Monday, October 31, 2011 at 08:00AM Halloween around these parts means a whole lot of ....
Parading
Eating Chili
I was a judge at the neighborhood chili cookoff. Tough job but somebody has to do it.
Crafting
Cupcakes
And of course, Mummy Making
Happy Halloween and Happy 13th Anniversary to Me and The Mister!
Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 10:10PM I've never asked for special consideration for my kids.
I've always respected the decision of the teacher, instructor, camp director, etc.
I've let my kids fight their own fights, fall down, even fail at things.
But I'm this close to saying something to someone at the place where one of my girls is taking an acting class.
Weekly acting classes at the fancy academy cost $300.
That isn't, as far as activities go, an exhorbitant amount of money. I know that.
My daughter seems to enjoy the class each week, though she has complained about the younger kids, "not taking it seriously."
As her first official acting class, I suppose she is getting experience developing new skills, right?
So this week when she was given her assignment for the play I was curious to see how many lines I'll have to help her memorize. (A little something you may not have known is that when I turned 30 I took acting classes at a theater in downtown DC. This makes me an experienced thespian in my book).
Three.
Three lines.
She is one of 4 Narrators.
So, it's not like it's bad enough to be the Narrator. I mean, does the Narrator even ACT? But to have to share the role with three other kids while every single other kid in the class (even the young, annoying ones) have roles with fun dress-up clothes and...LOTS of LINES?
Well that just seems wrong.
Were it the school play, I wouldn't be annoyed.
Were it a real production where you audition, I wouldn't be annoyed.
But I'm paying for her to memorize and perfect her acting technique with 3 lines?
That's $100 per line!
I want to suggest they find a play with enough roles so there doesn't have to be 4 narrators.
I want my daughter to have a role that requires "a fancy dress, heals and jewelry" so I can see her smile wide with pride and excitement.
But I don't want to be 'That Mom'.
So, instead of becoming "That Mom" who tries to bend the rules, I'm going to invoke my own rule.
The narrator role calls for her to wear a plain, black dress. My rule is that every simple black dress needs heels and jewelry and other fancy accessories. She will smile with pride and excitement and she will deliver her lines with perfection. All three of them.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 04:29PM Today I had the pleasure of joining a team from Hallmark at Old Ebbitt Grill in DC for a little brunch, a LOT of coffee, a few tears, and a reminder that we should celebrate the small stuff.
After the team from Hallmark shared their 'Special Occasion' stories, it was our turn to share. We had nifty t-shirts to personalize as a reminder of our occasion:
Hallmark Special Occasion
I was the last to share and after hearing everyone else's story I was amazed at how much we really can appreciate the little moments in life...
if we only take the time to do so.
I shared that every since my twins were young I had to give up a lot of control when it comes to what they wore. At most I was able to suggest clothing that was appropriate for the weather that day, but even then I would lose the battle. And with so many battles, this was not one I was always willing to fight.
Once when the girls were 3, Ellie came downstairs wearing something that was not great for whatever the occasion was. I 'suggested' she find something warmer, colder, fancier, etc...I can't remember now.
She explained,
"Mommy, I worry about what I wear and you worry about what you wear."
Well,
How can you argue with that?
I love Hallmark cards
After sharing our everyday, yet very memorable moments, I was able to look at a number of new Hallmark products that can help me make more memories from these little special occasions. They have awesome cards, and I was able to meet some of the writers and creative team, but they have so much more.
Record your voice reading the book so that when you can't be there, you can still read to them before bedtime!
Interactive books like the one pictured above are something new to Hallmark. One of the writers shared a book she wrote that interacts with a tree ornament. These are not only festive, they make great gifts for the kid who has just about everything!
What special everyday moment would you have shared?
Disclosure: I enjoyed a delicious breakfast and gift bag from Hallmark. All opinions are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 09:00AM Breast cancer has been around for decades..so why don't we know more about it and how to prevent it? Why is breast cancer still taking lives? When Dr. Susan Love asked scientists this question they explained that they had studies that simply required women, of all ages, races, and health conditions, to participate. They simply didn't know how to find these women. According to the Army of Women website,
"Dr. Love realized the problem wasnít that women didnít want to participate in these studies, but that they didnít know that they were needed. In short order, the idea was born of an Army of Women ready to serve science."
When you join the Army of Women you will receive periodic emails with research studies looking for participants ñ both with and without breast cancer. If you are interested in participating in a study, click on the Call to Action and you'll be asked a few questions to determine if you are a fit, then you will be put in touch with a researcher. It's that easy, flexible, and yet so important.
For every Army of Women recruit who joins through Lifetime Moms, Lifetime will donate $1 to the cause. So, be sure to pass along this post, or the link to Lifetime Moms / Army of Women (http://www.lifetimemoms.com/army-of-women) to your friends, family, and neighbors.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 09:40PM
We all know that big things can happen when you are out to dinner. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, and other big life moments with our family. We also experience blind dates, connections with lost loves, and a few moments we'd rather not have captured on film.
If you are brave enough to share your Sweetest or Sauciest dining out moment, you just might be rewarded. Visit the Restaurant.com Facebook page to share your Sweet or Saucy dining moment and you might win $1,000! Hurry though - you have to have your story uploaded by October 21, 2011.
Check out the Sweet vs Saucy how-to video here: http://youtu.be/5k-TcrHzN5A
I did my own video to capture my sweet dining out story that I'm going to enter. What do you think?
Share your own and share the prize if you win...with me of course!
Disclosure: as a thank you for spreading the word about the contest I am going to be compensated with a Restaurant.com gift card and movie tickets. All opinions are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published. I purchase Restaurant.com certificates on my own and my sweet story is a true story and if I win $1000 I will be sure to share the news with you!
