xoxo, sylvia

Egg Bread Bowls {recipe}

2011-12-31T16:20:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a quick and easy breakfast idea for New Year's Day, (because who really feels like cooking that morning?) these egg bread bowls are perfect! They look so lovely and literally require just a few minutes.

Ingredients:

pack of 8 Chicago hard rolls (or any dinner rolls with a hard crust)
8 eggs
heavy whipping cream
salt
pepper
oregano
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut top off and pull out entire center of each roll.
Crack and pour one egg in each one.
Pour a small amount of heavy whipping cream on the side of each egg.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano and cheese.
Place on ungreased, rimmed cookie sheet.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until egg yolk is set, not runny at all.

a quiet resolution

2011-12-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

this year's vasilopita's are baking in the oven and the boys are all outside enjoying the gorgeous florida winter weather, so this seemed like the perfect time to pull out my diary and scribble out my resolutions for the new year that is already knocking quietly at our doors. i say it every year and every year i mean it; i can't believe an entire year has passed so quickly.

two thousand and eleven was full of memories, though not all good ones. our family lost some pretty amazing people this year. it also welcomed some pretty amazing ones though, and two thousand and twelve will bring a couple more little babes into our fold and already looks full of some pretty exciting promises.

last year, dh bought me the one line a day journal. i wasn't sure how i'd like it because i usually write pages at a time, so the thought of condensing an entire day into one line made me a little wary but i ended up only missing two or three days and i'm now looking forward to starting a new year in it (it's a five year journal) and looking back on where i was each day of the past year.

resolutions are sort of like the people who write them. all different and unique. some are loud and get shouted from the rooftops, others, like mine, are quietly written down and tucked away in a drawer. my list is usually a variation of the same promises, like this one from last year. to love more, give more, pray more, are always at the top. new things are added too, making the list a bit longer and hopefully wiser each year. i never do all the things i resolve to, many of them, to do well, i know will take well over a year, but as long as i progress accordingly i am satisfied. writing it all down just somehow makes me feel better. lighter. happier.

new year's is sort of like thanksgiving in the sense that many people take a moment to reflect upon their many blessings. it's important to remember, especially after a trying year, that someone always has it worse than we do. there are so many people who truly suffer, that i have no room to complain about anything. no one's life is perfect, and it's up to us to dwell on the imperfections or enjoy the bliss of a perfectly im-perfect life. i choose the latter.

i pray you all have a happy, healthy and blessed new year! cheers!

for more on the tradition of the vasilopita, click here.

Misty Moscato Recipe and Giveaway

2011-12-30T10:56:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I gave you some incredible recipes for cocktails and mocktails using Sierra Mist Natural soft drink.

This week, I'm going to give you my own original recipe for what I've dubbed the Misty Moscato. It's light. It's delicious. And it's pink. What more can you ask for?

Ingredients:

3 oz. Sierra Mist Natural
2 oz. Pink Moscato
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. cherry juice
fresh blueberries and mint to garnish

Directions:
1. In a shaker filled with ice, mix fresh lime juice and cherry juice (from Maraschino cherry jar).
2. Add Moscato.
3. Shake all ingredients well and strain into a large glass filled with ice.
4. Top with Sierra Mist Natural.
5. Garnish with fresh blueberries and mint for a holiday twist (optional).

To help you with your next soiree, Sierra Mist is giving away a gift pack that includes:

one shaker
drink garnishes and sugars
four party glasses
$50 American Express gift card

Stop by and enter over at Blissfully Domestic! While you're there, check out some delicious and unique recipes from some of my favorite foodie bloggers.

From Our Family to Yours...

2011-12-25T08:23:00.001-08:00

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Wishing your family a blessed and joyous Christmas and New Year!

Snowman Doughnuts

2011-12-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is another fun and easy recipe that the kids can help with. They're so cute, and hey, the carrot is healthy!

Ingredients:

Bag of powdered sugar doughnuts
Bag of mini chocolate chips
Baby carrots, cut in half

Directions:

Add the chips for eyes and mouth
Stick carrots in the center for the nose

How's THAT for easy?

Melted {Florida} Snowmen Cookie Recipe

2011-12-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

Last week, I made these melted snowmen, I dubbed them Florida snowmen, for Ace's school Christmas party. They were such a hit!

There are a few things I changed from the original recipe, and I couple of things I will change next time I make them. Because we will be making these again. They were that much fun.

What you need:

One recipe of sugar cookies (Can make from scratch of use a pre-made mix)
1 bag regular sized marshmallows
mini chocolate chips, optional for buttons
food coloring
Crisco (for greasing)
pastry bag and no. 1 or 2 tip

Icing:

One recipe of Royal Icing
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 Tbs. meringue powder
water

I made the sugar cookies first. The original recipe used Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix, but I used my high school Home Ec teacher's recipe. It's my favorite, I'll be posting it soon and will link back to this post. {I'd make the cookies slightly larger than I did here. They were a bit small when I went to add the arms, buttons, etc.}

When cookies are completely cool, place on parchment paper. *Give enough room for the icing to run off without running into each other.

Next, make a batch of Royal Icing. I used this recipe from Wilton. Take a tablespoon and carefully pour the icing into the center of each cookie. Using the back of the spoon, spread the icing, letting it run off the edge in a few places to give it the 'melted' affect.

Before the icing sets completely, rub Crisco all over a microwave-safe dish and place about 10 marshmallows on it. Microwave just until they begin puffing up, usually about 10 seconds on high. You DO NOT want them to double in size or get too big.

Grease your fingers well and smoosh the marshmallows a bit before placing them on the cookies.

You can pipe buttons with colored royal icing, or do what I did and use mini chocolate chips. I did this because it gave the boys something else to help with.

Separate your leftover icing into different bowls and color. Be sure to have black and orange for arms and noses! I used a #2 tip to do the details.

I made some with scarves, earmuffs, bows and hearts, and bowties. The boys wanted to make silly faces on some of them, so we did that too. :) It was so much fun!

Place on a fun wintery dish and serve with a smile!! Merry Christmas!

Nutella Hot Chocolate {recipe}

2011-12-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

I. Love. Nutella. If I was still in high school I would write it all over my notebook and dream of it during Physics class.

It's the perfect treat on a cold morning and only takes about five minutes to make.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk
3 tsp. Nutella
Whip Cream
Cinnamon

Directions:

Place 1/2 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add Nutella and whisk until completely melted.
When begins to bubble slightly, add remaining milk and continue to whisk.
Heat until hot and frothy.
Add whip cream and sprinkle cinnamon.

Tip: If you're interested in a non-dairy version of Nutella, Mary over at One Perfect Bite has a great recipe!

Enjoy!!

Holiday Parties and Sierra Mist Mocktails/Cocktails

2011-12-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

This holiday season has already been packed with parties. Whether it's a Cookie Exchange, Ugly Sweater party or Holiday Brunch, I'm always on the lookout for fun and delicious recipes. I recently attended a party and brought my mini spinach and cream cheese quiche (recipe coming soon). I also made Sierra Mist Natural mocktails.

Sierra Mist has recently partnered with bloggers to promote their cocktail/mocktail recipes for holiday entertaining. I love Sierra Mist, so I was really happy to get an opportunity to try them out.

My favorite thing about the mocktails, other than the fact that they're delicious, is that they're made with real sugar, not artificial ingredients, 100% natural flavoring. That's a big deal to me. I didn't even know Sierra Mist sold an all natural version of their pop!

The mocktails are so light and elegant and I love that they have non-alcoholic recipe options. They were so easy to make that I'll be making them again for our Christmas breakfast. They will be the perfect addition to our table that morning.

Here are two great Sierra Mist mocktail and cocktail recipes for you to try:

Frost Bite (Mocktail)

Ingredients:

3 oz. Sierra Mist Natural
2 oz. of White grape juice
Fresh blueberries
Fresh mint
1 oz. Pineapple juice
1 oz. Lime juice

Directions:

1. In a shaker filled with ice, mix fresh lime juice and pineapple juice
2. Add white grape juice, mint and blueberries
3. Shake all ingredients well and strain into a large glass filled with ice
4. Top with Sierra Mist Natural
5. Garnish with fresh blueberries for a holiday twist (optional)

Frost Bite (Cocktail)

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. Sierra Mist Natural
• 1 oz. Blue Curacao
• 1 oz. Coconut Vodka
• Fresh mint
• 1 oz. Pineapple juice
• Fresh blueberries (optional)

Directions:

1. In a shaker filled with ice, mix coconut vodka and pineapple juice
2. Add blue curacao, fresh mint and blueberries (optional)
3. Shake all ingredients well and strain into a large glass filled with ice
4. Top with Sierra Mist Natural
5. Garnish with fresh blueberries for a holiday twist (optional)

*******************************

Meet Me At The Mist-letoe...Martini (Mocktail)

Ingredients:
• 2 oz. Sierra Mist Natural
• 1 ½ oz. Raspberry juice
• 3 Leaves fresh basil
• ½ oz. Fresh lime juice
• 1 oz. Blueberry juice

Directions:
1. In a glass, muddle two basil leaves and lime juice, then add to a shaker
filled with ice
2. Add raspberry and blueberry juice to the shaker; shake well and strain
into a martini glass
3. Top with Sierra Mist Natural
4. Garnish with a basil leaf for decoration (optional)

Meet Me At The Mist-letoe...Martini (Cocktail)

Ingredients:
• 2 oz. Sierra Mist Natural
• 1 ½ oz. Raspberry Vodka
• 3 Leaves fresh basil
• ½ oz. Fresh lime juice
• 1 oz. Blueberry juice

Directions:
1. In a glass, muddle two basil leaves and lime juice, then add to shaker
filled with ice
2. Add raspberry vodka and blueberry juice to the shaker; shake well and
strain into a martini glass
3. Top with Sierra Mist Natural
4. Garnish with a basil leaf for decoration (optional)

Which Sierra Mist Natural Mocktail or Cocktail would you like to try?

Be sure to visit and "like" Sierra Mist on Facebook for more great recipes, and follow their updates on Twitter!

Disclaimer: I have partnered with Sierra Mist for this sponsored post. They've provided me with recipes and compensation. The opinions shared on this page are of my own, as are the photographs.

From Our Family to Yours...

2011-12-12T14:32:00.001-08:00

Heavenly Snowflakes Religious Christmas Card

Create personalized Christmas card designs at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Fig Souvlaki Recipe

2011-11-16T08:00:00.001-08:00

Love this recipe for Fig Souvlakia. Being Greek, figs have always adorned our tables. I recently tried this recipe and loved it. Enjoy!!

Fig Souvlaki Recipe

18 large dried figs (preferably Greek)
18 1/2-inch cubes feta cheese
18 thin slices pastourma, prosciutto, or bresaola
18 large fresh sage leaves
18 large toothpicks
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Using small sharp knife, cut stem from top of each fig, then cut straight down from top center to make 3/4-inch-deep, 1/2-inch-long slit in fig. Fill slit in each fig with cube of feta cheese, then press opening closed. Place 1 slice of pastourma on work surface; top with sage leaf. Place stuffed fig at 1 end and roll up to enclose fig. Secure with toothpick. Repeat with remaining pastourma, sage, and figs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead.

Arrange on plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before continuing. Pour enough oil into large skillet to cover bottom. Heat over medium-high heat. Add figs. Cook until pastourma begins to crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to large platter. Serve warm.

recipe and image from Epicurious

Just be the person God made you to be...

2011-10-08T11:25:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again. Yay! There's pumpkin pie in the fridge, apple cake in the stove and acorns all over my house!

Ever since I found the great little tutorial for making acorn necklaces, it has become one of our favorite fall projects. This year, I'm also making them for Ace's class. His teacher will be reading them the book, The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado. I had never read The Oak Inside the Acorn until his teacher asked me if I made the necklace because of the story. The story is about a tiny acorn who is separated from his mother, who was always telling him, "There is a great oak inside of you. Just be the tree God made you to be." It's a beautiful story about having the patience to follow the path set before us, and accepting God's will in our lives even when we don't understand it. Eventually, if we're quiet and listen, we grow into the person He intended for us to be all along.

I love all of his children's books, but my favorite is probably You Are Special. This series is about a town of wooden people (the Wemmicks), created by a carpenter named Eli (Matthew 27:46), and any time they have questions about life, they visit him. The story of You Are Special, serves as a good reminder, even for adults, to place little (or no) importance on others opinions of us. If you haven't read any of these, check to see if your local library has them. If not, most Christian stores carry them. They are also available on DVD.

Oh, and just a helpful hint: If you're planning on doing any acorn crafts this year, be sure to stick them in a really warm spot outside for a few days before bringing them in. Apparently, a tiny worm lives in each one and when they feel the warmth of your house, or in my case, my purse, they think it's time to come out. :/ That's why if you look closely at them, there is a tiny hole in each one where they burrowed out. I, of course, HAD NO IDEA about this until my dad told me last year while he was visiting. Unfortunately for me, or my dad actually since he cleaned it out, by the time I knew this I had a purse full of worms... I'm not a worm-y kinda gal, so...yeah.

i'm ready for...

2011-10-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

image via Pinterest

My Anniversary

Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Cool Whip

Apple Picking

Flannel Sheets

Hot Apple Cider with a Cinnamon Stick

Apple Crisp

Scent of Autumn

Cool Mornings on my Front Porch Swing

Pumpkin Patches

Fall Festivals

Reading a Good Book by the Fireplace

Snuggling with a Soft Blanket

Smell of Apples, Cinnamon and Cloves

Opening the Windows

Colorful Leaves

Sweet Potatoes and Turkey

Fall Fashion

Smell of the Wood Burning in the Fireplace

Hayrides

Bonfires with S'mores

What are YOU ready for?

mr & mrs

2011-08-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

The highlight of our trip to Ohio this summer was my little brother's wedding. His fiance is such a doll and I am so extremely happy that he found such a gem.

I had the honor of being their koumbara (sponsor) and Ace and Lucky were delighted to carry the rings and stefana tray. Their special day was even more special because Svetlana's brother was married in Russia the weekend before (she was born and raised there) and was in the States with his new wife on their honeymoon.

I love the Orthodox wedding service. Like all of the mysteries of our Church, it is so rich in symbolism and the prayers touch your innermost being.

After the wedding, some of our non-Orthodox family (most of my father's side is Byzantine Catholic), asked why we wear our wedding bands on the right hand. I thought that might be a good thing to mention on this blog in case some of you may wonder the same thing. The reason I've been told is because of the symbolism of the right. Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, He blesses with His right hand (as does the priest who is the image of Christ), Moses parted the sea with his right hand, the portion of the saved will stand on the right, etc.

The happy couple after the ceremony. Yes, that's me running down the stairs in the background, lol. I wanted grab her train because I was afraid she was going to trip over it! :)

I love this photo of them. The bridal party met at a local park for pictures before heading to the reception. The bride's sister-in-law is a photographer and took all the photos.

This is one of my favorites...

photos copyright of Anna Granik

It was such a great day. The reception was a total blast. It had been a long time since I was there for a function that included the w h o l e family. It was awesome.

I even bought a tux for my brother's childhood friend Henry the monkey. I kept teasing him before the wedding, telling him that someone he used to be very close with was coming to surprise him. He kept trying to ask questions like where is he from and where does he live now? I told him he was from Ohio originally but he hasn't been seen much lately and he's just sort of hanging around. I know, I have a strange sense of humor, I get in from my father. But we amuse each other so it works out just fine.

Here's they are after their reunion:

After everyone ate and we did the traditional Greek bridal dance, the newlyweds played Russian wedding games. They were so much fun! In the photo below, the bride was blindfolded and had to feel the ears of all the men sitting in a row. The object of the game was to guess which one was her groom.

