Momo Fali Reviews

Tassimo Home Brewing System by Bosch Giveaway

2010-12-30T20:52:00.005-05:00

I have a lot of things on my plate. I work two, part-time jobs, I blog, do volunteer work and juggle my children’s sports practices, games, therapy and Scouting activities. I do the laundry, occasionally cook a meal and try my best to keep the house clean . Also, I don’t sleep.

Because I am so busy, I like to be efficient. That means keeping lists (lots of them) and multi-tasking. If I’m on a conference call, I will also be emptying the dishwasher. If I’m sitting in the waiting room at the dentist’s office, I will type a blog post. (This one is brought to you between kid #1’s cleaning and kid #2’s sealants.)

Many years ago, my BFF showed me a new coffee maker she had purchased. It was one of the first single-cup, coffee makers on the market. I was amazed at how she had a steaming, hot cup of coffee ready in seconds, but it seemed too extravagant for me. She has, for nearly a decade, told me that I’m crazy for not owning one. There is no need to multi-task when you only have to wait about a minute for your coffee.

Now, let’s fast forward to 2009, when my mom purchased a single-cup, coffee maker. This made sense to me. For a single woman, who doesn’t need to make a full pot of coffee, it seemed ideal. Even though I frequently made myself a cup of tea or coffee (and an occasional hot chocolate) when I was visiting her, I still never considered buying one for myself.

When this winter rolled around, I started doing what I always do at this time of year. I retrieved my kettle from its storage shelf so that I could enjoy my green tea, or chai lattes in the evening and more than a few times, I have hit the local coffeehouse for a cup of hot goodness to warm me in the afternoon as I wait for the kids to get out of school.

But, there are a lot of times I boil water, put my tea bag in, then walk away to accomplish a task while it’s soaking, only to return an hour later to find a cold cup of strong tea. Plus, having coffee made by a barista isn’t exactly cheap. No matter how good my coffee is, it never gets easier to fork out $3.15 for a cup of it.

So, when Tassimo asked me if I would like to try their Home Brewing System by Bosch, I jumped at the chance. I had heard nothing but good things from my BFF and my mom about having a hot drink ready in seconds. Really, they have done nothing but rave about it.

I hate it when they’re right.

The Tassimo T20 lets you have the drink of your choice in no time at all. It’s so easy that the kids can make their own hot chocolate and I haven’t stopped at the local coffee shop one time since I received it. My husband can enjoy a cup of dark roast, while I enjoy a milder blend and both of us will be sipping away long before our traditional coffee pot would have started dripping.

And, if cappuccino or espresso is your thing, this mighty, little machine can make that too. To be exact, there are over 40 different beverage and flavor varieties (which, technically, makes my new coffee maker the most diverse single-cupper on the market. Just sayin'.)

As much as I don't want to say that my BFF told me so (and has been telling me so for years), I’m going to have to admit it. My Tassimo makes me more efficient. I love it.

And, the best part is that Tassimo wants to give one lucky reader a chance to love it too!

To enter for a chance to win your own Tassimo T20:

1. Leave a comment on this post (make sure you have a valid e-mail address so I can contact you if you win).
2. Tweet a link to this contest and leave your tweet URL in a comment here.
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave your blog URL in a comment here.

This contest is open to US residents and ends at 6:00pm EST on 1/7/11.

**Congratulations, Mandibone! You are the winner!**

Wii Party!

2010-11-24T20:29:00.001-05:00

When I was dating my husband, I fell in love with him because he was kind, handsome and funny, but most of all because he had a mean competitive streak.

The two of us would battle against each other each day to see who would be the first to finish the crossword puzzle from our local paper. It drove him crazy when I beat him. Often.

Our kids have, naturally, inherited our love of games and the good-natured competition that goes with them. This was never more evident than when we purchased our Ninendo Wii Video Game Console.

You just haven't seen a real game until you've seen your 76 year old mother bowling against your 11 year old daughter. Grandma can get a little crazy.

The best part is that we have taken our games off of the dining room table and put them right in the middle of our living room. We ski, play tennis, fly airplanes, fish and drive race cars and we do it together as a family.

The kids love the Wii, because it provides constant entertainment. My husband loves the Wii, because he can occasionally beat our eight year old son at Mario Kart. I love the Wii, because it keeps everyone moving.

