March 2015 – Mom on the go in Holy Toledo

The Pick Up Line

March 30, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

I am super excited to have Guest Blogger Brandi from withBrandi here today!! She is an amazing & relatable mommy blogger. The kid-friendly foods & activities she shares are brilliant & fun! She is a glass is half-full type of gal with her positive outlook and one of those rare peeps who you instantly feel a connection with…to sum it up, she is pretty awesome! And she has a way with words…but don’t take my word for it, read on. Enjoy!!

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Do you come here often? I know you, don’t I? Can I buy you a drink? Single pickup lines fortified by liquor courage to start up a conversation, a conversation that could lead to a relationship, or at the very least a fun night out. Oh the wonderful world of dating. AMEN, after more than seven years of marriage the days of pickup lines are over, but are they?

Can we just admit that meeting good quality mom friends can be just as challenging as finding the right one and I don’t know about you but having mom friends is vital to my sanity.

If you think about it meeting a new mom friend really isn’t too much different than being in the single world.

The Radar

I’ll see a mom at the park or in the grocery store line whose demeanor or child interaction just screams friend quality. Or maybe she orders my exact order in front of me at Starbucks. Or I overhear her on the phone using the same tone of voice as I do when talking to her husband about this or that.

Of course there are tons of other ways to meet great moms besides the random sightings. So many great online resources to find mom groups. I’m a member of a national and local group, Mom-mentum. I’ve also been known to turn a virtual friend I connect with through blogs and turn them into an in-person friend, including our very own Kat.

The Pick Up Line

I have classic mom pick-up lines I use. “How old is he/she?” or “What school does he/she attend.” referring to the child. “Busy time of the year, right?” This pretty much works anytime of the year, because let’s face it as a mom it’s a given you are busy All. The. Time.

If you are looking for friendships with other moms, don’t ever be afraid to reach out. One of my closest mom friend was from a conversation in line at our local deli shop.

Last Call

Sometimes it’s a dud attempt, but sometimes when the friend universe aligns a meaningful conversation takes place, sometimes so much so that contact information is exchanged and a friendship begins.

The Date

The first date with a mom may be a little nerve wrecking. What if we don’t have enough in common? What if our kids don’t get along? What if junior has a complete and utter embarrassing meltdown?

It’s worth the chance. It really is. You never know what great lifetime friendships can be forged if given the chance.

Yes, mom friendships are a lifeline for me. I have learned to stop googling for resources and support and turn to my friends who are on the motherhood track with me. When the daily drudgery is drowning me, I can always count on my mommy friends to re-energize, refocus, and recharge my spirit. Motherhood can be lonely. It just can. Sometimes it’s tough to make the time for friendships when there’s nap time, rehearsals, practices, kids getting sick, but having others who understand that is the beauty of friendships in motherhood. There’s just something about knowing I’m not alone on this mom island that makes life more doable.

So come be friends with me. withBrandi and be certain to stay up-to-date by liking the Facebook page.

Brandi Walerius is the author of withBrandi.com, a dealership wife, mom to boys, entrepreneur at Black & White Consulting, content writer, HR and business consultant, passion seeker, former college cheerleader, outgoing introvert (yeah, it’s complicated) and a believer in pink, early mornings, coffee as a necessity, and happily ever afters.

Vlog: Things they don’t tell you before you have Kids

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

What is something you wish they would have told you before you had kids?

Wanna get your hands on one of those Holey Toledough Handcrafted Gourmet Donuts? Click here

Top 10 Kid Approved Spring Break Destinations in Toledo

March 28, 2015March 28, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

I asked the kiddos to make a list of the top 10 things that they would like to do over Spring Break in Toledo.

Here are their requests: (click on each to be linked to the website & get hours/cost)

1. Aquarium at the Toledo Zoo (Finally OPEN!! I can’t wait to see it! Eee!)

2. Mud Hens Game

3. Walleye Game

4. Ritter Planetarium

5. Imagination Station Dinosaurs (Special Spring Break Hours!)

6. Fun Factory

7. Toledo Museum of Art’s Family Center

8. Indian Creek Zoo (Weekend Hours only)

9. In 2Art

10. Build it! (Egg Hunt April 3rd..$7 & kiddos receive a LEGO bunny & 1 hour of open play, register today!)

And I must admit I am pretty impressed…these are all activities that are also fun for moms & dads too! There are some great family destinations on this list! Props to the kids!! Let the countdown to spring break begin!!!

