Notes from the Past

Recently I was cleaning off my desk and found this:

Cute, right? The best part is the other side, though.

You might be able to read it if you click and enlarge but let me help you! (I copied the note exactly as it was written, circa 1982.)

Kendra, I am writing this card at 11:03 at night, so if it gets sloppy, please forgive me. I think its really stupid how this whole thing turned out and since we're both too stubbern (sp) to give in, I thought I would try this. For a while it seemed (to me anyway) that we were getting to be really close, so I can't see us throing (sp) that friendship out. This might be sounding real [stupid], but I can't think of good words at 11:11 at night. I hope with this card I have broken the ice and now maybe we can talk about it soom. Well I'm running out of room, so I'd better go. Love always, Kelly W/B please!

I wish I knew what we were fighting about that week. Some MAJOR Jr. High drama, obviously. I love it though, because here I am, about 30 years later, smiling.  Smiling because whatever it was, wasn't strong enough to break up our friendship in the long term. This is the girl that I spent every Saturday of Jr. High with on the slopes of Winter Park, countless hours listening to the Go Go's and the Waitresses, practicing cheer routines, and dissecting our latest crush. Oh my, you should see the notes about the boys! (Which, I actually have a few of, stashed away. Maybe someday I'll post them here...)

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. What can I say. I'm so glad to be able to call you Friend! I'm also noticing that you need a label all your own here: I've written about you that much! (Like here)

Something else that you may not know about Kelly is that she is a direct marketing guru, with a special love for online marketing with social media expertise. Please go visit her blog, Directly Successful, or like on Facebook for great tips about using tools like Facebook to expand your business, or hire her to help your business explode!

(Kelly did not ask me to write this post. She's my friend, she's good at what she does, and Oh My Goodness that letter is funny!)

Giveaway

I'm giving away a soccer ball signed by Brandi Chastain over on Headless Family Reviews and Giveaways, courtesy of GatoradeMoms. Go enter to win the coolest Christmas present ever for the soccer fan in your house!

Taylor Swift? Sshhh. Don't tell!

So have I told you about that one time that we surprised the boys with tickets to the Taylor Swift concert?

No? Hmph.

Last November our boys were in it deep. Love, that is. They had to tape the TS concert specials, got here cds for birthdays and Christmas, the works. They watched that special a half dozen times if they watched it once. So, logically, I watched for her to announce concert dates for LA and jumped on them when they went on sale. (So did the rest of the world. We had some of the worst seats in the place, but that part of the story comes later.)

We kept it a secret for 9 1/2 long months. The week before I spoke with HB#2's football coach and let him know that he wouldn't be at practice on Tuesday. I was the 'mean mom' that made them do extra work on Monday, knowing that if they had a lighter load on Tuesday it would be easier to get out of here. I also researched where to have dinner, (because God knows that I have NO IDEA where to go to eat in downtown LA. I think I've only been there 2 or 3 times in the 13+ years that we've been married.) When the boys got home on Tuesday, HD told them to hurry up and get their homework done because we were going on a "field trip."

Our first destination was this place in Korea Town:

It came with high recommendations as being pretty authentic. (I've been to Seoul, so I was really excited.) Soot Bull Jeep did not disappoint.

Next stop was Staples center. We kept asking the boys what they thought we were doing. Finally, HB#2 noticed a girl in the car next to us with a "13" written on her hand and said, "The Taylor Swift concert!!" They were pretty stoked.

If you've never been, I'd say that it was more of a show than a concert. Pretty theatrical, several set changes, multiple costume changes, background dancers, the works. About 2/3 of the way through, this happened:

Yes, that would be Taylor with her good friend Justin Beiber. He just decided to stop by and do a number. You know, since they're such good pals and all. (You should have heard that place erupt. And we thought the screaming was bad before? Holy cow, those teen girls have some lung power. Just sayin'.) (Honestly, that was pretty cool. How many people can say that they were there? Us, for 4.)