At the end of the night the young kids (man, that makes me feel old) went out for breakfast and we old folks went home with our kiddos. And complained about our aching feet.

Another "Imperfectly Perfect" Moment

2011-08-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

When we returned home from vacation last week, we were greeted by a nasty stomach flu. Lucky got it shortly after I did. I hadn't had a full night's sleep in over a week by this point and so of course, it would hit him on a night that not only did I go to bed late but the baby had woken up twice since. As soon as I seemed to doze off, I heard Lucky crying and running to my room. When I asked him what was wrong he told me his belly hurt and we went into the living room to lay on the couch. No sooner did I start to doze off for the second time, I heard his belly convulsing and before I could carry him into the bathroom he started to vomit.

This went on for more hours than I can coherently recall. After the second time, when I had started to clean it all up, he started crying and telling me he was sorry. When I asked what he was sorry for, he told me "for throwing up all over. Cause it's not your fault and you have to clean it all up." I don't think I ever hugged him so tight. I told him he never had to apologize for being sick, that it's never anyone's fault, it just happens sometimes.

All night, he clung to me and kept telling me "I love you with all my life, Mommy."

It never ceases to amaze me how many ways a child can make you fall in love with them. We talked about how I would always be there when he gets sick or needs me. I even promised to be there when he got bigger and didn't really want me there. Though, he promised he would never not want me there. (I'll have to remember to get that in writing for when that time inevitably arrives.)

As I watched him fall asleep, with his little head snuggled on my chest, I thought about how lucky I am. Knee deep in vomit and yet I was blissfully happy. Kids do that to you, you know? No matter how ugly the situation, their beautiful and innocent little hearts always present another perspective on life. We just have to choose to see it.

I've mentioned before on this blog, that I don't believe my life is perfect. But I do believe it's imperfectly perfect. Who can ask for more than that? And that night was yet another "imperfectly perfect" moment for me. It will remain in my heart as one of the most special nights of my life.

Writing this post reminded me of a campaign Hallmark began earlier this year called Life is a Special Occasion. They asked readers to complete the sentence "________ is My Special Occasion." Some of my fellow Blissfully Domestic writers video blogged their answers here. You should stop by and check it out.

So. What's your special occasion?

Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Muffin Tin {Recipe}

2011-07-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today we made a batch of these yummy chocolate chip cookies! You make them in a mini muffin pan and so they are thick and soft and simply irresistible! We made these a few times last year, but I can't remember what site I found the recipe. I only have my scribbled down version, so I'll share that with you. If anyone knows the original site, please post it in the comments!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup almond meal (also known as almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Chop the coconut either by hand or with a food processor until it is fine.
In a medium bowl whisk together coconut, flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugars in the electric mixer until fluffy.
Add vanilla and eggs one at a time and continue to beat.
Add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time and beat until blended.
Stir in chocolate chips and refrigerate while preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
Scoop batter into prepared tin until each cup is 3/4 full. (Don’t over do it or the cookies will sink in the middle.) Gently push cookies down into the tin and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan.
Once cooled, use a butter knife to lift each bite sizer from the pan.

Yields approximately 4 dozen bite sized cookies.

NOTE: You can make almond flour yourself by chopping almonds in the food processor until they have a flour like consistency.

My Summer Reading List

2011-07-30T14:11:00.001-07:00

One of the things I love most about summer is catching up on my reading. These books are still on my list:

(currently reading) Letters to Saint Lydia by Melinda Johnson
The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee
Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans

and I can't forget my middle-grade/young adult reads:

Eggs Over Evie by Alison Jackson
The Candymaker by Wendy Mass
Cum Laude by Cecily von Ziegesar

*Be sure to check out my latest book posts on Blissfully Domestic!

Klutz Fabulous Flowers Kit Giveaway

2011-06-27T09:27:00.001-07:00

Let your creativity bloom with this can't-go-wrong book of detailed instructions for life-size, dimensional, paper blossoms inspired by our favorite flowers: roses, daffodils, hibiscus, zinnias, cosmos, poppies and larkspur. Sparkly embellishments, fresh paper colors, whimsical design variations and a custom shaping tool give these blossoms a twist that's pure Klutz-and quite possibly prettier than the real thing!

As always, Klutz has packaged the book with everything you need to get started: 20 pages of ready to punch out paper petals, sparkly flower centers. wrapped wire stems, glue, and of course, the custom winding tool-enough stuff to make bunches of flowers.

Ages 8+
$19.99

Two lucky readers will win a Fabulous Flowers making kit from Klutz! Simply leave a comment to enter.

For extra entries:

1. Follow this blog.
2. Tweet or facebook the contest (leave links!)

3. Subscribe to the RSS feed.

Good luck! Winners will be announced on Tuesday, July 6!

Hope you all are having a wonderful summer!!

Fork + Spoon = Spork

2011-06-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Love this letterpress print from Sapling Press. It gave me a good chuckle. :)

LaRue Across America Book + Backpack Giveaway!

2011-05-02T13:33:00.001-07:00

By now, it's no secret that I love a good book, especially children's books. Which is why I am so excited to offer this great new title published by Scholastic!

Both of my boys just loved this story. Lucky laughed at the colorful and fun illustrations depicting LaRue's adventures and Ace loved reading each "letter" written by Ike the dog, and learning fun facts about different cities across the country. I was happy to see that instead of using well known cities and landmarks, the author chose to highlight places most people have never heard of. We certainly made note of a few to check out on our next road trip!

Two lucky winners will receive a copy of LaRue Across America and a LaRue branded backpack!

About the book:

Ike’s plan for a peaceful cruise with Mrs. LaRue are thwarted when their neighbor, Mrs. Hibbins, falls suddenly ill. Mrs. LaRue suggests that she and Ike care for her cats while Mrs. Hibbins is in the hospital, inviting them along on the cruise. But cats aren't allowed, and Mrs. LaRue decides to take them all on a week's vacation of road-tripping. Ike is beside himself and quickly takes up his pen to tell us why!

Join award-winner Mark Teague on this romping road trip across America. Readers can follow along on the maps of the U.S. that span the endpapers. Teague drives us to the story’s satisfying conclusion, and we are left with one profound question: Can cats and dogs really be friends?

Watch the trailer:

How to Enter:

Simply leave a comment telling me the title of your favorite children's book!

Earn extra entries by:

Follow me on Twitter

Tweet this contest (be sure to include @theprude and @scholastic to get credit)

Subscribe to this blog

Become a follower of this blog

Good luck! Two winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 10! Can't wait? Order LaRue Across America here.

This contest is sponsored by SCHOLASTIC and is open to US mailing addresses only.

Congratulations to Ingvlld of Storytime Superheroes and Edie!! Pleas email your shipping details to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com! :)

This Is How We Do It: "Greek" Easter

2011-04-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

This year, I thought I would write a post answering some of the questions I get about how we celebrate "Greek" Easter. I've always sort of cringed at the words "Greek Easter" for the simple fact that it's not "Greek" Easter, it's "Orthodox Easter". It is celebrated the exact same way (save cultural traditions), and has been for thousands of years, in not only Greece but Russia, Serbia, Armenia, Syria and in every other Orthodox church around the world.

I was recently sent this article by actress Rita Wilson (wife of Tom Hanks) and thought she did a great job explaining some of the things that happen during holy week in our faith. Though it barely scratches the surfaces, the reality is much, much deeper than this, it is a wonderful introduction to the beauty and richness of our ancient faith and I wanted to share it with all of you.

I've added some of our personal photos below, to give you a better idea of some of the things mentioned in the article. Regardless of how you celebrate, I wish you a blessed Easter.

Why Easter is Greek to Me: Xristos Anesti!
by Rita Wilson

From the Washington Post.com

(Actress Rita Wilson, whose mother and father both were born in Greece, is widely credited with landing Nia Vardalos a movie deal for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Wilson and her actor husband Tom Hanks had their own "Big Fat Greek Wedding" in 1988. They have two children.)

Why Easter is Greek to Me: Xristos Anesti!

Once every few years, Greek Easter falls the same week as “American Easter,” as it was called when I was growing up.

In order for “Greek Easter” to be celebrated the same week as “American Easter,” Passover has to have been celebrated already. We Greeks don’t do Easter until after Passover, because how can you have Easter BEFORE Passover? Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, after all. Unless it is one of the years when the two holidays align. Like this year.

Here are some of the things that non-Greeks may not know about Greek Easter: We don’t do bunnies. We don’t do chocolate. We don’t do pastels.

We do lamb, sweet cookies, and deep red. The lamb is roasted and not chocolate, the sweet cookies are called Koulorakia and are twisted like a braid, and our Easter eggs are dyed one color only: blood red. There is no Easter Egg hunt. There is a game in which you crack your red egg against someone else’s red egg hoping to have the strongest egg, which would indicate you getting a lot of good luck.

Holy Week, for a Greek Orthodox, means you clear your calendar, you don’t make plans for that week at all because you will be in church every day, and you fast. Last year, in addition to not eating meat and dairy before communion, my family also gave up sodas for the 40-day Lenten period. (Editor's Note: Read why our eggs are dyed red here.)

During one particularly stressful moment, there were many phone calls amongst our kids as to whether or not a canned drink called TING, made with grapefruit juice and carbonated water was, in fact, a soda and not a juice, which our then 10-year-old decided it was, so we had a Ting-less Lent.

No matter where I find myself in the world I never miss Easter, or as we call it, Pascha. I have celebrated in Paris, London, New York City, Los Angeles, and in Salinas, California at a small humble church that was pure and simple.

When we were kids, our parents would take us, and now as parents ourselves we take our children to many of the Holy Week services including the Good Friday service where you mourn the death of Jesus by walking up to the Epitaphio, which represents the tomb and the crucified body of Christ, make your cross, kiss the Epitaphio, and marvel at how it was decorated, on Friday afternoon by all the women and children, with a thousand glorious flowers, rose petals and smells like incense.

Some very pious people will crawl under the Epitaphio. I have always been so moved to see this. There is no self-consciousness in this utter act of faith and love. There is no embarrassment to show symbolic sorrow at the death of our Savior.

At a certain point in the Good Friday service, the Epitaphio is carried outside by the deacons of the church, as if they are pall bearers, followed by worshippers carrying lit candles protected from dripping on your clothes and on others by having a red plastic cup that sits below the flame to catch the wax drippings. Every Greek person knows all too well the smell of burning hair.

One time, in London, I smelled something and turned to look at where the smell might be coming from, only to be horrified that it was coming from me and my head was on fire. But I digress.

It is somber and quiet as we follow the Epitaphio, in candlelight, from the altar to the outdoors, in order for it to circle the church before it returns back to the altar. We sing beautiful lamentations that make your heart break with their pure expression of sadness and hope.

One of my favorite services during Easter is Holy Unction. This happens on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Holy Unction is a sacrament. It is for the healing of our ills, physical and spiritual. It is preparing us for confession and communion. This sacrament has always been so humbling to me.

When you approach the priest for Holy Unction, you bow your head and as he says a prayer and asks for your Christian name, he takes a swab of blessed oil and makes the sign of the cross on your forehead, cheeks, chin, backs of your hands and palms. It is a powerful reminder of how, with faith, we can be healed in many ways.

The holy oil is then carefully dabbed with cotton balls provided by the church so you don’t leave there looking as if you’re ready to fry chicken with your face, and before you exit the church, you leave your cotton balls in a basket being held by altar boys, so as not to dispose of the holy oil in a less than holy place. The church burns the used cotton balls.

There have been times when I have left church with my cotton ball and have panicked when I am driving away. At home I take care of it. Imagine a grown woman burning cotton balls in her sink. But that is what I do.

Midnight Liturgy on Saturday night, going into Sunday morning is the Anastasi (Resurrection) service. We will arrive at church at around 11 p.m., when it starts, and listen to the chanter as he chants in preparation for the service. My kids, dressed in their suits and having been awakened from a deep sleep to come to church, groggily sit and wait holding their candles with plastic cup wax catchers.

As the service progresses, the moment we have all been waiting for approaches. All the lights in the church are all turned off. It is pitch black. It is dead quiet. The priest takes one candle and lights his one candle from the one remaining lit altar candle, which represents the light of Christ’s love (I believe).

From this one candle, the priest approaches the congregation and using his one candle he shares his light with a few people in the front pews. They in turn share their light with the people next to them and behind them. In quiet solemnity, we wait until the entire church is lit with only the light of candles; the light that has been created by one small flame has now created a room of shared light. (Editor's Note: See Miracle of the Holy Light that takes place in Jerusalem at the tomb of Christ every year.)

And at a moment that can only be described as glorious, the priest cries out, “Xristos Anesti!” “Christ is Risen!” We respond with “Alithos Anesti!” “Truly, He is Risen!” We sing our glorious Xristos Anesti song with the choir. That moment, which happens about an hour, to an hour and half into the service and seems as if the service is over, actually marks the beginning of the service. The service then continues for another hour and a half.

When I was a kid, after the service was over, we would go to the Anastasi Dinner that the church would throw in the church hall, where we would break our fast, drink Cokes at 2:30 in the morning, dance to a raucous Greek band and not go home until our stomachs were full of lamb, eggs, Koulouraki, and we saw the sun rise. Or was it the Son rise?

But usually now, after Midnight Liturgy, we drive home with our still-lit candles. I always love seeing the looks on people’s faces as they pull up to our car seeing a family with lit candles calmly moving at 65 m.p.h. down the highway. When we get home, we crack eggs, eat cookies, drink hot chocolate (so not Greek) and I burn a cross into our doorways with the carbon from the candle smoke to bless our house for the year. (Editor's Note: This tradition is in remembrance of the mark made on top of the Israelites doors during Passover.)

There have been many times when painters touching up the house have wondered why there was this strange black cross burned into our doorways.

The next day is usually followed by a late sleep in, then getting up and doing the same thing you just did but in the daytime at the Easter Picnic, usually held at a local park.

I have to say, the Greeks know how to do Easter. Make no mistake. This is the most important holiday in our church. It is a beautiful week. I haven’t even begun to touch on what the week is really like. This is a sampling of a sampling of what it is like. It is so much deeper, so much richer than I have written here.

But one thing is clear. It is a powerful, beautiful, mysterious, humbling, healing and moving week. It is filled with tradition and ritual. It is about renewal and faith. And even though it is still too early to say, Xristos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Boy, Oh Boy!

2011-04-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Nektarios Evangelos
March 25, 2011
7 lbs. 11 oz.

Well, our little angel couldn't wait until his scheduled appointment and so on March 25 at 2:15 in the morning I began having contractions and at 6:39 a.m. Nektarios was born. We are so blessed to have this beautiful healthy little boy in our family and are humbled for him to have entered our lives on such a special day (The Annunciation).

The boys are amazed and won't stop telling me how cool babies are and how much they love him. It melts my heart to watch them all together. Thank you Lord, for your blessings.

Thank you for the kind emails many of you have sent, your prayers are so appreciated.

Sibling Kits & Classes

2011-03-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I took the boys to the hospital for the Sibling Class. They had such a great time! They watched a funny little video about babies and being a big brother or sister. The instructor let them pick out a baby doll or stuffed animal and then showed them how to properly hold a baby and how they could help Mommy change and swaddle them.

Then they got to choose from oodles of stickers and markers and confetti to make a card for the new baby's bassinet.

Ace made two. The first one he cut into the shape of a goat. The second one, he glued his picture and wrote a longer note, reminding the baby of the benefit of being a boy and playing with GI Joes.

Lucky, who is now rooting for a girl for the first time since the beginning of my pregnancy, glued his picture and gave me very detailed instructions on what to write on the card. He wanted to remind the baby how much fun he and Ace are and how much the baby is going to love them. :)

I finally put together sibling kits for them too. I made little tags that say "Biggest Brother and Big Brother" and filled them with goodies to keep them busy while they are waiting for their new brother or sister. Luckily, my mom is flying in this week and will keep them busy. They love their Yiayia!

