This past Sunday my family and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and spent the day at Six Flags.  If anything, I love just walking around and getting in some cardio as I people watch.  Normally when we go, the lines are unbelievably long, so we are pretty picky about what rides we want to go on.  Sunday, however, there were very few people at Six Flags, which called for short or no lines and we were able to ride everything the kids were tall enough for.  As we got off one of the up in the air, spinning rides I came to the conclusion that I was too old to be spun around at a low rate of speed.  My stomach agreed with me.

Because of this thought, I decided I am getting too old.  He are a few other things that have helped me reach the conclusion that I am no longer young and hip.

1.  Being placed in a small metal air plane and spun around as it moves up and down in the air makes me sick to my stomach.  At the same time, any object that spins around without going up in the air, is enough to make my stomach do tricks.  Just looking at a picture of those darn tea cups makes me want to vomit.

2.  Wine is my drink of choice if out and getting my drink on.   Forget the hard liquor.  I’ll leave that for the college crew who don’t care how ungraceful they look.

3.  Walking by Abercrombie and Fitch gives me a headache.  What the heck is that smell anyway?

4.  Music, these days….The radio in my car tends to stay on Radio Disney or XM 90′s on 9.  Most of the other stuff is just noise, and playing it 15 times in an hour isn’t going to make me change my mind about liking it.

5.  If I am not in bed by 9:00, I’m no good the next day.  Sometimes even 9:00 is pushing a bit on the late side.  My husband and I like to plan movie nights where we put the kids to bed and pick a movie to watch.  Within 10 minutes of the movie starting, he’s snoring on the couch and I’ve already started my shower and bedtime routine.

This is a list of only a few things.  It can go on and on, I’m sure.  I working my way up that ‘ol hill.  Before I know it, I’ll have black balloons and streamers on my birthday, and I’ll be shopping for hair color to cover my grey (which I do not have yet, knock on wood).

How I feel at 32

I love the Dallas Arboretum.

The grounds are beautiful and impeccably maintained, the views of White Rock Lake are stunning, the staff is helpful, and maybe best of all – the kids love it (what kid wouldn’t love a place where they can run barefoot across a manicured lawn and then play in a giant frog fountain?).

If I were a squirrel, I'd live here, too!

We have a family membership to the Arboretum, and we go often (it’s ever-changing, and there is always something new and unexpected).

This morning, I decided that I wasn’t going to waste away a single day of beautiful Spring weather (you all know it’s going to be HOT in just a couple of weeks, right?!) and I loaded up the kids (and the stroller, and the baby carrier, and the diaper bag, and the blanket for us to sit on while we ate the snacks I had packed, etc., etc.) for a trip to the Arboretum.

And as usual, there was something new going on.  But, this was not at all a usual “something new” – this was pretty amazing, actually.

There is a new exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum.  The exhibit – Chihuly – consists of more than fifteen glass sculptures by world-renowned glass artist, Dale Chihuly. The exhibit hasn’t officially opened, but the sculptures are up now (they are putting the finishing touches on everything, but this didn’t interfere with viewing them one bit).

The sculptures are breathtaking, and there is something magical about walking around a corner and finding a bright red swirly mass of glass in the courtyard, or walking onto the lawn and finding a yellow tower of glass two stories tall reflecting the sunlight.

It’s nothing short of remarkable how these man-made objects integrate seamlessly with their natural surroundings.

This swirly burst of color welcomed us to the Arboretum.

Jack spent the morning running from sculpture to sculpture (and there are plenty to look at).  He was so worn out that we ran out of time (or, more accurately, energy) to visit the Small Houses of Great Artists – five playhouses that reflect the works of famous artists (our favorite is the Van Gogh house).

We were so enthralled with the sculptures, in fact, that we skipped all of our normal Arboretum favorites – the frog fountains (bring a change of clothes if your kid likes to get wet, and if that’s okay with you!), the koi pond, and the lawn overlooking White Rock Lake (which is a giant hill the kids love to run down).

We brought a picnic blanket and found a quiet place in the shade to enjoy our snacks…but, it turned out we were hungry for more than crackers and juice boxes, and we ended up buying some “real” food from Cafe on the Green – one of the Arboretum’s many dining options.  There are several places to eat, including a full-service restaurant – Restaurant DeGolyer.

And this is where I give you a great Mother’s Day idea!

