Monday, December 31, 2012

Giveaway: $200 in TopHatter Credits via Paypal!

TopHatter Event Button

A New Year, A New Way to Shop! Event

Giving you a chance to win $200 in TopHatter Credits via Paypal!
Sponsored by TopHatter & Hosted by Mom Powered Media
Everything for Ana is so excited to join in on this big event as the first for 2013. 
Tophatter is a fast paced, fun-filled virtual auction house. It also happens to be the world's most entertaining live marketplace. Buyers and sellers can connect on a live chat where questions can be answered immediately and bids can be watched in real-time.
Tophatter conducts live online auctions everyday in a wide variety of categories. There is always something new and exciting happening 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at TopHatter.
TopHatter is - iPads to Coach handbags - Craft Supplies to Jewelry - Sweet Treats to Handcrafted Goods - and so much more!
What will you be bidding on today at TopHatter?
Tophatter Finds

One winner will receive $200 {via Paypal}!

Giveaway ends January 30th at 11:59pm, open to worldwide, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck.
Special thank you to our co-hosts: Bay Area Mommy, A Medic's World, Capri's Coupons, My Vegan Gluten-Free Life, Coupon Queen of Texas, One Proud Momma, Pinoy Recipe and Secret Southern Couture.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Everything For Ana is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Green Mountain Wellness Collection Coffee is Yum. #GotItFree

coffee 


    I have always loved Green Mountain Coffee, and now that they have added the Wellness Collection to their K Pack choices, I will be a big fan in the future too. Not only does the coffee have a nice, rich coffee taste with a heavenly aroma and deep taste, but now antioxidants have been added to give that taste an extra benefit. I love it, and think it is a brilliant way to add more goodness to my life. I drink coffee several times a day and now I can reap the benefits during my caffeine fix. 

  The Green Mountain Coffee comes in two different blends , the Focus Blend and the Antioxidant Blend. Both tasted rich and were complemented by the almond milk I added in. (and a small amount of sugar). I really could not tell the difference between the Green Mountain I usually buy, though I expected a vitaminy taste or something. It was the same rich taste, delicious with all of the holiday cookies that fill this house.

  The next time you buy K-packs, why not try the Wellness Blend and let me know what you think. YUM!

*** I am a BzzAgent and received a couple of boxes for free,  to facilitate this review. The opinions within are my own.

I Gave in to the Sickies....Happy New Year to me..

happy
Joining in after D and sweet Ana who still has a racking dry cough every once in a while, 2 days ago I gave in to the Sickies.  Yesterday Daddy was home with Ana, so I slept as much as I could, had homemade turkey soup, a grilled cheese and then back to bed.  I slept 12 hours!! Today we are heading to the dr in a bit, and then resting. Not getting much done, including some new reviews and blog posts but am trying to get better in time for  the New Years Eve Party!! Happy New Year if I do not get on tomorrow..Stay safe, warm and Have a wonderful night with your friends, family or whomever you celebrate with,

Zoe

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas Morning 6 a.m. Part 1 in Photos

Hello Dear Readers:
 Ana woke up a little early on Christmas morning, and we headed right downstairs to see the  stockings and the tree.  First her stocking:

sleepy
Sleepy Ana at 6 a.m in her new,  pretty princess pajamas. 

openstocking
Opening the stocking

bike
Ana's New Bike! 
whichnext
Getting to the presents (this took all day)
shoe
To be continued, I took a lot of photos of little Ana and her 2nd Christmas Morning :)

Stay well and stay warm.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Giveaway: PrintingRay $200 Design/Logo Package

printingray


ray
Hello Fine readers:

Would you like a free custom design from PrintingRay?

  The New Year is here and with the New Year couldn't we all use a Makeover? I know I like to reinvent myself every year. And, that includes my blog, twitter and facebook logos, photos and information.

