The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

Summer Means Camp, Even At Thirty-Something.

As a child, I went to summer camp.  Beginning at age 9, my parents packed me up and shipped me off to spend 8 weeks to share a bunk with other girls my age, enjoy the outdoors and find out who I was.  Giving me this privilege was the best thing my parents ever did for me.  Camp changed my life.  And this time of year makes me reminiscent for that time in my life.

About 20 years ago today, I can almost remember the sweet knowledge that in only 4 or so short weeks, I would be free.  Free of school, free of parental supervision, free of homework and of my everyday life.  I could almost taste the camp food (not bad!) and smell the laundry on my walk to the dining hall, as it churned in dozens of machines simultaneously.  I could see the boys camp, which always held an aura of intrigue for me and I could hear the whistles being blown by counselors trying to reel in swimmers to the dock.  Camp was a really special place for me.

In those years of attending the same camp, I made tons of friends.  These friends were different from my regular friends.  These were my "camp friends."  Friends who spent only 8 short weeks together but were closer to me than any others.  I wonder if it was the close living quarters, the intensity of spending every day for 8 weeks together or the sheer fact that come August, we'd have 10 months to go without each other, that made these friendships so special.  Even the friends who lived near me were somehow a little closer to my heart than my school friends.  And to this day, this still rings true.

This upcoming weekend, I'll be getting in my car by myself () to drive about 3 hours North to Stowe, Vermont, where I'll spend two and a half days with some of these old camp friends.  Girls who I met when I was 9 years old.  We're now in our 30's, most married with children, some living in different cities and even different countries from one another.  Some I haven't talked to in years, others I will have spoken with just days before.  But one commonality bonds us together - we all went to camp together.

When the time comes, though it will break my heart to let them go, I will give my girls the privilege of going to camp.  Because if nothing else, the experience will grow them as people.  I know it did for me. 

My Memorial Day Sellout Post About Reality Television

So I'm a reality TV junkie.  So what?  It's not like I'm neglecting my kids to watch The Real World (which I don't watch.  Well, almost never.).  But I must say, it's not something I like to admit too often.

I don't watch them all.  I've given up on Survivor (too boring) and have never wasted even 30 minutes on an episode of Big Brother (too contrived).  But when it comes to reality television, the more real it is, the better.

I love The Hills almost more than I loved Laguna Beach.  I've blogged about The Hills before but I love it even more now.  It's so juicy and every episode promises a "fo realz?" moment.  Which is why I love it.  However, I am concerned about its authenticity.  There's something about the Speidi feud that just doesn't sit right with me.  Is it that she never sheds even one tear over their tumultuous relationship even when it hits rock bottom?  Is it that her (newly plasticated) face barely shows an iota of emotion as they fight?  Or is it that no man in his right mind would continuously plane-hop to follow around his girlfriend who clearly doesn't want to see him.  I'm also wary that any boyfriend already so deep in the doghouse would interrupt said girlfriend as she dines with her boss.  In another state.  And all this drama yet every report points to their current togetherness.  I don't know but from what I've witnessed, I would think there'd be too much water under the bridge or whatever to mend that fence (cliche + cliche = cliche).  But stranger things have happened.

Remember Rich Girls, the MTV show starring Ally Hilfiger and Jaime Gleicher?  I'm still hoping beyond all hope that those two girls would kiss and make up for another round.  They're only, what, 23 years old?  Plenty of NYC drama to squeeze out of those two, I'm certain of it!  I believe there were only 10 episodes before whiny Jaime went off to college and over-indulged Ally went to work at her dad's office (dad is Tommy Hilfiger, the clothing guy). 

That was a good show.

But then, I'm that person that would choose "fly on the wall" as her super-power because I'm interested in seeing what goes on in other people's lives.  A bit too interested some might say.

I like The Apprentice.  There's just something about The Donald, I don't know what it is but I just like the guy.  He's my kind of guy.  All oozing of confidence just verging on arrogance.  The same trait that I cannot stomach in that Ivanka, I am attracted to in The Donald.  Just not sure about that hair-do he's sporting.

