While I’m thinking of it, this is something I mention every Mother’s Day and probably will for the rest of my life.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and if you know a single mom, reach out to her and don’t be afraid to make her day special. It won’t take much, a phone call, a text, or even invite her to your brunch, out for a drink, send her an ecard, knock on her door with a plate of cookies, whatever works for your schedule. Especially the single moms of very young children.

Mother’s Day can be a very lonely and sad day for single moms of little children. Aubrey’s dad and I split when she was an infant so I spent the 1st couple Mother’s Days of Aubrey’s life feeling pretty horrible. Alone in an apartment with a baby, no family near by. Tired and doing the daily grind… laundry, diapers, nap, bath, feeding… It was hard reading Facebook posts and Tweets about other moms going to brunch, getting flowers and candy, heading to the spa with their gift certificate in hand. These things  don’t usually happen for single moms. And not that Mother’s Day needs to be about fancy gifts, but remember babies and young children don’t know it’s Mother’s Day. They just keep spitting up, crying and throwing tantrums on schedule.

Some single moms are lucky to have a close connection with immediate family or relatives and they are not forgotten. They are the lucky single moms indeed, but my nearest family members are across the country. I remember those first years being asked the Monday after, “What did you do for Mother’s Day?!” UM… NOTHING! Wiped up poop? And then you get the sad, I feel sorry for you, “Ohhhh. That’s no fun.” And that makes you feel even more like shit. Seriously, I don’t mean to make single motherhood out to be a big sob fest, but it has its moments, for sure.

Now that Aubrey is almost 5 yrs old, it’s not quite as difficult. The days are still demanding but we have so much fun doing all kinds of activities and we can go out and celebrate together. This year we are going to the circus and we are both really excited! I love being a mom and I even love being a single mom. Aubrey and I have an amazing bond and I feel we will have each others’ backs for the rest of our lives. But those earliest years alone were isolating and daunting at times. If you’re reading this and you’re there right now, you’re not alone! Hang in there – it DOES get easier!

So… for those of you who know a single mom, go ahead and take the time to reach out to her tomorrow. Let her know she is loved and appreciated for the very important job she does. You may feel like you’re bothering someone on their special day, but trust me, your simple phone call might just be what makes her day special. Go ahead and bother her.

With one of my best mom friends, Bernadette. She's the one on the right.

I was lucky enough to be invited down to the world famous Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant yesterday to preview their May 13th, Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch. All I have to say is Oh. Em Gee. It was soooo good.

I hadn’t been down to Knott’s Berry Farm since, um… well, circa 1976? Yeah, it’s been a while. I’m happy to report that a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same such as Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. This is where the whole thing began in 1934 and it is known for its homestyle dishes, comfort food and of course, the fried chicken.

Don’t expect the Ritz Carlton – this is real food for real people who like to eat in a casual, family dining atmosphere. The brunch is buffet style and everything was delicious. The most amazing thing, to me, was the variety and amount of dishes to choose from. Everything from breakfast staples like eggs, bagels, fruit, sausage and bacon, biscuits, cheese blintzes and more, to salmon, shrimp cocktail, enchiladas, Spanish rice, mashed potatoes and gravy, apple stuffing, steamed veggies, soups, fresh carved meats, cold salads, rice pilaf and MORE MORE MORE. It kind of blew my mind.

Ice swan on a pile of shrimp? Check.

I ate some of this fruit to pretend I was healthy

Included in the price of the buffet are your beverages – coffee, tea, sodas and unlimited champagne

And then there’s the dessert table. Or tables… plural. I smuggled an adorable Snoopy cupcake to Aubrey and sampled a few too many chocolate eclairs, fruit tarts and of course, I had a slice of Mrs Knott’s famous boysenberry pie. Yum.

Yummm

SO CUTE!

The service was great, the employees were all very friendly and we even got a visit from Snoopy. I love Snoopy and was kind of overly excited to have my picture taken with him.

My new boyfriend

Now here’s the best part – since you’re reading this here blog of mine, if you mention “MOM BLOGGERS DISCOUNT” when you make your reservation for the Mother’s Day Brunch, you will get 10% off!

