The Ice Cream Theory ~ Book Review

I recently read The Ice Cream Theory, by Steff Deschenes for review.

I love this book. I love ice cream, too, but that's neither here nor there, although it probably helps a bit as I devoured the descriptions of the various flavors that she describes throughout. Devoured isn't even a strong enough word here. Drooled over. I want to go get my own ice cream making machine, even though Steff hasn't had the best experiences with her own. But I won't. I know it'd end up in the cabinets, hiding with the rice cooker and the Kitchen Aid mixer that rarely makes an appearance above the counters.

Steff basically discusses how everyone has an ice cream flavor that matches them. And while someone might represent mint chocolate chip to you, they might stand out as cherry vanilla to someone else. Our flavors change depending on the relationship we're in. It's as much objective as it is subjective, one would think.

And your favorite flavor is not necessarily the flavor you are. Steff stresses that throughout her book and makes only one exception. Her grandfather. Her grandfather's favorite flavor and his "ice cream" were one and the same. It takes a special person to make that exception their rule. And for our author, we can tell that her grandfather was that special person.

Steff is the kind of person you'll want to be friends with after you read this. I immediately started following her on Twitter (I'm not a stalker, I promise!) because I want to know more about her, and what her plans are for more books, etc. And she even has a blog. It includes pictures of her and the food she is eating daily. Click here now because you know you want to find out more.

For me, I won't say that this book started me thinking about all the various flavors of friends and family members I have in my life, but it did get me thinking about my own flavor for others. I haven't started asking people yet, but I did explain the theory a bit to some friends at book club and many of them are intrigued. There is a small handful I might ask to describe me, but honestly, I think they need to read the book first before they say something like, 'You're vanilla, but you have a bit of Heath Bar thrown in for some bite.' Although, you know, that might describe me just a little bit ... and I don't usually like Heath Bar in my ice cream.

See ... see what I'm saying? It's the kind of book that will make you think. While you're reading it you're sure to compare people in your own life to the people/flavors in Steff's. And it's fun. And so is she. Have I mentioned I want to be friends with her?

Anyway, I definitely recommend this book as a fun, light and yet touch of serious read. The stories shared by our author have life's ups and downs within them. Loves lost or left, relationships that persevered, despite some struggles, and friendships that you will either envy or shake your head at. Steff Deschenes has a great debut book here and I look forward to reading whatever comes next from her.

Which ... according to the author info ... is possibly going to be a book titled, The Burrito Theory. Now I'm all for a good burrito, but I'm not sure if this is for real, or just tongue in cheek. Hopefully she'll stop in and let me know.

Head on out and pick up a copy today. And when you do, stop off for a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerry's, Haagen Daaz, or Edy's. Or hide away at your favorite ice cream shoppe to grab a cup or cone of whatever your heart desires. You're sure to be doubly treated if you do!

** I was not compensated in any way for this review. I did receive a copy of the book to facilitate my review from the publicist. I will admit that after reading this (or even before) I would have happily accepted payment in ice cream, but that was not needed as the book is a lot of fun all on its own! YUM! **

Capturing the Moments: Part II

As you likely already know, if you know me at all, I am addicted to taking pictures.

I'm addicted to loading my digital shots to my laptop, finding the ones I love the most and then uploading them to Shutterfly so I can do any of the following things:

* Share them with loved ones ... I even have a share page, if you don't have one, get one now. It's like blogging - minus the words.

* Ordering affordable prints to display in my home, send out to the grandparents and other family members who live far away. I also squeeze a few into quick notes to friends. Sometimes snail mail makes a person smile a bit more than an e-mail does, ya know?

* Creating random cards and/or holiday photo cards for loved ones! (My daughter's birth announcements were actually done through Shutterfly those oh-so-many years ago.) One year we sent out our holiday cards super early since we knew we'd be traveling, and so we created cute cards with pictures from Halloween!

Of course there are many other options that you can use their fun cards for, like Thank You Cards and even Party Invitations!

* Then there is my latest addiction: PhotoBooks. They're like a mini-montage of your important events. I find myself creating one every summer, though this year I'll need two. The first one is already done, the second one is in the works, but saved to my account. It's an addiction, I tell you. It's so great to not have to worry about scrapbooking or sliding the pictures into those little plastic covered sheets. The notations I make to help me place the memories and the moments are jotted right onto the page through the program. Easy as pie. Seriously.

Shutterfly has generously offered to give me codes for three sets of 10 free 5x7 flat cards! Which means we'll have three winners here!

So if you're interested in winning, leave me a comment to let me know what you would do with this free set of cards. Holiday cards? Party invitations? Thank you cards? Just simple picture notes to say hi to loved ones?

And for extra entries you can do any or all of the following - please leave a separate comment for each entry:

* Follow me here through Google Friend Connect
* Follow me on Twitter @goodgirlgonered
* Tweet about this giveaway (just use my handle so I can find it, or leave me the URL here)
* Leave me an extra comment to let me know approximately how many holiday cards you mail out each year. I'm curious, so fill me in!

And a special thanks to Shutterfly - the site that totally rocks!


** At this time [time of post] I have not been compensated for any of the review comments shared here. I have purchased all of the items I am discussing on my own with my own money through the Shutterfly.com website. Shutterfly has indicated that upon my posting this information and this giveaway to my readers that they will also give me one set of these 5x7 cards for my personal use. **

Capturing the Moments: Part I

It's really difficult to take pictures of a moving subject. Have you ever thought of that? I would say that I'm a pretty good photographer. Not a professional, by any means, and not even someone who would classify it as a hobby. But when it comes to taking pictures of my child, well, it's nearly impossible to feel even the least bit talented or remotely qualified.

