Logical Mama

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:55:00 +0000

These are my ultimate favorite and my greatest weakness - Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. They are actually super easy and dangerously delicious. Chocolate and peanut butter lovers, consider yourself warned.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 Tablespoon water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups.

2) Combine sugar, butter and water. Microwave on high for 45 seconds (or until butter is melted).

3) Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir until all chips are melted. Stir in egg and vanilla extract.

4) Add flour and baking soda, stirring until combined well. Allow the batter to cool to room temperature (5 minutes or so).

5) Stir in 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips.

6) Spoon batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 13 - 15 minutes.

7) After the brownies are out of the over, if the centers did not fall in, gently tap them with the back of a spoon to create a hole in the middle.

8) Microwave peanut butter for 45 seconds on high. While the brownies are still warm, spoon peanut butter into the center hole of each brownie. Top with remaining chocolate chips.

9) Cool completely or eat warm. Either way is delish!

Creamy White Chicken Lasagna Rollups Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:01:00 +0000

With the help of Pinterest, I have found the ambition to try cooking. Baking, I love, cooking I hate but some of these recipes just looked too good not to try. I found a recipe for these white chicken lasagna rollups and they turned out amazing!

Ingredients:
7-9 lasagna noodles
2 cups boneless chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Romano cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Make the lasagna noodles according to the package. Drain pasta and line up noodles in a single line on a large piece of wax paper.

3) In a mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley. Set aside.

4) In a bowl using an electric hand mixer on low speed, blend together cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Then mix in milk, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper to taste.

5) Pour half of the cream cheese mixture into the chicken mixture and toss until evenly coated.

6) Spread chicken mixture evenly onto each lasagna noodle. Then roll the noodles to the opposite end.

7) Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch dish or whatever size you use.

8) Align pasta side by side into the baking dish. Cover each lasagna roll evenly with remaining cream cheese mixture. Make sure the tops of the pasta has been covered so the noodles don't dry out during baking.

9) Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese.

10) Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top evenly with remaining 1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley before serving.

As an extra tip - These are great the next day too!

American Girl Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:44:00 +0000

My daughter turned 7 back in January which in itself is unbelievable. Time really does fly when you have kids. What's even more crazy is that it's taken me almost 2 months to blog about her American Girl Birthday Party!

I want to begin with a disclaimer that this American Girl party did not cost a fortune like some of the parties you see on Pinterest. I don't have the time, nor money to go all out crazy. With that being said, I'm almost 99% sure they had just as much fun as those who have full blown American Girl party.

The agenda for the night included:

Doll time (most of the night)
Design your own headbands
American Girl word searches, scrambles, mysteries, etc.
Printable American Girl party hats to decorate for both the girls and dolls.
Jewelry making
Treats! Treats! Treats!

I actually had a lot of fun getting all the treats ready for the party. The first treat I made were Mini Raspberry Pop Tarts. The recipe I originally had were more putzy to make then I thought, but with some shortcuts, they weren't too bad and the girls really did love them. The recipe had them on Popsicle sticks but I skipped that step as fingers worked much better anyway!

The second treat we made were Tiny Fairy Cakes. I had bought my daughter a Fairy Cookbook awhile back from school. It is full of miniature goodies that fit perfectly with the American Girl party theme. These Tiny Fairy Cakes are super easy to make and take under a half hour start to finish (depending on how picky you are decorating). Decorating and frosting them take just as long as making them. Plus, they're mini so you can make double batches without using much of anything in terms of ingredients.

Once the girls all arrived at the birthday party they had to of course get their American Girl dolls ready for the night by changing into PJs since it was a sleepover. After a good hour of doll playing time and eating half the treats, the girls went ahead and designed their own headbands. This actually didn't cost us anything as my daughter received the headband kit as a gift. The only thing I did purchase was some feathers for the girls to add to them too!

After the headbands were done, they went back to playing with their American Girl dolls again. Once it got later in the evening, and their energy was wearing down they decided to do some of the printable activities I found. Let me just say that the American Girl website has an amazing selection of printable activities for just about every doll. I was able to customize word finds and pictures for each of the girls dolls which they found pretty neat!

After more doll playing, make your own ice cream sundaes, jewelry making, midnight snacks and watching Jessie and Full House episodes, they finally crashed for the night. The next day about an hour before the girls were to leave, the birthday girl realized they had been having so much fun that she never opened her gifts! Of course we made goodie bags (actually we had pink pails) for each of the guests to take home that included nail polish, tattoos, candy, lip gloss, gum and some little accessories for the dolls. Success!

Have you created a themed birthday party before? Share your secrets and tips in the comments below!

Tiny Fairy Cakes Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:17:00 +0000

Awhile back in one of my daughter's book orders she brings back from school there was a Fairy Cooking recipe book for kids that we bought. This is where I found the recipe for Tiny Fairy Cakes which were perfect for her American Girl Birthday Party and actually any girly party.

