Make Your Own Party Favors: Sesame Street Party

Every family party I try to give fun favors that fit the party theme. Every Birthday I have my daughters pick a theme and decorate the house. I love it. Makes it easy to look festive and the kids are happy. 

Tomorrow's party for my soon to be three year old is Sesame Street theme. You would think it would be easy to find food or snacks to fit these theme. Not this time. I did call around to places that had donuts or cupcakes but they wanted close to $4 a piece and well when you make close to two dozen favors it can add up. I got a little creative this time and found juice boxes with Sesame Street characters on them and finally decided to stick with alphabet cookies. I purchased both items at Walmart and found Sesame Street favor bags at party city. Must say they came out super cute and when I added up costs came to about $1.50 each. 

Free Food Days...Mark Your Calendars

25 Free Food Days You Need To Put On Your Calendar Right Now http://spoonuniversity.com/place/25-free-food-days-you-need-to-put-on-your-calendar-right-now?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spoon-social

What's For Dinner? Asian pasta with grilled chicken and zucchini

Summer is the perfect time to get in shape. I am down 8lbs and determine to keep losing.  I have tried it all. Low carb, working out a lot, cider diet...you name it. After two back to back pregnancies with c-sections and thyroid cancer I thought I never would be back to my pre- pregnancy body. So I tried something new and it's working...counting calories. I love to
Eat and want a bagel for breakfast or a bite of cake for dessert. So by counting my calorie intake I am more cautious of what I consume.

Tonight's dinner: Asian angel hair pasta, with grilled chicken and zucchini. Super easy. Super yummy. After you cook the pasta. Drain the water. Return to the pot. Add Olive Oil, Salt, Sesame oil and soy sauce. Goes perfectly with anything. I love angel hair because a little totally fills you. Not sure why verse other pastas but works for me.

Grow Restaurant in Shelton CT

We wanted to grab lunch someplace after Blueberry picking and two big requests were: had to be kid friendly and have Wine! After some research we decided to give this place a try. No regrets!! The place is super hip and earth friendly. The food is organic and dishes on the menu made it hard to choose what to order because all sounded delicious.  The chicken nuggets on kids menu were chicken cutlets. Delicious! No fake processed meat here! From the seafood rice balls down to the amazing ice cream sandwiches, we left happy and full. I totally received bonus points for picking an amazing place to end our great morning adventure. Can't wait to go back!

http://growshelton.com/

Beach House Has Opened In Norwalk & It's Delicious

Mamma's Boy fans no need to worry, Beach House has opened and it's delicious , they even still have some "country" spin on their menu like chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits. Located right across the Maritime Center In Norwalk, Beach House has a variety of amazing dishes like their truffle oil mushroom flatbread- so so good! Hard to pick what to eat because you want to try them all.  Love the ambience and must say they have delicious Blood Orange Margaritas! http://bhsono.com/

New Month... New Day... New You!

You Get What You Work For!

Sono Arts Festival This Weekend Aug 5th & 6th

Learn More Here: https://m.facebook.com/sonoartsfestival/photos/gm.1702566756717441/321227738321791/?type=3&source=44

Create Your Own Sunshine

Dog Lovers..Great Charity Event at Dry Dock Bar & Grille

Crayola Experience...Amazing...Where Crayons Come To Life

I wanted to stop someplace on the way to our Hotel in Pennsylvania to give the kids a break from the car ride. After some research I found this amazing place. The Crayola Experience is a four floor hand on activity center. It brings crayons to another level. They have over 28 hand on activities. We spent a couple hours here and could of spent all day. When you get there they give you tokens. You use them to make custom wrappers for your crayons. They have marker dispensers. One floor had melt crayons where you can paint. Another location you color in a picture and scan your picture. The picture comes to life and scans you in with the image. 

Any picture you take or make you can turn into a shirt or puzzle or color in. It's truly amazing. Being a mom that loves doing crafts this was the perfect spot. It's clean and bright. There is no possible way to get bored. We didn't even do a quarter of what they have to offer. I would totally go back. 

Learn More Here: http://www.crayolaexperience.com/

Imagine The Possibilities

Can You Tell Me How To Get To...Sesame Place...Rocks!

Ok ok so I received some mixed feedback on this place and what gave me that push to go was a great price special due to their 37 year anniversary AND growing up I always associated Hershey with Sesame Place because that's where we went on a family vacation before. Now don't get me wrong, they are NOT close to one another! But Sesame Place is on the way home to CT from Hershey. This place rocks!  

I was a little nervous that my oldest would be bored and at first she wanted to go on the bigger water rides and gave me trouble by after 30 mins she was having a blast like the rest of us. This place is a great size, super kid friendly rides, even some great ones for the older kids. It was clean and not too crowded. Granted we did go on a Tuesday. The weather wasn't bad and when it did rain a little we ate dinner and shopped. They have a little wave pool, awesome lazy river, some really cool splash pads. I am so so glad we went.  We stayed 6 hours and did most of the stuff. We saw the parade twice. My girls were beaming with joy!