I filled them with things like mini coloring/activity books, crayons, a lollipop, coin purses with change for the vending machines, bubbles (they'll be outside feeding the ducks while they wait), flashlights, big brother books, a big brother t-shirt and their cameras. I love the idea of them taking photos of their idea of how the day played out. I'm going to develop them and put them in little albums for their keepsake boxes.

I found these old-fashioned coin purses. I picked them up from a boutique near my house for two bucks each. Of course, I got them in their favorite colors.

I also found some fun Lego kits at TJ Maxx for $4.99. The boys will go home to spend a special night alone with Baba and I figured this will give them something fun to do together. So...now all we're doing is waiting anxiously for the big day to arrive! I'm so excited!

Spring is (sort of) Here

2011-03-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

at least it is here in Florida...and on Kate Spade's redesigned site.

Kate Spade is one of my favorite designers. I love her classic, timeless looks and bold colors. Her ads are always the first ones to catch my eye.

Some of my latest loves are:

01.

02.
(this smells great, i love it so much i just bought the roller ball too)

03.

04.

05.

01. iPhone Case
02. Twirl perfume
03. Pineapple Locket
04. Ivana flats
05. Journal Pouch

Check it out!

A Hat for Sprout

2011-03-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

Along with giggling over tiny socks and breathing in the intoxicating scent of Dreft baby detergent, I've been knitting my little fingers off.

Here's a hat that I thought would be perfect for babe no. 03's blog name. Sprout.

The pattern can be purchased for $1.00 here on Ravelry. Are you a member of Ravelry? Feel free to find me. My username is ThePrude.

Mini Donut Cupcakes {Recipe}

2011-03-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Thinking about whipping up a batch of these for breakfast tomorrow...so yummy! Whatdya think?

Click here for the recipe...

Ready or Not!

2011-02-21T07:44:00.000-08:00

It's almost time for our wee one to make its entrance! I wanted to post updates on my pregnancy more often but, as I'm sure you've noticed, I haven't had the time to post as often as I usually do.

I've been busy savoring time at home with Ace and Lucky and working on a couple of projects I hope will be finished by the time Sprout arrives.

We never find out the gender of the baby, entirely because I love surprises and it doesn't really matter to me what it is. I pray for healthy children and that's it. I'd love a girl as much as I'd love another little boy to fill our house with more love and laughter. I know some members of our family are hoping for a girl and others are praying hard for another boy but no one will know for sure for about five more weeks! I told DH if we were in to gambling, we'd be able to pay off the delivery by taking everyone's bets! ;)

Thank God, I've had a very easy pregnancy again overall and am just now beginning to feel "ready". I've been swelling and aching and all the other uncomfortable things that come along in the final stretch of pregnancy. Part of me can't wait to hold the baby in my arms at last and another part of me is trying to enjoy the kicks and wiggles from inside my tummy. What a beautiful and miraculous thing pregnancy is. I think God made the ninth month as uncomfortable as it is because otherwise we might want to stay pregnant forever to feel that little miracle grow and live inside of us.

I love that there are always a couple of years in between babies in our family. It gives me time to spend with each of them individually and by the time the next baby comes I am ready to change diapers again and smell the precious scent of baby wash and Dreft detergent. :) I don't mind having sleepless nights again and I try to take advantage of nursing in the wee morning hours by spending precious quiet time bonding with the new babe.

The boys are very excited to meet their new sibling and are already volunteering to help with whatever they can think of. Though no one has offered to assist in diaper changing yet...

The nursery is ready and I'm hoping to pull the bins of baby clothes down from the attic this week to begin washing and filling the drawers with tiny socks and onesies. I love how fresh and alive the house begins to feel when anticipating a new baby.

The time has passed so quickly already and I can't believe the time is almost here! I can hardly wait!

Valentine's Day Fun

2011-02-15T04:41:00.001-08:00

We had a fun-filled Valentine's Day yesterday!

It started off with a big breakfast of heart shaped eggs, toast and pancakes.

Then I packed Ace's lunch with a heart-shaped sandwich and lots of red and sprinkle covered treats. Lucky and I enjoyed our lunch outside in the clubhouse (yes, celebrating Valentine's Day in Florida has some perks). It was a beautiful day!

I planned a scavenger hunt for after school. They had a blast running around the house and yard in search of the next clue and surprise. I loved watching them!

Some of their clues and prizes,

including a mailbox full of Valentine's from our family in Ohio!

For dinner, we made heart calzones (courtesy of Amy of MomAdvice) and heart pizzas. I followed the recipe Amy used, but I added some ricotta cheese and made them larger. The boys even cut the cucumbers in the salad like hearts! They always love helping in the kitchen and decided they wanted to be waiters for DH and I. So they tied on their aprons and served the food, being sure to pour themselves a glass of "wine" (cran-grape juice) with their meal.

Dessert was super easy and super delicious. We made chocolate filled crescents. These literally took only minutes to prepare.

Chocolate Filled Crescents Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can crescent rolls
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
powdered sugar

Directions:

Separate triangles.
Spread 1 Tablespoon chocolate chips along wide side of crescent.
Roll and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tip: Next time, I think I will spread a small amount of Nutella before I sprinkle the chips.

Enjoy!!

Vera Bradley & More {Giveaway}

2011-01-13T05:02:00.001-08:00

Since I'll be away in Miami having a good ole' time this weekend, I figured it was only fair to host a bit of fun for you! How about a giveaway of some of my favorite things?

Today is the official launch of the Vera Bradley Spring Collection so what better way to celebrate than a free Vera bag? I've been a fan of Vera Bradley bags for over thirteen years {yes, long before they were considered cool to carry :)} and I continue to love their practical and stylish products.

With the release of their newest collection, you can even treat yourself to an e-reader sleeve! Check out all four of their new patterns: folkloric, blue lagoon, lemon parfait and, my personal favorite, boysenberry!

Meet Mandy

Specs:
12" x 9¾" x 4¾" with 11" strap drop

A recessed zipper closure opens to reveal our latest pocket-happy handbag. Six interior compartments and a front slip pocket promise to contain all you wish to carry, while double quilted handles and channel stitching offer a stylish touch.

The winner will receive:

Vera Bradley Mandy bag in blue lagoon pattern

And what's a bag without a good book (or two) tucked away inside?
Winner will also receive a copy of the following books:

Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph
Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
Seaglass Summer (signed copy!) by Anjali Banerjee

travel-sized hand cream from Bath & Body Works
bottle of my favorite color nail polish by OPI

Here's how to enter:

Visit the official Vera Bradley site and leave a comment back here telling me which bag and/or pattern is your favorite!

For extra entries:

Become a follower of A Purse Full of Cheerios (right hand column)
Follow Me on Twitter
Tweet or Blog about this giveaway (and leave a link)
Subscribe to the RSS feed (in the right hand column)

Good Luck and have a fabulous weekend (I know I will) :) Winner will be announced next week!

-------------CONTEST IS CLOSED-----------

CONGRATULATIONS BECKY! PLEASE EMAIL YOUR SHIPPING INFO TO SYLVIA{AT}CHASINGCHEERIOS.COM!!

Miami or Bust

2011-01-13T04:41:00.000-08:00

My bags are packed and in a few hours I will be on my way to the regional SCBWI conference in Miami. I am so psyched!

I kept debating on whether or not to register since I'm 7.5 months along and DH has been out of work, you know how all the excuses start flooding your mind as soon as you start mentally calculating costs, right? But I could not pass up the opportunity to improve my craft and connect with so many incredible people in the publishing business. I will get the opportunity to hear from agents that I've admired for quite awhile now, as well as attend workshops led by some of the most incredible names in children's books.

It's the first time I have EVER left my boys for more than a few hours, so I'm a little nervous about that. I've never spent a night away from them. This morning as soon as Lucky opened his eyes, he wrapped his arms around my neck and said, "I'm going to miss you so much tomorrow." I felt so bad. :( They'll be with their father, who I know is more than capable (especially now that I've left post-it reminders all over the place). I just worry because, well, because that's what mom's do. I didn't even have time to freeze meals for DH this time so he'll have to feed the troops too. He'll appreciate me yet... ;)

So, stay tuned for updates from the conference via Twitter. I'll be using the tag #scbwimiami to share all of the great advice from agents like Sarah Davies (Greenhouse Literary Agency) and Erin Murphy (Erin Murphy Literary Agency) and a ton of great editors and authors. Can't wait to see all of my writer buds and have a weekend full of book talk!

cheers to new beginnings

2010-12-31T09:54:00.001-08:00

my list of resolutions for two-thousand and eleven. can barely believe it myself. eleven things i resolve to do in the new year that is already at my doorstep.

pray more
to concentrate more on my spiritual life. to think eternally.

to adore the life i've been blessed with
to appreciate the here and now. to thank God for each day i live to see. the good and the bad. the happy the sad. to make sense of life's lessons.

rise above the little things
to give less attention to the little things that tend to dim my spirit. and to repay each act of ignorance with kindness. laugh more, especially at myself.

continue working towards my dreams
to work hard. for myself. my family. our life. become the me i want to be. to be unafraid of failure. to finish what i start.

write every day
to keep a better journal. to build good habits. a more consistent writing routine.

think outside the box
to be creative, original and decisive. to be fearless of what onlookers might think. to push the envelope and be true to my own voice. to stand up straight and be bolder than bold. to refine and redefine.

forgive more
to blame my pride when i'm offended by others.

offend less
to be more understanding and less judgmental.

get out of my own way
to stop over analyzing the decisions i make. to trust myself and my instincts. to do what i know i should be doing.

be a better listener
to talk less and listen more. hearing and listening are not one in the same.

give more
of myself. to share the blessings i have been given. to think more about others.

cheers to a fresh start, to new beginnings. happy 2011.

Preparing for St. Basil's Day

2010-12-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Our vasilopita's are baking happily in the oven. The boys are filled with excitement; wondering if one of them will be the lucky person who receives the coin hidden safely inside each loaf.

Later, we'll read the book that tells the story of why there is a hidden coin in our bread today, before taking a late nap before church begins. What an exciting tradition celebrating St. Basil's Day is for us!

Here's hoping that your new year is full of God's blessings...

Some helpful links from the archives...

Basilopita recipe

Highlights for Kids article on St. Basil's Day

Story of the Coin

From Our Family To Yours

2010-12-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

i heart my {christmas binder}

2010-12-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

this morning i added another favorite recipe to my christmas binder. this binder is literally my saving grace at christmastime and i can't believe it's taken me this long to post about it.

i started it the second year i was married when i realized that in just two short years i had accumulated more christmas magazines and recipes than one desk could hold. so i started tearing out my favorite decorating ideas, recipes, craft projects, etc. and i put them in page protectors and placed them in a binder.

i punched holes in an extra christmas card envelope and wrote "random holiday memories" on it and every year i write, on any little slip of paper, whatever holiday happenings i want to make sure i never forget. like our first christmas as a married couple, when we spent the night in a hotel room because our house wasn't ready yet. we bought a tiny little tabletop tree and decorated it. our gifts to eachother (one each) were carefully wrapped and placed underneath it, waiting for us to wake up and open them on our very first christmas together. or the time ace decorated the tree for the first time and all the bulbs were in one spot on the bottom of the tree. or the year lucky sat behind the tree and ate almost every candy cane off before i noticed he was missing.

once we started having children, i began keeping a copy of each year's christmas card inside too. it's so much fun to see how much they change from year to year.

i also print out photographs of the boys during the holidays. opening gifts, leaving milk and cookies out for st. nicholas or helping me with some of the recipes inside (i place the picture next to the recipe). it's become sort of like a holiday scrapbook.

the next year, i realized it would be even more convenient if i kept my ever-growing christmas card list in there too. then i photocopied the family recipes i use every year and added them. before i knew it, i had almost everything i needed in one place and it was so easy to just grab the binder and look for what i needed.

then last year, on one of my favorite blogs, marta mentioned her christmas binder and she had hers organized into sections with tabs. i thought that was a great idea. so i added tabs too.

every year, my binder becomes more and more resourceful to me during the holidays. i know exactly where all of my favorite recipes are, i have a ton of fun craft ideas for the boys, and i can look back and remember all the blessings of christmas past.

Wee Squeak Shoes {Giveaway}

2010-12-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

We've had so much positive feedback in the past about our Wee Squeak Shoes giveaways that we're giving another pair away for the holidays! (For those of you who missed our previous giveaways, Wee Squeaks are shoes that actually squeak when your child walks!)

I first saw them on a little girl at Storytime who was recently adopted from China. Her mother was chasing her around the bookshelves and it was great because you could hear exactly where she was because of the squeaking! I immediately wanted a pair for my little guy but at that time they were only available overseas. Take advantage of this great opportunity to get a pair for your little one!

To enter, visit their official site and then leave a comment here telling us what you like best about Wee Squeak shoes.

For extra entries:

Become a follower of A Purse Full of Cheerios (right hand column)
Follow Me on Twitter
Tweet or Blog about this giveaway (and leave a link)
Subscribe to the RSS feed (in the right hand column)

Winner will be announced on December 29!

Winner will receive the style shown above, which is perfect for any little girl or boy!

Also, be sure to check back for some terrific giveaways after Christmas!!

CONGRATS TO KAT! Please email your shipping info to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{d0t}com asap!

Welcome Christmas Break...

2010-12-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 6:00 a.m. alarm, goodbye car line, goodbye homework. Hello Christmas break!

After a nice {sort of} relaxing weekend in Orlando, {more about all that fun in another post}, we stayed up late last night and read more of our favorite Christmas books.

This morning we slept in way past normal wake up times in our house and then made a fun breakfast to celebrate the first day of Christmas vacation!

Our first day of Christmas Break-fast!

We enjoyed a fun breakfast of gingerbread men pancakes and hot chocolate, complete with french vanilla flavored snowman marshmallows and peppermint sticks.

Lucky loves stirring his cocoa with the peppermint sticks. He just thinks it's amazing to watch them melt and to taste his pepper-minty hot cocoa.

Ace filled his cup up with most of the marshmallows. A treat I don't mind him having, since his usual snacks consist of fruits and veggies {TOTAL opposite of Lucky}!

After breakfast, we wrapped the last of the Christmas gifts and they helped me stack them up by the tree, which I had forgotten to water since we left for the weekend. So they helped water the tree too...

I hope you all are enjoying your Christmas break! Only 5 more days until Christmas!

Popcorn Ball Recipe

2010-12-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

For Ace's class treat this year, I made popcorn balls. My boys love them but it's not something I make often, usually only around this time of year.

Popcorn Ball Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
18 cups popped corn

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, syrup, vinegar, and salt.
Cook over high heat until mixture reaches 255 degrees F (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
Stir in vanilla.
Pour over popped corn, tossing gently to coat.
When mixture is cool enough to handle, press popcorn into 3-inch balls with lightly greased hands.
Cool completely on waxed paper.
Can add food coloring, if desired.

I also remember my mom wrapping them up to look like Christmas ornaments!

She would wrap them tightly in waxed paper, followed by the tissue paper (like I did in the first photo). Then she would cut the paper and take a piece of ribbon and poke through it with a toothpick into the top of each ball. They were always so cute! I didn't have time to do that this year, but thought I'd share the idea in case you do!

