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

Fairytale Brownies

Picture this.  It's a dreary Monday afternoon (or Tuesday, or Wednesday, or...) and the day has been hectic.  Making lunches, getting the kids off to school, doing something productive with your day, etc... has left you tired, cranky and irritable.  You open the door to retrieve your mail expecting to find nothing but bills, junk and birthday party invitations (obv).  But wait, there's something else, something unexpected, something... - BROWNIES!!!! 

Yes, this could happen to you.  Thanks to Fairytale Brownies, you too can surprise yourself or someone else with a sweet treat they won't soon forget because the folks at Fairytale Brownies have gone and taken brownie-making to the next level.  Seriously.

In short, these brownies are mouth-watering, utterly delicious and it's taking every ounce of my willpower to not devour the whole box myself.  Think moist, rich, and crunchy in all the right places.  Think decadence at its best.  Think crunchy toffee, chocolate chip, caramel.  Think walnut and white chocolate, think raspberry swirl, and peanut butter.  There are dozens of choices, luckily you can combine flavors and get a taste of each.

Fairytale Brownies is the brainchild of two longtime friends who share a love of brownies and chocolate.  Since 1992 they have been baking the finest brownies around, totaling over 2.5 million brownies each year!  Baked from scratch using only the finest ingredients like Belgian chocolate, premium butter and farm-fresh eggs, you truly can tell the difference between this product and other mail-order sweets.  And they not only taste great, but they're individually wrapped and packaged beautifully in their signature purple wrapping and shipped worldwide.  You can customize your box to say thank you, happy birthday, thinking of you or congratulations.  Choose from large brownies or mix it up with the smaller sized "Sprites."  They even offer their bite-size Magic Morsels in sugar-free and all products are certified Kosher so there's really something for everyone to enjoy.  Whatever the occasion and whoever the recipient, somehow I'm certain you can't go wrong with brownies.

Truly, this isthe stuff that fairytales are made of. 

Win it!  One lucky reader will be the recipient of the Fairytale Cocoa Duo.  Simply check out Fairytale Brownies and tell us your favorite flavor.  For an extra entry, subscribe to this feed (or let us know that you already do).  For a third entry, Twitter this giveaway or blog about it.  Contest closes Friday, April 3rd at midnight.  

YUM! 

Khloe Kardashian Does PETA

I watch Keeping Up with the Karsdashians on E.  Not only am I enjoying this season's shenanigans, but I've kept up with all the episodes, simply because it entertains me.

There.  I said it.

Last week on the show, Khloe, Kim's sister, was asked to pose nude for PETA's "I'd Rather Go Nude" campaign.  I am not sure Khloe had ever given much thought to fur and how it gets from the animals to the stores, but visiting with PETA and watching their footage opened her eyes to what, I'm sure, is a big problem.  I have never been a big fan of fur wearing, just because it seems wrong (and is hideous in my opinion).  And I caught enough glimpses of the shocking footage that made Khloe's decision easy, and I was appalled by what I saw. 

But enough about that.

Apart from the fact that animals are mis-treated so that people like the Olson twins and Kanye can sport their furs (btw, only thing uglier than a woman in fur is a man in fur), it was interesting to see Khloe's reaction to being asked to pose nude.  In case us regular people thought we were the only ones who were feeling self-conscious about our less than perfect bods, rest assured that even those with millions in the bank and famous 'rents have fat days too.

It's not that this makes me feel better about myself.  In fact, it only makes me feel better about these seemingly "have-it-all" celebs who are wrought with the same imperfections as the rest of us.  It never occurred to me that Khloe Kardashian might have a thing about her body, though it appears she is constantly compared to her two svelte sisters.  It is my opinion that Khloe is a beautiful woman, and if she's bigger than the typical size 0 celeb, so be it.  I can't imagine spending my life worrying about whether I was too big, too small, too short, too tall, as do these celebs.  In my regular plebian life I already worry about my body enough to make anyone nuts, and no one is snapping shots of me on a regular basis.  I never would've thought Khloe to be self-conscious about these things, though it makes sense that she is.

After all, she's a woman living in Hollywood.  That about encompasses the last thing I'd want to be. 

I think Khloe's picture came out great.  I'm sure there was a little touching up here and there but really who cares. 

Great shot, great cause, great job!

Qwitter, I Know How To Quit You.

 

I'm proud to say that today, I'm a quitter.  That is, after months of opening my inbox only to be greeted by annoying alerts, taunting me just as children taunt each other on the playground, I finally got the strength to turn off the sadist in me and unsubscribe from Qwitter.  For you non-Twitterers, Qwitter is a service designed to let people know when they have lost a "follower."  Upon signing up, users receive an alert in their inbox to let them know that so and so has stopped following them:

It looks like this:

Hi, alexcaseybaby.

