Sit Back, Relax, and Laugh in The Clorox Lounge

Don’t wipe your boogies on the couch!  What makes you think it is a good idea to lick the handle of the shopping cart?

Those are just a couple of the many things I have found myself saying that I never thought I would.  At least once a week I tell my children something, then chuckle to myself, amused to hear such craziness coming out of my mouth.  Were it not for the fact that my sister has children about the same age as mine, I would wonder if there was something wrong my kids.  Fortunately, I have been talking to her on the phone when I’ve heard something equally strange, disturbing or hilarious come out of her mouth. 

As parents, I think we long for that sense of camaraderie.   We want to know that we’re not alone in the trenches of parenthood.  We need to know that our kids aren’t the only ones licking shopping carts, putting carrots in their noses, and wearing their underwear on their heads to play pirate. 

As parents, we want to hear other people’s stories, successes and failures.  They make us laugh, give us hope, and make us realize we aren’t alone.  We really like to share our own stories as well.   When we have a great success we want to brag.  When we experience failure, we want to know that we’ll get through it.   Sharing is a great way to get ideas.  It provides us with a mental manual for child rearing (since my kids didn’t come with a physical one).  Sometimes the method you never thought you’d use for potty training (sleep training, 2-wheel bike riding, eating veggies, etc.) turns out to be the one that works.    I remember when my friend told me that she left her daughter naked for the day to potty train her.  I thought she was CRAZY!  Guess what worked for both of my girls?  Yep, naked potty training for one day and both girls were pretty much trained and accident free from then on. 

While there are lots of sites out there dedicated to parenting, advice, and creating connections among parents, The Clorox Lounge is a new one that is dedicated to the humor in parenting.  

About The Clorox Lounge:

The Clorox Family of Toilet Products’ on-going Ode to the Commode campaign, recognizing the toilet’s vital role in our routine, continues with the launch of The Clorox Lounge, a community hub designed to be mom’s gotta go place for comedy, which launched on January 26, 2012. Hosted by comedian, actress and mom Sherri Shepherd, the site found at TheCloroxLounge.com features hilarious anecdotes, fun contests, exciting give-a-ways, coupons and just the right amount of comic relief.

About Last Comic Sitting Competition & Sweepstakes:

The Clorox Lounge activities kick-off with Last Comic Sitting Competition and Sweepstakes, starting February 27, 2012. Over the course of eight weeks, 10 of the funniest mom and dad comics will go head-to-head in a stand-up throw-down for the chance to sit on the throne and be crowned the Last Comic Sitting. Each week, they’ll face a new challenge and based on your votes, one will be eliminated. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000. For four weeks, you will have the opportunity to vote and narrow the comics down to the top mom and top dad.

You also have an opportunity to win $10,000 in the Last Comic Sitting Sweepstakes. Simply visit The Clorox Lounge to sign-up and be automatically entered for a chance to win the top prize. You can generate up to two additional entries each day, per day, by logging in and commenting, until April 22, 2012. Fans can also enter for a chance to win cool prize packs. Ten prizes will be given each week, for twelve weeks, until April 22, 2012.

For more information visit: The Clorox Lounge

Disclaimer:  Information for this blog post came from SocialMoms.com.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox® blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Cold and Flu Season 2011 - Ready to Fight

I am a four seasons girl. I love playing in puddles, watching flowers bloom, and planting my garden in the spring. I love to swim, eat fresh veggies, and catch fireflies in the summer. Fall brings the crunching of leaves, watching football, and the comfort of my favorite sweater. Winter means ice skating and sledding followed by hot cocoa next to a warm fire. The one season I could definitely do without, is cold and flu season.

As soon as the girls head back to school in the fall, I know that cold and flu season is right around the corner. It starts with a tiny sniffle or a scratchy throat . . . and works its way around everyone in the school (and my house!) We do what we can to avoid the sniffles and coughs, though a few seem almost unavoidable. We have been able to avoid the flu so far though. (Where's some wood? . . . knock, knock, knock).

