menu plan Monday. . .

menu plan Monday

it's Halloween here - so starting off busy!  I have my first online order of groceries coming from Peapod on Wednesday - can't wait.



here's the plan:


Monday - Chili with Cornbread and Mummy Dogs for the kids
Tuesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs
Wednesday - Stuffed Flounder, Veggie and Salad
Thursday - still figuring this one out - probably chicken
Friday - Take Out/Pizza Night
Saturday & Sunday - TBD

what's on your plan?

catch you soon -

grocery delivery goes high tech with Peapod. . .

yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a blogger luncheon with Peapod and Giant. (be sure to read to the bottom for a money saving offer!)

if you've never heard of Peapod (they are NEW to the Philadelphia area) - they are an online grocery shopping and delivery service with a partnership with Giant Food Stores.  They were founded in 1989 and have delivered more than 20 million orders!

Let me hit with you some the highlights:

     grocery shopping 24/7, including advertised specials - even MOBILE (there's an APP for that!)!

     convenient and affordable delivery times.

     trained shoppers select your groceries from a temperature controlled WAREHOUSE-not the store.

     you can get alerts when your groceries are on their way.

     you can request unattended delivery - meaning you don't even have to be HOME!

     they take coupons. . .YES coupons - and double up to the regular store amount.

     if you don't like something - they return your money!

i have used other local delivery services - with little success or happiness. . .they were just difficult to use, the selection was poor,  and the quality of stuff I received wasn't what I would have picked out myself.   this looks promising. . .Based on the demonstration we received yesterday (using a LIVE account no less) Peapod seems to have addressed all the weaknesses.

here's what you need to do:

1. Go to peapod.com and enter you Giant Bonuscard (if you have one)
2. Shop from their various options such as by grocery aisle, shopping list or product search (even by ORGANIC)
3. Select a delivery time
4. Enter your credit card info and checkout
5. Receive delivery in the comfort of your own home (or office!)

AND. . .the BEST part??  I can save you money if you are in the Phase I Service Area (Philadelphia, Delaware and Southern Montgomery Counties). . .just go here and enter the code "blogphl" at checkout and get $20 off your first order AND 60 days of FREE DELIVERY!

I'm planning to give it a try in the next week or so - so stay tuned for a follow-up post on how it went. If you've used it already - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

catch you soon -

note - I received lunch and a gift card to try out the delivery service.  As always, the opinions expressed here are my very own.

holiday greetings. . .Shutterfly Style

Can you believe it's time to start thinking about holiday greetings?

I have sent out holiday cards since the year I got married. . .1995. 

Once Ryan was born, we started sending picture cards.  For the first few years, I bought picture sleeve cards, and slid in a picture of Ryan.  I hand-wrote short messages and hand addressed all the envelopes.  I moved into a handmade card with a picture, as I got more into paper crafting.  I finally agreed to printed labels on the envelopes, and with the birth of Owen, the hand written messages got really short.

Last year, for the first time I ordered pre-printed picture cards from Shutterfly.  It was love at fist sight.  They were easy.  They had my personal touch and creative flair.  And the BEST part? They were BEAUTIFUL!

I've already been to the Shutterfly site, looking at various designs. . .I don't have a picture picked out yet. . . but here are a few that caught my eye - and I still have time to get the "right" picture to put on the perfect card!

holiday cards:

this one is adorable for several pictures -

and this one would be stunning with a black and white family shot or beach picture. . .

Do you need holiday gifts? Shutterfly has an amazing selection of calendars and photo gifts to choose from too!

You could snap a cute picture of your child and their teacher. . .then order one of these for the holidays or even teacher appreciation!

The best part about Shutterfly is that your choices are endless and you can use your creative flair to come up with unique greetings and gifts. 

You will have to stay tuned to see which card we end up with. . .it was such a success last year, it will definitely be a Shutterfly Holiday again this year.

Would you like to give Shutterfly a try?

THREE of my lucky readers will win a code to receive 25 free cards from Shutterfly.  All you have to do is check out the Shutterfly site, choose your favorite design, and leave a link in the comments section.  Be sure to include your email so I can notify you that you WON!

Three lucky winners will be chosen via random.org on Sunday, October 30th after 12p EST.

Are you a blogger?

Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: <http://goo.gl/DDw7Q>

Good luck!

catch you soon - 

note - I received a code to use for 50 free cards to facilitate this post. As always all opinions expressed are my very own.

menu plan Monday. . .

it's time for another Menu Plan Monday.  I've had a couple people ask me how I do my menu plan.  So here are the steps I take - for better or worse. . .it's not foolproof, but it works for me.

I look at our calendar for the week, and plan it out using one of Molly's GO MOM! Weekly Planner Pages.  Then I figure out how many dinners I need, and how complicated a dinner I have time for each night.

Armed with that - I look for recipes that use some ingredients I have on hand.  Now that the weather is cool, I try to do a Crock Pot meal on Tuesdays - as that is a busy work day for me.  I leave Saturday and Sunday up in the air. . .I'd rather commit to cooking several make-ahead meals on the weekends, but I'm not that kind of cook.

So that's the magic of the my meal plan. . .and after I take those steps - it looks something like this (even if we make only 3 things - it's a win, and the others get moved to next week):

Monday - Panko Breaded Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
Tuesday - Crock Pot Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad (plain pasta for little)
Wednesday - Fish Packets, Orzo & Rice Pilaf, Broccoli (chicken or mac n cheese for kids)
Thursday - Pasta Carbonara with Leeks & Lemon(from Everyday Food but not online yet), Salad
Friday - Sausage and Broccoli Calzones
Saturday & Sunday - TBD

do you have a meal plan for this week?

catch you soon -

Fashion Friday. . .Getting that Pan Am Look

who is in love with the new hit ABC show Pan-Am?

i'm not sure what beauty item I like the most - the eyeliner, the great hair or that sweet blue Pan-Am bag. . .but I know with some basic make-up techniques and a set of hot rollers. . .you too can be on your way to the Pan-Am Look.

last night while attending the Bloomingdale's Think Pink event hosted by All Things Chic, I talked with Barbara, the lovely make-up Consultant with Chanel.  I asked her about creating a "Pan-Am" Eye.  She said the trick is all in the liner - and that a gel or liquid liner is your best bet.  And don't forget the little "wing" on the outer corner.

here is me before. . .

and here is after. . .

with a close-up of the eye - I love that sparkle liner!

as for hair - kicky bobs were a sign of the times.  if you have medium length hair, stick in some hot rollers for volume.  if you are feeling really adventurous, do a little back-combing around your hairline for that "puffed up" look.  maybe even a vintage 60's hair piece to add to your look.

clothes? you have to go vintage. . .besides the eye-catching blue uniform, embroidered bag and white gloves, you can catch the ladies of Pan-Am in midi-length pencil skirts, fitted short-sleeved cardigans, and nude pumps.  A totally classic early-60's look.  And let's not forget the girdles and nude hose.

and those bags. . .

here's a black one you can get at Amazon:

so what do you think? will the Pan-Am style catch on like the Mad Men style did?

catch you soon -

All You Need is Now. . .Duran Duran

on Monday night, I went with the lovely Sherry from SuperExhausted (also the creator of BabyPop Designs) to the Duran Duran concert at the Tower Theater. . .

I have to say - I felt like I was 16. . .all giggly and over-excited.  And Simon, John, Nick and Rodger did NOT disappoint!

they sang songs from their new album, and kept the crowd on their feet the ENTIRE time with plenty of their 80's hits Like Rio, View to a Kill, Notorious and Hungry Like the Wolf. 

it's hard to tell from my terrible pictures, but we were in the 4th row off to stage left.  I could see into Simon's eyes. . .le sigh. . .I danced the ENTIRE time with @BabyPop, @SayitRashay and @Mrsrkfj - my legs, ears and voice were hurting on Tuesday morning! but it was an amazingly awesome good time!

it was simply fantastic and has me listening to all my Duran Duran music on my iPod.

here's a little clip of Simon LeBon's amazing voice . . .the boys still have "it". . .John Taylor can rock a guitar!

what's the last concert you went to?

catch you soon -

wordless wednesday. . .

catch you soon -

how-to. . .tame the homework beast

bear with me while i rant a bit. . .I hate homework!

i know there's a lot of talk about the family diner and eating healthy, a reasonable bedtime for kids . . .and all the other things that make up a "good" family and "happy" kids.  But how on EARTH are you supposed to do that AND get homework done too?

