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Hockey Days Gone By

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

Yesterday, I went to an Albany Devils game with my son’s class. The Devils gave Capital District schools tickets to a matinee game as a community outreach program. As soon as I sat down in my seat, my eyes wandered across the ice and to the right by the team bench. Why over there? Well, that is where I sat for several seasons in a row, during every home game when I had Season Tickets to the Albany River Rats.

My old hockey spot

Ah, those were the days. The original team filled with New Jersey Devils prospects like Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora, Mike Dunham, Steve Sullivan, and so many more. As you can see from the photo, I had an amazing hockey spot. I sat center ice, a few row back from the Devils bench. We sat so close to the players that I can actually say I learned some interesting phrases as they screamed to the visitors bench at times.

Old School Hockey - Feb 2001

For some reason, it was like I had been sent back in time. There must be something special about the air during a hockey game. It brought me back to my college days where I had few responsibilities, no husband, and no kids. I love those memories, but so thrilled to have my family and life.

Do you have a place that you like to visit that reminds you of your “old school” days?

It's Me

BTW – For any old time River Rats fans, the photos above were taken on February 2, 2001. It was a River Rats game against the Hamilton Bulldogs with an autograph session on the ice after.

A Goal Met – Evolution Fitness NY

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

About eight years ago, I met a group of wonderful women in my Capital District Moms group. Together, we have shared stories, inspired each other, and been a shoulder to cry on when needed. The founder of the group was Debi Condon. Over the years, I have watched this amazing woman change her path in life and follow her dreams. She balances family life, being an entrepreneur, and healthy living all while showing others that it can be done. I hope to be one of these women that Debi kicks into gear because I know I need to do this for me. The following is a guest post from this phenomenal lady. Thank you Debi for sharing your story and helping others.

Debi Condon

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Have you been wanting to fit into those special pair of jeans, but notice that they just not fitting right any longer? Or what about playing outside with the kids? Are you finding you are getting short of breath trying to keep up with them? Have you just been denying that you should make the time for yourself to get back in shape? Always coming up with an excuse, saying I’ll start tomorrow, or when the baby goes down for a nap?

Debi BeforeThat was me 6 years ago. I was a mom of 3 kids all under the age of 5. I had let the post pregnancy weight stay on me and then some and I made every excuse in the book. If there was an excuse I had it: laundry to be done, dishes to put away, the house to be cleaned, errands to be done or me to just have some “down” time. I found I was constantly putting everyone first and not making the time for myself! My eating habits were not all the greatest. I would pick at whatever my kids didn’t finish, or snack all day long. I did not have the words vegetables or portion control in my vocabulary!

In December 2006, a neighbor asked me if I would like to join Weight Watchers with her and I gave her a “sure I’ll check it out with you” response. I’m not sure why I decided to go and waste the money but I did. I kept going each week with her. Each week I learned a little bit about myself and a little bit about how to make the changes I needed to make to be healthier for my kids and myself. With each passing week, I saw the weight coming off! By July 2007, I had hit my lifetime goal weight and had lost 31lbs. At that time, I started exploring Sparkpeople more often and learning about strength training, eating clean and ways to maintain my weight loss. I started having friends and family members asking me for advice and steps they should take to change their lives around. Leading me to make the decision to pursue my certification as a Personal Trainer & Fitness Nutritionist.

In April 2009, I began the process of starting my own personal training business: Evolution Fitness. I first started teaching beginner boot camp classes and then began working with individual clients. Evolution Fitness offers 1-1 personal training sessions, nutritional guidance, small group training sessions, boot camp classes, TRX training, corporate classes, and seminars. Coming soon I will be offering Zumba classes and Wellness coaching.

