Aloha!

Now that I am working, all I can think about is saving enough money to take the kids and I on some type of vacation this summer.  I know they are wanting to go to the beach, so I am hoping maybe one weekend we can load up and take a trip there.  I would love to be able to take off to Hawaii, but that just isn't possible right now.

Or is it?

Old London is giving away a four day, three night, all expense paid experience to the island of Oahu, and I really want to win.  You can find all the details and enter for yourself on their facebook page.  The experience includes a private cooking lesson at the award winning Chef Mavro restaurant.  I would love this. 

I am assuming that you all know about Old London, and the products they make.  My personal favorite is their melba snacks.  I was sent a bunch of different samples, but the whole wheat sea salt flavored melba snacks were my favorite.  I was also sent a bunch of Hawaiian recipes to try out, and while they sounded delicious, I made my version of bruschetta to go on top of the crackers, and it was delicious.  You can find all kinds of different recipes using their products here. 

The thing I like best about these snack crackers is that they can be a part of a healthy diet.  You all know I have recently lost 80 pounds, and I am trying to lose a bit more.  It is also important to me that I keep this weight off.  Having healthy snacks around the house makes it easier to stick to my diet.  The kids love them, too, which is great, because I prefer they eat something other than junk food.

Okay, I am off to dream about this Hawaiian vacation I plan on winning.  I can already see myself on the sandy white beach, relaxing in the sun with a good book.  Now if I only had a man to take with me...

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Old London and received product samples and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

FRESCHETTA® By The Slice Review And Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was given the opportunity to try out FRESCHETTA® By the Slice and let you all know what I thought of it.  I found the pizza at my local Walmart, and I am sure you could find it in most supermarkets as well.  They carried four different varieties: BBQ Recipe Chicken, Vegetable Medley, Six Cheese Medley, and Chicken, Spinach, & Mushroom.  I had the hardest time deciding which one I wanted to try so I used my coupon to get the Six Cheese one free, and then bought the Chicken, Spinach, & Mushroom one myself.  Taste wise, the pizza was delicious,  My only complaint would be that the crust didn't get very crisp.  You could definitely tell it came out of a microwave.  That said, I would still buy the pizza again, because it tasted that good.  Especially the Chicken and Spinach one.  I also loved that it was a single slice, because let's face it.  I am not the only person in the world watching what I eat, and it is a lot easier to eat only one piece of pizza when there isn't an entire pie staring you in the face. 

Now that I have told you how yummy it is, I am sure you want to try it out for yourself.  I am going to make that easier for one of you by giving away a coupon for a free FRESCHETTA By The Slice, plus a 6 piece storage container set from LaCuisine.  (I got one of these storage sets too, and I can not wait to use them once I get settled at the new place)  All you have to do to enter is tell me which variety of pizza you would like to try and why.  On Wednesday, April 27th, I will pick the winner.  Since I have to mail the storage set myself, only US bloggers can enter.  Good luck!

Hey! How Are Ya? I'm Great!

Oh my goodness...where do I begin? 

I have been so busy, it's kind of insane.  I still love my job.  We are moving in two weeks, and my house is upside down as I am trying to get everything packed.  I am getting rid of a lot of stuff, and it feels wonderful decluttering my life.  I am such a hoarder.  I have been keeping things that I haven't used in years, and I am finally tired of lugging them from place to place. 

Oh, and I am down 79 pounds.  I can't believe it!  I am sure by the end of the week I will pass that 80 pound mark...this working is hard work.  I walk a lot, up and down stairs, and climbing in and out of the van a million times a day...it is working wonders for my weight loss.  Plus, I have become addicted to salads, and that seems to be all I am eating these days.  There is this one Italian/Greek place that my best friend and I love, and their salads come with kalamata olives, which are delicious!

If I disappear again for a week or so, don't worry.  I will be back eventually.  There are just more important things going on in my life right now besides blogging....

I Love My Job!

