Santa's Little Helper

Just thought I would share a Christmas miracle with you. Imagine your child so engaged in a toy that when you ask "Do you want to watch the Wonder Pets?" they say "No". That is not a typo, ladies. He really said no (and I really asked if he wanted to watch tv instead of play quietly with a toy--I know, I'm mom of the year). Since it's not actually Christmas yet, technically it's not a true "Christmas" miracle, but that just means that you are hearing about it early enough for online shopping for the holidays. What is this magical toy, you ask? Wedgits. A big thanks to my sister-in-law for this inspired purchase for Luke's birthday. These little blocks keep my very active 3 year old happy and content... at least until his baby sister comes over and knocks down his "supa cool sky scwapa". This toy has won multiple awards, including toy of the year, plus it stacks neatly away in these little plastic holders. Honestly, he's been getting a little huffy with me since I want to play with them too. Well...they are really cool. If you have a kiddo between 3 and 5 or are shopping for one this holiday season, Wedgits are a sure-fire hit. Think of all the time you will have to watch your shows instead of Go, Diego, Go. Momma happy.

Warning: if you have a dog that is even remotely interested in ingesting your kids' toys, be vigilant ...this toy is even hard for Fido to resist. Especially if you have a retriever.

Me and My Mio-A Modern Love Story

I know that many of you are having a heart attack after checking my blog and finding that (gasp!) I've actually posted something new. Let's just say that I've been slaying dragons for the last few months (hang in there, mom). Well, I have a new favorite thing and I felt the time was right for a comeback tour. I have been a little pissy about the fact that I haven't managed to get back to pre-second baby weight, so I decided I needed to embrace the technology out there that would help me work off my booty. Not wanting to invest the $250 for the BodyBugg, I chose the Mio Motiva Petite and it ROCKS!!!!!! You enter all your personal info, like weight, height, age, how much weight you want lose a week, ect. and presto....you have a daily calorie goal. Then you enter in your calories for each meal. Then you work out...(unfortunately the watch doesn't do it for you). It has a strapless heart rate monitor on the watch that monitors how many calories you are actually burning for the duration of your workout. It calculates how many calories burned and subtracts them from your intake. As long as you stay below your number of net daily calories...you are on your way to being someone that people refer to as "tiny". The cool thing about this is that it totally takes away the need for a food diary since you just enter your meals right into your watch. Bonus is that I don't have to do any math - my nemesis since 7th grade algebra . I've only had this thing for a week, but I love it and have already lost a pound. Momma happy. I mean, Tiny Momma Happy.

PS- I got mine at Academy for $89, but if you can wait for the post office, Amazon had it for $79.

What it Izze, my friend...what it Izze

Yes, I have been gone a while, so let's just put that out on the table and address it. I have a love/hate relationship with my computer. Sometimes, I think that if I don't check email, FB or blog for weeks at a time, I won't have 800 emails to check or 148 profile updates on FB. If I don't see them, they don't see me, right? So far that theory is wrong. Anywho....I wanted you all to know about your next favorite thing to drink. Izze Sparkeling Clementine Soda!!! Notice I put not two, but three exclamation points after that name. It is that good. I was in the store, looking for the next item in my bag of tricks to bribe my toddler to eat his dinner when I saw this. 70% pure fruit juice, splash of sparkeling water...hmmm...a bribe without the soul-selling guilt that you have after you give your child a Ding Dong? I like it! Then I tasted it. I love it. Now... I am a loyal diet soda drinker. Diet Coke as a rule and Diet Dr. Pepper if your nasty, Ms. Jackson. Now, I am breaking out. It might even be my death-bed drink, which prior to this discovery was going to be an ice cold Coca Cola. They come in a four pack and you can find them at most grocery stores. I will warn you...buy at least 2 packs. One for you and one for everyone else in your family. Momma Happy.

PS. For those of us that like a little kick, I think this would be great with a splash of Absolute, but haven't tried it yet. If you do, let me know how bad the hangover was. ;)

The most horrible thing

Normally, my blogs are pretty cheery. This one is not...but it could save your child's life. My friend Stacy is a nurse at Medical City Dallas. She told me that she can remember the room number and name of every child that has come in there because of a drowning accident, and almost all of the parents divorce afterward. Not surprising given the fact that, after the loss of a child, the divorce rate jumps up to 90%. I'm sure there are many reasons for this...blaming the spouse, blaming themselves, or just not being able to move on past this loss with someone else that is so close to it. She also said that, in almost all the circumstances, the child was being watched. Drowning is the #2 killer for children under 6. This is my WORST FEAR!!!!! I have never been a strong swimmer, so maybe that is why I'm so anal about my kids learning to swim, especially with family that lives directly on a lake. Of course, even kids that know how to swim have freak accidents. She told me about something that can help keep your child safe around water. Thank God someone came up with this invention. www.safetyturtle.com. This is a wrist band that you attach to your child whenever they are around water. It has a base unit that plugs in or runs on batteries. Anytime the wrist band is submerged, an alarm sounds. It will not go off in the rain or sprinklers, only when it is fully submerged. You can have multiple wristbands on one unit to protect all the kids. It runs anywhere between $150 and $200 depending on where you buy it online. Some pool supply places carry it as well. Obviously, this is not a substitute for hawk-like focus on your children when they are around bodies of water, but on the off chance that you got a phone call, or the dog got out and you chase it, or someone left the pool gate open, this is a great way to keep from becoming a very sad statistic. Momma happy.