Ingredients
- 1 Egg
- 7 Tablespoons Self-Rising Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Butter (softened)
- 3 Tablespoons & 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- Paper Cups for Mini Muffins
- Frosting and sprinkles

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Combine egg, flour, butter and sugar in a bowl, mixing until mixture is smooth and creamy. It will seem sticky and that's perfect.

3) Spoon cake mixture into paper cups until each cup is just under half full.

4) Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from mini muffin tins and cool completely on wire rack.

5) Once cooled, frost and decorate!

Mini Raspberry Pop Tarts

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:48:00 +0000

When I was planning my daughter's American Girl Birthday Party I was searching for all kinds of "mini" treats. One of my findings was for Mini Pop Tarts. The recipe I originally found was pretty intense for my time constraints so I improvised! Below is the recipe I used for Mini Raspberry Pop Tarts.

Ingredients:
- 1 can of Raspberry pie filling
- 1 package prepared pie crusts

For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Food coloring and sprinkles

Instructions:

1) Unroll the pie crusts. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pie crust into 1 1/2" by 2" rectangles.

2) Preheat over to 400 degrees.

3) Place the rectangle pie crust pieces on a cookie sheet. Spoon about 1 - 2 teaspoons
of pie filling in the center of each rectangle. Cover each rectangle with a second rectangle pie crust piece. Gently press the edges of the 2 pie crust pieces together using a fork.

4) Bake the mini pop tarts for 8 - 10 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown.

To prepare the glaze:

1) Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Add more or less milk / powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. I went for a real glaze consistency versus frosting so it was runnier.

2) Add a little food coloring if you'd like some color for the glaze.

3) Spoon your glaze over the cooled mini pop tarts. And add some sprinkles if you'd like too!

And that's it! I know that yes, a homemade fruit filling would be better than canned pie filling, but this was much faster and worked for me!

Hopping on the Smoothie Train!

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:55:00 +0000

My co-workers have become the queens of Smoothie making. One even went and purchased the NutriBullet this past week (which by the way, I'm pretty tempted to as well)! So, I caved into the peer pressure and went grocery shopping last night.

Here's what I bought to try and move into the smoothie world:

Large bag of frozen tropical fruit
Large bag of frozen strawberries
1 quart of strawberry yogurt
1 quart of blueberry yogurt
1 gallon Sunny D

This morning I pulled out about 1 ½ cups of frozen fruit and laid them on a plate to defrost for about ½ hour while I got ready. I first tried my single serving blender, which did not work at all! So I turned to a regular blender we probably got for our wedding, because honestly I don't know if it's ever been used, but it worked perfectly this morning. I blended the fruit first. Then added ½ cup of yogurt and ½ cup of Sunny D.

My first smoothie was delicious and after the kids figured out what I was doing, they wanted one too. So we all got our fruit for the day! I do need to do some tweaking to my recipe and more research though. I am looking for this morning smoothie to replace breakfast. Today within an hour I was hungry already. I know I read recipes calling for Oatmeal, however I don't have a mill to grind it, so it looks like I'll have to ask the Smoothie queens at work on how to make my morning smoothie a little more filling! Or to at least grind me some oatmeal.

Are you a Smoothie junkie? Help this rookie out with some of your secrets!

Kids Lunch Kabobs

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:02:00 +0000

I am always trying to find ways to get my daughter to change up her school lunch. I can't see how she can enjoy that same ham sandwich every day. However she is a creature of habit so change isn't something she does well in certain situations. However I have found the solution - Lunch kabobs!

While spending countless hours on Pinterest I came across an image of kabobs from Skinnytaste.com on an article about Cute School Lunch Ideas for Kids. This blog post for once had practical meal choices for kids. I can't even begin to say how many blogs have articles about great lunches for kids yet most of the foods they list I can't even pronounce yet imagine a kid (or my kids at least) eating so I was pretty excited to see this blog with normal foods.

I have made different kabobs for various parties that she loves but for some reason it never dawned on me to use them for her lunch. So we started it and it's been a hit! Below are some of the kids lunch kabob ingredients we've used thus far. The variations are endless!

Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers (cutting them into shapes adds a fun touch!)
Fresh cheese
Pepperoni, Ham, Turkey, Hot Dogs, any meat really
Olives
Pieces of Bread (cut into shapes!)
Pickles
Mushrooms
And whatever else your child likes. Almost anything can fit on a stick!

Don't forget that fruit kabobs are always a hit too!

Pineapple
Kiwi
Grapes
Pears
Apples
Strawberrys
Raspberrys & Blackberrys
Oranges
Blueberries
Watermelon or any melon
And the list goes on and on and on!

Please share your favorite kabob combinations within the comments!

Ice Balloons!