My daughter is three. She's always on the go. I seem to be trying to get some fun pictures of her all the time, and, well, they don't turn out as well as I hope they will. Thank goodness for digital cameras, right?

What did I expect to happen? Well, I expected that the child who used to stand still and say cheese might resurface. She sometimes does, but not always. And I thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd ham it up a bit and pose for me. And then I could turn around and say, 'See? I've still got it!' Alas, not happening.

So I suppose I'll just resort to hiring professional photographers, who may have a better chance at tiring her out and getting her to just freeze for that one moment. That one second that brings so much more to a memory than the mind.

It helps you reflect when the mind questions. It helps you remember exactly what was worn, and where you were. And sometimes, if the color is just right you may even feel you can smell the flowers that surround you.

Maybe someday I'll be able to capture that in my child again. Maybe. Maybe not. But either way, I'll know it's in there. Somewhere. And in the meantime, here's one of my favorite action shots (I'll admit I enhanced the color a little bit. Picnik is a wonderful website!) of her from over the summer. Her hair is all wild and crazy after hitting that wacky scrunchy ball with her head. I love it!


And stay tuned to my blog as later this week I'll offer you a chance at winning a way to share the moments you've captured with those you love ...

Katy Perry on Sesame Street: Yay or Nay?

So, by now you've probably heard all about the Katy Perry and Elmo video that Sesame Street has pulled from it's show because, well, because some parents have been up in arms about Katy's cleavage - or something like that.

Now, forgive me if you are one of them, but my daughter just made me watch that video three times in a ROW and not once did she say anything about Katy. She pointed out that there was a puppy (in a few places), pointed out that we saw ELMO'S BOOTY (seriously! When do we get to see his full body these days, right?) and then the only thing (sorry, I lied) she said about Katy was, why is she running? Elmo doesn't want to play?

Yeah. So, what's up with pulling it? Apparently, according to OMG from Yahoo! - incredible news source, I know - parents had an issue with what she was wearing. She was supposed to be playing dress up, and you know what? As someone who has been trying to find a costume for my 3-year-old daughter for Halloween, I've been hard pressed to find something that isn't, well, flat out skanky. I think Katy and Sesame Street hit the nail on the head with this one.

I honestly think it's a shame that people have had such an issue with it that the video has been pulled, but I'm just one mom. I'd love to hear more on what other parents think. Does it depend on your child's age? I mean, what is the projected age-range for Sesame watchers these days, anyway? Do we really think that the 5 and under crowd is going to care if they see a little boobage bouncing while she chases Elmo? I was honestly watching my daughter and she was more interested in the non-focused-on things.

As for me, I was excited to see Oscar pop out of his trash can on the sidelines. It cracked me up. See if you can find him. It's like Where's Waldo, only quicker. All I needed was a quick shot of Cookie Monster and I would have been over the moon and more.

Anyway, just figured since it's a hot topic, I'd bring it here. So, parents, where do you stand? Give it a watch, if you haven't yet, and share your thoughts here in my comments section. I'd love to hear from you.

Twitter Party #2 It's a Gala! (Yes, Seriously!)

As September comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who made the Friends You Love event such a success. What a better way to say "Thank you!" than by throwing a party?!?!

Please join us on Thursday, September 30 from 8:00 - 9:30 p.m. CST for the Friends You Love Twitter Gala sponsored by Eden Fantasys!

All you need to do to participate follow our hosts @That_One_Mom and @FriendsYouLove ... as well as our very special guest @kissmykitty

On the day of the party, we will provide you with a custom tweet grid to follow along. And if you have no idea what that means, that's okay, neither do I. I'm pretty much a straight twitter.com kinda' girl, myself.

RSVP in advance and be entered into a random drawing.

Just head on over here to Friends You Love to sign up, or join the linky below (they all mesh together!) and let us know you'll be joining in. We can't wait to chat it up with our amazing friends, both old and new!

I can't decide ...

I can't decide what kind of mood I'm in today. Do I want to just go with a Wordless Wednesday kind of post? Obviously, I've started writing, so I'm not that wordless right now, right?

Or do I want to go with a Pour Your Heart Out kind of post? I mean, I have so much going on in my head and my heart, wouldn't it be nice to let some of it out and feel a bit of a release, or something?

But if I choose to Pour MY Heart Out, what would I want to write about today?

Blogging is an interesting thing. There really isn't any pressure. Any pressures one does feel when blogging are entirely self-inflicted. Self-imposed. Whatever you want to call them. It's on you. You = the writer. Ya get me?

I had the incredible opportunity last week to meet with a group of women bloggers from my area. I'm truly excited about the connections I've only just begun to make with these ladies. Ladies is such an odd word, isn't it? I almost feel like I've been reprimanded when someone refers to me and a group of women I am with as "Ladies!" <-- But I digress. Anyway, it was a thrill, yes, literally a thrill, for me to sit around this huge table and listen to these women talk about why they blog, why they started blogging, what they hope to get from their blogs and the entire experience. Let's just say it rocked. I was nervous. Afraid I'd feel like an outcast. After all, most of them knew one another, and then there's me. The one who they may have spoken to on Twitter. The one who has left a few comments on some blogs. Why would I belong to such a strong group of women? Where would I fit in? But you know what? I went anyway. Even though I got there late-ish because my husband was stuck at work. And even though I left early because he had to pick me up and we had to get home to get the child to bed. And yes, even though both of those things made me feel younger than a high school teenager with a learner's permit. BUT ... I went. I stayed. I listened and I even spoke some. OK, I spoke some more. I was me. I was who I am. And although I was afraid that when I got there I'd just sit there mutely with little to offer, I kind of felt like it was okay for me to say, hey - I'm me - and this is what got me into blogging, and this is why I blog now. What I love about it, what grates at me a little, and what I am or who I am, every single day of my life. Part of me wanted to shout, 'They liked me! They really liked me!' when I got in the car after it was over. I didn't. I was much calmer than that. I think what I really felt and said to hubby was, 'They're just like me.' Cause you know what? They are. Some of them may be working, some may have more than one child, some may have not experienced the anxiety that I did postpartum, some may have not relocated here, or if they did they had totally different experiences than I did before arriving in NC. But they were like me. Women in bloggy-land. Women who get it. And after all, what more can a mom like me ask for? So, if you so choose to pour your own heart out today, go on over and link up w/Shell here:



