Tag Archives: south florida mom

TV on? Phone within reach?  One eye on your Facebook feed?  Do you twitch when you hear the chirp on your smart phone that a text has arrived?
As a mom, is your dinnertime online?  Are you still “attached” to the online world while you dine with your family? That’s what Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner is asking moms today!
We all know what the “Super Mom” answer is…, “Of course not.  I would never allow my family to watch television during dinnertime and all phones are shut down and not accessible.”
Ha. Ha.  I know the truth!  Even Smart Mamas face a BIG challenge when we sit for dinner and the ding-ding on our phone is heard letting you know that text has come in, maybe one you’ve been expecting all night.  What do you do? Do you ignore it until all the peas and carrots are …

Already 29 weeks pregnant and boy have I had every excuse in the book to not move this growing belly.   I go on walks, maybe not as often as I should.  I chase my 4 year old, certainly more than I should.  Plus I’ve recently moved, so I like to consider each box I unpack as a workout!
A few months ago I was walking through South Miami, a great area of town with fantastic restaurant shops and more. I stumbled across a storefront titled The Bar Method.  Did some research online and found out that this is the latest way to burn some calories and get a great workout!  My third trimester of pregnancy prevents me from joining any type of gym or new exercise program, especially when the fellow gym rats are six-pack bearing moms!  I’m sure you understand!  I then came …

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!  Yes, Dr. Seuss’ Birthday is approaching; it’s actually tomorrow, March 2nd!  What does that mean to you?  For some of you, not much!  But for many, especially you Smart Mamas, it means another excuse to read with your child!  Dr. Seuss has grown to be the mentor of many authors, particularly those in the kids section.  His writing style and art have made his books classics from nearly the start.  We’ve all enjoyed stories such as Green Eggs and Ham and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish .   They are books with rhyme, books with a great beat and often a cute, silly storyline! Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday (it would be his 107th) can be done in many different ways!  It could be as simple as reading an extra book before bedtime, a Dr. …

Week of February 14, 2011
It’s Valentine’s Week!  Yes, we are already in the middle of the 2nd month of the year!  Wow, time is flying by!  Below is the menu I’ll be cooking and serving this week.  Yesterday during breakfast we discussed as a family what we were each in the mood for this week.  The menu is a compilation of everyone’s requests!  Let me know which recipes you try!  I really hope some of you try out the homemade pizza for Friday.  It actually has you make the dough and all!  We did it about a month ago and it came out delicious!
Monday: Happy Valentine’s Day! My big valentine picked Country Style Ribs and my little valentine picked corn!  I’ll serve the ribs with some basic roasted potatoes and corn on the cob!
Ribs recipe:  http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/bbq-country-style-ribs/Detail.aspx
Tuesday
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Of course a SkinnyTaste.com recipe has to …

What does hockey have to do with diapers?  Diapers and ice hockey typically don’t go hand in hand until now!  This month the NHL has teamed up with Huggies and Every Little Bottom with Hockey for Huggies. Throughout February, the 30 National Hockey League (NHL) teams will host diaper drives at their arenas during a designated home game!  The diapers collected will be distributed to local social service agencies and will be covering baby bottoms in no time!
Just recently Grey’s Anatomy star, Ellen Pompeo, shared her support of Hockey for Huggies!  See the YouTube clip: Ellen Pompeo Promoting Hockey for Huggies!
What can you, the very Smart Mama, do to support “Hockey for Huggies?”

Attend your local team’s designated game with a pack of diapers in hand!

o   To see the dates and times of diaper drives check out: 

PAM Baking came to the rescue last week when Isabella and I attempted to make mini blueberry muffins WITHOUT paper cups!  My daughter got frustrated the last time we made her favorite breakfast treat, when the muffins got stuck on the cups.   I knew that the next time around I would need to do something to keep a tear from her eye when she baked and ate her muffins!
I discovered the solution….PAM Baking. This solution is so simple, that I roll my eyes at myself for not thinking of it sooner.  According to http://www.Pam4You.com, PAM® Baking combines the unbeatable no-stick power of PAM with real flour. It’s specially formulated to reach every nook and cranny of even your most intricate bakeware. PAM Baking is the secret to your baking success. It is no-stick where you need it most.
Our “intricate bakeware,” the mini-muffin tin, …