The Restaurant DeGoyer hosts a Spring Tea.  I took my own mom last year for Mother’s Day, and she loved it (not only did we get some one-on-one time, but we also filled up on deliciousness like egg salad on pumpernickel bread and blueberry scones).  The tea is a creative gift for the mom who has everything (and, a little different than your average Mother Day’s lunch).

The tea is for adults 13 and up, so leave the little ones at home (you can always bring them back to the Restaurant DeGoyer for a “normal” lunch on another day!).  Or, have someone else show the kids around the Arboretum while you and mom enjoy the tea (and trust me, you will enjoy it!).

Reservations for the Spring Tea can be made by calling 214.515.6511.  The menu and details are available here (and if you miss it, there’s a Summer Tea, too!).

The cost is $47/person ($57 to add champagne) and includes admission to the Arboretum, parking, and gratuity.

Regular admission to the Arboretum is $15/adult, and parking is $10/car.

You might be interested in becoming a member – annual membership is $109, and includes admission for up to six people every time you attend (we love this, because we can bring Memaw and Grampa!).  Membership includes parking, gives you a discount at the store (oh, yes…they have a store, too…with lots of cute things), and best of all…gets you Express Entry on those extra-crowded days.

So slather on the sunscreen, pack some snacks and load up the kids.  You have a whole day of fun ahead of you at the Dallas Arboretum!

Please, nothing with apples!

It is that time of year…Teacher Appreciation and End of School gift time! As a teacher for 13 years, let me pass on the message…PLEASE, no “teacher stuff”! These are the mugs, plaques, earrings, etc. made specifically for teachers (think apples, school houses, ruler decorations!). Trust me, your teacher has enough of it.

What would teachers like for teacher appreciation gifts? We would love something personal from your child to help us remember him or her, especially if it incorporates a picture of your child. Something that can be used up, like supplies for the classroom, a treat for the teacher, or a gift card to a favorite restaurant or coffee shop make a great addition to that art project or personal letter.

As a parent, I have tried to take this to heart. Teachers get so many sweet treats around the holidays, I gave homemade sugar scrub to our teachers for Christmas, and plan to make them a little something sweet for the end of the year.  If you are in need of a cool project for your kids to make for their teacher, check out the links below and at my personal favorite place, Family Fun Magazine.

From pinterest, here and here.

Edible Homemade Teacher Gifts

Taste of Home Food Gift Ideas Originally for Christmas, but the ideas could easily be adapted.

Are you interested in the latest deal at Disney World?  How about 15%-25% off vacation packages most nights June 15, 2012-August 14, 2012?!  Now is the perfect time to plan an extra special summer vacation in the middle of the magic!

I really suggest taking advantage of all the fun Disney has to offer.  With this great summer offer you can enjoy a 6-night, 7-day vacation at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, including Theme Park tickets, for as low as $69 per person, per day (based on 2 adults, 1 junior and 1 child in a standard room)! That’s a total package price of $1,914!  That is a spectacular deal!

Why not beat the heat this summer and have some Disney fun too?  Like I have said before, “Disney World can be affordable”!

Also check out Dining at Disney World.

Get your Disney vacation planning DVD at disneyworld.com

This spring feels like it started about mid-February and so did all the pollen. So much so that I have been sitting in bed for a few days trying to recover from our full day’s adventure to celebrate the season with bunnies and bluebonnets.

After realizing that Easter was just around the corner, I had to find the right local Easter egg hunt for my three-year old (and seven-month old to watch)as well get my annual Texas shot amidst the fields of Texas’ proud flora.  With no time left and mom feeling less than amazing, we set out to accomplish both adventures in one day. In addition to the good pictures and two very tired children, we achieved our mission just in time to enjoy lunch with dad.

After perusing the list of great Easter egg hunts in DFW, being close to home kept our choices to a select few. While Breakfast with the Easter Bunny in Grapevine sounded like a winner – a 7:30 AM start time didn’t, so Nash Farm’s free Easter Egg hunt, here we come! Easy to get to (well as far as getting through Grapevine can be), the historic farm is perfectly nestled in an adorable neighborhood not far off 114. While I found the location easily, parking wasn’t enjoyable (or ample) especially with two kids and no help. The cross-guards were very nice and helped out the daytrippers get to their destination. Upon arrival, I was delighted by the size of the event and just the perfect amount of features that we could visit without feeling like it was going to be a “Six Flags” kind-of-day to try to do it all.