Shell is one of the amazing women I've connected with even further this month of September as we've been working together on Friends You Love, and that's a whole nother story when it comes to women bloggers who have turned into friends. But I don't want this post to take up the entire page of my blog, so I'll save that for another September day.

And if you choose to go wordless, or word-filled, as I have, you can also find yourself many a WW linky across the bloggy-world.


I'm sure you'll find a place that's right for you. I know I have!

PINT: Books I've Been Reading

FYL Blog Hop: Living More in the Moment

<center><a href="http://www.friendsyoulove.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="FriendsYouLove" src="http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/That_One_Mom/Friends%20You%20Love/fyl_1_blog_hop.png"/></a></center>

Welcome to this week's Friends You Love blog hop! I'm opening my doors today to my bloggy/tweety friend Stacey, from Musings of a Mommie!

When you have a chance, head on over to her place and give her a big ole Friends You Love HELLO!

But before that, please take a moment to experience some of her own, personal, AHA moments in which she decided to take a step back from the insanity that is motherhood and refocus on the things that are most important to her. But I must warn you, you might want to have some tissues handy. This is truly a touching and honest, open and raw post. OK. There you have it. Read on, dear friends!

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Not too long ago, I sat down and wrote myself a list of goals. Nothing unattainable. Nothing reaching farther than perhaps a year ahead. I wanted it to be achievable and realistic. I was in the throws of Post Partum Mood Disorder, commonly known as Post Partum Depression or PPD, although I wasn't so much depressed as I was out of control. I had anger issues, blowing up, freaking out, yelling, feeling contempt for my husband, overbearing and over protective of my children and trying to cope with some OCD tendencies that made my family frustrated with me. I hate feeling out of control. I'm a bit of a perfectionist; my husband would call it Control Freak. Not being able to keep a handle on my emotions, outbursts and frustrations was causing a war. An internal tug of war. Being a control freak & not being able to control yourself....yeah, not pretty.

I wrote the list of goals in an attempt to center myself. Figuring that if I could accomplish these small things, one at a time, or practicing them since some were ongoing, then I could regain control of something again. I showed it to my husband, K and asked his opinion. He told me some of it looked more like a To-Do List. Whatever. It was my list and these were things I felt like I could handle. I didn’t like him very much at the time anyway. I don't even know why I bothered to show it to him. I probably should have added "Stop being over sensitive" to the list. I had about 40 things listed. OK, I got a little carried away I guess. But these were really important things...like:

• Make sure Christian brushes his teeth every day

• Read him a book before bed each night

• Read Claire a book before bed each night

• Vacuum & steam clean the floors

• Start walking every day in an attempt to get in shape & be healthy

• Do laundry 2x a week

Just some of the things on my list. I studied my list long and hard, deciding where to start. Merrily, I jumped in head first. And quickly realized that I'd bumped my head. My anxiety, frustration and anger got worse. I felt scattered, spreading myself thin and it seemed the more I tried to do, the less that got done. I got so caught up in the things that I thought I should be doing that I didn't see exactly what I was doing. I was miserable. My husband felt it, my children felt it and so did the rest of my family. I flipped out so bad over not having enough time to get the floor vacuumed & steam cleaned that I was stomping through the house like a raving lunatic, yelling at the top of my lungs about how I was so sick & tired of the house and being the only one who was taking the initiative to get anything done while no one else bothered. My tirade lasted a good 10 minutes until I just yelled myself out, stomped back to my room and slammed the door, wincing at my now sore throat. Then...I just cried. Sobbing into my pillow like a 3 year old that didn't get her way. There was no way I could live like this. That list of goals was supposed to help center me, get me focused. I needed a solution. And then, I found it. Or rather it found me.

I had just finished giving Claire her 4am bottle. I quickly changed her and was set to put her back to bed. She looked at me and smiled her beautiful smile. I couldn't stop looking at her. I'd seen that smile before so it wasn't like it was her first. I'm not sure what happened but inside I felt my heart swell so much inside I thought it might burst. The tears welled up and spilled over and I held her to me. She snuggled down into my shoulder and left out a heavy contented sigh. I breathed her in and hugged her, thinking about how blessed I was. I had two beautiful, healthy children that I adore. There is no way to describe the love that you have for your child. Words can never express it accurately. I held her in my arms and I realized, as I looked at her beautiful, perfect face how quickly she was growing up. Then I thought of my son, and felt my heart sink a little. He is quickly approaching 2 years old. These moments of their infancy go by entirely too fast. I'll blink and find him standing in front of me asking for the car keys and she will be on the sofa daydreaming about her high school crush. Damn it, I want more time!

