Marianna | Connecticut Mom Blog

Sauteed Chicken & Mushroom Penne

2012-02-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

When I am in the kitchen cooking, I make an absolute mess. Did you ever see that episode of Modern Family, when Cam destroys the kitchen making breakfast and then leaves for the day hoping that Mitchell will clean it up for him? Yeah, that's kind of like me. Fortunately 99% of the time, my husband does clean it up for me. So when I have a meal like this which is only two pots/pans it makes clean up so much easier. This started out as another great recipe of my mother's and I added the chicken to it to make it a complete meal.

Sautéed Chicken & Mushroom Penne

Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 pint sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 pint sliced mushrooms
1 - 2 cloves fresh crushed garlic
extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Directions
1. Pound chicken until its about 1/4 inch thick and slice into bite size pieces.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions or to your desired texture.
3. Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and warm over medium-low heat. Add crushed garlic and stir. If you want a lighter garlic flavor than just use 1 clove. If you like the garlic to be stronger, use more. I probably use 1.5 to 2 cloves.
4. Cook garlic for about a minute and then add chicken. Continue to stir to cook all sides.
5. Once chicken starts to whiten on all sides, add in mushrooms. I prefer to buy the pre-sliced, pre-washed mushrooms to make it easier on myself. I also add more olive oil now so that everything is coated.
6. Continue to cook over medium heat until chicken and mushrooms are fully cooked. Add salt to taste.
7. Drain pasta and return to pot. Pour chicken and mushroom mixture over pasta and mix together.
8. Serve with fresh grated cheese.

Battling the Post Baby Bulge

2012-02-01T20:08:00.000-05:00

At first the baby bump was cute. Everyone was excited and you couldn't wait to show it off. But now that your bundle of joy has arrived, the baby bump is frustrating and you have to hide it. Losing the excess baby weight after childbirth is a very common problem for many of us. But it can be done!

photo courtesy morgueFile

The pregnancy process is a bit counterproductive to a normal 'fit' lifestyle. Your body craves more food and physically, you are forced to slow down and take it easy as the due date approaches. This creates a natural slowing of your metabolism as well as an increase in fat deposits for most of us. After giving birth it is usually a hectic adjustment to the constant waking to feed along with recovery from the physical experience; which makes the idea of exercise daunting to say the least. However this is one thing you should do for yourself and your baby!

Focus Points

• Abdominal muscles
• Lower back
• Arms & Shoulders

Some strength training should always be done after giving birth. You need to focus on a regular workout for abs and the lower back to help combat strain to the body from weight gain and weight loss. In addition, a change in breast size due to feeding can cause lower back problems if the muscles aren't strengthened. Also the arms and shoulders are typical trouble spots that need to be worked on. Carrying around a newborn and all of that baby gear is hard work and strong arms and shoulders will help immensely.

Cardiovascular Work

• Yoga
• Walking/Running
• Aerobics

photo courtesy stock.xchng

Surprisingly after the first few weeks of childbirth is the best time to start exercising again. A basic schedule has been developed for napping and you will have some time to devote to regular exercise. Yoga is very popular because it typically includes calming meditation as well as strengthening into the workout program. You can easily pop in a DVD while the baby naps.

Walking and running are another good starting point because you can utilize nap times and a stroller to enjoy exercise as well as getting out of the house. Aerobics can be a bit much to jump right into but with the variety of exercise programs and DVDs, they are very easy to incorporate into a nap schedule.

Diet

Typically right after child birth is not the best time to start any sort of hard diet. Your body is in recovery mode and if you are breastfeeding then you do not want to limit nutrients. However portions can be reduced from what you were eating in the previous two months as that was eating for two. Additionally drinking lots of water and eating regular meals will go a very long ways to re-establishing a more normal metabolism. Many people after birth end up eating sporadically and in a very unhealthy manner due to time constraints of adjusting to life with a baby.

Losing that baby weight and getting back in shape with not only help you physically but also mentally. This can help battle postpartum depression, strengthen your body for the coming toddler years, and help alleviate stress. By taking some time to help yourself, you will also help your child and family by having more energy and a better mood.

This is a guest post by Keira Sullivan and has been brought to you buy AbdominalWorkouts.com.

Wordless Wednesday: I Love a Man in Uniform #StarWars3D

2012-02-01T06:37:00.001-05:00

My son and I had amazing time this weekend out in San Francisco for the Star Wars Episode 1: Phantom Menace in 3D press event. While I couldn't coax him into taking a picture with these members of the local 501st Legion, there was no way I was passing it up myself.

I have so much to share from our weekend now that I have recovered from my jet lag. Please check back for all of the details!

Green Giveaway Friday 1/27

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Is it Spring yet?

Please add both your green and non-green giveaways and contests into Mr. Linky below so we can do some giveaway hopping! Be sure to include the expiration date. Thanks!

You can also submit your green giveaways to me during the week for me to feature on Fridays.

Crunchy Beach Mama
Thirsties Duo Diaper 1/27
biodegradeable BecoPotty 1/30
$50 SpaFinder & C3 for Stress Drink ($40) 1/30
Kindle Fire & $20 Paypal ~ 2 Winners! 1/31
$50 Amazon 2/1

Family Focus Blog
Natural Dentist Mouth Rinse 1831

FreePlay Kids
3 Melissa & Doug Items 1/29

Just Another New Blog
$25 Gift Card to Barnes & Noble 2/3

Mommy Hast To Work
Mightynest Eco Gifts 2/2

What's In a Dog Name?