Our latest acquisition is Wii Party. I love a good party and I wanted to live up to the game's name, so that's exactly what we had. A Wii party! We invited a few friends and their kids over on Saturday afternoon for some family fun.

First, we needed sustenance. The pizza went a lot faster than the fruit and veggies though!

We had a TON of laughs creating our Mii characters. Here, my friend tries to imitate the eyes we gave her before she arrived.

The kids got the party started!

A disco ball and balloons make all parties better!

My son listens for animal sounds during Hide and Hunt. The Wii Party version of Hide and Seek! So fun!

The adults enjoy a game of Time Bomb. They need to work on their skills. Just sayin'.

Then we handed out trophies!

I can honestly say that we have not had that much fun in a long while! We had such a great time that our friend sent us an e-mail the next day and said he's planning a Wii party at his house. I'm already looking forward to it. After all, I love a good party.

And, a little, friendly competition.

Sparkling Memories

2010-11-17T07:16:00.005-05:00

This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and Welch's.

My daughter was born premature on December 29, 1998. She weighed just 2.5 pounds and because she was so fragile, I wasn't able to hold her in my arms until she was off her respirator two days later. It was New Year's Eve. When I held her that afternoon, I knew the holiday would forever be linked with an amazing memory of cradling my baby for the first time.

Later that night, as the clock approached midnight in the pediatric intensive care unit, my husband and I stood next to our tiny daughter. We were the only parents on the floor. As the nurses quietly rang in the New Year at the nurse's station, my husband and I each reached in and put one hand on our newborn child. In the other hand, each of us held a glass of sparkling grape juice. When the countdown to 1999 was complete, we toasted to our little girl.

Every year since then, New Year's Eve has been a very special celebration for our family. We make dinner together, then sit down at a candlelit table. There are usually a couple of lobsters, some steak, veggies, homemade rolls...and there is always a bottle of Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice.

In 2002, we had a son who was also premature. So now, on New Year's Eve, while the adults are sipping champagne, the two kids have fun drinking bubbly juice from Welch's in fancy glasses. We toast to both of them, always remembering the first time we shared this holiday as a family.

That's my preemie. She's not so little any more!

They love the taste! And, the bubbles! I love the memories.

Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice has been helping us celebrate our good fortune for a long time and now BlogHer wants to help you celebrate the holidays by giving one lucky commenter a $100 Visa giftcard!

For a chance to win, simply check out the following drink recipes, leave a comment on this post and tell me which one you would like your family to try (if you don't sign in with an account, please make sure to leave me a valid e-mail address).

Personally, I like the Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer, because bubbles and cherries! Oh my!

Holiday Toasting Cup

Spiced Grape Punch

Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer

After you leave your comment, be sure to check out the eleven other bloggers' holiday stories for more chances to win!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) Click this link and provide your email address and your response to the sweepstakes prompt

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

For Official Rules click here. Sweepstakes ends 5 PM PST on December 31, 2010.

Good luck and happy holidays from BlogHer, Welch's and me!

Think Pink

2010-10-13T16:04:00.001-04:00

One of the most inspirational women I know is my sister-in-law. She is a mother of five, a nurse, wife, friend, sister and breast cancer survivor.

My sister-in-law does not inspire me because she's a survivor, but because of the journey she took so I would be able to call her one. I knew a lot of other inspirational women who didn't survive the disease.

All of them fought hard, through pain, nausea, weakness, hair loss, hospitalizations, infections and surgeries. The least I can do to honor them is give a little back to their cause.

Each year, I participate in the Komen Race for the Cure, but Hanes has made it possible for me to show my support more than just one day a year. They have a new program which allows people to design and buy their own shirts to support the fight against breast cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so there is no better time to get involved. Not only can you share and wear your personalized message of hope, but Hanes will also donate 10% of the proceeds from the sale of these custom shirts to Komen for the Cure. You can create awareness and help support the cause all at the same time.

And, if you aren't feeling creative, then check out the Hanes Pink Collection with super-cute, reasonably priced apparel all designed to inspire.

Help support this worthy cause! Really. It's the least we can do.

Heal Thyself

2010-09-27T20:46:00.007-04:00

In early 1999, just after my daughter was born 10 weeks premature, I learned a lot of new words. The hospital has a lingo all its own and when you have a baby in the NICU you get a crash course in anatomy, ailments, monitors and medicine. To be completely honest, before our daughter came along we didn't even know that NICU stood for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

It was there where we learned how to take care of our tiny, new arrival. The nurses taught us what to do if her breathing slowed and they showed us how to touch her with firm hands because being gentle startled her.