  I am so excited to offer you, my readers, a custom graphic design worth $200 for free. Yes, you read that right. You will get an absolutely free logo provided by PrintingRay, which will design :


  • Free Facebook Cover and Display Picture
  • Twitter Background
  • Free Picture and logo for your blog (or business)


LA great logo is a common requirement for all bloggers. A lot of great designs and logos can be expensive, and when you are starting out as a blogger, you might not have the money to invest in good design.   So,  PrintingRay has made it  easy to get a free logo package worth $200. 

About PrintingRay:

  PrintingRay is a USA based online company that provides cheap. good quality custom stickers  of your choice and they make it as simple as possible to get the goodies that you need. 

Right now, at PrintingRay:


Buy 250 Stickers get 250 Free
Buy 500 Stickers Get 500 Free
Buy 1000 Stickers Get 1000 Free



How to Win:
 
  It’s very simple to enter this giveaway. Enter at the rafflecopter below, you can get entries for different social media interactions.  

Offical Site: PrintingRay

Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not compensated for this post,the opinions within are my own.  

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Eve! Ho...Ho...Ho!!

Hello Dear Readers:
   We were up late wrapping presents, but I managed to take a couple of photos before hitting the hay. I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Day! Merry and Happy!!

beforewrapping
Ana's New Dollhouse before wrapping!

allwrappedup
And wrapped and ready to go! 

tree
Ana's Loot, including her cute new bicycle! 
bike
Close-up of Ana's cute wooden bicycle.





I cannot wait to see her face when she opens everything! My sweet baby girl! Love you.

Mama

Monday, December 24, 2012

Our First Annual Family Dinner in Photos

Last night we had our first Annual Lee family Holiday Dinner, and it was a success. We had a big dinner, the kids exchanged presents and the adults enjoyed Egg Nog, Wassail and drinks! A fun time was had by all. Here are some of my fave photos:

xmas
Our tables (we fit 2 in our dining room), the centerpiece and fireplace decor




shoetree
Our tree topper (a silver Manolo), our angel broke!!

mom
                                               Grandma and my sweet niece, Taylor

ana
Sweet Ana opening presents....

food
Ana saying Goodbye to Santa, the yummy Appetizers and 2 Boys cooking up something good!!


Happy Holidays to you and your family. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve, and a fun Christmas Day. Much love ,

The Lees

beach

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Giveaway: Australian Natural Soap


  
soap



  Hello dear readers:
  Those of us that live in the U.S. can surely appreciate the depth of the struggling economy.  Many of us fight just provide our families with the basic necessities.  Yet, none of us want to sacrifice the health of our loved ones by providing cheap unsavory foodstuff or personal care products.  When it comes to cleaning products I have been using basic white distilled vinegar and baking soda.  A true classic.

Soap is a necessity, ya gotta have soap.  I actually love soap, the good soap not the stuff that's available in supermarkets or drug stores. Sure it's cheap, but it's also garbage.   I recently discovered Australian Natural Soap.  What makes their soaps so exceptional is the natural ingredients.  You won't find animal fats or hash astringents that dry out the skin.  Oh, but lets not forget about the unpronounceable chemicals and fillers contained in traditional bar soaps.  Not the kind of stuff I want my family using.

soap

  In stark contrast Australian Natural Soaps contain plant oils and botanicals. The soaps are available in both vegan and vegetarian formulations.   No nasty animal fat. 

French Milled Soap equals longer lasting soaps, and longer lasting soaps equals being economical.

You can purchase craft soaps for only three dollars each.  That really is a remarkable value for the quality.  Want an even greater savings? purchase bulk soap for a total of two dollars per bar. You won't find a better value soap for this quality.

Variety is the spice of life. There really is something for everyone as far as fragrance or type of soap.   Spa soap, luxury guest soap and even gift soaps which I feel make a luxuriously practical gift.

These soaps are a pleasure to use..they smelling amazing and won't dry out your skin OR break your budget.  For more info visit australiansoap.com


Now for the giveaway:


soaps


 Three winners will each receive their choice of the 8 count box of the wrapped soaps or the ten count box of the craft soaps.  This is up to a $32 value each.   

