Do you have those goofy doors on your pantry or hall closets? You know, the ones that fold in the middle.
Our new house has them all over, and I was at a loss on how to keep my climbers and destroyers off and out of the shelves. I searched high and low locally, and had no luck. I considered tying, adding those crazy chain things you put on your front door – everything. Then I found these at OneStepAhead 
Keeps my little munchers out! Hooray! And you know what? It’s cheap, it works and it’s not offensive to the eyes!
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This is an FTC Compliant post and my Disclosure Policy applies. OneStepAhead has no idea who I am, I am just sharing a great product that I purchased and I happen to love. Okay? okay!
LittleMiss and I were recently given the opportunity to try out a new line of toys called MixPups. If you have a little girl, I am sure you are all too familiar with the Polly Pockets and Littlest Pet Shop line of toys.
The MixPups are a wonderful mix of these two lines – super sweet and sassy puppies who are fashion divas! Each MixPup comes with 4 (or more) accessories to change and share with other MixPups.
Want a Chihuahua with a bouffant Poodle ‘do? OKAY! Just pop the hairdo off the Poodle and put it on the Chihuahua. 
All the clothes, accessories, hairdos and even legs are interchangeable.
The MixPups offer endless possibilities for imaginative play, offering accessory packs like a sports theme, fairy dress up and even play sets. LittleMiss especially likes her Pawty Van for driving her little pups around.
Mom’s will especially like the pricetag (about $6 for a single pup pack). And if your kiddo is old enough, visit MyMixPups.com for games and trivia to play in a safe online environment.
We were sent a set of the toys to share with friends at a little MommyParty. We invited all the little girls from the neighborhood over and enjoyed fun treats like PuppyChow and PeanutButter DogBones. The girls LOVED the toys, and I’ve heard from all the Moms that they are still a big hit. I am still getting used to finding little toy dog legs and sunglasses everywhere, but luckily they survive trips in the Dyson just fine! ;-)
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This is an FTC Compliant post and my Disclosure Policy applies. MomSelect & MommyParties sponsored my get together, providing the toys to share with neighbors, friends and family. All opinions are my own.
I thought I’d share a fun little discovery with y’all. I decided last week to go back to Weight Watchers. I had been a member of Weight Watchers for a long, long time while living in California, and I lost alot, alot of weight. It was easy enough then, so I am hoping it goes as well this time (if I can fend of the winter blues and accompanying hibernation desires).
While at the meeting, I was introduced to a new recipe that would satisfy my sweet tooth… and you know what? It’s actually pretty good.
Here’s how it goes:
Take two boxes of cake mix – BUT! – one of them MUST be Angel Food cake mix. The other can be any other flavor you want… lemon, pumpkin spice, chocolate, whatever. Take those two boxes and dump them both into a gallon zippy bag. Shake it up really well to mix it all up.
When you are ready for cake, the fun part comes:
Get out a coffee mug. put 3 TBSP cake mix in your mug, add 2 TBSP liquid (water, diet soda), microwave it for 1 minute.
VIOLA! 3.2.1 CAKE!
It plops right out of the mug. Serve with a dollop of fat free Cool Whip, and you’ve got a hunk of cake for 1 point.
This is a genius idea that I completely credit to my husband. When I am out running errands, there are times when I like to reward the kids for behaving, and one of their favorite treats is chocolate milk from the drive-thru. However, the treat would inevitably end up with MommaBear crying over spilt milk… milk spilt all over the back seat, in the cracks of the car seats, splashed onto the ceiling too! Not to mention the wet clothes. It’s enough to make a Mom nuts!
Here was his solution:
Take the little {expensive} jug of milk, and give it a good shake. See that little dimple in the cap? That spot is important.
Now, use your car key and put the point on that dimple and press. It doesn’t take much pressure at all. 
Once your key is in, give it a little smoosh around to make a hole. I usually pull the key out at this point and use my little finger. 
Push your straw in the hole and hand it back! Happy kids with dry clothes and no stinky milk spilt in your car!
My LittleCubs were both off today to their first day of Pre{Pre}School. LittleMiss into the 3/4yr old program, SpacePirate into the 2/3yr old program. They missed the official first day because of head colds, but we celebrated all the same today. Daddy was even able to stay late before heading to work to see them all dressed and ready to go! YAY! Picture heavy post, but it’s a milestone and, damnit, they’re cute and I can’t help it! :-)
I was pretty selfish in how I scheduled their classes, in that they both start at 9am in two different places. However, in doing this, and putting myself in that “she’s the one who always brings her kid late” position is a glorious, silent, perfect, lovely hour and a half TO.MYSELF.TWICE.A.WEEK! Totally and completely worth it! I read magazines today without having to lock myself in a bathroom or closet, I made phone calls to other adults without having to shout in their ears! Can I hear a WOOOOOOOOOT? WOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!
I was playing with Picnik, and cropped this shot – I just love it!
These two little stinkers just crack me up! But –OH MY!- The glorious hour and half to myself is H.E.A.V.E.N!
LittleMiss ready for “FourSchool” (that’s what she calls it – because, you know, she’s almost four!)