The NICU is full of science and full of caring. It was where I saw my daughter being tube-fed and it is where I held her skin-to-skin because I was told it would help her grow. It is a place of delicate balance.

It was in the NICU that I first heard of Aquaphor.

I arrived at the hospital one day to find a small jar with a pharmacy label on it. My daughter had been prescribed a mixture of Aquaphor and Maalox to treat her very first diaper rash.

Let's just say that it wasn't the only time we used that jar. My little girl was famous for her middle of the night, up the back poops. She didn't just get a red bottom, but rather a red area stretching from her diaper to her neck.

Now, more than a decade later, I am working in the cafeteria at my kids' school. I never thought I would wash my hands more than I did when my daughter was in the hospital, but there is something about preparing food for hundreds of children that makes you want to keep your hands clean.

During the school year, especially throughout winter, my hands are more red and cracked than my daughter's rear-end ever was.

When Eucerin contacted me and asked if I would like to try one of their products, I jumped at the chance to sample their Healing Ointment. This would also be when I slapped myself in the forehead, because I hadn't thought of using it for my dry, chapped hands.

For the past week I have been putting the Healing Ointment on my hands and feet before I go to bed. In order to get the most out of the product, I have been wearing socks and gloves. I know that seems extreme, but you haven't seen my dry skin.

And, you know what? You won't see it. I now have the smoothest skin I can ever remember. After years of spending a lot of money on pricey lotions, it took a week of Aquaphor and some old gloves to heal me.

The generous folks at Eucerin want to heal your skin too. They have asked me to choose two lucky readers to receive an Aquaphor Wonder Set, valued at $33.00, which includes the following:
Aquaphor Lip Repair: Aquaphor Lip Repair effectively relieves dryness and soothes chapped lips so you can smile comfortably. Provides immediate and long-lasting relief for dry lips, seals in moisture and prevents dryness. Fragrance-free, preservative-free, dye-free and appropriate for sensitive lips.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment: Protects extremely dry, chapped, cracked or irritated skin and helps enhance the skin’s natural healing process. The multi-purpose ointment is safe to use on babies’ sensitive skin; it relieves chapped cheeks, treats diaper rash and relieves dry skin associated with eczema.

Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo: A convenient cleanser that gently cleanses both skin and hair. Enriched with soothing chamomile and provitamin B5, it is specially designed to be gentle for baby’s sensitive skin. Soap-free, fragrance-free, tear-free and pediatrician recommended.
To enter, leave a comment on this post (please provide a valid e-mail address) before noon EST on Friday, October 8, 2010. For an extra entry just tweet a link to this page (add @Momofali to your tweet).
Good luck and happy healing!

*UPDATE* Congratulations to Amy and Shelly! Your Aquaphor will be shipped soon! Enjoy!

Go Ahead, Bite the Big Apple

2010-07-11T21:58:00.010-04:00

In case you don't know much about good music, I will tell you that the title of this post comes from the song, "Shattered" by The Rolling Stones. Also if you didn't know that, then we can't be friends.

Shattered is the way I feel when I go shopping for dresses. I hate shopping for dresses. Especially when I have to find something. When I don't have money, or when I don't need anything, there are gowns virtually diving into my shopping bag. I have no idea how it happens.

But, when there is an upcoming occasion where it's imperative to look cute...oh, say like a conference in New York....ultimately, I end up dissappointed. I have said before that I am not a petite flower. It is hard to find stylish, dressy clothing when you're the size of Gigantor.

Therefore, I was skeptical when Shabby Apple wanted me to try out one of their dresses. I first began drooling over Shabby Apple when my bloggy friend, Bossy, spoke of them, but let's understand something, shall we? My body doesn't look like Bossy's. At all. I was really worried that I would get a dress and not even fit in it, let alone look nice.

Then I saw the dress on a model and was surprised to see that she looked just like me! Only with brown hair, gorgeous cheekbones, well-toned arms and slender hips. As you can imagine, this completely reassured me not at all.

But, I went for it and look at me! I have a waist and my arms fit in the armholes and I look like I have a neck instead of a stump of chin! I love this dress. It's stylish and breezy and I can't wait to wear it in New York.