I don't do The Biggest Loser or Tila Tequila.  I'm not into Celebrity Fit Club but Celebrity Rehab?  BRING IT ON!!  Nothing like watching C-rated "celebs" spill it all in hopes of hitting the headlines.  They make all of us regular everyday people grateful for our regular everyday-ness.

Have I mentioned Intervention on A&E?  My obsession with that show is unhealthy.  I DVR it so I can give it my full attention when I have time.  Something about watching people who are SO PATHETIC.  Does it make me feel better about myself?  Probably not.  But it does open my eyes to the human condition. 

OMG, I almost forgot about Sorority Life!!  That was on MTV a few years ago and it was SO GOOD.  Bunch of girls trying to get into a sorority, livving together and the drama that ensues.  FABULOUS DRAMA might I add.  Having never been in a sorority (I went to school in Montreal - not exactly Greek haven), this show intrigued me!  Damn its demise! 

I could go on and on.  Other favorites were Temptation Island (for a season or two), The Anna Nicole Show (may she RIP), Britney and Kevin: Chaotic (just kidding!), and Newlyweds with Nick & Jessica (who didn't love this?).  But for now I'm stuck with Dancing with the (non-)Stars, American Idol (yawn) and So You Think You Can Dance (bo-ring!). 

Whatevs.  The new shows start back in September so I'll have to enjoy some time away from the tube until then. 

Sunday Dinner - A New Column

So for some time I've contemplated adding really good recipes every now and then.  I initially decided against it since there are so many recipe blogs and sites out there but you know what?  I changed my mind.  I'm calling it "Sunday Dinner" and will add recipes I think are super worthy.  Please feel free to post your yummy recipes in comments and I'll post them in the column as well.  This is what's for dinner tonight - well, for the rest of the family... (I'll be savoring chicken a la Jenny Craig).

Here's recipe #1!  Courtesy of Erin...

Feta Stuffed Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes     Cook Time: Approx. 20 minutes     Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of chicken scallopini (or pounded chicken)
• 3ozs feta cheese
• 2 pieces of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• bunch of fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4c bread crumbs

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Mix feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil.
• Layer a 9x13 rectangular baking dish with a coating of bread crumbs.
• Lay the first piece of chicken on the bread crumbs and spoon 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto one side of the chicken.  Fold it in half.  Repeat with other pieces of chicken.
• Shake remaining bread crumbs over the chicken and spray it with olive oil spray.
• Bake for 20mins or until brown and cooked.

I'm making steamed cauliflower to go with it.  Enjoy! 

And the winner is...

Congrats to Amy on winning the Star Swaddler by Baby Star!  The blanket, which comes from Alex Casey Baby, is so sweet, we couldn't keep them all to ourselves!  Amy was also offered 10% off anything else in the store - email us if you'd like a promo code for 10% off too.

Check back on Monday's (except this holiday Monday) for new giveaways!  Thanks for entering.

The Power of the Written Word

The written word is a powerful entity.  But this is not news to me.  After all, I chose journalism as my undergraduate focus and used those years in University to learn to use the written word to make a living.  While I didn't pursue the journalist route as a career, I continue to create using the written word and still marvel at how beautiful words can be when strung together in a creative and elegant manner. 

With words as our primary source of communication, in their written form they serve a myriad of functions.  Books, letters, newspapers, magazines, religious scriptures and email (to name just a few) all utilize the written word.  And while the beauty of a good novel or magazine article is that the written word leaves room for interpretation, this fact is not always so fabulous when using it in our day-to-day lives.

A note intended to inform a superior of a co-worker's sketchy antics may backfire at work if it is interpreted as brown-nosing.  A book meant to educate might come off as preachy if not delivered perfectly.  And an email meant to tell a friend that you're not thrilled with the way your friendship is going might be catalyst for a "discussion" via email - bringing the notion of misinterpretation to a whole new level.

This has happened to me.  A friend, with whom I was already having mini issues, shoots off an angry email in response to mine, regarding the date for our now defunct book club.  As a mother with a young child at home, the date wasn't going to work for her.  In response to my offer to change the date (which to her sounded facetious and like I was doing her a favor - both false), she fires off words into my inbox which would be strong enough to essentially end our friendship.  Words my "friend" would NEVER have said to my face now sat in my email for me to read and re-read, getting me more pissed off each time. 