Sweet Sixteen (sweetsixteen) stopped following you on Twitter after you posted this tweet:

The new Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms is a great read. Gr8 4 any mom. http://tinyurl.com/cfollp- win it!

 

So why in the world did I subscribe to such a masochistic app in the first place?  Because the drama-queen in me wanted to know when I lost a follower, and which tweet led to the break-up.  But in reality, I'm not really sure it's the tweet itself (or really anything I said at all) that leads to someone un-following me.  I think, in many cases, people follow just to be followed back.  I've used to term "friend-collector" to refer to this phenomenon in the Facebook world and it's not so different on Twitter except that on Twitter, a followee isn't obliged to follow anyone back.  And this is a nice part of Twitter, in that there are definitely peeps that I am interested in following who might have no interest in my tweets, and that's OK.  Because part of the reason I use Twitter is to gain knowledge or insight into topics and people I may or may not have anything in common with. 

 

For example, when this whole CPSIA debacle hit the headlines, I followed a writer named Walter Olson because he was up on this topic and writing about it regularly.  However, if he hadn't followed me back it would have been fine because I was more interested in what he had to say rather than dialoging with him necessarily.  But since Twitter is definitely also about making contact and exchanging ideas, this is just one of the ways I use it.  If I follow a fellow online store owner, it's not because I'm interested in the sales she's tweeting about, more likely I'm interested in forming an alliance, an online store-owner "club" if you will.  And this would require discourse and obviously, a follow back.

 

Being un-followed doesn't offend me.  I've been known to un-follow a Tweeter or two myself.  My reasons, however, have nothing to do with whether they follow me back (I don't think I've even ever checked) but they have had to do with one or more of these reasons:

• Constantly tweeting only about new blog posts or self-promotion.
• No @ tweets on their page.
• Offensive, abusive Tweeters.
• Ok fine.  Once un-followed someone simply because they un-followed me and I was mildly hurt.  But I got over it.

But still, I've turned off Qwitter because waking up to a barrage of break-ups just doesn't seem to be a healthy way to start the day.  Can't we just all be friends?

 

And the War Rages On...

If you're a mom, then you know the one.  It starts as a tiny feeling inside of us the moment we find out we're pregnant and often continues until our youngest child goes to school.  I mean, what mom hasn't had a should-I-stay-home-or-go-out-to-work debate, if not with others, then within herself?  The if-I-go-to-an-office-everyday-am-I-a-bad-mom struggle or the how-can-let-go-of-that-great-salary deliberation.  The great mommy debate continues and it seems to be louder than ever.

So it's incredibly appropriate that today marks the release of a special new book for moms everywhere: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms.   This book doesn't celebrate one choice over another.  Instead, it gives voice to the "power of choice for stay-at-home and work-at-home moms" by sharing 101 stories, written by women, some well-known, others less so, but all sharing one commonality: all are moms who have made a choice somewhere down the line.  Some chose to stay home and take care of their children full-time while others ventured back to the workplace.  Others chose to merge the two and work from home.  But all are stories of choice and strength and all reflect a certain honesty rarely found when discussing this topic.

As an avid reader, I admit to skipping straight to the stories contributed by two of my favorite authors: Jodi Picoult and Jane Green.  While Picoult's story offered a glimpse into the life of a work-at-home-mom turned stay-at-home-mom who chose to then moonlight as a writer (and a damn good one at that), Green's story took a different angle by shedding light on being a single mother who can still be super-mom while spending half her day doing what she loves, writing.

There are 101 stories in this book, and chances are every woman will find several to relate to.  And while I might not have the strength, courage or wherewithal to make the same choices as many of these women, I respect them for the decisions they made, and chose to write about. 

In Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms, you'll read about how Liz Lange raised her children while building a maternity clothing empire, how author Wendy Walker wrote her first novel from the backseat of her minivan, how Melora Hardin of NBC's The Office helped her daughter overcome  a fear of heights and how grateful husbands stand in awe of their do-it-all wives. 

Sound inspiring?  You can find Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms everywhere today, or you can win it!  Two lucky readers will win a copy of this new book.  Simply tell us a tidbit about your choice.  Anything from why you're glad you made the choice you did, to one thing you might regret, or how you came to make your decision.  Two winners will be chosen on Sunday, March 29th at midnight.  Open to US residents only!