on a typical night, for 5th grade, we have 20 minutes of reading with a writing assignment attached.  Spelling.  At least 1 math worksheet.  Some nights we also have social studies and/or grammar.  And of course there are the nights with more than one sheet of math.
Second and third grade evenings were plagued with me yelling and threatening Ryan to do his homework.  To get it all done.  I felt enormous pressure.  I was working outside the home, and responsible for Owen and dinner too - all during homework time.

last year I had the opportunity to see Race to Nowhere. . .it changed my outlook.


we have very few meltdowns and I lose my patience on a much less regular basis.  I still have Owen and Dinner to cope with.


what's changed?  me and my approach to homework.  i refuse to see it as a "monster".  If we don't get it done - I will contact the teacher with my explanation and be ready to go higher if necessary.  Elementary homework shouldn't be "graded" - because you have no way of knowing whether the student did it themselves or not.  so it's typically "completed" or "incomplete".

here are my top ten to-do's to tame the homework beast:

1.  set up a regular place to do homework.  Ours is the dining room table.

2.  have supplies on hand.  Calculator, pencils, erasers, scratch paper. . .anything you may need to complete your typical homework assignments.  We have a homework cart.

3.  try to establish a time. . .before dinner or after. . .to do the "majority" of homework.

4.  know your child's cues for being tired, bored and frustrated - and given them a break or release before they need it.

5.  get the rest of the family in on things if you can.  State Capitals are a great way to test the whole family while your child learns.

6.  look to technology for help.  We have found some great apps for math facts, spelling and state capitals.

7.   know when enough is enough.  only you know what is right for your family.  don't be afraid to discuss it with your child's teacher or counselor at school.

8.  if you have smaller children that don't have homework, have a special basket or box of things for them to do QUIETLY while it's homework time.

9.  keep it positive.  it's not easy - don't pretend it is. (of course if it IS easy - don't tell me I'll be hopelessly jealous!)

10,  relax yourself.  enjoy a cup of tea or glass of wine.

what are some of your tips for taming the homework beast?

catch you soon -

menu plan Monday. . .

another Monday has rolled around, our calendar is full of school, civic and social events and Fall is in the air.

so this week we have a little of everything - using leftovers, Crock Pot and something new.


here's the plan:

Monday - Quesedillas with Chicken and/or Cheese (sauteed peppers and onions too)
Tuesday - Apple Cider Pork & Vegetables with Broccoli (Crock Pot recipe)
Wednesday - Linguine wiht Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes and Spinach.
Thursday - Moms Night Out - Leftovers
Friday - Homemade Pizza or Stomboli
Saturday & Sunday - TBD


what's on your plan this week?

catch you soon -

product review. . .Mott's

i've always been a fan of applesauce - for myself and for my kids.  i try to stay to the "no sugar" added variety and label read and compare.

imagine my delight to see Mott's as a sponsor and vendor at the Style School event I attended a couple months ago.  what was so surprising to me was the Snack & Go Applesauce Pouches.  these travel-ready pouches, are only 40 calories with no sugar added. 

the twist cap make them appealing to older kids. . .as I found out when my 10 year old realized it was "just applesauce" and not some sneaky way to make him more healthy. (if he only knew!)  According to Mott's, the suggested retail price for a 4-pack of these will be $2.99 . . . a pretty reasonable cost for a healthy on the go alternative.

Mott's also had their Medleys Snacks. . .with 1 total fruit and veggie per serving 2/3 fruit and 1/3 veggie).  these little cups look and taste like applesauce with an added kick of vegetable.

while my kids aren't over the top for the Medley's (they are not flavored applesauce fans to begin with) - I keep some on hand and offer them anyway.  I think they taste great and are a great snack for me in the afternoons when my energy is sagging.

as for drinks, Mott's apple juice boxes are always a favorite around here with the kids, while I am a big fan of the Mott's Medleys Juice. (it makes a great Bloody Mary)

have you tried Mott's lately?

catch you soon -

note - i received a sample of products to facilitate this review.  as always all  opinions expressed are my very own.