Finding a dress I like isn't even the best part of this, because Shabby Apple donates 5% of their net dress sales to a charity that helps women in poverty worldwide. Each Shabby Apple dress comes with a hang tag with a personal story from one of these women. I cried when I read mine, and I wasn't even hormonal.

Check out the amazing clothing and accessories at http://www.shabbyapple.com/, where you can also find style advice, clothes for preteens and girls and help women all over the world gain financial freedom.

And that last part, makes Shabby Apple especially tasty.

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

2010-04-27T20:04:00.020-04:00

I make ugly cakes. No, really. I once made my husband a camouflage cake and it wasn't even on purpose. My cakes are notoriously hideous. I am including proof.

This is a cake I made for my husband. Note that after I wrote his name, I wanted to use up the rest of the icing so I made little flowers around the edges. That is my M.O., as are the flecks of cake which you can see through the icing around the candles. The mismatched candles.

This is another birthday cake I made for my husband. I crossed out his name to save him from embarrassment. As you can see, I didn't even attempt to hide the cake I ripped up with icing (on the left side). See how I put three candles on the left and six candles on the right because it was his 36th birthday? I. Am. Brilliant.

This is quite possibly the worst cake ever created. I made this masterpiece for my son's second birthday. See the "2" in each corner? My poor boy took one look at this cake and burst into tears. I can't say I blame him.

As you can see, my husband bears the brunt of my poor decorating skills. I was truly starting to feel sorry for him, so this year I turned to a professional. Krazy Kakes is a family-owned, Columbus business and I clearly needed their help.

I told the cake designer that I wanted a small cake and that my husband is a huge fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Have you ever seen a Buckeye helmet?

Now, look at the cake.

Isn't that awesome? I was way impressed with the colors and the design. Here's the cake with Brutus on top.

Even cooler, right? My husband loved the look, we all loved the taste and those candy Buckeyes didn't last much longer than a minute.

This is all that was left when we were through.

The good news? I will never make another hideous cake. The better news? You have a chance to win a Krazy Kake!

Krazy Kakes is offering one lucky winner a free cake! It can be circle, square, hexagon, or oval, can feed about 8-10 people and can be any flavor of cake and frosting. Your cake can also be covered in fondant if you want something fancy.

Just leave a comment on this post (with a valid e-mail address, please, so I can contact you if you're the winner) before Friday, May 7, 2010 at noon EST and you will be entered to win. The winner must redeem this offer before May 7, 2011. You must live within 20 miles of Columbus, Ohio to be eligible to win.

People, if your cakes look anything remotely like mine, you should enter this drawing. Your family will thank you.

Update: Congratulations to Christina (comment #1)! You are the lucky winner! Enjoy your cake!

I'm an Admiral in the Old Navy

2010-04-08T22:02:00.013-04:00

I can't really begin to tell you how much I love Old Navy. For real. Like I would marry it. You can't beat the cuteness, you can't beat the price and you can't beat the quality. Enough said.

Well, no. It's not enough said. Because recently, I decided it was time for me to get some new clothes. I didn't get myself much of anything for fall or winter and had cleaned out my closet which ended up looking like Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

So, I walked into Old Navy with $100.00 and here's what I walked out with.

This cute, green shirt.

This soft, breezy and super-comfortable skirt.

Three pairs of flip-flops. One gray, one blue and one orange.

Some stylish, cargo-capris.

A cozy, long-sleeved tee shirt.

Two stainless-steel, water bottles...because the two I already have weren't enough.

And a crisp, white polo shirt.

And, after buying TEN items, I still have some money in my pocket! Which is why I think I want these shoes.What am I talking about? I need these shoes! Right? Right? Good. I'm glad we could all agree.

No Longer a Spectacle

2010-02-21T15:59:00.009-05:00

When I was seven years old I got my first pair of eyeglasses. I clearly remember one of my second grade classmates calling me "four-eyes", until our teacher heard him and made him stop and apologize. I hated those glasses.

In junior high school, I was one of the few girls who had to wear glasses. It was the 80's and, as luck would have it, kids started wearing "fake" glasses to look cool. This would have been perfect for my pubescent-self had they actually made nice looking prescription glasses back then. While everyone was walking around in black, round, plastic frames, I was stuck with gold, oval ones. I hated those glasses too.