Use the Rafflecoptor easy entry form to enter this giveaway.    

 a Rafflecopter giveaway


 Giveaway open to US and will run from 12/23 AM through to 1/3 11:59 PM (eastern time)

 **everything for ana is not responsible for sending out any and all prizes, this is the responsibility of the sponsor.


Friday, December 21, 2012

Upcoming Giveaway for the New Year: $200 , Sign up now!

TopHatter Event Button

A New Year, A New Way to Shop! Event

Sponsored by TopHatter & Hosted by Mom Powered Media
Prize: $200 Cash
Event dates: 1/1 - 1/30

Free Blog Event! Sign-up here, BLOGGERS WANTED

Shopping at Sears for the Holiday!

snoopy
  Hello Dear readers:
   Recently I had the opportunity to check out the cool collection of winter and holiday items at Sears and was pleasantly surprised. I found cute ornaments, pretty ribbon and really large, colorful inflatables. Ana was intrigued by the inflatables, and I think we are going to have to pick one up this year after Christmas for next year! She really loved the Peanuts Inflatable, and wanted to take it home. We ended up buying some beautiful gold ribbon for the tree, and a couple of beaded golden birds for the mantle:

fireplace
                           They really finished it off nicely. They are the between the candles!

cards

     And now, you can get up to 50% off at the Sear's Holiday Shop! Check out the site and pick up everything from inside decor, to inflatables and lights.

**I received a gift card to Sears to faciliate this review, and  I'm a member of Smiley360.com, where I qualify to try brands for free in exchange for sharing my authentic feedback.

Cooking, Cleaning and Getting the House Jolly

china
Our new antique china bought at auction.
Happy Holidays my kind readers!

  The past couple of days we finished up decorating the house, and unpacking the rest of the holiday cheer: mugs, towels, holiday lights for inside.  The outside of the house is finished, and the inside is almost done, but now it is time for the dusting, vacuuming, washing, etc. as we are expecting house guests from out of town this weekend. We are having a family dinner for them and the Lee house will be cooking a big turkey and a ham for the first time. We have new/old china, a big table and now our dining room is almost finished so it is ready for its true use (and not a craft room)!.

closet
Hope I put them away correctly!

  Yesterday, we unpacked the china and washed it one by one by hand and then put it away, it looks so nice in our new china cabinet. I cannot wait to cook up some yummy appetizers, entrees and desserts and dine with my family.  Next year, we might expand and invite friends too!

There really is no theme (for once in my life) but i bought a lot of gold decor and off white candles, so the colors are green, gold and off white. The china has gold edges and roses and the table will have gold stars and little trees in the middle. Simple , but pretty. Then, we will have flickering candles everywhere, and hopefully will get  a roaring fire going after dinner.

Our dinner  

Appetizers:

Brie En Croute
Stromboli (vegetarian and meat)
Crackers and Cheese
Crab Dip
Homemade Olive Tapenade
Mini Spinach Quiche

Main Course:
Pear Glazed Roast Turkey
Spice Rubbed Ham with apple maple sauce
Green Beans Almondine
Brussel Sprouts?
Carrots/Potatoes
Grandma's Noodle Pudding
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Lasagna
Crescent Rolls

Dessert:
Cranberry Duff
Plum Pudding
Christmas Cookies including Gingerbread Men

I am not sure if I forgot something, but that is the main gist of it. Traditional, delicious.

Here is the link to my Pinterest Board for:
 Holiday 2012   for some of the recipes.  Also, Monkey Bread ( that I will be making for breakfast for our guests ) is there.

Feel free to share any recipes back with me, I am always looking for delish new dishes.  Let me know your Pinterest page in the comments, and I will follow you back!

Stay safe and warm.

anapink


                      XO,
    Zoe, Ana and Duncan Lee



Thursday, December 20, 2012

A letter to my daughter on why Mama is still crying...

Dear Readers:
  I cannot help it. I have found myself crying every day this week. The littlest thing will set me off. Today, I was trying to catch up on my newspaper reading and article after article was about Newtown. And so I cried.

