Author: Melissa

**This giveaway is now CLOSED. Congrats to comment #61 – Brenda! Thanks for entering everyone!**

So you all know how I'm a huge fan of Jillian Michaels. I hate love her 30-Day Shred video and even got to meet her last month.

I was able to see a special preview of her new Fitness Ultimatium 2010 game for Wii. I even got to try it out and I have to say, it was pretty amazing. Jillian is your personal trainer right from the TV set.  You choose from different workouts that she has programmed or create your
own (cutting down on the monotony of workout videos).  She even has a place for you to input your
weight loss goals, and will coach you through the process.  She told us that
this is her baby; she has been a part of it from beginning to end, and
she is very proud of it.

If you're in the LA area, you can meet Jillian and try out the game yourself!! Tomorrow, Nov 19, Jillian will be at the Sports Authority in Torrance, CA (3610 Torrance Blvd). The event starts at 9:30 and runs until mid-day. Be sure to check out the “world’s largest Wii Fit Plus” demonstration featuring 102 people.
AND tons
of items to be given away, including copies of Jillian Michaels’ new Wii
game "Fitness Ultimatum 2010" and Wii Fit Plus boards, as
well as other prizes from Sports Authority, Nintendo and Nike.

This is part of a terrific new collaboration with Sports Authority and Nintendo. Sports Authority will not only be selling Wii gaming consoles, Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus, but they will create a
"We know fit. We know fun." experience at 102 of their stores where customers try out the Wii Fit Plus before they buy. How cool is that?

Don't live near Thursday's event? NO PROBLEM! Sports Authority is giving one lucky Girlymama reader a Wii Fit Plus
board and a copy of Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatium 2010 game!! How awesome is that? Here's how to enter:

1. Contest ends Saturday, November 21.
2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you want to win.
3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me your top fitness goal this year.
4. Entry #3:  Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, Tweeting about it, emailing  friends, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader).
5. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. See my giveaway page for more information/rules.

Good luck!!

These are a family favorite – you will not believe how easy these are! Scones are usually difficult and messy, but these are very quick, light and delicious!

Cream Scones

2 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c mini chocolate chips, dried currants, chopped raisins, whatever
1 1/4 c heavy cream
Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl (including the add-in of your
choice). Add cream and mix together with a wooden spoon until just
mixed. Dump out on a floured surface and press into a flat sphere.* Cut
into pieces and place on a ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the tops with
cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes, until
tops are just brown.

*do not over-mix or they will become like rocks when you bake
them! its okay when the dough should be crumbly and barely holding
together. that’s what makes them so flaky.

Recipe origin: Joy of Cooking

This weekend, Colin stopped crawling up the stairs.

Not a huge deal, I know.

We live in a split level house, with five flights of stairs. And we always used to laugh at how Colin would crawl up the stairs and zoom down on his tummy at lighting speed.

And now he's walking up and down. Like a big boy.

He also has fully rejected his high chair and will only sit in his booster seat. And he insists on feeding himself his yogurt and cereal, just like his sisters. And he hates sitting in the seat of the shopping cart or in his stroller. He wants to be running around like all the big kids. He wants to do everything by himself, from brushing his teeth to changing the dvd. He is utterly frustrated that he cannot work the computer or Leapster like his sisters. He even wanted to drive the other day.

It feels like he's trying to race away from babyhood. While I'm holding on tight as I can.

Welcome to Philly, y'all!! Philly is an amazing city that is gorgeous and very kid-friendly. Plan your visit with these terrific resources!!

Trekaroo families have voted and this is where the cards fell for 2009:

Top Activities for Kids in Philadelphia – voted by parents

Best Kid-friendly Hotels in Philadelphia – voted by parents

Some of our star Philadelphia families are some fun-loving mom
bloggers and they’ve assembled their list of recommendations that no
visiting or local families should miss.

Mara brings you her list of Off the Beaten Path Kid Activities in Philadelphia. 
This mom got bit but the travel bug early in life and has not stopped
traveling even after having two boys, now 4 and 7.  In fact, when their
eldest was just one, they visited 6 states, 3 countries and 2
continents.  Read about their family’s adventures and admire her
wonderful photos on  Mother of all Trips

Lynn,
a Philly mom of a tween and a teen, knows exactly where to head to keep
them engaged and excited.  Here’s her family’s list of favorite Teen-friendly Activities in Philadelphia.  Lynn is the mom behind For Love Or Funny where she keeps a light-hearted view of life as a parent.  Amidst her humor are some gems of wisdom.