Also, Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant is located just outside the main gates of the Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park, so you can park for free for up to three hours instead of paying the $15 amusement park parking. After you finish gorging yourself (Trust me, you will and you should if you’re a mother. You’ve earned it.), if you’re able, you should stroll around the Marketplace Shops! There is a wide variety of stores, from Snoopy and Peanuts paraphernalia, collectors items, clothing, an awesome candy store, a bakery, souvenirs and more.

This Mother’s Day, I will be flying home from a week on the road, otherwise I might actually be tempted to drive back down to Buena Park to chow down again.

The end of the road

To all of my mom friends and readers – Happy Early Mother’s Day! I hope you get some fried chicken too!

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant: Mother’s Day Brunch
Sunday, May 13, 2012
9am – 2pm
Adults: $29.95
Seniors: $22.95
Children: $16.95
Call 717.220.5055 and be sure to ask for the MOM BLOGGERS DISCOUNT for 10% off!!

I was not paid for this post, but the fine people of Knott’s treated me to a fabulous brunch and a gift certificate to the Marketplace shops where I oddly bought my daughter a Disney toy. It was a really fun and delicious morning and that’s my honest opinion. So there.

What a life.

We hope you’re having a great day too!

xo Amy & BB

I made a little video to show her off. I’m so proud of her, but especially thrilled that she got it on the first try sans training wheels! Not because she’s an athletic whiz… trust me, she’s not, but because she rode a balance /running bike for several months leading up to today.

For anyone teaching a little one how to ride, I truly believe this is the way to go. If you’re interested in how Aubrey learned, watch the video and read the steps. I swear by it and have heard many other parents sing the praises of the balance bike!

When I was around 5-6 years old, I vividly remember attempting to learn to ride a 2-wheeler for days on end, by myself. Falling over and over and over on the little hill at the top of our driveway. I remember getting so frustrated and actually throwing the bike down on the ground over and over, tears streaming down my face. I really didn’t want bike riding to start out as such a negative experience for Aubrey and all the research I did paid off.

When Aubrey was a baby, I saw a kid riding a balance bike at the park one day. It looked intriguing because it was wooden (they make metal ones too) so I went home and Googled it. A balance or running bike is a 2-wheeled bike without pedals/chain. Essentially a scooter bike. Imagine a Razor scooter, but in the form of a bike. The child propels and stops the bike with their legs and feet and once they get the hang of it, coasting down hills and zooming down trails is a blast!

It seemed like the way to go. I got one for Aubrey and continued to watch a lot of YouTube videos about how to teach the balace bike when I was first teaching Aubrey to ride, so I thought I’d list the steps we took for my fellow parents & care takers who might be researching too:

1) Gain the confidence to balance on 2 wheels with a balance bike. This took Aubrey several months. Around a year for Aubrey, actually, but on and off at first when she was three. Also, she didn’t have it at her dad’s house, so it was inconsistent learning. I think most kids may catch on a little quicker.
2) Once they master the balance bike, get a bicycle w training wheels as close to the same size so feet can touch the ground from seated position, like the balance bike
3) Ride the new bike leaving training wheels on until kid can pedal and steer simultaneously with confidence
4) Keep practicing on the balance bike in between
5) Loose the training wheels on the regular bike and go to town!

As you can see on the video, when she got wobbly, she was able to put her feet down and keep coasting/balancing confidently because of the experience on the balance bike. This momentum enabled her to put her feet back up on the pedals and also kept her from falling down and hurting herself.

Good luck to the new riders out there and happy trails!

Love, A & a

Feeling lazy but want something for free AND something for a friend? Well do I have the contest for you.

I’ve been helping this awesome new app called Wikets get off the ground and they are killing it right now. It really is a fun app, it’s free and if you don’t have it yet, you are pretty much missing out on free Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Ebay, Home Depot and iTunes gift cards for doing almost nothing. Seriously, it is so easy to rack up points and redeem them for gift cards and you’ll get some great ideas for products for your family, home, gifts and more!