So about our seats? Yes, this pic is about the best one of the night. We had what could have been billed as the Ultimate Nosebleed Seats. Almost the farthest section, upper deck, very top row.

But ya know what? It was totally worth it to see the look on my boys faces.

Oh! but you didn't hear that from me. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that I was not allowed to tell anyone that they were there.

So you didn't hear it from me, ok?   ;-)

Go To Meals: Meatloaf

This is another of my mother's recipes that I remember from my childhood. A perennial favorite of mine, and now my family. (Yes, my entire family loves it. How do I know? They request it for their birthday dinner!) I think she got it from the Better Homes and Gardens red and white cookbook. Last week Liz asked me for my recipe.... Uh, better late than never?

Meatloaf

1-1 1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup oats
1 egg
1/4-1/2 onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce

Mix together well in a large bowl; your bare hands work best. Form into loaf, top with a thin coating of ketchup. Bake in flat pyrex, (not a loaf pan,) at 350 for 1 hour or a little longer.

My modifications:

• I typically use about 2 lbs of meat, often using 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 turkey. If you do this, make 2 loaves, as seen above. Use your 9x13 pan, too! My husband loves meatloaf sandwiches and my kids love the leftovers. These are the only leftovers that always get eaten around here.
• My family also loves onions so I coarsely chop them. If you're trying to hide them just chop smaller. 
• If you're increasing the meat also remember to increase the other ingredients. 
• I have needed a substitute for the tomato sauce in the past and have tried the following with excellent results: Hand crushed fresh tomatoes from our garden (diced then squished really, really good,) or a can of diced tomatoes with some of the juice drained then whirrled in the blender.) When you use a substitution like this watch your ounces! A small can of tomato sauce is 6 ounces. If you're using 2 lb. of meat, use about 8-10oz of sauce/tomatoes. Too much and the loaves will not form/bake correctly. If you're going to err on this one, err on the side of caution. I've never had it be too dry if you're using all of the ingredients.
• Bake time for me, near sea level with 2 loaves is right at an hour and a half. I always cut through the middle to make sure they are done. (See above!)
• I ALWAYS serve this meal with mashed potatoes and green beans. Meatloaf just isn't the same without them!

Enjoy!

Summer Fun

Thanks to SUBWAY® restaurants for sponsoring my post about summer fun with my kids. Check out the Kids Eat Free program at any LA area location! Just purchase any two subs, two sides and two drinks, and you can get a kid’s meal FREE!

(Side note: That there is a great deal. Perfect for nights when your family is on the go. But I digress...)

*****

This has been one of the best summers for family activities for us. It actually began back in May with a trip to Las Vegas. Traveling with the kids has gotten so much easier now that they are a little older. (Believe me, moms of toddlers, it really does!) Remember that I got us passes to Knott's? Going somewhere, even for a day, is so nice!

In June, we were able to go out to Lake Havasu with some friends. Now, while not totally cost free, it was a pretty inexpensive weekend for us, and the benefits were immeasurable.  Especially when my kids got to do this:

 And see this:

London Bridge, Havasu, AZ

And do this:

Karaoke, FTW!

Getting out of the house isn't all that we did, though. We had lazy days too. Some of the best evenings were spent throwing the football around in the backyard after dinner with Headless Dad. We also took in a few movies and got to go fishing with the cousins! Learning to cook a few things has also been a highlight of the summer for my kids... scrambled eggs and ramen noodles, anyone? (It's a start, right?)

School has already started and the lazy days of summer 2011 are behind us but I can honestly say that this has been a great summer for family activities around the Headless household. Now, how many days until we get to do it again?

*****

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

5 Minutes

...until the boys get home. Ready, Go!

