MAD HOUSEWIFE MERLOT
I am a Maryland girl, woman, mom. I’ve lived in Maryland almost all my life. I rarely cross the bridge into Virginia.
But I happened to find myself in Virginia the other day and couldn’t resist going into Wegmans (if you haven’t been, go) and found a little treasure- Mad Housewife Merlot.
My 4-year-old son and I walked into the warehouse size grocery extravaganza and he summed it up, “Wow Mommy, look at this grocery store!” Wegmans is a Giant or Safeway plus amazingly high-end everything.
It’s that grocery store that you could enjoy shopping in for over an hour thinking, ‘Cool, I’ve never seen that cheese before but I’ll get it, it’s gotta be good with something’, or ‘they even have loose tea you can get by the bag or pound’. Even though I am a HUGE tea drinker, I refrained (although I did end up getting about a 6-month supply of boxed teas I’ve never seen anywhere else, both inexpensive ones and not-so-much).
Which gets me to my find, worth blogging about… In their wine section I noticed Mad Housewife Merlot. I cannot remember if it was on sale or regularly priced but it was- drumroll please- $6.99… And bigger drumroll please- it was GREAT!
I wouldn’t be writing this if it was just okay. It was the best bottle of wine I’ve had for under $10 dollars.
As soon as my husband saw it he said, “Let’s try out the Mad Housewife tonight!”
We had a great time with our taste test.
It’s smooth, dry, and even impressed my guy. He couldn’t remember drinking a better bottle of wine for under $10 either. So then we got serious… I asked him how he thinks it compares to more expensive ones. “Well, it doesn’t stand up to an Opus One ($300).”
Uh, yeah, we’ve had that once, and come one, we’re getting serious, you know what I mean.
We swirled it, drank, smelled it, drank some more and decided it can stand up to a $20 bottle of wine. And that’s saying something.
I love the name and more importantly, it’s a good tasting wine. I went to their website and they are donating to breast cancer research for every bottle of their NEW white zinfandel.
So… good wine, good research and good motto-
“Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room. Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys. This is your time. Time to enjoy a moment to yourself. A moment without the madness.” – The Mad Housewife
This is cross-posted at DC Metro Moms Blog… It’s a cool site. I’m a contributor!
THE ‘FIRST MOTHER’
President’s Day is coming up.
How appropriate to highlight what our First President said of his mother…
“My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”
– George Washington
THE MOTHER OF SUPERBOWLS
This blog article can be found on DC Metro Moms Blog. I’m a contributor!
Being a Native Washingtonian, I am a Redskins fan. That being said, I wasn’t too excited for the Superbowl.
I was impressed with the Patriots’ record and thought that winning the Superbowl would be a nice way for them to end their season (I’m such a girl). So I watched the game rooting (albeit not too strongly) for the Patriots to have their perfect, undefeated season.
After reading Curious George and singing a song, I kissed my son, said goodnight, turned off the light and he went to sleep. Not much had happened in the game downstairs. So I worked on some stuff and watched the game half-heartedly.
The Patriots scored a go-ahead touchdown and I figured that was it. I thought that was the beginning of a high-scoring Patriots victory. But the Giants didn’t give up. And suddenly it was a really tight, fierce competition again.
Eli Manning, the Giants’ quarterback looked poised, yet relaxed. Then they went to a shot of his brother Peyton (Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback and MVP of the Superbowl last year) watching him from the skybox, but noticeably separated from everyone. He was sitting all by himself, concentrating on every play, every pass his brother threw and cheering him. That’s when the game changed for me.
I realized that Eli Manning was becoming a man before my eyes. He wasn’t in his older brother Peyton’s shadow. He was playing well against overwhelming favorites in the Superbowl, and he was winning.
As the minutes ticked down I thought of Mrs. Olivia Manning, the mother of Eli, Peyton and eldest son, Cooper… WOW! This woman must be living right. I’m sure she made some mistakes along the way, but she sure did a lot of things right. Eli and Peyton are both starting quarterbacks in the NFL. They aren’t in the tabloids. They are supposedly just very nice boys. My brother met Peyton when they were both in college, Peyton was already a football star, and my brother said he was totally cool and he definitely knew football.
I thought about all the trips Mrs. Manning made to practice, how many times she hauled football equipment around. I thought of how many times she must have encouraged her boys, how many times she comforted them after a loss, how many ice packs she put on ankles and shoulders.
Football is a game. We’re not talking about solving world hunger, and the Manning boys aren’t elected officials who are working to make this country better (although they may be some day).
But for just a moment, let’s celebrate this Superbowl for highlighting the importance of motherhood.
This year, as the Giants won the game and Eli Manning was named MVP, history was made. Peyton and Eli Manning became back-to-back Superbowl Champions AND back-to-back Superbowl MVPs.
Congratulations to Mrs. Olivia Manning for raising great sons. All the skinned knees, broken bones and damaged egos you took care of paid off.
