Lacing Up for the Red Cross
It’s been seven months since my last 5K and I walked that one. Its been longer since I actually ran.
I’ve been a little busy.
You know…having a baby.
But now my little buddle of joy is almost three months old and its time to get back out on the road. And what better reason than to help raise money for the Red Cross.
So, I assigned up for The Red Run on November 5 <— that’s in less than three weeks people! I haven’t run in months (see above).
I’ll probably end up walking more than running but who cares. I’m supporting a friend and a good cause and getting back in my running shoes.
If you’re in Frederick, you should join me. I’ll be in the one in red (actually, all participants have been asked to wear red).
Got any advice for my first post-baby 5K?
Disclaimer: My race registration was waived in exchange for blogging about this event. These opinions are my own. I’m happy to help out the Red Cross and have donated my time and money in the past to their organization. Here’s a post I wrote about helping tornado victims.
Fisher Price Little People Zoo Talkers Animal Sounds Zoo
“Oooh, mommy. Look! It’s the zookeeper.” My son had been anxiously waiting to open the big box that arrived at our house and now was even more anxious for me to put the Fisher-Price Little People Zoo Talkers Animal Sounds Zoo
My son has been a fan of Little People™ toys since his first birthday when he received the anniversary edition schoolhouse. It came with a birthday DVD that he still likes to watch, including a cartoon about the zookeeper’s birthday. I was happy to see a DVD included with the zoo, although more for him than me. I can only watch it so many times.
In addition to the zookeeper and the DVD, the zoo comes with three animals: a lion, a polar bear, and a gorilla (or monkey as my son insists). There’s a button on the base (where the lion is in the photo above) to set the animals on and make them talk (required batteries not included) – and volume control if that lion’s roar gets too loud for mommy’s ears.
Just for fun, here’s a video of my little guy practicing his lion roar:
Fisher-Price recently launched the appropriately named Little People™ Animal Sounds Contest. The contest calls on parents to submit a video of their child demonstrating his or her best roar, grrrr or squawk for the chance to win a $10,000 cash prize and a trip to Fisher-Price headquarters in East Aurora , N.Y. for a special photo shoot and an opportunity to have their child featured on a Little People™ toy package or website.
It’s easy to enter. Parents simply visit www.animalsounds.fisher-price.com to get started. The contest is open to children ages one to five. The Animal Sounds contest runs through 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 30, 2011.
What animals do your kids love?
Disclosure: I received this Fisher Price Little People™ Zoo Talkers Animal Sounds Zoo for free for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own. The product link is an Amazon Affiliate link.
Zucchini Pancakes
Here’s a recipe for Zucchini Pancakes that I adapted from All Recipes so that its food allergy friendly (milk, egg, peanut). My husband and I loved them. My son thought green pancakes were cool to make but wasn’t too keen on trying them. Next time, maybe. Thanks go to Selfish Mom and her tweet about making these for the inspiration.
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Daiya Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
dash of salt and pepper
1.5 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup applesauce
2 TBSP chopped onion (optional)
Earth Balance Spread or Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil
Tofutti Sour Cream (optional)
Combine flour, Daiya shredded cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in one bowl. In another bowl, combine zucchini, applesauce and onion. Add to the dry mixture.
Heat pan on stovetop to a high temperature. Add butter or coconut oil until melted. Drop desired amount of zucchini mixture into pan. Flatten with a spoon. Fry until golden brown, approximately two minutes each side.
Tip: the hotter the pan, the better. Otherwise, the outsides fry but the insides do not and the pancake falls apart.
Place on a paper towel to cool and blot out the oil. Serve with Tofutti Sour Cream.
My Food Network Magazine Debut
I’m so so excited that I can finally share this news! Earlier this year, I was asked by Food Network Magazine – FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE people! – to nominate three Maryland pizzas for a travel article they were planning about pizzas from every state. They selected one of my nominees and asked me to do a write up for the article. If you look closely at the end of the article, you’ll find my name listed under Pizza Scouts. Guess I can now add “Food Network Pizza Scout” to my resume. : )
Check out 50 States 50 Pizzas here. Click on thumbnail 20 to see the Flag Pizza from Baltimore’s Joe Squared and read what I wrote. To read more about my dining experience, check out my blog post for Maryland Life magazine.
Struggling to Be Enough
This post is in honor of my friend Elena’s Be Enough 4 Me Cancer Campaign, a partnership with Bellflower Books and Cricket Answer to provide memory books to women with cancer by linking up a post about being enough.
Right now I’m struggling.
I’m desperately trying to juggle parenting a newborn with parenting a toddler, being a wife/daughter/sister/friend, working a full-time job on part-time hours, and keeping my house clean – all on broken sleep and without losing myself in the mix.
And I’m failing.
Its driving me nuts, this “season” of my life. I want my life to be “back to normal.” I want to be able to tackle my to-do list instead of letting it go wildly out of control.
But I can’t and I need to accept that, right now, what I can accomplish, even if its just one thing on my list, is enough.
I know I’ll soon have more time for that to do list. And I know that the stuff that really matters isn’t on the list anyway. I just need to give myself permission to let it all go and know that what I can do right now is enough.
What are you struggling with?
10 Years Later Remembering September 11
The roar of an airplane still takes me back with a shudder.
