Mome reads Mommy, My daughter's way to spell it when she was younger... It stuck. My son calls me Mome... just like it looks. I now sign all my notes to them "Love, Mome". It's our inside secret and makes them smile. I always want them to smile.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Pinypons. Oh the Possibilities

We were recently sent some Pinypons to play with and share with our friends.  Our party had to be delayed due to Puddin Pop getting strep but... She has surely enjoyed playing with them and the Pinypon Caravan.  Definitely not made for littles, as the pieces are super tiny, but for my 6 year old, Hours. of. Fun

The shower really pumps through water and the possibilities of decorating the caravan and setting up mini parties for her Pinypons has been her favorite activity.

Pinypons are miniature figures that are detachable and interchangeable.  From their hair to their accessories, the creative child can come up with tons of figures, personalizing each one.  The heads are also 2 sided with different expressions on each side.

At Pinypon.com, kids can create their own Pinypon.  There are not as many choices are there are with the figures, but seeing it onscreen and having it emailed is another activity PP enjoyed.  Here is the Pinypon she created...

The site also offers games and puzzles.  PP really enjoyed playing when she became too tired from Strep to get off the couch.  It was fun to snuggle up and play together,

I can honestly say that I had more fun playing with all the Pinypons and accessories for the caravan than I ever do playing Barbie.  I believe it's due to the creative options and the ability to change the Pinypons and the caravan decorations.

I think this Shopping Mall might end up coming from Santa this year...



Imagine the hours of fun we can have with it.

Ultimately, Pinypons are a creative toy that can be used in a variety of ways, uses imagination, and gets kids back to playing rather than sitting in front of a game screen.  We give them 2 thumbs up!




**We received our Pinypons for review from MommyParties and Pinypon.  No money influenced our opinions.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

They aren't made any sweeter than this

While finishing up homework, and discussing what everyone felt like having for dinner, Handsome said he wanted a burger from McD's.  I explained that we had plenty of food in the house and I didn't feel as though we had extra money to spend out.

Puddin' Pop said she would buy dinner.

I really tried to discourage her from spending her money on dinner.  Part of felt bad for saying we didn't have the money for it (but we don't) and the other part of me was so proud of my 6 year old and her giving spirit.  It wasn't even her idea to have McD's

We headed to the drive through.  She insisted on "handling" it all.

At the window we discussed prices and the fact that chicken nuggets weren't on the $1 menu.  That's what she was planning on having.  She didn't show any sign of disappointment and said, "I guess I'll have a burger then."

She ordered...

PP~ "I would like to buy 2 double cheeseburgers and 2 small fries for my brother and I."

Window Attendant~ "Will that be all?"

PP~ "Yes.  Thank You."

WA~  "That will be $4.93.  Please pull to the first window."

PP~ (whispering as we pull forward) "Do I have that much?"

Handsome~ "Yes.  You brought $5."

PP~ "Mom.  Please make sure you pull up so I can pay."

I pull to the first window and PP pays.  The smile on the cashiers face was priceless and genuine.

At the second window I had to let the poor guy know that the 2 cheeseburgers needed to be 1) plain and 2) ketchup only.  He looked less that pleased but went to correct the mistake WE had made at ordering,

I pulled up so PP could receive the order.

When the guy came back and saw her with her hand out... another genuine grin, from ear to ear.  She said " Thank You." and off we went.

In the car, Handsome inspected the burgers and concluded that neither had ketchup.  I commented that it was better to have both without than both with.  We have ketchup at home, but it's not so easy to get it off.

We get home and Handsome gets the kethup for his burger.  Puts it on and takes a big bite,  Happy as can be.

PP takes a bite and exclaims, "Mine has ketchup.  It makes me gag."

You can figure out what happened.

She's in tears.  "I bought dinner and I don't even get to eat it,"

I took her to the kitchen and laid out all her options, she wanted nuggets afterall.

I can make nuggets, chicken alfredo, sweet and sour chicken.  chicken and rice...

(I had cut up 2 chicken breasts for dinner but hadn't decided what I wanted to do with them... which started this whole story)

She looked in the fridge and said, "You can just heat me up some soup and give me some crackers." and she said it with a defeated look on her face.

Me~ "PP.  You made such a nice gesture offering to buy your brother and yourself dinner because you knew he wanted a burger.  You didn't even complain when you realized that you didn't have enough for chicken nuggets since they weren't on the $1 menu.  Please let me make you something that you will enjoy."

PP~ "The whole point, Mom, was to make Hunter happy and to not make you cook."