Here's what we have done, and will continue to do (until it stops working for us):

• Wash our hands - I am pretty diligent about requiring the girls to wash their hands before eating, after sneezing, or whenever we come in from being out and about around other people.  While I prefer a good hand washing to hand sanitizer, I also keep that on hand whenever we do leave the house.  The girls are great at reminding me to sanitize when we're out running errands. 
• Cough and Sneeze into our elbows - It is as simple as it sounds. By not catching sneezes and coughs with our hands we are less likely to spread them to others.
• Keep your hands off your face - Your face has too many mucous membranes. We try to avoid giving the germs on our hands direct access to the rest of our bodies.  This one is easier said than done.  The girls always seem to be touching their faces.  I find that pulling their hair back seems to help with that too.  It may seem odd, but when their hair isn't bothering them they seem less likely to touch their face. 
• Eat right and exercise - By making healthy choices and keeping our bodies in the best possible condition we like to think that we are at an advantage to fight off the germs that find their way in.
• Get plenty of sleep -  Like eating right and exercising, getting enough sleep is also vital to keep your body in the best condition for fighting off bad germs.  My girls sleep about 11-12 hours per night if I let them.  By keeping their bed times early enough, I can allow them to sleep well and wake up on their own.
• Sanitize dishes - My dishwasher has a sanitize setting.  It gets the water temperature high enough to kill most of the germs on my dishes.  During cold and flu season, or whenever someone in the house has a sniffle, I'm sure to use that setting.  I've been surprised that it really does seem to help prevent the spread of illness from one family member to another in our house.

I am not a scientist and have not studied cold and flu prevention.  Some of the methods that seem to work for us might actual just be coincidental.  No matter what you do to stay healthy during this cold and flu season, I hope it works for you and your family. If you have any remedies or tips that you swear by, I'd love to hear them. I'm always ready to research or try a new idea that might keep my own family healthier as well.

Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Worldwide Day of Play

Who knew that there was a Worldwide Day of Play? 

Apparently September 24, 2011 is Worldwide Day of Play.  On this day, everyone is encouraged to turn off the TV and go outside to play.  While I personally find it a little odd that people have to have a specific day and be told to do this, anything that helps to get kids a bit more active is okay in my book. 

On September 24, our family just happens to be participating in a local 5K.  This is the third year that we've participated.  When the girls were 3 and 5, we just did the 1 mile family fun run.  However, last year and this year the girls are running the full race.  (I have to admit I use the word "running" loosely.  Last year we ran, walked, jogged, skipped, galloped, shuffled and stomped our way to the finish line.  What can you expect from a 4 and 6 year old though?  They get bored easily.)

This year, we've been "training" (Again, I use the word loosely.) for the 5K for much of the summer.  We started by walking around our island which just happens to be about 3 miles.  As the training progressed, we began to run more and more of our walk.  We also have been biking and scootering to mix it up a bit.  The girls just love it!  It gives them a chance to be outside and get out some of their extra energy.  They also like that they have my undivided attention.  While we're walking I don't have a computer, phone, laundry, food to prepare, etc. to distract me.  We can just walk and talk about their day, their hopes, their dreams, their friends, their worries.  It is a great opportunity to actually listen to my girls uninterrupted. 

Do you enjoy outdoor play with your kids?  What types of activities do you most like to participate in?  Personally, my girls love to play soccer, softball, bike, scooter, hula hoop, jump rope, hopscotch, and stop/go.  (Stop/Go is our version of red light green light where you pick a different way to move rather than just run.  We do crab walk, backwards, skip, bunny hop, etc.)  I'd love to hear your favorite activities too.  We're always looking for new fun ways to play.

If you already do play outside with your kiddos, then now would be a great time to possibly get rewarded for that gift you give to them.  You can go to http://clorox2play2day.com to pledge to play outside.  If you don't play outside with your kiddos yet, then you should also consider pledging.  You might just find that you enjoy it as much as they do.  

*Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Classic Family Recipe Inspired by Coke

Summer is almost upon us (though the weather wants us to believe otherwise). I can tell by the chirping of birds when I wake up in the morning. I can tell by the sun shining in my window while I'm still in bed. I can tell by the constant rushing for softball, T-ball, ballet, play dates, etc. When summer time arrives, the whole world seems to wake up. Our tiny little town begins to bustle with activity. All of the summer residents and people with vacation homes start preparing their cottages for the onslaught of visitors that will appear between Memorial and Labor days. Stores that I've missed throughout the winter months will reopen their doors. The ones that remained open despite the bitter cold and decreased revenue will extend their hours. Summer means sunshine, laughter and fun. It is our favorite time of the year!