Since I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book, I'll share that as a work-at-home mom, I felt grateful this morning when my daughter was sick with the flu that I had no boss to call to tell I wouldn't be in.  I was lucky about a month ago to be home to see my youngest daughter take her first steps.  But to say that I don't sometimes envy those women who actually had to drive to their office (as opposed to settle into their small workspace just off the living room), well, that might not be the whole truth...

Twilight, the Movie.

After several unsuccessful attempts to get to the theater, one DVD that went missing, and another that just wouldn't function, I FINALLY saw Twilight last night and now I get what the hype's about.

I bought Twilight, the book, in an airport on the way to Vegas in September.  I had seen it tweeted about a bunch of times and was curious.  But not a fan of the fantasy/sci-fi'ish genre that Twillight might classify under, I was skeptical and bought a back-up read, just in case.  But I was hooked from the day Bella Swan arrived in Forks until the last page and subsequently went on to order the other 3 books in the saga.  I made a deal with myself that I would't see the movie until I had read all 4 books in case the movie skipped ahead and covered some things that were in a future book (as movie adaptations often do). 

Within a month or so, I was done. 

But something kept getting in the way of seeing the movie so I waited for the DVD release.  And I must say, it was worth the wait.

I didn't have high hopes, I'm used to being let down by movies of books.  After all, have you seen Flowers in the Attic?  YIKES.  In any case, I thought Hollywood did a great job of capturing the essence of Bella and Edward and even managed to portray the intensity of their relationship in a understated yet obvious way.  It was fast-moving like the book, and not drawn-out so as to lose my attention (short attention span - guilty!).  The way Edward appeared to Bella in the sun was beautiful, Bella's simple beauty, the Cullen Family's physical perfection - all done with just the right amount of, well, Hollywood, for it to match what had previously existed only in my mind.

A personal highlight was the fiery red-headed Victoria (who I know IRL as we used to move in a similar circle in growing up in Montreal) who was PERFECT as the evil vampire and who I can't wait to see in New Moon.  I thought the cast was really well chosen, including Robert Pattinson who didn't really appeal to me in his interviews and appearances.  (I guess that means I'm not in love with him as "himself", but as Edward - bring it!).  

But the real gem of the night came when we were about 15 minutes into the movie and my husband says, "so what's the deal?  Are they aliens or something?"     

Getting Personal in a Digital World

If you're reading this blog, chances are, you're guilty.  I mean, even I've been known to escape to my office to check my email or glance furtively at my Blackberry during a family outing to see if anything is shaking on Twitter or Facebook.  I spend way too many lunches with my PC as my companion, log too many hours communicating via electronics, and definitely have too many "friends" that I socialize with digitally.

But here's the thing: I haven't completely turned my back on the old-fashioned phone call.  Or letter.  Or face-to-face visit.

While email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, text messaging and the myriad other means of digital communication are great tools for keeping in touch, dropping a note or confirming a lunch date, there are definitely times when none of these are appropriate.  And I'm writing this post because it seems many of us have forgotten this.  So in the spirit of etiquette, I'm going  to freshen your memory regarding when an email just doesn't cut it.

Thank-you notes.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  If someone is gracious enough to go to a store/website, pick out a gift for you/your new baby/your childyour marriage, show them some gratitude.  Nothing can take the place of a hand-written note.  Not to say you should draft a novel, just a quick note to let them know their thoughtfulness did not go unnoticed. 

Birthdays.  Ok, so this one isn't set in stone since even I, the self-proclaimed queen of the hand-written word has often forgotten to hit the store for the perfect card once or twice.  But consider this - don't you like to be called on your birthday?  Isn't it nice to hear those unexpected voices at the other end of the line, even if it is only once a year?  A birthday card is nice too.  An email/Facebook message can serve the purpose in a less personal, more "I have you in my thoughts but I'm too busy to spend much time on you" sort of way.  Not ultimately desirable, but effective nonetheless.

After a hospital stay.  A broad category, a hospital stay can include anything from having delivered a baby to being post-surgical.  Without our health we have nothing.  The same could be said for our friends and family.  Let's share the love, people.

Expressing Condolences.  There's almost no exception to this rule (unless you proclaim online that you lost a loved one in which case your online buddies might respond in the same way).  Pharmacies, card stores, even the corner store all carry dozens of condolence cards.  Our family even keeps a spare on-hand since you never know when you're going to need it.  And in the case of a close friend?  A phone call is always nice.

When it comes to personal communication, digital tools sometimes fall short.  We are social by nature and crave human contact.  Nurturing our relationships is the key to closeness and simply cannot be achieved by emails and instant messages. 