2012-01-26T08:49:00.001-05:00

Although our home is currently pet-free, my childhood was filled with many beloved animals. Growing up we always had multiple pets at any given time - a dog and a few cats. Regardless of what name you eventually choose for your pet, there is always a good story behind how the name came about. My family got their first dog when I was a newborn, so I reached out to my mom to learn more about how she decided on his name.

Fritz, circa 1992

When I was just three months old, my family moved from the Bronx up to Westchester County. Since the area was very secluded, my mom decided that she wanted to have a dog. She went to a breeder in the city looking to buy an Airedale puppy, but he did not have any. He did however have Miniature Schnauzer puppies. One of the male puppies came right over to her so she decided to bring him home. Being that the Schnauzer is a German breed, my mother knew that she wanted a German name and the name Fritz is the first one that she thought of. It was a name that she had heard on one of her favorite television shows, The Odd Couple. I will let her describe the scene from the show:

"It was from a funny scene with Oscar where he was talking about the names of the sports figures on his wall. He had some photos of them. The boxer's name was Fritzie Zivic. The name just stuck with me so when I got the Schnauzer it was what came to mind."

So it was then that Fritz, we also called him Fritzie, became a member of our family. My older brother was nine years old at the time and developed a very strong bond with the dog. I have very fond memories of Fritz dating back to my kindergarten days when he would wait for my bus at the end of the driveway and walk up to the house with me. Fritz was loving, playful and very protective of us kids. He was even known to hunt down the occasional birds, rabbits and snakes from time to time. He lived a great life and passed at the age of 13.

A few years after Fritz passed on, my mother decided to get another Miniature Schnauzer. This one would be a girl. I have mentioned before how I am a pretty big hockey fan. It was 1998 and Women's Ice Hockey made its debut at the Olympics. And if you don't know, the United States won the gold medal. The captain of that amazing team and there star player was Cammi Granato. Since we were all pumped up from the big win, we deiced to name this dog Cammi.

Cammi in the cat perch.

Cammi was a lot of fun. Since we were living in a townhouse now, she wasn't able to have free reign of the yard. So she spent a lot of her time inside hanging out with the cats. This resulted in her often acting like a cat. She would walk along the back of the couch, climb up onto the kitchen table and somehow even maneuver her way into the cat perch attached to the window. Cammi passed away just a few years ago.

Writing about my childhood dogs brings back a lotof happy memories and even a few tears as I write this. They each will forever hold a special place in my heart and I will always miss them. I enjoyed sharing the stories of how they got their names with you all.

How did you decide on your dog's name?

I am blogging about my dogs in partnership with DogFenceDiy, the invisible fence alternative. DogFenceDiy is sponsoring the "What's in a Name" Campaign as a reminder that no matter the name--they care about your pet's safety.

Wordless Wednesday: The Beautiful Sky

2012-01-24T21:11:00.000-05:00

I have been playing around with Instagram a lot lately and having some fun with it. Often times I bring my iPhone outside with me in the morning while we wait for the bus and I am able to get some neat shots of the sky to share on Instagram. These are a few of my favorites.

If you are on Instagram, I would love to follow you! Just leave me your username, mine is greenmamaspad.

It Pays To Get Organized

2012-01-24T11:52:00.002-05:00

I am not so great when it comes to being organized. To be honest, I flat out stink. Our home office can vouch for that as it is the scariest room in the house. I also like to call it the dumping grounds. Company is coming over? "Quick, throw all the junk from the kitchen island into the office!" Over time all of that junk builds up until you can barely walk into the room. It even starts to injure people when in an attempt to turn on your Wi-Fi network, your mother falls and nearly loses a limb.

There is no question that I want to clean and organize it, but I like to procrastinate. Which is kind of the reason I am even in this situation in the first place. However, I have a big trip coming up soon and I promised my husband that I would get it done before I left. So operation clean up the office has begun.

This is my office this past Sunday. It looks ridiculous right? Well, this is AFTER I spent a few hours for three days working on it. I wish I had taken a true before picture, it was frightening. Sadly, I have to admit that 99% of it is mine. Over to the left just out of the picture is my husband's desk which while not perfect, is in much better shape than mine.

But wait a second Marianna, you said it PAYS to get organized? Yes I did say that. While cleaning off my desk on Sunday and sifting through papers I came a cross a stack of gift cards: Victoria's Secret, New York & Co. and three for Kohl's. I called to get the balance for each one and it turns out I have $30 to spend at New York & Co and $134 for Kohl's! I could get myself an outfit or two for my upcoming trip! That is very exciting stuff. I never buy myself new clothes - as I type this I am wearing some pretty scruffy looking yoga pants.

So I still have a littl ways to go, but the office is already looking even better then it does in the picture above. Once I can get rid of all the junk and put everything in its place, it will be awesome to finally be able to work at my desk again. I haven't sat at my desk in like two years. I will for sure have to post an after photo.