When I was finally old enough, I got contacts. I have to be honest, I was not a big fan. My eyes were always dry and itchy, they were a pain to take care of and there is no feeling like having a gas-permeable contact lens that gets lost in your eye. If there had been a better selection of eyeglass frames on the market, I would have never stuck those things in my eyes.

Thankfully, along came LASIK! I was one of the first people to sign up, but the doctor wouldn't do the surgery until I had been contact-free for six months. By this point in my life, I was nearly blind and my glasses were thick and chunky. My co-workers called them pop bottles. Guess how much I hated that pair?

But, it was worth it to walk around like Mr. Magoo for six months so I could get LASIK! I liked it so much, I got it twice. That's right. I had LASIK twice, and guess who still has to wear glasses? Mmm hmm. That would be me.

I certainly wasn't going back to contacts after knowing how good my eyes felt after more than a year without them. Luckily, times have changed and there are companies making good looking frames now. Like this cute pair I just got from GlassesUSA.com.

Here's me (and my son whose identity I'm concealing for his privacy...okay, not true, I'm just a bad photographer) sporting my new, funky, bold, brown-on-top, clear-on-the-bottom glasses. You know you love them.

And, because I love you, I went and got you a 5% discount with this great company (not that you need it, with prices as unbelievable as theirs). Plus, they're good people. Their returned eyeglasses are not restocked, but instead are recycled and donated to organizations throughout the United States and provided to people who can't afford vision care.

The discount code is Mommy5 and it never expires. See? Good people.

The Gift of Happy

2009-11-23T19:24:00.015-05:00

We are heading into the time of year when my bulletin board is running out of tacks and my day-planner is so stuffed with lists, invitations and recipes that I can't even shut the cover. Welcome to the holidays, folks.

But, no matter how crazy things get, I always try to stop and reflect before I walk out the door each day. Which is why this hangs in our back hallway. To remind myself, and my children, that no matter what you're going through and no matter what you're dealing with, you will always have your dreams.

This is why I was thrilled to be handed an opportunity of a lifetime last week. My family and I attended the fun-filled world premiere of "The Gift of Happy". This short video was created by retailer, AJWright to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Just before the holidays get out of control, we were reminded of our good fortune. We were shown that sometimes corporations really do care about the little guy and that AJWright's campaign to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs inspires the rest of us to do what we can. And, the children, who build success through the Boys & Girls Clubs programs, are learning to follow their dreams.

Please visit WrapUpHappy.com, and watch the video. I'm sure you will enjoy it and when you do, AJWright will donate $1.00 to the Boys & Girls Club of America. That's what you call a win-win!

Speaking of winning...if you view the video and come back here to leave a comment about your viewing experience, you will be entered to win a $50.00 AJWright gift card! That's a win-win-win!

Don't forget to tell me what you thought of the video (and let your kids watch it too...mine really enjoyed the story) and make sure to leave a valid e-mail address with your comment so I can contact you if you're the winner. The deadline for entering is Monday, December 21 at noon EST.

Oh, and look at what I found on the ground of the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus. It seems to me that I needed another reminder to stop, reflect and remember that you always have your dreams. I hope you will help these children achieve theirs.

UPDATE: Congratulations, Kathy! You are the lucky winner! Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Boot Camp

2009-11-11T20:33:00.010-05:00

I have never tried to hide the fact that I am not the best cook. Mostly it's because my life is busy. Really busy. Dinner usually consists of something I've thrown together at the last minute. I may have once fed my children Beef-a-Roni and buttered hot dog buns for dinner.

For the last several years we have had Thanksgiving at our house and you can't slack off in the preparations for that meal. Unless, of course, your husband stuffs the turkey and your mom brings the bread, corn, green beans and pie. However, I am quite skilled at opening the wine.

This year will be different though! This year, Thanksgiving dinner is my responsibility. Why? Because I went to Thanksgiving Boot Camp! My instructor was the lovely Robin Davis, food editor of The Columbus Dispatch. The location was the fabulous North Market.

The first thing I learned is that your ingredients should be fresh. That means you use real celery, onions and bread in your stuffing! Real bread! Okay, the pumpkin for the pie was canned, but everything else? Totally fresh! Almost all of our ingredients came straight from North Market vendors.

