Last weekend, I was armed with a handful of coupons for Bath & Body Works. Many of them were for free items with no purchase required, and one coupon required a purchase. I saved $35, and spend $11.77 for 6 items.
How did I do it? Watch my video to find out all my little saving secrets. It doesn't requires hours of clipping and organizing. It's simple.
Today was a rainy day, the first rainy day we've had here in the northeast in about 3 weeks. My kids were like fish out of water. They had no idea how to handle this type of weather. It's been beautiful and unseasonably warm for weeks. But they didn't fret. It wasn't long before they found something to occupy themselves.
They found my Flip lying around, and they went to work. This is a classic. I revel in their vivid and creative imaginations.
I am obsessed with sweaters right now. I am always cold. Always. As the weather is changing, I am using every excuse in the book to buy sweaters. I picked up a few this weekend at Marshalls. Oh, and we found a few goodies for the girls too!
For the past 6 weeks, 2 days per week, Emma has been taking a piano class. I was surprised when she asked to take the class. Who knew she had any interest in piano? We were more than supportive. My parents never encouraged me to have any interest in music. I wish they had. I am in awe of musicians. Their talent never ceases to amaze me.
Today, Emma had her end of session piano recital. We were so excited to watch her. And so proud of her performance.
Waiting patiently to perform...
The big performance, a solo and a duo with her instructor, Ashley...
Turn your back for a second, and nonsense ensues. Here is just a sample of the goings on when I am on our home treadmill. Also, take note that this is what happens when a 9 year old owns an iPod Touch.
The girls are totally into making these lip synching videos lately. Emma does the actual singing (while she's taping), and Harper pretends to sing. It's hilarious. Oh, the imaginations of children. Gotta love it!
Emma is taking piano lessons this summer for the very first time. She's one of those people who has that enviable quality of just "picking something up". She just gets it. She can read music. I, on the other hand, have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. None. I'm so proud of her.
Today she came home and played "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" for us on Harper's keyboard { yes, an argument ensued but I opted to edit it out ;-) }. And she played without using her sheet music. Yay for Emma!
Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon at Fork in Philadelphia hosted by Stonyfield Farm. The special guest and speaker was Robyn O'Brien, a mother, an author, and a clean eating activist. O'Brien, a former food industry analyst is using her experiences, both personal and professional, to uncover how eating has become a risk to our health.
O'Brien spoke for about an hour, and I was mesmerized for the entire presentation. She spoke from the heart and with great conviction. She was never condescending and presented her facts in an informative manner. She was standing directly in front of where I was seated. At one point during an emotionally charged part of her presentation, I noticed that she had goose bumps on her arms. Yes, even after all of her speaking engagements, she is still reduced to goose bumps when she speaks of the dangers of our everyday foods.
Here is a mother, like you and I. A mother who painstakingly watched her daughter suffer through an allergic reaction. A reaction that prompted O'Brien to take action. She took action against food companies using food dyes, hormones, and toxic chemicals in food production. O'Brien urges consumers to do the right thing. Her insight was eye-opening, and it most certainly has changed the way I've prepared meals for my family. O'Brien offers this advice for starters:
1. Cut artificial colors. Yep. You know those color-coated candies you let your kids eat? Well, they are encased in artificial colors. Is blue a natural color in plants? Not likely.
2. Eat less fake foods. If you can grow it, eat it. If it comes in a box or a bag, it's probably not good for you.
3. Each person will make this journey in their own way and on their own time. The importance of it is to begin the first step. Make change happen.
If I haven't quite convinced you, take a look at a video of Robyn in action. It is 18 minutes long, but trust me, it's the best 18 minutes you will spend online today.
Robin is also a critically-acclaimed author whose book, The Unhealthy Truth, helps to shed light on the alarming facts about toxins in our foods.
Not only was O'Brien's presentation worth my trek to Philadelphia, but the lunch served by Fork was fabulous. Many thanks to Stonyfield Farm for hosting us.
The fabulous menu
Stonyfield Farm offered childcare, which I took advantage of being that Harper was out of school that day. Because Emma had a half-day, I had to keep her out of school and bring her with us. The childcare was fun and included fun tattoos!
Disclosure: Stonyfield Farm hosted several bloggers for a luncheon. In addition to lunch, we received swag bags which included a cook book, coupons, a children's growth chart. a baby's bib, and a spatula. I was not compensated for this post nor was I encouraged to write it. All opinions expressed herein, unless otherwise noted, are my own.
Over the years, Epcot has become one of our favorite Walt Disney World theme parks. During this trip, we spent a lot of time exploring the countries in World Showcase, sampling the food, watching the films and shows, and riding the few but very good rides.
Before entering World Showcase, there are plenty of educational exhibits in Epcot. In "The Seas" pavilion, we love the aquarium. There's something fascinating about seeing marine life in its natural habitat. Afterall, unless you're a scuba diver, you rarely get to witness these lifeforms.
Not only are we lucky to live just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, but we also are lucky to live just seconds from a river. On occasion, I take the kids to the river beach. The water is calmer than that of the ocean. Crowds and parking aren't issues. It's like a big block party, there are always plenty of families we know there.
On Friday, Harper and I stopped by to play in the sand. After about 30 minutes, a slew of her friends showed up, and fun ensued.
When I visited Harper's preschool class for the Mother's Day celebration, the children sang a bunch of songs. Here's a clip of her singing the "Days of the Week" song. Cute jingle!