What room in your house is in some desperate need of organization? Have you ever come across surprise finds like money or gift cards while cleaning up?

Can I Breastfeed If...?

2012-01-23T10:28:00.000-05:00

Over the past seven years, I have done my fair share of breastfeeding. During that time period I nursed four children and overcame several obstacles. My oldest son I nursed for 12 months, my twins for 21 months and my youngest for 23 months. While I certainly don't call myself an expert, I do have almost five collective years of breastfeeding experience that I can share with others. Breastfeeding isn't always easy, but one can work through most challenges with the right support and knowledge to help them.

Can I breastfeed if my child has food sensitivities?
It may not be easy, but yes you can continue to breastfeed if you can adjust your diet accordingly. When W was three months old, I noticed a small amount of blood in his stool. We were immediately in the pediatrician's office where he told us that my son had a cow's milk protein intolerance. This is not the same as an allergy. His digestive system could not break down that protein which then irritated his intestines causing colicky symptoms and the blood. Our pediatrician said to cut out all milk products from my diet. After doing that and waiting two weeks, things had not improved. I was then told to remove soy products from my diet as well and we were referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist (GI). The first GI we so was an awful jerk. He told me that I might as well just stop breastfeeding because there is no benefit to the child after 3 months old. Say what? Yes, a licensed doctor told me this. I left his office so confused and in tears. I was already supplementing with special formula since I was working full time and pumping wasn't giving me enough milk to send to daycare. I battled with the idea of just quitting all together. Then I went to see a second GI. She was amazing and these few words are what really helped me and gave me the strength to push through: "You are doing a great job mom. Keep doing what you are doing." And so I did. After a few weeks being soy free as well as dairy free, we saw an improvement. The blood stopped. The colic stopped.

Cutting things like dairy and soy from your diet is not as easy as saying no more cheese, milk or tofu. You really have to start reading labels and scrutinizing every ingredient. I found that so many processed foods contain some sort of milk derivative and even more of them contain some form of soy. On the positive side, it will drastically cut back on your consumption of processed foods, which is a very good thing. And as a double bonus, you will lose weight. I went down to what I weighed before I got married, which was a nice side effect. Whole foods will be your new best friends and you will be able to find some minimally processed foods to accompany them.

Pillow available at DoubleBlessings.com

Can I breastfeed twins?
Absolutely! When I found out I was having twins,many people just assumed I would need to formula feed. Being the internet junkie that I am, I did some research and learned that nursing twins or even higher order multiples, is very much possible. Some women choose to nurse their twins one at a time or simultaneously, only you can decided which works best for you. I also discovered that there is a nursing pillow made specifically for breastfeeding (and bottle feeding) twins. With this pillow I was able to nurse my twin boys at the same time. I preferred feeding them at the same time, otherwise I felt like was nursing all day long. I was very fortunate that I never had to supplement with formula and was able to breastfeed them up until they weaned at 21 months old. However, some women might not be able to exclusivity breastfeed twins so please know that it is more than OK to supplement. It can also give mom a much needed break from time to time.

Can I breastfeed if I have breast implants?
While I personally don't have experience with this, I know the question of nursing with implants comes up a lot so I wanted to go over it. Many women can breastfeed even with implants, but there is no guarantee. If you are considering implants but also hope to nurse a child someday, one important thing to discuss with your surgeon is placement of the incision. Many surgeons prefer to to go with an incision near the areola because it hides the scar well. However, this can damage the milk ducts, so it is best to discuss another location with your doctor. You will also want to go over the placement of the implants. Placing them under the pectoral muscle will reduce the pressure they put on the mammary glands. Some woman are also concerned that if an implant leaks it may contaminate their breast milk. The chances of an implant rupturing are slim. If you have a saline implant and rupture occurs it absorbed by the woman's body. Since the solution is just water and salt, it will not negatively affect your milk. It is important to note that woman who breastfeed with implants may be more prone to engorgement. I always found that if I was engorged, using warm compresses while massaging always worked well.

Can I breastfeed if I had a breast reduction?
Breastfeeding after a breast reduction surgery may be possible, but once again there are no guarantees. The main issue would be if any milk ducts or nerves were damaged or cut during surgery. There is always some milk ducts cut during this type of procedure. What will affect how much milk your baby can get is how many ducts were cut and if any of them have recanalized. If your surgeon is able to preserve the major nerves then you have a good chance of being able to breastfeed successfully. You will want to discuss this at length with the surgeon both before and after your surgery.

The most important thing to have while breastfeeding through any situation is a good support network. Surround yourself with family and friends who will only be positive and support your decision to breastfeed. Explain to them why breastfeeding is important to you and why you need them to be supportive of that. Often times when challenges arise, some people may encourage you to just stop breastfeeding and switch to formula. That is fine if that is what you want to do. But remember that the choice is YOURS not theirs.

If you have successfully breastfed through any of these challenges or other ones, I would love to hear from you! How were you able to work through it? Any tips or advice for new moms?

This post was brought to you by BreastImplants.org.

Green Giveaway Friday 1/20

2012-01-20T08:52:00.000-05:00

The Winter colrd has finally hit Connecticut, and I don't like it. I'm ready for Spring! What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Please add both your green and non-green giveaways and contests into Mr. Linky below so we can do some giveaway hopping! Be sure to include the expiration date. Thanks!

