It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged, thanks to a very intense full-time job. I love it, but it certainly takes up most of my time. Anyway, for those of you that have followed MommyQ, you know I have an autistic son. He was diagnosed at the age of three and now he’s eight years old! Wow! Over the last five years, I’ve talked to so many parents about autism. The one piece of advice I give over and over again is, “Take it one day at a time.”  There’s no need to worry needlessly into the future, because it does nothing for you. Make each day count and be thankful for every milestone. It may sound too simple, but when you’re trying to live in the moment, simple is good.

If you had asked me where my son would be now as far as school, sports, etc, my outlook was originally bleak. Not because I’m a pessimistic person, but because autism is such a mysterious reality. The good news is he’s doing great. (You can see his smiling face in the photo above – he’s in the light blue shirt, posing with our high school football team.) Thanks to a solid support system of friends, family and community, he is thriving.  He learns in a regular classroom with one-on-one help as needed. He reads, writes, does math and enjoys science. He’s faster on a computer or iPhone/iPad than I am. He can play tennis and soccer and swims like a fish. A few months ago, he started Kung Fu and today his skills are impressive, not to mention he uses a staff. It’s like having my own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! He’s learning a routine for his school’s Talent Show, so I’m very excited for him.

I remember the days when he hardly spoke, couldn’t complete directions, didn’t take interest in the world around him and had minimal physical strength. He existed in his own world and we desperately fought to bring him out of it. Today, he’s a normal kid who loves chocolate cake, hates cauliflower, fights with his little brother and blushes when a female classmate gives him a hug. His perspective of the world will always be different, but different isn’t bad. I’ve learned that a big dose of hope brings happiness. Keep your chin up.

It’s rather shocking to think I’ve lived in Texas for over 12 years and I don’t own a pair of cowboy boots. I may be from Virginia, but I’m just not a cowgirl. I’d describe myself as more of a misguided East Coast, West End girl. (Thanks for the validation, Pet Shop Boys.)

What’s even more absurd is until last night, my boys didn’t own a real pair of cowboy boots either. Over the years they’ve had plenty of Western themed parties and events, but I’ve just never felt compelled to get the whole ensemble. Now at the ages of seven and four, they were more than ready to pick out a pair of cowboy kicks. We took them to Cavender’s and they had a blast choosing the most awesome pairs of Ariat boots. My young buckaroo went for the tan and purple (yes, real men wear purple boots), and my older son got the same style with red. The gal who helped us find the “perfect” boots was really sweet and helpful.

What’s funny about shopping for cowboy boots in Austin? Walking through the parking lot, I noticed a huge pickup truck with gun racks and rims parked next to a Prius. Lol. Austin – home of the eco-friendly cowboy.

It seems Beyonce spared no expense when it came to her baby girl’s birth. Any why would she? She’s Beyonce. TMZ has released photos of her beautiful hospital suite which costs around $700-$800 per night. A tad expensive, yes, but that’s not an insane amount. Her posse used about four rooms during her stay – evidently her entourage travels with her for her birth – ew.  Why? In case she decides to record an album during delivery or needs a sequins bodysuit? Anyway, so four rooms would’ve run her about $3,200. Again, not a big deal when you’re sitting on kabillions of dollars. Click image below to see more of her hospital suite!

So why so much drama about Beyonce’s baby? It really didn’t cost a ton if the above info is correct. Wait, there’s more! On Wed. of this week the NY State Health Department got  “complaints from new parents who claim they were mistreated by the staff at Lenox Hill Hospital while Beyonce was giving birth in the VIP room.”  The parents who were having babies in the hospital while Bey & Z were there said, “they were neglected by staff and prevented from visiting their newborns … due to the drama surrounding the superstar.” Gee, ya think?

Let me tell you this, had I given birth at my hospital while a HUGE superstar like Beyonce was there, I would’ve delivered my baby myself with a bedpan and a sheet. I’m 1,000 times certain I  would’ve been totally ignored. They ignored me most of the time anyway! Talk about ruining a special moment for you and your family. Who cares about your normal, boring baby when BEYONCE and JAYZ are birthing royalty down the hall. Seriously? You know I’m right.

The baby rumors continue to swill about and who knows what’s actually true. All I know is that kid is gonna hear the most unbelievably cool nursery rhymes ever.

Wow, yet another blog post about video games. Can you tell I’m the mom of boys or what? In my house, 2012 is the season of wacky dudes with equally wacky names. Trigger Happy, Terrafin, Stump Smash and Ghost Roast are just a few of our new family members. That’s right, MommyQ is living in a Skylanders wonderland.

Welcome to Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. It’s expensive, highly entertaining and all the rage. Cool molten lava dudes cough up fireballs, clumsy trees smash stuff and spit out balls of wood…hmmm…there’s a lot of spitting. What’s funny about this game is in the Adventure mode, which is supposed to be relatively peaceful, you can walk around smashing innocent sheep. My four-year-old find that to be beyond hilarious.

It’s cool because you can drop a new character on the Portal of Power and send it right into the video game. It springs to life with a weird giggle and a grunt. Of course, there are tons of them so it’s an endless money pit. Although it is very unique and lots of fun to play. The game pieces also serve as memory chips so my kids can take their Skylanders to a friends house and play. Kinda cool concept.

Have you met the Skylanders yet? Who’s your favorite character?

If the oddly amusing sounds of laughing and snorting pigs along with the melodious hum of cawing birds echoes in your ears, you’re no doubt an Angry Birds fan like me. Well, not me, but my boys. Who knew a few furrow-browed birdies could be so darn entertaining?

This ridiculously addictive game has broken all sorts of unbelievable internet records. It recently became the first game in gaming history to be downloaded over 500 million times. In fact, the uber-successful maker of this game, Rovio, has gone on record stating that users “on average log about 5 million hours of Angry Birds play time daily.  More than 266 billion levels of Angry Birds have been played and close to 400 billion birds have been catapulted at the dastardly pigs.”

And just in time for Christmas, a whole new (or “nuther,” as they say in Texas) Angry Birds egg-stravaganza awaits. You can now get a new “Wreck the Halls” edition for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac. For Christmas, Rovio has released an update with 25 new levels and several other added features. The Angry Birds “Wreck the Halls” update can be downloaded in the App Store. I hear you will meet a new Angry Bird and if you’re good enough, possibly King Pig. Gee, I hope he’s wearing a Santa hat.

No matter how much you boycott the Kardashians or how many petitions you sign, they just keep coming. And not only that, reproducing at a quick pace to ensure their continued world domination, um, I mean survival. On Wednesday, the eldest Kardashian, Kourtney, announced that she and Scott Disick — America’s favorite Vegas-loving, hair-slicking, baby daddy — are expecting bambino numero dos.

Wait, what’s that noise you’re hearing? That would be the sound of “cha-ching” from Burberry, because they get to dress another designer-clad munchkin. Score!

Isn’t it interesting how well-timed her baby news is? It’s almost like her new pregnancy is part of the grand Kardashian marketing plan since she just launched a mom focused web series called Kourtney’s Mommy Blog at E! Online (the very company people have been petitioning to drop Kardashian nonsense.) I guess you aren’t a legit mommy unless you have multiple kids…

Get the full scoop on HLNTV.com

Image: HLNTV.com

If you’re into zippers and super-skinny jeans, get a load of these beauties. This is my favorite pair right now. All bow down to the Paige Premium Edgemont Skinny Super Rebellious jeans. Yummy. Sure, they’ll cost you a cool $259, but what’s not to love? I adore Paige jeans too. I bought my first pair waaay back in the day and still wear them. The fit is fabulous and although they stretch a tad, it’s not to the point that they don’t fit anymore. There’s just something wonderful about the craftsmanship and the fit. I’m putting these on my Wish List this holiday season, but I don’t think I’ve been good enough. Darn my sarcastic ways.

We hosted an amazing party in October to celebrate our HGTV episode and had a blast showing off our awesomely renovated rooms to our friends and neighbors.

We had a delish gorgeous cake from Rise and Shine Bakery, food from Mandola’s, beer from Thirsty Planet and to make the par-tay complete and enhance the uniqueness of the experience, we served a variety of Gilgal wines from the Golan Heights Winery – the Vinexpo grand medalla de oro 2011 – Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot a la Fleischer Wines. Needless to say, every sip was savored.  If you haven’t heard about Fleischer Wines, let me enlighten you.

Fleischer Wines was founded in 2000, by the Fleischer brothers of Houston, who are originally from Santiago Chile. Roberto and Miguel set high goals for themselves when it came to starting their business: excellence in wine making, consistency from year to year, appropriate quality-price relationship, and a level of service that would allow them continuous provision of fine wines to quality restaurants and liquor stores.

Fleischer Wines imports and distributes wines from many different regions in Europe, Middle East and the Americas. They offer an amazing selection of Israeli and kosher wines, both mevushal an

d non-mevushal. As any Jewish gal knows, this ain’t no Manachevitz! The Gilgal wines I mentioned above are exclusive to Spec’s and the Gilgal Cabernet is their top seller, all sold under $20.00. Specs sells it for $18.99.

Fleicher Wines is an award-winning name you should know. (Yes, I’m talking to you my wine snob friends.) It was a fantastic night and so much fun to relive the excitement of being HGTV’d. Hugs and kisses to Thom FIlicia and the HGTV crew for giving us the opportunity to be part of such a wild ride.

Read more about my HGTV’d experience here:

Part I: Truck Arrives & Demo Begins!

Part II: How It Happens & The Cool Local Business Involved

I made a joke on Facebook last week about not friending people’s kids. I said something to the effect of my subtle innuendos, jaded perspective and bad jokes would be lost on a child. I also joked about the upside, which would be I probably have the same taste in music as a 10-year-old. Well, until you get into my love of rap music. That should bump the median age up a notch.

Picture it.  A dorky mother of two be-bopping around suburbia in a black Mercedes mini SUV (for the mom who can’t park a Suburban) with this music blaring through the speakers. Yes, it’s as pathetic in real life as it reads on-screen. However, my elementary-aged kids think I’m super awesome, so I’ve got that going for me.

 
I’d also like to add that not only do I listen to these artists constantly, I know every word to every song (including rap) and have been known to poorly choreograph dance routines to said songs. I happen to be watching the 2011 American Music Awards right now and these folks are so not as cool as Phil Collins. And way too tall.