Wikets has been growing like gangbusters so they decided to try their first contest! OK, first you need download Wikets to your fabulous Apple product:

1) Get Wikets from the Apple App Store
2) When you register use my promo code “funnyyellowmom” and get 200 bonus points – holla!
3) Start rec-ing, rerec-ing, buying, earning points and getting those gift cards

OK now that you’ve done that – click “Feed” on bottom left, go to the Questions tab at the top of the screen and look at Batman’s question: “Whar product $25 or less would you most want to give to a friend?”

It Looks Like This

10 of the most heartfelt, interesting, fun and creative recs (you make a recommendation for what you would give a friend) will be chosen! The winners will get to send ANY one of the winning recs to one of their Wikets friends AND you could choose any of the items rec’d for yourself! Item MUST be $25 or less.

The contest is live now and is on until 11:59pm EST on May 1, 2012. Maximum 3 entries per person! Rec it up people!

I am being compensated for pimpin out this rad new app, but the opinions expressed are truly my own – for realz yo.

About 3 or so months ago – hell, who’s counting – some lone bird starting singing it’s beak off all night long. It’s right in the tennis court trees and it literally starts when in the evening and sings all night long. I fall asleep to it singing and wake up to it singing.

First off, I am a HUGE animal lover, but I have never wished I owned a bb gun quite so badly. I made a brief video a few nights ago, not for the visual, but so I could post the singing and you can hear it. Anyone able to tell me what kind of bird this is? I’m curious. Any WHY won’t it SHUT UP IN TH MIDDLE OF THE DAMN NIGHT?!!!! Thank you. Here’s the video… listen to the sound of the ___bird:

Easter was super fun. We had fun finding eggs and candy from the Easter Bunny at our house and then we went to the Mountain Gate Country Club with some preschool friends of ours for brunch, an egg hunt, games and golfing! It was Aubrey’s first time golfing and she LOVED it!

2nd Career? LPGA in 10yrs? She IS Half Korean - LOL!

Then this past weekend we attended two wonderful events. On Saturday was the My Little Pony Bridle Shower party to celebrate the Friendship Is Magic “Royal Wedding” episode coming up on the Hub network on April 21, 10am PST. Aubrey just discovered My Little Pony and, naturally, she’s hooked. She’s a 4 yr old girl – DUH. The party was amazing with a flower bouquet making station, mini wedding cake decorating with The Butter End bakery (cakes were DELICIOUS!), yummy snacks and drinks and a pre-view screening of the wedding episodes. We had a blast!!

Aubrey Takes A Twirl Down The Pink Carpet

Aubrey And Friend Strike A Pose For the Pony Photo Booth

Then on Sunday, we attended an advance screening of the new Disney Nature documentary Chimpanzee which opens nationwide this Friday, April 20 which also happens to be Earth Day weekend… awww!

Me And My Little Chimp

We loved the film and the footage the filmakers captured is really unbelievable. I wouldn’t recommend the film for children under 3 or 4 yrs as there are some intense fight and hunt scenes amongst the animals. You be the judge on how much intensity your child can take. But there is no gore or graphic violence.

Aubrey Wearing A Chimpanzee Alex Woo Necklace

Aubrey had the honor of being photographed wearing a special new “Chimpanzee” inspired necklace by designer Alex Woo. These necklaces feature the image of “Oscar,” the star of “Chimpanzee,” and 20% of the profits from the sale of these necklaces will go the Jane Goodall Institute. Aubrey was very proud to pose for these pictures and it was an easy way for her to help the chimps! If you’d like to purchase a necklace, there is a selection of styles in different price ranges at www.AlexWoo.com.

www.AlexWoo.com

I hope your spring is as happy as ours!
This weekend we’ll be heading down to America’s Family Pet Expo in Costa Mesa to hang out with Bridgette aka as “Stella” the French Bulldog from Modern Family, and see all the great animals and exhibits! Maybe we’ll even pick up something special for Bob Barker. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send me strength not to adopt another dog while we are there. PLEASE!