You can also submit your green giveaways to me during the week for me to feature on Fridays.

Crunchy Beach Mama
AppleCheeks MicroTerry Little Bundle Cloth Diaper 1/23
Bum Covered Diapers Bumble Training Pants 1/23
Carolina Cloth Lil B's Handmade Fitted 1/24
Sew Is Your Baby Handmade Pocket 1/25
Teeny Turtle bumGenius Freetime AIO 1/26
Thirsties Duo Diaper 1/27
biodegradeable BecoPotty 1/30
$50 SpaFinder & C3 for Stress Drink ($40) 1/30
Kindle Fire & $20 Paypal ~ 2 Winners! 1/31
$50 Amazon 2/1

Family Focus Blog
Endangered Animal Toy Set 1/26

Just Another New Blog
Organic Coconut Water Vinegar 1/23
$25 Gift Card to Barnes & Noble 2/3

The Mom Buzz
Fun Bites Sandwich Cutter 1/25

The Mom Reviews
$100 Amazon Gift Code 1/25

Family Fun at Killington Resort #Giveaway

2012-01-19T00:02:00.000-05:00

Well it took a little extra time, but true Winter weather seems to finally have hit New England. I admit that I am not a big fan of this season, I just don't like being cold. So I enjoyed the unusual warm weather while it lasted. But now it is time for fun, outdoor winter activities. Our boys are itching for a good snow fall so they can get bundled up and do some sleighing.

A lot of people around here and throughout New England head up to the ski resorts this time of year. Before my husband and I started dating, he went skiing a lot. Then the poor guy met me. At that point I had never been skiing and honestly had no desire too. Like I said, I don't like the cold. He did manage to get me to the Vermont slopes twice. Both times I took ski lessons and survived and even managed to do somewhat of a decent job. My favorite part was on the second trip which was to Killington in Vermont. After spending the day skiing, once the sun went down we went tubing. I never thought tubing could be so much fun!

Killington Resort is located in Vermont's Green Mountains and is known as "The Beast of the East." There are plenty activities for the entire family. In addition to great skiing areas, there are multiple terrains for snowboarders, dog sledding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, snowmobiling and the all-new Killington Tubing Park. There was not a tubing park way back when we went, that would have been awesome!

If you are a beginner like me, they offer lessons for both adults and kids. When its time to relax after a long day on the slopes, Killington has lodging to fit every budget. There is the luxurious Grand Hotel & Spa, cozy condominiums plus more than 100 properties throughout the Killington region. If you are planning to head to the Vermont ski areas this Winter, Killington is definitely a stop that you want to make.

Visit Killington
Head on over to Killington.com today to plan your winter getaway for your family.

Giveaway
One (1) lucky winner will receive a Family 4-Pack of tickets! Tickets are good for one day inside the Killington resort. They can be used any day before the season ends in April 2012. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends January 26 at 12:01 AM EST.

I did not receive any form of compensation for this post. I just wanted to host a cool giveaway for my readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Internet Blackout: Stop SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-17T22:22:00.001-05:00

In lieu of Wordless Wednesday or any other posts for Wednesday, I will leave you today with only this post and infographics on SOPA / PIPA. I strongly suggest you take a few moments learn more about these bills and contact your senators and representatives to let them know they should NOT support these bills. For more information visit AmericanCensorship.org and StopSOPA.com.

$200 PayPal Cash #Giveaway!

2012-01-17T19:06:00.000-05:00

Everyone likes cash right? I know I sure do! That is why I am so excited about this giveaway. I have teamed up with 9 other awesome bloggers so we could bring you a $200 PayPal cash giveaway! I am so jealous because I would love to enter myself for a chance to win that money.

This is a quick giveaway that ends in 5 days so be sure to get your entries in right away. It is open to residents of the United States and Canada only. Please use the Rafflecopter entry form below. Good luck!

So what would you do with $200 if you won? I think I would either buy something nice for my hubby or put it away for our Disney vacation.

Contest open to residents of both US and Canada. Entrants must be 18+ to enter. Winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and contacted after contest ends. Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize. Money will be sent to winner's PayPal account. Blogger's not responsible for fee's taken out of the winnings which may make the winning amount less than $200 but by how much depends on your Country.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Voice is MY Voice #FordNAIAS

2012-01-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

I know I have been talking a lot about Ford and cars lately, so if you hate cars than I am sorry. But this is more about blogging and bloggers in general, it just so happens this topic was sparked by the 150 bloggers that Ford brought to Detroit. Apparently, since Ford paid to bring me out, paid for my hotel and fed me an obscene amount of food (which I gladly ate a ton of), that means they are buying my voice. Buying my opinions on their vehicles. That could not be further from the truth.

While we were all enjoying the Ford press conference and reveal of the Ford Fusion, we were also all tweeting like mad. It was fun and engaging. Then a Twitter argument started. I don't do drama, I don't have time for it. But while I didn't participate in the debate, I did follow it and read a long. All the time becoming more and more aggravated. Aggravated that people don't consider bloggers to be true journalists. That they think we can so easily be bought.