 Tonight as I bathed Ana and held her small body in my arms to rinse the shampoo, I again teared
up. All of those parents can never again sniff their children's freshly washed hair, hold their little bodies in the bathtub or dry them off with big fluffy towels. I got teary as I have done all week and had to turn away so Ana wouldn't ask me,"Mama what is wrong?". How can I explain the enormity of what has happened in a non scary way to a 2 year old? So this is what I try to say or what I imagine I could say:

Dear Ana-
Please do not get scared or cry. Or worry about your Mama crying at strange times. It is not something that you did.  Mama is sad because a bad man did not get help and instead of getting help he got angry. And when he got angry he looked around his house and found weapons. And so he did a bad thing. And hurt a lot of people. Including children. And so when Mama looks at innocent you, sweet, beautiful you, she is reminded of all that innocence and beauty. And how unfair the world is...So please do not worry. Mama will stop crying eventually. But for now, she will kiss your little head every chance she gets. And tell you she loves you at all hours of the day. And listen to every word you say, and give you all of the love she can. Because our time is short and you are everything to me. I love you beautiful spirit. Beautiful girl.

I hope there can be some peace in all of this eventually. But for the time being I cry and hurt for the people of Newtown.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Review and Giveaway: Chloe Perfume

  Hello Dear Readers:
  There is something about fragrance that really finishes off an outfit and makes me feel sexy and  ready for the world. A great pair of shoes. A hot red lipstick. And lovely perfume.  I have been searching for a signature scent for a long time. In my 20s I wore Chanel and Marc Jacobs with a splash of Juicy thrown in.  In my 30s, I continued with Chanel, branched out to Dolce & Gabbana Blue and even started wearing body oils and body sprays.  Now that I am heading towards 40 it would be nice to have that one scent. That special scent that my daughter recognizes when I enter a room. That hubby snuggles up to when he comes home from work. That walks by, shakes the head and you catch a light whiff scent , a mist of scent. Sweet, but not too sweet. Strong, but not cloying. Fresh, and feminine. I think Chloe could be that scent.

chloe
 The kind people at Escentual sent me a lovely full sized  bottle to sample and review, and I just might be in love.  The bottle is simple and clean looking. Strong, and elegant.  A light spritz on my sleeve or neck evokes a strong, seductive woman. I love it. Duncan and Ana seem to respond well too. Ana wants me to spray it on her, and Duncan wanted to know what my new scent was. (I wore it for the first time for our Hanukkah dinner outing to the Temple)

From the Escentual website:
"Chloe is a light and fresh yet seductively strong and self-posessed scent, capturing the creative, confident individuality of a free spirited woman with an utterly innate sense of chic and natural sexiness.
The fragrance playfully twists notions of femininity, taking the classic beautiful rose and translating it with modernity into a vibrant, powdery floral Eau de Parfum. It is translucent, turning warm and seductive, totally addictive.

Top Notes: Peony, Freesia, Litchi.
Heart Notes: Rose, Lily-of-the-Valley, Caribbean Magnolia.
Base Notes: Amber, Virginia Cedar.  "

Sounds amazing right? Well, the best part of this post: You can win your own bottle of Chloe perfume from Escentual. They are reserving a full sized bottle for one of my readers, and it just might be you! Check out the easy rafflecopter form below for easy entries.  In the meantime check out the Escentual website links for more great scents, skincare, haircare, etc.  They have everything, it is a really well-built , beautiful site. Easy to navigate and find what you need.  They even have a Christmas Top 10.