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:18:00 +0000

This week in Wisconsin it has been bitterly cold. -30 wind chills cold. So although the kids aren't allowed to go outside at school or daycare, we can have some fun outside when at home, just in 5 minute bursts!

The first thing we did was blow bubbles. Normal, summertime bubbles. However when it's that cold outside the bubbles freeze rather quickly. In the past we've been able to blow bubbles have them freeze and you can literally hold them. However last night it was a little too windy which did have its advantages. We'd blow as many bubbles as we could and then within 5 - 10 seconds they would all freeze and burst, causing a shower of frozen bubble pieces. It was like confetti falling from the sky. So although the kids didn't get hold any frozen bubbles, the confetti showers made up for it.

The second thing we did was create ice balloons, an idea I had seen on Pinterest awhile back from The Queen Says. It was super easy and although not the most exciting thing, the kids actually had a lot of fun. By the way, you can call them anything, ice balloons, dinosaur eggs, magic ball, etc. Your kids will have a million different names for them within minutes.

All you need is balloons (we used regular birthday balloons, not water balloons), food coloring and water. Put the food coloring in a balloon first. Then fill the balloons with water basically as full as you want them to be. Our ice balloons are about double the size of a softball, but you could go any size really. Just be careful when filling the balloons with water that there isn't any holes. Food coloring stains so put some old clothes on just in case!

Then place them outside and let them freeze! Once frozen, put gloves on before cutting the balloons off the ice. The food coloring doesn't completely freeze on the balloon itself, so if you don't wear gloves, you'll end up with purple hands like I did.

Like I said, this isn't anything over the top exciting, however the kids were amazed at how bright the colors were of some and how each was different. Some had large cracks through them, others were more solid. I'm sure once it warms up a bit, these will be used for some sort of imagination play the next time they can play outside longer!

Cake Batter Pudding Cookies Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:04:00 +0000

These were some of the best cookies I've ever made! If you like cake batter balls, these are the ultimate cookie for you! Plus the kids thought they looked pretty cool too!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks butter (softened)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
3/4 cup yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2-1/4 cups flour
candy sprinkles

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.

3) Add in dry pudding and dry cake mix. Beat until well blended.

4) Blend in eggs and vanilla until mixture is smooth and creamy.

5) Stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Then add the flour mixture to the creamy mixture slowly, in portions. I hand mixed the cookie dough versus beating.

6) Add the candy sprinkles!

7) Roll cookie dough into 1″ balls and place on a baking sheet about an inch apart. The cookies do not spread much so you can fit a lot of them on a sheet.

8) Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. The cookies seemed not quite done however that's when they're perfect. After they cool, they still have that moist batter type texture.

Delicious!!!

Meet the Newest Member of the Family - Lady

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Please welcome Miss Lady to the Logical Mama family! Lady is a Golden Retriever puppy who is just over 6 weeks old in the picture. While the kids are over excited, mom is still adjusting. Adding a puppy to the family is really harder than another child ... at first. From the potty training to the non-stop biting to the crying, it actually is quite overwhelming in the beginning. The first couple nights, Miss Lady cried almost all night. It really was worse then either of the kids. But within a week, she was sleeping pretty much through the night (much faster than any child I know). For a puppy she is doing really well with house training. Just like when potty training a child, if your forget to ask / take her outside, they have accidents. My daughter has really stepped up for this activity and has helped tremendously with teaching Lady she needs to go outside!

We are currently working on trying to teach her some basic commands like "Come" which she does very well with when I shake the bag of Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Development treats. And for some reason, it's only those treats that she'll come for. All the other treats I have she'll eat if I give them to her but she won't come running for them. So props to Nutro for whatever you have in your puppy treats, she loves! We have about 5 different types of bones for the puppy to chew on but for some reason our hands and toes taste so much better than rawhide and every other type of dog bone there is. Besides the biting and her being a complete baby who doesn't like to get her hair wet in the rain, Miss Lady is a great addition to our family. The kids are learning responsibility all while having the time of their life!

Mini Tacos Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 01:34:00 +0000

It's no secret that I love Pinterest. And thanks to Pinterest I find cool recipes like this one for mini tacos. Not only did the kids think it was pretty neat, I thought they were pretty good too!

Mini Tacos Recipe

Ingredients
1lb ground beef
Taco seasoning
1 package wonton wrappers
shredded cheese

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350

2) Brown 1lb ground beef. Mix with taco seasoning and follow directions on taco seasoning packet. I like to use the Taco Bell brand, but that's just me!

3) Grease or use non-stick spray to coat muffin tin. Line each muffin tin with wonton wrappers. I used 2 wonton wrappers per muffin spot.

4) Fill wonton wrappers 3/4 full with seasoned beef.

5) Add shredded cheese to the top of each wonton wrapper.

6) Bake at 350 for approximately 8 minutes.

And you're done! These are so easy and really good! Enjoy!

