Tag Archives: Hip moms

Our Christmas Countdown

Posted on by Run DMT
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It’s time once again to dust off our family Advent calendar and start burning myself out counting down the days to Christmas.  You see, our Advent calendar is more than tiny doors hiding small morsels of candy.  Each day leading up to Christmas, our Advent calendar uncovers activities to enjoy the season to the fullest.

Since we have no creepy Santa spy Elf on a Shelf, I bribe my children with Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses and bits of paper.  If they finish all their morning chores, then they can discover what lies behind the day’s door.

This little gem was hidden behind door number one today since I have no earthly idea what my children want for Christmas other than earrings.

Thankfully, Day 1 met Allana and Emmalynn’s approval as evident by their lumpy smiles.

To plan our 24 days of fun, I used a printable calendar to coordinate the days with my moms’ group’s play dates and events happening around our neighborhood.  I also added a few extra activities because you just never know how the weather will be literally and metaphorically.  Sometimes life simply gets in the way of our fun.  So, I’ll swap days around and my kids are none the wiser.

If you’d like to join in the holiday hullabaloo, here is a rundown of what will be doing over the next 24 days

1- Start the holiday season by writing a letter to Santa.

2 – Let’s catch a wave of the holiday spirit at SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration!

3 – Time to trim the Christmas tree and get the house looking festive!

4- Bake cookies with Grandma and Auntie Simone. It’s sure to be a sweet time!

5 – Go for a Christmas light stroll and count the Santas and snowmen. Graph the results.

6 – Eat dinner at Chick-fil-a on Waters Ave. and enjoy the Christmas lights.

7 – Santa stop here! Let’s make reindeer dust so the reindeer know where to land and have some extra energy to make the long flight back home.

8 – Sip cocoa while watching your favorite Christmas movie.

9 – Dress up in your fanciest Christmas attire. It’s time for a Christmas Tea Party!

10 – It’s a movie day with Grandma.  Now showing: Arthur Christmas!

11 – A reason to be merry! We’re off to Moms on the Go Christmas party at Gator Freds today!

12 – No hard hats necessary just plenty of creative juice for today’s fun! Let’s build a gingerbread house!

13 – Watch the Symphony of Lights at The Shops of Wiregrass.

14 – Create pipe cleaner candy canes while snacking on candy canes.  (We’ll also make this candy cane craft.)

15 – Let’s sip some hot cocoa and toss our cookies at a Christmas Cookie Swap.

16 – All aboard! Let’s take a Christmas train ride through the woods at Crews Lake Park!

17 – Take a drive around town to look at Christmas lights while sipping hot cocoa.

18 – Make wrapping paper and create Christmas cards for our family members.

19 – Find time today to fold up some paper to create Christmas origami fortune tellers for some silly seasonal fun.

20 – Let’s share some goodwill and cheer by caroling for the residents at Carollwood Care Center.

21 – All aboard! The Polar Expressis now showing at Wilderness Lodge. Put on those pajamas and let’s roll.

22 – Make snowflakes and drink milkshakes. (We may also make these snowflakes puzzle ornaments.)

23 – Let’s have a Holiday Pampering Party complete with mud masks, pedicures, make-up and a glittery hairdos. (Inspired by Kristi of Live and Love Out.)

24 – It’s Christmas Eve! Remember to set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Then, sprinkle the reindeer dust in the yard.

25 – Santa arrives! Merry Christmas! xox

 

Some extra ideas just in case!

Jesus is the reason for the season.  Read The First Christmas.

You’d better watch out! Santa has a personal message just for you.  (Idea from Kelly)

All hands on deck! Let’s make paper hand wreaths and other handy dandy crafts!

Buy gifts for family members at the school Holiday Shop.

Let’s rock around the Christmas time with a Christmas music dance party!

Walk through A Winter Wonderland at the Lowry Park Zoo.

Watch a live performance of A Christmas Carol.

Visit a live nativity scene.

Read a story telling of the first Christmas.

Watch a live performance of The Nutcracker.

Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Read stories about the Festival of Lights and sing songs. Then, light the menorah, play dreidel and dance the horah. (12/20)

 

*Submitted to*
Mama's Losin' It
“The first of December is upon us! Describe an Advent Calendar or a special way you count down days until Christmas (past or present). (Inspired by Classy Chaos)”

PhotoStory Fridaythe hollie rogue

One Bad Mother Baker

Posted on by Run DMT
4

I’m one bad mother baker.  I got made piping skillz, yo.