Eighteen months later this same friend comes out of the woodwork to apologize, explaining that she was a few weeks pregnant at the time, overwhelmed and under-polite.  I accepted her apology, but her biting words reverberated in my memory.

Recently, a friend decided that email would act as her means of getting out some thoughts she was having.  In the same vein as friend #1, it appeared that friend #2 also had an easier time spitting hurtful words from behind her computer.  And while I am appreciative for the honesty which ultimately helped save the friendship, I am resentful that friend #2 resorted to a tactic which leaves little room for negotiation or interaction.  Was I to start a game of email ping-pong?  Was I to defend myself in the same manner that I was so fervently resenting?  I wasn't about to.  So I read the words and promptly hit the delete button so as not to have to feel the hurt all over again.

The relationship is patched but the band-aid slips out of place every so often since I haven't really had my say.

I love email.  I love IM, I love Facebook, I love Twitter, I love blogs.  I love Linked In, I love letters, I love message boards.  I love the written word.  But nothing represents quite so powerfully as the spoken word, especially when it's delivered by someone you love.  

Pssst... Don't forget to enter to win a Star Swaddler from Baby Star, below!  Contest ends tomorrow!

My New Friend Jenny Craig

Ok I admit it.  After months of waking up with good intentions and getting into bed more frustrated than the night before, I finally bit the bullet and joined Jenny Craig.  It's the end of week 2 and I'm still undecided.

The essence of the program is you join for a (rather expensive) fee, meet with a consultant, buy some food, and go off for the week, eating the pre-packaged Jenny meals with added fruits and veggies, sprinkle in some exercise and presto - go back next week to a lower number on the scale. 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

My experience so far:  I went to the center nearest my house.  After spending 15 minutes with the sales person, I was pressuredsold on the year-long plan for $399 plus the cost of food.  This plan includes discounts on food, some extras and a maintenance plan.  I also got 20% off the fee due to my health insurance (ASK!!)  The alternative was 10 weeks (or 20lbs) for $20, with no guarantee of another promo after the 10 weeks. 

Next I was escorted to the scale by an adorable 20-something girl with no weight problems.  She took my weight and measurements as I wondered what my consultant would be like.  As I envisioned her - svelte and toned, an older (than me) weight loss guru - my daydreams were interrupted by the cute young'un ushering me to her "office."  Yup, the little girl would be my consultant.  Herein after the <cute consultant>.

So here are my initial observations. 

Cons:

• Employees don't seem to know much about diet, exercise and/or nutrition.  Nor are they Jenny Craig success stories themselves, but hey, Jenny (the real person) had no training either.  And she's rich!  (not sure if she maintains a healthy BMI though).
• It's expensive.  The plans are either all or nothing.  Either $400 or $20, no  happy medium.  And this isn't done by accident.
• The centers are full of obese employees.  While I realize employers can't discriminate, based on the fact that this is a weight-loss center, shouldn't the people who work there be under 250?
• They are PUSHY!  I asked to downgrade my membership since I felt like I had made a long commitment based on nothing other than an overbearing salesperson (who I really did like) and was talked back into it in minutes.  I left feeling turned all around.  And for the record, I am NOT that dumb, they are JUST that good.
• The entrees are boxed.  I'm just not sure about the long-term effects of eating frozen food for most every meal.  After all, there is something to be said for a (nutritionally sound) home-cooked meal.

Pros:

• The food is delicious!   Other than a few dogs - the soups are a watery mess, the chicken enchilada is covered in some gooey white mystery paste that I dare not examine too closely, and the Anytime bars taste medicinal - the food is not only palatable, it's yummy!  The chicken is tender (though I do wonder how it stays that way), the pizza is tasty and the breakfast sandwiches are damn-near close to the real thing.
• There are no cravings.  Jenny Cuisine offers everything from pasta to meat to chicken to chocolate cake and cheesecake.  Seriously?  I've had NO cravings so far.
• Eat LOTS of fruits & veggies.  I haven't had this much fruit, well, ever.  And it feels great. 
• It seems to work.  The concept of weight loss is simple.  Calories in versus calories out.  JC doesn't re-invent the wheel, they just tailored it to appeal to their market. 