Bounce houses, a petting zoo, meeting the Easter Bunny and the hunts seemed just about perfect for my age group’s needs (older children seemed a little bored which was evidenced by many of them with long faces and zoned in to game devices). There wasn’t much information online about hunt times so I went looking for a guide. There were lots of helpers in pink shirts, but not many of them seemed to know what was going on. Thankfully I was saved by an announcement that let me know the 4-5 year huddle was happening soon and line up. Let’s just say, while there wasn’t a published agenda for my OCD-type brain to read, the kids seemed happy and the three-hour event rolled on just fine. In less than 2 hours, we fulfilled our quest plus a photo with The Chipmunks without any meltdowns, so we moved on to our next challenge – bluebonnets.

Picturesque Nash Farm is the ideal backdrop for an Easter Egg Hunt.

Thankfully, over the last few days I had been seeking out the right place to take our first brother-sister bluebonnet picture WITHOUT getting run over. I was fortunate that there was a little place very close to the house off I-30 close to Hurricane Harbor that was perfect to click it. While taking photos either early in the morning or later in the evening are ideal, the cloud cover made for good lighting all day. I asked big brother dressed in his white shirt, to get on his knees where I had laid down a small blanket and handed him his sister, dressed in a simple white and blue frock, to take a few shots. After trying to get the perfect shot, I gave up and just started clicking. After 5 minutes I had a few cute shots although never in the same frame, we had a good time and no fussing.

What I Learned:

My advice for Nash farm? Arrive early for good parking and be ready to go with the flow. The venue is intimate and everyone’s going to get a turn, so just be patient. Bring your camera and some snacks if your little ones need frequent eats.

My advice for bluebonnet photos? Hire a professional – ha! But reasonably speaking, dress for success with something simple like white, blue or yellow since they will look ideal against the blue and green fields. Eye out a spot that isn’t going to kill you to get there, take ‘em quick and remember there’s always next year if they don’t work out the way you envisioned them. It’s about the experience rather than the ideal shot that makes a picture perfect.

Quick candid shots sometimes make the best pictures!

This will be our first time staying in a Moderate resort. This hotel offers pirate themed rooms

Every morning I get on my computer and pull up the Disney World website.  Over to the right of the screen is a little message for me.  Today it said, “104 days until your vacation.”  That is enough to bring tears to my eyes.  I love Disney World, and I do refer to it as my home away from home.  My family and I go once a year, and to some, I have been dubbed a Disney expert.

One thing I get told a lot is that Disney is way too expensive.  Some don’t understand how it can possibly be affordable.  Give me a few hours and I can come up with tons of money saving ideas for any given vacation.  Below is a run down of some ways to save, save, save…

1. Sign up for Disney newsletter.  When you sign up for the newsletters, you will know about any discounts or specials going on at that time.  Also, in the past Disney has sent out pin code offers to people who get the newsletter.  These pin code offers are so much better than what is given to the general public.  They don’t send them out as often any more, but who knows, you may get lucky.

2.  Get a Disney Visa card.  With this card you get 0% interest for 6 months if it is used to purchase your vacation, plus you get discounts on items throughout the parks.

3.  Do research on what are the value season dates.  These are times when kids are generally in school.  You can save hundreds of dollars by just going in September instead of June.  If you absolutely refuse to take your kids out of school for a few days, you may pay a little more money.  That’s the boat I’m in this year.

4.  Stay in a value resort.  These aren’t the most glamorous hotels, but they are very kid friendly and cheap.  If you have kids, or you don’t think you will spend a lot of time in your room, then I suggest a Value resort.  I’ve stayed in one.  Not my choice, but if you are trying to save money, it’s a good idea.  The themes are so much fun.  Kids will love it.  You can always get on a bus to one of the nicer resorts and walk around.  No matter where you stay, that should be on your “to-do” list.  Every resort is spectacular.  *We are staying at a moderate resort for the first time this year.  This is another great option if you are trying to save money , but don’t want to stay in a Value Resort.

5.  Buy your air and vacation package together.  With Expedia and other vacation planning companies, you can save money when combining your air and hotel.  * If you go through a Disney Vacation planner like on DisneyWorld.com or Smallworldvacations.com (whom I use often), when a better deal comes along than what you have already paid for, a lot of the time they will refund you the difference.

6.  Add the dining plan to your package.  It is totally worth it.  Food is EXPENSIVE at Disney World.  You can save a lot of money by just getting the dinning plan.  The plus with this is that they offer it free during certain times of the year, and when you use the dinning plan you can go to more expensive restaurants and get food you wouldn’t normally order.  It’s already paid for, so there are no worries (except for the tip).  *Advanced dining reservations are recommended for most restaurants.

