Thanks for the great encouragement to do something yummy with the lot of strawberries we picked earlier in the week. I had really wanted to make jam, however, the CoolWhip container won! Yes, we enjoyed nearly every last strawberry dunked into CoolWhip. Oh, how yummy!
Bet you didn’t know that today is National PTA Founders’ Day? On this day in 1897 Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Alice McLellan Birney began their mission to see how teachers, parents and community members together can provide support, information and resources to the families of the school. I’m reminded of the ancient African proverb, it takes a village to raise child.
PTA (Parent Teachers Association) in schools are so valuable. I spent 8 years in the public schools, beginning as a classroom teacher, so I saw 1st hand how an active PTA provides such an asset to the school, while an inactive PTA is a real detriment. The schools really have such a great resource of parents who truly have a vested interest in the school. The parents who volunteer their time show a true commitment to their students.
Did you know that the National …
Picked up my Annie’s Produce yesterday! I really just get so excited!
Here’s my loot:
Inventory:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Kent Mangos
Valencia Oranges
Asparagus
Zucchini
Crimini Mushrooms
Broccoli
Fingerling Potatoes
Romaine Lettuce
Slicing Tomatoes
Yes, that makes the strawberry section of this house over done! I wonder if I can freeze the strawberries? Does anyone know?
Annie posted a fantastic sounding recipe for Asparagus and Lemon Chicken over Rice! I still have a few lemons left over from last week so I think this may be dinner tonight! I’ll let you know how it tastes!
@Stacie supermommytotherescue.com – Apple picking is certainly something I haven’t done since I lived up north. There aren’t many apple trees down this way! Thanks for the comment
@Leticia techsavvymama.com – You have already given me an idea as to what to do with my ridiculous amount of strawberries! Strawberry Jam!!!
@Shell thingsicantsay-shell.blogspot.com - NC in May must be beautiful!
The weather is still a bit on the chilly side. I still can’t believe what a wuss I’ve become!
I actually wore my UGG style boots today. Just a few wek ago I would have sweated just at the thought of wearing them in South Florida, and here I am shivering wearing a wool sweater when it’s 55 out! What have a I turned into!
I’ve been busy at the oven during naptime today. With yesterday’s produce delivery (I need to fill you in about that one of these days) we got a huge thing of bok choy, daikon radishes and Jeruselem artichokes. What exactly do I do with all this! Thankfully with these frigid tempurters I had a request from my hubby for some stew tonight. So, with my fresh box of produce, plus TONS left over from last week, I have a yummy, healthy stew simmering on the stovetop. I …
It’s the Monday morning cold blues! Wow, woke up this AM to the low 40s in South Florida! Yikes! I grew up in the northeast but I have certainly acclimated in my 4 1/2 years down south. Winters in my book are now filled with days in the high 60s to low 70s. Not any of this nonsense!
I hit the gym this morning to work with my trainer. Although I’m dealing with a sprained finger and possible torn ligament I was there! Cheers to me! It has been nearly 3 months of dedication and I’m seeing such a difference already! I’m down at least one dress size, possibly 2! The scale isn’t showing as much – just about 10 lbs. I’ve also been blessed to receive so many compliments during the last month. I love it! Woo Hoo!
Enjoy the big smiles from my munchkin at the Christmas …
“Daddy’s home!” may be my munchkin’s favorite words to hear! I just love the excitement she has when we notice his truck heading down the street from our front window! She is beside herself with excitement!
PS – I LOVE when her daddy is home too!
Ok, so this made me stop and smile! The other day as I was opening a new bag of Goldfish, my latest fitness kick convinced me to look at the label and ingredients, (I try to be a health nut whenever possible!) Much to my surprise I came across the greatest 1st ingredient of any package of my pantry! According to the Goldfish Cheddar bag, the little fishies are, “Made with SMILES and… ” What? Smiles? How great is that!? You know that the 1st ingredient is the ingredient of largest quantity in the item! So, I wonder, if you eat food made with lots of smiles, will you instantly have a smile on your face? I sure did! And, I bet you do too! Go ahead, go find that bag of Goldfish and check it out!