Here’s what’s on my iPod:

Maroon 5 with and without Gym Class Heroes
Brittney Spears
Justin Timberlake
Usher
Lady Gaga
Ke$ha
LMFAO (twice)
Flo Rida (also twice)
Black Eyed Peas
Kanye
Pitball (and lots of it)
Rihanna
Jason Derulo (Omg, I’m making myself  laugh now…)

My personal “explicit” faves inlcude:
DMX
Biggie
Ludacris
JayZ
Chamillionaire
50 Cent
Little Kim
Foxy Brown
Xhibit
Beastie Boys

My sad attempt at “cutting edge” includes:
Jessie J
Black Keys
Arcade Fire
Far East Movement
Nickelback

What makes me cheesy as heck:
Wham
Phil Collins (Sussudio, of course)
Michael Jackson
Prince
Duran Duran

As one of my besties would say,”SHAZAM!” What’s on your iPod? Is it even remotely as cheesy as my playlist? Go ahead, thrill me.

“Look at me. I’m wearing daddy’s shoes and I’m naked.” Hysterical laughter errupts.

“Mom, when you wear your glasses, you look like a grandma.” Hysterical laughter.

“Mommy, listen to my new song. ‘I hate you. I hate daddy. I hate bugs. I hate turtles. I hate candy. I hate pillows.’ More hysterical laughter.

“Guess what, mommy? Butt. Pee.” Total giggle meltdown.

I have to admit, being four must be fun because everything is totally hilarious. The mind of my 4-year-old is so interesting and entertaining, it almost makes me jealous.

Sometimes he is actually very funny and seems to have inherited comedic timing, but sometimes what he says doesn’t seem funny at all. And it’s only his genuine reaction that makes it funny. He enjoys laughing at his own bad jokes almost as much as I like laughing at mine. That’s my boy. Tear.

I’m not the kind of mom that gets weepy as my kids get older, but I will miss this tender, silly and highly amusing age. I can only hope he’ll always have that fun-loving spirit and maybe when he gets older, he’ll laugh at my bad jokes too.

P.S. When I kissed him goodnight,  I asked him who is the funniest person he knows. He thought for a minute. “Me, mommy!” Of course.

Before my husband and I had kids, we were cool.  We ran together daily on Town Lake, we went antiquing on South Congress, we drank at local dives and ate buttermilk pancakes at Magnolia Café every weekend. We were hipsters.  Our motto was if you don’t live in the 78704, you’re utterly lame and you don’t really qualify as being an Austinite. When we renovated our home on South 2^nd Street back in 2003, we purposely designed it to look weird. We didn’t care. It was South Austin. The weirder, the better.

One marriage and two kids later, I find myself puttering around Lakeway in our champagne-colored Tahoe like 98% of the suburbanites out here, rarely going downtown, because it’s “just too far away.” Oh how I miss being cool. And being in the “04.”

Sola City Homes

Did you know the Austin rental market nears 95 percent occupancy? South Austin is beyond cool now and new developments like Sola City Homes and The Sycamore are delivering unprecedented value in one of the most coveted neighborhoods in town – the “golden rectangle.”  I toured these two properties and was shocked that there was such unbelievable value. The developers bought band foreclosures at a discount and then dropped the market price to sell the properties fast.

The Sycamore

These new Austin real estate gems allow buyers to live the legendary Austin lifestyle at a wholesale price of 25 percent below market value, and a mere 3 miles from downtown in 78704. Buyers can realize equity when they move in as the houses are being appraised at $81K-82K higher than the offering. What truly sets these properties apart is that regardless of the overall market conditions of the last few years, their customers are buying because they are shown real value. With these new properties, they’re able to pass on the savings to the public, and buyers immediately recognize the value.  How sweet is that?

Central Austin properties like Sola and Sycamore are spacious and comfortable and close to everything that people love about central Austin living – music, history, culture, food and entertainment. In fact, some of the best restaurants and music venues are located just blocks from these communities.

Sola City Homes are newly constructed town home-style condos located off of South Lamar, and boast sustainable architecture and simple designs. These unique offerings allow home buyers to compare the $140 per square foot to the $200+ per square foot 78704 area average pricing. Residents also appreciate their spacious 2,000+ SF floor plans and 10 ft. ceilings

The Sycamore is a private, gated community in South Austin near South Congress that boasts detached, contemporary town homes. The Sycamore features energy-efficient and technological amenities mixed with bold designs, a 2-car garage and private yards. The Sycamore features energy-efficient and technological amenities mixed with bold designs, 2-car garage and private yards. Units are 1,500 sq. ft., 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 baths with a study and garage, starting at $240,000.

Barton Creek Capital has sold 140 homes with the average days on market to contract of less than 3 days, and they are the largest, and arguably the only, wholesaler of condos in the desirable 78704 zip code. These new developments have opened up new options for living near downtown with pricing that beats rental rates by wholesaling condos and town homes and returning real value.

This year, the Greater Austin Walk Now for Autism Speaks attracted over 3,356 walkers and raised over $139,000 for autism.  My family joined the fun and together with Michele Utt from MK Events, MommyQ’s team raised over $3,000.

It was surreal to see all of the families like ours unite for such an important organization. Autism Speaks did a wonderful job organizing the event and the sponsors did a great job making the day extra-special. My boys loved the Home Depot workshop where they got to swing hammers to create wooden keepsakes crafts like toolboxes, boats and cars.  My little guy managed to sweet talk a lady working the Home Depot area into giving him the demo Joey Logano car with the pristine paint job. Go figure, right?

I’m already looking forward to next year and brainstorming themes for our big pre-event cocktail party. Drop me a line if you have ideas. A special thanks to Michael Gardner Photography at www.Homeandgardners.com for sharing his wonderful photos with me. His photos are watermarked. The rest are mine. Not as good, but they do have heart!

Gwyneth Paltrow arrived at the Emmy Awards wearing a 2-piece Pucci. Oh, wait…er, uhm, sorry…that’s actually a one-piece dress. Oh, I get it now. It’s a tummy-baring dress, the epitome of classy. Right. Because when you’re decked out in a gorgeous red carpet gown, you often say to yourself, “This would be magnificent if we were back in 1993 and my mid-drift was exposed.” This dress was as much of a fail as Charlie Sheen’s boring and insanely unfunny apology. He didn’t even toss us a “winning” or mention “tiger blood” or slip into a coma. Come on.

Hadley Freeman said it best, “Paltrow is wearing officially the most ridiculous thing she has ever worn to a fashion ceremony, and that is saying something. It is not only see through but it is a crop top and a high waisted skirt, ie the two most unflattering garments of all time.” Amen, sister.

What do you think? I think it’s hideous. Here’s a link to E! so you can see all of the gowns of the evening.

Image:  Steve Granitz/WireImage

It’s time to gush! Last year, I received a gift card to Adorn Home & Body for my birthday and I’ve been a loyal customer ever since. The store itself is beautiful. The fab owners, Brent & Kim Charlet, have a talent for not only picking out adorable merchandise, but also creating a wonderful shopping experience. The store boasts the perfect mixture of clothes, accessories and unique home decor items.

I’ve bought a bunch of dresses from Adorn, because they are stylish and functional. If I throw on heels and statement jewelry, I can dress the outfit up for a night out, or I can wear wedge sandals and hoop earrings for a daytime look. When items go on sale, it’s impossible not to take advantage of the extra savings. Adorn sells a beautiful selection of jewelry; many lines made by local artists like Kendra Scott. While some of the jewelry is more expensive, like Seasonal Whispers bracelets, many pieces LOOK expensive, but they’re reasonably priced which makes them perfect for gifts.

As far as gifts and home decor items, Adorn has so many great items to choose from, it’s hard to pick just one. From smaller trinkets for the home to architectural salvage pieces, these unique treasure are everywhere. You should se the amazing wood dining table and upholstered chairs on sale right now for 40% off.

They’re putting new clothes and merchandise out every day, so stop by soon! Kim & Brent just got back from market, so the new fall items are on their way. The store is in Lakeway near the PJ Shop.

I’m an eye-candy enthusiast,a sucker for shoes and I could possibly run a marathon in 5-inch heels. That being said, I melt over Christian Louboutin shoes. So expensive, yet so delicious. In light of how ridiculously popular Louboutins have become over the years, I find the whole legal debate over the famous red soles highly entertaining.

To make a long story short, Christian Louboutin got his fancy french panties in a knot when he discovered YSL unveiled shoes with a red sole. (They’ve also done blue: see pic above). The whole thing went to court and appeals are still flying. It seems Louboutin’s trademark red soles are no longer. Why such insanity, you ask? Well, you can’t own a primary color. Gee, really? Does this shock anyone? What’s funny is how incredibly long he got to ride the ruby wave until someone was like, “Wait a minute! He can’t trademark the color red! Why aren’t we making shoes with red soles? Let’s make some. Francoise, fetch me my diamond-studded sketching pencil.”

I think Christian needs to launch an entirely new collection with a really bizarre color for the soles like puce or amber or neon green. Then he can re-establish his notoriety and nobody else will want those colors. Right now all of the REAL Louboutins are almost obsolete because EVERYONE and their orthopedic-shoe-wearing GRANDMAS will be with red soles. All of the women who have spent a gazillion dollars on Louboutins will instantly be among kabillions of knock-offs.  Shhh, if you listen closely you can hear the sound of  a status symbol crashing. How quickly before the shelves at Goodwill will be overflowing with tear-stained Louboutin pumps? That remains to be seen.

Judge Marrero upheld YSL’s rights to manufacture and sell red-soled shoes and repeatedly asserted that red is a decorative element rather than a trademark-worthy feature: “There is something different about fashion. In fashion, color is an ingredient,” the judge said, musing that designers use color just as a chef uses “salt and pepper,” or a writer uses the word “the.” How much do you love this judge? I love him a lot.

Every so often I need to get crafty. I subscribe to Craft Gossip, so when I need to crack a smile, I always get my fix.  Thanks to Craft Gossip, I found these rice krispie critters on the Disney Family Fun website. Wouldn’t they be a fun addition to a birthday party? They could double as decorative touches & party favors. Perfecto!

Worms are delicious — when they’re our bookworms made from crispy rice and marshmallows. Make a batch for Read Across America Day (March 2), and your child can sink her teeth into a treat while devouring a good book.

Ingredients:
• crispy rice cereal treats
• butter
• fruit leather
• plastic wrap
• googly eyes
• pipe cleaner

Instructions:
1. Whip up a batch of crispy rice cereal treats, using your favorite recipe.

