Musings from Me on Kids, Preteens, and Teens » sports http://www.musingsfromme.com Seizing family time one dinner at a time. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:29:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Mixing Business with Family in Southern California #seizingfamilytime #blogher http://www.musingsfromme.com/mixing-business-with-family-in-southern-california-seizingfamilytime-blogher/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/mixing-business-with-family-in-southern-california-seizingfamilytime-blogher/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:39:33 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=5483 With a Kid, a Preteen-now-Teen, and a Teen, finding something fun for all of us to do is a challenge. You wouldn’t think so, but it is. Years ago, we could pop in a DVD. Go to a museum. Go out for ice cream. But, then school intervened. And homework. And weekends packed with birthday parties, sports, and play dates. I struggle and stress and fret about the amount of time I have left before my oldest heads to college. She is one of those kids who never gave me a backward glance when stepping on the elementary school bus. Who was already planning what AP classes to take in high school when she was in 6th grade. Who now as a 10th grader is loving the envelopes that have started to arrive post-PSAT. She’s ready for college. I’m not ready to let go of her. So, I have made it my goal to find fun things to do both at home, in our neighboring towns and cities, and in the places we visit for vacation. We’re not a family that travels to far away places every year. We have had years where we grabbed a quick week at the [...]]]>


With a Kid, a Preteen-now-Teen, and a Teen, finding something fun for all of us to do is a challenge. You wouldn’t think so, but it is. Years ago, we could pop in a DVD. Go to a museum. Go out for ice cream. But, then school intervened. And homework. And weekends packed with birthday parties, sports, and play dates.

I struggle and stress and fret about the amount of time I have left before my oldest heads to college. She is one of those kids who never gave me a backward glance when stepping on the elementary school bus. Who was already planning what AP classes to take in high school when she was in 6th grade. Who now as a 10th grader is loving the envelopes that have started to arrive post-PSAT. She’s ready for college. I’m not ready to let go of her.

So, I have made it my goal to find fun things to do both at home, in our neighboring towns and cities, and in the places we visit for vacation. We’re not a family that travels to far away places every year. We have had years where we grabbed a quick week at the beach with the grandparents. Other years we have visited Niagara Falls–the Canadian side; Colonial Williamsburg, VA; Pennsylvania Dutch Country; and of course, the beach. Two summers ago we took a long-awaited, yet hastily planned trip to my home country…England. We had a fabulous time. I wish we could do a big trip each year, but we can’t.

Last summer, the chips fell in to place. I purchased a BlogHer ticket at the early bird rate. I planned to find a roommate and fly to San Diego by myself. The more I thought about going to SD and BlogHer, the more I wanted to involve my family.  How could I think of visiting California without them? But, how would I bring them?

A quick check of Southwest.com showed that we could get reasonably priced flights for all 5 of us. Not bargains, but not out-of-sight prices. I had a room at the Marriott Marquis and Marina, which would do. It was a relief not to look for a roommate. Although going to a conference with a roommate in tow is super fun, especially if it is your first blogging conference. With a hotel and flights, all I needed was an itinerary.

Within days of booking flights we had our itinerary planned. While I gallivanted about at BlogHer meeting people, making connections with brands, and of course, having fun, my husband and the kids toured San Diego. Post-BlogHer, the plan was for me to join the family and tour L.A. and Anaheim. Obviously our family works well under stress and tight deadlines…in fact we thrive on it.

Our itinerary went something like this:

  • Wednesday — Travel Day. Arrived in San Diego. Kids and husband relaxed in the room, while I met up with some bloggers at a wine party hosted by @guavalicious. What can I say…BlogHer is part work and part play!
  • Thursday — Day One — Sea World. While I attended one of the pre-conference sessions hosted by Procter & Gamble, my husband took the kids to Sea World. While I was very sad to miss out on the amazing-ness of the San Diego Sea World, my son and I got to experience the Orlando Sea World.
  • Friday — Day Two — San Diego Zoo. I was very sad to miss out on a zoo I have heard so much about, but obviously I had obligations at BlogHer. Don’t worry, I had my husband text photos and tweet while he was there with the kids.
  • Saturday — Day Three — Hotel pool. Bus to the airport. Pick up of rental car. Drive to beach. Husband and kids accomplished all this while I was hauling myself and sundry swag bags from the San Diego Convention Center Expo Hall  to my hotel room to meetings to sessions back to the Convention Center Expo Hall back to the hotel room, with a quick pitstop before the evening events and parties began. I was exhausted. I’m not a beach or pool lover, so I wasn’t upset about missing the beach and pool day. Highlight for my kids and their dad was catching a beach volleyball game. We’re East Coast volleyball players. They weren’t able to play, but loved experiencing a bit of Southern California.
  • Sunday — Day 4 — Legoland. With BlogHer over and bags packed and swag exchanged at the Swag Room, we hit the road to drive to LegoLand.
  • Monday — Day 5 — Starline Tour of L.A. and Hollywood. I was so glad to experience Southern California with my family!
  • Tuesday — Day 6 — Disneyland. Our first experience of Disneyland was a success. Yes, it was crowded, packed, and we missed out on a couple of rides towards the end of the day when Fast Passes ran out, but we had an awesome day. Probably our best day as a family on our trip..
  • Wednesday — Day 7 — California Adventure. Second day of Disney…we hit our stride. Figured out how to maximize the Fast Pass. Got prime “seats” at the World of Color. And, I may have been persuaded by a certain Kid to ride California Screamin’. Whoa that was an experience!
  • Thursday — Travel Day. Sadly, we had to say farewell to Anaheim and Southern California. And say hello to our lives back home.

I was given passes to the attractions in this post. We paid for our own flights, car rental, and hotel accommodations while in Southern California. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/mixing-business-with-family-in-southern-california-seizingfamilytime-blogher/feed/ 0 Playing in the Fresh Air and Winner Announced http://www.musingsfromme.com/playing-in-the-fresh-air-and-winners-announced/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/playing-in-the-fresh-air-and-winners-announced/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:55:01 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4865 There was a time when I was rarely inside during the day. My little ones wanted to be outside all the time. Playing in the sandbox. Swinging on the swings. Running around. Playing ball. Riding bikes. You name it and we were outside doing it. Don’t get me wrong I love the fresh air, but there were days when I wanted to stay indoors. But, my kids would pester and fuss until we trooped outside. We don’t have a fenced in yard, so letting them play outside alone was not an option. We were outside all the time until we weren’t outside much at all. As with any change in family routine, the process was gradual. It didn’t happen in one day or in one week, but over the course of a couple of years I noticed a change in our going outside habits. My teen who was probably 9/10 at the time preferred to stay inside doing her own thing. She tired of playing outside after a few  minutes. She was too hot…too cold…too bored. She would play outside a little with her younger brother who was a toddler back then, but drift in to the house to listen [...]]]>


There was a time when I was rarely inside during the day. My little ones wanted to be outside all the time. Playing in the sandbox. Swinging on the swings. Running around. Playing ball. Riding bikes. You name it and we were outside doing it. Don’t get me wrong I love the fresh air, but there were days when I wanted to stay indoors. But, my kids would pester and fuss until we trooped outside. We don’t have a fenced in yard, so letting them play outside alone was not an option.

Game time!

We were outside all the time until we weren’t outside much at all. As with any change in family routine, the process was gradual. It didn’t happen in one day or in one week, but over the course of a couple of years I noticed a change in our going outside habits. My teen who was probably 9/10 at the time preferred to stay inside doing her own thing. She tired of playing outside after a few  minutes. She was too hot…too cold…too bored. She would play outside a little with her younger brother who was a toddler back then, but drift in to the house to listen to her ipod or read a book. My next oldest was very willing to play outside with her brother until she was about the same age. Soon, my youngest was the lone member of the family with any desire to play outside.

I would sit and wonder why no one wanted to play outside. We have a fun house. The outside of our house is fun. Packed with swingset, sandbox, two soccer goals, basketball net, hammock, bikes, and other riding toys. What I discovered is that no amount of toys can persuade a teen or a tween to turn off the electronic device, put down the book, wake up from a nap.

Skipping stones!

I heard about Worldwide Day of Play recently. Did you know about this day? I missed it and it was in my hometown. It was September 24. Hosted  by Nick in Washington, D.C. on 9/24, Worldwide Day of Play was sponsored by one of my favorite brands for kids and tweens…Webkinz. Other partners included other organizations near and dear to me…NFL Play 60, the PTA, Let’s Move, and the National Park Service.