That is where things changed. I've stopped worrying about keeping my house immaculate. I don't worry about the laundry. If Christian doesn't brush his teeth one night because we are wrestling on the bed and I'm giving him raspberries on his tummy while he giggles wildly, who cares? If I tickle Claire's feet and kiss her and hug her and make her laugh and kick and squeal with delight instead of reading her a book before bed I don't think I'll extinguish her opportunity of one day becoming a Neurosurgeon or Supreme Court Justice. The fact is they will not be babies and children for long. As much as they remember Mommy & Daddy reading to them every night, they will also remember the times where Mommy & Daddy just spent time with them, playing, talking, hugging, listening and snuggling. When you let them stay up late to watch a movie together, or play just one more board game with them or just rolled around on the floor making funny faces and laughing like goofballs. They will always remember the LOVE. The feeling like THEY were most important...because they are.

18 years from now it isn't going to matter if I cleaned my floors to perfection. 18 years from now it won't matter if I did laundry 2x a week or 2x a month. I won't remember any of that. And neither will they. But they will never forget how much I love them. And I will have more wonderful memories than I can count. I'll never be one of those people who say, "I really wish I would have lived more in the moment instead of worrying about the perfectly manicured lawn, the spotless house, or keeping the car free of stray French fries. I wish I would have spent more time with my kids rather than worrying about that stuff." Because in the end, none of that stuff matters more than your babies.

I've tucked my lists of goals away in a drawer. I'm not abandoning them in the least. They are still important. But I try not to make them my main focus and to do them involving my children. I put them in the stroller and go for a walk to get exercise. No, I can't get to it everyday, but when I do, I'm with them, making memories. I try to clean when they are napping and remember to take time for myself after they've gone to bed. Our children will give us plenty of things to remember from the past and to look forward to in the future if we give them all the love and attention we can in the present. I cannot even begin to explain how much happier I have been since I’ve made this change. I am so stupidly in love with my kids that even when they do frustrate me I never forget how fortunate I am to have them. I love the extra time I spend with them. I feel a stronger bond than I ever have and I didn’t think that was even possible! Don't live in the past or be obsessed with the future...live in the now...in the moment.

Stacey

I am a 34 year old SAHM of 20 month old Christian and 5 month old Margaret Claire.

Thanks so much, Stacey, for posting for me today. And to everyone else who is participating in the FYL Blog Hop - go on and link up below!

Week 3:

Friends You Love Scavenger Hunt!

Come one come all and be our friend,
Friends You Love's Scavenger Hunt will soon begin.

Our tweets will point you in the right direction,
Follow each clue to the correct location.
Our posts will help you find your way,
Read each one carefully throughout the day.
Fabulous prizes are what we have instore.
For the lady who shows she can endure.
So tell your friends to come and play,

It's time for Friends You Love's Scavenger Hunt Giveaway!

This final full week in September brings you the final full event we have planned. This week, we are sending you on a scavenger hunt!

Please follow along with @FriendsYouLove and the other Friends You Love hosts via Twitter. Beginning Monday, September 20, we will be leaving clues via Twitter, leading you around the interwebs for the answers. There will be 20 clues. On Friday, September 24, come back to Friends You Love to submit your answers. The first FIVE players to submit the correct answers will win prizes from our generous sponsors!

Our sponsors for this exciting event include:

Lisa Leonard, PeaceLoveMom, The Turkish Towel Company, Sheer Beauty, Scentsy Consultant Bradi Redmon, Paper Planet Etsy Shop, PurseHangers, Hapari, and EdenFantasys!


(Hint: All clues will have the hashtag #FriendsYouLove)

My Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur starts at sundown this evening, and, as it does every year, starts off with me feeling strongly tied to my heritage, ready to be one with my roots and ready to lose a few pounds.

But I kid -- about the last part.

For those who don't know what this holiday, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, means to a Jew, let me give you some insight. It is our Day of Atonement. It is the day we use to remind ourselves of how we act every other day of the year. It is the day where not eating, drinking and watching TV or using other electronic devices (bye-bye Twitter and Blogger - for 25-ish hours!) leaves us open to recognize true details of our being.

At least, this is mostly what the day represents to me. The atonement part, yes, it is true. We can use this day - and we should - to atone for the mistakes and hurt we have caused over the past year. The pain we may have inflicted on others with our own actions, despite no ill-intent, or with it, I suppose.

This day, a few years back, is the day I took to write to two very close friends I had no spoken with nor seen in some time. I used it to write a letter to each of them, apologizing for my actions or inaction that may have hurt them. You know what it got me? Two less friends. Ah, c'est la vie, right?

And funny as it may seem, here I am, this year, on the Eve of the holiday, trying to decide if I should reach out to two other friends. Try to address a gap that has formed between us due to things they think I have done but I haven't. And as much as I want to gather up the motivation to do it, to apologize for having upset or offended them, I just don't have that gumption right now. Maybe it's because I've been burned before? Maybe it's just where I am at right now? Have I grown? I'd like to think so. Will I continue to grow? Yes. Absolutely. We all do. We all will.

So I'll take a moment here, my good friends, dear readers, to apologize if I've ever offended you with my words, ignored your comments and in any way hurt you while you perused my pages. That has never been my intent. I blog because I am me. I use this space for myself. And yes, often I think, well, if they don't like it, they won't read it. But I never set out to truly hurt. Never set out with intent to offend. I'm just me. Take me or leave me.

I suppose that this is not in the spirit of the holiday to some extent. I suppose I should truly be apologizing, but at the same time, while I am sorry if I *did* offend, I'm also trying to say that here, in my space ... pretty much the only space that I have that is completely and 100% mine ... I am going to be me. I am going to possibly offend others by being more open than they would like, or hurt someone's feelings when I laugh at something that they find too serious, or, well, you get me.

So, for those of you fasting and / or observing the holiday in any way, I wish you a blessed New Year and a quick and easy fast. For the rest of you out there, I remind you that this day is extremely special and significant for many of us. And should you choose to observe it with us in some way, we welcome you. And if you don't, that's okay, too. But for everyone out there, I use this as a small reminder that it doesn't take a high holy day to stop, reflect and offer yourself up to those around you.