Good Karma

Chucky Cheese...Check Off Kids Bucket List

We FINALLY took the kids to Chucky Cheese. They have been asking for a while now. It wasn't that I didn't want to go. It was that in CT we didn't have one close to us and it all received negative feedback from friends. So when we planned our vacation in Hershey I looked it up. They had a ton in our area. Well my husband said "did you read the reviews. They are horrible". Great here  we go again! But it was from a year ago and honestly it was almost a now or never situation. So when every one napped my oldest and I took a ride to check it out and it was perfect. When the little ones woke up we said we had a surprise for them and to get ready. When we pull up their expression was priceless. 

"Chucky Cheese..CHUCKY cheese...YAY CHUCKY CHEESE!!!!"  Yeah It def was amazing the excitement in their eyes and for one hour of fun for $20 for three kids sure was a great deal!

I Scream You Scream We All Scream For...

I have been really good. I lost 6 lbs and was determined to not gain any weight on our family vacation. And then there's Friendlys. Literally right outside our hotel window! 

 I walked 20,000 steps the day before at Hershey Park so this was pretty well deserved!

Believe In Yourself

The Secret To Happiness...

Your thoughts become your reality. Put your energy and thoughts into the things that you love. 

Image: Instagram The Secret 

Parents & Sports Sometimes Don't Mix

Tonight at one of my daughter's baseball games a mother from another team on our league was making some comments on how the kids were playing.  I was beyond pissed. Her husband kept telling her to stop and I knew he finally said the coach's wife is right there because she stopped and looked at me. The opposite teams coach had to tell his side to stop with their comments too. Our team was making some errors,we ended up wining which isn't the point. The point is these are kids  young kids  they have good playing days and bad playing days. There's a ton of pressure on them. Playing infront of big crowds, on super hot days. Sometimes they play amazing, sometimes they can't seem to hit the ball. Regardless these are kids. They aren't getting paid, they are sensitive , one rude comment can truly affect them. Also what example are you setting for your own kids who hear you and your comments. I saw this sign the other day and it really should be put up in every field. It sums up the reality. And for those who can't keep quiet then don't come to these games. 

 

Source: Instagram. JustJanney

Life's Lesson: It's Not About You!

Life's lesson: how someone treats you isn't a reflection of you. It's a sad reflection of themselves.  You can't try to heal or change a person who doesn't see an issue in their actions and things they say and do. You have to just pray they heal or change so they can be a better person for themselves. See it's not about you, even though they may say or do something to hurt you. It's something in them that they don't like that causes them to react that way! 

Free Backpack Giveaway July 23rd 2017

Scooper Sunday: Great Event For A Great Cause

Great event for a great cause! 

The Jordan Porco Foundation charity will have their very first Scooper Sunday event at Dunkin' Donuts Park on July 30, 2017, benefiting their suicide prevention programs for young adults. When you give back to their lifesaving cause, you get all-you-can-eat ice cream, baseball, and more.Please consider joining in supporting a local Connecticut event and creating a message of hope for young adults.

Visit their website for more information about this special event, https://www.rememberingjordan.org/fundraising-events/

*Content and image provided by Jordan Porco Foundation

Saint Ann's Italian Festival July 2017

Now you can enjoy Italian frite, Italian ice and more yummy treats two weekends in a row!

Sometimes Mom's Just Need Some Love!

Car Seat Law Effective October 2017

Learn More Here: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/act/pa/pdf/2017PA-00230-R00HB-07055-PA.pdf

What's Your Favorite Sundea?

This sundea reminds me of my childhood. It's almost like a peanut butter and jelly treat with an extra kick or two. Black raspberry ice cream with hot fudge, peanut butter, marshmallow and whip cream. I was good this weekend and omitted the last two toppings. It's absolutely delicious. 

What's your favorite sundea?

12 Donuts for Less than $1: Krispy Kreme Celebrates 80 years

A dozen donuts for 80 cents...that's some way to celebrate!

Learn More and view more images here: Krispy Kreme Celebrates 80 Years With Dozen Donuts For 80 Cents Deal « CBS San Francisco http://cbsloc.al/2tc0RQS

 

Bethel Beer Fest July 14 2017

Learn More Here: http://tickets.beerfests.com/Event/BethelBeerFest

Information seen on https://danbury.macaronikid.com/

Everyone Needs A Time Out: Dinner at The Whelk In Westport

Schools out for summer means a lot of different things; staying up past bedtime, laundry full of wet towels and bathing suits, having three kids home is a beautiful yet hard thing to balance  I am a sucker for routine  I don't function well when my routine is off.  I do not live day by day. I enjoy mornings with kids working my afternoons, making dinner and hanging after. I enjoy a routine. Yeah things change once in a while but for most part I had a system and it worked. 