Trainer Debi

You are probably wondering what boot camp class is – probably thinking I’m dressed in Army fatigues, have a whistle and yelling at each participant! That is FAR from the truth! Boot camp is a 1 hour class combining cardio and strength training in each class. We are in 1 big group setting, laughing, talking, and telling jokes: anything to help each participant get through the 1 hour class and away from the thinking of what they are doing. It is designed to push your body out of your comfort zone and take your fitness to the next level. The participants in these classes really form a camaraderie amongst each other: helping to hold each other accountable, offer the support needed to keep going, and help each other through any exercises.

Each of you has the potential of changing your life. Each of you has different goals and no matter what they are, Evolution Fitness can help!

Commit to making one change at a time. If you overwhelm yourself with too many changes, you are more likely to throw in the towel. Change won’t happen overnight, so be patient, be persistent & be consistent.

For more information about Evolution Fitness head to their Facebook page, Google+ page, catch them on Twitter, and feel free to e-mail Debi –> debi@evolutionfitnessny.com

Hair Cut Fun for Kids at Snip-its – Giveaway

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Getting hair cuts for the kids is NOT one of my favorite things to do. This is probably why you will see photos of the boys hair getting a bit longer than it should be. Yes, I would rather let them get shaggy at times than brave taking them for a hair cut. I am hoping that this will soon change.

Up north of us, there is a location that a lot of my friends bring their children to. It is called Snip-its. It is a child centered destination for hair care and more. Just look at this photo and you will understand.

SalonPictureLowRes

We could never justify traveling to that location for a hair cut. The good news, though, is that Snip-its just opened a new Capital District location in Guilderland. Since it is winter break, I am hoping to take the boys to check out the new Snip-its today! Here is what they have to say on their website since we have never been:

Snip-its Haircuts for Kids of Guilderland, NY is the premier destination for your kids’ haircuts in the area, providing Guilderland, Albany and surrounding communities with quality haircuts in a fun environment! We have specially-trained stylists to proudly provide quality haircuts as well as kid-designed spa and cosmetic services in a fun and safe environment! Snip-its is also the perfect location for a unique birthday party, with plenty of themed parties where your children can feel like the star they are!

Giveaway:

Snip-its contacted me to offer a fun giveaway for Capital District readers. One lucky winner will receive a free haircut at the Guilderland store and three hair care products of your choice. We actually received a package of their hair care products for my boys to test out while we were waiting for the grand-opening of the store. FYI: The Guilderland store has a Facebook page where they also have specials listed.

ProductLine

Rules for Giveaway:

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today February 23, 2012 and ends at 10:59 EST on March 4, 2012. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to those in the Capital District area willing to travel to the Guilderland, NY Snip-its location.

It's Me

Disclosure: Snip-its provided my family with a product package. We have never been to their store yet, but hope to go one day soon. This giveaway was made possible by  Snip-its. The opinions are mine and I received no other compensation.

Not My Hair in the Food

Friday, January 13th, 2012

The title pretty much explains it all. Last week, TechyDad stopped on his way home from work to pick up some dinner because it was one of those nights. We opted for some subs. I was really in the mood for some grilled chicken and ordered that. As we were eating our dinner, I noticed a medium length hair of a color that is not mine sticking out of my sandwich.

 Sub Sandwich - using sub from OpenClipArt.org

Insert gagging noises, expressions of horror, and rage.

That was the end of my meal since there was no way I was eating something that was served to me with an unknown hair within it. TechyDad called the store and was told he could go back in for a new sandwich and see the manager. Oh sure, just what we want to do so late on one of the coldest nights of the year with two kids that need to go to bed soon. NOPE, I was not taking that as an answer. I decided to call and ask to talk to the manager. The manager came onto the phone and blew me away with the cluelessness. She did not get how bad this situation was, offered no solution, and certainly NEVER said she was sorry. The next morning, I went to the website of the main company since I did not have a way to get in touch with the local owner. This is what I wrote to them:

My husband decided to stop on his way home to get subs for dinner to take home. He ordered a roasted chicken and veggie patty. As I was eating mine, something caught my eye. A hair was embedded in my sandwich that was clearly NOT mine. That was it, I was done eating. I was disgusted with this. What I was not ready for was what happened when we called the store. First, my husband called. He was told to go back to the store to talk with the manager. He hung up and told me. It was dinner time, we have two young children, and it was freezing. He was NOT going back to the store at that point in time. I picked up the phone and asked to talk to the manager. It was a little after 6:00 at this point. I did not get the managers name. She was less than helpful at best. The manager clearly did not get the gravity of the situation. She stated "Oh you are upset and don’t want your food?"  No kidding I was upset, disgusted, and appalled with how she had no clue how to handle this. I told her I was finished and was going to contact corporate. This is when she suddenly seemed to care and wanted to know what she could do. I told her no thank you and hung up the phone. Your Twitter feed helped me to located this page to report the incident. I would like to know what is the proper protocol for  avoiding hairs into customer food and what is supposed to be done when a customer finds one within their meal.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this matter.

After some time, an e-mail from the owner of the store arrived. It was 2-3 sentences long and did not really apologize, state what happened, or anything else. They may have thought it was a sorry, but it was not. Stating that you are “sorry that your experience at my store was not satisfactory” and telling me to print out the e-mail for a free sub next visit does not cut it. Nope, my business will now be going to a new location and I will make my own sandwiches at home without feeding my family hairs.

So my question to you this week:

Have you ever gotten a hair in your food at a restaurant? What did you say and what did they do in response to the situation?

It's Me

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha Friday by Kailani at An<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
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    Island<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
    Life

Aloha #186

The Year that was 2011

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

It is hard to believe that 2012 is here. Once again, the year went by with a lot of fun, photos, and memories. Here are just some of the highlights from the year that was 2011.

January:

Lots and Lots of Snow

February 2011:

Greeting the Devil Dawg

March 2011:

Magical Memories

April 2011:

Views from Seder 2

May 2011:

Cousins at play

June 2011:

Reliving our honeymoon almost 10 years later

July 2011:

Mexico

August 2011:

Lion Cupcakes

September 2011:

P1040961

October 2011:

Halloween 2011

November 2011:

Silly Turkeys

December 2011:

IMGP4313

There were so many other things that made 2011 special and amazing. Thank goodness that is what archives are for. We can look back, laugh, cry, remember, and reflect.

What are some of your favorite part of the year that was 2011?

It's Me

Goodbye Crib and Hello Bunks

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

Dear NHL and JSL,

Today is a really big day. This afternoon, we are finally getting bunk beds for the two of you. We offered to let you each have your own room, but neither of you wanted to be alone. Since we can not fit two twin beds into the space, we had to make the bedding go upward.

We have spent the last two weeks going around looking at different options. We fell in love with a set of twin over twin bunks at Raymour & Flanigan. Then, we had to make the choice between the darker and lighter woods.

The options

I think the two of you liked the darker wood option for only one reason. You adored the pirate bedding and space items within the decorating. We explained to you that none of those items come with the furniture. Thursday night, we went to the store and a very patient man named Michael at Raymour & Flanigan helped us to finalize our purchase. Much to our surprise, there were still slots for delivery and set up Saturday.

This morning, we will be working on your room to get ready for the delivery truck. NHL, your bed mattress will be moving to the bunk bed, but the box spring and frame need to be stored. Then, you will be the new owner of the top bunk.

Moving on up

JSL, this will be a big milestone for you. You are finally getting a big boy bed. Your toddler bed, and old crib, will likely be given away or sold. When I took the photos of your room, my heart skipped a beat. Suddenly it hit me that my baby is growing up way too quickly. I have a feeling you are going to love your new bed, and hope that it will be more comfortable for you to sleep the entire night.

Bye-Bye Bed

No doubt that there will be more tears when we put everything away, but it is the right thing to do. The two of you need this change and it will create many new memories for the two of you as brothers. Daddy and I wish you many sweet dreams in your new bunk beds.