Gut Yontiff - גוט יום-טוב

Saving Max ~ Book Review

I am such a goober. I received and read this book MONTHS ago. I apologize to the author, the publicist and anyone who expected to see this review way back when.

I could swear I wrote it, but it's not on my site, nor is it in my drafts. So ... where did Saving Max go?

Saving Max is an incredible book by first-time author Antoinette van Heugten. This image below *credited to Goodreads.com* is not the cover of the copy I received, and I'll be honest, I prefer the original cover, as I wouldn't have done well with assuming that Max looked like the boy you see here ... but that's just me!


Anyway, let me tell you about Max and his mom. Max is an autistic boy whose behaviors seem to be getting worse every day. He pulls deeper and deeper into himself, with his mother being his only true connection to the real world. Max's mother, Danielle, is a strong and powerful woman. At least that is my perspective. Perhaps the powerful aspect grows as we watch her fight for her son. You see, she ultimately ends up bringing Max to a special place for children with similar issues. Some lesser, some more intense. All of this comes to a head as Max is found, by his mother, with blood all over him. He's so withdrawn that Danielle completely thinks that it is HIS blood. She's shocked, floored, and then suddenly, she realizes that there is a body in the room. Laying on the floor. Covered in blood. COVERED in blood.

Oh My G-d. Max! What happened? Max!?! Are you OK? (My words, not hers.) Was Max hurt? Was he the person who did this to this body laying beside him? Danielle needed to pull herself together, needed to figure out what to do.

We spend the rest of this novel watching Max's mother fight for her boy. If you're a parent, and have ever had to stand up for your child, or even anticipated having to do so, you'll respect her efforts on his behalf. But you'll also think to yourself, how far would I go? What would I do if I thought it was even remotely possible that my child was capable of murdering someone? Would I fight for him/her til the bitter end? Would I even believe it was possible?

Danielle fought for her boy. This story unravels before our eyes, and we bring in characters that we know we want to like, but sometimes we hate them and other times we truly love them and what they do for this story.

Oh, one last minute detail. Danielle is a lawyer. Let's see how that comes into play throughout her attempts to defend her child, as well.

I truly enjoyed this book. It comes right back to me as I sit here typing up this review. (Again, my sincerest apologies for being so late! But now that I see that the book is not yet released it's actually PERFECT timing, right?) I remember the emotions I felt as I got to know Max. The fears I felt, as a mother, for him as a scared young boy. The connection I felt with Danielle as a fighter. The anger that flashed through me as I watched the children of this residence/treatment location be treated in certain ways. This book is a touching and thrilling account of a character with autism who is trying to be heard, and a mother who never wants to stop listening.

You can find this book available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking here!

Happy Reading!

Lazy Mom Shares a Spoon!

I've totally been planning to get this recipe made, and post about it as a Lazy Mom Recipe (my not so successful meme that isn't a meme at all ...). And when I saw that Think Tank Momma was doing a cookie swap this week at Share a Spoon, I had to jump in!



Anyway, I have this book called Busy Woman's Cookbook and there is this crazy simple recipe for peanut butter cookies in there. I don't have it in front of me, but it's that simple that I can give you the gist of it anyway!

Lazy Mom's Peanut Butter Cookies:

* Peanut butter (1c)
* sugar (1c)
* 1 egg
* vanilla extract (a splash)

Basically you mix the ingredients together (it's a fun experiment to mix the peanut butter and sugar together - trust me!) and shape them into small cookie balls [heh heh - I said cookie balls] and plop 'em on a cookie sheet. Flatten them down and cook at 350* for somewhere between 10-15 minutes. Obviously you need to keep an eye on them. I would check them at 10, if they're not done, come back at 12, and so on. I'm a cookie making freak that way, though.

Oh, and the book does say if you want to make them pretty peanut butter cookies you can use your fork to make that fancy design on top. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Either way, they taste the same ... DeeeeeLicious!

And if you want to find some super simple recipes that have like 3-4 ingredients, and an ENTIRE BOOK of them, go order this book now. It's a lifesaver, I promise. I take so many ideas and tweak them so they work for my family and it's soooo easy and simple and *almost* fun!

So don't forget to head on over to the Think Tank for more cookie recipes and ideas today. I think I saw pumpkin cookies on that linky ... mmmn. Pumpkin cookies. Happy Baking!

Wordless Wednesday: Sneaky Kid!

PINT: The Reader's Edition

FYL Blog Hop: Meet Rikki!

Come on in, readers and meet my new friend Rikki. She's agreed to guest post for me today as I participate in Week 2 of the Friends You Love Blog Hop!

Screw You Dove

So I love to yell at the TV. My favorite shows to yell at are on the Food Network, but that’s another post. Today I’m going to yell at the TV about commercials.

** Sidenote, it's Andrea - Huge apologies in advance, I had the videos embedded but they were showing up SO huge that they were throwing off the sync of my blog page so I had to change them to links! Sorry! **

Screw You Dove Chocolate

Dove Commercial

Who needs daily affirmations from food? Seriously. If I’m the kind of person who needs help with my self esteem I doubt that an “uplifting message” in the wrapper of the chocolate that I’m shoving into my face while crying is going to help. Get a therapist, reading all the wrappers you have laying around you (reminding you of how much you really just ate) will not help.

