While on vacation at the Jersey Shore last week, we had our own sort of afternoon “tea time” out on our condo’s balcony – except for this mama it was a glass of boxed wine (I love Bota Box!), while my daughter drank her boxed apple juice….
Only 18 more years sweetie and we can clink glasses together. Until then a little girl can dream, can’t she?
I’ve always love the simple pleasures of a bowl of pudding. It was one of my favorite snacks as a kid. Back then my mom would make the pudding from little box packets, combine with milk and heat on the stove. Then it was poured into our “fancy” smoke gray Tupperware dessert cups with lids and into the fridge for what seemed like an eternity before it solidified enough for me to dig my spoon into one. I could only imagine what the sugar, fat and preservative content was back then in the late 70s and early 80s, before people and food companies became more aware of ingredients!
My little moppet with her pudding treat!
I love vacations! They’re my number one way to de-stress, re-charge and spend some quality time with people I care about and do things that my family really enjoys doing.
I also hate vacations! Leading up to the actual vacation is always stressful for me and a flurry of activity. First there’s all the research of what to do and where to go, factoring all the opinions (sometimes unwanted) of family members and/or friends on trip choices and booking the trip. Then there is the packing – clothes packing for me, the kidlets & The Hubs, books & toys, the various house supplies we’ll need and don’t forget the “in case of” stuff, which as parents you are required to have with you.
Oh the joys of summer! As we get ready for our annual beach vacation, I’m making sure that The Hubs is loading up the iPod with lots of great music to help set the mood. Chances are most people have a song or songs that remind them of summer. I certainly have my favorites; mostly they’re tunes from when I was growing up. Hearing those songs instantly take me back to a carefree time in my life where my biggest decisions during the summer months either revolved around what toy to play with or bathing suit to wear.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m in desperate need of a vacation (I’m counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until our annual beach trip) or if the excessive heat and humidity we’re having this summer has done a number on me, but I’m finding that LOTS of things that I would normally shrug my shoulders at and not let bother me are totally getting on my nerves.
Though summer’s here for a few more weeks, back to school season is in full swing. Last weekend The Hubs and I took our son shopping for the items on his kindergarten supply list. I was thankful that his school sent out a list, otherwise I would have agonized over what to actually send him in with, like, which pack of crayons: 24 or 48?
My son’s kindergarten school supplies, complete with a Transformers backpack and Darth Vader lunchbox
I’ve never been much of a jewelry person, but I’ve always loved charm bracelets.
When I was a little girl I used to sneak into my mom’s black lacquered jewelry box and try out all her different gold charm bracelets. She must have a least half a dozen of them, and each one represented a different milestone in her life. The best ones were the bracelets with charms from her various trips and vacations. My favorite one of all was the one from Italy which had tiny replicas of the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a gondola for Venice and the Fountain of Trevi.
My growing collection of charm braceletsThis week, this “Grill-More” Girl is serving up some grilled tasty grilled pork chops!
Pork is a popular menu item these days. It’s a lean meat and has a mild flavor that blends perfectly with many flavors and seasonings. Pork is a great alternative to serving steak or chicken. In the past I’ve shied away from pork, afraid that its leaness would lead to a unedible leathery piece of meat. Through some trial and error, I’ve found that grilling pork chops that are moist, tender and delicious isn’t as difficult as I thought. Continue reading
This weekend we celebrated my son’s 5th birthday with his friends and it was a real blast from the past!
No offense to places such as Chuck E Cheese, Bounce U or Screaming Parties, but I always like to something a little different from the parties we go to. We held his party at a great place I found called Tie Dye Town.
My son getting his tie-dye party on!
My kids birthdays are a huge deal. To me, there is no greater joy than seeing the excitement, happiness and love in my kidlets eyes when their big day comes and we’re celebrating! But as most parents know, sometimes planning your child’s birthday party can take over your entire life. We just had my son’s 5th birthday party over the weekend and it was a huge success! Although I look forward to all the planning for a fun and happy event, I always get stressed making sure every detail is ready for the big day.
My son’s Star Wars themed party included this cake, with all the main characters showing up for the festivities!