]]> http://amyanderson.net/woohoo-for-spring-easter-ponies-chimps/feed 69 http://amyanderson.net/all-aubrey-needs-is-love http://amyanderson.net/all-aubrey-needs-is-love#comments Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:31:05 +0000 Amy http://amyanderson.net/?p=758 I’m on day four on the road so I’m really missing my little Aubrey. I try not to be gone longer than five consecutive days at a time (that seems to be a real breaking point for both of us) but this week will be six by the time I get home on Saturday.

When I miss her a lot I torture myself by looking at our videos and her pictures, watching Modern Family episodes on ABC.com, etc. I’m a glutton for punishment.

Anyway, I thought I’d share our latest home video. We made it last week. Aubrey has been very interested in the concept of marriage lately. I think this is common for 4 yr olds. Anyway, she understands when two individuals love each other, they may choose to get married (unless they are being discriminated against… but that’s another blog). Having very little concept of adult, romantic love at this point, she believes marriage is simply about love. It’s very sweet and innocent.

The sweetest thing is that she has been telling me for a couple weeks now is that she wants to marry me. “I’m going to marry YOU, mommy!” Awwwww. I’ve explained to her that family members can’t marry each other, but she’s not buying it.

More recently, she has also expressed an interest in marrying our chihuahua, Bob Barker. I haven’t gotten into the inter-species aspect of why that’s never going to happen, but it sure is nice to know Bob and I are loved so much.

Here is Aubrey and Bob Barker’s quickie wedding ceremony. The happiest girls I know

Really, Judy? You don’t have anything better to do with your time? I mean, you’re more than welcome to your opinion, but what can I do for you?

Oh and you did NOT see me perform last evening because the shows at Downtown Comedy Club were on Fri & Sat, March 30 and 31 – that would be 2-3 days ago. So why the giant delay? And why the apology? What’s with the “sorry” at the end of your email? If you’re going to dish it out, have some balls, ok?

Thanks, Jude. You sure make me want to suck less.

This is when I’m going to mention that I HATE driving. It’s so boring and, in my opinion, it’s such a waste of time. I’d rather be getting some work done in my hotel, exercising in my hotel or napping in my hotel. Needless to say, I get a little surly in the car alone, day after day, so I need to get creative to keep myself from driving through the guard rails.

At least the Rocky Mountains are a breathtaking backdrop for boredom. I wanted to share it with you along with some fabulous lip syncing.

Hope you’re having a great week! xo aa

I’m still pimpin the Wiketty-Wikets!! I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know that a couple weeks ago, I got my first Amazon gift card from Wikets. Wikets is the new app (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) that rewards you for recommending just about anything.

You can write reviews, attach videos to your recs, search for product recs by category, ask for recs for specific products, follow friends, they follow you, buy online off of others’ recs, other people buy online off of your recs, re-rec things you dig and build wishlists for stuff you want. You get points for the different actions and once you reach 1500 points… you get a $15 Amazon gift card! For real.

So if you’d like to give Wikets a try, download it from the App Store for free and if you  enter my promo code when you register, you’ll get 200 bonus points.

When you sign up and are asked for a “promo code” enter funnyyellowmom. Get your 200 bonus points and tell me what you like! Also, this is a new app and the developers would love feedback! Leave a comment below if you try it and let me know what you think!

Disclosure: I was compensated for my post about Wikets and for trying the app. My opinions expressed here are solely my own because I wouldn’t lie to you about how much I love free gift cards. 

So I’m back, telling you about another new feature added to my favorite new app, Wikets. This is the great new iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch app that I’ve been blabbing on and on about. Wikets is a new form of social shopping – recommend your favorite products, places, tunes and more and check out what your friends recommend when you are looking to buy. Get rewarded with points for making recs, buying via recs, re-recing others’ recs and cash in the points for Amazon gift cards. Simple and somewhat addicting.

The newest feature on Wikets is a video attachment feature so now you can recommend a song, a product… just about anything and attach a corresponding video from YouTube! You can either make your own video or attach any existing video. This way, other users can get an even better idea of why you love what you rec so much.

