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He’s Definitely My Son

April 12, 2013 By 3 Comments

Yesterday my son came up the stairs singing a song…that prompted the following post on Facebook: (Every good parent’s job is to embarrass their teenager on Facebook…right?)

“My son just came up the stairs singing Justin Bieber’s “Baby”. I’m not sure if I should take away his Pandora or his vocal chords.”

With a “slightly” hormonal teenager this could have ended in 2 ways.

  • Him asking why I posted that and trying his best to shun me…even though we both know that won’t happen because I wouldn’t allow it.
  • Him joining in on the fun and showing off his amazing humor that he obviously gets from me.

Based upon the Facebook conversation that followed…you decide:

  • Josh - :-P
  • Me – Josh dude. Why are you Facebooking in the bathroom??? Remind me to never touch your phone.
  • Josh – :-(
  • Me – Josh so you FB again from the potty. You realize that’s not a lazy boy in there…right?
  • Josh – Don’t try to change who I am. I am a mystical creature who works in mysterious ways. Much like the unicorn that prances through the gumdrop forest.
  • Me – Josh I didn’t realize that using Facebook while pooping was so much a part of who you are. I guess it’s my fault for giving you all that fiber…and a cell phone.
  • Josh – Hate the game don’t hate me.
  • Me – Josh I just ask that you practice safe bathroom text and wash your hands afterwards.
  • Josh – I ain’t no fool mom. You know how I do.
  • Josh –  A unicorn once said to me, “If you FB and use the potty. All your dreams will come true.” You know what happened? They all did. The mystical Unicorn gods are upon me mom. I am like the Unicorn prophet. I ride into the sunset shirtless with my hair blowing in the wind. (queue cheesy music)

See… He’s definitely my son.

I think this post needs a not so random unicorn…

Unicorn coloring page

Filed Under: family, just for fun, unicorns Tagged With: , , , ,

Silence…The Ultimate Sweet Escape #DoleParfaitEscape

April 11, 2013 By 1 Comment

As a parent we all know that taking 5 minutes to ourselves each day can be challenging.  But a break now and then is necessary to hold on to that last bit of pre-parenting sanity we have left…right?  Have you ever thought of taking that mad afterschool rush and turning it into a few moments of precious silence?  I know what you are thinking…”Steph’s lost her mind.  Afterschool is complete CRAZY.  Snacks, homework, activities.  Silence is never an option.”  But I am here to tell you that with DOLE® Fruit Parfaits…that sweet sweet quiet is within your reach.

dole fruit parfaits

I put DOLE® Fruit Parfaits to the ultimate afterschool challenge…teenager snack time.  These words could send shivers down the back of any parent.  We are all imagining lunch meat stuck to the ceiling, open bread bags left to dry out, and even worse…mustard mixed into the mayonnaise jar.  But thanks to DOLE® teenager snack time was a breeze… and I even got a several minutes of quiet.  It’s literally a fruity miracle.

xander eating parfait

Xander enjoying his afternoon snack.  Well his first of many…teenagers are bottomless pits.

Josh eating parfait

Josh is extremely focused on his snacking.  He doesn’t want to miss a bite.

But do you see how the peace and quiet happens?  Kids can’t make noises when the constantly have a spoon in their mouth.  It’s also a sign of how much they enjoyed the  DOLE® Fruit Parfaits.  But really who wouldn’t like them after tasting them and getting to know a little more about them:

  • DOLE Fruit Parfaits offers a cool, refreshing taste of real fruit with a smooth layer of deliciously light-tasting crème
  • DOLE Fruit Parfaits are available in three flavors:
    • Pineapple and Crème
    • Apples and Crème
    • Peaches and Crème
  • DOLE Fruit Parfaits contain all natural fruit and are rich in Vitamin C
  • DOLE Fruit Parfaits are naturally low fat, cholesterol free and very low in sodium
  • DOLE Fruit Parfaits are available in the canned fruit section at select grocery retailers and online
  • Suggested retail price is $2.79/per package of four
  • Please visit http://www.dole.com for more information

And don’t take my word for it…here’s what the boys said in their “official review”:

Josh – “They are mmm mmm good. ” (I am pretty sure he stole that from somewhere…but whatever.)
Xander - “Tastes like pineapple yogurt! It’s a new kind of fruit cup.”

They were even silent when giving me the quotes…they emailed them to me.  But don’t worry…the brother-like “banter” has already returned.  I wish they were hungry.

