Archive for the ‘MTW Reader Discounts’ Category
Laura on November 22nd, 2009
This past week, a fellow blogger and friend to many, Anissa Mayhew, had a major stroke and is currently in the hospital. Anissa is a young wife & mother of three. If you’ve been following #prayersforanissa this week on Twitter, you’ve also noticed that she’s touched many lives far and wide. She is a presence in life and in the blogosphere to be reckoned with, and I’ve seen why as I’ve followed her husband and friends through this trial.
Although I’m not close friends with Anissa, we’ve exchanged tweets and I’ve always found her to be a nice and very funny lady. Little did I know that she is way more than a nice gal. Anissa, I can tell, is the kind of friend that makes you feel like the most important person in the world. She’ll help you to believe you can do anything. She will make you feel stronger when you are at your weakest. I believe the reason Anissa has this way about her is because she’s a survivor. She’s a talented, smart, wickedly funny person that has overcome a previous stroke and her daughter’s fight with cancer.
If you’d like to follow Anissa’s story, please visit hope4peyton.org, follow @aiminglow on Twitter, and follow @anissamayhew as well-she WILL be back, folks. If you’d like to help her family, please go here and find out how you can help. Please keep Anissa and her family in your thoughts as they take this day by day, minute by minute.
Starting on Monday, December 7, a group of bloggers will be working together to promote an event entitled, Blog 4 Good. By hosting a series of auctions, our hope is to raise money on behalf of bloggers who need our support. All proceeds raised during the three day auction will benefit the Liz Logelin Foundation <http://thelizlogelinfoundation.org/>, a non-profit organization working to help families who have lost a spouse, life-partner, or parent, as well as Anissa Mayhew <http://www.hope4peyton.org/>, a 35 year old blogger who recently suffered a stroke.
I’m pleased to tell you that The Space Monkey Shop will be auctioning an archival paper print, and every penny earned will go toward these wonderful causes.
The cool ladies hosting this event are:
Jill from Scary Mommy <http://www.scarymommy.com/>
Kacey and Francesca from Mayhem and Moxie <http://mayhemandmoxie.com/>
Mama Kat from Mama’s Losin It <http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/>
Angie from 7 Clown Circus <http://angiescircus.blogspot.com/>
Jen from Buried with Children <http://www.buriedwithchildren.com/>
Heather from The Extraordinary
Ordinary<http://theextraordinaryordinary.blogspot.com/>
We’ll post more as we have more information on what is sure to be awesome & give hope to many.
Thank you, friends!
annaholler on November 10th, 2009
Like most parents with school aged kids, I’m responsible for sending my daughter to school with one healthy snack each day. At the beginning of the school year I sent her with carrots and celery, apples and peeled oranges. Soon she began asking for starchier snacks and I began packing small containers of popcorn, pretzels and crackers. I was shocked when my daughter came home one day and said, “Mommy, can you pack Sun Chips for my snack.” I told her that I didn’t think Sun Chips were appropriate but that I’d ask her teacher. My daughter said, “Weeeellllllllll… they’re not the kind of sun chips that they sell in the store. They’re different. I don’t know if you can buy them at the store. They look like the won tons at the chinese food restaraunt… but they’re yellow.”
From this, I deducted that my daughter was talking about nothing other than good, old fashioned, sodium, preservative and fat packed Frito Lay chips. I told my daughter that I was sure her teacher wouldn’t allow the children to eat Fritos for their snack. She promised me that the other children in the class had fritos and “blue water” at snack and begged me to get them for her.
The next day as I was leaving with my daughter, I asked her teacher if she was allowed to have Fritos at snack time. My thought was that she would say “no” and it would appear to my five-year-old that I had been willing to get and send her to school with a crap-for-you-but-nonetheless- delicous-treat. But I was foiled! Her teacher said something to the effect of, “not every day, but maybe every once in a awhile.” So, off to the market I went, head sunk into my cowel with defeat.
I bought one tiny snack bag of Fritos and sent them to school the next day in order to fullfill my end of the bargain.
Last week at the store I discovered that Pirates Booty comes in snack packs. When I brought them home my children went over the moon.
What I love the most about Pirates Booty is that it’s marketed like other bad-for you snack foods… without the bad-for-you! Being able to bring it to school in the snack bag is (for reasons only known to other five-year-olds) super-important to my daughter. These bags are the perfect solution to our snack problem.
May I never have to purchase another Frito Lay chip again.
annaholler on October 1st, 2009
I’d be negligent if I failed to go on and on and on and on about how crazy my daughter is about her new Buckle Leather Boots from the GAP!
I doubt it’s any secret that I’m a GAP-aholic. With great quality paired with reasonable prices, I just can not understand how a person couldn’t love the GAP! Of course, it doesn’t hurt that my personal style tends to be rather boring classic!