Enjoy!!

gingerbread men rock

2010-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

my boys *love* gingerbread men. they love the cookies, they love to color them, they love everything about them. so i've been trying to sneak them in wherever i could this holiday season.

first, i found this great pancake mold at jo-ann's for $6.99 + 60% off! so we've been using it for more than just pancakes in the morning! i've also been scrambling eggs and pouring it in the mold too. you can pour a little, add some cheese, ham or whatever omelette type extras you like and then pour more egg on top too. they turned out so yummy! ace is my best eater but is really picky when it comes to his eggs and even he loved them!

i also have been making gingerbread men pizzas for lunch. just roll out the pizza dough and cut it with a gingerbread cookie cutter. then add sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you like.

enjoy!

baked with love

2010-12-15T13:24:00.001-08:00

tis' the season to pass out cookies to all of our friends and neighbors. today i delivered baked goodies to our mailman, ups driver and the school crossing guard.

i lined these beautiful little tins ($1.00 at wal-mart) with gold tissue paper and filled them with a few of each of the cookies i've been baking.

then i carefully tied some pretty gold glittered ribbon ($3.99 + 60% off at jo-ann's) around the tin and secured it with tape at the bottom.

i took the poinsettia clips ($1.00 at target) and poked a hole through the top ribbon and clipped it into place.

voila! an inexpensive and yummy way to let someone know they are appreciated!

next on our list is the school office, ace's teachers and our neighbors!

christmas traditions {holiday baking}

2010-12-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

there are certain cookies that the mere mention of invokes childhood memories. three cookies that my holidays would be incomplete without are my grandmother's pizzelles, my mother's peanut blossoms, my aunt's caramel nut balls. i can remember my mother and both of my grandmother's buzzing around the kitchen for weeks before Christmas. my sister and i would beg to help. we would chop nuts, unwrap kisses and roll out dough until our little hearts were content.

last week, lucky and i tied on our aprons, put on our favorite carols and set to work. the scent of freshly baked cookies filled our house for days. it was wonderful.

ma's pizzelles

mommy's peanut blossoms

aunt ruthie's caramel nut balls

next on my baking list are kolachi rolls, oreo truffles and popcorn balls for ace's class party. what are some of your holiday favorites from the kitchen?

christmas traditions {little women}

2010-12-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

twenty years ago, on Christmas eve, my grandparents gave me a copy of Little Women.

i have cherished that book ever since. it is worn around the edges and the illustrated cover has begun to fade but every Christmas season i pull it off the shelf and read it. the night after i finish, i pour a nice glass of wine or make a pot of hot cocoa and sit on the couch to watch the movie. sometimes the boys join me (there's hot cocoa and marshmallows after all) and sometimes it's just me, meg, jo, beth and amy.

last night i began my reading and sighed at the welcoming scene that immediately invited me to get lost within the book's pages.

"four sisters, who sat knitting away in the twilight, while the December snow fell quietly without, and the fire crackled cheerfully within...books filled the recesses, chrysanthemums and Christmas roses bloomed in the windows, and a pleasant atmosphere of home peace pervaded it."

christmas traditions {the nutcracker ballet}

2010-12-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

this weekend i took my boys to see the nutcracker ballet. it has been an annual tradition in our family since we had ace. this year, lucky was finally old enough to come along. i wasn't sure how he would react but figured we'd give it a whirl.

we stopped by our favorite starbucks before the play for a cup of hot cocoa. we snuggled on the sofa and read the book before heading to the theatre.

lucky ended up loving it! he didn't want to leave when it was over! it was a beautiful performance and the boys enjoyed the infamous duel between the nutcracker and the mouse king. ace decided that he was going to rewrite the story so that the mouse king would finally defeat the nutcracker. can you tell who he was rooting for?

before the play began, the boys played with the nutcrackers they brought along from home.

this ballerina is one of my favorites. i remember her from years past and it's amazing to see how she's grown each year. she performs beautifully.

dh was out of town for this year's performance, so it was just me and my little men. i had to get a photo of the three of us, so i balanced the camera on top of my coffee table centerpiece and set the self timer. cheese!

it was a beautiful night, full of memories we'll never forget (at least i won't). just one of the many things i'm thankful for this Christmas season.

little things in life

2010-12-06T12:33:00.000-08:00

last night we all cuddled by the fire and read the stories of st. nicholas. the miracles and amazing acts of charity are always so inspiring. then the boys lined up their shoes by the door with care, in hopes that st. nicholas soon would be there.

they woke up this morning anxious to see what treats and trinkets they would find inside their tiny little shoes.

this is a tradition we look forward to year after year on the eve of december 6. we said our prayers before bed, adding a little song about st. nicholas, before getting tucked in for the night.

find out more about st. nicholas day and the real st. nicholas here...

Our Journey to Bethlehem

2010-12-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Last night the boys and I spread out a blanket and gathered around the fireplace to read the first story from our Advent Storybook. It is a delightful book about a little bear's journey to Bethlehem. Each night, the bear's mother reads him a story while he opens the next door on his Advent calendar.

The little bear, led by a shining star, meets many others on his travels across hot deserts, snowy mountains, through dark, lonely nights. His adventures filled with acts of heroism and kindness, and many small miracles, show him the path to the Christ Child.

And by journey's end, Benjamin Bear--and youngsters who share the stories and their simple morals along with him--will be ready to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas.

I love that each story ends with a little conversation between Benjamin Bear and his mother about God. Tonight's story ends with,

"Does the mother eagle always catch her young when they fall?" asked Benjamin when his mother finished the story.

"If we trust in God, He will always catch us before we fall," Mother Bear replied and gave Benjamin a big hug."

I also cut out different icons for the feastdays that we celebrate in the Orthodox church during the month of December and on those nights, we'll also read the story of the saint being celebrated.

We did this last year for the first time and the boys just loved it, so I was really excited to begin again this Christmas season. So, as Ace and Lucky opened the first door on their calendar and nibbled on their treat, we began our own journey to Bethlehem.

incredible. amazing. miraculous.

2010-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

it's incredible how one moment you're not even thinking about babies and the next you can't stop.

it's sheer bliss to catch yourself humming lullabies and hugging teeny tiny socks.

it's amazing how quickly you can love someone you've never met.

it's fascinating to imagine a tiny little person living inside your tummy.

it's a miracle knowing that every day that little person is preparing for it's entry into the world.

it's so exciting to think about the moment when you finally meet your newborn babe.

it's wonderful being a mama-to-be.

xoxo.

fingerless glove love

2010-10-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

I have adored fingerless gloves since I became a mama and realized that regular gloves and mittens just do not cut it when trying to wipe noses, unbutton jackets or tie shoes.

I wear them to keep my hands warm while writing on chilly mornings. I love the way they look and feel while wrapped around a mug of my favorite hot cocoa.

Lately, they've been spotted everywhere and finding patterns for them is now much easier than it has been in the past, which makes me smile. I also heart the fact that it only costs me about $10 and two free evenings of my time to make a pair.

So far, these two are ranked my no. 01 patterns.

This pattern, appropriately called fetching, is from one of my fave knitting sites. Knitty.

This pair, Susie's Reading Mitts, is also a new favorite.

I knit them in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. I love her cashmerino line and have worked with the baby cashmerino for years but this is the first time I knit something in the aran and I am sooo happy with the end result. It is soft and warm and perfect.

Also, for those of you on Ravelry. Look me up. I'm ThePrude. We can be knitting pals.

Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Meals

2010-10-12T05:06:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to review a gluten-free, dairy-free cookbook written by the editor-in-chief of Everyday with Rachael Ray, Silvana Nardone.

After discovering her oldest son, Isaiah, had a gluten intolerance, she had to make some changes in the way she cooked.

You can take advantage of the healthy changes she made in her kitchen, by checking out her new cookbook, Cooking for Isaiah. (If you check it out, be sure to try Isaiah's Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping on page 46, sooo good.)

I went crazy with this cookbook. The recipes are surprisingly easy and my family loved them. The added bonus? They're completely healthy dishes.

One of our favorites is the Grilled Chicken with Potato Slabs. Looks scrumptious, right?

Grilled Chicken with Potato Slabs

Note: When the drumsticks start to char, move them to the sides of the grill to finish cooking.

Serves 8

One 12-ounce bottle beer, gluten-free beer or root beer, at room temperature
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
6 chicken drumsticks (about 1½ pounds)
2 baking potatoes
Olive oil, for drizzling
Lime wedges, for serving

1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine the beer, butter, garlic, chili powder, brown sugar and salt. Add the drumsticks, seal the bag and let marinate while you proceed.
2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high. Microwave the potatoes on high until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Slice the potatoes lengthwise about ¼-inch thick. Drizzle both sides generously with olive oil.
3. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to the grill. Grill the drumsticks, brushing with the beer marinade and turning occasionally, until the skin is golden and crisp and the juices run clear, 20 to 25 minutes Meanwhile, grill the potatoes until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt. Serve the chicken and potatoes with the lime wedges.

Click here to check out Silvana's website, Dish Towel Diaries.

Coming this Spring!

2010-10-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

by way of official announcement,

baby no. 03 is officially on it's way.

xoxo,
Sylvia

Fashion Design Kit by Creativity for Kids {GIVEAWAY}

2010-10-04T07:46:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to be giving away 3 (three) of these super fun Special Occasion Fashion Design Kits by Creativity for Kids!

Kit retails for $39.99.

I received mine in the mail and could not wait to play with all the cool little items inside! Most of you know that I try to keep my children busy with crafts and activities that encourage creativity and imagination rather than letting them watch t.v. or play video games, and this kit will keep your little (or big) girls busy for hours. Seriously, I had a ball with this.

It comes with everything you see featured below. There are beautiful little embellishments, including a satin dress with mini hanger, mini bolts of fabric, ribbons, sequins, rosettes, tiaras and more. There is a great Fashion sketchbook that teaches them the names of different styles of dresses and a cool little fabric swatch ring with swatches of all the fun, colorful fabrics included in the kit. It even includes sketch pencils, pins, pin cushion, scissors, tape measure, thimble, thread and a large storage bag to keep all of their supplies in when they're not using them. (Read the official details below)

Wouldn't this make a great Christmas gift? JFYI, there's only 83 days left until Christmas morning!

What I really love about this is that is encourages girls to learn to sew! A hobby that was once common knowledge for women and girls but is a novelty nowadays. I also think it's great that once they use all the fabrics included, they can choose their own fabrics from the remnants bins for little cost and continue designing clothes for their dolls or to add to their designer collections. Who knows, there may be some Coco Chanel's among them!

Ultimate fashion designer set features everything you need to create amazing designer originals. Just add imagination…
Ever dream of being a fashion designer of exquisite gowns? From pearls to lace, you can design your own wedding dresses and special occasion fashions.
Featuring even more supplies than the original award-winning Designed By You Fashion Studio, this deluxe version includes exceptional quality essentials that every couture fashion designer needs to inspire one-of-a-kind originals. Dream it, Draw it, Design it.
Everything is included! Mannequin, Satin Dress, Assorted Fabrics, Assorted Trims, Spools of Thread, Sewing Needles and Threader, Thimble, Pins, Pin Cushion, Scissors, Tape Measure, Fabric Swatches, Sketch Book, Pencils and Sharpener, Iridescent Sparkle Accent, Silver Sparkle Accent, Satin Roses, Satin Bows, Tiaras, Velvet Accessories Storage Bag, Instructions and Ideas
Age Range : 9 – 99

Watch this fun product trailer for more details!!

How to Enter:

Simply leave a comment telling me what you love most about this kit!

Earn extra entries by:

Follow me on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog

Become a follower of this blog

Good luck! Three winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 12!

**CONTEST IS CLOSED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED!!

PlanetBox: Lunch Transportation for the Green Generation

2010-09-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to show you guys the newest lunchbox we've been using for the last couple of weeks. It makes packing a fun lunch even easier! I'll admit it's a little pricey, but the money we saved last year on buying individually wrapped snacks and juice boxes made another investment like this worth it. There's lots of reasons why PlanetBox will become your new BFF.

The PlanetBox is an awesome and eco-friendly way to pack your child's lunch! I love that it keeps everything neat and separated, even after it's been tossed around before lunchtime.

Click the photo above to learn more about Chemo Duck, a program that puts a fluffy duck friend in the arms of children coping with cancer.

The interior compartment is made of stainless steel and is easily thrown in the dishwasher after each use. It isn't made to hold liquids, so you have the option of using the Big and Little Dippers (shown below). They're perfect for holding "wet" foods like yogurt, apple sauce or dipping sauces like ketchup or ranch dressing. I also use the little one for rice pudding, etc.

The metal compartment fits perfectly inside of the carry bag (carry bags come in 6 different colors), which is 100% toxin free (no BPA, lead or PVC) and made from recycled plastic bottles. It is also super easy to clean off. It can be completely submerged in water, so spills or stains are easily removed. The inside has a large mesh pocket that is perfect for storing napkins, utensils and hot/cold packs.

The outside of the bag has 2 pockets, one for holding a drink bottle and one for anything else you want to include with their lunch. I usually use it for notes and other fun stuff.

PlanetBox also offers 7 different magnet sets to stick on top. We alternate between this fun sports theme and the ocean theme (shown in above photo). Ace likes to use a different one each week. Each set has a spot where you can write your child's name too. Just remember to take them off before washing! I just stick them right on the fridge when I unpack it each day.

I also love that PlanetBox comes with a limited warranty for a period of 5 years and all the pieces can be ordered separately as well as in sets. So next year, if the carry bag is ruined, I can simply purchase a new one instead of having to buy another whole set.

Fun and Healthy Lunchbox Ideas

2010-09-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that one of the things I love about Ace being in school is packing his lunch. I know, I sound crazy but I love finding new ways to make lunch fun.

So I thought I'd make a list of a few of our favorites. They're all really simple and the most complicated ones don't take longer than 15 or so minutes and can be prepared the night before (though my kids like them fresh) :). I'll start taking pics and adding them periodically along with their recipes.

It's important for kids to eat their lunch to help get them through the second half of their day. They just like having something different now and then. I know I couldn't eat the same boring lunch all year!

I always make sure to have at least one serving of vegetables and fruit alongside the main dish. Then I include a tiny treat for fun.

Below are just a few ideas that always result in an empty lunchbox...

Main dishes:

dinosaur shaped grilled cheese sandwiches
mini pizzas
mini pepperoni rolls
turkey and cheese sandwiches on thin bagels
mac & cheese
turkey, cheese & lettuce wraps
tacos (everything in its own compartment so it doesn't get soggy)
make-your-own sandwich days (crackers, cut up lunch meat, cheese and tomatoes)

Sides:

fruit skewers (strawberries, apple squares & grapes work great)
cheese (cut up into different shapes) & crackers
ants on a log (celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins)
carrot sticks
cherry tomatoes with fun little picks
kiwi stars
homemade granola with fresh blueberries
yogurt with fresh fruit on top
Greek rice pudding

Treats:

mini brownie (or brownie bites)
wafer cookie
a tiny handful of chocolate chips
cookie
mini muffin

I know Ace had a hard time eating his lunch for the first half of the year during Kindergarten, so what I did to keep him full was include a fruit smoothie instead of juice or water. I usually added a very small amount of a vegetable too, like carrots or beets. He never knew the difference. :)

Also, if you have a picky preschooler (like my 3-year old) and are looking for ideas on how to make lunch more fun for them, join us on Muffin Tin Mondays!

After everything is packed I like to stick little notes or jokes inside too. He gets so excited! Click here are some fun printable lunchbox jokes and click here for cute little note templates.

Happy lunchbox packing!!

Homemade Waffle Recipe

2010-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since we've decided to do the 100-day real food challenge, I haven't purchased any frozen pancakes or waffles this year. We've been eating eggs and bacon or homemade waffles a lot. Last week, they loved the heart shaped pancakes with fresh fruit on top.

