Overheard in IKEA: “Look, Mom! This kitchen is perfect for you! It already has WINE!”
… as everyone within hearing cracks up laughing.
change in the air…
Its been a crazy few weeks. A lot has happened.
The main change is my accepting a new job. I will still be working for my church part time, but I added a second part time job into the mix. Just because our lives weren’t nearly crazy enough, right??
Working 40 hours a week has been a bit of a challenge. We’ve missed the bus… I have forgotten to cook dinner… Laundry is piling up a bit. But I love it. I’m working in an office with women I truly enjoy being with, doing work I find actually fun (most of the time). I’m doing blogger outreach and social media management for some different brands.
I never imagined back when I started this blog what it would lead to.
I was a stay at home mom.
Then I started a little business.
Then that business grew.
Then the blog grew.
Then I started another blog.
Then that grew.
Then I started a part time job.
Now I am officially a full-time working mom.
I didn’t anticipate this, but I love it. My family is so supportive and so excited for me. My husband is amazing – he’s started cooking some dinners and is doing so much around the house and with the kids. I love that he is super excited for me!
I love when you suddenly stop and look at your life. Half of you wonders “How did I get here??” and the other half says, “Thank you God for putting me right here.”
So if the blog looks a little neglected at some points or any pictures taken in my house look like we should be on Hoarders, you’ll know why!
bird banding
This weekend we went and watched bird banding, where we witnessed the capturing, handling and releasing wild birds. WE watched at the birds were identified, they determined their age by their feathers, they were weighed and measured… then we got to hold and handle them. It was an amazing experience – if you have the opportunity to do this with your kids, please do! When else can they do this?
releasing the birds…
Bird banding at Willistown Conservation Trust.
wordless wednesday: traffic stop for a fox hunt
try this: pork chops with rose romano’s peppers
Just last week, I got a lovely package in the mail containing four jars of Rose Romano’s Italian Peppers, so I planned my meals this week using them! 
As a busy working mom, with three kids involved in way too many activities, one of my biggest challenges is getting a healthy, yummy dinner on the table every night. As long as I plan ahead by getting my weekly menu set up and having my grocery list up to date, I’m usually good. On Sunday, for example, we grilled burgers for dinner. Then, after we were done, I threw on some pork chops for the next day. All I had to do was heat them up and dinner would be well on its way.
So last night, I decided to heat up the grilled pork chops in some Rose Romano’s Italian Pepper Marinana with Red Bell Pepper. I had to have a taste while it was simmering on my stove, making my whole kitchen smell divine, and could only yell, “YUM!” The sauce was rich and layered with garlic, onion and those yummy peppers – it was just slightly sweet, but not overly so. (I would love to taste a spicy version of Rose Romano’s eventually!)
I served it with roasted broccoli tossed with garlic and roasted potatoes – dinner was on the table in just about 30 minutes. The verdict from the family?
TWO THUMBS UP! Everyone (even my little one who refused to try it at first and normally hates marinara) gobbled it up and asked me to make it again soon. I love how Rose Romano’s allows me to get quality meals to my family quickly – all with all natural ingredients and no preservatives. I’m betting we’ll be seeing this on every grocery store very soon!
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disclosure: i received product to facilitate this post. all opinions are my own and yumminess is not exaggerated.
would you give a tween a cell phone?
The past few weeks, I have been hosting events in my community sponsored by At&T. It has sparked some interesting conversations. Mainly, “When should kids get a cell phone?”
I don’t know about you, but my 9-year-old is already eyeing a cell phone. She thinks it would make a fabulous tenth birthday present. At first I was totally against it. And while I don’t think she’ll get one when she is ten, I think 11 (or middle school) is the perfect time.
Contact– As she gets more involved in activities after school and before school and sports and drama rehearsals and whathaveyou, I like the idea that she can contact me when she needs to get picked up or if her practices are running late. She could chat with Daddy when he travels, chat with her Aunties or Grandma. With features like AT&T’s Smart Limits, I can manage purchases, texting, data usage and time-of-day restrictions, block unwanted calls and texts, block calls to 411 directory assistance.
Learning Limits – This is a serious issue with a phone – or even internet access. Kids need to be taught what is appropriate online behavior – what kind of things do you say, what pictures can you post, etc. I feel like if we start early – 11 or 12 – our kids will (hopefully) be more open to our giving them input and sharing what they are up to. If they get a phone at 16, they will be in full “Hands Off Mom” mode and it will be harder to have these conversations. I love that the Parental Controls are available for their cells as well as our home internet. We can help her learn safety early on.
Safety – If she has a phone, she can call or text me anytime, anywhere. If something is happening she is unsure about or worried about at a friend’s house, she can tell me. She can ask for help or have us come get her. With features like Family Finder, I can know where she is easily and keep track of her without constantly calling.
Responsibility – Having a phone is a huge responsibility. She’ll have to charge it, keep track of it, be safe with it. She’ll have to manage her budgeted texts and allowance for apps and downloads. It’s a great teaching tool. And we will so get the insurance for when she drops it in the pool or something 😉
I think she’ll be ready next year. What age are you thinking about getting phones for your kids?