Don’t forget to visit with DOLE® online and get social with them.  Maybe you can even share a sweet escape or two:

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and DOLE partnered in support of this campaign. DOLE compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Filed Under: family, reviews Tagged With: , ,

Gone… Vacationing.

March 26, 2013 By 2 Comments

If you need me… I will be soaking up the California sun for Spring Break with the family.  Be back soon!

California beach sunset

Filed Under: blarg, family, Travel Tagged With: , , ,

He Said/She Said – A Real Life 2013 Honda Accord Review

March 6, 2013 By 8 Comments

I fondly remember my very first brand new car, don’t you?  It was a 2002 Honda Accord and I was in love.  That is why I couldn’t turn down the luxury of test driving a brand new 2013 Honda Accord EX-L from Ken Garff Honda of Orem…for 10 fabulous days.  You may have seen us using the #HondaTestDrive (hashtag) on Twitter and Instagram documenting our (okay… MY) hijinks.  Which may or may not have included adorning the car with unicorn-a-plenty.

 

2013 honda accord unicorns

We are currently owners of one mid-size SUV, that is my primary mode of transportation, and a mid-size sedan that my husband drives for his daily commute.  For me to switch over to a sedan for 10 days was a bit of a change.  And while I only have 2 kids… I may not be ready to switch over to a sedan quite yet, even if it is as sweet of a ride as an Accord.  It may be a mental block but I like the extra space in an SUV.  However, my husband definitely has the Accord in his vision for our next commuter car purchase.  And trust me…that says a lot.  He’s pretty loyal to his current brand and for him to have second thoughts means the 2013 Honda Accord EX-L really made an impression.

2013 Honda Accord EXL

Isn’t she pretty?  I didn’t name her because she wasn’t mine to keep.  I hope her forever home gives her an awesome name like “Candy”.

And hopefully “the car possibly known as Candy” will remember the time we took an epically awesome day trip and captured it on video.

And we not only went a little video crazy…I got pretty snap happy with the camera when documenting how gorgeous the interior and exterior features are.

Pretty Interior

2013 Honda Accord Interior Features

Pretty Exterior

2013 honda accord exterior features

And while this is shaping up to be the world’s longest post…I just can’t stop without telling you about the things we truly enjoyed while driving the 2013 Accord.  Because we drove it as real people…not mechanics…or professionals…just a family using a car.  And I know when I am looking for a car that’s who I want advice from.

2013 Honda Accord Features

These are all the features that we loved… and possibly not their technical names.  Granted my husband wishes he were a MotorTrend car reviewer… As you will see in the video.  And it has many more features that I haven’t listed but I am sure that Ken Garff Honda of Orem would be happy to fill you in on those details.

  • Push start ignition (No more digging for keys in your purse or pocket…you just have to have them with you.)
  • Dual memory driver’s seat (Perfect for the tall and the small.)
  • 8 inch information display (It’s really big.  Bigger is better.)
  • Cup holders (We all know I am addicted to Diet Coke.)
  • XM Radio (I am a radio snob… No commercials up in here.)
  • Pandora interface  (This gets a big Thumbs Up.)
  • Bluetooth (Safety first.  Safety first.)
  • USB and auxiliary connections (I love being able to charge my iPhone without a 12-volt adapter.)
  • Backup camera with different view options (Maybe even I could back into the garage…or maybe not.)
  • Blind spot camera (It’s awesome.  I sometimes turned on my right blinker just to see it.)
  • Heated leather seats (Sometimes your “seat” needs a little heat in these cold Utah winters.)
  • Real time gas mileage tracking (My hubby tracks every tank of gas and mileage…this was seriously one of his FAVORITE things about the car.)
  • Leg and head room (Surprisingly my teenage boys fit comfortably in the backseat.  Which is not common for all sedans.)
  • Steering wheel audio controls (Sometimes you just need to drown out the background noise.  Or the sound of your own voice singing along to Taylor Swift music.)
  • Large trunk (We were able to fit an entire cart load of Costco goodies into the trunk… granted there was no more space for my Wal-Mart run.)
  • V6 engine with “eco” mode (Power when you want it…gas savings when you don’t.)
  • LED Headlights (The husband found this to be so cool.)
  • Plenty of room for unicorn displays (I found this to be so cool.)

In the end if I could make one suggestion to Honda or Ken Garff Honda of Orem…maybe it’s time for a little logo change.