Like what I have to say?  EMAIL ME!! 

What? You haven't Heard About Lollydoodle?

Then you don't know what you're missing. 

I'm always inspired by artists in the sense that they make me want to create (though art is just not my forte) so in lieu of my own art, I enjoy surrounding myself with other people's creations.  My kids rooms are no different - we have made their spaces their own by decorating them with personal, vibrant art that speaks to their personality.  But the perfect piece isn't always easy to find.

Nor is it always affordable.

Then I found Lollydoodle, a mom-owned company that offers "designer decor for your little one."  Ok, seriously, I. am. in. love.  The artist, Ellen Smiler, captures the essence of being a child so perfectly.  Using simple yet colorful designs, one of her adorable paintings would not only brighten up your child's space, but you can easily choose a design that would grow with them.  Not just baby designs (though those are delicious as well), Smiler recognizes that little girls have an affinity for purses pretty early on, and offers a fun creation in a purse theme.  She knows that it won't be long before your mini-man is vrooming around the firetrucks, so she offers you the chance to decorate his space in a fireman theme.  Animals, numbers, the alphabet and the four seasons are only some of the unique designs she offers, and all are vibrant and sure to please any child.

Best part?  Her prices are TOTALLY reasonable (from about $38) and no framing is necessary because they are made with a canvas that is stretched and mounted over a 7.5" deep frame, and the design continues over the sides.  

Through March, you can save 20% off your entire order, simply enter the coupon code STMLS1 at checkout.  Or, win it!  One lucky reader will win a $50 gift certificate to Lollydoodle.  Visit their site, and let us know your favorite design.  For an extra entry, subscribe to this blog's feed (already do?  Just let us know!).  For a third entry, give this giveaway a shout-out on your blog.  One entry per person, open to US residents only.  Contest winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, March 22nd at midnight.

Lollipop Papers Offers Sweet and Solid Stuff!

Even as we get deeper into the digital age, I'm still a fan of the printed word.  Maybe it's the writer in me, but I still write on a wall calendar, I still jot appointments in an actual book, I make lists using a pen and paper, and I write notes that need to be mailed off to friends using a stamp as opposed to the "Send" button.  And thankfully, there's no shortage of fun and useful paper products to make my strange habit interesting to others.

Woman-owned and operated, Lollipop Papers is the web-store to hit if you're like me.  Offering a wide selection of adorable invitations, cute stationery, and gifts including personalized totes, tees, lunch boxes, melamine plates, and place mats, Lollipop Papers is a one-stop shop for party-planners and  gift-givers alike.  With its simple to maneuver (and adorable!) layout, you won't get lost before finding what you're looking for.

We road-tested the From the Mother of... Notepad along with a couple of lunchboxes and we were duly impressed.  The lunchboxes are made in a retro-ish metal and designed in your choice of design, so be sure to pick one that best represents your child.  And I LOVE my notepad!   After sending owner Amanda the ages and descriptions of my children from her standard choices, she made up a notepad that is truly representative of what I sent her.  Personalized, pretty, and functional (and only $12!!), this pad is useful and I wouldn't hesitate to send it as a gift, or any of her other beautiful writing blocks!  Think teacher's gift, thank you gift, hostess gift...

To buy your own, head to Lollipop Papers and pick your pleasure.  Or, win it!  Two lucky readers will receive a From the Mother of... Notepad personalized for them (or any notepad of equal value).  Simply visit Lollipop Papers and tell us your favorite item - for an extra entry subscribe to this blog's feed (let us know if you already do).  Only one entry per person, US residents only.  Contest winners will be drawn at midnight on Friday,  March 20th. 

The end.

A man awakens from a perfect night sleep and after a most wonderful breakfast comprised of his any and every desire, he goes through his usual morning routine and finally begins dressing.  He chooses his most fashionable shirt (in his own opinion)  and pants that match, laces his shoes as if he were being graded on his skill.  He leaves his small, but perfectly comfortable home and closes the door, smiling with the knowledge that the next time he reaches these doors he will be with her.  Finally, finally after what has seemed like an eternity, he will be together with her again, this time, actually for eternity. 

At least this is what's going on in my own mind. 

My grandfather passed away about 25+ years ago.  When he did, he took a large piece of his wife with him, a piece that would never be recovered.  A sadness fell over her that day which stayed with her, almost defined her, even as she grew older, and then became just plain old.  And now, at 97ish years old, she's getting ready to be with him.  And it helps me to believe that my grandfather, who I barely had time to get to know, is preparing himself to guide her toward him.  That after all these years, some ok, others not so ok, her reward will be meeting again with her beloved.