Below is this week’s dinner menu at this Smart Mama home.  This week is a little crazy in the here, we’re moving!  Not far, just 4 miles away…but honestly the distance isn’t the challenge; it’s the packing, moving and unpacking. Add to the situation that I’m 5 months pregnant making it a wee bit more of a pain!  So here’s the menu, taking in mind that we are cleaning out our cupboards, fridge and freezer with this week’s recipe!
Week of January 31, 2011
Monday:
Pork tenderloin, Cuban black beans and rice
Pork recipe: I’m making life easy with this one.  I’m going to season the pork with salt, pepper, lime and onion and bake it at 425° for 25-30 minutes.
UPDATE:
Just finished eating our dinner tonight and the pork came out delicious! I ended up adding a diced onion, juice of half a lemon, a little olive oil …

Below is the dinner menu at this Smart Mama home this week.  I typically do this each Sunday night, but last night I was a bit distracted with the football games.  I have found pre planning each week’s dinner menu saves me time throughout the week.  I hit the grocery on Mondays to purchase the items that I need to complete the dishes.  I also let my husband and daughter pick two of the night dishes.  This week my husband asked for hamburgers & macaroni & cheese (not together) for my daughter.
Here’s the menu with links to the recipe I’ll use.
Week of January 24, 2011
Monday: Hamburgers with caramelized onions, corn and Mashed Maple Squash (I’m using delicata squash)
Squash recipe:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mashed_maple_squash.html
Tuesday
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
This is a friend’s recipe that is super simple.  I actually made it last week and had so much leftover that I …

Take a look at this!  These 6 bags of clothing came out of my closet.

They are filled with styles and sizes that are no longer applicable in this house!  Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with them.  Two things come to mind, donate or sell.  Two of the bags contain items with tags still on and/or a pretty decent brand, so I may try to sell those, but the other 4 bags will certainly get into the hands of those in need through a donation.
I’ve solicited you, my wonderful Smarty Pants Mama readers and twitter followers, to share where you donate your used clothing.  I’ve compiled a list based on my own research and experience plus your wonderful advice!  Please consider any of these organizations the next time you come across a bag of old clothes!
1.       Soles 4 Souls
Not sure what …

It began just a few months ago when we put our house on the rental market.  We hired a reputable realtor and avid blogger Janie Coffey of PapillonRealEstate.com & TheCoralGablesStory.com.  Everything launched great.  Our home was entered in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that allows realtors to learn of our property. MLS also provides the information to sites such as Realtor.com and the like.
A few weeks after our initial posting a gentleman knocked on my door, inquiring about my house.  I kindly asked him to call the realtor name on the sign on my front lawn.  He looked puzzled.  He said he had learned about my property on CraigsList and understood it to be vacant, with an $800/month asking price.  I was now the puzzled one.  I immediately thought my realtor had entered the details of our listing incorrectly.  I explained to …

Sleek. Fast. A Timesaver!
Describing the T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide puts a smile on my face.  You see, as a mom, time is precious.  I need to quickly access my phone’s contents, whether it’s email, texting, photo or my child’s favorite app.  This cell phone does just that, with much ease.
The myTouch 3G Slide has all the bells and whistles that we find in top of the line cell phones, inlcuding camera, video and the ability to select & download desired applications.  It’s size is perfect for your purse pocket, jean pocket or even the stroller cup holder.  The screen slides, unlike some of it’s competitors, to show a QWERTY keyboard, making typing texts and emails a bit easier than the traditional onscreen keyboard.
My most favorite feature found on the myTouch is the Genius Button!  With this feature you can text your husband to pick …

I know you have used cooking spray at least a half a dozen times in the last month. Just this week I sprayed PAM on:

bottom of casserole to make spaghetti squash
breaded chicken thighs that were going to be baked – I also sprayed it on the cooking sheet before
on the frying pan (even though it’s non-stick) when I made the crepelles (pasta for manicotti)
cookie sheet for making my holiday spiced nuts
cookie sheet for the peanut butter cookies I made
bottom of medium pot to sauté the garlic before making tomato sauce
helped my daughter use it to make cookies in her Easy Bake Oven!