2013 honda accord unicorn emblem

***I was given a 2013 Honda Accord to test drive for 10 days.  All opinions are my own. 

Filed Under: family, reviews, Utah Tagged With: , , , ,

Teenagers Say the Darndest Things…

February 5, 2013 By 1 Comment

My son seems to feel that his contribution to the household is a little out of balance…

Housework saying

I think we’ve got it just about right….

Filed Under: family, just for fun Tagged With: , , ,

All Shook Up… Censorship Style

January 29, 2013 By 8 Comments

<begin mostly non-coherent rant>

I have always wanted my boys’ high school to gain national and even world notoriety.  But I was hoping it was for something epic… Like highest test scores in the nation, or even some sort of sports stuffs… or HOPEFULLY for the art teacher rescuing a herd of wild artic penguins from a pack of rabid hyenas… But instead, Herriman High School recently became the subject of news outlets for censorship… Of the high school musical (Zac Efron does NOT approve) All Shook Up.  And well… that has me ALL SHOOK UP. (Because of my current state of shook uppedness by ramblings will be even less coherent than usual.)

all shook up

Right before Christmas ONE “concerned community member” took a complaint to the Jordan School District about the musical that my son had auditioned for, got a part in, and had been practicing for. And the play was CANCELLED by the school district because it could not be changed due to copyright issues.  The musical is a twist on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Knight” set to the songs of Elvis Presley.  You are pretty offended so far… RIGHT?  The main complaints were that the play contained offensive material, did not represent the morals and values of our community, and promoted homosexuality.  I Googled it and… I am not sure how one actually “promotes” homosexuality.  After a little research I found there were no picket signs or posters in the musical saying “Gay is the Way” or “Hate the Straight”.  So, as you can see I was a bit confused.  But, instead of the blatant promotion I expected… I found the complaint was over a major plot point in the play/musical.  A young woman dresses poses as a boy to evade detection and eventually finds herself falling in love with boy.  And the ENTIRE time you (the audience) knows she is a female. And she also reveals herself as a woman to everyone before admitting her love. HORRIFYING… right?  I almost had to scrub my fingertips just for typing such filth (I am obviously taking a LOT of sarcastic liberties).

Thankfully (okay… only because the play is back on but I am NOT thankful) the school received permission to revise some key points in the musical and it was un-cancelled just as quickly as it was cancelled.  All is right in the world… NOT SO FAST.  All is NOT right.  My parental rights have been violated.   I am OFFENDED. And I am angry… Bullet point angry.

  • I am capable of deciding what play or musical is appropriate for my child to view or participate in.
  • I consider it to be offensive to assume that anyone’s “morals and values” are the only ones that matter.  ( Isn’t being a judgmental, condemning, a-hole more than a little morally questionable?)
  • As a parent, I feel awful that my son had to be subjected to something truly offensive… Not the promotion of homosexuality… but you know… the CRAZY censorship (does anyone else feel like they are going to start burning Mark Twain books in the courtyard).
  • Seriously… if someone doesn’t want to see or their children to see or participate in a musical… MORE POWER TO YOU!  But, why does that need to effect my and my childrens’ life?
  • Believe or not… You can still have morals and values even if they are different from someone else’s.  My moral compass is set to “be an awesome human”… And as long as you don’t set your’s to “kill everyone”… have at it.

I have more bullet points but they just make me seem more crazy than I actually am.  In the end… maybe I should thank the morality police.  Because it gave us the chance to have a great and open dialogue about right, wrong, censorship, tolerance, and morals and values with our kids.  So while I am still “all shook up” and will never truly understand this one person’s complaints.  I support their right to have them.  And their rights to decide what their family values are.  I just want them to keep them out of my kids’ classroom, high school musical, and most of all… my household.

<end only partially coherent rant>

Filed Under: family, Utah Tagged With: , , , ,

Naughty Or Nice????

December 11, 2012 By 4 Comments

The big day is fast approaching.  You know what I am talking about… Christmas!  And if you are like me threats of “no presents” are being thrown out like day old bread at a bakery.  Our kids are a little older so there is no longer the magic of Santa in our home.  But that doesn’t stop me from being in the Christmas spirit.  I love the twinkling lights, presents, and candy galore.  And because sometimes the season brings out the grinch in us all… I decided to make a little FREE Naughty or Nice Checklist Printable.  It’s great for kids of all ages and maybe will give you a little break to work on your own Christmas checklist.

Free Naughty Or Nice Checklist Printable

Isn’t this a fun way to keep your kids on the nice list this holiday season?  It can really be a MERRY Christmas for all.

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Filed Under: christmas, family, just for fun, printables Tagged With: , , ,
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