2. Using buttery hands, mold the rice mixture into worm shapes (ours are about 5 inches long).

3. Add three strips of fruit leather to each worm, securing the overlapping ends of each strip with a dot of water.

4. Wrap the worms in plastic wrap, then add two googly eyes.

5. Loop a pipe cleaner around the worm’s neck and twist it together at the top. Curl the ends into antennae.

If you haven’t heard about  NEA’s Read Across America program, it’s an amazing initiative to help motivate children and teens to read. NEA’s Read Across America Day, NEA’s national reading celebration takes place each year on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss.  Wouldn’t these worms be a super way to celebrate?

If you know me, you know I love big jewelry. I’ll wear the rings the size of your skull without blinking an eye. I’ll wear earrings that hang down to my waist. I’ve been known to wear hoop earrings that can also be worn as bracelets. That being said, I’m not always a believer in “bigger is better” when it comes to jewelry. To me, statement jewelry should serve one main purpose – enhance your outfit. I tend to wear tailored yet simple outfits, so my jewelry plays a huge role in pulling my outfit together and often serves as the pop of color needed to make my outfit complete.

When it comes to hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind pieces, my Kendra Scott earrings, rings and bracelets are my all-time favorite accessories. Not only are they brilliant and beautiful, but also wearable and dependable. What is dependable jewelry, you ask? It’s the kind of jewelry you can wear for any occasion and it always looks great.  Dependable means it’s the perfect finishing touch. Above is the Poppy Cocktail Ring in Salmon paired with the Grayce Statement Necklace in Crush, a press favorite.

I wore it to two recent events, the 1st Annual Military Gala by Liz Fields in San Antonio, and The Bachelorette Watch Party Benefiting Autism Speaks in Austin. The events were amazing and I got so many compliments about my Kendra Scott jewelry, it was crazy. The dome rings are always starting conversations! Above is the Poppy Cocktail Ring in Turquoise paired with Wren Earrings in Turquoise. LOVE.

Top Image: Kris Luck Images

When the fabulous Michele Utt of MK Events asked me to partner with her to throw The Bachelorette Watch Party, I was intrigued. When she mentioned this amazing party would also serve as a fundraiser, I was impressed. When we decided it would benefit Autism Speaks, I was ecstatic. My happy heart (in combination with my inner party diva) is thrilled to announce The Bachelorette Season Finale Watch Party, August 1st from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  Proceeds will benefit Walk Now for Autism Speaks in Austin. Tickets to the event can be purchased online for $40.

This event is shaping up to be one of the best Girls Night Out parties ever held in the great state of Texas.  The swag bags and silent auctions items alone are making us swoon. Plus, we’re adding new ones even as I type. Take a look at ALL of the AMAZING people & companies who are involved. They deserve a mega-shout out! Woo Hoo.

Why Autism Speaks? My readers know autism is close to my heart, because my oldest son was diagnosed when he was three. The biggest thing we need as parents and as a society is access to critical data about autism and more resources for families struggling to understand it. All of these autistic youngsters will be adults one day. Who will support them? How will they lend their special vision, talents and skills to society?  They need to thrive! Lastly, let’s figure out what causes it. There are too many unsubstantiated theories. We need answers!

Okay, stepping off of my platform now…

-  A special thank you goes out to our sponsors: Baldwin Beauty School (thank you, Wendi!), Premier Data Com and Warren Kull with www.yourlaketravishome.com, for supporting our event and compassion towards the cause.

- Enjoy complimentary appetizers by Mandola’s, wine by Flat Creek Winery, cocktails courtesy of Treaty Oak Rum and Graham’s Texas Tea and dessert a la Michelle’s Patisserie.  Bouquets of red roses fill the room courtesy of Flowers By Nancy.

- Chef Paul Peterson, (www.chefpaulpetersen.com) who was featured on TLC’s BBQ Pitmasters and is currently the executive chef at Austin’s favorite Tex-Mex Restaurant, Vivo. will be firing up the kitchen and serving some tasty eats!

Swag Bags valued at over $700 and are yours to take home!
Swag Bags Sponsored By:
~Bettysport
~Oak Haven Massage
~BASE Personal Training
~Kendra Scott Jewelry
~Shandi Nichelle Co.
~Vitamin Water
~Don Rogers Photography
~Dermalogica
~Dream Water
~360 Tans
~Creative People Marketing & Design
~Hill Country Galleria
~Bee Waxed

Silent Auction Items Include:
~Zoom Whitening by Lakeway Smiles
~$300 in Kendra Scott Jewelry
~Gift Certificate to Spa at the Lake
~Spray Tan by 360 Tans
~Gift Basket by Blue Avocado

My tall, skinny son looked rather comical in his worn, gray, jersey-knit bodysuit with his silly elephant nose made out of a dryer tube wrapped in silver electrical tape and a big pillow stuffed down the front of his outfit. He looked goofy and frumpy, which was exactly how he was supposed to look. The room was fully of excited children and glittery outfits – clown suits, ringmaster vests, acrobat leotards and funny props. And my son was a fat, gray elephant. I was very proud.

It was the annual kindergarten performance and I was a nervous wreck. I wasn’t worried about my son goofing up his lines, because he didn’t have any lines. I wasn’t worried about him making a mistake, because at that age, mistakes are pretty darn cute. I was worried about how he would handle the things I couldn’t anticipate. When you have an autistic child, you recognize the situations that may be uncomfortable or overwhelming, and you plan ahead to avoid them. If it’s going to be loud, you pack the soundproof headphones. If it’s going to be crowded, you go early to avoid crowds. The truth is, when you’re dealing with autism you just never know. And in this instance, I knew nothing.

My son and I practiced his little routine at home and I gave him verbal reassurance about the on-stage experience. No matter how much I prepped him, I realized he didn’t fully grasp what I was trying to convey. This is what autism is all about and this why it’s so tricky. The one thing I didn’t want him to experience on-stage was fear. It was impossible for me to imagine how he would process and handle the stage, the lights, the audience and the huge auditorium.

While I was pinning his bulky elephant costume closed, I kept telling him to have fun and not worry if he made a mistake. He smiled and said, “okay, mama!” I gave him a big hug and went to my seat in the second row. To many onlookers, I probably appeared to a normal, nervous, stage mom who secretly yearned for her child to steal the show. The reality of the situation couldn’t have been further from the truth.

The show was adorable and eventually, it was time for his act to perform. I could see the expression on his face as he stepped on-stage to the sea of faces looking back at him. He was scanning the unfamiliar faces for a familiar one – his mommy. As soon as he saw me waving at him, he waved back. I knew he would be fine. And he was. He sailed through his routine without a hitch. I was overcome with happiness, hope and of course, pride. My head was cheering, “He did it! He did it!” and then it happened…

All of the children, about 138 kiddos, gathered on-stage together for one final song. After the first few notes rang out, my son covered his ears and crouched down, putting his elbows on his knees. I panicked. My husband, who was sitting next to me, noticed too. We watched as he stood up and then resumed his position, blocking out his surroundings. It was too much and he was panicking. The lights, the noise, the camera flashes, the people, the stage. “Go help him!” I instinctively said to my husband, practically jumping out of my seat “No,” he said calmly, yet fearfully. “He’s handling it.”

The song seemed to last forever and while all of the other little faces sang happily and parents took tons of pictures, my son’s little face was hidden. It didn’t help that he was standing on the first row, front and center. On the bright side, as soon as the song ended he popped back up and smiled, enjoying the accolades from all of the parents. He didn’t cry, he didn’t run and he didn’t mentally checkout. He survived it in his own way. Yep, he handled it after all. What a star!

Read more about living with autism in my Advocate Mommy section.

Image: Mina Laben

If you haven’t heard the buzz about this new doll, I’ll break it down for you. Breast Milk Baby is a doll that allows little girls to simulate the act of breast-feeding. And as you can imagine, this toy is creating waves of controversy as it will soon be available in the US. So what’s the big deal about another doll? I mean, we already have plenty of dollies that eat, pee and poop. Well, it could be the vest with sensors to trigger nursing or the suckling sounds or the fact that little girl can loosely experience latching. Pick one. Here’s a recent article from ABC News.

Today, I spoke with FOX 7 about it and shared my thoughts as not only a mother, but a mother who happens to know a lot about baby products. I even posted something on Facebook about my impending interview, which created its own little swirl of debate. This is a controversial doll for many reasons. Instead of exploring the obvious, I thought it was far more interesting to hear reactions about the doll from dads. After all, dads shower their daughters with gifts. Will they buy Breast Milk Baby for their daughters? One dad added his two cents to my lively Facebook discussion by posting the following:

“Don’t want to drag another ‘party’ to the discussion unknowingly… But having had this very discussion today…. It’s not about sexuality or nourishment as much as it seems to be about the publicity of it. Should be private and between a mom and child, not public and out for display for everyone to share. I think public display kind of sensationalizes it. Back to the doll – is that the right WAY to send the message or teach our children? My girls will never own one of these, but you can bet they will know everything they want and need to about breastfeeding and discretion.”

Bravo, daddy! I think he illustrates great points and let’s face it, dads are an integral part of parenting, so why dismiss their feelings? Many dads seem to be annoyed by the doll, because they feel young girls don’t need to experience something reserved for grown women. It’s simply too much, too soon. Other dads think there is a shady sexual undertone that just makes them feel slightly ill. Loving daddies might not want to imagine their sweet little girls as mothers quite yet, especially with all of the valid fears of teenage pregnancies.

Weigh in, dads! What do you think about this doll? Will you buy it for your daughter?

Evening and bridal gown designer Liz Fields, who is based in New York, is hosting her 1st Annual Military Gala, a launch extravaganza that will kick off an effort across the country to give away gowns to women within the military family. The gala will be the perfect setting for Liz to showcase her new collection of bridal gowns, destination wedding dresses, special occasions niche designs and evening gowns. But, part of her dream to make military ladies’ dreams come true too.

At the heart of the gala will be military couples which run the spectrum of boyfriend-girlfriend, engaged, and married couples. They will celebrated and treated to a memorable evening of food, drinks, dancing, entertainment, prizes, giveaways and unbelievable surprises. Liz Fields is happy to partner with amazing sponsors like Lacy Pool, the stylist and buyer for Serendipity Bridal, who has teamed up with Kendra Scott and Toni Federici to create the looks. Additional sponsors include the Army Wife Network and Silver Eagle Distributors/Anheuser Busch.

