A Woman Who Helped Me

Growing up I was always interested in science and math. The school I attended in grade school and even later in high school encouraged girls to get and education but not in math or science. I was not really discouraged it is just that it was not in the realm of their possibility. My mom is very smart but science and math are not her strengths. Despite her not understanding math or science she always encouraged me to pursue my strengths. My mom believed that I could be anything and she pushed others to see it too. She was always trying to get me classes in science and higher math. She eventually got honors science and math classes offered at my high school. of course it was to late for me but those girls after me were able to participate. My mom not only pushed my schools to offer more she found ways to help me gain more scientific knowledge. My mom was consistently taking us to the library and we would do our own experiments. We also spent a lot of time baking which really has lots of math involved. I was always helping my mom figure out how change recipes such as cutting them in half, it really is a bit of a calculation to figure out how to cut 1/3 in half (I know it is 1/6 but have you even seen a measuring cup for 1/6).

Would like to be the one to help someone else? Right now you can purchase a Mother's Day gift (or any gift) from the HOH (Heart of Haiti) collection at Macy's. I even have a special code (CLEVERGIRLS) which will give you a discount of 15% off Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace products (the code is good 5/3 - 5/8).

I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

TShirtPrinting.net Review

Isn't this monkey so cute? TShirtPrinting.net sent a a t-shirt with their mascot, Cheeky Monkey. The t-shirt is very comfortable. I was sent a small which was a little big on me, I mainly use it for sleeping.

TShirtPrinting.net also offers screen printing for personalised T shirts, hooded tops, sweatshirts and workwear. The minimum quanity for personalized printing is 12. I love that you can print as little as 12 shirts. The company has over 20 years of printing experience so you know they will know what they are doing. They also carry some organic shirts.

You can explore their site or even order their free catalog.

This post was written for Family Review Network & TShirtPrinting.net who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Cinderella Ballet

For our anniversary my darling husband bought tickets for all of us to attend the ballet. I think the girls liked the gift almost more than I did and I loved it!!

The girls love dressing up and of course posing in front of the ballet statues.

It was a lovely ballet and so much fun to watch. I knew the girls would love it as it is the story of Cinderella, Princess A's favorite, and a ballet. We see the nutcracker every year and last year we also saw Coppelia.

Friendship Bread (Book Review)‏

Have you ever received one of those baggies full of some beige looking Friendship Bread batter? Two years ago Amish Friendship bread was making the rounds where I live. I got my bag from my daughter's then kindergarten teacher. I was helping that day and she was trying to find someone to take a bag since no one else, who worked at the school, wanted some. I was so excited because I had never heard of Amish Friendship bread and we had a taste and it was so yummy. I faithfully tried to hand out three bags 10 days later, with partial success. After that I figured out that I could freeze it so I did not have to find new people to hand the bags out too. My family loves eating Amish Friendship bread and since I keep the batter in the freezer I can make it whenever we want to instead of just every ten days. Needless to say I was very excited when I heard about a Friendship Bread novel. As soon as I started reading I was sucked into the story. I made the mistake of starting the book near my bedtime which I missed by over an hour. I loved all of the characters and they all seemed so real. I could easily see all of those things happening in real life. Sometimes in books things just come together to easily or too many bad things can happen. I felt as though I was reading about people I could know in my life. I had to laugh too about how the Friendship Bread batter was loved or in some case people would turn the other way when they saw the baggies coming their way. I liked how the simple gift of friendship (with the bread as a starting point) can change peoples lives for the better. In the beginning of the book the main character is struggling just to get through the day. The Friendship Bread is a gateway to new and old friendships that change her live and others for the better. Besides the wonderful story which my mom can't wait to read next are the recipes located at the back of the book. There are many recipes using the friendship batter instead of just baking the regular bread. My friendship bread recipe is a exactly the same as the recipe included in the book (now if I lose my original recipe I can get it from the book!) I really want to try the brownie recipe. I have been making the Friendship Bread for over two years and I must say I never thought to make anything else besides the bread, of course that bread is so yummy!! I highly recommend Friendship Bread, a Novel, not just for the great story (I can't wait for the rumored sequel) but also for the great recipes. As you can see in my picture I made some Friendship Bread (my family already ate that much) to go with the novel, next time I will have to try the brownie recipe! Now this book is being released today so head down to your local bookstore (or online) and get a copy!