I was so worried that we wouldn't have enough time for big breakfasts every day but it really hasn't taken much longer. I actually feel sort of guilty that I didn't do this more often last year. I love watching them get all excited when they ask what I'm making for breakfast each day. Ace actually told me that these breakfasts remind him of the "fun days" when he was home all the time. Sniff, sniff...

So far the homemade waffles with fresh fruit and whip cream are at the top of their list. The recipe is one I've used since I got married and even though I've tried others, it remains my favorite.

It's quick, easy and the batter can be stored for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, even though it doesn't even last a week in our house. Some people have told me that they bake the entire batch, freeze them and just pop them into the toaster later on. I think this is a great idea if you don't have time to bake them fresh every morning.

HOMEMADE WAFFLE RECIPE

2 eggs
2 cups flour, unbleached
1 T sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1 3/4 cup milk

Preheat waffle iron and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Beat eggs until fluffy.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour batter onto iron and cook until golden brown.
Add toppings. Our favorites include fresh fruit and whip cream or powdered sugar and syrup.

Get this free cookbook download, 29 Tasty, Easy Breakfast Recipes, for other terrific breakfast ideas!

Back-to-School and Back to Routines

2010-09-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a busy month!

We had an awesome Night Before 1st grade party for Ace. We made our school bus cake again (this time instead of buying pound cake, I baked one using better ingredients in 2 loaf pans) and read lots of fun back-to-school books like The Night Before First Grade, If You Take a Mouse to School, First Grade Here I Come! and a few more favorites. We went over basic rules and safety precautions, practiced the pledge of allegiance, student pledge and made sure he had his student I.D. number memorized.

He's had a great couple of weeks so far!

Lucky and I have been busy at home playing G.I. Joe's and working on his shapes and recognizing letters of the alphabet. We've been using a lot of these free printables from First School.

He's gotten back into his routine with no problem though. He'll still try to pull a quick one on me when it comes to doing his homework as soon as he gets home but I don't budge. :)

Last year we printed this after school routine poster out from Living Locurto. We laminated it tacked it to the wall to remind Ace of what the first things he needs to do when he gets home. (We added "change school clothes" and "show Mom schoolwork" is now "Do Homework")

We also use this weekly homework calendar from Family Fun. Ace's homework is assigned on Monday's and due on Friday's. This calendar helps him decide what subjects he wants to do each day. He usually fits two subjects in one day so he can have a "day off". I like it because it helps him assume responsibility for his homework. He crosses them off as he finishes them and if he asks to go play, I ask what homework he has left and he can look at the calendar and see.

What back to school routine tricks or helpful activities do you have?

Mom's Gone Organic

2010-08-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

rBGH. BPA. GMO's. Infected Beef. 280 million eggs recalled. Children hitting puberty as young as 7. Child Cancers on the Rise. Autism Rates Sky-Rocketing. Aspartame. Fluoride controversy. Silly Putty ingredient found in McDonald's chicken nuggets. Obesity Rates out-of-control.

These are just a few of the headlines we've read over the past several years. As a mom, every time I read one I am scared to death. What am I really feeding my kids?

Five years ago we bought chickens and began eating fresh eggs. A few years later we put some cows in the backyard and filled our freezer with fresh beef. We drank organic milk but that was really about it. I'm the type of person who has a tendency to stay away from market trends. And that is what the whole "organic" movement seemed like to me. Like a fad, similar to the diet crazes we see so often that usually leave people broke and still overweight.

But the more and more headlines like those above that appeared, the more suspicious I became. A friend of ours recommended a movie called Food, Inc. My husband and I rented it on Netflix and by the time it was finished I vowed never to eat fast food, or non-organic food period, again.

For so long I simply put my trust in the people in charge of approving or disapproving of the preservatives and other ingredients added to our food. But that trust is no more. I cannot begin to under$tand how the$e thing$ are approved. From now on, I will decide what goes into our bodies.

I created a new blog, called Mom's Gone Organic, to track my progress with the decision to challenge myself to 100 days of eating real food. I was turned on to this idea by a blog I found called 100 Days of Real Food. Then we ran across Food: The Ultimate Secret Exposed. I decided that from now on I will take better advantage of our local Farmer's Markets and pay better attention to what food stocks my pantry. Since organic food is slightly more expensive than non, we'll have to cut out some of the "snacks" and eat less often. Which also works to our advantage.

I'm being realistic about the challenge and am not expecting to cut out all processed foods right away. It will take time. It will be the most difficult for me because I am the big junk-food junkie, with my secret stash of Butterfinger's and Lindor truffles. So often I blame the way I feel on my thyroid and other factors but in reality I think diet plays the biggest role in how we feel.

I will consider the challenge successful if I can cut out 75% of the garbage. That means no more fast food, all organic fruits and vegetables, no more frozen pancakes or other products that include more than 50% of unidentifiable ingredients. Whole Foods Market here I come.

So why not join me on the journey? It begins September 1! Are you game?

Here and There and Everywhere

2010-08-18T11:11:00.001-07:00

We've been here and there throughout the past month. Mostly there though. Savoring the last precious weeks of summertime.

We spent the last three weeks in Ohio visiting my family and having a grand ole' time. We got to spend quality time with my Yiayia, who thank God, is 1 treatment away from finishing her chemo, and the rest of our family.

We packed quite a bit of life in those three short weeks too. We celebrated Lucky's nameday and birthday, visited the monastery in Saxonburg, drove to Washington D.C., Ace lost 4 teeth, was able to serve in the altar 5 times, went to Browns training camp and had a few more happy surprises while we were there too. ;)

Ace really enjoys learning about American History, so my parents rented a 12-passenger van and we all piled in and drove to DC. We only stayed for 2 1/2 days but were able to see pretty much everything we wanted except for a couple of places that closed early.

The boys loved seeing some of the exhibits at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History that they recognized from the movie Night at the Museum. Ace also really enjoyed Ford's Theatre. The smartest thing we did was buy tickets for the double decker bus. It was $35 per adult/$16 for children, which sounds a little pricey but it was a 2-day pass to anywhere in the city. It saved us *alot* of walking.

We also threw a birthday party for Coleen and Lucky. They had so much fun! It was great getting together with the whole family and watching all the kids play. I was so happy to be there for my precious little cupcakes first birthday. She is such a cutie pie! Her facial expressions and "conversations" are so dramatic, it cracks me up.

We did a cupcake theme for the party, pink and purple for Coleen and blue and green for Lucky. We made an assortment of cupcakes, with the help of some of our cousins, for the cupcake bar and we made giant cupcake cakes to sing Happy Birthday with.

Lucky got really bashful halfway through Happy Birthday and was overwhelmed by all the great presents he received...

But by the end of the party he was content with just a balloon and a bag of candy.

Now we're back home, buried in four suitcases worth of laundry and enjoying the last lazy days of summer with root beer floats, snow cones and lots of snuggle time.

Hello Asheville, North Carolina

2010-07-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

This summer has been full of great memories and adventures. Our most recent adventure was a trip to North Carolina for my brother-in-law's wedding. So, My Big Fat Greek Wedding evolved into My Big Fat Greek Vacation. It was full of as much food, fun and family as you could imagine with 32 loud, overly-opinionated Greeks.

After the wedding we made the trek to Asheville.

What a city!

It is the perfect combination of history and modernism. Favorite retailers and restaurants are surrounded by historic buildings with unique architectural details rarely seen in modern-day structures. The weather was perfect; cool mornings and evenings and hot afternoons-exactly what I like my summer days to be like.

The hotel we stayed at was great too. I loved that they not only offered a hearty (and complimentary) breakfast but a terrific dinner as well. The staff was very helpful and even gave us our own "private dining room" so other guests would have room to sit and enjoy their meals without getting hit by flying flatware (Lucky), becoming collateral damage during a G.I. Joe battle (Ace and Mikey) or lose their hearing from high pitched shrieks (Julia could break glass).

Here's a sneak peek into some of my favorite moments:

DH and I at the Biltmore Winery wine bar

Our family after the wedding

My boys and I on the trolley in downtown Asheville

Having fun with their cousins in the sprinklers

A beautiful butterfly my father-in-law found

The four of us in front of the Biltmore House (more on that later)

Lucky, my niece Julia and I on the front lawn of the Biltmore

It was a great time and it was really nice having the whole family there. This was the first vacation we've ever taken with DH's brother, sister, aunts, uncles and cousins!

Thanks to @AshevilleTravel for all the tips and ideas! DH and I are definitely planning on visiting again soon!

Nickels and Dimes {Warning: Vent Session}

2010-07-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

I have to vent here for a moment. I am soo furious. It all started the other day when I drove south a couple of hours with the boys and stayed at a place that had no land line. Of course, I didn't think this would be a problem because I had my trusty cell phone. Except that my cell phone wasn't so trusty. At first, I just sounded muffled, but soon no one could hear a word I was saying. By the end of the next day I couldn't even call out. To make matters worse, I was babysitting my niece and couldn't answer the phone when my sister called to check in on her. Do you have any idea how inconvenient it is to be traveling with three kids and no phone? Thank God there were no emergencies.

So much for trusty cell phone.

Then today, I was getting some last minute things taken care of for a road trip we're taking this weekend and I figured, "Hey, I'm going to be doing a lot of traveling over the next month. Maybe I'll finally sign up for that great 'NO CONTRACTS! $29.99 unlimited data plan for iPads!'" But when I called both Apple and AT&T to sign up, I was informed that the plan no longer exists. Now, to take advantage of the promotional offer promised when iPads went on sale, you have to automatically renew each month. Which basically equals a contract, right? I mean, if you cancel you are no longer eligible.

I guess I just really felt like one my worst fears is closer than I imagined. It makes me wonder what the world will be like 20 years from now. Everywhere we go people are glued to their cell phones. No need for casual conversation with the person sitting next to you when you can interact with hundreds of people on facebook right from your phone! Take a look around next time you're at a restaurant or waiting in line somewhere. How many people are playing on phones instead of talking to an actual human being. I keep reading articles on the trouble public libraries are in right now and how people think they're unnecessary nowadays with all the gadgets like e-readers and the internet. Why drive all the way to the library to borrow a book when you can download it for free? And I vow, to never, ever buy an ebook instead of a REAL book. Nothing can replace the feeling of a book in my hand.

I don't know about anyone else but I'm |t h i s| close to burying my electronics in the backyard. Will our grandchildren even know what a library is or will it seem as old-fashioned to them as a drive-in theatre?

I know I'm rambling right now but I feel like all these things are intertwined. I'm beginning to wonder how much electronic dependence is too much?

Klutz Glossy Bands {Giveaway}

2010-07-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has been having a great summer! I know we have! Can you believe it's almost over? To help make these last weeks of summer extra fun, KLUTZ is giving three lucky winners a copy of their new activity kit GLOSSY BANDS!

Chances are good that you’ve never seen anything quite like a Glossy Band. Simply take our special, non-toxic, acrylic gel and squeeze out dots of color following the patterns in our book. Then use the swirling stick to make fancy designs. Once the bracelet is dry, wrap it around your wrist, and you’ve made your first Glossy Band: a beautiful, durable, completely wearable piece of art. Glossy Bands comes with 4 colors of gel, clear plastic work surface, swirling sticks, and Klutz clear instructions for tons of bracelet designs. For ages 8+.

Retail Value: $19.95

Watch this great how-to video!

To enter:

Simply leave a comment telling me what the best part of your summer has been so far!

Earn extra entries by:

Following me on Twitter

Subscribing to this blog

Becoming a follower of this blog

Good luck!

Congratulations to April V, Amy and Trixx! Please e-mail your shipping info to Sylvia(at)ChasingCheerios(dot)com asap!

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

There's something about the 4th of July that makes it one of my favorite holidays. The first thing my dad did every year was proudly hang the flag from the front porch, as did almost everyone in our town. I can still remember looking down the street and seeing an ocean of stars and stripes.

Our neighborhood would throw a block party every year and us kids would go from backyard to backyard eating and having a blast. The women spent all day getting all the food and the red, white and blue desserts ready, while the men took care of the grilling and sneaked lighters to us "older" kids. We'd light hundreds of bottle rockets, tanks, snakes, roman candles and other fireworks. I'll never forget the year one of the neighborhood kids set their parents car keys into orbit. :) Those were good times.

Somehow, on that day I always felt a little more free. My parents would sit down with us and ask if we knew what we celebrated on this day. Their eyes would glisten and their hearts beamed with pride as they told of our family members who served in the military. I never quite got it, until I got older. Now my eyes glisten and my heart beams with pride as I re-tell those stories to my children.

As an adult, it's the one day I wish everyone could put aside their political opinions and just be thankful for all the blessings we have in this country. Whether you love the current president and hate the former, vice versa or you don't like either of them, that should all be put aside, if only for today. You may think our country is far from perfect, but it is still our country. Does perfection exist anywhere? I don't think it does.

Focus instead on our founding fathers and all the people who gave up everything in the name of freedom. Do we really understand what they did? The committed treason and went up against all odds to become an independent nation!

It sure was worth it, wasn't it?

Don't forget to whisper a prayer for those who continue to protect our freedom today. Thank a soldier. I love that my boys salute anyone they see in uniform. It brings tears to my eyes every time.

Happy Birthday America!

Eyes Wide Open

2010-07-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

That's what I'm doing this summer. Keeping my eyes wide open. Because I know that the minute I blink it will all be over. And I'm having too much fun!!

We've been enjoying the hot (and I mean h-o-t) weather and then giving thanks for the AC! We've had water balloon and smoothie filled afternoons followed by lots of reading in our blanket tents at night. It feels so good to have them both at home with us. I dread the beginning of school again. I'm still praying that it gets easier, but it's not lookin' so good.

This year we picked up a Slip n' Slide at Wal-mart for $5.00! The boys *love* it! They spend all afternoon slipping and sliding and jumping into our Olympic sized pool (which is about 3 ft. in diameter).

Stay tuned for the recipe for Ace and Lucky's favorite summer snack this year! Hint: It's yummy and healthy. :)

Last weekend we went with my sister-in-law Valadou and her kids to see Curious George Live. Of course, this was Ace's lifelong dream, to see "Gaki" live! I wish they could have taken pictures with him but we made due with what we had (see photo below). Ace is holding the famous Gaki that he has taken everywhere with him since he was one and Lucky is now the proud owner of the backup we bought the year we thought Ace lost him at the Watermelon Festival. :) We all had such a good time!

Afterward, we went out to celebrate for a friend's birthday. DH and I managed to get not one, but two photos together! Impressed? I know!

This weekend we'll be celebrating the feastday of Panagia Vlahernon. Anyone interested in attending services can find a schedule here.

Hot Diggity Dog {Giveaway}

2010-07-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

What is it about this time of the year that makes me crave hot dogs?

Maybe it's all the summer memories I have of my parents grilling them outside while we ran around the yard throwing water balloons and chasing the ice cream truck. Or maybe it's because more hot dogs are consumed in the month of July than any other month, making it National Hot Dog Month!

Either way, hot dogs are a symbol of American summers and I am so excited to have this terrific new children's book to giveaway in honor of my favorite summer food!

One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog, written by Adrienne Sylver and illustrated by Elwood Smith, and a supercool hot dog pen!

We picked this book up at the SCBWI conference last month and my boys loved it. As soon as the saw the hot dog rocketship on the cover, the fight for who got to hold it began.

Here's how to enter:

01. Visit Adrienne's site and let me know what you like best about her.

(You MUST do these for your entry to be valid).

Earn extra entries when you:

02. Become a follower of A Purse Full of Cheerios

03. Follow me on Twitter

04. Blog or Tweet this Giveaway (leave links in comments)

05. Subscribe to A Purse Full of Cheerios

GOOD LUCK! Winner will be announced on July 9!

Congratulations to Resplendent Quetzal! Please e-mail me your shipping details a.s.ap!