5 Reasons Why you need to Book the Easter Bunny (Discount included)

March 24, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

5 Reasons Why you need to Book the Easter Bunny

In the past most parents would take their children to the mall to wait in a long line for a very long time to visit the Easter bunny. Then pay way too much for a photograph of their child either screaming or looking in the wrong direction with a Bunny who looks as though he has seen better days. And then half the time the darn photo would fall out of the cardboard frame on the way back to the car! Ahh, the memories!! Haha! But that was the 80’s now we have options. This is the day and age when information comes to you and why should the Easter Bunny be any different?

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should have the Easter Bunny come to you this Easter:

5. Hygiene! This Bunny isn’t the Mall Bunny! God bless the Mall Bunny but who knows what kind of germs may be lurking on his furry coat…we are talking snot, boogers, spit up, etc. (I am reminded of a funny line from Baby’s Mama, “is that chocolate or poop?” Haha!) No thank you!

4. Convenience! No more having to work around the Mall hours. Schedule a visit around your family’s Easter gathering…around your family’s schedule.

3. You can be Lazy! Or not! So you don’t feel like going out and getting the kiddos candies & treats, no worries, the bunny can bring it, no joke!! The Easter Bunny can bring treats for all the kiddos for only $2 a child!! Just make certain you count accordingly…and even if you don’t that Bunny is so on top of things he will probably have extras (true story! I miscounted and didn’t have enough baskets but the Easter Bunny saved the day by bringing extra treats!). Or, if you do have everything ready to go you can make arrangements with the bunny to deliver it to your child!!!

2. Economical! Instead of the single pic from the mall you can get as many as you would like!! In fact they encourage you to get as many as you would like! Also, there is something absolutely magical about allowing your child time to warm up to the bunny (like my daughter needed) and even engage in a conversation. One of the little girls at our gathering told the bunny she was sorry she didn’t have carrots for her, it was priceless. And all us adults thoroughly enjoyed watching the 2 year old take it all in…it takes time to make memories, they can’t be rushed and this Bunny understands that it is more than just a photograph. The price can’t be beat, $75 for a half hour and if you split it with other guest it can be even less! (Also if you mention Mom on the go in Holy Toledo you will receive a 10% discount!!!)

1. Memories! Memories to cherish for a lifetime! It is not only the expression on the toddler’s face, or the preschooler’s screech of excitement when the Easter bunny walks through the door but it is the expression of pure joy on the grandparents face knowing they were able to witness such a treasured moment. The Easter Bunny isn’t just for the kids but an experience for all!

I am so thankful for our memories of our visit with the bunny, I shall treasure them for always. thank you so much Fairytale Memory. Schedule your visit today!! Click here and be sure to mention Mom on the go in Holy Toledo to receive 10% off!!!

Also, why not think outside the Easter basket….the Easter bunny is also fun for Baby showers around this time of year, Church events, work events, playgroup events, possible proposal (what girl could resist an engagement ring for the Easter bunny?), etc.

Disney Side: The Adventures of the SAHM Princess: Part II

March 23, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

(In case you missed it here is Part I) It was the night before the big Party!! The Sofia the first Valentines bash!! And the SAHM Princess was busy at work, cleaning up the house, rearranging furniture, preparing food, etc. Just then her dashing Prince arrived home from working out of town. The Princess was torn, does she continue preparing for the bash the next day or does she sit down with her Prince? It should be noted that little ones also needed to get to bed and Valentine’s Day treats needed to be baked, so you see the SAHM Princess had quite the dilemma. At that moment she wished she had little mice friends to help complete the chores, bake treats, and get the kiddos ready for bed, and a Fairy Godmother to make her look like a well-rested beautiful SAHM Princess as opposed to her current state which included yoga pants, disheveled hair, and tired face! She contemplated singing a lovely song to really capture the moment but she was just too darn tired. Instead she put kiddos to bed, baked treats, burnt treats, chatted with her Prince, and managed to get all the preparations completed before the guest arrived….come to think of it, there might have been a little Pixie Dust involved! Oh, and those burnt treats, no worries, the SAHM Princess realized it didn’t matter if the treats were homemade, the guest weren’t coming because of the treats they were coming to have fun! So she served store bought cupcakes and no one was the wiser. Look at all the fun had….