I wonder where next year’s Worldwide Day of Play will be held? This day is the centerpiece of Nickelodeon’s The Big Help, a program to empower kids and families to make healthy lifestyle choices every day. In addition to the sponsors and partners listed above, Clorox 2® is a proud sponsor of Nickelodeon’s 8th Annual Worldwide Day of Play. So take the Clorox2® Play 2Day pledge to play outside! Or you can go here… http://clorox2play2day.com. Don’t forget to go outside after you visit the site!
And in other news…I have a winner for the Blue Bunny giveaway. Congrats to Tracy!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/playing-in-the-fresh-air-and-winners-announced/feed/ 0 The Hecks Are Just Like Me! @TheMiddle_ABC http://www.musingsfromme.com/the-hecks-are-just-like-me-themiddle_abc/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/the-hecks-are-just-like-me-themiddle_abc/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:58:49 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4898 If you don’t clean up your room, you are not going to Grandma’s house! Please tell me that I am not the only to say something like this to a child? Come on folks, I need safety in numbers. Are you like me? Do you say this type of thing to your child in the heat of the moment only to realize the insanity of what you just said. As if you are going to not let your child see his grandparents?! I know, I know…I have had to back pedal after saying something wacky like this. My friends on The Middle can relate…I know. Do you know the Heck’s? The Hecks are a family just like yours and mine. Flawed. Not perfect. And yes prone to say wacky things to their kids in the heat of the moment. And so regret saying said wacky things later. Oh boy, can I relate to the Hecks! In a recent episode of The Middle, the dad, Mike, finds one too many socks lying on the floor. Picture a pile of smoldering and dirty socks probably beside the laundry hamper or on the bathroom floor. Why do my kids never pick up their [...]]]>


If you don’t clean up your room, you are not going to Grandma’s house!

Please tell me that I am not the only to say something like this to a child? Come on folks, I need safety in numbers. Are you like me? Do you say this type of thing to your child in the heat of the moment only to realize the insanity of what you just said. As if you are going to not let your child see his grandparents?! I know, I know…I have had to back pedal after saying something wacky like this.

My friends on The Middle can relate…I know. Do you know the Heck’s? The Hecks are a family just like yours and mine. Flawed. Not perfect. And yes prone to say wacky things to their kids in the heat of the moment. And so regret saying said wacky things later. Oh boy, can I relate to the Hecks!

In a recent episode of The Middle, the dad, Mike, finds one too many socks lying on the floor. Picture a pile of smoldering and dirty socks probably beside the laundry hamper or on the bathroom floor. Why do my kids never pick up their socks?? Anyway, back to Mike… Mike loses it and tells his son, Axl that he won’t be able to play in the basketball championship game.

Can you hear yourself saying the same thing? I know I can. What would you do in this situation? Let Axl play? Make him miss the game? To find out whether Mike Heck followed through on his decision to keep Axl out of the basketball championship game, check out The Middle Season 2 on DVD. The DVD contains the Complete Season of The Middle.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Middle Season Two on DVD. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/the-hecks-are-just-like-me-themiddle_abc/feed/ 0 Neverending Kiddie Activities @theMiddle_ABC http://www.musingsfromme.com/kiddie-activities-the-middle-dvd-season-2/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/kiddie-activities-the-middle-dvd-season-2/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:44:34 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4871 With a kid, a preteen, and a teen in a multitude of activities there are only so many hours and minutes and seconds in a day. My husband and I are only two people. We have only two cars. Only two drivers for now. As you can imagine, weeknights and weekends are a complex web of who will drive which kid to what activity. Throw in the days when we need to get three kids to three locations in the same time frame. Add in the activity where a parent needs to stay. Consider the activity where I need to pick up a kid who isn’t my own kid and drive them somewhere. Factor in the last minute changes in plans frantically texted to me by a kid who just learned of the change in plans. Are you exhausted? I know I am…every single day. My life was so much easier in the days when I would put the baby and the toddler in the minivan and drive to the library for storytime. By the time we got back from storytime, all three of us were exhausted and ready for a nap. Some weeks the storytime was our only activity. [...]]]>


With a kid, a preteen, and a teen in a multitude of activities there are only so many hours and minutes and seconds in a day. My husband and I are only two people. We have only two cars. Only two drivers for now.

As you can imagine, weeknights and weekends are a complex web of who will drive which kid to what activity. Throw in the days when we need to get three kids to three locations in the same time frame. Add in the activity where a parent needs to stay. Consider the activity where I need to pick up a kid who isn’t my own kid and drive them somewhere. Factor in the last minute changes in plans frantically texted to me by a kid who just learned of the change in plans.

Are you exhausted? I know I am…every single day. My life was so much easier in the days when I would put the baby and the toddler in the minivan and drive to the library for storytime. By the time we got back from storytime, all three of us were exhausted and ready for a nap. Some weeks the storytime was our only activity. I look back fondly on those nonstressful days where I had little to no reason to leave the house with my children.