 Check out their links below:

Rafflecopter:
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Everything For Ana is not responsible for prize fulfillment. I received a bottle of Chloe to facilitate this review, but was not compensated for this post.  This giveaway is only open to USA.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Our Holiday Decor and Golden Victorian tree

card
My fave photo of Ana and Santa 2012 taken at Adams.
Dear Readers:
  I have always loved simple, elegant decor for the holidays. I am not much for schticky :
characters, over the top bright colors, or silly decor so for our first holiday tree I chose antique pink, gold and beige for our colors. And now , years later they are still the colors I am drawn to for the holidays. Especially the gold.  I will take better photos when we are all finished decorating, but for now I took some photos of our fireplace mantel, tree and some of our snowmen in our kitchen. My mom started me on a snowman collection and Ana loves them, so that is where the fun comes into our holidays.  I will take photos of our outside lights soon as well, I am always so tired  at night this time of year, lol.

fireplace

place
I made the card holder with gold ribbon, painted little clips with gold glitter paint and attached it to the sides of the fireplace.


tree
 Everything on the tree is gold, pink or off white and the lights are sparkly off white as well. Then, the beads are golden and pink, it is hard to tell in these photos.

tree2
Victorian gloves, mirrors, umbrellas, clothing, teddies and dresses with starburst lights. Here is a closeup.

snowmen
Snowmen and roosters? why not?
table
 Crafting and assembling has taken over the table! I feel like I will never be finished. But, crafting is fun!!!

 I have several projects that will keep Ana busy over the next few days and then we will be cooking and baking cookies...lots of cookies. YUM! I cannot wait.  Have a great week and hug your babies (and make them cookies)...  XO

Saturday, December 15, 2012

As a Mom, my heart hurts, my eyes are swollen,and I weep.

  I weep and weep for the innocence that was lost yesterday in Newtown. I cannot stop reading about it, watching the news and dwelling on the young victims. I put Ana in every situation and I weep. I spent several hours crying yesterday in pain just thinking how senseless it all was.

I am not going to make this post about gun control, though I am definitely for stricter laws and more psychological testing that should be updated regularly for owners of guns.

This is about pain and healing. How to heal through all of this pain.  I do not live far from this area where the shooting massacre occured. I moved back to the Hudson Valley to give Ana a safe place to grow up. For peace, solitude, safety and the beauty of mother nature. I feel like a little piece of me was lost yesterday as I know feel that no place is safe and that the peace has been broken.

I know that I cannot put Ana in a bubble, but I CAN teach her how to react to a sudden, violent situation, how to avoid strangers, what to do when that little voice in your head says DANGER, and leave or get out! Follow it.

I weep for all of those parents, and their pain. I wish I could hug them all and tell them that there will be peace eventually. But i cannot. All I can do is hug Ana , kiss her tiny , sweet smelling head and protect her the best way I can. Through knowledge, and love.  And hope that that is enough.

I send the best of eveything out there today...we need good thoughts, and love circulating around the universe. 

Hug your child. Hug your neighbor. Show patience to those who make you impatient. Show love to those who might anger you.  Appreciate your family and friends.

And lets remember the reason we are here. To love. To live. To  explore the world and to love it.

Peace.


Friday, December 14, 2012

Giveaway: 12 Days of Christmas Celebration with 4 Little Monsters and Me

12 days

4 Little Monsters and Me and our fantastic sponsors are counting down the 12 days of Christmas with 12 Days of Giveaways! From December 14th ~ December 25th our readers will have the opportunity to win prizes from the following sponsors, AJ Designs, Eager Hands Boutique, Preppy Personals, TipTop Kids, Jamie's Plaques and More, Simply Creative Printables, Little One Books, Model Life Magazine, A Squeaky Foot, My Belle Boutique and Dorindas Diva Shop. I am so excited to join in on the fun, Everything for Ana loves multi sponsor giveaways!! 

Each day 4 Little Monsters and Me will post a feature of the sponsor, the prize for that day and a chance for you to gain bonus entries! Take advantage of those bonus entries by coming back each day!
Enter to win using the rafflecopter below and don’t forget that you can up your chances of winning by completing the daily and bonus entries in the rafflecopter each day! Mandatory entries qualify you for all 12 giveaways. Daily and bonus entries give you more opportunities to win. Open to US residents 18+. Giveaway ends 7:00 pm December 25th MST. Winners will be  posted on December 25th at 8 pm MST on 4 Little Monsters and Me. A huge thank you to all of our sponsors!!