Here I am with my friend, Amy, right before I crushed her in the pie-making competition. Oh...wait. I may have forgotten to put sugar in my pie and it may not have cooked thoroughly, even though Robin tried to save it by sprinkling brown sugar on it while it was in the oven. But, my crust was amazing! I mean, not that I scraped the not-done pie off the top and ate the crust or anything, because that would just be wrong.

When we were finished, we sat down to some lovely conversation, a delightful Pinot Noir and the most delicious turkey I have ever had.

I will be taking over the entire refrigerator for this recipe, but it will be worth it. Robin knows her stuff.

Well, except for how to save my pie.

Who Wants More Floor?

2009-10-26T13:42:00.005-04:00

When my husband and I bought our house nearly 12 years ago, we did a complete renovation. Walls were torn down, floors were torn up and every single room got a fresh coat of paint...or three.

We were in a hurry to get things done because we hated living with the mess and about four months into the renovation, I got pregnant. That really caused us to speed up the process. As a matter of fact, the last bit of carpet was installed the day before my daughter was born.

Because we felt rushed, we made some mistakes along the way. I chose wallpaper because they had enough rolls in stock, not because I actually liked the pattern and I picked white grout for our kitchen and back entrance, because I didn't consider how quickly a dog and future children would muddy it.

But, by far, the biggest mistake we made was in choosing our flooring. We made bad decisions on the color of carpet, we bought cheap vinyl for our bathrooms and we used contract installers from out of town. If I could rip up those floors and start from scratch I would.

This is one reason that I am so thrilled with the new carpeting in our mudroom. It looks good, it was installed perfectly and the color and texture are just what we needed. You know why? Because it was researched by a trusted Rite Rug employee who steered us in the right direction every step of the process. We also bought an area rug from Rite Rug years ago and it is the only other flooring purchase I'm truly happy with.

And now someone else has the chance for some flooring happy! Rite Rug has generously offered a $199.00 gift certificate to one of my lucky readers! You can use it for the purchase of an area rug, or new bathroom floor, or put it toward new wall-to-wall carpet. The choice is yours!

To enter, first make sure you live near a Rite Rug location. If your home is within the vicinity of a Rite Rug store, just leave a comment here before Friday, November 6th at noon EST. Please leave me a valid e-mail address so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner!

Good luck, everyone!

**UPDATE**

Congratulations to Shelly...AGAIN! Last time, my daughter picked your name out of a hat and this time my son did.

Your Lil' Farmer Will Thank You

2009-10-09T19:32:00.004-04:00

Way back when, before my husband and I started our family, we used to dine at fine restaurants. Restaurants with jumbo shrimp appetizers, wine lists and waiters with French accents.

After our daughter was born we took a break from those type of establishments until we felt she was old enough to behave, then we made an attempt to have her join us in the fine-dining arena. As it turns out, those places don't even have high chairs! Nor, do the managers act kind when small children throw knives. Who knew?

Since that experience, and especially since the addition of our son, we have stuck with tried and true, family-friendly facilities. Places with booster seats, crayons and a kid's menu. Bob Evans is our favorite. First of all, because it's a place where we're comfortable taking the kids. Secondly, sausage gravy and biscuits. Enough said.

Right now there's a bonus for you Lancaster, Ohio readers too. Through October 14th, you can get a free kids meal with the purchase of an adult-sized entree at the Bob Evans located near River Valley Mall at 2157 Schorrway Drive. There are even some new additions to the kid's menu and they can eat breakfast all day.

And, as if preparing and serving up Plenty-o'-Pancakes wasn't enough, Bob Evans wants one lucky reader to have a $25 gift card!

Just leave a comment here, with a valid e-mail address, between now and Saturday, October 17th at noon EST and I'll enter you in the drawing. Happy eating!

10/19/09 Update: Congratulations to RJRuff! Enjoy your pancakes!

This Rug is so Rite

2009-10-05T16:02:00.010-04:00

I would like to introduce you to the latest thing to make my heart go pitter-patter. My mudroom. One sure way to make a woman happy is to give her family a place to declutter before entering the house.

This room at the back of our home has gone through a few transformations. When we moved in almost 12 years ago, it held the debris from the complete home renovations we did. If these walls could talk they would probably say they heard a lot of cussing back then.

After that, it contained hand-me-down furniture from my mom. It was lovely, but way too over sized for our small porch. You could barely walk through the room let alone sit in it.