The most exciting was with my daughter, Isabella!  She is becoming a bit a of a PAM fanatic!  Recently she used PAM when she baked cookies in her new Easy Bake Oven! Without PAM, the cookies would get stuck to the little tin. …

I experienced a true #FAIL this week!  Look at my phone!
Yes, the thought to be indestructible Otterbox that was to keep my iPhone safe from falls and children, didn’t do its job!  Frustrating!  Last night I was carrying the phone upstairs and lost grip of it and down it went.  I saw it land and immediately recognized the cracked appearance and a tear went down my face!  This phone had sustained my daughter’s not so careful approaching to playing with the phone, the sticky fingers of kids and much, much more.  Why did this final drop end it all?  I was so bummed.  But then, ding ding ding, I remembered something about a warranty with Otterbox.  Something that guarantee their device.  I went to bed last night thinking that just a quick call to the company with my receipt in hand, would get me the new screen …

We had the most exciting gift under our tree this Christmas! Earlier this month I had the ultrasound technician keep the baby’s gender a secret from me. She placed a photo of the baby in the belly (now 19 weeks) with it’s gender written on the side in a sealed envelope. That envelope sat wrapped in a big Christmas box under our tree! I never peeked – although I was a tempted!  On Christmas morning after all Santa gifts were opened Isabella tore into the box and opened the envelope! See the results and the reaction!

I am anxious to learn other creative ways of announcing pregnancy, baby gender and more! Please share!
Did you see how I first shared with Isabella that we would be receiving this special present (baby’s gender) on Christmas morning?

A cookie sheet, breaded chicken, maybe even a squeaky door all have a tool that comes in handy…PAM!  Yes, I just said the traditional cooking spray that is found in nearly every American household!  PAM has come to the rescue so many times here.  The days of greasing a cookie sheet with butter are done, and days of a quick spray have arrived!  In this Smart Mama home we use PAM regularly, and not just in the kitchen!
Over the next few weeks I invite Smarty Pants Mama readers to share their tips and tricks to using PAM!  Is there a recipe that just wouldn’t be as good without a spray of PAM?  Or have you or the Smart Daddy in your house found a practical way of using PAM to help with household tasks? Currently PAM/ConAgra is hosting PAM Top Tips, an incredible opportunity for Smart Mamas and …

On December 25th we are very much looking forward to opening a special present under the tree. You see, the baby in my belly will be announcing that day if it is a girl or a boy! Earlier this month I had an ultrasound done where the technician was able to discern the baby’s gender. I asked her to keep it a secret from me and put it in a sealed envelope. On Christmas morning we will anxiously run down the stairs to see if the nursery will be pink or blue when we open that sealed envelope!
See how I used a cool Hallmark augmented reality card to share a special message from the baby in the belly with my daughter Isabella.   On Christmas another Hallmark card will be awaiting her with the sealed envelope to announce if she will have a baby brother or a …

12 Days of Diapers!

Win a $200 Amazon gift card or other great prize!  Giveaway ends tomorrow, December 17th!!
Please be sure to participate in 12 Days of Diapers today! Simply make a diaper donation to a participating Every Little Bottom diaper bank, or other local organization to enter!
See more details at: http://smartypantsmama.com/2010/12/smart-cause-12-days-of-diapers-support-a-mom-in-need-wgiveaway/
As an official Blog Ambassador I am a selected social media partner for the Huggies Every Little Bottom campaign. I am compensated for my time as a consultant to the program. However, the content and thoughts shared in this post are my own.

BitDefender’s Safe Holiday Shopping Tips for Mobile Devices and Social Media

The holiday shopping season is in full swing and BitDefender is here to share best
practices for safe holiday shopping to ensure consumers don’t get lumps of coal in their
bank accounts this winter.
Shopping via mobile devices and through social media instead of using home and office
computers is a new trend this year. According to the MobileMarketing Association,
59 percent of consumers plan to use their mobile device for holiday shopping and
planning. A separate study found 54 percent of retailers plan to use social media to reach
consumers during the holidays this year. With so much holiday activity happening around
mobile and social media sites, just as consumers need to know about deals, they also need
to know how to avoid scams.
Follow these tips to stay safe:
•  Be wary of the small screens on mobile devices — The small screen …

I know you want to stay warm with the cold weather that is approaching across the nation!  Here is a delicious YUMMY recipe that is sure to warm up tummies in your home!
Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 cups chopped red pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can black eyed peas, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup quick cooking barley
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans stewed tomatoes

Directions
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic & red pepper.  Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Do you have a favorite recipe that you would love to share with Smart Mama readers?  Please email SmartyPantsMama@gmail.com to learn how to be a guest poster!

WINNER: Jennifer B. who donated to a local food bank! Thank you Jennifer for supporting moms in need!