The Heck’s are a family just like mine and yours. The Heck’s son Axl is in football, while Sue is in cross country. Mom and dad wonder how they will decide who goes to which activity. I’ll bet Axl only wants Dad to see his games. But, what about Sue…I am sure she wants Dad to be at her games too. The Heck’s are the family in the show The Middle…and the Heck’s aren’t a million miles away from my family.

It would be so much easier to send kids to school each day and have each family member stay home each evening and weekend. But, as you know this is not possible when your kids want to do activities that interest them.

The second season of The Middle is out on DVD. You can purchase it using my amazon affiliate link. Or buy it from major retailers or purchase it online.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Middle Season Two on DVD. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/kiddie-activities-the-middle-dvd-season-2/feed/ 0 Get in on Event Tix Savings with @ScoreBig http://www.musingsfromme.com/get-in-on-event-tix-savings-with-scorebig/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/get-in-on-event-tix-savings-with-scorebig/#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:08:37 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4860 I’m not a deal blogger. I don’t eat, sleep, breath deals. I click on deals that look fun for my family. I collect coupons and mostly use them when I grocery shop. I use a “deal” toolbar when I shop online. But, I don’t buy or have a need for 60 bottles of mustard. Aren’t those #extremecouponers intense with their need to clear the shelves of e very single item they have a coupon for? More power to ‘em, but for me I prefer a deal that is something that my family needs AND will be able to use. As you know I am all about family time. I blog about finding time to be together as a family. I post photos to Facebook from our family trips. I tweet about family time by using hashtag: #seizingfamilytime. For me, it doesn’t matter what we do as long as we are doing it together. One of our favorite activities is going to events. As a blogger I get invited now and then to events like, Disney on Ice or the Ringling Bros. Circus. I like to take my family to fun, cultural, or sporting events. This past summer we took my [...]]]>


I’m not a deal blogger. I don’t eat, sleep, breath deals. I click on deals that look fun for my family. I collect coupons and mostly use them when I grocery shop. I use a “deal” toolbar when I shop online. But, I don’t buy or have a need for 60 bottles of mustard. Aren’t those #extremecouponers intense with their need to clear the shelves of e very single item they have a coupon for? More power to ‘em, but for me I prefer a deal that is something that my family needs AND will be able to use.

Photobucket

As you know I am all about family time. I blog about finding time to be together as a family. I post photos to Facebook from our family trips. I tweet about family time by using hashtag: #seizingfamilytime. For me, it doesn’t matter what we do as long as we are doing it together. One of our favorite activities is going to events. As a blogger I get invited now and then to events like, Disney on Ice or the Ringling Bros. Circus. I like to take my family to fun, cultural, or sporting events.

This past summer we took my youngest to see Monster Jam at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Monster Jam is show I have wanted to see since I was a freshman in college. Why? Because I love the way one truck will CRUSH another truck. It’s awesome. Now, like any other family activity, we spend quite a bit of money on tickets, food, and souvenirs. While I have yet to find a coupon for food at a stadium, I did find a site for ticket deals. Who wants to pay full price for anything? Not me!

The ticket site is ScoreBig. On ScoreBig you can literally score big on deals. This site launched recently. You will find deals for sporting events, music shows, and arts and theater events listed on ScoreBig for 10%, 25%, or even 50% off the face value of tickets. Want to get in on the ScoreBig action? There’s a waitlist to join the site, but if you click on this link to my ScoreBig landing page you can bypass the waitlist. I know that you’ll want to know about the deals available in your area, like I did!

Additionally, anyone who comes through my page will have $10 added to their account. The $10 coupon you get when you buy a deal on ScoreBig will be applied automatically at checkout. So? What are you waiting for? Go check out the deals!

On ScoreBig posts deals you will find deals like…

  • Ravens v. Jets tickets for the October 2, 2011 game in Baltimore.
  • Spider Man theater tickets for New York City.
  • Tony Bennett at the Staples Center in LA.

Some deals are close to ending while other deals are waiting for you to click and buy the deal. Here’s the link again to get in on the early bird action at ScoreBig AND score $10 off a deal near you!

Need more info on ScoreBig?

