Laptop, Oh Laptop, How I Have Missed Thee!

My laptop has been out of commission.

'Nough said.

I have been using the local college computers, as well as my parents Dell 2000 machine  And going crazy.  Do you remember how heavy computers were back then? And how slow?  I DO.  Because for the past month, that's all I've had to work with.  Pretty amusing,  because it has only been 10 yrs.  Technology has changed ridiculously since then.

So today, Mema B is babysitting Hunter while I continue to job search. Currently I'm long term subbing, but in June that position will expire. So, I've been throwing applications out left and right, and not in my field of study.  I studied to be a teacher; now I'm applying to communications and marketing. Everyone knows that school districts are cutting teaching positions (at least in NY).  Soooo... it's on to plan B. 

Still optimistic.


We'll see if that holds up by June...

~Monique

Mabel's Labels Winner

Congrats to #9, Jenn S. for winning the Mabel's Labels Classic Camp/School pack!  I hope you enjoy Mabel's Label's as much as I do:)



PS-I apologize to those 7 or so who were not included-I included only those who participated before 10pm!

Happy Birthday to my little Monkey!

at exactly 3:33pm today, my baby turns two.

 

I can't believe it.  Where did the time go?  How did this happen?  One minute he's crawling, and the next he's running around and singing along to the 'hot dog' song on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

I honestly can't even remember what it was like for me before I was a mom. This little guy has brought so much into my life.  He has saved me, made me a better person, and has made me see life in a whole new light.

On Saturday, mom parents and I gave him a little birthday party at the beach.  It's Hunter's favorite place, so that was an easy choice.  We lugged his fish cupcake-cake, food, chairs and sand toys down to the beach area and had a relaxed BBQ.  The kids had fun playing in the sand and water, and the adults sat around, sipping on 'mommy juice' and hung out.

Hunter's fishy cupcake-cake.  These didn't last long!

Playing on the beach!

Opening presents.  7 months ago, he couldn't even do this on his own.  Such a big boy now!

Hunter can't get enough of this Tickle Monster Kit from Grandma and Grandpa Esper.  We've only had it for a few days, but he wants me to turn into 'tickle monster' and read the book over and over again.  HIGHLY recommended if you have toddlers.  I don't  know who came up with this kit is gold.

This morning, I met up with Hunter's daddy so he could take him out on a boat ride.  H's daddy is staying with his parents for a few days not too far from where I live, so it works out perfectly.  And ..gasp!..we've actually been getting along.  Really well, for Hunter's sake.  But don't get too excited. We are done and over.  We are just on the same page now and want to co-parent in the most positive and healthiest way possible for our little guy.  But, I am very pleased that we have come leaps and bounds since February.  Ex's can work it out and remain friendly.  That's just it.  It takes work.  And communication.  Lots of it.  I'm hoping this will last.

Later on I'll be meeting up at his parents house, who might I add, I just adore.  A second birthday celebration!

...Happy birthday to the little boy who turned my life around!

Restaurant Recipe Friday-Applebee's Club House Grill Sandwich

It's 2:14 pm and this is the third day I've been in the library.  Hunter is at his daddy's, and actually will be coming home sometime this afternoon.  A girl's gotta get her work done while the bambino is away!

I begin student teaching in September, and because I moved away, I am doing a distance learning type-of-thing with my grad school.  It's not so bad-but I've been trying to scramble to being some of the assignments so I don't fall behind-two being my Unit plan and portfolio.


Ok, here's the Friday Recipe!
Enjoy!!




Applebee's Club House Grill Sandwich
2 thick slices of french bread
softened butter
mayonnaise
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 slices deli turkey breast
2 slices deli ham
2 slices tomato
2 tsps. bullseye barbecue sauce
Butter one slice of bread and put butter side down into preheated skillet,
on medium heat. Spread the up side of the slice with mayo. Sprinkle on half
of cheese. Heat the turkey and ham slices in the same skillet for about 30
seconds. Lay the turkey on the cheese, then the tomato. Spread bbq sauce
over tomato, then lay on the ham, sprinkle the rest of the cheese over ham.
Butter the second slice of bread on one side and put on top, with butter
side up. The first bread slice should be brown, flip sandwich over and brown
the second side for 2−3 minutes, or till golden brown. Remove from skillet,
cut in half diagonally and serve with additional bbq sauce.