@Nock4Six @scottmonty journalists will give you a bad review (a good critique) when deserved, unpaid (directly) bloggers won't = waste of $
— The Sparkle Agency (@Sparkle_Agency) January 9, 2012

Just because I receive a product for "free" does not mean I will automatically praise it with a stellar review. First of all, I put a lot of time and energy into my reviews, so its not free. Instead of paying with money I pay with my time. I am picky when it comes to review items. I will only review something that I know my family will enjoy and use. So generally you won't see an all out negative review, but I will indicate any negatives of a product within my review.

And just because Ford flew me out to Detroit and pampered me does not mean they bought my voice. I had a blast out in Detroit. I met some new people who I plan to keep chatting with and engaged with a brand that clearly values social media. Ford did not give me talking points. Ford did not give me expectations of what they wanted me to tweet about or blog about. In fact, I wasn't given ANY expectations. We were able to walk freely around the auto show to look at other brands. We weren't held hostage in the Ford area. In my mind I went their to learn about their vehicles, their green initiatives and if I found it interesting, I would share it with my readers and followers. And that is what I did.

Of course a question was also raised about why Ford chose to bring mom bloggers to the show. Its not bad enough that Bloggers in general can get a bad rap, but then within the blogging community, mom bloggers get even less respect it seems. Why would a mom be an important person to show new cars too? Hmmm. Well, as a mom of 4 children I am the parent who does 90% of the transporting of said children. So myself, and other moms, play a HUGE part in the purchase of family automobiles. Mom bloggers as a whole have large followings and reach, so to me bringing out a few mom bloggers makes complete sense.

So anyway, my point is that my voice is just that: MY voice. No one can buy it. No amount of food and chocolate covered potato chips can change how I feel or influence what I say.

So Many Eco Cars, So Little Time #FordNAIAS

2012-01-16T10:02:00.002-05:00

In addition to checking out the new 2013 Ford Fusion at the North American International Auto Show last week in Detroit, I also spent some time walking around looking for other green cars. There were actually a lot of them, which is a very good thing. Are car companies finally embracing the fact that alternative fuels are the future for the automobile? I certainly hope so. I wish I had more time to see them all and read more about their details. Unfortunately I never made it over to the Nissan Leaf, which I would have loved to see. Here is a quick peak at a few of the other eco cars I spotted.

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric is gas free and 100% electric. It is powered by an advanced high-voltage, lithium-ion battery system and boasts 100 MPGe. But the eco-friendly aspect of this car doesn't stop at the engine. Inside the Ford Focus Electric are cloth seats with fabric made with REPREVE® fiber, which is produced from 100% recycled materials. In fact one seat is made from 22 recycled plastic bottles. The foam in the seat cushions is derived from plant oils. Starting MSRP of $39,200.

The BMW i3 electric vehicle is a five door hatchback made from mostly aluminum and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. This futuristic concept car has a liquid cooled lithium-ion battery and on a full charge can drive between 80 and 100 miles.

The Toyota Prius Hybrid is one of Toyota's top selling models in the United States. It is not surprising with its 51 MPG and affordable starting price of $23,520. In Spring 2012 look for the Prius Plug-In Hybrid model.

The Smart Car Electric Drive is a cute little eco car. This two passenger electric car also has a lithium-ion battery and has a range of about 63 miles. It can be charged in any home socket. Obviously not ideal for a large family like ours, but could be a good commuter car. If I had to drive to work every day again, I wouldn't mind using something like this instead of my minivan.

The Hyundai ix35 FCEV is really cool in that it is hydrogen powered. (FCEV = Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) I didn't even know that car manufacturers were making hydrogen powered vehicles so this was a fun find. The ix35 has a driving range of 360 miles and my favorite part is that the only emissions are water vapors. I would love to get behind the wheel of one of these for a test drive.

The 2013 C-Max Energi is yet another green car from Ford, who really impressed me with their range of alternative fuel cars at the show. This plug-in hybrid has a combined range of 500+ miles and in pure electric mode can reach a top speed of 47 mph.

The Honda Civic Natural Gas took me by surprise. How do they get a vehicle to run on natural gas? All I could envision was a propane tank sitting under the hood, which probably wouldn't be very safe. Though I do love my Honda Odyssey minivan, I'm not all that impressed with this vehicle. Switching from oil to natural gas really isn't all that eco in my opinion, and the Civic Natural Gas only gets 27 MPG city and 38 MPG highway. On the plus side, because natural gas is clean burning, this vehicle produces near zero emissions.

The all electric CODA won "Best Green Vehicle" at the San Diego Auto Show in December and certainly caught my attention in Detroit. While it doesn't have the flash and pizazz that some of the other green cars do, it is what it does that matters. The CODA features a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, has a range of 150 miles and can reach a maximum speed of 85 MPH. This five passenger vehicle also has an interior fabric option made of recycled materials. Starts at $39,900.

The Chevrolet Volt starts at $31,645 and features a battery that allows you to drive 35 miles gas free. There is also an onboard gas generator that produces electricity so you can go up to 375 additional miles on a full tank of gas.

