Monthly Archives: December 2011

Spicy Mango Slices Dipped in Chocolate – My Favorite Easy Dessert That Looks Totally Gourmet

This is the easiest quick dessert that you will love and make over and over again.  3 ingredients, a quick melt of the chocolate and you’re done. Ingredients Dried Mango (plain, NOT sugared) Chocolate (use what you like, from chocolate … Continue reading

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Review of Excellence Riviera Cancun

All INCLUSIVE CANCUN RIVIERA MAYA RESORT ADULT ONLY ALL INCLUSIVE (20 MIN FROM CANCUN INT’L AIRPORT) Let me first give you my baseline for this review. My husband and I (mid-30s with 2 small kids who stayed home with Grandma … Continue reading

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What to do when your kid drops the f-bomb at age 2!

My 2-year old daughter LOVES animals.  We visit the LA Zoo often and I know a whole lot more about animals than I did pre-parenthood.  I got her a subscription to a magazine called Wild Animal Baby that is put … Continue reading

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Airplane Travel with Children

A few months after I had my first baby we planned a trip to visit family.  An airplane trip.  I was terrified.  Like many new challenges for a first time mom, I didn’t know what to expect; I had visions … Continue reading

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Something’s Magical About the Theatre

Growing up I quickly discovered that I loved the stage.  Whether I was on it or in front of it, it called to my soul.  I would mentally move with every step of a dancer or an actor during a … Continue reading

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A fun tradition called Santa Mouse

One of the best traditions I learned from my ex-husband’s family was one called Santa Mouse.  Each person in the family would have their own small box or bag that was hung on the Christmas tree along with the decorations.  … Continue reading

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Christmas Traditions – Those we want to keep and others we don’t!

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, we all have some holiday traditions.  In our family, we have a few favorites and one, in particular, that keeps happening even though we would like it to stop. Involve the Kids in Decorating … Continue reading

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Holiday Traditions

I sleep with monkeys.  And I’m not talking about my husband and daughter.  I mean stuffed monkeys.  Elephants.  Even Goldilocks (but never the three bears for some reason known only to my toddler).  And, unfortunately, Elmo, who feels like the … Continue reading

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Quick and Easy Recipe of the Week – Sort-of-Lasagna with Wheels

I like dishes that I can sneak in some veggies, so dishes like this are perfect.  I chop up the vegetables nice and small so that they just blend in with the sauce.  Easy vegetables to add are bell peppers, … Continue reading

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Homemade Christmas Ornaments

Some of my favorite memories are making homemade Christmas ornaments with my children. Here are a few ideas that you may want to use with your children.  Not to mention, homemade ornaments make wonderful gifts for grandparents, teachers and friends. … Continue reading

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How To Handle A Holiday Party Melt-down

You’re stressed out over finding the perfect gifts for your children or the holiday dinner that you haven’t begun to plan and the last thing you want is a melt-down while you’re trying to cross something off your list, or … Continue reading

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Mini Loaves – Perfect to Share!

I love sweet bread of any variety. When it is baked just right you can’t get much better. I love to make pumpkin bread and banana bread and I love to share that bread with friends. But I cannot tell … Continue reading

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How to Make a Paper Angel Ornament

I love a Christmas tree that has a variety of ornaments.  My tree has all of the kids’ homemade ornaments from years past, and some new ones (because they were broken when our tree would come crashing to the ground).   … Continue reading

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Quick and Easy Beef with Snow Peas and Carrots

This recipe does NOT call for a crock pot <wink>. Recently my cousin and her family came to visit for the weekend.  This was stressful for two reasons – first, she has a 15 year old football player and I … Continue reading

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Simmering Potpourri

The holiday season is here, and with that will be the inevitable arrival of guests.  Whether it is a neighbor dropping off cookies or family descending upon your house-people will be flocking to your home.  What better way to greet … Continue reading

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Surprising Favorite Gifts – Not All About the $$$

For the last couple of years we seem to struggle with money during the Christmas season.  I know that some things we can change about this and some we have no control over.  I have two teenagers and as we … Continue reading

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Gift ideas for the Teacher from the Teachers themselves

Every year I struggle to come up with a gift for the teacher.  This year instead of guessing, I decided to go right to the source.  I know several teachers and decided to ask them what some of their favorite … Continue reading

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Cholesterol Screening in Young Children

The next time you take your child in to the doctor’s for a physical, don’t be surprised if the doctor suggests your child have her cholesterol screened.  Recently, new guidelines created by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute … Continue reading

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How to Teach Your Child to Read (with video demonstration)

I decided it was time to teach my oldest daughter to read.  I wanted her to be a confident reader before entering kindergarten.  I was pumped, I was ready and I thought where do I begin?!? Well, I guess that … Continue reading

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Quick and Easy Chicken Tortellini Soup – A Crowd Pleaser (Really!)

First – I promise that all of my recipes will not require a crock pot.  Right now though, ’tis the season with not enough hours in the day so I use it a lot. Each year on Halloween evening before … Continue reading

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Running Gift List

“What was it that my mom said she wanted for Christmas?” “I don’t have any idea what to get my husband for his birthday.” “My kids need more puzzles but they definitely don’t need any more of…what was it again?” … Continue reading

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Quit Asking Questions – What?

Every week my son and I have a speech therapist come to my house and train me on how to help him learn how to speak. My son is almost 2 years old and is experiencing a speech delay. Of … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood Learning, Parenting, Special Needs | Tagged , | 4 Comments