Hey Man! Be Cool, Go to School! 
I had to edit this one of SpacePirate because I really loved his expression and that funny little swoop the front of his hair always does!
LittleCreeps are up to no good, I can just tell…
From the makers of Shaun the Sheep (Aardman Animations) comes a new series about a little lamb who has so much to learn as he enters preschool.
Fans of the hit children’s series Shaun the Sheep will recognize Timmy as the baby lamb on the farm who is frequently drawn into all kinds of chaotic adventures by those mischievous older sheep. 
Timmy is now headed to preschool to graze on those important life lessons that all toddlers face – all things familiar to parents as well: naptime, cleaning up, sharing, music, reading etc. The episodes are short, attention getting and FUN! The simple story lines are told with no human dialogue, instead using expressive animation, gestures, comedy and animal sounds. 
This is one of those recipes that doesn’t really need an ingredients list. It’s more about the process, and just using what you have on hand. Right now, I have tons of fresh herb in the garden, a fresh chicken, and a stick of butter nearing it’s end date (how is that even possible!) so I used all I could.
For this particular roast chicken version, I decided to try roasting it standing up. I can’t remember where I saw the idea, but it seems genius to me. I think you’d be better suited to use a bundt pan if you have it, but all I have is this angel food pan with the removable bottom.
First, toss a bunch of whatever herbs you have on hand in the bottom. Here I used lots of rosemary and thyme. (I made a dish of foil under my pan to catch the drippings that would leak)
Then I filled the bottom of the pan with chunks of potatoes, onion, baby carrots and garlic. Be sure to season with lots of salt and pepper and maybe a tiny drizzle of olive oil. 
Next, I realized that I had a stick of butter that needed used up. So I softened it and tossed in the juice of a lemon, plenty of kosher salt, pepper and fresh chopped herbs. I also grated the rind of a lemon and an orange into the bowl and mixed well.
YUM!
Next prepare the chicken. I did not take pictures of this process because…well… it’s not glamorous, and I had chicken-y hands and didn’t want to muck up my camera. If you want to know what I did: rinse, pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper the inside cavity. Plop her down on the board and then use your thumbs to gently separate the skin from the meat. Using your hands (and OH GOURDS does this get really messy now!) massage big globs of that glorious herbed butter under the skin. If you have extra butter, go ahead and smear it all over the outside (why not, you can’t reuse it anyway!)
Now, slide your bird onto the center pole of your pan, and wait for her reaction:
Hey lady! Watch where you’re stickin’ that thing!
Don’t leave her arms like that though. I was trying to tuck them so they wouldn’t dry out. You might also notice the cheap bottle of Pinot Grigio in thee background. I drizzled a small amount over the veggies after the bird was in. Why? Why not! And besides, it was an excuse for me to have a sip. A little for the pan, a glass for me!
Here is where you’ll have to follow your favorite chicken roasting recipe (usually 425F for a couple of hours depending on the size). My oven is one of those professional kitchen systems with the gas and convection deals. I have an option called “CONVECT ROAST” that roasts meats to PERFECTION in record times. I set mine to roast at 425F and it took about 45 minutes total to get this glorious color and perfect internal temperature. (I will admit that while it did great with the meats, the veggies needed more time).
She was delicious and OH SO juicy!
Try roasting your next bird standing up in a bundt pan. It works great!
As Moms, we do a lot of things for all the important people in our lives. However, what usually suffers is our own wardrobe, as we pull wrinkled garments over our heads to make it out the door on time! Heck, I’m lucky to get a shower in BEFORE the kids bedtime, let alone iron my clothes. A pair of these babies would help immensely- they steam “iron” your clothes and they have a 15minute wash cycle! Are you kidding me? 15 minutes! WOOOO! (and, you know, if Kelly Ripa came with the set and she did her magic tricks and got all my laundry and cooking and cleaning done like she does in the commercials, I promise that I’d treat her really well and give her a nice soft bed to sleep in at night!)
Did you know that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?
Electrolux and brand ambassador Kelly Ripa are partnering with some fashion-savvy bloggers to host a special fashion show to help raise awareness and funds to support ovarian cancer research. Since September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, this fashion-focused event couldn't have come at a better time! This fun and innovative fashion show will demonstrate how Perfect Steam™, and a little fashion ingenuity, can take any garments from "Rumpled to Runway".
Even if you're not in the Big Apple to watch in person, you can cheer them on LIVE at www.Kelly-Confidential.com TODAY at 1 PM EDT. You can also follow along at Facebook/KellyConfidential and on Twitter @KCbyElectrolux.
All month long, Electrolux is donating $200 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) for every new Turquoise Sky Perfect Steam™ washer/dryer pair purchased. Also, every day you can press the Perfect Steam™ button online over at Kelly-Confidential to take your garments from rumpled to runway-ready, and Electrolux will donate $1 to OCRF, plus you'll be entered for a chance to win a shopping spree between $50 and $250 and the grand prize: a luxury washer and dryer from Electrolux.
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This is an FTC Compliant post and my Disclosure Policy applies. By posting this information, I am entered into an exclusive drawing to win the above washer/dryer as part of the Electrolux program.