Whenever the littlest signs of summer appear, I am always ready to start making my signature summer dishes. (If you were to ask me why I don't make them year-round, I wouldn't be able to answer you. Some foods are just meant to be made in the summer.) Some of my favorite summer dishes are salads. I just love an easy Taco Salad on those days when it is too hot to want to eat anything warm. Nothing says picnic like my grandma's amazing potato salad. With mustard, pickles, celery and just enough mayonnaise and Miracle Whip to make it barely creamy, it is a summer staple. Whenever I smell someone else grilling, my eyes turn a bit green and I feel the need to drag out my grill and whatever meat I have on hand. Whether it is a hamburger, hot dog, steak, or chicken, it all tastes better on the grill.

One of my absolute favorite summer meals though, is a barbecued pork/chicken/beef dish that I make in a crock pot. Perfect for those days when you're going to be out on the boat most of the day only to arrive home to guests to feed, this meal is easy delicious and always well received.

Place a large roast in a crock pot
Add other seasonings to taste (I usually add some garlic powder, seasoning salt, and pepper)
Cook on low heat.
Once the meat is tender and easy to shred, shred it (remove excess fat/bones)
(Sometimes I will do the first part overnight so that I can shred it in the morning and it will be ready to eat for lunch)
Pour approx 1/2-1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce over the shredded meat
Pour approx 1 can of Coke over the shredded meat
Allow it to cook for 1-2 hours for the meat to absorb the flavors (though you can let it cook for much longer on the low setting)
Serve on buns

What are some of your favorite summer time meals?  I'm always looking for new recipes to add to my repertoire.  Please feel free to share


*Disclaimer - Recipe came from a modified recipe that I obtained from an online recipe site.  I don't remember now which one it was, but if you know, I'd be happy to give credit to the original "chef".  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Coca-Cola® blogging program. If I am one of the first 100 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 gift card. For more information on the program, click here.

Little Switches that can make a Big Difference

Sometimes life feels like it gets a little monotonous. Perhaps you might even call it boring. What do you do when you feel yourself getting in a rut? Have you ever made a little switch that seemed to make a huge difference? Over the years I've made some little switches. Some have helped more than others, but it is always worth a try.

Switch 1 – My girls are always a great source of inspiration for my switches. In fact, just now I was talking to my first grade daughter about what she learned at school. She was telling me that they talked about energy in science class – what energy is, how to save energy, and different forms of energy. Shortly after this conversation, a friend called to ask is she could come over to play. When I said that I could bring her right over, Peanut suggested that we walk, bike or scooter ride. So, I walked, Peanut rode her scooter, and Pumpkin rode her bike. It took us about ten minutes to get her friends house instead of two, but we saved gas and got a little exercise in the process. I already feel better! I don’t know if this switch will stick, but with the encouragement of the girls, I sure hope so!

Switch 2 – Sometimes I tend to focus on the negative. There are mornings that I wake up dreading the day ahead of me. I pull the covers over my head and try to avoid getting up for as long as possible. I think about all the things I have to do that I know I won’t enjoy. It isn’t that I try to be a negative person. In fact, I’d much prefer to be positive. I think that by starting and ending the day with a positive thought, I might be able to perk up my attitude. If you wake up just appreciating that you are alive and looking forward to at least one activity that will take place, then I think it makes it easier to get through the rest. At the end of the day, look back. Find one thing that surprised you, made you laugh, or that you unexpectedly enjoyed. Go to sleep focusing on that positive experience and hopefully you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed and ready for a new day.

Switch 3 – When I was teaching, I had students that were difficult. (I won’t say much more than that since teachers are getting in trouble for blogging about their students lately.) A wise older teacher told me to find three positive things to say to that student every day for three weeks. I’m not sure what the “magic” of the number three is, but it really works. After three weeks those students and I seemed to have fewer issues. Whether the positive comments made them feel better about themselves and behave more appropriately or whether the positive comments made me see them in a better light, I do not know. Regardless of whether the student had changed or I had, it made all the difference in the world in my classroom. When I get stressed out by any of my family members, I try to do the same – focus on their good qualities instead of harping on the bad. I think everyone appreciates feeling appreciated.  It makes us want to do more for those that appreciate us.