Here’s an example of one of my videos that is already on YouTube – my Southwest Airlines Elevator Standoff commercial.

And here’s a rec I just made today. Mostly because I love this video of Aubrey so much and having only one child, I can’t stop telling everyone how cute I think she is (awwwww… baby Aubrey) but also because we were big fans of the Miffy The Bunny DVDs when she was a toddler so why not tell my friends, and then entice then with an adorable video of a baby dancing to the theme song? (wow, that was a really long sentence) If someone buys through my rec, I get points! Woohoo!

Wikets is growing and improving every day. They are a new app, but already getting a lot of buzz and I’m  close to getting my first Amazon gift card, so that’s pretty amazeballs. Sorry, I swore I’d never use that stupid word, but I couldn’t resist.

If you sign up for Wikets and enter my promo code, you’ll get 200 bonus points. It’s a free app, so why not give it a try?!

Register here and when it asks for “promo code” enter funnyyellowmom. Get your 200 bonus points and tell me what you like! Also, this is a new app and the developers would love feedback! Leave a comment below if you try it and let me know what you think!

Disclosure: I was compensated for my post about Wikets and for trying the app. My opinions expressed here are solely my own because I wouldn’t lie to you about how much I love Miffy The Bunny. 

The Wordsmith Herself, on Valentine's Day

The Aubinator (aka my 4 yr old daughter Aubrey) recently made history by dropping the f-bomb on primetime television (She was saying “fudge” for those who haven’t heard the full details yet… people still ask me if she really said it!). In real life – our life – sometime between 18 months and 2 years of age, I did overhear Aubrey say “Hot damn,” “Oh shit” and “Oh what the fuck” and it was about then I realized she was a sponge. Or really a parrot made out of sponge and that the days of saying whatever I wanted to in front of “the baby” were sadly, over. Aubrey hasn’t uttered a curse word since then and more paramount to that is what she HAS been saying lately.

Aubrey is 4 (5 this summer) and she has entered into that magical time of child speech and language when everything she says is either adorable or hilarious. Literally, almost no in between. I’ve never loved being her mom more than now. I thought I’d share a treasury of Aubrey-isms because I love them so much and because my brain is too fried to write on any topics of substance these days. Enjoy…

(Entering the bathroom while I’m sitting on the toilet. She has yellow string with an apple shaped key chain attached to it, wrapped around her fingers.) “OK! I’m trying to make a yoyoyo, but I’m NOT making any promises.”

“Milk helps you to be strong and to make you not to be lousy. Like a slug.”

“When I grow up I’m going to work at Panda Express!”

“I want to be the Tooth Fairy when I grow up.”

“I’m going to be a boy so then when I grow up I can be a daddy.”

(Referring to our dog.) “Bob Barker should have a puppy so then she can have a brother!!”

“Mommy, how old are you?”
“39″
(audible gasp) “That’s OLD! That’s jumbo!”

(Tucking her in at bed time, she grabs and holds me tightly.) “Stay and sleep with me so I can smell you all night!”

“I want you to keep me forever.”

(I was explaining to Aubrey that Buddha lived a long time ago and is dead now.) “So is Buddha in heaven with Michael Jackson?”

“I know the names of The Simpsons characters: Bart, Lisa, the baby is Maggie, Homer… and Large.”

She called an antelope a “lemonlope”

“I had a cheeseburglar at Old McDonald’s, but I didn’t like it.”

After peeing in the toilet, she looked me dead in the eye and asked, “Um… did you wipe my vagina?”

“I’m half Korean, but you’re just REGULAR Korean.”

(Watching me eat some long spaghetti noodles.) “You can’t just eat with your lips all night!”

“I like you mommy.”

To be continued…

My shows have all been at colleges this trip and they all went well. College students are a lot of fun, but once again, they make me feel OLD!

The hardest part of being on the road right now is being away from my little Aubrey. The older she gets, the sadder I am to leave her and the more I miss her when I’m away. No matter how much fun the shows are, there is nothing as satisfying as going home to be with her.