Homemade Moon Dough

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:09:00 +0000

Thanks to Meaningful Mama's recipe for Cloud Dough and a rainy day this weekend, the kids and I made our own batch of Moon Dough which is considerably cheaper than the store brand. Plus, since you can make a ton more than what you can affordably purchase, they had a ton more fun. They used all their Play-Doh toys, plus just regular plastic containers. This really was one of the easiest at home projects!

Homemade Moon Dough Recipe
(Double batch as pictured)
16 cups of Flour
2 cups Baby Oil

That's It!

I’m Mom Enough to Speak Up - Time Magazine Calls Mothering Skills into Question

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:26:00 +0000

Warning! This is a personal rant and my own opinion. If you don't agree with me, that's perfectly fine.

Before I even start, let me get this out of the way first. I am NOT against breastfeeding. I breastfeed my children for 3 – 6 months and would have longer had my milk supply remained. However I can guarantee that around the 1 year mark would have been the stopping point had I been able to longer. There are unlimited health benefits to breast milk which I will not object to; however the latest cover of Time Magazine has me a bit unraveled.

The cover features a 3 year old boy breastfeeding while standing on a chair. The photo is odd to begin with but what bothers me the most is the headline – Are You Mom Enough? Is that supposed to say I'm not a good mom because I don't breastfeed my 3 year old? Am I not mom enough because I don't go to extremes? I'm not mom enough because I don't participate in attachment parenting? This is where I have the problem. If a magazine wants to run a controversial story such as this article discussing attachment parenting, than write a headline that insinuates that. Don't insult the majority of mothers.

I think I can easily say that breastfeeding a 3 year old is not what a majority of moms do. Nor should mothers be insulted because they don't. I do not practice attachment parenting, a philosophy where parents breastfeed, participate in co-sleeping in addition to other items. I am by no means an expert in attachment parenting. While I was pregnant I read The Baby Book by Dr. Sears and even thought there was a lot of helpful information included in it. However, the book also discussed many things we decided we were simply not going to do. As I said, my husband and I didn't participate in attachment parenting and have zero regrets. From the research I have done on attachment parenting, it appears there is no research showing that attachment parenting is in any shape or form better than mainstream parenting. So don't hate on me for sticking with what I know works. I turned out just fine and my parents didn't participate in any extreme form of parenting.

As I also said earlier, I did breastfeed for approximately 3 – 6 months. And I am by no means, arguing against the benefits of breast milk. But over 3? And then I read in the article that one of the mothers still breastfeeds her 7 year old! Doesn't this begin to have psychological effects on the child? Honestly now, how can that be good. Aren't you setting your child up to be bullied immediately? Sorry if I offend anyone, but at that point doesn't it become more of what the mom wants and not the actual benefit to the child?

Another part of attachment parenting is co-sleeping. We do not co-sleep. We felt that was something we did not want nor did we feel it would be beneficial to our children or my husband and I's relationship. I'm happy to say, both of our children (now 6 and 3) sleep in their own beds all night without any issues. Yes there were stretches of nightmares in which we worked through them with our children by being supportive, but both my husband and I felt it was important for our children to learn to sleep on their own. Be independent. They know we are there for them whenever they need anything, but at the same time, they have grown a confidence level that co-sleeping wouldn't have allowed. Of course, they do crawl in during summer thunderstorms and we're perfectly fine with that.

Now before everyone jumps all over my case, I am not a doctor, expert, etc. I am simply a plain jane mom who typically sticks to the norm. I have a healthy relationship with both my children who love me to the moon and back (daughters quote from last night). I don't know all the facts, nor am I trying to act like I do. I simply do not see any benefit to a child to keep breastfeeding at 3 or older. To me it is ridiculous and I'm flat out pissed that TIME Magazine is insulting "normal" parents who are following the same principles and parenting techniques that have made they themselves good parents. I think a majority of us are doing just fine without following the extreme route.

Taking on the P90X Fitness Program

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:26:00 +0000

So as you saw from yesterday, my husband and I are going to Mexico this summer for a 10 year anniversary vacation. Well, 2 children, an office job and hectic schedules don't leave much time for exercise. Being in a swimsuit is something I absolutely hate. My bikini days are no longer. So in order for us both to feel better about spending a week in swimsuits laying on the beach, we decided to take on P90X!

P90X is a home fitness / training program based on muscle confusion and it is brutal! P90X contains a variety of different workouts as well as a schedule to follow. Workouts include Yoga, Abs, Chest, Arms, Back, Legs, Cardio and Stretch. There is also a Nutritional plan to follow, however I will honestly say, we aren't doing that portion of the program. My husband and I are trying to eat healthier however we aren't ready to re-adjust both our own and our kids diets. So we're sticking to the fitness part for now at least.

