momonthegoinholytoledo

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.

Pearls and Yoga Pants

February 23, 2015February 25, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

Being a mother, though the most amazing gift in the world is not always the most glamorous! It is messy! The house needs to be cleaned, meals made, laundry done, kids chauffeur, etc. There are no red carpets, no amazing award shows, and no races requiring fancy hats! Let’s just say my son’s Boy Scout Pinewood derby is the fanciest derby I will be attending this year! Haha! So why dress up? Why wear jewelry? Why not just be comfortable? Why bother?

I subscribe to comfortable clothing; there is no denying the fact that yoga pants are the best!! Who wants jeans constantly riding up their bum while trying to clean the house and run errands? But perhaps Mrs. Cleaver was on to something. Perhaps letting yourself go too much, could have a negative effect? It might results in a motivationally challenged momma. This was precisely what I was two weeks ago!! That is until a pair of genuine pearl button earrings graced my ears!

No joke, after putting on the pearls I suddenly felt different. I felt more important. I felt purposeful. I felt ambitious. And most importantly I felt luxurious! I now clean/tidy with such gusto and determination. I have officially channeled my inner Mrs. Cleaver. The housewives of the 1950s were definitely on to something. Maybe it is important to take pride in every job you do no matter how minimal it may seem, even cleaning floors and toilets. But I must admit it is a lot easier to take pride when you’re wearing pearls. (I am still working on my 1950’s housewives class, the pic below is anything but! lol!)

These pearls have inspired me beyond just household cleaning. I am now taking more of an interest in what I am wearing. I used to enjoy picking out my clothes, having fun with colors & patterns but lost interest somewhere in between nursing bras & yoga pants. Haha! These pearls have helped me get my fashion mojo back and in a sense get back to myself, not the housewife version or mother version but rather me, simply me! And FYI- they have these really cool black button pearls too, check them out…for us hip, modern, happening mommas.

I must admit, if a pair of earrings can do this much imagine what an entire strand of pearls could do? Besides I do believe they are feeling a little lonely. Hehe!

UPDATE: Pearl & Clasp is offering a special JUST for my readers!!! 15% off anything on the site!! Code is: pcsale. http://www.pearlclasp.com/ Stay up to date on all the latest happenings here.

Do you rock the yoga pants? What are your thoughts on the modern SAHM vs. the 1950s SAHM? When was the last time you cleaned the house with pearls on?

Disclosure: I received a pair of pink button pearl earrings to review, no other compensation was received, all thoughts & opinions are my own.

Have Christmas morning minus the sleep deprivation, debit, and guilt!

February 20, 2015February 20, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

The doorbell rang and my initial reaction was one of panic. I thought for sure I had forgotten about a playdate or about a friend dropping by. I quickly grabbed the nearest laundry basket and frantically starting throwing stuff in it ASAP! Violently rubbed baby powder around my oily hasn’t been washed in 4 days hair. Tried my best to hold my eyebrows up for a more refreshed, I actually slept last night look, which I am fairly certain is also my surprised expression, but it is what I have to work with. Pinched my cheeks for a little color and hoped for the best! So you can imagine my splendid surprise when I opened the door and was greeted by that adorable, inspiring, (non-judgmental) orange box! It was like Christmas morning minus the sleep deprivation, debit, & guilt! Eeee!!

It arrived!! Such a glorious surprise! And let’s be honest as a mother & wife/parent & spouse there are very few and far between surprises in life. Sure there are the occasional: “Oops, I pooped my pants”. “Oops I threw up all the way to the bathroom but felt great once I arrived”. “Oops, did I forget to tell you I invited clients over for dinner this evening? They will be there in 2 hours. Is that a problem?” And classic in our house, “Oops, I did have homework Friday” says the young man 10 minutes before we leave for school on Monday!! So it is so nice to have a pleasant surprise…one that doesn’t require clean up!! One that makes me feel special. One that makes me feel young & trendy! One that makes me feel like a star! Yep, I get all that from that one orange box…or rather, from all the goodies in the box. Look at all the goodies in this month’s box… (BTW- I am eating the Balance bare right now and it is AMAZING!). I love trying new things!!

So maybe I can’t travel around the world, go rock climbing, or attend the Oscars but I can take a mini adventure in a box called Bulu!! Now, if you will excuse me I am off to try Sant, the organically grown dried superfruit that transform into a fresh beverage…sounds like a tropical vacation to me (or at least for my taste buds….-17 outside but a tropical vacation in my mouth…didn’t think that one out to well but you know what I me). Make today a magnificent one! Be ambitious! Be extraordinary! Be bold! Be outrageous! Be the best you that you can be!! And rock the Bulu!! Click here to learn more and get promo code.