Back To School With Mabel's Labels: Product Review/Giveaway(CLOSED)

Have you ever permanent marker labeled your child's toys, sippy cups, or clothing only to realize that permanent marker isn't so permanent?

Yeah, me too. 

Too many times to count.


Somehow, that marker always ends up slowly washing off after the never-ending dish washing or washing machine loads.  And this isn't a good thing, especially when your child is often around other kids.

Hunter isn't in daycare yet, but with play-dates, birthday parties, and babysitters, it's a necessity to have a label that stays.  And let me tell you, there is something that does the job. It's called Mabel's Labels.

Have you heard of them?

I promise you.  That permanent marker will permanently disappear after you discover these babies.


So here's what happened.  I gererously recieved a gift certificate to customize my own Label Out Loud Sticky Labels, which are super fun and cute.  The online process was really simple, and they had a ton of fun pictures to choose from.   

Who Is Behind Mabel's Labels?

They're moms!  Who better to come up with a great product, right?  These moms were simply fed up with items that never seemed to find their way back to their homes after an outing.  So, voilà!  Mable's Labels was born.  Thus beginning a whole new generation of labeling, and keeping your kids' stuff where it's supposed to be.  They also offer a whole range of labels-sticky labels, clothing labels, bag tags, household labels, stationary and kid safety products. 

Pros of product and experience

• Website is very eye-catching and easy to navigate.  I had no problems finding the LOL sticky labels.  Checkout was also a cinch. 
• Lots of choices-fun colors for boys and girls.
• Very durable.  Hunter's sippy cups have been through the dishwasher four times already, and they still like brand new.  No signs of wear and tear.
• UV, microwave, and dishwasher-safe.
• Cute pictures to choose from.  This makes it much easier for little ones to recognize their own things.

Cons

I didn't see any cons.  The only thing I could think of that might be in this category is the fact that kids might pick at the labels, eventually peeling them off.  But testing my own labels out on my cups, it's not that easy to do. 

Giveaway

 

Mabel's Labels is generously giving away a Classic Camp/School Pack for your own child! 

The Classic Camp/School Pack includes all the durable, waterproof labels needed for camp, school or daycare.

Features:

• Sticky Labels are dishwasher and microwave safe
• Iron-Ons and Tag Mates^™ are washer and dryer safe
• Shoe Labels and Bag Tags are waterproof and UV resistant
• Satisfaction guaranteed

Quantity:

• 15 Sticky Labels
• 8 Shoe Labels
• 2 Bag Tags
• 40 Iron-Ons or 50 Tag Mates

What you must do to enter:

  Go to the Mabel's Labels website and browse around.  Then come back here and tell me which product (besides the Classic Camp/School Pack) you would like to have.  IMPORTANT: Please add your email to each comment/post so I can get in touch with you if you are the winner!

Want additional chances to win?


After leaving a comment with the above requested action, you can do any one or all of these for additional entries:

-Follow Mommyhood Exposed (1 entry)

-Become a fan of Mabel's Labels on Facebook (1 entry)

-Add my button to your blog-on your main page (1 entries)

That's it!  Good Luck!

(this giveaway ends Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 10pm Eastern)
Giveaway Rules

Disclosure: Mommyhood Exposed received a product from Mabel's Labels.  The product received does not influence the content, topic or posts made in this blog.  The views and opinions expressed are purely my own.

Restaurant Recipe Friday-Applebee's Spinach Pizza Appetizer

Here's number two in the Restaurant Recipe Friday series!