I can’t let the cat out of the bag, but I’ve heard an American Idol Finalist will be performing and my beautiful friend Holly Mills-Gardner, a former Miss Texas, will be emceeing the fashion show and festivities as they unfold. Plus, the entire show will be televised on CMT in the Fall. How fun is that?!

The dust has been vacuumed, the dumpster has been removed, our POD has left the driveway and all of our new pals at HGTV’d have moved on to their next project. I hope it involves a few naps, because those folks are worn out! The BIG REVEAL was this past Sunday and my head is still spinning! I keep walking into my ultra-fabulous, posh, functional and sparkling, new rooms and wonder, “Whose house is this?!? It certainly isn’t mine!” I’m still not touching anything out of fear that I may mess up something. Although the fresh flowers are starting to wilt, so I’m going to have to replace them. Even the flowers are cool. I mean, really? These folks are goooood.

I’d like to give a special thanks to four local companies who helped us survive and enjoy this surreal experience:

#1 – Austin Paperhanging for the stunning, precise and perfect job they did hanging all of our new wallpaper.  You won’t fully understand until you see the room in person. It’s a HUGE area and DIFFICULT job and they did SUPERBLY. It’s mind boggling.

#2 - Aero Designed Systems who installed our brand new AC unit. Yep, our AC broke right in the middle of filming our episode of HGTV’d. It was about 103 degrees outside too. Aero worked quickly and the customer service was outstanding.

#3 – Let Us Do The Cooking was possibly the highlight of each day. This is a catering company located in Killeen, TX, and they brought us the most mouth-watering, fantastic food I’ve ever eaten. Yes, ever.  (Sorry, mom!) The corn casserole was stupendous, the green bean casserole was heavenly, the desserts were insane, the entrees were perfection, etc.

#4 – Central Market made the most beautiful & tasty HGTV’d cake. I had to print the logo from the hotel’s black & white printer, but Central Market was like, we’re so awesome, we’re going to do it with all of the red shades anyway! Not only was it pretty, but also yummy! We walked around with red lips all day and didn’t even care.

Here's a pic of the old chandelier coming down. You should've seen how high they had to go to make this happen. My knees were weak!

Here's a shot of David with Austin Paperhanging doing what he does best. You should've seen the precision. If you ever decide to this, leave it to the pros.

We took a million pics in front of that truck. We also saw various neighbors posing it with as they walked by...

Another shot of the gorgeous cake. Central Market knows dessert!

This pic was taken on my way out of the hotel on reveal day! I was a nervous, excited wreck. This is my annoying thumbs-up pose that I did repeatedly. Yes, that's gonna be a pleasure to watch on TV. Oy!

I’m not able to post pics of the finished rooms, but tune in for my next post when I finally reveal our celebrity designer.

What do you think? Do you have the guts to be HGTV’d????

Have you ever wondered what’s it’s like to be HGTV’d? I can pretty much sum it up in one word, AWESOME. For the past five days, my family has been taking an exciting, unbelievable, unpredictable, loud, consuming and mind-boggling journey with HGTV as they redo our multiple areas in our home for the new show, HGTV’d. I can’t give away all of the juicy details, but I can give you a little sneak peek. First, a few FAQs…

How did we get on the show? We submitted a video just like everyone else.  Go do it now! They’re casting in DC/Virginia, Miami and Chicago, people! Why did we get picked? Honestly, I have no idea. We’re totally nuts and fearless? Perhaps. The producers told me we were fun and open to wild ideas and our house had good “bones.” Are the homeowners totally in the dark about knowing who their designer is? Absolutely! We had no clue who our designer was until Tanika Ray opened the truck door.

It’s a totally once-in-a-lifetime type of surreal experience. The demolition was one of the wildest aspects. It’s pretty wild to have parts of your house torn apart when you know what’s going to happen. Imagine how crazy it is when you DON’T know what they’re going to tear down. I’m in awe of the entire team, because they are incredibly respectful of us and our home, not to mention how much thought and effort they put into each design idea. I encourage you to submit a video and see what happens. Trust me, it’s an experience you will never forget.

I’ll be dishing about it for the next few days, so stay tuned. Well, I gotta be sequestered. I’ve been kicked out and the big reveal is tomorrow!!!!

They tore out useless walls. We didn't realize they were useless, but we learned...Ha!

The noise was insane! The buzzing, whirling & hammering. The kids were troopers!

Our home was transformed into a fully functional TV set. Our kitchen was a huge work station, our yard housed a tent for meals and carpentry and our guest room was the make-up room. Yeah, you know I loved that part!

Get a load of this banister. You'll understand more about this when the episode airs, but OMG...I love what I'm seeing thus far!

Stay tuned for Part Two! I’ll talk about our TOTALLY RAD designer and what it’s like to work with ridiculously talented and funny peeps.

First of all, I’m a HUGE fan of the show. In fact, my husband and I both watched it religiously. We totally freaked out when we realized we missed a show last week. But with all of the fabulousness comes some unfabulousness. In honor of my love for this new show, I will point out its flaws. Just like I do with my husband. Think of it as constructive criticism, NBC.

# 10 – Carson Daly’s smug looks. He always smiles like he knows something really funny, but the rest of us aren’t in on the joke.  And it’s something like you have a piece of Arugula in your teeth and he’s secretly laughing at you, but he’s not gentleman enough to point it out, leaving you to look like a fool. He’s that kind of smug.

#9 – CeeLo without sunglasses. It’s just too weird to see his eyes. He looks much cooler with glasses, so there should be a rule about that. It’s like he’s a total rockstar with glasses and just a normal guy in strange outfits without them.

#8 – Twitter updates with Alison. I get the whole “let’s incorporate social media into a live to show to make it appear really live” idea, but it doesn’t work quite right. The room likes a telethon or something. To make it more cutting edge, they should talk about the bad tweets referencing Christina’s crimped hair or her big mouth or her intoxicating personality. Remember, what makes social media real is the fact that you can’t control it.

#7 – Not enough Adam Levine. This guy is a total babe in a bad boy/hottie/rockstar way. You now, like Carson wishes he could be. We need to have more one-on-one air time with him. Maybe NBC could do a “Deep Thoughts with Adam Levine” a couple of times per show. He just looks so adorable in his tight little shirts and tight cardigans and skinny jeans. More Adam, NBC. More. Adam.

#6 – Less theatrics on stage. I totally agree with Blake. Those goofball dancers are totally ridiculous and unnecessary. They’re incredibly distracting, just like the absence of CeeLo’s enormous watches. I did like the performance with Vicci and her drummers, but the shadow dancing is way too cheesy. I also thought the Mad Max-inspired duet with CeeLo and Vicci was like an explosion of Velveeta. Serious cheese.

#5 – Christina’s hair. One of my hilarious friends @WendiAarons tweeted this, “Christina Aguilera’s hair is so pretty. I wonder what it’s made from.“  That pretty much sums it up for me. The only thing worse than Christina’s awful hairdos was the stress her boobs must have been feeling, knowing they could be popping out on national TV at any moment. Those braids – the big one on side and the tiny one on the other – forced me into therapy. They looked like alien tendrils and now I have nightmares about them.

#4 – Too many bald women. If there had only been one, it would’ve been totally neat and hip. But with two beautiful bald-headed women battling it out, they kind of killed each others’ thunder. It’s like when my husband and I get ready to go out to dinner and inadvertently wear the same color, looking like the world’s dorkiest couple ever. I can tell him to go change, but Frenchie couldn’t tell Beverly to go grow some hair real quick.

#3 – The way Carson Daly holds a microphone. He looks like a creepy dude trying to choke a …uhm, er…wait a second. Sorry, already griped about him.

#2 - CeeLo without both watches. In addition to the sunglasses, he should have to wear two diamond encrusted watches at all times. I saw him with one on each wrist in one show, so it was distracting to see him without them. I was thinking,” Poor CeeLo. Is he having financial trouble? Where’s the other watch. Did he pawn it?  I’m worried about CeeLo, gosh darn it. Is he okay? CeeLo!?!”

#1 – Lack of a tacky trophy. With all of the glitter, sequins, shadow dancing, costumes and alien tendrils, there should’ve been a huge trophy presented to the winner. How do you know you’ve won something unless you get a crazy, horrific, worthless trophy in the shape of The Voice hand-with-microphone? The first thing that should go through your head after wining is, “Holy crap! I won!” The second is, “Where am I going to put this awful thing?”

In all honesty though, a huge congrats to Javier Colon. I honestly believe he has won the toughest singing competition ever. His duet with Stevie Nicks was epic. Dia Frampton is a stunning, unbelievable star too. My heartfelt congrats to them both! Until next season…

Wanna hear the real fake real fake real bigfoot roar?Join Bobo and his friends every Sunday. It’s hilarious.

What do you get when you combine alphabet pasta, 10 dogs, 10 excited kiddos, aliens that drink lemonade through their ears and vocabulary words? Well, a Martha Speaks viewing party, of course. Thanks to the fabulous folks at PBS, we had a “sneak peek” viewing party of two new summer episodes that will begin airing tomorrow, June 27th on PBS.

If you haven’t met Martha yet, this is a great opportunity to introduce your children to this clever and well-spoken canine. This week will feature new episodes of Martha enjoying outdoor activities like camping, canoeing and watching fireworks with her friends. We got to see Martha’s Slumber Party of the Weird and The Long Rotten Summer/The Case of the Shattered Vase. In addition to the entertaining stories and great vocabulary words, kids also learn why they shouldn’t watch scary movies right before going to bed. (A lesson I should revisit myself.) Look at those cuties playing with their new plush Martha pups!

Summer Fun Week:
Monday, June 27th – Martha’s Slumber Party of the Weird (2 parts)
Tuesday, June 28th – Martha puts Out the Lights (2 parts)
Wednesday, June 29th – Escape from Flea Island/ No Dogs Allowed
Thursday, June 30th – Martha in the Hold/Get Along, Little Doggies!
Friday, July1st – The Long Rotten Summer/The Case of the Shattered Vase

Click, click, click:
- Don’t forget to visit Martha Speaks online for terrific games. My son’s new favorite? Make The Band. It’s hilarious!
- Watch my son’s impromptu interview about why he loves Martha Speaks.
- Martha has gone mobile! You can download Martha Speaks Dog Party App.

Disclaimer: PBS did supply me with a DVD of the new episodes and 10 swag bags. My opinions are my own. If I didn’t personally love this talkative pup, I wouldn’t write about it. Promise.