Check it out.  This is the chocolate chip cookie cake I made for Allana’s class for her tenth birthday.

Iron Chef Allan was pretty impressed. But he better step off, ’cause I’m as smooth as this icing, baby and he can’t touch it.

Then on Wednesday, the kids and I baked Rolled Sugar Cookies for our neighborhood firefighters as part of our 30 Days of Giving.  We used the same vanilla butter icing and the kids each chose a color for the icing.  They did a gorgeous job decorating the cookies and they tasted pretty darn good too.

Like I said, I’m one bad mother baker.

Word.

 
Rolled Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Cream together sugar and butter.  The beat in vanilla, eggs, flour, baking powder and salt.

Chill the cough for 3 to 4 hours before rolling.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Use a melon baller to scoop and roll dough into 2 inch balls.  Place cookie dough on a greased on lined cookie sheet.  Bake 7 to 12 minutes. Let cookies stand for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool. Once completely cooled, decorate as desired.

 

Quick Vanilla Icing 

Ingredients

2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1/4 cup  (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Combine in a medium bowl and beat together on a medium speed.

Photobucket

Now link up to win and to see what If I Could Escape and Gone Bananas are flinging for this week’s Friday Food Fight.


But wait!  There’s more!  The winner of our very first Friday Food Fight giveaway and proud new owner of Joy of Cooking is….

Based on last week’s linky, #11 is The Rickett Chronicles!  Congratulations! A big THANK YOU to everyone who entered a foodie photo! :-)

*Also submitted at*

Fat Camp Friday ButtonSweet Tooth Friday

Things Heard at Our Girlfriend Getaway

Posted on by Run DMT
26

Things Heard at Our Girlfriend Getaway in Anna Maria Island


Keep your hands off my wet noodle.

This is my own personal noodle…from home.

Poist mussies

I love you, but I’m not going to make out with you.

I don’t do girl on girl.

I wouldn’t kiss my sister like that.

How was that empanada?

You know, they’re turkey.

They’re grown women. They chose to drink it.

What’s the stain on the mattress?

Is she breathing?

I’m not dead yet.

Quacktastic.

I heard it was the penultimate.

What happens in Anna Maria, stays in Anna Maria.

(Unless Denise blogs about it.)


*A shout out to Kelly for capturing these fun moments and sharing the photos with me.*

Last Friday Night

Posted on by Run DMT
7

I spent last weekend in Anna Maria Island with some pretty wild women great friends and like the past three years,  it’s been a fuzzy, fun-filled four days.   I’m sure photos will end up on Facebook soon enough to help me remember and explain how I got all these bruises.  “It’s a black out blur.  But I’m pretty sure it ruled.  Damn.”

*Image borrowed from Kelly Noel Photography.*

“Last Friday night
Yeah we danced on tabletops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot
Last Friday night”

Only 365 days until we do it all again.

Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.



You Down with OCP? Yeah, You Know Me.

Posted on by Run DMT
7

Recently, I stumbled upon a coupon program for military families living on bases overseas.  Through OCP, you “adopt” a military base and send them your coupons.  Donated coupons can be two months past their expiration date because retailers allow military families to redeem expired coupons up to 6 months past their expiration date.

With the knowledge of this coupon program, I organized a collection for my moms group.  Once again my moms pulled through and I was overwhelmed by the response.

I wish I knew the monetary value of all these coupons.  The OCP states on their website that “the average Sunday newspaper contains approximately $125 worth of coupons.”  Based on that and a rough estimate, I’d say there about $4000 worth of coupons in this pile.  Amazing.

I’m so proud of my mamas!  It feels so good to be able to help military families, especially so close to Patriot Day (September 11).

Random Thoughts about being Secretive and Sweaty

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At breakfast this morning, my girls accused me of doing “secretive things” while they are at school.  Yep, that’s me.  I’m so secretive.  I like to keep things on the down low.  I suppose this means I should start sweeping up the confetti before they get home.