This post was written for Family Review Network & Random House who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Kiddie Catch-All Review

Even though my girls are getting bigger they are still in a car seat or booster. My older daughter is now 8 and can easily reach most of the stuff she wants if it is on the seat next to her. The Kiddie Catch-All worked great for her because even though I am a very safe driver stuff still shifts during a car trip. She does not have to ask me to try and reach for something on the floor at stoplights (they know not to ask when when the car is moving.) Now my younger daughter (age 5) is still in a 5-point harness so she does not have as large of an area she can reach. Usually she would ask her sister to get something for her. Now she has it all right there where she can reach it. Of course it mostly has become a seat for Hippo (her favorite stuffed animal). According to Princess A Hippo likes his car seat because is is so comfy. Princess G likes it because she can snack or play on the DS and Hippo can watch without getting in the way. When I was first was sent the Kiddie Catch-All I was not sure if it would be worth getting when my kids are not toddlers anymore but it really came in handy. I will say as useful as it was for us it would have been even more useful when they were little. I can remember times when they wanted something and since I was driving I could not get it or at least not fast enough before they were upset. The Kiddie Catch-All is so simple but the best ideas usually are.

This post was written for Family Review Network & Kiddie Catch-All who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.

Bausch + Lomb Biotrue (Contact Solution) Review

I started wearing contacts when I was in 7th grade. I have never been one to forget my contacts are in. My first contacts were hard contacts and believe me they are much thicker than soft contacts and not as comfortable. When I was in college I started wearing soft contacts. They were so much more comfortable but I still noticed them. I just could not find a solution that I liked. My eyes just always felt dry. I ended up just using plain saline solution. Every time I get fitted for contacts I usually give the newest solution a try. I always end up going back to saline. I may have found my solution (pun intended). Sorry I could not resist the pun. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the Bausch + Lomb Biotrue. According to the Bausch + Lomb website: the Biotrue formula matches the pH of healthy tears, keeps certain beneficial tear proteins active, and features a lubricant found naturally in our eyes. Now I did not forget that I was wearing contacts completely put I did not feel them the whole time. Usually almost as soon as I wear contacts I start thinking that I can't wait to get my glasses back. I do not wear contacts everyday, I just got out of the habit after having kids. I will now be wearing my contacts much more often now that I found a great contact solution. Do you wear contacts?

I conducted this review while participating in a Mom Central Consulting blog tour on behalf of Bausch + Lomb Biotrue. I received a Biotrue sample and a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Busy and sick!!

Sorry I have not blogged in almost a week. First I had to help wrap up girl scout cookies sales for my troop. My older daughter had a cookie booth sale. I had a girls scout meeting to plan and run. The girls got sick. Princess A had her birthday party and then I got sick. I actually had to reschedule an art lesson at their school and today I was not able to volunteer in the classroom. The girls are getting better but this head cold I have just will not go away. I have so many posts waiting but I can seem to do more than type in my post using my iPhone. I will try and get on my laptop tomorrow and finish some posts.

Disneyland: Day Two

We decided to start the day at California Adventure so we could get fast passes for the World of Color. We also tried Redwood Creek Challenge for the first time.Princess G became a little scared on the rope tunnels and I ended up carrying her on my back.

Once we were at the bottom she and her sister had a blast climbing, sliding and going through tunnels together.

They both decided to try rock climbing and Princess A even made it all the way across.

Their favorite part was the zip line.

They both rode it over and over again!

Next we decided to try another first: Grizzly River Run!