I'd love to hear about your little switches that made a big difference. I'm always anxious to try new things that might make my life even better.

*Disclaimer - I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Cottonelle blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Top 10 Tips for Family Travel Deals

Believe or not, the travel season is almost upon us. (Though after the marathon that was Christmas, it feels like it never ended.) First there is spring break. Then you have summer vacation. While we don’t always travel during these peak travel times, occasionally we do. When we are going to be hitting the road, we like to follow some basic rules in booking travel that keeps vacations within our budget.

Sign up for newsletters and tailor them to your needs. Just about every company has a newsletter that you can sign up for that will alert you to deals, bargains and promotional codes. I highly recommend that you sign up for them. When you do, be sure to be specific. You can often specify which airport you like to fly out of or which areas you like to visit. Getting a notification of a great rate on a flight from Boston to Las Vegas won’t do you any good if you live in Chicago.

Travel at off-peak times when possible. Before the girls were in school, we were free to travel whenever we wanted. If you have young children, take advantage of this. The prices are better and you have more bargaining power when trying to get a deal. If a hotel knows that they will have empty rooms, they are much more likely to give it to you at a better price than if they know it will be full.

Pack snacks. For some reason, when I travel I am always hungry. Several stops at fast food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, or heaven forbid the overpriced restaurants in the airport will break your budget in a hurry. Pack snacks that will not only be better on your budget, but also on your waistline.

Book packages. Just like combining your insurances, combined booking can sometimes save you money. Some companies work together with others to get you a better package deal than you could get if you booked everything separately. (This isn’t always the case, so do your homework, but you should at least consider it.)

Take your discount cards with you. Are you a member of AAA, AARP, etc? If you are, be sure you take your ID cards with you. You never know when you will run across a hotel, restaurant, or even gift shop that will give you a discount for your membership. It never hurts to ask. The worst that can happen is that they’ll say “no”.

Don’t overpack. Now that airlines are charging for every bag you check, you have to be smarter about what you pack. While you want to make sure you have everything you need (buying extra items on vacation will really add up), you also don’t want to pack items that you don’t end up using. You don’t need your running shoes, cross training shoes, and walking shoes. Pick one and allow it to multitask for a few days.

Talk to a local. If you know anyone (or even have a friend of a friend) that lives in an area you’re visiting, ask them for recommendations. They might know some amazing restaurants, hotels and places to visit that aren’t as popular and won’t cost as much.

Search for discounts before booking. If you know that you want to go on a particular tour or participate in a particular activity, look online to see if there are any discounts available. With so many great coupon sites out there, you rarely have to pay full retail. The deals are available if you know where to look. Local radio stations are a great place to look for half-price deals or links to coupons.

Don’t go souvenir crazy. In the moment, you might really think you need that coffee mug in the shape of a roller coaster. The reality is that you’ll never use it since you can’t drink out of it without it spilling all over you. Set a budget for souvenirs and don’t allow yourself to go over it. That will really make you think before making an impulse purchase. Instead, you can take pictures of some of those souvenirs and make a fun scrapbook out of it.

Don’t overbook. It is your vacation. While it may be true that you’re only going to visit once, that doesn’t mean you have to do every tourist activity available. Overbooking will lead to overspending. It will also make you feel like you need another vacation just to recover from the first one.

Do you have any tips you'd add?

*Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

How Lucky Are You?

Luck of the draw.
Luck of the Irish.
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.

There are a multitude of quotes related to luck and even more beliefs on how to make it. From the four-leaf clover to the rabbits foot, people have all sorts of ideas about what makes them lucky, or not.

Personally, I tend to agree with the thoughts of Tennessee Williams who said, “Luck is believing you’re lucky!” I think if most people sat down and thought about all the positives in their lives, they would find that they are luckier than they previously believed.