• My HB#2 made the starting Offensive line and played every offensive play last week. Yay!
• My HB#1 started piano lessons back in June. Not just because he's my kid, but DUDE! the kid is talented.
• My HG had a fantastic time in Africa this summer. (I really should write more about it, or maybe I'll ask her to?) She has decided that she loves travel and is now planning on spending second semester in Israel. Wow! And: Yikes! 
• HD is busy, busy, busy at work. Good and bad. Good=Yay! Someone is paying the bills! Bad=Boo! I never even get to chat with him, much less anything else. I kinda like him, ya know?
• I need to come up with an EDITORIAL CALENDAR. Do you have any suggestions/links that might help me? I've got to get organized. I'm determined. Tell me what you know!

OK. My 5 minutes are up. Bye!

People of BlogHer '11

I've been doing this for a few years now... the following is a list of the people that I met (and exchanged cards with) at BlogHer in San Diego last week. It is by no means exhaustive. There are many people that I spent time with and didn't exchange cards with. Please also check out my lists from 09 and 10 for links to other great blogs and their writers that I've met in past years. If I forgot you here please leave a comment with a link to your blog so we can visit!

Kim from Mommy Knows

Kay from Buck$ome Boomer

Rhea from OhRheally

Kathleen from Life with Boys

Holly from CultureMom

Michelle from Honest and Truly

Melisa from Suburban Scrawl

Lynn at Walking With Scissors

Laura from Adventures in Juggling

Heather from Domestic Extraordinaire

Gwendomama

Lua from Miss Lulu Blogs

Megan from Sunshine Wonderland

Jean from Gluten Free Doctor

Careless Camper (Not what it sounds like!)

Brie from Capital Mom

Just One Miss

Kim from Crazy in Alabama

Karoli from Drums and Whistles

Renee from But Why Mommy

Aimee from Greeblemonkey

A special shout out to my roommates and suitemates: Liz, Christina, Shannon, Elizabeth and Jenn. And, of course, my BlogHer wouldn't have been complete without Carmen. I love you ladies more than you know. Now, can we go meet by the pool now?

Just Dance Summer Party

My boys like to think of themselves as 'gamers.'  Why don't you watch my little white boys and tell me; what do you think?



While they may not be excellent dancers, (really? how many of us are?) I love dancing games. They get the kids off the couch and moving-they don't even know it's exercise! I also love them because we can all play together-no expertise necessary. And really? Who can resist the hilarity of the Raving Rabbids? I laugh every time they are on the screen! (If you'd like to see the boys do another song check it out on their YouTube channel.)

I got to play too, and this game was super fun. I really can't wait to challenge Headless Girl-we can really go at it! (I secretly love to play her in these kind of things because we're pretty well matched.) I think I'd like the Just Sweat mode, too, for those days that it's too hot or too cold to exercise outside. I like having a full arsenal of things go get moving so workouts don't get boring. This game has 3 levels of exercise-something for everyone.




Get your own copy at Amazon.com right now for only $19.99! Also keep your eye out for Just Dance 3 in October... it will be a great Christmas present to keep your family moving in the cold winter months.

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this UbiChamps blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Hard Work Pays Off

If you've been following me for any length of time, you know that my 9yo. plays football. If you know anything about youth football, you know that for safety reasons the boys are grouped by age and weight. If you know anything about children, you know that two children the same age can vary GREATLY in size. If you've been paying attention you know that my 9yo is the child that doesn't just break the bell curve, but shatters it when it comes to height and weight, and always has.

Since early summer we have been attending conditioning practices for football because we knew that HB#2 needed to get in shape, which included losing some weight so he could make weight for the age team that he should be on. Yep, he needed to be under 110 lbs. So, yes, we've been working on it all summer long. Last week when the team had a scrimmage they did a test weigh in and he was down to 112. Not bad, but he had plateaued.

While at the Gatorade Moms session I learned a few things about weight loss for kids, and when the league said we had to change a few things, I kicked it into high gear. Full protein breakfast with a little fruit, veggie/protein lunches, 2 small dinners, balanced with extra protein. (Remember, too that he has started school, and works out for 2 hours every night.) With weigh in next Saturday we only had about a week to pound this out.