Princess A and Daddy went and when they were done they had so much fun we decided to all go on (plus there was no line!)

We were all soaked but the girls most of all. They soaked the little shorts they were wearing under their dresses but luckily we had some pants for later that they were able to change into.

They both want to go again but I was wet enough.

As we were all drying off we also tried the Golden Zephyr and the Silly Symphony Swings.

Daddy went on the Golden Zephyr with us but decided that the swing were just too high. The girls and I loved them!

Even though we had fun in California Adventure Park the girls could not wait to get back to Disneyland. We went straight to Dumbo!

This ended up being our longest wait, a little over 20 minutes, but that was mainly due to some line jumpers. The girls both love Dumbo, it was both of their first rides ever at Disneyland.

We spent some time going on lots of rides for the rest of the afternoon.

Eventually we ended up in New Orleans Square where we bough the girls pirate swords. They had been wanting them for a while and we finally bought them.

They both had so much fun posing with their new swords and having mock sword fights.

We headed back to California Adventure Park for the World of Color. We showed up less than 5 minutes after we could enter the area and all the good spots were already taken and it was still over an hour until show time. About 30 minutes before the show they make you stand up and try and get people to squish forward. Every time we tried to sit down they came by and made us stand up. The show finally started and we had an OK view except for a big round lamp light and a guy in front of me that would not stop moving. It is standing room only so unless you get the very limited front area (which can get very wet) your kids can't see unless you hold them. My arms were ready to fall off by the end of the 30 minute show.

The show was fantastic but I am not sure I would go and see it again. The first ending with Mickey was great and it show have been the ending. Unfortunately they then had a mini light show about Tron. It was loud, annoying, too bright and just took away from the real show. The Tron guy just kept yelling about his father and other stuff. If you go, leave when the Tron part starts believe me you want to miss that. If you skip the Tron part it was a fantastic show. It is amazing what you can do with water and lights.

Disneyland: Day One

Here we are just as we arrived in Disneyland.About an hour later my sister and her two kids we able to meet us.

My nephew is the little boy in orange to the right, he did not want to take a picture with all of the girls.)

These two were best friends immediately!

We rode on the small world, pirates, and a bunch in fantasy land including the carousel.

Princess G was not able to ride her favorite horse (Rosies) so she was a little sad. Of course right after the picture she was happy again. She really loves on particular horse which luckily she was able to ride eventually.

Here I am with my little sister.

Do you think she looks like me, minus the blond hair?

My sister was getting over a cold so they decided to leave before dinner. The girls were sad to say goodbye. I heard that in the car later they both asked to come back in two days and meet us again. It was wonderful seeing them and hope it is less than a year before we see them again!

After they left we found some dinner and went on a few more rides.

Princess A also had fun pushing her little sister, Princess G all over the park. The stroller is much to small for her but since Daddy's broken foot is still not quite healed we decided to bring it. There is no way I will be able to carry her when she gets tired. We decided not to stay until the park closed at eight since we had been up since about 2 am.

A long but wonderful day!!

Another Stuffed Animal

Near the end of January we returned a Christmas gift of Princess G's to Toys'R'us. The girls each got to pick out a small toy. Princess A picked out a Tinkerbell in a lantern and Princess G picked out a bath Polly Pocket that came with a boat. They also saw these puppies but my darling husband and I agreed that the girls had to many stuffed animals already. The girls were fine with it and did not mention them again. I thought that was the end of it until a week later. My darling husband had to make a quick overnight trip to Oregon and when he came back he had these. It was also the first time Daddy saw Princess A's new glasses so it was also to celebrate that. I can never leave him alone with the girls in a store with stuffed animals or as I learned a few times (even in Macy's) Daddy will always give in. Usually it is his idea and sometimes I catch him trying to talk them into wanting another stuffed animal!

PTA Reflections

Both of the girls' photographs won the PTA Reflections at their school and went on to district. They did not win at district but their photos were displayed in a local mall.