Technically we are starting Week 2 however being our first week and being really out of shape, we had to rest a couple nights just to prevent any injuries. This week we are recharged and ready to go. Last night we did the Chest, Back & Arms and the Ab Ripper X (OMG!). The Ab Ripper X workout is amazing and hard, but who said getting in shape was easy. The first night we did this routine, the next day, I could barely move! This morning, I am happy to say that though sore, I'm not hurting near as much as last week.

The harder challenge last night was the Chest, Back & Arms workout. I am horrible at push-ups and pull-ups. I honestly cannot do a single pull-up. There were certain variations of a push-up where I got 1. I know pathetic right! However as challenging as this workout was, it's also the one I've become most excited about. I have sooo much room for improvement; I can't wait until I go at it the next time to see how many I can hit. It really has fueled me to seriously take on the P90X fitness program.

Now I don't expect to see the TV transformations they use in the commercials, but I am hoping for some much needed toning. After being this sore, something's got to change right? I also have to mention that I love Tony Horton's personality. He's pushing you to keep you motivated yet having fun all at the same time.

Tonight is a Cardio night, so as the program says, Bring It!

If you'd like more information about P90X or any of the Beachbody Fitness Programs, I highly recommend you talk to Shari. Be sure to check out her Website at http://www.beachbodycoach.com/GOSHARI for complete details about all the Beachbody product offerings.

Excited for 10 Year Anniversary Trip to Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:55:00 +0000

This year my husband and I are celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary (OMG do I feel old). We looked at just about everything when trying to plan our vacation. Cruises, Caribbean, Mexico, NASCAR races, etc. As we were debating for months, the Cancun Visitors Bureau was having a Facebook contest to win a trip to the Riviera Maya. And we won!!!

The trip we won is for the El Dorado Seaside Suites by Karisma Hotels. The getaway includes 4 days, 3 nights however since we were already saving for a trip we extended the trip for 3 more nights. Forbes.com named it as one of the most romantic hotels in the world. El Dorado Seaside Suites is located on the secluded beach of Kantenah.

We’ve been doing research on El Dorado Seaside Suites and are even more excited after not only reading their Website but also all the travel review sites. Everyone has great things to say about the resort from the atmosphere, to the food to the staff. We’ve booked our trip for early summer which we know is the hottest time for the Cancun area, however we didn’t want to pull the kids out of school for a week. But what better place to be if it is too hot than one with the ocean and unlimited pools right!

This will be our first trip to Mexico. We went to St. Lucia for our honeymoon which was absolutely gorgeous. I loved the Caribbean. On our honeymoon we did one off-resort activity but this trip we are excited to try all kinds of new things. Visit the Mayan ruins, deep sea fishing, maybe some shopping in Cancun and the list goes on.

Of course after our trip I’ll be sure to share how the trip we went and our thoughts on the resort. For now, we can’t wait!!!

Book Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:29:00 +0000

You have to read this book! The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is absolutely amazing! My co-workers were raving about the series so I finally read the first book, this weekend, in a day! I could not put the book down and am now even more anxious to read the remaining 2 books and see the movie.

Here's a little rundown of the storyline without giving too much away. North America as we know it is no longer. It is now run by the Capital and is divided into 12 districts. There were 13 districts however District 13 had been destroyed due to a rebellion. You are not allowed to leave your district. Rebelling results in death. As a reminder to the districts of who's in charge, the Capital holds a disturbing game each year. Each district holds a drawing of one boy and one girl to go as tributes between the ages of 12-18. The main character in the story is 16 year old Katniss Everdeen from District 12. When her younger sister Prim is picked for this years game, Katniss exercises her option to volunteer. Katniss and the boy chosen from District 12, Peeta, must fight for their life against not only the other tributes but also natural elements and any twists that the Gamemakers may throw at them. Only one child can win, so it's either kill or be killed.

Though the storyline seems twisted and quite frankly horrifying, you are so captivated to keep reading to find out what happens next. What choices will Katniss make? Who wins? But aside from the games, this first book really grabs you with the feelings, hardships and struggles that Katniss has faced her entire life.

Though this book was targeted for the teenager age group, I can honestly say, teenagers are not the only ones raving about this book. As a grown 30 year old, it's been a long time since I've been unable to set a book down. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Now onto the second book!

Review of Mary Poppins - The Musical

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:39:00 +0000

Before I even start, all I can say is YOU MUST GO SEE THIS! An opportunity arose in which my daughter and myself were able to get amazing seats last minute to see Mary Poppins the musical perform at the Appleton Performing Arts Center. The performance was outstanding! There were so many things I loved about this performance, where to even start?

Letʼs start at the beginning. The PAC had "Kids on Broadway" in which there are various events and activities for children to do an hour before the show. My daughter was able to build an origami kite, color with some chalk as well as participate in the Spoonful of Sugar race. A race in which after successfully making it around the course without dropping her sugar cube off her spoon, she received a 7 song CD of music from the show. (The CD has been playing over and over since we left the show!) We ran out of time to get her picture taken with an umbrella from the show but the CD really stole the spotlight at this point. I must tip my hat to the Appleton Performing Arts Center for offering this free bonus for children with tickets to the show as it was a hit with my 6 year old.