And she enjoyed a lovely afternoon with other SAHM Princesses and their little Princesses and Prince…she realized the true value of friendship has nothing to do with the size of your castle, what kind of carriage you arrive in, what kind of Ball gown you wear, or if your food is homemade or store bought. The true value of friendship is being there for the good and the bad, for having compassion for all living creatures (yes, even our little mice friends), and a heart filled with joy. The SAHM Princess was truly thankful for all her friends, family, dashing Prince, and the opportunity to host such a magical event!!

The SAHM Princess wishes to send out a huge thank you to all the amazing sponsors who helped make this bash absolutely memorable!!

Thanks to all the guest
HP CMYK Promotion (Create Memories You Keep)
All
Snuggle
Wisk
MomSelect

Special thank you to Disney, Maria Bailey, BSM Media and everyone who helped make this possible!!! I don’t know how you did it!! There was obviously a lot of time, effort, energy, & perhaps some magic (in the form of Pixie Dust?!) that went into making this such a huge success! Thank you a million times over!!

Disclosure: I received free products in order to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Mom, you kinda look like a homeless person

March 18, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

“Mom, you kinda look like a homeless person”. “Thanks son, that’s the look I was going for, sounds like I nailed it!” I exclaimed as we made a mad dash to the car. This is not the morning I had anticipated! It all started with my phone alarm not going off. Well, technically it did I just didn’t have the volume high enough, or on, clearly a manufacturer’s flaw!! So we overslept.

I rushed downstairs to scramble eggs. Why eggs? Why not a simple breakfast of cereal & milk? Because I hate myself! No, really, it was my genius idea to have healthier breakfasts so I only bought oatmeal & eggs. There is literally no cereal in our house, no bars, nothing remotely convenient!! Oh how I strongly dislike myself sometimes!!!! (I am also trying to not use the word hate, because it is just a horrible word…but honestly if it was possible to kicked my own butt this morning I would have!!) While the children grumbled about the eggs I ran upstairs and grabbed clothes off my floor to wear. Yes, sometimes I am worse than the children! Then the scavenger hunt began! What, you don’t havethose at your house in the morning!? We were all frantically searching for a jeans pass because my 3^rd grader wasn’t going to wear her school dress code pants & she just received a pass in her student of the month packet….our little responsible student of the month! See the irony in that? But I was interrupted and had to forfeit my place in the scavenger hunt to help the 4 yr. old that just spilt water all over the pants she was going to wear to school!! So I hit up the dirty clothes pile in search of the least dirty pants. And I found a winner!! We rushed downstairs where we hurried along the finishing touches.

I did the girls hair. I put adorable pigtail braids in one and bun in the other; I must admit I was quite pleased and astonished at my mad hair skills this morning. And then I turned my head for a moment and the adorable pigtail braids were out!! Grrrr!!! Mind you I hadn’t even run a brush through my own hair and now I had to do my 4 yr. olds hair a second time!! And with a mere five minutes till we had to be in the car. Infuriating!! I had to fix it. She looked like a wild child, like her hair had literally been through a hurricane; she looked like, like me!!

So I stood there with my own hair all disheveled. 3^rd grader was telling me the latest happenings on animal planet…she is like a walking animal encyclopedia that doesn’t have a mute button. I love her to pieces but this morning I didn’t need to hear all about the paragon falcon for the 8^th time!! Meanwhile the 1^st grader, the inventor, was completing the charging station he created with Legos and was in desperate need of help getting 2 tiny Legos separating!! It took everything in me not to chuck those little Legos across the room. I managed to separate them, break a nail in the process but it was a small price to pay and there wasn’t much blood. But we were getting down to the wire. I rushed to put 4 yr. olds hair in a ponytail. I stood there brushing her hair when all of a sudden this warm, wet sensation hit my pant leg and filled my shoe. It was pee!! The puppy peed on me! He literality peed on me! And with no time to spare we made a mad dash out the door. And that is when my sweet son looked up at my disheveled hair, stained shirt, peed on pants, and shoe filled with urine that he so kindly exclaimed, “Mom, you kinda look like a homeless person”.

This experience really got me thinking about how blessed I am. I was able to come home, brush my hair, shower, change my clothes, etc. but there are so many who are homeless who do not have that luxury. Who do not have clean clothes!! But what if there was a way that you could help clothe the homeless? And what if there might also be something in it for you? Do I have your attention now? Clothe Ohio does just that!!

Born out of a desire to help the less fortunate in our great state, Clothe Ohio is a company that gives when you get. Combined with our love for producing comfy, artsy, yet fashionable Ohio apparel, donating clothing was an undeniable solution to fulfilling our passion to give back.