Love,

Mommy

If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

Dear<br<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />























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Kid<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />























Saturday

The Making of Clumsy and Snowflake

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Last week, an e-mail from Build-A-Bear came to me. It was actually for my son. It was inviting NHL to come back to make a new friend. The coupon allowed him to get a free $12 friend, or apply it toward a more expensive one. After seeing The Muppets, we walked up to Build-A-Bear Workshop to see if there was anything that the kids were interested in.

Within a few minutes, NHL and JSL each had a new best friend that they wanted to make. It was no surprise to me that NHL wanted to make a Smurf and JSL picked the blue Winter Wonder Teddy. I had a feeling they might select these after I saw them at an event in NYC during SheStreams

BAB selections made

After a short wait, we met with the person to help make our new family members just perfect for lots of hugging. She was amazing. This was not our first time at Build-A-Bear, but I have to say she really made this experience even more special. She talked with both of the boys, helped them to make the Smurf and bear just right.

Getting stuffed

Then, it was time for the new family members to get their hearts. She had NHL and JSL do a cute dance routine when they gave their friends their hearts. After that, it was time to sew up their buddies to begin their adventure within the store.

 Hearts and happy boys

From here, it was time to clean our new Smurf and Bear friends. We spent some time at the area making sure that everyone looked just right before we went to the next part of the process.

Everyone is clean now

Once the boys were done here, we went to wait on line to register our new family members. This was also the time that they received their names. NHL named his Smurf Clumsy and JSL named his bear Snowflake.

 BAB Dec 2011

Once we had the certificates and paid, the boys posed for one last photo in the store. Then, we took everyone home to meet Spike and Puppy.

 Our Family

Of course, Clumsy and Snowflake are getting used to life here with us. Snowflake has already been on several adventures and those will be shared another day. Now, if only I had my own special Build-A-Bear of my own – *wink* *wink*

It's Me

Decadent Desserts for the Holidays

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Thanksgiving Footer

Thanksgiving is coming, Thanksgiving is coming! I do believe it may be my favorite holiday because of time with extended family. Each year, it is a surprise to see which members come into town to be with all of us here.

Family on Thanksgiving 2010

Since we do not host Thanksgiving, we often bring a side and/or some desserts. Dessert is my favorite item to make. TechyDad does most of the cooking, but I adore baking. Usually, I will make my apple cake or some bon bon cookies. This year, we will be spending the day with my parents for a relatively small and quiet day together. Of course, this year I am not sure if we will have time to do any baking. Check that. I may not want to do any baking since I am too excited to try more baked good from an event I recently went to. 

New desserts now available at Price Chopper

Two weeks ago, I was invited to a Price Chopper Holiday Cheer event (#PCHolidayCheer – on Twitter). While at the Price Chopper corporate building, they invited us to be their guests. We were able to chat with members from their departments and sample items.

I have to admit, my eyes immediately wandered to one specific section. I think I was most intrigued with the Decadent Desserts because we had already tried the new cupcakes a short time before this event. Now, feast your eyes on more of Price Chopper’s Central Market Decadent Dessert line.

Sugar rush of delicious treats

The display showed only some of the items currently available at the Price Chopper bakery department. Please refrain from drooling on your computer as I list some of the amazing items you can try:

Cakes – available in 5” or 8” round:

In addition to the cakes, they also have Éclairs, Strawberry Croissants, Petite Cheesecakes, Chocolate Bombes, Cannolis (made fresh to order so they are still crunchy), Peanut Butter Pie, Decadent Minis, Freshly Bakes Crullers, Decadent Apples, Tuxedo Strawberries, Brownies (look like brownie mini-cakes with different toppings), Fresh Fruit Tart,  and of course the Cake in a Cup (monster sized cupcakes).

Cannoli InspirationWhen talking with members of the Price Chopper Decadent Dessert Team, I asked a question. The Colonie store has a Kosher Bakery. I was curious if most of the items could be made to order there if I ever want to entertain at my house where we keep kosher. I was told that almost every item is, just raspberry items would not be an option. SCORE! This is great to know since we may need something to bring with us from a bakery when going to family or friends.