 I mentioned on Facebook the other day that I found a job.  Finally.  I think it's kind of cool that I have had my license for less than a month and I am driving a delivery van.  And I am loving it! 

I love that I am not in some building, staring at the same four walls all day long.  Sure, you could say that I am in a van most of the day, but I am driving, and the scenery is always changing.  For now, I can wear whatever I want.  Eventually, I will probably get some company shirts, but for now, I usually just wear jeans and a regular shirt.  I don't have to wear medical scrubs or anything like that.  I don't have to shop at a scrub store  for surgical scrubs.  I can shop anywhere I want to.  

I will be happy once we get into the new apartment, and I am making enough of my own money to be able to buy whatever I want for the kids and I.  For now, though, every cent will go towards getting the kids to and from school everyday.  That is going to eat up a lot of gas, and we all know how expensive that stuff is these days.

Promoting Me

Hey entrecard people.  Oh, wait, I don't think many of you are visiting me anymore.  I haven't dropped in, well, I don't know how long.  It's funny how life gets in the way of that type of stuff these days.  I keep saying that I need to promote my blog more, but I honestly just don't have the time anymore. 

I had high hopes of buying some promo items to maybe give out to my readers, or maybe to leave in random places.  I have heard of lots of bloggers getting new readers that way.  I would love to find some local bloggers to hang out with every now and again.  

I found these GOpromos custom notepads and I think they are awesome.  I can think of a lot of uses for them.   I found some mugs also that looked pretty cool.  I need to have several made, because as you all know, I am neglecting all of my blogs these days.

For tonight, though, I am going to go lay in bed with Brandi and watch television.  I don't think I'll last long, though.  I'm pretty tired.  This working all the time really tires a person out.

Kidzmet

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kidzmet for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I want to share a secret with you all, so listen closely.  As a mom of three, I have learned that not all kids learn the same way.  Yup, that seems to be a secret to some people, who think that just because they "get" something, other people should too.  I know I have been guilty of that sometimes myself, especially since I seem to pick up things pretty easily.  I can see in my kids, though, that what works for one, doesn't necessarily work for the other two.

My girls are like me, and they can grasp concepts quickly.  Ryan, however, struggles everyday.  Sometimes, it drives me crazy when I am explaining something and he just doesn't get it.  When I heard about Kizmet, I knew it was something I needed to look into for Ryan.  This site matches teachers and tutors with the kids they are meant to teach.  I know I remember certain teachers when I was in school who I didn't click with, and I think that might be part of Ryan's problem.  When he likes a teacher, he does well in that class.  If he doesn't like the teacher, he doesn't do well.  Can you see the correlation there?

I can too.  I think if I can find someone who understands him and the way he learns, he will do better.  I mean, he really can not do any worse at this point.

Kidzmet is also giving away $400 to one lucky Kidzmet kid to put towards the summer enrichment experience of their choice.  There will also be 50 runners-up who will receive a tote bag.  You can find all the details here.  Good luck!

Neglected

I have been so busy lately, I haven't been keeping up with any of my blogs.  My food blog has been really neglected.  I haven't posted any new cookie recipes or anything.  In fact, I have been doing a lot of easy suppers which aren't blog worthy at all.  

Maybe I'll find time soon....

Mom's Kitchen

Now that Bob and I are separated, my mom and I are going to finish her kitchen ourselves.  Yes, you read that right.  So far, my mom has patched the holes that Bob left in her ceiling when he moved her lights, and she did an awesome job.  In fact, I think she did just as good as any San Diego General Contractor could do. 


Of course, there are going to be things that even we can not do, like building the cabinet she wants to put her washer and dryer in. She doesn't want anything really fancy, but she does want this cabinet to match the kitchen cabinets.  I don't think she'll need San Diego Custom Cabinet Makers, just someone who can make a decent cabinet.  Ryan really wants to try building it, but I am not sure my mom will let him.  I mean, he's only 15.  It's a good thing that Bob got as far as he did with her kitchen, because it would have been pretty expensive if she had to hire a San Diego Kitchen Remodel place to finish the hard stuff.

