Mommin' It Up!

August 30, 2011August 29, 2011

High Tech Travel

A month or so ago, I had the opportunity to go to to the Brands and Bloggers Summit in Chicago as part of the “Midwest Moms” group sponsored by Verizon Wireless. It was a great trip – I met a lot of wonderful people and learned a ton of stuff. And I got to take a Motorola Xoom home with me to try it out and see how I could use mobile technology in my life.

I’ve gotta say, I love this thing.

Sadly, I’m going to have to fork it over to Jenny later this week, but I convinced her to let me hold onto it for our vacation last week. I’m glad I did – I couldn’t believe how often I used it for various things throughout our trip.

I used it to access Google Maps, and the 3G and gps technology tracked where we were and pointed us to where we wanted to go. I used it to watch videos (ok, I will admit – I got caught up on “Teen Mom” episodes on the way home from Michigan!), and I used it to read books. I love the Kindle app! Of course, I also used it for Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, email, and all the other various activities I ~~am addicted to~~ enjoy.

My very favorite thing about the Xoom, though, is the ability to make it a wifi hotspot. That means – are you ready for this? – that the kids and I could all three be using different devices and all be connected to internet as we zoomed down the highway. It was fantastic. Kate absolutely LOVED having access to Pandora (and I loved that she had headphones, ha!) throughout the trip, and the internet access came in particularly handy on the way home when the kids were bored to death – I was able to download new game apps for Sam and new books on the Kindle app for Kate (and me). It made the trip so much more pleasant!

I really enjoyed traveling with the Xoom, both on the trip with my family and on a trip by myself. Because the Xoom can do pretty much anything, it was all I took with me. I stuck it in my purse and hopped on the plane – no carry on filled with books and magazines needed! So, on that trip and our vacation, the Xoom really cut down on the clutter, which cut down on my stress level.

I have really enjoyed trying out the Xoom, and I’m anxious for Jenny to have a chance to try it out too (even though that means I will have to part with it). I’m curious to see how she uses it in her life.

What about you? What’s your favorite use for mobile technology?

*****
Verizon Wireless hooked us up with a Motorola Xoom and 6-months of service.

August 29, 2011August 29, 2011

And She’s Off!

Last year at this time, I sent a very shy, uncooperative, crazy girl off to preschool. She wanted to play but didn’t want to do any work!

Today I sent a social butterfly, a helper, a “big kid” in her class – a child who loves drawing, painting, glueing, cutting, and most of all – FRIENDS!

A year ago Sophie wasn’t a big talker and had some trouble making herself understood. This year, I sometimes want to duct tape her mouth shut 🙂 in a good way, ha ha! And she has no trouble communicating effectively.

She was so excited to go to school today! She had her backpack on 20 minutes before it was time to leave. She was delighted to see her friends and teachers. She didn’t even look back at me as I dropped her off. I had to call her back for a hug!

I could not possibly be any more proud of her!! As I left her there without a qualm, I was happy for her, and happy for me. I know we’ll both have a great year!

August 26, 2011

In which the 7-year-old begs for more dinner

I’ve been enjoying my gig as a recipe reviewer on the Shared Tastes Panel for ReadySetEat.com sooo much in general, but one of the specific reasons is that I’ve really discovered some new recipes that my picky children will actually eat. And enjoy. Well, last night I made this recipe for BBQ Chicken Salad and Joshua just went crazy over it!

He kept telling me over and over that it was “the best dinner ever” and he asked me to make it again the next day (which I did not do, because I was out of Hunt’s Petite Diced tomatoes, or I would’ve)! It’s made with Banquet breaded chicken tenders, and I thought to myself when I was getting ready to prepare it, that it really didn’t seem like a very adult meal. BUT I loved it as much as Joshua did! And so did Bobby! It was absolutely deeelicious. Sophie even ate parts of it without fussing about it, and she is soooo picky. She eats mainly peanut butter & crackers and fruit (barely enough to stay alive). But she actually liked it, although I did have to force her to eat the lettuce. 🙂 I will say, the recipe calls for Ranch dressing and I don’t “do” Ranch, so I omitted that, but if you like Ranch then by all means make the recipe as listed. But do it soon! It’s too good to wait!

Now, even though I LOVED the BBQ Chicken Salad, I proved myself capable of making something more sophisticated as well. That’s right, I made EGGPLANT, baby!! Baked Eggplant Parmesan to be exact! This was the first time I’ve ever even purchased an eggplant and I was extremely skeptical of my ability on this one but the recipe was SUPER EASY and it tasted great! Bobby and I were both quite impressed with my efforts.

Finally, I have to mention one other recipe that I adored this month. I *may* have given myself a few pats on the back for this one: Quick Sweet and Sour Pork. I have three words to describe this recipe: YUM, YUM, and YUM! It was so good, I really can’t wait to make it again! Both kids also ate this one, even picky Sophie really liked the La Choy Sweet & Sour sauce on her pineapple.

I’ve loved these recipes but I’ve also loved how ReadySetEat.com not only gives you the recipes, but the complete nutrition information, the convenient Recipe Box so you can always find your faves, and the sale item locator so you can see which items in your chosen recipes are on sale at a grocery store near you. It really has made meal planning so much more easy and so much more FUN for me, and introduced our household to a good new variety of foods. If you haven’t checked it out yet, GO DO IT!! Yes, I am being pushy about this – because it’s a great resource! Go check it out and then come back and tell me which recipes look good to you!

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I am being compensated for my duties on the Shared Tastes Panel. All opinions on the recipes, as well as the reviews on ReadySetEat.com, are my own.