Now on to the show.
There were so many things about the show that blew my mind. To start the music is fantastic! Hearing the songs that many of us parents grew up singing brought me back to my childhood days right alongside my daughter. All the words to "Just a Spoonful of Sugar" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" came to the front of my memory and were brought to life with amazing dance performances. Not to mention the unbelievable stagecraft and setup.

My daughter's favorite part and mine as well was when all the chimney sweepers put on a number in which they are all tap dancing entitled "Step in Time". At one point, Bert makes his way up the wall and then begins dancing on the ceiling. My daughter was ecstatic and could not wait for dance class to tell her teacher all about it! The "Step in Time" number honestly had my foot tapping, hands clapping and more. This portion of the show in itself was worth the ticket price.

In terms of our favorite performers, Bert, who was played by Case Dillard was mine. I'm not a musical reviewer / expert by any means, but I was completely hooked every time he was on stage. My daughter of course loved Mary Poppins portrayed by Rachel Wallace as well as the children, Zachary Mackiewicz as Michael Banks and Cherish Myers as Jane Banks.

This was not only my daughter's ﬁrst live musical but mine as well but I'm positive it's going to take a lot to top this. With that being said, we deﬁnitely will be attending more musicals in the future as long as the pocket book can provide. It truly was the perfect girls night!

Feel free to read more about the show from the Appleton Post Crescent: Review: Mary Poppins' opens its Appleton run in stellar fashion.

One of the Simple Joys of Parenthood

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:57:00 +0000

Tonight, my husband and I received honestly the best phone call ever. Our daughters’ Kindergarden teacher called us to tell us what a wonderful student she is. The teacher explained how she’s an advanced reader, very respectful and a great team leader. She also told us that last Friday during their Dr. Seuss celebration, she was the only student to come up to the front of the class and read Hop on Pop to the class. Unbelievable! Typically when you get a phone call from a teacher you right away think something bad so imagine our amazement and excitement!

As a parent, you wish for different things for your children. We have always dreamt of a brave, independent, smart and fun child and we can honestly say our prayers have been answered with our daughter. In the last year she has gone from a shy girl to an outgoing, ready to take on everything. She has enjoyed dance one night a week, gymnastics for a couple weeks and is all signed up for another 6 weeks of gymnastics and soccer coming up. To hear she had the courage to stand in front of the class is amazing to us.

Now, I know some of you are thinking, oh this is just another one of those mommy blogs where the mom goes on and on with a bunch of BS about how great their child is and how perfect their kids are. That’s not what I am doing. I am genuinely and completely being honest and am simply an extremely proud parent who has had all the pains, stress and struggles of motherhood erased from her mind.

Parenting is hard. There’s no other way to explain it. You work your butt off as parents hoping you are doing the right thing. Praying that your kids turn out OK. They don’t have to be perfect, but each parent has certain attributes they wish for their child. So when you receive news such as we did today, you can’t help but feel good inside!

Now as I can relax tonight, each day is a brand new day. So for now, I’m going to continue as I have been. So far, so good!

Marshmallow Pop Recipe - Perfect Kids Treat!

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:50:00 +0000

For my daughter’s birthday we wanted to create a treat that was more fun for kids than the traditional cupcakes. Not saying anything is wrong with cupcakes, we just wanted to do something different this year. Thanks to my favorite Kids Friendly Recipe books from Taste of Home we found the recipe for Marshmallow Pops!

Ingredients

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
4-1/2 teaspoons canola oil
40 large marshmallows
20 Popsicle sticks
Toppings: sprinkles, flaked coconut or ground nuts

Directions

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and oil. Stir until smooth.

Thread two marshmallows onto each wooden stick.

Roll marshmallows in melted chocolate, turning to coat. Allow excess to drip off. Roll in toppings of your choice. NOTE: The recipe calls for you to roll the marshmallows in the melted chocolate however that did not work so well for us so we spooned on the sprinkles instead. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill in refrigerator until firm.

As the chocolate begins to cool, it was easier for us to spoon the chocolate onto the marshmallows rather than continue rolling. Or you could reheat the chocolate as well.

One of the best parts of this recipe is how you can change the look to match any holiday such as green and red for Christmas. Enjoy!

Having Fun With Birthday Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:52:00 +0000

Birthday season is officially over in our household for another year! I love my children, but really wish it wouldn't be birthday, two weeks later Christmas, two weeks later the other one's birthday. It makes for a very expensive 30 days! Last year when my daughter turned 5 we decided to get her a special birthday cake. Although the local grocery store made decent cakes, it was the same sheet cake with graphics that anywhere could make. So I did some research and got some referrals for a lady in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Best choice I ever made!

