Kindness Ripple

So on Monday I went through my Starbucks drive-thru and paid for the coffee of the car behind me. It was the nice thing to do and I hoped to make someones day. Well, I just drove through that same Starbucks and the same girl was working the window (she knows me because I am an addict) and she said "On Monday when you got that guys coffee it started a chain reaction of like 10 cars buying for the car behind them. It was great". I love that I was able to start a 'kindness ripple' like that.

Idea for Moms!

My kids LOVE couscous, like really, really LOVE it. I HATE to feed it to them because it is so super messy and the clean up is a total, complete pain in the patooty.

So I figured out something that I could do to bind the couscous together to make it just as delicious as it usually is, but also make it easy to eat for the kids and clean up for me.

I start by making a package of couscous. I use Near East, but any kind will do. My kids like all the flavors really, but BB loves the Mediterranean Curry and CC likes the Herbed Chicken.

Then I press the cooked couscous into a bit of a loose patty in the bottom of an omelette pan. I put the pan on a medium/high heat and pour over it a lightly beaten egg that I have mixed with a splash of milk. The egg will surround the couscous patty and also get in between the grains of couscous (this is why you pack the patty loosely). Cook this patty until the egg is firm on bottom, then flip and cook on the other side. It should flip easily once the egg is cooked on the bottom.

Let cool and serve to children in slices. They will love that they have that same couscous taste, and you will love that you dont have to Hoover up a million tiny grains of couscous that little hands with tiny forks and spoons have spilled.

Okay, now its your turn: tell me in a comment your favorite Mom trick to make you life in the kitchen easier!

One last thing-- you could also add things you are trying to 'disguise' into the couscous---cooked carrots, peas, broccoli etc.

Work It Out Wednesday!

Some of you might remember last summer when I posted as my FaceBook status "Friends, when I fall off the wagon and stop eating well and stop running/walking PLEASE remind me how good I feel right this moment as I sweat my ass off on my couch after a fantastic run". Well, for those of you who remember-- SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on you for not reminding me. LOL!

Since the move to Florida life has taken over, and chasing my tail on treadmill at a quick clip turned into chasing babies as a slow crawl, literally. And preparing healthy meals with quinoa and whole grains turned into shoving whatever I can in my mouth and washing it down with Pinot Grigio (the fuel that keeps mothers going). I stopped paying attention to my weight (other than to secretly chastise myself for clothes getting tight) and stopped remembering how good it felt to move and sweat. I made excuses, lots of them.

But those days are done my friends. I have a brand-spanking new pair of running shoes on their way to my door as we speak. I have my groove back for exercising-- and I WILL do it. So let me say it again, dear readers, if I forget, remind me. You wont offend me, you will support me. Once in awhile shoot me a comment asking how my daily exercise was. Ask me what I did, how much I loved it, and what my plans for the next day are.

Hold me accountable to the promise I have made to my health.

Get Well Wednesday!

I am so sorry I have neglected you all for so long. First there was Easter, then I got hit with the plague. Well not really the plague but some sort of allergy induced cold/sinus thing that is kicking me in the keister. For the past few days I have been living on these:

Though if I can avoid medication I try to. I find that my Neti Pot helps me to beat any sinus issues I might have usually. If you have never used a Neti Pot you absolutely MUST try it- especially if you have any sinus issues that result in sinus infections. If you have never seen one--here it is:

Quite literally a pot that you mix a saline solution in then pour it into your nose. I wont get into the yucky details, but you can imagine the results. For someone like me who suffers from sinus issues, its heavenly.

So please accept my apology dear readers and know that I will be back, possibly with a give-away. How about that for an apology? A promise of free stuff! Best apology ever? Maybe.

Fashion Friday-In your Easter bonnet...

I have an unusually small head, like fit childs baseball caps small head. For this reason I have never been one to gravitate to hats. But I love the look of a super sophisticated hat for say, a polo match, or an afternoon tea, or an outdoor wedding. I even think a day at the beach is an occassion to wear a gorgeous hat. If I could pull hats off I would wear them all the time (grocery store runs included) and shamelessly beg for invitations to events at which to wear them.

Here are a few of my favorites that I have seen recently:

How about this casually fabulous wide brimmed straw hat? So gorgey!

Or this "perfect for the derby" hat- its PINK, enough said.

How wonderful and whimiscal is this hat with the black birds on it? LOVE!

This black and white hat is GORGEOUS! (I might have to make a purchase and see how it looks).

So as this Easter weekend looms, please remember me and my small melon as you slip on your Easter bonnet. Here, in the land of the palm trees. I am jealous. Happy (Good) Fashion Friday! Hop! Hop!

Travel Tuesday! Girls Weekend Planning

Another Mom friend and I are planning a girls weekend away. We arent planning to go far, but a few miles can seem like another country when you are in the right setting and out of screaming distance of your kids. LOL!

We are lucky enough to live in the land of sunshine and palm trees, so a tropical location is easy to do, but where to stay? We found just the place!

The Don Cesar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, FL. How can we go wrong-- its PINK! (maybe an appletini will add just the right GREEN element, LOL!)

I grew up vacationing in St. Pete Beach and staying at the Don Cesar. (I even met the members of Bon Jovi at the Don, but thats another story for another post). It was gorgey then, and its gorgey now. Even more so since it was acquired and updated by the Loews hotel franchise.

So for our girls weekend we are planning to sip frozen drinks by the pool and leave our IPhones in our rooms. How could we not relax and soak up some rays by this pool?

What girls weekend is complete without at least one pedi? Doesnt this look like the perfect place to sit and gab with a girlfriend while having your piggies pampered? The Oceana spa will be where I let my stress melt away. The only thing missing in these pics is a glass of bubbly-- maybe its BYO? LOL

And after a stressful day of lounging by the pool, ignoring our cell phones and getting our piggies painted we can FINALLY relax with a nice massage while overlooking the Boca Ciega Bay. Heaven!

There might be a few of these thrown in for good measure. Whats a girls weekend without some laughs and a few bubbles?

What was your last weekend away? Was it everything you hoped for it to be? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Happy Monogram Monday!

After a weekend spent with my wonderful family I could think of nothing better to tell you about today than one of the things I love almost as much as DH, BB and CC---MONOGRAMS!

I really dont think there is much in this world that doesnt look better with a monogram thrown on it. My car even has my monogram on it from 2PreppyGirls.

And I am thinking that for Mothers Day these car floormats from GGBailey might be the perfect addition to my monogram collection. I am partial to the pink/green combo, but I am sure thats not surprising!

How about this ultra elegant monogrammed flatware. Love!

Or, and this is for you if you are reading DH, this super chic Louis Vuitton luggage with monogram? Mothers Day is right around the corner, hint, hint.

For some fun, affordable, ADORABLE monogrammed items, you can click the button to 2PreppyGirls on this blog page. Incredible gifts for Mothers Day, and select items offer Free Shipping! Happy Monogram Monday!