Wordless Wednesday . . .

catch you soon -

menu plan Monday. . .

time for another Monday, and that means another meal plan.

even when I feel uninspired, I try to throw a plan together - it truly is the ONLY way our family eats what we buy, saves money on take-out, and eats healthy options.

here's what's on the plan for this week:


Monday - Tacos with a side of corn
Tuesday - Chicken in a Pot
Wednesday - Rigatoni, Broccoli and Bananas (it's Owen's Birthday so he gets to choose)
Thursday - Quesedillas using leftover chicken
Friday - Meatball Strombolis
Saturday & Sunday - TBD

Did you make a plan this week? What inspires you?

catch you soon -

how to . . .make a paper mum wreath

when i got my fall preview catalog from Paper Source. . .the adorable paper mum wreath practically jumped off the page at me.  I had to have it. . .

so i bought the kit, and last weekend, set about putting it together.

according to the directions, all you need is scissors, double-sided tape and a bone folder.

the forms are all pre-cut. . .so you just need to push out the flowers and leaves. . .

the first step is to assemble the flowers.  There are 6 large and 6 small mums. . .the large mums are 8 layers and the small ones are four.  Trust me when I say the instructions are easy to follow.

Assemble your layers

Add a dab of adhesive in the center to keep it all together

Attach the layers

Large base ready for rolling

Once you get your paper mum together, it's time to make it 3-dimensional. . .the instructions suggest using a bone folder. . .but I found a hard-plastic straw worked best.

Just roll the paper around the straw, pull the straw out and squeeze gently

You have to do that with all the petals on all the mums. . .it take a bit of time - I let my 4 YO help pull the straw out.

once all the moms are pieced together and rolled, you can arrange them on the cardboard wreath form, attaching them with the provided foam squares.

then fold the leaves in half (I did use my bone folder for this step) and attach those with the foam squares.

now you're ready to attache the enclosed ribbon for hanging.  The instructions tell you how to tie a bow in the middle and attach the two ends.

Then find a great place to hang it and wait for the oohs and ahhs!

If you have a flower paper punch or a Die Cutting system, you could easily re-create this kit at home.

What have you made this fall?

catch you soon -

a peek into the Martha Stewart Show. . .

a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to NYC and be a member of the studio audience for The Martha Stewart Show.  Granted, it's not as exciting as being a guest (bucket list) . . .but it was a thrill in itself.

the trip to NYC started much too early for me but luckily I got to travel with Sherrie and the trip was a blast.  Next time we go to NYC I want to stop in Brooklyn. . .

so we arrived at the Martha Studios in Chelsea. . .even the building signage is pretty. . .

through security, bag check and into the audience prep area.

it is not at all surprising to me that Martha surrounds herself with competent, professional people that excel at their jobs.  My Audience Coordinator Lois was one such a person.

There was a group of seven ladies from the Philly Social Media Moms, and we were escorted in and shown to seats in the middle front of the audience.  We were good girls and followed ALL of Martha's dress requirements.

Jessica, Valerie and Sherrie

Jen, Trina and Jessica

I was absolutely speechless over the beauty of the set design. . .I've said numerous times that I would love to live there - despite the fact that there's no bedroom.  The kitchen and craft room are heaven on a stick and the garden is just beautiful.

there were all sorts of pre-show stuff happening. . .stylists, and camera people and producers and directors and people. . .a whole bunch of people making it all look so beautiful and easy.

finally Martha came out - and the crowd went wild.  I noticed her 4 inch spike heels - to quote another favorite, Rachel Zoe, "I die".

We learned about easy ways to cook chicken, how to make filled cupcakes, and how to created inspiring and creative baby shower gifts.  Martha also had a question-answer session with the audience.

While I didn't win any giveaways or get to meet Martha . . .yet. . .it was a fantastic day and made a lasting impression on me, my business and my home.

catch you soon -

menu plan Monday. . .

when my October issue of Real Simple arrived, I quickly turned to the back to tear out the 1/2-page calendar they have been putting in there (I hang it next to my desk) . . .but instead found a Month of Dinners.

i was a little sad about the calendar not being there. . .but a month of dinner ideas complete with shopping lists was a good thing and inspiring in making my own menu plan.

here's what's on tap for this week at our house:

Monday - Chicken Soup and Fresh Bread with salad
Tuesday - Salmon with Peas and Couscous
Wednesday - Tortellini with Sausage in a white sauce
Thursday -  Mom's going out (burgers and dogs)
Friday - Take out/Pizza Night
Saturday and Sunday - TBD

also, last week, while listening to Martha Stewart Radio on SiriusXM, I heard a segment on using your leftovers.  On the Everyday Food show, listeners can call in with a leftover in their fridge and Sandy Gluck will give them ideas for how to serve them.  BRILLIANT.

what's on your meal plan this week?

catch you soon -