For example, my life is far from perfect. I don’t have all the “things” I’ve ever wanted. However, I would never say that I’m not lucky. Here are a few reasons why:

I am married to an amazing man. He is strong, handsome, and caring. He is kind, thoughtful, and forgiving. Best of all, he loves me! Even when I’m being stubborn, ornery and difficult, he loves me. Some women worry that their husband will cheat. I do not. My husband loves me with all that he is. He tells me every day how beautiful he thinks I am. Every time I look into his beautiful blue eyes, I can see how much he cares. For that reason, I am lucky!

I have two beautiful, healthy, perfect little girls. When I say perfect, I don’t mean PERFECT. My kiddos make mistakes. They occasionally forget their manners. They don’t always listen like they should. However, so do I. My girls are kind-hearted. They are polite. They share. They make me smile. They make me laugh. They make me proud to be their mother on a daily basis. For that reason, I am lucky!

I live a comfortable life. My husband works very hard (and budgets well) so that I can stay home with our girls. While we have our share of worries, I never have to worry about the necessities. We have everything we need, and then some. For that reason, I am lucky!

I have AMAZING friends. While I don’t have very many close friends, the ones I have are wonderful. They are honest, hard-working, funny, strong, sincere and dependable. They are kind and forgiving if I make a mistake. They know me with all my faults, and they still like me. If I ever were to need anything, I know that my friends would be there for me. For that reason, I am lucky!

The list could go on and on. I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention my irreplaceable relationships with my sister and mother, the fact that I still have 3 grandparents that are still alive, and the fact that I live in a place where many are only lucky enough to vacation on occasion.

I am truly lucky! How about you?

*Note – This post was inspired by the redbox Lucky to Have Friends Like You Promotion.

The only thing better than $1 a night movies – free movies! Lucky you, redbox is giving everyone the chance to score free movie credits now through St. Patrick’s Day during the redbox Lucky to Have Friends Like You promotion. Each fan receives a unique web address. Every time someone rents from your address through March 17, you get a free movie credit. Rental credits are valid for ten (10) days after they’ve been deposited into your account. Spread the word, and lucky you could be rolling in free movies this March.

Disclaimer - I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and redbox blogging program, for a $25 Walmart gift card from redbox. For more information on how you can participate, click here.  Information for this post came from redbox and SocialMoms.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I were abducted by aliens . . .

I recently took Pumpkin and Peanut to the movies to see Gnomeo & Juliet.   While there, we saw the preview for Mars Needs Moms.    What a cute looking movie!   When SocialMoms posted that they were looking for the top 10 things your kids would miss about you if you were abducted by aliens, I thought “What a fun idea!”  Who knew how hard it would be to come up with ten things?!  Here’s my best effort:

My cooking – Okay, I’m going to be honest.  I’m not much of a cook.  I try to cook, but many of my meals are not terribly well received.   (Though admittedly, they are appreciated much more the first night than they are as “leftovers”.)  Even so, I’d like to think that eventually they’d miss at least a few of my meals.

Story time – We love to read stories together.  Whether I’m reading or they are, it is always something we all enjoy.  Even when it is late, the girls ask if they can pick a story time before bed (and are sad if I tell them we don’t have time).

Mommy Hugs – Earlier today, Pumpkin fell and scraped her knee.  It certainly wasn’t anything life threatening, but it definitely needed a mommy hug and kiss to make it all better. 

“I love you”s – Every night after prayers, before leaving the girls in their rooms for the night, I whisper “I love you” 15 times in each ear.  It started as a way to fill their minds with happy thoughts before bed so that they wouldn’t have nightmares, and has stuck.  They really miss those “I love you”s when I’m not home to put them to bed.

Car Rides – I’m lucky to be able to stay home with my girls.  Because of that, I take them to and from school each day.  The car rides are a wonderful time for them to tell me about their days without the interruptions of phones, TV, computers, etc. 

Games – I am horrible at pretend play, but I love playing games with the girls.  Monopoly, Clue, Checkers, Memory, DDR – you name it and we play it.  We always have such a great time.

Lunchbox Notes – Each day I put a note in Peanut’s lunchbox.  Whether I write something silly, funny or sweet, she always looks forward to that note.  If I happen to forget one day, she always notices and asks what happened.  The lunchbox notes are a great way to let her know she’s on my mind even when she’s at school.