Last summer we decided to make a change and finally start using this space the way we've always intended. We bought a table and chairs off of Craigslist which makes a great place for the kids to sort through their backpacks after school. We also purchased a storage ottoman that not only holds our patio cushions, but is also where the kids can sit down to take off wet or muddy shoes.

Yet, we made those changes and the room still looked horrible. Why? Because the flooring was astroturf. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING you can do to make a room look better when the floor is covered in astroturf.

Then like an angel swooping down with carpet-covered wings, I got an e-mail from Rite Rug asking if I would like to be part of their 75th anniversary celebration. They wanted to know if I had a mudroom that needed a makeover. Did I ever! I was thrilled with the idea of walking out the back door without feeling like I needed to suit up first!

Now there's no more astroturf. In its place is this gorgeous, green carpet that was covered in mud the day it was installed. And, you know what? I never even knew. My husband waited for the mud to dry, then vacuumed it right up. It's pretty carpet that cleans up nicely and you don't even need cleats to walk on it!

Oh, and apparently it's comfortable too.

The Old Navy Experience

2009-08-30T15:28:00.019-04:00

Roughly one month ago I pulled my favorite pair of Old Navy jeans from my closet. Faded, with frayed hems and long enough for my 5'10" frame, they were just the right color of blue and super comfortable. They were perfect jeans. Notice I said, "were".

When I put them on that day, I noticed a big hole in the left, inner thigh. Years of friction will do that. And, I'm not little. There was a lot of friction.

I wanted to cry. Okay, I did cry. Don't judge me.

A few days later, karma stepped in. As if my trip to Chicago hadn't turned out to be great enough on its own, it turns out that while I was there, I met a representative from Brand About Town. They looked at me, my kids and my blog and thought I would make a good Old Navy enthusiast. (Little did they know, I already was one!)

They offered me an "Old Navy Experience". I didn't really know what that meant, but part of me was secretly hoping to replace those jeans. So, heck yes! Sign me up!

Yesterday morning, they sent us a car. Here are the kids in the back seat just before sucking down juice boxes which the driver had chilled for them.

When we got to Old Navy, the kids ran off to pet Barker while I was introduced to our stylist.

They quickly left the dog so they could start shopping.

After that, we were shown to the dressing rooms...

...which were loaded, not just with clothes, but with organic cookies and lemonade for the kiddies!

They tried on TONS of Fall clothes.

And, because he needs to learn that he will someday spend a lot of time waiting on women, my son entertained himself in the clothing racks while his sister kept trying on outfits.

Finally, out the door we went with FOUR bags full of stuff.

Including tax, we spent $359.00 and we got 35 items. I'm no math major, but I AM a good shopper and I can tell you that is one incredible deal. We got quality clothing that averaged less than $10.27 a piece.

I bought the kids some school uniforms, jeans, sweat pants, shirts, jackets, pajamas...and I even got myself two long-sleeved t-shirts and a stainless steel water bottle.

Here is the longest receipt I have ever had.

The only problem? I forgot to get new jeans.

Little Alouette

2009-08-20T19:11:00.001-04:00

My youngest child turned seven in May. When he came along, with the exception of a new high chair and a new stroller which were gifts from generous friends, everything he used was a hand-me-down from his big sister.

And when his big sister was born, in 1998, a lot of the things she used were hand-me-down as well. She even had a crib that belonged to one of my nieces...who was born in 1986.

They used those things, because the products on the market weren't much different. At that time, a crib was a crib, a stroller was a stroller and a car seat was a car seat.

In the time since then, however, all these people went and invented super-cool stuff! Which is so not fair, but is completely my luck and, therefore, not surprising in the least.

When my kids were babies, they had teethers and rattles just like every other child does. They were made of colored rubber, or plastic, or who knows what man-made material. There was nothing natural about the stuff my children chewed on.

But now, as my luck would have it, my friend Amy and her husband make the most beautiful, all-natural, wooden teethers. They are carved from Ohio maple, sanded with love in their backyard workshop and finished with organic flax seed oil.

They are pretty to look at and completely safe to bite. My kids totally missed out.

But, your baby or someone you know doesn't have to. Leave a comment on this post and I will draw a winner who will receive a lovely wee wood teether from Amy's Little Alouette store.

Someones child is going to be very lucky.

Winner will be chosen, at random, on August 28th at 6:00 PM EST.

8/28 UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS TO LAURA BENSON!