Congratulations to every mother out there. Congratulations to you when you are the chauffeur, the referee, the coach and the cheerleader.
Congratulations for everything you do for your kids. Someday your son may be winning a Superbowl. Someday your daughter may be winning the White House. And all of our children have already won our hearts.
ANOTHER PRESIDENT
I guess I’m just in a Presidential kind of mood…
“When you get to the end of your rope,
tie a knot and hang on”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
I can’t believe a mom didn’t say this first 😉
MOM MAKES A DIFFERENCE
All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.
– ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Remember when you are busy making dinner and changing diapers and doing art projects that you are appreciated.
And you will be appreciated more as time goes on!
BEING COOL
This blog article can be also be read at DC Metro Moms Blog. It’s a great site!
It’s 2008. We aren’t children anymore. We are turning another year older in 2008. Are we cool…? Does it matter…? What does it mean to be cool?…
My New Year’s resolution is to be cool. I’m not giving anything up in 2008. I am being cool this year. Easier said than done? Maybe not…
I read an article awhile back that discussed coolness. George Clooney was mentioned. He definitely seems cool. But why? The sly grin… the clothes… the trappings of stardom? I don’t think so. George Clooney seems to be ‘cool’ because he’s comfortable. He’s comfortable with himself, he’s comfortable with his life. Yes, one could say, ‘How could George Clooney not be comfortable?’ But money and especially fame, do not make you cool. What is cool, then?
Going back to that article– it was interesting… and long. Out of that whole article, 5 sentences stood out to me as a mother.
“Coolness is relaxation.” That may seem hard at first. But being relaxed doesn’t mean you aren’t busy. Being relaxed is merely taking things in stride. And moms are the best at this.
“Coolness is courage.” Coolness is taking a deep breathe and your son’s hand on the first day of preschool and telling him how much fun he’s going to have. Coolness is smiling at everyone on your way out, even though you already miss him a little.
“Coolness is knowing what’s going on.” Or coolness is at least knowing how to change a diaper, get little people dressed and fed, while trying to figure out what is going on.
“Coolness acknowledges the limits of life while affirming that life is worth living.” No one can be a parent and not be reminded everyday that life is worth living. And no one can be a parent and not be reminded everyday, especially during flu season and potty training that there are limits to life.
“Coolness is the freedom to be yourself.” How cool is it that we are older now… There is no cookie cutter for the perfect mom (trust me, I’ve looked). We are tall and short and blond and brunette. We laugh and cry and sometimes hit our heads against the wall (when no one is looking).
Coolness isn’t clothes. It doesn’t matter how much a pair of jeans cost, they’re really just jeans.
Coolness isn’t a purse or a particular diaper bag.
Coolness is being a mom, and trying your best and being your best for your kids and yourself.
Coolness is understanding that you aren’t perfect and your kids aren’t perfect…and when you’re tired at the end of the day and thinking, ‘What else do I have to do, what am I forgetting?’ you pick up your child and give them a hug.
That’s cool.
Moms are cool.
T-SHIRTS AND THE GOLDEN GLOBES
Looking for a pick-me-up or a cool present? Look no further.
I met tons of cool moms at the launch party for DC Metro Moms blog last week. One of them not only blogs, but sells cool mom t-shirts, maternity t-shirts, baby stuff and even shirts for dads.
Kristen, who blogs at MommyNeedsaCocktail gave all us contributors our shirt of choice. My choice is shown here, ‘Mommy Needs a Glass of Wine’.
I hope she is enjoying a cocktail now because she is just getting home from the Golden Globes. She was giving away complimentary t-shirts, etc. in the Boom Boom Room at the Globes which is the party for kids and parents, as well as a swag event for sponsors.
So check her stuff out at BabyBrewing…
and you may be seeing one of your favorite stars sporting one of her shirts.
YEY! MOM POWER!
POTTY TRAINING 101
This blog article can also be read at DC Metro Moms… It’s a fun site!
Potty training… I’ve done everything. And I’m happy to say…
I’m done!!!
I hope I’m not jinxing myself by writing this.
But here it goes…
We’ve had ups and downs; I’ve had good ideas and bad mistakes.
This is just one mom’s journey.
First of all, I thought I’d be different. How hard could it be? So I went to a free potty training seminar before I attempted anything…
In the seminar we basically learned to devote 2 days to potty training. Plan fun activities inside and don’t go anywhere… and your little one needs to wear a big shirt that hangs down to their knees… and nothing else. This helps them ‘realize’ the sensation of having to ‘go to the bathroom’. Okay, I thought, I’ll try this.
We started at 8am, used a timer to remind us periodically for our son to ‘practice’ going to the bathroom, baked cookies and other fun stuff and at 6pm that evening my son announced for the first time that he had to go ‘pee pee’
and he went in the toilet.
Victory! I knew this wasn’t going to be that hard! I’m prepared; I’m a well-informed mother!