Well it's turned into more than that, cutting my hours to accommodate kids schedule, sneaking out midday to do pickup at camp, making kids dinner at 3:30 so my oldest can travel around Connecticut to play herAll Stars games. Yeah a little overwhelming.  I finally said to my husband I am making little mistakes at work and it's really getting to me! "what do you think is causing it?" He asked  Well it all started since summer began ...my routine is off!

Be ready at 7:30 he said. So I listened. He snuck me out and took me to the Whelk in Westport. Now I have been here for happy hours and was always delicious but this time we sat on the deck in our own little spot and it was magically. I could have just eaten bread and butter and been happy. I ended up ordering their seafood stew which was so comforting and delicious. My husband ordered their steak tartare and burger. Delicious. It gave me a timeout and a second to reflect on the importance of summer. Our time with the girls. Trying to beat the school. Time hustle and bustle. Not setting the alarm in the morning. Just embracing the warm summer nights. This night really helped me a lot!  

Changes In Connecticut Are Hurting Our State

Living in the richest state would make one think opportunities are highly available. Yet families, and companies struggle in this state. It's no longer one income families getting by. It's two working parents just getting by. There's a lot of beauty living where we are but also a lot of hustle and changes that our hurting us every single day! Read this article this morning and it makes sense. School budgets are being cut. Big companies are leaving. Connecticut is not what it used to be.


What on Earth Is Wrong with Connecticut? https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/07/connecticut-tax-inequality-cities/532623/

Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day!

The Nina & The Pinta At Captain's Cove

Now until tomorrow July 4th you get to take a tour of the replica of the Nina and Pinta Columbus Ships. We wanted a family day with my parents and sisters and families and I loved Captain's Cove in Bridgeport last time I went with my husband so we all planned a day. Was super fun especially nice to see this fun tour. The crew members sign on for three weeks at a time. They get paid with food and shelter. One crew member said she does it every year and signs up for months. Some teachers volunteer over school break. Some retired people help out. It's an amazing experience to stop in different cities and check out a little piece of history. 

How Mom's Show Love A Million Different Ways

True Beauty Is From Within

Fireworks At The Bridgeport Bluefish Game

Learn more at www.bridgeportbluefish.com. 

Chores List By Age Group

I came across this guide and thought it was interesting  I think my kids do most of up to age 6-8 but not on a daily basis and I don't give them an allowance. I think maybe once a little older it will be easier to enforce but am I lacking their capability to have some responsibilities? I mean as a kid my sisters and I always fought while we did chores. Looking back now I am sure would be much more relaxing for my mom to just do on her own then hear us complain. What chores do you have your kids help with? Are they consistent and how are they rewarded?

Source: Sport mom survival guide 

Do More Of The Things That Make You Happy!!

Fill Your Child's Cup Up With Good Parenting t

Fun Facts: Cucumbers

Make Your Own Trading Cards: Perfect For Children

Kids of all ages share a unique fascination with trading cards, from baseball cards to Pokemon decks. Why not boost your child's imagination and creativity by having her design her own deck of trading cards? Your child will even practice division and measurement to prepare this special deck. From royal kingdoms to local pets, a trading deck can follow any child's interest, and if her friends get involved too there's no end to the fun!

What You Need:

• 4 pieces of heavy paper or card stock
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Lead pencil
• Colored pencils or markers

What You Do:

1. Using your pencil and ruler, divide each piece of paper into thirds along the short edge, and into five segments along the long edge. You should have 15 card-sized rectangles on each paper.
2. With the help of your ruler, now draw a slightly smaller rectangle within each rectangle that you've drawn out. This is so that there is a small bit of room around each card when it comes time to laminate and cut them out.
3. Brainstorm what kind of trading cards you want to design. Is it the cast of characters from a favorite book or series, such as Harry Potter? Is it your friends, family and teachers? Or perhaps a set of imaginary creatures with fun names? The sky's the limit!
4. Once you've decided on a theme, it's time to get drawing! Using colored pencils or markers, draw out what you want in each rectangle. Be sure to include a name on each card. Don't forget the back of the cards, either: here you can put stats or details about the subject or character.
5. When you've finished, Mom or Dad can take the card sheets to your local copy machine to be laminated. If you prefer, you can leave the cards unlaminated or use the clear plastic binder sheets with card pockets instead. This will ensure that they last for a long time.
6. Cut out your cards, and get ready to get trading!

Learn More at https://www.education.com/resources/division/

*Information and image provided by Holly Jachowski at https://www.education.com/

Five Ethics Of Life...Do You Follow These?