Tamara's - The Cake Guru creates the most amazing and unbelievable cakes. For my daughter's 5th birthday she made a gorgeous and delicious Fairies cake. Two layers of custom frosting and details beyond belief. Well this year we decided that the higher cost didn't matter. Our daughter was so proud of her cake last year, that we got both kids' birthday cakes from Tamara this year. The smiles were well worth it.

Below are some pictures of the kids birthday cakes this year (Lighting McQueen and Tangled / Rapunzel) as well as my daughter's cake from last year. Make sure you also take a look at Tamara's other cakes and famous cupcakes on her Facebook and Flickr accounts. Fabulous!




Last Year's Birthday Cake

Pinterest - My New Obsession

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:43:00 +0000

By working for an internet marketing agency, you find all kinds of different social sites. I remember a co-worker saying how much she loves this new social Website and how she thought it would really take off. So of course I have to play too. So I created an account on Pinterest. She was right!

Pinterest is amazing in so many ways. First off, I am warning you. If you do not want to get involved with one of the best social sites in a long time, I highly recommend you DO NOT go to Pinterest. I was hooked immediately.

Pinterest allows you to organize your bookmarks or “pins” on boards using images pulled from the various articles you pin. Everything from my beloved Green Bay Packers to kids crafts, room and activities to fashion, home decor and vacations. Everything!

You can follow all the boards of another person or you can choose individual boards of people to follow. Then you can “repin” items from others boards onto your boards. You also have the option to simply like a pin as well as comment on pins. Brands are even getting on Pinterest. I follow a bunch of Better Homes and Gardens boards.

So, besides seeing really cool things, why would you want to get on Pinterest? Many, many reasons. First off, inspiration. You can find almost anything. I love seeing all the different kids crafts and activities other parents have pinned. I have started to update my wardrobe the last year. I had fallen into a t-shirts and hoodie slump. I still love them, but really am looking to get back into pre-baby shape and sazz up my fashion again. There are tons and tons of not only various clothing and jewelry, but entire outfits coordinated. Want to go on vacation? Check out Pinterest! You can see thousands of places as well as actual people’s comments on those places. Looking to change around your home decor? I have boards on my account for Laundry Rooms, Bedrooms, Kitchens, Dream Homes and more.

Many people (I don’t..yet) have Motivation boards in which they pin motivational sayings. Do you like to cook or bake? I tried numerous new recipes at Christmas time for new desserts that I found on Pinterest. It’s really endless.

Now that I have professed my love for Pinterest, which by the way is all my doing (in no way, shape or form did they ask me to) I highly recommend you check it out. And be sure to check out Logical Mama’s boards too! If you do decide to create account or if you have one already, make sure to drop us the link to your page in the comments below so we can see what things you like!

Having a Pajama Day

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:50:00 +0000

The holidays have concluded, now it's time to regroup. I don't know about your family but no matter what, the holidays are always stressful for us when it's all said and done. Between long road trips, anticipation and numerous family get togethers everyone in the family gets worn out. But this weekend will be the exact opposite. I am so looking forward to Pajama Day on Saturday!

What's not to love about sleeping in (of course the kids will only make it to 7, but hey, that's better than 5), goofing around with the kids in bed and simply getting up and doing whatever we feel like without leaving the house? Pajama days are something I feel my family doesn't do enough, but that's more my own fault of never being able to just sit and not try to do something productive every day. But this Saturday, I'm ready and the kids are ready too!

Pajama day for our family usually entails an easy cereal breakfast followed by a movie or cartoons. The whole family lounging around in their PJs all morning. After the movie we usually either play a game or Play Doh, something easy yet fun. My daughter likes to make jewelry so I plan to take advantage of making some beaded jewelry with her. Daddy and his boy will most likely watch some hunting videos and pretend their hunting, giving mommy and daughter some much needed girl time.

Lunch typically consists again of something easy. Sandwiches with fruit or yogurt usually works pretty good! Then, nap time! Pajama Day is one of the few days, I may actually take a nap. You never realize how much you used to take naps before kids came along until you hit those days where you really need one. Now being a parent, naps are few and far between, so when I have the chance and am relaxed enough to actually take one, I take full advantage!

Naps are usually followed by some sort of playing whether it be Legos (both kids love) or more Play Doh, something we can all do together. Or even free time for the kids to play whatever they want. Sometimes my kids just want time to play by themselves so this is usually a good time to give them that time alone. Plus mom can fold a load of laundry or do some kind of chore (Can't sit all day). After an easy supper, it's movie night. Make some popcorn and enjoy!

The best part of Pajama days aren't just the fact you get to wear your PJs all day, but the fact that you put everything else on hold. Life is busy, plain and simple, so taking a day once in awhile to just ignore everything but your family really is something special. The whole family can enjoy some much needed relaxation after a busy holiday season!

Make sure you share your Pajama day stories below within the comments. I'd love to hear other parents ideas!