At the table next to me, I overheard a teenage boy tell him mom that a group of girls were playing with his inner-tube. First, as moms we all know toys at the pool are community property. That’s the law. Second, the boy was 13-15 and the girls playing with inner-tube were 6-years-old. I know this because they’re my son’s friends. Sweet, innocent and young girls. The floatie was abandoned in the pool and they started playing with it. These things happen.

My head was on a swivel as soon as I heard the mother tell her son in a very unkind tone, “Well, that’s your toy, so go get it! What are you standing there for?! Go get your toy.”

The boy wasn’t feeling comfortable with her response and you could tell he wished he hadn’t said anything about it. He said, “No, mom. You know. It’s okay. They’re having fun and I’m going to sit with you for a while and take a break.”

The mom retorted, “No, you’re not. Go get your butt in the pool and tell those girls that’s your toy. Do it! Come get me if they give you any crap.”

A mom (who happens to be a bully) was bullying her son (who was trying to be nice) into being a bully. Omg. There are so many things wrong with this on so many levels, I can’t even address it all. My head was spinning. I couldn’t even believe it. Yeah, watch out for 6-year-old girls giving a teen boy “crap” about an inner-tube. I’m sure they would’ve pounced on him and screamed “NO WAY!” at the top of their lungs. Classic pathetic motherhood moment. I wanted to reach out and slap that woman. I wanted to shake her and yell, “Do you even realize what you’re doing? Why do people like you procreate?” Yes, she made me want to be a bully. I get the irony.

Why wouldn’t she offer to assist her son and help him initiate the conversation with the girls? He was obviously feeling bad about ruining the fun. Instead of mediating and helping him grow, she just bullied him and bullied him. She wasn’t nice or sensitive or caring in any way, shape or form. She was a jerk and she was trying to force her son to be one too. Oh, and here’s her memo from me, MommyQ:

I really wish she had looked at my reaction to her during the ordeal, because I was saving up a super-duper eye roll/disapproving scowl for her. My brows were poised in the ultimate furrow position. She would’ve probably said something rude to me and I would’ve happily told her to bite me. It would’ve been a spectacular, “Jersey-Shore-Real-Housewives-table-tossing-hair-pulling” moment. Sadly, it didn’t happen. And sadly, that poor boy knows the example she is setting is wrong, yet his smart choices go unnoticed. Sad for everyone.

Let’s kick bullying to the curb, people. Learn more at StopBullying.gov.

“Sometimes being a leader is tougher than winning.” That’s a pretty important lesson for children to understand. Thanks to Walmart and P&G bringing back Family Movie Night, the made-for-TV movie, “Field of Vision,’ will bring that message home. The movie boasts a star-studded cast like Faith Ford (Murphy Brown) and tackles serious issues like bullying. It will air tonight (June 11th) on NBC at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT.

I was lucky enough to attend a behind-the-scenes movie event as a guest of Walmart and P&G a few years ago and after speaking with the producers, writers and actors, their passion for family-friendly entertainment was evident. Family Movie Night films like “Field of Vision” address topics relevant to all families in an attempt to provide not only a fun experience for the viewers, but an opportunity for parents to start a dialogue with their kids about these issues. As the mom of two young boys who, I appreciate their dedication.

Here’s a synopsis of the movie:

Through mysterious footage captured on an old malfunctioning video camera, Sinclair High School’s star quarterback, Tyler McFarland, learns that some of his teammates have been bullying Cory Walker, a troubled new transfer student. Aware that sharing this information with the coach might get his friends kicked off the team and ultimately cost the school the state championship, Tyler must choose what’s more important: winning or doing what’s right.

As these events unfold, the camera also reveals more surprising footage to Tyler’s kid sister Lucy… She learns that Cory has a secret past, unknown even to him. Now Lucy must convince her mom (Faith Ford, Murphy Brown) and family that the camera’s revealing insight is not a product of her imagination as she enlists their help to find the answers Cory so desperately needs. It’s a compelling and intriguing story that shows both the challenges and rewards of doing the right thing even when it’s tough to do.

Tune in tonight on NBC and don’t be afraid to start a conversation!

Walmart and P&G did provide me with viewing materials, so I could participate in this Family Movie Night event. All of these opinions are my own.

Summer is best known for relaxing poolside, sipping a frosty beverage and enjoying lazy days. Wait, it is? Then why is my summer a completely chaotic, unorganized journey of madness. Okay, it’s not that bad. Not yet.  As the mom of two youngsters, pool safety is a major concern. And getting my little guy (who has the mentality of a stubborn teenager) to willingly wear floaties or a life jacket is a battle.

I kept seeing these little cuties at the pool with nifty flotation devices. After some online research, I found out they are called Puddle Jumpers by Stearns. It’s like a life jacket combined with floaties with an adjustable strap and buckle in the back. It’s not a bulky or uncomfortable. Shockingly enough, I ordered one for my youngest son at the beginning of the summer. Yeah, I’d normally do it three days before summer officially ended. Anyway, I bought it at Leisure Pro and we took it for a test drive today. LOVE IT.

Here’s more about it:

- The Patent Pending design allows free range of motion and great stability while in the water.

- Choose from the green frog, the orange smile, the blue lion and the red ladybug.

- The Puddle Jumpers life jacket is U.S. Coast Guard- approved, and is also a great confidence builder for kids who are just learning their way around they water.

They sell them at Target and Toys R Us, but I found the best selection and prices online.

What’s your favorite summer toy for 2011?

As a woman who appreciates taking risks with fashion, I’d like to make a quick comment about the continual celebrity wardrobe malfunctions involving a voluntary involuntary flash of nipple AKA nip slip AKA shirt and/or dress fail. First of all, I’m not talking about the ones that happen in a bathing suit. I don’t think they count. Wearing a bikini is tricky business, especially if you take a dip in the ocean with fully functioning waves. Or if you have young children.

My son accidentally pulled my bikini top down at the pool once and it took me a few seconds to realize what happened. Had I been a celebrity, that would’ve been TMZ homepage material for sure.  I probably had a scowl on my face and my hair was in a bad ponytail. Had it been captured on film, it would’ve been an “Antarctica sounds like a fun place to live” kind of moment. I’m talking about this….Oh, and why in the world is she squeezing into the dress like it’s a sausage casing. Huh?

I’m talking about non-drunk moments when celebrities other than Pam Anderson, Lady Gaga and Paris Hilton pick out an outfit that costs more than your car, wear it and still suffer from nip slips. This makes zero sense to me.  I think they’re all planned. Shame on you, Milla Jovovich, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson, Keira Knightley, Martha Stewart, Oprah, Brett Favre, Anthony Weiner…whew, I’m getting tired.

Seriously, how can you not know your nipple will be or is currently exposed? What celebs and their stylists fail to recognize is there are, in fact, multiple solutions to planned staged dreaded wardrobe malfunctions.

#1 – Use toupee tape or electrical tape or duct tape. It’s sticky. Really? I don’t think I need to explain tape.

#2 – Stop wearing ill-fitting outfits. If your try on a dress and your boobs are instantly hanging out, the dress does not fit. Don’t buy it. End of story.

#3 – Wear a bra. If you’re going on national television, about to strut your stuff in front of millions of viewers, drop the “I like being natural bit,” get your skinny butt into Victoria Secret and buy a bra. Then, after you purchase it, take it out of the pretty bag and put it on under your outfit. This goes for strapless dresses too, Jessica Simpson.

#4 – Use a safety pin. Wow, this is so genius. I bought a box of safety pins five years ago and it’s still 90% full. One tiny safety pin can do the trick. You can pick a silver one or a gold one if you’re feeling fancy.

#5 - Don’t tweet about it. What’s even worse than seeing Khloe Kardashian’s nipple on a morning show is how much she tweeted about it. See one of her nip slip tweets below. No, they aren’t that special. Trust me.

My apologies to those of you who are reading my blog based on my previous blog post. I know you were expecting something heartfelt and you got this instead. Welcome to my brain. You never know what’s going to spill out.

Images: The Frisky and TMZ

Earlier last week, I got an email that instantly caught my attention. “New Studies Show PBS KIDS Martha Speaks Has Impressive Impact on Children’s Vocabulary.” I excitedly read the findings and wanted to share them with my readers. Now remember, I have no connection with PBS. This is just one mom’s sincere love for a smart, talkative, yellow cartoon dog.

My experience is a bit different from other parents, because my oldest son is autistic. At the age of 4-years-old, he was hardly talking and strangers couldn’t understand him at all. That’s why we get very giddy when he likes shows like Martha Speaks that actually make a big effort to help his development. Now this may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but here’s proof of how far he’s come. He’s 6-years-old now and just finished kindergarten. I asked him (totally on-the-fly), what he thinks about Martha Speaks. Get a load of this….

Study Results
Three recent independent studies highlight the impressive impact that Martha Speaks is having on young childrens’ vocabulary development, and its strength as an early-intervention tool across broadcast and online platforms. These studies not only measured the impact on children who viewed episodes of the show, but additionally saw a significant increase in vocabulary skills among children playing with the Martha Speaks Dog Party iPhone app.

A few notable takeaways from the studies include:
• On average, children who watched Martha Speaks had a significantly greater increase in vocabulary knowledge compared to children who did not watch the show.
• Martha Speaks is an effective tool in helping bridge the vocabulary gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers.
• Martha Speaks facilitates inexpensive language opportunities at home.
• Program-specific vocabulary knowledge translated into higher standardized vocabulary scores for urban boys and rural children living in low socioeconomic-status homes.
• Children 3-to-7 years-old who played with the Martha Speaks Dog Party app tested up to 31 percent higher in vocabulary.
• Children were able to retain the increased vocabulary, and showed even greater gains on targeted words weeks after the study ended.

These studies are now available on the PBS KIDS website.

“He looks like a little old man,” she laughed to her friend. It was a group of four grandmothers, looking at the newest addition to the grandma club – a plump new grandson. “We need to buy him a tiny cowboy hat,” one exclaimed excitedly. They all laughed and nodded in agreement. That baby needs a cowboy hat for sure, because it’s a unspoken law that every child in Texas owns one.

These grandmas were decked out in their coordinating gym attire, looking pretty darn awesome for being around 65-years-old. They were obviously good friends, laughing and gossiping and making plans for a lazy afternoon lunch.  One of these ladies had white hair styled in a cute shoulder-length cut and one was wearing her hair shorter and totally gray. The other two had big, puffy, blond hair.  (Again, Texas.)