Enter at the rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Everything for Ana is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Upcoming Giveaway: Yes, it is another Keurig!! Wohooo

Keurig-Button

Seeing Double! Keurig Vue 700 Event

Prizes: Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System + K-Cups
Event dates: 1/7 - 1/20 and 1/21 - 2/3

Free Blog Event! Sign-up here, BLOGGERS WANTED

Review: Give - a collaboration of love children's book


book
 Hello Dear Readers:

   I recently had the pleasure of reading an adorable book with Ana, "Give" from goodjoe.com, a picture book that was a collaboration of several artists. Check out the video for her first reaction:




book2
First couple of pages (aren't they adorable??)

   I visited the offical website to check out more about the Campaign: "This 20-page book is part of the unique and limited edition rewards for the Goodjoe Joy of Giving Campaign. This holiday season, goodjoe and our community of artists bring you “The Joy of Giving,” a collaboration design that was the combined effort of 17 talented artists. They worked together from the initial concept to the final layout. The concept was orchestrated as follows... The first artist of the 17 involved started out by creatively selecting 2 characters, then illustrating an act of giving and receiving between them. The next artist in line then took the receiving character and illustrated him giving to a new character. Then the next artist took that receiving character and illustrated him giving to another new character, and so on, and so forth. The artists continued until all 17 had created a chain of giving, which finally circled back around. In the final act of giving, the very first character becomes the receiver, and the circle is complete. As a result, we have a collaboration design called “The Joy of Giving.” I absolutely love this concept and this season have been really inspired to Give, whether directly with presents (we sponsored a baby girl and had so much fun buying her presents and spoiling her with girly stuff) or indirectly with support for family and friends."

   Check out the website and you can pledge to help the cause. Buy a t shirt and help the nonprofits out!  I really love that the artists get voted on, and you can help choose the art. The tshirts look really cool too! Surely you have $3 for a tshirt! (we are on the wall of goodness after buying one) Check out their video for all of the important info here:

  Good Joe Campaign

 Good Joe on Facebook


I love it!! This book is  such a great stocking stuffer, and wonderful for teaching children to share and be kind. I will be reading it to Ana over and over.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Giveaway: Quick WB Holiday Movie /Blu Ray


wb


                    Need some last minute ideas?? The WB has put together this cute guide:


and App:

  Play the Decode a Scene Game, Take the Holiday Movie Challenge and Make sure you enter in the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a cute WB Holiday Movie.

 Holiday Movie Challenge! Are you a true cinephile? Then take the WB Holiday Movie Challenge! Keep your movie skills sharp with this awesome quiz! Ready. Set. Go! Decode-A-Scene Game! Time is running out! Can you figure out what movie scene is slowly being decoded in front of your eyes? The sooner you figure it out the more points you earn! Holiday Survival Guide! Throw an epic holiday party this season! We have some awesome tips to make you look like a total holiday master!



 Enter in the rafflecopter for a surprise Holiday Bluray:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

****WB contacted me, supplied these materials  and offered this giveaway for my kind readers, I am not responsible for shipping of prize,

Adopt a Dog or Cat for the Holidays, Lady needs a Home!! #AdoptLady

aspca
 Hello Dear Readers:
   I wish I could bring Lady home from NYC. But alas, I have a toddler and 2 little high maintenance chihuahuas. But for sure, my next dog will be a rescued dog, and I have so much love for animals I wish I could rescue them all.  Please help spread the word and let's get this sweet Lady adopted. Find out all the deets here:

ASPCA in NYC

Other Adoptable Dogs at ASPCA

Thanks and have a great night!!


I am a Stay at Home Mom, who longs to be a Work at Home Mom

headshot
My current headshot (I love it, thanks Blu Toth)
Ok..  Now that Ana is 2, and is more and more independent, I think I am ready to get back to work. And work is ready for me to get back to it.  I think.