What I haven’t mentioned yet is- that was this time last year.
My son really never wet his pants again, but pooping was a catastrophe. Yeah, I had about eight months of cleaning dirty underwear.
I think it’s partially due to boys standing up to pee (which they instinctually change to after a couple of days) and having to sit to have a bowel movement.
He could never quite get to the toilet in time. It wasn’t that bad, he wouldn’t go completely in his pants, but it got tiresome
(oh really, motherhood and potty training sometimes get tiresome Sherlock?).
So what did I do? I did everything.
I made a chart with stickers on the refrigerator. I then quickly changed the chart to only reflect positively on successful trips to the bathroom. I gave him rewards when there were a lot, okay a few, stickers on the chart. Then I started to reward him with a new book every time he did a completely successful day…
I quickly realized this was not practical- financially or- on any other level.
So then I took the advice of a mother of three boys and just let it alone.
That didn’t work either.
So what happened?
I was almost giving myself an ulcer anticipating starting school this past September because all of the 3’s classes (which my son is in) had to be completely potty trained. So about a week before school started I talked to my son. I told him how much I loved him and how much I believed in him and that he had to go ‘BM’ on the toilet at school, that’s the rule. He looked at me very matter-of-factly and said, ‘Okay’.
He has never had an accident since…
at school or at home.
I now believe there is truth to the old dictum that says: when a child is ready to do something, they will do it… but not a minute earlier.
I am happy to be done with potty training. And I am also a little wiser now.
I don’t know anybody who has potty trained their child completely in a couple of days. Accidents happen.
Potty training teaches a parent humility…
in a good way-
I’ll never forget helping my son out with a toilet trip that was just a little late. I got him cleaned up and took a deep breath and went over to the sink to wash my hands. I washed them and sat down on our couch and started to relax when I smelled something. I smelled my hands. My hands smelled?! Then I looked at them and realized that somehow I had a little bit of poop under my fingernails.
That’s all that needs to be said now, isn’t it? I started to laugh.
And if you are having problems with potty training… just remember:
Nobody goes off to college in pull-ups; everybody learns eventually!
FROZEN BABY FOOD?
This bolg article can also be read at DC Metro Moms. I’m a contributor…it’s a great site!
My son turned four last week. When he was a baby, I did what a lot of us did and fed him baby food from a jar. I went through a couple of different brands, and he was a great eater and that was it. (It did not OCCUR to me to make him homemade baby food.)
I made sure I introduced all different meats, proteins and vegetables and fruits and my son was happy and healthy… and still is.
I think it’s evident by now that I don’t have a cooking blog. I have never written a cookbook and in just the past year have started using cookbooks. So basically- I’m not a gourmet.
But I am a concerned mom and I just recently learned that things have changed in baby food (like everything else within the baby industry). For moms with BABIES – there are some new options out there for you.
First of all: I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am simply a mom.
My brother and sister-in-law had a little boy almost a year ago. Like I mentioned before- things have changed and improved. It is already a different world in terms of baby products and options and things to make your life easier. Bumbos didn’t exist when I had my son; my sister-in-law’s baby monitor looks like it is out of STAR WARS (yes, I’m dating myself). And there is frozen baby food now.
Frozen baby food? Yes. Moms have developed it and it is good for your baby because freezing baby food preserves the nutrients too. I’m passing on a couple of mom-based frozen baby food brands that I have heard of…
The first is HappyBaby. One of the famous Dr. Sears, Dr. Robert Sears, works with them in developing their baby food. I must self-disclose and tell you my sister-in-law is now a Community Marketing Specialist for HappyBaby; this is only AFTER she started feeding HappyBaby to my nephew and he loved it. She was also excited by the fact of feeding her son frozen baby food that was the same as the homemade baby food she was constantly making.
The next mom-based brand is a Northern Virginia Mom Brand- Mom Made Foods! It’s easy to find out where to buy it around town on their website… Both brands have good websites and provide tons of nutritional information.
Hope this helps someone out there!
This seems like a good idea that is gaining steam. It’s hard to believe the changes and developments with child development in just a few short years…
If this whole discussion is a given, a retread of many discussions, or even passé because everyone else in this country has been feeding their babies frozen baby food forever… my apologies for having my head in the clouds, or rather, in the toilet… pottytraining consumed my world until a few months ago… more on that in another blog.
And in your quest to give your baby the healthiest food, the safest carseat, the most educational toys and the most cultural experiences…
May The Force Be With You.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
This time of year is perfect for reflection and giving thanks…
Thank you for wonderful family and wonderful friends,
Tacky decorations and solemn amens.
Thank you for cookies and thank you for cakes,
And all other holiday goodies… for goodness sakes!
Thank you for Santa and thank you for elves,
And thank you for thinking of more than ourselves.
Thank you for giving and receiving cool things,
And all the joy this season brings.
Thank you for the promise of a perfect 2008,
And the fullfulment of resolutions that people make!
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