Free Things To Do In Connecticut

Who says nothing in life is free?! When you do a little research it's amazing what you can find to do and FREE stuff to do is even better! No excuses not to go out and have a little fun! How many of these places have you visited?

50 free things to do in Connecticut this summer http://www.thehour.com/living/article/50-free-things-to-do-in-Connecticut-this-summer-11233629.php?cmpid=fbsocialflow&cmpid=twitter-tablet 

What Are They REALLY Missing Out On....

Summer is long yet so short and all I wanted was to live each day on a whim. No plans. Dinner together at night. Swimming. Adventures in the morning. I work every afternoon so take the mornings to be with my girls. Some camps lined up but really just wanted to have fun. No major commitments and then we signed up for All Stars. 

Now don't get me wrong, it's awesome to see your kid playing and having fun and trying exercise and learning BUT it's a lot of work. It's nights and you drive places and it's unpredictable. So I gave it some time and finally sat down tonight for dinner as a family - which don't remember last time we did-and said no more. Next year we will not be doing this. There's nothing to prove. It's fun. Yes. But missing Birthday parties and gatherings and get together because of tournaments is not my thing. It's not. You sit at the field almost four times a weeks for over two hours and well I enjoy it but temporary. 

I am grateful my daughter is good. She does love it and hasn't Struck out in three seasons. She's only girl on her team and players are really good to her. But this is her youth. She plays sports during school year. Summers should be off duty. Time to be a kid. Stay up late, sleep in, not rush around making sure uniforms are clean and snacks packed and at field on time. Dinner in the car.  We rush during school year and rather not at summer. 

Parents who enjoy that so be it but this Mom says no thanks. Grateful she had the experience. And happy to finish the season but won't suggest this again next year. I enjoy doing things with my kids and believe it helps build character. They learn. They are sponges. Even if it is walking on the beach at night or doing crafts. Every year they are older. Why wouldn't I want to embrace all our time together?! 

So parents before you think about committing to something so time consuming this summer look at what you are really giving up. You are probably missing out on a lot more than you think and your kids are too. Look back on the past years of their life. What memories remain? What memories do your kids bring up? What adventures did they get to explore?

Happy 1st Day Of SUMMER!!!

Sticky kisses, sunkissed cheeks, sandy piggies...endless snacks and late bed times. Wet bathing suits hanging on the deck. Empty cooler on kitchen floor. Camp schedules on my phone. Regardless I love it. Like LOVE having my kids with me. Knowing where they are and how they feel and just embracing it. Cause every summer they are a little older and need different things. Trying to embrace it with our daily adventures and play dates and day trips and vacations. Plus all the Baseball games and practices and just loving the heat on my face and my farmer tan lines. Nothing in life comes easy. Nothing at all. 

So...embrace it. And enjoy it. And love it!

 

Fireworks Schedule In Connecticut 2017

2017 Connecticut 4th of July Fireworks Schedule http://wtnh.com/2017/06/07/2017-connecticut-4th-of-july-fireworks-schedule-2/ 

I Scream You Scream We All Scream For Ice Cream

Mouthwatering Ice Cream Trail In Connecticut Is All You’ve Ever Dreamed Of And More
http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/connecticut/ice-cream-trail-ct/

Happy Father's Day!!

Cheers to all the amazing dads! Especially mine and my daughters! 

Places To Eat On Father's Day!

Tomorrow is Father's Day!! Not sure what to do tomorrow? Well check out these delicious places to treat your Pop tomorrow!

25 Places to Eat for Father's Day in CT http://blog.ctnews.com/ctbites/2017/06/12/22-places-for-fathers-day-in-ct/

All Stars Fundraiser Event At Dry Dock Bar & Grille

Camp Fun For My Middle One

Being a parent isn't easy but what makes a great one is a parent who understands their child's individual needs and pushes to have those needs fulfilled.  Last summer my daughter was recommended speech therapy. She attended the Elli Camp run by Stepping Stones after two weeks I saw a huge change in her, a positive change she started to speak more and better and had this confidence and never ended up needing therapy. After a year at her Pre K she can write her name and her teachers. She is trying to read. It's amazing. She's eager to learn and excel and do more. So when I saw that camp was available this summer again I hopped all over it and meaning hop I made calls and went to Stepping Stones and spoke to a couple people  I filled out a couple forms and went back to fill out more.  I didn't want to be "that Mom" you know the one who is annoying and gets too involved and impatient  but I really wanted her to get into this camp again. To push her even more ! When you think your child is lacking something and then they overcome it you get so inspired to push them even more, to see what else they are capable of achieving.  I passed the camp information over to my daughter's best friend's mom and she got in too, when I told my daughter this is the expression she made! Priceless 

Best of Shoreline 2017 Polls Are Open

Vote for your favorites: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BT6X7RX

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