I’m from Long Island, NY and now call South Florida home. There are certainly things from NY that I miss. One of the most difficult to adjust to is the lack of seasons. Or should I say profound seasons. Yes, in Florida we do experience “winter,” it’s just a bit different than the winters in NY. The heat lessens, as does the humidity. People dress as if it’s 20 degrees out, when the weatherman frightens the viewers with a chance of high 50s at night. It’s a but amusing. Anyway, the season I miss the very most is autumn. I miss the leaves changing. I miss the leaves falling. And, most importantly, I miss the smell of the leaves. It’s a smell that is so reminiscent of my childhood and my birthday. I have a birthday this month, and with just one whiff of an autumn leaf …
Is it a shark??? LOL! I love this picture! She’s just nearly 3 and looks like a shark in the water!
My daughter is starting another session of swimming this afternoon. Yes, we live where it’s warm so swimming is easily a 12 month sport! Plus, the swimming school, Ocaquatics http://www.ocaquatics.com/ , has a new indoor facility that is beautiful!
Picture was taken with the Olympus Stylus-Tough 6000.
This month I’ll be trying out a few products to see if they are Smarty Pants Mama reader worthy Yes. I do hold you all in such a high regard
One product that is currently in “Testing Mode” is the Olympus Stylus Tough-6000. This waterproof, shockproof digital camera is FANTASTIC, so far! Check out the 1st picture I took of my, if I do say so myself, beautiful orchid out back! Can you tell that I’m excited!
Look forward to a complete review of this camera and more products in the weeks ahead!
My little munchkin celebrating the 4th of July with sparklers for the very first time!!!
I’m back…………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, things have been cRaZy! My unplanned absence from Smarty Pants over the last 2 weeks is due to a calamity of reasons….from my knee being a pain and in pain, to an impromptu role as a summer camp counselor!
Well, I’m back and have tons to catch up on!!! Over this week I will post:
The winner of the last Smarty Pants Product of the Week Giveaway for the Rock N Learn CD.
The next Smarty Pants Product of the Week!
Over a dozen CPSC product recalls!
A FABULOUS summer recipe!
A GREAT website to use with your munchkin(s)!
and more!!!!!!!
Looking forward to spending the summer with you, my super fantastic Smarty Pants Mama readers!
Smiles,Caroline
It’s now been nearly 4 weeks since my latest knee surgery (hardware removal and scope)! Ouch!
Over the last year, I have had to dedicate much of my time to the recuperation from my very serious knee injury (Feb. 08) and subsequent surgeries (Feb 08 & May 09.) It has been a struggle to find an exercise routine that would get my hear rate up, not hurt my knee and ideally be enjoyable. With the limiations of no high impact cardio, walking with a limp and the inability to run, I finally found the solution with water aerobics. Have you ever tried it? I love it! Yes, I’m typically one of the youngest in the class, but it provides EXACTLY what I need! I enrolled in a water aerobics class at the local community college last fall. I go 2 nights a …
PRIZEY Detail Smarty Pants Product Of The Week Living Well Health Master Blender
Yipeeeee! Smarty Pants Product of the Week has been selcted a Prizey Pick, Editor’s Pick at Prizey.net!
flour
sugar
garlic powder
salt & pepper
margarine/butter
bread
potatoes
Those are 7 common items found in most kitchens. They are essentials. All kitchens should have an ample supply of each. The list continues. But I won’t share that just yet. I’m going to continue brainstorming and peeking through my cupboards to come up with my own list of 25 items that are essential in a Smart Mama’s home.
What do you think I should add to the list?
Sleep deprivation won’t end until the last child is…..
I remember hearing over and over again how one’s life completely changes after having a child. Boy were they right in sooooooooooo many ways. It’s astonishing how your mind can completely change priorities…spending the greater part of 30 years putting yourself and, in time, hubby 1st, to all of a sudden putting on the brakes, kicking yourself out of the front seat and wanting your child and hubby to ride together. Odd analogy I know.
So back to my original thought about sleep deprivation. Lately my 28 month old munchkin hasn’t been so into sleeping through the night. She’ll wake up sometime between 3 and 6 AM and come into our room. (At this point I should get out of bed and bring her back to her room.) However, I lift her up into our bed and …
Hi Smart Mamas!