Well, it worked! Today when he got up he weighed in at 107! WooHoo!

I'm so impressed with his commitment to football and his maturity in knowing, (and putting into practice,) what it takes to achieve his goals. Me thinks there is a life lesson in that, don't you?

Let's go Saints!

What I Learned: Gatorade Moms

This is not a compensated post. I was given some Gatorade products to thank me for my time but no way told what to write. Thank you to the Gatorade team for an informative session and I hope I can pass along the knowledge to my readers.

It's that time of year again. Not only are we getting our kids back to school, we're also getting them back on the field. My son started football 3 weeks ago! Yes, that means practice in dessert-like heat. If you have kids starting sports practices too then this information is for you.

While at the BlogHer conference I was lucky enough to be invited to a special sports' moms session hosted by Gatorade. It was one of my favorite sessions of the conference-I felt like it was written for me and where my kids are in their journey.

Some of the interesting things I learned were:

• During exercise it is better to gulp your water or sports drink vs. taking small sips. The stomach will empty faster, leaving less 'sloshing'. Who knew?
• For athletes that need to lose weight for a weigh in, (Hello, exactly what we're doing right now with my HB#2,) increasing protein and vegetable intake and only reducing carbs, (not eliminating them,) is the best way to go. The carbs supply energy for those intense workouts, and if they are skipped your child can feel light headed, or worse.
• Athletes need protein within 30 minutes of their workout for essential muscle repair and recovery.

Please don't take it from me; I'm no expert. Go to the Gatorade Moms website for recipes, real mom stories, and articles on health and nutrition for young people. While you're there make sure to take the BECOME pledge. Let's all help to make the young people in our lives the best they can be. On the field or off.

PS-I shot some footage for them and will let you know how it turns out later in the fall when they publish it. It was really fun!

I know I

broke the blog. Working on it now....

Re-Entry

Yeah, yeah, BlogHer, blah blah blah.

I went. I Tweeted. I came home with an insane longing for the internet to move in next door.

Desperately behind since my kids started school about 16 hours from when I pulled in my driveway.

Laundry under way.

Desire for the weather here to be just as nice as it was in San Diego. (Please, oh please, oh please!!)

Got my parents off this morning and taking today to decompress and regroup.

Have so so so much to share with you all. Soon.

XO

Monday, Monday

 I know you all love a list, right? Just go with it, will ya?

• I did end up getting that car. I am insanely in love with it. It is the nicest car I've ever owned and we got a smokin' deal. 
• Making the deal took all week, which means that I'm a week behind on getting all of my stuff done for BlogHer.
• On Saturday I started and finished my Back to School shopping. Granted, the only item that needed to be purchased was skater shoes for HB#1, but still. 
• On Sunday I made a menu and a massive grocery list, then did the shopping for the whole week.
• My To-Do list for Monday includes getting every thing done in the house: bathrooms, laundry, ironing, and hopefully packing.
• (Who am I kidding. The packing will get done on Wed. morning at the last minute.)
• My awesome parents are coming to help with the kids this week because Headless Dad has to work all next weekend, so I feel compelled to do things like wash sheets and scrub bathrooms. (Yes, Mom, I'm doing it anyway.)
• Tuesday is my Whatever-is-left-Day. Please-oh-Please let it be a day that I can have fun with my kids and relax a little. (Yeah right. I'm not holding my breath either. A girl can dream, right?)
• I also have to pack one kid for camp-he'll go and come home while I'm in San Diego. Weird.
• In the midst of all this I still have to get my kids to football and piano and try to stay sane. (Who am I kidding, right? Sanity is not my strong suit.)
• Good News! I lost 3 lbs. last week! The real teller though was the white jeans that I wore for my reunion a few weeks ago. I wore them again last night and by the end of the evening they were almost falling off. Loving that!
• Do you have your tickets yet? I do, and I can't wait.

OK peeps. Wish me luck on my UberBusy Monday!