I held back the tears, barely, and got her her soup and crackers.




Friday, November 16, 2012

1st Grade Math

Gotta love 1st grade coin math...

Me: Puddin Pop, are you sure you"ll have time for breakfast?

PP: Mom, I don't even use a quarter of the time they give us for breakfast. I don"t think I even use a Penny of it.

♥ that girl!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Oh What a Day...

It's too tough to re-post all the drama.  Here's what was sent to FB, by me, This wonderful Halloween... Enjoy.



Sent in a maintenance request at 630 am for heat. Got a call at 640 and it's already been fixed. Can't say enough about the level of customer service I receive since moving and, due to unfortunate circumstances, becoming a renter again. They may never get me to move out.

I also work with the BEST people (thanks, West Marine ~ Hampton) who are insisting I stay home today to take care of a (still) sick little girl. Her fever is gone but she woke up coughing so hard she could barely breath.

This is my good friend Cassandra.  She KNOWS my hatred of spiders and posts this pic with the following comment...

I just did a spell to send a big hairy spider to your door for trick or treats. Just kidding. #notawitch
That wasn't a bad thing.  Just fun and I thought I would get her back by posting her pic and "threat" here :)

Holy naked fire drill. 2 steps out of the shower and the smoke detector goes off. Take the carbon monoxide alarm off wall and ripped the batteries out but the beeping kept on. That's when I realized it was smoke alarm. Drop the towel so as not to trip over it as I sprint down the stairs to get a chair. Still couldn't get it to stop. Tried everything short of ripping it out of the ceiling. Maintenance is now replacing it since it's electric and caulked to the ceiling. My ears hurt


When your 6 year old realizes she REALLY isn't going trick-or-treating, and loses her mind, it's important to be flexible. My flexibility leans towards abandoning the pork chops and ordering dinner from Sunrise Pizzeria. Then, to keep little minds preoccupied, carving pumpkins. This day just keeps getting better. Oh, and I have no candy to give out either. Anything else?

So.  That's my day.  Now I'm going to pour a nice glass of wine and hand out candy with miserable baby girl.

Happy Halloween!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

#BlogChile Sauvignon Blancs

What a great time.

Last night a group of bloggers got together, virtually, with Chilean Winemakers and Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer for a night of Wine Tasting and a Q & A session.  12 wines were featured and Fred was actually in Chile sitting with the winemakers to discuss the wines.  Most of us were at home.  A select few were actually in Chile.  I was envious of those in Chile until I found out they were put together in a separate room from the Wine Makers and Fred.  So close.  I enjoyed being at home in my lounge clothes on the couch.

There were 4 varietals so I'll break up the posts to feature each.

First up...

Sauvignon Blanc.

I'm, for the most part, a Red drinker.  I occasionally enjoy a crisp white on hot Summer days.  The weather here was in the 80's yesterday so the timing on these whites was Perfect.

First up


Vina Casablanca Nimbus Single Vineyard 2012
Casablanca Valley
SRP $12.99


Wine Maker's Notes
Harvest
Hand Picked Grapes. The selection of fruit is done in the vineyard to avoid oxidation.

Vinification 
 ~ Cold maceration for 4 hours at 50*
~ Fermented in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts between 50-56* for 3                weeks
~ Battonage process for one month to achieve smooth texture
Tasting Notes
Nose: Nose is laden with minerality and dried lemons, characteristic of it's cool maritime climate
Palate: Firm acidity with notes of thyme and lime, and a lingering finish of tart apple.

My Thoughts...  This wine was crisp and sweet with a creamy citrus and peach palate.  It is a great outdoor wine and left me craving crab legs.



San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard 2011
Leyda Valley
SRP $19


 Wine Maker's Notes
HarvestHand Picked the last week of March
Vinification
~ Destemmed, cooled and macerated in the press for 4-6 hours at 46*
~ Alcoholic fermentation took place with selected yeasts and controlled temperatures between 51* and 53* under completely reductive conditions
Tasting Notes
Nose: Intense and delicate nose that stands out for it's freshness and complexity, mainly marked by citrus fruits such as grapefruit and lime, tropical fruits and mineral notes.
Palate: Fresh and fruity on the palate with extraordinary volume, minerality, well-marked acidity and lingering finish.
My Thoughts...  Crisp with lots of grape and grapefruit, hints of bell pepper and grass.

**Others thought this had an early hint of asparagus.  I'm thinking I may need to work on allowing my palate to reach further.