Toyota once again provides an affordable hybrid option with the 2012 Camry Hybrid. Starting at $25,900, this vehicle gets 43 MPG. This hybrid system consists of teams a four-cylinder engine, a high torque electric motor and nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Finally we have the Tata eMO. Tata Technologies is based in India and had a few green concept cars to show off. This electric vehicle has a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 65 MPH. While this is just a concept car, Tata says that it would start at $20,000.

So that was a quick tour of some of the green cars that I was able to see at NAIAS 2012. Some of these are already on the road or will hit the roads soon while other may never ever see the road. But they are all pretty cool in their own way and I hope that the auto industry continues to make huge strides with alternative fuel vehicles. I'd love to see some solar powered concept cars next year. And yes, someone please make a green minivan for me!

What do you think? Do any of these cars catch your eye or spark your interest?

I was not monetarily compensated for this post. Ford flew me to Detroit, housed me, fed me and showed me a bunch of cool stuff in hopes that I would share what I learned with my readers. I am under no obligation to post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

We Are Going to Disney!

2012-01-13T12:50:00.003-05:00

I don't enter blog giveaways very often any more, I just lack the time. But the week before Christmas I had caught up on my work and spent a good amount of time entering some pretty cool giveaways. My friend Sheri over at Kidsumers was hosting a giveaway for a 3 night stay at a Global Resort Homes location in/near Orlando, Florida. I entered it thinking it would be pretty darn cool if I won, but not expecting too because it was a pretty awesome giveaway and I never win much of anything. You can imagine my surprise when she emailed me to tell me that I won!

Global Resort Homes is the place for Orlando vacation home rentals; with nine resort communities all conveniently located near Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios. We are not sure which resort we will be staying at yet, but just from looking at their gallery of photos, I can see that they are all gorgeous. Shown above and below is a home in their Glenbrook Resort. Some amenities that you might find at a home in Glenbrook are a private screened swimming pool and spa, a fully equipped kitchen and a washer and dryer. And that is only the beginning. These homes are seriously way nicer than my actual home, I may never want to come back!

Once I found out that I won I immediately began figuring out how we could plan our Disney vacation. I have only been to Disney twice: once when I was 3ish and again back in 2011 - where my husband proposed to me. We have been discussing taking our boys down there the past few years, but it just wasn't in the cards for us. But there is no way we are going to passing up this awesome opportunity!

So now I am frantically trying to put everything together, which is only slightly overwhelming. I look forward to sharing our Journey to Disney with you along with my own Global Resort Homes review, so be sure to check back.

For those of you that have traveled to Disney with your family, I would love any tips on how to plan without losing my mind. Were there any tools or websites that helped you? Plus what are some things things we must do or see while we are at Disney?

I won a 3 night stay at Global Resort Homes plus will be receiving 3 additional nights to review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Green Giveaway Friday 1/13

2012-01-13T08:36:00.001-05:00

Uh-oh - it's Friday the thirteenth! Maybe today will be a lucky one instead of unlucky and you will win a giveaway. Good luck!

Please add both your green and non-green giveaways and contests into Mr. Linky below so we can do some giveaway hopping! Be sure to include the expiration date. Thanks!

You can also submit your green giveaways to me during the week for me to feature on Fridays.

Crunchy Beach Mama
$50 to GNC 1/16
AppleCheeks MicroTerry Little Bundle Cloth Diaper 1/23
Bum Covered Diapers Bumble Training Pants 1/23
Carolina Cloth Lil B's Handmade Fitted 1/24
Sew Is Your Baby Handmade Pocket 1/25
Teeny Turtle bumGenius Freetime AIO 1/26

Just Another New Blog
Organic Coconut Water Vinegar 1/23
$25 Gift Card to Barnes & Noble 2/3

The Mom Buzz
Fun Bites Sandwich Cutter 1/25

The Mom Reviews
$100 Amazon Gift Code 1/25

Small Steps On Our Journey
Clean Food Book 1/19

The 2013 Ford Fusion Offers Multiple Eco Options #FordNAIAS

2012-01-12T14:42:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I was in Detroit with Ford for the North American International Auto Show. They flew roughly 149 "online influencers" in from around the world to be a part of this exciting event and for the big reveal of the 2013 Ford Fusion. The morning of January 9th started off with an electrifying Ford press conference where we were introduced to the car that would eventually receive the Best in Show Award.

2013 Ford Fusion

The 2013 Ford Fusion is without a doubt a gorgeous car with a European style and feel. To be blunt, this vehicle is sexy! But that is not the only thing that makes this car a rock star. What I love about the new Fusion is that it will be available in FOUR different engines. In addition to a traditional gasoline engine, there will be three more eco-friendly engines to choose from. All are expected to deliver top fuel economy.

2013 Ford Fusion EcoBoost

The 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is an inline four-cylinder engine that combines turbocharging, direct injection and twin independent variable cam timing (Ti-VCT) to enhance performance and efficiency. It is expected to deliver non-hybrid fuel efficiency of 26 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid

The Fusion Hybrid continues to evolve with all-new lithium-ion batteries that save weight and generate more power, while increasing maximum speed under electric-only power mode from 47 mph to 62 mph. It is anticipated to deliver best-in-class fuel economy of 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway.

2013 Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid

The Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid will be at the top of the fuel efficiency ladder, aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world. Fusion Energi is expected to deliver more than 100 MPGe. This will be 8 MPGe more than the Chevrolet Volt and 13 MPGe more than the projected efficiency of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid model.