Disclosure: I am proud to be part of an AT&T Family Safety Ambassador program. This is a compensated position
hilton baltimore
Looking for a hotel in Baltimore? We’ve stayed at the Hilton Baltimore twice now and it is just lovely!
image via hilton baltimore
What makes this hotel truly stand out – besides the wonderful staff – is its location. You can get rooms that overlook the Camden Yards Ballpark…
image via hilton baltimore
Rooms that look onto the famous Inner Harbor and – as we had – rooms that overlook the Grand Prix of Baltimore!
All rooms offer the Hilton Serenity Collection featuring the exclusive Serenity Bed which includes the Suite Dreams mattress, Super Topper mattress pad, 250 thread-count European style linens and Touch of Down pillows, 37-inch flat-screen TV, Hilton Alarm Clock Radio with MP3 connection, flexible work area, in-room safe, Cuisinart dual-cup single-brew coffee maker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. The rooms are beautifully decorated and the bathrooms are gorgeous.
Our room was clean, comfy and had plenty of room for our family. Our kids loved the pool and the fitness center was first class. As Hilton Diamond Members, we enjoyed the Executive Lounge, as well, with evening reception and complimentary breakfast. We were able to park our car when we arrived and walked to everything we wanted to see. Attractions like Camden Yards and M & T Bank Stadium, The National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Maryland Science Center, and tons of family friendly restaurants are all a quick walk away. There is tons to do!
We were unable to use the restaurants, as they were serving fixed menus for the Grand Prix, but they have wonderful reviews and are sure to be excellent.
We highly recommend the Hilton Baltimore!
fashion friday: birthday report
Well, I didn’t get a thing on my birthday list from last week.
Imagine my astonishment, seeing as I am not a zillionaire and most things on that list were pretty high end.
A girl can dream, though, right?
But I DID get a little somethin’ for my birthday. Since – you can not convince me this isn’t a coincidence – the Coach Factory Online sale was offering an additional 30% everything ON MY BIRTHDAY.
Meet my new baby.
The Ashley Leather Satchel
. I’ve been wanting a nice black bag for awhile and I am so excited… especially since I got it for a mere $250 off!! I sent it to my husband in an email reminding him it was my birthday. You could almost HEAR the eyeroll as he told me I could buy it. (“Don’t you have a black purse?”)
The Coach Factory Store is open by invitation only – you can request an invite or email me your email address and I can request one for you! Its a lovely site, but seriously needs to come with a warning label. Especially when these sales go on! Now its an additional 30% off everything.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!
bona hardwood floor mop
This weekend we came home from our trip to find out that our mighty hunter kittens had two… shall we say “victories”… while we were gone. Can I get a collective “ewwww” from the peanut gallery?
Thank you. My thoughts exactly. Nothing gets me in a cleaning frenzy like when we get escapees from the woods behind our house!
So it was the perfect time to break out my Bona Hardwood Floor Mop to scrub those floors squeaky clean! Bona is a premium spray mop that includes a Microfiber Mop and Bona Hardwood Refill Cartridge all in one!
The Bona Hardwood Floor Mop arrived in 4 pieces, and took less than 5 minutes to put together. Instructions were crystal clear and it was very easy. I used it on my floors – that I had just vacuumed and looked perfectly clean – and the microfiber cloth was super dirty. Totally gross. I can’t believe how dirty the floor actually was! The cleaner worked amazingly well and I love the microfiber – just throw it in the washer and no waste. The cleaner smelled pleasant – not overpowering – and I love the size of the cloths. They are huge! I was able to clean all the floors in no time!
One thing that had me hesitating about the Bona system was the cost – special pads and cleaners?? How much is this going to cost me? But actually, I can find all the pads and cleaners in the local Target and they cost much less than I would have guessed! Replacement pads are about $8 and the cleaning solution is only $9 for 28.75 ounces. Very doable, especially as the pads are reusable for awhile and I felt like I barely made a dent in the cleaning solution even after a heavy cleaning.
And the best part?? Bona waterborne floor cleaners are safe for floors, families, and the environment and GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified. Bona’s specially-developed non-toxic and biodegradable formula also limits the harmful effects of downstream pollution. LOVE this!!
I highly recommend the Bona Hardwood Floor Mop!
disclosure: i received a bona mop to facilitate this post. as always, all opinions are my own.
grand prix of baltimore
Last weekend we made trek to Baltimore for the second time to see the Grand Prix. If you live within a reasonable distance of Baltimore, I cannot recommend this enough! It is so fun and super family friendly.
Every year, we stay at the Hilton Baltimore. The rates are very reasonable and we get free general admission passes to the entire race. Not to mention that we can watch the race go by right outside our room!
And it usually takes us two days to see everything – there are so many activities, displays and events!
We met drivers, like Arie Luyendyk Jr.(who was very nice), got up close and personal with the cars and had so much fun in the Family Zone and Fun Zones.
And, of course, we watched lots of racing!
I mean, you really never know who what will happen at the Grand Prix of Baltimore! Maybe you’ll get to sit in Mario Andretti’s race car!
Maybe you’ll meet some Ravens cheerleaders, maybe you’ll even meet a superhero!
And of course, it’s all located in beautiful Baltimore! We spent tons of time at the Inner Harbor, one of our favorite spots on the East Coast.
Hope we’ll see you there next year!