Casa Silva Cool Coast 2011
Colchagua Valley 
SRP $25

Wine Maker's Notes
HarvestHand-picked between March 15- March 21
Vinification~ Grapes were cooled down below 41* upon arrival at the winery
~ Bunches were hand sorted before being pressed to select onl the best grapes
~ Whole bunches were crushed and the juice was immediately separated without maceration
~ Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks for 24 days at 55*
~ Aged in 100% stainless steel tanks
Tasting Notes
Nose: Intense aromas of fresh Pineapple with citric notes
Palate: Firm with refreshing acidity and minerality with a very elegant and long finish.

My Thoughts... Zippy acidity with effervescence, hints of apple and lots of lime.  Long Finish

**Best quote on this one from @vinegeek "Pineapple-y Lightsaber"  Classic!

I really enjoyed all of these.  The Nimbus was my favorite

Stay tuned for Part 2...

The Pinot Noir Collection

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

#BlogChile Tonight!

A bunch of bloggers, Fred Dexheimer, Chilean Wine makers and 12 wines make up tonight's event.  If you are interested in learning more about wines from this region, follow us on Twitter.  We'll be blogging live using #blogchile. 

12 wines in 2 hours.  3 whites and 9 reds.

It'll be fast and furious...

and it's ALWAYS a good time!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Camembert, Pork, Salad, and Wine. GNI

We had another Girls Night In. A monthly "catch up" with neighbor moms. We cook, we drink, we eat and chat. It's a relaxing evening with no children and no driving. Here's what we had...


The wine. Okay. That's just a pic of the wine I brought. The others were drinking 3 buck Chuck. A Pinot Grigio and a White Zin. I chose this Cabernet and loved the peppery, dark berry
and chocolate flavors. It complimented the food nicely and was also great as an after dinner beverage to relax and sip on. Medium bodied with a very smooth finish.


The appetizer. Camembert cheese topped with an apricot glaze and butter toffee almonds. The picture doesn't do it justice. The apricot glaze was on top when I left the house but had melted in by the time I travelled to my neighbors house. It was delicious, regardless, and we had Wheat Thins to dip in it.


The meal. Pork medallions in a onion/mushroom gravy served over brown rice, accompanied with a salad comprised of romaine, craisins, red onion, butter toffee almonds and bleu cheese crumbles tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette.

My mouth is watering as I type this.

How do you spend your evenings with friends?



We do a monthly GNI and very much enjoy trying new recipes. I was sent the Camembert cheese from Ile de France to try and review. I was not compensated in any other way.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Creative Discipline

Sometimes I just run out of solutions.

When the kids play nice together it is bliss.  When they don't, it grates on my last nerve.  The things they find to fight over blows my mind.  It's never anything important.  It's almost always provoked by one and escalated by the other.  Hitting, kicking and pushing are not acceptable so, someone always gets sent to their room and the other walks away with full privileges.

Not Today!

Puddin Pop snatches a toy off the desk, that no one plays with and immediately Handsome insists it's his and chases her to get it.  She resists, he kicks her, and now I need to come up with something creative to get it through their thick skulls that this behavior is unacceptable and maddening.

The Toy...


Yep.  A stupid Happy Meal skateboard.

I wanted them both to understand how ridiculous their behavior was, so...

Handsome got sent to his room for hitting.  30 minutes.

Puddin Pop had to play with the toy for that entire 30 minutes.  With nothing else.

When Handsome came down after 30 minutes she had to give the skateboard to him, which she gladly did, and he then had to play with it for 30 minutes.

Think they'll fight over it again?

What would you have done?

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Why it's important to clean out the fridge. OR... How I almost poisoned my kid.



There is nothing I like better than looking at the school lunch calendar and finding entrees both kids like.  Something about the monotony of making lunches drives me batty.  It's nice to break up the morning routine and NOT have to pack anything.  It's rare that they are serving something they both like.  Handsome will ALWAYS chose pizza, corn dog nuggets and chili/cheese nachos, on occasion he'll also get sliders.  Puddin Pop will do popcorn chicken (as long as I send  a side of honey), baked chicken or teriyaki chicken and, on occasion, sliders.  Hardly ever are they on the same day.  One Monday a month they have both popcorn chicken and pizza.  That's my favorite day.

Friday was an early release day.  Looking forward to Spring Break starting, I was oblivious to my normal lunch making aversion.  Handsome got his usual PB&J and Puddin Pop opted for Turkey roll-ups with cheese and crackers (only because we were out of Ramen).  The turkey looked a little funny.  A little darker and a little drier than normal.  I knew I had just bought it and eaten some earlier in the week so, I smelled it and decided it was fine.  I would have tasted it but, it was 7:30 and I was enjoying a cup of vanilla nut mocha mint coffee.  Turkey, good or bad, wasn't going to taste good with that.  Lunches packed and off to school they went.