To an outsider, my grandmother's failing health and ultimate near-demise is not a tragedy.  Even in my eyes, old age has meant increasing frailty, a quiet retreating into herself, a loss of interest in vanity, and who knows what else.  In truth, I've often wondered why young men lose quick battles with cancer leaving their new families fatherless yet my grandmother, suffering in a stroke-induced silence, continues to wake up each morning, only to be taken care of by nurses and doctors.  Quality of life is a distant memory, independence even more distant.  All she ever wanted was her husband.  Over the last few years, as I saw her deteriorate more and more, I've had trouble reconciling the notion that this is God's plan for her.  What was the plan?  What good is there in this?  Where's the mercy?

Extended family members continuously tell me how lucky we are to have her so long.  But I wonder if they are thinking about themselves when they say this.  How could anyone with two eyes feel that luck has had a hand in this?  I feel nothing but sadness each time I see her, which has been intermittent at best, since I live 300 miles away.

In the days since my grandmother has entered the hospital in what I am told is her last stay there, I have been consumed with worry.  But it's not the inevitable end that is nagging at me.  I know she'll be better off when she is reunited with my grandfather, I feel strongly that she'll be truly in a better place.  After all, I am a true believer in later, in more, in reuniting with loved ones and I couldn't be convinced that there's any other way.  But I keep hearing, "she's being kept comfortable.  No, she's not in pain at all.  She's fine, she's just sleeping, resting."  I'm worried because who knows what she's feeling right now?  She can't communicate her pain so why is it assumed she's not in any?  Is she afraid of the end?  Is she having panic attacks?  Is she feeling alone?  And again, is she scared?

The relief will come when it ends.  Whether it's wrong to feel this way, or gasp, to say it aloud, her relief will come when she's gone.  I know it.  She will be missed, so missed, but it is her whole self that I will remember.  Not this shell of a former self.  That whole person who made wonderful chicken and meatballs and apple pie.  The woman who applied lipstick in a way that was so funny it reduced us to tears each time she did it in front of us.  The grandmother who gave us $10 each week as "allowance" and who had us make pit-stops at the fruit store each and every Friday on our way to dinner no matter how late we were.  It's these little things that I want to remember, not this person whose will to live has remained stronger than her tiny body.       

Never have I felt luckier to be such a firm believer in the afterlife.

Now if only I believed so strongly in her experience here on earth...

UPDATE - My grandmother passed away early this morning.  I'm told she went peacefully.  I'm sad for the end of a generation but glad she is finally at peace.  Thanks to all for your kind words.

      

Strange Days

There are always strange stories in the news.  Every morning news broadcast includes a regular serving of hard news and a sprinkling of head-scratchers that actually make it more interesting.  Lately there seems to be some real doozies.  Here are a few that have me wondering how people can actually live with themselves.

* The Octuplet Mom.  Nothing really major here, just the fact that this single mother to 14children has time to be on the news, every magazine show and in every major magazine every day/week.  I mean, you'd think she'd be frantically running between the hospital, where her 8 tiny newborns lay, and being in her home where her other kids, aged 2 to 7, are undoubtedly needing their mother.  But somehow she has time for every news outlet that comes a'knocking.  Or so it seems.

* The woman who called 911 three times after being told that McDonald's was out of Chicken McNuggets.  Yes, you read correctly.  She must've been really desperate for fried bits of "chicken."

* The guy who stuffed his cat in a bong and smoked it.  I couldn't make this stuff up now, could I?  He was trying to chill out his hyper cat so he stuffed her into a boxlike homemade bong.  If you're trying to picture this, the 20-year-old moron was smoking through a piece of garden hose attached to a duct-taped, plastic glass box in which the cat had been stuffed.  He's facing drug charges, was cited for misdemeanor animal cruelty and paid a $400 fine.  I think someone should stuff him inside a bong and smoke him.  Or something...     

And in other plain old BAD news:

* The L-Word, Showtime's weekly show about a group of lesbian's in the LA area, is coming to an end on Sunday.  As a straight woman living in the Boston area, the L-Word has become my favorite guilty pleasure.  Almost like the pleasure a voyeur derives from watching people.  Weird, I know.  But hold on!  Showtime has confirmed a spin-off!!  See deets here(but it contains a spoiler about who killed Jenny so read at your own risk!).

* Grey's Anatomy is a repeat.  Don't they know I plan my whole Thursday night around this show??  Damn!

* Rihanna has taken back her abusive boyfriend, Chris Brown.  It's a sad moment for women everywhere.  Who am I to judge but come on.  I mean, really.