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Frosting Recipe

2010-06-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

One of my cousins recently posted this recipe on Facebook and I almost caused water damage to my keyboard from drooling. They are so delicious!

The honey in the frosting adds such a nice flavor. This is definitely one of my new favorites!

Banana Muffins with Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients

Muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed

Frosting:

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl to blend. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins on the middle rack until the tops are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with no crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly. The muffins may be eaten warm or cooled completely and frosted.

To frost the cupcakes: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone cheese and then beat in the honey. Spread the frosting over the muffins. Sprinkle with the walnuts.

Enjoy!!

Click here for this recipe and more from Giada!

We have a winner!

2010-06-25T13:50:00.001-07:00

I always hate when my giveaways end because I wish I had prizes to give each of you. Since that is impossible,

the winner is Francesca of FranItalia! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Please email your shipping info to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com. You have 3 days to claim your prizes. If I do not hear from you within 3 days, a new winner will be chosen.

Thank you to everyone who entered and helped generate buzz about the contest. Stay tuned for more giveaways throughout the summer!

Blueberry Pickin'

2010-06-14T09:34:00.001-07:00

Last week, we met up with some friends and took our kids blueberry picking. We missed the season last year, so I wanted to make sure we got some yummy berries this year. And we did!

It was so much fun! Lucky was old enough to pick this year too. And boy did he pick! He picked one, ate two, picked one, ate two...

We went early in the morning so the weather was beautiful. It was so nice being out in the morning sun and watching the kids have so much fun. Their fingers and tongues were stained purple by the time we left.

Ace raced around the bushes, eager to fill his bucket. Lucky just came to my bucket every time he needed a refill. :) Even with all the berries that ended up in our bellies instead of our buckets, we came home with about 7 lbs. of organic blueberries.

We came home and baked some scrumptious blueberry muffins too. I'm surprised the boys didn't turn into blueberries, they ate so many!

Here's a great tip for freezing berries:

1. Lay dry, unwashed berries out on cookie sheets.
2. Place in the freezer until completely frozen.
3. Take frozen berries and place in Ziploc freezer bags.

This makes it easy take out one at a time instead of them being frozen all together. I love to pop a couple in the boys' oatmeal to cool it off. They also love the frozen ones on top of ice cream!

Vegan Blueberry Muffin Recipe

2010-06-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Many times during the year, we Orthodox Christians fast from meat and dairy products. So we're always on the hunt for great Vegan (meat & dairy free) recipes.

I made these yummy blueberry muffins after our blueberry picking adventure. Many doctors are encouraging people to lessen their intake of these products for the simple reason that it's healthier. So I thought I'd share this recipe for those of you who are interested.

Here is a great dairy-free recipe for blueberry muffins. We made them the other day with some of the fresh berries we picked.

I put the recipe together combining ingredients from other muffin recipes I liked, substituting the dairy ingredients for non-dairy ones. I used a regular crumb topping, obviously using margarine instead of butter. It wasn't as "crumbly" but it was still delicious!

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soad
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups sugar
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Apple Cider vinegar

Crumb topping (optional):

1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup unbleached flour
2 tablespoons margarine
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used fresh but frozen will work too)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine together flour, baking soda, salt.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, milk, oil and vinegar. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stir until just combined. Don’t over stir.
Gently fold in the berries using a rubber spatula.
Fill the muffin tins about 2/3rds full.
Bake until golden brown. Approximately 20 minutes
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. After that remove the muffins from the tins and cool on a wire rack.

Goodbye Kindergarten

2010-06-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the year is over. Ace is finished with Kindergarten! I know I say it all the time but I just can't believe how quickly the time goes. My boy is going to be a first grader!

It's amazing to look at photos from the beginning of the year until now. He really did grow up right before my eyes. He went from crying every morning to bringing Gaki and his pet rock to school with him to arguing with me that he couldn't miss school when he was sick because he'd miss out on all the fun.

I'm so grateful for the awesome group of teachers that he had. They made all the difference. Even though it's still difficult for me to let him go each day, I do find comfort in knowing he's having a great time and learning so much.

We had a year full of learning and I pray that's the case every year. We grew through little life lessons and mistakes and it was truly wonderful. That's what it's all about, right?

That being said...LET SUMMER BEGIN!!

COACH Bag + Paris Pan Book {Giveaway}

2010-06-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last year, we decided that even the most frugal of fashionistas invest in a new handbag for summer and well, what can I say? I love handbags and I love giving them away!

So one lucky A Purse Full of Cheerios reader will win this gorgeous Poppy Op Art Lurex Glam Tote!

Graphic, gleaming, and great organization in one timeless tote.

Bag Features:

Lurex Op Art signature printed fabric with metallic leather trim

Inside zip, multifunction pockets

Zip-top closure, fabric lining

Two outside front zip pockets

20” handles with 8 1/2” drop

16 3/4 (L) x 12 1/4 (H) x 4 (W)

And because I believe every girl should have a good book in her purse, the winner will also receive an autographed copy of the book, Paris Pan Takes the Dare by the fabulous Cynthea Liu! How's that for a contest?

So what if it’s a rite of passage for every seventh grade girl in town to spend a night in the woods? Paris Pan only just moved here, the woods are super creepy, and she has enough weirdness to deal with in her own family. Finding out a girl died mysteriously years ago while on the Dare—right near Paris’s new house, no less—is bad enough, but the unmistakably ghostlike noises coming out of the broken-down shed at the edge of the Pan’s property? Definite deal breaker. All Paris wants is to make friends, try to fit in, and not have to deal with a dead girl. But everyone has to take the Dare, and the new girl’s turn is up . . . .

Here's how to enter:

01. Visit the Official Coach Site and let me know what your favorite bag on the site is.

02. Visit Cynthea Liu's site and tell me what you think is the coolest thing about her.

(You MUST do these for your entry to be valid).

Earn extra entries when you:

02. Become a follower of A Purse Full of Cheerios

03. Follow me on Twitter

04. Blog or Tweet this Giveaway (leave links in comments)

05. Subscribe to A Purse Full of Cheerios

Unofficial 06. Vote for me in Nickolodeon's Parents' Picks Awards (If you're not already rooting for your other favorite blog) and I'll throw in some more extra entries for you!

I just found out yesterday that I was nominated and voting ends on June 17! So I'm WAAAY behind ladies! Not much chance of me winning, I know, but I won't go down without a fight! ;) You can vote once a day! Be sure to leave a comment each time you vote for extra entries!!

Please leave a valid e-mail for me to contact you! Winner will be announced on June 24 and has 3 days to claim their prize!

Good Luck!!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

SCBWI Orlando Conference Highlights

2010-06-08T04:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend, as most of you know, I attended the SCBWI Mid-Year Conference in Orlando. It was my first conference and I wasn't sure what to expect but I heard great things about the Florida SCBWI and wanted to check it out.

Oh. My. Goodness. It was absolutely incredible! Seriously, my head is still spinning. To avoid causing your head to spin, I'll start from the beginning and post the highlights in segments. Attendees were also tweeting live from the conference at #scbwifl.

First off, I got there early Friday morning for the Novel Intensive. The panel featured Stephanie Lurie, Editorial Director for Disney-Hyperion; Alvina Ling, Senior Editor for Little, Brown; and Kathleen Duey, author of over ninety books. So you can just imagine the wealth of information they had to share.

photo via Mindy Weiss

The intensive was fabulous. I ended the day with pages of notes and so many ways to improve my writing. I really liked the fact that they limited the number of participants to 25 because it gave everyone the opportunity to have their work looked at and critiqued on a personal level.

Kathleen Duey dazzled me. I heard, before meeting her, she was amazing and that is truly an understatement. The way she can look at your work, tell you where it's weak and then just ramble off exactly how to improve it, is fascinating. Throughout the conference, she rattled off story lines and suggestions off the top of her head that would seriously, take me weeks to plot out. I love how honest and constructive her advice was.

Here's Karen and I with Kathleen after the intensives:

Stephanie Lurie and Alvina Ling were just incredible too. I was so impressed with how genuinely sweet and down to earth they both were. They're the kind of people you just want to hug!

I also think as writers, we have a stereotyped image of editors. You know, the scary person behind the big desk with a red marker in their hand. What? Come on, I know I'm not the only one who has that nightmare.

Here's a shot of Alvina Ling and I after the Middle Grade track on Saturday:

They were great. They each talked about what their specific publishing house is looking for and not looking for and offered some very helpful information. They totally changed the way I envisioned big-shot editors. :)

I got the chance to hang out with some fabulous fellow writers this weekend, like Karen, Tammi, Larissa and Harley. Some of them I had chatted with beforehand via Twitter and Facebook, so it was really nice to meet them in person. It was also cool to have Gayle, Leslie and Kathryn, members of our Wednesday night critique group attend.

On Saturday, I finally met Christina Gonzales, author of The Red Umbrella. She was so wonderful, I could write a whole post on just her. She is just incredible. Incredibly talented, incredibly kind, incredible in all regards. We got to hang out Saturday night and I had a blast.

Some of the other fabulous authors we hung out with Saturday night were Danielle Joseph, Joyce Sweeney, Adrienne Sylver, Mindy Weiss and Mariolga Locklin and several others.

I think the thing that really blew my mind this weekend was how genuinely kind everyone was. It felt like I've known them forever. It was such a laid back atmosphere and everyone was so eager to help each other out and offer advice. I feel so blessed to have a career that enables me to surround myself with such great people.

By the end of the weekend, I was really in love with these ladies.

Be sure to check out Adrienne Sylver's new picture book Hot Diggity Dog and stay tuned for a review of Danielle Joseph's second book, Indigo Blues (release date is July 1). If you haven't read her first one, Shrinking Violet (MTV/PocketBooks) you need to. Like now. It's awesome.

You may have noticed that I overused words like fabulous, wonderful and incredible in this post. And that's because it was all of that and more.

Thank you all for being so wonderful. Children's writing is a good business to be in because of you.

SCBWI Writing Conference

2010-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

You won't hear from me this weekend because I'll be at the Mid-Year SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) conference in Orlando! This is my first writer's conference and I am giddy with excitement.

When I first joined SCBWI, I was amazed at how friendly everyone was and how willing they were to offer helpful advice to a newbie. I met most of them on various message boards and social networking sites and so I'm very excited to finally meet them all in person.

I'm also really excited to spend an entire weekend surrounded by so many talented authors and illustrators. Not to mention getting a chance to speak with agents and editors from various publishing houses and literary agencies. I don't have any unrealistically high expectations for the weekend (like coming home with a book contract, though it does happen on rare occasion), except to learn as much as I can from the experts in our field and to have a great time with fellow writers. You know, other people who re-write sticky notes until the message is grammatically correct.

Not sure how to create a one sheet? Mary DeMuth has some helpful examples posted here.

Literary agent, Rachelle Gardner, has some great conference advice here on her blog as well.

Of course, DH will be coming with the boys too. The conference is being held at the beautiful Coronado Springs Resort in Disney's Animal Kingdom, so they'll be spending the weekend at the pool while I fill my brain with writer-ly wisdom. There is also a fossil dig area for the kids and other fun Disney activities, so they'll be having almost as much fun as me!

I can't wait to come back and tell you all about it!

Daytrip to St. Augustine

2010-06-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed to St. Augustine for the day. I love historic towns. I love walking through the old houses wondering who might have walked across the creaky old floors a hundred years ago. I love the smell and sounds of it all. We took a walk through the halls and gardens of The Lightner Museum and viewed the gorgeous architecture of Flagler College.

My favorite thing to do there is visit St. Photios' Shrine on St. George St. The Byzantine style iconography is breathtaking and the boys love that it is inside of a cave.

For those of you who have never visited St. Photios, it is a "national shrine and living memorial to the first Greek settlers on the American continent and to all the Greek Orthodox pioneers whose love of freedom and desire for a better life for themselves and their children brought them to this New World." And of course, they brought their Faith along too.

We had lunch at a little pizza joint and then headed to Castillo de San Marcos, where we watched a demonstration shooting of the canons. Ace loved it, but poor Lucky buried his head in my shoulder and held my hands over his ears. It was really cool though. Ace really loves history so he wanted to know everything and he had me read him the informational brochure on the drive home. :)

After we walked through the last of the shops, we loaded up and went to St. Augustine Beach. It's so nice and quiet there, not too crowded.

It was Lucky's first time at the beach and Ace's first in a long time, so they both had a blast trying to ride the waves and collect sea shells. Our sand castle was pretty pathetic but it was fun nonetheless.

I may be heading back to the St. Photios Shrine for a book signing in the near future, so I'll keep you posted.

Now we're getting ready for Ace's Kindergarten graduation and then I'm off to Orlando this weekend for the big SCBWI writer's conference. I can't wait!

What plans do you have for summer?

Dove Chocolate's "My Mini Moment" Contest

2010-06-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

Mmm...Chocolate. I have to admit that every time I checkout at Target, I usually don't let my kids get anything from the candy shelf. But I always sneak a Dove chocolate bar for myself. Oh come on, you know you do it too, they hide so nicely underneath a package of socks.

I love the plain milk chocolate. I also love how on the inside of the individually packaged ones they have those adorable little sayings, sort of like a fortune cookie but better. The last one I had said, "Sleep under the stars". How cute is that?

Are you wondering where I'm going with this? Well, I just got really excited because I saw an ad that Dove has recently created Ice Cream Miniatures. The Dove miniatures are only 70 calories each and feature full indulgent ice cream wrapped in real Dove chocolate making them the perfect, well, indulgence. I can't wait to try them! Flavors are available from the new decadent Cafe Collection which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors.

I know it doesn't take much to get me excited, but wait, it gets better.

Dove Ice Cream Miniatures has also recently launched the "My Mini Moment" contest. They are asking women to share their favorite mini moment of escape and one lucky winner could win one of 3 sensational mini-grand prizes: a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, Spa services for a year or a mini-home makeover. Women need to submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010 to qualify.

Be sure to enter! And then if you win don't forget who told you about the contest! I'm going to go think about my favorite mini moment of escape now...

Review of Apple iPad 3G

2010-05-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

Last month the 3G iPad arrived on my front doorstep. My hope for the iPad was to eliminate the need to carry my MacBook everywhere. Trying to raise two young children and keep a writing career afloat is not an easy task, especially when I need to lug a laptop around along with all the other baby necessities that I tote with me every day. So I was really, really hoping this would take a little of that weight off my back. Literally.

At first, I'll be honest, I questioned whether or not it was worth the retail price (iPads start at $499).

The touchscreen keypad was hard to use because you instinctively place your fingers on the keys when you type, which obviously you can't do with a touchscreen. I also had a hard time finding a document program that I liked. They either didn't allow you to edit docs or it was a hassle to import/export them, etc. I didn't really care so much for accessing the internet everywhere I went, my iPhone does that, but I did really want a document program that would allow me to write whenever and wherever I needed to.

HOWEVER, once I got the hang of the keyboard and eventually found the apps that performed like I needed them to, I fell madly in love with the 1.6 lb, .5" thick super device.

I can almost type as quickly as I do on a normal keyboard and most typos are corrected automatically, so there is very little left to edit. I love the convenience of being able to log on to the internet without having to boot up or shutdown my laptop. I don't subscribe to a data plan, so I just use Wi-Fi when it's available.

The calendar and address book are so much more convenient to use than the iPhone because the screen is so much larger and I have found some great apps that keep me organized and efficient. It's so much easier than pulling out my old date book and flipping through the pages and sorting through dozens of sticky notes to find what I'm looking for.

The battery life is phenomenal, I use it non-stop and only charge it every 3 or 4 days. It does take awhile to charge, so I usually plug it in overnight.