For now, she is going to do a little at a time herself until it's done.  I know she can do it.

Finding Dell Coupon Codes Online

We're moving.  On May 1st.  That's about three weeks away, and I am so excited.  I have a lot to do before then, and I am praying that I will get it all done.  I have only a few boxes packed, which is stressing me out a bit, especially now that I am working 9 hours a day.  By the time I get home, I am too tired to do anything.

The kids are excited about the move, too.  I was looking online for Dell computer coupons, thinking I would get a better computer for the girls room.  The one they have now is pretty old and outdated.  Ryan loves his laptop, so I was thinking that if I could find Dell coupon codes for laptops, I would try to get them one of those.  The only problem would be sharing it.  They fight over everything as it is, so maybe I need Dell coupons for two computers.  I also need some money, because even with the coupon codes, buying computers now will be expensive.  I am hoping I can convince them to wait until Christmas so Santa can bring it for them.  I know that is eight months away, so maybe I can save up the money before then.

Paint It Purple

My kids love grape juice.  I love it, too.  I remember after having each of my kids, the doctor wouldn't let me have soda in the hospital because I had c-sections.  All I was allowed to have was water or juice.  I remember having people bring me grape juice, because that was all I wanted.  These days, I actually add the juice to my lemon lime soda, and it tastes so good.

I found this recipe, and I am looking forward to trying it out the next time I have some Welch's in my fridge.  (it's hard to keep it...the kids drink it pretty quickly!) You can find other recipes in Welch's Recipe Box.

GRAPE INFUSED FORTUNE COOKIES
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3 egg whites
1/3 cup Welch’s 100% Grape Juice
oil for cookie sheet
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat baking sheet with canola oil.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Whisk liquid ingredients together in medium bowl.

4. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk vigorously until the batter is smooth.

5. Spoon one tablespoon of batter onto the cookie sheet and pat the cookie sheet on counter gently to thin to a 4 inch circle. Repeat.

6. Set cookie sheet in the oven; bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown lightly. Remove 1 cookie from oven with a spatula….leave other cookies in oven with door open until ready to use.

7. Flip it over and place a fortune in the center, fold in half then fold over edge of a bowl to make the fortune cookie shape. Set cookies muffin tin to keep their shape until cool (2 cookies per muffin section works well).

8. Repeat process with remaining cookies.

9. Enjoy!

Sounds good, right?  I am going to let the kids write some silly fortunes to go inside...maybe something Easter themed so we can serve the cookies to family.  When I asked the kids to write some up, my girls came up with a poem about the juice instead.  Check it out:

Grape juice is not the same
Without the Welch's name
It is so perfect
Every sip is worth it
It has a natural taste
By the time you're done, there is no more to waste
If you are sad
Welch's will make you glad

Not too bad, right?  My kids are pretty talented.  As you all know, I am now doing the day to day parenting stuff on my own since Bob left.  It's crazy and overwhelming at times, but they are worth it.  I like to think I am doing a good job, and I am pretty sure the kids will agree.  I have never given much thought to all the things I am passing on to them, from my parenting skills to my genes.  Yes, I said my genes.

I know there is heart disease in my family, but I am not sure to what extent.  Welch's can help me, and you,
trace our family's health history by using a tool called Welch's Family Vine Tool. With this tool, you can:

• Enter your family health history.
• Print your family health history to share with family or your health care provider.
• Save your family health history so you can update it over time.
• Use the health history you create to have more productive and proactive conversations with your physician.

Knowing your history, and that of your kids, can help you make changes now to prevent future health problems.