Screw You Saab

Saab Commercial

If I had the magic powers of creating miniature live animals, trees, light bulbs and car parts out of paper I would not be designing cars. Especially cars that no one buys. Not to mention this commercial does not tell me why I want a Saab. Is it made of pine cones and moose? If I had those magic powers, I would create the world's largest miniature zoo, I'd start a car parts supply chain and furnish the cheapest light bulbs to all the major big box stores while raking in the cash and living on my own private island. I'd also create a herd of tiny, tiny cows for my own amusement and let them roam my private island. Tiny cows are a big deal to me, but that's also another post.

Screw You Pop Tarts

Pop Tarts Commercial

Whose kid wakes up like that?!? Nobody’s, that who. “They’ll rise and you’ll shine” my butt. Listen up Mom: Pop Tarts will not make you a better mom; shoving a food-like brick into the toaster will not make your kid a morning person or make you feel like you’re doing some incredible parenting. Have you seen the expiration date on those things? Two year shelf life on average! Made with real fruit? I think not. Also, they pitch this “made with real fruit” thing so hard but what in the heck it the outside part made of?

Screw You Anti-Meth Ads

Anti-Meth Ad

I’ve never wanted to do methamphetamines. Until I saw this commercial. Yes, she’s battered and bruised and looks terrible but obviously she has gained the power to time travel! I want to time travel. Do the risks outweigh the benefits? I’m not totally sure.

(And thanks to JP, fiancé and all around awesome dude, for turning me on to the incredible super powers this meth commercial offers.)

***Seriously kids, don’t do the drugs***

Screw You Dove Soap

Dove Beauty Commercial

Dove says, “Hey you, we think you’re pretty just as you are, they don’t, they want you to change yourself, they think you’re ugly. Do want to give them the satisfaction? Then buy our soaps and stuff!”

Who exactly are “THEY”? Why do they think I’m ugly? What did I ever do to them and why does a soap company have to defend me? It’s my giant ears. They found out about my freakishly large ears and now they hate me. They think I’m a pale, short, chubby, ugly girl with over-sized man ears and they’re out to get me.

I need some chocolate.

About the Author:

Rikki is one of the most preeminent authorities on pie living today. To find out more about this incredible author visit www.alwaysroomforpie.blogspot.com and drop her a line while you’re at it. She lives for your approval.

Also, check out her blog at www.alwaysroomforpie.blogspot.com for funny “About the Authors” that Rikki’s friends have written.

Week 2:

Mabel's Labels Giveaway!

Mabel's Labels is sponsoring Friends You Love for the month of September, which, if you don't know by now, is International Women's Friendship Month.

And as a part of that sponsorship they've been generous enough to give us several sets of Mama Cards to give away! And I'm really pleased to be among the batch of us hosting this giveaway today. If you enter you'll have the chance to win a set of cards valued at $29. How awesome is that!?!

If you don't know what Mama Cards are, take a look:



They're adorable! You can use them as actual Mama Cards (you know - when you meet a mom on the street and totally want to connect with them again, give them your *card* and they'll know how to find you.

You can make them Networking Cards, which is what I did. With high hopes I'll get to connect with fellow bloggers somehow and be able to identify myself with my "card!" We'll see if that happens. ;)

Or if you're a working Mama and have a business you can create a set of business cards. Use them for whatever works best for you. If you'd like to make them small gift tags, you can do that, too. Look at how cute they are and you'll know that they'll work for pretty much anything!

So, how do you get yourself a set? Enter right now!

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Check out Mabel's Labels and let me know which design you'd choose if you win. Go here to get a better look at which designs are available.

OPTIONAL EXTRA ENTRIES: (1 entry per option - please leave a separate comment for each)

* Let me know if you follow me here through Google Friend Connect

* Let me know if you follow me on Twitter @GoodGirlGoneRed

* Follow Mabel's Labels on Twitter @Mabelhood

* Extra entry if you follow both of us on Twitter!

* Tweet this giveaway and give me your URL
~~ with a mention of @goodgirlgonered and @mabelhood ~~

* Tell me what you'll be using these cards for.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org on Sunday, September 19th!

Good luck, everybody, and a huge thanks to Mabel's Labels for this FANTASTIC giveaway!

CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER: NOLIE!!!!

Then and Now.

Today: I woke up this morning at 5:30 to hear my daughter calling, 'Mommy! Mommy!' I went into her room, changed her overly wet nighttime Pull-Up and crawled into bed with her. I worked hard at getting her back to sleep! It took time, maybe an hour, maybe more, but we both fell out, slept soundly. My husband woke me after my cell phone alarm went off.

Then: I woke up, as usual, probably later than I was supposed to. Shut my alarm clock radio and moved through the motions of the morning. Fed the cat. Yes, there was only one for me at the time. Left my apartment, walked to the subway, hopped on board.

Today: I took my shower, dried my hair, got dressed and woke up my daughter. Let's get dressed, let's get ready. We have a birthday party to go to this morning! Grabbed some Pop Tarts from the pantry and we hit the road. It was a beautiful morning, if slightly overcast. Maybe it was just early. I'm rarely outside that early these days.

Then: I rode the train (or two, actually, I think back then it was three) into Manhattan. Made my way up the stairs once I reached my destination. My ultimate subway stop was literally one block, if that, away from my office. I crossed Varrick Street, stopped in at the McDonald's and grabbed a yogurt parfait. At least I think I did. I haven't eaten McDonald's in years, so I don't remember exactly what I used to eat there.

Today: We got in the car and drove off. 'We're going to be late,' my husband said. I know. I told him. It's okay.

Then: As I walked out of McDonald's to cross back over Varrick I stopped to let a firetruck speed by. I looked up at the sky. It was a crystal clear blue sky that morning. Perfectly blue, and not a cloud in sight. I may have said a small prayer for the firetruck as it went by, for the men and women inside it as they chased down a blaze, or so I thought.