I do believe that I need to talk to TechyDad and my mother. I think we may have to try the Cannoli Dream cake for Thanksgiving or some other event coming up soon. Yes, the description sold me with the Cannolis along with the real whipped cream on top. YUM!

Oh and if we do not get these for Thanksgiving, my birthday, Chanukah, and holiday parties are just around the corner. I know we will be sampling more of these in our future.

More from the event to share soon. Again, a huge thank you to the entire team at Price Chopper for inviting me to this wonderful event.

It's Me

Disclosure: I was invited to the Price Chopper Holiday Cheer event to learn about new items and holiday entertaining ideas with other bloggers. I was not compensated or expected to write any reviews. All opinions are my own. I did receive a bag of goodies, along with some amazing new cheeses to thank me for coming.

Fluffalicious has a Home

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

It is no secret that we love our cupcakes. We have explored many a tasty treats within the area and beyond. Still, our love for a cute pink truck has us watching to see what new and exciting things will be available.

Fluffalicious Cupcake Truck

When we heard that Fluffalicious was getting a new home, we waited to hear the news of their grand opening. That happened last weekend and we were not able to make it. Though we just went, we may have to go again next week for Small Business Saturday.

While TechyDad’s parents were in town, we decided to head over to the new Fluffalicious store. As we pulled up, we knew we were in the right place. We saw the Fluffy truck outside, and pink on the side of the building.

Fluffalicious Home

When we went inside, the boys did not know where to begin. They love the cupcakes from Fluffalicious, but had never SEEN them like this. When the cupcakes are in the pink truck, you are not able to view them and pick based on the look, just the sound and flavor.

Beautiful treats

As we were trying to pick things out to take home, I recalled a Tweet that I had seen. The Tweet mentioned that they would have Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes ready at 3:00. It was just before that, so I asked. Sure enough they were ready.

Fresh from the oven

In the end we picked our four cupcakes. JSL wanted Triple Chocolate. NHL wanted the Hot Fudge Sundae. TechyDad and I wanted to try one of the Cherry Cheesecake and Boston Cream. Check out the beautiful cupcakes below.

Our cupcakes

We all enjoyed the items that we selected and I am sure we will be heading back to Fluffalicious one day soon. Thank you for making these fantastic treats.

It's Me

A Sweet Cupcake Surprise

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

Dear NHL,

When I picked you up from school yesterday, I mentioned that we really had to go to the grocery store. You were not too thrilled about it. Then, I told you that we were going to head to the bigger Price Chopper and you agreed to help me out. When we got there, you asked if we could get a special snack. As we passed by the bakery, I had an idea. New Cupcakes from Price Chopper

Lately, I have heard a lot of people talking about the new Price Chopper Decadent Desserts collection of cupcakes. I also knew their new flavor and your love for pumpkin and cheesecake. So I showed you the in store sign. You immediately said we had to get these to taste test and share together. We stood there and picked out four cupcakes to split and try together.

First, we both selected one of the Pumpkin Spice & Everything nice.

PumpKin Spice & Everything Nice

Then, you thought JSL would like the Peanut Butter Twist Brownie, so we put one of those into our cart.

Peanut Butter Twist Brownie

From here, you noticed the one with marshmallows on top, so a Gimme Smore joined our collection.

Gimme Smore

Last, but certainly not least, we thought the little guy and Daddy would adore the Cookie Cupcake.

Cookie Cupcake

When we got home, Daddy and JSL were so surprised and excited to test out the goodies. We will write another post about that later, but we did learn a valuable lesson. When we pick up more of the Decadent Dessert cupcakes from Price Chopper, we will split two of them because that will be more than enough. This was the first time I have ever seen you walk away and not finish – and it was not because you didn’t like them

Thank you NHL for going with me to get the things we needed and picking up something to help us all smile after a rough week.

Love,

Mommy

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If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

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Saturday

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