I was given a ScoreBig invitation link to share with my readers. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/get-in-on-event-tix-savings-with-scorebig/feed/ 0 Using Tried and True Family Favorites to Spice Up Dinner #seizingfamilytime http://www.musingsfromme.com/using-tried-and-true-family-favorites-to-spice-up-dinner-seizingfamilytime/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/using-tried-and-true-family-favorites-to-spice-up-dinner-seizingfamilytime/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:47:40 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4664 Tonight was one of those nights. I WANTED to bundle kids and husband in the van to go out to dinner. I WANTED to call for a pizza. I WANTED to get Chinese for dinner. After a week of eating out at BlogHer followed by eating out while on vacation with my family, I am in no mood for cooking. I WANT to put a “Kitchen Closed” sign on the door, but I can’t. I need to get back to cooking for my family. But, cooking is hard work, isn’t it? If you skip around on my blog you will notice a lack of cooking and recipe posts. I have a bunch of go-to meals for school nights, but in the summer I leave most of the cooking to my teacher husband. He is “Mr. Mom” while I spend as much time as I can working. Once the school year begins, we’re in for a new phase of life around here. My teacher husband is now a high school administrator. Gone will be the nights where he can swoop in and cook dinner. He will spend most early evenings in meetings or at sporting events at his high school. I [...]]]>


Tonight was one of those nights. I WANTED to bundle kids and husband in the van to go out to dinner. I WANTED to call for a pizza. I WANTED to get Chinese for dinner. After a week of eating out at BlogHer followed by eating out while on vacation with my family, I am in no mood for cooking. I WANT to put a “Kitchen Closed” sign on the door, but I can’t. I need to get back to cooking for my family.

But, cooking is hard work, isn’t it? If you skip around on my blog you will notice a lack of cooking and recipe posts. I have a bunch of go-to meals for school nights, but in the summer I leave most of the cooking to my teacher husband. He is “Mr. Mom” while I spend as much time as I can working. Once the school year begins, we’re in for a new phase of life around here.

My teacher husband is now a high school administrator. Gone will be the nights where he can swoop in and cook dinner. He will spend most early evenings in meetings or at sporting events at his high school. I welcome this transition. It is what he needs to be doing. But, I am a little worried about how our evenings will run. I will need to do meal planning that is for sure.

I recently was made aware of a new recipe site for people like me who are short on time when it comes to getting a meal on the table. With soccer practice, volleyball games, swim practice. and homework, I will need to find a few meals to add to my cooking repertoire. The site is Ready Set Eat and the recipes all include Chef Boyardee products as one of the ingredients.

Each of the meals listed on this site can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. Am I right that any any recipe over 30 minutes is a no-no for a busy school night?? In our house, I need quick recipes but also tasty ones. The recipe for Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake uses the following ingredients, reduced fat milk,  Chef Boyardee Spaghetti & Meatballs, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, and turkey  pepperoni. Mmmm. And tasty.

You can create a Chilironi meal using Chef Boyardee Beefaroni, Hunt’s Fire roasted Diced Tomatoes, Hunt’s Tomato Sauce (no salt added), dark red kidney beans, Rosarita whole pinto beans, chili powder, and ground cumin. I love spicy food, don’t you?

Recipes that incorporate not only family favorite items, but items that I already have in my pantry are super helpful. No last minute grocery shopping needed for this busy soccer-volleyball-swimming-karate work-at-home mom!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/using-tried-and-true-family-favorites-to-spice-up-dinner-seizingfamilytime/feed/ 1 Healthy Options When You Eat Out with Kids? Yes! http://www.musingsfromme.com/healthy-options-when-you-eat-out-with-kids-yes/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/healthy-options-when-you-eat-out-with-kids-yes/#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:17:59 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4507 Joe’s Crab Shack The Corner Bakery Au Bon Pain Chevy’s Burger King Chili’s and even Carrabba’s Italian Grill I have eaten in these restaurants more than once. In some cases I have taken my family to the restaurants on multiple occasions. I should feel guilty, but I don’t. The reality of  my life is that I am a busy working mom of three. While I may plan to or have good intentions of cooking dinner each night, our on-the-go schedule dictates that we eat more than one meal a week at somewhere other than home. And, I’m OK with that. Oh, sure there are times when I grocery shop with recipes in hand or create a crockpot meal in advance of the dinner witching hour. But many days when 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. rolls around, there is no dinner on the table. No chef is coming to my rescue to whip up a meal for the 5 of us. My husband works late some nights, so he can only step in and cook dinner from time to time. A Kid, a preteen, a teen, and a working mom and dad need to eat, don’t they? So, like many American [...]]]>


Joe’s Crab Shack
The Corner Bakery
Au Bon Pain
Chevy’s
Burger King
Chili’s
and even Carrabba’s Italian Grill

I have eaten in these restaurants more than once. In some cases I have taken my family to the restaurants on multiple occasions. I should feel guilty, but I don’t. The reality of  my life is that I am a busy working mom of three. While I may plan to or have good intentions of cooking dinner each night, our on-the-go schedule dictates that we eat more than one meal a week at somewhere other than home. And, I’m OK with that.

