Yooooo Gabba Gabba!

One of the things that I am most surprised about parenting is that I do things I swore I’d never do. For instance, when my son was really young I was adamant that he would NOT watch television. That however quickly changed when I learned of the multitude of educational programing out there that not only provided my son with knowledge but also frequently occasionally offered me a much needed mommy time out!


One of my his favorite shows is Yo Gabba Gabba. Now, I’ve waxed poetic about my love of this show on my blog before. Although I was initially disturbed by the “interesting” looking characters, after viewing the show I realized that not only did it teach my son important life skills but the creators kept parents in mind. Guest stars like Jack Black and musicians like The Roots keep me glued to the screen. 


There have been tours of Yo Gabba Gabba in the past but unfortunately none have come to my city. Well, that has changed and next month we will be seeing Muno and the gang  live on stage! To say I’m excited is an understatement. I just hope to catch a glimpse of DJ Lance too! The tour is sponsored by KIA and if you haven’t seen their recent commercials featuring the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba you are missing out.

The tour might be in a city close to you and as a bonus - a $1 from every ticket sale goes to Habitat for Humanity! Check out YoGabbaGabbaLive.com to see the full tour schedule! 



GIVEAWAY
And, just to get you in the Yo Gabba Gabba mood, I have a gift pack to giveaway that includes the  Book: Yo Gabba Gabba!, Party in My Tummy" - Based on the popular song from Yo Gabba Gabba!, Party in My Tummy makes healthy eating fun for little ones! Lift the flaps, sing along, and find out what everyone in Gabba Land is bringing to the party!

DVD: “Yo Gabba Gabba! Clubhouse”  - The Nickelodeon DVD “Yo Gabba Gabba!: Clubhouse” released on June 15 and features performances by musical guests Erykah Badu, The Killers, Jimmy Eat World and more.And “Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music is Awesome Volume 2 

To enter simply tell me if you have watched Yo Gabba Gabba and what you most like about the show.

Extra entry: For tweeting this giveaway.

Deadline for entry: September 15. Good Luck! 

Disclosure: I'm receiving tickets to the show and a gift pack in exchange for writing this post and running this giveaway. And my love of Yo Gabba Gabba remains true!  

My Enell Sports Bra Review - Down and Dirty in 30

Before I get to the Sports Bra (I'm on a constant search for a great Sports bra and I've found several) let me check in with my weight and things. I think my body has reached its happy place as far as weight goes. As long as I can remember my weight hung around the 150 mark and apparently this is right for me. Last week I weighed 149 this week 150. If I'd drank water yesterday like I was supposed to I'm sure I'd weigh 149 today, I really have to get better about that! 


If I lose a couple of pounds I am fine with that, if not that is fine too. At my smallest I weighed 135 and that took some serious (and not so healthy) work. I exercised at least twice a day and barely ate anything. I don't recommend it. Right now I know I need to focus on toning up my body and building muscle. I ran (using this term loosely) four miles yesterday and it was a killer. My left lower back muscle was in pain from the start - highly disappointing because I thought my days of injury were over. This just convinces me that strength training is an integral part of a runner's program. After a couple days of rest I'll start doing cross-training again. 


Another important piece of the running puzzle for me is a GREAT sports bra. I've found a few and heard so much about the Enell that I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. I received one for review and wore it on my run yesterday. I have to start by saying that that girls DID NOT MOVE. I mean not a jiggle, not a bounce, not even a wiggle. 

The Enell is unlike other sports bras that I own because the material is more reminiscent of a regular super supportive bra. Polyester comes to mind but I know it is made with Spandex and has a wicking treatment called NATUREXX. Although I was a bit skeptical about the bra displaying wicking properties, I actually was quite comfortable wearing it and believe me, I sweat a lot! 


The bra is also designed unlike any other sports bra I own. It is front closing with hook and eye closures. This takes some getting used to because you have to hook from the bottom up and adjust the girls as you close it. Also, the bra fit is tight so it takes some manuevering but the results are worth it. I felt extremely supported and I have to mention again, the girls did not move! 


The sizing of the Enell is different too. You have to measure under the rib cage and around the largest part of your butst to determine size. The sizing ranges from 00-8 which is roughly 32C-50DD but again you MUST measure! I wear a 34DD and my Enell size is 0. When I first put on the bra it felt quite snug but I got used to it almost immediately. When I showed my girlfriend the bra she was amazed because she said I looked like an A cup. That is some serious compression and holding power! 


I am quite pleased with the Enell. It is very supportive and comfortable once you've gotten used to the snug fit. I have the white one and the color is probably my least favorite aspect of the bra. However, it comes in a number of different colors and if I get another one it is likely to be pink one, 10% of the proceeds go to FORCE which helps individuals with breast cancer. 


The price of the Enell is $64 dollars a pretty hefty price tag (and I've rarely seen them on sale) but if you are looking for full coverage, serious support and no bounce it is certainly worth the purchase price! 

Pure Decadence Homemade Wheat free gluten free bread

I am technically finished with the Clean Program 21 day detox however I still have plans to live a relatively “clean” life. I have been waiting patiently to make my wheat free/gluten free bread and subsequently the French Toast Sundae that I imagined would playfully dance across my taste buds.

Yesterday I made the bread - it smelled delicious and looked great too! It is mostly clean although I did use eggs to make it so not entirely diary free but I have no problem with eggs. If I decide to give them up I can always use an egg replacer and instead of milk or water I used almond milk in the recipe which was simple.  The flour, yeast, milk, olive oil and 2 eggs. That is it. Mix it, let it rise for 30 -40 minutes and bake. The one thing I’ve discovered is that if making bread is going to be a regular thing I have to either buy a bread machine or a heavy duty mixer like the Kitchen Aid upright. My 35 year old mixer that I inherited from my mom can’t withstand the dough mixing. 