The Buckle Leather Boots are 100% leather and machine washable (I didn’t even know that was possible.) They are sturdy but soft. My daughter moves very easily in them, as they are not at all restrictive or bulky- which is a problem we often have with boots. More importantly, these boots are comfortable! They are also stylish and looks adorable with dresses, skirts and skinny jeans.
Ringing in at just under $50, I nearly faint at the deal. I’d happily pay twice as much for good boots!
And just look at how happy they make my daughter!
annaholler on September 29th, 2009
Recently I read that throwing your leftovers in the trash is no different than tossing 25% of your grocery bill into the garbage can. Everyone who cooks has leftovers. It’s impossible to gauge each person’s appetite every day. Reusing your food for future meals is a way of cutting back on your grocery bill and creating new, fun dishes for yourself and your family.
Here’s the catch and the reason that I think most people don’t turn their leftovers into new meals. No one really knows quite what to do with them. How do you make leftovers taste good? There is no reason that pre-cooked food can’t be a delicious part of any meal.
Here are a few ideas for your leftovers!
Those last few gulps of orange juice at the bottom of the carton:
- Make a marinade with the juice! Add a bit of olive oil and a teaspoon of lemon zest, salt, pepper and a half a cup of vinegar! Use it for your chicken or fish for dinner!
Leftover coffee:
- Turn it into iced coffee and keep it in a pitcher in your fridge.
- Add half a cup to a batch of brownies to give them a kick.
- Add it to your chili (Rachel Ray lists coffee as the secret ingredient to great chili.)
Leftover Rice:
- Toss it in a pot of chicken broth with peas to make soup for lunch the next day.
Leftover Pasta:
Leftover peas, corn, backed or roasted potatoes:
- Toss them into a pot with chicken stock and your leftover pasta and chicken breast from dinner the night before to make a great chicken noodle soup.
Mashed potatoes:
Meat:
Personally, I think that meat is the toughest thing to reassign. It has the most uses, but overcooked meat is disgusting.
The best way to reheat leftover meat is definitely to stir-fry it or cook it in a casserole with lots of other things. Otherwise, dry meat can ruin any meal.
That said, not everything needs to be reheated.
- Chicken can always be chopped and mixed with a bit of mayonnaise, salt, pepper, celery and onion to make a great chicken salad.
- With a bit of patience you can thinly slice any roast and use it for sandwiches throughout the week.
Bread:
Cereals and cookies:
- Put them in a zip lock baggie and pound them with a mallet. Then, mix them with melted butter and press them to the bottom of a pie pan for cheesecake and pie crusts! Mmm.
Leftover fruit and over-ripe bananas:
- Pies, pies, pies, pies, pies and tortes.
- Make a berry jam if you have a few different kinds of leftover berries.
- If your children never finish an entire orange you can make a whole chicken and separate the skin membrane from the meat. Put orange and butter between the two for a delicious citrus flavor (my family loves this.)
- You can add a few of any fruit to a basic scone recipe for a delicious twist. If it’s a citrus fruit, squeeze it and add the juice. Add a bit of zest too!
Eggs:
- Whites are fantastic for using as a dip before you bread your chicken
The most important thing to keep in mind when you’re making new dishes out of yesterday’s ingreidients is to get creative! Have fun cooking!
annaholler on September 26th, 2009
Powdered Sugar Baby tags itself as “functional fashion for on-the-go parents.” This company is powered by a family who is bonded by sweets and based in Chicago and Denver. Powdered Sugar Baby began as a creative idea between sisters, Kris and Anna, and has grown into a sassy business venture that is guided by their mother.
Powdered Sugar Baby specializes in four adorable products that were created to make fashionable parents lives a little bit easier. The first is the sugar sleeve, a product designed to slip over bracelets and watches when you are holding your baby. It enables you to still be able to check the time without scratching your newborn and better yet, the sugar sleeve doubles as a burp cloth or cover for your favorite sippy cup!
The Boutique Hair Clips are a perfect, bright, fun accessory to pull those baby wisps away from your baby’s face!
The Sugar Baby Blanket is wildly soft and made from chenille/minky fabrics that are reversible based on preference. They’re sized for stroller rides and nappy car trips!
Powdered Sugar Baby was sweet enough to send me a Kushie Tushie to review! This pad makes a perfect cushion for my stroller. The print is fun and the fabric seems durable without being harsh or abrasive on your child’s skin. If my children were younger I would definitely turn my kushie tushie into a cushion for the changing table.
The size is perfect for high chairs and grocery carts too! My thought is that the Kushie Tushie will work well for a new mom with a newborn baby and then will grow with your family! I found my four year old has made it a permanent bed for her American Girl doll!
annaholler on September 19th, 2009
Today marks my first attempt at making broccoli and cheese soup. I’m having one of those mornings where I wanted to create something incredible for lunch by using only things we have in our pantry. I hoped for it to be creative, relatively easy and new to my children.