Baking Time – Doc is an amazing father, but one thing he does NOT do, is bake.  The girls and I love to bake together.  We have a great time making cookies, cakes, brownies, bars, etc.  I think they actually enjoy the process more than the end product.  If I was abducted, either Doc would have to learn to bake or hire someone who could.

Crafts – From hair clips to play-dough birds, the girls and I love to make crafts together.  At Valentine’s Day, they each made their Valentines for their friends.  After working for a couple weeks on those Valentines, Doc asked me “Do you think their friends appreciate all the work you guys put into those?”  My reply was, “We don’t do it for them.  We do it for us.”

Play Area Visits – The girls are like most kids and love visiting the local play areas at the mall, restaurants, playgrounds, water parks, etc.   I can sit there for hours just watching them have fun.  Whenever anyone else takes them, the visits tend to be much shorter.   I think they’d miss the tolerance I have for those visits. (Which is ironic considering I always said I’d never let my kids play in those places because they are breeding grounds for germs . . . one of the many ways that being a parent has changed me.)

I may not be a perfect mom.  I know that I have plenty of faults and lots of other things to work on.  Regardless, I am their mom, and they love me imperfections and all.  Just as I love them!

Disclaimer - I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Sharing Happiness

Happiness seems to be contagious!

While a friend and I were waiting to pick up our kids from preschool today, we were just talking about happiness.  The sun was shining, the temperature was up, and we were both in the best moods we'd been in in a while.  Sometimes, something as simple as a sunny day can make you happy.

What other things make you happy?

• I'm happy when a cashier is particularly kind and friendly.
• I'm happy when I get a great deal on an item I've been wanting.
• I'm happy when my kids come home from school with good news.
• I'm happy when my husband notices that I've worked especially hard around the house.
• I'm happy when I get to have lunch and good conversation with a friend.
• I'm happy when I do good and follow my exercise and diet plan.
• I'm happy when I can indulge in a small, but delicious piece of chocolate without feeling guilty.
• I'm happy when someone compliments my kids on their manners or thoughtfulness.

Just think, if things as simple as that can make me happy, then small things probably make other people happy too.  It makes me wonder what I can do to make the world just a bit happier.  So, here's the plan.  I'm going to do little things each day and see if I notice a difference.  Perhaps if I spread some happiness, others will continue to pay it forward.

Smile - A smile shows you're happy.  When I great people, I will make sure that I smile.  I want people to know that I am happy to see them.   I want people to feel like they belong.  I want people to feel appreciated.  I hope that a small, but sincere smile will send that message and spread happiness.

Please & Thank You - Please and thank you are simple words that we learn as children.  They also are words that show appreciation.  Just the other day, when I said "thank you" to Pumpkin, she said to me, "Mom, you're an adult.  You don't have to say "thank you".  Only kids do."    What????   I have no idea where she heard that or why she thinks that to be true, but it isn't.  Parents need to show appreciation as well.  Whether teachers, food servers, cashiers, grocery baggers, doctors, or even your children for helping out around the house - people should be thanked for the work they do.   I know that it makes me happy when I feel appreciated.  I am going to make a better effort to be sure that I thank people for their help.

Giving - We try to be generous people.  We donate items that we no longer need or use.  We buy extra items for the classroom so that children that don't have the necessary money or supplies can have them.   However, I can always do more.  I used to send my unwanted coupons to military stationed overseas.  For some reason I stopped.  I think I'm going to start doing that again.  I am going to look for more opportunities to give of my time, talent, and money when possible.

Here's hoping that I'm right, and happiness is contagious.  That is one thing I certainly wouldn't mind catching!

*Disclaimer - I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hershey's blogging program, for a gift card worth $25 and some product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Dinner Time Etiquette

What does dinner time look like in your household?

Are you a household that changes your clothes to proper dinner attire?  Do you have all your utensils set out in the proper order.  Do you use fine china and cloth napkins?

Are you a household that doesn't believe in utensils?  Do you eat with your hands and wipe your face with your sleeves?  Is belching considered a compliment in your home?