The bread is a winner! It tastes so good and my son obviously likes it. This is major people, my son rarely eats anything. Seriously. But he loves the bread!


I took it a step further and immediately started making my French Toast Sundae. I was inspired by the recipe on the Healthy Tipping Point but as usual I spiced things up a bit. Instead of simply dredging the bread in plain egg, I added vanilla almond milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Between the slices I spread a tablespoon of almond butter and then placed the entire thing in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.

For the topping I made this delicious ice cream substitute - creamy frozen bananas. Diary free, lactose free and simply delicious! I had frozen a small cut up banana the other day.  I placed it in my food processor for a few minutes until creamy  and it was so good! I also made a chocolate topping using agave nectar and cocoa powder. 

I said it was decadent! And it was.Totally and completely delicious! Although it is said that this is a breakfast food, it is too rich for me. I enjoyed mine as an after lunch treat. In the future I will probably just use one piece of bread and 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter. It is so rich and I don’t need to eat that much of it. I guess eating this negates all the calories I burned running 10 miles - not! Everything in moderation. Next time I want a sundae I’ll turn to my half-portion French Toast Sundae! 

*Sadly, I checked the ingredients list again and this mix has whey and skim milk so if you are looking for a dairy free mix this is not it.

A Bright Start!

Becoming a mother totally changed my world. I planned and anticipated my son’s birth from day one. Despite the numerous pains I had during my pregnancy I never regretted a moment and when he was born I was immediately in love. I practiced attachment parenting the first four months of his life by necessity he was born by c-section and I absolutely wanted to feel close to him always since I missed the first few hours of his life on Earth while recovering from my surgery. I also knew that I’d soon be returning to work and needed to spend as much quality time with him as possible.

Of course, this also made leaving him in the hands of a caregiver difficult. Initially I had a difficult time finding a “caregiver”. My first at home place sitter sent him back to me. He was accused to attention and with the toddlers running around she just couldn’t give it to him and he protested - loudly! I was forced to use a daycare around the corner for a week and I was extremely unhappy so was my son and I think they were too! Finally I found a match made in heaven at my local YMCA!

Ms. Hall was a godsend. The room for the infants was bright, airy and full of love. My son was held when he cried and not just put in a swing. He had tummy time and thrived. Ms. Hall became my son’s honorary Granny and we became quite close. As my son’s first teacher she made sure he was exposed to classical music, colors, encouraged to walk and let me know when it seemed like his gait was not right.

When my son moved on to the next class I still maintained close contact with Ms Hall and spent time in her classroom helping out. She truly is a wonderful woman and made my experience leaving my child in someone else’s hands a pleasant one.

It is my hope that when my son returns to school I find another nurturing environment where he can excell in. Clorox has a program to recognize great schools and teachers like Ms. Hall. Power A Bright Future, created by the Clorox Company, will help brighten kids’ futures with school grants to help fund critical programs. Parents and teachers can help kids continue to learn and play by nominating their school programs for a Power A Bright Future grant from the Clorox Company. 

As part of the Power A Bright Future grant program, Clorox is seeking nominations for school programs for a chance to win a $50,000 grand-prize grant or one of three $20,000 grants to help provide critically needed resources to school programs that enrich kids’ lives and create brighter futures. In November, four schools will be chosen to receive grants and the opportunity to impact the lives of children in their communities. Visit clorox.com to nomiate a school and get more information on this wonderful program!

And just in time for the school year Clorox is giving one of my readers a bag of goodies including:

· Clorox Disinfecting Wipes

· Dr. Harley Rotbart’s book Germ Proof Your Kids

· Clorox Hand Sanitizer

· Tissues

· Fun stickers

· Crazy cutting scissors

· Markets/pencils/crayons

To enter simply tell me the name of your favorite school and what makes it so special.

For an additional entry you can tweet about this contest - you can tweet up to five times daily with at least an hour between tweets! Good luck!

Contest ends September 7th. Winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email. Please be sure your email is in your comment if it is not in your blogger profile.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Clorox and TheMotherhood. I was compensated for my time in writing this post and running this giveaway.

Thank God For Everything!

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an active participant in the social media space is having the ability to make a positive impact on the lives of others. People use social media for many things but I think using it to power good works is one of the best ways to utilize social media. That is why when I was contacted by Hallmark to participate in the Ambassador program I signed up immediately because I appreciated the charity aspect of the campaign combined with the support of early childhood literacy. 


In my first giveaway charities for book donations were chosen by the winners and this time I get to chose my local charity to donate books to - the Atlanta Children’s Shelter. 

When we think of the homeless the image of adults frequently comes to mind

but many of these adults are women - with children. The Atlanta Children’s Shelter provides childcare services for homeless children. Their parents receive guidance on job hunting, skills building, etc to help them on the road to having a stable place to call home. The Shelter serves 40 children and I have to tell you I am so impressed by this National Association for the Education of Young Children certified center that donating the books to them was a total pleasure! 


With the Hallmark recordable books the children will be able to hear the sound of their parent or caregivers voice and be able to take this source of comfort with them wherever their travels take them. The last book that I received to review is titled “Thank You God for Everything!” I can’t think of a more appropriate book for my son and for the Atlanta Children’s Shelter which is housed in a church. I am thankful everyday for the blessings that God has bestowed upon me, my family and friends and am so very thankful that The Atlanta Children’s Shelter exists to help support these families that are in need. 

GIVEAWAY

If you would like to win a copy of Thank You God For Everything simply leave a comment telling me what you are thankful for. If you’d like extra entries you can tweet about this contest.
I’m thankful that God gave me the opportunity to participate in this campaign and share the joy of reading with children. 

Contest open until September 7th, 2010 11:59 pm EST.