Today, we spent the afternoon at the Glazer Children’s Museum with our cousins.  What a fun place!  I’m going to write a full review tomorrow for Not-So-Wednesday, so stay tuned for that.  While we were there today with the kids, I purchased an annual family pass as a belated birthday present for Emmalynn and Liam.  I’ll be using that pass o’plenty while the girls are in school.  Hmm…I guess it would appear that I do secretive things while the girls are in school.  Guilty as charged!

Last week, I registered for the All Out Running 5K and now I’m nervous about that race because of the heat.  When it’s not raining, it has been absolutely scorching during my morning runs.  To combat the heat, I’m planning my training route through my neighbors’ sprinklers.  I need to cool off somehow because it’s been hotter than hell.  In fact, it’s so hot (How hot is it?)…It’s so hot that I think I passed Satan spritzing himself with a misting fan during my run this morning.

Also during my morning run, I passed another runner who had stopped to do some elevated pushups.  His enthusiasm in the heat impressed me and I thought to myself, “You go, Boy!”  I was just trying to stay on my feet to finish my 4 miles.  If I hit the ground, I probably wouldn’t be able to get back up to finish the run.  But kudos to him for going the extra mile!

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Rocky passed me and said, “You go, girl!”  That just made me smile and put an extra pep in my step as I paced for the next mile behind him.  The sprinklers and my running partner, Rocky, made the heat a bit more bearable.

4 Miles

Time 42:37

Ave Pace 10:40

Max Pace 8:23

*Proudly submitted to Stacy Uncorked, because when I blog about my training, it’s usually pretty random.*

Stacy

I’m Bringing Sexy Back

Posted on by Run DMT
13

Despite our beach trip getting rained out and not finding a room at the Don Cesar (the pink castle), I still had a FABULOUS birthday week.  Thank you for all the lovely, sweet birthday wishes!

 

This Saturday, Allan and I are throwing birthday party in my honor and I cannot wait!  I’m looking forward to letting my hair down, laughing over drinks, dancing and acting silly with my friends.  I feel like I haven’t seen my friends in ages!

 

For the party, I will be wearing a sexy little number I picked up at White House Black Market a few weeks ago.   I don’t mean to brag…well, all right maybe I do mean to brag…but this dress looks seriously smoking on me.  You know you’re looking fine when the sales associate says, “Girl, that’s HOT!”  Sold!

 

 

With all the hours spent running my ass off and this little black dress, I’m bringing sexy back just in time for my birthday party.

 

 

Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.

 

PeaceLoveMom Giveaway

Posted on by Run DMT

BlogoversaryMy sister, Simone, has the most amazing talent for giving the perfect gifts.   Last year, Simone gave me a Happy Mom t-shirt for my birthday.  I loved the simple smiley face design of the shirt, but the soft cotton quickly made this shirt a new favorite.  When I wear this shirt, I feel like I am wearing my pajamas to our playdates.  That’s how comfy it feels!  Plus, this shirt described EXACTLY how I felt when I bought my new Asics Kinsei running shoes.

 Happy Mom

 

When I expressed my love for their products to the ladies at PeaceLoveMom, they graciously offered to sponsor a giveaway and sent me a Brushed Peace Sign Cotton Twill Black Hat and a Peace Love Grateful Mom Burn Out Aqua Tee which have become my two new favorites.  The distressed look of this tee offers the illusion that it’s a worn and weathered old favorite.  Plus, this t-shirt all has that same soft cotton fabric that l love.

 

 

So, now you probably want a feels like pajamas PeaceLoveMom t-shirt, right?  For a chance to win your very own comfy cotton Timeless Mom Aqua Burn Out Vneck Tee, simply add a comment stating your size.  One lucky winner will be randomly selected on Wednesday, August 6. 

 

 

For additional entries:

  • Follow @PeaceLoveMom and @denisermt on Twitter.
  • Tweet about this giveaway.  Add a new comment for each time you tweet: @denisermt Run DMT’s #blogoversary #giveaway Win a PeaceLoveMom t-shirt @PeaceLoveMom http://tinyurl.com/n3jphu
  • Visit PeaceLoveMom and check out all their hip, modern mom designs.  Then, add a comment here naming other designs you love.
  • Visit PeaceLoveMom- Motherhood Moments Blog and comment on one of the posts.  If you comment on more than one post, then you will get one additional entry for each comment you leave.

 

 

peacelovemom_hat