Today: We got to the museum for the birthday party and my daughter clung to my husband and I. Shy? Her? Rarely. But today, just a little bit.

Then: I sat down at my desk, turned on my computer -- and shortly after that a colleague came in and said the few words I'll surely never forget: "A plane crashed into the World Trade Center." What? Seriously? When? What? We were there together, me sitting at my desk, trying to connect to CNN. It wasn't working. What on earth is happening? It must be a private plane. Some jerk had recently jumped out of an airplane to land on the Statue of Liberty. That. It must be just like that.

Today: It wasn't. It wasn't at all like that. And today is the day, above all others, that we remember what truly happened that day.

Today we'll all move forward, go on with our lives. Remember those we lost, or those we never knew. But for me, for me it'll be a little bit different. Not than all of you. I'm sure some of you were there. Some of you know what it smelled like to live anywhere within a certain mile radius of the city. Some of you know what it looked like after the crash, the fall, the pain.

For me, I'll remember so much. I'll remember my friend coming into the office in a frenzy because the trains were delayed and she was late for a meeting. "Wait," I told her. "Wait. There is no meeting."

I'll remember the feeling of frenzy as we all stood around a radio, listening to hear what on earth had happened. What was happening? We were only a short distance away. Not close enough, but almost too close, all at once.

I'll remember IMing my husband, before we lost connection, to ask him what he knew. He had been on the phone with his friend in DC, before he watched the second plane fly past his office. I remember the quick text from him saying, *I have to go. They're evacuating our building.*

I'll remember watching the second tower fall, from the corner office of our company's CEO. Watching and looking around the room at my co-workers. Not realizing at the time that one of them was watching the building cave in around his own son.

I can remember walking past my ex-boyfriend's office, and making brief eye contact. Isn't it the oddest thing the things you remember? I somehow knew it was his twin nieces' birthday that day. They would be turning three. I kept walking as I held onto a friend who leaned on me for support, devastated after watching the tower fall.

I'll remember my phone ringing as somehow one of my closest friends at the time was able to reach me at my office. And somehow I was able to find out she was alright, being closer to the site than nearly anyone I knew. I'll remember calling her sister to tell her she was okay. Letting her know she was fine, and out of danger. And her mother. I'll never forget the sound of her sister's voice. The relief. The tears.

I'll remember talking to my own mom. Telling her we were okay, but that I had no idea what was happening, or how long I'd be in my own office. If my husband's office - so much farther North - was being evacuated, would we be far behind? We were not. And I'll remember walking out of our building, so many of us, together. I'll remember the voice of my best friend's wife, screaming his name. She had walked so far. I can still picture them connecting, in the midst of chaos. We said our goodbyes, as I walked uptown.

I'll remember the faces of the people on the streets of Manhattan, walking together, hovering around television sets. My friend and I walked through the streets together up until we hit Grand Central Station, when she found out there was a chance she could get home. We split up, quietly. Carefully. I can still remember the shoes I was wearing that day. My feet ached. My heart churned. The tears flowed freely.

I will never forget the relief I felt when I realized that the subways were running again. Having just walked from Houston Street, to about 53rd, and from the West Side to the East, I wasn't sure I'd make it across the bridge if I had to. I felt the familiar rumble beneath my feet, and wept with joy. I'd make it home, after all.

And when I did, when I walked into my apartment and saw my husband (though we weren't married yet) I cried. I cried and cried and cried. I lay down on our bed, looked out the bedroom window at a skyline that was no more. I watched the smoke, I could smell it, even in the outer-borough of Queens, and I knew the world had changed. Permanently.

The next day there was no work. My office would be closed for at least a week, maybe two. Give or take. Anything below 14th Street was closed for a while. I mean, totally shut down. 100%. My husband and I walked around Astoria, headed to McDonald's (amazing to me how that place fits into my memories of this major event, and yet I don't eat there anymore. EVER!) and ended up having a fight of sorts with their manager because they still had their flag at full staff. Is that even the way to describe it? Either way, it wasn't at half-mast. They said that their corporate office hadn't ruled it. My husband said, it doesn't matter. The White House has their flag at half-mast. Your flag needs to be adjusted. NOW. We left there unsuccessful, but they did eventually make the change.

The things you remember. The aching and the hurt. The tears and the shock. The fear and the terror. One year later I spent the morning mourning. I sat home, decided I'd go into work late, and watched the memorial service with tears streaming my face. Nine years later the memories are just as clear, but there is no hiding out. My child, my beautiful 3-1/2 year old daughter has no idea what the world went through that day. So I woke up this morning and I was Mommy. The same way I will forever be, the same way I've been the last 3 years.

I do also remember a special experience at a pottery place, though. Our Name is Mud. I honestly don't remember exactly when I did my piece, but I definitely remember doing it. I think I waited until the one year anniversary, when I was walking home from work, walking to the subway station, and passed the tiles hanging. A memorial. If you've never seen it, my goodness, you truly must: Tiles for America - NYC. I'll have to see if my tile is visible in any one of these pictures, but in the meantime, just check out the top of this post. That's my small piece of me to help get through the memories of these moments that changed our world forever.

The day the world stopped turning. Where were you?

OMG. Hilarious. Must Watch.

Twitter Party! (Yes, Seriously!)

Along with That One Mom bring you...

September 15, 2010

8:00 - 9:30 p.m. CST

Sponsored by Eden Fantasys

with your hosts

@FriendsYouLove

and

@That_One_Mom.

With special guest

@kissmykitty.

Click here to RSVP!