I was instantly reminded of my own friends, 90% of them happen to be moms like me. We all have young kiddos, mostly under 7-years-old. Our group functions much the same. We laugh and gossip, but we make plans for a rushed lunch that has to happen before the end of the school day and after preschool drop-off. Instead of sharing pictures in person, we keep up with each through status updates, online photo albums and texts.

Watching those grandmothers, I realized something that seems impossible right now. One day, I will be one of those grandmas. I’ll be old with wrinkled hands, telltale sunspots, deep Crow’s feet and serious smile lines. My friends, who are vibrant, fit, flawless and healthy will be those grandmas too. Well, at least I won’t be alone, right?  Although even when I’m old and gray, I think I’ll see my friends as I see them today. They don’t look old to me now, so maybe they never will.

My hope would be this: When it’s my turn to be the grandma with the fluffy hair and the snazzy workout gear, and a gal in her late 30s sees me at the gym, I want her to think, “I hope I look that good when I’m really old.” I’d take that as a compliment every time.

Image: TheBerry

Last week, we decided to have a picnic at a local park with the kiddos.  As I was munching on my salad, I noticed some odd activity out of the corner of my eye. It was shirtless man doing Tai Chi moves right next to the playscape. He was enthusiastically practicing Shibashi postures, sunning his love handles in the process. I nudged my husband and as soon as he turned to see the guy squatting his way towards clarity, spreading his ying and yang,  my hubby was shocked. Why do this in front of little kids?

First of all, this park isn’t conducive to adults. It features a play area for small children, picnic tables and basketball courts. Shirtless exercising within inches of said children isn’t socially acceptable in this particular slice of surburbia. My husband’s shock quickly turned into anger as he continued to watch this guy do slow, repetitive movements as small kids ran by him playing and giggling.

After a few minutes of awkwardness, the routine stopped and we realized this guy was at the park with his kid. He called to his child who jumped off the slide and ran towards him. My husband felt better, because it made the guy seem like much less of a potential pervert. He was just a dad getting some exercise. Then again, we were still confused. Who does this?!?

I have nothing against people doing whatever they want in public. You wanna practice your yoga headstands? Fine. You want to do lunges and stretches? Super. But why oh why must you do this on the playground – like literally standing next to a swing? He could’ve easily kept his eye on his child and moved back a few feet to do the exact same thing. Plus, it wasn’t even hot that day. Why do it shirtless?

What’s up with this dude? Would this make you uneasy?

Image: thecolor.com

I haven’t drooled over stuff for little girls in a  while, so I feel it’s time to identify some super-duper cute things. Remember, I’m a prissy mom of two boys. Indulge me, okay? Plus, I’m including cute stuff from Etsy and nobody can gripe about that.

Lovely Ladybug Bodysuit – $22 at Etsy Shop Peaceloveandkids
What beats a handmade, stunningly simple bodysuit featuring a sweet ladybug and fluttery wings? Answer: Nothing.  Anyone with a baby girl up to 24 months is a lucky winner.

Sea Glass Tank - $28 at Etsy Shop bchildrenswear
I love this whimsical tank with stitched blue squares cascading down the front. It’s a soft American Apperal tank with hand-stitching – with love – for girls size 2T – 6Y.

I just love watching men peruse the card section at Walgreen’s, trying to find the best Mother’s Day card for their mamas. The surly Larry The Cable Guy in a cutoff plaid shirt buys the beautifully illustrated sappy card with the heartfelt sentiments, while the Dell-looking guy in pleated khakis and a Titleist polo buys his mom the slightly raunchy card featuring a monkey wearing sunglasses or an old lady in a bikini.

I could be petty and wish for extravagant things or I could be totally content and wish for nothing or I could be myself and wish for more wishes. Okay, now I’m just confusing myself.

1. – I wish I liked glitter. Why? Because it is the most popular decorative element on the crafts my kids bring home from school. And due to my hatred for said glitter, those crafty creations always land in the trash.

2. – I wish I didn’t DVR so many shows, because I have like 39 hours of recorded shows that I NEVER have time to watch. Those shows hang over me like a dark cloud – a dark taunting cloud.

3. – I wish I had never heard the term “muffin top.” It was much easier to have them when I didn’t know what they were called. Naming them makes them real.

4. – I wish I exclaimed cooler phrases when I’m excited about something or mad. I say lame things likes, “Holy Moly” and “Are you kidding me?!’ and “Seriously!?!” I also use the words “dude” and “awesome” regularly.  After visiting my sister in Colorado, I’m thinking of swapping out “awesome” for “gnarly.”

5. – I wish I wasn’t addicted to fabric softener. I know it makes my clothes fall apart faster, it’s another heavy thing to buy at the grocery store (which I detest) and it prolongs an already horrible laundry experience. I can’t help it. Gain smells fantastic.

6. – I wish I didn’t have the uncanny ability to hear silent headlocks. I can hear them from a mile away. If my kids get really quiet while playing together, I know someone’s grumpy face is getting squished in the crook of someone’s tiny arm.

7. -  I wish I could open the pantry and/or the refrigerator and cleverly whip up an amazing meal with whatever I find. Let’s have instant oatmeal topped with spicy mustard, a slice of cheese and a jar of pimentos!

8. – I wish I didn’t think “that’s what she said” was a perfect addition to any statement. Michael Scott was right on the ball. That’s what she said.

9. – I wish kid’s movies were lame. I watch Despicable Me, Megamind and Wall-E with way too much interest. I am genuinely sad when the kids get bored and want to turn the movie off early. Once in a while, I finish watching the movie by myself after they go to bed.

10. – In thinking about wish #9, I’d like to wish for a bunch of my own minions. Cute, little, yellow critters who can help do the laundry, clean up cat puke, find missing socks, break up the silent headlocks, etc. I think every mom deserves at least 25 of them, as long as they’re very self sufficient, I’m assuming I don’t have to feed them. If so, I hope they like my oatmeal surprise (refer to wish #7).

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the fab mommies out there. May you get a box full of minions this year….

I was fixing dinner when I heard more screaming than normal. I knew nobody was hurt because it was high-pitched, happy yelling accompanied by laughter and shouts. Oddly, when I went to find all of the noise, I noticed it was coming from one location. But the location was moving — quickly!

My boys decided to go for a joyride on my oldest son’s Razor RipRider, which is his most favorite bike ever.  He does some seriously cool spinouts on that thing. Anyway, my youngest figured out how to climb on, stand on the back, lean forward and grip the handlebars. I’m not sure which one was dominating as the biggest daredevil, so I’ll give them both the title.

While little guy hung on for dear life, my older son managed to steer with perfect accuracy while totally hunched over. How did he do this? He didn’t hit the wall, the table, the cat, the counter, the fireplace, the couch, etc. Sadly, I’m probably the one screaming the loudest. They seemed totally fine with it all.

What’s the funniest daredevil trick your kiddos have done?

Image: DisneyXD

If you give a mom a microphone, she’ll ask for a stage to go with it. When you give her the stage, she’ll ask if it makes her butt look big. Worrying about her big butt will make her change outfits, so you’ll need to get her a glass of wine to calm her nerves…

What happens when you throw 15 moms together and give them a microphone? Well, they talk your ears off about motherhood, of course.  The good, the bad, the exhausted, the sedated. It’s a job rich in laughter, marinated in pee, sprinkled with sticky candy and sauteed in a mixture of smeared mascara, laundry detergent and breast milk. Yummy, right? Much like Gefilte fish, motherhood is a delicacy not intended for the faint of heart.

On April 30th, grab your hubby, your mom, your grandma, your girlfriends, your overweight cat, a box of Puffs and join us at a pre-Mother’s Day celebration, the “Listen To Your Mother Austin” show. In fact, you can read more about it in the Statesman’s Mama Drama blog.

All of the fab mamas, myself included, will read a short original essay about motherhood. After our first rehearsal, I was so amazed at each and every story. This is NOT a sappy, cliche, poetry reading involving tambourines, Birkenstocks, awkward pauses and weeping. The pieces are smart, sassy, creative, thought-provoking and highly entertaining – just like the moms who wrote them.

This year’s Austin cast includes: Kristin Armstrong, Kimberly Cockrill, Julie Coombes, Jenny Lawson, Cathy Hale (that’s me!), Kathryn Harrison, Diane LeBleu, Blythe Jewell, Krystin Crain Johnson, Esther Mizrachi Moritz, Elizabeth McGuire, Jennifer Newcomb Marine and Gigi Ross.  Show producers Wendi Aarons and Jennifer Sutton will emcee and read at the event as well. (If you aren’t following @WendiAarons on Twitter, you should be beaten with wet diapers. She’s a freakin’ riot.)

“Listen to Your Mother Austin” will be performed April 30 at 1 p.m. at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, 1900 University Ave. Tickets are $14 and available online at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1468976749. Proceeds from the event (after costs are covered) will be donated to Any Baby Can.

Remember when hanging your child’s name in wooden letters became standard procedure in the nursery? I loved them, but was totally appalled at how expensive they were. So, I decided to do them myself.  I pranced my very pregnant self into Hobby Lobby and feeling overly confident in my own new DIY Martha Stewartness, I proceeded to buy a ridiculous amount of stuff. With a basket full of paints, stickers, tiny wooden doodads and thingamajigs, I realized they only had 2 big wooden “E”s and I needed three. It was craft chaos. Long story short,  I finished those letters TWO YEARS LATER. But my real point is isn’t it funny how you think a Do-It-Yourself project will save you money and it ends up costing the same if not more?

Well, drop that Prada screwdriver, you diva! Here are 9 Helpful Tips for Saving on DIY Projects from consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch:

1. Big Box Vs. Small Stores
For the frugal consumer, shopping smart is always a logical first step. When you’re shopping at the big-box home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes, there are always deals going down.

The two heavyweight retailers are highly competitive and both stores offer price matching with an additional 10-percent discount on identical products advertised at a lower price at any competing store. Both stores also post weekly sales, discounts and rebates on their websites so you can be prepared before you hit the store. Not to mention, you can always find for these home and garden giants.

On the other hand, locally owned home-supply stores, like Ace Hardware, often provide email sign-ups that allow you to receive special deals on the same items you would find at the big-box stores. While you may not be able to purchase sheet rock, the smaller places may carry everything from plumbing supplies to finishing notes for your home.

2. Tester Cans and Used Paint
Next to buying a nice area rug, painting is probably the easiest way to change the look of a room. Unfortunately, home improvement stores are aware of this and they like to make you pay for it. There are definitely ways to get around the high prices though.