Right now, I’m killing time before heading to the airport. I had a show between 9-10pm then I ate dinner when I got back to my hotel. After that, I ran 2 miles on the treadmill (yes, at 12:30am) and then took a shower and got my suitcase organized. I have a 6:45am flight and the airport is an hour away. Factor in filling the rental car with gas and returning it, I need to leave my hotel at 4:15am EST… that would be 1:15am PST, so I’ve decided to stay awake rather than try to sleep. I’ve done some version of this two of the last three days going from L.A. to Texas to Maine to New Hampshire. This is why I’m so turned upside down by the time I get back to L.A. I do love it and I’m so glad to be working, but I’m also very tired. I’m ready to go home.

Aubrey made this all by herself - it's Dr Frankenstein in case you couldn't tell.

I share custody of Aubrey with her dad and the last couple days have been the first child-free days I’ve had in what feels like an eon. With Aubrey’s work schedule, the awards shows and then her dad travelling, it was non-stop gogogo, just Aubrey and me. It was fun, but exhausting. Like really exhausting.

After weeks like these, it’s always a bag of mixed emotions sending the kiddo off to her dad’s. Relief on one hand and sadness on the other. I do miss her and I miss having her here… except when I’m getting a full 7-8 hours of sleep. Then I’m feeling pretty ok about everything.

My friends with older kids have told me about this magical time when your child transitions out of the insanity of 3 and 4 years and turns into a delightful and charming 5 year old and I’m starting to see it happen!

Three into four was tough and I was warned. My wise mom friends said three into four makes the “terrible twos” feel like a cake walk in the park and they were right. Aubrey was a charming and easy two year old and compared to some of the insane 3 and 4 year olds I’ve met, she wasn’t too bad during her crazy days, but it was exhausting, nonetheless.

The happiest person

I’m happy to report the days of physical tantrums, the defiance, the crying for no apparent reason, the whining over every little thing… these things seem to be (I’m afraid to say it lest I jinx myself) GONE! Particularly over the last month, Aubrey has been the sweetest and easiest kid on the planet.

Even a few days ago, when I asked her to pick up her toys, she actually responded, “OK Mommy. I’ll do it right away!” WHAAAT?!! I almost died of a heart attack and I thought to myself, “OK, I must be doing SOMETHING right… Right?!”

She has been extra snuggly, extra sweet, extra cute, extra fun and extra polite. This recent development of super greatness makes me miss her even more when she’s gone.

My spring college shows start up this week which means more time away from my special pal. I’m proud of my career and so grateful to be working but I feel the pangs of guilt and thinking about these magical days slipping by so quickly breaks my heart. If only I could stay home with her when she’s so sweet and go on tour when she’s in time out. HA!

For any of you in the crazy days of three and four, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel! And to all the negative Nellys out there who have to chime in with, “Well just wait 10 years, it comes back!” Yeah yeah yeah, blah blah blah. I’m taking my cue from Aubrey and trying to live in the moment, enjoying these sweet, wonderful days when she still fits in my lap for as long as I possibly can.

That would be my arm and Nelly accompanying Aubrey down the SAG Awards red carpet

]]> http://amyanderson.net/my-sweet-little-turkey-gets-sweeter/feed 59 http://amyanderson.net/i-rec-wikets http://amyanderson.net/i-rec-wikets#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:10:50 +0000 Amy http://amyanderson.net/?p=698 Last week I mentioned a new app I’m helping launch, called Wikets and it is becoming more and more addicting as I go. I’ve been exploring all the different recs (recommendations) from friends and new followers, making note of different restaurants and bakeries around L.A. metro that I want to try and discovering new books that look so good if I ever can stay awake long enough to read one. I think the best part so far, has been checking out the day to day items my friends have in their house. Seeing if we use the same stuff or finding out something that might be better based on recs from someone I trust. That’s a big part of Wikets. Personally, the majority of my purchases come from recommendations from friends and family. I rarely try something new without asking trusted friends first and I’m also the kind of person who LOVES to tell people about something that I LOVE! That’s what Wikets is all about!