I can honestly say that neither of the above descriptions fits our household.  While we are not as prim and proper as we could (or perhaps even should) be, we do a pretty good job of maintaining some sense of decorum.  We do have some basic rules we live by at our dinner table, most of which revolve on being polite.

Perhaps you don't like every food that is on your plate.  You don't have to eat it all.  You simply have to take a polite taste.  After the polite taste, you are welcome to leave the rest.  You may not make disgusting faces or gagging sounds.  You can not  criticize or complain about the food you have been served.   There is no reason that you should ever offend someone that has worked hard to make a meal for you.

When you would like more of something, you do need to say "please" and "thank you".    Show your appreciation for others by using your kind words.   Ask nicely for seconds, a napkin, or to be excused.

Eating is generally done with utensils.  If a food is intended to be eaten with utensils, then you must try to do so.  Some foods are just not utensil foods, however.  Those can be eaten with your hands as long as you try to be neat about it.  For the younger kids, sometimes an occasional finger might need to help keep a pea on a fork . . . that is okay too.

Eating is a family occasion.  We generally eat dinner as a family.  On occasion some event or meeting will prevent that, but that is our goal.  We wait patiently for everyone to finish eating.  We take turns when speaking (but hopefully not when our mouths are full) and we try our best not to interrupt.

Personally, I think that the most important rule for dinner is that it is an occasion that works for you.  We spend far too much time during the day away from each other.  If we have a few minor lapses in etiquette, but enjoy our time together, then it is definitely worth it!

*Disclaimer - I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Kraft Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Simple Changes for 2011

When my children were just babies, life was crazy. I was sleep deprived. My house was a mess. I was carrying some extra baby weight. I always said, "When the girls get older, I'll have more time to get back in shape. I'll have more time to clean when I don't have to hold them all the time. I'll find more time when they nap longer and sleep through the night." Then my babies became toddlers.

When my children were toddlers, life was crazy. I was no longer sleep deprived, but I was exhausted. My house was a mess. Cleaning seemed futile. As I would try to pick up in one room, the girls would be playing (aka making a mess) in another. I still was carrying extra baby weight even though I felt like I never sat down. I thought, "I'll have more time when the girls are in school. I'll get on a real exercise schedule. The house will be immaculate. I'll probably even be bored." Then my toddlers started school.

Now that my girls are in school, life is crazy. I am no longer exhausted, but I am constantly busy. Between driving the girls to and from school and other activities, I am always on the road. My house is still not clean. With grandparents that love the girls more than life itself, we are overrun with toys that have outgrown their homes. I am still carrying extra baby weight. (Can you call it that when your babies are 5 and 6?) I exercise regularly, but my body no longer responds like it did when I was in my 20's. I now realize that I will never have more time. Twenty-four hours is all that you can get in a day. I now understand that it is not the amount of time you are given, but how you spend it. How I prioritize my life is up to me. That is why I am making some simple changes to make my life better in 2011.

I really have no major complaints from 2010. It was a good year. However, even the best of years can be improved upon, and that is my goal.  In 2011 I plan to remain happily married to my wonderful husband.  I plan to appreciate him more.  I plan to give him a kiss every day when he gets home from work so that he knows how much I love him.   I am hoping that that small gesture which will take only seconds from my day will remind us that even with our busy lives, we are still in it together.   I have been blessed with two amazing little girls.  They are so kind and polite.  They rarely miss an opportunity to say "Please", "Thank You", or help a friend.  In 2011 I plan to make more of an effort to recognize their strengths.  Instead of only correcting them when they do forget, I will tell them how much I appreciate their thoughtfulness.  I will thank them when they help with the dishes, laundry, or vacuuming the floor.   I hope to foster their kindness and encourage their hard work with simple words of acknowledgment.   The last small change I hope to make in 2011 is to do more random acts of kindness.   Sometimes it might be as simple as a smile for a stranger.  Other times perhaps I'll pass a coupon on to another shopper.  By appreciating what I have and sharing with others, I hope to make not only my own life better, but also the lives of others who might pay it forward.

*Disclaimer: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Simply Orange® blogging program. If I am one of the first 65 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 Target gift card and a gift pack that includes a Simply Orange® cooler bag and logoed fleece.