7.  Thinking about pin trading?  Get pins on eBay.  Pin trading is a big deal at Disney.  When you approach a cast member wearing a lanyard, you can ask to trade a pin from your lanyard.  My kids love this.  Pins can get a little pricey.  On eBay, you can find groups of 100 pins that people may be trying to sell for less than $15.  Considering you go to the park and see they are $12 a piece, that’s a great deal.

8. You can purchase souvenirs on Disneystore.com.  Sometimes when you are trying to save money, you may not want to splurge on 100 souvenirs.  A lot of the items they sell in the Disney souvenir shops are also sold online.  Disneystore.com has a “Theme Park” section where you may be able to find that special something that you left behind.  A good thing about the Disney Store, they run sales and specials on Theme Park merchandise all the time.

These are only a few money saving tips.  There are all kinds of ways to save money on a Disney vacation.  Visit DisneyWorld.com often for specials, and sign up for the newsletter.  Also, a great website for helping save money is MouseSavers.com.  They are very knowledgeable and give tons of tips and reviews.

More than anything, do your research.  It’s a fantastic place to visit, and I strongly feel everyone should go a least once in their lives.

I am one person who never gave into the hype of the whole Apple i-whatever it is.  I had an iPod back years ago when they were long and skinny like a stick of gum, but that has been 6 years ago and a lot has changed.

Blackberry has always been my thing.  When the first iPhone came out, I got the Blackberry Curve.  When the next iPhone came out, I got the Blackberry Torch, and then when the iPhone 4s came out, I was at AT&T purchasing myself the Blackberry Torch 4G.  Now, my husband is the opposite.  He got on the Apple bandwagon early.  He has had every version of the iPhone and has loved it.  He loves everything about it.  I have played with it a time or two, and I hate it.  I can’t narrow down what all I dislike about it, I just don’t like it.  I figured I would not have an Apple anything, and I was fine with it.

Was…

For my birthday, my parents gave me an iPad.  I shouldn’t even have to go on.  I fell in love.  I am on it every free second I get.  I have been on the Internet a hundred times looking at different accessories for it.  I am addicted.  It’s fast and I don’t have to wait for it to boot up like my net-book, I don’t have to try and view a tiny screen like on my Blackberry, the Internet is faster than on my Nook, and it is portable so I can use it in the living room unlike my desktop.

The apps are wonderful.  I have apps for cooking, for my Pintrest addiction, Disney, and basically anything else.  I even put some educational apps on there for the kids.  Oh the kids…. they want to play with it so bad.  I just can’t part with it.  Even my husband made a comment that he hasn’t had a chance to play with it yet.  “Get your own, buddy”.

The crazy thing, and I thought I would never say it, but I kinda want an iPhone now.  My husband said, “I heard a rumor that the iPhone 5 is coming out.”  Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.

A snap shot of my iPad and all the great apps I have

My sad Blackberry no longer gets all my love

I had one of those days not too long ago when I decided that I was fat and I needed to do something about it.  I’m not sure if it was because my 5 year old would constantly lift up my shirt and rub my belly while saying, “Baby.  Mommy, when are you going to have your baby?” or “Big belly.  Big, big belly.”  Or because I went to a friend’s house and saw two girls around my age, with children the same age as mine, wearing a size 2 (I know you all know people like that and it’s frustrating).  Regardless, I decided that it was time to do something.

My closet has been full of size 4 clothes for years.  I refuse to part with them because I know I will fit into them again… someday.  At one point, after I had my first son, I made it back to my size 4 days, but then I got pregnant again, and so long size 4… hello size 12!  That’s where I stayed for 2 years.  I do blame most of the weight on drugs and medications that I have been on for cancer treatment, but enough is enough.  I had to do something.

One afternoon we decided to go by the McKinney Flea Market and there was a booth set up selling these HCG drops.  We listened to the man talk about his story and how much he had lost in such a short amount of time.  He had a huge poster of himself at a heavier weight and said he had lost something like 85 pounds.  That was it.  I was done listening.  Where do I sign up for the HCG Diet?

I went home and did a little research on it and talked to a few of my friends.  I didn’t realize that this has been around for so long.  Everyone I spoke to either knew someone who did the diet or had tried it themselves and were happy with the results.  I had to try it.  My mom told me that her doctor had told her about it and gave her information from Shifting Frequencies.  I ordered a bottle and started the HCG diet.