With each order placed, we will give a new t-shirt or sweatshirt to an Ohioan in need. Teaming up with different non-profits and charitable organizations throughout the state, we are able to give directly to the people who need it most.

Join the movement now to help Clothe Ohio!!!

If I may add, they have some real jazzy inventory! And they have swag for various cities too! Do you have friends who were an Ohioan but now resides out of state? This makes a fabulous gift…add a few local goodies and they will be praising your name! It is always fun to receive goodies from home & support such an amazing cause!! Or if you just want to tick off some Michigan fans, lol!! And fyi- you might want to buy a few shirts, just incase that one on the bedroom floor is actually dirty, or in case your child spills water on it, or your puppy pees on it, you will always have a spare!!

Disclosure: I received Clothe Ohio shirts for review, no other compensation was received, all thoughts & opinions are my own.

Disney side, The Adventures of the SAHM Princess: Part I

March 11, 2015March 23, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Oh how a long for the day that Disney releases a movie about a SAHM princess. It could happen! And if it did, it would go a little something like this….

Once upon a time there was this beautiful, kind, funny, gracious, and extremely modest SAHM Princess. She had 3 lovely children who always listened to her (even I couldn’t keep a straight face when I typed that). She was an amazing mom blogger, had fierce fashion sense, and was a maven in the kitchen…cooking up gourmet meals & bake sale treats that had all the other moms drooling (hey, it’s my fairy tale!). Well, one day this princess received an email stating she had been selected to host a Disney side party!! The first thing she did was break into a beautiful song about how grateful & excited she was, she did not jump up & down on the couch Tom Cruise style because that is something princesses don’t do (she totally did that!) and she did not attempt to do the Macarena while jumping on said couch (yep, did that too!). The Princess then carried on with her chores, Cinderella style for days & nights waiting patiently for the Disney side package to arrive. Days became weeks and she started to grow weary and even momentarily feared that the package may have been taken by 7 dwarfs, the townspeople, or worse, the evil sea witch!! (Okay, so maybe not the sea witch, I live nowhere near the sea…I admit, that’s a stretch). And then finally, just when she had almost rid herself of all hope, the package arrived!! And she danced around the room with it for 10 minutes (not really, that sucker was heavy!!!) and sang another song about how waiting makes the absence grow fonder, or something like that…who care? OPEN the BOX!!! And so she gathered the children…Wendy, Peter, & Pan and they opened the box!

Stay tune for Part II and see what happens to SAHM Princess when the Prince arrives home during party preparations (spoiler alert…there could be words in the form of a beautiful song or yelling) and see how a classy Princess handles burnt baked goods without adorable little mice friends & a Fairy Godmother to help.

Jamerican Meatloaf Recipe

March 9, 2015March 10, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Dinner is served!! This isn’t your grandma’s meatloaf. No ma’am. This takes meatloaf to a whole new level. Say goodbye to the mundane & hello to a symphony for your taste buds. After taking his first bite my son goes, “You didn’t make this…I don’t need a lot of ketchup.” Lol! There you have it folks, so good the kids won’t be asking for ketchup…and isn’t that really what we all aspire to when it comes to cooking? Bahaha! Who wants the recipe?

Jamerican Meatloaf

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2lbs ground meat (½ pork, ½ beef is a great mixture)

1 small yellow onion, small diced

1 red pepper, small diced

3 cloves minced garlic (or sub 3 tsp preminced

garlic)

1 egg

1 teaspon of salt

1 teaspoon of curry

1 teaspoon of allspice

1 tablespoon of pepper

1 tablespoon of coconut aminos

2 tablespoon almond or coconut flour

Prep Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into a loaf shape and place in a gallon

size freezer bag. Get as much air out as possible and seal. Label.

Serving Directions:

hands on 5 minutes, hands off 4-5 hours

1. Remove from freezer and place in refrigerator to thaw overnight.

2. Line your crock pot with 2 strips of foil in the shape of a cross. Place the meatloaf in

the center. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. You can set this in the morning and then let it

go to the “keep warm” setting once cooked, until ready to serve.

3. Remove meatloaf from crockpot using the foil handles. Slice it up and enjoy!

Suggested Sides:

Roasted Carrots tossed with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder

White rice (mix with tomato paste, butter, salt, pepper)

This is 1 of 8 meals we made at a Fill the Freezer event with other local bloggers. The workshop was sponsored by Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio Pork Council, and Ohio Beef Council. Huge thank you to them and the amazing ladies especially LivingIt & Dirt Road Charm who took the time, effort, and energy to organize this amazing event!!