If you only have a small space to paint, there’s no need to invest in a whole gallon of paint that’ll inevitably take up space in the garage or closet. Ask about small tester cans that can often be found for $5 or less in a variety of colors.

The word is starting to get out on used paint, too. When people order large amounts of custom paint, they often order too much. This paint gets returned to the stores, but the merchant can’t put such cans back on the shelf with the rest of the paint. If you’re in the right place at the right time, you might be able to get gallons of paint for around $5. Not all stores will have used paint, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

3. Buy Lumber in Bulk
Working with lumber can be intimidating. It requires precise measurements and cuts, or you’ll end up wasting money and materials. Prices vary by lumber grade and wood type, so be aware of what materials are required to get the job done.

4. Generic Vs. Name Brand
There’s an incredible variety of nails and screws available, but how much of a difference is there really? Generic brand nails and screws are often up to par with the name brands, but cost significantly less. In some cases, the only difference between a generic and the brand name is the box!

The same can be said for pipes and plumbing fixtures. Unpackaged fixtures in a bulk bin can have the same quality as their packaged counterparts on the shelf, but cost much less. Longevity is also something to consider when working on a plumbing project. Copper pipes and PVC pipes typically give you the most bang for your buck, lasting up to 60 years.

5. Caulk Singles
Caulk certainly won’t be the most expensive item on your home improvement list, but it’s useful for patching up holes and sealing cracks. Often when people buy a tube of caulk for a small project, they end up making a mess of it and throwing half the tube away.

If you want to keep some caulk around for projects that spring up, try out some caulk singles from General Electric. Much like the fast food ketchup packet, they’re enough for one project and cut back on waste and mess. Watch for coupons to home centers like the Home Depot that offer General Electric’s caulk singles.

6. Government Rebates
Now that warm weather is finally on the way, you can replace your old windows and doors with more energy efficient ones. While it’s a big project, it may be worth it when you save on heating costs next winter.

In an effort to reduce energy consumption, the federal government is continuing to offer tax credits when you install Energy Star certified windows, doors and skylights. The credits aren’t as generous as last year, but you can still get 10 percent-off for $200 worth of windows and skylights and a rebate of up to $500 for doors.

7. Buy Reconditioned or Rent Power Tools
It’s hard to justify buying an expensive power tool, especially when you know you’ll never use it again. If you live the DIY credo, Home Depot rents such power tools as power washers, paint sprayers, chainsaws and buff sander. By renting, you’ll get the professional finish you want without having to cut corners on expensive equipment.

Many power tool manufacturers have online outlets where they sell reconditioned tools at a discount. These tools are certified by the manufacturer, so you have a guarantee they’ll work. You can save even more when you use a Bosch Outlet coupon or a Bostitch Outlet free shipping code for discount power tools.

8. Used Hand Tools
The garage sale may still be king for finding good deals on hand tools. Many people don’t enjoy inherited tools and are willing to part with them for next to nothing, compared to new tools. Wrench sets, hammers and screwdrivers made by quality toolmakers like Craftsman and Stanley can stand the test of time and are as good today as they were 30 years ago.

9. Working Together
No one escapes a little home maintenance from time to time. If you and a neighbors are working on similar projects, sharing the cost of renting a wood chipper or cement mixer can save both of you time and money.

While skilled friends and family don’t necessarily enjoy manual labor, they can be coaxed into it with the promise of good food, drink or a labor exchange to be named later. Working with friends gets the job done faster and is usually much more fun.

As a media expert source, Andrea Woroch has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, ABC News NOW and many more. Follow @AndreaWoroch on Twitter to receive daily savings tips!

Image: Getty

Imagine seeing one your favorite, most cherished family pictures on a hugely popular website like iVillage. Smiling faces on us, stoic looks on the kids, big brown eyes shining, cute little hands captured perfectly, beautiful surroundings, sunny days, happy hearts. I remember how the boys were running around barefoot and laughing and how cute, yet cheesy, they looked in their matching outfits. They even listened to all of my pleading prior to the photo shoot by diligently staying out of the dirt.

Now imagine the words “Signs of Autism” and “Real Moms Share” splashed across the top of that special picture.  That means one of those sweet, little, innocent faces is the real face of autism. That means it’s one of your kids, because that’s you smiling right above it. Would that change the way your feel about your child? Your family? Your dreams?

Read Real Moms Share the Earliest Signs of Autism on iVillage.

A few years ago, I’m not sure if I would’ve been excited to see this image. A few years ago, I’m not sure my family would’ve been excited to see this image. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so quick to share it on Facebook and Twitter, or text my husband about it or call my mom about it or blog about it.  A few years ago, we weren’t comfortable with autism. We were skeptical, scared, insecure and unnerved. Today, we know autism isn’t a dirty word at all, it’s simply a new way of looking at the world.

There’s something about autism that reminds me about the way people used to talk about cancer. They’d lower their voices and whisper, “she has cancer.” And the word “cancer” was hardly audible.  Obviously, autism is not killing our friends and family members, but people still whisper about it sometimes. Today, people shout about cancer from the rooftops and that’s exactly what they should be doing. Why? Because talking about something, especially when it’s bad, makes it real. Real things get noticed. Real things get funding. Real things get cured.

I tend to think discussing autism works the same way. Reading this post right now is the definition of “awareness,” a word that gets tossed around so much it’s watered down like a bad margarita on a hot summer day. But awareness is critically important. That’s why I force myself to discuss autism openly, honestly and nonchalantly, even when I don’t feel like it.  The old me would’ve NEVER done this. The mom me who has two beautiful boys and never wants them to be ashamed of autism, well, she’s a talker. She’s an advocate. She’s all about awareness.

Understanding the early signs of autism is so important. Even if you have fears your child might be autistic, doesn’t mean that’s actually the case. There are plenty of sensory, learning and speech delays that don’t warrant an autism diagnosis. Every story is different. And if you do get an autism diagnosis, welcome to the club. You don’t get an actual badge, but you if you did, I’m sure you’d wear it with pride.

Read more about living with autism in ‘Advocate Mommy‘ category of MommyQ.

Well, another NASCAR race under my belt as of Sunday. I think that makes the grand total six, not counting two trips to Vegas for Champion’s Week. The hubby & I headed to Dallas last weekend, where we got sit about 17 rows away from the racetrack. At Texas Motor Speedway, that experience will leave you breathless and covered in a thin film of rubber, debris and smoke. As you can see from the image below, the SPEED folks know how to throw a party at the track. , you crack me up.

My first NASCAR race happened in 2007, where I traveled to Watkins Glen for the race when I was about seven months pregnant. Not kidding! I wasn’t the only very pregnant girl there, but I was the only one who wasn’t smoking and drinking. Not kidding again. I wasn’t a fan of the sport at all at that time, but soon began to follow it after experiencing a race in person. It is absolutely something you MUST do once, even if you don’t like NASCAR at all. It’s the perfect combination of order and chaos. Since then, I’ve sat in VIP seats with hot passes, cold passes, pit passes, you name it. I’ve been behind the scenes, in the scenes, nowhere near the scenes, with credentials, without credentials and that being said, I’ve met 80% of the drivers.  I’m hooked.

I’ve done you a favor here, condensing a four hour race into a four minute experience. It’s the Samsung Mobile 500. Enjoy!

Let me tell you, as I was taking all of various video clips during my trip to the race, I knew it should have Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” playing in the final cut. However; due to the potential for scary and costly copyright issues, I couldn’t do that. But it’s a fitting theme for my relationship with NASCAR. Why? Because of all of the crap and jokes my non-NASCAR fan friends like to dish out, which is about 99% of them. That’s why it’s a bad romance. I wish I didn’t like it, but I do. And I don’t see us splitting up any time soon. You know why? In addition to my feelings for NASCAR, I have two little boys who also love NASCAR. Hello COOLEST MOM EVER. At least until they’re teenagers.

Image: SpeedTV

What’s your best color? What makes look great, even when you’re feeling tired? What makes you look tired, even when you’re feeling great? What?!? You don’t know? Neither did I…

After gaining and losing a zillion pounds thanks to two pregnancies, my adventurous fashion sense checked out and I was left with a closet full of black clothes. Don’t get me wrong, I love wearing black and there’s nothing wrong with it. But I personally started to feel like I was intimidated by colors. It’s like my brain started to malfunction after I became a mom and determining what looked good on me was impossible. “Should I buy this blue shirt? Is it the right blue? Is it too blue? Oh, forget it. I’ll buy black instead.”

Thanks to my great friend, Lisa Kennedy of Kennedy Style, me and colors are friends again. Watch this video to see what I’m talking about:

You can tell a lot about your life by listening to the entertaining words that fly out of the mouth of your 3-year-old child. As you can tell from this amusing video, we like 24/7 NASCAR Talk on SIRIUS. In fact, during the racing season, my radio rarely changes from being dialed in to channel 128. That would be SIRIUS radio. What can I say? I like being a smarty pants. And let me assure you, my kiddos probably absorb more about NASCAR than I do. Here’s the proof:

We’ll be headed to Texas Motor Speedway and I’m so excited because it’s a night race. That’s a great thing in Texas, because you avoid the searing heat that’s pretty common this time of year. It doesn’t have to be super hot to roast yourself crispy. I’ve learned that the hard way!

Anyway, thanks to all of SIRIUS NASCAR radio folks who flood our heads with interesting factoids, stats and humor during the NASCAR season – Dave Moody, Angie Skinner, Mike Bagley, Pistol Pete, Rick Benjamin, Chocolate Myers, the lovely Claire B Lang, Dave Ross & Buddy Baker. Sorry if I’m forgetting anyone. You’re the best! I’m standing up!

On the evenings of April 1 and 2, 2011, prominent buildings across North America and the world — including the Empire State Building in New York City and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada — will turn their lights blue to Raise Awareness for Autism and to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, April 2.

On Friday, April 1st you can wear blue and help spread the word about autism. Feeling adventurous? There are lots of things you can in addition to wearing blue:

•Light your house up blue by putting blue light bulbs in any outdoor fixtures! Home Depot has promised to have them in stock…

•Paint your nails blue!

•Bake blue desserts!

To see other ideas to LIGHT IT UP BLUE visit http://www.lightitupblue.org/ The CDC estimates that an average of 1 in 110 children in the U.S have a form of autism. Help me spread the word for my son and for every child needing extra support to find his/her voice.