I was walking through Bryant Park in Manhattan on my way to work when the sound of a passenger jet interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see the white underbelly of a plane flying dangerously low. While the plane didn’t seem in distress, I thought it might crash in the Hudson. But once it was out of sight, it was out of mind so I continued on my way.
It was 8:45 a.m.
Fifteen minutes later, I was standing on the corner of Second Avenue and 41st Street, waiting to cross. An ambulance sped by me with a news van inches from its bumper. The man next to me said, “Did you hear? A plane crashed into the World Trade Center.”
And I knew. It had been that plane. I looked up and saw the black plume of smoke reaching across from lower Manhattan against the bright blue sky.
By the time I reached my office, the second plane had hit the second tower. I couldn’t comprehend how that happened. How could an accident like that happen twice? Terrorism wasn’t in my vocabulary.
The rest of the day is chaotic blur in my memory…
- watching the events unfold on the TV in our conference room
- trying to connect with loved ones on the phone but only getting through on email
- walking 40 blocks north with a coworker to her friend’s apartment and happy that I’d worn flats instead of heels
- hearing the fighter jets over Manhattan and being afraid, a feeling that wouldn’t go away for a long time
- taking a ferry from Manhattan back to New Jersey that evening that almost capsized when everyone rushed to one side to see another WTC building collapse
- talking to my mom and crying
- finally getting home – the next day – and wondering how life could go on
Ten years later, the world around me has definitely changed but I don’t think my life has turned out all that different for having been in New York on September 11. For awhile, the experience defined me. Healing took a long time. But life does and has gone on. I will never forget that day but I can now face it without fear.
This year, as in year’s past, I will observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. and then I will go about my day. I will not watch the endless television coverage. I lived it. That was enough.
How will you mark the tenth anniversary?
Photo: Lower Manhattan as seen from New Jersey, taken a few days after September 11. The smoke was fading but still visible.
Book Themed Nursery
I struggled with a theme for our daughter’s nursery. I wanted something elegant and feminine but I didn’t like any of the bedding sets I saw for girls. And I wanted something different than the Nursery Rhyme theme we had used for our son.
So I googled for ideas and eventually came across this post: Nursery Theme Ideas and fell in love with doing a book themed nursery. It seemed perfect given that my husband and I love books and hope our children do, too. The theme was different enough from the nursery rhyme theme to make the room her own but I was also able to repurpose items we already had, including her brother’s baby bedding. (Helps that his nursery was neutral because we waited until he was born to find out his gender.) I framed book jackets for wall art and decorated the shelves with books from our collection. It was fairly inexpensive and I love how it turned out!
Here are a few pics:
Did you have a theme for your child’s nursery? What was it?
Wordless Wednesday: Our New Arrival
LOVE!
The Digital Mom Handbook
I’ve been drawn to “how-to” books lately. (I’d love to get lost in a novel but I don’t seem to have the desire when I’m picking which book to read next.) So I was drawn to The Digital Mom Handbook by its tagline “How to Blog, Vlog, Tweet, and Facebook Your Way to a Dream Career at Home.” Specifically, I was interested in vlogging because its something I’d like to learn more about. And if I can figure out a way to supplement my income from home, even better.
I ordered this book from Amazon on Monday. It arrived by Friday. And I devoured it by Sunday.
If you’re looking for a book to help you get started in blogging, this is a good choice. It lacks the technical information you might need – the nuts and bolts of starting a blog – but it more than covers the bigger issues all bloggers should consider before starting a blog with the hopes of making money from it.
The book is written for would-be bloggers but experienced bloggers will find it worth the read, too. I’ve been blogging for over a year now, and immersed in social media for three years, and I took away several useful nuggets. Chapter 5 “Manage the Benjamins” was particularly useful. The authors, Audrey McClelland and Colleen Padilla, did a great job of providing food for thought and then providing the resources to find more information.
I have plans for this blog and another blog in development. I’m definitely going to hang on to The Digital Mom Handbook as a resource when I’m ready to take the next steps with those blogs.
What books have been valuable to you and your blog?
Paddywhack Lane Toys
My last post was inspired by the children’s book The Costume Trunk Book
His first reaction to seeing the box featuring Courtney, the book’s main character, and her accessories was “oooh!” He was very eager for me to get each piece out of the box, which wasn’t an easy task given the secure packaging. But once the toys were freed, he had fun changing her hats, posing her on her stool, and pretending she was a superhero (she has a cape). He was most excited by the costume trunk itself, calling it a treasure chest. I have a feeling he’d enjoy the Paddywhack Lane Anthony’s Treasure Hunt Playset
From a mom’s point of view, I think this a fun toy that encourages the imagination but definitely isn’t appropriate for kids under three because of the small accessories. Courtney has a magic wand and a lasso that could easily be swallowed and will probably disappear quickly. Children a few years older might enjoy this set more because their dexterity is better. Even I had a hard time attaching Courtney’s various sets of wings to her shoulders because her plastic braids were in the way.
What I like most about the series is the emphasis on reading, imagination and make believe, and the power each child has to be whoever he dreams to be. These were essential elements from my own childhood that I hope to encourage in my children.
Which Paddywhack Lane character is your child’s favorite?
I received The Costume Trunk book and toys for free for the purpose of review. These opinions are my own. The above are Amazon affiliate links but you can bypass them and just visit www.paddywhacklane.com.
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