Heading to Philly with young kids?  Melissa is your go to mom with her list of Top 10 Things to Do in Philly with Young Kids.  Melissa is the voice behind Girlymama
where she brings us the inside scoop about products that young moms
would be interested in.  From shoes to food to places to visit,
Girlymama will tell you what she thinks and give you opportunities to
win some trendy fashion and gear.

Linda has a wonderful guide for visiting Historic Philadelphia by foot with Kids. 
This is a mom extraordinaire who has traveled through big and small
towns all the country with her 4 kids.  If you need advice about how to
have a lifestyle of travel with a large family, she’s your go-to gal. 
Follow her adventures on her fantastic blog:  Travels With Children

Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino brings us some Phildelphia: 5 Kids-friendly Activities. Ciao Bambino is a one of Trekaroo’s favorite partners because we share a common passion – inspiring families to travel.  Ciao Bambino provides vetted reviews of the best accommodations when traveling with children of all ages around the world.

Other Philadelphia Resources:

• 135 Activities for Kids Around Philadelphia
• Kid-friendly Hotels in Philadelphia

• Best Attractions for Kids Who Love Trains in Pennsylvania

Next stop, the city where the First Family resides -  Washington DC.

The Trekaroo KidsMobile is
a blog carnival with a twist.  It’s designed to provide a unique
opportunity for mom and dad bloggers to be featured on Trekaroo while

1) expressing their unique point of view

2) getting a web of link exchanges.

Join us for one of our next stopovers.

I love Disney. LOVE DISNEY. I truly believe its magical, despite being over 30. Unfortunately, unless one has a fairy godmother, it is pretty stinkin' expensive. There's not much you can do about things like airfare, hotels or ticket prices. But you can cut other expenses while not cutting back your kids magical vacation experience.

Negotiable Expense #1 – FOOD

• Find a hotel with free breakfast. Having to buy one less meal a day adds up quickly, especially for a family. And read the reviews to make sure your hotel’s ‘free breakfast' is more than a stale loaf of bread and a toaster in the lobby.
• Try to buy just one meal a day. For us, this meant stopping at a convenience store when we arrived and buying supplies to make PB&J for lunch. Then had a nice dinner every night. You can adapt this for your family: maybe at a big meal at around 3pm, when the restaurants are empty and everyone is ready for a little break, or eating a huge lunch and a light dinner.
• Bring your own stash of snacks. Things like granola bars, fruit snacks (all Disney themed, of course!) or crackers. Pick up a few of your kids favorite treats to have on hand for a diversion or a reward for waiting in that extra long line quietly. Bring along single serve flavor packets to add to water bottles that you refill at the drinking fountains.
• The exception to the rule: Character Dining is totally worth it with young kids. I know it doesn't seem budget savvy to pay $100 for a meal your kids probably won't even eat. But trust me… after you've been waiting in a line for two hours to see princesses again, you will be kicking yourself for not just going to the Princess Lunch, seeing all the princesses they want and getting it over with! 

Negotiable Expense #2 – Treats/Toys/souvenirs

• Bring your own princess dress. In the park, princess dresses cost around $60. Pop on over to Target or the Disney Store and buy on ahead of time for less than half that price. The same goes for crowns, magic wands, pirate hats, tattoos, face glitter, etc. You can do your own magical makeover in the hotel before you get to the park – your little princess will feel just as special!
• Go shopping before you leave without the kids. Hit the Disney Store, Target and even the Dollar Store. Pick up little Disney treats to surprise your kids every day – they won’t know you brought them from home. Plan ahead and snag stuff around the holidays – small stocking stuffer gifts are perfect. Little play cell phones are perfect while waiting in line, fun flashlights and glow necklaces make after dark special, and a Mickey lollipop makes a long line go much faster. The Disney Store has some of the same merchandise sold in the park: check out the online Disney Outlet for deals. (Right now, they have kids t-shirts 2 for $8. Wouldn’t it be fun to surprise them with that one morning when they’re getting dressed?)
• Keep it memorable: A small Disney notebook is perfect for collecting character autographs. And how much more memorable will that be than a cheap toy? (All that said, my girls both picked out toys last time 😉