The biggest problem I've encountered is the weekly "consultations."  Although sweet and cute, my consultant could not come up with ONE tip or trick or suggestions for unlimited foods or limited free foods.  Luckily, I did.

• Swap 2 tbsp of hummus for the salad dressing on the menu.  Eaten with Jenny bruschetta chips or free veggies, it's filling and healthy.
• Learn to love artichoke.  It's free and fun to eat and takes a long time to eat. Pair it with dressing and yum!
• Kraft just came out with single serving light dressings.  They're much better than the Jenny dressing. 
• Forgo vile Anytime Bars for equal Pria Bars.  Much more palatable.

Do you have a Jenny trick, tip or comment?  Please either leave comments or emailme.  I'm super interested to hear other people's thoughts.

And did I mention the cheesecake I get to eat tonight??!!

Earn Your Stripes

Did you know that between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents in the US are obese?  Those numbers are HUGE and growing (no pun intended ).  According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for 300,000 deaths each year.  And restaurant chains and food manufacturers are contributing to the problem with larger portion sizes, unhealthy ingredients and overall advertising strategies. 

I was impressed upon hearing about the new Earn Your Stripes™ program by Kellogg's Frosted Flakes®.  (Stripes, like Tony the Tiger's stripes?  Get it?) The campaign, which launched recently, encourages kids to "Get Your Move On" by challenging them to "eat right" and "work hard" for a chance to win the first-ever Earn Your Stripes™ Youth Achievement Award at the ESPYs Breakfast and to attend the ESPY Awards.  The contest entails kids visiting the dedicated Earn Your Stripes™ page at ESPN's website and telling them about their relationship with sports.  A pretty positive message, I'd say.

The only issue with the campaign is that it is more geared towards boys than girls.  While the images show both genders at play, it seems that the sports portrayed - soccer, baseball, football and basketball - are representative of the types of games typically played by boys.  Sports like tennis and swimming (non-contact sports) are not found on the website at all.  The TV spots are consistent with this as well.  I wonder what the boy/girl ratio of entries was?

But the message is there.  Again, just like with their Childhood is Calling™ campaign, kudos to Kellogg's® for doing their part in contributing toward the health and well-being of our children.  They helping to restore our faith in the power of advertising for good and not for evil. 

And the winner is...

Congrats to Donna on winning the Ladybug Shoes giveaway from Skimbaco.  Don't forget to visit Skimbaco to buy all those amazing things you commented on!!

Childhood is Calling

With the current barrage of underage starlets making news for naughty nights and the ubiquitous sexy ad campaigns at every turn, it's refreshing to see at least one corporate giant not falling prey to the trend.  Though it might be difficult to sell cereal with sex, I am betting the idea has crossed the table over at Kellogg's®.  I feel refreshed after viewing their new campaign for Rice Krispies®, cleverly entitled Childhood is Calling™.

If you haven't seen their newly launched website, it's worth checking out.  Viewers are still greeted by old friends, Snap!, Crackle! & Pop!® (did you know these guys are 76 years old??!!) as well as that blue background synonymous with the childhood fave, but what's different is the message.  Contrary to what we are seeing too much of in the media lately, the idea of the campaign is "letting kids be kids."  Apart from selling Rice Krispies® cereal, Kellogg's® is doing its part to bring families back together by creating a program called Operation Spark.  Together with non-profit organization Playing For Keeps, Kellogg's® Operation Spark mission is "to provide insights and advice about how to strengthen the family connection and turn everyday moments into quality time."

Like I said, refreshing. 

It's a big concern for parents today, myself included.  Families just don't spend the same kind of quality time together as they did when we were kids.  Technology, overscheduling and the general overactive lifestyle has seeped into our families to become the 5th member (or 4th or 6th or 7th...).  Operation Spark simply offers tips on how to make the most of family time.  Ideas such as how to make the most of meal time, play time and night time purely reminds us how to maintain that vital bond with our kids.

A pretty good idea, don't you think?  Couple that with the fact that these guys invented the Rice Krispie treat, and I'm sold!   

Pediped is having a sale!

From today until June 15th save 33% on select styles and 50% of the proceeds from those sales will go to Make-A-Wish Foundation.  I'm thinking of getting Lola since they're just too much!!  Visit Pediped for details.