Oh, sure there are times when I grocery shop with recipes in hand or create a crockpot meal in advance of the dinner witching hour. But many days when 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. rolls around, there is no dinner on the table. No chef is coming to my rescue to whip up a meal for the 5 of us. My husband works late some nights, so he can only step in and cook dinner from time to time. A Kid, a preteen, a teen, and a working mom and dad need to eat, don’t they?

So, like many American families we come up with a solution that works for us. Some nights I cook. Some nights my husband cooks. Some nights we eat out. Is our weekly dining plan ideal? No. But is it realistic ? Yes.

While I will opt out of cooking home cooked meals in favor of going out to eat, I don’t want to sacrifice nutrition or quality. My oldest is 15, so I well remember the days when a kids’ meal was nuggets and fries, hot dog and fries, grilled cheese and fries. Kids know what they want to eat, which meant that many times in restaurants my kids would eat my meal of salad, lean meat, fruit, veggies, or low fat options while my husband and I would eat the kiddie meal.

healthy dining,eating out with kids,restaurants,low-calorie meals

I’m proud to announce the launch of a new initiative to promote healthy eating. The Kids Live Well Program is a partnership between the National Restaurant Association and HealthyDiningFinder.com. A long with the National Restaurant Association, 19 restaurants signed on as inaugural partners for the Kids Live Well inistiative.

As a side note, I was invited to speak at the press conference launching the event. A true highlight for me! I’m not a public speaker, but I was thrilled to speak at the National Press Club yesterday. I was invited in my multifaceted role as Mom…Mom Blogger…and Leader of DC CityMommy and Baltimore CityMommy.

To Learn More About the Program:

I was invited to participate in the press conference for Kids LiveWell, but I was not compensated for my time. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/healthy-options-when-you-eat-out-with-kids-yes/feed/ 0 This Week Might Be the Death of Me…Seriously http://www.musingsfromme.com/this-week-might-be-the-death-of-me-seriously/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/this-week-might-be-the-death-of-me-seriously/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:19:35 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4502 It sounded like a plan. A crazy plan, but a plan nonetheless. If you know me at all you know I am all about getting everything done all at once. Have a doctor’s appointment. Hey why don’t we schedule 2 or 3. While we’re doing the doctors’ appointments, why not run a quick errand and hey let’s get the emissions done while we are out. It’s a marathon not a sprint. I’ve been known to run 8 or 9 errands/appointments in a day. Crazy? Yes. But, do I get everything out of the way on the same day? Yes. Do I make everyone in my family utterly insane in the process? Why Yes! In fact, one day over Spring Break my daughter had an eye exam, a doctor’s appointment, and the dentist all in one day. I was elated. She was exhausted. Complained bitterly about missing a day of her vacation. But, as I told her at least I didn’t have to pull her out of school for 3 separate afternoons. She’s a Teen so she gets that missing high school classwork is more trouble than it is worth. Any class she misses means that she needs to do all [...]]]>


It sounded like a plan. A crazy plan, but a plan nonetheless.

If you know me at all you know I am all about getting everything done all at once. Have a doctor’s appointment. Hey why don’t we schedule 2 or 3. While we’re doing the doctors’ appointments, why not run a quick errand and hey let’s get the emissions done while we are out. It’s a marathon not a sprint. I’ve been known to run 8 or 9 errands/appointments in a day. Crazy? Yes. But, do I get everything out of the way on the same day? Yes. Do I make everyone in my family utterly insane in the process? Why Yes!

In fact, one day over Spring Break my daughter had an eye exam, a doctor’s appointment, and the dentist all in one day. I was elated. She was exhausted. Complained bitterly about missing a day of her vacation. But, as I told her at least I didn’t have to pull her out of school for 3 separate afternoons. She’s a Teen so she gets that missing high school classwork is more trouble than it is worth. Any class she misses means that she needs to do all her work for the class, plus homework, plus catch up on any notes given out. Even with my explanation she still wasn’t thrilled at the interruption to her sleeping, ipoding, writing, Facebooking, and general hanging out schedule. Again, I don’t blame her in the least. But, I have to tell you that I got a charge out of crossing off 3 appointments from the kitchen chalk memo board.