My issues with the iPad:

01. The Data Plan. I do have a 3G model, but I REFUSE to pay another $14.99 or $29.99 a month in addition to my wireless internet at home and my iPhone data plan. I think they should work something out for iPhone users to have 3G service for free.

02. It's sometimes a bother having to sync the device with iTunes, it would be more convenient if that weren't necessary.

Other than that, I absolutely love it. It's lightweight--no more hauling my laptop, date book, reading book, brag books, etc. It has all been replaced with the iPad.

Here are some of my favorites from the Apple App Store:

Tweetdeck (you have not used Tweetdeck until you try it on the iPad)

iFood Assistant (hundreds of delicious recipes + daily dinner reminders)

Pages (the best document app out there and trust me I tried them all)

ShopShop (very convenient shopping list app)

To Do's

Penultimate (you literally use your finger as a stylus and write on the screen in different "notebooks")

Craft Finder (thousands of craft ideas from Family Fun)

Glow Coloring (my kids can't get enough of this)

DISCLAIMER.

Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab {Giveaway}

2010-05-24T04:38:00.001-07:00

Enter to win an autographed copy of Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab!

Matisse Osgood is a New York City girl through and through. She buys her clothes at Andy's Cheapies, watches indie films at The Angelika, and wouldn't be caught dead on a hay ride. But when her father gets sick and Matisse's parents decide to leave Manhattan for a small town in upstate New York, her perfect world crumbles.

As Matisse trudges through life in Prague, she dreams of waking up in her apartment on West 78th St. with a father who's well enough to walk with her in Central Park and a mother who doesn't pretend that everything is okay. When rumors surround Matisse at school, and her father's symptoms worsen, Matisse realizes that the friends she's making in Prague are the kind you can count on. They help Matisse find the strength to reach out to her father, who may not be as far from her as she thought. And one particular farm boy shows Matisse that country living is a lot more magical than she had ever imagined.

ALIVE AND WELL IN PRAGUE, NEW YORK is available at your favorite local bookstore or here at Amazon.

About the Author:

Daphne Grab grew up in a small town in upstate New York. She has worked a number of jobs including teaching high school history, building houses for Habitat for Humanity and teaching ESL in China. She also earned an MFA in Creative Writing at the New School. In 1998 she moved to New York City where she discovered that she has always been a city girl at heart. She lives there now with her husband and children.

Watch the trailer here:

To enter you must:

Visit the author's site and tell me what you love about them or their book.

There's lots of ways to earn extra entries too! You'll get one extra entry for each of the following:

Follow this blog.

Follow me on Twitter.

Tell me what your favorite book is and why.

Tweet or blog about this contest.

Be sure to leave links to your tweets, a valid email address, etc.!!

Easy peasy, right?

I'll be giving books away all month so be sure to keep checking back! All packages will be sent at the end of the month. Winners have 3 days to claim their prize from the time I contact them.

Good luck and happy reading!

CONGRATULATIONS to Jilly! Please email your shipping details to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com!

30% off Barnes and Noble Coupon

2010-05-20T07:15:00.001-07:00

Enter coupon code Y3V4U3X
at checkout. DETAILS

My Locks for Love

2010-05-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I mentioned, that ever since my grandmother's recent diagnosis with breast cancer I felt the urge to become more involved with breast cancer research. I want to not only learn more about the disease and how to prevent it but I want to begin participating more actively.

The first thing I wanted to do was have a wig made for my grandmother. After all, it's just hair and it grows back. Maybe I wanted to do it because I felt like it was the only thing, other than praying, that I could physically do to help.

So, my hair went from this:

To this:

I cut almost 12 inches off! I was so nervous before I cut it. I thought about it for weeks but kept procrastinating, so I finally made an appointment and had it cut that same day.

Normally, I cut about 3-4" off every four months or so. I hadn't cut this much hair off in almost 14 years! I have to admit though, it felt really good and maybe now I'll wear it in something other than a ponytail. Though my hair is naturally curly, I almost always wear it straight. Even though I love my curls, ever since I had kids I just don't have time to spend doing my hair. Does anyone else have that problem? ;)

Afterward, I called every beauty school and wig manufacturer I could locate but couldn't find a single company that was willing to turn my hair into a wig for under $1100. So, I ended up donating it to Locks of Love (I had looked up their instructions for cutting hair to donate prior to my appointment).

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Learn more about how you can donate your hair to Locks of Love here.

Not sure if you should do it? Take a look through their recipient gallery here.

Scones & Sensibility by Lindsay Eland {Giveaway}

2010-05-19T04:49:00.000-07:00

The next book up for grabs is an autographed copy of Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland. I read this book a few months ago and just loved it! It first caught my eye because 1) It was Jane Austen inspired and 2) was so similar to a project I was working on. And of course, once I say flying baked goods I was sold. You can read more about what I loved here...

Of course, it would be completely thoughtless of me to give this book away without buying you a proper cup of tea to enjoy while reading it.

So, the winner of this giveaway will win the book (and other goodies from all the authors who participated in this giveaway extravaganza) and a $5.00 Starbucks gift card! (I suggest ordering a venti London Fog-breve with an extra shot of vanilla for total divinity.)

Seek tirelessly and you shall not find a contemporary heroine of middle-grade literature as refined and romantic as Miss Polly Madassa. Still swooning over the romantic conclusions of Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables, twelve-year-old Polly decides her purpose in life: helping along lonely hearts in search of love. Polly's only task this summer is to make deliveries for her parents' bakery, leaving ample time for this young cupid to find hearts to mend--beginning with the kite-store owner, Mr. Nightquist, who will pair perfectly with Miss Wiskerton (the unfairly labeled town curmudgeon). Polly's best friend Fran Fisk is in desperate need of a mother ever since hers ran off with a man she met on the Internet; Polly must find a match for Mr. Fisk. And while she's at it, it wouldn't hurt to find Clementine, Polly's teenaged sister, a beau worthy of her (so she can shed that brute, Clint). Polly's plans are in full swing, so she definitely cannot be bothered by the advances of classmate Brad Barker.

But maybe Polly should have turned her attention to Miss Austen's Emma next, because she quickly learns the pitfalls of playing matchmaker. How will Polly patch up her own relationships, while ensuring that destined love can take its course?

Can't wait to read Scones and Sensibility? Purchase a copy from Amazon or Barnes and Noble now!

To enter you must:

Visit the author's site and tell me what you love about them or their book.

There's lots of ways to earn extra entries too! You'll get one extra entry for each of the following:

Follow this blog.

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow the author on Twitter.

Tell me what your favorite book is and why.

Tweet or blog about this contest.

Be sure to leave links to your tweets, a valid email address, etc.!!

Easy peasy, right?

I'll be giving books away all month so be sure to keep checking back! All packages will be sent at the end of the month. Winners have 3 days to claim their prize from the time I contact them.

Good luck and happy reading!

*CONGRATULATIONS Tanya! Please email your shipping details to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com asap!

Full of Love and Hope

2010-05-19T04:29:00.000-07:00

You may remember me mentioning that my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago. At first, we were told she would have surgery to remove the cancer cells and that would be it. Maybe some radiation treatments. It was stage 1 and non-invasive and so there wasn't any reason to be alarmed.

After the surgery, however the doctors discovered that the cancer was actually very aggressive and she needed to have surgery again. So they went in again, checked her lymph nodes (thank God they were clear) and removed the rest of the tissue. We were then told she would need chemotherapy and radiation to prevent the cancer from recurring.

I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this but my aunt in Ohio has two boys with autism. A couple of years ago, they began treatment with a preventative medicine DAN! doctor. DAN! stands for Defeat Autism Now! Many of you may have heard of them through Jenny McCarthy's involvement with autism research. DAN! doctors are regular certified medical doctor's who are trained in a certain protocol to assist and treat patients with autism.

Unfortunately, they are very expensive because insurance does not cover anything since it is considered preventative medicine. I can testify to it's results though. My cousin went from a 4th grade to an 8th grade comprehension level in 2 months. He did chelation, went on supplements and my aunt cut gluten, casein, etc from his diet completely. No white flour, white sugar or white anything either. And as long as he sticks to this diet, his symptoms are minimized drastically.

Preventative medicine doctors cure ailments rather than treating symptoms. For something in your body to be malfunctioning, your body must be deficient in something. And considering the garbage that we eat in pretty much everything and the lack of vitamins and nutrients in most foods, that is not hard to understand. Therefore, the doctors test all of your levels, metal levels, blood levels, all of your vitamins, etc. and prescribe certain supplements to bring your body to where it should be.

So of course we wanted my grandmother to visit with one of these doctors before jumping in to chemo. I personally, have very mixed feelings about chemotherapy. I've seen so many people suffer from chemo and I sometimes wonder if it doesn't just kill you sooner. Yes, it kills the cancer cells but it also kills all the healthy cells in your body and puts a tremendous strain on your internal organs. Not to mention all the nasty side effects.

She met with the doctor and he explained that everyone has cancer cells and once our immune systems get weak (and other contributing factors like diet, etc) the cancer cells begin to multiply and attack the healthy cells. So it is imperative to have a healthy immune system. He was totally against chemo. He prescribed several "super vitamins" and a very strict diet to prevent the cancer from coming back.

At first my grandmother was comfortable with this but the more she talked to friends who had cancer and her regular doctor the more confused she became. Everyone advised to attack it aggressively. So she ended up going with the chemo. She was also worried about financially not being able to afford the preventative treatment (vitamins alone would have cost almost $1000 per month). Personally, I think a combination of radiation and the diet and supplements would have been enough since she is officially cancer free and this is just a preventative treatment but I'm not a doctor.

Today is her first chemo treatment (i hate it so much that i cringe when i call it treatment) and I am a nervous wreck. She is a strong woman and I know she will pull through this but I hate to see her suffer. I pray the side effects aren't too much for her, she's got a very sensitive stomach. I'm full of love and hope for her every day, but especially this morning.

I'd love to hear what you think about treatment options and if anyone has any encouraging stories of cancer survivors that would be wonderful.

Click here to read an excellent article called Life Over Cancer.

The Red Umbrella

2010-05-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

Today is the official release date for The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. This book has quickly become a favorite of mine. Part of the reason I fell in love with this book is because having come from a Greek family and culture, I can relate to it very easily. Family and heritage are the golden threads in the tapestry of my life, and this book is full of both.

I also enjoyed The Red Umbrella because I love history and this story is told from a very realistic viewpoint of a typical teenage girl, in a not-so-typical situation, and therefore introduces readers both young and old to a (not so well-known) movement that is an integral part of our history as Americans.

It is the story of a 14-year old girl named Lucia who lives in Cuba in 1961. When Communist revolutionaries invade her hometown, Lucia begins to learn that there is more to life than clothes, boys and getting asked to the big dance. Lucia and her younger brother Frankie soon find themselves among thousands of other children being sent away to the United States in "the largest-ever exodus of unaccompanied children in the West" known as Operation Pedro Pan.

Lucia soon finds herself far away from her homeland of Cuba and in a temporary shelter before ending up in the middle of Nebraska, surrounded by strange sights, smells and foods. She has to learn how to embrace life as an American teenager while keeping hold of her Cuban roots.

This is a fantastic debut novel, one that will likely be discussed in classrooms across the country as it generates interesting discussions in several different areas. Each chapter begins with a newspaper headline such as this headline from The New York Times on June 8, 1961, "School Law Approved; Cuba Takes Over School Facilities".

I know I will be donating a copy to my child's school library!

Congratulations Christina on a fantastic novel that will make readers both shed tears and beam with pride!

Read more about Christina Diaz Gonzalez here and order your copy of The Red Umbrella here.

To learn more about Operation Pedro Pan click here.

The Star Shack by Lila Castle {Giveaway}

2010-05-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

The Star Shack by Lila Castle is our next book up for grabs. The winner will receive an autographed ARC, since the book will not be officially released until June, along with lots of other swag from our other participating authors!

Pete and Annabelle always believed they were a perfect pair--until junior year, when Annabelle became obsessed with astrology. Now they can hardly stand each other. Pete thinks Annabelle has become a total flake; she thinks Pete has become an uptight jerk.

To prove her point, Annabelle dares Pete to open a summer business on the boardwalk giving advice based on the stars. The he-said/she-said horoscopes of the Star Shack are wildly popular at Gingerbread Beach and seem able to fix any relationship problem--except their own.

Can Pete open his mind to the possibility that the stars really might hold the key to his future...and his heart?

About Lila Castle:

When not writing Lila can be found dancing the tango somewhere in her home city of New York or eating out at her favorite French bistro. She has a number of other interests too, including travel, baseball, exotic hair care products and of course, astrology.

To enter you must:

Visit the author's site and tell me what you love about them or their book.

There's lots of ways to earn extra entries too! You'll get one extra entry for each of the following:

Follow this blog.

Follow me on Twitter.

Tell me what your favorite book is and why.

Tweet or blog about this contest.

Be sure to leave links to your tweets, etc.!!

Easy peasy, right?

I'll be giving books away all month so be sure to keep checking back! All packages will be sent at the end of the month. Winners have 3 days to claim their prize from the time I contact them.

Good luck and happy reading!

*CONGRATULATIONS to Staci of Consider my Monkeys! Please email your shipping info to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com asap! Please put the name of the book in the subject line!

Being a Mother...

2010-05-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I'm transported to a far off land within the pages of a book or lost in my own distant thoughts, my children will call my name. Mommy. When they awake in the middle of the night from a scary dream. Or scrape their knee while playing outside. Mommy. Sometimes I look over my shoulder expecting to see my own mother but there is no one there except for me. And then I am snapped back to reality. I am Mommy. They're calling out for me. Even after six years of being a mother that one simple word still takes my breath away.

I find so much joy in raising my children. Regardless of how loud or cranky or just plain ole' bad they behave sometimes, there is always a smile hidden somewhere within it all.

I love to tuck secret notes in their lunchboxes or under their pillows.

I love to open my notebook and find their little doodles among the pages of my notes.

I love getting big sticky popsicle smooches or finding a tiny handprint on a newly cleaned window.

I love sleepy little voices and early morning snuggles.

I love walking into a room and finding the blankets unfolded and made into a secret hideout.

All of those things are gentle reminders that they are here. And that they are mine.

I am so thankful to my amazing mother and both of my grandmothers for helping me appreciate the everyday goodness of being a mother. And for reminding me that these years will be gone in the blink of an eye and there is plenty of time for scrubbing floors. Tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day
2010

Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt {Giveaway}

2010-05-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

You guys remember Lindsey Leavitt, right? (If not, click here and be schooled) and her awesome book that I reviewed a couple months ago?

Well, now you have a chance to win an autographed copy of Princess for Hire! Lindsey also threw in some totally cool princess mirror clings and a candy necklace! How cool is that?

When an immaculately dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and asks you if you'd like to become a substitute princess, do you

a) run

b) faint

c) say Yes!

For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C--that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula "Royal Rouge," she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don't know? Or when a princess's conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off--and you know she would want you to change his mind?

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

To enter you must:

Visit the author's site and tell me what you love about them or their book.

There's lots of ways to earn extra entries too! You'll get one extra entry for each of the following:

Follow this blog.

Follow me on Twitter.

Tell me what your favorite book is and why.

Tweet or blog about this contest.

Be sure to leave links to your tweets, etc.!!

Easy peasy, right?

I'll be giving books away all month so be sure to keep checking back! All packages will be sent at the end of the month. Winners have 3 days to claim their prize from the time I contact them.

Good luck and happy reading!

*CONGRATULATIONS to Jessica of I Read to Relax! Please email your shipping info to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com to claim your loot! :)

Life Over Cancer

2010-05-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

I've been researching breast cancer a lot more since my grandmother's recent breast cancer diagnosis. I've supported breast cancer research for a long time now but the fact that it is now a part of my family's medical history I feel like I need to educate myself more about it and somehow fight a little bit harder to prevent it.