Happy cooking:)


Applebee's Spinach Pizza Appetizer

Pita Bread (2 or 3 whole)
1 − 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 med. onion
5 or 6 plum tomatoes
8 Ounce pkg fresh mushrooms
3−4 cloves garlic
1 Teaspoon of each of the following spices:
basil, parsley, cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 cup rice milk
4 Tablespoon flour
Thaw spinach completely, press out all water. Heat milk in saucepan, when
hot but not boiling stir in flour. Stir until sauce begins to thicken, turn
heat down. Add nutritional yeast and spinach. Stir constantly until thick
and gooey, only about 3−4 min. In separate pan, saute onion, garlic, until
onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, and spices. Saute until just
done. Preheat oven to 425. Using a very sharp bread knife, split each pita
bread so that you have two round flat pieces instead of one thick one.
Place each piece of bread on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Spread spinach
sauce over each. Top with tomato mixture, being careful to avoid the juice.
Bake for 5 to 7 min. Watch closely so that the edges of the pita don't
burn.

Childhood Obesity- I Think It's Child Abuse.

Yesterday I was out and about running errands. Walgreen's first, then Wal-Mart, and the grocery store, and last but not least meeting up with the parents for dinner at a local restaurant.

I've obviously noticed before, but I wasn't exactly 100% aware until yesterday just how serious the issue really is.  Not only how many obese individuals there are now, but how many obese children there are today.  I actually counted them, and when I hit 58 in the span of 2 hours, I stopped counting. It was a disgusting feeling.  My heart goes out to these kids.

So what is it?  Whose fault is it?  Or is nobody at fault?

Some people place the blame on the fast food industry, or those easy frozen foods.  But I don't think that's it.  Not at all.

C'mon people.  I'm a parent, too.  I know how difficult it can be. 

Don't give me excuses about being too busy.  Everyone's busy. If you love your children as much as you say you do, you make time.

Don't give me excuses about being able to cook.  A five year old can fix a salad and sandwich, and there are so many recipes that do not involve "cooking".  If you say that to me, I will just say "you're lazy".  Take an extra 10 minutes to go prepare a meal for your kid.  I'm not saying it's a bad thing to take your kid out to Micky D's or Denny's every once in a while.  But that's the key.  Every-Once-In-A-While.  Not for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week, 24/7 a yr..  Same goes for Dunkin Donuts.  I worked in a Pre-school a few years ago where the mother was so "strapped for time" (notice the snotty quotes?) that she would go through the drive-through every morning and purchase 3 or 4 donuts for her sons breakfast.  Donuts are not a nutrient rich supplement, especially for little growing bodies.  Donuts=junk food.

Also, don't give me an excuse that you "just don't like" healthy food.  You don't have to eat tofu and hummus every day.  All you have to do is incorporate healthy foods into each meals.  Like, for example, substituting beef with turkey.  Or making the switch to whole wheat instead of white bread.  Little things can make a world of difference.

Can you tell I'm pissed about this issue.  Hell yes I am!

Did you know that some young girls, barely into grade school, are showing the first signs of puberty. A study published this week in the journal Pediatrics finds that these early maturers are far more common now than just a decade ago.  The researchers suggest the epidemic of childhood obesity - one in five U.S. children ages 6 to 11 - may be the cause of precocious development.  That's insane. And sad.  It makes me want to take on all of these parents and yell "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING!?!"

Let me just say this.  I understand that in some cases, children really can't help being overweight.  It might be a thyroid problem, or genes, or some other problem that really can't be helped.  In those cases, I'm sympathetic.  I really am.  But right now we're having an obesity epidemic.  And it's a crisis.  Do you know that because of sad reality obsesity will threaten to cut U.S life expectancy by as much as 5 yrs if something isn't done.  We get excited that people are living longer, but now it's being reversed.  Because we are getting lazy.

So am I being ridiculous when I say Childhood Obesity is child abuse?  I don't believe so.  Children learn what they live.
The parent is there to guide, love and protect.  Excuse me, but if you're feeding your kids TV dinners, pizza and/or fast food the majority of the time, then YOU ARE NOT DOING YOUR JOB.  You are the parent.  You are in charge. You buy the food.  There's no guarantee your kid will live to be 90 yrs of age, but let me tell you.  I'm just a mom and I'm no doctor, but if you start them out on the right path, there's a hell of a larger chance they'll see that 90th birthday. 

 
PHEW.

That's been reeling around in my head and my fingers are hurting from typing so fast.

I'm done.  If you do agree, pour your heart out.  If you don't agree, same goes.
What is your take on this issue?