Negotiable Expense #3 – Where to stay/Where to book

• Shop around: While ticket prices and hotels are pretty much the same wherever you go these days, be sure to shop around. Expedia sells Disney vacation packages – even sites like Last Minute Travel have potential deals to snag. But don't leave the official Disney Parks site out of your planning, assuming it’s the most expensive. They not only run special deals, but when you book through Disney, you can get some pretty cool perks. Right now, when you book a Disneyland vacation through Disney Parks you get a free phone call from a Disney character (fun!), early admission to Mickey's Toon Town (with an exclusive parade and a chance to see your favorite characters!), and one Magic Morning ticket, giving you early admission to the park! Pretty cool!
• Think it through: Hotel rooms may be cheaper when you stay further away from the parks. But is it really? Will you then have to rent a car and pay for parking both at the hotel and at the parks? Once you add those expenses in, you may not really be saving any money. Check out prices for a shuttle – you may not need to rent a car at all!

Now I confess: we didn't follow all these suggestions last time we did Disney and we probably won't next time either. Its a vacation! Have fun! These are just some ideas to help you stretch your fun budget a little!

Yesterday I got up at the crack of dawn (Actually, before that. Thank you, Colin) and zipped up to NYC on the train with Jo-Lynne and Mindi. I've been to NYC more this fall than I have in… ever.

Sidebar: If you ever can, go to New York City at Christmas. Oh, the window displays. So fun! I want to bring the kids up again!

So, what was worth hauling ourselves out of bed at crazy o'clock? We went to the Bloggers Brunch hosted by Child’s Play Communications. We arrived early because Jo-Lynne was sitting on the Blogger Panel on the topic of What Do Mommy Bloggers Want along with Liz from Mom 101, Kim from Mom in the City, Debbie from Mominista and Melissa from Kids in the City. They did a terrific job explaining  how companies can work more effectively with mom bloggers. (The blogger-pr company-company relationship has been getting a lot of press lately. Mostly negative. sadly.)

It was great to hear these women's opinions and thoughts on the subject. It has been on my mind more lately, as the pitches and offers have been increasing.  By far, the most frequently repeated comment was know the blog you're pitching to. Don't pitch a mom with young kids a product for teenagers and don't push a mom who writes about whole foods Pop-Tarts.

After the panel, we headed up to the brunch where we were able to mix and mingle with tons of great blogging ladies — Kelsey, Shannon, Nicole, Briana and Esti. It was a great time and a special thanks to Stephanie and all the great folks at Childs Play putting together this event!!

Some interesting  posts for you for on the blogger/pr people issues:
What a Mom Blogger Doesn't Want.
What are you worth as a blogger?
The Truth about the Walmart Eleven Moms

Lookin' Out for Mah Peeps
How to Pitch to Mom Bloggers

"Mom, I'm going to ask you if I can play computer during Colin's nap and if you say no, then I'm going to ask you if I can play the DS and if you say no, then I'll ask you if I can watch a movie and if you say no, then I'll go play something without a screen."

Apparently, playing with "something without a screen" is a novelty. I think it may be time to reintroduce my kids to some good, old fashioned board games.

This morning I was supposed to leave for NYC before Colin woke up, so he wouldn't notice I was gone. But the little bugger woke up a wee bit early (at 4:30 am – as you know he shows love to his parents by spending time with them when they'd rather be sleeping) so I did spend quite a bit of time with him before I left at 6:30. And I got to play with him for a bit when I got home and put him to bed.

But now the odyssey begins: because I left him today, he is not going to sleep tonight.  He will wake up every hour or so and scream for me at the top of his lungs. And not calm down until I pick him up and cuddle him. When he will gaze into my eyes, trying to fight his drooping lids. When he will grab on the my pajama top for dear life, like I'm going to disappear if he lets go.

This is my payment for leaving him all day. I know he's not being mean or punish me (even though it feels that way around 2am). He just missed me and he's scared I'm going to leave again.

I'm half annoyed and frustrated that I can't leave for 12 hours without him feeling abandoned.

But I'm half secretly glad that he loves me, needs me and misses me that much.