I spent the next hour or so doing some chores, or catching up on FB games.  You pick.  It's not relevant to the story.

At a little after 10, I decided to make a salad, which turned into Nachos (also not relevant) when I came across the NEW package of turkey in the salad crisper.  Crap.  That makes the stuff I packed for Puddin Pop at least 2 months old.  Crap.  Crap.  Crap.   I went into panic mode... and I rationalized.  If it's bad, she won't eat it.  She won't have much to eat but, she gets out at 1:30 so it's not like she can't eat then, right?

That reasoning lasted about 2 minutes before I went back into panic mode.  I opened a can of spaghetti O's, which I would have packed in the first place if I had remembered buying them.  I ran upstairs to put on make-up.  Not sure why this was important.  I rarely wear make-up and everyone at the school has seen me without. I guess I felt less like the Loser-Mom-Who-sent-spoiled-food-in-her-kid's-lunch with make-up on.  I wasn't thinking, I was reacting.

I threw the Spaghetti-O's into her thermos, grabbed a spoon and ran out the door.  Being it was an early release day I wasn't sure what time her lunch was but knew it was already happening or happening soon.  I showed up in the office at 10:35 and saw kids already in the lunchroom.  I announced I was there to have lunch with my daughter and asked when they ate. 10:40.  They would be down any minute.

What could have been an ugly experience for PP, turned into a Mommy and Me lunch date and a lunch replacement that was even more pleasing than the original.  We had a great time and she LOVED having me join her.

Don't let this happen to you.

Clean out your fridge.




Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Toast the Red Carpet with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

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This Best Ever Breakfast Sandwich looks amazing and super easy to make.

 

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

To My Babies... Happy Valentines Day

Dear Precious Children of Mine,

You are my heart and soul.  The reason I breathe and wake up every morning.  You are everything I ever dreamed of and so much more.

Handsome~
You are my mini me.  You are smart, witty and quick tongued.  You are all boy, rugged and tough, but still have a sensitive side when no one else is looking.   You say what's on your mind with little filter and I appreciate that... even when it hurts.  You are intelligent enough to spell out the "bad" words even though your sister has no clue.  You know what words you've heard should not be repeated and still know how to use them for effect.  Sorry I taught you that.  You have the ability to be GREAT at anything you put your mind and focus to.  I hope you know that you are the person that made me a mom and I couldn't love you more for that.  You are everything I hoped and dreamed for in a little boy and my heart gets bigger every day I get to share with you.

Puddin Pop~You are the little girl I always dreamed of.  You bring out a girly side I never knew I had.  You make me appreciate all things girly and enjoy finding new ways to share in your happiness for all things "girl". You bring a smile to the face of everyone you meet.  You are generous and giving and very soft hearted.  You are also tough and witty, creative and dramatic.  I love your spirit and the ability to cheer anyone up.  You make me smile every day and my heart also grows each day I have with you.

I love you both and with you my life is complete.

Thank You for Being You,

Always,
 Mom

Not necessarily meant in this context but this is totally how I feel about both of you right now.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Valentines with VnC "The Kiss"



Oh My!

I was sent this tasty treat from Briana @ EFG.  Thanks Lady.  It was packaged in that pretty box with pink bow.  Inside were decorative packing ribbon and iridescent hearts.  It screamed Valentines.

It was also AMAZING.

This Pomegranate Cosmo is perfectly made.  I have a habit of over pouring the liquor when mixing drinks.  This comes fully made so there's no room for error.  You just chill, pour and ENJOY!.  I invited my neighbor over to sample this Cosmo with me and we both determined it to be one of the best drinks we've had.  It's 14%  alcohol by volume so just slightly stronger than my normal glass of wine.  It's fruity, but not too much so, and was a nice change to our normal wine sipping.

VnC cocktails are the brainchild or entrepreneur Shane McKillen who was tired of spending all his time mixing drinks at parties.  He created VnC in 2007.  All the ready-to-serve cocktails contain 100% natural fruit juice and NO preservatives.  They are made with 13.9% New Zealand Vodka or Premium Tequila and are all 150 calories or less per serving.


Whether celebrating Valentines Day, a special occasion, or just to get together with friends.  Let VnC do the work,   You can spend your time enjoying the company.   There's something for everyone and your guests will enjoy your company as much as they love the drinks you're serving.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Pinterest. Love. #2 Sliders.