Our Christmas lists are made and the shopping may even be done!  But, we all know the truth.  Many moms are struggling to alone diaper their babies, not to mention providing a gift under the tree.
I am inviting Smarty Pants Mama readers (that’s you!) to take advantage of an awesome opportunity to support a mom in need this December in the 12 Days of Diapers!  These last few months I have seen 1st hand how I can raise a few pennies and set some of my own spending money aside to support the many moms who rely on Destiny Diaper Bank to help them through difficult times.  My donation of diapers and of cash made a difference in a mom’s day – I just know it!
This month, in …

How many hours do you spend on Facebook?  Ok, you don’t have to admit that here.  But I want you to take a moment to consider the amount of time you dedicate to chatting with old classmates, posting the latest family photos, playing Farmville and declining events from your neighbor.  Facebook, like any Internet site, poses an opportunity for the bad guys (that’s a Smart Mama term for the…well the bad guys;)) to access your personal information.  We have all heard that Facebook continues to make advances on it’s security but we always hear in the same breath that it still isn’t what is should be.
Bit Defender, Smart Mama’s tool of choice for computer security (read: Smart Home: Bit Defender is my Super Hero), recently developed a great product for all of us Facebook-ers called safgo.  This Facebook application will maintain a safe Facebook environment while …

I must admit it. I can’t deny it another day.  My daughter and I began listing to the all-Christmas music station the week before Thanksgiving and we haven’t stopped.  I can’t believe it.  I promised I wouldn’t.  I did.
93.1 here in Miami is typically a rock station, 93ROCK.  But from at least a week before Thanksgiving it turns into South Florida’s Holiday Music Station.  All Christmas, all the time!  We love it!
Maybe I should clarify that.  My daughter, who is 4 years old, and I love it.  My husband thinks it is a bit ridiculous.
The challenge I am facing is keep up with my daughter’s song choices.  She has developed an unrelenting passion for Feliz Navidad – the classic originally sung by Jose Feliciano. She asks me every day to put it on.  My horrendous attempt in explaining how a radio works, and how we can’t select …

GIVEAWAY WINNER:  Jennifer Hutcheson @Mami2Mommy
Just in time for gift buying time, Baby Einstein has come out with a new product that’s perfect for all those little ones on Santa’s list!  The Baby Einstein Discovery Kits combine the established DVD’s, with a related book or activity cards and a musical CD. 
These discovery kits provide structured purpose to play time with the little one.  The kits are organized in three different levels.
Level 1:  Experience, is for children who are just beginning to look, listen and figure out what this world is all about
Level 2: Explore, is for children who are beginning to sit, reach, grasp and scoot.  This kit allows the child to make connection with the world around them.
Level 3:  Expression, is for children who are just walking and beginning to talk.  A better understanding of self-expression is gained from this kit.
I certainly understand …

Last month I hosted a diaper drive during a garage sale. It was easy! See what I had to say and then read about the 1st simple step to hosting your own diaper drive!

What did you think?  Can you do it too?  I KNOW your can!  Today I begin an 8 part series walking you through the steps of hosting a diaper drive, an elaboration of the Huggies How to Host a Diaper Drive in Your Community Toolkit.  Follow the steps each week to prepare for a drive.  Even if you never have considered hosting a diaper drive, take a moment to learn these simple steps and you will see how easy it is to support moms in need!
Step 1:  Find a local charitable organization to donate the diapers you collect.
Knowing the name of the organization, its current needs and its impact on your community can …

We have home security system in our home.  It keeps my family safe.  It’s easy to use and we sleep better at night because we know there is a sophisticated system protecting the family and home.
Safety and protection shouldn’t stop at the front door.  A family needs to be protected online as well.  With millions of interactions occurring online every day, we need to be certain that our family’s safety is protected.  Each time we purchase an item online, surf a new web page, or log onto our bank, we need to be certain that no one is “sneaking in” our online house. Bit Defender Total Security is my family’s online security tool.  With Bit Defender, I know that “someone” is always protecting my family, just like my home security system protects my house.  I am confident that a virus or spyware will not …

Halloween dessert just got spookier! Here’s a great treat that I have made for Halloween!  They are such a hit!  The look is great, the taste and unbelievable and they truly are fairly easy to make!
Spooky Peanut Butter Eyeballs

1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp. butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. white chocolate
1 small bag M&Ms
red decorator frosting
blue food coloring
cooking spray

Mix the Peanut Butter Eyeball Ingredients
In the bowl of a large mixer, blend peanut butter and butter until creamy. Slowly begin to add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue mixing until it begins to resemble cookie dough.
Form the Candy Eyeballs
Using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop out balls of peanut butter mixture.  Roll between your palms to get them as round as possible.  If mixture gets too gooey, place in fridge for a few minutes to stiffen. Place them on …