Some model of the 2013 Fusion will also feature an automatic start stop system which will turn off the engine when the car is stopped and seamlessly turn it back on once the driver lifts his or her foot off the brake. This can result in a 3.5% fuel savings and emissions reduction.

Remember when I said this car was sexy? On Tuesday during lunch we were able to get a little closer to a Ford Fusion Energi. The two-toned black and red interior in this model is just stunning. I'm not sure which had me drooling more, the buffet lunch or this car. What do you think?

I must say that I was rather impressed with Ford and the Fusion after this huge reveal. To offer the same body of the car in four different engine options, three of them being eco options, seems just brilliant to me. The price points for these vehicles have not been released yet, I am hoping they will be affordable for the average American family.

I am also happy to see Ford and the automotive industry moving forward in the development of alternative fuel cars. Remember when the only fuel efficient car was a little tiny thing that would never work for a family? Now we are finally seeing these types of cars in the midsize sedan class. I can only hope that they continue to improve the technology and push to get alternative fuel options like this in even bigger vehicles. This green mom of four little ones would absolutely flip for a hybrid or electric minivan. Next year maybe?

I have so much more to share with you from my trip to Detroit with Ford. Especially how Ford uses sustainable materials in the manufacturing of there vehicles. It is pretty cool stuff. So be sure to check back in for my next installment.

Learn more and connect.
Web: www.fordfusionstory.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fordfusion
Twitter: www.twitter.com/fordfusion
YouTube: www.youtube.com/fordfusion

I was not monetarily compensated for this post. Ford flew me to Detroit, housed me, fed me and showed me a bunch of cool stuff in hopes that I would share what I learned with my readers. I am under no obligation to post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Hello from Detroit and the NAIAS!

2012-01-09T09:51:00.001-05:00

Greetings from Detroit! This will be brief as I am blogging from my iPhone, which is hard on the fingers. I feel so lucky to be a part of Ford's "Online Influencers" which is made up of 147 bloggers from around the world. We are here for the North American International Auto Show and this morning we got to see the big reveal of the all new 2013 Ford Fusion.

I will go into all the details when I get back into Connecticut, but I just have to mention that the new Fusion will be available in THREE eco options. THREE! how awesome is that?! Stay tuned for all of the details.

Five Mouthwatering Nutella Recipes

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

My guilty pleasure is Nutella. I can eat it slathered over a waffle, baked inside a crescent roll or, let's be honest here, just straight out of the jar on a spoon. I have entire Nutella pinboard on Pinterest dedicated to awesome looking recipes I come across. Though I have never made any of them (hello, I a spoon is much quicker!) I do love drooling over them. Some day I hope to actually try a few. Here are five Nutella recipes that look especially delicious.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Marianna on Pinterest

Self Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

Source: blog.al.com via Marianna on Pinterest

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: heathersdish.com via Marianna on Pinterest

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

Source: cookincanuck.com via Marianna on Pinterest

2011 Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Blondie

And finally, to wash it all down with....

Source: chefdruck.com via Marianna on Pinterest

Nutella Hot Chocolate

I'd like to say I have a clear favorite, but I don't. They all look amazing to me. Now I just need someone to start making these for me!

Which one do you think you would like to try the most?

Green Giveaway Friday 1/6

2012-01-06T13:23:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday!

Please add both your green and non-green giveaways and contests into Mr. Linky below so we can do some giveaway hopping! Be sure to include the expiration date. Thanks!

You can also submit your green giveaways to me during the week for me to feature on Fridays.

3 Garnets & 2 Saphires
$50 Visa Gift Card & Toyland Express Hidden Pictures Book 1/9

A Nut in a Nutshell

Toyland Express + $50 Visa Gift Card 1/11

Crunchy Beach Mama
3 Simply Orange Juice Coupons 1/10
$50 to GNC 1/16
AppleCheeks MicroTerry Little Bundle Cloth Diaper 1/23

Family Focus Blog
Custom Facebook Fan Page 1/9
Pet Store $25 Gift Code 1/19

The Mom Buzz
Fun Bites Sandwich Cutter 1/25

Mr. Chewy Pet Supplies Review

2012-01-06T11:04:00.001-05:00

We do not have any pets in our house. I have enough trouble keeping up with my four boys, can you imagine adding a dog or cat to that mix! Gah! I did grow up always having a pet though and some day, when the kids are all grown, I may consider getting a dog.Sure the kids ask every now and then about getting a dog, but its not happening. Luckily we can just head on over to Grammy's house to get our cute dog fix.

Let me introduce you to Matusi, (pronounced Mat-soo-eee) the cute and extremely hyper Japanese Chin. He was named after the former NY Yankee player. I still think she should have named him Jeter, but whatever.

Having a pet is pretty close to having a child. You have to love and nurture them as well as take care of them. Which requires a range of products from food, toys beds and so on. There are plenty of brick and mortar stores for pet owners to shop at, but so many of us have super busy schedules and being able to order online is so much easier. Mr. Chewy offers a wide selection of brand name pet supplies at every day low prices. The best part is they are delivered right to your door.