Alvin & The Chipmunks - Chipwrecked Review

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:25:00 +0000

Over the holidays I took advantage of having a day off of work by taking the kids to go see Alvin & The Chipmunks - Chipwrecked. The kids loved it! And I can honestly say, I did too! I really liked the Squeakquel so it didn’t beat that out, but it was a great family movie despite what many film critics have said.

The movie starts off with Dave, the Chipmunks and the Chipettes taking a family vacation on a luxury cruise ship. Alvin, of course, causes complete chaos on the ship and all of a sudden lands himself, Simon, Theodore and the Chipettes on a deserted island. In the meantime, Dave and a very unlikely friend (don’t want to give it away for those who haven’t seen it) are searching the island for the chipmunks. The movie continues with the Chipmunks meeting a new friend, seeing an entirely new side of Simon and a change of heart.

This Chipmunks movie brings in a lot of references to other popular films which gives it some entertainment for the adults as well. References to Cast Away and Lord of the Rings made me laugh as well as the kids and they didn’t even know the connection. The movie also hits on a point that us as parents often don’t do - give our child some freedom to make their own choices. We are often caught up (un-consciously) in trying to prevent our children from failing that we don’t give them the opportunity to test themselves. This movie shows this. So I was reminded to let my children take more risks and let them fail. There’s no better way for them to learn how to get back up again!

The music really puts the cherry on top in my opinion for this movie. What’s not to love when you have “Party Rock Anthem” and hits from Beyonce and Lady Gaga? My daughter was in awe and literally dancing at the theater. She’s already been asking and trying to negotiate me getting the soundtrack!

I feel my children are pretty good critics of their movies. If they talk about it nonstop for weeks afterward, they really liked it. Well, were two weeks later and they’re still quoting parts from the movie.

So, if you haven’t taken your kids to see the Chipmunks - Chipwrecked, I highly recommend you do!

Children's Nightmares - Where Do They Come Up With This Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:19:00 +0000

About 2 years ago, my daughter who was 3 at the time, was having a lot of nightmares. I was desperate and blogged about it then (Child Nightmares and Bad Dreams - HELP). Well since we had found that something as simple as a daily vitamin fixed her sleeping problems. However last night she woke up terrified, to afraid to tell me her dream. So this morning, when she was more calm, she told me about her nightmare. Quite frankly I was completely freaked out by what my child told me.

My almost 6 year olds dream was that a creature was taking my daughter's skin off and putting it on another creature. WTF! I have no idea where her typically happy mind would have gotten this idea. We are careful in terms of what she watches on TV. I checked all the movie previews to make sure something didn't sneak past us but I'm not seeing anything even close to what her nightmare was. So me being the Logical Mama I am, wants to know why my little girl would dream something so horrifying. Of course, I probably will never know, but I am doing my best to make at least some sense of it.

In trying to figure out her nightmare this morning, I came across multiple sites showing how a person or child's dreams tell a story about something going on in your life or something they are struggling with, which makes sense, except she has only happy things coming up right now. Her Christmas Program at school, Christmas and her birthday. All things in which she is happy and excited for.

The one thing that is brand new is that she is trying her hardest to stop sucking her thumb. She started this challenge on Sunday and has been doing quite well, but like I said, she's working on it hard. She'll sit on her hands or twirl a string, almost anything to keep her hands busy. Could that be the cause of this horrific nightmare? Maybe somehow her mind is relating her attempt to stop sucking her thumb to a creature taking her skin? I really don't know.

So now instead of working like I should be, I am sitting at my desk trying to analyze my daughters nightmare.

Any dream analysts out there? The Logical Mama needs your help!

Holiday Pretzel Treats Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (drayas / Logical Mama) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:20:00 +0000

If you follow me on Twitter you've probably come across one of my tweets about my love of Pinterest. This week I came across a Holiday Pretzel Recipe that the kids and I had to try!

Holiday Pretzel Treats Recipe

You'll need:
Bag of Round or Square Pretzels
Big bag of Hershey Kisses (Any flavor you want except probably the filled kind)
Bag of M&M's (Any kind you want)
Parchment Paper
Cookie Sheet

1) Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2) Place your round or square pretzels on your cookie sheet. You can make as many as you want. We filled up the whole sheet.

3) Place a Hershey Kiss within or on top of each pretzel.

4) Preheat oven to 250.

5) Bake the pretzel / kisses for 3-4 minutes. Just enough so the chocolate is beginning to get soft.

6) Push one M&M into each Hershey Kiss.

7) Place pan of Holiday Pretzel Treats in the refrigerator for 10 - 15 minutes to cool and ENJOY!

The batch of Holiday Pretzels shown in the above picture, I used the Pretzel M&M's. This weekend I want to try Peanut Butter M&M's. Or try them with Hershey Hugs instead of Kisses! Let me know what variations you've tried by commenting below.