I. Love. Pinterest.

I'm sharing the results and reactions of all the stuff were making, spread across my 3 blogs to put them in relevant spots.  If you haven't yet found Pinterest, I'll warn you, It's addicting.  Now go check for yourself.

Hamburger Sliders

This recipe was super easy.  We modified it to meet our tastes and it was delicious.  This would be great for the big game this weekend or any tailgating parties.

What You'll Need:
2 lbs hamburger
2 dozen rolls (we used Kings Hawaiian, for the sweetness)
6 slices of cheese
Favorite seasonings




 Season meat and press into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.


Take out of oven (there will be some shrinkage) and cover with 6 slices of your favorite cheese) It only takes a few minutes for the cheese to melt.  While you're waiting you can slice the rolls.  No need to separate them all, just cut the tops off.  I left them in bunches of 6.


With a spatula, cut hamburger into 24 squares and place on buns.


Put tops back on and serve.


We had ours with baked beans, corn on the cob and sweet potato fries.


Since there are only 3 of us, and this recipe makes 24, I just slid the extra 12 right back into the roll package.  I had intended to freeze them for a later date but they were so melt-in-your-mouth yummy that they became the after school snack for the next few days.


Credit:
The original recipe can be found at Smockity Frocks.  She uses dehydrated onions and adds pickles.

Pinterest. Love. #1

I'm in love with Pinterest, and not in just a voyeur kind of way.  We are actually making some of the recipes and playing with our hair like we never have before.  As I complete different pins, I'll share the results so you can be just as addicted.  No one needs to go through this alone.

Hair
Puddin Pop has super straight hair.  She gets it from me.  It used to have beautiful curls, but they got fewer and fewer with each haircut.  She's not super fond of having it brushed, either, but her desire for beauty is super-ceding the fear of tangled pain so we've gotten very experimental.

We saw a pin for overnight styling and just had to try it.

You start of with wet hair and section it.  We did it in 8 sections but you can do more or less based on amount of waviness desired, and patience of yourself and child.

You twirl each section until it starts to coil.  Complete coil and rubber-band so it will stay.  Ours looked like this...

click to enlarge


Then you just sleep on it.  Depending on thickness of hair and how long it normally takes to dry, you could also spritz it instead of doing it straight out of the tub to insure it would be dry in time for school the next morning.

One of our sections came on done during the night but we just comprimised with a curling iron on that section.  The rest was just taken out of the bands and fluffed by running our fingers through the curls.

The end result was this...





Beautiful Waves that stayed all day.

Credit:
The original Pin came from Perfect Locks.

What pins have you accomplished?

Saturday, January 14, 2012

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast is LIVE


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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Before you get rid of that Train Table, Read This.

If you have a little boy, you more than likely have trains.  You may even be fortunate enough to have a train table for him to play on.  Or your little girl may love trains.  Either way, this may be helpful.

My son LOVED anything with wheels.  Cars, Trucks, and Trains always made him light up.  A friend of mine was getting rid of her sons' train table as she felt they had outgrown it.  I bet she's banging her head against the wall right now.  I purchased it as a reasonable price and gave it to our son for his 2nd (or 3rd) Christmas.  He spent hours setting up his new train track and rolling the trains through all the loops.  He eventually moved away from trains and it sat unused in our den.

It later got recycled as a platform (with plywood on top) for a 75 gallon fish tank that Handsome had in his room.  This is what you end up with when the State Fair goldfish dies and you have a husband who doesn't understand what moderation is.

Moving on...

When the Fish tank became boring and too much work, the fish were sold and the tank removed.  Now we had an almost 8 year old with a train table in his room.  I can hear you gasp.  He was quite mortified too.  We had talked about removing it and then I had an even better idea.  It happens every once in a while.

What do little boys (and girls too) transition into after trains, cars and trucks?  You know what I'm talking about.  Those colored blocks that hurt like a son-of-a-gun when stepped on barefoot.  Yep.  Legos.  We have tons and tons of Legos.  How do we contain them all?  What about those super deep drawers that pull out from either side on the train table?

And so it was done.

One of the drawers with random pieces.




This is the scene Handsome is currently working on.  He loves to free-build and set up "attack" scenes.

He will disappear for an hour or more at a time and just add to his creations.  All his Legos are in his room.  He can leave them set up for later or take it down and start over.

Best part?

Can't remember the last time I stepped on a Lego piece.  That'll make you smile if it's ever happened to you.