When Mr. Chewy contacted me for a review I was really excited. Yes I know I don't have any pets, but I thought it would be nice to let my mom pick out some things for her cute little doggie. I told her to take a look and let me know if there was anything she used. She told me there were tons of items she used there and so we did a little shopping. We were easily able to find the items she wanted, including some Merrick dog food and Old Mother Hubbard biscuits. Below is a screen shot of our shopping cart full of doggie goodies.

If you spend $49 or more you get free 1 - 2 day shipping and since we live in CT, there was no sales tax. I placed my order late at night on December 22 and even though I know it is 1 to 2 day shipping, I fully expected it to arrive after Christmas. The next day I received my shipment notification and much to my surprise I had the package on my doorstep the morning of Christmas Eve. That is what I call excellent service. And I was able to bring a Christmas present for Matsui to dinner that night.

Everything came tightly packed in the box. One of the bags of biscuits had a small tear, which I accidentally made worse when I grabbed it. You can see it on the left of the photo above, which is after I ripped it more. Oops. My mother did not mind about the tear so we kept it all and she was very happy to get all of her supplies so quickly.

Shop
Mr. Chewy always offer free shipping on orders over $49. They carry all the top brands and even have a great selection of natural foods for your little furbaby.

I received a coupon code to shop at Mr. Chewy to facilitate my review. All thoughts an opinions are my own. You may have a different experience with this company than I did.

My 2012 Resolutions and Goals

2012-01-05T13:12:00.001-05:00

Well it is that time again. Time to set up my resolutions and goals for the year, most of which I will probably not complete. As you can see I am already off to a bad start since we are already 5 days into the New Year and I am just NOW writing these down. If you looked up procrastinator in the dictionary, you'd find my picture next to it for sure.

Without further ado, here is my New Year's resolution list:

Get organized. Most of my house is a disaster zone and this has a lot to do with lack of organization. The biggest problem areas are the office, which you can barely move in, followed by the playroom. I need to purge and get rid of stuff, which I already started doing, plus get some organizational tools to help with storage.
Get fit and lose weight. Yeah, this is a resolution I have every year. I need to eat better and exercise more. I already have some help lined up and will be trying out the Shaklee Cinch Inch Loss Program as well as exercising with Zumba Fitness 2 for my Wii.
Go to bed earlier. I am up way too late at night because it is the only free time I have to blog. But the late night's are leaving me absolutely exhausted so I need to find a better way to manage my time. I'd love to be in bed between 10 and 11 each night. (There are a few 10pm shows I watch).

I think I am going to stick with those three as to not overwhelm myself. Putting togther a long list is just setting myself up for failure. Last year I set about seven Green Goals and I only completed three of them. Not a very good ratio. I am really hoping to do better this year.

What are some of your New Year's resolutions and how do you plan on achieving them?

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Chaos

2012-01-04T00:31:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning was slightly insane in our house, and we loved every minute of it! This is what four kids worth of presents and wrapping paper looks like on. What. A. Mess.

The little dude, newly turned 2, off by himself with his presents.

My New Look is Here!

2012-01-03T01:17:00.000-05:00

I was planning on waiting till the end of next week do change everything, but I was too excited and couldn't wait! Welcome to my new design! While overall the layout and color scheme is the same, the header and all of the graphic elements are new. I spent the last two weeks slaving on my laptop in Photoshop and Fireworks to design everything and I am really happy with the result.

In other big news, you will see that the name of the blog is different as well. While Green Mama's Pad will always hold a special place in my heart, I wanted to expand to a blog name which encompasses everything about me and not just my green side. So I thought what would be a better way to do that than using my name and only my name? Marianna.

I'm like Madonna now.

Well, except for all that money and stuff.

You can still find me at www.greenmamaspad.com, that will never change. I did want to buy Marianna.com to redirect to here but someone is sitting on it and asking $12,000 for it. Yeah, I don't think so. I mean I like my name and all, but it certainly isn't worth that much.

I would love to hear what you think about the new look and name. Does it suite me better?

Happy New Year! Changes Are Coming!

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Did everyone have a wonderful New Year's eve? We kept it very low key, as usual for us. We like it that way. After a nice dinner with Grammy & Papa and her delicious homemade meatballs, we put the kids to bed and hubby and I stayed up to watch a little TV. The last few year's I always fall asleep before midnight so this year I made a point to stay up and ring in the New Year with my man. After making myself a half decaf / half regular latte, we sat down for some TV. We alternated between The Bourne Ultimatium and Dick Clark's New Years Rockin Eve. I'm not even sure why we watched the latter, it was horrible. Jenn McCarthy irks me to no end. But I am happy to report that I did make it all the way to midnight, and then I promptly went to bed.

Now as my title indicates, some changes will be coming to Green Mama's Pad this January. Later this month I will have an updated design as well as a new blog name! Yes, the blog title of Green Mama's Pad will be no more.. Other than appearance, nothing else will change. Content will be the same and even the URL of www.greenmamaspad.com will be the same. After 3 years of blogging I decided it was time to freshen things. The new title will allow me to spread my wings a little and grow as a blogger. I am really excited to reveal it and I hope you like it as much as I do.

So here is to a very Happy New Year to everyone. Make this one even more special than the last. :)