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3rd Birthday Parties, Cupcakes and fires…oh my!

Posted on May 16, 2010 9:36 pm by TheAngelForever

Friday was JSL’s third birthday. Thanks to this, the weekend involved lots of celebration, family and goodies. It has also left Mommy, Daddy and the boys quite tired. Here is a look at Friday and Saturday and a sneak peek from today’s family party.

We went to the park with big brother, Uncle I and Cousin SG for fun on JSL’s birthday.

Later on Friday, we had dinner at Nana and Papa’s house with Mimi. Lots of time for the four cousins to play.

Baby BA has gotten so big. After a bunch of dirty looks from JSL (while I was holding the baby), he warmed up and wanted a closer look at his baby cousin.

NHL also asked to hold him with some assistance. Thanks Aunt M for saying it was fine to try later one with some help from one of us. He was a very proud big cousin.

Of course, we had to take a photo of Mimi with all four of her great grandkids. This is one of the better shots.

Saturday, we spent the day with Bubbe and Grandpa who were in town for the weekend. First, we stopped by NHL’s school for their fun day. NHL was so proud to introduce his grandparents to teachers, friends and anyone else that he knew. We walked around the school showing them classrooms, the computer lab and stopped by NHL’s reading display. Yes, from last July to the end of April NHL read the number of books on the monkey banana chart. below!

After that, it was time to go out to lunch at Buca di Beppo. The decorations here are fun. Two of my favorites are here:

Of course, we also took photos of the meals that we had. Yes, it was just as amazing as it look (probably more so).

Then we went shopping at L.L. Bean and after to get some food for the party. After a rest at our house, we went back out to dinner at a delicious local Chinese restaurant. Then Bubbe and Grandpa went back to the hotel while we stopped at the store quickly. We had some cooking and baking to do once the boys were in bed.

Early this morning, we packed up and went to Nana and Papa’s house to get the party started. We had food to make/bake, cupcakes to frost and fires to put out. <— WHAT? Oh yes, we had a small fire in the oven. Everyone was fine after a little fun and "excitement" thanks to the fire. I will leave you with a look at the Winne the Pooh cupcakes display from the table.

More food photos coming soon. Now, it is time for all of us to rest up some. It has been a busy weekend.

Categories:
birthday family food glorious food fun jsl nhl photos play time weekend yummy

3rd Birthday Wishes and Themes

Posted on May 14, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

It’s official, I am now the mother of a three year old again. Today is JSL’s third birthday and going to be an action packed day and weekend with family and friends. Yesterday, I blogged about the past year of memories with my little fellow – Goodbye to my last two year old.

This year, JSL is quite into Winnie the Pooh. My Wordless Wednesday this week, All things Winnie The Pooh, show cased all of the items that we have been trying to track down. Believe it or not, getting Winnie the Pooh toys/clothing/decorations is not the easiest thing in our area. Had he picked Toy Story it would have been a lot easier since Toy Story 3 is all over the place for the release of the movie this summer.

This made me think about all of the different themes we have had for past birthdays with the kids. Here they are:

1st NHL – Bear in the Big Blue House
2nd NHL – Finding Nemo
3rd NHL – Madagascar
4th NHL – Curious George
5th NHL – Dinosaurs
6th NHL – Cars
1st JSL – Sesame Street
2nd JSL – We were at Disney World

So my questions for you this week:

What was your favorite birthday party theme from when you were a child? Now be a kid again, what theme would you like for your next birthday?

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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 MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha #99

Categories:
Aloha Friday baking birthday decisions food glorious food jsl photos yummy

Goodbye to my last two year old

Posted on May 13, 2010 11:28 am by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

Three years ago today, I was very pregnant with you. It was Mother’s Day and I was ready to become the mother to another baby boy. Of course, Mother’s Day would have been the perfect day. It was a Sunday and practically on my due date. Your bris would have been the following Sunday and so convenient for relatives from near and far to come to. Of course, you had other ideas.

Almost three years later, you continue to show your independent spirit. You have a voice, opinions and theories about things and are not afraid to let them be heard. Your growing sense of humor and ability to melt everyone with your laugh and smile is contagious. You could also give Curious George a run for his money with your need to learn more about your surroundings. Watching you grow and spread your wings is hard to do, seeing you are my baby, but I know you need to do this.

The last year has been a fabulous adventure. Here is a look back at the last year in your life.