I’m sure you are all as happy as I am that it’s Friday!!! We have a pretty casual weekend planned. We have TONS of housework – clean out the garage, plant flowers, reorganize the guest room… – and we hope to have time to attend the South Miami Rotary Arts Festival. It’s a great little festival that has a lot of what you would see at other festivals, like the Coconut Grove one we went to last week, BUT it’s FREE! That’s my favorite part!
Another pretty HUGE event for the weekend…take down my munchkin’s toddler bed/crib!!!! For nearly a year she has been sleeping in a toddler bed with a twin in the room with her. Occasionally she’ll fall sleep on the twin and even times we’ll put her on the toddler bed at night and find her on the twin in …
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
So my munchkin will turn 17 months in 10 days, yet on Saturday she reached a milestone that the majority of toddlers don’t reach until well into 2 years – she climbed out of her crib!!! As a parent, this is a very terrifying moment. A child’s size and strength with give them the ability to get out of the crib, but what happens when the reach the other side? Will they jump over the edge, or slowly inch down? What happens when they are “free” in their room, while all along mommy and daddy are thinking they are nestled in their crib asleep?
While my peanut was napping on Saturday, we heard a thump (not too loud or heavy, but certainly a thump) followed by a cry. Tom, my husband (a.k.a. SmartyPantsDada), ran upstairs to check on the little one. As he reached the …
So these toy recalls don’t want to stop. It feels like every week we’re hearing about lead paint on a toy that was made in China. I get nervous when I read about these. Does my daughter have one of these toys on her play shelf, at Nana’s or at her cousin’s house?
Rather than waiting for your local news station to have a huge news story on your little one’s favorite train set, I recommend some other options. One option is to subscribe to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSV) listserv to receive timely announcements in your inbox of which toys to toss. You may also want to subscribe to the FDA’s listserv to learn what should be going in the trash from your fridge or pantry! You can access the subscription for both government agencies on recalls at www.Recalls.gov.
Another site I …
My husband swore that Barney would never play at our house – this was obviously before our little one was born and he became the biggest mush for her. With nearly a dozen “kid” channels available, we’ve found that Sprout TV, the PBS Kids, toddler version, to be the best. It plays favorites such as Thomas & Friends, Angelina Ballerina, Kipper, Fireman Sam, Sagwa, Sesame Street and of course Barney! They also have three main shows a day, The Sunny Side Up Show, The Let’s Go Show and The Good Night Show. In each of these three programs, the host sings, dances and introduces the different episodes that are shown during the show. There is very much a routine involved; the same programs are played in a specific order. For example, Kipper always comes on around 6:20 PM after Nina …
It’s PARTY TIME!!!! I have been invited to participate in this year’s Ultimate Blog Party, sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom! ! It’s a great opportunity to learn about mommy-made blogs and blog readers! That means you too! Check out the site and see the over 1000 blogs listed and maybe even win a prize!
PS- Thank you TechSavvyMama for sharing the party news!
Ok, so we hear over and over again that kids are expensive. However, not until you begin to experience the near daily trips to Publix or Target, do you see how the cost of diapers, averaging 20 cents a piece or wipes for $5.00 a box, adds up so quickly!
Diapers – did you ever think that a human being could dirty a diaper with the frequency of your new little munchkin?? Are you using formula – averaging $25 per container!? There has to be – and there is – ways to use cost saving tips and coupons that will save you TONS as you adventure to properly dress, feed and clean your peanut!
This week I want to HIGHLY recommend BabyCheapSkate.com. This site provides frequent, near daily, updates on the latest and greatest deals for moms.
Real Story: Last summer I visited the site, based on …
I’m super excited to begin sharing with you my many different experiences and successes I’ve had with my beautiful daughter. Experiences make us smarter moms. Think of those 1st few days with your little one. Remember how clueless and nervous you were with that 1st bath. You sweated over if the water was warm enough, or if the washcloth was the soapy one or the one to water rinse your bundle of joy. At last you were done and considered yourself an ole pro! I like to think that we, as moms, become smarter and smarter with each and every experience. Think about everything you did with your children yesterday, you became knowledgeable – smarter- on being a mom!
With each post, I will share a website or other resource that has proven to be super helpful in making me a smart mom! …
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