P.S. Yes, I changed my blog design. I am actually planning for a more personalized design soon, and lately I've seen like 3-4 peeps with the same color scheme as I had, so I opted to switch to the blue to brighten things up a bit for the coming weeks, at least until I get my new digs! Thanks for dealing with me as things change a bit!

A Touch Of Homesickness ...

Right now, for those who don't know, it's Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Next weekend will be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

Last week it was my parents' anniversary. This weekend is September 11th (I'm from NY originally).

Needless to say, these few events falling so close together this year is just triggering a load of homesick emotion that brings me to sappy tears.

I have my daughter and my husband, and wouldn't trade anything in the world for them, but there are times that I wish I lived 15 minutes away from my family again. Sometimes I wish we could grab dinner on Friday nights at the diner (Good G-d, how I MISS diners!), that I could actually WALK to temple with my dad for the high holy-days, and that I could pick up the phone, call my sister-in-law and go hit up a Barnes and Noble or Starbucks together for a nice iced chai.

I'm just feeling sappy and sad, and a little bit lost without my family around to make me smile. I spoke to my mom today for about an hour and a half, and it's probably the longest and most coherent conversation we have had in ages. Without a screaming, crying or nagging child (the kid for me, my dad for her! -- I kid, I kid!) in the background, or the inability for my mom to hear me, or speak to me, or anything along those lines.

My mom is one of my best friends. She has been forever. True, maybe not when I was just a child. An ignorant teen who was angry that she waited up for me, even if she did fall asleep with her glasses on and a book on her knees as my dad snored easily beside her. There is no woman on this earth that I look up to more than my mother, even though she is an inch shorter than I am. And there is no woman I respect more, who knows my heart as well as she knows her own, and I hers like I know mine, and ... well ... I just miss her.

I miss my Pops, too, of course, and he means the world to me and will always, ALWAYS be my hero. The man who destroyed any bug that dared hang out on my ceiling, who threw me in the pool so I'd learn how to swim, and picked me up on his shoulders from underwater. The man who I never saw shed a tear until we suffered unbearable losses. My father, my rock.

I love my parents, and while there are certainly times I am okay with living 500 miles away, there are times, like these - - these weeks right now, where I'd give anything and everything to have my family close by enough to just BE there. In an instant.

Confessions: Part IV.

With all this talk about Friendships these days, I have some more confessions on my mind and in my heart. And so, what better way to share those than by post along with Shell today over at:

See, friendships are one of the most important things in this woman's life. And by this woman, I mean me. ;) I have my best friend (if you haven't seen my post on her, head here for more on what she means to me!), and I, of course, have other friends I've met throughout my life.

===

I started this post much earlier in the day today. And I was honestly feeling so negative that I just couldn't finish it. I went over and read Shell's post on her site, and it tugged at me in such a way. Then I went to see Single Mom in the South, and she tugged at my heart, as well. And between the two of them, and my own emotional status, I just couldn't finish. I think I was wallowing in some modicum of self-pity. I recently lost some friends. I guess that's the way to describe it. I've been down this road before. With two of my closest friends (there's an old post about that on my blog somewhere, maybe even a few - but I'm not going down that road right now) from back home. And I've lost track of people here and there, only to find our way back to one another as time went by. And those people, those are the truest of friends.

And the reason I've changed my perspective on this post right now is my 3-1/2 year old daughter. Who, just now, while sitting at our table and eating lunch, somehow had a memory of one of my very best friends. And while not in my life as long as my BFF from childhood has been, she comes pretty damned close.

So, what has my daughter done to change my tone today, you ask?

She started talking and began describing for me, in detail, an experience that I just could not remember. "When we saw the boy with the two dogs. And the baby." Okay ...? "And there were the dogs. And Dexter got to see the two dogs. Can we take Dexter to see the dogs?" Not baby Grace? [Recently went to see a friend's new baby, and they have two dogs.] "No." Munch munch. Chew chew. Sighing and thinking and head-scratching on my part. No clue. "And there was a baby." A boy and a baby? And two dogs? "Ah-ha. And we went to Nana and Zeide's (my parents) and then we went to Meme and Papa's, (hubby's parents) and we saw the two dogs and the boy and the baby." We went to see the two dogs with Nana and Zeide? "No."

And you get the picture. Finally, it hit me. The boy, the baby, the dog = my friend in Connecticut. My friend from college who - on our way home to NY from ME - we called, asked what she was up to and said, can we come by? She said yes. Immediately. We hadn't seen one another since last summer, and before that it was even longer, WAY too long. We went over, hung out in their backyard, got some quality friend time in. My kiddo loved her little boy (her first crush on an older man, I suppose!) and played in the backyard. It was a much needed break after hours upon hours of driving. The husbands went out to pick up pizza, we chatted for hours. Reminisced, talked about our kids, our friends (she had just had the fun time of spending the few days before with our college crew on our annual girls' weekend - I was WAY jealous, but still thrilled to get some time in with her!) and laughed like only she can make me laugh.

So you see, while other friendships may come and go, and my college friend might not live less than five-six-hundred miles away, she will always be an incredible strength and support for me, and always be one of my best friends.

And when I next feel like throwing my very own pity party I'll have to remind myself that I have quality friends who love me for who I am, who know me heart and soul, and who are there to listen whenever I need them, and I'll do the same in return. Whether the topic ranges from postpartum recovery to breastfeeding problems, or behavior issues that lead to our tearing our hair out, we're there to listen to one another, support each other and offer words of wisdom and encouragement, even if we're making them up along the way!

So, find a friend who means that much to you. Call her up (I plan on calling mine shortly - I think she's just getting home from work now) and tell her how much she means to you. How much you love her and how much you wish you were that much closer in distance, but it will never impact the closeness that you feel in your heart and head.

Friends are forever when they're forever friends.