We celebrated your second birthday at the most magical place on Earth, Walt Disney World. Here is where your fascination with everything Winnie the Pooh began. (May 2009)

Then, you made your own sand storm when you played on a beach for the first time. (June 2009)

Of course as much as you loved Disney World, you had a special place in your heart for Wiggles World at the Great Escape. There is just something special about riding in your own Big Red Car. (July 2009)

Being a helper has been very important to you. This year, you have constantly been asking to help Mommy, Daddy, NHL or anyone else. (August 2009)

Within a few months of turning two, you learned new tricks to try to get out of going to sleep. Suddenly, you were a comedian at night and aimed at making us laugh until we had the hiccups. (September 2009)

The fall was tough around here with three of us having H1N1. Then, after you were better, you had your fourth febrile seizure right before Halloween. Still, you loved going outside to play in your Cozy Coupe. (October 2009)

You also went to your first concert this year. It was to see The Wiggles of course. The look on your face when you realized it was really the Wiggles was priceless. (November 2009)

Chanukah became a reality for you this year. You knew that we had to light the menorah each night and looked forward to putting your kippah on before you received something special. (December 2009)

For the start of the new year, a special friend came into your life. We welcomed Piggy Oink-Oink into our family and he has been going places near and far from that point on. (January 2010)

You became even more of a Disney World fan in February when we went to a conference for Mommy. Watching you interact with your big brother there and the characters was even more magical this time around. (February 2010)

With Spring coming, a big milestone came. We said bye-bye to your binky. To reward you for your first night without it, we went out to get something special. Of course, it had to be Winnie the Pooh related. (March 2010)

As the weather warmed up (at least for a while) we went to the park. You were the thrill seeker and showed us that you have no fear. (April 2010)

You continue to try things on your own, and are so proud of your accomplishments. (May 2010)

Please excuse a few extra hugs along the way today. Mommy is taking this growing up thing a little hard. I need to cherish the last two year old hugs and sloppy wet kisses from my baby. Yes, you are growing up, but you and your brother will forever be my baby boys – never forget that.

I love you Robot JSL Pup-Pup and look forward to watching you further explore the world around you as a three year old starting tomorrow. Happy early birthday.

Love,

Mommy

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Past B-day posts to JSL:

Categories:
birthday Disney jsl looking back milestone photos

All things Winnie The Pooh

Posted on May 12, 2010 7:43 am by TheAngelForever

Care to guess what a certain little boy’s theme for his third birthday will be this coming weekend?

Categories:
birthday Disney jsl photos Wordless Wednesday

Fruit2O Essentials – Review/Giveaway

Posted on May 11, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

If you come to visit our house, I apologize in advance that you will typically not find soda here. We only buy it for birthday parties and when we know we are having dinner guests that drink it. The boys, TechyDad included, do not like carbonated beverages. I do, but not that often. When visiting Disney World, I have been known to have a Sprite or another decaffeinated soda of choice. NHL loves water, milk and from time to time vegetable juices. The little guy could live on water alone. TechyDad and I drink 64+ ounces of water in our Nalgene bottles daily and rarely have anything else. From time to time, I do crave something different like a sugar free peach ice tea or lemonade. I have tried flavored waters, but often found them to be too sweet for me.

Recently, I was asked by Sunny Delight Beverage, Co (via Mom Select) to try the new Fruit2O Essentials. They mentioned a wide variety of flavors that sounded interesting, so I said yes.

More about Fruit2O Essentials:

From the creators of Fruit₂O®, the original fruit flavored water, comes a new fortified water unlike any other – Fruit₂O® Essentials™ – providing nutrients found in two servings of fruit with zero calories in each bottle.

"Studies have shown that 80 percent of Americans do not drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day, and as much as 77 percent of Americans do not eat the recommended servings of fruit a day,” said Tammy and Elysee Lakatos (The Nutrition Twins) certified trainers and nutritionists. “More than any other consumer group, women have expressed a particular desire to be healthy and consume the recommended daily intake of fruits and water. But with an increasingly hectic lifestyle, many find it difficult to incorporate these important elements of nutrition into their daily diet."

Fruit₂O Essentials was created with that in mind. Every bottle provides nutrients found in two servings of fruit, including important vitamins and minerals and one gram of fiber. Each of the six delicious flavors combines a popular fruit with a super fruit delivering uniquely beneficial nutrients.