You can follow Welch's on twitter and also find them on facebook.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Welch’s and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a gift code to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Buying Boat Ladders

The kids and I went to my dad's house today to help celebrate his birthday.  There were tons of kids there, and lots of fishing and other games. Dad even gave out a couple of boat rides.  I went out with my kids and Carson (my nephew) on the first run, and for some reason, when we got back to the dock, I felt nauseous.  I am sure it had nothing to do with the drinks I had last night and everything to do with the choppy water.  The kids love going on the boat.  Brandi and Carson were having a blast, as you can see:

Look at those smiles!  My dad has a pontoon, which allows a bunch of us to ride at one time.  I am not sure what type of boat ladders it has, if it even has any.  I know some boat ladders look like ladders, while others look like actual steps.  I guess it all depends on the boat and the owner.

We also ate pizza and cake, which I allowed myself to enjoy.  I have really been watching what I eat, but gave myself a pass for today.  Maybe that has something to do with the way I feel right now, too.

I've Been Listening To Baby Boomers Music

 I love to sing.  It's one of my favorite parts about having my own car now.  When I drive, I turn up my music, and I sing.  Loud. And Badly.  I know I can't sing, but I love to, so I do it anyway. 

My favorite is country music, but I am sure you all know that already.  I mean, I'm sure I have mentioned my love of Sugarland and my unhealthy crush on Keith Urban at least a million times since I started blogging.  Lately, though, I have been trying to broaden my horizons.  I have been trying out different radio stations, and to be honest, I really like listening to some of the oldies stations.  I have tried listening to some baby boomers music, and there are a few songs I know and like.  I remember growing up, we used to have a juke box in our basement, and it had a bunch of songs from the 50's and 60's, which seems to be popular with baby boomers.  I have also been giving current rock a chance, and I am finding that harder to take.  I seem to always find myself tuning back into a country station.

I may have grown up in NY, but I am definitely a country girl these days.

I'm Not Looking For Luxury Retirement Communities Just Yet

Getting older is a part of life.  I am going to be 40 next year, which completely blows my mind if I sit and think about it too long.  I don't know when I got to be so old, not that 40 is old.  In fact, I have a feeling that 40 is going to be an amazing age for me.  I won't have to start looking for luxury retirement communities for quite a few more years.   Of course, different people have different ideas about what the word "luxury" refers to.

Right now, I am focusing on finding an apartment for the kids and I to rent.  I am trying to get in where my best friend lives, which would work out perfectly for childcare during the school year.  My kids love her, and she is really good with them.  For now, though, I am going to move in with my mom, and hopefully before school starts next year, we will have an apartment.  If not, I don't know what I will do, because I refuse to put my kids in the school district where my mom lives. 

Of course, this is all contingent on me finding a job, which seems to be close to impossible.

Checking Out Drug Rehab Centers In Florida

I have been doing a lot of research online lately about divorce.  Do you have any idea how much information there is out there?  It's hard to know what to believe, because different sites say different things, and it can get very confusing.  I am at the point where I am going to throw up my hands and worry about it later, when it is closer to our year being up.

That is the one thing I am sure of - that we will wait a year to file for divorce.  I wish we could do it sooner, because let's face it, we are both ready to move on with our lives.  But, it is what it is.

It makes me wonder, though, how celebrities can get such quick divorces.  I know most of the time there are special circumstances, like drug use and infidelities, but it's still not fair.  Maybe if I pretended to be a drug addict and did some time in one of the drug rehab centers in Florida I could get a quick divorce.  Then I would be free to date again, and maybe find someone new.  I am looking forward to having first kisses again.

In all fairness, I know that treatment centers that serve as primary residential treatment really do help people who struggle with addiction.  The worst thing I have ever struggled with was smoking, and I know how hard it was for me to quit that.  I can not even imagine how hard it would be for someone to give up a drug addiction.  Finding somewhere that you can get help is an important part of that process, I'm sure.

For me, though, waiting a year for my divorce will have to do.  I know it will go by fast.  I can't believe the past six weeks have gone by as fast as they have.