The chalk memo board is showing some serious crazy this week. The Kid is signed up for an afternoon camp. With swim practice, this week would have been doable. Throw in an all-day, worthwhile camp for the Teen and the level of crazy goes up several notches. Add in an unexpected but necessary camp for the Tween and the level of crazy is off the charts. And that’s not all. Oh no. Because Coach Dad has work for 4 days this week. And little ole me, well I have my work commitments. Crazy plus crazy plus crazy equals crazy.

But, think of all the crossing off I can do on the memo board? Camp. Check. Camp. Check. Camp. Check. That’s a whole lotta of crazy crossing off I can do.

Links are to my amazon.com account.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/this-week-might-be-the-death-of-me-seriously/feed/ 1 Protect Those Precious Smiles [Giveaway] http://www.musingsfromme.com/protect-those-precious-smiles-giveaway/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/protect-those-precious-smiles-giveaway/#comments Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:18:40 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4444 I have #BlogHer on the mind. See? I’m even adding the twitter hashtag to a blogpost. Crazy, huh!? As a newbie to BlogHer, I was anxious to soak it all in last year. I wanted to do everything, experience everything, and explore everything. When bloggers spoke of BlogHer, I would hear how much everyone loved the conference. From parties to events to sessions and last-but-not-least swag, I knew that BlogHer was a can’t miss experience. A month or so before BlogHer the tweets about parties started in earnest. Invites. emails. eventbrite. evite. You name a format of invitation and everyone seemed to be getting it. Except me. I was a first timer at BlogHer. The big parties…the ones everyone talks about…I either didn’t get invited to these parties or I missed the window of opportunity to RSVP for a bunch of fabulous parties. I started to feel down about my potential BlogHer experience. How could I have fun if I wasn’t on the invite list for THE parties? And then a wonderful thing happened. What was it? Well, I started receiving invites to smaller gatherings. The first invite I received was to Style n Smile. The Style n Smile event [...]]]>


I have #BlogHer on the mind. See? I’m even adding the twitter hashtag to a blogpost. Crazy, huh!? As a newbie to BlogHer, I was anxious to soak it all in last year. I wanted to do everything, experience everything, and explore everything. When bloggers spoke of BlogHer, I would hear how much everyone loved the conference. From parties to events to sessions and last-but-not-least swag, I knew that BlogHer was a can’t miss experience.

A month or so before BlogHer the tweets about parties started in earnest. Invites. emails. eventbrite. evite. You name a format of invitation and everyone seemed to be getting it. Except me. I was a first timer at BlogHer. The big parties…the ones everyone talks about…I either didn’t get invited to these parties or I missed the window of opportunity to RSVP for a bunch of fabulous parties. I started to feel down about my potential BlogHer experience. How could I have fun if I wasn’t on the invite list for THE parties?

And then a wonderful thing happened. What was it? Well, I started receiving invites to smaller gatherings. The first invite I received was to Style n Smile. The Style n Smile event was a fashion show hosted by Jennie Garth of 90210 fame on behalf of the American Association of Orthodontics. These smaller gatherings were not the parties that everyone talked about as the hot ticket items of BlogHer, but because of the intimate, relaxed nature of the invites I learned more about the brand, in this case the AAO, and met more people than I would have at a larger party.

Last week I was asked by the American Association of Orthodontics if I would publish some tips on sports and teeth. As a mom of three kids, I know the importance of not only good, thorough dental hygiene, but of the benefits of orthodontia. My Teen just got out of braces. My Tween is in braces. Soon enough my Kid will get his turn at braces, too.  I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I am looking forward to the end of orthodontia for all three children!

Moms and dads need to teach kids good brushing techniques. But, what about protecting those smiles? My children played t-ball, soccer, and basketball. It wasn’t until my Tween started playing lacrosse that we started worrying about teeth. The lacrosse stick and ball seemed very hard. We bought a mouthguard right away. Teeth are too important to leave unprotected.
The AAO recently conducted a survey where they found that only 33% of parents make their children wear mouth guards during organized sports. Recently the AAO put on an event in a California middle school where Mia Hamm (see below for details on a giveaway) was able to talk about the importance of protecting our kids with the use of mouth guards.  To learn more you can visit  www.braces.org/miahamm or view this video of the event.