Know of a great artist on Etsy you want to tell your friends about? Think you know where to get the best bbq ribs in town? How about the awesomest Chinese foot massage in the Valley? DO TELL!

Wikets is still in it’s early stages, so they are continuing to add more businesses to their store list and recently added Petco, The Disney Store and YouTube! Now you can recommend all of your favorite adorable hiccuping baby animal viral videos.

A new feature they just added is “Ask for a Rec”. If you’re looking for a great new nail salon in your hood or wondering which Blu-Ray player gets the best bang for your buck, you can ask your followers and if the people who follow you back and give you their recs. Pretty cool.

Best part is they are working fast to get their rewards program in place. You will earn points for making recs, re-rec’ing things you like and making purchases off of others’ recs. Then you will be able to use your accumulated points to trade in for merchant gift cards! Woot!

Here’s how to try out Wikets for free and get 200 bonus points: 

- Download Wikets from the App Store

- When prompted for a promo code, enter my code: funnyyellowmom

This way you will auto-follow me AND you’ll get 200 bonus points – that’s double the normal promo code points.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

I’ve been playing around with a new app called Wikets and I want to get more people signed up so we can help get the Wiket ball rolling! It’s a fun app and a great way to share stuff you love. I kind of describe it to people as a Yelp, meets Twitter with a WeReward type of points system. Did I mention it’s FREE?!!


Wikets is compatible with Apple iPhone, iPad and ipod touch with iOS 4.0 or later. Wikets allows you to recommend products (called “recs”), apps and places to your friends and in turn, search for great recs from people you follow. Then you can earn points for sharing and using each others’ recommendations and redeem points for e-gift cards. The e-gift card program is being hammered out right now, but while they are working out the details, it’s a perfect time to get started, earning points and discovering new places and products.


Personally, I don’t buy much of anything these days without a recommendation from a friend or great word of mouth, so this app is really helpful and it’s fun too! One of my favorite aspects is getting a glimpse into the homes of my friends – what kind of products to they use, what do their kids eat and play with, where do they like to go?! It’s fun! And if you join with my promo code, you can spy on Aubrey and me


Here’s how to sign up: 
- Go to the Apple App Store and search/download Wikets. 
- When prompted for a promo code, enter: funnyyellowmom and you’ll be ready to REC and roll!! Ok, that was really cheesy, but I do think you’ll have fun with it!

Sally The Snake Cake! I made it. Woot!

Last year it was snakes after a reptile guy came to her preschool. She obsessed over snakes so much she decided to have a snake themed birthday party and now, the fear is old news.


Tonight, she started rambling on and on and on about Frankenstein, which is nothing unusual these days. The desensitization process involves talking endlessly about the subject. But I heard her say something that was too good not to capture on video – for future bribery and humiliation. Maybe at her graduation party or wedding reception. I bet her prom date will like this too. God being a parent in the digital age is great:

Personalize your own free picture slideshow

 

As you probably know, I am a single mom and tonight was a Christmas Eve of solitude for me. Aubrey’s dad and I have shared custody and she is at her other home for Christmas this year. She headed over there this afternoon after a fun morning together of The Muppet Movie matinee and lunch at one of her favorite restaurants.


As a single mom, not having my child on a major holiday always brings mixed emotions. Most people would assume that it’s totally sad, not having my little turkey girl here for Christmas, but it’s not all sad. This is a time for me to relax, catch up on some work, stay up late and sleep in (!!!!), go to some grown-up holiday parties, watch American Horror Story on the DVR in the middle of the day and talk on the phone uninterrupted. I need this time to re-charge my mom-battery. I hate the phrase “me time” but that’s what it is. 

Aubrey and Bob Barker

Motherhood has not been typical for me, in ANY way. Not since the day she was born. And while it’s not a storybook ideal, it’s still pretty amazing and I do believe we have a really splendid life together. We often have to make up our own rules and traditions as we go, but this is what makes our little family of two, special. 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday time this year, no matter what that means to you. YOU define your happiness and joy! 

…and if you are spending time with family this holiday season and would rather be at home alone like me, check this out: