2C List - She says 5 common components of reinventing yourself are:

1. Resilience. Stick to it. Go for it. Overcome the hurdles.
2. Flexibility. Go with the flow. Open up to change. Do one thing everyday that scares you.
3. Creativity. Find your passions. Ignite them. Creativity is intelligence having fun.
4. Put the Real You in your life. Be self focused for a change. If you aren’t happy, no one you love is happy.
5. Purpose. Have a higher calling. Give back. Lift someone else up and you lift yourself.

There were a few familiar references in the book from Ohio that I recognized. It seems Kaira Rouda spent most of her married life in Columbus Ohio. I grew up in Cincinnati Ohio...This made a connection for me, that added to my enjoyment of this book. I read that Kaira and family recently relocated to live on the beach in California. Now that's one T2C (Thing to Change) that I'd love to make! That has always been my dream, but with a snow-loving Canadian husband, doubt will ever become a reality. (Bummer!) Oh well, there's always vacation!

Kaira has recently been traveling, promoting Here, Home, Hope. You can find out about book signings HERE. Check out the book trailer video here. You can buy the book at These Places, connect with Kaira Rouda on Twitter or on Facebook.

My overall rating: Fabulous. Loved it. Great summer reading. Couldn't put it down. Would love to see this become a movie...Can't wait for more novels from Kaira Rouda!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from One2OneNetwork in exchange for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are my own, and others may have differening ideas/opinions/results. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Fab Vintage Finds...

2011-04-30T17:32:00.001-05:00

I love Saturdays where we do a little retro-vintage wandering. Had a chili-dog lunch at a nearby retro drive-in restaurant, and then visited a few antique shops.

I was looking for a few more odds-n-ends for my cubicle at work, which I've started decorating with a retro theme. I've got framed vintage magazine ads, a 50's inspired bubble lamp, and some smart Anne Taintor-style retro prints I made myself, using some cutouts from a few of my 1950's Woman's Day maganzines. (I'll have to post some pics of my cubicle soon...)

I didn't find anything for my cubicle today, however I did find a really fab little metal shelf for my kitchen. I've been wanting to add a few more vintage items to the kitchen (so I can junk up the house some more, according to Mr. Hottie). I've got it sitting on my 50's cracked-ice formica cabinet for now. It can be hung on the wall and actually has 2 hooks on the underside for pot holders.

I bought a few vintage spice containers and one reproduction (aka fake made in China...can you tell which one it is? Upper Left....) because I thought it was cute. I threw some of my mom's old cookie cutters on it for now...until I find something else I want to put on it.

Print on upper left is a Kerry Beary - my fave Artist!

I need to find a way to display my vintage aprons...I have several. I have heard of others sewing them together or pinning and using as a kitchen window valance. Not sure if I want to go that route. Any ideas for vintage aprons, ladies? Would love to see some links to pictures showing vintage apron collections and how they're displayed if anyone out there has them or has seen them.

Would also love to see a photo of your recent vintage finds...or how you display your collection of your fave things - share a link!

Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living (Review)

2011-04-08T17:53:00.001-05:00

Full Title: Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living - Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it. Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

I was given a chance to preview a copy of this E-book, and read Chapter 20 - "Meal Planning - Not Just For the Control Freaks". This is a book by Heather Solos, author of the blog Home-Ec 101: Skills For Everyday Living

Chapter 20 - 'Meal Planning' gives common sense ideas and tips for those who are not used to planning out meals, cooking, or making grocery lists. Heather instructs the reader to clean off their tables and counters and ease into it - to worry about the nutrition side of it later, until you get the hang of making a simple basic meal plan. Then you can start working on more nutritional choices.

The author gives 3 weeks worth of helpful meal ideas, and even a couple of recipes in this chapter. Heather advises to cook in batches so that you'll have extra food to work into other dinners, to do Planned-Overs (planned left overs) to make your weekly meal planning easier and faster. She even suggests a weekly template or plan such as Taco Tuesdays, Soup & Sandwich Saturdays, Pasta Night to make it easier - you just choose a variety of dishes and sides that fit into the categorgies to keep it fresh and avoid a rut. Heather also reminds us that adding more color to your meals will mean you're getting more vegetables and eating healthier!

Most of what she offers in this chapter is pretty basic, is common sense and things that many of us already know but sometimes due to our busy lives just don't think about. This chapter puts it in perspective and is a quick easy informative read, with a dash of humor to make it fun.

I think this book would be great for younger moms or wives who are new at managing a household and family, the college set - new to living on their own, and also very busy families who are trying to get a little order and organization into their lives.

Love the fun, funky retro inspired graphics on the cover and in the pages - it adds to the fun, quirky sort of no-nonsense conversational-style of Heather's writing. Definitely worth a read. I was not familiar with her blog before hearing about this book - something to definitely check out! I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book and more of her blog! Wish the blog had the same colorful retro theme as the book's graphics - it really adds to the overall appeal of the book!

(I received a complimentary E-Copy of Chapter 20 of this book from One-2-One Network in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated or asked/required to write a positive review or promotion. This is solely my opinion.)

Family Day - 2 Years!

2011-04-06T22:20:00.000-05:00

We celebrated our Family Day this past weekend. Hard to believe that it has been 2 whole years since we traveled to S. Korea to meet our precious son, and bring him home to Chicago to start our family.

Our significant dates:
March 31 - the day we met our son in person for the first time.
April 3 - the day we took custody of him in Seoul.
April 4 - the day we arrived back in Chicago, and crossed through immigration with our son and started our new lives as a family.

Last year our first Family Day fell on Easter weekend, so we celebrated our first family day with my family in Cincinnati, with an Easter egg hunt, Korean and American food and lots of love and laughter.

This year, we celebrated by taking our little guy to the Legoland discovery center. We saw a 4-D movie, enjoyed a dragon boat ride, a miniature Chicago made entirely of Legos, and lots of other fun stuff. We had lunch and just enjoyed each others' company. Our little guy had a great time. Took a few photos - but haven't had time to download them from hubby's camera.

Hard to believe it's been 2 whole years already, and that my son will be 3 yrs old in June. Hard to believe the child who came to the USA at 10 months old never having heard English is now the most advanced talker and one of the smartest kids in his daycare class, according to the director. He is healthy, happy and thriving. We are so blessed to have him as our son. This is a very sentimental time of year for me. A time that I reflect and pray for Isaac's birth parents, his foster family and for all of the waiting adoptive families and waiting children.

We are really looking forward to Easter, and visiting my family again. Can't wait to see the joy and wonder in Isaac's eyes as he hunts for eggs with his Papaw, and to see my family's surprise over how much he's grown and talks since they all last saw him at Christmas.

Can't wait to celebrate his 3rd birthday in June...and the other little joys, triumphs, milestones and things that come with being Isaac's family. We are truly, truly blessed!

My Test Spot Results: IPL Treatment for Melasma {*Updated 5/10/11}

2011-04-06T21:15:00.003-05:00

About 2 months ago I had a test spot of IPL (Intense Pulse Light or Fotofacial treatment ) done on my face to see if it would help my Melasma (facial spots caused by sun damage, hormones/birth control pills or pregnancy). I have been meaning to post an update with my results but have been so busy working double shifts at work lately - I've been unable to keep up with my blog as much as I'd like. One reader, Tara, recently commented, asking for an update - so here it is.

The doc gave me a free, small sample spot treatment on my face near the temple. He told me that the spot would be scaly and sore the first night, then the spot would shed the skin (like a light scab coming off) and that it would be okay to wear makeup over it the next day. The spot reacted just as he said. It stung for about the first 24 hours and the surface skin peeled and flaked off - just like a sunburn would. Doc had said that in about 30 days, the spot would get lighter.

Well, after 30 days I went back to the Doc for a follow up. The spot had not really lightened in my opinion. The spot just seemed to change shade. It went from being a brownish color to now being a slightly paler reddish shade. It is still clearly visible on the skin. I can hide it with make up (Corrector, Concealer and Dermablend Foundation) but it is reddish and still there.

I voiced my concern to the doc that if they did large areas of my face to get rid of all the spots/discoloration, it would just turn to red spots and still be there or look worse. He was very adamant that he felt IPL would work for me - that I'd probably need 2 treatments and the 2nd treatment would lift the rest of the pigmentation substantially. He also insisted that this test spot would further lighten in the next month or so as long as I continue to use 100 SPF facial sunscreen (which I have been using). I told him I was reluctant to spend $500-$600 per full face treatment (x2 = almost $1200 that insurance won't cover) to risk having rose colored spots all over my face instead of brown. I was very skeptical. He continued to insist that it would work...but that if I was not ready to do it now in early spring, he recommends waiting till the fall. He doesn't recommend doing IPL in summer months, due to sun exposure. He said we'd do one full face treatment, let it heal a month and then do a 2nd one, and within 2 months of the 2nd treatment my facial skin would be significantly lighter, brighter, clearer and free of melasma. Hmmm.

Well, it has now been 2 months. I have been limiting exposure and using 100 SPF facial sunscreen and I have seen no further improvement or lightening. The Doc did not offer a 2nd treatment on the test spot to prove a point...and I am wishing now that he would have, just so I know for sure. The thought of going through all of this -- the pain of zapping most of my face with IPL, the redness and puffiness during the recovery time and going out in public like that -- and thinking it may be all in vain - if the spots just become red like rosacea or scarring - makes me think Hell No! But then part of me is so curious about the 2nd treatment - if the Doc is right, it would be worth it to say goodbye to the layers of expensive makeup and humiliation of Melasma.....

I have to take my little boy to this Doc to have him look at a facial scar - I'm going to ask him for a 2nd free spot treatment on the test spot...and see what happens...Stay Tuned....

*********** UPDATE*********
May 10, 2011: Another month has gone by, and this test spot still looks the same -- instead of the original light tan/brown - the spot is still visible, and reddish in color. I've even been putting some lightening cream on it, with the rest of my Melasma spots, and I've seen no change whatsoever. I never have gone back to this doctor to investigate it further as he said I'd have to wait until fall to do anything. I am convinced I would need at LEAST 2 treatments (if not more) based upon the test spot results--but fear what if I paid for 2 or 3 treatments and was still left with red spots/scars on my face? Not sure. I need more evidence of results....I am still torn.

Drowning...Sending out an SOS!

2011-03-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

I'm barely keeping my head above water these days. How do you seasoned working-blogging-moms do it?! -- work, clean, do laundry, menu-plan, shop, cook, blog, raise children, have a hobby/interest, workout, keep your relationship w/hubby alive, and keep your sanity? What are your tricks/tips? Would someone please tell me, because I'm drowning here.

Do you get up at 4am every day and stay up until midnight?! I am not a morning person. The earliest I can get up is 5:45am to roll into the shower, barely coherent and cranky most days. I get myself ready and we're out the door by 7am, unless hubby is taking little guy to daycare, and then I get a few minutes extra to myself and leave at 7:30am for work.

I am not a night owl either, as I once was. Especially lately. My part-time job has turned into full-time for the last month or so since we've been short staffed...and I'm actually doing 3 jobs. (4 if you count training 2 new staff members!) My work day is super stressful and by the time we get home, rush through dinner, bath/bedtime etc...I'm falling asleep on the couch by 9pm many nights. I am just drained, physically, mentally and emotionally. After dealing with email that is rolling/beeping like a slot machine all day, and hearing "could you, would you, can you, did you" all day - the last thing I have energy for is blogging...or cleaning...or anything

I do laundry several times a week in the evenings, but my once OCD-clean house is now just sorta clean. (it's killing me too!). Thankfully my hubby cooks, as he often winds up cooking several meals per week.

I haven't been able to work out lately, but have lost 8.8 lbs with Weight Watchers Points Plus program in 5 weeks. I've been foods I like but in moderation, and eating more fruits/veggies and whole grains and making healthier substitutions. I'm struggling to adjust to their new program, which is more carb-restrictive, but I'm getting there.

It takes me 2 months to read a book lately. We use a credit card to pay for everything and just pay it off in full every month to save from constantly writing multiple checks for all our monthly bills. Saves so much time and we are earning travel/hotel miles by doing it.

I still am struggling with the blues now and then which I believe is a combination of hormones/perimenopause and post-adoption blues and being so overwhelmed by work, motherhood, stress, and the fact that I hate living in Chicagoland. (Factor in a hubby who travels quite often, too) It will be 2 years on April 4th since I became a mom. It has been two of the happiest years of my life but it has been two of the hardest years of my life, honestly.

Anyway....my point, and yes I did have one, lol - was that I've been treading water and lately I'm drowning, and I need a rope! I feel like my life is a speeding crazy train, gone out of control, and I'm powerless to slow it down or stop it. Anyone out there that can provide any advice, support or at least commiserate?!

Confession Time....

2011-02-20T13:10:00.004-06:00

Confession Time....

I recently had ~~to kick my own butt~~ a comin-to-Jesus-meetin' with myself. Yup, it was time. Since Isaac came home, I have completely fallen off my healthy eating plan, and in the last 9 months since I started working again, I stopped working out. I've been so busy trying to balance everything, I sorta forgot the commitment I made to myself to become and STAY healthy. Confession - I've put back on about 25 of the 40 lbs I lost during the adoption process...Not Good! Went back up a size in jeans. EVEN WORSE!

So hubby and I joined the WeightWatchers At Work program through my office. I am so thankful that my company is allowing him to be a part of our program! It's great - we have the cost deducted automatically from my paycheck, and my company will reimburse 50% of the cost to me, once we complete the 13 weeks for which we signed up. EVEN BETTER - Hubby's benefits will reimburse 50% also...so if we stick with it, it'll pay for itself!! NO EXCUSES!

I have also started to work out in the company gym at work. It's small but we have 2 treadmills, 2 elipticals, 2 spin bikes, full weights, yoga mats, balls, DVD and satellite tv. Even better---when I get off work at 2:30pm - I'm the only one in there!

Another confession....We also bought The Michael Jackson Experience Wii Game. This is such a freaking blast - and it is a great workout! I kicked hubby's butt at it the other nite! We had so much fun Friday night dancing like fools in our living room. It was like doing an hour of intense cardio, but it was a lot of fun and went by so fast! I also have Wii Fit plus...and am planning on ~~dusting it off and actually~~ using it more.

Weight Watchers new plan - Points Plus - is totally new. We've heard people are really losing more weight and keeping it off than with the old plan. We are trying to re-learn everything we know about healthy eating, and how we can eat the most healthy but delicious food we can for the points we have. Almost all fruits and veggies are 0 points now, and carbs have gone up in points...so we're reaching for a lot healthier snacks these days!

Wednesdays are our meeting/weigh-in days. Can't wait to see how I've done this week. I am also setting a goal--when I get to 10lbs lost, I'm getting a pedicure!

Lots going on at work....the new gal I trained has decided to quit, after 1 month. May not be a total loss in the end due to her attitude issues -- but SO aggravating and will turn my worklife upside down for awhile....bummer!--Now I have to help interview and hire her replacement. Then I will have to help hire a replacement for myself...I am getting a promotion from HR assistant to Recruiter! I am looking forward to that because part of my job now is playing receptionist, although 90% of my day is doingHR...but I'll get off the phones and away from the day-long interruptions and into my own office! Praying the stress of the transition period doesn't kill me and that I don't give in to emotional eating! (Workout=Stressbuster! Must remember!)

What goals or transitions are you working on? What are your tips for managing stress or transition? Balancing healthy eating, working out, parenting and raising kids? Any tips or ideas you can share?

Winner of The Five Bunnies Book/CD Giveaway!

2011-02-14T20:14:00.000-06:00

A big thank you to all who entered, for following and tweeting in my Five Little Bunnies Book & CD Giveaway !

A random winner was drawn for the using Random.org, as shown below:

Commenter #5 - Mama Natty is the winner! Congratulations!!

As always - winner has been notified via email and has 48 hrs to respond to claim their prize....or another random winner will be selected!

A big thank you to TwinSistersProductions for sponsoring this giveaway!

Melasma & IPL Fotofacial Treatments - Worth the Pain, Cost & Risks??

2011-02-09T22:07:00.000-06:00

Melasma sucks. It is difficult to treat, it is unsightly, frustrating and just plain embarrassing to those of us who suffer from it.

Not my face/photo - photo from webmd.com

What is Melasma? It is brown and grayish-brown spots on the skin, most often on the face and arms. It can also include hyperpigmentation (lighter spots). It is often referred to as the 'mask of pregnancy' because many women get it after being pregnant. The main causes are pregnancy, hormones or hormone therapy, birth control pills, and medications which make the skin photosensitive to sunlight. Read more about it at the American Academy of Dermatology website.

Many women spend hundreds of dollars to battle Melasma, only to never really see significant results, as it is so difficult to treat. Exposure to the sun worsens melasma, and using creams to treat it makes the skin even more vulnerable, increasing the need to use sunscreen and shield the skin from sunlight. Some creams temporarily lighten skin but spots eventually return, maybe even darker or grayer. Certain cosmetics like Dermablend can help cover it fairly well, but aren't cheap and can look too heavy. It's a viscious circle and many women end up very frustrated. Some sources recommend hydroquinone creams but other sources report that it has dangerous effects on the liver, thyroid, adrenal glands and could contribute to lukemia. Some doctors recommend IPL (Intense Pulse Light or Fotofacial) treatment or Fraxel Laser treatment while other reports I've seen say results are temporary or may make melasma worse.

I have been fighting melasma for about 10 years. I've never been pregnant; my melasma was caused solely by birth control pills taken to combat endometreosis and sun exposure. It has grown significantly worse in the last 3 years. I have tan and brown spots and patches on both cheeks and I cannot seem to get rid of it. I have lightened it somewhat over the years with expensive hydroquinone creams but it has always returned. I sampled TriLuma and the spots grew darker. So, I started using expensive Meladerm for the past 3 months, and have seen only very minor improvement. Additionally I have been wearing 110 SPF facial sunscreen every single day, applying it liberally on my face neck and decollatage area. I feel like the sunscreen is protecting my face and prevents new damage - but the old/existing spots remain. It is quite distressing and humiliating. I am so self conscious of it, I refuse to leave the house without full makeup which covers it pretty well. I am so tired of this. I miss the beautiful skin I had when I was young and would love to wear a lot less makeup.

When I went to my dermatologist yesterday for my annual skin cancer check up, he recommended the IPL treatment for my melasma. He said that it would probably take 2 treatments, for a total cost of about $600 and that it should significantly lighten my spots. Doc explained the skin would be tender for a couple days, would look slightly darker after IPL treatment but would flake and peel naturally, and in a month the newer healthy skin would emerge and be lighter and brighter. He said there is a small percentage of patients who experience their spots actually darkening, and some who saw no improvement, but this number was very small. He felt it was a good option for me. He offered me the chance to get a free test spot done, so we could see how my skin reacted. Eager to try something that might work, I agreed. So, his laser technician used the IPL to do a small spot on my face on my upper right cheek. It felt like a small electric zap or maybe about as painful as the first bite of a tattoo needle. But it lasted only a few seconds. The spot is a bit smaller than a pea, and was a tiny bit sore that evening. This morning I washed my face, and lightly scratched at the area with my fingernail. A tiny bit of brown skin came off, revealing a slightly red patch underneath. I avoided putting my Meladerm lightening cream on this area, but still used it on the rest of my face, as well as my 110 SPF cream and makeup. The IPL treated spot has felt fine since, and does look slightly darker than before. They took a macro-close up shot with a digital camera so we can compare to my face for results when I come back in 30 days for follow-up.

I did not research IPL treatment before agreeing to the test spot. I decided to search online tonight for information and results. I was shocked to see a few websites where some doctors cautioned that IPL was not an effective treatment for melasma, and it could make it much worse. I found others that claimed it was effective or might provide positive results. The more I read, the more confused I am. I am not sure if those who promote it just want to sell a service for profit or if they truly have had good, safe results in their patients. I am thankful that I only had a tiny spot done and hope in 30 days I will like the way it looks. For now, I am not making any decisions about proceeding with further treatment just yet.

Do you have Melasma? Tell me your story.

If you have had IPL treatment for moderate melasma, I would love to hear your story, and your results. I wish I could hear from an experienced practitioner who has been using IPL on melasma patients and hear what your honest, actual results have been and whether you recommend it. There are so many opposing views, it is hard to know what to believe.

Five Little Bunnies - Board book & CD Review & Giveaway {Closed 2/13/11}

2011-02-06T20:48:00.004-06:00

2011 is the year of the Rabbit - Happy Lunar New Year friends! (Read more about this Korean holiday at Discovering Korea ) 새해 복 많이 받으세요. If you're a returning reader of my blog, you know that we adopted our precious son Isaac from South Korea in 2008.

What perfect timing, in the year of the rabbit, for us to receive a review copy of the board book & CD set - Five Little Bunnies from Twin Sisters Productions. Isaac loves story time and loves listening to music so we were very excited to check out this really cute die-cut board book and the accompanying CD.

The book is short and simple with adorable illustrations about 5 furry little bunnies at play. It is a fun, easy read and encourages children to count 1 to 5. The CD has 20 tracks - a recorded version of the story in the book plus 19 songs of both newer and classic children's songs, sung by Kim and Karen - the Twin Sisters. The run-time of the CD is 32:20 - great for car trips, or for playtime at home. The set is meant for ages 0-6 and retails for $9.99

Isaac really enjoys story time with this book. After reading it a few times, he has almost memorized the words and can say it with us. I will admit, however, he is fairly advanced and can count to 20 already but still enjoys counting the bunnies just the same. We've been reading this book almost daily! This is a very nice sturdy board book that has stood up to much love and lots of drool already lol.

We already own the Twin Sisters 50 Toddler Songs 2 CD set, which he loves, so I was happy when I realized Five Bunnies was from the same folks and Isaac was tickled when he heard the familiar singing voices on the CD. He really likes listening to the story with the book in hand. The songs are upbeat, fun, happy songs that are easy to memorize and sing along. They're great for playing in the background while you play with your child, or host a playdate, or playing in the car--all of which Isaac enjoys. We really think your child would enjoy this book and CD set as well. This would make a great gift - especially with Easter coming soon!

You can purchase this book or many other fun, educational books, music, puzzles and more at Twin Sisters Productions website. Right now - my readers can get 30% off purchases at their website, good through March 31, 2011 by using promo code: FIVEBUNNY

A little bit about Twin Sisters Productions:
For over 23 years, Twin Sisters Productions has been dedicated to producing quality educational and inspirational music resources for children, families, and educators. Founded by fraternal twins, Karen Mitzo Hilderbrand, and Kim Mitzo Thompson, Twin Sisters Productions has continued to expand its product line to include CDs, read and sing-along books, floor puzzles and educational workbooks, all with the purpose of learning through music. These products have received over 160 awards for educational excellence and creativity as well as classroom and family fun, thus reflecting Twin Sisters Productions’ commitment to producing educational audio of the highest quality and value. These awards include nine RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) certified Gold albums and one Platinum album. With thousands of songs that teach and over 26 million albums sold, Twin Sisters Productions positions itself as the leader in children’s educational music.

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a Five Little Bunnies board book & CD Set from Twin Sisters Productions.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Twin Sisters Website and browse the online catalog. Leave a comment, with your email address, telling me what product you think your child would enjoy most.

Additional Entries - Please leave a separate comment for each & include your email address in the comment and For Twitter Entries -- Also give your Twitter ID so follow can be verified.

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Retrogirl66
Follow Twin Sisters on Twitter: http://twitter.com/twinsistersprod
Like Twin Sisters on Facebook: www.facebook.com/twinsisters
Tweet a link to this Giveaway & Include @Retrogirl66 in the tweet - You can do this 1x daily and leave a comment with link to tweet.
Write a short blog post about this giveaway and link to this post.

Giveaway Open to US Residents ONLY, please. Give away ends at 11:58pm CST Sunday February 13, 2011. Winner will be picked by random drawing using Random.org and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond with U.S. Mailing address to claim prize or otherwise a new winner will be drawn.

I received a complimentary copy of this book & CD to try with my child in exchange for an honest review/opinion. I received no monetary compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sneak Preview of Super Bowl XLV Chevy Ads!

2011-02-06T08:49:00.000-06:00

Chevy has some really cool Super Bowl ads! As a BzzAgent I have been given an exclusive preview of their really cool commercials. Whether you're a Steelers or a Packers fan, like Football or the Super Bowl at all - you know you love the Super Bowl commercials. Everybody looks forward to them and shares them with their friends.

Check out a few Chevy commercials that I really like. Besides being funny, really relevant and current, I learned that Chevy is really making strides in technology, becoming more user friendly AND being eco-friendly with their new electric car! How cool is that?!

Check out these cool commercials. Share my blog post & the videos with your friends via Twitter, Facebook and email if you enjoy them!!

First - Are you a Packers or Steelers fan? Vote for your favorite team using the Chevy Momentum Meter! Show Your Team Pride!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/chevrolet

Are you a Transformers Fan? Like action & excitement? Check this out!! I heard there is a hidden commercial within a commercial for android...can you spot it?

Hear your Facebook Status through your Bluetooth and your radio in your car?! Woah! Is this distracted driving or just the latest technology and totally safe?! Check it out and YOU Decide!!!

This one is cute & funny - reminds me of Lassie. Wish my car would tell me when there's a disaster brewing, or help me save the world!!

Volt - the new Electric car from Chevrolet - AMAZING Stuff! Earth-friendly too!

Can you use your cell phone as a remote control for your car?! Wow--Now you can, apparently--Check it out! If you love your Droid or iPhone and all the latest APPS - this is for YOU!!

You can watch more cool Chevy Super Bowl Ads and see the latest buzz among the Packers and Steelers Fans at their YouTube channel

If you leave 'em comments, be sure to tell em RetroGirl66 from Bzzagent sent you!

I am a BzzAgent. I was not paid or compensated in any way for posting, tweeting or sharing videos or links to Chevrolet Super Bowl ads. I am however, trying to win a chance to try a complimentary FlipHD video camera for an upcoming BzzCampaign by participating in this Super Bowl Ad Bzz. Please help me out by visiting the links provided and linking to this post on your Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Social Networking sites, etc. Thanks!

Wild Friday Night - I'm getting too old for this stuff!

2011-02-05T17:00:00.000-06:00

My husband sure knows how to show a girl a good time on a Friday night. We had such a whirlwind date, my head is still spinning.

We started the evening by going through McDonald's drive through. (He sure knows how to wine and dine a gal, huh?) Then we went to the local urgent care clinic to get his arm looked at....and wound up at the emergency room all night. Yup, this is some romantic stuff, here!

About a week ago, hubs jammed his thumb and it split his thumbnail. It was really sore but seemed okay. A few days later, he was waking at night with it throbbing. I told him if it didn't stop, perhaps he should go have it x-rayed to make sure he didn't have a fracture or something. Then we had the huge blizzard in Chicagoland. He spent a whole day off and on shoveling, using a snow blower, etc. He was understandably tired, achy and sore. He had a bit of chills and fever, and thought maybe it was from exposure to the cold. His right arm kept aching and he thought it was from over-doing it with the snow removal. He took ibuprophen for the pain, until it got really bad and rooted through our medicine cabinet and found a muscle relaxer left over from a back injury last year. That seemed to ease the pain a bit.

Friday evening he came home from work, complaining that his thumb and arm hurt really bad. He showed me how his thumb looked swollen. We debated whether he should go to the urgent care clinic on Saturday morning, or whether we might hurry and go before they close. He took off his long sleeved shirt and was shocked to see big swollen red blotches near the inner elbow, where his arm was sore. I reached out to touch it and he about jumped through the roof, it was so painful. We hurried and grabbed Isaac and his portable dvd player and backpack with toys and art supplies and off we went.

The urgent care center nurse told him that she could immediately tell it was an infection and she wanted us to get to the ER right away. She said they may or may not keep him, but they would want to get him on antibiotics immediately. She marked the edges of the affected areas with a pen so the ER docs could track the swelling/spreading.

So we left and I dropped him off at the ER, and headed home with Isaac, calling the babysitter on the way to meet me at home. It was 8:30 pm when I left the babysitter putting Isaac to bed and headed back to the ER, very nervous. I was scared it might be MRSA (pronounced Mersa) which can be dangerous. Hubby was checked in right away and the triage nurse saw him briefly. She said his blood pressure was very high, and he had a fever of 100.9 , but back to the lobby he was sent to wait as I returned. The lobby was jammed full of smelly, sick people. Most of the people there seemed to be there with cold/flu symptoms (which frankly pisses me off...clogs up the ER with things that aren't always true emergencies and can be seen by regular doctors or urgent care clinic staff).

We waited and waited until 11:30pm when finally we were taken back to a treatment room, and in shuffles this doctor who was severely stooped over and appeared to be 100 years old. This made me nervous. He examined hubby and told him he had Cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin. We could see that it was spreading beyond the circle of ink the urgent care nurse had drawn on his skin earlier. Doc and hubby talked and the Doctor said it must have entered the body through that split in the nail most likely. He said it spreads fast, is not contagious (thank God!), but can be excrutiatingly painful and is important to treat it right away. They immediately gave him an IV with antibiotics. We sat waiting while the machine ran this through his system for 30 minutes. He was then released with a prescription for two strong antibiotics and told to immediately get to Walgreens to get them and start taking them right away. We texted the babysitter after midnight to tell her we'd be home shortly.

We got bottles of Nesquik while waiting for the Rx at the pharmacy...what a night cap. Finally we were home at 12:30am and I then had to go back out and drive the babysitter home. (This made the third back/forth journey to the neighboring town for the night on narrow snowy icy roads...ugh!). By this time I was about comotose with exhaustion.

I fell asleep about 1:30am finally. Then I woke suddenly at 3:00am to the worst, hardest, tightest charley horse I've ever had in my calf. Screaming in pain, I massaged it, tapped it and tried to get the muscle to release to no avail. I almost fell flat on my face when I tried to get up and walk. I drifted in and out of sleep after that. Isaac woke at 5:30am crying and screaming for whatever reason...poor tired hubby went to pat his back and try to get him back asleep. Then the garbage truck and recycling trucks came at 6:30 and woke me again...and hubby & Isaac were up for the day. OH.MY.GAWD. I laid in bed till about 8am - exhausted, unable to really sleep, leg aching, head feeling like I had a hangover. Needless to say I've felt like hell all day today.

Hubby's arm is starting to look better already. It is still red and puffy, but less. The infection only spread a bit beyond the ink borders and held steady. It's not painful to the touch anymore and the fever has subsided. He's taking the meds, and we're hoping it goes away. I know two people who've had this and had it get much worse....so I'm praying. They say it could take a week to ten days for it to totally leave his system.

I think I've had enough excitement for one weekend! I'm getting too old for this stuff. Just let me go lie down. (Something I've not really been able to do in almost 2 years since I became a mom....)

How about you?! What's your weekend like? Fun, and relaxing I hope!

Surviving The Storm: Chicago Blizzard 2011 (aka SnowHell)

2011-02-02T15:31:00.000-06:00

Just a couple weeks ago I thought to myself that perhaps we were having a slightly milder winter here in Chicagoland. (If there is such a thing!) True, we've had frigid single-digit temps and even some sub-zero days, but the snow hasn't been quite as bad as previous years. Several inches here and there, but the road crews have done a fab job of keeping the roads clean and it hasn't been too horribly bad.....okay, tolerable...well, maybe I should say minimally bearable, for a person like myself who loathes, hates, abhors snow with every fiber of my DNA!)

Well, I was in for a rude awakening! A blizzard warning was issued for the entire Chicagoland area. The storm would be passing through from early Tuesday through late today. Ugh. Many people were skeptical, citing years past when tv news anchor-persons and radio DJs over-sensationalized storms and caused suburban panic. I just dreaded it and waited.

The snowfall began Tuesday morning just as I arrived for work. The blizzard kicked in Tuesday afternoon just as they predicted, at around 3pm as I was driving Isaac home from daycare. (Of course! Why wouldn't it wait till the exact hour I get out of work, pick up my two year old and head for home?!) Snow and sleet was blowing like mad, the roads were really nasty and people were driving like idiots. At times, it was a total white-out and I gripped the steering wheel and prayed we'd get home safely. When we watched one car do a 360 degree spin-out, Isaac became alarmed, asking if "the lady in dat car okay?" . Luckily we made it home fine. Just a little nervous and later than usual.

The storm grew worse as Tuesday night wore on. Howling 50+ mile and hour winds, drifting snow, thunder and lightning (Yes, snow thunder!) and sub zero windchills. We kept getting woke up all night by the howling winds.

The top of our porch is about 2 feet off the ground...note how high this snow is!

When we woke this morning, we found snow drifted about 4-5 feet high against the back of our house, 3 feet-5 feet all around our back yard, and front yard. One neighbor's front door was almost covered, and another's car was totally buried except for a bit of the roof! The high winds combined with the fact that our subdivision is surrounded by flat cornfields makes this a wind tunnel area.

So, hubby has spent the day digging out and snowblowing our driveway with the help of neighbors. What a way to get the neighborhood to come together! Our snow blower broke down a couple times, as it kept getting frozen and clogged by such a volume of heavy wet snow. Eventually it came back to life, but then a line broke and hubby had to borrow a neighbor's and do a lot of hand shoveling. Even after all the driveways and sidewalks were clear...there was still 2-3 feet on the roads. A huge tractor came flying up and down our road, plowing, throwing snow all over the cleaned areas...and it blew our new mailbox right off the post! (the new mailbox we installed a few months ago, thanks to the neighborhood drunk woman who creamed our old one....)

Thankfully both of our offices were closed due to the horrible storm, as was Isaac's daycare. It has been a challenging day staying home with an over-excited toddler, a worn-out sore Daddy and a dog who wants to go outside every 5 minutes. (Hubby had to dig a path through the 4 foot high drift to the backyard for her!)

I think the worst is finally over for us today. Whew! I hear folks in NW Indiana are still getting socked this afternoon with lake effect snow. I am hoping the forecast improves in the coming days, as I saw mention of more snow this weekend, and Mon-Tues next week. Please - Mother Nature....can you take some Midol?!! I am SO done with Snow Hell!!

Meanwhile, hubby's colleague/friend sent a text that he's in Miami at his beach condo, in case we needed to reach him. (Just what I needed to hear. Just makes me wanna smack him!)

How's the weather where you are? If you are on a beach---please DON'T tell me, unless you're going to send me a ticket to come join you!

Airplane Travel with a Toddler Made Easy!

2011-01-14T16:45:00.001-06:00

I figured it out. It was SO simple. It was one of those moments when you realize the answer to a dilemma was right there under your nose all along. (Where's that "Easy" button?!) Yes, I figured out the key to surviving a flight with a toddler who is ~~a tasmanian devil with the attention span of a butterfly~~ restless, curious, and easily bored.

We brought his backpack with crayons, coloring books, stickers, hot wheel cars, snacks and books. Each of those items lasted maybe 5 minutes (10 minutes tops!) before he practically rolled his eyes and tossed them aside.

He enjoyed watching his beloved Pingu and Disney/Pixar Cars on the little DVD player we bought for the trip. Best $60 we ever spent. We chose to buy a fairly inexpensive model, just in case it would get broke, but chose a familiar brand - Sylvania. The quality of the picture, sound, swivel screen and included carrying case seem worth more than the price. We bought it on Walmart.com and highly recommend it.

However, after watching movies for almost an hour Isaac became restless as usual. Running out of ideas, items from the backpack and patience, I fumbled around in my purse and found a pad of star-shaped post-it notes that I'd picked up at the office supply store awhile back.

You'd have thought Santa delivered the most-wanted-coolest new toy directly into his gooey little hands! Isaac busied himself with decorating the window, walls, seat, his Daddy, and himself for the better part of 20-30 minutes! He loved that he could slap them anywhere, and easily peel them off and re-position them! Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Note to self: Save any/all specialty-shaped promotional post-it notes left by salesmen at work (we get house-shaped, heart-shaped, etc) and check dollar stores, office stores for various shaped post it notes before leaving on any road trip or air travel!

Florida's Natural Orange Juice - Review

2011-01-11T21:00:00.000-06:00

What a nice way to bring a bit of Florida sunshine into our bleary cold winter -- My family recently received a coupon for a complimentary carton of Florida's Natural orange juice thanks to Smile.ly

I have seen Florida's Natural orange juice at the grocery, but must admit that I'd never tried it before. I also never really thought much about the brand name and didn't realize that the company is owned by Florida growers. I started reading about the product and the company and learned that many other orange juices are imported and are made from concentrate. Florida's Natural is made from 100% homegrown Florida oranges and have no added sugars or preservatives. Buying Florida's Natural supports American growers, too.

We tried the No Pulp original orange juice. My hubby and I were very pleased with the taste and the texture. Wow what a difference from the juice we typically buy (which is made from concentrate--a fact I never paid attention to until now!). Florida's Natural tastes so fresh and so delicious! Our son Isaac just gulps it down and asks for more. We really liked this juice. We do wish there were a low-acid variety offered, as we both have some issues with stomach acid. Although the No Pulp seems to be a bit easier on the stomach than regular pulpy juice, we still had a tiny bit of acid reflux after drinking it. It wasn't much though and was worth the delicious, refreshing juice we've been enjoying.

We also received some $1 off coupons, which I shared with my co-workers. The coupons were quickly snatched up as several folks said they are already fans of Florida's Natural and appreciated the savings, and some were eager to give it a try. We will definitely be buying more of this juice and maybe trying some of the other varieties.
If you haven't tried Florida's Natural - we really recommend you do. We think you'll taste the difference!

I received a coupon for a complimentary carton of Florida's Natural orange juice and coupons to share in exchange from Smile.ly for simply giving an honest opinion and a review. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hello in the Box?! Anybody In There?!

2011-01-10T20:11:00.000-06:00

Yes - I'm still out here in my little patch of the Chicago 'Stickburbs'....Still alive and kicking! Have just had a lot going on, and a lot on my mind...

Just when I thought I had this working mom thing figured out....I went and totally changed my schedule at work. Yikes! I went from 10:30am-5pm to working 8am to 2pm. Sounds perfect, huh? Getting off earlier in the afternoon....more time to spend with Isaac and get things done around the house. Well, throw in training a new person (and going in early & staying late as needed), traveling for the holidays (Thanksgiving in Cincinnati, 3 Christmases - one at home, one weekend in Canada and one weekend in Cincinnati again), catching up on doctors appointments and then our whole family being sick the last couple weeks - it's been a wild ride! I keep wondering where November and December went so quickly!

It's been kind of tough...the new person I'm training at work has been a bit of a challenge (She needs a bit of an attitude adjustment, but she seems to be working it out..*crossing my fingers*). It seems that Isaac hit that stubborn-terrible-twos stage just before the holidays, so all of the travel and our schedule change has made parenting a real challenge for both my husband and me. I've been stressed both at work and home, and running on empty.

I did get that Nook Color for Christmas! *Blowing Santa a Kiss* I gotta say I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! Reading books and magazines is even more fun now! I just wish People Magazine would offer an E-Mag for Nook!

We are almost done with our laundry room makeover. Still need to do a little finish and trim work and soon I'm going to post the Before and After. We got new dishes, new pots & pans for our kitchen and have been re-organizing our cabinets.

I am finally getting caught up at work. If I can just get into the rythym of this new schedule and get caught up at home (cleaning, organizing, blogging, etc) I'll be feeling good for the new year. Doesn't help that hubby travels off and on, leaving me with my hands full with Isaac, our Big Lucie dog, and the house. Yikes!

I don't like to make true - all or nothing - New Year's resolutions. There are some things I'd like to accomplish in the short run....
- Re-join Weight Watchers. (We're trying to get the at-work program back at the office)
- Start working out 3x a week after work.
- Get back on a regular blogging schedule of at least 1-2 posts a week.
- Get back to a decent routine of cleaning, cooking, playing part-time Susie Homemaker

In the Grand scheme of things - for this year:
- Make some important decisions with hubby about our spiritual life. We have been considering a change of church, and it's been difficult. We've been wavering but need to do something.
- Work on my OCD/OCPD and the mild depression I've been dealing with for the last couple of years. I am very private about this for the most part - so I don't talk about it on my blog a lot. I have good days and tough days, but I am surviving. I am not on any type of meds, nor am I seeing a professional for any of it. I just take it one day at a time and find strength in my faith and from my amazing, patient, loving husband. It is my goal to become brave enough to seek some counseling this year. Staying busy helps...but it also makes it easy to procrastinate and put it off.

Hope all of you are doing well - have had happy holidays, and have a good start to a wonderful happy new year!

I am thankful for all the wonderful opportunities that blogging brings. I hope to re-connect with my blog friends in 2011 and make this a great new year!

Purex Complete Crystals Softener - Review

2010-12-28T20:12:00.001-06:00

Ladies - Life just got a WHOLE lot easier, thanks to the folks at Purex!

Say goodbye to globs and stains from liquids, or waiting for the rinse cycle....So long to those pesky little sheets floating around your laundry room or those humiliating moments when they've fallen out of your pant leg or skirt at work! Having super soft, fresh clean smelling clothes just became a time-saving-How-Easy-Is That?-No-brainer!

Starting today, December 28th, Purex Complete Crystals Softener is available at Walmart stores across the country, and at many other stores, very soon.

I was tickled to find I'd been approved to become a Purex Insider and would receive a sample to test this product before it hit the shelves at Walmart. Now that I've had a chance to do several loads of laundry with it, I wanted to share my experience with you.

Let me tell you a bit about Purex Complete Crystals. It's 92% natural. It's not oil-based like many other fabric softeners, so it doesn't coat fabric with any type of oily residue or cause any build-up of product on the clothing. Purex Complete Crystals infuses fibers with fragrance that is fresh, clean-smelling and that lasts. The fabric is naturally soft, too.

The coolest thing about Purex Complete Crystals is how you use it -- You add it to your laundry load, in the washer, at the start of the wash cycle - and that's it. It's as simple as that!

The Crystals can be used in all types of washers, including those fancy new High Efficiency (HE) washers and is safe for all fabrics and the environment. Purex Complete Crystals also do a few things other softeners don't do:

--Retain the flame retardant benefit of children's clothing.
--Retain the wicking ability of athletic wear to pull sweat away from your body.
--Bath towels will still be absorbent and soft.
--White clothes won't yellow or gray like they do with other softeners.

The retail price of Complete Crystals is about $3.99-$5.99 depending on the retailer and is available in 3 scents - Fresh Spring Waters, Lavender Blossom, and Tropical Splash.

I really like this product. It is SO simple, fast and easy to use. I found the scent Fresh Spring Waters to be so fresh and clean. I love this scent! The product was easy to measure and pour into the wash and just forget it. I used my regular Purex laundry detergent and tossed in the Complete Crystals with it. My clothes and towels came out so soft and fresh smelling. Even the load of Isaac's super stinky, dirty daycare clothes came out totally fresh. (Amazing, because we have a bag of "accident" pants/underwear daily while Isaac is still potty training---I know, TMI, but normally they still smell a bit sour after using regular softener sheets! But Not with Purex Crystals--they smell FABULOUS!). I've done several loads of laundry so far, and have loved the results every time. I did notice a tiny bit of static when I pulled out one load - but it was a load of polar fleece shirts, and I think that this type of synthetic fabric tends to do this somewhat no matter what you use. The shirts are super soft and smell so good though!
Bottom line, I highly recommend Purex Complete Crystals Softener.

**I was given a free sample of Purex Complete Crystals as a Purex Insider in exchange for my honest opinion and review. No monetary compensation was received. You may learn more about the Purex Insiders program Here.

Book Review: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

2010-12-12T15:24:00.005-06:00

I just finished reading a very charming book by Donita K. Paul - Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball. I wasn't sure what to expect based upon the title, but once I started reading, I could hardly put this book down.

The story is about Cora Crowder - a hard working single gal who enjoys spending time with her faithful cat Skippy. Cora usually works through the holidays, shopping early and sending presents to her somewhat estranged family. She always seems to be searching for Christmas..longing to develop her own traditions without the family drama and the 'right way' to celebrate the birth of Jesus, since discovering Christianity in college.
In searching for the perfect gift for her uncle, Cora visits a most unusual little bookshop Warner, Werner and Wizbotterdad's on a curious section of Sage Street, where she has a chance meeting with Simon Derrick. Simon is her supervisor's boss at work, and seems to be a meticulous, private, stoical type.

The story leads us to learn that Simon is really a thoughtful, gentle Christian man who has devoted his life to helping his family - his mother, aunt, grandfather and his sweet sister Sandy, who has downs' syndrome.

Cora and Simon, both two lonely-hearts of sorts, find they've both been given tickets to this mysterious Wizard's Christmas ball that no one seems to know much about...but is it coincidence or is it all part of some big match-making plan cooked up by the bookstore merchants? Little do they know, brought together by the chance bookstore meeting, a litter of new kittens, the innocence of Simon's sister Sandy and a little bit of Christmas magic, their friendship will grow into something much more special.

This is a sweet, charming, magical story with the right blend of light romance, friendship, and faith that will keep you reading and wanting more. I really enjoyed this book and was left wishing for a sequel. I loved the characters, and loved the mysterious Sage Street that seems only Simon and Cora could find and see.

I enjoyed the theme that God has a plan for us, and no matter how crazy or confusing the path, we should just have faith in him and follow his lead. Cora says "The Christmas spirit is giving what you already have, not going out to find something to buy"....and she's right.

The cover artwork is beautiful, inviting and I love the whimsical font that is perfect for this story. This is a great holiday read - for you or as a gift for anyone on your holiday gift list. I strongly recommend it!

You can check out the Author, Donita K. Paul's website HERE
Buy the book at Amazon
And see a video trailer for this book at YouTube

RATE MY REVIEW - CLICK HERE

Thank you Waterbrook Multnomah publishers and the Blogging for Books program for the complementary copy of this wonderful, delightful book in exchange for my honest opinion!!

Snow Day Beach Party? Why not?

2010-12-04T10:14:00.001-06:00

This morning was the first snow out here in the stickburbs of Chicago. We awoke to ~~white hell~~ a winter wonderland of about 6" and steady falling snow to my Canadian hubby's delight.

Isaac gazed out the window, surveying the snow with eyes filled with wonder. Hubby asked him what he thought of the snow, and he first looked at me for some reaction or approval and promptly said Ewww! (He knows mommy doesn't like snow and thinks that he should respond likewise.) However when Daddy asked Isaac if he wanted to go play in the snow he grinned and said Yeah!!! I had to explain to him that it's okay to like snow - just because mommy doesn't care for it doesn't mean he has to feel the same way. We're all different and like different things and that's okay. In fact, it's great! It makes the world more fun and interesting. He seemed relieved!

So while Isaac and Dad suited up to go outside, I promptly cranked up the beach music on Pandora radio and danced in my PJs around the kitchen, making a yummy batch of chocolate chip pancakes. Soon the snow melted away and I was mentally on a sandy warm beach somewhere, in my bungalow by the sea, and my family was out collecting shells! Ahh the joys of a vivid imagination! hehehe! Isaac enjoyed exploring our snow covered backyard and playing with Lucie the giant puppy outside, and then we feasted on our pancakes.

We're gonna brave the snow and go out for a pizza lunch, and some errands. Tonight we're thinking about heading to the Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Show at the Cuneo Estate in Vernon Hills IL.

We hope to get our Christmas tree and decorations put up this weekend. (Wish I could be decorating a palm tree!) Maybe we'll crank up the heat, I'll wear my shorts & flip flops and we'll alternate between Christmas music and beach music while we decorate! Make it a regular Christmas Beach Party! Why not?!

What are your weekend plans? How's the weather where you are? Do you have any snow day traditions?

Children's Book Review: Adopted Ed

2010-11-28T14:37:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in a recent post, November is Adoption Awareness Month. Organizations all over are reaching out across the country to increase awareness and educate the public about the thousands of children waiting for their forever families.

My family has been blessed by adoption twice: my husband was adopted as an infant by a wonderful loving family, and then we were fortunate enough to become parents through the adoption of our son in 2009.

I was thrilled at the opportunity to review the children's book Adopted Ed by Darren Maddern. What perfect timing, during this special month - both Adoption Awareness Month and also the month that two years ago, we received that special phone call with the referral of our son Isaac that we'd so eagerly anticipated.

About the Author
Like my guys - the author of Adopted Ed - Darren Maddern, was also adopted as an infant. He was born in England and was adopted by an American military couple stationed there. He's lived in England, Iran, North Carolina--where he became a U.S. Citizen, and eventually his family settled in Colorado. He had a wonderful happy upbringing, but like many adopted children was naturally curious about his birth parents. It took Darren several years of emotional and personal growth to embark upon the journey to meet his biological mother and grandparents, and eventually his biological father as well. The reunion turned out to be a joyous positive experience, just as he'd dreamed of. Darren has helped many adoptees, parents of adopted children and those considering adoption with his unique insight and by sharing his personal story.

About the Book
Adopted Ed is one of those easy, simple-to-read books that is not only cute and entertaining, it has a great underlying message of self empowerment and social acceptance. The story is about Eddie, your average happy kid who one day encounters bullies who tease him about being adopted. The wise words of his sweet mom helps Eddie to rise above, confident and proud of who he is, and realize we are all special in our own way.

My View
This is a great, easy to read book that will open up dialogue with children about being adopted and that being different is okay. The book is aimed at children in grade school, but I think pre-schoolers would enjoy it and embrace the message as well. In my opinion, the earlier we talk to children about diversity, acceptance, tolerance, love and respect -- the better. We really like the rythym and rhyme of the story, and the bright colorful illustrations by Erin Fusco. We liked the diversity shown in Eddie's friends and parents in the book as well - it really makes the story believable and relevant to all people. I did think in a couple of places, the wording was a little mature for kids, but would certainly bring about questions from your child which I think is a good thing. Get that dialogue going! Open the lines of communication! Overall, it's a cute, endearing story and there's a great message in this little book---one that I think kids and adults, adopted or not, will enjoy and benefit from reading. This book would make a great gift, a good addition to your family's library and a great donation to your child's school or daycare library.

You can purchase a copy of Adopted Ed at Amazon . You can find out more about Darren Maddern at AdoptedEd.Com , check out Darren on Facebook or Twitter. Stay tuned - because Darren will be publishing Tall Moll soon...a book about Molly, a cute little girl who has a big growth spurt and is suddenly a foot and a half taller than the other kids. How does she handle this? How does she find her confidence and become empowered? Find out when the book comes out in early 2011!

I received complimentary review copy of this book and a chance to have an illustration of my child or family member in the upcoming book Tall Moll - or a gift card -from One2OneNetwork in exchange for simply giving an honest opinion and a review. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Memories...Tornados...and Snow?...It's Thanksgiving in Illinois!

2010-11-23T09:24:00.000-06:00

Wow, I can't believe it's Thanksgiving week already. My mom was right...as we get older, time just seems to fly by so quickly.

It's hard to believe that 2 years ago on the Monday before Thanksgiving, I got a very special phone call at work. It was our social worker calling to give me the good news that a precious baby boy was waiting in foster care in South Korea for us to become his forever family. Fastforward 2 years later and here we are....he's 2.5 years old, very busy, never stops talking, jumping, running, playing, singing, counting, laughing and thriving. We are truly truly blessed.

The weather has been crazy here...yesterday it was 65 degrees and we had severe storms and even a tornado about 30 miles away in Caledonia IL. Sheesh. Today it's a lovely, sunny and balmy 30 degrees. It's been a weather-rollercoaster here. We're supposed to have snow in the next couple of days too. Mother Nature needs her midol!

Hubby decided to take vacation time this week to give my laundry/storage/mud room a makeover, even though we are leaving Wednesday evening to go visit my family in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving. So, I have a sunroom full of boxes, and junk everywhere...and the laundry room is only partially done so far. Hubby had to hang up his tool belt and to go into Chicago today with his boss, on company business. So this makeover is ...To Be Continued...."After" Photos coming soon!

Work has been crazy-busy lately. I have taken on extra work while a gal is on maternity leave, and now the gal who shares part of my job is moving to another department. She's been a beast about having to stay in the position until her replacement is hired. She has sorta mentally checked out, barely doing her share of the work, carelessly making a lot of mistakes that I have to go back and correct, and in general just making things more stressful than necessary. I'll be thankful when the new person is hired, trained and we can get back to business as usual.

Hope everyone has a happy safe Thanksgiving!!
What's going on in your neck of the woods this week?

National Adoption Day / Adoption Awareness Month

2010-11-20T15:41:00.000-06:00

I am late in posting about this very special day....But today is National Adoption Day. It's a day to raise awareness of the thousands of children and babies waiting in foster homes for the day they will find their forever families.

It was estimated that 4500 children would find their forever family today on National Adoption Day. There have been events all over the country today - people coming together to celebrate adoption, to educate, encourage and support those considering adoption.

You can make such a difference in the life of a waiting child...and a special child can make such a difference in your life, through the miracle of adoption. To me, adoption is about opening your mind and heart....love....new beginnings and a second chance at a beautiful life as a family.

If you are reading this, take time to check out this Adoption Information on NationalAdoptionDay.org pass it on and share it with anyone you know who is curious about or who might be considering adoption.

The month of November is also Adoption Awareness Month. Check out the Adoption Month page at Adoption.org for resources on adoption, to connect with other adoptive families in their adoption support forums, read adoption blogs, adoption news, and so much more.

Today on National Adoption Day, I celebrate not only our son, Isaac, who we adopted in April 2009....but also my sweet husband, and his sister who are adopted by wonderful loving parents. My life is so blessed because they were adopted in love. I celebrate the birth parents who loved these children enough to make the ultimate sacrifice so that they could be well taken care of and raised with much love. I celebrate all whose life work it is to bring families together through the miracle of adoption.

Has your life been blessed by adoption? Do you have a family member or friend who has adopted or been adopted? Feel free to share a story about your experience here in the comments...

Please share a link to NationalAdoptionDay.org or National Adoption Awareness Month or Adoption.org

Tweet about this post....share it on Facebook...but please pass it on...you could make a big difference for a precious child out there who is waiting....

Don't Drink the Sea Monkeys.....

2010-11-16T22:10:00.000-06:00

This past spring I stopped buying bottled water. I bought a fab Sigg bottle and dug out my old Brita filter in an effort to be more eco-conscious and treat mother nature with more respect. Well, once again, Mother Nature hasn't been nice to me in return!

I had bought the large Sigg bottle, and began to find it cumbersome for every day use. Rather than buy a smaller Sigg with its special lining that resists odors and flavors, I picked up a smaller, cheaper bottle at the local drugstore - by Subzero. It was a basic, cheapo ($4.99) unlined stainless bottle.

I carried this new bottle to work every day with filtered water in it. I brought it home every night, dumped out any leftover water, and washed it with hot soapy water. Every now and then I would skip a day of washing it and just rinse it and refill...BIG MISTAKE.

WARNING - What I am about to tell you will freak you out...

One day I was drinking my water, and thought it tasted a bit different. I tried to remember if it was time to replace my Brita filter and made a mental note to check my calendar at home that nite.

The next day, I went to drink some water to take a my usual OTC sleep aid pill before bed, and something from the bottle slipped into my mouth. This startled me so much that a sudden little scream erupted from my throat and I spit the water out by instinct from shock, I guess. It took me a few seconds to understand what I was looking at on the floor...and when I realized what it was, I began to dry heave into the sink. It was a light brown gelatinous substance, shaped in a semi-circle from the bottom of the bottle. For a second I had thought it was a piece of bottle lining, but I quickly realized there was no lining in this cheap bottle....it was algea!! *cringe*

Yes, although I washed my bottle almost every night with hot soapy water, using a bottle brush and refilled with clean filtered water, bacteria was growing into a jello-mold of...well, algae and mold! Disgusting. Vile. Just another thing to add to my OCD 'ultimate nightmare' list of things to fear and obsess over. Ugh.

Wondering if I was the only one experiencing this, I Googled the next day. Apparently many people are finding mold growing in these bottles. I found one discussion board for athletes and runners that the members talked about this very thing. Many of them wash their bottles with bleach to combat this problem. I wondered if the two almost 10 day-long bouts of stomach virus symptoms I'd had over the summer were caused by this tainted water bottle?! Probably! Ugh

I have not been able to use my good Sigg bottle, or any type of water bottle since. I doubt I ever can again. I still use my Brita filter, but will only drink water from a cup or glass that has been washed/sanitized in the dishwasher...and only ONE time. I don't buy bottled water, unless I am out and must have water (I can't drink tap water in our local area, since most of the water here is from private wells...I am afraid I'll be drinking sea monkeys or grow a tail...) I keep reading that even supposed BPA-free plastic bottles leach dangerous chemicals into food/water...it's quite distressing and hard to know what you can trust.
Have you had a problem with mold or algae in reusable water bottles? What is your solution to this problem?

Santa Baby....My Fab Holiday Gift Finds for Mom...

2010-11-12T22:48:00.000-06:00

Santa Baby, I've been an awful good girl....hurry down the chimney tonight...

Been doing a little laptop window shopping online and ~~drooled over~~ saw some really cool stuff that would make FAB Christmas gifts! Thought I'd share them with you...

The first thing on my virtual holiday shopping tour...

A Barnes and Noble Nook Color . How freaking cool is this?! Been eyeballin' this lately...A great gift for the booklover and techie alike! A super fab gift for busy, social, blogging mama! (hint!)

Stunning 7-inch color touchscreen
Magazines & newspapers in rich color
Kids' books come alive
Over 2 million titles at your fingertips
Get social, surf the web, play games, even listen to music

Then I saw this....
Oh how beautiful...Love this Lladro Nao "The Greatest Bond" figurine...way to celebrate the beautiful mom and child in your life!

And ohhhh this....

A Brahmin Toasted Almond Collection "Adora" leather Satchel from Dillards. Oh how I miss my Lexington Ky Dillards! Especially the handbag department!

And some goodies from Ulta to get pretty for those holiday soirees

Too Faced - Glamour To Go

Santa Baby...Forgot to mention one little thing....a ring...

For when I'm feeling like a Diva ...The Mariah-Inspired Butterfly ring!

And for the Princess...a Fleur De Lis Pageant Tiara Pave CZ Ring

Oooh and these Homedics pink massaging slippers for those cold winter nights, when you just wanna wind down from a long day of being Mom and curl up with some hot cocoa and a good book (see the Nook, above!) or a movie...

Maybe a little massage? This Sharper Image® Quad Roller Dual Action Shiatsu Massage Cushion will certainly help erase all that holiday stress...

Oh and don't forget the comfort of a PajamaGram!

I received a pajamagram compliments of the Bob & Sheri show back in 2007 - and the PJs are so comfy, soft and high quality--that they are still almost like new. They wash and wear so well...I still wear them all the time---matter of fact, I have the PJ bottoms on as I type this! They have PJs for the whole family...so much to choose from....and they come in fabulous gift boxes. What a lovely surprise when I opened the box. You gotta check them out!

These are just a few of the lovely things I saw in my laptop-window-shopping...Things I think that beautiful, special Mom in your life would love!

What's on your holiday wish list? Or your gift-giving list?

Featuring....Norah Jones... CD Review

2010-11-11T21:53:00.001-06:00

As some of you may know, I started working again this past May. After becoming a new mom and doing the SAHM gig for about a year, it became rather obvious that I'm ~~a total OCD freak~~ a type-A personality and was born to work.

Well, fast-forward 6 months--trying to play superwoman--working, taking care of a 2 year old, and big dog and a hubby...holidays looming ever so near (thanks neighbors for putting up your Christmas decorations on Halloween night! WTH?!), and no beach vacation this year, I'm feeling a little pressured, stressed and frazzled. It's been awhile since I really got any time to spend a little me time doing things I enjoy.

It was perfect timing when I was given the opportunity from the folks at One2OneNetwork to review an advance copy of the CD -- Featuring....Norah Jones, which goes on sale Tues 11/16. I really needed a little somethin' to help me relax...peel off those layers of stress and get my groove back.

I became a Norah fan with the album "Come Away With Me". I love her slightly retro sound and her sultry, soulful voice. She really does take me away. I was really intrigued by her and learned that she grew up in Texas with a Southern mother and Indian father -- the Legendary Sitar Virtuoso Ravi Shankar and a sister who is a classical Indian artist -- Anoushka Shankar. I think this blend of influences really makes her the unique artist that she is.

I was very intrigued again when I heard about this new CD "Featuring..." when I heard that it contained 18 songs that are collaborations from the last 10 years with an array of other artists that span from country, blues, rock, hip hop and jazz...I mean, we're talking Ray Charles, Foo Fighters, Dolly Partin, Outkast, Q-tip, and Willie Nelson to name a few. I couldn't wait to give it a listen, and wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

I was blown away by "Virginia Moon" by Foo Fighters, featuring Norah Jones. This was actually recorded in 2005 and was on the Foo Fighters album "In Your Honor". How did I miss this song before? It has this super-sexy-smooth as velvet-bossanova sound. My first thought was woah--Norah is so smooth she can tame the beast in Dave Grohl! heheh! This song is my fave on this CD. Makes me wanna put on a little somethin' sexy, have a cocktail with my hubby and have a super sexy date nite!

I really enjoyed "Love Me" with The Little Willies. It has a sultry, kind of bluesy sound with a cool guitar riff that I loved. The duo with Willie Nelson on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is relevant and timely with the late autumn release of this CD. At first the thought of this collaboration struck me that it'd be like pairing peanut butter and aged whiskey, but as I listened to it...it not only works, it was very beguiling and charming. I found the duet with Outkast kinda funky and refreshing, and loved the chill-groove of "Life is Better" with Q-Tip. All in all, I think there is something for every musical taste on this CD. I like this as a great CD to relax and unwind. I can also see it as a sexy date night CD--maybe cook a meal and have a little wine....you get my drift. I give Featuring....Norah Jones a big thumbs up. Great CD!

Here's the complete Track Listing:

1. Love Me – The Little Willies

2. Virginia Moon – The Foo Fighters featuring Norah Jones

3. Turn Them – Sean Bones featuring Norah Jones

4. Baby It's Cold Outside – Willie Nelson featuring Norah Jones

5. Bull Rider – Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson

6. Ruler Of My Heart – Dirty Dozen Brass Band featuring Norah Jones

7. The Best Part – El Madmo

8. Take Off Your Cool – OutKast featuring Norah Jones

9. Life Is Better – Q-Tip featuring Norah Jones

10. Soon The New Day – Talib Kweli featuring Norah Jones

11. Little Lou, Prophet Jack, Ugly John – Belle & Sebastian featuring Norah Jones

12. Here We Go Again – Ray Charles featuring Norah Jones

13. Loretta – Norah Jones featuring Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

14. Dear John – Ryan Adams featuring Norah Jones

15. Creepin' In – Norah Jones featuring Dolly Parton

16. Court & Spark – Herbie Hancock featuring Norah Jones

17. More Than This – Charlie Hunter featuring Norah Jones

18. Blue Bayou – Norah Jones featuring M. Ward

Check it out:
You can pre-order this CD on Amazon at http://amzn.to/Njpreorder
You can also check out Norah's website at http://bit.ly/norahsite
Visit & Like Norah at Facebook: http://on.fb.me/norahFB
Or check out Norah's YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/norahYT

How do you like to relax, recharge and get your groove back?
Which track do you think might be your favorite from this CD?

I received complimentary review copy of this CD and have a chance to win a gift card from One2OneNetwork in exchange for my honest opinion and a review. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

THE Monday Poo-Pourri

2010-11-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

My own little weekly Meme from wayyyy back.

Just a little of this...a little of that kinda crap..random ramblings..Nothing but Poo...Pourri.

Wow?! November 1st already? Seems like just yesterday it was May and I'd just decided to go back to work...and the summer is gone.

Halloween was nice. We took Isaac trick or treating at the town square nearby, instead of in our neighborhood. It's a lot of fun, and much safer. Policemen, Firemen and business owners hand out candy, coupons and Elmo was hanging out waiting ~~to be trampled~~ for hugs by the theater. Trick or Treat was from 2-4pm so we had time to run a few errands afterward and have dinner out. When we returned home we noticed our weird neighbor had his fully lit Christmas tree in the front window already...on Halloween night!! Sheesh! Isn't that pushing it?! Too early!

Today Isaac made his public debut as a big boy - He left the house for 'school' this morning wearing big boy underwear! (Those tiny little briefs are so freakin' cute!!). Bye Bye diapers, and pull ups! He seemed nervous and excited at the same time. He's doing pretty good for 2.5 years old, really. Turns out he had only 2 accidents at school....one wet, and one nasty BM one. Needless to say, those adorable very first "unnawears" went into the trash today. Originally, when the teacher warned that they throw away some underwear at first, I balked - what a waste of $! But when I saw how bad this pair was - I gladly got rid of them.They were beyond salvage.

Did really well on Ebay again. Almost $250 in sales! Have 3 buyers left to collect from. Am hoping they come through. That's the only real negative I've encountered selling on Ebay...dealing with people who shouldn't be bidding on things for which they cannot pay.

I'm SO looking forward to traveling for Thanksgiving this year. We didn't get a vacation since I went back to work, so it will be nice to get away from this place for awhile, see my family and hopefully a couple friends. I am praying Isaac is a bit more settled with potty training by then, and that the weather cooperates. So far, we've been lucky - the weather has held out, in the 50's-60's and NO *whispering* snow! (Frantically knocking on wood...)

Trying to get my butt back on a diet....have put on some weight in the last year. Mostly since March...too many BBQs at work, too many indulgences. Ugh! I about fainted when I got on the scale the other day. Have had to buy some new clothes and a coat. I am having a hard time finding time and making myself exercise. . It's really hard with a 2.5 yr old, a hubby who travels frequently and working myself. No way in hell I can get up at 5:30am...it just ain't happening....

Have you started your Christmas shopping? We have Isaac's almost done. Just need stocking stuffers for him and a couple small things. Haven't given any thought, however, to presents for hubby or anyone/anything else. Ugh. Maybe we'll go on Black Friday when we're in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving...(ughhh! I feel a migraine coming on just thinking of the crowds and traffic. My hubby is obsessed with finding a holiday bargain though....)

Lastly...just found out I am going to receive a copy of Norah Jones' latest album "Featuring" to review. I am really looking forward to it! The album features collaborative works with several other major artists. Can't wait to check it out....stay tuned for more info on that!

Well...time to sneak a 2 point fat free fudgicle thingy and some boob-tube time before bed...in between some dishes and more laundry....calgon, take me away!

Winner: Betty Crocker Potato Buds Prize Pack

2010-10-27T08:53:00.000-05:00

Using Random.org - a winner was drawn for the Betty Crocker Potato Buds Prize Pack Giveaway

The winner is Comment # 5 - Michelle !!

Thanks to all who participated! Winner is being notified by email and has 48 hours to respond to collect the prize pack.

Thank you to MyBlogSpark.com and BettyCrocker for sponsoring this giveaway!

Bee Good To Yourself.....Beecology Review

2010-10-26T20:30:00.001-05:00

I was recently venting on Twitter...(yeah, what's new?! lol. Can't help it. I'm a redhead. We say whatever comes to mind.). I'd purchased a skincare product online and was not too happy with the company's service and shipping and Tweeted about it. Some little bee out there heard my frustration and offered me a peek at a fabulous line of products and a company who cares about their customers and the world we live in.

That was the day I found out about Beecology. I had heard the name before but I didn't really know much about them and had never tried their products. The little bee offered to send me some samples in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am happy to share with you. (My hubby would say - "when is she not happy to voice her opinion?" lol Again, it's a redhead thing I think!)

A little about Beecology first.... They're a farm family turned beekeepers (thanks to a friend) who made it their business to learn all about bees and how their world relates to ours. They decided to use the honey, beeswax and other natural ingredients to make skin and haircare products that are good for humans and the world we inhabit. As part of this whole process of making natural, eco-friendly, renewable, functional products, they made a promise to give back through their charitable organization SweetYear.org. They will give 10 percent (of net profit from all sales) to environmental and social causes. Pretty amazing stuff, from pretty amazing folks, huh?

Well, on to my review. The fine folks at Beecology sent me a nice sample pack of their products to try - Bodywash, shampoo, conditioner, hand/body lotion and lipbalm. I love the Beecology logo and love the looks of the packaging. I read the labels and list of ingredients and had to open everything right away to smell the products. Mmmm! The words clean, gentle, natural, relaxing, and essential oils describe what I smelled. There was absolutely none of that over-fragranced perfumey smell of so many skin and hair products have today. I couldn't wait to give each product a try.

The very first thing I had to try right out of the box without delay is the Buzz Balm Super Sting Peppermint lip balm. I always have such dry lips thanks to living in the very windy 'burbs of Chicago. The smell is intoxicatingly good - I especially love the mix of peppermint and clove oil. This stuff is so soothing and makes my lips so soft! I love the tingly good feeling! This lip balm would make the best stocking stuffer. It even comes in a 5 pack gift tin that would make a great gift.

I also received a sample size of the Original Honey Body & Hand Cream which I had to open and try immediately. The first thing I noticed is that this lotion did not have a perfumey scent - the scent is only from the natural ingredients which include Cupuacu (koo-poo-ah-sue)--from a tree in the Amazon Basin, Honey, Shea Butter, and olive oil. It smells simple, natural and clean. A little bit of this lotion goes a long way. It really makes my skin feel soft and smooth and not greasy or coated like some lotions. I've been using it on the dry skin on my feet and could immediately see and feel a difference. My skin wasn't as ashy and scaly feeling, as it usually is from going barefoot too much on our slate tile floors.

Then came the fun part of trying out Beecology....The shower gel, shampoo and conditioner! I love a good long hot shower and pampering myself with good quality skin and hair products.

Beecology offers 3 varieties of All Natural Body Wash - Peppermint & Honey, Grapefruit & Lemongrass, and Lavender & Bergamot. All three have a base of coconut, olive oil and hemp oils and are free of synthetic fragrances, harsh sulfates, artificial coloring, and chemical preservatives of any kind.

I was thrilled to receive a full sized bottle of the Lavender & Bergamot body wash. Of course, the first thing I had to do was smell it. Mmmmm The natural essential oils make this smell incredible, and so relaxing. In aromatherapy, Lavender is used to fight stress and fight infection when applied to the skin, and Bergamot is used to treat anxiety, stress, depression, and PMS among a host of other things. For me, the pairing of these two essential oils together makes for one relaxing, decadent shower or bath. I found a small amount lathers quite nicely on a shower puff. It made my skin so soft and smooth. It made shaving my legs in the shower very quick and easy. The scent lingers lightly in my bathroom afterward and makes it smell so nice. However, one thing to note that I found to be a positive -- the scent of this shower gel wasn't so strong or overpowering that I couldn't use my own perfume later. My mom came to visit last weekend and I let her try the shower gel too, and she really liked it as well.

Lastly, I also received sample sized bottles of the all natural shampoo and all natural conditioner. They both contain natural oils, no artificial fragrances and are gentle and moisturizing. A nickel sized amount of the shampoo made a nice lather and it rinsed really well. I have really thick, coarse, color-treated hair and it soaked the conditioner right up. Afterward I my hair felt nice and soft and easy to style - not weighed-down feeling or waxy and coated as some other conditioners have left my hair. In fact, I felt like the Beecology haircare products might have actually removed some of the buildup in my hair left behind from my styling products.

All in all, my favorite items were the Lip Balm and the Lavender & Bergamot body wash. I love the scents and how softening and pampering they feel. Looking at the Beecology website - I honestly expected the products to be more expensive than they are. I am impressed with the pricing, quality, the all natural eco-friendly ingredients, and the company's comittment to social responsibility and their charitable spirit. Their website is user friendly and easy to navigate, and their products would make excellent gifts for any occasion.

I also gotta say---It also makes my heart super happy that these products are NEVER tested on animals!

I received complimentary product samples in exchange for my honest opinion and a review of my experience. I did not receive any other compensation or incentive nor was I required to write a positive review. Individual results or experiences may vary. You may obtain more detailed information from the company's website. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I Heart Ebay!

2010-10-23T22:21:00.000-05:00

I'm getting my Ebay groove on again. Have a ton of Thomas the Train, Thomas & Friends stuff to sell. We received a huge box of stuff from friends - way more than Isaac could ever use so we decided to sell off the excess and use the proceeds towards Christmas. They're all like new and will make some little one very happy.

Also have an almost brand new Ergo Baby Carrier for sale there too! Used only a few times - (we had 2 ! ) . Such an awesome item - and a great deal!!

Gotta work on getting all the 18 month clothes listed. Have so many great clothes, some never worn as Isaac went through a big growth spurt recently and we had to go buy all new clothes AND shoes! I had such great success selling his 12 month clothes last year, I need to do it again to offset my recent shopping excursions!

Also have some Waterford Christmas ornaments that are gorgeous but don't really go with our retro holiday decor, so they're up for grabs!

Interested? - You can check out all my auctions on Ebay HERE

Do you sell on Ebay? What do you have the most success with? Any one out there start buying clearance items simply to sell on Ebay?? How'd it go?

Red Green would be Proud!

2010-10-21T20:55:00.000-05:00

Ain't that just reeeeal nice?! Yes that's our mailbox. Attractive, huh? Actually it looks better this way....when we arrived home we found it mangled, lying on the ground and a note on our door from the perpetrator.

It seems that a gal who lives in our neighborhood was driving by and decided to reach into the back seat to give her baby a bottle and she veered off the road, and took out our mailbox. Good thing she stopped there...she was just a few feet away from hitting our tree....or the house! (The note looked like it was written by a 12 year old....apparently she didn't spend too much time paying attention in school, or drivers ed either!)

Thank goodness no one was hurt. Distracted driving is so dangerous and is such a huge problem right now. It's not only talking or texting on cell phones - people do everything but just driving - like eating, dressing, reading books, shaving, feeding/helping children and fooling with electronics. It's a car, people! Not a kitchen, office, living room, or bathroom.

Truth be told, I thought this mailbox was ugly and cheap looking anyway. Maybe now we can get something more attractive...Hope the mail carrier will leave mail tomorrow. None today...

I just keep hearing Jeff Foxworthy saying "If you rig up your mailbox with duct tape, you might be a redneck..." Hubby says watching all those Red Green episodes came in handy...lol. How tacky and embarrassing! Now we just need a cut up tire for a planter, maybe a couple broken appliances out front....*cringe*

Wordless Wednesday: Now I've Seen it All

2010-10-20T08:46:00.001-05:00

(click to enlarge)

And I thought my dog was pretty smart! We saw this dog "driving" down the road Saturday, on our way home from the annual Korean culture event at Isaac's adoption agency. Notice the lady in the other car--seems to be pointing and scolding the dog for driving! heheh!

Review & Giveaway: Betty Crocker Potato Buds

2010-10-19T20:16:00.002-05:00

I've always been a fan of fast, easy and healthy recipes. Now that I'm working again, this is especially true after a busy day and rushing home to get dinner together and all I really want is to enjoy some quality time over a meal with my family. I think both stay at home moms/dads and working parents alike would agree you gotta have some go-to recipes or side dishes that are fast, easy and that the whole family will enjoy.

Betty Crocker takes the hard work out of weeknight meals with their Potato Buds 100% real potato flakes. They're gluten-free and per the nutrition label are trans-fat free and cholesterol free! They're also tasty and so quick and easy to prepare. Betty Crocker offers so many recipes that can be made with them such as potato soup, oven baked chicken or even Potato Crusted Salmon with Potato Buds, just to name a few. They're not just for making mashed potatoes!

Through the MyBlogSpark program, I was given the opportunity to try Betty Crocker Potato Buds and received an awesome free prize pack containing a full sized box of Potato Buds, a silicone trivet/potholder, a beautiful wooden bowl, and a red Betty Crocker serving spoon.

I saw a recipe for a meatloaf casserole, using Potato Buds, so I thought I'd give it a try. I really ended up putting the convenience factor to the test---I did this on the fly, and like I often do, modifying the recipe to use what I had on hand, and cut it in half to meet my family's serving needs. It was a bit like Shepherd's pie, but not quite.

Meatloaf Casserole

1/2 lb Extra lean ground beef (I used the 97% lean)
1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/4 Cup toasted bread crumbs
1 egg slightly beaten
Dash of hot sauce (to your tastes)
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1 Tsp Onion/Herb seasoning
1/4 cup tomato paste
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped green pepper (I didn't have any), chopped onion, mushrooms. Also you could choose to sub thick BBQ sauce in place of the tomato paste for more zesty flavor.

Topping:
1 Cup Potato Buds flakes
1 1/3 Cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 Cup milk
1/4-1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Paprika
Optional: Chives, Bacon bits

Directions:
Mix all meatloaf ingredients together (using all but 2 tbsp of the tomato paste) in small food processor or by hand. Press into an 8x8 greased baking dish. Spread the remaining tomato paste over the meatloaf. Next, mix the mashed potato topping ingredients together in a bowl, and spread over the meatloaf base. Sprinkle with paprika and salt/pepper. Bake in 350 (f) degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

I didn't have any fresh onion or green pepper on hand - so it wasn't as flavorful as we normally would make. However, the meatloaf was so tender, and the potatoes were like a nice twice-baked potato. I served it with corn on the cob, and my family gobbled it up! My prep time was maybe 10 minutes, and I played with my son while it baked. How easy is that?! We are looking forward to trying more recipes from Betty Crocker's website with the rest of the box.

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the folks at MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker, One lucky reader will also win a Potato Buds prize pack (as mentioned and shown above).

ENTRY:
Leave a comment and tell me which of your family's favorite ingredients you would like to try with Betty Crocker Potato Buds Mashed Potato mix. Please include your email address.

1 Extra Entry - Tweet about this giveaway, and leave a comment with a link to your tweet. Include your Twitter ID and email address. Tweet "Enter to #Win the @BettyCrocker Potato Buds #myblogspark Prize Pack #Giveaway @Retrogirl66 http://bit.ly/aRGJeu Ends 10/26/10"

Open to USA residents. Giveaway Ends Tuesday October 26, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Winner will be chosen by random drawing using http://www.random.org/ and notified via email. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

I received one complimentary Betty Crocker Potato Buds prize pack through MyBlogSpark.com - in exchange for an honest review. Individual results and experiences may vary. I did not receive any monetary compensation nor was I required to write a positive review.

Jane, Stop this Crazy Thing!!

2010-09-24T22:23:00.000-05:00

I never intended to go on hiatus from blogging...but I guess that's sort of what happened over the last several weeks. It is amazing how time flies and suddenly a month has passed, when you stay busy.

First my hubby was traveling for almost 2 weeks, so I had my hands full, working and taking care of the house, Isaac and the dog. After work in the evenings, Isaac and I spent a lot of time enjoying the last bit of summer weather outside walking, playing in the backyard, going to the park and when it rained we went to the library, visited friends and had playdates, and went to the mall one Sunday. Despite that we really missed Daddy, I think this time Isaac and I grew even closer. Bonding and attachment aren't a one time event, it is a lifelong process--especially with adoptive families. So this was valuable bonding time for us.

Every time hubby goes away, something happens at the house. Every. Time. Have come home to find the filter hose on the pool spraying water everywhere, had animals get sick and have big vet bills, sold a house on my own to name a few. This time he was away we had a storm with 60 mph winds, and I came home one night to find our patio table flipped over and all the ceramic tiles broken out, and our big heavy gas grill thrown/flipped over in the yard, bent all to hell. It looked like a tornado hit our backyard....and surprisingly, no other neighbors had damage. Weird! It was all I could do to flip the grill upright, turn it around and drag it back to the patio. Sheesh!

Even though I work part-time, I do work 5 day weeks. I have been struggling to keep up with cleaning, doing laundry, doing my grocery lists and meal planning like I used to and finding time left over to blog, read, scrapbook, or workout. I'm struggling to find balance and find time. Maybe with winter coming, I'll find more time to be inside and get back into a routine. Summer usually does have most families out and about and on the go.

Isaac is talking more and more every day. In the 4 months since he's been in daycare and I've been working he is saying up to 5 word sentences, uses silverware, drinks from a cup, and is behaving a little more mature (at times). We can definitely see progress. He's growing like a weed - has caught up in height/weight and is where he should be for his age. He's definitely a little boy and no longer a baby, which makes me a little sad and sentimental. Time is definitely flying by. Wish I could just slow it down a little....

Apple Sweet Potato Pancakes

2010-09-11T14:46:00.001-05:00

I woke this morning to the sound of a noisy garbage truck at 5:30 a.m. Yes 5:30 am!! What is up with that?! Normally they come about 6:30 a.m. on Fridays - but when there's a Monday holiday they come on Saturday. But 5:30 a.m.?!

It's a cool and rainy Saturday - a perfect morning for PJ's and pancakes. We had a playdate lined up at 10am, so I had plenty of time to clean downstairs and take a shower before Isaac woke up with time to spare for lounging in our PJs and making breakfast.

I had seen an interesting pancake recipe in Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook awhile back that contained sweet potato puree. I actually had a bag of frozen mashed sweet potato leftovers that I'd been saving to find a recipe, so I thought I'd go partially on memory & just wing it and see what happened. Here's what I came up with.....

Apple Sweet Potato Pancakes

1 1/4 Cups Pancake Mix (Just-add-water type)
1/2 Cup mashed/pureed sweet potatoes*
1 - 2 tsp. Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 cup water
1 cup Mott's Healthy Harvest Granny Smith Applesauce
2 Tbsp Wheat Germ

*Sweet Potatoes - (cut in cubes, boiled till soft. Mashed/Pureed. Nothing added).
Mix all ingredients together. Batter will be lumpy. Spray nonstick spray on griddle, heat to high. Pour batter onto pan, let cook until bubbles form, and carefully flip over. Do not press pancakes down or flatten...Serve warm with your favorite syrup.

They turned out very moist and delicious! I used 1 tsp Cinnamon...Next time I'm using 2 tsp. of Cinnamon - because I like a more bold Cinnamon flavor. I like the Granny Smith applesauce because it's so flavorful and tart - plus Motts Healthy Harvest is no sugar added! This made 7 good sized pancakes so we had leftovers to freeze for tomorrow.

What's your favorite pancake recipe?

Review: Wholesale Keychain - Digital Photo Keychain

2010-09-08T22:37:00.001-05:00

I'm constantly taking photos and sharing with family and friends. I have two digital cameras and my Blackberry camera phone. I sometimes think I was born with a camera in my hand. Like many 'digital moms' all my photos are stored digitally - I don't print copies very often and can't always show people pictures of Isaac on a moment's notice (unless they're ones stored in my phone). I was happy to get the opportunity to check out Wholesale Keychain's digital photo keychain for this reason. What better way to have a slideshow to go, ready on the spur of the moment to show off my beautiful son and pictures of our adventures!

I received the digital photo keychain thanks to Tomoson.com - representatives for Wholesale Keychain. It arrived in a small package containing the keychain, a USB cord for connecting to your computer, and a small instruction sheet. There is no disc or software to install - you simply use the enclosed USB cord and connect the keychain to your computer. It is so simple - a program from the keychain pops up - you choose & download your photos to the keychain and you're ready to go!

The keychain I received is pink plastic, with a silvertone frame on the front screen. Operational buttons are on the back and are super easy to figure out. I will say - the font on the small instruction sheet is super tiny -- which I found very hard to read - but I really didn't need to read too much to figure it out - this keychain is literally that simple. I quickly downloaded about 60 photos. It has a 4.8 mb memory and will hold somewhere around 75 photos, however. It has either a manual or automatic slideshow and other features like toggle between photo and time display. (See the full Specs HERE) It has a sort of inexpensive trinket look to it, but the plastic case on this keychain is fairly tough - it held up to my 2 year old son's inspection and playfulness. He loved it! For a small 1.5" LCD display (128x128), the quality and color is really good. I was pleasantly surprised. Another great thing is that WholesaleKeychain will engrave up to 3 lines (11 characters each) on the back of this keychain.

I think at just under $10 this would make a great stocking stuffer, or gift for any occasion. I filled it with family photos so my son can see his Daddy anytime he misses him because my hubby frequently travels for his job. I think this would make a great gift for distant relatives or in the case of other adoptive families such as ours -- a wonderful gift to send in the care package to your waiting child so he/she can see photos of his/her new family until they are brought together, forever.

This keychain came in pink, however it is offered in silver as well. WholesaleKeychain offers a slew of digital photo keychains and other keychains to choose from. There really is something for everyone at their site.

I received a complimentary keychain in exchange for my honest opinion and a review of my experience. I did not receive any other compensation or incentive nor was I required to write a positive review. Individual results or experiences may vary. You may obtain more detailed information from the company's website. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Expensive & Boring weekend so far.....

2010-08-28T13:53:00.000-05:00

It is an absolutely beautiful sunny Saturday...not a cloud in the sky, and here I sit on the couch wasting this precious time, while Isaac takes a nap and hubby piddles in the garage. I cannot stand wasting days like today - because we work all week and soon it will be winter! (Yes, I start dreading winter about this time of year. In Chicagoland, it's late summer one day, fall the next and BAM snow in October! It's coming...and I'm dreading it!) I feel like we should do something fun on Saturdays, as a family, and enjoy the lovely weather while we can! The chance for a fun Saturday was doomed before it ever got a chance....

We did go to a bowling party last night put on by my company. It was at this cool little 10 lane vintage bowling alley, complete with manual scoring and all. There were supposed to be like 20-30 people there and only about 10 showed up. I bowled a high of ohhhh about 87 lol, but I had fun. I broke one of my acrylic nails, however. Bummer! (Bowling party $20. Babysitter $25. Drinks at party + Ice Cream afterward $20)

Apparently our air conditioner decided it didn't wanna work anymore. The capacitor broke. (Is that anything like the flux capacitor in Back to the Future? Do these HVAC guys make this crap up?) So hubby had to call a repairman to come out this morning. $250'ish later....

While hubby dealt with the a/c fellow, and waited for his new riding lawn mower (that he just HAD to have) to arrive (anywhere between 8:30am and 10:30am...which turned out to be 10:30), I went to get my nail repaired. I wound up getting one nail repaired, a color change, my toes painted and they applied acrylic to my big toenail to even it out (it's growing back after recovering from a fungal nail). I went in planning on spending maybe $10-15....it wound up being $28 plus $5 tip! (Double what my regular place charges! Next time I'll drive the extra few miles to my reg. place!)

Hubby got a flat tire Thursday afternoon, too, and has been driving on a spare. After the A/C guy left and I was getting my nails done, he went to see if they could plug or repair the tire. Apparently if you need a new tire on a 4 wheel drive vehicle, they won't replace just 1 tire. It does something to the differential or some thingy and they recommend all 4 tires. He wasn't sure if they were trying to just sell more tires or what so he chose to wait....drove home on his spare...and did some research online. Yup. It's unanimous. Even the tire manufacturer websites strongly recommend changing all 4 tires for safety reasons and for mechanical reasons. So that'll be another upty-nine-hundred-dollars I'm sure! He's gonna call around Monday to find the best deal.

Sheesh...so far we've blown a small fortune this weekend, and haven't done anything that fabulous. Unless you count eating cardboard-y pizza and sucking at bowling...lol. Hey we did have some laughs with my work mates, and got out of the house.

Need to talk hubby into going and doing something fun before this weekend is over...something cheap or free....but away from this house! All I can think of is soon it'll be winter and we'll be stuck inside. Gotta make the most of what's left of summer!

And please, please - I need everything to stay in working order for awhile!

Get a Grip on Germs...with PhitGrips! (Review)

2010-08-24T20:51:00.000-05:00

If you know anything about me, you know that I am a bit of a germaphobe. I'm a frequent hand-washer, and always have hand sanitizer in my purse and car. I even carry a travel size of what I jokingly call "disease wipes" in my bag, to use on shopping carts, on sticky restaurant high chairs and tables. Porta potties? I have a strict JUST SAY NO policy for those!! LOL

What in the world is a PhitGrip?! To be honest, I myself, had never heard of PhitGrips until just a couple weeks ago. When I heard about them, I became very intrigued and couldn't wait to try them myself.

PhitGrips are basically portable soft rubber grips that were originally designed to fit over the bars of gym equipment and barbells to shield against germs. But that's not their only use -- PhitGrips are a great new product for Moms and Kids - offering protection against all the germs found on grocery cart handles! (Did you know that grocery cart handles have more germs than public restrooms? *CRINGE* Yes, The University of Arizona research team's 2007 study proved that a shopping cart is one of THE germiest surfaces!)

They're totally American made of liquified rubber that has been injected with oxygen to make them light and cushiony. Get this--The ink that they print the logo onto the PhitGrip contains an antimicrobial agent that helps inhibit the growth and spread of bacteria. You rub your hands together occasionally to spread the antimicrobial protection over your entire palm. How cool is that?! You can slip them on and off grocery cart handles easily, then fold them into each other and drop into your purse, reusable grocery bag or diaper bag when you're done shopping. When the logo wears off, that tells you it's time to purchase a new set of PhitGrips. They run $9.99 and can be purchased on the PhitGrips website. It's that simple.

My Experience

I put my PhitGrips right into my purse when they arrived, so I'd be all ready for grocery day, and for any other errands that might come up. They didn't take up too much room in my purse. I ended up using them several times over the last week - for our weekly excursion for groceries, on a couple big-box hardware store runs, and to the drug store.

PROS
I found the PhitGrips so easy to use. They're easy on, easy off and easy to stow away when done, as mentioned earlier. They're definitely cushiony and comfy to use. I felt comfortable just slipping them onto the grocery cart and didn't feel as compelled to use the "disease wipes" as I normally do. I think they'd be great for busy moms on the go - you could use them at the gym, with any store shopping cart, on rental strollers you find at malls or zoos, or even the handles of those plastic shopping baskets that many stores offer customers.

CONS - or Constructive Feedback
I think PhitGrips would be perfect for gym equipment - the grip and comfort they offer is great, not to mention the germ protection. However for shopping cart use -- I wished PhitGrips had a closure to keep them attached to the shopping cart handle, such as velcro or a small plastic snap. I love the concept, the ease of use, and design. However, my 2 year old son was intrigued by them, and kept pulling them off, so it was difficult to take my hands off of the cart to shop. After this happened several times, they became ever so slightly loose and didn't fit as snugly as they had at first. I am hoping as he sees me use them more, the novelty will wear off and he'll let me use my PhitGrips!

My only other observation is that I believe moms would like the product to be available in colors besides black, and perhaps 2 sizes -- the original set of two that is currently available, but also perhaps 1 long PhitGrip to cover the entire grocery cart handle.

All in all, I would definitely recommend to anyone concerned with health and safety (especially with cold and Flu season coming upon us again!) to give PhitGrips a try. They are a versatile product that offers comfort and protection. They're super easy to use, easy to stow and carry. Buying your own "disease wipes" as I call them can really add up, and not all stores offer shopping cart wipes (or are diligent about refilling them) - so having your own protection with PhitGrips is a smart way to protect yourself and your family!

I received a complimentary pair of PhitGrips to try in exchange for my honest opinion and a review of my experience. I did not receive any other compensation or incentive nor was I required to write a positive review.. Individual results or experiences may vary. You may obtain more detailed information from the company's website. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sunday...Getting to Know Me

2010-08-22T16:54:00.003-05:00

I wish it were Sunday...'cause that's my fun day! My I don't have to run day.....
Why do the weekends have to go so fast? Who invented this 5 day work week thing? They oughta be hunted down and kicked! lol. I vote we work 4 days and play 3 days!

Any old hoo....
Thought I'd follow Masshole Mommy and join in on Getting to Know You Sunday hosted at MannLand5.

*to play..copy the questions..post them..then go back to MannLand5 and link up..it's super fun!*

The Q's....
1. If you could host a Reality TV show, which one would it be?
This is a tough one. Maybe a judge on Idol--not the host. I don't like most reality shows...unless you count Biggest Loser....that might be fun too...I love Jillian, even though she scares me. heheh.

2. Do you put your seatbelt on before or after you start the car?
When I'm the driver - before I start the car. As a passenger when hubby's driving - I never seem to have the chance to seal the deal before we're half way down the road!

3. Shave or hair removal cream?
That's a bit personal, don'tcha think? hehe. Actually I shave in the shower using super moisturizing body wash...Like an idiot teenager, I once tried hair removal cream in the bikini area...Holy Chemical Burn Batman! YOWWWWWWWWWWWCH! Never. Again!

4. What's your favorite feature in a house?
My giant L-shaped walk-in closet...and ginormous bathroom. Wish I had the $$ to remodel it into the luxury-spa-oasis I dream of...

5. What is your favorite "Fall" scent?
Fallen leaves, the crisp fall air, apples, and pumpkins, cloves...Mmmm. Can our seasons be Spring, Summer, Fall, Fall?? I have no use for winter whatsoever. Can we just vote it away?

6. What tv show are you looking forward to seeing the most this Fall??
Several, really - Law & Order SVU, a new season of Saturday Night Live and Biggest Loser. I'm still mourning the cancellation of Ugly Betty, I gotta admit.