The diet lasts 23-40 days.  I did 29 days the first time around and lost 20 pounds.  It is an extremely strict diet of only 500 calories a day.  If you can’t do it, it does not work.  There is a plan laid out for you.  You can only have coffee or tea for breakfast, 100 grams of chicken or beef for lunch and dinner, and only certain veggies and fruits are allowed.  Again, it is strict.  After you finish your drops, again 23-40 days, you do the next phase.  You can eat what you want in any amount, but no sugar and no carbs.  Do that for 3 weeks.  Then the last phase is to eat what you want and slowly incorporate the sugar and starches back into your diet.

I did 2 rounds of this diet.  I wasn’t happy with just losing 20 pounds, so I did another short round.  This time I did the drops for 25 days and lost another 15 pounds.  I feel great.  I do need to tighten up a little.  You can’t work out while on the diet… but now that I’m off, I am ready to strut my stuff.  Size 4, here I come!

Before HCG

After HCG (you can really tell in the face)

Do you need a little rejuvenation in your Mom life?  Would you like to connect with other Moms in person and have some fun together?

Then you should attend Project Mom in Fort Worth on February 24-25 at the Hilton Fort Worth Hotel.  Sessions include lots of valuable topics such as photography, organization, coupons, style, meal planning, kids finance, pre-teen and teen topics and much, much more.

The best part for you?  We’re giving away tickets for the Saturday lineup, which goes something like…

Saturday

• 6:45 a.m. – Rise and Shine Yoga (for those who purchased the Girls’ Getaway Weekend Package)
• 8:00 a.m. – Check-In and Expo Opens
• 9:00 a.m. – Opening Session
• 10:20 a.m. – First Breakout Session
• 11:20 a.m. – Expo Open / Lunch Break
• 12:45 p.m. – Second Breakout Session
• 1:45 p.m. – Shopping Time in Expo
• 2:00 p.m. – Third Breakout Session
• 3:15 p.m. – Final Session and Grand Prize Giveaways
• 4:30 p.m. – Expo Hall Closes

Leave a comment below saying why you’d like to attend, and I’ll draw three winners at Midnight on Monday, February 20.  Each winner will receive a PAIR of tickets (valued at $49 each) so you can take a girlfriend!  Woot-woot!

Thanks, Project Mom!

My Kindle Touch--my new love affair!

I bought myself a Kindle Touch for Christmas this year, and I am completely hooked. I was debating the decision for a long time before finally taking the plunge and I am so glad that I did. And I wasn’t alone–the PEW Internet Research Project found that ereader and tablet computer ownership jumped from around 10% in December 2011 to 19% in January 2012 (view report here). Here are my top 5 reasons for loving my ereader!

Reason 1:

I am a voracious reader, and was always carrying a book around with me. Some of my books were big and bulky, which meant that I would find myself without them sometimes due to no space to carry them (you moms know what I mean!). The other problem was finishing a book while you were out and about…which leaves you waiting for the end of dance class with absolutely nothing to do. In just over a month, I have built up quite a library on my Kindle, so I am never caught without something to read. Which brings me to reason #2…

Pixel of Ink--A Great Site for free Books

Reason 2:

FREE, FREE, FREE books!! There are so many free books available to download, I can shop totally guilt-free!!

Ereader News Today--more Free books!

There are two great sites that will post multiple free offers on Facebook or by email on a daily basis–Pixel of Ink and Ereader News Today. There are tons of offerings for Kindle, and some for Nook too. Make sure that you pay attention to whether a book is Free or a Bargain.

Reason 3:

My children. There are free books for my four-year olds to practice their numbers, ABCs, and sight words, in addition to fun books for us to read together. This has made waiting around so much easier for all of us, since now they look at it as an opportunity to play on mom’s kindle. My older son had to do six hours of reading over the Christmas break…and again with mom’s kindle it was a lot less of a fight! There is even a Pixel of Ink-Young Edition to keep you informed when new kids books are available for free download.

Reason 4:

The ability to share books with other Kindle users and to borrow e-books from the local library. Check it out–I haven’t had the opportunity to use it yet, but I foresee looking up some best-sellers at my local library very soon.

Reason 5:

Okay, this one might be just me, but I could never read while I was on the treadmill or an exercise bike because the print was too small to follow while moving around so much. I can adjust the print size on my Kindle so I can read while I exercise now! And it stays put on the book ledge too!

I would love to hear about other great sites if anyone has any, or other reason why you love your ereader!