This is the picture Princess G entered: Together we can race!

Princess A entered this photo: Together we can make it clean!

New Fruit Trees

We were in Costco when we saw a bunch of fruit trees. We decided to get two trees, a cherry and the girls picked a sugar plum. They just really liked the name, I hope they are tasty plums. We have never bought trees from Costco, I hope they do well.

Have you tried the plants at Costco?

We were tempted by the blueberry bushes and this week the bare-root roses.

Book Club

Princess A (and Princess G who tags along) love the book club at the library. They meet once a month and the girls are always so excited to attend.

Does your library have great programs?

Last month we also attended a class on origami there.

Tackle it Tuesday: Tangled Hair

Princess A decided that Rapunzel's hair would look beautiful in a knot. She split the hair into two strands and then proceeded to tie it in knots, over and over again and then twisted it all together. It was a huge tangle!
I turned on the television, grabbed a doll brush and got to work. Surprisingly it only took about ten minutes. Princess G has the same doll but since she did not tie it in knots when I did her doll it only took a few minutes. Do your kid's dolls' hair get tangled too?
What did you tackle this week?

What My Kids Would Miss the Most

If I was snatched by aliens tomorrow my kids would miss me a lot! The thing I think they would miss the most would be hugs and kisses. I give my kids hugs and kiss all day long. They get them when they wake up, dropping off at school, when I pick them up from school, before swim practice, after swim practice, before and after Girl Scouts, anytime I leave them, bedtime, a second time when they come into our room after bedtime for and extra hug and kiss and of course just because! They would miss my cooking. I am always making them special meal that they love. Tonight we are having waffles for dinner as both Princess A and Princess G requested it. They would definitely miss my baking. I always bake at least once a week, usually a few times a week. Lately I have been baking homemade baguettes for dinner and Madeline's. My repertoire includes cookies, cakes, toffee, cupcakes, pies, rolls and brownies. I am making myself hungry here. I should make some rice crispy treats for them before school gets out today. My girls would miss me reading stories to them. Princess A reads really well (above 6th grade) but she still loves when I read her and her sister stories. Just last night I was reading some library books to them before bed. The Princesses would miss me as their girls scout leaders. I only help out very little for Princess A's Brownie troop but I am the leader of Princess G's Daisy troop. I plan almost every meeting and prepare the crafts. My girls would miss my silliness. I can turn almost anything into fun. Just last week when we spent almost two hours waiting at the doctor's for Princess A to be diagnosed with a double earache I had the girls giggling. We just played silly games and I told silly stories which made the wait a little easier. My girls would miss doing art with me, at school or at home. I am the art docent for both of the girls' classes which means I teach an art project for an hour in their class. For Princess A's class I have already aught three lessons this year. We also do a lot of art at home. We have been trying different mediums such as oil pastels, chalk and water color crayons. They would also miss having me help at school. Both of the girls get so excited when I help in their classroom. I usually help on Mondays and Thursdays and then do the art docent on Wednesdays. sometimes it feels as though I am at school almost everyday. My girls would also really miss having their clothes clean. They go through so much clothing each day. Princess G likes to change socks a few times each day and they can not be re worn, no they need to be cleaned first. The girls would really miss clean cloths, especially since that is the one thing their Dad is not that great at, well that and cooking. They would really miss me when they can't find something. I have that Mom memory where they left something in the weirdest place and when they ask I know right where it is. They can never find something, even when it is where it is suppose to be. Lastly they would just miss having their mom to talk to. Everyday my girls love to tell me everything. Every little thought that they have, everything that happens to them or just stuff that they see. We spend a lot of time everyday just talking. They have lots of questions about things and how they work. Luckily I have a strong science background to share with them. Just this week we were talking about molecules and bile (don't ask about how that discussion git started.) My kids would really miss me if aliens snatched me, so hopefully that does not happen.

What would your kids miss most if you were gone?


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.