Read about my journey with autism:
- Autism Means My Son is Happy When He’s Flappy
- Autism Rides Off Into the Sunset
- Shining Through: Proving Autism Wrong at a NASCAR Race

Image: Autism Speaks

PB Inspired Wood Wall Art
I’m in love with this huge piece of handmade heaven. Thanks to Craft Gossip for keeping me knee-deep in eye candy. Wondering who created this cool art? Check out the Polka Dot Umbrella.

Custom Canvas Gallery Wrap
This is certainly my favorite way to display our most cherished family photos. For the past two years, I’ve been ordering large Canvas Gallery Wrap pieces from Gallery Direct. Their prices are competitive and they do lots of great discounts. In fact, you can get 50% off any order until 3/31! I just ordered a new one of the kiddos for our entry hall. It’s easy to upload your hi res image and see exactly what it will look like. Fun, easy & affordable. Perfect!

Photo Clip Frame
Get a load of this nifty decorative piece of wall art made for wall art. What a genius idea! I like stuff that multitasks, don’t you?  The Photo Clip Frame is made of a 23″ square, wooden frame with metal bars the clothes pins hang from.  Nine handpainted clothes pins are included.

Did you know the big, lovable guy who goes by name of Santa Claus actually has a mean side? Well, he does. According to my dad, that is. Yesterday, I heard a story from my father that I’ve never heard before. And that’s pretty unusual since he’s in his 70s and I’m in my late 30s. You’d think I’ve heard them all by now.

We were talking about dreams, because my youngest son is complaining about nightmares, when dad told me this hilarious story. When he was 6-years-old, he had his tonsils removed. He said as soon as he went under with  ether, he had a horrible nightmare about Santa Claus. Santa chased him, beat him up and threw him off a cliff onto a pile of sharp rocks.

Now that drea is slightly more interesting because my dad is Jewish. No, you don’t need to analyze him and send me a thesis paper about it. What’s crazy is many years later, when my dad was 15-years-old, he had his appendix removed. As soon as he went under the ether again, bad Santa was waiting for him. In fact, Santa said something like, “You’re back?” He said those are the only two times he’s ever had those dreams.

I’ve always been quite interested in dreams and have lots of books about dream interpretation on my bookshelf. I’ve talked about them with The Stir too! My sister and I have talked about dreams a lot and we actually have the exact SAME reoccurring dreams where we open our mouths to talk, and our teeth start spilling out.

My son actually laughed about the dream too and teased my dad about bad Santa. Of course, we reassured him (my son!) that was only a dream and Santa is actually a very nice guy. Hanukkah Harry, on the other hand, he’s a little bit mischievous. I guess my son already knows this because a few weeks ago he woke up complaining about a nightmare about dreidels! Go figure.

In honor of SXSW, the annual music, film and interactive conference in Austin, I’m gonna treat everyone to some balls. Okay, that sounds bad. I’m talking about the newest trend in baked goodness – Cake Balls and/or Cake Pops. It seems the cupcake may be tossed from its tiny throne and a sassy, smaller, chewier champion will be crowned.  Behold, the Cake Ball.

Even Starbucks is getting on the Cake Ball action as they recently introduced Cake Pops. They brag that this little chewy pop of yummy is under 200 calories too. Perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth who just wants a nosh.  So if you live in Austin, Texas, or you’re in town for SXSW, I urge you to stop by one of many hip trailers for a “Keeping it Weird” experience. And if you want a little cake orb, visit Holy Cacao.

My hubby surprised me with Cake Balls from this bakery for my B-Day. I must say, they were totally adorable. You’ve gotta keep ‘em refrigerated, so plan ahead. I don’t suggest eating one cold. And don’t expect a cake consistency when you bite into them. They’re much chewier like brownies. I was impressed with ‘s circular goodies and they’d be a HUGE hit at a kid’s party too. My boys went wacky for them. Cake on stick? Come on.

is a gourmet dessert trailer offering unusual items such as Cake Balls, as well as providing a true Austin experience.  The Cake Balls are available by the dozen and easily customized for special occasions.  Get a load of the names: Velvet Cake Balls (red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting), Brass Cake Balls (peanut butter cookies mixed with chunky peanut butter, then dipped in chocolate and topped with crushed peanuts), and my fave, Rabbit Cake Balls (carrot cake mixed with cream cheese, dipped in white chocolate and coated with crushed walnuts).

The Holy Cacao trailer is located at the iconic South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery, alongside Torchy’s Tacos (gourmet tacos) and Man Bites Dog (gourmet hot dogs). Eat on, SXSW friends. Eat on.

Images: Holy Cacao

If you’re  a new mom, you’ve thought about it. If you’ve had one, maybe you can relate this post. The topic is c-sections and it’s a good one. Why? Because it’s the perfect combination of extreme happiness mixed with a totally huge “gross” factor. I’ve had two, one emergency c-section in 2004 and a planned one in 2007.

A dear friend of mine, MommyB,  is expecting baby #2 and this time, she’s scheduled for a c-section.  A few weeks ago, she messaged me on Facebook, asking me for tips. She inspired me to write about the weird, scary, creepy and happy moments during my c-section experiences.

Take a look at my new post,  10 Things You Might Not Know (Or Want to Know) About a C-Section on Betty Confidential.

Did you have a similar experience? Do you remember any of the things I mentioned during yours? Geez, I hope so…

It’s been a busy weekend in the world of entertainment. Charlie Sheen’s insane ramblings and “duh, winning” continues to be among the most talked about topics, but I’m going to tackle a few other goodies instead. Danica Patrick, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and Miley Cyrus. Odd combo? Yes, but I have my reasons. (See video at the end of this blog post if you must skip ahead for a laugh.)

Danica Dominates in Vegas
Things got interesting at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend as Danica Patrick snagged her best finish EVER in the Nationwide race on Saturday, coming in 4th. A top five finish proves she’s in NASCAR because she’s a talented driver, not just because she’s a pretty face and a hot body that makes a gazillion dollars for her sponsors. (Yes, I’m talking to you, GoDaddy.) I’m so excited for Danica and I hope this will shush the naysayers, at least for a while.

Daddies Dominate in Vegas too…
Jeff Gordon raced to victory last week and Carl Edwards just snagged his first victory today in Vegas. Both drivers finally ended some rather lengthy losing streaks. I think this proves that just because you have sweet, innocent, adorable babies crawling, drooling at popping on your at home, doesn’t mean you’re a big old softy on the track. Last year, I asked Carl Edwards about whether or not fatherhood had changed him as a driver. He told me the answer was yes and no, which makes sense. He added that he was annoyed at people who think that would make him less of a driver. I think these two wins prove that diaper duty actually makes them better drivers.

Miley Cyrus on SNL Spells Redemption
If you didn’t catch Saturday Night Live last night, you missed a rather hilarious episode. Miley Cyrus was the guest hostess and I have to say, she was very cool about spoofing herself. I’m not a Miley fan, but I did respect her good sense of humor about… well, herself. SNL does a skit about Miley Cyrus having her own talk show and they totally rag on her. Miley was on that skit last night impersonating Justin Bieber. I thought it was super. Not that’s she’s laugh out loud funny, but it was definitely entertaining. Notice the way they spoof her dad… love that mullet!!! 

Images: Nascar.com & Hulu.com

The first visit to the dentist was going to be a breeze. I picked a wonderful new pediatric dentist office in our neighborhood. In fact, they visit elementary schools explaining the importance of good dental health to kids. I prepped my boys (3yo & 6yo) weeks prior to the visit about what would happen. “The lovely, nice dentist will look at your teeth to make sure they are healthy and white.” “Nothing to be worried about, boys.” “It’s easy-peasy stuff!”

We arrived on time and the boys were blown away by the awesome waiting area. TVs, toys, video games, a huge tree in the middle of the room, stuff animals all about. Heavenly! Again, my mommy self was totally upbeat. Not a trace of fear on my kiddos’ faces. I was almost ready to pat myself on the back when everything changed.

I heard crying off in the distance and saw a mom explaining to the woman at the check-in desk, “I can’t get her out of the car right now…” I saw that weak smile on that mom’s face and my blood pressure began to rise. Sure enough, her 6-year-old was sitting in the car – screaming – because she didn’t want to come in. Uh-oh.

Eventually the dad walked in carrying a screaming, crying, kicking little girl. My 6-year-old noticed her, but didn’t react. My 3-year-old instantly had a petrified look on his face and slowly began to hide himself behind a TV stand. I was ready to explode. I almost asked the parents to remove their child, because my children still believed dentists were “fun” and their bawling child was quickly destroying everything.

I quickly went over to my younger son and told him not to worry about the little girl. “Why is she sad, mama?” he tearfully asked me. “Because she’s very grumpy today,” I answered. “She’s fine. She’s just very very grumpy.” He seemed to understand that she was just grumpy and relaxed. “Why is she so grumpy?” he asked. “Because she wants a lollipop and her mommy said no,” I lied. My son nodded. He understood the sadness of not getting a lollipop. After coaxing from mom, dad, and two hygienists, the little girl finally left the waiting room. Evidently, she was there for a filling and didn’t want to drink the “happy juice” for sedation.

My boys ended up doing a great job. They both sat still for the hygienists and didn’t squirm too much. The hygienists were great about explaining all of the steps, so that helped a bunch. My boys didn’t like getting x-rays, but they cooperated and got the job done. They left with new toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, stickers and a balloon. On the way out, my younger son said, “I wonder what happened to that grumpy girl, mama.” Oh, she’s taking a nap now. I think she’ll be just fine,” I said.

How was your first experience at the pediatric dentist?

Meet Memphis Lafferty, a sweet little boy who lost his arms and legs to bacterial meningitis. Are you scared? You should be. In fact, in America, meningitis is the leading infectious cause of death in early childhood. In the U.S., approximately one in 16 infants who contract meningitis will die from it, and of those who survive, as many as one in five will suffer from amputations, seizures, paralysis, hearing loss and learning disabilities.

What’s even more terrifying about meningitis is it can progress rapidly and kills someone in as little as four hours. My college roommate contracted meningitis (I’m not sure which kind) when we were in our 20s. She was in the hospital for days and fully recovered, although it left her immune system badly compromised and she was very weak and very thin. She said all she remembered about it was blinding pain in her neck, neck and shoulders. The pain was so severe, she didn’t even feel the spinal tap. So, how much do you know about it?

Learn more by reading the uplifting, touching – yet alarming – story about Memphis Lafferty on Betty Confidential. Find out why, unlike at least 15 other developed countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Iceland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the U.S. NOT vaccinate infants for the leading cause of preventable infant death.

Images: BettyConfidential