My children will regularly beg me to stop at Panera to buy them a bowl of broccoli and cheese soup. After researching recipes online, I felt knowledgeable enough to give it a-go. I didn’t have everything that each recipe required, so where I fell short, I improvised!
I suggest serving this with toasted flatbread! Mmmmm.
Happy slurping!
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups of boiling water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup frozen broccoli (fresh would have been better, but I didn’t have it.)
1 sprinkle dried basil
a few shakes of pepper
1 shake of garlic salt
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp flour
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 shredded carrot
HOW TO:
Boil water and add bouillon cubes in a large sauce pan.
In a separate pan melt butter and brown garlic
Add flour and stir constantly until the flour is well mixed
Add the flour mix to the broth/ water mixture
Stir together
Add milk and stir in cheeses
Stir in broccoli
Stir in carrot
Add seasonings
reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
Let simmer for about 1/2 and hour!
ENJOY!!!!!
annaholler on September 11th, 2009
“The glue doesn’t fall far from the stick!“ Such is certainly the case for mother/daughter power-craft duo, Stampin’ Mama and her little Girly!
You may remember the four week series MTW ran on Stampin’ Mama a couple of months back. She’s certainly one of our favorite craftsters here! Recently, her own craft loving daughter, Girly, opened up an Etsy shop and began a crafting blog. I am blown away by how talented Girly really is! Her soaps are creative, fun and amazingly professional in packaging and appearance.
Girly’s shop is home to her handmade soaps. You will find anything from bars of oatmeal and ylang-ylang soap to lemon scented gold and green sun soaps fashioned into the shape of frogs!
Stop in Girly’s Shop to support this tiny-talent! Everything Girly makes is very reasonably priced, ranging from about $2.50 to $10.00. Better still, Girly donates 20% of all proceeds to www.village2villageproject.org – a grass-roots project helping orphaned children in Uganda!
annaholler on September 8th, 2009
My four-year-old has the most beautiful hair. Until recently she never showed any interest in having it cut and because it was so thick and healthy we didn’t even bother to trim it. She took a tremendous amount of pride in the compliments that accompany such pretty hair, so when she began telling us that she wanted a short, cropped doo like her sister’s, I admittedly resisted.
I tried reasoning with my daughter because the mere suggestion of cutting her shiny tresses was heartbreaking. But in the truest form of a four year old, the more I insisted she kept her hair long, the more she insisted on cutting it.
At what age is it appropriate to allow your child to make decisions about their hair?
Finally, I decided to let my daughter have her hair cut. This decision wasn’t without conflict, however, I realized that I shouldn’t allow the love I have for my daughter’s hair to assign too much value to it in her life. By insisting she kept her hair long I was telling her that long hair is more important than her preferences.
So… last weekend my daughter had her hair cut! Surprisingly, I love it as much as she does!
Laura on August 30th, 2009
Sometimes it’s fun to share your collectibles and your old toys with your kids…
Enid doll. Noel thinks she is pretty cool (because she is). If you haven’t seen Ghost World, you really should, parents!
My old Fisher Price riding car. A big hit with both kids.
This clown sprinkler is about 30 years old. It was mine when I was a “youngster” (isn’t that a funny word?). The only thing missing is his clown hat (that my kids accidentally broke). As long as water comes out of it, I consider it in perfect working order.
I love sharing our old toys and our collectibles with our boys. It’s fun to watch, and brings back memories of good times. Give it a try…
Laura on August 15th, 2009
We don’t eat out a lot, but when we do, we want to make sure that we are getting the most from our “dining experience”. With two small children, this means I want food quickly, healthy options for everyone, and a place where children are welcome.
Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes are known as places where parents and kids can go for a healthy yet inexpensive meal and the food is…mmmmmmmmmmm…GOOD.
Since so many are trying to save money and limit travel, Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes are making it easy to feel like you’re on a culinary vacation even when you’re not! Every two weeks from now until the end of September, the restaurant will feature food from a different region. The current theme is Italy and includes irresistible delights like Foccacia Bruschetta and Spicy Sausage and Pasta Soup! You can read more about these fun themes on their website. When we went yesterday, I noticed that every Tuesday from 5-8, the restaurant offers activities for kids. Guess who will be in attendance on Tuesday??? If you join Club Veg, Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes will send you coupons and offers to your inbox.
That’s not all! You can also participate in the “Where in the World Is Sweetie?” contest for a chance to win great prizes like Visa gift cards and additional dining passes just by following @souplantation on Twitter or joining our Facebook group.
If you’re looking for a dining experience that is easy on the pocket book & oh. so. yummy. head down to your nearest Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes. You will not be disappointed. I promise you!!!