With a little help from my friends...

Something really cool has happened since I started this blog...my peeps are sending me links to their favorite things as well! In the interest of getting the good word out, this is a list of several things that people have forwarded me, emailed me, or phoned me about that will help make your life a little easier, one way or another.

1.) www.hanes.com - They have some deep discounts on great tees and comfy yoga wear. They even have a version of the skirt/dress/ shirt that I mentioned in a seperate blog for
seventeen-dolla-make-you-holla!! Whoo-hoo! Check out the clearence center for seriously cheep stuff!
2.)www.lululemon.com - I have been told that this is like Lucy(my favorite) only better. The "be still" pants are suppose to be the bomb and very versitile for travel, work, or whatever. There are stores in Dallas if you want to try on before buying.
3.)JCP Daily Deal - For online shoppers, you can get some pretty deap discounts if you check out the "daily deal" at www.jcpenney.com
4.)Baby Bakes - For those of you with babies that don't want to worry about how many spiders are really in your baby food, my friend swears by this. She got it online at Bed Bath and Beyond with the 20% coupon that you get in your mailbox every other day. She says it's a great stress reliever (she has three little ones), which explains the huge stores of baby food in her freezer.
5.)Podee bottle - The day that our babies hold a bottle for themselves is a joyful celebration for most moms. Finally we can feed in the car while we are driving! I had to wait 6 to 8 long months on my kiddos before this milestone, but this bottle changes everything. It has a straw connected to the nipple that allows you to pop it in, prop the bottle and move on out. Brilliant. Check them out at www.podee.com.

Thanks to all of you that have passed along your favorite things. Keep 'em coming! I love the scoop almost as much as I love to pass it on. It feeds my need to gossip in a very healthy way. Momma happy.

Oh, rub her smooth skin....

Sir-Mix-Alot might not be this generation's Byron, but he knew that a soft girl is a sexy girl. Of course, I must be part lizard and therefore find it difficult to get that illusive smooth skin sometimes. To add insult to injury, imagine you are walking along when all of a sudden you catch a whiff of foul stench. You think, "What is that smell....wait, it's me.". You then realize that it's been two days since you showered because you haven't had the time or the energy. Mothers of small children everywhere are nodding their heads. Don't be ashamed if you have opted for a nap during your free time instead of a shower. It happens to the best of us. It's kinda hard to feel like a hot momma when you are a tired, stressed, stinky mommy. I have one thing that is an instant perk up. Origins Ginger Rush Intensely Hydrating Cream. It's my kill-two-birds-with-one-stone solution to dry skin/stinky skin. My sweet mother-in-law was the one that turned me on to this one and I'm so glad she did. Gone are the days of ashy-ness. Gone are the days of smelling like a yeti. This stuff is the best thing that I have ever used for dry skin and smells so awesomely clean, you will walk around smelling the back of your hand for the rest of the day. In a perfect world, you would also get to take a shower without having to peep out every minute or two to make sure that the baby in the exersaucer is still alive and your two year old isn't eating your hair product. I guess that is the price you pay for living the dream, but at least you smell good doing it. Momma happy.

Beer Me, Sunshine!

Ah, summertime. A couple of nice sunny days and I totally forget about how, in just a few short weeks, I will be living in the inferno known as the Texas summer. Once the thermometer hits 75 and the wind finally dies down I can only think about one thing...patios! For three whole weeks, we have the perfect patio weather!!!! And what goes hand in glove with patios? That's right...a nice cool adult beverage! To be more specific, summer beer. Ah, yes, those of you that have partaken in summer beer can taste it now. If you are a summer beer virgin, get ready to change your drink of choice for summertime. My friend Sam told me about this one a few years ago ( I have many hangovers to thank her for). Those of you from New Orleans probably know all about this concoction. Leave it to the professional drinkers to come up with this tasty little number! Here is the recipe:

Summer Beer

One can of frozen pink lemonade
One can of vodka (use the pink lemonade can)
3 cans of any light beer that you like

I know, I know...it sounds disgusting. It is sooooo not. Trust me. It's the perfect drink for a girl's night, cook out, camping (strongly encouraged after my last camping experience, this would have come in handy) or just hanging out with your honey. It's so good that you will not even realize that you have over served yourself, which leads me to my next point. RESPECT THE SUMMER BEER! It is a fickle mistress that will knock you on your booty before you can say "Can you make another pitcher?". Everyone that I have told about summer beer loves it and I hope that you do too. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to go mix up a pitcher now. Momma happy.