Peace & Love

-Kat-

Preparing for the Lenten Journey: Lenten Acts of Kindness & Sacrificial Alms Jar and Love Dare

February 18, 2015February 18, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

As we begin with Ash Wednesday and its reminder of repentance, let us resolve to do our best each day, knowing that it is not the destination, but the journey that will ultimately transform us. -Father Barron-

So, on our Lenten journey this year we are trying something a little different for Lent. We are merging two traditions, the Lenten Alms Jar & the Kindness Jar (Jelly bean Jar). I still feel strongly about the need for children to have these traditions during Lent. It is in childhood that we learn what Lent is and these activities are the perfect way for a child to comprehend the Lenten journey.

We have a jar that is filled with 40 acts of kindness. Each day during Lent the children will take turns pulling an act from the jar. I really liked the acts that Family at the Foot of the Cross shared. They included, draw a picture of Jesus with your family and hang it on the fridge, help set the table without being asked, read a story with a sibling, say a prayer for the Pope, learn a new bible verse, etc. They all seemed appropriate for the age range of my children (4-9). Click here for a full list of the acts of kindness. However we will not be adding any beans to the jar. Instead we will be adding money to the jar in order to enter into the spirit of saving for alms.

The children have decided to give up pizza that we usually have on pizza & movie nights. I know how much they look forward to it and I know how much I look forward to not cooking. Haha! But that’s okay; maybe they will pull the “help mom cook dinner” act of kindness on movie night.

The older two have also decided to give up the chocolate milk they buy once a week at school in addition to any Tooth Fairy money they might be receiving. And our youngest, our 4 year old has declared that she will be giving up her Valentine’s candy, which just so happens to be down to 1 sucker…a small sacrifices, but a sacrifice no less. And I have decided to give up Starbuck’s. It will be interesting to see how much we save as a result of self-denial. The next step is deciding where we would like to send the alms fund. The children have tossed around a few ideas…Apraxia Support, American Heart Foundation, Church, a student from school whose family lost an infant.

And for our marriage we will be taking up a wholesome activity as a couple and doing the Love Dare, 40 days love journey! My husband’s new job has him traveling a lot. And I am suddenly in a new position myself as the solo parent when he is away. Both our jobs are very demanding, stressful, and draining at time. So it is no surprise that when we do finally see each other we have little left to give the other, if anything at all. Hopefully the Love Dare will help get us back on track.

I am also looking forward to Matthew Kelly’s Best Lent Ever!! BTW, in his first message he say’s don’t give up chocolate and to not do ANYTHING you have done before for Lent, which is precisely what we are doing!! Click here to sign up for your best Lent Ever.

Here is to a magnificent Lenten journey!! God Bless

What are you doing for Lent? What have you done in the past that worked our well? Have you ever done the Love Dare?

Giveaway: LEGO Justice League Vs Bizarro League Blu-ray/DVD

February 17, 2015February 17, 2015momonthegoinholytoledo

My son was beyond excited when I shared this post with him! And if your child is anything like mine, or perhaps you are a huge LEGO fan or someone you know (in which case you will want to share it with them! They will thank you) then this is for you!

Lego fans wait no more! LEGO: DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League is here along with an awesome Bizarro name-generator app and exclusive Digital Trading Cards.

Batman has joined the newly formed Justice League in order to keep tabs on Superman, a mistrust that is complicated by Superman’s clumsy – but well-meaning – clone, Bizarro. Bizarro’s creation of the Bizarro League has caused confusion amongst the world’s greatest Super Heroes, but an even greater and mysterious threat may force the Justice League and Bizarro League to band together to defeat evil.

Now here comes the fun part! The LEGO Bizarro Name Generator App:

How it works….

Simply click on the image above then type in your name to reveal your Bizarro alter-ego – Mine is Kat-Mega-Zarro-Blaster!! Hehe! FYI-If you don’t like your name, press the refresh button or try again!
Share the fun! Share your name from the app on Twitter & Facebook have your friends try it out and see what name they got! Who do you share an alter-ego with?

When I presented this next feature to my son he let out a lot of ooh & ahhs…exclusive digital trading card package!! Simply click on the image below to download your package now!

Giveaway time…..

To enter the giveaway:

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

2-Follow @mamaof3onthego on Twitter

3-Reply with a comment expressing what your alter-ego name is

Winner will be randomly selected Feb. 28th @ 11:59pm

Each household is only eligible to win LEGO: DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (Blu-ray+DVD+Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack) Blu-ray via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.