I am not sure. I am pretty wishy washy actually .  The reason I stopped working in the first place was to spend every precious moment watching and supporting my little girl as she grew up. And so far I have not missed a thing. Her first foods, her first words, her first steps. Yep, I was there for them.  Her first interaction with another child. Her first hug and even her first boo-boo. I was there.  But now I long for some work. Some creative outlet to get my actor- y juices flowing and get myself out there again. But as whom??

 A young Mom? The neighbor next door? I am not even sure who I am but I know one thing. I am ready. I think.

 I am not sure why I am having trouble committing myself to this idea. Could be because I really don't want to miss anything. I love each and every craft that we build together, every bathtime, tea party, story time, Toddler time, playdate, etc. I cannot imagine missing these day to day events and for what? Another film? Another audio book? They will be there. But my loving sweet toddler daughter will grow up while I am away at auditions, and filming, and shooting, and recording and before I know it, she will be an independent preteen or teen who doesnt want to spend a single moment with her "uncool" mother.

But on the other hand. This is who I am , this is part of me. I am a performing artist and this itch, this longing, this passion is in my blood and it will never go away.

So, I must compromise. I will do both. I can do both and I will.  I may work less, I may miss a playdate once in awhile, but I will be a happy, well-rounded, fulfilled mama/actress/voice over artist who has everything to offer her daughter.

So the longing will turn into reality and I will let you know how this all turns out. I am starting today. I have rented some time at a recording studio to record an audition and some audio book auditions and on Saturday I have a film audition. It is a long shot, and I am a bit too old for the role (I think), but it will feel good to get up in front of a casting director and read, and improv and act and put myself out there. And emote. And ...well, be fulfilled.

Until then, I am looking for ways to make this blog a better place to be and for more interesting topics for you to read. I have gotten away from the fashion aspect and I want to work that back in (since I am still obsessed with shoes and pretty things).

Have a great Thursday, Friday and Saturday and send me a little luck, as I journey back into the fray.

Stay well,

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Cleaning up, Donating and Feeling Good...


   Dear Readers:
    It has been that kind of month. Clean it out. Throw it out. Freecycle It. Donate it. Get rid of it. Just clean it up. Our basement was filled with boxes from moving.

 Over two years ago.


And so..it was time to really clean things out and move on with life. We went through each box and separated them into: Throw out. Donate. Freecycle and Craigslist/Sell. I am happy to say most items were sorted into Donate and Freecycle and have left the building. We found the local Children's home for toys/baby items and donated all the rest : clothing, household goods, decorative items to The Barn in Pleasant Valley. I freecycled a bunch of decorative and useful items as well. And now, I just cleaned up this Blog. I cleaned out old sponsored posts. Old Giveaways. Posts that were not helping me in any way and since I just found out how to change links to no follow links, it saved me a lot of time. So if my post links look smaller than they have in the past, that is why. It is time to shape up and ship out, clean it out and move on and it feels great.


 Now it is time to go shopping and um...buy more???

Ha.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Ana's First NYC Play: Snow White by Galli Theatre

ice cream
A sundae at Andrew's
  Yesterday my Mom and I took Ana on the train down the Hudson River to see her first NYC play: Snow White presented by the Galli Theatre. It was such a great experience and a wonderful, tiring day. Although the train ride is a bit long for an active 2 year old, my Mom brought Hello Kitty stickers, a book and some special trail mix to keep Ana busy. And of course, I packed her plenty of snacks, her ipad chock full of fun games, videos and educational apps and a few secret weapons (i.e Yogurt covered raisins).

 When we got to "The City" , as we call it, we found it was gray and raining out so our plans to wander around and look at store windows, and window shop was not really feasible. Nevertheless, we headed west past the NY Library, and Bryant Square Park and over to the 30s to find a child friendly place to eat.  We settled on a NYC diner chain, &lt ;Andrew's Coffee Shop  which I knew had fun comfort food and Ana and I shared split pea soup , a small mushroom pizza and an ice cream sundae. Thankfully, she is a pretty good eater, and I can find something for Ana to eat anywhere we go. She loves fresh veggies, and ended up eating some of her G'ma's salad as well.

galli
After lunch, we headed to the small, cute Galli Theatre space. It was clean and spacious, and we were seated right near the front where Ana could see everything. The set was very simple, and childish, and the stage was small, but for the three character actors who rotated through the story of Snow White, it was big enough. Ana seemed to enjoy the interactive part of the play, and although she was too shy and little to get up on stage with the other kids and dance, she loved the fun story and kept asking us "what is going to happen?" in a dramatic little voice. It was cute!