Here is a great article I ran across by Dr. Keith Block on preventing breast cancer recurrences.

Avoiding Refined Sugar Helps Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrence
By Keith I. Block, M.D.,
Author of Life Over Cancer: The Block Center Program for Integrative Cancer Treatment

Several years ago, we saw tremendous growth in the consumption of fat-free and low-fat products. Believing we now had "healthier" versions of everything from salad dressings to our favorite desserts, these products began flying off the shelves, and formerly "forbidden" foods for those watching their diets became acceptable in their reduced fat versions. While perhaps reducing their fat intake, most consumers were unknowingly increasing their sugar intake, as refined sugar was the ingredient most often used in place of fat. The increased consumption of refined sugar can have serious health consequences, including a greater vulnerability to cancer, and possibly, even a worse outcome. Let me explain what happens when too much refined sugar and other food products are consumed.

If you ingest whole foods, insulin will be secreted slowly and the body will manage this well. Insulin is needed to carry glucose into your tissues and is essential for providing much needed fuel. However, ingest a candy bar, your favorite brand of cookies, or 12 ounces of soda pop -- what I like to refer to as carbonated belly wash -- and the cells in your pancreas will respond with a surge of insulin.

In recent years, researchers found that women with early stage breast cancer who had the highest insulin levels were twice as likely to have their tumor metastasize, and three times as likely to die of breast cancer, as women with the lowest insulin levels. For this reason, I believe any patient combating breast cancer or trying to avoid a recurrence would be wise to have their doctor routinely monitor their insulin and blood sugar levels, as well as their insulin growth factor (IGF-1). Choosing a whole foods diet and staying fit can reduce the deleterious effect that elevated sugar and insulin levels can have on both the risk of recurrence and risk of death. In addition, following a nutritional, fitness and therapeutic supplement program can help achieve or maintain improved levels.

Even though all therapeutic interventions should be individualized to match the needs of each patient, I'm convinced that certain dietary recommendations are fundamental to achieving improved health.

These include:

Eat a diet lower in fat, and make it a better quality fat. Ideally, fat should represent no more than 18% of your daily caloric intake. "Good" fats include monounsaturated and Omega 3 fats.
Examples of monounsaturated fats include olive oil, almond oil and walnut oil. Omega 3 fats include flax seed, canola, and, of course fats contained in cold water fish.
Eat abundant cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, bok choy, kale and brussel sprouts -- which contain plant phytochemicals that result in lower blood levels of estrogen by increasing the estrogen detoxification and dumping capacity of the liver.
Eat a diet high in fiber, with plant-based sources of protein. Consuming more fiber in the form of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, and beans can reduce harmful circulating estrogen levels.

In addition, while research has shown that mind-spirit interventions improve quality of life for cancer survivors, there is also data that suggests they boost immune function, increase cancer-fighting melatonin levels, and can play a role in helping prevent recurrence.

Author Bio

Keith I. Block, M.D. is Director of Integrative Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine; Medical Director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in Evanston, Illinois; and founder and Scientific Director of the nonprofit Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Education. He is also editor in chief of the peer-reviewed professional journal Integrative Cancer Therapies and a member of the National Cancer Institute's Physician Data Query Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Editorial Board.

For more information, please visit www.blockmd.com. Become a fan of Life Over Cancer and the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment on Facebook.

The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 by Harriet Goodwin {Giveaway}

2010-04-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our next book up for grabs is The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 by Harriet Goodwin! Don't forget all of our winners will receive a packet of goodies like posters, autographed bookmarks and more!

This book is only available in the UK, so you will not find it in bookstores here in the US! However, it is available here through Amazon.

Harriet Goodwin read medieval English Literature at Balliol College, Oxford before training as a professional mezzo soprano at the Royal Northern College of Music. During this time she sang with The Sixteen and The Monteverdi Choir.

A solo artist of broad and varied repertoire, Harriet has performed at numerous venues across the country, including St John’s, Smith Square, Cadogan Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Barbican Centre. She was nominated for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2003.

Following a vivid dream two weeks after the birth of her fourth child, Harriet began writing her first novel, a fantasy-adventure for 8-12 year olds, called The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43. She wrote in secret and in longhand, snatching ten minutes a day anywhere quiet she could find.

When she had completed the manuscript Harriet finally came clean and told her family what she had been up to. She entered the manuscript into a competition, and was astounded to be picked as one of the winners. An agent (Sarah Davies – Greenhouse Literary Agency) and a two-book deal later, The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 was published in September 2009.

The novel has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the 2010 Blue Peter Book Award ("Book I Couldn't Put Down" category).

Harriet has just signed a deal for her third novel, The Hex Factor, due out in early 2012. She lives in Staffordshire, England with her husband and four young children. The link to her website is http://www.harrietgoodwinbooks.com.

*CONGRATULATIONS Samantha! Please email me your shipping info asap! Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com. :)

How does your garden grow?

2010-04-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

That is exactly what I wondered when I saw the incredible garden displays at Epcot's annual Flower & Garden Festival. It was absolutely amazing! Not that Disney is anything less than amazing but during the festival they really outdo themselves. I wished I could just forget seeing all the attractions and just sit in one of their gardens with a pot of tea and a good book.

They have a special garden tent up during this time and have different demonstrations and garden shows going on throughout the day. Different experts discussed family fun garden ideas, tips on growing pot gardens, the different ways to use herbs and much, much more.

All around the park they have topiaries trimmed to look like different characters. Here's Cinderella and Prince Charming:

Oops, wrong Cinderella and Prince. Here's the one I meant ;)

This was probably one of my favorite areas. It was in Canada:

In France, the topiaries were designed to look like Dior bottles. Cute, huh? If you're ever in France be sure to stop by the Patisserie and indulge in one of their delicious pastries. The creme brulee was to die for.

In England they had giant teacups filled with the different types of tea plants and herbs. I really liked those. They had little signs in front of each one with the details of the type of plant, what it's good for, etc.

Then we had fun playing in the telephone booths. Ok, I had fun playing in the telephone booth.

The boys had a blast going to each country and getting tags for their masks. Ace bought himself a passport and had it stamped in each country too. I love that Epcot has an educational element included in the fun. He couldn't wait to take his passport to school for show and tell!

I can't wait to go back!

Some women buy shoes...

2010-04-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

I buy books.

I. Love. Books. I would take a good book over a pair of shoes any day of the week.

One of my favorite ways to find great books is by hunting for them at the flea market. I took the boys this morning but before we got there I promised myself I wouldn't buy any. Unless of course it was a title I knew I wouldn't find again or just a really good deal. My bookcases are overflowing as it is and I just cleaned them out and donated two entire boxes.

We went up and down the aisles and, through the use of my incredible self control, I continued to pass up the book sellers.

Bookseller: Hi there! Back again this week?

Me: No, no. Just here for the kids this time (speed walking so I wouldn't hear any of the books calling my name).

I almost made it too. Until I saw this beautiful leather-bound copy of Wuthering Heights with a sign in front of it that said ONLY $1.00! So I picked it up and walked to the register. And wouldn't you know I ran across a few other really good deals on my way there?

I only took a few of them with me though...5 of them for $2.00! How could I possibly pass up a bargain like that? Plus, that would be it for me for awhile. I will continue to utilize the library as much as possible and only actually purchase the ones I know I could read again and again. No. More. Buying. Books.

After the flea market, I took the boys for lunch and then we headed to the library for an event. Kim Brown, the sister of Marc Brown author of the Arthur books, gave a great presentation and taught the kids how to draw Arthur. Then they made crafts, listened to a story and got their pictures taken with Arthur. It was loads of fun.

As we were leaving I decided to stop inside the used bookstore part of library to take a quick peek. Just a peek...

That's when I found these:

Yes, they came home with us. I know I said no more books for awhile but this set, published by Reader's Digest, was on sale for only $1.00 a book!!! I got 11 volumes for only $11.00 and they are in perfect condition. They contain some of my favorite classics and some that I've never read.

I got so excited reading all the titles that my mind was spinning trying to decide where to begin reading! I decided to just start at the beginning with Volume 1 which includes Treasure Island, David Copperfield, The Call of the Wild and Madame Curie.

16 books in one day...wow. That's fun.

I've already found them homes in the bookcase and DH will not even notice they're new. I hope.

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White {Giveaway}

2010-04-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

Enter to win an autographed copy of Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White!

Something—some power—is blooming inside Laurel. She can use flowers to do things. Like bringing back lost memories. Or helping her friends ace tests. Or making people fall in love.

Laurel suspects her newfound ability has something to do with an ancient family secret, one that her mother meant to share with Laurel when the time was right. But then time ran out.

Clues and signs and secret messages seem to be all around Laurel at Avondale School, where her mother had also boarded as a student. Can Laurel piece everything together quickly enough to control her power, which is growing more potent every day? Or will she set the stage for the most lovestruck, infamous prom in the history of the school?

About the Author:

While she was finishing her M.A. in English at the University of Virginia, Amy also worked for a health newsletter. Her first published article was on constipation. Really. She went on to teach high school English for seven years and then turned to freelance journalism. More than 75 of her articles and essays appeared in The Washington Post. She also wrote for Family Fun, Washingtonian, online publications, and Notre Dame magazine.

With all that experience, Amy thought writing a novel would go smoothly, but it took her about eight years to get all the lovely words just right in Forget-Her-Nots and find a home at Greenwillow. Forget-Her-Nots was inspired by her own love for flowers and her desire to spread the magic around. She's currently working on a novel called String Theories.

To enter you must:

Visit the author's site and tell me what you love about them or their book.

There's lots of ways to earn extra entries too! You'll get one extra entry for each of the following:

Follow this blog.

Follow me on Twitter.

Tell me what your favorite book is and why.

Tweet or blog about this contest.

Be sure to leave links to your tweets, etc.!!

Easy peasy, right?

I'll be giving books away all month so be sure to keep checking back! All packages will be sent at the end of the month since prizes are still rolling in. Winners have 3 days to claim their prize from the time I contact them.

Good luck and happy reading!

*Congratulations Roselyn! Please email your shipping info to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com!

Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes {Giveaway}

2010-04-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Our next book to give away is Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes.

Along with other goodies, the winner will receive an autographed Advance Review Copy of the book because it will not be officially released until May 5! Cool huh?

"Sometimes you can't see the magic. You just know it's there because you can feel it."

When twelve-year-old Izzy discovers a beat-up baseball marked with the words "Because...magic" she is more determined than ever to get answers about her father's mysterious death. Will she discover the hidden pieces of her past in her grandmother's enchanting New Mexico village?

Tortilla Sun is a tender, magical story about 12 year old Izzy Roybal who is sent to spend the summer in her nana’s New Mexico village where she is soon caught up in the foreign world of her own culture, from patron saints and soulful food to the curious and magical blessings Nana gives her tortillas. In Nana’s village she meets Mateo, the adventurous, treasure seeking thirteen year old boy who lives on the other side of the bolted door in Izzy’s bedroom and six year old Maggie who is raising her cat, Frida, as a dog and sees marshmallow ghosts float out windows.

When the wind begins to whisper to Izzy, she is soon led on an adventure to learn about her father’s mysterious death, who she really is, and to connect the hidden pieces of her past.

Tortilla Sun will be in bookstores on May 5, 2010.

Check out the official website of author Jennifer Cervantes here. Don't forget to try Nana's Flour Tortilla's recipe!

To enter you must:

Visit the author's site and tell me what you love about them or their book.

There's lots of ways to earn extra entries too! You'll get one extra entry for each of the following:

Follow this blog.

Follow me on Twitter.

Tell me what your favorite book is and why.

Tweet or blog about this contest.

Be sure to leave links to your tweets, etc.!!

Easy peasy, right?

I'll be giving books away all month so be sure to keep checking back! All packages will be sent at the end of the month since prizes are still rolling in. Winners have 3 days to claim their prize from the time I contact them.

Good luck and happy reading!

*CONGRATULATIONS to Brandy of The Windy {City} Wilsons! Please email your shipping info to Sylvia{at}ChasingCheerios{dot}com!!

All my eggs in one basket

2010-04-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

After an especially long molting season, our chickens have finally begun to lay on a normal schedule. I love collecting the eggs in my little basket. It makes me feel all Caroline Ingalls-ish. And yes, some of those eggs are blue. They come from our Araucana chickens who naturally lay light blue eggs.

Those are the boys favorite. I like to make it a big deal and we joke that we don't eat green eggs & ham, we eat blue eggs & ham. :) Yeah, we get pretty cheesy around here but we keep ourselves pretty amused.

There are a few hens that seem to be nesting so hopefully we'll have some new chicks soon! The boys love their spring chickens every year! Unfortunately, there are no new kids like last year. We're thinking about having her bred again next year though.

Our chickens are definitely one of my favorite things about living on our little farm. There's something so invigorating about it all. The fresh eggs and even the sound of our crazy rooster crowing in the morning are things I can't even imagine living without. I hate eating store bought eggs when we go out for breakfast. They taste so blah to me, they really don't taste good at all.

If you're thinking about getting chickens, this is one of my favorite books. I also love her book on Canning & Preserving. It has some of the best jam recipes I've tried.

What's your favorite thing about Spring?

15% off Sephora Savings Pass

2010-04-16T15:00:00.001-07:00

So many people ask why I bother with Facebook and besides the incredible networking benefits, I am always running across great coupons.

The other day I ran across a Sephora coupon for 15% off your total purchase from April 12-19. So you guys have 3 days left to use it! It's a coupon pass which means you can use it as many times as you want until it expires. It's good in stores as well as online.

I went the other day and got a few things I needed. I saved over twenty dollars! I love the Rose Marigold floral water by Fresh. It used to come in a travel sized bottle but now only comes in a larger size so I had to get that cute little atomizer with the flower to go with it. It is the most refreshing thing in the summertime and it smells so fresh and pretty. I looove it! The boys are always asking me to spray their faces too so I got a double pack of the Evian facial sprays for everyday and little boy spritzes (can't have my boys smelling all girly). :)

Click here for your coupon... Enjoy!

The Gardener

2010-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last week Ace had his first school play. It was just a small play that his class put on for parents and then there was a big lunch for everyone.

He had the opening line and was so nervous about having to be the first one to talk (I would be too, lol) but he did a great job. The entire class did. They all looked so adorable pretending to be little vegetables!

The play was about a gardener who planted an onion and when he went to pull it up to make vegetable soup, it was enormous! So one by one each vegetable called another vegetable to help pull. The vegetables and the gardener pulled and pulled but couldn't get it to budge until the worm came to help. :)

I can hardly believe that Kindergarten is almost over. I finally begin to adjust and I'll be dealing with 1st grade soon! Kindergarten has turned out to be wonderful. Ace *loves* it and gets upset if he has to miss a day. He couldn't wait to go back after Spring break (?!). I am so glad that he loves his teachers and school so much. I don't know how I would do it if he hated it. They constantly have different field trips and activities going on and I think that makes a big difference. Right now we're getting ready for the big Spring concert. They go all out for this. The kids record videos and podcasts and put on a performance followed by a dinner for the parents. He's so excited! Parents can buy the DVD's afterward, so I'll be sure to post some of it.

I am beginning to think this will never get easier for me though. My dad said it doesn't. He said he dreaded us going back to school every year until we graduated. He's such a gem, isn't he? I love my parents to pieces. :)

I am really looking forward to the summer even though I know it will fly! Where does the time go? That's why I try to enjoy every single moment, regardless of how crazy the moment seems at the time. Like this morning when I found Lucky biting off the tip of a glue stick. Is he destined to be the kid who eats paste in Kindergarten? Does paste even still exist?