Unlike many other fortified waters in the category, Fruit₂O Essentials has a subtle fruit flavor, zero sugar, zero calories and only one gram of carbohydrates. It is a great tasting way to help women achieve the appropriate level of hydration to keep them looking and feeling healthy. And, most importantly, the nutrients and benefits are as clear and easy to understand as the benefits of drinking water and eating fruit, making it simple for women to incorporate this drink into their life and diet.

Available in six flavors:

Cranberry Raspberry – An excellent source of Manganese and a good source of Zinc, Vitamin E, Phosphorus and Potassium
Strawberry Kiwi – An excellent source of Manganese and a good source of Vitamin E, Phosphorus and Vitamin B6
Peach Mango – An excellent source of Vitamin E and Vitamin B6 and a good source of Manganese, Phosphorus and Vitamin B5
Citrus – A good source of Potassium, Phosphorus, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin B6
Blueberry Pomegranate – An excellent source of Manganese and a good source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus and Potassium
Cherry Acai – A good source of Manganese, Phosphorus, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin B6

Only available in US markets at this time. Grocery stores sell single bottle at $1.00 to $1.19. Club Stores sell 15 packs at $8.99 to $10.99.

Fruit2O also has a Facebook page. You can "Like" them to receive product information, new fitness videos, tips, coupons and special events in your area. Fruit2O has also partnered with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to help women to make small changes that create lifelong health improvements. Fruit2O will be on tour this summer sharing information about Small Changes, Lifelong Results campaign and partnership with the ADA. Starting this Friday, May 14, visit online to make a pledge. If you do, $1 will be donated to your local ADA chapter to help fight diabetes. More updates are available on the Facebook page.

What we thought:

Our samples of Fruit2O Essentials arrived during Passover, so I put them aside to have after we were finished with the holiday. When we were done switching things out, I placed the seven bottles (one of each flavor listed above and an extra Citrus) into our refrigerator to chill. One thing I have noticed is that flavored water typically tastes better when very cold.

The first one that we tried was the Citrus flavor. Let me preface this with a little information. When we go to restaurants and I am served water with lemon in it, I will ask for a new water with no fruit inside. I am not a fan of lemon in my water, yet I do like lemonade. When I took a sip, I was not too sure how I felt. I allowed my very eager six year old son, NHL, to try some. He loved it and begged for more. I tried a little more and handed over the bottle to NHL. He quickly drank it and asked if we had more. I told him we would try another flavor the next day. I think the reason I was not a fan of this flavor was because it was too similar to lemons in water and I seriously do not like that.

Our favorite flavor was the Peach Mango. I saved this until later because I was most intrigued by the combination. I love peach ice tea, and anything with the fruits sounds delicious. I was pleasantly surprised. There was a definite peach/mango flavor that was not overwhelming. Since I rarely drink anything other than plain water, I was sensitive to another taste – which was in all of the drinks. From process of elimination, I believe it was the sodium. Yes, apparently my taste buds are that sharp since we do low salt meals here! NHL and JSL both adored this one. As you will see below, we all shared and finished this flavor together.

Overall, the boys really liked the Fruit2O Essentials drinks. NHL keeps asking if we have more for a special treat. As I stated at the start, I am a plain water kind of girl. If I was really hot and out in the sun, I think I would have appreciated these drinks a little more (will try again this summer when we head to Six Flags for the day). People that like flavored water will probably enjoy Fruit2O Essentials since the flavors are present, not too strong and they are packed with a lot of extras in the line of vitamins and more.

Giveaway:

Thanks to MomSelect and Sunny Delight Beverage Co., one lucky reader will win variety pack of Fruit2O Essentials to try for yourself. Below are the bottles that I received for review.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: What small change are you making to live a healthier life?

For all bonus entries below, please be sure to leave a separate comment for each extra chance you are allowed.

Bonus Entry – What flavor of Fruit2O Essentials are you most interested in trying and why?
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Fruit2O Essentials Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): What small changes are you making to be healthy? Let @TheAngelForever know. Chance to #win Fruit2O Essentials #giveaway http://bit.ly/b753RN
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of April/May. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
1 Bonus Entry – Enter any of my other current giveaways (keep checking back – more being added all the time). Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today May 11 and ends at 10:59 EST on May 25, 2010. 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 U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: This review and giveaway was made possible by MomSelect and Fruit2O Essentials. They provided me with the product samples to facilitate this review. The opinions of this review were mine and I received no other compensation.