 The show was about an hour long, perfect timing for a short attention span, and for about 98% of it, Ana sat still and watched wide-eyed and attentive. I am looking forward to taking her to more plays and theatrical presentations (puppets, dance etc).  I knew she loved music, and she is really getting into dancing, but now I know she will sit still enough to enjoy a show.

After the play , we walked through Bryant Square Park, where we stopped to watch the ice skaters, and window shopped the vendors with their wares. We stopped in one of my fave feminine stores near Grand Central and picked up some stocking stuffers as well.  Right before we got on the train back home, Ana picked out a cookie and we were set for the 2 hour ride home.  Exhausted after a long day, Miss Ana fell asleep about 5 minutes into the 20 minute ride back from the station, and she went right to bed, with just a cookie for dinner when we got home.

Today was our last Toddler Time class before the Holidays, so we are taking a quiet day at home to blog, catch up on emails, take some photos for reviews, read Hanukkah books and finish decorating the trees.

Have a great week and check back soon for a great giveaway for Chloe Perfume coming up this week,

Stay well and warm.

Review: Complete Child Development educational program




Hello Dear Readers:
  Recently, I  received an invite to test out a new educational program that teaches kids to visualize their goals, build self esteem and instill confidence. I have been reviewing and reading Complete Child Development for the past week or so, and it looks to be a wonderful program. Though Ana is still 2, and therefore too young to use this program, I will be using it in the future for sure.I found it to be easy to use, comprehensive and astute. The amazing Dr behind the program sent me an email to tell you all about it too! :


 This from the company:

   Do you want your children to have complete confidence in themselves? Do you want to see them happy and sure of their own abilities, with the high self-esteem they deserve? Well, you are in luck! After 2 years of development there is now a child development program that will erase your children’s doubts and fears about themselves so that their futures will not be affected by their lack of confidence or low self-esteem. With CCD Program 1.1, your children will learn the skills needed to create the future that you have always dreamed of for them; a future of unlimited possibilities and complete happiness.

  CCD Program 1.1 is made up of a 4 disk set that include; Goals, Confidence, Environment and a Parent and Children’s guide that will assist both children and parents to create an action plan to bring your child’s dream into form. By working on goal visualization, building confidence and understanding their environment, your children will realize what you have known all along, that they are amazing and have the power to accomplish anything they want to.


  If seeing the happiness and new found confidence on your children’s faces is not enough of an incentive, we are proud to offer a 15-day FREE trial of our program (just pay $12.95 for shipping and handling, continental US only). That way, you don’t have to just take our word for it, you can experience it for yourself. After that, all it will cost you is three easy payments of $29. And you will still even receive a 30-day money-back guarantee. That’s how positive we are that you and your children will love the results. What are you waiting for? Don’t waste one more day of your children’s futures! Their happiness and success rests in your hands.

Cyber Monday /Holiday Special:
Regular Price $87.00
Special Holiday and Cyber Monday Special Promotion of only $67.00 USD (plus shipping & handling) While supplies last!
Holiday Gift Special Offer: Buy 3 copies and get the 4th one FREE!
Instant Online Access! (6 month membership) included with purchase of your physical copy.

Click on the following link to get you copy now: Complete Child Development

For more information about Complete Child Development and CCD Program 1.1, visit http://www.drsueandyou.com or contact Dr. Sue Cornbluth at drsueandyou@verizon.net.

 Official Website of   Dr Sue Cornbluth
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 .*** I received a trial of the program to test out and review, and was not compensated for this post. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.