7. Personal Shopper or Personal Chef?
I am a shopaholic...I wish I could get paid to shop! I'd take the personal chef. Does Vin Diesel know how to cook healthy food?!
8. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of "Fall"?
Pumpkins...and Halloween -- My fave holiday!

My front porch last fall....

Winner - JustPaperRoses.Com Giveaway!

2010-08-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

A big thank you to all for entering, tweeting, following, checking out JustPaperRoses.Com and participating in the JustPaperRoses.Com $100 GiftCertificate giveaway!

A random winner was drawn, using Random.org and the winner is:

Comment # 17 - Marianna !

As always - winner has been notified via email and has 48 hrs to respond to claim their prize....or another random winner will be selected!

Thanks to the folks at JustPaperRoses.Com for their generosity for sponsoring this giveaway!

Lovely Weekend...Korean Festival & Shopping...

2010-08-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

onday again already? Jeez! Weekends just go way too fast!

We had a really nice weekend. We did some outlet mall shopping on Saturday. Didn't buy much but had a nice time browsing and walking. Hit the Old Navy outlet and found a few cute things for Isaac and some cheapo flip flops for mama.

Sunday we cruised the Chicago Korean Street Festival on Bryn Mawr. It was sunny and hot but very nice out. Not hot and humid and unbreathable as it has been recently. We watched a traditional Korean Drum demo, which Isaac seemed to really enjoy. We also watched as kids and adults played some Korean traditional games. Unfortunately we missed all the K-Pop bands, traditional dance and childrens' talent show which were Saturday evening. I hope to sometime get to go on a Saturday late afternoon and see more of the entertainment.

Here is a short video clip of the beginning of the drum demo. Sorry for the shaky camera at one point - but we were sitting and there was some photographer dude who couldn't seem to find anywhere else to stand except directly over my head, leaning almost into me with a large camera!

This week Isaac begins transitioning from the toddler room to the 2 yr old room at daycare. He's already been playing in the 2s room off and on, so I think it will go well. I am sure he will miss his sweet teachers - especially Ms. K who is half-Korean. They seem to have forged a special bond. I wish we could move her with him!

This week is also our 5th wedding anniversary on Wednesday. Five years. Wow. Can't believe it's been that long since we stood on that beach at sunset. We have no major plans...maybe dinner out as a family. Yes I wish we were doing something just the two of us, but we already have an evening out with work folks and have a babysitter coming in about 10 days....

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and has a Fab Monday!

Family Fun For All: Raging Waves Water Park - Yorkville IL

2010-08-10T22:07:00.001-05:00

Because I started a new job just a couple months ago, I've been unable to take off work for a vacation this year. Bummer! We've been trying to do fun things as a family on weekends when we can, but we've really been missing the beach and being able to cool off and play in the ocean.

This past Saturday, we got the cure for our summertime blues, when we headed out to Raging Waves waterpark. We have been wanting to get to Raging Waves for several weeks now, but our trip was delayed when my hubby suffered a fall from the ladder while painting some trim on our home. Fortunately nothing was broken - he was just badly battered and bruised and had to heal before he could return to his full range of physical activities.

Raging Waves is on Route 47, about 50 miles outside of Chicago, in suburban Yorkville IL. tt opened in 2008 and is now Illinois' largest outdoor water park! The park is open from the end of May to the beginning of September (Sept. 6, 2010 is the last day this year). I was impressed to find out that it is a "Green" park - they recycle all the trans-fat-free cooking oil used in their cafes into an alternative fuel! They use solar heat to warm the waters, and use recycled water for irrigation to their beautiful landscaping and provide recycling containers throughout the park.

The park has 18 water slides in all, a lazy river, a wave pool, sandy "beach" area, private cabanas, a kiddie pool/splash area, kiddie water slides, 2 eateries, a gift shop, and really, something for every member of the family, from toddlers to seniors. They get about 3000 visitors a day. They offer free parking (or $5 Preferred parking), lockers to store your gear, free use of life jackets and plenty of lounge chairs for relaxing.

I took a waterproof film camera with us, not wanting to damage or lose my good digital camera, so my photos are still away at the film processor. Bummer! However, here are some pictures from Raging Waves' collection:

Kangaroo Falls - for younger guests

Our Experience

We wanted to arrive when the park opened. It took us about an hour to drive to the park. It was a pleasant drive, a straight shot down Route 47 to Yorkville. We arrived shortly after the park opened at 10:00 a.m. There were quite a few people already there, but parking was plentiful. We opted for the $5 Preferred parking and were able to park close to the entrance. The lines moved quickly and we entered the park without delay. We easily found our way to the main bathroom to change. We found the bathrooms to be fairly clean and were impressed that there were 2 family bathrooms which is great when you have a little one, like we do. (Our son is 2 years old). We rented a locker for our gear, for $6 for the day (with a $5 refundable key deposit which we thought was fair enough), and headed to the lazy river.

One thing I noticed right away at Raging Waves is how CLEAN the park is. This is important to me - if you've read my blog before, you know I'm a germaphobe. I felt completely at ease at Raging Waves - the grounds, the sparkling pools, the slides, food areas, chairs, bathrooms - everything was very clean. The other thing I noticed was even as more and more people arrived - the grounds seem very open and spacious. We never felt cramped, had no problem finding chairs and had no issues leaving our shoes, towels, etc. while we played and swam.

My hubby tried out almost all the big slides--you have to be 48" or taller to go on the larger slides, and our son is only 2 and can't go on everything just yet. He said the lines and wait times weren't too bad really. We waited and watched him on the Three Sisters and he maybe waited 10 minutes.

Isaac and I enjoyed the "Koukaburra Kreek" lazy river immensely. We met up with my hubby at the Kangaroo Falls and Koala Kove kiddie spray/splash pool and had such a blast. Isaac loved the mini water slides, exploring all the spraying areas of Kangaroo Falls. We all got a kick out of the giant bucket that dumps a ton of water over the whole structure! I never had so much fun getting completely soaked in my life!

Hubby's faves were the Three Sisters slide, and the Cyclone! He didn't get to go on the Boomerang because you need at least 2 people over 48" high and it was just the two of us and our 2 year old - I couldn't leave Isaac. I encouraged him to ask another patron to go with him, but he said he'll wait for our next trip when we can take our friends! He was having so much fun anyway, on everything else, that it wasn't a big deal.

We loved the Great Barrier Reef wave pool. It was the next best thing to the beach for me. Isaac loved jumping the waves and playing so much, he never wanted to get out! The park rents inner tubes for use in the wave pool, but we didn't bother. We had just as much fun jumping the waves, splashing and playing in the shallow area with Isaac. They provide tube floats for the lazy river and other rides that require floats, so we didn't feel the need to rent any.

We enjoyed lunch at the Hungry Croc cafe. Hubby had a hamburger, I had a chicken sandwich both with fries and a soft drink, and Isaac had the kids popcorn chicken and apples and milk. Lunch for the 3 of us was about $21 which we found pretty reasonable. The food was fresh, hot, served quickly and hit the spot after all the splashing and fun we'd been having. We did wish that there was a refill option on the $2.75 soft drinks.

We stayed at the park from 10 a.m. until about 3 p.m. - about 5 hours. Our tickets were complimentary, and it was free for Isaac anyway because he is only 2. Ticket prices for a full day are: Adults $26.99, Kids less than 48" tall and Seniors over 62 are $18.99, and 2 yrs old and younger are free. They have reduced prices for late day admission (3pm-close) at Adult $18.99 and Kids 48" and under/Senior $13.99. There are Summer family fun packages, Season passes available, and discounts to be had if you subscribe to subscribe to The Wave - their email newsletter . I think the admission cost is a bit pricey, but considering the park is close to home, we didn't have to do an overnight stay, plus they offer free parking. You can bring your own small cooler with factory sealed bottled water only, but no outside food. We found the food prices to be reasonable though and worth the convenience of just eating in the park.

We had a fabulous fun time, as did our little guy. We definitely recommend Raging Waves to anyone who lives in the Chicagoland area or who wishes to visit Illinois. You can find out more about Raging Waves by visiting their Plan Your Visit page and their park map for details on every ride. It is well worth it to visit Raging Waves. I think your family will really enjoy their day!

When I get my own photos back from the processor---I will add more pictures!

Our tickets were complimentary, in exchange for our honest opinion and review of our experience. We wish to thank Raging Waves for the opportunity to visit their park and share this review with you. We received no compensation or other gratuity. Please see my disclosure policy for further info.

Drink Skinny Margarita Mix Winner

2010-08-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

Using Random.org - a Winner was drawn for my Drink Skinny Margarita Mix Giveaway.

The Winner Is.....

Comment #31 by Melissa Stuff.

As always - winner is notified via email and has 48 hrs to respond to claim their prize....or another random winner will be selected!

Thank you so much to all who Entered, Tweeted & Re-Tweeted and Checked out Drink Skinny Online!

Thank you to the fine folks at Drink Skinny for their generosity & sponsorship!!

Please stay tuned for future giveaways and more fun!

Lasting Beauty....JustPaperRoses.com Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 8-16-10)

2010-08-08T21:09:00.004-05:00

A thing of beauty is a joy forever....(John Keats)

Who doesn't love roses? They're romantic and beautiful and really can lift the spirits and make a person feel loved. Roses that don't wither and fade away are really a special treasure. Imagine a rose that is long lasting, truly unique and a rose that can even be personalized! Where can you find such a rose? --- JustPaperRoses.Com that's where!

I have to admit, I wasn't familiar with JustPaperRoses until just recently. If only I had known about this company sooner! They have such a great variety of custom made individual roses, bouquets, and unique thoughtful gifts for anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and any floral occasion.

I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to review the company's website and a sampling of their products. I received several roses in a beautiful teak bud vase to review, as well as a gorgeous suar wood sculpture called "The Kiss", and a really cute and fun 1st anniversary gift of novelty toilet paper (1st anniversary is the paper anniversary.)

The roses JPR sent me are a sampling of their anniversary roses - 1st Paper, 2nd Cotton, 3rd Leather, 4th Fruit, and 5th Wood.

(Click to Enlarge - Each rose is labeled)

I think JustPaperRoses.com is a very user-friendly website. I like the tabbed browsing at the top of the main page - where gifts are organized by occasion, and that it shows what the traditional material is for each anniversary from the 1st to the 20th, the 25th and 50th. The layout of the site makes shopping so easy. I like that they have gifts for various occasions, gifts that can be personalized with photos or text, and even roses for that perfect romantic proposal! There's even a Free Reminder Service so you never miss another anniversary or occasion!

The items sent to me were well packed and the presentation was very lovely. The roses are made well and are very pretty in the teak vase. They look so pretty in my kitchen! the flower and stems are very realistic -- just like a real longstem with thorns and all! They're all so gorgeous -- the wood rose hand carved and painted, the leather rose so soft, the paper rose so lifelike, the cotton and fruit rose so cute and whimsical...just like the fun Anniversary Toilet paper! What a great way to get a smile out of the one you love...I imagine rolling it out and making a trail, from the front door, leading to a romantic table set for 2....or put out in the morning in bathroom with some chocolate kisses and a coupon for a massage, later? So many fun things you could do with this!

Our 5th (wood) anniversary is just 10 days away so The Kiss - the hand carved wood figure - is the perfect romantic reminder of our first tender kiss. It's beautifully made and really would compliment any decor. I think it'd be a great gift for Valentines day or any occasion of love, really. JPR has The Kiss figure in aluminum also, for the 10th anniversary or for anyone who loves the more modern silver look.

Giveaway

JustPaperRoses.com is generously giving one lucky reader a $100 (US Dollars) Gift Certificate to spend at their website!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit JustPaperRoses.com and browse. Come back and leave a comment - tell me what anniversary is coming up for you and what gift would you choose for your partner? Remember to include your email address in your comment please

Additional Entries:

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Taste of Home: Kentucky Hot Brown

2010-08-05T22:02:00.001-05:00

I've been feeling homesick again lately. I haven't been able to take time off from my new job to travel and make my annual summer trip back to Kentucky to see my friends. When we get back to Kentucky, we usually make a point to eat at a couple of our old favorite restaurants where we can enjoy local specialties that you can't get in Chicago.

One favorite dish that we always enjoyed was a good old Kentucky Hot Brown. This dish was created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville Ky in the 1920's to satisfy the appetite of the hotel's many late night dinner-dance guests. It's basically an open faced turkey sandwich with mornay sauce, but it is heavenly! This is definitely on my list of comfort foods!

The original recipe is below. We recently made our own Hot Browns to satisfy our longing for the taste of home. I made some alterations to make the recipe a bit healthier - and it came out just as tasty, I thought. My substitutions are below in red.

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe

Ingredients (Makes Two Hot Browns):

•2 oz. Whole Butter (I used low fat margarine)

•2 oz. All Purpose Flour

•1 Qt. Heavy Cream (I used fat free cream which makes the sauce take longer to thicken)

•1/2 Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish (We used shredded parmesan which we had on hand)

•Salt & Pepper to Taste

•14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast

•2 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed) (we used whole grain high fiber, low cal bread)

•4 slices of Crispy Bacon (we used center cut bacon, which is lower fat)

•2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in half (We cut into thin slices)

•Paprika, Parsley

In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk whipping cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

**This recipe made more sauce than we needed. I froze half of it for future use.

What is your favorite comfort food from home, that you can't get anywhere else?