Tips for Injury Prevention

The American Association of Orthodontists wants you to know that simple and inexpensive protective sports gear – such as mouth guards – can make a difference in preventing sports injuries. Young athletes can protect their face and smile while playing with the following tips from the AAO:
  • Wear a mouth guard. Mouth guards can help prevent jaw, mouth and teeth injuries caused by a collision or fall. For athletes with braces, discuss with your orthodontist the best type of mouth guard for your sport.
  • Wear a helmet. Helmets absorb the energy of an impact, and should be worn for activities like biking, skateboarding and in-line skating. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website to learn helmet laws in your state.
  • Wear protective eyewear. Eyes are extremely vulnerable to injury during sports like soccer, baseball and hockey.
  • Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin. Hockey pucks, basketballs and racquetballs can do severe damage.
Also, keep in mind the following:
  • Stretch before and after a game or practice. This can reduce the risk of pulling or straining a muscle.
  • Be observant even as a spectator. Stay alert while watching a game to avoid foul baseballs and flying hockey pucks coming your way.
  • Use good judgment. If an activity carries risk of dental or facial injury, gear up. Without it, a pick-up game of basketball or flag football could result in a trip to the emergency room.

Want to win a Mia Hamm prize pack? I have 1 prize pack to giveaway to one lucky reader of this blog. The prize pack contains: one signed by Mia Hamm Nike Soccer Ball, one kiddie book written by Mia Hamm, and one chapter book biography of Mia Hamm.

How to enter? You know the drill, but if you are new here… You must leave a mandatory comment to be eligible to win the prize. You must include your e-mail in the comment, so that I can contact you if you win. You wouldn’t want to miss a chance to win the prize would you? Once you have left a mandatory comment, you can leave one or more of the optional comments. Leave one comment for each entry.

Mandatory entry

Tell me something active that you do with your kids. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address.

Optional entries — You must leave the mandatory comment for all other comments to count. Leave a comment for each optional entry.

I was given a prize pack to facilitate my review by the American Association of Orthodontics. The giveaway is open to U.S residents only. Giveaway ends July, 7, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

]]> http://www.musingsfromme.com/protect-those-precious-smiles-giveaway/feed/ 15 The Tale of the Stinky, Smelly, Sweaty, and Oh-So-Slimy Sports Stuff [Review] http://www.musingsfromme.com/the-tale-of-the-stinky-smelly-sweaty-and-oh-so-slimy-sports-stuff-review/ http://www.musingsfromme.com/the-tale-of-the-stinky-smelly-sweaty-and-oh-so-slimy-sports-stuff-review/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:44:14 +0000 Jill http://www.musingsfromme.com/?p=4401 Over Memorial Day Weekend, the Musings from Me family — Mom, Dad, Teen, Tween, and Kid — journeyed to Penn State for a super exciting volleyball tournament. The Mom washed and washed and washed every single stitch of clothing for the Teen, Tween, and Kid to wear on their trip. As fast as the Mom pulled the clothes out of the suitcase the Teen, Tween, and Kid wore the clothes. For three days the Teen and the Tween played match after match of volleyball. They served. They dove. They passed. And they sweated. Boy, how they sweated in the barely air conditioned gymnasiums. Three games a day for three days with only two uniform jerseys a piece is more than even deoderant can handle. At the end of the trip, the Mom and the Dad stuffed the stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so slimy sports stuff back in the suitcases. Once home the Dad, did load after load of laundry. He washed and dried and folded and washed and dried and folded until the pile of stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so slimy sports stuff was transformed in to sweet, sassy, spectacular, and oh-so splendid sports stuff. As I plan our next [...]]]>


Over Memorial Day Weekend, the Musings from Me family — Mom, Dad, Teen, Tween, and Kid — journeyed to Penn State for a super exciting volleyball tournament. The Mom washed and washed and washed every single stitch of clothing for the Teen, Tween, and Kid to wear on their trip. As fast as the Mom pulled the clothes out of the suitcase the Teen, Tween, and Kid wore the clothes.

For three days the Teen and the Tween played match after match of volleyball. They served. They dove. They passed. And they sweated. Boy, how they sweated in the barely air conditioned gymnasiums. Three games a day for three days with only two uniform jerseys a piece is more than even deoderant can handle.

At the end of the trip, the Mom and the Dad stuffed the stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so slimy sports stuff back in the suitcases. Once home the Dad, did load after load of laundry. He washed and dried and folded and washed and dried and folded until the pile of stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so slimy sports stuff was transformed in to sweet, sassy, spectacular, and oh-so splendid sports stuff.

As I plan our next trip to a volleyball tournament (1) I will let the kids wash the stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so-slimy sports stuff and (2) I will use Tide Ultra for all our laundry needs. It’s for the best…trust me.

I was sent a carton of Ultra Tide by SheSpeaks. The views expressed in this post are my own.

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