New Show for Moms: Faking it! Figuring it out as we go! Coming Spring 2015!!

March 7, 2015March 7, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

We are setting up our show topics next week and would love to have your input. What topics would you like to see us discuss? What questions would you like to ask? Like we said, no topics are off limits and yes, we will “go there”! Please share your thoughts & questions.

You’re too old. As if! Growing old never looked so good! (Giveaway!)

March 2, 2015March 2, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

I must admit, if you would have asked me my thoughts on ageing 10 years ago my reply would have been a negative one. And why not!?! Everything I had seen on television, in magazines, conversations with friends, etc. told me that once you get grays & wrinkles your life was pretty much over; you mine as well curl up into a ball and wait to die. Nothing about getting old seemed glamorous. Old people always complain about this breaking, that not working like it used to, etc. Ugh! Who looks forward to aches, pains, & complaining? No thank you! But that mentality has changed entirely! Now I am all, bring it on baby! Bring on the wrinkles, grays, varicose veins, menopause, etc. Why the sudden change? (Haha…no pun intended!) 3 words, Magnificent Role Models!!!

I have a new outlook on old and it is beautiful thanks to the amazing role models paving the way for all us advancing in age gals (FYI-that is all of us). Advancing in age, style, grace, life, love….advancing never sounded so good, so inviting!! So who do I have to thank for this new take on life? The gals from the absolutely amazing blog, Advanced Style (all 50+), the new Bond girl/woman, Monica Bellucci (50), the latest glamour girl to join L’Oreal Paris, Helen Mirren (69), and my remarkable mother (60).

If you have Netflix you have got to check out the documentary, Advanced Style. You will be glad you did! It follows around 5 advanced in age fabulous ladies! Each has their own magnificent sense of style. Each lives their life to the absolute fullest! I love the fact that there is a 95 year old who never retired her style. A 93 year old who makes her own wild eyelashes & still teaches art classes!! A 60 year old who lives her dream of being recognized!! Did I mention I am loving these ladies!!! Some have lost spouses and been through a lot but they never lost their appreciation for life, their zest for life! You have got to click here and take a moment to check out the blog that started it all.

Talk about breaking the glass ceiling, who ever thought the day would come when the James Bond girl would be 50!!! How awesome is that!

And Helen Mirren is absolutely breathtaking at age 69! Finally!!! We are embracing all that is life, wrinkles, gray, etc. Life isn’t over at 50. In fact, my mother has told me it gets so much better…she explained it in such a magnificent way that practically had me longing to be 60!

She said menopause isn’t that horrible thing that everyone makes it out to be. It is marvelous! Imagine being able to wear white whenever you want, no more cramps, no more having to buy sanity products…there are much more fun ways to spend money & time! It is freedom! And embrace the gray & silver. Be yourself. You will always look beautiful when you do. God didn’t get it wrong. Don’t fight it. Embrace age. Love yourself. Life gets better. But do take care of yourself so you can enjoy your life. Exercise so you can live your life to the absolute fullest. Take good care of your skin, bones…your body. Nurture the soul. Live!

Thus, I am taking her wise advice…though I am only in my 30 I know I need to start a maintenance regime now. I am taking better care of myself by exercising, taking calcium (I want to be rocking my style in Europe when I am 80 not stuck in a hospital bed with broken bones) I recently started using Collagen Serum on my face & neck purchased through Neocell (they offer a lot of great health & beauty products) It is a potent antioxidant and contains vitamin C & E, it protect & rejuvenate skin. I have to be honest, not only has it helped with my combinations skin (a combination of winter face & exhaustion, haha!) but it has also tightened my face & neck a bit. You have got to try it! And you are in luck because that is the giveaway!!!

Giveaway time…..

To enter the giveaway:

1-Like Mom on the go in Holy Toledo on Facebook

2-Follow @mamaof3onthego on Twitter

3-Like Neocell on Facebook

4-Reply with a comment-expressing what ONE word best describes your take on ageing.

Winner will be randomly selected March 8th @ 11:59pm

Curl up in a ball and wait to die, I don’t think so! We are going to give those 20 somethings a run for their money! Life ends at 50? I don’t think so!! We have only just begun at 50! Look out world there are a lot of sassy, fun, fabulous ladies with wrinkles, gray hair, & lots of life to live coming your way!!!

Disclosure: I received Collagen Radiance Serum to review, no other compensation was received, all thoughts & opinions are my own.